September 21, 2015

Kim only had a few minutes online this week.   She is faced with being sent home again and has struggled with this.  She fasted twice this last week and knows via that process that she is meant to come home early.  Here is a short note and some pictures that Kim sent me and her Dad:

I have truly been blessed as a missionary here in Chubbuck Idaho, I have seen so much good and so much pain. I have seen people change through the Gospel of Jesus Christ and I have truly been changed because of this experience. Will I miss it? Yes! Will it affect my life for the worse if I go home? Not really, because I know now that life does not revolve around not finishing a "full time" mission. I know that life is a "full time" mission. You don't have to have a badge to share something that has helped you! 

A mission does not define who you are, only you and God define who you are as a person! 

                                              This was Kathy's Baptism on Saturday!

You must get on your knees! And fight with prayer!!

First of all when you read the subject line you should read it in a older and wise voice, its even better that way! :-)

Wow I can't believe its already been another week!
                                                                                

Me and sister Brough found a new investigator this past week, she is from Texas and just moved here to Pocatello 6 weeks ago. Her daughter is a recent convert so she knows a little about the church. But when we talked about the Book of Mormon she said "I always knew that there was something more in this world!" WHAT!!!

Anyways the other exciting news is.... Oh wait for it.... thats right...

KATHY IS GETTING BAPTIZED THIS SATURDAY!!!!!!!!!!!

Oh my smurf and she is so ready and on fire about the gospel! I don't know how, but I am so blessed to have her in my life!                                                                      

                                                            (Kim playing music to wake up Sis. Wooten)

Also this week we attended a women's conference for the Pocatello North stake and let me tell you just how awesome it was! It was centered around the attributes of Christ (here is a video)  http://www.mormonchannel.org/watch/series/mormon-messages-for-youth/christlike-attributes-1

Watch it! It only takes 3 minutes of your life, and it is well used time ;-)

I learned so much about the life of Christ and how to become more like Him. Because that is the goal; to become more like our precious Savior and Lord Jesus Christ. There is no better goal in life, there is nothing more glorious that can be shared then the message that, He lives and He has payed the price for all of us to be able to become like Him and our Heavenly Father, to be able to be with our family's forever, to have eternal happiness!   Why wouldn't we want to share that with others?! It is the greatest message and gift you could ever give anyone!
                                                                           

I know that Jesus Christ is my Savior, that He died for me personally so that when I am going through hard times He will know exactly how to help me! I know He lives and that He can be with us everyday, but we must open our hearts to receive Him! I know that Joseph Smith is a prophet of God who restored His true church to the earth, and I know that He will never again take His church off the earth again! The Book of Mormon is another testament of Jesus Christ, it testifies that He lives and that we can become like Him! I know that President Thomas S. Monson is our modern day prophet! He is truly God's messenger and will and is guiding us through this world!
                                                                               

I love you all very much and I know the gospel can and will bless you!!!

Hermana Bell Xoxo

"Careful there are hobos in these rocks"

Hey family and friends!! How are you?

Goodness its been a good week, I mean it usually is. 

                                                                             

  

So  this week we have been working a lot with our wards to set up a ward mission leader training. We all get caught up in the idea that missionary's do all the finding, but in reality its really the members there in the area. We as full time missionary's are only in an area for 6 weeks to a couple of months. We don't get enough time to get to know every single person in a city or a town. We depend on members more than anything. You are the ones who know your friends and neighbors, your family and acquaintances. So take the time and get to know them. Invite them over for dinner or just over to get to know each over more :-)

So bad habits.... yeah I have a lot of those hahaha :-)

My worst one; technology 

                                                                             

  I didn't realize how dependent I was on technology until I came here on my mission. But I realized how much time I actually did spend on my computer, my phone, the TV, an I-pad, etc, when I finally made it here to Idaho. I was to concerned about TV to get to know people around me. Like it was slightly more important then my friends and others. I realize that this isn't a problem for everyone, it was just one of my bad habits. 

