The Only Thing Constant is CHANGE!

This sign has been signed by all the ASL missionaries in the DC North mission for MANY years
The last ASL sisters to sign it were NINE years ago.

Wow what a week, and changes are coming!
So, I will be going back to my old area Poolesville with my old companion Sister Johnson and her present companion Sister Black. I'll only be there for two weeks but I'm supper excited to go back to that amazing ward and all our amazing investigators. They have been having a lot of success there and I'm looking forward to that kind of work again. I know Sister Johnson will push me again too, physically as well as spiritually.

I need all of that so in two weeks I am ready to train one of the two new ASL sisters coming from the MTC. Then in four weeks I will be headed back to Temple Square. Well maybe, Some of the elders have mentioned how my plane ticket might go missing. ;) Man, I love the elders here. I feel like I have gained 40 new brothers and life long friends.

Sister B and her comps and roommates. 

Sounds like there are a lot of changes coming this transfers, excited for Wednesday. So Sister P and T are going to finish training in the English program. The branch was not to happy to hear all of this, but the Lord knows what is best and president Cooke has been very prayerful about all of this. I'm so thankful for him, I know I wouldn't be able to take on responsibilities here without his encouraging words every time I met with him, and The Lord knew that, thats why he set it up all so perfectly.

This the I'm a Mormon Display in the Visitors Center.
The Washington DC Vistor Center was renovated about a year ago and the added this fab interactive  display.

This week I have been learning a lot of things, mostly just how much Heavenly Father loves me and is aware of me. I don't know how I forgot that, but I did, but he is patient with me and reminds me of his love. He really does answer my prayers. He hears every child's pray it doesn't matter where they are or where they are from.

Hope you all have a great week.

Sister Bascom

DC Vistor Center Sister B Sighting

On Temple Square not a month goes by that we don't have someone say or better yet sent us a image of a Sister B sighting. Best yet was a video and these two pictures.

They are from Melinda and Ed Kowalski
https://www.facebook.com/photo.php?v=10151999577757045&set=vb.692917044&type=2&theater

I LOVE To Read The Holy Scriptures.

Dear family and friends,

This week has had many ups and downs. My MTC companion went home with health related issues. I had exchanges with one of my favorite sisters here, who sadly is leaving back to Russia at the end of the transfer. We are suppose to have snow again... But that is suppose to be that last one and then we are in the clear. We shall see. We have one investigator! Yay! We are almost out of miles though (Problems of an ASL missionary.) This week will be very limited to what we can do and where we can go. Sad :( First week we have a lot of appointments and we can't go to them. Guess next week will be even better :)

Sunday was awesome! There was no one we had to interpret for. Okay the elders did some interpreting but not a lot, so we really got to enjoy the classes. Well expect for the fact that sister Phillips and I were asked to give talks last minute so really all of class I was trying to write a talk and translate it to ASL grammar.

We had a meeting with the area 70 yesterday and submitted our proposal to grow the ASL program here that we wrote is on it's way to SLC. We will see what happens. I am really learning more about humbling myself and accepting what The Lord brings. I know I am here for a reason. I'm going to do the best I can. Sister Phillips and Turley have been helping me. A LOT. Good news they barely correct my driving anymore ;)

I realized I have been slacking on my scriptures reading and so I turned my attention to that today in personal study. I read so many great verses of scripture today written by amazing men. For example Ammon talking with his brethren about their success:

5 Behold, the field was ripe, and blessed are ye, for ye did thrust in
the sickle, and did reap with your might, yea, all the day long did ye
labor; and behold the number of your sheaves! And they shall be
gathered into the garners, that they are not wasted. (Alma 26:5)

Alma talking to his son Shiblon:

10 And now, as ye have begun to teach the word even so I would that ye
should continue to teach; and I would that ye would be diligent and
temperate in all things.

11 See that ye are not lifted up unto pride; yea, see that ye do not
boast in your own wisdom, nor of your much strength.

