Work and Play

Sister Heidi Bonham:

Heidi has another great opportunity to be a missionary trainer, this time for Sister Tep. At the age of 16, Sister Tep joined The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in Cambodia. She worked for three years in order to earn enough money to go on a mission. She was called to the CA-Redlands Mission. After a few short weeks in the Provo MTC, Sister Tep arrived in CA and became Heidi's companion. What a joy for Heidi as she helps teach Sister Tep English and they work together preaching the gospel.

Sister Tep has awesome fuzzy gloves for when the apartment gets too cold.

The District in which Sister Bonham and Sister Tep serve.

 Sister Tep has a strong testimony of the gospel. She also loves to cook, which is always a plus!

Heidi is enjoying this special time with a truly wonderful Sister Missionary!

Heidi wrote: "The Lord really is in charge of everything.  I see little miracles everyday and I'm so happy when I know that He is guiding me and others to happiness. That's what He is all about.  No matter what happens."


Sister Kelli Bonham:

Kelli is having wonderful experiences in Woodland, WA. She is companions with Sister Cook. They were in the MTC at the same time, June 2013. Sister Cook has been another great companion!

Though a missionary's work is never done, one day a week the missionaries have some time to relax. These pictures were taken by a member of the church when they let Kelli drive their tractor!

The Sisters love teaching the gospel of Jesus Christ to a great many people. As Kelli said, "I love being a missionary! It's the most wonderful experience I've ever had and am still having :) I never would change it for the world!!!!"

Makes a mother's heart sing!

The Middle of the Mission

July 2012, President Uchtdorf gave a First Presidency message in the Ensign magazine encouraging missionaries to always have the attitude that they are "in the middle" of their missions. He explained that in the beginning of a mission, missionaries sometimes feel they aren't experienced enough so they often do not speak with boldness and confidence. At the end of their missions, missionaries might start slowing down in the work, possibly due to thinking of their adventures after their missions. He wants missionaries to always work with the perspective that they are in the middle of their missions - full of confidence, vitality, focus, and energy.

He likens missionaries to us - we might also take the view that we are in the middle of our life journey, and really enjoy the journey, regardless of age: This is Bob and I having fun!

Just kidding!

Back to the Bonham Sisters:

Heidi and Kelli are now more than 2/3rds of the way through their missions, but when I send them an email on Mondays, I always mention that they are in the middle of their missions. It has been a great journey for them, with many more adventures yet to come.

Kelli is in the beautiful area of Woodland, WA. She and her companion, Sister Cone, have enjoyed the lovely people of Woodland. They have taught many people and have had some really awesome experiences!

Kelli was on exchanges, which means she had a different companion for a day or two, and she was able to do missionary work in Astoria, which is on the west coast. It reminded her of CA when we lived near the ocean.

The WA-Vancouver Mission had its one-year anniversary and they celebrated at a beautiful Washington park. Kelli said it was a blast!

I am really into numbers, so Kelli sent this picture of the odometer in their mission car. Sweet!

A sweet family had the sisters over for dinner. The family has three missionaries who have served missions, in fact one son just recently finished his mission, so the mom knew how much we would appreciate these pictures and she sent these.

Sister Bonham:

Sister Bonham and her awesome companion, Sister Cone:

A couple weeks ago a cat came to visit Kelli during study time. This gives a small glimpse into the basement apartment where the sisters live:

Heidi has been transferred to Fontana, CA and has a new companion, Sister Tep, from Cambodia. Sister Tep converted to the LDS church when she was 16 years old. She knew she wanted to serve a mission when she was of mission age. She worked for 3 years to earn the money for her mission. She left Cambodia two months ago, arrived at the MTC in  Provo, UT and began learning English. She is an awesome missionary! Fontana has not had sister missionaries in over five years, and the people of the church have been very welcoming to Sister Bonham and Sister Tep.

Here are some pictures of Heidi with a great companion, Sister Porter - the companion prior to Sister Tep (no pictures of Sister Tep, yet!):

This picture shows a section of their living quarters:

They found a very cool large tree trunk!

The sisters helping someone move. Missionary work gives ample opportunities for service!

