June 24, 2013

First, a Photo From Bethany's Ward Mission Leader

The photo came with this note:  "This is brother smith. Your daughter is crazy and will come home with a broken finger."  Before Bethany left on her mission the Camarillo 3rd Ward Missionaries came over for dinner, and afterward one of them did this object lesson with a cutting board (foundation of Christ and obedience) and a can (Satan and his designs).  It was so surprising!  But Bethany used it in her ward with much success--she mentioned it in last week's letter.  

So on to This Week

Dear Loved ones,

Alright so I am in a trio and my new Companion is Sister Escobar. She waiting for her visa to Brazil, and she said it could take anywhere from 2-6 months. She is the nicest person you will ever meet and she is already helping us a ton! I asked her if she knew Trent Meline in the MTC and she said she does! What are the odds?

This past week was very crazy. We drove to Manchester twice this week which sucked up a lot of time, and then with extra study time with a new companion we were not able to hit the streets as much as we usually do.  It was a miracle because even with less time to work we were still able to find 2 new investigators this week! Oh yeah.

Was anyone able to see the broadcast yesterday? Wasn't it A-mazing? So what is everyone going to do to be a better member missionary? I would love to hear them just as much as you love hearing mine!

President Wilkey has changed how I read the scriptures by having us insert our names when it says "ye," "we," "you," etc. So I was doing that when I was reading about the stripling warriors.  Alma 57:19-27 is so sweet. When I read it I changed the wording to be the missionaries are the warriors.

Not enough Sister Missionaries in this drawing!

In 21 it says that they perform every word of command with exactness according to their faith. Every single one of them had wounds at the end of the war. This is like us. A mission is not easy and it will be painful sometimes, but from the miracles of God we will come out not only alive, but with strength and power.  In 27 it says, "they are young, and their minds are firm and they do put their trust in God continually." Missionaries are young, but our minds are firm and we will forever put our trust in God.

I love you all and miss you! 

Sista Lassen

June 17, 2013

Dear Loved Children of God,

I will start with Saturday because I know you are dying to hear. So here's the news. I will be training. Sister Vanderhoef will be training. Sister Vanderhoef is staying is Biddeford...I am staying in Biddeford...we are going to be in a trio, SAY WHAT?! It is going to be crazy, but as long as I stay in Biddeford I am happy. Right when we got the call I thought I was going to throw up I was so scared.

Mom, have to tell the Elders in your ward that I used the can and cutting board thing on Sunday. You know when you smash a can on your finger and it doesn't hurt? I have been practising and waiting for the chance to do it. And when I did it was SO FUN. We were teaching gospel principals Sunday and I knew that it was my chance to do it! I got the cutting board out and said, "This represents when we are obedient, my finger is you, and this can is satan." I SMASHED my finger as hard as I could and freaked everyone out, and impressed the Elders. It was the talk of the Sunday, and my ward mission leader had to get a picture. (I asked him to send it to mom) People were thinking that it was a fake finger, but when they realized it was real, oh man. Good times.

Last P-day we went to the beach and I got a sweet picture of my name tag, sand, ocean, a huge sea shell, a lobster cag, and a crab claw. Sadly I forgot my camera at home today so next week I will send...Sorry mom.

We had such a busy week and it. was. AWESOME!

We were finally able to teach one of the families in our ward, the Lo's. The step dad is not a member and the daughters who are 10 and 8 have not yet been baptized. The step dad had a baptism date but no one knows what happend. When we were teaching them the first lesson I was able to recite the first vison...also a miracle because I hadn't done it in a week. The lesson was kind of crazy because they have a 1 year old,  but once I recited the first vision everything went quiet and I know that the step dad was listening with his heart.

