Cheesy Church movies

Dear Family and Friends,
So not a whole lot to report on this week! I had a nasty stomach bug
all week and couldn't seem to shake it! It was pretty much horrible,
but I tried not to complain and count my blessings! :) Luckily the
lady we live with has a TON of cheesy 70s and 80s church movies, so at
least we were entertained!

But the good news is that we finally got an awesome new investigator
this week! #tendermercies. He is 15, and struggles with physical
disabilities, but he just loves the gospel and wants to be baptized so
bad. His family is inactive, but hopefully with Zack taking the
lessons, and getting baptized, it will help them all come together as
a family! Corey is still doing awesome, progressing toward baptism and
it is amazing. The work is good!

We have been able to get a lot of less-actives to church lately and
that has been really wonderful. There was a young couple that spoke in
church on Sunday, and they spoke about the talk in conference by Elder
Nielson about the prodigal son. They shared their experiences about
both of them falling away from the church and coming back. Really
powerful talks, and after that the Bishop got up because he felt
inspired. He said, "I want you to know that more than half of our
flock in missing today. Look to your right, and your left. Who is
missing? Go out and find them and bring them home." It was so awesome
and so many people were inspired to be better missionaries. So
thankful for that reminder, go out and find the lost sheep!

I got to go on exchanges with Sister Gass this week! It was fun to be
with an old companion and catch up. She is super cute and I love her.
Unfortunately, she caught whatever I did and so we were both up sick
all night! No fun. I can definitely say though Heavenly Father has
been there by my side through it all this week. He has brought me so
much comfort and peace. He always answered my prayers. I am grateful
for times like these where I have nothing else so I have to rely on
the Lord and our relationship is strengthened every time. So thankful
for a loving Heavenly Father!

We got to do some service this week and help a member cook dinner for
her son and his prom date and all his friends! It was super fun to see
them all dressed up! And it made me really want to learn how to cook
more! Good times

Sorry my letter isn't more interesting! Hopefully next week I will
have more to report on. I am thankful for all your love and support.
Couldn't do it without you! Have a wonderful week and remember how
loved you are! I love you!
xoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxoxo Sister Bigelow

P.S. Finished the Book of Mormon this week!!!! Going to start the
Bible so I can be more knowledgeable :)

The gospel is my anchor

Dear Family and Friends,

Another really great week! The Lord is blessing us a lot and life is
wonderful! This week we had a lot of time to be out and meeting
people. We met a lot of new less-actives that want to come back and it
has been amazing. Some missionaries are disappointed when they only
have less-active work instead of convert work. But I think that in
Heavenly Father's eyes, it is all the same. We are all his children
and he rejoices when ANYONE comes into the fold, member or non-member.
I think it is just as important to bring our lost brothers and sisters

back home and to pray for them and do all we can to help them!

Last P-day, we went with some Sisters to get a pedicure at a
cosmetology school. It was so fun! We needed some sister bonding and
it was a lot of fun to be pampered for a minute! The weather was
really weird this week. One day it was beautiful and the next it was
snowing and the wind was blowing at 55mph. #idahoprobs. Kind of crazy!
But rain or shine, the Lord's work moved forward! :)

I just have to say that I am really super grateful for the gospel!
Working with people who don't have it, or haven't been living it is
the saddest thing ever. You just see these problems and horrible
things they are dealing with and you want to help them so bad. It is
amazing that the answer to all problems is simply the gospel.
President Ezra Taft Benson said, "We are commanded by God to take the
gospel to all the world. That is the cause that must unite us today.
Only the gospel will save the world from the calamity of its own
self-destruction. Only the gospel will unite men of all races and
nationalities in peace. Only the gospel will bring joy, happiness, and
salvation to the human family." So true! And that is why I am out here
doing all these hard things. Because people need the hope of the
gospel and of their Savior! It is truly an incredible gift that we
have been given and I feel so lucky. Keep sharing it!


