May 25th

Quick weekly update life is great here in Bonao. We are working really hard and effecitently right now. We have two really good dates, both for the 18th of June. Pray for Hna Aida and for Hno Santiago.

Yesterday was a GREAT birthday, becuase I really wasnt focusing on my self. It was a day of service like anyother day. Service is an eternal truth, our father in heavens JOY AND WORK is to serve us. I think as soon as we figure out that we are here to serve, and as we become like god we will continue to just serve serve serve. 

Anyways we left at 10 and basically didnt get back to the house until 9 30 we are working demasiado!! We had two great lessons with Aida and Santiago. Aida, we just finished la restouracion, she read the BoM and felt the spirit!! She told us that she feels like this is gods church. As for Santiago, this mans life is a miricle. He had a bad accidente about two months ago and about an eigth of his brian was removed. He was a drug addict and has been neglected basically his whole life. In our gospels class on sunday we talked about Baptisim. In our lesson yesterday he asked us how he could prepare himself to be baptized, carzy awesome stuff!!! We are really rpoud of him. haha our lesson ayer fue como algo de Predicad mi Evangelio. 

As for the rest of the week everything is normal, just trying not to think about how little time I have left! 

We have transfers next week, I could be leaving possibly!! Crazy stuff!!

BTW in Moca Edinson is getting baptized on saturday, and he asked me to baptise him!! Hopfully ill be able to go. Here is a throw back picture with Edinson and Elder Corder!

Love you all!!!

Con Amor Elder Blake

 

Hermano Santiago. He has gone to church the last two Sundays. We had our first lesson with him yesterday and we put a date with him for the 18th of June!

The whomping willow of Bonao!

An Awesome family we are teaching!! I cant remember their apellido though

Last night the Elders came over and brought me a ice cream cake. It was a great way to celebrar 20 years. Wow ya soy viejo!!

Family lineage!! I saw Elder Corder and his kid, Elder Garcia in Santiago today. We talked about the good old Moca days!

 

May 18th Time Flies When You're a Missionary

Time flies when you're a missionary, and time flies when you're having
fun. So what about if you're a missionary and having fun? Haha well,
time just kind of slips through your fingers like grains of sand.
Tengo que aprovechar!! Honestly I think the week went by soo quickly that
I cant even really remember what we did!

Sunday was a pretty funny day, the whole country was shut down for
Eleciones. We only had Sacrament meeting and two investigators showed
up. We were pumped to see Ronny at church bright and early. (our
investi with a date for the 4th of June). He even brought us doughnuts,
but the weren't as good as Krispy Kremes. Ronny tells us he loves
church and gave up coffee to get baptized. For the last two weeks he
has been telling everyone that if they drink coffee they need to
repent. He is a super funny kid. After sac meeting we met briefly with
our Branch Pres to try and spark our branch. It was a fine meeting and
he put my comp and I incharge of our branch activities. Finna try and play
a lot of dominoes!! We need to get the members and our investigators
interacting!! After our meeting we went home and realized that we had
NOOO food except for salami, a sweet potato and this gross vegetable
called tayota. It was the worst lunch I have ever eaten in my life - no
joke, I wish I would have taken a picture. Boiled sweet potatoes,
tayota and fried salami, BAD COMBO. We then got a call from the
Assistientes saying that we couldn't leave the house because of the
eleciones, which was probably a good call. The party that lost the
eleciones have been throwing a huge fit for these past few days and
have gone on a nonstop strike. The police have killed 6 people in our
area in the past 2 days. We have seen a lot of burnt tires and burnt
trash around. As a matter of fact yesterday was the worst, but we
didn't leave because my comp and I are sick. I have a fever of 102 and
Elder Irish has the Runs.

Yesterday I had a lot of time to reflect on my mission and what I want
to do going forward these next three months. As I listened to a Truman
Madsen talk on the Abrahamic Test, I thought about the test and trials
God has sent in my own life. The underlying point Hermano Madsen got across
is that God requires tests of our souls; sooner or later he will
strongly probar our testimonies. It's quite interesting actually,
because it seems to be trait of human nature. To grow we must be
tested. I have a strong testimony that as we are faced with trial we
must hold firmly to the Iron Rod, read the scriptures, pray
and assist the church. That is how we can edificarnos sobre la roca
de Cristo. (Helaman 5 vs 12) No one can remain straight and true to
their testimony without haciendo estas cosas. Sooo do them!! Another
interesting point Hermano Madsen made is that more often that not we
pray hypocritically, asking for God's will to be done, ONLY if it se
concuerde with our will. This is something that I know I really have
to work on these next three months, trying to learn what God's will
truly is.

