A Week in Pictures

 Sunny and pretty flowers=good day!

Lezlie got BAPTIZED!!

(Filling the font with boiling water since the water heater was somewhat broken).

- Getting the spiders out of the font

more spiders

Lezlie :)

Her baptism was amazing.  She is so nice and awesome, I love her so much!  Her husband and mother in law came which was super cool since her husband at first was not supportive at all but has softened up a ton!  And when we were saying goodbye to them we were like "Tim we hope to see you soon!"  And he was like "Yah, you always come when I'm not home, what is that about?!"  I wanted to be like Because we thought that you hated us haha.... So we are going to go see if we can go over when he is home :)  The spirit was so strong at the baptism.  While Lezlie was changing we played the Bible video "For God so Loved the World" Look it up!  It is so good! Because it really is what we are doing, we are just inviting people to Follow Jesus Christ.  

-calls and texts (and I look like I am going bald)

After mothers day phone call

Pretty yellow fields (pictures don't do it justice)

and me trying not to get hit by the car that was coming...

"Every Road. . . "

Nicole's Letter

"Every Road..."

May 9, 2017

This week was super good! Okay the end of the week especially! We got to drive up to Spokane the night before Elder Holland (so Friday night) with the Clarkston sisters.  We stayed at some members home in the mission president's ward which was super fun!  I was sleeping on a cot but it was the best cot I have ever slept on.  Then Saturday we got to go to the mission wide meeting and it was amazing!!  One Elder Holland and Two MISSIONARIES!! I am deprived from seeing other missionaries! It was fun seeing other missionaries that I haven't seen in a while! We got to shake Elder Holland's hand and Bishop Caussee and Elder Ahern from the seventy.  All their talks were amazing.  

Some highlights:

"Every road to salvation has to go through Gethsemane" 

"It wasn't easy for him so why should it be easy for us"

Those were my two favorite quotes

Some other things that were mentioned that day was that we have 2 years/18 months to serve and a lifetime to think about it...which was kind of scary to think about. 

Had some really neat experiences this week with learning how to love.  How we are commanded to love everyone around us and how I need to do a better job at that.  Seeing people not how they are but who they can become.  God definitely is teaching me lessons each and every day.

One day we were walking around and it was kind of raining.  It was definitely an "ASK DAY"  (you know truck days, well I have ask days)  Where you just have to ask "Why?"  "Is this really worth it"  "Is this true"  Yah, I'll be totally honest I have those days but I never just let my questions simmer.  I go to the source who knows all, God.  And so I always turn my questions to him.  Usually the answers are the same, maybe the come slower than other days but they always come.  "You know the answer, you have felt the spirit.  You know this will all be worth it in the end"  But anyways we started talking to this lady on her porch and good thing she was a little crazy because my approach to start talking was super awkward but whatever.  Sometimes I crack myself up with how awkward I am but at least I open my mouth :) She invited us to sit down and she hates like really hates Mormons so that was fun but she really loved us.  It is funny to see people go through that dilemma of loving us so much but then hating the church.  She would go back and forth from complementing us but than hard core bashing on a principle or doctrine. 

Anyways, Remember what you do know and then go from there.  That is all he asks of us.   

CANT WAIT TO TALK TO YOU ALL!!!!

calling Sunday at 4pm (grangeville time so California time)

Pictures:
Coming back from Elder Holland

Last P-day in the floral shop

waiting for the Elders on Friday to go to dinner before driving up to Spokane

"Beverly"

Nicole's Letter:
May 1, 2017
"Beverly"

Last Monday we went to the small restaurant in Grangeville called Hilltop and this town is like a movie.  We walked in and everyone isn't really talking and everyone just stares at us, the outsiders of Grangeville.  It was funny.  Then we had a lesson with B and part of her family.  She is super funny! We are having another lesson with her this Wednesday.  

