Lots of Change

This has been a pretty good week, if I do say so myself. We found out a lot of information about quite a number of things, and some of it is shocking! We were also challenged by President Taylor to do a lot of
new things, and I am so excited to execute our plans to accomplish what he has challenged us to do. I want to extend that challenge to you too! President asked all of us to START OVER in the Book of Mormon, and finish it by next transfer, which is June 11. I haven't started yet, because I want to do it in exactly 6 weeks, so I am starting on Wednesday (transfer day) and going from there. :) I challenge all of you to try this too! It seems hard, but it's really not! The Book of Mormon gets easier to read as you read it in bigger chunks, more like a novel. It is so much more interesting that way, and you will understand it so much better, I promise! So there ya have it. President's challenge to us missionaries, and my challenge to all of you. Ready, Set, GO!

We got to talk to Liz this week, and we had a very good conversation. She is still struggling with trying to balance the gospel and her family, but I am confident that over time, she will be able to remember her testimony and the wonderful things this church and this particular ward has brought her. She is great - I know she will be okay in the end.

We had one full day of service this week (I can't remember which day...) and it was great! We went to Patsy's house and helped her clean up, then we went to Sister Debenham's house and weeded her garden and trimmed her bushes while she was out of town. It had just rained, so it was so fun to get our hands dirty! We found some giant slugs! They were huge!!! Haha it was fun. After that we went home and got ready for the day, and Sister Clanton called and said she needed help chopping up candy bars for a youth activity they were doing that night, so we went to her house and helped her chop some deliciousness.It was a wonderful day!

On Saturday, we went on exchanges. Remember last time? I was absolutely DREADING exchanges, and I had to go to the other area this time. So I packed a little bag and went with the other Sister Training Leader (not the one I had last time) to her area. The bed was like a rock, and I forgot a pillow, so I didn't sleep a wink. But Saturday turned out to be a pretty great day. I met some very nice people who appreciated my personal testimony and wanted to stay in contact, some very strange people, and some people who were really struggling with their own testimonies. There was one house in particular that we visited that had a very nice older woman and her son in law there. The woman expressed, after we had visited with her for about 15 minutes, that she would like an extra prayer sent her way to help her believe in the doctrine of the gospel. We stayed and talked to her about her concerns, and I had one of those "the spirit is clearly speaking through me" moments. Thoughts, impressions, and ideas that I had never really had before that moment suddenly came to mind, and when I opened my mouth to voice them, beautiful words and strong testimony came out that I didn't really know I was capable of. We left feeling empowered, and the sweet lady said she felt so much better. It was a very cool experience. I love that we missionaries are LITERALLY just instruments in the Lord's hands, and as we have faith in Him and trust Him, He will really put words into our mouths and share Christ's light with others through us. It was amazing.

For dinner on Saturday, the STL and I went to a family who weren't quite ready for us yet, and asked us to help out. The Sister asked the STL to set the table, and then she turned to me and asked me to cook the meat. ...Cook? Meat? How? Like, in the microwave or...? Anyway, I DID IT!

It was some of the yummiest tasting meat in the whole world. Of course, I had nothing to do with preparing it, all I did was move it around in a pan, but still! I consider it quite the accomplishment! See Mom? I AM learning how to cook!

When we exchanged back to our normal companions at a baptism (which Tony attended and adored), Sister Major told me about her day, which included trying to contact Mia and Erika for like the twelfth time. Apparently, they opened the door and were not very nice. Sister Major had dinner at a house that is in their neighborhood, and when they told the members about trying to contact that house, the members told them that that is a HUGE drug house. That it has been raided several times, and that there is nothing but trouble and illegal business going on there. She was surprised it wasn't on a list of "do not contact" or something. We will write President about it this week and ask what he thinks we should do about it. They took a Book of Mormon a while back, so hopefully things turn out okay. :P

Okay... We got our transfer letters... This was the result:

That picture doesn't show a very good outcome does it? My dearest Sister Major is being transferred to St. Helens 2nd Ward, and I am staying here. Neither of us really know our new companions, but they look nice! We are truly devastated to have to separate though... I love Sister Major! And now that I know she is being transferred, I am suddenly panicking that I don't know how to anything myself. I will be the companion that is driving and that knows the area best now, but what if I don't know it well enough? What if I FORGET about certain people and suddenly stop visiting them?! I'm terrified. But not really. I'm excited, but also sad to be losing such a great companion! I'm sure Sister Rasmussen and I will get along great. :) I'm just gonna miss Sister Major so much! Oh well. This is what happens on a mission, right? I'm just gonna have to get used to it.

To end this post, I have one more challenge for you: Get out with the missionaries! Call them and VOLUNTEER to go out with them! We have been focusing very hard on member present lessons because they are VITAL to someone's true conversion and commitment to the gospel. The more members we have helping the work to progress, the faster it will go and the more effective it will be. I'm begging you. PLEASE go out with the missionaries and help them. You are the key to their success! Don't forget to read the Book of Mormon by June 11 either! I love you, and I'm grateful for the wonderful things that happened this week. I'm excited to see what the new transfer will bring!

Love Always,

Sister Nicole Guilott

P.S. My sweet Grandmother passed away this past Friday, and despite the sadness and the mournful nature of her death, I feel so at peace. I know that she is happy with her husband and that they are both watching over me and helping me to bring the work of The Lord forward here in Vancouver. I know that, because of the Plan of Salvation, I will see them both again and I am so happy that we get to missionaries together. I love my grandparents, and I'm sure they are the most amazing heavenly missionaries up there!

The sun is exceptionally beautiful when it comes out in Washington!

Weasley caught a chipmunk! Don't worry, we rescued it!