Letter and Pictures From Brother Lyau

Hello David, Dianne & the> Family!

This is Brother Christopher J. Lyau ( My Chinese name is: Jyun-Rou Lyau) from Taichung , Taiwan . It was such a great privilege to know and to talk to Elder Blackham's parents last week. I am sending the most recent photos of your beloved son, Elder Blackham’s from Taiwan Taichung mission to you. I am sure you’ll love to see the pictures, won’t you?

I want to thank you for sending your wonderful son to Taiwan to serve a mission for us, the people in Taiwan . He is an excellent missionary. We are now the luckiest people in the world because of Elder Blackham! Like I said to you last week, I was so surprised at seeing his long lasting positive attitude towards everyone. I believe that he is the most loving, positive and the sunniest happy missionary that I have ever met. And like Elder Neal A. Maxwell has described his dear friend, Dean Nielson in his talk “Jesus, the Perfect Mentor” given at a Church Educational System fireside at Brigham Young University on 6 February 2000. Elder Maxwell said: “My memory of him is of a special young man who strove to put on the whole armor of God. I love him for his sweetness and his innocence….” I think Elder Blackham owns the same qualities like Dean Nielson has.

Well, thank you again for all of your sacrifices that you ave done for us! May God bless you and your family!

Chris

Dinner at Brother Sen's House-The two dishes with the basket were made by me

Dinner at Borther Sen's house- The one in pink

Eating the chicken foot- the first American that I ever seen.

Can you believe that he was really eating it?

dear family

Well life has been a wonderful ride this past few weeks I have really seen how to do missionary work there is so much joy in baseing your day around people and not places. I really have appreciated my leaders this week I had two exchanges this week one with the Zone leader elder de la cruiz from the phillipines. we basically just visited people all day and had alot of really short lessons it was a beautiful thing. Ireally have learned alot just by shadowing my leaders.
Well I had a very cool experience this last time we met with tony Cai we shared about scripture study and followed up on his word of wisdom and he has kept it for almost two weeks now he used to have a problem with every single one except for drugs, he told us that he doesnt even want them anymore and he has gone through his personal trials to get over it but now he has come so far he is prepared to be baptised and he has continued to progress everytime we meet with him. the lord really sees reason to bless those who put there trust in Him. I have seen Tony completely change his life, he has such a light about him he s almost glowing with the love of the gospel.

Oh cool story we visited a brother Zhang who was a member referral on sunday before church and while we were visiting him and about committed him for church his best church friend brother liao yao dong called me and I let him talk to brother Zhang. then after they talkid for a minute or two he said ok well I will see you at church. Then he came at two promptly and was able to attend sacrament meeting.

There is so much power in the testimony and invitation of members I have seen that that is the only way to do this work is with the members and otherwise it's like you are just waving a stick at a pinyatta blindfolded very rarly do you make real effective candy hits.

I just want to say just how much I love you all and am greatful I can be on my mission here in Taiwan and have had the experiences I have had. It is crazy how fast the last year has gone most of my older missionaries are going home ina week and there are so many people that just seem like the best of friends that I was with for so short an amount of time. I realize that everyday is so precious,God has this gift of life that he allows us to live. This church is true I know it more now than I have ever known. there is so much confusion in this world and strife contention but God allows us to have the light of his gospel lead us home. I know that this is true, God lives and loves me too, Jesus has paid for our sins and he will save all those who beleive and act upon his name. This is his season of love . Thank you all and I love you have a very merry christmas holiday season.Elder Blackham

