October 30, 2023

Don't have a whole lotta time to write something down this week, but I'm alive, still kicking it in Seattle! I love this area, the members, the work, all of it. It's getting tougher to find Hispanics cause they literally hate the cold so if they aren't working, they're inside...not great. Except when we go knocking, but that's rare cause literally almost every apartment in Seattle is locked. 

Bus finding goes crazy tho, we've got so many contacts on the Bus, plenty of wild ones preaching about the devil and how he's got a grip on everyone. All in Spanish, so my bashing vocabulary expanded quite a bit. 

A crazy awesome spiritual experience after church on Sunday! To lay out the scene, give some context, we have this recent convert family, the mom and dad have been baptized and right now we're just working on the daughter. So the young women's leader invited us over to her house with a buncha other members and we ate GOOD. I was forced to eat 3 hamburgers, fried shrimp, steak, and the best guac I've ever had. So after I was absolutely fried from food we sat on the couch, did a few mind puzzles, and then we started the lesson. Going into this I had absolutely no clue what I was going to share, cause there were so many different types of people there, but I also wanted to focus on the daughter to progress her towards baptism, and so we sat down, said a prayer, and I got filled with one of the strongest spiritual impressions of my life. We taught the gospel of Jesus Christ, without any previous preparation and all the members were sharing their conversion stories. Different people cried at one point or another, I was on the verge of tears at the end when everyone was bearing their testimonies, and we closed off the lesson with everyone smiling, feeling the spirit so strong. For sure one of the most spiritually uplifting experiences on my mission. 

The Holy Spirit is truly the greatest gift from God. To be able to feel the love of Christ through the spirit, makes decisions so much easier, lightens our load, let's us know we're not alone. I testify of it's power, and how it is accessible to everyone, if we want it. We just have to obey the laws God has given us. That's it! I love this gospel and all the blessings that come from it. 

That's it, bye. 

Elder Blankenbiller 

October 16, 2023

This week flew by crazy fast. I don't even remember starting it ngl. The only days I really remember are Friday and Saturday. Friday my comp went to the departing missionary temple trip, so I had to get put with another companionship for the day. And I got put with Elder Bahr. So basically I had an amazing day. Elder Bahr is from my home stake and he is a legend. We went contacting, and me and him got so many numbers and good contacts. I'm now making it my mission goal to get him switched over to Spanish because I gotta be comps with him. He's also already crazy good at Spanish sooo...just makes it all the simpler. 

On Saturday, we were supposed to have a baptism for out friend but it didn't turn out like that. He still wants to get baptized so we are in the process of refinding a date! If you all could please pray for Marcelo that would be fantastic. Later during the day we had a wedding party for our ward mission leader who just got sealed to his wife and kids!! It was awesome, great food, great people. 

I want to quickly testify of the power of prayer. Personal prayers especially are so important to our eternal growth. I can testify that it is truly a direct line of conversation to God. We can speak with him and ask for what we may need, for what we are thankful. It is one of the biggest blessings I have ever been able to receive in my life, and I'm so grateful for this. I testify of prayer and it's amazing power in the name of Jesus Christ, amen. 

Stickas

Surf and turf

Jesuuuuus, de bellingham 

Riot  

October 9, 2023

Dude, there's a week left in the transfer. I don't know how time somehow passes by so quickly! I've already finished my first transfer of training, unfortunately they're shipping my boy off to Bolivia cause ig I didn't do a good enough job...or maybe just cause it's his time. 

More news, our friend Marcelo passed his baptismal interview!! That's rad so now we just have to replan the day cause my ward mission leader is getting sealed the same day and taking half the ward with him...but that's fine we don't hold it against the man. Just makes things more complicated. 

One of our friends, Elder, is a legend. We went out to dinner with him, decided to be bomb and ask him why he hasn't been able to be baptized yet, and he was straight out with us. He said he was scared, and also needed to get divorced. So. That's fair. But I love the guy he's so much fun, I know he'll for sure get baptized one day. 

Before I end this one, I just want to add my testimony of the power of our efforts. That when we give the best we're able to with what we have, God will fill in the rest for us. He wants to help us, to see us grow. I was talking with my mom today and we talked about Peter, and when he walked on the water, already knowing that it was stormy. But he tried, he gave it his best and put forth another step to reach the Savior. But eventually he started to fall, because of the wind or the waves or whatever, but he started to fall after putting forth all he could. But the Savior didn't just stand there and let him fall, knowing that Peter couldn't save himself after putting out all he could. The Savior reached out his hand and Peter immediately took it. Without hesitation. That's how I want to be, take hold of his hand without faulting, because I know that he will help me acheive all I need to, if I only take his hand. And I say this in the name of Jesus Christ, amen. 

- Elder Blankenbiller

Pikes Place 

October 2, 2023

I'll keep this one short and sweet cause I don't have a whole lotta time, BUT...conference. Mission conference is somehow was different than all of my other previous conferences. Idk how It went by so fast but I woke up Saturday morning, started the session, and next thing I knew conference was over. It was an amazing conference, and we had a friend come watch a session with us!! We invited our friend on date, Marcelo, to watch a session with us and we asked him to come with a question. He said he got his answered!! Miracles. 

I don't have more time to write, but I would like to bear my testimony of the prophet, Russell M. Nelson. He is a man called of God to give us guidance in this life, and he has done exactly that. Inviting us in our most recent conference to "think celestially". Just two words but they hold so much power, and it's amazing that we have the knowledge to be able to do so. That we have enough knowledge of God and his glory that we can elevate ourselves to this higher level of thinking. I testify of the validity of the words of our prophet, to keep ourselves in line with our celestial identities. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen. 

Elder Blankenbiller

Photos:

I also went to the Space Needle.