Week 2 in NJ

ALOHA!!!!!

Holy goodness this week has FLOWN by!!!! I can't even believe that it has been an entire 7 days since I have gotten to talk to any of youuuu!!!! I am actually going to attempt to send pictures today! ...hopefully technology is actually real so it will work! (Love you Momo)

So.... Not gonna lie... this week has been a little rough... I mean I was expecting tough times, but I guess I thought that since I had been preparing so hard for so long before my mission that I would be an exception to the rule? That maybe it wouldn't be as hard for me to get going? That possibly all the talk about struggles was just a problem that silly people with small brains have? Buuuttt either I am just a silly person with a small brain or I am not actually as awesome as I thought I was...

You know how on the movie "Cars" Doc Hudson tells Lightening McQueen "Turn right to go left?" Well that is what I have been struggling with. It seems that to really get anywhere with living the gospel, you have to forget about what you are trying to do. Like if you want to be more converted, you have to focus on others instead of working on yourself. If you want to be more happy, you can't be stressing about doing things that make you happy all the time. If you want to be wiser, you have to first admit that you don't know anything and be humble so that you can learn. If you want to get blessings, you can't do things for yourself. If you want to be a great missionary and return home with honor, you have to forget yourself and go to work. It seems so contradictory! Why can't I just go left without making myself dizzy by turning right?! But I think I am finally beginning to understand that Heavenly Father doesn't fix our weaknesses so that we can go to work, He fixes them as we work. We have to allow our faith to go through trials before we can expect it to get much stronger.

All of this really started to hit me when Sis Roundy and I had a pretty disappointing appointment with a couple of new investigators we had. We had met John and Barbara door knocking one night before we went home, and they told us right off the bat that they were Evangelical Christians or something like that, but that even though they didn't believe that the Book of Mormon was scripture from God, they wanted to read it to know what it said. So we gave them a copy and talked for a while, and then exchanged numbers to meet again sometime. Well a few days later they called and invited us to meet them at a diner so we could talk more about our beliefs. We were super excited right!!! We tried to get a few members to come out with us, but after no success, our bishop finally said that he would meet us there. So we meet get over the small talk, and everyone kind of went around and bore their testimonies. But then some scriptures and doctrine started to get thrown around between Bishop and them and then it was pretty much lame sauce. At the end they said that they respect the way that we believe, but they can't accept it. It was so hard. Sis Roundy and I were both so upset. I wanted to like blame Bishop or something for not doing more to keep the spirit and bear testimony... but I knew that it wasn't his fault because John and Barbara just weren't willing to entertain the thought that what we were saying was true or pray about it.

So that night was really hard for me. And the next day was hard. And the next day was hard. It wasn't until yesterday that Sis Roundy finally cornered me and got me to talk about everything. Such a weight was lifted off of me, and I knew that God is real! Christ lives! Everything that I had been taught all my life was true. It was a hard and frustrating lesson to learn, but my testimony sure is stronger now, and I am that much closer to being like my Savior. He wants me to be happy. He wants me to be myself! He wants me to be genuine! That is such a comforting thought isn't it? That the thing He wants from us is the thing we are best at doing! The hard part is when he takes you and starts chipping off all the bad parts haha!

Oh yeah! Did I tell you that our ward split the Sunday before we got here, so everything was all new to everyone (which was kind of nice since we were both new to the area), and the bishop of the new ward that we are serving in is Bart Oates. He was a famous player for the New York Giants. He is a HUMONGOUS MAN! His hands are like the size of dinner plates... He is super nice, but kind of reminds me of a gorilla. Everyone around here knows him apparently. And his house is HUGE!!! Its even bigger than he is!

Anyways. Can you just understand how many people are here in New Jersey!?!! SO MANY PEOPLE ARE HERE IN NEW JERSEY!!! And guess what? None of them belong to the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints!!! The ward boundaries are HUGE and the ward is so small!!! It makes me so sad! But it really is just a motivation to work harder and make sure we talk to EVERYONE!!! The more people we talk to the more opportunities to share the gospel and help them come closer to Christ!

But ohmigoodness everyone here seems to TALK SOOO MUCH!!!! We don't want to be rude, but we have been having problems with being late to other appointments because some silly people can't take a hint and write it in their journal... Sorry that was mean. I love everyone here. Yup.

Ok wellllll....... Miracles happen. God is good. Aaaand the Book is blue. The Church is true. Amen.

Love you all boatloads!!!!!!!!

-Sister Baine!

NEW JERSEY IS REAL!!!

MALO LE-LE!!!!!!

