Good, Better, BEST

Had a great YC (youth conference) group this morning. Best group I have ever had! We talked a lot about how to prepare for a mission and spoke from Elder Oaks talk Good, Better, Best. I love this talk. It teaches about prioritizing and spending our time on the best things of life. I hope you will all print it off, study it and then write me back about how you are going to apply this in your life.

http://www.lds.org/general-conference/2007/10/good-better-best?lang=eng

I have taken up running in the mornings with Sister Gangster (Yes that is her name.). She is from Germany and is boss! I love her so much!! We were in the same group in the MTC. It's nice to know she isn't going anywhere for awhile and we can really get to know each other. I think that is a great thing about Temple Square that you get to know all the sisters a lot better than a traditional mission where its just you, a companion and maybe room mates if your lucky. I am also getting to know Sister L.Lee (We have like 5 Lee's in this mission) We are in choir together,  Sister Zamarosca and Davies my zone leaders and Sister Pein is a new sister in my district and is very cute. 

The choir I'm in will be singing for the CES broadcast Tues and Wed at the conference center.I don't really understand what it is.(Shoulder shrug.)  We will be singing My Savior's Love and Joy. This is the invite only choir. I feel very proud of myself that I have been invited.  My district meeting is at the same time as the regular choir so the invite choir its the only choir I get to sing in.

Something different and a little exciting was happened this week when security evacuated the South Visitors Center when an unidentified bag was found near the temple model. Protocol says when we find an unidentified bag we call security. We can't touch it. So they evacuated the center staircase.... I had to miss lunch for that :(

Still don't know what was in the bag. But the South Visitors Center is still here, so I guess all is good.

Highlight of the week I think was when sister Dias and I said a prayer before going on the square asking to find someone to help. We ran into a member and his date who were actually looking for another sister on the square. We got talking to them and actually found this guy had concerns about the church. He was having a hard time with following the standards and viewing some people in the church as hypocritical and shallow especially RM's that aren't living the standards of the church. He doesn't like or really understand some of the commandments and so finds them hard to follow. He hasn't been completely converted pretty much.  He is an RM but I guess he still doesn't have a strong testimony. Sister Dias was really able to help out as she said, "I've wasted 5 years of my life" not living the standards.. His date was kinda like me she has never really doubted the teachings of the church, always been the good girl etc. We were really able to connect the three of us and were able to help this great guy who is struggling.  He is working near temple square so maybe I will get to see him again and see how he is doing. Stay tuned! ;)

But thats all for this week. 

Changes, Farewells and Parades

Second transfer and a new P Day. My companion and I had a change of assignment and I am now serving in the Beehive house. Which is very busy but very relaxing at the same time. I love being in an air conditioned house all day, and a beautiful house it is. :)

God has been blessing Sister Dias and I. Last night after an amazing first day at the Beehive house (Where we don't get many referrals at all as we talk mostly about history more then beliefs which we are trying to change.) We came to TC (teaching center) and started taking chats. Every chat was someone wanting to know more about the church out of the 6 chats we took 4 referred and wanted the missionaries to come over! I took this as a sign as Sister Dias really don't like our current assignment, but is trying to accept it and be a happy missionary. I saw this as a blessing for our obedience in taking a call that wasn't originally ours.

Today is Pioneer Day so this morning. I got to go to the early morning devotional with one of my new  Zone Leaders and listen to the beautiful music and hear Elder Ashton of the 70 speak. Then we headed to find a spot to watch the parade. Some senior missionaries saw us walking and called us up to their apartment walkway to watch with them, they also fed us :) The parade was great and I used up my whole memory card with pictures and videos. It was the longest parade I have ever attended 2 hours!

I also saw some familiar faces this week to! The Parker family from my old ward in Medicine Hat came and said HI.  I was walking back from the pioneer parade I saw Brian another friend from that area. But the most surprising was seeing Christian a childhood friend in the NVC (North Visitors Center). I hadn't seen him in 4 years so it was great to see him before he entered the MTC to start his mission on Wed.

