Brothers and sisters the moment you have all been waiting for.....

📣Brothers and sisters the moment you have all been waiting for..... ha the moment when I went to eat at our pension and found that the mystery dish was... no other than vegetables and BEANS!! ahh!!!  But I told God I would be obedient and do and go where ever he would want me to and I did it!!!  I suffered and ate them with a gallon of juice haha.................

But on a serious note, I learned so much this week!  I learned that as missionaries we are not only set apart from the world, but we are given a power to give promises, and as we do so, if the people that we give those promises to are faithful and act upon it, they will be able to receive them.  I never thought about it until this weekend when I saw a dad activate himself in the church and baptize his two kids  Joy filled my heart for many didn't have faith that he could do it. But thanks to the promises God gave him and his family, they are now walking together on a journey that will take them to the Glory of Him who gives to all his everlasting joy!  I know families can be together forever but only through His Son's atonement. I can promise all of you if you keep on walking in his light and are leading others by the light he has given you, much will be the joy when you see many come unto Him.  This we can do and being true disciples of God and the way to be a true son and daughter of Him is given in the scriptures. I saw this in ALMA 7:22-25. I know that if you prepare yourself spiritually and read and ponder all that is said in these verses you will gain the promise that your garments will be spotless in the last days and that you will dwell in His Everlasting Kingdom of glory with Him who has loved you even before you came to be.

 I love you all and know that I'm giving my all to God!  All of you are the source of my joy and strength!
Elder Blanco

We had 2 baptisms this week and the Spirit just overtook us all!

"And they partook of the fruit and they desired for their families to partake of it also" This was what happened this week. We had 2 baptisms this week and the Spirit just overtook us all! This family is a miracle! It took one to taste the fruit for all of them to follow God. The parents are less active but now they are coming back stronger than ever! I know that this happened, thanks to the baptism of the first daughter, for she was that light that they needed to find their way home. Makes me think of all of us, like the lights in an airport safely instructing the plane to land there but also makes me see that sometimes for an unknown reason we hide our light... AND WHY IS THAT?....For when we hide our light we limit those lost souls progress. For is it not our responsibility to bring them back home to our Father? I can truly say that I have been failing in doing this, for sometimes I have had the opportunity to share the gospel or uplift someone and I didn't. But now that I am here serving, I have seen that I was guided by all of you, my family, and I don't know if you have seen this, but thanks to all of you, I truly know what being surrounded by light feels like! This is the fruit of all your love and hard work and I know that there is more out there. I promise that the Lord will help all of you achieve His work as long as you go out there, share the gospel, nurture it and most of all TRUST IN HIM!

Elder Blanco

JESUS CHRIST IS THE OLIVE TREE, THE LIVING SYMBOL OF PEACE IN OUR LIVES!

This week was amazing! My companion and I saw the blessings that come with giving our all and working hard! Many miracles poured upon us as we saw eager people willing to establish a connection with our Heavenly Father. I can see in this area that so many will be rescued and come back to his fold and many will enter the waters.

In my study in Jacob 5, I saw the olive tree and learned so much about it. How its symbolism throughout history has proved to be of great importance- being a symbol of the house of Israel and associated with peace.  I learned as I read in Genesis 8:11, when the dove returns to Noah's ark and in her mouth she had a leaf of the olive tree as a symbol that God once more was in peace with the earth. It made me realize we are all descendants of the roots that our ancestors planted. Be they good or bad, we all have the duty to look at the way our tree is growing and to make a choice, like in Jacob, and think... do we leave the bad branches in hope that they will one day change and bring forth fruit or act and cut them off so they wont corrupt the good fruit that we have already nurtured? This made me think a lot about our youth and how they are those fruits. I know that we have amazing kids but they are facing so many temptations in this life and its up to us to cut those bad things. I've seen the marvelous things that the gospel can do for them, for my bad branches have been cut off, and now I can really see the good fruit that I am getting here! I advise all the youth to keep on going strong, let nothing stop your goals and may you strive to serve the Lord with all your strength all your life for JESUS CHRIST IS THE OLIVE TREE, THE LIVING SYMBOL OF PEACE IN OUR LIVES AND THE SAVIOR OF ALL WHO WILLINGLY APPLY HIS ATONEMENT IN THEIR LIVES!

Elder Blanco

Its not always sunny in Bolivia.

Its not always sunny in Bolivia.  Last week I had a massive fever for 4 days. Although I felt so bad, I still didnt want to dissapoint God and my companion, so I gave it my all.  I wont say that it was easy because it was one of the hardest days in my short mission, but I will say that God is amazing and truly blesses those that wont give up!  We had few lessons and many members made us wait, only to later cancel, but this made me become more intense and made me see how lucky I was back home to have a ward full of members that had a hunger for missionary work. After this I had to really pray, for I knew that blessings come after the trial of our faith and they pour on us differently.  This did happen to me literally. We received a pouring of rain which was a blessing! ha! We got to teach many that felt sorry for us that we got soaked, but I know that God softened their hearts and made it possible for us to deliver a message to them.  I dont know if it was the fever or the Spirit, but suddenly the words came out, and I felt really good.  I said things that I didnt even comprehend myself, but when I saw them as they teared up, thats when I realized that even in our weakest moments we are able to deliver powerful inspiring words, that even though they dont make sense, comes from God.

