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." 

Week 17-Rock Spring,WY

Elder Kirsi is a stud!

Elder Hanks and I

Let's see.... We almost hit SOE for lessons this week! That was pretty cool. We have focused a lot on finding and we have found many investigators to teach in result of God's help. We ran into a lady native to Guinea-Bissau in Africa. She can only speak Portuguese. We will be going back this week with a Portuguese return missionary. I'm excited for her. We had a cool experience with the Elders Quorum president in one of our wards. We organized a service project for one of our investigators before conference on Saturday. We had an awesome turn out and we were able to successfully chop wood for her, install a few broken windows, and fix up and till her yard! It is very probably that we will start teaching her daughters next week. She is an awesome lady. She is currently fighting cancer. We also got a call that possibly three people in our area want to get baptized. We will be meeting with them tonight! We met with a black family from California. They were very opinionated about the Book of Mormon. They have potential if they can let down their barriers of judgment and consider our message. Their son is on a mission in Georgia.

 Life is good. We are working as hard as we can and trying to rely on the Lord as much as we can. I testify that this is His work and we can't do it without him. I know first hand. 

Conference was great. It was a good experience to watch it with the other elders and sisters in Rock Springs. My favorite talk was Elder Ballard. He explains things so clearly and it's really instructive and edifying. There were a lot of Seventies that I liked as well. I am truly upset that it is over. It was very uplifting and edifying for me. I received revelation on how I can improve! That's one of the reasons I love conference and the scriptures; you can always find things to improve on! 

Anyways, Life is good! I absolutely love my mission and being a missionary. I am ever grateful for this opportunity! 

-Elder Bass

Later notes: The black family i mentioned in the letter i give a little more detail about. I vividly remember the experience. We started to try to teach the first discussion at like the first or second principle the flood gates opened and he told us everything that his pastor had told him. He referenced scriptures in revelation. The main concern that he had was that the bible was the only word and there was no more word except it was the bible. Many many times during the visit he beat the bible and said," the word is right here, i just don't get the book." He also brought up excommunication. We invited him to read and pray about the Book of Mormon. He said that he would examine it with his pastor. We asked for a return appointment he said we could come back to play cards but they were good. Good times...

I felt like being with Elder Hanks was comparable to training someone. I had foolishly expected a capable and developed missionary who would show me how to do missionary work, but God wanted me to learn those skills on my own.

Week 16-Rock Springs, WY

I really don't have much to report. Mariana is doing awesome and she will be baptized Oct. 11. She bore her testimony yesterday in sacrament which I was super happy about. She really wants to become better and she is.  And she's humble.

Vicki finished Jesus the Christ. They gave us a gift package expressing their gratitude. I love them so much. They wrote a note to us expressing gratitude that I was "their missionary!" It affirms once again that I am supposed to be here.

Elder Hanks and I have been working a lot. We recently found a new family to teach. I'm not sure how it will go. I think that they will progress slowly. I am very grateful for this opportunity to serve. I'm really having a good experience. I'm working on being more bold and I'm improving a lot. Elder Hanks and I have been trying a new strategy than is the tradition in our mission and it's working out quite well. We've found 5 new investigators. We WALK and do list work. As we walk, we street contact and wave to passing cars and look for service opportunities. It has occupied our time quite well and I feel it is an effective way to go about things. So many people see us walking around and working and that builds trust in us.

I'm worried for Heather. She knows its true she just needs to find the time to meet with us. I feel it is a very sensitive time for her. We are finding much success with teaching and helping people come closer to Christ. Missionary work revolves around three principles as dad said: Work , Obedience, and love for everyone. I'll try to remember some cool experiences next week.

Elder Bass

Later Notes: I remember one experience going into more of a richer area in Rock Springs. A family was having a garage sale. They were an older couple. We browsed around the yard sale a little bit and i think that they gave me a calendar. I remember i opened up a religious conversation with the man of the house. I remember they weren't interested but it was still a good experience.

I remember many instances of me just going for it. Just saying the bold thing and exposing myself because i didnt really understand how to or even know what i was doing. \

Quote from my journal this week: I cant wait til i get to the point where i care less about myself and more about others.

I remember on quite a few occasions we had to stop and work something out. Usually it was over dumb things. I remember one time in particular in the car. It was dark and it was on a dirt road in a big trailer park. It was probably about my sarcasm.

Elder Kirsi would stay up late many nights and talk about stuff with Elder Martineau and how to help him.

