Blake-May 21, 2008

HEY EVERYONE, HOW'S IT GOING? LIFE IS GREAT HERE...I KNOW MY LAST COUPLE OF E-MAILS HAVE BEEN KINDA SHORT, BUT I HAVE A CONFESSION TO MAKE. TODAYS IS PROBABLY GONNA BE EVEN SHORTER CUZ I LEFT MY PLANNER AT HOME AND I CAN'T REALLY REMEMBER ANYTHING EXCEPT FOR THE SUPER SIGNIFICANT THINGS THAT HAPPENED THIS WEEK. WE GOT UP AT 4:30 THIS MORNING TO GET READY, PICK UP SOME OTHER MISSIONARIES, AND WATCH A 5:50 SUNRISE FROM THE LINCOLN MEMORIAL. THIS IS THE THIRD TIME I'VE GONE, BUT ONCE AGAIN IT WENT BAD...THIS TIME THERE WERE TOO MANY CLOUDS, SO WE DIDN'T GET SWEET PICTURES. I'M GONNA GET IT TO WORK BEFORE I GO HOME!! ANYWAYS, WE WENT TO GET SOME BREAKFAST AFTER AND THEN WENT TO THE BUREAU OF ENGRAVING TO WATCH SOME MONEY GET PRINTED...THEY SAID THAT THEY PRINT ABOUT 700 MILLION DOLLARS A DAY!! IT WAS INSANE...THEY HAD THESE HUGE SHEETS OF $100 BILLS JUST SITTING THERE...MILLIONS OF DOLLARS SITTING RIGHT IN FRONT OF OUR FACE. WE'RE E-MAILING FROM THE LIBRARY OF CONGRESS AGAIN AND ARE PROBABLY GONNA HANG OUT ON THE MALL FOR A LITTLE. ANYWAYS, GEMILLA GOT CONFIRMED THIS LAST SUNDAY!! ELDER COATS WAS THE VOICE AND IT WENT GREAT...SHE IS SUPER EXCITED AND HER KIDS WILL BE GETTING DUNKED THIS WEEKEND TOO. GENEA IS FOR SURE GOING DOWN, BUT WILLIAM MIGHT HAVE TO GET POSTPONED...WE'LL SEE. THE OTHER DAY WE WERE TALKING ABOUT HOW WE ARE WORRIED ABOUT HOW LOW OUR TEACHING POOL IS RIGHT NOW SINCE WE JUST BAPTIZED EVERYONE...LITERALLY LESS THAN 5 MINUTES LATER WE RUN INTO THIS FAMILY, HUSBAND & WIFE WITH 4 KIDS, WHO ARE RECENT CONVERTS...THE KIDS ARE ALL UNDER 8 EXCEPT FOR ONE OF THEM WHO IS 9. HIM AND HIS MOM TOLD US THAT HE WANTS AND NEEDS TO GET BAPTIZED, AND THEY ARE EXCITED TO COME TO CHURCH. IT WAS SO CRAZY!! THE LORD IS BLESSING US SO MUCH RIGHT NOW, IT'S AMAZING!! WE WENT ON EXCHANGES WITH ONE OF OUR ASSISTANTS, ELDER BELNAP, THIS PAST WEEK. DURING THAT TIME WE REALLY LEARNED ALOT, AND WE WERE ALSO ABLE TO TEACH THIS FAMILY THAT WE HAVE HAD A FEW VISITS WITH...I HAVEN'T MENTIONED THEM YET, BUT I THINK IT'S TIME...THIS IS A MUSLIM FAMILY FROM PAKISTAN. THEY HAVE 3 GENERATIONS LIVING IN THE HOUSE, AND THEY ARE SUPER NICE TO US WHEN WE COME. OUR BELIEFS ARE TOTALLY DIFFERENT, BUT THEY LISTEN AND ARE EVEN SUPER HOSPITABLE...THEY FED US (AMERICAN FOOD) :(AND THEN WE GOT TO ANSWER QUESTIONS WHILE TEACHING PRINCIPLES FROM LESSON 1, THE RESTORATION. IT WAS SO COOL...THEY ARE REALLY SET IN THEIR WAYS, AND IF ANYTHING COMES OF IT THEN IT WILL BE A LONG TIME FROM NOW, BUT THEY ARE HUMBLE AND WILLING TO LISTEN, SO WE'RE DEFINITELY GONNA TRY AND PUSH THE ISSUE A LITTLE BIT, ESPECIALLY WITH THE YOUNGER ONES. I WON'T EVEN GIVE YOU THE NAMES CUZ THEY'RE TOO CRAZY, BUT IT IS THE SIDDIQUI FAMILY. ANYWAYS, WE GOTTA GET HEADING OUT BUT LIFE IS GREAT...I LOVE THIS GOSPEL SO MUCH AND ESPECIALLY LOVE MY FAMILY. I KNOW THAT THE LORD LOOKS OUT FOR EACH OF US WHEN WE DO WHAT HE ASKS OF US, ESPECIALLY THE LITTLE THINGS...HE'LL BLESS US MORE ABUNDANTLY THAN WE CAN EVEN HANDLE SOMETIMES!! I LOVE YOU ALL TONS AND HOPE ALL IS WELL...TAKE CARE AND HAVE A GREAT WEEK!!
LOVE,
ELDER BLAKE HARBER

P.S. - WE SAW THE AIR FORCE 1 JET FLYING INTO ANDREW'S AIR FORCE BASE THE OTHER DAY...IT FLEW REALLY LOW, RIGHT OVER OUR HEADS. THEY ALSO HAD AN AIR SHOW AT ANDREW'S SO WE GOT TO SEE SOME REALLY COOL AND REALLY CLOSE FLY-BYS OF THE BLUE ANGELS...BASICALLY THIS MISSION ROCKS!! :) LOVE YOU