The Last Hoorah!

All the departing missionaries.

​Well... this is it. I can't believe that this is my final group email. This week was really hard. I cried everyday thinking about leaving this place. I am so grateful for the people that I have met here and the experiences that I had.

Now, it's on to a new chapter in my life. One filled with excitement and an unknown future. 

I just want each of you to know that I have LOVED my mission. So much! I wouldn't trade it for the world. This is God's work and it is soooo good! I love you all so much!!!! 

I am so grateful for the chance God gave me to serve a mission. It has truly been amazing. 

I love you all and I love my Savior.

Love, 

For the last time

Sister Bauer

A week to make it count.

This Morning I cried.

I cried thinking about leaving this place. I don't really even know how to explain how I feel. I guess the best way I could explain it is that this has been my home for the past 18 months. The people here are my people. They have seen me change, grow, cry, laugh, and seen my good days and bad. Southern California has seen me grow and change and become something that I never even imagined I could be.

Being a missionary has been the hardest, happiest 18 months that I have ever experienced. I sometimes think about what my life would be like without my mission. I can't even think about it. It hurts my heart too much. The people I have met, the things i have experienced, the person I have become and the changes I have made. I could never give that up for anything. I would choose it over again in a heartbeat. I love my mission with all of my heart.

When I decided to serve a mission I knew it would be hard. I knew I would face trials and have to learn to rely on God, but no amount of preparation could have truly prepared me for how hard it really was. I can recall so many instances when I would ask Heavenly Father, "Can't you just help me feel like I'm not drowning? For like 2 seconds?" I always felt like whenever I would get the hang of something, Heavenly Father would throw another weight on me and I would struggle to keep my head above water... again. It was a pattern I found throughout my mission. I would overcome (barely) a trial, and then I would face something new that was just as hard or sometimes even harder. I remember one experience specifically when I got called to be in leadership. I remember feeling so inadequate and very afraid. I would get on my knees and I would plead with God to help me. Those moments on my knees were sometimes the only times that I felt like I could even continue on. But those times gave me a testimony that prayer is real. They helped me understand that God is listening, that he hears our cries and acknowledges our pain. But just like Christ in the Garden of Gethsemane, sometimes we have to drink the bitter cup in order to fulfill our purpose here in this life. 

God's work and His glory is for us to return to live with him. Everything that we experience is for that specific purpose. So Have faith! Have faith that when your mission and your life gets hard, it's all a part of the plan. Have faith that God will not forsake you and that all things are possible through Christ. (Philippians 4:13) Keep on Keepin' on my friends! Because this work is divine and we are entitled to His divine help. I love my Savior and I love this work. 

God is so good. He takes us out of our comfort zones, and he changes the plans we have made for ourselves to what he knows will help us reach our potential. That is what he did with me. I didn't want to serve a mission, but I would never trade it. As we submit to God's will, he will always bless us 10 fold. 

I am excited to see you/talk to you all in a week! But this week, I will make it count. I have one more week to be set apart from the world as a representative of Jesus Christ. I have one more week to change the world, one contact at a time. I have one more week to live it up and be the best missionary that I can be.

Pray for me this week! Pray that I can see miracles and feel the power of my calling stronger then ever! 

I love you all so much! I will send off my last group email next week!

Love, Sister Bauer

Temple Tuesday!

Today was temple Tuesday! But... I didn't even get to go. Because I went a couple of months ago with Sister Perry on a non-pday and I had to give one up.

I don't have much to say this week except life is good. I am sick an dI lost kmy voice... so that's annoying! I don't have much else to say. But I love you all short email time today!! 

Talk to you all next week! 

Love Sister Bauer

The days are like weeks and the weeks are like days!!

Wowee! This week was hectic! We went on 3 exchanges this week. 2 of them were back to back! Sister Oler and I didn't really get to see each other much this week... But none the less is was still a really good week!

This week we didn't even get to teach any of our investigators, we also didn't find any NEW investigators... which is a MAJOR bummer because that means we've gone 2 weeks in a row without finding a new investigator. But we have some really good potentials and return appointments set up for this week. 

We did however have some really rad lessons with some Less Actives. 

Jackson (I changed the name) is an 18 year old kid in our ward who has been through a lot. He made some really dumb choices his senior year in High School that kinda costed him a lot. He's got addictions he has to overcome and the Atonement is becoming very real to him. I love teaching Jackson. He's got such a powerful spirit. He has a desire to change, and you can feel his testimony come through when we are in lessons with him. He has a long ways to go and he sometimes continues to make mistakes... but I can feel the love that the Savior has for him and it's incredibly powerful.

We were also able to do service this week for a less active part member family. Jen and Jayson. Jen is the member. She told us that Jayson has been asking about when we are going to come over again. So that's exciting.

Miracles are all around me! I love my mission!!! :)

Well... That's about it for me this week!!! Catch ya'll next week!!! :)

Love, Sister Bauer

And the Busy-ness Continues!

Wow! This week was suuuuuper busy! I can't believe that it's already Monday again. The first P-day of the transfer. The first week always seems to go by so quickly! Then again, so does the second and third week and then before you know it another transfer is half over and it feels like all you did was blink! The days are beginning to count much more these days. Every time I am in a lesson or at church I can't help but tell myself to savor this moment because soon it will be gone and will be nothing but a memory. I love my mission.

 

Anyways!!!

 

This week was full of exchanges and member present lessons!! We had a goal of getting 6 and we did it! It was not easy but we were quite proud of ourselves. We didn't find this week though... which is kinda sad, but we will find this next week. We have a lot of good potentials who just haven't quite been picked up as investigators yet. They will soon hopefully.

 

This week we had two of our investigators come to church. Good Ol' Mike Michalka, and a new investigator that we picked up last week, her name is Chin Yu. She is from Taiwan and is studying English here. She is pretty good for only being here one month. She understands most of what we say. But man... it is really difficult to teach her! Our "Teaching simply" skills have really been put to the test. We literally can't elaborate on anything It's been very interesting. Not only because of the language barrier, but also because she doesn't have a Christian background. This is not something I have encountered on my mission yet... so it's been kinda a trip! She is 21 years old and is the sweetest thing. She is always laughing and smiling and telling us she doesn't understand us! haha. It's really funny. Luckily we have a few resources who speak fluent Mandarin Chinese who have offered to help us with lessons. It's been quite the adventure I must say.

 

This week I was studying more about the atonement. I was studying about how to use it and apply it into my life and I was brought to the story about the women who was taken in adultry. (John 8:2-11 <-------Go visit that link and watch the video.)

The scribes and Pharisees bring the woman before Christ to see what he says about her. And in so doing he says the most profound thing. 

"He that is without sin among you, let him first cast a stone at her." 

None were perfect except Christ. He was the only one who was even capable of casting a stone. And yet... he says these simple but life-changing (for me) words.

"When Jesus had lifted up himself, and saw none but the woman, he said unto her, Woman, where are those thine accusers? hath no man condemned thee?

She said, No man, Lord. And Jesus said unto her, Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more."

"Neither do I condemn thee: go, and sin no more"

The atonement is LITERALLY that simple!!! Christ does NOT condemn us. As we are willing to change and we recognize the mistakes we have made in the past, all He asks is that we go and sin no more. Maybe this is too simple and you all already realized this... but this was the coolest insight that I had when I realized that I can be forgiven. When I realized that I can change. BECAUSE of Jesus Christ. 

Go and sin no more. 

