An out pour of the Spirit happened!

An out pour of the Spirit happened!  The people here have been so receptive, so open to talked to us. I learned that the Lord really works in mysterious ways! So all this week the heat as been intense, but even then the people here go out and work hard night and day. This makes it hard for them to keep appointments even when they strive to do so. So me and my companion prayed after our plannification for a way for them to have a day off and off we went to teach.  The day was still hot and as we went along something amazing happened.  We found some friends of a member and they talked to us about missions and why we serve them.  That led to a full discussion, that led us to a lesson.  As we closed and prayed it started to rain out of nowhere! Everything I had got wet. We hurried along the streets, still trying to make it to appointments and no luck, but the amazing part is, thanks to the rain blocking many streets, the Lord led us to others that needed us.  As the rain had stopped them from going to work it helped us to be able to teach them and set baptismal dates for them.  After those lessons, the rain ceased and we understood that the rain wasn't there to stop us but to guide our way.

Sometimes we think that many things stop our progression and that the obstacles ahead are there to make us miserable, but its till the trial of our faith that we see that those things make us stronger and that if our paths have changed, it is only because God had better plans for us. I can testify that as we see things not like the natural man but as daughters and sons of God, we will turn outwards to face our trials and uplift others instead of turning inwards to try and escape the world.


Elder Blanco

Goodbye MTC... Hello Bolivia!!!

Goodbye MTC... Hello Bolivia!!!

These past weeks have been crazy but I have seen the wonders of the world! The MTC was a blessing! I have acquired a giant family and have learned so much about God and about the purpose he had in store for me.  Now I know that he had something really special saved for me.  On my way here I experienced so many things, weather and spiritual as well.  Utah was freezing!  It snowed all week!  It was my first white Christmas. On my way to Bolivia, I met a bunch of members both active and non active, which I got to share my testimony and why I wanted to serve. It truly changed me.  When the inactive told me it was destined for me to sit by them for they had experienced God answering their prayers, I felt so happy that God used me to help them. The people here in Bolivia are amazing, humble, loving and most of all want to get to know God.  This week I got the opportunity to baptize a family of 4.  Their testimony radiated such an intense light!  I was blessed to have been part of this special moment for them.

I love all of you and miss the 5th ward so much!
Elder Blanco

Elder Blanco with President and Sister Willard

Greetings from the MTC!

So this week has been full of amazing experiences!  I got called to be a district leader! I have a great district and an amazing companion.  I have gained a bigger family now of over 1200 missionaries. This week we had the Christmas devotional which we saw Uchtdorf!  It was such a blessing, such a huge impact on me, because he said that God has given us Wings to Fly.  I couldn't help but to feel a huge sense of joy for I said in my testimony that I wanted perfect faith to get my wings and hearing him just made my heart rejoice and my conversion in the gospel was magnified.

I leave on Dec 14 and I cant be more excited as I see now that God has so many righteous soldiers ready for the most important and most rewarding war. I know it will be hard, but we have spiritual weapons that will help us be victorious.