"The Best Way to Spread Christmas Cheer is Singing Loud for All to Hear"

FELIZ NAVIDAD!!!

It was a fantastic week full of Christmas magic and service and fun!

We had our mission Christmas party this week and it was so fun! And took up all of our day, but SO worth it! President Hanks talked to us about what we can give the Savior for Christmas this year in the mission field but I think the question is valid for everyone! What will you give the Savior this Christmas season?

We also watched Ephraim's Rescue. I highly recommend it to everyone! I loved it! He was just so willing to drop everything and help where he needed to. And he was so humble, he recognized that he had flaws, but he just kept trying. He is a great example to us all!

That night we went to visit one of our investigators. She is by far one of the most prepared people I've ever met and is the one that takes this decision the most serious. She even went onto lds.org and went through the gospel topic list alphabetically and wrote down and studied all the things she didn't know and wrote down questions she had. Who does that? Only the most amazing lady ever :) We had a great lesson with the bishop and his wife, and another member. It was quite the party!

But the best part comes later. Her baptismal date wasn't until the 25th of January and we talked to her on friday and she said that any doubts she had before were completely gone now and she feels at peace and knows that this is the right decision. And she is worried that something is going to happen to her before the baptism because of how hard Satan works so she wants to move the date up! It was so good to hear and we are SO happy for her! It is a Christmas miracle :)

We had the opportunity to work in the toy room at the soup kitchen place that we volunteer at. So basically what we got to do is take a shopping cart and the mom with the paper that had their kids names and ages on it and we got to help them pick out presents for their kids! It was so fun! We just talked to them and got to know them better and what their kids would like and made sure they didn't go crazy, but these entire buggies and garbage bags were FULL! The work that this cooperation does is incredible. All of the toys were donations and they have both new and used toys, books, puzzles, games, clothing, stuffed animals, bikes, dolls, the works. It's legit and it was such a blessing to be able to take part in helping people have a very merry Christmas. It was really eye-opening and just makes you realize that we can't take anything for granted. 

We have been busy busy busy this week being little Christmas elves. but not like these ones...

             (don't y'all just love our zone leaders? they're fantastic)

The 12 days of Christmas is well under way and we have yet to be caught *cross your fingers* 

It's so fun to spread Christmas cheer, but especially when it's anonymous. Let it just be known, I LOVE surprises! :) 

We did a little training at District Meeting this week on finding. Definitely our favorite thing in the world, but we do what we can. And what we've found this week is the importance of just being out in public as much as possible and letting your presence be known. You never know who's watching and seeing your bright shining example :) 

President Hinckley said, "Do you want to be happy? Forget yourself and get lost in this great cause. Lend your efforts to ehlping people...stand higher, lift those with feeble knees, hold up the arms of those that hang down. Live the gospel of Jesus Christ." 

Ultimately, we have been finding success through service. And it truly has made us HAPPY! Maybe we don't have a million investigators, maybe we're not teaching lessons 24/7, and maybe we aren't the best at finding, but we sure can help people! And we are working hard at it. This time of year has blessed us so much to be able to just be nice to people and help them feel loved :) It's the best! And we are willing to take what ever opportunities come our way, but we're not depressed in our efforts of just "going about doing good"

In fact, one of these service opportunities led us to making snowflakes in a restaurant. (don't worry, we cleaned up the mess) I was told very blatantly that I should never get married because it will only end and that the ring doesn't mean anything and that you will never be happy if you do because it has become a government institution and they will try to get you for all the money they can get and how you can't control the actions of others.

Oh boy. By the way...he's a baptist. I don't know why, but the people down here love to make it clear what religion they are and that they have no intentions of ever changing that, regardless of what they actually believe. 

As we so clearly learned in Relief Society yesterday, it's so important to be "subject to kings, presidents, rulers, and magistrates, in obeying, honoring, and sustaining the law" (12th Article of Faith) #stillgot'emmemorized

So lesson of the day, respect the leaders of the country, but keep the laws of God first. His commandments will never fail you :)

And last, but not least, we had another baptism! Destany, the sister of the girl who got baptized last week! It was so fantastic and this girl has a million dollar smile! She is just adorable and has already been such an amazing missionary! There was so much support from the ward as well and it is so fun to see all of the young women welcome them so warmly! 

Our Christmas chain is down to 2 already. My, how the time flies! I hope all y'all have a very Merry Christmas and remember to think of our Savior, Jesus Christ and His everlasting love for each one of us!

Wishing you the best and lots of holiday cheer!

lots of love,

Hermana Blackner

"Just 9 days Left!"

I am just lovin' this Christmas season! So many fun things happening every day!

So things have been crazy busy and I kind of forgot to talk about some really important things last week... Like how I ate tongue tacos. Yeah, definitely the weirdest thing I've ever eaten in my life. and it didn't taste bad, as long as you didn't actually think about what you were eating. I have officially been inducted into hispanic culture.

This week was fantastic! 

First of all, Iesha got baptized! it was pretty much the best. It was so fun to see her beautiful smile on the stand yesterday after she got confirmed and saw everyone welcome her to the ward. I just love seeing other people be happy :)

I also finished the whole standard works this week! And let me just say that I love the scriptures SO much! And I got it all done by December 11, one day before my 6 month mark. Don't know when that's going to happen again. But I can say that my testimony of the Savior increased dramatically and I am so grateful for the opportunity that we have to read the scriptures whenever we want and learn about the things that our Heavenly Father has given us to be successful in this life.