dear family

well this week has been a wonderful week. our investigator brother liao Jia xiang passed his baptisimal interview but unfortunatly he didnt come to church this last sunday so we are postponeing his baptisim another week so that will be this next saturday but he is a very prepared soul he loves the gospel and has come so far learning and growing everyday . I love seeing people change their lives. My other investigator Tony is doing well he has now gone a full week without smoking and is really starting to progress quickly he came to church this past sunday and really enjoyed it he even takes notes while he is attending, he is a very dilligent student of the gospel. He really has a desire to change and become a better person and make the most of his life. He will be baptised next next saturday and the day after christmas will be a real present for me. I love this gospel you know we just got back from the temple and after waking up at five and being on a bus for some two hours to get to taibei and being able to go through and feel the spirit so strong and have that experience of being in the world but not of the world. The Taibei temple as you enter it has you take off your shoes and put them in a plastic bag then you proceed inside. It is a wonderful taste of the chinese culture that I personally think adds to the spirituallity of the temple experience like moses taking off his shoes in the presence of the lord likewise this is the house of the lord and we should respect it like such. well I have seen the lord work miracles like through me and we have found some really wonderful people to teach and I will tell you the one time I really feel like a missionary is when I am teaching lessons and sharing the gospel, when I am getting rejected by people on scooters,at their doors,on the phone, on the street the list continues. Rejection and failure is a large part of missionary work that I have been trying to get used to I know I have little to no trials but I know that whatever it is JesusChrist knows what I am going through and he has already paid for my every pain and sorrow. well i know that this church is true and that even when times get down You just need to pray and read your scritures the lord will provide and make all things ok. He will comfort us and when we pray and ask for anything we need to show our faith by getting up after we say amen and go to work.pray asif it is all up to God. work as if it is all up to you He will make up the diffeence. I know he does I have made it through half of His mission for me in Taiwan and I know that He will strengthen me to do anything He wants me to do. This is god's work and his Glory I cant mess it up. I love you all so very much and hope that you remember that this Christmas Season. I will be praying for you all and I really apreciate the prayers of safty I have used my share of heavenly help protecting me and my companion. once again I love you and hope to live up to your expectations.your son

Elder Brigham sky Blackham

Dear family

well I love you all and want you to know I am doing well I had a wonderful week at church. my companion was asked in preisthood so when do you express love to your companion? he replyed "everynight." it was really funny but true. nomatter how the day goes We say we love eachother every single night and hug and pray together those three little things have reallly helped out our conpanionship. we had an amazing experience this past week we were on the way to an appointment when some old garbarge soarting 70 year old 'Ama' Grandma had her cart tip over and all of her trash dumped out on the road I followed my companion and helped pick it all up and helped put it all back on her bike cart. It felt really good and she said thankyou. that was all of the chinese she knew but I kew it was what god wanted me to hearLove you

RSL are Champions!

Go RSL!

you are right if I would have been in america I would have been at that game and I would have had sweet seats to watch them beat the Galaxies. wow Iam so proud of that team I love watching them. that reminds me of all of the good times that I had playing soccer all day long in high school and loving every minute of it. Kenny and I used to go watch those games all of the time. I really am glad to hear that. I have had alot of really interesting and great experiences this week. first off happy Thanksgiving I hape you have fun tomorrow and eat all of that good old sanpete turkey, and express your gratitude for all of our many blessings.

something I learned about service. My companion got his toilet plugged up durring personal study and he was struggling with the plungger going at the thing and having no success completely frustrated for about fifteen minutes. I got up and changed my clothes quickly and plungged his toilet for him and got it fixed and cleaned his bathroom. there was something that hit me that i showed I loved my companion more by doing what he couldnt do for himself. He was impatient in fixing the toilet and I helped him out doing something that was not comfortable but an act of service I will never forget. Heavenly father really does want us to serve others. The lord expexts us to serve our fellow man sometimes it may be uncomfortable or we have too much pride to do whatever it is but when we go and do it we have the feeling that God is pleased, the doing with a willing heart will show forth an example of christ who desended below us all. He did everything for us and he has always been willing to do anything for us.what I learned about preparationwe had a man that is named liao jia xiang and he is a very interested investigator and has alot of desire to learn as we taught the plan of salvation I prepared a lesson plan for our member that would be teaching with us and the lesson was filled with the spitit there was not any weird things said the lesson matterial was covered and he was super willing to keep the commitments. I know that as you dilligently prepare and do all you can to have the spirit God will do his part every time. He asks us to be worthy, Dilligent and Obedient and we will have the foundation to do miracles. Anything the lord asks us to do we could do. I have seen that even in the sourest of trials the lord will strengthen me. He has always been by my side welcomeing me and has open arms he always is willing to give me anything I ask for and I can never repay Him. I have been so blessed and am so greatful for you and how you have always been there for me. i could always turn to my family for help and support I love you all from the bottom of my heart and hope that I may become the kind of man that the lord needs me to be. I know God lives and loves us He is ever present and is always there with open arms calling come unto me and I will give you rest.until next week.

