Transfer Complete!

Nicole's Letter:

"Season 2 Finale... wait, what?"

February 27, 2017

 So I am getting transferred to Grangeville, Idaho and I am second-training (that means that she has only been out one transfer and is still in training).  My stomach is kind of in knots just thinking about it.  I feel so bad for her, she is getting a trainer that has only been out 4 1/2 months and I have no clue what I am doing.  I was really freaking out (wanted to barf) after President called to ask if I would be willing to train but then this morning I realized that freaking out does nothing in life.  Also, I know that God will strengthen me beyond my own capabilities.  That is probably what I have learned the most this transfer is that the enabling power of the Atonement is real (Elder Bednar has a really good talk about it that everyone should look up- I can't remember the name but he gave it before he was an apostle at a BYU devotional).  I know that I could not have done this transfer on my own and with mine own strength.  God really does lift you up and helps you through the hard times.  I mean there were still some really low lows but I just can't even imagine those lows without God.  In the talk Elder Bednar states that "The Atonement is not just for the sinners but it is for good men to become better".  God gave me strength this transfer and I just have to have faith that He will do that again this next transfer.  I am so scared ahh!

Also, a little bit about Grangeville.  It is in the outerspace of the mission.  We looked it up on the GPS last night and it is 300 miles away from Post Falls.  Three hours away from the mission home in Spokane and it is the largest geographical area in the mission.  I am literally going from the smallest (we can walk the distance of our area in like an hour) to the largest (where it takes hours to drive the distance of the area).  It should be pretty interesting.  

I have to admit I am a bit sad to leave Post Falls and the people.  We said goodbye to some people last night.  But the Elders that are taking over our people are good (well one was just the AP and the other one is a newbie) so that helps.  We went over to Larisa and Dennis's house last night and I love them so much! They are the best!  We taught the gospel and it was actually a really good lesson.  They are living together and afterward Larisa turns to Dennis and just says "We have to get married.  We are living in sin, like just playing house together".  Dennis was like "No we are just roommates" Haha but they both know they need to start acting.  Yesterday after sacrament meeting one of the members (his wife has been taught by the missionaries) told us that his wife has picked a date and she is being baptized on March 18.  She is out of town right now but she finally knows when her mom is able to come up for the baptism.  So that is super exciting!!! They are awesome people, we love them! Sad that I am leaving though.

​Jen and Tom- they are pretty great, I love them! They fed us every Sunday this transfer which was the first for them.  Tom wanted us over every Sunday and Jen was super surprised.  They are so fun.  We meet them the first Sunday of the transfer and before meeting them I was freaking out because the Elders that were teaching Tom told us that Jen hates Sisters and was not happy that she was getting sisters but she likes us :)

Jordan (Dennis's son made us some sweet spray paint art) 

The effects of freezing fog.

​pretty skies after a lesson at the church a couple weeks ago

​Us cooking fish that some old lady gave us.  Sometimes I just laugh at the things that happen on a mission.  We were teaching an old lady-she has let us in once so we just teach at the door.  And one day she was like "do you like fish"  We were like yah and so she was like wait her I have fish for you!  And then she was up fumbling around for ever and I was like "Shirley, we don't need that much"  And she shushed me! So we walked home with a couple of pounds of fish that day!

​My district (minus one elder that just got made AP so he wasn't there for our last district meeting)

​The finish product of our fish, thanks to Shirley for the fish 

​This might be a pointless picture to you but you do not even know how happy this makes me.  I have never loved the sun so much! Had to take a picture since it is a rare sighting to see the sun.

​Then naturally we had to take a picture of us on that sunny day :)

​Us at CDA lake last pday.

​Some sisters in my zone...and yes ponytails are not my thing, I look like I am balding, promise I'm not

​Tom came and dropped off a pie at church for Sister Lake's birthday last week.  He walked into the front of the class with this huge pie box.  He brought his friend as well it was funny.  But the pie was so GOOD!

One more photo of my going away present that Sister Lake drew for me :)