It is great to have daughters in the middle of their missions! It is fantastic!

One Year - Already?!

It was a year ago, this month, that Heidi and Kelli left home and family and went their separate ways to serve missions for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. During this past year we have communicated through weekly emails, an occasional letter and telephone calls on Christmas Day and Mother's Day. The time has flown, with a little over six months remaining before they will be done and return to us.

It has been amazing to see the growth of our daughters. Their emails and letters are beautiful and inspiring. The opportunities they have had while serving the Lord 24/7 have left an indelible mark upon them, for they have learned to love the Lord, to trust in His goodness and mercy, to feel His love for the people they serve, to feel and obey the promptings of the Holy Spirit, and to pray to their Heavenly Father and receive answers to their prayers. 

They have had a variety of companions and have learned the fine art of compassion, love, hard-work, and nurturing relationships. They have met new people and made many wonderful friends along the way. They have learned that there is a big, beautiful world filled with marvelous people, and they have been blessed to work with some of God's choicest individuals.

They have also deepened their love for family, which we can feel through their wonderful emails and letters. Yet, their main focus is on helping other families 'Come Unto Christ', live the gospel, and be sealed eternally to their own families in the temple of the Lord. 

A mission is a great place to learn these eternal, invaluable lessons. It is also great to be the mother of these missionaries. I have learned to put my trust in the Lord, and not in the arm of flesh. Typically, I would be very involved, trying to orchestrate life for our girls. Now, I pray for them, send fun packages, letters, emails, and an occasional bit of motherly advice (which may or may not be heeded). I don't even know where they live! Yes, this is good for me, the mother, and has helped me to strengthen my faith in our Heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, and in the Holy Ghost. 

Kelli:

Kelli loves being a missionary! She is loving the work, the people, the place, the mission, and serving the Lord.

Our Kelli turned 20 this month. She is serving in Woodland, WA at this time. Since, of course, we weren't together for her birthday,  a truly wonderful lady, Ladonna, made a special dinner for Kelli and her companion, Sister Campbell. She made Italian spaghetti and a beautiful cake. Kelli had a joyous day!

I tell you, this certainly warmed a mother's heart! Thank you so much, sweet Sister Ladonna, for making Kelli's birthday wonderful!

A picture with her previous companion and a friend:

On Father's Day, Kelli posted this:

Also: 

For Kelli's mission, she is also able to teach people and talk about the gospel through Facebook, Skype, or iChat. If anyone is interested in learning more about The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, contact her at Sister-Kelli Bonham and she and her companion will set up a time to talk with you.  

Heidi:

Heidi has been having a fantastic mission, too. She loves this special time of service! In Beaumont, CA she has been meeting so many people that are interested in learning about the church. Heidi has many responsibilities in the mission. She has the opportunity to travel around her mission, meeting and working with many sister missionaries, and being a trainer for new missionaries. She is loving missionary life, too!

On P-Day, the missionaries are able to do a little sightseeing in their area. This day, they went for a hike with a friend. 

Below is a picture a member sent to the Sisters, Heidi and Sister Rivera - telling them they were so sweet to help her with her car:

Well, hopefully, I will post sooner than every 4 months! The Bonham Sisters are doing very well and loving this special time in their lives!

A Mother's Musings on the A.G.E. of a Mission

A.G.E. - Awesome Growth Experiences. As the years go by, and they are certainly going quickly, people have the opportunity to gain wisdom and knowledge.  A few years ago, the last of Bob's parents and my parents passed away. We used to look to our parents for wisdom and knowledge. They had lived through the Great Depression and World War II. They were members of the greatest generation! They were filled with hard-earned wisdom and knowledge. 

Now, Bob and I are the 'wise and knowledgeable' parents. We have grown from our own experiences and it has taken many years, many struggles, many heartaches, many joys, many trials, many frustrations, and many miracles to develop even a smidgen of wisdom and knowledge. 

