May 26, 2014

This week was really great. We basically have been giving out and teaching about the book we wrote in Zone Conferences to the mission. The stake leaders really  love it and so do all the missionaries. Zone conferences are so tiring haha. But I am so happy we were still able to go out on exchanges this week. We went to Pasig, Taguig, and Angono. Had the best time on all of these exchanges. I love the people so much and the more I get to talk to new people in a day the better my day is. With all the Elders we worked with we had great success and many new people to teach and I just feel more and more the love the Savior has for his people. 

For some weird reason when being on a mission here I feel our minds have a mechanism in them that separates us from crying or feeling overwhelmed by the poverty around us. What I mean by this is when you walk through places and see poverty, mentally it's like hard to accept that people live like that, we seem to be able to handle that this is their life and you don't feel this aching and yearning for them. I don't know how to explain it other than you just get used to seeing families living on cardboard and children begging and just seeing so much of this rough situations that it doesn't phase you so much. But, the other day on exchanges I saw this really little pre-mature baby just lying on a pillow without a crib or anything. I had never seen a baby so small, I was amazed it could be alive. As I looked at the mothers face and at her child I had to turn to the side and shed some tears before turing around and facing them again. I loved them and felt compassion, which came over me like a wave. I am beginning to have these moments more and more, which is weird because I should be more and more used to seeing things like that.  But all I can say is that I feel that I am beginning to feel the way Christ feels for others. As in 3 Nephi 17   " 6. And he said unto them: Behold, my bowels are filled with compassion towards you.21 And when he had said these words, he wept, and the multitude bare record of it, and he took their little children, one by one, and blessed them, and prayed unto the Father for them. 22.  And when he had done this he wept again;"  

Another things that happened that was so amazing is when I went on exchanges in Angono there were some ward members who went with us and one of them was jovie, a member that I had baptized about 8 or 9 months ago. It filled my heart with joy to see her testify of the Book of Mormon with such power, it pierced everyone's heart who heard her. I was so amazed that only 9 months before she was in the investigator's place and I was the one testifying of the Book of Mormon. She is going on a mission and is working right now so she can serve. It is hard to describe the joy which filled my heart and to hold back the tears in hearing such a powerful testimony from someone who was so recently being taught by you:) I remember when we first taught her what the Book of Mormon was... wow people can progress so much in such little time if they have faith in Jesus Christ. 

I have been studying about the atonement in Preach My Gospel and I just love so much how it says that the atonement of Jesus Christ made it possible for us to overcome the effects of the fall. We can overcome all the effects of the Fall,wow is not that the greatest news ever. All sorrow and sin, even death, all of our little weaknesses can be overcome through the atonement. All of it:) I testify in the name of Jesus Christ amen.

Love, Elder Blackham

May 18, 2014

Dear Mom, 

Life is amazing:) I have the best days ever all the time. I get home and I am like, that was the best day ever!!!! Haha then the next day, it happens all over again. I feel it happens because of faith in Jesus Christ.  When I wake up in the morning, I truly believe that through Jesus Christ, it truly will be the best day ever, every day. I always tell the missionaries that I am on exchanges with, "Today is going to be a good day:)" Every single day, I say that just before we head out the door.

We found 17 investigators in one day when I worked with my friend Elder Harris. It was so much fun. We just believed we would find someone everywhere we went and believed that everyone wants the message even if they say they are busy. Then everywhere we went we found people. We just kinda expected it to happen. We were able to teach a lesson to a group of people having a marketing meeting for a company. At first we were at the door because there was supposed to be a less active that was there and then we saw people inside and just asked their names and how they were doing and as we began to talk we stated our purpose and testified and asked to share. They let us in and all of them stopped working, even the boss, and let us share. All of them wanted us to come back:) . It was really great.  

The next day we had tons of success too and I worked with Elder Origines, he is so cool. We were able to get new investigators also and teach many lessons and just were talking to people about this amazing gospel all day:) Reaching the goal of 10 OYM's every day, because of the invitation of Elder Ballard to talk to 10 new people every day, has taught me to have really spiritual and sacred experiences while sharing the gospel to others. 

