Dear Family and Friends,

I recently gave my homecoming talk at church.  I will include it here so you can read it if you desire.

Lynette's Sacrament Meeting Homecoming Talk

May 27, 2012

The Atonement is a principle of power.  It encompasses the power to relieve us from sin and the power "to make good men better" (President David O. McKay Conference Report, Apr. 1954, 26).  In other words, as Elder Bednar explains in the April Ensign ("In the Strength of the Lord" BYU Discourse, Oct. 2001), "The Atonement includes redeeming and enabling powers" (italics added).

Feeling the enabling power of the Atonement was very special to me during my mission.  I testify that I frequently felt a fortifying power.  The interesting thing is that I did not recognize that this power came from the Atonement.  About a month after finishing my mission, I wrote in my journal, "Many times I've felt like my testimony of the Atonement didn't grow as much as I'd hoped it would during the mission.  Tonight I've been reading a talk that Elder Bednar gave at BYU in 2001.  He says, 'I wonder if we mistakenly believe that we must make the journey from good to better and become a saint all by ourselves through grit, willpower, and discipline, and with our obviously limited capacities...The enabling power of the Atonement strengthens us to do good and serve beyond our own natural desires and natural capacity.'  I believe that I served beyond my own natural capacity and desire during my mission.  That means that I was experiencing the Atonement in my life.  I just didn't recognize it."

In life we have a journey with two phases.  The first phase is overcoming sin.  We commonly recognize the Atonement's application to this phase.  The second phase in life's journey is to "go from...good to better."  Before and during my mission, I never realized how the Atonement applies to the second phase of life.  I am coming to understand now how the Atonement can empower me to become more than I could ever be by relying solely on myself.

I cannot do it by myself

At my year mark in the mission, I was in a fun area called Puerto Maldonado.  Puerto Maldonado is located in the jungle, and it is very hot there.  Without meaning to, I attempted for a few months to be a shining missionary through sheer grit, discipline, and sweat.  At that time I was the senior companion and my companion and I would work until 9:30pm almost every night.  Sometimes we would walk ourselves to death in the sun and we would skip dinner.  Quite honestly, I would even feel frustrated at times because I thought my companion was not walking fast enough.  In my mind I thought, I can become a better missionary if I just work hard.  I know that I can do that, I can work.  

The question is if my companion and I had a lot of success during that marathon time.  The simple answer is no.  We finished our time together having helped fewer people than we'd hoped and we were exhausted both physically and emotionally.

My experience with my subsequent companion was quite different.  She was outspoken and refused to go along with some of my intense plans.  After stressing about all the work I thought we should do as part of becoming better missionaries, she would simply respond, "Trust God."  My companion repeated this to me over and over again.  I finally realized after some time that I was trying to "make the journey from good to better...through sheer...willpower...and with [my] obviously limited capacities."

With the encouragement of my companion, I began changing my perspective.  I focused on sharing my goals with the Lord.  I began to offer humble prayers with recognition that I needed to Atonement to become the missionary I dreamed of being.

The main message from this experience is simple.  We need to recognize that changing our human nature requires the Atonement.  We cannot do it all by ourselves.  God only expects us to seek perfection through the enabling power of the Atonement.

Applying the Atonement

Once we understand that changing our nature depends on the Atonement, we need to find our way of bringing that enabling power into our lives.

The first step to do that is increasing our faith in Christ.  What kind of faith do I refer to?  Let me share an example from my life to illustrate this point.  One of my lifelong weaknesses is having quality scripture study.  It is a weakness that tries to trip me even after my mission. The faith that I refer to is the faith that believes Christ really cares about this weakness of mine.  He is interested in my progress.  He and my Heavenly Father believe in me that one day this weakness can become one of my biggest strengths. 

After we work to trust that our Savior wants to help us in our righteous desires, we can begin to call the Atonement into our lives daily.  We can do that through better scripture study, prayer, temple attendance, fasting, and other activities.

Alma 34:26 invites us, "But this is not all; ye must pour out your souls in your closets, and your secret places, and in your wilderness."  I have an especially strong testimony that honest prayer can invite the Atonement's enabling power into our lives.  Currently, my daily prayers often include pleading that the Atonement can help me resist the temptation to put off my scripture study.  It really helps.  On the days when I forget to plead for this blessing, I often do not meet my scripture study goals. 

