James, happy birthday, man. 

We had A REALLY GREAT TURNOUT AT CHURCH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! A family in the ward's less-active son came, four of our investigators came. So many wonderful people bore their testimonies, and the Spirit was just there really strongly.  And oh, wow, do I have a testimony of the word of wisdom. People are just more prepared to hear the whispering, and promptings of the Holy Spirit when they're not focused on other things! These are eternal principles, you know? I've seen a change in our investigator. He just brightened up! He walks in the park, and goes and hides from all of the people he used to hang out with that drink alcohol and do drugs. He says before when he would try to quit, he'd eventually bum some cigarette off of someone, but now he's quitting and everyone's asking him if he wants some. He thinks it's funny ;)! Oh, my goodness--he's so excited to go to the Addiction Recovery Program every thursday and goes with a former investigator (that we just picked back up and are teaching again). Says he's so excited to learn how to express himself in English for like spiritual things.

Our investigator who was afraid to pray and hasn't for such a long time (18 wks?), prayed. Well, he asked for forgiveness in a group prayer with us, a couple nights after he'd gotten up in ARP and said he "hoped" God's mercy was greater than his wrath. I'm telling you. By the end of sunday night, I was too blown away to even use superlatives. There were some huge deals. 

Haaa it stinks, because these few sentences are things that took a long time to come about and then boom! Our investigator that prayed. WOW. 

A boy in the ward is convinced we wear blue every day. He's also convinced turquoise is blue. So, today we invited his sisters over to play the couch game with us and the member that we live with's grandchildren who were in town, and guess what? He wanted to go home first, because HE WORE BLUE! hahahha. Oh, it's the little things. :D They're also having us over for dinner next week,

 and I begged them to let us have some of their homegrown corn! From their garden!!! :D

This week we got a call from our investigator. "I decided not to read the 'Book of Mormon: Made Easy', so I read the Book of Mormon all day Friday, from 9-5pm. I needed to keep awake, so I was talking a walk. I stopped and prayed--something I've not done  ever before, I think, and I don't really remember what I prayed for, but I opened my eyes, and there was an Oregon Portland Temple picture on the ground, there, in the dirt." Sis. P:"Oh, wow. So, did you see this as answer?" "Oh, absolutely-- it made the hairs on my arms stand up."

AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH

We got a call from this same investigator, this morning, after having a lesson with him on wednesday, and him committing to pray about a baptismal date-- while we were taking a nap, and I looked over and thought, 'don't answer, we're asleep,' and then, I thought, 'who do you think you are, YOU MISSIONARY'. "Hi, I was praying today, for the same thing I've been praying for: an answer to my question of is this true. All of the sudden, a lot of emotions and thoughts and memories washed over me: all the times y'all had met with me, the times I read the Scriptures, and went to church & felt the Spirit. I've decided I want to be baptized." Sister Poulson almost keeled over with joy. That's the truth. 

Our investigators with a baptismal date may have dropped us, but we're not afraid. We know that as we communicate the most important thing to them: the Atonement of Jesus Christ allows us to return to live with Heavenly Father and our families, forever. 

You would think that having an incredible Spirit-filled week would tire us out, but I know that the Lord strengthens our capacity to have joy and be filled. Hearts just get bigger and then fill. Which is something else I think about a lot. Oh, if I do everything I'm told, I will be boring. Now, I realized, my life just keeps getting better and better, and is NEVER BORING. Evar. My goodness-- I hope y'all are growing and learning more, because that is the definite truth: if you're not moving forward, you're moving backward. That's legit. Buy a Preach My Gospel, and if you already have one, look up the "Questions of the Soul", section. 

I heart you all, and am so sorry for being a lame writer. 

Muah!

LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE, Sister Bothwell

I'd love to hear from you all, about your spiritual experiences, and about your real life. :) <3

Transfers

Welp, we had transfers today, and my companion got transferred! She was so ready to go, she packed her bags a week and a half ago. If she hadn't been transferred (b/c we don't get the calls until two days before they happen,) she was just going to unpack, but how silly is that!? We (the Meridian Park & Lake Oswego Sisters) were in the Vcenter together the night of transfer calls, and out of the eight sisters in the vcenter, two--one from each of our ^ companionship's, were getting transferred. So, hullo, we thought we knew exactly where they were going to go! To each other! haha did that make any sense?! ;) We loved each other already, so it's fantastic. Maybe she'll get my butt running in the morning!!! My companion's name is Sister PoulsOn, and she is from the Sugarhouse area of Salt Lake, Utah. She's cute and blond, and a powerhouse missionary!!! I'm super excited to see our *new area EXPLODE!!! :) We went food shopping today, as our first companion activity, and I bought the most junk food I've ever bought (we had a joint account). She bought the least. ;) bahaha. Our area's on fire, and all we need to do is feed the flames. I'm excited to get to know her even better, and help the cute little greenies that are now in our district! One is from Australia, and the other is an Elder...so I dunno. We had an Elder at transfers--the ELEVENTH OF SEVENTEEN. I mean, yeah. Woo. Everyone and their kids needs to go to lds.org, and find the talk "Seven Lessons on Sharing the Gospel", by Elder Clayton M. Christensen. HAHAHAHAH OH MAYNE-- I'm driving. . . Yieup, that's right, you're looking at the newest member of the Senior Comp(anion) club. Woot. I'm freakin'. out. death. But it's cool. The haha's were because I drove out stylin', with the LO sisters and my companion, while blastinggg the Lion King-- "Circle of Life" by the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. The only peeps we can listen to, here. Every missionary at transfers heard us drive away; it was phenomenal. .. and then, we got a text from the Assistants to the President. "Nice music, sisters", it said,"but not approved, unless it was by the Mo-Tab." "Ahh, we're not breaking the rules!!!", my companion texts back. "We didn't think so, but we got asked, so we responded."-they wrote back. Whoopsie. ;) I'm really so intimidated by Sister Poulson, but I know we're going to get along, swimmingly: anyone who obeys the rules with exactness, gets along with anyone else who does. . . I just hope I can live up to her awesomeness. Did I mention she's really great? Yieup. ;)
Don't worry-- I'll make sure she's tasted grits by the end of this! ;) I can't believe I'm the Senior companion. I have to make sure things happen, now! And write things down! yipes. Oh, and ask people for things/be bold. It'll be a kicker, but I'm sure we can handle it, as a team!!!!! Did I mention I'm driving? ha ;) 

I was reminded why I don't miss dating this week-- Good thing I've dodged that bullet. ;)
jokes! hahah
I love you all so much and can't wait to hear about your lives!
Now write me ;)
GOOGMA!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Sister Bothwell
ps. Just so y'all know, I think about you often, and pray for you. Let me know how you're doing, and I can petition the Lord for ya. We're close. ;) <3

Our investigator's getting baptized!!!!!!!

