Next Stop...Grand Junction!

It's hard to believe but Courtney is at her half way point in her mission! Now on her 3rd transfer and 8 companions, I think, (includes the MTC), she is doing very well and happy.
He companions are amazing! They have been from Hawaii, Nevada, Virginia, Utah, to name a few.
Thanks for your continued support with prayers and letters! She can't begin to tell you how much they mean to her.

Sweet Victory!

"We had zone conference yesterday. It was a good and guess what? Sister Ferons and I won the golden hub-cap award which is a hundred extra miles. Thank goodness, we really needed it. What that means is that our car was the cleanest out of the cars present. We cleaned the car inside and out including door jams and the engine. And just to throw us over the top we made brownies and wrote a sweet little poem. It said, "Roses are red, violets are blue, oh look how at how our car looks brand new, and these brownies are for you." We laid them on the driver's seat nicely. Some of the elders were jealous that they didn't think of that. Lol! Sweet victory!
Funny story! So after we won golden hub-cap award and conference was over we wandered out to our cars. We get to ours and it is not working. I thought someone was playing a joke on us cuz there were some elders that we thought and they are jokers. Bless their hearts! Anyway. I am trying and trying to see whats wrong. I make sure the keys match up and they do. Then I open the hood, (since i know what to look for....lol! Yeah, right.) Well I have a guess but I didn't know for sure. Anyway, soon we have elders all around us and they laugh at us saying, "Didn't you just win the cleanest car and now your car isn't working? Funny!" Sadly, yes that is what happened. I didn't know who to go to but Elder Quetel walks by and I ask him if he knows anything about cars. He says he knows some but my first problem was that the car is a Ford. I said, "What?!" Fords are the best and he starts laughing. It turns out our car was dead so the elders jumped our car for us. So sweet of them!
My companion and I get along great! The work here is a little slower but we have some promising investigators. The area we serve in is huge. We border Capital Hill which is the heart of Denver. It's different but i have a feeling I'm going to love it. I do miss the country. I miss that life and all the smells that go along with it. But the change will help me grow."

Thanks everyone! Courtney's new address has been posted.

You can take the girl out of the city but can't take the city out of the girl!

Courtney went from country to city on her first transfer and it is definitely an eye opener. Courtney is such a country pumpkin. I can't wait for to her about her adventures.

Although she misses the incredible people of Montrose, she is looking forward to the challenges and growth that await her. The ward members in Montrose love the missionaries and take good care of them. She knew she was blessed to have been sent there for a long as she had. ( 5 1/2 months.)

Where has the time gone? From my last post until now, Courtney has experienced much on her mission. Everything from being stuck on a mountain pass to being chased by Thomas the Goose. Courtney finds adventure or I should say adventure finds Courtney. They have been fun to read but most important and touching have been reading about her spiritual growth and the opportunity to preach the Gospel. She has a firm testimony and love for our Heavenly Father and our Savior, Jesus Christ. It is evident as she teaches and the Spirit is there to witness to those they teach.

Companions are a blessing! Courtney loved her MTC companions Sisters Hydrick and Burgoyne. She loves them and learned from them. Her first companion in Colorado was Sister Andrus and Courtney wrote about how wonderful she was too! Sister Andrus helped Courtney transition right in and Courtney loved her. Especially her fun, outgoing, and positive personality. She was an example of dedicated missionary. Courtney also liked the fact they both love trucks! Next was Sister Egbert. The blessings of wonderful companions kept coming. "She is totally amazing and wise", were some of Courtney's comments. The taught many people, laughed and enjoyed serving.
After over 4 months, Courtney was now a trainer to Sister Searle. She doubted herself but with faith and guidance she gained a lot from the opportunity. She wrote, "I was thinking during personal study that I am so grateful for the opportunity to train. I have really, really, really, felt the mantle that I have placed upon me. If it wasn't for training I wouldn't have felt it like I have now. I have been so blessed to have the companionship of the Holy Ghost that allows me to teach and tract."
Edgewater is now home! Keep posted to hear about more missionary life in the city! (Lol)

Thank you for all your support! Courtney LOVES hearing from her friends and family. She can't express enough gratitude for your time to write and prayers. They mean more than you know.