One of my favorite mission experiences relating with prayer and the Atonement comes from my first day in the mission field.  The day I arrived in Cusco, we new missionaries were taken to our mission president's home and, later, to a mission transfer meeting to meet our companions.  Several things became quickly apparent to me during those activities.  First, I saw few North American sisters.  Second, the chapel was freezing, and, third, everyone was speaking Spanish.  During the transfer meeting, we new missionaries sat in the front and looked at the missionaries.  The biggest knot I've ever had formed in my stomach.  I became truly scared.  The only reason I did not cry was because I was in front of everyone.  At that moment, I began to pray.  I prayed that I would be able to feel my Heavenly Father holding my hand.  With great compassion, my Heavenly Father held my hand.  That is the reason why I am here today speaking.  I vividly remember walking off the stand to greet my companion with my mind concentrated on my hand.  My Father's hand was not there literally, but it was tangible enough for me.  Without that, I would not have been able to walk off of the stand.  That experience is evidence for me that the Atonement enables us to do things we cannot do alone.  The tool for me to call for it in that moment was sincere prayer.

Before I continue, I briefly want to recap how we can bring the Atonement's enabling power into our lives.  If we remember, the first step is developing faith in Jesus Christ.  The second step is improving our daily actions that show that we desire that power.

Another key element to receiving strength from the Atonement is exercising patience.  Mosiah chapter 24 contains an excellent example of the Atonement strengthening Alma and his brethren.  Their burdens from Amulon were made light.  Verses 15-16 stand out to me as they say, "Yea, the Lord did strengthen them that they could bear up their burdens with ease, and they did submit cheerfully and with patience to all the will of the Lord.  And it came to pass that so great was their faith and their patience that the voice of the Lord came unto them again, saying: Be of good comfort, for on the morrow I will deliver you out of bondage" (italics added).  I believe that the Lord desires that we be patient while the enabling powers of the Atonement are working in our lives.  The Atonement and patience walk hand in hand.

Isaiah 55:8 can help us to keep our perspective if it feels difficult to be patient.  We learn, "For my thoughts are not your thoughts, neighter are your ways my ways, saith the Lord."

Blessings of the Atonement's enabling power

The scriptures, especially the Book of Mormon, are filled with examples of the blessings people received through the enabling power of the Atonement.  These blessings are still available to us today.  Elder Bednar says that through faith in the atonement and the grace of the Lord, "individuals...receive strength and assistance to do good works that they otherwise would not be able to maintain if left to their own means."  I testify that these words are true.

In an additional journal entry after my mission, I recorded, "I'm reflecting more and I truly believe that my mission experience was all about learning of the Atonement.  I didn't realize that I was learning about the Atonement because God was teaching me in personal ways.  I didn't learn from books, but I did learn from daily experience that the Atonement has enabling powers.  Only God and the powers of the Atonement could have given me the strength to go on each day when I felt tired.  The enabling power of the Atonement helped me to almost always have a smile on my face.  The enabling power of the Atonement helped me keep going when I got sick.  Those are example of how the Atonement applied in my life...I'm grateful that my lessons on the Atonement were personalized for me by God.  I'm grateful that I could learn about the Atonement through real experiences."

Brothers and sisters, I would like to share with you why I have talked about the Atonement today.  The first chapter of Preach My Gospel explains, "As your understanding of the Atonement of Jesus Christ grows, your desire to share the gospel will increase" (page 2).  If we truly understand the Atonement, we will want to share the gospel with others.  I pray that each of us might let our understanding and appreciation for the Atonement grow within us.  If we let this happen, a desire can form to share the gospel.  Sometimes this desire can be small, that's how it started for me, and I think that is okay.  Alma 32:27 invites us to let this desire work in us, and we are promised that the desire will grow.  We learn in the Doctrine and Covenants that the only requirement to serve God by saving souls is to have a desire to do it. 

I testify that feeling the Atonement in our lives is the key for sparking a desire in us to share the gospel.

