2016 12-26 "Good Bye Connecticut, Hello Manhattan."

So remember how I saw you yesterday and it was the best day EVER. I love you so much and it was so good to talk to you!! 

This is going to be short because I have SO much to do!! 

I'm taking a break from packing for a second.

SO transferring to the city stresses me out hahaha BUT. I. AM. SO. EXCITED. NYC WOOT WOOT. I have sooooooooooo much stuff and only 2 suitcases so yay. I made it work when I came here so I know it's possible, but I just want to throw everything away and have one outfit, one pair of shoes, and a tooth brush and toothpaste. What else do I need? Haha (and my scriptures obviously) 

Okay so remember when I said this was going to be short? Well. It's the truth. I need to get going again! There's so much to pack and so much to clean. 

I love youuuuuuuuuuu so much!!!

Love you forever,

Sister Bain 

Sister Bain was transferred to a new area in the Upper West Side of Manhattan.  She will be serving in the Manhattan 1st Ward. Central Park is half of her new area. Christmas time and the New Years celebrations in the city. She is very excited!

 

Christmas Chocolate

Christmas Morning - Look what Santa Claus brought

Christmas Dinner Date

Japanese Nativity

2016 12/19 - Snow and Christmas Memories

Happy Monday!! 

We're all in for surprises this Christmas season! Preparation Day in the New York New York North Mission has been changed to Monday!😘 no more Wednesday emails!

I hope KC had a fun birthday yesterday!! I don't even know how old he is hahaha did you all do something fun?? 

I CAN'T BELIEVE MY SISTER IS GETTING MARRIED NEXT WEEK. WHAT IN THE WORLD. 

This week was full of wonderful experiences!! We got to see one of our investigstors, Jeanetta! Jeanetta has cancer so she goes to the ER multiple times a week for different reasons. If we go to her house and she isn't there, our next stop is the ER at the Norwalk Hospital. Elder Tanner and Elder Pulu came with us to the hospital to visit her and they were able to give her a priesthood blessing. I know the priesthood has been restored on the earth through the Prophet Joseph Smith. I know that priesthood authority partnered with faith brings about amazing miracles!! I'm grateful for worthy priesthood holders in my life. I remember dad giving me a blessing the night before I went to the MTC and the Spirit I feel when I think of that experience is incredible. I know priesthood power is REAL!❤

We had our mission Christmas Devotional in Ossining, New York this past Friday. It was so fun seeing my MTC companion, Sister Hess, Sister Sam and of course SISTER JONES❤ 

What a wonderful opportunity we have to celebrate the birth of our Savior. President Smith asked us all to think of a Christmas that meant the most to us. As I thought about it, I remember a Christmas we had when everyone had pneumonia. Everyone was so sick and we all stayed home-- just the 7 of us. That's a Christmas that has always had a special place in my heart. Of course it wasn't the ideal Christmas-- everyone had pneumonia for goodness sake. But. It was a special Christmas for me when I was able to spend it with the ones that mean the very most to me. I'll be honest, this Christmas season has been nothing but bittersweet. I've missed the family traditions, putting up the Christmas tree, watching A Christmas Carol, and having dad make me hot chocolate at night after I got home from work. Among the mixed emotions of being away from home this holiday season, I've been able to focus on my Savior Jesus Christ. I'm here in freezing cold CT to share the joy of what this Christmas season is all about. I have absolutely loved seeing people's hearts open and change as the spirit of Christmas has come. I know that Jesus Christ is the Son of God. He's my Savior and best friend. He was born in a humble manger in Bethlehem and lived a perfect life. He's our perfect example. I know that my Redeemer Lives and how GRATEFUL I am that I have this opportunity during Christmas to share my love for Him with those in Connecticut❤🎄🎁 #Blessed 

I'm excited to Skype you all this Sunday!!! I'll be skyping you from the church so make sure you're all ready!!❤ I AM SO EXCITED TO SEE ALL YOUR CUTE FACES!!!!!!!!!!!!!! And I'm excited to meet KC!!!

I love you❤

Find your Jesus this Christmas season.

Love you forever,

Sister Bain 🍍

“The foxes have holes, and the birds of the air have nests; but the Son of man hath not where to lay his head” (Matthew 8:20). Even in our day, although two thousand years have passed, there are many who say the same thing that was said on that night in Bethlehem. “There is no room, no room” (see Luke 2:7). We make room for the gifts, but sometimes no room is made for the giver. We have room for the commercialism of Christmas and even pleasure-seeking on the Sabbath day, but there are times when there is not room for worship. Our thoughts are filled with other things—there is no room. While it will be a beautiful sight to see the lights of Christmas … , it is more important to have human lives illuminated by an acceptance of him who is the light of the world [Alma 38:9; D&C 10:70]. Truly we should hold him up as our guide and exemplar. On the eve of his birth, angels sang, “And on earth peace, good will toward men” (Luke 2:14). If men would follow his example, it would be a world of peace and love toward all men."