On another note, Harley expressed to his Parents his desire to be
baptized. We don't know the details yet but he told us that he was not
granted permission. We will keep working with him and Carmen. He might
not be able to be baptized quite yet but I have to feel satisfied to
know that next Febuary he will enter into el evangelio. As a
missionary, it's just as important to be a planter as it is to be a
sower, (one person I found and taught with Elder Corder in Moca was
baptized 2 weeks ago, and 2 more have dates for the end of this
month.)

I have no regrets for my mission. I love what I'm doing and I know that
this is the Lord's work. Every time I think that I'm tried, or under the
weather I think of the atoning sacrifice of our savior Jesucristo. I
love all of you!!
Con mucho Amor!
Elder Blake

Mango face

We found a tire in a river, en la Cueva

Ronny with his Pats jersey. What a thug!

Julio Cesar. He's a funky kid haha.

My friend with a shot gun

En el Campo.

Q+A

From Jonathan:

It was soooo great to skype with you on this past Sunday!!!  You're looking really great and sounding great!  It's wonderful to see you so happy and energized by what you're doing.  Rather than give you a travelogue on this past week it seems like you're interested in more of a dialogue, which will get kick started with questions back and forth to each other.  You asked for it!!  So here goes...

 

 Thanks Dad I think this is a good idea. I'll try to respond quickly and efficiently.

1) What is your definition of "success" especially as it relates to missionary efforts/work?

 

Like I said while skyping I think that success isn't defined by numbers rather the by your relationship with God. I love an idea from the coach in Friday Night Lights and how he defines perfection. Perfection isn't reflected by the scoreboard or the number of baptisms that you have, rather by the dedication and love you have for the work. I honestly believe that if you do everything in your power as a missionary to obey, love and serve you will be successful. That's when God will put prepared people in your path.

2)  You only have a few months left as a full time missionary, what will you do to ensure that you work hard till the end and 'leave it all on the field'?

 

I will do my best to not let down on the little things. If you're doing the little things all else will fall into place. I'm not really worried about this though because I LOVE proselyting.

3)  What's your favorite chapter in the Book of Mormon?  How about other scriptures that you love?

 

I love the chapters 2 through 4 from Mosiah but also chapters 36 to 38 in Alma or 1st Nefi 8....the tree of life!!. King Benjamin and Alma hijo are two spiritual savages!! But honestly I think it changes every now and then because the whole Book of Mormon is just soo amazing that its hard to choose one favorite chapter. Right now I'm reading Jesus es el Cristo. I have loved studying the New Testament, especially the book of ACTS. Paul is one of my favorite scripture heroes and I just love to read abut the original church of Christ. To read it side to side with the BoM and to read it thinking of the principles of the restored gospel. What about you papa?

4)  Has anyone asked you to play the piano in church or do they even have pianos in your current area?  How about singing - have you done any more solos?  :)  

 

I have never been asked to play the piano. I think I have said this before but Dominicans are tone def and they hate hate hate it when people play the piano. Its really sad because people here have some of the worst voices I've ever heard in my life!! But after 2 years of sac meeting here Ive gotten used to it.

5)  How often do families cook for you  vs.  how much do you cook for yourselves?  Do you do all your other domestic chores like cleaning and laundry?  

 

 We eat with families maybe 2 or 3 times a week. I usually don't eat breakfast and we usually eat lunch at home. But people like Carmen and Harley will cook for us on occasion. Right now we eat with them every Saturday. Every once in awhile people will make us Cena. Cosas como yuca, mango or espagueti. But its not too often.  I usually cook.  Yesterday I made rice and eggs. I love rice now. In terms of other cleaning we clean and wash. Our washing machine is nothing more than an oversize weak blender, its such a joke. It just spins water around so our cloths never get REALLY clean.

6)  How's your relationship w/ your mission president?  Do you get to see him very often?  What's his family like?

 

 Pres Castillo is Preach my Gospel. He is super super awesome. I think that right now he is stressed out because as zone leaders we have a monthly meeting with him and the APs and we haven't had the meeting this month yet. I haven't vocally talked to him in over 2 months but I respect him alot. He has 3 kids, but I've never met them. His wife is super quiet and spiritual. Overall I think that they have been really overwhelmed but they're adapting. Keep in mind that he is like 38 years old.

