Broken Toe

Dear Family,

Well, there's no use in putting off the news...I have a broken toe! I am such a klutz. I tripped over the threshold to our balcony. The bad news is that we didn't have the car this week. The good news is that it happened Friday, so I only had to hobble around for 3 days instead of potentially 7. It's a new "adventure," (right, Mumma?). Here's an excerpt from my journal about the whole deal:

"A true test to a person's character is in how he chooses to react when things don't go according to plan. Let me tell you why this is my new mantra. We can all be together, behaved, and our best selves when things are going as planned. But how will we react when (not if) things go wrong? Will we still be obedient? Diligent? Faithful? Hopeful? Patient? Or will we assume that since we are in the midst of an exceptional circumstance, our behavior can be exceptional, too? Is it truly the exception when things go wrong? Or perhaps, in our fallen state, should we look at any good luck or fortune as a blessing? If that be the case, then we ought to have a positive attitude when faced with trials....The measure of my character today came in what I chose to do with a broken toe. This afternoon we tracted-with a flip flop on one foot and a running shoe on the other, walking at a snail's pace. I think the only thing we accomplished this afternoon was just making me feel good about myself for going out and tracting....it all comes to the doctrine that everything is a choice. We have no control over what happens to us, but we have complete control over how we choose to react when something happens to us." 

So this is my new "adventure"...I don't know how long it will take to heal, but I DO know that it won't stop me from working. Yesterday in Relief Society we talked about trials, and how trials make you appreciate your blessings. Apparently, I needed to be more grateful for my toes! 

Not a surprise, but this whole week was pretty difficult. Tuesday we went to a funeral for a 10-year girl who suddenly died from the flu...it has devastated the community. The family attends the Thompson's Station Church (the closest thing we have here to a great-and-abominable-mega-church) and the funeral was just devastating. They believe in an afterlife obviously....but they don't have the precious doctrine of eternal families that we have, so there was just an overwhelming sadness in the room. As I looked around at the families holding each other, kissing their children, and weeping for the Henderson family, I was overwhelmed with my responsibility to share the Gospel in this area. My name tag suddenly felt so heavy as I realized the importance of making known our important message to this community. 

Then that night, the leader of the Bible Study we go to, Donna, had us over for dinner and spent an hour and a half confessing that she felt that we were deceived and Mormons were deceived. She has been indoctrinating herself with anti-lit. She said all this trash about what she's heard about the Book of Mormon. I said, "Donna, have you read the Book of Mormon?" She hemmed and hawwed and answered that she had not. I replied, "Donna, you are reading a LOT of books about Chocolate Cake. What we have been inviting you to do is actually try the chocolate cake." She said that she certainly will if God tells her to. And of course she won't feel like He is because of all the nonsense she's reading about it. I wouldn't want to read it either! Anytime someone you have come to love anti's you it just makes you feel SO sad. Pray for Donna!

The MIRACLES always outshine the "adventures"! For one: we achieved our goal of teaching 14 member-present lessons this week. AND last night we had the coolest experience with an inactive family. We approached the husband in the garage and he was totally closed and hardened to us. After telling us his reasons for their family not going to church anymore we started talking about other things. His demeanor completely changed as he began talking about his time living in Southern California, serving his mission in Mexico, etc. After FORTY MINUTES of talking to us, his wife came out and they kept talking to us. And we testified about God's love for them. I just can't do the entire experience justice but it felt really good knowing we were exactly where we were supposed to be last night.

We received 28 missionaries last week and 7 more are coming in a surprise transfer today. We have been flooded with over 60 missionaries in the last 2 transfers. I love the great and marvelous work that is rolling forth! This Gospelis true. I know it. And nothing in this world is more rewarding than serving the Lord.

I pray for each of you individually by name every day. I hope you are doing well. I love you! Thank you for your prayers for me.

Love,

Sister Ryceejo Nordstrom

The Prophets Have Spoken!!

Dear Family and Friends,

Oh man, General Conference is just the BEST!

We watched all 4 sessions at the meetinghouse here in Spring Hill for probably the first time on my mission (I usually watch it at members/investigators' houses). I have never before FAILED at getting investigators to come to conference, and I have also never INVITED so much! ....So I take that back, I didn't fail, because I invited.

In the weeks leading up to conference, we challenged members and nonmembers to bring questions and concerns to conference and we promised they would be addressed (by the Spirit, of course). Personally I had SEVEN questions that I wrote down for conference. I am shocked to say that in the FIRST session all seven were answered! It was the most amazing experience I have ever had with conference; this time instead of taking "minutes" of the sessions I wrote down something when it had to do with one of my questions, and I numbered it from 1-7. I have learned volumes!

I'm sure you are wondering what my seven questions were. One of them was: "How can I replace my fear with faith?" Faith was preached a lot from that pulpit! President Uchtdorf and Elder Holland did a great job of covering that.

So I summed up the themes and motifs of conference in my own "25 words or less":

"Be OBEDIENT! Be CHASTE! Be happy. Be a missionary. Catch the wave! Have FAITH. Have PEACE. Forgive. Strengthen home, marriage, and family."

What would be yours?

Of course, I LOVED Elder Andersen's and Elder Nelson's about missionary work. I loved President Packer's poem (didn't his talk sound like a departing talk?). I want to be Sister Dalton when I grow up. I LOVED how often music was referenced! I am going to blog about it this week. Having personally met Elders Nelson, Oaks, and Kopischke on my mission, I especially loved listening to those talks. Elder Kopischke changed my mission when he trained us last year.

But, I think my winner talk would have to be Elder L. Tom Perry's. Was he great, or what?! He took the gold with his bold call to return to the 10 commandments. I plan to use that a lot as we teach the Bible-thumpin' Christians here.

And oh man, for the SECOND time now I have been witness to a choir performing in conference that I COULD HAVE BEEN IN! Last year was the MTC choir that I just missed by a month. This year it was so cool to see so many of my friends on the stand singing with the BYU Choir. And it made me miss choir! I can't believe that happened two times in a row.

This week as we visit families, we will ask them, what is ONE thing you will do differently now because of conference? If we don't apply the doctrine to our lives and LIVE the scriptures, like Elder Falabella taught, then it's useless! So I ask you the same question, what is ONE thing you will do differently now?


Here is the poster for the fireside (and Sister Abel and me on Easter Sunday)!