HEr new address is:
Sister Bigelow
1722 Depew St.
Edgewater, CO 80215

Happy Girls Day!

Happy Girls Day! My companion is always looking at the calendar and noticed it is Girls Day. Weird huh?! (This was sent yesterday on the 3rd.)
My companion and I are going to Black Canyon today with the Cranes, the family we live with. We are going to do a little hike. Its about 13 miles away. Most of it is closed off because of the snow. I can't wait! It will be my first big outing. I will take lots of pics.
On the 27th of this month there is a couple, Kramers who will be taking us to Telluride. I am so excited because I hear it's prettier than Aspen. We will be riding the huge Gondola up there as it takes you through the mountain side. So I really hope I don't get transferred.
Transfers are March 11th. I hope I will be staying. I don't feel my work is done here but maybe I will never feel that way.
Our teaching pool is full! I just pray that they will all keep in contact. Most of the investigators are doing well. We have 3 set baptismal dates set. Two are March 27th and one for April 6th. Please pray for them. They need it. Satan always works on them right before because he knows what is going to happen and what a big step this is, coming closer to Christ.
I got my first mission scar on my pointer finger on my right hand. A dog bit me! It was a small dog but don't tell anybody I said that. If they ask, it was a huge pit bull! (Lol!) Anyways, we were tracting and we knocked on this one door. The man opens the door and 5 small dogs come running out. They started jumping on my leg. The man said they don't bite so i bent down and pet it. Then the dog bit my finger and wouldn't let go. I pulled my finger our of his mouth and it cut my finger open. It really hurt but I didn't know I was bleeding. When we walked away I took my finger our of my pocket to tell my companion what happened and it was dripping blood. Lol! We didn't have a first aid kit in the car and I don't have one so I took an old tissue and a rubber band and tied it around my finger. Anyways, now I have a scar. I took pics to show you. Lol! I tell people, "Well there goes my career. I was going to be a finger model."

Love,
Sister Bigelow

SNOW!!!!

We finally have snow!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am loving it! We had to tract in it the other day when it was coming down hard and it was really wet. We still have a lot of snow right now because it hasn't melted off yet. They usually say the snow melts off fast but it hasn't. We are expecting more this Friday. I'm keeping warm with my wool socks. :) Toasty!
Sister Egbert and I are teaching many investigators right now. At least four of the families we found from tracting. Exciting! I never thought that was going to happen. Did you know that President Eyring came here years ago and prophesied that this area will boom with missionary work? I was told that by the Bishop of the Spring Creek Ward. Now my companion and I can see that prophecy going forth today. I am so blessed to be a part of it!
Thanks for all the letters everyone! They truly help me through my low points.
Take care.

Sister Bigelow

(Eventually more pictures will be posted. :) )

Problem Solved and Busy in Montrose!

Courtney's email is up and running! (Whew!) I have a few updates and hope to add some pictures by next week or so. :) Great pictures so keep checking back!

We're busy here in Montrose! I'm here with my new companion Sister Egbert. She is a lot of fun and "by the rules" which is nice. She is from Las Vegas and done with her mission is April. She was actually MTC companions with Sister Andrus. (last companion) She is totally amazing and very wise. She has taught me a lot and she loves to talk. :) We are always laughing together.

This past week we have been very busy. We have got a lot more referrals, return appointments, and tracting in. Tracting is so hard for me! Imagine going up to a strangers door not knowing anything about them and talking to them about the gospel. Sister Egbert is teaching me a lot about tracting. We are suppose to get at least 20 hours of tracting in each week and 20 lessons! Yikes!
We have two more baptismal dates coming up. One of Feb 27th and the other April 6th. We are excited for them. It's a miracle what the Spirit can do.
Our past zone conference was in Grand Junction. It was amazing. It was really nice getting to talk to President. The main focus was on attitude.

This next part is from a letter Courtney sent her Dad. I loved it and felt it would be appropriate to share.