Favorite quote of the week: "Katy Perry is a good woman." -Shiloh age
4. Haha. So funny, the things little kids say sometimes. Those little
funny moments have made my mission a blast. I love that a mission is
so spiritual, and so fun, and so incredibly hard all at the same time.
If it wasn't hard, I wouldn't learn anything! I have grown so much and
my testimony is unshaken. I know with all my heart that this is God's
work and that He lives. I know that I have a Savior who knows me and
who is constantly there to succor me. I know there is a prophet on the
earth and I know that if we heed his counsel, we will not be led
astray. I know that families are eternal because of the restoration. I
know that the gospel is my anchor and I will never doubt its
truthfulness. I know that God loves all his children and I am so
thankful to be serving them.

 My heart is full of gratitude and I feel so blessed. Sister Kentner is
amazing and I couldn't have asked for a better companion. She is there
through all the crazy headaches and all :). I love my mission and
everyone in it. Corey is still doing awesome, and a member in one of
our wards found a really solid investigator for us this week!
#miracles. Our wards are awesome and we are really united in the work
of the Lord with the members here. Things are great. Heavenly Father
is definitely looking out for us. The gospel is true! Thank you all
for your love and support. It means the world to me. Hurrah for
Israel! Love you!
Love, Sister Bigelow

Hi Cori, I'm Corey

Dear Family and Friends,
This week was a wonderful one! I fell asleep praying not once but
twice this week, so that tells you just how awesome it was haha. This
is the good life!

This week I was feeling good and so we got to get so much done! We
made a list of people to contact that either the wards wanted us to go
see or that we felt inspired to go see. We were out everyday talking
to people, knocking on doors, and meeting lots of new people. I love
weeks like this where there are no meetings, or other distractions and
when we can just work. Nothing super miraculous happened, and we
didn't find any new investigators yet, but we set up lot of
appointments and are excited for the future! I have seen lots of
little miracles everyday and I am thankful for the Lord's hand in my
life.

We also got to be in lots of members homes this week. I love spending
time with members because I learn so much from them and get ideas of
the type of member I want to be or don't want to be. We have been
trying to do what Elder Ballard told us to do and that was to teach
the Restoration of all members of our wards, and commit them to set a
date of when they could have someone in their home to be taught. We
were able to be in members homes teaching every night this week. And
we are seeing some awesome changes! People are really starting to
think about their friends and coworkers that they could share with.
Things are definitely getting better in this area, it is awesome!

I got to go on exchanges with Sister Borjas this week. She is from
Kansas and really awesome! We were in Rupert contacting people in the
rain and it was a blast. We ate dinner with the Hale family(one of my
favorite's) and they told me I have to come back and they will
indoctrinate me on all things nerd (star trek and things of that
nature)  haha. Love them!

Corey is doing good and is still progressing. He found out my name was
Corinne and he was like, "Do you go by Cori?? Hi Cori, I'm Corey! "
And he was so excited that I had the same name as him sort-of. Haha.
He is so awesome and I love that he is embracing the gospel. Best
feeling in the world!

We also got fed lobster this week by the Heuston's, another awesome
family we are working with. SO GOOD!!!  We call our mission
#countryclubmission. I feel so blessed and spoiled all the time.
Grateful for the people here. Also a lady we have been teaching who
lost her membership in the church, was able to be re-baptized this
weekend! It was so amazing! I have so enjoyed teaching her and seeing
her embrace the gospel again has been incredible. So happy for her and
her family. :)

I have been reading through the Book of Mormon again the last few
months. My goal is to read it 5 times on my mission and I am almost
done with number 4. I have been reading in Mormon and it amazes me
that no matter how many times God blesses the Nephites, they continue
to harden their hearts. It just reminds me of the happiness and peace
that living the commandments and the gospel brings. Grateful for my
testimony:)

Life is good and finally spring is here! So so happy. I have been
eating healthier and exercising and I feel good. I love being a
missionary so much. Most fulfilling and wonderful thing I have ever
done. Love you all so much! Thanks for all the love and support. Y'all
are the best. Keep on smiling! :)

Favorite quote of the week: *Explaining to some teenagers about what
happened in the sacred grove when the adversary overcame Joseph Smith
before God the Father and Jesus Christ appeared to him*
Girl-"Oh I get it now! Well why didn't they just put all that in the movie?"
Her Brother-"You can't just film the devil on the camera!" Haha #dying.
Love, Sister Bigelow

T.0.A.S.T. (Thrive on awkward situations today)

Dear family and friends,
What a wonderful Easter week it was! I love being a missionary on
holiday's like this one because we get to be so focused on the true
meaning, which is our Savior Jesus Christ. SO thankful for his
sacrifice and his resurrection that brings us so much hope in this
life.

