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