Welcome to Sister Blasko's Missionary Blog!! It will be updated weekly by Sister Blasko's amazing Mom as Sister Blasko is serving an 18-month mission for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in the Utah, Salt Lake City Central Mission to share the gospel of Jesus Christ.
Her weekly emails home will be posted on this blog so everyone can read about her mission experiences. Hope you all enjoy, and know that she loves you!
(To see Lucia's current blog, visit: facingthefuturewithfaith.weebly.com)
Dec 17, 2013
If any of ye lack wisdom, let him ask of God! That's how we can know of all truth! Here is an amazing Mormon Message :)
https://www.lds.org/youth/video/origin?lang=eng#d Love, Sister Lucia Blasko
If any of ye lack wisdom, let him ask of God! That's how we can know of all truth! Here is an amazing Mormon Message :)
https://www.lds.org/youth/video/origin?lang=eng#d Love, Sister Lucia Blasko
We had a miracle this week!!
Dec 10, 2013
My companion and I are going to try and take an investigator to the temple on Saturday so our whole family can be at the temple on Lyss's wedding day! We will work hard this week to do it! I can't believe she is getting married this week! Crazy crazy.
I can't wait to Skype all of you in a few weeks!
We also have some baptisms coming the same week as Christmas. There was a pretty big miracle that happened this week! We have several people working towards baptism, and a requirement for baptism is to come to church at least 3 times before. That meant the people on date ALL needed to come to church this last Sunday in order to still be baptized in the month of December (gift to Christ!). We worked so hard this last week to make sure each one of them would make it to church, then on Saturday night we went to confirm and we either couldn't get a hold of them or they didn't want to go anymore!! Sunday morning before leaving Sister T and I knelt and prayed together that people would have the desire to come that day. I felt so exhausted and beaten, we really had tried our hardest. We prayed with Faith that Heavenly Father would change their hearts and that they would still come. With tears streaming down our faces we got up and headed to go round people up! (We called some rides to pick us up before each sacrament meeting- we have 4!) Guess what family- we knocked on several of our investigators doors and said "It's time for church! We have a ride and an extra seat for you!" Their responses- "OK! We will go get dressed!" NINE people hopped in the cars and came to church with us. I know Heavenly Father can soften and change hearts, and I know that when we do literally ALL we can do, Heavenly Father makes up for the rest.
I love the gospel so much! I feel so humbled to be outside in below freezing weather and snow especially at Christmas time. Jesus Christ descended below all and suffered everything. I can suffer a little bit, especially for His name's sake. I love My Savior Jesus Christ! This time of the year feels so sacred as a missionary. This work is sacred to bring souls unto Christ. It is really going to be the best Christmas ever this year because I get to be like Christ and serve HIM :)
I love you so much! Keep being happy :)
Love,
Sister Blasko :)
THANK YOU!!!!!! I LOVED THEM BOTH!!!!!
Dear Family and Friends, Dec 10, 2013
THANK YOU!!!!!! I LOVED THEM BOTH!!!!!
I love love LOVE the new scriptures! I've been so so careful with them, and am working on marking preach my gospel scriptures in them.
And the poster from our Ward- wow. I can't even describe how happy I was when my companion unrolled it! I felt SO happy! A touch of love from back home. Thank you everyone :) It was especially fun to find each sibling's writing scattered on the poster, and a note from Mom and Dad and people I love! Thank you so much. That was one of the best gifts ever!
Sister Lucia Blasko
Beat the President Thanksgiving 5k!
Dec 3, 2103
This is our Beat the President Thanksgiving 5k. We didn't beat him but we ran the whole time. It was so fun to run with my trainer again!! I love sister Crockett!
A picture of our generations- 'moms', 'daughters' and 'grandmas' in the mission :)
I have a new companion!
Dec 3, 2013
Sorry I didn't send a long email today :( I have a new companion. she is from Samoa. she is super super cute and we have fun! Gotta go, I'll send pictures! Can't wait to talk to you soon! Love you!
Sister Lucia Blasko
Sorry I didn't send a long email today :( I have a new companion. she is from Samoa. she is super super cute and we have fun! Gotta go, I'll send pictures! Can't wait to talk to you soon! Love you!
Sister Lucia Blasko
Lucia's Advice on How to Be A Great Missionary!
(A friend was making a booklet of advice for her sister who was getting ready to serve a mission so we asked Lucia what her advice is)
Lucia: Hmmm that's a tough one.
1. Be EXACTLY obedient. Even if other missionaries make it seem less cool. They are just misled- it's the COOLEST :)
2. Be HAPPY. You're doing the Lord's work! If you do what He asked you to do, you will have success in the end (Ether 12:37)
3. SLEEP WELL. "If you can lay your head down on your pillow and know you did everything you could that day to bring souls unto Christ, you can know you were a successful missionary that day" Elder Arnold
4. Love the Lord, and serve Him with all your heart, might, mind, and strength (D&C 4) :) LOVE your mission <3
5. Keep a journal and write in it every day! Crazy, unreal, hilarious, ridiculous things happen every single day!! You won't remember later so write them down!! :)
Lucia: Hmmm that's a tough one.
1. Be EXACTLY obedient. Even if other missionaries make it seem less cool. They are just misled- it's the COOLEST :)
2. Be HAPPY. You're doing the Lord's work! If you do what He asked you to do, you will have success in the end (Ether 12:37)
3. SLEEP WELL. "If you can lay your head down on your pillow and know you did everything you could that day to bring souls unto Christ, you can know you were a successful missionary that day" Elder Arnold
4. Love the Lord, and serve Him with all your heart, might, mind, and strength (D&C 4) :) LOVE your mission <3
5. Keep a journal and write in it every day! Crazy, unreal, hilarious, ridiculous things happen every single day!! You won't remember later so write them down!! :)
I LOVE the temple!
Hello! Nov 26, 2013
The Herrera family was baptized this weekend!! Luis, Mariana, and Ana! they all picked someone different to baptize them! The ward LOVES their family! And so do we :) Next week I will have to write their conversion story they told to us sunday- IT IS AMAZING :) One of the epics!
Eric (smaller man) was also baptized!! He is slightly crazy and loopy but we love him!
We got to go to the Jordan temple as a mission!! It was amazing :) I LOVE the temple :)
Love,
Sister Blasko
The Herrera family was baptized this weekend!! Luis, Mariana, and Ana! they all picked someone different to baptize them! The ward LOVES their family! And so do we :) Next week I will have to write their conversion story they told to us sunday- IT IS AMAZING :) One of the epics!
Eric (smaller man) was also baptized!! He is slightly crazy and loopy but we love him!
We got to go to the Jordan temple as a mission!! It was amazing :) I LOVE the temple :)
Love,
Sister Blasko
Like the 2000 Strippling Warriors!
Hello Family and Friends! Nov. 19, 2013
Guess what- ERIC AND THE HERRERA FAMILY ARE BEING BAPTIZED AND CONFIRMED THIS WEEKEND!!
We are so so proud of all four of them. Eric chose to quit smoking on the spot in order to be baptized on the 23rd, and the Sister Herrera had to take a step of faith and ask for Sundays off of work. She has gotten the next Sunday off, and is working to get all Sundays off. She is working for 10am-9pm just so that she can come to church on Sundays- what great faith her and her family have!! We love them so so much!
I can't remember much that happened this past week. It was a hard working, good week :) I can't believe Thanksgiving is already here!! And that Christmas is just around the corner! It is slowly getting colder and colder here so just have to bear with the tough snow a little bit longer! (I still hate snow :) )
Also, please keep the people from the Philippines in your prayers from the disasters recently caused there. Everyone has been telling us about the 10 sister missionaries who got trapped in their house and finally were able to escape and make it to safety. They had to evacuate all 200 of the missionaries in that area and with the power and mercy of God all missionaries were accounted for a carried to safety! That makes me think of the 2000 strippling warriors (a story in the Book of Mormon), who were by the way young men thought of as "sons", and builds my testimony that the Lord protects those who He calls and who fight for Him, and just like these missionaries "there was not one soul of them who did perish."
I love the Lord! Jesus Christ and our Father in Heaven have become my two best friends as I have fought like these strippling warriors on my mission. There are many struggles, heartaches, joys, sorrows, amazing miracles, tender mercies, and through them all they have stood by my side. I love them so much. I look forward to the day when I can stand in front of them and kiss their feet and tell them in person how grateful I am for them. I will then give them both great big hugs :) (Hopefully they will let me..) I know Heavenly Father has a plan for me. I know He knows each one of our sacrifices and can provide the strength to each one of us to get up and carry own, despite how many times we fall.
I've attached President Uchtdorf's talk titled "You can do it now!" from the Priesthood session- make time to read it :) ---> http://www.lds.org/general-conference/2013/10/you-can-do-it-now
Love you all! And so does the Lord :)
Love,
Sister Blasko
Guess what- ERIC AND THE HERRERA FAMILY ARE BEING BAPTIZED AND CONFIRMED THIS WEEKEND!!
We are so so proud of all four of them. Eric chose to quit smoking on the spot in order to be baptized on the 23rd, and the Sister Herrera had to take a step of faith and ask for Sundays off of work. She has gotten the next Sunday off, and is working to get all Sundays off. She is working for 10am-9pm just so that she can come to church on Sundays- what great faith her and her family have!! We love them so so much!
I can't remember much that happened this past week. It was a hard working, good week :) I can't believe Thanksgiving is already here!! And that Christmas is just around the corner! It is slowly getting colder and colder here so just have to bear with the tough snow a little bit longer! (I still hate snow :) )
Also, please keep the people from the Philippines in your prayers from the disasters recently caused there. Everyone has been telling us about the 10 sister missionaries who got trapped in their house and finally were able to escape and make it to safety. They had to evacuate all 200 of the missionaries in that area and with the power and mercy of God all missionaries were accounted for a carried to safety! That makes me think of the 2000 strippling warriors (a story in the Book of Mormon), who were by the way young men thought of as "sons", and builds my testimony that the Lord protects those who He calls and who fight for Him, and just like these missionaries "there was not one soul of them who did perish."
I love the Lord! Jesus Christ and our Father in Heaven have become my two best friends as I have fought like these strippling warriors on my mission. There are many struggles, heartaches, joys, sorrows, amazing miracles, tender mercies, and through them all they have stood by my side. I love them so much. I look forward to the day when I can stand in front of them and kiss their feet and tell them in person how grateful I am for them. I will then give them both great big hugs :) (Hopefully they will let me..) I know Heavenly Father has a plan for me. I know He knows each one of our sacrifices and can provide the strength to each one of us to get up and carry own, despite how many times we fall.
I've attached President Uchtdorf's talk titled "You can do it now!" from the Priesthood session- make time to read it :) ---> http://www.lds.org/general-conference/2013/10/you-can-do-it-now
Love you all! And so does the Lord :)
Love,
Sister Blasko
We saw miracles happen...
Hey Family! Nov. 5, 2013
This past week has been crazy! I hope you all are doing well and are safe. I'll tell you a little bit about what happened here this week.
Sister Porter and I didn't have the best week last week, so we started this week off determined to have a really good week. We decided that everyone we met we would invite to be baptized. We involved the Lord in this goal and prayed for miracles as we tried to achieve it. Monday night came along and with the Spirit and the Lord's help by the time the night was over 5 more people were on date! We thought well let's keep it going! We kept inviting and guess what- people just kept saying yes. By the end of the week were slightly worried about inviting anyone else because we weren't quite sure how many more people we could handle being on date and trying to get all of them to church and resolving so many peoples concerns. Throughout the week we just felt so inadequate and helpless. We knew we needed help having the faith to get all of these people to church. When sunday rolled around some people started not showing up and we were frantically trying to get them out of bed or even just get a hold of them. Then God blessed us with a miracle. That day 8 new people decided to come to church that day, talked with them in church, stopped by later that night, and ended up getting the majority of those people on date for baptism as well! My thoughts and words in our companionship prayer that night- "Heavenly Father,.....we aren't even sure what happened today.." I know that through exercising our faith and working hard Heavenly Father blessed us with helping people come to church. As we tried to have Faith in Him and remind ourselves that it is His work not ours, and that He has power to help His work progress, we saw miracles happen! It was amazing..
Also, Elder Arnold from the Quorum of the Seventy came to visit our mission this week. It was such a good conference! He focussed on how we could be better servants of the Lord. He is such a powerful speaker. He just does what the Lord tells him to do. After wards he said he wanted to meet with the Zone leaders and sister training leader and my heart pretty much stopped. I was like oh man I don't even know what to say to him! He met with us separately just in our companionship and so when sister porter and I went in there and sat down he said "now think about why you are in here and what we will talk about" and then just got up and walked out!! We were freaking out like "oh man he totally just saw into our souls and is going to chastise us!" I was just sitting there praying like crazy and repenting for anything I might have done that I didn't even know about haha then he came back and everything was ok. He said we were both special and that there was nothing bad about us at all. He talked to us about being leaders and then asked if we had any questions. That was pretty cool to be able to ask a seventy questions!
I know that Christ lives and is our Savior <3
Love you all. Be safe!
Sister Blasko
This past week has been crazy! I hope you all are doing well and are safe. I'll tell you a little bit about what happened here this week.
Sister Porter and I didn't have the best week last week, so we started this week off determined to have a really good week. We decided that everyone we met we would invite to be baptized. We involved the Lord in this goal and prayed for miracles as we tried to achieve it. Monday night came along and with the Spirit and the Lord's help by the time the night was over 5 more people were on date! We thought well let's keep it going! We kept inviting and guess what- people just kept saying yes. By the end of the week were slightly worried about inviting anyone else because we weren't quite sure how many more people we could handle being on date and trying to get all of them to church and resolving so many peoples concerns. Throughout the week we just felt so inadequate and helpless. We knew we needed help having the faith to get all of these people to church. When sunday rolled around some people started not showing up and we were frantically trying to get them out of bed or even just get a hold of them. Then God blessed us with a miracle. That day 8 new people decided to come to church that day, talked with them in church, stopped by later that night, and ended up getting the majority of those people on date for baptism as well! My thoughts and words in our companionship prayer that night- "Heavenly Father,.....we aren't even sure what happened today.." I know that through exercising our faith and working hard Heavenly Father blessed us with helping people come to church. As we tried to have Faith in Him and remind ourselves that it is His work not ours, and that He has power to help His work progress, we saw miracles happen! It was amazing..
Also, Elder Arnold from the Quorum of the Seventy came to visit our mission this week. It was such a good conference! He focussed on how we could be better servants of the Lord. He is such a powerful speaker. He just does what the Lord tells him to do. After wards he said he wanted to meet with the Zone leaders and sister training leader and my heart pretty much stopped. I was like oh man I don't even know what to say to him! He met with us separately just in our companionship and so when sister porter and I went in there and sat down he said "now think about why you are in here and what we will talk about" and then just got up and walked out!! We were freaking out like "oh man he totally just saw into our souls and is going to chastise us!" I was just sitting there praying like crazy and repenting for anything I might have done that I didn't even know about haha then he came back and everything was ok. He said we were both special and that there was nothing bad about us at all. He talked to us about being leaders and then asked if we had any questions. That was pretty cool to be able to ask a seventy questions!
I know that Christ lives and is our Savior <3
Love you all. Be safe!
Sister Blasko
I got to go to my first Mission Leadership Council yesterday!
Hey!!
Oct 29, 2013
I love Sister Porter she is so fun. We have so much fun together and are slightly crazy together. (Still working hard though, no worries ;) )
I got to go to my first Mission Leadership Council yesterday and it was SO COOL!! It's when the leaders of the mission (zone leaders, sister training leaders, and assistants to the President and then President and his wife) and we discuss the state of the mission, where we are at, how we can help specific missionaries and the ones we are over, and our goals and then talk about how we can help our missionaries baptize. It was fun to know the "ins" of the mission and be trusted to be someone that can help improve the mission. We were there from 9:30am to 3pm!! (long meeting huh?) The President took us out to lunch at lunchtime and it was so fun to sit with the missionaries I love so much and discuss missionary things. It was so much fun! President chastened us a little in the beginning about how we can step it up. But I know the Lord chastens those He loves. We also had to prep for this Thursday- we have a Seventy coming to the mission! The leaders of the mission have to be there an hour before because Elder Arnold wants to talk with us before the rest of the missionaries come. I'm kind of excited :D and nervous.
I'll look for Ben to get on email today. I might be getting off soon though...
Sounds like everyone is doing awesome :) Tell people to get on!! How's things with Alyssa's wedding? She sent a pic of her wedding dress- it's so pretty :) She's gonna look so beautiful <3
Yes, it is getting cold here. it is supposed to snow soon, there is already snow on the mountains :( I'm not sure if I'm quite ready for another winter just yet...yikes!
What is everybody doing today?
Could you send pictures of the kids please :)
Love ya! Sister Blasko
I love Sister Porter she is so fun. We have so much fun together and are slightly crazy together. (Still working hard though, no worries ;) )
I got to go to my first Mission Leadership Council yesterday and it was SO COOL!! It's when the leaders of the mission (zone leaders, sister training leaders, and assistants to the President and then President and his wife) and we discuss the state of the mission, where we are at, how we can help specific missionaries and the ones we are over, and our goals and then talk about how we can help our missionaries baptize. It was fun to know the "ins" of the mission and be trusted to be someone that can help improve the mission. We were there from 9:30am to 3pm!! (long meeting huh?) The President took us out to lunch at lunchtime and it was so fun to sit with the missionaries I love so much and discuss missionary things. It was so much fun! President chastened us a little in the beginning about how we can step it up. But I know the Lord chastens those He loves. We also had to prep for this Thursday- we have a Seventy coming to the mission! The leaders of the mission have to be there an hour before because Elder Arnold wants to talk with us before the rest of the missionaries come. I'm kind of excited :D and nervous.
I'll look for Ben to get on email today. I might be getting off soon though...
Sounds like everyone is doing awesome :) Tell people to get on!! How's things with Alyssa's wedding? She sent a pic of her wedding dress- it's so pretty :) She's gonna look so beautiful <3
Yes, it is getting cold here. it is supposed to snow soon, there is already snow on the mountains :( I'm not sure if I'm quite ready for another winter just yet...yikes!
What is everybody doing today?
Could you send pictures of the kids please :)
Love ya! Sister Blasko
I love this area!
Hey!! Oct 22, 2013
I'm doing really well. I love this area. It is HUGE. We are over 4 wards instead of three and it feels like I have to bike forever to get from one end to the other. I love my companion. She is so sweet and just has a lot of love in her heart and for the work. She has only been out for 13 weeks and is 19! She is super excited to work hard and find everyone we can to teach them about Jesus Christ. We have already had a lot of fun times.
Alyssa sent engagement pictures and they are GORGEOUS. Seriously, she is like the most gorgeous person in the world. And super slender. And they both look so good! Who took their engagements? I still can't believe who gorgeous Alyssa looks in her engagement pictures. Like geez laweeze save some for the rest of us!
It's so cute here there are a ton of cute little newlywed couples who are so happy to go do Home Teaching and visits and we see them walking around all the time and they are just like "you want us to go visit anyone? We will bring them this plate of cookies." It's adorable and so fun! I love these wards!
We have this really cute older couple here who loves the missionaries and comes and does our laundry for us. They just come pick it up and then drop it off again with some treats like cookies or homemade candy. They tell us to call them Grandpa and Grandma and are just the cutest!
So yesterday we tracted into these two gay guys about to have dinner and tried sharing the gospel with them, one of them came close to baptism but decided he couldn't because he was gay. They didn't want to hear much about the gospel, but did invite us to come back to get candy on Halloween haha! They were really nice, and told us how they were sad because last year they dressed up and got all ready for trick or treaters but only one kid knocked on their door. We were like we'll come back for candy! Hahah. It's sad the confusion that Satan causes in the world. So many people just don't know, or can't accept God or His commandments.
Love,
Sister Lucia Blasko
I'm doing really well. I love this area. It is HUGE. We are over 4 wards instead of three and it feels like I have to bike forever to get from one end to the other. I love my companion. She is so sweet and just has a lot of love in her heart and for the work. She has only been out for 13 weeks and is 19! She is super excited to work hard and find everyone we can to teach them about Jesus Christ. We have already had a lot of fun times.
Alyssa sent engagement pictures and they are GORGEOUS. Seriously, she is like the most gorgeous person in the world. And super slender. And they both look so good! Who took their engagements? I still can't believe who gorgeous Alyssa looks in her engagement pictures. Like geez laweeze save some for the rest of us!
It's so cute here there are a ton of cute little newlywed couples who are so happy to go do Home Teaching and visits and we see them walking around all the time and they are just like "you want us to go visit anyone? We will bring them this plate of cookies." It's adorable and so fun! I love these wards!
We have this really cute older couple here who loves the missionaries and comes and does our laundry for us. They just come pick it up and then drop it off again with some treats like cookies or homemade candy. They tell us to call them Grandpa and Grandma and are just the cutest!
So yesterday we tracted into these two gay guys about to have dinner and tried sharing the gospel with them, one of them came close to baptism but decided he couldn't because he was gay. They didn't want to hear much about the gospel, but did invite us to come back to get candy on Halloween haha! They were really nice, and told us how they were sad because last year they dressed up and got all ready for trick or treaters but only one kid knocked on their door. We were like we'll come back for candy! Hahah. It's sad the confusion that Satan causes in the world. So many people just don't know, or can't accept God or His commandments.
Love,
Sister Lucia Blasko
I'M GETTING TRANSFERRED!!
Date: Oct 15, 2013 5:44 PM
Hi Family and Friends!! ANOTHER week has passed by so fast! I can't even remember what happened this last week! All I know is that it flew by.
Well guess what- I"M GETTING TRANSFERRED!! Going back to Taylorsville! I'll be in a new area in Taylorsville.
My new address will be:
1093 Jersulam Place
Taylorsville, Utah 84123
Also, I get to be a Sister Training Leader! I am so excited! It's a new thing as of April of this year. For the most part I'll be helping train the sisters in the mission by going on exchanges with them and training at zone conferences. I don't feel like an old missionary out here, more like I just left the MTC, but now I only have 4 transfers left! It's crazy! I really love my mission. I really love my Mission President and his wife. They are my parents away from home and take care of all of us, and I really appreciate them :)
I love the gospel. I love the Savior. He is my best friend. I have gained a testimony of prayer, especially lately. One of the most precious moments of the day is when I get to kneel down at night and pray to my Father in Heaven. My mission has taught me how to listen when I pray, and how to really communicate with God every night. I love Him a lot :)
Thanks for all of the support. I love you all <3 Please be safe and please keep reading and praying!
