Family and Friends

Dear Family and Friends,

      This week was a roller coaster... Unfortunately, the baptism that we were supposed to have on Saturday has been delayed. But, we are hoping that it will still happen soon. One thing I've said since the beginning of my mission is that Satan is rude but Heavenly Father Loves us. That is a phrase that is proven to be true every time we have someone progressing. But, I know that more so than Satan working on our investigators we have so many people praying for them and trying to help them progress. Sometimes I'm not the biggest fan in the whole opposition in all things... But, then I remember how it has helped me to grow. This morning Sister Perrin and I were listening to a talk by President Uchtdorf and something that he said really stood out to me. He said simply "Our destiny is not measured by the number of times we fall but the number of times we get back up again." That is something that I know to be a true statement. We will all fall at times. But, what makes us is if we choose to stand back up and try again.

     Other than that this week has been eventful... But, not super... Mostly, we got a new mission president this week and on Friday morning President and Sister Anderson departed for Salt Lake... So now you are all closer distance wise to my mission president than I am! I have yet to meet President Rehm but we will be meeting him on Wednesday. I'm excited to meet him and come to know him in my last few months here. I know that I was called on my mission for the changes of mission presidents for a specific reason. I'm excited to see what that reason is:)

     So, this week was a little crazy but it was so good. I know that as we are faithful we will face some really HARD and difficult times.... But, one thing that my mission has taught me is that even in the most difficult times and the times when you honestly really just want to sit down and cry, we can experience the joy of the gospel. That is something that I love about the church. In 2 Nephi 5:27 which is one of my favorite scriptures it says simply "And it came to pass that we lived after the manner of happiness." One thing that I don't think a whole lot of people realize is that happiness can be a choice. I know that when I was suffering depression the thing that I had to remember in coming back out of it was that everyday I had to make the CHOICE to be happy. Then after a while that choice came naturally. It was something I didn't have to think about but rather something that came a lot more naturally.

      I know that if there is one thing that Heavenly Father wants for each of his children it is happiness; and not the kind that lasts only when  you have possesion of something or only when our lives are going smoothly. God wants us to have the kind of happiness that lasts and carries us even through our trials. He knows the joy that we can have in this life and in the next and he wishes us to have it as well. I love you all and I am praying for you!
Love,

Sister Bice

Conqueror of the Enemy‏

                                                                          P-Day Selfies!

Dear Family and Friends,

      This week has been crazy, weird, and good all wrapped up in one! On instance I can think of is Sister Perrin and I have been trying to track down some less active members recently, and well we went to one house and knocked. Well, as we were standing there just waiting we started talking about something when all of a sudden whoever is in the house knocks back at us!!! I think I jumped at least 10 feet!! So, very confused we knock once more... Unfortunately, they didn't answer but now Sister Perrin and I have lots of jokes about doors knocking back at us. It was a very new experience! But, most of this week has been spent visiting members in order to arrange things for Kristy's baptism on the 28th. We are so excited for her, she is an amazing person:)

       But, it has been a really good week:) I've really really enjoyed being here in the Meridian ward:) On Friday I hit my 16 month mark! I can barely believe it, honestly I still feel like I'm in the first few months on my mission... But, at the same time I don't I've seen way to much growth to still be just beginning. Recently, I have been thinking about how much I have changes since I entered the MTC almost 16 months ago. I remember just bawling my eyes out after the first lesson we taught to our 'investigator'. I didn't know how to teach and I just wondered why in the world I was even on a mission. I still have hard moments, but I also know why I am here. :)

      Today, I was reading in Jacob 7 and I came across a verse I really like. Its verse 25 : "Wherefore, the people of Nephi did fortify against them with their arms, and with all their might trusting in the God and the rock of their salvation; wherefore, they became as yet, conquerors of their enemies." I liked this because as I read it I took it and put my name in so instead it said : Wherefore, Sister Bice did fortify against them with her arms, and will all her might trusting in the God and rock of her salvation; wherefore she became as yet, a conqueror or her Satan.