At the Aquarium with Sister Busby

Snow with Sister Larsen

2016 12/14 "The Book of Mormon is TRUE!"

HELLO FROM NYC.

Today is Sister Larsen's birthday so we took a trip to the city! What a good time. I'm in love with everything about this place.

This week was so good! It started off with me losing one of my name tags. Haha. I was looking EVERYWHERE for it on Sunday and I couldn't find it ANYWHERE. All during church I was thinking about where I would have lost it. I was praying all day that I would find it.

Side story: I lost my winter hat last week and I prayed all day that I would be able to find it. I was prompted to call a less-active to ask her if I had left it in her house the night before and GUESS WHAT. She found it outside in the parking lot. Prayers are answered. 

Name tag story- I was prompted after church to call a less-active to ask if I had lost it at their house the night before. He said he would look for it and call if he found it. It was like 5 hours later and I hadn't heard anything so I just accepted the fact that I had lost my name tag forever. We went to dinner and I said one last prayer. "Heavenly Father, I know you know where my tag is. Please help me." We went to our dinner appointment and after that I checked our phone. GUESS WHAT. BROTHER NIEMANN FOUND MY TAG IN HIS DRIVEWAY. It was a miracle that he found it because he lives in the middle of no where, with no lights in his driveway, AND it was snowing. We went to get it after our last appointment of the night and when I saw it, the clip was broken because it had been run over by a car. Haha. But Brother Niemann was able to fix it and all is well. I have my name tag back. I know prayers are answered. I know that the things that are important to us-- my winter hat and my name tag-- are important to Heavenly Father. 

Another side story-- on the train this morning I saw a guy that looked exactly like Dr. Jarman.  

Something else that made this week so great was that I finished reading the whole Book of Mormon! I know with my whole heart and soul that the Book of Mormon is TRUE! It was written by inspired Prophets who were called of God. I know that because Joseph Smith is a true prophet, he was able to translate it by the power of God. And how GRATEFUL I am that I have the Book of Mormon in my life. I know that as we read it with an open heart and pray with real intent to know if it's true, that our Heavenly Father will give us the answers we're looking for through the Holy Ghost. Remember- what's important to us, is important to Him. We just have to have the faith to ask the question- like Joseph Smith did. The Book of Mormon has changed my life. It's the most correct book on the earth and as we apply it's teachings we will find eternal joy in our Savior Jesus Christ. I know that's true. 

I hope you're all reading the Book of Mormon every day. It'll bless your life. 

THANK YOU everyone for the Christmas packages. I appreciate you thinking about me! I only opened the one from mom. I'm trying to practice my self-control and wait until Christmas to open the rest. Haha. 

Also, the Bain family wins for the cutest Christmas card. #BainTrainForever ❤

I love you!! 

Love you forever,

Sister Bain 🍍

Elder Jeffery R. Holland said,

"Now, with the advantage that nearly 60 years give me since I was a newly believing 14-year-old, I declare some things I now know. I know that God is at all times and in all ways and in all circumstances our loving, forgiving Father in Heaven. I know Jesus was His only perfect child, whose life was given lovingly by the will of both the Father and the Son for the redemption of all the rest of us who are not perfect. I know He rose from that death to live again, and because He did, you and I will also. I know that Joseph Smith, who acknowledged that he wasn’t perfect,15 was nevertheless the chosen instrument in God’s hand to restore the everlasting gospel to the earth. I also know that in doing so—particularly through translating the Book of Mormon—he has taught me more of God’s love, of Christ’s divinity, and of priesthood power than any other prophet of whom I have ever read, known, or heard in a lifetime of seeking. I know that President Thomas S. Monson, who moves devotedly and buoyantly toward the 50th anniversary of his ordination as an Apostle, is the rightful successor to that prophetic mantle today. We have seen that mantle upon him again in this conference. I know that 14 other men whom you sustain as prophets, seers, and revelators sustain him with their hands, their hearts, and their own apostolic keys.

These things I declare to you with the conviction Peter called the “more sure word of prophecy.” What was once a tiny seed of belief for me has grown into the tree of life, so if your faith is a little tested in this or any season, I invite you to lean on mine. I know this work is God’s very truth, and I know that only at our peril would we allow doubt or devils to sway us from its path. Hope on. Journey on. Honestly acknowledge your questions and your concerns, but first and forever fan the flame of your faith, because all things are possible to them that believe. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen."

--Elder Jeffery R. Holland ❤

NYC Cathedral

NYC - Rockefeller Center

NYC Temple Lobby

NYC - Train Platform

NYC - Trump Tower, Wait! What?

NYC - With St. Nick (See Grant and Bryson, Keauna just gave Santa your Christmas lists personally.)