God is so good. He just wants us back with Him. Christ loves us. He's our older brother and he will do anything fore us. He has done everything for us. I love this gospel. I love my Savior. I love my mission and the person is has and still is shaping me to be! 

Have a great week! 

Love, Sister Bauer

It's the final countdown...

So... That was a suuuuper trunky subject line. But it's kinda true. :( Tomorrow marks the last first day of the transfer that I will have on my mission. I can't believe it. I have 5 weeks left to be a full time missionary. It's so crazy and so sad.

I am staying in Cypress for my last transfer! Hurrah! And I am staying with Sister Oler. But.... Plot twist!!!! Sister Greathouse is going to be coming with us in a trio!!! Whaaaaaat??? We were both super surprised because I was with Sister Greathouse for 2 transfers before in Norwalk and she has already served in this ward for 3 transfers before she came with me in Norwalk. So she will have a double repeat. Repeat companion and repeat area! Weird... That doesn't happen very often.

This transfer is only 5 weeks. Normally a transfer is 6 weeks long, but there was a scheduling conflict so they had to change the transfer date. I got short changed. Oh well... what are you gonna do? Anyways, Sister Oler and I figured out that we literally only have 4 full proselyting days with each other. Every other day we will either be in meetings, on exchanges, or at the temple. It's going to flyyyyy by! It makes me sad.

I have been doing a lot of reflecting these past few days. I have made a lot of mistakes on my mission. A looooooooooooot. There are things that I wish I could've known at the beginning that I know now. There are things that I wish I didn't know still... And I have realized how truly amazing the Atonement is. Because of the atonement of Jesus Christ, I can be forgiven of the mistakes I have made. I can finish my mission knowing that I did everything I could to make God proud. There are still times that I wonder and doubt that God loves me with all the flaws and stupid things I have done in my life. But last night I talked to one of my past companions who had to remind me that even though I do mess up a lot, it's the grace of Jesus Christ that makes me worthy to enter into the kingdom of God.

I am not good because I have done good things in my life. Nor am I bad because I've screwed up so many times. I am "good" because Jesus Christ paid for me to be good. Now I have to accept that and do something with it. It does me no good to sit here and be upset with myself because of the things I have done wrong, instead I take that and use it to change myself. A change that is only possible because of my Savior.

I am soooooo grateful for the Atonement of Jesus Christ and that I have priesthood leaders who can help me access it's amazing healing power! I am soooo thankful for examples of goodness that I can look up to and strive to be like.

I'm probably not done making mistakes, both consciously and unconsciously. I'm not promising to be perfect. But I am promising to "Try a little harder, to be a little better." (President Hinckley)

I want to be better! I want to be someone who God (and I) can be proud of. Thanks for letting me screw up sometimes and for loving my anyways. It's been a bumpy ride... But I think I'm finally starting to see what God has in store for me. That's what a mission does for you I suppose. :)

I looooooove this gospel. I really do. I know that it's true. I know that it is Christ's church. I bear HIS name. I represent HIM. This is HIS work and it can only be done with HIS spirit. I love this work. Soooo much. I have been soooo blessed to be apart of it for 17 months.

God speed this week! I love you all!!

Love, Sister Bauer

Subject...

I had noooo idea what to put for the subject box... so I just left it like that. 

Sorry there was no weekly email last week. Email time was sparse... and I was lazy...

Last week me and Sister Oler went to the Long Beach Aquarium on Pday. It was really fun! Which is really funny... because she is afraid of animals, and I am afraid of fish... haha. But we really enjoyed ourselves. Pics are attatched.

We find out transfers this coming Friday and I have no clue what is going to happen to me. There are a few options. Option A: I stay as a Sister Training Leader, stay in Cypress, and Die with Sister Oler! Option B: I get released and get trainsfered to a new area for 5 weeks, with a new companion. Option C: I White-wash/Train into an area. (White wash means they bring 2 new missionaries into the area at the same time, and if I trained at the same time, It would be me and a brand new missionary) I am hoping for either option A or option C. But I'll go where you want me to go dear Lord. :)

Well, That's about it for this week. Oh! There is a Recent Convert who we are helping move tomorrow and she is in need of prayers. Her name is Juanita. They are basically going homeless and she has 2 little girls. It's super sad. So keep her in your prayers. 

Alright! I love you all!!! Have a great week!

Love,

Sista B!

Hot! Hot! Hot!

This week was a scorcher!!! Well at least for Southern California's standards Lucky for me... we have a car with Air Conditioning. Oh the life of a California Sister Missionary! :)

This week was full of exchanges, car washes, blitzes and helping other sister missionaries. It was good! but like I said... it was very hot.

Our area these days is doing good. We have a few investigators. One inparticular is Mike(Aly and AJ's Uncle). Mike has been investigating the church for about a year and refuses to get baptized. He's the sweetest guy and he comes to church every single week, but he just doesn't agree with what we believe on Authority. So.... basically I am asking for any advice on what we could do with him? Any missionaries/RMs/anyone else that has ideas at how to help him understand that authority has to come by the laying on of hands... not just that we believe and then we have it. 

I don't really know what else to say this week. It was that exciting. Maybe it was... but my "exciting missionary senses" are just dulling. haha I guess that is what happens when you have been on a mission for 16 months! :)

Well I love you all and I miss you! Have a great week!

Love Sister Bauer

Pic week!!

Hey Family and my friends! I love you all! I don't have a ton of time this week to email!!! But I thought I would send out some pics... because we all know that pictures are worth a thousand words!

This week is transfers... I am STAYING! but Sister Perry is leaving... :( She is going to the Los Alamitos ward with Sister Andelin and Sister T. Sister Andlin is leaving halfway through the transfer. I still get to be her STL so I am excited about that! MY new companion's name is Sister Oler. She is cool! I am excited!

So... cool story!! (Waaaaay shortened version...) So we have this investigator, her name is Ashley! And she has been kinda learning from Sister Perry since before I got here, but she hasn't really progressed much. Until recently we were able to reconnect with her and commit her to meet with us again. We showed up and her boyfriend Alex was there with her. Alex has had a really rough past and is really misunderstood. We started talking about what we do and he said, "So you know a lot about like faith right?" And then he proceeded to ask us about what we believe happens to people that commit suicide. Ashley had told us previously that Alex had watched his Gpa commit suicide when he was 16 or so and it really messed him up. He had always been told that his Gpa was in Hell and there was no hope for him. When we told him that that wasn't true... he started to BAWL! (This is a guy that is a personal trainer... he is SUPER manly!) We were able to teach him the Plan of Salvation and testify that He would be able to see his Gpa again oneday. They were both soooo excited and started asking what to do with the information they had! They were like, "Do we come to church? Do we pray? What do we need to do?" So we committed them to read and pray everyday and to come to church! They weren't able to make it to church because they had a baseball game, but hopefully they will come soon. It was one of the most powerful lessons I have ever been in on my mission!!! So cool! After that lesson, I remembered WHY I am here... so people can be with thier families forever. It was really cool and eye opening!

Also, Healani is getting BAPTIZED this week! Woo hoo!!! I love her She is so awesome!!! 

Well, I have to go! But I love you all so much! Stay Classy and I will talk to you all later!

Love, Sister Bauer

So these Pics:

1.) Healani (Our cute investigator who is getting baptized this Sunday!!), Sister Perry, Lena (Our Mini Mish), and Me)

Temple Tuesday! (Round 6)

Yes... It's true! It's temple Tuesday yet again! This is my 6th temple Tuesday!!! But this one was a little bit unique!

