Week Four

So crazy week this week in the MTC as we are getting closer and closer to head out.  It all began with an awesome experience hosting the new missionaries.  Every wednesday a couple hundred new missionaries come to the MTC and are pick up by some of the senior missionaries.  And our district was assigned to help them.  It was so much fun, the excitement that the new elders brought as well as getting to meet new people, which doesn't happen much in the MTC, was crazy.  But I think the highlight of that whole experience was dropping a new elder off in his Mandarin Speaking room.  Your first day in class your teachers only speak to you in your mission language, and the face of that poor elder was priceless as his new teacher came up and started speaking to him.  And I thought german was rough...

 

The next big event last week was travel plans!  So we actually know we are leaving now, I never thought the day would come but on the 28th of this month (in exactly one week) we will be on a plane for germany.  2:32pm next Tuesday we will be flying to Denver, where we have a two hour layover, and then straight from Denver to Frankfurt.  We arive in Frankfurt at 11:35am the following day.  I am so stoked.  And for some strange reason that have given me the responsibility of being travel leader... So I hope we do not get lost. Haha.  But since we got our plans, focus has been close to impossible.  The excitement from all the elders is contageous and I just can't seem to think about anything except getting to Germany and meeting all the wonderful people.

 

On Sunday, we got to watch a talk by Elder Bednar, titled Recognizing the Spirit.  I highly recomend this talk to all those who havn't read it.  I am not really sure how to get ahold of it, because it is a MTC talk, but I am sure there is a way.  It was so inspiring, and an answer to many prayers.  I love Elder Bednar, I feel like as a missionary, every word that is spoken relates exactly to me and what I am looking for right now.  I am so thankful for this opportunity to serve a mission and be a instrument in the hands of our Savior.

 

And then on Monday, we got to go to the outside world.  So my companion Elder Chicky broke his perminant retainer, and so we got to go to the orthodontist. And it was fantastic.  A two hour break from studying and riding in a car.  I kept my eyes peeled for anyone I could have known, but unfortunanly I did not get to see anyone.  This may sound strange, but riding in a car was honestly a big highlight for me.  As I sat around in the waiting area for my companion, in the coolest orthodontist office ever, I heard Call Me Maybe on the radio.  So that pretty much made my day right there.

 

Later that night, my companion and I got chosen to do an example teaching for the new elders and sisters this week, so we were part of a small group of less that 20 elders and sisters to go to a meeting about how to demonstrate teaching.  It was one of the coolest workshop experiences here at the MTC.  Usually when we have workshops, there are like 50 elders in a room and only one teacher, but this time it was so much more personal, we had multiple teachers and we really felt the spirit.  We focused on feeling love for your investigators rather than just teaching them the gospel.  And then on wednesday we get to help the new elders in a workshop experience, which should be a lot of fun.

 

Only 7 more days left here in the MTC and we are going to try and make the most of it.  I have really enjoyed my experience here but I can not wait to go to the field.  Next time I email, I will be in Deutchland! I love all you guys so much and please feel free to email me or write me.  Next week I will put in new address, but my email will always be brandon.blackley@myldsmail.com.  I love this gospel with all my heart and I am so greatful for my Savior Jesus Christ because it is through him that I have felt the greatest joy of my life, being a missionary, and the real work hasn't even started.  I am so stoked!

Week Thirty-One

This week I wanted to talk a little bit about trials.

In order to explain what I have been thinking about lately, I will have to give you some background information about someone that we have started working with.  We have started working with someone who used to be a cancer doctor.  It has been tons of fun talking to him, because I can use my limited medical knowledge, or atleast what I can remember.  The hardest part has been talking to him in german.  But I have really enjoyed talking to him about his research and ideas, he is really a brilliant man.  But unfortunantly, he has also had a very hard couple of years.  His mother was diagnosed with cancer a little while back, and in order to fight the cancer he gave up everything to help.  I mean litterally everything.  He gave personally almost 300,000 euro and sold everything that he owned, he was super close to beating this case of cancer, but a little over a month before the treatments should have been successfull, his mother died.  The problem was now that he had nothing.  His wife had left him, he had accumulated tons of back taxes and was in debt now, got fired because of he didn't pay his taxes, and is now unemployed and has nothing.  That is atleast how I have been given the story.

