This week was full of blessings.

This week was full of blessings.  We had a live worldwide broadcast to all the missionaries that changed the missionary world. As we applied this in our area the lord blessed us with people to teach, guide, and inspire. It's amazing how God would trust such an important work to such an imperfect person like me. I know that he truly gives us strength to fight on, for it is through him that I have been blessed with this area and that I can lead his people to his everlasting happiness.

We had a ward activity that was called MINI MTC. This was made for the youth so they could see for themselves and prepare for a mission. It had great success for I saw a change in them. They went from doubting in themselves to now preparing to serve! As I served beside these amazing kids, I learned from their desire to share the gospel with others. From this desire we got 14 referrals of people awaiting the gospel! It truly changed me. In a way it prepared me for something that I wasn't even expecting, which was to train this next transfer! I don't feel I am capable of training. Its something that I'm nervous, but at the same time excited for. I will trust in God's decision, for I can't question his wisdom.  I know that as we follow his promptings and are directed by the Holy Ghost, there is no obstacle that we can't surpass!

I love you ALL!
Elder Blanco

This week was amazing, like no other I have realized!

This week was amazing, like no other I have realized!  Something changed how I saw things here. The first day here me and my companion got locked out of the house, so I took my luggage to a members and started to work.  Maybe I have said this before, but there is a point to it, when we started to preach we stopped this couple to talk to them, but then my vision went beyond them and I saw this old man struggling with a wheel barrel. My companion felt my concern, so he said."YOU REALLY WANT TO HELP HIM HUH?" and I said yes.  So we went on and helped him.  As we pushed that thing, we realized it had no wheel and our struggle went on for a few miles. We pushed as we talked to him. We thought it would be a one time deal but to our delight it as been a day by day blessing to help this man. It reminded me of the Mormon Message LIFT, which taught me the importance of transforming the things we see as burdens to see them as opportunities to bless others, as the pure love of Christ takes over us, no matter how big the load or how much time is spent on it. This place has motivated me and has made me see the things Jesus went through and to more fully understand his teachings. For here I have seen the sick, the afflicted and even those in there last moments. Now I know why the Lord would teach them, Now I know why he suffered for them and all of us!

Elder Blanco

A ward family is a huge gift from God!

So this past week was fun!  I had the opportunity to not only celebrate my oldness with my zone but to see the loving bond that a misssionary family creates. I have learned that the only way to grow is to pass through the refining fire.  It's hard sometimes here, not only spiritual but physical as well.

Sometimes I miss all of you back home to the point that I talk to investigators of how a ward family is a huge gift from God and if it wasn't for all of you, I would have been lost. I get strength by knowing that I have obtained spiritual gifts that nothing can take away.   Know that even though I miss all of you, God has promised that if I do my best and give my all to the people here, all the blessings will go back home to my family, which is all of you!  So I'm not worried because knowing this I get strength and my motivation is based on having the promise that all of you will be safe.

Thanks for allowing me to bless every one of your homes!  I can testify that a promise from God makes things so much different!  That having a knowledge of his greatness only brings us closer to one another and by loving him all other things fall in place!

Elder Blanco

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year!

Merry Christmas and Happy New Year! I am sorry that I was so late to tell you all this but things here are so different.  I cant believe how time goes by so fast!  It's scary, but at the same time I have grown so much in learning the gospel and in seeing the people through God's eyes. Sometimes we go through life seeing the shell of people and making decisions based on that but with God's sight we see the sweet fruit that is within all of God's children.  It goes from a dim light to a glorious radiating light that makes us see how blind we have been.  At least that's how I have felt lately as now I see the amazing opportunities that he gives us each day to change people's lives.

Today I found out that one of the missionaries that I was with in the MTC broke down and his anxieties didn't allow him to stay on his mission for the 2nd time.  It broke my heart. I was asking myself WHAT DO I SAY, WHAT IS THE RIGHT ANSWER?  As I broke down in tears, the only thing I knew was to pray, and as the words came to me, I only thanked him for his willingness to fight and get up and try once more and that I would always be here for him, that God had a purpose for him. Sometimes we will face storms that will brake through all our defenses but knowing that Christ gave his life for us so we wouldn't suffer lets me know that when the storm passes and those clouds drift away, his redeeming light will grant us strength and an assurity that we can get up and fight.  I know that all of us can do it and fight through all this and on our journey pick up those souls that might be under all the broken pieces and cant see that light!


I love all of you and keep you in my prayers!
Elder Blanco