Who you gonna call???

Well.... Words cannot really describe this week... Imagine the
scariest, craziest, most life threatening roller coaster that you
could ever dream of... And then throw it off a cliff. That is pretty
much how this week went.

We went on another exchange this week... It is crazy that now as STLs
we have 3 less companionships of sisters to cover, but we are going on
the same amount of exchanges because they need so much help! Good
thing I love them haha. We had fun, but man sometimes you just want to
go to their rooms until they are ready to be nice and talk things out
with each other... Actually that is pretty much what we did.

I also got a wee bit sick this week. But nothing too terrible. I just
might have nose cancer. Just kidding. It was a sore throat for a
couple days, and then the dreaded congestion. But lucky for me, my
wonderful mother basically prepared me with our entire medicine
cabinet from home. So I had some drugs to take to help. And I am
feeling 98% better now. :)

But despite it being hard to work and super crazy this week, Heavenly
Father has been blessing us with miracles. We have a less active that
lives not to far from us that we have started visiting, and she is SO
awesome. She is living with a guy and they are so funny. She hasn't
been active since she was a youth, and he isn't a member, so it is
like we are starting over with investigators. Neither of them were
super thrilled about the idea of us coming over once a week to talk to
them about the gospel, so we had to come up with a different way to go
about it... So we went over there the other day and told them that we
didn't have a lot of investigators to teach right now, but we still
wanted to practice teaching people, and asked if they would be willing
to let us practice on them. And they said yes! She was actually super
excited about it, and she was going on and on about how they could
offer a really unique perspective on what we teach, and who knows?
Maybe they will actually learn something as they help us! Hahaha they
are so awesome, so we are going to start "teaching them" this week! I
mean, at the very least, we will become a lot better teachers because
of it! :D Missionaries are so sneaky...

We also called and set up an appointment with a former investigator
from Ghana, so that will be super fun. It is SO hard to understand
those people on the phone, but they are SO awesome hahaha. He was kind
of upset though, because he said that every time he would get close
with the missionaries and be going great, they would get transferred
and then he would have to go through the whole entire process again
the new ones... He has a could friends in the ward though, so that's
good. I know that members are the best way to help that problem
because they can provide the support that the investigators need,
rather than the missionaries doing it... But if any of you have
suggestions of things that might help as well, let me know!

We also helped out a less active, and dumped her alcohol bottles out
onto the grass... There was one that was 20% alcohol!!! Actually I
don't know that much about alcoholic beverages... But that just seems
like a lot. I was tempted to drink it... But I didn't. It smelled like
vanilla though. Now the grass will grow super well in that area.

Also, I want y'all to send me some super awesome finding ideas! We are
getting kind of bored out here, and it is getting SUPER hot and humid,
which makes it even harder to be happy haha. So if you have any fun
ideas, let me know! :)

This week we also had interviews with President Taggart, and holy
tolito.... He is going to be the prophet someday. When I walked into
the room with him, it felt like I was in the Celestial Room in the
temple. He stared straight into my soul, but all I felt was love from
him. I know that God chooses who our leaders are going to be. I know
it, and I am so thankful for His love. I would literally be sunk
without it.

Well sorry I don't have more exciting news for you... I will do
something super crazy this week so I have funny stories to tell you
next time. I love you all!!!! Have a TERRIFFICAL week! MUAH!

Sister Baine :)

 This picture is not my best one... But at least I am smiling.... Love you mom.

The world is spinning so fast! (5/23/16)

I wrote a weekly email I to everyone but then my email crashed and it didn't save... And it made me mad so I didn't want to rewrite it... But anyways. I went to the temple again this week, and now I am officially out of family temple names... So if you can send me some more... Great! If not. That's ok. I just sent a package for Johnny and Ammon. Tell everyone I Love them!!! MUAH

GUESS WHAT?!?!

