God's Perfect Plan

Here's Nicole's email from today!

It sounds like she had a really good week.

Check it out below:

"Hey everyone!! 

     This week was weird, like all first weeks of a new transfer. Nonetheless, we saw many miracles and have received many great blessings. 

     Monday was my last pday with Sister Kulcsar. We got to see Pam and Jeanine again which was great! They are doing awesome and Pam is really progressing! She's such a sweetheart....I really don't know what else to say about her! They're just great :) 

     Tuesday I got Sister Erickson and said goodbye to Sister Kulcsar! We've had a lot of fun together the past 2 transfers, despite the trials we also faced. I'm grateful for all that I've learned from her! Sister Erickson is great too, though! I just adore her! She is so funny! Tuesdaynight, we had a dinner at a members home, and their 2 less active grandsons were there. The lady talked about how cute her grandsons were the majority of the meal and how she was hoping if she introduced them to 2 cute Mormon girls (yes, she means us), then they would become active again. It was awkward....REALLY awkward! Hahahaha. Luckily, we were able to tie everything back into something less awkward and we were able to joke about it. Yeah...it was quite the experience! 

       Thursday we saw the Schmidts and see how they were doing since the passing of their loved one. It was a very short, but great message! Sister Schmidt was engaged and felt the Spirit...it was so great!! 

       Friday, we got to meet our new district! In our district is Elder Shirk (district leader), Elder Nielson, Elder Troseth, Elder Vaughn, Sister Erickson and myself. Within our district, we all got special callings! I'm the P-day coordinator, Sister Erickson, Elder Troseth, and Elder Nielson are the Blitz coordinators for each companionship and Elder Vaughn is the refreshment coordinator (that's my favorite:)). Hahaha, it's going to be a great transfer with these wonderful people! Our district is a lot of fun and I can already tell we'll become close!

       Saturday, I got to attend my first funeral...EVER. I hate funerals!! We got to go to the funeral for the Schmidt family in support of these wonderful people. By the way I cried, you would've thought I was best friends with the man who died! Despite all the tears, I am so grateful for that experience! The memorial was absolutely BEAUTIFUL and the Spirit was felt so strongly. It's been a while since I've felt the Spirit that strong. I had a lot of doubts, concerns, and worries addressed at the service. I had things clarified and confirmed to me. I gained a better understanding about God's Plan of Happiness (or Plan of Salvation) for His children. God's plan is perfect. I'm grateful that Jesus Christ will be the Judge and that He knows us perfectly and knows our hearts. How grateful I am for this reaffirmation. I'm thankful for the Atonement of Jesus Christ that makes it possible for us to live with our loved ones again. I am so blessed to have this restored gospel in my life to carry me through the difficult times. 

       I hope everyone had a wonderful week and will have an even better week! Thank you for your love, support and prayers! I appreciate them and I appreciate each of you! Love you all!! 

Love, 

Sister Wilson"

God's Unfailing, Unconditional, Perfect Love

Sorry I'm behind in updating!

Here's Nicole's email from last week.

Enjoy!

"Hey Everyone!!!!! 

      Yes, I did get my transfer call, but you'll have to wait 'til the end to find out :) 

      This week was long, but good! The week before transfers is always weird feeling. But, nonetheless, it was a very blessed week full of miracles and tender mercies from our loving Father in Heaven! 

      Monday, we saw the Wimpfheimers. They're the family with the foster kids...with Jeanine (recent convert), Pam (our investigator), and another young lady Tatiana. We had dinner with them and shared a message about forgiveness! We tried to make it fun, so we took the chorus from Frozen's Let It Go and rewrote it for them. It was funny! The awesome lyrics go something like this: Let it go, let it go Don't hold onto it anymore. Let it go, let it go Throw your grudges out the door. Yes it's hard, but you'll find joy this way. Jesus forgives you, so forgive your fellow beings too. haha, the tune got a little weird near the end, but it fulfilled our purpose :) It was fun and they loved it! Pam even asked if we could write down the lyrics for her haha. 

