Week 18-Rock Springs, WY

Mariana's baptism

Sounds like a hectic week! I am happy you guys were able to get out of the groove and take a break from the normal life style! Honestly, life is good! I am absolutely loving my mission and my companion is a great guy and we both try really hard to be good missionaries. He isn't very experienced so it can be hard at times, but I really feel like we are being led by the spirit. I have seen significant improvements in him and me too! We strive to work with the ward members and we are taking big steps trying to get involved with our three wards. We recently got a new ward mission leader in our one ward that is struggling the most. He is super on fire for missionary work which really helps us! We have had more work in that ward than we have in a long time! We are picking up investigators and our teaching pool is growing. We are currently teaching 50+ people. I love Rock Springs and I'm crossing my fingers that I'll be able to stay til 6 months! I have made so many friends here with investigators and members! I'm already making a list of people I will be coming back to visit! There are some amazing families here!

We have had quite a few miracles this week. First of all,  I have found that Church is a reliable source of revelation. That is not the primary purpose of church, but it is a benefit and blessing of going to church. Sundays we don't have time to study. For the past little bit, we have been struggling with Heather. She needs to be baptized and she knows it. We just can't find time to meet with her and she is falling away I feel. We prayed specifically the night before to seek revelation for Heather and what we could do. We asked that as we paid attention to the message at church and soaked as much as we could in, we would receive an answer. Well we have three wards to attend. I went through the first 2 and didn't know what we were supposed to do. Went to the first two meetings of the third one and nothing. Sacrament meeting is at the end with the last ward. There were three speakers. The first two seemed to take the entire time and still nothing. The last speaker had 5 minutes to speak and my answer came in that last 5 minutes. The words he said didn't answer my question but the spirit taught me through one idea that he brought up. I was so thankful for this experience and I know that church is a means whereby we can receive revelation. 

Another miracle quickly, two weeks ago we got a family to come to church! She was induced two days later and so we hadn't had the chance to talk with them because they were in the hospital.We were able to see them last night. They said that when they came to church two weeks ago they were fighting before and weren't in a good spirit. When they came to church they said that they seemed to get along. They felt peace and all was well. It was crazy that it made such an impression on them. They had just birthed a baby! The dad said that it was like a quote from Everybody loves Raymond. We were expecting a shallow comment about church. However, in the episode someone asked someone else why they went to church. The response was: "to get away from the world and focus on the things that matter most." He said he felt that way. It was a huge testimony builder to me on the importance of church!

We also had a baptism this week. Mariana has been waiting a long time and finally the time has come.I had the wonderful opportunity to perform that ordinance for her. There was so much joy. Surely the greatest blessings are found through the restored gospel!  Surely the gospel is true. Surely the priesthood authority has been restored and it is such a blessing that it is available to those as weak and as incompetent as I! Thank goodness for the enabling power of the atonement. Otherwise I would be horribly and embarrassingly unqualified for this great work. I know that in Christ's strength I can do all things! 

-Elder Bass

Elder M from Phillipines

Elder Tagg from North Carolina

Elder Bass on couch

Later Notes: The whole Marriana experience was pretty crazy. I remember that Jake her husband got drunk and started trying to beat her and threatened her that he would i believe kill her if she got baptized. She called us wondering what we should do. We called the mission president asking what would be the best thing to do. He told us to refer her to the bishop. We gave her a blessing. We promised that one day she would have an eternal family. I believe i gave the blessing. I am honestly not sure how but things got resolved. I think that after he wasnt drunk anymore he apologized and said it was fine if she got baptized.

I remember going to Ihop one morning with members of the stake presidency. I remember being super happy feeling close to sister Tennyson. She was someone i could relate to from back home who understood me. 

Wisdom from journal: "I found that as i made my prayers more meaningful and my studies great things are being brought to pass. It means more to me. I feel more."