Pictures

1. Trunk or Treat - twinner style

2. pumpkin picking :)

3. District hike

October 28, 2013

Happy Fall, Family!

SHOUT OUT: Barlow family hellllllooo in Church News?! Look it up people!

What a happy week! Our schedule has been so full! Rockin sister barney asked someone to be baptized on the first lesson to someone this week. I was so proud of her. They said not right now, but i know she was meant to say it and it gets people thinking. we also set up a competition of who can give away the most pass along cards. 1 point for a give away, 2 points if you get a number in return. Whoever has the most points at the end of the week gets a reward. we confirmed that we could only do this if it was poistive and built zion..and we both agreed. and guess what? of course sister barney won this week because shes awesome! its actually working really well..getting me to talk to people i normally probably wouldnt go out of my way to talk to.

We had the best lesson with Gary on Friday. i wish we could take a fraction of the credit.Love him so so much. it kills me to think i may not be here for his baptism. KILLS ME.  We invited a couple to come to the lesson which we had at the church to give a tour so he'd know what to expect on sunday. he was so excited. We ended in the chapel of course to talk about the most important reason why we come to church and how this is a time of revelation, just like how he received revelation during general conference. The entire time though I was trying to figure out how we'd extend the invitation to set a date for baptism, because it wasn't flowing there...but at the same time we knew it had to mentioned. The entire time I was praying in my mind for the spirit to give me the courage to just do it and say it how it needed to be said. The topic got on faith, and taking steps of faith and so we were able to lead it in by inviting him to take the next step of faith to progress and set a date. It was perfect because it turned very real for him. His parents are hard catholic and said they would roll over and die. Other family members he know would not be of mental approval which is concerning but we had a really good chat and told him that he didnt have to set a date then, but it would be something to pray about this week. Sunday comes:

It's 10:01 and Gary is nowhere to be seen. We asked the couple that came with us to the lesson to save him a seat next to them. We see bro. singer walk out and the opening hymn starts. My favorite hymn - The Spirit of God. 10:03 - in walks Gary with Bro. Singer. You see them on the pew and hes scooting all the kids over for them and gary. The spirit hit me so strong. it's amazing how i am slowly being able to recognize it more and more. We are sitting a few rows behind Gary and I see Bro Singer's arm on the pew around Gary sharing the hymn book. I look over to the left and Al is sitting with the Rowlands whom we asked to save a seat for. He thought he would never make it in an actual pew. Beside me sister barney is grabbing a hymn book and sharing it with a less active and i look behind me and the cute tongan family gives up their hymn book to the less active that just walked in and sat on their row. As I looked around I felt such a strong spirit of love. Water filled my eyes and I couldn't not smile as I kept looking around at these individuals. It was amazing how tangible the feeling was. It was a good realizion to me that we always teach that yes the spirit teaches and confirms truth, the spirit comforts...etc but I didnt really feel any of those feelings....i simply just felt HAPPY. Not the kind of happiness that you feel when you open the christmas present you wanted or the happiness of winning a rugby game (as happy as that is)....but a different kind of happiness. The kind only the gospel can offer. So when people ask what we do and we say we show people how they can be happy...they think theyre all set because theyre already happy. If they would only feel the happiness i felt in sacrament meeting, they would feel that theyre not truly happy. The spirit brings happiness. Even when the talks are quote "awful" - its amazing the spirit can still teach you something.

We taught sharing time in primary which was fun and had to leave our precious investigator in the hands of our trustworthy membres. we had to make sure we had people connect him from gospel principles to priesthood. we texted him (yes we TEXT our investigators all the time and they love it :) ) that evening and he said that he loved it and that he felt so welcome. "2 thumbs up" he said. he also said he's already looking forward to next sunday. phew.

For dinner we went to the tongan family's home. You know the boy in the Other Side of Heaven that fell out of the mango tree? That boy(not the actor) is their nephew or somethin. crazy. They are an amazing humble family. They feed us like 3 portions worth and they dont eat while we are eating. Its cultural to let us eat first and they eat whatever is left over after we leave. Theyre our favorite because you feel so much love. and the husband speaks hardly any english which ends up being HILARIOUS but we always ask them if he can say the closing prayer because he says it in their native language. Best experience is hearing him pray. You can feel the spirit just by the way they change their tone of voice - very sincere, with the upmost reverence tone. It's an amazing experience. 

Hope you have a stelllllarr week everyone. Hope everyone has a family mission plan like we've been ask to set up in general conference. What a great family home evening idea. remember to post it!

