Hermana Blackham's Mission Blog

I'm home!

2011-04-06T13:45:00.001-07:00

Querido Family and Friends,
Can you believe it?! I'm home! I'm doing SO well! I loved the mission with all of my heart, and my heart is filled with gratitude for the support that has been given the past year and a half. I regreat I was unable to respond to all the letters and support I recieved on a constant basis, and I hope and pray that each of you know how grateful I am. Your words, your testimonies, your experiences and advice, your love, even an expression that you were praying for us gave me the power and strength to keep on going. I felt a constant energy through your prayers and letters, and as inadequte as these words express my true feelings, I hoped to share my gratitude for all of you.
I encourage ALL young men, and the sisters considering a mission, to DO IT. It's not easy. But It is the most wonderful thing I have ever done and exceeded every expectation I had. The feeling as you finish the mission strong and honorably is the best feeling in the world. I know that the Lord has a wonderful work for each of us to do. We're all in the vineyard of the Lord, and now it's my time to change ground. I love my Savior. His promises are real. I know that he loves us. I know that His gospel has been restored upon the earth by a living prophet. I know that he blesses lives. I knew it before, but now Its become reality as I saw the evidences in the lives of the people we served. I know that He is my Savior and that we truly can be filled with peace and joy through living the gospel. Let's go serve in this great work! I LOVE YOU!

Con Amor,
Hermana Shalyn Blackham

March 28, 2011

2011-03-28T15:11:00.000-07:00

Ummm....well I don`t quite know where to start, and I don`t have a ton of time....but here we go! I`m playing the ¨I`m just not going to think about it card¨ I love the mission so much. This week was wonderful. Marias are still progressing, and we`ll have a great stake baptism Sunday morning before Music and the Spoken word. They are SO excited, and the ward is just taking them in wonderfully. I LOVE them so much. She`s working like crazy this week, so we`ll have to have her interview early Sunday morning before the Baptism, and we`ll be running all day long sunday between conferences, temple farewells, etc. oh boy. It`s going to be wonderful.We asked marita (the daughter) if she`s seen changes in her home ever since they started reading the Book of Mormon. She said she`s seen LOTS of changes. They feel more light, less anxious. We also stopped by the other day to find Marita, but found her two older sisters, shared with them, and they accepted some more visits!!! YES!!!! This family is going to progress wonderfully!!! I love this family so much!

We found a sweet sister this week. Marcela. She`s in a really hard family situation, and I saw the weight and the pain in her eyes as we passed by. We passed by with the intention to sing a hymn, say a prayer, but as we started talking to her she opened up and poured out her heart. As we sang with her, and shared our testimonioes of the plan of Happiness, we could see her weight getting lighter and lighter. Truly, the spirit is the comforter. He comes to comfort, to bless, to lift. Everyone after they pray, or after we share the book of mormon, they say they feel lighter. Feeling lighter is evidence that the spirit has been there. Truly he heals the heavy laden. We just have to let him do it, and seek for his spirit.

This week has been GREAT! We`re still fighting on the forefronts of the war. One of the missionaries we live with asked me if we are still fighting the war that was started in heaven....Good question....I don`t know the answer doctrinally, but from what I see and feel and have experienced this past year and a half I´m sure the war is at it`s climax. It`s a battle, and I feel like the mission has strengthened me to be able to fight, with my family. We have to fight. If we don`t fight, or just stand on the sidelines, we let our defenses down and we`re so much more vulnerable. I consider it a blessing, a privelage, the greatest opportunity I`ve had to be able to fight for the Lord and for his cause. It`s not easy. It`s not always easy to face every challenge with courage. Sometimes we falter, but the Lord is always there to pick us up, to help us along, and give us another chance to do it a bit better. I love this work. I know the most important thing we can do is share our love for the Lord, share our love for his sacrifice, and help others know who he is and feel his love as well. If there is one thing I`ve learned to do on my mission, I`ve learned to love. Love my savior. Love his children. Love the gospel. Love my family. Love the book of mormon. I love this work, it`s so beautiful!!! Thank you EVERYONE for all you have done for me, and for us. For your prayers, letters, encouragement, I wouldnt be able to do it without you. Hurrah for Israel. Let`s go fight this battle together!
Hermana Blackham

March 21, 2011

2011-03-21T15:08:00.001-07:00

This week Maria had to talk to her boss to change her work schedule (she works every Sunday all day), and we couldn`t get a hold of her all week. On Saturday she finally called us and said she had gotten her work schedule arranged so she could come every other Sunday. It was a miracle that it happened! Now she can be baptized, and she said she`s going to keep trying to change her work schedule to come every Sunday. She came to stake conference yesterday and cried with joy through the whole conference. Her daughter as well. They are SO adorable. She met president Laycock and told him how she came to know the church, and how she was so excited to finally be baptized. Her husband gave her permission. She`ll be baptized right before General Conference on Sunday morning. Yehaw! She`s is so wonderful! Her daughter is reading at least a chaper a day from the Book of Mormon. They are so humble and submissive and ready to do what the Lord requires.

We had a ward activity, with a rousing ¨Do you love your neighbor?¨ We had investegators that stayed from the English class, and the members were just fabulous. They prepared the investegators so well, they gave them the desire to listen to us, and we just had to write down an appointment. I`m excited!

Francisca FINALLY got a marriage date set. July 11. We`re anxious for her to be able to get baptized as fast as possible. I guess 4 months is better than never. She was sad when she heard that we probably wouldn`t be there for her wedding or baptism. I was too. But I`m so excited that she has a date.

We had a Stake Conference with Elder Corbridge and his wife. She talked about making a convenant with the Lord to read the Book of Mormon every day. He talked about the atonement, and about how all joy, hope, faith, love, light, intelligence, happiness, peace, tranquility comes from the act that Christ suffered for our sins and suffered all the pains of the world. Without Christ, there is nothing. No light. no hope. no faith. no happiness. nothing. But because he came, and because his restored gospel is on the earth, we can again have all good things. I am so grateful for Christ. I am so grateful for his sacrifice. I am so grateful that he`s given me this opportunity. I`m so grateful that through affliction, through struggles, through my mistakes, that he can help me develop character and become more like him. I can`t even hope to understand what he felt.....but I`ve felt his strength, peace, and sustaining hand during moments where I feel there is no more hope. I know he loves us. I know he loves YOU! Personally! Pray to him, seek his council, and he will help you feel peace, no matter what`s happening
I love all of you. I pray each of us will come to know his atonement a bit more this week.
Love, Hermana Blackham

March 14, 2011

2011-03-14T20:49:00.000-07:00

This week has been crazy. I don`t even know where to begin. So I^ll just give you the basics. We went to the temple. ( LOVE the temple!) I saw lots of my sweet dear brothers and sisters I knew when I did temple tours. The chileans are such wonderful, dedicated members. I just sat in the temple and thought about them, their concerns, challenges, and worries, and about their great faithfulness. I never want to leave chile. My heart is filled with such great love for them. We also have our special trainings on Tuesdays. I love special trainings. They help me remember where I need to improve, and how we can focus ourselves on the work.
Maria and her daughter still have a baptismal date. She wants to be baptized so badly, but her work just changed her schedule to work all day on Sunday, and she`s the only one that can do it on Sundays, so we`re trying to figure that out. Prayers for her would be great. She`s so adorable. Yesterday a member passed by to pick her up for church, and she wasn`t there. When the member called us to tell us that she wasn`t there my heart dropped because I was so sure she was going to go....and thought she had slept in. We were with another less active family so we couldn`t stop by, so we just prayed on the way that she would be able to make it. We dropped off the less active family at church, and left immediately to go pick up another family, and right as we turned the corner of the street, there was maria with her daughter walking church. Yipee!!! What joy. Seriously. Moments like that are the best. She`s my hope and my joy right now as a missionary.
We are also teaching the daughter of a recent convert (Patty). Her daughter loves english, and they just started english classes in the church, and she loved them. Her mom told her when she`s in the church, she would feel a feeling of peace. When she came back from the english classes, she told her mom that she felt like the church was in another world, because the feeling of peace was so potent. She is wonderful. I know she can be baptized.
We`re teaching a spouse, of a sweet hermana (they`re from Guaiquil (sp?) Equador) I love them so much. Her spouse is a bit hard, but there is hope, as he wants an eternal family, and he accepted to listen. They are so awesome! I know one day he`ll be baptized, and right now he has a date for the 3rd of April. If he works on it, he`ll know for himself.
We found a sweet lady this week. She was carrying a huge watermelon, and we helped her with it, then ended up teaching her about the restoration. I love teaching restoration, but it`s also really hard if they reject it. We feel the spirit so strong, we feel like we do our best to apply it to them, and after testifying that the gospel will help them with all of their concerns in their life, the people just kind of stare at us and say....¨great. But I don`t want to pray, becasue I`m comfortable where I am. It could be true. Sure... I could be in the wrong church, and yeah maybe I don`t have the right baptism, but I don`t want to change, to have to stop smoking, or get married, or go to church every sunday, or obey the commandments, or be mormon¨ and their hearts harden. oh, it`s so hard. They don`t understand. And when we try to help them understand the atonement, and the consequences of sin, and the beautiful blessings that are waiting them....and they still don`t accept it. it filles my heart with pain becasue I want so badly for them to be able to be happy. I felt this sadness for her. But, those moments when someone accepts it, my heart fills with joy and it makes it all worth it. Oh I Love being a missionary. It`s such a wonderful time!
I know my savior lives. I know he loves me. I know that he wants us so dearly to come to him and be healed of our pains and sicknesses, (lots of times we cause them for ourselves!) but I know that even then he loves us and wants us to be healed. We have to be the one to humble ourselves, accept help, obey his commandments. I am so grateful that he is giving me the opportunity and privelage to be his servant. It is a blessing for me to be here. I love the mission. I love the gospel. I love the chileans. I love my Savior and his sacrifice. I love all of you. I pray all of us have the courage, humility and obedience to follow exactly the promptings and commandments he`s given us. For as we do this, we`re happy. Truly joyfully happy.
I love you! Con amor,
Hermana Blackham

Pictures

2011-03-11T19:31:00.000-08:00

Shalyn getting her new greenie. Her greenie, Hna Mancia from El Salvador is the one in the blue dress in front.

Zone conference. Shalyn with the "twins" (her 2 wonderful greenies who have now graduated, sprouted their wings and gone on to other adventures and companionships.)

March 7, 2011

2011-03-07T10:12:00.000-08:00

This week....my oh my, our theme for this week has been ¨well, we still have maria¨ Maria is our miracle for the week. we helped her carry some big bags a few weeks ago, and she invited us to come back this week when she had time during her work break. She met with the Elders 15 years ago, but because her husband refused to let anything related to the mormons in her house, she didn`t continue or get baptized. But she still remembers how she felt. She has 9 kids, her youngest is 9 years old. She is an absolute doll, so kind, so loving, she has such a hard life, but she`s all smiles anyway. As we listened to all of her doubts, wishes, desires for her life, the lesson turned into a mix of all three lessons (thank you spirit that always takes over....) and we invited her to be baptized. I saw a resolve in her eyes that I`ve never seen before. She looked at us and said, ¨Hermanas I don`t care what gets in the way, I don`t care anymore what my husband or my kids say, I don`t care, what happens...........I`m going to join this church!¨ yeah! I still had doubts because the husband still has the same feelings for the church, so we invited her to church, and to pray really hard that her husband would allow her to go, and we prayed hard that he would allow her and HE DID! She was up early, and even though it was freezing cold (there is a lot less people in church when it`s cold.....) she came, she stayed for all 3 hours, she cried all during sacrament meeting, and couldn`t stop smiling. She is progressing so well, and I am SO happy for her. SHe`s going to stop working on Sundays so she can keep the sabbath day holy. YES!

Also, remember our really neat Marcelo y Carolina? Well update....they have a baptism date, and her daughter just turned 8 so can get baptized too! Then her husband who has never wanted to talk to us,came down the stairs during a lesson, sat on the couch and began reading the BOM with us. This is a huge miracle!!!! And they said they were planning on going to church, and had been preparing things during the week, they were getting really excited to go to church. AND THEN....they dropped the bomb...... THEY`RE NOT MARRIED......AH!!! They can`t be married for a long time either. So....we`re going to keep helping them and see if they want to progress and attend church, but if the parents dont` get baptized. IT`s really hard for the kids to stay active. ugh....santiago has a chasity problem....

We have been trying to find lots of new people, and I we usually try to do it through the members or references, but we didn`t have anything to do for some time saturday, so I introduced my comp to good ol fashoned knocking. I dòn`t think she liked it=) but it`s good bonding time with the comp. SO much more effective with the members....remember do your member missionary work!

Yesterday there wern`t many investegators or less actives that came to church....There was a less active brother that decided he was going to reactivate and befriend one of our investegators who lives right near to him. They are both older men, but got along really well in a Family Home Evening we had with some other members. When we went around to find out why neither of them came to church, they were both as drunk as could be. I didn`t know whether to cry buckets, or just shake my head and laugh. If I cried everytime that happened I don`t think I would have any water in me ever.

WE had zone conference this week. I love zone conference! Werè going to see miracles in this mission, I know it! He shared lots of evidences of the book of mormon. I love the book of Mormon. I love that no matter what happens,that I can turn to the Book of Mormon for support, for advice, for a stronger testimiony, for the spirit, for lots of love, peace, energy, everything! I know it`s true, not because of the evidences, but because I prayed, and I felt it was true. And everyone can have this promise. I love all of you! I pray all is well!
Love, Hermana Blackham

Feb 28, 2011

2011-02-28T08:52:00.000-08:00

Friends and Family
My oh my, what a week.
Well first of all, some random facts about my companion. Hermana Mancìa. She`s actually from Santa Ana, El Salvador. She`s been a member all her life, oldest of 4. Super sweet. She`s lots of fun, and is an incredible teacher. Yes, she is helping me with my spanish, even though I still feel really inadequate with my accent, we`re working on it.
This week was filled with miracles. There are lots of people with baptism date, but, the trick is getting them to church, and keeping them progressing. We`ll see........
Thursday we were walking to an appointment and started talking with a woman, Olga, who was sweeping her street. She began asking questions about the second coming, eternal families, plan of salvation, all the soul searching questions anyone can have. We answered every single question. (my, I sure love the gospel! It has the answers to everything!) She ended by telling us that the Lord has a perfect plan, because she never sweeps at that time of day and just happened to go out. But wait theres more, the Friday we were doing more contacts inbetween appointmets in another part of the sector, and we contacted a really nice man and set up a return appointment, then Saturday we returned to Olga to remind her about church. She had left for the weekend, but her sister, Ana, was there, and said ¨ hey! I know you, because you talked to my husband yesterday!¨it was the same nice man we had talked to the day before. She had also talked to missionaries the day before from another sector. She doesn`t want to listen, but my, there is sure lots of divine intervention so she will listen. Then yesterday we stopped by in the afternoon with a member to see if Olga was there, but only her kids, and nieces were there, who were also really receptive. Her niece doesn`t live in our sector but we`re sending the missionaries over. When we told her niece (who has a child) that she could be with her child forever...s.he looked at us like something hard hit her....and whispered....¨oh I sure hope that`s true¨ I will never again take advantage of the knowledge that families can be together forever if we keep with our end of the deal. What a blessing it is.
We stopped by reference, Franco. He`s is just like Joseph Smith. 14 years old. Looking for the true church. He`s a sweetie, and we have some awesome youth that are befriending him. He`s a little inadequate being the only one in his family listening to the message, as all the rest are Jehovas WItnesses, but hopefully he gets his answer. His cousins are members in another ward, so it helps alot to have a resource inside the church.
We`ve been stopping by for Marcelo (the member reference) and his mom Carolina. Carolina finally accepted a baptism date, so now wère trying to get her to church. She`s more open, but still has a bit of fear. Satan works really really hard when it comes to getting them to church. But we just need to fight, and help her have the armor and tools to fight as well. Thank you book of mormon, it`s the strongest tool we have with the spirit.
Francisca is struggling. She got offended over something someone said in church, and until that point was reading, praying, doing everything, but now, it at a bit of a standstill. She wouldn`t meet with us for the whole week, and on Friday night we decided to call a really awesome member from Equador, who is also a convert, to try to meet with her. it was a bit rough at first, but I am SO grateful for member missionary work! It was such a blessing to have someone there that could relate exactly to what she was saying, . It wouldn`t have made any difference if I had said the same thing because I don`t completely understand what it`s like to be an unmarried, investegator, with a child and a fiancee. But the convert, Grace, understood exactly what it`s like and really helped Francisca feel better. It will be some time before she gets baptized, but at least she`s a bit more open now.
Lots of our investegators aren`t progressing very well...we`ve done our best to help them progress...and ìt`s sad to have to move on, but we have to do it. Hopefully other missionaries can stop by later when they are ready. We`re going to do our best to know what to do....
This week has been so wonderful. We`ve been so blessed. It`s such a wonderful work because the Lord is leading and directing it. Not us. If it was me, I would be stressed out to the max. But I`m not, because I know he`s doing his work here, as I do my best, he does his part as well.
I love all of you!!! Thanks for keeping me pumped up and excited. I LOVE THIS WORK! Hurrah for Israel!
Love, Hermana Blackham

Note from Shalyn's Mom

2011-02-21T12:00:00.000-08:00

I am collecting letters from family and friends for Shalyn to read on the airplane on the way home in April. I call it the trunky package, You can send something funny, trunky,informative, advice for post mission life, etc. Anything to help her transition and look forward to being with us again. You can email them to us at theblackhams@msn.com

Thanks
Kimberly

Feb 21, 2011

2011-02-21T11:59:00.000-08:00

This week was a really weird week. We had divisions with the Hermanas in the Temple, interviews, zone classes, and changes, so we were traveling to and from the mission offices almost every single day. We didn`t have lots of time in the sector, but we still had some good times. We had lots of contacts in the metro (I love talking to people in the metro, it`s so taboo......and if they don`t want to talk to us.....breaking out in Lesson 1 to teach your companion is a great option) We had some great lessons in peoples yards this week, as it`s sometimes difficult to get into their house. so we just keep talking, and it eventually turns into a lesson, and a second appointment.
Nancy was baptized! SHe was so happy, and the ward just has been taking care of her so well! She couldn`t stop smiling! She can`t bend her knees so we had a few attempts, finally putting down 2 primary chairs to sit in, to ease her down into the water. yehaw! I love baptisms, they are such sweet experiences!
Francisca FINALLY came to church, with the entire familia Muller, and some other investegators came as well, YES! And the ward took care of them! What a blessing! A whole change of nobody at church, and finally we had a few come! What a blessing. I love this ward, they are so wonderful! SO kind and generous, I can`t believe how lucky I am. We have some of the greatest members. We had a family home evening with a less active, 2 members of the relief society presidency, and Nancy and her daughter this week. We talked about follwing the prophet, and read a quote from President Monsons talk, and we made them write 100 things they were grateful for on a posterboard. good times. Remember be grateful! It really helps!
We did a few service projects this week with Familia Muller, we helped them paint a shed and take out their grass. It reminds me of the dirt in Utah....really hard and filled with rocks, and I was thanking my years of trying to dig out big holes to plant trees in our yard.
We also had interviews with president. It was a really chill interview. He is so loving. Today during our change meeting today he broke out in evidences that the book of mormon is true (Only an internation lawyer would have over 1000 evidences of the truthfulness of the book of mormon....) wow, it was incredible!!!! And with all of these evidences, the only way that we can truly know that it`s true is by praying, and recieving the answer. All the evidences will just strengthen the knowledge we already have. Truly. The book of mormon is the evidence! We were talking to a taxi driver today who is really good friends with the mormons, and has met with missionaries numerous times. His wife passed away right as his son was born, and I asked him waht helped him get through the hard time, and he said ¨the missionaries¨ and when we asked him if he read the Book of Mormon to know that it was true, he said they always told him to read it, but he didn`t want to. Ah, the evidence, the peace, the direction, the purpose of everythign we do is in the book of mormon, but It does no good if we don`t read it. and he didn`t want to be baptized, so he never read the book. So sad. But he knows the power the book has, without even reading it. If people begin to read the book with true intention, they will be converted.
I love being on a mission, it`s so funny, and we have so many experiences that I would never have in any other place. This week the hermana who was giving us lunch, came out in a towel, and served and ate lunch with us....in just her towel. I just laughed. You would NEVER see that in Utah.
Well, the Lord keeps us out of our comfort zone, and I think he knew that we were having too much fun in our companionship. So Hermana Singleton got sent with a native companion, and hermana Ewing is following my footsteps to the Temple (We so called that one....she`ll be awesome!) and I`m with a new missionary from Nicaragua. We`re picking them up tomorrow so I don`t know her name, but I met her in passing yesterday as the MTC was eating dinner. I was praying the Lord would give me something to help me keep on my toes....and here we go.....
I love all of you. Thank you for your letters. You are wonderful! Pray for Cordillera. We need lots of prayers....
Love, hermana Blackham

Feb 14, 2011

2011-02-21T09:16:00.000-08:00

This week we did divsions with other missionaries. My companions went with another companion, and I recieved 2 other newer missionaries...Hermana Baldwin and Hudson. They are so awesome. It was good to see Hermana Baldwin again...she`s hilarious. Both of them are incredible missionaries, and it`s good to be able to get outside of our normal way of doing things to learn from others. We had a great day. We`re all tall gringas so tons of people were a little taken aback, but we got lots of contacts in.

We went to visit an investegator Carolina, who was found by hermanas a few months ago. She`s been a little slow in progressing, but is steady... was also found so miraculously that we can`t leave her. (4 hermanas walking down a street, prayed at the street to know which number to knock....and they all thought in the same number, and she received them, had an amazing lesson etc.) Anyway we arrived at her house, and even though she wasn`t there, her son left the house to come talk to us. I had never met him before, and as he walked up he said ¨hermanas I`m coming to church on Sunday.¨ I know that every missionary dreams of random people walking up to them and saying ¨hermanas I`m going to church¨ especially in this sector. I had to have him repeat it...because I wasn`t sure I heard him right. He explained that some members of our ward, (who we had invited the day before to invite their friends to the church) had gone over to his house, and invited him. So while we were working on Carolina, they were working on her son Marcelo....YES!!! The Lord is doing his work, and it`s miraculous, his hand is in everything we do! And he accepted a baptismal date for March! I was really grateful too because he was our light this week. Our dear group of investegators didn`t show up to church, again. We decided we could make a book bigger than the bible of all the excuses heard yesterday, all the way down to ¨in america you don`t have to work as hard as us chileans, so it`s easier for you to go to church.....¨ I had to hold my tongue for that one......especially because they wern`t working. But I am really grateful for yesterday, I learned so much. In the gospel, there are NO excuses. It`s so easy to make them, it`s easy to put our goals aside for circumstances, I`ve been guilty of it. but every excuse, is something that ended up being more important than Jesus Christ who has given all for us.
BUT good news! Nancy is going to be baptized this week! She set the goal, stopped smoking, is progressing SO wonderfully!!!! And her daughter brought a friend to the appointment yesterday, so we found a really sweet new investegator (we needed one more new investegator to complete our goals for the week, and it worked!!!) We were running like crazy yesterday trying to complete our goals for lesson with a member, but we did it! Yes, I love weeks like this. We had a great week.
We have been teaching two youth, whose parents are inactive. The father is working SO hard to try to get his family back to church, and his kids are so awesome, and the ¨too cool¨ teenager I thought I was when I was younger. So I´ve had to pull out my Badger Creek counselor mode, and we`ve had some really fun lessons with them. They are super good kids, you just have to break down the walls one brick at a time. We had them try to show us what they thought the plan of salvation was with the little figurines we had, I was laughing so hard. They are good kids.
We had a sweet lunch with Francisca and Luis. They are so cute. I love this couple, seriously, they are wonderful. We just need to get Francisca Married!!! ah! It takes so long to get them married here, so we`ll have to see what happens....
It rained this week! I love the rain. We never have it, so we had a great time playing in the afternoon thunderstorms. It felt So good.
Lesson for the week. (inspired by dad, and my companions) Look for the good. It`s so easy to see where we lack, where our friends and neighbors lack, the problems in the world, but the Lord has taught us to BE OF GOOD CHEER, to seek for the good things, and anything, ANYTHING bad can be turned into a good learning experience. Anything. Just try it=)
Love all of you!! The gospel is true. Follow the counsel of the Prophets. Happy Valentines Day!
Love, Hermana Blackham

Feb 7, 2011

2011-02-08T12:56:00.000-08:00

Ok, so much happened, I have a feeling this will be a scattered letter
1. Yesterday during testimony meeting an hermana referred to us as ¨charlies angels¨ that showed up at her door at the right minute....Between that, or the ¨powerpuff girls¨ the ward members know us well.
2. So we decided something...received our ¨own revelation¨ as a companionship that we`re going to stay for another 16 months in Cordillera until Hermana Singleton leaves. Hope you`re ok with that!
3. Holy Cow....we had the most intense contact this week. I normally don`t share experiences like this, but It was incredible. We started talking with a woman who had family members who were members. She didn`t have a lot of knowledge about the gospel, and began asking us questions so we explained the main doctrines of the gospel and invited her to know for herself. with time I felt like something overtook her and she was shaking asking us by what power we had to testify of such things, as she explained that nobody, especially a young boy, had the power to see God. I can`t even explain the fire that filled my body (hermana Singleton said that Hermana Ewing and I looked about ready to pounce=) haha) I couldn`t hold inside the feelings that I had, as I told her that I knew that he saw God, and that I was called by that same God to testify of these things, and Both of them jumped in and shared powerful testimonies of Joseph Smith. Then we left. It was such a powerful experience, but they leave me drained....
4. After that we went down to a poorer part of our sector, where two men called us over to tell us that they had been watching a man, in his drunken state, trying to walk in traffic, and they thought that we could help him. We`re happy to help, and I was grateful they saw us as servants of Christ, but I also, feeling that they could be their ¨brothers keeper,¨ invited them to help their brother as he was in need. I would love to be there to help everyone, but we can`t be everywhere. I`m learning more and more about taking care of our brothers and sisters here on earth. It`s so easy to see someone, and say ¨I sure hope someone helps them¨ when instead we can be the person to help the poor, befriend the lonely, give a hug to the sad, and do what the Lord needs to do on the earth. There are so many people in this world that need love, and need a hand up.
5. We found out our sweet investegator Julieta, whose always talked about her ¨husband,¨ isn`t really married. Ah!
6. We had a meeting with President and our ward mission leader, it was AWESOME! We talked about unifying as a ward and missionaries. He showed a movie where some lions attacked a group of Buffalo, and they all scattered, leaving one Buffalo to the Lions. But after a minute, a herd of Buffalo, at least 5 times larger than the original group came, unified, and scattered the Lions. He related it to our role as a ward and missionaries, especially in helping recent converts. He said after a baptism, the adversary comes and attacks them. But if we unify, if we come in and protect our dear recent converts, the adversary will have no power! So let`s unify, and Bind Satan! (That`s been our theme for this week.....we took white board markers and wrote it above our weekly planning session....now is our time to bind satan! I`m not waiting until the Millennium!)
7. Francisca is progressing really well. She couldn`t come to church, but we taught her lesson 2 this week, and she was so humble. Had lots of qustions, but accepted every answer we showed her in the Book of Mormon willingly. I sure love her so much!
8. Nancy hasn`t smoked once this week! YES!!! I`m so excited! She`s rocking the adversity! She is doing so well!
9. Last night as we were on our way home, we had about 10 extra minutes, and I was thinking, ¨ok...what are we going to do for another ten minutes¨ We about turned into our neighborhood, and there was a tiny woman walking towards us with huge bags in her hands. We had a few minutes so we took her bags, and helped her walk home. She had been walking from really far away and was grateful for the help. We had a good converstaion on the way, and found out that recently her sisters died, and she has 9 kids! We came to her house, and realized that one of her daughters we had met before in a park and had given her a sticker. (we have lots of kids from our neighborhoods that come up and ask us for stickers). SHe was so sweet, and invited us to have ¨once¨, or a small dinner, with her next week, where we will be sure to teach her more! What a blessing! It was like the Lord just put her right in front of us. I love doing this work. It really is his work. His hand is in everything. I know that we are here for a purpose. I know that the Lord loves his children, and wants us to take care of eachother. I hope all of you are well, and I`m so grateful for all of your letters! You rock!
Love, Hermana Blackham

Jan 31, 2011

2011-01-31T09:53:00.001-08:00

What an intense week. I love opposition weeks, because it means something good is coming. Actually I`m realizing that opposition is constant, I just have to decide to make it work well for us, and not against us. My companions are the neatest. I`ve never laughed so much, and enjoyed the work so much. It`s probably because I can actually understand what`s happening. it`s probably not so funny for my comps....but we`re doing good. We`re trying to find lots of new people, There is so much distractions in this world. It`s hard to get people to want to stop, listen, with the spirit (Hermana Hall, you nailed it in your last letter) we sure enjoy our time, and make the tough moments good. Especially with the huge cathloic population here in Chile....the other day we asked a woman where she was from and she answered, I`m cathloic. I just smiled. ha.
Yesterday the Bishop was passing out animal crackers during the 5th sunday combined meeting with Relief Society and Priesthood. It didn`t phase me at all, but my companion leaned over and asked if that was normal. I forget that things like that dont happen in utah.
President taught us a parable we can use to give a palo de amor....or a really bold loving approach to invite people to the church if they still haven`t come after a few invites. It`s called the parable of the great feast. I had never heard it before the mission, it`s in Luke 13...or 14. Ok I don`t remember, but it tells a parable of a great feast where many were invited. Right as it was about to begin, the people began to make excuses for why they couldn`t come (sound familiar???)..........anyway It`s super effective when it`s done with lots of love, and lots of people after reading it, and applying it to the santa cena, or the sacrament, realize that they`ve been making lots of excuses. They sit there, thinking for a minute, realize they`ve been making excuses, and say, ok, ¨I`m going to come on Sunday.¨ It`s so awesome.
The Lord has put a ton of people in our way this week to serve, especially broken down cars. We left the house to go exercising the other morning, and right ourside our fence was an hermana pushing a huge van trying to get it started...so we did our exercises pushing the van! Today we did a bit of car pushing as well. My companion the other day found an hermana trying to get a leash on a big dog, so she just lifted the big dog like it was nothing. There was an elderly woman that fell. I`m pretty sure the Lord doesn`t make these things happen, but he puts us in the way to be able to help.
This week we had a meeting that lasted longer than normal, so we were running late for another appointment at the top of our sector. In order to cut some time, we took the metro. At first I felt bad the meeting had gone so long, and was also thinking of how we could contact an investegator, Pedro, to tell him that some elders could stop by and teach him the next day (as his spouse hasn`t granted him permission to listen to hermanas). There was no way we could contact him with the little time we had, and as we stepped off the metro Pedro was standing right there in front of us! He said he had taken the wrong metro and was trying to get back to another stop. We quickly set up the appointment, and the Elders said it was a wonderful visit the next day. I need to just stop worrying! Anytime anything happens, the Lord´s hand is in it. He puts the right people in our way, and makes everything work out. It always happens with lessons, with member visits, with everything! What a blessing. I know this is the Lords work, and that he is guiding our footsteps and our actions. Sometimes I wonder if I`m really doing what I need to be doing, but I know that he helps us and makes our work what it needs to be. I sure love you and love this work! It`s the best! I never want to leave....and I`m seriously considering staying here for another 5 years....we`ll see what President says about that....

