Week 19

11 October 2010

Hello!

So recently I have been reading a lot about the Restoration and Joseph Smith himself. Since, I didn't have many emails to respond to this week and did not have much to say as well I was surfing the web of Church Sites at least and came across this-

http://www.josephsmith.net/josephsmith/v/index.jsp?vgnextoid=041579179acbff00VgnVCM1000001f5e340aRCRD

I have not looked through all of it, but there are historical photographs, testimonies, and biographies of Joseph Smith and I know it would do a lot of good for everyone's testimony to check out this site set up by the Church. Also, if you go on the new mormon.org as announced in General Conference you can make your own testimonies and sites to help support others that are searching whether by their own means or because they talked with a missionary. It is a great thing to hear pure testimony. Make sure it is not a thanktimony or anything like it. Make it pure testimony because if pure testimony can convert a prophet like Brigham Young who had been a former eternal investigator for 2 years, then it can definitely convert everyone else as well. Thought that I would send you there today.

so this site and www.mormon.org!

I love you all,

Elder Blackburn

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I know my hair is too long. I am working on getting it cut today...we shall see. I refuse to pay. I haven't had to yet. If anything I will give in and finally buy a cheap pair of clippers and do it myself...

Love Elder Blackburn

Week 18

4 October 2010

I thought you would like some more pictures of the Temple at night. We went here for General Conference. I am standing at the Stake Center...Hopefully our temple looks like this one! haha

I love you!

Elder Blackburn





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Hello!

Ok let's get this out of the way, TEMPLE OAHLDSKFJDA:LKJF:ALDKFJ:DLKFA:DALK AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHH.

ok cool. Now I was able to watch everything but the Sunday afternoon session because it is played from 9-11pm here and apparently servants of the Lord have to be inside even when the Prophet is speaking at that time...LAME.

So with that said, I enjoyed President Monson's talk on choices. President Uchtdorf's talk on Simplifying your life and Elder Kearon's talk about 'Flip Flops are Not Shoes'.

President Monson:
We need to be grateful for our Right of Choice. We need to be Concious of our Responsibility of Choice. And we need to Accept the Result of Our Choice.

President Uchtdorf:
Stop doing so much or your work is going to be sloppy and you won't gain anything out of it anyways. Slow down in life so you can enjoy it even if it is only on the weekends where you slow down. STOP DOING SO MUCH. Spend time together. Love in the family is spelled T-I-M-E.

Elder Kearon:
Flip Flops are not shoes. I loved the whole talk. It was really well done and if anything we need to remember to have sufficient protection on throughout our day even in the mornings. Satan is always there.

And if anyone else did not catch the over arching theme of our relationship with our Heavenly Father and the fact that we lived with him before this life as spirits. Well now you understand. God is our Father and has given us agency since the beginning. Do not let pride corrupt that agency. Pride fell one of the greatest of all, even the son of the morning, Lucifer. Pride destroys so we need to destroy pride.

I love you,

Elder Blackburn

Message from President and Sister Bullock

24 September 2010

Dear Parents,

During the past couple of weeks, we visited all 61 flats (apartments) in the mission and are happy to report that they were clean and in good order. For their efforts, we gave every companionship a large box of four Ghirardelli Triple Chocolate brownie mixes. Our missionaries all have comfortable living conditions located in good neighborhoods. If we ever feel that they are located in areas of concern, they are moved to a better place.

Inspecting each flat was only a minor reason for the visit, the real purpose was to see the missionaries in their natural environments and feel of their spirits in the areas where they work. During our visit, we talked about many things including their progressing investigators, nightly planning sessions and companionship study. We then had them role play teaching us a lesson and while we see our missionaries teach often, we were once again impressed with the quality of their teaching skills and more importantly, the spirit by which they taught. Before leaving, we held a kneeling prayer and left a blessing on each missionary, their areas and their flats.

Attached you will find a picture of your son with his companion and with us during the flat visit. We thank you for raising such a fine son and for sending them to the mission prepared to serve. The England Manchester Mission is doing well and we have been abundantly blessed because of the faithfulness, obedience and diligence of our missionaries. We love them and are grateful to be serving with them.

