December 30 - Christmas in the Field

Dear family and friends,

First off, hope you all had a Merry Christmas, and I hope you also all have a wonderful New Year!  Second, thank you to everyone who sent me a card, e-mail, gift, etc.  I had an amazing Christmas.  Special shout out to Uncle Gifford and Aunt Marci - the stockings were so great!  Thank you so much for thinking of my companion and I :)  We both appreciated and loved every gift.

I'm pretty sure I had the best Christmas EVER this year.  Christmas on a mission is the most amazing day.  It was by far my favorite day so far in the mission.  Here's what I told President Alba about it (I'm sorry I'm starting to just copy and paste the letter I write to him here...it usually points out the highlights of the week, so I think why not?!):

Christmas was incredible! You know why this Christmas was so memorable? Because instead of receiving, I gave.

What made Christmas Eve even more memorable was after the dinner when we caroled! As you know, Sisters Zenger, Timmons, Hamilton, and I, and Elders Martin, Nelson, and Tepox caroled to the Foley family. Sis. Zenger walked ahead of us and all of a sudden - SMACK!! She hit the ground. She said her arm hurt, but we ended up still caroling to the Foley's. They loved it, too! They all teared up and said thank you. 

Afterwards, we walked to the car and we really checked out Sis. Zenger's elbow...it was bent at a very odd angle and looked rather wrong. So we called Sister Stewart and she told us to head over to her house, which we did. We (we from now on means the Brushcreek sisters, Sis. Zenger, and I) knocked on what we thought was her door, but instead four YSA age young women/men opened the door and were all giddy and said, "Ooh carolers!!!" So amidst all of Sis. Zenger's pain we ended up caroling to the as well! I mean, we couldn't pass up a missionary opportunity! (We are going to go back and knock on that house after New Year's) 

Finally we knocked on Sis. Stewart's door. Sis. Stewart looked at it and told us we needed to take Sis. Zenger to the ER, so we drove over there. Tender mercy of the Lord: we were in and out of the ER in about 2 1/2 hours! The nurses and doctors were so kind to Sis. Zenger, and we had several missionary moments with them :) They ended up telling her she had to go see an orthopedic doctor because the "fat pad" (blood buildup inside her arm) was blocking the bone to really tell if her arm was broken. They guessed it was a radial head fracture, right at the elbow - we are seeing an orthopedic doctor tomorrow at 9am. We got home at about 11:15pm and hit the pillow around 11:45 after some quick planning.

Crazy Christmas Eve in the ER! 

The next day was amazing, as well. We had a delicious zone breakfast with fresh fruit, French toast, biscuits, and juice, played soccer and basketball together, Skyped home, spent the last hour and a half of the evening with our Bishop that night...

But my favorite part of Christmas - or I guess my two favorite parts - was 1. Being able to serve my companion all day long (and as a matter of fact, all week long!) and 2. Caroling at the hospital after Skyping home. After Skyping on Christmas I ended up crying for a few minutes because it just made me realize how much I love and miss my family. I felt so self-absorbed and silly, though. We planned to carol at the hospital after Skype, so I wiped my eyes and we headed to the hospital. 

At first we only planned on caroling for an hour, but we ended up caroling for two because the reception was amazing and the Spirit was so strong. We went to all 4 floors of the hospital and asked each nursing station which patients of their's would enjoy a Christmas carol. The nurses led to room after room; some patients got out of their beds and walked into the hall to listen. It was incredible. So many people ended up with tears streaming down their face and gave us four sisters a warm thank you and smile. 

I don't think I've ever felt so close to God or felt so much love for anyone as I did Christmas evening, singing reverent Christmas hymns for those who couldn't be home this Christmas. I felt so happy, so content, so calm. I felt like the Savior. It was the most beautiful, touching time I've yet had on my mission.

There are three experiences that stick out most in my head. One was in the ICU of the hospital, we sang "In Wondering Awe" to a woman with a teenage daughter. The woman couldn't move much, but as soon as we started singing, tears streamed down her face, and I ended up tearing up a bit as well. She couldn't really talk much, but she just blinked through the tears and said, "Thank you so so much." 

