Sister Bain in the Big Apple: 2017 02/20 "Let our faith replace our fears..."

Hello! It's me again! Another wonderful week has come and gone. This is email is going to be sooooooooooo scattered (but what else is new...?) because I have so many things I wanna tell you!!❤

❤❤❤ There were kids from Jordan High school visiting my ward yesterday for a choir thing and it was so weird to see them there hahaha

Yesterday the weather was so nice (WE DIDN'T HAVE TO WEAR TIGHTS!!!!!) so we went and ate lunch in central park. What. A. Dream. I love everything.

We had the best Valentine's Day in history!! February 14th was the New York New York North Sisters Meeting. It was so fun seeing past companions and other sisters whom I LOVE. The best part was being able to hear from Stephanie Nielson. She and her husband survived a plane crash in 2008. Sister Nielson has since become a world famous "mommy blogger" and has given out over 9,000 copies of the Book of Mormon!! She shares a powerful message of hope (and SHE TOOK A PICTURE WITH SISTER JACOBSEN AND I ❤❤) (Ps. Sister Nielson and her husband actually came to NYC to speak to the New York North sisters but the fireside we were able to attend for the stake was just a bonus. Still mad I didn't see Kim and Bri there but it's fine.) We are so spoiled here. Sooooooooooo check out Sister Nielson's blog because she is WONDERFUL.

I hope you all had a good week!! Marvin is GOOD! We had a Skype lesson with him on Tuesday and we read from the Book of Mormon with him. We read Alma 36 (BEST. CHAPTER. EVER.) and we talked about Repentance. Marvin usually doesn't ask questions during our lessons, but during this one he said "Sisters, how do I repent??" And we just about fell out of our chairs-- MARVIN ASKED US A QUESTION!!!!!! We explained the repentance process and it got us talking about baptism. Sister Jacobsen is AWESOME and she's so good at asking inspired questions. She said "Marvin, do you believe that The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints has the correct authority to baptize?" And he said "Yeah, but I don't believe it's the only one." Sooooooooooo we're going to work through that next. I'm just super grateful for the spirit because we've been kinda frustrated with not being able to really help him this week. BUT! Now we know what his biggest concern is AND NOW WE CAN HELP HIM!!! YAYAYAYAYAYAYAY

ANNE IS THE BEST EVER HOLY COW I LOVE HER. We had a lesson with her on Tuesday and cute Sister Read was able to come with us. The first Sunday she came to church she was really quiet and she just sat in the back and observed but then last Sunday she was super into gospel principles and she shared some awesome experiences. When we met with her on Tuesday she shared another cool story with us. She said while she was at church she heard someone say that we don't drink coffee. This past week she said she was feeling really anxious and so she would drink some coffee but she kept thinking about what she heard while she was at church and she said "My anxiety would get worse when I drank the coffee so I think I'm going to stop drinking coffee." WHAAAAAAAAAAAAAT. OKAY. SHE'S SO COOL.

Sister Jacobsen has been super sick (throwing up sick...ugh) for the past couple of days so PLEASE PLEASE PLEASE pray that she gets better soon❤❤❤❤

Here's my favorite quote ever. Enjoy!!😚

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"I come with a plea that we stop seeking out the storms and enjoy more fully the sunlight. I’m suggesting that we accentuate the positive. I’m asking that we look a little deeper for the good, that we still our voices of insult and sarcasm, that we more generously compliment virtue and effort. I am not asking that all criticism be silent. Growth comes with correction. Strength comes with repentance. Wise is the man or woman who, committing mistakes pointed out by others, changes his or her course. I am not suggesting that our conversation be all honey. Clever expression that is sincere and honest is a skill to be sought and cultivated. What I am suggesting and asking is that we turn from the negativism that so permeates our society and look for the remarkable good in the land and times in which we live, that we speak of one another’s virtues more than we speak of one another’s faults, that optimism replace pessimism. Let our faith replace our fears. We have every reason to be optimistic in this world. Tragedy is around, yes. Problems everywhere, yes. But … you can’t, you don’t, build out of pessimism or cynicism. You look with optimism, work with faith, and things happen. Do not despair. Do not give up. Look for the sunlight through the clouds. The Lord’s plan is a plan of happiness. The way will be lighter, the worries will be fewer, the confrontations will be less difficult if we cultivate a spirit of happiness."

--President Gordon B. Hinckley ♡

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Instead of me just copying the entire Relief Society lesson GO AND READ IT. It's lesson 3 from the teachings of President Gordon B. Hinckley "Cultivate an Attitude of Happiness and a Spirit of Optimism". I love President Hinckley. Just take one section a day or something but seriously. Go read it. Then email me your thoughts about it.

I love that he says that "life is to be enjoyed, not just endured." We're a week into the transfer, but I've learned that this is to be true with Sister Jacobsen. As I've gotten us lost or as I've taken us on the wrong train again and again...I've learned to just laugh it off. WE DON'T HAVE TO BE STRESSED EVERY SECOND OF THE DAY. Learn to laugh. Learn to ENJOY THE RIDE and show gratitude!!

Other quotes I love:

"Stay true to the church because the church is true."

--President Buckner (NYNY Stake President)

Be a pineapple. Stand tall. Wear a crown. Be sweet on the inside. 🍍🌴

(5 people sent me this quote this week saying "I saw this and thought of you." ❤❤Much love)

I love you sooooooooooo much. #BainTrainForever

Love always,

Sister Bain 🍍

Ps. Pday is on Wednesday next week!!✌