Warm regards,

President and Sister Bullock
England Manchester Mission

Weeks 16-17

13 September 2010


Hello everyone!

So a little bit about Bolton is that it has historically been one of the highest baptising places in Europe and especially in the UK. They have had 14 baptisms this year and should have a couple more if we have any say in it. The problem is that they do not keep these people active which is the saddest thing to see ever...it really is disgusting how bad the less active rate is in England BUT that is the members job, that does not mean we stop doing ours.

Marianna and Jozsef were baptised and confirmed a week and a half after I got here. I think I sent some pictures home of them.Marianna and Jozsef are great and have 3 little hungarian children. Marianna's father baptised them and it was very difficult to finish teaching them, because they do not speak a lick of English, but they got it! haha

We also had a baptism this week as well and her name is Lauren Dawson. She is just 17 and her family and friends were completely against it. She had some people there to support her, but basically she has just done it all on her own. She wanted to finish the Book of Mormon before she was baptised so the week before she read it for 7 hours straight because she couldnt sleep one night. Her favorite part it the 2,000 stripling warriors. It was great to see someone, although she knew it was her against her family, actually take that leap of faith and she will be such a strong member because of that. She fears God more than Man and it does take a lot to do that! She was afraid of what her family would do, but they are family and they will love her no matter what. It always turns out that way.

NOW! The coolest part. We were headed to a potential 2 weeks ago and this man in a white tank top, shaved head, tatoos and a piercing, standing outside his flat smoking yells out to us, "You Mormons?!?"...US: "uhhh yupp!" HIM: "Come here!" ok...

Turns out his name is Keith and he had a friend whose mom went to the Chorley Chapel which sits under the shadow of the temple and the MTC. He went there for a little bit with them. (never learned anything or payed attention, but he went) -Key #1: KNOWING MEMBERS! His partner comes to the door with a cigarrette in her hand and says "OOOO HE^&**^%^&** NO!" ...US: Hello to you too mam! She starts saying things about God and how he has never helped her out and never done this and blah. A couple of minutes later we set up an appointment to come answer her questions and talk with him. Didnt think anything of it.

We go to the appointment a couple days later and we teach the Restoration like always for our mission. Nikki is 22 and has 2 children. Keith is 25 and is the father of one of Nikki's and has one of his own who lives in Durbin near Blackburn named Courtney. We have taught them now about 10 times. They have come to church twice and they WANT baptism, but they like everyone else in England are not married. They just call each other partners here...Keith grew up in foster homes all his life and he is afraid of committment and attachment. Nikki and her brother were abused by their alcoholic parents when they were little and so they have never had any sort of religion or faith in their lives.

This has COMPLETELY changed everything about their lives and they are new to the area and I KNOW that Keith will change his mind about marriage, and am praying A LOT for it.

These are the two best people I have found out here in England and are so prepared. I could write a novel just about them.

I love you all, Go to church.

Elder Blackburn

Week 15

31 August 2010

So! Yesterday was Bank Holiday Monday and that means LIBRARY IS CLOSE! Hence I am emailing y'all on a Tuesday. We are allowed to go to the Temple since we live only about 25 mins away and here are some pictures of it. Since...I lost all of my amazing ones from before...Sorry, still bitter. Anyways, it was a great day and I was able to just relax for a little bit. Did NOT feel like going out and finding afterwards, I did, dont worry, but I think the Temple is very spiritually draining.

I love you,

Elder Blackburn

(For some reason, the pictures aren't posting here, so I'll try again later.)


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Hello!

So I have about 15 mins left so luckily I prepared something while waiting for a computer to open up! While waiting I was bored and impatient so I opened up the Book of Mormon randomly and the first thing I read was

3 Nephi 5:26 which reads-
And then shall they know their Redeemer, who is Jesus Christ, the Son of God; and then shall they be gathered in from the four quarters of the earth unto their own lands, from whence they have been dispersed; yea, as the Lord liveth so shall it be. Amen.

