Dianna Update - 13 February 2011

Ice, Ice Baby! - 7 February 2011

Man is it icy out there!!!! On wednesday we got 50 cms of snow!! It just kept coming! We were out in it for most of the day too. (I think that's why Sis. Hanson has a cold now...) But then it rained for a couple days so the snow started melting but then the temperature dropped below freezing again and it all froze. There are MASSIVE icicles hanging from buildings and there is ice all over the sidewalks. Sis. Hanson has biffed it twice so far. I'm counting my blessings and staying on my feet. Last night we had a laugh because there is an outdoor ice rink by our house but the missionary handbook says we're not allowed to participate in winter sports so we can't go, but we were practically skating on the sidewalk so we joked if it was allowed to walk outside because we practically were skating. It's fun and keeps your heart rate up because you slip and slide all over the place. The worst part though is that it takes a million years to get anywhere! Normally we have to run to the bus, but now we have to plan 10 extra minutes to waddle there. This is an adventure I'm never going to forget and likely will never have again.

Hey guys, Sis. Hanson is AWESOME! Guess what?! She talks!!! She's nervous but she will talk to people on the street and says a lot during the lessons. Good because that was one of my fears of training, that I would have to talk more than usual. I mean, I have to but she definitely doesn't leave it all up to me. Now I just have to help her better remember the lessons so that she can be a master teacher. She's gonna be the best missionary ever when I'm through with her!!!

Family!!! I don't know what else to say! I mean, if we were together, I could jabber your ear off, but I currently don't have much to say that will make sense on "paper". I think. Anywoot, that's all. Don't forget how much I love you guys!

Sister Nicholls

My baby! - 31 January 2011

Well, I had a very difficult delivery. I was in labor for 3 days! She finally arrived on Saturday.

Okay, here's the story in real words. The new missionaries left the MTC on tuesday but got stuck in New York because of the weather. They ended up being stranded there until friday night!!! While they were there they went on splits with the missionaries in the New York South mission. They were placed on flight after flight but they didn't leave until late friday. They actually had to wait 3 hours on their plane until it took off because the plane was parked in the snow!!!! In the meantime, back here in the Maritimes, the weather was getting bad as well. There was a snowstorm that was going to happen on thursday (transfer day) so they rescheduled it for friday instead. This made Sis. Crofts freak out because she couldn't handle another day of goodbyes! The missionaries going home though needed to get into the mission home, so Sis. Olsen and Sis. Hamblin drove down wednesday night to stay with us and drop off Sis. Olsen in the morning (she went home!). So on thursday, we took them over to Dartmouth and left Sis. Hamblin with Sis. Hudson because her companion was going home as well. Since each of them had a car, we got to take one for the day. (It was actually annoying to have a car because there is NOWHERE to park in Halifax, especially with the snow. We had to pay for meters too.)

On friday, Sis. Crofts went up to Fredericton, NB with Sis. Hamblin, but Sis. Hudson and I still didn't have any companions because they were still stuck in New York, so we were given specific instructions that we were to work both areas. Now, we both have busy areas and we live on different sides of the bridge. So, we did some fanagling, and a LOT of driving, and got to go to all but one appointment. It was crazy to have 2 areas, and 2 phones. I should tell you now that this entire week we only knew what was happening for the next couple of hours. We were told of every flight that the new missionaries MIGHT have been on and the plan was changed a bajillion times. Saturday morning, just before an appointment, we got a call to be at the mission office in half and hour to get our new companions, but we told them we'd be late because we were headed into an appointment half an hour away. That ended up being okay because their orientation meeting went overtime. We showed up at the mission office and I met my new companion, Sister Hanson!!! She is from Payson, UT and is 6 feet tall!!! She is also 26. She's the first one in her family to serve a mission. She is very fun, we're getting along great. She has such a great spirit and is handling everything really well, especially because of what she has been through this week.

This isn't anywhere near the end of the story. So, there were supposed to be 3 new sisters coming out. BUT one of them has been quarantined in the MTC and most likely won't be here until the end of this week. This sister is going to be Sis. Hudson's companion. So, the other Sister who came, was sent to Truro and Sis. Brandley, was taken from her trio to come be Sis. Hudson's companion until the other sister gets here. Did you follow that at all? Oh, and also, Sis. Hudson, Sis. Hanson, and I were a trio for the rest of Saturday until Sis. Brandley was able to come into the Metro. Poor Sis. Hanson spent her first day in Canada hopping back and forth across the bridge going to different appointment. She still hasn't had time to fully unpack, she's going to do that today. We didn't get home until 10 on saturday and we FINALLY had weekly planning last night! I'm glad that things are going back to normal now so that maybe some of my acne will go away and I can think clearly.

So, that basically was my week. Highly adventurous. Also, it was full of very tasty food because everybody wanted to feed Sis. Crofts before she left and most of them took us out ot eat. I felt very spoiled.

Family, I love you bunches! Have a good first week of February!

Sister Nicholls