The second was when we were in the mother-baby section of the hospital. We went into one new mother's room and sang "Away in a Manger" while she was holding her beautiful, new baby boy. The Spirit was so strong and she teared up and held her little boy close to her as we sang. 

The last will forever stand out in my mind. We were singing "Silent Night" to a woman outside of the Emergency Room (the staff wouldn't allow us to sing in the waiting room because of nurses doing triage with several patients). This one woman really wanted us to sing to her, so we did. At the same time, another woman with a young son walked by and listened as we sang the last verse of Silent Night. She clapped her hands and asked, "Could you please come sing to my husband?" We agreed and walked down the hospital hallway to her husband's room. Along the way the woman told us that her husband's appendix had burst and that he was now fighting an infection. His recovery wasn't smooth at all. He would love to hear a carol. So we get to his bedside and her husband only spoke Spanish. We asked what song, and his wife asked us to sing "Silent Night" but in Spanish. So we sang, "Noche De Luz..." And sang the entire song. His whole family was in tears at the end and he said to us (in Spanish, as his wife translated), "Not only has God and my family visited me tonight, but angels." It was so amazing.

President Alba, I will never forget this Christmas! I felt so close to the Savior this entire week, and I have loved every minute of it. My gift to the Savior this coming year: always carry that feeling I had on Christmas with me throughout the year; be a true representative of Jesus Christ. 2014 is my full year of mission. I will strive to truly be a representative of Him and bring as many people to feel His love as I possibly can this year. 

That's my New Year's resolution this year.  What gift will you give to the Savior this 2014?

Okay - cool stories this week.  We have been teaching Ben every day for 2 weeks now (except Christmas) and he has a baptismal date for January 11th!  He is so awesome - we're actually going hiking with him, some members of the Redwoods YSA ward, and several companionships in our zone at Annadel Park today for our P-Day activity.  

The story with Ben, though, is so sweet.  He's a pretty simple-minded guy, so we teach him very simply.  We were trying to help him recognize answers to his prayers and recognize the Spirit the day after Christmas, and we asked him how he knows something is true. He said, "Well, God is good, and this is good, so I know it's from God."  We talked about several other things and then he finally just asked out of the blue, "Can I ask God to help me be happy?" Turns out he has depression.  His dad keeps telling him he needs to see a doctor about it, but he said since he's been going to church and learning about the Gospel, he's felt much happier.  Sometimes it's still hard for him to stay happy though.  It was such a sweet, tender moment - we told him that of course he can ask God to help him be happy.  

I just want to testify to all of you that I KNOW God knows exactly who you are, and He loves you.  This life is time for us to have joy.  Sometimes we have things that let us down, make us sad, make us upset, or even break our hearts.  I know that because God sent His Son, Jesus Christ, it is through Christ we can have all of those sins, sorrows, sadnesses, heartaches, and anguishes washed clean.

And I testify that the way to truly utilize and use the Atonement to be completely free, clean, and happy is through doing as He says - "come follow me" by being baptized into His restored Church by someone holding the proper authority of God (2 Nephi 31:10-12, St. John 3:5).  

For those of you who are members but have fallen off, the Atonement is real (Isaiah 1:18).  It is available for you.  Alma the Younger was described in the Book of Mormon as the most vile of sinners, and yet he, through the Atonement of Jesus Christ, transformed into one of the most influential prophets and leaders of the Church in ancient America.  You can come back.  That is why the Sacrament is such a privilege.  Every week you can be completely washed clean, just like you were the day you were baptized.  And it is all because of Jesus Christ's love for us - because of our Heavenly Father's love for us (St. John 3:16-17).

