PRISONERS AND PAP :)

good morning friends!! 

how are y'all? :) it has been quite the adventure here in georgia this week! this email is going to be all over the place, so just prepare yourself. 

so yeah, we met two people this week who are on probation! went into their houses & taught them about the gospel and the whole deal! it wasn't until like half way through the lessons that we found out about their crazy pasts.. GAH. but the amazing part of it is that these people know in their hearts that God is real, and that He wants them to be on another path, which is why they agreed to meet with us :) the gospel works! 

& then pap is this African dish that is made up of corn meal. we had it at a members home, she is from Zimbabwe! & in sister wustrow's country in Africa, they make it too! so basically they conjured up this plan to make me try it.. but it wasn't bad at all! but you have to have it with some sort of gravy, or else is tastes really plain! it was much more normal than the okonomiyaki that i had at a japanese family's home last night. that is a whole other story! but that is basically a japanese omelet with squid, cabbage, beef, eggs, and this special sauce and mayo! wasn't horrible, just different :) who would have thought that i would be eating all of this international food here in georgia?! yeah, not me. where are my potatoes? 

another experience i had this week was with these two baptists. they are like super hardcore, both of their dad's were pastors and they went to seminary school & all this good stuff! talk about intimidating.. but they kept having us over for dinner and were super friendly, which is kind of uncommon if you were raised in the south to be nice to two mormon missionaries.. really uncommon! but then the Bible bash came out, i was not prepared for that one! basically the husband was saying that we are only saved by grace, which is true, but we are also saved by works in addition to grace, if you read James 2:17 :) my companion asked him if he believed that we needed to keep the commandments and he said "no". WHAT? no commandment keeping?! my jaw was on the floor.. especially coming from him and his religious background. so confused. i guess the scripture in John 14:15 that says "if ye love me, keep my commandments." doesn't really apply to him.. :) 

so those were kind of my big stories this week! we also met a guy named Holyfield, kind of random, and we had snow again! lots of craziness happening with us :) it is hard to keep up sometimes! we just roll with it! 

but yes, the church is true! Jesus Christ is real, and God does indeed love each and every one of us! i am so grateful to be an instrument in God's hands here in georgia! i am definitely not a perfect one, but i take comfort in knowing that i can try my best and He will make up the rest :) 

i love each of you! thank you for your emails and letters and love! have a great week! 

love, 

sister bell. 

SNOW AND SNAKES!

hello my peeps!! 

so.. it snowed. really. real snow was on the ground. i was not okay! i think i was talking about it for days just to try to get over it! but the sun is out today and life is good :) 

this week has been amazing! we decided to tract all week! which is basically knocking on random doors and saying lots of prayers with people. i had some crazy experiences, but it was just awesome!! the first one was a referral we received from other missionaries, tony and wendy. we pulled up to their driveway & beer cans everywhere in the yard! SCARED. but we knocked anyway and they invited us right in! they asked all sorts of questions, i think my favorite part was when they asked if i had any children or a man. & then continued to try and set me up with tony's brother.. oh boy. sir, i am a missionary and just no! they also had bugs everywhere, i couldn't get myself to sit down. love them, but personal hygiene is important to me. AH!!! but they were so sweet and true southern people, and i loved it. we are going to see them again! 

then we were just knocking in this random townhouse complex and met this big burly guy! my first thoughts were basically like "this guy could kill me with his hand." he had huge gauges and a bob marley beanie and all. we just told him who we are and the message that we share! he instantly softened up & asked us to come in. we told him we couldn't because there wasn't another woman in the house & he said that was probably good anyway because he was cleaning out his tanks. HIS TANKS? okay um lets talk about that mister! HE HAS SNAKES AND LIZARDS AND BROUGHT THEM OUT AND I HELD THEM. yeah, too much to handle! but he was awesome and we are seeing him again on tuesday! 

& then miracle: we have been teaching wayne who is a member of the church and his girlfriend jessica! they have a six year old son who is so cute! but we have been seeing them a lot & jessica is still planning on being baptized in february :) but the miracle has been that they are keeping commitments, which doesn't always really happen as a missionary! they told us they are getting answers when they pray and feeling the spirit. it is amazing! i love it. i love them! i love this work! 

so yep, that has been my week! it has been amazing and i am so grateful to be an instrument in God's hands! i was thinking a lot today as i was studying the scriptures this morning on how lucky i am to be serving here. someone with so many flaws has been trusted to do God's work, what a calling! it is so humbling and i am so grateful that God trusts me! 

i know that He trusts each and every one of you too! even if you feel inadequate with whatever your responsibilities might be, He is there to help you! 

i love you all! have a great week. :) 

love, 

sister bell.

