Putting off the OLD to become NEW!

This post is experts from a letter sent to Sister Bascom's mother:

Every year the most important present that is exchanged in our family is a gift from us individually to the Saviour. This is what Sister Bascom has chosen to give this year: 

I want to give Christ my old self. I never want to be that girl again. I want to be changed for good and continue to be better everyday. Sometimes I feel the old me trying to creep back in. The one who wants me to waste time on things that won't get me anywhere, who puts her friends before her family. I don't like that girl and I am constantly trying to get rid of her and change her to be better. Its really hard sometimes. She likes to justify herself and what she does, saying its okay to be a little disobedient or selfish if the majority of the time she is good. I want to be selfless and motivated to be the best I can be. Mostly I just want to constantly feel the spirit in my life.

I am trying really hard to focus on missionary work and for me p-days are the hardest. But I know I can do it. At the end of the day success to me is not when someone is baptized, or I taught 3 lessons or we remember to invite every person on the square that we have had contact with that day to learn more and they accept to have more contact with us. Okay that helps. ;) What really makes me feel like a good missionary is when my mind and my heart has been focused on the work all day and it hasn't wandered to places it shouldn't. I want to serve with all my heart, might, mind and strength. http://www.lds.org/scriptures/dc-testament/dc/4?lang=eng  I I need to not fret about little things, but to love unconditionally the way that Christ does.  Its really hard sometimes. But when I do it even if only for one day or an hour or one minute. It feels great!  Putting off the natural woman.....  can be so frustrating. I have to be patient with myself and learn to love myself for what I am striving to do. Sister Turro this morning was talking about how hard it is to remember everything involved with missionary work. She also feels frustrated with herself when we forget to ask for referrals or....

My goal this week has been striving to use every minute.  To not waste time and just focus on working really hard. I don't want people to tell me to slow down. I can slow down when I am home from my mission. I can sleep when I'm dead. I want to look back on my mission and feel the proudest I have ever been of myself. So far I think I have been doing pretty good, but I know I have more in me to give. Don't you ever feel that way sometimes? Lets not kill ourselves I know.  I feel like if I dig a little deeper I would find more power and energy. I would learn more about myself. It's in trials we learn who we are. Through the atonement of Christ we have the ability to change and become better.   I want to be a power house, I want to look back on everyday with confidence that I learned something and that I am changing. I want to burn off all my imperfections here and be the greatest! Okay this might not all happen but a girl can dream right?!  


Mom I don't want you to worry about me, this has been on my mind for awhile and writing it all down really helps me get out my inner thoughts and desires. Know that I love you! I love you mom, I can't say it enough!! The more I get to know other sisters and hear about their families the more thankful I am for my own and all you have taught me. In my patriarchal blessing I am encouraged to apply the things I've learned in our family to my future one. When I read that I thought whats so great about how my parents raised me? I now know how great you truly are. How you have taught me to love, to love to learn and get a higher education, to develop my talents, that its okay to make mistakes, to love the gospel, to respect myself and and only allow people that show respect into my life, to work hard and to look for hard workers. I love all you have sacrificed for me. I love how you put the Lord first in all things. I love you for all you have taught me especially through example. I truly am blessed. 

Ahhh I feel so much better getting that all down on paper <3 Now I feel like I can push forward with the rest of my week and it will be great now that I got those thoughts out. I love you Mom I can't say it enough. Dad I love you too, you will always be the first man in my life ;) Thank you for your sacrifice.

Sister Bascom

I feel truly blessed that I can call this humble, sweet young woman my daughter. She is a blessing in our lives and an example to her sisters and brothers. Her letter reminds me of another valiant servant of the lord named Nephi in The Book of Mormon. I would invite you to read his writings and to use the atonement of Christ in your life to put off your old self and become new through the atonement of Jesus Christ. http://www.lds.org/scriptures/bofm/2-ne/4.14-35?lang=eng

Happy New Year!

IT's that TIME of the YEAR!

Temple Square All Lit Up.

Dear Family and Friends

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!!