This year is a brand new year.  Don't look back.  Remember that "faith is always pointed toward the future" ("The Best Is Yet to Be," Jeffrey R. Holland, January 2010 Ensign).  And remember that the word "tomorrow" is a thief.  Make it today.  Change, and have faith in the Atonement of Jesus Christ.  I'm leaving a couple of links to amazing talks.  I hope you read them and have the faith to move forward this year.  

http://www.mormonchannel.org/video/mormon-messages?v=910930409001&cid=HPTH122613304&im=true

http://www.lds.org/ensign/2010/01/the-best-is-yet-to-be?lang=eng

http://www.lds.org/ensign/2013/11/priesthood-session/you-can-do-it-now?lang=eng

http://www.lds.org/ensign/2013/11/saturday-afternoon-session/like-a-broken-vessel?lang=eng

http://www.lds.org/ensign/2013/11/saturday-morning-session/come-join-with-us?lang=eng

Love you all so much!

Sister Nikole Decker

P.S. Pictures to come in the next week or two

P.P.S. I'll try to include some funny stories next time...my e-mails have been so solemn the past few weeks! :)

December 23 - The Atonement and Christmas

Dear family and friends,

This e-mail will be brief today - sorry about that!

This week I've really been going through the refiner's fire - I've rarely legitimately cried out here, but this past week I think I cried almost every day.  All of a sudden, probably mid-week, I realized that I have a much larger potential.  I can work harder.  And so I have been working - even harder, and I just feel GOOD, like I truly am fulfilling my purpose out here: to invite others to come unto Christ by helping them receive the Restored Gospel.

I also struggled this week (and the past 3 weeks) to get over feelings of regret and shame for things I've done in the past. Then I read my now-favorite talk "The Best Is Yet to Be" (Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, January 2010 Ensign - look it up, it is beautiful) and finally accepted and let some things go.  That night while I was praying I broke down and started crying because I just felt FORGIVEN.  But it was pretty intense, too.  I heard a voice inside my head say, "You've been forgiven.  Let it go."

So that's what I want to focus on in this e-mail.  When you are forgiven, just let it go.  Write down somewhere that you are forgiven, and when the thought comes to mind again, read what you wrote that day you felt forgiven.The Savior has told us in Isaiah,

"Come now, and let us reason together, saith the Lord: though your sins be as scarlet, they shall be as white as snow; though they be red like crimson, they shall be as wool" (Isaiah 1:18).

I don't fully understand the Atonement, and I don't know if I'll be able to understand it in this life, but I do know that it is so real.  So tangible.  So simple.  So possible.  The price has already been paid.  Believe in Him, follow Him, repent sincerely, and He can take away that guilt, that shame, that sadness, that heartache, that pain.  

I felt the power of the Atonement so strongly this week.

I am truly starting to FEEL for people, and it makes my heart just ache when I see people reject the truth.  Even though it is hard sometimes to feel that heartache, it has really helped me to be a better representative of Jesus Christ, because I'm sure that Jesus feels the exact same way when one of His brothers and sisters rejects things they agreed to before this life on Earth.  Don't get distracted from why we are here on this Earth:

"This life is for men to prepare to meet God..." (Alma 34:32).

"...men are that they might have joy" (2 Nephi 2:25).

The way we can have joy is by preparing to meet God - by keeping His commandments.  "If ye love me, keep my commandments" (John 14:15).

Remember this Christmas season why Jesus Christ came to Earth, and how we can come back to our loving Heavenly Father.  What will YOU give to the Savior this Christmas? 

http://www.mormonchannel.org/christmas-videos?v=2919740155001&cid=HPFR122013274&im=true

Merry Christmas, I love you all!

Love,

Sister Nikole Decker

December 16 - New Companera - and MIRACLES

Family and Friends,

HELLO!  This week has been psycho, crazy, hard, busy, productive, stressful, and so so SO rewarding.  Oh, and before I get, THANK YOU family for sending me Vanilla Bean Noel lotion.  That is just the BEST scent - I should write Bath & Body Works and request that it be sold all year long.  I can't ever seem to stock up enough of that scent of lotion to last until the next year haha.

