Elder Matt Armstrong

A nice update from Elder Blakemore this week!

Hello Gents and Ladies.  This week has been a little better.  We have been teaching a lot more. (well not a lot compared to Dayton, but...)  Somehow it is a lot easier to stay busy when you are one bike.  It's like, if your decide to go out at all, you are bound to stay out all day.  Luckily as a missionary, you are the most motivated to work in the morning because you have been sitting around for almost 4 hours eating and studying.  We also live on top of a giant hill.  My goal is to be able to bike up without stopping to walk before I leave here.  It is way fun to go down in the morning though!  Haha!  I passed a car one day going down the hill.  It made me feel good.  :)

Our members have a big screen TV and dish network so we were able to watch conference with them.  I LOVE General Conference.  Some people say that if you know that the Book of Mormon is true, then you know that the whole church is true by extension and that we have a prophet today.  For me, that is not a logical progression.  I have always believed that we have a true prophet but I have never sought that spiritual witness because... i dont know why.  Anyway.  when Thomas S. Monson was telling us in the AM Sunday session that we can be happier people if we love and serve one another, it hit me like a brick.  He wasn't unfolding any new doctrine, explaining any deep principle, but was, as the prophets of old, asking us to repent and become more like our savior.  While he was speaking, the thought popped into my head, "He is a prophet!"  After I thought that, the spirit rushed in and confirmed to me that it was true.  This man is a prophet just like Noah, Abraham, Moses, and Joseph Smith.  He has received revelation for what we need today.  In this busy, selfish world, God has told his prophet to call us to repentance and to go the extra mile to show our neighbors that we love them.  This pure love of Christ is a gift that we must ask for.  But as we ask, we need to exercize our faith that Heavenly Father will grant our desire for more charity in our lives.  We need to go out and practice being kind and loving to those around us and soon we will find that that love that we have asked for from our Heavenly Father will burn inside of us.  I have felt that love for those around me.  I know that this is the second great commandment.  I know if we keep the first great commandment to love God, that it will be a natural desire to love those around us.  I love all of you and I thank you for your support and love.
Love, Elder Blakemore

PS  oh yeah, I have a bike.  It's not new but it's really nice.  It's an $850 that a member worked down from $400 to $350 for me (it's from his buddy from work).  Sweet deal!  I even threw in a Book of Mormon.  This bike is much better than the bike that I was borrowing from another missionary.  Mmmhmm. I'm excited to be on bike, even though we have to climb that huge hill every day.  The lord has been extending blessings this past week.  Remember that whenever the Lord blesses you, the first thing we should do is get on our knees and thank him.  He loves to hear appreciation for what he does for us.  I love being a missionary!!  It's so awesome!