Tuesday:  We had exchanges.  I stayed in Grangeville and one of the Clarkston sisters came here.  It was good.  We had a couple lessons which is always the best!!! We had a lesson with Wynona.  It was pretty funny.  We always just see if she is in the library.  So we walked up to her and the library is only one room, super small and everyone can hear everything.  So Wynona started talking to us by saying that she received a sign.  She said that since we talked "Wisdom Word thing" that her uncle had called her and told her that she had inherited the family tobacco plantation in Oklahoma.  So I was super confused, thinking that she got her sign that this was all wrong since we taught the word of wisdom last.  But then she was like "It is a blessing from God since I have started living the Word of Wisdom!" She told us that she hadn't had any coffee, hadn't smoked or had Pepsi (we clarified that she could have that one:)  But I don't think she is living it anymore but hey two days is pretty impressive. and now she is an owner of a tobacco farm...  

Wednesday: We had interviews this week and that is always the best thing ever!!  I loved President's interview!  He knows everything and everything that is going on, it was good to talk to him and get some suggestions.  

 

Thursday: We had a comp inventory....Guess I need to improve my moods :)

Friday: It snowed A TON! Had district meeting.  Then we had to go to Les Schwab and get our tires fixed.  It was just us there and this guy and so we started talking to him and he was super nice! But then he had to leave since they called his name but he waved to us as he walked out the door.  So we were at the Pikus house (one of our favorite members in the ward- Brother Pikus' sister is the Olympian) later that night and we just asked if anyone knew a Patrick.  The mom was like Patrick who?  We were like we don't know, we just know his name is Patrick and he is going to U of I in the fall.  And so she just turned to her kids and asked if anyone knew a Patrick.  Her son was like "is he an adult"  We nodded.  "I know him!  He is my teacher's son"  And so then we found out his last name, his mom's name and profession.  And we could potentially get his address.  It was just funny because that would never happen anywhere besides a small town.  Then for dinner we went to the other restaurant in Grangeville to find one of the people that we are teaching who has been ignoring us.  He was our waiter and was super friendly to us and apologized.  He is the guy that we street contacted and really wants to be baptized but is on parole so he can't.  

Saturday: We weeded this old lady's flower bed on Saturday.  Her name is Beverly and she is from California and she said that it took her years to get use to Grangeville.  She is house bound.  We were trying this older lady in our ward on Saturday but she wasn't home so we saw some people down the street doing yard work.  We went down to them and asked if they needed any help.  They said no but she told us that we could go to her mom's home(Beverly) and do service.  So we went over and helped her out.  She is super funny.  Then she insisted on feeding us.  She said that we had to experience something we have never had.  She was like go to the freezer and pick something out...I was a little worried but then there were just a bunch of freezer meals from the old folks home.  And she had about 20 and they were all super old but it wasn't too bad (kinda made us sick after but it was still fun talking to Beverly).  She was super shocked and worried that we couldn't watch movies.  She was like "What do you even do in Grangeville if you don't watch movies!".  And then she made us wear these sun hats to protect our faces.  So that was fun :)  We also went to Whitebird again and went to the Joslins.  Cassidy the 16 year olds friend was there and at the end of the message we asked if anyone wanted to say the prayer and the friend, Kasey, was like "I will".  It shocked everyone because no one will say the prayer.  And then Kasey was like "Wait, how do you even pray?"  It was a very sweet prayer. 

Sunday was ward conference. We went to the Domans who are a less active couple. They are so nice! I love them!

Thy Will Be Done.

Nicole's Letter:

"Thy Will Be Done"

April 24, 2017

Yes, another week has gone by and another lesson has been learned (okay a lot of lessons).  There are apparently things that I am suppose to learn and the only way I can learn them is through experiences, I guess. 

After one particular rough day of trying to work hard and be motivated for two people I was just kind of mad and frustrated.  At the end of the day I knelt next to my bed and I started asking the most popular question of the human mind, Why?  But then all of a sudden the question turned into me saying to my Heavenly Father, "Thy will be Done".  I don't know why things happen or why things aren't happening.  I really don't but I do know that God knows and he is just making me into the person that he wants me to be.  That knowledge sometimes doesn't make situations any easier but it does make things worth it. 

