Coach Boone

This week's news from Elder Blakemore:

This week has been a lot busier work-wise.  Also a lot busier in general.  I'll talk about the work first.

We taught 8 lessons this week which is better than this area has seen in a long time.  Still not great, but it is better than the 2 or 3 that we normally have.  We had a lesson with our only solid investigator, Juliet, on Friday.  She has been having trouble coming to church the past couple weeks.  I didn't know if she was just making excuses because she didn't really want to go or if things really were coming up at the last minute.  Well, we got to church (at 7 :P because we are worthy enough to attend ward mtgs... sometimes i'd rather be a horrible missionary that nobody wants in their mtgs.  haha.) and were depressed that we had to wake up so early and then we saw Juliet and her 3 children sitting next to the Jenkins!  Yayyyyyyyy!!!!!!!  She is the first real investigator that has been in church since I got here.  Awesome.  Then the bad news hit me.  We forgot to mention the ward fast in the PEC mtg that we went to.  So none of the new leaders except for Bishop (We got a new bishop last sunday... I like him better than the old one.) knew what we were trying to do.  So we ask Bishop after Sacrament if we can pass the calendar around and he says no, that he wants to "counsel" with the councilors.  But that is a problem because there is only one more sunday in the month and that is also the last day of the month.  Hmm.  But we passed the calendar in the other ward and it got filled in one sunday!  So hopefully the ward that is dragging their feet end up being as diligent and faithful as the Centennial Pointe members.  Oh, and I think Juliet liked Church, so that was good too.

There is a guy who we found named Robert.  He has a son that converted and gave up a 2 year scholarship for baseball at some school in CA to go on a mission.  He was pretty angry.  But now he brags about his son on a mission.  He was also talking to a scout for Dixie State (Robert coaches baseball) just a few weeks ago and his son came up in conversation.  Turns out that this scout has seen his son play before and he offered him a 4 year scholarship to Dixie State.  SICK.  So Robert has seen the blessings of his son being on a mission.  I'm pretty sure he knows the church is true, he just isn't ready for the commitment yet which is ok.  That's what we are for.  Get him to feel the Spirit and have the faith to act.  He is way cool.  He races dirt bikes for fun on the weekends.

We had Elder Spencer Jones from the 2nd Seventy at our zone conference.  He rebuked us.  I don't want to participate in evil speaking of the Lord's anointed, but from my perspective, he was pretty overbearing and I didn't feel any love from him (or his wife) at all.  Our personalities didn't click.  He seemed like a pretty impatient person.  Our President is leaving in July and I hope that we don't get a new Pres. like this Elder Jones.  Pres. is so loving and kind and patient, I couldn't be happier with a better person to lead this mission.  Elder Jones had a lot of good things to say but I didn't feel the spirit with him as much as when I listen to President McCracken.  Oh well.  Should probably follow his guidance anyways and I'll get a good dose of humble pie when he turns out right.

We are moving tomorrow... into a member's home.  :P  The room is terribly small AND.... it's purple!!!!  And the members know all the rules and are active and the room is inside, up the stairs so we have to come in through the main entrance.  Poo balls on fire in a brown bag!  I guess we just have to make the best of it... and figure out where to put all of our stuff, especially my desk stuff.

Well, P-day is already halfway over.  Dang!  So I better go.

Mom and Dad, we had a meeting on Sunday with all the PH and the Stake Presidency.  They were talking about parenting and how to raise (esp. sons) your children with strong testimonies of the gospel so that they will go on missions.  During that, I kinda realized how great you guys are.  I wanted to brag on how good my parents were, but I didn't think it was appropriate since I had no idea what you even do to be so great parents!!  What is the secret to raising a happy family besides the gospel?  There are many families in the church that aren't as happy as ours, yet they have the gospel.  So how did you guys raise such good kids?  (besides me)

Anyway, that is about all.  I love you all.  The gospel is true and it brings true happiness.

-Elder Blakemore

PS-  There is a kid in our ward that says that I look like Denzel Washington.  haha.  So you can now call me Coach Boone.

-Denzel