2016 12/07 "His promises are REAL"

Hey fam❤

So. This week was so good and I bascially cried all week because it was WONDERFUL. Guess what made it so great.........

BRIDGETTE CAME TO CHURCH!!!!! I burst into tears just typing this because I'm still so happy. Seriously. Prayer and Fasting WORKS. God really does love each of His children and will do everything He can to help them. I know that's true. 

Also, it's super easy for missionaries to get into hospitals. (I don't know if that's a good thing...?) But. We went to the hospital because our investigator, Jeanetta, is there right now. Jeanetta has ovarian cancer but sooooooooooo much faith!! We were super scared to go into the hospital because hospitals freak me out (hahaha) but we walked right in and we were able to find her right away! She's getting a priesthood blessing tonight and is planning on coming to church this Sunday!!❤ 

Something I learned this week is that Heavenly Father doesn't joke around. When He promises us blessings, He WILL give them to us if we do our part!! He's not kidding around, His promises are REAL.

The second thing I learned this week is that it's not about what I want, but what the Lord wants. I know God's plan is real and that everything that happens in our lives is because He knows what will bring is the most happiness.

Sorry this email is so short and scattered!! 

Just know that I LOVE YOU and I MISS YOU and I'M SO EXCITED TO SKYPE YOU SOON!! 

ALSO, the Christmas tree looks so so good. GOOD WORK!! 10/10 for sure.

Love you always,

Sister Bain 

Ps. We're going to the city next week for Sister Larsen's birthday!! Yay!! 

It's the Christmas Season

LightTheWorld 

LightTheWorld - Share the Love

2016 11/30 "It's me again!"

Hi! It's me again!

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO THE BEST MOM IN THE ENTIRE WORLD (tomorrow) I am so so grateful for you, Mom!! I hope you have the best day ever, you deserve it! I'll be sending ALL my love to you on your special day!! I love you!!💘

It sounds like the Ashby family is solid! Can Hunter sing at my homecoming too??😁 (I'll remind you when it gets a little closer.....)

SO Makail is getting married? Why didn't anyone tell me?! I got a wedding announcement or something in the mail. But! I. LOVE. IT. It looks so good! Also, thank you for choosing against the life size cardboard cut out of me. It's much appreciated. Less than a month until it's wedding time!!! ❤

I'm sooooooooooo excited to read Aunt Michelle's SECOND book!!! Aunt Michelle, I AM SO GRATEFUL FOR YOU AND ADMIRE YOU!! I always tell people here how blessed I am to have the best bonus aunt ever❤ I love you! (Ps- she sent me a cute Halloween card and I always forget to say thank you for it so this is me finally remembering to do that...oops. Sorry!)
Anywaysssssssssss-

"I am the light of the world" "Ye are the light of the world."

I know that Jesus Christ is the light of the world! I know that He lived a perfect life and set the perfect example for each of us to follow. I know that as we do all that we can to become more like Jesus Christ we find real and true joy. One way we can come closer to our Savior and be more like Him is by doing small acts of service. "...behold I say unto you, that by small and simple things are great things brought to pass." I know that even the smallest acts of kindness can make the biggest difference. At the start of this Christmas season, everyone is so busy thinking of the gifts they're going to give and gifts they're going to receive. But the gifts you give your Savior Jesus Christ are the ones that matter most. What are YOU going to give the Savior this Christmas? What small acts of service are you going to offer to help yourself and others come unto Christ? I know that as we pray for opportunities to serve those around us, our Heavenly Father puts people in our path who need us and the hopeful message of the gospel!

I am so grateful for the opportunity I have to participate in the church's new Christmas initiative! I'm excited to hear about all your experiences as you serve this Christmas season!! 25 days of service starts TOMORROW.

This Christmas season, #LIGHTtheWORLD 💡
In 25 ways. In 25 days.
Visit mormon.org to get started!

I love you! ❤

Trust in the Lord!
The gospel is true!
Love you forever,
Sister Bain 🍍

PS- I AM SO EXCITED FOR GARRETT TO GO TO THE MTC A WEEK FROM TODAY!!! HOW COOL. Give him a big hug for me and make sure he takes a water bottle with him- my water bottle saved me in the MTC. Seriously. I love you, Elder Sirrine!! You're going to kill it in WASHINGTON!! 

With Sister Day.

2016 11/23 Live in Thanksgiving daily!!

