EVERY Member a Missionary

Dear family and friends

Ahhh what a week. I can't believe we are half way through this transfer. Sister Barrett and I are kind having the best time ever.  Just this morning instead of doing personal study we got caught up in studying the 3 Degrees of Glory, The Plan of Salvation and such. It all just started with one small question and now.... well you can guess what we are going to do when we get home tonight :) 

My investigators are doing awesome! P found a better job and FINALLY went to church! There is a Chilean women in his ward and he has been invited to their house for a party this weekend, which he wants me to attend with him. He is meeting with those local missionaries too!!!! S accepted a Book of Mormon. Baby steps with her. C who I finally got in contact with has a baptismal date set. Sarah has been helping me with member presentations. 

I just saw Sister Hill (is a dear family friend.) in the church office building! Great week!

Sister Bascom announcing tours in different languages. 

I don't know if I have mentioned this but President Gillette challenged all of us to read 6 pgs. of the Book of Mormon a day to have it read cover to cover before Dec, because of this 2 Nephi 29 has become my new favorite chapter. Its so bold! Which all the sisters have been telling me I am.... I just love it because of..... well you go and read it and guess why ;)

Speaking of being bold, I was reading about missionary work with Sister Barrett from PMG (Preach my Gospel.) book and I loved what it had to say:

Members who share the gospel experience joy and have the Spirit of the Lord more abundantly. As we share the gospel, we appreciate how precious and meaningful it is to us, and we feel a greater love for God and others. The Lord commanded His followers to preach the gospel in all the world, giving every person the opportunity to accept or reject it. HAVE When people are baptized, they make a covenant to always stand as witnesses of God. They are commanded to share the gospel with those who have not yet received it. As they live the gospel faithfully, they will set an example, showing their family members and friends the great blessings that come from living the gospel. They should also take advantage of opportunities to answer questions, share printed or audiovisual materials, and invite others to learn more about the message of the restored gospel. Members should pray for those who are not members of the Church. They should pray for missionary opportunities to serve those who are not of our faith and share what they believe. The Lord promises to help members know what to say and do as they share the gospel.

I love this, because one of my biggest pet peeves has become a member who does not share this AMAZING message of the gospel with others. We have such an amazing gift. The gospel is a gift and we are selfish not to share it. When we are baptized we are covenanting with God that we will stand as a witness. S is such an example to me. She just got baptized. She is sharing the gospel with all her friends now. She doesn't know everything. She just texted me a question that she had about doctrine. She has a testimony that it is true. We don't need to know everything. In heaven we didn't fight with knowledge. We fought against the devil and his followers with testimony. We know that the gospel is true. How? By the feelings we have, not the facts. We don't need those and I have to tell my investigators everyday. "I don't need facts, I don't need prof, I need my Father to confirm it through the Holy Spirit and that is it." He knows better then all of us, so why not ask him above anyone else?

So I have a challenge for all of you, I want you to sit and think about all your friends and family. I want you to share the gospel with one of them. How? Do it yourself, ask missionary in your area or send their info to me. I'm serious, if you don't think you are brave enough to do it alone send their  and your info to me and I will give it to another sister and she can help you and that person more. God has promised us that he will be with us as we teach the gospel, not just missionaries. Be that witness of Christ and next week I hope to have your info and your friend or family members so I can help you, help them come closer to their Saviour and you can have the blessings of sharing the gospel and strengthen your testimony as well. Like they say with love, when you share it, it get stronger, well its the same with your testimony. If you feel like you don't have a testimony share it, always start small, Book of Mormon, Jesus Christ, God the Father, a Prophet. If you have a testimony of any other these things you have something to share, so go and share it.

I hope all of you will take up my challenge even missionaries. Think of an inactive friend or a family member someone who could be strengthened in the gospel and give it to me. I want to help you fulfill your responsibility as a witness of Jesus Christ. Remember why you are here on earth, what is the whole point of coming down here and then look around at people, your brothers and sisters who may have lot sight of that and help them.

Sisters at Mission Family Home Evening

I LOVE you.
I love this gospel and I know you all do too because we all chose it. 

Sister Bascom

What Color are YOU???

Sister Barrett and Sister Bascom your friendly voices at the end of the line in guest services.

Dear Family and Friends

Awe the last few days have been awesome! 

