Week 53 One Year!

Dear Family and Friends,

Despite my own doubts I have now been a missionary for a year as of Thursday! I can't believe it's actually be a whole year, it feels like an eternity, but at the same time the longer I am out the less time it actually feels like has passed since I was at home. 

This week was awesome! We didn't have a lot of success other then the 11 Less Actives that came to church. We seem to be in a drought of investigators since we now have 1 solid and 1 not so solid investigator. We kept on going with faith and I know that God will bless us as we keep going forward with great faith that Heavenly Father will provide as we are obedient and steadfast! 

I've been reading Jesus the Christ this week. Wow that book is super addictive! Sadly we don't have as much time as I would like to spend reading everyday, but what time I do get builds my faith and knowledge of Christ so much! I know that he is my savior and that he really lived and walked this earth!

Love

Sister Blood!

Elder Shaffer with the hole he carved in his pie. 

Sister Blood and Sister Deppe out Tracting

The perks of your cousin serving in the Mission office, you get notes of encouragement on the back of your packages that have a "lay over" in the mission office.

Lake Shawnee = New Beginnings

Dear Family and Friends,

This week was AWESOME! It was also really long since it felt like two weeks in one with transfers happening. I can't believe it's only been a week since I emailed last. So much happened this week in a very good way! There is so much I am not sure where to start.

Leaving JC was really hard since I love so many of the members there, but it was good. Going down to Wichita was kind of an adventure since we almost lost my bike off the bike rack because of how much the wind was blowing on the way down, plus the added wind pull as the semi passed us going the opposite direction on the little highways almost proved to be to much for my bike. It was CRAZY how cold the wind was while we were out getting the bike re-attached for the last little bit to Wichita, I can't even explain how cold and painful it felt. With the windchill it would have been at least -10 below! On the way back up to Topeka we had to stop twice to fix my bike, then the Spanish Elders were nice and stuck it on their rack which worked much better. It was a really long day of driving, but it was cool to finally get to TopC (Topeka City). 

Lake Shawnee Ward is the 

East and South part of the city. It includes another ghetto which I am excited to see, and an Air Force, Air Field (Forbes Field). Both having super ghetto parts and a military area, in my area are common themes, of all my areas so far. 

Super cool miracle was meeting some recent converts and the investigator who lives with them. Sister Deppe was kind of nervous because they don't usually like new people and they are easy to offend. As we were sitting talking to them I got a really strong impression to share a Jewish Parable a friend who just got back from their mission to Ohio shared with me that Monday. The spirit was crazy strong and it was exactly what they needed to hear because of the trials they are going through. After I finish and testified to them of how important it is to put God first in all things they looked at each other and one said. "Wow I really like her." "Yes, I think we are going to learn a lot from her!" We were totally amazed at how the spirit worked! I love inspiration! I love when people feel inspired to share things with me in emails and then that week I share it with someone and it is exactly what then needed to hear! It's awesome! 

Another crazy moment was going with the Ward Missionary Ben (who is a recent convert of 6 months) to see an investigator Shelbi. A member who lives in the same house as them and is also her Ex-boyfriend was sitting in and was a super "dark cloud" and little devil. I couldn't focus and the spirit was gone because of the contentious spirit he was bringing in. I felt so strongly he needed to leave the room, so we could talk with Shelbi alone. So filled with the spirit I turned and asked him to please leave the room so we could have a lesson with just her. He was pretty offended but he left the room. We said another opening prayer and the spirit returned to the room. Ben had his Jaw on the floor and told me I was a "Bad-A" missionary, and that I had more guts then any other missionary he knows. It was a surreal moment feeling so strongly the need for the guy to leave and feeling the spirit fill me as I told him to leave and he did. The lesson was amazing with Shelbi and really helped her and us to know what she needs and wants as she comes closer to Christ. 

The next day when we saw the Member I asked to leave the room, he told us how he had been offended and upset, but how as he was pondering on it and thinking about it he had personal revelation about how he needed to change and be better. He wasn't upset anymore! It was crazy! Lesson learned this week, NEVER BE AFRAID TO FOLLOW THE SPIRIT, even when your head tells you it's a crazy thing to do!

Love you all! 

Sister Blood

Lake Shawnee Sister! Ya-ya 

Gas Prices below $2

Silly Picture of Sister Blood & Sister Palmer

Sister Deppe & Sister Blood

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.

Merry Christmas

Dear Family and Friends,

I am working on being more positive. This week was kind of hard but pretty awesome too! We saw a lot of miracles that aren't really showing in our numbers for the week. We had 3 less actives come to church, including a young woman who could be the key to reactivating her entire family and getting them finally to the temple. That was really exciting to have her at church! We also had two young adult women who showed up at the church during the branch time. They want to learn how to play the organ. They ended up talking to a member during the second hour about the church culture/organs/ our religion. Then they came with us to Relief Society. We gave them book of Mormons and they are going to come to the baptism on Noche Blanca, (Spanish for White Night, it is the baptism that will take place on Christmas Eve). They are also going to use our organ with Sister Bohman helping them. Who knew learning to play the organ could get someone interesting in our church. Though I guess if teaching English works for some missionaries I guess learning to teach Organ could work here in JC!