I have a new companion now!  Transfers were on Wednesday.  Her name is Sister Elisabeth Zenger, and she is great!  Some cool facts about her: she is already pushing me to work harder, to be exactly obedient, and especially to have 20 "spiritual conversations" every day, not just 20 contacts (in our mission we have the goal to talk to 20 new people about the Gospel every day).  She has such a sweet, tender spirit.  And every morning when we sing together in companionship study, I get to hear her beautiful voice!  She is a music major at BYU Idaho, and actually grew up half in Florida, the other half in Rexburg, Idaho.  She's the oldest of 7 kids!  3 younger sisters (2 twin sisters, Maddie and Kenzie (20), are on a mission in Argentina and Germany, respectively), and 3 younger brothers.  Also, for her major, she has traveled EVERYWHERE to perform!  

She's been to Austria, Puerto Rico, the Dominican Republic, the Czech Republic, Italy, Germany, France, and England!  

We also laugh together a lot, which is also fun.  And finally, we both love to run!!  It's such a tender mercy of the Lord to be with a companion who loves to run (both of my companions in the field so far), because that is truly a stress-reliever for me, and it wakes me up every morning.

So cool stories/happenings week:

1. I ate a pomegranate.  Doesn't seem like a big deal, but it was amazing.

2. I had a super embarrassing moment the last day Sister De Rurange and I served together (Tuesday).  We were contacting on the street and I saw someone a few strides ahead of us, so I quickened my pace and walked up to him and gave him a picture of Jesus Christ and said, "Who is Jesus Christ to - " SMACK (and a really ugly screech sound that I made as well) - I ran straight into a pole!  Haha it wasn't one of my finest moments.  Then Sister De Rurange and the guy I tried to talk to started dying laughing while I tried to blink stars out of my eyes from running into that darn pole with my head.  Yup.  We ended up having a good conversation with the guy, though.  

And these moments I always seem to have is the reason why when I come home I want to write a book titled, "We've All Been There: Some of Us More Than Others."  

If you have any great, horribly embarrassing, or just plain weird stories you want added to my book, e-mail my regular e-mail (nikole.decker@gmail.com).  You think I'm kidding - but really.  I need more than just my embarrassing stories to make a book.  I promise I'll keep your name anonymous.  Maybe. :)

3. We found this AMAZING new investigator, Ben Martin.  Actually, he found us!  He worked for 4 months in Salt Lake City, and another 4 in Orem doing construction on a new power plant.  He was impressed with his co-workers, so he started going to the LDS church to check it out.  He decided he really like it, so he took a few discussions from the missionaries.  Now he's moved back here, and he came to church yesterday!  He said he wants to be taught more.  We invited him to an open house at President and Sister Alba's house, and he said sure.  

So later that evening we met him outside their home and walked him through their house - Sister Alba set up all these beautiful nativities, and also many painting of Joseph Smith and the First Vision.  We were able to teach him the Restoration right then and there, with President Alba at our side chiming in at times, and when we asked Ben his thoughts, he said something along the lines of, "I believe that." !!!  We went to eat some fruit and sat down and talked more to him and introduced him to a few people, and he was so kind and gentlemanly and awesome!  He was talking to another missionary, Elder Martin, and Elder Martin asked him if he was going to be baptized.  Ben said, "Yeah, most likely."  So, we may or may not have a baptism in the next 2-3 weeks.  It was a miracle!  God truly does prepare the people we come in contact with.

4. Anthony sent Sister Zenger and I this amazing dream he had via Facebook the other day.  This is the story in his own words (it looks different because I copied and pasted it from the letter I wrote President Alba...).

"I was approached by Jesus. He told me that He and God are very happy with me going down the right path. Jesus gave me a glimpse of the Celestial Kingdom and it was absolutely beautiful. So beautiful, it made the Earth look like a small park. I felt a lot of happiness and that was only a small appetizer. He didn't show me everything though. Before Jesus sent me back to Earth, He told me to stay for a bit and to witness a man who just came home to God and Jesus. 'He had a very good and Honorable life,' the Son said to me. The man approached God & His wife and God gave the man a huge hug and said to him, 'Welcome home son.' The man cried knowing all his pain, worries, and suffering had ended forever. 

As the man chatted with God & His wife, Jesus brought a book out. It had my name on it. I sat on Jesus' lap as we read through the book. In the book, it showed everything I did, good & bad, since I was in elementary school. Everything I saw in the book, I remember & actually did do all that. Some things I didn't want to discuss but Jesus understood me. Since the day I was born up to now, the book only had a few pages that were written on it. The rest was all blank, only to be recorded soon. 

