Temple Tuesday! :)

Hello dear family and friends! Today I got to go to the House of the Lord for a few hours! It was marvelous!!! :) I loved every minute of it.

However...

I did NOT love every minute of this week! :( Why you ask??? Because this past weekend was full of chills and fevers and sore throats and sleep.

Boo for being sick.

I'm still getting over my cold and now I sound like a raspy Rudolph... so that scares EVERYONE away from us on the street. Sheesh you would think I had leprosy! :) jk! but really.....

Anyways, besides that this week was pretty good!!!

We picked up 2 new Investigators!!!! YEAHHH! there names are Hailey and Taylor. They are sisters and they are Perla's (refer to last email) neighbors and friends. We taught them the Restoration and the spirit was strong.  They told us that they wouldn't "become Mormon" because their family would be really upset with them, especially their grandma, but they don't know it's true yet. Once they do... things might change. We told them to pray about what we had told them and then gave them a Book of Mormon and told them to start reading it. We have another appt. with them on Thursday. Hailey seems a little bit more into than Taylor. So we shall see how things progress.

Sherry is doing good. She was a live investigator at a zone conference in Huntington Beach. Sister Luft and Sister Andelin Taught her. They focused on her concerns which is prophets. We are going to have to start seeing her less and less. Because she isn't really progressing anymore... which is so sad... she knows it's true. She's just waiting for a SIGN!!!! Sis Johnson and I are studying and praying about what we can teach her next to help her progress to baptism. She is so ready!

Our ward had their Harvest Festival this weekend and we got to go! We got a member referral out of it and everything! Wooo!!! However, we aren't sure if she even lives in our area yet. So we will teach her the Restoration and find out where she lives... haha.

This is me and Ellie Carr!!! My favorite little 3 year old!!! I love her so much!!! She is the daughter of one of the members that I LOVE LOVE LOVE!!!

The temple today was AMAZING! I felt so much peace as I sat and pondered on things in the Celestial room. There is no feeling that is better than complete peace.

Sister Johnson, Sister Jan Adams( member that took us), and Me! (It was super bright...)

Lately I have really been doing some soul searching. I want to be the best missionary that I can be. I want to be the Missionary that God knows I can be. And I feel like I'm not there yet. Granted I'm only 7 months out... but this next portion of my mission is going to be dedicated to becoming even MORE converted to the Gospel of Jesus Christ and really internalizing the Christlike Attributes that are in Ch. 6 of Preach my Gospel. There's a quote in Preach my Gospel that I put on my wall that I love. It says, " Just as vital as what you do, however, is who you are." I so love that!!!! Because I can preach the gospel all day long, but if I am not as Christlike as possible while doing it, then what's the point?

So that's what I am working on as of late. Standby.

That's it for this week folks!! Love you all and hope your week is a good one! Talk to you next week!!! :)

Much love!!!

Love, Sister Bauer

Fwd: Miracles upon Miracles!

Hello again dear family and friends!

Today I miss all of you a lot more than normal. Not sure why... but today is a "Missing my family and friends" Kind of day.  I hope you are all doing well.

Well Lets talk about what happened this week! Ahh! So many miracles!!!

So last week we were contacting around LBCC (the college we live by) and a girl who was pierced up and down, ripped jeans, crazy hair stopped us and said, "Hey sisters! What ward are you in?" So we told her and she said, "I'm a member but I haven't been to church in like a year. I just moved in around the corner and I want to come back to church. I need Jesus Back in my life!" So we got her info and let the singles ward sisters know who she was and told them to get her to church.

Flash forward to Saturday. We were having a really crappy day. Neither of us could contact anyone and we just were feeling really sorry for ourselves. We were walking back to our apartment and there was Perla again! She said, "sisters!!! What are you doing right now? Can we have a lesson?" So we said sure and she said, "I'll go get my Bible!" So she did and we started talking. She told us about how she is a convert to the church and about how she kinda fell away but she knows the church is true and how she knows that she needs it in her life. 

But that's not the Miracle.