     Tuesday was GREAT!! We were super busy with appointments, which is a missionary's dream! We saw Tamara, who is our only investigator in Deer Park right now. She's awesome! Her husband is less active, but is super supportive of her looking into the church. In fact, he encourages her! She is super great, open, and searching. I love her dearly :) She has a desire to know the truth and to get have an eternal family! She's praying about baptism and SHE'S JUST SO AWESOME!! That evening, we saw Meg again! We asked her about church and how she felt and the possibility of her making it a consistent thing. She said she'd consider it, which is great! She doesn't like Clayton ward for some reason (Clayton is great) so she doesn't want to go there. We mentioned to her to come to Deer Park right now. We explained that God doesn't care which congregation she goes to at this point, He only cares that she's going to church and renewing her promises that she's made with Him.....she said she'd consider it and talk to her husband!! Happy me :)

       Wednesday, we did another blitz in Canada all day...I love Canadians :)

       Thursday we saw Sister Schmidt and her family. Sister Schmidt is super great!!! We did a fun game with her kiddos that got us all laughing. There is so much joy when you are sharing the gospel! At the end, we asked Sister Schmidt if she'd come to church for our last Sunday (we were  100% sure that Clayton was getting their own set of missionaries and we were crushed that this was our goodbye). She said "I think I can do one hour"! AHHHHH! She said she'd come to church for us:) I love the love we have for others and the love they have for us...no greater feeling :)

       Friday and Saturday we did an exchange with the Canada sisters. Sister Day came to Deer Park with me and it was a lot of fun! I love her! We just laughed the whole time and had great lessons! We even saw Pam again! She said our Forgiveness lesson really helped her. We taught her about the Restoration and she felt the Spirit strongly! She asked us to come back again! We love her to pieces!! Saturday we saw Meg! It went well except for the end when I started bawling my eyeballs out at the fact this was (most likely) our goodbye. Of course I started a chain reaction because by the time we were done, we were all crying. Haha

       Sunday, I learned a wonderful lesson. First off, I am getting so anxious for the call of doom. I hate transfers.....with a passion! Anywho, Meg came to Deer Park ward! She save us a seat and stayed for 2 hours!!!! It was so great!!!!!!! I just love her so much! Then, Clayton Ward starts and we are anxiously searching for Sister Schmidt. She never showed up. We were bummed and hoping we would have had one last hoorah with her. But, it happens so we didn't dwell on it. Well, as sacrament begins, the person conducting the meeting stood up and announced the passing away of Sister Schmidt's brother, whom she lived with. I started bawling (I cry too much). I didn't even know him! He's less active as well. I've seen him (because Sister Schmidt lives with him) and have said hi a couple of times, but that's it. I didn't understand why I was so emotional. I cried the whole sacrament meeting, then in Relief Society and on the way home. I just didn't understand why I was THAT emotional over this...so unlike me. But, as I was trying to understand what was wrong with me, these words came to my mind, "This is Christ'like love". The Spirit then expounded that for me. He told me that I was loving God's children the way He loves them. I realized I was crying because someone I've come to truly and deeply love, lost someone she deeply loves. I am so grateful for the Love of God! Feeling God's unfailing, unconditional, perfect love for us is a wonderful feeling. But, feeling God's unfailing, unconditional, perfect love for OTHERS is even better. I am so grateful that my calling allows me to love people as God does...it's one of the greatest gifts I have been given and I will forever be grateful for it. 

    Okay, okay, I'll end the suspension :) Sister Kulcsar is going to Post Falls, Idaho, while I'm staying in Deer Park AND Clayton!! My new companion is Sister Erickson from my MTC district! This was such a shocker!!! I couldn't believe it! I cried tears of joy. Everything I wanted to have happen this transfer did, and that's a huge miracle. Finding out that I get to stay with all these people I've come to love was one of the happiest moments on my mission. How blessed I feel! I'm excited to see where this transfer takes me! I'm grateful for all that I've been given! I pray you all have a wonder week full of miracles...I know I will! 

