Hermana Bloxham - Hello dear family and friends!

What a week! Time is FLYING by and I can't believe I've already been here for 10 weeks! Crazy!

So this week we visited Clara again! Last time we asked her if she would read from the Book of Mormon and she said yes. But from past experience I wasn't counting on that too much. But when we got there on Monday, she told us that she had read all the way to 1 Nephi 8! Hermana Cole and I almost passed out! That's amazing! She went on to tell us that she didn't understand much of it but she explained exactly the stories she read and TOTALLY understood it! She had a problem with when God told Nephi to kill Laban. She said that God wouldn't tell anyone to kill someone else. That was when the spirit completely took over. I had no idea what to say but I just opened my mouth and spoke. By the end I could feel the spirit so strong and knew that I was just the mouthpiece to bring the message of the truthfulness of this Gospel to this amazing woman. 

My Spanish was coming out perfectly, the words were exactly what she needed, and she understood perfectly what she needed to understand. I am truly an instrument in the hands of God to declare these glad tidings to the world!(Mosiah 27:36-37)

I hope that you all watched the Broadcast on member missionary work! It was so amazing and I know that as you do your part to give the missionaries referrals and help them to fellowship their investigators, this work will explode and you will receive more blessings than you can even imagine. I know that as we all work together, Satan will not be able to have power over us and we will bring to pass much righteousness.(D&C 10:5)

Thank you all for your support and everything you are doing for me our here in NY!

Love, Hermana Bloxham :)

Jeff visiting the missionaries in the Bronx!

Elder Bloxham - Heyy!!!!

Hello family!! I am so excited to be writing to you this wonderful Monday morning :) The weather is amazing, and the spirit is full :)

    I want to start by saying that the Worldwide Broadcast last night was absolutely amazing! It's so inspiring to hear the words of our Apostles and to feel their beautiful spirits through the T.V. :) Member missionary work, like it said, is seriously how it should be done! The members don't have to wear a shirt and tie everyday that intimidates people, but they can have that friendly conversation with their neighbors about the gospel and try to invite missionaries into their homes. It just brings happiness to my soul to think about people having the gospel in their lives! 

     Connie is preparing amazingly for her Baptism! It is this Saturday, then her Confirmation will be this Sunday. She chose me to do the Baptism, then chose Brother Brown to be the voice in the Confirmation. When i saw the paper with all of the information about her baptism i about cried. She is ready. Heavenly Father is ready for her to take Christ name upon her. Like it says in the Doctrine & Covenants Sec. 20:37 She is literally taking the name of Christ, and will have the constant Holy Ghost to be with her. What greater blessing!? It amazes me how much trust our Father in Heaven has for us. He is giving us his spirit to dwell within us! It is just amazing!

      I don't know what it is, but I am just an emotional wreck right now! In a good way of course! Watching Paige Moss open her call, then Watching Dawson open his. I just bawl! I can't wait for them to have the experience that i'm having. It just makes me so happy to see them taking this step in their lives! :):)

      I am so thankful for our Heavenly Father, and our Savior Jesus Christ. I have seen the Atonement in action. It blesses my life, and i know it's changing Connie's, and Hope's life. That ultimate sacrifice is such a blessing. "For God loves us so much, he sent his only begotten Son to take upon the sins of the world" :) 

     I love you all so much and i'm so thankful for the support that I feel from the family.

-Elder Bloxham

The cute girls that decorated us with grass :)

Me and Elder Simmons by the corn.

Hermana Bloxham - Another week flew by!

Hey everyone!

This week has been crazy and different than any other week out here for me! We didn't have many lessons but I learned a ton! So the other day that I went on a split with Sister Liou we found a lady from the D.R. (of course ;)) and she said she was busy right then but that we could come back another time! So I got her number and we went back last week and had an awesome first lesson and we taught about the Restoration! She asked good questions and was focused, which is totally awesome for the Bronx! Haha. After the lesson we set another appointment for this week on Monday! So on Monday we called her and she didn't answer but she left us a message and said that she had to do it an hour later because she had an appointment at the doctor. The problem was that we had an appointment with a member that night an hour away at that time! So we called the member to see if she could switch to another day and come to find out that she needed to change the appointment anyway! Cool right? So we stopped by Clara's house and she wasn't there.... But on the way back home we ran into her on the street and she still wanted us to come over! So we did of course haha. 