Testimony...In the name of Jesus Christ, amen.

Dearest Family and Friends,

I've officially arrived home.  I am grateful to the Price family for giving me such a great homecoming.  During the weeks following my mission while I was with my parents, my mom and I had the opportunity to return to my mission.  We visited a few of my areas and visited many dear converts, members, and friends.  On my parent's blog, my mom has posted many pictures from the trip.  I invite you to view the pictures at    http://lpblunck.blogspot.com/

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I Made it Home!

Dearest Family and Friends,

Thank you for supporting me the last year and a half while I served in Cusco, Peru.  I feel blessed that you prayed for me and kept me in your thoughts.

Two weeks ago, I finished my mission and was welcomed "home" in the Lima, Peru airport by my parents, our family friend, and my oldest sister's family.  I was completely surprised to see my sister and my nephews.  And, it was a true joy to meet my new niece.  To cap off the party, my brother in law later joined us here in Peru.

If you would like to see a video clip of my homecoming, below is the youtube cite where it is posted.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vX_VgW923SA

In May I will return to the United States, and I look forward to seeing all of you!  For my dear BYU friends, I will see you there for summer term.

Something that motivated me during my mission was thinking that I will never again serve without having family contact. 

I couldn't have asked for a better surprise in the airport.

Meeting my sweet niece Rita.  I was surprised that I didn't cry much leaving the mission field.  The tears finally broke loose when I saw my family.

Lynette will be arrive back in Lima on March 21, 2012.  She doesn't know it yet but her sister, two nephews and one neice are flying here today to be here when she arrived.  Since she is returning to the Lima North Mission and the presiding priesthood authority here is her dad, he will have the privilege and opportunity to release her.  Lynette will stay with us in Lima for 6 weeks then will return to the states to visit family and friends before she starts summer term at BYU in June. 

If you are interested in talking to Lynette after she returns, you can call this number 1- 503-342-8526.  This is an internet phone we set up that allows people to call us internationally at no cost.  This phone is located in our apartment in Lima.  Thank you for you love and support of our daughter as she has served the Lord.  Letters and emails from family and friends mean a lot to a missionary.  Gracias por todo.  Below you will find her final letter to her family as a missionary. 



March 19, 2012

FOR THE LAST TIME AS A MISSIONARY

Dearest Family,
Well, what can I say.  I`m excited!!!!  I`ve arrived in Cusco and we have our last dinner and interviews tonight.  I`ve always remembered a story from Elder Uceda`s mission service, and I applied what he did yesterday.  On Elder Uceda`s last day of the mission, his companion invited him to enter their room because it was almost nine thirty pm.  Elder Uceda started crying and said that he still had five minutes left and he wanted to knock one more door.   Hna. Martinez and I did that yesterday before I got on my bus to come to Cusco.  After I did that, the man I`d contacted walked up to me and asked me for my email address so that he can ask me questions about the church.  I love this work.
I hope that you are all well.  I`ll give you all a call as soon as I can on Wednesday!   Please be safe and take care.

With all my love and for my last time as a missionary.
Hermana Blunck II

Hola, Hola, Hola!!!!!!!!!

March 12, 2012


Dearest Family,

I can´t believe that this is my last week!!!!!!   I´m going to give it all that I have.  Thank you for your letters encouraging me to give my very best until the end.  Thank you for writing me during this last year and a half.  I never dreamt that I´d receive such support from everyone.
This week we worked hard to help a 20 year old young man that we are teaching to accept a baptismal date.  He is an old investigator that had a baptismal date before.  We are not sure why he didn´t get baptized.  In preparation for the lesson, we had a special fast and we studied hard to be worthy of the Spirit´s guidance.  We coordinated for a few young people to come to the chapel, and we watched the Joseph Smith movie in the chapel.  He focusing on trusting God.  Please pray for Jeanpier so that he can move forward with faith until the 24th of March.   Something that inspired Hna. Martinez and I is that when we walked out of the chapel, rain was falling but there was a rainbow directly above the chapel.  We expressed to each other how we hoped that the rainbow was a sign that God accepted our efforts to help Jeanpier.   
We enjoyed having several lessons with families in the chapel this week.  Attending church can be a big challenge, and we thought that bringing families into the church before Sunday morning would help them.  In the end, the families did not come to church yesterday but we will keep working with them and teaching them in the chapel.
If you have any requests from Cusco or from Quillabamba, please send them to me.  I´ll check my mail again next Monday.