So yeah guess what?! I have just spent my first week in New Jersey!!!! YEAH I KNOW!!!! I LOVE it here!!!! some of the other sisters that I cam here with from the MTC went to some really ghetto parts of New Jersey, but I am serving in a SUPER nice part of town where all the rich people live! It covers Madison (which is where we live), Morristown, East Hanover, Chatam... aaaaaand a couple of other towns that I can't remember the name of.... But is it SSOOOOO PRETTY!!!!!! And all you silly people were talking about how terrible the humidity would be here, but its not even that bad. It is like perfect here all the time and I love it!

My companion is a STELLAR powerhouse of testimony named Sister Roundy. She is the best trainer EVER!!! She is such a good example of having integrity with the mission rules and fulfilling her mission as a representative of Jesus Christ. She is so good when teaching people about the Gospel and explaining everything, and her testimony is SO STRONG! I love her. She is the best. She is also from Utah... I don't know why all my  companions are from Utah... But we will see if it just becomes a thing with me so that the Lord can prove that there really are a lot of cool people there and that I shouldn't be such a llamo.

Guess what ELSE?! I get an IPAD!!! YEAH!!! It is soooo coooll!!!!!!!! Apparently it is a new thing for this mission, but it makes planning and contacting and everything so much easier! On my first day here (which I need to tell you about) I went street contacting with this sister, and after she started talking with this guy, she asked him if she could share a short video with him about Jesus Christ, and just pulled out her ipad and showed him the video! It is so awesome!!! The work is HASTENING!!! Sis Roundy was telling me about what the mission president was talking about when they first got the ipads, and it was so powerful. He said that their goal with the new use of technology is not only to help hasten the work here in the mission field, but to help the missionaries better combat the temptations that Satan uses it for. When the missionaries go home, we are to see technology only as a tool like a pencil or a car. We use it with purpose to complete our purpose, then we put it away without even thinking about using it for anything else that would distract or tempt us to use it in a bad way. It was just so cool how she said it... I
probably can't even say it right... But yeah, it was just super awesome.

So my first day here they did this thing called the fear buster... And the pathetic thing was that I was warned about this even before I got on the plane and still forgot... Right when we landed they picked us up and took us downtown (which was actually pretty sketchy...) and gathered us in a big circle with some missionaries that had already been here for a while. We all started singing Called to Serve in the middle of the block, and I was like "Oh this is so awesome and spiritual and I am so glad to be here and I can't wait to start serving these people-" and then BAM!!! They all ran away!!! Even President and Sister Taggart were booking it down the street! Everyone went in different directions and I was like WHAT THE FRUMPY IS HAPPENING!!! (Later we found out that this one lady who had seen us all running thought that there was a shooting going on and started running too... but then a pair of missionaries stopped her and taught her the Gospel.) So I started running frantically after the sister I was supposed to be with and got my first taste of the New Jersey Projects haha, it was crazy... so many strange people... I have been so sheltered...

ANYWAYS!!! So I know that if I have faith I shouldn't need to fear... but I have to admit I have a new found fear.... TICKS!!! UGHMIGOSH I am so scared for my life! I literally pray EVERY DAY to Heavenly Father PLEADING that I will not get a tick, because apparently there are A TON here... so yeah... just keep that in mind when you are praying for the people in danger who need help.

So the Atonement of Jesus Christ. That is the reason I am out here on my mission is so that I can help others have a special experience with the Atonement of Jesus Christ each week when they take the Sacrament. Imagine if Jesus Christ were standing in front of you right now. As He reaches out to you, you see the nail prints in his palms and wrists. Then as you are overcome with His presence, you fall to the ground and see the scars in His feet. What if Christ asked if He could join you this Sunday as you partook of the Sacrament? What if He is the one that passed it to you? What if He said "Here, take me into yourself and always have my spirit to be with you." He does every week. He loves you and He died for you. But He knows that you love your family too, and that you want them to have the same joy that you have. So He died for your family too so that you wouldn't have to be alone and they could have that joy too. But you also have friends that you love too and want them to have the same experience. So He suffers for them. He suffers for their families. And on and on until everyone is saved. Because of Christ, families can be together forever. Because of Jesus Christ, we can experience true joy. How can we not share that? If we truly understand and embrace the Atonement when we take the Sacrament each week shouldn't we be changed? If we truly take Christ into ourselves and allow His spirit to fill us up, shouldn't we have a change of heart? Just something to think about. I invite all of you to be filled (3 Nephi 18) when you take the Sacrament this week.

I love you all!!! I love being a missionary!!! And I love GOD!!!!

