March 24 - My Finger Is Going to Fall Off

Mar. 24, 2014

Dear family and friends,

I have decided I have a low pain tolerance this week.  I used to think I had a high pain tolerance...and then I got a hang nail.  It's a little guy on my ring finger on my right hand and it kind of has a heart beat in it.  I've been trying not to complain about it but I realized that I am a WIMP with pain haha.

Besides that, I discovered another fruit I love: mangoes!  But specifically, mangoes with blueberries and honeydew.  A member made a fruit salad with those fruits and it was soooo good!  Oh man I just love fruit.  Before I came out here, I would rather have a vegetable than a fruit.  But now, I am converted to fruit before vegetables.  It's partially because I am also always really thirsty, and fruits are much more thirst-quenching than vegetables.

I had a great dream this week about that Thai place in Arizona (my close family will know what I'm talking about): I was eating that sticky rice with mango and custard on top.  Yum.  Then I woke up and I wasn't eating it, and it was sad.  But it's alright!

I apologize in advance, because I forgot my camera again, so no pictures.  BUT, the vineyards here are looking GORGEOUS - the spring time is doing this valley wonders!  Everything is bright green, and the vines are starting to have green growing on them again.

As for my week!

Yesterday after church in St. Helena, we headed over to Yountville for Sacrament Meeting at the Vet's home. After church there we taught Jim Kelleher, who's working towards April 26th for his baptism. We were introducing the Book of Mormon to him and he stopped us as we were flipping through the pictures. He saw the one with Moroni burying the gold plates and said, "Wow, I'd sure like to know what is on those plates!" Then Sis. Petersen and I both closed our Books of Mormon and showed him the cover and said, "This book is what is written on those plates."

The Spirit was soo strong and he got so stoked to read the Book of Mormon! We also read Ether 12:27 and Moroni 10:3-5 with him and he loved those verses. He is doing so well! We are going to call him every day this week and remind him to read and pray. He is such a sweet old man, and it is so amazing to be able to see him growing his relationship with the Savior and with his Heavenly Father. He has a few phrases that are so funny: "Alrighty!" and "Okey-dokey." With his Boston accent, it's always fun talking with him.

This week I felt pretty great, but Sister Petersen was struggling. We had a great companionship inventory on Friday and were able to talk through some things. She has been feeling like ever since we taught this man Paul (who was very nice to us when we met him but ended up just wanting to bash) Satan has been trying to get her down. We talked a lot about the importance of keeping the faith, and also of not letting our minds be idle. As we've just gotten out and served, she has been doing much better. It's in the quiet moments when I think she's struggling - the drives and such. We decided we need to tell stories and listen to hymns and keep ourselves focused out, not in. I love that about Jesus Christ - no matter what He went through, He always focused Himself out on others. It reminds me of a talk given by Elder Bednar called "The Character of Christ." I totally feel for her because I struggled last transfer when I came out - it's easy to turn in here, but that's not why we're here!  We're here to turn out and to serve others, especially the Lord, but bring them closer to Him.

Cool thing about this week: we hit our 20 contacts every day (as a mission of "high expectations", we are supposed to talk to at least 20 new people every day - we call them contacts because it's someone new that we contacted)!  Sister Petersen is doing wonderful with contacting! She isn't afraid to talk to people. Now we're working on making our contacts turn into return appointments :)

Also, we're doing great with teaching 50/50. Yesterday during Jim Kelleher's lesson, we were going back and forth so naturally and really involving Jim in the lesson - asking inspired questions, testifying boldly - it was so neat to see how far Sister Petersen has progressed since she first came out. She's a fire pistol! I love her very much, and am so grateful she is my companion.

Being out here on a mission, and especially after that one week where I "bashed" with someone on the street, I realize how much more like Christ we can all be, particularly myself. It's been neat as I've been able to be filled with charity instead of annoyance or anger. I hope I can continue to improve. Lately I've really been working on developing patience and diligence, especially in St. Helena because this is an area where I feel patience and diligence is very important.

Many of the people are pretty proud, but there are so many good people here as well. We meet really neat people every day that just make me smile and be happy to be serving the Lord :)

I'm sorry I don't have any super crazy stories this week.  I'm sure I will next week, though.  Stay tuned for more...

I love you all!  Choose the right this week, and remember that God loves you more than you can every imagine! 