I would like to propose that the most important fact of knowledge we have learned, that has grown and developed over these many years, is the fact that we have a loving Father in heaven - our Heavenly Father. He lives, loves us, cares for us, watches over us, and because of His perfect love for His children, He sent His son, Jesus Christ, to die on the cross - for us - that we might live with Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ again. Years of going through life and learning to trust God and His Son, to know They are real, They are there for us, and that we can depend on Them, has developed in us a solid foundation of the wisdom to have faith in Them, our Heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus Christ.

Years and years of experiences have contributed to this wisdom and knowledge. What amazes me is that tens of thousands of young men and young women in The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, while still in their teen years, attending college, hanging out with friends, being involved in sports, working at a job, dating, and enjoying activities, choose to leave home, family, friends, sports, college, jobs, dates and activities to go on a mission for their church - two-year missions for the men, 18-month missions for the women. Missionaries are sent all over the world, to many countries, developing and industrialized. If you know someone who served a mission, ask them about their experiences. Their A.G.E. are astounding!

Through the A.G.E. they have while on their missions, these young people develop a deep and abiding love for our Heavenly Father and His Son, Jesus Christ, a strong foundation of wisdom and knowledge. 

Seeing the Bonham Sisters grow in this knowledge and faith in our Lord is amazing! Their faith in God is constantly being stretched. They are learning to love others, to set aside personal desires, and to look to their Heavenly Father for guidance and support. They are learning to trust their Savior, Jesus Christ. They are learning that God loves them, even more than they ever realized before. 

On a mission, a lifetime of experiences get condensed into a few short months. How intense that must be for these young missionaries! As a mother, it would be easy for me to want to protect my girls from these A.G.E. "Too much, too soon", I can feel myself wanting to cry out. Kelli was barely 19-years old and Heidi was not quite 20 1/2 years old when they left for their missions. Do you want to know one of the things that gives me courage to stay here in Utah while our girls go through their own A.G.E. in CA and WA? It is the LDS women I have met and befriended over the years, who themselves were missionaries years ago. When I watch these valiant women living their lives, which at times are filled with very difficult circumstances and situations, they continue to show confidence in, love of, trust in, and service to the Lord. This helps me to know that the knowledge gained from the A.G.E. of a mission will bless the lives of Heidi and Kelli, our family, and their future families forever. The same can be said for other missionaries all over the world.

In the month of February, Sister Heidi Bonham has been called to be a Sister Training Leader and Sister Kelli Bonham has been called to be a Trainer. This means even more opportunities for many more A.G.E. and a stronger foundation of faith in the Lord, Jesus Christ. What a blessing!

Kelli needed a blood test and the nurse couldn't find a vein in her arm...so, she drew the blood from Kelli's hand. Also, a tooth filling fell out, so she got her tooth refilled by a wonderful dentist who donates his time for the missionaries. Kelli will stay in the Vancouver 1st Ward. She has been there for 4 1/2 months and loves the ward members and the people who are investigating the church. 

After being in Palm Springs for 7 1/2 months, Heidi was transferred to Yucaipa. Here is Heidi on transfer day when she was leaving Palm Springs and the apartment in which she lived while in Palm Springs, the Spanish-speaking Sisters who shared the apartment, the fabulous Palm Springs church, and her companion, Sister Wengreen. 

Back to the blog - some pictures of 2013

The writer for this blog has been on hiatus. Actually, that's me, Mary Bonham, and I have been overwhelmed with school. With only a thesis remaining, I have some time to get back to this blog. Yay!

For the last few months I was concerned that Christmas was going to be difficult without having Heidi and Kelli here at home with the family. When Christmas arrived, the family was able to Skype with both of them. It was wonderful! It made this Christmas Day one of my all time favorites! They were also able to Skype with each other, too. What a great day Christmas was for us!

I look back at some of the posts on this blog and realize that three months has passed since I last wrote. Here are a few pictures we have gotten from the girls.

Sister Kelli Bonham:

One of the people Kelli had the privilege of teaching.

This new member made these beautiful flowers for Kelli to wear in her hair.

The last picture we got of Kelli was in November. Notice the flower. She loves those flower hair barrettes!

It even snowed in Vancouver! We did not send Kelli with clothes for cold weather, so she was very cold! Her companion gave her a couple jackets and then she bought herself a Washington coat to keep warm.

