The Story Behind The Face

A member was kind enough to share this really cool story with me that he found in the Norwegian Newspaper here that I think relates to this topic I have been discussing this week. It says:

"Imagine the Following: Every morning you get 86,400 dollars in your account from your bank.  You can use the entire amount in one day but cannot save anything.  What you do not use is gone by the end of the day.  But every morning when you wake up you have another 86,400 dollars in your account for the new day.  Unfortunately the bank can also close your account at anytime without notice.  They can say, “Game over” -the game ends today.  What would you do?

This game is reality: Everyone of us has a 'magical' bank: TIME!  Each morning we are each given 86,400 seconds of life as a gift.  Whatever time is wasted - it’s gone, gone forever. But every morning the account is refilled.  What do you do with your 86,400 seconds?  (taken from a story by Marc Levy)

Do not be anxious for tomorrow! 

25 Therefore I say unto you, Take no thought for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor yet for your body, what ye shall put on. Is not the life more than meat, and the body than raiment?

26 Behold the fowls of the air: for they sow not, neither do they reap, nor gather into barns; yet your Heavenly Father feedeth them. Are ye not much better than they?

27 Which of you by taking thought can add one cubit unto his stature?

28 And why take ye thought for raiment? Consider the lilies of the field, how they grow; they toil not, neither do they spin:

29 And yet I say unto you, That even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.

30 Wherefore, if God so clothe the grass of the field, which to day is, and tomorrow is cast into the oven, shall he not much more clothe you, O ye of little faith?

31 Therefore take no thought, saying, What shall we eat? or, What shall we drink? or, Wherewithal shall we be clothed?

32 (For after all these things do the Gentiles seek:) for your heavenly Father knoweth that ye have need of all these things.

33 But seek ye first the kingdom of God, and his righteousness; and all these things shall be added unto you.

34 Take therefore no thought for the morrow: for the morrow shall take thought for the things of itself. Sufficient unto the day is the evil thereof. 

Matthew 6:25-34 

Scripture translated into English from the Norwegian Bible:

"I tell you: Do not be anxious for your life, what ye shall eat, or what ye shall drink; nor for the body what ye shall clothe you with.  Is not life more than food and the body more than clothing?  Look at the birds of the air!  They sow not, they reap not, or gather into barns, but your Father in Heaven feeds them. Are you not worth more than they? Who is not more valuable than they are?  Who of you by worrying can add one cubit to his stature?  And why are you worried about clothing?  Look at the lilies of the field how they grow.  They neither toil or spin yet I tell you Not even Solomon in all his glory was not arrayed like one of these.  When God clothes the grasses of the field which grows today and thrown into the oven tomorrow how much more will he clothe you you of little faith.  Therefor do not be anxious saying what shall we eat, or what shall we drink, or what shall we clothe ourselves with.  All this Gentiles seek but your Father in Heaven knows that you need all these.  Seek first His Kingdom and His righteousness,  and ye shall receive everything else besides.  So do not worry about tomorrow.  Each day has enough trouble of its own." 

How cool is that? We all have this 'magic' bank of time that we have been given every single day and we can use that time for whatever we want. We could choose to sleep the day away (which I'll admit I've done before) or we could choose to use every second that we have been given to help those around us and find out more of the story behind the faces of the people we meet. The Spirit will help us to know how we can use this time and as long as we are using that time to help out our fellow men it will never have gone to waste. Our guest speaker from Drammen ended his talk by saying that if we are using our agency to make those decisions to help out our brothers and sisters we will never be making the incorrect decision. 

We all have the potential to be an answer to another person's prayer. I know I have had many experiences in my life where my friends or family or even strangers have used those precious seconds we have been given to help me and they always knew exactly what to say thanks to the 'magic' of the Holy Ghost.

I've been really blessed in my life to be surrounded by such amazing people as you all and I'm forever grateful that you all would take the time to figure out my story. I am thankful that you love me as my Heavenly Father does and have taken time to answer my prayers through your presence. Thank you for being a part of the 'magic'. I hope you all have a wonderful week and that you continue to use those seconds to figure out the story behind the face.

