Because of HIM!

Dear Family and Friends,

HAPPY PIONEER DAY!

I feel so blessed to be here twice for pioneer day! Unfortunately I have lost the cord to my camera to charge it, so I don't have any pictures to send of the pioneer festivities. I will try and send some in a few weeks when I get them from other sisters cameras.

We went to the Bountiful temple Tuesday as the SLC one is closer for renovations. Going to the temple was so nice!  I have been so tired and stressed this week and going to the temple was like a drink of clear cool water, or the sleep I have been needing for a long time. I wish I could have spent another hour there so I could just enjoy the peace there and pray and receive answers to all my questions. I just really needed to feel that peace and love from my Father.

I love what a fellow missionary send in his email today "If I could ask anyone to just understand one thing I would ask that they take the time to understand God's love. Love from Him. Love for Him. and Love like Him." I love how he said he doesn't talk about himself because he would rather talk about Christ and his great love for all of us, and just how that love can change all of us and make us better. He went on to say "I want you to all know my great love for you, but more importantly Fathers love for you, Christ's love for you."For God so loved the world, that he gave his only begotten Son, that whosoever believeth in him should not perish, but have everlasting life."

 Thanks Elder for sharing that and thank you for serving!

If there is one thing I have learned on my mission it is about the atonement of Jesus Christ. What it is capable of, what I am capable of through it, with it and with Him. I love my Savior and all he has done for me, his great sacrifice enables me to be who I am today, tomorrow and in 10 years.. Because of Him!  I hope you all have seen the Because of him media clip, if not here is the link: https://www.lds.org/youth/video/because-of-him?lang=eng I love watching this media presentation. It reminds me of who he is and what he has done and now what I can do Because of Him!

Thank you all for your support and love. Have a great week!

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

Called to Serve

Mommy Post: Going on an LDS mission is a huge act of faith. You open an application prepare all supporting documentation they need. Then you meet with your local ecclesiastical leaders they add their endorsement of your application and off it goes to the mission department of our church. They meet on a weekly basis to make these assignments and over two years they have made 86,000 assignments. From the time it is sent until the big white envelope arrives the excitement climbs.

I know that my Lani's call was inspired. I know that she was meant to be in the district that she was in. I know that she was meant to develop her ASL. Her mission language will open doors for her future career. I know she was meant to be in SLC. I know she was meant to go to DC and serve in the deaf program and train the sisters she trained there.

I don't fully know how this placement will impact her future life but I see glimpses of it. This is a blog post of a sister Lani served with in DC as she beautifully explains how she is "Living the Dream." and her call was inspired through inspiration.

http://sisterbusathindc.blogspot.ca/2014/07/called-to-serve.html

BTW the 100 day (Until she returns home.) count down started Sunday we are at day 96.
The Mum

What I Learned at Youth Conference???

Half of the TSQ sisters at Brighton Camp sporting this years graphic T's
 Lani is just to the right of center back row.

Dear Family and Friends,

I can't tell you how blessed Sister Peters and I feel this week, we have been in contact with so many people who are truly ready to have the gospel in their lives! We have 5 different people who have a baptismal date scheduled all are progressing well, going to church... Most are on date for this transfer! We honestly don't know where these blessings have come from. We don't feel we are doing anything different but the blessings are coming! This is really motivating us to become the best missionaries we can be, so we are worthy of these blessings we are receiving!

Another person we are as assisting back to full fellowship is going to be married next month! He has a lot to go through to get himself ready spiritually to get married in the temple. He is going at it head on right now and we are so excited for him. It just is such a big testimony to be about keeping the commandments as I see how it is when we make mistakes up how it messes up so much of the rest of our lives. To some people the commandments look so restricting and yet they keep us sop safe. Brad Wilcox came and spoke at a Youth Conference today and talked about how obedience sets us free. I will never forget some of the things he shared about smoking, drinking and immorality.

 Smoking: He talked about a person who smoked before and described smoking like this:

We are up on this level ------ but smokers are here _____ and so by smoking they they are trying to get up to where you are to feel normal, but they don't feel that way... That sucks, who wants to smoke when it makes you feel terrible and the only way you feel better is when you smoke.... talk about living off of something!

Drinking: Everyone who drinks at parties looks like they are having so much fun! And they are getting such a high! But you know the one thing they don't have? The memory of it. Why would you go out and get a high and have a great time if you can't remember it? And then after your head hurts and you never feel that high again? He said "me and my family were out for dinner and telling stories about the family did and what kids said what and what grandma did etc etc, we were all were laughing so hard and having such a great time that the next table over told the waiter "we want what they are drinking" "Water?"" Whats the point of having a good time if you can't remember it!?

Immorality: Pretty much he said that when we give ourselves away to others and to things before marriage we enter our marriage with nothing to give anymore... only to take. If you grow up in that attitude of only taking you will enter your marriage that way, and marriage isn't about one person giving and the other taking, its about both giving and both receiving and than having more to give and more to receive. Its the difference between, Love and Lust. If you love someone you will wait for the right time and place, if you love the Lord. If you love yourself. Love gives, lust takes....

But that is why we have the atonement, that is why Jesus died for us. I'm so thankful for that sacrifice and for that LOVE he showed us. 

I love doing YC (youth conference) and listening to all these amazing speakers, they really do up lift me and strengthen my testimony in what is right.