7)  What have been the keys to having a good relationship with your companions?  I know you've had ups and downs - what are things that make a difference and are within your control?

 

 Love and patience. I have realized that I'm A LOT like mom. Little things get me angry aveces but after about 10 minutes I forget about them. I haven't really had any problems with comps who like to work and obey, by the end of each transfer we become best buddies. I realized that there are many things you can't control about your comps and a lot of times the reason that I get mad has to do with one of my own problems and not theirs.

8)  How have you seen the Lord's hand guiding you in your life this past week, month, year?  

 

 I feel guided everyday. With Elder Irish this is something we have been studying. Basically we are working on our inspired questions and listening skills to let the Holy Spirit guide. On Monday we were guided to a super awesome guy who wants to give up beer and cigs. We talked to him as a person and just tried to insert gospel principles naturally. We left our lesson and realized that the spirit was strong and felt that we said things that were really put into our mouths to say. 

 

9)  Do you know how much we love and admire and appreciate you?  

 

Hahaha this is a trick question!! I love you all sooo sooo much.

DAD thanks for these questions, I won't have time to write home a weekly letter and quite honestly I have nothing else to really say. Abrazos y amor de la República.

Elder Blake

 

I hope so on the last question, because you're awesome and I'm so proud to have you as my son.  You're such a joy and a blessing to all of us.

Work hard and stay focused.  Do all that you can to suspend the notion of time and just work hard each day and moment!

Love you so much and look forward to your answers and questions back.  If you're pressed for time then you can pick one or a couple or a few and we can dialogue over the next few weeks!

 

Week of Miracles

Weaaaapa!

Que lo que mi GENTE.

This week was MONSTROUS, and super wet. Its rained every single day this past week. My shoes, scriptures and mission manual are just soaked!! Honestly it's a nice trade off from brutal heat because after 20 months its been really taxing!! My skin is FRIED. 

This week I have seen some amazing miracles and they all have come back to studying and understand a very basic gospel principle. GOD LOVES US. I think that this principle is soo over looked; how often do we take advantage of our all-knowing and loving Heavenly fFather? Well for starters I know that I could poner mas confianza en el. I think that this week my comp and I saw great miracles because we decided to do all we could and put the rest in God's hands.

Lemme take y'all through a few of the miracles I saw. 1st off Juan Alberto did NOT go to church this week. I was soo soo worried. It turns out he got home super late on Saturday and over slept until 12 30, we gave him a fat bolche Sunday night. And something super cool happened. First off let me say that he and his family LOVE me and I LOVE them. I can't really explain it but we have just really clicked on sooo many levels. They honestly say that they just feel a light when we are in their house. Juan Alberto told us about a dream he had. He told me that he and I were sitting on his porch with bird seed in our hands and that a large white dove landed on my hand and started eating. He said that doves DON'T just land on people's hands and that in his dream he was very amazed but that I just stayed calm. He called his grandparents and parents to look at the Dove gently eating and relejándose. He asked us what to dove could possibly have meant and we talked to him about Christ's baptism about how the Holy Ghost came over him as a dove. He took it as a message that we are the Lord's missionaries who have the Lord's spirit....super cool stuff. Please pray that he and his family keep progressing.

2nd Yassenia and  Yeusdies went to church on Sunday. We went and picked them up and yassenia said the opening prayer in principos del evangelio. She prayed that she could become a member of the Lord's church. Also yesterday she told me that she also dreamt of me. That I was on a path and calling to her to follow me on the path. Muy profundo también. We only have one obstacle with Yassenia - she has been living with a man for about a year and has to get married before baptized. We are now going to focus hard core on her husband so that we get the WHOLE family. Por favor oran por ellos!

3rd. Elder Corder, my kid, called me today and one of the most back door santa investigators that I had contacted in Moca got baptized on Saturday - a dude named Ramon Antonio. When I met him he had an awful foot infection and wasn't able to walk, but he always told us that he wanted to go to church. He then disappeared for about a month and came back to Moca with his leg cut off. We taught him a few more times but it seems that he had progressed a whole lot after I left. Elder Corder tambien me dijo que algunas otras personas se van a bautizar pronto ya, like Anthony. Soo dope that the seeds we planted are now being harvested!! I MISS MOCA!!

As I send at the beginning of this email I think that having focused more on God's love for his children allowed us to have miracles in our work. We are striving towards a few baptisms for the 28th. Please pray for Ronnie and Juan Alberto, also Yassenia su esposo and Yuesdires. I love this work and know that Cristo esta a la cabeza de esta obra!!

