So, to start off, I got the Christmas card! I loved your guys´ letters. Thank you guys so much. It really brightened my week. This week was nothing but knocking doors. One of our only investigators sent us fifteen messages (no joke) on Tuesday telling us how he has been studying with the Jehovah´s Witnesses for two and a half years, and he didn´t feel it was right to just stop. So that was sad, because he prayed about the Book of Mormon and said that the answer he got was "incredible". He had a lot of potential. I hope someday he is able to make it. Anyway, so we went knocking doors all week. Rough, rough , rough. We couldn´t find any focus area, hardly any new investigators, and hardly any lessons. On Saturday, the district leader called us to remind us about a planned fast. And Saturday was HOT. We died. We lost all of the water in our bodies in about an hour. We struggled for the rest of the day. Sunday morning (still dying), we showed up to church late because we tried to bring some people to church that didn´t end up coming. As soon as we got there, however, this lady in the branch walked up with this young woman who was the granddaughter of a recent convert and said "Elders, she´s decided to be baptized next Sunday. When can you go by her house?" Not a minute later, and young man walked in, looking a little lost. When we talked with him, he said he "used to be a Mormon." What we learned after church, however, is that that meant "he went as a youth but his mother never let him be baptized and now he´s over eighteen". We really saw what fasting (fasting with a fair amount of suffering) can do. We looked at each other after church and said "We are fasting every week!"
We did have that worldwide missionary conference on Wednesday, and I think the new schedule and the key indicators are really inspired. What I didn´t like that much was push from the mission president to kind of deny that factor of "more time to rest" that Dad mentioned in his letter to me. The mission president has always been lik The rest of the multizone we had was also good. I learned something very, very, very, VERY interesting at the multizone. I´m friends with this other Elder (he´s so trunky. He came up to me at lunch and asked "So what are you doing after?" to which I responded "Well, I´ll go back to my area, probably try and find some new investigators," and he said "No I meant after the mission." Anyway) and so I was talking to him and I said to him that I would be going home on August 1st. This Elder was assistant last transfer so he always had access to the system about departures and stuff.
And he said that wasn´t true.
He said my real date is.........
JULY 25TH!
I know, it´s just a week earlier, but still! You guys are all going to see my face in person a week earlier! It is more likely that Jack and I will be able to hang out before he goes! (And a week less to teach and baptize. Got to work faster now.)
Other interesting tidbits. So, at one of the lunches this week, we were at this old couples´ house and we asked them how long they had been members. They told us that the missionary that had baptized them was in fact ORSON SCOTT CARD, author of Ender´s Game! (and I just confirmed right now that he did in fact serve in Brazil and they probably aren´t making it up.) I thought that was pretty crazy.
So one of the things I´ve noticed for a while is how important the message of the Plan of Salvation is to the apostles and the first presidency. When I got here in the mission, this was the "overlooked" lesson, the "difficult to understand" message. But a lot of talks over the three (3!) General Conferences from when I´ve been here, the missionary transmission, and something from the scriptures has really shown me how vital this is to the missionary work. Listen to this, from Alma 22.
12 And it came to pass that when Aaron saw that the king would believe his words, he began from the creation of Adam, reading the scriptures unto the king—how God created man after his own image, and that God gave him commandments, and that because of transgression, man had fallen.
13 And Aaron did expound unto him the scriptures from the creation of Adam, laying the fall of man before him, and their carnal state and also the plan of redemption, which was prepared from the foundation of the world, through Christ, for all whosoever would believe on his name.
14 And since man had fallen he could not merit anything of himself; but the sufferings and death of Christ atone for their sins, through faith and repentance, and so forth; and that he breaketh the bands of death, that the grave shall have no victory, and that the sting of death should be swallowed up in the hopes of glory; and Aaron did expound all these things unto the king.
15 And it came to pass that after Aaron had expounded these things unto him, the king said: What shall I do that I may have this eternal life of which thou hast spoken? Yea, what shall I do that I may be born of God, having this wicked spirit rooted out of my breast, and receive his Spirit, that I may be filled with joy, that I may not be cast off at the last day? Behold, said he, I will give up all that I possess, yea, I will forsake my kingdom, that I may receive this great joy.
16 But Aaron said unto him: If thou desirest this thing, if thou wilt bow down before God, yea, if thou wilt repent of all thy sins, and will bow down before God, and call on his name in faith, believing that ye shall receive, then shalt thou receive the hope which thou desirest.
17 And it came to pass that when Aaron had said these words, the king did bow down before the Lord, upon his knees; yea, even he did prostrate himself upon the earth, and cried mightily, saying:
18 O God, Aaron hath told me that there is a God; and if there is a God, and if thou art God, wilt thou make thyself known unto me, and I will give away all my sins to know thee, and that I may be raised from the dead, and be saved at the last day.(...)
What did Aaron teach Lamoni here? This is the plan of salvation! This is the "why" of everything! This is the reason! It is to vital. To have a testimony of the plan of salvation is to have a testimony of Christ´ and Heavenly Father´s abounding love for us. Search this things so that they be made know unto you. I love you all. Have a great week.
Elder B. Blaylock
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