Huling email ko sa Pilipinas!!! Week 72

Kumusta po!

Holy cow. This is it. The very last email I will send to you as "Sister Mecham". I literally have so many emotions right now. 

I just wanted to tell you all how much I love you all so much. There are SO many things I have learned as a missionary and the absolutely greatest spiritual growth I have ever experienced in my entire life. I look forward to the day when I will be able to serve the Lord again as a full time missionary and wear a name tag again. I am so blessed to have had the opportunity to serve my Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ here in the Philippines. I am going to miss these beautiful people so much. I wish you all could have experienced this with me, because I have so many sweet cherished memories here and a completely new world of dear, close friends.

The greatest lesson I have learned here as a missionary, is about the Atonement. President Mangum, during my exit interview last night asked "How has your relationship with the Savior changed over the course of your mission?". Right behind President's desk is a huge beautiful picture of Christ in the red robe and after I was finally able to compose myself after the tears, I just told President that I feel like I KNOW Christ better than I did before.

In Tagalog there are 2 words for 'know'. One means to 'know something' the other means to 'know someone'. Before I came here I was scratching through the surface of the second 'know' but now I feel like I have been able to go so much deeper and feel His love and guidance in such a completely different way.

I really do feel like "I Stand All Amazed" was written for me and that is exactly how I feel at this time. I don't know why Heavenly Father gave a 'sinner such as I' such INCREDIBLE amounts of miracles and strength and knowledge and blessings to me. I do not understand the love of God, but I have felt it SO many times as a missionary. I am so grateful for the refinement I have gone through here and there literally are so many things that I am going to do when I go home to use my time, in our short lives on earth more fully. There is so much good to be done in the world and I am so grateful I was able to have my eyes opened more fully.

This last transfer has been full of emotions and so much stress (that last part was NOT fun) but I know that God's ways are so much greater than mine and that it was requisite that I should have been assigned to serve in Darasa with Sister Ghouri and that all my other companions have been the ones I have needed at the specific parts of my mission.

I really had been feeling a lot of doubts that I hadn't done enough, but last night as I was able to talk to President Mangum, he told me that the experiences I had here were definitely part of the specific 'training' I needed for the rest of my life. He said that because of my more nurturing personality, my mission required different things from me than compared to other missionaries, but it really is what God had in mind for me. It was the real reassurance I needed and what I needed to hear. I know that I was needed here to help others and more importantly to refine myself. 

My last lesson I was able to teach, was with Melchor and Agnes and their 2yr old boy, Jacob. They came to church last Sunday when we were in Candelaria and Agnes came again yesterday (Melchor had to work). At our lesson though on Saturday, Melchor told us that he has been living the word of wisdom and hasn't smoked for like 2 weeks now or drank. He told us that when people or his friends offer him cigarettes he just refuses them. As he was speaking you could see the Holy Ghost working on him and I could really see a change in him and even just the atmosphere of their house. We have been really bold with them in trying to get them married and for him to live the word of wisdom but most importantly we have shown them love. As they are doing these good things (and reading SO much of the Book of Mormon!!!!!!) their lives are being blessed and I think they are finally seeing the good changes as well. Melchor's sister is actually a member and he told us she is really shocked as well with all the changes in them.

I am so amazed at the power of the gospel. I took being a member for granted. I finally realize what we have now and I know it is the only way to happiness. I want to keep sharing the gospel for the rest of my life and of course continue to live according to the commandments and keep my covenants. 

These next few days will be so fun. We had a workshop earlier today to help us know how to apply for jobs and such, now we are at SM for some stuff and emails, and then at 5 we have dinner then a FHE and testimony meeting. 

Tomorrow we are headed to Manila! I literally can't wait to go to the temple!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I didn't realize how much I've really missed it. I am so ready to be able to go and feel the spirit there and to be able to sit in the Celestial room again and just have time to ponder.

I am so happy. God is so good. The Church is true. Jesus Christ IS our Savior and His atonement is real. Joseph Smith was God's chosen prophet to restore this church and to translate the Book of Mormon. Thomas S. Monson and his counselors and the 12 apostles are leading our church today through the power of the priesthood and revelation. I know that I have been apart of the largest and strongest royal army this earth has ever seen and I can't wait for all of us to leave the safety of the mission and be in the world again to fight Satan and to lift others around us. I know that I was able to follow the example of Mormon when he said in 3 Nephi 5:13

  

"Behold, I am a disciple of Jesus Christ, the Son of God. I have been called of him to declare his word among his people, that they might have everlasting life."

