Hello family! Sounds like things are crazy getting unpacked in Utah, getting Logan settled in Denver, and getting Tanner ready for the mission in just a couple weeks! But I'm glad that you are taking time for the little things and studying your scriptures. Though a seemingly small act every day, we know that God always works His miracles by small and simple things. So keep it up!
The week in Sylmar has been one of the least bizarre we've had over the last 3 months... so I don't have too much to really share. We invited Antonio to not drink Alcohol for one whole day last Wednesday. And you know what? HE DID IT!!! He only drank water for one whole day. We invited him to do it again yesterday, so we'll see when we follow up with him if he was able to do it. He was supposed to come to church again yesterday, but when we got there with his ride, he was no where to be found. But I did find out more about him this week. He's only 50 years old, turning 51 this Sunday. He's been living in the streets for 15 years. Oh how my heart broke! I've wept a lot of tears in the last few days. My Book of Mormon reading has corresponded well this week... I'm in Mosiah and was reading King Benjamin's sermon on Serving others, especially those who are so impoverished. "Are we not all beggars before God?" he asks. And oh how I've felt that way! I beg for His Spirit, His mercy, His patience, and His love every day. It has been a very humbling week as I've truly recognized my own nothingness. And yet, I am confident that my Savior loves me; that I am a daughter of God; that I can't help everyone, but I can maybe help someone. And my testimony of the restored gospel is growing stronger everyday.
I've been thinking a lot about the small and simple things in life, and I've come to the understanding that this is hos God works. His way is small and simple. His plan for us is simple and beautiful. The steps required of us to return to Him--Baptism, receiving the Gift of the Holy Ghost, and the Temple ordinances--are as Elder Nelson says, "beautifully simple, and simply beautiful." We teach to people all the time the commandments of CPR--Church, Pray, Read--and the more I teach it the more I KNOW that this truly is how we will be happy. Just as when someone is physically dying and someone administers CPR they can be brought back to a fulness of life, the same goes for Spiritual CPR. Going to church every Sunday, Praying every day, and Reading the scriptures every day can bring someone back from Spiritual death into the fulness of life and even eternal life with God one day. Why is it that these 3 simple things have such a powerful effect on us? They are SO SMALL. AND SO SIMPLE. But that's how God works. Isn't that so wonderful!?! Sometimes I think I'm too much like Naaman in the Old Testament, wanting to do some grand act to show my faith or obedience or love for the Lord, but resistant to just do these 3 simple things. Dipping yourself in a filthy river 7 times is NOT a grand gesture of faith. But following whatever counsel the Prophet gives you... THAT is the grand gesture of faith, even when they are asking you to do something simple. So I'm committing myself to be more diligent about the small and simple things. Happily. :)
Well, one example of small and simple things... Our investigator David who is getting baptized soon, brought his wife and 9 yr old daughter to church yesterday. He and his wife are in the process of a divorce, and the last time he talked to her about the church and asked if we could pass by to talk with her [side note: what an awesome missionary and he's not even a member yet!!] and she was adamantly against having anything to do with us or his "new church." Well, when we met them on Sunday she was nothing but pleasant, and afterward she was happy and talking about the next time she'll see us... So that was exciting and unexpected, small and simple in every way. But yet it has the potential to change 3 lives... to maybe even save a marriage if they so choose. I love this gospel, and I love witnessing these small and simple things every day.
Anyway, the last thing I have to say... I'm happy to report that in one week I've increased my "exact obedience" percentage by 3%! YEAH!!!! haha... Remember, small and simple things. ;) I love you all and I hope you have a great week!
Love,
Hermana Blackburn
P.S. If you want to see pictures of Antonio, you can go to my companion's blog: lindsayannerickson.blogspot.com. haha... You're going to love it! Though I'll warn you... He was a little tipsy when we took the picture... hahaha
Oh MY LIFE!!!! Love you all!!!!
24 October 2011
17 October 2011
October 17, 2011 Being a missionary is FUN!
Well, we had quite the week if we were normal people, but as a missionary, it was a pretty average week. I lost my voice and was super sick. But that didn't stop us from setting a baptismal date with Antonio, the homeless alcoholic man we have taught a couple times. So what was I doing yesterday morning before church? Waiting outside a Miss K Donuts shop for the member to show up to give a slightly tipsy Antonio a ride to church. hahaha... I LOVE BEING A MISSIONARY!!!! When else in my life am I going to arrange rides for homeless people to church? Well, now that I know how FUN it is, maybe I'll try and make an effort for the rest of my life... but it won't ever be the same. I've been RACKING my brain on how to help Antonio. When we taught him on Saturday he was really upset because someone had stolen from him. WHO STEALS FROM A HOMELESS MAN???? I mean seriously. RUDE. So anyway, we haven't really gotten any specific answers, but for now we're just following the steps in Preach My Gospel and are going to try and receive more inspiration as to how he can successfully overcome his addiction. But I love this man, so I'm not going to give up!
Well, I know that my area here is one of the more... colorful areas of our mission, but I have never really noticed too much. Because I just work with PEOPLE everywhere I go, and there are colorful people EVERYWHERE I've ever lived... haha. Anyway, this last week though it seems like Hna. Erickson and I are finding more and more of these eccentric individuals here in our area. The Elders always look forward to our stories every time we see them... Maybe it is because we are women, and the Elders are oftentimes mistaken for the FBI around here... haha. Or maybe it is because Hna. Erickson and I are also a little bit crazy so we attract people like us? haha I don't know, but we sure do have fun here! And seriously, being a missionary IS FUN! Though the canceled appointments, slammed doors, and phone hang-ups aren't always enjoyable, it is FUN to work with Heavenly Father to help His children and build his kingdom, even in Sylmar, California. I just can't wait to see Halloween here... hahahaha!
