Blake-August 27, 2008

WELL, AS OF TODAY I HAVE BEEN ON MY MISSION FOR 23 MONTHS...KINDA CRAZY TO THINK ABOUT. I CAN STILL REMEMBER SITTING DOWN TO WRITE MY FIRST E-MAIL FROM THE MISSION FIELD AND MY GRANDPA TELLING ME, "The first month of your mission is gone already. The next 23 will go just as fast. Use them well." BOY WAS HE RIGHT...NOW WITH 23 DOWN, 1 TO GO, I'M TRYING TO USE THIS LAST ONE EXTREMELY WELL. WE ARE WORKING LIKE CRAZY UP HERE IN ROCKVILLE AND IT IS PAYING OFF...WE GOT 2 REALLY COOL NEW INVESTIGATORS THIS WEEK WHO HAVE LOTS OF POTENTIAL TO GET BAPTIZED. ONE IS A 42 YEAR OLD ITALIAN CATHOLIC GUY NAMED MARIO, AND THE OTHER IS A 13 YEAR OLD GIRL WHO IS THE DAUGHTER OF A MEMBER IN OUR WARD. HER NAME IS CZARINA AND RIGHT NOW SHE HAS THE MOST POTENTIAL OF GETTING BAPTIZED...WE'RE GONNA CONTINUE TO WORK HARD AND MAKE IT HAPPEN. ROGER CABANBAN IS COMING TO CHURCH EVERY WEEK AND PLAYING BASKETBALL WITH US EVERY WEEK, BUT WILL NOT MEET WITH US OTHERWISE...I DON'T KNOW WHAT THE HECK HIS DEAL IS!! CURTIS STUART DIDN'T COME TO CHURCH AGAIN THIS WEEK SO WE ARE DONE WITH THAT...THE WOLFE'S ARE DOING GREAT...WE ARE GOING OVER TWICE A WEEK TO TEACH NEW MEMBER LESSONS, ANSWER QUESTIONS, AND PREPARE THEM TO GO AND GET SEALED IN THE TEMPLE. IT'S SO GREAT!! LIFE IS SO COOL RIGHT NOW...THE LORD IS BLESSING ME SO MUCH AND EVERY DAY I AM SEEING HIS HAND IN THE WORK. I'VE BEEN PRAYING FOR THAT LATELY, TO BETTER RECOGNIZE HIS HAND IN THE WORK, IN THE SMALL AND SIMPLE WAYS...BOY HAS IT WORKED!! I LOVE IT...MY COMPANION, ELDER REX, IS GREAT...HE'S FROM ST. GEORGE AND GOES HOME IN MARCH...WE ARE HAVING A BLAST TOGETHER. WHEN I GOT TO ROCKVILLE I SET A GOAL TO HAVE 3 BAPTISMS BEFORE I LEFT...SO FAR WE GOT THE 2 AND WE ARE WORKING OUR HARDEST TO GET 1 MORE BEFORE SEPTEMBER ENDS...THE LORD WILL DO IT FOR US IF WE KEEP ON PUTTING IN OUR PART. WOW, THIS TRANSFER AS A MISSION WE ARE FOCUSING ON CHAPTER 1, CHAPTER 6, AND LESSON 2 IN PREACH MY GOSPEL...THAT IS ABOUT OUR PURPOSE, CHRISTLIKE ATTRIBUTES, AND THE PLAN OF SALVATION, RESPECTIVELY...IT'S THE COOLEST TRAINING PLAN I THINK WE HAVE...I AM TRYING TO PLACE THE ATONEMENT OF JESUS CHRIST AT THE FOREFRONT OF EVERYTHING WE DO AND IT IS SO AWESOME. I AM LEARNING SO MUCH AND GETTING A BETTER UNDERSTANDING OF HOW IMPORTANT IT TRULY IS...ANYWAYS, THE GOSPEL IS TRUE...WE HAVE THE GREATEST GIFT ON THE EARTH...I LOVE SHARING IT!! JESUS CHRIST LIVES AND THE ATONEMENT IS REAL...I WISH I COULD CONVEY IN MY E-MAIL HOW HAPPY IT MAKES ME WHEN I THINK ABOUT IT ALL AND SHARE MY TESTIMONY OF THAT. I LOVE YOU ALL TONS AND HOPE EVERYONE HAS AN AWESOME WEEK!!
LOVE,
ELDER BLAKE HARBER