Guess what? I am getting transferred again! I am going to
Plainsborough to be an STL with Sister McCallister. Sister McConkie
will be staying here to hold down the fort and train the next STL.
This will be super fun, because the way they are doing it is now
instead of covering two zones worth of sisters, we will be splitting
them, so I will still be working with the same sisters I was last
time! It will be an adventure! Haha the apartment I will be moving
into is SUPER small though. One of the members in the ward converted
their garage into an apartment, so I will be living in the smallest
apartment in the mission! YEAH!!! It does have a small kitchen though,
and a washer and dryer, so that will be super nice to not pay for
laundry. I will be sad to leave though...

Ok... What happened this week. We have been working with this less
active member to help him get back to the temple, and had a great
lesson with him this last week. He is doing super well despite all the
challenges he is going through, and we asked him to bear his testimony
in Sacrament meeting, and it was SO powerful! It was so cute to see
this old, x-biker get up and cry at the pulpit.
Man, it is going to be super hard to leave though... Before I came,
the sisters were having a baptism every month, and being super
successful, then I got here and we realized that it might not have
been the best thing in the world after all, because now we have 8
recent converts to take care of, and no solid ward to help support
them. And right now all of our recent converts are struggling... So we
have been spending a lot of time helping them while we have been
helping the ward get themselves figured out... And it has been crazy
haha. So I am glad I broke the baptizing streak... In a way. We found
out that in order to be a ward instead of a branch, you have to have
15 temple-worthy Melchezideck priesthood holders... And we think we
may be bordering around 10 ish.... So we have been really working on
helping to solidify the ward.

BUT now I am leaving.... So that will be exciting... ANYWAYS! Sorry
this is short.

KLOVEYOUBYE

Life is like a box of....

Howdy from the South of Jersey!!! This week has been pretty fun
again.... Again. Because every week on the mission is just a big
bundle of marigolds... So Fun.

Well this week I got to speak Spanish again on exchange... I learned
that AFTER I had said "Hola" to every person on the street, that it is
more common and casual to say "Buenas" instead. No wonder everyone
knew right away that I didn't speak Spanish when we talked to them...
They would immediately just turn and talk to my companion... Figures I
am Mexican and don't know these things... Thanks Dad. I did get to eat
from a delicious Taco Truck though! We got to taste a bite of cow
tongue... It wasn't as crazy as I thought it would be... And also some
SUPER spicy lamb meat.... I cried a little.

It feels SUPER crazy that I have almost been out for nine months...
almost halfway done... It's like when you are running the two mile,
and you get done with 8 laps... And you still have 8 to go... And it
is 800 degrees outside... And then the guy beside you passes you... I
am loving New Jersey! More warm weather is going to be nice. It has
been PERFECT all week long! Just a nice happy medium with a little
breeze.

Anyways, sorry this is short, but I have some super fun pictures for
y'all!!! I'll love you forever, I'll like you for always. As long as
I'm living my baby you'll be... Farewell! ADIOS!

Pictura 1. What happened here....??? It was a gingerbread man hit and run....
2. Our first exchange of the week
3. All of the sisters we exchange with
4. Our taco truck adventure

Since you been gone.... (Apr 18)

Ok. So this week. Was madness. We had a big meeting and two exchanges
back to back... And I am almost ashamed to say I had to take a nap
during lunch break afterwards... But it was super fun! Helping people
is the absolute greatest...

I got pulled over again... But not really because we were already
pulled over with our hazards on, and Mr. Popo was just making sure we
were alright. So we left him with a Mormon.org card.

We also went mall contacting, and went to this shop that sold like
lotions and body wash and stuff, and had an awesome lesson with the
lady that works there! We are going back tonight to see if she read
the Book of Mormon haha. We also met this young lady there that sells
these super annoying toy dog things.... We gave her a Book of Mormon
too.... It was pretty exciting... So pray that when we go back to talk
to them tonight, they won't call the mall popos on us.

Umm... What else happened this week. We went to find a former
investigator a couple days ago, and it turns out she lives in the
fanciest retirement village I have ever seen. They have this huge gate
when you drive up and you stop at the window if you are a visitor, and
the security asks you who you are there to see. Well when they asked
us, we told them the name, and the address we had for them, and they
called their phone number. Of course they didn't pick up, so they told
us to go in, turn around and come back out. When we did, we saw all
kinds of fountains and fancy houses and a roller coaster... Ok there
wasn't a roller coaster. But if you ever want to live in a super duper
safe retirement village, I know exactly where you should go.

