And I'm staying in Pueblo!!‏

Dear Family and Friends!

     I've finally managed to go a transfer without being moved!! I'm going to be staying here in Pueblo West with Sister Kipp! We are super excited about it!

This week has been great! We have been able to meet with a lot of people and do A LOT of service! And to top it all off we had a baptism on Saturday!! I think baptisms are amazing and truly one of the greatest services we have as a church! It is such a blessing to be a missionary and to have the opportunity to watch someone who said they were never ever ever ever going to get baptized change. To watch them as they step into the baptismal font and see their faces after they come out of the water. It is such a confirmation to me that this is the true church! I know with all my heart that it is and to watch others come to the knowledge that they are literally sons and daughters of a loving Heavenly Father is truly a privilege and a blessing!! Yesterday, Sister Kipp and I had the opportunity to go into the Young Womens class and to teach a small 5 minute lesson on member missionary work. So Sister Kipp taught them about mormon.org profiles and how they can and will make a difference and then it was my turn to talk and I shared with them Alma 32:27 which says: But Behold, If ye shall awake and arouse your faculties, even to an experiment upon my words, and exercise a particle of faith, yea, even if ye can no more than desire to believe, let this desire work in you, even until ye believe in a manner that ye can give place for a portion of my words." At first the girls looked a bit confused because we had just switched between mormon.org profiles to talking about how they can develop faith. But, I received a bit of inspiration when I was reading this verse the other day that just made a lot of sense to me. Yes, this verse is talking about people and how they can develop faith... But, really, as missionaries and as a church why do we ask so often for people to invite their friends to church events? Well, I was thinking about that when I read this verse and it came to me that when we invite people. When we ask a friend to come to young womens or an enrichment activity, or whatever it may be. We are inviting them to exercise faith. To show that they have even a particle of a desire to learn a little or to see what we believe. And when they show even that little bit of a desire to learn more then miracles can happen. That is when we have the opportunity to watch the Lord work among those that we love. Sometimes, they may not accept the gospel but as we give everyone we meet an opportunity to learn then I promise you all that you will see people you love embrace the gospel you cherish. It will happen and when it does 'how great shall be your joy with him in the kingdom of my Father." (D&C18:16) I can testify that this gospel is true, and as we share it with others we will experience a joy that we have not known was possible. I love you all and challenge you to invite a friend or someone who is not a member to come to something or even to watch a Mormon message this week! I promise you will see success! 

Love,

Sister Bice

Miracles in Pueblo West:)‏

Dear Family and Friends,

      This week has been a great week! We were able to do lots of work and lots of walking and getting to know the area. It was a lot of fun! The people here in Pueblo West are, for the most part, really nice and that is a blessing in and of itself. Mostly, we have been spending a lot of time with investigators, we have two that we are trying to get ready for baptism one of which is being baptized this weekend! We are so excited for him, his mother and sisters all converted earlier in the year and he swore he was NOT going to get baptized. But the elders before us managed to get him to think and pray about it and the answer he got was a 'yes' so now he has had a total change of heart and is so excited to be able to get baptized! That is one thing I love about missionary work, we get to watch the Lord work on people and change them. When that change comes they are blessed to be so much happier than they were before! Yesterday, Sister Kipp and I were also blessed to recognize on of the many miracles we experience in life. We were out contacting some people who had formerly investigated the church and we just so happened to be in an apartment complex of a man we had previously talked to on a way out of an appointment. So we decided we would go and knock on his apartment and talk with him. Well, we mixed up what apartment was his an knocked on the wrong door. A younger girl answered and we shared our message and were rejected. Well, we turned away and were on our way to the right apartment when I realized that we had forgotten our phone at the ward mission leaders home. Well, Sister Kipp turned around and Knocked on the door or the Lady we were just talking to (she had mentioned that her husband works with our ward mission leader) and asked to borrow her cell-phone. She didn't answer at first and I figured maybe she was ignoring us so we were going to head to a members house when she opened the door. Quickly we explained the situation and she willingly let us borrow her phone. Well, while Sister Kipp was on the phone with Brother McCaw, Katy(the lady whose phone we were borrowing) asked if we could actually come back later when her husband was home because she had some questions about our faith that she wanted to ask us! So, we set up an appointment and had a really good lesson with her and her husband:) We are hoping to see them again soon! The whole experience made me think of 3 Nephi 11:3 it says: "And it came to pass that while they were thus conversing one with another, they heard a voice as if it came out of heaven; and they cast their eyes round about, for they understood not the voice they heard; and it was not a harsh voice neither was it a loud voice; nevertheless, and notwithstanding it being a small voice it did pierce them that did hear to the center, insomuch that there was no part of their frame that it did not cause to quake; yea, it did pierce them to the very soul, and did cause their hearts to burn." I thought of this scripture because as you go on to read that the first time they felt the spirit and it made an impression on them and the second and time it also did so but the people didn't understand what it was saying to them. Finally, when they recognized where the spirit was coming from and they looked unto heaven they understood the voice. I like to think of this like us in our journey of sharing the gospel. So many people see us and feel of the spirit that we bring with us but they don't always understand it, and sometimes it takes until later when they realize what the goodness and the light we carry with us stems from that they finally understand that voice that has been calling out to them and drawing them into the gospel. This is I believe the experience that Katy and her husband are going through. They know members and they know that they are good, but it wasn't until they focused on the source of their goodness that they understood. I don't know if they will embrace the gospel, but I do know that they have felt the spirit and are curious about it. So just never forget when you are out talking to people who don't share our beliefs that maybe they don't really understand what it is they are looking for but as you testify to the source of your happiness and what it is that you believe they we find more direction as to where to turn so that they too can understand the voice to the spirit that is testifying that what you have and believe is true! I love you all, and you are always in my prayers! Stay Safe!!