BELOW FREEZING!

hi friends!! 

so.. it is safe to say that i am now officially freezing here in georgia. this morning we had to scrape the ice off the windshield, oh i thought i was going to die! we were tracting yesterday & i think the wind was going through my skin & hitting my actual bone. no biggie though, just going to have numb legs for days! haha, just kidding :) it is all worth it! 

this week was pretty great! just doing lots of finding and knocking on doors. a man who looked just like jesus opened his door and rejected us so bad.. it was ironic. we just kept smiling and keeping along! we met this lady named christy who is just so prepared for the gospel! she immediately told us that she would love to learn more and had family in utah who joined the church & how she always thought that the mormons were good people. it made me happy to finally meet someone who was willing to learn & was very sweet to us :) we are going to start teaching her this week! we also started teaching this 13 year old girl named jessica. she requested a free bible and wants to know everything that Christ would have her do. she is incredible! even though we see lots of rejection, moments like those make this work worth every second! 

my companion and i had lots of fun this week! we did lots of walking around our area and just laughed our heads off when things weren't working out. we were also able to do some service and help ward members with little things. we heard it was supposed to possibly snow here.. so ever since then we are afraid to travel anywhere far from our apartment. we are a little dramatic :) 

life is good here! i love sharing the gospel with people and strengthening their faith in Christ. some days are rough, but i know that i can do everything with just a little faith. so can each and every one of us. faith can move mountains! i love you all, keep on keepin' on. 

love, 

sister bell. 

A MOUSE IN THE HOUSE AND HAPPY NEW YEAR!

good morning!! 

happy new year! i am so excited for what 2016 holds in store for each one of us, let's make it one of the best & search for opportunities to serve others & look outside of ourselves more often :) 

this year started out crazy! we went on exchanges with the sisters in a nearby area for a day, i went out with sister brume & we went contacting like crazy! one of the sisters that we wanted to see is a less active sister in sister brume's area, her name is patty. they had tried to contact her lots of times but haven't seen much luck. so today was the day! we showed up & she was there! awesome. so excited. yeah, we were a little in over our heads. so we get there & we are talking with her & she starts going off about something, i don't think she is really all there in the head, and we are listening & what not, then all of a sudden this man comes out of nowhere and she claims that his name is david & he is there to fix her tv. he is like this old man with long hair that has been dyed black & IS SO CREEPY. we kind of ignore what is happening & are trying to talk to her, but she is really struggling to make sense & sister brume and i are just looking at each other like what do we do?!?! so we are trying to say goodbye when all of a sudden david comes back & holds up his iphone and starts taking pictures of us! WHAT?! not okay. so basically we ran away & we will probably not be going back there. ever. 

THEN, the morning we get back to our area what do we wake up to?! A MOUSE IN OUR HOUSE. THAT IS RIGHT.. A FREAKING MOUSE. what?!?! about a month ago we had suspicions that we had one and so we got these sticky tray things so that if we catch one they just stick to it and don't die. so that morning i am walking all happily into the kitchen & what do i see out of the corner of my eye?! A LIVE MOUSE. so dramatic, but what? why me? so yeah we had the elders dispose of it. BAH. disgusting! 

but on a happier note, our investigator Mark is on date to be baptized! yay! i am so excited for him. he used to be an avid smoker and he has quit entirely and has seen how the Lord has played a role in his life since growing closer to Him. it is amazing! so, please keep him in your prayers so that he may be able to receive all the blessings Heavenly Father has to give him through baptism! 

i love you all! it has been another amazing week here in villa rica. it has gotten cold, but the work doesn't stop for anything! i love all of the people i serve so much! they are great. look for ways to be a friend to everyone, another friend never hurts anyone :) have a great day, and an even better new year! 

love, 

sister bell.

 

please gladly take in the lovely picture of me and the mouse! sick. & also, us and the elders here on new years eve! we tried to take a jumping picture but failed miserably. 

