Transfers!! I'm traveling by boat! :)

Tjena tjena! 

Well... Every six weeks there are "transfer calls" and you find out if you will be staying with the companion and in the city you are in or leaving and getting a new companion.  This last Saturday was the routine time for the call AND....After 6 months here in Uppsala, Sweden.. I am getting transferred!!! 

What’s crazy is that I’m actually getting transferred off of the mainland of Sweden onto an island!  There is only one area in this mission that is an island and it’s called Gotland, and the city is Visby.  I will be taking a boat there on Wednesday morning where I will meet my companion. There are only two missionaries on Gotland island and it will be me and my companion.  There is also one senior missionary couple there with us.  My companion and I will have car!  I’m so done with buses and trains.. haha 

I hear it is very wet, windy, and there are TONS of caves. P days will be pretty fun.  It is also one of the oldest cultures in Scandinavia. They have a lot of Medieval stuff there like castle ruins and festivals and things like that.  It’s known as a great vacationing place so there will be a lot of tourists!  

The water is ready. Who wants to be baptized? 

The only annoying thing is that I have to make sure my suitcases are under a certain weight so I can take them on the boat.  I’ll have to go through what I "need" and dont "need”.  We will take a boat back to the mainland for conferences and such, but for other little meetings we have to be skyped in.  That will be a party!  Stay in tuned for that :)

Early morning run... Frozen lake.

I’m feeling ready to leave Uppsala now.  I was thinking earlier this week about when I first came here I was still so new on my mission and now I’m coming up on a year!  Time flies.  I have seen so many miracles since I have been here in this beautiful city.  Experienced many miracles with Elder Bentson (and Bailey).  I also want to shout out to Elder Bailey!  He is transferring up to Umeå (way up north) to be a Zone Leader.  He will kill it, but Elder Bentson and I have had a good time together and kills me to say goodbye because we have become best friends.  It doesn’t matter that he is 18 and I am 21.  We are out here for the same purpose and that is to invite people to come to Christ and serve our Savior.  We will both carry on with that purpose in our different cities and will stay in touch.  It’s been a blessing to train him and help him at the beginning of his mission. 

I will always remember several people here in Uppsala, and one of those being Caroline. Working with her from the beginning and seeing her step into the waters of Baptism has just been amazing.  We will always stay in contact as well.  I said goodbye to the ward (Uppsala church congregation) yesterday and got some pics with different people.  I gave my “farewell testimony" and sang a final song (Come Thou Fount).  Sister Johanson will be actually going home now!  She has served a really awesome 18 months here in Sweden and it has been fun getting to know her these past 6 weeks! 

But anyways, I will send some cool pics next week of me saying goodbye to people and then off to Gotland!  In the mean time... 

Have a good week! 

Äldste Blackburn

I want to live in the famous pink castle in Uppsala someday. I just need to become a Swedish politician.

Morning run on this awesome frozen lake!

I swear.. they have the coolest parks here.

P-day hike!

Stacking some wood for the Hammar family!

Elder Bentson catching up on our morning runs.

Julia Hammar! Just eating dinner at there house for the last sunday in Uppsala!

These are the 4 planners I have used here in Uppsala! It's been a good 6 months

I dont even know what we were looking at. Maybe Elder Bentson was doing something weird again haha.

Bishop Gleissman! He is so energetic and is such a good bishop! Super nice guy and I will miss him!

Torsten! Im going to miss this man! He is the nicest guy and was like my grandpa away from home!

Fredrik! This guy is crazy. He is always helping us out as missionaries and is the most random and funny guy you meet. He wanted another picture with the ladies room in the back ground. haha

Even and Gabriella! the most hipster Norwegian and Swedish couple you will meet. <3

Björn and Evelin. He is one of our bishops counselors and his wife from the Philippines. They are cool people.

Tore and Halvard! 

Shaq is a cool kid, and is a baller. Lives up to his name for sure! 

Fontana from Bloivia! Hes an awesome guy.

Benjamin and Alice Schmuck from Austria! Two of the chillest people you will meet! 

I never thought in my life that i would play "Magic.." but when you have a 14 year old boy in your ward that changes things.