In our mission they have a program where youth that are 17 or older can be a "Mini-Missionary" for 1 or 2 weeks. They are assigned to a companionship in the mission and live the missionary life for that time. It's a cool experience and we have one with us this week and next. Well, because our sweet little 17 year old mini missionary is not endowed and has not been through the temple we decided to do baptisms instead and we brought one of our Recent Converts at the Newport Beach Temple! It was great! It's been a while since I have done baptisms! It was a good throwback to my good old BYUI days! :) Although... I don't miss the getting wet and having to get re-ready and having wet hair... haha. But it was fun!

Guess what everyone!! Healani is getting BAPTIZED! She is officially getting baptized August 3! :) She asked her parents and she is golden. Her brother Schane is over the moon happy!! So am I! Healani is so great! We looove her!

Well... I know this is short, but I don't know what else to say... Have a great week this week everyone! I love you all!!!

Love, Sister Bauer

What a Week!

Annnnnnnd........ another 4th of July is over! Crazy how fast time flies! (I think I literally say that in every email...)

 

This year was super fun! We actually had a lot of work to do! We taught 2 lessons, one was with our cute investigator Healani! (I need to take a picture with her...) We taught her about the priesthood and about why it is important to be baptized by the proper authority. She loved it and it totally made sense to her. She is seriously the coolest 14 year old ever. She came to church with us and she bore her testimony. She had it planned and everything! She loves testimonies and she even quoted the Book of Mormon in it! :) Haha! Right now we have a baptismal date of July 27 for her. So pray for her to be able to feel ready by that day!

 

My best friend Delci (Sister Brown) was also in town this weekend visiting the mission! Ugh! It was so good to see her. She really is my girl! I love her. We got to talk a little bit and catch up on life. She came out with us on the 4th and taught a couple of lessons. It was really fun to be able to teach with her again.

 

I am so grateful to be a missionary! I love it so much! I love Cypress and I am grateful to be serving with the missionaries, members, and leaders that I do! Guys... being a missionary is seriously the most rewarding thing ever. This morning when we were in the Laundromat doing our laundrey, we started talking to a lady who told us that she didn't feel like she was at the point that she wanted to be spiritually. We taught her about prophets and then set up a return appt. for the next monday at the Laundromat! Helping people come closer to Christ is the coolest feeling. I am soooooo glad that I decided to serve a mission. It's dang hard, and there are days when all I want to do is sleep... but it's so worth it. It's worth every drop of sweat, every sunburn, everytime someone has yelled at me, or called me crazy, or said I belong to a cult. It's worth the whole 18 months even when it feels like an eternity, it's worth the sacrifice of leaving my family and friends and comfort zone. Leaving my facebook account and phone. It's worth the rules that I don't understand (Like no hlding babies) and the waking up at 6:30 everyday (Even though I'm not perfect). It's just WORTH IT! It has literally changed my life and I do not know what or where I would be phyically and spiritually if I hadn't come. I love my mission! I love the people I have met and the lives that have touched mine. I love my mission presidents (both of them) President Bubert and President Tew. I love thier wives and thier families! I love God and Jesus Christ and I loooooove thier restored Gospel! It's a great day to be a missionary!

 

Love Sister Bauer

Happy Birthday America! (Round 2)

So, it is true! It seems to be that time of year again! The one where we break out the hot dogs and hamburgers and grill up some goodness light off some good old fashion fireworks! :) Except not here in Cypress... because fireworks are illegal here... And we follow the law. :)

I still remember last year during the 4th of July! ME and Sister Brown took a picture in front of the Goodman's house! :) I miss that girl. I'm sure this 4th will be just as good. Maybe.... ;)

#ThrowbackThursday (Just pretend it is Thursday... I can't email on Thursdays...)

Anyways. Healani is good! She got back from girls camp on Saturday and then came with us to a baptism that night. She is super cool and just really has a thirst and desire to follow Christ and do what God wants her to do. We talked to her about baptism on Saturday and she said that she wants to be baptized but that she is afraid of what her parents will think. Her older brother (Member/RM) assured her that they would work on that together with her parents. She is praying about a date right now and next time we will follow up with her. Hopefully we will be able to set one the next time we meet for some time in July. She is great!

Well, I know this is short... But I love all of you to pieces! Have wonderful 4th of July! Don't go too crazy! I miss you all and I will talk to you all later!

Love your favorite missionary girl,

Sister Bauer

 

The Key to a Happy Missionary: When our Investigator Comes to Church! :)

Oh my goodness! I have been so excited to write this email!!! 

This week was super cool. It was a testimony to me that numbers don't really matter. We got 0 member present lessons, and we didn't find any new investigators, but we had miracles happening alllll over the place!

So, I think I have talked about our new investigator Healani before. (Pronounced Huh-Lonni. It's Hawaiian.) She is 14 and was a referral from the Cerritos 1st Ward Elders. Their ward borders ours and they got a call one day from the APs to go and teach this girl, but they found out that she lives on the boundaries of our 2 wards and she is on our side. So they passed her to us. Well, her older brother Schane is a convert and he just returned from his mission in Northern CA. When he got back, his sister was asking him all sorts of questions so he called the missionaries in his ward, who happened to be the APs, and they called the missionaries they thought were supposed to teach her, then those missionaries called us. So ANYWAYS! She is suuuuuper cool. We have been teaching her for about a week. She just finished her freshman year of HS and is probably the coolest 14 year old I've ever met (Aside from Austin of course ;) She played football on the freshman team this last year, her position was left tackle... Yeah. She played on the boys team. It was her and another girl on the team full of boys. She played on the JV basketball team, she Polynesian dances, and she is super musical. She loves Jesus and wants to follow him more than anything, she keeps all her commitments and came to church with us on Sunday. AND She is going to girls camp with our ward this week! haha! Yesterday we went to a fireside with her for the youth for the close of their youth conference, and she got up and bore her testimony. After the fireside, the girls in the ward were talking about girls camp (Which is tomorrow) and we asked her if she would want to go. She said yes and we divinely had all the right people RIGHT THERE to talk to about it. The stake YW Pres, the Stake Pres, the Bishop, and the Ward YW Prez. It was really cool. So we got it organized in a matter of a day! It's such a testimony builder that with God anything is possible, and in God's timing! We are super excited for her to go!

While we were at the fireside, a bunch of youth all got up and bore their testimonies. While some of them were idiots, (what do you expect, they are literally teenagers... was I that obnoxious as a teenager?) they were so REAL with their testimonies. They were so simple, and some of them just talked about the things they liked about youth conference, but they were honest. It was really cool. It made me even more excited to be an EFY Counselor for summer 2015. (That's my hope at least.) The youth of the church are seriously incredible. I mean think about it. They are LITERALLY the chosen generation. God's army on the earth. They have so much power and influence over the world, and they are so fragile. It makes me want to work with them even more so that I can show them how amazing they are. Ugh! It gives me chills! :) 

Also, this week we had a lesson with a less active we have been working with. His name is Mel... He's actually completely not active at all. He doesn't know if he believes in God even. But he loves the missionaries and meets with them pretty regularly. We have been working with him to help him have the desire to believe in God. And this past week He finally agreed to read the Plan of Salvation pamphlet. The sisters have been trying for 6 months to get him to that point. So it's a big deal. It's cool to see people's desires change and to see how much the gospel can change someones life. 

Well, I know this one was kinda long, but it was full of really good missionary stuff! :) haha That's what i REALLY like to talk to you guys about.... its just that sometimes I don't quite have time to send a quality email! :) I love you all!!! have a great week and rememver that God is good!

