Monday, December 6, 2010

Starke, FL Letter #18 Dec. 6, 2010

Hey family, friends and strangers soon to be friends…ha-ha!!

Warm winter wishes from yet another week in freezing Florida…the so-called sunshine state!
Well first things are first, neither Elder Lewis nor me are being transferred which is very awesome!! So we will be here for the Christmas holidays!! Oh yeah that made us both very happy!!

On Sunday Elder Lewis & I fooled half of the ward into thinking that we were leaving this week due to transfers (both of us)! They were just super, super sad that we were being transferred 3 weeks before Christmas! Then later that day we told them we were not moving after all and it was just a joke. Well we then got jumped on and got “beat up” by some of the youth. A lot of the adult ward members promised that “pranks” would be coming our way for that little transfer trick. We just told them to bring the heat! Lewis & I can handle it!! Ha-ha!!

So looks like I will be in Starke for 6 months of my mission at least, which I am really happy about that! This week has been so cold in Florida that I got me a new awesome jacket! It is super warm and classy and I got it for a steal lol. So much for those snowbirds who fly to Florida for the winter…they might be better off to stay put...it’s not warm here!

Also, we had a less active member finally came to church on Sunday. Lewis and I were working with her for so long…and we were just about to give up. Then on Sunday boom, she walked into church!! I was like holy cows! “What you doing here?” She just looked at me and said, “Coming to church!” We laughed and then she picked a seat by someone she knew. During the meeting she got up and bore her testimony during Sacrament meeting!! Super strong testimony as well; really cool!! So we were really happy about that.

Well family there is also a woman that has just moved into our ward from the Gainesville Stake. She is super sweet! She is 28 and has cancer... and its terminal. The doctors are surprised that she has made it this long, her goal is to make it through the holidays. It is really quite sad, but she is in pretty good spirits about it. She was baptized in 2008 and in 2009 she got cancer. At that time her goal was to go through the temple and she has accomplished that. Right now all she is trying to do is have a good Christmas for her son who is 8 years old. She is really a huge spiritual giant! She has an amazing conversion story and has a strong testimony. So far with the brief conversations (that I have had with her) I have learned a lot from someone that is dying. So Elder Lewis and I are going to try and make this a good Christmas for her! We have some ideas in the works and we are going to be getting the members involved as well. All should turn out well. If anyone at home has some ideas or suggestions be sure to let me know.

Well family & friends I love every package and letter I receive from each of you! It makes me happy to see that I am not forgotten lol. I am pretty popular with the other missionaries because of it, and pretty infamous about my package receiving lol. It has been fun! Every time I get one I get the amazing feeling of rubbing it in my companions face first…and then I share!! Hehehe!!

Oh hey one other thing. Guess what? The music rule is back, we can listen to stuff besides Mormon Tabernacle choir now; as long as it is uplifting and does not detract from the spirit. So that was great news!!

One more thing: Me and Elder Lewis made a sign for members and put it up at the church (to remember to get on mormon.org) it goes something like this:

"Since the Dawn of time there have been good people assembled together for the cause of righteousness
King Arthur assembled with knights the of the round table,
Robin Hood assembled with the merry men,
Helaman assembled with the Stripling Warriors,
Captain America assembled with the avengers,
And today Mormons assemble on mormon.org!!
MORMON'S ASSEMBLE!!"

If I do say so…it’s pretty sick looking!!! I still need to add my own information on the mormon.org site, I just need to get a picture up and then I am good.

Well I gotta run, love ya'll and remember I will be talking to ya’ll for "real’s" in less than a month!
Love Elder Blair (freezing in the warm Florida sunshine…what sunshine??)

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