I sure love you all!!!!  Take care.

Love,
Hermana Blunck II

March 5, 2012

Dearest Family,

Congratulations David, Sheri, Benjamin, Hunter, and Preston!!!!!!!

This is a very special week for the family.  Heavenly Father is blessing us abundantly.

Rolando was baptized on Saturday.  It was touching to hear his testimony.  Rolando is a single father of two little kids. 
Hna. Martinez and I had a lovely activity yesterday for the district of Quillabamba.  We projected Joseph Smith-Prophet of the Restoration on the chapel´s big screen.  Most of the members here had never seen the movie, and we wanted to strengthen their testimonies of the Restoration.  Hna. Martinez and I left the activity with three new investigators and three investigators excited to continue learning about the Gospel.  The other missionaries also invited their investigators and some of them attended. 
Hna. Martinez has confidence, and she is teaching me to be a confident person.  At her suggestion, we announced the activity on the radio through a local member who runs a radio station.  I´m grateful that Heavenly Father is giving me the opportunity to learn from Hna. Martinez.
I hope that you are all very well.  I love you, and I will see you soon!!!!

Love,
Hermana Blunck II



Hermana Blunck and Hermana Martinez in Quillabamba Peru.
Quillabamba is located near Machu Picchu and has a sub-
tropical climate.



Baptism of Rolando in Quillabamba



Hermana Martinez and Hermana Blunck, it is great to see
them learning from each other. 



February 27, 2012

Dearest Family,

¡Por fin¡  Hermana Martinez and I have gained the confidence of our branch president and I am thrilled.  Yesterday our branch president gave us two references, and I hope that means that he trusts us.  We also received other great references from two members.

 Hna. Martinez and I worked hard this last week to organize activities with the branch to activate less actives, support the members, and excite investigators.  For example, this next Sunday our branch and investigators are going to watch the long version of the Joseph Smith Story in the chapel.  We are also beginning classes of scriptures study and music.  Hna. Martinez loves music and is going to teach the participants of the class how to direct music and sing new hymns. 

The people in Quillabamba are very special.  They keep their commitments better than the people from my other areas.  We have a single father, who we contacted in the street, that is going to get baptized on Saturday.  His name is Rolando.  Please pray for him.

We had a special lesson with a woman named Marisol on Saturday.  In the middle of our lesson, she started crying and told us that she was feeling God´s presence.  Hermana Martinez and I have been working very hard to ask inspired questions.  Through the inspired questions, the lessons become alive and meaningful for the investigators and us.

It is interesting because Hna. Giron and Hna. Martinez are very confident.  I think God wants me to grow from my time with them.  Hna. Martinez  is bold and is not afraid to pursue big ideas.  I´ve delayed learning that I can enact big ideas, but I feel grateful that I can take that confidence home with me.

I hope that you all have a lovely week!!!!!!!!!!!!!

I sure love you,

Hermana Blunck II

Have you found Quillabamba on the Map?????

February 21, 2012

Dearest Family,
Last week was incredibly enriching because we had the blessing of
listening to Elder Waddel from the area presidency.  He started the
conference talking about how we can receive personal revelation, and I
was able to receive that blessing of receiving revelation.  I went to
the conference with the question in my mind, ¨should I extend my
mission?¨.  I had that question in mind because it´s heart breaking to
think about leaving the mission when I am just arriving to my peak.  I
can speak the language, I´m bold, and, more than ever before, I
understand my purpose as a missionary.  I also felt worried about
leaving my new companion.  It was incredible how Elder Waddel
addressed my question in the conference.  He explained that this is
the Lord´s work because He sends His missionaries home when they are
arriving to the best part of their mission.  The Lord replaces the
experienced missionaries with new missionaries who have much to learn.
 If the mission were only about reaching numbers, the Lord would leave
his missionaries in the field for more than two years or a year and a
half.
Elder Waddel also explained that many times missionaries are called to
their missions for their mission president.  I think that thought
applies to me because many times I´ve asked why God called me to Peru
to serve.  I have learned many, many lessons from Presidente and
Hermana Calderon.  When I have more time, I´ll explain what I´ve
learned from them.

