"Steadfast in Christ"

Well school has officially started and it's almost football season and things are going well in B-ham!

Hermana Wong and I had an awesome week and although it's been a little difficult to think about what to share this week, I think the biggest news is our billions of baptismal dates that we set this week haha! Not really, there's only 8. BUT guess what?! 3 of them are families and 2 of those 3 are hispanic familias!!! YAY :)

I can't believe it's almost time for transfers. These past 5 weeks have flown by and I am loving being a missionary!

We had zone conference this past week which was so good! President Hanks is the best :) It was actually a big reminder of all the many, many things that I have to work on but it was very motivating! Everyone should try using this....

THE SIX QUESTIONS TO HELP YOU THROUGHOUT YOUR LIFE:

Who What When Where Why How

Seriously. You can apply it to anything. So whenever you get asked to give a talk or something last minute, all you need is this! Take baptism for example...I'll let you do the work :)

I've been studying the New Testament this month and it is awesome! All y'all should read Romans sometime this week. There isgold in there! All kinds of good stuff!

Probably the biggest thing I learned last week was about patience and about really teaching people and their needs. In the MTC I thought I was pretty good at figuring out those needs, understanding them, and listening, but since I've been here I feel like I've been so worried about gettin ghtrough the lesson and making sure all the points are discussed. I guess I've just felt in a rush since there is always so much to do and so many people to see and so much information to learn! But we are teaching real people who have concerns and different experiences and different learning rates. So patience is important and love and understanding. It doesn't matter if you get through everything in the lesson, it doesn't matter if you don't teach straight from the pamphlet because as along as they are understanding and growing and strengthening their relationship with Christ, then you've fulfilled your purpose. It should be a discussion and they should be able to express themselves. You shouldn't be talking at them, but with them. And in addition to this, I've been trying to think of more creative ways to teach and make it fun and interesting! Especially because we're teaching so many families. It must be the teacher-to-be comin out :) And lastly, I have one job and one focus here. To preach the gospel. So i shouldn't be worried about time because I have all the time in the world to accomplish this one thing. Sometimes we have to focus on what matters most. And in this case, it's the people.

We showed the mormon message about Stephanie Nielsen, called My New Life to two recent converts this week. Two completely different families and lives, but the video still applied to both. I guess I just found it interesting that whether it's a video or a scripture or a talk, it can all apply to us differently and we can each take something from it that will help us individually. Hermana Wong and I are getting so excited for General Conference!

The lady that leases the apartments in our complex is a member of the church and she is AMAZING! Seriously one of the best missionaries I've ever met. We had an appointment with her and we go down to the office and she had about 4 other people in there with her to join in our lesson! She then asked us to go grab some book of mormons and restoration pamphlets and she highlighted Moroni 10:4-5 and bore her testimony to them and handed them all out and she is the best! We love her so much! And we need members like her all over the world helping to progress the work. She just shares the gospel with everyone she comes in contact with and invites them to come to church! She doesn't go to our ward yet but we're pretty sure she had a whole row of people she invited to come with her last week. That's how it's done folks. Let Sister Malon be an example to you all :) We are now working on getting a board set up with pass-along cards and book of mormons and such in the office so anyone that comes in can learn more about the church. And how convenient that we live just right up stairs. Unbelievable.

Well, funny moments of the week:

It was already dark one night and we went to go see one of our investigators but we had kind of forgotten exactly which one was her apartment but we knew that the one next door was a lady that did not want to talk to us (we've tried a few times before) and has dogs. So we knock on which one we think is the right door and then immediately hear barking, and we didn't know what to do so we just ran away as fast as we could! Our car was pretty close and so we kind of hid and it was a little bit embarrassing but come to find out, it was the right apartment! They just had someone visiting who had a dog. Oh goodness.

Yesterday on our way home from church, we were just driving down the street and then next thing we know the two cars in front of us (going opposite directions) both slowed down, rolled down their windows, and did a little exchange right in broad daylight in the middle of the street. Haha only in Alabama...

On our way to zone conference this week, we were listening to the song More Holiness Give Me. For some reason the words really stuck out to me. Here's a few lines:

More faith in my Savior, more sense of his care,

more joy in his service, more purpose in prayer

More gratitude give me, more trust in the Lord,

more blessed and holy - more, Savior, like thee

I guess it kind of just explained the whole reason why I'm here on a mission and outlined the qualities that I want to work on so that I can become more like my Savior. I've learned a lot about the atonement and how important it is to use it in our lives to change and how through it is the only way we can return to live with our Heavenly Father. Jesus Christ is the center of this gospel and I am so grateful for His atoning sacrifice. Read the rest of the lyrics to the song. It's a good one!

Hermana Wong and I had some awesome conversations this week about the defining moments in our lives. Kind of like the aha! moments that really make you realize who you are, why you're here, and what Heavenly Father wants you to become. I would love to hear about what you've learned from these moments in your lives. So write me letters! And fill that mailbox before transfers next week :)

I love you all and have a great week! Be steadfast in Christ!

con amor,

Hermana Blackner