I think it is something very basic, but trials are there to help us.  This man is an increadible man, and was doing a lot of good before this trial in his life.  It is increadible to listen to him talk about everything and see the impact that these trials have made on him. He has gone from someone who always had the opportunity to think about other, as a doctor, to someone who only can think about himself and the situation that his life is now in. It is so simple, but the Lord needs us to focus on others.  But in this particular trial, the simplicity of thinking about others was taken away.  I think that is what has become the biggest trail for this man.  The way to overcome trials is to simple follow the Lords example and turn outward, something that is easy as a doctor, but as someone who is drowning in debt and has nothing, outward is not always the direction of focus.  The happiness that this man used to have did not come from the material possesions or money that he had, because he freely gave that away, but rather his happiness was found through helping others.  How do you help someone who thinks that their worth and ability to help others has been taken away?  I think, like always, it is centered on pride. The inability to concentrate on the basics.  He can still serve, he can still help, just not in the same compasity as before.  There was a talk given by President Uchtdorf called What Matters Most.  It speaks about times such as this and the importance of focusing on the basics.  Trials are hard, they come in a variety of forms, and in a variety of streangths.  However, the same principals stand for all trails, turn outwards, and focus on the basics. I haven't yet seen the full impact of these trials on this man, but what I can say is that the Lord knows him, and there is nothing that brings us closer to our Savior than these two simple things.  There are people all over the world experiencing different things, but there is one thing the same, we are Children of our Heavenly Father.

Viele Liebe,

Elder Blackley

Week Thirty

This week was rough.  I always knew that missions were not always easy, but this week was exceptionally not easy.  There is just a lot of things going on here in Hagen, and then this week it seems like everything just stoped or took a turn for the worse. One investigator is moving, another went on vacation, another got in a car accendent, it just didn't work out at all this week.  It was kinda a slow week, and then on top of that, we traveled alot this week.  We went to Siegen twice this week, which is a two hour train, one way, and then we had two street preachs in other areas.  That meant that we didn't have hardly any time here in Hagen to work, and then when we were here, we had a lot of time outside in the freezing cold and I was sick all week.  But it is a new week and new opportunities.  We have a lot of things planned for this week, and I am sure things are going to get better and we will continue to see miracles here in Hagen.

 

I dont want to spend this whole letter complaining, so I thought that instead of talking about my week this week, I wanted to share something that I learned.

 

It has to do with Eternal Heavenly Father.  And the literal meaning of the word Father.  I think that alot of what we do concerning our Heavenly Father is done because of His role as God.  But the role He plays as Father is something that should be emphasized.  The nature of a father, the idea idea that all our father is, is what we will become, is something that aplies not only with our earthly father but our Heavenly Father as well.  That just as we grow and look like our earthly father, perhaps we have blue eyes or maybe the same smile, there is a spiritual development that is accociated with the father of our spirits.  That as we recognize our divine potential, we develope those things that our Father in Heaven has.  Charity, humility, patience, diligence, virtue, knowledge, usw. 

 

Our desire to develope these characteristics is sometimes hard, and often thought of as personal.  But just as our earthly father provides for our earthly development, our Heavenly Father provides for our spiritual developement.  We are not alone in this strive for perfection. 

 

I don't have much time left, but I would like to say that I know that my Heavenly Father lives and loves me.  I know that there is a happiness that awaits all who rise up and realize thier eternal potential.  We are so much more than we have become, we are sons and daughters of the Most High, if we are to become all that was intended, we must realize the perfect love our Father has for us, and then rely on all He has provided for us, in order to grow up to be just like our Dad.

