Monday, August 26, 2013

Drum-Roll Please...........

Well... Sister Brown and I are staying together for one more transfer!!! Happy Day! I love her so much! I just hope we won't get too sick of each other! :)

Well, Yesterday I had to say goodbye to one of my favorite missionaries. Sister Shaver. (One of the first sad goodbye's of many I'm sure...) At the end of every transfer we have a departing fireside and that was last night. All the departing missionaries bear their testimonies and then there are musical numbers as well. Last fireside I sang and played a song that I wrote, this fireside I sang a duet with another sister named Sister Andelin. We sang "A Child's Prayer" It was really awesome! I love Departing Firesides. You can't go unless you are in the program or you bring and investigator. Sherry came also! It was great! I love her! She does so much for us!

Sister Brown, Sister Shaver, Me, Sister Perry

So... speaking of Sister Perry! I have a really funny story about her. Right before I left on my mission... Like DAYS before... I discovered an email on Facebook from some girl named Michelle Perry. I was so confused and so I opened the email and read what she had to say. She proceeded to write that her name was Michelle and she had been called to the same mission as me and was supposed to enter the MTC on the same date too, but she had to get surgery on her foot so she had to delay her entrance date. I emailed her back and we talked back and forth for a few minutes and then she asked if she could receive my weekly emails. So I said sure and put her email address on the list. Well, I won't lie.. I thought she was a little weird at first. Hahaha But I was like, whatever! So she came in this past transfer (the 16th of July) and I met her for the first time. We both recognized each other and it was a weird little reunion/introduction. Long story short, she is probably one of the coolest people I have ever met and we will be friends forever! I love her so much! She is hilarious and has an AMAZING desire to just work super hard. How could I have ever called her weird? :) We laugh about it now! She was Sister Shaver's comp. this last transfer. She's hilarious and I love her! Hopefully we will get to be companions at some point! We have 9 more transfers to get a shot! 


My District: "Junipero" 
Elder Butler, Elder Komarek, Elder Jesperson, Elder Owen, Elder Manwill, Sister Brown, Sister Bauer, Elder Fillmore, elder Thorup, Sister Butler


Woodruff Ward Missionaries!
Elder Thorup, Elder Komarek, Elder fillmore (Visa Waiter to Brazil) Sister Bauer, Sister Brown


Elder Komarek is getting transferred to Whittier. After 7 1/2 months here in Woodruff, he's getting a change of scenery! Bye Elder Komarek! You will be missed! Good luck in Whittier!

Well, As far as the work is going here, We are still teaching Sherry! We taught her about the 10 commandments and also about following the prophet this week. We watched the Mormon Message "Good Things to Come" by Elder Holland. I HIGHLY suggest it! It is a really good one! The spirit was really strong and me and Sister Brown just really bore our testimonies that we know that President Monson is called of God along with all of the quorum of the 12 apostles. I love those men. They truly are Called of God. 

Well, I love you all so much! Ready for another week in the Great California Long Beach Mission! (Arguably the greatest mission in the world!)

Another Shout out to my best friends Allyson and Jordan! CoNgRaTS on your ETERNAL MARRIAGE!!! Wooo!!!! Now you can join the ranks of young married Mormon's across Utah! ;) Jokes! You know I love you both and wish I could have been there! Glad I had a proxy (Thanks Madison). 

Well, Onward Christian Soldiers!!! 

God be with you till we meet again!

Love, Sister Bauer



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Tuesday, August 20, 2013

I love to see the Temple!

Oh Family and Friends! Today is a good day! Why? Well... let me just tell you why!

Because today I got to go to the temple with my wonderful companion Sister Brown!! :)

I can honestly say that the temple is one of my favorite places in the world. I feel so close to God. And even when there are storms raging within my soul, I still feel peace there. It's a very rejuvenating feeling. If you can, I challenge you all to attend the temple this week. Whether you do an endowment session, baptisms, or just walk on the beautiful grounds; I challenge each of you to go to the temple with a specific question in mind and I promise that God will answer you. But you have to listen with your heart.

That is one thing that I have learned this week, to listen with my heart. Often times I get so caught up in what makes sense in my head, but as I went to the temple today and felt the peace of Heaven, I was reading the Book of Mormon and came across a scripture that changed my testimony and outlook on what I believe. 

Alma 5:12

"And According to his faith there was a mighty change wrought in his heart. Behold I say unto you that this is all true."

I have not always known if The Book of Mormon was true. I have not always known if Joseph Smith was a prophet. But when I doubted, I came across this scripture. I realized that God does answer my prayers. He answers them in His own time, but He answers them. And in a way that we will recognize as truth. I know that "This is all true"! And I know because I had to ask God. So ask God, and I promise he'll answer.

Well, let me tell you about what has gone on in the Woodruff ward this week!