During the lesson we just clarified about Joseph Smith and the Book of Mormon and asked if she read it since our last meeting. She said YES! but that she didn't really understand it because she isn't familiar with it, like the Bible. She we skimmed through 1 Nephi 1 with her and explained who Nephi and Lehi were and everything and she really understood it! Then we read the 2nd chapter and she would stop us and explain what the verses meant to her and it was AMAZING!! She totally understood the chapter and so we got to testify of our love for the Book of Mormon and she really took it to heart and I know that she is going to read this week too!

At the end of the lesson, we asked her to pray and she said an awesome prayer and ended in the name of Jesus Christ, Joseph Smith, and all of God's other prophets hahahahaha! I died a little inside but I am so happy that she actually prayed for us!

This week has really helped me to understand the real reason for missionary work. We really are here to invite others to come unto Christ. Even if we are doing our best and don't get any baptisms, our purpose was only to Invite. I know that the Lord hears our prayers and will lead us in the direction that we need to be going. I know that through this Gospel is the only way that anyone can be happy in this life and in the life to come. We just need to share it! Missionary Work is a commandment, so we should all be doing it all the time! I love you all and I love this Gospel with all my heart!

Thank you all for everything you are doing for me and all of your prayers!

Hermana Bloxham :)

Getting corn on the street :)

On a roof in Co-Op City

Elder Bloxham - Amazing Week!!!

 While you guys were soaking up the sun in Powell, I've been sweating my butt off here in humid Winchester! haha! But I have an awesome story to tell you all, and i hope it comes out the way it felt because this has changed my mission.

      So I don't remember if i told you about Hope? But about 3 weeks ago we talked with her, had an amazing lesson, but then we went back and she was gone. She didn't answer our calls or her door. So we were like what the heck? We kept trying kept trying, then about a week ago we were like, alright if she doesn't answer, we will have to just try again in like a month or two... We walk up to her door and she answers! She was so excited to see us!!! We talk for a little bit, and then she tells us that she had been in jail for that past couple weeks. She went on to tell us that she had never felt more alone in her life than when she was in jail. She broke down in tears. She then told us "I am ready for a change in my life, and I know that the only way is through this church." We told her that we will never give up on her, and we will be along with her every step of the way. She then just starts crying again. She felt so ashamed that she had been in jail. She goes on to tell me that I have been the greatest blessing to her because when she was in jail, the only thing she could think of is Joseph Smith, and the Book of Mormon. She then gets a hold of me and cry's on my shoulder giving me a hug. she held me and just sobbed on my shoulder. She is ready for a change and she is willing to do whatever it takes to have that change. That night i knelt down and prayed, thanking Heavenly Father for not giving up on Hope. As i was praying, i felt like i was getting a big hug from something! It felt like somebody had put a blanket on me. I know, without a doubt, that Heavenly Father was proud of me. In that moment, i felt like the Savior. Jesus Christ does things like this. He is always helping people and blessing people! And I have never felt the love from Heavenly Father that much in my life. I broke down in tears, giving thanks for the blessing I have received! Hope thinks that we touched her life, little does she know that she has changed my life.

      All we have to do is show people that we love them. Unconditionally. No matter their past, no matter what they are doing in the present. People can always change. Through the Atonement of our Savior, change is possible! I have already seen it work through me, and touched Hope. She knows God loves her, and she knows Jesus loves her. And, she knows I love her.

Charity and love go hand in hand. Without charity, we share no love. Without Love, we will not have Charity. Moroni chapter 7:46-47 Charity is the Pure Love Of Christ. Serve others, and we will find that pure love of Christ in others and they will feel the Holy Ghost work within them!

I love you all so much!!

-Elder Bloxham

This is Elder Anderton, from st. George Utah! He is sick! but funny picture of him.

Me and Elder Hicks! look how big he is!!!! makes me look like a shrimp hah!
(Nate knows Elder Hicks from Bingham)

Hermana Bloxham - What a week!