Here is the Staus on M. The first time we met with him he didn't want to sent up an appointment with us, but we still stopped by his house. When we got there he was pulling up to his house and seemed happy to see us. We talked to him about the parable of the lost sheep and explained that God wants and loves him and wants M to come back to him. After that Sister Vanderhoef was 100% guided by the spirt to ask him if he wanted to take the lessons again. And he said YES! We are meeting with him on Thursday. He is so awesome. He said to us, "I feel that peace again now that you are meeting with me, and I thank you for that." and he also told us how the Book of Mormon gives him that peace, and he was reading even when the missionaries were not meeting with him.

Last week we also had our dinner with a less active and part member family in the ward. They are SO NEW ENGLANDERS and I can't understand half things they say, which might be a good thing. They are a hoot. When we were leaving they gave us a whole cake, left overs, chicken noodle soup, and invited us for dinner in two weeks. I couldn't believe it! I seriouly cannot get enough of them. They are really helping with my accent. Cheese and Crows! (Just something they say here.)

Today was the Last LTP that we sent to President Wilkey, and he ask us to bear our testimony to him and I thought y'all would like to hear some of my firm testimony of the "Good news"(BD "gospel")

I know that my Heavenly Father is with me where ever I go. He is pouring out his love for His children through me so that I can help them. Heavenly Father has a plan for me, and though I do not know or understand it, I know that is a perfect plan for me. Jesus Christ atoned from my sins. His perfect sacrifice emables me to return to my Father again. He is my Savior, and he Redemed me from the pains and sins of this world. This gospel is good news, it is the Plan of Happiness.

Oh and hey don't forget that I love you!

Sista Lassen

June 10, 2013

A Thrilling Week for Bethany

Dear Family,

What a WEEK! First of all I find out if I am being transferred this Saturday and if I am I will be happy to do what the Lord needs me to do, but I will also cry violently. I love every single person and so many people that we are working with are almost at a break through. It is amazing to me how my heart literally breaks into pieces when I hear of someone that we are working with's unhappiness or pain even though I have only known them from 5 weeks. I have to tell you about M.

M. is a former investigator that our ward mission leader asked us to go see. When we got there he was sitting outside on his porch and told us to sit down and talk with him. It wasn't long until he bore his whole soul to us about all of the reasons why he didn't get baptized. His biggest concern was that he felt like he wasn't good enough and that he never will be. I looked deep into his eyes and I felt the love that God has for M.  M. felt it too while I looked at him and deeply expressed the hope that I and God has for him. He kept looking at me and then looking down. The spirit felt like a huge rock in my heart, it was so powerful. As I focused on what he needed to hear and felt what God needed me to tell him I felt like a tool, like a wave of feelings was going through me to him. It is really hard to explain. I asked him what he was feeling and he said, "Peace, I feel peace." Then when we were leaving I shook his hand and said "Do not forget what you have felt today." M. said, "No, I won't."  I will never forget the power, boldness, and strength of love that God has for M. and all of us.

This is how I know that even though sometimes I forget my first name I cannot hide under my name tag because I am still Bethany Lassen.

We had dinner at our mission leaders, the Smith's, last night. Thank goodness that they are really funny, and love practical jokes, and are always teasing us. Anyways we were eating pork pie and laughing and then when I was taking a drink of water Sister Smith unexpectedly made me laugh and I spit EVERYWHERE. I was so embarrassed but it was so funny! Another tender mercy was that there was no one sitting across from me in the Splash Zone of Bethany's spit water.

I am having a wicked good time in Maine, I love you all!

Sista Lassen

Monday, June 3, 2013

Three Emails Today!

First, she scolds me...

"I know I said that you could e-mail me them, but your e-mails are so long! I don't have time to read them. please start sending them! Love ya!...I haven't had time to read the last 2 e-mails.

"Sister Lassen"

OK, so I'll Mail the Letters!  Just Write More Than That!  

Then the Second Letter Comes a Few Minutes Later...

"Did anyone look up a fishercat?

"Last Sunday I got to speak in church about the blessings of missionary work, and boy is it a blessing! The ward is so pumped about missionary work. That is all the time I have to write. I love you!"

