Week 1 - The Most Humbling Experience

To start it out, if I could title this on the email it would be, "The Most Humbling Experience." Just another thing to throw out there to all the people that read the email is the MTC is AMAZING! This honestly has been the hardest 11 days of my life - but who wants easy. Maybe some people think that you show up and that's doing your part, so Heavenly Father let's you speak the language that same day. But, I promise that's not how it works. I always think of the Jesus Christ picture that says, "I never said it would be easy, I only said it would be work it." What an amazing thought that is. Anyways, please tell every future missionary that the MTC is amazing. You just have to go in with a good attitude. Just around campus I've talked to a lot of people here that are in their 5th week or so and they say how bad the first week sucks and I'm like, "My first week has been so amazing!!"

So the second day we were here, we got to meet our Branch President. His name is President Muchado. He's such an amazing guy! They talked and interviews us and prayed. Guess what? They called me to be the District Leader. I think it's really tough because there's so much to do here and now I have a lot more responsibility. But I'm grateful for that. What an amazing blessing it is to try and help my district out. Our district is amazing and I love them all so much.

My companion is Elder Porter and he's been struggling quite a bit with anxiety. That is pretty hard because he's always kind of down and negative, but I had the opportunity to give him a blessing last night, so I really hope that helps.

Just some of the things that happened our second day here. We start teaching an investigator the lessons in Spanish and we teach them every single day except P-day and Sunday. So that is so tough and humbling. Every time we've taught her, I just want to pour my heart out to her and tell her this gospel can bless her life in so many ways, but my Spanish isn't good at all. I know it will take me a while to learn the language, but I will keep working as hard as I possibly can and I know Heavenly Father will do his part and bless me with the gift of tongues. But I also know it won't come easy.

We don't have a lot of time so please forgive me for that. But just know I'm praying for everyone of you and please know how dang much I love all of you guys.

I have truly been humbled so much in these last 11 days and I'm so grateful for that. I have felt the spirit so many times and I want to share just a little experience I was able to be blessed with.

So in one of the lessons we had with our investigator - who isn't a real investigator, but you still take her super serious and she is very serious about it too. Anyways we got talking about the Book of Mormon and we had her read a scripture in 1 Nephi and she asked who Nephi was. Through the spirit and the gift of tongues I was able to tell her that he was a prophet in the Book of Mormon. And then she said she thought his father was the prophet. And somehow I was able to explain to her that after his father had passed, Nephi became the prophet and she completely understood. It was super amazing and it was an awesome blessing. Even though it was just something little, I know it was only through the spirit I was able to do that.

Just to end I want to say the food is super good - for the most part. The bread here is absolutely amazing and I'm not even kidding. Throughout every single meal, I eat 5 pieces of bread. And through these past 11 days I've probably had like 7-8 full cubes of butter! So on Tuesday I decided to go on a butter diet because I didn't really want my heart to stop! And then I went back to butter on Wednesday because I couldn't handle it anymore!!!

I want you guys to know how much I love you will all of my heart. You are all in my prayers and I love you so much. I'm not good at expressing myself so I hope this email is okay. I'm so excited to learn Spanish and to teach the people of Oaxaca. What a humbling experience and blessing this is to serve our Heavenly Father. Please read the scripture Moroni 7:47-48 and truly know how much our Savior loves each one of us individually. I know this gospel is the most important thing in our lives and I have a huge testimony of that. Never forget it! Have an amazing week and never forget the love I have for all of you!

Elder Blake