My Brother on a Mission....

My little brother Landon is on a mission for our church (the Church Of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints).  He is in a remote town in Mexico.  He did not speak spanish before heading there and now he does.  He was the pickiest eater on the planet and now he eats all kinds of crazy stuff.  He works with a companion-  these two little 18 year old boys, riding their bikes around town, telling people about the love God has for them.  He has looked forward to serving his mission for YEARS!  And now he's finally there, working hard everyday, having the time of his life, teaching people about Christ and helping them to change their lives for the better, and just spreading the joy of the gospel.

His letters inspire me.  They are funny and don't always make sense but I can see a little picture in my mind's eye of these young missionaries out there.  They have left their family and life behind.  They have chosen to give up two years to share the good news of the gospel.  They suffer through a lot of circumstances that are not ideal and they do it cheerfully.  They have bad days, get homesick, have doors slammed in their face and maybe sometimes they even want to quit.  But they keep serving because there's a little fire burning inside of them and they want to tell others what they know.  They want to help people.  They are filled with love for their 'neighbor'!

Landon's letters inspire me to forget my little cares and concerns and think about other people... to think outside of myself.  They remind me that life is so good and that all of us have been blessed with so much from our loving Heavenly Father.  

His letters remind me why I choose to be a member of this church.  I choose to be a Mormon because it makes me a better person!  The gospel of Jesus Christ gives me a purpose!  It gives me something to work toward!  It brings happiness into my life!  It gives me direction for my life from God through his living prophet.  It helps me know how to raise my kids.  It gives me hope in a sometimes hopeless world, it fills my heart with love for other people, it makes me want to make a difference and spread the light of Christ where I can.  

The gospel of Jesus Christ reminds me that God lives and loves me.  He is there for me no matter what.  In fact, He loves me (and all of us) so much that He sent his son to earth to show us how to live, and to take our sins upon Himself so that we can be forgiven and start over again.  Christ died and was resurrected so that we too can live again.  This means the world to me.   I have had moments of anguish and pain in my life.  Burdens to bear that I couldn't have borne alone... and I didn't have to because He was there for me, lifted my burden, and filled my heart with peace and a determination to move forward in hope.  

In light of some of the press my church is getting right now I wanted to write this down.  I choose to be a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints because it is the gospel of Jesus Christ and it brings me happiness.  Humans can get so caught up in the little things and forget the big beautiful picture.  Humans always think things should make total and complete sense- we forget how little we are in the universe.  Go outside and look up at the stars for awhile and you'll get it... we are little... and yet known and loved by God (Matthew 10:28-31).  Why should we, being so little, understand how it all works?  Of course we don't have all of the answers... who does except God?  I have faith in God and that He has all the answers and someday we will have them as well... someday everything will make sense.  For now, I know that Christ stands at the head of His church and for me, that's enough.  Well, that and all the other great things I listed above.  Plus even more.  Man, I really could keep going.

Now for Landon's letter from this week.  (Don't judge him for his imperfect writing- he's just an excited missionary with only a few minutes on the computer)!

Another week! The time just flies!

This week was kinda just normal....

It started to rain here. Like a ton. Its crazy. One night it started when we were in the town center area and when it rains it rains hecka hecka hard. The streets were super flooded and like rivers. Sometimes my foot was under water when I pedaled. The rain kinda slowed the work down a little but we still had tons of stuff this week. I secretly loved it, though haha! Everyone is standing under something and we just keep pedaling hard! It was funny cause there are tons of people under stuff on the sides of the street and they all cheer when they see us, so i totally felt like a rockstar. haha! It was awesome!

We had some really powerful lessons this week. and some cool experiences. As a missionary I think people feel more secure around you or something, because people always kinda open up to us and tell us things that I don't think they would tell other people. Its humbling and mind boggling to me sometimes when it catches up to me. I have sooooooo many names in my daily planner. And I know so many people and each one of them have their own little life and their own things. Their own families, worries, problems, sad things, happy things, its just crazy. Pretty much the only thing that is the same is their identity. They are all children of God. 

