Missionary=Therapist

Dear Family and Friends,

So many little miracles happened this week and my heart is so full. This week we were blessed with a lot of little successes. We found some investigators in the 1st ward and our prayers are being answered. Sister Pohahau and I are having the time of our lives. I love that girl. She is teaching me so much and I am so incredibly happy.

I am running our of time, but I just want to express my gratitude to my Father in Heaven for all that He has blessed me with. This is the first time in my life I have felt His love and His spirit so much. I feel like the luckiest girl in the world. We had the opportunity to speak at Bridgeview Care Center (a nursing/assisted living home. #thisone'sforyoudad #oldpeoplerock.) Since there  are so many members there, they have their own sacrament meeting and 15th ward is in charge of it. We spoke about missionary work #myfavorite and I just loved getting to meet all these faithful Saints. I felt so at home:) We also got to teach Sunday school all about the Sabbath day. It really just hit me of how important it is to keep the Sabbath Day holy. Because Heavenly Father has given me so so much and the least we can do is give Him one day of the week. That is why I love being a missionary because every day is like the Sabbath and we just get to feel the spirit all the time and have no other distractions. I love it. I love being away from the world, away from my cell phone and all the stupid little distractions that get in the way of what is really important. #nevercominghome #missionaryforlife. :)

This week we had an AMAZING zone conference. The theme: Eternal Marriage/Families. #whatthewhat? So weird for a group of missionaries. But we talked a lot about the family proclamation and the doctrine of the family. We watched some really inspiring videos and talked about how our missions are preparing us for our eternal families and spouses. That we are learning how to become eternal companions. It was so awesome! And the longer I am here, I am realizing more and more that this really is for my eternal family. I am scared to death to have children and raise them in today's world. But my mission is spiritual ammo for motherhood and I'll take all I can get! :) #RMmama #thegospelisawesome. I just love all that I am learning here and how it is preparing me for the last days and to be able to raise my family. I don't think I would be the person I am now if I hadn't have gone on a mission. I just look back at how this was my plan all along and even though I made mistakes along my journey, that He has always been leading me here.

The people here are still amazing. I have fallen in love with Idaho and the people. This week wasn't super eventful, just a lot of work and it was great! I feel so blessed and so grateful. Heavenly Father is looking out for us. I'M SO HAPPY. The Gospel is true. Life is good. I love you all. I feel your prayers and your love everyday. Have a great week! Sending my love 

xoxoxoxoxox

Love Sister Bigs

P.S. I was looking back on some journal entries from early on in my mission and I seriously think I am loopy when I write:

For Example:

Heavely Father took away our car, and gave us sucky beach cruisers.

But then He made Jake want to be baptized. He's pretty legit. 

Haha. #whyamIsoweird. 

Or, Missionary=Therapist. I feel like I'm in some sort of secret gang that just knows everyone's lives and secrets. I don't know how many times I have hears, "Don't tell anyone I told you." or "I really shouldn't be telling you this, but.." #missionlife

#miracles

Dear Family and Friends,

Holy cow. Remember when I said General Conference week was the best week ever? I think this one tops it. I just have to say this email needs to be titled #miracles. So many blessings and so many amazing things happened. Ahhhhh!!!! I am on cloud nine. Words can't express my gratitude and thankfulness to my Heavenly Father for the ways that He blessed us this week. As you all know, we have really been struggling. The work was slow and it seemed that nobody was making progress and we felt like total failures. Our faith and diligence and hard work have led to our heartfelt prayers being answered over and over again and we are now starting to see the miracles. :)