Sister Blasko
p.s. for everyone who has written me- thank you so much! I love and appreciate your letters! Sorry I have not been able to write many of you back. I will be working on that these next couple of P-days :)
Have a great week!
Hi Family and Friends!! ANOTHER week has passed by so fast! I can't even remember what happened this last week! All I know is that it flew by.
Well guess what- I"M GETTING TRANSFERRED!! Going back to Taylorsville! I'll be in a new area in Taylorsville.
My new address will be:
1093 Jersulam Place
Taylorsville, Utah 84123
Also, I get to be a Sister Training Leader! I am so excited! It's a new thing as of April of this year. For the most part I'll be helping train the sisters in the mission by going on exchanges with them and training at zone conferences. I don't feel like an old missionary out here, more like I just left the MTC, but now I only have 4 transfers left! It's crazy! I really love my mission. I really love my Mission President and his wife. They are my parents away from home and take care of all of us, and I really appreciate them :)
I love the gospel. I love the Savior. He is my best friend. I have gained a testimony of prayer, especially lately. One of the most precious moments of the day is when I get to kneel down at night and pray to my Father in Heaven. My mission has taught me how to listen when I pray, and how to really communicate with God every night. I love Him a lot :)
Thanks for all of the support. I love you all <3 Please be safe and please keep reading and praying!
Sister Blasko
p.s. for everyone who has written me- thank you so much! I love and appreciate your letters! Sorry I have not been able to write many of you back. I will be working on that these next couple of P-days :)
Have a great week!
What if you did have a sign? What would that mean to you?
Hi Family and Friends :) Oct. 8, 2013
We got to go to General Conference this week- it was so fun! Funny story- we thought it would be crowded so we left EXTRA early. The highway was clear, and the streets downtown were empty like a ghost town. Got there in a good half an hour by 7:30am :) ha ha! We brought someone we have been teaching so we had some good time to kill once we got in the Conference Center! It was good though, the talks all seemed to be geared to his concerns about the Word of Wisdom (from Texas and he loves his iced tea). Afterwards walking back to the car we discussed it more and he committed to live it! He will be getting baptized on the 26th of this month!
Mom you will be glad to know for Saturday Conference the sweetest older couple here took us in, forced us to have pancakes, hot chocolate and bacon and ice cream (that was a real tough decision..) and let us watch Conference with them. They took good care of us! It was really really nice to be able to watch Conference in a home with a family who, like ours, lives the gospel and is filled with love :)
A few weeks ago we had a lesson with a man and his girlfriend but it didn't really go anywhere, they just argued with us. We tried a couple times to teach them but each time they didn't want to listen. We decided the best thing would be to give them a break and try again later. The last thing we said to the man who argued he needed proof that God and Jesus were real, we said "what if you did have a sign? What would that mean to you?" A few days ago we got a text from this same man, he asked how we were doing, and told us he had been in a car accident, and should have been dead, and asked if we could come over. When we went over he said the airbag went off suddenly when they were getting onto an exit on the highway, knocked him out and they ended up flipping over the median to the oncoming lane of cars. The car was totaled, the girlfriend with only a cracked chest bone pulled him out with a broken leg and still unconscious. He said they should have been dead and the first thing he thought of when he woke up in the hospital was those words we said to him, "What if you did have a sign? What would that mean to you?" He knew someone more powerful than man saved them. He then said, "I'm listening now, I'm listening." I'm so grateful for God and His tender mercies. Something I learned on my mission is that miracles happen every day. God shows Himself everyday. I know He loves this man and his girlfriend so much. He wants all of His children to make it back to live with Him. I am so grateful for the gospel.
Yesterday Sister Jones and I were supposed to have a lesson with a 16 yr old but were sad when she stood us up again, when we looked at our planners we were sure we planned a back up for that same hour but we didn't! We were just like ok, this never happens, we will just ride around and find someone to talk to. As we rode down the road a car passed us, slammed on the breaks, flipped around, and sped up to us. A young man (17) poked his head out the window and said "Do you have a bible?" We told him we have a Book of Mormon and he said "that is good too, I want to go on a mission when I am 18. Do you have time right now I can learn more" I knew this boy from before and already knew he was of a different faith. We said sure, drove to his house, and gave one of the most powerful Spirit filled lessons I've ever experienced on my mission. The Spirit was so thick! The young man said he has never felt so peaceful in his life! He had made some bad choices in the past and wants to change. he said his first prayer at the end of the lesson and it was so innocent and powerful! He will be getting baptized on November 2nd! He is such a nice and polite kid, I am so excited for him. We can both see him serving a mission in a year!
I love this work, I love the Lord. I know the gospel is true.
I loved all of the talks at Conference, I think one of my favorites was the one on Meekness! I want to be more like Christ!
Love you all, please please be safe!
Sister Blasko :)
We got to go to General Conference this week- it was so fun! Funny story- we thought it would be crowded so we left EXTRA early. The highway was clear, and the streets downtown were empty like a ghost town. Got there in a good half an hour by 7:30am :) ha ha! We brought someone we have been teaching so we had some good time to kill once we got in the Conference Center! It was good though, the talks all seemed to be geared to his concerns about the Word of Wisdom (from Texas and he loves his iced tea). Afterwards walking back to the car we discussed it more and he committed to live it! He will be getting baptized on the 26th of this month!
Mom you will be glad to know for Saturday Conference the sweetest older couple here took us in, forced us to have pancakes, hot chocolate and bacon and ice cream (that was a real tough decision..) and let us watch Conference with them. They took good care of us! It was really really nice to be able to watch Conference in a home with a family who, like ours, lives the gospel and is filled with love :)
A few weeks ago we had a lesson with a man and his girlfriend but it didn't really go anywhere, they just argued with us. We tried a couple times to teach them but each time they didn't want to listen. We decided the best thing would be to give them a break and try again later. The last thing we said to the man who argued he needed proof that God and Jesus were real, we said "what if you did have a sign? What would that mean to you?" A few days ago we got a text from this same man, he asked how we were doing, and told us he had been in a car accident, and should have been dead, and asked if we could come over. When we went over he said the airbag went off suddenly when they were getting onto an exit on the highway, knocked him out and they ended up flipping over the median to the oncoming lane of cars. The car was totaled, the girlfriend with only a cracked chest bone pulled him out with a broken leg and still unconscious. He said they should have been dead and the first thing he thought of when he woke up in the hospital was those words we said to him, "What if you did have a sign? What would that mean to you?" He knew someone more powerful than man saved them. He then said, "I'm listening now, I'm listening." I'm so grateful for God and His tender mercies. Something I learned on my mission is that miracles happen every day. God shows Himself everyday. I know He loves this man and his girlfriend so much. He wants all of His children to make it back to live with Him. I am so grateful for the gospel.
Yesterday Sister Jones and I were supposed to have a lesson with a 16 yr old but were sad when she stood us up again, when we looked at our planners we were sure we planned a back up for that same hour but we didn't! We were just like ok, this never happens, we will just ride around and find someone to talk to. As we rode down the road a car passed us, slammed on the breaks, flipped around, and sped up to us. A young man (17) poked his head out the window and said "Do you have a bible?" We told him we have a Book of Mormon and he said "that is good too, I want to go on a mission when I am 18. Do you have time right now I can learn more" I knew this boy from before and already knew he was of a different faith. We said sure, drove to his house, and gave one of the most powerful Spirit filled lessons I've ever experienced on my mission. The Spirit was so thick! The young man said he has never felt so peaceful in his life! He had made some bad choices in the past and wants to change. he said his first prayer at the end of the lesson and it was so innocent and powerful! He will be getting baptized on November 2nd! He is such a nice and polite kid, I am so excited for him. We can both see him serving a mission in a year!
I love this work, I love the Lord. I know the gospel is true.
I loved all of the talks at Conference, I think one of my favorites was the one on Meekness! I want to be more like Christ!
Love you all, please please be safe!
Sister Blasko :)
It was SO FUN to proselyte with President Moffat!
Hello Family and Friends! Oct. 1, 2013
Another week down! They fly by here so fast! We only have two more weeks in the transfer already- crazy! This transfer really flew by! Sister Jones and I are looking to be the new assistants this next transfer... just kidding ;)
It's beginning to cool down, the cold weather is coming! Oh boy..here comes another winter. It's funny because the poor little trees here will have only part of the tree change color, a random branch, or half the tree haha makes me think of back home the trees just seem to bloom overnight into all different colors bordering the streets! My companion and I are for some reason really really excited for Halloween. Everyone has decorations out and we are secretly hoping President will let us go trick or treating, I'm so gonna be a missionary this year.. ;)
We had three baptisms this last weekend! It was probably the best day I've ever had as a missionary. First one was at 11 in the morning, then 1pm, then 4pm so we got to stay at the church pretty much until 6 at night. Got a ten minute dinner, ate cookies after every baptism, then that night went to a lesson with President Moffat as our member present and had one lesson planned, ended up switching it and winging a plan of salvation lesson. It went to well, and got him on date for baptism for October 26th! Everything went perfectly and then after President got in the car and said "Where are we going next?" and ended up staying out with us the rest of the night! It was SO FUN to proselyte with President! I love our mission President, he is one of my favorite people ever! Saturday and Sunday were definitely rewards from the Lord for working diligently in His vineyard.
Gotta go, love you all so much! Keep being obedient and reading scriptures! I love the Book of Mormon!
SIster Blasko
Another week down! They fly by here so fast! We only have two more weeks in the transfer already- crazy! This transfer really flew by! Sister Jones and I are looking to be the new assistants this next transfer... just kidding ;)
It's beginning to cool down, the cold weather is coming! Oh boy..here comes another winter. It's funny because the poor little trees here will have only part of the tree change color, a random branch, or half the tree haha makes me think of back home the trees just seem to bloom overnight into all different colors bordering the streets! My companion and I are for some reason really really excited for Halloween. Everyone has decorations out and we are secretly hoping President will let us go trick or treating, I'm so gonna be a missionary this year.. ;)
We had three baptisms this last weekend! It was probably the best day I've ever had as a missionary. First one was at 11 in the morning, then 1pm, then 4pm so we got to stay at the church pretty much until 6 at night. Got a ten minute dinner, ate cookies after every baptism, then that night went to a lesson with President Moffat as our member present and had one lesson planned, ended up switching it and winging a plan of salvation lesson. It went to well, and got him on date for baptism for October 26th! Everything went perfectly and then after President got in the car and said "Where are we going next?" and ended up staying out with us the rest of the night! It was SO FUN to proselyte with President! I love our mission President, he is one of my favorite people ever! Saturday and Sunday were definitely rewards from the Lord for working diligently in His vineyard.
Gotta go, love you all so much! Keep being obedient and reading scriptures! I love the Book of Mormon!
SIster Blasko
We are still grateful to be missionaries!
Hey Family! Sept. 24, 2013
CHARLENE AND JON AND MAKAYLA ARE GETTING BAPTIZED THIS SATURDAY!!! This is missionaries pay-day: to be able to witness someone we have seen change because of the gospel make a covenant with God and then be pronounced a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and receive the Gift of the Holy Ghost! It's gotta be the most amazing feeling I've ever felt before. Joy and light fills our hearts! I know Heavenly Father loves His missionaries and really takes care of them while they are away from their families. I love you all so much, I also love being able to help other families take steps closer to becoming an eternal family just like ours!
This week lots of people said no to us, and turned us down. Appointments canceled or fell through. But we are still grateful to be missionaries! And to be able to be on His errand. As I was riding my bike this week, I looked at the Book of Mormon in my hand and thought "I don't know how NOT to be a missionary! What am I gonna do when I get home!?" haha it's true! I feel sad when I think this doesn't last forever. I definitely plan to be a missionary forever (maybe just not with a tag). Let's pray about someone we can share the gospel with as a family! We can help them feel and see what an eternal family can be like, and how their home can feel! Their are a lot of people who just feel helpless and hopeless. I don't think I have seen more random off the street people burst into tears than when I just simply testify to them that God really loves them! People really do wonder if they are important and if someone loves them. We should all let them know through sharing the gospel with them! I know we can do it! (What about the family on the corner, or even Larry? He seems like he could use some extra happiness in his life. Anyone knew that just moved in? Or what about the nice older couple on the corner of Hunting Horn right before turning out onto 103? They are so nice!)
I am glad to hear everyone is doing well. And if this is being read out loud to everyone I want you all to know that I LOVE YOU SO MUCH!!! Please please be safe this week, and I will see you by next summer ;)
Love,
Sister Blasko
CHARLENE AND JON AND MAKAYLA ARE GETTING BAPTIZED THIS SATURDAY!!! This is missionaries pay-day: to be able to witness someone we have seen change because of the gospel make a covenant with God and then be pronounced a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and receive the Gift of the Holy Ghost! It's gotta be the most amazing feeling I've ever felt before. Joy and light fills our hearts! I know Heavenly Father loves His missionaries and really takes care of them while they are away from their families. I love you all so much, I also love being able to help other families take steps closer to becoming an eternal family just like ours!
This week lots of people said no to us, and turned us down. Appointments canceled or fell through. But we are still grateful to be missionaries! And to be able to be on His errand. As I was riding my bike this week, I looked at the Book of Mormon in my hand and thought "I don't know how NOT to be a missionary! What am I gonna do when I get home!?" haha it's true! I feel sad when I think this doesn't last forever. I definitely plan to be a missionary forever (maybe just not with a tag). Let's pray about someone we can share the gospel with as a family! We can help them feel and see what an eternal family can be like, and how their home can feel! Their are a lot of people who just feel helpless and hopeless. I don't think I have seen more random off the street people burst into tears than when I just simply testify to them that God really loves them! People really do wonder if they are important and if someone loves them. We should all let them know through sharing the gospel with them! I know we can do it! (What about the family on the corner, or even Larry? He seems like he could use some extra happiness in his life. Anyone knew that just moved in? Or what about the nice older couple on the corner of Hunting Horn right before turning out onto 103? They are so nice!)
I am glad to hear everyone is doing well. And if this is being read out loud to everyone I want you all to know that I LOVE YOU SO MUCH!!! Please please be safe this week, and I will see you by next summer ;)
Love,
Sister Blasko
I know the Lord definitely protected me
Dear Family and Friends, Sept. 10, 2013
Things are going really well! I love training new Sister Jones! She is amazing!! And super super adorable and kind. We have so much fun together! She is from North Carolina and has an accent (I hope to pick it up in the next 5 weeks :) ) She is NINETEEN! But really really smart and picks things up really fast. I feel like after I do something even just one time she remembers to do it the next. She surprises me because once she catches on it's like she's done it a million times, and it is such a blessing and relief! Because with the amount of people we are teaching I NEED to have someone who can pick things up fast and help overcome concerns! She's great I really love her!
I hope I am a good trainer! It was crazy, her first three days here was craziness because a rare on the spot baptism came up so we had to scramble to get everything ready and had to spend the majority of the day making phone calls, then the next day all our appointments fell through, and then the next one of our investigators came out with a major major concern that had to get cleared up with the Mission President so she got the extremes all in three first days of her mission in the field. Poor girl! Also I wiped out on my bike again, it was pretty intense. We were biking down a hill and behind a shopping area for a shortcut home, and I was trying to put my planner back into my purse and there was a speed bump that apparently no one thought to paint a different color so people would be aware of it's existence, and next thing I knew i was being catapulted into the air and then somehow my bike got stuck on my legs and I ended up tangled with my bike and body skidding across the asphalt for 8 good feet. It was pretty brutal. I know the Lord definitely protected me and am amazed there were no broken bones. Just some pretty gruesome scrapes on my knees and feet and hands. No biggie though. My poor greenie was traumatized and had a slight freak out moment and looked more disgruntled than I did, haha, poor thing, she was already terrified that she had to ride a bike in the first place. I felt so bad that she had to watch it all happen!! But no worries everything is fine. Just more battle wounds and good stories to tell :)
Thanks for sending the card! I LAUGHED SO HARD!! It's so true....haha! Also I LOVE getting Tessa's letters! Tell her I will send one to her soon! She's adorable.
I'm really impressed with Ben's email, I love hearing him bare his testimony, it makes me so grateful that he can be out here serving the Lord and learning to trust HIM :)
I'm excited for the (birthday) package!!! Also, Sister Jones is begging for some of Dad's cookies. I will allow it just one time this transfer if you or Dad feel so inclined to send some.. :)
Love,
Sister Blasko
Things are going really well! I love training new Sister Jones! She is amazing!! And super super adorable and kind. We have so much fun together! She is from North Carolina and has an accent (I hope to pick it up in the next 5 weeks :) ) She is NINETEEN! But really really smart and picks things up really fast. I feel like after I do something even just one time she remembers to do it the next. She surprises me because once she catches on it's like she's done it a million times, and it is such a blessing and relief! Because with the amount of people we are teaching I NEED to have someone who can pick things up fast and help overcome concerns! She's great I really love her!
I hope I am a good trainer! It was crazy, her first three days here was craziness because a rare on the spot baptism came up so we had to scramble to get everything ready and had to spend the majority of the day making phone calls, then the next day all our appointments fell through, and then the next one of our investigators came out with a major major concern that had to get cleared up with the Mission President so she got the extremes all in three first days of her mission in the field. Poor girl! Also I wiped out on my bike again, it was pretty intense. We were biking down a hill and behind a shopping area for a shortcut home, and I was trying to put my planner back into my purse and there was a speed bump that apparently no one thought to paint a different color so people would be aware of it's existence, and next thing I knew i was being catapulted into the air and then somehow my bike got stuck on my legs and I ended up tangled with my bike and body skidding across the asphalt for 8 good feet. It was pretty brutal. I know the Lord definitely protected me and am amazed there were no broken bones. Just some pretty gruesome scrapes on my knees and feet and hands. No biggie though. My poor greenie was traumatized and had a slight freak out moment and looked more disgruntled than I did, haha, poor thing, she was already terrified that she had to ride a bike in the first place. I felt so bad that she had to watch it all happen!! But no worries everything is fine. Just more battle wounds and good stories to tell :)
Thanks for sending the card! I LAUGHED SO HARD!! It's so true....haha! Also I LOVE getting Tessa's letters! Tell her I will send one to her soon! She's adorable.
I'm really impressed with Ben's email, I love hearing him bare his testimony, it makes me so grateful that he can be out here serving the Lord and learning to trust HIM :)
I'm excited for the (birthday) package!!! Also, Sister Jones is begging for some of Dad's cookies. I will allow it just one time this transfer if you or Dad feel so inclined to send some.. :)
Love,
Sister Blasko
I love being able to become better through the Atonement of Jesus Christ
Hello Family and Friends! Sept. 3, 2013
This week has been a pretty slow week. But we got through! We got a call Sunday night from the mission office asking me to come in to the office Monday morning, guess why- because I am training again! Sister Gonzalez will be staying in Midvale but going to the stake over. We will still be in the same zone! I am excited to meet the new sister I will be training. I'm grateful for the opportunity to train again, to do things different in order to be a better trainer. I already love the sister that is coming in tomorrow :)
Yesterday we taught someone new. He was a referral from his friend who goes to the Mid- singles branch. We went in planning on teaching the Restoration. When he walked in and sat down in the beginning we told him how happy we were to be there with him and he just burst into tears. We sat there as a just bawled in front of us. As we started teaching we felt impressed to teach repentance. I told him we were going to teach him how to repent and he burst into tears again and said "Good because I don't even know where to start!!" The Spirit is amazing and I know that God knows the thoughts and intents of all of us. It tugged at my heart strings when he said that because it made me think about all the people who feel the same way- hopeless and lost, not even knowing where to start. I love being able to teach people how to repent, because that is when we can feel the relief of the burden of sin, and once again feel peace and joy in our lives. We committed him to repent of his sins, and to start living the commandments to which he accepted, then knelt and gave a sincere prayer to his Father in Heaven for possibly the first time in a very long time. I know God loves him so much and wants him back.
Looking back on my mission thus far, I am amazed at how merciful the Lord has been to me personally. Every hard experience has shaped me in some way. Even the times when I really felt that I just couldn't do it any more. All of those times, every single one of them, has helped me grow as a missionary and person. I love new experiences. I love being able to become better through the Atonement of Jesus Christ, it's amazing. I know this gospel is true. I know without a doubt that the Book of Mormon is true. It makes me so happy every morning, and excited to go out. I know that what it teaches is true, and that it teaches that Jesus Christ is our Savior and Redeemer. I really love him!
Love you all!
Sister Blasko
This week has been a pretty slow week. But we got through! We got a call Sunday night from the mission office asking me to come in to the office Monday morning, guess why- because I am training again! Sister Gonzalez will be staying in Midvale but going to the stake over. We will still be in the same zone! I am excited to meet the new sister I will be training. I'm grateful for the opportunity to train again, to do things different in order to be a better trainer. I already love the sister that is coming in tomorrow :)
Yesterday we taught someone new. He was a referral from his friend who goes to the Mid- singles branch. We went in planning on teaching the Restoration. When he walked in and sat down in the beginning we told him how happy we were to be there with him and he just burst into tears. We sat there as a just bawled in front of us. As we started teaching we felt impressed to teach repentance. I told him we were going to teach him how to repent and he burst into tears again and said "Good because I don't even know where to start!!" The Spirit is amazing and I know that God knows the thoughts and intents of all of us. It tugged at my heart strings when he said that because it made me think about all the people who feel the same way- hopeless and lost, not even knowing where to start. I love being able to teach people how to repent, because that is when we can feel the relief of the burden of sin, and once again feel peace and joy in our lives. We committed him to repent of his sins, and to start living the commandments to which he accepted, then knelt and gave a sincere prayer to his Father in Heaven for possibly the first time in a very long time. I know God loves him so much and wants him back.
Looking back on my mission thus far, I am amazed at how merciful the Lord has been to me personally. Every hard experience has shaped me in some way. Even the times when I really felt that I just couldn't do it any more. All of those times, every single one of them, has helped me grow as a missionary and person. I love new experiences. I love being able to become better through the Atonement of Jesus Christ, it's amazing. I know this gospel is true. I know without a doubt that the Book of Mormon is true. It makes me so happy every morning, and excited to go out. I know that what it teaches is true, and that it teaches that Jesus Christ is our Savior and Redeemer. I really love him!