Love Hermana Blackham

Jan 24, 2011

2011-01-25T10:20:00.001-08:00

Heard a bark, looked over, saw a cat.
Subject line brought to you by our dear hermana singleton. I am doing well! We went to the temple this week with our zone and it lifted me up so much! I left the temple feeling so much stronger to do what I needed to do. Invitation for the week. Go to the temple!
Let me just take a second tell you, my companions are INCREDIBLE. Seriously, everyone should be in a trio like this. I am enjoying so much my time with them. They are obedient, powerful, diligent, peaceful, loving companions. They do what they need to do, without complaints. This spanish is improving leaps and bounds everyday. I am smiling and laughing so much, as they have helped me learn to be more faith filled and not worry so much. Hermana Singleton is a powerful teacher. She is a mix between my dearest friends Kyndra purcell and Jess Davis, so you can imagine I`m loving my time! She really knows how to ask questions, and listen, and testify powerfully and simply. She is awesome. Hermana Ewing is incredibly positive and has a gift to just jump in and start teaching and testifying immediately. It`s such a gift! They are both ready to testify and teach, and I`m so happy to be with them. They are teaching me so much, and I feel like I`m the one being trained. Seriously, they rock.
Our sector is doing fine. We have a goal to work more with the ward. We are trying to get a lot of member lessons and NDH to involve the members. We are working really hard to get these investegators progressing, and the greatest challenge right now is getting them to church. Oh boy, I don`t know why it`s such a challenge, but we`re doing our best. We`ve tried the plan you`ve given us, and we`re going to be doing a few 3rd weekers this week=) We`re also trying to find nuevos that will progress, and we have a plan to talk more with the members because they have lots of friends, but don`t know how to make that jump from being friends, to teaching them the gospel, so we have a few plans to use our lunch times to teach how they can make that jump and teach. We`ll see how it goes.
One day this week we didn`t end up having any appointments, so we made other plans and set out. I have a great testimony of making plans, but this day it was if the Lord took our planner, and just threw it out the window and said, ¨hey, I have a different plan for you today.¨ We were lead from one place to another, with the goal to listen to the people better, and it was incredible! There was a dear man who was outside watering his sidewalk, and as we walked up we just began to talk with him, and ask him questions. The questions we asked helped us know within the first minute that his 12 year daughter had died of cancer, and since then, not understanding why, he had been angry at god. We knew exactly what the Lord needed to tell him. The whole process of the day was filled with experiences like that. I wish everyday was like that, but I guess the opposition in all things has to happen. Then a few days later, after a few really good mission days (you know those days...heat, rejections, sweat, big meals=) we made a conscious decision as we left to always be positive, no matter what happened. So we left the house, with a ¨this will be our greatest day!¨ making lists of things we were grateful for, and let me tell you, power of positive thinking makes all the difference. The sun didn`t seem so hot, the work didn`t seem so hard, and within the hour a woman came up to us, told us she had taken the lessons years before, but never was able to be baptized and wanted to be baptized. and this is only the beginning, I love it!
Funny for the week, we were contacting an old investegator from the last hermanas, and we came up to the house and saw her working at the computer through her open window. She couldn`t have been more than 10 feet from us, so we shouted ¨hallo maria!¨ and she didn`t react. So my companions shouted louder, and she looked at us, got big plate sized eyes, looked back at her computer, sat up straight in her chair and slowly rolled her computer chair backwards, until she rolled out of our sight. We all kind of looked at eachother, thinking, ¨what just happened?¨ and a minute later, she popped back into the room, peeked through the window, and darted out of view. We just busted up laughing.
This sector is filled with couples, or young families, where the mother is a member, and the husband isn`t. The spouses are wonderful men who care for their families and work hard, but their challenges are great, the addictions are strong, the work to become an eternal family is tough, especially if one side isn`t fighting for the same end. Satan is working so hard to split the families, and especialy is working on these husbands because he knows if the husband accepts the gospel, then he can recieve the power of God to protect his family. It is really devestating for these dear women who are trying to hard to keep their family going. There were a lot of tears this week from the women. Although a temple marriage doesn`t guarantee eternal life, it opens the door and the power to work towards it. Everyone, get married in the temple, and work towards this end.
This week I was studying in the Christlike attributes. Everyone do the attribute activity at the end, and make plans to develop one attribute that is struggling. It really works! It`s so important to have personal reflection time because the Lord is more able to speak to us and help us know what we need to do to improve. I Love preach my gospel.
Que una obra maravillosa, se que el Señor hace posible esta oportunidad. Se que su expiacion es central a todo lo que hacemos, y en su amor infinito, nos ofrezca la manera segura y sincillo para regresar a su presencia. Mediante la fe, arrepentimiento, y bautismo por agua y espiritu, por alguien que tiene la authoridad, y el perseverar hasta el fin! Que una bendicion! Entonces, Perseverar hasta el Fin!! ¡Mantengense en la senda! !Todo es vale la pena!
Con Amor,
Hermana Blackham

Jan 17, 2011

2011-01-17T10:42:00.000-08:00

So, this week has been great! I love my companions! They are the most calm, diligent, loving people I have ever met. I am so thankful. Hermana Singleton is from Delta, did track at SUU, is studying to be an elementary school teacher, has a testimony and a love for the people, and is a powerful teacher even though is just barley learning spanish. Hermana Ewing is incredible as well. She`s so happy, upbeat, positive, amazing missionary. They keep me going when times are tough. For example. The other day we were in an intense lesson with the stake president and Alvaro, a law student who has been faithfully reading the Book of mormon. After taking a lot of time to listen to his concerns we were running really late to our interview for Pedros baptism and our correllation meeting, and we found out that Pedro ran away and never showed up for the interview, and they didn`t have keys for the church, and there were no taxis running, and they had been waiting for over an hour, in the moment of all the little stresses that come as I think ¨I`m supposed to be in charge of all of this?! I`m supposed to be setting the example!, what happened!?¨ then hermana singleton just blurts out ¨hakuna matata, don`t worry¨ brothers blackham... you would be great friends with her. and it literally took me out of my stress bubble, and we just laughed as we made our way down to the church to face the running away pedro situation and correllation meeting. good times. especially 3 blondes from utah in a poorer sector, and having two that are trying to understand the chileans. ha. I love the mission. It`s so funny. We just laugh all the time. This week has been a good opposition week, in the fact that everyone who was progressing didn`t come to church, or aren`t reading, or don`t want to have compromises, so I`m grateful for two companions that just help me laugh about things. We had a powerful lesson with a less active where we got to the point where she had said something, and I had no idea how to respond to a concern she had in the lesson, and the spirit wasn`t giving me anything, so I just sat back and gave the floor to my companions to ask the right questions and teach the right things. They were phenomenal! It`s amazing to see and feel the spirit work through them. They were able to help her resolve the concern in a way I would have never thought of. They rock. I love being here. I love the mission! With all of it`s ups and downs and rollercoaster moments, I love it all! Even though my heart is heavy from people who don`t want to accept the gospel, my spirit and soul are cheerful. Thanks for your letters, keep them coming!!!
Love ya!
Con Amor,
Hermana Blackham

Jan 10, 2010

2011-01-10T19:07:00.000-08:00

Familia y Amigos,
What a good week we had. Nancy has slowed down to almost nothing on the smoking and is still going strong for her fecha in 2 weeks!!! YEHAW! Also, Pedro is good to go for this week, were just making sure he understands everything, and will keep going afterward. We went on a temple trip with the ward so Pedro could catch the vision and make a goal to enter in a year. He really wants to seal his parents so that will be a great asset to his motivation to stay active. The ward is SUPER involved in family history, so were excited to get all the conversos involved so they keep going. This sector is so poor, but the people are so humble and want to put their trust in the Lord. They are the best members here! Also, our sweet 10 year old Camila is progressing, but slowly. She`s been through a lot....a lot more than I ever hope to imagine for a 10 year old. The Patriarch, when he gave us the reference, was crying because he hurt so much for her and the challenges she had been given in this life, but I know that it`s only the atonement of Christ that can heal her, and she`s on her way....she`s so adorable. She gave us a ¨my little pony¨ toy the last time we went to remember her by. She`s such a sweetie.
We`ve had some really intense contacts this week, and we`re really trying to find new people to teach. The people we have are absolutely wonderful, but we need more, so we`re trying to increase the finding pool.

Today we had a special conference with President, IT WAS SO AWESOME! I love president. He is a powerful teacher and a powerful leader. Hermana and I received a call last night to tell us we would be staying together! Yipee!!! I was so excited! While at the conference President reminded us that over a 1/3 of the mission has 3 months or less. We`re a new mission. And because were so new there aren´t very many to train... And they told me I`m training a new hermana, with hermana Ewing. So...yup! Bring it on. haha. Good thing the Lord plans things like this....because if not....I don`t know if I could handle it....
But I`ve been learning a lot this week spiritually. I think the Lord needed me to learn a few things. One thing that `s been a lot on my mind lately is the story of when Christ fed the 5000. (inspired by the calendar mom sent me....I`m sure that package was late for just this reason) I saw the picture from Simon Dewey of the young boy giving the loaves of bread and fish to the Lord, with the caption, ¨He makes it more.¨ I went back and studied the story, and had a bit of a ¨hermana blackham 2x4 across the head moment¨ It was like he was saying ¨hey, remember, it`s me, I`m the same one who multiplied 2 fish and 5 loaves to feed more than 5,000, and changed the water to wine, and walked on the water, and healed the sick and raised the dead, and suffered for your sins so you can be forgiven, and you know what??......it`s ok that your only 22, and don`t know spanish very well, and that you aren`t the most effective teacher, and hey, I know that people don`t like to talk to you, and that you only have a few investegators that you are striving to keep progressing, and that the sun is hot, and everyone is on vacations, but guess what, I`ll make what little you do, so much more than you can. Just give thanks for what you have, and dedicate the little you have to me, and let me make it more.¨ I think that`s all the Lord asks of any of us. We may not give him very much in terms of the world, but as we dedicate all we do to the Lord and ask him to bless our small offering, he can multiply it and make it so much more than we could. Whether it be in a young women calling, a visiting teacher, a sunbeam teacher, a friend, a smile, a testimony....como sea, I know that he loves us, I know that he`s aware of us. I know that even with a small tiny bit of faith, the Lord can make great things happen, but we have to have patience to let him make a great work. I hope all of you are doing well! I sure love you! Thanks for all your christmas wishes and giving me an update on your lives, I can`t believe so much has changed! But I love you so much and hope that all is well!
Take care, Con Amor,
Hermana Blackham

Jan 3, 2010

2011-01-04T12:17:00.000-08:00

Happy new year! We celebrated by entering early and making goals for the new year! What a great missionary way to celebrate...I love it. It was weird making goals when I know that a part of my year will be on the mission, and a part of my year will be.........well........doing other things. but I`m excited. It`s going to be the best year ever...yup.
I LOVE the book of Mormon! Maybe I`m just a procrastinator, but I think everyone should do a book of mormon challenge every year, but leave the last half of the book to the last week of December. I think this past week was one of my favorite in the mission. It wasn`t the easiest, but I felt so good! We found some great people, and they are progressing! I felt more confident in the work. I felt joyful walking through the streets. I felt less temptation and worry. I I know it`s because in every spare minute in the pension, I would whip out the book of mormon and try to finish it before December 31. Maybe it was the pride and I didn`t want to have to tell my dad that I wimped out on our goal, but man it was the best! I forget how many answers the Book of mormon has. It teaches us to be humble and obedient, and promises that the Lord will be merciful as we do so. It taught me how to work better with investegators and less actives. It taught me to be more faith filled, and just do what I need to do.

So this week Nancy, a mom of a recent convert (whose investigated the church since she was 6) decided to accept a date. She has to stop smoking....so....bring on the prayers for her. I know she can do it, and we're really going to work hard to keep her going. We also have an Investegator Pedro that accepted a date as well! He knows its true, but got scared the last time he had a date, as always, he has his own personal concerns and obstacles. Also, our dear patriarch gave us a reference of a daughter of a less active who isn`t baptized, and she is such a dear! So, just keep praying that they can keep going, that we can keep finding the people who are willing to accept the truth, and have the energy to do it. The ward is incredible and were trying to utilize the ward the best we can. I love all of you! I pray you are well! Thank you for your letters! Love you!!
Love, hermana Blackham

Dec 27, 2010 Merry Christmas

2010-12-27T14:50:00.000-08:00

So, Merry Christmas! I`ve officially decided being a missionary for Christmas is so much better than living a normal Christmas. There is nothing better than truly focusing on Christ, on his atonement, on sharing his life, on keeping Christmas simple, on focusing on serving and loving others. After seeing so many people caught up in the rush of it all, I`m all for keeping it simple.....

Highlights: Patty was baptized! She was so excited, and after 3 years of listening to the missionaries she decided to take the step. She`s been in this process a couple of times, and the Lord truly helped her overcome her fears and be baptized. She`s a wonderful person, and has been like a wonderful mom here in Chile. She has her fair share of trials, and didn`t have any family support at her baptism, but she was so happy the whole day, and couldn`t stop smiling. She taught me a good lesson that there is always something to be grateful for and always something to smile about. Sure, bad things happen but we can chose to focus on the good.

We had an awesome Christmas dinner with a sweet member family. I have never felt to well treated in my whole mission. They had a beautiful meal, gifts, cards, wonderful christmas music, they did so much for us, and it tasted so good! They invited their non-member sister who lost her husband to come, and we had a neat discussion on eternal families. actually, I`ll tell you, I`m suprised at how many people this week have told us about a family member who has recently passed away. I`ve never taught L.2 so many times in my entire mission. It`s amazing the comfort and consolation we can receive from the gospel. I think I take it for granted because it`s been a knowledge I`ve had for my whole life. But people are going from person to person, church to church, organization to institution, seeking for the knowledge that we already have directly from God, the being who created us all. The only way we will be able to truly know what happens beyond this life, is if we receive revelation beyond this life, there is no way to prove it by earthly evidence. I Love being able to testify to people that they can assure that they can be with their loved ones again. It always strikes a chord in our hearts.

We`re really working on getting the investegators we have found, progressing. Getting them to church is a huge challenge, because they want to find the easy gospel, not necessarily the true one. I`m doing my best to help them understand very clearly, directly, what this means to them. Andrew told me something really interesting that I`v ebeen thinking about since Saturday. He said he spent his whole mission teaching and helping people be baptized, even though they may not have felt ready. As I`ve worked with so many less actives I am very conscious that they need to be well prepared before baptism. I`m careful and thorough as we prepare them for baptism. But what he made me realize is that all they need is a desire and a testimony. This life is filled with god given experiences that we will never be ready for. God will expect us to take steps into the darkness, in order to receive the power to do it. For example. I came on the mission not knowing spanish, or how to explain the gospel, but I put my faith in Him and he`s helped me complete with this responsibility. Another example callings. I`m sure my dad would have told you didn`t feel prepared to be bishop. but as he accepted the calling, the Lord has qualified him to be bishop. Baptism, no one ever feels completely prepared for baptism, but as we have our trial of faith and are baptized, the Lord blesses us with power. We just need a desire to do the Lords will, and a testimony of the Savior and his gospel. I know this is true. I`ve seen it over and over again in my mission. I know the Savior lives. I know his atonement is real. I know that he loves us and wants us to be happy. I know his gospel blesses our lives and gives us very specific ways to recieve his power. I love him and am so grateful for what he did for us.

I hope you all have a great week!
Take care, Con Amor,
Hermana Blackham

2010-12-23T09:27:00.000-08:00

Dec 20, 2010

2010-12-20T21:19:00.001-08:00

So,
Merry Christmas! I have aproxamately a million things I could tell you about this week. But I´ll start with a good Merry Christmas. I love being a missionary at this time! It´s the best! I love my companion. I love my sector. It´s probably the most opposite of pocuro I could get, but I love being here with all my heart. I went from HUGE Downtown city, apartments, powerpacked ward that reminded me of Utah, Christmas activities in the temple, knowing everyone and everything, intercom contacting, to the farthest south of the mission I could get, with the small homes, humble members, dogs and dirt and sun, and fletes, and I don´t know a thing, and I´ve never been happier!! I LOVE teaching! I love talking to everyone. I love how humble the people are here. Hermana Ewing and I are so excited because we´re both new, so we can can start from ground zero and work up the ward and the investegators. We started out the first few days, with almost no appointments, a few investigators working towards baptism, and a map that didn´t have a majority of the streets marked. So, we just started contacting in the street, getting to know the members, knocking a little bit, singing to lots of people, and we´ve had incredible experiences. The Lord is leading us more than I´ve ever seen in my entire mission. We´ve ended this week with lots of potential in the sector and in the ward. One day we were praying to know where to knock and my companion suggested a street, and as we were knocking the street we choose a house to knock. A sweet old woman answered and she let us in to sing a hymn, after we sang she just burst into tears and said she was a member and wanted to come back but couldn´t overcome the obstacles in her path. She was so sweet, and I know that the Lord lead us to her. THere was no way we could have known that she was there. We also were walking by a house after a lesson and we asked a woman if we could share a message of christ with her. She let us in, and before we even started talking, she opened up and poured out her heart to us saying that her husband had passed away earlier in the year, and she was so so sad, especially being christmas time. By the time we left we shared the plan of salvation, set a baptism date, and she was so much more filled with peace. It´s incredible the peace and joy that comes when we have a knowledge of the plan of salvation and the atonement of Christ and the restoration of his church. I know that as we have faith in Him he absolutely opens up a way that we can return to him. I know that he lives. I know that he loves us. I know that it´s so much easier to follow christ, than it is to suffer the consequences of not following him. I know that he Loves us so much!
Sorry that I didn´t send anyone anything for Christmas. Between moving pensions a few times, christmas activity, changes to another sector, I haven´t had anytime to send antyhing, so enjoy the small christmas card we made for you, with LOTS of love! (don´t worry, your gifts will be coming home with me=) Love ya! Talk to ya soon!

Love, Hermana Blackham

Dec 13, 2010

2010-12-16T08:06:00.000-08:00

OH MY GOODNESS, ok, it`s going to be a longer letter (haha sorry about the shorter letters!) But this week was SO crazy, and I have lots of news for you. But first of all....this week was great! We had our navidad activity...the best word to describe was, thrilling. We were so busy the past few weeks getting everything organized, and when it came down to it, it was a lot less hectic than the past years we`ve had. What a blessing. The youth did a great job giving the tours, and I`m convinced they did a greater job than we did. There is nothing like an ambient of being on temple grounds, with thousands of people and their families walking around, with good old tabernacle choir christmas music playing. It gives life to the temple. They had the most beautiful choirs and a beautiful exposition of nativity sets from all around the world and chile. It is such a neat time to be in the temple. I got to see lots of members from my old wards and get to know lots of others from other parts of chile. We did a tour for a small branch whose homes were destroyed in the Tsunami. They gave a huge sacrifice to come to the temple and the hermanas over the history of the church in Chile, Hermana Cobar y Roberts, organized a beatufiul breakfast and devotional for them. These members are absolutely incredible.
Also during the week we organized divisions to be able to have some appointments with Ellie, a super cute investegator who is progressing. It`s not easy to make to be baptized and make such a change in your life, and she`s really struggled to leave behind her cathloic traditions, but she also has a desire to do it, and has offered some of the sweetest prayers as we`ve been in her home. Also, tender mercy (and one of the reasons I love Relief Society) we cancelled a few of our lunches this week to be able to do everything we needed to do. On Friday Hermanas Cobar and Roberts stopped by our house and dropped off a lunch for us....and they didn`t even know that we didn`t have lunch! Wow, they are awesome. It was such a sweet moment to remember the Lord was aware of us and sent some sweet hermanas. Hermana W and I had a great week together. She`s the BEST companion. We have the same goals and after this week and our good bonding moments...wow. I`m pretty sure were going to be really good friends after the mission. She`s phenomenal.
Oh! and we had a mission wide activity for christmas (pictures next week...sorry) we had a zone competition with relay race, sack races, tug of war, center piece competition (we won! Thanks for the fake snow you sent last year!) and ultimate frisbee and soccer tournaments. Complete with a beautiful dinner and ¨It`s a wonderful life¨ with movie theatre popcorn. Our mission rocks. And our zone rocks. The elders made the best shirts for us...in memory of the famous question hermana woj. asked President Amado last week. ¨President Amado, What is our purpose?¨ ha, we have the best zone.

We finished the week tired, happy, satisfied and content at how everything worked out. As we entered the office last night after the activities, the assistants called us over to their desk. We have 5 hermanas leavning this weekend, and they confirmed what we had been assuming, that I would be getting transfered. And suprise, I`m training. Brand new sector, brand new american companion (she got here 2 weeks ago), here I come. Wahoo! It was hard to leave the temple after being there for a time, but I had a sweet tender mercy in Sacrament meeting yesterday. I was thinking of all the investegators and less actives who are progressing, or need extra help, and felt that there was some unfinished business that I wanted to work on before I left, but I had another thought enter my mind. This is the Lords work, not mine, and we have the promise that His work will progress until the great Jehova says ¨The work is finished.¨ I was just here for a time to do my duty, and as a part of the team, but there will be more who will come and keep the work going. Now my responsibility, is to do my duty here in Cordierra, and I`m happy to do it, especially with my new comp, Hermana Ewing. I`m pretty sure were the same person (down to the fact that our moms were both raised on a dairy farms....wow) , She`s awesome. and I am SO excited to work with her. We both have no idea what we are doing =) but we`re just going to put our trust in the Lord and do our best! I can`t believe the Lord has given me such great companions here in the mission. Every time I am floored at his mercy and love, and I am amazed at how incredible these girls are. Yes, I`m so blessed!

So, pray for us! I sure love you my dear family. You are the best. Thank you for your prayers. Keep the letters coming! Merry Christmas!

Love,
Hermana Blackham

Dec 6, 2010

2010-12-07T11:31:00.000-08:00

The picture with the young man....you have to send it to Matthew cousin, who served in Chicago. Apparently they were best friends on the mission, he saw me in the mall, and was like, hey sisters, HEY! You´re a BLACKHAM! You know Matthew!?!?! He was my favorite companion!!! Small world....
The picture with the steps of prayer, is with Cesar, I sure love this viajito!
And....I dont remember the other picture I sent. But I´m sure it was great!
Love you!
mom, I received the package. Thank you so much!!!! I LOVE THE ENSIGN!!!!!!!!!! You won, because we still don´t have it in english here...
Love you family!

Wow, what a week. We´ve had a very busy week and we´re happy! We had a week filled with trainings and meetings for the youth. Wow these youth are AWESOME!!! They are going to do an incredible job. Wow, I was just floored as they were practicing the different parts of the tour, I got chills every time...and no...it wasn´t the weather (the Santiago sun is a scorcher). They are awesome. Everday we had a training with small groups to be able to give them one on one time to feel comfortable. The majority of them are returned missionaries or preparing for missions. Wow, I love them so much! It´s going to be a great week!

During a meeting with Public Relations we started talking about VIP day....and he told us the president of the Republic was probably going to come, and we needed to prepare a special tour for them. I looked at him with a confused look on my face and said ¨President of the Republic?¨ He repeated it, and said, President Piñera....and I looked at him with a confused look on my face. and he, (a bit exasperated, I know he was thinking...uh...this gringa) said...Hermana Blackham, the Obama of Chile! Ha, I got that one. So just so you all know, I´m now officially chilean, and know the name of the President of Chile. Every missionary dreams of having a King Lamoni experience, and I dreamed about inviting President Piñera to be baptized......but my dreams were shattered because President Amado said we couldn´t do it. We had a practice tour with him and the Presidents of Public Relations to discuss the points of the tour, and it was the NEATEST experience! He listened to each of the points, gave helpful suggestions, clarified our doubts or concerns. As they were discussing whether or not they should finish with the Tour in front of the temple, or with the coctail, we asked him the purpose of the tours, and he suddenly breaks out in 10 minutes of doctrine on John the Baptist, and his role in preparing the way for Christ. He said Public Relations and the members are like John the Baptist, who are preparing the way for the missionaries to come in teach, and baptize. It was one of those ¨Ah-ha¨ moments where a light clicked and I finally understood our role, and why they decided to have youth do the tours, and we decided to have the youth do the tour for the VIP (I´m feeling really good about that....no pressure on me). Wow, pure doctrine. Love it. President Amado is called of God. He´s a very very intelligent, well versed person, and is very bold in how he decides to do things. It was awesome!

Also, President came to our house to check out the pension, and see how we were doing. He offered a really powerful prayer to bless our home. It was incredible. He´s so powerful.

AND...with all of this, we´ve really tried to balance all of that with the sector. We had some neat lessons, and although we haven´t been able to be in the sector as much as we would have liked, the Lord is taking care of the investegators. We had some less actives bring their daughter-in-law to learn about the church, and she told us she wanted to be baptized! We also found some really neat people as we´ve been in the sector. Especially this week I´ve felt like the Lord has just lead and guided us in every step we´ve taken. Yesterday as we were walking to an appointment we were talking about a recent convert who had just moved and there was no way to contact him. A few minutes later we found a new less active who had just moved into the ward, and helped him find the location for an FHE, and the recent convert rode by on his bike. Then we realized that we needed another BOM, so on our way to pick one up, we found another recent convert that was having a really really hard day and was looking for the missionaries. It was as if the Lord was putting people in our way, to lead us to other people. YES. I love being a missionary. It´s the best time of my life. I love doing this work. It´s the best experience in the entire world, Hermana Woj. and I are having a great time! I don´t know how much longer I´m going to be here in the temple, but I know that I´m doing my best while I´m here. This week, is game time. Santiago Nativity Festival...here I come! I love this work! Love you all! Take care!
Love, Hermana Blackham

Spiritual Thought for this week....(thank you office elders)
¨Shoes are not flip-flops¨ Elder Kearon

Nov 29, 2010

2010-11-29T15:13:00.001-08:00

Family and Friends,
This week has been crazy! I feel like I`m running around like a chicken with my head cut off, we have so much to do, but what a Blessing! Every missionary wants this. We have more investegators than we`ve had in a long time, lots preparing for baptism, but at the same time we are training the youth to do tours, and are nailing the preparations for the christmas activity. My goal....not stress. So far so good. We`ll see how this week goes. We have trainings on Tuesday, Wednesday, and THursday, with meetings with Public Relations to tie up loose ends, and make sure we have enough people, and a pracitce on Friday with the Area Presidency to make sure were ready for the VIP´s that will be there. It`s a bit overwhelming having so much responsibility on our shoulders, but President is constantly telling us, it`s a blessing, not a burden. We talked with him for a few minutes yesterday to ask for direction in some things, and he gave us some good fatherly counsel, I`m so grateful. President is the best. I`m excited for this next week especially because were changing pensions today. We`ve been living outside of the sector for awhile, but with 25 new missionaries coming this week, they need move us out. This will be a huge blessing to be back in the pension right next to the temple. It gives us a good hour more in the sector everyday. Yahoo!

When I was reading Elder Hoglunds letter, it was funny, because we had an experience exactly like his experience with the colombian that contacted him, except we received the reference. HIs name is Roneth. (Yes, He`s colombian as well, those colombians and peruvians are SO receptive!) He has been seeking the truth, and seeking for something that ¨fills¨ him. He`s in a really tough time in his life, and he talked to a guard in his aparmtent who is a member. The guard basically gave him a condensed lesson, and sent us to him. He accepted a date to be baptized immediately. Accepted the book of mormon. Came to church. Is praying and reading. Um...wow. Let me tell you, in Pocuro, we do everything we can to find people, but the people who are prepared always come to us. It was the neatest lesson! I love teaching people who want to change their lives, it`s always such a powerful experience. We are also working with our cute elderly Cesar, and with Huber, the spouse of a recent convert. Each has their challenges but I know that it will all work out. THey are the best of the best. If I could only have half of their faith.

This week our Zone leaders gave us an invitation to make a goal for the number of contacts we make everyday and we set a really high goal. We have seen so many miracles. As we`ve tried to talk to more people in our way, we`ve realized that the Lord has put people in our path. It seems like everyone has talked to the missionaries, and we`ve sent tons of references to other sectors. We`ve had amazing unofficial lessons in the Metro as we`ve traveled to our home every night. There are lots who are members, or who have family members who are members. It`s incredible how pervasive the church is here, everyone knows something about it (or has their conceptions...those are always fun contacts to make)

So, I have the best companion ever. I am so grateful to be with her. We have a goal to exactly obedient in everything, and it`s been so fun, and crazy, and intense, and happy. I`m so happy. I hope all of you have a great week. I know that this is the true church and that we are happy when we follow the counsels of the prophets. I hope you have a great week! Love you all!!!
Con Amor,
Hermana Blackham

Nov 22, 2010 Happy Thanksgiving

2010-11-22T14:50:00.000-08:00

Ok, I don´thave a lot of time today, but in honor of Thanksgiving, and with an invitation from Hermana Painter and an example from my dad, Here we go!

1. I´m grateful for the chance to be a missionary here in Santiago.
2. I´m grateful for the warm breeze that blows through the palm trees as I walk Providencia...and for the balmy, warm weather. Welcome to November in Santiago! (did I hear there´s a blizzard happening in utah?)
3. I´m grateful for the best parents in the world.
4. I´m grateful for letters and packages from the best family and friends in the world!
5. I´m grateful for my watch....I would die without it.
6. I´m grateful for my brothers and sisters....they rock
7. I´m grateful for my companion, Hna. Wojciechowski for keeping me on my toes and helping me stay sane during our planning sessions for the christmas activity
8. I´m grateful for the cute missionary couple, the workmans who gave us a great american meal today!
9. I´m grateful for office computers
10. I´m grateful for the pensionistas for fixing our house
11. I´m grateful for the temple! and the lights in the temple!
12. I´m grateful for faithful members
13. I´m grateful for Pocuro and the friendships I´ve made here. I feel like I´m in my own ward back at home.
14. I´m grateful for our Mission presidents. We have a goal of december to have one baptism, for each companionship, and I know we can do it!
15. I´m grateful for changes...A few more weeks in the Temple! I´m especially grateful because we´re receiving 25 new missionaries! and TONS of new sisters within the next month. Wahoo!
16. I´m grateful for special trainings con president
17. I´m grateful for the orange Hermana Wojciechowski shared with me today
18. I´m grateful for the metro system in Santiago
19. I´m grateful this week that we met a sweet old man named Cesar who accepted a fecha bautismal! Wahoo! And it turns out his best friend is a member too!
20. I´m grateful for good missionary shoes (seriously, best investement I ever made)
21. I´m grateful for an dinner we had with a mom of a recent convert this last week....who almost accepted fecha. We´re working on it. She´s going to get baptized, I know it.
22. I´m grateful for good members who are willing to come with us to visits (seriously, if you ever see missionarys, tell them you want to accompany them, it´s the biggest blessing ever!)
23. I´m grateful for my pillow...it´s the best feeling in the world to lay down at night on my nice comfy pillow.
24. I´m grateful for Journals! (Are you writing in yours?)
25.I´m so grateful for my savior who made all of this possible. I know he lives and that he loves me and that he is aware of me and my needs. I love being a missionary here!

Love ya!
Love Hermana Blackham

Nov 15, 2010

2010-11-15T14:20:00.000-08:00

Familia y Amigos,
This week we`ve been busy preparing the Christmas temple tour training for the young single adults. It should be a neat training! I`m excited! We get to do some sweet trainings on wardrobe and presentation i.e. skirts past the knees, don`t bring reindeer ties that play christmas music when you push rudolfs nose, and don`t flirt with the other young single adults. Perfect for the sister missionaries to teach!
We`ve also moved outside of the sector into a beautiful 13th floor pension, so we have to finish our day about an hour early to travel back to our pension. Between the trainings and the change we haven`t had a lot of time out in the sector. Not being able to be in the sector with some good progressing investegators is a toughie, but we do our best. We have a neat elderly gentleman named Victor Gonzalo, such a sweetie, but wants his wife to be here to be able to be baptized. He loves her so much, and is still trying to strengthen his testimony. We also found a neat cathloic family that wants to receive us everytime we come by, the trick is helping them understand the message. We`ve also been teaching a spouse of a recent convert, who wants to be baptized, but has to work every sunday so he hasn`t been able to get to church. There will always be an obstacle in the way of baptism, and I`ve never seen anyone whose way has opened up. There is always something, but whatever it may be, it strengthens the new convert as they exercise their faith and move forward. We also had 4 less actives come to church for the first time in a long time, and I wanted to shout for joy! yeah!
I was reading a talk by elder Corbridge this week and learned something so neat! In Alma 37 there is a scripture that says, it is as easy to give heed to the word of Christ .... do not let us be slothful because of the easiness of the way ... see that ye look to God and live.¨ He also said that His yoke is easy, and his burden is light. I was thinking about that, because well, the mission isn`t easy, life isn`t easy. We are in a fallen world, and hard things happen. But what I believe he`s trying to tell us is that it is easier to walk with the Lord, than against him. He`s taught things to do to make our life easier. We can pray. We can read scriptures. We can go to the temple. We can ask for forgiveness, We can follow the commandments. And when we do these things, we`re happy. Elder David O. Mckay once said ¨the greatest battles you will ever fight will be within the silent chambers of your heart¨ It`s the battleground between what we want, and what the Lord wants. It`s not a hard act to read the scriptures, but when we start thinking of the long list of things to do, and we want something different than the Lord wants, it gets hard. But what we need to do is just surrender the heart to him, surrender our wills to his, and do it. It`s at that moment that it becomes easy. I know it`s true! I love this gospel, and I know that the Lord is in this work. I love missionary work, and I`m really looking forward to this season to be a missionary during Christmas and share the good news of his birth! I sure love you all! Take care!
Love, Hermana Blackham

Nov 8, 2010

2010-11-15T12:31:00.000-08:00

Family and Friends
Miracles for the Week.
1. Victor Gonzalo came to church! Yes! And he`s reading the Book of Mormon. He`s a sweet elderly gentlemen who has all the time in the world because his wife just left for spain to help her daughter. So, perfect time to help him read the book of mormon and gain his own testimony. He`s such a sweetie!
2. Isabel was asking about a baptism....she has lots of challenges, but we`re doing our best!
3. Carlos and Emelyn are going to get married, but even better, Carlos told me that he wanted to be baptized, yes, the same carlos who has told me for the past 6 months that he doesn`t have any desire to be baptized. He leaned over to me in sacrament meeting and said ¨Hermana Blackham, I just thought I would tell you that I feel a need to put myself into the water¨....it took me a second to regester what he was saying, and then it dawned on me and I looked at him with a suprised look on my face, and he just smiled, shook my hand, and continued listening to the testimonies. Yes!!! He`s so ready, just needed the desire to do it.
4. We finished all the temple referrals. Finally!
5. We moved apartments because of problems in our last apartment, so we`re living 30 minutes away from our sector, but it`s a lot nicer, and we have a 13 floor view! Beautiful!
6. We made it to all of our crazy temple tours! what a blessing!

