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!