Broken Bikes

Funny: It seemed as though our bikes had conspired together in a mutiny on the week they are ours. For the past 3 weeks there have not been very many problems however the week it becomes our week to have the bikes we ended up with 4 blown tires, a broken chain, and 2 loose/shredded gears haha. All this happened in 3 days.

Spiritual: this week we were able to start meeting with a family we had been trying to get in with for at least a month. The Lords timing is definitely in there. They had just recently gone through a trial and were now more than ever wanted and needed the Gospel. It took us a long time and we were wondering if they are even interested. I'm so grateful we didn't give up on them and that we are able to see the fruits of the Gospel bless their lives.

Where I am at: this week has been one of cleansing. We lost some more of the people we are working with but the Lord replaced them with more that are prepared. I love seeing the hand of God in this work. Missionary work is so simple, it’s not easy but it's also not very hard. You just do it. This next is going to be a good one. Not only do we welcome in May but we also have Zone conference and interviews. It should be a great time!

Thanks,

Elder Black

A Fashion Story

Funny: I got to go on an emergency exchange with the 1st ward Elders because one of them was sick. We went and visited a lady who is investigating the church. We walked in and she told us how her main source of interest is because of the church history. We were a little surprised because that is not one we usually hear. She then proceeded to give us an hour and a half discourse about the fashion at the time of Joseph Smith. It was very insightful but also strange that her conversion comes partially because the church does such a good job with the dresses in the movies of that time haha.

Spiritual: Easter as a missionary is possibly one of the most spiritual days. It is one of the few days that people are focused on Christ and that their hearts are a little bit softer. We had a great church meeting. We had invited a lot of people to come and join us but over the course of the morning they had all cancelled. We went to church a little disappointing. A few minutes before the meeting started in walked Timothy, he told us that he wasn't going to come but when he walked outside he could see the church from his house and a feeling came over him and compelled him to come. By the end of the meeting there were tears in his eyes, and a massive smile on his face. How grateful we are that God works his mighty hand over the earth.

Where I am at: Life is great down here is Cortez, Elder Barajas and I are getting along great and we are excited for the new week. 

Have a great week

Elder Black

God's Hand

Funny: Sometimes there are just things on your mission that seem to recur over and over. One such thing always occurs when I am in a trailer park. Every time without fail something like this happens: we knock on the door and a man opens. We have a few names so we ask, "Is Ty or Lance here?" The answer came back "no" so we do what we do and introduces ourselves we asked him what his name was and as it always happens before the answer was "Lance". Haha, I wonder if people just don't hear us or if they think they are really clever by answering no the first time.

Spiritual: we had a lesson this week with a lady who was taught way back in the 2016. She had noticed that in her life she saw a lot more blessings when she was meeting with the missionaries and keeping the commitments. It was not an exceptional lesson but it is so spiritually invigorating to see the hand of God so plainly shown in His work.

Where I am at: well after another exciting round of transfers I will be spending my next 7 weeks here in Cortez with Elder Barajas. Elder Curtis is being shipped out to Dennihotso which is very very deep rez. It will be an adventure for both of us. It should be a great couple of weeks though.

Happy Easter

Elder Black

You're Not Mormons are Ya?

Funny: We have recently learned that a lot of the people here have a strong dislike for Mormons but they love the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. We met several people who immediately asked if we were Mormons, after we assured them that we were not, but that we are members of the  Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints they were very relieved and warned us against the Mormons but told us that they had some neighbors who were members of the Church and that they loved them and respected their religion greatly. haha, the Lord works in mysterious ways and with a great sense of humor

Spiritual: How often the Lord will test our faith before he shows the miracles. We had a lesson this week with a single lady and we desperately needed a third male. We tried everyone in our ward and literally no one was able to. Finally, with half an hour before our lesson we get a text from a member telling us that he would not be able to go but that he would send one of his employees to go with us. When he arrived, we found out that he had just returned about a year ago from the Little Rock Arkansas mission and that he remembered Emma. Even though he wasn't in our ward we were able to have a great lesson and feel very natural because we had some connections. It's a big planet but a small world when you have God on your side!

Where we are at: Well, we are on bikes again for most of this week. The Sisters have to take a truck in for repairs this week and we got the lucky draw to be biking again. I actually have really enjoyed biking. It is a great way to handle some of the regular missionary stress. With Conference being over and it being the last week of the transfer we are excited to really get at it and work hard this week. We have a lot of visits with potentials set up for this week so we are excited to see some success. Also, a fun update is that we accomplished the mission goal of 40 baptisms in a month which is about double what it was 3 months ago. That is super exciting and it is such an honor to say that I am part of and get to witness the hastening of the work.

Blood Sucking Drunks

Funny: Well, Colorado is a great place but it sure has its fair share of weirdos. We were serving lunch at a soup kitchen and this man came up and started talking about how he was actually a vampire and that he was sent to find more vampires. Well, we told him it was nice to meet him and the gave him his lunch and moved on. After we were done serving lunch, we were out wiping tables and who appears, yes, the vampire man. He proceeded to spend the next ten minutes trying to convince us to let him bite us. Thankfully when we stepped outside into the sun all he could do was stand in the shade and hiss at us. It was another one for the journal that's for sure.

Spiritual: The Spirit of God like a fire is burning here in Cortez 4th ward. We were blessed with some spectacular lessons this week. One such lesson was with a lady named Arron. We took our bishop with us and taught the Plan of Salvation. The gears were turning in Arron’s head and it was so fun to see her connect the dots. At one point we were talking about the 3 degrees of Glory and she brought up that it has to come from 1 Corinthians 15 but if we believe that then we must also believe in baptisms for the dead. We explained that yes, we do believe that and we will explain that in another lesson. It was inspiring to see the true seeker of truth begin to grasp the truths that God has revealed. 

Where I am at: With the weather warming up it is biking season. This week we officially start a truck share with 2 other areas. That means that we will be on bikes for most of this week. Last week we got the bikes all figured out and ready for the adventure. It is good because already I have gained almost 8 pounds while being here haha. Other than that, we are just getting pumped for conference. There are going to be some great things that are revealed to us this round.

Enjoy conference weekend

Elder Black