Week 35 - Minha Semana‏ (My Week)

Hey, so sorry I didn't write you yesterday (Monday). Ha ha. I was in the middle of emailing you and the power went out, and then it went back on. So I started to write to you again and it went out again. Ha ha.

So to start off, pretty much I've been sick as crap - just sick all week long - for the whole week. But, I'm starting to feel a little better now.
 
Anyways, we have been low on our investigator pool which means a lot of talking to people on the streets. We found some pretty good investigators. It was awesome. But we have been just talking to people like crazy and walking miles and miles and that's really what our day consists of. Ha ha. We walk fast like from one end of our area to the other. It takes a good hour and ten minutes, which means like 5 miles. Ha ha. And we have to walk to one end to lunch and then back right after for appointments. It's so awesome. I think that is why I'm staying in such good shape.
 
My area is like the biggest one in the mission and I've been here for almost 6 months now. It's awesome. I think I have a good chance at staying here next transfer too because the area is finally going to split and so I might just stay. So I am going to have a good attitude about it.
 
But anyways, the miracle for the week is probably this. So this person has been mad at me for who knows why and it's been going on for the whole transfer and he won't tell me what is going on. So I'm just like, whatever and just trying not to be around him because I don't want to be mad. So I've just been trying to keep my space from him. So then this last week I had my very last division with my zone leader, Elder Doggett, before he heads home on the 25th of this month. So I was talking to him about it and this is when the miracle happened. He just tells me to pray about it and everything will be fine. So I did. And the huge miracle is that the Lord softened the hard-headed Elder Blake's heart and got me to go and say sorry for whatever it was that I did and just leave it behind. So I did. And he called me later on that night and said sorry too and he forgives me and all that good stuff. So ya, that is the miracle of the week. (By the way, I'm not that hard-headed, but I was sick all week and kind of a little grumpy, so that probably didn't help any. Ha ha.)

 

Yesterday was also my 8 month mark and I will be heading home a year and four months from now. Pretty crazy, right? Crazy how fast time goes by when you're doing what is right and losing yourself in the work (and having a little fun, too :))! My mission is so awesome and I really do love it. It's so amazing all that the Lord has done for us and keeps doing for us. He must love us so, so, so much because he just loves and loves and loves. It really is amazing. He really does love us.
 
Elder David A. Bednar said this, "To be offended is a choice we make; it is not a condition inflicted or imposed upon us by someone or something else." This is now one of my favorite quotes. It is so amazing how true it is. So now is the time to forgive someone that has once offended y'all and leave it in the past and look forward, not regretting anything.

Eu amo voces.. Voces sao maravilhosas. Eu sei que igreja e verdadeira. eu sei que nos somos fracos sem jesus cristo mas atreveis dele e expiacao dele nos podemos ser fortes. disse em Eter capitulo 12 versiculo 27 "E se os homens vierem a mim, mostrar-lhes-ei sua fraqueze. E dou a fraqueza aos homens a fim de que sejam humildes; e minha graca basta a todos os que se humilham perante mim; porque caso se humilhem perante mim e tenham fe em mim, entao farei com que as coisas fracas se tornem fortes para eles." Este escritura e verdade de mais. nos sol precisamos fe e nos podemos fazer qualquer coisa eu amo todos os voces e espera que voces ter uma boa semana.

(This is the best translation I have come up with. I love you. You are all wonderful. I know the church is true. I know we are weak without Jesus Christ, but through Him and His Atonement, we can be strong. Said in Ether 12:27: "And if men come unto me I will show unto them their weakness. I give unto men weakness that they may be humble; and my grace is sufficient for all men that humble themselves before me; for if they humble themselves before me, and have faith in me, then will I make weak things become strong unto them." This scripture is true. if we have faith in Jesus, we can do anything. I love you all and hope you have a good week.)

Tchau,
Elder Blake

Week 34 - Update

Dear Family:

Well this week has been awesome. So my companion has been sick and guess what? Now I'm sick. Ha ha. That's awesome right?? Anyways, it's just like a sore throat and a fever so nothing too bad. But with a fever and it already being a million degrees here, it kinda stinks. Ha ha. But it's cool because it doesn't stop me from working. Ha ha. I'm the type that always has to be doing something and always has to be talking, no matter what language. Ha ha. I'm just not the type that can stay in the house all day. I've just got to be doing something. And I'm pretty such that I got that from Grandpa Balch. I love that man.

But anyways, my week. We were supposed to have a baptism this week, but it ended up falling through because the dad wouldn't sign the papers because he is of a different faith. But, I talked to him and all. Y'all know that I can get pretty fired up right. Ha ha. Ya, well I just shot the true gospel fire all over him and he accepted to let her be baptized this Sunday. Ha ha. So hopefully it will go through. And other than that, we taught some people that are really progressing. Like Kelly, she is an amazing girl that gives me a class in Portuguese like 2 times a week and I started to teach her. Then this last week. we taught her the Plan of Salvation, and she told us she was feeling the spirit. She prayed and started crying and it was so awesome that the spirit was so strong. She also accepted to be baptized, but we haven't set a date yet. Ha ha, but we will!!