This has been an awesome week! This Friday and Saturday we had guys painting our apartment so we all had to be in our apartment from 8am to 6pm.... killer long! But we got lucky on Saturday that they got done at about 2:00. We didn't have anything really planned and neither did the english sisters we live with... so we decided to go on splits with them! I went with the new trainee sister liou and sister cole went with sister cole went with sister crawford. I thought it would be super scary to be the "senior companion" for a little bit but it was awesome! 

We went tracting and found these ladies sitting outside their house talking. We stopped and talked to them and found out that other missionaries had given them a picture of Jesus and a Book of Mormon. We thought it was probably a while ago with other missionaries so we were super excited to see them! We talked for about 30 minutes outside and ended up getting inside to teach them about their purpose in life!

At the end of the night when we got home we were talking to our companions about our day and come to find out that they were the missionaries who gave her the card and BOM that same day! So our trainers helped us out even when we weren't even together! It was such an awesome experience and I learned a lot about myself and the work!

So yes of course I'm going to talk about Mercedes again haha but this week we decided to read the BOM with her. We started from the beginning and just read 1 Nephi 1 with her. She said that she will read it now that she can understand more about the people in it. It was great! We started with the song "more holiness give me" and she was bawling! Like could hardly talk, crying so hard. That just brought the spirit so strong into the lesson.

After the lesson she said that she had this great iced tea she wanted to give us. We told her that we dont drink that and she sat right back down and we explained about the word of wisdom really fast. Talked about how we dont drink coffee, tea or alcohol and all of that. She said that makes sense, to keep your body clean. And that was all we said about that.

On sunday we went over to clean her house and give her a blessing with elders in our district. She went on and on to the elders about how much she loves us and everything haha, we love her so much too ;) and then she said, I had a woman offer me coffee yesterday and i didnt take it. If my nietas(granddaughters) dont drink coffee, neither do I! And she threw out all of her iced tea! We didn't even ask her to do that at all and she just did it! Its so awesome!!!

I love this mission so much and I hope you can all feel how great it is too!

Love Hermana Bloxham

All of the pictures are of the Yankee's game!!!

Elder Bloxham - :) Happy Day!!

Oh my gosh, my heart is so full right now! I just finished watching Liz open her mission call and now i'm crying! Ah i'm such a baby!!! Liz, if you read this just know that while watching you open your call i am crying here in Indiana so thanks a lot! ;) Missionary work is so amazing and seeing people this close to me getting their amazing calls to serve just fills my heart with love! It's so amazing!!

     I got my new companion today, his name is Elder Simmons! He is from Orem, Ut and he is pretty sweet! We get along really good and laugh a lot together! 

     We are getting closer and closer to Connie's Baptism. It gets me so excited to see her at church and watching her grow! It's just so amazing! It's amazing how the spirit works within people. Seeing Connie the first day compared to now is such a difference because of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. It's not me getting her to church and getting prepared for baptism. It's our Heavenly Father!

     I also watched the video of Syd singing, and was about crying... :) Her voice is so amazing and i miss it so much! 

     So i am now, (at July 1st) in the Cincinnati, Ohio Mission! I guess that means that I have to become a Reds fan? Maybe? We'll see what happens!

     I love you guys so much and I am so thankful for all your support!

Love,

-Elder Bloxham

Me n' Elder Elquist on Transfers

Elder Simmons!!

Hermana Bloxham - Time, time, time

Hey everyone!

This week has been a great week! We have had lots of good lessons and because of our fasting on Sunday, we have seen miracles! We fasted for more teaching opportunities, more referrals and help from the ward, and for one of our less actives to come to church. 

All of those things happened! At church one of the members gave us a referral and said that he wants to come to lessons with us. Then, we had just ended our fast and we got a call from another member who told us about another person to visit, and we got a call from an Elder in the NY South Mission who needed us to go and give a blessing to a young guy in the hospital. So the next day, we went out to the hospital and blessed this man with two of the Elders in our district and it was an AMAZING experience. The spirit was sooo strong in the hospital room and the ladies who were there could feel it too. We told them that we would keep checking on them to see how they were doing and they told us they want us to visit them at home, so we got two new potential investigators!! So sweet! One of the coolest experiences of my mission for sure!

Then we had an amazing lesson with Orlanes and her kids about temples, prophets and the Book of Mormon. We also got to hear about why she isn't coming to church but that she is ready and we just need to keep supporting her in that! Her kids want to be baptised and so we're just waiting on her to come back to church so we can baptise them!! This was all on Hermana Cole's birthday! Such an amazing day!!