24 Days of Thanksgiving  🍗🍁
Happy Thanksgiving!! Here's a list of 24 things I'm grateful for (in no particular order😂)

1. I'm grateful for my Savior Jesus Christ. Of course He is the very first one because without Him I wouldn't have anything. I know Jesus Christ lives. I know He is my Savior. Jesus Christ means everything to me and I am so grateful for Him and His atoning sacrifice for me.
2. I'm grateful for eternal families. HOW COOL is it that we get to be together for eternity? Good thing I love you all. #BainTrainForever Thanks for getting married in the temple mom and dad!! #CovenantKeepers
3. I'm grateful for our mission car. Winter has made its way to CT. The car heater is a life saver!
4. I'm grateful that Makail and KC are getting married in the temple❤
5. I'm grateful that I have the opportunity to serve a mission! There aren't enough words to describe my gratitude for my missionary tag and the miracles I get to see every day. #Blessed
6. I'm grateful for the Hartford, Connecticut Temple! Connecticut's first temple was dedicated on Sunday! This was my 5th temple dedication!! (I've been sick at every temple dedication I've been to hahaha I had a fever this time...boo. But I'm fine now!) I know temple blessings are real. I was sitting in the chapel waiting for the dedication to start and I was thinking about Grandpa Bain. I've found myself thinking about him a lot lately and I can feel him with me all the time. I know my loved ones are watching out for me and helping me. I was promised as I was set apart as a full-time missionary that I'd have angels attend me in the mission field and I know that one of those angels is my sweet Grandpa Bain.
7. I'm grateful for my companion.
8. I'm grateful for members of the Darien Ward who give me really nice hugs every time they see me. They're not as good as mom's hugs, but they work😁
9. I'm grateful for the Restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and for the Prophet Joseph Smith. I know Jesus Christ's church has been restored on the earth and I know Joseph Smith saw our Heavenly Father and Savior Jesus Christ in the sacred grove.
10. I'm grateful I get 8 hours of sleep every night.
11. I'm grateful for President and Sister Smith. I love them.
12. I'm grateful for Preach My Gospel!
13. I'm grateful for the Book of Mormon. I know it's true!💘
14. I'm grateful for New York City.
15. I'm grateful for new opportunities every day to share my testimony!
16. I'm grateful for trials! I know trials are given to us to help us become closer to Jesus Christ.
17. I'm grateful for Elder Sirrine (and Garrett-- 'Elder Sirrine' in a couple of weeks!! I'm glad his farewell talk went well! I've heard nothing but good reviews about him and Britt!) Elder Prestgard, and Hermana Gurney! It's so cool being able to talk to my cousins about the mission and share experiences with them and get advice from them. I HAVE INCREDIBLE COUSINS who are faithful to their callings as missionaries and representatives of Jesus Christ.
18. I'm grateful for hot chocolate.
19. I'm grateful that I don't have to use a paper areabook and that I'm in a technology mission where I can just search something on gospel library in 2 seconds and it's easy. Dad, I don't even know how you did missionary work without an iPad😂
20. I'm grateful for my glasses so I can see stuff.
21. I'm grateful for my knee brace. I had to start wearing it again because my companion was backing up the car too fast and hit me....hahaha oops. My knee was knocked out of place or something, I can't remember what the doctor said. Anyway, I'm fine. Don't worry.
22. I'm grateful for the Connecticut trees.
23. I'm grateful for all the missionaries in the New York New York North Mission. I've learned so much for each missionary I get to serve with!
24. Most of all, I'm grateful for all those who have helped me get to the mission field! Mom and dad, siblings, grandparents, aunts and uncles, cousins, YW leaders, bishops, the stake president, friends, the 5th ward....countless people have influenced my life and helped me become who I am today. So THANK YOU for your love, your patience, your support, and your testimonies. I will forever be grateful for each of you!

I was telling my companion the other day about our little foam Thanksgiving trees we do every year so I'm super sad that we used our last one last year! But I'm glad Bryson now understands that mom is dad's best friend and I laughed real hard when Grant said he was grateful for rubber bands😂😂😂tell Jacob to write me a letter or something. I've been missing him a lot the past couple of days. Man, I sure love those boys. Give them a big hug for me!!

"But some might say, “What do I have to be grateful for when my world is falling apart?”
Perhaps focusing on what we are grateful for is the wrong approach. It is difficult to develop a spirit of gratitude if our thankfulness is only proportional to the number of blessings we can count. True, it is important to frequently “count our blessings”—and anyone who has tried this knows there are many—but I don’t believe the Lord expects us to be less thankful in times of trial than in times of abundance and ease. In fact, most of the scriptural references do not speak of gratitude for things but rather suggest an overall spirit or attitude of gratitude.

It is easy to be grateful for things when life seems to be going our way. But what then of those times when what we wish for seems to be far out of reach?

Could I suggest that we see gratitude as a disposition, a way of life that stands independent of our current situation? In other words, I’m suggesting that instead of being thankful for things, we focus on being thankful in our circumstances—whatever they may be."
--President Uchtdorf ❤❤

I hope you have a wonderful Thanksgiving! We have so much to be grateful for and I know that everything we have is because we have a loving Heavenly Father! I'm grateful for the gospel of Jesus Christ and for the blessings I've received because of it.

Live in Thanksgiving daily!!

I love you and I'm SO GRATEFUL FOR YOU!!

