Junction City All the WAY!

Dear Family and Friends,

Well it actually happened, I am in the Flinted Hills in Junction City; and guess what, I GOT TO DRIVE HERE! My new companion Sister McCerrick doesn't have driving privileges yet since she just finished training so I get to be the designated driver! I am excited to be able to drive again, thought it was kind of nerve racking since it's been 6 months since I last drove. I felt like a new driver all over again. I can't even imagine what it's like for guys who don't drive for 2 years!

Junction City is so cool. All the the main streets have tons of old buildings and it has a really cool small town charm. It is cool being in another area with a military base in it. Fort Riley Army Base to be exact, which is referred to as "post" just so you know and don't get confused in later letters. There really wasn't too much to write about for this week other than I am in a new area, there are HILLS here, and I don't know very many people yet. I already am completely in love with the area here. It is very different being away from the mission office and only being around 6 missionaries and a senior couple instead of the usual 30+ I would see at least once a week. But I know it is going to be awesome here!

Sister McCerrick is really really cool and I am so lucky and excited to be her companion. Sorry I forgot to take a picture for you, guess you just get to wait and try to imagine what she looks like! 

Love Sister Blood :)

Oh ya, in case you want to write me. or google earth stock me... ;)

104 west 4th St. Apt. 103 

Junction City, KS 66441

(Added Note:  This message she set to me, and I thought you might be interested.  I listened to the talk and it is amazing and so worth the time.)

"Do you know the talk "Faith of a Child"? It is from 1975 by pres Monson. It is famous because he directed it to a young girl sitting in the balcony and followed the prompting to speak by the spirit instead of his written talk. The Methvin family, Jack and Nancy, and one of their sons and his family live in our ward. We got to go to their home this week for dinner which took over an hour to get to 16 miles of which was on dirt roads. They are ranchers, so real cowboys, and I have never felt such a strong Christ centered spirit before in anyone's home until I walked into theirs. It felt as if Satan was miles away unable to enter their property because of how gospel centered their home is. I had no idea a home could have a spirit like that!"

https://www.lds.org/general-conference/1975/10/the-faith-of-a-child?lang=eng

The sign is at a church just down the street from the Harrison Park apartment and I finally got a picture,
 like I have wanted to for the last 6 months

Sister Murphy and I after the transfer meeting before we switched to our new companions

                               Junction City! 

Laura's Baptism was Amazing

Dear Family and Friends,

 

Today is bitter-sweet. I am getting transferred away from my "home" of Harrison Park in Wichita/Derby and am going to Junction City in the Manhattan Zone. My new companion is Sister McCarrick, yup that's right another "Mc" companion!

 

Laura's Baptism on Saturday was amazing to say the least! It was so humbling to see her struggle down the font steps with the help of TWO priesthood holders (Brother Dodds and Brother Hamilton) trembling and shaking but she made it! We were so worried she would slip or fall but she made it.  When we asked her after what it was like, she said that as soon as she heard the words "in the name of the Father..." she was surrounded by a great warmth and it completely engulfed her even as she was submerged into the cool water, all she felt was warm. She was smiling from ear to ear all day and it looked as if she had sunlight coming out of her she was so happy to be baptized. Her daughter was able to come, and she told us that if Laura hadn't gotten sick three weeks ago and had been able to go to church when we originally planned so we wouldn't have had to push the baptism back a week; she wouldn't have been able to come to the baptism because she had a emergency come up that took her out of town last weekend. WOW Heavenly Father really is very aware of this sweet family!

One of the best parts of the baptism program for me was being able to play my viola for it! Brother Favre' went back to Utah last week and agreed to bring my viola back with him. It was amazing to be able to play again (even though my fingers hurt because I had lost my calluses). Sister Ozbun agreed the night before to play with us. So somehow she on her flute and me on the Viola managed in one hour of practice Friday night to take the solo line from the arrangement of "Abide with Me" Sister Murphy had, into a duet. I have never been so guided when it come to altering music. Add into the mix the part was written for Violin so I was having to transpose into a different clef and at some parts transpose it down an octave. I haven't played in 8 months and the fact it came back so easily I know was a tender mercy of the Lord! When we played at the baptism it was beautiful, there weren't any mistakes that I could tell and it brought such a strong spirit I can't even begin to explain how it felt, other than the fact I knew I was being helped and I we really nervous. There were quite a few after that thanked us for how beautiful it was and I think were shocked to hear we had only put in maybe 2 hours total or so practicing before we played at the baptism. I am grateful for the gift of music I have been given along with Sister Murphy's piano skills, and Sister Ozbun's flute skills, music can bring such a strong spirit with it!