Sorry I don't have much time (gotta get to the Yankee Game!!) but I love you all soo much and hope your days are filled with the Love of God and the Spirit! You guys are amazing!

Les amo con todo de mi corazon!!

Hermana Bloxham :)

Elder Bloxham - End of 2nd Transfer!

   This was the best way to end a Transfer! Ah man, Sunday was probably the greatest Fast and Testimony meeting I've ever been a part of! I'll tell you more in a bit.

        So this past week we had 9 lessons!!!! It's the most we've ever had and it was so awesome! We ran into this guy named Chad about 8 days ago, and we stopped by his house Saturday and he told us that he had been praying. He was praying for somebody to help him out in his life and give him comfort. And he said that when we knocked on the door he has just gotten up from his knees. He came out and said that we came at the perfect time because he was having a rough day and had just about had it. We talked to him for about an hour and it literally made his day. He asked us questions, and he said that every question was answered perfectly. He told us how much of a blessing we were just to be with him just for that hour. When we were about to leave we asked him if there was anything we could do to help him out, and he said that we already have. He was in tears of appreciation, and i know that it was the spirit touching his heart.

          Right after Chad we walked across the street to Hope. She is so wired!! She's about 55 to 60 in age but has the energy of an 8 year old!! She's just amazing! We ran into her about 2 weeks ago and she said that she stopped us because she felt something different about us and she knew it was the Holy Spirit. She has talked to about every religion, like Jehovah Witness, Baptist, and all kinds. But she feels different about talking with us. She says every time we talk with her she gets goose bumps and her hair stands up all over. She started our first lesson off by playing 20 questions with us! haha, she asked us so many questions about our church! Dress code, Tithing, Book of Mormon questions, because she was so ready to meet with us! We read the first chapter of the Book of Mormon with her and i don't know what it was about that lesson but the it is the most I've felt the spirit in any lesson I've been a part of. It was so amazing!!

          Then the week came to a close with Church :) Fast and Testimony meeting!! Connie came and that was awesome in itself. My heart was so full that whole meeting because of the testimonies that was shared. Then out of the corner of my eye I see someone walking up, and it was Connie. Wearing her Blue Jeans and sweatshirt that she says she won't wear anything else to church because she wants to be herself, and she walks up to the podium. She says that it has been such a blessing to meet with the Elders and to learn what she has. She then says that of all the church's that she's been to, she knows that this is the right one. I was almost in tears. The 1st councilor looks at me as she walks back and winks and gives me a thumbs up. Then after the meeting, the 1st Councilor, Brother Brown, says to us how thankful he is for us and how hard we have worked! It's a good thing i'm staying in Winchester for another Transfer because i don't think I could leave this Branch.

           I know that this is the one and only true Church. I know that the Gospel of Jesus Christ is the only way to true and everlasting happiness with our Heavenly Father! Without the courage of  Joseph Smith, we would still be stuck in an apostasy! Without Joseph Smith we would not have to Book of Mormon! I know that he was and is a Prophet of God! Without this testimony and the spirit, there is no way Connie gets up and bears testimony, and there is no way i even teach this. My thoughts and ears are always open to the spirit no matter what i do. Without our Father in Heaven, i would have no guide. I love being a tool in our Heavenly Fathers hands working on his children. It is the greatest calling anybody could ever have! And i love it!!

Love you all so much!

-Elder Bloxham

 So this is the end of the 2nd Transfer, and we got our transfer calls last night. Elder Elquist is going Zone Leader, as predicted by me, and i'm staying!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! That means i'm going to the Cincinnati, Ohio Mission :) I'm so stoked!!! 

This one is of my weekly planning desk. Weekly planning is when we plan a whole week ahead of time and it takes 3 hours, so i need my drink and Wheat thins to get me through it! haha

This picture is us "killing off" Elder Mitchell. Killing off means when the missionary "dies" or is done with his mission so he's going home! And the District kills him off by taking a funny picture of him dying or dead haha

This one again is just another killing off picture

This is me and Elder Elquist waiting for our Transfer call! haha! President Collins will call and let us know where we get transferred and what we are doing! Elder Elquist got called as Zone Leader :)