We taught Sherry last week. We taught her about the P.O.S. We had a member there who is coming back into activity. It helped them both to be reminded how much Heavenly Father loves them through this plan he has given to us. Yesterday we taught her the 10 commandments and focused on Keeping the Sabbath day holy and not taking the Lord's name in vain. She said she would really try to do her best on those. The Relief Society President was there as well as sister Luft was on a mini exchange with me and sister Brown. We were in a trio

Welllll! That's all for this week folks! Shout out to Jordan and Allyson! Congrats on this Saturday! I will be thinking about you guys that day! I love you both! 

Until next week! Keep the Faith!!!

Love, Sister Bauer

Pics:
1.) At the LA Temple
2.) Me and Sis Brown at Seal Beach



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Monday, August 12, 2013

Prevoiously... This Week.

Hi all! Hope everything is great! It's been nothin but sunshine here in Long Beach! 75 Degress with an Ocean Breeze! :) I can handle that!
 
This week we handed Christopher off to the APs because he is 26 and should really go to the singles ward. He always had deep doctrinal questions, and I feel so inadequit to teach him anyways. I'm sure they will do a great job.

We picked up a new investigator. Her name is Susan! She is actually in the Elders area, but a single woaman and VERY busy! They were never able to set return appts. so they gave her to us! Well We have visited her a few times and this past time we were fianlly able to set a return appt with her! Yay! So we will meet with her tomorrow at like 11.

Sherry is Sherry! As great as ever! I looooove her!!!!! So much! She texted us this past week and told us how much she loved Mosiah 4 and how she thought King Benjamin was a great speaker and she wished she could have been there. She is really progressing right along. I love her a lot! I love spending time with her. She is so great! She won't set a date still, but at this point, we asked her how we can help her progress towards baptism and she said to keep teaching her, and don't pressure her. So that's what we will do. :) But we love her all the same and we are glad we get to be around her so often. she is truly an Angel!! 
 
Well, I know it's not much this week! But I love you all anyways! I will talk to you all on TUESDAY next week because its a TEMPLE Pday!!! Woooo hooooo!!!!!! Makes me happy! Ok! Signing off! Love you all alot!!!!!
 
Love, Sister Bauer



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Monday, August 5, 2013

We All Have Our Ups and Downs!

This week was good!

We met with Sherry twice. The first time we met with her this week, we watched the Restoration with her. It is really hard because the spirit is present, we ask inspired questions, and then she will say something completely irrelevant that will drive the spirit away. You can feel her putting up a wall to the spirit, but we can't figure out why. We also met with her Thursday night and she had some questions about the priesthood and why the blacks couldn't hold it until 1978 and we talked about the purpose and the miracle that IS the priesthood. She asked if it bugged us that women couldn't hold the priesthood and we said no, and talked about our divine role as women. I love her! she has a sincere desire to learn, but she is still hesitant to set a date. I know that if she were to set a date, that she would see the miracles occur in her life. We took her to the APs baptism on Sunday night and they both testified to her that she needed to be baptized and that she knew she did. She told us afterwards that she thought they were a little intense, but I felt that she needed it and that it was good for her. We are going to read the Book of Mormon with her to try to help her receive an answer. She has real intent though. So that is a good start. 

We didn't get the chance to meet with Pat because we had our sister's training on Wednesday. We also didn't get the chance to meet with Christopher, but we will meet with him on Tuesday and then hand him off to the APs [who are in the singles ward] because he is 29 and we think he would enjoy the singles ward.

This week, my faith and my patience has been tested. Well, not only this week, but every week. Let me just be completely honest with you all. The emails I send every week are censured of basically anything discouraging that happens. But being a missionary is HARD! Spiritually, mentally, AND physically. I have days when I struggle more than I have ever struggled before in my life. I have days where all I want to do is curl up and sleep all day because I feel like I can't face anything. But through the struggles and trials and hard times, I know that I am growing. I didn't come on this mission because it sounded like a good time. I didn't come on this mission because I didn't have anything better to do with my time. I came because GOD TOLD ME TO. And that is really it. I never wanted to serve a mission, but when the spirit speaks, you do best to listen and act. So I did, and 10 months later, here I am. I had no idea that I would be a missionary someday. It was never in my plans... but I know that I am supposed to be here. I know that this is something that I promised Heavenly Father I would do. I'm not here because I wanted to be a missionary. I am here because I love my Savior and my Father in Heaven, and if Christ can atone for my sins, I can help bring his children back to the truth for a measly 18 months of my life. I love this Gospel of Jesus Christ, and I know that it is the fully restored gospel. The SAME one that Christ established while he was on the earth. I love the Lord, know this is HIS church. I know that sometimes life gets hard, and unfair, and unbearable... but that it's these times when we grow the most. If life were nothing but easy there would be no point in being here. So, as much as I HATE MY LIFE when I am having a hard time, I'm grateful for my trials. Because I know that through them, I am going to become shaped into the person that God wants me to be. I love you all! 

Alma 38:5

Sorry for the long email! I just felt prompted to share! Continue to pray for me and for the missionaries all over the world. I miss you all and I love you all so much! God be with you till we meet again! 

Spread the Love!!! <3 Mosiah 2:17



Love,



Sister Jacqueline Marie Bauer




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