She lives with her sister and her sister's boyfriend, who are both not members. And I think if we can get over there, we could start teaching them! PLUS she has a best friend named Hailey who is 13 and is her next door neighbor who we are going to start teaching.

Another thing that happened was that it was the end of the night and we had been visiting less active/Do Not Contact/members we have no clue who they are and time after time we had doors slammed in our face telling us to not bother them again. It was.... sad. 

So we were going to the last house of the night and kinda sad. We knocked on the door and this Hispanic guy came. We asked for Leona, because that is who we thought lived there, and he said no one by that name lived there. Then he asked who we were, when we told him his face softened and he said, "Oh my goodness you girls are an answer to my prayers. I have been praying for someone to come and talk to me about the word of God." So we talked to Him a bit on His front porch about things, but couldn't stay long because it was right at the end of the night.

We gave him a Book of Mormon and said we were going to come back and teach him when we had another person with us because he was a single guy. But we couldn't set a return appointment because he has a weird schedule. He said just to drop by.

Also this week Sister Luft and Sister Andelin came to do a mini exchange with us in our area. We just contacted and sister Andelin and Sister Johnson were able to find 3 awesome potentials!!!

Sometimes it is so easy to get discouraged. You get in hard situations and tight spots and it feels like nothing is ever going to get better, but then a shining light comes through and you realized that God opened a window.

Ok, that was a long email! But thanks for reading it all!

I love you all so much! Make this week an awesome one! Next week I get to go to the LA Temple, so Pday will be on Tuesday!! Holla!!!!

Alright love you all!!

Love Sister Bauer

Week uno with my new Compañera!

It's true! I have now had a new companion for a week! It's been weird! But good! I miss sister Brown like crazy and we will always be friends, but change is always a good thing... Even when it's not really wanted.

My new companion's name is Sister Johnson. She is from Riverton Utah and is 19 years old. She has been out 3 months and she is awesome! She's super happy and positive and just glad to be a missionary. She has always wanted to serve a mission, so when they made the age change she hopped on board. She is really awesome and I am sure that this transfer will be great!

I can't believe that October is half over. It seems like time just keeps moving right along... probably because it is. 

This week we ran into this guy who basically was arguing with us about the fact that what we believed was crazy. It was the closest I have ever come to bible bashing.... but I didn't physically have my Bible with me... so I couldn't really. But it was really frustrating. We meet some pretty crazy people.

Haha! There was another lady we ran into this week who was walking behind us, so we said hello and asked her name. She sketchily told us and then asked if we were students. When we said we were missionaries she quickly said, "Oh no no..." and then looked at the ground and walked off super quick. It was crazy... haha.

Sherry set a Baptismal date with us!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! She is now on track for Dec 15! Wooo!!!!! She said... "Maybe" but that's farther than we have ever got before. She set that specific date herself and is praying about it. I really hope she will stay on track.

Pat.... oh Pat. Pat is awesome.... but she is so lost and confused. I think I have talked about her before a little bit. She is Catholic and is very involved in her church, but everytime we come over to her house she tells us that she feels a void and that she isn't spiritually fed at her church. She loves the feeling she gets when we are there and then asks us to come back. But ALWAYS finds excuses not to meet with us. She is fighting so hard the spirit that she feels when she comes. We try to keep daily contact with her, but she is rarely home and never answers her phone. But we are NOT giving up on her because she NEEDS the gospel.

Well anyways! That's it for this week! I love you all and will post pictures next week!!! 

Have a happy day and a happy week! Don't for get to Smile!!!

Love, Sister Bauer

A Little Spiritual Upliftment...

My Mom has told me that this is all over facebook and pinterest... But it is a really good principles, so I thought I would share it anyways!

Help Us Out!

Pictures #2!

Elder FROST!!!! Love this kid! He was our district leader my second transfer and sister brown's first. He is an amazing missionary and goes home tomorrow! :( I will miss his throw-down missionary ways! I'm telling you... He is the next Elder Holland!