Love always,

Sister Kolee Decker

March 17 - I COME HOME IN 365 DAYS

Dear family and friends,

Happy St. Patrick's Day!!  So craziness.  I was looking at my ministerial certificate and had this weird lightbulb moment.  My ministerial certificate expires on March 17, 2015.  And today is March 17, 2014.  I come home in exactly 1 year, or 365 days, from today.  So odd.  Time goes by super fast yet slow out here.  It made me have a minor freakout and I decided maybe I just won't come home...haha totally kidding, but for realsies...I love it out here!  I get to talk to people I never would have talked to some of the people I have out here - it's made me realize how judgmental I was before (and still can be now).

But I'm getting better every day!  Okay.  I have a funny joke to tell you all.  This 11-year-old kid in the branch I serve in named Mason told it to me yesterday at dinner:

Why do missionaries have to have such large bladders?

They only get 1 "pee"-day a week.

Haha corny...I thought it was clever, though!

Sister Petersen is just getting better and better at contacting, teaching, finding, being filled with faith - the whole nine yards!  I love being a "mom" haha.  It's just fun to help someone get the hang of things.

This week we set a solid baptismal date with our investigator, Jim, and are working really hard with him to help him reach that date. We are so close to setting a date with this sweet family of two - Teresa and Nielli Cervantes. We are also trying to get the husband of Teresa, Jose, to sit in the lessons with us. We invited Teresa and Nielli to be baptized on Thursday - Nielli said she didn't want to at first, but Teresa said of course! Then the neatest thing happened - Teresa explained to her daughter baptism! And then she said, "it's when YOU know it's true. It doesn't need to be tomorrow! Just when you know it's true." Then Nielli agreed, too!

We also felt prompted to go by a former investigator's house, Paul Woof. He told us he definitely wants to meet with us again! We're going by Thursday at 3pm!

Also, we had the neatest contacting experience on Saturday night - we were walking and almost passed by this guy, but we decided we'd better talk to him. Turns out, a loooong time ago missionaries came and taught him, but he was really young and unsure. He was so excited to see and talk with us, and we ended up giving him a Book of Mormon and inviting him to be baptized right on the street! He said yes - it was neat because he spoke broken English and mostly Spanish. We Spanglished our way through the contact but it definitely proved to me WE don't do the teaching - the Holy Ghost does. Also, I felt prompted to put a Spanish Book of Mormon in my bag that morning, and he told us he wanted one but couldn't read English! And I had followed the prompting, so I had one in Spanish to give to him. It was so amazing :)

We had a few funny moments this week I wanted to end with:

So, during Sacrament Meeting yesterday at the vet's home, Sis. Petersen was trying to point someone out to me. She whispered, "That guy - the bald one." I look around, and EVERYONE in the congregation is bald haha. In a room full of veterans, describing them as the bald one doesn't do much to point them out. It was funny.

We had a day where we taught two Jim's, tried a potential named Jim, and asked a man named Jim to give a blessing to one of the sick veterans (Jack Brannan, a recent convert of about a year and a half now). We ended up singing a song to the tune of "Old McDonald Had a Farm" but it went like this: "St. Helena sisters had a teaching pool. E-I-E-I-O. And in that pool they had some Jims. E-I-E-I-O. There's a Jim Jim here and a Jim Jim there, here a Jim, there a Jim, everywhere a Jim Jim. St. Helena Sister had a teaching pool. E-I-E-I-O!"

And finally, Sis. Petersen kept feeling anxious while we were driving down the freeway because of a cop following her. After a while she said, "I bet it's vineyard security." I laughed and said, "No way. Is that even a thing?" We reached St. Helena and turned left, and the "cop" passed us...but the cop really was a "vineyard security" car! We said, "It IS a thing!" Haha it made us crack up. Only in good ole' Napa Valley would something like that happen.

I love it out here.  It's the best.  I love being a missionary.  I know this church truly is Jesus Christ's church back on the Earth.  I know the Book of Mormon to be the word of God.  I love my Savior and Redeemer, and I know He lives.  I love all of you!  Have the best week EVER!!

Love,

Sister Nikole Decker :)

P.S. Sister Petersen always says "The struggle is real" whenever she has a difficult time parking or putting on her shoes or anything like that haha.  It cracks me up.  Also, whenever anything super cool or great happens, she just says, "Wow.  That's celestial."  She's a keeper haha.