We started the 12 days of Christmas this week. We didn't have any solid investigators that we wanted to do it for so we went to this gorgeous street of homes that were built in the early 1900's decorated beautifully for the Christmas season and we just picked a random house. The suspense and surprise of it all is what makes it so fun! And we're hoping that we will get some new investigators out of this :)

Going to the temple this week was absolutely amazing! I can never get enough of being there! Plus, I think the spirit is extra strong with so many missionaries :) And it was so weird to have to drive an hour and a half instead of just 20 minutes like when I was in Birmingham. I did get to stop by there on the way back though and it was so much fun! I miss it, but I'm so grateful to be here in Decatur as well!

This weekend we had the opportunity to go up to Huntsville for the big Nativity Festival. It was incredible! And I loved every minute of it. Plus, I was so grateful we got to go because I have missed the one at home for the past few years since I've been at school. But we listened to an amazing concert, went through the live nativity at least 10 times, saw all of the nativities and quilts, found the 12 hidden sheep, talked to lots and lots of people, and were on our feet for 8 hours. It was so festive! 

I'm super excited to do more service this week, hopefully find some new investigators, go to some Christmas parties, have another baptism, and probably some crazy adventures mixed in. 

Remember the real reason for the season and have an awesome week!

con amor,

Hermana Blackner

" 'Tis the Season "

Can you believe it's Christmastime?? I absolutely LOVE it.

It's been a whirlwind of a morning. President Hanks called us at 7:30 and said he was taking all the Decatur missionaries (there's 6 of us) to breakfast and that we needed to be ready and be at the elders apartment at 8:15. Scramble to get ready and go! Stress to the max.

This week Hermana Johnson and I were busy being little Christmas elves. We are planning the 12 days of Christmas and we are SO excited about it! Spreading Christmas cheer like nobody's business. Because...we have the best message on earth about our Savior, Jesus Christ! 

In attempt to understand what it would feel like for an investigator to stop smoking, Hermana Johnson and I have decided to do the unthinkable. Yes, we are giving up all treats, candy, pies, sugar, for the holiday season. I know. We're crazy. And let me tell you, it is SO much easier when you have someone by your side doing it. We've been saying no to so many good things. But it's definitely all worth it. 

Our zone has entered the wonderful world of Harry Potter and is working towards the house cup this transfer. The Decatur missionaries are Hufflepuff and we are definitely winning this. Points for getting home on time, baptisms, contacting referrals, giving out book of mormons, doing service, teaching lessons, ALL the good things. This will definitely be a December to remember. At zone training, we focused on literally wearing the name of Christ and what that means to each of us. It was a faith promoting activity and really allowed me to reflect on then name I bear and who I am representing.

To me, it's a constant reminder of who I want to become and that as I learn of Him, I can be more like Him. Our nametags are worn right by our hearts because of the love we have for Him, that's why we're out here spreading the good news. It's a reminder about the trust He has for us, to give our all every single day, to live worthy of bearing His name, to walk in His footsteps. There is so much importance to a name and that of all the names that are close to mine, it's that of Jesus Christ.

Substitute the words in Helaman 5:6-7 from them to Him 

As far as the work goes, we are constantly talking to everyone we see. We don't have too many progressing investigators at the moment, but we are definitely planting lots of seeds. This morning we talked to a man who was under the impression that we worshiped "the golden statue of a man wearing a suit on top of the church(temple)" FALSE. And then reminded me about what happened when Nebuchadnezzar built a golden statue. Don't worry, kind sir. Our salvation is not on the line. Oh, proselyting in the bible belt. Gotta love it.

The two sisters that we've been teaching though are doing fabulous and the one is getting baptized this week, so that's exciting! They absolutely love coming to church and all the young women are so sweet to them! I love seeing the gospel change lives. The best part about Iesha is that she just stopped drinking coffee cold turkey. And she pretty much thinks it is the greatest thing on the planet. She wants to throw all the coffee in her house away (if her mom didn't drink it) and thinks that hot chocolate tastes so much better. That's what I'm talkin' about!

Well the festivities have just begun and these next few weeks are jam pack full of amazing opportunities to celebrate the birth of our Savior. Tune in next time for a review of going to the temple, attending the festival of nativities, a baptism, and probably some many more unexpected adventures. 

I am a mormon.I know it. I live it. I love it.

Feliz Navidad!

Hermana Blackner

" 'Tis the Season "

I can't believe that it's almost CHRISTMAS!

Alabama is freezing. Well at least in a skirt it is.

My last day in Birmingham was a whirlwind. We were teaching lessons every hour from 11-9. It was ridiculous! I wish the planner could look that good every day. What a blessing to have worked with so many amazing people for the past 4 1/2 months. I will miss it dearly! I almost walked out of there without any tears.

Well being in a new area is kind of like starting your mission all over again. I definitely feel like I have things more under control, but this has been the SLOOOOOOOOOWEST week of ma life. However, this transfer is gonna be legit. Basically, Sister Johnson and I got this confirmation about why we're supposed to be here and we are so pumped about getting the work goin' here in Decatur. Seriously, the place needs some enthusiasm and some baptisms. 

I pretty much love Hermana Johnson SO much already! Match made in heaven. We just laugh all the time and are just so pumped about the work. And everything just makes sense with us. #21yearoldmissionaries There are 3 sets of missionaries in our ward. Talk about overkill. But it's not too bad because there's us, the sisters, spanish speaking elders, and english speaking elders. Divide and conquer right? It's a fun group though! 

Thanksgiving was good! I got to meet some of the members of the ward and we did some planning and then we got to help a family decorate for Christmas! I played the piano while all the elders avoided watching football and  tried decorating the tree. It was a blast!

