My life is good! Reaaaally good!

Hello everyone!  The transfer angel passed me by -- I'm still in the same area!  Can you believe it?  Sister N. got news on her visa -- it is on its way and she will be leaving us on May 15.  We are really excited for her, but we're also very sad.  I have loved this trio.  It's been great!

Awesome moments from the week:
K. is found!  Do you remember K&A who I found on my first day here?  Well, they broke up and K. moved.  No worries -- the elders tracted in to him and he is taking the lessons again!  They told me that he's reading and praying.  I think he'll get baptized -- I'm so excited for him!

We had an amazing lesson with H. last night!  We emphasized the Book of Mormon this time.  He's the most excited about a living prophet, but we know that he needs to gain a testimony of the Book of Mormon.  It's so important.  We read with him and discussed a lot of things.  He is a very spiritually minded guy and knows the Bible very well.  He comes from a Baptist background.  The best part was definitely when we asked him to pray at the end of the lesson.  Without any instruction from us he said a beautiful prayer in which he asked for guidance regarding Joseph Smith and the Book of Mormon.  It was amazing.  The Spirit was thick as peanut butter.

We also had a fantastic lesson with Hi. last night.  I can't even count the times I've knocked on her door -- probably almost 100, no exaggeration.  But we have become close friends and we had an amazing lesson.  The Spirit was crazy awesome.  She really felt it and opened up.

Our district wanted to go out together to eat, but there are 11 of us (including the zone leaders), and we're not supposed to go anywhere in a group larger than eight.  So we all went different places to buy our food and then met up at the church.  We brought tables and chairs outside in the parking lot and had a picnic-style lunch.  It was quite brilliant because everyone got what they wanted and we still got to eat together.  Sooooo fun!

The extra hour of companionship study for training is awesome!  Love it!  Training is the best.  It is so good to be able to go over the fundamentals and re-evaluate how you are doing on the basics.  For example: we have re-evaluated the way we talk to people at the door.  We are going to go back to square one and really emphasize the Book of Mormon.  If they read the Book of Mormon with an open heart they will feel the Spirit.  That is what needs to happen!

The zone leaders wrote a Powell Sisters song for the ukulele.  I will send it home so you can hear it.  It's hilarious!  Made my life!

Don't Eat Pete.  Huge success here in my area.  Seriously, though -- the adults love it just as much as the kids do!  There's just something about scaring the bejeebers out of someone by screaming "Don't eat Pete!" that appeals to everyone.

Contacted a DNC in the area.  Four Dobermans and a pit bull.  I was so very afraid, and I had forgotten my pepper spray in my other bag!  It was amazing to see the lady's countenance change as we talked with her.  She consented to a return appointment on Wednesday!  Wow!  Plus the pit bull sat on my feet . . . a lot!  That is so much better than biting me!

We found an amazing family.  They knew a member of our ward, a young man who has gotten us into more people's hearts than he knows!  I want to be as awesome as this guy.  The entire family sat and talked with us for a good half hour.  They were so open to reading the Book of Mormon -- the mom was afraid that we would forget to leave her a copy!  They said we could come back when we're in the area again.  Well the next day we talked to T., the member they knew, and the family's son had told him all about our visit.  Not only that, but when the son was talking to T., it was in front of 10 other high school kids.  The son was talking about how cool we are and how the Book of Mormon makes so much sense.  P.S. His mom has already started reading!  Also, the son was telling T. that we were going to stop by all the time . . . sounds like an awesome family that's ready for the Restored Gospel!

My old shool house!