Just meeting someone new and just completely pouring your heart out in love to them,  promising and testifying as you try get to know them and apply the message to them is so cool.  When you first come up to them they say they are busy and they first try to get out of it but by the end of your conversation with them they are thanking you that you shared this message with them. People are so valuable and so precious, it just is so amazing to me that we get to bring the atonement into someone's life who before did not know or understand it. Their families can be sealed in the temple, and every young man I see, I assume will be a full time missionary. About 95% of the time when I OYM someone and share the gospel with them from the depths of my heart, they accept it. This is not a boasting in what I can do, I feel like I am just amazed that God can soften peoples' heart and do all miracles if you just do as He would have you do and trust in Him. 

I just want to thank God and say how amazing He is.  It is a miracle that He can make someone like me who before could not even speak the language of the people, and was afraid, to someone who expects everyone to accept the gospel, and change their life:) God is so good:) I will forever be grateful for the things and my weaknesses that He strengthens. I can take no credit for any of the success on my mission. All I can say is that as we trust Him and His promises, He really keeps them. In the name of Jesus Christ Amen. 

Love, 

Elder Blackham

"here's a picture of how tired we are after a week of exchanges, this picture was taken as we were trying to study together"

May 5, 2014

Elder Hall and I get a long really well. He is a great companion:) 

We traveled a lot this week and we went to the mountains of Antipolo to the province of Binangonan, to the city of Taguig. We had such a blast and were able to share with many of God's children. There was a lesson we taught in Binangonan that was so wonderful. All the lessons are so wonderful and everything, but there is just something so awesome about teaching repentance. We taught a lesson about repentance and the spirit was so strong and so powerful. I learned so much about repentance as we were teaching.  You can tell the spirit is there is when you and the person or people you are teaching are both learning from the spirit. The spirit really broke down repentance in such a clear way for us to explain. As we were teaching about the restitution part of repentance, we went into how i'ts much deeper than giving something back that you have stolen. If you damage a relationship you must try to build it back, if you lose someone's trust you must go to them and strive to gain it back. It is the replacing of the bad with good that happens with repentance. You can't break a friendship and trust; then say sorry and still hate them.  If you hate them the process is not complete. Sometimes it takes time to forgive and repent,  but that's why we need the Atonement. If you have damaged your own heart or self you must seek to make it whole again. I know that part is kinda deep but repentance is like as if we are all glass bottles filled with little white and black rocks. When you repent you get rid of a black rock; but you must replace it with a white rock or else you will be just as bad as you were before. To summarize the spirit just kinda opened my eyes to a part of repentance that creates the inner change necessary to become more like the Savior. 

In Taguig we found and taught a new investigator on our way to another appointment. We taught Him how to pray, and that God is our loving Heavenly Father. Sometimes missionaries will teach that God is our loving Heavenly Father, but that doesn't really mean anything until someone prays to Him. You can teach someone the gospel for years and they won't gain anything or begin to progress, or even come any closer to God until they start keeping commitments to come closer to God. As a missionary we must not focus so much on what we are going to say, or teach because we already know the principles in pamphlets, preach my gospel and scripture.  But, we should focus more on how we are gong to help whoever we are teaching to take their own steps towards the Savior. No one can know God without speaking with Him. No one can know truth without asking. Then when we teach that the gospel blesses families, instead of telling them how it blesses them, we should commit them to have family prayers and scripture study so that they can experience it. There is a big difference there, and we must never be afraid to commit others to living the gospel and then asking and finding every way to help them do it. I know this is the true and restored gospel in these latter days and that God knows it too because He is the one who told me. This is true and we should help people experience it. The gospel is like a "you should have been there story" where we can never truly explain how good it is without actually experiencing it. 