Love you all!
Sister Blasko
I'm actually really excited to have a mission birthday!
Aug. 27, 2013
Guess what! The mission is having a special mission conference on September 11th in the mountains!! I'm so excited! It will be my birthday present to be able to go to the mountains!! I kept putting in little comments to President that we should haha I'm sure I have not been the only one..I"M SO EXCITED!!!!! It'll be so fun! And it is an all day conference from 8 to 5pm! I can't wait. Also- did you know my BIRTHDAY is coming up!? I'm actually really excited to have a mission birthday and be able to spend my birthday sharing the best thing in the world and helping others! I know it's gonna be a really great day :)
Guess what! The mission is having a special mission conference on September 11th in the mountains!! I'm so excited! It will be my birthday present to be able to go to the mountains!! I kept putting in little comments to President that we should haha I'm sure I have not been the only one..I"M SO EXCITED!!!!! It'll be so fun! And it is an all day conference from 8 to 5pm! I can't wait. Also- did you know my BIRTHDAY is coming up!? I'm actually really excited to have a mission birthday and be able to spend my birthday sharing the best thing in the world and helping others! I know it's gonna be a really great day :)
It's a privilege to teach the gospel of Jesus Christ!
Aug. 20, 2013
We baptized (the man I wrote you about last week)!! He was baptized and confirmed a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints this weekend!!! I can't ever believe it- it has been amazing and a privilege to be able to teach him for the last month! He has made so many changes in his life!
It's always a memorable moment when your investigator stands in the water in white clothing ready to follow the example the Savior set for us as they are then immersed in water- they all come up just shining. It's an unreal moment that is indescribable and the joy that fills your heart when they are confirmed and receive the Holy Ghost the next day in Sacrament Meeting is just overwhelming! You know that they have a joy-filled journey ahead of them and Heavenly Father allows you to feel a portion of His perfect love and joy for them in that moment. It's truly amazing and something I can never ever forget!
We baptized (the man I wrote you about last week)!! He was baptized and confirmed a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints this weekend!!! I can't ever believe it- it has been amazing and a privilege to be able to teach him for the last month! He has made so many changes in his life!
It's always a memorable moment when your investigator stands in the water in white clothing ready to follow the example the Savior set for us as they are then immersed in water- they all come up just shining. It's an unreal moment that is indescribable and the joy that fills your heart when they are confirmed and receive the Holy Ghost the next day in Sacrament Meeting is just overwhelming! You know that they have a joy-filled journey ahead of them and Heavenly Father allows you to feel a portion of His perfect love and joy for them in that moment. It's truly amazing and something I can never ever forget!
Smile!! Because life is really really good and we have been blessed!
Hey family! Aug. 13, 2013
Smile!! Because life is really really good and we have been blessed :) I'm so excited to live with all of you for eternity!
I'm so grateful Ben is serving a mission now! What is his email address? I want to email him!! He gets to be in the best army in the world- the army for our Father in Heaven. Yay! Army buddies!
This week has truly tested our faith. After a few scares with people we have been teaching going MIA a week before their baptism I have learned once again that this is the Lord's work, and He is the controller and leader of it, not me and my own little puny will. We have been teaching someone who is is 40 years old with three kids and a single parent. He has been through some really rough times in his life with his marriage, and drugs in the past, and smoking, and depression, and with his dad's recent death. He has truly been humbled and his heart has been softened to allow us to teach him God's plan for him- talk about a change of heart! He will be getting baptized this weekend on the 17th and confirmed the 18th! Well, he kinda went MIA for the past two days and my companion and I have been freaking out, and trying all we could do to find him. All day I thought and prayed "Lord, help thou my unbelief" as my faith began to waver. We did everything we possibly could think to do to find him. Finally we just said it is in the Lord's hands now. Last night at 8:30pm (half an hour before we had to be in for curfew) we got a text from his new number he had gotten that day. We immediately called and asked if we could come over! We had a short lesson outside his garage and guess what- HE WAS STILL SO EXCITED FOR HIS BAPTISM!! That same hour his girlfriend finally texted us back with the entire set up for his program for his baptism!! We were amazed and prayed and thanked the Lord immediately. It was a miracle night! I know that it was only through God's power did he know to text us right then and his girlfriend think to text us also. Craziness!
I'm so grateful for the Lord. I really love Him. I mean, I loved Him before, or at least I thought I did somewhat. But now I realize and remember daily how much I love the Lord. One of my favorite moments of the day is when I get to kneel down at night with pen in hand and journal in front of me and get to talked with Him and tell Him how my day went. I can be inspired on how to best help the people we teach. It really is a special time. I love accounting to the Lord!
This work is true, it's beautiful and amazing and fills my heart with love. What better joy and happiness can you have than a heart filled with love from our great Creator and Father in heaven?
Ben is in for a good one... ;)
I love you all! You mean the world to me and I pray for you often! Be safe, and don't forget to read scriptures!
Love,
Sister Glasko (glasko seems to be the theme this week, EVERYONE has thought my name starts with a G,...G, B, they are kind of close...?)
p.s. this is my cute little new car- i'm putting in an order with President.... :)
Smile!! Because life is really really good and we have been blessed :) I'm so excited to live with all of you for eternity!
I'm so grateful Ben is serving a mission now! What is his email address? I want to email him!! He gets to be in the best army in the world- the army for our Father in Heaven. Yay! Army buddies!
This week has truly tested our faith. After a few scares with people we have been teaching going MIA a week before their baptism I have learned once again that this is the Lord's work, and He is the controller and leader of it, not me and my own little puny will. We have been teaching someone who is is 40 years old with three kids and a single parent. He has been through some really rough times in his life with his marriage, and drugs in the past, and smoking, and depression, and with his dad's recent death. He has truly been humbled and his heart has been softened to allow us to teach him God's plan for him- talk about a change of heart! He will be getting baptized this weekend on the 17th and confirmed the 18th! Well, he kinda went MIA for the past two days and my companion and I have been freaking out, and trying all we could do to find him. All day I thought and prayed "Lord, help thou my unbelief" as my faith began to waver. We did everything we possibly could think to do to find him. Finally we just said it is in the Lord's hands now. Last night at 8:30pm (half an hour before we had to be in for curfew) we got a text from his new number he had gotten that day. We immediately called and asked if we could come over! We had a short lesson outside his garage and guess what- HE WAS STILL SO EXCITED FOR HIS BAPTISM!! That same hour his girlfriend finally texted us back with the entire set up for his program for his baptism!! We were amazed and prayed and thanked the Lord immediately. It was a miracle night! I know that it was only through God's power did he know to text us right then and his girlfriend think to text us also. Craziness!
I'm so grateful for the Lord. I really love Him. I mean, I loved Him before, or at least I thought I did somewhat. But now I realize and remember daily how much I love the Lord. One of my favorite moments of the day is when I get to kneel down at night with pen in hand and journal in front of me and get to talked with Him and tell Him how my day went. I can be inspired on how to best help the people we teach. It really is a special time. I love accounting to the Lord!
This work is true, it's beautiful and amazing and fills my heart with love. What better joy and happiness can you have than a heart filled with love from our great Creator and Father in heaven?
Ben is in for a good one... ;)
I love you all! You mean the world to me and I pray for you often! Be safe, and don't forget to read scriptures!
Love,
Sister Glasko (glasko seems to be the theme this week, EVERYONE has thought my name starts with a G,...G, B, they are kind of close...?)
p.s. this is my cute little new car- i'm putting in an order with President.... :)
Some kids are like angels in disguise!
We taught a cute little blonde girl. She is 9 and adorable. The first time we talked to her she said she wanted to be baptized and so we asked why and she said "So I can get the Gift of the Holy Ghost so that I can be guided and so that I can feel closer to God." Well, can't explain it better than that really! So we made her a missionary! But really she is so so cute and we love her so much! She is a little angel sent to fix her slightly broken-at the moment family. They are all so excited for her baptism even though they haven't gone in a while. She is such a light to them! We decided to have our last lesson at the ward mission leaders house down the street so we all strapped up on our bikes and biked over together! It was so fun!
This past week we got to go to the Salt Lake City Temple together as a mission!
Hello Family!!!! Aug. 6, 2013
I LOVE YOU ALL!! Thanks for the pictures of the beach!! I LOVE them! Thanks for taking me to the beach with you! I had so much fun I don't even remember what happened! (We made a life-sized photo stand up of Lucia and took pictures at the beach with 'her' in them!)
Guess what, this Sunday I got to drive a 12 seater van- it was awesome! I thought it would be hard and scary and that we were gonna die when I first climbed in (yes I probably could have used a ladder) but it wasn't as hard as I thought it would be. It was an adventure :)
This past week we got to go to the Salt Lake City Temple together as a mission. It was so nice and rejuvenating! It was fun to travel there because our President asked us all to take the Trax there, and we aren't supposed to travel in large groups and so all the missionaries had to spread out on different cars on the Trax and I remember seeing all the missionaries lined up on the side and chuckling to myself with the thought of "tehehe the missionaries are about to raid the Trax, and watch out!" All those people were stuck with us :) It is SO FUN sharing the gospel on the Trax. Seriously I could plan multiple hours a day just to ride the Trax so that we can talk to all different kinds of people and share the gospel with them! Our challenge for our zone was to pass out 4 Book of Mormons and talk to 10 different people as we travel. Sister Gonzalez and I were so pumped for it! We met the coolest people! One boy we talked to was probably only 17 years old, he fit the description of the Jets and Sharks old time movie combined with Grease. But then we started talking to him and he just had such a sweet spirit! He left his family in Mexico and came here by himself, and had been through some pretty rough times, now he expresses himself through art, and has come to realize the God loves him and he tries to be a better person for God. We told him about the Book of Mormon and how the same priesthood power that Jesus Christ held when He was here on Earth is here again and asked if missionaries could share more with him. He was so prepared and completely receptive! I really pray that he will make it to the waters of baptism so that he can receive the gift of the Holy Ghost and feel the Redeeming love of his Savior! This gospel is the best :)
Love,
Sister Blasko
I LOVE YOU ALL!! Thanks for the pictures of the beach!! I LOVE them! Thanks for taking me to the beach with you! I had so much fun I don't even remember what happened! (We made a life-sized photo stand up of Lucia and took pictures at the beach with 'her' in them!)
Guess what, this Sunday I got to drive a 12 seater van- it was awesome! I thought it would be hard and scary and that we were gonna die when I first climbed in (yes I probably could have used a ladder) but it wasn't as hard as I thought it would be. It was an adventure :)
This past week we got to go to the Salt Lake City Temple together as a mission. It was so nice and rejuvenating! It was fun to travel there because our President asked us all to take the Trax there, and we aren't supposed to travel in large groups and so all the missionaries had to spread out on different cars on the Trax and I remember seeing all the missionaries lined up on the side and chuckling to myself with the thought of "tehehe the missionaries are about to raid the Trax, and watch out!" All those people were stuck with us :) It is SO FUN sharing the gospel on the Trax. Seriously I could plan multiple hours a day just to ride the Trax so that we can talk to all different kinds of people and share the gospel with them! Our challenge for our zone was to pass out 4 Book of Mormons and talk to 10 different people as we travel. Sister Gonzalez and I were so pumped for it! We met the coolest people! One boy we talked to was probably only 17 years old, he fit the description of the Jets and Sharks old time movie combined with Grease. But then we started talking to him and he just had such a sweet spirit! He left his family in Mexico and came here by himself, and had been through some pretty rough times, now he expresses himself through art, and has come to realize the God loves him and he tries to be a better person for God. We told him about the Book of Mormon and how the same priesthood power that Jesus Christ held when He was here on Earth is here again and asked if missionaries could share more with him. He was so prepared and completely receptive! I really pray that he will make it to the waters of baptism so that he can receive the gift of the Holy Ghost and feel the Redeeming love of his Savior! This gospel is the best :)
Love,
Sister Blasko
Pictures!!
Utah has the best sunsets I think I could ever imagine....every night they just baffle us!!! We try not to look like tourists...but sometimes we just cave to sunsets..
Guess what- I GOT TO DRIVE A CAR THIS WEEK!!
Hello Family and Friends!! July 30, 2013
Guess what- I GOT TO DRIVE A CAR THIS WEEK!! haven't driven in 9 months! We got the Assistants to the Presidents car haha! It was so fun!! We felt so cool and by the end of Sunday we just didn't want to give it back. It was so nice to drive again, and so much faster to get to places than biking, I was completely coveting by the end of that day- I wanted that car for the rest of my mission!
On a more missionary note- we have been assigned to the MId-Singles 9th branch in our Stake along with our three wards and so this Sunday was our first Sunday there- it was so much fun and so humbling. We know that we will truly need the Lord's help in getting the 700 members in that branch to feel excited to share the gospel with their friends. We can't proselyte for Mid-singles really so we will be relying heavily on member referrals. It was amazing on Sunday to be able to go to each Relief Society (6) and Elders Quorum (3) and introduce ourselves and ask who they knew we could teach. So many people were willing to help us out and after church the Ward Mission Leader told us he hasn't seen that kind of excitement from the members in a long time- YAY!! It's really something else there, out of the 700 people, two thirds have served missions! We are so excited to serve in this Branch! The Lord has already blessed us with several people just in our Ward areas alone who are mid singles age who want to follow the example of Christ by making sacred covenants with God.
I love this work so much! I love the gospel and I know that it is true, and that this is Christ church restored with that same priesthood Christ held.
Ben- I am so proud of you for making it to the temple! It truly is a house of the Lord and there is so much to learn there! Keep going as often as you can before you leave on your mission.
I hope everyone has a great week! Please please be safe! Keep studying the Book of Mormon everyday!
Sister Blasko
Guess what- I GOT TO DRIVE A CAR THIS WEEK!! haven't driven in 9 months! We got the Assistants to the Presidents car haha! It was so fun!! We felt so cool and by the end of Sunday we just didn't want to give it back. It was so nice to drive again, and so much faster to get to places than biking, I was completely coveting by the end of that day- I wanted that car for the rest of my mission!
On a more missionary note- we have been assigned to the MId-Singles 9th branch in our Stake along with our three wards and so this Sunday was our first Sunday there- it was so much fun and so humbling. We know that we will truly need the Lord's help in getting the 700 members in that branch to feel excited to share the gospel with their friends. We can't proselyte for Mid-singles really so we will be relying heavily on member referrals. It was amazing on Sunday to be able to go to each Relief Society (6) and Elders Quorum (3) and introduce ourselves and ask who they knew we could teach. So many people were willing to help us out and after church the Ward Mission Leader told us he hasn't seen that kind of excitement from the members in a long time- YAY!! It's really something else there, out of the 700 people, two thirds have served missions! We are so excited to serve in this Branch! The Lord has already blessed us with several people just in our Ward areas alone who are mid singles age who want to follow the example of Christ by making sacred covenants with God.
I love this work so much! I love the gospel and I know that it is true, and that this is Christ church restored with that same priesthood Christ held.
Ben- I am so proud of you for making it to the temple! It truly is a house of the Lord and there is so much to learn there! Keep going as often as you can before you leave on your mission.
I hope everyone has a great week! Please please be safe! Keep studying the Book of Mormon everyday!
Sister Blasko
This week has been a week of Faith!
Hello Family and Friends! July 23, 2013
This week has been a week of Faith. I know that Faith is more than just believing, but diligently acting upon the promptings that the Lord gives us. The last couple of weeks we have really been struggling to find people to teach. And even though I have felt that I have become the best missionary I have ever been on my mission, we still just couldn't get anything going. We had a recent mission conference and our mission president talked about faith, and how there is a difference between loving Christ, and believing in him. We can all love him but when we believe in him we act upon that faith and do the things he asks us to do. I realized that I was lacking in faith, and needed to have greater faith in our Savior and his promises. Last week, we finally were able to set up a lesson with someone we have been trying to teach but had only been able to catch him briefly enough to set up various lessons with him that have one by one all fallen through. As we were planning for him, a very very strong impression came to both of us that we needed to extend a date for baptism the following weekend. I remember KNOWING that this strong impression was our chance to act courageously in faith. We prayed for courage to extend the date, and the faith to do so. During the lesson right at the beginning the spirit was so strong and my companion faithfully invited him to follow the example of the Savior and be baptized the following weekend. he then told us he wanted to be baptized and that he would pray about it and meet with us the next day! We knew that he had some word of wisdom problems and has to live the word of wisdom a week before his interview for baptism. We knew we would have to ask special permission for him but acted on the test of faith from our Father in Heaven. Ethan will be baptized on the 10th this coming month! I consider this moment as my Abraham and Isaac moment. Heavenly Father tested our faith and we proved to be faithful! Since then we have felt His amazing love and hand in our work. I know that it's just as important to show that Lord that He can trust us just like we strive to trust Him. We are truly amazed at the difference it has made to put all of our trust in Him and to allow Him to guide us every single hour of the day. August will be an amazing month filled with many of God's children returning His call to come unto Him, and to never thirst or hunger again.
Just yesterday I got to experience what it might feel like to be serving in a foreign country where you don't speak the language haha. We knocked on a door and a man opened it. He only spoke Spanish so my companion Sister Gonzalez starting to teach and testify to him. It was a very lonngg conversation, I could tell they were both getting into it. And I couldn't understand a thing. Then I started to become anxious and antsy, because I realized I JUST WANTED TO TESTIFY THAT JESUS CHRIST IS MY SAVIOR!!! So bad!!! Finally I asked- can I say something? And with the very broken Spanish I know, I said in Spanish- I don't know Spanish, but I know that the Book of Mormon is true, and that it testifies of Jesus Christ, and Jesus Christ is our Savior." And even though we spoke different languages, I could feel the spirit once again testify to my heart that the things I had said in Spanish were true, and the man got quiet and I knew that the spirit had testified to his heart too. Every day I am thankful for our Savior Jesus Christ. I love him. I really mean that too- I really really LOVE him! No matter what happens, it's ok, because of HIM.
I love doing this work. I don't ever ever want to leave it. I don't ever want to stop being a missionary. I made a goal that I will OYM (open your mouth) for the rest of my life, to share with others the message of the gospel. I want to prove to the Lord that He can always send people my way, and I want Him to know that I will always open my mouth and share the gospel with them. This work is amazing and fills my heart and soul with joy <3
I love you all so much. I know God has a plan for each one of us. I know He just wants us to be happy and to live with Him again <3 :)
Keep reading the scriptures and praying- it's spiritual food ;)
Sister Blasko
This week has been a week of Faith. I know that Faith is more than just believing, but diligently acting upon the promptings that the Lord gives us. The last couple of weeks we have really been struggling to find people to teach. And even though I have felt that I have become the best missionary I have ever been on my mission, we still just couldn't get anything going. We had a recent mission conference and our mission president talked about faith, and how there is a difference between loving Christ, and believing in him. We can all love him but when we believe in him we act upon that faith and do the things he asks us to do. I realized that I was lacking in faith, and needed to have greater faith in our Savior and his promises. Last week, we finally were able to set up a lesson with someone we have been trying to teach but had only been able to catch him briefly enough to set up various lessons with him that have one by one all fallen through. As we were planning for him, a very very strong impression came to both of us that we needed to extend a date for baptism the following weekend. I remember KNOWING that this strong impression was our chance to act courageously in faith. We prayed for courage to extend the date, and the faith to do so. During the lesson right at the beginning the spirit was so strong and my companion faithfully invited him to follow the example of the Savior and be baptized the following weekend. he then told us he wanted to be baptized and that he would pray about it and meet with us the next day! We knew that he had some word of wisdom problems and has to live the word of wisdom a week before his interview for baptism. We knew we would have to ask special permission for him but acted on the test of faith from our Father in Heaven. Ethan will be baptized on the 10th this coming month! I consider this moment as my Abraham and Isaac moment. Heavenly Father tested our faith and we proved to be faithful! Since then we have felt His amazing love and hand in our work. I know that it's just as important to show that Lord that He can trust us just like we strive to trust Him. We are truly amazed at the difference it has made to put all of our trust in Him and to allow Him to guide us every single hour of the day. August will be an amazing month filled with many of God's children returning His call to come unto Him, and to never thirst or hunger again.
Just yesterday I got to experience what it might feel like to be serving in a foreign country where you don't speak the language haha. We knocked on a door and a man opened it. He only spoke Spanish so my companion Sister Gonzalez starting to teach and testify to him. It was a very lonngg conversation, I could tell they were both getting into it. And I couldn't understand a thing. Then I started to become anxious and antsy, because I realized I JUST WANTED TO TESTIFY THAT JESUS CHRIST IS MY SAVIOR!!! So bad!!! Finally I asked- can I say something? And with the very broken Spanish I know, I said in Spanish- I don't know Spanish, but I know that the Book of Mormon is true, and that it testifies of Jesus Christ, and Jesus Christ is our Savior." And even though we spoke different languages, I could feel the spirit once again testify to my heart that the things I had said in Spanish were true, and the man got quiet and I knew that the spirit had testified to his heart too. Every day I am thankful for our Savior Jesus Christ. I love him. I really mean that too- I really really LOVE him! No matter what happens, it's ok, because of HIM.
I love doing this work. I don't ever ever want to leave it. I don't ever want to stop being a missionary. I made a goal that I will OYM (open your mouth) for the rest of my life, to share with others the message of the gospel. I want to prove to the Lord that He can always send people my way, and I want Him to know that I will always open my mouth and share the gospel with them. This work is amazing and fills my heart and soul with joy <3
I love you all so much. I know God has a plan for each one of us. I know He just wants us to be happy and to live with Him again <3 :)
Keep reading the scriptures and praying- it's spiritual food ;)
Sister Blasko
Heavenly Father is amazing and I will never ever forsake Him nor His work!
Hey Family and Friends! This week has been a week of miracles! July 19, 2013
We have seen tender mercy after tender mercy from the Lord. I know that the Lord knows us personally and loves us like a Father loves his children. I had been having a rough time with some things and was able to receive a blessing. I testify that the Priesthood is real and that it is powerful, and that the words said in that blessing came from our Father in Heaven who knows who I am perfectly. After that I just felt relieved, refocused, and my heart was filled with love. Heavenly Father is amazing and I will never ever forsake Him nor His work.
