California Sacramento Mission: first week in FOLSOM!!!!

Hi everyone!!!

I just LOVE FOLSOM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I got here on Wednesday. My companion is Sister Wright. We served together in East Sac, so I had been around her. She has been out 6 months. She is from West Jordan, Utah. She is a piano performance major at University of Utah. She is very driven like me, so we work so hard haha we are exhausted everyday, but it is AWESOME! We have already seen so many miracles. We live with a member...a widow lady. Our room is tiny, but at least we have a place to stay :) In East Sac, Sister Bills and I had a HUGE apartment, like I had my own bathroom. It was so nice. So, this is different ahha. We are over Folsom 2nd and 4th wards. I love being back over two wards!! When I got there Wednesday, we met up to say hi to Sister Campbell and her trainee, Sister Kauvaka. They are shotgunning two wards here. It was sister campbell's bday, so I got her a pizooki from Bj's! They have one here!!! Teaching these missionaries the Norman way to celebrate birthdays :) I met her trainee and she said she found my blog before she came out and read it!! hahahahhahah I was so embarrassed. But I know that when I post on here it is going to the world :) It was just funny. I love being back in this area. I want to live in El Dorado Hills when I grow up!! I am serious!! See pictures :) Folsom is a little down the hill, which is our wards. El Dorado Hills is the other part of the stake. Folsom is a lot like South Tulsa. Cookie-cutter houses, etc. It is so homey. I love it. THere are bike trails that connect all the neighborhoods, so we are riding bike and doing those. It is the best. I am glad sister wright likes bike like I do! She was full-time bike in East sac, so she is used to it :) We are able to talk to wayyy more people on bike.

On Saturday, we had so many miracles and picked up new investigators! It has been such a cool week. We have already like doubled the numbers here from what they have been. And we put someone on date for April 11!!! He is this 19 year old kid, who went to seminary in high school. We dont care about the stereotype of Folsom...we are baptizing here!!!! We are totally in the mind set of finding families. I want to find them so badly!!!! I hope I stay here a while. I want to be in an area for at least 6 months...I hate moving so much!

President and Sister Jardine attend the 2nd ward. They travel a lot, so they aren't there too often, but they were on Sunday. It is funny being in their ward! I am just myself. They know how I am. Their daughter-in-law was visiting and she said, "you are so spunky!!! I can feel your energy!" President goes, "You've never heard that before, huh!?" She was sort of an answer to a prayer because Friday was the new leadership meeting for the mission, and I was feeling so out of place because all the sisters in leadership are such molly mormons!!!! I am NOT like that at all. I told Sister Jardine that I am just not like that and never will be! We were doing role plays on correcting sisters, and I am just so different than them all. But, I know Heavenly Father wants me to be the bold, sassy, energetic Sister Hickman that I am because maybe I have certain people to touch with those traits. But after that meeting, I was sort of having an identity crisis.

I have come to realize how much Heavenly Father was lifting me up in East Sac. Since being in Folsom, my teaching and contacting has not been as natural. It made me realize that Heavenly Father was totally lifting me up when I was with Sister Bills. Because I was sort of on my own, He helped more than I knew. It has been humbling. I thought I was such a great missionary when I was with her. I was so good at it all. And now I am realizing that it was not me at all! I know that we always have the Spirit and that is what converts. I am not saying that. But on the "skill" side of it that we are to work on, I was solid! So I thought at least. It has made my heart so full of gratitude for all that Heavenly Father did for me. He knew I needed to work on patience and love with Sister Bills, that He made up for the rest on my missionary skills. Now, I am back to focusing on being a missionary because the Christlike part is easy because I love my comp, area, people, etc :) Heavenly Father helps us more than we even know. I know that He loves all of us so much. When you think you are alone or that you are a master of your calling, it is Heavenly Father lifting you up :)

I LOVE BEING A MISSIONARY!! I LOVE IT I LOVE IT!!! I hit my halfway mark this week. I cannot even believe it. It is going too fast. I love this gospel. I am thankful for my Savior Jesus Christ. This week is Easter and General Conference. I cannot wait! I cannot stop smiling here. I am so happy and grateful. Thank you for all your prayers!!!!!!!!!!

I love you all so much!! There is not a way to print here in Folsom...so I probably wont be good at reading/responding to emails because I cannot print them and read later!

Love,

Sister Hickman