Elder Blackham

Hello family

Hey i have had a week packed with learning. I found out a boy I contacted on the way home from church his name is Andy and I referred him to my friend elder Dunn he not only has been coming to all of the youth activities and came to church on Sunday but in two weeks he will be baptised almost exactly one month from the time I meet him. He is so golden I saw that miracle I know that there are truly prepared souls out on the road and I just need to keep talking to people that is my second one I have referred that will be baptised just from talking to everyone. Do you remember that Dan Jones night? the video that they sent you? yeah I had a guy that I referred get baptised from that too. I am just so happy. next week we will be having a baptism for a n investigator named Matt he had a tea issue but he is gradually getting over it and we will keep praying for him. he has been doing great he has amazing English we mostly teach him in English which is weird but I can at least understand everything that is being said. Oh we also have a member referral who has been to church twice and is a really prepared soul. he got in a car crash in 2004 and his arm was severely injured and now he cant really close his hand but he is faithful and he reads and prays and is attending church so all is well there he will keep progressing and he and Matt will be baptised on the same day Saturday next week. The weather over here has been two faced. we had two days where it was raining cats ,dogs, and some other small four legged animals, it was ridiculous I had rain gear on but five minutes and I had my shoes full of water my pants soaked and my shirt soaked ... it was so fun It was like swimming there were huge puddles in the road and the rivers were higher by about 3 feet then after the faucet was on full blast we turned on the sauna, hot, and wow it has been humid I felt like a steamed vegetable. I love it here the work is beautiful and I have just started to see a few of the fruits of my labor and I love my people i am serving.

Love Elder Blackham

PS : do you remember my investigator that dropped out of his baptism twice while i was in wufeng? Zhong chong nan? the dring guy, he had an amazing smoothie he made. anyways I received a letter from my friend in wufeng named Peja he said he is getting baptised this saturday!

Salutations to the best family ever!

