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!