p i c t u r e s

"the church right now is as historic as the book of mormon coming forth"

Hola mi familia!

 

Well it´s been another fantastic week at the CCM! Thanks so much for all the dear elders. They are the BEST! It's always a good day when you get some mail :) And I love hearing about what's going on at home. I seriously am clueless as to what's going on in the world. But I don't feel like I'm missing anything either.

 

I guess I'll start on last friday. We got to meet our mission president!!! We met with all the missionaries in our mission. There are 11 of us here at the CCM right now. 9 sisters and 2 elders, all spanish speaking. There are 250 missionaries in the mission and only about 40 of them are spanish speaking, only 10 are elders. I already love President and Sister Hanks SOOO much! They are amazing and so much fun. They were cracking jokes the whole time and we so nice to all of us. They were shocked when they opened their call as well and kinda feel like they're in the same boat as the rest of us, they have no clue what's goin on haha! Our mission scripture that President Hanks wants us to memorize is 3 Nephi 5:13. It talks about being disciples of Christ. The other two scriptures he shared are 2 Nephi 31:20 about being steadfast in Christ and having love of God and all mankind and 1 Chronicles 28:20, be strong and of good courage. Just do it. I am super excited to get to Alabama! 

 

It has been amazing being here with all the mission presidents and having general authorities and apostles on campus all week. Being a part of the broadcast was an absolutely amazing experience and I'm so glad we got to sing in the choir. Watch the broadcast and look around 2:40 and you'll be able to see me. Sister Page is on the end with her short hair and a green shirt on and then I'm the fourth person in with a blue shirt on. I've never been so close to all the apostles before and it was so fun to have them wave at us. The spirit in that room was overwhelming and I will never forget that day. We met a mission president going to Australia and his wife. They were telling us all about their family. Whenever we talk to a mission president they always testify to us about something and start to get emotional. It is such a blessing to be a part of this historic time. Also yesterday on the way back from gym, this mission president stopped me and asked if I was in the choir. I said yes and then Hermana Torgersen stopped to wait for me and he asked her as well. He then talked about how great it was that we were able to do that and that at their meeting that morning with Elder Perry he said that the time in the church right now is as historic as the book of mormon coming forth. Can you believe that?!

 

Because of the mission president's seminar we have been having all our meals in the gym. I might have to say that it's better than the cafeteria. The other night we had steak, baked potato, salad, roll, and corn on the cob. Right up my alley for sure! And I love getting BYU creamery ice cream! It's the best :) We've been playing volleyball outside every day for gym and it is so much fun! We have gorgeous weather and it's a blast to be with our zone. We lost a district this week and we also gained a district of 8 elders.

 

The spanish is coming along. I understand mostly everything now and can get by in a lesson without notes but there is still so much to learn! And we need to practice speaking more. But it's funny how some words just come naturally especially when we're writing in our journals and stuff haha! We just met our new teacher who was on vacation, Hermano Ralphs. Definitely felt like I was back on day one at the MTC but that's ok. It will all be fine! He just speaks super fast and isn't as loving and forgiving as Hermana Eyring haha! Plus, I don't think I've heard him say one word in English. And he won't let us speak any english either. He doesn't "understand" us. But I know it will be for our good and that it will really help us to progress.

 

It sounds like you've been having a lot of fun at home! Jealous that you got to go to the mariners game! And I love the idea of writing your testimonies in the book of mormon and giving them to people! I thought it was so awesome how the whole broadcast was exactly what I was talking about in my farewell talk! Have the members keep our schedules full haha! And it was awesome that we've already been doing church tours, no one else had really heard of them before. And I hope that maybe I'll get to write on a blog in the mission. I miss writing on mine a lot!

 

Oh, another thing about the broadcast. Remember when Elder Nelson interviewed Neill F. Marriott? She came to speak in relief society my first sunday here! She is so funny and we absolutely loved her conversion story. And she has a southern accent so that's kind of fun too :) For devotional on tuesday this week, Janice Kapp Perry came to speak. She seriouslly wrote all my favorite primary songs! We sang this awesome medley of them and I loved it! Her and her husband are quite spunky and it was an awesome devotional. She also just rewrote the lyrics to As Sisters in Zion that we sing a lot here at the MTC. It's all about sister missionaries. I'm going to try to learn all the words before I leave. But it's now a part of the new efy medley and so we sang that at the end. It was beautiful!