Ok so this week was great i learned things everyday I have found the miracles everyday and I am really finding what I love about Taiwan everyday. The joy of the work i have found in the small things the process is where the pleasure comes. I love talking to all of these wonderful people in Taiwan there are things here and people here I would never see in Utah. I am still getting used to the weather last night we were visiting a new member and they were not home so we decided to write a note to them outside of their door in their muggy apartment building well it only took us two minutes before my shirt was soaked from sweat being inside is really hot without AC. Ok so I had an amazingly eventful week my grandpa we have been teaching brother Cai was baptised on Saturday, yeah on Thursday morning we received a call from a member of the bishopric that helped us teach the night before and he had talked to him and he decided to stop procrastinating and do it on Saturday! It was so good! I love our ward it is the newest ward in taizhong and has some really awesome leaders and members. they are all so in tune with the mission effort here. I have an investigator named matt who is great and has a lot of faith he reads everyday and prays but he will not go without tea he drinks two cups a day and says That it is his favorite- I realize we all have favorite sins but guess what they are still sins, sinning is fun but wickedness never was happiness. anyways I will tell you how he goes over the next few weeks he should be baptised soon just stop a drinkin.. oh my grandpa I forgot to tell you on Saturday he was so excited for his baptism he bought me and my companion new belts and then as he gave them to us he said hey i want to make them shinny first then he took them laid them on his porch and spray painted our belts black, spray painted them! I laughed so hard he was just making them shiney for us. we left them there to dry and went to eat at his favorite vegetarian restaurant then to his baptism. my companion E.Rodriguez kept saying "he ruined our belts, spary painted" Sunday was a great fast Sunday I loved the meeting we have afternoon church so our fast is long then our correlation meeting was pushed back from 4:30pm to 6:15 and they kept saying hey in a half an hour we will start then hey after this interview , no after i teach this scripture class to the children for twenty minutes anyways sister Su the first counselers wife gave us a cookie thing and it was great I loved it. god provides for his missionaries even if it is just a cookie,He knows our needs. oh on Monday an District training meeting my companion looked at his shoes that I had freshly shined that morning without telling him and he stated' Wow! my shoes are beautiful!" we laughed so hard. Hey we went and sat next to a fisherman and taught and talked to him it was fun I can see why your brother did it so often on his mission they dont just ride off it is fun kind of casual, but a good atmosphere. I love the work here and This past week at mission conference I really learned what the importance of the title Teacher in Chinese and Taiwanese hearts. they really feel honored to have that title. I thought of my favorite teachers I have a lot but will you do me a favor and just tell Dr.(Uncle Roy)Ellefsen,Ed Staker,Ben Cox,and Angy Daley,Chris Junker and Patty Sego them i love them and am so greatful for the things they have taught me and the person they have helped me become I guess that that is a really big chore but I have no way of telling them but through your help. Mom Dad You know I realize that you love me so much that you will sacrifice for me to help some people you have never meet come to Christ Thank you I love you so much. I hope with all my heart that I may stay worthy all the days of my life that I may live with you in the celestial kingdom. To have eternal happiness and joy. I love you and wish you all well in what you are doing

-Elder Blackham

hello famillia!

that is a lot of news i can barely take that you know life is so precious I can barely even express my love for all of you but I want to say that life is as good as we make it. it we lose everything we have is that a tragedy or a new beginning? life is all how you look at it. i learned a lot this week and today I just want to say that time is like a bank account we are charged with a new deposit everyday it doesn't carry over from day to day you have to magnify your time, every second,minute, hour time is a gift now is the time for men to perform their labors and prepare to meet god. every sickness is a blessing because it makes us appreciate our health every sadness is a blessing because it helps us know our happiness. my companion and I are doing well we work hard and have been blessed I have seen miracles everyday and I am starting to record them to see what God has done for me and for my brotheren. I am teaching a beibei(grandpa) who is about 72 yrs old and he got in a car wreck on Thursday so he said he definately would not be at church . he was really cut up some lady just ran into him on his bicycle with her scooter, he has road rash all up and down his arms and on his knee poor guy. so Sunday morning came and we went and visited him to invite him to church he said no we asked him why he said he was too sore and he just hurt too much. we asked him what he had done that morning and he said oh i just got back from exercising, riding my bike. then we said why cant you come to church and he said I cant wear pants it hurts too bad, his concern wasn't that oh I don't want to go to church it was I have to wear pants. so we said no you can come in your shorts and he said ok I will be there and he came to church. That was a miracle. sometimes the concerns of people are as simple as wearing pants instead of shorts. the miracles came it small things resolving the small concerns increasing understanding. sometimes all you have to do is listen. you have two ears and one mouth use them proportionately.well I hope you know I love you I have had many times here that I wish you could be here with me but I have felt your prayers. the work is sweet because of the bitter trials don't wish them away.your missionary on a little green island

elder blackham

PS: wow Chess Died I loved that man so much! he was so hardworking and loving I really appreciated his help with the city and the youth city council. wow i want to ask you can you go tell Bev i love her I haven't talked or heard from her in forever but will you do that for me? They were always so good to me Bev and Dennis they helped me learn so much.