We did not see this one coming, but it's happening now! And sometimes, those are the sweetest. She's going to sing a song she wrote at her baptism, and is on-fire with having us talk to her brother, and baptizing her friend, who is deceased. She rocks. :) We've discussed a lot of things in a short period of time, aka the whole gospel in two lessons, even though we've been meeting with her for over eight weeks. She's the one we've been singing with... :) who all of the sudden decided to rock the gospel...ah hahaha.
We're also teaching a 93 yr old woman from Great Britain, who has really good stories, but we've never really been able to get a word in edgewise. Honestly, we didn't try our hardest, because, for myself, at least, I was afraid she'd get angry at us in her sweet British accent, and schoolteacher voice. . . But! There's a quote in Preach My Gospel, by President Eyring, I think, who says that, if we pay attention, there WILL be something we can teach, in the things they say. I tried really hard to listen for something, last time, and it happened. It kind of went like this,
"Busy and I used to do everything together, but I haven't heard from her in a long time, maybe she's not even with us, anymore."
"So, what do you believe about death?"
It sounds abrupt, haah oh, dear. But it went well. Her heart was open, and when people's hearts are open, that's when the Spirit can work on them. Working with people who's hearts aren't open...doesn't work. The Spirit has to be working on their perspectives.  
We've been dealing with a lot of drama from a situation with one of our investigators with her member friend, and all I have to say is, "AH, DRAMA!" This member has been telling our investigator that if she messes up at all or anything akin, that the member will stop being friends with her. Yipes. Not the best things, going on, but this investigator has such a desire to be with her 9 mos old son that died-- she's having a difficult time, but we're pretty sure that as she's being worked with, she'll survive/come out on top!
We didn't get to go to the zoo, though. Bummers.
Ah! Our investigators were chilling at the Ward Game Night! and having a BLAST. That, is a blessing to see, and makes our hearts sing! :) They are so cute, and all they want is to know if this Gospel is the truth, and they want to be closer to it! The one investigator who came to all the things last week, he knows it's true. We had a lesson with him, and discussed with him how the answer he was seeking, may have already come in the form of good feelings as he read and prayed to know if the Book of Mormon really is the word of God. He said he feels good while reading it, and we said maybe that's your answer, since God wouldn't send the Holy Ghost to testify of truth, and have you have those good feelings, if it weren't true.
yes? yes.
All the people we've been working with, have been dropping off the face of the planet, but somehow we seem to keep ridiculously busy.
There was/is this mysterious scratch on our car, but we car-share, and neither companionship will fess up to having done it, but that's okay, cause it meant we got to go to the Auto Body Shop and they cleaned it, which was cool, but cooler!!! They gave us car paint. Booyah. It's Chevy Malibu Gold. Holl-ah. The Spirit has been so strong in our lessons, and I know this baptism is a blessing, but SO NOT OURS. Most def the Lord's.
I love you all, and hope you're doing so well!
LOVE YOU MOSTEST!!!!!!!
Sister Bothwell

Week 18

"Ironically, it sometimes takes hard work to find wholesome leisure." D. Todd
"Don't delay: it's getting late." Elder Holland
"It is not possible for you to sink further than the light of God can reach."
"That proved more than ever that mortals will struggle with the possible glory before them."
"The Lord of the vineyard still stands beckoning." Elder Holland
Googma , <3
Sister Bothwell

Week 17!

This week was a week of non-stop miracles. The days would start out pretty normal, and then by the end of one day, we'd seen five or six miracles.
I think it was two? days ago? We were looking to drop off a Book of Mormon, and ended up in the wrong apartment building. That particular apartment building, also held someone who had expressed interest in learning more, but because of some rough times, we had never made it over there. Also, we couldn't get a hold of her. Long story short: I just say, let's stop by, she immediately opens the door, and says she almost got baptized in Cancun. Okay, yes, please. I love it when people want to learn. When I see the world open up for them in such a larger way--they're not limited by the hard situations they're in, they're free to have happier lives, if they choose to accept and act upon their testimonies of the Gospel.
The other night, we were going to stop by and deliver that same Book of Mormon because we had time; (a lesson had cancelled--I was really bummed), but as we got into the parking lot, a member called to give us some recipes, (Cafe Rio pork barbacoa, being one of them, mmmm, yummmmy), so we almost didn't go, again, because we had a lesson in fifteen minutes. But, instead, we just ran really really fast, up a thirty-forty percent incline hill, and made it! The lady answered the door, crying; we were just verklempt, and didn't know what to do. We comforted her as much as we could in a brief moment, and even though we didn't know the situation. It was a testimony builder-- what if we hadn't been there for that brief moment of comfort?! Sister Holman said as we left that it was Satan tempting her with a lack of time.
This week has literally been incredible. Every day I wake up, expecting a normal day, and go to bed so full of happiness and the Spirit from the experiences and lives we've caught a glimpse of.
We had the chance to see some phenomenal people this week, and I was inspired and uplifted as they shared their talents with us. These two people our age, and their mother, had all gone a different direction musically, and I could've sat and listened to them all day: they were wonderful people; I loved them!
I'm learning MORE AND MORE, that I need to reserve judgment on every/anyone I meet. The boy our age was huge: Tall and red-bearded, two lip piercings, and cut-off shorts with a plaid shirt. He played the guitar like no one I think I will ever have the privilege to meet. It was just... mind-bloggling. As missionaries, we don't judge, but this was a definite "gentle reminder," as my mom would say.
WE HAD AN INVESTIGATOR BEAR HER TESTIMONY!!!!!!!!!! Yieup. She got up in front of the entire congregation and said she had held onto her faith in Christ, even as things in her life had been really hard. She said she wouldn't go into detail, but... etc. When she told my companion about it, later, she said she had had so many things, in detail she'd wanted to say, but it was funny/weird, when she'd gotten up to say them, she'd forgotten them.
We went to the beach, today, and loved it, of course!
We're having so many people to teach and learn from, that we are going going going. And, we're taking care of a cat. Don't ask, haha.
I love you all!!!!!!!!!
Sister Bothwell