Love,

Sister Bice

Pueblo here I go!!!!!

Dear Family and Friends,

I keep thinking that things will eventually become normal here... But I guess I keep thinking wrong! Things are always crazy!! In fact Pueblo is so very different from the springs! Mostly because we do A LOT more investigator work! So far we have 2 investigators with a baptismal date and 4 other investigators we are working with. Sister Kipp and myself are very out of our element here having never worked with so many investigators at once. Apparently though, a general authority came down and spoke in a Pueblo stake conference years ago and promised them that Pueblo would become a very important area. Why? We don't know but the work here is certainly moving. The ward is very excited to help and refer their friends to us (especially since we are the first sisters they have seen in 10 years). We have been having a good time here though. Even with all the walking:) I'm beginning to think I bring unusual weather changes to any area I am serving in though because it has rained every evening since we have been here and apparently that is very unusual! In the last week alone they have exceeded their annual water fall! Luckily, we have gotten either rides or we have been in appointments when all the sever rainfall starts! Otherwise I might end up with a cold again:) I've been safe though.This week I have been thinking a lot about my last companion. She was an really good missionary and was always able to teach the people not just the lessons. However, she always complained about how she couldn't be herself because no one would accept her if she was. For some reason this has been on my mind all week. In the MTC they tell us future missionaries A LOT about how we are chosen to serve in our areas because we are who we are. Well, that made me think of a Dr. Seuss quote that talks about how no one is 'youier than you' (I think that is how it goes anyways... ) in thinking about this I realized that there is only one person in this entire earth that can be us. No one can exactly duplicate feelings or talents or personality. If we are constantly hiding who we are being scared of rejection then there is at least one personality that is missing from the world. I think many times about how if I went around hiding the things that had happened to me in the past there are many people I would not have been able to relate to or have open up to me about the things they are struggling with. When God uses us to help others it truly is because we are who we are and if we hid or mask that then there will be less people to whom we are able to touch and bless. In the Elder Uchtdorf talk 'forget me not' he states:

 "I want to tell you something that I hope you will take in the right way: God is fully aware that you and I are not perfect.Let me add: God is also fully aware that the people you think are perfect are not.And yet we spend so much time and energy comparing ourselves to others—usually comparing our weaknesses to their strengths. This drives us to create expectations for ourselves that are impossible to meet. As a result, we never celebrate our good efforts because they seem to be less than what someone else does."

I love this because so often when we are being someone we are not it is because we are looking at all of those around us and thinking that we need to be like them. The great news is that we can be whomever we choose. We are children of the Most High God and he loves us for who we are. Yes, we are asked to always improve and make our weaknesses strengths but even so as we are trying our best he will always love us for that!! Never forget that God made you YOU  for a reason and even if you don't see it now, you will:) I love you all! Have a great week!!

Love,

Sister Bice

                                           A few of my new area Pueblo from the car window

                                                        Me and my companion, Sister Kipp

4 areas in 5 months...‏

Dear Family and Friends,

.... So this week was another crazy week and I know I say that every week but it is true. On Tuesday we got a call saying they couldn't find a new house for us in our area so Sister Kipp and myself were being transferred down to Pueblo West 2nd ward. That's right. I have now entered my 4th area in the 5 months I've been here... Apparently the Lord needs me in all sorts of places. So, once again on Tuesday we started packing up our lives into two suitcases and a carry on bag and then on Wednesday took the hour long drive down to Pueblo West. Let me tell you it is a whole new world down here!! We are living in the prairie of Colorado! The first day we mistakenly took our bikes, which on the way over to the members house worked great... On the way back however, it was a challenge! The wind was blowing so hard that we were going down hill in slow motion and I could barely even peddle on the lowest gear of my bike! So we learned after that experience and have been getting rides or walking everywhere.  Which takes forever! The closest places to us are miles away and the furthest probably over 6 miles from our house. It makes for an interesting day that is for sure! Especially since they don't have sidewalks here in Pueblo, everywhere we go we have to walk on the shoulder of the road and we have been instructed very explicitly(by our ward mission leader)  that we are not to walk along the highway ever!! So we are back to flushing an area. But, the ward here is amazing! The ward mission leader, Brother McCaw is very much involved in his calling and everyone we have met so far is very willing to help us out. In fact we have a baptism next week, one with a baptismal date and 3 other investigators to start off with!! But, so far most of our time has been taken up with cleaning the nasty apartment the Elders left for us. It was gross... We also had an adventure where there was some miss-communication about the cell phone. So we were told to leave ours behind with the Elders who were temporarily covering our ward and apparently the Elders in Pueblo were told we were bringing our old phone. So as a result we were phone-less in a new area for 3 days and it was a lot tougher than I would have thought!!  ... So this letter is really scatter brained so i'm sorry! But, I'll share a quick thought with you before I go. One thing our ward mission leader told us when we first got here was that if we wanted to see success and help people come back then to focus on the verbs in Moroni 10:3-5 because they are the things that will motivate and help people to return to Christ. So, I would just challenge you all to read those verses and write down the verbs and then pick one to work on for this week. I promise that you will see blessings and many other good things come as a result. I love you all! 