Yes it's that wonderful time of year when we celebrate the most important and perfect person this world has ever known! I don't think my Christmas has ever been so Christ centred. I don't think I have ever thought of him so much. I really hope I can bring this focus on Christ home with me for next year. 

This week there has been a lot of ups and down.  We haven't had a lot of success of late with our investigators. J has decided to stop taking the discussions but still wants to stay in touch so we email every once in awhile. I think he will get baptized one day, just not today sadly. He lets his head get in the way of his heart sometimes. We have a few people we are working with that look like they will be baptized in the next few months. Right now I'm trying really hard not to think about how I will probably be going outbound. Sister Turro has already said how she is going to laugh so so so hard if I don't go.... 

I have been going on a lot of exchanges with the sisters in my district and yesterday we were with the Zone Leaders. They are awesome and I learn a lot about myself on exchanges. We just had a Zone breakfast this morning I will send pictures. We had a white elephant gift exchange. That was really fun! 

Mormon Tabernacle Set.

Oh, we went to a members house for dinner and not just any members house! The Creers!!!!!! It was THE BEST! They just finished their missions here a few months ago. It was sad to see them go but they come and visit a lot. So it was a lot of fun to go there. It was frustrating getting there and back. I am still trying to figure out how to get around Salt Lake City and not having a GPS is annoying. Google maps isn't always very clear. But we got there and back safely.

Some events I haven't really written about: Mormon Tabernacle Christmas concert. It was really good, I wasn't to impressed with the soprano but I liked the dancing and the costumes.

Behind The Pipes Of The Organ.

We got to have a tour of the Tabernacle and the conference center organ.  They are both amazing instruments and it was really cool to learn about how they were built and how they are played. I will send pictures to my mommy and she can put them on the blog :)

Looking through the pipes into the seating in the conference centre.

We had RS at the RS building with the general RS president Sister Burton. She was very sweet and she talked all about the amazing women in our lives. I would like to just mention a few of them:

My Mom
Debra Moore

My Grandma

My YW leaders (Especially: Liz, Sheira, Vernon YW leaders etc)

My Sisters

Mama Hill

My Aunts

Edmonton RS 

And many many more.

I know its not mothers day or anything but will you tell one of the great women in your life how much you appreciate them?

Playing the organ in the Conference Center.

I hope you can all remember the reason for this season. I have never thought of it so much, and I defiantly feel closer to my Saviour because of it.

Merry Christmas to ALL and to ALL a GOOD Night.

Again a Merry Christmas to you all and to all a good night!
Sister Bascom

Special Delivery

Mom Post:

My dear friend Aundrea and I decided rather than us both donating heavily to the postal service that I would prepare her son's Christmas package and she would prepare Lani's Christmas package. WHY you may ask?

Her son is serving in the Canada Calgary Mission and I wanted an excuse to take him out for lunch. ;)  She works in the church office buildings across the street from Temple Square and it is easy to get a package to her.

Elder Hill and his comp with our platter of Ethiopian food.

It was fun putting together a boy missionary Christmas package under his mother's direction.

The beautiful Hill women and Sisters Turro and Bascom

The Hills spoiled Lani and took her and her companion out for lunch and delivered her package. The best part was she sent me pictures.

The Hills with Sister Turro and Bascom

Does my mommy heart good to know I have this dear woman keeping an eye on dear daughter.

Enjoy and Merry Christmas to all.
Denise

The Most Wonderful Time Of The Year!

Dear Family and Friends,

How are you all today?

I'm doing good,. Just had a fun/crazy day cooking and shopping. I love to cook and sister Turron made an amazing sauce for our pasta.

This past week we had mission training conference and it was great we learned so much and I can't type is all so I just attached a file I hope you all read it :)

You never know what those sisters have under them there dressed to keep WARM!

I'm sorry I don't have much to say this week, nothing to exciting has happened really, Christmas is almost here and I'm excited to call home!

Sister Turro and I have been doing well, working hard, looking for new ways to talk to people on the square. Inviting people to do things and up lift everyone. We get to go to a members home on Saturday for dinner excited about that.

