Hello!

So. News of the day, sigh. I am being transferred. I am going to be serving in shingle creek which is only about 20 minutes south of here. It has been a great past couple of transfers, I can not believe that it is over already. Holy Moly, time just flies on the mission! Seriously though, being with Sister Huang has been an absolute delight! Except last night....I was being annoying so she turned on a song really loud in the car and we had to listen to it over and over again. It is on lds.org named "marriage for eternity". Listen to it once and you will understand what I was going through......

This week we had a couple of really neat miracles!!! We were able to go to the temple on Thursday. :) All morning I kept having this thought that I was going to see Sister Amis at the temple. It was just a random thought, so I kept pushing it out of my head. We went to the temple, listening to some awesome christmas music on the way down :). We had a wonderful time there, the Spirit was very strong. I was able to see Sister Register again, which was fantastic! We were walking out, and decided to take some pictures in front of the temple. As we did so, one of the sisters with us said "Hey, look...isn't that a missionary car?" We looked, and sure enough it was! And....Sister Amis was in the passenger seat! How crazy is that?! She jumped out of the car, and let me just say that it's pretty good that we weren't inside the temple...we were sorta loud ;) Oh man, that girl is a great missionary. Then, we got a phone call from the chinese elders saying that two of the people that Sister Huang was teaching were getting baptised, so we got permission to attend that, and got to see Sister Amis again! It was crazy. She told me that her dad has been reading my letters that get posted, so if that is true....Sister Amis's dad: you have an incredible daughter who is doing a great work!! That remindes me Brother Florman: If you are reading my "cute blog", I did buy Sister Huang some hoho's, and had her try them....oh dear.

This week I have thought a lot about how much the Lord loves us. He loves us enough to put us in situations that will shape us. http://www.mormonchannel.org/video/mormon-messages?v=3897359657001&cid=HPTU111814487 I know for me, I usually don't appreciate or like the trial or struggle that i'm given, but looking back, they bless me, and help me to become who the Lord wants me to be. That is the beautiful thing about a mission. Every missionary has a completely different mission. Even those serving in the Minneapolis Minnesota Mission, all have very different missions. We are put in areas to learn what we need to, to become who the Lord wants us to be. We have certain companions at certain times for a reason, we teach certain people at certain times for a reason. That is how it is all through life I believe. The beautiful thing about the gospel though, is it gives us strength to carry on. Because of the savior we never need to be alone. We never need to be without peace or hope because our Savior has gone through all. He knows not only what we are going through, but how to help us through it. What a beautiful plan it is!

To respond to your email, I don't have my new address yet, so just send stuff to the mission home. If I get it late, it's not the end of the world! Umm as for Sister Huang and Sister Nelson....An ear warmer thing would be great for them. Sister Huang says she wants me for christmas....oh china! That and a salamander :D Music would always be a safe way to go. If I have any other ideas I will let you know! By the way, have you heard of penatonix? They have some incredible christmas music!

As for me...I really can't think of anything I need. Oh, those icebreaker sour mints are super great, I would love a thing of those....I will let you know if I think of anything else! Oh, maybe a copy of mannhiem steamroller music? That stuff is great :) Thanksgiving sounds like it will be fun, I hope you all have a party!! I have no idea what my plans are seeing how I will be in a new area Wednesday. The weather has been crazy. At the beginning of the week it was 5 below, then on Saturday it was upper 30's. It was a wonderful heat wave! 

Just think this is the last Christmas that I have in the mission field, I'm enjoying it while it lasts ;) 

Have a lovely week, and a happy thanksgiving!!

Also, as a side note, this morning we were depressed about transfers, so we had a dance party for exercise. It was fantastic, I will show you the video someday! 

Have a great one :)

Love,

Sister Christina Trickler

Hello! 

It is officially winter here in Minnesota! We have aproximately a foot of snow, and it came fast! Since we live out in the boonies, it is really bad...so we are stuck inside. Luckily we live in a member's home so we can email and such! 

Exciting news of the week...we were able to go to the temple! Not only that, but I was able to see one of the sisters from Austin! It was super super great :) I highly recommend going if you are able, and have time! It is worth it. There is an incredible amount of peace and hope. The St. Paul temple is very tiny, but still beautiful! It was interesting. That night after having gone to the temple, Sister Huang and I were knocking. Lots of rejections, little opportunity for conversation. It was so sad to us. It was very obvious that these people are lost and confused. They are looking for truth, but not finding it. Their lives would be so much better if they listened with an open heart to the message we share! Also, I was reminded that members of the church have many opportunities to share the gospel that we missionaries never have. Friends, family listen to members much more than they will listen to missionaries! Members just need to do that first step, we can take it from there ;) 

Thanksgiving sounds fun, take pictures ;) I am glad that you and dad were able to get away for a bit, I'm sure that was a great experience!

