Week 54 (Carmago, Mexico)

The week went well. We did a ton of divisions because it was the end of the month and we went to do interviews and stuff. So I didn’t work a ton with my companion but when we did it went well. It is pretty hot, but yeah I am used to the heat. The worst part is leaving the air-conditioned house to start the day. But it is great to have the ac because it makes it so nice to sleep.

My companion is really cool. It is going great so far, he is a great missionary. Like I said I wasn’t with him for the majority of the week because we were all over the place, but when we were together we got a lot done and it was fun.

I was kind of sad to leave my last companion and my last area but it was fine. We are teaching Perla’s mom (Rosa) and she is really open and receptive and actually wants to get baptized. This Sunday was her birthday and we brought her a cake that we had bought the day before. We brought it over and we talked with her and Perla who was visiting. The only problem is that Rosa is going to Chihuahua for a week and we won’t see her for a bit. 

People do get converted really fast but it has to do with the lord more than anything. The lord is hastening the work because like you said the time of the second coming is close. And we are in a chosen land. A lot of them do stay active because they are really prepared but every once and while they kind of waver.

The church here is under construction so we don't have a baptismal font. So we came here.

The ward is great where I’m at. Right now we are meeting in a little house because the church is being remodeled. The church here is two stories but this next week we are hoping we can switch back. The members are really great we have been working a lot with the members this last week. That baptism I sent you was from our area. We taught the guy who is a friend of some members and that kid baptizing the son of the member who is this guy’s buddy.

Not much news here but I will try and think of things that you can send me. I haven’t been able to come up with anything good so I guess I will think of treats or something that I would like.

Love Elder Blanchard

Week 53 (Carmago, Mexico)

Last Sunday at 12:00 I got a call and I was told I have changes. I am now in Camargo in Delicias. We took a bus for an hour to get to Delicias and from there another one for an hour and 45 minutes. So I am no longer with my other companion, but it was great that we had this last week together because everything started going our way.

It's hard to leave but my new companion seems cool and my area as well. I didn't see Caren get baptized, we weren't able to make it. The bus drivers went on strike so the only was to travel for a time was taxi and there aren't many taxis in Riveras because it is smaller and it was so busy we couldn't get a taxi.  

We found a mom, a son and daughter that were really cool and they came to church on Sunday with us. We got a reference this last week her name is Perla and we have been passing by with her and teaching her and she came to church with us. And I think she will get baptized this next Saturday. The work picked up and our companionship got better and my companion wasn’t down anymore and he is all better. It sucked to leave but my new companion and area seem cool.

The cool thing is that this reference, Perla, that we got this last week, came from some elders in Camargo from my new companion. Him and his companion found Perla who was here visiting her family and my companion and his old companion had been teaching them for a week. Then Perla left and came to my area and my old companion and I have been teaching her for a week. So now I will be teaching Perla's family here in Camargo.

My new companion’s name is Elder Murdoch, he is from Alpine, Utah. He has 8 months in the mission and we are both district leaders here in Camargo. I don’t know if we have different districts or if we are over the same one but I do know that the districts are spread out and that there will be a lot of traveling.  There are some in Delicias, and some in a part called Saucillo.  He seems really cool so far, seems like a hard worker and he has a positive attitude. I think that we will have a lot of success together.

Delicias is known for being really hot. I am lucky I missed the hottest time of the year and know the weather is on the decline. Our house has air-conditioning which is great or else we would die of heat. We live with two other elders because the house is really big. One’s name is Elder Bandala (he is from Mexico and only has a few months left) and Elder Hernandez but I’m not sure, he is from Mexico as well.

This last week in my district we had a few baptisms. One was at 6 am but I did the interview for the other guy that got baptized, I will get you a picture. The guy has a bag around his arm because he got mugged. The guy’s mom is a member but before he never wanted anything to do with the church, then he got humbled to be baptized.

Love Elder Blanchard

Week 52 (Riberas, Mexico)

It is transfer week, but I didn’t have changes, neither did my companion. Two elders in the district have changes, one finished his mission and the other went to a different area. I won’t find out until later who the new people are. 

The week has been slow. Not a lot of people home or any new experiences. Lots of walking and lots of heat. My companion still is a bit down he has been really quiet lately. I know a lot of his feelings have to do with the work and the fact that we haven’t had a lot of it. We spend a lot of time walking around looking and knocking for people. I guess we will see if we can get some more success going in that aspect. 

Caren actually got baptized this last week. I went on Friday and I interviewed her for the baptism and she was one of the most prepared people. Usually during the interview I have to explain a lot like detailed definitions. But she knew all of the answers perfect and was able to answer all of the questions in depth. It is cool to see that the lord is preparing people and has prepared them and they are all out there just waiting to be found.