March 10 - My first week training

Dear family and friends,

Guess what?!  I begat a child this week (my new greenie came in!).  It's been craziness, but so far so good!

Monday night Hermana Kaiser, Sister Harston, and I drove to Santa Rosa and dropped Hermana Chavez off - she "died" (aka her 18 months were up) so we wore all black that day haha.  Then Sister Harston, Hermana Kaiser, and I were in a trio for Monday evening and half of Tuesday.

We headed back down to Santa Rosa Tuesday evening - Hermana Kaiser and I are training, so we were able to meet all the new missionaries and go to a devotional with them.  We dropped Sister Harston off at another companionship's dinner before the devotional and dinner and ended up sleeping at the Funk's house that night, a senior couple who did my laundry when I served in the Redwood YSA ward!  That was fun :)  Sis. Funk and I caught up a bit and she made us these BOMB German pancakes the next morning.

Then Wednesday came!  It was psycho.  We had to be at training at 8:45 that morning.  I didn't realize this, but after training, the APs and President and Sister Alba go into Pres. Alba's office and pray and talk about the trainers and the new missionaries, and that's where they decide who is training who.

So then the trainers and the greenies got called into a room together and we sang a few hymns and had a little pump-up devotional...and then I found out who I'm training!  Disclaimer: Sis. Harston, my last companion, called that I was going to be with a Sister Petersen (there were 2 Sis. Petersen's that came in this transfer).  And guess who I'm with?!  Sister Petersen haha.  She was right!  I am so excited!  Her name is Devin Petersen.  She turned 19 the 26th of February while still in the MTC, so she is BARELY 19!  She graduated in 2013 and is from St. George, UT.  One of her good friends, Elder Morley, is in the mission and we found out at zone meeting Friday that he is also in our zone!  So that's been fun for her :)

Hmm, what else about her?  She's basically amazing.  She invited Jim Kelleher, one of our investigators, to be baptized yesterday!  She is a bold greenie.  And I just love the greenie fire!  She's definitely helping me to step up and out of my own comfort zone.  She is also doing great at contacting.  The first time we went contacting, though, (Thursday) was not good haha.

I BIBLE BASHED!!  Nooooooooo!!!!  It was not a good example.  The Spirit left and we both just felt so icky inside.  Then we walked back to our car and sat inside for about 20 minutes singing hymns and reading scriptures until we could feel it again.  It's so true that the spirit of contention is of the devil (3 Nephi 11:29), because I definitely felt the Spirit of God leave me when I was getting upset.  I don't really need to talk about the man we bashed with...he was the meanest man I've met thus far on my mission though haha and he called us delusional and corrupt and a whole bunch of other really mean names...I repented though, and I've been praying to feel more charity for people.

It was such a good lesson for both of us to learn.  I've never "bashed" with someone before (it's frowned upon - it's basically just throwing Bible verses back and forth at each other to prove the other person wrong, and that's not what I'm out here to do, so it was not good), and I realized that for the first time in 6 months, I didn't have the Spirit with me in the mission field.  It felt all sorts of wrong.  But what's so amazing about repentance is that we can get the Holy Ghost right back when we strive to have it with us and are doing the things we need to to feel its influence. 

The next day, because of that,  Sister Petersen and I made a "vision board" with what we wanted to accomplish, and I'm so excited for this transfer together!  Our vision statement: "Lead like Christ."  I really want Sis. Petersen to feel comfortable in the area, and to feel confident in her abilities so that she could train a new missionary next transfer, if she had to.  She is already rocking it out here in St. Helena!  I am so impressed by all the new missionaries who came in.  They all seemed so mature and ready to roll :)

Sister Petersen and I are also teaching really great together.  We're definitely feeling united as a companionship and it feels great!  She has a POWERFUL testimony of prayer and of the Atonement.  We've had a couple of member lessons, and with the two of us and the Spirit teaching, we were able to get 7 referrals in 2 lessons!  That's pretty solid :)  We're excited to contact all of them this week.

I feel super overwhelmed and tired right now, to tell you the truth, but I think it's because I don't really know how to "train" a new missionary haha.  I do trust that God knows I can do this, and that Sister Petersen and I will do amazing things together.

Sister Petersen is seriously so amazing - I'm so privileged to be her companion!  She has such a sincere desire to serve and is more than willing to work hard and be exactly obedient.  I can't wait for what this week has to offer for the two of us!