We had the opportunity to go to FHE yesterday with REAL MEMBERS! My district went to a huge house with a nice family. Their son is serving in Taiwan. Funny story he was wearing a I love Taiwan shirt when he opened his call. :P 

While we were there we took a personality test called The Hartman Personality Profile it was really great. It was written by an LDS man. He has been studying this for awhile and he has figured out how to organize people to help them understand themselves and others better. There are four color codes Red-Power, Blue-Intimacy, White-Peace and Yellow-Fun. Everyone has a core of something. The key is to get rid of the down sides of that color code and incorporate or develop the traits of the other colors. I have a blue core but I also have a lot of white, then yellow and lastly red. But if I want I could try and develop some more red or yellow attributes. All people can change, you aren't stuck the way you are. All because of the atonement! Its really cool and very very very true about who you are. Those are their motivations and once you understand a person's core and motivation you get change your adapt towards them and work with them better, understand them more. See where this might be needed in missionary work with companions, investigators etc. It was so so so great. We were killing ourselves laughing because what he said was so true about ourselves, our companions and our friends. So you should all go take this test if you can and figure out if you are red, blue, white or yellow and read Brother Hartmans great book. I know I will when I'm done my mission :) http://www.colorcode.com

Had a great ASL meeting this week, we are going to see if we can have them twice a week now so we can improve our signing even more. We all have noticed our signing skill deteriorating, and Sister Vargas who took ASL classes in collage is wanting to pass off. We all need more practice to help her and the other visitors on the square. Its really bad when you can't use your mission language when needed.....

Sisters dressed in the national colors of Brazil for brazilian day.

Sister Barrett and I are doing great, she is so awesome and I know I can talk to her about anything. We want so much to be consecrated missionaries and we are helping each other with that :)

Ahh my RC (recent convert.) Sarah is being so awesome! She is such a member missionary. She has given me 2 people already to teach and her local elders are teaching another one I believe. She is very excited to share her new life with her friends and be an example to her family. It makes me feel so awesome!

Oh I had lovely visits from several friends (Caden, Wes, Chris and the Salmons.) on the square this week. They scared me half to death but so good to see them :D Even nicer to hear they are all preparing for missions and one has a call to Korea and the Salmons enter the MTC to go to Hong Kong.

Well thats all for this week

Keep being awesome!

Sister Bascom

The sisters on Temple Square represent about 50 nations and teach in 55 languages.

Tender Mercies

Dear_______

Lani and a Sister going to Washington DC visitors center .
Part to the visitor center training they go for a a tour on Temple Square.
Lani was assigned to give one of the new sisters a tour.

I do not like going 13 days without a p-day. Last night I was just so tired and my whole body just hurt from sitting most the day. 

My new zone is AWESOME! I love that I am in the same district as Sister Briggs and Sister Siegle. They are companions and are like my two favorite people here. My district leader is from Mongolia and just came back from out bound.... I forget where though.

I am in guest services now, I take phone calls and set up tours, call sisters to take the tours, sort mail etc etc. Its awesome I love it! I love having that kind of responsibility. I think I will be staying in guest services for 2 transfers as thats the norm and train my next companion in it. 

My new companion is Sister Barrett, ya Bascom and Barrett the 2 B's :P She is awesome. She is from southern California near the Mexican border. She reminds me of Salt Spring Island. She has some hippyish clothes, is a ginger and is vegetarian.  She was once engaged. She is supper sweet a couple nights ago we stayed up talking about dance as she use to dance in high school too.. She just arrived last transfer so I am follow up training her.... (Sisters train for two transfers. I am finishing up her training.)  I find that hard as she is older then me and so much more experienced. She told me about how she went to China and taught English for several months. I'm So jealous when people talk about their travels. I want to do that so badly! I love how she decided to come on a mission  She actually visited TS before she got her call and told Sister Takahashi she didn't want to serve here. :P 

Last Sunday I went to go speak in a family ward! It as so awesome! I think I was close to crying for joy when I first walked in. I haven't been to a chapel in the longest time! They were supper nice. I spoke with sister Barrett (obviously) I spoke on families :) I had so much to say about the topic it was hard to fit it in 10 mins. We also performed a musical number "Come Thou Fount" Sister Fisher accompanied us on the violin. It went really well I would have driven but the President didn't sign my driving papers yet. So Sister Fisher did, which was great cause then she was able to accompany us on the violin and it was beautiful. I love Sister Fisher she is our RS president and she opened up to me once while role playing and told me how she had everything before her mission but she wasn't happy. Then she got the inspiration during conference to go on a mission. She was so upset and didn't want to talk to any of the TS missionaries :P Love her to pieces so glad she answered the call to serve. :)

Sister Bascom and Sister Dias at Music and The Spoken Word.
They get to go once a transfer.

