Blake-June 4, 2008

GREETINGS FROM WASHINGTON DC AGAIN...ANOTHER WEEK DOWN AND THINGS ARE STILL GREAT HERE. IT'S BEEN A PRETTY GOOD WEEK, BUT NOTHING SPECTACULAR HAS HAPPENED. WE HAD AN AWESOME ZONE CONFERENCE YESTERDAY WHERE WE HEARD FROM ELDER HARDY OF THE 70 AND FROM PRESIDENT WILLIAMS (SECOND COUNSELOR IN THE MISSION PRESIDENCY)...ELDER HARDY WAS GREAT. PRESIDENT WILLIAMS SPOKE ON TIME MANAGEMENT AND GOAL SETTING, AND IT WAS AMAZING. I'VE BEEN LOOKING FORWARD TO THIS ZONE CONFERENCE FOR A WHILE, AND I JUST HOPE THAT I'LL BE ABLE TO APPLY THE THINGS THAT HE WAS ABLE TO TEACH US. WE ALSO MOVED APARTMENTS ON MONDAY AND TUESDAY, SO NOW WE ARE IN THE BUILDING NEXT DOOR AND UP ON THE TOP FLOOR INSTEAD OF THE BASEMENT...IT'S A WORLD OF DIFFERENCES. WE'RE PRETTY HAPPY...WILLIAM AND GENEA WERE BOTH CONFIRMED ON SUNDAY, AND ELDER COATS & I PICKED UP SCRIPTURES FROM THE BOOKSTORE FOR ALL 3 OF THE SMITH'S WHO JUST GOT BAPTIZED. THEY LOVED THEM AND WERE SUPER EXCITED, SO WE WERE VERY HAPPY WITH THAT. EVERYONE IS STILL DOING WELL AND WE ARE WORKING ON OUR BAPTISM FOR THE MONTH OF JUNE. I CAN'T BELIEVE THAT IT'S ALREADY JUNE...THE TEMPERATURE IS IN THE HIGH 80's FOR NOW, BUT SHOULD GET HOTTER...THE HUMIDITY REALLY DOESN'T HELP AT ALL RIGHT NOW EITHER. OH MAN...ON SATURDAY WE WENT TO WEEDWHACK A LAWN THAT WAS LITERALLY ABOVE OUR HIPS. IT WAS OUR RELIEF SOCIETY PRESIDENT'S LAWN, AND HADN'T BEEN TOUCHED IN A LONG, LONG TIME. WHEN WE GOT OVER THERE, WE FIRED UP THE WEED WHACKERS AND BAM, IT STARTED TO RAIN A LITTLE BIT. WE THOUGHT NOTHING OF IT AND KEPT GOING...THEN ABOUT 10 MINUTES IN, IT REALLY STARTED TO COME DOWN. 5 MINUTES LATER, IT IS POURING INSANELY HARD AND WE AREN'T STOPPING...WE WERE DRENCHED REALLY FAST, AND THEN THE THUNDER & LIGHTNING CAME. HOLY SMOKES, IT WAS INSANE!! THE LIGHTNING WAS RIGHT OVER OUR HEADS AND THE THUNDER WAS CRACKING SUPER LOUD, BUT WE JUST KEPT LOOKING AT EACH OTHER AND OCCASIONALLY WOULD LIFT UP OUR WEED WHACKER OVER OUR HEAD AND LET OUT A WAR CRY. IT WAS ONE OF THE COOLEST THINGS EVER...THERE WAS A TORNADO WATCH THAT DAY, BUT WE NEVER HEARD ANYTHING ABOUT A TORNADO. THE LAWN IS DONE THOUGH AND LOOKS SWEET, AND WE'RE STILL HERE SO ALL IS WELL. ANYWAYS, WE'RE JUST GONNA TAKE IT EASY THIS FINE P-DAY...WE HAVEN'T HAD A SLOW ONE IN A LONG TIME, SO IT SHOULD BE SWEET. THE GOSPEL IS TRUE AND JESUS CHRIST IS THE SAVIOR...HAVE A GREAT WEEK!!
LOVE FROM DC,
ELDER BLAKE HARBER