First Email/P-Day

So I checked my email at noon, and low and behold, I had a letter from my amazing son. But, the first picture I see brings me to tears. I am so thankful for these two amazing kids. They have been great cousins and wonderful friends. I am so thankful that in a sea of thousands of missionaries, that they got to see and hug each other!

I really thought that I would just cut and past his letter, but I really want to publish this into a book for when he gets home and there are so many typos - I just have to fix them! Here's his letter.

Well today is my first P day and I am down in the laundry room and it is so hectic. There are so many people and it is super, super hot down here. But I really hope you got my last letter because I need that stuff! And by the way, I really need you to leave money on my card because everything costs around here ha and I'm down to like 20 bucks in cash and the bookstore takes cards so I think I am just going to start using my card.

But so my schedule . . . First we wake up at 6:25 and we shower. Then we have to be to breakfast by 7:15. Then after that its to the classroom either learning or teaching until about 12. Then we have lunch til about 12:45 then its back to the class doing more stuff till 5. Then dinner till 5:45 then back in class till 9:30. Then we have an hour until we have to go to bed. It's pretty crazy/hectic schedule . . . but it's awesome and I am loving it!

And thats' good that everything is going good back at home. Let everyone know that I love them and they are awesome. I have a ton to do today like laundry and writing 12 people back that have wrote me. It's pretty nice getting letters and having support from so many people.

Um . . . its been going really good with our investigators. It's kinda like we are talking to a brick wall and he is talking to a brick wall, but its ok because we are learning a ton. So last night all the elders in my district came into my room and we started talking about how we know we are out here for a reason and I told them the story that grandpa told us. And I started bawling of course, but they all had a really good experience hearing that story and they all ended up asking me if they could write that in their journal. But, ya, I have had so many spiritual experiences that I never even thought of having since I have been here. The people here are all so amazing!! But here are some pictures like when I saw Briona and then Ryan.

Please let Grandma and Grandpa Balch and Granny Blake and Lil Mick and Lyle and the baby know that I really love them and I will write them back as soon as I can. I don't know what else to tell you other than I am having an amazing time out here and I just can't wait to get my visa and get down to Brasil. I love all you guys so much. You're honestly the best!!!

Love,
Elder Blake

Dylan w/Ryan Turk from Blanding - both going to Sao Paulo Brazil.

Dylan and his companion - I have no idea what these faces are about!

Dylan's district.

Doing Great!

 

When Kristy took Briona to the MTC on Wednesday, July 24th, one of the very first missionaries she saw was Dylan. She called me as soon as she snapped a couple of pictures and I was so happy I started crying. Yes, I think these next two years are going to be filled with tears - tears of joy, hardship, missing him, and happiness! How lucky we are to have so many tender mercies of the Lord shown to us on a daily basis.

Probably his companion - though I don't know for sure.

 

He looks so happy - and so Dylan!

Thanks, sis for getting these pictures. It helps to see him so happy!

On Thursday, we received his next letter.

Dear Mai, Pai, e Familia:

The MTC is going Super Awesome and I am learning a rediculous amount of stuff. We have been teaching our investigator Pedro in Portuguese sense the second day in the MTC. We just committed him to be baptized on the 9th of August and he accepted. By the way, he is definitely a fake investigator, but he speaks nothing but Portuguese. I can understand a little bit of what he sayd, but its pretty rough. I already know how to pray in Portuguese, bear my testimony in Portugues, and speak a lot of the basics.

But the first few days were pretty rough. I was definitely home sick the first night. Is all I could think about was you guys and all my family and Charis. But, I just prayed my butt off and overcame that and I only think about you all at night when I sit down and actually have personal time.

I'm so stoaked for Jordan taking 2nd too bad it wasn't 1st, but thats good too. And I'm so excited he went on the trek. That's going to be an amazing experience. I've seen Devin, Ryan, Dayton, Maverik, Mason, Logan, and Justin Write like 10 times each. It's awsome seeing people from Blanding!

But I really need you to send me GUM! They don't sell it here so I really need you to send me some - like enough to last 6 weeks. Ha! So my first p-day is on Friday, so I will be able to email you and such! I can't really think of anything else to tell you other than I love you guys! You guys are amazing!

Eu sai que da IGREJA de Jesus Cristo e Verdadara!

Love,
Elder Blake

P.S. They don't say it Blake . . . They say it like Elder Ba . . . Lock . . . Ehh . . . Ha, it's pretty cool!