I love this work. I know that the Lord gives us experiences to help us become a bit more like him, and I know when we react right, he blesses us with his spirit and his love. Even though there can be chaos around the world, I know that when we react with patience, love, and kindness he helps us and strengthens us, and we have to always give our thanks for his blessings, and recognize those blessings. I love you all. Have a great November!
Love, hermana Blackham

Nov 1, 2010

2010-11-01T17:06:00.001-07:00

Family y Amigos,

This week we had a neat couple (Returned missionary and non-member girlfriend) come to the temple to say goodbye to Presidte Lyon. They were here for a week and we ended up teaching her almost all of the missionary lessons, aside from setting a baptismal date she`s basically ready. She will be a great member one day. Too bad she isn`t in our sector, but it was fun to teach her. We also found a neat lady named Isabel and she came to church! She makes me laugh. Veronica basically disappeared, we have no idea what happened but we`re going to keep working on that. We have other really neat people, but they don`t live in our sector, so we do what we can, and then get the elders to their home.
This week we had a conference with Elder Corbridge and it was AWESOME! Love conferences, they always have insights about the missionary work that completely change my perspective. He opened up the time for questions, I loved the answer for ¨how can we increase confidence in the Lord¨ He explained that we win, by losing. As we just give up our will, our wants, our desires, and just tell the Lord, ¨I give up, I can`t do it anymore¨ THAT is when he can work with us and our confidence in him finally begins to grow.
He also explained that we, as members of the church, think there are two groups of people, those who are ready for the gospel, and those who aren`t. We say, ¨I tried inviting them, It`s just not their time¨ but he explained in reality there is a very large third group that would be baptized if they truly understood the doctrine, and it`s up to us to teach the doctrine. It`s very normal for people to act on the gospel if they are taught well. If they don`t want to be baptized, it`s not because they aren`t ready, it`s because they simply don`t understand. He then proceeded to expalin something he said to his neighbor to invite him to listen to the missionaries, and I was amazed at how simply, clearly he explained the gospel and invited him to act on the message. The gospel is so simple, and so powerful of a message.
I also loved a Pattern in the Scriptures that the Lord uses over and over and over again where he teaches a doctrine, principle,and an application. This is the way to apply lessons to the investegators, members, children, anyone. For example we can read Mosiah 2:41 and learn
A. Those who follow the commandments are happy
B. I want to be happy
C. (therefore) I will obey the commandments

or A. Those who receive a baptism are clean
B. I want to be clean
C. (therefore) I will be baptized

If we each look for these patterns, the Lord will show them to us. It`s so neat and gives us the way that we can apply the teachings to our own lives. That`s your invitation for the week!
Happy halloween! I made popcorn balls and it made me happy. My colombian compaion thought I was crazy.
Love you!
Hermana Blackham

Oct 25, 2010

2010-10-26T18:23:00.000-07:00

Friends and Family,

It`s going to be a shortie this week. We`ve been doing lots of temple training this week so my companions can feel comfortable in the Temple. They have been awesome. Although they were a bit worried about doing the temple tours, I saw the Lord take them and mold them and help them do what they needed to do. It was a neat experience. The temple will be in good hands with them here. They are both excellent missionaries in their own ways. We`re in the midst of trying to find new investegators. This sector is like a rollercoaster, we have lots of investegators, then we have none, haha, so we`re working on it. Veronica had a little wobbly moment this week so we`re going to have to have a bit of patience as we help her keep going.
This week I`ve been pondering a lot on the doctrine of Christ and on the atonement. I know that when we truly think of what he did, and who Christ is, and the effect of his atonement we gain such a deeper understanding and appreciacion of his sacrifice. Everyone, your invitacion for this week is study the atonement and ponder, really ponder on what he did, I know that although each experience will be different, it will be exactly what you need in this moment in your life.
I love you all. Have a great week!
Love Hermana Blackham

Oct 18, 2010

2010-10-18T21:01:00.000-07:00

Family and Friends
Soooooo....we had transfers (ha, I just realized they were called transfers and not changes....thank you spanish) and suprise, I`m still here in the Temple! Ok, so it`s not a huge suprise since my companion was going home, but I`m doing good. It`s going to be a whole different change and I`m stoked! I`m in a Trio again, with Hermana Duncan from Colombia and Hermana Wojechowski (I`m 100% sure I just spelled her name wrong, but...you get the idea) from Texas. They are both excellent missionaries so I`m excited. There is so much to do and to train so it will be a busy change.
We had a GREAT week with Veronica. We found out her family is going through some great difficulties, but she`s been overwhelmed at the mercy of the Lord in allowing her to hear the gospel. She accepted a fecha for the 31 of october. Her kids will come along soon, I know it. We taught the plan of Salvation .....well.....actually, she taught us the plan of salvation and we just tied up the loose ends of little things. Wow, I`ve never taught such a prepared person in my entire life, and she`s never had any relation to the church until we came along. He is truly preparing the hearts of people to hear the gospel, and I know when we show the Lord that we will do our part, he does his to find the people.
Manuel, our friend whose met missionaries in all the countries, is progressing really nicely, but we gave him to other elders in Vina del Mar because Manuel is there every sunday, and he has to be baptized in the ward where he attends. He is going to be such a great member!
We had lunch with a sweet Hermana this week, whose had her fair share of difficulties. When we went to share the scripture thought at the end I felt like we should share about Tithing, which can be a really bizarre topic to share at the end of a missionary lunch, where normally the topic is well, missionary work. We started testifying of tithing and the blessings, and she began crying saying that she knew she needed to do it, but hadn`t had the courage in a long time with in her economic circumstances. Wow, it`s amazing how the spirit just tells us to do something, and when we follow those impressions, how bizarre they may seem, it always ends up being a really sweet experience.
We officially won the confidence of the Bishop and he gave us a reference of a young boy who hasn`t been baptized yet! YES!
We had 5 tours on Saturday. The majority were couples, whose husbands had recently joined the church and now they are working to be eternal families....love those tours. They are the best!
This week....hmmm......was a good week. We had interviews. I always go into interviews with a list of random questions in my mind and I always leave having every question answered whether I asked it or not. He`s such a wise man and I love taking advantage of his fountain of knowledge. I`m learning so much recently about obedience and charity. This week he showed me the scripture about ¨charity is the pure love of Christ¨ I`ve always assumed that charity is the love that Christ shows to us, or the love we share to others, but he made me realize true charity, is also, just as much, the love we show to Christ. He mentioned that others will encourage us to disobey for the sake of ¨love.¨ But when we have true charity, we obey out of our love for the Lord. Because iin the end, there is only one opinion of us that really matters anyway, and we all know who that is. When that clicked inside, it`s made all the difference. We are obedient, not because we are afraid, or because we want blessings, or because we look better to others, but because we love the Lord. When that clicks not only do we have more charity for the Lord, but we have more charity for others as well.
I hope all of you are well. I love this gospel and I know that we need to follow everything that the Lord has taught us in order to be happy and recieve all he has. It sometimes takes a lot of faith, humility, and hard work, but it`s worth it!
I love you!
Love, Hermana Blackham

Oct 11, 2010

2010-10-12T18:04:00.001-07:00

The pictures are of the 4 of us who live together (I`m almost certain that we will be in a threesome once hermana Hugo leaves...unless the Lord has other plans) They are the best hermanas. So happy, selfless, and wow we laugh alot. Also a picture of a birthday party we had on Pday for one of the hermanas in the mission.

Family y Amigos,
Carlos and Emelyn FINALLY have plans to be married!!!! and although Carlos does not want to be baptized quite yet, this will give Emelyn the chance to organize her life.
And we went to the temple this week and did inicitories, a session, and sealings....love the temple.
This week we have been in the hospital alot (for other people, we`re just fine), and oh boy I`m so grateful we don`t have socialized health care in the states. There were a few references we received, and it took us a few days to find them inside the hospital. The people were so sweet and I was amazed at how many members we ran into. They always seemed to show up at the best time. There was one patient who had bone marrow cancer, and had only 1 hour of visiting hours with the ability to see 2 people within that hour. As the guard was explaining that he already had 1 visitor, and only one of us could go, a member stepped in and explained that we have to stay together, and asked for us to be able to pass by. It was perfect. Then as we were singing we heard another voice singing the hymn with us. There are members, and people who know members all around us. It never ceases to amaze me.
This week we learned how to make empenadas dulces and sopapillas with a recent convert and her visiting teacher. It was so funny, I felt like I was watching one of those cooking shows...I hope you guys are excited to try them out...oh my they are so good.
We had an excellent lesson with Veronica, she`s the best investegator to teach...she doesn`t allow distractions, gives the best answers to the questions, is always testifying, but when she didn`t come to church this week it was a bit of a bummer. but we`re not losing faith. She`s so neat.
We`ve been teaching Jenner. Pray for his wife. She`s coming into town this week, and a large portion of his progression depends on her. But even if she`s not open, we pray that he will keep progressing.
We had a birthday dinner with a member and all of her non-member friends. It was a neat evening, and we had some good conversations. We sure are teaching a lot of people who don`t live in our sector, as everytime a member invites non members, they always live outside of Providencia, but we`re planting seeds. Sometimes we`re seed planters, sometimes were harvesters, but what is important is that we are working in the vineyard.
Miguel is progressing really well, but we`re still trying to help him get to church. He always reads exactly what we leave him and has excelent questions.
I love this gospel. I love the answers the gospel gives to us, for simple life questions. It`s such a blessing we have to know what we need to do, and receive blessings when we do it. I know we can have confidence in following the spirit, and one of the sweetest experiences we will have, will come when we follow the promptings we receive.
I hope all of you are well! Take care!
Love, Hermana Blackham

Oct 4, 2010

2010-10-04T16:51:00.000-07:00

I LOVE conference..I`m pretty sure the Lord prepared me for this one (he made me realize where I`m lacking and I felt the weaknesses this week, but I sure knew what to ask him during conference), but wow the talks were PERFECT. Elder Eyring and Uchdorf spoke to my heart Seriously, it`s the most wonderful time. The Sunday morning session I was watching the english session with all the senior temple missionaries (what a sweet time! They are the best, always saved us seats right up front (granted it was a small room with about 30 people stuffed in there, but they saved us the front two seats for each session, and always make us american food) Talk after talk after talk nailed some key principles we have been trying to teach a couple, Carlos y Emelyn. Hermana and I kept nudging eachother saying, why aren´t they here?! ah! After it finished we went over to the chapel where it was being broadcasted in Spanish, AND Carlos and Emelyn walked out of the conference and the first thing they said was ¨wow, I felt like it was speaking to me!¨ haha. yeah!!! I was SO excited they were able to make it. It`s always like that. Conference speaks to us!

We had lots of investegators at church this weekend, but, the ones that are progressing the most wern`t able to make it. but it`s ok! There are some great people to work with. Remember how last week we lost lots of investegators, well, we`ve found some pretty neat ones this week, that are searching! I have never heard so many people in one week say ¨I am seeking the truth¨ Manuel had to travel this weekend, so we havèn`t been able to see him lots, but in eso estamos. One of the first things he said was that he was seeking the truth. We found a Brazilian named Jenner that only speaks english and Portugese. He moved here with the hope to save his marriage, and start over again, and he`s making a good start by turning to Christ. He had such a sincere prayer at the end of our first lesson, pleading for help to find the truth and to find strength for his family. It will be interesting to see what happens because he doesn`t speak spanish very well, and his wife, not at all.

Also, last week there was a sweet lady that invited us to visit her when we met her outside of a less actives home. Wow, I`ve never met such a faithfilled, optimistic, loving person. She reminds me of Sally Olsen, but just needs the gospel. From the time we`ve met with her I`ve seen a change in her, she`s more subdued, more thoughtful, and more filled with desire to do these things. During conference i was worried a bit because 2 hours can be a bit tedious for new investegators, but I don`t think she blinked for the entire conference, she was enchanted by it and couldn`t stop talking about how wonderful it was. She has a date for the end of the month, so we`re excited to keep working with her. I´ve felt for awhile that I needed to find someone who wasn`t in our area book, who hadn`t had the missionary lessons before, and I feel like she`s who I was suppoed to find. She`s is a gem, and I`m so excited to be a part of this work! When we let the Lord work, he brings the people in our path, and all we have to do is be willing to show him our faith.

Quick plug for visiting teaching. Do it! We had a first visiting teaching visit with our recent convert daniela and her visiting teacher. They are probably the most opposite people I have ever met, Daniela is 22, timid, and very calm, and her visiting teacher is a 80 year old fireball woman named Hna. Correa, who just talked and talked and talked about the good old days, and how we should always get an education, and she gave a mountain of good advice for all of us before marriage, parenthood etc. It was so funny, I just laughed and laughed the whole time, it was great! We had a great time, and she was so sweet with Daniela, offered a second home to her if she ever needed anything. I love visiting teaching. We end up being friends with those who we never expected.

This week we`ve also been less active looking. We recently received a list of 200 less actives who moved into our ward boundaries within the past few years, but never transferred their records, and through the records dept of chile and the church we found their addresses. It was quite the experience to keep getting responses like ¨ How did you find me?¨ ¨I haven´t been to church for 10 years, how did you find my name?!¨ There were some bewildered looks, especially when they know they should be active. Moral of the story. You can`t beat the system. Be active, or else the missionarys will seek you out.

Today I played frisbee....and I feel complete.
I love all of you! I love conference. I know when we follow the council of the prophet, we receive guidence. We can put our confidence in them completely and wholely.
I love you!
Love, Hermana Blackham

Sept 27, 2010

2010-09-27T17:31:00.001-07:00

I learned something new today! If you have a craving for carmel popcorn, but don`t have corn syrup, maple syrup works beautifully, especially if you like your carmel popcorn with a bit of maple flavoring haha! (the funny substitutions that happen when we lack an ingredient)

Last Pday we went on a Bike ride around our sector! The senior missionaries told us that we could use their bikes to go on the nice bike paths here, so we took them up on it, and it was AWESOME! We went to the outer reaches of the sector, and it was beautiful!

So, this week was really interesting, long long story short, we lost about 6 investegators for one reason or another, with a few more that are wavering. So, we decided that the Lord must have a need for us to be somewhere else, finding people who will be willing to act on the message. There are so many that would love for us to be in their homes because they like the spirit we bring, but have no desire to act on the message and receive the blessings for themselves. I know we believe in vicarious work, but I don`t think it quite works like that=) So, we`ve been working on the finding efforts. We have to be creative, so we started English class (there are SO many here that want to learn english) and we`ve really started encouraging the members to start inviting their friends (they are pretty uncomfortable with that idea, but we`re getting there....) President told us that we have to leave Chile knowing how to bake 3 chilean dishes, so we went to the stake presidents home and offered to teach them how to make brownies, if they taught us to make QueQue, and they invited a investegator friend to do it with us. Little things like that go a long way!

We have been teaching a conserge...guard, named Guillermo, who originally just wanted to practice his english with us, but now he wants to work towards baptism, but he doesn`t live in our sector, he just works here all the time. It was so neat! We were teaching him the other day, and he was so excited to meet the missionaries in his sector! It was the best feeling to be able to transfer that referral over to them. Even though he won`t be baptized with us, were a team, and I know that the little seeds we place here and there, eventually will produce fruit. This week one of those seeds came on a temple tour, as a recent convert!! Hermana Griffiths and I taught her for the first time, and she came with her and her sons who had also been baptized, or were working towards a baptism. Yay! what joy!
Also, on this tour, we all of a sudden realized there was a man that just showed up. He said that he was looking for the truth, and wanted to see what our church was all about. AND, he lives in our sector! What a blessing! He`s such an awesome guy. He`s talked to the missionaries in Italy, Mexico, and now here, and decided he wanted to study it a bit more in depth. He reminds me of a really talkative and funny mr. Bean, we`re so excited! And we met a man who speaks english and portugese who wants to learn more as well! I don`t know what`s going on with all these single men, but it sure gives us an opportunity to work with the members and involve them in the work since we can`t pass by without another girl.

This morning I was reading through the General Conference Ensign trying to finish it before Saturday, and I realized that Pres. Monson, in teaching about Christ`s life, used lots of words like, we KNOW that he lives, we have a sure knowledge, we have revealed truth, we know the reality of what he did, and I realized, it`s reality! What we teach isn`t just a passive belief, at least not for me, what we teach is absolute truth, revealed to us from a Loving Father, and all of us can have a sure knowledge of these things. Every day I feel like I have more and more evidence that he exists, that he lives, and that he wants to bless us and help us receive the exaltation with him! I invite all of you to listen to Conference. What they will share is not just beliefs or ideas, or suggestions, but what is spoken by the voice of the servants, or the Lord, it is the same, and we can have confidence that their counsel is from God.
I pray all of you are well!!! Let me know how you`re doing (especially if I haven`t heard from you in awhile!)
Love, Hermana Blackham

Sept 16, 2010

2010-09-19T08:49:00.000-07:00

Familia,

New mission rule. For my 1 year mark I get to send an email to my family! ok...just kidding

So, due to a 4 day government sponsored party this weekend (Thank you 200th year Chilean Independance day) we are sending emails today. I just wanted to let you know I`ll be getting on about 5 your time so if you want to say hi, or let me know how much you love me with a letter, or reminise on what`s happened the past year, here`s your chance!

Not a lot has happened, we`ve gotten a new ward list with hundreds of new less actives that have moved into the area, so that`s keeping us busy. We had some really neat tours of families who have reactivated and are working towards going to the temple. My, I sure love the temple! We just got the new Liahonas about the temple and I`m pretty sure I almost read through the entire thing already. I LOVE it! It makes me so excited everytime I get to be on the grounds, When we have tours we don`t have as much time to just sit and think so every P-day we spend our time on the grounds (you think we would get enough of it, but it`s never enough) It`s like the place where all the things we do on the earth connect with all the things we do in Heaven. I`m so happy you can go to the temple every week mom, and at least every month with the ward, I`ll definitely be taking advantage of that when I come back.
Also, good news! For navidad we usually have to coordinate all the missionaries in the mission (and in other missions), but this year they decided to have the youth do the tours, and we`re just in charge of training them. because it would be a bit difficult to have the missionaries taken from their sectors, we suggested having the Youth and young adults help us, and they said it would work! and the youth are so awesome here! It will take a bit of coordination, but I`m so excited, they will do a great job! That`s our good news for the week! Yehaw!
Anyway, with the celebrations starting we`re going to have 4 days of pure contacting, so hopefully we can find some people who need us. I sure love you family! You are the best. Mom, sorry to say that this email is replacing the one that you will be receiving for next week. All the places will be closed. So...maybe you can save one sentence for each day to make it last longer?

COUSIN CHRIS IS GETTING MARRIED!?!?!??!?! I´M HAVING A HAY DAY! Make him write me! is this the same Jenna as before??? ah! and it can´t be after april? I had to miss two of my bosom cousins weddings, wow...

To answer your burning question....about how often to write your missionary in the mtc.
Frankly, I LOVED letters, they are the best thing in the MTC, and between you and all my friends I think I got one everyday, but I had to be careful. I always kept them out of sight until after planning every night and it helped that I received good letters, quotes, stories, testimonies, they really helped me, especially the funny ones.
If they aren´t the right letters, they can be a distraction. Also, if they receive too much home news it can make one homesick, especially those elders who have never really away from home. But if it goes a long time (like a week) without a letter, it was distracting to have everyone get a letter, and not you. Gotta find a balance. Depends on the person. I don´t know if that answered your question. but that´s my 2 cents.

The Church is true. I´m trying to keep going. I´m feeling pretty comfortable as a missionary, but I remember last time andrew said he was comfortable, and then the Lord brought something to keep him going. We´ll see what happens. I sure love you guys! You are the best! Love ya! Have a great day!

Love, Hermana Blackham

Sept 13, 2010

2010-09-14T09:28:00.000-07:00

The navidad activity-(Christmas season on the temple grounds) Last year they had missionaries come in from all of the santiago missions to lesson the impact on our mission, but this year the area has asked all of the sisters and elders to be from our mission. It`s quite the project, and there is a good chance that I`ll be manning most of it...or attempting to. It`s quite the project. Last year they had thousands and thousands of people on the grounds.

Ok, quickie for this week. About a month ago we were walking to an appointment and we passed a street with real houses (usually it`s only large office buildings) and we said, hey, one day we should knock that street! This week we finally had time to run down there for a few hours to knock, and it was so neat! We found 2 really neat families! We knew that we were supposed to knock for a reason, and so, were pretty excited!
Also, we talked to a woman in the street last week and did a cosecha (when we pass by to sing a hymn and pray with them). On our return appointment she said, after we left, that she felt a force stronger than anything she`s ever felt before, that lead her to get an exam that shes been deathly afraid to get. She said she wanted to be baptized and she came to church this week. She`s an older woman, who has lots of knowledge, and attends lots of churches just because she can, so we have quite a bit of work to do to get her ready, but she felt the spirit and thats the most important part. She`s a great lady, and the ward was great with her!
This week we had a mission wide 18 de September activity. We ate empanadas, watched Hoosiers, and also had an incredible fireside. Presidente does the best devotionals. I always walk away feeling like I need to do better, but feeling like we can do it if we work hard enough and are obedient enough. ....it`s the Chilean Independance day this Saturday. And its the 200th anniversary so they have a 4 day holiday planned, so, its most likely going to be a finding week because everyone has left out of town. We also had a devotional with the Missionaries in charge of the history of the church. They have a presentation of stories and miracles that happened, especially during the earthquake, when the members heard the whisperings of the spirit and followed them. They were incredible! The spirit will truly lead and guide us and we can put our confidence in its whisperings. We had 2 investegators there, and hopefully it helped them understand a bit more about the spirit.
Saturday we had a great holiday, it`s called Golpe de Estado. Long explanation short, all the youth leave at night to destroy chile. The police take down the stoplights and board up all the windows, and us as missionaries celebrate this wonderful holiday by going home early and deep cleaning the pension. Good times.
Um, today we also had a great P-day. Our Zone went to Cerro SanCristobal (pictures included), then we went to a great place called Jacks Burger, best hamburger place ever! They were huge, and american, and I had to keep looking down at my nametag and checking that I was a missionary in Chile. It was so good.
I hope that all of you are doing well. I`ve had lots of good Book of Mormon reading time this week and it`s been incredible. I`m always suprised at how much I get out of it. although I`ve read this book over and over, I always read something new. I am so grateful for the lessons it teaches. It is truly for our days, our situations, our experiences, and I know the spirit teaches us what we need to know. Its amazing! I sure love you all!
Love, Hermana Blackham

2010-09-06T13:14:00.001-07:00

Familia y amigos
So, changes are in, and it looks like I´m going to be an official member of Pocuro. I`m thinking of having my records transferred here. I am already the pianist, may as well just jump right in! haha. Unless special changes happen, I have a feeling I will be here for awhile. My companion is leaving next change, so I`ll have to train someone to keep the temple going, and by that time we`ll be heavy in Christmas Preparations, so they could easily have me stay and finish coordinating all the Christmas tours during the navidad activity. so....here we go! I`m open for whatever I need to do. It`s a bit difficult to keep our investigators going while we`re always at the temple, but the Lord blesses them, and answers our pleadings that they will keep progressing while we`re not able to stop by as often as we like. This week we had around 150 people come for tours, so we`ve been in the office filling out lots of references. But we have a sweet investigator who came to church on Sunday, and it seemed like she had a good time. The eternal investigators are slowly coming along. We don`t spend a lot of time with them, but when we are there they are always good lessons. One couple is taking the steps to get married. The others I think are waiting until their son comes home from his mission so they can be baptized (it`s been 30 years, they consistently attend church, they are closer than they`ve ever been, but still don`t want to leave the little things that are holding them back. we should never let the small obstacles get in the way of those things that matter the most) we`re doing our best to help them, en eso estamos.
Henry is progressing, and the other day we saw him, and two other recent converts leaving institute, they are the best of friends=) I love having recent convert lessons with them, it`s so much fun.
This week one of the young women in our ward called us and asked us to come to the offices to meet her friend. We arrived, and this friend wanted to know how she could know that this was the true church. We had the sweetest lesson on the restoration, the spirit was potent! Whoa. She understood everything, and as we explained how she could know, and asked her to pray, she offered the simplest prayer asking if what we said was true. Afterwards we asked her what she felt. She said, ¨it feels weird, but not a bad weird, it`s a new peaceful feeling.¨ We explained that it was the spirit and I saw in her eyes that something clicked. she understood, sat back for a minute, and said ¨wow, neat!¨ It was neat to see someone so clearly recognize the spirit and accept it. Her heart is so open to it! Her mom is very hardened in respect to our religion, so we prayed this weekend that her mom could give her permission to learn more. Ah, how important it is that we have a childlike faith and not let the wisdom of the world blind us to the truths that the Lord has. I`ve been learning a lot about having the faith of a child. I am sometimes overly wise, and I let my experiences override my faith of what can happen, but the Lord can truly do ANYTHING, if we have enough faith, and show the lord our faith. I`m learning that right now, and I love it!
President shared a story in our change meeting today that I wanted to share. He shared the story in John 21 when Peter left the Lord to go fishing, and invited Thomas and the other apostles to go with him. They left the work of discipleship to fish, and they didn`t catch anything. He likened it to us as disciples of Christ. At times we want to leave to do our own thing, to work, to rest, to do something that is good, but isn`t quite what Christ asks of us. And when we do this, we don`t catch anything. We don`t have success. But, afterward Christ counseled them to put their nets out again, and when they followed his counsel exactly their nets were filled. He explained that there are always results when we follow Christ and the impressions of the spirit. Then Christ, talking to the apostles, asked if they Loved Him, answering in the affirmative, he again asked if they loved him more that these ¨things¨ referring to the things of the world, their work, their desires. They again answered in the affirmative. Then he invited them to feed his sheep, to share the message with others.
Do we truly love the Lord enough to put off our own desires, wishes, the things of the world, to follow him with our whole hearts, mights, minds and strength? Do we truly love him and trust him enough to let his words and impressions guide our actions. There are so many things, little things, that can distract us, but when we truly love the Lord we don`t let the things that matter least be at the mercy of those things that matter most. I know that it`s possible to do this, but only through lots of help from Christ to help us overcome the human tendency that gets in the way of doing His will. I know I just wrote on and on, but hopefully it helps someone
I love this work. I love sharing it with everyone! and I LOVE THE TEMPLE SO much! It`s a place of revelation!
I hope you have a great week!
Love, Hermana Blackham

Aug 30, 2010

2010-08-31T11:15:00.001-07:00

Tony, I laughed and laughed about your air matress ticket. I wouldn`t know what to do without a license for my air matress either. HA! You are great. I love how all the funny random things happen to you, my life will need some good Tony time when I get back...what do you say, 3 day backpacking trip in the Tetons? or havasupi? dad, andrew, alex, (mom) you up for it?
Dad, I haven`t been able to read your talk yet, but I`m SO excited! It looks great!
Mom and Dad, The elders congratulated me this week for having the most money out of the entire mission in my account. haha, I`m sending you the prize because you taught me to be frugleI don`t ever have my camera to take sunset pictures, but I can give you a sunrise picture...
So this week! Weird week...we`ve had lots of tours so we`re back in the office getting the referalls filled out. At times, when we`ve been in the office for hours, I have to remind myself that although we`re not out in the sector working, It`s a team effort, and I`m helping other missionaries find investegators to teach. So that helps.
We did find a really sweet new investegator this week named MariaPaz. She lived in the states for awhile, so she likes us to teach in english, (but it usually ends up being a funny mix of english and spanish). She got in a near death car crash 4 years ago and since then has believed in God, and is seeking for her purpose in life. She accepted a date to be baptized, and we`ll see how it works out! It helps that we always teach her on temple grounds....(OH I LOVE being in this sector!!! I love the temple!!!)
We also got to go to a session this week, and afterwards we did initiatories. Wow!! It`s so neat in spanish! I loved listening to those promises again! Everyone! Invitation for the week, Go to the temple! (Grandma and Grandpa Hall, yo sè que este invitaciòn puede ser dificil a cumplir, pero si, se pueden! hehe just kidding, by the way, cuando van a regresar? Parece que tienen mucho tiempo en Mexico)
Hmmm....also Henry is doing SO good. I have never seen such a strong convert. We`ve met a couple times this week just to make sure he`s doing ok. He`s been looking for a new job so can complete with all the requirements to receive the priesthood. And then he called us and said he lost his job. Wow, he`s all alone in Santiago, is going through a really tough time, and then he loses a job. It made me think of Job (which happened to be the lesson on Sunday, Inspired!) Instead of asking ¨why does all of this happen right when I get baptized?¨ He came to us on Sunday, and said, ¨Hermanitas, I have my faith, I`m going to do everything I need to do to complete with my part, and I know that the Lord will complete with his part.¨ He called us this morning while he was walking downtown Santiago looking for a job and said ¨you remember that scripture that says where 2 or 3 are gathered in my name, there I am also? Can we pray right now?¨ and he found little corner and started praying over the phone to ask to find work. What an example. I sure love this brother!
And this week, Vanessa, our sweet little girl got baptized! She was SO excited!!! And there was LOTS of ward support, which will be such a great blessing to her, as her mom hasn`t wanted to accept the church. Her grandma is such a great support to her. She is the most humble, loving, submissive, sweet girl I have ever met. SHe always told us ¨I want with all of my heart to be baptized¨ And although the font was a bit cold, she told us that she felt super warm and happy inside. I sure love her.
This week when we did primary tours a leader asked if the children could enter in the reception area of the temple. To keep the reverence we usually dont enter the temple as part of the tour, but I thought, why not? We entered with a few little kids at a time and it was WONDERFUL! The workers were absolutely amazing. The man at the desk let them see how the computer checked the recommends. A sweet old woman in white went to each child and gave them a kiss on the forehead and welcomed them into the ¨House of their Father¨ and all the kids were in awe. They had the sweetest comments afterward, and I realized how important it is that we give kids these type of experiences when their young. They`ll never forget it.
So, I love all of you! I love being in Chile! I hope all is well at home! Cuidense!
Love, Hermana Blackham

Aug 23, 2010

2010-08-23T18:28:00.001-07:00

OK, so you`re going to get the experices of this week from me and Hermana Hugo because we have almost no time to write....so we split it....starting with her Words here we go!

WOW what a week!!! I can´t even begin to explain the spiritual high that I have been on this week!
We have been continuing with these Trainings with the mission that have been amazing! We also had a couple of devotionals with Elder Costa from the 70 who has been amazing! I have learned so much!
Oh my gosh I almost forgot I have GREAT NEWS!!! Henry isn´t a lost cause. He is actually quite amazing! Yesterday he FINALLY received the holy Ghost which is really what he has been missing. So he did explain to us why he was so crazy last week which he had a... relatively good excuse... Ok so really there isn´t ANY good excuse in the world to reject the gospel and prolong the greatest gift that god can give you in the world like he did. Ok so really I take it bad it is a horrible excuse!!! Which I am sure you will agree with me when I tell you. Last week he had a lot of opposition. He has felt really lonely for a while now and so this past week guess what happened...? Ya that´s right he found himself a girl! You´d think that would be good wouldn´t you? Now he won´t be alone... but NO that was really BAD!!! This girl wasn´t a good girl and she pulled him away from the things that he needs to be doing. He called us and LITERALL BEGGED for our forgiveness and he said that he was praying for the lord´s forgiveness as well. He said that he just had to choose between this GIRL or the Church! Because she basicall told him that he had to. And he decided to choose the church! YAHOOO!! Good for him right? Ya that´s what I thought. He said that it wasn´t going to be easy for him so he needed all the help he could get. So he asked us to visit with him EVERYDAY! So we did and Yesterday he received the Holy Ghost or was confirmed! He has really changed and we can see it literally in his face and way of being. It is pretty amazing! Oh and on Friday... he got permission to get off work early to go to an institue dance! ha And guess what happened!?! You probably could guess it right, especially because this dance was called something alone the lines of ´Find your Spouse Dance´ ha isn´t that hilarious! Ok so he didn´t find his spouse ... yet... but he did find a girl that he liked! WHOOOOOooooa He was so nervous about her it was funny because she is a good ´Mormon Girl´ so he wasn´t sure how to approach the situation. It was funny, all of his questions and stuff. THen on sunday we went to a Devotional with him for all of the Young Adults, again with Elder Costa and she was there. She is a really cute girl! Elder Costa spoke a lot about how we need to have ¨Real Friends´ and not just cyber friends. Henry looked around and said kinda quietly ´Who wants to be my friend? I don´t have any ´real friends´!¨ Then the girl who was with us (a member from our ward who is from the States) told him that she would be his ´real friend´! it was so funny that I was trying so hard to keep the reverence but I was laughing so hard. A little later Elder Costa said that for girls we can just do our Very best in this life and we´ll get Exaltation but guys HAVE to get married in order to receive Exaltation. Henry got really nervous and looked around and said ¨Shoot I have to get married!´ It was an awesome devotional and I think he got a LOT from it! Ha!
Oh and this week has been so much fun because we have been able to visit some of the Senior missionaries in our ward, who are basically all from the states. I feel like its our little bit of the states here in CHile. I feel so at home with them. It makes me excited to do Visiting Teaching... ok that might be a weird connection but they are just so cute that it made me think of that! They always give us some really YUMMY sweet from that states! YAHOO!
hna. hugo
and now with my part...=)
We had a really sad experience with Monica this week. Shes the woman that came to the office to ask to learn about the book of mormon, and we`ve been passing by weekly . No matter how hard we`ve tried, she can`t accept that there is only one church, and that the restoration has happened. She LOVES the book of mormon, thinks it`s a beautful book and is reading it every day, but, can`t accept that only one path leads to Him. We explained in the language most simple and bold that the Book of Mormon is evidence of the restoration, and we asked her to pray right then to ask God about the truthfulness, and she wouldn`t, couldn`t do it. It was so sad, we walked away nearly crying. How sad it is when they turn away something that is so precious, It was difficult to face.
BUt for good news....
Vanessa has a date for this Sunday! Wahoo!! Her mom oficially gave permission and a date, we`re so happy!
This week Elder Scott and Elder Costa are in Chile so we`ve had some NEAT trainings and devotionals. I especially loved a thought that Elder Costa had when he was explaining who we were, we are the Noble and Great ones that did noble and great things before the foundation of the world, and we were sent here to do noble and great things in this world! I think at times we are seen so weak when compared to the things of the world, so we feel weak. but when we remember who we are, and what we did before this life, and what the Lord can make of us, we realize that the Lord can do GREAT things! Ill write more about the capacitations later because I gotta go, but I LOVE this work. I love being here in the temple (Hermana Hugo and I spent the majority of our Pday on the grounds studying, writing, debriefing life and what we`ve been learning....oh yes I love being here!!!!) and I love the mission! It`s so great!
Love ya!
Hermana Blackham

Aug 16, 2010

2010-08-16T15:29:00.001-07:00

Familia y Amigos,
Wow!!! It has been such a great week! We`ve started specialized trainings from the first presidency, and because our mission is so small, they´re given directly from president. 8 days straight of 3 hour trainings with President, can you say, spiritual high X 100?! I know the things theyve taught are of God, because we´ve tried it, and it really works! I know that as we have done it in the Lords way, he`s made miracles happen! I feel different as a missionary, and I feel that a part of me has been filled as we have come to understand our purpose as missionaries. I`ve felt the spirit leading and guiding our words and our works more than I ever have. It`s like someone has flipped on a lightswitch in my mission, and I am SO excited to keep going! There is a part of me that wished we had these at the beginning of my mission, but there is another part of me that is grateful to have the perspective of what it was before, and after. These trainings help us understand our purpose as missionaries, and have helped me understand what my role is in the conversion of the investegators. It`s like 8 gold nuggets from Preach my Gospel to help us stay focused on our purpose. At times as missionaries it can be easy to do things in the way we think best, but when we do his work in his way, he works miracles! We set another fecha with Carlos, and Vanessas mom, after a special fast for her to give permission, decided to let her get baptized! fasting works!