Love you all!

Sister Bell

Keepin it real...because it is real.

Want to know whats even more real? The fact that we had to move our ice scraper from the trunk officially to the back seat as this morning was the first morning i've had to do that so far. Greeeeeaaaattttt - hold our breath, here comes winter.

October 21, 2013 Cont...

One last thought I failed to mention in the previous email:

THIS COUGAR IS OFFICALLY IN THE BYU ADVERTISING PROGRAM.

Each one of you have contributed so so much to help me get there. I knew that if I got in it would be because thats the route i need to go and if i didnt i knew that the Lord had an even better plan. Being said, i am VERY VERY happy. Shout out to Big B aka Brandon that spent countless hours on the video editing and answering all my silly editing questions on my portfolio. Shout out to Brad who had the ultimate connections to print it. Shout out to Matty who made sure it got in the right hands and shout out to you all for all your continuous prayers. you guys ROCK. and so does the gospel.

would send pictures but its not letting me right now. Lots more to come next week.

love, sista bell

October 21, 2013

Family!

I didn't write last week because I was gone all day partying in Boston. A member has a membership to the science museum and got us in for free. Shout out to you matt - totally thought of you the whole time. Dont worry - we'll come back together and you can explain everything to me. Then we got to go on the duck tour which was fun but defintiely wouldn't do it again. We had such a fun day and was 100% graciously sponsored by our wonderful member.

What was even better....we got to pick up sister crane and her companion that night to come down to Ellington to do exchanges down here! THEN we got to drive them home and spend a few days in the one and only Belmont, Mass. Very different from Ellington. I spent my hoytie toytie days walking around in harvard square and for dinner went to a members house who happens to be....Jane Clayson Johnson. NBD - just  the person from Good Morning America who now has books and recipes about motherhood. Her husband has the most miraculous and sacred conversion story that he shared with us. We got to teach their 7 year old who is getting ready to be baptized. It was so cute - at the end of the lesson, Bro and sis johnson said to their son "wow, don't we have the most wonderful missionaries?" and he said, "I was JUST thinking in my head 'These are the best missionaries ever! This is my favorite lesson!". Their kids ate salmon and kale salad for dinner. Um hello, where do you freaks come from. Then we visited this old lady who had a stroke who lives in a mansion of 52 rooms. Welcome to Belmont. Belmont aside, it was mostly just a tender mercy that I got to be sister crane's companion again for the week. It was a tender mercy for sister barney too as her companion sister nielson used to live with sister barney before the mission. Happiness all around the block and back again.

I learned so much from that exchange. I learned that i'm not as much of a consecrated missionary as I want to be. I learned that I've been slacking in the comp department - forgetting to put her first a lot of times. We are taught that in lessons we forget about the material, in some cases we have to forget about the people we are teaching and focus just on our companion. If we do everything inside and outside lessons that do nothing but glorify your companion than we succeed. I havent been very good at that so im workin on it. Sister Crane said she was amazed at our area and how its progressed. She said she didnt have any advice for our area or for our investigators - that we are being very productive and on the ball about everything. she just gave us single advice as us personally as missionaries which is good and which i really needed. its hard to let go of an area and trust someone else with it which i think im struggling at doing and im too concerned about getting it all done that im loosing the love of missionary work. sister crane reminded me how to love and calm down and i taught her some productive and effective tips how to plan and be on the ball :) needless to say - we all learned a lot. We went from Belmont who everyone puts on a pretty face and wont tell you how they struggle to Ellington who has people who daily just unload all their burdens and problems on you. i guess you just cant pick and choose in this life :)

I am happy. It can be very very hard but everytime I struggle or cry I realize they are things not all in my control so it makes it seem ok. This will 99% likely be my last transfer in ellington so i made it my goal to make these last few week the best weeks not just for me but for my companion. ive taught her how to be productive and how to work through members and now its time to show her how much i love and appreciate her...a new department im working on. Sister Barney is wonderful - i couldnt ask for anything better.

A few of you have asked for specifc names to pray for for those we are teaching. way to take gen. conf advice :) and prayers are needed!: Don, Gary, & Stephen are our main progressing investigators. Yes - all old men. we keep it real over here.

Love you all and say goodbye to fall and hello winter. This morning our car had frost on it. GASP.

Love,

Sister Bell

"Happy are we, happy are we"

October 9, 2013

I thought I was going to get transferred annnnddd.....

IM STILL IN ELLINGTON.