Yesterday we had a young man who is preparing for a mission come out with us. We didn't have any lessons set up for that particular time so we decided to go tracting. We were a little nervous at first because anyone who has been a missionary will know that tracting isn't the best most effective way to find people. We didn't want him to have a bad experience and then be discouraged from going on a mission. My companion and I prayed really hard that he would have a good experience and that we would be able to find at least one person to teach! Then the tracting began! The first door- we offered to sing to her and she let us in, got a return appointment. Second door- part member family, the wife had gone to church several times with her husband and had read the Book of Mormon and knew it was true. Third door- met a really nice newly wedded Muslim family from Egypt (so cool!) gave them a picture of the Salt Lake City Temple and testified about the power of the Priesthood, they accepted the Book of Mormon and were interested to learn more! Fourth visit- someone who isn't of our faith offered the youth a free suit he didn't need anymore, ha,ha! At the end of the night the youth had a free can of soda, a new suit, and got to talk to many people who are receptive to the gospel! We were so so grateful to the Lord for His help and guidance and know we couldn't have done it without His help.
This week the entire mission has been reading a case study from a missionary story of "Sister Fulcher and Sister Pedigree" and the changes that they implemented into their missionary work and it has really been fun reading it! In one particular instance, they shared about a ward member who in one Sacrament Meeting just got the impression to go home after Sacrament and call a particular person he knew and invite him to listen to the missionary discussions. He hadn't ever connected religion with that person before but decided to be obedient to the prompting. His friend ended up saying yes when he called him and agreed to listen to all of the discussions right there on the spot! The missionaries began to teach his friend in the members home and the member then shared the next Sunday his experience with the ward about how it felt to teach someone the gospel in his home, and also shared his experience of following the prompting and inviting a friend. A couple weeks later this member had a friend come up to him and said he thought "If John could do it, I can do it too!" and told John he invited a friend to listen to the missionary discussions also, and HE accepted too! He shared his experience and others gained the courage to invite their friends also! How amazing is that! Family- share your missionary experiences with others, and when someone comes to mind to share the gospel with- do it! Invite them! Heavenly Father knows so much better than we do. Listen to Him! And follow the promptings you receive!
So I have a challenge for you, ALL of you! This week, will you pray about someone you could call or invite to specifically listen to the missionary lessons? And when a name comes to mind, don't ask questions, just do it! Roleplay it in family night! (Ask Alyssa what are some ways you might go about inviting them to hear the lessons, she can help you!)
Love you all so much. The gospel is true! Be safe, and be missionaries!
Sister Blasko
We have seen tender mercy after tender mercy from the Lord. I know that the Lord knows us personally and loves us like a Father loves his children. I had been having a rough time with some things and was able to receive a blessing. I testify that the Priesthood is real and that it is powerful, and that the words said in that blessing came from our Father in Heaven who knows who I am perfectly. After that I just felt relieved, refocused, and my heart was filled with love. Heavenly Father is amazing and I will never ever forsake Him nor His work.
Yesterday we had a young man who is preparing for a mission come out with us. We didn't have any lessons set up for that particular time so we decided to go tracting. We were a little nervous at first because anyone who has been a missionary will know that tracting isn't the best most effective way to find people. We didn't want him to have a bad experience and then be discouraged from going on a mission. My companion and I prayed really hard that he would have a good experience and that we would be able to find at least one person to teach! Then the tracting began! The first door- we offered to sing to her and she let us in, got a return appointment. Second door- part member family, the wife had gone to church several times with her husband and had read the Book of Mormon and knew it was true. Third door- met a really nice newly wedded Muslim family from Egypt (so cool!) gave them a picture of the Salt Lake City Temple and testified about the power of the Priesthood, they accepted the Book of Mormon and were interested to learn more! Fourth visit- someone who isn't of our faith offered the youth a free suit he didn't need anymore, ha,ha! At the end of the night the youth had a free can of soda, a new suit, and got to talk to many people who are receptive to the gospel! We were so so grateful to the Lord for His help and guidance and know we couldn't have done it without His help.
This week the entire mission has been reading a case study from a missionary story of "Sister Fulcher and Sister Pedigree" and the changes that they implemented into their missionary work and it has really been fun reading it! In one particular instance, they shared about a ward member who in one Sacrament Meeting just got the impression to go home after Sacrament and call a particular person he knew and invite him to listen to the missionary discussions. He hadn't ever connected religion with that person before but decided to be obedient to the prompting. His friend ended up saying yes when he called him and agreed to listen to all of the discussions right there on the spot! The missionaries began to teach his friend in the members home and the member then shared the next Sunday his experience with the ward about how it felt to teach someone the gospel in his home, and also shared his experience of following the prompting and inviting a friend. A couple weeks later this member had a friend come up to him and said he thought "If John could do it, I can do it too!" and told John he invited a friend to listen to the missionary discussions also, and HE accepted too! He shared his experience and others gained the courage to invite their friends also! How amazing is that! Family- share your missionary experiences with others, and when someone comes to mind to share the gospel with- do it! Invite them! Heavenly Father knows so much better than we do. Listen to Him! And follow the promptings you receive!
So I have a challenge for you, ALL of you! This week, will you pray about someone you could call or invite to specifically listen to the missionary lessons? And when a name comes to mind, don't ask questions, just do it! Roleplay it in family night! (Ask Alyssa what are some ways you might go about inviting them to hear the lessons, she can help you!)
Love you all so much. The gospel is true! Be safe, and be missionaries!
Sister Blasko
I love going to Temple Square!
July 2, 2013
Got to go on exchanges with Sister Crockett! It was so fun! She has a RIDICULOUS shoe tan! (look at feet)
I love going to temple square! It is so beautiful! And I love working with the Sister missionaries there! They are all amazing :)
Got to go on exchanges with Sister Crockett! It was so fun! She has a RIDICULOUS shoe tan! (look at feet)
I love going to temple square! It is so beautiful! And I love working with the Sister missionaries there! They are all amazing :)
Mission Field Day!
June 18,2013
The mission had an all day mission p-day/field day! It was SO FUN!!! This is a picture of the watermelon seed spitting contest. I think I hit like the 4 ft mark...some of the Elders hit up to 25 feet! Ridiculous..
Also I beat the sisters in the 1 lap sprint. Grant it i thought i was gonna die afterwards, but I guess that's what competitive genes will do to you..
The other one is some of the Sisters I serve with and Elders clearly photo-bombing in the back..we got the sweet star wars shirts from Walmart! I hope you can see it clearly ha,ha! They made us laugh!
The mission had an all day mission p-day/field day! It was SO FUN!!! This is a picture of the watermelon seed spitting contest. I think I hit like the 4 ft mark...some of the Elders hit up to 25 feet! Ridiculous..
Also I beat the sisters in the 1 lap sprint. Grant it i thought i was gonna die afterwards, but I guess that's what competitive genes will do to you..
The other one is some of the Sisters I serve with and Elders clearly photo-bombing in the back..we got the sweet star wars shirts from Walmart! I hope you can see it clearly ha,ha! They made us laugh!
That same day we got to see just how we were tools in God's hands!
Hello Family and Friends! June 4, 2013
There is SO much to tell you all! Where to start...
Well, my bike was stolen once again, and YES it was locked up. But that's alright. We theorized that he needed it to get money to save his dying daughter. He can have it. I have a better bike now, with a better lock that no one will be cutting through ever :)
That same day we got to see just how we were tools in God's hands in carrying out His plan for each of us and watching out for His children. That same day at our dinner appointment the family we were eating with decided to give us all of the leftovers after dinner. At first we didn't know what to do with it because we were going right to an appointment after dinner, but just took it anyways. We went, taught a lesson, and then afterwards we were about to go and somehow the mom of the boy we were teaching mentioned that they had no food in the house, there I was standing with a ginormous bag of food in my hand- and it was like the spirit smacked me in the head and said "HEY WAKE UP SISTER BLASKO- THE FOOD" so I chirped up "well here is food for you!" her eyes just lit up and she just kept saying "thank you thank you, we were so hungry thank you!" we left not thinking about it, went to another appointment, with an older retired member of the ward. In the lesson they learned my bike got stolen, and afterward when Sister Norman and I were walking off, the member came up and gave me some money to buy a bike. I have never before been speechless were I tried to speak but nothing could come out. When i first got my bike stolen earlier that day the scripture about the Lord providing his servants with both temporal and spiritual thing kept coming into my mind, and I guess that was what the Lord meant, as if He was saying "Everything will be okay Sister Blasko, I'm watching out for you. You are my daughter and I know you are working hard. It will be alright." I felt so much comfort and so happy that day!
On other news, (Ben and Derek)- Randy from kid history is TOTALLY IN MY STAKE HERE IN MIDVALE!!! He walked past me in church and all i could do was stare because it looked like him, then someone called out "Randy" and I was like ah ha! I knew it!
Also, the same day my bike got stolen I saw Sean Hipp! He was driving some other missionaries and so that was awesome I got to stop and talk to him for a bit!
ALSO, yesterday we met someone who actually carves the carpets in temples- SUCH A COOL JOB! So if the temple is ever closed- he's probably there. He travels all over the world!
Happy (late) birthday Michael-Ray! Hope you aren't feeling too old just yet ;) Love you!
Jayden was baptized this weekend!!! He's adorable and it was such a special day!! HIs mom is coming back to church also and the ward has really reached out and helped them feel welcome.
I'll attach a picture! Love you all!
Sister Blasko
There is SO much to tell you all! Where to start...
Well, my bike was stolen once again, and YES it was locked up. But that's alright. We theorized that he needed it to get money to save his dying daughter. He can have it. I have a better bike now, with a better lock that no one will be cutting through ever :)
That same day we got to see just how we were tools in God's hands in carrying out His plan for each of us and watching out for His children. That same day at our dinner appointment the family we were eating with decided to give us all of the leftovers after dinner. At first we didn't know what to do with it because we were going right to an appointment after dinner, but just took it anyways. We went, taught a lesson, and then afterwards we were about to go and somehow the mom of the boy we were teaching mentioned that they had no food in the house, there I was standing with a ginormous bag of food in my hand- and it was like the spirit smacked me in the head and said "HEY WAKE UP SISTER BLASKO- THE FOOD" so I chirped up "well here is food for you!" her eyes just lit up and she just kept saying "thank you thank you, we were so hungry thank you!" we left not thinking about it, went to another appointment, with an older retired member of the ward. In the lesson they learned my bike got stolen, and afterward when Sister Norman and I were walking off, the member came up and gave me some money to buy a bike. I have never before been speechless were I tried to speak but nothing could come out. When i first got my bike stolen earlier that day the scripture about the Lord providing his servants with both temporal and spiritual thing kept coming into my mind, and I guess that was what the Lord meant, as if He was saying "Everything will be okay Sister Blasko, I'm watching out for you. You are my daughter and I know you are working hard. It will be alright." I felt so much comfort and so happy that day!
On other news, (Ben and Derek)- Randy from kid history is TOTALLY IN MY STAKE HERE IN MIDVALE!!! He walked past me in church and all i could do was stare because it looked like him, then someone called out "Randy" and I was like ah ha! I knew it!
Also, the same day my bike got stolen I saw Sean Hipp! He was driving some other missionaries and so that was awesome I got to stop and talk to him for a bit!
ALSO, yesterday we met someone who actually carves the carpets in temples- SUCH A COOL JOB! So if the temple is ever closed- he's probably there. He travels all over the world!
Happy (late) birthday Michael-Ray! Hope you aren't feeling too old just yet ;) Love you!
Jayden was baptized this weekend!!! He's adorable and it was such a special day!! HIs mom is coming back to church also and the ward has really reached out and helped them feel welcome.
I'll attach a picture! Love you all!
Sister Blasko
I love giving talks!
Hello Family and Friends! May 28, 2013
Not much is new this week. I'm still getting used to this area, I guess it will take me this entire transfer!
The Stake President here is from Maryland! And I think he just said his parents are the new sealers in the Washington D.C. Temple! The Suhaka's. Yesterday we talked in one of our ward's sacrament meetings. I LOVE GIVING TALKS. Seriously, getting on my preachers box- love it. We talked about MISSIONARY WORK of course. Sister Norman spoke on why we share the gospel, and I spoke on what the gospel actually is (faith, repentance, baptism, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost, and Enduring to the end!) and I shared some of my favorite stories. Faith in our Savior Jesus Christ is just the first stepping stone for our testimonies and conversions. It then leads to action such as repentance. I love Mosiah 4: 1-3. This is after King Benjamin has taught his people that the Savior of the world would be coming, and how we all need the Atonement. They realize they are wicked and "viewed themselves in their own carnal states" and cried for forgiveness. I know repentance is so important. Another story in Acts I think in chapter 16 when Paul is preaching the word of God and then is thrown in jail. They night they even sang praises and prayed to God. Then through the power of God they were released, the ground shook and the prison door was opened. The prison keeper woke up from the earthquake, realized the door to the prison was open and was like "Ahhhhh! The prisoners got out!" He was about to take his life when Paul called out to not be afraid, they hadn't escaped. In that moment the prison guard who had previously whipped and beaten them realizes they taught life, and asked, how can I be saved? Then Paul taught him the word of God, and the prison guard was baptized THAT SAME NIGHT. Many probably judged the prison guard, thinking he would never be baptized, he would never change- and yet he did. I have a a testimony that we are all of God's children, regardless of the choices we make, and He wants ALL of us to live with Him again. He doesn't write them off, so we don't either. When we are baptized by that same priesthood authority that Christ and his apostles held, we then receive the gift of the Holy Ghost which is one of God's most precious gifts he could ever give us in this life. This gift literally helps guide us to make it back to Him. Learn to follow that gift. And then endure. There is a scripture in the bible that says they count them happy which endure. Be happy, endure, and our rewards will be great in the life to come.
I love this gospel, it is amazing and true. I love teaching and helping others understand. This morning we had a lesson set up with an investigator and she has been diligently reading the Book of Mormon. When we got there she said I know you probably have a plan but I just didn't understand anything I read, could you help me? We spent the next 35 minutes reading from the Book of Mormon with her, we would read 4 verses, stop and explain, read 4 more, stop and explain. At first i was nervous there would be things in there that I wouldn't know how to explain, but the Spirit was so strong, and helped us the entire time. We were able to explain everything simply and she was so happy and excited afterwards that she understood. It was a powerful lesson even just from reading from God's word.
I love you all. Keep up striving to be like Christ. I know He lives and is my Savior!
Love,
Sister Blasko
Not much is new this week. I'm still getting used to this area, I guess it will take me this entire transfer!
The Stake President here is from Maryland! And I think he just said his parents are the new sealers in the Washington D.C. Temple! The Suhaka's. Yesterday we talked in one of our ward's sacrament meetings. I LOVE GIVING TALKS. Seriously, getting on my preachers box- love it. We talked about MISSIONARY WORK of course. Sister Norman spoke on why we share the gospel, and I spoke on what the gospel actually is (faith, repentance, baptism, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost, and Enduring to the end!) and I shared some of my favorite stories. Faith in our Savior Jesus Christ is just the first stepping stone for our testimonies and conversions. It then leads to action such as repentance. I love Mosiah 4: 1-3. This is after King Benjamin has taught his people that the Savior of the world would be coming, and how we all need the Atonement. They realize they are wicked and "viewed themselves in their own carnal states" and cried for forgiveness. I know repentance is so important. Another story in Acts I think in chapter 16 when Paul is preaching the word of God and then is thrown in jail. They night they even sang praises and prayed to God. Then through the power of God they were released, the ground shook and the prison door was opened. The prison keeper woke up from the earthquake, realized the door to the prison was open and was like "Ahhhhh! The prisoners got out!" He was about to take his life when Paul called out to not be afraid, they hadn't escaped. In that moment the prison guard who had previously whipped and beaten them realizes they taught life, and asked, how can I be saved? Then Paul taught him the word of God, and the prison guard was baptized THAT SAME NIGHT. Many probably judged the prison guard, thinking he would never be baptized, he would never change- and yet he did. I have a a testimony that we are all of God's children, regardless of the choices we make, and He wants ALL of us to live with Him again. He doesn't write them off, so we don't either. When we are baptized by that same priesthood authority that Christ and his apostles held, we then receive the gift of the Holy Ghost which is one of God's most precious gifts he could ever give us in this life. This gift literally helps guide us to make it back to Him. Learn to follow that gift. And then endure. There is a scripture in the bible that says they count them happy which endure. Be happy, endure, and our rewards will be great in the life to come.
I love this gospel, it is amazing and true. I love teaching and helping others understand. This morning we had a lesson set up with an investigator and she has been diligently reading the Book of Mormon. When we got there she said I know you probably have a plan but I just didn't understand anything I read, could you help me? We spent the next 35 minutes reading from the Book of Mormon with her, we would read 4 verses, stop and explain, read 4 more, stop and explain. At first i was nervous there would be things in there that I wouldn't know how to explain, but the Spirit was so strong, and helped us the entire time. We were able to explain everything simply and she was so happy and excited afterwards that she understood. It was a powerful lesson even just from reading from God's word.
I love you all. Keep up striving to be like Christ. I know He lives and is my Savior!
Love,
Sister Blasko
May 14, 2013 Lucia sent us pictures!
Benjamin got his mission call!
Family and Friends, May 7, 2013
I love Taylorsville (my old area) so much. After so much hard work so many great things were happening and so many people were preparing for baptism. I'm grateful to be in a new area, but also have had a lot of hard days here.
Mom--Thanks so much for calling the mission home (Mom called and left a message letting me know that my brother, Benjamin got his mission call and will be serving in the California Long Beach Mission)! It was definitely a call that made my day! I probably looked ridiculous screaming and fist pumping the air when they told me on the phone, but oh well! It was AMAZING news definitely fist-pump worthy :)
Have a great week. Don't forget to read your scriptures!!
Gotta go, love you all!
I am getting transferred!
Hey Family and Friends! April 30, 2013
I am getting transferred! Going to Midvale Fort Union! It is going to be great :) It's definitely a weird feeling because I have been in Taylorsville my entire mission so far. I am pretty confident when I say I know pretty much everyone and every house. I love everyone here so much, it will definitely be hard to leave! But It'll also be fun to take on a new area and meet lots of new people! I'm excited for the challenge! My new companion is Sister Young and from what I know and hear she is pretty amazing so we're gonna kick butt in this new area together ;)
Gabriel was baptized this last weekend!! His dad Alex was baptized about a month in a half ago, has been living worthily to receive the priesthood, and was able to baptize his son! It was an amazing dad to see this family grow. When being told that it was only a month in a half ago that he was wearing a white suit to be baptized and now he is wearing it again to baptize his son, Alex got the biggest smile on his face and with tears in his eyes he said "I think I am more excited about this baptism than I was mine." The joy that the gospel brings changes lives, it has changed their lives!
Last week we got to take Dia and Rosalina to Temple Square and it was amazing! Dia is very very shy because she struggles speaking English, and so we were really hoping she would open up to us and she did! She is one of my favorite people ever, and I love her so much! I love both of them so much! When we were leaving Dia sighed and said softly "I love this place" and it made me so happy. She's the sweetest and I'm so excited that her and Rosalina get to be baptized into Christs church and will receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. I am sad that I won't be here for their baptism but I know God is so happy that they are making this decision and that it will be a very special day.
These two last transfers I have felt myself grow so much. Sister Veith and I have had amazing and blessed success in this area. Every day we have just been amazed at the miracles that happen, and I know that it has been through our combined effort of diligence, and obedience that Heavenly Father has blessed us. I can say with confidence that I love this missionary stuff, found my calling in life ;) but in all seriousness, it's true. I know this is where the Lord needs me to be. And I never want to stop.
Also, I love my bike. A LOT. Just wanted to through that in there. Forget cars.
Also, it has been in the 70's and family- if you think you have ever had a tan- you haven't. Try being outside multiple days in a row in the blazing sun all day long= TAN/BURNING RED. We have an Aloe plant :)
If anyone plans on writing me, my address is
625 E Downing St.
Midvale, UT 84047
Love you all! Be safe and have a wonderful week!
Sister Blasko
I am getting transferred! Going to Midvale Fort Union! It is going to be great :) It's definitely a weird feeling because I have been in Taylorsville my entire mission so far. I am pretty confident when I say I know pretty much everyone and every house. I love everyone here so much, it will definitely be hard to leave! But It'll also be fun to take on a new area and meet lots of new people! I'm excited for the challenge! My new companion is Sister Young and from what I know and hear she is pretty amazing so we're gonna kick butt in this new area together ;)
Gabriel was baptized this last weekend!! His dad Alex was baptized about a month in a half ago, has been living worthily to receive the priesthood, and was able to baptize his son! It was an amazing dad to see this family grow. When being told that it was only a month in a half ago that he was wearing a white suit to be baptized and now he is wearing it again to baptize his son, Alex got the biggest smile on his face and with tears in his eyes he said "I think I am more excited about this baptism than I was mine." The joy that the gospel brings changes lives, it has changed their lives!
Last week we got to take Dia and Rosalina to Temple Square and it was amazing! Dia is very very shy because she struggles speaking English, and so we were really hoping she would open up to us and she did! She is one of my favorite people ever, and I love her so much! I love both of them so much! When we were leaving Dia sighed and said softly "I love this place" and it made me so happy. She's the sweetest and I'm so excited that her and Rosalina get to be baptized into Christs church and will receive the gift of the Holy Ghost. I am sad that I won't be here for their baptism but I know God is so happy that they are making this decision and that it will be a very special day.
These two last transfers I have felt myself grow so much. Sister Veith and I have had amazing and blessed success in this area. Every day we have just been amazed at the miracles that happen, and I know that it has been through our combined effort of diligence, and obedience that Heavenly Father has blessed us. I can say with confidence that I love this missionary stuff, found my calling in life ;) but in all seriousness, it's true. I know this is where the Lord needs me to be. And I never want to stop.
Also, I love my bike. A LOT. Just wanted to through that in there. Forget cars.
Also, it has been in the 70's and family- if you think you have ever had a tan- you haven't. Try being outside multiple days in a row in the blazing sun all day long= TAN/BURNING RED. We have an Aloe plant :)
If anyone plans on writing me, my address is
625 E Downing St.
Midvale, UT 84047
Love you all! Be safe and have a wonderful week!