Love you guys and am praying for you every day! Don't forget the Gum! And throw in another shirt and pair of basketball shorts in the package you send me! I need them! BAD! Love you :)

I hope I wrote the Portuguese right, and I have no idea what it says, but it is so great to hear from him. I can tell that his testimony has already grown and he is going to do amazing things!

1st Letter

Every day after we put Dylan in the MTC, I have been checking my email. Dylan said that he would email me and let me know his new address. Well, an email never came. We got home on Saturday, and low and behold, we had a letter in the mail. Yes, I started crying again, but they were tears of joy! I was so happy to hear from him. Here is his letter.

July 17th 2013

Dear family,

Today has been a good day/crazy day. First there was leaving you behind, then there was everything we had to jam into today like getting to our room and getting our keys, name tags, IDs, and a bunch more stuff. Then we get to class and the teacher speaks nothing but Portuguese. Haha. But today has definitely been a great day. The food here is great and its like the Cruise - there is like a million things to choose from. They even have the soft ice cream machines.

My companion is Elder Palmer. He is a little bit different. Then I have Elder Ence and Elder Stevens in my room. They are definitely a bit different too. Then we have one more set of companions in our room too - Elder Buch and Elder Madson. So we have 6 people in a 2 person room. Its really stuffed. But its amazing and I'm doing great and I'm already learning tons. We already have 3 sets of investigators. Its pretty crazy because its only my first day. But its Awesome and my teach is so dang awesome! I already love her.

But I love you guys and hope that your not worrying about me because I'm fine. The gospel is true and the church is true.

Love,
Elder Blake

For any of you out there that would like to write to Dylan, his address is:

Elder Dylan John Blake
AUG 26 BRA-SPS
2007 N 900 E, Unit 2
Provo, UT   84602
Dylan.Blake@myldsmail.net

He can only read email on his p-day, but another way to get in touch would be to email him through www.dearelder.com. I guess they print the letters off free and daily for those in the Provo MTC.

I know that he will receive a ton of letters and prayers! We definitely have a very supportive family!

Entering the MTC!

 

Well, Dylan was supposed to fly to Brazil on July 16 and attend the MTC there, but of course, his visa didn't come. Most of the missionaries going to Brazil have not received their visa in time. So on July 4th the Stake President said he got an email stating that Dylan would be entering the Provo MTC on July 17 at 12:30 pm. Wow, I honestly can't believe it is here already.

The night before Dylan went into the MTC, we sat up and had our last mother-son heart-to-heart. I told him how proud I was of him and that I knew he was going where he was supposed to go. I told them that even though he was doing the right thing, things would not always be easy, that Satan would always try to get to him, but that every answer to any problem is found on your knees and in the scriptures. If he turned to the Lord in everything, that Satan would not be able to get to him. It was definitely an emotional time for both of us.

Well, the day arrived and we decided to go to the Provo Temple and take some pictures. I guess it is sort of a missionary tradition.

I seriously held it together until now. Then I totally lost it. My boys all saying goodbye to each other, just kind of did me in. It was seriously so touching.

Then an emotional goodbye with father and son - man the tears were really flowing now!

After this we got in the car and went to the MTC. We drove through the gates at 12:22 pm. You see several security guards and one of them asks if you are dropping off a boy or girl and they put a sticker on your car. You see several more guards on the way. One of them heard me crying (yes, I was crying that loud - sobbing actually), and said, "You aren't crying already are you?"

Then you go down a long alley/driveway where missionaries are lined up all along the side waving to you. And before you know it, you pull up and get out. We took his suitcases out and gave him one last hug. Then he was gone - last time I can see him in person for two years! And we were exiting the MTC by 12:27 pm. In 5 minutes, my life and his life changed forever - both definitely for the better!

The REST of the Story!

I have been going back and forth on whether or not I wanted to post this story. It is truly a part of Dylan's mission and it answered so many questions. But, it is very personal and dear to all of our hearts.

For those of you who don't know, right after Dylan put in his mission papers he had a dream. He had a dream that he would go on his mission to Brazil. Brazil was not a place that he wanted to go (he actually wanted to go to the Marshall Islands) or even thought about, but he just felt so strongly that he was going there and we all know that is where he was called. Now the rest of the story. . .

The day that Dylan was set apart as a missionary, July 15, 2013, we went over to my mom and dad's to say goodbye. Dylan has been his grandpa's shadow ever since he was born, and he is the first one of my dad's kids or grandkids to serve a mission. It was hard and very emotional on all of us. As we were getting ready to leave, my dad said, "Do you want to hear a story?" Of course all of us did, so my dad continued. And this is what he said.

