More Baptisms!

Before I post Matt's most recent email update, I have to confess that I somehow missed posting about an exciting week Matt had in early December!  So here is the one from a month ago:

December 7, 2010

This week was pretty good.  We had the baptism for our investigator Seoyoung (So-young) on Saturday.  It was awesome.  Her (non-member) sister came to visit all the way from Korea!  How nice!  Sunday we had the confirmation and it was a great experience.  That is probably the number one ordinance that I love to participate in.  It is so wonderful.  Also, in Sunday School, we had a member invite their friend and she is interested in taking the lessons.  It is pretty awesome.  Also, we went to a lesson with some other elders.  They had been teaching this person for a while but he lives in our area so they wanted to pass him on to us.  He is pretty solid.  He is going to be baptized.  The question is if he wants to be baptized in our ward or the singles ward. (Hopefully he will be baptized in our ward...)  He seems interested in the singles ward, though, so... oh well.

 

Our mission president gave us a challenge to read the BoM by the end of the year and to highlight all the times that it references Christ and any attributes that he has and all the words that he speaks or prophets speak in his name (Thus saith the Lord...).  It has been really fun and I love going back through and looking at all the colors.  It is also pretty fun when you get into the Isaiah chapters because all Isaiah talks about is the Messiah/Holy One of Israel.  This whole week I have had the song stuck in my head of Handel's Messiah where it goes: "For unto us a child is boooooooooooooooooooooooooooooorn, unto us a son is given.  And the government shall be upon his shouououuouououuououououououououlders.  And his name shall be call-ed: Wonderful, Counselor, The Mighty God, The Everlasting Father, The Prince of Peace."  That actually comes from Isaiah and it is quoted in the Book of Mormon.  So I sing it out loud when I am riding my bike... cuz I'm cool like that.  It is a pretty fun song.  Our members have a cd with it on there.

 

It is also great to think of how all the prophecies and promises of the Lord have been or are now being fulfilled that Nephi tells his brothers about.  A lot of the promises are being fulfilled right now in South America with missionaries.  I love it.  We have been teaching a guy that has always thought that the Native Americans were of the tribes of Israel.  It is pretty cool when you get into and really think about those things.  It shows to me that the Savior is in charge of everything.  He has promises to keep and he ALWAYS keeps his promises.  When we keep the commandments, He PROMISES blessings.  When we repent, according to the laws of mercy AND justice, he PROMISES to forgive.  When we keep our covenants he PROMISES to grant us eternal life, which gift is the greatest of all the gifts of God.  When we see what is going on around us and we look at the promises of the Lord to Lehi and Nephi and many other Book of Mormon prophets, it is evident that God is a God of integrity.  He will not nor can he lie to us.  All of the prophecies and promises MUST be fulfilled.  I find it easy to put my trust in such a trustworthy God.  He is great.  I'm so glad we have the Book of Mormon.

 

Well that is about all from me.  I love you all.  I love hearing from you and reading about what everybody is doing.  Hope everybody has a great week!  Remember the true meaning of Christmas!

 

"14. But, behold, Zion hath said: The Lord hath forsaken me, and my Lord hath forgotten me -- but he will show that he hath not.  15. For can a woman forget her sucking child, that she should not have compassion on the son of her womb?  Yea, they may forget, yet will I not forget thee, O house of Israel.  16. Behold, I have graven thee upon the palms of my hands; thy walls are continually before me." 1 Nephi 21:14-16

 

-Elder Blakemore

January 10, 2011

Hola!  Como estan?  I'm never going to leave my mission because it is too cool here.  (It has been in the 40's this week and last week it snowed!!!)  I'm getting along with my new companion, so that is great.  He is pretty quiet, especially for being out for 17 months now.  He just lets me talk.  Sometimes I just have to shut up so that he talks to people.  Much more quiet than Elder Boyce.  And much less willing to talk when I shut up.  :)  But I could have bigger problems than just a quiet companion, so I am pretty happy.

 

We had a baptism yesterday.  3 boys got baptized: two 10 year-old twins and a 12 year-old.  It was fun having the baptism right after church because a lot of people just stayed after and saw the baptism.  There were A TON of people there.  It was pretty crazy.  But it was a great spiritual experience.  Their mother is less-active but she has been coming back to church for her boys.  Some of her family was able to be there too.  I love baptisms!  :)

 

Yesterday was another one of those sacrament meetings that I talked about a couple months ago.  One of those that everything comes together and I can feel the Holy Ghost and I am able to receive revelation for the things that I am supposed to do.  I know that the sacrament is a sacred ordinance where often God can give us specific instruction and we, by covenant, promise to obey.  In return God, by covenant, promises to bless us with His Spirit which will lead us into all light and truth and knowledge and goodness.  I love it.  It is a wonderful inspired program that God has set up for us in His church.  It is true.

 

Well that is about it for me.  I love you all!  

-Elder Blakemore

 

P.S.~ My companion gave blood for the first time today with 2 other elders.  We all had to persuade him a lot because he is scared of needles.  I wanted to give blood but I don't know if I can, so I didn't.  Oh well.