Remember how you taught us to shake hands firmly and not like a limp noodle? So I do shake hands firmly and get so many comments like, "Wow, you have got quite the handshake." I smile and say, "Thank you." But the other day I shook an elderly man's hand and it cracked. (Oh no.) So now I'm wondering if I shake too hard. :0
Thanks for feeding the missionaries. It really helps the missionaries when they are fed and supported by the members. So many of the members down here feed us and I am so grateful for them!
We are tracting 20 hours a week and it's been hard for me. We get ejected and yelled at which is discouraging but when you knock on that one door where the family is ready to hear about the gospel it makes your whole day worth it. :) That happened to us yesterday. It was amazing! I love being able to share my testimony and since I'm a missionary I always get the opportunity. I know that when testimonies are born, the Spirit is there. I know that testimonies are recorded in Heaven. I also know we can be forgiven of our sins when we share our testimony. (D&C 62:3). Testimonies don't have to be long and fancy. It's better when it's simple and from the heart.
Thanks for your support!

Technical Difficulties

Due to a new email account and server problems, the last two emails have been very short. She hasn't received any of our emails but hopefully this will be fixed by next week. :) Thanks for following along! Courtney is very appreciative too!


I am still here in Montrose of another transfer. I still love it here. I have a new companion, Sister Egbert who is from Las Vegas. She will be going home in April and was MTC companions with my last companion Sister Andrus.
We had our first baptism on the 27th. It was such a blessing to teach her. The light of Christ within her became brighter and brighter. She knows so much about the church! Alexis is shy but has a strong testimony and a huge example to her family. Her mom told us Monday that she will be coming to church with her this Sunday. My heart leaped for joy. I never thought this was going to happen.
The missionary support here is so amazing. We are so so so spoiled. There never has been a night when we didn't have a home -made dinner or at least an offer.
Has anyone come across really good articles or conference talks? I would love reading them too. I could use them in lessons and when I have to give a talk. Also, if there are any object lessons about any subjects you thought was neat please let me know. Object lessons go a long way when it comes to teaching.
I'm behind on letters. (sorry) This P-day and last P-day we haven't had much time to write. P-days are relaxing. They are go, go, go, go.

Love you all. Thanks for your prayers. I know they are helping me.

Sister Bigelow

Praying too hard for snow!

Still no snow yet here in Montrose. Its snowing everywhere else but here. I think it's because I'm praying too hard for it. lol!

Sister Andrus and I helped with a bake sale this past week. We tracked into this lady, Sandra. We talked with her a little bit. Long story short, she said we were angels sent from God and we told her we were. We asked if there was anything we could do for her and she mentioned the bake sale. The bake sale is for a man who needs a kidney transplant. His neighbor is a perfect match ans willing to give it to him but the man doesn't have enough money to have the surgery. Members of the Relief Society came together and baked a bunch. I don't know the results about the bake sale but I will let you know. We hope Sandra and her family will become sold investigators. She told us before we do anything for her that she doesn't want us to get our hopes up if they don't join the church because they are not looking for a church. We just laughed because we know that what she already had felt, the Spirit. When we meet with her and when she learns more about the church it will be hard to reject it. Right?! She is an awesome lady who is very overly bubbly. Glad Courtney is keeping a positive attitude!

We have our first baptism this coming 27th, I think. We are so excited for her. She is 12.She loves coming to church and has a testimony. She comes to church with her aunt and family who are new converts.Young womens will truly be a big blessing in he life.

I am so grateful to Heavenly Father. Many doors have opened up this past week for us.

Take care!
Transfers are on the 28th so we will keep you updated of any changes, if any. Courtney will not know until the 26th so I will post on Wednesday the 29th after I receive her email. Her first transfer, whether she leaves or her companion is going to be hard for her. She doesn't like change. A good growing experience.

Prayer too hard for snow!

Praying for New Members and Snow!

Thanks for all your prayers! I need them and I know they are helping.

Things are going good here in Montrose, Co! We had zone conference yesterday so that's why I didn't get the chance to email on my usual P-day. Zone conference was amazing. President interviewed everybody and talked with us for a little bit. Sister Christison also played Jeopardy with us. She is amazing and knows a lot. The zone leaders and APs talked with us for a little bit too.

