November 28, 2011

Hello Family!

 

Well this week was THANKSGIVING!! WOOOOOOOOOOOooooooo....right? it was wasn't it? o...I am in England...where...they don't...show gratitude...I guess...darn......siiiiigh.

 

Well It shouldn't surprise me. Last year we had a sports day so it distracts us, because we are still playing a turkey ball of sorts, but with more rules and not as exciting. This year though we had an extra 30 mins for tea! WOOP WOOP! I enjoyed it. Except my companion has been having some really bad headaches that basically make him pass out for a couple hours so I didn't get to much out of it. He is a hard worker. He is extremely intune with the Spirit. But we basically were disabled besides trying by potentials and lessons this last week after Thursday.

 

I have been reading Jesus the Christ again and I am up to page 410 or so and have really been refreshing my mind on what it is that Faith can do in unlocking the power that Christ desires to bless us with.

 

I gave a talk on Hope this week to introduce myself to the ward. It was specifically on "How do we react when our Hopes are not Realized"...I thought it was pretty fitting for Bishop Walsh to give me that. The ward seemed to enjoy it. It wasn't my best, but it was ok. I am enjoying the car and the absence of the bike, but my leg muscles are starting to turn back into mush already.

 

We went back to Bolton which is about 25 miles away for a baptismal interview of the District Leader there and as Elder Hughes went to go with him, I stayed behind with his companion. I wanted to stop by Marianna and Joseph Horvatt from last year. They were the couple that got baptised with Elder Merl and I. So as I knocked on the door, Marianna opens and just sees a missionary in the dark. Joseph hears me say hello and from the other room yells, "Blackburn?!" thump thump thump, pops his head around the corner and lets us in. It just showed to me the importance of staying in contact. We did not have a lot of member support at the time while meeting with them last year and so after Elder Merl and I left, they had Marianna's family and that is about to help them out. There was no spiritual anchor. They have been coming off and on and still want to be married in the temple, but I told them and they understood that it takes work and they need to start preparing now so they can do it. They are techinically allowed because they have been married and members more than a year, but they need to be fully active and obedient before going. I hope last Thursday and this exchange in Bolton this week will be able to set goals and make plans on the day they can go to the temple so they have something to work towards just like a baptismal date. I want to get Bishop Knights approval for this as well, so hopefully we can work quickly this week. I will let y'all know how it goes.

 

Sometimes, being here in England I like to put on a nice thick southern draaaaaawwwwwwllll to help get the point across that I am from America. I enjoy seeing people's reactions to it. I hope you are all doing well.

 

I love you, Take care.

 

Elder Blackburn

November 21, 2011

Hello Family!

It has been an interesting couple of days. Today is the first time I have seen the sun since I emailed you last. I was asked to sing as a solo/quartet/choir yesterday without practicing and without a voice in the Ashton Stake Conference. It went ok. I was singing a lot with Elder Gordon the music that Hermana Blackburn sent me last Christmas because he can play the Piano really well and we were wanting to sing some new songs for our members. It was good, but I think with the singing practice and what not during our extra companionship study time the last two days of the transfer and the cold/wet/wind I got sick. Didn't stop working, but it wasn't pretty. We set up 30 appointments this week here in Oldham so we were still effective, but it still wasn't pretty. Elder Hughes got a little sick as well. Elder Hughes is from Oklahoma. He is an OSU Cowboy. His family is from the Polynesian/Phillipino Islands somewhere long back, but he can understand Tagalog a little. He can't speak it though. We are really happy to be working together. Or at least I am happy to be working with him. =P Oldham ward is a great ward from all aspects I can tell with missionary work. I will miss the people in Wrexham. (Basically had my Christmas mapped out already, but OH WELL)...I got a car and so I won't get hypothermia this year! WOOHOO. The thing about Oldham is that it is in the "Mountains" here too. You can't really call them mountains, but think of a tiny rock and if it has a hill right next to the sea and the wind/snow/sleet/everything comes, what is it going to hit? The Hill...And we are on the Ocean side, not the warm side like the Leeds Mission. But No complaints here!

I love you all. I am excited for Tanner. I am out of time. =/

LOVE YOU!

