Update to the Fam...

All,  I'm so sorry I didn't get this out sooner.  I've been traveling a ton this month.  She didn't have a ton of time to send an email so I'm editing the family email and sending it in place.  Thanks to all those who write to her, it means so much to us.  Please keep her in your hearts and prayers.  

Love,

Nicole's Family 

SHOUTOUTS!

Ann flint wrote me a valentines card. I love her haha especially because I didn't get to hear from anyone this week!

Elder Portas!  YEAH - He was a missionary in Utah taught my Dad the lessons.  He's home now but he wrote me a letter!  Thank you so much Elder!

AND My Lancelle Friend Tony!  I love her and miss her so much!  LB Girl!  Thanks for writing me!

Also. i think my packages came today... but the zone leaders haven't handed anything out.. HB. they're sooo .... sneaky? They have like 20 boxes over there, C'mon!

LAST week, after LAST Monday... like LAST LAST Monday, we found out we were getting our interviews with the president!!  I was WAY excited.  I haven't talked to him much and this made my week.  We found out that we were going to santa cruz that same day for immigration papers! It was really awesome to see Hermana Crandall and Elder Gallagher again. It was kind of sad because the rest of our group was serving in Santa Cruz, so we didnt get to see everyone because they had done their stuff the day before. But it was nice to see how everyone was holding up! 

Carnival... was fun? haha we had LOTS of study to do because President gave us homework. But Hermana Lyon and I made it lots of fun and we ended up learning a lot and making lots of goals together.

Also we laughed so hard I thought i was going to pee. We definitely made it fun.

 We have investigators that we absolutely ADORE.

Heidi, our golden investigator, is seriously.. awesome. We started teaching her the plan of salvación the other day and she was like FREAKING OUT over the fact that she "CHOSE TO COME TO EARTH".

I've never seen anyone so happy about the plan of salvación haha it was great.

We had Stake Conference yesterday.. and it was crazy. All of the members in Tarija come to the stake center, my chapel, and they had chairs OUTSIDE and just opened all the windows so that the members on chairs outside could hear. And they blasted it. Elder Russel M. Nelson was like screaming. Not to mention the fact that they translated his talk into Spanish.. and HE READ IT. Elder Nelson spoke Spanish. It was the sickest thing I've ever seen.

#giftoftongues

 We tried to make German Pancakes....that's embarrassing!

I'm sending letters today!! expect them!! I love you so much, sorry this is short. Dad, I reread a lot of letters you sent me the other day I was laughing so hard. LB

Until next week... The church is true!

I love you All!

Love,

Hermana Cedeno

Carnival + Mission = No Emails this week

Hi All - 

I just wanted to let anyone know who was looking for an update on Nicole that she won't be emailing this week.  Apparently it is "Carnival" in Bolivia this week and they are on "lock down" for the carnival and can't leave their homes.  We, like you, are very anxious to hear from her next Monday.  

Thanks for all of your support, letters and emails that have been sent to her on her mission.  I can't tell you how much she loves and appreciates it, but I can tell you how much I love and appreciate it when she tells me she received an unexpected email from someone.  Thanks again, and here's looking forward to her email next week!

Feel free to send her a quick note:

marty.cedeno@myldsmail.net

Thanks!

Wendy Reynolds-Cedeno (Nicole's Mom)

The Rescue

SHOUTOUTS.

Okay, It was Ben Hunsakers Birthday Saturday.. HAPPY BIRTHDAY.

Actually, im pretty sure it was George Washington´s, too. HBD.

Shoutout to my Mom because she is the most amazing woman I have ever met. She is my biggest fan when it comes to me being here on my mission and there is no way I would be moving through all I am without her support. 

To Roger and Jennifer,I've never thought about someone more in my life. I prayed for you both so much. I'm so happy Jen is doing better. Still in my prayers.

Can I first just say how dearly I love my companion, Hermana Lyon. I haven´t ever, my whole mission, laughed as much and as hard as I did this week. Not only that, but Ive never had the success that we had this week. When I moved areas and I ended up in Paraiso.. I was soo.. just so.. NEGATIVE about the WHOLE situation. I finally just gave in and said…

´´Come what may.. AND LOVE IT.´´

As soon as I did that, the blessings just poured down from Heaven. Opportunities opened up and the ball was rolling. Faster than I've ever seen it roll before. 

