Happy Birthday Brittany!

Hi all! I am sorry I am so late with this, I will be writing to you all more next week, so hang tight! PLEASE oh and I am not getting transferred.

AND

HAPPY BIRTHDAY BRITTANY BLACK
I LOVE YOU

"so engaged, so in tuned"

Dear family and friends, how are things? Well it's just another pday morning and the weather is starting to cool off. This morning I could not see my hand in front of my face, the fog was so bad! Then I heard all the sirens and I thought oh boy, that's probably not good! Well anyway I hope your week has been well. I will tell you all about mine... So just sit down, cool down, and shut down (OK don't do that) and I will tell you all about it!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!
!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

So lets just jump right to Tuesday because Monday was spent here at Brother Young's house. Anyway we had D.M. as always. Had to shoot right over to David Love's house and that was with a member who is preparing to go his mission to Spain. His name is Cody and after that we had lunch and saw some old P.I.s. We saw Brenda and that lesson went well. I felt the Spirit and I felt like I needed to be bold with her. She has a lot on her plate and I know she has it rough but if she would stop smoking and give her life to God, I am more than sure He would help her out more. Well anyway we had dinner at the Hernandez and that was fun. Then we saw Sammona and Klee.

So Wednesday we went on a team up with brother Cole's and we went out to lunch and had pizza. we tried some names that were not there. We also went to go see Sister Brooks and she was home so we taught here a lesson, which went good. After that we had dinner then went out with Brother Running and that was the end of Wednesday.

Thursday we went out biking for morning exercise and took a short cut, got all muddy. It was fun. Came back washed up and W.P., had lunch, knocked a street called Crane and then went on a team up with Devin Corri's. We went to go see Devio Singhus, had dinner with the Steels. Then we had to pick up had another team up with Brother Young and we went to go see Franky and that was a way cool lesson, let me tell you. Wow! I did not ever see Franky so engaged so in tuned than when Brother Young bore his testimony. So I see some progress there. Went to bishops house and then home to plan.

Friday- We did service for Brother Norton. We chopped up some wood for him and then we had lunch, saw Dallis and that was on a team up with Brother Leusis. We also saw Dianna. We were suppose to have diner with the Holmes but they had to cancel on us, so instead we got deer meat from Brother Sweeny. Oh yea baby! I was in hog heaven, man that was good!

Saturday we had service with Brother Polkie and we or I helped him drop a transmission on his jeep and we also are going to help him with his fence. He has horses and I want to ride them very much, but I can't as a missionary. Went on a team up with Brother Risher saw Joe and Jessica. Went well, had dinner with the Zollingers.

Sunday had PEC, church, then we went to see some P.I. Had lunch, had a lesson with the Donelsons, tried to see Dallas, had dinner, and saw Rosa and Mary Pland.

GOOD MORNING BALTIMORE!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Dear family and friends:

To tell you of another wonderful week: This week was rather long for me this time and I will tell you why shortly, but before I begin my spiel, I would like to tell you that I am always reminded about who's work this is everyday. And I know that we have hard times in the mission because in a way it gives us more appreciation for the atonement. I sometimes ask myself why is this so hard sometimes, why can't the only problem be in missionary work be that we keep getting sick because we can't get out of the water? The only thing I can think of is why should it be easy for us when it never was easy for Him? We ourselves need to drink out of cups we would rather not, I am not saying that what we experience in this mortal life will be anything like He had to go through but we sure get to taste it. I love this gospel I love being called ELDER BLACK. I wear that name tag loud and proud. I know who I am and I am not ashamed to be a missionary and to be a member of this church. What I am trying to say is that no matter how hard the struggle, no matter how hard the trial, the Lord has been there and He knows what you are going through. So may we all stand a little taller and lift those with feeble knees. May the Lord bless all of you and I wish all of you a Happy Thanksgiving!

So lets talk about Monday: what did we do? Well we stayed at the Thompson's like all day and helped them do some service. It was fun. We helped him cut down some trees and the trees on the burn stack. That thing is so big and monstrous that I don't think I would want to be anywhere near it when it goes off, but talk about a bonfire! Well, after that we had to get cleaned up for dinner and dinner was at the dinner was at the Castagnettos. That family is way awesome and he is Indian, he has Navajo in him, I am not sure how you spell that though? Well moving on we did not get to teach a lesson there because I was not feeling so hot so we came back and I laid down.

Now for Tuesday: aww good old D.M. I love District meeting. We all get together and talk about our investigators and receive revelation for our investigators. We had dinner at the Young's and then we tried to see some people like David Love, but he was not home. So we went to go see some more peeps and then headed off to home. Kinda not a very eventful day, but we did eat at Buffalo Wild Wings that was good but, oh so bad. I was in pain afterwards because of the hot and spicy sauce they put on my wings.

