Endings and New Beginnings

Dear Family and Friends,

I am in shock and kind of sad. I really was hoping I was going to get to stay in Junction City another Transfer but apparently Heavenly Father has other and I am sure better plans for me. I will be moving to Lake Shawnee in the Topeka area with Sister Deppe. I love Junction City SO much, but I just have to have faith that this is what is the best plan. As sister Medina told me earlier, "if you don't move you don't have the opportunity to grow. " I think one of the weirdest parts about moving is that I won't have a military instillation or military ward as part of my area like I have had for the last year, that will be really weird. 

 I feel like I am seeing things completely differently, for the first time in a really long while I am excited to be a missionary and really want to testify to everyone that I can! It's an awesome feeling! I think a lot is due to the fact it is really hitting me how much time I actually have left and I really want to work as hard as I can so I come home with no regrets and feel I worked my hardest and was changed forever! 

So this is the unforgettable hot wheels story that happened last night. I doubt I will ever forget it but I have a really hard time telling it so I stole this part from Sister Palmer's weekly email because I don't think I could actually write it myself...

"Okay, so funny story!! I still bust up laughing when I think about this experience that Sister Blood and I had last night. Okay, so we were at a member's house for dinner and they have this 6 year old that is REALLY friendly and outgoing and a flirt. So this kid had been really flirty and touchy feel-y and their parents were SO embarrassed about it. Then we were just sitting there eating dessert and I look over and all I see is this little boy grab the front of Sister Blood's shirt and drop a toy hot wheels car down her shirt! hahaha. The funny thing was that sister blood had no idea what happened so we were all just laughing (while the parents were also mortified that the kid had done that) and sister blood sat there with the car down her shirt, and then the dad goes "well, I think he lost a car" and that is when sister blood caught on and realized that she was sitting there with a toy car down her shirt. She was so embarrassed (but don't worry, I got her permission to tell this story because it just TOO funny! haha) and then I was just cracking up. I could NOT stop laughing. And I am sure that didn't help matters with this little boy. But still, it was hilarious."

The shirt I was wearing was a draped collar/front so thankfully I was wearing two shirts underneath for modesty and warmth that came all the way up to by neck, but it was still a total invasion of my bubble. I think this may take the cake of my most embarrassing moment. The kid was trying to get me to play hot-wheels with him and he drove the car up my arm down my side the up my arm again and right as I was feeling that my bubble was being popped I hear his parent say "HAZARD NO!" I though they were telling him he was to close, I had no idea what had happened. I looked down and couldn't see the car but it wasn't until the Dad said "I think he lost his car" I looked down again and realized there was something hanging in the big draped front of my shirt. I thought it ended up there because he let go when they said his name. I had no idea he had purposely dropped it there. I guess this is Karma for us telling people us Kansas Missionaries don't have any crazy stories because it's Kansas and not somewhere crazy like Japan or Chicago. 

Something changed, really changed in my heart during the week of Christmas. My Faith which was a seed sprouted and started to really feel the effects of photo synthesis or something to that effect! This is the second time I have really felt the atonement cleans and lift me on my mission. This time I was being cleansed for my own sin and mistakes, the last time was also some of my own mistakes, but it also was a feeling of being able to forgive and move forward from things that had happened to me. The Atonement is for real! And I just want to share it with EVERYONE! We were talking to someone who is moving to Kansas City and we told him to go to the temple and see what it looked like. When he found out I had been inside he said "I bet that was awesome! You probably felt like trowing open a door and saying see all those dirty people who can't come in but I can!" I told him "Actually that is why I do what I do as a missionary, because I want everyone to feel what it is like inside the temple because it is the most amazing thing there is! It really is a bit of Heaven on Earth!" He seemed a bit surprised by my answer but I think it gave him something to ponder on! I want to go to the temple again so bad, but who knows. If not again in Kansas sometime in the way to close future in Utah. Well at least in Topeka I am only an hour or so from the temple instead of 2+! I'm slowly moving closer! 

On a really cool note, Taylor shared with us how she was reading from Alma 32 on faith and how all the verses on faith kept popping out to her like God was telling her "Have a little more Faith in this". It was the answer she was looking for. "And to think this experience happened in my living room, and ordinary day, and extraordinary experience!" Her baptism is a go for this Saturday, sadly I will miss it, but Lake Shawnee is calling! I will never look at our church organs again the same way. I never would have guessed a love of music and the fact we believe strongly in using traditional organs in our worship service would help lead someone to find the truth!

Love you ALL!

Sister Blood :)

 We  found a frozen pond. :) 

We finally found Utah Road WAY out in the boonies 40 miles from JC.