Blake-August 13, 2008

HEY THERE...ANOTHER ONE DOWN AND I CAN'T BELIEVE IT'S BEEN 7 DAYS SINCE THE LAST TIME I WROTE. TODAY HAS BEEN A PRETTY SWEET P-DAY SO FAR...WE GOT UP THIS MORNING AND BIKED FROM THE TEMPLE IN KENSINGTON, DOWN THROUGH ROCK CREEK NATIONAL PARK, TO THE NATIONAL MALL. I THINK IT WAS ABOUT A 10-15 MILE BIKE RIDE AND IT WAS SUPER NICE...ROCK CREEK TRAIL RUNS RIGHT NEXT TO A RIVER THE WHOLE WAY AND WE GOT SOME SWEET PICTURES. IT POPS US OUT ON THE WATERFRONT OF THE POTOMAC AND THEN SWINGS US AROUND BEHIND THE LINCOLN MEMORIAL. WE PACKED A LUNCH THIS MORNING SO WE TOOK THAT AND ATE ON THE GRASS NEXT TO THE REFLECTING POOL...THEN WE RODE AROUND FOR A FEW MINUTES AND TOOK THE METRO HOME...THERE WAS A PRETTY SHORT BIKE RIDE FROM THE METRO
BACK TO THE TEMPLE, AND NOW WE'RE AT THE STAKE CENTER NEXT TO THE TEMPLE E-MAILING. I'M PRETTY TIRED NOW, BUT IT WAS SUPER FUN...ALTOGETHER BETWEEN BIKING BEFORE, ON THE MALL, AND AFTER WE MUST HAVE GONE CLOSE TO 20 MILES...IT WAS AWESOME!! ANYWAYS, THE MISSIONARY WORK IS CRUISING ALONG HERE IN ROCKVILLE...WE HAD A COUPLE BREAKTHROUGHS THIS WEEK. ROGER CABANBAN FINALLY CAME TO CHURCH, BUT WE STILL HAVEN'T BEEN ABLE TO MEET WITH HIM BECAUSE OF HIM & HIS WIFE'S WORK SCHEDULE. WE ARE PROBABLY GOING TO TRY GETTING PERMISSION TO TEACH HIM AT LIKE 9:30 OR 10:00 PM CUZ HE'S READY TO GO. THEN WE GOT TO MEET WITH CURTIS STUART AND SET UP AN APPOINTMENT TO GO TO THE VISITOR'S CENTER. WHEN THAT ROLLED AROUND, ALL KINDS OF JUNK CAME UP AND TRIED TO GET IN THE WAY...WE WERE JUMPING THROUGH FLAMING HOOPS AND PRETTY MUCH DRAGGED HIM BEHIND THE CAR TO GET HIM THERE. WE HAD SET UP A TOUR WITH THE SISTERS IN ADVANCE AND THEY WERE REALLY PREPARED FOR HIM TO COME IN...IT WAS ONE OF THE MOST SPIRITUAL & UPLIFTING TOURS I HAVE BEEN ON. THE SISTERS DID AN AMAZING JOB AT TEACHING US ABOUT THE ATONEMENT OF JESUS CHRIST, APPLYING IT DIRECTLY TO CURTIS, AND BOLDLY INVITING HIM TO CHURCH. THE SISTERS AND ME AND MY COMPANION PRETTY MUCH HAD TO TIE HIM UP IN A PRETZEL TO GET HIM TO COMMIT TO CHURCH, BUT HE FINALLY DID. HE WAS COOL ABOUT IT ALL TOO...IT SOUNDS LIKE WE WERE FORCING HIM TO DO THIS STUFF AND SHOULDN'T HAVE, BUT REALLY HE JUST NEEDS TO BE PUSHED A LITTLE BIT BECAUSE HE'S OKAY WITH DOING IT, HE'S JUST AFRAID TO COMMIT TO NEW THINGS WHEN HE HAS OTHER THINGS HE WANTS TO DO ON HIS MIND. BUT AFTER PUSHING HIM A LITTLE BIT, HE ENDED UP ENJOYING THE NIGHT AND OF COURSE HE WAS GLAD HE WENT. IT WAS CRAZY THOUGH...THE SPIRIT WAS SO STRONG IN THERE...THE TOUR WAS REALLY MEANT FOR HIM, BUT I WALKED AWAY SPIRITUALLY UPLIFTED TOO...HAHA. THE OTHER GOOD NEWS FOR THE WEEK IS THAT STACEY AND CHRIS WOLFE ARE GETTING BAPTIZED ON SUNDAY AT 5:30 AND CONFIRMED AT THEIR BAPTISM BECAUSE THEY WILL BE GOING OUT OF TOWN THE WEEK AFTER. SO ALL THAT WILL BE TAKEN CARE OF AND WE HAVE BEEN MEETING WITH THEM OFTEN SO THEY ARE DEAD ON TRACK TO HAVE IT ALL GO DOWN SMOOTH. YEAH!! LIFE IS GOOD...I LOVE THE MISSION SO MUCH!! I'VE BEEN THINKING LATELY ABOUT WHAT IT'S GOING TO BE LIKE TO NOT BE A MISSIONARY AND IT'S PRETTY SAD TO THINK ABOUT...BOTH SCARY AND SAD...I WILL MISS IT LOTS. NEXT WEEK WILL START MY LAST TRANSFER AND I PROBABLY WILL BE GETTING A NEW COMPANION...I'M SURE HE'LL BE A GREAT ONE SO WE CAN TEAR IT UP ALL TRANSFER LONG!! I LOVE YOU ALL TONS...HAVE A GREAT WEEK AND ENJOY THE LAST LITTLE BIT OF SUMMER VACATION.
LOVE,
ELDER BLAKE HARBER