Thank you for
all of your prayers.  I´m excited to see you soon!

Love,
Hermana Blunck II

February 13, 2012,

Thoughts from a letter Lynette wrote.

I never thought this time would arrive.  Now the mission feels like one big dream, but it has been an incredible dream.  I cannot believe how many parts of the world that I have been able to see.  When I see the new missionaries arrive, I remember all the things that I had to adjust to.  Everything about the mission life and living in Peru seems normal now.  It's normal to be conversing with  Peruvians, Bolivians, Chileans, and Nicaraguans at the same time.  When I get to thinking about it, God is incredible because He's given me the opportunity to come to know His special children from other parts of the world.  We are all so similar.
         Sometimes during the mission I've thought to myself, "I'd be a more effective missionary if God had called me to serve in the US, speaking my native language and being in my culture".  What I recognize now is that I've been blessed beyond measure with the opportunity to mix myself with people from all parts of the world.  I have learned about them and their culture and it has enriched my life.  In some way I hope I have enriched their lives. 
          After receiving my setting apart blessing to serve, I wrote down all of the promised blessings.  I can recognize now that every one of them has been fulfilled.  The mission is hard.  It is the hardest thing that I've ever done, but it has also been the greatest thing I have ever done.  There is a reason it is called missionary work, to be effective you have to work.    The mission has solidified in my mind the basic principles of the gospel of Jesus Christ.  Christ's doctrine in simple, powerful and beautiful. He sacrificed His life for all of us to accomplish the Father's plan for each of us.   I have learned to love His children here in Peru.  No words can describe that feeling.
           During the mission I  have also learned a lot about myself, my strengths and my weaknesses.  I hope I have become the kind of woman God wants me to be. 
          It will be a fabulous day when I come home, until then I"ll keep working.

Hermna Blunck II         

February 13, 2012

Greetings from Quillabamba!!!!!

Dearest Family,
Happy Valentine´s Day and Happy Anniversary David and Sheri!!!
Greetings from Quillabamba!!!  Quillabamba is a lovely little town
about five hours from Cusco.  It is tucked between mountains and is
close to Machu Picchu.  I am thrilled to be finishing my mission here
because it is warm like Puerto Maldonado.  I was nervous that I´d go
to Puno and freeze to death.  My companion is Hna. Osoy.  Hna. Osoy
will be finishing her mission at the same time as me.  President
Calderon has me here with Hna. Osoy to perform a special mission.
Hna. Osoy did not work well with her companion before, and so I need
to help her work hard until the end of her mission.
Our area will not be white-washed when Hna. Osoy and I finish because
we´ll be receiving a new missionary this week.  We´re going to train
together.   The new sister has arrived late to the
mission due to visa issues.  Our zone is going to Cusco this week,
where we will receive our other companion, because we have a
conference with Elder Waddel of the seventy. 
When I arrived, our area didn´t have any investigators, but we are
working now to try to improve the situation.  We are doing lots of
contacting, and I am contacting all the grown men that I can.  I feel
blessed that God has helped me to overcome some fears and I can share
with adults, especially men, the message of the gospel.  Please keep
praying for us that we can find and teach families.
I hope that you all have a terrific week.  I sure love you with all of my heart.
All my love,
Hermana Blunck II

February 7, 2012

I'M IN CUSCO!

Dearest Family,

Greetings from Cusco.  Hermana Giron and I are both here, but I`m the only one with a change tomorrow.  President Calderon has been telling me that I`ll go to Quillabamba or Puno, so I`m anxious to see where I`ll finish my mission.

The members of the branch surprised me yesterday.  A few of them came to the terminal to wish me off and a few of them even gave me simple gifts.  The Peruvian people are great examples.  They quickly give their hearts and their love to the missionaries.

