4th of July!

  Hola! Welcome back to this week's rendition of Frederick Maryland with Elder Blackburn. I hope this last week has been great for each of you. This last week has been pretty tough in terms of the work, but we're excited to get back into it this next week. We had a lot of people decrease in desire to progress any further so we had to drop a lot of people. But the good/bad news is that Jonathan smoked again so he has fallen off Baptismal date for now. It was actually super helpful for him because he was able to recognize the importance and existence of the power we can receive when we rely entirely on the Savior. As for updates, his plan is to keep trying to quit smoking and coffee and once he is mentally stronger he is going to try to go without smoking for two weeks again. 

     As for weird food this week, Sunday we were over at a member's house and they fed us these tacos without telling us exactly what the meat was. As we were eating these tacos and looking at the bowl of mystery meat, they told us it was cow head. Like everything - brain, ears, eyes, skin, you name it. Just diced up and thrown into a taco. I have to say though if you don't think about it too much the flavor isn't half bad. 

     Okay, crazy story of the week. My companion Elder Arnett was on exchanges with the other Elders in Frederick and when they were walking nearby the apartment, a black truck came flying down the street and fired a pistol at them. My companion and Elder Starr hauled back through some trees and hid in a bush to see the black truck with tinted windows driving circles around the round-a-bout up the street looking for them. So that's the latest. Frederick Elders are getting shot at. So we've been on high alert this last week but we've all been okay. 

     Quick spiritual thought for the week: I've continued to read the story of the sons of Mosiah as I work my way through the book of Alma. A verse I read last week in Alma 27:18 reads: "Now was not this exceeding joy? Behold this is joy which none receiveth save it be the truly penitent and humble seeker of happiness." Something I've come to learn is that humility is the basis of all Christlike attributes and blessings. When we recognize that we are not enough and we will never be enough we have the capability to rely entirely on the Savior. We have the ability to grow our faith and our trust that the Lord will use our struggles, our weaknesses, our afflictions, and our trials to mold us into the person that He needs and wants us to be. Please, brothers and sisters, let Him mold you. Please learn the lessons you are meant to learn when you are in the midst of trials. 

Cow head tacos 

LISA

Presidente Leon y los Elderes