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