I LOVE being on a mission

I have never heard so many random pieces of advice/information from people, in my life. haha I've learned about dating, marriage, birth, and how to pop bigger pieces of popcorn (put/store them in the freezer before use!:) As well as insights into how different personalities work. Did you know, not everyone is loud and wants to be asked a bijillions of questions? I do now... haha. The Visitors' Center is on fire. We can barely keep up on Monday, Tuesday, and Wednesday nights, with youth groups and family home evenings! We hit 5,000 people through the door in the past two weeks on Saturday at 1pm. 

We had to go up to Gresham, Oregon for a doctor appointment and on the way back got sidetripped to none other than a RUSSIAN BAKERY!!!!!!!!!!! nevermind we'd already been to DONUT LAND (The only good donuts...in the world.) (Sister Holman thinks it's really funny to have people ask me and Sis. Arts what our favorite donuts are, because we flip out about it. :p).

So, of course, I got a GIANT, like 84 ounce mineral water--because it's all in Russian--, and some chocolate Russian cake, and some of the most delicious apricot juice, this side of the Atlantic Ocean :)
 As we were jumping into the car that morning, coming from Donut Land, we had to hurry and were freaking out trying to be speedy to get into the car. We had had the Mormon Tabernacle Choir Showtunes on earlier, and as we JUMPED in the car, "Who Will Buy" from Oliver! the musical, greeted us. Bhahah, we couldn't stop laughing. It's been such a great week, I don't know when I stopped having a good time. Good parties, all around. We've been teaching in the Visitors' Center, as much as we possisisisbly can, and on the downtime, I study out of the Church Almanac, which contains the growth of the Church for each year! Mostly, I study the maps with the temples on them...;) It's really cool finally hitting our stride, and knowing what's where in the Center, to be able to show people who want to see a Finnish Mormon.org "I'm a Mormon" video, for example. I've pretty much memorized their lives. Also!!!!! There was a youth group in the other night, and TWO OF THE PEOPLE IN OUR DISPLAYS CAME with the youth. Just boppin around, like hey, I'm just here to help, blah blah. We should've gotten a picture, but for them it's kind of embarrassing, and apparently blase ;) haha

Ouff, it's kind of frustrating to have people come into the Center, and say, "Oh, we're members, we're good." Oh, yeah?! Really!? Have you been here before!? Did you know everything's touch screen and if you sit in front of the Jerusalem exhibit without touching anything, it's just a screensaver? Did you also know that if you pick-up a Book of Mormon in another language it'll start reading to you from Moroni 10:4-5, where it talks about knowing for yourself about the Gospel, and that we are promised we'll get an answer!?