Hasta luego!!

Feliz dia de las Madres!

Elder Blake

 

Walking the campos de Bonao, con las vacas

This dude in a guaga had his fighting chicken, i asked him if I could hold it.

Comiendo cena con Juan Albeto.

In honor of Big Papi. Wall murals here are brutally ugly. Ill try to take some more pics

Elder Paulino y yo hicimos oreos fritos.

Con mangos!

I have Tevas haha

My comp and I

 

Harley, Ronnie y Juan Carlos!!!

Hello mi gente,

Wow this week se fue demasiado rapidoooo. I honestly can't even grasp time anymore - it just slips right between my fingers. However, Elder Irish and I are doing work!! We are working hard and having a really good time doing it. We sat down to plan on Thursday and decided that we were going to do ALL in our power to help our area and our zona then just put the rest in Gods hands. De verdad we saw some miracles this week!! Lemme explain a few.

1. On Saturday we were invited to eat lunch with Harley and his Parents. We ate fried rice, and had a nice conversion. Quickly after we finished Harley's dad peaced out but we were able to talk to Carmen and Harley about charity. Basically just trying to slowly and kindly plant the idea in Carmen's mind that Harley should be allowed to make his own decisiones. She opened and then on Monday we had an epic lesson with Harley about valentía. I don't remember how to say that in English. But he told us that he would build up the courage to talk to his parents. I gave him my CTR ring to siempre hacer lo justo!! and we both shed a few tears. I love him sooo much.  

2. On Wednesday we had a dope second lesson with this guy named Ronnie. He is 18 and super super sincere. We met him about 2 weeks ago and on Wednesday he had read all of the intro to the BoM. We talked about prophetas and invited him to be baptized. He acecpted and asked us what time church started. We told him and he said that he would go without doubts. We went to his house on Saturday and he told us that we was going to have to work from 7 pm to 7am in a bread shop but that he was still going to go to church. At 8:30 am he was standing at the door waiting for us with two huge pieces of cake haha. We told us he ran home at 7, showered and ran back to the church, all with cake in his hands haha. So we ate cake for breakfast quickly before sacrament meeting started. We haven't seen him since Sunday but he really enjoyed it, and seriously sacrificed to go. It was soooo dope!!

3. We had a ROUGH day on Saturday, for about 4 hours we were blank!! With nothing to do. We decided to pray and ask God what we should do. We walked and walked with out feeling impressed to teach a single person. Saturdays are super rough because almost everyone leaves to visit family or drink in los colmados. Anyways it was rainy and wicked, I felt pretty darn desanimado, but at 8 we walked passed this house and I felt an overwhelming impression to stop and talk to this young looking guy. We instantly hit it off, I spit off all the Domincan slang I know and he LOVED it. We shared a quick message about the gospel of Jesucristo and invited him to church. He said he would go sin fallar, and told us to come by at 8:15 to pick him up. On Sunday we showed up at 8:15, he was ready to go but asked us if he could invite a friend to church. Dijmos claro que si entonces se fue para buscar un amigo. We ended up just walking to church and Juan showed up with his buddy. We ended up talking about the modern day church in Gospels Principios and the spirit was super strong. I love love love teaching this class. Pero igual que ronnie, he wasn't home last night so we are going to go find him tonight. Pray for Harley, Ronnie and Juan Alberto!!!

Disculpe, estoy sufriendo con el ingles y quisiera dejar mi testimonio con ustedes en español, por que para mi de verdad es mas fácil a testificar en este idioma. Se que esta es la obra del senor y que soy su siervo. La obra que estoy efectuando no es tan fácil pero veo los frutos cada día. Amo este país y las personas que conozco acá. Se que la iglesia de Jesucristo es la verdadera y que el evangelio restaurado cambia vidas y ayuda familias a poder unirse. Yo lo se por que lo he visto. Veo cada día las manos del senor obrando con esa gente, y he podido amarlas como amaría jesucristo. Se de estas cosas en el nombre de Jesucristo Amen!!

Elder Blake 

I found the beast from sandlot. You can't really tell but this dog is HUGE!! Its paws are the size of my hands.

This is Juan Alberto and his cousins. We contacted them on Saturday and Juan ​came to church on Sunday he is dope.

I saw Dad's old truck!!

I found a TOAD last night, BTW its raining SOO much here. Erry day!!

