Goodbye

This will be my last post for 18 months. I love you all. Thank you for your support.

http://sisternikkishields.blogspot.com

I'll miss you.

Write me.

Please?

Farewell and Dessert Night

I can't express to you all how grateful I am for your support today. My farewell and open house were perfect. Thank you, for those of you who came and said hi. You have no idea how much you mean to me. 

I am so sorry I couldn't spend more time talking with all of you. As you saw, it was a pretty crazy day, and the next two days of my life are going to be insane as well. Everything I own, everything I know and love is going to be packed away and distributed through my family. This is a time of great sacrifice, but so much joy and so much excitement.

I know that God lives.

I know that I am going to Iowa for specific reasons. It's going to be wonderful.

Again, I love you guys and I will really miss you. Please write to me...serious! I'll die with no contact with the people I love.

Kiss Kiss, Nikki

Bronchitis.

Countdown: 7 days until I enter the MTC.

Newest Diagnosis: BRONCHITIS.

How's that for a pre-mission trial? LOL.

Mission Shopping

Let me describe to you my last week as a non-missionary thus far:

1. Shopping. Endless, tireless speed shopping.

2. Appointments. Doctors. Dentists. Social Security. Banks. Gym Contracts. 

3. Money. Tons and tons of money down the drain.

4. Shoes. NOT CUTE. Flat. Round.

5. Goodbyes. TONS of goodbyes. Not enough time for all of my friends.

6. Stress. Lots.

7. Joy. Beyond compare. And peace, despite the turmoil.

Friends are such a joy

I have great friends. Have I mentioned that lately?

If I haven't told you that I LOVE YOU in the last few weeks, it's because you probably didn't answer your phone. 

I am so grateful for the love and support I have received since I announced my mission call. Your words of kindness, faith, and hope for my success have touched me in ways I didn't know were possible. 

I will sincerely miss each and every one of you.

Promise to write me at least once??

Don't forget to watch for the updates on my mission blog at

http://sisternikkishields.blogspot.com

Important Mission Update! Please Read!

Everyone, this may come as a shock, but my stake president called me last night and informed me that my mission president called SLC and requested that I come out 6 weeks early. That's right...I am now reporting to the MTC on February 18 (instead of April 1). That only gives me 11 days to pack, shop, and prepare. I wish I had time to say goodbye to everyone and spend time with all of you, but there's obviously not time for that!

My mission farewell will now be held on Sunday, February 15, 2009 at 11:00 am at the Pleasant View 5th Ward in Provo, Utah. The address is 1060 E 2400 N, Provo, UT 84604.

If you could make it, I would love to have you there.

This decision was quick and completely nerve-racking. I got asked at 9:35 pm last night to change my plans, to change my life. It reminded me of when the Saints were asked to pack up their homes and move out West, almost with no warning. I know that God has a plan for me and has prepared this path for me, and although the timing seemed so perfect to report on April 1, I recognize how humbled I've become from making this choice. God does not ask of us anything that we cannot accomplish. Nephi said it perfectly: "I will go and do what the Lord has commanded, for I know that the Lord giveth no commandments unto the children of men, save he shall prepare a way for them to accomplish the thing which he commandeth them. (1 Nephi 3:7)"

My Facebook will be deactivated before I leave on my mission, but my mother will be updating my missionary blog for me so that you can have access to my addresses (because you all KNOW that you want to write to me), updates on my life, and opportunities to share your comments with my mother. The address for that site is: http://sisternikkishields.blogspot.com 

I love you all more than you will ever know, and I thank you for your support, love, and friendship.

Here's the Scoop

A lot of you are completely bewildered--how did Nikki keep her mission a secret?? 

Let me just tell you, it was rough work. But I'd like to explain my reasons to you.

First and foremost, the decision to serve a mission has been a long time coming, but putting in my papers happened super quickly. I had filled out mission papers last April, and was going to put my availability date for August. It was obvious to me that my timing was off back then, so I submitted my papers when the timing became right in December. 

Second, I did not want to get negative feedback or advice on if I should go on a mission, if I'd be a good missionary, etc. I knew that this decision was between me and the Lord, and I didn't need any more opposition that I already was receiving. Besides, the "typical sister missionary" stereotype doesn't exist anymore, and I know that any person who has a desire to serve God is called to the work (See D&C 4).

Third, this decision is really personal for me. I have a lot going for me: I graduated from college already, I have a career, I had all of my own furniture (until I sold it last week to help pay for the mish, lol), I am going to be 24 before I enter the field, I have my own freelance design business, I started recording a CD...the list goes on. So giving up everything to serve the Lord was a very humbling, very VERY personal decision. It wasn't a hard decision to make--He gives us everything, so I'll devote 18 months to even try and repay Him. But it was personal. I felt like it would only be appropriate to share the news when I got my call.

Fourth, it took 7 weeks for me to get my call! I was going crazy! I kept hearing stories about how sister missionaries received "rejection" letters from Salt Lake, telling them that if they still felt the desire to serve in 6 months or so, they should resubmit their papers. I kept thinking, "What if I don't get a mission call??" I didn't want to get everyone's hopes up and then have to explain it to everyone.

And lastly, I wanted it to be a surprise! I wanted to get people excited about missionary work and hopefully inspire some of you to make changes in your life that will bring you closer to the Lord, no matter how small the change. 

I love you all and I'm so grateful for the tremendous amount of support and encouragement that I have already been receiving since I made the announcement. I am working on the scheduling for my "farewells" (I'm actually speaking in 4 wards...) and I will keep you guys posted.

So far I know this: I will be speaking in the Wrightwood Ward on Sunday, February 15 at 9:30 A.M. For any of you who can make it, I would love to see you and say goodbye!

I hoooooope they call me on a mission...

Ladies and gentlemen, for those who do know me and don't know me...SURPRISE! I am going on a mission!! It was SO hard to keep a secret. And for those of you who know me well, you know that I don't keep anything about my personal life a secret. I wanted to tell all of you so badly! I wanted to scream it from on top of a mountain!

Now I can.

I received my mission call yesterday (Thursday, January 29) to serve in the Iowa Des Moines Mission for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, and I report to the Missionary Training Center on April 1, 2009. 

I have 8 weeks to fully prepare.

I can't believe this is finally happening. I have wanted this for so long, and the timing is finally right. Not only is it right, but it is perfect. Everything has fallen into place. I have such a strong testimony of the restored gospel and I know that the Lord has chosen Iowa for me because there is a need for some sort of skill that I have, some quality I possess, or because it'll be the place I will learn and grow the most as a person.

"Iowa??" you may ask...yes. Iowa. And the funniest part about it? 

I'M ABSOLUTELY ECSTATIC!

Portal to Heaven

Sometimes God creates miracles on Earth that are visible to anyone who will look.

There are heavenly sights to see, people to meet, and things to experience.

This phenomenal view was taken right by the Provo temple last night around 5:45 p.m.

I almost didn't see it, because I didn't choose to look around.

Doesn't it look like a portal to Heaven? It made me think of the Second Coming...

I hope that I prepare myself for that day, in a stronger way than I've been preparing.

If we would look closer, I believe that we would be in awe of the world that God has given us.

Take time today to stop, look, and appreciate your eyes and what they provide you.

Take time to remember that Christ will return...sooner than you think...

Drastic

Do you ever have the urge to do something crazy?

Do you ever want to just rebel against your norm?

Have you ever contemplated changing something about yourself?

Has anyone ever told you that they don't ever believe you'd do it, or could do it?

Can you imagine restructuring your entire world, your whole existence?

If you knew for certain that you wouldn't fail, what would you choose to do?