Love, 

Sister Wilson"

Nicole and the wonderful Schmidt family

Nicole and Meg

I Love My Calling

Here's Nicole's latest email home!

Though she had another long week,

she explains that she still saw miracles.

Read what she had to say below:

"Hey everyone! 

 

     This week was long, but we still saw miracles! 

      Monday, we got to teach Pam, the foster child who lives with our recent convert Jeanine in Clayton. Pam is super awesome and loves our visits! As we talk about the Atonement of Jesus Christ, she feels the Spirit so strongly!! It's so great!! 

      Tuesday and Wednesday, we got to do splits with the Grand Forks (Canada) sisters! It was a lot of fun! I love learning from Sister Day and Sister Smith! I love the elders and sisters we get to serve with and their testimonies that strengthen mine! 

      Thursday we got to meet our new mission president, President Dymock, and his sweet wife! They are super nice and I look forward to seeing how they will help the mission progress! Also on Thursday, we say Sister Schmidt...I have no idea if I've mentioned her before. She is a less active member and her 3 sons aren't members, but are of baptism age. They are so great and we see them every Thursday evening. When we first met Sister Schmidt, she wouldn't tell us anything as to why she didn't come to church. But, when we went over Thursday night, her kids weren't there and were at their dad's house. We sat down and we just asked her again why she doesn't come. She completely opened up to us! It was amazing to see how much she has grown to trust us and how much we have grown to love her! We were so excited!! I love Sister Schmidt :)

       Friday, we got news that a modern day Apostle, President Packer, passed away. I'm grateful for his service and all he has taught us. May we all remember him and apply his teachings. 

      Saturday, we went to a 4th of July breakfast with the ward where we got to help make pancakes :) It was a lot of fun! I'll send the photos next week since I have absolutely no time at all to write! Saturday night we also saw Meg, another less active in Clayton. Meg is GREAT!!! She really is a miracle. She normally closes the doors on missionaries, but since we found her outside working on her yard, she didn't have that opportunity. We've been meeting with Meg and reading from the Bible for quite a while. She loves meeting with us and we love meeting with her! The best part is, she came to church on Sunday! Well, she came to the Deer Park ward to hear her niece give a talk in Primary, but she came for at least 2 hours!! That was huge and we were so excited to see her there! 

       I love my calling and I love these people way more than I ever thought possible! As transfer calls approach (aka the call of doom) this weekend, I am getting very anxious. The Clayton ward will be getting their own set of missionaries (right now we share the ward with elders) which is exciting, but makes me sad. I love that ward so much and the thought of me not being able to serve in that area anymore breaks my heart. But, I love Deer Park too! We work with more people in Clayton, but the Deer Park ward is so missionary minded! I've gotten to really know the members in this ward and they are so awesome! I love these areas so much!!! I feel God's love for each individual in my boundaries and that's the greatest gift anyone could ever ask for...to love so deeply. It makes transfers hard, but makes the idea of coming back to visit so joyful! I'm grateful for all that my Heavenly Father has given me and the help He sends to me, and all of you, everyday! I know my Savior lives and I know His plan is perfect, no matter where He takes me! 

 I love you all! Have a wonderful week!  

Sister Wilson"

After hitting send, Nicole noticed she had more time!

She continues:

"Tender mercy from Heavenly Father....I got more time to send photos!! We write at the library and sometimes people reserve computers or there aren't any available. My computer only gave me 30 minutes to do all my emailing (instead of 1 hr and 30 min) so I was rushed. But, once it logged me off after the 30 min, it let me log back on! Don't know if there was a cancellation or what, but I'm grateful! Heavenly Father looks out for His servants! 

So here are the photos! We went to Zion's Camp for Breakfast. Zion's Camp is a church owned camping ground with lots of historical places marked. It was so cool to see it! The ward camped out over night and since we can't go camping, we just showed up for the food:) We did get to help make the pancakes though:) 

The one photo with all the skulls is from a lady's house who we had dinner with. She had animal skulls EVERYWHERE!! It's a lot of fun to meet so many different people:) 

Love ya'll!"