Sometimes as a missionary its hard to see these people reject help when its right in front of them. I dont know why I just thought of this haha but its like Annikan in star wars. (how do you spell that?!) When obi-wan chops off his legs and arm and he's laying in the dirt and catches on fire and obi-wan tries to help him and he doesn't want him to. He's just so pathetic rolling around without limbs on fire. I mean obviously, he needs a lot of help right now but he won't accept it.

Sometimes in life we get our arms and legs chopped off. Sometimes after this we even catch on fire haha, but the point is that there is help. Right in front of us. We just have to accept that help. We have to reach out our only arm left and take the hand haha! Maybe that was a bad example but this week i have seen a lot of Annakins. It's hard to watch. I just want to help them. I almost want to just make them accept it, but i know it would just be worse and I would just make them into a darth vader haha! ok I'll stop now.

But I have seen a lot of that this week. I thought a lot about agency. What an incredible gift that is. I love the scriptures in Moses when Heavenly Father is weeping. Enoch asks how its possible He can weep and He says,
 " behold these thy brethren, they are the workmanship of my own hands and I gave them their knowledge. and in the garden of Eden gave I unto man his agency. and to thy brethren have I said and also given commandment that they love one another and that they choose me, their father, but behold it is without affect and they shed their own blood." (rough Spanish translation).

He has given us our agency. The power to choose. He has asked us to choose him, the one who made us and gave and gives us everything, and yet there are so many who deny him and reject him and prefer his enemy. The craziest part of it all is that he is still there. He stays waiting with arms outstretched. it doesn't matter what we've done or how many times we do it He is still waiting for us.

There is someone who has already paid the price so that we don't have to. He paid it in full. He understands us perfectly. He is the only constant in this life. People change, styles, culture, language (haha) but He is the same. He is the only one who can help us through it. I know that we are children of a loving god. a father who has given us everything, gives us everything and will continue to bless us. He has asked that we follow His loving advice. That we live a better life and He will bless us even more. Some people think we are giving up things to live this life but that's not true. Pleasure last for a few moments maybe a few hours. He is offering us something eternal. We have to look beyond the things right in front us. We have to broaden our perspective to understand what He is offering. I can testify that what He is offering is so much better. I have seen and am seeing what the world offers and I have felt and know what He offers. I am so grateful for the knowledge I have had all my life. I am so grateful for the help I have had to see past the weekend.

I'm loving my mission! even though its crazy and sometimes hard and just weird and tons of stuff I love it so much. Alma 32:42: "by and by ye shall pluck the fruit". Its the little things that make everything about this gospel so worth it. I will wake up exhausted every day, sweat constantly, walk in 100 plus degree weather, battle psychopath dogs, kill millions of grasshoppers and cockroaches, eat pigs feet until my mouth is full of hair, be denied over and over, be covered in mosquito bites, go to bed exhausted and do it all over again for this gospel and I'll love every minute of it!

I love ya al! hope all is well! sigan adelante!

elder Blodgett

ps be nice to mormon missionaries

pss if I have time I will continue to post his letters

psss i was 17 when Landon was born and sometimes he feels like my own child

pssss love you Lands

Some Favorite Talks that I've Been Listening to Lately....

Love this one about changing.  Isn't change so hard?  As I'm getting older I find that I just really want to make more progress in my life.  I don't want to have the same thoughts, feelings, and actions that I did 15 years ago.  I want to feel like I'm overcoming weaknesses/issues and becoming a better person.  Anyway, I liked this talk:

https://www.lds.org/general-conference/1993/10/a-mighty-change-of-heart?lang=eng&query=change#watch=video

Going along those lines here's a good one on self mastery:

https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2000/04/the-power-of-self-mastery?lang=eng


Love this one for so many reasons especially the provo tabernacle analogy:

https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2013/10/claim-the-blessings-of-your-covenants?lang=eng&media=audio#listen=audio

And this one's the type of talk you have to read a few times to really catch it all but I love it:

https://www.lds.org/ensign/1986/08/i-stand-all-amazed?lang=eng


This years April conference was so great.  Lots of themes running throughout and such an overall uplifting feeling.  The Saturday morning session was my favorite even though right as it started I had to clean up a big food mess made by Mack and Penny peed on the carpet all at the same time.  But once I settled down to listen it was so, so good.  I can't wait to go back and re-listen.