This week we had a lesson with an investegator whose entire family, except for her spouse, are members. Her son is serving as a missionary, so the blessings are pouring on their home right now. She is making steps to stop smoking, and is trying to overcome an overwhelming fear of going inactive after her baptism (all of her extended family are inactive.) She`s rejected every baptismal invitation that the missionaries have given her, saying it creates pressure, but as well has been slowly progressing since January when her son left. All this week as I`ve been praying, I felt like we should invite her to be baptized again. At first my natural man came in with the doubts ¨but she`s already been invited! and she won`t accept!¨, but as I listened to each training I knew it was something we needed to do for our appointment that week. It was incredible, she began by talking about something that fell right in line with what we had planned. We invited her to be baptized, and her reaction was the same as the times before. She explained that every missionary had invited her to be baptized, and was trying to kindly ¨let us down¨ again. But I knew and felt strongly that it was not just an invitation from the missionaries, but from the Lord himself. We allowed her to express her concerns and then testified strongly that it wasn`t from us, but from Him. We then, kneeling down, invited her to kneel, and pray to ask if it was a direct invitation from Him, and we waited there with our arms folded and eyes closed...... (I`ve never prayed so hard in my entire life that that Lord would answer!) With the spirit working on her, she slowly kneeled down, and offered up the most humble, heartfelt prayer I have ever heard. I almost couldn`t breathe the spirit was so thick in that room, and I know we had received an answer. I know that it was what the Lord desired for her. We didn`t do anything as missionaries, we just allowed her to have that personal confirmation from Him, and I know that when she does get baptized, she will be firm because she can always trust on that confirmation. Wahoo!

This week Hermana Laycock made a really interesting comment about following the spirit. She said that it is one of the most important gifts we can seek in this life, and if we can develop the trust in the Lord to do anything that he asks of us, he can make wonderful things happen in our life! I think that`s the key right there, is developing the confidence in the Lord to follow the impressions we receive. Sometimes I get scared, but it helps to remember that the
lord can`t lie. He leads and guides us to do things that are for our best good and needs, and he works miracles when we follow those impressions!
I love all of you and hope you`re well! love you!
Love Hermana Blackham

Aug 9, 2010

2010-08-14T09:16:00.000-07:00

Hola familia! It has been a crazy week. I don`t think I`ve ever been so tired in my whole mission, haha I don`t know what happened. The temple is closed so we`ve been normal missionaries just working in the sector, and wow, I forgot how intense it can be! I`ve been spoiled in the temple. We get to see the most receptive investegators, recent converts, less actives, and I forgot that the rest of the world isn`t as receptive. haha! But I sure love it at the same time because we can talk to all different types of people. I´ve realized this week how neat santiago is! There is so many different people, from different places, with different beliefs and backgrounds. so without further ado. my SLIDESHOW of sweet santiago.....
¨click!¨
Oh look, here we have our lesson with Mike. As you can see he`s a chilean born 20 year old who is exactly like my brother Tony. Thinks like him. Acts like him. Just didn`t have the gospel. Good times. He lived in america for almost his whole life and is working at this hostle (which I heard was rated as the best hostle in Santiago....I`m so staying here when I come back to visit...). We were looking for a VERY out of the way reference. And look at this place! Its such a hippie house, every inch of wall space is filled with pictures, poster, paintings, and there are american young adults everywhere who are here to backpack, teach english, visit, PARTY...etc. They all asked us the normal questions.... if the south park episodes about mormons were acurate, if we worshiped Joseph Smith, if we had the gold plates now. good times. when it really got down to it and we taught Mike in english (wow...that was a change!) it was a great lesson! IF anything it made me realize how important it is that people learn the gospel in their own language, the spirit was so strong, and it made so much sense! I love the gospel! And he was pretty open as well. It was a neat lesson!
¨click!¨
oh look! Here we have our Brazilian family, with, yup, another american! We`ve had so many gringo visitors in our ward recently and they all want to visit our investegators with us! He is the future andrew. Served in Brazil. He owns his own micro business and has partners down here in Santaigo and in Sao Paolo. He has 8 kids under the age of 14, and when I asked how they were doing while he was gone he said ¨I have an awesome wife....¨ in the way andrew would say it. It made me laugh. we talked with Renam and his family, helped the mom resolve her doubts, and had a neat time with them. Can I tell you, my next goal is to learn portuguese, I LOVE It! Oh! And the 14 year old son, Antionio, fasted to find an answer! wow, 14 year old teenager fasting? it was amazing!
¨click!¨
Here are all the conserjes (guards) that we`ve been unoficially teaching. Missionary work truly is a team sport, especially here in Pocuro. We don`t have a ton of lessons or progressing investegators, but we give lots of references and teach the guards of the aprtment buildings. Hey if we can`t enter their homes, at least we can teach the guards right? We`ve had a couple guards that have just come outand asked us why we keep passing by, and with all their time on their hands they ask for something to read. What a great book we have to give to them! Others we`ve started talking to have told us they know the elders, have a book of mormon, and just haven`t learned the lessons. SO....it´s been great!
¨Click!¨
Here we have a picture of us ready to go out to give cookies to our neighbors. After a few days we realized one of the only buildings we could enter, was our own apartment, so we decided to meet our neighbors. I sure loved getting to know them. They are so sweet!!!
¨Click!¨
Here are next store neighbors Maria Angelica y Sergio. They are always checking up on us. They have no desire to learn about the gospel, but, they said they could be our grandparents while we`re here in Chile. haha they make me laugh alot.
¨Click!¨
AND DA DA DA DA!!! Here we have, HENRY!!! Wahoo!!! Yes, you guessed it, He got baptized! He is going to be such a strong member! Although the water heater is still broken, we had a great baptism! I was so happy for him, and it was amazing to see the difference in his countenance. It changed! Literally, he had something different about him after the baptism, and the ward was pretty excited to have him in the ward. He gave his testimony in Priesthood, and all the leaders came up to us afterwards and told us how touching his experience was. It was so neat....the Lord truly prepared him and what a neat opportunity to be able to witness this change. I love the gospel. It`s true! ANd it gives us answers and purpose in this life! I hope all of you are well and hope you have a great week! Love you!
Love, Hermana Blackham

Aug 2, 2010

2010-08-02T22:02:00.000-07:00

Holy cow, what a weird week, ok, what happened.....
I`m now officially the unofficial piano player for everything....stake conference, ward meetings, baptisms, funerals...every time someone thanks me for playing I tell them to thank my mom and dad, because I wouldn`t be playing without their patience through all those years. So thanks mom and dad, even if you did have to practically ductape us to the piano bench at times...
Hermana Hugo and I made a goal to go running for exercises, and so we`ve been running every morning!! I love it!!!
I got to go to the temple this week! I love the temple, and the session in Spanish is really neat! (and has such a soothing voice to listen to.)
We`ve been listening to 70`s all week...not seventies music, but the leaders of the church. There are quite a few in our stake, a few in our ward, and with the funerals and stake conferences we`ve had some neat experiences. The funeral was full of non-members and they called the missionaries to give the talk, but then the seventy showed up and we gladly handed it over to him=) we were grateful to be able to listen to them!
We`ve really had to work one on one with the members this week because we have a whole bunch of single men we`re teaching, so, that`s been intense to find people to come with us, but it`s good. Patricio is progressing very nicely, he has LOTS of doubts, but he also has the humility to ask God if it`s true. He`s had quite a few difficult experiences, but I don`t doubt that he will continue progressing. He is making his way to baptism.
Henry also has a date for this Sunday. He`s excited, we`re excited. His life has completely changed, and we`ve seen it. It`s amazing when you gain a tesimony, the power and desire to complete with the commandments is there.
This week one of the senior missionaries came to us in the office and told us he had a great contact from a Peruvian restaurant that was in our sector. He invited us to a bi-weekly senior missionary dinner night to get the references and set up appointments with the owner, waiters, chef etc. (Yeah, no pressure with a whole table of senior missionaries looking on.... haha) but it was really fun! We were able to make some good contacts, and we have some good referrences to work with. And I love these senior missionaries!!! Lots of them are in our ward, and they make us peanut butter cookies, and give us references, and we heard some good inspiring stories, and they always check up and make sure we`re doing fine. by the way, LOVE peruvian food. It`s so good.
Saturday we had non-stop tours from 10:30 until 7 in the evening, with a 20 minute break to run home and eat a few waffles (yes!! we found a waffle maker in the Pension...where it came from, I have no idea...) It was an insane day, I barley had time to breath, but, it was POWERFUL. we made some small changes in the way we did the tours, to be able to give more people an opportunity to bear their testimony during the tour (a testimony is found in the bearing of it, right?) and wow, the spirit was strong! We were so excited! It was an exciting feeling to feel like this is what the Lord intends for the tours. So, we`re going to keep it going!
I hope all are doing well. Keep us in your prayers, there is much to do, and so little time to do it in.
Love you all!
Love, Hermana Blackham

July 26, 2010

2010-07-27T20:24:00.000-07:00

OK!!! Wow, what a great week! I can`t believe that so much happened this week. When we did our numbers for the week we were shocked. we had SO many tours and we had twice the number of lessons than we had last week! I don`t know how that happened! It was incredible!
We had interviews with president laycock. They are always so neat. Afterward we kept talking with President and Sister laycock in a more informal setting before lunch. It was so neat. I learned SO much, and it answered a lot of little questions I had about the work. They announced this week that the First Presidency has come out with 8 different points to help us improve and change the way we teach as missionaries, to be more effective teachers. We are so excited to get started with the Trainings this next change. Preach my gospel is so effective, but it will be a great help to have these 8 points to focus on.
And we have a HUGE miracle for this week!!! His name is Patricio. The first time we stopped by he came out of the home and instantly began to tell us that he wanted to become closer to God, and began to tell us the story of his life. His daughter was baptized, then passed away soon thereafter. He had some really bad experiences with the church, but slowly gained his confidence back and wanted to learn about the church. But, he had some incredible doubts, probably more doubts than I`ve ever heard, BUT, he has a desire to follow God and has always told us ¨Now you can say what you think, but I`m always going to ask God about it¨and then proceeded to recite James 1:5. Hey, if it works for Joseph Smith, it can work for Patricio, so we agreed and promised he would receive answers to his prayers. As we walked away we realized, it was FREEZING cold, but we hadn`t felt the cold at all as we were talking. The next day we passed by and had a lesson with him. He had so many doubts, so the only points we could teach were God, our Heavenly father and the spirit. He called us first thing in the morning and told us after we had left he felt a presence with him all night, and that his bad leg didn`t hurt, and for the first time he slept peacefully. then said ¨I...I....I think it`s the Holy Ghost!!!! Can you come back?! right now? When can you come? cause I want you to come back!¨ He was SO excited! Then, we stopped by the next day, we were able to teach lots more of lesson one. He didn`t believe that there was a prophet. He didn`t believe a lot of things, but agreed to ask God. That same night he called and explained that 5 minutes later he had received a call from his spouse with whom he had recently separated, and it was a good call! He explained that everything good had happened since we had stopped by 5 days earlier and said ¨ Hermanas, I´m going to believe EVERYTHING you say from now on!!!¨ WHOA! Golden words that every missionary wants to hear. He has been prepared by the Lord, and we have a feeling his daughter is our angel helping on the other side. We are so excited to keep working with him.
Also, This week we had a FHE with Henry, he is awesome. After watching the restoration movie, he asked what a testimony was, and the members gave him an awesome explanation! On the way home he told us, while punching his fist in the air, ¨hermanas, I have a testimony! And I want to get Baptized! 8th of August I´m going to be ready to be baptized!¨ He has literally given up his entire lifestyle to be baptized, including trying to change his work so he can complete with everything. Whoa, he`s so neat!
And I would just like to announce....we have now officially received the keys to the mission office. What power. (but with power comes great responsibility) haha, that`s my good news minute for the week!
Oh yeah! and we had changes!!! I`m with hermana Hugo. Hermana Talbot is going to stay in Pocuro to train a sweet girl from Mexico! Hermana Hugo and I will keep working in the Temple and the other companionship will be working in the sector. I am SO grateful! We needed it so badly, and I`m so grateful that there are 2 companionships of us now!
I love this work! It`s such a blessing! I feel like that when we give the Lord our works, he supplies the feeling. If we do all in our power to study, share, teach, and obey he supplies the feeling of the spirit, and fills our hearts and souls with the things that we need. We just need to show him we`re worthy of it! I hope all is well at home! Take care!
Love, Hermana Blackham

July 19, 2010

2010-07-19T12:23:00.000-07:00

This was after our tour with Henry (he`s doing great by the way!!, pray he can find a new job so he can come more regularly to church)
And also the sisters in Consistorial, my first sector, brought Felipe and his mom for the tour!!! Felipe is doing fabulous! He was only baptized in Februrary, but he already has plans on a mission and is so excited to go through the temple! wahoo!!! Even better than seeing a baptism, is seeing someone progress afterwards!

So before the mission Hna. Painter and I would always look at the cute old temple couples and always make that our goal...to live through life in a way that we could have deep smiling wrinkles, white hair, and to have finally figured out life! And now we`re in a ward full of them, and we have been having lots of lessons in their homes, and it`s GREAT! We have a fountain of experiences for tithing, chastity, sabbath day.... it`s way better than us teaching the investegators (and they always have american dessert...haha makes me laugh).

We had a tour with a group of young men this week. THe youth are definitely my favorite tours! They are so funny, so thoughtful, remind me of my brothers, and we have a great time! I am so grateful for the Priesthood!! It`s such a blessing, and this group of young men had more power than any other power combined in Santiago. I sure love the Priesthood!

So, this week has been so busy with temple tours, we`ve had so many, and we`ve had so much time in the office, and we have no elders here so we`ve been balancing a sector as well, and it`s great!! We have been taking advantage of the young adults and doing lots of divisions. Miracles happen when we do divisions! The other day I went out with Francisca, and we went to find a reference. But....I forgot the map....and the sector is huge so I didn`t know how to get there, so we just started walking. As we were walking it was as if the spirit was telling me, turn here, go here, keep going, take a right, and all of a sudden we were there! whoa!! It was amazing! And even more amazing we found 2 new people!! They were so neat!

We also had some elders Invite President to the end of a temple tour to share a message with some of our investegators, it was powerful! I sure love President!

On the way to a lesson with the Lindburgs, we all took the elevator to their apartment, and didn`t see the weight limit (thank you, I`m gringa, and I learned the word for ¨Capacity 4¨...) anyway, the elevator died inbetween floors, my poor companion has a fear of elevators, but we had a plate of cookies, and a waterbottle, and a fan to ventelate the air, so we lived through it. I know, you were all really worried for my life, but I live to tell the tale. After a few minutes they had to pry the doors open and we had to climb out. haha! good times!

And to finish, I`ve had some great studies this week! In my studies I learned that the major technique of the advesary is to cause human beings to think that they are following Gods ways, when they arent, and they are decieved. How true it is!!! So many belive that love subseeds what is required to enter into the kingdom, when in the perfect justice of God we must complete with the requirement of the Laws of Heaven. The way to find protection against the complacency ¨and all is well in Zion¨ syndrom is....completing with all the commandments and ordinances, and being honest with ourselves and God when we need to improve. I like Elder Hoglunds example he used a few weeks ago about the mirrors, at times we need to look in the mirror of reality, and it hurts, but it helps us know where we need to improve. Oh boy it hurts sometimes, we feel uncomfortable, but this is where all the growth happens and we can keep improving and moving forward toward our goal to become like christ.

...God has created man with a mind capable of instruction, and a faculty which may be enlarged in proportion to the heed and diligence given to the light communicated from heaven to the intellect, and that the nearer man approaches perfection, the clearer are his views, and the greater his enjoyments, till he has overcome the evils of his life and lost every desire for sin, and like the ancients, arrives at that point of faith where he is wrapped in the power and glory of his Maker, and is caught up to dwell with Him. But we consider that this is a station to which no man ever arrived in a moment: he must have been instructed in the government and laws of that kingdom by proper degrees, until his mind is capable in some measure of comprehending the propriety, justice, equality, and consistency of the same. Joseph Smith.

What a neat promise! It`s not easy, but it`s possible, and how grateful I am for a loving, and a Just God as well.

I love all of you! I hope all is well at home! Take care!
Con Amor,
Hermana Blackham

July, 12, 2010

2010-07-12T13:23:00.000-07:00

Familia y Amigos!
Hola! What a great week we`ve had. There have been lots of tours, as people have been taking advantage of the good weather to bring their friends and investegators. So, we`ve had a great week on the temple grounds, and a great week running from different appointments. There is lots of potential right now, it`s unbelievable, so we`re trying to do our best and stay on top of everything. I know that the Lord is blessing us here and helping us do everything we need to do. Yesterday we had 3 members in Church offer to go to appointments with us, so we have lots of divisions set up (and with a Trio it`s so simple to do divisions!!!) We`re excited to work with these members and keep the work flowing smoothly in Pocuro and in the Temple.

This week we had to go pick up some government documents for Hermana Hugo, and found there was a long line of people silently waiting. In these types of situations it`s really hard to do contacting because the people we talk to get embarassed to accept anything (for fear of what the other people think). So, what did we decide to do? Yup, Hermana Talbot and I sat down on a bench next to the long line of people and had a great conversation with Hermana Hugo about the restoration of the gospel. 15 minutes later the whole line had heard lesson 1, and they were way more attentive than our normal contacts. It was great!

The other day we were walking around in our sector for a long time and couldn`t find anyone at home (welcome to Pocuro...they all work during the day) I was thinking to myself of ways we could be doing better to find the people who needed us. It was a bit of a discouraging moment as I was literally doing all in my power to think of and find people to teach, but there was no one. We decided to head to the office to get some referral work done, and on the way a woman came up to us and asked us if there was a temple near by. We told her we were on the way to the temple and that she could accompany us. On the way we learned that she wasnt a member, but had family members who were members. She knew everything about the church but couldn`t take that step to be baptized. She was in town for only 1 day to go to the hospital, and in that day everything fell apart. She was so emotional as she explained her desire to find the true church and to help her family, and in this moment remembered her sister´s words that the temple is a good place to find peace...and then we walked by! It was such a tender mercy, hopefully to her, but especially to me as well! It was as if the Lord just stepped right in and said ¨Don`t worry about it, you`re doing what you need to be doing, I`ll bring the people to you.¨ We spent some time with her on the grounds and gave her some scriptures to read. The best place to have lessons...is on temple grounds! The peace we find there is phenomenal! We`ve also had all of our lessons with Henry on the temple grounds. Wow, he`s a chosen one. He is willing to keep all of his compromisos, and has a notebook of all his questions, thoughts, comments. He is trying to look for a better job because in his words ¨ If I`m going to be baptized, I´m going to do it 100%, and my job doesn`t fit with the requirements of the Gospel¨ Wow, how blessed we would all be if we changed our lives to fit the requirements of the gospel, instead of trying to change the gospel to fit our life. He is going to be a phenomenal member....and we have the best lessons. I laugh so hard, he`s hilarious!

We had some great downpours this week, and with downpours comes rivers in the roads. We`re making some good mission memories of big busses passing by and getting sprayed from head to foot. ha! But with rain, we also have very warm days. It`s been absolutely beautiful on the dry days.

This week we have also been teaching brazilians who accepted a fecha to be baptized. Wow, I sure love them. They are a great family, and I`m learning some great portugese.

I hope all of you are well! have a great week!! Love ya!!!
Love, HErmana Blackham

July 5 2010

2010-07-05T15:08:00.001-07:00

Wahoo! what a week for you guys! I`m glad to hear everything went well and that you liked the balloons (the birthday ones and the 4th of July ones)...I had a great time making them.
also, here are some pics from my baloncy...enjoy!
Um...also, to celebrate the 4th of July we dressed up in Red, White, and Blue (but in a very classy missionary way=) and listened to Battle Hymn of the Republic all morning. I love america. AND american Candy....(THANK YOU MOM FOR THE PACKAGE!!! Oh wow....those are awesome tights...I`m feeling so much warmer now! and we celebrated with the redvines and pixie sticks! Loved them! )

Familia y Friends,
Buenas Dias de Chile!!! Como estan todos? I had a great great week! It´s fun being 3, tall, rubia, gringas, from utah, who are all really confused at times. We`re all so nieve, but between the 3 of us we can usually understand almost everything. We have a great time together! It`s been intense teaching a sector without the only latin person who has been here for 7 months. I feel like my brain has exploded with all the things that we need to do, and all the people we need to see. But we`re doing our best, it`s amazing how the Lord has just picked up the pieces that we`ve missed.
This week we stopped by for a Braizilian who was recently baptized. I love brazilians!!!! haha, andrew and Natalie, I totally understand lots of your experiences now. He´s awesome, and we had a great time trying to understand eachother, as 3 gringos were trying to speak spanish and he`s a brazilian who is trying to speak spanish as well. He`s such a wonderful man! (and it was good to hear how brazilians speak spanish, because people have told me I have a braizilian accent .... yeah.... don`t know where that came from=)
This week we had some GREAT miracles. Remember Henry? the guy who stopped us in the street last week? Well, he has a baptism date and is running in his progression. Our lessons are so much fun! The other day I was praying to try to find someone to invite to his lesson, but it didn`t work out. We have lessons in the church, and halfway through our lesson an institute student poked his head in and asked if he could join us. Wow. Answered prayer, AND he was AWESOME! He was baptized a few years ago and just returned from his mission, he was so energetic and excited to explain the plan of Salvation to Henry. Henry a number of times did a double take after we talked about a principle and said ¨ ARE...YOU....SERIOUS??? I´ve NEVER heard that before, but it makes so much sense!¨ I love getting the perspective of people who have never had the same knowledge I`ve had for my entire life. It`s so neat. Then last night one of the members invited him to a FHE at her house, and on our way his brother came by for a visit. Normally people will cancel, on behalf of the visit, but he just said ¨ hey bro, I´m on my way to a meeting about the church, just come with me!¨ and he did, and we had a sweet lesson about the Book of Mormon with ...yes....another returned missionary. She is awesome. I´ve realized that members are so much more effective at explaining things in general, and they provide a good example. So our goal this week, have every lesson with a member! It`s going to be great!
Saturday we were booked with Tours all day (it`s been SO warm, so everyone is taking advantage of it!) but we hadn`t been able to see Carlos all week. So, in an effort to see him we made Chinese food and called him and asked if we could bring Lunch to share. He was really excited for Chinese...and we were really excited to see him, and it all worked out perfectly!!! yeah! And after all our tours during the day we had to hurry and stop by a son of a less active. again, we were unable to get ahold of a member to come with us. But, miracles happen! His fathers home teacher stopped by at the same time as we did, and this home teacher was the same age as the investegator. It was a perfect match. Wow, it`s incredible how the Lord just makes everything work out.
This week we had zone conference, on finding new people to teach. We`re excited to get a bit more creative to be able to find people who are seeking us out. It was a great conference!
I love being a missionary! It`s been a great week, and the more I`m here the more I love being a missionary. It`s not an easy work, but I`ve never been happier in my entire life! I love all of you! Thank you for all of your love and care! Keep the letters coming;)
Con Amor,
Hermana Blackham

June 28, 2010

2010-06-30T13:13:00.001-07:00

Buenas Tardes! Well, first off. This is going to be short becasue we have Special Changes. Hermana Martinez is gone to another sector and I´m left with all gringas! Hermana Talbot and Hermana Hugo. I don´t think I´m ever going to have a latina...haha. Sorry if I don´t come home with perfect spanish. I´m working on it though! We´re left with a sector that has seen so many miracles this week! wahoo! Quick Summary...
Monica came to the church offices to requrest a ¨Bible Study¨ class with us to study ¨our bible.¨ She was searching for the only true church of christ, but Lost hope and told us that the Church of Christ included partial truths of lots of different churches. (which is basically true...she just needs to keep searching and she´ll find that there really is one church that has everything!) Wow...we´re really excited to teach her!
We were crossing the street and Henry came running out of his work. He said that his member friends told him to look for us. he lived with them for a year and decided he wants to be baptized right now! He´s such a great guy!
We also had lunch with the missionary doctors here. Wow...I miss a good american tossed salad, fruit salad, lasagna, and water to drink. It was great!!!
We´re also teaching a son of a less active that really wants to follow Christ, and is trying to find out if the church is true. He accepted a date to be baptized, so we´re working towards that.
Rebecca accepted a Book of Mormon! wahoo, this is a great step for someone who doesn´t think there is any other bible!
We had the saddest lesson with a less active family...The father was a bishop, mom is a RM, and although they know all the right answers, they have denyed everything they ever knew. I have never before felt such a powerful physical feeling of the spirit in my body, and I´ve never felt such a sadness. I left feeling exhausted. wow....so this is only a part how Heavenly Father feels.I´m never going inactive...there is simply no excuse to break the covenants, and nothing that´s worth losing the protection of the spirit. We have to fight through the doubts, we have to fight through the opposition and do all we can to stay on the Lord´s side and do what he´s commanded. If not, the opposition can blind us! How necessasary it is to be humble, meek, and teachable and give in to what the Lord needs us to do. I know that as we put our trust in him, he will always do what is best for us. I know that He loves us and always answers prayers, even if it requires a bit of patience on our part.
Love you all!!
Take care,
Hermana Blackham

June 21 2010

2010-06-30T12:41:00.000-07:00

First...We started out the week by moving into the sector (we´ve been taking the bus into the sector every day) but they had an apartment open up. This apartment is INCREDIBLE. 7th floor, enclosed balcony, overlooking temple square, with another side balcony overlooking the andes...uh...wow.
Second...the Elders left our sector, meaning we now have twice the work to do! Wahoo! This sector is HUGE, and we are running all the time, but it´s such a blessing!
Third...Happy World Cup everyone!! Although we aren´t watching the games I can tell you precisely when Chile makes a goal, and when they win. The entire neighboorhood goes into an uproar when they make a goal. Schools are cancelled during the games, or they bring in TV´s into the classrooms, and afterwards, everyone is smiling. I´ve never seen so many smiling chileans in my entire life. We´ve decided to take advantage of their good attitudes and ask them ¨do you want to know how to maintain this happiness for eternity?¨ Seriously. But we had a really funny experience with a non-member father. When I first came into the sector he didn´t believe in God, but when we passed by last week the first thing he said was ¨ I have to tell you about my answered prayer!!¨ and we were excited...he actually prayed? wow. then he proceeded to explain that he was in charge of setting up the television for the soccer game the next day and couldn´t find a cable to make it work. After a lot of time he prayed, and found a cord in his office. Hey...if it´s a soccer game that will help him get a stronger testimony of answered prayers....I welcome all means. The Lord works in mysterious ways....haha.

We have had so many intense lessons this week. Lessons where we had to literally take a step back and remind the poeple we are not here to convince, nor to prove the gospel through the scriptures, but to invite them to pray and receive their own answer from God. I LOVE being able to invite people to ask. It takes so much pressure off of us as missionaries because we aren´t the ones convincing them. The spirit is. If they are truly humble and want to recieve an answer, they receive it. It´s a product that is 100% reliable, and I have so much confidence that the Lord will answer the prayers of the people if they ask. The hard part is helping the people have a desire to ask...but we are here to find the chosen and we have found that he puts them in our path if we are obedient, worthy, and diligent.

I´ve also gained a stronger testimony of member missionary work this week. We have found so many new people, but rarley do they progress unless they have a friend who is a member of the church. We´ve lost a few very promising people because their friends have told them gossip they´ve heard about the church, and their trust in their friends outweighs their trust in the Lord or in us. We´re working in that and have some great ward missionaries who are working hard to get a member into every new home.

We finally found Carlos this week. He´s been sick, but now he´s better than ever! We had a fun 10 commandments lesson, with sweet finger tricks to remember all of them. We were laughing so much. He´s such a timid, but sweet-hearted person, and was suprised this week when he told us he´s really into the Tango! Wow! haha. He´s progressing really well and I know that soon he will be baptized. He´s ready, just needs to get the courage up to take the step.

We had the most tender lesson with a contact named Daniel and his cousin Mirza. Daniel lost his wife a few years ago, and lost his only daughter at birth. His heart still has a lot of pain and when we told him it was possible that he could live with his family forever he responded by ¨ohhh really?...I sure hope so¨ he has the same murdock eyes as Uncle Tom, I sure love him and I feel so unworthy to teach him, as he is such a pure, humble, genuine person. it was the most darling visit I´ve ever had.

Yesterday we were on the way to visit a less active family when we started talking to a old woman at the cross walk. She started by saying, ¨oh thank goodness, I just finished praying that someone could help me get home because I am really sick and am all alone.¨ The Lord really answers prayers! We walked her to her home, which happened to be in the same complex as the less active family. We had a great visit with her and set a return appointment to teach her. It´s incredible that the Lord put us in her path right when she needed it. She was teary eyed the whole time as we were singing ¨I am a child of God¨ and told us how free, and light she felt afterwards. People often tell us how light they feel after our visits. The spirit often has that effect on people, and I love being able to tell them it´s a gift from God that he gives to testify of his love.

We had an activity with the Youth in the Stake. ¨ A day in the MTC¨ We had the opporutnity to leave with the Laurals and do contacts. It was sweet! It made me appreciate being a missionary that much more. I LOVE being a missionary, and yet it´s such a responsibility. I´m trying everyday to fulfil my calling that much more, and every day I feel like I´m more unworthy of it. But I know the Lord does his work, and nothing can stop his work.

I love being a missionary. It´s such a blessing we have to share the gospel with everyone we meet! I still don´t think I completely understand the mantle of this calling, or the blessings or effect that will come of it, but I know that right now I´ve never felt better. It´s an intense time, and the opposition is strong, sometimes more than I think I can handle, but I rejoice in the promise that he will never give us more than we can handle. I rejoice in the Love he has for us, to allow us to experience the trials, so that we can grow and progress. I recently read the talk by Elder Uchdorf on Patience. Wow, it´s incredible. I love his analogy about the valleys and the Mountains. During times of trail it´s like we´re walking through the valley, where we can´t see anything. But after this time of waiting and patience, we reach the top of the mountain and can see a view that we didn´t see before. I´m grateful that afterwards we can look back with gratitude of what the Lord allowed us to experience.

Sorry it´s such a long letter this week, but I had to share all the good news! I love all of you. Thank you for your love and your prayers! Have a great week! and GO CHILE!!!

Con Amor, Hermana Blackham

June, 14, 2010

2010-06-14T21:40:00.000-07:00

Wow, family. I can´t believe it´s been 9 months. Thanks for the reminder (I´m in denial...thank goodness I still have 9 months left). I wish my spanish could be better for being here for 9 months. I´m tempted to pull an Andrew and record my spanish so I can do more to improve it. My goals for this change. Better teaching in spanish. I´m going to nail it down this change.
Wow, what a great week. I´ve felt for a long time that I need to improve in my contacts with people so this week I put it in practice! and we´ve seen miracles! He truly puts the prepared in our path if we are willing to talk to them! Ready for this miracle? ok...so it started with a lost wallet. my wallet disappeared and we couldn´t find it so we had to make a long trek to the Metro to purchase another bus
pass. i was pretty bummed out that we had to use so much time to go out of the way, but tried to make the best of it. I started talking to a young man of 25 years old on the way. His name is Marcelo. We had a great conversation and he asked us to come visit his mom because of some things that happened in their home. We stopped by for the appointment and had a great lesson with them. They have a STRONG faith in Christ, and when he told his mom about us he said ¨mom...do you think this is coincidence? or do you think it´s a gift from God?¨ we told them nothing was a coincidence and that we had something to share with them to help them overcome their difficulties. They wern´t able to come to church, but I´m sure looking forward to teaching them more. It was a miracle! They are humble and willing to listen. what a blessing! (and we found my wallet as well!! Amazing how the Lord provides a way for things like that) This week we also contacted someone from France. he passed us on his bike and said excuse me in French...then in English...and It took me a moment to realize he was speaking in English. He doesn´t speak Spanish and was so relieved to talk to someone in English. And wow...it was neat, but SO hard to share the gospel when it´s not in Spanish. but we had a great chat, and sent the elders to his house! Wahoo!
Also, we´ve been trying to find a mom of one of our investigators for a long time to try to help her receive permission to be baptized, and after so many weeks, we found her, invited her to listen, and by the end she accepted to be taught with her daughter! wahoo! it´s such a blessing!

Remember Rebecca who randomly came to the FHE a few weeks ago? We haven´t been able to find her because she´s always in school and studying, but she came to church on Sunday! Wahoo! Without almost any lessons from us! we´re super excited. We´ve also had some great lessons with members this week. We have some incredible member
missionaries so we´ve been taking advantage of them. Those lessons are so much more powerful when we have members with us. Love it!
And last of all, we had changes this week, and news is....there are no changes. We´re all together for another 6 weeks in Pocuro. Wahoo! I´m excited to be here and to see some of these futures progress in the gospel. I love this gospel. I love who it helps us be. I love the Savior and what he did for us. I was thinking the other day that the Savior truly understands everyone, and it´s through his understanding that he´s able to love so completely. If we truly understood perspectives of everyone, our love and patience for them grows! It´s such a blessing we have to pray for help to understand, and receive his love that he has for all men. Thank you all for your letters and emails, and support. It is such as blessing for me! Love you all! Love, Hermana Blackham

June 7, 2010

2010-06-07T15:09:00.000-07:00

Dearest Friends and Family...
You are such a great missionary family! That is so great! The missionaries sound so neat, what a blessing you have to have them in la casa. When we lessons in the casas de los miembros we always have such a spiritual experience, and there is a special spirit that we can´t feel in any other place. I´m so happy they accepted to meet with them!

I´ve recently been informed that a majority of my dear friends have gotten married......wait......life moves on during the mission? (P.S. those of you who forgot to inform me...you have a 1 month grace period to at least send me a ¨Hey I got married!¨ email.......you know who you are)

This has been a great mission week! LOTS of walking around, barking dogs, lots of hotdog filled lunches. (and when I say hotdog filled, i mean hotdog filled....they definitely went over the 2-a-day limit mom=) Here It´s not with a bun, ketchup and mustard. They have a deliscous lentil soup ....that´s always served with 2 or 3 full hotdogs placed right in the middle. ha. good times. I love lunches.

