Man you spoiled the girls this year! A trip to New York? Man I bet it was so much fun. I remember our trips to the big apple. I guess it is fair since us boys all went. That was one of the funnest trips ever! Well I think this letter is going to be a little shorter this time because of the awesome thing that is going to be happening this next week! :) I am so excited to see y'all. The pictures you sent me of the girls kind of stunned me... They are getting sooo big... Tell them to stop growing because I still want to tease them, but pretty soon they are going to be bigger than me and over power their old uncle Nicky! haha I hope they are all doing great! So that is really awesome that sister M. wrote y'all. I really love that lady. She is so kind and loves us missionaries. Not to brag or anything, but I think she likes me the most out of all of us! ;) We saw her this week. She didn't want us to do any service but just eat with her. But the food was not ready yet so I grabbed a scrapper and started scrapping all of the paint off of her porch because she wants it re-done. She came back and all of us were doing that so we didn't end up eating for a couple hours and we finished scrapping. So hopefully we can paint next week! She made us fried pork chops. And she made her famous italian cookies. they were really good and she gave us the recipe so I'll make them for y'all in a couple of years haha!
This week was a pretty busy week. We visited a lot of members. On Tuesday we had our mission Christmas party. It was pretty dumb actually haha. We had a tiny meal and a little Christmas story. It was fun because I got to see some of the missionaries in my zone that were in my MTC district. I liked that. Then on Saturday we had our Branch Christmas party and oh man was that a success!!! It was a huge dinner and then all the different groups of the branch performed a talent. And the very last group was the missionaries. So we decided to split up into 4 groups. 2 missionaries played guitars. 2 sisters told jokes. Then my companion and Elder Vaughn rapped. It was a remake of a song and it was all about missionary work. It was really good, sister W. recorded it and said she will send it to you. Then last but not leased I came up with a skit. Elder Andrews and Elder Olsen first went out and told everyone that I had chickened out and I was not going to be performing anymore. People were booing and saying I was a chicken! So those two started singing once there was a snowman and about half way through the song I came running out saying no no no this is not what we rehearsed. Then we started singing another remake of a song, but missionary style! It was to the song... what does the fox say? Instead we did what do the missionaries say! It was really funny and everyone loved it! So I will send that one if I can. SO it was a really big success and we had a lot of fun! Then on Sunday we had a Christmas program and it was pretty good. Lets just say our choir back home sounds a lot better! ;) I mean with you in it mom it is the best choir ever!! Then throughout the week we saw a lot of members like I said and we shared messages about Christ and bore our testimonies of Him.
We had 14 hours of service this week so a lot of service still thank goodness. I love service. It seriously turns any bad day into a great day. Just giving of yourself to others freely is an amazing thing. It is funny how many people come up to us and ask why do you do this? Why would you just give free service or why do you wear such nice clothing and ride a bike? I still ask myself that question! ;) haha just kidding. But I love telling people why. Their reactions are the best. After we tell them we are trying to be more like Christ and help others out, they say oh well that is good. haha It stuns them. But it is an unusual thing what missionaries do. We do leave our families and life behind for 2 years. But like the quote that is on the picture back home on our table, "A missionary leaves their family for 2 years so others can be with theirs for eternity! So yes it is hard leaving family, but it is so worth it to help someone else out in their life and to help their family. The mission has been the best decision of my life. I have never felt so close to my Savior and Father. I have never had so many joys and sorrows. I have never felt so happy or so sad. The sad times are not because I miss my family and friends, but the sad times are when others don't accept the Gospel. It really is so hard watching someone you have grown to love start to fall away. But one of the greatest things about this Gospel is you always have a fresh start. You can never be too deep in a hole to get out. You always are going to have a hand right there for you to grab on to. That hand is the Savior. It is just like the foot prints in the sad story. Where the man and the Savior are walking on a beach and you see 2 footprints but then it goes to 1 and the man asks the Savior "Why did you leave me here? This was one of the hardest times of my life. I needed you the most" and then the Savior says " Oh my son I did not forsake you, but during those times of trials I was carrying you." I love that story. It is so true. Our Heavenly Father loves us so much and wants us to be happy. That is why he puts angels and people in our paths to help us. The Story about Malosi was so awesome. The thing is though he wrote me the most amazing letter ever and it has helped me a lot out here. I one day was in the dumps and I read that letter and I decided to write him back. That was really cool.
Well that is about it for my week. It doesn't even seem like it is Christmas. Especially because of the weather. The beginning of this week it was like 75 outside. Super nice, but now it is bad weather again. It rained all day Saturday and Sunday. We had tornado warnings too so the winds were super bad. It was some crazy weather. Today has been pretty cold. I am missing the snow a little bit. I hear it is a good year of snow. Lucky you guys! Oh and the snow in a can was not cold. It was just weird feeling.
Well my wonderful family I love y'all so much. My testimony is growing so much. Especially during this time of year. I love it. I wont lie though I miss y'all like Crazy! What can I say?? I am a mommas boy! I love my family with all my heart. So I am soooo excited to skype with y'all in 2 days! So with that tell Dan to make y'all an account and also if he could make me one and send me the info. I am going to be going over to the F. sometime between 10-12. Our time. I think y'all are an hour behind us so 9-11 probably. I can not wait to see y'all!! It is going to be sooo cool. It is going to be a weird Christmas though... And hey I hope y'all get my package I sent out. It is a little something from Louisiana! Let me know if y'all got it. And I have another surprise that I am doing with Sister W. but I won't be able to send them until we make them! We are going to make y'all homemade Pralines!!! :) YUM YUM. Well don't worry about me momma. I am doing great out here. I have a lunch and dinner appointment on Christmas so I will get taken care of. I am going over to one of my favorite families house to watch a Christmas movie with there little boy named SAM. :) Well I love y'all and I hope y'all have an amazing week because it is CHRISTMAS!!! :) Well sorry this is short, but I want to save somethings for our phone call!! Alright I know I always say this like 40 times every letter, but I love y'all!! and MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!
Love Y'All!
Elder St. Nick
PS. How did the commercial shoot go? that sounds soo cool! You'll for sure have to send it out to me!
PSS I got all your pictures! Thanks!
PSSS 2 more days!!!!
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