Love, 

Elder Blackham

May 26, 2013

Things are going great!!! I love having an anak and training:) Its so much fun and we are getting so much work done. I swear I am learning more than my trainee but that's how its supposed to be:) He is a 5 foot 1 inch Filipino named Elder Gako haha he is 21 years old too. He is so so so so cool I love that elder. He is so humble and tries his best and does not cease to impress me. One of the stories that happened this week was that we heard some news about a lady in our area who had lost her son, and her son was in his 20s and died unexpectedly. Well we got the news from a sister in the ward and then later that night we went to the wake. A tradition in the Philippines is that they never ever leave a dead body alone. So they usually keep the body in a casket with glass window on top to view the deceased person and then people are there 24/7 to watch and to mourn for the lost life. So we went and found the mother who was of course crying and mourning for the loss of her son, and it is really hard for her because she had also lost her husband and another son previous to this one. But as we were there it was absolutely quiet except for sniffling from crying and such. I didn't know what to say at first because its such a big deal to administer to those who mourn and I was really nervous I would say something wrong. Then I kinda put myself in Her shoes and wondered what I would want to know... then the spirit prompted me to speak. I opened my mouth and was able to promise her that the gospel of Jesus Christ and the knowledge of His plan for us can fill every gap everything that is missing in our life. The Tagalog I used uses a deeper meaning for missing something, but the spirit was so strong. I testified that she can know without a doubt they will be together again through the ordinances of the restored gospel and that God loves us and will never abandon us. It was absolutely amazing to see her smile. After sharing some of the blessings of the gospel with her we left with a prayer and asked when we could return to teach her more and now we will be going back this week to share more:) We take for granted so much the wonderful truths of the gospel. Any ways there were just so many things that happened this week that were amazing but this one I felt I should share:) 

Love, Elder Blackham

May 20, 2013

May 20, 2013 

        I hope and pray you understand that not only is the mission different than what I expected, its a thousand times better!! and I wouldn't ever even hope for anything else. I hope you know that when I have hard times, I am never sad, ever. The mission is so much fun, a complete blast and adventure!  I love to serve the Lord and do all I can.  My ability to smile and have joy increases every day as I obey and become more like Heavenly Father, even though it is so very much little by little and will take longer than this life permits, I have never been happier, ever. I cannot express a portion of my feelings and my joy and experiences in English or Tagalog but that doesn't matter so much because Christ knows what I am feeling and understands me and loves me perfectly:)

This week was totally amazing. There is no greater joy than stepping outside the apartment to go and serve and administer and bless our fellow brothers and sisters and love like none other. I love so much the Book of Mormon and I gained an extra special witness of its truthfulness as I read and read and read because my companion is still sick.  But we must not be idle and waste the time of the Lord so read I did, haha. Wow its was so so so amazing:) I felt I was really there and was totally lost inside the Book of Mormon and wow that is such a good place to get lost. I came to know my Savior more and how He knows all of us so individually and His power to redeem and forgive and oh how often he spares those who repent. The Lamanite nation had been murdering and plundering and killing since the beginning but even though all that, when they repented the plan of redemption did take effect in their lives. It says they were the most wicked of sinners and then in the same chapter, Alma 26, it says that there has not been a people that loved God and their fellow brethren than these. Wow how great the power of the atonement is, we underestimate it so much especially in our own lives to forgive ourselves and others and repent with our all; to bury our weapons of rebellion deep in the earth. Some times we are as Laman and Lemuel or even Lehi when Nephi broke his bow; we get really discouraged when we sin and complain about our weaknesses and frailties, but Nephi didn't worry or murmur, he just made a new bow and did the best he could to make things better, even it that meant painful but needed repentance. Some people might say they cannot bury them, it's too late, or they cant forgive themselves or for whatever reason its hard.  But it doesn't matter how hard it is, what matters is that it's possible, that the atonement is that powerful and we can change, and are never doomed to be a certain way, or permanently stained, the Lord can do it all, one size fits all:)

Oh and I would like to tell you that I am training and tomorrow I will get my trainee:)  I am excited because I know I will learn so much from him and I love going back to the basics because it is the basics that are the foundation of further growth:) I love this so much!!! In the name of Jesus Christ amen:) 

-Elder Blackham