An excerpt from a letter from Elder Dana Blackham, written in Petrópolis, Brazil, on Monday, November 23, 1970, and recorded in my missionary journal under date of Friday, November 27, just a few weeks before the end of my mission.
Well, comp, it looks like your time is drawing near. I still remember you in my prayers. Of course my memory is also full of you and Maceió. I think that without Maceió my mission would have been missing a heck of a lot. That is, it would have lacked its highlight. As you called it, a zenith of loving.
Yes, comp, Maceió was a beautiful experience for me. I rejoice in our relationship for I know that we surely are eternal friends. This is a link that few achieve because it is a very special type of relation. I think our friendship revolves around two things: testimony and the pure love of Christ. Thus being, it enabled us to strive for a higher spiritual plane. Through this striving we did truly elevate ourselves and we enjoyed the fruits of a higher sensitivity to the promptings of the Holy Ghost. I’m sure that our goal to remember the Savior was a prime factor in our success in achieving a greater companionship of the Holy Ghost.
Showing posts with label From Dana Blackham. Show all posts
Showing posts with label From Dana Blackham. Show all posts
Wednesday, April 9, 2008
50. From Elder Dana Blackham
Excerpts from a letter recorded in my missionary journal under date of Thursday, November 5, 1970, from my former companion, Dana Blackham, who had been transferred again from Rio de Janeiro to Petrópolis, the first city I labored in at the beginning of my mission.
Well (hole in the ground), I’ve been in Petrópolis a week tomorrow. I’m really beginning to like it. My companion is Elder Butler. He is a real fine man. I’m coming to love him already. I’m trying as hard as I can to make our relationship “vibrar.” As I told you once, the heights we reached as comps now remains with me as a goal to strive for with each companion I have.
You know, comp, I’ve still got great saudades of Maceió. I hope and pray for your success with the branch up there. . . . I miss you and your companionship. We surely enjoy a fine relationship as elders and brothers. My love for you has grown greatly since I’ve left Maceió. As you, I realize that my leaving was necessary for me to truly appreciate all of the blessings which I received while I was in Maceió. I loved my stay there and thank my Heavenly Father for having given me that privilege.
Well (hole in the ground), I’ve been in Petrópolis a week tomorrow. I’m really beginning to like it. My companion is Elder Butler. He is a real fine man. I’m coming to love him already. I’m trying as hard as I can to make our relationship “vibrar.” As I told you once, the heights we reached as comps now remains with me as a goal to strive for with each companion I have.
You know, comp, I’ve still got great saudades of Maceió. I hope and pray for your success with the branch up there. . . . I miss you and your companionship. We surely enjoy a fine relationship as elders and brothers. My love for you has grown greatly since I’ve left Maceió. As you, I realize that my leaving was necessary for me to truly appreciate all of the blessings which I received while I was in Maceió. I loved my stay there and thank my Heavenly Father for having given me that privilege.
46. From Elder Dana Blackham
Excerpts from a letter recorded in my missionary journal under date of Thursday, October 8, 1970, from my former companion, Dana Blackham, who had been transferred from Maceió down to Rio de Janeiro.
You know, comp, I sure got shook up when I got transferred. For a while I wondered if I would pull out of my slump. Two and one half days of bus riding thinking about Maceió and my beloved companion is enough to make anyone sad. I had the good luck to receive a fine comp like Elder Christiansen. He’s a good man. If I had received a mais ou menos comp I think I would have been even longer in my slump. But you know, comp, you were right we were up for a very long time and it sure was great.
I surely appreciate all the good times we had together. I thank you for sharing the work equally with me. That meant very much to me. I’ll always remember my work with you as a privilege. I guess I didn’t fully appreciate you until about a month previous to my transfer.
In thinking about the relationship we had as comps the following thought keeps coming to mind. Elder Cleverly prayed to be able to have the pure love of Christ as a gift from God. As I think of our friendship that is what comes back to me. I think that is probably why we had such a good relationship. I firmly affirm that you, comp, manifested or shared with me that type of love. The Pure Love of Christ. I know that grace by grace your love for other children of God will increase. I think of any person I’ve ever really known you come closer to radiating the pure love of the Savior than any other. For that reason I think we enjoyed our little bit of heaven as you called it. That is certainly a good description. I always admired your capacity to love others and to some extent I felt very successful in extending my love to others by following your example. I think we were especially successful with each other. I think I can really and truthfully say I love you. I know that comes from inside and it is a glorious feeling.
You know, comp, I don’t know what the President is going to do to replace you. I know there isn’t another elder like you. I just hope the branch can take the jolt. If you thought it was bad when I left, wait till you have to leave the old homestead away from home. You had better take buckets to church. That is going to be hard. Don’t worry about making yourself something you already are, indispensable!!
Well (hole in the ground), comp, you are going to receive one of the longest letters I’ve ever written in Brazil. Four pages.
I want to, as I terminate, express my love for you. I really do love you, Elder Cleverly. It is great to be able to say that and know that you know what I mean. I guess that is because you understand me. You understand me as a son of God as we are brothers in spirit. I said to you many times that one of the most marvelous principles of the gospel is that we as humans are capacitated to become like God if we make the effort. I pray for our success in returning to our Father’s presence. My prayers are with you there in Maceió. Keep up the good work.
You know, comp, I sure got shook up when I got transferred. For a while I wondered if I would pull out of my slump. Two and one half days of bus riding thinking about Maceió and my beloved companion is enough to make anyone sad. I had the good luck to receive a fine comp like Elder Christiansen. He’s a good man. If I had received a mais ou menos comp I think I would have been even longer in my slump. But you know, comp, you were right we were up for a very long time and it sure was great.
I surely appreciate all the good times we had together. I thank you for sharing the work equally with me. That meant very much to me. I’ll always remember my work with you as a privilege. I guess I didn’t fully appreciate you until about a month previous to my transfer.
In thinking about the relationship we had as comps the following thought keeps coming to mind. Elder Cleverly prayed to be able to have the pure love of Christ as a gift from God. As I think of our friendship that is what comes back to me. I think that is probably why we had such a good relationship. I firmly affirm that you, comp, manifested or shared with me that type of love. The Pure Love of Christ. I know that grace by grace your love for other children of God will increase. I think of any person I’ve ever really known you come closer to radiating the pure love of the Savior than any other. For that reason I think we enjoyed our little bit of heaven as you called it. That is certainly a good description. I always admired your capacity to love others and to some extent I felt very successful in extending my love to others by following your example. I think we were especially successful with each other. I think I can really and truthfully say I love you. I know that comes from inside and it is a glorious feeling.
You know, comp, I don’t know what the President is going to do to replace you. I know there isn’t another elder like you. I just hope the branch can take the jolt. If you thought it was bad when I left, wait till you have to leave the old homestead away from home. You had better take buckets to church. That is going to be hard. Don’t worry about making yourself something you already are, indispensable!!
Well (hole in the ground), comp, you are going to receive one of the longest letters I’ve ever written in Brazil. Four pages.
I want to, as I terminate, express my love for you. I really do love you, Elder Cleverly. It is great to be able to say that and know that you know what I mean. I guess that is because you understand me. You understand me as a son of God as we are brothers in spirit. I said to you many times that one of the most marvelous principles of the gospel is that we as humans are capacitated to become like God if we make the effort. I pray for our success in returning to our Father’s presence. My prayers are with you there in Maceió. Keep up the good work.
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