We taught these girls yesterday about tithing and fasting because it was fast sunday and then we re-set a baptismal date with them. One of the girls wanted to get baptized on her birthday which is the 15th, a sunday. We then brought up the idea of getting baptized on the 14th and receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost the next day. Best birthday present ever! The Holy Ghost is such a blessing in our lives and guides and directs us as we live worthy of it. 

I'm super excited to be here and really looking forward to getting things going! What a blessing to be a missionary, especially during this Christmas season. 

Life.is.good.

con amor,

Hermana Blackner

Mary's new companion Sister Johnson 

here's our sketchy mailbox. thank goodness i have a reliable one now! 

only the best district in the mission! 

 Sister Rich 

Sister Thomas. pretty much my mission grandma. She's the cutest! 82 and STILL working!

"I Know That My Redeemer Lives"

This was definitely a week of miracles. How grateful I am for Heavenly Father's constant role in our lives and how He truly guides this work.

I felt like this was one of those make it or break it weeks. As a companionship we had to do some reflecting about the people we're teaching and their progression. We've been teaching them for so long and me, being the loyal person that I am just want to keep loving them and teaching them and spending time with them no matter how long it takes for them to get baptized and then Sister Madsen brought up how sometimes we're just planting seeds and how other missionaries can pick them up in the future. Ahh...it's a struggle because all of these people just have so much potential! But here's how it all went down...

Tuesday night we had our last appointment with Mike. Actually Robert invited the Elders over and they brought another member so it was quite the party. And the lesson went AWESOME! Actually, it made me feel really inadequate. but it was all good because it made me realize how we all have individual strengths and how we need to each use them to help share the gospel. And some of the things that Bro. Rich said just really clicked with Mike. He was like, "It all makes sense now!" Perfect! So we'll just put that little scene on pause and pick it back up in a month or so ;)

Next was Joe. We were talking to him on the phone on Tuesday and after we got done with our lesson he said how grateful he was that he was sitting on his porch that summer afternoon and that we stopped to talk to him. He said how much we've influenced his life and how he really has seen a change and that this gospel couldn't be wrong because the sisters that he's met are just so Christlike. tears running down my face. Seriously, it was the sweetest thing I've probably heard my whole mission and was the evidence that the atonement is real and that people do change. I am so So SO grateful to be a part of this marvelous work and to be an instrument in the hands of the Lord.

Well we went to go see him on Wednesday and the man bought $80 worth of cigarettes. Are ya kidding me? You're supposed to be getting baptized next week! Plus, you need that money for like food so you don't die. HELP! I pretty much had a heart attack. Well, he said that he would stop after all those ones were gone. I asked him if we could throw them away or if he had the receipt and we could just return them haha! but nope. Then I said, "Maybe we should pray about it." So we said a little prayer even though he didn't really want to because he already knew what Heavenly Father was going to tell him to do and he wasn't ready to do it yet hahaha! oh boy.

But we've pretty much had daily contact with him and he's been improving SO much! He's slowly, but surely quitting and he's just been reading his little heart out and he's committed to keeping all the commandments and when he came to church yesterday he was just so happy! And he bore his testimony about how everyone was telling him not to come, not to learn about the mormons but how he knew that it had to be true because of all the teachings and the people that he's met. And that he was so glad that he didn't listen to any of them. What a strong guy. The Elders were like, "so Joe is uh...pretty solid." Yes he is! And he's come such a long way. So this week we will be doing lots more preparing and the baptism will be on Saturday. Sooo exciting! :)

Also, one of the most spiritual experiences we had this week was with Celsa. She all of a sudden because super busy and could never come to church and we just didn't know what the deal was because her family was so ready to get baptized! Well...almost. Anyways, we finally went over this week and she was the only one home. I didn't really know how to bring up the whole thing but we started with some small talk and then eventually the whole religion thing came up.
Ok side note.That probably sounds ridiculous given the fact that we're m.i.s.s.i.o.n.a.r.i.e.s. But sometimes it's easier said than done to bring up religion. 

So basically it turned out to be the greatest blessing that she was there by herself because she was able to really open up. We were basically going to go in there and tell her how we would have to drop them if they didn't keep their commitments. Little did we know, but her mom had brought in the big guns. Not only did she move in with them, she also invited the prayer group from the catholic church to come over once a week. Apparently we're leading them astray...false. So Celsa wants to keep learning but she wants to do it as a family and she wants her husband to learn more because he wants to, not just because she's asking him to and then all these other things about both of their parents and school for Bella and finding time and so many obstacles in the way of them trying to do the right thing. I just felt awful the whole time! Not only because I have never experienced that but because I wish that Satan didn't work so hard to make life difficult for people. Hermana Madsen and I were able to bear our testimonies though and talk about how we could really help her along the way and how ultimately Heavenly Father will bless her as she has this desire to do the right thing. We were all crying because it's such a hard situation! And it could take years for them to do this! Oh, and she brought up how she had been thinking a lot about how I tried to give them a baptismal date in November...awkward haha! That didn't go over well but obviously it made an impact and I think she knows it's true and that it should've been something that they could have been working towards. And that's where we just trust in the Lord's timing. And where we shouldn't give up on people because she never know what's going to happen. The spirit was definitely present and it pulled us back. How grateful I am for its guidance!

There are many many more things I could say but time is short. To close, I just want to say that I know that Jesus Christ is my Savior and that He LIVES! I am so grateful for his atoning sacrifice and I know that it is the only way by which we can return to live with our Father in Heaven. I am grateful for the opportunity that we have to change and to become more like Him. I know that he appeared to the Nephites here in America and that the Book of Mormon is true. There really is a power in that book and I know that the spirit testifies of its truth. I am learning so much by serving a mission and know with all my heart that the gospel of Jesus Christ is true.