Jesus said it was almost time for me to go back to Earth and had one last thing for me to see. God, His wife, and Jesus escorted the man into the Celestial Kingdom of Heaven. The man had a huge smile and was in tears. He entered the Celestial Kingdom. 

After the man returned Home, God, Jesus, and God's wife turned and looked at me with smiles on their faces. 'You're becoming a better person Anthony,' said God. 'As long as you believe in me and my Son, nothing can stand in your way. When your time comes, I promise you will be happy for all eternity. Some of your ancestors are still in the spirit world and I told them you will baptize them in my Temple soon so they can come Home, and they were excited to hear that. Now go my son, you still have a lot to do and learn. I'll see you when you are ready, just remember son, praise me and Jesus, and you can do anything,' said God.  Then I asked Jesus one thing: 'when are you coming back to Earth?' Jesus smiled and said to me, 'Soon.' I was so happy. God, Jesus, and God's wife went back into the Celestial Kingdom. As I started to go back to Earth, I looked back and saw light getting darker coming out of the gate of the Celestial Kingdom. The gate closed. I looked at it for a minutes longer, then I turned my eyes back to the Earth and suddenly I was at flying at warp speed back to Earth.....Few minutes later, I woke up in my bed."

AMAZING, huh?  I understand more fully Lehi and his vision, now.

5. This amazing insight I had this morning:

This morning on our run, I was just thinking to myself how much running long distances applies to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. When you first start running, you feel out of shape and every step, every breath, hurts. But it is good for your body - you are almost calling your body to repentance - to get into shape. 

Similarly, learning about the Gospel and having to change your lifestyle to be more like Jesus Christ can be hard, and can sometimes hurt. It can hurt friendships and relationships where those friends and family members and spouses don't agree with the Gospel and want you to stop. And sometimes it hurts to simply feel godly sorrow for the things you have done wrong. But at the same time, it is so good for you. Repentance has a pain that comes with it that just "hurts so good," much like the pain you experience when starting to run.

As you run more and more, the pain lessens; it doesn't hurt so much anymore. Instead, your morning run feels relieving, refreshing, revitalizing. It becomes a part of you. And when you run a new trail, there are parts that still exhaust you, like running up a long hill or those long expanses where you can't see the end in sight. Sometimes you might not want to run that day, but you decide to just get up and do it, and you are always rewarded with a healthy body and invigorated mind for the remainder of the day. 

In comparison, the more and more you bring your life in line with Jesus' teachings and come unto Him and follow Him in every way, including baptism and receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost, repentance becomes a sweet thing because you know that the Savior always has your back - that you can be washed clean week after week, day after day, hour after hour. You really start to read your scriptures, pray, repent, serve others, etc. every day so that when those hard trials come, you can "run the hill" or the "long expanse" ahead of you. When you choose to do those things that bring you closer to God, you feel prepared, happy, close to God, and somehow have time for everything else to fall into place as well.

And then you are put into a race, and this race is who knows how many miles long. You want to give up - this course is much harder than any other trail: the hills are steep, the pace is fast, the day is hot, the trail is rocky. But you run and run, and even when it hurts, it still has that "hurts so good" quality to it, and you run and run and run, and then finally see the finish line in sight. And when you cross, you can look behind you at that course and say, "I did it." 

That's what it's all about - the race of life. Enduring to the very end, even it hurts at times. But when we finish the race strong, we will look back and say, "I did it." And I'm sure that our Savior, and especially our Heavenly Parents, will say to us, "yes you have. Now let's go home."

You can do hard things!  Enduring to the end is a JOY, not a punishment.  It just "hurts so good."  See 2 Nephi 31:19-20.

Take Elder Ballard's challenge he gave the world in October: to bring one person closer to Jesus Christ by Christmas time.  This is the perfect time to share with those you love the message that Jesus lives, that He is our Savior, and that living the way He showed us to live is the most sure way to be happy.  