I have realized over the last couple weeks though what a very LONG way I have to go on a personal level. I decided to make an obedience test for myself. So I went through the Missionary Handbook and wrote down EVERY SINGLE rule I could find. I found 260 (though I combined some of them together, and there are repeats). Well, I went through and checked off all the ones I was obeying EXACTLY. But if I wasn't obeying it exactly, I couldn't mark it off. Well some rules like "Don't call Church Headquarters" are easy to keep exactly. But then there are rules like "Frequently study the Missionary Health Guide" which, to be perfectly honest, I don't even have! haha... Well,so I realized that I have a LONG way to go before I am 100% exactly obedient, but I'm working on it, a few things at a time. It was definitely a good wake-up call for me though, and it's bound to be a good growing experience!
Well, I love you all and I hope you have a great week! Keep smiling and praying!
Love,
Hermana Blackburn
Well, I know that my area here is one of the more... colorful areas of our mission, but I have never really noticed too much. Because I just work with PEOPLE everywhere I go, and there are colorful people EVERYWHERE I've ever lived... haha. Anyway, this last week though it seems like Hna. Erickson and I are finding more and more of these eccentric individuals here in our area. The Elders always look forward to our stories every time we see them... Maybe it is because we are women, and the Elders are oftentimes mistaken for the FBI around here... haha. Or maybe it is because Hna. Erickson and I are also a little bit crazy so we attract people like us? haha I don't know, but we sure do have fun here! And seriously, being a missionary IS FUN! Though the canceled appointments, slammed doors, and phone hang-ups aren't always enjoyable, it is FUN to work with Heavenly Father to help His children and build his kingdom, even in Sylmar, California. I just can't wait to see Halloween here... hahahaha!
I have realized over the last couple weeks though what a very LONG way I have to go on a personal level. I decided to make an obedience test for myself. So I went through the Missionary Handbook and wrote down EVERY SINGLE rule I could find. I found 260 (though I combined some of them together, and there are repeats). Well, I went through and checked off all the ones I was obeying EXACTLY. But if I wasn't obeying it exactly, I couldn't mark it off. Well some rules like "Don't call Church Headquarters" are easy to keep exactly. But then there are rules like "Frequently study the Missionary Health Guide" which, to be perfectly honest, I don't even have! haha... Well,so I realized that I have a LONG way to go before I am 100% exactly obedient, but I'm working on it, a few things at a time. It was definitely a good wake-up call for me though, and it's bound to be a good growing experience!
Well, I love you all and I hope you have a great week! Keep smiling and praying!
Love,
Hermana Blackburn
10 October 2011
October 10, 2011 "Trust in Moroni's Promise."
Well my dear family, I am glad to hear that after a marathon weekend that everyone had a wonderful experience in the Temple with Tanner, that the house was packed up, and that everything went through on the close of the house. As sad as I am to be homeless, I'm grateful that the Lord has provided the miracles for each of you needed. And I hope that you took a family picture for me while Erika and John were there because I don't have ANY with me!
The Lord is continuing to work His miracles here in Sylmar, too... Let me share one from the last week with you.
Hermana Erickson and I have had a great week working hard. A few referrals we've received are panning out. One man, named David actually referred himself and showed up at the church building last Tuesday for a tour. We had a mini-lesson with him about the Book of Mormon and how we can know it is true, and what it means if it IS TRUE. We gave him a copy, marked a couple things for him to read, and taught him how to pray, leaving with him of course the invitation that he start reading and praying about it for himself. Well, when he showed up on Thursday for our next appointment, he had already started reading and had prayed and knows it's true! HIJOLE!!! Seriously, as a missionary, this almost. NEVER. happens. We are so excited and incredibly grateful for the opportunity to teach him. He has a baptismal date for 30 October, and he is so humble and eager to learn. What a miracle! I have to confess that I actually thought I would never be so privileged to teach someone like this again, since I taught the incredible Monrroy family in Canyon Country with Hna. Garcia. They were like this as well, met and baptized in 5 weeks and being a strong, active addition to their ward in the months since all because of their great faith. I doubt that missionaries get a cap on how many truly prepared investigators they get to teach, but for some reason I thought that I would never experience that again as a missionary. And God keeps teaching me and showing me that HIS plans for my life, and my mission, are far more than I could ever imagine if I just let HIM be in control. So I've been humbled and taught by the Lord this week as I watch Him work all kinds of miracles that I never imagined. I LOVE being a missionary!
And when I compare those experiences with the myriad of others I've had just trying to help people have the desire to read and pray and KNOW for themselves... what is the difference between someone that will read, pray, and act on their answer and someone who won't? Well, I'm not really sure I've come up with a good answer to that one, but I think a lot of it has to do with faith and humility. Well Last week we taught Vladmir, who told us he believes the Book of Mormon is true, that Joseph Smith was a prophet, and that he was an instrument to restore the TRUE church of Christ to the earth. And yesterday when we met with him again, he had apparently forgotten all of that because he now refuses to accept the idea of more scripture or that there is any church with a fullness of truth on the earth. So WHAT HAPPENED??? Well, we still don't really know... haha. But because I have tested Moroni's promise to read and sincerely pray if the Book of Mormon is true, I KNOW it is true. And if David can receive a personal witness of the veracity of the Book of Mormon in just two days, then certainly someone like Vladmir can receive the same convincing witness from the Holy Ghost as he has been reading over the last couple months. But Vladmir refuses to pray about it, or act on the answer when he does pray. So he will never know for himself as long as he continues with that attitude. Isn't that so interesting? And sad, too. That a fullness of truth and happiness is literally in his hands, but he won't know it. I wonder if I ever act like that to the things the Lord is trying to teach me or give me... and what's the difference? Humility to ask, and faith to act. Well, I hope and pray that each of us will be more humble and faithful as we pray for answers and receive them step by step. I have 100% confidence in the promise of Moroni. If you don't know yet that the Book of Mormon is true, you REALLY CAN KNOW. You don't have to read the whole thing to pray and ask if it is true. But the key is that you have to ask in faith, having real intent... meaning that you will ACT on the answer you receive. Like eating a piece of cake... you don't have to eat the WHOLE cake to know if it's good or not. It really is one of the most miraculous tender mercies that God has given us in these latter-days. We don't have to try and convince ANYONE. God will do the convincing. All we have to do is INVITE! :)
Well, that sums up the most important happenings of the week, minus of course when a couple of parrots when BESERK during our lesson as we began the First Vision account (which isn't too surprising because something ALWAYS happens at this part of the lesson, which just means that Satan knows how powerful it can be for people!). hahaha... I now know that parrots can tell each other knock-knock jokes, laugh, bark like dogs, and scream "HERMANA" simultaneously if they know something important is going on... hahaha Maybe I can get a recording of them for you. But really, those birds have never said a WORD anytime we've been at that house over the last few months. haha I again repeat, I LOVE being a missionary! :)
And I love all of you! Have a great week. Know that God lives and loves you. Trust in His promises. Read the Book of Mormon, and renew your personal testimony in it by again testing Moroni's promise.