Klem,
Søster Blankmeyer

Work With What We Have

It's been quite the week. It's kind of been all over the place if this weeks post is all over the place thats why. Monday night Soster Atanasio and I were in charge of family home evening here with some of the members in the branch. We ended up having a visit from one of the counselors presiding over the Tromsø branch which was great. We decided to focus our lesson on agency and it turned out great. We watched a couple of Mormon messages and had a wonderful discussion on agency and all the different aspects related to it. It really turned out to be an awesome discussion and ultimately a great family home evening that night. We had cake to celebrate one of the members birthdays and afterwards our visitor pulled all of us Missionaries into a room and we got the chance to discuss the missionary work up here in Tromsø. It was really nice. 

Usually in a big ward one of the members are called as a ward mission leader and they end up leading a meeting once a week to discuss missionary work. And missionary efforts in the area. Here in Tromsø we don't really have a meeting like that so often, so it was nice to get to discuss the missionary work here in Tromsø branch. Our visitor told us the story of this guy who, while out on his mission was serving in a small branch of 40 to 50 members and by the time he was supposed to leave the area they were up to 150 members. He then moved on to serve in another branch in another city and did the exact same thing. His secret-he worked with what he had. He saw the members in the branch and new that a lot of them had friends and family members who are not yet members of the church. He then was able to use their interest as well as his interests to start planning activities and parties for these members to bring their friends and their family to. In the end, these people had a nice and normal way to be introduced to the church. It made for a lot of success in those two branches where that Elder served and so it got us missionaries pumped up here in Tromsø to try it out. We are going to try our best to create more parties and activities and to encourage these members to bring a friend. Thus far we have an activity coming up on Thursday where one of our investigators is going to teach us how to knit socks and Eldste Wakefield and I are really going to try and get some Sports started on Saturdays as well. We are way excited. We will be praying for some miracles to come of this. Either way it really was so nice to discuss our missionary efforts and bounce off some new ideas of finding new investigators and supporting the members here in Tromsø. I'm way pumped. It was a great way to start off the week.

Tuesday was full of packing and saying goodbye. We were able to meet with a lot of people in the branch and Søster Atanasio was able to say her goodbyes. It was great. Then Wednesday came rolling along and it was time to send Søster Attanasio off to Trondheim. We finally finished up packing right before the Miller's came to pick us up. We got everything together and out the door right on time and before we knew it we were at the airport saying our goodbyes. After she had successfully gotten through security we headed back to the Millers and waited for our new companions to come. It was great. They fed us lunch and we even made a very nice welcome to Tromsø sign for the newcomers. What a wonderful morning. Sure enough the time came around for us to go and pick up my new companion, Søster Etchells at the airport so off we went again to the wonderful Tromsø airport with our beautiful welcome sign in hand. Eldste Wakefield and I held the sign while Søster Miller was on the lookout for my new companion. Sure enough Søster Etchells arrived safe and sound in Tromsø and ready to begin the adventure that this transfer has already began to be. 

We took it pretty easy the rest of the day and by Thursday we were ready to go. We started off the morning with our usual district meeting and played some get to know you games since a majority of the district is new to the area. It was great. Way fun. The rest of our Thursday was also pretty chill. We had studies and weekly planning and then I gave Soster Etchells a bunch of information about the area. We are never sure how long we will be in an area so just to be safe I'm going to try and help Søster Etchells be ready to take over Tromsø if I end up leaving in four weeks. Friday was quite the day. Friday morning I woke up and my throat was killing me. I was starting to think that maybe I caught what the elders had last week. They were both really sick and had to stay in a majority of last week. Søster Etchells was also having some trouble with her eye that morning so we called sister Hill that morning to see what we should do. She basically told us to take it easy and see where that ends up. We still ended up visiting or investigator that we visit every Friday with the senior couple but came straight home afterwards to rest up. We had a crazy busy day planned for Saturday and knew that we would have to be well enough to be able to do missionary work that day so we focused our Friday on getting better. Happy Saint Patrick's to us. It really wasn't all that bad but let me tell you it's no fun to be sick as a missionary. That was the first time on my mission I had to stay in and although the sleep was much-needed it was surprisingly hard to stay inside pretty much all day. 

