Fernandina Beach, Letter #13 April 18, 2011

Hello to everyone back in Utah!!

Elder Blair reporting in for yet another week in Fernandina!

This week was filled with some good and some bad at the same time. The good was because we had lots of fun and found joy in doing missionary work despite the outcome. The bad because we have not found any new investigators…yet. This past week we went out hard, trying to find new people to teach. We were going through our area book using a microscope dissecting it all. We tried going and seeing former investigators; and even some old potential investigators… and we came up with nothing at all. Not even a nibble.

However, we did have fun trying! My companion and I were running from door to door (yes we literally ran from door to door…it's called “speed tracting”...Ha! at least it’s called that by us). Then on the days we rode our bikes; we were biking super hard and fast...to move quickly. Therefore, there is no question that we were not working hard enough and not doing our part to find someone. However, we may not have been working as “smart” as we could have. Therefore, this week we are going to try again, and see what things we can accomplish combining hard work (as fast as possible) and adding in the addition of being smart about where and when. We will see what happens now!!

As far as our current investigators go, they are all at a standstill at this present time. One of them still needs to get married (the spouse "to be" has some trust issues that they have to work out). The other investigator is wanting and ready to be baptized (but wants some family to come up from Utah to be with them, so they are working out schedules). In addition, our other investigator wants to do some more research about Joseph Smith first before she makes a decision. So hopefully something good will happen soon with one or more of them!

But the Fernandina ward members are doing super well!! They are still trying to work with the less actives and get them coming back to church. In fact, this last week we had several less actives just show up, unexpectedly! These were ones that we have not seen before and some that were not even on the records!! So that was super sweet! We loved that little Sunday bonus! So that is our week in a nutshell.

Oh funny story: My companion tried cutting his hair on his own for the first time this morning and well... let’s just say that there was several big “patches” actually missing from the sides after he was done. So in order to let him go out in public once again...we had to shave both sides of his head to make it look somewhat decent. Yeah, don't worry I took pictures!! Ha, ha it was pretty funny this morning!

I hope everyone back home has a great Easter and be sure to eat something yummy for Easter Breakfast and think of me here with oatmeal and cold cereal!! Ha-ha!! Thanks for the letters everyone! A letter a day keeps the missionary blues away...Anyways I am off to grab some lunch now, love ya'll and have a great Easter! Abbie I hope the bunny finds your house!

Love Elder “Repair Barber” Blair
 

Fernandina Beach, Letter #12 April 11, 2011

Hey family, friends and fans!
Hey, ya'll!! Well looks like I will be finishing my mission here in Fernandina Beach, which I am super excited for!!! I know that I was sent back to Fernandina for a purpose, to find somebody special. Therefore Elder Parker and I have a goal to find “that someone” and either baptize them or bring them back to church before this transfer is over!! With that focus, we will be working hard, nonstop, until the very end, which is still awhile away, so that is a good thing! It gives me plenty of time to work!

As for our Investigator, he has still been coming to church! His wife accepted a Book of Mormon; which is a way good thing! However, we have received some sad news with that...he and his family will be moving to Ohio in two weeks. He has received a job offer up there, but he says that he will get in contact with the church and missionaries up there; and continue learning about our church! So that gives us a little ray of hope there.

In addition to that news, I got the awesome opportunity to go to Starke this past Friday for a baptism!!! John and Jacob were baptized!! I was so happy to see them finally baptized; man, we had every missionary that had ever taught them at the baptism! Elder Lewis, Elder Bass, Elder Tate, and I. It was way neat! Man oh man!

Then while they were getting changed out of the wet suits; Elder Bass and I were invited to teach the restoration (lesson 1) to take up some time while they were changing. And since there were some non-members, there it was a great opportunity! I was a little nervous at first; since I had not taught with Elder Bass for almost a year now, but it went super smooth! I just kept saying a prayer in my head to ask God to help us teach in unity and it worked! It was if we had never been apart. The spirit was so strong as Elder Bass and I testified together! Oh yeah the "Starke Boys’ saddle up for one last ride!" It was awesome! Afterwards, we had several people come up and thank us for the lesson; and bringing the spirit so well into the room! Awesome time!! It was a night to remember for sure!

Hey I gotta get going now, lots to get done today. Well I love ya’ll!! Thanks so much for the fan mail everyone and take care of each other!! I will talk to everyone next week.

Love Elder Blair (who rides again in Starke, if only for a night!!)