This week we had a surprise baptism!!!! Remember our investigator Karen? Here's her story: We have been teaching her for about 6 weeks. So she is in physical therapy school and was here for 8 weeks on a rotation. She lived with one of the members in our ward. One day while we were in their neighborhood, we really needed to use the restroom and that member that she lived with was the closest member. We didn't know she had someone new living with her. So that is how we met Karen! We gave her a Book of Mormon and told her about it and invited her to learn more. She was really open and said she wanted to learn more but wasn't interested in being converted. So we explained that our purpose is just to invite others to come unto Christ. And so we began teaching her. She really enjoyed the lessons and always had a lot of questions. She began reading the Book of Mormon and coming to church. She liked learning and thought it was interesting, but didn't want to be a part of it all. But we didn't give up on her and we kept teaching her! Then on Monday night, we had a lesson that changed everything. We had planned to teach her the last lesson which is the commandments, but as we went in, I told Sister Pohahau that I didn't feel like we should teach the commandments, but I wasn't sure what we should teach. So we prayed and went into the lesson totally relying on the Spirit to help us and guide us to what Heavenly Father wanted us to teach her. I asked her how she was feeling about all of this and kind of where her head was at. She expressed that as she had been learning more and coming to church that she knew there was something different and something right about this church. She said, "I would love to be a part of all of this, but I'm not worthy enough of it. God doesn't care enough. I have felt alone my whole life, why would He care now?" I'm not sure exactly what I said, but I just had an overwhelming impression to simply testify of God's love for her and to tell her that she was NEVER alone. She broke down and started crying. And we all cried together and the Spirit was so strong and it touched each of us. We told her that she was a precious daughter of her Father in Heaven and that He wanted her back. She said, "I have felt the Spirit so strong and I cannot deny it, and I know that the church is true." We invited her to be baptized and she said yes. She wanted to be baptized as soon as possible! So we arranged for a baptismal service on that Wednesday and we made it happen!!

The baptism was such an incredible spiritual experience for her and for everyone there. She was so excited and so happy, you could see the light in her eyes. It was a very simple program, but the spirit was there and it was amazing. She came up out of that water a totally different person with a commitment to follow and to become a disciple of Jesus Christ. I gave her a wet hug and asked her how she felt, and she said, "I feel amazing, I am happier than I have ever been in my whole life. Now I know that I am not alone." She bore her testimony at the end of her baptism and it was incredible. She just cried and bore testimony of God's love for her. She said, " I came to Twin Falls to learn about physical therapy, but I learned so much more. I know that this is the reason I was supposed to come here." Seriously I could not get it together, the Spirit was so strong. She just couldn't wipe the grin off her face and it made us so happy for her. She is so special to me and to our Heavenly Father. I have come to love her so much and the happiness I experienced as she decided to enter the waters of baptism is unlike anything I have ever felt. She has so much against her, her family, and her friends telling her that this is a mistake, but she is one of God's elect and she is incredible. She was confirmed yesterday in Sacrament Meeting and again the Spirit illuminated her. I have never seen the Spirit touch someone so much and seen a change like that in someone so fast. That experience will forever change my mission. And it was an honor to be a part of it all. I KNOW that God's hand is in every part of this work. I KNOW He is leading and guiding us and preparing His children. It just gives me even more of a desire to serve Him and do all I can so we can experience more miracles like this one. Seriously the best. And I am so grateful!!!!

 That was an incredible experience and such a miracle. The rest of our week was great as well. We met a lot of people and are getting established in the first ward. And we got 4 new investigators! A whole family that is so prepared and ready to hear the Gospel. We have been praying and praying for new investigators and to be led to them, and our prayer was answered, and we got a whole family! Whoooo!!!! Also this week, I have ran into a few of my old investigators from my first area. We ran into Nancy, and the Weltzin family. We also ran into some members from the 16th ward which is always a blessing and a treat to see them. #tendermercies. Sister Pohahau and I are doing great! I just love her and we  get along so well. And because of all these amazing experiences, we have so much more faith and we are so determined to go out and work and to find more people and to experience miracles. I haven't felt discouraged and I haven't cried at all in these few weeks! #that'samiracle #andarecord. Haha. We have had some amazing lessons with people and we have been able to set up lots of appointments with people which is something else we have been praying for. I don't know what else to say because y'all are probably tired of my excitement and exclamation points! Haha. :)

Again I am just so grateful. Blessing after blessing has been coming our way, and I really do believe it is because of our faith and commitment to this work. Thank you so much for all the love and support. I am so happy and I love this work more than anything. This is what a mission is all about. Guaranteed, there have been hard times, times where I was ready to give up. But Heavenly Father has answered my prayers and I finally feel like I know my place here as a missionary. The Gospel is true and life is good. Peace and blessings. Have a great week! I love you all!