Im really happy about it. I feel like this is my home ward and live here permanetly.

Sad news is that the corn is all chopped down. You wont believe it - i was telling Sister Barney that i've been here for a whole corn season. when i first pulled up teeny green weak leaves were poking out of the ground. I got to see it grow SO high and so strong even when strong storms came. The teeny green leaves grew to thick stocks. I was telling her don't worry - the harvest coming soon. We reap what we sow and miracles are on its way - keep your eyes out.

We've been fasting and praying for new investigators - for someone that is ready to accept the restored gospel. We set a goal that by the end of this transfer we'd have 3 new investigators. Last week I was sad thinking we had a week to get 2 more people and considering the pace we were at and spending a majority of the time setting goals with members I didn't see it happening. But I knew it was ok and that we were still doing amazing things.

WE GET THIS PHONE CALL. It's from a guy that was a referral when Sister crane, my previous comp was here with me. We lost connection because we kept playing phone tag and it was going nowhere so we decided to let it be. He calls and says "ive read some of the book of mormon you gave me and im ready to talk mormonism." He lives in practically a mansion, about 45 yrs old, and is single. We schedule an appt and go over there with an awesome member really praying that he'll be ready and continue. Turns out....he' been talking with online missionaries for a long time. He knows practically everything. We randomly somehow talked about tithing because he knew about that and then he said how he found out about the word of wisdom and wanted to see if he could really do it...so he did it. He said the first 3 weeks were hell but he's ok now. He's read up to mosiah so far in the book of mormon. I was like uhhh...I dont even know what to teach you. He wanted to come to church on sunday but we had general conference. He was excited and said hed watch it from home (probably on a giant bigscreen - i dont blame him). He cancelled the appt this week because of a huge work project but said he was coming to church on sunday even if we dont end up meeting this week. Next meeting we want to extend the baptismal invitation. You dont just need the gospel....the gospel and the ward needs YOU buddy.

THE BEST PART.......driving home from the appt to our apartment...the corn fields are all cut down!! Harvest day! It wasnt like that in the morning! Heavenly Father really knows how to make us laugh and make us happy. Coincidence that we get "our harvest" on harvest day?! THEN we meet this guy at the library...long story short...new investigator. WITH JUST A COUPLE DAYS TO SPARE - THE LORD CAME THROUGH ON HIS PROMISE.

We cant decide if its more hilarious or more stunning.

 

Conference was...the best conference ive ever listened to. I get to hear Elder Nielsen (exclamation point guy) in person this next month. what up. We feel so so beyond blessed. There is still so much to do but the members are starting to set goals with us and sloowly understand our purpose and THEIR purpose.

It was so funny we go to this members house (2nd visit...first visit we explained our purpose and why we dont have a lot of time to tract anymore) and then we go in and talk about how awesome Pres. Haights visit was in church (he really explained our role). Then he goes with 100% seriousness: "So, how's the tracting going? Any success lately?". It took everything I could not to laugh and cry out of sadness at the same time. I said "were you at church when president haight was here?"

 "Yes." Ok man, now im just confused.

We told him how much success we were having but not because of tracting. We are helping out the ward leaders a ton more which is gaining a lot of trust and the Lord is really magnifing our efforts! I am playing the piano a TON for things and I feel like Heavenly Father is blessing me a lot with that ability - being able to sight read better off hand for primary and such more than ive been able to in the past.

 

Sister Crane is a sister trainer...not MY sister trainer, but mine is.........well anyway....she got approval for her and her comp to come down to ellington for 2 days so we can get some fresh eyes here and then we get to serve in Belmont for 2 days to get some ideas from their area too. SO EXCITED especially to get to be sister crane's comp for a couple days! A member offered to drive us to Boston on monday to play and to pick them up and bring them to ellington. Hopefully I get time to email but we're not 100% sure yet because itll be a crazy day. YAY! First playing time in boston! Hopefully her less active son comes too so technically we'll be doing missionary work too :)

 

We had a CRAZY storm. Rain was pouring sideways. A few people have given us coats and boots but considering im a giant and have psycho long arms nothing fits....but on the bright side sister barney is covered. Members keep saying you dont understand - you need to go get a jacket. So i think im going to take their advice...their starting to scare me. Last year halloween got cancelled..literally the state CANCELLED it because powerlines were down and trees fell on peoples houses. Good stuff.

 

Love you all a million and a half pieces.

Life is really tiring and sometimes its really hard. But there is so much joy! And a lot of people dont know where its at! Tell em where es at.

