Mission Complete!!! February 24th, 2011

Now playing: The Church Of Jesus Christ Of Latter-Day Saints - 270 - I'll Go Where You Want Me To Go
via FoxyTunes

(This is the last post we will put on this mission blog and it is from Kara's Mom, not an email from Kara)




We first received a call from Hermana Bloomfield from the Atlanta Airport. She had a 3 hour lay over there, so she called while waiting. It was great to get to talk to her and realize that in just a few hours, she would be home. We worked hard to get everything ready at home, Kara had asked for a Roast, mashed potatoes, homemade rolls and pretzel jello. For dessert she wanted brownies and ice cream oh and danish pastry. We got it all ready and hung the signs and flags that we had made the night before. At 5:30pm, we headed to the airport to await her arrival around 6:00pm. We all (Dad, Mom, Travis, Mason, Olivia, Cassi and Grandma and Grandpa Nielsen) waited anxiously for her, checking the arrival board often. Finally we got word that the plan had landed, and we watched with anticipation as each person walked around the corner. Finally we spotted her. She could not have walked slower (in our minds) as she came up to us. With camera in hand, we all began hugging and crying at her return.

Last day to wear her "Missionary Badge"


Just in case Kara forgot who we were, we made a sign to hold at the airport.


The family just after Kara came off the airplane.




Proud Dad and Mom with their little missionary


Checking out Mason's braces he got while Kara was gone.


Hermana Bloomfield and "little" brother Travis


Cassi and Olivia are so excited to have Kara home.


Mom and her girl!!!!!!


All the girl's including Grandma Nielsen waiting for Kara suitcases.


Grandma and Grandpa Nielsen came from Utah to be here with us when Kara came home.


Still waiting for the bags to come off the airplane.


"Welcome Home" sign and Panama Flag that hung on the railing




Kitchen Table all decorated with Panama colors and flags for dinner.

Following dinner, we all went to the Stake Center (our church) where Kara shared some feelings and her testimony of her mission with the family and the Pres. Rawlinson (1st Counselor in the Stake Presidency. Then she was officially released as a "Full Time" Missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. It was a very bitter/sweet experience.

Welcome home Hermana Kara Bloomfield. We are so proud of you and appreciate your example and willingness to sacrifice and serve the Lord on an 18 month mission (Aug. 5, 2010 - Feb. 24, 2011) to Panama, Panama City. We will miss your weekly emails and the spirit it has brought into our home. We love you and welcome you home. Well done thou good and faithful servant!!!!!!!!!

This is it, the last email before returning home!!! 21 February 2011

Here is Kara's very last email!!!!!!!

Hey everyone.
So I had successfully avoided the fact that I am coming home, well at least the down parts of it like leaving Panama, until this morning when I had to start going through all of my stuff and start packing. I am kind of freaking out.

I love being a missionary, I love panama.

This weekend I think I finally found my family, we met this awesome lady named Sylvia. She has 5 kids and is married! She has some many deep question in her soul, she studied with the Jehovas witnesses for 18 yrs but never got baptized because she felt it wasn't right and is still on that search for the truth. I had left her a pamphlet on Tuesday, when we found her, about the plan of salvation and before we could even get in the door she was already asking questions, because she had been thinking about it all week!!!

For my last P-day I am doing the usual. Eat lunch, enjoy the AC, talk to the elders and then head home in the bus for an hour and clean the house. Not much different than any other P-day.

The Lord is so amazing, he blesses me in so many ways, this change surely has been a change of miracles.
I am excited to see you all on Thursday. I love you all so much!! Thank you for having always supporting me throughout this whole adventure.

All my Love,
Hermy

Hissing of Panamanien Men and the last week of the mission 14 February 2011

Hello everyone,
Well, this week was a good week lots of work, sun, sweat and cat calling as always. Here to hit on a girl you don't whistle, you hiss. I don't no how they think that is attractive but that's what they do, and this week and an old gross man hissed in my face, not from a distance, right in my face. Wonderful!
Things with the work of the Lord are improving, we got a really awesome reference this week. The muchacha is really interested and asked a lot of questions. It was nice to teach a lesson to someone who was genuinely interested and paying attention. Hopefully she recovers from a recent c section (she just had a baby) soon so that she can go to church.
Like I said last week, I know I came here to help other people, but in the end I think the one who was helped most of all was me. I am so glad I am not the old Kara I used to be.
I seriously can't believe that next week at this time I'll be packing up and burning all of my disgusting clothing.
Anyways, I cant believe that I will be home soon. I keep telling myself, but it still doesn't feel real. I don't think it will until I'm getting off that plane...
Anyways, I LOVE YOU ALL!!!!!!!!!!!!!
Hermy