Elder B and Sister B 

There are lots of new faces but not that many changes for me. I am sad to see people going home, like Sister Wong who gave me her beautiful leather bag :D and my Zone Leader Sister Christiansen. It is also sad to see sisters leave on outbounds, but I know I will see them again in a few months :)

Very sad also to hear about the passing of an amazing Elder, that I knew since my childhood. He was in a car crash this week. My heart goes out to the family.  I know God called him home for a reason. He was amazing here on this earth and so I know he will be amazing in the after life. (Christian is the younger brother of the Elder that passed.)

http://lindyhomeschool.blogspot.ca/2013/07/josh-burton-person-of-eminence.html

Love Sister Bascom

The Book Is BLUE, The Church is TRUE And Moroni Is Still On The BALL.

Dear _______

Well it seems that my last few emails I have sounded very stressed and discouraging. Well, I want you to a sure that I am having a really great time here. 

We got all our transfer info today and it will all be put into effect Tuesday and Wednesday is going to be crazy! (Pioneer Day in SLC.) So we thought we would lessen the crazy and do transfers Tues. Tuesday.

Sister Dias and I are still together. Same apartment. Same room mates. We are in South 2 (I am in South 1 this transfer. Not much changes besides people.) Sister Dias is district leader (she is not excited). Oh and I got called as ASL language coordinator. :D Ya that should be fun! I have no idea what I am doing....! We are getting around 30 new sisters Tues and Wed. from the MTC and the Mexican MTC as it is under construction. We have received like 50 sisters just in this transfer not including my group. From out bounds to here and visa/passport waiters. Its all very exciting.

It's also really sad to see my Zone leader leave this transfer and to think my other one will be leaving along with Sister Dias next transfer. Sounds like I might be training already on my third transfer! AHHHH I'm so excited. But I am getting way ahead of myself, one transfer at a time.

Ummm honestly don't know what else to say this week. Sister Dias and I are getting closer. I miss home still, getting a good feel for everything and still need to work on being patient with myself though as it is only the end of my first transfer. I have really learned this week that as a missionary all you can do is bare your testimony, teach with the spirit and the Holy Ghost will do the rest. I can't convince everyone. I am mostly just planing seeds. Just help them have a good experience and you have done your job. (but I always want to do more.....)

The book is blue, the church is true and Moroni it still on the ball.

All my love 
Sister Bascom

Be Not Weary In Well-Doing

What a week! I feel like I am on a missionary roller coaster sometimes. Things are so good at one point and then they get really really hard the next. I know in my last email I was very down and having a hard time. To be honest things haven't changed that much, but I have learned so much about myself and my God.

I got the awesome opportunity to finally sign this week, not once, not twice, but three times this week!!! The first person I talked to was Roberto a convert from California. It was awesome to skype and learn about him and how he came to the church. Can't wait to talk to him tomorrow :D 

Second was a young man named Josh. I was called right before we were to go on desk duty that there was an ASL tour and they couldn't find anyone else. We got someone else to take the desk and we took the tour. Josh was so happy to see that I could sign. He literally froze when I started signing. Then he jumped out of his chair and started signing in the happiest most excited manner I have ever seen. He did not calm down the entire tour :) He lives in Utah and only lost his hearing about a year ago and is really good signer. He is trying to get his papers in to serve a mission but I guess there are some complications. I think the bigger miracle was that Josh's companion served his mission in Brazil so Sister Dias and I both got to speak in our "mission" language :)

The third was a little deaf girl who at first wanted to watch a movie but then didn't. I talked to her and her mom for awhile before they left but I still thought it was just supper awesome to talk to so many people in ASL all in less then 3 days :D

Yesterday Sister Dias was a big help to me and I don't think she even knows it. (Don't worry I will inform her.) It had been a usual day.  We had taken 3-5 tours and had no referrals after you bare your heart and soul to people. We were ending the night with weekly planing as usual and we started talking about how frustrating those tours are. I was truly and honestly very upset and almost had a small break down. Sister Dias seeing me getting so emotional for like the first time ever said something I will never forget: "You are feeling the Saviors pain. This is how he feels for each one of us. I felt myself become a lot closer to my Savior that evening.  Knowing that he felt what I was feeling not for myself, but your heart hurting so much for another and wanting them to understand. I get told every day that Joseph Smith is a fraud and that the church is wrong, and my heart just pains for those people when they say that. Because they don't know, they really really don't.