-Sister Baine

Heyoooo

Hiiii!!! Soooo..... I'm alive haha we are all here at the mission home and it is awesome! We just jumped right in street contacting and I will be paired up with my trainer tomorrow! I'm super tired, but I am happy and thankful to be here. It's kinda scary, but I love you all! I hope everyone is doing well and I'm sorry this is really short, but I promise I will write more next week. Pres and Sis Taggart are super awesome.... So yeah haha I love youuuu!!!!!!!

Last goodbyes

First Letter Aug 11, 2015 MTC

I'M ALIVE!

 

TALOFA EVERYONE!!!!!!!!!!! 

SA-CRED BEEF!!!!! The MTC is SO AWESOME!!!!!!!! Seriously, my words can't even explain.... I am LOVING it here!!! It is definitely really overwhelming, but Heavenly Father is so merciful to me... He must really love me or something because this whole week has been nothing but one giant spiritual experience! 

First of all, my companion is Sister Williams, and she is SO SO SO WONDERFUL!!! I honestly believe that she is an angel sent from Heavenly Father to help me. She has been such a blessing and has been teaching me so much. She is from Utah... but that is ok cuz she is still the best and she is sooooo sweet. 

Just Kidding, the first thing I want to tell you pretty people is to find this talk by Elder Bednar and watch it for Family Home Evening or something, because it will seriously change your entire life. It is called Character of Christ, he gave it to the MTC on Christmas day a few years ago.. so I don't know how y'all are going to find it, but find it, and watch it, and let your life be changed. I am not kidding if you don't tear up at least a little bit because you have a heart of stone, you are a cotton-headed-ninny-muggins. 

Ok, so I have been blessed to associate with THE BEST sons and daughters of God here that Heaven has to offer. My district is AMAZING!!!!!! Apparently we have one of the biggest districts with 8 elders and 4 sisters, and they are all SO GREAT!!! I am learning so much from each and every one of them, and am really coming to love them (appropriately). I am so thankful for them. And can I just say, I am so thankful for elders. Among teaching me grand things (like patience) they are also SO FUNNY!!! Seriously, I think all the most hilarious people were crammed together and put in my district. Granted, they do often waste away precious study time being silly people, but I think its good because I've realized I need to chill out about some stuff...but not too much. 

OH! Speaking of study time, I think I am finally learning how to REALLY DEEPLY study the scriptures, and it is so cool!!!! It is like finding little nuggets of treasured gold!  So one of my teachers made this really cool connection that when we have personal study and prayer time, it is like having our own personal time to spend being taught by God. We can truly be shaking the hand of our Heavenly Father when we use that time to ask Him questions. And I have learned that He can really respond when we search the scriptures. 

Honestly, it is kind of exhausting being taught so many great things and constantly working on receiving revelation. But I have THE BEST TEACHERS IN THE WHOLE WIDE UNIVERSE!!!!! We usually have Sis. Johnson in the mornings, and she is like the really deep profound one that says things that we have to really ponder and practice before we can even begin to understand. And then Sis. Westover is the afternoon teacher that is cool and she connects everything and makes it all make sense because she is just super wise and awesome. I love them both so much. I have been taking notes like CRAZYYYYY!!!!!!!! 

So we went to the temple today!!!! It was so cool! We went as a district and Sis. Westover came with us. I saw a new temple video that I hadn't seen before with the blonde Eve and the really cheesy Satan. It wasn't as bad as everyone was saying it was, but yeah, I do like the other two with the brunettes better... I think I've seen all of them now.... Ok sorry, got kinda side tracked... ANYWAYS...... But I also just need to say that never before in my life has been shaving my legs been such a burden. It is seriously so frustrating to wear skirts all the time... but its ok, its worth it. 

If any of you want my mailing address I posted it on facebook before I left haha. And also I leave on Monday soooo dont send anything to me then because it prolly won't get to me. 

So I need to say some other stuff that is a wee bit more serious. This Gospel is magnificent. It is really hard to represent Jesus Christ. I have never felt more of a need to be perfect like Him. But I have also never before felt such help from above. Since I came here to the MTC I have felt so close to heaven. Close to my ancestors, close to my Savior, close to the Spirit, and close to my God. It has been challenging learning new ways that the Holy Ghost communicates with me, but the more effort I put into helping others come closer to Christ, the more I come closer to Christ. That is when I have the greatest revelations is when I am focusing on others. 

Ok, I'm sorry, but I've got to cha cha... but I LOVE YOU ALL!!!!! I wish I could tell you everything, but I'm not very good at typing so sorry haha. okloveyoubye

Sister Baine