Panama made a difference in me. 7 February 2011

Hey Mommy,
Everything is going well here. Still living it up being the nurse´s assistant. Apparently it is a little awkward for elders to tell me about their testicle problems, but I am all business here.
Things are going, well the same as always, I am working my butt off, but not with much results. But the Lord still blesses me incredibly each day. The mission has helped me learn to keep going, to still have faith even when it would appear that I am not immediately receiving the blessings promised. And I have learned to be happy no matter what happens. So though I haven't made much of a difference here in Panama, Panama has made all the difference in me.
It is amazing that even with all of the added nursing work hna Cluff and I are able to get all of our lessons and contacts in. Heavenly Father truly pours out miracles upon us.
I love you all DEARLY. Mom and Dad, I hope you two have the best trip ever, that you can really enjoy the free time that you both deserve.
All my Love!!!
Kara

Nurses Assistant 31 January 2011

Hey!
So things with the Lords work were a little slow this week, but I am becoming a pretty professional nurses assistant. Hna Cluff is still working on her Spanish so a lot of times I get to take the phone calls and translate. This week I have diagnosed many life threatening diseases, for example one Hermana called in because her face was red, hot and felt like it was burning. Um sunburn? Yep sunburn.
Also in an effort to save the stomachs and prevent extreme obesity in missionaries the area presidency has asked us to change from eating with the members and getting cooks that make us lunch. So Hna Cluff and I get to go around to each zone and teach the Panamanian women how to cook. This week we got to go to Colon. Colon is like the ghetto, there are no hnas there and no white Elders in certain areas. I loved it there, its where like all the old slaves escaped to, so its basically a mini Africa. There are tons of huge black people, gold teeth, Bob Marlyish music, and drugs. I contacted a huge guy that I thought was smoking a cigarettes, after cont acing him I am pretty sure it wasn't a cigarette. Sweet. I kind of wish I could been there longer, I loved it, but we had to get back to working in the city, where everyone ignores you. lovely.
Well, still no luck with the Family, but I am trying. For the first time this week I had a lady completely ignore me. We were walking down the street and I saw this lady and her little boy standing there waiting for a taxi, so I decided to stop and contact them, I told her we were missionaries and that we wanted to share a message with her. She took one step forward and just stared straight ahead like we didn't even exist. So i told her to have a nice night and we just kept on going. Pretty sad. Sometimes I wonder if people realize that they are ignoring Christ every time that they ignore me.
But everything is going great, I love my comp and I am still working like a crazy woman. I am determined to teach more people in this change than ever before. So far so good.
I love you all!!!

One month to go!!! 28 January 2011

Still no family, no awesome general authorities either but life goes on.
This week a guy we have been teaching for awhile finally came to church. I was running out of things to teach him but I could tell that he is searching for something in his life, his dad died about 9 months ago and he took it really hard, so I didn't want to just give up on him. SO this last week I just asked him what he was looking for from our visits, if he planned on ever being baptized, honestly I don't remember exactly what I said as in the moment I was really guided by the spirit, and well christian answered that he wants to soak in everything to know the truth, so I told him, well great come to church! and he did!
Jenny is also still progressing and wants to get baptized, its just her lame job that's causing problems, she hasn't been able to come to church cuz she is working, but her contract ends soon, so I hope she holds on till then.
Today we went to the temple (that's why I'm writing today, we didn't have p-day yesterday.) I can't believe that in a month I'll be back in the temple for my last day in the mission, it doesn't seem real.
I love you all so much and I hope you have the best week!
Hey Mom, don't stress, (in my letter to her, I told her I was busy getting the house ready for when she comes home, getting ready for our crusie and getting ready for Travis's Eagle court of Honor - February will be a busy month here at our house) I can help you with lots when I get home, and don't worry about getting things ready for me, I am just excited to see you all. Love Kara

Last companion, Hermana Cluff (the mission nurse) 17 January 2011

I have a new companion. The mission nurse, she is going to kill me.
My new companion is Hermana Cluff. She is the mission nurse and is from Australia. I absolutely love her. We worked like beasts this week and got 23 lessons and still got nurse stuff done too. I know that we are going to see miracles this change.

