Blake-July 9, 2008

TRANSFER WEEK AGAIN!! I HAVE 2 LEFT AND JUST MOVED TODAY, SO I WILL PROBABLY END UP DYING IN THIS AREA. I LEFT ANACOSTIA TODAY AND CAME UP TO ROCKVILLE, WHICH IS JUST BARELY NORTHWEST OF THE TEMPLE. IT'S SO GREAT TO BE UP NORTH FINALLY!! I'VE WANTED TO SERVE UP HERE MY WHOLE MISSION, BUT HAVE BEEN DOWN SOUTH AND IN THE CITY THE WHOLE TIME. IT WAS SURPRISINGLY HARDER TO SAY GOODBYE TO PEOPLE IN ANACOSTIA THAN I THOUGHT IT WOULD HAVE BEEN...WE WORKED WITH SOME GREAT PEOPLE AND MADE SOME REAL AWESOME PROGRESS. I REALLY HOPE THAT TIFFANY AND TIERSA END UP GETTING BAPTIZED...I FEEL LIKE THEY WILL, BUT ONLY TIME WILL TELL. WE HAD A GOOD LAST WEEK, AND THE FOURTH OF JULY WAS ESPECIALLY COOL. WE GOT TO GO OVER TO A MEMBER IN THE CAPITOL HILL WARD'S HOUSE FOR DINNER WITH THE CAPITOL HILL ELDERS, AND THEN WATCHED THE FIREWORKS ON THE NATIONAL MALL FROM THERE. WE WERE UP ON THE 8th FLOOR, RIGHT ON THE WATER IN SOUTHWEST DC. IT WAS SWEET!! EARLIER IN THE DAY WE WERE IN THE CITY FOR THE PARADE AND ALL THOSE FESTIVITIES, SO IT WAS A FUN DAY. THERE ARE SOME GREAT PEOPLE LEFT FOR THEM TO TEACH IN ANACOSTIA, SO I HOPE IT WORKS OUT. ELDER COATS GOES HOME NEXT TRANSFER (AUGUST 20) AND ELDER TRUMAN, WHO REPLACED ME, GOES HOME WITH ME. MY NEW COMPANION IS NAMED ELDER HALLMAN AND HE IS FROM ALBERTA, CANADA...HE SEEMS LIKE A GOOD GUY, BUT HE GOES HOME WITH ME TOO SO I DON'T KNOW IF WE'LL BE TOGETHER UNTIL WE DIE. HE WILL PROBABLY LEAVE AND I'LL GET A NEW COMPANION TO KILL ME OFF, BUT I GUESS WE'LL JUST HAVE TO WAIT AND SEE. THE GUY I'M REPLACING HAD ALL KINDS OF GOOD THINGS TO SAY ABOUT THE WARD AND AREA, SO I'M SUPER EXCITED ABOUT BEING UP HERE. WE EVEN HAVE A DINNER CALENDAR!! HAHA...IT'S BEEN A WHILE SINCE I'VE SEEN ONE OF THOSE... :) ANYWAYS, THE MISSION IS AWESOME. I LOVE IT SO MUCH!! I SERIOUSLY CAN'T BELIEVE THAT IT'S WINDING DOWN...IT'S KEEPS GOING BY FASTER TOO, THAT'S THE PROBLEM. I AM SUPER EXCITED TO POUR OUT MY WHOLE HEART AND SOUL INTO THIS WARD AND AREA, AND HOPEFULLY ALOT WILL HAPPEN UP HERE. I'M NOT SURE HOW SUCCESSFUL IT'S BEEN IN THE PAST, BUT I THINK WE SHOULD BE ABLE TO DO WELL. THAT'S ABOUT ALL I KNOW FOR NOW, BUT I WILL FOR SURE KEEP YOU POSTED. I LOVE YOU ALL SO MUCH...HAVE A GREAT WEEK AND WISH ME LUCK...
LOVE,
ELDER BLAKE HARBER