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

Mom note: This week the sister had a day trip to Brighton Girls camp. Lani didn't write home about the day but Sister Briggs the AP did. It was a day of spiritual experiences and worth a read: http://sisterbriggs.blogspot.ca/2014/07/youre-right-where-youre-supposed-to-be.html

Salvation is NOT a cheap Experience

Dear Family and Friends,

This morning I was reading about eternal marriage in Preach My Gospel and I just loved the quote from The Family Proclamation to the world. https://www.lds.org/topics/family-proclamation I'm just so glad we have the guidance that we do in these days from the prophets :) I also just found a talk that talks about husbands and wives becoming equal partners. Hope you all enjoy it.https://www.lds.org/ensign/2007/08/crossing-thresholds-and-becoming-equal-partners?lang=eng.

I love how my family has been doing family history and this is what my mom shared with me:

"Your biblical lineage goes like this Adam, Seth, Noah, Shem, Jacob, Judah….You then go into the royal lineage of Troy (turkey) You are related to Odysseus, Your aunt is Helen of Troy, Charlemagne, Your 64 great aunt was married to Titus the 10th emperor of Rome, other emperors of Rome and royal lineage of the following countries: France, Netherlands,Germany and England. Pretty cool!"

I LOVE family history, I truly believe as we get to know our ancestors and they become more apart of our lives they can be there to aid us in our time here on earth.

There was a lots of antis (Mom note: Antis are people that are TRAINED and actively try to peach us out of what we believe. Many of them travel to SLC on buses from great distances to go on tours on Temple Square. Their goal is to prevent the sisters from sharing their messages with others by adding a negative influence and to  their tours.They also clog up the phone lines in the call centre to prevent the sisters from answer questions by others that sincerely desire to know more. They get joy out of bringing the sisters to tears.) on the square this week. Sister Peters and I have been talking about the best way to address them. Mostly we are doing our best to treat them like the children of God that they are and help them see us and treat us like the children of God that we are. They don't want to hear our message. So we don't really share it much. We just invite them to learn without prejudice. But most of the time we just want to slap their faces.... but we don't.. promise. But honestly antis are a blessing in a way because I hate not having an answer for them. So I find  an answer to every question they ask me. I don't always share the answer with them (They don't want an answer. They want a fight and to tear down your faith.), but I know in my heart why I believe that and it strengthens my testimony without a doubt. I actually really really enjoy it. Antis are a blessing :)

4th of July was pretty good, Jdogs were awesome (it was really just the sauces) and Sister Peters and I dressed in the colors of America. Our room mate Sister Lunndule is awesome and made me a Canadian flag and her an American flag and printed pictures us all dressed up fro both days :) http://slctemplesquaremission.blogspot.ca

Sister Peters and I are still working hard and not feeling the greatest success when it comes to baptisms at least. We have such high hopes for our investigators and they seem so ready. But all to often they disappear and we don't hear from them again.... This is the hard part about missionary work. Like Elder Holland said "Anyone who does any kind of missionary work will have occasion to ask, Why is this so hard? Why doesn’t it go better? Why can’t our success be more rapid? Why aren’t there more people joining the Church? It is the truth. We believe in angels. We trust in miracles. Why don’t people just flock to the font? Why isn’t the only risk in missionary work that of pneumonia from being soaking wet all day and all night in the baptismal font?" I ask myself this so so so often these days.... but I love his answer: "I am convinced that missionary work is not easy because salvation is not a cheap experience. Salvation never was easy." I just keep telling myself this. I keep telling myself to just work to have the spirit with you and you will succeed. My one ray of hope on my mission has been a women that recently got baptized A. She is now divorced from her anti husband and is trying to be the best example of Christ that she can be to her kids, so someday they will too make the decision to join God's true church to the earth. I too hope that they will make that decision and I will be there to see it happen.

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

Happy Independence Day

Today in RS President Harman (2nd councilor) taught us all about 4th of July and what it means to Americans and also to the church. This land was set up so the Lord could establish his church and bless the world. I really l and am grateful for it. We read a lot from the Book of Mormon to see more of how the Lord has blessed us and prepared this land for the restoration.

1 neohi 13
 12 And I looked and beheld a man among the Gentiles, who was separated from the seed of my brethren by the many waters; and I beheld the Spirit of God, that it came down and wrought upon the man; and he went forth upon the many waters, even unto the seed of my brethren, who were in the promised land.

 16 And it came to pass that I, Nephi, beheld that the Gentiles who had gone forth out of captivity did humble themselves before the Lord; and the power of the Lord was with them.

 17 And I beheld that their mother Gentiles were gathered together upon the waters, and upon the land also, to battle against them.

 18 And I beheld that the power of God was with them, and also that the wrath of God was upon all those that were gathered together against them to battle.

I have always enjoyed reading this part of the Book of Mormon, but now I have greater a understanding  as President Harman shared his thoughts and feelings. July 4th won't be as exciting as last year. We are all getting a 1 hour lunch break in shifts and going to go to BY park and have J dogs, I guess they are a big deal. (shoulder shrug.)

I don't think I have ever worked so hard on my mission or been so driven and passionate before in my life. I hope you are being the best companion and missionary you can be. I know the work is SO crippled when we don't work with our companion. I have noticed this recently as my companion and I are learning to work together. I have seen the blessings we are having as we teach together in unity. I can feel the spirit more as we teach. This is ultimate success to me, because it is not us who teaches but the Holy Ghost. If he isn't leading the lesson, well good luck…. We are simply instruments in his hands. Don't forget that and let him work through you. Our investigators are progressing nicely and I know that we all feel the spirit when we are presenting lessons.

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

The sisters all dressed in red and white for Canada Day.
This is Sister Bascom and her comp to the left flanked by their roommates.