 

Viele Liebe,

 

Elder Blackley

Week Twenty-Seven

So this week was not super exciting, just a couple of interesting experiences.  All of our investigators are still on vacation, we are hoping they get back this week, but as for last week, there was not much going on.

 

But last week after writing emails, we didn`t have much planned.  It was the 31st, or Silvester in Germany,  which is apparently a huge holiday here.  And because it gets so big and out of control there was a rule that we had to home by 6pm.  This meant that we could basically do nothing all day.  The only thing that HAD to get done was haircuts.  Elder Olson and I were looking almost homeless for the past couple weeks, because we have been so busy every other P-day.  So we figured that with nothing to do, we could finally cut our hair.... However, it turns out that on the 31st of December, it is Hagen cut your hair day.  The entire town and thier cousins wanted to get thier hair cut that day, and there was no way we were going to wait 2 hours to get our hair cut... So we did what ever other logically 19 year old boy would do... Buy a razor and do it yourself...  I have to say, for first time doing it all alone it doesn`t look too bad.  The left side of my head is a vew centimeters shorter than the other side, and I may have almost been bald in the backside, but it is a learning process.

 

The best part was that we thought we were so smart, because we stood in the tub to cut our hair, and then we could just take a shower and it would require no clean up.... Apparently hair doesn`t go down a bathtub drain the way we thought.  Needless to say, we both have shorter hair (much shorter), we spent 30 euro more than ususal, and we still look homeless :)

 

The rest of the night we stayed in and played games together and had a little party and then went to bed on time, only to be waken up at 12 by what sounded like 100000000 cannons going off.  I have never in my life heard so many fireworks.  The whole sky was lit up it was crazy.  The next day, everyone left there trash on the street and there were thousands, maybe even millions of firework shells on every street.  Apperently, in Germany, Silvester is a big deal.

 

So after getting yelled at, we decided to try our luck in another stadt.  It was getting a little late, and I had completely forgotten that the buses were running on holiday schedual (which means never).  So we took the last bus out to the middle of nowhere, with no option of ruturn...  That was fun.  8:30 at night, not knowing where you are (I might have forgot the map too) and having no buses.  Well we walked alot that night.  After about 45 min of just following the road signs that said Hagen, we made it to some small city and asked someone how to get home.  They said that there was a train station but they were not sure if trains would be running this late on a "holiday" (WHO CELIBRATES THE FIRST AT 9PM!?!?! (except my dad)).  After two trains not showing up, and almost deciding to walk the last 7 km home, the last train finally came. Kinda a scarey night.

 

And so is new years, which we found out the next day while doing doors.  We start doing doors on the 1st, and almost no one was home.  And when we finally found someone who was home, they just yelled at us and asked us if we hated families.  I never knew that it was such a big holiday.

 

Other than that, not much happened.  A few appointments, but none with any of our investigators.  Everyone was either already out of town or going out of town. What this week definitly taught me was that, even though I am finally "one year older and wiser too"  there is still a bit of common scense missing, thats just always going to be empty :)  But what fun is life without a few experiences :)

 

Viele Liebe,

 

Elder Blackley

Week Twenty-Six

So I didn't send out an email last week because it was Chirstmas Eve, so there should be alot this week, but I am not promising, we will see how it goes.

 

The week before chirstmas was not a very busy week.  Here in Germany, or atleast here in Hagen, everyone is super nice around Chirstmas, but they don't want to meet, or they are out of town.  For that reason, we have had a lot of time to knock on doors.  Which is how we spent a majority of our time the week before Chirstmas, mixed in with a few appointments.  The three real big highlights of last week started on thursday.