I hope you all have a great Christmas, I will have more to say next week I'm sure.

Love you all 

Sister Bascom

Zone activity a while back indoor camping.

December Sightings and Challenges

Dear Family and Friends,

We love the "Standard of Truth" here. When I first heard it was that so exited! "THIS IS AWESOME!" I told my trainer, "Why don't we just say this to every anti (Antis are people that make a career out of tearing down what we believe. They show up at big events hosted by our church or at historical sites belonging to our church ie Temple Square. The purposely waste the sisters serving on Temple Square time so they have less time to spend with people not of our faith.)  we meet!?" I was on exchange the other day and sister Jarrett showed me the mormon.org profile of Victor Garcia, he was a big anti against the church, and reading about all the programs he was in that goal was to destroy the beliefs of others was astounding! But it made me think, no other church faces such opposition. The best part was when is conversion experience when he finally prayed to find out if the  the Book of Mormon is the word of God. He instantly knew it was true! He went out and found some missionaries and told them he wanting to be baptized right away! Imagine being those Elders...

Sister Bascom after the 1st Presidency Devotional

Again this week Sister Turro and I haven't had much success in the way of getting referrals for people to teach but boy have we learned so much about ourselves. I realized that everything I'm going through right now is prepping me for outbound ( The sisters in the Temple Square mission go to another mission in the USA for aprox three months to do traditional missionary work.) and the rest of my mission. I feel so blessed that the Lord is giving me these trials, but so scared too. So unprepared, so unworthy, so unqualified... But than I remember that as long as I go home converted to the gospel and loving it with all my might I have had a successful mission I have to just keep telling myself that... a long with many other encouraging things..

Krista and Lani dancing buddies since pre-school on the Square together.

I am reading  Jesus The Christ right now hoping to get to the chapter on his birth before Christmas. I also hoping to gain a stronger, more passionate testimony of who he is and what he has done for me. How did you all like the Christmas broadcast? I just loved the spirit you feel when listening to the prophet. 

Sister Bascom and Debra Moore her second mom and favorite photographer.

So I have a challenge for everyone this week inspired from another amazing missionary All this week I want you to say a 20 min prayer. Prayer is so important it our communication with our father in heaven. When we start to think about what we are saying our prayers are more meaningful.We get more out of them. Just like the anti who only needed to pray and ask if the Book of Mormon is the word of God to receive an answer that forever changed his life. You can have something like that too. Just say a prayer, talk to your father in heaven. Is a 20 min conversation to much to ask?  Like my mom always says "Try it, you'll like it." So this is thechallenge for this week. But prepare yourself for next week, as missionaries on Temple Square Christmas time is all about challenging members! :D

A link that shows the wonderful lights and the craziness of the Christmas Season on Temple Square. http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=6LPyaIN1L6Q

 Have a great one!

It's December

Dear Family and Friends

My new assignment is at West Gate, (We text out all the requests to take a tour to the sisters.) training a new sister and district leader.  My first district meeting went well. It was completely lead by the spirit.  I will be thanking my Heavenly Father every night this transfer for giving me Sister Hoyt and Sister Hodgkins as my zone leaders.

It has been a long time since you heard from me. It sucks when you don't get to have a p-day for 11 days because a change of zone means a change of P days. Count your blessings fellow missionaries this doesn't happen to you.  It was hard to see 23 messages waiting to be replied to when I got on this morning.

Talking about counting your blessings. These are some of mine:
1. I am thankful for my mission. I have learned so much here.  I have so much more to learn

2. I am thankful for the atonement. My Saviour lived and died for me. I am thankful for the opportunity I have to get to know him so well.

3. My family who sends me so much love and support

4. All the sisters here on the square that love and support me.

5. For adversity and opposition. How would I know how awesome all this is without having those times when I didn't know.

I woke up to a whole bunch of snow. It is still snowing and more is expected tomorrow. I don't expect it to melt till next year now. I probably will be going out bound next transfer as the square will be deserted. Sister Nelson and Takahashi have left leaving us 3 Canadians to manage on the square without them.  Sister Hitchricks our fellow Canadian is now AP so she is always so busy now. Sister Turro and I are have lots of fun. She is crazy, weird and awesome! Lots of new sisters came this transfer. Next transfer only has 1 American coming again.