Yesterday night we had lessons with a less active family. We love teaching this family. Well, the Bishop asked us to go check up on them a couple of weeks ago and we offered to teach them the missionary lessons. They agreed which we were thrilled about. Anyway, we taught them lesson 3. I had not really studied it enough but read it in PMG. Sister Andrus and I pulled up to their house, prayed, and then quickly decided who was going to do what part. I was not prepared like I wanted to be but just relied on what I knew in my heart,...my testimony. I taught about repentance and the Holy Ghost. When I taught about repentance I did an object lesson. When I taught about the Holy Ghost I talked about the Holy Ghost being a gift to us. I asked them if they remembered when they received the Holy Ghost what feelings they had. It was a really neat experience to have them both share their experiences. Sister Andrus taught her principles and of course she was amazing. Anyways, when the lesson was over they gave us a treat. They are always making something for us. Last time they gave us a cream cheese pie to take home. (Yummmmmy.) When we went out to the car, Sister Andrus and I talked how the lesson went. She told me how amazed she was with me. She said I was relaxed, had a really cool object lesson about repentance, and the Spirit was with me when I taught. This meant so much to me. I get nervous when I teach and make things more complex than what they need to be. I'm working on my faith so hard! Have you heard the saying, "Do you believe in Christ and do you believe Christ?" I totally believe and have a strong testimony of Christ but need to work on the second half. I believe He keeps His promises, like He tells us in the scriptures many times that if we search his word first then at the moment we need him to help us he will send the Holy Ghost to be with us and we will know what to say. The Holy Ghost will also touch the hearts of the people so they will understand. Last night I didn't really worry about what I was going to say. I just went right in and taught what I knew to be true. I wasn't nervous which helped because they could see I was relaxed and at ease. I was able to make comments when Sister Andrus taught. It was amazing! I know the Spirit was in the living room that night. I know He helped me to teach and what to say at the moment when I opened my mouth. Just like Nephi when he was led by the Spirit not knowing before hand what to say or do. I was like that. I didn't know what was going to happen but I put all my faith in the Lord. I tried my faith and it grew! I am so grateful to the Lord for all the little and big blessings He gives me. I love Him with all my heart and I will serve Him with all my heart. Please pray for me as I continue to build my faith.

We are expecting snow any day now. I can't wait. I keep praying for snow and when I do Sister Andrus doesn't like to say Amen at the end. She doesn't want the snow. LOL! It's a fun little battle we have going. But is has been cold and sometimes windy.

Got to go and get grocery shopping done. We are also going bowling with the elders later for our P-day. (A member of the church owns the bowling alley.)

Take care,
Sister Bigelow

Please post your comments!

Any comments posted will be forwarded to Courtney and I know she will appreciate it. Thanks!
She said pictures are coming soon. :)

Serving in Montrose

Courtney's email on Wednesday was brief but as always, great to read!

We are staying busy. We haven't gotten a lot of new investigators yet besides the ones that were here before I got here. Some are doing good and others not so good. You can just see Satan working in their life so hard. Its sad to see. He puts doubts in their head and tells them that they can;t conquer what ever they are trying to over come. And while this happens, most investigators know that Satan is trying really hard to mess with them because he knows what is about to happen. They are about to become members of the true and full church, and make covenants with God. I wish I could protect them from all the sharp arrows of the adversary but I can't. It makes me think about how Heavenly Father feels about all His children and the choices they make.

For New Year's Eve we got up at 6:30 am and did our normal routine. I think by 11 am we were at the church playing volleyball in the cultural hall/gym. A big crowd showed up, which was nice. We had to split into three different groups to play. Many recent converts came including the members and missionaries through out our zone that we don't get to see often. I think we played until about 2pm. We then went to the Palmer's home. They are amazing! Anyways, we and the elders we work with had lunch with them and played games. I got to wear jeans for the first time! And I loved every minute of it! I taught everyone how to play spoons too. Fun! Then by 5:30 pm we were at the Huerta's house. They are recent converts. They are very sweet and always feeding us. Around 6:30ish we then went to see Heidi and her two little girls. We spent an hour there and left them with a spiritual message. By 7;30 pm we were in the house. It was really nice to retire home early so we could get extra things done.

We don't have much snow on the ground but we are expecting some and day now. I hope we get a crazy snow storm. I heard that the crazy snow months are in Jan, Feb, and March. I can't wait.