Also, we have a baptismal date!! Her name is Jenny, she is the one that came to church last week. It is so amazing to see how the Lord prepares people and puts them in my path. I am still working to find that family, not too many leads so far, but I know the lord will help me.

As for gabriel he hasn't found a steady job, but he finds a lot of odd jobs and temporary work, which is good, but he hasn't really been coming to church. It makes me sad, but well like you said agency is a beast.

Things are all great with me, I'm just working my booty off, living up every last minute that I can. I can't believe I'm in my last change. It just doesn't seem real.

Oh, and just to show what a small world it is, remember the random Australian guy I kind of dated and my Australian friends, well my companion knows all of them. crazy huh!

Anyways, I think that's all I've got... I LOVE YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Killed the rats!!! 10 January 2011

This week was a good week we found an awesome girl to teach named Jenny and she came to church! She can't wait for next week. I think we finally found our next baptism. Pray for her. She is a single mom recently separated from her husband because he was unloyal. Hopefully the next week I'll find that family I've been looking for. I am determined that I am not leaving Panama without baptizing an entire family, mom dad kids, the whole deal.

so a lot happened this week. We killed the nasty rats in our house, so I figured pictures are worth a thousand words. Enjoy.

Get that rat!!!!


Got em!!!!!


On his way to the garbage!!


"Are they gone yet?"

Changes are this week. I am in my LAST change. AHHH. I don't think I will be going anywhere since Sister Brewster has been here a long time. I sure am going to miss her.
Anyways, hope you all have the best week!
I love you all!!!

Ice Skating Injury!! 3 January 2011

Sorry I am later writing today. The elders decided to change up p day a bit today so we are just now using Internet. We went ice skating and one of the elders fell and cut his leg really bad. I'm positive he hit an artery, blood was spurting out like crazy. They rushed him off to the hospital and I haven't heard since how he is doing. But it was way deep I bet it'll be like 30 stitches. You would be proud of me I got nauseous but not lightheaded...


The Ice Skating injury


Hermana Ward bandaging the leg to protect it.


President Ward checking out the injury.

The crazy thing is 2 pdays ago one of the other elders passed out and like had a seizure and stopped breathing so we had to give him cpr. I think being mission president must be really stressful...

It was definitely an interesting week. This was the last week of the promise we had made with Heavenly Father to do 20 lessons and 140 contacts or more and Satan definitely didn't want us to keep our promise, but we did. A change and a half of hard hard work. And tons of opposition (including two HUGE rats who have taken over our house and ran over my foot, and a man that touched my bum), but we did it. The funny part is the lord had to help us so that we could, if he wouldn't have guided us to the people that listened to us we would have had no hope. We haven't found the family yet to baptize but I know that after the trial of our faith comes the blessings.

New years went well, I was sound asleep till 11:55 when sis Brewster woke me up. I really didn't want to get up but I needed to use the bathroom, so that helped me get up. I watched tons of fireworks for a bit and then I fell back into bed.

I can't believe a whole year is already gone by and that I come home next month (51 days to be exact!!!!!!). CRAZY. I cant wait to see you all but it is going to be so hard to come home. I have learned so much here and I love being an instrument in the lords hands.

I love each one of you so much and I hope all is well and that back to school and all that goes well.

Christmas 27 December 2010

GOOD MORNING! so I'm not sure what to tell you considering we talked just two days ago, but I forgot to tell you, THANK YOU for my Christmas package, I absolutely loved it. I already used the nail polish and everything. You are the best.

How did the rest of your weekend turn out. Mine was great we started teaching the family that we had taken the Christmas presents to that are really poor. It was a great lesson and I have high hopes. We only have one more week to go of the vow we made with the lord asking for a family to baptize, so something should be coming soon.


Christmas morning, Elder Gretch, from our old ward in Gilbert, AZ, dressed up as Santa Claus and the missionaries in the area went around giving gifts to all the poor people that would not have received any gifts. ?The missionaries used their Christmas money to buy the gifts.




Santa Claus (Elder Gretch)


I love everyone!!!!!

Singing on the Bus, not the best idea!! 20 December 2010

Well another week down, eight more to go. CRAZY!!!!!!!

This week was another hard week, for all of our hard work we just don't seem to be seeing results and I honestly haven't worked so hard in my whole mission. But I know that the blessings always come after our afflictions, so we are still going strong.