 

Hermana Torgersen and I have started making a list of everything we have in common. We are also already invited to each other's weddings. I just love her so much and I am so grateful to have a new best friend! We really want to stay together in Alabama! Our district is amazing and we have SO MUCH FUN together! We really are like family and have grown so much over the past two weeks. Hermana Eyring said she has never laughed so much with any of her other districts. Basically that means we're the best :)

 

I have been taking lots of pictures recently. Thanks for the reminder mom :) So our temple time is at 7 am on p-day which is so fun because it's the very first thing we do when we wake up. I absolutely love the temple but the sad news is that it's closed the whole month of july so this was our last time :( But basically our whole zone was in there together and we took some pictures aftwerwards so that was good. I learn so much every single time I go and am grateful we get to go!

 

Thanks for all your love and support! Till next week!

love, Hermana Blackner 

"i love being a missionary"

Woo-hoo! It's finally p-day! Last week, we thought it would never come but this week has gone by so fast! I feel like there's so much to tell you but I absolutely LOVE the MTC! It has been an amazing experience so far! Thanks so much for the DearElders! They are the best because they are same day delivery. Our district leader checks the mail at lunch and dinner so send a quick one if you ever have time.

 

To answer some of your questions...

Eating has been good. Super similar to the Cannon Center at BYU. Not bad at all! It is kinda weird eating 3 meals a day though. I'm not really used to that haha! And our meal times are super weird. Breakfast is at 6:45...yeah whoever said missionaries wake up at 6:30 was kidding themselves. We've been waking up between 5:40 and 6 E.V.E.R.Y morning! Lunch is at 11:20 and dinner is at 4:20 so right around bedtime we get hungry again haha!

 

I definitely feel like I'm getting enough sleep but that might just be because I'm being blessed. We get so tired throughout the day and then when we're finally in our beds it's hard to fall asleep. But if we finish journal writing or whatnot sometimes we can go to sleep at little before 10:30.

 

It was SO nice of the Hartman's to let us send the picture on Father's Day! We ate dinner by them and it was fun to see them. So my companion is the tallest one, Hermana Torgersen. I absolutely love her! We have so much in common and we get along so well. She is from Gilbert, Arizona and is the oldest of 4 girls. She went to a year at ASU before her mission so she's 19. She's a dancer and took two years of spanish in high school which has helped us out a lot. The Elders say that we'll be able to get into any door because we just stand there and laugh when we don't know what to say. Our teacher said they'll probably just think we're crazy.

The blonde is Hermana Huber from Idaho. She went to 3 years at Utah State and is 3 months older than me. She is the most sweet and friendly person you'll ever meet! She is super motivated and has us do these really intense workouts with her during gym. We have a goal to be able to do 100 pushups by the end of the 6 weeks and then challenge the elders. After one week, we can do about 30.

The one with the short hair is Hermana Page originally from Wyoming but her family lives in Provo now. She also went to BYU and she is an adventurer. She is like the definition of living life to the fullest. Whenever she wants to do something, she just goes and does it! She went to Spain like last month for a week just because she wanted to. She has done everything from skydiving, to having a pet cameleon, to going to the ER 9 times. We love listening to her stories!

 

We get 60 min to email which is super nice and I'm trying to hurry because I just have so much to tell you! So fun that school's almost out! I bet the boys are thrilled! Did the band decide where they want to go next year? I wish I could have been there for the concert! Also look for me at the Broadcast on Sunday! I will be in the choir and I am so excited to sing right in front of the prophet! They have some really intense rules for what we can wear that day so I think I'm gonna wear my pink short sleeve shirt and my black skirt. And I'm gonna curl my hair. It's gonna be awesome!