This week I had the opportunity to do divisions with an awesome youth named Francisca Layton. She reminded me of Kyndra Purcell, so you can imagine how good of friends we are. She´s working on her mission papers right now and I had a GREAT time! We had so many appointments and we were able to get some great lessons in before the night finished. I love going on divisions! I felt a special excitement for the work this night. I love talking to people who are preparing foir their missions, it makes me feel that same excitement, nervousness, and spirit i felt at the beginning, all over again. She will be a phenomenal missionary!

We also had a miracle happen this week. we had an fhe planned with a member but the recent convert had to cancel at the last minute and we didn´t have anyone to bring. But a bit ago a lady in an elevator told us ¨hey I live in 67...you can visit me anytime!¨ and we didn´t have anytime to visit her since then, so we decided to go contact her and invite her to the fhe, and she came! She answered the door with a huge smile, and quickly accepted the invitation. She´s baptist, and is here in Santiago studying, and her kids and husband live in Panama, so it´s quite lonley I imagine. but she has a FIRM faith in Christ, and everything we have taught her just increases that faith. I love people who are not just seeking a church, but are truly seeking christ. They are able to feel the spirit, accept, and progress so quickly in the gospel. she is absolutely beautiful and I´m looking forward to teaching her more.

We also had lots of recorridos (tours) this week! I love seeing the light in the eyes of the recent converts. It´s such a blessing! I love being able to help them understand what the temple will mean to them in their lives or help the members rediscover the beauty and blessing of the temple we have here in Santiago. Being on temple grounds is so peaceful. I love it.

So this week I´ve been learning a lot about the power of Love. Love is everything. Literally, it can heal, bless, comfort, teach, inspire, and change hearts like nothing else can. I was listening to the last talk of Elder Uchdorf and was AMAZED! I loved his talk (I listened to it in spanish during General COnference so I don´t think I quite understood what he said....) But it was powerful! I have seen love change the hearts of the people here in Santiago, and i know that Christs love is deepr than we can ever imagine, and when we seek it, it´s there! What a blessing!

I love all of you and hope you are doing well! Take care!
Love, Hermana blackham

P.S: Family...particularly my dear brothers and sisters....So i was thinking about you, and how much I love you. I want to make a proposal. how do you feel about a Book of Mormon Challenge to finish off the end of the year, ....and those who complete win an added measure of the spirit in their lives, and a spiritual power....(and maybe a special chilean prize??) I´m up for it if you are!

May 31, 2010

2010-05-31T14:35:00.000-07:00

ha...Andrew. I love your interviews with presidente....mine are a little more normal, but granted, he problably knows I need a bit more encouragement.
ALMOND EXRACT???? AHHHH, andrew....i might be sinning right now....envy....ah. man, everytime someone asks me what I´m going to have first when I return home (yeah...chileans are trunky) I always tell them. my dads gooey almond rolls and a big glass of skim milk.
BUt don´t you worry, I´m having tacos today...with real taco seasoning. Oh yes!

haha. Dad....You are the bishop I have always wanted to work with. When I come back will you call me as a ward missionary:)?
And nice job with your neighbors. Keep encouraging them. and keep it simple and one thing that always works....use their needs to teach them. i.e.....if they are looking for work-job security tell them about the promise in D&C 59 that says if they keep the sabbath day holy they will receive the abundancia de la tierra...I don´t know what it is in english...but It basically means temporal welfare. Then they will really want to go to church!

Ok...on to the week.
Buenas Dias! It´s a beautiful day here in santiago and I´m so happy to be a missionary! We´ve had a really good less-active finding week as we´ve tried to focus on Permaneced. I love Permaneced. It´s a program that the area authority has created to help the members see how to endure to the end. It´s helped me see the gospel in a completely different light than I´ve ever seen it before. We had a great visit with a Menus Active family who moved here 2 years ago and never went back to church. They committed to return back, so we´re excited to see them return and progress. There have been quite a few people with whom we´ve been working and it´s been SO wonderful to see them with a new and renewed light in their eyes.

Our focus right now is on finding people. I feel like Pocoro is like A mountain we need to move...but I´m still not quite sure how to move the mountain and find new investegators to teach. It´s been pretty slow in finding, but we are doing our best to work with the members, recent converts and with the less actives to find, and there are a few very good potentials right on the horizon. I´m looking forward to moving this mountain! =)

We had interviews this week. I LOVE them so much. I always look forward to meeting with president. He has a gift of seeing the strengths in everything...it just fills me up and helps me move foward with a lot of hope!

This week we had a miracle and had a mom of a recent convert do a temple tour. She had SO many questions and seeing as this was the first time she permitted us to teach we were super excited! It was a great experience!

And another mini miracle this week. We´ve been working with Emilie and Carlos, a less active and her boyfriend. They are always working during the day but Hna. Martinez felt like we should call them after lunch. Emiline answered and said that she had been mentally calling us, and said a prayer that we would call, and we did! She had been very sick all day and Carlos was at work and told her to call us for help. We went over quickly and made her some soup then had a GREAT lesson with Carlos when he came back. Here the hearts are a little bit more protected...and the way to get to their hearts has been through service. It was such a miracle...I know it´s only time until he´s baptized.

Another miracle...Hermana Palma made us lunch yesterday. She told us that the night before she had put the soup and beans on the stove to cook, and accidentally fell asleep until 4 A.M. She was so afraid that the lunch was ruined and she didn´t know what to do because it was Sunday. BUt when she checked the beans they were Perfectly cooked. She´s so darling...and told us she knew the Lord was taking care of us. what a sweet and simple testimony. He really is caring for us.

There are so many miracles in this work. He is truly caring for us and sending us angels to help us in the work. I know its true and I can´t ever deny it. I love you so much and pray for all of you. I hope you are doing well!!
Con Amor,
Hermana Blackham

May 24, 2010

2010-05-24T15:31:00.001-07:00

Ok! I´m going to give you a low-down of the people we´ve been working with since I haven´t really had much opportunity to do it quite yet.
This week we had a confirmation of Micah. We were so excited to see that happen. She´s really made a great change in her life, and will be a light to her family who still aren´t members.
Alejandra has a son serving in Peru, and her 15 year daughter is the strongest member I have ever met. Alejandra also has a testimony, has listened to the missionaries for almost her whole life, and is progressing more than anyone has ever seen her progress up to this point (Amazing the blessings that come when your kids are serving missions...) She´s really trying to stop smoking so she can take the next step....and we´ll see what happens. This sector has lots of investegators who have obstacles that are stopping them from taking the next step, but we are doing our best to help the people progress.
Carlos is a sweet older gentleman who has completely won my heart over. He plays the piano like an angel (Think Alex, in 50 years...) and dances...definitely made for me. He´s very timid, but has a heart of gold. His friend is a member and introduced him to the gospel, and because she lives in a different ward he had to come to church on his own last week! Wow, we definitely took advantage of that one and have been meeting consistantly with him. This week we set a baptismal date with him, and he accepted! (When we asked him if he would prepare to be baptized his friend about had heart attack, she was SO nervous when we asked him to prepare, and started dancing in the rain when we left his apartment because he accepted!) We were so excited! He´s such a sweetie, and I´m so excited to work with him more.
We also had a great FHE with the stake president this week! We had Micah who had been baptized the day before with Alejandra who was trying to overcome certain challenges that Micah had to overcome. It ended in Micah testifying to Alejandra about her conversion! Sweet!!! I love it!
This week we also had a huge tender mercy. We´ve been teaching a sweet 8 year old, Vanessa, whose grandmother is a member. Vanessa has practically taught us the lessons. The obstacle is that her mom doesn´t want her daughter to be baptized until she´s much older, and has never had good relations with the missionaries. We were pondering on what we could do to gain her trust and decided to make cookies for her. Long story short .... it worked! She not only came into the room to thank us for the cookies, but stayed to talk with us, opened up and let us know how she felt about her daughters baptism. We have made lots of progress with her and I hope that very soon her daughter will be able to be baptized. She is a very special little girl, and her mom really is an incredible person. Just wants the best for her daughter.
This week we´ve had lots of temple tours and it´s been so neat. I love tours...especially with recent converts and Primarys. Nothing more powerful than a primary singing ¨ Families can be together forever¨ in front of the temple. And the recent converts are filled with a fire that is tangible! I love it!
Sorry my thoughts are a little rambled this week, but I just had to let you know about the wonderful people we´ve been working with! It´s been a great week! Lots of walking, lots of singing in the rain, lots of cold fingers, but the work of the Lord moves on. He´s worked miracles in the people here and I know that he can work miracles in each of our lives as well if we seek for it. I hope you all have a great week! Love you.
Con Amor, Hermana Blackham

May 17, 2010

2010-05-17T14:31:00.000-07:00

This week was great! We had lots of Recorridos, and had someone progressing towards baptism as well, so it was an exciting week! Her name is MIcah, and she was baptized yesterday....in Ice Cold Water. (I guess there´s been a couple of people who´ve had that privelage in this ward....they still haven´t fixed the heater) we joked that we should change the baptismal commitment question to ¨ will you follow the example of Jesus Christ and be baptized in ice cold water?¨ oh my, good memories... We didn´t think she would be able to do it at first. She would get down to the bottom step, then leap back out because it was so cold. And there isn´t central heating here in chile, so the builiding itself was freezing cold. THe elder who was baptizing her was in there awhile before she finally got into the water. IT was neat though because her husband, who hasn´t wanted anything, was there and she was able to show him how important it was to her, even though it was freezing cold.

And this week I saw a recent convert and his less active family from Consistorial come to a tour. that was neat to see them progressing, and talk to them about the temple blessings that are waiting for them! What a neat time! We also had primaries and wards come for tours this week, so it was really fun to get to know them and show them around the temple grounds.

To finish, this week I´ve learned a lot about giving the Lord our hearts. A lot of times we can be obedient, and give the Lord our time, our talents, our service, but he asks for more than this, he asks for our hearts! It is possible to be obedient, but still be unhappy because He asks us to give more than works and obedience, we should give our desires, wishes, our whole hearts. When we submit all we have and are to him, when we submit our desires to his desires, that´s when we can truly be happy. I´ve learned a lot this change that it´s so much easier when we trust in him and let his desires become ours.

I love all of you! Take care!!
Love, Hermana Blackham

May 10, 2010

2010-05-10T20:17:00.000-07:00

Ok... so this week has been such an interesting week. I don´t feel like I´m in Santiago anymore. I feel like I´m in the middle of the really nice part of Chicago, or Downtown SLC. There are fountains like the Bellagio in Las Vegas, beautiful parks, skyrises, taxis everywhere. I feel like I´m going to see the Macy´s day parade start at any second. haha. This sector is so american. A large amount of the members of the ward are senior couples from the states, and it seems the rest of them all work in the church office building. haha. and the attendance is HUGE, I feel like I´m in Utah again, except it´s in spanish. It´s quite the difference, but bueno, the work moves forward!

I had the opportunity to go through a temple session in spanish. Sweet! I loved it! I love the temple. I love the feeling and power we can receive from the temple. This is my challenge for the week for everyone. Go to the temple! If you cant this week, set a goal and go the first time that you can. There is literal power we receive from being in the House of the Lord, and nothing in this world should take place of the temple and the covenants we make there. When we put these first, everything else works out!

The first councilor called us late saturday night and told us the youngest of the companionship (me) had to give a talk in church about mothers, missionary work, and charity. welcome to pocuro! all the gringo senior missionary couples that don´t speak spanish told me they thought I did great even though they couldn´t understand a word. haha, I appreciated the encouragement.

So, this week we were in the Offices and one of the assistants came down and told us somebody was upstairs wanting a tour. Usually we only do it by appointment, but we´re always willing to do more so we went upstairs and saw two men just about to leave. One was a bishop who wanted to introduce his friend to the gospel and had taken their lunch break to go to the temple to explain more. This gentleman was golden! He had the perfect questions and accepted everything we taught. He is a very very successful business man, but had the humility in his heart to accept what he was feeling. I love being on Temple grounds so often. I feel such a breathe of fresh air to be there and to feel of the peace that only God can offer us in his dedicated ground. And it´s a peace that others recognize as unique. It´s such a blessing we have!!

I love all of you! It was so good to talk to you yesterday!!
Take care,
Hermana Blackham

May 1, 2010

2010-05-03T21:59:00.000-07:00

Ok, WOW, I don't even know where to begin. First of all, this week was a great last week with Hermana Griffiths. I sure love her! They pulled a suprise birthday breakfast for me, complete with cookie monsters (a really big cookie with ice cream on top) I've eaten well this week! ha. Also, Satan has definetly been giving his full energy, but we've been fighting back and working like crazy. This ward has just blossomed the past few months, and its incredible to see the Lord work MIRACLES in this sector. I've been so grateful and filled with Love for this sector. I have never given my whole heart like I have to El Parque, and my heart ached when ......Yup, I found out they were taking us out of the ward, I GOT CHANGED!
Wow, I didn't expect that. Nobody expected it. We had lots of potentials and investigators progressing, but I know the Lord has a plan for His investigators and has a plan for us as His missionaries. The Lord knows best and we trust when He sees fit to make a change. I've had to increase my faith that although I'm not there to help the investigators, He is there to take care of them.
So, right now I'm in Pocuro, which means I'm a temple sister. Everyone was telling me that I would be in Pocuro eventually, and here I am. Its going to be interesting. Its the richest part of Santiago...which means its the richest part of south america. Its beautiful, I feel like I'm in America. Pretty different than any other sector because we have the temple. Its like an unofficial visitors center, so, it will be interesting to learn what I need to do. I have lots to learn, but it will be just fine. I have two sweet companions. Hna. Martinez from Colombia and Hna. Talbot from Ogden. I'm excited to have someone to help me with my language, it should be a good change. I know the Lord needs me here for purposes I don't understand quite yet, but I trust him and am excited to work.

I hope all of you have a great week! Take care!

Love, Hermana Blackham

April 26, 2010

2010-04-26T16:06:00.000-07:00

Wow, I love baptism service weeks. They are always filled with suprises, opposition, and lots of weird learning experiences but, I´m happy because Estafani and Kevin got baptized!!! They made it through. I have never seen two kids go through so much opposition in such a little time, but then again I have never seen such a prepared family in my entire life. Their registro is perfect. THey completed all of their commitments, and more. They have strong testimonies. The ward has taken them in with open arms. I know the Lord needs them to be members and he has someting powerful planned for them...and we only met them 25 days ago... i´ve never met anyone who has progressed that quickly. I know the angels were working overtime to protect them this week. But, what´s most important is that is happened. Yeah! They were so excited. After the baptism both of them came out of the water laughing, they were so happy. And the mom was so supportive, we told her she´s next, and she agreed. With time she´ll follow.
THese kids are the best missionaries. When kevin told a neighbor that he was baptized she just sighed, said, ´congratulations elder kevin.´ He was beaming. Estafani is teaching her friends, Kevin told his grandma (who has some hard feelings toward the church) that she needed to read the book of mormon and listen to us before she could say anything bad. We were walking to a ward noche de talentos with them, and told them if they wanted to be missionaries, they had to saludar everyone...or say hi to everyone. Kevin would yell hi to people across the street, people in cars, to the bus passing by, everyone he could see got a huge ¨¨HOLA!!!!´ from him. I sure love this family. They are incredible, and these kids are a great strength to their mom, and such a great example to me!
This week we´ve also had some pretty intense lessons where I´ve felt, more than ever, that I was only holding a mirror and angling it just right to enable light from the heavens to reflect right into investegators heart. It´s an incredible feeling to know what your saying is not something from you, but is directly from their heavenly father who loves them so much. To offer them promises and hear in our hearts exactly what they needed is a neat experience. Hermana and I came home exausted those nights, but overwhelmingly filled with peace that we said what needed to be said.
Random experience for the week. The other day after personal study, hermana and I were freezing, so we went out on our balcony to stand in the sun, and sing a hymn to santiago to start our comp study. I slid the patio door shut to keep the cold air out and we immediately realized that the security feature on these balconies included no way to open the door from the balcony. normally, no biggie because we have 2 other hermanas that live with us. But, they had left to do a temple session earlier that morning. And we didn´t have a cell phone. So, we decided to just wait it out until they came back and study our hymn books for companion study, which soon turned into language study (have any of you read the front of the hymnbook? it´s really neat!)...and soon turned into an hour after language study...after 3 hours, and realizing that the hermanas wern´t coming back like we expected, we yelled down to a guard (who was probably thinking...oh my...blonde mormon gringas....) to have him call the only number we knew, who had to call another missionary, who called the hermanas who live with us, who told them to come home because we were stuck on the balcony. ha. what a mess. we ended up hanging out, on a 3 by 7 foot balcony for 3.5 hours...ha. great bonding time. Good thing hermana G. and I get along.
I love this work. I love how we are given a completely impossible task, but the Lord makes it possible through his mercy and love of these investigators. I pray all of you are well, and I Hope you have a great week! Love you!
Hermana Blackham

April 19, 2010

2010-04-19T12:10:00.000-07:00

Wahoo! What a great week! I officially love the mission, and I´ve always loved it, but really, I can say with my whole heart, I LOVE THE MISSION! I love how hard it is, I love how hard we work, I love my companion, the area, the investigators, I love giving my whole heart, and even when everything doesn´t work out, I love feeling the assurance that the Lord is pleased with our effort. I love it all. (even the tough times) This sector is changing so much from when the sisters came into it. The members are on FIRE! We´ve been making visits with them this week and it´s been amazing to see the Lord orchestrate a masterpiece of miracles with the people we visit.

Familia Pinto Update. Estafani is INCREDIBLE. I cannot believe what an incredible young woman she is. We´ve been teaching them everything this week to prepare them for their baptism next week. She´s taken out her piercings, their family is going to the temple with us on Wednesday for a tour (with all the young women who want to support her family), she stopped every problem with the word of wisdom the day we met her 2 weeks ago (she had no idea there was a word of wisdom...just felt it was right...). Her friends are giving her more opposition than I can believe, but she is holding SO strong, as is her little brother. She told them ¨ if you´re not going to support me in this decision, then we´re not friends¨ way to stand up to peer pressure!!! Yeah! We have truly come to love this cute family so much. They have been so prepared and have the strongest testimony´s of anyone I have ever met. The ward has also taken them in as one of their own. I feel like a mom that tries to introduce her child to another child. We bring a family into a ward, introduce them to members, and then have to step back and hope they ¨play nice...¨ haha. It´s such a blessing to see a ward just take them and care for them.

Funny story for this week. Hermana and I were walking down the street one chilly night (pun very intended) and we saw a sign for hot tortillas. It was cold, and they never have tortillas here so we decided to go grab a small tortilla to eat. Well...we got a tortilla, but it ended up being a three inch thick, pan amasado, steering wheel sized piece of bread that is supposed to feet someone for 4 days!! He took this huge hunk of bread, dropped it in a sack, and handed the whole thing to us. We busted up laughing, it was SO funny (picture included) and it was REALLY good!

I pray all of you are doing well! I love the book of Mormon. I know that we will receive answers when we read it everyday. I know prayer is such a gift from our father in heaven, and when we pray, and listen for answers, and he will answer us. I hope all of you are doing well!
Love, Hermana Blackham

p.s. to all of those who have written me...I LOVE YOU SO MUCH! I promise I haven´t forgotten you. I am so grateful for your words of comfort, love, support, and testimonies. I wanted to send my appreciation, I am doing my best to respond, but I Just wanted to let you know I am so thankful for your love!

April 12, 2010

2010-04-12T17:13:00.000-07:00

I love being a missionary! I love this ward. I especially love my companion. She´s amazing, and such a great example to me. We have a great time together, and I Love our conversations while we walk in the street. No one could ever guess she´s leaving in 3 weeks. So focused, and we´re running to the end (and in the mornings...I love running with my tag in the morning because people look at us like ´´ These mormons...they walk all day, and then they run in the morning?¨) haha ! Love it!

I also have to say, we have the best bishop in this ward! The other day Hermana and I were in a Noche de Hogar (FHE) with Pabla, one of the investegators, and the family llancoñanco. It was going so well, but we were running late for another appointment on the other end of our sector. As we finished the FHE, we were ready to make a dash to the other end of the sector, and the bishops wife busts through the front door and says ´You have an appointment right now Hermanas! We have the car outside! Come on!´ We have no idea how they knew. We jumped in the car and asked the bishop how he knew, he just winked and said ´I´m the bishop. I know everything!´ It was an answer to prayer, because the next appointment was phenomenal, and Fransisca accepted a date to be baptized! Then, this week we had another FHE that went great, but we were running a bit late again (true to form=) and had to be in the apartment within minutes, with no taxis in sight. Again, the bishop drives by, and says ´jump in! You need to be in by 10!¨ haha, and how he knew? ´I´m the bishop, I know everything. ´¨ So, trust in our leaders. They know everything.

So, we´ve seen miracles this week. I can´t even tell you how many miracles we have seen. The familia pinto has accepted baptism dates, they are going to early morning seminary, mutual and scouts. They went to general conference last week, and went to all three hours of church on Sunday, and most suprising of all, we met them a week and a half ago! They are truly prepared. I am learning over and over that we are not here to fight against the hard hearts, but to find those people who are humble and prepared to accept the gospel. This family has been prepared, and they are so humble. The mom can´t be baptized right now, but her two kids Esafani and Kevin are a part of the ward and have dates. I am so grateful that we had a mutual with the young woman a few weeks ago to help them understand how to welcome investegators into the church. They have stepped it up and have taken her under their wing. As well as so many other investIgators. The ward members have truly stepped it up the past few weeks and all of the progressing investigators have members who are actively helping them get to church. It is incredible to see the fire that comes into a ward when missionary work is at the heart of all they do.

This change we´ve also been working with a woman named Pabla. When we met her she was really discouraged. You could see the weight of the world hanging on her shoulders. She has some great challenges in her family, and didn´t know where to turn. As we´ve worked with her we´ve slowly seen a great change in her. She accepted a date to be baptized, and yesterday we stopped by to see how she liked church. She was radiating, beautiful, baked bread for us, and asked us if she could invite members of the ward to her house for an FHE. She was talking all about her baptism and how it would change her life, and how she wanted her husband to get baptized. ... then the bomb came when we asked how long they had been married. Yup, you guessed it, they aren´t married because it´s nearly impossible to get a divorce here in Chile. My heart broke for her. There is no way to be baptized when they aren´t married. We shared a scripture with her about how the Lord always prepares a way when we put the kingdom first, and we´ll see what happens from here on out. There are so many situations like that here and it breaks my heart!

This week I´ve learned that these are not our investigators, these are the Lord´s investigators. I would love dearly to see them baptized, but even more, He wants to see them baptized. He will do all he can to help them if we do our part to help them. There has been so many times this week where Hermana and I have just had to step back and say...´ok...we´ve done all we can, please just take it in Your hands and help us´ and He does! Everytime!

I love being a missionary. It´s such an opportunity to work with the Lord in the vineyard. We truly are working with Him, and He truly is preparing these people for the gospel. They can feel something special, and I can´t count how many times people have told me "I don´t know what I feel, but there is something different about this church, because I feel it right here, in my heart¨ I love telling them why they feel that way, because it´s the true church!! I love it!
Take care!

Con Amor,
Hermana Blackham

April 5, 2010

2010-04-05T19:48:00.001-07:00

Oh my so much to write...
Family, I love you! I thought of you this weekend and how grateful I am for a family that has already applied a lot of the principles they taught. But there is always more to do. Let´s keep it up!

This week was such an interesting week. It started out with days of nothing ... appointments fell through. People didn´t want to listen. Hermana was a little sick. I was feeling a little bit more discouraged than normal (usually we just laugh through the discouragement and keep going). I felt like the opposition was thick around us. But, I KNOW with all my heart we receive the witness after the trial of our faith. Finally, Thursday we found tons of people, who literally fit the discription of seeking the truth, but ¨not knowing where to find it¨ they accepted baptismal dates in the first contact, and the lessons were powerpacked. They all have close friends in the gospel, but were introduced to the gospel by us knocking on the door. In both restoration lessons, the people perked up and said ¨really!?¨ when we told them we had prophets on the earth today. And got really excited when they heard he would be speaking this weekend. They went and took notes during the conference while Hermana Griffiths and I juggled keeping the kids happy. (thank you all those years for bingo games...) It was so incredible to gain a testimony that the Lord truly is preparing people, we just need to open our mouths and help them along. This is what missionary work is all about.

So, I love you. General conference is such a weird phenomenan. The conference starts and it´s like a window opens up to Utah, and we remember that there actually exists a place that is a little bit of heaven and home outside of this city of Santiago. we get a bit of a homesick trunky feeling, and then starts the doctrinal talks where you just shout, ¨yes! The lord has called prophets and has given us a way to have happiness in this difficult world! He hasn´t left us here to walk in the dark! come and listen!¨ we leave the conference hungry to find people to share this good news. But then the minute you step out you hear the music pounding, pass the bars, smell the smoke, and realize....¨ I´m not in kansas (or utah) anymore...¨ It´s pretty heartbreaking especially as we talk with people who reject this glad message. I felt in a different way, more pain. It wouldn´t matter so much if they were just denying me, but they are denying Him, and the happiness he gives us, and it hurts. I´m beginning to understand in a little way what those Book of Mormon missionaries felt when they truly felt a great desire for the welfare of the souls of their brethren, and it hurt them to see their brothers in sin. If they could only open their hearts to what he has. If only everyone could just humble themselves a bit and let him lead their lives. I urge all of you to seek him. Do what he needs you to do. No matter how hard it seems give up those little things that are holding you back, give them to him. He can and will make so much more out of our lives than we can, and has given us covenants and promises to allow us to receive eternal life, and happiness in this life. There is no other way, no other way to be able to be happy. I love you and pray all is well back at home.
Con Amor,
hermana Blackham

March 29, 2010

2010-03-30T11:35:00.001-07:00

Hope these pictures are sufficient for now! haha, I sure love this work! SO much happens in so little time, I have no idea where to start, or what to say, and it´s funny. when you really get along with a companion you want to make memories, instead of write the memories in the Journal every night. so, we´re working on that. Don´t worry, I´ll get some things written this change...it may just be a little more condensed.

So, this ward is awesome. The sisters got special changed into this ward 6 weeks ago (from what I´ve seen and heard, the ward was struggling), but I am amazed at how much it has improved already. The bishop is SO missionary minded. He´s using missionary work to unite the ward, so the majoirty of ward councel is based on the investegators, menus activos, what to do to find more references. Members come up to us in the street and just give us references. We stopped by a few members houses this week so I could meet them and they would begin telling us how they were trying to share the gospel with their neighbors. We have an FHE set up every night with a member, and an investegator. Whoa. Miracles. I´ve never seen that before. It´s amazing. I LOVE MEMBER MISSIONARY WORK!!! It´s SO much more effective than anything we could ever do. Hma. Griffiths is also very good about getting them excited about member missionary work, so it´s going to be a sweet change. This is the way I think the Lord intends the work to be.

I feel like my language has improved so much this week (we have a goal to only speak spanish all day long), and I can understand so much more. I don´t know why, but I think when we show the Lord we´re willing to work and try, he enhanses our abilities. Hma. Griffiths told me the first day...¨even though I have more time on the mission, we are equal. If you feel like we should go or do or say something, let´s do it.¨ As a newbie missionary we just learn the basics, how to use an agenda, how to try to do the lessons, follow our companion around etc. But I feel like I´m learning things to apply how I should do missionary work. Oh, I love having a bank of information and ¨lessons learned¨ from Hma. Griffiths. I love debriefing with her what she´s learned from her mission. I love our conversations as we walk around the area. She is an incredible missionary. It´s such a mercy to be able to be with her for her last change.

This week we were able to go to a sealing of one of her old investegators. It was a tear jerker, and I loved every minute of it. That is what this work is all about. When they are sealed, they have completed all of the saving ordinances in this life to be able to have Eternal Life. Baptism is just the first step, but there is so much more after that. It was a powerful experience. Oh my I love the temple! My challenge for all of you. Go to the temple this week (especially to prepare for General Conference) ! If not this week, set a goal for when you will go, and go! There is power, literal power that we feel and receive when we go to the temple. It was such a breathe of fresh air to be able to go.

I will try to write more about investegators later. I´m still trying to ge a handle on everyone, who they are, where they are in their progress, etc. But I will have more info next week. Oh my I love it here! It´s a beatufiul area, beautiful ward, beautiful people, and the best of it is...beautiful work! I love having the opportunity to serve the Lord, and to be a part of his work. I pray all of you are well and hope things are going wel!!ç
Con Amor
hermana Blackham

March 22, 2010 OH MY!! Transfer

2010-03-23T19:50:00.000-07:00

Ok, so warning. it´s going to be a short letter today. we´ve had a crazy day, but, it´s been SO incredible. First of all. We had a beatuiful baptism yesterday. Antonio, Benjamin, and Mitchell were all baptized. It was a bit difficult trying to coordinate 3 families, and an unexpected new beginning program for the YW, but baptisms are always beautiful, no matter what happens at the service. They were SO happy! Mitchell (11 years old) was in tears, along with his entire family who came into Santiago for the service. The ward was pretty excited as well. This ward is on the point of flying. I am SO happy for them. These matrimony couples are incredible, we spent the whole day with them making inactive visits and translating, and they are exactly what this ward needs. They are incredible for strengthening the ward. AND...even more good news, consistorial has elders again!!! I am SO happy! But, I won´t be able to work with them because suprise...I got changed! Hermana Trone and I were almost certain she would be the one leaving, so she spent a lot of the day saying goodbye, and I spent a lot of the day saying ¨see you later!¨ haha but the Lord knows best, so I´m happy to do it.
I am now with Hermana Griffiths and oh my, I am so excited for this change. She is best friends with Jess Davis, one of my co-councilors from Badger, so we´re basically best friends already. Let me tell you, she started out by saying ¨this is my last change...and I´m going to run it out, are you ready to run?¨ Oh yeah! Just the way I like it! She is an incredible missionary, so positive, and I am so excited to learn from her. Our sector is called Ël Parque -- IT´s a beautiful sector. Instead of being on the mountain, looking over the city like my last sector, we´re in the city looking at the mountains. We live in the 7th floor of a beautiful apartment complex (pictures next week). And we live with two incredible missionaries. I´m so excited. It sounds like this is a struggling ward, but with lots of care, lots of love, and lots of optimism we´re going to make it a great change. wahoo!
So...I love you. Thanks for your letters this week.

I love this gospel. I want to tell you that our leaders are inspired. They tell us those things we need to do today, to prepare for tomorrow. There is the tendency to say ...oh I´ll follow the council later. I´ll start tomorrow. I´ll do better when this happens. But today is the time to prepare, and what a blessing we have in this earth. Our time is a precious gift from our Heavenly Father, and we are blessed when we use it well. I love this gospel, and I will write more next week. But I hope and pray all of you are well!!
Love, Hermana Blackham

March 15, 2010

2010-03-15T16:30:00.000-07:00

March 15, 2010

2010-03-15T16:18:00.000-07:00

dad...yes, nerves are intact. this last week we had a couple of 6.something earth quakes but they didn´t shake me up to bad (pun very much so intended=). I´m actually quite enjoying them now. We just keep studying through it all. Really, we´re feeling much better. President and his wife came by the pension this week to check everything out, and also dedicate the pension, so we´re feeling good spiritually as well. Good thing you gave me that scripture, I had almost forgotten that ¨If I´m prepared, I won´t fear¨ haha, just kidding!! love you!
As for this week!

What a great week! Although hermana has been a bit under the weather, we´ve still been able to use our time wisely, and get lots of things done! It´s amazing to see the Lord work in this ward, and prepare this ward for great things! We have so many wonderful people who are progressing and we hope to keep working hard with them so they can be baptized.

This week we had a really special experience during sacrament meeting. As we came into sacrament meeting with our investegators, we had quite a few more investegators surprise us and come on their own! Then the stake president was there and announced that we would have 2 matrimony couples in this ward, which filled me with SO much joy for these ward members. They will be a great strength to this ward who has it´s own unique struggles and challenges. One is a couple missionary who are serving in the temple, but will be attending the ward on Sundays to be a support. (neither of them know any spanish ... I realized that I had made more progress than I realized when I could translate a bit...) And the others are the Bushmans who are serving in Los Condes but will be helping with permaneced, less active families, every Wednesday in our sector. Wahoo!! They are so great!!! This ward will be so blessed! Then, that´s not all, Felipe, who was baptized a few weeks ago passed the sacrament for the first time. He was so excited, he kept looking back at us from the front bench, and smiling with his ¨oh my goodness can you believe I´m passing the sacrament??¨ smile! There was a part of me that wanted to jump up and shout...YES! but we just gave him a thumbs up instead, to keep the reverence. AND Jorge was confirmed, AND he brought his non-member parents! Oh my goodness, oh happy joyful feeling in my soul today! This week I´ve been working and praying a lot to be filled with a special and sincere love for these people. As I looked over all these people, and these ward members, who I have truly come love these past few months, I was filled with an overwhelming sense of the Love Heavenly Father has for them. I was filled with an overwhelming sense of Joy for the progress they have made, and the lessons I have learned from their example. I can´t even begin to describe what I felt. I couldn´t stop smiling the whole meeting and I think I felt a small taste of what Heavenly Father feels for his children. It doesn´t matter how many hours we worked, or challenges we faced, or energy we used, or sacrifices that may have been made along the way (which are not really sacrifices in the end). Nothing, nothing, nothing will ever compare to that feeling, and these people, our brothers and sisters, are worth everything we have to give for them. Everything. No effort is ever wasted. So many times we don´t I´m excited to keep giving it my all! I love this work! Keep us in our prayers! It´s going to be an intense week for the adversary to work on us because there are a few baptisms set up for this weekend....but we know that the Power of God is stronger, and we are going to work our best and give it all we have!!!
I love you! Thanks for all of your concern and love and prayers for Chile. Take care!

Hermana Blackham

P.S. Pictures are of Jorge...before and after. CAN YOU BELIEVE IT??? The gospel of Jesus Christ Changes Lives!!!

March 8, 2010 If ye are prepared ye shall not fear......um......right.