This week we had a very embarrassing experience. President this last week heard about a zone that has been singing on the buses and to try and get everyone to do it he decided to make it a competition. The thing is the buses in the other zone are basically like glorified astro vans, they have AC, nice seats, fit about 20 ppl and are really orderly. The buses where I am at however are called diablo rojos, and for a good reason, they are basically a mosh pit on wheels. A diablo rojo is a pimped out school bus, just that they have removed the muffler so that it sounds like a small airplane. Where normally we would sit two to a seat they fit 3 and where we would sit 1 they squoosh 2 and then to make it more comfortable they cram as many ppl as possible into the aisles. Then, add very loud music into the mix and you have your very own diablo rojo. SO needless to say when we were asked to sing on the bus I was a little skeptical but I decided we should be obedient missionaries, so the next day we get on a bus that wasn't playing music and was too full and I yelled over all the noise of the bus hurtling down the road and asked the driver if it would be okay for us to sing a song. He nodded his head yes so we picked a Christmas song and started singing, however I couldn't even hear myself singing so I don't think anyone else could hear either. Oh except the guy in the first row who was staring at me with a sleezy grin on his face. But the best part was holding on for dear life while the bus hurtled down the road and then screeched to a stop and try to get out of the way of the people getting on and off the bus. In fact at one point a guy getting off the bus got caught on my backpack and almost took me off with him. Which made me loose my place and have to shout to Hermana Brewster asking her where we were. So finally we just sang the last line and then sat down. Once I sat down I looked at the people next to me and thought about contacting them like I normally would have done, but I thought better of it. After the scene we had already made I figured it was better that they didn't know what church we were from.

SO that was probably the highlight of the week and we may have not had much success but at least President Ward is helping to keep us humble.

Well with that, I hope everyone has the best Christmas ever, celebrating the birth of our dear Savior. I am so grateful for all that he has done for me and that I have been able to come closer to him while serve those around me. I love him dearly and I could never express my gratitude completely for his love towards me. I also love each one of you with all of my heart and I hope and pray that all is well with each one of you.

All my love.

Keeping a "contract" with the Lord 12 December 2010

Well I figured its kind of been awhile since I last sent out a good family and friends email and you guys were kind of wondering whats up. SO first off, THANKS TO EVERYONE and especially mom for the awesome notes and pictures on the Christmas Tree you sent. It was so awesome, it made me cry.

Well this was an interesting week, it has been cold and rainy everyday this week. For the first time in my whole mission I was actually cold and I had to wear a sweater. The only sweater I have. It didn't match at all but matching has become kind of a relative thing now.

I have been working like crazy this week. I can't remember if I told you guys but as our whole district, we made a promise with the Lord that we would do at least 20 lessons and 140 contacts every single week till the end of the year and in return we all asked him to bless us with a family to baptize before the end of the year. Kind of like a contract. Thus far Sister Brewster and I have been the only ones that have been able to hold out. For the past 4 weeks we have met or beat our goal. But either the Lord is going to give us a crazy miracle or he is testing our faith. Unfortunately, Camilo and his family have stopped progressing and now seem to see us as their cool Mormon friends, they didn't come to church on Sunday, But we have a few other investigators that are progressing.

I think the highlight of the week for me was a blessing I received from President Ward. I have been plugging along with a headache for the past week and a half, so I asked for a blessing. My headache isn't gone but it was an awesome blessing. My testimony of the priesthood really grew a lot this week, I studied it pretty intensely for a lesson we taught to Camilo and Monica, trying to help them recognize why our church is true and it is so amazing how the Lord is always the same, he always keep his word and how blessed we are to have his power and authority here on the earth. I know the church is true and I am so grateful for how the Lord has shaped and changed me in the last year. It is incredible how much I have learned and done in just one year.

I love each one of you and hope that this Christmas Season has helped each one of you to recognize the hand of the Lord in your lives. I truly know that he is always there.

All My love.


District Conference


Getting lunch served.


Cleaning up

Decorating the Mission Home for Christmas 6 December 2010

Putting up the decorations and tree.


Well this week was kind of a horrible week, but the good news is that today is an awesome day, so its all good. We slept here at the mission presidents house and are helping Sis. Ward put up Christmas decorations and more than anything doing girl stuff. It's nice to stay in a real house with AC and furniture and stuff. I am definitely gonna be one of those really weird missionaries that gets home and doesn't know what to do, because I was pretty weirded out about taking a shower with hot water this morning. Just warning you now. I took a hot shower AND slept in a room with AC last night. It's like Heaven.

