Week 59--Evanston, WY

Ella and Cashae Brooks baptism

This week has been good. There is so much work in WY. There were some awesome kids who were baptized this week. Their names are Eli and Cashae Brooks. Their parents had some major divorce problems but we were able to be the mediators and get things worked out. I went on exchanges in Rock Springs and some of my recent converts put on a lunch for me! I found out the one of them (Marianna) is pregnant! Her and her husband serve in primary! I was so excited and happy to learn that!

We met two people this week who want to be baptized. One is a girl who is about to go off to college at UVU, so I will see her in a year or so. Another is a guy who just showed up at church. We met with him afterwards. Its was a very spiritual lesson and many of the people there were in tears! His name is Eric. He is insanely prepared and he is a very nice guy. He had a lot of drinking problems from a crazy divorce. He has been sober for a while now and we met him at the perfect time! I think that God's hand is perhaps most manifest in coincidence and opportunity. We have seen so many of them of them both lately. Our zone had 11 baptisms this past weekend which is record-breaking for our mission. I feel like we are so undeserving of all that we've been given.

My companion and I get along well. He is an outstanding missionary. He is very receptive to the spirit and boldly follows it's promptings. I am trying to be more like him. We get along well and he is very excited about exercising. We get up at 5:40am most days to work out. We have a crossfit gym and another full gym that are free to us. I love God. I love the work. I know that Jesus truly has power to forgive sin. I constantly strive to be more grateful, more humble, and more converted.

-Elder Bass

Week 58--Evanston, WY

We went on a mission hike yesterday so we are emailing today. Evanston is great. I love it here. I've honestly loved all of my areas. I really want to stay in this one for 6 months but we will see what
happens! We cover 6 wards here and a YSA branch. It is pretty fun all in all. The members here are really good about sharing the gospel. We have received so many referrals in just the short time that I've been here. Some who will be baptized very soon. We are teaching a lot and have a lot to do.

There is one family that we are working with that I already love to
death. Their last name is the Buhmans. Missionaries have taught them in the past and didn't keep good records of what happened. They like the church, they have taken all the discussions, yet something is holding them back that we have no idea. They are known to shut off when talking about it, so we are trying to build a relationship with them. Anyways, Saturday we went to the rodeo with them which was a blast. We had a lot of fun, but a crazy miracle happened. Their two daughters brought a friend to the rodeo. We were thirsty so we went to the concession stand and got a drink. The daughters and their friend came with us. We saw a bishop in one of the wards and started talking to him. He went up and introduced himself to them and for some reason he asked for their last names. The friends last name was hornicker which is the last name of a YSA girl that we are trying to get in contact with. We ask the Buhmans about the girl and it turns out that bro Buhman is the brother of both the friend and the YSA girl. They offered their home for a place that we could teach his younger YSA sister. So we will now be teaching the Buhmans and that YSA girl! It was just a lot of crazy, God-orchestrated coincidences.

Again, I love it here. Things are going amazingly well. I feel great
as I strive to be obedient and work hard. I realized that it isn't about being perfectly obedient, but it is about trying to be and following the spirit of the law. Take care everyone!

-Elder Bass

Jesus plaque

Mission Hike

In a meeting with Elder L. Tom Perry, the mission presidents were encouraged to help their missionaries experience a little of the local culture. July 24th is a major holiday in Utah - Pioneer Day. Today, the mission president and his wife took all the missionaries in the mission (who wished to go) on a hike on parts of the Mormon Trail. Imagine 200 + missionaries hiking 4.5 miles uphill over the same mountains our Mormon pioneers did. 2 1/2 hours later they made it to the top of Big Mountain - all accounted for! (I got this information from the mission Facebook page). 

Elder Bass, center

Elder Bass, gray t-shirt, middle, in front of second bus

Photos of Elder Bass in Evanston, Wyoming!

I received an email last night from a church member where Alex is serving. I was very excited to get pictures and an update of him in his new area! Here are the pictures and the note that she wrote:

Hi Sister Bass!

We had the opportunity of having your son and his companion join us for dinner a few hours ago. Elder Bass is a remarkable young man and missionary! Your son serves in the Evanston Stake and we live in the Evanston South Stake, but since we have 2 sons attending the ysa branch, the Evanston Stake missionaries sometimes falls into our territory too - yay! Thank you for sending out such a great young man. He was very pleasant to be with, he's so intelligent, and speaks highly of his family. You must feel very proud of him! He is going to do great here in Evanston! He and Elder Smith are an enthusiastic mission pair, definitely carry the Spirit with them, and get along wonderfully.

 I have a son serving a mission in Uruguay, and I have 3 RM sons, so I understand how a photo can make a missionary mom's day! 

If you become aware of anything my family and I can do for your son while he serves here in Evanston please let me know!

Sincerely,

your friend & sister in the Gospel, Christina Muller

Week 57--Evanston, WY

To answer your questions on why I didn't tell where I was being transferred last week, let me explain. I email on Mondays. Transfers is on Tuesday and I figure out where I'm going at transfers on Tuesday. They call Monday morning to say if you are staying or leaving. That is how I knew I was leaving but did not know who my companion was or where I was going. It has been like that and will continue to be like that.

