Week 71

Hola Everyone!

Well this week has been absolutely AMAZING!! To start it off, we ate dinner with the family Guzman on the 24th and on the 25th we had an activity with all the missionaries in the city and President and Sister Conde! It was so awesome. My companion and I rapped and everyone loved it. Haha. I also saw Brayson Wilcox. It was so dang awesome and I was so glad to see him!! He’s doing really good!

Well you know the best ever was when I Skyped my family on Tuesday and I got to see all of them and they surprised me with my bestest friend, Allie. Good heck, it was so dang good to see all of them and talk to them!! That was definitely the bestest Christmas gift I could’ve asked for!! Not to mention they all told me I talked like Pedro from Napoleon Dynamite - haha!

Well the good news doesn’t stop there! On Saturday, to finish the year out strong, the family Gonzalez Lopez were baptized. Goodness, I can’t even explain the joy and love I felt for them!! Anyways, I want to share the experience with you guys.

So we got there on Saturday to th baptismal service and we got all changed in our white clothes and took some pictures! The two sisters of the brother Gonzalez were there to support him and his family. They are not members. Anyways, as we started the devotional, I looked back at the two of them many times and I was so touched as I could see tears in their eyes because the spirit was so strong!! I was able to baptize the daughter, Concepcion, my companion baptized the mom, and the bishop baptized the dad and the son!! Goodness, we were filled with joy as we saw them enter into the waters and be baptized!! I definitely haven’t had such an amazing experience in my whole mission!!!!

Don’t worry, it doesn’t stop there! So as we finished up the baptism, we went to the house of the family Gonzalez Lopez and right as we got there the sister of a Brother Gonzalez that went to the baptismal service and has gone to church with us three times now, told us that her and her family are going to be baptized Saturday!!!!!!!!!!! My goodness, the miracles keep on coming!! She wanted to wait for her husband that is always working so they could be baptized together, but we’ve told her many times that the time is now. She still wanted to wait but hearing those words made me happier than you can imagine!! So it looks like we will be having three more baptisms on Saturday!! My eyes are filled with tears writing this letter because I know that God has blessed us so much as missionaries. I haven’t seen so many miracles in my whole mission and now they’re all coming at once!!

I know the God and Jesus Christ live and they love us, we are His children and He leads this church. I know without a shadow of a doubt that this church is true. I would give my life for it, if it was necessary. Miracles do exist, as it teaches us in the Book of Mormon, but ONLY if WE have FAITH!! Miracles cease to exist when we lose faith!! I was able to finish the Book of Mormon in Spanish as well this week and it was such a testimony builder for me! It is so dang true and I KNOW that as we apply what it teaches us to our lives, we will be happy and we will be blessed!!

I just want to give a special shout out to my mom - the GREATEST MOM EVER - and tell her happy birthday and how much I love her!! Also, thank you guys so dang much for the gifts my family, grandparents, aunts, and uncles and everyone, and also London and her amazing family, sent me. You guys are amazing! I love you all so much. Have an amazing week!!!!

ELDER BLAKE

Week 70

FELIZ NAVIDAD A TODOS (Merry Christmas to All)!!!!

Wow! I can’t believe that tomorrow will be my second Christmas here in the good old Mission field. It’s so dang crazy how fast time flies!! We’ve had a great week full of activities and lessons that we’ve taught and everything. But, I had a really special experience that I would like to share with you all!!

So yesterday was Sunday. We had a special activity as missionaries and we invited our investigators and converts to the church! Anyways, we had a missionary choir. To start the activity, our Mission President, President Conde, told them all that they needed to pay a lot of attention to the feelings that they will fell as we sing!! WOW! I know that every single person that was in that sacrament room felt such a strong spirit - so strong that it touched my heart and I know it touched everyone that was there!! I love something super funny that our President told us. He said if we were able to feel the spirit listening to any Christian Music, then The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints would’ve adopted their music! Haha. Isn’t that so dang true!!

Also it was so amazing going to the activities because I was able to see quite a few families and converts that I have had and I was so filled with joy seeing them again!! I sent a picture of Luis who was the first person that asked me to baptize him in the mission and it was so amazing to see him and his brother-in-law, Andy. And also the Venezuela family!!

Goodness, I know the church is true. I know that Christ lives and that He loves us and that He is watching over us! I know that the Book of Mormon is true. It has blessed my life more than I could have ever asked!! I love you all so much and I hope that you can all feel the Spirit of Christmas. I’m not with my family, I don’t have presents under a tree, and I’m definitely not eating much chocolate here because it’s super expensive. But, I have felt the Spirit of Christmas so strongly at this time - and that’s much more important! Have an amazing Christmas!!

ELDER BLAKE

Week 69

Hola Everyone!

Well not much to say this week other than the work is continuing to progress here in good olmEtla. I sure do love this place so much that is for sure. And the ward here is awesome!! We are preparing three families right now to be baptized and it would be such a miracle for me to be able to see them get baptized. I’m so dang grateful for this amazing work. I know without a doubt that it’s the Lord’s work as well!!

Just a little funny story. So one of our investigators invited us to make pan de yema. I know you guys don’t know what it is, but I’ll tell you that it’s amazing!! Anyways, so we got there and him and his friends that were there were drinking a little, but as we were making the bread, they got super drunk. Then one of our investigators friends told me that he wouldn’t spend a cent in my country. And I was like, okay, that’s awesome. Ha ha. And then he repeated it again and my companion got annoyed with him and asked why. And he said well because there’s not any tourist places. Hahaha. My companion and I were dying laughing!!

