Sister Bain in the Big Apple: 2017 07-19 "I LOVE YOU."

"Why don't you just blame everything on Satan? It's his fault anyway." -my companion 😂

I hope you all have fun at Bear Lake. Without me. Because I'm in Harlem. Which is way better. It's fine. #MissionsAreCool ✌Okay but on the real, I'd rather be in NY ANYWAYYYYYYYY 💕 So take lots of pictures for me. Also, tell Roomie she better send me an email or I'm going to come home and beat her up. (I still love her though.) Remember that one time Juanito Bandito called her out for her hair? 😂 Never forget. Last thing, on Sunday or whenever you're all together, send me a video with all of you in it. Because I love you & miss you all. Okay anyway enough about you 😂 (KIDDING.)

Harlem is such a good place and I can't wait to show you the city!! (ALSO I SAW THAT BRANDON WENT TO THE MANHATTAN TEMPLE AND I LOVE THAT PLACE AND I WISH I COULD STILL BE ON THE WEST SIDE SO I COULD RUN INTO THE GURNEYS AGAIN 😭😭) But this week was gggggrrrrrrreeeeeeeaaaaaaattttttt 💕💕

Candace, my cute co-worker at Seagull Book got her mission call to Mexico so YAY missions are cool. (Not the same one as Brandon, sadly.)

We've made friends with a guy at a fruit stand on 127th street (his name is Shakil. He's from Texas.) We passed him the other day and started talking to him, asking him how his day was going....the usual. But during all this, I was eating a granola bar a member gave me that had chocolate on it and he stopped. in the middle of his sentence. and said "Sister Bain, stop eating that. It's going to make you fat. Here, eat this." And he handed me a banana 😂😂😂 "if you're ever thinking about eating chocolate again, just come here and I'll give you free fruit." I'M GOING TO KEEP EATING CHOCOLATE OKAY SHAKIL. I walk a trillion miles a day anyway so I'm going to be just fine.

Sister Johnson and I went on a split and in one day Sister Bain....
1. Accidentally hit another sister in the face with a volleyball haha oops.
2. Got her hair stuck in a blow dryer and had to cut it out hahahahahaha
3. Got attacked by a dog. (I'm fine though so whatevs. Just some scratches on my leg.)
4. Had a water bottle explode right in her face causing her mascara to go everywhere
5. Had 5 members of an Italian mob ask her to take their "squad pic" (their words.)
Anddddddddd
6. Found an ASL referral (THIS HAS BEEN MY GOAL FOR THE LAST 12 WEEKS. woot woot.)
Best split of my life 😂😂😂😂😂

Anyway, on to more important things. Ann is getting baptized on July 29th and we are sooooooo excited. She is literally the sweetest thing ever. Also, in Africa, they don't use the word "treat" so we taught her what that was and she thinks it's hilarious 😂 her favorite treat is vanilla ice cream 💕 Ann has so much faith and it's so cool to see how the gospel has changed her heart. I know that's possible for everyone. The gospel is real and it's true. I hope you've been able to take the gospel of Jesus Christ from your head to your heart. How have you come to FEEL the gospel is true? 🌷 I know the spirit testifies of truth. And as we pray and ASK and SEEK our answers, they will be given to us. Ann has prayed and asked Heavenly Father if the Book of Mormon is true and she said "Sisters, I wouldn't feel this happy if it wasn't true." I know everyone can feel that if they truly desire it. ALSO.

On Saturday we went to visit one of our new members who just moved into the YSA ward and when we buzzed her apartment her roommate answered. She was kinda rude 😂 and said that our member wasn't home. The next day at church, the member we tried to visit said that her roommate who answered the buzzer wanted to meet with us. SO. My companion and Sister Christofferson met with her yesterday on our split and they said she's way cool AND SHE SET UP A RETURN APPOINTMENT FOR NEXT WEEK. Remember in the movie The Best Two Years when one of the elders is waiting for Kyle to call and the other elders were like "oh well that's too bad, he's not gonna call." But then Kyle calls? WELL FELICIA (the member referral) CALLED US AND SET UP YESTERDAY'S APPOINTMENT WITH US. If that's not the coolest thing ever I don't know what is. 👌 SHE CALLED US. THAT'S COOL.

Okay so I set a goal to drink 4 water bottles a day so pray for me to not be dehydrated. I'm also memorizing The Living Christ and that's really cool so you all should read that this week. (Since you're all going to be bored at Bear Lake you'll have time 🙃😉) okay

I'm going to be serious now.
I'm really sorry to hear about Brother Sheen. I can't even begin to imagine what Sister Sheen is feeling. But I do know that the Atonement of Jesus Christ is real.

I read a talk by Elder Holland recently and he said "Let’s stay with this matter of Christ’s Atonement for a moment. If I understand the doctrine properly, in the experience of the Atonement, Christ vicariously experienced (and bore the burden of) the sins and sorrows and troubles and tears of all mankind, from Adam and Eve to the end of the world. In this, He Himself did not actually sin, but He felt the pain and consequence of those who did. He did not personally experience a broken marriage, but He felt the pain and consequence of those who do. He did not personally experience rape or schizophrenia or cancer or the loss of a child, but He felt the pain and consequence of those who do, and so on and on through the litany of life’s burdens and broken hearts." I don't understand how the Atonement of Jesus Christ works, but I feel His love and peace in my heart and I know that God is aware of our burdens and will strengthen us. This does not mean our problems will always disappear or the world will suddenly be at peace. But I do know God loves His children- always. “When we speak of those who are instruments in the hand of God, we are reminded that not all angels are from the other side of the veil. Some of them we walk with and talk with—here, now, every day. Some of them reside in our own neighborhoods. Some of them gave birth to us, and in my case, one of them consented to marry me. Indeed heaven never seems closer than when we see the love of God manifested in the kindness and devotion of people so good and so pure that angelic is the only word that comes to mind.”

We can find happiness and lasting joy in this life because we have a knowledge and testimony of the Plan of Salvation. It's so cool to be here as a missionary and teach people about God's love and His goals/plans for each of us. I know that trials don't last forever and that we can find peace in our souls because adversity and affliction will only last but a small moment. (Doc Cov 121:7-8) Dad, thank you for sharing your talk with me and helping me remember the peace and comfort I felt as Grandpa Bain passed away. I sure miss him. A lot. But I know that because of God's plan I will be able to see him again. ❤ <<Families are Forever>>
“Hope is not a feeling—it’s not a tidal wave of joy in the middle of a problem. Hope is not the magic wand that makes the problem disappear. Hope is the lifeline that can keep you from being overwhelmed by the storms in your life. When you place your hope in Christ, you place your confidence in His promises that He will never leave you or forsake you—that He will do what is best for you. Even though you may be in the middle of a huge problem, hope enables you to be at peace, knowing that Jesus is with you every step of the way.”

What are you going to do this week to build your faith?
Radiate goodness ☄

Love always,
Sister Bain 🍍

Ps. Tell Jacob I am so proud of him and who he's becoming. I want to read his talk!! I know he did a wonderful job. I sure love him.