"This story probably started about 60 years ago. When I was a boy, I always knew that I would go on a mission. It was something that I just knew - there was never a doubt in my mind that I would go. And I knew that I would go to Brazil. Even as a small boy, I knew I would go to Brazil on my mission. I don't know why Brazil, but I knew that I would go there.

"I put in my mission papers at 19, and lo and behold when I got my call it was to Brazil. It was to Sao Paulo, Brazil. Back in those days, they only had one Sao Paulo mission that covered the whole area. (By this time, there is not one dry eye in the house. The spirit was so strong.)

"I went into the MTC and started learning the language. I had a really good friend in there too. He was not learning the language well at all. The officials at the MTC called him in one day and reassigned him to the London England mission. My friend was so disappointed and discouraged. I prayed as to what I should do. I asked to speak to the officials in the MTC and asked them if they would also reassign me. So they did. I was now going to the London England mission.

"I have always wondered how my life would have turned out if I would have gone to Brazil. But, I developed my love for banking in London and it has served me well my whole life. When you (Dylan) got close to putting your papers in to serve a mission, I started praying. I asked the Lord that if he saw fit and it was in His plan, that he would send you to Brazil.

"And, lo and behold, when you received your mission call, it was to Sao Paulo Brazil. The same mission I was assigned to almost 50 years ago."

Now we know why the dream. Now we know why Brazil. Now we know that there is a reason for someone from our family to go to Brazil. I wish I knew the time table on when Dylan received his dream and when my dad started praying, but I am pretty sure the two are linked closely together. When Dylan received his call, I remember stating to my mom how emotional my dad was. Now I know why and now I am just as emotional about it.

Now we all know the rest of the story!!!

Setting Apart - and Last Family Pictures for two Years!

On Monday, July 15, 2013, Dylan was set apart as a missionary. The Stake President sets all missionaries apart. It was not an easy day for all of us. Goodbyes were said all around. Things I remember from the blessing

• Dylan was promised that he would learn the Portuguese language if he had patience. It would not come all at once, or not come easily, but it would come.
• Many blessings would come his way if he would become humble and remember the Lord in all things.
• He would have his health and strength and his knee would heal.
• He was told to let things at home go and not let whatever was happening effect him on his mission and to not worry about things.
• He was also told to let the Dylan of now and the past go and become the new man that the Lord wanted him to be.

I was so emotional that that is all I remember. It was a beautiful blessing though and how lucky we are to have wonderful people to give blessings like that.

I have no idea how I ended up with no pictures of my family or Grandma Blake, but I didn't. It was definitely not intentional, I just think I was too caught up in the moment to think. Here are some great pictures from that day.

Emotional goodbye to sister!

Saying goodbye to the baby he won't meet until it's 1 1/2.

 

 Having some fun with Jordan!

 

Although I didn't get a picture of everyone, my mom did!

 

Before we went in to the church for Dylan to be set apart, we were all waiting in our cars because it was raining so hard. After about 10 minutes of waiting we turned around and right behind us, there was a beautiful, bright double rainbow. Grandma Blake said it was Grandpa's way to let Dylan know that he was here - Grandpa crying tears of joy! We are so blessed!

Dylan's Farewell

So seriously, time is just going by too quickly. In like two weeks, Dylan will be entering the MTC. That is so crazy.

June 30, 2013 we had Dylan's farewell. He asked his brother, Jordan, to talk with him and they both gave great talks. Jordan spoke just a few months ago, and he didn't look up from his paper much. This time he looked up a lot. And Dylan. Oh my heck. He didn't even have a talk written out. He just had some notes, quotes, and a couple of stories. He did such a fabulous job. I still have people complimenting me on what outstanding boys I have.

I tried really hard not to cry, because I knew when I started that I wouldn't stop. Well, I did good up until Dylan bore his testimony. The spirit was so strong. He thanked all of his family, and then his immediate family one by one. That is when I really lost it. I still can't think about it without tears coming to my eyes. He is an amazing man!

After Sacrament meeting, we all went to Granny Blake's for dinner. We had sloppy joes, chips, a vegetable tray, cookies, and homemade rootbeer - granny's kind. I am so lucky to have all my sisters and mom close and Kevin's mom. They all helped make things, and I am truly blessed to have them all in my life. I couldn't have pulled it off without all of them.

Here are some pictures from the dinner.

Tyler decided he wanted to be a part of our family picture.

We have an amazing family who supports us in everything we do. We are gratefuly to have all of you in our lives. Thanks for sharing such an important day with us!