Umm ya Thanksgiving was awesome and I took like NO pictures. SORRY!  We watched movies, (Princess Bride, and Monsters University.) ate lots of food, did crafts and danced. I got to drive there and back with Elder  and Sister Frost. They told us how they met and about the other missions they have served in. It was so nice. Elder Frost said he is expecting a courtship story out of me someday and I told him he is first one on the guest list for my wedding :)

So this week my biggest accomplishment is getting a MP ( This is a member that helps teach someone whom is learning about our church. It is very exciting, I know you have them all the time but here it is a blessing, I have finally found a member who is available and excited to teach with us :) We taught Jesus(Hesus) last night and Jason (MP) was on fire! I mean he took over most of the lesson. Sister Turro and I were just sitting there looking at each other wondering where did he serve his mission. Well turns out he hasn't he was inactive for a lot of his teens and 20's. But is now a spiritual giant! Meeting people like that give me hope. That those that struggle can  eventually find the truth.

The Square looks beautiful in white. I am so blessed to experience Christmas here.  I love having so many people to talk to. I need to get better at asking for referrals. It's my goal this week. I know if I invite the spirit to be with me I will find people who  are prepared to learn about the gospel of Jesus Christ.

Thanks for all your prayers, excited for this transfer.
Love
Sister Bascom

A Lot of Lessons Learned This Week

ASL sisters signing

Dear Friends and Family

When I was getting really frustrated during the summer with all the people that didn't accept the gospel even when I knew they had felt the spirit. My mom saids " Some people are sowers, some are weeders, some are harvesters, but all are important" (Okay she didn't say it just like that, but you get the point). She is right all are important. I feel when I first got here I was a planter. Right now I feel more like a weeder. A few transfer ago I was more of a harvester. Its all different work. It is all needed work and thats what is important. We are not here for ourselves. This is not our mission it's the Lords. We do his work. We need to put aside pride, selfish desires and ask him what needs to be done. Have you ever asked your mission president that? How about the bishop? Have you asked them lately, what can I do for you? I look forward to working with a Bishop someday and asking him that. So do it for me right now, till I can myself. Please!

Sister Hoyt my amazing district leader gave me a booklet that she got on her outbound in the Texas Houston South Mission. Their mission President sounds AWESOME! This booklet has many amazing talks in it by past and present general authorities. I studied President Asytons (the mission president) words this morning for personal study and I think it was the best personal study I have ever had! I learned about goal setting and putting Gods will above yours and about prayer and how you should not just talk to the Lord but be in counsel with him. This is what I will be striving to do this week. Counsel with the Lord. The best part was learning about the Sabbath day, I have a new scripture:

Isaiah 58:13-14 
13 If thou turn away thy foot from the sabbath, from doing thy pleasure on my holy day; and call the ^asabbath a delight, the holy of the Lord, honourable; and shalt honour him, not doing thine own ways, nor finding thine own pleasure, nor speaking thine own words:
14 Then shalt thou delight thyself in the Lord; and I will cause thee to ride upon the ^ahigh places of the earth, and feed thee with the heritage of Jacob thy father: for the mouth of the Lord hath spoken it.

As President Ashyton said: We should be delighted to go to church. We should not be complaining about what we can't do, but look forward to this opportunity to focus on the Lords words and his work. President Kimball instructed that the Sabbath is a holy day in which to do worthy and holy things. Abstinence from work and recreation is important, but insufficient. The Sabbath calls for constructive thoughts and acts, and if one merely lounges about doing nothing on the Sabbath, he is breaking it. To observe it, one will be on his knees in prayer, preparing lessons, studying the gospel, meditating, visiting the ill and distressed, writing letters to missionaries, taking a nap, reading wholesome material, and attending all the meetings of that day at which he is expected. 

