Missionaries Love Water Too!

Dear Family and Friends,

     What marks this week as being pretty awesome... all of the water that was involved! Most days we woke up to a dark sky, and most days it poured at some point during the day. Fun Fact, Kansas soil doesn't absorb a lot of water so when it rains it just runs and pools everywhere, which makes for some pretty epic driving! Kansas really does have the ability to feel like a lot of different places, this week was more of a coastal climate with all the humidity and rain, but some weeks are pretty dry like Utah, and some are a miserable mix of both over 100 degree temperatures and 95% humidity!

We also had the most epic P-Day last week that involved a zone P-day at the 13th street building. Everyone came and we washed and waxed all the cars in the zone. After we were all done with the cars out came the water balloons and it was pretty awesome! Everyone who was cool enough to be willing to participate got pretty wet. The AP's and a few other select people who will not be named (cough cough President Bell) took refuge from the water and sadly didn't get very wet. We eventual used all of the balloons and then resorted to the buckets and hose. It was cool and a fun chance to actually get to play in water since as missionaries we usually don't get to do that very often. One downside of Kansas verses Utah, there is humidity here, which means even if it's 90 degrees out you don't dry very fast. Oh well it was totally worth it!

     On the more spiritual side of the week, we were able to continue to work with a lot of the members of our ward and have had 4 new families move in to the ward which is awesome! Many of them are willing and excited to help with missionary work which just makes it that much better! We even tracked into one of the new families without realizing it, we left a Mormon.org card on their door and then met their land lord at the next door and he told us that that family and the one next door who will be moving in in a few weeks were LDS. We are so excited especially since we have been wishing we had members in this particular neighbor hood that is farther away from the bulk of the ward and now we will have two families there! We know Heavenly Father really does have a special place in his heart for the Harrison Park ward because He really does take good care of them. They may be small but they are one of the most unique,non cliquish, coolest wards ever!

Love ya all,

Sister Blood :)

A "surprise" church tour for one of our investigators

Dear Family and Friends,

Can you believe it, I have been out 5 months! How time flies when you are in the service of God!

This week was AMAZING! Last week was so hard but we were able to resolve our personal issues in our companionship and really come together so that we were able to see and be part of a lot of miracles this week. I think the very best one was doing a "surprise" church tour for one of our investigators that we have been working with for months. She is really nervous about coming to church so we realized after praying, that we needed to get her a tour so she could be at the church in a very non-threatening situation. We got the Members who referred us to her and are her fellowship to help us with the tour. So we went over and had the car and truck ready to load her Hoveround in. We were so worried she would say no, but to our great happiness and excitement she said yes to come with us! So we loaded her and her Hoveround ( It's one of those wheelchairs that has a motor and you control it with a joystick), up drove to the church and had an amazing church tour! The spirit was so strong everyone could feel it unquestionably. As part of the tour we watched the short restoration movie and it was so neat to look over at her during the first vision and see tears coming down her face as she felt and understood so much more what the restoration was. Her testimony that she knows it is true and wants to be apart of this true gospel of Jesus Christ is truly amazing! It was neat to see her expression and reverenced awe as we ended in the Chapel and she was able to feel the spirit there. Being a missionary is awesome!

Sister Murphy and I did some pretty intense biking as well this week. About 20 miles two days in a row, then 8 the third day. We were so tired, some of those last few hills on the way home looked so mean. But somehow we made it home evey night! One of the days we had an emergency appointment we needed to get to on the other side of our area, so somehow we biked the 6 miles or so in 35 minutes! (Keep in mind it usually takes almost an hour to bike this far) We have no idea how we did it but it was a miracle. Especially because the person we needed to see pulled up just a few minutes after we did. It is hard when people are struggling with their faith so they don't want to put in the effort, but it is putting in the effort that will actually answer their questions and help them overcome their trials. So when you get discouraged and wonder if it is all really worth it, don't stop studying, praying, or attending church. If you do stop how will Heavenly Father show you it is worth it?

I love you all and appreciate the prayers and love you send my way.

Sister Blood

                                 no worries she has bike shorts on underneath.

 Oh and it finally happened I got my skirt caught in my brake :( it all washed out though!)

The amazing Sister Fudge!  With Katie & Sister Murphy

Transfers are always an interesting thing!

Hello Family and Friends,

Transfers are always an interesting thing, the first week always seems twice as long for some odd reason. We are continuing to have people progress but there really wasn't anything really remarkable to talk about this week. We had an amazing zone training on Friday that really stretched my mind to the power and importance of being specific in our prayers. We also did a roll play of only having 5 minutes to knock on someone's door, be invited in and invite them to baptism. Sister Murphy and I were the only companionship who were able to successfully get the "investigator" we were assigned to try to commit to baptism. She came up after and told us we were the only one's she said yes to, and she was told only to say yes if we were able to really help her be touched by the spirit. She said we were powerful missionaries together and that she really felt the spirit when we taught her!