Okay, okay!  Biggest news of the week!  Sister K. and I picked up a greenie from the airport, straight out of the MTC!  Her name is Sister N. and she's waiting for her visa to England.  She'll be serving in the London South mission.  Cool, huh?  So we're training her until she goes!  Being in a trio is soooo different than being just a duo.  Everyone always says that it is, but I guess I needed to experience it to understand it.  One of the coolest things about being a trio is that we can go into every door, even if it's a single man!  Awesome!  So we found a new investigator that we might not have otherwise.  His name is H. and he's awesome.  The Spirit was working hard on him; he wants to hear President Monson speak.  We gave him the link to conference and he's going to watch it.  He also wants to come to a sacrament meeting!  Wow!  We're giving him a chapel tour tonight.  So excited!

Had an 8-year-old baptism on Saturday that was so great.  The Spirit was strong.  Honestly it kind of replenished us.  Being a missionary expends a lot of spiritual energy, so sometimes at the end of the day I feel like a dried-up sponge.  I just loved soaking up the Spirit at that baptism.

Small problem: Sister N. doesn't sleep as soundly as Sister K., which means that "Telling stories about Sister Bham talking in her sleep" had begun anew!  It's a great show!  Apparently I was committing someone to baptism in my sleep last night.  Might, mind, body and strength -- right?

We had Sisters' conference on Thursday!  It was so great!  I learned a lot.  We talked about how we need to be more bold.  Apparently we're too timid.  The world is in trouble now . . . Sisters K., N., and Bham are let loose on the world with no restraint from boldness!  Ahhhhh!

I went on exchanges with Sister R. (former MTC companion)!  We had a grand time.  It was just like old times in the MTC except we were out in the world doing missionary work together!  Great day!  Love that girl!

Transfers are this week!  Ahhh!  I have a horrible feeling that I might get transferred, but I'm probably just being silly.  Obviously, I'll go wherever the Lord sends me.  Stay tuned for next week's email.  I could be someplace new!

Stranger than fiction . . .

Sister Bham's companion, Sister K., has a brother who recently put his papers in for his mission.  Guess where he's going?  California Los Angeles, Spanish-speaking!  Sister Bham is positive that Elder Bham will be his trainer.

Then it got stranger!

Sister Bham's cousin R. was eating at our house one day and said that a guy in his BYU ward just got his mission call to LA, Spanish-speaking.  Turns out the guy in his ward is J. K., the younger brother of Sister K!

So then Sister Bham's mom was at cousin R.'s apartment at the end of the semester, helping him move out, and who should be parked next to them in the parking lot -- the K. family.  It was fun to meet them!

"More Broccoli?"

Hello everyone!  It's a blustery day here in Ohio, and it's getting super humid, too!  Shout out to Lauren who has a birthday tomorrow!  Awwww yeahhhh!  We are all getting so old.  I can't believe all the young guys like Ryan B. and Dallin A. are getting their mission calls!  That's crazy!  A few great/funny experiences and observations this week:

We had a big meeting with the bishops and our stake president.  Our zone leaders were also there.  They informed us that Bishop was bragging about us; he calls us his Black Ops team.  He also referred to SMP yesterday in ward council.  It stands for Sister Missionary Power! :)

One of the many funny things that people do here is dress up these geese statues.  They are called "Medusa Gooses."  You see them everywhere.  Some are dressed up for the holidays, some in costumes. 

While we were tracting, a lady sang at us through her screen door: "No thank you!  I'm Buddhist!  Bye!"  We had a hard time not laughing ourselves silly, but we waited until we were out of earshot before it got the better of us.

I got to drive a 2013 Toyota Carolla brand-new off the lot for the Church.  No worries -- I got pictures.  It's probably the only time in my life that I'll drive a brand-new car off the lot! :)

It was Elder B.'s birthday; we couldn't light candles in the church so we took the cake outside, but then the matches the elders had brought didn't work.  Solution: try to light all the candles with the car's cigarette lighter.  Missionaries taking desperate action!