I love you all, have a great week before Christmas!!

Until next week,

Sister Nikole Decker

December 9 - I'm staying here for Christmas!

Dear family and friends,

I am staying here in my current area for Christmas: the Redwood YSA ward in the Santa Rosa South area.  I'm excited!  But sadly, my companion, Sister De Rurange (Karen and Andy: Day-Roo-Rawnge with the "g" making the sound as in "orange") is being transferred to Vallejo.

Transfers are Wednesday, and my new companion will be Sister Zenger (Zay-nger with the "g" making the sound as in "girl").  Cool fact about Sister Zenger: she trained the companion I had in the MTC, Sister Shurtleff.  So I'm excited!  I'm also sad, because I love Sister De Rurange so much and we have such a fun time together, but I'm sure Sister Zenger will be awesome as well:)

WE HAD A BAPTISM!!!!  It was a quirky, odd little baptism, but it did happen, and it was awesome, and we felt the Spirit, and Anthony MacIntyre was confirmed a member of the Church yesterday during Sacrament Meeting!

I sent the account to President Alba, so I'll just paste that here: it would take too long to explain it again haha.  It was quite the crazy ordeal.  But we experienced a HUGE miracle this weekend:

What a week! Anthony got baptized and confirmed Saturday and Sunday! It was a miracle that it even happened. I'll tell you the crazy story.

Anthony originally told his mom he was going to be baptized into the Church of Jesus Christ of Larter-Day Saints and she said to him, "If you do, you're out on the streets" (He's 21, going to school, and living with his Filipino, Catholic mom, but trying to get a job so he can save up to move out). Because of his mom's stand, his living situation, and his struggle to overcome an addiction, we had to push his baptism back from October 23rd to November 19th, then he pushed it back to December 7th to give his mom time to cool off. 

Around mid-November, he told us that he wanted to be baptized December 7th because it's Pearl Harbor Day, and wanted to be baptized on that "Day of Infamy" to make it even more special. We agreed, and by mid-November he had, in his own words, "nuked my addiction out of my life." :) But then he told us his mom thinks he didn't go through with the original baptism and wasn't planning on being baptized, so he wanted to keep it secret to "keep a roof over my head."

We felt weird about it, but continued meeting with him and he was just SO ready to be baptized. This past Friday came and all was well - the program was set, our ward mission leader had everything under control for conducting, many people were invited, Anthony's LDS cousin and her family were coming up from Livermore to support him...and then at about 7:30 Anthony texted us and said his mom wanted to take him to Vallejo tomorrow morning to do laundry and visit family. He hadn't told her he was being baptized, and was scared to because she said she'd kick him out. We told him to suggest to his mom to do it in the afternoon, that he already had plans. But it still felt weird.

We dropped by our bishop's house to pick up a white shirt and pants for Anthony to wear to his baptism and church the coming weeks, and Anthony continued to text us and tell us he wasn't sure if he could have his baptism the next morning at 10. Finally, Bishop Pierce, after we explained the situation to him, gave Anthony a call. He told him something along these lines, "Anthony, don't hide this from your mom. She will find out eventually, if not tomorrow then a week or a month or a year down the road, and then your relationship will be even more strained - she will also feel like the Church has been deceitful and baptized her son behind her back and won't ever feel open to the Gospel and the sweetness it holds. This is the trial of your faith. Tell your mother your choice to get baptized, and why you're choosing to be baptized into this Church. I promise that everything will be alright." 

Anthony's mom was asleep, so he couldn't tell her until that morning. He told us he'd call or text at 8 and confirm whether or not he was going to be baptized. We prayed hard for him to have courage and demonstrate his faith in Heavenly Father. We texted a few others who were involved in helping him get to the point he was at to pray for him as well. And I just felt such a peace come over me - that whatever happened, whether he decided to be baptized or postpone because of his mother, he would be just fine. And that all was well. 