It then has a footnote on verse 25 sending you to 2 Nephi 30:3 which reads-
And now, I would prophesy somewhat more concerning the Jews and the Gentiles. For after the book of which I have spoken shall come forth, and be written unto the Gentiles, and sealed up again unto the Lord, there shall be many which shall believe the words which are written; and they shall carry them forth unto the remnant of our seed.

And I want you to know that you are the ones who believe! SO START CARRYING THEM FORTH! Because when you do you will be able to understand by experience the promise in 2 Nephi 3:12 which reads-
Wherefore, the fruit of thy loins shall write; and the fruit of the loins of Judah shall write; and that which shall be written by the fruit of thy loins, and also that which shall be written by the fruit of the loins of Judah, shall grow together, unto the confounding of false doctrines and laying down of contentions, and establishing peace among the fruit of thy loins, and bringing them to the knowledge of their fathers in the latter days, and also to the knowledge of my covenants, saith the Lord.

Nothing is going to be confounded unless it is made known! Make it known-That is the members job. Explaining it is MY job. And the reason we make these things known is 2 Nephi 2:8-9.

I love you,

Elder Blackburn

We had a baptism of a couple this week! They speak Hungarian! Sorry I couldnt talk about that!

Week 14

23 August 2010

Hey Everyone!

How are you doing!? Dana is the only one that emails...sorta pathetic...HELLOOOOO. How was Tanner's Birthday?! Hope he liked his present (and I hope they aren't too see through...I was worried about that). Moving on! I sent some pictures to Dana and she can forward you them. They are some of Dave Connie (crazy black man who is a member but believes in the Trinity), Bro. Barclay (who is battling cancer and our ward mission leader AMAZING), Sandeep (he is the terrorist looking fella next to Dave =P), Sammie part duex (Geoff's second dog, the first one died about 6 weeks ago and he got another one, but it is an evil teenage dog) Elder Holman and Elder Green finding in a park before Interviews and Training, Elder Peterson who I hope writes Dana because he is amazing...He went home on Wednesday =[. There are plenty of others, but those are some!

I have been studying out of the New Testament and I started with what Bob told me to do by reading Acts and then the Gospels first...Not sure why besides the fact that he wanted me to Tarantino(sp?) it but I did it. I am in Matthew right now and I am really seeing how where Christ says in the Book of Mormon "Never have I seen such exceeding Faith amongst all the Jews" because SHEESH they were DUMB. They just did NOT get it. They had Faith enough to be healed and thats about it. Even the Apostles lacked in it a lot. Just have Faith that God can do whatever he wants and he wont let us fall if we do believe and have Faith. Sure trials happen, LEARN from it. Look for what you are supposed to learn from it and if you aren't learning anything from it, don't expect anything to change!

Too many people blame God for bad things that are happening, because he doesn't talk back. People are just plain lazy and its annoying. We love them to death and offer everything we have, but we cant make em drink...

Oh ya, Elder Merl is great. He is from Austria and I appreciate having a friendly companion more now than ever compared to...well compared to past experiences...Other notes of interest I guess, Elder Stringham is now my District Leader and he is training someone else. There are the 4 of us here in Bolton but we live seperately. All I know, is that I am going to really enjoy being back with him again. I already have for church. The ward was REALLYREALLY small this week due to families on Holiday but there were only about 45 people there. There is normally 60? maybe...I dunno. There are about 500 less actives in this area so just like Stoke. The church is HUGE in England numbers wise...but activity wise...it could probably just be Indianapolis North Stake for our whole mission. Its pretty sad... Alma 31:32-35--->I Think I picked a good mission scripture for myself here in England...It fits completely...

I love you all very much! Update me on your lives! Tanner-haven't heard anything from you in 3 months!? =[ Happy Birthday Grown Up.
I forget Anna's email address but forward this to her...Annabanana22?? Something. I forget. Sorry!

LOVE YOU!
Elder Blackburn

Week 13

18 August 2010

SKylar didn't have time to write a long group email, because he was in Bolton for transfers, where he actually ended up getting transferred TO Bolton. But, he is still great and sends his love to everyone!