 

I don't really remember what I told you in my letter from the first day but I'll share a little bit about my first week. So our teacher is Hermana Eyring, President Eyring's granddaughter. We love her so much! She is so kind and patient and loves to laugh with us and is a fabulous teacher. She went to Argentina on her mission and is going to be doing her student teaching internship this next year teaching first grade! We have class every day for like 6 hours so we spend a lot of time with each other. And 90% of it is all in spanish! It's amazing how much Heavenly Father blesses us with learning the language and how we are called to a spanish speaking mission for a reason. On friday, just two days after we got here we taught our first lesson in SPANISH. It was a very humbling experience. There was just a lot of awkward staring and silence but it's all good! We taught the next day too and I thinkSaturday was maybe the hardest day yet. I came back to the classroom after we taught and felt so awful. Our investigator was talking about how he didn't want to be with his family forever because they aren't normal and they aren't happy and how he feels lost and thinks it's too late to change. It was the most frustrating thing to sit in that room and understand everything he was saying and knowing exactly how to help him but not knowing how to say it. But he invited us back and we just think that the only reason is because he must of felt the spirit. So when Sunday came, it was just the thing we needed.

 

Everyone says make it to sunday and I didn't really know why, but it is so true! You don't have to worry about language or teaching or anything. Just about being spiritually uplifted and remembering why you're here as a missionary. And since then time has just flown by! Those first few days were long and really every day is long, but the week goes by so fast!

 

So our branch is pretty much THE BEST! Our branch presidency is absolutely amazing and I am so grateful for them! They run a tight ship but it really does help us to be the best missionaries we can be and to mature and grow while we're here. All the other missionaries in our zone are awesome too! They are so nice and helpful. Probably the best thing about being a new missionary, everyone wants to help you haha! So sacrament meeting is all in spanish. I led the music and I had no clue what I was singing, but I did know how to keep time haah! Sunday school is just with your district and relief society is with every sister in the MTC! It is so awesome! We watch Music and the Spoken Word which was on Father's Day. It really made me think about what an awesome dad I have and how grateful I am for him! Seriously, you are the best and I am so grateful for your example! Then there is a guest speaker. This sunday it was a counselor in the new Young Women's General Presidency. She has a southern accent and she gave a great talk. We went to choir and were so lucky to snatch a spot to sing at the broadcast! Devotional that night was awesome as well and was broadcasted for the first time in history from the west campus. We then went to watch The Character of Christ. It was a devotional given by David A. Bednar at the MTC a couple Christmases ago. I don't know if it is available, but if it is you need to watch it! It is seriously life changing!  This week we have just been learning a lot and teaching and practicing spanish. It is so awesome to be here!

 

It kinda feels like I'm still at BYU but it's wonderful. I have seen SO many people I know. An elder that was in my ward has taken pictures with at least 35 other people from our ward that he's seen since he's been here. I see Kadyn sometimes too which is fun! Provo summers are gorgeous and I am definitely coming back to do another summer term at BYU haha! Sometimes looking at the mountains and the beautiful blue sky, I just want to go play! Hike the Y or go rock climbing and just lay out in the sun.

 

I am doing so well and am just so excited to be here! It is honestly everything I hoped it would be and I know that I'm doing the right thing. I love being a missionary and love sharing my testimony. I have learned so much about my purpose and the worth of souls. We are all children of our loving Heavenly Father and he wants us to return to live with him! I love you all so much and miss you lots!

 

Adios!

Hermana Blackner

MTC Drop Off

Well, Sister Blackner's journey to Birmingham Alabama began this week! Matt, Mikelle, and the kids were able to drop her off at the MTC. They had a little Zupas (her favorite)  for lunch before she headed in and then said their goodbyes at the curb. She is so excited to start her mission and we look forward to getting her first email! 

My Missionary Plaque

Alma 13: 28-29

But that ye would humble yourselves before the Lord, and call on his holy name, and watch and pray continually, that ye may not be tempted above that which ye can bear, and thus be led by the Holy Spirit, becoming humble, meek, submissive, patient, full of love and all long-suffering;

Having faith on the Lord; having a hope that ye shall receive eternal life; having the love of God always in your hearts, that ye may be lifted up at the last day and enter into his rest.