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."

Week 66

Hola Everyone!

So this week has been absolutely AWESOME! I know I haven't told you guys, but my companion is from Ecuador so that is super awesome. We have been in a trio this whole week with Elder Tovar and we've been doing a lot of pranks on each other and working really hard together. It's been an AMAZING week - it really has! So YES, I am going to be changed (transferred). It's a pretty crazy story. Anyways on Saturday at about 8:30 we got a call from Elder Jimenez, the Zone Leader, and he told me that I was going to the Istmo and that my companion just has about 3 months in the mission and he just got finished being trained. I was really happy, but also sad because I wanted to be a leader.

So anyways, we got home that night, and yes, I was happy with the changes, but I felt really down that I wasn't called as a leader. Anyways, I went to my room and I poured my heart out to my Heavenly Father once again asking for forgiveness for all the mistakes that I have made in my life and here on the mission as well!! I am definitely not perfect. And I asked him if He would give me a chance to be a leader when I proved that I was ready! So we went to church and everything on Sunday. After we got on a bus and we were heading to go to lunch! My companion got a call from the assistants and he asked to talk to me. So I answered and he told me that I had new changes and that I'm heading to Etla and I'm going to be District Leader!!!! WOW! What an emotional burst I had. I was so dang happy that my Heavenly Father answered my prayers so quickly!! I know that I will be able to help many people as leader, but only with the help of our Heavenly Father!

I also had the chance to say goodbye to many families that I have loved so very much here. It was amazing! I was able to see that after I worked hard for 6 months, I might not have touched the lives of millions of people, but I was able to see that I touched the lives of many people and it was so amazing to be able to see that!! Heavenly Father loves us and he listens to us. He wants what's best for us. WE are HIS children!! I know this to be true and I have seen it SOOOOOOOO many times in my life and so many more times here in the mission!! I love you all so very much!! Have an amazing week!!!

ELDER BLAKE

On Thanksgiving around 8:00 at night, I got this pictures with a sweet message. It said, "I am a Senior Missionary and was in Puerto Escondido for a meeting and found your son playing basketball. He is doing great." Holidays are hard and we miss him like crazy. Getting this picture was like the Lord telling me he is okay and a little piece of Jordan was with us! Blessed!!

Week 65

Hola Everyone!

Sorry I don't have much time this week! It's been a crazy week. Our District Leader finishes the mission on Wednesday, so he headed to Oaxaca City to head home. Now we're in a trio so that's something quite interesting! Anyways, we have changes (transfers) next week and I'm super excited to see what is going to happen! It's been so good here in the coast, but I'm ready to head elsewhere! I'm not a coast kind of guy. Yes, I love the beach and the ocean and everything else, but I'm a small town boy. Ha ha!! I don't have much else to say other than I know that this church is true. And like I always say, I know that when we follow the example that Jesus Christ has set for us, we will be happy in our lives!! Have an amazing week everyone and know that I love you all so very much!!

ELDER BLAKE

Week 64

Hola Everyone!!

It’s been such an awesome week! We were able to go to the Zone Conference. We had to travel about 2 and a half hours to get there, but it was super good!! I got to talk to President and as always we had an awesome conversation. He told that he's going to change me this change so we will see where I go. But I'm super excited for a change that is for sure!! I have loved the coast so much and I will ALWAYS love it and the people here. They're so dang amazing!!

Anyways just a super hilarious experience I wanted to tell you guys. So we were going to an appointment and we had a little bit of time before we got there. We ran into a less active member. He's like a person with some mental disabilities, but he has like a photographic memory and he speaks English. The dude is hilarious! Anyways, so we went upstairs in his house and my companion and I were talking to his mom and out of NO WHERE, he just starts singing, "1,2,3, and to the 4. Snoop Doggy Dogg and Dr. Dre are at yo door!" Good heck, I couldn't even help it. I started busting up laughing so hard. Ha ha!! It was so dang awesome and then he tried to tell me that Eminem and Dr. Dre and all the rappers don't say bad words in their songs. Good heck. I was dying!!

Anyways, we had a good week here. They are celebrating so dang much right now in Puerto because it's like the town party or the PUEBLO FIESTA!! So we have had quite a hard time teaching the people and a lot of our appointments have fallen through. But we continue working here in Puerto!!

I love this gospel so so so so very much. I KNOW it to be true and I KNOW that when we apply it to our lives we are happy, so dang HAPPY! And when we don't . . . . . well we're not happy!! I love you guys all so much and I sure hope that you're all doing so amazing. Have an amazing week!!

ELDER BLAKE

Week 63

Hola Everyone!

Well it's been a pretty rough week, I can't lie. I've had so many ups and downs here in the mission than I've ever had before in my life! It's been quite the roller coaster ride. But hey, if you know me well, you know I love them roller coasters! Ha ha!! I want to share a really strong and spiritual experience that I had this week!

So with all the ups and downs in the mission, I've had to make a lot of decisions - do we stop teaching investigators because they won't keep their commitments, do we knock on this door or that one?! There's been so many little decisions I've had to make and I know that I have been able to follow through with all my decisions when the Holy Ghost has helped me make them!! So I had the chance to fast this week and I started the fast pouring my heart out to my Heavenly Father. I prayed so many times throughout this fast to be able to receive an answer to my prayer. I was able to receive an answer so clearly that it was as if my Heavenly Father was talking to me face to face! It was amazing!!!! I felt the spirit so strongly, like I haven't felt in quite some time!

I testify that as we fast and pray that we will become stronger and stronger, just as the Book of Mormon teaches us. And I know that we will receive an answer to our daily prayers as we pray with faith!! Helaman 3:35: "Nevertheless they did fast and pray oft, and did wax stronger and stronger in their humility, and firmer and firmer in the faith of Christ, unto the filling their souls with joy and consolation, yea, even to the purifying and the sanctification of their hearts, which sanctification cometh because of their yielding hearts unto God."

The spirit has touched my heart so strongly through this experience and I have been able to feel the love of our Savior and our Heavenly Father!! I know that life is hard, but as we continue to endure to the end, we will have eternal life!! I love you all so very much and I hope that we can all make it back to our Father's presence!! Fight the good fight!! And have an amazing week.

ELDER BLAKE