Sister Blasko
Never let a problem to be solved become more important than a person to be loved.
Thomas S. Monson
Hello Family and Friends!! April 23, 2013
I have a challenge for everyone that is old enough- if you ever see anyone new at church, go say hi to them and help them feel welcome, and if they are sitting by themselves- sit with them. Remember President Monson said "Never let a problem to be solved become more important than a person to be loved." This last week we had an investigator who we hadn't been able to get a hold of for a while decide to go to church. She got up early in the morning by herself to go to church at 9 in the morning, all on her own. We had no idea because we were in another ward at the time and then someone happened to see us in the hallway and mention she was there. We were told many people went up to talk to her and she was able to feel welcomed and said she was going to church this next Sunday. It's a scary thing to go to a building you don't know, by yourself, and you have no idea what to do. Or maybe it's someone trying to come back to church- that's a hard thing to do. Help them feel welcomed, let them know they are loved (but don't overwhelm them of course!)
Invite people back to church also! They might just need the invite :)
I'm gonna help out the missionaries so much when I go home, it's gonna happen, they need it!
http://www.lds.org/pages/mormon-messages?cid=HP000017&lang=eng#the-will-of-god
This is one of my favorite Mormon Messages. It's amazing and so true!
Gotta go now,
Love you, Sister Lucia Blasko
I've never felt so happy on my mission
Hello Family and Friends!! April 16, 2013
We had some tender mercies from the Lord this week. I tell you about just a couple from the last few days.
Sunday my companion and I fasted together for each one of our investigators and their specific needs. The first miracle happened for two girls named Dia and Rosalina. They are from the Marshall Islands staying with their aunt and uncle here in Utah to go to school, and have been going to church with their aunt and uncle for months now. We started teaching them a couple weeks ago, but just couldn't seem to help them have a desire to be baptized. They just weren't progressing. We decided to give them a two week break up talk and told them to really ponder and pray about being baptized, and then we would follow up with them. Well Sunday we fasted that they would have a desire to be baptized, and then later that day their Young Womens class leader called us and said in church they were going to watch the restoration of the gospel movie and afterwards Rosalina told her they wanted to be baptized! We went over to their house right away and they were SO excited to tell us that they want to get baptized. One of them told us her amazing experience how she was praying and reading from the Book of Mormon and praying and then she said "then it just HIT me! BOOM! I want to get baptized!" She was SO excited and proud to tell us! That was an answer to multiple prayers, and also an experience she will never forget!
We have been teaching someone named Alex who we haven't been too sure about regarding what his motives were for being baptized. We fasted on Sunday that we would be able to figure out his motives and then that same night he texted us saying he wasn't going to get baptized because he wasn't doing it for himself but for his ex-girlfriend. Find out his motives- check. Now the amazing part- so we asked him to meet us the next day at the church building, when we got there we went in and had possibly one of the most powerful lessons I've ever had on my mission. We taught and talked to him according to HIS needs. We sat in the chapel and taught, then went to the baptistry and taught, the Spirit was SO strong. It was amazing to be able to just trust the words that the Spirit was putting into our heads and mouths. We didn't know what Alex needed, but God did. We resolved concerns, and it clicked for him. The gospel, baptism, it all clicked for him. And for the first time ever, as we knelt down to pray, Alex offered up one of the most sincere and powerful prayers I've ever heard. He WANTED to know so bad that the things we had been telling him were true. The spirit was so strong. He even began to cry. He will be getting baptized on April 27th! He told us he felt at peace after the prayer, and that he was going to go home and call a friend that had served a mission and talk to him about it. When we were biking home afterwards we saw Alex's car pulled over to the side of the road, and Alex inside talking on the phone. That was the moment I KNEW this was important to him, and real to him. That is true desire. I've never felt so happy on my mission. That was a tender night. I could feel God's love for him, and it was so much! God loves his children SO MUCH.
The gospel is the wonderful. Seriously though. It's amazing. I never thought I could love it so much. Don't let yourselves get sucked into the world, that's what Satan wants! Satan is dumb. Remember- if you spend 30 minutes every day reading the scriptures, pondering, and praying, you will spend eternity in the presence of God. Keep reading!
Love you all!
Sister Blasko
p.s. the picture was taken a while back when we had a sisters conference at our mission presidents house, those are some of the sisters i serve with :)
We had some tender mercies from the Lord this week. I tell you about just a couple from the last few days.
Sunday my companion and I fasted together for each one of our investigators and their specific needs. The first miracle happened for two girls named Dia and Rosalina. They are from the Marshall Islands staying with their aunt and uncle here in Utah to go to school, and have been going to church with their aunt and uncle for months now. We started teaching them a couple weeks ago, but just couldn't seem to help them have a desire to be baptized. They just weren't progressing. We decided to give them a two week break up talk and told them to really ponder and pray about being baptized, and then we would follow up with them. Well Sunday we fasted that they would have a desire to be baptized, and then later that day their Young Womens class leader called us and said in church they were going to watch the restoration of the gospel movie and afterwards Rosalina told her they wanted to be baptized! We went over to their house right away and they were SO excited to tell us that they want to get baptized. One of them told us her amazing experience how she was praying and reading from the Book of Mormon and praying and then she said "then it just HIT me! BOOM! I want to get baptized!" She was SO excited and proud to tell us! That was an answer to multiple prayers, and also an experience she will never forget!
We have been teaching someone named Alex who we haven't been too sure about regarding what his motives were for being baptized. We fasted on Sunday that we would be able to figure out his motives and then that same night he texted us saying he wasn't going to get baptized because he wasn't doing it for himself but for his ex-girlfriend. Find out his motives- check. Now the amazing part- so we asked him to meet us the next day at the church building, when we got there we went in and had possibly one of the most powerful lessons I've ever had on my mission. We taught and talked to him according to HIS needs. We sat in the chapel and taught, then went to the baptistry and taught, the Spirit was SO strong. It was amazing to be able to just trust the words that the Spirit was putting into our heads and mouths. We didn't know what Alex needed, but God did. We resolved concerns, and it clicked for him. The gospel, baptism, it all clicked for him. And for the first time ever, as we knelt down to pray, Alex offered up one of the most sincere and powerful prayers I've ever heard. He WANTED to know so bad that the things we had been telling him were true. The spirit was so strong. He even began to cry. He will be getting baptized on April 27th! He told us he felt at peace after the prayer, and that he was going to go home and call a friend that had served a mission and talk to him about it. When we were biking home afterwards we saw Alex's car pulled over to the side of the road, and Alex inside talking on the phone. That was the moment I KNEW this was important to him, and real to him. That is true desire. I've never felt so happy on my mission. That was a tender night. I could feel God's love for him, and it was so much! God loves his children SO MUCH.
The gospel is the wonderful. Seriously though. It's amazing. I never thought I could love it so much. Don't let yourselves get sucked into the world, that's what Satan wants! Satan is dumb. Remember- if you spend 30 minutes every day reading the scriptures, pondering, and praying, you will spend eternity in the presence of God. Keep reading!
Love you all!
Sister Blasko
p.s. the picture was taken a while back when we had a sisters conference at our mission presidents house, those are some of the sisters i serve with :)
Search the scriptures, I just can't say it enough!
Hello! April 9, 2013
I'm super glad Ben and Derek and getting so excited for their missions! Tell them that it will be the best experience ever- there will be a lot of hard times but the hard things in life are the most rewarding! You've gotta know the pain in order to know such great joy! Keep working towards it! Also, study the scriptures. Honestly, it's true that when we search them the mysteries of God will be opened unto us, He opens our minds and we begin to understand the big picture. I just finished studying the book of Revelation and man did it blow my mind! There's not a day that goes by that now something I read or learn about the gospel reverts my mind back to something in that book. The Second Coming truly is here! Joseph Smith truly was a prophet who through the power of God and direction from God brought back the fullness of the gospel to the earth and organized Christs church in the literal last days! I love it. The gospel is real and the scriptures can show us a lot of things if we truly have a desire to know, and study them!
This morning I had a pretty special experience as I was reading in Genesis. It was a pretty harsh 'come to Jesus' moment for me. There are times when you feel like you know certain things in your life, testimony wise, or already believe that something is true. But then there are special moments when Heavenly Father sends a confirming answer through the Holy Ghost and then you KNOW without a shadow of a doubt that that thing is true. Search for those moments, and then write them down when you receive those witnesses from the Spirit! Search the scriptures, I just can't say it enough! The big picture is way bigger than we can even imagine! My mind has kinda been blown this week by the scriptures...
I'm trying to tackle the Old Testament and it is AWESOME (and somewhat weird...but mostly awesome). Kind of a scary book but I want to read all the Bible and Book of Mormon and Pearl of Great Price and Doctrine and Covenants on my mission! Working on it...
I love my Savior Jesus Christ. I know He lives. I know this is His church! Mosiah 26:22!
Love you all!
Sister Blasko
Hello! April 9, 2013
I'm super glad Ben and Derek and getting so excited for their missions! Tell them that it will be the best experience ever- there will be a lot of hard times but the hard things in life are the most rewarding! You've gotta know the pain in order to know such great joy! Keep working towards it! Also, study the scriptures. Honestly, it's true that when we search them the mysteries of God will be opened unto us, He opens our minds and we begin to understand the big picture. I just finished studying the book of Revelation and man did it blow my mind! There's not a day that goes by that now something I read or learn about the gospel reverts my mind back to something in that book. The Second Coming truly is here! Joseph Smith truly was a prophet who through the power of God and direction from God brought back the fullness of the gospel to the earth and organized Christs church in the literal last days! I love it. The gospel is real and the scriptures can show us a lot of things if we truly have a desire to know, and study them!
This morning I had a pretty special experience as I was reading in Genesis. It was a pretty harsh 'come to Jesus' moment for me. There are times when you feel like you know certain things in your life, testimony wise, or already believe that something is true. But then there are special moments when Heavenly Father sends a confirming answer through the Holy Ghost and then you KNOW without a shadow of a doubt that that thing is true. Search for those moments, and then write them down when you receive those witnesses from the Spirit! Search the scriptures, I just can't say it enough! The big picture is way bigger than we can even imagine! My mind has kinda been blown this week by the scriptures...
I'm trying to tackle the Old Testament and it is AWESOME (and somewhat weird...but mostly awesome). Kind of a scary book but I want to read all the Bible and Book of Mormon and Pearl of Great Price and Doctrine and Covenants on my mission! Working on it...
I love my Savior Jesus Christ. I know He lives. I know this is His church! Mosiah 26:22!
Love you all!
Sister Blasko
I CAN NOW EMAIL BOTH FAMILY AND FRIENDS!!!
Hello! April 2, 2013
I CAN NOW EMAIL BOTH FAMILY AND FRIENDS!!! So go ahead an email if you'd like! My email address is [email protected]
We did sing for the Zone Conference. I thought I was gonna just tip over right off the stand! Thank goodness that didn't happen! Our duet went well I think for the most part. I would do it again, it was fun :) Only took a week of freaking out, no biggie...
Sister Veith after we sang got really really sick. She had already had a terrible cold and then she got a pretty bad fever so we ended up canceling lots of lessons because we had to stay in for a day in a half. Now I'm starting to get sick, but hopefully it won't be as bad as she was! We saw a lot of tender mercies from the Lord this week. The beginning of the week was actually really slow lesson-wise. We just weren't getting in to teach any lessons, it even seemed like no one was opening up their doors at all. It was really tough, and getting us a bit discouraged. Finally we took a step back and figured out what it was we needed to change to be more successful. We were way behind on lessons that week and knew we would need the Lord's help to finish the week strong. We prayed- A LOT. And tried to follow the subtle promptings of the Spirit as best we could. During one of the nightly planning sessions I felt really strongly that we needed to see one member family the next day. I wasn't sure why, and selfishly didn't really want to because I knew it would most likely be a long visit, but we planned it in anyways. The next day, still not feeling very enthused to go visit this family, we headed over like scheduled. We got there, they invited us in, we talked a little bit. Then the mom asked us about the house across the street that people just moved in to. We told her we stopped by but the guy who answered the door already told us no he wasn't interested just the week before. Just then her daughter Kelly (who has some sort of disease) (I forget what it is called) just piped up, "I'll go with you to visit right now" then stood up, worked her way to the stairs, and then out the door. My companion and I kind of sat there kind of taken back and not knowing what to do at first, then both jumped up and hurried out to catch up with her outside. Turned out, right then the brother of the other guy at the new move in house was outside just finishing up working on his car. We went over and talked to him and he was so completely receptive and really WANTED to read the Book of Mormon. He was so nice and so friendly and open. Kelly set such a good example of being a missionary to us. He told us he wasn't a member and she blurted out "well we're going to make you one!" then told me to give him a Book of Mormon. We are going back this week to talk more with him and teach him more about the gospel! I knew right in that moment that it was a tender mercy of the Lord, as He prompted His sweet daughter Kelly to go visit her neighbor. I also was humbled as I recognized that the prompting to visit that member family turned out to be a miracle from the Lord. The gospel is true and Heavenly Father wants all of His children to have it!
I love the gospel, it's true!
Scripture for the week- Mosiah 26:22
Love you all!
Sister Blasko
I CAN NOW EMAIL BOTH FAMILY AND FRIENDS!!! So go ahead an email if you'd like! My email address is [email protected]
We did sing for the Zone Conference. I thought I was gonna just tip over right off the stand! Thank goodness that didn't happen! Our duet went well I think for the most part. I would do it again, it was fun :) Only took a week of freaking out, no biggie...
Sister Veith after we sang got really really sick. She had already had a terrible cold and then she got a pretty bad fever so we ended up canceling lots of lessons because we had to stay in for a day in a half. Now I'm starting to get sick, but hopefully it won't be as bad as she was! We saw a lot of tender mercies from the Lord this week. The beginning of the week was actually really slow lesson-wise. We just weren't getting in to teach any lessons, it even seemed like no one was opening up their doors at all. It was really tough, and getting us a bit discouraged. Finally we took a step back and figured out what it was we needed to change to be more successful. We were way behind on lessons that week and knew we would need the Lord's help to finish the week strong. We prayed- A LOT. And tried to follow the subtle promptings of the Spirit as best we could. During one of the nightly planning sessions I felt really strongly that we needed to see one member family the next day. I wasn't sure why, and selfishly didn't really want to because I knew it would most likely be a long visit, but we planned it in anyways. The next day, still not feeling very enthused to go visit this family, we headed over like scheduled. We got there, they invited us in, we talked a little bit. Then the mom asked us about the house across the street that people just moved in to. We told her we stopped by but the guy who answered the door already told us no he wasn't interested just the week before. Just then her daughter Kelly (who has some sort of disease) (I forget what it is called) just piped up, "I'll go with you to visit right now" then stood up, worked her way to the stairs, and then out the door. My companion and I kind of sat there kind of taken back and not knowing what to do at first, then both jumped up and hurried out to catch up with her outside. Turned out, right then the brother of the other guy at the new move in house was outside just finishing up working on his car. We went over and talked to him and he was so completely receptive and really WANTED to read the Book of Mormon. He was so nice and so friendly and open. Kelly set such a good example of being a missionary to us. He told us he wasn't a member and she blurted out "well we're going to make you one!" then told me to give him a Book of Mormon. We are going back this week to talk more with him and teach him more about the gospel! I knew right in that moment that it was a tender mercy of the Lord, as He prompted His sweet daughter Kelly to go visit her neighbor. I also was humbled as I recognized that the prompting to visit that member family turned out to be a miracle from the Lord. The gospel is true and Heavenly Father wants all of His children to have it!
I love the gospel, it's true!
Scripture for the week- Mosiah 26:22
Love you all!
Sister Blasko
I love the gospel!
Hello Family!! March 26, 2013
Craziness this last week! First things first- I will be in this area for at least another 5 weeks woo hoo! I love it here, and I love having the entire stake it's so fun and keeps us busy!
Shannon, Stacey and Jorge were baptized and confirmed this weekend!!! It was an amazing weekend! The spirit was so so strong at both of their baptisms. Shannon's mom looked so happy (she's not a member) and we just knew she felt the spirit so strong- she just couldn't stop crying. Afterwards she agreed to sit in on our lesson with Shannon on Thursday! Shannon has been such a good example to her family. She is changing their lives just through her example and strong desire to follow our Savior Jesus Christ. The day of her baptism Sister Veith and I were driving with Shannon to eat and Shannon told us that the same day we first stopped by she had put the Book of Mormon that the elders before gave her with a note telling them to not come back. The elders were supposed to go over to her house that night for a lesson. That same day we took over the entire stake, and decided to stop by her house. We talked to her for a little bit outside, she let us in, we shared a message, put her on date for baptism, and you all know the rest! We had no idea that she was planning on dropping the elders that night. It just comes to show that God knows Shannon and knew she needed the gospel in her life.
And Stacey and Jorge are just little angels. They are adorable!! Also they have the fattest poodle in the world. (Kind of really old too) The kids would have the biggest laugh from watching it. I'll send a picture. It's so funny. It waddles everywhere and props itself on the sofa, and it's so fat it can just sit up (sometimes it has trouble getting on the sofa in the first place). Seriously, every time we go over to teach I just have to hold myself back from dying on the floor from laughter. Poor little fat buddy. Hang in there...
So remember how I told you Sister Veith and I have been singing at our lessons because hymns bring the spirit so strong? Well, President Moffatt came with us to one of our lessons with Shannon when we sang, and then totally ratted us out to the Zone Leaders and requested that we sing in the next Multi -zone Conference tomorrow....ughh!!! I am nervous as all get out! Might die. Mom and Dad could you pray for us? Maybe it sounds silly but um...that's a lot of missionaries!! I'm kind of freaking out. We are gonna sing I Need Thee Every Hour, with Sister Veith singing alto and me singing soprano. So pretty much a solo...yikes!!!
I was reading in the book of Revelation today- seriously blew my mind. I was freaking out like the whole time during companion study!! That is an amazing book! Wow...Read it when you have time- mind. blown.
I love the gospel. The more I read, the more I love it and KNOW that it is true, and that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is true. I guess it would have the opposite effect if I wasn't reading the Book of Mormon and Bible. See our testimonies are like gardens. When you water them they grow, when we don't then they whither and die. (Alma 32). Remember to water your testimonies every day by reading the words of Christ!!! 2 Nephi 32:3 "feast upon the words of Christ, for behold, the words of Christ will tell you all things what ye should do."
Love you all! Have a wonderful week!
Sister Blasko
Craziness this last week! First things first- I will be in this area for at least another 5 weeks woo hoo! I love it here, and I love having the entire stake it's so fun and keeps us busy!
Shannon, Stacey and Jorge were baptized and confirmed this weekend!!! It was an amazing weekend! The spirit was so so strong at both of their baptisms. Shannon's mom looked so happy (she's not a member) and we just knew she felt the spirit so strong- she just couldn't stop crying. Afterwards she agreed to sit in on our lesson with Shannon on Thursday! Shannon has been such a good example to her family. She is changing their lives just through her example and strong desire to follow our Savior Jesus Christ. The day of her baptism Sister Veith and I were driving with Shannon to eat and Shannon told us that the same day we first stopped by she had put the Book of Mormon that the elders before gave her with a note telling them to not come back. The elders were supposed to go over to her house that night for a lesson. That same day we took over the entire stake, and decided to stop by her house. We talked to her for a little bit outside, she let us in, we shared a message, put her on date for baptism, and you all know the rest! We had no idea that she was planning on dropping the elders that night. It just comes to show that God knows Shannon and knew she needed the gospel in her life.
And Stacey and Jorge are just little angels. They are adorable!! Also they have the fattest poodle in the world. (Kind of really old too) The kids would have the biggest laugh from watching it. I'll send a picture. It's so funny. It waddles everywhere and props itself on the sofa, and it's so fat it can just sit up (sometimes it has trouble getting on the sofa in the first place). Seriously, every time we go over to teach I just have to hold myself back from dying on the floor from laughter. Poor little fat buddy. Hang in there...
So remember how I told you Sister Veith and I have been singing at our lessons because hymns bring the spirit so strong? Well, President Moffatt came with us to one of our lessons with Shannon when we sang, and then totally ratted us out to the Zone Leaders and requested that we sing in the next Multi -zone Conference tomorrow....ughh!!! I am nervous as all get out! Might die. Mom and Dad could you pray for us? Maybe it sounds silly but um...that's a lot of missionaries!! I'm kind of freaking out. We are gonna sing I Need Thee Every Hour, with Sister Veith singing alto and me singing soprano. So pretty much a solo...yikes!!!
I was reading in the book of Revelation today- seriously blew my mind. I was freaking out like the whole time during companion study!! That is an amazing book! Wow...Read it when you have time- mind. blown.
I love the gospel. The more I read, the more I love it and KNOW that it is true, and that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is true. I guess it would have the opposite effect if I wasn't reading the Book of Mormon and Bible. See our testimonies are like gardens. When you water them they grow, when we don't then they whither and die. (Alma 32). Remember to water your testimonies every day by reading the words of Christ!!! 2 Nephi 32:3 "feast upon the words of Christ, for behold, the words of Christ will tell you all things what ye should do."
Love you all! Have a wonderful week!
Sister Blasko
I'm pretty sure we meet the most interesting people every day!
Hello! March 17, 2013
Guess what! I am staying here another transfer! woo hoo!!! Last night I was kind of freaking out because I felt like I was gonna get transferred and then the call came and our District Leader said "Sister Veith you want to know who your new companion is?" and I pretty much died...and then he said "Just kidding you're both staying here" and a small part of me wanted to chuck a shoe at him haha. It wasn't funny. But woo hoo! Another six weeks here!
Also, I will most likely be going to a session of Conference in a couple of weeks! All the newer missionaries who haven't gotten a chance to go get to go at least once while out here so I have like a 90% chance of being able to go- AND I AM SO EXCITED!!!! It's gonna be great.
Sister Veith and I got our first missionary farmer tans of the summer/spring. It was randomly super hot for like 2 days in a row, and now it is back to "chances of snow" according to the weather people. SO CLOSE TO WARM WEATHER. It's gonna be so nice.