Unfortunately, Mark did not get baptized. I am now in Evanston, Wyoming. Elder Smith from Connecticut is my new companion. He is a very good missionary. He has been out for 21 months. He is very bold and very sensitive to the spirit. We work well together and in the past week God has placed into our path in one way or another many new investigators and 5 people in particular who will soon be baptized.

I love it out here. I just love Wyoming in general. There is lots of work and lots of good stuff here. I am trying really hard to improve myself. I have made mission goals and plans about how I'm going to improve. I am excited to start. I hope Elder Baldry is doing alright it seems like he has a greenie who might struggle. I am in an apartment with 2 other elders. One is a big football player; the other is going to be a receiver for BYU. My companion loves working out too. I decided to conform.

-Elder Bass

Pictures I(Mom) got off the Facebook page of Transfer Day:

Elder Bass is in the second row, left side. His facial expressions crack me up. He is still the same Alex. :)

Week 56--Holladay, UT

Transfers came in and I am leaving. I got called to be a zone leader.  And...Elder Baldry is training. Elder Baldry is good and has things straightened out. He loves his mission. I will miss Valley View. I have had some wonderful experiences and have met some amazing people. It will be a bitter sweet departure. This week, we found two new promising investigators. One of them is a really nice lady that was caught in some bad stuff. Her and her fiance are very ambitious. It was great to see Elder Baldry teach that time which may be our last. He was so nervous when we were first together. He is now a confident teacher. Last night we talked a lot about all of the experiences that we had together and the different lessons that we learned. It was cool to see him say all the awesome experiences that he has had. He loves his mission and he is very excited to train. I will sorely miss many of the families here. I will visit them often when I am at college. I left at the perfect time; our area lost the car for good! Haha!

This week we found out that one of the investigators we have is on meth. That is no fun. She went to extreme lengths to keep getting more. She robbed her sister-in-law's house. She was involved in other armed robberies and is hanging out with gangs. It is terrible to see destroyed homes and lives through drugs. We also talked with a LA recovered drug addict. We learned some crazy things from that guy. He is slowly coming back to church. Drugs are terrible and destroy lives. Now that family I talked about in the beginning is getting divorced.They have two little boys. One is five years old and the other one is eight months old. The mother's lost so much weight. The dad isn't sure what to do. The advice of the less active member gave us was that there is pretty much nothing that we can do to help her until she decides to stop and get help.

I'm excited for my new area. I am excited for the new people that I will meet. I'm excited for what the future holds. I am so excited to take you back and the family and visit all the amazing people that I've met. I love the mission that I've been given. It is truly the mission that I desire.

I was so confused why I had stayed another transfer in the beginning, but now it is very clear. Elder Baldry taught me some critical lessons. I may not have been able to learn them any other way. Also, I think I stayed for Mark. Mark Henderson is getting baptized next week!! I am excited I get to come back for it. I have worked with him the entire 7 1/2 months that I've been here. He went through alcohol rehab since I've been here, and we taught him before and after. For a long time, he struggled to feel he was worthy of God's love due to mistakes he has made in his life. He has come a long way, and it's exciting to see him embracing the gospel.

I love God. I love my mission. I have had such wonderful and priceless experiences. I love you all! Thanks for all that you do!

-Elder Bass

These are a few pictures. The first ones are the district. The one where we
are in a circle is in district meeting. Also 118 degrees!

Later notes:
One of the most impactful experiences that i had in this area was teaching Carson. After that lesson we had with him by the fire place, I knew that if i just had listened to the spirit that one day that things just might have been different and even if they hadn't i still would have been at peace knowing that i did God's will. In that lesson where i presented Carson with the calendar, the spirit told me to forget the calendar and invite Carson to be baptized. I didnt and instead trusted my logic. It didnt end up working like i planned so i just wish that i had listened to the spirit. From that moment on, i learned that if I followed God no matter what he asked me to do, even if it blatantly and directly defied my logic, it would somehow always turn out better in the grand scheme of things for everyone.

Week 55--Holladay, UT

Elder Bass and Elder Baldry

On splits with Elder Turner

This coming week is the last one of the transfer so we will see what happens. I could stay for 9 months which would be a long time but also it would be a good time! We have a few people who will be baptized this next transfer so that will be cool!

A good story this week...we gave a slip of paper with a scripture on it to this rougher looking guy a few weeks back. We didn't think much of it. Anyways, we saw him like yesterday and he started talking to us and said that the scripture we gave him had a positive impact on him. He said that his friend just had died and that the scripture that we gave him gave him strength and peace to get through the hard time! It was cool to see God work. He reminded him and inspired him to look up the scripture and he gave him peace and comfort. I've realized that's always how it works. We do all that we can, it often amounts to very little. God does the rest! There is so much that we can't control. There is so many times when we aren't around our investigators. There is so much that we can't do. We have to be obedient and God will bless us with what we need. Sometimes it's work. Sometimes it's baptisms. Sometimes it's memorable experiences. Sometimes it's critical lessons that must be learned. We don't have to be perfectly obedient to be blessed; we just have to try and be better.

-Elder Bass