Thanks for serving I can see God is preparing you for something awesome. He trains for His purposes. I pray through serving like this you will know and follow His adventure for you. Thanks for giving of youself. I love you!
What a nice picture of you. I am so proud of you and will pray that god will keep you safe at all times. You're not even gone and already I miss you Put time passes and you will be back in no time. right.......Talk to you soon Have a safe and pleasant trip to
sacramento Enjoyed our lunch together.. Love Gram
Good Luck !! Hey Nicki
Just wanted to wish lots of luck on your next journey in life. You are an amazing woman with an amazing spirit. I look forward to experiencing the next 10 months with you.
Stay safe .. God Bless
I Love U and am very proud of you.
Lots of love
Aunt Bonnie
xoxo
Hit the return to soon Some day I'll learn to use the email efficiently, but until then I wanted you to know I appreciated your thoughts. I know there from a heart full of truth, I love you. Thank you for teaching me. I am printing these and will read them to remind me of the important things in life.
HELLO FROM A FAR AWAY LAND Hi Nicole,
I have followed your blog closely, and i am amazed by your articulate way of writing things, feeling the depth of an alien country, its culture and using your reasoning to explain things. I am sure that you are an incredible lady, and your pops and mom are glad and proud of you.
Its nice to read your blog and trying to understand your viewpoint from a foreigner's point of view, caz buffalo-NY, and Varanasi are like two different civilisations ! kudos from me....enjoy and be happy in life... God be always yours my friend..! Adios...
What I've Learned I've learned over the years,and past 4 months, that you're quite an incredible young woman. Your insights on life have opened my eyes to things I only thought I knew. I thank God that you're home safe and sound and ask that you continue to remind me how blessed I truly am. Great job on all your blogs. I've learned a lot about you through them. I'm proud of you for what you've accomplished and your outlook on life. You will make a difference. Love ya, Pops.
Welcome Home Welcome home sweetheart! It is good to have you back home safe and sound. Yet more worldly and now a global citizen. The nightly news will never be the same for you. Your intersted will be different. It IS a whole new world and you have a lifetime to finish exploring it!
I love you dearly.
Mom
See ya soon iH Nicki, I agree nothing like being an American.
Just leave this country and you realize how fortunate we are to be Americans. Not always doing things right but always striving to do our best. We are a nation of caring people and we do respond to the needs of other countries and our own at all times. Thank God for the USA, thank God for all the young men and women who defend this country of ours. We should always be indebted to these peoople who are willing to give their life for our freedoms. Pray for them and ask God to watch ove them and bless them at all times. Can hardly wait to see you. Next weekend maybe. A proud Grandma of a terrific granddaughter Luv ya. Gram
Nicole! thx for your postcard from HK Disney!!! i thought u said u werent going to go
i cant wait for u to come out!!! we def. need to hang out b4 i leave!
I m glad u had fun in Japan, cuz its my favorite country.
couple yrs ago when i was in japan, i need to use body language to communicate w/ the japanese for direction to a store i wanted to go to...so yeh its really suprising that not many japanese know how to speak in eng.
take care!
Good Luck Hey Nicki, I've been keeping up on your travels and it sounds like such an amazing semester for you!!! It's been great hearing and seeing what you've been doing, sounds like you've had an awesome time!!! Good luck on finals :-) See you soon!
Finally above water Happy Thanksgiving Nicki. I finally caught up on your blogs since November 4. Joy's wedding kept me busy, I'm still catching up. I was eager to see your pictures and read your messages. I pray your remainng time will be a blessing to you, and that the Lord will give you rest as you sleep. Love, Aunt Netiie
Bitter Sweet Hi Nicki, Hearing that your trip is coming to an end is bitter sweet. I can hardly wait to see you in San Diego but on the other hand, I don't want this experience to end for you. Just think of all the thinking you are doing... you probably are using parts of you brain that have never been used before!! Packing all that you saw, learned and experienced in it. The cool thing is it's there forever now and as you live your life pieces of this experience will be recalled and remembered and compared. I think that at Pearl Harbor you will probably be saying the same things as in Hiroshima, why???. But you have come full circle now, literally and this journey will have a major impact on the rest of your life. Enjoy the two weeks as your brain debriefs you. Enjoy the memories a second time around and save some room for your studies. We are thinking of you this Thanksgiving day..our first apart, and we are thanking God that He has given you, this gift, of seeing His world . Makes the Lord's Talents signature song seem real "He's got the whole world in His hands"... South American, Africa, India, Asia, American...you and me and all the people in His, great BIG capable, awesome hands! Happy sailing, Love you with all my heart,and praying for you with all my might!