It did make me think though that sometimes we need to take care of ourselves first before we can go and take care of others. It even reminded me of the scripture found in Luke  22:32 which says, "...and when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren." Ultimately the thought goes both ways if we are physically not well ourselves it's a lot harder to help those around us and if we aren't spiritually converted ourselves it's a lot harder to strengthen our brethren. Come Saturday morning we still weren't in the greatest of shape but I got some medicine and Søster Etchells got a doctors appointment and we were able to go out and do our work to the best of our ability that day. By Sunday we were both feeling much better and able to enjoy the calm and peace that the church service brings into our lives. Also one of my good friends up here in Tromsø gave a talk and he did incredibly well. It made me so proud. The people here are great and I am truly blessed to be able to serve alongside them. It's wonderful. We are hoping that next week we will be a bit more normal. We do fly out to Oslo today but I believe the rest of the week we will be able to go out and strengthen our brethren. I am excited. I hope you all had a wonderful week and an even more exciting St. Patrick's Day. I hope you all continue to have a great week and that you all get the opportunity to help strengthen your brethren. Love you all and make it a great week! 

Klem,
Søster Blankmeyer 

Moves and Miracles

All right Fam, well another transfer has come and gone. I'm happy to report that I will be staying in Tromsø for this upcoming transfer. However, every companionship in the district has changed to our surprise. We will be getting a new district leader as well as a completely new Elder up here in Tromsø and I will also be getting a new companion Søster Etchells. This past week we received a new senior couple the Miller's. This should be an exciting transfer for sure. I'm excited though. 

Tromsø just got hit with three brand-new Missionaries and a brand-new Missionaries always come with miracles. Speaking of brand-new Missionaries my daughter (on the mission the first companion you train is your daughter) Søster Love is going to be training this next transfer! This is going to be great. 

This last week was pretty crazy though. We have been helping the Miller's get adjusted to life as a missionary here in Norway and it's been a blast. I remember back a year ago when I came to Norway and had absolutely no idea what was happening. Let's just say the Millers are doing a lot better at adjusting than I was. I'm impressed. Also Sister Miller plays the piano and so she has taken that job over which is a nice break for me. They really are doing great and although Eldste and Søster Olsen were very much loved and dearly missed I know this branch is in good hands. I'm sure by the time I leave Tromsø the Millers will have it all under control. For now though I'm here to help when I can. 

On Friday here in Tromsø we usually go with Lil a member here and The senior couple to visit one of our dear investigators across the bridge. Usually the Olsons would come and pick us up at around 10:30 and then we would drive together to Lils apartment to pick her up and then we would make our way over the island and over the bridge and at our investigators house by 11:00 now that doesn't sound all that difficult until it's blizzarding outside and you're supposed to give directions to the new senior couple which has no idea where they are going and you can't even see like a foot ahead of you due to snow. Needless to say we ended up going the wrong way and got just a little bit lost. But thanks to Eldste Miller's sick driving skills we ended up making it safely to our investigators house just on time. It was quite the adventure but the best part occurred as we were lost on our way to this appointment. 

Now I mentioned earlier that brand-new Missionaries bring miracles and I don't know if this miracle directly relates to them but they were driving us when our phone started ringing. This past Friday we didn't have any appointment set up other than the one that morning. While driving to our one appointment one of our other investigators who we had been trying to get an appointment with decided to give us a call. She asked us if we were busy right now and we had to tell her we were on our way to an appointment but that we would be off for the rest of the day. She ended up inviting us over for lunch after our appointment that morning. At this point we were pumped to finally be meeting with this investigator when we got another phone call from a number that had not been entered into our phone. I answered it and the woman identified herself as a lady we had stopped on the street about a week ago. We had talked to her a little bit about the church and then gave her our card and told her that if she needed any service or knew of anyone that needed service to give us a call. 