We stopped by the house of a potential that we met last week; he wasn't there but his wife was.  She basically told us that they want to investigate the Church but that she's too busy with nursing school.  She gave me a scarf because I looked cold.  It's a good scarf . . . and a great reason to go back and see her again! ;)

B. called us earlier this week for no apparent reason, and asked us to come see him.  We set up an appointment on Thursday.  He called us 15 minutes before the appointment, to see if we were still coming.  ?????  That hasn't happened before!  Anyways, I asked if C. was there and he was.  I've been wanting to send the elders from C.'s area to his house for a while, but we don't know his last name.  One of our goals for this appointment was to somehow find out C.'s last name without being weird.  Well, we knock on the door, B. and C. open it and come out.  I told them they both had "sweet kicks" because they are both proud of their new shoes.  C. says "Yeah, mine have my name on them."  We look down and there on C.'s shoes are labels with his first and last name.  Sister K. and I just looked at each other.  Heavenly Father is just too awesome!  It turned out that C.'s aunt and uncle had just died, and he was having a hard time.  I whipped out the Plan of Salvation puzzle that Mom sent me for Valentine's Day, and we taught him the Plan.  He loved it.  He said it made so much sense.  And when we asked him how it made him feel to know that he is a son of God, he said it made him feel happy and important.  Cool experience!

The zone leaders were having an awful day on Saturday.  They had been dropped by an investigator who was on date and was super solid.  So they came to blitz our area!  They only got a few return appointments, but they were really cheered up when they ate half of the Reeses Big Cups that a youth had given me.  :)  Love it!

We went to the equivalent of Kneaders here in Ohio.  It's called Panera Bread and there is no competition -- Kneaders is 100 times better!  That's all.

We presented our new FYZ idea to Bishop on Thursday night, and he asked us to perfect it and present it to the ward council and the stake presidency on Sunday (it was ward conference).  No pressure!  It was an adventure to say the least.  They were impressed, though, and seemed to really like it -- so that was cool!

The primary is super short on teachers at the moment, and one of the CTR 4 teachers hadn't found a substitute so they were desperate for some help.  Twelve 4-5 year old kids (only 3 of which are girls) + sister missionaries who aren't allowed to even touch them + no preparation time and no knowledge of how to teach primary in the first place = TOTAL CHAOS! :)  Seriously, though.  We were both drained afterward for the entire day.  Favorite moments from the experience:

     1) Their classroom was right next to the chapel and we had to have the classroom door open because we're not allowed to be alone with children.  It took us forever to get them to talk somewhat quietly!  Major problems and much telling them that they wouldn't get their snacks unless they whispered ensued.

     2) We acted out the story of Ammon and four of the little boys wanted to be sheep.  They all insisted on crawling under the table and saying "Baaah, baaah, baaah!" in unison.  This was especially hilarious because they were all whispering!

FYZ yesterday was great!  We role-played explaining why we live the standards that we do.  We told them that when you can say know from personal experience that living the standards = blessings from God, people respect you / can't argue with that.  They all practiced how they would explain that in their own words to their nonmember friends.  It was great!

Sister K's brother got his mission call and we just watched the video that they sent her.  I have been telling her for weeks that he's going to LA Spanish-speaking and that Elder B. is going to be his trainer!  I honestly wasn't even joking; I knew in my hear that it was going to happen.  Well . . . he got his call to LA Spanish-speaking!  Elder B., Elder K. is going into the MTC on September 5.  Expect him Novemberish in LA . . . he will be your trainee.  This I know!

Well, I've got to run!  I love you all!  My testimony has been strengthened this past week that the Lord knows us, and knows what we need to do to refine and improve ourselves.  Sometimes you have to just keep pushing through and have faith.  Easy to say, not so easy to do!  I know it's true, though.  Stay safe!

Now is not the time Kato!

Hey everyone! Greetings from rainy Ohio! We're excited for another week. I'm still on a spiritual high from Conference. I can't wait until the May Ensign comes out!