Love, Sister Bigelow

Sister Po-ha-how

Dear Family and Friends,

Seriously such a great week. We had transfers so it was crazy! We moved out of the Kezele's house and into an apartment, I got a brand new missionary from the MTC to train, Sister Pohahau (po-ha-how), and we took over another ward and are white-washing that one (1st ward) as well as being in charge of 15th ward! Crazy week, but sooooo good. Sister Pohahau is great! She has such a strong desire to serve and has the sweetest testimony. She is from Tonga and is so great! I love her already and she is doing awesome. She doesn't even need me haha. I am so excited and privileged to be working with her. #lovethosepolys #islandfever :) P.S. Her grandma was super close to Elder Groberg from "The Other Side of Heaven." How cool is that??

Sister Pohahau

Since we took over another ward that we know nothing about, we have been trying to meet people from the ward. People have been so great to us already. We met with our Bishop and Ward Mission Leader and we have a better feel for the work in this area. The sad thing is, the Elders that were in this area before weren't working with or teaching really anyone. They had no investigators. So we are determined and have faith that we will find the people Heavenly Father has prepared! Miracle: So we have been praying all week as we have been meeting people, that we will have the Spirit with us and that we may be led to find those people who are prepared in this area. We hadn't come across anyone all week, even though we were working so hard and praying and fasting. Then at dinner last night and at our new Bishops house we got 8 new referrals of their friends and neighbors. 8!!!! We were so excited. Even though we don't know what will come of each of those names, we feel like it was such a blessing and an answer to our prayers. Heavenly Father is like,"Okay, I gave you the names of the people I have been preparing. Now what are you going to do about it?" We are going to contact them and convert them, that's what we are going to do!!! Yeah!!! #overexcited #ilovebeingamissionary #tendermercies. 

So we moved into an apartment! It is pretty nice and big. We like it so far! We are still on bikes. Since our area is bigger now it takes us so long to get places. From one end of the area to the other it is a good 40-50 minute ride #burningthosecalories #legsofsteel #poorSisterPohahau. We are still figuring things out in our new area, but we love it so far! We have met some great people and have been able to help people and do service. It is so great. It keeps us busier with two wards! And we love it. We go to both wards on Sundays now. And we have lots and lots of meetings on Sundays. #ijustwannawork haha. But it is all good stuff. #6hoursofchurch #doublethespirit #iloveit. And since we didn't know we were taking over another ward, we have two dinners every night. One from both wards! Yay! #i'mgonnaneedthatextrabiking. Haha. I know I say it in every email, but I just feel so blessed to be here and for this new opportunity and responsibility I have. It has been incredible and I can feel the Lord blessing us each day. 

Goodbye Sister Nieto

Spiritual experience of the week: So we teach this less-active lady named Sandra. She really wants to come back to church and learn more, but doesn't have the support of her family. We teach her every Saturday. We had the most amazing lesson with her this week. We have been talking a lot about faith and acting on our faith. We watched the video, "Finding faith in Christ" with her. She cried through the whole thing and the spirit really touched her. We had this whole lesson plan about faith and different things, but I felt really impressed just to testify of Jesus Christ. As I testified, I felt God's love so strongly for her and He told me that He wanted her to come back home to him after this life. I testified of God's love for her and of Jesus Christ and His sacrifice. I told her that I knew she was a daughter of God and that He loved her and wanted her to come back home to Him. I cried and we all cried and it was incredible. I have never felt God's love for His children so strongly or so clearly in my life. That is truly what this is all about. God loves ALL of His children so much and He trusts us to help them and to love them and to serve them. it was incredible. It is experiences like those that make all the hard time worth it. I love this and I am so privileged to be a part of this. I know this Gospel is true with all my heart and I love being able to share that with people and to testify of how it has blessed my life each and everyday. My testimony has grown and there truly is no better work. 

Sister Dodds.  I love her!

