Bleach & B.O.

We moved again on Wednesday so I have a new address. Don't have it memorized right now so you can just send any mail to the mission office and they will forward it.  But don't worry any mail that you sent to the other address on 37th I'll get because the other sisters live there.  

Long story short. We had interviews on Tuesday.  Got pulled from Moran Prairie ward on Tuesday.  Moved on Wednesday.  And the rest is history.  I am in Manito ward now (it is in the same stake).  It kind of reminds me of Berkeley/Piedmont/Oakland all in one.  It is a pretty area.

So there were Elders that were in Manito before, one of them was a visa waiter and he got his visa faster than anyone thought so then his companion went to Post Falls and there were no missionaries in Manito.  So President thought it would be good that we get pulled from Moran Prairie and take over Manito.  The apartment has definitely had Elders living in it.  But the zone leaders were really good and bleached the whole thing and cleaned the bathroom and kitchen so there wasn't any more mold anymore haha

So now we have a nice smell of bleach and b.o.  But we are just grateful for the zone leaders for cleaning it up as much as they could.  They said that no sisters should step in there before it was cleaned haha.  And taking over an area that was previous was elders has a lot of other challenges that come with that like the area book
And that was the week.

A thought:

When hard times come, we either turn away from God or turn more towards him but lets just say we all have to, some of us more than others, fight like crazy to turn to Him. Even if sometimes it is silent I know that the enabling power of the Atonement is real.  I know that it is better to have God on our side. We can feel peace from Christ and He knows all of us, He knows each of our pains because he has felt them.  He knows us. We just have to remember that because we all have bad memories sometimes and forget that precious truth.

A Quote:

"I love when you come over, I feel so happy and positive yet thoroughly chastised!" - Sister Fowler

 Love to all

Weekly Email: July 24

WE might be those annoying sisters but we matched for zone conference haha  President had the APs stand up and he pointed to their ties (him and the APs were matching) and then he turned to us and had us stand up and just said "Unified".  It is just part of our ploy to get him to let us stay together another transfer.  Sister Madsen's mom sent us skirts but don't worry we didn't actually go out proselyting in complete matching outfits  

My favorites!!! Sister Packer and Sister Madsen :) We have all been each others companions

We had a stake pioneer activity.  It was fun.  One of our investigators came but we have to pass him off to YSA (starting again from ground zero yeeee).  At the activity we got this game going strong, it is 4 square but in the air.

our old apartment

lots of pets

and we had super dirty water and we were a little dehydration so we bought some water and Gatorade.  Then Sister Madsen was super sick one day and the Elders gave her a blessing and bought us more Gatorade. Then we ran out of water and so we went over to the Elders since they have a filter pitcher and they were so kind to refill all of the water for us.  They even got us chairs for us to sit outside of their apartment and watch them fill all the waters up.  They are the best.

us last pday we went to the rose gardens but were pretty tired and poisoned from our water :)

our old apartment, we have 5 sisters and beds against the walls

If you have ever seen hunger games....that was our week

I think the only thing that didn't yell at us this week ha

sending in our model shots soon

carrying our water for about 2 miles down the busiest street in our area

everyone that i live with :)

sister packer

This week I just sent a bunch of photos.  Hopefully you get the idea of our week.  

It was a good one full of up and downs and lots of laughs and tears :)

One funny thing is that Sam Adams from ESPN is a recent convert in our ward and he was asking about this one family that we are trying to teach and he is assigned to home teach.  We let him know they were out of town and he was like "Thanks for telling me, they were the farthest in our route and we are biking today"  He wanted to dress up in short sleeves white shirts and ties and bike around and be like the missionaries.  So funny! So him and his HT companion biked around trying to home teach all of their people.  Maybe it was funnier to me but he is such an amazing member and person!

For The Lord

Nicole's Letter:

July 18, 2017

Things are picking up!  

Some highlights:

Tiff took Sister Madsen and I to dinner and we had Thai food! It was the most glorious thing in the entire world! I haven't had any since my last night before going into the MTC. 

We found 2 new people to teach!! Greatest thing ever! One of them rode the bus 30 minutes for a church tour and he was so interested and sincerely looking.  And the other guy is named Robert and he is super nice and sincere as well.  Well the first guy lives in Cheney so we had to pass him off to the Elders (hey but we made some elders day!) and Robert is YSA age so we will probably have to pass him off too.  Even though we have to pass them off I am still happy because I have realized something (or it has finally clicked, actually it clicks multiples times but then I forget and then it happens again)  But this is not about me.  I know you would think I would have learned it by now since my personal slogan was "Cobb, it's not about you".  But I am not finding, teaching or baptizing for me.  I am doing this for Heavenly Father.  He is so happy that we are finding his children that need a message of hope regardless of what ward they will go to.  And I know that eventually we will find some for the Moran Prairie Ward. 