Monday Hermana Lyon and I… we just needed our hair cut. It just had to happen. So we go to this hair salon and we meet Yolanda. So Yolanda is absolutely gorgeous and as she is cutting my hair she is asking me allll these questions about being a missionary and Mormons and everything. So I straight up give her the first vision right there and.. she was our first new investigator. She is so awesome and Hna. Lyon and I are so excited to watch her progress. 

Tuesday we met the Bishop´s nephew, Pablo. He is a less active and lives with his girlfriend and son. Um.. so in the first 5 minutes of our lesson, Pablo is looking at me and says..´´do you dance?´´ When I say.. ´´yes…´´ he´s like… ME TOO. We both do ballet and when he just magically swung his arms up into 5^th position I about died because.. well. Usually when people say ´´I DANCE´´… its just not the same. But yes, Pablo freakin' dances. And he´s good. And we are best friends right now. AND him and his girlfriend came to church for the first time in over a year yesterday. Pablo just needed to be taught by a ballerina haha!

 (Just a cute quick pic of Nicole dancing in High School)

The rest of the week.. Hermana Lyon and I just had so much fun. We were so unbelievably booked with appointments, we found so many new investigators, it is absolutely unbelievable. This area was SO ready for us! The Lord has prepared so many people! We put 7 baptismal dates this week and we are hoping to have them all in the water by the end of March. These people.. I am just blown away by the amount of people that have been just WAITING to be rescued.        

We definitely had.. moments this week. The lady we live with is about.. well. Old. Okay, if you have seen Series of Unfortunate Events, she is EXACTLY like the old lady that is completely psycho. Hahaha No, but really. This morning she gave me beet juice.

Her- ´´le gusta??´´(do you like it)

Me- ´´uh… -tastes it-… creo que no.´´ (I don't think so)

Her- ´´´.. porque?? Es saludable.´´ (Why not? It's Healthy)

Me- ´´… ya, por eso. Es como tomando plantas.´´ (It's like drinking a plant)

Yeah....

Also. There is this lady that sells ICE CREAM. She is a member and she just pushes her little ice cream cart around and she is the CUTEST! The first time Hna. Lyon and I ran into her, she gave us two free ice cream cones.

When I took my first lick… I'm pretty sure it was made out of 40 year old goat milk and tar. The worst part? EVERTIME SHE SEES US SHE STOPS US AND GIVES US FREE ICE CREAM. I cannot take it anymore, every time Hna. Lyon and I see her, we flip around… and run. We are watching our health!

All in all.. This week has been amazing. I miss my old area dearly, dearly. But at the same time, I wouldn’t trade this for anything. Hna. Lyon and I are really changing things and we are loooving it. I could be her companion for the rest of my mission. The problem?.. I'm never gonna learn Spanish that way hahaha!

With all my love,

Hermana Cedeño   

      

p.s… CARNIVAL NEXT MONDAY. So you won't be hearing from me. I've never been so annoyed in my life haha all is well.                              

I Hate Surprises.....

SHOUTOUTS.

To my Aunt Char. She is like one of my bestest friends.. and the only one that I will ever let cut my hair. And I'm actually going to get a hair cut today and I've never been so scared in my life. Kill me. HAPPY BIRTHDAY this week!

And... Happy Birthday to my Uncle Flynt!  He's too freakin' cool for his own good and its also his birthday this week so HAPPY BIRTHDAY to Flynt!

ALSO. To the people in my family having freakin´ babies.. Mikel... My Mom sent pics and he is so stinkin' adorable!  I love him already!

And to Shalee Hiskey. I don't know her. But she always writes me and she was on Drill, so she´s actually way cool haha!

And one more... To My Uncle Roger and Aunt Jennifer.  I love them.  They are going through a hard time right now and I wish so much for Jen to have a speedy recovery!  I know God answers prayers and I am praying for you and your family daily. 

Alright.

I'll start with Monday. Monday was actually so awesome. Hermana Blanco and I went to the Bishop´s house for a Noche de Hogar (Family Home Evening) with them and the Elders, Wilkinson and Bailey. We used the recipe book that my Aunt sent me and made BROWNIES. AMERICAN BROWNIES. So they actually tasted so good haha

The Elders came over and The Bishop gave a quick lesson and then started choking up as he explained how grateful he was for us as missionaries and all that we do. He knew that Hermana Blanco and Elder Wilkinson would be leaving because they've had 6 months so he said his goodbyes to them. I was like.. chokin' up a bit haha It was just so touching and It kind of hit me how much I was going to miss Wilkinson and my dear mom, Hermana Blanco.

 Saying Good-Bye at the Airport... So freakin' hard...