We had dinner at a member's home, and their college-aged daughter and her husband live with them. Somehow it came up that a bunch of my cousins came to OSU for school and they asked what their names are. It turns out that they know Dan Adair! They guy said, "Yeah, Dan's growing his hair out," while making a sweeping motion with his hand in a wing shape on the side of his head. I just laughed and thought, "That has to be Dan!" Only he (and my dad) can pull off wings like he does. :)

We arrived at the church on Tuesday night to talk with Bishop about a few things, and a member was playing the bagpipes in the parking lot. It was great! A few non-members in the neighborhood had come to check it out. Mom, I need to invest in a set of bagpipes. Whatever the cost!! ;)

We saw M. this week! It turned out that he watched conference, which was awesome! We have decided that he's seeking knowledge, not truth, but he loves us and is going to bring us a souvenir from his Chicago trip. Hehe . . . yep.

Guacamole par-tay! The elders in Marion wanted to have a guacamole party at zone meeting. Our assignment: to bring GOOD salsa. Redefined, good salsa = salsa from the refrigerator section. :) Good to know! Side note: there is nothing like standing in a circle with a bunch of elders, eating guacamole out of a single bowl. It was ridiculous how fast it went! Honestly, it looked like a baby blessing except there were sisters in the circle and the object in the center was a bowl of guac! Serious bonding!

We met Mormon this week while knocking doors! We were really confused because he said he wasn't a member, but then when we asked if he had heard of the Book of Mormon, he said, "I am a Mormon." It turns out his last name is MORMAN. He's Catholic so he wasn't super excited to find out that Mormon was one of our prophets. We thought it was cool, though!

Ahhh! I'm out of time! I love you all! Stay safe! Keep me posted on awesomeness in your lives!

P.S. Happy birthday to Adriane! Yaaaahoooo!

"Can we not prevent him? . . . Too late!"

Hey everyone! Wasn't conference amazing? I meant to bring my notes and share some of the insights I gained, but I forgot them at the apartment! Probably better that way. This email would be waaaay too long! I've got a lot of improving to do!

Anyways, a few things from conference. I am going to miss Julie B. Beck! I almost cried when they announced that she was being released; she looked like she was about to cry, as well. You can tell that she has given her all to her calling, and she was so forthright and blunt, which I love! Her talk was amazing; I can't wait to read it! Elder Evans' shout out to write to missionaries made me smile! I think every missionary is going to love him forever! :) Elder Holland, President Uchtdorf, and President Eyring's talks were also favorites. There were also a ton of talks addressed to parents, about teaching children. LOVED! I can't even start to explain how much I learned from this conference! We weren't able to get any of our investigators to attend; a few said they would watch it online, but no one watched it with us. We watched three sessions with members and one at the church.

I made Swedish pancakes for Sister K. and me on Sunday morning for breakfast . . . without a wire whisk, blender, electric skillet, or a pitcher for the batter. Quite a feat! I finally broke out the homemade applesauce you sent for Christmas and it's almost gone! Soooo good! Thanks for the treat!

A member named B. called and invited us to dinner. Her husband had a lot of questions about our beliefs, mostly about temples. We had a great time; we bonded over a love of mystery books, including Nancy Drew, Hardy Boys, and Boxcar Children. Super awesome experience!

We had a cool tornado warning this past week, and got to drive through a crazy rain storm. The tornado sirens are pretty cool, too. The tornado never actually made it here, no worries!

We took one of our Fearless Youth of Zion out tracting with us between conference sessions. It was great! We had to get special permission from President to go out with her because she's under 18, but we had a grand time. She loved it, too, which was important! As we were walking down a street, someone shouted out their window, "I'm already saved!" It made me laugh.

We taught a fantastic lesson to some Hindu children yesterday between sessions, and I think they were easily the most intelligent, truth-seeking people I have ever taught. They were asking deep, thought-provoking questions, too. I learned a lot from them! They were probably also the most receptive people I have ever taught. You could tell that they were accepting/thinking about our answers and the Spirit was so strong. I hope they remember how they felt and that someday they will choose to be baptized into Christ's restored church!