So we planned for the night, wrote in our journals, and went to bed just like normal with peace in our hearts. That night, I had a dream that we went through with the baptism, and that Anthony's mom was there and happy for him :) 

The next morning, he texted us at 8:10ish and said something to the effect of, "I told her. She's not happy, but she said that if this is what I feel to be right, that I can be baptized. I have to be back around noon to help her with chores around the house, though." I read that and felt so happy and at peace and excited! I sank to my knees and said thank you to Heavenly Father for softening his mother's heart. It was yet another witness to me that Heavenly Father is real, that this truly is the way back to Him - the way that His Son, even Jesus Christ, showed us - that God will not forsake you, but that if you have faith and trust in Him and demonstrate that courage and trust and faith, He will always pull through. Anthony's mom didn't threaten to kick him out. He still has a roof over his head. It is just plain proof that "ye receive no witness until after the trial of your faith" (Ether 12:6). 

And thus the baptism commenced! It was such a wonderful baptism, President Alba. His mom wasn't there, sadly, but his family from Livermore was. The Spirit was so strong, and Anthony was so excited and happy to be washed clean. It was a quirky baptism, that's for sure. Our ward mission leader woke up late so we had to have the assistant ward mission leader conduct before our ward mission leader showed up with programs in tow. The actual program didn't exactly follow the order it was supposed to on the written program because he showed up late and we only had a rough outline of the program we gave to him to type up. The power ended up going out in the Yulupa building and down the street, so it was dimly lit. Crazy thing that happened during the missionary moment: Elders Williams and Snow were giving the missionary moment while Anthony and the member in our ward who baptized him, Lucas, were changing. Elder Williams asked a member of the Bishopric in our ward, Bro. Stockton, to quote the First Vision. Bro. Stockton quoted, "I saw a pillar of light..." And just as he said "light" the electricity came back on!! It was so cool and odd and added even more quirk to the baptism.

But mainly, the Spirit was there, the talks were powerful, Sis. Finley sang the most beautiful rendition of "Come Unto Jesus" that I've ever heard, and Anthony was baptized. When he came out of the water, he was just so happy - grinning from ear to ear! And yesterday after he was confirmed a member and received the gift of the Holy Ghost, he just looked so happy! He sat down next to us and told us, "I'm officially a member now!" And he was so excited to renew his baptismal covenant in Sacrament Meeting.

So it has been a journey - and a crazy, semi-stressful one at that - but life is a journey. And it is also a crazy, semi-stressful one. But it is so worth it. This life truly is for us to have joy. And we receive joy the most when we make and keep covenants with God and live life in the bounds The Lord has set. 

I have such a strong and ever-growing testimony that this truly is Jesus Christ's church back on the Earth - the same one He established when He was here, and the same Gospel established when Adam and Eve were on the Earth. I know I'm out here to bring God's children back. I am working hard, and seeing the fruits of my labor. I want everyone to be able to partake of the fruit of the tree and taste the sweetness that God's love brings (Alma 11). 

Life is good. I love being alive, and especially during this Christmas season. I'm so excited to serve with Sis. Zinger this coming transfer, as well. I can't wait to work with her :) But I'm also so grateful for Sis. De Rurange. She was just the person I needed for my first 12 weeks in the field. 

There's the account of that crazy, wonderful, amazing baptism.  Anthony's entered the gate:)  He's on his way.  I have picture to send, too!  Finally.  Sorry - it's a struggle, but I finally have them.

Sorry for not many details on the rest of my week, but the highlight was definitely this weekend when Anthony got baptized, so it's all good.  One more highlight: the Foley family came to this beautiful nativity festival yesterday night and walked through with us!  There are over 300 nativities from all over the world there, and they were SO gorgeous and the Spirit was there very strongly.  Natalie and her girls who came, Amanda and Lizzie, really enjoyed it:)  

I love you all, make good choices and remember that "the worth of souls is great in the sight of God" (D&C 18:10).

Invitation I would like to extend to everyone this Christmas season: do an act of service every day until Christmas, and see how many miracles unfold.

With love,

Sister Nikole Decker

P.S. Read 1 Nephi 8 and then compare it to 1 Nephi 11.  Wonderful chapters!  Also, Luke 2 - the story of Christ's birth.

December 2 - 3 month mark!

