Week 37-Holladay, UT

At training this week, I got to be reunited with my good buddy, Elder Kirsi

It's been a good week. We had a lot of ups and a lot of downs. Brandon who we met like 25 days ago, completely changed his life around and was baptized on Saturday. Quit drugs, smoking, and replaced those things with wholesome activities. It was cool to see the transformation of his character in such a short period of time. He is a very smart guy. He will catch on to everything quickly. I could see him being a bishop in 5 years.

Nathan was an autistic child we have been working with. His parents decided he was over the age of 8 mentally. So we taught him and he was baptized yesterday. It was a very special and spiritual baptism. I could feel God loved him so much. Nathan has a really cool story that I'll share. His parents dropped him off at Young Men one night and apparently he didn't find the room they were in or something. The church is 7 or 8 blocks away. When his parents came to pick him up he was gone. They couldn't find him and the Young Men President said he hadn't seen him. They looked everywhere and still nothing. They went back to their house and started to pray. Nathan walked in the door. He can walk but he is pretty severely autistic. He can only say like three word sentences. Anyways they asked him how he did it. He said that Peter showed him the way. Peter was his Young Men president he was close with a few years earlier who had passed away suddenly.

We had a lesson at temple square with Carson this week. It was my first lesson at temple square and it was pretty amazing! We saw the Christus and saw the temple model and went into a series of movies titled "The gospel blesses families". I cried during the movie and afterwards I got up and testified to Carson that the gospel's purpose is to bring families closer together and closer to God. We had him pray on the spot and he wants to be baptized. It was an amazing lesson. During the videos, I had a profound witness of God's love for me. I felt it so powerfully. I undeniably came to the knowledge that it was not by chance or random that our family was put together. Each person in my family was part of God's design to help me grow and become. I felt like I have had and continue to have a close and intimate relationship with each one of them that began long before earth. These thoughts were so overwhelming to me.

Riquelle who was supposed to be baptized will have to wait til summer. Her mom is, according to her, not emotionally prepared to see her ex-husband. Carson's parents won't let him be baptized until he is 18. Mark came to the last lesson wasted and will not be baptized this coming weekend. Lost some potential investigators; gained some.

It's crazy there is no snow here and everyone is freaking out! It's the best winter ever here! Haha! I am excited to see you guys again. I had a little bit of extra time one night, so instead of going to bed early, I pulled out all the Christmas notes and pictures from the calendar and looked over them. I think it might have been the first time I felt a little homesick. I love you guys so much! 

One of our wards we are super close with and they love us to death. For dinners in that ward, there seem to be a lot of girls from 12-16 that happen to be 'visiting' the night we have dinner with their families... It's weird because they all literally look 18. It's super hard to be a missionary in Salt Lake. There are attractive girls literally everywhere. Its really helping me learn to be strictly virtuous!

We get Ipads tomorrow. Super stoked. Should boost the work and the productivity. Transfers are next Tuesday; I'm anxious to see what will happen.

We also got in an accident and were on bike for a few days while they fixed our car. My legs are flippin' sore.

Love everyone have a great week!

-Elder Bass

Later Notes: Elder Thompson and I taught a family that we called the Bartons. We sat in his front room and he drank his beer. They were very respectful. We invited him to take the lessons and he said that he was good. I look back at the tense moments of my mission where i fulfilled my purpose and i am proud of them.

Week 36-Holladay, UT

Holladay District C

I really don't have too much to report on. It was a good week. We worked. We taught. We had fun. I am beginning to understand the power of the atonement. One of my favorite scriptures is found in the Doctrine and Covenants. It reads:"He that ascends upon high, as also he descended below all things, in that he comprehendeth all things that he might be in all and through all things; the light of truth". I have truly come to feel and understand that He has indeed descended below all things. The gospel is true and real. It has the power to lift us higher when nothing else can. He understands all that we are faced with and simultaneously how to come on top of that which we are faced. I can help none of these people by myself. All of my experiences don't really compare to the deep and sensitive problems these people come to us with. We direct them to Jesus Christ. We teach them how to pray. We teach them the doctrine of Christ and try our best to help them accept it and stay with it. And if they do, their bitterness hate and confusion are replaced with peace, joy, and lasting and consistently renewed and gradually brighter light and happiness. God blesses us so abundantly with the condescension of his Son. I don't have time to say anything else. I figured that was the thing I could say of most importance. 

We should have 3 or so baptisms this weekend. We will see how it turns out. I am having issues with my district. There is a lot of trouble missionaries in my district. Many of which have been out quite a bit longer than me and are unwilling to listen to me or do anything I invite them to. I have to tread cautiously but still be firm in not allowing disobedience and defiance against the commandments we are to strictly abide by as missionaries. Thank you all. I love you!!