This week in my studies I have been reading the book "Our Heritage" about the history of the Restoration of the Gospel. There is a story in the book of when the Saints were fleeing Fayette New York because of the persecution. Lucy Mack Smith, mother of Joseph Smith was to lead the exodus of the Saints to a safer land. When they got to the boat they were going to take, it was completely frozen into the lake and there was no way the boat was going to budge. The Saints were worried and didn't know what to do. Lucy Mack Smith said,"Brothers and Sisters, we need to have more faith. Let us call upon our Lord who has given us so much." And just as they began to pray they said they heard a "thundering" and the ice parted just enough for the boat to get out into the open water. And just as soon as they passed through the ice, it closed back up again. What an amazing example of faith. I have been studying a lot about faith recently. I think sometime it is easy to lose faith because we don't see these huge "miracles" everyday. But faith is key to everything. Especially as a missionary. I need to have more faith and I really have learned that as I have studied about it. Sister Pohahau and I have talked a lot about our goals and what we want to see happen this transfer. She has so much faith and is such an example to me of faith in the Lord. We KNOW miracles are going to happen and we know that if we work hard, and have hope and faith He will lead us to His children who are prepared to hear the Gospel!

I am so excited and so incredibly happy. I haven't felt this happy in my entire life! I love it and I am ready to take on this new challenge and adventure. I am so grateful for Sister Pohahau and the opportunity that I have to train her. I think my favorite part about training is being able to serve someone else and to help them. I definitely don't know a lot and I know I am not the best missionary, but I know that through my example of hard work and obedience, she will learn how to become the missionary the Lord wants her to be. I think the most important thing I can do to help her is to teach her how to love the people. That is the most important thing you can do as a missionary is to love and to learn how to love in a perfect Christlike way. Thank you so much for all your love and support. I feel your prayers everyday. I love you all! Make sure to keep 1st ward in your prayers that we will be able to find those people! Have a great week.:)

Love. Sister Bigs

So stinkin' grateful

Dear Family and Friends,

How is everyone?! I am good. This week was really weird. I got sick and was throwing up and then Sis. Nieto didn't feel good and some things came up, and it was just not a normal week, but it was still good! We haven't found a new investigator yet, but our current investigators are starting to progress and good things are happening so we are happy about that! Heavenly Father is just blessing us and I am so grateful! 

So transfers are this week and we found out last night what is happening...dun dun dun.... Sister Nieto is being transferred to Malta and back to her Spanish speaking assignment. And I will remain here in the 15th ward as well as white washing the 1st ward. I am training a brand new Sister this transfer! Her name is Sister Pohahau (however you say that haha). She came straight from Tonga and I am really excited to work with her and to train her. I am a little bit nervous since I am still pretty new myself, but I know the Lord qualifies whom He calls, so I will take the assignment willingly and happily:) Sad news though: We have to move out of the Kezele's house:( I am in denial. #theyareboycottingpresidentshouseaswespeak haha. They are moving us to an apartment more central to both wards. I am really sad, but I know that it is for the best. It will be a crazy transfer but I am excited to go on this new adventure and learn and to become better:)

So this week, I was struggling a little bit, and was feeling really discouraged and really down and I really felt like I couldn't do this anymore. I talked to Sister Nieto about it and she talked to me and got me through it. I found my knees when I needed it most. I had been praying to get help and for someone or something to make me feel better. The next day I went downstairs to eat breakfast and Brother Kezele was there and he just started talking and said EVERYTHING I needed to hear. He said, "When you are about the Lord's work and when you put Him first, you cannot fail." And he was talking about the Holy Ghost and how when we step back we can see the Lord's hand in my life. It was just amazing and such an answer to prayer. I felt so much better and I knew Heavenly Father prompted him to talk to me and tell me those things. Missions are hard, and there are times where I have felt like that, but somehow Heavenly Father always makes it better and answers my prayers. No place I would rather be! So stinkin' grateful for this amazing Gospel! 

We also had a really cool fireside this week. The lady in our ward that spent months in Africa with her sons building orphanages and wells and teaching the kids how to cook and sew did a special fireside where they showed pictures and talked about their experiences. It was INCREDIBLE. I'm so going there one day. It just really hit me, that we are here on this Earth for such a greater purpose; to help those in need and to bless the lives of others and to serve them. It was really touching and I loved It. I feel like as a missionary I am a small part of that. I love being able to serve people and there really is no greater joy! :) AHHHH! It's the greatest. 

