"And there shall be a great hailstorm sent forth to destroy the crops of the earth."

Hello from the unpredictable land of Idaho!!

On Thursday there was a crazy hailstorm! It came out of nowhere! It didn't last very long but a lot of crops were ruined. Poor farmers! We were stuck on someone's doorstep. They weren't home but by the time we turned around to go back to the car, it was hailing! It was pretty funny. At least we weren't on bikes!

We also got to meet a hedgehog! This one brother paid 300 dollars for one! It was SO cute, but pretty pokey! We've been getting to know the members in this area and learning where everything is. There are a lot of number streets in this area and it's a little confusing, but we're learning. Everyone here is really missionary-minded and many of them share the gospel often. One Bishop stood us up twice by accident but he's really cool so we won't hold it against him! haha. We went to a baptism and a wedding this weekend! The Baptism was in Kuna (where Sister Armstrong used to serve) and the wedding was in our area. They are a Hispanic couple. He doesn't speak much English so the Bishop translated a lot of it. His wife is LDS and he is not but he's interested in learning! His wife was crying and shaking through the whole thing! So sweet!

The Elders were teaching this awesome lady. We feel blessed to be able to teach her now. She has so much faith even though she's been through so much. Her "grams" was LDS and she trusts her judgment. She said her grams told her if she ever needed help to go to the LDS church. When she was in an abusive relationship and feeling lower than low she walked by an LDS church and remembered the words of her grams. She walked in and talked to the Bishop. Now she is working hard to quit smoking because she really wants to be baptized and have a church family. It's amazing to see what the Savior can do for people when they turn to Him. He really can heal us. "Yea, my soul was filled with joy as exceeding as was my pain!" (Alma 36:20). 

Love you all!! Prayers and letters are appreciated!! 

<3 Sister Bishaw

"You're going to Homedale? Don't drink the water."

Hello!!

Today is transfer day again! Sister Thomas will be going to Homedale, ID and training a new missionary! She's on fire! We're actually still together til Wednesday because she doesn't get her companion until then so that's fun. My new companion is Sister Armstrong! She's been out 1 transfer longer than me and this is her last transfer! We'll be Sister Training Leaders together so we'll go on exchanges with other sisters a lot. She will be my 3rd Californian companion! It will be fun! 

This week was awesome! Our talent show went pretty well. It could have had a better turn out but it wasn't bad for labor day weekend. We had about 100 people there and 2 investigators that we invited. We got to take one on a tour of the church building. At the show one little kid solved the Rubik's Cube in 1 minute and 38 seconds! 

We also found some new people to teach. Sister Thomas found a couple while I was in Kuna on exchanges. I rode a bike all day in Kuna! The sisters were low on miles for their car so we rode bikes. I respect the Elders so much because it was just so painful. And I felt like I looked ridiculous with a skirt on and my flats that did not have enough grip. And it was really hot! I feel so blessed to have a car. 

We bore our testimonies in all of our wards yesterday and in one of them I said what I have learned on my mission and I realized that my mission is almost over. I started crying. It's so bittersweet! But I really have seen for myself that God does truly love and know all of us personally. And it's our job to help others know that God loves them. And God wants us to be happy so he's given us the commandments and shown us the way through His Son, Jesus Christ. 

Love you all! Thanks for the support!! Letters would be awesome! 

<3 Sister Bishaw

The Eubanks!! :)

Me with Sister Thomas! I did my hair like hers ;)

Bye Linda! 

Brother Cook's garden is doing so well!

After the Talent Show!

I conquered that chicken! I caught it!

"Can we mow your lawn? Please?!"

Hello!

We mowed 2 lawns this week! One of them we have to pick up at the dog poop first. It was quite the experience! But it's really cool because people are starting to let us help them! A lot of people don't like to ask for help...including myself. But we really love doing it. We just get to lighten their load a little! :) 

We've been working on finalizing everything for our talent show. We've had a lot of people volunteer to be in it so we definitely have enough. There will be a lot of good music and dancing and funny acts too! We really hope everyone invites their friends so we can meet new people! We've been trying to invite everyone we meet. 

We did exchanges and I got to be with Sister Turner again for the day! I can't believe it's been almost 5 months since we were companions! We had fun and got to get caught up on each others missions and families! 

On Saturday we went to 2 block parties! We ate a LOT of food! We thought about going to Jack in the Box earlier in the day but we were glad we didn't because we got so many burgers later on! One of the wards is doing block parties so we can meet their neighbors! It's been going well. 

I hope everyone is doing well! Letters are appreciated as always :)

Love you all!

Sister Bishaw

My September Planner! Lots of animals here!

Sister Turner and I back together again (just for the day)! :) I love her.

"When you grow up in the trailer park it's no joke."

Hello!! 

We had Zone Conference this week and at the end President Cannon surprised us with tickets to see Ephraim's Rescue! So we got to go to the Nampa Reel! First time I ever went to the movie theater on my mission! It's a movie about Ephraim Hanks who was a convert to the LDS church around the time the Joseph Smith was martyred. Some of his descendants actually live in the wards that we cover! It was a great movie. I laughed and I cried! The people in the early church sacrificed a lot to do what God asked of them. And they had amazing spiritual experiences that strengthened their faith. 

We also did a lot of service this week. Like we got to milk cows! and feed the calves and pick up bails of hay! I'm glad I'm finally getting my Idaho farming experience. :) It's really hard work. We went to a family farm and they work so hard. I don't know how they do it! Oh, we also got to collect chicken eggs. I was afraid the chickens were going to bite me but I was brave and picked one up to see if there were eggs under it and it didn't hurt me! 

