March 3, 2014

I am glad you enjoy the mission pictures that I sent. I am sure you are thinking, like finally!! But yes you did finally get them and I'm taking more that are so awesome:) 

As far as dinners, usually my companion and I buy packaged food or food on the go. Or eat at calendarias, (those are like little homemade fast food restaurants where you just pick an ulam and they give it to you on the spot) Ulam- anything that you put on rice, usually like  bicole express or chicken adobo, I like gulay too to stay healthy. So you can look those up on google to find out what we eat here:) 

I am so grateful for being a servant of the Lord. Oh how grateful I am for being here in the Philippines Quezon City Mission serving the Lord. There just really is nothing better than this. This week we went Quezon City4, Sampaloc, Tanay, and Bagong Batay.  Sampaloc and Tanay are so far away haha. It's like going from our house in Surprise all the way in Flagstaff, but oh it is so beautiful out there. They are the raw country or province of the Philippines. I took some .cool pictures. 

But that's not the important part. the important part is that we really found some amazing people to teach out there. We were talking to everyone. It's so so so so important to understand your investigator, that should be your first goal as you begin teaching. We had to teach that  a lot this last week. We taught lessons to less actives and I have found the best success with less actives is simply loving them, like the prodigal son and His Father. Just put aside the fact that they are less active, I tell them "I don't care how long it has been since you have been to church. Sure maybe you should have been coming to church, but that's in the past, you can always start being active right now, and the Lord would love you just as much for it and you will be blessed more than you can imagine, I love you and the Lord loves you and you can do it, I promise:)." I talk about concerns and help them resolve it . You just got to be willing to do whatever it takes to help them know they are important and you are willing to work with them and that they are worth working with, and with their weaknesses and help them overcome them instead of just teaching why we need to go to church.  I find that the same works with correcting missionaries. Instead of treating them like they are broken or disobedient, I just say very similar, "I don't care what you have done in the past, you can obey today and I promise you will feel the difference in your life. It's as simple as that but, with the spirit, whatever you say will be effective. Sometimes we need to do this to ourselves when we are discouraged or whatever, to say, oh well it doesn't matter what went wrong yesterday or however far back and choose to be good this day. And day by day you will be better:) There are just so many good experiences and learning that happened this week and I wish I had time to share them all with you. 

Love,

Elder Blackham

Pictures

Elder Blackham recently sent a bunch of pictures (over 100). There are too many to put on one post so I'll be posting only some of them at a time. None of them had any explanation to them but here are the first ten

February 24, 2014

This week I was in Quezon City 2nd area and Signal Village and Taguig, I learned so much this week. I cannot tell you how much a blessing trying to memorize a scripture every 2 or three days helps. I mean, the starting point of our faith, doubts, choices, actions and who we are is all in our thoughts and mind.  If I am always trying to memorize a scripture it is like thats what becomes my thoughts and faith and who I am when I am just sitting on a jeep-nee or when I wake up. To be carnally minded really is death and to be spiritually minded really is life eternal.

I went on exchanges  with my trainee that I trained a long time ago and he is training right now and I went with them. It was so much fun. I am so proud of them:) I love to just be the best I can be in every area I go to. I can honestly say that the Lord is helping me become the missionary I have always wanted to become:) I swear I learn way more than the Elders I go on exchanges with. It just blows my mind how white the field really is and how it is so ready to be harvested. There is not a single exchange that I have ever went on where we didn't find new people who wanted to hear the gospel that day. There just simply is no greater work than the work of the Lord. 

I learned a lot more this week about how having a broken heart and a contrite spirit helps you grow so much and is the way that the soil of learning reaches its fertile peak. In Mosiah 4:11-12 the promised blessings of remembering how much we need God and to repent and always doing that is growing in the knowledge of the Glory of Him that created us which is light and truth. That's so cool. Always rejoice, always be filled with the love of God and always retain a remission of your sins. That scripture always blows my mind. So I decided to memorize it so that it would become a part of me. 

The talk about being accepted of the Lord by Elder Kopischke just helps so much as I account to the Lord and strengthen my relationship with Him. As I right all my covenants every Sunday before I take the sacrament it just becomes such a precious and holy time for me as I account and repent and work to fulfill my covenants every week. As I do this I always receive new revelation on what I can do better and in what ways the Lord is pleased with me.  It is like my own little personal time with the Savior and I treasure it so much. 

Well anyways, that was my week. I love sharing the gospel and the people we taught were so amazing. We taught a new family in Signal and it was such an amazing experience and we found another entire family searching for the truth:) The spirit was so strong and I am just so glad I invited them to hear the gospel. They were able to hear it for the first time and feel it in their hearts. wow if only how I can describe how that feels:) 

Love,
ELder Blackham 

February 17, 2014

Well this last week I was in Pasig and Quezon City, we had a lot of fun. There are just so many people to teach in the city  because there are so so many people inside of the city haha. So I enjoy it a lot because there are so many chances to open your mouth and speak with others. I saw a baptism over there too and its so amazing to hear the testimony of this newly baptized convert because he talked about the dramatic change of heart that he experienced. Every aspect of his life has changed for the better. 