 

First, we had an amazing appointment with an investigator named Merhawi.  I am not sure if I have talked about Merhawi before, but he is an investigator from Aritria (or something like that) Africa.  He had been an eternity investigator in Dortmund, but he recently moved out to Hagen, and for the past two months we have been meeting with him.  Well about 2 weeks ago, we had a way good lesson on prayer.  I wasn't really sure where we were supposed to go after that, he has been taught so much, and his interest was more in the missionaries than what we were actually saying. The entire week between our lessons I could only think about how we needed to teach baptism, he had said he was already taught that alot, but for some reason, we just needed to teach it.  Well... We got to our lesson, and he got super serious and told us that he had been praying every day, and that he feels a huge difference in his life, and he would like to pray in front of us... Wow!  And then as we were talking about baptism, he just kept saying, "it all makes sense"  and then at the end of the lesson, he said he wanted to get baptised, it is the right thing for him.  I love Merhawi!  He is just the coolest guy, and then when we had our lesson with him this week, he told us that he just wants us to teach him all the commandments so he can change his life, because he wants to do everything he can to prepare for baptism.  I am so excited for him.  That was Highlight number 1.

 

Second, came to us on Friday.  We spent a big chunk of the day cooking on Friday.  We have problems getting appointments with a couple investigators, so I figured we could make them pies and that would give us a good excuse to go over and wish them a Merry Chirstmas.  So on friday, we made 5 French Silk Pies.... 5..... It was a long day in the kitchen, and I have never seen so much butter and sugar in my life.  But they all turned out great, or atleast edible.  But while we were baking, a man came and rung our doorbell.  That doesn't happen often as a missionary, so naturaly we were way exited and rushed to the door, only to find an internet and telephone salesman.... But he wasn't a very good salesman, because instead of getting us to buy anything, he ended up leaving with an appointment to meet with us in the church and talk about the gospel. I just thought that was the perfect way to do doors, reverse way.  Wait for them to come to you.  Haha. 

 

Third, last but definitly not least.  On Saturday, we were able to go to Dortmund to watch a baptism for Stefan Bond.  Stefan was an investigator in Dortmund, but was found here in Hagen, on my first day in Germany.  Elder Butcher and I found him while walking through Hagen one day, and it was increadible to see how we, Heavenly Fathers Children, are part of His wonderful plan.  He called us in Hagen earlier in the week and asked if I could be one of the witnesses for the baptism, SO COOL!  He remembered us!  He said there we two missionaries who talked to him on the street, one who had great german, and one who couldn't speak at all (me :))  It was an increadible experience and I am so thankful that I could be apart of this increadible work.

 

That was pretty much the end of the week before Christmas, a normal week, but as always, had its highlights.  As much as I love Christmas, I am kinda thankful that Chirstmas week is over....  It is so stressful as a missionary, becasue you have a million member invites, and you cant be late, because it is all like super family traditions, and the buses and trains travel like never, needless to say, we litterally ran alot this week.

 

It started off with the best Christmas present EVER!  Being able to skype with my family.  I just want to take this time to say that I love my family so much, I miss you guy, but I know that there is no where in the world I would rather be that here in Germany helping these people find the truth. 

 

So in Germany, Chirstmas is too special to only celebrate in one day, so there is Heilig Abend (Christmas eve) then 1st Christmas day (25th) and 2nd Christmas day (26th).  I dont know why we don't do that in America, it is like the best thing ever.  But it meant that we were running around visiting members for all three days.  It was alot of fun, but when thursday finally rolled around, I was glad to just have a normal day of missionary work.

 

The rest of the week when by normal, everyone is still out of town till after the new year, so it was kinda slow.  But I am hoping that this week everything will be completely back to normal.  There is so much work here in Hagen to be done, that I need all the time I can get.  I feel like I can see the end of my days here in Hagen... I have almost been here 6 months, so it is time to get work done.

 

One thing that I have been thinking about alot lately is how much our Heavenly Father loves us.  I never really thought about it much before my mission.  I always grew up thinking, good, but could have been better.  Not exactly hard on myself, but just always having higher expectations.  I think for this reason, I have never really felt the pure love of my Heavenly Father.  I always knew He loved me, but there is a joy that comes throught realization of how perfect this love is.  For me, this came through others.  It was while serving others, and focusing on the needs of others, that I felt how much our Heavenly Father really loves every one of us, and not only loves us, but needs to see us happy.  As a missionary, I have had the opportunity to love complete stranges unconditionally, and at sometimes unknowingly.  It is something I can not completly discribe, but all I could possibly relate it to, would be the pure love of our Heavenly Father. I am so greatfull for this opportunity to serve and grow, I know that my Heavenly Father loves me, He knows me, and there is a love there, that could never possibly be fully comprehended, but on occations, we can feel it through serving others.