Elder HOWELL! So me and Elder Howell grew up together in Meridian! What are the chances right? Anyways, he is leaving this transfer! Back to normal life her goes!

So... this is a bathroom in a nearby park. Sis brown is sitting... and there are no doors. I had to stand watch. haha.

Well... Nothing much else to say. Except I love you all and miss you all. God is changing me!

6 months this week... where does the time go?

Much love!

Sister Bauer

Fwd: Pictures!

Sherry! Our investigator. Love her more than words can describe!

The APs! We love them! They are great missionaries and put up with our shenanigans! :) Elder walker and Elder Dixon (Walker just got released)

SISTER LUFT!!!!!! She is leaving this transfer... and I have already shed my fair share of tears. So thats sad. I will miss her super badly. She is amazing and I owe a lot of my mission to her. 

After Conference Hang-Over! :)

Oh man! It's been a really good week! Wasn't conference AWESOME??? I am soooo grateful that we have a prophet on the earth who can give us modern day revelation and comfort our souls with the words that only Christ could be speaking. 

After all, the Lord says, "What I the Lord have spoken, I have spoken, and I excuse not myself; and though the heavens and the earth pass away, word shall not pass away, but shall all be fulfilled, whether by mine own voice or by the voice of my servants, it is the same." (D&C 1:38)

The things that were said at conference were things that Jesus Christ Himself would have said if He were here on this earth.

Think about that for a second.

Can you remember what a BIG portion of conference was about?

MISSIONARY WORK!!!! :D

Yay! I loved President Uchdorf's talk about WHY anyone would join our church? Why would they?

Because of the feeling that comes in knowing the things that we know. And in knowing that we have the RESTORED gospel of JESUS CHRIST on the earth today.

Sister Brown (My companion) gave a talk in church last week and said this,"Members of the church have never had to ask themselves the soul searching questions: Who am I? Where did I come from? and Who am I? But for those not of our faith these are real, and they can be very frightening questions.

We are lucky enough to know that through the gospel of JESUS CHRIST we can be happy not only for this life, but for the rest of ETERNITY! :)

"And moreover, I would desire that ye should consider on the blessed and happy state of those that keep the commandments of God. For behold, they are blessed in all things, both temporal and spiritual; and if they hold out faithful to the end they are received into heaven, that thereby they may dwell with God in a state of never-ending happiness. O remember, remember that these things are true; for the Lord God hath spoken it." (Mosiah 2:41)

So, I encourage you to all heed President Uchdorf's talk and also take take the challenge that Elder Ballard gave in finding one person from now until Christmas for the missionaries to teach.

I know as you PRAY for opportunities to share the gospel, they will come. And that as you stand for truth and righteousness you will be blessed. The missionary moments will come in ways that you can do. God is not going to ask you to go knock a street of doors if you are uncomfortable with it! but He might give you a prompting to tell your friends about general conference when they ask you what you did this weekend.

God LOVES us! So the least we can do is help the rest of his children come to that knowledge! Because he loves them too!

Ok... Now that I am off my soap box. :) 

Sherry came to all four sessions of conference with us at the stake center. She really liked a lot of the talks but said that President Monson makes her sleepy. We told her that as she continues to heed His counsel that a witness will come and we testified that he truly is a prophet of God. I really know that he is and I am grateful for him and the revelation he receives.

This week we drew out the Plan of Salvation with chalk in the park! I don't know if we found anyone because of it, but I know that it will plant lots of little seeds.

It's kind of hard to see because of the lighting... but it's there! It was really fun! 

Well That's basically it for this week! Nothing much more to say!

Oh! Transfers are tomorrow and I'm staying in my area another transfer! CRAZY! By the time the transfer ends, I will have been in this area for 7&1/2 months! Sister Brown got transferred to the singles ward who meets in our same building. She will be in a trio and we will probably still see each other every Sunday. So that will be good!

Well I love you all soooo much! If you didn't watch conference please watch it! or listen to it! or read it! or whatever!!!!! It was so good!

Have a great week and I will talk to you all next week!

Pictures to come in a separate email!