Anyways, I am just so happy and I feel so blessed. I love being a part of this amazing work. I love that this is teaching me to be a missionary for the rest of my life. The Lord needs ALL of us. Especially you members, because you are the fellowship. So keep reaching out and sharing the Gospel. I promise the Lord will bless you and will help you be aware of opportunities. Y'all are amazing and I love you so much! Have a great week:)

Love, Sister Bigelow

Planting Seeds

Dear Friends and Family, 

IT'S SUMMER TIME!!!!!!!! I don't want to speak too soon though because Idaho is notorious for quick changes of weather.#idahoprobs It has been such a great week and the sunshine just makes my soul happy. It is wonderful! I hope everyone had a great week because we did! 

My new bike:) Thanks mom and dad!!!

This is Sister Hobbs and she is going home next week! I love her!

So, we didn't have much success this week, but we worked hard and sweated, and rode our little hearts out. I think success is being obedient as a missionary and doing all you can, and working your very hardest, even if people don't accept the Gospel. Because we are here to plant the seeds. We won't see the fruit of our labors oftentimes, but I know that we are doing everything we can, and we are planting the seeds. And even though people aren't progressing and nobody is ready for baptism, this week was full of little miracles where I saw Gods hand in my life leading us and guiding us and making things happen at the perfect times. It is incredible to see the blessings when you take a step back and look at how Heavenly Father has blessed us here. 

It has been really easy to get discouraged because literally nobody besides the members wants to listen to us. Door Slam after door slam, I just wanted to give up. There was a day this week that was really hot, and it was just a really hard day. We were getting rejected and nobody was home and our appointments fell through. I was riding my bike and I started to cry. I didn't know what to do or where to go next. Then I remembered that I am not alone. As I rode my bike down the busy street I poured my heart out to my Father in Heaven and pleaded with Him to help us and to lead us to where we needed to go. And he answered that prayer. He led us to one of our investigators houses that wasn't progressing. And we went in and taught her a lesson and she told us that she wants us to come over again and teach her more. I know that my prayer was answered. Heavenly Father loves me so much and He has been there for me so many times when I had nowhere else to go. It has been hard, but to know that I am never alone is the most comforting and brings me so much peace. I am so grateful for Him and for this incredible opportunity. We had a really great Zone meeting this week and one of the missionaries said, "Serving a mission is not our gift to God, but it is rather God's gift to us.We should be praising Him for this once in a lifetime opportunity." I love it. 

Our favorite dog:) His name is happy!!

We got to feed horses. #artsypic

We had to opportunity to go to the most amazing baptism this weekend. These two teenage girls that just graduated high school and are best friends got baptized. We actually got to teach them a lesson a few weeks ago and it was so cool! I have never seen someone so excited to get baptized. They both started investigating the church 5 years ago at the age of 13. They mostly had the missionaries over to argue and prove them wrong, but as the missionaries taught them, they gained a testimony. But they weren't allowed to get baptized because of their parents and they had to wait until they were 18. The spirit that was there and the smiles on their faces and the light in their eyes, was something I had never felt before. It was incredible. And there were like 300 people at their baptism, mostly nonmembers:) (we like to call them not yet members.:)) It was so awesome and I am so glad I got to be there! 

Our ward missionaries are seriously the best. I have gotten so close with the ladies that go out with us and coordinate meals and help us all the time. I am so grateful for people like them who go out of their way to serve the missionaries. Sister Thiriot and Sister Casperson are the best. It is so nice to feel like you have a mommy away from home:) The members here are so great to us and I am so grateful. It is good Karma from the Bigelow Family feeding the missionaries multiple times a week! It's working!:)

#missionarytanlines

I have learned so much and I feel like I am becoming the person that Heavenly Father wants me to become. I have learned to smile through the bad times and to appreciate them. The time that I have to serve God and His children is so short and I want to enjoy every minute of it. Literally everything as a missionary freaks me out, but I know that as I face my fears and open my mouth, and do what I have been called to do, the Lord will help me and He will make up for what I lack. The Gospel is so incredible and has changed my life so much and I want everyone to have it. The happiness that I feel everyday as I serve the Lord is a happiness that I have never experienced and it is the best. Thank you so much for all of your love and support. Missions are the best! I love you all so much! Have a great week!!:)

Love, Sister Bigelow