Maybe it really is Zion

Dear Family and Friends,

So this week was pretty much awesome. It was a week filled with Halloween fun, lots of teaching, and miracles!

 On Monday for P-day, one of the members who owns a straw-maze let our whole zone come and do the maze and all the other activities for free. So much fun. We got lost in there for like 2 hours so we made a video with our last words since we were pretty sure we weren't going to make it out haha. On Wednesday, we got to carve pumpkins with the Garza's, one of my favorite families! We are also teaching the daughters who aren't members and they are the best. We went to 3 trunk-or-treat parties and it was fun to see all the costumes. We dressed up as each other. I was Sister Hansen, Sister Gass was me, and Sister Hansen was Sister Gass. We wore each others clothes and acted like each other all day. It was pretty hilarious! We had a District Halloween party as well! On Halloween we have to be in by 6 for safety reasons. So we got to watch "17 Miracles" and "Mobsters and Mormons" and play lots of games, and eat lots of candy. It was pretty fun! And our District is awesome! They are all Spanish speaking missionaries, so we are trying to learn Spanish so we know what they are saying. It was a great Halloween weekend and I hope everyone had a good one! 

So, big news! We have a baptism coming up on Saturday!!! WHOOO!!!! Her name is Selina and she is amazing. She grew up in New York and has had a really rough life. But she found the Gospel and she changed and quit her bad habits and is finally able to be baptized! She is married to a member who is going to be able to baptize her, which is even better! So exciting! I already love their family so so much. They have 7 brand new puppies and we have fun with them:) I love being able to see the change in people's lives that come from living the Gospel. I love seeing the Atonement work in myself and in others and that happiness and renewal it brings. AHhh! I just love it. We also have some other solid investigators that are super close to baptism. Oakley is golden! I didn't think there would be that much work here since it is such a small town, and most people are members, but the people here are so prepared! Maybe it really is Zion:)

We also got to have a Zone Training this week. The focus of the month is, "Trusting in the Lord." It was such a great training and I learned a lot. Trusting in the Lord is so important as a missionary. You have to trust and have faith that He will lead you and guide you and put words in your mouth. You have to trust that he is really preparing people and that He will help you find them. Without that trust and faith, there is no hope, and life would be miserable. There is a quote from Sister Hinckley that I love, "First obey, then understand." We have to trust in God that he will help us and lead us on the right path, even if we don't always understand right now. There is a talk that I love called, "Believing Christ; a practical approach to the Atonement." by Stephen E. Robinson. If you haven't read it, you need to because it is amazing! Something he says in the talk that I loves is, "We often ask ourselves these questions, am I good enough? Am I going to make it? Why is so-and-so better than I am? When we ask ourselves these questions, we become so terrified, and so paranoid that we can not make any progress. So it is at these times when the Savior grabs us and throws His arms abound us and says, "I've got you. I love you. I am not going to let you get hurt. Now relax and trust me." That is powerful. He loves us so much and I have truly gained a testimony of that. Isaiah 12:2 "Behold, God is my Salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid:for the Lord Jehovah is my strength and my song; he also is become my salvation." 

We got to go to church in Grouse Creek Utah this Sunday! It is about an hour and a half drive from Oakley, which is a 30 minute drive from where we live. It was snowing like crazy! Grouse Creek is the tiniest town I have ever seen. I thought Oakley was small! Haha. But Grouse Creek has a population of about 100 people. They have a tiny gas station and a school with 10 kids enrolled. Can you imagine? That is all. The branch there only has about 30 members, so it was so different from anything I have ever experienced in my life. We don't do a whole lot of work there since it is so far and so small, but we would like to, so we are going to try to make it over there more often! It was fun and definitely a new adventure:) 

I am so grateful to be a missionary. I am grateful for a loving Heavenly Father who reaches out in times of need. I love this Gospel with all my heart and I know it is true with all my heart. I know our Savior lives and there is a reason he is called our Savior. I have a testimony of Christ's love and Atonement for each of us. He is our advocate with the Father. If we will come unto Him and come to know Him, I know that he will bless us so much and show us His love and answer our prayers. I love all of you and am grateful for your example and support. I hope you all have a great week! I love you!

Love, Sister Bigelow 

Happy thing of today: So our washer flooded and caught on fire this morning. Haha. Our entire apartment was flooded and there was smoke everywhere. Luckily, it didn't ruin anything and we were able to air out the carpet and the washer is getting fixed as we speak. But it just made me grateful for modern appliances. Because we had to wash our clothes by hand in the bathtub. It almost felt like I was serving in a 3rd world country haha! I am grateful to be in America and for the conveniences that we have:)

Also, the members that we live with have a ping-pong table and an art wall downstairs in their basement. So at lunch time, we get to work on our ping-pong skills and paint on the walls. It is awesome and I am just discovering more and more my love for art! It makes me happy!