I have gained a lot of comfort from this scripture this week D&C 64:33-34

Wherefore, be not ^aweary in ^bwell-doing, for ye are laying the foundation of a great work. And out of ^csmall things proceedeth that which is great.

 Behold, the Lord ^arequireth the ^bheart and a ^cwilling mind; and the willing and ^dobedient shall ^eeat the good of the land of Zion in these last days.

For some people all this persecution everyday would break them.  But not me,  after the things I have been through already. Nor the sisters here. Everyday I look around at the sisters I serve with and feel so blessed to serve with such choice women. Knowing that they are going through the same thing I am and are staying so strong strengths me. I have had my faith tested to the breaking point. My Father knew that and he knew when to step in and strengthen me. And now I too like Joseph Smith can not deny it. Because if I did I would be damning myself. I cannot deny what I have felt. I know that this Church is true and God knows it too.

Hope you all have a great week.

All my love 

Sister Bascom

PS
Just after this was sent Sis Bascom called home. We got to chat with her for about half an hour. It was so great to hear her lovely voice and she is doing well. She got to have a few minutes with all of her brothers and sisters still living at home.

She is being stretched but figuring it all out.  She loves her current and past companion and is experiencing the growth of working as a team with another person. That will serve her well for the rest of her life. ;)

So nice to connect with her. You can tell from her voice that she is happy and thriving. Did my Mommy heart good.

Some happenings on TSQ

I have "borrowed" several posts from the The TSQ mission blog to share with you.

The first is she sisters celebrating July 4th with a talent show and food of course. Pay attention to the pictures to see our Sister Bascom signing a song. She also participating in the Canadian sisters only skit. There is 5 Canadians serving on Temple Square.  I know there are 6 in the picture. I can count. ;) Left to Right The first sister is Sister Briggs. She is almost Canadian. She is from Washington State and is a Canadian wannabe. She arrived at TSQ the same day as Sister Bascom. The Sister next to Lani is Sister Hittrich.  Then their is our Sister Bascom and to the Right of her is Sister Sloan from Surrey, BC. She is the daughter of two old friends of mine. The next to the right is my neighbours niece Sister Takahashi from Calgary, Alberta and the last one is Sister Vickie Nelson whom is a friend of Sister Bascom's older sister. http://slctemplesquaremission.blogspot.ca

The second is Sister Beck teaching a lesson in Relief Society. For our friends not of our faith Relief Society is the women's organization in our church. We meet together weekly for a spiritual lesson to strength us home and family. This week Sister Beck whom was a the head of the Young Women's organization while these girls were growing up taught them a lesson on the power of one. She is an immigrant from Germany. Her father was the only convert to our faith that the missionary that taught her father experienced. That would be very discouraging for a missionary. From that one baptism many peoples lives have been touched. Including mine and my daughters because for the many faith promoting sermons that Sister Beck has shared with us over the years. http://slctemplesquaremission.blogspot.ca/2013/06/sister-trudy-beck-speaks-to-our-relief.html

The third is a post of the sisters saying good bye to Elder and Sister Palmer a senior couple that they adore.  They have developed some musical presentations that have been performed on Temple Square by the T2 sisters during their time of service. They found out that our Sister Bascom plays the harp and wanted to utilize her talents. This post states that the ASL sisters signed Called to Serve and I imagine that Sis. Bascom was very involved in that. http://slctemplesquaremission.blogspot.ca/2013/06/we-love-you-elder-sister-palmer.html

When you have this group of talented, enthusiastic Sisters there is always more happening than tours and lessons.  Hope you enjoy.

Mountian of the Lord

Salt Lake temple from Church Headquarters.

