Extension!

Hi Everyone, this is Nicole's mom.  If you haven't noticed by now, Nicole hasn't returned from her mission yet because her Mission President asked her to extend another month.  Her return date is now December 15th. Because she has been so busy, she hasn't had time to write a blog so I am including some parts of her email to us as well as another email explaining some of the projects she is working on.   

Email to parents after she decided to stay longer:

I just wanted to let you know that I love you. I have constantly fasted and prayed and I have accepted to extend the mission ½ transfer more and do what my mission president and the lord has asked me to do. I came to understand that the Lord has given me two choices and there is not a wrong answer. Only the “better” and the “Best” The Lord never gave me an answer only the word “Both” I found that He would have loved me for whatever path I took. But the spirit overwhelmed my heart as I began to feel the love of the Savior. It’s all about the SAVIOR and HIS plan. I want you to know that His plan is so intelligent and magnificent. We need to fulfill our responsibility and callings that come our way. I just want you to know that…… I know that the Savior lives! He wants the best for us and sometimes we have to make sacrifices so that He can make us become who He wants us to become. There is nothing greater than that of Eternal Life, especially with our families.

Email to us this last week:
I'm doing great actually! for the last two weeks I had been working on all the stuff for presidente and for hermana Cifuentes.  I am putting together budgets, exercises, nutrition and overall healthy programs for the missionaries to follow.  I am traveling to all of the mission locations and presenting the information.  Yesterday we had our first conference. It was great. The missionaries were all over it. I will be able to send pictures at the end or next time. It was so interesting because I was in two hours of the conferences teaching them and part of it was in gym clothes. I was teaching them how to do exercises right and wrong and it was like teaching dance classes again.. being in kinesiology from college. We leave at 5 this afternoon to travel to our next conference and we will be gone until Sunday. Then we leave again Tuesday. We have one more conferences this week two next and three the following. I'll be giving the conference and leaving for home the next day.  

I had the chance to go to the ward in THE FALDA my area I served in for almost half of my mission!!! All the little girls came running up to me.. and two of my conversos are in the picture.. 
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More Pictures....

The two dogs that followed me around the WHOLE day,,, every time I went into a building they were waiting outside for me...... yep true story. 

Pigue

Trenque Lauquen

Santa Rosa

Around Bahia Blanca in 14 Days.......

This week, I've been reminded of the words, "Believe, obey and endure", they have been a guidance and hope for me these last few days.  These past few weeks have been overwhelming and extraordinary!!!  Many changes have occurred and I will NOT be serving in Villa Floresta anymore, nor do I have an area.  But, I will be traveling around the entire mission working on a few project which means my mission president asked me to extend my mission to the 14 of December.  Right now I have already been to areas called, Tres Arroyos, Necochea, Mar del Plata, Mar del Plata Sur and Norte, Tandil, Olavarria and back to Bahia Blanca until Friday night and then I continue my travelings.  It's been SUPER CRAZY!!  But a fantastic adventure!  Luckly I have been so blessed that my president has let my companion Hermana Palma travel with me to have a companion :).  The other day, she said to me..."do you remember the movie, Around the Work in 80 days?", well now it's around Bahia Blanca in 14 days" haha.  Honestly, there hasn't been anytime with so much to do in the little time that there is that my mind feels like alphabet soup.  But it's been such a great experience and being a servant in the Lord's hands, "we are constantly in the process of making decision and we must decide what we will hear and what we will eat, on a higher lever, we must decide what we will watch, what we will read, how we will fulfill our church callings, and how we will receive the pleasing word of God from our leaders.  The Lord expects us to use our common sense but even that is guided by His light which He expects us to use well and wisely as we make our judgement.  We either magnify or diminish the light.  Each righteous decision and judgement is guided by the full power of Christ's light, while every unjust and unwise judgement is tantamount to subjecting that light to a dimmer watch. The degree to which the light of Christ illuminates our lives increases or decreases in direct proportion to our efforts to become as Moroni said, "True followers of Jesus Christ" and "be purified even as He is pure".  The Savior affirms this principle, "That which is of God is light, and he that receiveth light and continueth in God, receiveth more light; and that light groweth brighter and brighter until the perfect day."  (D&C 50:24)  Enabled by the Light of Christ, we can bring in the true and correct verdict in all of our judgments.  There will be no shades of gray."

I am so grateful for my loving Savior and everything He does for me.  He has always been there for me without any doubt.  I know that He lives and He loves us individually and calls and knows us by name.  I'm so grateful to have had the opportunity to serve as a missionary for HIS church, HIS work and it's marvelous and beautiful.  It's perfect!  I hope and pray that I will be a worthy servant, mother and daughter NOW and forever.  I'm grateful for the opportunities the Lord has given me to make me stronger even when they may be hard.  I know the challenges help me become close to His as I stay faithful and true.  I love Him and I love His plan.  In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Homework:  Read the talk by President Thomas S. Monson, "Believe, Obey and Endure"
https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=gN-BU2im_vM

Mar del Plata

Sunday Dinner

Que Quen

Check out my new shoes

Sunset at Necochea

New Friend in Tandil