So Much To Say!

So much random stuff to say this week, and not much time. So I apologize in advance for this scattered email!!!

We went to Lake Sevan last P Day with our district! It was sooo much fun. It's a beautiful area and there's an old church up on a hill (just like everywhere else in this country). We visited the church and ate and skipped rocks and it was so fun! Weird food for the week... Matsoon. i dont even know. It's some disgusting dairy product straight from the cow. Kinda like greek yogurt, but like worse!

We've been eating/drinking that a lot lately. Bleh. Oh! Also, no one freak out, but we almost got struck by lightning the other day! We were out and the storm was coming in fast! We didn't even see it coming! But lightning striked... stroke?.. no, striked right above our heads! It hit all the power lines and everyone's lights went out! It was the loudest thing ever. We were luckily just leaving an investigator's appartment and she called back to us to wait it out inside. And we met her friend who we're going to go visit! God works in mysterious ways! Another funny story. We were sitting at this picnic table outside waiting for our investigator and these four young girls (maybe 11 to 14 yrs) came up and started talking to us. They were super sweet! And so our investigator shows up and we get up to leave. We're walking away but still kind of talking to the girls, so I obviously wasn't watching where I was walking, and I stepped right into this hole that was like 2 feet deep where people throw their trash.... I really haven't changed all that much I guess!

We've also just had a lot of old cranky people yell at us this week. The Adversary is real. There are times when I walk away almost in tears. But I've realized that we, as missionaries for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Days Saints, truly are representatives of Jesus Christ. I think about all He went through on this earth to bring people His gospel. It is a priviledge to do what He would do if He were here, especially when it's hard. Now, a little update on investigators. We have met some solid people lately who are really starting to progress. One day, we were out and all of our plans fell through. Literally, we had nowhere to go. We got a call from our elders and they said that one of our members had a friend at the church who needed a friend. We went and met her. She's been through a lot in her life. She is sick and smokes a lot and feels like Satan is out to get her right now. But she told us that she had a dream and she saw the golden plates! We are all ready to teach her. For a while she said she just wants a friend, but she called us a few days ago and asked for the Book of Mormon. She is so ready and we are so excited!!

I'm out of time dang it!!! So much is happening here! But I love you all and I love my Heavenly Father! Have a great week Sister Blanchard

Did This Week Even Happen?

Like, honestly I can't even remember this week! And it's already JUNE! Happy summer everybody! Time is flying!

We have met a lot of awesome people this week! We met a young mother on the street one day that has two young boys and they are super interested in the gospel! The dad is in Russia for work and I dont think he's been back much. But the little boys come in excited to learn and read and pray and it's so great! I have seen how the gospel has helped their family become stronger already! One of our other investigators just got a job at this weird little shooting range for kids. So we won't be able to see her much for a while, but she is still progressing and we just visit her at work now. We didn't hav any investigators at church this week... but it worked out for the best becuase we basically cancelled the third hour for no reason.... That's Armenia!

We've still been doing a lot of gardening this week. So one day we were out and my companion was joking around and accidentally hit one of the elders in the face with the shovel! He triedto play it off like nothing happened, but it started bleeded and it was just not fun. So my companion felt hrorrible! We decided to make him feel better and we wrote him a rendition to Brittney's greatest hit: DONT Hit Me Baby One More Time. Much better than the original if you ask me. And he accepted that form of embarrassment as an apology. All's well!

But one of our favorite members (this old lady that is kinda blind and calls me Barbie) is spreading the rumor that the elder tried to kiss my companion so she punched him. Good stuff. We're proud of that rumor. Something I've been working on theis week is listening with love. I am truly trying to love people as they are talking to me. And you know what? It's helped me understand better! I have felt even more love towards people. I used this trick to help break down the language barrier, but I know it can work for much more than that! If you want to love and understand someone, just try! And Heavenly Father will bless you with love for everyone! I have felt such a strong bond of love with these people, which is something I am truly grateful for. We are all brothers and sisters in this life. And we are all capable of loving each other if we love our Savior, Jesus Christ.

Keep being great, everyone!
I love you all! Sister Blanchard