Week 70 (8/4/14)

Yep. That's what I have learned this week. They are STILL stupid. You

think they'd know by now. If a 7 year old realizes that you wonder

what's wrong ;) hahaha

You know when people talk about the whole planting seed thing? When

people tell you, "oh it's okay! You're planting a seed! You never know

when it will be watered."

I've been hearing that my whole mission and normally when someone says

that I just want to come back and shove D&C 4 in their face, "the

field is WHITE already to harvest. Not brown ready for some seeds!"

But I guess I had to be humbled on that this week because if found out

what it really means!!! The whole planting seeds works and the seeds

are being watered a lot faster than you might think! That's what it

means! I guess South America is a pretty white field, and you get to

pluck those plants up a little faster.

But, we have old people here. And a lot of them. I guess they just

take a little more time. But that doesn't mean that the field isn't

white! It just takes em' a little longer to get there.

So there ya go.

White field.

I've just been finding out more and more of people that I've taught,

interacted with, taken care of after baptism, and even just talked to

on the street, are progressing! Some are going through the temple,

others are being baptized (some after YEARS), and some are just

continuing to progress in the gospel.

I even just found out that someone I talked to on the street on one of

my last days in Sarasota has a baptism date set! I had no clue that

was even going anywhere!

Ah. It's a really amazing thing to watch and be right in the middle

and on the front lines of all of this.

It is so HAPPY. :)

Being at the end of my mission is a while lot harder then the

beginning. I find myself becoming more and more distracted with things

going on at home. But as I prayed during sacrament meeting to focus

more and love the people more, I felt very peaceful. Then as I got up

to bear my testimony I looked out and had this overwhelming feeling

(that literally almost made me cry) of love for every single person

sitting in the congregation. It was exactly what I needed. It saw

people we'd help come back to church, some of our investigators, Nate,

and many more members here I've come to love! It really just love

these people.

We had a really fun thing happen this week. Our wards been planning an

emergency preparedness fair for months now. We had it on Saturday and

it was. A huge success! Sister Leicht and other members did really

good at advertising it and had a ton of non-members there! We got to

run around for 3 hours in the church talking to non members! So cool.

Everyone keeps asking me how I am, and how Florida is. Just for the

record, I am doing FANTASTIC, and the work here in Sebring Florida is

EXCEPTIONAL. :) now you all know.  :)

Love, Sister Nicole Calder :)

Week 50 (3/17/14)

This week has been AWESOME! As always. Surprise! :) 

As I get emails from more and more missionaries I realize that my mission is SO different from a lot of others! Our average is teaching 20 lessons a week and I've heard from a lot of other missionaries that they're teaching a lot more than that! It gets pretty discouraging at times thinking that I don't get to teach as many people, but we still do our best! Apparenly we are one of the most obedient missions. President Cusick has done wonders to all of us. He keeps telling us how proud he is of us :) I'm not gonna lie, it's been hard to change and be exactly obedient, but we are doing it and seeing miracles! 

Here's some crazy things that makes our mission so different…. 

We don't tract. At all. We stopped doing it back in September. We actually are not allowed to. But I've heard that other missionaries still do! We thought that was everyones rule! I haven't knocked on a door in FOREVER! But we didn't see any real success from that anyways haha 

We aren't allowed to eat dinner at members houses AT ALL unless they have an investigator or less active member there. Sadly… we hardly ever get to eat at members houses :(

Uh… we have iPads and get to check our emails every single day! I just don't get to respond to them until Monday. So if you want to send me hilarious emails though the week you totes can :) but we also have to take a bunch of surveys every week cuz they're testing everything on us so that's fun! 

We are on fb… so that's crazy! 

We have online Elders that just do online work. 

We teach online lessons. 

We went to a baseball game with our whole mission. 

Our mission conference was on the beach and we're allowed to go on the beach on pdays! 

We are running in a 5K next week wearing mormon.org shirts to get our name out there! 

We have a metro training center. 

We can't listen to music. 

We have to park our cars once a week and bike to talk to people. 

We spend usually 6-9 months in an area and 3-5 transfers with our comps. Which is a lot longer than Pres Summerhayes used to do… 

We can't hangout with the Elders on p-days and sometimes we can't even call them…. 

We basically have sister AP's 

Crazy! It's so different. But I love it :) I know it's where I'm supposed to me that's for sure! 

Uh. I'm like out of time. I had a lot more to say. But I just have so many awesome people emailing me! 

I got to go on an awesome exchange with our SL Sister Kenegy. She rocks. I'd send you a pic… but I just stuck my memory card in the wrong place and it's stuck in the computer… so I hope we can get it out… 

Also- this work is so all about love! I just have learned so much to love people! That's what everyone needs is a bunch of mushy love. Tell people you love them all the time! I don't really think it gets old! I've realized how much this work really is about loving those around us :) and that love comes more and more naturally to me as my mission goes on :) 

Just love everyone and you'll be so happy in life :) 

I love you all so much! 

Oh yeah and and put this scripture at the bottom of the email…. 

D&C 64:33 I found this scripture this morning. It gave me a lot of comfort :) 

Love, Sister Calder :)