Have a fabulous week! :)

con amor,
Hermana Blackner

"Happy Fall Y'all"

Happy Fall Y'all!

That's my favorite line of the week :)

aaannndddd.....HAPPY VETERAN'S DAY! Everyone l.o.v.e.s. their country down here in the South. 

This week I feel like I got to see it all. Baptism, zone training, appointments that fell through, the ghetto, ministers, old people, young people, awesome progression, baptismal dates, cold and warm weather. It was a good one. 

Over and over and over again I am reminded at how much the gospel blesses lives. Robert got baptized this weekend and even though he wasn't even my convert, it may have been one of the most exciting days of my mission!!! We've been waiting for this day for a long time! And yesterday, he got the priesthood and a temple recommend. so unreal. I am beyond excited for him and his future! As I told him...this is only the beginning. 

People can change. The atonement is real. And ordinances done through the priesthood help us to return to our Father in Heaven. Amen. 

The holiday season is upon us. We went to a shopping center to go contacting this week and every department store had all their Christmas decorations up and some even had Christmas music playing in the background. #waytooearly 

Let us at least enjoy Thanksgiving for a while. GRATITUDE is an important virtue.

BUT. I'm excited for all the festivities because it gives us all the more reason to talk about our Savior, Jesus Christ.

We had an awesome zone training this week. By far, one of the best we've had. We moved around to different rooms in the church for each topic that we discussed. One of the coolest things was about relying on the spirit and testifying about what you do know and how it's ok to say "I don't know" sometimes. Just what I had been praying for and wanting to have some direction in. And it came into good use this week. 

We were teaching Carol and we actually saw her a day later than we were planning on because she was sick. So we go over and she's telling us all about how she has no money and how she's been pawning things and looking for a job. And how stressful it is to try and come up with money and budget and everything else. I just sat there feeling awful! And then all of a sudden it came to me that the owners of our apartment complex had just told us that morning that they were looking for a manager/cleaning lady and other workers who were bilingual and that we could send anyone to the office that was looking for a job. 

It was like an aha! moment. We then got to talk about how the spirit brings things to our remembrance and how the Lord really is in the details of our lives and that if we would've come yesterday we wouldn't have known about the job offer and how things just work out how they are supposed to. How awesome right?

Our ability to listen to the spirit can always be improved, but I'm so grateful for the opportunity I had to have the spirit prompt me and how I was able to bless someone else's life. 

I went on an exchange this week with Sister Isaak. We had a blast! One thing I love about being a missionary is all the amazing new friends I've made. We immediately hit it off and enjoyed the whole day talking each other's ears off and teaching the gospel. Things just flowed. We were able to testify, the spirit was present, there was unity, and we had FUN. I learned so much from her and I felt like I was being successful. My strengths were able to shine through and we were able to help each other grow closer to our Savior. My faith was definitely strengthened by her. I was reminded of how much people sacrifice to serve a mission. And how there are people who have these incredible stories and motives and situations that they are dealing with in the personal lives, but they put it all aside to serve the Lord and just trust that he will take care of it all. What a blessing to come in contact with such people and to have them influence my life if only for a day. 

The school teacher came out in me this week as we taught the J's. We talked about Heavenly Father's creations and all that he has blessed us with. Then we made butterflies out of celery, peanut butter, chips, and pretzels. It was a quality activity and Sarah LOVED it! She also told us how much she loves Heavenly Father and church. She really does take it all in and it's so fun to watch her learn. We then read some stories out of her bible storybook and did some coloring. It was the best! 

I told Serena that we missed them at church on Sunday and she said that David has agreed to go to church with them!!!! My heart leaped inside of me for just a minute. And then she continued...as long as it's not the mormon church. Awesome. Well, that made things real awkward. But it's ok, because he's coming around and he's definitely getting baptized someday. It's been a long journey, but there is so much hope for that little family. 

Well, I've been working on this email for way too long so I will close. I know that we are all children of our Heavenly Father and that he has so much in store for us. As we live the gospel and continue to strengthen our faith, we will be happy :) 

Have a great week!

con amor, 

Hermana Blackner

"Embracing the Season"

Well it just keeps getting better!

I think I'm getting to the point where missionary work becomes exhausting though. By the time it hits 9:30, I'm done for.

SOOO many good things happened this week :)

Probably the most exciting thing of this week was Joe. When we went to see him on wednesday he had read 20 chapters in the book of mormon! It's like impossible to get some people to read one verse and this man was goin for dayssss. We reviewed restoration, taught most of plan of salvation, and invited him to be baptized. And guess what...he said YES!!! :) So Joe should be getting baptized on the 17th! I'll bring him back up later.

My favorite analogy of the week is this:

Sooo, we're all like pumpkins. We're all different shapes and sizes and very unique. But Heavenly Father loves us individually and we all have infinite worth. Our purpose here in life is to become more like our Savior so we can return to live with God. So throughout life, Heavenly Father shapes us into who we need to become by taking all the yucky stuff out of us as we repent and change and then he carves us. And it hurts sometimes and it's not always fun, but the end result is incredible! Pumpkins get put on a porch for the world to see with a light inside them. And we can be the same way. As we reach our full potential we become a light unto the world and can be an example to all those around us :)

HAPPY HALLOWEEN!

Speaking of which...it was a day to remember.

Last day of the month so that means...
No money.
No miles.