12 Use boldness, but not overbearance; and also see that ye bridle all
your passions, that ye may be filled with love; see that ye refrain
from idleness. (Alma 38:10,11,12) new favorite scripture

And  Corianton:

1 And now, my son, I have somewhat more to say unto thee than what I
said unto thy brother; for behold, have ye not observed the steadiness
of thy brother, his faithfulness, and his diligence in keeping the
commandments of God? Behold, has he not set a good example for thee?
(Alma 39:1)

And King Benjamin :)

11 But I am like as yourselves, subject to all manner of infirmities
in body and mind; yet I have been chosen by this people, and
consecrated by my father, and was suffered by the hand of the Lord
that I should be a ruler and a king over this people; and have been
kept and preserved by his matchless power, to serve you with all the
might, mind and strength which the Lord hath granted unto me.

So many great men so many things that we can learn and apply to our
lives. I love to read the scriptures, I don't know why I don't read
them more. Probably cause satan loves to distract and make me think to
read other things and waist time during personal study... Ya I will
back hand that! Isn't the atonement great!?
Anyways I love the Book of Mormon and the way it makes me feel as I
read it. I was able to answer a scriptural question that had been on
my mind for awhile today after my great! Personal study. This is the
power of the scriptures :) (Mosiah 2:11)

Well hope you all have a great week I plan to :)

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

Sister Bascom

Greenie Day

This is a post from the mission blog of Sistah Bee and what her "greenies" did on St. Pat's day
http://calledtoserveindcnorth.blogspot.ca/2014/03/specialized-training-for-february.html#comment-form

We Are Different And God LOVES Us Like That

Dear family and friends

Sorry I didn't email sooner we got snowed in and so they had us move preparation day to Tuesday... We spent Monday making our map and cleaning the house.

Today the zone went skating which was a ton of fun, almost got backwards skating down. My feet are cramping though... Need to eat a banana when I get home.

This week again has been frustrating in terms of trying to stay busy. We are knocking more doors where there was a deaf child playing signs on the street. We shared a video with our zone so if they saw any deaf people they could show it to them and we signed who we are and our desire to reach them about Jesus Christ. Hopefully something will come out of that.... We do have a few potential investigators though, right now we are just building a relationships of trust.  It's harder to get the deaf to trust you.

We will be moving this week to a new apt that is closer to the center of Maryland so we aren't so Far East

Well there has been a lot of hype with general conference coming up. I love conference. I always get tons of personal revelation and inspiration from the talks.  I'm really glad I'm not at Temple Square this conference because I want to listen to all of conference. The Square is extremely busy conference weekend and not everything that happens on the square is positive that weekend.

There is a group of women that are pressing for changes in church leadership and want to be ordained to the priesthood. We have been talking a lot about women and priesthood this week. I can tell you where I stand with this topic I support the current structure in the church and the prophet. I know that God has made us equal but in different ways. I know that I am just as important and capable as any priest-hood holder. I am fine to depend on a priesthood holder to access covenants, ordinances and blessings. I also know I have more power then I understand. I have access to more then I think and it is something I look forward to learning more about in my life.

I really don't like how the world thinks we need to be equal in all things, we are  all different, get over it! We look different, we act different, you need to different puzzle pieces for it all to fit together and make a beautiful picture. That is how it was made to be. I am different and proud of it.

Love you all hope you have a great week :)
Sister Bascom

Burning Poles, Lost Keys and Fun On The Hill.

Sister Bascom on the stairs of the Lincoln memorial.

Dear family and friends,

It seems that this transfer is all about becoming a consecrated missionary. In zone training and  visitor center training becoming a consecrated missionary was talked about. So on top of the 40 day fast we did and then this training I feel sufficiently humbled and I really want to work on several things talked about in the consecrated missionary... I should probably read the 4th missionary since I'm on this roll.

The three "handiest" sisters to serve in the last decade in DC North.
In front of the reflection pool and the Washington Memorial.

