NBD

NBD = No big deal

 

NBD, I have a new companion. Her name is Hermana Sorensen. Soooooo we were in the MTC together, I was one week ahead of her but we were in the same zone. I may have mentioned in my MTC emails how there was another white girl in the whole zone? This is her! We had bonded over our paleness and white-Spanish. By the way, her call was to Argentina, so there was NO WAY I was ever to see her again.

But here she is! She is here in the Oregon Salem mission waiting for her Visa. We are training each other for the this next transfer, even though both of us are about 6 weeks out from the MTC. When she came out of the transfer van, I couldn't even believe it. I almost cried.

 

I LOVE HERMANA SORENSEN. We get along FANTASTIC-ly. She is so optimistic, loving, spiritual, and in lessons she always comes up with the things that I forget to say. And apparently I come up with the things that she forgets to mention. She lived in Chile for 3 years so she understands and speaks Spanish 100%. She also thinks I'm hilarious so therefore I automatically like her even more. We have the same ideas toward missionary work, the same vision for our lives, same definition of obedience, and we both think Merlin is the greatest TV show ever. If this isn't love, I don't know what is.

 

We are praying that she stays with me as long as she can, then goes to Argentina! Because I refuse to let her leave me for anything less than that!

 

NBD, because she knows Spanish, we are now recontinuing the Spanish work. The goal is to set up a Spanish group. We are aiming to set up a Spanish sacrament meeting mid-October as an experimental trial to see who would attend if we get word out (A lot of the Spanish members have been driving 20 minutes to the Spanish branch that is out of our mission/stake entirely). The mission president , President Samuleian, and the 2nd counselor, President Aguiar (he's in charge of the Spanish stuff) are meeting this week and are discussing more about it. So we will see how it goes.

 

Also, NBD, we have a baptism!

 

Okay, we didn't do a whole lot. Harvey Cross is 16-years-old and has been going to church since he was like 4 with his grandma who is in our ward. He has his own scriptures, goes to seminary, and has taken the lessons like 4 times. But he didn't have permission to get baptized from his very-less-active mom until yesterday. A member in the ward had taken Harvey under his wing a long time ago (funny how this whole MEMBERS ARE THE MISSIONARIES thing works, isn't it?!?!) and had a heart to heart with his mom. She gave her permission, and Hermana Sorensen and I sat down with Harvey yesterday and seriously told him about baptism and the responsiblities it requires and the blessings that it brings. He told us how badly he wants the priesthood, and to take on the name of Christ, and to have eternal life. He's so ready. We were with the member family (did you catch that? MEMBER FAMILY) that bonded with Harvey, and by the end of the lesson, everyone was in tears.

 

So, he's getting baptized THIS SATURDAY!

 

In this stance we didn't do a whole lot, but I'm so grateful that as a missionary I get to see people like Harvey, want to go through the gateway of baptism in order to receive ALL the blessings Heavenly Father has to offer. Not many people realize that Heavenly Father has all these gifts and blessings and good things that He just wants to shower you with! And all you really have to do is follow His commandments (which includes baptism & repentance) and serve and live righteously. Strive to live like the Savior, and you will receive everything. Honestly, who has the better end of the deal?

 

As a challenge for you all, I want you to think about your own personal conversion story. Yeah, some of us were born into the church, but if you are anything like me, I really wasn't converted until much later in life. What are you doing to strengthen your conversion? What are you doing to strengthen your testimony and your foundation on Christ? Remember, the atonement is not just for bad people to become good, it's for good people to become better.

 

Con mucho amor,

Hermana Blanchard