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.

No Time. So, You Can Read These Inspirational Talks Instead of ME!

Sister Bascom and Barrette on their early morning walk to church.
The TSQ sisters have sacrament meeting before the square opens. 

Dear Family/Friends,

Sorry short email this week as I have used all my time up in writing to my mommy. ;) Hi Mom ((wave))

On my mission I have come to see so many of my weaknesses. They make me sad and happy at the same time. Sad because I can see how imperfect I am and how far I need to come. Sometimes I let myself get down about it and think how anyone could love me? Happy, because I can only improve on something when I acknowledge it in my life. Read Ether 12:27.  I'm pretty sure this is the scripture I will be applying all of my mission. As I see my weaknesses I become more humble. Something I feel I have been lacking. I know I can't let Satan think that he is winning cause he is not. Its just good to recognize these things.

http://www.lds.org/general-conference/2013/04/lord-i-believe?lang=eng

I hope you will all take time out of your day to read this talk, it is my favorite! (Subject to change in the next week.)

http://www.lds.org/broadcasts/article/general-relief-society-meeting/2011/09/forget-me-not?lang=eng

And this one. :D I think forget me not's have become my favorite flower because of this talk. Both are given by amazing men, who I look up to greatly.


The Whibley family all came by today and we took a picture. I can't believe the twins are 17 already! SO TALL!!! They will be around for conference. Excited to see who else I run into :)

Have a GREAT week.

"Remember You are Braver than you Believe, Stronger than you Seem and Smarter than you think." 

<3

Sister Bascom

Announcing tours. No they didn't color co-ordinate.