Mahal na mahal ko kayo!! Kita kitz sa Wednesday!!!!!!

Love,

Sister Mecham 

Ospital, YOMT, Candelaria, and Nature Week 71

Welp. Here it is. My last week in the field! I really never thought I'd make it to this point. Heavenly Father has really blessed me so much throughout my entire mission, so I am ready to keep working hard this week and keep giving all that I have to this work.

This last week has been nuts and pretty stressful. We got a surprise call on Tuesday from the Moran's (the new office couple) saying that I would need to go to Manila AGAIN on Thursday. So we really only had that full day to visit everyone.

Wednesday we had time to visit one member, who actually knows Kaleb Hurst (you should ask him if he knows Velgie Aguilon from Calamba), and then Sister Ghouri and I spent a blessed 3 hours in the hospital getting her a check-up and an x-ray to make sure she doesn't have TB any more. Plus we had our last district meeting that morning, so it was kind of just a weird day. Dad would be so proud of me though for not getting too irritable at the hospital for lack of food and a lot of stress. If I have learned one thing from being a missionary, it would easily be patience. 

Thursday after our weekly planning, the 3 sisters dropped me off again at the corner so I could go meet up with my batch again to go to Manila. Last time we thought we would only have 1 trip to Manila, so we called it YOMO-You Only Manila Once. Well we named this trip YOMT-You Only Manila Twice. This trip also turned out kind of pangit as well because a few of us didn't even have to do anything at the immigration office. The others had to redo some finger prints and the rest of us just had a marvelous time people watching again. But it was good because we did stop by Krispe Kreme again and we found a Wendy's!!! That was very exciting.

YOMT lasted till Friday eveningish so then I met back up with our sisters by our apartment. It was so strange walking home alone before meeting them.

Saturday I GOT TO VISIT CANDELARIA AGAIN!!!!! It was SO good!! We left around 1 from our area after visiting an investigator then traveled there! It was strange to be there again, but all my favorite people remembered me! It was so fun! We had time to visit a lot and the sisters there even had a baptism that night which the Mangums attended, so I got to see SO many of my favorite people! 

The ward is still great. They all told me my Tagalog was so much better and that I was skinnier (woot woot) so I am definitely so glad I went back. Plus I got to see Zeiti's ADORABLE baby, Princess, who was just the cutest little thing ever. Plus there were 7 other new babies in the ward. Yes. 7. Oh man. It was such a good visit, plus seeing everyone again at church.

Today I had themed our P-day today as 'nature' so we went on a beautiful hike with our District to mount Makiling. (last week the theme was SM, and the week before was Palengke). The Hike was so fun though. It was pretty much hiking through the jungle and I managed to get a lot of scratches all over my arms and legs, but it was so worth it. I'll probably just show you the pictures in a couple weeks:)

As for this last week of work, we are going to work our bums off everyday. I am going to make sure I leave knowing there are many investigators and potential investigators in our area book!

I love you all so much and I can't even wait to see you!!! Ingat po kayo!

Love,

Sister Mecham

Elder Robbins, Sick, Happy Halloween and All Saints day, and special broadcasts. Week 70

This last week has been nuts and this week I think is going to be even crazier.

Monday was a normal P-day. We did go to the Palengke though, probably my last time, and bummed around and bought mangos for the last time also:( 

Tuesday we went to San Pablo for a special meeting with pretty much the entire mission to listen to Elder Robbins and Elder Tobias speak. It was really really good! Elder Robbins talked about the fact  that because we have 100% agency, we need to be more ready to take our 100% responsibility. It was really powerful. I really learned a lot from him and it was a good motivater to just really become more Christ-like. He talked about how if we take more responsibility for ALL our actions, being Christ-like will not be forced, but it will be a natural reaction. It was great.

Then he also talked about how missions are like the 'Lord's University'. That is the only university in the world, 'not even BYU' has courses like 'Premarriage 505', Patience 505, clean room 101, Diligence 505, etc. It was kind of funny how he put it but it was totally true. Missions are a completely unique experience.

My favorite part was actually during the opening hymn. We sang "Behold, A Royal Army". "Victory, victory, through Him that redeemed us" in a sacrament hall full of missionaries is probably one of the most powerful spiritual experiences I have ever had in my entire life.Even more powerful than what we feel at the temple. I can't describe the power that was felt as we sang Victory through Jesus Christ. It was amazing. I felt so close to the Savior at that time. 

