Tuesday, December 2, 2014

Letter from 10/13/2014

                        
                Blake's district at the Zarogoza Train Station after a zone meeting.

Hey Dad,

When I got here to Lleida they pulled the zone leaders out of here and put them in another area that was being opened and left 4 elders here. Which really surprised me to know that my area was struggling when I got here because it was the previous area of a zone leader. Anyway they just pulled the other two elders out of here and put them in a group that just opened 3 weeks ago outside of Hospitalet which is right next to Barcelona.


You can definitely tell those missionary's that this is definitely not an easy part of the world to serve in. There is a saying in our mission that they send boys to South America to become men and boys to Europe to become apostles. I don´t know who started it but we looked at the apostles and most of them have served in Europe as missionary´s I believe. We couldn't remember where they all served but whoever made up that saying was fairly accurate. 


Well as a mission  and with the members that live in our mission we are reading the Book of Mormon together. We started September 1st and end and the end of the year. We have seen so many miracles form it. Recently me and my companion have been having some super great conversations about the gospel trying to keep them as basic as possible because if you think to deep it hurts your head if you know what I mean. Anyways it is just so cool to go sharing what we have learned with the members and those that we have invited to read with us as well as have them share with us. 


One thing is for sure my testimony has become so much stronger and the gospel makes sense to me now. It is kind of interesting. I believed it all before I came but I didn´t really understand the doctrine until I had to teach it. We really are here for ourselves as well as to help others but I firmly believe we are here to make ourselves stronger members of the church too. 

I have also learned that people stop coming to church usually for stopping to do one of two things or both reading and praying. These are both super basic but super important and then we need to go to church not that we have to or get to but we need to. People drive me nuts when they don´t go members, less active members and investigators. And when they don´t read the Book of Mormon and when they don´t pray. I wish they would just get it through there thick skulls to do it sincerely. 

Nope we have heard about the movie but we have not seen it. It looks really good though because I have seen the trailer for it on the church website. 

Anyways just want to say the same you said. Keep an eternal perspective on everything and it will all make sense and be worth it in the end. To know what we know sure helps. 

Oh yeah, I don´t think I have ever been more tired in my life. The only thing that gives me any energy is depending on the night if I can sleep or not 4 to 8 hours of sleep and going to the gym in the morning which we have here. Gotta love body building Spanish members that own gyms. 

But seriously, I have never been more tired. 

Love you,

Elder Blake Billingsley


Letter to Mom

Hey mom,

Well yeah the week here has gone by super fast too. It is super crazy how time flies. There is one of the sister missionary's in my district and we were talking today and she has five months left and I have 10 it is super crazy to think about that because we were in the mtc together. She will be home six months before me but the next 10 months for me will probably fly by. After Christmas 8 months and then after my birthday 6 months. That just seems way to fast. I won´t lie though there are some days where I think to myself that I wish I was in my last week or two cause I am just getting my but kicked out here. 

No we have not seen the movie but we have heard about it. There are a bunch of English speaking members here that have told us about it and we have access to the church website so I have seen the trailer. It looks good. 

Hey I don´t blame those missionaries. We always try to go to the houses at least once a week that have cute daughters. 

Yeah we have three baptismal dates right now. All three are women we have  Luz Elena for this weekend but I think it will be moved back a week or two. Valentina a lady from Romania and is a little hard to understand for the 25 of October and Celica from the Dominican Republic for the 1 of November. We are super excited and have some great investigators. 

Oh it is definitely a palace by Spain standards. I don´t know how we got this place. Well this week we received like 10 references to follow-up on form 2 different families and all of them are part member families which are usually the best to work with. For sure we will see something come of that. 

Well for Christmas I can´t think of anything I would want right now but you always could put money on my card and I could buy something or keep it around till the end of my mission to by some stuff. 

Well love you

Elder Blake Billingsley

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