I won't sugar coat it

Dear Family and Friends,
I am pretty sure I am serving in Seattle Washington. It hasn't stopped
raining for 10 days....and of course it just so happened to be the
week after I sent all my warm clothes home! Haha. What doesn't kill
you makes you stronger right? I am just so grateful for a warm car.
#tendermercies. Since we are missionaries, and are life doesn't get
exciting very often, we played a lot in the rain on our way to a from
appointments. It made the week a lot more enjoyable! Grateful for the

blessings.

It was good week! Just a lot of routine missionary work. We contacted,
and taught, and visited the whole week. And we got a new
investigator!!! It is a part-member family, and so we are going to
start teaching the wife this week, so that was pretty exciting. The
bad news of the week....Corey moved! Across the river and to another
ward that we don't cover. It was really sad! You never realize how
attached you get to these people until they are gone. But he will
still get baptized, and that is what matters! We got to help them move
and it was a great experience. I love being able to serve people even
if it means getting drenched in the rain and moving heavy couches! It
is all the Lord's work and he wants us to reach out to his children no
matter what!

We also got to do more service and help some members pull weeds in a
lightning storm. It was a blast! And I realized that yardwork/cleaning
is actually a stress reliever for me. Who knew??? #OCDmaybe? haha. I
was just excited that I got to wear pants for a few hours. Kinda tired
of skirts. But it was wonderful. Rupert has grown on me and I love the
people here.

I got to speak in one of our wards this last Sunday. It went well I
think! I got up there, and I didn't even look once at the talk I had
prepared. The spirit told me to say something totally different. The
talk I had prepared  was all about the simple ways members could be
missionaries, but the spirit directed me to speak about being genuine,
building a relationship with our Savior and reaching out to people as
Christ would,  no matter who they are. Sometimes we as members think
we are better than everyone else because we have more money, or we
aren't making stupid choices, or whatever the case may be. But we need
to stop judging others and putting on this facade that we are perfect
and better than other people. I hate the fact that so many people we
work with have fallen away because someone was judgmental and didn't
give them a chance. Of course, that is their choice to let it offend
them, but we could do better and being a friend and not being fake to
people. Hopefully I wasn't too bold! I know I am guilty of this very
thing, but my mission has changed that. I have learned to see everyone
as a child of God and that everyone matters to him. And I feel really
strongly about it! I am grateful for opportunities to speak because my
testimony is always strengthened.

I wish I had some really awesome stories for you guys! But for now, we
are just wrapped up in the work of the Lord and trying to do what he
would have us do. I love my mission and everything about it. It is
HARD, I won't sugar-coat it. But it is the most fulfilling thing I
have ever done and the greatest happiness I have ever experienced.
Every time I get excited about going home, I just remember that this
is God's precious and sacred work, and I will never have a time in my
life again where I will be completely immersed in it. It is nice to
focus on the gospel and other people instead of bills, school, and
life. Things are good and I am happy! Thanks for all the love and
support! Miss you all. Have a wonderful week. Hurrah for Israel!
Love, Sister Bigelow

Sister Borjas!

Dear Family and Friends,

Another transfer come and gone. 12 more weeks to go! I think time is
on hyper speed haha. I have a new companion, Sister Borjas! She is
from Kansas and is really fun. Our interests are really different, so
I am learning a lot from her. That is my favorite part about
companions, is how much you get to learn and love. :) She is great and
we have been having a good time so far! She goes home in 5 weeks so I
will only get her for 1 transfer! Sad day. I always love transfer time
though because it is a time to turn over a new leaf and to recommit
myself to work even harder and to be even better!

We had a great week! Really hard to see Sister Kentner go. We got so
close and I loved her so much! I might have cried when she left me
haha. But things are still wonderful. We are busy and life is good!
Brother Cantu got baptized this last weekend and it was amazing! Best
part is, the Robinson's are related to him, so I got to see and catch
up with my favorite mission family! It was the best. I love seeing
people come into the fold and embrace it. I love the faith that these
converts have! It is truly an amazing work.

Corey and Zach are still progressing really well! Zach came to church
this week and even volunteered to give the prayer in Sunday school! I
love that kid! His desire to learn about and follow Christ in
incredible and such an example to me. We haven't got any new
investigators this week, but we are still searching! I have really
enjoyed just getting to know the wards better and helping them to see
the blessings of missionary work. Everyone is like, "You're still
here???" Haha. Hopefully that's a good thing! They are so happy that I
am still here that they even assigned me to speak next week in
sacrament meeting! Haha. Good times.

I love Rupert and I am happy that I am still here. I love the people
and didn't realize how attached I was to them. Our favorite Sister
Faux"s daughter came home from her mission in Africa this week. Her
homecoming talk was AMAZING! And it makes me so grateful to be in
Idaho. No electricity or any of the modern conveniences we have. We
are so blessed to live in America. I am so thankful that on my
mission, we get to focus a ton of the people instead of adjusting to a
whole new lifestyle or language! She talked a lot about the Atonement,
and how she saw that work miracles in the people in Africa who had
absolutely nothing. It made me more thankful and made me not want to
complain ever again! She talked about if we have seen the power of
Christ's Atonement in our lives, then why the heck wouldn't we shout
it from the rooftops? Good point! His love is so powerful and the
world needs to know!

It was a good week! It rained all week which I guess is good because
we need it. I have been praying that some of it would be sent to
California:) I am so thankful for the spirits guidance and Heavenly
Father's hand in my life. He is always there if we will just seek and
ask! Thanks for all the love and support! Have a wonderful week. I
love you all!
Love, Sister Bigelow

Just Dandy

Dear Friends and Family

Seriously one of the best weeks ever! We were so busy and great things
are happening and the sun is out. I am one happy missionary! Oh and
transfer news: so I am staying in Rupert and will be joined by Sister
Borjas! The Sister Training Leader Area will be moved to Burley, so
Sister Kentner is headed to Burley to be a sister training leader with
Sister Pohahau. I am super excited, I love Rupert and I am excited to
keep working here!