2010-03-11T08:49:00.000-08:00

So, you know the quote, ¨If ye are prepared, ye shall not fear¨? I think I´ve heard it 100 times in the past week, (which is great! It´s a great quote) From leaders, members, and our own mouths alike. But oh boy, after nailing and increasing the preparation this last week to prepare for aftershocks, I´ll be honest, it´s gotten me pretty nervous. How would you feel if you got a call from your district leaders in the evening telling you that ¨all emergency preparations need to be done by 8:30 that night.¨ or a call right before you go to bed, to memorize the list of what to do before, during, and after an earthquake. Haha. It gets those nerves pretty riled up, especially as aftershocks are pretty frequent, and still pretty strong at times. The aftershocks all begin the same, really small and slow, but at times they increase, and immediately you feel all of your adreneline rushing through your body getting ready to take action and jump in the closest doorway. I feel like I´m sixteen again and we´re in a defensive driving course, but instead it´s defensive living, Santiago Style. They actually had a 6ish earthquake with a different epicenter last wednesday, and everyone felt it except us missionaries, who were in a zone conference. The Lord must have been protecting his capilla and his missionaries.

Since our sector didn´t get hit super hard in terms of damage, we´ve really been helping people spiritually, more than temporally. Right now this is our stewardship in this sector, and we are working our hardest.

We´ve been really busy this week. The Lord truly is preparing his people and we have a fairly large load of very promising investegators who have dates to be baptized. Last week Hermana and I were walking to lunch, and this woman ran up to us and said ¨My family are all members, and I want to be a member too, but the missionaries at my moms house said I had to find you here to be baptized, what do I need to do?¨ whoa....can you say M-I-R-A-C-L-E? I had to pick up my jaw from off the ground. those things don´t happen, well, actually I should say, these things happen when God is in control. He want´s his children to come back to him, and he makes things happen. It´s incredible. Her name is Elizabeth and she has a 11 year old son, Mitchell, and a 5 month year old Benjamn. and the lesson´s we´ve taught them so far have been power packed. She is incredible. Has a testimony. We just realized she will have to make some changes if she wants to be baptized...so we are praying our little hearts out that she will have the strength and courage to take a step of faith and make some changes. Please pray for her, she will need it.

We´ve also been working really hard with Mercedez. She truly wants to know what is right. She feels a bit inadequate because she can´t remember everything she reads, but we know the spirit will speak through her feelings, we keep telling her, she just needs to have a testimony, and the Lord will help her from there. She was at Stake Conference via satellite, where we were able to hear from Pres. Monson and Elder Bednar and she also came to the Baptism of Jorge, and is always trying to read and pray to know if the church is true. She is so sweet, and loved the baptism and loved hearing the prophet. We pray she keeps moving forward!

We´re also working with Benjamin. He´s a cute 9 year old boy who is the son of a menus active family. He is such a good kid, and is so easy to teach. So humble. Sincere. Truly exemplifies ¨become as a little child¨ attributes. and his family is SO funny. He has a little niece who answered the door the other day and I had a leaf in my hand (sometimes I¨ll just grab leafs off of the bushes and play with them....weird habit, I know) And she looked at me with a look of shock and said ¨What are you doing pulling leafs off of the bushes. how would you feel if someone came up and pulled your hair out of your head?¨ She was sincerely hurt. Between trying to breathe because I was laughing so hard, I told her I would never do it again. haha.

And finally, the baptism of Jorge, oh my BEAUTIFUL! It was incredible. And the best thing is...HE CUT HIS HAIR. Ok...so I know it´s very normal for people to cut their hair, but Jorge is un poco differente. It was as long as his hips. Think, Indian chief long, and on Friday hermana and I went in with one mission, to convince him to cut his hair. His first reaction when we mentioned it was ¨I´m not cutting my hair...I´ve had it this long since I was 13¨ So we gave him a picture of the prophet and asked him what he noticed about the prophet... after some time he said, ¨ok, maybe I´ll cut it like Jesus...¨ ok, so I guess it´s better than nothing. But then hermana shared personal experiences with her brother, and he said he would think about it. After we left his home we were still unsure what he woud do, but then, inspiration struck. Jorge´s dream was to have President Laycock baptize him because president is a lawyer, and Jorge is in law school. We called Jorge to tell him to look up a picture online, told him about President, and told him we were excited for him to ¨make a good first impression¨ ....the call went silent as Jorge thought, then he said .... ok, when President sees me on Sunday, he´ll see me with short hair!¨ Haha! Yes! And even better than that, I know that Jorge has made a very dirastic change in his life. He has a FIRM testimony. He told us a few weeks ago. ¨I know you have a problem with people leaving the church after they get baptized, and I can imagine that it makes missionaries nervous to have baptisms, but I want to let you know I won´t do that, because I can feel it, and I know that it´s true.¨ He is so sweet. He bore a sweet, but powerful testimony yesterday. It was incredible to see the change in his eyes. He was literally glowing. And his parents (who we´ve been trying to teach) had very soft hearts yesterday. His mom who had heart surgery recently told Hermana Laycock she know she lived through heart surgery so she could see that change in her son. What a great gift, and soon she will know for herself that she actually lived so she could receive that change in her heart as well!

It is incredible to see the Lord´s work moving forward in this area. I know that he is moving his work forward. I read a quote from Elder Legrand Richards that said he did not fret about the chruch, because it is the Lord´s Church, ¨so I let him worry about it...¨ I get into moments where I get really worried about the church here at times, but the Lord is in charge and he´s taking care of his children. I´m just here to be a part of it and witness his hand in all things. What a blessing! I love this gospel. I know it´s true. but above that, I have witnessed miracles through his hand every day and I can testify that I know he will take care of us when we do his will. When we do his will, and repent when we fall short, he will mold us into people who are worthy to live in his presence.
I pray all of you are well!!
Keep praying for Chile!!

Love, Hermana Blackham

March 1, 2010

2010-03-03T05:36:00.000-08:00

It was SO good to talk to you! I´m feeling good to go for another few months! wahoo!

Ok...I´ll try to give you all the details with the time I have.

Family and Friends!
Well, it seems like many of you have become familiar with my dear country of chile the past few days. Bienvenidos a Chile! This is my home! Thank you first of all for all the messages of love and concern for the people here in chile. I was overwhelmed at how much outpouring of love we´ve received from people outside, as well as inside Chile. The devistation is wide spread and every single person has been hit hard in some way. Everyone here is in shock, and we are doing our best to know how to help people here. Although Chile has a fairly steady country and emergency plan, Keep praying for them. They need it.

I´ll do my best to give the lowdown for those of you who asked. The earthquake here in Santiago was fairly strong. We woke up Friday 3:30 in the morning to the shaking. We have lots of little tremors here so I wasn´t too worried at first, thinking it would end quickly. But, it soon became increasingly stronger and stronger. I hopped down from my bed, and hermana trone ran into the other room to make sure the other hermanas were up. We all jumped in the doorways. I remember looking out the window and seeing all the lights go out, and the telephone poles shaking back and forth. Things were falling off the shelves. I don´t think I´ve ever felt so helpless in my entire life as I felt the cracking sounds while the building swayed back and forth. As the shaking hit the climax i´ll be the first to admit, I was getting pretty nervous, probably nervous enough for both Hermana and I because Hermana was so calm. It was incredible. After it slowed down she took care of everything, shut off the gas, found the cell phone, found our earthquake emergency plan (good thing we have an inspired president who reminded us what to do and made sure we had copies 3 weeks ago!).
{Note from Shalyns mom. The presidents wife had a prompting about 3 weeks ago that there would be an earthquake and they needed to get their missionaries prepared. Not wanting to frighten the missionaries, they didn't tell them of the promting only that they needed to be prepared in the event of an earthquake. They told them they were going with the "If ye are preparedd, ye shall not fear" principle. They checked each apartment, left a blessing on each apt. Gave everyone 36 hour kits with water filtration bottles and reviewed the earthquake emergency instructions with everyone and left written instructions in English and Spanish with everyone. We are so grateful to have Shalyn serving with the Laycocks in Chile!]

Afterwards we went outside to make sure the building was ok. Everyone was outside their homes, checking on the neighbors. As I looked over the city, the whole city was dark, except for red emergency lights of the buildings.

At 5,30 we heard a knock at our door, and one of the relief society sisters and her husband, the ward mission leader, had made the trek up to our condo to check on us since phones were down. The first thing she said was ¨Hermanas, there´s been an earthquake, and my friend from ¨Gringolandia¨ (aka USA) called to let me know!¨ haha I was amazed at how quickly information travels. She told us the bishopric was out checking on everone, and all the information they had heard about the earthqake. After that we tried to sleep, but aftershocks kept us up until the morning. We received a flood of calls from ward members, friends, investigators making sure we were ok and offering to call our worried parents ( don´t you worry, we are well taken care of here) President asked us to put on our service clothes and just serve all day. So, we did! As we left the house we couldnt´ see the mountain range that we lived on, or the city down below. The smoke and dust was so thick. It feels like a dream.

As we visited everyone, it seems like people were all pretty shaken up (literally and figuratively). We are so blessed here in Penalolen because everything held up pretty well (thank you strict building codes!! everyone keeps telling us if we were in New York it would have been pancaked.). We have a few broken walls, crooked sidewalks, an old cathloic church that collapsed on itself, and most are without electricity, some without water, but generally everyone is safe and sound and the homes in our area are doing fine. The central of the city is a different story. We´ve been told because penalolen is built on the side of the mountain the bedrock is sturdier than the sandy foundation down in the central of the city (it brings a whole new perspective to ¨the wise man built his house upon a rock¨) And Concepcion...well, most of you have probably seen everything going on in that area. Our hearts go out to those who are in that area. There are still people here who have family in that area and haven´t been able to communcate with them.

Let me tell you something. it is a MIRACLE that we were able to hear that all the missionaries were safe as quickly as we did. It is a miracle because still, there are no reports from certain areas because phone lines are down, and they can´t travel to these areas because there are no roads. That is a miracle for these parents who were praying for their missionaries and their mission presidents who I´m sure were concerned as well. I was filled with gratitude when I heard that they were able to contact all of them within the same day that the earthquake happened, especially in Concepcion.

We spent the day helping rebuild some walls and sharing a message of peace with these people. It´s amazing how experiences like this aren´t punishments from God like everyone thinks...but more just like a wake up call, and an opportunity to turn to Christ for peace! Although we walk down the streets and see the fear and concern in people´s eyes, we are able to truly have confidence through Christ, and know that he will care for everything if we only can give our lives to him. I love being here to share this message, and I know, that when we keep our covenants with God, and when we show him that we are willing to trust him, he works miracles in our lives!! Miracles happen every day and I see them on a daily basis. I know that he loves us, and sent his son so we can receive peace from the difficulties of this life.

Also, happy news for this week! We have 2 baptisms scheduled for this week, Jorge and Antonio are going to be baptized, and we are praying that they are able to keep moving forward in this step. Jorge has gone 2 days without smoking so far, and is so excited to keep going! wahoo! we are so happy! And felipe received the priesthood and he was Glowing! He was SO happy yesterday! This gospel is true! Experiences in this life give us an opportunity to turn to the gospel and find solace and peace! thank you everyone again for your love, prayers, and concern. We truly are doing very well here. I have no fear, I know that he cares for us and that we will all be taken care of as we do his work.

Take care,
Hermana Blackham

Feb 27, 2010 Earthquake

2010-02-27T17:39:00.000-08:00

We got a call from a member telling us that Shalyn was okay and that we didn't need to worry. This was posted on her mission president's blog

Saturday, February 27, 2010
"If ye are prepared, ye shall not fear." D&C 38:30
All Missionaries in the Chile, Santiago East Mission are safe and accounted for. Today will be a day of service for all of us. We will look for ways to serve our Chilean brothers and sisters by teaching them about our Savior and Redeemer, Jesus Christ. We are thankful for the blessing of safety that we have been given. We are thankful for the guidance of the Holy Ghost, and we stand as witnesses of our Heavenly Father's love for all of His children throughout the world. Without a doubt, we know that our Savior lives, and that He directs this work. We know that when we do His work in His way, He is with us, and we experience miracles! Thank you for your prayers and concern, and please know that we love our missionaries with all our hearts. They are the Lord's army, and we are blessed to be among them and learn from them. They are blessing the lives of so many of our Father's children, and they are powerful examples of all that young people can and should be. Don't worry! Our missionaries are prepared, and "if ye are prepared, ye shall not fear." (D&C 38:30)

Feb 22, 2010

2010-02-23T18:38:00.000-08:00

This morning I woke up and there were clouds in the sky!!! Whoa! I felt like I was in a different world. I haven´t seen clouds since...utah. And no, the pollution here doesn´t count as clouds.

Oh my, This week we´ve seen SO many miracles!

One day Hermana and I were knocking on a street, trying to find inactives, and everyone was turning us away...one of those days were no one is home and you walk all day finding no one. Our very last home of the day we stopped by Antonio´s house. We knocked, and his father ran out, poked his head over the fence and said ¨come in! come in! pase no mas!¨ and Antonio´s nonmember parents welcomed us in with welcoming arms (literally, his mom gave us a huge hug when she met us!) even though they had never met us before, they knew antonio was taking the lessons. Although he wasn´t there, we had a lesson with them and invited them to learn more. It was such a tender mercy after a long day. and Can I just say, member missionary work is the BEST!!! I was reading a talk by Elder Height where he said 1 in 1000 will be baptised when the missionaries knock on their door. but 600 out of 1000 will be baptised if they are introduced into the church by a member. I know that the lord puts into our path friends and family members who are ready for the church, and we have the opportunity to invite our friends to learn more. Just show your love, and follow the spirit, and everything else will come.

Last week we had an investegator come to church for the first time, and we were shocked, but SO excited! Weeks before we had come to his home to teach his mother, and he opened the door with tears streaming down his face. He was beside himself because he felt so hopeless. He had been looking for work for a very long time with no success. He was concerned for his mother and family. He had no faith or belief in God and had no where else to turn for help. As we testified to him about God, he kept shaking his head. He didn´t believe us and didn´t want to make any changes in his life. He couldn´t believe what he couldn´t see. We plead with him over and over, to ¨just pray, You just have to pray¨ but he didn´t agree. As hermana Trone tried over and over to try to commit him to pray, I sat back and I thought, ¨We are trying, but this is not going anywhere. He is so beside himself and doesn´t want help¨ and I left with that attitude. I soon heard (or felt) a kind rebuke that Thomas received ¨oh yea of little faith.¨
Days after he came to church he had tons of job offers knocking on his door! After searching for weeks, he received the blessings directly after going to church. He told us ¨It seems I have this new job because I went to church. There is no other explanation¨ His faith is increasing. We had a long lesson yesterday about faith, and he wants to learn. He wants to read the book of mormon (and because he can´t read, he wants us to teach him how to read, that will be great with 2 gringas teaching, we´ll all learn together, haha) He was a COMPLETELY changed person this week, from when we saw him the first time. It was 180 degrees difference. He has a light in his eyes, and a peace in his heart that he says he´s never felt before. I can see it. It´s a literal miracle. Hermana and I will sometimes just look at eachother, shake our heads, and say...it´s a miracle that he´s progressing as he is. I know that the Lord blesses us when we try to do our part. He not only gives us spiritual blessings, but temporal blessings as well!

I love this church! I know it´s true! And I know as we obey, he will shower us with his blessings he has waiting for us!

I love you!!
Hermana Blackham

Feb 15, 2010

2010-02-15T16:03:00.000-08:00

Shalyn's letter. Feb 15, 2010
Family! what a crazy week! whew...so to begin. Happy Valentine's day! I love you!
Dad...the way you do your goals is awesome! specific, measurable, attainable, realistic, timely...SMART goals. haha. I love how you have a name of a person with each of your number goals. Read in how to set goals in PMG, and you did it exactly how the lord wants. I´m excited to hear how it works out.
Dad, I also have a quote for you and Andrew ¨Jesus saw sin as wrong but also was able to see sin as springing from the deep and unmet needs on the part of the sinner. This permitted him to condemn the sin without condemning the individual. We can show forth our love for others even when we are called upon to correct them. We need to be able to look deeply enough into the lives of others to see the basic causes for their failures and shortcomings.¨ I do think that the true gift of charity, allows us to see others in the way Christ would, and if needed correct them in the way he would.

Wow, I wish I had time to give you an account of everything that happened this week, but that would fill a book! But I´ll try to give you a lowdown on everything that´s been happening (For a happy presidents day present I´ll get you more details dad...)

Hermana and I started this week by setting companion goals on what we wanted to improve, specifically how we could be more obedient. And this week was INCREDIBLE to see what the Lord brought into our path. I know when we are obedient, the Lord blesses his children! Another thing I learned this week, when things aren´t working effectively, you need to do it in a different way.

Between meeting all the investigators of the elders, and doing things a bit differently this change we´ve been so busy. Instead of knocking on random streets like we usually do, we decided to print off the ward list by street, and just go visit all of the ward members we´ve haven´t seen at church. It´s SO effective! We´ve been able to have a lot of permaneced visits to invite them back to church. They often have family members or friends who will listen in on the visits and it´s given good windows of opportunity to teach them as well. If someone doesn´t live there any more, it´s a good way to teach lots of first lessons. It´s so effective because the majority of the people have some sort of relationship with the church and we´re not trying to start from ground one. It´s been such a great use of time. We´ve had more lessons this week than we´ve ever had, and we´ve found a good number of people, and there are some good solid individuals who have a baptismal date as well!

The first is one of the investigators of the Elders. Jorge. He is SO funny. THe other day he told us he had to change our appointment because he got a job and then informed us ¨trust me, this is good, the church is going to get a lot more tithing!¨ He has curly hair that is longer than mine. He introduced himself to the elders in January because he knew the missionaries years ago. He learned english from television so he wanted them to teach him all in english, and he set a date for March 11...because it´s the day the president is going to get signed in, and Jorge is going into Law. So, since January he´s been solid. He knows everything. Has a testimony. He just has to stop smoking (and has the motivation to do it). Every time we teach him he brings in his huge stack of books, pamphlets, and his law book to show us how the laws in chile apply to the Laws of religion. haha. He´s great.

The second is Antonio. He is incredible! He is an example of how member missionary work should work! His girlfriend is a member of the church, and she introduced him to the missionaries in her ward. Because he lives in our ward, they referred him to us, and now were teaching him. His girlfriend is absolutely ideal. She is there for him when he has questions, and encourages him all along the way. he is reading the book of mormon, basically has a testimony, and they want us to meet his family as well. So they came up to us yetersday in church, introduced themselves to us, and we set a baptismal date right then! I LOVE member missionary work! As missionaries, we can´t be there all the time, but when they have a friend they can trust, the work moves forward in marvelous ways!

Then we have Mercedes. It´s a bit harder because she doesn´t know anyone who is a member, but we´re doing our best to help her. She´s trying to read the book of mormon, and wants so much to do what is right. She has pretty vision-like dreams that make me want to just take her in my arms and say...¨don´t you realize what God is trying to tell you?¨ but I can´t interpret dreams, so we just try to help her understand the doctrine and she makes the application to the dreams herself. I´m excited to see what happens with her.

Oh wow, it was a very effective week, but also lots of crazy experiences. As we were trying to find members, we had a lot of funny experiences as well. Sometimes I wonder if these people were telling us the truth. For example
Us - Hal-o!
Person 1 leaves the house - ¨yeah?¨
Us - Hey! we´re looking for Maria
Person 1 - ¨ok. Just a minute¨...leaves to find Maria, and returns. ¨actually....I was confused....She isn´t here right now.¨
Us -¨Oh...when do you think she´ll be back?¨
Person 1 - ¨later...um...just a minute¨ they leave and return ¨actually they are on vacations¨
Us - Oh, when will she return?¨
Person 1 - I don´t know, in a very long time¨
Us - Ok, ´we´ll stop by a bit later to find them....
enter person 2 - ¨actually Maria doesn´t participate with your church, can you take her off the list?¨
Then we explain that being on the list means she´s baptized, and that it´s a covenant with God, and ¨taking her off the list¨ requires a bit more than that.
Person 2 - ¨well then...she actually doesn´t live here...¨
By this time I didn´t quite know how to respond...

Or...my personal favorite.
Us - ¨Hal-o!¨
Person leaves the house - ¨yeah?¨
Us - ¨We´re looking for Juan¨
Person - ¨I´m Juan¨
Us - Oh great! We´re the missionaries and we just wanted to stop by to ...
Juan - ¨Oh! No, Juan isn´t here right now and I´m very busy. Maybe later. Bye!¨
Ha. I´ll be honest. I couldn´t hold back my laugh for that one.
Oh well.....to say the least, we´ve been doing our best.
I just want everyone to know that my testimony of obedience has been strengthened SO much this week. I know that when we obey, especially in the small things, the Lord takes the rest of the way and allows miracles to happen. There is a scripture in D&C 123 that says...
15 Let no man count them as small things; for there is much which lieth in futurity, pertaining to the saints, which depends upon these things.
16 You know, brethren, that a very large ship is abenefited very much by a very small helm in the time of a storm, by being kept workways with the wind and the waves.
17 Therefore, dearly beloved brethren, let us acheerfully bdo all things that lie in our power; and then may we stand still, with the utmost assurance, to see the csalvation of God, and for his arm to be revealed.
I know that when we cheerfully obey, and do all we possibly can to do our part of the deal, the Lord completes his end of the deal. Heavenly promises are always kept and we have the opportunity to receive exponential blessings based on our obedience. I love him for all he has done, and I will always be indebted to him and what he does for me on a daily basis.
I pray all of you are well, and hope you know Les amo mucho! Con amor, Hermana Blackham

2010-02-08T19:58:00.000-08:00

Feb 8, 2010

2010-02-08T19:51:00.000-08:00

This week! Ok, I have lots to catch up on! This week we´ve had some great experiences! Starting with a 1 pound ¨pastel De Choco¨ Pastel De Choco is a really popular dish here where they take corn, grind it up, and put it on top of a hamburger-onion mixture. It´s kind of like a casserole. It´s a really heavy food that fills you up quick. And she made each of us a bread pan sized dish. complete with 4 cookies and a cup of icecream. I about died. haha. The Joys of Chilean food....

We´re still in vacation time. The other ward we meet with doesn´t have any members of the bishopric there for almost the entire month. It´s crazy how many people are gone for such a long time, but it gives us more opportunities to find new investegators. It´s kind of like a ¨where´s waldo¨ missionary style. Just try to find those the Lord is preparing. Quite the experience let me tell you.

This week we were teaching a sweet lady named Mercedes who´s been listening to the missionaries for a short time. She is super sweet, and at the end of our lesson we found out it was her birthday and she didn´t have any plans, so we ended the lesson, went out and got her some ice cream to celebrate and had an impromptu party! wahoo! I loved it! And I think she gained a lot of trust with us as well.

This week we also had a Baptism for Felipe! I think the heavens were singing for this one. He´s been listening to the missionaries for years and he was finally ready to be baptised. I keep thinking of all the missionaries that have done so much to help him, and now he´s been able to finally accept the gospel and move forward in this path! He was SO excited. After his baptism he came up to me and said ¨POR FIN!!!¨ which basically means, FINALLY! He could´nt stop smiling. I was so happy for him! He has a VERY good knowledge of the gospel, definitely better than what I had when I was baptised at 8 years old, so I think he´ll do just fine. It was SO neat to be able to see that joy radiating from him. There is a picture of him attached.

Also attached is a picture of the familia Quijada. They are from Paraguy, and we´ve been working with them a lot this change. Their son Victor was so scared that we were going to get changed so we had to take a picture. He is SO awesome. IF all of us had his faith I´m afraid the world would be translated right now. He´s been reading at least 3 chapters a day in his Book of Mormon after we gave him the challenge last week. We always have a great time with this family.
The other picture is hermana and I at cerro san cristobal, and all for of the hermanas in our pension in the tram on the way up.

Also, we had changes this week, and HErmana Trone and I are still together. 3 changes and going strong! Man, I might kill her at this rate (for all of those not on a mission...kill means that I´ll be with her the change before she leaves her mission) Promise, we get along fine=) We´ll see if president wants us to stay together til june when she leaves. haha.

Anyway, I don´t have a lot of time, but I hope everyone is doing well. I love this gospel, and I love the scriptures. We truly can find all of our answers in the scriptures when we seek them out. I know that is true more and more every day!

Love you all!
Hermana BLackham

Feb 1, 2010

2010-02-04T09:50:00.000-08:00

I realized I should be giving you more info on our investigators...so here we go!

First we have Jorge...yes, the same Jorge we have been teaching for months, he is still hanging in there. After working him for SO long, and trying to get past the brainy intellectual barrier, trying to help him stop smoking, exercise a litte more faith, and having quite the intense lesson last Sunday to help him realize that he needed to make a decision, I think we´re finally seeing a light. This week we were walking to his house to see if he had made a decision, prayed, and received an answer to get baptized, and a block away from his home we heard someone calling our names, and he came running to us. He had a huge smile, and I said ït looks like you received your answer¨and he said, YUP! My answer was ¨you need to join these people, and if you don´t, you´re going to run into a lot of problems¨ haha, that´s Jorge´s personality for you. He has a testimony, and a very humble desire to overcome everything he´s faced. He´s just gotta stop smoking. Right now this is the greatest challenge. These addictions sure are difficult when people get involved with them.
Which brings me to a really sad story for the week...Hermana and I were walking home last night and there were 3 little boys, between 7-10 years old, and they were smoking (and trying to hide it from their parents across the street). We stopped and talked to them for a few minutes, gave them pictures of Christ, and suckers, and had a mini lesson on the word of wisdom=) We made them promise to never do it again.
We also have Felipe. Felipe has been listening to the missionaries since 2003. He´s 20 years old, and is FINALLY ready to be baptized! We met with him a few weeks ago, set a date with him, and have been working with him ever since. It´s a pretty weird feeling to be observing this point in someone´s progression to receive baptism. I think I´m expecting the ground to open up, and for him to be swallowed up in the opposition, because it always seems to happen. But every person that truly receives the testimony and desire, receives the power to do what he´s commanded. And he´s ready. We gave him a challenge to read at least a chapter a day out of the book of mormon, and he´s taken it and almost doubled it! He´s reading so much and receiving so much help from reading it. He´s been inviting everyone to his baptism and is so excited to finally take this step. His mom is very supportive of his decision. What a blessing!
We´ve also been teaching tons of other lessons with less actives and old investegators, and trying to find new people. It´s an interesting time of year because everyone is leaving for vacation for the whole month of February, so we´ve had to put a lot of people on hold, and are trying to find new ones to work with, but we´re learning and working and working and working....
This week we also had interviews with President. My, he is called of God, and I walked out of the interview with a new perspective and a renewed Energy! I love president, and I love this work!

Today we spent a long time with President. With so many death´s in Hermana´s family recently, he brought us in for a special interview. Even though I was only there to be a support to Hermana, I felt like I was receiving a personal tutoring to the ways of the Lord. It was incredible! I loved it!
Anyway I don´t have a lot of time to write more. I´ll try to do better next week! Everyone, just keep reading in the Book of Mormon until you feel the spirit. We´ve had some special experiences with the book of mormon this week and I know that when we read it, we can receive revelation. I know that this gospel is true and that it is ONLY through the gospel of Jesus Christ that we can receive answers to our questions, problems, difficulties. I know it´s only through the atonement that we can receive help and tutoring to overcome those difficulties that we face in life. It is only through giving Christ all that we have and are that we can receive his promise that he will heal us and lift us above that which we are facing.
I love all of you and pray you are well!
con amor,
Hermana Blackham

Jan 25, 2010

2010-01-25T16:10:00.000-08:00

Dad, LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE LOVE your talk Idea. That experience you shared when you were a new bishop is incredible, because it has so much truth in it. I think I forget so easily. Especially as a missionary I´ve lost sight of that at times when I´m in the middle of a lesson and I can´t speak the language, the person is telling us qualquier problem and doubt, and I can´t explain the gospel and I think ¨man, if I only had more time, language skills, spirit, love, inspiration, understanding, THEN I could say exactly what they need to hear¨ but in reality, we just need to turn them to Christ, and he´ll guide them and help them overcome their doubts, struggles, etc. Loved that insight, very profound.
Wahoo! What a week! I´ve gotten to know a whole new side of our dear tile-filled, non-airconditioned pension because I´ve spent almost the whole week there! Hermana has been sick, so you know what that means! Yup, lots of goodies and lunches delivered by the members, lots of study time, and lots of bonding time, both with the companion and with the scriptures. love it. As much as I would love to give you a play by play of what happened this week in our pension, I´ll just leave it at that, but give you a few highlights.

This week we had SO many investegators in the church! The ward was super excited because lots of them were melchesedic priesthood holders! And, it was crazy because Hermana and I didn´t have a lot of time to work with them, and the Elders had special changes so they are trying to do double duty in 2 wards right now. What a blessing!

Today the senior couple (the Bushmans from Midland Texas (Mallory Kipp, they knew you from when you served in their ward=)) invited us out to Lunch at their house to have Navajo Tacos! Wahoo! So good! Then we went to a really famous place in Santiago called ¨corro San Cristobal...¨I think. It´s basically a really really big Virgin Mary on the hill overlooking Santiago. The view was bearutiful! I´ll try to send pictures next week.

We´re still working with people to receive baptism. I think everytime I write about someone in my emails home, the baptism always falls through. So...to avoid any ill-luck I´ll let you know the good news after they get baptized! haha. No, but really, there are a few promising people right now and we are praying that they will continue as they have started.

I read through Alma 17-29 looking for what it was that made Ammon and Aaron such powerful missionaries! I think everyone should do this study! It´s incredible! By the end I had a huge list of things that every person can to do become closer to the savior and a more effective instrument in his hands. The two that had the most references 1. They were lead by the spirit and followed it´s promptings. 2. They prayed MIGHTILY! These are powerful tools! The spirit and prayer.

I also gained a stronger testimony of how the Book of Mormon can be directly applied to our lives today in EVERY way! For example. I was reading in Alma 26,24 where it talks about how the missionaries were called to convince the Lamanies of the incorrectness of the traditions of their fathers. This statement ¨the incorrectness of the traditions of their fathers¨ is a really interesting statement and I think I´m beginning to understand the latter-day application. A large majority of our lessons we´ll find somoene who talks about cathlocism as if it´s their ethnicity, not a religion that they can change. They talk about how they are cathloic, and their fathers were cathloic, and they don´t think they can change or don´t want to change, because they were raised differently. It is difficult for them to want to understand and wrap their mind around truth. How grateful I am that 1. The Lord allows us the power to change and 2. He has taught us the perfect place to preach the gospel is in our own homes, so our children can learn truth from the beginning. And how grateful I am for the spirit, so these people CAN recognize truth when it comes to them, despite their upbringing! I love it!

I love the book of Mormon! It is a powerful book that can change the lives of those who sincerely read it! I hope that everyone is discovering this truth day by day as they read in the Book of Mormon.

Anyway, I hope that everyone is well and thank you everyone for your letters and emails!!! I love them!

Love you all and pray you are well!
hermana Blackham

Jan 18, 2010

2010-01-18T20:11:00.000-08:00

Hola a mis amigos! I´m not quite sure what to write for this week. We´re still busy as ever, sugared up as ever from the drinks from the chileans, happy as ever, and my calfs are as big as ever from these hills!

I´m still trying to speak spanish, and even more still trying to understand chilean. I have moments where the people can understand me perfectly, and I them. But then there are other moments where I try with all my heart to understand, but I have no idea what they are talking about, and then I have no idea how we should teach them. Thank goodness for companions! It´s like a roller coaster, but it´s all great! Really! I´m learning slowly and one day I know it will come.

This week we had Zone Conference and that night in my thankful journal I gave thanks for a Gringo President that I can understand=) It was so energizing! President and his wife are amazing! We talked alot about the purpose and necessity of developing christlike attributes, and how we develop them. One of the assistants talked about when things are hard, that´s really when we are able to become like christ. When it is difficult to love, yet we love them, our capacity to love as Christ deepens, When we aren´t seeing any fruit of our labors, but keep pressing forward until we at last see progress, our faith strengthens. When there is an investegator who isn´t progressing quickly as we would like, this is an opportunity to develop patience. Etc. We need that opposition in order to develop those attributes! Isn´t that amazing? The Lord really knows what he´s doing when we were asked to come here to experience trials and opposition.

Also, this week we were stopped by a man who said that he needed money on his bus pass to go back home. Usually we don´t get too involved with the people on the street out of safety precaution, but this time we felt like we should help him. So, on the way to the bus pass charging station we passed a man who began yelling ¨they believe in false prophets! false prophets! don´t listen to them¨ while the man with us yelled back ¨they are good people! Christian people!¨ haha. Anyway, when we tried to put money on his bus pass, he really told us that he actually wanted cigarettes, and wanted us to give him the money directly. But don´t worry, we took his bus pass, put the money on the bus pass just like he wanted earlier, and left quickly, crossing the street to avoid the ¨false prophets¨ guy. But, we were immediately intercepted by a very concerned old woman who was apalled that the begger had tricked us into giving him money. She proceeded for 20 minutes to explain to us the ¨street smarts¨of santiago for these poor american sister missionaries, pausing every few minutes to stop someone who was passing to tell them how we had been tricked, Anyway, (I really am going somewhere with this story....) one of her friends passed by she told us how her friend Carmen had just lost a son a month ago, and was really struggling with his death. We were able to testify quickly to Carmen about the plan of salvation, and set up a return appointment to teach her more. So...moral of the story. Follow promptings! We never know where they will lead us!

We´re still fighting for our investegators and less actives to keep their commitments. Each person has their unique challenges and situations so we´re doing our best to help them, and sometimes I just come home emotionally drained from trying to figure out what the Lord needs for them to receive baptism or what he needs us to do so they will feel the drive to come back to church. It´s a tough one, but it´s a cause worth fighting for, and we´re doing our best.