HAPPY NEW YEAR!

hi all! 

it was a great Christmas this year! i was happy to celebrate the holiday as a missionary & truly feel the real meaning of the season & celebrate the way that i know our Savior would have us celebrate His birth. i spent the day going from lots of houses to spend time with families and those who were alone this year. i definitely enjoyed being able to talk to my family back home & i am so grateful for the love i felt from them! 

i have been thinking a lot about new years resolutions & i came across the message that the prophet gave this Christmas season. he said:

"Another Christmas season is upon us and with it the dawning of a new year. It seems as though only yesterday we were celebrating the Savior’s birth and making resolutions. Among our resolutions for this year, did we resolve to make time in our lives and room in our hearts for the Savior? No matter how successful we may have been thus far with such a resolution, I am confident we all wish to do better. This Christmas season is the perfect time to examine and renew our efforts. In our busy lives, with ever so many other things competing for our attention, it is essential that we make a conscious, committed effort to bring Christ into our lives and into our homes. And it is vital that we, like the Wise Men from the East, remain fixed upon His star and“come to worship him.”

as we follow that counsel, i know that our lives will be richly blessed. i have been able to witness that change that comes into our lives as we earnestly strive to make Christ the center of all that we do and live as He lived. 

things in villa rica, georgia 

are as great as ever! i am so lucky to be serving here among some of the best people i have ever met! i don't think i will ever give up saying "y'all", it is in my blood now! just pray that when i return home that my English will still be somewhat proper.. being around lots of rednecks sure does play a part in how i talk.. yikes. 

i sure do love all of you and appreciate so much the love that y'all give me! thank you!! i hope this week is filled with more festive cheer & that you each have a great new year! 

until next time,  

sister bell 

MERRY CHRISTMAS

Hello my little elves! 

Merry Christmas! what a great opportunity we have to remember the birth of our Savior & gain a new perspective about this life that we do live. my favorite scripture about Christ's birth is in the Book of Mormon. It is 3 Nephi 1:13-14 which reads, " 13 Lift up your head and be of good cheer; for behold, the time is at hand, and on this night shall the sign be given,and on the morrow come I into the world, to show unto the world that I will fulfill all that which I have caused to be spoken by the mouth of my holy prophets. 14 Behold, I come unto my own, to fulfill all things which I have made known unto the children of men from the foundation of the world, and to do the will, both of the Father and of the Son—of the Father because of me, and of the Son because of my flesh. And behold, the time is at hand, and this night shall the sign be given." 

I am so grateful for the love that Christ has for all of us, that He was willing to bear the sins and burdens of the entire human family so that we could one day dwell together with our Heavenly Father. What a glorious gift! 

This week I got a new companion! Her name is Sister Wustrow and she is from Namibia, Africa. She has the most beautiful accent! She has only been in Georgia for 6 days now, and I have loved being able to show her my favorite parts about being a missionary! She has a powerful testimony and I know it will bless the lives of so many here in our area. 

It has been a humbling experience to say the least as I train a new missionary, I still have no idea what the heck I am doing! I feel encouraged by the knowledge that I have, that Christ is with me each step of the way. When I feel inadequate I turn to Him to help and guide me to the right path. He has been where I am, & He is the only one who knows how to get through it. 

We have been doing lots of finding since Sister Wustrow got here! & That means a lot of knocking doors.. oh my. Everyone in the South is very friendly & they love praying, so we have been able to do lots of that! I think I have quads of steel from how much we have been walking..there is no flat ground in Georgia just to let ya know. :-) 

I am excited for the week ahead! Families will be home for Christmas so we will get to teach entire families! What a blessing! I love my Savior so much and I am grateful that we are able to celebrate His birth this week, and also get to talk to my family! ;) I miss y'all and will be thinking of each of you this Christmas! Remember the reason for the season.

 Love you! 

Sister Bell

 

GREAT WEEK

hi y'all :) 

this week has been fabulous! not really sure where to start with all that has gone on, but it is just the best work ever & i love being able to serve those around me! 

crazy news for the week: i will be training! AH. super nervous! i will be getting a little new missionary who is coming right from the Missionary Training Center. i get to show her the ropes of missionary work, i am so excited! i love her already! i am totally inadequate, but i know the Lord will help me with this assignment. 

other crazy news: i got to meet Elder Holland, one of the twelve apostles! i wish i could just tell all of you what that experience was like, but there are no words that accurately capture the feeling of that meeting. it was definitely a sacred experience. i know that he is truly called of God to witness the reality of our Savior. he counseled each of us to hold unto the faith that we have, and go forward with that! i love that because there are so many unknowns in this life, if we have faith, it will all work out :)

we have spent the other crazy parts of this week finishing up some things before Sister Smith heads back home to Hawaii! she is so sad to leave but i know that she has some great things in store for her! we have visited lots of people, including the member who has the possum. i held it. look for picture below. CRAZY. life is so good! 

i am so grateful for each of you, remember that Heavenly Father is aware of you. i know that. our Savior Jesus Christ has suffered it all for you, so turn to Him when you feel any sort of inadequacies, He knows how to run to you. i love you all! i love being a missionary! 

have a great week!!  

love, 

sister bell. 