Fernandina Beach, Letter #11 April 4, 2011

Hey there peps, it’s me, Elder Blair!
I had such a good time this week!! Elder Parker and I did a study; we focused on figuring out who or what kind of person we want to be in the next 5 years. The first thing we did was make a list of the character traits we want to posses. Then we listed the good habits that we would like to have as well. For a companion study, we listed things that we were going to change (from that day on) so we could reach our goal. Next we sacrificed a few things; such as smaller animals…like local area birds (ha-ha just kidding)! Nah actually we sacrificed “things that would distract us” from the work; so we could become better missionaries.

I absolutely loved conference this weekend! It was so inspirational and fun. In addition, this week we were able to set a baptismal date with the Akins children! They are scheduled to be baptized this coming weekend, so we will pray that all works out!! Speaking of baptisms-that’s great to hear about the progress in Starke! I thought “Oh yeah nice” when I started reading all of the names of those being baptized recently. To say the least, I got super excited!! I was serving in Starke when Bishop gave me the call to go and teach the two kids; however, I only taught one lesson with them and got them to church once; before I was transferred. So I am super pumped to hear that they stayed with it! Let me know when you hear of anyone else in Starke taking the plunge. All of the Starke news was so great! I am so happy for Tate! He is a fantastic missionary! It’s weird to think he only has one more week left in Florida, man that is crazy! That reminds me yeah, transfers are next Tuesday. We have transfer calls this coming Saturday! So we will see if I stay or go?

Well ya'll sorry but that’s all I will write this week, I know it’s shorter than normal but we gotta get running! Elder Parker and I have a p-day activity scheduled up in Georgia with some other missionaries!

Before I sign off I want to add that was an awesome April fool’s Day prank. When I first got the box, I didn’t even think about it being April 1st. I immediately tore into the top and opened it to look inside. I was pretty excited when I saw the box packed full of Girl Scout cookies!! However.... well...yeah there were no cookies when I actually opened the individual boxes.... oh well I liked the fruit snacks, tuna, and oatmeal. When I saw the letter in the bottom, I thought, "At least I have a huge letter from Drew to read", but yeah once again the letter inside only said April Fools!! Let him know he owes me a letter now, oh yeah!

I hope ya’ll are doing well, love ya all!! I really must go, I got a soccer game to go to in Georgia with some missionaries in our district. So I gotta be leaving now, really I do! I will talk to you more next Monday.

Love Elder Blair (who still dreams of empty girl scout cookie boxes) Ha!!

Fernandina Beach, Letter #10 March 28, 2011

Hello from sunny Florida!
This week was very interesting to say the least! It seems like Elder Parker and I were running on a treadmill, going really fast… but not going anywhere? To sum it all up in one sentence…it was kind of a confusing week overall. However, we have had some good things happen to us this week! We had a really sweet lesson with a part member family. Their 13 year old son (who is not baptized), is a pretty funny kid. So as we were teaching I had the idea to compare the gospel and the priesthood to Star Wars! Yeah, ha-ha and he understood it completely. That’s right that’s how yo boy rolls. He was totally involved in the lesson then! He loves church, so hopefully this week we will be setting a date with him! His entire family is pretty awesome. His mom was baptized around 14 years ago out in Utah. Their family has been here for 3 years in Florida!

Other than that, we have been struggling with some of our other investigators. Our efforts have been trying to get them to come to church. One has just got told from his boss that he has to work on Sunday now, and he wasn't too happy about that. However, he is going to do his best to get work off on Sundays. Then we got a new investigator from another part member family. This one said that, “He would have been baptized by now if he had Sundays off” …cause he works every Sunday. We taught him about fasting and the whole family committed to fast this past Sunday. Elder Parker & I fasted with them as well, so hopefully God willing, he will be baptized when his employer gives him Sundays off.

So that has been the extent of our week - Plus a whole lot of bike riding!! As usual we were trying to save miles on the car, cause we are getting close to the end of the month. On the biking side of life, I decided to take the mighty hill challenge once again, and yet again I came, I saw, I beat it down…again. Oh yeah I did, that hill cannot handle my awesomeness! That’s how Elder Blair rolls!! Ha-ha! Other than our investigators all working on Sundays, all is well in Florida and we are all ready for this next week, cause we know there is great things ahead for us this week.

Aw, man Mom!! That’s awesome you got to meet Aunt T and some of the family! I miss them so much. Man they “all be crazy”!! I can't wait to see them again! They are so funny!! ha ha, well that’s awesome that you got to see them!! I heard about you meeting Sister Bishop, I never got to know her too well though, (still surprised you met Aunt T!) The weather is fine here, a little rainy today, but other than that, it’s been all right this last week.
I am sooo happy hearing about Tim! I love Tim so much! I love all the Barbers very much!! I met so many awesome people in Starke! I just love that place!

