Happy New Year!

Happy new year!

 

Transfers are on Monday. I'm pretty sure (or at least kinda hoping) I'll be shipped out, but we'll see what happens. 7 1/2 months is a long time for a missionary to be in an area.

This Saturday should be a good one for us. We've got 3 baptisms planned. 2 are some OAY's, a 10 and 12 year old who we've been teaching since September are finally getting baptized. The step dad wants to baptize them, but couldn't till they got married. they got married a few weeks ago, and the baptism is planned for Saturday. The interview is on Wednesday, but I'm pretty sure they'll pass.

The other is a YSA. She was referred by some other elders, and she took to us right away. We've only been teaching her 2-3 weeks now, but her baptism was set for the 12th, but we moved it up to the 5th so she could go with the ward to a temple trip they're having. I feel she's ready for it, so it was no problem. It's exciting to see all this happen before transfers. I was hoping I'd be able to see these investigators get baptized before I leave, and now I can = ]. There's still one more investigator I would like to see baptized (scheduled for the 19th of January), but hopefully I wont go to far so I can see it happen. He's a 10 year old kid that's pretty fun to teach. I always love going over there.

 

It seems like all we teach is kids right now. It's been pretty fun, I always love working with the kids. Early on in the mission I didn't like teaching kids, they were always hard to teach since they couldn't understand as much, but now I love it. I love being with the families. It's pretty funny, Elder Shumway is the youngest of 2, so he's not as used to all the noise and commotion, but I love it. I fit right in with those families. Sometimes I think I rile the kids up more than calm em down. But it's fun, I love it.

It's been snowing for the past week. It's been scary to drive in. The car just doesn't seems to wanna stop! I was making a right turn, and the car just kept going. I ended up turning a 180, it was pretty scary.

well, take care everyone!

Elder Blomquist

Slow Down Story

Another week come and gone. It's pretty boring here in Idaho, no interesting stories. Well, I guess there is one.

 

So we were driving home one night, going about 25 mph, and some guy with his arm outstretched in the middle of the road. I don't wanna hit him so I stop and roll my window down and he comes up and is like "SLOW DOWN, IT'S A NEIGHBORHOOD. 10 MILES AN HOUR (holding up 8 fingers)". I know he's not all the way there, so I'm just like "ok, I can do that" to which he replies "10 miles an hour, Jesus loves you." I drove off after that (going 10 miles an hour) and he yells "TOO FAST". I just ignore it and keep going and he stops another car coming the opposite direction and does the same thing. There's the funny for the week.

Got to go to the temple last Friday. Been about 14 months since I've last gone, and there was a big difference. There was a feeling and a power there I've not felt for that long. It was good to get back and feel that spirit again. We're able to go about once a month, and we're encouraged to find a family name to do. That'll be exciting.

I don't really know what to say... This is a short letter, but over the next 2 weeks (not gonna email Christmas Eve) there's lots happening, so I'll make up for the short letter. I got a package coming home too, so if it doesn't get there before Christmas, don't open it till the 25th!!!

Love ya,

Elder Blomquist

Single Digits Until I Come Home

Friday is my 15 month mark... that far already? That puts me in single digits till I come home (not that I'm counting down or anything).

 

 

I'm ready to leave Nampa. 5 transfers is a long time to stay in an area. We're finding work okay, but it's been a mental struggle for me. There should be a couple baptisms coming up in the next few weeks though, so that'd be good. All this work I've put into this area (well, some of it) should be paying off pretty soon. This has been my favorite area by far; I've learned so much, grown so much, had a lot of work, and have had a lot of fun while I've been here, but I'm ready to leave. It's time for me to go to a new area.

 

 

We had another marriage on Friday. Our investigator's parents got married (mom and step dad) and now they can get baptized (step dad wanted to baptize them, but couldn't until they got married). We're meeting with them later today to set that up and get through the details. Been waiting for this since late September, it's good to finally see it happen.

 

 

I think I'm starting to get more comfortable as a district leader. I gave some training at a zone meeting we had, and I think I did alright on this one. What made it worse was that President and Sister Cannon showed up to this zone meeting. I was already worried about giving the training, this was my 2nd one, and THEN I hear that President is gonna be there... talk about nervous. But I think I did fine. But now I've had some more responsibility added. District leaders now have to inspect the cars in their district. I don't know how to do a lot of the stuff on there. Luckily I know a mechanic who can show me how to do everything I need to.

 

 

So Christmas is coming up, y'all ready to skype? I think we got a place for it, but not 100% sure yet. I don't know what we're doing for Christmas yet. There's one family we're gonna be seeing, but there's a lot more we wanna hit up. You said earlier works better for y'all? I know we'll be calling on Christmas Eve to set it all up, but a tentative time now would be good so we can schedule our day.

 

 

I've been having a bit of trouble lately. Lately it's been getting harder for me to sit still. Church and meetings mostly, but I can't sit still for as long as I used to. My knees start aching, my fingers get fidgety, and it gets hard for me to focus as it drags on. It's not as bad in lessons, but my fingers still start to fidget and usually resort to picking my nails or cracking my knuckles, both of which probably aren't the best things to be doing. I don't know if there's anything I can do to help alleviate any of that, but if y'all have any suggestions that'd be nice.

 

 

Well, I need to go. See y'all pretty soon!

Elder Blomquist

December Already

Can you believe it's December already? December puts me into single digits... crazy right?

So, been a hard week for me I'd say. I had my 1st baptism interview last Wednesday, and that was terrifying. 1st district meeting last Friday, and that was bad too, not been the best week for me. But even so, there's been some good.  Interview wasn't bad, I was just nervous. The guy was prepared and ready, but it was just the fact that I can do them now. It took me about an hour afterwards to recover from the shock of it all. District meeting I'm in charge of doing the trainings. I was not prepared for this one. I knew the material, got ready for it, but it didn't turn out as I had planned it and wasn't the best.

Today for P-day we went and chopped down a Christmas tree!! I think this is gonna be the 1st year I've had a real one (at least that I can remember). It took pretty much all day though. We drove up into the mountains where our ward mission leader has a cabin, chopped the tree, and had lunch. We left at 9 and got back about 4:30 or so. It was a long day, lots of driving, but it was fun. They also gave us some extra decorations, so expect pictures soon!

We should be looking at a couple baptisms next month. Cross your fingers they happen. One person we've been teaching since I got here and never really made much progress until recently. He's 9 and his family hasn't been to church basically at all since I've been here till about last week, and they're getting ready to come back to activity and get this done. Scheduled for the 22nd.

 

Another person who's scheduled for the 22nd is the best friend of a family I've become pretty close with. They live in a different stake, So I don't know how we're gonna do this. I don't want it to be a "you live in a different stake so you can't come here" type deal, but at the same time, they do live in that boundary and we need to respect the rules. Setting up a visit with the bishop of that ward to see what he thinks about it.

That's been the week pretty much. Nothing too major. We're starting to get busy again. But I'm kinda ready to leave Nampa. 7 1/2 months in one area is a loooong time to be there. About half the people we're teaching I've been teaching for 6 months already and have made little or no progress (they're starting too, but it's been a long haul to get here). The rest are new people who every time we schedule an appointment something comes up and they have to reschedule. It's been frustrating lately. Every month I pick an attribute I wanna work on, and this month is patience. IT's taken a lot of patience and faith in the Lord's timing rather than my own to keep me out there trying to be effective. It's not been easy, but there's been some good lessons learned through it all. I love everyone we're teaching, they're all awesome people, but it can be frustrating at times when everything falls through.

well, gotta go now. Take care everyone!

Elder Blomquist