I am learning a lot about how important it is to organize yourself and to prepare every needful so that you don't run faster than you can and walk farther than you have strength. Organization really helps things be more efficient and effective. I understand why the Lord's house is a house of order because it allows us to be more in control and understanding of everything that's happening. I also really see that when I have to deal with missionaries that do not sustain their leaders.  Those missionaries are kicking against the pricks. In the end they will see that they could have just let go and followed and would have enjoyed and done so much better instead of living and serving with anger and regret. There are so many changes in the mission and it's such a great lesson and example to me on whether we will sustain and follow our leaders and trust in God or not. Another thing I am learning is the simple joy of the missionaries that do obey. They just simply seem to not have any problems. Of course they still do have struggles,  but it just doesn't affect them as much and they have this inner confidence and power that allows them to reach higher and to do more.  

I think its so cool how you are doing missionary work over there, while I am doing missionary work over here. This whole church, gospel, everything we do in the church or in our families,  the way we live; its all missionary work. Whether we are teaching our own children, or teaching investigators or trying to convert ourselves and teach ourselves more, or serving others, or setting an example, teaching in primary; all of it is either to convert ourselves to the gospel, or others. It doesn't matter if someone is a member or not,active or maybe even less active; we are teaching each other about the gospel and trying to help all of us return to Christ.  It's just a way of life. That's why we go to church, it's why we read our scriptures to convert ourselves and to convert others to the gospel of Jesus Christ and to partake of that fruit which is sweet and precious and delicious above all other fruit. When we catch that vision that God has for everyone it becomes easy to share the gospel because it's just simply all that really matters. If we think of the Savior, He was the ultimate missionary, and all of His disciples did the same. So, just put simply, if we are the true church of Jesus Christ and have taken His name upon us, then we live in the manner of sharing the gospel with others. When people think of missionary work they think of this big organization and name tags and blessings.  The name tag thing didn't come until... well actually I don't know when, but I know Christ never wore one.  You don't have to wear a name tag to share the gospel.  But you do have to be set apart to preach it and teach it in preparation for baptism of a soul. Missionary work is simply love, it's what shows that we treasure what we have enough that we share it with others. When we truly believe that this will change every life and this is what they want and that this really is what the Lord wants then our faith will cast out fear.  Our Love will cast out fear. The Faith will cause us to love. When you love someone the gospel will come naturally into conversations and you will wonder how to share it. Of course you will want to do it in the best way so they wont reject it, but just remember that this is the true church so we are entitled to the true help of our savior and He would not let you fail.  He loves that soul way more than you and I am sure there is no greater joy to Him than when He sees someone share the truth of His atonement, the reason for His coming, and share it with someone else whom He also atoned for. I realize that without Charity we really are nothing, that is the true test of our faith, if we believe, if we know is if we will have charity and share it. That is all Christ ever did. 

Love Elder Blackham

February 10, 2014

Things are going great! I am sorry I wasn't able to get you this e-mail sooner, I just have no time haha. 

This week we were in the mountains of Antipolo and of Cogeo. It is so beautiful up there and the work is progressing in that area of our mission. We had such a great time. When teaching the gospel to others there is this special feeling that is so contagious and powerful that feels like you are so happy that you are floating. All of the stress of anything goes away and its just pure, and light and joy:) 

I always like to interview the missionaries, I go on exchanges with, because I feel like there is a special bond and ability to administer and serve others when you just have a simple heart to heart. I love to get to know them better. 

This week I learned a special lesson about being believing and how much joy comes when you are a believer. Believing that your leaders are called of God, believing that you can be better than you are, believing in all good things, like that things will be better as we learn that God will help us in this.  Believing really causes you to rejoice. It reminds me of the blind and deaf man that President Monson spoke with that said, "The Lord has been so good to me." He could not see nor hear but yet he says that the Lord has been so good to Him. When we are believing and hoping all things as it says about the Christlike attribute charity, it will be so much easier to endure all things. There is this special spirit that comes when you believe that the Lord has been with you this whole time and  that the reason we are still alive is because He is watching over us; it's not just luck or coincidence that we breath a breath every new day. I feel that sometimes on my mission I get down and wish I could do more but then I look back with a believing heart and forward with hope and then I say in my heart, "Oh how the Lord has been so good to me:)" That little change of thought and perspective changes the whole world, because we begin to see it the way that God does. I am so amazed at how large the change is in someone's life when they simply believe and view all things with a believing heart. 