I'm pretty sure we meet the most interesting people every day. Yesterday we met an Anti-Christ just like in the Book of Mormon. It was actually really kinda scary. We stood on his doorstep for almost an hour in a half as he pompously boasted of himself being one prophesied about in the bible and that he is the one that will change the world and has a higher calling than us. He reminded us of the wicked Corihor in the B
ook of Mormon who was visited by an angel of the devil and then led many away from the truth. We had to pray after because we were just so speechless. The sad thing is he is actually someone known throughout the world and really will get somewhere with his theories and ideas. I know that Satan is working in full force to turn away God's children and lead them down to destruction. He works in very subtle ways to deceive us. That is why it is so important to always strive to keep the Lord's spirit with us all day every day. Always read His word, always pray, always attend church and partake of the sacrament. It is SO important.
ON a more bright side- STACEY JORGE AND SHANNON ARE GETTING BAPTIZED ON SATURDAY AND CONFIRMED SUNDAY!!! WOO HOOOOOO!!! We are SO excited. AND we get to keep the entire stake because elders didn't get transferred back into the other half of the stake. We are SO SO happy that we get to keep the whole stake another transfer. Good things are happening here!
I love being companions with sister veith. She has already made me such a better companion. This companionship works really well and we learn and grow each day together. She's an amazing missionary!
Today we get to take a special trip to the Jordan River temple! We don't get to go often but it's been such a cold winter, President Moffatt said that we've earned it! We are all so excited. It will be good to get there and just be able to relax inside the house of the Lord, and receive inspiration for the wonderful people we are teaching.
I love this work and I love this gospel. I've been studying the book of Luke lately and in yesterdays personal study I ready of Jesus Christ's betrayal and crucifixion and read about how cruel those who crucified him were to him. It just blows my mind, that they walked and talked with and witnessed miracles from the Savior of the world. AND THEY DIDN '
T KNOW he was the Son of God. And then there were those who knew and crucified him anyways. So many people ask for signs today. Well what about the Romans? Who had the greatest sign themselves, the Savior of the world walking with them, and they still didn't get it. I ask myself if I really KNOW the Savior. Do I? If he was here with us, would truly know him? They didn't. I want to truly truly know the Savior. I want to be the one when he comes to immediately drop down on my knees and cry "My Lord, my God." I love my Savior Jesus Christ. I will be his disciple now and forever. How merciful he has been to me. I owe him everything. John 14:15 "If ye love me, keep my commandments." We can do that.
I love you all. Remember, if you spend 30 minutes reading the Book of Mormon every day, you will spend eternity in God's presence.
LOVE YOU!
Sister Blasko
Guess what! I am staying here another transfer! woo hoo!!! Last night I was kind of freaking out because I felt like I was gonna get transferred and then the call came and our District Leader said "Sister Veith you want to know who your new companion is?" and I pretty much died...and then he said "Just kidding you're both staying here" and a small part of me wanted to chuck a shoe at him haha. It wasn't funny. But woo hoo! Another six weeks here!
Also, I will most likely be going to a session of Conference in a couple of weeks! All the newer missionaries who haven't gotten a chance to go get to go at least once while out here so I have like a 90% chance of being able to go- AND I AM SO EXCITED!!!! It's gonna be great.
Sister Veith and I got our first missionary farmer tans of the summer/spring. It was randomly super hot for like 2 days in a row, and now it is back to "chances of snow" according to the weather people. SO CLOSE TO WARM WEATHER. It's gonna be so nice.
I'm pretty sure we meet the most interesting people every day. Yesterday we met an Anti-Christ just like in the Book of Mormon. It was actually really kinda scary. We stood on his doorstep for almost an hour in a half as he pompously boasted of himself being one prophesied about in the bible and that he is the one that will change the world and has a higher calling than us. He reminded us of the wicked Corihor in the B
ook of Mormon who was visited by an angel of the devil and then led many away from the truth. We had to pray after because we were just so speechless. The sad thing is he is actually someone known throughout the world and really will get somewhere with his theories and ideas. I know that Satan is working in full force to turn away God's children and lead them down to destruction. He works in very subtle ways to deceive us. That is why it is so important to always strive to keep the Lord's spirit with us all day every day. Always read His word, always pray, always attend church and partake of the sacrament. It is SO important.
ON a more bright side- STACEY JORGE AND SHANNON ARE GETTING BAPTIZED ON SATURDAY AND CONFIRMED SUNDAY!!! WOO HOOOOOO!!! We are SO excited. AND we get to keep the entire stake because elders didn't get transferred back into the other half of the stake. We are SO SO happy that we get to keep the whole stake another transfer. Good things are happening here!
I love being companions with sister veith. She has already made me such a better companion. This companionship works really well and we learn and grow each day together. She's an amazing missionary!
Today we get to take a special trip to the Jordan River temple! We don't get to go often but it's been such a cold winter, President Moffatt said that we've earned it! We are all so excited. It will be good to get there and just be able to relax inside the house of the Lord, and receive inspiration for the wonderful people we are teaching.
I love this work and I love this gospel. I've been studying the book of Luke lately and in yesterdays personal study I ready of Jesus Christ's betrayal and crucifixion and read about how cruel those who crucified him were to him. It just blows my mind, that they walked and talked with and witnessed miracles from the Savior of the world. AND THEY DIDN '
T KNOW he was the Son of God. And then there were those who knew and crucified him anyways. So many people ask for signs today. Well what about the Romans? Who had the greatest sign themselves, the Savior of the world walking with them, and they still didn't get it. I ask myself if I really KNOW the Savior. Do I? If he was here with us, would truly know him? They didn't. I want to truly truly know the Savior. I want to be the one when he comes to immediately drop down on my knees and cry "My Lord, my God." I love my Savior Jesus Christ. I will be his disciple now and forever. How merciful he has been to me. I owe him everything. John 14:15 "If ye love me, keep my commandments." We can do that.
I love you all. Remember, if you spend 30 minutes reading the Book of Mormon every day, you will spend eternity in God's presence.
LOVE YOU!
Sister Blasko
Did you know that bike missionaries get to learn lots of
tricks on their bikes because we are on them all day long??
Hello Family and Friends! March 12, 2013
This week has been awesome!! We were able to reach and exceed all of our goals! While having soooo much fun haha it has really been a fun week. I love my companion Sister Veith.
Did you know that bike missionaries get to learn lots of tricks on their bikes because we are on them all day long?? I'm up to hopping curbs and riding without hands. I'll probably be doing flips pretty soon here....
Also- I had to ate fish for this first time out here! Um...not gonna lie I thought maybe I was gonna die. Thank goodness that didn't happen. But she DID pile a GINORMOUS pile of fish slabs (Talipia) on my plate. I was like oh yayy...But she's the sweetest lady and I knew I just had to suck it up. so I did. pretty much tried to swallow it all whole. Turned out ok in the end.
Also- we got chased by multiple dogs this week. Somehow multiple got out of their fences and they just love us. That was a funny experience (after we stopped shaking from fright!) haha!
On a more serious note- my companion and I have been singing in lessons and at doors. We have found that it really softens hearts and helps to bring the spirit so strong. I love to sing to people now. And the songs are testimonies of God and the gospel.
I know it is so important to do all we can do to get our investigators to church. We have been trying really hard as a district to get all of our investigators to church- especially the ones on date for baptism. We had gotten rides for our investigators and then when we showed up to the 39th ward where Stacey and Jorge are supposed to go to. Their ride came walking in and they weren't with them! We rushed over and their ride said they knocked a few times on the door and no one opened up so they figured they were still sleeping. We thought oh no! The spirit told me we needed to go get them (they just lived up the street) so my companion and I booked it out of the church, raced up the street and knocked as loud as we could on there door. Cute little Stacey came and opened up all ready for church with Jorge at the top of the stairs all ready with his Book of Mormon in his hands. Turns out they didn't hear their ride come and were just waiting for them to come pick them up. My heart tugged as I thought of what might have happened if we hadn't gone to pick them up for church and followed that prompting. They would have just been sitting there waiting! They were so excited to go to church and loved it! They are amazing! And I know that it is so important to always follow the promptings of the Spirit! When we got back to the church building our stake councilor was outside and commented on how we look like gazelles running through the church parking lot hahah THAT'S embarrassing ha! But we were so glad they were able to come to church.
I know this gospel is true. I know the Book of Mormon answers questions from the soul. I know it is a true book and that we can only know if we actually pick it up and read it!!
Love you all,
Be safe!
Sister Blasko
Pictures this week! These are two of the families we are teaching. Stacey and Jorge (pic 1) are 11 and 9, and have SUCH a great desire to follow Jesus Christ and be baptized. Seriously I just am amazed each time we go over to teach. They are so innocent and their prayers are so humbling. Jorge last time said "I know you are smiling down on us and I'm so sorry you had to suffer for us." And then Stacey in hers later said "I'm sorry if I ever made you sad" along with thanking God for literally just everything! Ugh, they are amazing! Jorge asks us almost every time if he is getting baptized "tomorrow" haha!! He's adorable! They will be getting baptized on the 23rd of March!
The second picture is of Shannon and her kids. Shannon will be getting baptized on the 23rd as well! She has just soaked everything up and is seriously an angel. She loves the gospel. She is super shy and is getting to know people in the ward and everyone has just been so so nice and welcoming towards her which is great! She took all her kids to church for the first time this last Sunday and they told her afterwards that she wasn't ever allowed to go to church without them again ha! We are going to Temple Square with Shannon this week! Woo hoo! She's awesome. We are also just so humbled each time we leave her house. Her spirit just radiates we just know that she is a special daughter to God.
This week has been awesome!! We were able to reach and exceed all of our goals! While having soooo much fun haha it has really been a fun week. I love my companion Sister Veith.
Did you know that bike missionaries get to learn lots of tricks on their bikes because we are on them all day long?? I'm up to hopping curbs and riding without hands. I'll probably be doing flips pretty soon here....
Also- I had to ate fish for this first time out here! Um...not gonna lie I thought maybe I was gonna die. Thank goodness that didn't happen. But she DID pile a GINORMOUS pile of fish slabs (Talipia) on my plate. I was like oh yayy...But she's the sweetest lady and I knew I just had to suck it up. so I did. pretty much tried to swallow it all whole. Turned out ok in the end.
Also- we got chased by multiple dogs this week. Somehow multiple got out of their fences and they just love us. That was a funny experience (after we stopped shaking from fright!) haha!
On a more serious note- my companion and I have been singing in lessons and at doors. We have found that it really softens hearts and helps to bring the spirit so strong. I love to sing to people now. And the songs are testimonies of God and the gospel.
I know it is so important to do all we can do to get our investigators to church. We have been trying really hard as a district to get all of our investigators to church- especially the ones on date for baptism. We had gotten rides for our investigators and then when we showed up to the 39th ward where Stacey and Jorge are supposed to go to. Their ride came walking in and they weren't with them! We rushed over and their ride said they knocked a few times on the door and no one opened up so they figured they were still sleeping. We thought oh no! The spirit told me we needed to go get them (they just lived up the street) so my companion and I booked it out of the church, raced up the street and knocked as loud as we could on there door. Cute little Stacey came and opened up all ready for church with Jorge at the top of the stairs all ready with his Book of Mormon in his hands. Turns out they didn't hear their ride come and were just waiting for them to come pick them up. My heart tugged as I thought of what might have happened if we hadn't gone to pick them up for church and followed that prompting. They would have just been sitting there waiting! They were so excited to go to church and loved it! They are amazing! And I know that it is so important to always follow the promptings of the Spirit! When we got back to the church building our stake councilor was outside and commented on how we look like gazelles running through the church parking lot hahah THAT'S embarrassing ha! But we were so glad they were able to come to church.
I know this gospel is true. I know the Book of Mormon answers questions from the soul. I know it is a true book and that we can only know if we actually pick it up and read it!!
Love you all,
Be safe!
Sister Blasko
Pictures this week! These are two of the families we are teaching. Stacey and Jorge (pic 1) are 11 and 9, and have SUCH a great desire to follow Jesus Christ and be baptized. Seriously I just am amazed each time we go over to teach. They are so innocent and their prayers are so humbling. Jorge last time said "I know you are smiling down on us and I'm so sorry you had to suffer for us." And then Stacey in hers later said "I'm sorry if I ever made you sad" along with thanking God for literally just everything! Ugh, they are amazing! Jorge asks us almost every time if he is getting baptized "tomorrow" haha!! He's adorable! They will be getting baptized on the 23rd of March!
The second picture is of Shannon and her kids. Shannon will be getting baptized on the 23rd as well! She has just soaked everything up and is seriously an angel. She loves the gospel. She is super shy and is getting to know people in the ward and everyone has just been so so nice and welcoming towards her which is great! She took all her kids to church for the first time this last Sunday and they told her afterwards that she wasn't ever allowed to go to church without them again ha! We are going to Temple Square with Shannon this week! Woo hoo! She's awesome. We are also just so humbled each time we leave her house. Her spirit just radiates we just know that she is a special daughter to God.
Hello!!! March 5, 2013
It's awesome here! Not a lot of time today to email:( Tuesdays and Sundays are the most stressful days of the week! Ugh!!) But guess what- this upcoming district meeting we get to teach the district how to teach lessons at doors because we teach A LOT of lessons each week! We're excited :) always! We have 5 baptisms coming up! 3 on one day- CRAZY! we're so excited. The thing I'm nervous about is all the baptisms are three days after transfers, AND they are getting elders in for the other half of the stake because we were only white washing for this transfer. So either way we will have to leave and the new elders will have all of our baptisms! Ughhh!! I know that's bad to say because the most important thing is that these amazing people are baptized. But it's hard to be with someone and work so hard to teach to their needs and help and see them grow, and then we can't be there for their baptisms! :( Sad.
Guess what -- the big scary dog is back...it came out and chased us again. This time i booked it and it chased Sister Veith into oncoming traffic. It was such a blessing everyone on the road was paying attention in time to stop for her. That dog has issues. We cited it again. And then went over to talk to the owners who seem to never be home. We talked to the kids a bit. crazy dogs! We now know every route around that one strip of street by that fence , haha! So we never have to bike past it again.
We have had LOTS of snow! But it is finally warming up! This winter has apparently been the worst coldest winter since like '69 or something! It was bleh. But provided lots of service opportunities to shovel!
My teaching is slowly getting better. I learn so much every day, especially from just trial and error haha! But it's coming along. We are recommended to do an hour of service each week, but we usually just serve throughout the week :) people watch us all of the time, it's amazing how people's hearts can be softened from service. a couple weeks back sister Crockett and I were riding by and stopped to help a family chip away ice from their driveway (this family has been less active) and then this last week they signed up to feed us dinner, which was awesome because we got to get to know them a little better and were able to bring a spirit into their home, share a message, and pray with them!
Things that surprised me- how much people just automatically know we're true missionaries. They just trust you and spill everything to you. My first week I was like uh wowww
! Didn't need to know that! But now I just am so greatly that they recognize us as servants of the Lord. Tell Ben to read from the Book of Mormon every day for 30 minutes. My mission president quoted an apostle who said that those who read from the Book of Mormon every day for half an hour will spend eternity in God's kingdom. Reading the Book of Mormon and studying it every day will help him to prepare for a mission and for life!
This week was super challenging but also really really rewarding. Even though we still get to teach a lot of lessons each day, we still have to do a bit of tracting
, and the past couple of days there have been some really really not so nice people that we have tracted
into. At one house everybody literally circled around us and were throwing insults and anti Mormon stuff at us left and right. We tried our hardest to teach and testify and invite and use scriptures but their hearts were too hard. We were just not going to win that fight. We walked away just feeling a bit beaten up, and then my companion said "we must be doing a really great work, because Satan is working SO hard to get us discouraged." I knew that was true as soon as she said those words. We ARE doing a great work. Satan IS trying his very hardest to discourage us. But we won't let him win. We teach others about Jesus Christ. And when they follow Jesus Christ they don't follow Satan. He hates that. Just as our 9 year old super adorable investigator put it- "Jesus is just AWESOME!"
I know this gospel is true and that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is God's kingdom on the earth! Mosiah
26:22!
Happy Birthday Dad! Hope you have an awesome day! Eat some cake and cookies for me :) I love you all so much! You're the best!
OK I gotta go! i love you all so much! be safe, always read your scriptures, and always pray to your Father in Heaven!
Love,
Sister Blasko
(the English one)
Cutest girl ever!
Family, Feb 26, 2013
Sorry I don't have time to send a long email home, I gotta get off now! :( But here's a picture of Suzy's baptism!! Cutest girl ever! (besides the kids in our family of course!) Sorry it's blurry! I'll send another when I get a chance!
Sister Lucia Blasko
Sorry I don't have time to send a long email home, I gotta get off now! :( But here's a picture of Suzy's baptism!! Cutest girl ever! (besides the kids in our family of course!) Sorry it's blurry! I'll send another when I get a chance!
Sister Lucia Blasko
I have already learned so so much!
Hello Family and Friends! Feb 19, 2013
Guess what! I love being a missionary! AND my new companion is Sister Veith, who I actually MET at BYU-Idaho before even coming out on a mission! Isn't that crazy!? We didn't even know we were both serving in the Salt Lake City Central Mission. So fun.
She's a really good missionary. I have already learned so so much. It's fun to see how other missionaries do things, and I am just so eager to learn and to grow, it's the best! (Also- she's from New York and grew up in the same stake as Jimmer Fredette :O Pretty cool huh? yeah she doesn't like him..)
Guess what ALSO happened this last week...we inherited three more wards!!! So originally we were over half the stake, or three wards, but then two missionaries in the mission had to go home for medical reasons and so the elders serving in the other half of the stake were Emergency Transferred out to fill other spots in the mission, and we picked up their three wards alongside with ours! AKA- white washing an area. It has been CRAZY. At first we felt so overwhelmed, but we just combed through the entire area book and have been doing the best we can do, and the ward members and ward mission leaders have been helping out so much! This past week we put 4 new people on date for baptism from those other three wards, and found 6 new investigators from them as well. The Lord is really helping us because we know we could not have done it on our own! It is SO fun! We are having a blast learning the area and talking to as many people as we can! And me and sister Veith actually teach really really well together so were are so excited to get even better at teaching together and hopefully we will find even more of God's children who are searching for the gospel!
Suzzie (8years old- parents aren't members) gets baptized this weekend! We are so excited! She has the cutest sweetest spirit ever! And when we ask her to pray at the end of lessons it's just so adorable and innocent and I love it. I know she is being such a great example to her parents. They will be an eternal family one day!
I'm grateful that the Lord kept me where He did because when Sister Crockett and I first found out Sister Crockette was going to be transferred, inside I was freaking out. I felt so much pressure to remember everything, and to take the best care of the three wards we had and I was so scared I would let the Lord down and my companion down. And then the day after Sister Veith came and we got the call that the next morning we would have the entire stake, after I thought about it and prayed about it I just felt a calm come over me, and I was comforted. Because I knew that the Lord knew this emergency transfer was going to happen, and He knew that me and sister Veith together would be able to take care of the entire area. That gave me a lot of comfort and confidence that the Lord trusted us and knew we could both do it.
I'm grateful for the gospel. I'm grateful for the opportunity I have each day to study it, to improve my relationship with my Father in Heaven. I know I can't do it without Him.
Alma 26:12
Love you all! Be safe and watch out for each other!
Sister Blasko
Guess what! I love being a missionary! AND my new companion is Sister Veith, who I actually MET at BYU-Idaho before even coming out on a mission! Isn't that crazy!? We didn't even know we were both serving in the Salt Lake City Central Mission. So fun.
She's a really good missionary. I have already learned so so much. It's fun to see how other missionaries do things, and I am just so eager to learn and to grow, it's the best! (Also- she's from New York and grew up in the same stake as Jimmer Fredette :O Pretty cool huh? yeah she doesn't like him..)
Guess what ALSO happened this last week...we inherited three more wards!!! So originally we were over half the stake, or three wards, but then two missionaries in the mission had to go home for medical reasons and so the elders serving in the other half of the stake were Emergency Transferred out to fill other spots in the mission, and we picked up their three wards alongside with ours! AKA- white washing an area. It has been CRAZY. At first we felt so overwhelmed, but we just combed through the entire area book and have been doing the best we can do, and the ward members and ward mission leaders have been helping out so much! This past week we put 4 new people on date for baptism from those other three wards, and found 6 new investigators from them as well. The Lord is really helping us because we know we could not have done it on our own! It is SO fun! We are having a blast learning the area and talking to as many people as we can! And me and sister Veith actually teach really really well together so were are so excited to get even better at teaching together and hopefully we will find even more of God's children who are searching for the gospel!
Suzzie (8years old- parents aren't members) gets baptized this weekend! We are so excited! She has the cutest sweetest spirit ever! And when we ask her to pray at the end of lessons it's just so adorable and innocent and I love it. I know she is being such a great example to her parents. They will be an eternal family one day!
I'm grateful that the Lord kept me where He did because when Sister Crockett and I first found out Sister Crockette was going to be transferred, inside I was freaking out. I felt so much pressure to remember everything, and to take the best care of the three wards we had and I was so scared I would let the Lord down and my companion down. And then the day after Sister Veith came and we got the call that the next morning we would have the entire stake, after I thought about it and prayed about it I just felt a calm come over me, and I was comforted. Because I knew that the Lord knew this emergency transfer was going to happen, and He knew that me and sister Veith together would be able to take care of the entire area. That gave me a lot of comfort and confidence that the Lord trusted us and knew we could both do it.
I'm grateful for the gospel. I'm grateful for the opportunity I have each day to study it, to improve my relationship with my Father in Heaven. I know I can't do it without Him.
Alma 26:12
Love you all! Be safe and watch out for each other!
Sister Blasko
I get to stay here!
Hello Family and Friends! Feb 12, 2013
I get to stay here!!!!! Sister Crockett got transferred to Midvail Union though :( We are both sad but also excited at the same time. I've learned a lot from Sister Crockett. She's helped me more than I can write in words. I feel comfortable taking over the area and that is because she has gotten me to that point, alongside with the Lord. I'm will always love my trainer Sister Crockett!
I am not training, but my new companion is someone I actually know from school at BYU-I. She's awesome! Good things will be happening in our area.
Missionary work is the best. I love it so much.
