Week 35

Hola Everyone!

As always I hope you've all had an amazing week and have had the opportunity to feel the spirit and to serve those around you!! I had the opportunity to witness an amazing miracle this week and it's truly been such a blessing to be out here serving the Lord and our amazing brothers and sisters in Oaxaca. Good heck, it's not easy and it seems to get tougher, but it sure is such a blessing!! Anyways I want to share a couple of experiences with you all!!

So we got a call about two weeks ago and it was a sister that had just got here from Durango - the Durango in Mexico, not the United States :). So we set an appointment with her and we made it to her house. We got talking with the family - Norma, her husband, Armando, and their awesome little girl, Dalet. We found out that Brother Armando wasn't a member but his wife was baptized about 6 months ago. We were just talking and they asked us if we could teach Armando the lessons so he could be baptized.

Good heck, it sure was shocking for someone to say that to us! It's the first time I've heard such a thing on my mission and I sure hope it's not the last!! We have been teaching Brother Armando for the passed two weeks and he and his family have been so awesome. He has learned the lessons so fast and accepted every invitation that we have given him. He also accepted to keep all of the Commandments. So anyways, we had the amazing opportunity to see him be baptized last Saturday and he asked me to baptize him!!

It may seem like a good story, but it truly was a miracle. This brother is in the military here in Mexico and he's been traveling his whole life working and working. He's had such bad problems with drinking and doing many things that aren't right. His wife told us that not too long ago he was a man with an extremely hard heart and the change he has made in his life has been such a blessing for me to be able to see. My companion confirmed him yesterday in Sacrament meeting and he also received the Aaronic Priesthood. I know without a doubt Brother Armando will be so blessed in his life - thanks to the amazing Gospel of Jesus Christ. I had the chance to ask him how he felt as we were changing in the bathroom after his baptism and he said it was something he couldn't explain. But he told me, "I feel something very beautiful!!"

What a blessing it was and is to be able to see the changes in the lives of so many people. Maybe I won't have 50 baptisms on my mission, but the JOY I have felt bringing other souls to the Gospel of Jesus Christ is something I can't quite explain. No, it's not easy out here - it's super hard and there are days when I just want to be home playing sports again. But I have received so many blessings in my life because I made the decision to serve a mission and I know I will continue to receive so many more!!

My testimony has grown so much here on the mission and it's continuing to grow. The people here in Oaxaca truly have softened my heart. I know without a doubt the church is true and the Book of Mormon is true. But like one of the Apostles said, that's not enough. We need to help others come to know that it's true and we also need to live the teachings that are in the Book of Mormon and that we learn at church and through our leaders. No, it's not easy. But at the end of our lives I hope we can all have a smile on our faces knowing that we helped so many people hear the amazing message of this restored gospel!!

I'm not perfect by any means and I have made many mistakes in my life, but I want to live with my family forever and I know that you all want to as well - so let's make it happen!! I love you all so much and I hope you all have such an amazing week!!

ELDER BLAKE

P.S. It was pretty awesome because I also ran into one of the members of the ward Bosque and she knew Elder Shumway or Maverik when he served here!!

Area Missionaries

Yep, I got KFC today. Boy was it good!