When I was on exchange, we got done with a lesson at the library, and
were walking to the car when this random girl says to me "I like your
skirt." (Btw, that was the skirt that Grandma Rogers got for me...
Thanks!) And then we ended up having a mini lesson with her, and a
return appointment! Miracles happen on exchange!

Yeah, so I am trying to make these stories sound super interesting...
But I can't think of anything else.... So I love you all, and I am so
thankful for Heavenly Father's mercy!!!! He is so nice!!!!

Byeeeee
Sister Baine :)

So I forgot to tell you, our zone has a theme, and we have decided
that we are the zone of Jedi Knights. It works because we both have
the force, we both have temples, we both have trainers and
apprentices, and we both fight against the dark side! So I drew this
interpretation of a comp inventory between Sister McConkie and I haha.
And then I discovered where Santa lives. He lives in East Brunswick,
New Jersey. I captured a picture of his sleigh.
And I finally made it to see the boardwalk! I didn't take too many
pictures, because it was kind of cold, but it is super pretty.
And then that is me and Sister Charles on exchange. Sister Charles
also got trained by Sister Roundy, so it was kind of fun to spend some
time with my "sister" in the mission. :)

ALRIGHT!!!!!

So I got to speak Spanish this week... Just kidding I don't know how to speak Spanish... but i pretended to know how to speak Spanish. I went on my first exchange this week as a Sister Training Leader with an Hermana to her area. It was so much fun, and I am definitely learning a TON about how to love others and be an effective leader... hopefully I don't have to learn it all by bad experiences about what NOT to do haha.... but anyways.

Ehh.... There haven't been a ton of crazy stories this week... Let me think... Last week for P-day we had a giant nerf war with our zone... that was really fun. We had the whole gym set up with tables and chairs and chalkboards to hide behind... but my team lost every time. 

We had an investigator at church yesterday! She is a super cute little Black girl with her little sister, and they were SO good! They sat so reverently and were just a joy to be around! Also yesterday, I gave a talk about sustaining our leaders. It was pretty easy, seeing as how we just had a wonderful conference last week. Haha but apparently the bishopric thought that me and the other elder who spoke would take up more time than we did, because we got out of sacrament meeting like 10 minutes early haha. I just wanted to make sure I didn't have a repeat of what happened at my farewell talk, so I kept it all brief! But a miracle happened in Gospel Principles class, because we had forgotten that we were supposed to teach the lesson until that morning, and hadn't prepared anything! we figured out what the lesson was on in Sacrament meeting, and then went into class and just winged it!!! Thankfully Heavenly Father is a merciful and loving God, because in a moment of pure comp unity, we busted out that lesson like we had rehearsed it for days! It was so cool how the spirit worked with us. We shared a couple videos, and at the end everyone was so excited about the scriptures that we handed out a Book of Mormon to all the class members so they could give them to their friends! It was truly a miracle of mercy! 

Umm... I dont know what else to talk about except the weather.. It has been pretty chilly and rainy and yucky lately... but today it is warmer, so hopefully it will get warmer for good! 

Oh! actually good news! So Sister Hale called me the other day and told me that one of our investigators that we worked with together is getting baptized this Saturday!!! I am so filled with the  lasting joy that only comes from the Gospel!!!! Even if I never have another baptism again, if all the investigators that I love and have been working with get baptized eventually, I will be so happy! He was going to wait a while to get baptized because he didn't know if he was ready, but then the bishop talked to him, and pointed out that if he wanted to get baptized this Saturday, him and his wife could be sealed in the temple on their anniversary next year! So he said he would get baptized this week because he wanted to make that a special day for her. ISNT THAT SO CUTE!!! This is also the guy who we had pretty much dropped because he was working so much that he couldn't ever meet with us. But then we found out that he and his wife had been fasting and praying together and then he started REALLY progressing right before I left. And now he is getting baptized!  I am so happy. 