Love always,
Sister Bain 🍍

The car heater is a life saver!

What are you Thankful for?

Happy Thanksgiving

Happy Sisters

2016 11/16 "God is so good" and "It snowed"

Hey y'all!
So. This week was a good week. We did missionary work and stuff so that was cool. Transfers were yesterday and GUESS WHAT!!!

.............DRUM ROLL PLEASE..............

I'm staying in Darien with Sister Larsen! Surprise! Haha I'm funny I know. I can't believe Sister Larsen has already been here for 6 weeks!! Where does the time go??? Aaaaahhhhh!!!! Sister Sam only has one more transfer left before she goes home!! (Insert a picture of me sobbing my eyes out because that makes me sad. I miss her)

On Sunday we had the Primary Program and it was AMAZING. Kids are so fun. (Ps. The boys school pictures are SO cute. Those boys are such studs. I miss them) Anyway. Primary Program.

1. Primary teachers are SO patient

2. I love how pure and sweet children's testimonies are. The primary kids write their own parts and I was reminded of how simple the gospel is! President Smith always reminds us to remember our primary songs and to start with the basics! #Truth

3. I was watching the sweet primary president, Sister Harrell, and she reminds me so much of mom!! Mom is so dedicated to teaching kids (especially her own kids!!!) the gospel and helping them gain faith and a testimony of their own. That's one thing I admire the most about mom- the way she magnifies her calling and her love for the gospel!! (That was two things but its fine) You're a rockstar, mom! I love you!

Random facts:
A girl in my ward, Sister Wilkins, has a sister getting married on December 29th in the Salt Lake Temple so I told her to find all of you since you'll be there at the same time and take a picture with you hahaha if a random girl wants to take a picture with you at the temple do it so she can send it to me haha

Sister Shumway made us dinner last night and it was so so good and she's also a Harvard graduate and goes to Cambridge right now so she's super cool and she told me she'd teach me how to paint yay

It snowed yesterday so please pray for us in CT we are actually freezing. (Don't feel too bad though. We have a car with a nice heater)

The Hartford Temple is being dedicated on Sunday!!! Connecticut's first temple!!!

For Thanksgiving...we are going to Rob's house!! I told you about him a couple of weeks ago (last week maybe?? I can't remember) anyway, he and his family invited us over. Rob also read Alma 32 which makes me HAPPY HAPPY HAPPY because Alma is the best ever. He's a cool guy (Rob. But Alma obviously is cool too) We also had some members (Sister Wilkins!!!) invite us over! ALSO!! If you have missionaries in your ward and they don't have a place to eat, INVITE THEM OVER. Missionaries are away from their families for the holidays and a lot of them will tell you they love it but it's still hard to be away from home....so make sure the elders and sisters have a place to go!! Relief Society presidents can't do it all so help em out!! :-)

We have a sweet investigator named Claire. She's so wonderful and we love her. She searched on Google about the after life and guess what she clicked on!!?? LDS.ORG!! She ordered a Book of Mormon and then we showed up on her doorstep. We taught her how to pray and man oh man....hearing someone pray out loud for the first time ever is a COOL experience!! God is so good.

So...I'm not really sure what else to write about. We have weekly planning on Thursdays and I always get sooooooooooo tired during that. But nothing happens if we don't set goals and make plans, right?? :-) I love it here.

I hope you all have a fun and safe week!! Emailing get harder and harder every week so I'm really sorry if they don't ever make sense or if I forget to answer your questions hahaha

I LOVE YOU ALL!!!

Trust in the Lord
The gospel is true
#LightTheWorld


Love always,
Sister Keauna Bain 

Gray Miles- he said I can marry his uncle hahahaha

BEAUTIFUL SUNSETS HERE

Stamford Zone

Bossy Lane- I want to live on this street hahahaha 

Sister Bain at Bossy Lane

2016 11/09 "PRAYERS ARE ANSWERED! "

Hello! Hello! 🍍
We went on Spanish Splits again and every time I get to go to the Spanish program I wish I had been called Spanish speaking! I went to Stamford with Hermana Nusink and she is so so wonderful!! We had an appointment in the morning with an investigator who speaks straight Spanish-- she doesn't understand any English at all. I was sitting in the lesson and had NO idea what was going on....but I was praying that Heavenly Father would help me understand something. By the end of the lesson I knew they had been talking about prayer and why it's important to pray! PRAYERS ARE ANSWERED!

We spent some time in Greenwich Hospital visiting some less-actives which was cool. (Not cool that they were in the hospital, but cool we got to see them....and cool that Sister Bain didn't pass out....) I kept praying for help to understand the language and I was also praying for the ability to teach simply so they could understand my English. I hope you know I have a testimony of prayer!! PRAYERS ARE ANSWERED!