All these things got me really excited about sharing the importance of the Sabbath with my investigators. It also humbles me and I know I need to repent as I have broken the Sabbath many a time. (I also hope I go out bound to this mission :)

Last note, I read another talk in this booklet by President Kimball call "Lock Your Heart" I'd advice all missionaries to find and read it (I couldn't find it on lds.org....). It has helped me refocus myself and remind me of my purpose here on the mission.

I hope you are having a great week and that you work to have the spirit with you always.

I love you all! 

Sister Bascom

The Lights Are Coming!

Changing of the Guard

The Temple Square mission will have a new mission President in Jan. The sisters will miss the Gillettes terribly.  Change is good. These Visitor Center Directors come with so much experience. 

Utah Salt Lake City Temple Square Mission
David Edward Poulsen, 68, and Adrienne Veneta Wilson Poulsen, six children, East Millcreek 12th Ward, Salt Lake East Millcreek North Stake.  Brother Poulsen served as president of the South Africa Johannesburg Mission and is a former stake patriarch, counselor in a stake presidency, high councilor, bishop, gospel doctrine teacher and missionary in the Southern Far East Mission. Former president and chief executive officer for American Express Centurion Bank. Born in Provo, Utah, to Charles Edward and Annie Leona Clegg Poulsen. Sister Poulsen served with her husband in the South Africa Johannesburg Mission and is a former ward Relief Society president, ward Young Women president, ward Primary teacher, ward missionary and gospel doctrine teacher. Born in Los Angeles, Calif., to Charles Kimball and Veneta Caroline Wilson.

Dancing, Singing, Signing and Some MORE

Dear Family and Friends

The Temple Square performance went great! I was glad  that no one heard my mistakes! So glad all the sisters were praying for me. There was a deaf girl at the performance too. I was very glad Elder Sharp was inspired to have us interpret the fireside. I didn't get to talk to her much but she was very thankful that we did that.

I Got to see Saviour of the World last night, and WOW was it good! Maybe someday I will be able to perform in that. I walked home wanting to strengthen my relationship in Jesus Christ, I felt after watching the show that I barely knew him....

I don't like to waste the Lords time! I told someone that over chat the other day and they got upset. They took at as they were wasting my time, guess I have to be more careful. :/ I think I may have become a little to bold sometimes. Trying to have Christ like love and teach like him is really hard to do. I have found that logic and facts get you no where. Sadly bible verses hardly ever help as many people that I have meet know the Bible much better than I do and always have a different view of verses. So all I really have is my testimony and the Book of Mormon. Those are the only things that really bring the spirit because as I have learned I don't convert anyone on my mission the spirit does. I am simply its vessel, but thats hard all by itself. Trying to constantly have the spirit, having so much of it that it just spills off of you and people just want that, that is my purpose really here, to have the spirit to be an example and a witness.

P said that we might be able to teach his brother.  I want to teach him myself but also get the local missionaries involved. Thats how it works here we get peoples info and teach them over the phone and than we try and get them in contact with the local missionaries. Some times they don't want to talk to their local missionaries and would rather learn on the phone.  Sometimes the missionaries can't find their address and give up or there are no missionaries in the immediate area... like Africa need more missionaries.

For a zone activity we had a camp fire. (Ok it was a lamp that had fire taped to it and the white board had trees on it) We built our tents blindfolded (blankets and chairs), we roasted marshmallows and made s'mores (in the microwave)  and we watch Despicable me :D

It was great!

A great p-day over all 

Love yall! 

Sister Bascom

Beginning To Look Like Christmas

Dear Friends and Family

Training is going great! I couldn't ask for a better companion. She is sweet and funny. We laugh so much together. We are learning together. She teaches me so much!  I am continuing to learn to how to balance lessons and tours. I'm getting better but thats one of the biggest things I struggle with.

We had a great district meeting on Wednesday night. Our District Leader Sister H is truly inspired, she asked us to give a 5-10 min lesson on something in Ch 10 PMG. The lesson we were able to plan helped everyone, but I think it helped me the most. District meetings always humble me. This week I learned again how much I still have to learn. It always seems that just when I get a little confident in my teaching abilities the Lord is very good at showing me my weaknesses and what I need to  work on. I constantly have to tell myself that I will never be perfect, but that doesn't seem to stop me much from expecting it from myself.