On Sunday we were greeting people at the door and Sister Madsen and I were taking bets on who would come to church.  And then I looked over and my mouth just dropped and was like "What!"  Robert came to church!! He came in just in his T-shirt and shorts holding his little Bible.  He is a 25 year old that stood us up earlier in the week and then we went by and we were like "Do you have 10 minutes right now?"  He did so we taught him the Restoration and then he came to church!  After sacrament meeting he told us that everything pretty much went over his head (the temple president spoke) but he liked it and he stayed for the 2nd hour.  (Which we were teaching and we found out the normal teacher was sick and that we would be the subs right before sacrament meeting so that was pretty fun.... We just taught the  Plan of Salvation)  Good thing one of the members had pity for us because in Gospel Principles it was just us and Robert and another really cute down syndrome guy.  So Brother Anderson was just dropping something off in the classroom for the next hour but then he just sat down so that was super nice of him and it saved us!  Sorry I really need to be better at writing stories but guess I just write them how I tell them which is very long and confusing haha

But Robert ended up staying all three hours.  Each hour he looked more and more confused but each hour he looked happier and happier.  

My body is so tired each and everyday but wouldn't want to be doing anything else.  This is the greatest, hardest and strangest thing ever.

This week was just so good.  There are so many little things that happened that were so fun and funny. Just know that we are hardworking idiots over here in Spokane :) at least that is what Sister Madsen and I joke about.  We work so hard but we probably seem like idiots to some people :)  We just laughed so much this week but hey sometimes you just got to laugh to get through something!

Pictures:
spokane

sister madsen and I getting turned into mermaids by some little kids at this apartment complex

And we are all moving next week so we will have a different address but you can send anything to the mission office!

Spokane Week One

Nicole's Letter: "Spokane Week One"

July 11, 2017

I am officially not in Idaho anymore and not in the country.  Spokane is definitely different than Grangeville.  

Everyone looks at me super weirdly when I say "Well, we will see you around"  In Grangeville that was definitely a true statement but no so anymore.  Lots more people and lots more yelling and cat calling. My companion is Sister Madsen and she is awesome!!!  She reminds me of Paige Carver just super funny and witty.  So the area that I am in is dead.  Apparently, President was saying that he put a powerhouse in Moran Prairie to see if things could change, like last chance sort of thing.  Don't really know why President keeps putting me in these kinds of areas but oh well we have so much fun together!  And we both love working hard which is the best!  We always get home at the end of the day with a new blister and sun burns and feeling like our bodies are going to fall apart but it is the best feeling ever!  I love this work! 

Monday: Border Days! Grangeville was so busy with so many people for the 4th of July and then I said goodbye to Grangeville.  It actually was pretty sad.  I miss the farm lands and Idaho! We went to Lewiston and stayed with the Clarkston sisters and just worked in their area and had zone p-day which was fun.

Tuesday:  Crashed another wards 4th of July breakfast which was pretty fun, I always love picking the right table to sit at.  Then went on the "transfer van" and traveled up to Spokane.  The ride was fun, got to sit with Sister Mitchell (my MTC comp).  Then moved into my new place.  It is a very very small apartment and there are 5 sisters that live with us.  So we are all getting pretty cozy with each other but on the bright side the toilet works! (Apparently it didn't work last transfer and they always had to go to the church and use one).  Did some service and some studies too.  It was quite the 4th of July.

Wednesday:  Sister Madsen had a meeting so I went to the other sisters area and went on exchanges.  It was good, set up 2 appointments! 

Thursday: We went to do service in the Elders area and were just pulling a ton of weeds but we forgot gloves so it was a bit painful but worth it

Friday: District meeting, invited a ton of people to the music fireside that Claire Crosby was singing at.

Saturday: Same great thing! Walking and talking to a ton of people.  Oh and we went to the old folks home which was pretty funny.  

And then Sunday the POWELLS CAME WHAT! 

So we were greeting people and Sister Madsen was telling me who everyone was and she saw Tiff and Dianna walk in and she was like "I have no clue who those people are"  And I was like "But I do!"  I was in complete shock! It was kind of surreal! 

Then the music devotional in the Valley.  The YouTube star Claire Ryan Crosby came and sang with us.  So the clip that Tiff sent wasn't a ward choir but it was a three stake thing.  There were a ton of people that came! It was really amazing and then some recent converts spoke and their testimonies were really cool.    

pictures 

sister madsen

and i hit my 9 month mark so the sisters confettied me

Claire and the sisters in my apartment

our apartment 

some more sisters with claire

Transfer Van

NEW ADDRESS

NEW ADDRESS:

2707 E 32 #2

Spokane, WA 99223

WRITE ME! 

<3

Elk City.

We made it!  Elk city was a sight to see.  It is about 2 hours away and it is literally i mean literally in the middle of nowhere.  

Things I want to remember....

Sister Doherty kindness.  She made us lunch in her Cinderella kitchen.  We had some steak and corn and coleslaw.  She then told us all the people that we should go visit and called some to see if it was okay if we came.  She is such a nice lady.

And then Vera.  She lives in a dark brown log cabin with chickens and a garden in front. She was baptized about 5 years ago in Kamiah.  She was so nice! It blows me away with everyone's kindness.  I mean we have never met her and she just pulled up some chairs for us and we talked and then she showed us her new bunnies and was so kind.  I am going to miss that.

Sister Doherty and her castle/cottage

Me looking at the England map pretending I am in Wells

Elk City

in a musuem wait no just someone's house :)

the drive, the bathroom