OOPS :)

Hey everyone this is Emilee again. I just received an email from Brigham and he told me that his mission rules only allow him to receive emails from immediate family members - So he has asked me to have his letters from his friends to be sent to me and then I will forward them to him so that he can read them. Thanks for understanding, my email address is posted on the side bar for you. Thanks so much for supporting him, all of you are really great!

Dear family

well I want to say I am really grateful for my companion Xie he has helped me develop more patience and love than i ever could have just having things go easy. having difficulties is part of making the sweet times more sweet. the bitter is only as bad as your attitude lets it be. I have learned that you cant have a fight if you don't have two people fighting I tried to just wear a perm-i-smile this week and work as hard as I could and the week flew by. Our relationship was really just me trying to make things better i can only influence what i do and how i react so that is what i will do is choose to be worthy obedient and diligent and happy.wei zhi han and lu qin jin will be baptised on Saturday they are so great I am positive they will be amazing members I love them so much, i am leaving wufeng so i will not get to be there for there baptism but i am so happy for them. Move call!---I am now in da ken and am with am amazing companion named elder rodriguez from colorado. Wow it is such a relief to speak in english for a change my mouth is still getting used to it. well i love you all and am grateful for your support and love

LoveElder BlackhamPS

i can't reply to anyone but immediate family members through email so can you relay to elder and sister dan andersen that i am so greatful that they sent me that nice email and It really helped I love them and that i know how they feel with the heat and the rain.

ok so my week was pretty crazy. Yang jian Hua didn't get baptised this saturday he lost his desire to be baptised and he really just needs to keep reading and praying and going to church. I was able to baptise the sisters investigators named chen guan yu and chen yi fan that experience was great I really can feel the spirit in the ordinence of baptisim and on sunday I helped confirm guan yu and I had a great spiritual recharge there aswell. I know that the lord will provide for us, our heavenly father really does love every one of us. The work is hard but it is worth it, I love doing hard things things that are above my own ability that the lord can help me to accomplish. I know you can learn from good and bad examples there is good and bad in all of us we need to find the good iin eveyone and the more good we find the less bad we have. I hope that I can overcome the hard times and focus on the good , my companionship has been on the rocks recently but I will keep compamenting , changing and copping with the change, repenting and forgiving. I know that heavenly father wants me to learn somthing from my companion and every situation I am in always progessing and always need to stay hopefull.I love you and pray for you. find the good

elder blackham

hello my beautiful family

ok i have had a great week thank you thank you for your the love and support from the homestead I just realized I have been away for nearly half of a year, but when I talked to you on monday----sunday for you ----- I really felt like it was only yesterday I left home. The work is beautiful here and everywhere our mission is preparing to merge soon so that is going to be exciting here for the next few months. I am so glad I was able to hear from Granma and Grandpa I love you all so much I couldnt immagine not being able to know that I will be with you all forever if i stay worthy obedient and dilligent, the gospel is a beautiful gift that we need to praise heavenly Father for every day of our life. I just want to tell you how much I appreciate your love and encougement. I had the most expensive day of my mission on monday I realized I needed a new tail-light so I bought thst then i bought new grips for my bike because my previous grips were bad and anyways I am just greatful for eating so cheaply that last month because it was around 90 dollars for one day... anyways I will love you and leave you but before I do 2 timithy 2:21 +24 this is a great scripture about all of us in the church. you can use this as my contribution to familynight this week. Dad way to go with the bithday gift i think that is great I am excited for you. Ok Mom I just want to say happy birthday and I love you all

Elder Blackham

Mother's Day

Hey everyone,

This is Brigham's sister......I spoke with him yesterday on the phone and he is doing really well, and is speaking Chinese!. I found out that he hasn't posted because he is not supposed to do anything but email when he has a chance to use the computer. So needless to say, I will post his emails for him. He just sent some pictures too so when I get them from my mom I will post those for you too. On the side bar is his email address. He would love to hear from all of you for sure! Thanks for being a fan of my little Bro and supporting him on his mission.

