This past week has been amazing, I'll try to tell you in detail about
my adventures, and I'll send pictures of what I've been doing. I'll
tell you of my activities then some amazing success with investigators
this week.
On Monday, after we finished emailing, we met up with the whole zone
for zone P-day! I was able to meet up with one other missionary that I
came out with there, but we had a blast playing ultimate frisbee,
volleyball, and such. It was way fun. I also decided I like shopping
for my own groceries, My companion thinks it's weird when I continually
ask if coupons came in the mail, because I still like buying food at
good prices. Also that evening, your package of letters came, so I was
all caught up on the stuff at home before I went to bed that night :)
just a couple of hours behind.
Tuesdays are great because every Tuesday night at 7, the ward has a
fellow-shipping activity where we organize some basketball games at the
church. We get more investigators and non-members than members, so
it's approved by the mission. We usually go with a Ward member and
one of our awesome investigators.
On Wednesday is when our amazing events really started to take off. So
I totally forgot to mention that we went to the temple this week. It
was about 3 hours to drive to the Houston Temple, and an awesome
member drove us. The Temple is awesome, not as
big as other ones, but just as amazing. I had a really spiritual
experience in the celestial room. I have been really praying to
strengthen parts of my testimony that aren't as strong as others, and
while I prayed in the Celestial room, I had a powerful witness of the
Holy Ghost come to me as I prayed. I love the Temple! We usually go as
a mission about 2-3 times a year. That took all Wednesday, but it was
worth it.
On Thursday we finished up some service we have been doing for a
non-member in Lake Charles. For the past few weeks, we have been
scraping paint off her house, and this week we got really close to
finish painting it. Near the end, we answered some of her questions
about what makes our church different. She might start taking the
lessons soon! She just works a lot, we just need to find a good time.
We talked to a golden investigator we have - he's got tons of faith,
and after a long discussion, finally agreed the Book of Mormon
passages we pointed out to him. That was a miracle. After that, we
prepared to have exchanges with the Zone Leaders!
Friday was the best. a Zone Leader, Elder Smith joined us.
He's really solid, mostly because he's been out for 22 months. But
Oh and I need to tell you how great your package was! I didn't know
what to expect when I opened it, but those necessities were perfect! I
was going to buy peanut butter, contact solution, Nilla wafers, and
other things. So I was pleasantly surprised when I opened the package
and saw that you had sent me those things :) you must have really been
in tune with the spirit! Oh and I got Dad's postcard today. It was
dated August 2nd, so it took a while to come but I got it Saturday,
along with a postcard from G&G 'B', so please make sure you forward
this to them! They were awesome postcards! I loved the Zion red rock
mountains in the G&G 'B' postcard, it reminds me of this time last
year when our scoutcamp was down in souther Utah! And Dad's was real
funny about Texas. And also good news! There is a family by our
apartments that have a Boston :') I was so happy when we were biking
and I saw it! Kinda looked like Totes. Oh and I got dad's letter with
ancestor stories (thank you!) Oh and I might need you guys to
send me thermals soon! Everyone says once winter comes, thermals make
a lot of difference! That's it for now!
Love you guys! Thanks for the letters, the area is awesome!
Love,
Elder Blackburn
Sent from my iPad
the reason why it was so good is because we had 3 investigators accept
the invitation to be baptized! Another investigator who accepted was
is the son of another one of our investigators with a baptismal date.
the invitation to be baptized! Another investigator who accepted was
is the son of another one of our investigators with a baptismal date.
The last invitation was to a man who was a street contact, but amazingly
he accepted our invitation. I went home on Friday and said
many prayers of thanks to my Heavenly Father for the bounteous day we
had.