Struggling missionaries.

We had an appointment with a lady that lives probably 6 miles from our house. We asked the zone leaders just to make sure it was safe to ride our bikes today and they said yes so off on our bikes we go! It was quite a blustery fall day and I let Hermana Madsen go first because she had the gps.
Things were going well and it was just your average bike ride. I pretty much remembered how to get there and I knew that we were supposed to take this turn.
So I yelled "HERMANA!" at the top of my lungs but of course she didn't hear me and on down the hill she goes. And I had no choice but to follow her.
When I finally get her attention, she asks if we were going the right way. I was quick to say NO. At this point we're still a good 5 miles from her house and we can either go back up the hill we just came down or we can go around. I was already done at this point and didn't care as long as we got there. We called to tell her we would be a little bit late.

An hour and a half later and feeling like I want to die, we made it.

We had an awesome lesson with her and I really didn't want to ride back and she offered to give us a ride, but we decided to press on. Never again in my life. We finally make it back to our apartment and Deantra comes to pick us up for our next appointment. However she can't stay so we tell her that we'll just walk back. Yup. 3 more miles uphill walking against the wind. so.much.exercise. On our way home we texted the zone leaders and asked them if we could have 20 miles for the day. They immediately responded and said "yeah. go ahead!" Well you coulda offered earlier elders...

We just had one appointment left and then had to come home and do weekly planning anyways. But I suppose there was a reason that we had to do some character building that day :)

Yesterday was probably one of the best sundays by far. We were standing at the door welcoming people to church and in walks Alejandro. It's always a pleasure to see him :) And also JOE! In his white tennis shoes haha! I seriously almost started crying I was so excited! There's just something about seeing people change and keep their commitments that brings so much joy. I can't even handle it. Later on he told us how he got cold feet right before and almost called us to say that he couldn't come. I'm so glad he fought through it and made it.

Right after him, our new friend Mike walked in! This was a complete miracle because we heard he wasn't coming because he had to work. Well he said he figured some things out and was able to make it. It was a huge testimony builder to me that those who have a desire to be there will do whatever they can to make it happen. Mike actually lives with a member of our ward and he's just one of those honest seekers of truth. We had a couple lessons with him this past week and they both went really well. He's been told some interesting things so we're trying to unconfuse him but I'm super excited about his progression!

We had an awesome testimony meeting. So many members bore their testimonies about their conversions and how it totally changed their lives and how the gospel has blessed their families (including Nicholas!) and the spirit was definitely present.

Fall is definitely present here in the south. It seems like this week the trees started to pop in color and with the beautiful sunshine and falling leaves, it's quite a lovely sight. It makes me want to rake a pile and jump in it! Or to step on some and hear them crunch. And I've been enjoying apple cider this week and carmeled apple suckers :) Plus, we got an extra hour of sleep so that was nice!

It was an awesome week and there are good things to come :) The church is true, the book is blue!

con amor,
Hermana Blackner

"Birmingham Has My Heart"

Can I just start by saying how much I LOVE these people?! There were so many moments this week where I just couldn't even imagine life without all the new friends I've made here!

This week I realized that our teaching pool is...slim. It's not for a lack of people, it's a lack of people not answering their phones and their doors. But I guess that's what happens when you baptize all your investigators haha! I guess things fluctuate in areas so if y'all have any good finding ideas. hit me up. We did try to put an emphasis on member present lessons this week and it was awesome! Seriously, every member of the church should offer to have investigators in their home and just go out with the missionaries for a night. It makes a w.o.r.l.d. of difference! For real though. Hopefully those numbers are going to continue to go up each week.

So it's the end of the month and that means we're running low on miles which means that we have to bike which means that our bums get really sore and we don't get to teach as many people. BUT. It's also good exercise and sometimes we run into people on the street and get to talk to them. Or the sister training leaders just happen to drive by and have rice krispy treats and they gave them to us for working so hard! Yay us.
So we just happened to show up at someone's door and the Elders were already there (this happens all the time) and so we just had a big group lesson haha! Anyways, they see our bikes and are like...did you know your tire is on backwards? And then they start to look at it and then they start listing off things that are wrong with it. Awesome. So they just whip some tools out of their backpacks and start goin at it. Then they wanted to know if we were planning on ride a lot that day. Yes...haha! So then they sent out a mass text to the zone about our activity today and made sure that all sisters bring their bikes so they can fix them all up. Yes, it's all our fault haha! Thank you Elders.

We visited a really sweet lady this week. Essie P.  She has so many health problems, it's ridiculous. However, she has so much FAITH. I told her that I was so impressed with how strong she was and how she still has such a strong testimony even though she can't even go to church right now. And then she looks at me and says, "Honey, what choice do I have?"
She is determined. And she will never give up because she says she will not become some useless lump on a log so she tries to stay as active as possible. She is awesome!