Love, Sister Bauer

Transfers Again!

Oh hello my friends!

 

What a great day to be a missionary! This past week was very busy and full of craziness!

 

So this past week Sister Perry and I got to go to the temple with a Less Active that she helped reactivate when she was in Fountain Valley. It was awesome! We got to go to the Newport Temple and it was the first time I had been to that one. It was great.

 

Transfers are on Tuesday! Me and Sister Perry are staying together another Transfer in Cypress! I am so happy! She is the best!!!!! :)

 

Well Sorry this email is short! I don't have a lot of time this week!

 

Talk to Ya'll next week!

 

Love, Sister Bauer

 

Pic:

At the Newport Temple with Sister Perry

An Apostle of God shook my hand...

It's true! This weekend we got to hear from Elder Ballard from the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. He came and spoke to our mission about all things missionary work. Mostly about how to find more. And you know what he said? Talk to more people! That's the secret! haha who knew???

Elder Ballard talked about how if we can just talk to more people, our teaching pools will increase and our baptisms will go up also. It was so cool to listen to a Apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ and just soak up his words.

I also got to shake his hand!! Ahh! 

There was a question and answer portion at the end and a sweet elder from our mission asked a really inspired question that touched everyone in the room. He talked about how he had only had incredible companions and how he was so grateful for that, but he also felt so inadequate because they were so amazing. 

Elder Ballard, in the sweetest way, said, "Elder I can fix that right now! You are a SON of GOD!" And he proceeded to tell him (and the rest of us for that matter) that inadequate feelings are not from our Heavenly Father. They are from the adversary and we are enough for God. It was a REALLY cool and good reminder that it doesn't matter that I am not the best at everything I do. God has set forth his plan that the gospel will be declared "by the weak and simple things of the world". And I am so grateful for that. 

God is so good! He has inspired men who are called and who speak inspired words. I'm so grateful that I got to hear Elder Ballard!

This was a picture after the conference was over. IT was really cool because the whole mission was in the same place! So we all got to see old friends. Love it!

These are my Homies! :) My good friends in the mission. (From left to right:) Sister Perry, Sister Luter, Me, Elder Bengtzen. Sis Perry is my comp. and Sis Luter is also a Sister Training Leader, so we talk to her a lot. I love them... :) 

​

That's it for this week!

Love,

Sister Bauer

Happy Memorial Day! (Round 2)

I can still remember this day last year and what I did! We went to a member's house for a BBQ and Elder Komarek's parents were there (And elder who I was serving with) and I met them! Hard to believe it's been a year.

So this week was fuuuullll of learning experiences. I have really been trying to remember my purpose as a missionary and try to be consecrated fully. We had some fun experiences.

But first... Something cool to brag about! :) So do any of you know who Aly and AJ is??? They were Disney Channel stars a few years back? They were in the movie Cowbells... anyways... So we are teaching their uncle. His name is Mike. He is so wonderful. We love him. Anyways, We have signed pics from them and we even got invited to be in thier movie! but... alas... we are missionaries... so we can't haha. But we will come back and visit and meet them! He already promised! :)

This is Mike! and Aly! and the picture they signed for me! :) So cool!

​
This week we set 2 baptismal dates with our cute little investigators Bianca and Natalia. They are 10 and 11 Year old girls who have a thirst for the gospel like you wouldn't believe. They just LOVE God. We actually set the date for June 1st with them last week, but they were sick so they couldn't come to church last week. So we went over yesterday to make sure they were still game to come to church because in order to be baptized you have to come to church twice. So we knocked... and no answer... so we knocked again... no answer. So we knocked again and again and again and still never an answer. Ay Carumba... So we went and we sat in our car and we prayed. So we got out and knocked again... this time someone answered!!! But not the way that we wanted. The girls' dad came to the door and yelled at us and told us (using some very colorful language...) that the girls would not be coming to church today. Then proceeded to slam the door. Well, ok then. We both looked at each other and just walked back to the car. It kind of made us sad the rest of the day. :( But then we had an AWESOME lesson in Relief Society about Elder Holland's talk from general Conference "The Cost--and Blessings--of discipleship" (You should read it it's really good.) And it said some amazing things about being a missionary.

Elder Holland said, (in that talk)

"Indeed, of Jesus Himself, Jacob's brother Nephi wrote: "And the world,because of their iniquity, shall judge him to be a thing of naught;wherefore they scourge him, and he suffereth it; and they smite him, and he suffereth it. Yea, they spit upon him, and he suffereth it, because ofhis loving kindness and his long-suffering towards the children of men.'

In keeping with the Savior's own experience, there has been a long history of rejection and a painfully high price paid by prophets and apostles, missionaries and members in every generation—all those who have tried to honor God's call to lift the human family to' a more excellent way."

As I had that experience with being yelled at, I thought about all the other times I had been rejected, and made fun of, and looked down upon as a missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. I realized that OF COURSE I would be rejected! OF COURSE I would be made fun of! and OF COURSE it would be heartbreaking! 

Jesus Christ Himself experienced all of those things, and I am a REPRESENTATIVE of Him. I have been called by a Prophet of God, and set apart by someone who holds the same Priesthood that Jesus Christ held, to stand in place of the Savior. If I get to experience the joy that comes from telling people about him, and minister the way He ministered then of course I will be rejected and spit upon and feel a sliver of the pain that He felt. 

I love my mission so much! I have learned more then I ever could have if I hadn't come. I've learned so much about myself and so much about what God has in store for me. I have learned more about what I want for my future and how I want to raise my family. I love the gospel so much! I love you all and I love my Savior!

Have a wonderful week! I love you all!!!

Love, Sister Bauer

Happy Week 2 of the Transfer!

I literally cannot believe that week 2 of the transfer is already over! What the what? It is really blowing my mind and freaking me out how quickly the time is going. After this transfer is over I only have 3 left... I am really hoping that Sister Perry and I will get to stay together for another transfer. But That's getting ahead of myself! Let's talk about this week!

This week was good. We had a lesson with our investigators Bianca & Natalia. They are so sweet! They are 10 and 11. We set baptismal dates with them and they love talking about God! They didn't get to come to church this week though because they both got really sick. Sad day... but we will see them tonight! They are adorable!

We also had a lesson with our investigators Becky, Harold, and Jeff. Jeff actually just got out of jail because he had gotten himself into trouble and then turned himself in. He read the whole Book of Mormon while he was in there and was even quoting scripture and applying it to himself when we had our lesson with him. We talked about the Book of Mormon and where it came from and why it is important and how we come to know if it is true. It was a super good lesson.

In our mission we have this culture we are trying to establish, it's:

"We teach every night, we find every week, and we bring someone to church every week." 

And I love that Sister Perry and I have actually been able to accomplish that! (Kinda) This week we had committed 7 people to come to church! Buuuut...... Gosh dang Satan and his sneaky ways! Bianca and Natalia got sick, Ron & Barbara (Our other investigators who are moving to Arizona...) had family come into town last minute, Tina got stressed and freaked out, Sasha is 13 and her dad wouldn't let her come (Which we kinda figured would happen), BUT Lauren (A less active we are working with) came! She is so cute! I love her! She has a newborn wittle babyyyy!!!! And she's half black and she's sooo cuuuuute! :)

So, this week was good. We had 3 exchanges this week and they were fun! I actually really enjoy exchanges for the most part... I just hate leaving Sis. Perry... I get separation anxiety. haha

Well Anyways! I love you all!! Have a great week and I will email ya'll next week!!! 