Week 15-Rock Springs, WY

Thank you for the video. I miss you guys a lot and Micah. I took a few pictures too.  My new companion is Elder Hanks from Charlotte, North Carolina.

Our TV we acquired

Elder Page, my first District Leader, before he went home

​Sister Tennyson lives only a few blocks away from me so we see each other a lot. Vicki lives across the street from where the sisters live. We were pulling weeds for Vicki and the bucket ran out of room, so we found another place for the extras weeds. The sisters car....

 This Elder Hanks, my new companion, and all his glory

Elder Kirsi from Finland. Elder Kirsi is a stud.

 Elder Hanks and I...we all get along really well in our apartment. 

We have American flags up everywhere for Elder Kirsi. This is me showing American Pride!

Elder Kirsi and Martinaeu and I.

We found some white boards around. We are now using them for our goals and so forth. We have a visit list depending on what time of the day it is. The names on the bottom of that board are those we potentially could have on date.

Sister Tennyson and I. We live like right next to each other! I was so happy she got to come to WY. This will probably be her last area. It is likely I will see her off. I was so happy at transfers!!

Some crazy things have happened in our mission this past week. Here is a statement sent out by our mission about what's been going on:

"Elders and Sisters

This has been a very busy and somewhat difficult week.  Transfers are always hectic and cause much anxiety.  Our mission has been blessed through some recent trials.  In the last week, four of our missionaries have had relatives who have passed away.  Elder Totten fell off his bike and experienced a concussion.  Elder Valdez had an emergency appendectomy.  Both of these Elders are doing well. Our dear Elder Graydon experienced a terrible reaction to a food allergy.  He is still in extremely critical condition and needs every one of us praying for him.  As a mission we need to pray in unity for the power of our Heavenly Father to bless not only Elder Graydon but for all missionaries throughout the world.”

Love you all, 
Elder Bass

Later Notes: I commented in my journal that Elder Hanks and Elder Clark are pretty much polar opposites. Their strengths and weaknesses seem to be switched. Elder Hanks struggles socially. He had a few stories that he would retell every day multiple times it seemed. At this point i had a lot of things that i wanted to do but i never either had the confidence to try them with my trainer or i felt we could do something in a more effective way but never tried the idea and didn't have the confidence within myself to try it. Elder Hanks was very non judgmental and willing to try and do anything that was good without really questioning me.

I remember the joy that i felt when sister Tennyson came to Wyoming! I was so excited to be with her.

The first night that we went to bad. I remember feeling inspired to say that i felt like we could do great things together. It was true.

Week 14-Rock Springs, WY

This week, I got texted this picture with the caption: "Elder Bass working down at the soup kitchen. Brother Wells and he goofing around!!! He is a great missionary!!!"

Thanks Papa and Mom for all that you do. Since I haven't gotten to see you I really feel that I have grown to love you both more. I am so appreciative of your letters and I really love hearing from you! I truly see the prophesy being fulfilled in my patriarchal blessing concerning my parents. I am so very appreciative of the way that you have reared me. Your love and care means the world and I can't express in words how grateful and blessed I know that I am. I am so grateful for your diligence when you were young; staying on the right path. My heart is full of appreciation for all the experiences and times that we've shared. I admire you both and will forever love you.

Last night, I felt a joy that I don't think I've ever felt before. We gave Vicki and Evan the first new member discussion and we talked for a while. We talked about some of Evan's crazy war stories and about their missionary experience. While we talked I could feel a powerful feeling come upon me. I felt so much love for Vicki and Evan. I knew that I am here for them and they are here for me. I felt a profound love for my companion and it seemed all my judging barriers were obliterated and I could see him for who he was and for how God sees him. I realized I would truly miss him. And like Dad said, it is a much more pure and deep feeling than could ever come from me. In the first lesson, the second principle is that the "gospel blesses families". I explained to them that I didn't know that until I came on my mission. When I saw families who didn't have that same privilege, I saw what happened when there is no foundation for the family. The consequences are drastic and heartbreaking. I was sheltered from the storm and destruction of the world. I truly didn't realize how very blessed I was to be a part of a gospel-centered family until I came on my mission. I am eternally grateful for you both and your sacrifices. Before we took off, (because either of us could be leaving) they gave us a gift. There was a loaf of bread, some bean and corn bread mix (soo good!), and one Vicki's favorite books we had given her to read. Inside there was a note that read: "Thank you for knocking on our door. You've changed our lives." I just about broke down in tears. That was the last lesson Elder Clark and I will teach together and I realized I'm really gonna miss him! I love my mission so much and I am forever grateful for the experiences He has given me