Love always,
Hermana Blackburn
The Lord is continuing to work His miracles here in Sylmar, too... Let me share one from the last week with you.
Hermana Erickson and I have had a great week working hard. A few referrals we've received are panning out. One man, named David actually referred himself and showed up at the church building last Tuesday for a tour. We had a mini-lesson with him about the Book of Mormon and how we can know it is true, and what it means if it IS TRUE. We gave him a copy, marked a couple things for him to read, and taught him how to pray, leaving with him of course the invitation that he start reading and praying about it for himself. Well, when he showed up on Thursday for our next appointment, he had already started reading and had prayed and knows it's true! HIJOLE!!! Seriously, as a missionary, this almost. NEVER. happens. We are so excited and incredibly grateful for the opportunity to teach him. He has a baptismal date for 30 October, and he is so humble and eager to learn. What a miracle! I have to confess that I actually thought I would never be so privileged to teach someone like this again, since I taught the incredible Monrroy family in Canyon Country with Hna. Garcia. They were like this as well, met and baptized in 5 weeks and being a strong, active addition to their ward in the months since all because of their great faith. I doubt that missionaries get a cap on how many truly prepared investigators they get to teach, but for some reason I thought that I would never experience that again as a missionary. And God keeps teaching me and showing me that HIS plans for my life, and my mission, are far more than I could ever imagine if I just let HIM be in control. So I've been humbled and taught by the Lord this week as I watch Him work all kinds of miracles that I never imagined. I LOVE being a missionary!
And when I compare those experiences with the myriad of others I've had just trying to help people have the desire to read and pray and KNOW for themselves... what is the difference between someone that will read, pray, and act on their answer and someone who won't? Well, I'm not really sure I've come up with a good answer to that one, but I think a lot of it has to do with faith and humility. Well Last week we taught Vladmir, who told us he believes the Book of Mormon is true, that Joseph Smith was a prophet, and that he was an instrument to restore the TRUE church of Christ to the earth. And yesterday when we met with him again, he had apparently forgotten all of that because he now refuses to accept the idea of more scripture or that there is any church with a fullness of truth on the earth. So WHAT HAPPENED??? Well, we still don't really know... haha. But because I have tested Moroni's promise to read and sincerely pray if the Book of Mormon is true, I KNOW it is true. And if David can receive a personal witness of the veracity of the Book of Mormon in just two days, then certainly someone like Vladmir can receive the same convincing witness from the Holy Ghost as he has been reading over the last couple months. But Vladmir refuses to pray about it, or act on the answer when he does pray. So he will never know for himself as long as he continues with that attitude. Isn't that so interesting? And sad, too. That a fullness of truth and happiness is literally in his hands, but he won't know it. I wonder if I ever act like that to the things the Lord is trying to teach me or give me... and what's the difference? Humility to ask, and faith to act. Well, I hope and pray that each of us will be more humble and faithful as we pray for answers and receive them step by step. I have 100% confidence in the promise of Moroni. If you don't know yet that the Book of Mormon is true, you REALLY CAN KNOW. You don't have to read the whole thing to pray and ask if it is true. But the key is that you have to ask in faith, having real intent... meaning that you will ACT on the answer you receive. Like eating a piece of cake... you don't have to eat the WHOLE cake to know if it's good or not. It really is one of the most miraculous tender mercies that God has given us in these latter-days. We don't have to try and convince ANYONE. God will do the convincing. All we have to do is INVITE! :)
Well, that sums up the most important happenings of the week, minus of course when a couple of parrots when BESERK during our lesson as we began the First Vision account (which isn't too surprising because something ALWAYS happens at this part of the lesson, which just means that Satan knows how powerful it can be for people!). hahaha... I now know that parrots can tell each other knock-knock jokes, laugh, bark like dogs, and scream "HERMANA" simultaneously if they know something important is going on... hahaha Maybe I can get a recording of them for you. But really, those birds have never said a WORD anytime we've been at that house over the last few months. haha I again repeat, I LOVE being a missionary! :)
And I love all of you! Have a great week. Know that God lives and loves you. Trust in His promises. Read the Book of Mormon, and renew your personal testimony in it by again testing Moroni's promise.
Love always,
Hermana Blackburn
27 September 2011
September 27, 2011 The Big Move
Well this week was relatively uneventful. We spent most of the week moving. And my companion is still recovering from a bout with walking pneumonia... so she is still building back up her energy. But thank goodness for antibiotics! :)
So, for the record, we LOVE our new apartment. Seriously, it is SO NICE to have our own space. I almost forgot what it was like, but it is delightful!
And my Golden birthday... it was a normal missionary day for the most part, but there were definitely some highlights.
1) With Latinos it's often a tradition to shove the birthday person's face in the cake... well Elder Castro attempted, but he missed. And I shoved it in his face instead! hahaha... Definitely a HIGHLIGHT! ;) He is from Ecuador, and finishes his mission next week. He's awesome and we've become good friends, lest any of you think that he was being mean... it was all in fun. And it was priceless to see the look on his face covered in chocolate mouse... HAHAHAHA. Definitely a great birthday moment!