Love, Sister Bauer

Me, Sister Andelin (The blonde), & Sis. Perry (The Auburn colored hair) ;)

A Week of Bliss!

Oh my Gooooooosshhh!!! Let's just talk about how wonderful this past week was! 

So wonderful! :)

I was able to be companions with my best friend out here, and I was able to do MISSIONARY WORK!!! Not that I haven't before, but I worked sooo hard and we had some MAJOR miracles!

This week we found 9 New Investigators and had 7 Member Present Lessons! IT was the coolest thing of my life. And I was sick this week! So awesome!!!

I wish I had more time to talk about some of the miracles that we saw. well I will give you one of them.

So, I LOOOOOVE contacting people!! It's really scary and hard at first, but once I get into the swing of things, I love it so much! So we were on our way to visit a former investigator and we crossed paths with 3 Jr. High Aged girls. So we started talking to them and I flat out told them we weren't creeps and started teaching them about their worth and how important they were to God. Then thier 4th friend showed up and we taught her too. We were able to have a lesson with them and set up a return appointment with these 4 sweet girls for next week! They loved what we had to say and wanted to learn more. I love teaching youth because I can be so real with them and straight up tell them how it is. So we have a lesson with them next week.

We also found 2 sweet 10 and 11 year old girls who looove the idea of being baptized. We just have to meet with their parents and get permission to teach them. 

Definitely a week of miracles!!

Well my time is up! 

Love Y'all!

Love, Sister Bauer

Easter as a Missionary.

So, since being a missionary, holidays that revolve around Christ mean so much more. Recently God has been trying to help me understand the Atonement so much more. And what a perfect season to do it! So Last week I sent a link to that website on Mormon.org that had the "Because of Him" video. I think those of you who didn't watch it should watch it again. Because it is AMAZING!

http://easter.mormon.org/?cid=HPTU041514694

Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world. He LIVES and loves us and #BecauseofHim we can live with God again!

This week I was on exchanges in the singles ward. We taught the Plan of Salvation to one of their investigators and it was one of the coolest Plan of Salvation lessons I have taught on my mission. As we were teaching about the Atonement and how we get to love with God again, this kid's eyes just lit up! He was grinning from ear to ear and me and Sister Lindsey were EXCITED! We were stoked and so was he! We said, "You get to have this!!! This is something that you can look forward to! and all you have do is these 5 simple steps!" It was super cool to see this 19 year old kid see the happiness that can come with living with God again!!!

MAN! I LOVE BEING A MISSIONARY!!!!

Something I have learned this week:

In order for us to experience great joy, we must first pass through deep sorrow. Because there must needs be opposition in all things. (2 Nephi 2:11)

Charity suffereth long... to have Charity, we have to suffer... It's a weird thing I am learning these days. But it makes a lot of sense.

I love you all so much! Have an amazing week and I will talk to you all next week! :D Peace and Blessings!

PS

OH AND HAPPY EASTER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Remember the Savior Lives!!! 

Go to the link!

http://easter.mormon.org/?cid=HPTU041514694

Love Sister Bauer

Temple Tuesday Yet Again! :)

Well, Sorry I didn't warn some of you last week that it was temple transfer week! But Here I am now... You can all rest easy. I'm not dead. (Delci, Heidi, Madison)

Well This wee was pretty good. We had a miracle this week. I was on exchanges with Sister Turner and we were in my area. We had a really good day planned and I had made the decision that I was going to talk to everyone. I have really been struggling with that lately. So we talked to everyone and because we did we met this guy who was genuinely interested in what we had to say. We had a lesson with him on the street and taught him the restoration. It was so cool! Then we set up a return appointment with him.

I also gained a testimony of the "Adjusting to missionary life" booklet thing. This past week I was struggling. So I decided to open my adjusting to missionary life booklet and look at the talking to strangers part. One of the things it says is to think about what is the worst that can happen. So I did and I came to the conclusion that the worst that can happen is that someone is mean to me... Well... God decided to apply that principle into my life. That same night we contacted a referral we had received through the system and he was NOT INTERESTED to say the least. but after about 10 minutes of verbal abuse... I was still alive and God confirmed to me that I was ok and that there wasn't much worse that was ever going to happen then that... so stop being scared to talk to everyone! :) God works in mysterious ways but he is SOOO good!

So the temple this morning was amazing! I felt the peace that I have been begging for and it just really spiritually rejuvenated me. I love the temple so much!

Well I don't know what else to say. HAve a good week and I will talk to you all soon!

Mosiah 24:13-15 READ IT. LOVE IT. EMBRACE IT.

Love you!

Love your favorite missionary girl, 

Sister Bauer

General Conferene (A missionaries Superbowl)!

So... as I thought about the title of this post... I realized that for me it's more like Christmas... but Superbowl is good too I guess.

 

Today I just wanted to talk a little bit about how much God loves me.

 

He loves me a lot. Let me tell you why he loves me. ok?

 

The people in my life. God loves me because He has put some of the most INCREDIBLE people in my life. Specifically in my mission life.

 

Let's talk about some of them.

 

-Sister Brown (Delci)

-Sister Luft (Allegra)

-Sister Perry

-Elder George (Logan)

-President Tew

-Sister Tew

-Sherry Noice

-Monique, Mariah, and Mia Obando

-Elder Komarek

-Elder Dixon (Jon)

-Julie Carr

-Robin Rosenlof

-Mar Bellamy

-The Goodmans

 

So many more that I can't even list because I will run out of room.

 

 

God also loves me because He answers my prayers. Through apostles of the Lord.

 

And because He calls me to repentance when it is needed.

 

The tender mercies in life show that God loves me.

 

Like When I get to share a Zone Conference with my best friend in the mission, and a few other missionaries that I love.

 

GOD IS SOOOOO GOOOOD!!!!! I LOVE HIM!!!

 

Thank God for the little things. Ask him in your prayers to recognize the tender mercies that show how much God loves you!

 

I love this gospel so much! I can't even tell you how much! It has literally changed my life.

 

I love God. I love you. I love the Book of Mormon.

 

Until Next time.

 

Love you favorite missionary girl,

 

Sister Bauer

 

 

Pics:

 

Packing with sister Perry and Sister Brown. Yes.... These are my best friends.... I love them!

 

 

Seeing sister Brown off at the Airport. Amanda and Allegra came too. (RMs who were visiting our mission that week)

 

God speed! Love you all!

Transfer Facts! ...and other stuff!

Sooooo..... I am staying in Norwalk again for another transfer! Hollerrrr!!!!!! With my Girl Sister Greathouse! (Love her!) We have been separated for the past 2 weeks because I have been on "Extended Exchanges" with sister Brown. Let's be real... It was an Emergency Transfer, but President didn't want to call it that because our mission is like a small town and word gets around quickly. It's a long story as to why, but basically Sister Brown has been trying super hard to work through her depression and anxiety and Sister Lindsey couldn't handle it. Then, 1 thing led to another and I got a call from President Tew at 10:30 at night asking if we could emergency Exchange... and we've been together ever since! I mean don't get my wrong.... I'm not complaining! I love Sister Brown!!! She is my best friend!!! I have THOROUGHLY enjoyed being her companion again for the past 2 weeks. She is an incredible missionary and I have learned so much about how to teach and love people in the past 2 weeks than I have for a long time on my mission. It has been amazing.