  I was able to replace bad habits such as watching 8 hours of TV a day with an hour of scripture study or getting to know people around me. 

  I have looked back at the difference it made in my life. Even though I wasn't watching or listening to things that were bad or anything it was just the amount of it! It was making my attitude towards others sour and mean at times! When I cut this out my attitude changed, I was happy and felt good. I wanted to talk to others and be around them!

So what it your bad habit? Is it stopping you from being who you could be?

                                                                                       

So funny quote of the week. This is from our 11 year old investigator; "Careful there are hobos in these rocks." and ten minutes later "Today a hobo crawled over my feet today. But it's okay he was nice."

So you can only imagine the images going through my head right? All I can really think is "WHAT IS WRONG WITH YOU ALL'S HOMELESS PEOPLE!?"

Well come to find out that she wasn't talking about homeless people. There is apparently a "hobo" spider out here hahaha Pretty crazy right? 

                                                                                   

Anyway everyone I miss you tons! 

And remember this quote from Cinderella "Have courage and be kind." Because what more can you be then kind? 

We could all use a little more kindness in our lives!

Love you all!!

Hermana Bell

Life in Idaho

                                                                               

So we had the amazing privilege of getting to meet Elder Martino of the 70 yesterday! He spoke with us for 6 hours and let me tell you I feel so uplifted and inspired afterwards! 

  He talked with us about missionary work and working with members and then talked about life in general! I have to say I left really inspired!
                                                                      

Anyway me and Sister Brough have been working all week to find more people to teach, and on Wednesday of last week we called our dinner appointment to confirm and he happened to be in a bishopric meeting and told us that they had a referral for us. So we called the family and she said that her and her daughter had been going to church off and on and that they wanted to be baptized! So we went over the next day and taught a lesson and by the time we had left we had already set a baptism date with them!! Heavenly Father really does answer prayers and hard work does pay off. Maybe not as soon as you think it will or in the way it will but it will happen!
                                                                                           

Let me tell you about my amazing companion sister Brough. She is from Memphis Tennessee, we have debates about which BBQ is better; Memphis or Kansas City. Neither of us can win because neither have tried the other cities BBQ. She is super funny and has amazing personality and connects with other people very well. 4 months ago she was serving here in Pocatello when her and her companion were hit by a car in a cross walk. She went home and found out that she had not only broken her leg, some of her toes, but that she had also broken her neck! 

  She made a remarkable fast recovery and came back out. She has worked harder then anyone I have ever met! 

  My first 3 days with her she made me breakfast. 

We both love Harry Potter (Score!) and Lord of the Rings. And we just get along very well.
                                                                               

Well family and friends I love you more than I can say, and miss you tons!

I hope all is well and I love reading your emails and letters! 

Stay strong!

Hermana Bell   

Hola mi rama familia!

?Que pasa? 

So its been another crazy week, after transfers last week we were covering two stakes here in Pocatello with our little trio, but my new companion sister Brough finally got here on Tuesday! She is amazing, and one of the most inspiring people I've ever met! She was out for 10 months before going home for health reasons and then came back out! So we both of a lot of stuff in common. 

  We are now covering a whole stake instead of just 4 wards, so it's been fun going and meeting new people and finding more people to teach! 

                                                                              

Pocatello I'm pretty sure is where pintrest was invented! Peoples homes are so beautiful here!!! Like right off of Pintrest! And the people are amazing!  I'm so glad that I got called here so I can come back one day and see everyone again!! 

Anyway sorry its a really short email today! But I love you all tons!

Hermana Bell

PS: So last Monday me, sister Wooten, and sister Smith went to this cute little music shop... And this happened... Hehe ;-) 

Crazy Week!

So another week has come and gone, and to say the least it was a crazy one!

But we finally got word about my new companion and she will be coming out tomorrow, so I will no longer be in a trio and covering 2 stakes (Yay!)

It has been super fun white-washing the other half of the stake that the Elders had before they moved them out, so that has been taking most of my time this week.

Kathy is doing great, she has been coming with Sam and Emily to their new member lessons, and we have been going over and reading the Book of Mormon with her. 

