February 9, 2012

Hello!

Well this is the first time I am staying in the Ashton Zone for more
than 2 transfers at a time. I am staying put here in Oldham for #3.
Elder Smart was made the assistant and my new companion is Elder
Jackson from Sacramento,California! So I am stuck with one of your
lot. =D But he is great. Really he is. He is 6'8" haha. I have
nicknamed him "subwoofer" when he sings. He is definitely a bass.

I just feel like I have been thrown in a tumble dryer for the past
week. I honestly have no idea how I got here. Went on exchanges with
Elder Miranda in Bolton. Then planned to go on exchanges with Elder
Sandor in Oldham and as we go to Bolton to exchange we get the "red
letter" call. Meaning, come to the office you are an assistant (to my
companion, not me) =D. It is in my journal. Then from there we pass
from Ashton 2 to Elder Cunningham. Oldham ward cancels church. I go to
church in YSA ward with Elder Cunningham. Then back to Ashton 2. Elder
Schmid in Ashton 2 needed to go to Preston 50 miles away for a doctors
appointment and the Sat Nav took us somewhere else and we almost drove
out of the mission boundaries but don't worry I TOTALLY knew where we
were...sort of...Then we went back to Bolton, had lunch with Elder
Sandor and Jenei and then took Elder Sandor to the MTC in Chorley
where he was meant to talk to a missionary going to the Leeds mission
where there is a Slovak branch because that is 99% where this
missionary will be serving and there are some problems he needed to
know about and so we spent an hour there and I got a sneak peek at the
new missionaries and how crazy they really are! Transfers comes and we
are asked to pick up the new missionaries but instead of that, we get
treated to lunch cooked by the wonderful one and only Sister Preston,
do role plays with the new missionaries who are so excited to be here!
Transfers was great. I felt the spirit and as we sang the last song I
felt like crying while looking over at the departing missionaries.
They have been there for my whole mission (obviously), well not the
sisters, but I was in each one of those missionaries districts,
including the sisters. Every single one, I know and love, and have a
connection with. I will also miss Elder Smart and how much he was able
to teach me. It was a traumatic week.

I hardly feel like a missionary this past week. I just felt like a
driver. We have a monthly mileage of 1300 miles and it is only the 9th
and we are over 700. Can you say Mileage extension anyone?! I hope
President Preston can. I am sure he will understand when I explain it
all to him. I need to renew my temple reccomend on Friday at Zone
Leader Council. Can you believe it has already almost been 2 years
since I got my Temple Reccommend?! CRAZY!

It will be definitely an experience this transfer, but there are not
any problem children in the zone this transfer that I know of so I am
really happy about that!

I love you all!

Elder Blackburn

PS; Oh yeah,...I got THE CALL this week talking about which airport
and it will be Indianapolis, Indiana on May 3rd/4th depending the
hours I land. They do not know the exact details...but yeah...done
talking about that now, but y'all have been asking about it so there
it is. Do with the info how you please.