Mommy
Hi Nicki,
It's hard for me to believe you're in the home stretch and will be home in 15 days. I'm sure it's gone even faster for you. No wonder your head's spinning, trying to process everything you've seen and done. I hope you're able to concentrate and focus on your studies as you finish up the semester. I guess I'd have to say, "join the club", when it comes to trying to figure out or justify events throughout history. Even as of today, things are taking place that will shape people's lives, for better or worse, for generations to come and all you can do is scratch your head and ask why? Just do your part, even on a smaller scale, to make it a better place. Well, today is Thanksgiving, and wouldn't you know it, it's snowing in Buffalo. Enjoy the nice weather while you can. Continue to have a safe voyage and make the best out of these last weeks. I love you and miss you and can't wait till you get home.
Pops
Wow! It must have been amazing to go off on your own in China and so wonderfl a treat for your friend Marty to have girls visit him. I know he must have been lonely for friends from home and delighted that the directions worked and you hooked up, no worries. I really have a curiosity for the digs at Xayan and the great wall, but would be so afraid in your situation. I am proud that you are able and confident to do and go where your heart takes you. What a cute boy; I imagine he gets plenty of attention and I would bet he's learning Chinese, as much as his students are learning English. Viva every moment! Bob and I miss you. Love, Aunt Becky
I have just been delighted by your photos and love what a great experience you have shared. I am so curious to hear more of the story that the 16 year old girl told you in Viet Nam. I do remember that it was the "enemy" when I was your age and wonder how this (yours and her) generation now feels about the war. What is her life like? Tell us all when you get back and rested. Uncle Bob and I were in SLC last weekend for Dax and Laurens wedding and it was so beautiful and touching. I love them and wonder what their Mexico cruise is going like too. I know Bob mailed a letter to you from the post at the Marriott and wish I had sent one too. It was interesting to discover how to shot ahead mail to get it to you and glad things are stable enough in Asia for you to actually get your mail. We got the great postcard today from Myanmar. What a lovely place and something I had not heard of before. Where? in relation to Hong Kong is it? Wow, you will see the shoppers extravaganza of the East in Hong Kong, but the people all smoke like chimneys I hear, even the kids. Hope you get some super buys. I do hear the best deals are on cameras and such, but not sure there is any limit to the variety of goods sold there. I see you value that bottled water. I do love water and tomorrow is forecast for 85 degrees here and I will be in the pool. It may be the last time this year, but I woke up to snow last weekend and love being in Florida. Then again, I jsut love being with Bob where ever we are is fine. I am looking forward to Thanksgiving next and Uncle Fred will be our guest. It is better to cook for a bunch, but 4 is fine. We got the turkey ahead and put it in my Moms little freezer in the cute frig in her place. It is finally done and she is moving in and sorting thru her stuff. She has more than she has room for and that will be a challenge. I am finishing my term on 12-12 and hope to have a new job soon too so I can shop for Christmas. We did have a chance to do shoebox gifts for the Christmas Child project at our church and that is a truly joyful experience. I think the gift of travel is one of the best and we hope you can come see us next year too. When Amber came in Oct. she gave me her plan to move to NYC by New Years and I don't think she'll be thru Buffalo, but glad to have her on the East coast and we love to visit New York annually and can get to the big apple too. I miss having kids around and we do pray for you every night and think of you every day. Have the best of times dear girl with the fuzzy blonde head. Chow! (as in Chow Mein and I mean it both ways. Love, Aunt Becky
Nicole!!! u r in hk already??? i just got your postcard today! thx so much! did u get my email???
its so cool that u get to visit all these different countries, and u look so different!!!
love your pictures!!!
great pictures The pictures are great. You have become especially strong to be able to hold the Taj Mahal with you finger tips. Boy you have been accident prone this trip. You get that from your Uncle Bob! I'll plan on spending some time at Starbuck's in San Diego....Lots of Love and prayers being sent your way ! Mom =0)
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Angel
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Wow!
Nicki! You're amazing!! I wish you hapiness while you're away! I'll miss you!