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.

Same O

West Gate zone 22 sisters representing (count them.) nations.

 Dear Family and Friends

So surprise surprise, nothing has changed the transfer with my assignment same companion, same zone, except the sisters in my district and zone :P I was very surprised to be kept with Sister Peters. I thought she would have more leadership opportunities now at this point in her mission. But I am thankful I get to continue to learn from her. At first I was a little prideful and wondered why the Lord had kept me where I was, but then I thought of all the things I get to learn this transfer and I am more than happy to stay where I am at.

By special request, I will fill you in on what has been happening with J. Well first off I am really glad that Sister Peters and I don't have to divide our investigators just yet (problems of a TS missionary) but we will have them for another 6 weeks :D J, our less active who is struggling to over come some weakness and prepare to and go on a mission. We have started to set some simpler goals to work towards, like taking the sacrament worthily and getting a temple recommend. These are big things to him and we need to focus on them instead of the giant goal of a mission. We still want to see him there. He was progressed so much since when we first met him, there is more light in his countenance :)

My new phrase is "If you don't ask a questions about it, you can't companion about it". Okay it is still a work in progress but I have just noticed a lot of complaining lately or just people having a bad attitude about something. They don't even try to understand it. We can't make comments about something or someone unless we really and truly understand them/it. I hope I can live by this, this transfer and teach it as I go or at least me an example of positive attitude.

Playing around in the music room.

We really had fun for our zone activity this transfer we went the the Howells for a BBQ, played around with their instruments and watched a movie. I NEVER want to watch a movie again for a zone activity.

Sis Ma  and Lani Sis Ma just headed on out bounds to Las Vegas.

I really want to be obedient this transfer and just give it my all. Focusing mostly on my investigators and just making sure they know how much I and their Father in Heaven loves them.

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

Sister S found a Bascom street sign

News from T2

West Gate Zone 

Dear Family and friends

Wow, this transfer has gone by SO fast,  I can't even believe it! I swear I just got here and now they tell me I have 3 transfers left! I can't even fathom it . I love mission life. If I could just have my family and a BF here this would be the life. It really would! Guess senior couples really do live the life.... gosh so lucky!

Well Sister Peters and I don't think we will be together next transfer, but you will all have to wait in suspense till my next p-day.... ya don't know when that will be. Sister Peters and I have just had so much fun together this transfer. I have learned SO much from her.

Out bounds were announced this morning! Sister Steenhock is going to my out bound Washington DC north! DC peeps prepare yourself for the sweetest, tallest sister! She will be great out there. My Zone leader Sister Briggs is the new AP, Called it ;) (Sister Briggs and Sister B were in the same incoming group from the MTC and have been friends since they hit the square.)

Tomorrow Sister Peters and I have been invited to a members home to help teach her deaf friend Kristena! I'm SO excited, it should be great. But today we found out that there are some ASL missionaries serving in their area so they will do the main teaching but my companion and I will still be a real help :) Our other investigators are kinda falling off the face of the earth. I'm sure other missionaries know what I am talking about. I have one new investigator who I think can go far if he has that desire. He was taught by missionaries before, and was really on board and everything but still doesn't have a testimony of Joseph Smith. I hope to help him develop that. He has committed himself to read the Book of Mormon cover to cover and to pray about it :)

 

Zone Activity today, BBQ at the Howells. Their neighbor is coming to take our pictures for the church photo pool.... Meaning that if they ever need pictures of missionaries at a BBQ they will use ours :P So I need to keep this short so I have time to go home and look presentable jkjk

But I really am out of time. I love you all and hope you have a great week. Sorry this isn't as spiritual and powerful as usual. I promise a better one next week ;)

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

Love Sister Bascom

All you need is LOVE... (literally)

Dear Family and Friends 

This p-day has been great! We did so much shopping last week that we didn't need to go out anywhere so, I pretty much cooked all afternoon and took a nap.  After this I will write as many letters as possible :) Nothing extremely exciting happened this week.

Our investigators are dropping off.:( I have never worked so hard or desired so much for people to become closer to Christ. Our Zone Leaders say that we should think of ourselves as seed planters. I am trying so hard to have the spirit with me to discern the needs of those we come into contact with and find those who are prepared for our message (We have found some really awesome people, that are not interested in our messages.)  I can't force people to accept the gospel or pick up the phone or drop everything to go to church or meet with their local missionaries. Its just frustrating sometimes! So I sit back into this "its okay you are a seed planter and thats okay" attitude. NO! I want to baptize people. I want to see their lives change! I want to see that! I feel that some people aren't meant to baptize a ton of people (Hunters) and some all they do is baptize (Fishers). Just trying to figure out which one am I and what Heavenly Father wants for me.

