June 4, 2012

Every week brings a new challenge, and a new opportunity to overcome. I'm learning much about myself. I'm learning what it means to forget yourself as you go to work. Mission life is very surreal, the days seem like months, but the weeks seem like days. Thank you for what you said, I think that your "secret to a happy life" is so applicable here, and everywhere throughout the world. As Joseph B. Wirthlin said, "come what may and love it". As I go about on a daily basis, it's hard to believe that the Lord really wants me here....because I can barely speak the language. But I hope and pray that it continues to come along. The people here in the Lupao Ward have been a big help to me. It really feels like I'm becoming familiar with them. The Savior shows his love to us sometimes through the people around us. I've felt that.

Things here in the Philippines are going well! It's been rainy for the past couple of days, haha, but the work keeps moving forward! The other day one of our investigators told us that she didn't want to hear our lessons anymore. However, yesterday as we were walking through her neighborhood, we saw her dad working and decided to talk to him. We had a really good lesson about the nature of God and how he loves us and our families. I was able to bear my testimony and respond a little bit to the things that he said - that's the power of God working!! It was dang sweet. We're also teaching a young man named Luminard who's 10. He's so awesome! He wants to be baptized on June 30th! It is so neat to see the children have desires to come unto that God who gave them life! 

Thank your for the pictures you sent me :) it's really good to see the family again! haha. Everyone looks awesome! If you could, just send some pictures of everyone in the everyday life! That would be sweet :). 

If you have any time, send me a simple recipe of something cheap i can cook with only a stove lol.Stay strong! Your capacity is greater than you know :) I love you sooo much! please give the family my love. Also, remember "Carpe Diem" - seize the day in Italian! As you learn to sieze the opportunities of everyday, your life will become full. You are blessed because of your knowledge and relationship with the Savior. 

Love Always,

Elder Blackham

This is a funny story that Elder Blackham told me in his letter to me.

Oh - funny story about my apartment a couple days ago... a ninja cat crawled into my room at like 3 o clock in the morning! It was so freaky! I woke up to "Tap-tatatap tap tap" and looked at my window and a cat was crawling in through my window but you have to understand that all of our windows have screens, and this cat found the only way to get in and when I found it, it was hanging down by it's front two paws and then dropped to the ground and rolled out into a sprint... weird right? It woke up Elder Dela Cruz, and ran into his closet. We kept it there until the morning when we normally wake up and it actually peed on his luggage. lol I'm just glad it wasn't mine....