Week 20

Hola Everyone!

I sure hope you all had an amazing week. I know that the news about President Monson was so dang hard to hear for us all, but I also know what a blessing it is that we all know where he's at right now. And he is at peace and in a way better place. The life of President Monson is an absolutely inspiration for us all to follow. What a blessing we all had to have him as our beloved prophet. Just remember his last talk. He probably knew it would be his last conference talk and he talked to us about the Book of Mormon and how important it is to read the Book of Mormon EVERY SINGLE DAY!!

Anyway, here was an experience I want to share with you. So we had an awesome day planned on Friday because we had two or three appointments that we were really excited about. So we go to the first brother's home and he's not there. Then we walk probably 4 miles or so to the next appointment and this sister wasn't home either. We were super bummed. It's really hard when you have appointments on your mission and you plan for the lessons and pray for them and then they're not home or are too busy and don't have time to listen.

Anyway so we headed in another direction for another sister we wanted to hopefully find and teach. On the way I saw two men. One man had his arm wrapped around the shoulder of the other and the other was trying to help him up a mountain of stairs. And they were literally on the first step. So I told my companion that we needed to go help them out. So we went and got a chair and sat this man in it and the three of us carried this man up all of these stairs. And when I say a mountain, it's literally straight up. It was probably about the same amount of stairs as going up four or five flights in a hotel. It was so AWESOME!!!!

So we got this man in his room and we asked if there was anything else we could do to help them. His friend that helped carry this man up the stairs told us to teach him about Christ. So we had the amazing opportunity to teach this man. We found out that he was in the hospital because he had literally almost drank himself to death with alcohol. The hospital had to drain the alcohol or water or something out of his stomach. Anyways, we taught him and he accepted another lesson and the second lesson we taught him the restoration and he accepted to be baptized the 17 of next month. I know it's possible for him to change and I know we are going to work as hard as we can with this man to get him ready and willing to accept the amazing covenant of baptism.

I want you all to know that as we serve others, our Heavenly Father blesses us tremendously in our lives. I have seen service work so many times on my mission already. Just like the scriptures say, "When we are in the service of our fellow beings, we are only in the service of our God." How true that saying really is - that is for sure!!

Also, I just want to say a quick something to all those who are preparing for your missions. Find this book called "Suit Up" and read it. It's a story about 7 missionaries and their advice and experiences on their missions. It will help you tremendously to prepare for your mission. The advice and the stories they give in this book are absolutely amazing. I've very grateful to my family for sending me that book!!

I want you all to know that this gospel is true. We are in the only true church on this earth. What a blessing that is in our lives. The atonement is so real. I have seen it work so many times in my life and it continues to help me on a day-to-day basis in the mission. Something Elder Jeffrey R. Holland said that hit me so hard was the love that Heavenly Father has for us. He talks about Him sending His son and then he says something along the lines of, "Think of what He (our Father in Heaven) had to go through watching His perfect son suffer the way He did for the world." Thanks to the amazing, indescribable gift of the atonement, each and every single one of us will always have HOPE! I'm beyond grateful and humbled to have this opportunity to serve our Heavenly Father and the people of Oaxaca. This gospel is amazing and it's the only way we can live with our families and our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ again. Prepare now for what is to come in the future of your lives. I love you all so much and I say that with all of my heart!!

Elder Blake