The New Area

So I love my new area. I really love my new area a lot. I love being in the city, we talk to so many people everyday. The work is non-stop. I have to be careful to not over exert myself. I'm living the mission dream right now. I have progressed so much just in the past few months. It's so wonderful how God works and how he helps us grow in life. About a month ago I was struggling pretty hard. The Lord needed me to learn how to rely on Him and I still need to rely on Him and I'm still learning how. But once I made the choice that I would be submissive and I would do what the Lord asked He really gave me opportunities to exercise my faith.

This area is thriving with people to teach and work to do. we don't even have time to think. We literally are running from one appointment to another. Exact obedience is a blessing. Not just being obedient because I don't want to get in trouble but exact obedience because I love my Father in Heaven.

One thing that I have come to love and understand more fully here on my mission is; the Gift of Free Agency. We are given the ability to freely choose for our self in this life. What wonderful opportunities we are given to learn and grow and progress in this life. However, sometimes the choices of others bring grief and sorrow in this life. But that's why we have a Savior. Through Christ we can be free of the feelings of guilt and shame and our pains and sorrows can be washed away. In order for us to be forgiven we must forgive others. Here is a talk that I want you to read.

http://lds.org/general-conference/2011/04/what-manner-of-men-and-women-ought-ye-to-be?lang=eng

My companion taught me how to apply the doctrines that we learn here. To motivate others we need to praise their righteous attributes. Elder Jensen from the 70 told us something once. "Our faith will never over-ride some one's free agency." People are going to be free to choose no matter how much Faith we have.

Following the prophets is real. When the things we learn are applied, when we are submissive to what the Lord teaches us, things will happen.


Love
Elder Blandon

Transferred... Already?

So Martinez was short lived. I wasn't ready to leave. I feel like I never quite had the momentum that I wanted in this area. I really wanted to find some solid investigators before I left but it looks like God has other things in store for me. I have learned a great deal about my self and my relationship with the Savior these last few months. At times I struggled pretty hard and I know that the challenges ahead of me are going to be even greater, but I feel like my attitude towards the work has really changed. I always felt frustrated with the responsibilities I have been given, not because I don't want to work but because I don't want to fail. I have the type of personality that if I do something I have to be good at it. And if i'm not good at it, I don't want to do it. So when I fall short of greatness I become pretty distraught... but that's the point. Of course we are inadequate; of course there is no way we can do all that we have been asked. We are in a fallen state, imperfect creatures full of mistakes. That's why we need the Savior so much. That's why we need to be obedient in keeping all the commandments so that we can have the cleansing power of the Holy Ghost in our lives and partake of the Atonement of Jesus Christ. I know that after all that I can do Christ will make up for the rest. He is my Redeemer. I have to look at every challenge with enthusiasm and look for ways to Improve. This has proven to be pretty difficult.

Anyways, so as of tomorrow I will be serving in the San Francisco West zone covering the Sunset Singles Ward and the San Francisco 1st Ward. It's going to be a lot different than any of my other areas. I have been praying a lot and I will need your prayers as I take on these new responsibilities in my new area.

Thanks for everything!!

I know this Work is the Lords work. This mission has been great to me. I think it's blessing me even more than I realize. I'm grateful for the lives I have been able to be a part of but most of all I'm grateful for our Father in Heaven and for the sacrifice of Christ that makes all things possible. I'm very grateful to you mom and the rest of the family for all your love and support. have a wonderful week! thanks!!

Love Elder Blandon

Happy 4th of July

Happy 4th of July! I hope you all are having a wonderful summer. It's been very hot here.. but there is a nice cool breeze off the water most of the time so that's really nice.

My companion is from Tonga. It's interesting having companions from third world countries. He can open a can of tuna with a big knife! It's awesome! We are very different tho and I think he feels lonely...I feel really bad sometimes. I feel like this life style of America really takes away from his roots and the ways of the islands.. they are a simple loving people and California is so opposite of that. As the Senior companion I try to be as obedient as possible. ..exactly obedient.. so he gets frustrated sometimes cuz he doesn't understand the rules. He told me he's gonna try not to beat me up (260 pound Tongan) so that's comforting knowing that he is exercising self control. lol

For the 4th of July we set up a booth in downtown Martinez. We had a big display we got from the mission home. It says in big letters "I'm a Mormon" and it has three big pictures and testimonies of people that live in the Bay area. We passed out like 5 copies of the Book of Mormon and a bunch of DVD's and pamphlets and we talked with a few really cool people. We had some members with us down at the booth that were helping us talk to people so it was fun. Martinez is a small town tho, just a about the size of Spanish Fork, but their 4th of July celebration is weak compared to any of the Utah towns. We went to a big birthday party, (the Clelands) they had a bounce house and BBQ and sister Cleland set up a picture taking-booth with tons of dress up stuff for the the kids and such. At the end of the day we were going to meet up with our ward mission leader and head up to his mom's house (Less Active) but we ended up talking to guy named Mike just down the way from the house. He's not sure where he was born, super smart guy - just not sure what direction to take in life and ended up with out a home.

Anyways I hope all is well, I hope you got those pictures sister Cleland made. Make sure you give her a thank you letter! I have like three or four CD's full of mission pictures I need to send home...... but i will only send them home on two conditions..1) if they don't get lost 2) you have to send me printed copies of pictures of all the family activities that have been happening....... cuz I need more pictures to look at when I'm at the apartment.. i got nothin..