Hermana Nusink and I ended our split teaching English class. I walked in and all these cute people yelled "Chinita! Chinita!" Which means "Asian girl" in Spanish😂so the Stamford Spanish Ward knows me as "Chinita Hermana Bain"😂 Esta bien, me encanta! ❤

This week was good! We saw a lot of miracles. It's the little things that seem to matter the most to me. I'm not really sure what to write about today, but I wanted to tell you a little thought I had this week. I've had some people email me and ask me what I've learned about the most as a missionary so far. I thought that answer would be hard, but it's actually a lot more simple than I thought. I've learned the most about Repentance. Repentance is change. It's being humble enough to make the small, but necessary, changes to our lives to live the way our loving Heavenly Father has asked us to. It's having faith that we can change through Jesus Christ. Repentance is recognizing the need for a Savior and more fully understanding the love that Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ have for each of us. I always thought of repentance as something scary because it meant I did something wrong, but repentance is a joyful process of becoming closer to our Savior Jesus Christ. So if I've learned anything as a missionary these last few months, it's that repentance is our opportunity to become better every day. HOW COOL IS THAT!!??

What does Repentance mean to you? I hope this week you look for more ways to recognize the healing power of the Atonement! Read Alma 36 then send me your thoughts❤

I hope you all had a good week and that you exercised your rights and voted! I still don't even know who the next president is going to be haha missionaries know zero things about the election....all the people at the grocery store were in a bad mood today so....people here aren't happy about the outcome. I'm guessing Trump won but I honestly have no clue😂

Sorry this week is so short, but I'm happy here and I love Connecticut more and more every day! I wish y'all were here with me to see the fall colors!!

I love you!! 
"His plan is always the best plan and it'll lead to the most happiness." -Mom❤
#LightTheWorld

Con mucho amor,
Sister Keauna Bain ♡
New York New York North Mission  

A drive through the neighborhood to see all the Fall Colors

Fall Colors

My Friend

Was it something I said?

The gang and my Friend

Picture time - I said Smile

2016 11-02 "It's been raining like CRAZY here!! I LOVE IT."

Here we are again! Another week in Connecticut has come and gone! It feels like just yesterday was preparation day! Time goes fast.

Thank you so much for the pictures you took up in Logan!! They're so so cute!! I love you all.
We didn't do much for Halloween. We had to be home by 7:00 so that was lame. We had dinner at 7:00, a conference call at 8:00 and then we had nightly planning at 9:00....then we went to bed haha so yay Halloween is over! I'm glad Grant is learning the true spirit of Halloween😂
I got my flu shot today like you asked me to. It was awful and I hated every second of it and my arm already hurts but it's fine.

It's been raining like CRAZY here!! I LOVE IT. My companion doesn't like the rain, or the thunder, or the lightning, or the wind....she had me hold her umbrella the other day because she didn't want to get electrocuted while we were walking. hahaha

I had a good time this week! On Thursdays we serve at a food pantry called Person-to-Person and I LOVE IT. (I think I've talked about P2P before??) Anyway, there's a lady that serves there too named Julie. I LOVE HER. For some reason I'm super good at making friends with people who are a little bit sassy and have an attitude haha Julie is a little spitfire and I'm so grateful for her. Julie and her husband are moving to Florida today-- rich people in CT have winter homes in Florida haha so last week we gave Julie a Book of Mormon as a little "goodbye" present. I wrote my email and my testimony in it and told Julie to email me her thoughts. WELL. She emailed the next day and she told me she had read a little of the Book of Mormon and SHE ALREADY KNEW IT WAS TRUE AND THAT SHE WAS GOING TO WORK HARD TO UNDERSTAND WHAT IT WAS SAYING. I cried for a solid 10 minutes about it. WHAT A MIRACLE!! She told me that she wanted to keep in touch and that she wanted to continue to learn about what we do as missionaries. I LOVE JULIE. She said she'd visit me in Utah so she could meet more people like me. hahaha

My thought for the week comes from Mosiah 27 (my favorite part of the Book of Mormon) I've been studying up on the Atonement and Repentance this past week and I LOVE IT. What does Repentance mean to you? I was reading in Alma 36-37 these last few days and it's all about Alma telling his son Helaman his conversion story.  So, I went back to Mosiah to reread Alma's experience. An angel appears to Alma, Alma passes out, then Alma wakes up. When Alma wakes up, he shares a powerful testimony of repentance. He says in Mosiah 27:24 "For, said he, I have repented of my sins, and have been redeemed of the Lord; behold, I am born of the spirit." He goes on to say that as we repent, we "become new creatures." Isn't that so powerful?? As we repent, we become more like what God knows we can become. Verse 29 of Mosiah 27 is my all time favorite:
"My soul hath been redeemed from the gall of bitterness and bonds of iniquity. I was in the darkest abyss; but now I behold the marvelous light of God. My soul was racked with eternal torment; but I am snatched, and my soul is pained no more."