2) The Elder Castro and Elder Thacker also gave me a cheesecake! SO GOOD!
3) I got really sweet cards from Tim & Jan, my companion, and Elder Skylar Blackburn.
4) Elder Riggs gave me a Mark Mabry photograph--Christ healing the Blind Man. It is BEAUTIFUL! You will all be jealous when you see it. ;) haha
5) I had a delivery man knock on our door with two boxes full of DARK chocolate covered strawberries and apples... THANKS Erika & John!!!! YUUUUUMMMMMMMMMM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :)
6) We had another delightful & ridiculous lesson with our favorite Vladmir. He may or may not have kissed me... hahahahaha... Don't worry. If he did, it was probably on the cheek...
7) The RS General Broadcast was AWESOME. Beautiful. Inspiring. Encouraging. Empowering. Everything I needed it to be. I LOVED ALL of the talks, but of course, President Uchtdorf's words were especially memorable. But more than his words, I loved that I could feel his love and the love of the Savior for His daughter's as he spoke. If you haven't read or listened to the talk yet, DO IT. You're going to LOVE IT!!!
Thank you again to all of the love and support I receive from you all. Especially, thank you for your prayers. The last few weeks have been hard on the work with my companion being so sick. Thankfully, we still laugh all the time. It is amazing what a HUGE difference it makes when you really do have companionship UNITY and you are actually FRIENDS. Oh my goodness... I'm learning SO MUCH about life and marriage in particular while on my mission... And I'm REALLY grateful that I live in a culture where I get to CHOOSE my eternal companion for myself. PHEW! haha ;)
Well, I love you all and I hope you are all handling the big changes and the small daily decisions well! It's hard for me to believe just HOW MUCH I'm missing at home. Tanner's Mission Call. Lilly!!! The move across the country. Seriously, that is a LOT of change coming to our family in a really short amount of time. But, we are champs at handling change, aren't we? ;) Keep up the great work everyone!!!
Love,
Hermana Blackburn
So, for the record, we LOVE our new apartment. Seriously, it is SO NICE to have our own space. I almost forgot what it was like, but it is delightful!
And my Golden birthday... it was a normal missionary day for the most part, but there were definitely some highlights.
1) With Latinos it's often a tradition to shove the birthday person's face in the cake... well Elder Castro attempted, but he missed. And I shoved it in his face instead! hahaha... Definitely a HIGHLIGHT! ;) He is from Ecuador, and finishes his mission next week. He's awesome and we've become good friends, lest any of you think that he was being mean... it was all in fun. And it was priceless to see the look on his face covered in chocolate mouse... HAHAHAHA. Definitely a great birthday moment!
2) The Elder Castro and Elder Thacker also gave me a cheesecake! SO GOOD!
3) I got really sweet cards from Tim & Jan, my companion, and Elder Skylar Blackburn.
4) Elder Riggs gave me a Mark Mabry photograph--Christ healing the Blind Man. It is BEAUTIFUL! You will all be jealous when you see it. ;) haha
5) I had a delivery man knock on our door with two boxes full of DARK chocolate covered strawberries and apples... THANKS Erika & John!!!! YUUUUUMMMMMMMMMM!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :)
6) We had another delightful & ridiculous lesson with our favorite Vladmir. He may or may not have kissed me... hahahahaha... Don't worry. If he did, it was probably on the cheek...
7) The RS General Broadcast was AWESOME. Beautiful. Inspiring. Encouraging. Empowering. Everything I needed it to be. I LOVED ALL of the talks, but of course, President Uchtdorf's words were especially memorable. But more than his words, I loved that I could feel his love and the love of the Savior for His daughter's as he spoke. If you haven't read or listened to the talk yet, DO IT. You're going to LOVE IT!!!
Thank you again to all of the love and support I receive from you all. Especially, thank you for your prayers. The last few weeks have been hard on the work with my companion being so sick. Thankfully, we still laugh all the time. It is amazing what a HUGE difference it makes when you really do have companionship UNITY and you are actually FRIENDS. Oh my goodness... I'm learning SO MUCH about life and marriage in particular while on my mission... And I'm REALLY grateful that I live in a culture where I get to CHOOSE my eternal companion for myself. PHEW! haha ;)
Well, I love you all and I hope you are all handling the big changes and the small daily decisions well! It's hard for me to believe just HOW MUCH I'm missing at home. Tanner's Mission Call. Lilly!!! The move across the country. Seriously, that is a LOT of change coming to our family in a really short amount of time. But, we are champs at handling change, aren't we? ;) Keep up the great work everyone!!!
Love,
Hermana Blackburn
19 September 2011
September 19, 2011 Miracles DO happen. EVERY. DAY.
Well, CONGRATULATIONS on selling the house!!! I can't believe that I am officially going to be homeless... :/ haha But seriously, I'm so very grateful that our prayers have been answered and that Heavenly Father is pouring out His blessings upon you all!! Good luck on the move to St. George! I hope that Tanner, Logan, Liz, and Lilly all figure out what they are doing and can make their life changes with confidence! :)
Well, my dear companion is really sick, and was sick all last week. The problem with living in a tiny apartment with 7 people... if one person gets sick, you're all bound to get sick! Needless to say, we weren't able to leave very much... but we are making progress with Vladmir. He is reading the Book of Mormon like crazy, which is AWESOME! He still won't come to church... he wants some time... But we're hopeful that as he continues to prayerfully read the Book of Mormon, that his desires will begin to change. That is normally what happens as we read the Book of Mormon. It brings the Spirit into our lives faster and stronger than anything else can. And The Spirit helps us soften our hearts and change our desires. It is one of my favorite things to witness as a missionary. :) Speaking of the Book of Mormon, I hope you ALL are thoroughly studying the AWESOME issue of the Ensign this month, entirely on the Book of Mormon! What a FANTASTIC resource for all of us!