Sincerely Emilee

Arrival in Taiwan

Please notice my change of address for future letters; thanks. You're all great, and I'm so busy, I haven't got time to post my latest experiences, but they're soon to come, so just hang in tight and I'll make it worth the wait. Thanks so much for your love and support.

Read His 2/16/09 Letter Here

Alright first off I was a little dissapoited last week when I wasn't choseto perform at the sunday fireside but after my experience yesterday I am gladthat I had the oppotunity to sing "They hear the savior" at thedepatrure devotional. I felt the spirit really strongly and I bore my testimonythrough the song. After the devotional Brother Barker ( Reid Barker'sfather) who lead the music as a service missionary, came and we had a greatlittle talk about home and how it was nic to see me and I had such a goodlittle talk with him , Also the croud wasnt too large so i was still glad toperform ( only about 400 missionaries) well I am going to try out tomarrow withanother song that sister taijemulia(Tai jie mei) wrote sister Taijemulia wentto snow and the song is really good I think I will record it if I can and sendit to you. well I had a really great week I actually used my debit card... icashed 40 dollars I didn't buy anything, but I got my travel plans and I amgoing to fly Delta airlines to las Angeles then direct flight EVA airlines totaipie Taiwan. i will hopefully get to have a short phonecall with you all. Ihave heard that we might so don't get your hopes up but if I call be readynext tuesday. i only have 8 days! well the language is coming really slowly butI have loved learning it. I have the best Teachers in the MTC, of my teacherbrother moore got married on saterday, well i will hopefully get my things sentto you next week happy valentines day...well I am a little late thats justbecause i wan't to be obedient ( and I foorgot to write it the week before)Oh happy birthday Day dui bu qi (sorry) I missed it but whats another yearright? I love you though.so I would like to hear from all of you next tuesday soIf that Is possible 3-way or 4-way call i dont know. well I wan't you toknow I am safe and healthy and I am really loving almost every minute. The MTChas been great but I am ready to go...I will keep you all in my prayers

love your Missionary,


Eldar Blackham

Read Brigham's 1/26/09 Letter Here

January 5, 2009

Dear Family,
I'm loving it here! On Sunday, I got the chance to usher before the fireside. The speaker was brother Stephen Allen, who works in the missionary department for the church. Because I ushered, I got to sit on the front row. He said a lot of great things....one of them was "when everything says you can't, listen to the part of you that says you can." I liked that alot. After the fireside, I watched the "Joseph Smith; Prophet of the Restoration" movie. It is such a great film. There is a part in the film where brother Brigham asks Joseph, "why would the Lord choose me of all people to be an apostle?" and then Joseph says to Brigham, "you have been called to serve and have been chosen, you have great work to do." However the quote goes in the movie, I really felt like he was talking to me, at least it felt like it.

Well family, the MTC has been treating me well so far. I do miss you all and hope all is well at home. I know that I am doing th right thing.

With all the love I can express!

Elder Blackham

Happy New Year 2008

Hello Family,

Wow! The Christmas Holiday was packed with things to do. I loved it so much. I got to listen to so many great talks and the food was amazing! On Christmas day I had one of the best experiences ever. I missed you of course, but I had so much fun and joy on Christmas Day. I had the chance to participate in the missionay fireside on Christmas afternoon. I read some slides because of the speaker...it was Presidnet Earl, my Branch President, he is so awesome, but guess what? I had my zone combined with the other district and the Branch Presidency was reassigned. So, we still have Brother Lio but Brother Stoelton is gone and so is President Earl.

This whole week we didn't have a teacher because of scheduling problems....every day they said, "this will never happen again"....but it happened four times. It's ok. On friday my teacher showed up. She is Sister Chung. My other teachers' name is Brother Moore. They are great!

I have been singing in the Choir and I love it. I have only missed one practice the whole time I've been here. Oh the coolest part of the choir is that we are singing "Consider the Lillies" the same arrangement that I sang in NSHS Choir two years ago.