But, anyways something crazy that happened this week is we were walking down the street and there were these guys on a motorcycle just going super fast. Then like police cars right behind them and all of the police men except the ones driving were hanging out the windows with their guns. Ha ha. It was crazy. And it was also Carnival here these last few weeks, and I have seen a lot of weird things I shouldn't have seen. It was pretty crazy.

 

But pretty much, Brasil is awesome and my mission is awesome. I love it and I hope that y'all are doing good. I'm really praying for Blanding and hope that we can get some rain down there. That would be nice, right? Ha ha. But anyways, I love y'all and have y'all a good week. May God be with y'all.

 

Tchau,

Elder Blake

 

P.S. Ha ha, I know that my grammar and writing stinks and gets worse week after week, but oh well. Ha ha.  (Luckily he has a mom that fixes his grammar and writing for him! Ha ha.)

 

Not sure what this is about.

Doing laundry

Holes in his new pair of shoes.

 

Week 33 - Technical Difficulties

So sorry. I was writing like the big email to send home and the computer turned off and didn't save anything. But anyways, I'm doing amazing and I sent some pictures. I love you all.

Tchau,
Elder Blake


Ugh - really. So this is what I pieced together from his short email to me:

That is crazy that everyone is getting their mission calls. I'm so pumped for them. It makes me excited to be here on my mission. Everything down here is going awesome. I understand completely everything! I just need to get my speech better. But other than that, everything is awesome.

I get really home sick like one time every two months or so. This last week it hit me again, and it was kind of hard, but now I'm doing awesome.

Love,
Elder Blake


Here are his pictures for the week. I think the first three pictures are from last week, and they just didn't download until now. He's becoming quite the artist!

Looks exactly like him.

Week 32 - My Weeeeek

Well, hello everyone. Ha ha. This week has been one of the most amazing weeks of my life. Everything was just amazing - spiritually, and like fun and everything.

So pretty much, the week started off like this. P-day with Elder Tagg. Being the fun kids that we are - we had like the time of our lives. Then on Tuesday, we had district meeting and me and Elder Tagg started a division afterwards in his area. He has only been here for like a week, so he doesn't know the area, but I do. Ha ha. I know every area here is Sao Bernardo like the back of my hand. I've been here for so long (since the 9th of October), it's crazy. Anyways, we ended up getting his area like a few more investigators and we invited a kid to be baptized, and he totally accepted. He will be baptized this week.

But anyways, then we like had some miracles here in my area also. We have this girl Karen, that has been straight up an investigator for like 2 years. And we have been straight up just teaching her like crazy. I just told her that I felt like she was ready and should get baptized. She accepted and will be baptized on Sunday :)!

It's so awesome how much I am feeling the spirit in my life and how much I'm taking the spirit into other peoples' lives. I love this church. It is 100% true for sure and I love giving people the truth. I can tell all of y'all one thing. When I first came on my mission, I was so scared to talk to people about the gospel. I just wanted to be their friends first. But now that's the very first topic I talk about. I talk to everyone that I can about the gospel and it is just awesome.

Buy anyways, my weeks are going by faster and before we all know it, I will be home. Ha ha, crazy right. But I know for sure the actual date that I will be getting on the plane and flying home. They released transfers and my 17th transfer will be June 23rd. Crazy right!?

I love all of y'all and hope you have an amazing week. Thoughts and prayers your way.

Love y'all,
Elder Blake

The picture above reminded me of these ones when Dylan was a kid. He loves climbing trees, hiking, anything outdoors - always has and always will!

Week 31 Recap

What's up family and friends. How are all of you doing? This last week has kind of been pretty slow getting my new companion and all. But one of the best things ever happened . . . Elder Tagg is now in my District, and I'm doing divisions and all with him. I just love it. It's so awesome. Ha ha. Elder Tagg is like one of the coolest kids in the world. Actually, I'm pretty sure that he is. Ha ha.

But anyways, my new companion. His name is Elder Beers and he is from Washington. Like a city called Fox Island or something like that. Like it's close to Tacoma. And he's pretty cool. Like he is the complete opposite from me, but that's all great. I'm sure that we will get along just fine. I'm still in Alverenga, which is so, so, so slow. And it's kind of a little bit annoying that I'm still here, but there must be a reason for it. Hopefully we can do some work and we can get some more baptisms.

But anyways, this week - like yesterday we got Tiago and Alisandra confirmed as members of the church and it was pretty awesome. Also, we are in the process of getting both of them a calling in the church so they don't stop coming. But they are super strong, so I know that they won't.

