March 17, 2014 ST PATRICKS DAY

This week has been so amazing! Not because we had anything that's worth writing in a General Conference talk or including in a book of miraculous stories, but it was so special to me because this week I just felt so close to the Lord and the Spirit all week. I felt like this week I was able to achieve as best I could to remember the Savior in all of my doings. I love being Sister Moncur's companion because we are both trying so hard to allow ourselves to be led by the Spirit. In everything we do: streets we walk down, apartments to tract, phone calls to make, etc, we are always asking ourselves "what is the Spirit telling us to do?" Even if it's just seeking a confirmation. This week I have more conciously than ever allowed myself to be guided through the Savior's vineyard here in my area in Łódź. Whenever we feel like we're doing something just to do it, we stop and pray and seek guidance again. It has given my work real purpose. 

I have been focusing on the work so much more and every night I flop into bed because I am so dead tired from being spiritually guided all day. Nothing feels better than being so tired at the end of the day, not from contacting for hours, and not from lack of sleep, but instead being tired because of the energy we are constantly trying to put into being guided with all that we do. This week hasn't necessarily yeilded the best numbers I've had on the mission...we didn't necessarily have tons of people's contact information at the end of the week or a mnóstwo of baptismal dates or anything, but I feel like this week was one of the most successful I've had in my mission because I realized whose work this really is. Not mine, but the Lord's. Sister Moncur an I have been so happy and are constantly feeling uplifted by the Spirit in all that we do! And the results we HAVE seen may not have related directly to the activities we did during the week, but the blessings we saw from diligently and happily following the Spirit in the work yeilded really quality and wonderful results! The investigators we have are progressing so well and coming closer and closer to their Savior and I know will be really solid members of the church when they join the church by becoming baptized and starting a new life as a disciple of Christ.

I'm so grateful to be a missionary. My life is so blessed and I am so indebted to the Lord for all He has given me. I'm grateful that I get this opportunity to give back a small portion of what he has given to me!

Funny moment: it's been sunny and beautiful all week! But yesterday was a different story! It was drizzling I saw out the window, So I decided to put on my gloves.. I turned around for one second and 3 seconds later Sister Moncur says, "Siostro..." I look back out the window and HAIL is pouring down! Or rather sideways!! We walked outside with our umbrella literally held out straight infront of us instead of above us to block ourselves from the rain and hail! Ahhah oh heavens! Welcome spring!

Love,
Sister Blake

Sister Blake and Sister Moncor at the new great restaurant they just found in Lodz

So our apartment here has a chalkboard painted wall! So we wrote our goals up for the transfer on them and I love it so much I just had to share it!