I know that the Lord is molding me into the person I need to become.  Yes, I still would wish that some things would be different but I can honestly say that I turned my will over to the Lord's this week.  I am accepting that maybe I am here not so much for baptisms but maybe for my companions (which was actually quite hard to accept because, when you think about a mission that is not something you dream of "I will sacrifice 18 months of my life to help someone that already has the gospel and is on a mission and is my companion- Not the first thing that you dream of when you think about serving a mission"  No, you think of those fairy tales of meeting those that are searching and wanting something and you being able to provide the happiness and peace that they are so desperately searching for.  Cliche but it's what a lot of people think about and I am not saying there is nothing wrong with that, I still hope that I will meet someone that needs me but if not these 18 months were still not a waste.  And it also made me realize that the point of this life is to help our brothers and sisters, no matter where they are in life, what they are going through, we are to help and love them. 

Maybe my story will be a little bit different than the fairy tale that I had in my mind before but it isn't a waste just because it is different.  Maybe others will look down at the story that I am living but God is the author and I trust him completely (even sometimes I might be stubborn or frustrated or mad...the list goes on). 

After that night when I completely turned it over to the Lord things started to happen.  I mean nothing crazy like converting nations but miracles for me.  We got invited over for dinner at the WML house and his wife invited a family over.  We are going to go over to their house today and share a little bit more.  Then we saw on our board that a member has a friend named Ralph that might be interested.  So we texted Brother Draleau about Ralph.  They randomly met each other when Bro Draleau was doing his home teaching and Ralph was at the persons home.  Then after that they ran into each other so many other times.  At the end of our phone call with him he was like "You know what I am going to call him right now" Thirty minutes later he said that we could meet with him tomorrow.  So on Saturday we met with Ralph.  He is a rancher, cowboy hat, boots and big white handlebar mustache and all.  He is super nice and the lesson was so good! Brother Draleau basically has PMG memorize, it was like he was our third companion, it was super good! Hopefully we are meeting with him later this week!   

We are still meeting with Wynona, the native american.  She is still kind of crazy :)  Still thinks the Word of Wisdom is going to kill her.

Sister Norman was sick this week so that was a bummer but she is feeling better. Still trying to think of what happened this week but I don't even know.  

On Saturday we went to Cottonwood and Alexis (who just is here for the summer, she actually served in Milwaukee, Wisconsin mission! Drove us around, it was super fun!)

Love sis steve

sorry i am trying to think of anything funny that happened but I can't...my emails are probably becoming more boring so I apologize :)  

Went to a less active who apparently is a huge drug dealer and missionaries are actually not suppose to go there but the Elders who use to be here didn't tell us...

Easter!

Nicole's Letter:
April 17, 2017
"Easter"

Positives of this week:

1. I am still alive! I am still healthy! I am still chugging along! What more could I want :)

Okay so that is all that is coming to my mind right now but God is good to me and knows each of us perfectly.

Easter is such an amazing time.  I love my Savior and I am eternally grateful that he Lived, Died and Lived again for me!  What a blessing!

The Savior is why I am here.  He is the reason why we can have hope in this world.  Because of Him we truly can do all things.  Which I am so grateful for.  There is no way I could do any of this without my Savior.  He truly is our older brother and he suffered for each of us.  He has walked our life, He knows exactly what we feel, the pains, the joys, the heartaches, everything. He is the one that knows.  It wasn't easy for Him so why should it be easy for us.  He does Live and what an incredible blessing that is.

Some happenings:

We had a lesson with Brandon (the former that we street contacted). It was Monday night and it was really good.  We basically all just bore our testimonies about the Savior.  We then had a lesson with Wynona and it was pretty funny.  We met at the local coffee shop and taught the word of wisdom.  She was like "I need to live this but I think I am going to die"  Haha oh Wynona.  Half the time I have no clue what she is saying but I love her.  She is so funny.

Hope everyone is having a great week! 

Love to all!

Sister Stevenson  

Stories

Nicole's Letter:
Story: Changes

Where do I even begin....this week has been crazy.

Well, I will start with the biggest news. And saddest.