On another VERY exciting front, WE ARE MOVING!!!!!! Remember that tiny apartment I mentioned above??? The one we are sharing with the Nunez family... well we are FINALLY getting our own place. We are SO excited. I love the Nunez family, and they definitely helped me A TON last transfer. But it is time. There are 3 more people in the process of moving into the apartment, and no where for them to go. So they are just always sleeping on the couches. Pobrecitos. And we are constantly left to entertain their 4yr old granddaughter. So we're hoping that our new place will be a much more conducive place to feeling the Spirit and receiving the much needed revelation to guide and direct the work in this area. So we start moving in on Wednesday. Here is my new address:
14078 Astoria St. #204
Sylmar, CA 91342
We are also hoping that our new apartment will be COCKROACH-FREE. And up to earthquake code... haha. ;)
Well, because we spent so much time IN this week, I spent A LOT of time studying and receiving revelation. Some of the things we learned about from Zone Conference just kept playing over and over in my mind. And as Hna. Erickson and I discussed them, and studied more specific things, we received A LOT of revelation. Awesome!! Basically in a nut shell it led me to think what my missionary "covenant" is, and what the "ordinances" are that I am supposed to do to validate my covenant. (Elder Golden told us that ordinances validate covenants...) So I have lots of study notes from several days, but I won't bore you with those. But it just really led me to understand that just like any other ordinance we do in the church, that there are correct and approved manners to do things like studies, prayers, planning, and obeying missionary rules. And by doing these things, like ordinances, in the correct manner established by Heavenly Father, I validate the "covenant" for the rest of the day... Basically that meaning that I will do everything I can to teach by the Spirit every day, and in return God will lead me to His children who are ready to accept and receive the restored Gospel of Jesus Christ RIGHT NOW. Isn't that cool? Tanner LEARN THIS. To double our success as missionaries, we don't have to double our efforts. We just have to "sharpen our sickles" so to speak by doing the small and simple things every day. Pray. Study. Plan. Be obedient. And GOD WILL HELP EVERYTHING ELSE TURN OUT. I don't know why all this time I've been trying to complicate things. It really is THAT SIMPLE! And we can do the same thing as MEMBER MISSIONARIES, too! WHAT GREAT FORTUNE!!! :)
I got a phone call a couple days ago that made me SO happy!! You'll never believe it, because I almost didn't! But do any of you remember the Tovar family from Canyon COuntry? The ones that Hna. Kiewra and I found my FIRST day in the mission, and started visiting almost every day for 3 months? Well Leonor, and her two oldest daughters Carla and Maria got BAPTIZED YESTERDAY!!!!!!!! That is 3 out of the 8 people in their family! And the only other one older than 8 right now is Carlos, the father. I hope that he will start progressing now that Leonor has proved she is committed! :) I seriously am SO HAPPY for them!!! I wasn't able to go to the baptism, but the ordinance is still valid, even without me there! ;)
Well, I just want you all to know that I LOVE you and am so grateful for all of your love and support!! Happy Birthday to Aunt Jan, Angela, and Jack Tingey all on Saturday! I have the best birthday buddies EVER!! :) Well, keep expecting those miracles!! God IS SOOO good to us! :)
Love,
Hermana Blackburn
Well, my dear companion is really sick, and was sick all last week. The problem with living in a tiny apartment with 7 people... if one person gets sick, you're all bound to get sick! Needless to say, we weren't able to leave very much... but we are making progress with Vladmir. He is reading the Book of Mormon like crazy, which is AWESOME! He still won't come to church... he wants some time... But we're hopeful that as he continues to prayerfully read the Book of Mormon, that his desires will begin to change. That is normally what happens as we read the Book of Mormon. It brings the Spirit into our lives faster and stronger than anything else can. And The Spirit helps us soften our hearts and change our desires. It is one of my favorite things to witness as a missionary. :) Speaking of the Book of Mormon, I hope you ALL are thoroughly studying the AWESOME issue of the Ensign this month, entirely on the Book of Mormon! What a FANTASTIC resource for all of us!
On another VERY exciting front, WE ARE MOVING!!!!!! Remember that tiny apartment I mentioned above??? The one we are sharing with the Nunez family... well we are FINALLY getting our own place. We are SO excited. I love the Nunez family, and they definitely helped me A TON last transfer. But it is time. There are 3 more people in the process of moving into the apartment, and no where for them to go. So they are just always sleeping on the couches. Pobrecitos. And we are constantly left to entertain their 4yr old granddaughter. So we're hoping that our new place will be a much more conducive place to feeling the Spirit and receiving the much needed revelation to guide and direct the work in this area. So we start moving in on Wednesday. Here is my new address:
14078 Astoria St. #204
Sylmar, CA 91342
We are also hoping that our new apartment will be COCKROACH-FREE. And up to earthquake code... haha. ;)
Well, because we spent so much time IN this week, I spent A LOT of time studying and receiving revelation. Some of the things we learned about from Zone Conference just kept playing over and over in my mind. And as Hna. Erickson and I discussed them, and studied more specific things, we received A LOT of revelation. Awesome!! Basically in a nut shell it led me to think what my missionary "covenant" is, and what the "ordinances" are that I am supposed to do to validate my covenant. (Elder Golden told us that ordinances validate covenants...) So I have lots of study notes from several days, but I won't bore you with those. But it just really led me to understand that just like any other ordinance we do in the church, that there are correct and approved manners to do things like studies, prayers, planning, and obeying missionary rules. And by doing these things, like ordinances, in the correct manner established by Heavenly Father, I validate the "covenant" for the rest of the day... Basically that meaning that I will do everything I can to teach by the Spirit every day, and in return God will lead me to His children who are ready to accept and receive the restored Gospel of Jesus Christ RIGHT NOW. Isn't that cool? Tanner LEARN THIS. To double our success as missionaries, we don't have to double our efforts. We just have to "sharpen our sickles" so to speak by doing the small and simple things every day. Pray. Study. Plan. Be obedient. And GOD WILL HELP EVERYTHING ELSE TURN OUT. I don't know why all this time I've been trying to complicate things. It really is THAT SIMPLE! And we can do the same thing as MEMBER MISSIONARIES, too! WHAT GREAT FORTUNE!!! :)
I got a phone call a couple days ago that made me SO happy!! You'll never believe it, because I almost didn't! But do any of you remember the Tovar family from Canyon COuntry? The ones that Hna. Kiewra and I found my FIRST day in the mission, and started visiting almost every day for 3 months? Well Leonor, and her two oldest daughters Carla and Maria got BAPTIZED YESTERDAY!!!!!!!! That is 3 out of the 8 people in their family! And the only other one older than 8 right now is Carlos, the father. I hope that he will start progressing now that Leonor has proved she is committed! :) I seriously am SO HAPPY for them!!! I wasn't able to go to the baptism, but the ordinance is still valid, even without me there! ;)
Well, I just want you all to know that I LOVE you and am so grateful for all of your love and support!! Happy Birthday to Aunt Jan, Angela, and Jack Tingey all on Saturday! I have the best birthday buddies EVER!! :) Well, keep expecting those miracles!! God IS SOOO good to us! :)
Love,
Hermana Blackburn
13 September 2011
September 13, 2011 What's in a Name? Like AUNT!!!!!!