I sent the pic’s you needed off today, so be looking for them. Speaking of pictures you should owe me some soon too! So take some of the Fam and send my way! I am still the most popular Elder when it comes to mail, even though I am an old man here now, I still rake in the letters…ha! So keep them coming! I still love to get mail from everyone back home, oh yeah!
Well, time to say goodbye but I will talk to everyone again next week!
Love Elder Blair (who bikes in awesomeness!)

Fernandina Beach, Letter #9 March 21, 2011

Hello people,
Well to start out, we biked this week twice! And I enjoyed every minute of it! The weather was lovely and nice. The best part was that road that gave me my butt trouble the first time I was here in Fernandina well I came out I licked it like a pro! Oh yeah! Take that you stupid, long, nasty old road!! You ain't so nasty now!! Elder Blair is back and he ain't taking any crap! Yeah boy! I wasted that hill! I think I should whistle “Another one bites the dust” as I pass that hill next time! My bike is the best and the fastest bike in the mission! And I am the fastest missionary I know at this point on a bike! Speaking of bikes, what do you want me to do with my bike? Bring it home for Drew, or sell it out here. It is all broke in for missionary work …and in all the right places, (if you know what I mean) and this bike knows how to do some serious missionary work, day after day…so it’s ready for yet another Blair missionary to take the handle bars!!

I loved St Patty’s Day this year! I went to bed the previous night with a green rubber band on and in the morning I woke up, ripped the blankets off Elder Parker and saw he was not wearing any green! So I pinched the living daylights out of that boy!! Ha, ha! I got him 9 times, until I took mercy on him. So that was fun. Then later that night after we got back and did our planning; he was getting into his PJ’s and once again I noticed that he didn't have anything green to wear… so I got him again. Then I gave him a green rubber band to put on to save himself from me. Muhahaha!! I know, you’re thinking he should have been more ready and prepared after all he is an eagle scout! First rule to remember: Never bunk with an Irishman on St. Pattie’s day, if you’re not prepared with some green!

In other news, we picked up 3 new investigators this week. Better yet, all have potential to be baptized soon! So I am super excited about that!! Two of them are part member families!! So hey, we will see what happens there. I will let ya'll know what goes down.

Spring break hit this past week here, and that means there are loads of people here in Fernandina! Which then presents a great opportunity to teach! Oh yeah! Ha, ha!! Just perfect for some missionaries here in Fernandina to hit the streets! Things are going so well here. The members are really coming alive and going on tradeoffs with us on a weekly bases! We are really getting things moving here! I don't think it will be long before we have another explosion!!

Well that’s pretty much the Fernandina news for this point and time. Thanks for all the packages and gifts that ya'll sent, I got the St. Patrick’s package (I wore the St, Pat’s tattoo sleeves out tracting last Thursday…just kidding). And yeah I have printed off those pics onto a cd and will be sending that home this week. Well that tis all for now, I’ll talk to ya next week.
love Elder Blair (who kicked some major hills’ butt this week!)

Fernandina Beach, Letter #8 March 14, 2011

Hey ya’ll, friends and fans of Elder Blair,
Elder Parker and I ate at a buffet place here on the island for lunch today. I knew I should have not gone there in the first place and sure enough, I think we over ate. Well, I know I did.

Tuesday was great! Bowen was a lot of fun! He was in a rush to see everyone here in Fernandina so we didn’t get a lot of time to catch up, but it was cool to see him again. I was able to hang out with Bowen for an hour, then we went and saw someone we both taught while we were companions here, for about another hour. Then he had to get going, he had lots of others he wanted to see. It was great to see him again! Same old Bowen!

This week is St. Patties Day, but I don’t think we are doing anything-super special. Well this last week went by super fast, we did a lot of tracting day after day. Oh funny thing this week… I was just tracting along when I saw this tree growing on top of an old tire. And I was like what? Why? Who would do that? Then it hit me like a ton of bricks... I'm in the south!! So I snapped a picture of it and kept on tracting!!

This week we have been working with a gentlemen that has been studying from mormon.org and has almost read the entire book of Mormon. Mormon.org is an amazing missionary tool! He says he does not want us to teach him just yet... He said that his wife still wants to do her own investigation before we come over and teach the family, which we were ok with because we didn't want to force him or anything. It is his decision and he has to feel good about his choices so we have been waiting for a while for him to decide when we should come over. He has been coming to church for the past two Sundays and then yesterday he called us and says, “His wife would like a Book of Mormon so she can start reading for herself!” We were so happy when we heard that!! Elder Parker and I swung by his house that very night and left him with an extra copy, so we will see what happens!