 

Viele Liebe,

 

Elder Blackley

Week Twenty-Four

This week has felt like an eternity.  But today in my letter I wanted to focus the people we are teaching a little bit.  

So on Monday, we had one of the best lessons of my mission so far.  It was with a man named Herr Cremer.  We got to his house thinking that we were going to talk about something completely different, but the lesson turned into one of the best Plan of Salvation lessons.  Our Heavenly Father's plan seemed to be everything that he was looking for.  Everytime we introduced the next section, he just loved it.  And the miracle was the fact that it was all in german.  I don't know how, but I can kinda speak german now.  That lesson was a huge tender mercy for us.  We haven't had a lesson, where the investigator shows real excitement, in a long time.  It was amazing to see the transforming power that comes throught knowing what that we all our children of our Savior, and that this plan is a plan of progression and happiness.  As we progressed through the lesson, you could just watch his face light up with excitement and desire to know if it is true.  That lesson, was a great start for the rest of the week.

However, as the week moved on, it turned into more doors and more rain and more cold.  We had just got out of Church on Sunday, and our eating appointment fell out.  So we were without food, without an appointment, and it was raining hard.  In the past two weeks, we have done hundreds of doors, and thousands of klingles.  I was so tired of it, and I just wanted to collapse.  But it was raining and so streets were not really an option.  So we went out and did doors in this area that I just wanted to go ''explore''.  Sunday morning there was about an inch to an inch and a half of snow, and then it started raining, so it was all slushy, it was pouring while we were outside, and we were wet, cold, and tired.  But we stuck it out for almost 4 hours.  It seems like it always has to be the last door, and Sunday it was.  I was about to throw in the towel, but we decided we would finish up our last street in the neighborhood, Gluckstr. (funny right?).  We klingled the last door, and someone let us in.  I have been out 4 months, and done hundreds probably thousands of doors, and yesterday, was the first person to ever let me in. In a time where all I was thinking about was how hungry and tired I was, and how this is just hard.  The Lord knows us,  He know where we are, who we are, and what we need.  And what I needed at that time was Michael.  He is a young guy, studying in college, I would say around 25ish, but I have never met someone so excited to read the Book of Mormon.  Everything we said he loved, and he just wanted to read it and meet with us and learn everything and pray, he was honestly a golden contact.  I have seen miracles and I have felt the Love of Christ, but it never ceases to amaze me the amount of attention that He gives to EVERY child.  Even the ones freezing in Hagen, getting doors slammed in our faces.  He gave us exactly what we needed, and when we needed it. 

Another part of that story that has become very important to me, while thinking back on it, what the decision to go to this area of Hagen.  We had been in the area early this week, and there was really no reason to go back, except for the curiosity that I had to know what was in this area next to it.  The spirit of the Lord works through us in times that we may not even think He is there.  I have always imagined the spirit as a burning sensation or clearity, and sometimes it is, but I think it is important to note, that the spirit is not limited to these feeling alone.  This feeling of curiosity and my idea to just go check out this area, was a spiritual prompting.  I had no clue at the time, but what is important is that we are asking for these opportunities.  I feel like I have spent a lot of time searching for guidence of the Holy Ghost, when I already had it.  Sometimes we need to trust that the decisions we are making, are inspired, even when they may not feel that way.  If we are living a righteous life, and asking for guidance, the Lord has already given us this gift. Which means that you will, be guided, and the decisions that may not seem guided, are because they do not need alteration.  I am not sure if that all makes sense, to the people who are reading this, but I dont have much time, so I cant really read over it to make sure it sounds good... So good luck understanding what goes through my head :)