My testimony that God has a plan for us has been strengthened this past week so much!!! While me and Sister Brown have been together her anxiety and depression got really bad. And the topic of going home came up. She has never EVER wanted to go home... but after a lot of prayer and priesthood blessings, she realized that God has a plan for her. And right now... it's to go home and get healthy!! Then... if she can get better, she will come back out! But GOD KNOWS US! He knew that she would need to be with me, someone who could support her in this decision and help her along the way, so He separated her from her companion.

She will be soooo missed! I love her a lot. She is such an amazing missionary and a total blessing to the mission, but you gotta be ok yourself before you serve others.

I love her.

In other news!!!!

This week I went to lunch over in Cypress with another Sister Training Leader. (Another one of my best friends Sister Perry) And she serves right next to Knotts Berry Farm!!! I grew up going to Knotts Berry Farm and so OBVIOUSLY I took pictures.... Duh....

I was really excited...

ALSOO!!!!!! YOUR PRAYERS WORKED!!! We had another Earthquake!!! It was a 5.2 on the Richter scale. Madison, who is in Cali for a Choir trip, also felt it. It was really cool! I can now Check that off the Bucket list!!! :) CHECK!

Today, consists of:
- Packing Sister Browns stuff... which is A LOT!
- DEEP CLEANING HER NASTY APARTMENT!

- Saying goodbye to people

- ...and crying because my best friend is leaving me!!!! :*(

On the bright side I'm getting a bunch of new clothes though!! :D The perks of being a favorite companion! ;)

Alright well, that's it for this week! God speed my friends! Remember that you are loved! By me and by God.

I love you all!!!

Love your favorite missionary girl,

Sister Bauer

Sorry!

No weekly email this week! just know that I am alive and breathing! :) love you all so much!!!

Have a fantastic week! Pray for me!

Love Sister Bauer

PS!

Also..... there was an earthquake here this morning at 6:25... I was asleep because I don't get up till 6:30. I missed it and I hate my life. Ugh! Maybe there will be another one. Pray for another earthquake!!! :) It's on my bucket list and I have to scratch it off somehow!!

K love you all!!!

BYE

Happy St. Patty's Day! :)

I'm not wearing green. Let all the virtual pinches commence...  I literally looked through my wardrobe today and realized... I don't own a single green anything! Wait!!! I lied! I have a green cardigan that was in the wash.... well this is awkward.

Anyways! SO THIS WEEK! This week was good. I went on 3 exchanges. 2 of them were BACK to BACK! It was really crazy and I am so sleep deprived but they were good.

I went on an exchange with Sister Perry. I talked about her closer to the beginning of my mission some blog entries back. She is the one who added me as a friend on Facebook before the mission and then got my weekly emails until she got here. Well she is also a Sister Training Leader and this week we went on an exchange because in our mission they don't have Sister Training Leaders as companions because there are too many struggling missionaries. But anyways! It was the best thing ever! We just went out and TO' UP Norwalk! It was so great! It felt so good to just work hard and feel like a MISSIONARY! It made me realize how much I really love it. It's always good to have those little reminders that I love what I'm doing even through all the stupid crap that happens.

Our area is super slow right now. We don't really have any investigators that are progressing even at the slightest. We have a lot of potentials that if we could JUST meet with them might turn into something... but that's about it. We have been working with less actives a lot in this area which has been good, but it's always nice to be able to teach investigators and we haven't for a while. So continue to pray for our area and for God to show us to those who are prepared.

Also pray for my sanity. :) That's always something that is on the rocks! But That's nothing new... ;)

Well My friends and family, that is all for this week. But like always I love you all so much! You are always in my prayers and please keep[ me in yours!

Have a happy week!

Love your favorite missionary girl,

Sister Bauer

1 John 2:15

"Love not the world, neither the things that are in the world. If any man love the world, the love of the Father is not in him."

Picture from last transfer that a member sent to me from her camera! :)

Happy 11 Months to me!

Well folks... Today is exactly 11 months since I entered the MTC. Next month I hit my year mark! Hard to believe that It's been that long! I'm an old missionary!!!!  o_O  Crazy...

Well, I had exchanges this week. I felt like I didn't really know what I was doing but that's ok!!! It was still good! I love getting to know the other sisters more. I have 3 more this week and then one more next week! woohoo for sleepovers!

I am sorry I don't have very much to say today! Just a quick email to make sure you all know that I am alive! I love you all so much and I will email you next week!!!!

Mosiah 24:10, 13-15 (Helped me a lot on my mission)

Love You all so much

Your Favorite Missionary Girl,

Sister Bauer

So, I missed a week! Sue me...

Ok, So I'm sorry that I missed last week. I didn't have the time or patience to write a weekly letter. So Here's me apology to those of you who thought I was dead.... *Cough* Heidi *Cough*. Joking. You know I love you! :)

Well the past 2 weeks have been ok. A lot of stress, I have a new calling as a Sister Training Leader and it causes me massive anxiety. I feel very inadequate and I don't really know why I got the calling. But Something I have learned is that as soon as I start to feel comfortable and like I can actually do this mission thing... He takes me out of my comfort zone again. It's like a trend you would think He want's me to grow or something. The scripture Ether 12:27 has rung so true in my life these days! And.... my whole mission.

This past week I went on an Exchange with my old companion! Sister Brown!!!! It was so good to be companions again, just like old times! :) She is a really good missionary. She must have had a really good trainer... haha.

This week I start my exchanges with the other sisters I am over. It will be good I think! We as a mission are really focusing on finding. We want to try to find a new investigator every day. Its a daunting task... for me at least because I feel like I suck at missionary work... but "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me." (Philippians 4:13) This scripture has become one of my many montras...

Anyways, This week we got quite a bit of rain!!! :D California has been in a drought so it has been really good!!! But It also makes for complicated missionary work... especially when you don't have waterproof shoes! :/ But we decided that we were going to be obedient and NOT use our car during the day... soooo... we biked. In the pouring rain. It was the worst! haha But I just kept thinking.. "I'm making memories!!!" So here's a picture! You can't really even tell that we are wet... but just trust me me when I say we are literally SOAKED to the bone...

Well Anyways. That's it for this week! But I love all of you! have a fantastic week and know that I am doing my best! Love you all lots!!!

Love your favorite missionary girl,

Sister Bauer

Transfers!

Well, I know you have all been dying to hear about transfers.... So drumroll please.

I am STAYING in Norwalk another transfer! Sister Lindsey is getting moved to the El Dorado YSA ward and she will be Sister Brown's companion. I am excited for them... but also nervous. They were companions in the MTC and had a few trials there.... but I think they will be good for each other.

I am getting put into a trio. My companions names are Sister Greathouse and Sister Shipman.

I am really excited for this transfer! I also get to work with the sisters in my area a little more which I am really excited about! I love being able to help other sisters and I'm excited to get to work with them more!

We picked up a new investigator. His name is Randy... He was a media referral from Temple Square and he watched the Joseph Smith Restoration movie and wanted to learn more. So we went by this week and picked him up! However... He is a bit of a creep.... He says some weird things and I think he is a little lonely and likes that girls come over... so we are going to pass him to the elders. I think he has a lot of potential, but he needs to have the right focus first.

Well, I know this is short and sweet, but I don't really have much else to say! I love you all have a fantastic week!!!!!

Love Your Favorite Missionary girl,

Sister Bauer

Good, Better, Best.

We All have them. Weeks that are good, weeks that are better, and weeks that are best. This bast week was better. Better than last week at least. It was still stressful, but not as bad as before. I feel like I am getting back to normal. A lot of crazy things have happened these past 2 weeks or so and I'm not the only one in the mission who is just ready for this transfer to be over.

The transfer ends a week from tomorrow.