You know I love it out here. The MTC is a world of its own, a paradise on earth. It is almost like the temple, it's in the world but far from being of the world!

Well, I love you more than I can express in words. I miss you, but I am greatful to serve. HAPPY NEW YEAR!

Elder Blackham

2008 Christmas Day Email

Hello Family,
I had a great time at the MTC this week. I learned so much. The spirit has been so strong here. I want to tell you the funniest thing that happened this week, I was in the health clinic with my district and we all had to give stool samples...gross huh...well this was one of the funniest things that happened so far here...when the nurse came out and announced "Welcome to my white bag party!" She went into detail well, I can't tell it....but believe me it was very funny.

The devotional this week was by Elder Glen L. Pace of the 70. He spoke on "Omni-Love" which was so spiritual. I liked this quote: "Until we love all men, our love of the Savior is incomplete." He also quoted Lorenzo Snow: "As man now is, God once was, and as God now is, man may become."

I am so greatful for you and your love and support of me. I can't wait to go out and serve.

I love you all so very much. My study of the gospel is really making me learn to love you more and appreciate more what I have. Thanks for your examples to me. Thank you mom and dad for the wonderful parents that you are to me. Thanks Bryce and Brenden for trying my patience....I know now why I needed more patience. Thanks Brett and Britt and Zac for the examples you are and the love you have for me. Thanks for your love and support of me on a mission Brad, it means alot to me. Thanks John and Emilee for all of the times you let me stay at your house and especially thank you Em for doing my blog. I am so greatful for ALl of you. Thanks! I hope you have a Joyous and Merry Christmas. I love you all very much! (Sorry it was late, I didn't get it sent right.) I can't wait to hear back from you!

Love, Elder Blackham

Merry Christmas 2008

December 25

Merry Christmas! I love you ALL! Thank you for the presents. I enjoyed getting the packages. My Christmas Eve and Christmas Day so far have been wonderful. I have been thinking alot about home and when I heard Elder David A. Bednar speak last night I was so greatful for my calling as a missionary. He said that if I focus on the work that YOU will be blessed for my service and that I won't have to worry about you. (Just like what Pres. Arnoldson said.) He also spoke about the symbols of Christmas, the tree, the lights and the shepherds...I want to share an experience about the light....Please read this as a family.....Read in Helaman 14:28 about Samuel the Lamanite, when he prophecies of the birth of Christ....there would be a day, a night and a day as if one day and no night. Then read 3 Nephi 1:4-15 This was one of the most spiritual experiences that I had had up to this point at the MTC, and maybe in my life! Now, picture the Mormon Miracle Pageant, keep the thought that the believers were going to be killed if the sign wasn't given that night! Do we have that FAITH? Many have had to give up all for their faith. (Count me as a member who will give all, as I am here until the end, Christ knows!) Then, when the sun went down and the sunlight stayed, THE LIGHT had saved them! Now, Fast forward to 3 Nephi 11:10-11 "I am the light and life of the world." When Christ came to them, He had done the will of the Father, Christ Loves Everyone. I know that He loves me and you ALL. During this whole experience I kept having flashbacks of the Pageant, where I was there and I saw Christ come and I felt his love. I saw and felt his hands. He came as He was surrounded in light because Christ is the Light!

This morning I heard from Elder Jeffery R. Holland and his wife. She said "Go find Christ." It is what I want to do. He said, "You are what you teach!" and "Be Strong." His grandchildren sang to us. I couldn't help but think of the wonderful brothers and sister that I have, watching them grow up helped me so much. I remember the spirit so strongly testifying that God approves of what I am doing and He is proud of me. This Christmas I will always remember and cherish. Elder Holland also said this isn't my work or my mission and it's not done my way..."this is not Burger King!"

Well, I am thinking of you and I love you more than I can express! Have a very Merry Christmas Season and a Happy New Year!

Your Devoted Missionary,
Elder Blackham