Isaac met someone at our church who is from Santiago and knows some of Brigham's friends.

Traslados, ya me falta dos y pico?

Helllllo,

Wow this transfer FLEW bye. Honestly I think it flew bye because I wasn't expecting ANY changes but out of nowhere president transferred Elder Paulino to Moca. We only had 6 weeks together. We were both really surprised and disappointed, however we will see what happens. Anyways I'm still in Bonao - now with Elder Irish. He is a stud from Nibley, Utah and wrestled in High school. We actually figured out a few hours ago that we both tore our ACLS our senior years playing sports. He in wrestling y yo en Football. Raider craziess for life!! 

Anyway I have nothing really to report on. Life is cruising here in Bonao. We put 6 fechas for the 21st of May. We put them with a family of four and two other woman. Pray for la familia Mejia, por Yassenia y Yeudies. They all need to start coming to church regularly!! I have faith that they complete with these metas que he puesto.

Sorry I'm out of time. I LOVE this work. I know that I'm on the lords errand and that my time is ticking away. I love being a missionary and pray every day por el bienestar de ustedes y por las personas que enseno. Les quiero mucho!!

Con AMor!!

Elder Blake 

 

 

In a private email to me (Julia):

 

Yeah, we pàssed by Harley's house three times this week. His parents work all week long and when we went on Sunday they weren't home. Harley can't receive us unless his parents are home. Hopefully he calls us to meet up with him this week. 

Anyways love you mom, the work is going well! We put 6 baptism dates this week. We will see what happens!!

Pray and Fast for Harley!!

Hello family and friends,

This week has been super super AWESOME. Wow I've felt just so happy and peaceful with the work that I'm doing. I KNOW that this is the Lord's church and his gospel. As many people have said Conference was awesome. The internet was somehow down in our chapel so I watched the sessions in Spanish with our branch. It was the first time I had watched conference in Spanish. I enjoyed it and loved it but it was sad to see our prophets and not hear them in the native tongue. Or simply stated conference isn't the same in Spanish!! I would like to focus on a very spiritual moment that I had this week, and would ask my family to please fast with a new investigator and I this Saturday.

After the afternoon session of conference on Sunday my companion and I left the chapel to go contact a few houses in the bordering neighborhood. Here in Bonao contacting is super hard because everyone is catholic and hard hearted. We contacted about 2 houses and nothing, we kept walking and my knee started to really bother me. I can't deny that I thought, well, the week is over its 7pm we have to call for numbers in an hour so it wouldn't really hurt if we went home right now. But I know that's not what the Lord would do. So we kept walking around. Then I felt a very sudden yet slight impression to contact this one house. Visually from the door their were MANY pictures of Catholic Jesus and this family was obviously super super Catholic. A woman (Cameron) answered the door and let us in, she told us right off the bat that she is a radical catholic but would let us come in because her mother in law is a member, who came from the capital, was there in her house and had actually just finished watching conference. We invited Cameron to invite all in the house to come and listen to our message. In few seconds, her mother in law and Cameron's 17 year old son named Harley came out. We started teaching about the restoration and Cameron got really defensive, almost yelling at us that she is cathloic and will never change. After a few minutes she went inside to go answer the phone and Harley opened up. He told us that he had watched all 5 sessions of the conference and after the last session ended, asked God if he would confirm to him that this was the true church. Not 20 minutes later did we knock on their door. I testified that it was an answer and he began to cry. He then opened up and said that he knows this is Christ's church but is afraid of what his parents would do to him if he told them he wanted to be baptized. Anyways we left it tranquillo at that and yesterday at lunch he called us to ask if we could meet up and teach him in the chapel. We met him there and he told us more about how his grand mother had told him about the church and the mission. He asked us what he could do to become a member and a missionary. We talked a little bit about sacrifice and being valiant but then I felt inspired to  teach him about fasting. We decided that this Saturday we are going to fast together so that his mother can open her heart and let him make his own decisions. We then finished with a kneeling prayer and Harley POURED his heart out asking God to help his mother. Harley is soooo dope and could be such a strong member. These past three days I have thought endlessly about his potential. I know that God has a plan for him and that he wanted us to answer his humble prayer that Sunday afternoon. I have faith that this fast will help him out - help him be able to receive the gospel. 

This is really like those crazy conversion stories we read about in the Ensign every month. I plead that you fast and pray for Harley and his family so that he can receive the blessings of the gospel!!

I love this work!!

Elder Blake