Tuesday, Hermana Blanco and I put another date on a Golden Investigator!! In the past week we had put 2 dates!! I love watching people follow through with commitments and making the goal to be baptized, you can just see the difference it´s making in them, its so unbelievable.

A lot of the day we went to members so that Hermana Blanco could say goodbye and get pictures and leave notes, addresses and such. It was so sad to see her say bye to everyone!! I just left with handshakes and hugs and ´´Hasta Luego´s´´ (See you later's)

Well. TUESDAY NIGHT. CAMBIOS.

We sat on the phone for at least 30 minutes waiting for Elder Peredes to call... and finally when he did, he said that Hermana Blanco would be leaving. We knew it!! She was going to Tabledita, the neighborhood right across the street!! She was looking forward to leaving Tarija.. but looks like she is still here haha

I asked who my new companion was.. and he says HERMANA LYON. Hermana Lyon is from Utah!! And the first thing I yelled into the phone is ´´ELDER PEREDES IF HERMANA LYON IS MY COMPANION.. I AM NEVER GOING TO LEARN FREAKING SPANISH´´

Well.. i said it in Spanish. But that's like all I know. I just need to learn Spanish.´But I was soo excited! Hermana Lyon was in my Zone, so I already knew a lot about her, and she is seriously the sweetest!!!

So I'm like.. ´´okay, so when is she coming??´´

And Elder Freaking Paredes tells me that She isn't coming.. THAT I'M LEAVING. That I'm going to the other zone in Tarija, called zone Andaluz. Seriously. I was freaking out. Hermana Blanco even stayed in the same zone and I was.. LEAVING. Elder Paredes explained that Hna. Lyon and I were OPENING AN AREA. So neither of us would know anything about it.
Great.

The worst part was.. Hermana Blanco had been saying her goodbyes to the ward all week, and I hadn't said goodbye to anybody. Anyone. I couldn't leave my investigators with.. strangers!! They were all progressing so unbelievably well, I was seeing changes in them and in the Less Actives that we have been visiting. I grow to love and I get attached so easily.. And it´s a problem.

Before I knew it, Wednesday morning, I went to the Bishops house to say my goodbyes to them and I was in my new home. I'm in the ward Paraiso.

I STILL CANT BELIEVE I LEFT AHHHHH!!!!

It's rough. It was weird going to the zone meeting on Thursday... and not knowing anyone. But actually... Elder FRUEHAN from my group in the Colombia MTC is in my District here. haha Its kind of nice to have a friendly face, I haven´t seen people from my group in so long!!

I had a suuuuper hard time Thursday and Friday... and Saturday trying to adjust. We did a LOT of contacting.. and made lots of appointments, got lots of phone numbers. But THEN Hermana Lyon, poor thing, we lost her planner!!! AND THAT HAD ALL OF OUR INFORMATION IN IT FROM THE PAST 3 DAYS.  All of the work we had done to get new investigators... GONE. So hard!!!

I finally got a little comfortable yesterday when we got to know everyone at church. The bishop had me bear my testimony and i just explained to the ward that we are learning and that the work of the Lord really can't go on with just us missionaries, that we really need the members help! And that we are so excited to get to know them and work with them.

After, the members were all over me, telling us references, asking when they can come with us to teach and it was just.. awesome, really. We really do have awesome members in this ward.

The Elders in my ward are Elder Silvestre, from Peru, and Elder Boman from Grantsville, Utah. They will both be HOME in the next 4 months, so they are just finishing up their missions. But they are really awesome, they have helped Hermana Lyon and I a lot. We had a Noche de Hogar with them last night with a family and I just.. felt better. 

Sister Lyons is from Utah and she is seriously the sweetest thing!  My new companion....

My mom sent me a quote a while ago and It applied perfectly to my week, I wanted to share it:

´´What is the difference between an obstacle and an opportunity? Our attitude toward it. Every opportunity has a difficulty and every difficulty has an opportunity.´´

-J. Sidlow Baxter

Maybe Heavenly Father is just trying to teach me.. that not everything is going to go the way I want or the way I plan.. but sometimes you just gotta roll with the punches, ya know? There is literally nothing I can do about my switch in wards... but hey, I can grow to love it here just as well as I could in Senac. Before I know it, I'm going to be crying because I'm leaving here! So I might as well stand up, brush off the dust, and enjoy my time while I'm here.

Because honestly.. I don't remember anyone ever telling me that my mission was going to be easy.

With love,

Hermana Cedeño