I know that my Savior suffered that day for my afflictions and yours and that no carnal affliction may stop His divine work. I pray for all of you each day and know that when we serve our master he doesn't sit idle rather he picks up his tools and with his strength, he starts working through us.

I love you all and I will encourage all of you to keep on building the steps that lead to that promised land!

Elder Blanco

CHARITY IS THE PURE LOVE OF CHRIST

This past week I found out about carnival...I found out that meant 3 days locked in our house!  Not to be offensive or sound like I'm making fun of the scriptures, but it was like a glimpse of spirit prison, for it was a rejoicing day of pure doctrine and study.  I learned so much in that time that my heart was happy. Now I know even in that place that people might receive instead of paradise they will be able to feel a portion of the love and the mercy that God gives us and I am certain that they will deny him not.  I received revelation of the importance of having charity for others.  Like it says in Moroni 7:47-48 CHARITY IS THE PURE LOVE OF CHRIST  and it endureth forever and whoso is found possessed of it at the last day it shall be well with him....(ILL LET YOU READ THE REST OF THIS)  It hit me hard to have read this at least here on my mission. Charity truly manifests itself in a very different way when you serve Him, who has given all, so that we may have joy here on earth. He fulfills the promise that we should suffer no more for we shall not fear the adversary and the hands of death. Thanks to Him, if we are obedient and follow him, these things will become dull...  I can testify that I will work harder here, that I will give my all to God, even my heart, that I might be able to change the hearts of many I know! Only through knowing that Christ lives that God is our loving Heavenly Father, and that we have the everlasting fruits of the gospel, can we have a real conversion, a conversion that will make enduring to the end a joy!

I love you all!
Elder Blanco

This week was a week of miracles that made me realize this sacred calling is real.

First of all sorry everyone... I found out today that there was an error in the system so what I wrote didn't go through. Another thing that made my heart rejoice was that I got letters from you... Christmas letters!  This made my days much better!  Thank you all!  Since the first time I went to church I have felt the love of all of you and it has truly made me grow so much!

This week was a week of miracles that made me realize this sacred calling is real.  I am really here and I couldn't ask for anything better!  For those that are preparing to serve, know that when you turn in your papers you are actually giving your heart out to God. You are trusting it to him. Knowing that he will mold it and that it will pass trough the refining fires of the world but this He will do so that we can truly understand His love. That Christ's atonement may change you from a weak spirit to a strong spirit, converted to the gospel, being able to fight through anything. I know that its only through pure doctrine that we may be able to endure till the last days, where we will rejoice in knowing that we gave our all, both on a mission and in life.

While I was studying the book of Mormon this week, I came upon the things which Alma saw in the Zoramites who were lost in the false ways of their own. They even denied the Christ and how he suffered. They were so corrupt that he truly prayed for them so that they may have true joy. When he did this he armed his companions with the holy spirit so that they may resist their ways. Doing this, they went out to teach and found this humble people. That's when I found something that changed me. It was in verse 13 and verse 16 of Alma 32 for it says sometimes we have to be compelled to be humble to repent but its when we repent without being compelled to be humble that we truly experience the joys of exercising our faith. I can testify that we can all see the mercy of God, but its only through falling that we are able to look up and see His arm is extended for us to know he hasn't forgotten about the covenant he made with us.

I love you all and I can only say this... give your heart so He can shape it to the point that its perfected even unto being like Him.

Elder Blanco

A week full of rejection!

This week was intense not only because of the sun but it was a hard week! A week full of rejection! It all started the day me and my new companion started preaching to people. We had a great plan, set appointments, and most of all a heart full of joy, till everything started to go wrong! Our appointments failed, many got drunk, and others impossible to get in, for we had no members to help us with single mothers. After many rejections, we walked without direction, feeling sad for this. I thought to myself if I was doing things wrong, if I wasn't praying hard enough, and how I was disappointing not only God but my companion. It was hard knowing that I myself was lost and to think that I had to train this new missionary the next day.  I decided I needed to really give my heart to God and be faithful and something great happened in my studies! I read ALMA 8 verse 13 to 32 and my heart rejoiced! It was like God said, "OK. you learned that with me you are nothing, now here is your answer in this chapter." Alma teaches to this city but the people reject him and throw him out.  As he is grieved by this he walks away, but an angel tells him to turn back and teach to them repentance. When he did he found what he needed. I thought about this and my companion and I went back to all those that had rejected us and the Lord worked on them. I was a little hard on them but I saw the change they made. Even though not all came to church, one of them not only attended church, but went to a baptism! It was a precious gift for us!  So I know family that God has many opportunities awaiting and its only when we fall that we look up and when we do we see him telling us to get up and try again.  I can testify that every day we get to experience JESUS CHRIST"S ATONEMENT and its through him that we can get up over and over!

Elder Blanco