We are now friends with 2 homeless people, countless people from the bus stop, lots of Polynesian kids (they think we are the best), several anti-Mormon people, and of course with everyone else. It's the best. I love these people.
This week we met a cute little family biking one night. They had just gotten home from the store, so of course we ran over to say hi. they immediately invited us in for cookies. At first we were like oh they must be members, they are too nice and friendly, but then just in case they weren't we were like okay we'll eat cookies! We then learned that Jeremy the husband had at one point taken lessons and was close to baptism but had a drinking and smoking problem and so he ended up not being baptized. His wife went to an LDS church growing up but also wasn't baptized. We shared a message and now get to go back and teach them the gospel! The wife was so excited when we talked about our purpose as missionaries. This family is adorable, and I can't believe we would not have even know they were there if we hadn't been biking by just then! I can't wait to go back!
Also- ALEX GOT BAPTIZED AND CONFIRMED!!!! I didn't think I could feel so much joy. But oh man did I think i was gonna burst with happiness when he was being confirmed. Heavenly Father was overjoyed that His son Alex has found the path to make it back to Him. I could feel God's love for Alex that sacrament meeting. God loves each one of us SO MUCH.
I've been studying Acts lately and it is AWESOME!! I love it. the Lord protects and helps His servants so that they can accomplish what the Lord needs them to accomplish.
Jesus wants us to be baptized and to follow him. We can do that. And by doing so we can have overwhelming joy and happiness in things both temporal and spiritual (Mosiah 2:41 in the Book of Mormon- look it up!! It's an amazing promise!!)
Love you all!
Sister Blasko
mormon.org -- check it out!!
Our districs waiting for transfers, picture of a cowboy hat an older gentleman in our ward gave us- he is quiet the character!! and a picture of Alex (shorter one) at his baptism!! YAYYY!!!
I get to stay here!!!!! Sister Crockett got transferred to Midvail Union though :( We are both sad but also excited at the same time. I've learned a lot from Sister Crockett. She's helped me more than I can write in words. I feel comfortable taking over the area and that is because she has gotten me to that point, alongside with the Lord. I'm will always love my trainer Sister Crockett!
I am not training, but my new companion is someone I actually know from school at BYU-I. She's awesome! Good things will be happening in our area.
Missionary work is the best. I love it so much.
We are now friends with 2 homeless people, countless people from the bus stop, lots of Polynesian kids (they think we are the best), several anti-Mormon people, and of course with everyone else. It's the best. I love these people.
This week we met a cute little family biking one night. They had just gotten home from the store, so of course we ran over to say hi. they immediately invited us in for cookies. At first we were like oh they must be members, they are too nice and friendly, but then just in case they weren't we were like okay we'll eat cookies! We then learned that Jeremy the husband had at one point taken lessons and was close to baptism but had a drinking and smoking problem and so he ended up not being baptized. His wife went to an LDS church growing up but also wasn't baptized. We shared a message and now get to go back and teach them the gospel! The wife was so excited when we talked about our purpose as missionaries. This family is adorable, and I can't believe we would not have even know they were there if we hadn't been biking by just then! I can't wait to go back!
Also- ALEX GOT BAPTIZED AND CONFIRMED!!!! I didn't think I could feel so much joy. But oh man did I think i was gonna burst with happiness when he was being confirmed. Heavenly Father was overjoyed that His son Alex has found the path to make it back to Him. I could feel God's love for Alex that sacrament meeting. God loves each one of us SO MUCH.
I've been studying Acts lately and it is AWESOME!! I love it. the Lord protects and helps His servants so that they can accomplish what the Lord needs them to accomplish.
Jesus wants us to be baptized and to follow him. We can do that. And by doing so we can have overwhelming joy and happiness in things both temporal and spiritual (Mosiah 2:41 in the Book of Mormon- look it up!! It's an amazing promise!!)
Love you all!
Sister Blasko
mormon.org -- check it out!!
Our districs waiting for transfers, picture of a cowboy hat an older gentleman in our ward gave us- he is quiet the character!! and a picture of Alex (shorter one) at his baptism!! YAYYY!!!
I love this work-- it is amazing!
Hello Family and Friends!
This week has been so amazing, as we have had some pretty special moments with an investigator! We stopped to talk to him when he was walking out to the mailbox about a month ago. Not too long after we started teaching him he told us his family trekked into the valley with Brigham Young. Some of his family even branched off into the FLDS religion and in turn are polygamists. I absolutely believe that his ancestors have been preparing him for a long time now. We have been teaching him for about a month now, and each time we have taught, he seems to already be a step ahead. For example, when we taught him the Word of Wisdom, he told us he ran out of coffee the week before and just decided to stop drinking. He then talked about all the blessings he had already seen. Another time, without us even talking about it first, he said he thinks everyone should still pay tithing because in the Bible they paid tithing, and that he wants to pay tithing. It hasn't been all completely easy, there were lessons when he brought up concerns such as polygamy and Gentiles, and the 2 Nephi 29 "A Bible a Bible" chapter. All those all in one lesson! At first we were like oh man, this is gonna be rough, but we were guided through that lesson through the Spirit, and were able to overcome his concerns. We are convinced the Lord needs him as a bishop or something! We had been struggling to get him on date for baptism because he wanted to read the entire Book of Mormon before deciding. We have role played over and over again to try and overcome that concern. In the Preach My Gospel manual (missionary teaching manual) it says that truth seekers, as they read the Book of Mormon, will come to recognize and feel that it is true. The growth of this investigator has been tremendous! He reads, he prays, and the Lord answers him. He went to Stake Conference two weeks ago when my Mission President spoke and he spoke on 3 Nephi 11 and hammered down on baptism. Afterwards our investigator turned to us and said "This has been my favorite service yet!" and later told us after that service he was just "ready to get BAPTIZED!" haha! Last week in Sunday school he learned about the Priesthood so he asked us to start teaching his son, and wants to work towards getting the Priesthood so that he can baptize his son! This investigator is now on date (for baptism) for Feb. 9th!! We are also going to Temple Square with him Thursday!
I testify that God loves all His children. He wants us to be linked to our families here on earth and for eternity. Our investigator's family on the other side wants that as well. I feel so privileged to be able to teach people like our investigator, and to help those ancestors of Utah be linked to their family once again to someday live together forever. I love this work-- it is amazing!
I love you all. I hope everyone has a good rest of the week! Be safe please!!
Sister Blasko
This week has been so amazing, as we have had some pretty special moments with an investigator! We stopped to talk to him when he was walking out to the mailbox about a month ago. Not too long after we started teaching him he told us his family trekked into the valley with Brigham Young. Some of his family even branched off into the FLDS religion and in turn are polygamists. I absolutely believe that his ancestors have been preparing him for a long time now. We have been teaching him for about a month now, and each time we have taught, he seems to already be a step ahead. For example, when we taught him the Word of Wisdom, he told us he ran out of coffee the week before and just decided to stop drinking. He then talked about all the blessings he had already seen. Another time, without us even talking about it first, he said he thinks everyone should still pay tithing because in the Bible they paid tithing, and that he wants to pay tithing. It hasn't been all completely easy, there were lessons when he brought up concerns such as polygamy and Gentiles, and the 2 Nephi 29 "A Bible a Bible" chapter. All those all in one lesson! At first we were like oh man, this is gonna be rough, but we were guided through that lesson through the Spirit, and were able to overcome his concerns. We are convinced the Lord needs him as a bishop or something! We had been struggling to get him on date for baptism because he wanted to read the entire Book of Mormon before deciding. We have role played over and over again to try and overcome that concern. In the Preach My Gospel manual (missionary teaching manual) it says that truth seekers, as they read the Book of Mormon, will come to recognize and feel that it is true. The growth of this investigator has been tremendous! He reads, he prays, and the Lord answers him. He went to Stake Conference two weeks ago when my Mission President spoke and he spoke on 3 Nephi 11 and hammered down on baptism. Afterwards our investigator turned to us and said "This has been my favorite service yet!" and later told us after that service he was just "ready to get BAPTIZED!" haha! Last week in Sunday school he learned about the Priesthood so he asked us to start teaching his son, and wants to work towards getting the Priesthood so that he can baptize his son! This investigator is now on date (for baptism) for Feb. 9th!! We are also going to Temple Square with him Thursday!
I testify that God loves all His children. He wants us to be linked to our families here on earth and for eternity. Our investigator's family on the other side wants that as well. I feel so privileged to be able to teach people like our investigator, and to help those ancestors of Utah be linked to their family once again to someday live together forever. I love this work-- it is amazing!
I love you all. I hope everyone has a good rest of the week! Be safe please!!
Sister Blasko
This week has been craziness!
Hey Family and Friends!! Jan 22, 2013
This week has been craziness!
We have been so blessed to teach so many people lately. They are all such amazing people and after every time we meet with them we are like uhhhh why are they so amazing?? We are just their guides. It isn't even us, they are just truth seeking people so ready to accept the gospel of Jesus Christ.
This past week we went to one neighborhood to visit someone, and they weren't home, so we went to get our bikes and then felt like we needed to stay in that neighborhood, so we went to another house and knocked and no one was home, so we started walking back to get our bikes and just then someone walked out of his house to get in his cousins car, and he saw us, came over and asked what kind of missionaries we were, we said for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and he said he just moved there the day before from Europe and he wanted to go visit temple square and he didn't know a lot about the LDS religion and asked to meet with us sometime. We were like wo!! Ummm, yeah you can! It was amazing that the Lord practically led us to him (or in this case him to us) and how the Lord is aware of all of us!
On a side note- I got bit by a pit bull this week. We were walking our bikes on a way-too-snowy sidewalk and this dog was barking at us behind a fence and then all the sudden it ran out of a hole in the fence and then oh hey-there's a dog latched onto my arm! Fun. My companion says it was epic because I drop kicked it, but really she means I fell over and started kicking to get it off me haha it was a major blessing that I had worn three layers of thick clothing that day because it was super cold outside! the bite didn't break skin, just got some bruises and hard knots in my arm. It was definitely an interesting experience! The funny thing about it was we were on our way to an appointment, so we just had to hop on our bikes before the dog came back out of it's hole in the fence and ride right to the appointment and carry on! Haha ohhh the life as a missionary.
Anyways, I know the Lord loves us so much. He loves our families. He wants our families to be together forever, but we have to work for it. Be obedient and we will be blessed. I know we have a Prophet on the earth today, Thomas. S. Monson. I need he leads and guides Christ's church on the earth today. I love the gospel.
Gotta go! Love you all!! Be safe please!
Love,
Sister Blasko
This week has been craziness!
We have been so blessed to teach so many people lately. They are all such amazing people and after every time we meet with them we are like uhhhh why are they so amazing?? We are just their guides. It isn't even us, they are just truth seeking people so ready to accept the gospel of Jesus Christ.
This past week we went to one neighborhood to visit someone, and they weren't home, so we went to get our bikes and then felt like we needed to stay in that neighborhood, so we went to another house and knocked and no one was home, so we started walking back to get our bikes and just then someone walked out of his house to get in his cousins car, and he saw us, came over and asked what kind of missionaries we were, we said for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints and he said he just moved there the day before from Europe and he wanted to go visit temple square and he didn't know a lot about the LDS religion and asked to meet with us sometime. We were like wo!! Ummm, yeah you can! It was amazing that the Lord practically led us to him (or in this case him to us) and how the Lord is aware of all of us!
On a side note- I got bit by a pit bull this week. We were walking our bikes on a way-too-snowy sidewalk and this dog was barking at us behind a fence and then all the sudden it ran out of a hole in the fence and then oh hey-there's a dog latched onto my arm! Fun. My companion says it was epic because I drop kicked it, but really she means I fell over and started kicking to get it off me haha it was a major blessing that I had worn three layers of thick clothing that day because it was super cold outside! the bite didn't break skin, just got some bruises and hard knots in my arm. It was definitely an interesting experience! The funny thing about it was we were on our way to an appointment, so we just had to hop on our bikes before the dog came back out of it's hole in the fence and ride right to the appointment and carry on! Haha ohhh the life as a missionary.
Anyways, I know the Lord loves us so much. He loves our families. He wants our families to be together forever, but we have to work for it. Be obedient and we will be blessed. I know we have a Prophet on the earth today, Thomas. S. Monson. I need he leads and guides Christ's church on the earth today. I love the gospel.
Gotta go! Love you all!! Be safe please!
Love,
Sister Blasko
The gospel of Jesus Christ is true!
Hello! Dec. 18, 2012
This week I am sending pictures- yayy!! The one with the
Christmas tree is our Christmas picture to everyone :)
We have another baptism this Saturday for a family and the
Dad gets to baptize his kids and it is just so, so exciting! They
have been through so much this past year with their Mom
passing away amongst other things and it's amazing to see the
difference the gospel has made in their family's life! It's going to
be such a special day!
Alma 6:6- fast and pray for those who know not God.
The gospel and knowledge of a loving Heavenly Father and His
son, Jesus Christ, brings such great joy to our lives. That is something
everyone needs! The gospel of Jesus Christ is true. We show our faith
in Jesus Christ by being obedient and following our loving Father in
Heaven's commandments always.
Sorry this is so short!
Merry Christmas everyone! Be safe, and remember who this season is all
about. Santa is fun, but Jesus Christ is the most important person who ever
lived. Make this season about him!
Love you all!
Sister Lucia Blasko
I had my first baptism this week!
Hey family and friends!! December 11, 2102
This week has been crazy to say the least. There are so many ups and downs as a missionary!
First bit of craziness- my bike was stolen!! AND the bright green helmet! I know, how NOT nice! We were at a dinner appointment for 45 minutes and then surprise! Bike gone. Luckily we have a friend who had an extra bike and so they lent it to me to use and brought it over that night so we didn't even skip a beat in our schedule for the week! But the funny thing was how fast the word spread. The next day EVERYBODY knew about the stolen bike and seriously EVERYBODY from the three wards we serve in who happen to pass us stopped and asked "Which one of you had your bike stolen?" or "have you found your bike yet!?" Ha, ha! I love it! Everyone is so nice here. The wards take really good care of us. There were so many people offering helmets or help in finding or buying a bike for me. They were all so nice about it!
I had my first baptism this week! Lucy- 9 years old- was baptized! Sweetest girl ever. It was so exciting :) I'll send pictures sometimes!
We have three more for this next Saturday, baptizing a family of two twins and their younger sister. I love them so much! They are the cutest kids ever! (besides my siblings of course ;) ) Last week we showed up at their house to make sure they got up for church and I got to fix the 10 year old girls hair which we were both super excited about! It made me so happy because I loved to fix Kayla and Tessa's hair and it reminded me of that!
Someone we have been teaching has a dog that is pregnant and about to give birth any day now! We are all pretty excited for puppies and hey- service opportunity!
The temple trip was AMAZING! So so fun! and so refreshing. I know that I cannot do this work alone or even in companionships, if we did not have the Lord's strength and help. It really would be impossible. The Spirit is amazing! So we have been teaching this one person, and we really felt like he was excited about the gospel and understanding everything, and then last night we went over and he told us he didn't want to meet with us again and told us why. The Spirit told both me and sister Crockett it was for a different reason, and something had happened between him and a friend he had talked to who is very not with the Church. Last night we felt so confused and discouraged, and both did a lot of praying for him. And this morning when we both discussed our inspiration for him, and we had both received the same answer!!! We both received inspiration about a question he had asked, and that we should write him a letter and tape it on his door with a particular scripture. It was an amazing moment to confirm that the Spirit had given us the same answer as to how to help this man. The gospel is true! And the Holy Ghost is real! We will continue to try to help our friend and pray that he will have a change of heart.
I have to go, but I love you all! I am so thankful to be a representative of the Lord everyday. I love my little black name tag. It shows the world who I stand for. Share the gospel with your friends and family! Jesus Christ invites all to come to him whether they accept or not- he still invites. Overcome fear and trust in the Lord, for He can do all things! We invite ALL to come unto Christ.
I hope Kayla had an awesome b-day! Alyssa's been out for more than a year- wow!!! I love my family with all of my heart and am so glad I know I can be with them for FOREVER!!
Love you all! Be safe! And have a wonderful Christmas season :)
Love,
Sister Lucia Blasko
This week has been crazy to say the least. There are so many ups and downs as a missionary!
First bit of craziness- my bike was stolen!! AND the bright green helmet! I know, how NOT nice! We were at a dinner appointment for 45 minutes and then surprise! Bike gone. Luckily we have a friend who had an extra bike and so they lent it to me to use and brought it over that night so we didn't even skip a beat in our schedule for the week! But the funny thing was how fast the word spread. The next day EVERYBODY knew about the stolen bike and seriously EVERYBODY from the three wards we serve in who happen to pass us stopped and asked "Which one of you had your bike stolen?" or "have you found your bike yet!?" Ha, ha! I love it! Everyone is so nice here. The wards take really good care of us. There were so many people offering helmets or help in finding or buying a bike for me. They were all so nice about it!
I had my first baptism this week! Lucy- 9 years old- was baptized! Sweetest girl ever. It was so exciting :) I'll send pictures sometimes!
We have three more for this next Saturday, baptizing a family of two twins and their younger sister. I love them so much! They are the cutest kids ever! (besides my siblings of course ;) ) Last week we showed up at their house to make sure they got up for church and I got to fix the 10 year old girls hair which we were both super excited about! It made me so happy because I loved to fix Kayla and Tessa's hair and it reminded me of that!
Someone we have been teaching has a dog that is pregnant and about to give birth any day now! We are all pretty excited for puppies and hey- service opportunity!
The temple trip was AMAZING! So so fun! and so refreshing. I know that I cannot do this work alone or even in companionships, if we did not have the Lord's strength and help. It really would be impossible. The Spirit is amazing! So we have been teaching this one person, and we really felt like he was excited about the gospel and understanding everything, and then last night we went over and he told us he didn't want to meet with us again and told us why. The Spirit told both me and sister Crockett it was for a different reason, and something had happened between him and a friend he had talked to who is very not with the Church. Last night we felt so confused and discouraged, and both did a lot of praying for him. And this morning when we both discussed our inspiration for him, and we had both received the same answer!!! We both received inspiration about a question he had asked, and that we should write him a letter and tape it on his door with a particular scripture. It was an amazing moment to confirm that the Spirit had given us the same answer as to how to help this man. The gospel is true! And the Holy Ghost is real! We will continue to try to help our friend and pray that he will have a change of heart.
I have to go, but I love you all! I am so thankful to be a representative of the Lord everyday. I love my little black name tag. It shows the world who I stand for. Share the gospel with your friends and family! Jesus Christ invites all to come to him whether they accept or not- he still invites. Overcome fear and trust in the Lord, for He can do all things! We invite ALL to come unto Christ.
I hope Kayla had an awesome b-day! Alyssa's been out for more than a year- wow!!! I love my family with all of my heart and am so glad I know I can be with them for FOREVER!!
Love you all! Be safe! And have a wonderful Christmas season :)
Love,
Sister Lucia Blasko
Missionary work is amazing!
Hello!! December 4, 2012
I don't even know what to write!! Email hour is always so frantic hahah!
Wellllll, this week was definitely interesting! Definitely a learning week. I had a couple days that were so so hard. Nobody wanted to talk to us and we didn't have any member referrals and I just felt so discouraged door after door. I remember finally just praying one night for strength because I really felt like I just could not do this. So then YESTERDAY happened! Yesterday was amazing!! The Lord just picked me up and carried me yesterday. Every time I talked to someone I could just feel the Spirit so strong giving me words to say to those we talked to that day. We were able to help so many people because my companion and I were both so in tune with the Spirit. If we say the things that the Lord puts into our hearts, just like the promise in the scriptures, we cannot be confounded by men. I know the Lord is refining me to be the best missionary and servant that I can be, but it also is gonna take work. We have four baptisms in the next two weeks and we are so excited! These families are amazing, I want to help them so much! We finally got an appointment with this 16 year old boy who apparently wanted to be baptized last year after meeting with missionaries but his mom said no. Now we are teaching him again and I can just feel that he wants to change his life to be better, he's had a lot of bad things happen. I am really really praying hard that we can help remind him why he wanted to be baptized and help him have an experience with the Spirit. He's a good kid with just not a lot of support or good influences in his life. But I want to help him!
We have found that Sister Crockett can connect really well with the adults and I can connect really well with the kids and teens, so it works out pretty well, because we are teaching LOTS of both adults and teens and kids. It's awesome!
Missionary work is amazing!
Oh yeah also mom- did you give Derek and Kayla my bday presents? Tell Kayla I say happy birthday (soon)!!! Yay! 13!
Has Derek gone on his first date yet?
Thanks for emailing, sounds like everyone is still doing awesome!
Momma I got your letter this week- thanks! And tell Kay Kay thanks for the letter, I'll try and write back soon, and I loved Cora's mermaid drawing, my companion did too!
Oh, we get to go to the Salt Lake City Temple on Thursday!! Yayy! Our whole mission! We have about 100 missionaries in our small mission, so the Trax are about to be swarming with missionaries! It's gonna be amazing! And if we all can talk to someone about the gospel on our way there- awesome!
Time flies by but also goes so slow hahah! I feel like I've been here forever, but then I also can't believe it's Tuesday already! The week flew by. We have tons of lessons for this week, so I hope they all go well!
I have pictures but haven't gotten to download them yet. But hopefully I can soon!
Scripture for the week- 3 Nephi 11-- READ IT!
We also get to teach a family at Temple Square on Sunday when all the lights are on- WE ARE SO EXCITED!!! Apparently at Temple Square they put up TONSSSS of lights for December! We are probably more excited than the family we are going with, hahah, but that's ok.
Sister Crockett is awesome. We are tons a like. But most important- she likes basketball, hahah! Well most important is she is a great missionary who is obedient, and that is what I was hoping my companion would be like! I'm still getting used to having to be around each other literally 24/7 because sometimes I just like my alone time, but I'll get used to it sooner or later.
Mom- of course I am an expert bike rider. Like the best. Haven't hit any fences in a couple days in a row. Also we got chased by a dog the other day. And then the dog ran ahead of us and led us for like ten seconds, then circled around and chased us some more. I don't know if I was more scared or more about to tip over from laughter. Have I mentioned everyone has dogs here? Yeah, they do. AND they all have no personal space problems, so I'm pretty much licked all day, all over my clothes and shoes and hands andddd.....I will never own a dog. Cats are the new pet choice.