Switching gears: Something that I've learned from Sister Peters this transfer is how people need different kinds of love. For example when Peter told Jesus he would not be crucified "This be far from they" Jesus said "get they behind me Satan, though aren't an offense to me!". Wow that is harsh, but Peter needed to learn that. But then we have the story of the adulterous women, who Jesus simple told "Go  thy way and sin no more." They needed different kinds of love. 

Sister Peters shared a story about her outbound President's son. He was put with a companion who told their mission president to put him or send him home, so the President did. That Elder (lets call him Elder B) arrived at their apartment unpacked his X-Box, TV and games and started playing. His companion (lets call him Elder C) called the President not knowing what to do. His President told him to make it work. So Elder C told Elder B that they would take turns planning the only rule you could not complain about what the other wanted to do on their day. So one day they would do missionary work and the other they would sit at home and Elder B would play video games while Elder C read. Elder C read 180 books while they were companions. But you know what,  Elder B changed he became the one of the best Elders in the mission, because of the love and patience Elder C showed him.

Alma 31:5  And now, as the preaching of the word had a great tendency to lead the people to do that which was just—yea, it had had more powerful effect upon the minds of the people than the sword, or anything else, which had happened unto them—therefore Alma thought it was expedient that they should try the virtue of the word of God.

I really have learned a lot from Sister Peters. The biggest thing is to love. To show the kind of love each person needs and how to discern that. I need that love in my life. I know I will come in contact with many people in my life and they all need love. Some people might not seem like they need love but they do. We all do. Love is the greatest gift. You can read about that in Preach My Gospel Chapter 6 Charity and Love. Sister Peters is reading through the Book of Mormon about love and I love what she shared with me. I love also reading about Nephi and his family and how much love he shows his brethren despite everything they do. I loved the article in the Ensign from President Eyring about the Nephites writing to the Laminates, thats love right there!

Gosh I'm just learning so much, I can't believe it!

AND more LOVED than you know!

Sister Bascom

Don't WASTE a MINUTE!

Dear Family and Friends

Wow what an awesome week! I don't even know where to start! My companion is WAY better at giving a detailed description of what we have been up to tan me. Maybe I will just forward hers ;) jkjk but actually she types 6 pages every pray!

I have been on a lot of exchanges this week and I have learned from all of them! On Friday with my Zone Leader Sister Escobedo. Tuesday and tomorrow with Sister Snow. Being a DL this time is a little harder then last to be honest. Maybe it's because my district last time was just so AWESOME or maybe because my ZL push me more or because I am more aware of how we can improve and be better and I want that for each and everyone of my sisters. 

A mission is so short.... I can't believe I can count the months on 1 hand I have left and all the weeks on my fingers and toes.... its not fair. Okay I'll stop complaining now. But I really am learning to not waste a second here. I have never worked so hard as a missionary. I have never wanted it this bad. I'm sad it has taken me this long to figure out my role as a missionary. Now I know who I am and I can't imagine myself not being a missionary. I really can't! All we talk about now are our investigators. All I think about is my district and how we can improve. I love it! I never want to change. Change is a part of life. Just as I am now changed into a missionary. Someday I will be changed into... not a missionary.

But enough rambling let me brag about my awesome investigators!
We met Jane on the square a few days ago and she is really searching for her purpose. She should have died in a car crash a few years ago, but she came out with a few challenges. We hope to teach her on the square again before she goes back to California. We showed her God's Plan and talked a lot about families.

Up date on Josh, we met him again on the square and we really got down to the center of what is going on. He doesn't feel he can forgive himself because he thinks he will just do it again.  I have seen this in several of our investigators as of late. It hurts me to think that they don't know how our Saviour payed for those sins and he wants us to forgive ourselves so we can truly let the atonement work in our lives. One of the sisters here who has temporarily gone home because of illness (Positive thinking.) sent a beautiful picture that made me think of all of the people I have met in the world who don't feel they deserve forgiveness. I want them to look at this picture and see just how tight the Savior holds to that man, despite what he has done.... This is how much our Savior loves us. He wouldn't have it any other way. I read this talk this morning while trying to think of how we could help our investigators who just couldn't forgive themselves and this is what was at the end