He was in the "gall of bitterness" and "repenting nigh until death" (v. 28) he felt Godly sorrow for all that he had done and when he repented he beheld the MARVELOUS LIGHT OF GOD. He felt the blessings of the Atonement of Jesus Christ. I know the Atonement is REAL. Jesus Christ paid the price for you and for me! In Alma 36, Alma is telling Helaman that he remembered his dad teaching him about the Atonement of Jesus Christ. I remember all those Family Home Evening lessons, young women lessons, girls camp devotionals, seminary lessons, and firesides about Repentance  (I really was listening, I promise!) I know that through Jesus Christ we can find JOY in this life and in the life to come. Alma wraps things up with verse 24 (also my all time favorite) saying:
"Yea, and from that time even until now, I have labored without ceasing, that I might bring souls unto repentance; that I might bring them to taste of the exceeding joy of which I did taste; that they might also be born of God, and be filled with the Holy Ghost."

THAT IS WHY I AM HERE AS A MISSIONARY! I've tasted of the exceedingly great joy that the gospel brings. I've tasted of the fruit and I've felt the JOY of repentance and the Atonement-- and I'm here to share that with those in the NYNYN mission! Repentance takes work. Alma was bascially in a coma for 2 days being racked with eternal torment. King Lamoni had a similar experiance. Enos wrestled in mighty prayer to be forgiven of his sins, but I know it's possible. I know we can truly be cleansed. I know we can find JOY in Jesus Christ. I have! Have the faith that through the Atonement, Jesus Christ can change you. #RepentanceIsCool

I hope y'all are having a good week! I'm still stoked to have KC as a brother-in-law.
Good luck with the wedding dress shopping adventure this weekend! It sounds like a good time! If I don't get any pictures I'm never emailing home again. (Kidding. But also a little bit serious.....) 
Read your Book of Mormon every day, kids! It'll bless your life.

Trust in the Lord.
The gospel is true! 
#LightTheWorld
I love you!!

"But God commendeth his love toward us, in that, while we were yet sinners, Christ died for us."
Romans 5:8

---
Sister Keauna Bain ♡
New York New York North Mission 

Halloween Cupcakes - Birds

Halloween Cupcakes

Desk Wall - New Stuff (Water Colors from Makail)

Find joy in the journey

Julie

One more because Ruthie is so cute. I love love love Waveny ❤

2016 10/26 "Holy smokes. Church is so good and everyone should go to church"

Dear Mom and Dad,
CAN YOU BELIEVE YOU'RE GOING TO HAVE ANOTHER SON??? MAKAIL IS GETTING MARRIED WOOT WOOT YAY HOORAY I'M SO HAPPY AND EXCITED AND FILLED TO THE TOP WITH INCOMPREHENSIBLE JOY WOW OH WOW.
(Is "incomprehensible" a word? I read it in the Book of Mormon today so I'm guessing it's a real word but you never know....) Anyway. I'm stoked to have a brother-in-law in case you couldn't tell #BainTrainForever

I am so happy that Grant got to go to the Goldfish store. My heart was so happy to see his huge smile haha!! I LOVE THAT!! I hope you all had fun in Logan!

You'll have to tell me how all the band concerts go tonight!! Tell the boys "good luck!!" for me!! I'm so excited for them!!

There's am article in the most recent Ensign called "Tutored by the Lord". You should check it out-- it was written by the new Yorktown stake Relief Society president!! (I'm serving in the Yorktown Stake right now and I met her and she hugged me so I'm bascially famous).

We had Stake Conference on Sunday which was sooooooooooo awesome. Holy smokes. Church is so good and everyone should go to church. We talked about the blessings that come from the temple. I KNOW TEMPLE BLESSINGS ARE REAL!! The Hartford Temple open house was so successful! There were more than 50,000 people that went through. HOW COOL. Go to the temple as often as you can!! Utah is so blessed with so many!! :-)

This week has been so good! Miracles are fun. Yesterday I went on a split with Hermana Derzon. She is such an incredible missionary and really just an all around wonderful human being. I love her so much. So! Yesterday morning, we had an appointment with a less-active and we had gotten there a little late because we got lost  (oops. Dumb GPS....) We had met with this less-active before (please don't ask me how I got lost even though I had been there before) and we knew that she talks FOREVER. I was a little worried because we had another appointment with a member at 11:30. Ahhhhhhhhhh time crunch! But we met with Sister Macia and had a wonderful lesson about the Book of Mormon  (are you reading every day???) I looked at my watch and it was almost noon!! (I'm really not a horrible missionary okay I promise we repented) so we called our next appointment, Sister Velmani, to tell her we were running late (obviously.) But! She didn't answer so we were kinda freaking out. We decided to pray and Hermana Derzon said "Please help us feel and know if we should go to Sister Velmani's house anyway." And as soon as she said that, the thought "Sister Bain, go now!" came to my head. It surprised me a little because it was so sudden and direct but I looked at Hermana Derzon and she said "we gotta go now!" We got to Sister Velmani's and we knocked 4 times and she didn't answer. So we called her again and she finally answered! We told her we were outside her front door to visit her and we could hear her running to meet us. She opened the door and was so excited that we were there and she just burst into tears. She said that she had been crying all morning because Satan had been making her feel guilty for different things (Satan. What a hater.) and she had prayed asking Heavenly Father to send someone to make her feel better. She said "instead of sending one angel, He sent two!!" We sang I Am a Child of God with her and the whole time she was just crying saying how grateful she was for the gospel and for us being there. It was so so cool to be able to be the answer to her prayers. She also made us Indian food so that was cool too. (She's from India so it was real and authentic YAY)