So those of you who have been sending letters to the address on Ferina Street don't send them there anymore!!!!

I don't know if I will be staying or going, but I don't want to miss any of your letters so just go back to sending them to the mission office address, which is:

Sister Jacqueline Bauer

6500 E. Atherton St.

Long Beach, CA 90815

This week was rough number wise. We didn't get very many lessons plus we had to drop Cecilia and Danielle. They just aren't progressing to Baptism. They enjoy our visits and stuff, but they said they aren't ready to "switch religions" yet. But we feel that all hope has not been lost yet. They will get baptized, just maybe not right now. But we will see how this week goes. They said they would still come to church and stuff, but they didn't come yesterday. So who knows what will happen.

We do have a new Investigator though. His name is Antoine King! He is a Gospel Rapper, He was in Jail for a while, he used to sell dope but wouldn't sell to pregnant women (He is a man of integrity), and got shot in an ally and almost died a couple of times... Then he found Jesus and has been a "follower" ever since! He's funny. We taught him the restoration and watched the 20 min. Rest. DVD. He said he liked it and believed that Joseph Smith really did see God and Jesus Christ. He said he liked the concept of our church being "Jesus Christ's Chruch". But he is very devout in "The Christian Liberty somethin or other..." I don't remember what it's called exactly. He just kept saying, "but you and I believe the same thing" with like everything we taught him. The only difference is the priesthood and that we have a prophet on the earth today. We will try to clarify that for him next time. But anyways. He is genuinly interested and wants to learn. So we will see what happens.

Well Anyways, that's about it for this week. I love all of you dearly! Make this week a good one! Happy Valentines day! Here's a video about the best kind of love there is!

Love Your Favorite Missionary Girl,

Sister Bauer

Pictures of the Van.

Crazy Week!!!!

Well, This week was incredibly crazy. It started out with my zone leader (Elder George) getting super sick and having to be rushed to the emergency room and ended with a baptism and a trip to the temple...

First things first, Elder George is my Zone Leader and he got rushed to the Emergency room. He started to lose his vision after a few days of the flu and they decided that was not a good sign. they took him there and he was there for about 3 days. Long story short, they thought it was viral, then bacterial, then back to viral meningitis, then ruled it out completely. Yesterday they moved him to a hospital at UCLA. They still don't know what is wrong, his parents are here and they have been for about a week. It was suuuuper scary and was really hard for me this week. I never knew how much I loved my obnoxious elders until they get sick and almost die!! (But really...)

That kinda threw the whole week off... and made it hard to concentrate on the work and stuff. Lots of other emotional things happened too... but that's besides the point!

But then we had a BAPTISM on Saturday!!! Yeah!!! Little Monique Obando! She is our 9 year old little ray of sunshine that we have been teaching. She cracks me uppp!!!! haha I love her!

There are some people I have met that I know God intended for me to meet and she is one of them. Along with her 13 year old sister Mia and her 5 year old sister Mariah. Those girls have some crazy bright futures and I fully intend on making sure they reach their full potential in life. (Facebook for liiiiife! :)

But of course sticking to the theme of the week, the baptism couldnt just go smoothly... no that would make too much sense.

So there was a car fire before. Sister Lindsey and I had to go outside to get something and we notice that a VAN WAS ON FIRE!!!!!!!!! WHAT THE...... So we did what any logical person would do and we ran inside and yelled, "SOMEONE'S CAR IS ON FIRE!!!!!!" haha....

So we ran in to grab our phone and call 911 and we told the elders that someones car was on fire. Elder Bengtzen was in the process of filling up the baptismal font with no shoes and didn't want to miss anything so he hurried out of the font and ran outside with a fire extinguisher with no shoes.... and starts to put out the fire. Well it didn't work and the fire department had to come and finish putting it out! It was CRAZY!!! The elders are just being elders and taking pictures and videos of the whole thing. Ugh! It was nuts! But I got to check "call 911" off my bucket list so that was a thrill!! :) haha

But then this morning we went to the temple... and the temple is ALWAYS amazing. God knows how to solve everyone's problems. We couldn't have been assigned to a better week to attend the temple. The whole zone just REALLY needed it. IN the picture below is

Elder Brock, Elder Begtzen, Elder Schooff, Sister Bauer, Sister Lindsey.

We have kinda been together a lot this week because of everything that has happened, but I couldn't imagine any better missionaries to experience the craziness with. Elder Schooff and Elder Brock are Elder Begtzen's temporary companions right now. Elder Schooff is our District Leader and he is THE BOMMMBBB!!! .com :)

Me and Sis Lindsey at the temple.

Also, something else cool that happened. CA has been having a SUPER bad drought. So on Sunday they had a state wide fast for rain... and guess what? Sunday night it poured!!!!

The church is so true it's ridiculous!!!

I love you all!!! Have a fantastic week.... I will try!!!! Pray for Elder George.

Much love!

Love, Your Favorite Missionary Girl!

Sister Bauer

The Miracle of the Atonement.

So this week was good.... in a weird way.

So, something that you all should know is that the Norwalk ward has a reputation for being full of crazy people! haha! And it definitely lives up to that reputation every Sunday! :) I love every second of it!

This past week we taught Monique twice, Danielle and Cecilia (Separately), but we didn't feel super great about the lessons we taught Danielle and Cecilia, they were kind of last minute and the things we had planned didn't work out.

There are 2 church buildings close to where we live, the stake center, and the Bloomfield building which is our building. But the stake center is closer, so often times we have lessons there. Anyways, so we had a last minute lesson with Danielle at the stake center and we were going to show her the Restoration dvd. We don't have a key to the library because it's not our building. So we called the other elders in our zone who's building it IS and they said they would come open it for us. We got to the building and went to find the elders... well they didn't tell us that they didn't actually have a key and theat they BREAK IN!!!! So they were in the process of breaking into the library when we brought our investigator in. They were using knives from the kitchen and when we told them that the girl with us was our investigator, the both froze and dropped what they were doing and said... "Well that's embarressing..." it was pretty hilarious. They didn't get it open and we didn't get to show her the DVD so we were kinda bummed. After that our lesson was just kinda thrown together and we didn't feel super good about it afterwards. Plus we were kind of off our games because of something that had happened the day before.

We have been working with this less active named Patrick. He is like 47 and hasn't been to church in years, plus he works on Sundays. So we have kind of been meeting with him and trying to help him get back on the right path a little bit. Well, the last time we met with him was like the week before Christmas and he texted us this past week and said he was sorry for avoiding us and that he wanted to meet this week. So we said ok and set up a time. We have to have someone with us because we can't be alone with him, but we couldn't find anyone to come with us to save our lives!!! So we met at the stake center outside so we were in public. He then proceeded to tell us that the reason that he had been avoiding us was because he had an "Impure thought" about us last time we met. Then continued and said that he was battling a "demon" in his head. He kept talking and flat out told us that he has a problem with pornography and that he objectifies women. Needless to say me and sister Lindsey were very disturbed and pretty much just ended the lesson right there and called our Zone Leaders. They met us at the church and gave us blessings. I felt so gross and I felt like the spirit had just left me!!!! The rest of that day and the next I still felt really gross!!! It was like the worst thing of my life!!!! I forget that there are creeps out there. We went ahead and passed him right along to the elders.... I think that would be for the best.