I got to go in the Salt Lake Temple this morning for the first time :) It is so amazing! I have been teaching about how its been built for the last 3 weeks now and I finally get to go inside and experience it for myself. The whole time I was just thinking about all the work that went into it. The paintings and the carvings done by hand all over a 100 years old. It was beautiful and it is something I will never forget. Can't wait to go again! :) After we finished at the temple this morning Sister Dias and I went out for breakfast and went to one of the theatres and watched "Mountain of the Lord". It was really cool to watch this after going through the temple too. 

Did you know that the people here wanted to call Utah, the state of Deseret but they wouldn't let them. They had them call it Utah after the natives that live here. But Utah means "Top of the mountain." and in Isaiah 2:2 it says "And it shall come to pass in the last days, that the mountain of the Lord’s house shall be established in the top of the mountains, and shall be exalted above the hills; and all nations shall flow unto it." Well this has totally come true, people from all over the world come here everyday. I have met people from Israel, Indian, UK, Asia, Australia, Brazil and all over America, just to name a few. This truly is the latter days and this really is God's church.

So last night we had our Independence Day talent show. It was a ton of fun. We had hot dogs, watermelon, chips.... Sisters showed us their talents. The sisters from the islands did hula dancing and other cultural dances. Some sisters sang. One district did a skit with lots of Disney songs in it. I think my favourite one though was when 2 sisters rewrote the lyrics to pumped up kicks to fit our day to day situations. :) All the Canadians participated in a skit to celebrate how awesome Canada is. All I can really tell you is that it was awesome and you will have to wait till you are done your missions and/or when my mom gets my camera card in the mail.... I have yet to send it. So don't hold your breath.

Despite this great morning and last night though, this week has been very tiresome. I am trying really hard to focus on being a good missionary but at times (especially this week) I find it really hard. I think the heat sucks all the energy out of you. I have been trying really hard to testify with the spirit and I always feel really good when I do that.  It also doesn't help when you feel like you are working so hard to teach people but the people still just walk away with a "that was a really nice experience" attitude.  It makes me want to scream sometimes. Didn't you feel the spirit!? I did! Why can't you? Some people do feel the spirit but they don't want to act on what they felt. That is also very frustrating. I know the Lord is trying my faith and I pray that I can be strong and push through this first couple of transfers.  I will focus on that and hope that it will help improve the work here. I just don't know what else to do sometimes. Sister Howell a sister here that is on her last few transfers she gave me some very comforting words. She said "That we all are just planing seeds." I constantly tell Sister Dias and myself when we are low that some people need to be touched by the gospel 7 times before they accept it and that we are just one of those touches somewhere in their lives. Planting seeds just planting seeds......

I know that time will start to fly halfway through and I will be done before I know it. I try and not think about after my mission and what my life will be like. I have a really hard time missing you all when we go through God's Plan and I just sit and think about the family. I can't wait to see you I know I am going to cry so hard when I see you. I haven't shed a tear once one my mission. A fact I am quite proud of. I'm just wondering how long it will last....

I did have one very up lifting experience I can share with you though. I only had a few investigators to call last week. Most of the ones we have on TC (teaching center) are Portuguese. Sister Dias said she could translate for me but I feel like my time is better used in contacting others. So I have all the English and she has the Portuguese. After calling all 15 of the number. I have nothing to do. So finally, I emailed out that I wanted more investigators and that if any of the sisters could transfer any extra people I would be glad to take them. I got about 35 in a few days. I am still trying to get in contact with a few but this one less active that I got named J turned out to be pure gold. I called her up just as she was leaving the temple actually and we had an awesome conversation about her concerns and how she was doing now. We really connected and talked about her past concerns with the church. Things she didn't understand and talks/scriptures that comforted us. It was really what I needed that day. She said that she would be happy to phone in on lessons with us. She is only about 24 yrs. old and is a new mother I believe. I hope I can meet her sometime it was really good to talk to her.

Tonight/this afternoon we are having our first zone activity. We got really creative and decided to watch a movie.;) I just don't know which one.... Its just going to be nice though to sit back and eat junk food with the sisters. You know kinda like a girls night. But we have to put our skirts back on to go to the apartments.

Sister Bascom in front of her apartment building.

Well that's all for today kids, remember God made you special and he loves you very much.

BYE!

Love Sister Bascom