Cool story from this week:

We were teaching a recent convert (Jack Brannan, 87 years old) at the veteran's home yesterday, and he told us that he had a stroke earlier that week!  It was hard for him to talk and I could tell the stroke definitely did some damage :/  We asked him if he needed a blessing and he said yes.  The leader over Sacrament Meeting at the vet's home - Bro. Graham - gave him a POWERFUL blessing and said that "tonight you will rest in peace - the hurt will go away."  I felt this feeling that Bro. Brannan was going to pass away soon, but I have never felt so calm in my life.  I am so grateful to know about the Plan of Salvation and that I know where I go after this life.  I don't know if he will pass away anytime this week or the next, but I do feel at peace with whatever does happen. 

Funny stories from this week:

The first night Sis. Petersen came to St. Helena, it started pouring buckets while we were inside a lesson.  Sis. Petersen ran to the car to unlock it and I was walking because of all the puddles.  All of a sudden her feet slipped up from under her and she goes "SMACK!" and lands right on her bum in a puddle haha.  THEN promptly after that I sat down in the car and the phone slipped off my lap into the gutter-river and I had to run down the street after it...needless to say, the phone is dead.  We got a new one on Saturday, though, so all is well!

Yesterday while contacting Sis. Petersen and I talked to these odd, interesting fellows named Clay and Sasha.  At the end of our conversation, Clay, a 20-something-year-old, said, "Group hug!" and tried to hug Sis. Petersen and I.  Sis. Petersen made the WEIRDEST sound I've ever heard (almost like a half-scream, half-throw up sound)  and jumped back.  Haha the guy was so confused!!  It was great.

Well fambam, life is good.  I am feeling really happy and excited for the weeks to come - I love being with a new missionary.  I'm supposed to be the one training, but Sis. Petersen is training ME!  She is just helping me to be better, and I love it :)

I hope you're doing well, and remember that you are a son or daughter of God!

Love from Napa Valley,

Sister Kolee Decker

March 3 - I AM TRAINING. BAH.

Dear family and friends,

Craziness is happening.  Transfers are this Wednesday and I got a call from Sis. Alba (the mission president's wife) on Friday and she told me that I will be training a new missionary this coming transfer.  WHAT?!  I am super nervous, but really excited!  I don't have a clue what I should do or how I am supposed to train somebody, but I'll pray for the Spirit to guide me.  

It's funny though because in the mission field, if a sister trains, then she is a "mom" and the sister she trains is her "daughter."  So Sister De Rurange is my mission Mom, and my 2nd companion, Sister Zenger, is my mission Dad.  So I am becoming a mom come Wednesday!  I am with CHILD.  Craziness.  I will miss Sister Harston - she has taught me how to be humble and submissive, and also how to find humor in the little things.  

Also, our apartment mates - Hermanas Chavez and Kaiser - are experiencing changes too.  Hermana Chavez goes home tonight!  Her mission is complete :)  And Hermana Kaiser is training, too, so there'll be two greenies in good ole' St. Helena.

Pray I won't make my new missionary companion cry and go home.  Because I don't know what's going on.  Oh goodness.  

As for some highlights this week: Wednesday.  It was POURING rain.  I found out that my rain coat is not very effective at keeping the rain out.  We were running low on our allotted miles on our car, so we decided to stay in Calistoga and walk to see people.  WHEW.  I don't think I have ever been so wet in my entire life!  My shoes I wore that day barely dried haha.

Also, we are teaching this awesome family - Teresa and Nielli, her 12-year-old daughter.  Teresa's husband isn't interested, but last Thursday when we went over to their home to teach them and her husband fed us this delicious pork.  It was soooo good.  And Nielli is going to come to Young Women's this Tuesday!  

I'm out of time so I have to go - sorry this week's accountings is so short - we have to drop Hermana Chavez off in Santa Rosa and somehow finish all of our other Pday tasks.  I love you all so much - have a wonderful week!  The book is blue, the church is true, and God loves you :)

Love,

Sister Nikole Decker

P.S. Justin: I just remembered when we won that free shrub from Moon Valley nurseries - good times :)

P.P.S. Bryce: I'm proud of you for keeping the Sabbath Day holy!  You'll be blessed for it!  Lots of love!!