4 Months!

Hey Everyone:

This week has been a crazy week. A ton has happened and it has just gone by so dang fast. The BEST part of the week was definitely the package that I received though. It was amazing and a HUGE spirit builder for me!

So I don't really have much time to email this week because I am heading to Sao Paulo in like 30 minutes. But there has been a lot of things I have been thinking about lately. I have been reading the New Testament and in Matthew, Mark, Luke, and John when it's talking about when Christ is baptized and the dove that appears. Me and Elder Stail and Elder Garrett and Elder Teixeira have been fighting about this for a while. I brought up this question. Is the dove in physical or spiritual form? Me and Elder Garrett think it is spiritual and the other two think that it is physical. So give me your opinions. But, I'm pretty sure that I am right because I have really been looking into it, but I haven't really gotten a for sure answer yet.

So another thing that I have been pondering on lately is, when Jesus was on the cross. And He says, "Forgive them for they know not what they do." The footnote is on they, and it says the people that crucified Him. But, I've really been pondering this and it's the end of the Atonement and it's one of the last things that He says to finish it. So doesn't it just make more sense that when He says that to our Heavenly Father, He's talking about all of the sinners in the world. Because really, that's what He was suffering for - for EVERYONE. Just something to think about. (Holy cow - is this the same kid that I dropped off at the MTC? He really has some good points and makes me look deeper into things.)

But anyways, I've been teaching a ton and I am at the point that I can teach almost any part of any lesson in Portuguese. It's not as good as I want it to be, but I can - and I really understand pretty much everything. So we had a conference for the new people this week and President Tanner was listening in on our role play. Afterwords when he went up to the pulpit he is like, "Elder Blake, I really like what you were saying. Will you come up here and do a role play in front of everyone?" And I was like, "Shoot." But of course I was like, "Sure."

So I did it and after the conference he came up to me and he's like, you are speaking super good Portuguese for someone that has only been here for a month. He said that I was speaking Portuguese like a boss pretty much and he was telling me a bunch of stuff and just kept complimenting me and stuff. Then he told me that Elder Teixeira told him that I know the area just as good as he does and President Tanner is like, I just might be having you train after you're done with this 12 week program. Ha ha. I don't feel that my Portuguese is good enough to train a new kid that doesn't know Portuguese and everything, but I guess if he has faith, then I do too. Ha ha. I'm kind of nervous now, but ya know. I could do it - I know I could!

But ya, like I said there have been a lot of crazy (good) things that have happened this week. A lot of going into Sao Paulo and then back to our area. A lot of lessons and such. So our numbers this week are 21 new investigators, 51 new contacts, 19 other lessons, 21 invitations to be baptized, and 21 dates (Wow - he has been busy!). 5 dates are solid and we should have a couple more baptisms this Sunday. Ya, we have just had a dang good week and had investigators at church and everything.

So, ya, I'm doing good and I sure hope all of you are!!! Sorry I didn't write much this week, but I'm heading to Sao Paulo. I love you guys and have a good week. I pray for you always and I will fast and pray for some moisture in Blanding as I can tell we really need it from what I have heard. Love y'all.

Tchou (Bye)

Love,
Elder Blake


I received no pictures this week (bummer!), so I thought I would share a video I found on Dylan's SD card he sent home before he left Georgia. Just as a background - Dylan never, ever took piano lessons, so I think this is pretty AWESOME!