"Jesus had not finished his work when his body was slain, neither did he finish it after his resurrection from the dead; although he had accomplished the purpose for which he then came to the earth, he had not fulfilled all his work. And when will he? Not until he has redeemed and saved every son and daughter of our father Adam that have been or ever will be born upon this earth to the end of time, except the sons of perdition. That is his mission. We will not finish our work until we have saved ourselves, and then not until we shall have saved all depending upon us; for we are to become saviors upon Mount Zion, as well as Christ. We are called to this mission."

https://www.lds.org/general-conference/1995/10/the-brilliant-morning-of-forgiveness?lang=eng

This is so beautiful to me and motivates me to serve with all my heart might mind and strength. I know I have a long way to go, but I have come a long way to :) I love the gospel of Jesus Christ. I love the hope and love it brings me. I know that my Saviour lives and his work is not done! I know Mine isn't either not for another 5 months and even long after that.  Don't procrastinate the day of your repentance! Its not worth it!

I love you ALL and wish you a great week!
Remember you are Braver than you Believe, Stronger than you Seem
and Smarter than you Think!
Sister Bascom

My Purpose

The sister on the left was escorted around Temple Square on her tour training week by Sister Peters and Sister Bascom. She is from France and assigned to the London visitors centre

Dear Family and Friends

These last few days I have been feeling really tired! (Thank goodness it is P-day and I can get a few more hours of sleep). I don't think I have ever been so driven and excited about being a missionary. We have some great people we are teaching, My personal favorites (I mean missionaries don't have favourites.) are Josh #1 and Josh #2. Hahhaha yep we are teaching 2 Joshs. They are both LA and they both come to the square to be taught. I shared a little about Josh #1 last week. This week was the best with him! He opened up to us about his challenges and how frustrating it is to have to wait to start his mission papers. We gave him a Preach My Gospel and told him that we are going to help him prepare for a mission. He texted us later and was just so grateful to have our love and support. Man he is going to be such a great missionary! I can't wait to go to his welcome home :) Josh #2 is a little bit older than Josh #1 and just got back from South Carolina.  He grew up a member, but has not always embraced his childhood faith. His fiance is hopefully coming to join him here soon and they are both making the goal of going to the temple. I just hope Sister Peters and I can help in our small way. Josh #2 use to come to TS all the time and meet with sisters hahaha he was so funny when he met us talking about how he needed to get 2 new sisters to help him out since the other 2 are long gone now.

Other exciting news? hmmmm I had my first district meeting since I got back and it went really well. I based it off of a lot of what Sister Peters and I have been talking about. The mission of late has really been focused on baptisms and as you can see from my 2 favorite people to teach I'm not wholly focused on that. Sister Peters was actually very.... hmmm against focuing so much on baptisms, but understood why we are doing that. So we have talked a lot about how we can accomplish our purpose. what our purpose is and feel successful. So that is what I taught in district meeting our purpose "Invite others to come unto Christ by helping them receive the restored gospel through faith in Jesus Christ and His Atonement, repentance, baptism, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end."

Sister Peters and Sister B went to see the Mo Tab perform this week.

I wanted to make sure we weren't loosing our focus on Christ here., Yes baptism is how we bring someone closer to Christ but do they know that? Do they know that Christ is at the center of everything we do? Not just as missionaries but as members of the church? Some people don't even think we are Christian. I think we need to fix something here.... So I will commit you as I commited my sisters "Will you keep Christ at the center of everything you do and say?" If you won't how can you say you are Christian? How can you be a part of his church and not have him at the center of your life? Its not possible. I only say this because I love you, I say this because I know that it is true. The ways of the world and the ways of Christ are very far from each other now, but where are we?

I would love for you all to read this talk that our zone leader (Sister Briggs) gave to us all
https://www.lds.org/ensign/2007/12/jesus-of-nazareth-savior-and-king?lang=eng

Its got some big words in it, but Elder Maxwell is truly inspired. My favorite line:
"This people is seen by the world as eccentric, because they are so Christocentric!"

Be weird to the world, be different  The world turns to us and says "You are not like us." and we turn to them and say "We know it, we don't want to be."

Sister B with Norwegian pro golfer Cecilie Lundgreen
She and two other pro golfers taught RS the lesson today.

You can read about Cei Cei's visit to Temple Square on this blog post. http://sisterbriggs.blogspot.ca/2014/05/its-spirit.html

I love you!
Sister Bascom 

FYI T2

If you have ever wondered about what makes the Temple Square Mission so unique a sister that served in this mission addresses some of the false facts and educates on what makes it an AMAZING mission to serve in.

http://justforthesisters.blogspot.ca/2013/06/the-truth-about-temple-square.html?m=1