The soccer family is not doing to good with their progression towards baptism. They didn't come to church on Sunday. He said he had to go to work and it sounded kind of like excuses, we were pretty heart broken, we cried almost all day Sunday. We were fasting on Sunday for them and I felt pretty peaceful about it so I think it will all be okay. Either way I'm not giving up yet.


Such cute Hermanas

Thanksgiving 2 December 2010

It has been an in sane week. The awesome news is I DIDN'T HAVE CHANGES!!! I thought I was going to because on Thursday at Thanksgiving lunch Pres. Ward said I would be having changes, which left me heart broken because I am determined to see Camilo and Monica get baptized and I wanted to be with Hermana Brewster for Christmas. But after a lot a lot of prayers and begging Pres left me here. I have decided that this will be the best Christmas ever.

Camilo and Monica are doing great, They have testimonies of Joseph Smith and the Book of Mormon, its just been a little hard to let go of the catholic church cuz its so much of their culture. But I know I was left here so we can baptize them.

Other than that, not too much has been going on. Just working my little heart out and seeing the tender mercies and miracles of my God.


Helping to make Lemon Pie for Thanksgiving dinner the day before.


Helping in the kitchen at the mission home




Eating Thanksgiving dinner






Hermana Ward and one of the Elders at Thanksgiving


The Hermana's bringing their contribution to Thanksgiving dinner


The Hermana's




Having Idaho Spuds in Panama

Gabriel's Baptism 22 November 2010

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Kara, Gabriel, Brother that baptized him, Hermana Brewster

This week was actually a pretty awesome week for me. We have been teaching one of the most amazing families ever these past few weeks. Camilo the dad is a professional soccer player (he played against Houston Dynamo a few months ago and Real Salt Lake, and it turns out he is like the star player of the team.) you can probably find him online Camilo Aguirre. They are the cutest couple ever and have two boys that are 8 and 10. I just love them. The best part of all is that they came to church on Sunday. I think it was a little long for them as they are used to one hour misa, but overall they seemed to like it. I am pretty sure they will get baptized. On Saturday, Gabriel the ex hippie got baptized. It was a beautiful baptism, he said it was the end of his fight with god, that instead of running and hiding from the light like he had always tried to do his whole life he was ready to embrace the light. I love him, he always brings a smile to my face with his crazy comments.

To answer your questions, almost all the people I have helped get baptized still come to church so I have been really blessed and I still talk to some of them every once in awhile.

I love being a missionary so much. Each day I realize more and more how hard its going to be for me to come home. I made a pact with the Lord that I am going to work very hard until I get home. This week I worked even harder than normal, like a horse. Not sure how I'm gonna hold out to the end of the mish cuz I am feeling pretty exhausted but I'm determined and I know the lord will be there every step of the way.


Luncheon after Gabriel's baptism


Kara and Hermana Brewster having a brownie Yum!!!

Forgiveness 8 November 2011

I actually talked a lot about forgiveness this week with the awesome hippie guy we've been teaching, His name is Gabriel. He had a baptismal date about a year ago or more, but at the last min. backed out because he has a hard time forgiving himself and said that if he were to do something bad after his baptism he would want to kill himself. So we talked a lot about forgiveness, not only of others but of ourselves as well. And while teaching him I learned why it is we are required to forgive all people . If we don't forgive them we don't give them room to change and move on and we are basically deny them the atonement in their lives. I don't no about you but I don't want to be in the way of someone being able to use the atonement in their lives, So I am pretty determined to forgive everyone including myself from now on. After talking to Gabriel he has accepted a baptismal date and in 2 weeks will be getting baptized. He is so excited and I as well am excited. I know that among many reasons I was sent to this area to be able to help him. Also he has been out of a job for awhile and despite all of his intents hasn't been able to find one so pray for him, he needs all the help he can get.

Other than that, things are great, just working my little heart out and giving all I got. Even though this area has been hard I have seen so many many blessing from the Lord and he teaches me something new each day.

I love you all so much!!
Kara

PS So this last week was still kind of hard as it was independence week here in Panama and everyone was on vacation, but things were much much better.