Well before I started my P day today. I was talking on the phone with one of my investigators who called into me (This is a rare thing that I am on the computer when my investigators calls in). She was a golden chat that I took several weeks ago. She knows a LDS family and her daughter and their boy have become really great friends. He asked her if she wanted to read the Book of Mormon and she said "Yes." She went home told her mom and they bought a really old copy off of Amazon :P They both wanted to read it so A, the mom, came online to order one, I took her info and sent the missionaries. Well she is now at the beginning of Helaman and and told me she believes its true. After she is finished reading the book she wants to go to church with her family and said she would love for me to call and teacher her!

I love the tender mercies of the Lord. Like I said at the beginning of this letter I was so tired. I had dropped 3 people this week who told me they were not interested. It hurt to be rejected. Especially when people don't even want to try to read the Book of Mormon and then being told on the square that the "real" Jesus loves you is annoying. The only thing that kept me going last night when I was just dog-gone tired and depressed, is that I knew God always blesses me after a hard day, you can count on it every time.  This week has been crazy with adjusting to the new schedule and companion. After an awesome ASL meeting/catch up with sister John this morning, my conversation with A and  pizza and watching The Best 2 Years tonight :) Its going to be a great day and an even greater transfer! Maybe I will start counting of how many bad days I have and how the Lord blesses me right after it :) So I really really needed that :D He is amazing and I love being able to recognize his hand more and more in my life. He really does care about me. So he must really care about you too :)

Sister Bascom 

See the BIG smile on her face? That is because she is having her picture taken with John Bytheway.
 She LOVES him. I'm sure she was thrilled to meet him after he spoke to them at transfer conference.

God is VERY much AWARE of Us!

The Mission went to the Bountiful Temple to see the new media presentation.

Dear Friends and Family

I am excited about transfers. I hope I train but I am willing to also learn for another seasoned missionary. I love exchanges for this reason. I went on an exchange with Sister Finau from Tonga just a few nights ago. She was supper sweet and I loved her boldness she just wanting to get to know people and their families.

OOOHHH funny moment! Sister Finau and I took a chat with a member. This man wanted to know if he had to be married to get into the Celestial Kingdom. I shared with him D&C 76:50-54 I think. :P Anyways it talks about the requirements of the Celestial Kingdom. When we asked why he wanted to know. He said he had prayed to God about dating and had received the answer that he was to remain single for his whole life. After several minutes of explaining the blessings and commandment of having a family we asked him how old he was. Now Sister Finau had mentioned near the beginning of the conversation that we should ask him his age, but I hardly ever do this so we didn't until now: He is 15. Ya, I laughed SO hard when he said this. He was so relieved to find out that it was not wrong for him to not want to date or have a relationship right now as he wasn't even suppose to steady date until after he has served a mission. I feel bad for the poor kid, no wonder his Bishop laughed when he told him his singleness plan. Poor guy. Anyways I have learned my lesson, I will always ask how old a person is now, so I know what aged group I am dealing with over chat....

I have just gotten back from the Bountiful Temple. It was so beautiful!!! I just love going to the temple, before the session started some temple workers came and talked to us about how we can learn more from our temple experience. They shared some amazing scriptures with us, right after the session. I sat down in the Celestial room and looked up those scriptures. Wow were they awesome! The topics are a combination of missionary work and temple work. They go on to talk about the last days and the signs of the time. I love reading about this time, but have tried to not study it as much and stay focused on just the basic principles so I can teach better. 

I feel like Heavenly Father was guiding me, he knew of my deep desire to know about the time we are living in and so he showed me some scriptures that helped answer my questions. I have found he has been doing this a lot. In this months Ensign there is a beautiful talk by Brad Wilcox on grace. One of the main things people come on chat or the square to argue about is that we only need grace. I have been wanting to study works and grace so as to better explain it, but I felt that I would just be "Bible Bashing" and again tried to focus more on doctrine. I hope you will all read this talk and be able to understand grace and works more through it I know I have and I have love how Heavenly Father lead me to that so I understand it more and can know how it better explain it to other. 

http://www.lds.org/ensign/2013/09/his-grace-is-sufficient?lang=eng

Just these few experiences have really helped me know that my Father is watching me and knows the desires of my heart. I have always been scared to hand my life over to him because I thought he didn't know what I wanted. Now I know that he does, he really really knows me inside and out. It's still hard but I feel more willing and able to give him control over every part of my life, because he knows what I want in my life, but he still knows whats best. So he will give it to me just at the right time, usually after he has pushed me and tried my faith. For ye receive no ^dwitness until after the ^etrial of your faith. I have had this scripture come to my mind a lot this week, and throughout my short mission.