The Temple Square performance is on Tuesday! :) I'm getting excited and nervous. Oh we also get to go to The Savior of the World performance in a few weeks and then we get to give tickets to people we think would benefit from it! So good!

Before I emailed we went to an all you can eat buffet at Tucanos. It is really good Brazilian restaurant. The  best part as some people payed for ALL 14 of us. Thats half our whole allowance for the month and then some! We were so thankful it was SO good. 

On the way back I met a deaf homeless man looking for money to get home... I wanted to talk to him more. After I told him I didn't have any money to give him but he wasn't interested in speaking to me. I feel my ASL skills are improving with help from Matt that comes to the square several times a week now to practice. I hope to go to a deaf ward in a few weeks after the performance is done and things calm down a little before Christmas... Oh the lights are SO beautiful and I can't wait to see them all on :)

Can you believe I have less than a year left now!? I can't!!! I saw Elder Jensen again yesterday. I am looking forward to when Sister Schafer and I can teach a lesson together! (These are both missionaries serving in the SLC mission that are friends from home.)

Sister Bascom

P Day Number TWO

Dear Family and Friends

Today has been crazy! We went to Costco and got a TON of food but when we went to get cash out of the ATM it wasn't working. The cashier said just use your  debit card and it STILL would not work. After an hour of being on the phone to the bank and calling other people to try and find out what was going on it turns out that the bank charged us but didn't give us anything back!!!!! It was so frustrating!!!! I HATE MONEY! Anyways we have lots of food now. Pres Seppi came and bailed us out.He was so sweet!  I could have cried. Lots of members came to ask if we need anything and one bought us ice cream :) After 5 hours of shopping we ran down here to email and then go home with everyone. So much for a restful p-day..... Sister Seigle was so so so helpful though I think she is what kept me calm or I would have just walked away from the store and forgotten about everything. I think of her as one of my best friends here on temple square, we are like sisters.

Partners In Frustration at Costco

I have come to really love Sister Orsorio the AP. I was talking to her at the Halloween party she was telling me how great of a missionary she thought I am and she told me that they know they can depend on me for anything. :) It really good to hear this from someone I admire and I really admire Sister Orsorio she is very very sweet.

Halloween was great! We had a potato bar and lots of cookies and candy. We watched The Lion, The Witch and The Wardrobe. I couldn't help but compare everything to the gospel. I mean its not hard with that movie. But wait till I get home with every movie I watch I will be doing this :P

How was your Halloween?

One Canadian and One Italian Cowboy

I'm very excited for the TS sisters performance in just under 2 weeks! So much work still to do.  Learn my harp piece, practice the songs in ASL and the dance too. Craziness! But TS really keeps you on your toes thats for sure. Never a dull moment!

Sister Bascom and Sister Turro from Scilly.

Love my new companion Sister Turro. She is from Italy. She is a lot of fun and we have similar personalities.  Some people would get bothered with this but, I LOVE it. (Well we have only been together 3 days.) Our first tour together was so AMAZING! She has the biggest testimony and is very eager to learn all the facts and history here, but she has already got the principles of the gospel down pat! I know we will work really well together. The couple referred and they said they have anew view of the mormons and feel very enlightened. Can't wait to start teaching them via phone and email.  

Well hope you all are having a great Nov. (Yep its that time already!)

Remember your Braver than you Believe, Stronger than you Seem and Smarter than you Think.

Sister Bascom
Stay warm!

Come What May and LOVE It!

Dear Friends and Family

Ahhh I feel so much love, so many emails and not enough time!

Well these next few days are going to be crazy! Why? Because Sister Schweizer and I are being split and I am TRAINING!!! So excited! I have been told my whole mission that I would be a great trainer. and I thought I would too, but I guess the Lord didn't think so, till now. The new Italian Sister Torro will be here Wednesday.  I will be moved to a new zone with a new p-day So, you can all expect a email on Friday as well :D

This is the third time I will be changing zones this transfer after getting my original assignments.  Some people might complain but I feel honored that the presidency here took extra time to make sure I was personally where I needed to be and in the right assignment for at this time on my mission. I know I am well taken care of here.