This week was a pretty normal one! We just had lots of appointments,
and made lots of visits. We were able to be in a lot of members homes
and teaching them which was amazing; trying to get that missionary
fire going! We had transfers on Wednesday and so since we have the
mama van, we get to haul everyone's luggage around everywhere so that
took pretty much the whole day! Unfortunately, I had a few bad
headaches this week, but I was able to get a blessing from my zone
leaders, and things are good. Sister Kentner is amazing and I love her
more and more each day. Right now we are just trying to find more
people to teach and working hard at being in their paths. It's hard
work, but it is the most rewarding work I will ever do in this life.
So thankful for this amazing journey!

We had a zone meeting on Friday, and Sister Kentner and I got to do a
lot of the training. The focus for April is "Contacting" and the
objective is the use our "Because He lives" pass-along cards more
effectively as we contact. We got to train about the doctrine behind
that. So we got to go through the last 10 days of Christ's ministry
and talk about each day and what happened, and how as we more deeply
understand His life and why He did the things He did, that we would
have an increased desire to share. I learned SO much about the Savior
and Hid life and His incredible gift that He gave to each of us. It is
very humbling, and I can testify that my desire to share has grown. So
amazing!

Now for the best part of the week.....General Conference! I loved it!
I learned so much and all my questions were answered. It is amazing to
know that each talk is inspired and directed at each one of us
individually. We were able to watch it at home with Sister Wayment,
Lori(our recent convert), our Bishop and some awesome members who all
fed us really great food! Here are some of my favorite highlights:
-"Satan tempts us in our misuse of procreative powers because he is
jealous of our power to create."
"The Atonement of Jesus Christ bears no scars." -Boyd K. Packer
-Focus on the things that matter most....the to-do list can get done
later."-Linda K. Burton
-"Press on toward the light, even if you lose sight of it at
times.....NEVER give up."-L. Whitney Clayton
-Godly fear dispels mortal fear." David A. Bednar
-"We learn the dance steps with our minds and hear the music with our
hearts...have patience and keep practicing!" Wiford W. Anderson
-"God cares a lot more about who we are and who we are becoming far
more than the person we once were....He is disappointed when we don't
recognize that others are trying as well." Dale G. Renlund
-President Monson's announcement of the 3 new temples! Evidence to me
that God's work is moving forward more than ever!
-"The Lord can only teach an inquiring mind."-Rosemary M. Wixom
-"Go about each day with more enthusiasm for life and for living God's
commandments....choose now to follow the Savior, don't wait until
tomorrow." -Jose A. Texieria
-"Never do ANYTHING to risk the loss of your constant companion and
comforter."-Gerald Causse
-Are we destined to fail? NO!" Jeffrey R. Holland
-"We can't just unlock the gate, we have to enter in the gate."
-Dieter F. Uchtdorf
-"How we LIVE our religion is far more important than what we say
about our religion."-Robert D. Hales
-"Don't just hang in there, endure to the end!
1. Don't forget to pray
2. Come unto Christ and be perfected in Him
3. Press forward with faith
4. The Book of Mormon is key to spiritual survival
5. Don't be distracted or decieved
6. Stay by the tree"-Kevin W. Pearson
-" Can you see the hand of God in your own life?"-Rafael E. Pino
-"Make the Sabbath a delight!" Russell M. Nelson

I couldn't choose a favorite! They were all so good. Conference is an
amazing time to recommit ourselves and set goals, and try harder! I
love how refreshing and empowering it is. Easter was great and we were
well taken care of! Thank you for all your love and support! Funny
quote of the week: "T.O.A.S.T. (Thrive on awkward situations today.)"
That defines the mission life haha. Have a wonderful week! Love you!
xoxoxox Sister Bigelow