I am grateful to still be in the same ward, and I know they are very happy to have me here too. I can't tell you how many happy ward members told me they were glad I was staying another transfer! Laura actually was on the verge of tears when I told her I was going to be staying. She really is the most amazing person I've ever met.

Love

Sister Blood

Sister Blood and Sister Murphy,  Bike Tracting

Sister Blood's graffiti fountain, No she didn't write it!

The families are the Schofield's and Berret's.   Bro. Schofield was one of Uncle Mikes scouts, when they lived in Los Alamos.  Brother Schofield (is the oldest guy) he said to tell Uncle Mike, "hi!"

I am staying in Harrison Park with Sister Murphy!

Dear Family and Friends,

 

Well the big news is in for transfers... I am staying in Harrison Park with Sister Murphy! I love the people in this ward and I enjoy how well I know the area so it is a bit of a relief to be staying. I am glad that I will have been able to spend 1/3 of my mission in this wonderful area!

Yesterday during sacrament the high council speaker and the regular speaker were no shows so the bishop guided by the spirit call on 6 people to come up and give a mandated on the spot testimony. I was the first one on the list meaning I had a whole 1.5 minuets to panic recognize I had no idea what I was going to say and then walk up to the microphone thinking "okay heavenly Father I am trusting you to direct my words." It was awesome to have the spirit speak through me and not to struggle with what to say but to just let the words flow and see it touch people was pretty cool! Elder DeFreese who has been here as long as I have was right after me, which was neat since we have both been here 3 transfers, it will be different not having him in Harrison Park anymore.  The entire meeting was so powerful and completely directed by the spirit it was really quite mind blowing and heart touching for a lot of people, I am honored that I got to go first and set the mood. Plus going first also gave me the opportunity to trust in Heavenly Father that he would give me the words that needed to be said to set the tone of the meeting.

This week was full of many many blessings and miracles so many that I really could not name them all but I am blessed to have seen them and to have them recorded in my journal. The one the I am enjoying seeing unfolding the most is the change in Kelley and Aaron as they are letting the Gospel become part of their lives, they really are amazing individuals and I am lucky I get to teach them and learn from them!

 

I wish you all the very best this week and encourage you to read the "Media with Merit" article from this months Ensign. With this world so full of "entertainment" it really is important to keep priorities straight. Before you sit down to watch your favorite show, read your favorite book, or enjoy your favorite music... spend some time in the scriptures. Your mind will be blown and you will have more strength to put off the sins and temptations of the world! I love ya all so much!

 

Love,

     SISTER BLOOD <--- (missionary in the Kansas Wichita Mission!)

Greetings from the wonderful heartland of Kansas!

Dear Family and Friends,

 

Greetings from the wonderful heartland of Kansas! I was really smart and saved my group email until the end so now I am having a hard time deciding what I should write about since I feel like I've already talked about my week. Well it was a really hard week with a lot of people being dropped off of our teaching list due to lack of interest or being unable to contact them which is always hard. But there was one huge miracle this week.

We have been visiting a sweet less active in our ward named Billie. She has her granddaughter Kelly, who lives with her along with Kelly's husband two small children, and mother in law. When I first got here months ago Kelly wasn't all that interested but just in the last month or so she has had a HUGE change of heart especially in the last few weeks. She is taking the lessons and yesterday she came to church for the first time in years (basically since she was baptized when she was 8). Not only did she come like she promised us she would, but she brought along her grandmother Billie, her husband, brother, and toddler son! It was amazing to see them walk in the door of the chapel yesterday. The ward was so welcoming and a lot of the ward greeted them it was amazing to see them show so much love to this wonderful family. I have never had a fast and testimony meeting feel so powerful, maybe the reason it was so powerful is because I was listening to the words and pondering what they must be thinking and how if they would take these words to heart and strive to become a gospel centered family what it would do for their young family. Seeing a family who has a desire and potential to change their future around completely makes all the hard long days completely worth it. I LOVE being a missionary from moments like these when we really get to see what can happen when someone decided to let the truth of the Gospel into their life. It makes me want to sing!

On a not as cool note I finally finished passing off all the training material which means I can become eligible to drive and train! I am officially a "real" not in training missionary!

I love you all and hope you never forget the blessings you have with your families around you. Never ever let stupid arguments get in the way of being close because families really are the greatest gift you will ever have. If you don't believe me spend some time away from your family surrounded by dysfunctional families and children who don't have two parents, or their parents aren't married. Never let the world become more attractive and desirable then what you have. Remember in 1 Nephi 8 the people who set their eye on the great and spacious building (or the glamor and desire of the world) had to cross through the river to get there. And most of the people who tried to cross that river were lost and drowned in the river. We don't usually remember the river is in between the path and the building but that doesn't mean it isn't there, ready to pull you under and destroy you. So don't let the world get your attention. Constantly be refocusing on what really matters. The Gospel and your Family.

 

Love you all So much,

 

Sister Blood. :)