Anyways, we kind of dropped all of our investigators so this last week we have just been clapping a lot of doors and doing a lot of contacts on the street and nothing has really been coming from it. Hopefully we can just continue and see what can happen. I have faith that we can get some new families. Actually, we just found an amazing family, and the daughter is learning English. Actually they have already been to the United States, so that's pretty cool.

But anyways, like I said, this week has been super slow. I'm going to end it with a miracle that has happened. So pretty much we did a lot of contacts on the street and we invited everyone we talked to whether they wanted to talk or not to go to church and gave them the time and address. So yesterday at church we had 7 people end up showing up and wanting to know more about the church. So that's the miracle of the week.

I hope that all of y'all try to look for the miracles in y'alls lives and everything will seem to go better. Y'all are awesome and I love you all. I think and pray about you all of the time. Until more. Love y'all.

Love,
Elder Blake

Week 30

Dear Family and Friends:

Hi, everyone. First of all I am not being transferred. I'm staying here for the 4th transfer. And to be honest, I'm just ready to leave and continue on. But I guess I am needed here. I'm getting a new companion because Elder Despain is getting moved to Zone Leader. So we will see what happens tomorrow.

But anyways, me and Elder Despain baptized again so me and him are doing awesome, but now he is leaving. I think I will be Senior companion and have to lead the area which I am pretty nervous about, but I can do it!

But anyways, about the baptism. It was so amazing! So pretty much I baptized Tiago and Elder Despain baptized Alisandra. They were awesome and feeling the spirit like crazy and so was I. It was just a cool day.

But I think that this entry is going to be shorter today because I'm tired and don't really feel like typing and I will email y'all more about it when I get my new companion and stuff.

But anyways, I love all of y'all and hope that you have an awesome week!!

Tchau,

Elder Blake

P.S. I'm feeling way better.

 

Week 29 - Weekly Update

Dear Family and Friends:

Well, this week has been a crazy, hot, and weird week. Ha ha. So the first thing that has happened is that Brasil's temperature has been record temperatures this year. Like a couple of days ago, it was 42 degrees Celsius, and that is like 107 or 108 degrees Fahrenheit. And the last time that happened here in Sao Paulo was 1983. So it's been quite a long time since it has been this hot.

The missionary schedule here in Brasil has completely changed. We wake up at the same time, 6:30. Then we do personal study from 8-9 and then we start proselyting from 9 until lunch. After lunch we go back to the house and do companion study from 2-3 and language study from 3-4. Then we head out and continue the work again. Because it has been super hot, the Presidency of Brasil changed the whole schedule. Crazy, right?

But anyways, wow - time is just flying. Like last Saturday, the 1st was 200 days on my mission. Crazy, right?! I can't believe it. Time is just going right on by and I'm getting better at the language day by day and just everything is going amazing.

The only not amazing thing is the girls here just keep wearing less clothes and less clothes because it is getting hotter and hotter. But, that just isn't right. They should have more respect for themselves than that - at least that's what I think. I've heard of a few missionaries going home just because of that. So, it's not a good thing at all. You just have to always be looking straight ahead and just talking about some gospel principal or like humming a hymn or something. There is a lot of temptations here in Brasil, but I just love it all because I can feel myself getting stronger and stronger :)!

But anyways, the miracle of this week is we took the Bishop and his wife to a lesson and it was just awesome! So we have been teaching this family, Alisandra and Tiago, for awhile and they have some doubts and stuff. But when we took the Bishop there, he straight up just answered all their questions and took away all of their doubts. So we invited them to be baptized this Saturday, and they were like well, maybe. But I was like, you need to pray about this because I know that you guys are ready. I was like Tiago, will you pray right now with us and ask our Heavenly Father is these things are true. He's like, ya I will. Right as soon as he started the prayer, the tears started in him, and I've never seen him cry. And when the prayer was over, him and his wife were crying. They said they knew that they would be baptized! Wow! I don't think that I have ever felt the spirit stronger in my whole life. It was awesome. Then they asked the Bishop to announce their baptism at church so people will come. So they are definitely ready. It is just so awesome. I love the spirit so much!

Now for some bad news for the week. After this email, I am heading to the hospital because I've had just straight liquid coming out of me (both ways, ha) for three days. They think that I have a parasite or something like that and I just sucks. I don't think that I have ever had stomach pains this bad in my life. The Bishop told me I need to go there and get an IV because I am super dehydrated. With the heat and everything, I just don't have anything in me. It really sucks. I thought that I had been sick before, but no one knows sick until they get sick like this in Brasil. It is horrible!

But, don't worry about me, I will be fine. Hopefully I just head to the hospital and get this IV and then get out. Anyways, I love all of y'all and I hope that you have a good week. I'll email you next week. Tchau.

Love,
Elder Blake