Our work this week was interrupted a bit with that special meeting and Sister Ghouri was sick all day Wednesday, the earlier curfew for all Saints day (Nov. 1) and then we had a special broadcast yesterday for the Philippines with Elder Dallin H. Oaks. 

We were still able to do a lot more than I had expected. The days we did work, we went to lesson after lesson after lesson, or OYM to OYM to OYM. We were completely exhausted and I crashed by 9:30 on Friday night after falling asleep filling out the area book. But it felt so good. I just love missionary work.

I think I am driving Sister Ghouri crazy a little because I am just go go go all the time, and she takes her time with things, but we have really seen the blessings of trying to get that 1 more OYM or going back to try to find an OYM or contact a referral. It has been so good to see those blessings just constantly stream in.

The Lord is blessing us in many ways and everyday I see the blessings for following through with ALL our goals to OYM or to try to teach our investigators. Just today I saw the spirit touch a woman who seemed really annoyed that I was talking to her on the jeepney on the way home, but as we were talking, I could see the change in her countenance and helped her smile a little before we got off the jeep.

Fun stories from this week:

-explaining Halloween to Sister Ghouri. They don't do Halloween in Pakistan.

-Singing 'hedwigs theme to Sister Ghouri during companionship study. They also don't have Harry Potter in Pakistan.

That's pretty much it. Our house is a cultural melting pot and we are having lots of fun eating Pakistani food and Filipino food and making sister Suapaia do Samoan dancing for us (she's actually from New Zealand though). We have the best house.

Today we also went bowling with our zone and then went to SM. Next week, we are hoping to be able to go on a hike and then that will be my last real P-day. It is so strange. But I am just loving these last few weeks. I feel like I am growing the most in these last weeks and I just feel on fire with the work and I can just feel Heavenly Father pouring blessings upon us.

Fun surprise to, I AM GOING BACK TO CANDELARIA TO VISIT ON SATURDAY AND SUNDAY!!!! I can hardly stand it!! In our mission we can visit one area before we go home, we call it our 'last Sunday', so I am getting really excited to go back and to visit the people there! 

Any way. Life is so good here! I love you all:)

Love,

Sister Mecham

Zone p-day

Pictures from Canlubang

Some of my favorite people

Canlubang

Holy Santos in the basement where we live.

Canlubang

Zone interviews, X-rays, meetings, Exchanges Week 69

First off. I am still really sad Buster died. Diabetes? That's just so sad. I am going to miss that dog. I hope there is a Spirit World for animals.

As for life in the Philippines...this past week has been crazy and our numbers kind of hurt because of it. 

I did really enjoy our zone interviews last week though in Lipa and President really encouraged me to go back through my conference notes and look for the things Heavenly Father needs me to be working on and set some more goals. So one of those goals is to continue to strengthen my testimony of the Gospel, strive for more obedience (mostly in how I choose to use my time at night, aka journal), and to work on Christlike attributes again; Faith, Love and Charity, and Patience.

 I am pretty sure those attributes are a constant work in progress...but I think they will be a great way to end my mission. 

One great scripture I read was in Romans 15:1-3- 

1 We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves.

 2 Let every one of us please his neighbour for his good to edification.

 3 For even Christ pleased not himself; but, as it is written, The reproaches of them that reproached thee fell on me.

Christ truly is our perfect example. Especially in patience. 

As for our work this week, between interviews, district meetings, run arounds at the hospital to get an X-ray (which is required before we go home), and exchanges in Lipa, we had a hard time getting lessons this week. We did find 2 new families to teach and they are both actually interested, so I am very excited to continue teaching them and to get back to them this week!! 

I have really noticed a lot this week the miracles for going the extra mile in OYMs and then extending the invitation to be taught. It's been sticking in my head a lot the sentence "Find when you teach, teach when you find" from Preach my Gospel. That is how we started to teach both of those families. 
I do have a testimony of OYMing and inviting them to listen to the message. I also know that reaching our OYM goal is something WE have control over and that when we set a goal and stick to it by talking to one or 2 more people before going home is worth it. The times when I don't feel like OYMing and make up my mind to do it any way, those are always the times when the people are incredibly receptive.