Anyway, this week we've done a significant amount of service. A few days ago our district leader invited us to participate in a day long wood cut in Manilla. Gosh! I was so sore the next day. It was a 12 hour work day and it was tough. Chopping trees, hauling logs, and breaking them into smaller pieces. I have gained a significant amount of respect for the lumberjack. Many people in Manilla heat their houses on firewood. Our group at the end of the day cut 25 cords which is equivalent to 3200 cubic feet. We also, earlier in the week, served in a soup kitchen. There were some horrible looking people that came in. I could tell they had been through a lot; some there wasn't much left. That again reminded me how blessed I have been. All in all it was a good experience.

Elder Clark will be getting transferred and I will be getting a new companion in Rock Springs. I am super excited but I will definitely miss Elder Clark. He has taught me things that I believe I couldn't have learned by any other way. I really love my mission. It means the world to me. I know that I was supposed to be called to this mission. I still have so much to learn and I am excited to do it. Serving a mission I believe is one of the best decisions I have ever made in my life. I see so much potential for our area. They say a mission is a huge sacrifice. It really doesn't feel like a sacrifice. I love being here. I love serving God and preaching the gospel and honestly I wouldn't rather be doing anything else. People say that living the gospel is a big sacrifice. I feel like with the right attitude, it isn't a sacrifice at all. Elder Oaks gave an amazing quote: He said, "Many people say 'I can't afford to pay tithing'. I say 'I can't afford NOT to pay tithing'". As I realize all that God has done for me and come to a clearer understanding of the laws that govern everything, then I know that I can't afford to not serve a mission. I can't afford to disregard the commandments. I can't afford to not use the atonement that truly makes up for everything that was made wrong by the fall and life in general. I can't afford to distance myself from a loving and merciful creator. I love the gospel. I know that its true. I love our Father in Heaven. I know he loves us. I am so very grateful for the support and love you all. I hope one day I can return it. 

-Elder Bass

Later Notes:

Id say some of the greatest lessons that i would take away from Elder Clark would be learning how to talk with people and build relationships and also learning and seeing the good from being obedient and the bad from being disobedient. I remember seeing a lot more good in him than i ever had before and feeling love for him the last lesson.

Elder Clark trained me when he was 4 1/2 out. He went home at about ten months for supposed medical problems. He then got married to his girlfriend.

He had her perfume, he had a huge stack of pictures and letters that he would look at often. He would often write letters to her during our studies. I remember one study in particular he set up a bunch of pictures tilted against the beds around him and he would look at them each at different times. He would check the mail everyday for letters. He loved his girlfriend a lot.

I had been praying to love Elder Clark. That night i really had felt sincere love for him. It definitely didnt come from me.

Week 13-Rock Springs, WY

This week has been pretty awesome. Jared sent me some good advice and I tried to apply it this past week and IT WORKED! Things went so smoothly. I focused on caring less about proving myself and what not and focused on loving my companion. It was tough in the beginning. It felt really awkward and uncomfortable at first being kind to him. It really didn't take long for us to really get along and know each other though. By doing so, I've learned a lot about him and where he came from. I have been able to discern that what he is struggling with is the same thing it talks about in Mat. 6:24. No man can serve two masters. He is extremely obsessed with his girlfriend and making sure that their relationship survives the two years. He loves her a lot. Recently another missionary who has been out 23 months got "Dear John"-ed and I really think that scared him. He is determined to protect his future with her by doing all that he can; which is understandable. Something that I also realized is that he really wants to be a good missionary--A great one! He really wants to help in whatever capacity he can and be changed by his mission. After we finished companionship prayer last night, we talked about stuff for like an hour or so after 10:30. Just about different experiences we had with each other and how we have grown. He has started to study on his own!! He gets up almost on time pretty much everyday now. I told him last night that I would miss him if he left and wanted him to stay another transfer. He agreed. He talked about how his goal for me was, by the end of him training me, not to be divided as trainer and trainee but to be like a regular companionship. He said he felt like that has happened. The biggest miracle I've seen this week has been how I've changed the way I view my companion and how we have drastically began to improve! The way that we've taught, its fun now, and the spirit is there in more abundance during our lessons. I think that he'll leave this transfer.  This week I fasted to be able to know how to best love him and help him be a better missionary after I am gone. I don't know what that is yet but I will keep praying and looking for it. 

