Sister Nicola Chadderton: 14 February 2013

Hi Family!!!

How's everything going? As you may have noticed I've sent photos before my email (sorry for the weeks without pics, I am repenting!). There is a picture of me with Sister Walsh and it's for her dad, "Hi again Brother Walsh!!" Sister Olden is going outbound to Louisiana Baton Rouge for three transfers and I won't get to see my mate until who knows when because she doesn't return until June. I may be outbound by then and that makes me a little sad because I will miss her lots. While sisters are outbound we are not allowed to write each other. It sounds a little strange but oh well!

Any who, transfers went well and Sister Stolp and I are staying together YAY!!! I was so happy and very relieved. Transfers can be stressful so to have little or no change - same zone, same p-day, same apartment - I'm so happy. There were two sisters from my class who have gone outbound and three other sisters from my class are training already. I thought I might train this transfer, but I'm grateful for another transfer with Sister Stolp to learn from her. So, I still get to be with my mate Brigham in the Beehive. I'm going to be pro-Brigham knowledge for the future and I can't wait to meet him in the next life! Haha!

I am so happy Hinalei had a great birthday! I love her to pieces and the photos are beautiful. To my parentals and sistra and brother-inlaw, "Happy Wedding Anniversary!!!" Oh the joys of, "Single Awareness Day!" Haha! Last week P-Day we went to Walmart and the red love heart stuff was everywhere. After Walmart we had to pick up some sisters from the airport who were returning from their outbound assignments and their was so much affection. I haven't been around that much affection for so long. It's weird but great! Oh well, "Happy Valentines Day" everyone! Mum, isn't Sister Bunting awesome? I love her so much! They are the sweetest family!

So, after transfer conference we were invited to a special performance in the Conference Center Theatre with Michael McClain - the genius who composed, "The Forgotten Carols" and directed, "Mr. Krugers Christmas." It was so, so, cool and he is so talented and the spirit was so strong. The performance really helped the sisters appreciate who they are and what we do because we tend to be quite hard on ourselves. Great man! Wonderful concert! Great spirit! I also heard that he had just returned from touring New Zealand!

This week my companion and I did some indexing and we found out that we can start doing Family Search. So, I logged into my Family Search account and found some ancestors names that were reserved since the last time I did family history (back in October 2012 at BYU-Hawaii). I decided to submit the names to the Temple because I had been feeling like I needed to find them for that reason. I saved a few of there ordinances so I can do the work for them. Moral of the story, "Do!"

Well, there was one tiny little thing that I wasn't excited about regarding transfers, "I'm still in charge of conducting the music for Sacrament!" We have some special guests attending our Sacrament meeting on Sunday - Elder Hinckley (son of the late President Hinckley) - who is coming to speak to us and Sister Vaivai and I might be doing a musical number.

Our practices for our New Zealand performance is going great and we've managed to recruit 10 more sisters to join us in the long poi. These sisters are from all over the world and are so excited to learn poi. This morning Sister Vaivai was helping them make their own poi's while I went off to the airport with my companion. When I returned, most of them had finished making their own set of long poi. I was so proud of them! All their long poi were so beautiful and I had to chuckle because their poi making skills ranked so much better than mine. Good on them! Haha! Apparently, we may or may not have our March 15th performance recorded as previously indicated, so when I do get a copy I can send it home. At the moment, I am performing the poi, Pokarekareana, I am, You are, We are Australian, and Aloha Oe, as well as two choir numbers and it's legit!, the whole mission will be singing, "The Sound of Music" and "Called to Serve." I can't wait and I know it's going to be a ton of fun. Well, this transfer is only a 5-week transfer and then it's General Conference. CRAZYYYY. Who knows, I may or may not be going outbound next transfer. But I am in my fifth transfer so next transfer I will be half way through my mission. Ridiculous right?