It has been so nice here in Florida, the weather has been prefect! I'm just really happy everything is going well. We have been working with this less active family, they have been coming back to church here and there, and we are so excited because they are really super awesome. As missionaries, you really don’t have a favorite investigator, or family… you just love them all!! Everyone we work with, talk to, or teach, is amazing in their own way, and touch your life for the better. Jason and Debbie are going to try going to the temple in April. Our next Zone Conference will be in May.

I am for sure going to bring some good ol’ southern recipes home with me; they sure can cook here. When you sit down to a meal, the table is packed from one end to the other with mouth-watering goodness!! Ha! If you get a chance to talk to Sister Gainey, tell her I say hi and I miss her family.

So life is good here, remember that I appreciate ya'll everyday! I should get running now. Talk to everyone again next week.
Love Elder Blair (who is now… going to work off some of his lunch!)

Fernandina Beach, Letter #7 March 7, 2011

Hello to everyone back home!
Well here is another week that has just flown by! Elder Johnson was transferred to a little town called Interlachen. Now I do mean little town, this is a town where they only have one paved road throughout the entire town! Ha-ha

My new companion is Elder Parker, and he is from Bear Lake Idaho. Elder Parker goes home a transfer after me… so we got two old fools here in Fernandina! There were 2 Elder Parkers' in our mission at one time but the other Elder Parker went home last October. Elder Parker and I have been working really hard this past week. We have been trying to be smart and wise with our time.

Great news; on Sunday we had several new people show up!! One was a lady that has been inactive for 13 years and she has 3 children that she brought with her on Sunday. Two of the children are baptismal age! We were able to get her phone # after church and we should be setting up a time with her this week to see the family. The next person who showed up, was a gentleman that we have been working with. He just showed up to church as well. We had not had any meetings with him yet, but when we ran into him he said he would check out mormon.org and that he would see us in church. Now several weeks later, he showed up and get this he has read almost the entire Book of Mormon and has studied the Articles of Faith. However, he says his wife is “standoffish about the church still” so he still does not want us to come by his house for a lesson or visit. He committed to still studying on his own; and he said that he would see us next week at church!! So that was really cool! So things should be looking up here in Fernandina and to say the least we are pretty excited!!

We are trying to help the members with their missionary work and so far, it is going pretty well. Things are moving along; sometimes it is slow and sometimes fast… but at least is moving forward!

And Elder Tate got to go back to Starke for his last transfer!!! I am so jealous about that!! That lucky bum... Anyways ha-ha I am glad ya’ll liked the Thor picture. It was sent by CP the other night when I was over at his place. Yeah one of our part member families found out that I liked Thor and they bought me a Thor Helmet!! So that is who I scored the helmet from; and then today I went to Target and picked up the Thor Hammer as well!! Ha-ha I just had to get it, I couldn’t resist!

The bread finally arrived and it was really good, and thanks for the Utah Truffles…they were as good as ever! Oh hey, Elder Bowen should be here tomorrow with his family!! Yeah man I am pretty excited to see him again! The members are getting pretty stoked as well to have him in Fernandina again. He went home last January, so everyone here is getting pumped to see him on Tuesday!! Ha-ha that’s pretty sweet that we are both in Fernandina again together one last time!!

Gas prices are going up, but here in Fernandina it is not over 5 dollars, yet anyways. I hear Florida has the highest prices in the country, but we are not paying $5.00 per gallon…yet. Today for P-day we already had lunch at a really cool pizza place! So that is why we are writing a little later today. Our weather is a little chilly this afternoon, around 67 degrees. We have had some warmer days lately but these last few days it has dropped off the warmer temperatures. Also in other news we can no longer go to the beach, President has banned the beach from all Jacksonville missionaries, so I will have to figure something else out to send home for the shadow box. I will try to come up with another idea.

So yeah um that’s the news for today! But I gotta get running now. Everything is good here, and I am good as well so don’t worry about anything. Life for Elder Blair is fantastic as always in Fernandina! Thanks to everyone for all the letters, cards and packages. I just love the fact they just keep coming my way despite what everyone said when I first got out…”Every missionary hits a dry patch your last 6 months”. Well not here for Elder Blair!! I am grateful to everyone for all they do to keep my pumped and happy while I serve. Thanks to each of you for your support, it makes being a missionary so much easier when you have “fan mail” from friends and family back home!! Well I’ll talk to ya’ll next week!

Love to everyone!
from the luckiest elder ever…Elder Blair!!