I have learned to love fasting. I have so much more spiritual power when I fast. I can feel the spirit throughout the entire time that I fast! Usually it comes regularly, but not all the time. When I do teach when I'm fasting it's just a lot more meaningful and powerful! We had another good lesson with Trisha. I figured out that the spirit can touch people's lives so much more if they have real intent. She said that she really benefits from our visits and we help her be closer to God. She says she has learned to rely on Him where as before she would keep it all in. I like her a lot. I really don't get nervous talking in front of people now. It feels so natural teaching the gospel and I don't get jumbled up whereas I would a lot before my mission. I think a lot of it has to do with the authority I have now to teach the gospel. I have learned that my authority is to progress the work of salvation which extends past just traditional missionary work we think of. For example: teaching nonmembers the gospel. 

Transfers are next Tuesday it will be interesting to see what will happen. To answer your questions: We don't have iPads here. As far as who we are teaching, I really can't name them all, probably 20 or so. The other two baptisms that were supposed to be on August 23 had to be pushed back. I wish I could have been at the Piano Guys concert. Sounds fun!! I miss Micah! Emailing is so Time consuming! Peace!

-Elder Bass

 Later notes: Looking back i realize that i was being very harsh and judgmental. I could have tried to develop a relationship with him but i didnt really until this last time. Many lessons i had to learn later on in my mission that would have greatly benefited this relationship.

 I went on an exchange with Elder Page this week. He gave me some really good advice that helped me a lot. He said that three things that i can take away from this expreience would be 1. when hard times come later i knew i had the strength to be the missionary i want to be. 2. i was able to learn some really good social skills.. 3. I would know how to deal with disobedient companions later. 

I remember that one night Elder Clark was away from the car for some reason i drove off without him. and made a circle. Just messing around. As i was doing it i felt guilty becuase it was disobedient on mulitple accounts.

I would say diso all the time. Diso was short for disobedient. Everyone got irritated at one point or another in our apartment because i said it so much.

We had a really good zone meeting. I prayed for a vision of my mission and God gave me a vision of charity.

Week 12-Rock Springs, WY

This week has been pretty amazing. We had the opportunity of baptizing and confirming Vicki and Evan Vestre! They are the most amazing couple! I love and care for them soo much! I performed Vicki's baptism and Evan's Confirmation. I was pretty nervous for Evan's confirmation. I had never performed a confirmation let alone in front of the entire congregation! I was nervous and afraid that I wouldn't be able to calm down and say the right things. I almost got to the point of like cold sweating! I prayed earnestly to be able to calm down and relax. He deserved a good blessing after all! For the opening song, they played Joseph Smith's First Prayer. As we were singing the end of the second verse, a phrase really stuck out to me and calmed my mind and my heart. The phrase was "but undaunted still he trusted in his Heavenly Father's care." When it came time to give the confirmation, I was able to focus and my mind was at peace. It wasn't a fluent and eloquent blessing but I tried my best and said the things that I was supposed to. After the baptism, we went over to their house and had a bbq with a lot of their friends from the ward. Some even drove a ways to see them! I will definitely come back and visit! They're such an awesome family.  It's nothing that we did.  They are just simply dry Mormons. For example, we gave a lesson to the Relief Society this past week. We extended the 7-day challenge to them (something that Elder Clark and I created a few weeks ago to help members do missionary work). Today they called us and said they had a service project for us. They asked their non-member neighbor for a service project this morning! So that's what I was doing a few hours ago.

I love the work. I love my area. I love this gospel.

-Elder Bass

Later Notes: 
This week i went on an exchange with Elder Martineau and Elder Jensen. Elder Clark hurt his ankle playing basketball. We taught a lesson to the family of the Hoosiers. Elder Jensen and Elder Martineau harshly chastised me. They said that i need to know preach my gospel much better and study it more and it was a terrible lesson that we had. I was pretty upset about that experience. Quite a while later at an MLC he apologized for how he handled the situation. 

One experience that i had, was one night driving back to our apartment. Elder Clark was playing a rap type song. I said that we needed to turn it off. He said that he wouldnt. I think that i tried to turn if off and he stopped me. I was filled with emotion and anger. I think that i just looked out the window and didnt talk to him for the rest of the night.