Tuesday, March 30, 2010

Weekly Letter: March 23-29

Para todos ustedes:

So, the visa situation for Mexico is a little iffy right now, but if all goes well, I will be heading to Mexico a week from now!!! What is really killing me now isn't so much the idea that I might be delayed in the MTC a little bit before the visas come, it's more the fact that I have honestly no idea what's going on. If I knew I was going to be delayed for two weeks like some elders have been, I would prepare for that, but right now, we could be called down at any moment to get our visas finalized and leave next week. I've found that I don't do well with uncertainty. But maybe it's a trial of my faith. All I can do is hope, pray, and have faith the God knows what's going on and that he'll make sure I'll go to the right place.

That aside, the prospect of leaving the MTC in a week is crazy! It's so hard to believe that it has been nearly 8 weeks since I first entered the MTC. It's also really weird to think that in 8 days I could be proselyting in Mexico City! I'm not too nervous about Mexico, not because I feel qualified...in fact I know that I'm the exact opposite. It's going to be hard. I know that as much as I've learned about Spanish in the MTC, once I get there and starting talking to the Chilangos(people from Mexico City)....it's a whole different thing. But I find comfort in reading the mission stories in the Book of Mormon.

Ammon, Alma, Amulek, Nephi, Lehi, you name it, they all had great missions, all of them were able to bring many to the truth and to the waters of baptism....but that doesn't mean that their missions were easy. In fact, the most successful missions in the Book of Mormon all started with great hardship. Every single one of the missionaries listed above were imprisoned and mistreated by the people they were teaching at the beginning of their missions.

That being said, I don't think I will have that rough of a start to my mission, but something that I learn from these stories is that the Lord visits us in the hard times, during the times of uncertainty. I'm sure Ammon and his brethren would laugh at me being worked up about maybe staying in the comfortable MTC for another extra few weeks, or otherwise not being ready with the language if I do head in a week...meanwhile he and his brethren had to face the uncertainty of walking into the Lamanite lands, inherited by people that probably would like to kill them on sight.

So, I'm not worried...unsure, a little anxious, but not worried. What will happen will happen...it's in the Lord's hands, not in mine.


I've seen Elder Sell quite a few times this week. I think I must be coming across as picture happy because every time I see him, I always say, "we're gonna have to get a picture some time." I don't think he realized until today that I'm scheduled to leave in a week. So hopefully I'll be able to find a time to take a picture on Sunday around packing and getting ready and stuff.


Anyway, I don't want to write a novel right now, and don't have nearly enough time to write one even if I did, so I'm gonna have to go.

Thank you all again for your prayers and letters. They really do help!

Con Amor,


Elder Thomas Blackham

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