Nope, didn't think so.
People tend to think we're tour guides, and to a point we are, I mean, we know where everything is, but they're missing out on SO MUCH! by thinking they can do it on their own! My heart hurts that they'll not get to see the amazing videos we have for them. :(

I have learned and changed so. It's weird to look back at how angry or mean I used to get, ever. Here, you do the right thing, or you don't. If you don't obey and don't listen, which I've struggled with, then you are sad and ashamed, and can't do the work of the Lord, with His help. And then, what's the point. Boof. Pointlesssssssss

Transfers are coming! We're in a trio right now, and the Lord has blessed us immensely, the more we work. We don't do ANYTHING to affect someone changing, and they do, etc. woof.
Today, we went ice skating, and a Zone Leader split his head. I prayed in companion prayer that everyone would be alright, but what can you do, when people have their agency! :(

Please don't pre-judge people the missionaries teach, by not helping them, or thinking they will suck all our assets away. They might, but sometimes, they just really need your help; it breaks our Hearts! to think that anyone wouldn't love the people we teach. I know you all are the bestest ;)

I love you all!
Googma!
Sister Bothwell

This week....

This week in Sports: the Lord took over. The Visitors' Center has been taking up A LOT of our time...in a good way! But it's forty+ hours a week. with how much we study and eat during the day, that wasn't leaving a lot of time left over to, ya know, go out and invite people to learn. So, we got creative :) And went on splits (a member comes, and we go two and two) for several hours, this week. Bumping up by double, most times, what we were being able to do before. :)

The Visitors' Center? Well, It's fantastic, of course. Not of course, because I didn't really know a Visitors' Center could be fantastic, or really what could happen, or what it entails. It can be a place of inspiration, and bring the Spirit really strongly. I probably didn't really understand what a Visitors' Center could do, until I watched a lady stay at the Book of Mormon exhibit for thirty minutes, reading along with the videos in the book provided. She was a member, and maybe someone else wouldn't have been as reached by it, but she was, and many people consistently are. It's really incredible to watch.

The Lord has really blessed us for working our hardest in the Visitors' Center, and I love it. It's a huge perspective check when we spend almost no time outside the Center, and then get two new people who want to learn, in one day. Perspective check that it's not through any effort of my own, that people are open or prepared. I knew that, but it really hit home yesterday when these two girls were excited about the Gospel! 

You'd think I'd get bored of the Gospel displays, about Jesus Chris and the Special Witnesses of Christ, and the temples, and the Christus, but it keeps being trues...crazy. ;)

Bahahaha, so funnnnnnyyy story: There's a temple geography quiz, that anyone can take, on a touch screen "Temples Around the World" exhibit. Well, when we missionaries have down time, we take it, and study up on it, and things. There was a guy "Joey" who asked one time, "What's the High Score?" welp, seeing as we didn't have one recorded, he was IT! haha so then the other sister missionaries (Sisters Baker and Holman), upped their game. Sister Holman had the outstanding high score of 29500, with Sister Baker not far behind (29434). President Morby and his wife, along with all the Zone leaders (district=8 missionaries; Zone=24-30 missionaries) came in to do training, and then had conferences with the missionaries. Long story short: after much hustling and bustling, and some stunning accuracy, Elder Blanchard--one of the Assistants to the President, got 29800 and was SUPREMEMEMEMLy proud of it ;) haha so funny. We had a friend there that we were teaching, and we wanted to show her the game-- we thought she'd do well at it. She didn't really care, or didn't really catch the hang of it, and so I jumped in, after some major bad plays, and started teaching her how the game went. I said, "Anytime you wanna jump in, that'd be great: this is YOur game! haha", but I keep going, and KNOCKED IT OUTTA THE PARK!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! With 41326. if I could all-caps numbers, I would ;)

oh, and then this guy named "Ian" came in, and got 71124.

whatevs.

Major <3 to all y'all!

Sister Bothwell