Good for Jackie! If she works hard, she can make it. Also, cutting out junk food and such could make a difference. I sure hope she makes it....it's quite the experience :)

Matthew: Good that he is busy. You are definitely right, I need that too desperatly. Today we were stuck at home, and I seriously can not handle myself, I just don't know what to do! I tried to do a puzzle, that lasted only a few minutes, playing the piano lasted about 10 minutes. Oh china. It is going to be a struggle coming home I think! I just need to be busy! I'll get a job and such and it will work out i'm sure ;) I am glad that everyone else is doing well. They are all growing up! And good for Tiffany, I would absolutely love to play the violin right now! I sure do miss it. 

Transfers are the day before thanksgiving. We will find out that Monday, and I will let you know! I hope you all have a great week!!

Sincerely, 

Sister Christina Trickler 

Hello!! Thanks for the email, and letters that arrived this week, they were so great!

Speaking of that....I have a story.

Salamander Saga, part 2:

So....Halloween night, we get home, and I sort of crashed. WE did planning and everything, and got ready for bed. It was 10:28, time for prayers, and then bed time!! My knees have been giving me a lot of grief lately, so I am in the habit of taking my pillow off my bed, and kneeling on it. I went to grab my pillow, and noticed that there was a branch or something at the end corner of my pillow (inside the pillow case) I started to reach my hand in there, then had the thought that I probably shouldn't reach in there. I didn't pay that thought any attention...fatal mistake number 1!! I reached in, and pulled out a stiff crunch....SALAMANDER!!!! IT WAS IN MY PILLOW! GROSS!! IT was about 3 or 4 inches long, and stiff as a stick. I quickly, oh so kindly asked my companion if she had put it there, and she nearly fainted. (did I mention that she doesn't like the little creatures? I threw it away (sorry Matthew, no fancy burial) and after completely un making my bed, and making it again, went to sleep. The new morning, I pulled the pillow out of the case and saw that in the process of grabbing the salamander, it lost a claw and it's tail. So, I had to dispose of those as well. It was slightly scarring, not going to lie!

Salamander Saga, part 3:

Saturday night, we got the letters from the family. Sister Huang was reading hers, and saw the tail of the Salamander that Jake drew! She screamed and threw it across the couch. I think I almost died laughing. Good work Jacob! 

Also, I am really surprised that the members we live with haven't said anything about the noise....that is just what happens when you have unexpected visitors!

I am glad to hear that you got to go to the temple, I believe that I am going to be able to go this thursday!!!!!!!!! I am more than excited. It has been a long time. Nearly a year to be precise. 

The weather has changed, winter has hit. We haven't had any snow, but it has been down in the 20's a couple of evenings. I have to admit, I am ready for heavy snow to hit though, then I can wear my winter boots, and be warm again! :) Haha this morning I was thinking, that I really timed it well. I got here just in time for last winter to hit, and will be leaving just as winter ends this year! Crazy stuff.

I am glad that you got the pictures, we had some fun. Sister Huang had never been trick-or-treating, so we might have been convinced to go as chaperones to a couple houses with some girls. Oh man, it was brisk, let me tell you! And we have a plethora of candy....it's rediculous. Now that it is light in the morning again though, we can run again! Nearly everynight when we come home we see multiple forms of wildlife by our house, so we didn't exactly want to run in the pitch darkness! 

Good thought, I like that one a lot. This week we had a member of the quorum of the 70 visit our mission. In preparation for that, we were asked to prepare a talk on becoming a concecrated missionary. I decided that for me to be a concecrated missionary means to be trying our very best. We can bee concecrated every day. It doesn't mean that we are perfect by any means, just that we know who we are serving and we are striving to do what He wants us to do all the time. Just becoming a little better each day. I think that is the way it is in life. We are not expected to be perfect all at once, we are just expected to give it our all, and keep that perspective. Remember the Lord, and what he has asked us to do. Were you able to watch the movie meet the mormons? In there a man says "I am not perfect, but I am perfect in one thing, I am perfect in trying" That is all that the Lord expects of us!

I hope that you all have a great week, and are able to stay warm!!