Letter from 2/16/2015

Hey,

Tell Cole he doesn´t have to worry about sweating because I still sweat like crazy. In visits and especially in sacrament meeting talks. Speaking another language just adds on to how sweaty I get. I think it makes it worse just cause I want to say everything correct. 

Holy cow, I am going to go nuts. The world is just the most sinful place ever. We lost all of our baptsimal fechas this week because not a single one is married. If people don´t start puttin a ring on soemone before they do the one thing I'm going to hurt someone. At least they all said the were either going to dump the person the were with or get married so we made some prgress that way. I don´t think I have ever taught the law of chastity so much in one area let alone in a week. We actually did have some super spirtual good lessons about it though.  

Well tell mom thanks for filling out all that stuff to help me out with school. I am going to need it. It is super weird to talk to people here in the mission and then realize that we will be seeing each other in the fall after all is said and done here. Especially since I have met some super cool people here that I would not have know if I went to school without meeting them here. 

Yeah, but so overall we had a great week just can´t seem to find people that are married. 

Oh yeah, I don´t know if you look at the time difference but I am writing you super late because earlier today I put in my passowrd wrong a bunch and it locked me out so I had to change it and it was just a mess. So we ended up coming to email late. 

Love you guys,

Elder Blake Billingsley

                                            Baptism of Pepe

Letter from 2/9/2015

Hey,

I knew it! Kenzie let it slip in an email cause at the bottom it says what device it was sent from. I see how this works. One leaves and all the good stuff comes out. Man people always tell me the oldest is the one that is better off in the end cause of responsiblity, but I think we just get the bad end of everything. haha. Just joking. 

Well it sounds like Brenley had a super dope birthday. Wish I could have been there to eat all the pizza. I know it might appear as if I have eaten tons of pizza well it's cause I have, but pizza here in Spain, just is not the same. 

Yeah I have seen lots of things that the church has changed because of the world and because of members too. They way the chruch leaders have been talking and the things that we talk about in our mission confernce as of lately have made me think that some crazy things are about to go down in the world and it is going to test us all. In fact me and my companion were talking about how everyone in their life has to undergo some test like Abraham, when God asked him to sacrifice Isaac. God wants our total will. He needs our agency. Are we willing to do everything he asks exactly? If not we better get there real quick. 

Well dad love you 

Elder Blake Billingsley

Letter to Mom

Yep, you know it was a good day when you are just beat. Best feeling in the world is when you hit the pillow and you just feel everything you did during the day. Well I had a lot of random emails to answer today for my birtdhay so, I don´t have lot of time but thanks for writing me even though you are beat dead. 

This week was just an awesome week to follow a baptism. We found 13 new investigators and 3 families and that never happens. If I am lucky I will see two more baptisms before I leave hear. Lleida is on fire. Sorry I forgot the pictures but we have had a weird preperation day.

Love you mom

Elder Blake Billingsley

Letter from 2/2/2015

Hey Dad,

Thanks for the birthday wishes. Well it is weird to say I am 20. Don´t know if I will ever ge use to it especially when I left home at 18. Yep bautsimo = exito. The 20 year old Spanish dude went down. It was probably one of the two most special baptisms I have seen. Because you just know without a doubt that they are going to be studs in the church and this kid will be a stake president some day. In fact he will probably go on a mission within a year. 

Thats good that things were mellow for the sports last week considering that they are usuallally busy. Of course Cole and Wyatt just go and give some older kids a run for their money. That is just how it works when you are gifted like that. Wish I could have seen it though, it would have been pretty dope. I miss watching him play lo que sea. 

The Hawks almost had it. My comapnions dad said that it was probably the worst play to call in the super bowl ever and for that they lost. 

We had a super good week here. In fact president called us this morning and was a like great job. You guys are really changing the area there cause for two weeks in a row we had met pautas de excelencia and we had a baptism last week. So he was super happy with all that. The area we are in hasn´t done that in a long time.

Well thanks for everything dad love you.

Love 

Elder Blake Billingsley 

Letter to Mom

Well first off thanks for the birthday wishes it is super wierd to not be an age with a teen at the end of it. Don´t know if I will be able to get use to that. And well the face wash is working super. Okay as for pizza, some how I alwyas get roped into getting pizza so if I don´t have money on my card it would be better. I have money, but we have just been eating a ton of pizza and that gets a little expensive. I am swearing off the pizza. It´s just when we get together as a district or a zone we always go get pizza and it really is the worst . I am actually sick of it and the pizza here is really not that good. Maybe that's why I'm so fat-it's all the pizza. 

On the 28th me and my companion had to take some elders to their new area cause they white washed it which means putting two new elders in instead of just one. And they didn´t now where anything was at so we got up at like 5 in the morning to catch a 2 hour bus and take them to the border of France and they went and met members and our bus didn´t leave till like 5 that afternoon to get back here in Lleida so we ate at a hotel cause it is a small town and there is nothing there. We actually ate some super good food. Three course meal and the main dish was wild goat. Super good. Once in a lifetime. Middle of no where eating at a hotel. 