Well let me tell you all the exciting things that happened this week. Monday As you all know we were snowed in. Tuesday Lost our keys so we couldn't  really go anywhere.... We turned our apt upside down three different times looking for them. Elder Pearson came and brought us the spare keys and then gave a strict charge not to loose them and find the other ones.
 Wednesday We called 911 when we drove past a telephone poll that was smoking, sparking and ON FIRE! Ya that was scary, but Sister Turley was very happy to call and report that :P Thursday We got to take down a members ceiling which was fun...... We also went to a deaf dinner at panara bread and I got to teach someone the first vision within 15 mins of being there, ya that felt awesome. I have defiantly seen my signing improve in just two weeks and even last night I could follow the conversation almost perfectly and so I didn't mind asking them to repeat a few things, it felt awesome!Friday The last week was a busy and happy one. Saturday Even more so when we were helping put the members ceiling up again and visiting a man in Fredrick in the Baltimore mission :) Yep I love going to 2 different missions in a week. Oh and we went to a really good Italian restaurant!

Yesterday we finally wrote the proposal to go into other missions to teach. We will see how President likes it. Hopefully by next transfer or at least by when the new missionaries get here we will have gotten permission to go to into Baltimore and Virginia-we really need to. But God's will not mine be done. If He doesn't want us to go to Baltimore and/or Virginia then I guess we have to storm DC till we find those people he has prepared for us.

Well today we are headed into DC again going to the holocaust museums. Preparing myself to have my heart torn to pieces.... Ya should be great!

Sister Bascom with the Washington Memorial behind her.

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

Growing Zone

 Dear Family and Friends,

How are you all? We are snowed in, so today will be a lot of letter writing, cleaning, sleeping and cooking and entertaining ourselves with our really funny room mates. So I also get to really write a good email in my notes before I find WIFI and send it off :)

The last few weeks in the ASL program have been hard. We don't have investigators right now, they are all in DC and as of yet sisters can't go into DC for safety reasons. We are going to the Gallaudet University campus with with president and I pray for miracles to happen so that we can start working in there. The end vision we have is having three different branches, one in
Baltimore, DC and Virginia, with one or more companion ships in each branch.


So most of our time in the next few weeks will be spent writing a proposal as to why we the ASL missionaries, need to go into Baltimore and Virginia. Either having extended boundaries or being transfer to those missions... Yep we are not normal missionaries, and we are having to accept the fact that we won't have normal missionary days.

I think one of the biggest things I have learned on my mission what it means to be a true leader. Let me explain: Missionaries help run the mission especially on TS.  Some of the responsibilities are as district leaders, zone leaders, office assistants, assistants to the President etc. As they move "up" they have more responsibilities and less time to do missionary work quote on quote. They run around and care for the people in their district, zone or mission instead of the investigators. But even though they do this they still feel the need to teach and baptize, we are missionaries after all. But there is only so much time in a day and so when they don't have time to find, teach and baptize investigators they start to feel as if they aren't fulfilling their calling. 

One ASL elder here asked president if he could be transferred to English because he wanted to feel successful again... Missions are hard, being a leader is harder, in my opinion. So I decided that I'm okay being a missionary just a plain jane working missionary, and I will be happy with that. But of course one my favorite quotes "There is no comfort in the growing zone and no growing in the comfort zone." so the Lord knows when it is time to push me some more, hence why he sent me here...  

But the greatest complement I got yesterday from my mission president the other day he said "You are not the same sister I picked up at the airport." I feel I have become more confident in knowing my place and my purpose. I have come to know My Heavenly Father better as in I strive to know what he wants from me. I am more comfortable with who I am and not so shy. Everyday I am trying to be better, to get rid of old me and be different, more like Christ. It's really hard. I desire to be the best at what I am called to do.  I love president's confidence in me, it gives me confidence.

Missionaries I hope that when you go home you are unrecognizable. Non missionaries, I hope you are constantly looking to change and be better. Change is an opportunity, it's a new start. I love fresh starts, they're so.... Refreshing.

Well these are my thoughts for the week. I hope you all have a great
week, I love you all.

Remember you are Braver than you Believe, Stronger than you Seem and Smarter than you Think!
You really are! 
Sister Bascom