Well, I had A LOT of things on my mind that I wanted to write about today... but when I opened up my email and there was an announcement that I'm now an AUNT... everything else seems SO UNIMPORTANT!!! haha Seriously, I can't even compare anything I had to say with that beautiful baby girl. So congratulations, Logan and Liz!! And welcome to the world Lilly Adzo Blackburn!! And will someone PLEEEEAAAAAASSSEEEEEEE get this new aunt some PICTURES!!!
Ok, that being said, yesterday we had Zone Conference with Elder and Sister Golden of the Seventy and President and Sister Martin. It was a WONDERFUL day, but exhausting! Sometimes learning SO much from the Spirit is overwhelming... Zone Conferences are normally a two-edged sword. I both feel completely uplifted and encouraged, while at the same time disappointed with myself that I am not doing MORE. Because let's be honest... we can ALWAYS do MORE. Or at least that's how I feel. So something I've struggled with as a missionary is knowing if I really have pushed myself to my ABSOLUTE limit, and well, the answer has usually been no. I can always talk to one more person, knock one more door, seek the Spirit just one more time... But I've also come to realize that this is part of the glorious gift of the Atonement. I can continue to push myself more and more, but what I lack, the Savior helps make up the difference. And together, we ARE a perfect team, because HE is perfect! What great fortune!!! I love this gospel so very much!!
And a couple other fun facts: Elder and Sister Golden are from South Africa, so I got a little taste of what Skylar hears from his greenie, Elder Gordon, every day. :) AND Elder Golden told me that he was just in Indy for our Stake Conference and that he STAYED with the Sinclairs! Crazy, huh?! I loved it! It made me so happy to find such a random connection with a man from SOUTH AFRICA and a family from INDIANA... while we're in CALIFORNIA. I love our small world! :)
Last week was actually a pretty slow week, because I sprained my ankle while hiking last week. haha Well, in Spanish, the best way to describe me: "Estoy un disastre!" haha But seriously. Aye well. Hopefully it will heal quickly and we'll be able to start tracting again. But despite it being a slow week, we had some awesome lessons with Vladimir, and he LOVES the Book of Mormon. He really is quite the character... we can't talk for more than 5 minutes at a time without him breaking into song... haha. But something that is especially wonderful about him: he invites EVERYONE to listen to us. His house is a bit like a Mexican fraternity house sometimes, with all these random men fixing cars, etc. in the yard. Last week we showed up for a lesson and there were seriously about 15 people there... only about 5 of them ended up joining us for any amount of time, but hey, that's 4 more people! He is an AWESOME missionary, even if he doesn't know it yet. :)
Have I ever written about all the various names people call me because they can't say Blackburn (Both Latinos AND White people)? Here's just a few of the most popular:
But I have to be honest, as HAPPY as I am to be an Hermana, nothing can compare to my happiness of now being a Tia!!!! (P.S. Logan and Liz, I like Tia Dana SO much better than Aunt Dana... So I think the Spanish is going to win out for this one and I would like you to start implementing it immediately. No, Seriously...).
Well I love you all and I hope things are going well! Have a great week!!
Loves loves loves!
Hermana Blackburn
Ok, that being said, yesterday we had Zone Conference with Elder and Sister Golden of the Seventy and President and Sister Martin. It was a WONDERFUL day, but exhausting! Sometimes learning SO much from the Spirit is overwhelming... Zone Conferences are normally a two-edged sword. I both feel completely uplifted and encouraged, while at the same time disappointed with myself that I am not doing MORE. Because let's be honest... we can ALWAYS do MORE. Or at least that's how I feel. So something I've struggled with as a missionary is knowing if I really have pushed myself to my ABSOLUTE limit, and well, the answer has usually been no. I can always talk to one more person, knock one more door, seek the Spirit just one more time... But I've also come to realize that this is part of the glorious gift of the Atonement. I can continue to push myself more and more, but what I lack, the Savior helps make up the difference. And together, we ARE a perfect team, because HE is perfect! What great fortune!!! I love this gospel so very much!!