Wednesday was very fun. We were going to see some of our investigators, Samoana and Klee who we found by knocking and who seemed really interested in the gospel. So we were on our way there and we got there and were so tired we almost just collapsed right there. We were so out of breath and they were not even home. Well after that we were not excited to go up that big hill again and now we had some time to kill so we got creative. We had always seen this trail that I don't think was supposed to be one, but I always wanted to check it out. So we did and it lead right to our house and we totally went around the hill. It was AWESOME! Thank you, thank you. I'll be here all winter!

Thursday, lets see what happened on Thursday? We went out with Brother Young and we saw Ray, Rose, and Mary. Nice family. I just love them to pieces. Talked about honesty with Mary. Then we went to go see Frank, he was not home so then we went to go and see the Polkies. He owns some land and has horses on them and so naturally I want to be buds with this guy because I want to meet his horses. Well my plan worked. He asked if I knew anything about working on a ranch and I said I did. He asked if I knew how to work on trucks, I said I did. He said you want to help me out around here? I said I would love to! (trying to hid my excitement inside) After that we went to see some more that were not home, so we called it a night. Had dinner at the Barns.

Friday we were on an exchange with the D.L and I was in charge of the area for the first time (o boy). Let's just say we did a lot of knocking because none of our plans worked out. We went on a team up with Brother Wasson and saw all of his home teaching family's. Then we had dinner at the Traxlers.

Saturday we went on a team up with Bishop and we did not see very many people but we did fix Brother Hernandez car tire. That was fun, we put a plug in it; aw the good old days. I remember when I had to do that all the time with a Chevy truck that I had. Elder Garfield I hope you heard that I never had a flat on my Dodge! (inside joke ) Well anyway we had dinner with the Ngamsamith's and that was so good. the best weird soup I have ever had.

Sunday: well church (Obviously) then we went over to the Floyd's for dinner and after that we had to do some weekly planing because we have just been putting it off for just to long. After that we saw that we were low on lessons taught, so we scrambled to teach as many lessons as we could. And you know what?, we taught 3 in less than an hour. So we made it not quite to our goal but high enough to be happy with it.

Well now that brings us up to now and what am I doing now. Well I am at Brother Young's house and I am emailing all you. I hope you have a great week and you will here from me soon. I know I have not been the best at writing letters. ha ha ha It seems like one or the other. I am really good at emailing or at writing letters, but I can't do them both. I don't know why that is, but I will try to get both down. well i got to go i don't mean to make this a novel but i do want you all to know how much I love you guys and that my prayers are with you. God speed!

love you all,

ELDER BLACK

"the church is true, the book is blue"

[1-17-10]

Dear family,

I decided to revise my strategy of this whole emailing thing. I have received many concerning emails about me not writing everyone, so I decided to try the mass email thing again. The problem is, I like to chat with y'all (west Virginian for you) and if I do the whole mass email it will cut sufficiently into my chatting time. But as it turns out, no system is working so there needs to be some reformations made. So I propose that we vote on this and I will need everyone to participate on this voting or it will not be affective: So would you rather me to chat with you or a mass email with all of the updates? This will be affective immediately after all the ballots have been cast, so please be sure to get them to me soon. Anyway that is the end of my speech (did I rush it? - Oceans 11)

Well on to other more important business today, we are not doing anything too exciting. No we are going to shop and write letters all day. Just a side note, know I feel so stressed out and it's all my fault because I feel like I need to record every ounce of my mission and I just discovered this yesterday: that I don't have to do that! You think I would learn (lets face it I will never learn) that you do NOT have to KILL yourself to remember your mission. I will still take pictures and things like that and what I am saying is not to be confused with me having a hard time on my mission or anything like that. But what I am trying to say is that I am trying to record every memory, every little detail of my mission and I just can't do that, it's not fun for me (sorry to anyone that was counting on that). It just won't work anymore. Well anyways, moving on. I don't mean to drag on and on and ramble so I won't try to do that now.

Lets talk about about Tuesday shall we? Lets see what did we do..... Well unfortunately this was the day that Elder Goodrich was not feeling so well and we did not plan. So I don't really have anything written down, probably because we did not do anything. hahaha Oh well he is better now, that's good right?