Anyways, I just want to send a special shoutout to my favoritest sister-in-law in the WHOLE world and wish Generra a super happy birthday. I sure do love you, Generra.m! Anyways, I hope you all have such an amazing week and are able to feel the love of Christ and share it with others!! I sure do love you all so much and hope you have an amazing week!!

ELDER BLAKE

Week 68

Hola Everyone!

Goodness, it’s been a dang good week full of many experiences that my companion and I were able to have!! Anyways, to start the week, I gave a capacitation (maybe talk or conference?) to my District - I’m not sure if that’s how you say it in English or not, I can’t remember - haha!! But I talked to them about how we need to put a baptismal date with our investigators the first lesson that we have with them!! So this week my companion and I worked super hard with that!! We found 14 new people to teach this week and we set 7 baptismal dates. It was so dang amazing to see these humble people except the dates as we invited them to be baptized!!

I’ve been reading the Book of Mormon. I’m reading in Mosiah and Alma and it amazes me that every time the Nephites went to war with the Lamanites, the Lamanites always outnumbered them - not by a little, but by a toooooooooooon! As I was finishing up in Mosiah, I was reading about another war that they had and it said that the Lamanites and the Amlicites were like sands of the sea because there were so many of them. And the Nephites were but they were men who had a strong faith in Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ! And they were always able to win the Lamanites as they continued to have faith in Jesus Christ!!

I think we can compare these stories to our every day lives. As members of the church, we are very few (like the Nephites), and the rest of the world are so, so, so many (as the Lamanites). But as we keep on fighting and keep living the Gospel of Jesus Christ, we WILL be able to win this war as the Nephites always did!! My goodness, the Book of Mormon has strengthened my testimony so much, especially these last few weeks. I know it to be true and I know as Joseph Smith taught us that a man can get closer to God by reading it and applying its precepts!! I love you all so much and I hope you all have an amazing week!! Fight the good fight!!

ELDER BLAKE

Week 67

Hola Everyone!

Wow! It sounds like it's been a good ol week in Blanding with snow and everything!! You guys have no idea how much I miss the frio or cold!! It was an awesome week here. It was quite the trip from Puerto Escondido to the city of Oaxaca. It's normally a 12 hour bus ride, but then the people here were also blocking the roads so we had a 15 hour trip. It was pretty dang crazy! But, it was awesome because I got to sit by one of the girls that one of my friends baptized here, so we had a good conversation!!

Anyways I got here to my area on Wednesday and guess what?? My companion (Elder Jambati) is from the Dominican Republic! He's a smooth dude that's for sure and he really wants to learn English!! We had some awesome experiences this week, but what stood out the most was EVERY SINGLE time that my companion and I shared our testimonies, we felt the spirit so very strong and I KNOW that our investigators did too!! We will be having a few baptisms here in the near future and we're hoping for a lot more as well!!

Also a funny experience to share. So my companion told me that we were going to play basketball today so I was pumped because we just played soccer on the coast. So I asked him with who? And he told me a bunch of senores or older guys. So we got there and there were like 6 people over 50 years old. I asked my companion if we were really going to play with these guys and he said yes. Ha ha! So we started playing and everything and my goodness. Them old guys sure can pass and run like crazy. But, yes, we did win! Ha ha!! Is all I could see is when we keep the Word of Wisdom, we sure are blessed!!

I sure do love you guys so dang much and I hope you have an amazing week. And like my mom put on the calendar Grandma sent me, always remember to KEEP CHRIST IN CHRISTMAS!!!

ELDER BLAKE

Letter from Mission President

Mision Mexico Oaxaca

Oaxaca de Juarez, Oaxaca

Dear Blake Family:

This letter is to inform you that your son, Elder Blake, has been called to serve as a District Leader in the Mexico Oaxaca Mission. Elder Blake has the responsibility to edify, inspire and elevate the missionaries in his district.

There are high expectations for your son in this new assignment. A District Leader must be an example to others in every aspect: his work in his own area, his personal worthiness and his obedience to the Lord. The missionaries in his district will follow him and I trust your son will be an example to them. Your son has the responsibility to represent the Mission President in the weekly District Meetings. In these meetings, your son is in charge of teaching the missionaries and making sure everything is fine with each of them. I'm sure your son will inspire his District to follow him and rise up to the high standards and expectations that the Lord expects from them as His representatives.

I congratulate you for having such a good son and I thank you for sending us such an excellent missionary. I ask you that you keep praying for him so that he can fulfill his new assignment in a manner that pleases the Lord. Your son has my full trust, love and support as he continues to progress as a servant of the Lord.

Your Brother in the Lord's Work.

President Felix Conde Beltran

Mision Mexico Oaxaca

Leaving Puerto Escondido

Jordan has made some amazing friends in Puerto. This family, the Lucero's (also the Branch President), have shared so many pictures of him with us. This last post was this morning at 6:00 am. It said, "Elder Blake on his way to Oaxaca. We love you, Blake." Such a tender mercy to have loving people everywhere taking care of the missionaries!

Jordan's last p-day in Puerto Escondido, a bunch of them got together to play soccer. He is still as competitive as ever. Here is a video that I received. The post stated, "Doing Sport." I told them, "Thank you for taking care of my son and sharing these moments with us." He said, "I do it with pleasure. He is a great Elder and a great friend."