This is all we get?????  (I thought Sister Missionaries were supposed to write long, newsy letter, unlike my three previous boy Missionaries?)

No, She Finally Actually Writes Something!

We got this a half-hour later...

"oh yeah I love you!

"And the funny part about me giving a talk is that the bishop said sister LAWsen. I started cracking up and it gave it away. 

"Last P-day was so fun. We got to go to a city parade and the coolest part was they had crazy lawn mowers... one of them that a toilet with flowers on it. We have been going around and meeting more of the less active members. My personal favorite of the week was Sister D. they are New Englanders through and through. She has a THICK accent and her husband can go on for hours about hunting. They have a giant Bore's Head in their living room. We weren't sure if they liked us visiting with them, until they invited us back for a true boiled New England meal...but still no lobster. One of these days I will, I feel like it will be soon. This one house had a TON of lobster cages stacked up and decorated like a Christmas Tree. 

"Sister Vanderhoef and I went tracting and we got a block away from our house when we stared talking to a JW Priest. It was very interesting and he invited us to a bible study class, good times.

"There is no such thing as Ca-in-sid-ences (sorry mom I have no idea how to spell that) only Divine timing. Last week we went to go see an older lady that just got out of the hospital. When we got there her two children where there and she was very stressed out. We got there right when her children had to leave and we talked to her and helped her calm down. Amazing how the gospel does that! 

"This week we have interviews with President Wilkey, his last ones! It is said because I already love having him as a mission president, but I am really excited for the new mission president. 

"Now for a good ole New England Joke. 

     "What do you call a deer with no eyes? 

     "I have no ideer.

"It is funnier out here because that is what people really say!

"We are slowly growing our teaching puddle into a pool, and working hard!  Congrats Kandra and Jacob, but I told  you you weren't supposed get pregnant for nine months and that you had to send me a letter before you told everyone so that I could find out at the same time. It is just common sense.

"Let this be a warning to Marci, Megan, and Denae. 

"Sista Lassen"

May 27, 2013

She Isn't Kidding!

I don't have a lot of time!...

[I don't know if it was the Memorial Day Holiday or something else, but we only got one paragraph this week!]

Dear Family,

 So this week we got to teach the first lesson to a brand new investigator. He is so ready for the gospel. He says that he is drawn to how all of the Mormons have a "glow."  I just hope that I don't mess everything up! The last thing that I have time to tell you is the scariest movie would be about a fisher cat. They make the worst noise and will attack a full size dog.

Love you all!

Sister Lassen

Fisher Cat--not really a cat (or even feline)--a member of the weasel family

[And for your enlightenment click here to learn what a Fisher Cat is, and for nightmare inducement here is a YouTube video of the fisher cat sound.  Yes, it would make the scariest movie of all time.  The new things to which a mission can expose you!]

[P.S.  I updated the "She's Arrived" post of May 8--included the letter Bethany wrote when she arrived at the Mission Home in New Hampshire.  It is fun to read her first impressions!]

May 20, 2013

A Second Week in Maine 

Dear Family,

Happy Birthday Kandra!

Anyways, I have been so excited to write you this week. Yesterday at church was stake conference. It was amazing to me that it was exactly what this ward needed to hear, and what Sister Vanderhoef and I were planning to teach to the less active members this week. The best part about church was I got to meet Buffels.(her nickname) She is what the New Englanders call a "snow bird." They are people who live in Florida for the Winter and then live in Maine in the Summer. Oh and by the way Buffels is 104!! That is right One Hundred and Four years old! Get this, she was baptized at age 98, and went through the temple at age 99! It was an honor to meet her. She is so happy and cheerful. She wasn't using a walker, just holding onto the arm of her daughter, and she is always wearing a giant snow jacket--understandable! When I talked to her she started talking about how I got the last name Lassen and how it originated in Denmark. They invited us for dinner sometime, so hopefully I will get to talk to her more in the future.

