Hey everybody!
It's been another week! I'm not sure quite what to say about it, if I'm being honest. A lot of things have just started feeling routine, so it's a bit more difficult to think of interesting things to say. Fortunately, there were still some highlights from the week that I'd like to share.
So first up, and most exciting, my grandma opened her mission call today! It was really cool, we all got to hop on a Zoom call together with everybody from my mom's side of the family, and watch her open it! (Ah, the marvels of modern technology. What would we do with out it? Probably see people in person more often. Hmm.) She has been called to serve in the Washington DC North mission, and will leave on the 13th of September! I'm super excited for her, I know she's gonna do great things. And it'll be a cool story for me to tell, I don't know too many people who have gotten to serve at the same time as their grandparents! (Though if you have, I'd love to hear your story) So yeah, that was awesome.
Other interesting things, we had our Zone Conference last week on Thursday, which was quite the spiritual downpour, as per usual. We got to hear some great messages about the importance of never forgetting to pair action with our faith. They really do go hand in hand. And we also talked about how we can apply that to our investigators, in helping them to act on their faith. And we also got cake, because it was our mission president and his wife's anniversary that Friday. So that was pretty great too.
And last on the list, we now have seven people in our area with dates to be baptized! I'm super excited to keep working with them, and helping them grow in the Gospel. (At least until they most likely move me out of the area at the end of this cycle. But we can just pretend that'll never happen) It's so cool to see how important these teachings are to people, and to see that different perspective, of not having grown up your whole life in the church. Very cool stuff.
And lastly, a quick spiritual thought, this time, from the missionary's best friend, Preach My Gospel. I've been studying it (obviously :P ) a lot, and one of the things that drew my attention is the last section in the Intdroduction, titled: "Use by Church Members". It states the following: "Preach My Gospel is as much for members of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints as it is for the full-time missionaries of the Church. The principles and doctrine taught in this guide are applicable to all members as they seek to build the Lord’s kingdom. Frequent study of this manual will help members better answer gospel questions, learn and teach the doctrine of Christ’s gospel, fulfill their responsibilities as member missionaries, and foster unity with the full-time missionaries."
And you know, that got me thinking. Why on earth don't we study this more in the church! I mean, it basically says to right here! And sure, some of the topics don't really apply when you aren't a missionary, but for the large part, there's a ton of great stuff in here! Now. I know you all lead busy lives, and you've already got lots of church stuff going on. Callings, studying for Come Follow Me, reading Scriptures as a family, etc. So I don't want to add too much to that workload. So here's my challenge. Take at least five minutes a day to read from Preach My Gospel. Maybe a paragraph or two. That's all you really need, after all, it's my full time job, not yours. But I promise that the additional inspiration and knowledge you can gain from even just a short five minute study make it more than worth your time. :)
As always, thanks for listening! Have a great week, do something that makes you happy, and don't forget to be nice to your local missionaries! Au revoir!
- Elder Blankenbiller
1- More Hamburgers (Because to be honest, is there such a thing as enough?)
2- Chilling at Zone Conference
3- Our new and improved upstairs snack refrigerator
4- Me and the guys getting lunch
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