Also, I have been gaining SUCH a testimony of prayer and study. I have been receiving SO many answers to questions and gaining SO much understanding of things! It is so crazy to think that everything everyone has told me about prayer before is actually TRUE! He literally answers our prayers. I don't understand it, but He does. I ask for a pony, and when I wake up in the morning, guess what is standing in my living room... It is a pony.  I am so thankful for that power... Now, God isn't Santa. But He loves us. He wants us to succeed. He doesn't ever put us in situations to fail. He puts us right in the middle of challenges and problems to help us learn to be creative and optimistic while we solve them! 

So my zone is doing like a sacrifice challenge. We are all getting up a half hour earlier to work on being better missionaries. Whether it be studies or role plays, or contacting or anything that we struggle with, we start our day earlier to get better at these things. And I am loving it more than a happy meal! Sometimes I get up even earlier to get in more time for learning... I have been kind of addicted to studying the good word of God lately... It is so EXCITING when the Holy Ghost LITERALLY directs me with what to study to answer my questions. It is so fun, and makes me SO much more confident when I teach and talk to others, because I know that these ideas were given to me from God in answer to my desires to help these people. I love it!!! I know that the Holy Ghost is a teacher. I know that we can learn things from the Holy Ghost that we can't learn from any other source, and I know that obedience to these things that H-e reveals to us is CRUCIAL to finding joy and peace and happiness! 

WELLLLLLL!!!! I will let you know if there are any other crazy things that goes on here... I love you all a boatload!!! 

 

Sister Baine 

Here we go again...

What do I say? One word says it all..... Just kidding there is no way
I could say everything in one word.... Other than SOUTH! We are so far
away from everything that it takes a 2 hour drive to get to the
mission meetings. But as Uncle Alex says, that is really not that far
to how it was for him in Australia.... But it seems far when my
companion can't drive. Yeah, so guess who has to drive 24/7? THIS BAD
DRIVER! She has literally feared for her life she says.... -_-

Anyways, yes, we are down south now. We are at the JERSEY SHORE! I
haven't been to it yet, but apparently there is a boardwalk and beach
and the whole shabang  down at the end of our area, only it has been a
little chilly this week, so we haven't gone yet. I am really surprised
at how country it feels here... There are quiet beach towns, and long
stretches of road that go on forever. It is really pretty here, and a
really large part of all the residences here are OLD PEOPLE. I love
the aged and experienced though... And there are a lot of retirement
homes here.

We are working with a lot of recent converts and less actives here
too.... It is really hard to find, because besides the retirement
neighborhoods, there is really just a lot of highways, so the main
streets here aren't very main, and there aren't very many people
walking around. BUT!!! That means we have to get creative and use our
recourses and finding tools to our advantage.... We have to be
resourceful Mexicans.

Other than exploring and feeling very very lost and wondering what I
am doing.... There hasn't been a lot of exciting things that have been
going on.... So I will tell you the wonderful things that I am
learning by the power of the Holy Ghost.

I have had it made manifest to me that families are the center of
everything. Families are most important. Baptism is not the end goal,
it is going to the temple. Why? Because it is in the temple where we
make covenants that bind us to our heavenly families, and allow our
family relationships to remain the same forever. That is why we do
everything in the gospel and work in the Kingdom.... It is for
families. Because the Holy Ghost taught me this, I know that it is
true, because the Spirit only testifies of things that are true.

Also, I know that obedience is the most important thing! When we are
obedient, we have the spirit and are happy. When we are disobedient,
the spirit cannot be with us, and we can not experience the full joy
and blessings that have the potential to claim. Exact obedience to the
commandments and rules that we are given by the scriptures, prophets,
inspired leaders, parents, will give us PEACE! And we will be SAFE! 😊
we will be confident and everything good will come. :)

I love this! God is so good! And I hope that all these old people are
ready to get spirit slapped with some super sweet scriptures! I love
you alllll!!!!! 😘