Thanks for the advice with my companion. The hard work is what we have been lacking. Lots of walking and sun. So he has lots of time to think and get distracted by home. I hope this week we can kick it up a few notches and help him get his mind of home. 

This week we had a capacitation from President Chaves he talked about the importance of work in the building of the kingdom of god. He talked about all of the work and preparation that the Lord has done so far. He has been preparing people by moving them around and moving neighbors around so people get those seeds planted, he has been preparing the members since the time of the organization of the church for now when the prophet has announced that this is the time for members and missionaries to work together.

The lord has prepared President Chavez with the scriptures all of his life to help us become better missionaries to help the work of the lord. The Book of Mormon was worked on and prepared ever since 600 years before Christ came. The missionaries are being called at a younger age and more is being required of them because we have been prepared more. We have been preparing and learning in the pre-life ever since the creation of the earth. 

We may not have the capacity to all of those things or to do things that are even close but we have to do our part. We have to contribute to the work of the Lord. To be the most effective we have to learn to work with goals and with mini goals to achieve the bigger goals we have to lay out a plan with checkpoints to arrive at our goals.

He shared a quote from elder oaks it says:

“To believe isn’t sufficient, testify is to know and to say, to be converted is to do and to become.”

He says we believe but it isn’t sufficient because even the devils believe too, the only difference is that we don’t tremble (James 2:19) we testify as well but what we lack is the conversion. To do and to become. We should look at it like this what is it that I want to become? A good missionary? good comp.?good parent? a god? then we need to look at what we need to do. what work needs to be done. 

If you always have in your mind what you want to become, e.g. a god. getting up at 6am every day gets easier, getting along with companion is easier. Because if you can’t deal with you comp how are you going to deal with a third part of your spirit children when they rebel? 

Love Elder Blanchard

Week 51 (Riberas, Mexico)

I got to see the baptism of Javier. He was an investigator that Elder Neumann and I contacted in my last area. He got baptized this last week and they invited me to come back to my old area to see the baptism.

We just contacted him in the street one day by a gas station. We went with him the next day and taught a lesson. He said that he had been praying for help from god to make a decision to take a job promotion or take a new job in the U.S. and he said that when my comp asked if there is anything we can do to help before heading out. He said that he felt like that was god answering his prayers and saying I will help you with whatever you decide. He came to church with us that next Sunday without hesitating.

This last Tuesday I got to play soccer in the street with a bunch of kids. We started off juggling and then we played a game in the street. It was pretty fun and we got a bunch of contacts out of it. 

On Thursday I completed one year since I entered into the MTC. What better way to celebrate that with a giant bowl of cow stomach soup. It is called menudo. And the members fed us menudo this last Thursday. The worst part about it is the texture. Really slimy and slick. To get it down I ate like a million rolls. I would stuff a bit into the roll and then eat it. I bit into my cow stomach sandwich one time and by accident pulled out the whole square of stomach and it flopped right onto my chin. 

This lady that we contacted this last week named Caren, is going to get baptized this next weekend. We had just left the house and we were walking towards our area and we saw her struggling with a tank of gas to get it to her house. So we went over and helped her carry it home and we contacted her and she has come to church with us these last two weeks. 

My comp has been really down lately. I talked to him about it and he wants to go back home. Before he was a member he smoked, and here on the mission he has found that it is harder than he thought and the stress gives him the desire to smoke. He says when he smells it makes him sick but it is just the stress that gets to him. He had an interview with President Chaves today and talked to him about it so I guess we will see what happens. 

Apart from that everything is great, the area is growing and we are getting more work and finding more people.

Love Elder Blanchard

Week 50 (Riberas, Mexico)

I don’t have a lot of time to write but I wanted to at least write you something real quick. We had a meeting yesterday so I didn’t get a chance to write. So today we get to get off a quick letter.

Sorry about disappointing you guys and not sending lots of pictures but I have been doing better. 

Also I got the package that you guys sent me. It got here last week thanks for all of the treats and the ties. The books are really cool I really like the teaching tools one. The ties are great too, all the missionaries want them ha-ha. I like them a lot. I haven’t opened all of the presents but I will soon.  I can’t believe you are going into the fourth grade you are growing up so fast.

Something funny that happened to me and my companion happened the other day. We were talking to someone on the street and the guy asked how old we were and I told him I’m 19 and my comp said he is 25. The guy then asked if I was my companion’s son, ha-ha.

I miss you so much too, the time is going by so fast for me and I will be home before you know it. I will try and write you a paper letter and see what I can do because I’m not sure how to send off a letter. I will try and figure it out so I can get a letter to you.

Love Elder Blanchard