It's a little hard as Sister S and I were just really getting to know each other. She is really starting to open up. I was able to express my love to her and see her grow. I hope that I have been able to help her in our small time together to see her worth and importance. Sister S is becoming a senior companion though to another sister in her class and they are doing guest services together. I believe this is really great fro her as she will get to step up and take the lead now.

Some more exciting things is that the TS performance is coming up. Music around the world has become a tradition on TS. This is where the sisters have the opportunity to perform and show their talents. I have the amazing opportunity to sing, sign, play the harp and best of all dance.

3 other sisters and I are learning choreo from a member who teaches dance. Then we teach it to another sister :) I can't believe how much I have missed dancing. It wasn't till the dance teach walked in straight from a dance class with her hair still up in her dance jacket and such that I realized how much I really missed that. It isn't till you leave it till you love it and want it back. *sigh* 1 year tomorrow, can't believe it has gone that fast!

This morning we had the great privilege of having Elder Oaks and his wife come visit us and shake our hands. It was a really been a blessing to have 2 apostles come in 2 transfers  and to hear about how Elder Holland taught my family in their new stake. So many blessings. Elder and Sister Oaks spoke about how to work together and  stay strong. I forgot my note book so I will write more later on how it went.

Hope you are all have a good week I know I am!  :)
Love Sister Bascom

Trials, Blessings and Upcoming Excitements

Dear Friends and Family

The weather has been beautiful!!! I love Temple Square in the Fall so many beautiful colors.

To be honest the last few days have been stressful. I don't even really understand why.  I can think a few things, transfers, senior companion again, not eating well, trying to improve my signing,  investigators etc etc. You know the usual mission stuff. 

The first day of the transfer things were going great! My companion and I were working really well together. 

But ya the last few days have been getting me down, I think I will go home and read the stress booklet over again and stress eat (okay I'll try not to stress eat). I loved that book! When I first got it I read half of it and then talked to my companion and just started opening up about how I was feeling. It was the third time I have cried on my mission (Yes, I can count it on one hand). I feel like that book is very inspired. I have to keep telling myself that I don't need a baptism everyday to feel like a good missionary. That just being here is amazing in itself and that everything else is a great great great blessing! This morning I was thinking on the sentence "And all the glory be thine". I love that and want to incorporate it into my missionary work more. I need to be more humble.

Pedro's Baptism

Pedro was baptized last Saturday and I got the wonderful opportunity to go, one of the few baptisms I will actually be able to attend on my mission. So I enjoy it to the fullest.

We have a Musical Performance coming up that almost all the sisters are participating in. I will be playing a harp duet with Sister Jager, singing in the choir,  interpreting the performance and helping teach a folk dance we will perform. :P Stay tuned for pictures and  videos on my blog.

Remember you are Braver than you Believe, Stronger than you Seem and Smarter than you Think.

Sister Bascom

Who is the BOLDEST one of ALL???

Dear Friends and Family,

Thanks for all the mails I love hearing from you all. Please send me addresses so I can mail you all back. I don't have nearly enough time to email everyone.

Well, transfers are tomorrow. Sunday night before we found out what would happen for transfers. I prayed and told God I would accept anything he gave me to do.  So I will be  packing today and moving up the hill to a different building. It's all good because I love my new room mate Sister Orfila. She is from Brazil! She is just a transfer behind me and we have been in the same zone since she started :)

My new companion is Sister Johns old companion. Sister S. She is very shy. She has been through a lot. Her family is very unsupportive of her mission they often ask her when she is coming home. Ouch!  I will be staying in guest services. I am a little scared of my district leader but everyone tells me she is really nice and funny. Sister Humble and Takahashi are in my district too so this is sure to be another awesome transfer!

