Oh my goodness, I have gotten several Christmas cards from members of the ward and family, to all y'all... THANK YOU!
I've also heard tons of awesome stuff about the Light Up the Night and the Ward Christmas Party. I am a little jelly that I couldn't be there, but I guess y'all will just have to throw me an extra awesome party upon my arrival home. ;)
Actually this past week was the Ward Christmas Party here in Monroe, and it was great! Lots of good food and good company, it was like I wasn't really away from home.
So you asked how does my day typically go, well...
We have done a lot a service for people this past week, and I now know how to Spackle a wall, or however you call it, to make a plain wall look rough and textured.
This area is hard, and again a mission is not easy, but looking back at it right now I do not regret it. Anyway, things aren't too bad, and the weather isn't too cold! But I heard that it snowed in Jerusalem??? Holy crap! The world is coming to an end!!!
I'm so excited to Skype with y'all! President Wolfert asked that we message each other now on how exactly we want to do that. From what I know on Christmas day we are going to a members house I believe to Skype, I'm not at all sure of what time that is, and as soon as I know I will either email or send a letter to you. And I want your information so I can know who to Skype to, so like your name. Actually I don't even know how to really use Skype, so maybe dad the geek can figure that one out.
Make sure you have a list of questions to ask or things to say cause I've been told that sometimes missionaries Skype and then people don't know what to say and they lose that valuable Skype time.
“I see a wonderful future in a very uncertain world. If we will cling to our values, if we will build on our inheritance, if we will walk in obedience before the Lord, if we will simply live the gospel, we will be blessed in a magnificent and wonderful way. We will be looked upon as a peculiar people who have found the key to a peculiar happiness… Great has been our past, wonderful is our present, glorious can be our future” (Oct. 1997) Pres. Gordon B. Hinckley
I really really like that quote, I've been studying a lot on the commandments this past week and it seems that whenever any person or people follow the commandments in the Book of Mormon or the Bible, they are immediately blessed afterwards meaning that they are rewarded by God. But when people do not follow the commandments when they don't listen they are punished or they are not rewarded. It makes sense just like with any father and his kids, if your child behaves and listens to you, you reward them with something , a trip to McDonald's in my case, as I look back to my childhood. But when I as a child did not do what was right, when I said things against you (mom and dad), I was punished, and the taste of soap still burns my mouth to this day. haha
It's interesting now to see that children in this day and age have so much more knowledge than even I did ten years ago. With so much new technology and innovation, kids are able to understand iPods and iPhones more than I probably will when I get home. And there is so much garbage on the internet I worry for this new generation. Yet I know that those of us members and followers of Jesus Christ, as long as we obey the commandments and as long as we do so with a willing heart, always repenting and always changing our minds with an eye single to the glory of God, we will be blessed. We will be nourished and remembered by His almighty power.
Thanks again for the email and for being such goodly parents to me. :) Hope you have a great week!
Love your son,
Elder Black
I've also heard tons of awesome stuff about the Light Up the Night and the Ward Christmas Party. I am a little jelly that I couldn't be there, but I guess y'all will just have to throw me an extra awesome party upon my arrival home. ;)
Actually this past week was the Ward Christmas Party here in Monroe, and it was great! Lots of good food and good company, it was like I wasn't really away from home.
So you asked how does my day typically go, well...
- 6:30 - start off working out, then showering (I have my own shower with the world's greatest shower head - just sayin'),
- 7 - 8 - Getting dressed, eating breakfast
- 8 - we do our personal studies
- 9 - companion studies
- 10 - we do an additional hour of studies called the 12 week program that new missionaries start. This week I will be doing week 10, which is crazy!
- Then after we typically would go and either tract or check up on some of the contacts we have visited.
- By the time it is night we either go on a Faith Walk, where we just walk around and try to find contacts on the street, but since it's so cold now we don't really do that, or we do additional studies.
- 9-9:30 - we have to be indoors if we have a teaching appointment
- Then we prepare/plan for the next day.
- 10:30 - bed
We have done a lot a service for people this past week, and I now know how to Spackle a wall, or however you call it, to make a plain wall look rough and textured.
This area is hard, and again a mission is not easy, but looking back at it right now I do not regret it. Anyway, things aren't too bad, and the weather isn't too cold! But I heard that it snowed in Jerusalem??? Holy crap! The world is coming to an end!!!
I'm so excited to Skype with y'all! President Wolfert asked that we message each other now on how exactly we want to do that. From what I know on Christmas day we are going to a members house I believe to Skype, I'm not at all sure of what time that is, and as soon as I know I will either email or send a letter to you. And I want your information so I can know who to Skype to, so like your name. Actually I don't even know how to really use Skype, so maybe dad the geek can figure that one out.
Make sure you have a list of questions to ask or things to say cause I've been told that sometimes missionaries Skype and then people don't know what to say and they lose that valuable Skype time.
“I see a wonderful future in a very uncertain world. If we will cling to our values, if we will build on our inheritance, if we will walk in obedience before the Lord, if we will simply live the gospel, we will be blessed in a magnificent and wonderful way. We will be looked upon as a peculiar people who have found the key to a peculiar happiness… Great has been our past, wonderful is our present, glorious can be our future” (Oct. 1997) Pres. Gordon B. Hinckley
I really really like that quote, I've been studying a lot on the commandments this past week and it seems that whenever any person or people follow the commandments in the Book of Mormon or the Bible, they are immediately blessed afterwards meaning that they are rewarded by God. But when people do not follow the commandments when they don't listen they are punished or they are not rewarded. It makes sense just like with any father and his kids, if your child behaves and listens to you, you reward them with something , a trip to McDonald's in my case, as I look back to my childhood. But when I as a child did not do what was right, when I said things against you (mom and dad), I was punished, and the taste of soap still burns my mouth to this day. haha
It's interesting now to see that children in this day and age have so much more knowledge than even I did ten years ago. With so much new technology and innovation, kids are able to understand iPods and iPhones more than I probably will when I get home. And there is so much garbage on the internet I worry for this new generation. Yet I know that those of us members and followers of Jesus Christ, as long as we obey the commandments and as long as we do so with a willing heart, always repenting and always changing our minds with an eye single to the glory of God, we will be blessed. We will be nourished and remembered by His almighty power.
Thanks again for the email and for being such goodly parents to me. :) Hope you have a great week!
Love your son,
Elder Black