We get fed SUPER well here, I don't know how I am not going to gain 50 lbs. Everyone thinks we are starving. They are all super nice and friendly and loving and so we don't want to say no because they are just so sweet to care about us sooo we just eat all day long.
OK, I have to go now. Keep being awesome! Remember the Lord loves you always no matter what, so pray to Him, and He can give you strength and comfort! Love you all! Be safe and watch over each other.
Love
Sister Blasko
I don't even know what to write!! Email hour is always so frantic hahah!
Wellllll, this week was definitely interesting! Definitely a learning week. I had a couple days that were so so hard. Nobody wanted to talk to us and we didn't have any member referrals and I just felt so discouraged door after door. I remember finally just praying one night for strength because I really felt like I just could not do this. So then YESTERDAY happened! Yesterday was amazing!! The Lord just picked me up and carried me yesterday. Every time I talked to someone I could just feel the Spirit so strong giving me words to say to those we talked to that day. We were able to help so many people because my companion and I were both so in tune with the Spirit. If we say the things that the Lord puts into our hearts, just like the promise in the scriptures, we cannot be confounded by men. I know the Lord is refining me to be the best missionary and servant that I can be, but it also is gonna take work. We have four baptisms in the next two weeks and we are so excited! These families are amazing, I want to help them so much! We finally got an appointment with this 16 year old boy who apparently wanted to be baptized last year after meeting with missionaries but his mom said no. Now we are teaching him again and I can just feel that he wants to change his life to be better, he's had a lot of bad things happen. I am really really praying hard that we can help remind him why he wanted to be baptized and help him have an experience with the Spirit. He's a good kid with just not a lot of support or good influences in his life. But I want to help him!
We have found that Sister Crockett can connect really well with the adults and I can connect really well with the kids and teens, so it works out pretty well, because we are teaching LOTS of both adults and teens and kids. It's awesome!
Missionary work is amazing!
Oh yeah also mom- did you give Derek and Kayla my bday presents? Tell Kayla I say happy birthday (soon)!!! Yay! 13!
Has Derek gone on his first date yet?
Thanks for emailing, sounds like everyone is still doing awesome!
Momma I got your letter this week- thanks! And tell Kay Kay thanks for the letter, I'll try and write back soon, and I loved Cora's mermaid drawing, my companion did too!
Oh, we get to go to the Salt Lake City Temple on Thursday!! Yayy! Our whole mission! We have about 100 missionaries in our small mission, so the Trax are about to be swarming with missionaries! It's gonna be amazing! And if we all can talk to someone about the gospel on our way there- awesome!
Time flies by but also goes so slow hahah! I feel like I've been here forever, but then I also can't believe it's Tuesday already! The week flew by. We have tons of lessons for this week, so I hope they all go well!
I have pictures but haven't gotten to download them yet. But hopefully I can soon!
Scripture for the week- 3 Nephi 11-- READ IT!
We also get to teach a family at Temple Square on Sunday when all the lights are on- WE ARE SO EXCITED!!! Apparently at Temple Square they put up TONSSSS of lights for December! We are probably more excited than the family we are going with, hahah, but that's ok.
Sister Crockett is awesome. We are tons a like. But most important- she likes basketball, hahah! Well most important is she is a great missionary who is obedient, and that is what I was hoping my companion would be like! I'm still getting used to having to be around each other literally 24/7 because sometimes I just like my alone time, but I'll get used to it sooner or later.
Mom- of course I am an expert bike rider. Like the best. Haven't hit any fences in a couple days in a row. Also we got chased by a dog the other day. And then the dog ran ahead of us and led us for like ten seconds, then circled around and chased us some more. I don't know if I was more scared or more about to tip over from laughter. Have I mentioned everyone has dogs here? Yeah, they do. AND they all have no personal space problems, so I'm pretty much licked all day, all over my clothes and shoes and hands andddd.....I will never own a dog. Cats are the new pet choice.
We get fed SUPER well here, I don't know how I am not going to gain 50 lbs. Everyone thinks we are starving. They are all super nice and friendly and loving and so we don't want to say no because they are just so sweet to care about us sooo we just eat all day long.
OK, I have to go now. Keep being awesome! Remember the Lord loves you always no matter what, so pray to Him, and He can give you strength and comfort! Love you all! Be safe and watch over each other.
Love
Sister Blasko
I know that we can receive strength through prayer.
Hello!!! Nov. 27, 2012
Oh wow. The mission field is CRAZY! But I love it. missionary work is hard, and trying, and tiring, and totally exciting, and fun, and challenging, and so worth it when you find that one person that wants to listen. Just a couple things I want you all to know:
I'm pretty sure I have not gained weight (DAD) because we bike SO much every day and the roads seem to all be on an incline. But people really do feed us well out here. Seriously, after Thanksgiving day EVERYONE tried to feed us. It was so great, haha!
I ran a 5k the other day. Oh you know, just woke up and said Yup! Gonna run a 5k today! No. That's not what happened. Our entire mission had a 5k run on Thanksgiving day and when I heard that I said yep I'm gonna walk, and then my more competitive side kicked in and ten seconds before we started I decided I wasn't gonna pansy out so I just did it! My companion and I were the first sisters to finish (out of 20). We ran in a companionship. It was funny, the last mile or so I ran up beside another missionary I knew and he taught me a lesson while I asked questions about the church. It was so funny, but also a good distraction from my collapsing lungs.
My showers are now 5 minutes long (mom and dad you won) I know, I never thought it would happen....
Everyone here has dogs, and fences. fences and dogs. No joke. And they ALL bark at us as we ride by. But we just say "Hello dog" and keep biking.
I crashed into my companion on my bike on day 1, going down the driveway the first time being on it. It was a super good start to the day and mission :) Also, I didn't have to buy a bike yet because they had an extra one. I might have to later.
We are only over three wards because they want the missionaries to focus more on a tinier area. There is a ton of inactivity here which makes me really sad. A lot of the time people say they were offended and just stopped going to church. I just wish everyone just understood that there are a lot of people in the world with a lot of funny views on things, but truth is truth, it doesn't change. We don't go to church for social reasons. We go to church to worship God. Because He's commanded us to. It just makes me really sad to meet so many inactive members.
We are teaching this one family now. There are four kids, one baptized but less active, and the Dad has been less active also, but since the Mom's death, is trying to come back to Church and living the gospel. I love there family. I connected really well with the kids right away, they are the cutest, and also kind of shy. But I still love them! It is amazing what the gospel can do for families. It has changed their lives around so much since the passing of their mother. You can feel that change when you walk in the house. I am so happy I get to help them come unto Christ.
I know that we can receive strength through prayer. Heavenly Father loves us so much and wants to strengthen us and help us. There have been so many times when I have prayed for strength and to have the Spirit to know what to say and then as we taught someone words would just come out and I could just feel and know that that was the Spirit talking through me. I know I have been able to help others already even though I have only been out for a week, but it is because of Heavenly Fathers help in finding and teaching people here in this area.
Well, I've got to go! I'm sure I will have ton to write about next Tuesday! Missionary work is amazing!! It truly is the Lord's work!
Love you all!
Sister Blasko
Oh wow. The mission field is CRAZY! But I love it. missionary work is hard, and trying, and tiring, and totally exciting, and fun, and challenging, and so worth it when you find that one person that wants to listen. Just a couple things I want you all to know:
I'm pretty sure I have not gained weight (DAD) because we bike SO much every day and the roads seem to all be on an incline. But people really do feed us well out here. Seriously, after Thanksgiving day EVERYONE tried to feed us. It was so great, haha!
I ran a 5k the other day. Oh you know, just woke up and said Yup! Gonna run a 5k today! No. That's not what happened. Our entire mission had a 5k run on Thanksgiving day and when I heard that I said yep I'm gonna walk, and then my more competitive side kicked in and ten seconds before we started I decided I wasn't gonna pansy out so I just did it! My companion and I were the first sisters to finish (out of 20). We ran in a companionship. It was funny, the last mile or so I ran up beside another missionary I knew and he taught me a lesson while I asked questions about the church. It was so funny, but also a good distraction from my collapsing lungs.
My showers are now 5 minutes long (mom and dad you won) I know, I never thought it would happen....
Everyone here has dogs, and fences. fences and dogs. No joke. And they ALL bark at us as we ride by. But we just say "Hello dog" and keep biking.
I crashed into my companion on my bike on day 1, going down the driveway the first time being on it. It was a super good start to the day and mission :) Also, I didn't have to buy a bike yet because they had an extra one. I might have to later.
We are only over three wards because they want the missionaries to focus more on a tinier area. There is a ton of inactivity here which makes me really sad. A lot of the time people say they were offended and just stopped going to church. I just wish everyone just understood that there are a lot of people in the world with a lot of funny views on things, but truth is truth, it doesn't change. We don't go to church for social reasons. We go to church to worship God. Because He's commanded us to. It just makes me really sad to meet so many inactive members.
We are teaching this one family now. There are four kids, one baptized but less active, and the Dad has been less active also, but since the Mom's death, is trying to come back to Church and living the gospel. I love there family. I connected really well with the kids right away, they are the cutest, and also kind of shy. But I still love them! It is amazing what the gospel can do for families. It has changed their lives around so much since the passing of their mother. You can feel that change when you walk in the house. I am so happy I get to help them come unto Christ.
I know that we can receive strength through prayer. Heavenly Father loves us so much and wants to strengthen us and help us. There have been so many times when I have prayed for strength and to have the Spirit to know what to say and then as we taught someone words would just come out and I could just feel and know that that was the Spirit talking through me. I know I have been able to help others already even though I have only been out for a week, but it is because of Heavenly Fathers help in finding and teaching people here in this area.
Well, I've got to go! I'm sure I will have ton to write about next Tuesday! Missionary work is amazing!! It truly is the Lord's work!
Love you all!
Sister Blasko
This past week we had an experience that I don't think I will ever forget.
Hello!! Nov. 19, 2012
Ohhh man it has been a crazy week! I don't even know where to start! Well, last Monday my companion Sister Kinikini got her visa and so she left for England the next morning (yes it was super sad and yes we allll cried haha) and although we were sad to see her go we are all really happy she finally got her visa and is there now. She will be an amazing missionary out in the field!
ALSO, I am currently recovering from laryngitis, but no worries! Everything is completely fine :) After Sister Kinikini left i was put with the other sisters in our district in a trio (love these ladies to death!) and one of them went to the doctor and they said she had laryngitis and just prescribed her 4 Motrin every 4-5 hours so when I got the symptoms I just started taking 4 Motrin and it seems to be working! Luckily i haven't had to take a sick day because I can't imagine missing any days in the MTC! You learn so much each day!
So this week we had A LOT of humbling, learning experiences. We are learning how to follow the promptings of the Spirit at all times especially in our lessons with investigators. It is so so important because God knows what others need way more than we know what they need, and with three people we all have to be in complete tune with the Spirit and trust that the other is following the promptings of the Spirit. We are also learning that silences in the lessons are good because then the Spirit can testify to our investigators that what we are teaching is true. We are learning also how to really listen to our investigators, because it isn't so much lessons we teach, but people we teach. (if that makes sense...) This past week we had an experience that I don't think I will ever forget. We have been teaching this one investigator named Miguel. He's an older man with two kids and a wife who is the relief society president. The lesson before this one had gone really well, Miguel had felt the Spirit and had told us he knew he needed to be baptized. We were so excited! So this week we went in to teach him, and the lesson started off really well, we talked about how the gospel can change us for the better, and how because of the Atonement of Jesus Christ we can be forgiven of our sins and that guilt and shame can be wiped away, and we can be clean again. We had him read a scripture in the Book of Mormon, and everything seemed to be going great, and then we started talking about the plan of salvation and something changed. It just plummeted, and after that lesson i just felt like the biggest failure. We all did. We were so sooo discouraged because we have tried so hard to help Miguel understand things, but we can't make him do anything, he's the one that makes the decision of whether to apply prayer and faith and the blessings of the gospel in his life. We just can't seem to get to him about some things and we've tried time and time again. After that lesson we went back to class and we all quietly just cried at our desks because we just felt so discouraged. Our teacher (investigator Miguel) felt inspired to play a clip for us. It was about a gardener and this bush. One day the gardener chopped down the bush in his garden, and the bush seemed to cry "Why? Why would you cut me down?" And the gardener replied that he had cut him down because he was the gardener and cut the bush down so it could grow to be something even better. In our lives, sometimes Heavenly Father allows us to be cut down, so that we can grow to become something even better. That day when we had taught Miguel- that felt to me to be a cut down day, the Lord was allowing me to be cut down so that I could learn and grow to be an even better missionary. Our teacher read to us Matthew 11:28-30. In these verses Jesus is speaking, and tells us to come unto him those who have a a heavy burden, take His yoke upon us, because His burden is light. Jesus Christ didn't just pay for the sins of everyone, but He has felt our pains and sorrows, and our suffering. He knows exactly how to comfort us in times of need. Pray for that comfort, pray with all of your heart! He can heal you :)
Well, my time is about up, I wish I could write more. And Mom- you might want to spell check this before sending it out or posting it....
Also, I think I sent this to Dad's email, but I'm not sure if I remembered it correctly...
Love you all!! Do something nice for someone today!
Love,
Sister Blasko :)
Ohhh man it has been a crazy week! I don't even know where to start! Well, last Monday my companion Sister Kinikini got her visa and so she left for England the next morning (yes it was super sad and yes we allll cried haha) and although we were sad to see her go we are all really happy she finally got her visa and is there now. She will be an amazing missionary out in the field!
ALSO, I am currently recovering from laryngitis, but no worries! Everything is completely fine :) After Sister Kinikini left i was put with the other sisters in our district in a trio (love these ladies to death!) and one of them went to the doctor and they said she had laryngitis and just prescribed her 4 Motrin every 4-5 hours so when I got the symptoms I just started taking 4 Motrin and it seems to be working! Luckily i haven't had to take a sick day because I can't imagine missing any days in the MTC! You learn so much each day!
So this week we had A LOT of humbling, learning experiences. We are learning how to follow the promptings of the Spirit at all times especially in our lessons with investigators. It is so so important because God knows what others need way more than we know what they need, and with three people we all have to be in complete tune with the Spirit and trust that the other is following the promptings of the Spirit. We are also learning that silences in the lessons are good because then the Spirit can testify to our investigators that what we are teaching is true. We are learning also how to really listen to our investigators, because it isn't so much lessons we teach, but people we teach. (if that makes sense...) This past week we had an experience that I don't think I will ever forget. We have been teaching this one investigator named Miguel. He's an older man with two kids and a wife who is the relief society president. The lesson before this one had gone really well, Miguel had felt the Spirit and had told us he knew he needed to be baptized. We were so excited! So this week we went in to teach him, and the lesson started off really well, we talked about how the gospel can change us for the better, and how because of the Atonement of Jesus Christ we can be forgiven of our sins and that guilt and shame can be wiped away, and we can be clean again. We had him read a scripture in the Book of Mormon, and everything seemed to be going great, and then we started talking about the plan of salvation and something changed. It just plummeted, and after that lesson i just felt like the biggest failure. We all did. We were so sooo discouraged because we have tried so hard to help Miguel understand things, but we can't make him do anything, he's the one that makes the decision of whether to apply prayer and faith and the blessings of the gospel in his life. We just can't seem to get to him about some things and we've tried time and time again. After that lesson we went back to class and we all quietly just cried at our desks because we just felt so discouraged. Our teacher (investigator Miguel) felt inspired to play a clip for us. It was about a gardener and this bush. One day the gardener chopped down the bush in his garden, and the bush seemed to cry "Why? Why would you cut me down?" And the gardener replied that he had cut him down because he was the gardener and cut the bush down so it could grow to be something even better. In our lives, sometimes Heavenly Father allows us to be cut down, so that we can grow to become something even better. That day when we had taught Miguel- that felt to me to be a cut down day, the Lord was allowing me to be cut down so that I could learn and grow to be an even better missionary. Our teacher read to us Matthew 11:28-30. In these verses Jesus is speaking, and tells us to come unto him those who have a a heavy burden, take His yoke upon us, because His burden is light. Jesus Christ didn't just pay for the sins of everyone, but He has felt our pains and sorrows, and our suffering. He knows exactly how to comfort us in times of need. Pray for that comfort, pray with all of your heart! He can heal you :)
Well, my time is about up, I wish I could write more. And Mom- you might want to spell check this before sending it out or posting it....
Also, I think I sent this to Dad's email, but I'm not sure if I remembered it correctly...
Love you all!! Do something nice for someone today!
Love,
Sister Blasko :)
Ok, I love love LOVE the MTC!!!
Hey Family!!! November 5, 2012
Ok, I love love LOVE the MTC!!! (Missionary Training Center in Provo, Utah!) It is AWESOME!! The first day was SUPER overwhelming, because I was behind on some things and missed tonsss of announcements and informative meetings. My thoughts at the end of day one= ahhhhh!! Whattt???? Haha but I love it so much. Everyone is so nice and so excited to talk to everyone else. I've already seen a couple of people that I know from back at BYU-I and many people from my mission prep class! Man, each day is crazy, I don't even know how to start. I mean, we wake up around 6, get ready for study time in the classroom at 7, then go all the way until 9:30 at night. We have personal study, then companion study, then doctrinal study, zone teaching, classroom instruction. Every minute is planned out but I love it so much! You can feel the spirit so strong here! But just like everywhere else, you really have to make sure that you are doing the things necessary in order to allow yourself to feel that spirit. The biggest thing I've learned here is that you really really realllly do need to have the spirit when you are studying the gospel and when you are teaching someone. Without the spirit, everything else is a thousand times harder and not very effective. My companion- she's great! I love her so much, We are actually a lot a like! Which is really a blessing because we have been working on teaching each other as investigators and it's good to see what the other needs to work on because we have similar teaching styles, so it helps because we then can change how we teach from what we see the other do. Also we get a long really well which is always good in a companionship! She's Tongan so it's really funny because when Polynesians pass each other they are like "hey you Polynesian?? Me too!!" and then they are like best friends ha! So I told her I wanted in the club. Is it bad to lie about your race so that you can be in with the Polynesians??....Haha just kidding ;)
Anyways, I love her she's great. I love my district too! We all get a long so well and have so much fun together. Just after 5 days they are already my brothers and sisters.
I had a cool experience a couple days ago. So we have been trying to teach this investigator named Dom. Dom is an atheist but his wife is a member and they have 2 kids. We have been working on teaching him the first lesson which talks about the Restoration. But we have been having trouble each time because he doesn't believe in God. The second time we taught him was better than the first, but it was a bit confusing I think for him, and just felt like we were relaying information to him, and that's just boring! AND we only had ten minutes to teach the lesson! So afterwards I just felt so awful. Like a big failure. And it was like that the whole day, and I just kept wondering if I would ever be able to do it. Our teacher told us to make them experience what we are experiencing which would be the Holy Ghost. Which was good advice and our goal but we just couldn't figure out how. Then in our classroom instruction that night our teacher told us instead of reading or telling people about the grove (Joseph smith- first vision) but instead to actually put them in the grove. We learned to do it by taking something in their life and relating it directly to the gospel, so that they can see how it applies specifically to them. That night I was allowed to role play again and i tried doing that and listening to the spirit and it went so so well!! I felt so good and got my investigator to commit to reading and praying about the Book of Mormon!! It was amazing and definitely a learning experience!
Well I gotta go! Love you all so so much! Read your scriptures every day!
Love, Sister Blasko
Ok, I love love LOVE the MTC!!! (Missionary Training Center in Provo, Utah!) It is AWESOME!! The first day was SUPER overwhelming, because I was behind on some things and missed tonsss of announcements and informative meetings. My thoughts at the end of day one= ahhhhh!! Whattt???? Haha but I love it so much. Everyone is so nice and so excited to talk to everyone else. I've already seen a couple of people that I know from back at BYU-I and many people from my mission prep class! Man, each day is crazy, I don't even know how to start. I mean, we wake up around 6, get ready for study time in the classroom at 7, then go all the way until 9:30 at night. We have personal study, then companion study, then doctrinal study, zone teaching, classroom instruction. Every minute is planned out but I love it so much! You can feel the spirit so strong here! But just like everywhere else, you really have to make sure that you are doing the things necessary in order to allow yourself to feel that spirit. The biggest thing I've learned here is that you really really realllly do need to have the spirit when you are studying the gospel and when you are teaching someone. Without the spirit, everything else is a thousand times harder and not very effective. My companion- she's great! I love her so much, We are actually a lot a like! Which is really a blessing because we have been working on teaching each other as investigators and it's good to see what the other needs to work on because we have similar teaching styles, so it helps because we then can change how we teach from what we see the other do. Also we get a long really well which is always good in a companionship! She's Tongan so it's really funny because when Polynesians pass each other they are like "hey you Polynesian?? Me too!!" and then they are like best friends ha! So I told her I wanted in the club. Is it bad to lie about your race so that you can be in with the Polynesians??....Haha just kidding ;)
Anyways, I love her she's great. I love my district too! We all get a long so well and have so much fun together. Just after 5 days they are already my brothers and sisters.
I had a cool experience a couple days ago. So we have been trying to teach this investigator named Dom. Dom is an atheist but his wife is a member and they have 2 kids. We have been working on teaching him the first lesson which talks about the Restoration. But we have been having trouble each time because he doesn't believe in God. The second time we taught him was better than the first, but it was a bit confusing I think for him, and just felt like we were relaying information to him, and that's just boring! AND we only had ten minutes to teach the lesson! So afterwards I just felt so awful. Like a big failure. And it was like that the whole day, and I just kept wondering if I would ever be able to do it. Our teacher told us to make them experience what we are experiencing which would be the Holy Ghost. Which was good advice and our goal but we just couldn't figure out how. Then in our classroom instruction that night our teacher told us instead of reading or telling people about the grove (Joseph smith- first vision) but instead to actually put them in the grove. We learned to do it by taking something in their life and relating it directly to the gospel, so that they can see how it applies specifically to them. That night I was allowed to role play again and i tried doing that and listening to the spirit and it went so so well!! I felt so good and got my investigator to commit to reading and praying about the Book of Mormon!! It was amazing and definitely a learning experience!
Well I gotta go! Love you all so so much! Read your scriptures every day!
Love, Sister Blasko