The last big tender mercy of the week was our lesson with Sandra and Jozsef.  This is our investigator family from Hungary.  I love this family, I feel at home when I am with them, there are kids running around, a billion things going on, and super busy.  I love it.  They are some of the most loving and nicest people I have ever met, and last night we had an amazing lesson.  It is amazing to me how the spirit of the Lord works.  As a missionary we (or atleast I am) always concerned whether I have the spirit while I testify.  But last night while with Jozsef and Sandra, they were saying how every time they meet with us, they know it is true.  There is just this feeling that it is true, listen to these guys.  They talked about how they wanted that all the time, they wanted to know for themselves, not just when we say it.  That was a tender mercy for me.  It was an answer to a billion prayers, and I was so excited to see this family make progress and recognize the spirit.  This family is prepared, they are so amazing, and I am so excited to continue to watch them progress.

There are miracles all around us.  Here in Hagen we really have been blessed, and I feel like it is just the beginning here.  There are so many people who the Lord is preparing.  These are only a few of the miracles and tender mercies that we experienced this week, but I am fully confident that there are more to follow.  As these families find the gospel and develope thier relationships with our Savior, there is nothing greater than this joy.  I have seen people light up as the gospel is explained, and seen the healing power of our Saviors love.  I love being a missionary, in the rain, in the sleet, in the cold.  The opportunity here to serve, is increadible.  And I could never be happier.

Viele Liebe,

Elder Blackley

Week Twenty-Three

This week was long, and not very full. We kinda had a slow week this week, the christmas season is starting, and so alot more people are busy.  But we did have a lot of opportunity to do service and knock on doors.  I have to say, I have found something worse than -30 degrees, 30 degrees and humid.... It is just misserable when you freeze down to the bone.  But walking up stairs keeps us fairly warm.  We pretty much walk to the moon and back everyday, keeping me from getting fat :) 

 

This week, I have to say was hard.  It was the first week that I have looked back on the week, and just thought... HARD.  I knew that a mission wasn't always going to be easy, but what I didn't expect was the type of difficulty that we faced this week.  It is hard for me to watch people reject something that I know will help them so much.  There is so much happiness and hope to be found through out message, but there is not even a desire in most people to even try.  It was especially hard this week.  I am not saying that I am getting discouraged, because that is defiantly not the case, but it just kinda sunk into today that missionary work, is just that, work.  But it is a work full of joy.  

 

Elder Olson is having fun here in germany, we spend a good couple days doing doors (ringed a couple thousand klingles), but still manages to keep his spirits high.  It has been a delight to work with him and see how the Lord prepared Hagen for him.  We have also had the opportuntiy to do lots of service.  This week alone, we moved 2 washing machienes, 2 refrigerators, and a diswasher.  Along with an entire household.  Apparently here in germany, when people move, then take everything... like cabinets and kitchen counters.  Weird....

 

The big news of the week here in Hagen is SNOW!!!  We had the first snow fall this week, and I have heard (not been there yet), but there is accumulation in Lüdensheid.  I am so excited. 

 

I don't have much more to add about the week, we had a lot of time to knock on doors this week, (had a guy come naked to the door, and a guy almost sick his dog on us...   fun fun fun) but I did want to close this email with a spiritual thought. 

 

It comes out of Matthew 4.  I was doing some studying, and reading some talks and there was something that I really liked.  The Joseph Smith Translation of this verse, changing the meaning in a very significant way.  In the original text, the Lord, is ministered to by angels, but in the translation, the Lord send angels away.  This takes place after an increadible trial in the Lord's life, He had just fasted for 40 days and 40 nights, and been tempted by the devil 3 times.  But in this time of extreem trials, he never once thought of Himself, but rather turned outward and ministered unto others.  He knew that John was in prision and was in need, so he took this opportunity to serve.  The Savior is the ultimate exaple of service, but what I find increadible is that in an instance when most people would turn inward,  the Savior turns outward. 

 

Viele Liebe, 

 

Elder Blackley