  On Sunday we had another missionary fireside and Kathy, Emily, and Sam came and Kathy told me after that she really needed to hear the speakers that spoke. Kathy is amazing and so ready to be baptized! 

  Sam is heading to college and the bishop and missionary's will be finishing his new member lessons there with him.

  We found a couple new investigators this week and will be teaching them the first lesson on Thursday! Super excited for that.
                                                              

On Saturday I got to go to a Fiesta with the Spanish Branch here in the Stake and help serve nachos. And then we played "Futball" for 2 hours hahaha. Hispanics can play soccer for forever and never get tired holy smurf! But it was a lot of fun and I loved being there!

  Everything is still great and everyone is doing well.
                                                                               

For the spiritual thought of the week go watch this video http://www.mormonchannel.org/watch/series/mormon-messages-for-youth/reach-out-with-love

I love you all tons!!!

Hermana Bell   

Wow what a busy week!

Wow what a busy week!

We got our transfer call this last week and.. I'm staying in Pocatello! Yay! I will be taking over the whole stake though since they are taking the Elders out.

Sad news: Sister Worrall is going home tomorrow! I will miss her so much! She has been an amazing friend and trainer!

Exciting news of the week: We set a date with Kathy for September 19th!!! Kathy is perhaps one of the most loving people I know! I'm so happy that I will be here to see her get baptized!!
                                                                                      

Random things of the week: I actually forgot to tell this story a couple of weeks ago hahaha! We were out trying to contact people and we saw this one guy that we had been trying to see outside. Well he saw us and ran inside and locked the doors, closed the blinds, and pretended to not be home. So we went to go see someone else. Well on our way back to the car we saw the guy open his door and throw something and

BAM!! It was a grenade!!!!

Hahaha I'm just kidding, they were just fire crackers!
But they were loud. Guess we won't be trying him again ahahaha!

                                                                   

t's just going to be crazy busy now that we have the whole stake, but its a good busy :-)

  We are mainly just trying to find new people to teach at the moment... Umm not really any other earth shattering news to share this week...

Oh wait!!! I almost forgot!! SAM BLESSED THE SACRAMENT ON SUNDAY!!!!! I was proud of him! He did so well!
                                                                              

Spiritual thought of the week: 

  Alma 32:12,16, this is the chapter where Alma is teaching the poor people of the Zoramites. The poor people have built all these synagogues (places to worship) and the rich people have told them that they cannot worship in them at all! So they go to Alma and ask him about it, and he tells them... "...it is well that ye are cast out of your synagogues, that ye may be humble, and that ye may learn wisdom; for it is necessary that ye are despised of your brethren because of your exceeding poverty, that ye are brought to a lowliness of heart; for ye are necessarily brought to be humble....therefore, blessed are they who humble themselves without being compelled to be humble."

  To quote my sister, Karmen Bruner who just gave a talk regarding being Humble...
     "Humility minimizes arrogance and removes pride. It is understanding our fallen nature and tendency to think we are better than we are, and our striving to lift up ourselves above others and God. It is admitting that others and more importantly God is responsible for our achievements. Humbleness will enable us to be a teachable person who is willing to have the attitude of acceptance and servant hood, one who confesses sin and remembers how Christ served us!

                                                                                      

Humility isn't a weakness. It is a modest view of ones own importance. Not proud or arrogant.

Arrogance is to have or reveal an exaggerated sense of ones own importance or abilities.

Make no mistake about is: pride is the great sin. It is the devils most effective and destructive tool."

  To be humble is to be teachable, to be loving to others and to love oneself. To have a true desire to follow the words of Christ. Being humble allows us to gain wisdom as well. When we are willing to accept faults or mistakes and eager to learn or fix those things, then  you are humble.
                                                                                     

  This has been a hard lesson for me to learn through out my life so far, but I know that with help from our Heavenly Father and hard work and a good attitude on our part we can achieve this.

I love you all so much and miss you tons!!

Mucho amor, Hermana Bell