She also asked if we were busy that day. We told her that after our lunch appointment we would love to come and help her out. We ended up having a great day with these three appointments. It was a miracle. We had some really great teaches with our two investigators and then we headed to the university where we were going to do some service for the lady we had stopped on the street. It was actually way cool. This lady is Norwegian but grew up in America and actually graduated from none other then The University of Texas, Austin. Now she is a psychology professor at the University here in Tromsø. She is a really cool lady and even offered Sester Atanasio and I a job back in the United States teaching kids Norwegian. Way cool! Anyway, we ended up helping her move all of her books and stuff from one office to another and it was such a blast. Service is so fun. After we were done working she gave us a way sick tour of the University. Which is way nice actually and then she bought us dinner at this really nice restaurant. She was such a cool lady and I'm excited to help move her back into her new office again after they finish construction. 

We really do get to meet some pretty amazing people here in Norway. Speaking of cool people, my homeboy came to church.

Made my week, well I've got to go since Søster A needs to pack (wasn't expecting that) but I love you all and hope you have a great week.

Klem

Søster Blankmeyer

BONUS

11:20 AM (10 hours ago) 

to Rhoberta  

I asked Atanasio to write my blog for fun as if she were me. This is what she wrote. I wrote my own but do with this what you will. All of these things she wrote are accurate depictions of my week. Blankmeyer the realest

Friends!

x

Blankmeyer

Atanasio wrote

6:42 AM (14 hours ago) 

  To the FAM BAM,

Whoa, buddy I don't know if it is just the time on the mission or what, but President pulled the craziest moves we have ever seen !!! There will be two new sisters areas opening up and some closing and new elders area opening up to, so everyone and there trainers will be moving practically. Søster Atanasio and I are going to be Sister training leaders, basically just means we get to travel around the mission and visit other sisters. we still have a normal Place we are. I will be staying up in Tromsø, but on Wednesday Søster Atanasio will be transfered to Trondheim! I am excited that I still get to chill with my homies here in Tromsø. But I will now be  companions with Søster Etchells, its always a little scary to get new Companions, but I hope for the best you know.

This week has been really interesting with a New Senior couple.  They are pretty funny, it was honestly a little scary to drive with people that aren't use to these Norwegian roads. Life is a journey, you know. I love new missionaries and this district I am in will be filled with them soon. I love new missionaries they bring a fire these old missionaries need to see. and they bring new and thriving faith that brings miracles to the mission and blessings. We call it greenie magic because it is seriously ridiculous how many miracles happen around a new missionary, its going to be great!

It has been snowing a lot this week, it is so beautiful to see the snow even when snowflakes are pelting my eyeballs. It testifies to me when I see the beauty of the cold snowflakes that God took the time to even make the cold beautiful. His hand is every where in my life. I know that the church is true and that God loves me! 

Well I actually don't have a ton of time because Sister Atanasio has to pack. We weren't expecting anything in this move, Wish me luck on this adventure. :)

the realist

Søster Blankmeyer

A Year As A Missionary

This past week I celebrated my year mark as a missionary for The Church Of Jesus Christ Of Latter Day Saints.  How incredible. A lot has happened and a lot has changed during this past year of my life.  Looking back on it all, I can say I have definitely grown as a person.  At this time last year I was at the Missionary Training Center in Provo, Utah trying my best to learn the Norwegian language and prepare myself (as best I could ) to be a full time missionary here in the beautiful country of Norway.  In all honesty, I really had no idea what I was getting myself into.  To say that I came to Norway knowing what I was doing would be a lie.  I did know, however, that I was called by a prophet of God to Norway and that God was going to help me to be the best missionary I could be if I would just let him.  Now I have not always been perfect at this.  I am still human and therefore I still make mistakes, but for the past year of my life I've had the privilege to wear my missionary name tag which also bears the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, and that has helped me to try and be the best I can be. "Try" being the key word there.  As humans and even as missionaries we can never achieve perfection, but we can sure try and that's something that keeps me going. 