Saturday we were in Clarkston again exchanging back from exchanges and apparently President called the other sisters and said that he needed to talk to everyone when we got back.  So we called him and he said that he is losing a lot of sisters and not getting a lot at all so they will be having to put elders in three areas that originally have sisters.  So Sister Packer and I thought it would be Clarkston because Grangeville has only had sisters for 4 transfers.  But President said "So the only sisters in the Zone will be Clarkston".  Sister Packer and I did not really register that until a couple seconds later and then it was total freak out.... Since I honestly just got swept from an area (Post Falls-which was actually starting to pick up a ton) and now Grangeville. Sister Packer was talking to President getting some details and he asked how many on-dates we had.  We have 2 which is pretty good since it is Grangeville. I think that kind of shocked President.  Then he asked to speak to me.  So I got on the phone and he was like Sister Stevenson "You will be sweeping an area in Spokane with someone that you came out with".  He also was like "Sister Stevenson, you count those on-dates as yours, okay.  They definitely are yours". He probably just felt really bad because it was like a repeat of last transfer when he asked me about progressing and we had 5 and he was like "wait, really? Oh that is a lot" and then I got pulled.  So yah that was super sad. 

The story doesn't end there though....

Literally 5 minutes later he called back.

He got on and was kind of chuckling (well mission president chuckle) and said "Lord's timing is very funny".  He said that he just got a call with new information that changes things and the information that we gave him as well.  He also said that the AP's and him prayed about it and decided that I would be staying in Grangeville.  He was like "Sister Stevenson, you baptize those two on-dates, okay" so that was another twist in the plot. Sadly, Sister Packer is still leaving me.  I am so sad.  I was not expecting either of us to get transferred.  And things were just starting to SLIGHTLY pick up here.  So that was not the funnest call to get.  And I was hoping that my break companion would be two transfers.  So I was freaking out to know who my new companion is because Sister Packer has been so fun and nice to be with. 

So, Sister Packer is going to Newman Lake/East Valley with Sister Matzen, who is amazing!! Everyone loves her.  Sister Lake actually was just there with Sister Matzen.  I'm starting to question if I am the hard companion and everyone needs a break after me, so they send them to an AMAZING area (literally it is probably one of the best right now in the mission) and send them to Sister Matzen.  

And I am staying here just buying my time until next transfer until they swept us out.  This mission thing definitely gives you the ups and downs (okay maybe just me).  My new companion is Sister Norman.

Stories Part 2

I will just do multiple emails so you all don't get overwhelmed.

Also, warning: I did not re read these so they might not even make sense

Story 2: Is he even real?

So about a month ago we got a call from a random guy named Tyler Johnson.  He said that he was moving to Grangeville and interested in looking into our church and was wondering if there was a website he could go to.  We told him Mormon.org.  He also told us to call him back in a week so we could set up a time to meet when he moved to Grangeville.  So we have been calling him every week and every week he says that he is still making his way up here and to call him back in a week.  Well, this week we called him and he said that he watched all 5 sessions of conference and that he prayed and he knows this is all true.  At the end of the call he said "Call I just tell you something? I just know this is true".  He then said that he was coming to Grangeville on Saturday and he would call us.....

So I mean I will keep you all posted on the reality of Tyler.  

Story 3: Lesson Learned- Street contacting

So this week our goal was to talk to more people on the street.  The first day of this goal was a little rough, not because I didn't accomplish the goal but because of the outcome.  No one was interested and it was just tiring talking to so many people who would say the exact same thing.  So it was towards the end of the day and these two people were walking on the other side of the street.  A teenage girl and a guy in his 40s/50s and I was just like "Heavenly Father, I really don't want to talk to these people, I am tired, the are going to say the same thing. what is the point.  