We had our lesson with Cecilia that same night, but we were both off of our game so we didn't feel like the lesson was that great. But she is continuing to read the Book of Mormon and told us that she felt peace when she reads it!  I think Cecilia is more interested than Danielle. Danielle told us that anyone who talks about God they let in their house. Danielle was meeting with J-Dubs not long ago. But Cecilia seems to have a real desire to know. We told her to pray before she reads and after she reads and she has! She's so great! The only thing that is hard is that she is SOOOO super busy it's so hard to meet with her. We don't see her nearly often enough.

Ok... story time!!!

So, the life of a missionary is ridiculous and we find the dumbest things funny... But the funniest things happened the other week so I thought I would share! :)

So like 2 and 1/2 weeks or so ago we were sitting outside our house in our crappy 2012 Chevy Malibu (or MaliBOAT as we call it...) and it started freaking out. the instruments all turned on and the lights started blinking and you seriously would have thought our car was possessed!!! So we turned it off and then it wouldn't start... so we did what any sister missionaries would do... and we called our zone leaders and told them to come fix our car. they are boys they are supposed to know how to do that stuff! They came over in their Shiny new 2013 Ford Fusion and started to boast about their car and how cool it was. (It is pretty cool...) Well they couldn't get our car fixed and so Elder Barlow, the vehicle coordinator came over the next morning and tried to fix it. He charged the battery and then took it into the dealership and got it working. But they said they wouldn't replace anything unless it happened again. (LAME!) so Elder Barlow decided that it would be best if we traded cars with the elders (the zone leaders) so that if it happened again, they would be stranded and not us. (Oh it's good to be a sister! :)!) Needless to say their boasting really made us happy that we got to switch cars with them. haha. They had our car for a week... not even a week. 4 days. And they couldn't handle it. So they went into the office last Monday and said they needed a new car.... oh my spoiled elders....

AND THEY GOT ONE!!!!

Can you believe that??? Ridiculous!!! haha it was pretty funny though! They got a brand new just off the lot 2014 Toyota Corolla. Back up camera and everything. Super nice!  But we are happy because we have a nice car that talks to us when we talk to it. And it has a Bluetooth phone system. It's nice! :) I also Loaded up my USB flash drive with music from LDS.org and we can plug that in and listen to it! It's great!!! (Hint go to the Youth page and go to music. It's a gold mine!)

K well that's it for this week! But I love all of you! Have a happy week!!!

Love Sister Bauer

It's Hot!!!

Happy Martin Luther King Jr. day!

 

I hate it... because today we are stuck emailing in the Family History Center instead of the Library because the Library in closed... Boo. So we only got a little bit of time to email today.

 

But anyways!

This week was actually really good as far as my own personal growth goes. I  am really working to have the desire to be here. I am working to just be motivated. One of my goals this week was to "just do it" because that is something that I think would solve a lot of my problems. I need to realize that my companion is not always going to be someone to motivate me and that I have to be able to motivate myself and "just do it". I really good on Saturday. We worked super hard and talked to everyone we saw. I actually really enjoy contacting people. I mean it depends on the day, but on good days, I really love it.
 
I also went on Exchanges this week with Sister Folsom. My Sister Training Leader. She is really sweet and nice. She reminds me of a princess because she is very poised and just very proper. I went into her area. She is serving in Whittier, and Whittier is like Utah! HILLSS GALORE! and we biked... I wanted to die. but I'm pretty sure I lost like 5 pounds. I sweated so much. And it was like 90 Degrees! It was horrible. But also I really loved it because I felt super good afterwards! I really liked whittier and I would love to serve there one day. Except not in the summer because everyone says whittier is KILLER hot during the summer... and that would suck...
 
It's been really hot here lately. There's been a drought here in California and so on the 1st Sunday in Feb, there is a state wide fast for rain. The smog is getting really bad and CA is starting to cath on fire. This past week, Glendora (A neighboring city out of our mission) caught on fire and it was raining ash... it was all over our car. It was nasty!
 
Well we picked up a new investigator. Her name is Danielle. She is Cecilia's 19 year old daughter. I wasn't there for the lesson because it was when I was on exchanges, but Sister Lindsey said it was pretty well. Danielle said, She didn't want to convert, but learn" But the spirit has a way of working when people read the Book of Mormon and Pray.
 
Monique is getting baptized next week on Feb. 1st! It's her 9th Bday. She is so cute and she has such a thirst for the gospel. That will be really awesome! I am excited for her.
 
We are really working on finding more people to teach. We neeeeed to find more investigators to progress the work forward. So if any of you wise Return Missionaries have any ideas at how to find more investigators.... please share! :)

 

Ok, well have a wonderful week and I will talk to you all next week! Adios Amigos!!!

 

Love, Sister Bauer

Over the Hill!

Mia Familia y Mis Amigos!

This week was pretty good. We had 2 lessons with one of our investigators. Her name is Cecilia. She is so amazing! I love her so much! We found her contacting. She wasn't progressing and she wasn't keeping her commitments and kept dodging our lessons. So we planned to drop her, but when we went into the lesson to drop her, she had kept all her commitments and said she would be at church this week. Then, we had another lesson with her later in the week and she was at church! It was great! So we have another lesson with her today. She is so awesome! She has 4 kids all from ages 19-23. Her 19 year old daughter Danielle is also interested in the church and we are hoping to pick her up as an investigator tonight. Cecilia told us she wants all of her kids to follow her example in seeing her come to church and invites them every week to come with her. She invites them in to our lessons also. We tried to set a baptismal date with her, but she said she wasn't ready but that she knew she needed to be baptized and knew how important it was.

We also have a baptism coming up on Feb. 1. She is 8 and is getting baptized on her 9th bday. So, she is a convert baptism. Her mom is a less active coming back into activity, and so it's been a little difficult to teach her. She's 8... so her attention span isn't the longest, and my the "creative" teacher in me has had to come out with her. I guess its good that I know how to teach kids. It's a skill that I have realized not everyone has. So I guess I am thankful for all the elementary Education classes that I took the past 3 years! :)

We are also teaching a part member family. There names are Jose and Lisa Garcia. Jose is a member. Lisa is not. She grew up Christian, but she doesn't really have a specific religion right now. She said she is kind of the black sheep of her family because they all are super staunch Christians. Jose is less active because he works on Sunday... Which I think is just an excuse because he didn't come to church even before he worked on Sundays. But He still has a testimony and told Lisa that  she needed to do this for her and nobody else. So we asked her if she would take the lessons. She said it didn't hurt to learn more. But we told her that she really needed to have a desire to know if this was true in order to get answers to her prayers. They are a really great family. They have an ADORABLE little girl named bella. She is seriously so cute I can't even stand it.... It's ridiculous! She's like 15 months old and bilingual... I'm 21 and I'm not bilingual. Those kids and their moldable brains!!!

Well, I love you all! Continue to pray for Missionary opportunities and witness the blessings that come because of them. Let us all work together in the Lord's work!!!

God Bless you all and have a great week this week!

All my love,

Sister Bauer

I Almost Forgot!

Wow!! This is the first time I almost forgot to send out a weekly email!!! That's weird!

So this week was not super good. I had the flu and didn't feel well most of the week. :( There's nothing worse then being a sick missionary! It was rough!

We had a lesson yesterday with a part memeber family. Jose and Lisa. Jose is a LA member, but has a testimony. Lisa is not a member. The spirit was strong and we felt like the lesson went pretty well.

Our other investigator Cecilia is ok. We struggle to meet with her. She is very busy and it is often hard to get a hold of, but she is so prepared and has a desire to learn. So I can't bring myself to drop her. We have a lesson with her tonight, so we will see how that goes.

Well I have to go! but I will talk to you all next week! I love you all!!

Love Sister Bauer