Last week I didn't get a chance to send an email and now I'm really wishing I had because I have a lot to talk about this week. Get ready for a novel! I'll start with this week because I'm sure everyone's curious about what's going on with the Corona Virus here and how that's affecting me (and if you don't care how I'm being affected that's okay, I'm going to tell you anyway). But, because I know that every missionary ever is going to be talking about it, rest assured that I will include some other stories and miracles after the update!
For the longest time we weren't being affected by COVID-19 at all, we just watched all the commotion going on in other areas and washed our hands a lot. It wasn't until Thursday that things really started changing. Suddenly church meetings were cancelled worldwide, Zone Conference was cancelled the day before we were going to have it, and a text was sent to all the Missionaries telling us to stock up for two weeks in case we have to be quarantined. The stores were a madhouse, but we were successful in getting everything we needed except toilet paper, but one of our friends surprised us by putting a pack outside our door for us 
We still don't know who did it, but it was like Christmas morning 
Our mission had a special call to update us on everything that's going to happen. We're getting about 6 new missionaries who were supposed to go to different countries but no longer can, and one of my previous companions was sent home early so she could make it back to her family in Switzerland before flights are cancelled. As for now, missionaries in the mission can still have small meetings like District Council and are still able to go out and have lessons and do things with people who would still like to meet, but we can't knock doors and we're trying to do a lot more over social media and video call. However, in some circumstances, Missionaries have been given specific instructions by Sister Elliot, the mission nurse, NOT to leave the apartment at all. One set of Elders in our district has been quarantined and told us, "I'm pretty sure if I stepped foot out that door, Sister Elliot would kill me." 
Another one of those lucky companionships happens to include me! Yes, I get to be quarantined for at least two weeks. Because of health risks that my companion has, we can't leave and risk catching COVID-19. So we've been doing as many video lesson as possible and lots of studying and whatever else we can think of to do.
Okay, so to steer away from the topic of the Corona Virus for a moment, here are some highlights from the last two weeks:
-Two weeks ago the Sister Training Leaders threw our district a surprise party because we all hit standards! That means that all of the four companionships had at least one person on date for baptism, one person who came to church, and two new people to teach. Remember my miracle story a couple emails or so back when we were trying to find one more new person to teach because one of our lessons got cancelled, but we finally found someone after hours of walking around outside? Yeah, that was one of the miracles that led to us all being able to hit standards 
-I gave a killer training in District Council on how to make plans that support the goals we set. It wasn't actually THAT great, I just like to refer to all of my trainings as killer because if I pretend to be confident then people will think I'm better than I actually am
-Last week we had dinner with a sweet woman named Miraina. She's from Afganistan and doesn't speak a ton of English, but we've been helping her prepare for her citizenship test by visiting and practicing questions and english with her (it's been some exciting service). Afganistan food is AMAZING, but women in Afganistan are such good hosts that she made us three different types of meat, and as we ate she kept refilling our plates until I was so full I thought I'd pop!
I also wanted to share a really neat experience that happened at the beginning of last week. We've been meeting with a man named Steve who has been technically taught for a few months now, but hasn't really progressing at all or showing any real interest in the church. But last week we had a lesson with him and invited a member who's a convert to the church to join us. The lesson was going SO WELL, and Steve even told us that he was feeling something that he's never felt with another church (which we assured him was the Holy Ghost testifying of the truthfulness of our message). We were inviting him to come to a baptism that evening when suddenly I felt a very strong impression that took me back to something I'd learned a few transfers back...
I was in District Council a few transfers ago and we were learning about promising blessings when someone stressed the fact that the blessings we promise can be really specific. There's a scripture, D&C 68:4 that assures us: "And whatsoever they shall speak when moved upon by the Holy Ghost shall be scripture, shall be the will of the Lord, shall be the mind of the Lord, shall be the word of the Lord, shall be the voice of the Lord, and the power of God unto salvation." This really stood out to me because it can be scary to promise someone something specific when you're worried that it may not happen. But when we're moved upon by the Holy Ghost, the promises we make are as good as scripture to that person. Not because it's some black magic that's suddenly going to make something happen, but because sometimes our Heavenly Father has already made up his mind that if that person does what you're committing them to do then something specific is going to happen in their life. That being said, when we promise something that we've been prompted to promise, we're simply passing on a message from their Heavenly Father who wants them to know what will happen if they keep a commitment they've been given.
Fast forward again to our lesson with Steve... We were having an awesome lesson when I recieved the strongest impression to promise him the most terrifying promise. We were talking about when Brother Critchfield joined the church and we were inviting Steve to a baptism that night when suddenly, to this person who had never really shown real interest, I suddenly found myself saying "Steve, I feel like I should promise you that if you will come to the baptism tonight you will know with certainty that the next step you need to take is to be baptized a member of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints."
I couldn't believe what I was saying either! And to make it worse, I'm leaving y'all on the worst cliff hanger ever because, while he said he would come, he didn't end up making. But it was a huge testimony builder for me because I know so strongly that if he had come, that's exactly what would have happened. Maybe he still would decide to be baptized, or maybe he would even tell us that he felt anything, but I know with a surety that he would have know that was a step he needed to take. I'm so grateful for promptings and the opportunity I had to pass on such a specific promise to someone
Well, I hope you're all doing amazing! Feel free to email me and let me know if you're doing alright or how COVID-19 is affecting you. I'll be keeping each if you in my prayers.
Love,
Sister Bliss
PICTURES!
-Stuff from quarantine
-the toilet paper stash our neighbor gave us 🧻
-our district party after we all hit standards!
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