In missionary work, when you speak with people and believe that they are children of God, believe that this is what they are searching for and what they were taught in the pre-mortal life,  believe that God loves them and believe that the gospel you are teaching will heal any and every broken heart and is the answer to all their questions, believe you are teaching them the very way back to our Father in Heaven and the most important and precious things we can possibly discover; then oh how beautiful the world begins to look. The trees and clouds, smiling faces; the joy begins to open itself up unto you. Then to think that our Savior Jesus Christ Atoned so that we can live and return to an even better world. Wow its so indescribable. I wish and I am striving to help all the missionaries catch this vision, if they did they would not be afraid to open their mouth and would know where to turn when it's hard and they wouldn't disobey. They would learn that the spirit they feel is joy and peace that only comes by the Holy Ghost and that this is everything that we say it really is. and if "...for it is by faith that miracles are wrought; and it is by faith that angels appear and minister unto men; wherefore, if these things have ceased wo be unto the children of men, for it is because of unbelief , and all is vain." Moroni 7:37.

There are just so many people to teach and when you think and believe that there are, then you will find them. But if you don't believe that there are so many people to teach then you will not find them. It's amazing the difference it makes to be a believer :) 

Love Elder Blackham 

February 3, 2014

I am pretty excited about my last transfer.  I will get to see more of my mission now.  But I miss my old  area so much.  I miss the Nebit family, they were all baptized and confirmed:) Also the Pimentel family and the Kapoy family they will both be baptized as families pretty soon here. Wow I have seen the Lord's hand so much on my mission. He has really blessed us more than I can imagine:) 

This last week was a blast:) I love to personally serve and get to know all of the missionaries. 

This week we went to Tayuman, Angono, and Cainta to do exchanges and Cubao, it was so much fun:) I loved getting to know the missionaries and I love treating their areas as if it were my own because all of their areas are my areas too :) Its funny because sometimes you don't open your mouth as a missionary because you think, "I am not in my area." But now I never have that excuse and I love that haha. I get to meet so many people everyday, the more people I know and share the gospel with in the day and the more missionaries I meet and learn to love; the happier I am. I am really pushing myself to share and it's now not a scary thing to talk to others but a joy. I purposely put myself in situations now that allow me to talk to people like on jeepnees and trikes and just walking down the street, I feel like it is a great blessing that I do not naturally have, normally its nervous and scary even for a missionary.   I just love that every day is a working day and I dont have to be in the office haha. I seriously thank the Lord every night that I dont have to be in the office and that I get to be out working everyday.  I am actually the one who learns the most from all of the Elders I serve and their investigators.

One of their investigators in Tayuman asked  how to keep all the commandments. At first I didn't know how to answer him, but then we shared the scripture in 1 Nephi 3:7 and the spirit helped me explain a simple doctrine of faith that I have never really been able to explain very well. I told Him that the very moment that we believe that we can keep those hard commandments, or even all the commandments, is the very moment that you will be able to begin keeping them:)

Our faith has a literal effect on our abilities to do things beyond what we thought we could do. Once we believe that we can it becomes a possibility;) 

The same applies to repentance and forgiveness or being happy or becoming like Jesus Christ or many other things We must never stop believing that we can, because once we stop believing that we can, that is the moment that we lose the ability to do those things we desire. This work is so amazing!  I was studying about charity too lately because it is a Christlike attribute that I am working on.  It said inTrue to the Faith that charity hopeth all things, I thought why is that so, how does hope relate to love? Then I realized that hope relates to charity in the way we look and feel about others.  We avoid judging others and sincerely just hope the best for them:) You see what they can become and hope with all your heart they will become it and also believe that they will because charity believeth all things too. Believe that people can change and believe in the potential everyone holds inside:)  

Love Elder Blackham

January 20, 2014

Things are doing great:) We have been having tons of success. We have a few new families that we are now teaching consistently and are progressing and its so so so amazing:) I love it so much:)

I love to see people question and wonder and ask to know things. THis one family just had so many questions about the plan of salvation in our first lesson so we decided to start teaching that instead of normally teaching the restoration first, it all goes together anyway. Their questions were like "how will I know if I can see my husband in the next life? or my children? What is the purpose of life? Where did we really come from? How do you pray?" I just can't stop smiling when people are excited and ask  the perfect questions ever:) Haha I almost had palpitations in my heart again!  Haha, joke, but seriously I get so happy to teach :)

The best thing ever too is to help some one discover true repentance for the first time. Repentance really touched some of our investigators this week :) They are so amazing:) They poured out the their heart in understanding to us this week. We taught the Plan of Salvation also to a sister who had a baby and then her child died three days later. 

We are just having the time of our lives out here, my e-mails must sound unreal and stuff because of all that happens and all the great things like every week but that's just really how it is going right now. I know it's because we are trying our best to be exactly obedient and to do all we can to help these people:) All blessings come from obedience to the law in which those blessings are predicated:) We aren't special or anything this is the same priesthood and Church as in the time of Christ so we can expect these things to happen if we obey:)

Love,

Elder Blackham