Well this week in Lleida is a super big week cause we baptized a Catalan kid on saturday who is 20. The entire ward just about was there. It was one of the coolest baptisms ever. I will send pictures next week of the baptism. I just dont have my camara with me I forgot it in my piso. 

Well I can honestly say that it is freakin weird to be 20. Birthday´s arn't really that big of a deal for me but I feel so weird I think because I know that I don´t have much time left here in the mission and when I get home and see you guys again I wont be 18 or 19. 

Well love you mom

Elder Blake Billingsley

  

Letter from 1/26/2015

Hey dad,

Hey here I am on another Monday afternoon writing my favorite dad. Well as always things are going good here in the field and I know you are there taking care of things at home and finding those criminals at work.

Wow, what a bummer about the snow, but it sounds like you guys still had a ton of fun up on the mountain. It has been super cold around here lately and right now I am wearing a short sleeved shirt so I am not the brightest one out there. 

Well it´s true I speak true Spanish Castilian or in Spanish "Castellano" the true Spanish. Anyway I was thinking if i am not mistaken in Uraguy they speak like Argentinos with the "ch" so it might have sounded a little like Portugese cause sometimes we meet up with people form Portagul and Brasil and it sounds the same to that accent aside from Portugese and Spanish being almost the same. Actually there is a guy in our ward who served in California and he hates how Mexicans speak Spanish because they speak dirty Spanish according to him. 

Yeah, I have actually been looking at my patriarchal blessing too and wow I have a lot I need to change still to be able to make things happen in it. You do your part and God has no choice but to bless us. 

Boom! This Saturday habra un Bautismo! hemos estado ensañando un chico catalán de 21 años ye este chico es super super listo. su madre y hermana son miembros de la iglesia y desde que yo llegue aquí he esperado el día cuando el diría quiro bautizarme y a noche fue esta momento. el ya ha leido todo del libro de mormón y los doctrinas y convenios y ha vuelto a leer el libro de mormon. en sus palabras dijo " se que no puedo aprender o progresar más sin bautizarme y recibir el espíritu." entonces escogimos este sábado por el bautismo. ¡va a salir genial!

Con amor

Elder Blake Billingsley    

Letter to Mom

Hey mom,

Yeah that was differnt wasn´t it? Well I tried to open the box for like two days and then the other morning as I  was waiting for the iron to heat up to get my shirt looking all nice, I sat down at my desk and grabbed the box and poof it opened. Now I have all my money in it. It´s actually super sick. 

The week here was super good. We hit pautas or standards of exellency, wich is a certain amout of lessons taught in different catagories and baptismal dates. So we had a pretty good week. And last night we had a visit with a Catalan kid who is 21 years old who I have been waiting my whole time hear to say I want to be baptized. Well he is a super smart lkid and he loves learning about the gospel. He has read the whole Book of Mormon and started it over recently and is halfway through D and C. Well he basically realized to shorten it up that he can´t learn anymore or progress until he hets baptized and gets the holy ghost. BOOM! So this Saturday we will be having a baptsim for sure. Heck the kid goes to institute every week and is just super ready. He was ready 2 years ago. 

Yep my companion is still district leader. 

Well it sounds like you guys have had a super eventful week with Bren getting hurt and you all being sick again. That is the worst. 

Well I am waiting to hear if she gets into Provo, but she should. I don´t know why not. 

Love you

Elder Blake Billingsley

Letter from 1/20/2015

Hey Dad,

Well first off, I am still in Lleida. I am going to be here for another six weeks and everyone in our district will be going home in 6ish months so we have a super old district. 

Boom all about those seahawks! Can´t wait to hear the outcome of that super bowl game. I guess God has been answering my prayers. It reallly does vale la pena to work hard and pray hard. 

Yeah I got to study a little bit more with the language. Definitely have falted a little bit in that area my entire life. I would definitely like to come home with more than just a missionary vocab too. Well I can talk about most things, but I would like to talk about anything. 

I think Ammon is one of my favorite stories in the Book of Mormon. I started reading Jesus the Christ and wow, that is a good read definitely a lot to take in while reading though.

We didn´t end up having those baptisms this week, cause one we haven't seen in a while and the other got work in Bilboa for like a month so we won't see him for awhile. Guess things are still going good though. We have some future prospects though for baptism so it looks pretty good hear in Lleida. One more transfer and I am super stoked this will be the area en que llevo mas tiempo. Man I know I don´t study very well but there are sometimes it is just easier to phrase things in Spanish. 

Well, love you dad

Elder Blake Billingsley

Letter to Mom

Hey mom,

Well this last week was super good but...... no baptisms. The one we were counting on ended up getting work in Bilboa for a month so we won't see him for awhile. Freakin Satan sucks! And I am still in Lleida. This will be the longest amount of time being in an area. Super crazy. And same companion. And my distirct well at least all of us elders will all be home in 6ish months so we have a super old district. 

