2017 11-22 "See you next week!"

Hey Fam 🤘

WHAT'S UP

WHAT'S UP

So first things first, I love you all so much. And I am so grateful for you. We'll talk Thanksgiving in a couple of minutes, but I am so grateful for each of you FOR EVER AND EVER. ❤❤❤

I've been reading Helaman in the Book of Mormon and I LOVE Helaman 5:35-41. It's the story of Aminadab. Aminadab was raised in the church and was taught the gospel but later in his life fell away. He was reminded by the spirit the steps of repentance which he in turn taught to the people around him. Aminadab remembers the gifts of the spirit!! I have read this story before but this time the spirit taught me that IT IS POSSIBLE TO COME BACK. It's possible for everyone. It also makes me think of the prodigal son and how his father welcomed him home with open arms. I know that the Savior is like that for each one of us. It's so easy for us to forget but the Lord has asked that we always remember- and always remember Him 💕 

With Thanksgiving coming up TOMORROW I've taken time each night this week to write down 1 miracle the Lord blessed me with that day. I've seen that I often write more than one miracle because my Heavenly Father has given me so much #blessed I read a talk by President Uchtdorf called "Grateful in Any Circumstance" (I would highly recommend this talk by the way) 👍but something he said that really made me happy was, "My dear brothers and sisters, THE CHOICE IS OURS. We can choose to limit our gratitude, based on the blessings we feel we lack. Or we can choose to be like Nephi, whose grateful heart NEVER FALTERED." Happiness and gratitude are a choice- it's up to us. Some things that I'm grateful for this Thanksgiving are:

Trains

Buses

The Book of Mormon 

The spirit

Hymns

Nice people

The priesthood 

My companions 

The Maurer Family (they invited us over for Thanksgiving)

The sunshine

Fall leaves

Hot chocolate

MY FAMILY

The Restoration 

President and Sister Smith 

Safeguards 

The white handbook 

My Savior and His Atonement

Companions that make pumpkin chocolate chip cookies (that's happening right now and I am so so happy.)

But most of all, I'm grateful for this opportunity to serve as a missionary here in the New York New York North Mission. Connecticut and New York are so special ❤ and I have been so blessed with so much. THINK TO THANK this Thanksgiving season and live with an attitude of gratitude all year long. We have so much to be grateful for because of the love from our Heavenly Father! 

Well, this is it kids. I LOVE THIS MISSION. I LOVE NEW YORK. I LOVE HAVING A COMPANION(S). I LOVE THE BOOK OF MORMON. I LOVE MY SAVIOR JESUS CHRIST. I LOVE SHARING MY TESTIMONY WITH RANDOM PEOPLE ON THE TRAIN AND ON THE BUS. This has been such a special and sacred time in my life. I have seen so many miracles come from having the authority to promise people blessings. I've been blessed with strength FAR beyond my own and love that I know doesn't come from me alone. As I think about the beginning of my mission I just have to smile because I can see how much I've learned since I was in Darien, Connecticut. My Heavenly Father has given me members, investigators, and companions that have taught me so much. I've seen my testimony become so much more than it could have been had I stayed home. I've had some of the best and some of the worst times of my life here in NYC. It's been hard, but you don't really remember the hard times. I know that Heavenly Father has given me the ability to remember all the happy times of my mission to keep me going. HE HAS BEEN SO GOOD TO ME. IT'S UNREAL. I'm still a piece of work, I still have faults, I still make a ton of mistakes. But I know who I can turn to to become better. I know that Jesus Christ lives. I know that He is my Savior and that He waiting for each of us, like Aminadab, to come back and keep doing all that we can to follow Him. He KNOWS that I will mess up, but He loves me still. What a blessing- to know that we will always be loved and cared for. 

I know that this is His work.

I know that Jesus Christ is my Savior.

I know that the Book of Mormon is true. 

I LOVE YOU ❤❤❤❤

#ThankfulandGrateful 

See you next week!

Love always,

Sister Bain 🍍

"Miracles are the fruits of faith" -Joseph Smith