I know that God loves us and he knows what is best, but we have to trust him and ask his help. I have learned that too, God is so loving he really has given us our agency and he will not do anything, he cannot do anything for us, no matter how much he wants to, till we ask his help and guidance. Another reason why I love him more and more each day.

Love you all Sister Bascom

No News is GOOD news

A little excitement on Temple Square in the middle of tourist season.

http://slctemplesquaremission.blogspot.ca/2013/08/chlorine-cloud-chaos.html

Celestial View, Music and Instruction

This week has really flown by (I feel like I have said that before.....). We have our zone activity today! Watching a movie and having pizza again :) Sister Pein (Bein really, that's a long story :P) and I want to make poutine (for those of you who do not know what this is, it is fries with gravy and  fresh cheese on top and is pure Canadian.) this week or next, to bring out our Canadian sides :P She is from Montreal but grew up in Taiwan. She is awesome! Pretty much my favorite person here! She is just a transfer behind me so we will get a lot of time together. Hopefully we will be in a zone or district again next transfer together :D

Oh so last p-day sister Dias, our zone leaders and I all went up to Ensign Peak. It was a hard hike but it was so beautiful up there. Ensign Peak is where Brigham Young envisioned how Salt Lake City should all be laid out and organized. Even though there were a ton of people up there us 4 sisters definitely made a little holy place there. We sat and sang High on a Mountain Top, Come Come Ye Saints and Praise to the Man as we looked over the beautiful Salt Lake City. I hope to visit that place several more times on my mission and many times after.

So we had a very exciting announcement about a very special speaker coming to TS to meet us. You should have been there to hear all the sisters gasps when the president said his name. Hahaha  it was too funny.  So yesterday we had this very special guest come and speak to us for about 45 mins. He had to run to a meeting with the first presidency but promised he would return again because he wanted to shake all our hands. He gave a incredibly uplifting talk about how we stand shoulder to shoulder with him and the rest of the 12 and the first presidency. That we should not think that we can't do this and that if we do just remember he and the other general authorities of the church are standing with us. He spoke to us about the first 12 and how they had to tackle the whole world themselves and how they must have felt. I wish I could have recorded it so I could listen to him again and again. I guess I will just have to read my notes over and over again instead. He was funny and kind, and I can't wait to see him again soon. I only hope he comes before the end of the transfer as Sister Dias was very upset when he had to leave. She really wanted to talk to him and remind him of a promise he had once made to her when she was younger. 

I have really found a passion for learning about the deeper doctrines here. I have always loved learning more about the second coming. I have the best discussions with some of the sisters here :)I want to learn more about our Family History, where we came from, how and why we came to be here, how the gospel has played a part in their lives too. I just have this hunger to know so much now I almost find it hard to believe that I could possibly learn anything else from my mission, I already feel like my cup in running over with knowledge and experience, but I'm sure God has much more in store for me :)

We also got to have Sister Oaks come and speak to us this last week. Her children performed some beautiful pieces of music, including Jenny Oaks on the violin :) 

Hope you all have a great week 

Lots of love
Sister Bascom


Mom note: Don't you LOVE how she left you in suspense on whom the guest speaker was?
Clues: 
Meeting with First Presidency.
Shoulder to Shoulder him and the rest of the Quorum of 12 and the First Presidency.
Other General Authorities are standing with them.

Answer from her letter to the family:
Elder Holland

So jealous. Don't you wish you could just sit at his feet for 45 minutes.

75,000 and counting

Since President Monson's announcement that changed the ages for missionary service. We have seen a huge increase in the amount of young women that have chosen to serve missions.

When Lani entered the MTC at the end of April there was just under 62,000 missionaries through out the world. This week we now have 75,000 missionaries willing to serve in the communities they are assigned to.

These young people are some of the best youth the world has to offer. They leave their families, educations and cell phones behind for 18-24 months and support themselves financially for this time. For those whom are wondering what missionaries do check this out: http://www.mormonnewsroom.org/article/mormon-missionary-life