Dear family and friends,

Guess what?!  This coming Wednesday, I hit my 3 month mark - which means I only have 15 more...so weird.  Time goes so slow but at the same time so fast here.  By the time I blink it's Sunday again.  So I find out if I'm getting transferred on Friday, and then transfers are not this Wednesday, but next Wednesday.  I'm pretty sure I'm going to still be here for Christmas, but I guess we'll see!

My first major holiday away from home!  Thanksgiving was so great:)  I thought I would be homesick and sad, but it turned out to be a wonderful, fun day.  I think that was a tender mercy of the Lord.  He keeps his missionaries busy and uplifted so they can concentrate on the work and not get distracted by thoughts of home.  I have so many places I want everyone to visit in Santa Rosa, though!  There's this REALLY good sandwich place called "Crystal's Corner" that we've eaten at once or twice.  It's owned by this cute Asian couple with a little boy.  There's also so many cool shops and places and beautiful beaches here.

I found out something cool: I can connect my iPad to the computer so I can send pictures I take on that!  However...I forgot the cord to connect my iPad...so...whoops.  Next week!  I apologize.  I haven't sent pictures in a while.  I haven't taken many pictures, though.

Okay, so Thanksgiving: we woke up early since we had to do service from 7-9 that morning.  We're helping to set up for the "Creche Festival," or nativity festival, this coming Friday-Sunday.  The whole chapel and cultural hall is filled with beautiful nativities from all over the world (over 350) with beautiful lights and Christmas trees and garlands and stars everywhere.  It's beautiful!  We also helped set up a few more things today from 8-10.

Later that morning we played a turkey bowl football game with my zone (I officially am horrible at football) and it was a blast!  And of course, Sister De Rurange and I brought a soccer ball so after a while of failing at playing football, we and other discoordinated-with-our-hands missionaries went into a neighboring field and played soccer. 

Then we changed and showered and went over to President and Sister Alba's house for Thanksgiving "lunch" at 1 - SO good!!!  There were these stuffed mushrooms filled with crab that were so tasty, and this delicious cheese sauce, and seriously the best roasted carrots I've ever had...man it was so tasty.  Oh, and homemade mango and strawberry jam, and pear and raspberry sauce to put on top of the turkey.  Oh goodness it was so yummy!  The President and his wife were so kind to us - before we said the blessing they told us that they know we can't be home today, so they hope we can feel they are our parents away from home.  And it felt like a big missionary family:)  It was so nice and sweet of them!

Then at 3, we had a 2nd dinner with just us 4 singles' ward sister at this member in another ward's house, the LeCheminants (he's the bishop over a different ward than our's...our bishop was out of town for Thanksgiving).  And they had rolls just like the one's Keri makes!  They gave us about 6 to take home and Sister De Rurange and I ate them within 12 hours. 

I have to go soon but I wanted to end with good news: Anthony is getting baptized on Saturday!  He's been doing so well, and has overcome his addiction, and passed his baptismal interview:)  I'll make sure to take pictures so you can see who he is.  He's such a sweet, funny kid.  He's keeping the baptism a secret from his mom, which is kind of sad, but he lives with her and when he told her originally he was going to get baptized into the Mormon church, she threatened to kick him out if he went through with it - so until he can find a place to live on his own, he can't tell his mom he's been baptized. 

It's amazing to see how people change and transform because of the Gospel of Jesus Christ.  Anthony has made a HUGE improvement in all aspects of his life - socially, spiritually, physically, emotionally, mentally.  I know this Gospel is true and that is of God, because all that is good comes from God.  And this Gospel only helps people become the best they can be - helps them reach their divine potential to have eternal life and live with Heavenly Father again. 

I love you all, and sorry this was so short - don't have much time today.  Choose the right and pay attention to Christ this Christmas season.  Funny quote from a Spanish elder in my zone: "Christ. Mas.  Translated that means More Christ."  Remember that as we reach the holiday season - the reason we have all the festivities and lights and presents and nativities - even the glitz and glam of it all - is because of Jesus Christ.  There would be no "Holiday season" without Jesus Christ. 

Love always,

Sister Nikole Decker