-Elder Bass

Later Notes: We went bowling because we hit our goal many times in a row as a zone. I think that we hit it 4 consecutive months. Many of the people seen in the pictures made up the mission leadership 6 months in the future from this time.

I had problems one night with Sister Carlson. I told the zone leaders that i had a problem with a gesture they were doing in the district that signified popping a butthole. The zone leaders said they would talk to them about it. Sister Carlson was really upset that i didnt tell her and told me off over the phone. I dont remember what i said to her but i remember the feeling of failure. I later learned how to handle things so that people would be more responsive. The zone leaders gave me good advice saying that it doesnt matter. I need to represent President to the people and not the people to the president. And of course the word president can be replaced with Jesus Christ.

A little bowling fun

Week 35-Holladay, UT

I really don't have too much to talk about this week. Most of our investigators are progressing; life is good. It seems like a pretty cliche thing to say but one of the biggest things I've learned on my mission so far is how to rely and work with the Lord. He gives you responsibilities that you can't really do by yourself and be successful or effective. Its only by relying on him that everything falls into place whether by a round-about way or just the way you thought.

Elder Thompson and I get along well. We teach well. We both strive to be better missionaries and to be obedient. So again life really is good. I love the work I am engaged in and frankly honored to be in Salt Lake. Its the best of both worlds. Temporally its simple. We get food from members every corner we turn. We get 5 course dinners every night pretty much and we have plenty of money to spend on groceries and get whatever we need, want, and crave. As far as the work goes there are so many members they are frequently giving us referrals and we teach a lot. It's a challenge with many, because they are very caught up in their ways and against conforming to the culture that's here. We just have to explain that you don't have to be a Utah Mormon to be a Mormon. Once we explain what it truly is and stuff, people aren't as opposed.

We taught the Cronks this week. They have a 16 year old son named Carson. He is a stud. He's one of the nicest kids you'll ever meet. His parents are pretty against the church and everything. We had a lesson with the dad who is against it. We brought Carson's friends. I learned the power and importance of members in teaching. They both testified and the spirit was super strong. Everyone kind of started to cry and tear up. It's crazy to see the spirit soften hearts and change lives. Our stake conference was also this week. One of Carson's friends was asked to share his testimony. He went up and told the story about Carson and how we had no idea if Carson was truly interested or not but during the first lesson he broke down and opened up and we discovered he was super prepared by God. We will just never truly know if they are ready until they have a chance to hear the message. He said that he was so glad he referred him to the missionaries. He said that he loves us and considers us some of his good friends. It's crazy. Members just love us and pamper us all the more now.

We found a man who lost his records and was a convert baptism not too long ago. He will count as a convert baptism. It is another tender mercy from God. God hands us so many people.

Like I said, life is good! I love it. I love the work. I love my God. I with Nephi "glory in plainness (and) glory in truth; I glory in my Jesus for he hath redeemed my soul from hell". Take care everyone!

-Elder Bass

Week 34-Holladay, UT

Esther's baptism

My week has been great! We were able to see Esther get baptized! She is pretty amazing. She has seen so much in her life. The refugees have really rough lives. We had a really amazing sacrament meeting in our favorite ward. Two of our recent converts got up and bore their testimonies, one of them being Esther the day she was confirmed! She talked about how her family had been killed and how she was so happy to have a ward family. She said so many amazing things and she started to cry. It was really touching. She wanted to go home after sacrament meeting because she felt embarrassed that she cried. We explained that she was feeling the spirit and everyone understood. It was a good experience and amazing to see some of the fruit of my labor. I love my mission. The members here would literally take bullets for us. They love us and we love them.

We also had the AP come down and we went on exchanges with him for a few days. It was a good experience. He is a great missionary but he taught me it doesn't matter what kind of person you are or what you can accomplish. All that matters is if you do your part and rely on the Lord for the rest. You will accomplish what the Lord wants you to in your area. Also I think the same principle can apply to us reaching our full potential.

We had a lesson yesterday with a member who brought a guy into his house. We taught him the first discussion. He felt it was true and wants to change his life. He is planning to get baptized on the 21st! There are so many amazing things happening. I can't possibly contain them in an email. I also don't have a lot of time. I love you all and am grateful for your support

-Elder Bass

Later Notes: Elder Connell, the traveling assistant, came down. It was awesome. I was with Elder Thompson and Elder Connell. I felt on top of the world being in the presence of two straight studs. He told me some stories and some experiences that really gave me a vision of faith and seeing what God accomplish in my area. I remember that he chastized me and was upset about a visit that we had to a bishop. We didnt have any work with his ward and reported such. He was upset that i didnt have someone to work with and why the report sucked. I really liked that because it gave me the realization or the beginning of the realization that i had no idea what accountability was and i needed to learn what it was because it is an eternal principle.