Kelli with her companion/trainer, Sister Glover, and one of the families they lived with.

As of this week, Kelli has been in Washington for six months. She is awesome! She had just barely turned 19 when she left for her mission. She is a LOT braver than I was at 19! Way to be, Kelli!

Sister Heidi Bonham:

Heidi is still in Sunny Palm Springs where the weather is in the 70s.  She has been there for over six months and has a great love for the people of Palm Springs! Here is Heidi and her current companion, Sister Wengreen.

Heidi had her 21st birthday on her mission. Sister Vogt made Heidi's favorite cake in Palm Springs for Heidi's birthday this year. Her date to come home for her mission is 2 days before her 22nd birthday. Here is a picture of her 20th birthday here at home:

This picture cracks me up! This is a Santa statue in Palm Springs. All the beautiful GREENERY around! Santa looks like he is melting!

Heidi liked seeing this Nativity puzzle at a member's home. We have one like it here in Utah:

Christmas for the Sisters was incredible! They work as missionaries everyday and Christmas Eve and Christmas Day were no exception. I love the devotion these Sisters have for their Savior, Jesus Christ, and for His church!

Cactus Mailbox and Chickens

Sister Heidi Bonham

Loving the new Fall weather - down to 99 in Palm Springs. With the weather cooling down Heidi and her companion get to get out of the car and walk around and meet people. 

Heidi has learned something:  Something I have been realizing more and more is the importance of fellow shipping and just being friendly with everyone.  I have seen a lot of judgment from others as well as from myself and that CAN'T happen.  It is so important for us to be there for each other and love each other.  I love not only learning about the gospel and having a testimony of it, but learning to be truly converted to it.  Actually acting and striving to develop those Christ-like attributes.  The world is getting worse, and we need to have strong people.  I'm grateful for this gospel and for the opportunity I have to share it with people!


Things are going so well in Palm Springs! Lots of great people there. Interesting mailboxes, too:

Sister Kelli Bonham:

Kelli had a great week of applying her faith to be able to teaching her lessons, and it worked! Her sincere prayers and total reliance on Heavenly Father helped her to get her confidence up and deliver a great lesson! She feels so happy!

The family she lives with has chickens. They also decorate for Fall, which makes the transition to rainy Fall sweet!

Great times!

Service project and Dole Whip!

Sister Kelli Bonham:

Thanks to the lady of the house where Kelli and her companion live, we got a couple more pictures of the Sisters. They were involved in a service project with their ward. Service projects are a fun way to be with people and work together in a worthy cause.

Kelli's companion wasn't feeling well this week, which was very hard on her, but they still worked so hard teaching many people! They are enjoying the people they work with. One person they have been working with will soon go to the temple and they get to go with her. They are really excited about that!

Kelli wrote:

Alright, I will talk to you later!  I love you all to death!  Be happy!  don't EVER forget the church is true. EVER!!  There are some TWISTED things going around on the media that is unbelievable.  Never stop reading the Book of Mormon, never stop praying, ever.  Always have a strong relationship with Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ.  Helaman 5:12.  Let Him be your rock and foundation!!!!  Never give up, never surrender!  LOVE YOU ALL!! :)

Love, sister Kelli Bonham

Sister Heidi Bonham:

Heidi and her companion found out they get to stay together for another six weeks. Yay! They are so excited! They were able to attend the temple. The Sisters love to see people's lives change as they turn toward Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. Miracles happen, and they are witnesses of them. Heidi wrote about a lady that got baptized last month:

...she's really trying hard to live the gospel and I have been able to witness the change in her.  There is a light in her eyes that was not there when we started teaching her.  She is amazing and I can tell that she is so much happier now.  What a blessing for me to have been a part of her growth in the church! She got to go to the temple to do baptisms for the dead.  I'm so proud of her!!

On a fun note, our family loves to eat Dole Whip at Disneyland. Well, the Sisters found a place in Palm Springs that serves Dole Whip. Heidi said:

Here I am with my precious Dole Whip.  IT WAS DELICIOUS!!

It was a great week for the Bonham Sisters!