The Final Transfer!!

Hello Family!

Well, it happened, Elder Riley and I both had changes and it's time to begin my final cycle! Riley's headed to my old home, Chihuahua, and I'm headed out to Cuauhtemoc! It's pretty close to la Junta, so I'm stoked!!  I've never been in the zone before, and I'm opening the area (AGAIN!!! 2 times in 2 ciclos!) so I'm not gonna lie, I think time is gonna fly by... and that worries me like straight up worries me!

 Our friend Jaime from the Revo (Delicias!!) 

and

A Nacho Libre bike (yea, it's a thing, totally legit and there's a lot of em out here)

And I'm training!!! Again!!! Another gringo - Elder Stewart from Idaho! He seems pretty cool and I think we'll get along well. He started his training in Arizona while he was waiting on his visa, so I'll just be finishing his training... and then in six weeks I'll be home and he'll be ready for the rest of his mission in Mexico.

I don't know how I should feel, hahahaha, the truth is that I'm happy that I'm going to come home and see all of you, but I know that I'm going to leave a big piece of my heart here. Regardless, I'm going to work hard in the time that I have left and give it everything I've got until the very end, and maybe work a little more!

Sooooo yea, we're opening the area and we're gonna see who the Lord has prepared to receive His message... If we can't find someone ready to teach, we'll see who the Lord directs us to serve or help... I'm happy either way. :)

But yea, this is going to be great. Honestly, I'm stoked to be in my last 6 weeks. Not really sure what to say anymore, and I'm pretty sure most my letters and updates are getting pretty lame now a days, and honestly these next six weeks are just gonna be flying by sooo yea we'll see how it goes - I just don't want to loose too much time sitting in a Ciber when the clock is ticking on my time here :P

But yea, I love you guys!!!! I hope youre well!!!!!!!! 

Till next time!!!

Nicki

The Last Full Month of the Mission and a Happy Anniversary Shoutout to Lauren & Julian!!

Okay Fam,

Well, I'm starting the last week of the cycle in the last full month of the mission, and in a week, I'll be starting the final cycle of my mission.

Wait, WHAAAAT? So yea, I'll see you guys next month... I'm trying not to think about just HOW WEIRD that is...

Y muchas felicidades a Julez y Lo!!!! ya cumplieron 2 años de casados!!! que increible!!! ojala que mi boda (si es que me caso un dia ;P) sera tan chida como la suya!!! la verdad es que me encanta que ustedes esten juntos y que sean una parte de mi vida. Les amo y les deseo un año increible, y les voy a comprar algo mexicano para ustedes, va? :D

But yea, Okay, on with the week!!! ANA AND MARIO GOT BAPTIZED! And Wow, low key, it was one of my favorite baptism services I've been a part of in all these 2 years I've been here. It was amazing! So Elder Riley baptized the niño, Mario, and I baptized Ana! Mario got baptized first, and you could tell how excited the kids were just from how their excitement was busting out of them! I was standing in the doorway with Ana, and she was jumping up and down a lil, just like any girl does when they're excited and was saying 'I cant believe that I'm finally going to be baptized!!!' And we watched her brother get baptized, then it was our turn to enter the water... and normally, the misionary enters the water and waits for the person to come in after them. Ana was so excited that she just booked it in and was waiting for me!!  And when I went to actually baptize her she was so excited that she like jumped backwards Hahahahaha! Honestly, it was just an amazing experience and it was such a great service!!!

At the end, the Mission Leader that was conducting the baptism asked if someone would volunteer to say the closing prayer, and Ana shot her hand up and gave a great prayer :) Mario and Ana are some incredible kids and they're going to do great things in this world. I wish that I could've been so great at such a young age! 

But yea, that's kinda all that was incredible this week :) I'll throw in a BUNCH of pics because we took quite a few! :D

So here you go!

Until next week!

Nicki

It's a Double Update... Almost to the Final Cycle!!

July 23

Hey Fam!! 