And a couple other fun facts: Elder and Sister Golden are from South Africa, so I got a little taste of what Skylar hears from his greenie, Elder Gordon, every day. :) AND Elder Golden told me that he was just in Indy for our Stake Conference and that he STAYED with the Sinclairs! Crazy, huh?! I loved it! It made me so happy to find such a random connection with a man from SOUTH AFRICA and a family from INDIANA... while we're in CALIFORNIA. I love our small world! :)
Last week was actually a pretty slow week, because I sprained my ankle while hiking last week. haha Well, in Spanish, the best way to describe me: "Estoy un disastre!" haha But seriously. Aye well. Hopefully it will heal quickly and we'll be able to start tracting again. But despite it being a slow week, we had some awesome lessons with Vladimir, and he LOVES the Book of Mormon. He really is quite the character... we can't talk for more than 5 minutes at a time without him breaking into song... haha. But something that is especially wonderful about him: he invites EVERYONE to listen to us. His house is a bit like a Mexican fraternity house sometimes, with all these random men fixing cars, etc. in the yard. Last week we showed up for a lesson and there were seriously about 15 people there... only about 5 of them ended up joining us for any amount of time, but hey, that's 4 more people! He is an AWESOME missionary, even if he doesn't know it yet. :)
Have I ever written about all the various names people call me because they can't say Blackburn (Both Latinos AND White people)? Here's just a few of the most popular:
La Otra Hermana-aka "the other sister"
Hermana B. (pronounced 'bay')
Hermana Black
Hermana Blackbum
Hermana Blackbird
Hermana Blackberry
Hermana Quemada-literally Sister Burn
Hermana Negro Quemada-literally Sister Black Burn
Hermana So-and-so's Companera-aka they will only refer to me in 3rd person and only address my companion haha
Hermana B. (pronounced 'bay')
Hermana Black
Hermana Blackbum
Hermana Blackbird
Hermana Blackberry
Hermana Quemada-literally Sister Burn
Hermana Negro Quemada-literally Sister Black Burn
Hermana So-and-so's Companera-aka they will only refer to me in 3rd person and only address my companion haha
But I have to be honest, as HAPPY as I am to be an Hermana, nothing can compare to my happiness of now being a Tia!!!! (P.S. Logan and Liz, I like Tia Dana SO much better than Aunt Dana... So I think the Spanish is going to win out for this one and I would like you to start implementing it immediately. No, Seriously...).
Well I love you all and I hope things are going well! Have a great week!!
Loves loves loves!
Hermana Blackburn
06 September 2011
September 6, 2011 I felt the Earth move under my feet... and other exciting acontecimientos!
Well Just another week here in the 'hood as Eryn would say... Oh where do I even begin?!
Well First of all, I know you all want to know about the earthquake... Did I feel it? Yes! Was I scared? Well no... but it also helped that my non-Californian brain did not process it as an earthquake. haha I'll tell you all about it. We came home to eat some lunch and to help Hna. Nunez with some posters for her RS lesson on Sunday. Well I was sitting on my bed (the bottom bunk) doing some extra studying and all of a sudden the top bunk started to shake like Hna. Erickson was jumping on it. I thought somehow I'd missed her coming in and getting on her bed because I was so involved in my study. But then she came in a few minutes later, so I was a little confused, but didn't really think anything after that. Good thing the earthquake wasn't any stronger though because our beds are just stacked upon each other... and the likelihood of me being crushed by the top bunk is actually much higher than 0. Anyway, my companion also had no idea what was going on. She didn't feel anything, but the ceiling fan started to shake. Hna. Nunez jumped up in a panic and opened the door. My companion thought that for some reason they just open the door to help the fan stop shaking. Oh dear... everyone here in California thinks it's SO funny that we don't process earthquakes in the same way. But at least we don't panic, right? ;) Well the epicenter was in Newhall, which is basically where I was before up in Santa Clarita. No real damage was done, but I DID find out that the apartment building we're currently living in never had all the major structural damage from the 1994 earthquake fixed... they just patched the walls and so you can see a line all the way around our apartment. Needless to say, for that and MANY other reasons, we are probably going to move into our own apartment within the next month. :)
Ok what else can I tell you? There have been so many experiences this last week of receiving promptings, acting on them, and seeing the results magnified beyond what we could've hoped. It's been REALLY cool. And it makes me just want to act on ALL of the spiritual promptings I receive! Well, that being said let me share one with you. We were at a late dinner appointment and by the time we finished sharing a message, it was already 9pm, and we still had to take the elders home all the way across town. Well, the Spirit told me throughout our whole lesson that we needed to stop by and see Antonio, our homeless investigator, who actually doesn't live too far from where we were. I kept trying to dismiss it, but it kept coming back. Well, the good thing about being the driver is that you ultimately have control over where you go... ;) So I told the Elders we had to make a quick pit-stop to check on an investigator. Well, the alley where Antonio lives has a gate, and that night it was closed. So we pull open the gate as far as we can and we squeeze through. I wasn't scared at all because the Spirit had told me to go. Hna. Erickson was a little sketched out, but she trusts me. I think the Elders were a little concerned though, they like good elders, they followed us crazy sisters "just in case." Did I mention that one of the Elders is a greenie? ... he only had 10 days here when this happened... haha. Well we found Antonio, and he looked much better than the last time we saw him. He asked us to pray with him, but instead I invited him to receive a Priesthood blessing. WHERE IN THE WORLD DID THAT COME FROM???? Well, it had to have been the Spirit because that thought had never crossed my mind... So right then and there, I ask Elder Riggs if he would mind giving a blessing. And like the incredibly awesome missionary that he is, he readily agreed. We briefly explained what a priesthood blessing is, etc. and then Elder Riggs and his greenie Elder Ellsworth proceeded to give Antonio a priesthood blessing in the back of a dark alley at 9:15 at night. hahaha Sometimes the Spirit is SO unpredictable, but I LOVE seeing all the good that can come from following His promptings! Seriously, the Gift of the Holy Ghost is the most precious gift I have as a missionary, and as a member of God's true church. His constant companionship is the best feeling in the world!