CHRISTMAS IS NEAR!

hello my little elves!! 

it has been a great week here in villa rica! every day is a new adventure & boy does it keep me busy! 

i am not even sure where to begin this email, kind of all over the place! our monday was super awesome. we received an anonymous letter from someone in our apartment complex who accidentally got one of our letters in his mail. after figuring out what it was & putting pieces together we received this from him:

I'd like to open this letter off with saying sorry that I opened yours. It was a complete accident I promise; but like the curious creature that I am, I then proceeded to read it. It helped me remember the time I attended your church back home in the Northwest. You as a church saved my life and helped me find strength where I thought I had non left or didn't have any at all. I may not be a follower; but I am grateful and in great regards a supporter.

I will start this letter off with a brief description of myself and to start off, I am in fact a neighbor of yours. I'm a homosexual male, you may not see me around a lot because of the amount of work I do and I enjoy keeping myself busy. I have noticed you girls in and out at times and I don't agree with the comments made about you both by the fellow community.

I was introduced to your church "Mormon," latter-day Saints, if I'm correct by Sister Fuller, she was a missionary in our area and I still have the bible she gave to me with her personal message in it. She would come in and out every week and she was always happy and accepting and made my week. She however did not know what was going on in the home. My brother and myself are victims of abuse by our mother and she was the one who selected your teachings and company. I couldn't ask for help, I was scared and have felt hopeless forever as long as I can remember. It wasn't until I started to get involved with the church when I started to feel safe. My mother wouldn't go, but I would sneak out to attend. (Sneaking out to go to church, go figure.)

They had a bus at times that would pick us up, but to keep it from my mother I'd walk. I was on drugs and didn't take the greatest care of myself, especially when my younger brother was taken away from us and my older brother left to get away. Then you guys stopped coming by the request of my mother. I can only remember a handful of times going but I remember when I started to pray. It was during one of her tyrants and after the beating, I was alone, scared, cold, and hungry on the streets again. I heard his voice for the first time, "Everything is going to be just OK." This has become something I'd say to myself everyday since then, all 8 years now.

I can't put down all the hurt I've felt in my little life. The pain, the loss, and the lost innocence, but I can put down that I was scared. I somehow found the strength to leave and move all the way to Georgia at 18 and not look back. I may not be a follower in your church, but I am grateful for it. People don't realize that you guys up and leave your families to help others directly or individually. 

I miss Sister Fuller, and I think of her, and I still pray everyday. It clicked in an odd way on how one finds God. 

I've never been the greatest at English and writing. So if my letter doesn't make sense, I'm sorry. But I just wanted to thank you and your church. I never had the chance to say it. And because of the letter I opened, I found the opportunity to do so in an odd way.

God bless you and have a safe journey! 

i am still in awe at the affect that being an example can have on a person. you never know who is watching & what someone is in search for. remember that. reach out to those who need someone. be bold. serve others. smile. 

my week got even more exciting when i got to hold a parakeet!! i know that loving birds is so weird & i have no idea why i am becoming this animal person.. but it is happening nonetheless. his name is spike & he is adorable. he loves having his neck rubbed, i was beaming because i think it was my happiest moment yet. 

THEN, life got crazier when we got a flat tire & changed it all by ourselves!! yep, we are superstars. out there in our skirts and everything. i am pretty proud i have to say. 

on sunday we got to make hawaiian food again because now we have an elder in our area who is also from hawaii like my companion! we went to the allens with the elders and made musabi's, google it. it is spam. gross! but it was really fun & we watched the christmas devotional afterwards. i loved it! 

i am so glad it is the christmas season, there is such a strong spirit in the air & it reminds me to remember the true meaning on the holiday. i am so grateful for my Savior and for the ultimate gift that He so freely gave to me. i want you all to know that He is there for each of us, no matter how far away He may seem or how little you might know about Him. He is there. & He loves YOU. 

i love being a missionary, some days i think that it is all i will ever be & i am okay with it! serving others makes me the happiest. i am so grateful. i love you all! have a great week. 

love, 

sister bell. 