It’s crazy for me to think that I’ve already been a missionary for a year now and that I only have six months left until this chapter of my life is over.  I can truly say that I have come to love the country of Norway and all of the wonderful people here.  I am the type of person who needs friends and family or those I love around me and so I figured that would be the hardest part of my missionary service to leave behind all the people I had come to love, and trust me it was and is still a challenge, but God has blessed me with some outstanding people here in Norway. I’ve been able to learn so much from them and have enjoyed being able to serve them.  It’s been great this past year as I’ve come to focus less and less on myself and more and more on others and how their Heavenly Father sees them.  It really has been such a blessing getting to know these people but it’s going to make saying goodbye to them in six months that much harder.  Coming to Norway though and getting the chance to meet my brothers and sisters here has been one of the best things I have done in my entire life, and coming here as a missionary especially.  It’s been so great to share the gospel of Jesus Christ for this past year and to see how it has helped to change so many lives, of my friends in Norway.  

I got 2 delicious cakes to celebrate

Yesterday in church here in Tromsø we realized that almost everyone in that building was a convert to the church.  A direct result of missionary work, and because of missionary work here in Norway all of those people were able to come to a knowledge of their savior, Jesus Christ.  How beautiful.  The past year of my life has not been spent vacationing around Norway but trying to invite others to come unto Christ.  Its such an important work.  A work I have a strong testimony about.  It’s a hard work but, like I mentioned last week in my blog post it is not hapeless nor hopeless.  I have seen with my own eyes how this Gospel has changed lives here in Norway and I’ve also been able to gain such a string testimony on missionary work as I’ve devoted this past year to actually walk a mile (or a million miles) in missionary shoes.  Literally. I am so glad that I made the decision to serve the Lord for 18 months.  It’s been the best thing that I could have done with my time.  For any of you out there who are debating going on a mission or not, I say just go for it!  You wont regret it.  Just know it will be hard and you really will come to understand the roller coaster that is life but then you will look back after a year, or 5 or 10 and you will be so grateful that you did it.  You will come to meet so many wonderful people and have so many amazing experiences that you will never forget for the rest of your life.  It is totally worth it if you are able to go on a mission. 

Missionary work is so important and this world needs more missionaries!  Not only will you bless the lives of others for dedication 18-24 months of your life to serving them, but the Lord will bless you and your family more than you could ever imagine.  I have also gained strong testimony on that.  I am so grateful that I have allowed my mission to change me.  I’m definitely still my crazy self but now I have such a strong relationship with my Father in Heaven and his son Jesus Christ.  I have tried my best to follow Christ’s example this past year.  I’ve come to love those around me.  I’ve tried to teach His doctrine the way He would and follow His example of missionary service.  After all, it is His name that I am wearing as His servant.  I hope you all have been able to have some missionary experiences this past year as well.  There is truly nothing more rewarding.  I know that if you ask for missionary opportunities they will come.  You don’t need to be wearing the badge to be a missionary, you just need to be a friend and listen to the guidance and counsel of the Holy Ghost.  I know you all are incredible people who can make an incredible difference.  I hope you are looking for those opportunities and taking advantage of them.  Missionary work has brought me true joy in my life and I know it can do the same for you.  Just keep on keepin’ on with a smile on your face.  I just want to end this momental blog post by sharing my testimony with you all.  

I know that Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ love each and every one of us whether we believe on them or not.  They are always there for us and want nothing but the best for us.  They have given us so many blessings, experiences, and people in our lives to help us feel that they love for us.  I know that they know exactly what we are going through and exactly what we need in our lives and I know because, it’s no mistake that I’m here in Norway right now. I know my mission has been a blessing to myself and others and I’m so beyond grateful for this past year of my life.  I know that these next 6 months will continue to be devoted to my missionary service and that the Lord will continue to bless me as I serve Him and my brothers and sisters here in Norway, Thanks again for all the support, and I’ll be seeing you all soon.

Klem,

Søster Blankmeyer

PS shouts out to Søster Dransfield, grandma and grandpa Blankmeyer, my parents, and none other than Kelsee Wilding for the letters this week!