Monday-P-day! Me and Sister Kentner have been ant-social and have just
been chilling on p-days haha. We are so worn out by Monday! We just
like to get our stuff done and then chill in the sun and write
letters. It's the life. We had an appointment with our investigator
Zach and he is getting baptized in June! So amazing. We met with the
M's, they are trying to quit smoking, so we made a little health
plan with diet and exercise and things they could do to help with the
smoking. It was a really awesome lesson. Tried gluten-free pizza for
the first time today. Not bad!

 Tuesday-Our last District meeting of the transfer! Our district is so
goofy haha, but I love them! We helped the Faux's plant trees and
landscape their backyard and it was fun! I realized that I love doing
yardwork at other people's houses haha. But it is always a nice change
to wear some pants and get my hands dirty :) We had a day full of
appointments with less-actives and some potential investigators! The
work is so good here. So many people to teach now! I feel very blessed
and I know the Lord is looking out. We also found an abandoned pony so
we tried to help it! #idahoprobs

Wednesday-Exchanges with Sister Pinones in Oakley. I love Oakley so
much! We had a blast. We did lots of service and walking around
talking to people. I got to see one of my converts and some members
that I got close to. It was wonderful. Sister Pinones is so awesome
and it turns out we are twins in our interests and hobbies. She goes
home this week, crazy!

Thursday-Planning day! It was a long one, but it was good to get
organized for the week for all our people. Even though I would rather
be out talking to people instead of planning, I realized how important
it is. The Lord has given me this little part of his vineyard and I
need to do all I can to help the people here, and weekly planning
really does help us to meet our people's needs. It is amazing what the
Lord can work through us as we are prepared. We had a full night of
teaching investigators! It was the best! We are teaching someone who
has been going to the other ward, but lives in our ward boundaries.
His name is Brother Cantu and he gets baptized this week and the
Elders who were teaching him barely transitioned him over to us, so
that will be exciting. We also got to teach Zach again and Corey. They
are doing awesome and are really close to baptism! Miracles are
happening.

Friday-Another super busy jam-packed day and I loved every minute of
it. We sawed some wood in the morning! I feel very accomplished haha.
Then we had appointments the rest of the day! I love days where we are
just teaching and teaching and sharing the gospel. There was a huge
rain/thunderstorm and we got caught in it as we were walking to our
appointment, so we had some fun and played in it for a minute. Except
then, we were soaked haha. Worth it! I realized that you have to enjoy
the little moments like that in life or else you will just be
miserable. Life is all about learning to dance in the rain:) 

Saturday-Get stuff done day! We correlated with our ward mission
leaders and bishops which was good. We went and visited some members
that we needed to follow-up with for the rest of the day. Our members
are wonderful. Super spoiled here in Idaho!

Sunday-Happy Mother's day! Skyping with y'all was the best! I loved
seeing your faces and hearing your voices. It was the highlight of my
day. The rest of the day was spent at church! There were some really
awesome talks that the Elder's quorum presidency gave about mothers.
It makes me excited because I know how important and sacred the
calling of mother is. Before it really scared me a lot, but I know
that it is God's plan and if I am following him and his will I will be
lead a guided as a wife and a mother. Learning lots of really great
things on my mission!

So life is just dandy. Loving every minute of it. I am so grateful for
the Gospel and the chance to share it. We are so lucky! Thanks for all
the love and support. Don't forget to smile! Love you all.
Love, Sister Bigelow

4 new investigators

Dear Family and Friends,

It has been a wonderful week! I feel better, the sun is out, and we
got 4 new investigators!!! I am so grateful for the Lord's hand and to
know that he is guiding this work. Definitely feeling blessed.

This week we had MLC (missionary leadership council). Our mission
focus for this month is based on the talk from conference about
hearing the music and not just learning the dance steps. The goal is
to change our behaviors that limit our progression, and to experience
the true change of heart. It was an amazing training and it is always
nice to have a refresher of what I could be doing better. It is
amazing that the Lord will help us change our hearts if we desire it.
So grateful for repentance and the Atonement. Change is good!

I had exchanges this week with Sister Blake. She is a brand new
missionary from St. George Utah. She is awesome and we had a fun
exchange! All of our appointments fell through, but we were able to
contact some people and have a good day walking and soaking up the
sun. I love being around new missionaries because they have the fire!
It is so easy to lose that the longer you are on your mission, and I
am grateful for the wonderful examples around me that remind me to
keep going and to be excited about the work!

Corey is doing amazing. He is awesome and attends church on the road
wherever he is. He is progressing and really close to baptism! Our new
investigator Zach is amazing too. He is 15 and struggles with some
physical disabilities, but his desire to be baptized and to follow
Christ is amazing and an inspiration to me. He is totally prepared to
hear the gospel! He is amazing, and I hope his family will follow :)
We have been blessed so much this week with more people to teach.
Literally just fell into our laps, and I know the Lord is blessing us
for our diligence. I love this work so much! There is no greater joy
than to be in the service of God and His children.

I think that's it for this week! Just working hard and having fun.
Sister Kentner is amazing and we spend most of our time laughing. I am
grateful for my Savior and to have to opportunity to rely on Him while
I do his work. Life is good! I love you all. Thank you for the love
and support. Have a wonderful week!
Love, Sister Bigelow

Zone training this week!