Hola from Boise// Last Week!

Hola familia y amigos!

Wow, so it's really happening. I am going to Argentina, and I can't lie to say that I'm soooo incredibly excited :) However, I have learned a lot here in Boise. It's an experience that I can never forget. I consider it one of my two "real missions".

So, for this week Elder Shade and I have been trying to be exactly obedient and to seek the Spirit more in finding and teaching. Honestly, it's hard at times, but the blessings always come. We have been blessed with many opportunities to serve members, less-actives, and non-members, and with some good potential investigators. We're still lacking in baptisms and people with baptismal dates, but as we trust in the Lord AND do our part, those will come.

Also, someone threatened to call the police on us when we tried to talk with his wife. That was fun :P

I got the early Christmas package. THANK YOU SO MUCH!!! I cannot express how happy that made me to have home-made granola balls, new music, the wallet (badly needed), and especially the photos (badly wanted). You are the best.

Ok, so travel plans. The mission secretary has all of my travel papers. Sometime towards the end of this week I'll have a final interview with my Mission President, then stay overnight in the assistants' apartment, then be driven by the President to the airport at like 4:30a.m. I fly from Boise to SLC Nov. 3, from there to Atlanta, and from there to Buenos Aires, arriving at about8:00a.m. Nov. 4. Total flying hours: basically an eternity. :P (I assume I'll probably send a short email when I get there. And I don't know about calling home at the airport again; probably not, but I'll ask and just plan to call Mom's phone the same as last time if I do get that chance.)

Anyway, I got to go and write some personal emails. I love you all. With the Lord, I'm going to make this the best week Boise has ever seen.

Les quiero muchisimo,

Elder Blake

Tacos, Exchanges, and...a VISA!

Hola familia y amigoooos!

Ok, so I know that the final word in the Subject line has caught your attention, and since you wouldn't sincerely read about the rest of my week if I mentioned my visa last, I'll do it now.

I just got an email from the Idaho Boise Mission Secretary. She says that my visa to Argentina has been approved and I will get to enjoy that extremely long flight on November 3rd (2 weeks! the end of this transfer cycle). AAHHHHH! I'm so excited; but I'm so not ready. I have so much to learn about the missionary work and Spanish. I don't have any travel details yet, but now I know that I'm going. It will be a blessing to go to Argentina, but it's also been a blessing to be here in Boise. I've learned to love a new people, a new place; this mission has become my own as well. I guess whatever is in store for me I'll just trust the Lord and do my best. And I'm grateful for your continued prayers in my regard. They always help me.

Ok, so the rest of the week. On Friday my companion, Elder Shade, and I went on exchanges with another companionship, so I was in a much smaller, English-speaking area for a day. It was fun, and a good opportunity to focus on learning the missionary life more than I normally can because of the language. 

Other interesting experience for this week. Saturday night we went to look for a menos-activo (less-active), but he wasn't at home. There was a big fiesta/BBQ going on next door, so we decided to ask if he was there. We did find him there, but before we knew it we had been handed tacos and expected to eat them (I should have declined when I had the chance). They had straight chile salsa on them...not good. I think my face is still sweating from them, haha. But also we found a great potential investigator whose boss has talked to him several times about the Church and has given him a Book of Mormon. Wahoo! 

Well, that's all for this week. I love you all. Keep doing the wonderful things you're up to and know that you will receive the blessings for them. Although it may be hard sometimes, Jesus always knows how you feel and reaches out to you. Access Him through prayer. I know it works.

Con muchisimo amor,

Elder Blake/Andrew

Week Something or Other in the Field

Hola familia y amigos!!! Como estan?

Wow, what a week. It went by super fast. It's so great to read all your letters and hear of all you're doing. And please, don't be afraid to write details :) I'm sorry if I don't always have time to respond to everything you say, but I always read and love to hear what's going on.

We weren't as "successful" as we should have been as far as numbers go. That definitely needs to improve. But this week we've tried to focus a little harder on the people behind the numbers, and that has helped us remember our purpose for being here and try harder to help them come unto Christ. I know as we have faith and continually do all that we possibly can, the people and the numbers will come.