We had a cool experience where we stopped by this house we had knocked on before and we met the lady's son this time. He told us that they just moved here from Washington and he thinks that Idaho is the best place in the whole world! He said everyone is so nice and the weather is perfect. We invited him to the talent show we're putting on. Planting seeds!

The best part of the whole week was when Vanessa Sharp was baptized! She is our investigator that we taught last transfer before the Elders took over the ward she's in. We just love her so much and it was such a happy experience to see her husband baptize her. We got to help do her hair and we spoke after she was baptized. We couldn't hold back the tears of joy! We also go to go to church on Sunday when she received the Holy Ghost. She said she felt on top of the world! :)

Love you all!! Thank you for the support!

Sister Bishaw

Linda's birthday! She turned 21 ;)

Aren't they just beautiful?! Brother Sharp baptized Sister Sharp! :) 

Us with Sister Sharp! :)

We got to go to the movies on our mission!! :)

On Sunday at Sister Sharp's confirmation! :) 

"And stuff like that..."

Hello Everyone!! 

This week was fun. We had two big meetings! I found out that our mission will eventually have 80 sisters and 120 Elders! Exciting! Missionaries will be everywhere! 

We met saw this lady named Linda again on Monday and we met her animals! She has a ferret and birds and a dog. When she said the prayer before we left she thanked God for sending us because "she really needed that." Those moments make it all worth it! 

One of our investigators went back to California this week. We miss her and hope she is doing okay. She left in a bit of a hurry and there was a lot of drama happening in her life. 

Sister Thomas turned 21 on the 7th! We helped Micah make her missionary pinata. That was fun. 

On Thursday we got to meet some Donkeys and cows! I feel more and more country every day! And on Friday we met LOTS of cows and goats and chickens! 

On Saturday we did a lot of service. A few weeks ago we met this man named Issac. We turned around in his driveway and didn't realize he was standing outside. So we talked to him. He said his granddaughter is LDS but he wasn't interested. We went by again to invite him to an activity and he was really nice and we even gave him a pamphlet! Then on Saturday we came over and just started weeding his garden without asking him. It was pretty funny because after a while his grandson and his friend came out and asked if we wanted lemonade. Our secret was out! But they helped us finish. The grandson is the brother of his granddaughter who got baptized and he went to church and scouts with his LDS friend growing up. We invited them to the activity too. It was really inspired. 

On Sunday we had some awkward moments trying to contact people. We randomly met this guy named Guy. haha. He offered us a beer and said 'Just one beer, God will forgive you!" If he only knew that thats not quite how it works. ;) Then we knocked on one door and when we walked away we saw the guy drive by his house staring at us. Then when we left we crossed paths again as he was driving back to his house. Just silly. haha

Have a great week everyone! Love you all!! 

<3 Sister Bishaw 

A Hefer!! 

Little calves!! 

Micah is making a Missionary Pinata!! haha

I held a chicken!

Let me love you!! haha

Tractor!

We're kind of obsessed with picture taking...

Commandment Signs!

We like to take random pics and sister Thomas edits them...

DONKEY!

She got 2 cool watches for her birthday!

haha 

Cool editing skills

Me wearing Sister Thomas' clothes ;)

Black&white

Sister Thomas dressed me that day ;)

Oh so bittersweet :/ I go home at EXACTLY 18 months though! Crazy!

LIZ!

Sister Thomas turned 21 on the 7th!! Happy Birthday to her! :) 

This week was awesome! As missions always are.

hello!

This week was awesome! As missions always are. :) 

We taught one of our investigators twice. She's been reading from the Book of Mormon and really feels like God is speaking to her. She is still thinking about Baptism but she is studying and she has a really good friend from church. 

We also taught a family where the dad is not LDS and the mom and kids are. We invited him to be baptized and he said that he wants to be fully committed to living the gospel before he does. That's a really good attitude. He said he would pray about a baptism date. And his wife got the job she wanted and finally felt like her prayers were answered! :)

We've been working on planning a talent show for the stake as a finding activity so that's been fun. Pray for us that it goes well!

Love you all!

Sister Bishaw

"Remember that one time I touched a bird?"

Hello Everyone! 

This week was pretty interesting with only working in 3 wards! Our single's ward is still huge though so there is so much work to do! We found a new investigator last Monday! Her name is Liz and her sister-in-law is a member. She just moved here from California. We taught her 3 times this week. She knows that God cares about her because we keep saying things that she says she needed to hear. It's always great when we follow the spirit! 

We have been working hard and seeing small miracles every day! 

Oh and to explain the title, we had this really crazy day where everything wasn't working out. First, we went out to the car to leave for the day and our GPS wasn't in the car! Someone stole it. It was so sad because we borrowed it from someone at church! He wasn't mad though because it was an old one they didn't use. But we still felt bad. You can't trust anyone anymore! We reported it to the police. Then we went out and tried to get around without it and it slowed us down a little. Maybe God wants us to learn the area! But yeah, we knocked on this door and then we saw this bird that was hurt on the ground and Sister Thomas told me to pick it up to save it and I listened to her...The bird freaked out and wouldn't let me catch it. Oh the things that happen...

Have a great week everyone!! Not much time left to write me letters and email me so please do it! :) 

Love, 

Sister Bishaw

Me pulling potatoes out of the ground!

Me digging up potatoes!

I love potatoes :)

Hay!

Giant Hay!

The Sharps are so clever! They learned our first names and this is what they put on our bags of cookies. Britney Spears and Princess Di. haha

haha

We went to the ward garden!