Tuesday what can I say about Tuesday lets see...... We went to go chop wood for Sis. Hillflinger and that went well. Got to show off my impressive wood chopping skills (watch out when I get home, I will blow you all away that's all I do here (not really)). But I do do a lot of it here. We also had a media referral and it was going well when we contacted him. His name was Micky, but while we were contacting him, his wife ran in bawling, the poor thing, throwing up in a bag and running up the stairs. Well I know whats that's like! Well anyway that was about all that happened this day.

Weekly planing, Joe/Jessica, some of my favorite investigators thus far, all that is holding them back is they need to get married. So they said they would be for thanksgiving and they will be baptized shortly there after. I am so stoke, he would of been to church but his son had pink eye and we were so bummed out. But he will be there next week for sure he told us, he is committed 100% and not to give up on him. Oh we won't!

Actually weekly planing was supposed to be today but we had to move it up a day. Today we were around in the neighborhood of a l.a. named Sis. Brooks who is making a remarkable come back to church and then we saw this moving truck and these men who looked like they were having a hard time with this heavy bed so we thought we would give a hand and thought it was just a normal Uhaul truck, but we found out that it was a company and that they really would like a hand. So we did help and then we met Tori, she was the home owner and she wanted to know more about us so we have an appointment with her tonight!

Friday we cleaned the car and really needed to do some laundry. Went to go see Tammy, she was not there so we decided to go see Charley Huff. Now interesting story, one of those "only on your mission" stories, but Charley Huff is a drinker. A heavy one at best and so is his , his wife told us over and over again "I am so messed up, I am smashed- don't come today it's not a good time for me." Really sad, I wanted to so badly shake her and say are you happy?! Do you like were this is going?! You want to live a better life? Then stop drinking! Well there is a lot to work on there, I will let you know what happens.

Saturday we had a "missionary breakfast" and then went on a long team up with Brother Coles. We went and saw Franky. Now Franky is my project, he is such a cool dude, he loves the whole cowboy thing and loves to hunt, drives a big dully dodge 3500 and owns his own rock excavating business and has really big trucks in his drive way. But his company is not doing to well, in fact he has no work , he is kinda depressed. His wife left him and his daughter, his only daughter who I think he spoils way to much, won't talk to him and when she does it's only because she needs something. Well he has had a hard life and pretty much his life has been a country song if he had a dog it would be run over by now, but he is a good man and tries hard to do good.

Anyways, I better wrap this up. It's getting to long. Sunday church, it was good then we had dinner at the Running's, homemade lasagna, that was good. Then we went over to the Thomson's and had a party over there for their family. Well we were invited to it, we did not stay long knocked Flagstaff Lane, I thought that was cute taste of home. You know, Flagstaff AZ, anyway that about sums up Sunday. Love you all, have a wonder full Monday. I know I will and I hope I here from you soon. Remember that the church is true, the book is blue and Jesus is in fact a Mormon.

Love Elder Black

"Well we are super busy and I love it!"

Dear family,

[1-1-10]

How are you? I am sorry you are getting this so late, but I will give you a better idea of what's going on in this area. I know I have not been the most informant person in the world. I let the letters and things go by the way side, but I just need to get back in to the grove of things so give me some time. I am trying to get adjusted to the area I now am in. It's coming along, I am sure I will have the hang of it by no time. Right now I am at the Thomson's and we're emailing. Sorry it is so late, but i had to fit this in. I know how important it is. Well let's get down to reporting shall we? Lets see...................................................

Monday- We went to Harper's Ferry where I last served and we climbed Maryland heights, something that I think we should do as a family some day. We came back and had dinner here. So that was Monday.

Tuesday- We had D.M. and then we ate lunch but we were in so much of a hurry here, we had hardly any time for any food besides dinner. I cannot live with out food! Well we are super busy and I love it!

Wednesday- We had Brenda, she is an investigator that we have here. We are actually going to drop her soon if she does not come to church, which she did not so were going to give her the (drop talk) again and hopefully things change. Then we changed the car because we share it.

Thursday- Was W.P which was fun. We have W.P party's here! Saw a bunch of people and had lots of fun. Had dinner at Harrison's.

Friday- We saw Joe and Jessica (gators) and they flaked on us, so we had to fall back to our back up plans and they failed so we just had lunch and then knocked a lot. And we don't have to do that a lot here! I was happy about that! Had dinner and called it a night. Planned and went night night!

Saturday - We had a trunk-or-treat and (this was so much fun) we dressed up as early missionaries. I was Joseph Smith and Elder Goodrich was Dan Jones. It was lots of fun.

Sunday- We helped hand out candy and had dinner with the Gilbert's.

Monday/ today we had lunch with Brother Forny. Oh yea we went to Hancock, it was a blast from the past. I love that old man!

Well got to go. Love you all. Goodnight!
Elder Black