Hermana Brewster, Kara and Hermana Ward (the Mission President's wife)


Dinner at District Conference

Had a bad week. 1 November 2010

Well... This week was not the best week ever. I didn't know it was possible for all of the appointments to fall through the entire week. All of them! So I don't have much to talk about. We have no money, I've been living a whole week without money and I had to wait 3 hours to use internet cuz no one showed up. My letter I wrote to Pres. Ward erased... its been like this all week. Something really really good must be coming because everything that can possibly go wrong has gone wrong. Through all of this, I have realized Christ had to pass the hardest stuff at the end of his life, so I shouldn't be surprised that at the end of the mission everything is getting so much harder. Just a little longer.

Oh but we did have interviews this week which was awesome. I love Pres. Ward and his wife so much. They are amazing.


So your package still hasn't come yet but hopefully in the next week or two. I haven't gotten mail in awhile, and a few of my friends told me they sent letters but I think they must be getting lost or something cuz I haven't gotten them.

Well I think that's all I got this week.
Love you, love you, love you

New Companion, Hermana Brewster from Bountiful, Utah 25 October 2010

So I had changes, I am now in Panama, in the city, yeah city city. I actually like it. Now I can buy normal food, and my companion is Hermana Brewster from Bountiful, Utah, so its kind of fun. We go running every morning, work like horses and I'm relearning how to speak English again. We had a baptism this Saturday which was pretty stressful due to lack of support from our ward. So I think a lot of the work I'll be doing here is to help out the ward...

We found a really interesting guy this week that we started teaching. He was a hippie and hitched a ride all across Florida. He has 3 Book of Mormons in his house and has been taught before by the missionaries. He told us he was about to be baptized but that he couldn't because he isn't perfect. He has really extremist views, like that in time men are going to be able to have babies, but he has a really sweet heart and I am pretty sure he will get baptized.

Oh things went well at the doctors, he told me I'm basically all better. Its just something that with time will get all the way back to normal, so that's good and we don't eat with the members so that's good.

Well, I don't have much time this week but I love you a trillion. Thanks for everything, and keep going strong.

All my love

Fast Week 18 October 2010

Well this week went by super fast, We had a surprise conference with Elder Farabella of the 70, which was amazing. He talked a lot about the importance of making goals and well I realized I can't just decide to not think about coming home, that I need to make goals so that I can keep progressing. So yes, I will need to sign up for classes in the summer, but there is still a lot of time before I need to start worrying about all of that.

Also my companion kind of freak out this week, well really freaked out. She doesn't want to leave our area because we have so many people progressing right now (In Kara's email last week, she said that one of her investigators was shot three times and that the area she is in is pretty scary so the Mission President has decided to pull the sister missionaries out and just have elders there). So after a couple of days when she wouldn't listen or talk to me I decided to call Pres. Ward So Sat. I got to eat lunch with Pres. Ward and his wife. It was super awesome, and he told my comp where she is going and talked to her for awhile and he told me as well that I will be having changes and going to the city, so that will be kind of crazy, but I am excited. This may be my last area here in the mission now that I am only down to 3 changes. I really really really want to go to San Blas (Those are the primitive Islands off Panama that only Elders go to) but after talking to Pres. on Sat. I don't think he will ever open it up for sisters, which I kind of understand, there aren't very many other sisters that are as adventurous as I am...

That is awesome about the new temple Pres. (the new Panama Temple Pres. and his wife were at our ward on Sunday as his daughter lives here so I talked to them on Sunday and told them to keep their eyes out for my blond haired blue eyed daughter). I will be sure to look for them when I go to the temple. Oh and I am pretty sure my comp this changes is a gringa, which will be good, because I have a hard time speaking English these days. And hopefully she will do exercises with me and American stuff.

The work is going really well, I am really going to miss the people I am leaving here in Fatima, but Pres. promised that I can go to their baptisms when they get baptized.

Anyways not much else is going on. I love you all and I miss you all a trillion. Tell Cassi that I will be praying for her le and thanks for the pretty pictures she made me.

Love you!
Kara

No Water 11 October 2010

So this week was pretty insane. Lets see, Wednesday the water went out in all of Panama, so my comp and I waited and waited for awhile to see if the water would come back to shower, and when we found out a tube that connected all the water here in the city broke and that we wouldn't have water till like 9 or 10 that night we decided to get to it without showering. I hadn't showered that night so I was still all stinky and sweaty from the day before and even better, it was hair washing day. All of our appts fell through that day, and I am thinking it may have been our stench. Needless to say we got a good laugh and I had never been so happy to shower in my whole life, when the water finally came.