Well, aside from that, Lucia was confirmed which was super exciting! Alonso was ordained a teacher and passed the Sacrament for the first time! Silvia said after Sacrament mtg. that she is going to be baptized "muy pronto" so we're hoping to see her today and set a date! Mauricio said he's finally ready to DO something and is going to start meeting with us again tonight! Jessica is starting to recognize that she IS a beautiful daughter of God and that her divine nature and individual worth are things that NO one can take away from her! Oh, and miracle of all miracles, Vladimir now CORRECTLY understands the First Vision (he had been misunderstanding us before that God was pointing to Joseph instead of Jesus Christ and telling us to listen to Joseph Smith... Wow... GOOD THING we figured out his hang up and got that all cleared up!!! haha), accepts Joseph Smith as a servant of God, and that the Book of Mormon is another true testament of Jesus Christ! We're hoping that he will accept a baptismal invitation this week! :) So, the work is moving right along. Hna. Erickson is delightful and she wants to work just as hard as I do, which is a HUGE blessing! We are lighting this area on fire and hopefully the ward will have a few sparks started, too. ;)
Well, thanks again for your continued love and support! There are only 3 more weeks for Liz to take a pregnant picture and send it to me! Will someone PLEASE jump on that for me??? Well, I love you all!! Have a great week! GOD is in control, and everything He does is for OUR good, and OUR eternal life. Just remember that!
Love,
Hermana Blackburn
Well First of all, I know you all want to know about the earthquake... Did I feel it? Yes! Was I scared? Well no... but it also helped that my non-Californian brain did not process it as an earthquake. haha I'll tell you all about it. We came home to eat some lunch and to help Hna. Nunez with some posters for her RS lesson on Sunday. Well I was sitting on my bed (the bottom bunk) doing some extra studying and all of a sudden the top bunk started to shake like Hna. Erickson was jumping on it. I thought somehow I'd missed her coming in and getting on her bed because I was so involved in my study. But then she came in a few minutes later, so I was a little confused, but didn't really think anything after that. Good thing the earthquake wasn't any stronger though because our beds are just stacked upon each other... and the likelihood of me being crushed by the top bunk is actually much higher than 0. Anyway, my companion also had no idea what was going on. She didn't feel anything, but the ceiling fan started to shake. Hna. Nunez jumped up in a panic and opened the door. My companion thought that for some reason they just open the door to help the fan stop shaking. Oh dear... everyone here in California thinks it's SO funny that we don't process earthquakes in the same way. But at least we don't panic, right? ;) Well the epicenter was in Newhall, which is basically where I was before up in Santa Clarita. No real damage was done, but I DID find out that the apartment building we're currently living in never had all the major structural damage from the 1994 earthquake fixed... they just patched the walls and so you can see a line all the way around our apartment. Needless to say, for that and MANY other reasons, we are probably going to move into our own apartment within the next month. :)
Ok what else can I tell you? There have been so many experiences this last week of receiving promptings, acting on them, and seeing the results magnified beyond what we could've hoped. It's been REALLY cool. And it makes me just want to act on ALL of the spiritual promptings I receive! Well, that being said let me share one with you. We were at a late dinner appointment and by the time we finished sharing a message, it was already 9pm, and we still had to take the elders home all the way across town. Well, the Spirit told me throughout our whole lesson that we needed to stop by and see Antonio, our homeless investigator, who actually doesn't live too far from where we were. I kept trying to dismiss it, but it kept coming back. Well, the good thing about being the driver is that you ultimately have control over where you go... ;) So I told the Elders we had to make a quick pit-stop to check on an investigator. Well, the alley where Antonio lives has a gate, and that night it was closed. So we pull open the gate as far as we can and we squeeze through. I wasn't scared at all because the Spirit had told me to go. Hna. Erickson was a little sketched out, but she trusts me. I think the Elders were a little concerned though, they like good elders, they followed us crazy sisters "just in case." Did I mention that one of the Elders is a greenie? ... he only had 10 days here when this happened... haha. Well we found Antonio, and he looked much better than the last time we saw him. He asked us to pray with him, but instead I invited him to receive a Priesthood blessing. WHERE IN THE WORLD DID THAT COME FROM???? Well, it had to have been the Spirit because that thought had never crossed my mind... So right then and there, I ask Elder Riggs if he would mind giving a blessing. And like the incredibly awesome missionary that he is, he readily agreed. We briefly explained what a priesthood blessing is, etc. and then Elder Riggs and his greenie Elder Ellsworth proceeded to give Antonio a priesthood blessing in the back of a dark alley at 9:15 at night. hahaha Sometimes the Spirit is SO unpredictable, but I LOVE seeing all the good that can come from following His promptings! Seriously, the Gift of the Holy Ghost is the most precious gift I have as a missionary, and as a member of God's true church. His constant companionship is the best feeling in the world!
Well, aside from that, Lucia was confirmed which was super exciting! Alonso was ordained a teacher and passed the Sacrament for the first time! Silvia said after Sacrament mtg. that she is going to be baptized "muy pronto" so we're hoping to see her today and set a date! Mauricio said he's finally ready to DO something and is going to start meeting with us again tonight! Jessica is starting to recognize that she IS a beautiful daughter of God and that her divine nature and individual worth are things that NO one can take away from her! Oh, and miracle of all miracles, Vladimir now CORRECTLY understands the First Vision (he had been misunderstanding us before that God was pointing to Joseph instead of Jesus Christ and telling us to listen to Joseph Smith... Wow... GOOD THING we figured out his hang up and got that all cleared up!!! haha), accepts Joseph Smith as a servant of God, and that the Book of Mormon is another true testament of Jesus Christ! We're hoping that he will accept a baptismal invitation this week! :) So, the work is moving right along. Hna. Erickson is delightful and she wants to work just as hard as I do, which is a HUGE blessing! We are lighting this area on fire and hopefully the ward will have a few sparks started, too. ;)
Well, thanks again for your continued love and support! There are only 3 more weeks for Liz to take a pregnant picture and send it to me! Will someone PLEASE jump on that for me??? Well, I love you all!! Have a great week! GOD is in control, and everything He does is for OUR good, and OUR eternal life. Just remember that!
Love,
Hermana Blackburn
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