Another person I love is Sister Brown. She is a black woman visiting from Alabama. We met her when we were giving the Elders back their vacuum and on the other side of a street a woman yells to us "Chuch of Jesus Christ Latter day Saints!" We walked over there and talked to her and then all of the sudden she puts her arms around Sister Vanderhoef and Elder Mitchelle and starts praying. It was a good prayer too.

One more person I love that I am going to tell you about. We went to visit an investigator that the Elders were having a hard time visiting. So we go and she lets us right in. She has the attitude of "NO one is goin' to mess with me." When we were talking to her, her friend called and she let it go to the answering machine. I couldn't understand what the friend was saying but our investiagtor answers the phone and says, "I got the Mormons over!" and hangs up. Then the friend calls back and it goes to the answering maching again and the friend says, "I am so sorry I am going to go wash my mouth out with soup" That was the best Saturday night of my life.

Last Thursday we had Zone conference. It was President Wilkey's last one :( I only got the have him for a little but I am sure going to miss him. I also found out that the in field training which is usually done in 12 weeks, I am now going to be doing it in 6 weeks. This means that we have to spend more time studying and less time with the people...and a high chance that I might be a trainer with the 19 sisters coming out next transfer. I don't think that will happen but it if does, it's all in the Lords hands.

One of the Miracles I had this week: We had a referral but we didn't know what exact house that he lived in just the direction. We prayed that we would be lead to his house. As we were walking over there a woman stopped us who is a less active member.  We talked to her for awhile and then asked her if she knew where this referral lived, and she told us the exact house. It was amazing! The referral wasn't home, but now we know where he lives.

I love you all so much!

Sista Lassen

May 13, 2013

A Phone Call Before a Letter! 

We hadn't heard anything from Bethany (except for the missed call from the airport--which she told me later was her plan--she just wanted to leave a message) since the MTC, so I was pretty excited when the phone rang yesterday (Mother's Day!) at 5:03.  She sounded so happy!

I just received her first email from the mission field, so I'll let her words do the talking!

[Victoria is our very enthusiastic and loud Manager in the Santa Barbara store, and she and Bethany have a great relationship.]

[Josh knows all about the snow birds, because he served his mission in Florida!]

Hello my happy people,

I am so happy to have talked to yesterday! Afterwards I was so pumped to make you all proud and to preach the gospel!

I am in Biddeford, Maine, which is an old mill town by the ocean. The other day we went to the ocean and saw all these vacant houses that people only live in the summer. They call them "snow birds" because they all go to Florida in the winter. It is pretty funny. Everyone here refers to themselves as "New Englanders" and I feel like Grandma Hattie on her mission. 

Fun facts about Maine

1. There is seriously a lobster place and dunkin doughnuts on every street.

2. blueberry milk...Best. thing. ever.

3. The apartments look like old, big houses.

4. When it rains it pours -- Sister Vanderhoef and I walked 10 feet in the rain with an umbrella and had to go home and change our clothes because we got so wet.

5. All of the members here are converts-- which is really cool and we are spending a lot of our time working with the less active members.

6. The stairs are so steep I feel like I am climbing up a ladder.

I am in love with the ward here. One family gives us fresh eggs, and they are amazing. I told Joshua yesterday that I went to their house and they had blue eggs and I said, "Are those Ameraucana eggs?" and of course I was right. They were so impressed.  Here is this other member in the ward and she is absolutely crazy, like crazier than Victoria... I absolutely love her.

My companion is Sister Vanderhoef. She is from Lehi, UT. She has only been out for 6 weeks, so we are learning a lot together. Thank goodness for the great Elders in our district. You will not believe it but my district leader is from Camarillo. I didn't believe him when he told me because I know everyone from Camarillo. His name is Elder Mitchell and he told me that he is in the Thousand Oaks stake and knows the Jimmy and Susan Lassen family!  Small small world.

I am going to have a great week of training and working! Love you all!

Sista Lassen

p.s. I saw President Bush's summer house... and it had a Texas Flag