 

Sister Bell.

Choose to make today a happy day.

 

pic 1: changing leaves

pic 2: made a book of mormon brownie for Don as he prays to know this week if its true. He loved it. #sistermissionaryswag #allourinvestigatorsareoldmen #itsfine

September 30, 2013

Family!

You gotta mix up your life a little bit as a missionary soo first come the bangs...then come the wanna be glasses. I just wear them when I need some extra confidence. People think theyre real so its fine. :) Plus ive gotten in with a lot more people with them - a girl in primary now loves me because she has the same ones and this nonmember said i look like his daughter.....WHO IS A MEMBER. good story with that one. i knew they were inspired glasses :) 

Leaves are changing - happy fall!

Wow it sounds like there is a lot of love in the family because everyone is happy.....and everyone is pregnant. I guess thats the nature of the beat with big families....literally.Youre gonna have to retake that grandkids picture...like tomorrow. 

Watching the broadcast on saturday for relief society was incredible wasn't it? What a blessing covenants are. The 2nd speaker who talked briefly about the work of salvation was an amazing reminder that we COVENANTED to share the gospel. Are we doing all we can to keep our half of the promises to our heavenly Father?

We had the cutest lesson with our investigator. SOMEHOW we mentioned heavenly parents and he caught that and asked about heavenly mother. Boy was it a nightmare trying to explain how we have a heavenly mother and why she is not mentioned very much. In our first lessons there was a clear differentiation between the bible and the book of mormon. And THIS lesson when he asked things, he asked where they were at in the scriptures, meaning either one/both bible and BOM. That was a flag to sister barney and I about how much he really is progressing without realizing it. He is referring to them as ONE. We asked him to give the closing prayer. It was SO funny - he said, "Dear heavenly father...and also heavenly mother if youre there". We werent going to expain that we dont do that in this lesson but it was down right hilarious. For the opening prayer his wife said it and said "thank you for sister bell and sister mackey" and Don goes "Sister Mackey? It's sister barney! Who are you talking about??" and she goes "oh my gosh you guys im running on 3 hours of sleep here i cant even think. Im sorry sister barney." this is all IN THE MIDDLE OF THE PRAYER. I just kept my eyes closed while i couldnt refrain myself from busting up laughing. Dont worry - thank goodness the spirit still came in after that. It's pretty much how 1/2 the prayers go in that home..they turn into hilarious conversations midway. we're working on that :) Can you see why he's my favorite now?? 

 Sometimes its hard to see progress in others or even ourselves but when we step back we begin to realize how the lords hand really is in our lives and is our source of progression.They raise their grandson and when they came to church last week they got him a part for the primary program which means now he has to keep coming..and for all 3 hours...bummer.  :) He made comments in priesthood and afterwards kept asking how we knew that the lesson was going to be on that, That our lesson with him that week prepared him perfectly so he could answer the questions!

Don, its called following the spirit - we had NO idea the lesson was going to be on that but thanks for giving us the credit. They are like my family now - they brought us back souveneirs from their trip to florida for us, "their girls", it was so cute. Just for them alone make me NEVER want to leave Ellington.

Transfers are comin up. Should know this weekend during general conference. We had interviews with our president this past week which was AWESOME. Part of me thinks im leaving Ellington, part of me thinks im staying. But ive quickly learned that you can think whatever you want but no matter what the lord still ends up being in charge and surprises you so i just dont think about it. President asked if I could stay another transfer with sister barney and I said of course. We talked about the frustrations of having so much in my head, so many principles, so many things i want to apply, but im not able to in ellington because of our low pool of investigators. My district leader told me that in his interview he recommended that i get transfered to a busy area so i can apply my learning so we'll see. My president is SO SO inspired and each time i'm 100% confident that his decisions are under the direction of the spirit. It's exhausting. Im so so tired and I try not to get discouraged but i just see ellington for what it COULD be and the Lord is definetly teaching me patience - that this is his work and not mine. Right now we are spending all of our efforts working through the members - teaching THEM how to be missionaries and set goals, which is an exhausting process when they dont fully get it. but i know that patience will pay off - that its the lords way of doing it.

Love,

Sister Bell

"We go to the temple to make covenants, we go home to keep them."

Choose to make covenants. Choose to keep them.  -- THAT is CHOOSING CELESTIAL. 

1. my favorite little black friends

2. Turning over a new leaf - - HAHA - get it? :)

3. My little oreo cow friends we practice teaching the Restoration on