So this week we went over to the Bradt's and made dinner. I love that family! We made pancakes and bacon. All the kids were so willing to help! Cameron makes the best cinnamon sugar toast. Alexsia loves bacon. Pretty sure she almost ate the whole plate. And we had some fancy hot chocolate and apple cider. Plus cake and ice cream! It was awesome. And then we played the jeopardy game I made. It seriously makes me so happy when we play it with all these kids and they know the answers. They really are paying attention and are learning the gospel :)

Probably the best day this week was wednesday when we went to the trailer park. Of course Alejandro was a big highlight. That man is rock solid. He keeps sharing these awesome testimonies with us! And today he read the whole introduction to the book of mormon in english and I read the whole thing in spanish. We're doing awesome haha! It's super fun to do this bi-lingual thing :) Then we taught Joe. Yeah, remember Joe? The very first guy I ever taught in Alabama. Well, that man is progressing. He even cleared off his porch a little bit so you can actually see the wood at the bottom. And we called him yesterday to check up on him and he actually read the book of mormon! This man has huge potential. It still makes me laugh though. I'm teaching a man who has no money, is missing teeth, and still does yard work for his ex-wife. What a crackup. But the important thing is that he has a desire to change and we are helping him get there one step at a time. We decided to just walk through the trailer park and we taught quite a few lessons. I was just talking to everyone! And it was freezing cold, but I felt super accomplished. There is definitely a lot of potential in there and on the plus side, it's like a mini mexico :)

Well, my companions are learning slowly but surely that e.v.e.r.y.o.n.e. loves to make fun of Hermana Blackner. I don't even have to say a word and someone finds something to say about me or how my companion needs to keep me in line. Sometimes it gets a little bit ridiculous, but it does add some humor to our day I guess. I'll just take the fall for the amusement of my companions, how does that sound?

The trunk or treat SOOO great! It's been a while since I've been to one but I loved it. The kids were absolutely adorable! Oh my cuteness. You can bet that I was taking pictures galore. The youth set up this haunted maze. They made me go through it and I was terrified. Seriously. Screaming the whole way through. I don't do scary things haha! The best part must have been the Armstrongs though. Guess who they dressed up as...Elder Oslapas and Hermana Wong. My companion came back!!! haha! And Bishop loves my signature "hands on hips" in pictures so he thought he would try it out as well.

We taught Lawrence this week about the priesthood and about the strength of youth pamphlet. It went so well! I was with Hermana Isaak and I'm pretty sure we would be dynamite companions. Also we had a mom and son in our ward there and they bore these awesome testimonies. Unfortunately Lawrence didn't make it to church but it'll happen when it's supposed to.

Sorry this email is so late. We had an awesome zone activity today. P-day clothes all day was fantastic and I got to play some basketball. It was a quality day. And then we went to visit Sister Grant. She says, "Don't be discouraged when someone doesn't answer a door. It's Heavenly Father's way of letting you know you're not supposed to be there." I will definitely be keeping that in mind!

Happy Halloween and make it a great week :) I love you all!

~Hermana Blackner

"Leave it all Behind"

Hello!

Well it is officially fall in Alabama. And when it hits 60 degrees, the people start bundling up like it's 20 below haha!

The biggest news of the week of course was transfers. Like without Hermana Wong is different, but my new companion is super sweet! Hermana Madsen is from Las Vegas and has served in a spanish branch for the whole time she's been here, 8 months. So pretty much we're gonna hope that I'm fluent by the end of this transfer. haha just kidding...but wouldn't it be nice?

There were 217 missionaries at transfer meeting, the biggest one yet. And President spent 18 hours trying to figure it all out. What a big project!

The Elder that just got transferred into our ward is awesome too! He is spanish speaking as well and he has VISION! He's been out for quite a while and has all these great plans and is super energetic and ready to get things done. He says that in the next 5 years, there will be a spanish branch in Birmingham. Well looks like we have a lot of work to do, given the fact that we have z.e.r.o. hispanic investigators haha!

The beginning of this week was filled with lots of goodbyes. It was like wash, rinse, repeat. Go to a house, teach a lesson, take pictures, the talking continues, and then finally goodbye. But the last lesson I taught with Hermana Wong was one of the best ones yet. We were teaching Robert and Nikki and had planned to teach about eternal marriage but didn't really know how it was going to work out. Well it naturally came up in our conversation at dinner and by the end of the lesson, everyone was crying haha!  We basically all just shared our testimonies and why eternal marriage was important to us. We talked about the examples of our parents, our dating experiences from the past and the steps that we needed to make in order to accomplish our goals. The spirit was so strong and it was awesome to be able to talk, as 4 young adults and share how the gospel has blessed our lives and what we are going to do to make this important decision. Obviously for Nikki and Robert it will come a lot sooner but I guess it's always a good reminder.

This week I had the opportunity to be BOLD. It's always something I wanted to do and felt like I needed to do because what do I have to lose right? But it's a lot easier said than done. However, with a new transfer comes change and a new beginning and I was ready to embrace it. So because I know the area, know the investigators, know the members, and everything else I kind of had to take charge even though I feel like I don't have very much experience. And it was kind of empowering. It was a testimony builder to me that I CAN do this and that because I have the name of Jesus Christ on my nametag, I can do all things. I was talking to people in the store, I was offering to help people, I was calling all these less actives and trying to set up appointments, I was explaining things and testifying and who knows what else. And I realized that through it all, I'm becoming the missionary that the Lord needs me to become. And maybe this transfer will be a growing one. I know the expectation won't be 7 baptisms every transfer, so I will just have to keep working hard and be the best sister missionary I can be! And what I learned from doing all this is that this is what it means to serve the Lord with all your heart, might, mind, and strength. Because I was so focused on trying to plan things for the next day/week, I didn't have time to think about anything else! My mind was constantly being turned to each investigator and their needs and how I could help them. And more importantly, how we're not going to go over our miles for the month haha! But really, it's been an eyeopening experience and there is so much more work to do!