It's 2013!!

My new niece Kennedy.  Born to Dustin and Moriah this weekend.  

Is there anything better than those chubby cheeks?  She is so sweet. 

And yes, I would love another baby.

Today I was talking to a friend and telling her that I felt bad because I had decided not to take on a project that I had previously said I would do.  I just knew I would regret the extra work for myself and that other, more important things, would get neglected.  She told me that she is careful not to stretch herself too thin and that she thinks it's important to guard her emotional "stability" (or something like that).  It made me feel so much better.  I am really good at feeling guilty or making myself feel bad when I have to say no.  But I have gotten much better at saying no and making sure I am not overbooked and I'm thankful for that.  My friend also said that it's important not to say no to everything, or to avoid things and make your life too easy because then you don't grow.  I think that's very true as well.


In this new year one of my goals is to compliment myself, have positive self- talk, and treat myself as good as I treat others.  I have good self confidence- I really do.  But I also always feel like there is so much more I could be doing in all areas and I forget to applaud myself for what I do accomplish.  Even the little things.  So I'm going to do that.

Yesterday church was so good.  Like, the whole three hours had me thinking and feeling good stuff.  I felt the love of my Heavenly Father all over the place.  One lady particularly touched me in saying how the gospel brings joy and we need to make sure we're feeling that joy and enjoying life.  Not getting caught up in the work and the hard stuff.  Again, it's something I need to work on.  I have the best life.  I truly feel insanely blessed every day of my life.  I really couldn't ask for much more.  And yet, I do get caught up in letting the little things get in my way or frustrate me.  The never ending messes or little problems to work out.  The jobs to do.  Things that don't matter and yet they make me mad.  So, another goal of mine is to live in the moment, let the little things go and just enjoy life for the journey.  I hope I can do it.

One more thing, I love my calling at church.  I get to teach the 16-18 year olds.  This year we have a new curriculum and each month we study a new topic.  January is the Godhead.  The lessons are not as outlined and detailed as they used to be.  The teacher needs to be in tune and come up with a lesson plan according to the needs of her students.  I was nervous about this.  I put so much time into my lesson last week and still didn't feel it coming together.  Dave told me to let it go but I kept studying.  When I sat down and started my lesson I felt so guided in the things that I said and the lesson went really well.  I'm so excited to get to study the gospel of Jesus Christ more in depth this year as I prepare lessons for these kids.  I really love the kids in my class.  There are 11 of them now.  Yesterday some of them shared things and I loved to hear their thoughts and learn from them as they learn from me.  It's going to be a good year.

Goodbye Sister Blodgett

My sister Kaley left for her 18 month mission to Spain last night.  This is the 5th missionary in our family to go, but it never gets easier to say goodbye.  She'll be gone for 18 month with only little communication with family (she can write letters and email once a week, and call home on Christmas and Mother's Day).  We did the traditional run after the car as she drives away.  Logan and Macey burst into tears as her car went around the corner!  We will miss her so much!  I know she is going to have a great adventure and share the news of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ with so many who are looking for the truth.  I know she'll grow and have experiences that will help her in her life.  She'll be a better person because of serving a mission.  But it's still hard.  I will worry about her safety and I know she'll be homesick at times.  It will be probably the hardest thing she's ever done, but so rewarding.  

She will be in the Missionary Training Center in Utah for 3 weeks where she will begin to learn Spanish.  Then she will go to the MTC in Madrid for 6 weeks where I'm sure she'll learn the language for real, plus the culture and the people. Then she'll be in Madrid working every day to bring people to Christ.  I'm so proud of her!

If you see the mormon missionaries in your neighborhood, think of Kaley, and be kind to them!  They are far from home and need some love.

We love you Aunt Kays!

XOXOXOX