OFFICIAL SOUTHERNER

hello, hello! 

happy thanksgiving! i hope everyone enjoyed the holiday & could spend time with those they love. i love the holiday season, & i think i love it here more in the south. i am so sorry arizona, i still love you. 

the best thing happened to me this week! okay maybe not the best, but i take pleasure in the little things of life now. but... in regards to my subject line..  I WAS CALLED MA'AM. what?!?! i probably would have taken offense before now, but it was the best compliment ever! this little boy thanked me for inviting his family to the ward christmas party & called me ma'am. i am still not over it! 

update on the puppy: puppy is still there. sweater is gone. i think the owners are probably wearing it.. i am mad. so i left our card, AGAIN, and played with the puppy. 

my companion was pretty sick this week, so we were confined to the apartment for a few days. there is something going around! lots of members have been sick. i think she may have had the flu or a virus, but i got my hefty flu shot & was spared! but i was able to do lots of cleaning, planning, and writing in my journal. but, all is well again so we will be as busy as ever this week! 

i have been reading in the book of mormon about ammon, who was a mighty missionary! i have developed a new love for the scriptures as i learn to apply the teachings in them to my life. when ammon asks God how he can be an instrument in His hands, He tells him that He must be patient and be an example, i love that! He doesn't require a perfect knowledge of the scriptures, the best social skills, or the best anything! all He asks is something that can be attained by anyone. i have been trying to be patient and an example so i can be like ammon. 

i love all of you, & i love being a missionary! i am so lucky to serve people who are so easy to love. i hope you can all be like ammon this week, you will be blessed. 

until next week! 

love, 

sister bell

forgot to mention, watch this! i love it. 

https://www.mormon.org/christmas

GRATITUDE

hi, hi, hi! 

what an amazing week it has been! i LOVE the spirit that is felt around the holidays. the people in the south go above and beyond with their decorations! i think most people had lights up the day after halloween :-) so great. 

we had the opportunity to go to the temple as missionaries this week! it was just what i needed. my companion & i were able to do a couple names for a sister in our ward & she was so happy. it made my heart full to see the joy that comes from serving those around us! we also went & set up christmas decorations with our recent convert donna. it was so fun! she is hysterical. i want to be like her when i grow up! she was so thankful that we did that. it touched my heart. 

we were also able to go out and tract this weekend. i ended up using my spanish to speak to a man who just moved here from el salvador. it was really neat! he knew who the missionaries were & actually knows someone in our ward. i am grateful that i remembered some of it! we also came across this house that had a puppy living outside in his crate & he was FREEZING. he came wobbling over to us & of course i loved on him! it made me so sad. so i left my jacket with him & we said a prayer that heavenly father would protect him :-) this is him in the picture below! 

i have been thinking a lot about what i have to be grateful for in my life. especially with thanksgiving right around the corner. i spent the weekend writing down random things that i am so thankful for! it is a long list so i will save it for the end. but i just want y'all to know how thankful i am to be here serving my heavenly father. i am lucky to be a representative of His son & help His children come closer to Him. thank you for supporting me & bringing a smile to my face. i hope everyone enjoys this thanksgiving & remembers the true meaning of it. i love you all so much! xoxo! 

-sister bell.

i am thankful for: the human story, music, scarves, my upbringing, things unseen, greeting cards, the sun, QT, modern medicine, alone time, speakers in church, confidence, technology, freedom, the divine plan of God, soft blankets, turquoise jewelry, random acts of kindness, the atonement, talents, second chances, hot meals, rainstorms, water, the scriptures, a healthy body, good movies, thoughtfulness, hand-written letters, diet pepsi, prayer, the beach, faith, photos, chapstick, dogs, examples, weaknesses, a good nights sleep, unconditional love, christmas lights, education, pinterest, hair salons, hot cocoa, eternal perspective, selfless parents, sonic runs, target, my sister, humor, witnesses of truth, uniqueness, my heavenly father, miracles, transportation, high standards, the resurrection, friendships, mormon messages, antiques, gum, inspired leaders, temples, tender mercies, messy buns, birkenstocks, football games, charity, laughter, good eye-sight, missionaries, comfy socks, a prophet, good books, hobbies, concerts, forgiveness, service, promises, my home, hope, 4th of july bbq's, the priesthood, opportunities, traditions, ancestors, criticism, joseph smith, questions, Easter sunday, light, families, mercy, the sun, the lake, cotton candy colored skies, camping, passion, candles, and fresh flowers.