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

Happy New Year!

So this week for my email I wanted to share another video with you. In honor of the new year, here is a video about how we can't live in the past. We must look forward with faith because God has already blessed us so much, that what he has in store for the future can only be better! :)

 

"Look Not Behind Thee"

http://www.mormonchannel.org/video/mormon-messages?v=910930409001

 

(The scripture this video is based off of. Gen. 19:26)

http://www.lds.org/scriptures/ot/gen/19.26?lang=eng#25

 

 

 

The past is to be learned from but not lived in.

(Words that I need to live by as well.)

 

 

 

Another Good talk by my good friend Elder Jeffrey R. Holland. READ IT!

 

 

http://speeches.byu.edu/?act=viewitem&id=1819

 

 

Ok... That's all folks! Have a Happy New Year! I will talk to you all later!!!! Love you!!

 

Love Sister Bauer

Merry Christmas!!!!!

Merry Christmas to my friends and family!!!

I don't have a TON of time to write, but I wanted to leave you with some Christmas cheer!

Watch this video. I love it.

"What Shall We Give"

http://www.mormonchannel.org/christmas-videos?v=2919740155001

Also Watch this one:

"The Nativity"

http://www.mormonchannel.org/christmas-videos?v=2893093383001

And Watch this one:

"O Come O Come Emmanuel"

http://www.mormonchannel.org/more-videos?v=2008190983001

And read this:

LUKE 2:7-30

7 And she brought forth her ^afirstborn son, and wrapped him in swaddling clothes, and laid him in a manger; because there was no room for them in the ^binn.

 8 And there were in the same country shepherds abiding in the field, keeping watch over their flock by night.

 9 And, lo, the angel of the Lord came upon them, and the ^aglory of the Lord shone round about them: and they were sore afraid.

 10 And the angel said unto them, Fear not: for, behold, I bring you ^agood tidings of great ^bjoy, which shall be to all people.

 11 For unto you is ^aborn this day in the city of David a ^bSaviour, which is Christ the ^cLord.

 12 And this shall be a ^asign unto you; Ye shall find the babe wrapped in swaddling clothes, lying in a manger.

 13 And suddenly there was with the angel a multitude of the heavenly host praising God, and saying,

 14 ^aGlory to God in the highest, and on earth ^bpeace, good will toward men.

 15 And it came to pass, as the angels were gone away from them into heaven, the shepherds said one to another, Let us now go even unto Bethlehem, and see this thing which is come to pass, which the Lord hath made known unto us.

 16 And they came with ^ahaste, and found Mary, and Joseph, and the babe lying in a manger.

 17 And when they had seen it, they made known abroad the saying which was told them concerning this child.

 18 And all they that heard it ^awondered at those things which were told them by the shepherds.

 19 But Mary kept all these things, and ^apondered them in her heart.

 20 And the shepherds returned, glorifying and praising God for all the things that they had heard and seen, as it was told unto them

May you Keep Christ in Christmas this year and remember to keep the spirit of Christmas in your hearts!

Merry Christmas from the Norwalk ward Missionaries!!! (and Santa!)

Love,
Sister Bauer

There Must Needs be Opposition in ALL Things.

Oh Boy did that scripture ring true this week. It was the hardest, but best week I have had in a while.

On the one hand, Sherry Got baptized. Sherry was my investigator in my last area. She was the one who just waltzed right into church by herself! Knowing her now... that doesn't surprise me one bit! It's just like her.

It was the best baptism I have been too on my mission! The spirit was so strong and everything was just so..... right! The timing, the people there, the missionaries who came. It was how a baptism SHOULD feel. I love her so much and I am so glad that she was able to make this covenant with God. She is an amazing example and I could literally go on for hours about how much I love her.

Next week she will be confirmed and receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. And then she will be a member of Jesus Christ's restored church on the earth! I cried so much at the baptism. I sang and the whole time I was on the verge of tears. It was the best feeling ever. To see someone you love so much make that promise. It was a day I won't soon forget.

On the flip side of things, this was a REALLY tough week. Every appointment we scheduled cancelled on us. And to top that off, we got dropped by one of our investigators, we got rejected in every single contact and yelled at and called crazy a few different times. It was definitely a tough few days. But Like President Uchtdorf says, "Life is not measured by the number of times we stumble, but by the number of times we stand up, dust ourselves off, and stride forward."

Currently working on that!

WELL, that's it for this week! I love you all and will talk to you next week!!!!

I LOVE YOU!

Have a good week!

Love, Sister Bauer