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)