Saturday was just as amazing. We had an entire zone conference because
we had an awesome member of the seventy speak to us. The night before,
we slept over at another companion's apartment that was closer, but we
still had to wake up at 5AM in order to be there on time. The member of
the seventy who spoke is Elder Corbridge. Everyone was so excited to
meet him because he wrote a talk that all new missionaries in our
mission have to read titled: The Fourth Missionary. It is life
changing. So we had this miraculous discussion with him. One of the
best points I got out is that when investigators see that they want
this gospel, they will get baptized. Elder Corbridge talked a lot
about discussion the atonement with people, because they will gain a
desire to want eternal life, and to feel worthy and comfortable in
God's presence. He is so insightful. He also taught us the balance
between teaching with power and knowledge and the importance of asking
inspired questions because that's how the investigator come to know
they want this. When we got back, the sisters in our district had two
baptisms. I will send pictures because we had two people attend the
service, and after, one asked, "so who's going to
baptize me?" So excited for him :D!!!! Oh and before the baptism, we
went to visit some investigators when we came across a great man. Using
what we learned from Elder Corbridge, we taught him about the
Atonement, and invited him to be baptized, which he accepted!
Wowowowowow! . This week was quite a big one! But it continues!
On Sunday, the Ward Mission Leader went crazy when he saw the success
we had. And later, we had both people come to church! Not only
that, but they another man came as well (who speaks mainly Spanish)!
had.
Saturday was just as amazing. We had an entire zone conference because
we had an awesome member of the seventy speak to us. The night before,
we slept over at another companion's apartment that was closer, but we
still had to wake up at 5AM in order to be there on time. The member of
the seventy who spoke is Elder Corbridge. Everyone was so excited to
meet him because he wrote a talk that all new missionaries in our
mission have to read titled: The Fourth Missionary. It is life
changing. So we had this miraculous discussion with him. One of the
best points I got out is that when investigators see that they want
this gospel, they will get baptized. Elder Corbridge talked a lot
about discussion the atonement with people, because they will gain a
desire to want eternal life, and to feel worthy and comfortable in
God's presence. He is so insightful. He also taught us the balance
between teaching with power and knowledge and the importance of asking
inspired questions because that's how the investigator come to know
they want this. When we got back, the sisters in our district had two
baptisms. I will send pictures because we had two people attend the
service, and after, one asked, "so who's going to
baptize me?" So excited for him :D!!!! Oh and before the baptism, we
went to visit some investigators when we came across a great man. Using
what we learned from Elder Corbridge, we taught him about the
Atonement, and invited him to be baptized, which he accepted!
Wowowowowow! . This week was quite a big one! But it continues!
On Sunday, the Ward Mission Leader went crazy when he saw the success
we had. And later, we had both people come to church! Not only
that, but they another man came as well (who speaks mainly Spanish)!
And what's good is that about 20% of our ward can speak Spanish, so those members helped
fellowship him right in, and translate for him. We have a lot of
members who went to Spanish missions, and some who grew up in Spanish
households. Even the bishop speaks Spanish! So we had a lot of success
with people there at church, and I decided I need to learn some
Spanish.
fellowship him right in, and translate for him. We have a lot of
members who went to Spanish missions, and some who grew up in Spanish
households. Even the bishop speaks Spanish! So we had a lot of success
with people there at church, and I decided I need to learn some
Spanish.
Oh and I need to tell you how great your package was! I didn't know
what to expect when I opened it, but those necessities were perfect! I
was going to buy peanut butter, contact solution, Nilla wafers, and
other things. So I was pleasantly surprised when I opened the package
and saw that you had sent me those things :) you must have really been
in tune with the spirit! Oh and I got Dad's postcard today. It was
dated August 2nd, so it took a while to come but I got it Saturday,
along with a postcard from G&G 'B', so please make sure you forward
this to them! They were awesome postcards! I loved the Zion red rock
mountains in the G&G 'B' postcard, it reminds me of this time last
year when our scoutcamp was down in souther Utah! And Dad's was real
funny about Texas. And also good news! There is a family by our
apartments that have a Boston :') I was so happy when we were biking
and I saw it! Kinda looked like Totes. Oh and I got dad's letter with
ancestor stories (thank you!) Oh and I might need you guys to
send me thermals soon! Everyone says once winter comes, thermals make
a lot of difference! That's it for now!
Love you guys! Thanks for the letters, the area is awesome!
Love,
Elder Blackburn
Sent from my iPad
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