Elder Blackburn

November 16, 2011

Hello Everyone,

It was transfers this week and so I got moved...again...the transfer of Christmas...It was heart wrenching but my companion and I have both served in Wrexham and his name is Elder Hughes. He is from Oklahoma and has been out since 3 months after me. He is my Senior companion now and we are in a Car. This is my third time back in the Ashton Zone, but with a little more responsibility than the previous times.

The sisters I came out with go home today which is a really weird thought. Both Sister R. and T. Kullick were there and it was great to see how happy they were. Sister T. Kullick went to the scotland ireland mission. She got a little taste of what it is like to have a REALLY good mission today =D. My MTC companion is the Assistant up there now. I wrote him last week. He is a great missionary. Our Scottish Assistant goes home today after serving here for 9 months. We will miss the thick accent.

Mary (Tan Mungroe) was crushed that I was leaving...along with a lot of the members which started over the past 2 weeks to really open up to me FINALLY. But I think we have completely dissolved a missionaries name who destroyed the missionary work here just over a year ago. My new companion was the first on the scene to clean it up and I think I helped finish it. Elder Gordon's new companion is.....CHINESE so Mary is not that sad. She is excited to have a Chinese speaking missionary. I am grateful for revelation and common sense that the Lord gives our leaders. We have recently set a goal of how many baptisms we want before the end of the year. We added them up and last week for sports day we got the total. I guessed a high number of about 165. Well the goal is 281. CRAZY. I was shocked because we have only baptised about 250 this year all together. So we are really hoping for a white christmas. It will be here in Ashton for sure!

We had an amazing last week. For a ward who has not trusted missionaries a lot this past year because of a bad tater last winter, Wrexham Ward has warmed up nicely to us. We had 3 lessons in members homes this past week and 2 at the chapel. Mary is doing SO GOOD. I am so proud of her and the trust she has in us and the love the members have shown her. But I want to share a story that happened last night. Alex is turning 16 next month, Jess is his sister and is 19. They both joined the church about 4 years ago with their mom and brother. Jess is less active now, but last night she brought a friend named Vikki who is 17. We taught them at the chapel the Restoration. We did the Spirit Formula and by the end you could feel the spirit so strong. Jess and Vikki were both in tears and although we were teaching Vikki, Jess says, "I need to change. I know I need to change and put things right. I know from that (First Vision) right there that I need to get everything in order." Vikki then says, "I know it's true. I know I need to follow it. I need to talk to my mom and put my foot down." I am greatful for how Heavenly Father backs up His Prophets and testifies of the truth.

There is a lot more to say but no time today. I got transferred though so everyone wants to send their packages for me to the mission office ok!? =P I say everyone because I am hoping it is more than just mom =P

I LOVE YOU

Elder Blackburn

November 7, 2011 HAPPY BIRTHDAY!!​!! WOOOOOOOOO​OOO

Hello Family! Nie hau ma? (thats chineseish)

This was a good week. We are making progress with our Chinese investigator who has had no background to God whatsoever. She is starting to see how prayer will help her create a belief/ find a relationship that is there with Heavenly Father and help her believe in Jesus Christ. She is still nervous about coming to church though. After sifting through almost a whole entire university looking for one investigator to stick, I THINK WE HAVE ONE! After about 50-100 new investigators we have some hope because she is actually keeping some commitments! WOO! YAY! Her name is Mary in English or at least that is the one she picked, but it is Tan Mongroe in chinese. Next Wednesday is transfers and this wednesday is sports day. It is weird to think that the sisters I came out with are going home this next week...CRAZY! They are both good missionaries.

Anyways, moving on from that though HAPPY BIRTHDAY SPENCER LOGAN! 23 23 23 23 23 23 23 23 23 23 23 23 23 23 23 23 23 23 23 23 23 23 23 23 23 23 23 23 23 23!!!
LOVE YOU BIG DOG!

Something I thought would be good to review the lost purse talk from last general conference. I really liked it besides the fact that it was entertaining. I enjoyed it because it helps us understand how people get to know us. Besides of what we say and do, but what we carry around with us? Spiritually and Physically. What are we carrying around with us.

https://lds.org/youth/video/the-lost-purse?lang=eng

I LOVE YOU ALL!

Elder Blackburn