This week I had kind of an out of body experience where I realized what I was actually doing...I am a representative of Jesus Christ, teaching and preaching to these people about the gospel, the way that they can receive ALL the answers to every question that they´ve ever offered in their hearts about this life and their struggles, yet, so few see it. So many reject it before they even give it a chance. So many don´t feel how vital this message is, and I was wondering why I felt so passionate about this, and others were so indifferent to it´s message. I found this quote in the last CES fireside by Elder Anderson It says...
¨¨Have you ever wondered: Why is it that I am who I am? Why is it I feel the way I feel? Why have I chosen to believe so fully in the Lord Jesus Christ? Why do I choose to keep His commandments when others do not care about them? Why do I feel the way I do about the Book of Mormon? Why do the words come off the page of scripture and go directly into my heart when others are almost indifferent about this sacred book? Why have I been willing to make sacred covenants through baptism, make covenants in the temple, and—for many of you—serve a mission?

You were chosen and foreordained to have the gospel in your life and to be a leader in the cause of the restored gospel.¨

I realized that we have all been called and foreordained in this gospel to teach what we know, so others can receive this blessing in their lives as well! It´s a humbling thought, and a great responsibility, but what a great opportunity it is! I love this work, I love this cause, and I love my Savior for what he did.

I pray all of you are well, and hope you have a great week.

Con Amor, Hermana Blackham

Filling the font with pots of water

2010-01-11T19:03:00.000-08:00

Jan 11, 2010

2010-01-11T19:00:00.000-08:00

HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM!!! Wahoo! You are looking younger and younger every day. All the chileans say you look like my sister, so, so far so good!

Dad, I think you´re feeling something that I wish our members would feel also. But our problem is that the ward doesn´t have any functioning programs at all....ha. That´s a tough situation to try to inspire others....I thought of a talk by spencer w. kimball called ¨jesus christ the perfect leader¨I´m not sure if it´s on LDS.org, but if you google it, it´s incredible. I don´t know if it will help, but it helped me when I was in those situations. Thanks for your perspective of what´s happening with the world. I can see that everyday, and it´s really discouraging at times to try to help others see the guilt and pain that comes from not following the Lord. But, liek you said, they need to learn through their own experiences and I pray, someday, they will come to understand the atonement so they can feel free from those feelings they have.
Thanks for the insight...

For news this week...man, I never know what to say. It seems like I write the same thing every week, but I´ll try to give you some details.

This week I´ve been learning lots of skills I can apply when I´m a mom....I´ll try to give a few examples.

Laughing skills....We went knocking this week and found a dear old, but grumpy cathloic man who didn´t like americans. He said he would only give us 2 minutes outside of his house to tell him what we had to say, he then proceeded to lecture us for 7 minutes, then got mad at us because we had taken 7 minutes and not 2. ha! outrageous! We laughed for awhile over that one.

Jello baking skills.....This week Hermana and I have really discovered the food that unites hearts together, and it´s guilt free too!....sugar free jello! We make a huge bowl every morning, pop it in the fridge, and bam, every night we have a refreshing treat, and community-bowl style it during planning. Bonding experience to say the least...especially when the jello explodes everywhere in the microwave when we accidentally leave it in too long...oh yeah!

Canning skills....What do you do when you want to can food with the relief society sisters, but don´t have canning equiptment? Use one kilo of salt for the 2 cups of veggies, or 3 cups of corn syrup for a small bit of fruit. Nothin´s going to go bad with that much sugar and salt, no matter the container it sits in!

Cookie Dough eating skills....even better if you throw them in the microwave for a minute. need I say more?

And last of all...Disciplining skills. What do you do when your child is really excited to have the missionaries over for lunch and doesn´t want to obey your requests? Easy, pick him up by the seat of his pants and toss him in the pool out back! THat will get him to obey quick...

Ha...ok so really, I´ve been learning more than that...we´ve been teaching A LOT this week. I think we had over thirty lessons, with less actives, with investegators, and with recent converts. Oh my, it was so busy. Plus, Hermana and I have a blast together, so the time REALLY passes quick. I get quite the leg workout hiking up the hill, and quite the ab workout because we have so many opportunities to laugh together. I can say I honestly LOVE being a missionary. It´s not easy, but it´s a blast!

This week we´ve been working a LOT with Jorge, taught him the Plan of Salvation Lesson, answered a million and a half of his questions, while trying to help him understand faith and trust in the Lord for those things that he didn´t quite understand about the fall of adam. He´s still trying to give up smoking, and we´ve been trying to help him get up the gusto to just ¨rip off the bandaid¨and just do it! I have faith one day It will happen and I pray he´ll have the power to do it since his baptism date is coming up.

We´ve also been working with a menus active family from Paraguy who hasn´t been to church since they moved here. They are so awesome! Their son is 13 years old, and is the biggest stud I´ve ever met. He came to church on his own right after we visited him, has begun to read the book of mormon and pray every day. We stopped by one day and he had cleaned his whole house and done all the laundry so his mom wouldn´t have to be stressed when she came home from work. He´s such a gentleman, and has the faith of a giant. Yesterday he and his mom came to church together, and he told us ¨right now we´re two, but soon we´ll be three, then four...¨He has a firm faith that his inactive father and sister will become active as they continue to be faithful, and with his example, I have confidence in that as well! He´s really encouraged me this week by his example, and I can SEE the light in his eyes that comes from obedience to the principles of the gospel.

We´ve been teaching a lot of lessons to people who are somewhat interested, but like to worship god in their ¨propio manera¨or in their own way. The hardest lessons are when you and they recognize there is something different about this religion, but, they don´t want to pray because they don´t want to receive an answer, because it means they will have to change their lifestyle. We teach them of the blessings that are waiting for them. We explain its like a deliscous cake that they can receive if they just pray and read and ask. But they fear of the changes they have to make, and choose not to pray, and choose not to read, and they lose the precious blessings that the Lord want´s to pour out on their lives. It´s really hard to see taht. But, the good news is that when we trust the Lord, and obey, and when we ask, and when we pray and read and keep the commandments the first time and repent when we are imperfect, the Lord POURS out the blessings upon our heads. We receive the peace of conscience, we receive unseen temporal and spiritual blessings, we receive joy and happiness that is impossible without the Lord. It´s amazing, and it´s true!

I know that when we obey, the Lord ALWAYS keeps his promises, ALWAYS, because he loves us and wants to bless us. Although it can be hard to trust with our whole heart, when we do, he blesses us always.

I love all of you, and pray you are well! Take care!

Con Amor,
Hermana Blackham

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Jan 4, 2009

2010-01-05T17:42:00.000-08:00

FELIZ AÑO! In America they kiss at midnight, here they hug for 5 days after the new year. I don´t think I´ve ever gotten so many hugs in my life! and as always, the Chileans love to celebrate at any opportunity. So, as I was going to bed, their parties were beginning. The next morning when Hermana and I went running there were still a few good groups of drunks out in the road. Everyone had their barbeque´s out, and music blasting until 6 am, but, the blessing of being a missionary is being so tired, that you don´t hear any of it. Hermana and I celebrated by entering in early for 2 days to avoid the drunks, and breaking glow in the dark bracelets during planning. yeah, we know how to party! haha.

This week we´ve been working a lot with Jorge, and with the Menos Activos in our ward. Jorge still didn´t know that Joseph Smith was a prophet, so we decided to watch the Joseph Smith Movie with him. Afterwards we asked what he thought, and he said he felt that he was a prophet, but still wasn´t sure. So, we decided to kneel right there and ask! He offered a very humble prayer, we sat for a minute afterward, and he said that he knew it was true, an Book of Mormon was true! What a great feeling to know that he received his answer! He´s really trying to overcome smoking, and has some changes to make before baptism, but with patience, and time, I know he´ll get baptized when he shows the Lord he´s willing to make the changes. In the words of Elder Holland ¨Salvation is not a cheap experience¨ and that scares a lot of people away when they realize what they have to do. But when we make those little sacrifices and obey what the Lord knows says, We will be happy and have power to do his will! oh how great will be our our Joy!!!

This week we´ve also had some neat experiences with a lot of our less actives. We had quite a few in church this week, and many of them brought their non member family, friends, etc. It was so neat! One of our less actives is named Hermano Zambrano. He is so off the hook, SUCH a neat guy! We´ve been visiting him for awhile and a week ago Hermana gave him a scripture, the spirit touched his heart, and he´s completely turned around. We had a family night with him and his 2 inactive children the other day, watched the Joseph Smith Movie with them. After the movie he cried as he told his children how he came to know that Joseph Smith was a prophet years ago. He cried as he told us about his relationship with Heavenly Father, and cried as he told us that he was going to move forward and make changes in his life. He is SO solid, and he´s filled with a light that I didn´t see before. AND, he´s given us so many references of his neighbors, other menos activos, man, he´s so off the hook. I love him SO much!

This week, I´ve again realized, This is not my work, this is not the work of the mission, but this is the LORD´s work, that I have an opportunity to be involved in it. He answers prayers. He prepares people to be taught. And we have the opportunity and gift to be involved in it. Any success we see is only His success, because it is his gospel, and IT IS TRUE!

I was feeling a bit down earlier this week because a lot of people wern´t progressing as we´ve wanted them to, and in looking for a bit of encouragement I read a GREAT talk by Elder Uchdorf called Ïnfinite Power of Hope. It´s incredible. If you have the chance to read it, it´s amazing. I wanted to share a quote I read from it that says.

¨There may be times when we must make a courageous decision to hope even when everything around us contradicts this hope. Like Father Abraham, we will ägainst hope believe in hope¨ or as one writer expressed ¨in the depth of winter, we find within us an invincilbe summer...I say with love and deep concern for you, never give in. Never surrender. Never allow despair to overcome your spirit. Embrace and rely upon the Hope of Israel, for the Lord of the Son of God pierces all darkness, softens all sorrow, and gladdens every heart.¨

I love this! Although things will go wrong, we can have the hope that He keeps every promise, that he gives his love, support, and power to all those who obey him. To have hope is a gift of the spirit, and when we ask for it, he gives us power to feel this hope in our hearts! I love this gospel, and I love him for what he´s done and know that he will give us hope when we seek it!

So, my challenge for this week, for those who are feeling worry, or concern, or discouragement, or doubt...pray and ask for hope! And He will give it to you through the scriptures, the spirit, and our willingness to seek for it!

Happy New Year my familia and Friends,

Love you!

Hermana Blackham

Christmas dinner

2009-12-29T13:38:00.000-08:00

Dec 28, 2009

2009-12-28T16:53:00.000-08:00

Top 5 News from this week!

1. Mission wide Christmas Activity. We played sports in the morning. Afterwards we went to the church building and had a beautiful banquet with all the trimmings, had a devotional from president about how all Christmas traditions testify of Christ, and then we watched ¨A Christmas Carol.¨ President gave all of us a small packet with letters from our family and the book that he and his wife wrote years back. Loved it!

2. Jorge ....long story. He´s not getting baptized. He had a up and down week. We had a great tour at the temple with him and you could tell that he felt something. (picture attached) Then he started having doubts over small scriptures he couldn´t understand. The other day he flew off the hook and started bible bashing and didn´t want to listen or understand. I don´t know what happened. It´s really sad that he´s missing the mark, but we did ALL we could to help him, and he´s at the point where he needs to decide what course he´s going to take.

3. Christmas Eve we had a great dinner with one of the members, and some less actives in the ward. She had a 13 lb. turkey, with all the trimmings. It was really good! All typical Chilean food (which basically means, dishes of veggies, or rice, or potatos, all mixed with mayo...) Ha. Love it.

4. Christmas day we woke up and made german pancakes for christmas breakfast, opened presents from our parents and one another, and pigged out on all the american candy! Hermana and I wanted to do something special, so we decided to deliver flowers and copies of the Living Christ to members, less actives, or our investegators. It was really fun to go from house to house singing carols and giving them flowers and cards. Then we got to talk to our FAMILIES! Wahoo!

5. This week the elders had a baptism. They called us 2 hours before the service to tell us they were trying to fill up the font, but the water was coming out dirty (That would be completely against the meaning of the baptism if the water started out dirty, right?) So, what do you do? we did the only thing we could think of, grabbed a bunch of pots and pans, and started filling up the font from the sink! 2 hours later we had a font filled with crystal clear water and the baptism went on (picture attached). We had a blast! And, we just found out all of us will be together in Consistorial for another change, Wahoo! We´re so excited!

I have to say we had some great times this week, but the highlight of my week was receiving the small christmas tree with all the notes from my wonderful family and friends!!! That was priceless. It lifted my spirits so much to hear from each of you. Thank you thank you!

This week I was reading in Alma 13. I´ve read through this section so many times, but this time there was a scripture that showed up that I swear wasn´t there before (amazing how that happens) It says...

28 But that ye would humble yourselves before the Lord, and call on his holy name, and watch and pray continually, that ye may not be tempted above that which ye can bear, and thus be led by the Holy Spirit, becoming humble, meek, submissive, patient, full of love and all long-suffering;
29 Having faith on the Lord; having a hope that ye shall receive eternal life; having the blove of God always in your hearts, that ye may be lifted up at the last day and enter into his crest.

There is power in prayer. A power that helps us have power over temptation. Power to become more christlike. Power to have the Love of God in our life. When we pray in faith, the blessings of heaven are poured upon us and we receive more than we could ever imagine from our loving father. I know this is true bcause I put it to the test this week and I´ve felt his comfort and help more abundantly in my life, and in his work. I know this is the true gospel, and that he loves his children and wants to communicate with them. I invite all of you to rededicate yourselves to consistant and specific prayers, and he will answer and guide you more abundantly!

Love all of you and hope you had a great Christmas!!
Love, Hermana Blackham

Dec 21, 2009

2009-12-23T19:57:00.000-08:00

Hermana and I wanted to grace you with a rendition of ¨chesnuts roasting¨ this wonderful Christams Season from Santiago.

We are roasting...in the open sun,
Doggies, nippìng at our toes,
Navidad Carols being sung at each puerta,
and folks...not really dressed at all.
Everybody knows some hot dogs and Pan de Pasqua (nasty fruitcake here),
are washed down by 17 cups of juice (coke if we´re lucky=).
although it´s been said, by barachos (drunks), ¨whistle,whistle¨
Feliz Navidad...to you...

Ok, so my rhyming skills could use some work. I´ll have to take some lessons from andrew=) Don´t worry, that was only the first song. We have some others you will be blessed to hear when we talk on Friday. haha. Oh my it does not feel like Chrsitams here. I´ve realized that Christmas season only happens in the United States. Here, they might put up a small Christmas tree, or some small decorations, and maybe buy some presents. But for them, it´s not really a Season, it´s a Day. For Church this Sunday they didn´t really do a christmas program, they sang Christmas songs for the first time this month in Sacrament meeting and that was that. Interesting huh? I´m used to celebrating it from Thanksgiving until New Years. I think that, on top of the hot weather, is why it hasn´t felt like Christmas. Oh well, Hermana and I are breaking the Santiago tradition, and have been celebrating it for a few weeks now as we´ve gone caroling to everyone we meet. I love it! This week we have a mission wide Christmas Activity that I´m looking foward to. I´m not quite sure what we´re doing yet but I¨ll let you know later.

Well, in news for this week, I was on divisions with Hermana Martinez, and we got bombarded with a water balloon! Both of us were soaked! The perpetrator booked it right after they nailed us...we looked back, looked at eachother, shrugged, and laughed. It was sweltering,so I felt so refreshed. What a nice gesture=)

We also have had our fair share of drunks this week. The other day we were walking to lunch and this old cathloic woman swayed over to us, lifted her melting strawberry popsicle to the sky with thanks to God, and reached in her bag and gave us 2 melting homemade banana popsicles. ha. And, Hermana and I were on the Bus going home when 2 drunks came onto the bus and went in to kiss Hermana. She jumped out of the way explaining that she couldn´t do that as a missionary, so instead he told us that he and his buddy were missionaries too, and since they couldn´t kiss us, he decided he wanted her to have his necklace to remember them. So he put his necklace over her head, and we booked it out of there on the next stop. It´s really sad to see to many people here involved in something so addictive, but I´ll be honest, we have our fair share of laughs and journal worthy moments as well. haha.

Ok, for real mission news. Our baptism for this week fell through, among MANY others in our Zone. Satan was giving us a hayday this week and our investegators had a hard time. Javiera decided that she really didn´t want to be baptized, but it will happen eventually. She is going to church, seminary, mutual, reading, etc. We´re trying to know what to do to help her, but aren´t quite sure what to do. Oh well, we´ll figure it out soon.

Jorge is doing REALLY well. We are doing ALL we can in our power to help him get through this week, and overcome the opposition that always comes the week before the Baptism. He has to go for the entire week without cigarettes to be able to be baptized on Sunday, and he can do it. He had a little relapse last week and smoked 10 in one day...but he can do this and he is doing all he can to receive power to overcome this. It´s been neat to see this change slowly coming over him. Before he was a hardened, intellectual, untrusting and lonely individual, and now he´s really been opening up to us, and the ward members. They have been incredible in welcoming him into the ward. They have been like his family. I am really excited to see how he progresses. Pray for him! He needs it this week!

The familia Romano also accepted to be Baptized. They have a lot to learn still and have a lot of time, but we´ll keep working with them and it will be just fine! We´re excited, we sure love them! Everytime we come to their house their little 5 year old boy runs out and says ¨Hermana Blackam...Hermana Trone!!!!¨ He´s such a sweet kid!

This week we had interviews with President. I loved it. President is incredible. He kept asking me if there was anything he could do for me. He really is like our father here in the mission. I am so grateful for him. He gave me some really neat council that I´ve been thinking a lot about. He talked about how as we go through this life, we are all dropping pebbles in the pond of life. Lots of times we really don´t realize the effects of what we do, for good, or for bad. He explained that a lot of times in a mission we are doing a lot of small different things, inviting lots of people to change, testifying, interacting, yet often don´t see the fruits of our labors. We wonder if wére using our time in the right way, or if we need to be doing other things. But he said that ALL we do right now, echoes into eternity, and the Lord is the one who has a perfect vision of what needs to happen in the future. I was realizing that although I don´t always know the effects of what I´m doing, although I don´t quite know where to use my time perfectly, or how to work with people perfectly, the Lord knows perfectly what I need to do now, to have those eternal consequences. That is why it is so important to follow the spirit in the here and now, because how we follow the spirit now, effects what will happen in the future.

I am so grateful to remember that this week, as we remember the birth of Christ. His birth in a Stable in Bethlehem was one pebble dropped in a pond. Yet, this humble start, was the beginning of the most influencial life ever lived on the earth. Men still speak his name in awe and reverence. What a great opportunity we have to be able to remember his life, what he did for us, and continue to spread his influence in the lives of others as we treat others as he would, and share his gospel with others.

I love this gospel! I love him for what He did. I love this time of year! I pray all of you have a wonderful Christmas! Les Amo mucho!

Love, Hermana Blackham

I love you family! I pray you have a wonderful week!! Thank you so much for being such an incredible family, seriously, I´m so blessed, I can´t even contain it! I am SOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOOo excited to talk to you on Friday...SO excited. Take care!

Dec 14, 2009

2009-12-17T08:26:00.000-08:00

Your week sounds amazing, that´s incredible what the ward did for dad, i wish I could have been there for it. Dad, you´ve been an incredible influence on the ward, and they love love love you. I wish I could do a fraction here of what you´ve done for them and for me. I´m trying my hardest.
I don´t know why I had this thought, but everytime I´m tired, or struggling to hike up our huge hill in 100 degree weather I think of the Lindorfs comment to me right before I left about having to do the work for two people...and I get a second wind. I´m really trying to do my best.
and, enjoy the snow for me!!!!! seriously.

Ok, it´s going to be a long letter for this week. be prepared!!!

One of our investegators gave me and my companion this scripture this week. Mosiah 19 13-14. He said it described us spiritually....
¨13. And it came to pass that those who tarried with their wives and their children caused that their fair daughters should stand forth and plead with the lamanites that they would not slay them.
14. And it came to pass that the Lamanites had compassion on them, for they were charmed with the beauty of their women¨
So, mom, I would just like to let you know I am fulfilling a prophecy of the book of mormon and ¨softening the hearts of the laminites(chileans) by charming them by my beauty¨ Ha, Hermana and I couldn´t stop laughing. I was crying I was laughing so hard. Don´t worry Grandpa and Uncle Brad, I´m not being charmed by the latins...

On Tuesday we had Zone Conference with President Amado of the Quorum of the seventy. He spoke to us for 4 1/2 hours, answered questions of missionaries, and used the rest of his time talking about the doctrine of the atonement....In straight spanish. I´m sure it was really good...haha. I wish I could have understood, but no worries Hermana Trone gave me a run down of his main points. Oh boy, I have lots to learn. haha.

This week was also elections. Because of laws we were only allowed to have sacrament meeting for an hour with 2 combined wards. I was amazed at how many people were up so early on a Sunday to go vote....It made me wonder why they could get up so early to vote, but why it was so difficult to go to church. ha, oh well. We had some of our permaneced families at church, with some of their non-member family members, and some investegators, so that was a blessing.

I feel like it´s really been game time this week, They need to be at church 3 times before they can be baptized so we were working so hard to continue working with investegators, and finding new people that would come to church on Sunday. And, I think we´re going to make our goal to have 2 baptisms this week! There were some MAJOR miracles this week, it´s amazing.

1. Jorge. Jorge is a 40 year old man who came into the church building while my companion was in her last sector. He had taken lessons years ago and was searching for the peace he felt there previously. She gave him a book of mormon, and passed him off to the missionaries who were in his ward. The missionaries were unable to teach them, and then we came into the sector. We´ve kept running into him in the street, and he´s told us every time that he´s been reading the book of mormon, but didn´t want to be taught, especially because he lives alone in his home. Well, the other day he showed up at church for the other ward again, and so we finally decided to stalk out his house, and find him and do all we could to teach him. One day we stopped by and he wasn´t there (as usual) so we decided to leave him a note. Right as we were able to leave he walked up, and we had an unofficial lesson right there in the street, and asked him to be baptized. His response was ¨what do I need to do to be baptized?¨That´s the answer we were looking for! Whoa! Major miracle. He has a really hard time with smoking, but has made significant improvements the past few days. He needs prayers, because he´s been smoking between 10-20 cigarettes each day, but yesterday he only had 2, today he promised he would be completely clean. He´s trying so hard, and is so incredibly diligent and willing to obey. He has to be clean for a week before his baptism, so we´re hoping he can do it before his baptizm on the 27th!

2. Javiera. Javiera is a friend of one of the members in our ward. She has been taking the lessons for awhile but has been really difficult to find because she doesn´t want to be taught in her home (she´s the only one investegating the church) but this week we had a lesson with her in the chapel, committed her to be baptized this Sunday, and committed her to talk to her parents. She said she´s going to do it, so hopefully, if all goes as planned, she will be baptised this sunday!! Wahoo!

3. Romano family. They live at the very top corner of our sector so it´s quite the hike to make it up there, but we´ve seen them a lot since we found them last week. Their daughters went to mutual this week and had a great time! They loved it, and the mom loved that they were getting involved with the ward. We had a lesson with the mom about baptism, word of wisdom, and she said she needed to talk to her husband about being baptized. The husband is such a great man. He´s not been in a lot of our lessons because he´s so busy, but he´s told his wife that if she´s going to do something about this church, she has to give it her all. The daughters are trying to read the book of mormon every night, and the wife reads her book of mormon frequently. I´m excited to see what happens with them. They wern´t able to go to church this week, but I pray they will be able to make it next week! I love their daughters, they are beautiful girls and there is nothing I would love more, than to have this family receive the blessings of the gospel. They are so awesome! oh I love them so much!

So, the lord does really answer our prayers when we do all we can to put him first. I know that more than ever!

Ok, and last of all, I was reading a talk by Elder Maxwell this week that he gave at a Devotioanal in 1974. It´s called ¨but for a small moment.¨oh I love it! He talked about difficulties in life, and what we will be required to sacrifice and face when we make the decision to be disciples of Christ. I started studying in the scriptures about sacrifice and was reminded that although we may have to suffer, what a small price it is to pay to become more like him, become his disciple. I realized how true the scripture in Matt. 10 39 is ¨He that findeth his life shall lose it, and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it.¨ Christ has given ALL for us, and the only reason we are here on the earth, the ONLY reason we live and breath and love, the ONLY reason for the gospel of Jesus Christ, is for God´s children to ¨receive the immortality and eternal life of man¨ All things we do in the gospel of Jesus Christ, the purpose of the BOok of Mormon, PRophets, and Programs of the church are to bring the immortality and eternal life of man. And if that requires our will to be sacrificed, so that God´s will can be fulfilled, what a great opportunity to be involved in his cause. And when we lose our life in His will, His love, and His work, and forget our own desires, we are then able to find a life founded on Christ, his love, and his joy, and one day we will be in his presence, wrapped in his arms with the words ¨well done my good and faithful servant¨ what an incredible opportunity for us to this!!!! I love the Savior for what he did, and I love this time of year to remember his birth. I pray each of you are well and are coming closer to christ this year as we celebrate his birth!
Horrah for Israel!

Love, Hermana Blackham

P.S. Love you. Thank you thank you for the emails. I wish I could respond to everything, but I hope you know that I¨m so happy to hear of all the service going on back at home and for all the christmas joy flowing from our home! Love it! It really helps here!

2009-12-08T15:45:00.000-08:00

We hiked to the top of the mountain and wrote our own title of liberty for our zone, and wrote what we are fighting for and what our purpose is. it was awesome! wahoo!

Dec 7 2009

2009-12-08T15:40:00.000-08:00

Dad, thank you for the update on the First Prsidency Christmas devotional. We wern´t able to see it, so I appreciate the summary. It´s hard to remember it´s Christmas season down here because, well, it´s 100 degrees outside (ok, so not that much, but it´s a lot!) and it´s been harder to get into the Christmas spirit than I thought because of other reasons... but don´t worry, it will come! Also, I have a sweet story for you about miracles that happened Saturday...look at the letter for this week. I bet it´s the temple name that put us over the edge of what we needed to have a miracle....you are incredible!!! thank you thank you for your generosity, insight, ability to follow the spirit, and I echo moms words that I´m realizing more and more how wonderful my dad is.

Rexburg...-6 with a windchill at -23.
Santiago...100...with no ozone layer (thank you pollution) 120 degrees.
Welcome to Santiago at Christmas time.

Ok...so maybe I´m being a bit exagerative with the whole 120 degree weather.It´s not really that bad, but it sometimes feels like it when I´m hiking up these wonderful andes to find inactive families. Hermana and I have been working hard this week to find families for ¨Permaneced¨the program that the area seventy has issued in order to find all the inactive members of the church in Chile. We have 3 weeks to finish contacting all of our 1100 inactive members. ha! sweet! It´s been a party....well, maybe not with the inactive members because a large majority of them have 1. moved 2. passed away 3. decided that they really don´t want to be members, but they just don´t realize what this gospel is! So, hermana and I have been having our own party all week. I don´t think I´ve ever worked so hard, been so tired, walked so far, laughed so hard, and had so little success in terms of numbers. ha! But, we decided to make a good time of it, make lists of why we´re grateful for permaneced, and keep going because, this was probably the trial of our faith, before the miracle (thank you Elder Thorpe for your letter a few weeks ago!)

During splits with the other hermanas Hermana Martinez and I went to a lesson in the other sector...and these people ended up being Jehovah´s witnesses. Oh my, the minute we walked in I felt like it wouldn´t be very productive use of our time. And, yup, it wasn´t. They just wanted to debate, wanted to question doctrines that wern´t pertinent to the gospel and use their bible to fight against ours. ha, hermana and I tried to get out there as quick as possible while being tactful. We bore our testimony and did our best with the circumstances. I felt really sad as we left because I knew there was something they could have that would bring them greater joy and happiness than they could ever experience, but, they didn´t want to listen to it. In fact they left us with their pamphlet (which we threw away promptly)...and we left them with ours. One of those experiences where you really question and realize what you really believe. I know this is the Lord´s work and that we are not just doing missionary work to add to our members, but we are doing work to save souls.

We also have a goal with the mission to have 1 baptism. per missionary per month. this means that there are 2 people in our sector who the Lord is preparing to be baptized. Hermana and I have been doing our best this week to work hard, be obedient and put our faith in the Lord to find these people. it´s difficult not knowing the sector, but we know it´s possible! and we´ve been doing our best to find those people. There are a couple of potential people and we are praying our little hearts out to have this happen! I know it can because it´s the Lord´s goal for our mission...it´s just a matter of having enough faith to have miracles.

And, this Saturday, we had a definite miracle we were in the upper corner of our sector, WAY up the mountain. It had been a long day and we were about to go home for the night, and we decided to do one more stop. The area was super poor, one of the most poor parts that I´ve seen. After not being able to have a lesson with the less active member, we started talking to their neighbors, a super humble family. They have 5 kids, 18 years to 8 months. The oldest has something equivelant to downs syndrome and can´t talk. They were asking questions that Joseph Smith was asking when he went into the grove. The mom had taken discussions from the missionaries and read the whole Book of Mormon years ago, but moved up here from the south and wasn´t able to be baptized. They were all very attentive during the lesson and I felt something with them that I hadn´t felt with a lot of people. Even thought they weren´t actively searching out churches, in their hearts they were searching for what they needed to feel the spirit in their lives. To achieve happiness and peace in this life, and in the life to come. I absolutely LOVE this family. The daughters are super sweet and I feel like we are becoming quick friends. We are praying that they will have the desire to be baptized. there is still a long road to take before and after baptism, but they are on their way and I pray that we are doing all we can to help them. They can´t be baptized this month because they need to be in church a certain number of times, but I feel like there is a lot of potential with them for the future. Wahoo! This work is real! i love you all and pray you are well!!!!

Con amor, Hermana Blackham

I love you family. i pray all is well!!!

Nov 30 2009

2009-12-08T15:37:00.000-08:00

The Mountains are HUGE...It looks like they are about 1 and a half of timpanogos. Huge. and the first day we went to the temple grounds because the mission office is on the same grounds. I´m not sure how often we get to go, but I´m told about once every couple of transfers. The temple is small here, but it´s beautiful. Love it. Thanks BTW for the Horrah for Isreal...Your letter felt incomplete without it=). And I beg to differ on the temperature......I just got a nice sun tan yesterday. AND, I have the liberty of having instant hot chocolate any time I want...just stick a cup out on the porch and voila! Hot chocolate ready to go! ha.

Our email rules are 1. Email President and Family 2. If we have time we can email whoever we want to email and receive from whoever we want to email. and 3. We usually have an 1.5 hours to email. Alex, way to go on the associates degree idea. you can do it!! and you will love mrs. gessell...she´s incredible!

Tell Charlie that I wish I could eat a whole peacan log like a hot dog...I bet I could with the size my stomach is becoming...haha.

Thank you Andrew for ¨the ¨HF alwasy compensates for our work...¨ I will remember that when I´m in lunches with the members. It´s good to remember. And dad, I´m holding you to that rec center pass promise. hehe. Also Andrew, I´m pretty sure Chileans and Brazilians are brothers from another mother. (ok, so I know we´re all Children of Heavenly Father, but they must be twins!) Everything you say in your letter I keep thinking, ¨that´s exactly what´s going on with us! interested first lessons, but difficulties making it to church, or following up in commitments, or getting the members involved¨ when you find the magical formula, let me know=) I really do love the people here, but the culture presents certain difficulties.

Dad, I´m excited to do this idea for Christmas. I´ve been thinking of ways I can come to know the Savior even more and make this holiday season memorable. Hermana and I have been thinking of different things to do for the ward, investegators, etc. I¨ll let you know what ends up happening! wahoo!

AND, on for the week!

This week was interesting! Lot´s of sweet times in the Sector of Consistorial! I was laying in my bunk bed the other night, and the window was open. Usually on hot summer nights you can hear the sweet chirp of the crickets. I remember learning in elementary school if you count the crickets chirps for a minute you can determine the temperature. Well, laying in bed the other night I was realizing that instead of hearing the chirp of crickets, you can hear the bark of dogs...thousands of them. They are probably as dense as the crickets my brother Andrew steps on in Brazil. (Congrats on the bug count btw...1100 bugs, that´s the same amount of inactive members in my ward! ha!). Anyway I was wondering if the same was true for the dogs in Chile. If I counted the barks, can I determine the temperature? ...I´ll have to do an experiment tonight.

It´s gotten really warm this week and I feel like I´m back at Badger, getting the tan I lost in the MTC. But I promise, that´s not why I´m here! There is much more to say about this week!

We´ve spent a lot of our time this week trying to find all of our new investegators and inactive members, ha, that´s been a sweet time! And while we´ve been doing that we´ve been finding some new ones. We got a call last week. President felt like we needed to have elders in this ward, so they made a emergency switch and we got 2 more elders this week to help us in our sector! It´s really seemed to energize the ward. The quorum is struggling because there are few active priesthood members, and I´ve learned that the ward is only as strong as their priesthood quorom. The men who are active in the ward are PHENOMENAL, but we just need more of them. We´ve been told many times by the members, that they are few, but they are powerful. It´s true. Anyway, I´m SUPER excited to have two elders here. One of them is a greenie as well as me, so we´ll have a great time. It´s perfect!

When it comes to finding people, they are usually so nice and willing to have us in our homes, but they have a harder time 1. seeing or understanding the importance of the message 2. Being willing to keep commitments or change their lifestyle. Lots of our people with baptismal dates or who gave a lot of interest in the first few lessons...disappeared. haha, so we´ve just decided to smile, and keep working. it´s a bit difficult, but Hermana Trone and I are doing our best and learning more and more about our sector everyday. We´ve been thinking of ideas to get the ward involved including a 40 day fast, where each of the members fasts for 1 day in 40 for the work to progress in this ward. I feel like this ward has a lot of potential, but we just have to show the Lord we want to work for it.