     One thing I know for sure is that as we build upon the rock of our salvation who is God we will become mighty. Not because of us, but because the person that we are built upon is mighty even unto the power of deliverance. As we do this we can overcome all the things that face us and all the battles we are expected to fight. I love you all so much and hope you are having a fantastic week!

Love,

Sister Bice

Family and Friends

Dear Family and Friends,

      So, this week we had a lot of meetings! Why? Well, mostly because on June 27 the CCSM will have a brand new mission president. So, as such we have had a lot of meeting on adjusting and how thing WILL be different when the new mission president comes. Crazy!!! I remember when I came out I figured out that President Anderson would be leaving the mission just barely before I did... And now he is leaving!! It makes me a bit sad but it will be interesting to see how our new president, President Rehm will change things and what that will bring to the work here. 

       Aside from that we have been working a lot trying to track down Less Active and teach our investigators. It can be frustrating at times because we have two people we are teaching that tell us that they know that this is true. But that they are not ready or willing to commit to a date. But, at the same time, I know that everyone has to take their own path. When it is right it will happen. They have the faith and they have the love for the gospel so they will make it. 

      Also this week, I got to meet  Andrew Probst who if you don't know who that is (cause I didn't know until we got invited to hear him speak) he is the missionary from the Saratov Approach. We missed the first half of his talk but we did get to hear him speak for a bit about his experience being kidnapped as a missionary. It was cool because he talked about how that experience as a missionary shaped his whole life. Thinking about that if reminded me of Laman in the Book of Mormon. Mind you this is not the Laman everyone tends to think of where the Book of Mormon is concerned. This Laman comes in to the story in the book of Alma and he was a Lamanite until Almalickiah killed the king and pinned the murder on him causing him to flee over to the Nephites.

        But, thinking about Lamans expereince I was thinking about how being blamed for the murder of the king was such a great blessing in his life. At the time, honestly I'm sure that is the last thing he would have called it. At the time I'm  honestly quite sure he was upset, scared and just really angry with everyone around them. Amalickiah for blamming him for murder, the Nephites for the war that started on thier sside and effected him, the Laminites for maybe not seeing that he was innocent. Ultimatly though, at some point this trial became a blessing. If Laman hadn't had to run as the accused murder of the King he would have never come to truly know who God was. He wouldn't have had the opportunity to learn and accept the fulness of the gospel and he would not have had the opportunity to save the many souls that he was able to save by being amoung the Lamanites. 

        It really brings new light to the fact that our Heavenly Father is very intimately involved in our lives. He knows us, he knows our trials, he knows the things that make us angry and the things that make us sad. He knows it all and he knows how to take the pains and hardships we have been through and make them into experiences that help us bless others.

        When I was set apart for my mission the blessing I was given promised that on my mission I would see why I had been through all the trials I was forced to go through up until this point. That promise was fulfilled probably 4 months into my mission and continues to be fulfilled everyday. Everyday I come across someone that I can help by what I have been through in life. Ultimately, I have a tesitmony that we never go through trials for no reason. Heavenly Father knows what we can take and how we can take it to make us stronger. I love you all and hope and pray that you have a fantastic week!!

Love,

Sister Bice

Its crazy that it has already been another week!!

Dear Family and Friends!

       Its crazy that it has already been another week!! Transfers are next week and I just can't figure out where the past 5 weeks have gone! Time seems to keep speeding up and I really wish that it wouldn't. But, it was a really good week! Every week is a good week, I just find myself sad that I'm getting so short on time.

      Hmm.... So this week we finished up the lessons for Kristy (one of our investigators) and now we are just praying that she will have the courage to keep her date. She is super sweet! She didn't really even know if God existed a year ago. But, due to circumstances in her life she found herself feeling the need to come to know God. Now she is here and she is such a spiritual and sweet person. This week as I have been doing my personal studies I have noticed a lot that the words 'faith' and 'patience' are often bunched together.

