I am going to impress you when I get home

[beach 2007]

Dear family,

So I am now moved. Not a far jump, I just changed wards. There are 3 wards in our stake and I just moved down the street. Well I live in a five man apartment and that has been fun, lots of fun. We went exploring today and I am so glad that I had my water proof boots with me. Other wise I would have had soaked socks just like the rest of them. After that we went to the bounce gym as we call it and I learned how to do a back flip and a front flip in to a foam pit. That was all fine and dandy but I felt so trapped when I landed in it. I would freak out every time, so I learned that if I were to place a mat on top of the foam that I would be fine. So I did that and it worked I had some thing to walk on. Anyway, I am going to impress you when I get home with my sweet front flip skills! Well on to more and exciting news: we just had 6 baptisms in this area and I just walked in to them all so I can't really say that they're mine or can I? Anyway this area is doing really well. I am glad to be a part of it. Well what else happened that is worthy to report, I am so sorry about my lack of writing. I was way stressed out and I had no time to do anything. Well that's no excuse, but I will try to do better... I will. Well family I hope all is well with you all. I hope that you had a great week too and I will talk to you soon. So till then, God be with you till we meet again.

love elder black

Today is a great day!

[mission beach 2008]

So I just got the call not to long ago, I will be moving not more than 5 miles to my next location. It should be fun. There will be 5 elders living were I am going. So in our district we will have 7 people all together, it will be awesome! Honestly I have mixed emotions about leaving. I have seen a lot of changes in this area. I don't want to leave, but I do at the same time! But we will see what lies ahead for us. This is a wonderful time to be a missionary. Can't wait to meet new people.

Well I love you all and I hope you all have a great week!

love elder black

We have a baptism coming up....

Ahoy my family this is elder black!

Well this week is off to a great start. I love hearing from all of you and informing me of what's going on! Over here in the east we have some great things going on so much that I cannot right them all down, but what I can tell you all what I think that I told everyone else. Transfers are coming up and I think my time has come, but that is so far away that it almost seems impossible to me anyway. We have a baptism coming up and his name is Jeffery. Keep him in your prayers.

Well family... take care of your selves and know that I love you!

Sorry this is so short but I got to run.

Love Elder Black

major high light of this week

How are all of you? I hope all of you are well and doing good. This area has baptized 46 people this month. That was a great improvement from last year's this month. Since we have a mission president that loves stats, have up dates all the time. Well family I don't have a lot of time, but just to give an big major high light of this week is that we have had 2 baptisms this past week. And I baptized them both. It took me 4 times to baptized Emily and 2 to baptize Ethan, but the good news is they are baptized and that they will remain that way. Well I love you all and the Lord is blessing us all greatly.

love elder black

"We were really lucky"

So this is late, I know but I just want to let you all know that I am still alive and that I love you all. So I do want to tell you about all that's going on over here. Although I cannot tell you all of them, I will tell you that we had a wonderful baptism. We were really lucky to find some one like her. Well I got to go. It's late, but I love you all. Give a shout to everyone for me!

love elder black

THE TABELS HAVE TURNED

GOOD MORNING BALTIMORE INDEED!

We have great things to be talked about this week, and there are many great things that are going on in this area. And I know I have not been the best at writing y'all back, but here is some good stuff that's going on in our area: We have 6 people on date for baptism and we had 6 people at sacrament meeting last week. We also have 20 people that we are teaching that all have the potential to be baptized. This is an exciting time for me right now! I actually have things going on in this area. This area was dead when me and Elder Goodrich first got here. We found this one lady, her name is Emily, and here date is set for the 22Th of this month. I am not going to get transferred so I can actually see a bap. This is all I could ask for! I love this work, I can see the change it has had in our investigators and I see their desire to learn more. What a blessing it is to be in this work; working to gather the Saints. Although sometimes it feels we're more hunters of men than fishers. I know that this work is true. There are so many things I want to tell you about, but I can't do it all in the time that I have. So I will try to get a letter to you all today and it will be a long one to make up for all the weeks I have missed. Family, I love you all and I hope you have a great day.

love elder black

2011

[2009 new years eve]

Dear family,

How are you doing? I hope all is well. Well today is Monday and it is the first one of 2011! We sang at the Temple on Sat. and it was fun to see all the people come piling in. We had a great week this week. We have lots of people on date to be baptized and we have lots of people we're teaching. I don't have a lot of time, so I will have to make this short. I hope you all had a wonderful new year. I wish mine was more exiting to tell you, but i will try to make it better next year. Friday we had a really nice dinner at a members home and I went to bed at 11:47. I did not make it to 12:00, but I was not all tired and grouchy either when I woke up. So that was good. Any other items to note? I can't thing of any. I am working on writing letters more so you should all get one today (well I am writing it today). Well got to go time has run out. I love you and miss you but I am happy doing the Lord's work.

elder black

Happy Birthday to ME.

[His 19th birthday]

ITS ME! AND I AM NO LONGER A TEEN YEA!

"But that's cool I guess"

Yea y'all. It's a cold windy day today and the weather man is calling for snow. So it's time to bundle up and head out! Well I stayed in my area. Let's see if I could stay for three ( can I hear four anybody) and I got a new companion. Yes indeed I did and Elder Goodrich is home in Utah. I wish the best for him. Well let me tell you a bit about Elder Buanburger. He is from St. George Utah and loves to make pots, like clay pots of all things? But that's cool I guess. He is 6 months old on his mission and he is a pretty good teacher. He is a good missionary has that go and do attitude which is good. I like that so that's him. He has a twin and he also likes making pots, I don't get it but that's okay. Pot making is not really my thing. Anyway enough about him, I want to talk about me!

Okay well today was kinda a bust because I wanted to go see Brother Forny but I don't think that is going to happen because it's just to far away and I don't know if Brother Forny wants to drive all the way down here to come get us. So anyway I will try next week to set that up. Anyway that's what is going on today, absolutely nothing.

So anyway on to Tuesday: well I was still with Elder Goodrich, I miss that kid, anyway we went to his last district meeting (Pam you should know what that feels like) then me and him went to go look for a box to put his bike in so we could ship that home. Oh man what a disaster that was. It taught me a lesson I wont forget. 4 days before I come home I am finding a box that will fit my bike. Then that someday I will ship it, if we have to bike that day tough! I will walk. Anyway, my rant is done. It just was kinda a stressful day for the both of us.

Moving on to WEN. Well that was transfers, it was hard for Elder Goodrich to go home. I did not want to see him leave and I know he sure did not want to go, but he had to and I am sure he is well adjusted by now. That or he is still shell shocked.

Well Thursday was the first full day with Elder Buranburger and he loves this area. I do too. I hope I get to stay. I actually want to out live one of my companions and I really hope it is in this area. Well I got sick this day and I was in bed most of the afternoon, but I am a little better now.

But Friday we went to go see a bunch of people and we taught 7 lessons in one day. That was awesome.

Well that brings us up to Sat. We just went around to see people and to see an investigator named Brenda. She has had a hard life and her 13 year old daughter might be pregnant. That girl is a problem child. I don't think that she is all there anyways.

Well Sunday we had church then we went to the Christmas devotional from the first presidency and that went well, and that brings us up to now.

Well I thank all of you for all that you do for me thank you for the gifts and for the support most of all. I love you all so much,

love elder black

ps. i turn 20 in 23 days and my birthday is on a p day how cool is that!!! woot woot!!!

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