Another highlight of the week was that Lawrence came to church!!!! I could not even contain my joy and excitement that he finally made it! And afterwards I asked him how it was and he said it was so much fun! Ahhh that kid is golden. So be prepared for a baptism in a couple weeks :)

And never in my life have I ever been so grateful for all the knowledge I've gained of the scriptures. Maybe it was just my love of learning, but religion classes, sunday school, seminary, parents and teachers, yeah y'all did a good job because I have been saved so many times in lessons because I know the scriptures. Let's just say my companionships would be at a complete loss if there wasn't some basic level of understanding between me and the investigators. These people know their stuff. Welcome to the bible belt :)

Anyways, the work is moving forward and we are focusing our goals on working with the members. Member present lessons are going to become a daily occasion. And it's starting tonight :) Till next week!

con amor, 

Hermana Blackner

"A Father's Love"

I'm sure y'all are waiting for the day when I say that it's been an awful week, but that just hasn't happened yet!

 

First let's start with transfers. So we got a text saying that they would be making calls starting at 8. We didn't go in till 9 but still hadn't gotten a call. We planned, got ready for bed, and still no call. I wasn't feeling very well so I told Hermana Wong that I was closing my eyes but that she could wake me up if we did get called. Well I ended up having a great night's sleep without getting woken up. We had waited all day for that call and...n.o.t.h.i.n.g.

So in the morning we texted the Elders and asked if they got called. They said yes. So then we called them and they told us to just be patient and wait it out and they wouldn't even tell us if they were being transferred or not!

We were also supposed to text the district leader about it so we called them and told them we didn't get called. In the middle of our conversation the assistants called so we told them we had to take it.

So the assistants said that they pretty much forgot about us. Awesome. But they proceeded to tell us that we would both be staying!!! We were completely shocked because President had pretty much already told us what was going to happen at our interview. But also kind of excited at the same time because that would mean another 6 weeks and working hard and getting stuff done.

We called the district leader back and told him the good news. Once again, our conversation got interrupted because the assistants called back. They said they had made a mistake and that Hermana Wong would be leaving and that Hermana Blackner would be staying. I guess6:45 in the morning is just a little too early for them to be thinking straight haha!

Basically, it was just a lot of unneeded suspense and confusion but it's all figured out now and I will be getting a new companion on Wednesday!

And until then, we have been/will be taking lots of pictures and saying a lot of goodbyes. I'm not ready for that day to come yet.

 

Nicholas got baptized on saturday! Yes, 10.12.13. and it was probably one of the most spiritual baptisms I've ever been to. Read 1 John4:19. It's all because of a father's love :) And in 366 days, we will be going to the temple with the M's. :) It's a dream come true!

 

 

One of the best ideas from our zone training this past week was baptism calendars! So pretty much you make a calendar and put important events like church, appointments, etc., doctrines you are going to teach, and homework. And it all leads up to their baptism date! So it really helps the investigators to stay on track and since we teach so many kids we figured we could give them a sticker every time they do their homework and accomplish something! Pretty awesome! It must be the teacher in my coming out, but I thought it was the best idea ever haha!

 

We got a mtc referral last week and it was sweet. It basically said that Linda wants to join the church. You better believe we called that one right away! So this lady has a niece that lives in Palmyra. And she has told Linda a lot about the church. When we go over there, it was not what we expected. Linda and her husband Gordon know the bible like the back of their hand. Seriously, we were getting into every little detail and I'm pretty sure they talked for 3/4 of the hour and a half that we were there. By the time we left, my head hurt. We only got through like half of the restoration but they were so excited to share all their knowledge with us and have been to jerusalem twice and all that good stuff.

My problem is that I can keep up with the conversation so I just want to share all the great knowledge that I have back with them and talk about the bible and everything. But that's not what I need to do. I'm supposed to be testifying and speak from the spirit. So there's our new investigators for ya :)

 

I learned this week that whenever you are feeling down about your life and how things are going...Just read Job and then be grateful for all the blessings you do have and then follow his example and never lose your faith in the Lord :)

 

So on Wednesdays we go and teach Alejandro in spanish and then the elders come and teach him in english. This past week we were teaching him lesson 5 and talked about missionary work and how he can share the gospel with his friends or the people he works with. Later that night, we saw the elders and they said that Alejandro went out teaching with them for like 5 hours! We're not sure how the whole language barrier thing worked out or how he really felt about it but it was awesome that he just jumped right in and we still think he's the most amazing person ever!

 

Two more things...

 

First, let's just talk about how lucky I am to have been companions with Hermana Wong. Seriousy, the longer we've been together, the better it gets. We are unstoppable and we know how to have fun! Our motto is GO AND DO. It's the answer to all our problems and is how we get stuff done. We have seen so many miracles and have experienced so much together. One thing that they don't really tell you about missions is that you have the opportunity to make some of your best friends! So even though our time together is coming to a close, we are already counting down the days till 1) we get to be at the sealing together 2) we get to be in utah together! Good things to come...

 

Second, I just wanted to say how grateful I am for the priesthood and also the influence that fathers have as the patriarch of their families! It seems like we've been learning a lot about the priesthood recently and how much it really blesses our lives. Also I've been thinking a lot about how essential fathers are to their families and how they lead and guide them. Yesterday I had the opportunity to hear two fathers pray with us and their families for the first time. One, who just got baptized and received the Aaronic Priesthood, and one who will not even read the book of mormon. Two totally different situations but it has been amazing to see the changes that both of these families have been making and that in the Lord's timing, miracles really do happen and these fathers understand how the gospel can help make their families even better.

 

I'm excited for what's ahead and as always...absolutely LOVE being a missionary :)

 

~Hermana Blackner 

" October 12, 2013 "

Well. Let's just say this was the most amazing week EVER!! I will try my best to give a play by play.