      I thought that was really interesting. So many times in mission meetings they tell us that if we have faith then everything else will take care of itself. Well, for that last little while I've had a hard finding people to teach. Well, in meetings they tell us that if we have faith then we will find people to teach. So, often I would find myself feeling like I must not have enough faith. However, we must also have patience in the Lords timing. In Alma 60:26 : "And this because of their exceeding faith, and their patience in their tribulations--" Or in Mosiah 24:16 : "And it came to pass that so great was their faith and their patience... "

       There are many other examples, but these are a few that I've noticed. This week in church a lady bore her testimony and she said simply "sometimes unanswered prayers ARE the answers to our prayers..." I liked this because sometimes I get frustrated with the Lord because I feel that he isn't answering my prayers. Or sometimes I even feel that I am showing forth faith and I'm not seeing the great miracles that everyone around me seems to be seeing. However,  I have come to realize that we cannot just have faith or pray for things but we must also be patient. We must also be okay with whatever the answer is that we get.

        When I first came out on my mission I heard a talk from Elder Bednar in which he was asked to give a newly married man a blessing. This man had just contracted cancer, and instead of asking the normal question of 'do you have faith to be healed' he asked this man 'Do you have the faith to not be healed if it is the will of the Lord?" This is something that has stayed with me. Sometimes, most of the time, it is a lot easier to have faith that what we want to happen will happen. But, do we have the faith to just accept the will of the Lord? Do we have the faith to wait on his timing and know that what happens will be what is best for us? I like those questions, because often they are a lot harder for me to answer.

Sorry, that this is a such a long letter! I kind of got off on a rant, but know that I love you all and that I know that if we have patience AND faith then God will take care of us and whatever happens will be for the best.

Love,

Sister Bice

A Week of Reunions‏

Dear Family and Friends,

     This week was amazing! Saturday, I had the opportunity to go to the temple with Harriet. It's hard to believe that she has been a member for a year now but it was such a special experience! But, I also got a nice surprise on Tuesday night. Sister Perrin and I were planning and all of a sudden we get a call from President Anderson. So after some debate on who was going to answer the phone, I answered. Well, Sister Kipp called President Anderson to tell him Flor (the convert we taught in Pueblo) was going through the temple for baptisms on the same day as Harriet!!! So, not only did I get to go through with Harriet on Saturday, but I was able to go and watch Flor do baptisms for the dead. 

      I was so excited, and really emotional. Nothing fights discouragement like being able to see people you have taught progress to the temple. So, it was a crazy week, but it was also an amazing week. Yesterday, we were teaching a lesson to some investigators and one of them asked me if I had ever received and answer to prayer; and it struck me as amazing that I could answer that question without a doubt. I know the Lord answers prayers, both the prayers of our heart and the prayers we utter. 

       If nothing else that is a knowledge I have gained on my mission. To have both of the people I have taught enter the temple on the same day was a reassurance to me and an answer to my prayer. There is a quote I have really come to love since being on my mission and it is from President Deiter F. Uchtdorf and it states simply: "In the end, the number of prayers we say may contribute to our  

happiness,but the number of prayers we answer may be of even

 greater importance.Let us open our eyes and see the heavy hea

rts, notice the loneliness and despair; let us feel the silent prayer

s of others around us, and let us be aninstrument in the hands of

 the Lord to answer those prayers." I love this quote because 

this weekend the two people that I

 helped teach answered my prayers; and I just hope and pray

 that I was able to answer theirs as well.

        I know that this church is true! I know it and I love it! I know that sharing the gospel with those around us can bring into our lives happiness that we cannot comprehend and friends that will change us forever. I'm so grateful that I am on a mission and that God trusted me enough to allow me to be here for his children at this time.  I know that he is watching over each of us and that he wants what is best for us. I love this church and I love it's teachings. I love how it can take each and every one of us and mold us into someone we didn't know that we could be. I know with all my heart that it is true! 

I love you all so much and I pray for you! Have a wonderful week!!! 

Love,

Sister Bice