But I was like fine I will talk to them.  So I said hello and started to bring up family history.  I was super abrupt and not smooth at all but I didn't even care.  He said that family history is kind of hard in his broken up family but then he was like "wait are you the mormons?" "Yah"  He then was like "I am Brandon Kelly".  Back story on Brandon Kelly...He is a former investigator who we have been looking for forever.  He also is on parole too.  And we literally street contacted into him.  So I was like "Okay, Heavenly Father. Learned my lesson"  It was funny.  He was like "Man, I know that the church is true. People say that they are a cult and crazy but whatever that stuff doesn't matter anymore because I know it to be true."  He was super hurt though because he couldn't be baptized because he is on parole.  He was like "Yah, I stopped going because I was hurt.  He was like yah now I am just going to a little Church on the Rock and I know it isn't even true.  I mean everything has truth but you have the fullness".  So we are meeting with him tonight hopefully.

Story 4: Chasing Bulls

We went over to the Joslins last night.  They live in Whitebird which is literally a town of maybe 90 people off the side of the highway in a caynon.  So we were sitting down and then apparently a bull got out and so everyone got up.  Cassidy (the 16 year old) got on her boots and Ryan and his friend went outside.  We were just sitting there on the couch with Sister Joslin and we were just like what is even happening.  Then the friend, Quentin came in and was like you can come watch on the porch if you would like"  So we went outside and Cassidy is on this super steep hill with the bull and her dog trying to chase it down the hill.  Quentin then decides to climb up the hill but the bull turns and starts coming towards him, so that was scary.  And then Sister Joslin made Ryan go up in his pickup and try to help them.  The bull came down before Ryan got there.  Then apparently the bull broke the fence so they just fixed it right there and then.  Then everyone came back inside and I was just like where even am I.  I love the Joslins though.  They really are amazing people.  It is sad that Sister Packer is leaving because everyone loves us :)

It's Snowing!

Nicole's Letter:

It is literally snowing so hard right now.  I am trying so hard to love snow and coldness right now! One day maybe I will :)

This week....my brain always goes blank when I am sitting down writing an email.

Well, highlight was conference! We had our own personal viewing at the church. Yah, kind of sad that no one came but oh well.  Disappointment never got anyone no where.

We spend most of our time in Tamarak Apartments or at least we go there everyday.  It is a community housing project, kind of.  This week we went to Crystal, David and Paxtons.  Crystal is a single mother with two boys David (12) and Paxton (5).  We read with them almost everynight and then say family prayer.  Paxton is literally my favorite person ever! He said the prayer one night and it was so cute! They definitely feel the spirit that we bring into their home because it for sure isn't there when we get there.  But they are doing their best.  Paxton asked me one night what we did that day and I said that we just talked to people and he was like all day? I replied yes.  Then a couple days later we were back in Tamarak but trying someone else and Paxton was riding his scooter.  We asked what he was doing and he just said "Talking to people...All day long" It was super funny.  They never want us to leave or at least the boys don't.

Then we had another lesson with Wynona who is a 60 year Native American.  We meet her at the library and this time we shared the Plan of Salvation.  She was like "wow I have never heard any of this before but this all makes sense"  But she thinks that she just hasn't understood anyone before us.  But that was cool.

Then we went to Whitebird again last night.  We went to a couple's home.  The wife isn't a member and the husband is less active.  Let's just say we sat there for 40 minutes getting told that we are brainwashed.  I think that he pulled out every single question/doubt/anything he could think of.  We just sat there.  We shared a easter message and a scripture from the bible and I was like okay he can't argue about anything that we just shared because it was literally a scripture about the Prince of Peace and the titles of Christ but I was wrong.  It was funny after that he was like "You know there are people that worship the devil and they are just as convinced as you that they are believing in the right stuff".  He said that he thinks he should just make his own religion, Joaquinism, so look out for that...probably be big news, just kidding.  They were super nice and it was fun talking to them.

Then we went to the Joslins in Whitebird as well.  They honestly are so cute.  It is a less active mom and her two kids.  They love talking to us and telling us stories. Last night they showed us stuff that they have made.  The mom actually crochets really amazing blankets and cute
animals.  

  

at dinner the kids put on our stuff

me after doing service in some ladies yard, trying to get a ton of poop of my shoe.

dream house

Sister Mitchell and I and then coming home, all nice and cozy but we just had cafe rio so i was completely happy :) 

More picture from the temple