May 24

Hello family...My companion needed more time so he bought me more time too haha. Buying time...so weird. I would never do that (but maybe Bob would ZING...HAHA sorry...I know I am 4000 miles away, but I know I put a smile on about 15 peoples faces right there too!) but anyways moving on, I was searching various talks from the previous general conference and found this one. Elder Holland's. It is true and everyone needs to devoting their free time. We hear it over and over again but if a day goes by with you not picking up your scriptures, your spirit is feeling like your body does when you fast. It really is that simple...It is being starved and you will die eventually because we will be too weak to defend, to stand tall, to fight valiantly for the standard we are called to bear. I love you all. Ask for help. If not from me or family, from God. Then he will send us to help you in answer to your prayer.

"Obviously as the path of discipleship ascends, that trail gets ever more narrow until we come to that knee-buckling pinnacle of the sermon of which Elder Christofferson just spoke: “Be ye therefore perfect, even as your Father which is in heaven is perfect.” ¹³ What was gentle in the lowlands of initial loyalty becomes deeply strenuous and very demanding at the summit of true discipleship. Clearly anyone who thinks Jesus taught no-fault theology did not read the fine print in the contract! No, in matters of discipleship the Church is not a fast-food outlet; we can’t always have it “our way.” Some day every knee shall bow and every tongue confess that Jesus is the Christ and that salvation can only come His way."

^{I love you.}

^{Elder Blackburn}

^{PS: not sure what has happened to the print...haha}

^{PSS: or PPS:? Not sure, A quote from President Harold B. Lee from the same talk. -> "The Gospel is to comfort the Afflicted and to Afflict the Comfortable."}

^{=P I LOVE YOU}

May 16

What did you expect? April was gorgeous for some reason but May...well it is a little...damp...That picture with Elder Packer if taken an hour later would have shown us all looking like wet dogs because we then ate and took the train back (which there were about 10 of us and 1 really angry woman and that was just comical...some children of God...haha) and when we got to Ashton the skies went black and it was darker than it is at 9 here at about 3 o'clock. No amount of sunshine was getting through anywhere for a long while. and ever since the sun has been spotty at best. Today and yesterday looks like it will be what I call Diligent Mist. I have missed it since last fall. Get it? Anyone? yeah? Alright I can count on Tanner =D.

But we were finding for most of the week. The shoes I bought 2 1/2 weeks ago are basically goners and a sister in the ward got me a new pair for £8 which I paid her back for. No worries.

Yesterday though we saw some great miracles. We have been struggling with getting members to come out with us here in the Ashton Zone and especially our district. So yesterday we finally had some lined up and we first taught Jade and Lisa. Jade is 20 and has a 6 month old son and Lisa is 17 and from Blackpool. They both accepted dates and are hopefully reading the Book of Mormon as we speak. We then went home for Tea to call some more members and another member came with us to a "far away" part of our area and we taught another girl but because she said she has 2 vicious dogs we taught her on the doorstep in the rain. She is named Halley and is 18. She works a lot but she accepted a baptismal date as well for the 4th of June. It was a great miracle to pay off for our hard work for the rest of the week.

I love you all.

So I tried to plug my camera in and maybe it is the computers or maybe it is my chord. I think it is the computer though because the chord looks fine. I will try next time.

Elder Blackburn

Zone Conference Pictures

Elder Blackburn is in the bottom right corner. (Third row back, second from the right)

Week 48

Hey everyone!

So, Elder Allen F. Packer was here over the last week and we had a Conference with him and he spoke at a fireside in the Ashton stake which I was able to go to. He spoke of a number of different subjects but I will sum it up like this.

Fireside

He spoke of a question and answer session he had in London over the weekend with the YSA and one of the YSA asked about how they could be safe and happy in the world we live in. Well, he acknowledged like we all need to the disasters of the world going in depth with them. He then spoke of the scriptures and the signs of the times. He rejoiced in the time that we live in. He explained the reason he has found peace is the understanding of the Plan of Salvation. He then taught the Plan of Salvation for the many many investigators that were not there going in detail about Where we came from? and Why we are here? He also shed light for everyone on Who we really are?

Conference

The whole day was focused on the Spirit. President spoke of 7 ways the Gift of the Holy Ghost can help us. Sister Packer spoke of 3 things we need to invite the spirit and explained that yes, the Holy Ghost does get offended easily. He cannot tolerate sin in the slightest thought, word, or action. Even in the houses where we live if we have been slothful in our upkeep our ability to feel the spirit is affected. (Definitely a past mission mom right Aunt Jan!?)

Elder Packer then spoke of D&C 107:99. He explained that the spanish version of the scriptures had 2 footnotes while the english had 1. Replace the let with allow.

Pictures

Week 47

So I only have 3 minutes to send this off so sorry it is so short. We had a baptism scheduled this past saturday but due to Alex's Anti-Mormon wife he did not show up. Just goes to show that the adversary can work through anyone to halt our progression. Alex still wants to get baptised but was sent into an intense bout of depression that he gets about once a month. We will see when we can get him into the water because he has been investigating the church for about 15 years but has never met with the missionaries until the last year or so. He has a very solid testimony. It was an interesting 21st birthday to say the least. The members here gave me lots of goodies haha.

I love you all.

Elder Blackburn