Well, it's been a really busy week but it's been great honestly. Idk If I told you guys last week but we are in charge of two area, because they took out the sisters missionaries from the other ward, the ward that shares the church with us. Their area is huge and ours is far.. so its been crazy getting to and from all the places we need to be, but it's been amazing! This week weve seen a lot of miracles, and seeing miracles is always amazing.

To start, well, we started teaching two lil kids from the other area, they have been learning from a LOT of missionaries for a LONG time. So, we went with em to see whats up. Turns out that they couldn't get baptized because their grandma, although a member, is inacctive, and President doesnt want them to get baptized and then not be able to go to church. So we visited, talked with the kids, and they were kinda down sayin 'our Grandma is never gonna go, we'll never get baptized, etc.' ESPECIALLY because she recently had foot surgery. So we talked to them about prayer - and we invited them to say a prayer, asking for Heavenly Father's help so that her Grandma would go to church. One of the little girls said the prayer, and then we went to talk with the Grandma together. The little girl asked if she'd go to church with them, and she said 'of course'!  We were all just like woah, really???? 

And she totally showed up!!!! That's the best part!!!! So their prayers were answered and it won't be long before those lil kids are gonna be able to get baptized!!! 

And what else.. Well, I talked last Sunday, right? And something cool was that this Sunday, both speakers referenced my talk :) that made me feel good! :)

I'll be talking in the other ward next week, so that'll be fun!

Andddddddd, well, yea we're out here doing it!!

Thats kinda it, we gotta run! But i hope your guys are well :) I'm good, I'm happy, healthy, and working hard!!!

Que esten bien! Les amo a Todos!!!!

Nicki

A sweet message from Elder Riley's Mom who shared an excerpt from her missionary's update:

"My comp and I are doing really well. He's such a great example for me and I hope I'm with him till he dies (which means he ends his mission and he only has 1 more cycle after this one so it's possible). He gave a greattttt talk this past week which was one of the top 5 I've ever heard in my life. He's really been a great friend and a great strength to me."

July 30

Hey Fam!

Everything is good here, it's been a crazy adventure being in charge of 2 areas. It can be rather difficult to keep both of um up and running, to say the least. In one area, there's a lot of investigators, and in the other, a lot of less active members - and both require a bit of work on our part to keep them progressing. SOOOOOO it's a lot, but it's super good!

Sunday's have been fun as well, because now we get to be in both wards, and this week was a special missionary work Sunday, so Elder Riley and I both spoke (it was really good :)) He talked of the life of Christ, and I talked about faith, using an example of John 9, specifically. (I wont use this one as a part of my homecoming talk so I can share it hahahahaha) But basically it's about how Christ healing the blind man was different than when Christ healed others. With other people, Christ had healed with his words, and that was it. No ceremony or formality, nothing else mattered, he spoke and people were healed. With this guy, there was a lot more to it, he used spit and dirt, put mud on his eyes and told him to wash himself in a pool of water and then he'd be able to see. 

A noticeable difference between this story and others is that in other situations, the sick had come to Christ looking for help, therefore already showing their faith. Christ even commented to the women who was healed when touching his clothes, that she was healed because of her faith.  But in this story, it was Christ who came across this blind man, so Christ took the time to give him the opportunity to show his faith to Christ.

It's kind of a cool little story :D

Ummm due mas - well, if all goes well, we should have a baptism this week! That'll be fun. They're two little kids, and they're just awesome! I mentioned them last week, they live with their Abuela who is a member, and they are so excited to be baptized. They've been waiting a long time for this opportunity.  Pictures to come :D

Elder Riley, the Area Mission Leader, and I sang Brightly Beams Our Fathers Mercy in Sacrament Meeting, and it actually went alright :D so that was cool!

Buttttttttttttt yea that's kinda it, SO we'll get more next week :D

I hope you guys are well, I love you all!!!

Hasta pronto!

Nicki

This is Mario, his lil bro Diego, y Ana :)

Elder Johansen came to our zone meeting and stayed with Riley and me so that was way fun!

y the zone!