I'm training!! My greenie gets here today! and I meet her tomorrow. AH!!! I am excited and nervous and overwhelmed a tiny bit. But it really will all be fine. Bouwhuis is going home Wednesday! Sister Lundgren goes home at the end of this transfer! What is going on?? Time is speeding by all the sudden. Sister L's homecoming will probably be on May 27 and YOU HAVE TO GO! Bouwhuis' homecoming is this sunday april 15. She's in the Holiday 24th ward I think. I am right! Holiday north stake. At 10:50. If you wanna go :] It's going to be awesome. Bouwhuis is going to come see yall. I will give her your number and our address and you can work something out. You will like Bouwhuis she is way way rad. We've had the best transfer I think of my mission in terms of companions. She has told me repeatedly that time is not goign to slow down now, and I'm trying to believe her, but I'm just nervous. Cause we just have a sort of dead area. But I guess that means we have a LOT of work to do. I'm excited to train. I think it's gonna kick my butt! Which will be good because I will be more obedient and more focused and WAY more humble. But I truly do welcome ANY advice yall have for me. Anyone. I would LOOOVE it cause I'm nervous too. Sylvester and Brown are staying together for another and I AM SO GRATEFUL!! I love them both, we all have a good time. But we're all going to miss Bouwhuis a lot.
This week was good. We met with our two progressing investigators. They are awesome, just progressing really slowly. I am learning the value of "Teach People, Not Lessons" really well right now. Jonathan doesn't like to say he's progressing, whenever we ask him if he's felt a difference he says no. But we see it! We see a difference. And that is worth the slowness. Because he really is being healed by Christ, maybe even without his acknowledging it. he reads the book of mormon and that's what counts. I am learning a lot about humility with bouwhuis going home becuase, seriously, she is a GREAT missionary and a great teacher. So I periodically get nervous like "Oh shoot. When she goes home all of our investigators are going to drop because I can't do it the same way she does!" But then I think "Hold on, they're not really MY investigators at all. They are the Lords. So if I listen to Him, He'll tell me what to do." And that makes me feel a lot better. President said, when he called me, "this is the most important calling in the mission to be a trainer. You are creating the next generation of missionaries by how you train them." And so I was thinking, what do I want for this mission that I love? How do I want it to be in the future? However that is, is how I should train. It's nice.
Easter Yesterday was really awesome. Mom, I LOVED the Resurrection eggs. I totally knew what the last one would be, but I cried when I opened it anyway :] That started out my day very nicely. Then church was pretty good. I wish that we would do themes for all the meetings, but we studied the priesthood. Still cool. But I wish it had been easter. Then after church we stopped by a family that dropped us this week and the member said "I'm just going to go to another churchfrom now on." and oh my gosh. talk about stressy. This is all involved in the ward that I love, but that definitely needs some TLC and some work. Which is really good though. We are going to do it. She was really offended (and with good reason) by a member of the ward. So she is going to go to a baptist church, or see if she can go to the ward she was baptized in. But we can still go over. It's just an emotional time, but we are grateful she let us in. Because we love them and we really do just want to help them. It's not about numbers or what building you go to, it's about helping them feel the love of our Savior and have access to His atonement. And we are the only ones who can do that. And they should be in their home ward, which is here. This ward oh my word. It needs a leap of faith by a lot of people and a LOT of charity from everyone. I have been praying so hard for charity. I really really need it if I'm going to train and lead this area. I want to do well, I want to do what the Lord would have me do. After that we had dinner with the Relief Society President and then a single sister (rm!!) in our ward. It was so fun and great. And then we finished the night with our pm investigator family. We watched "The Lamb of God"and Berenis just cried. She said she was mad at the people who did that to Christ. We tried to help her understand that she was upset because she loves Christ. Even though she doesn't know him as well or the Bible as well I guess, she still loves Him because her spirit knows him.
We are getting ready for what is going to be our final fireside. (they say we're taking a break, but we're not. it's dead.) and it's going to be in spanish land!! which means we are learning all the music in spanish! Which means I LOVE it.
Mom, again, thanks for the easter package. This has been a wonderful easter. I love my Savior and am so pleased to be able to be witness for him right now. This time is a really great time, isn't it? How are you doing? what is going on in your life? ho w's the nutrition thing? do you feel a difference?
Dad, how is everything going? How was your easter! Stake Conference is coming up!! Awesome! If I'm remembering right the ensign had a talk about getting revelation from stake conference didn't it?that's gotta make you happy! how is everything in the stake?
James thank you for your letter! I love your letters !! Thanks for the advice. I am so happy you are doing well!! I can't tell you how happy it makes me to know tha my brothers are both doing good! The Civil war sound way fun! Your ward sounds like it's great. You know, I think the collapsing of the university wards thing was inspired. Do you? How's life? What is the name of your one friend that you're so happy for? Would I know her if she's my age?
Jonny, dude. I hear all these rumors about you. How you're putting in mission papers and yada yada yada but I never have heard it from you. I would loove to hear how you are doing? WRITE ME please. It's my BIRTHDAY!! for crying out loud :]
Well, I'm sorry for some reason I ran out of time really fast this week. :[ I love you all so much. PLEASE send me letters of advice about the training situation!! I need em.
This is Jesus Christ's church! I had that confirmed to me this week and I was so happy. Even if I don't feel that burning testimony all the time, it's okay because I trust God. I trust him that he will help me get to the point when I feel it like that all the time. LOVE YOU. Be good! Say family prayer and always read the book of mormon!
He is risen!!!!
Love, Sister Hicken