 

I'll start with the title of the email. In case you were wondering, Nicholas M. is getting baptized on that date! Him, being the logical man that he is, decided that 10.12.13 would be a great date because there are 10 commandments, 12 apostles, and 13 articles of faith. So that's what we're rollin' with. Also, mark your calendars for October 15, 2014 because the M's are going to the temple to be sealed for time and all eternity with their family on their ANNIVERSARY! I cannot wait for that day :) The dress is already picked out and it's going to be amazing!!!

 

On tuesday, we had interviews with President Hanks. I love that man! We had a great time talking and it was just all around good! We also went to stop by the Southern Museum of Flight to see if there were any service opportunities for us. Not only do they need a lot of help, but the guy was really friendly (in a businesslike manner) and gave us all the information we could ever ask for and even gave us a free tour of the museum! The whole time we were just wondering what we got ourselves into but we are super excited to help each week and hopefully have some good gospel conversations with the employees there.

 

On wednesday we taught Alejandro more about the priesthood since he will be receiving it next week! We also started to teach him english with the elders. He. is. a. PRO! Seriously, he picked up on it so fast and his accent is awesome. Pretty much Alejandro is the best!

We also had the way sweet lesson with a lady named Tavia. We were waiting at the library for a computer to do media and she comes in and then starts to get impatient and then says that she needs help with a job application but she doesn't have time to wait. So she asked if we could follow her to her house to help her. She said she was harmless and before I could really comprehend what was going on, we were out the door and in the car on our way to her house. Totally spir the moment! So I sat at the computer and tried to figure out the whole thing. Seriously took me forever. Meanwhile, we're having this great gospel discussion and let me tell you. Miracles do happen. Because she has this crazy religious family and she said that normally if she would have found out that we are mormons she would have kicked us out of her house. But we ended up having this great discussion about her being a daughter of her Heavenly Father and how she can use her talents to bless others and about the difference between our church and other churches and I think that in some way, we really did help her out that day.

 

Thursday was pretty much the bomb.com. Hermana Wong is amazing and wrote me the sweetest card and decorated my door with sticky notes. They were hilarious! We rode our bikes for exercise that morning to a doughnut shop that was SO good! And she even made me wear a party hat. It was embarrassing. Then we got ready and did all of our studies and weekly planning and then we went out and taught for 3 hours. We saw Deantra and worked out her schedule so she could come to the temple with us. We also went to see Lawrence. That boy is GOLDEN! The first thing he says to us is, "I'm so glad you came today!" Yes! Made our day :) He was going to New Orleans for the weekend and was planning on reading the book of mormon in the car with his cousin.

 

Then we came back and Sister C. picked us up for the temple! We could not even contain our joy because we were beyond excited all.day.long. We had been waiting for this day for weeks! The spirit was so strong as soon as we walked into the temple and the smile couldn't get wiped off my face when I saw Alexsia, Martha, Emily, and Deantra sitting in the waiting room. Our dreams are coming true! Our converts are making it to the temple!!! I was one happy missionary :) The temple president was talking right to them and said how they'll always remember the day they first went to the temple kind of like they always remember when their birthday is (kind of ironic, right?) Well, the whole night was fabulous and I just never wanted to leave. It was so peaceful! It was also so special to be able to do a family name while I was there. Bishop was the one doing the baptisms and being the jokester that he is...on the last name I did he held me under for a good 10 seconds and then whipped me back up! Unbelievable. He then proceeded to wish me a happy birthday! I think everyone was so surprised that he actually did it and we were all laughing. But trying to be reverent too of course! It's a Birmingham Ward tradition to go to Chick-Fil-A afterwards so that's what we did! Bishop spoiled us and it was a great night! When we got home, pretty much all the missionaries in our zone called and wished me a Happy Birthday! I got sung to many, many times. It was fantastic! And it was so nice of all of them to remember! I can't even begin to describe how I felt that day. Besides the fact that I didn't get to talk to my family, it was definitely one of the best birthdays I've had. And now I'm 21! Still can't get over that one, but I guess it's exciting to be getting older, so I will just embrace it :)

 

And then conference was the icing on the cake! The week just got progressively better and better! For the first time, I felt like I was fully engaged and had prepared myself and had questions and didn't have any distractions and didn't fall asleep and really it was just all around great. It was so awesome to watch it from a missionary perspective and to get insight on how to really help the people we're teaching. And there are so many things I want to go back over and read. It really does work! Your questions can be answered and I am so grateful for that testimony builder that I got this weekend.

We watched the first session at Carol's and it felt like every talk was speaking right to her needs! Seriously, it was all being handed to her on a silver platter and then when we talked to her about it after, she still rejected it all. It put quite the damper on the day, but it's ok. She still has a lot of faith and has a really strong testimony, just isn't willing to make the commitment.

The second session we watched at the church and an investigator family that just moved from another area came! They are so awesome and even though we had only known them for one day, it felt like forever! We can't wait to teach them more and help them on their road to conversion!

Sunday was fabulous as well and it was pretty much just us and the Elders chillin' at the church haha! We saw Deantra at work that night and she said that she just felt the spirit telling her that she was for sure going to Utah! We were like jumping up and down for joy! And she even picked a date that she is going to go out there. Her mom told her to pick out a wedding dress here because she's probably going to end up getting married out there hahaha! And she is just so rock solid and is really good at listening to the promptings of the spirit. I am so grateful for her example!

 

It was an exciting week and I am one happy, happy girl! It's going to be another busy week, but I am so pumped about everything that we have in store. It could be the last week that Hermana Wong and I are together so we're gonna make it a great one!

 

~Hermana Blackner