Week 3 in Pocatello--the miracle with BLOOM

Hey!!!!

Sounds like life is going great!!! Except for Ryan, why am I not surprised Johnny Potter was behind that? Anyway tell the kid to knock it off and stay healthy, he can't wrestle if he's broken!!! (Ryan suffered a concussion from failing a 2 1/2 flip after being catapulted in the air) 
Glad Alli's wedding was great!  I guess Idaho got all the rain that day instead!!! 

Well this week was great!!!

actual FALL!!!

Super wet (we got tons of rain! what a great time to be a walking missionary! just kidding... not really). 

But the rain was beautiful! 

We had one of the most amazing lightning storms, and since my area is on top of the hill we could just look down on the city and out towards the mountains, so cool!!!  It was a tad sad though members kept offering us rides (it was pouring down at this point) but we couldn't take any because it was only 8 and we aren't allowed to be home before 9. So we wandered looking for someone to teach but that's the worst hour ever! no one wants to talk to you/open their doors, so we ended up playing in the rain! 

sunset

THe pot of gold is in the chimney

This week we focused a ton on finding! Like A TON! We knocked so many doors, and since it was cold I thought my knuckles were going to crack, they thankfully did not! I actually really love knocking doors, and I think i'm finding it to be one of my strengths, I can make conversation really easily and it's just nice to get to know people and their stories! One thing that is hard with that though is that we're supposed to invite people to be baptized daily, and since I'm usually talking the most, it ends up being me who does it. It's really strange to be like "hey, so we just met you but if you came to know the things we're talking about are true will you follow the example of Jesus Christ and be baptized by someone holding the proper priesthood authority of God?". All of them say no, but that's not to say someone will eventually say yes, so I keep doing it, and it's getting easier and easier!!!!

Double rainbow that ends in the garbage can

       


    So we had a lesson with Nin this week and she's awesome! She's a little sad because she doesn't have many friends because she doesn't speak English, but we found a sweet lady in a different stake this week who speaks mandarin so we're hoping they connect, fingers crossed!!!! Nin is such a strange case, she wants to believe  but she has trouble seeing how any of the principles apply to her life. She comes to church every week, but during her lesson we asked if we'd see her Sunday and she was like I don't really want to go this week. Bummer :( we brought up the fact that it would be conference so she couldn't go for 2 weeks if she didn't go this time, and she was like "in that case I must go! I cant go 2 weeks without!) Confusing right? what does she want?!?!?! I don't know, but don't worry we're working on it! 

So I found out this week I am speaking a different language other than English!!!! Don't get to excited, I'm still speaking English, but I'm also speaking in the language of the spirit. We had stake correlation with President Long this week, and he gave an amazing spiritual insight about speaking the language of the spirit, and teaching by it, and dang! it was powerful!!! I came to know and understand more fully just how we as missionaries are expected to teach and find success. I even had an experience that goes so well with this standard! So Sister Hallett and I have been essentially stalking this guy Bloom since I got here. Sisters Hallett and Timothy tracked into him right before and got here, and he's golden!!! They were talking about the restoration and before they even got to Joseph Smith he stopped them and asked "do you think they'll ever be a time when we have a prophet on the earth again?" WHA?! #Goldeninvestigator. So they set a return appointment for Friday, and when sister hallett and I went to it, he wasn't there!!! We left a note and were praying he'd call us, he didn't. The next day we were in his area and decided to knock his door. His mean very anti, atheist roommate answered, and essentially scared us off from ever knocking again. No bueno right? So sister Hallett and I would constantly pass his house, hoping and praying he would be outside, he never was. Finally we put a deadline, if we didn't see Bloom before Wednesday we were going to knock. Wednesday came, still nothing. So we knocked, no answer. We worked in that area for another couple hours and decided to go try one last time. The door opened right away, but it wasn't him, his roommates Jasmine and Olivia were there. They graciously let us in, and I was dying!!! They have 8 cats and I was already stuffy feeling from the last house we were at with 2! I seriously could hardly see my eyes were so watery, and lets not even start to talk about my nose, GROSS! They told us Bloom was moving, and we had an awesome talk with them about God, invited them to be baptized, they said no, and we went on our way. The next day we were once again in his area. Sister Hallett was like lets not go back, he's moving, his roommates mean, blah blah blah excuses, and I totally agreed. So we went on our way. Not two minutes later was the spirit like "sister, you know better than this". I ignored and it was like "sister really? go back". So I finally stopped and was like we have to see Bloom, Sister Hallett was confused but she was not about to mess with the language of the spirit and those promptings which were given. So we went back, and BOOOOOOOOOM!!! Bloom opened the door, it was like the prodigal child return, not really, but it was awesome!! We had a great chat with him, and he expressed a sincere interest to know more, he gave us his new address, which is sadly out of our area, but we're going to get him in contact with the missionaries over there. It's sad we wont teach him, but I'm so glad we followed that prompting, I cant help but think Bloom would have been lost otherwise. This gospel can bless his life like non other, and I'm so glad we could help him along that process, 

The church is true!!!! and the spirit is real!!!!

When people don't open their doors we play on swings!

Anyway that's all I have for the week, hope all continues to be good, try to stay dry! It sounds like it's a bit soggy down there!! Tell Ryan to be smart and not use his head!!!! 

Love Always, 

Sister Sondrup

rocking the vogue look

also, I saved 18 worms and a puppy this week!!! whoop whoop!! 

These were some of the responses she had to her father in regards to the questions he bombarded her with---we are not used to a missionary actually responding back to the questions we throw out there so it was a pleasant surprise!

Re: how she was liking the walking and food.....
Walking is great, my shoes are good.

Your food is way better, not too much potato, or less than I was expecting.

so not spuddy! 

Re: contacts in her area.....
in all honesty the area is rough, really wealthy and set in their ways, getting better though!!

#latenight #prayerstruggleisreal

Re: her companions....
Oh yeah they're great!!! super awesome!! Besides I honestly wouldn't tell you if they were bad, but they're good! better than good, great!!!! 

we baked a pie!!! With fresh apples! 

Re: mission plans.....

our mission standard of excellence is 2500 baptisms per year, and we usually meet it. crazy right? 

                                                                   the answer is yes