I have really come to appreciate and love CHRISTmas so much more this year. As different and sometimes hard as it has been this year being away from family for Christmas this has been one of the best Christmas seasons I have ever had. Why? Because without the world playing it X-mas tune all around me I have been able to see so clearly how Christmas is about Christ. Everything points back to Christ. I don't know if any of you have picked this out, (and if you did I am guessing you are a missionary and have been privileged to see He is the Gift a least a hundred times); in the beginning shots of the video where it is showing the craziness of the Christmas season every single shot has something that is red in it! I am not joking, go watch it again and see if you notice it! Red is the color most connected with Christ, so my interpretation is that Christ is in everything we do at Christmas. My challenge to you is to make sure in the last few days of the wonderful season remember who this season is really about! 

Merry Christmas!

Sister Blood

The Branch and Spanish Elders with Santa

Branch Christmas party -Sister Palmer, Santa, and Sister Blood

FHE last Monday, The Elders and Santa

50 Degrees and still no snow

Dear Family and Friends,

 Good Afternoon to ya'll! Its been a nice, very un-December like week here in Kansas! According to the car thermometer it was in the 70s yesterday, though with the cold north wind it felt more like 50. There is just something wrong with being in ,the middle of December and not having to wear a jacket or a coat outside. I really want snow, but most Kansans don't like the snow very much. It just goes to show that I really am a Utah born and raised kind of person. 

The cool miracle of the week was that we had 4 Sisters come to church yesterday who don't usually come! It made it completely worth the 30 miles we used driving to Wakefield to see one of them Saturday since that was the last thing she needed to get her to come to church the next day! 

The Branch has been doing a good job of trying to reach out and serve the Ortega family. The Ortega's friends have told us and other friends of their's, how impressed they have been with how the church has reached out to the family and done service for them (like the cleaning of the house, and repainting the bathroom). I am very grateful for what they did, especially with it being Christmas time and people are really busy. 

Here are some pictures of the tree as promised!

Love Sister Blood

Sister Blood & Sister Palmer, their little tree

Sister Palmer, Trimming the Tree

Gifts and Beautiful Little Tree

This was a pretty long week

Dear Family and Friends,

This was a pretty long week, and I don't remember what we did for most of it... typical.

We were able to go and see Adrian and Rachael in Manhattan. They looked pretty weighted down, which was hard to see since they are usually so happy and funny. Thank you for the prayers for their family, they help. We had some awesome members in the Branch who stepped up and volunteered to help with cleaning their house and repainting the bathroom. We, well mostly I, was really stressed about it, but they were amazing at being willing to help out this new family. 

On a positive note, after 5 weeks of coughing and mucous, three different doctors in 2 different towns... I was finally told what I have that is making me sick, and it's not Kansas Crud. I have a sinus infection! Yay! I am happy to finally be on medication that is clearing it up even though I am still not up to full strength I am happy that I am getting a little bit better every day! 

We have a new investigator that the Branch Elders handed over to us that is pretty nice. Her name is Emily/Emma. She is really nice and was really excited to come to church yesterday. There was a pretty intense moment when she decided to bare her testimony, I didn't need to worry, she did a great job. It is one of the more interesting parts of covering two different wards is seeing how different the two services can be in the same area.

Another fun part of this week was how our apartment is starting to look like Christmas! Sister Palmer's mother sent her an itty bitty 9 inch tree ( almost a foot including the base) with ornament. That plus the lights we found in the closet are helping to make our place look like Christmas! I actually forgot my camera today so I will have to send pictures next week. 

Love to all, Sister Blood

Sad news of our Resent Convert

Dear Family and Friends,

This is not the weekly letter I was expecting to write today, I feel kind of numb and am not sure what to say so it will probably be short.

Our Recent Convert Leigh committed suicide this morning. This is a really hard time for their family so please keep them in your prayers that they will find comfort in the Saviors love and that we as a Branch will be able to pull together and help them know they are loved and that there was a divine reason they were baptized as a family just weeks before this tragedy struck. 

On a positive note my new companion Sister Palmer is awesome and I am really excited for this upcoming transfer!

If you haven't yet seen the new video by the church YOU NEED TO! The website is Christmas.Mormon.org   . Watch the video, share it and then follow the council of the prophets to discover, embrace, and share the gift this Christmas season! It's going to be an amazing Christmas 2014! 

Love you all,

Sister Blood