There are so many wonderful miracles that happen every day! I wish you all could be here with me-- but you have wedding plans to attend to!! GOOD LUCK!!!

I LOVE YOU!!!
Trust in the Lord.
The gospel is true!

---
Sister Keauna Bain ♡
New York New York North Mission

FALL

Jean from Waveny. She calls me "Sister Brain" and "Sister Sassy Pants" Hahaha

This is Max. He's my bud from the Darien Ward.
He reminds me so much of Bryson (that's probably why I like him so much!!) 

Sister Velmani teaching Hermana Derzon and I how to make Indian food YUM

Hey y'all!
I hope it was a good week for everyone! It was a good week for me!🤓 THANK YOU SO MUCH FOR THE FALL/HALLOWEEN PACKAGE!! (Dad, I'll still be hating Halloween with you all the way from CT😂) The notes from Jacob, Grant, and Bryson made me cry. I MISS ALL OF YOU!!❤
I'm glad Sister Miles always sends you pictures!! We (us and the elders) were able to get so many less-active families to go to the ward Trunk-or-Treat! Yay! We decorated our car for Christmas instead of Halloween because Christmas is obviously more fun🎄

We got to go to a "new missionary meeting" on Friday in Scarsdale for Sister Larsen! Driving in New York is a piece of cake!😉 (NOT. I've actually never been so stressed in my entire life.) But! Fall on the East Coast is a dream!! Elder Perkins from the 70 was there and I learned so much!! Something that I took away from the meeting was that my new companion is my #1 investigator (I also learned that from Sister Sam) and my job is to love her and help her faith grow.

Does anyone know about a "clown situation"? Every time we're out when it's getting dark, people tell us to be careful of the clowns and I don't even know what that means.

On Sister Larsen's first day, I took her tracting on Bailey Avenue in Darien. We met a guy named Rob and he's way cool. We went back a couple of nights ago to see if he had read anything from the Book of Mormon we gave him and guess what. HE READ IT!! WITH HIS WIFE!! Miracles all around, people. We talked to him for a long time and got to know him and his wife better. We asked if we could come and teach his family about Jesus Christ and he said "sure" AND Rob and Liz invited us over for Thanksgiving!!😂

We tracted into Martha a couple of nights ago. She said she had just baptized her kids into the Catholic Church but that she and her husband weren't really sure if the Catholic Church was for them. She was thinking about going to the Lutheran Church and then we showed up on her doorstep! She said "this must be a sign from God!" Cool cool.

I know the Lord directs this work. This is HIS work! And what a special opportunity I have to dedicate 18 months of my life to Him! #Blessed

I hope y'all are studying your scriptures every day! As a mission, we're reading the Book of Mormon together and we're in Alma now! I LOVE ALMA. HOLY SMOKES. He is one cool guy. Yesterday I read about Alma going to the land of Ammonihah and meeting Amulek. They are companion goals!! But before Alma and Amulek are companions, Alma went to Ammonihah and was spit upon and cast out (whenever I have a bad day I think of Book of Mormon missionaries and then decide that it could be worse!) But an angel appears to Alma as he's leaving the city and tells him to REJOICE! The angel basically said "Alma, pal, you have great cause to rejoice! Lift up your head, man! You got this!" Oh, how great reason WE have to rejoice! So Alma "returns speedily" to the people that spit upon him and cast him out and meets his companion Amulek. They teach the people repentance and work miracles!!

If you're not reading the Book of Mormon every day, you better start!❤ It will bless your life in more ways than you could ever count.
Have a good week!
I love you!
#BainTrainForever

Love always,
Sister Keauna Bain ♡
New York New York North mission


President Dieter F. Uchtdorf: "The Lord sees in you what He saw in Amulek—the potential of a valiant servant with an important work to do and with a testimony to share."
("Learn from Alma and Amulek" October 2016 General Conference)

Trunk or Treat

Autumn Leaves

Walk on the Beach

Pumpkin hunting in the Pumpkin Patch 

Look who we tracked into. Barney!

Sister Bain was here.