I love the people here. Even though this is not my "real" mission, it's so cool to start feeling an increase in love for all people around me. Being motivated by a true desire to serve them and bring them the happiness of the gospel is sooo important to successful missionary work (see also pg. 10-11 of Preach My Gospel). There are a lot of Mexicans here, with some Hispanics from other countries in the mix. Even if they aren't interested or are busy, they are always friendly, like to chat with you, and will usually offer you food if they happen to be cooking. And who am I to turn that down? Haha. That happened last night when we walked up to a family fiesta/BBQ trying to proselyte, and they gave us grilled meat in corn tortillas and "sopas", which is kindof like a thick tortilla that has beans inside it and topped with lots of more beans, guacamole, salsa, queso, and other stuff that's super delicious. True Mexican food is so delicious.

My Spanish is coming. I can usually understand the general theme of what people are talking about, although the individual words can be hard to follow. And of course I still always have those moments when nothing registers in my brain :) especially on the phone, or when somebody talks in a Cuban accent. However, the gift of tongues is definitely real, and I pray that I will always be worthy of it.

Agh, I tried to add pictures but couldn't figure out how to do it. Hopefully next week.

I sure love you all! I'm grateful for you and pray for you in all that you do: family, school, missions, work, and everything else. A key part of the message I get to share is that Jesus Christ and His gospel help us in every way, every day. He helps us feel happy, overcome our weaknesses and trials, and eventually reach salvation. His power is accessed through faith, repentance, baptism/sacrament, the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end. My testimony is not the strongest out there, but I know that is true. I pray that we will all apply it every day.

Os amo muchisimo!

Sincerely,

Elder Blake/Andrew

Week 2 in Boise Spanish

Hola familia y amigos!

Hoh it's good to write to y'all once again. I'm always excited for P-Day; the only bad thing about it is that it's a day away from proselyting.

Anyway, I guess I should tell you all what's going on, and try to remember anything I might have missed in my first e-mail from the field.

OH YEAH! First my mission address. It's

1111 So. Cole Rd.

Boise ID 83701

That's the address of the mission home, and when you send letters/packages/money/apple pies/cookies/or whatever you want there, they'll forward it to me.

This week went faster and felt better than the last. I think some of the first-week-stress is starting to wear off. My trainer, Elder Shade, continues to lead me in the right direction and is constantly patient with my Spanish. I still don't know probably half of what people are talking about, but I'm getting better bit by bit. Prayer, study, the Spirit, and the gift of tongues are all very real and very necessary.

Last Monday night we had a great lesson about the Plan of Salvation with a husband and wife who are expecting a new baby. We had a member there about their age, and the Spirit was strong and peaceful. Their names are Adan (Adam) y Junuen, and they're awesome. I can't wait to meet with them again. We've been blessed to talk to many other people too, and one of our investigators came to watch Conference with us!

Something funny that happened. On Tuesday or Wednesday night a member took us to a Chinese buffet. It was sooo delicious, but I ate way too much. Not long after we were visiting homes and a member was accompanying us. We knocked on one investigator family's door, but they said they were too busy. But I, being sick from dinner, asked, "Can I please use your bathroom???" They said yes and my comp. and the member entered the home to wait for me. It took me a little while to feel better, and when I came out the others were being fed, and we were able to teach a lesson about prophets :) God works in mysterious ways, right? Haha.

Speaking of prophets, wasn't la Conferencia General awesome? I wrote down some questions I had and they were answered in many marvelous ways. There is nothing like listening to prophets of our very own in our day. I can't wait for the conference-edition Ensign magazine to come out so I can study the talks again, and I hope you all do the same, even if you only have 5 minutes a day to do it. I especially liked all that was said about how, through the love and power of Jesus Christ, we can overcome all sin, change all bad habits, find the strength to continue on when things seem impossible and our own strength is wasted. I know this is true. We access His power by repentance, faith, work; also by prayer, diligent scripture study, weekly family home evening, and attending the temple. Please do these things, as I try to do them too. They will bring us peace and success.

The final line of Conference impressed me too: "May we return to our homes with a resolve to be a little better." ~ President Thomas S. Monson. God doesn't expect perfection out of us right now. Just strive to be a little better every day.

I love you all. Thanks for your prayers; know that you have mine. God be with you in every moment.

Les amo

Elder Blake