 

Funny note of the week. I didn't eat lunch yesterday and so before church started I was so hungry I seriously felt sick and was wondering how I was going to make it 6 hours before we were going to eat dinner. Then Carlos one of our awesome ward missionaries handed me a box of cheerios while we were talking before church. I called it manna from heaven and opened the box right then. Brother Dodds a councilor in the bishopric, and Sister Murphy gave me a really hard time for it. Well at least I left a funny memory behind my last Sunday in the Harrison Park ward... Sister Blood walking around with a box of chocolate cheerios... "ya do what'cha can!"

 

Love you all SO much

Sister Blood

Brother Hamilton, Brother Dobbs, Sister Blood, Sister Murphy
Laura

Brother & Sister Field, Sister Murphy, Sister Blood, Sandra (Laura's daughter)
Laura

Laura's Baptismal Program

                        

                  Sister Blood walking around with a box of chocolate cheerios... "ya do what'cha can!"

Sister Murphy went back when I went forward and I ended up biting the back of her head. OW!
 The picture captured it right after it happened.

Laura's Baptism Scheduled for Saturday

Dear Family and Friends,

 

Happy Mid July! Is anyone else super confused about how it is the middle of July already? Where in the world has time gone?

Happy Day yesterday, LAURA WAS AT CHURCH! This is so exciting for me especially because it means that she will be getting baptized this Saturday! The best part about that is it is the last Saturday of this transfer, which means I will be at her baptism! I feel so blessed to have been able to find her and work with her all of the way to baptism, there really is nothing quite like seeing someone change like that!

We have TWO new families that both show a lot of potential, especially a Mom and Daughter we found on Friday and then taught on Saturday. The daughter is 14 and wants to be close to God more than anything. About 6 months ago out of the blue she told her mom she needed to be going to church and was baptized at their church. She is really excited to be learning from us and has been writing down all of the questions so she can ask us. She did the reading we left her and was really excited to have us come back again! We get to go teach them again on Tuesday. When we asked them if they would be baptized if they came to know this was true through prayer, she said of course. When her mom was a bit more hesitant at the thought, she said that she knew if this was what God wanted this was the way she had to go! They are both on date for baptism in August!

 

Love you all,

Sister Blood

LAURA CAME TO CHURCH!

Dear Family and Friends,

I really shouldn't save my group email until the end, it makes it really hard to make sure I have enough time to get all of my thoughts in order. Well really there is one overall even this week that sums up everything... LAURA CAME TO CHURCH! She actually made it this week after 4 months of working with her she came! She said she is excited to come next week and be baptized the week after on July 19! July 19 may just be the best day of my life, at least so far. She has gone 11 days now without smoking and as she puts in the blessing she got really worked because she is not "climbing the walls" as she feels the withdrawal from nicotine. Best part about when she gets baptized is we will need some addition priesthood holders to help baptize her since she has a very crippled spine. She is awesome and I am so excited to see how much she has changed since I met her.

The Gospel really is true and if it wouldn't we wouldn't have had the people come into the fold at the rate we do. Miracles happen which is why our mission will reach our goal this month of 75 baptisms in July! Keep us in your prayers that we can find and help all 75 of the children of God we are supposed to this month. It's going to be amazing!

Oh and Sister Murphy decided we had had enough of Satan getting us down, so at the beginning of the week she made a sign and posted it on the wall. Needless to say this week was awesome and I don't go a day without remembering I can have the power to not let Satan get to me! Sometimes it is hard but that is why Heavenly Father gives us missionaries amazing support systems like parents and good friends to give us the words we need to hear to get up "kick Satan in the knees" and get moving forward. So thank you Mom, Carie, and Matt for your words and advice I cannot explain how much they helped me this week!

Love you all!

Sister Blood

P.S. Derby Zone is Da Bomb!

  Sister Murphy decided we had had enough of Satan getting us down,
so at the beginning of the week she made a sign and posted it on the wall.

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!"