Love,

Sister Bice

                          Haha... So my companion got this picture and I thought you might enjoy it:)

                                                                        The Story Behind it:

I have been trying to get a hold of this picture for a year.  Part of Lone Ranger was filmed in Southern Colorado and some Elders in our mission waited in line for an autograph, and then gave him a copy of the Book of Mormon! I was told he thumbed through it and said that he would check it out. You can see it on the table next to him!

... another week in crazy Colorado weather:)‏

Dear Family and Friends,

This week was another week of just craziness!! Its funny how you don't notice a lot of things when you are in a car as opposed to being on a bike!! Sister Kipp and I have been caught in weather from 90 degrees to full blown downpours and hailstorms all within the last week! In fact I caught a bit of a cold because we got completely drenched in one of the storms. But it is alright:) I'm on the mend and am enjoying trying to pick out outfits that will be good if it is hot or if it suddenly decides to rain on us. Which mostly means that I am doing a lot of layering with shirts and jackets.. But I am getting better at it! My companion and I are opposites because she is from Spokane Washington and loves the rain and the cold and well.... I like it a lot less than she seems to. In other words I thrive and do best in a little heat and she does the opposite, it makes for an interesting dynamic if nothing else:) We have also had a good time just stopping on the street and talking with people... I feel a lot less creepy doing this on a bike as opposed to stopping a car and getting out to talk with someone. So we are often talking with people, only we forget that  our area is so stinking small! On our first couple of days here we stopped and talked to a gentleman who was eating his lunch on the curb. Well after talking to him for a minute we asked if he would be interested in learning more... and got totally rejected. He is Muslim and had no interest in talking with us. Well for the next week we ran into him everyday as he was doing door to door sales type stuff and apparently we work the same area. It was a bit awkward but I also got a good laugh out of the whole situation. Then we went and taught a less active member who we had talked to before and asked our Ward Mission Leaders advice on who from the ward would be good to bring to the lesson. He suggested Brother Daniels who liked to ride motorcycles and was getting into photography which was great because Brother Edgin (the less active member) is a photographer for the Harley Davidson down here. So we brought him along and it was perfect!! Despite a difference in age these two got along so well. It was a testimony to me of how well our Heavenly Father knows each of us and how he is so very aware of our needs. That is something that I defiantly get reaffirmed to me quite often on my mission as I serve and meet new people. Finally, to round off the week we got to go do some service up in Black Forrest (where the fire took place) and fill sandbags because apparently after the Waldo Canyon fire because all the undergrowth was gone they had major problems with flooding so we are trying to prepare Black Forrest for the likelihood of that just in case they are stuck in just such a situation. So sorry this is really scatterbrained but what you can take from it is that this week was an all in all good week:) Recently, I have been trying to read the bible more in my studies to gain a better understanding of it and I have been in the story of Joseph of Egypt. Well I was reading today about how he revealed himself to his brothers and what he says really stood out to me. Its in Genesis 45:5-8 and it says;

"5 Now therefore be not grieved, nor angry with yourselves, that ye sold me hither: for God did send me before you to preserve your life.

6 For these two years hath the famine been in the land: and yet there are five years, in the which there shall neither be earing nor harvest.

7 And God sent me before you to preserve you a posterity in the earth, and to save your lives by a great deliverance.

8 So now it was not you that sent me hither, but God: and he hath made me a father to Pharaoh, and lord of all his house, and a ruler throughout all the land of Egypt."

I really like these verses because even though he was sold by his own brothers and it was hard on him. The chapters before show that, but he looks to the positive side. He doesn't let his afflictions hinder him from seeing Gods plan for him. I find that so amazing because recently one of the recent converts in this ward got kicked out of her house. Her parents were not very happy with her becoming a Mormon and other things kind of blew up as well. But, when we talked with her recently she was able to show this kind of attitude toward her trials. She pointed out to us that yes it was hard, but even though it was a difficult situation to be in God has been blessing her. It is so hard to see that side of things when we are going through troubles but if we focus on the blessings then even though things are hard and difficult to overcome we will be able become strong and overcome it all the same. Instead of becoming bitter at God we will be able to continue in thanking him for his everlasting mercy to us. I have looked back so many times at the trials that I faced and I am able to see now what I wish I had seen then. I can see the Lords hand in my life blessing me everyday:) I love you all!! Remember that with the Lord on your side you can overcome all things:)

Love,

Sister Bice