Framboyanes

Familia y Amigossss,

Wow! this has been without a doubt one of the greatest y fastest weeks of the mission. I love my area, companion and of course my Savior.

As always I struggle to know where I should start! Well, I love my comp, Elder Weaver. He is soo humble, Christlike and down to earth that it makes the work soo much easier. We both know our purpose, how we want to teach and just get down and work! I have a feeling that this transfer is going to be a very exhausting, but in the best possible way. This week in our studies we focused on listening to the promptings of the Spirit and inspired questions. We started every study with a song and the spirit we felt was unreal. Yeah I have a feeling that Elder Weaver will be a great life long friend.

This week was filled with highlights. Our branch is super strong. We have many active, temple sealed families who offer a lot of support. Therefore, the member retention is awesome and we can focus a lot on investigators. Its amazing! We never have a shortage of people to teach. On Sunday we had 6 investis at church. It was fast and testimony and I invited my favorite investigator to come up with me. We both bore our testimonies and Frieny (the investigator) told me he felt the spirit very strongly and now wants to leave with us every day with his shirt and tie on...its such a blessing! On Thursday he told us that he prayed about Jose Smith y El Libro De mormon, and as he was kneeling down in the dark he felt just a warmth and light around him. He then told us that he wanted to be baptized more than anything. He has his date for the 25th and he is working super hard for his date. Freiny has been such a great example and support to my testimony.

I know this church is true and every time I bear my testimony I feel a confirmation very strongly. I am out of time but I love you all. I am super grateful for every email I got this week!

It was a little overwhelming though!

Until next week!

Elder Blake

Isaac I never told you, but this Elder Olearee told me he knows you from byu, we have been in the same zone since october. He told me you were wild!

Hermana Iluminada, shes soo amazing! and makes some amazing juice

Astri (on the left) is one of my converts I am going to miss the most in SF. Shes going strong as a Ward Missionary!

Manuel another convert, still going strong

It rained all day on Friday and we forgot to shut the windows...haha there was water everywhere!

Peeling yuca with Elder Smith and Weaver!

Trasladossssssss

Mi amados amigos míos, gracias por todos sus cartas y estoy agradecido de que mi salvador vive.

1st off, Isaac hugeee shoutout for being called as Asistente...thats soo unreal. Keep working hard and put the Lord firsttt.

Wow this week has been crazy! I finally got transferred out of San Francisco! Right now I am in the great city of La Vegas, my area is called Framboyanes. It's superrrrr calm and I am finally with my first American! Elder Weaver from Las Vegas. He seems super cool; we hit it off from the start because he was in my area with my trainer before I got there. He is super funny and I am pumped to get to work! He told me that a lot of people here believe in witch craft and magic so im pumped!! Haha

This general conference was especially great, holy cow! My mind is all over the place right now. I can't remember too much but I absolutely loved Elder Holland's talk. I love his analogy for how desperately we need our savior Jesucristo. Many times here on the mission I feel as though I fall short and feel as though I am slipping off the edge of the cliff. But the Christ is always there ready and willing to help us whenever we need him. I am so grateful for his atonement and resurrection. I had always taken for granted the importance and sacredness of the Sacrament. It is such an amazing blessing we have every week to renew our baptismal covenants every sacrament meeting. As I have taken the sacrament with more thought, and listened to the prayers, I have quite literally felt closer to my savior....que bendiciones.

It was super weird though. This country is very god fearing and basically everyone is Catholic. I was expecting that everyone would celebrate Easter...you know with the classic bunnies, eggs, candy but really no one celebrates the resurrection of Christ. This week EVERYTHING was closed on good Friday. I didn't hear music, motos, cars...nothing! It was super quiet. We had many lessons and everyone gave us something called ¨Habichuelas con dulce¨ or Sweet Beans. It basically is like sweet refried beans with potatoes....SUPER WIERD. But it is actually pretty good. I'll make it at home in a year and a half.

I love y'all. I love this work and the Book of Mormon!!!

Until next week.

Elder Blake 

Baptism Week

Wow this week was one to remember!!

This week we had a super awesome, yet very interesting baptism. My comp and I, after planning on Friday, went to the church to clean the font for our baptism that night. We were surprised to find that the church was dry!! Literally every faucet, sink, toilet was completely dry. In the sixth months I've had in San Francisco, the church has NEVER run out of water, soooo I guess it's true when they say that Satan really does have control over the waters while you're serving a mission!! Anyways my comp came up with the brilliant idea to contact the people around the church and ask for buckets and their water. We ended up, with the zone leaders and a member, filling the baptismal font bucket by bucket. Four hours of intense bucket hauling. It's safe to say that hard work really does pay off. I could really feel the spirit that night during the baptism. Manuel wanted to bear his testimony and he teared up a little sharing his story and knowledge, or testimony our our savior Jesucristo. Wow his baptism was one of the most remarkable experiences I have had so far in the mission.

Also this week, my comp went on splits with another Elder to go to a baptism for people they taught in Santiago. It was a super awesome intercambio because I was put as senior comp with someone from my group...Elder Tippits. Haha it was basically a showoff to see who knew more Spanish, scriptures etc. Basically I am very grateful for the companions I have had. I have learned sooo much from all of them and truly feel comfortable teaching this gospel. I have learned that the most important thing we can do is be simple, bold and bear testimony. It truly is the Spírit who teaches. It was a solid intercombio and we finished the night was Juca, platano, Starburst jelly beans (elder tippit's family hooked him up) BUt wow this week was solid.

Anyways, I am SO very grateful for our savior and redeemer Jesucristo. I know this church is true. I am sooo pumped for General Conference this weekend and the opportunity we have to hear God's prophets. Mom...have Anna and Noah read Doc and Cov 1 verse 38....I think? Let it sink it and listen intently.

I love you all!

Elder Blake