The last two months haven`t been full of tons of baptisms, but I feel good because I know that the branch is much better than how it was when I arrived.  One of our recent converts in now the ward mission leader, our branch president has lots of confidence with the Hermanas, and the branch members are willing to work with us.  It`s hard to leave the branch because I`m familiar with everything, but I know that the Lord has more work for me to do in another area.

Hermana Giron and I have been able to convert some of our differences in personalities into strengths the last few weeks.  It`s hard to leave Hna. Giron, but she is also a very independent young woman, and I know that she needs the opportunity to direct the area.

Yesterday was great because we had six investigators in the church.  Two of the investigators included a couple that`s been married for more than fifty years.  That is an incredible find in Puerto Maldonado and in Peru. 

I hope that you are all very well.  I`m excited to talk with you, and to be a part of your lives.  In the meantime, I`m anxious to continue in God`s work because it is incredible.


With all of my love,

Hermana Blunck II

January 30, 2012

HOLA! HOLA! HOLA!

Dearest Family,
How are you doing?  I love you very much!!!
A special experience from the week was teaching one of our contacts
named Pablo.  I contacted Pablo months ago with Hna. Benites, but it
didn`t seem appropriate to teach Pablo at that time.  Hna. Giron and I
have begun teaching and he seems very ready now.  Pablo told us about
a spiritual dream that he had years ago.  He told us that every time
we passed by his little store, seeing me reminded him of his spiritual
dream.
We are also teaching a man named Luis.  Luis is from Brazil and he
speaks Portuguese! (I`m learning how to understand Portuguese)  Luis
is a reference of a member.  He`s attended church off and on for the
last eight years.   I don`t know exactly why he was never baptized.  Luis
explained to us yesterday that he`s come to church all these years
because he likes the teachings.  We were able to do a few inspired
questions to help Luis to recognize that he`s felt the Spirit in
church.  Then we were able invite Luis to be baptized.  Luis made a
few excuses but then we invited him to read Mosiah 18:10.  This
scripture asks what impedes us from being baptized if we have the
desires and we`ve felt the Spirit.
We were able to have a baptism last week.  It was a great experience
because the parents were less active, but they decided for their own
initiative to be active when they moved to Puerto Maldonado two months
ago.
I send you all my love!!!
Hermana Blunck II

January 23, 2012

Thanks for Your Love and Support

Dearest Family,

I really enjoyed this past week.  Hna. Giron and I participated in
divisions with the other sisters in the zone.  One of the sisters from
the other sector served in Puerto Maldonado previously in our sector.
She came to Hna. Giron and mines` area and showed Hna. Giron the
houses of some old investigators.  I got to discover another side of
Puerto Maldonado.
I`ve been reflecting a lot this week about the importance of obeying
our leaders.  President Calderon has been talking for months about our
mission`s goal of having 100 percent retention.  For a long time, I`ve
been thinking that it`s impossible when many of the baptisms here have
been part member families.  The Spirit is helping me to recognize that my attitude showed lack of faith.  When our leaders invite us to do something,
it`s always possible to do it.   Sometimes we need to put a little more
faith in the Lord, and take the word of our leaders as if God himself
was counseling us.
Yesterday, I had the opportunity to give a talk in our sacrament
meeting.  The theme was based on how we can receive blessings.  I
focused on following the counsel that President Monson gave us in
the last general conference.  I also talked about the counsel that
President Calderon shared with our district two weeks ago.  I
recognized two themes from President Monson`s general conference
talk.  President Monson invited us to pray more frequently and to
obey all of the ten commandments.
Remember that I praying for you every day.  I appreciate all of your support!!!!

With lots of love,
Hermana Blunck II

January Is Flying By!