This week we visited a sweet member boy by the name of Angel. He won my heart over. When he was 1 years old his house caught fire and he was burned really badly. His skin is really scarred, but his eyes have a incredible light. He is the most bold little boy I´ve ever met. He went around his neighborhood telling everyone that he was a member of the church, and he invited all of them to his baptism this week. He asked his mom if they could invite the prophet to baptize him, after explaining it would be a bit difficult, he decided he wanted the stake president to come baptize him. So, the stake president baptized and confirmed him. He tells everyone about the book of mormon and invites them to church. If everyone could be as bold as this little boy, the work would SOAR! He lives in the middle of a compamiento (I don´t know how it´s spelled) which basically means it´s government land that people live on when they don´t have a home. People just build shacks on the land. It´s really humbling. (Mom, if you know what this is...don´t worry. It was a really safe time of day and they had security there to watch out for us. really, don´t worry). Anyway, what I´m getting to is that he taught me a lot, espeically how we are asked to become as little children. I don´t need to be afraid to share the gospel, because I am about my fathers business. i know it´s true, and although I don´t know the language or how to explain things perfectly, this is his work, and when I have the enthusiasm and optimism that this little boy did, nothing can go wrong. I know that he will ALWAYS be there for us to support and lift us, we just need to do our best and ask, and he will be there.

Anyway, that´s only a bit from this week. I wish I could share more but I need to head out. I love love love all of you! Thank you for your prayers and love!!!
Love, Hermana Blackham.
I love you family! i pray you are well. Thank you for your letters!!! and keep praying for me...I need them.

First letter from Chile Nov 23, 2009

2009-11-23T17:21:00.000-08:00

Nov 23, 2009
Hola familia!! ok....oh my, i´m in chile! when i read andrews email about the loud beeping alarm and realizing he was in brazil....welcome to my life for the past week! it is such an out of body experience....I cant believe that people actually do this! ha! it´s so weird! Love it!

OK...warning...it´s going to be a long one. We have a long time to write and in order to keep the commandment to ¨honor my father and mother¨here comes lots of details!! beware!

Short note for dad. It´s about 85 today, sunny, beautiful weather each day. I hope your enjoying the wind chill...brrrr.

Ok...so I don´t quite know where to begin. I guess I´ll begin from the beginning! We had an incredibly long red'eye flight into Santiago, and when we got there we went through customs, and met the Laycocks. I love love love them. They are phenomenal people. I feel like president can see into my soul when I talk to him. Our first interview that first day was a special experience. He has already taught me about my purpose of a missionary. My purpose is not to come here to teach the people how to be, but to love and to save them (just as the Savior was sent here not to condemn the world, but to Love and Save them) I am his representative here and have the blessed opportunity to come here and simply love the people, and help them recieve the blessings ot the restored gospel. Can I tell you, I´m SO excited! wahoo!

From there we had a small snack, wrote letters to the president and our family, I met my companion, we went shopping for a few things, ate a meal with one of the members, knocked a few doors...well actually we ¨hallowed¨a few doors. everyone here lives behind a fence so instead of knocking on their door we yell ¨hall-o!¨and they come out and let us in. We had a hard time hitting the ground running in the area because neither of us know the area, but it was good!

Honestly, I´ve felt so good this week! I´m not just saying that, I really mean it. I´ve loved being a missionary! Ha, I´m probably in the honeymoon stages of my mission. Despite how well it´s been, It´s definitely a change...I feel like everyday I wake up and wonder where I am and what I´m doing, and then I realize I´m living in Santiago and trying to speak chilean. Ha. When I met the AP he asked ¨So...How´s your chilean?¨and we told him our spanish is getting there, and all he said was ¨they don´t speak spanish here, they speak Chilean¨and how right he was. HA...I´ve just been laughing for the whole week because I don´t understand a thing. They cut out all of their ¨S´s¨ in words, cut off the end of the word, and add po to the end of everything, and talk REALLY fast while mumbling. It´s so funny. Sister laycock told me before I left that I´m only new, nieve, and learning once in my mission, so I may as well love it while I´m in these stages. so that´s been my goal this week, and I´ve never been happier! I love walking the streets and saying hola to everyone, and when the men make comments and my companion shakes her head I just smile because I have no idea what they are saying. It´s so funny.

My companion is incredible, absolutely incredible. I love her LOTS, and have a feeling we´re going to be friends for a really long time. For those who knew my roommates at BYU'I she´s a mix of Heather Jones, and Synthia Smoot, not even joking. It´s a party every moment of the day, yet she knows how to work, and loves the people, and has taught me so much already about how to be bold and how to survive Chile. She´s from Oregon, graduated from BYU in Geography, Just, a super neat girl.

I´m so excited for these next six weeks, especially with the start we´ve had this week. We are both new to the area, they took out the last two missionaries and we´re trying to get the work rolling. We didn´t have a lot of people to work with in the beginning, but This week in 5 days we´ve found 23 new investigators, some of which are pretty incredibly prepared for the gospel. Hermana said she´s never had more than 8 new investigators in a week (she´s been on her mission for about 10 months) so this is pretty unheard of, but it´s the Work of God and people are prepared for this gospel! We are loving having so many people to work with.

This sector is called Consistorial (which is part of the Peñalolen part of Santiago) We are in one of the more poor parts of the mission. It´s a pretty crazy place, but I love it. Each day we wake up, do exercises, personal, companion, and language study, then go out for an hour, usually visiting with a member, then we go to lunch for an hour and a half. At three we start our day with teaching investigators, finding investigators, teaching recently baptized members, until 10 each night. We live right next to the mountain, and everytime I leave my house it looks like I´m in Utah with the Large mountains right to the east, except that there are millions of dogs in the street, the people are a foot shorter than any american, they are speaking a totally different language, and their homes are definitely not like ours in utah. Their homes are SO small here. They have concrete walls painted bright colors, and every other part of the home is covered in tile. Often their front room is smaller than my bedroom at home. They are very humble people, and have almost nothing. We eat with a member every day because the Laycocks said it´s the only way they know how to share their love with the missionaries. That has actually been my most difficult transition, is the food. You know how much of a health nut I can be at times, and how I´m a grazer and usually eat several small meals a day. Here they have a small breakfast, a massive lunch, and a tiny snack right before bed. Lunch usually consists of a salad with Oil, lettuce, tomato, avocado, and mayo (yes...oil and mayo are essential ingredients in this salad haha...) Then they will usually give us a large bowl of soup, and then a large plate filled with rice or pasta with a tomato or cheese sauce and a large piece of fried meat. It´s always served with juice or coke. Dessert is usually fruit in a a syrup, or sweetened condensed milk. And if we can´t eat everything, they think that we don´t like their food. So, we need to finish everything. Everyone from this mission told me that there is always a large weight gain for every missionary. Beauty...so anyway. On with my point, so I was having a really hard time 1. finishing the meals, and 2. being grateful for it because I kept letting my health nut side come out. But, I realized very quickly that these people have almost nothing, and have a hard time filling thier plates with food at times, yet they make us the meal of the century every day because they Love the Lord, and recognize we are his representatives, and want to feed us as such. it was pretty humbling to realize that this week and I´ve become much more grateful for what they are doing for us. They are giving us so much and how grateful I am for their devotion and love to the missionaries and the Lord.

We are part of a ward that has about 1200 members....yup, 1200 members. But, only 90 to 100 come each week so the area presidency has come out with a program called ¨permaneced¨which translated means ¨remain, or stay¨where we´ve been asked to visit every less active member in Chile before the end of the year. All the members of the church with the missionaries have been trying to get a hold of everyone go to the less active members homes and invite them to come join us. Most of them have moved away or aren´t super involved with the church anymore but we’ve had a few really good lessons with some less active members where I´m optimistic that they will come back and join us.

Ok, for our investigators, we have a lot. We have 5 with a baptismal date within the next few weeks, and a few more families we’ve found this week that we´re trying to work with. One family had a daughter that passed away in September from cancer. We´ve always seen the daughters in the street and have sang church songs for them, and this week we asked if we could pass by to meet their parents. we met the father, who was EXTREMELY receptive to the plan of Salvation lesson, but the mother still has a broken heart and didn’t want to hear the message. But, there is a lot of potential with them. We also met a family who´s mother just passed away in September. Families here live with their aunts, uncles, grandparents, nieces, nephews, and this is a very large family, I´m still not quite sure how many actually were in the home, but we taught 5 of them. 3 of the children, and 2 of the nieces and nephews. They were also really receptive to the plan of salvation lesson. ´We´re going to visit them tonight, and I pray that they kept their commitment.

A lot of people are VERY receptive to our message, but have a harder time keeping commitments. We´ve gotten into a lot of houses this week simply by asking if we could come in, sing a hymn, share a message about Christ and have a prayer in their home. We usually end up giving them the whole first lesson, and commit them to read and pray. Lots of them say they will pray but have a hard time keeping the commitment when we return to follow up. It´s a bit more difficult because they need to have their actions in conformity with their words, and although they often say they agree and want the gospel, actions aren´t there. This gospel is a gospel of action. Of allowing our works to conform us to become as Christ, and in order to gian the blessings of the gospel, we need to show the Lord we are willing to do what the Lord wants. I love this work! I pray you are well and hope you have a GREAT week!
Challenge for the week...be obedient! Show the Lord you´re willing to do what he commands, and i PROMISE he will keep his promises with us!
Love, Hermana Blackham

2009-11-21T17:12:00.000-08:00

She's in Chile!!! Nov 21, 20009

2009-11-21T17:09:00.000-08:00

Dear Brother and Sister Blackham,

We are happy to report the safe arrival of your daughter, Sister Blackham, to the Chile Santiago East mission. We feel blessed to be working here together. Please know that we consider your daughter to be a member of the Chile Santiago East Mission family. Please know of our love for you and for Sister Blackham.

May the Lord bless you for the sacrifices you are making to make this mission service possible.

With love,

President and Sister Laycock

PS We have attached a letter from your missionary and a picture of us on the day of your daughter’s arrival.

Enjoy browsing our mission website by clicking on the following link:

www.santiagomissioneast.blogspot.com

Blackham pres edit.jpg
Mis Padres,
Well, we arrived and I am feeling so good. I love Santiago! It feels so right to be here and I can't stop smiling. We have a wonderful day planned, and don't you worry about anything. We are taken care of :) I am so grateful to be here. I'm still not sure what to expect , but I know that I'm doing the Lord's work, and that's all that matters. i know I will be taken care of and there is a power higher than me directing this work and calming my usual worries
Oh my! My heart is just filled with gratitude to be here, to be associated with these missionaries and the Laycocks. This is such a wonderful place, right time, right thing to be doing and although it's outside my comfort zone, I have a feeling that I will never be the same as I used to be and I look forward to the refining proccess. Thank you for your support, love and prayers. I know you're praying for me and I for you. I love you! Hurrah for Israel!!!!

Love, Hermana Blackham

MTC Pictures

2009-11-12T13:15:00.000-08:00

Letter Nov 11, 2009

2009-11-12T13:00:00.000-08:00

Mi amigos!! Oh my goodness, I can't believe I'm leaving so soon! We just found out we're leaving a day earlier than expected (NATALIE!!!! I was so sad to see we couldn't see each other, ESPECIALLY since you're flying through Texas, because I"m flying through Texas as well! Oh my...Maybe I'll leave you a secret note under a random chair in the airport...hmmm;) Anyway this week we've been preparing a lot to leave. Health and safety meetings, check-out meetings, lots of free-class time for the teachers to review last minute questions. It's been a pretty surreal time. A lot of people are asking, "Are you ready?" and the answer is always...yes, and no. I think I've gotten to a point where I just need to be baptized in the language. I'm doing my best to understand grammar principles, improve my teaching skills, and memorize vocabulary, but I am so ready to get out there and just share the gospel with everyone! (actually, in all reality it will probably be my companion sharing the gospel with everyone and me just naively standing there with a smile on my face, once in awhile breaking out in a broken, gringo accent, YO, se que inglesia, es verdadera;) Yup, I know the church is true, and I suppose that’s the most important thing they can hear;) I'm especially humbled when we have Chileans come and speak with us. They speak fast! But, I'm starting to get down the accent, just drop all the "S's" and I'll sound like a chilean. Ha. I've been told from many people the members feed us enough during Lunch to last us a day an a half, and get offended if we don't finish the meal...so I'm trying to apply the last part of 2 Ne 9:51 where it says "let your soul delight in Fatness..." haha yup, I decided that it's all going to be part of the experience and to just love it all and become Chilean;) Yo soy Chilena! Ha, so basically, I'm as ready as I'll ever be!

This week I've been learning a lot about fear, and was reminded about how Adam and Eve's first inclination, when they partook of the fruit was to fear the Lord, BUT, their faith overcame their fear when the Lord called to them. I was reading in Bible Dictionary under fear where it says that "ever since the fall God has been teaching men not to fear..." and I think I forget that at times. We have a loving father in heaven, who want's the best for us! And He will ask us to do things that may seem difficult, but it's ONLY because he knows that's how we will be able grow and become more like him. He blesses us with COURAGE, and strength, and FAITH to do his will! I know that because I've felt it here more than ever! And I think one of the reasons I've felt it here is because I'm doing his will, and pushing myself and I've SEEN the fruits of his promises! They are real!!!
I love him and I pray I can work my hardest to do his will. It's tough, but I know he blesses the willing heart and hands.
I love you all! Thank you for you kind words of wisdom before I leave. I pray you are well!
Love, Hermana!
I'll write more later family. Love you!
yay for kalista! Good luck! YAY FOR ROLLS! I'm looking forward to it. YAY for Christmas music! I get to listen to my ipod in 5 days! HALLELJUAH!
tell dad I love his random emails about saving sparrows, they make me laugh, really hard.
Ok, I think that's all the essentials. the last time I'll be able to get mail is probably Saturday, so be prepared for that. I'm not quite ready to go to Chile, but I'm just going to give it all I got and use all of my time and energy to serve the Lord and meet as many people as I can. Pray for me...the language is struggling a bit;) of course, I guess if it wasn't I wouldn't be humble.
Ok, I'm just wasting my last minute now;) I love you. I'm SO excited to call you! I love love love you all!!! WAHOO!@ I"M GOING TO CHILE!!!

Letter Nov 4, 2009

2009-11-04T14:36:00.000-08:00

I got made coordinating sister this week. Basically it means I'm taking care of all the sisters in my district...and we have one of the smallest groups of sister. Me and Hermana Sain. Haa. So, that's news for this week;)

Ok, this week was filled with so many things! I wish I could just type for hours, but I think with hours I still wouldn't have time to say everything I could. So, I'll do my best to give the highlights.

This week I was talking in the RC to an individual who had the missionaries over previously and I was following up and asking him what he thought. I soon found out he was a biblical scholar and couldn't believe that the Book of Mormon was true because there was no prophesies of the Book of Mormon in the New Testament. He believed much of the same things we believe, but had lost faith that it was actually possible for God to appear to people in the americas because he was so well versed in scripture (sounds like a funny combination, but made me think of the scripture "when men are learned they think they are wise and hearken not to the councils of god". I spoke to him for about an hour, showing him scriptures, testifying frequently and trying to understand him while avoiding any thought of bible bashing. At one point he got pretty strong with me and said "you can THINK you know, you can FEEL you know, BUT YOU CANNOT KNOW this is true!" He continued on trying to quote scripture and convince me it wasn't true. Well as you know, I am not a bold person. Up until this point I was testifying boldly, but was overall still pretty quiet and understanding, and listening for his needs. I stopped him mid sentence, and said (in a voice that was ONLY the spirit...) that I KNEW, with my whole heart and soul that it was true, and that he couldn't convince me otherwise. I told him that that I loved him, and God loved him, he could KNOW that as well. It reminded me of the experience that Elder Ballard (?) had on the airplane where someone told him the same thing. I was about to break out his "what does salt taste like" analogy. I know this is true, and although I can't describe why I know it's true, it is. The feeling I had when I was testfiying to him, was like fire in my bones. I cannot describe it any other way. I loved him with my whole heart, but I could not let him think that I just "felt" it was true. I had to tell him what I knew and what God wanted him to knew. It was SO NEAT! When we have confidence in the Lord, he can do amazing things through us! He said he wanted to read some scriptures in the Book of Mormon and wanted me to follow up later this week. We'll see how it goes. It will be interesting to see what happens.

So, that was the crazy expeirence of this week. Less tahn 2 weeks left! I can't believe It's been so quick! I'm so excited to chile. I have a lot more faith than I've ever had that he will help me and will qualify me for his work. I am so excited to be a part of this and I know he will qualify each of us in our calls. Just have confidence in him...if we become inadequate it's distracting.

I love you all so much!

Letter Oct 28, 2009 Week 6 AH!

2009-10-29T09:54:00.000-07:00

Familia! I can't believe Kalista's choir is going to sing with the Mormon Tabernacle choir! AH, I'm so excited for them! I hope you are able to go see it!!! It's too bad she wasn't able to be in it, but it's still such an honor.

Aaron, that's so awesome you're reading books, by the time I come back he'll be reading novels;) haha. and MOM, the guys LOVED the Equador letter. They all made copies of it so each of them could have one and they just raved about it. So thanks, they are so excited to go!

P.S. Love king singers, I hope you enjoy the concerts!
Kalista, way to do missionary work! Wahoo!

and thank you for the rain coat and popcorn/fruit snacks. I enjoyed them throughouly! (everyone thought it was a weird combination, until they tried it. I showed them haha :)

This week was INCREDIBLE! So many things to debrief...so hopefully I can get everything out. First of all, my roommate had Swine Flu! That was quite the experience. They say the MTC is actually doing pretty good compared to the outside world. I'm not too surprised given the amount of precautions we are taking. There is lots of hand sanitizer and anti-flu pills for everyone;) they have everyone in our room taking flu killing pills, so no worries. I'm feeling like a million bucks.

And last night we had Elder Perry for Devo! Talk about a neat experience! We were singing hymns before devotional started (as always) and suddenly Elder Perry's 6'5" stature bounds through the door with his tiny wife trailing behind him. The entire crowd stood up immediately, I don't anyone could have missed it. The feeling in the room was incredible. I don't think I've ever had such a powerful witness that this was an apostle of God. We've been told that when we testify, we are able to gain a stronger testimony. I have taught the 1st lesson at least 15-20 times in english or spanish and each time have testified that God calls apostles and gives them authority to teach and witness of Christ. Oh my he definitely is called of God to witness of Christ. You could feel it. He spoke about effective ways to teach using Elder Hollands points from the Worldwide Teacher Training a few years ago. It was really neat. I love how many people we get to hear from here. The sisters have a special opportunity each week because there is always someone from the General Board in Salt Lake. This last sunday we had sister Matsimouri, the sunday before was Sister Liffereth, we get 70's every week for devo. It's SO powerful! These people are truly called of God!

This week we learned in Relief Society about the power of primary songs and sang the new 2010 primary song called "I know he lives" It's so powerful...Each of us sisters were in tears as we sang it. I love primary songs. They are powerfully simple, and simply powerful. I can see them being a powerful way to teach investegators since they are spiritually at a childs level of understanding.

This week I also had a powerful experience at the R.C. I was teaching a sister named Lorraine about our church, and was struggling because I have a hard time being bold and truly testifying this was THE church of Christ, once again restored to the earth, and that the restoration of his true church was the only way to return to him. Also, I kept thinking during the conversation " I just wish she could talk with the missionaries. The missionaries know how to do this better. I wish she could just have a good first discussion with them and then she would be able to know what to do. I'm not right for this" and then came the realization. "Hermana! You are a missionary! You are called by a Prophet to teach the resoration! Tell her what you know!" I set up a time to speak to her later and during that time prayed that I could be bold. I called her a second time and was able to testify through the spirit that this was the true church, that the authority to baptize was through his Authority on the earth and that she could know that as well by reading the Book of Mormon. She accepted having the missionaries come to her house. It took me long enough for the realization to hit. I'm a missionary. It's so crazy! yes! And! The Lord qualifies who he calls. I was not me speaking to her and I gained such a strong testimony of the power of the spirit in our work! I love being a missionary! It's so awesome!

I love you all! Thank you for your letters and support. I am so blessed by your loving and kind words. I know this gospel is real and that the Lord ALWAYS provides a way to accomplish his commands to his children. He has set us up for success!! ( Just study the creation story...he's provided everything we need!) I love him and know he loves each of us more than we can ever comprehend.

Love you!
Hermana Blackham

Letter Oct 21, 2009

2009-10-21T12:28:00.000-07:00

Oh my goodness. I can't beleive 5 weeks already. It's zoomed by...and it feels like I know less spanish than when I came in. But I know it's not true and the Lord has blessed me immensely with the Language. This week we had a teaching appointment with one of the teachers and I decided before I went in that I would just focus on him, and stop worrying about the language. It was incredible! Both sister sain and I were not speaking perfectly, and he was talking to us in rapid spanish, but I think I finally realized what it meant by the "gift of tongues." I guess I always assumed the gift of tongues would help me speak perfect spanish. Rather, I realized it's being able to understand and communicate the spirit through broken and imperfect spanish. When he spoke to us, I understood perfectly what he needed and what his concerns were. Although I didn't understand the words, I understood what I needed to do. And we were able to come up with enough broken spanish words to communicate with him what we felt to be true. It was a neat experience. Not all teaching appointments are like that one, but it gave me a boost and a bit of added faith that the gift of tongues is reality and the spirit really does work in our lives! Hopefully it happens again this week when we teach our first full lesson in spanish! Ah! I love it!

This week I've heard a lot from teachers who have served in my mission. I won't repeat them for the sake of mom's heart (haha am I scaring you mom?) but it sounds like a sweet mission!!! It's so crazy. But I'm excited!!

I was having a bit of a harder time earlier this week. I sure love this refining process and I wouldn't expect anything else. But it's not always a piece of cake. I was reading in the scriptures in 2 Nephi 4 where Nephi starts reflecting on all the things the Lord has done for him in the past. It seemed as he reflected on more things that he was able to become more and more hopeful that the Lord truly would be beside him. So, I did the same thing. I took some study time and just reflected on times when he had answered my prayers, blessings he had given me, times when he had changed my heart, times when I have felt deeply of his love, and suddenly I found myself feeling an overwhelming feeling of gratitude, rather than a sense of hopelessness. Remembering our experience is truly a beautiful experience that can change our hearts in times of discouragement. I know that as we seek to remember our experiences that the Lord will bring to our rememberance of those times when we've been blessed and we will be able to see his hand more clearly.

So, everyone do that this week! Take a few minutes to remember all the blessings and mercies the Lord has brought to your life and I promise you will walk away with an added measure of the spirit in your life. It's incredible!

I love you all so much!
Love, Hermana Blackham

Letter Oct 14, 2009

2009-10-20T10:46:00.000-07:00

Dad, I'm leaving on Nov. 17 (same day as Natalie, do you want to join in our prayers that we will run into each other at some airport within the country??)
THANKS for the update on Ashley's wedding. I was praying saturday that the weather would be nice. I was so grateful saturday evening when I walked outseide and realized it was beautiful. I am so happy for them! CONGRATS!!! I LOVE YOU TWO!
Tony...YOU owe me a skydiving movie when I come back. Sounds like a sweet time.
Charlie!! Happy late birthday to you! Happy late birthday to you! Happy late birthday dear CHARLIE!!!!! Happy birthday to YOU!! SOrry it was late. I thought it was going to be today...but it was yetserday. I hope it went well, I bet he had a blast;)
YES...oh yes my district LOVED the rolls. As did I. It brought a little bit of home back to me and in turn blessed many lives as well;) THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU!!! I LOVE YOU SO MUCH! P.S. I can't stop laughing over that letter...I was crying I was laughing so hard.

This week I had the grand opportunity to sincerely appreciate and realize the effects of Columbus's actions on our great country and in the hearts of each american. Because of Columbus day, our dear Bankers have the grand opportunity of not only staying home while their kids have to go to school, but they also have the opportunity of baking their missionary daughters immaculate sweet rolls. I (and my district and fellow hermanas) realized that we can reverently honor this man, Colombus, for his great sacrifice. This week, I had the opportunity to receive and benefit from the fruits of his labors, through my generous banking father. Every year, I will shout with gratitude, for the great sacrifice of Columbus and his grand discovery in this great country. America.

Aside from our grand celebration of Colombus day;) We had a great week! Oh boy...where to begin. I'm realizing more and more as I learn spanish, how much I don't know. It's quite humbling the more I continue, but hopefully we'll be ok. We start teaching our lessons in spanish next week so we'll see how that goes. Despite how difficult it's been this week, it's amzaing how much the spirit teaches and brings back to our rememberance things we we've learned in the past.
This week we were in a teaching evaluation and struggling to figure out how to transition in our lessons. The teacher gave Sister Sain and I the suggestion to simply interrupt each other as a means of transitioning. It sounds crazy, but it was INCREDIBLE how the spirit was really able to direct the lesson, whereas before we were giving a mechanical rececitation of the lesson. I am so excited to get better at this! It was a neat experience.
This week we also had some INCREIDBLE firesides!!! Oh my, I wish you all could of heard them, but I'll give you some gold nuggets from the firesides.

They were both from the Missionary Department. Elder Evans, and Brother Allen.
1st. During a meeting they asked Elder Eyring how long he expects people to read the Book of Mormon Everyday. He said read long enough to feel the spirit, then read a bit longer. I thought that was an inspired answer! We are all in different circumstances, and in some cases some of us are incredibly busy with families, school, work etc and feel like we aren't getting enough time in. Our last stake president Pres. Kusch used to say all the time "the spirit can work fast if it needs to." If we pray to have the spirit and give all the time we have to read the Book of Mormon, we will feel a GREAT power in our lives from reading it and we will be blessed beyond anything we can comprehend.
Along the lines of the BOok of Mormon my testimony was also increased last night as they talked to us about having the faith to use the Book of Mormon as it was intended. We learned how the Lord organized teh book of mormon in the way he wanted us to read it. So he encouraged us when we teach investegators to not necessarily use 3 nephi 11, but to start from the beginning. It's incredible!!! Within the first chapter, if not first few chapters it teaches about almost every basic principle of the gospel. It was powerful, and it is going to change the way I teach!

3rd nugget. Brother Allen was central to the writing of PMG. He said one of the MOST important things in PMG, and one of the most important things a missionary can do to speak and teach with the converting power was to 1. Undersatnd what the investegator must feel to have conversion. 2. How a missionary or member must feel to help them in the conversion process. He said when we truly begin to understand this we are able to really teach with the power of conversion. It was powerful!

I know that when we rely on the spirit, and the book of mormon, then we can have the power of the gospel with us! I am realizing more and more how this work is not mine, but is the Lords and how grateful I'm able to be an instrument and help to him!! I am so grateful for this opportunity. I love being a missionary!

So, Challenge for this week. READ THE BOOK OF MORMON!!! More than you ever have before and let the spirit touch your heart!! It will when we read it with pure intent to obey what it teaches us to do.

With SO much love!
Hermana Blackham

P.S. Thank you everyon for your sweet letters!!! I LOVE YOU! I'm so grateful!

I love you fam! No more time by!

Letter Oct 7 2009

2009-10-09T07:20:00.000-07:00

Ok, so a few funnies from this week. My teacher wrote this on the board earlier this week. JAPITUBIJIR: he said it was a good verb for all of us to learn. For all of you spanish speakers it's the verb "to be happy to be here"; (use the spanish pronunciation of the letters. Go ahead, sound it out;) Ha!

Also, an elder gave me this scripture describing the MTC food here. It's Jeremiah 4:19. Don't worry, I haven't felt this way about the food yet;)

So, this week was AMAZING!!! I LOVE GENERAL CONFERENCE! There is nothing to describe the experience of sitting in the auditorium among 2000 missionaries while a 20 foot projection of Elder Holland is powerfully and bodly decreeing the TRUTH and his witness of the Book of Mormon. I don't think the entire room of missionaries breathed or blinked the entire time. After he closed, you could hear and feel the rush of each missionary letting out their breathe. One elder behind me said it was like a spiritual drop kick to anyone who has ever doubted the divinity of the book of mormon. I can never hope to describe the feeling I felt. I only hope I can have a fraction of the boldness he had! It was powerful! I am far too timid and need to remember that this is the Lord's work, his work is truth!! Truth from the foundation of the earth and that we have his power and his authority to teach and testify and save souls. wow, I think every single talk spoke to me this general conference! I think the Lord prepared me for this conference in a way he never has before! It answered every single concern, desire, and question I had before it began. I am SO excited to get the conference edition of the Ensign and read more of what they said. It was powerful! OH my, I still love being a missionary! We watched a talk by Elder Holland this week called "The miracle of missionary work" or also known as the "Don't you dare go home talk" it was POWERFUL! He talked about how a mission is the greatest gift God will ever give to a 19-25 year old. He was BOLD in his belief that we should not waste one day, one hour, even one minute of the mission!!! This really is an opporutnity of a life time and those of you who are preparing, just do your very best, and know the Lord will sustain and support you more than you can ever imagine. I have had some very good personal time with him this week seeing as general conference has given us more personal study time, and it's been amazing! He really does want to talk to us, but we are all often too busy or distracted to hear what the spirit says to us. But I know when we seek him, he will let us know his will! (Just as elder scott spoke about in his talk!) and when we obey it, he gives us greater light!

Oh my, I love all of you so much. Thank you for the abundance of letters, notes, and pictures. I am SO blessed and grateful for such wonderful people in my life.

Challenge for this week. Act on promptings you got during conference! The Lord will prepare a way for us to be obedient to his words.

Love, Hermana Blackham

Ok...PS ANDREW!! I AM PRAYING FOR YOU WITH MY WHOLE HEART! You are prepared for this! I am so excited to hear the miracles he will bring to you as you seek him. You will be able to do this!!! I couldn't believe everything that you are faced with this transfer, but what a blessing and opportunity!! YOU CAN DO THIS!!! Not because it's you, but because he will make you successful!

letter Sept 30 2009

2009-10-01T14:51:00.000-07:00

My DL is diligent about getting mail! Everytime we get mail in the evening I want to start singing that Blue Clues' song about mail time because I love it!! It's like Christmas morning;) The elders in my district are getting a bit coveteous that I have such a loving parents, family and friends, sending me letters every day. I'm so blessed! Thank you! I love the little notes so much!

Ok, so this week there is so much but I will try to give you a good overview of everything. Sacrament meeting here is so neat! We have a spanish sacrament meeting and each sunday there is an assigned topic to speak on. The catch is that everyone prepares a talk en español and they call on you over the pulpit to give the talk. Pretty intimidating but it really encourages us to get them written!

Choir here at the MTC is amazing! We sing every Tuesday devotional and it´s powerful having so many elders and sisters singing together! The music is beautiful! It´s been the highlight of my Tuesdays. Last week we sang a song called ¨Behold the Wounds in Jesus Hands¨and is now one of my favorite songs in the entire world! If you have the chance to read the lyrics or hear the song I would highly suggest it! We´ve had so many wonderful speakers. last night we had Elder and Sister Nadauld, Last week we had elder Christensen from the 70. It´s alwasy a powerful inspiring meeting to attend! I always walk out of there with a rejuvinated determination to work harder and commit myself to the Lord.

This weekend is General Conference and I´m SO SO SO excited! What a blessing we have to have prophets on the earth today, and to hear their words in our very homes! They are the words of the Lord and I hope as we listen to them this weekend we will apply them to ourselves and imagine the savior is sitting there with you, knee to knee, giving you personal advice to help you come closer to him. That´s really what it´s like because the spirit can carry their message unto our hearts and when we open our hearts it´s invited in! We wern´t able to watch the Relief Society Broadcast but they are letting us watch it this weekend while the Elders are in Priesthood. Hermana Sain and I brought up the audio of it last Sunday though, and I heard a part of it! When they sang ¨There is Sunshine in my Soul today¨I started laughing because I´ve been singing it a lot this week. It reminded me of good times back in my apartment when Carlee would wake up singing it at the top of her lungs. What a great song!

This week has been FULL of teaching practices and contacting en español. I am amazed at the resources they have here to teach us spanish. They have a computer program called T.A.L.L. that has tools to help us learn the lessons, grammer principles, and how to pronounce words. It has everything on it! We´ve also had class 5 to 6 hours a day with another 3 to 5 hours for Personal study, Companion Study, Language study and Missionary directed time where we can go to the RC, missionary workshops, or a teaching evaluation-progressing investegator. The teaching evaluations are excellent! Anyone who comes to the MTC in the future do them! The teachers act as an investegator and we go an teach them then receive feedback. It´s so helpful. Sister Sain an I are working really hard to teach simply, and in unity. It´s always a unique challenge to teach, so with two of us we have extra power, but need extra effort to make that happen. We learn a lot about how to teach people, and not lessons, allowing the spirit to teach rather than give them a rececitation of what they need to learn. It´s so neat to learn how to do this better!

Ok, so this week I´ve been learning SO much about doing thing for the right intentions. There are so many missionary rules, and I think often times we get caught up obeying the rules and laws and regulations out of guilt, or because we want blessings, or just to do them (which are not necessarily bad) But we forget the greatest commandment, To Love the Lord and love our neighbor. I was reading in D and C 88. 123 thru 126. It has a list of rules that sound a lot like the missionary rules. Cease to be idle, cease to find fault one with another. cease to sleep longer than is needful. ... etc. But it says in verse 125. Äbove all things, clothe yourselves with the bond of charity as with a mantle, which is the bond of perfectness and peace. The greatest commandment is Charity, and when we have charity we are able to really do things for the right reasons. In Peter 4 verse 8 it says For charity preventeth a multitude of sins. I love how Charity provides a powerful motive for obeying. Instead of obeying just to obey, we obey because we love the Lord. When we obey because of the charity in our hearts, that´s when obedience ceases to be an irritant, and becomes a quest. Charity allows us to do things for the right motives and we are SO happy to obey. This week our teacher told us a powerful story about his companion. He said His companion was so amazing. he radiated a powerful spirit and everyone noticed it. He told a story of a time when they were meeting with a sister who was having a difficulty deciding to be baptized. The AP first bore his testimony to this sister, then our teacher bore his testimony, and then his companion bore his testimony. He said the power in the room when his comp bore his testimony was POWERFUL beyond anything he had ever felt. and the Sister looked at him and said that she hadn´t felt anything until that elder had born his testimony. Our teacher explained that that Elder did everything for the right reasons. He truly had a love for the people around him. he obeyed because he Loved the savior and wanted everyone to come unto Christ. It was a powerful lesson for me and I´ve been striving to do all I can to be filled with this love! It´s a powerful thing!

I only have a minute left, but I love you all! Thank you for everything! I hope all is well and I pray each of you have a great weekend!

Love, Hermana Blackhama