I feel very blessed this week to have several baptisms. It is really helping me stay focused on the moment. I hope to be able to attend the baptism of Pedro this weekend. Sister Dias and I met him on the square and he informed us he was very unhappy with his life. After several meetings with him we sent him to church. He got in touch with the local missionaries. The ward where he lives was very very very welcoming and he made instant friends :D I think this is the hardest part about TSQ mission you have to send your investigators off to church without you. Just like sending your kid to school. Hating to let them go into that big scary place. Hoping the other kids will be nice and that they will make friends fast. That the "teacher" will look out for them and care for them and they will learn lots while they are there. Well he is very much loved by the ward. His English is developing. He is SO funny ie When they announced his baptism in the ward he stood and gave a wave.:P Love him so much!

Did you all have a good thanks giving, I have to admit Sister Huffacher had to remind me of it. She borrow one of my Canada flags for it :P Everyone wants to be Canadian!

Its getting colder here I am going shopping for hats and tights!

Sad about all the Sisters that leave tomorrow, excited for the new sisters coming!

The district referred to in the poem below.

So just to show you all how awesome my old district was this is a poem Sister Huffacher wrote about us. Sorry, if you don't get some of the inside jokes....

"Gotta teach'm all!" the slogan said.
Visions of baptisms floated through our heads.
Pikachu's progressing, but Squirtle got dropped.
We still persevere; we can't ever stop.

 Zone leaders set an example for all.
With just two legs, yet never fall.
Two heads connected, with Holy Ghost between
Hvistendahl and Martinez are reigning supreme.

District leader's next, her heart so true.
Ready to testify--that book is blue.
Teaching us skills to gather all the rest,
Moldogalii knows exactly what's best.

Sister Briggs, her love so sweet,
Never fails a friend to greet.
She knows the truth down to her core,
and is forever on team dinosaur.

A beautiful angel sent from Brazil,
Definitely a light set on a hill.
Miracle keeper with eyes so bright,
Siegle's full of laughter and spiritual might.

When trouble comes, who should we call?
Who is the boldest one of all?
Sister Bascom, bold yet kind,
Holds her purpose in heart and mind.

With a story for every occasion,
Sister Barrett's been to nearly every nation.
With so much wisdom she can share,
We really need her on Temple Square.

Sister Huffaker's the newest recruit,
A poet and a writer to boot.
She's learning plenty and struggling some,
With the strength of a district, we'll overcome.

We love each other all so much,
Yet never know what hearts we touch.
Remember the love district sisters share,
Whenever there's hardship, we will be there
.

Lots of love to you all

Remember your Braver than you Believe, Stronger than you Seem and Smarter than you Think

Sister Bascom

Conference is Over

Dear Family and Friends

Its beautiful here with the fall colors, crisp air and warm sunshine. 

Conference was crazy! Sleeping in these past few days has really helped. My goal was to get 70 referrals. We got 5. The sisters tell me that was a really high goal and I shouldn't worry. Our referral goal as a mission was 4,690 we got over 2,000. Yesterday Pedro said he and the elders set a baptismal date.  Luis who we met on Friday now has a baptismal date for the 26th.  Blessings and more blessings.  I think with all this talk about missionaries and members working together we will see the members step it up. Right ;)

Yesterday we had two members offer to pay for our dinner and another stop to talk to us on the street.:P

 I love how in conference someone mentioned that this time is just as amazing and exciting as the times during the first vision :D I got to watch the Saturday morning session of conference. My favorite talk was President Uchtdorf's :) http://www.lds.org/general-conference/watch/2013/10?lang=eng&vid=2721983168001&cid=12 

I loved at the Relief Society general conference how they talked a lot about covenants. I think it is important to prepare your kids for baptism and then for the temple. They need help them understand the seriousness of it.

I did a lot of service the other day. First was at The is the Place Heritage Park. We cleaned out a dirty, dusty old house where they stored all the Halloween things. Sister G, Sister P, Sister C and I were the only ones who really cleaned. The other 15+ sisters got scared by the mice or the dust. I then went to the temple and vacuumed offices. We then got to go up to the assembly hall  into the towers to catch moths ;) It was a ton of fun.