tell karli to check her email

hello family!,

    i hope you got my last email, i didn't have any of your email addresses except for karli and i sent one to her but i don't think she got it. i will forward you the one that i wrote her. things are going very well here, i love Africa but more importantly i love the people in Africa. there are only 37 missionaries in the MTC with me, there are six sisters in total, my companion is named sister Nalusiba, she is from uganda. there is one more african sister named sister kogo, she is from kenya. the other sisters are named sister christie, from scotland, sister lovell from Ririe, idaho and the other sister will be arriving tomorrow morning, she is from New Zealand. 

   i never knew how simple the gospel is. it is so simple and yet has the ability to be so overwhelming. the spirit is strong here, i thought that rexburg was a spiritual bubble, i was wrong. the mtc is a spiritual bubble times 5000000000000. the african sisters have the whole book of mormon memorized, it is crazy! wow, i have a lot to learn, not only do they have the book of mormon memorized, they have most of the bible memorized too. not the D&C though, so i feel a little better. (ps, that is not true, but they do have a HUGE and i mean HUGE, knowledge of the scriptures, i am definitely outnumbered by their knowledge.)

    we have a lot of fun here, i love the gospel and i am learning so much about obedience and how obedient i am not

    well, time is short, all of the other elders have to get on the computers. hopefully next week there will be enough time for me to share some of my experiences. 

sister blum

ps i learned my first sentence in zulu (the click language) it is , "where is my mom?" i don't know how to spell it in zulu but it is pretty sweet.

i will be able to post some pictures next week hopefully.

I AM HERE!!!

dear family,

 

do not worry, i am fine! johannesburg is a BIG city. the plane ride here almost killed me, i don't know how long it was but it was llllloooooonnnnnngggggggggggggggggggg! there are going to be 37 missionaries in the MTC tomorrow (the biggest group in the South African MTC EVER!), the first group of us got here today, all are from america save 1, he is from madagascar. pretty awesome and humble man. his name is elder rokootoogamongalangoo or something like that. there are 14 of us from america and we are expected to have 37 total by tomorrow. there was one sister who met up with us in Atlanta, she is pretty neat, she grew up in Ririe on a farm.

 

the MTC president and his wife are very wonderful, they were talking about the rest of the missionaries that will be joining us tomorrow, they are African natives and from what i can see from elder rokootoogamongalangoo (that is not his real name, i just can't remember it or pronounce it for that matter) that we are in for a special treat. i am so stinking excited to learn all i can about the people here. my companion will be coming tomorrow as well

 

i will be writing you on Saturday so forgive that this is so short, *also, i forgot what mom and dad's email addresses were so if you could let me know what those are that would be wonderful.*

 

i love you all, thank you for the prayers and i hope you are doing well

 

Sister Blum

Africa . . . Ready or Not, Here she comes!

Sister Blum is official and finally on her way to Africa! 

We sent her off this morning, and wow, she is so ready and excited to get over there! She is going to be such a great missionary! I (Karli) will be keeping this blog updated as much as possible, so stay tuned, I have a feeling this mission is going to bless MANY lives, and I hope that you are one of the ones that will be touched.

 I know our Father in Heaven has designed many things far greater than we could ever imagine by sending Kerri to Africa, so many lives are going to be blessed and edified in several places, and she has willingly given her life over to Him for the next year and a half to serve the Lord with all of her might. She will be laying a great foundation for the rest of her life and those that know her, and she is living the dream she has always dreamed of, to have the first name of Sister for 18 months.

Much Love! 

 So Africa, prepare for one of the BEST GALS you will ever meet! She is certainly ready for you and will take on anything that you can throw at her, and enjoy every possible second! 

The Final Fare Thee Well Speech . . .

Sister Blum is giving her final speech over the pulpit in Utah for the next year and a half!

                   on October 31, 2010.
The meeting starts at 2:00 in the pm

The address to the church:

11755 S. Highland Drive, sandy, UT. 84092

Click Here for a Map powered by Google

 

Words from Sister Blum:

 I should warn you, there is another boy giving his

farewell talk with me and he is much more cool than I am,

so seating might be tight... :) cheers!

 

And of Course, You are welcome at our home afterwards, it's gonna be big!

Come! See you soon! 

Dear Sister Blum,

 You are hereby called to serve as a missionary of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. You are
assigned to labor in the

South Africa Johannesburg Mission.

It is anticipated that you will serve for a period of 18 months.

You should  report to the South Africa Missionary Training Center 

on Thursday, November 11, 2010.

You will prepare to preach the gospel in the English language.

THE CALL HAS ARRIVED!

A rather large white envelope arrived in the mail this afternoon at approximately 12:20 PM. It arrived in Utah. Kerri is in Idaho. So, it is coming by vehicle in the care of Mom and Dad to Rexburg to be opened within the next 24 hours.
                     The next question is . . . . . . . . . . . . . . .
When and Where is Kerri Going?!

The Papers Are Submitted . . . And on their way to the Prophet of the Lord.

All of Kerri's interviews are complete, and they are on there way to the Prophet. To be assigned. We are now just awaiting that blessed day in the mail. They are being sent to our home in Utah. So, she will open it there. We'll have to skip on home for that one! Kerri is way excited and bore a very powerful testimony in Sacrament meeting today. And she is amazing! One of Kerri's entries for the day directed to me in my notebook:

Do the things you are supposed to do regardless of how difficult it may be to do. There is no greater feeling than to stand and claim you are worthy to receive those things you have prepared for through obedience. On the other hand how tragic it would feel to be unable to achieve those desires because of your choice to choose the easy path and your disobedience to the small and simple obligations.

She will be a wonderful missionary. And she will be called where the Lord needs her. Anywhere she goes, she will bless the lives of many around her, and she and countless others will be blessed for it. The strangest part is, Yazzi will be almost 7 when she gets back! CrAzY!