Thursday we went to the temple as a zone which was completely amazing. I didn't want to leave, like always.

Friday I found out one of my investigators that was progressing a bunch, that I am pretty sure we knew before this life because I feel like we have known their family forever, got shot. The nut who tried to kill him - we have no idea who it was or why he wanted to kill him, so my investigator is in hiding right now - shot at him 5 times and 3 of the bullets went through him. one right in the middle of his chest, just above where the ribs end, that came out his side, one that went straight through his arm and one that entered where his neck and shoulder meet and came out the middle of his back. when I saw the wounds where the shots went in and came out I couldn't believe he is still alive. I don't know how his lungs, heart and column weren't punctured or shattered. It is a miracle that he is alive. I don't know what all happened, they don't even know, because he doesn't have any enemies, doesn't do drugs, nothing, he is a family guy. But I do know the Lord has something great in store for him and that Satan wants him dead. We went to visit him and the spirit was so incredibly strong I feel so blessed to have been able to meet them.

In other news, Pres. Ward is now taking the sisters out of my area and putting elders here. So I will be getting changes, but I have no idea where.

Everything is super good, Working my little heart out and loving the mission.

Watch out for the dogs 4 October 2010

Well I kind of had a crazy week. Tuesday my companion got bit by a dog. We were just walking down the road and this big old gray dog without barking or anything just turned around and bit her. The good news is because it was old it didn't have any teeth and just left her with a few bruises and me with a whole lot of laughs.

Then Wednesday we had a lesson with one of the guys we had found last week. He lives in a dangerous area and has a lot of tattoos so I never thought he was a saint, but it turns out he has been in jail twice for killing people and is in a wheel chair because someone tried to kill him, he has had 15 bullets enter his body and they filled his car with over 60 bullets. He even showed us his pistol that he keeps in the back of his wheelchair, just in case. But in the end it turned out to be an amazing lesson, he asked us if we were him, if we would forgive the people that put him in a wheelchair. So we talked about the importance of forgiveness and repentance. Just goes to prove that the Lord loves all of his children, no matter what they have done.

Thursday we were knocking houses and this little kid kept following us, after awhile we said hi to him and he told us that we could come teach his mom who is catholic and told us where his house was and we talked to him for a little and he explained where he lived and then took off in the other direction. After we had been walking in the opposite direction like a minute, the kid showed up again behind us and said that he wanted us to come teach his mom, so we followed him. We taught his mom and it was a short lesson but really full of the spirit and the best part is, Sunday she showed up with him at general conference. It is amazing how the Lord leads us to find those who have been prepared.

Friday we had a lesson with the family that came to church with us last week, They couldn't come to general conf. because they were out of town but Victoria, the mom told us she had prayed and knows that Joseph Smith was a prophet.

Sat and Sunday were conference which was amazing. So all in all I had a pretty good week. I love being a missionary. Oh and no more complaints from you and dad, that you aren't missionaries, you guys are supposed to find people for us to teach. Every member a missionary. Just be careful with the dogs....

Hermana Bloomfield

Finally saw a doctor that could help with the stomach pain. 27 September 2010

Well this week was amazing. I finally went to the doctor. And not just any doctor, but a doctor specialized in stomach issues in the most expensive hospital in Panama. He said he thinks I just have constipation from the food change and gave me fiber and milk of magnesia to take everyday and told me to come back in 3 weeks to see. I have been taking the stuff he told me to take and now I'm using the bathroom quite well, but my stomach is still super inflated. I think it has to do with the stress, but I'm not sure, so when I go back in a few weeks I'll see what is up. But the best news ever is the from now on, we will no longer be eating with the members. So I can make my own food and I don't have to eat greasy rice ever again! woopee! And Pres. gave me permission to go outside of my zone to go to a grocery store that has vegetables. Oh, and I've already lost 5 pounds and now that I can cook my own food it will be a lot easier. So stomach wise, things are looking up.

And now for the even better news this past weekend was Amazing! In just one day I found 10 new ppl to teach, one day. Usually I can't find 10 in a whole week. A family we started teaching this week came to church the Mom, Dad, and two kids, all of them came. Even the mother in law we have never even met randomly showed up. So I had 7 investigators in the church. I have never had so many in my whole mission. Looks like the blessings are finally showing up for all the opposition I've been taking lately. I know it won't last long but I'm living it up while I can.

I love you a trillion and I hope you have an amazing week. !!!!!
xoxox
Hermy