Boom you are the best! Cant wait for the face wash. Thank you for sending it. 

You might want to tell the Hammonds and Grandma Kay to send everything to the mission office cause I just got their stuff today. They sent stuff to Santander and I was there a year ago. Lucky the stuff they sent got to me today by a really good elder who just came to my district from there. And tell Traci that little wood box is probably coming home with me. I am to dumb to figure it out. 

That sucks that Bria is having bad dreams, but kinda funny that you got kicked in the nose. She must have been sleeping upside down. 

Super crazy that Chas flew out yesterday. Maybe he stopped in Provo to get his visa or something or they just flew them a day early but that doesn't make sense cause the group of new missionaries doesn't leave the mtc till today. weird. 

Well I can´t think of anyone who is going on a mission here in Lleida, but it could be someone from Catarroja. Well the days keep getting shorter and I have one more transfer here in smelly old Lleida but it is pretty good we still have some prospect baptisms coming up so I am super stoked. 

Love you 

Elder Blake Billingsley

Letter from 1/12/2015

Hey Dad,

Well this last week we got are butts kicked here in Lleida, but whatever we have a baptism coming up. I feel pretty good about it because I  have been blessed enough to have seen more baptsims than any other missionary in this area in the last 2 years. Miracles. Well aside from that we had our interviews and President Pace looked at me during our interview stopped and said ¨"Elder Billingsley I feel impressed to tell you that your Spanish is good but the lord expects it to be better. Study a little bit more each day" which scared me cause sometimes I miss my langugae study and then he said: "also when you go home you need to do everything you can to keep it and speak and study it because I feel like your language skills will be needed in the chruch some day" kinda cool, but freaked me out a little bit. And if there is one thing I know about my president for the last year and a half it is that he is a very inspired person. I have seen things happen that he said would happen or tells things like that before.

Well so we are expecting a baptism this week at least and then maybe I will be leaving next week we will see what happens cause we get the call on Saturday. It will be a good week.

Wow I have actually never really thought about how Christ never had a home during his ministry. It kinda makes me think a little bit more.

Well love you dad and thank you for everything you have done for me. You are the best. You better tell mom that she is the best also. I guess it took two of you to get me out here on the mission.

Love you

Elder Blake Billingsley

Letter to Mom

Hey mom,

Wow not fair! I want to go skiing!

Well mom, wish I could help you with your talk but I think you are on your own now. Just don´t stress like you always do. If there is one thing I have learned in my mission it's that I hate talking and when I stress that is when it sucks.

Wow I can´t believe that chaz is leaving already. Is he going to madrid or to Provo? Get me his email so I can talk to him.

Well things are going good here. We should be having a baptism this week and to top it off I might be leaving next week and if I do it could be my last area. Oh yeah today I found out that my mission president for the last month of my mission will be president something. I actually can't remeber his name but the switch is at the begining of July.

Wow we got our butts kicked this last week but this week is looking super good for us. Well just want to tell you that I love you.

Elder Blake Billingsley

Letter from 1/5/2015

Well to make it short, I got sick too this last week so that was super duper fun.

Well I think that we will be having two baptisms on the 17 of this month. An African guy who is probably one of the best guys ever and a Catalan/Spaish guy. It is going to be super dope. This African guy, when I asked him to be baptized he looked at me and goes, boy, put my name down. Basically we just found out he wanted to be baptized super bad. He was like this is the only church I have ever felt the spirit in. Africans are great! 

Well sports sound super good right now. You will have to keep me updated as it comes to an end with all the scores and who wins what. Sounds like it is back to the grind with everyone and school. Still seems like I graduated yesterday and we will be going on two years soon. 

Yeah he wrote me back this week. I think he likes the idea too. Thanks for talking to him. He has worried me my entire mission.

Love you dad.

Letter to Mom

Well let me start of with last preperation day. I sprained my ankle running. Luckliy it is only swollen and I can walk even run on it just fine but it is for sure swollen. Then we went to a members house for new years and ate pretty good. Then on Thursday and Friday I got super sick and couldn´t go out to work almost all weekend. I went out if we had visits that were super important but mission presidents wife made me go to the doctor and it turns out I had an infection in my throat so they gave me some antibiotics but I am feeling better now. It sucked and other than that we had a good week. We should be having some baptisms coming up super soon. Can´t wait to Send pictures. One is an African guy from the country where all the child warfare was going on like Sierra Leon or soemthing I don´t know. It is one of the only countries colonized by the states. 

Oh yeah, I forgot to thank you guys for the sausage and crackers and cheese. Boy, that was easily the best part. 

I think that that is the best goal to have, I really do. It is something that we should all strive for even more than that new year resolution to loose wight or have a beach body, but to become more like Christ and focus are lives around living His gospel, but really living it. That is something that President Pace has been really trying to get through to us as missionaries and when I ge home you will have to ask me to explain to you  why my mission president's view changed from baptism to preparing the missionaries for life after the mission because it is to long of a story to explain over email and too complicated. 

Anyways, love you a ton mommmy