January 15,2012

Dear Family,
This week was a fantastic week.  President Calderon surprised us by
coming to Puerto for a district conference.  He was here four days and
spent quite a bit of time with us missionaries.  Our zone conference
was very edifying and has given me ideas of how I can improve, such as
emphasizing the importance of family home evenings with our branch
members and investigators.
President Calderon accompanied Hna. Giron and I for a visit, and now
the couple that we visited have a marriage and baptismal date.  It was
exciting to see this couple arrive at the chapel yesterday for the
district conference.  Afterwards they told us that they really enjoyed
the conference.  Also, a sister from our branch invited one of her
work friends to the conference and now we have a lovely new single
mother to teach.  Something that I recognize is that God always
blesses us after He tries our faith for a little bit.
Faith is something that I have been trying to focus on learning the
last few months.  It`s my personality to worry and doubt.  What I`ve
been learning on is that faith, in essence, does not leave room for
doubt.  It`s choosing to be happy and hopeful because we know that God
bless us, more that we even deserve.  Faith is about having patience
with God`s timing and what He wants us to learn instead of what we
think that we should learn.
A conclusion that I came to this week is that if I put all my efforts
into serving God, the service that I give Him is like a grain of sand.
 It`s tiny!!!!  I`ve felt quite amazed that God`s work always moves
forward when our service, for most of us, is really quite small.
Sometimes Hna. Giron and I talk about how we always have willing
spirits but we have weak bodies.  I would love to work all day, but we
also have to sleep and eat.  I`m grateful for God`s patience with us.
I`m grateful the He blesses us for the little actions that we do, and
I`m grateful that He loves us even with all our imperfections.
I hope that you have a lovely week.  I pray for you and I always think
about you!

Love,
Hermana Blunck II

ANOTHER WEEK IN LA SELVA!!!!!!!

January 9, 2012

Dearest Family,
Thank you for writing me this week.  It`s always fun to skim your
letters a little bit before I print them out.

This week has been a little challenging because we do not have
investigators with baptismal dates.  I know that we are doing the best
that we can, but it is hard for our leaders to accept.  Something that
encouraged us is that our branch leader told us that he really
appreciates that work that we are doing.  We have several recent
converts that are going to receive the Melchizedek priesthood this
Sunday!  One of our converts gave a great testimony yesterday.
Hna. Giron and I have been trying to help the Relief Society of our
branch with their visiting teaching program.  We`re trying to help the
presidency catch the vision of their responsibility to excite their
sisters.  It was pretty funny yesterday because Hna. Giron and I put
up a big posterboard with stickers next to the names of the
companionships that have done their visits solos or with us.  As soon
as the sisters saw their names posted up front without a sticker next
to their names, they got crackin.  Everyone starting making
appointments with their companions to do their visits.  Even the
relief society president started feeling nervous.  Hna. Giron and I
pray that in the process of helping the sisters we can have more
references and we can meet less active families.

We`ve finally got branch fellowshipping nights going.  The big
challenge will be having enough members and investigators present to
make the nights effective.  The members always say that they`ll come,
but it`s never definite.  There is a companionship of elders in our
branch, and we`re coordinating the fellowshipping nights with them and
with the brother that is in charge of our branch until we have a
branch president.

I hope that you remember that I love and miss all of you.

Love,
Hermana Blunck  II

Please send my birthday wishes to Jana!!!!!


HOLA, HOLA, HOLA!!!!!!!!!

January 2, 2012

Dearest Family,

Happy New Year!!!  We enjoyed a great fireworks show in Puerto
Maldonado to celebrate the New Year.

Yesterday we had a neat contacting experience.  While Hna. Giron and I
were walking to an appointment, an older man sitting outside of his
motorcycle repair shop called my attention.  It`s funny because about
ten minutes before we contacted by him, I thought `I don`t really like
walking through this area because there`s never anybody ready to
progress.`  God, though, did have someone prepared.  I never would
have thought that contacting a mechanic would be so fulfilling, but I
left the contact excited.  The contact is named Jose Quispe.  He is
different than almost all the men of his stereotype because he doesn`t
drink.  Jose is a simple man, but I think he`s one of the `salt of the
earth` kind of people.  I hope that Jose and his family can progress
because we are really struggling to have people with baptismal dates.
Sometimes I don`t understand that we don`t have more families with
baptismal goals, but I try to trust the Lord.  The good news is that
Hna. Giron doesn`t complain about how many people that we have with
baptismal dates.

This week we`ve been making an effort to teach from the Book of Mormon
more and to invite our investigators to pray about the Book of Mormon.
 I hope that this can help us to have more people that receive
testimonies and commit to progress.

I love you all very much!!!

Love,
Hermana Blunck II