I love being a missionary and all the things I get to learn each day. I know that I am supposed to be Sister Ghouri's companion at this time and that all my past companions and past experiences have really prepared me for her. I really feel like I am training her. Which is a really good thing, because I am SO excited to see what she can become, and I know that this time in the first months still of her mission is the best time for her to learn the doctrines of the lessons and be able to teach them simply. I also have been able to give her some ideas to help her learn the language. I don't think she likes it all the time, but I am seeing little miracles with her already

Last week was crazy, and these next few weeks will continue the craziness, but it is good to keep us always busy.

On Thursday I worked with Sister Burnham in Lipa. It was SO fun! They have a super nice apartment and it is actually a lot cooler in Lipa, so that was a good change instead of sweating so much.

This week we are really going to work on finding through the members, so we have set appointments with a few of them to help them get started to give us some referrals.

Tomorrow we have a special meeting in San Pablo with Elder Robbins and Elder Tobias, so I am really excited to see what they have to say. Plus this will be the last time, for probably a long time, that I'll get to see my Polynesian companions:( 

Sister Lorente is back though, but on Marinduque, the island, and sister Woodruff had to go home for some medical reasons, so I won't get to see those two :( but it will be good to see the other 3 before I go home!

I am still loving Darasa, full of ups and downs still with our teaching pool, but kaya namin:)

I love you all and hope you have a great week!!

Love,

Sister Mecham

YOMO Week 68

Hello po!

This week in Darasa has been crazy! I love it here. We are busy with lots of investigators and mostly just figuring out this area, because sister Ghouri and I are still pretty new, but we've had a really good week.

We have 2 families we are teaching and we are working on getting all the stuff they need so that they can get married! That is seriously such a big problem here. But they really are the cutest families. One of them is really really close to being done with her lessons and has been coming to church. We just need to get their marriage! 

We had FHE with the one family last Monday and they are just the cutest. Their dad is actually a member and was baptized when he was in like 7th grade, but has been less active for a long time now. They have 3 little kids and I want them to get married so bad so that their mom, Madeline can get baptized!! 

This week we've also been able to visit some of the members who we haven't seen at church. One lives in a super poor area. They call those areas 'squatters'. They just live in shacks. So any way, as we were walking down this super long, muddy road back to the main road, I could see down the path from us a man with a gun! I freaked out a bit and told Sister Ghouri we should stop and wait to go down there because there was also a huge group of people all gathered around watching. So, we stopped and talked to a woman who was outside sweeping. She then told me they were going to euthanize a dog (but of course conjugated 'euthanize' in Tagalog which I still can't figure out how she did that). 
I didn't think much of this at first because I think there are many very sad looking dogs that would probably be happier in heaven...but then of course being a good missionary, I asked "Bakit po?" ('why') and she answered me, "Kakain sila" or  literal translation, "they are going to eat". Again. One of those experiences that just hits me in the face reminding me I am still in the Philippines. And pretty much a different world. The rest of the story is after I asked that question the man points the gun and shoots some tranquilizer or something and then watch it die.

As for a happier note... YOMO means "You Only Manila Once". Why? we had a surprise trip to Manila!!!!!!! WOOHOOO!! Yeah. they called on Friday and said my batch had to go to Manila to do some paper work and fingerprints at the immigration office. Yesterday around 3 we all met up and then headed to Manila, saw the temple!, had to eat KFC on the sabbath because there was no where to eat in the hotel (the hotel did pay for the meal though). Then this morning we left the hotel at 7 to go to the immigration office.

 Let me tell ya. That was a cultural mixing pot. I could probably stay there for days and just people watch. It was a long, yet kind of entertaining process. After being there till like 12, we got on a van again and they took us to Krispe Kreme (yes) and then dropped us off by the buses and we ate some McDonalds, then got on the bus. And here we are. back in a little sweaty internet shop.

So that's life for now. Tomorrow we have interviews and next week we have another special meeting in San Pablo!

 Time is going SO fast, but I am loving my mission. I love everything I've learned and being able to talk to all the other sisters that came here with me was so fun. Every one'smissions really are perfect for them. 

I love you all and hope you have a great week!

Love,

Sister Mecham

New area: Darasa

Ward Member

Family in the ward

Family Home Evening with a family we are teaching.

Sister Ghouri and a ward missionary.

Transferred Pala, Conference, DARASA week 67

Hi Family.

Well. I got transferred! 

I was definitely a little shocked to get a phone call on Tuesday morning during studies, saying I was transferred. I had thought for sure I was going to finish my mission in Canlubang, so I hadn't done anything to prepare for transfers. 

So, Tuesday and Wednesday we went to as many of our investigators as we could and then stopped by all the members in between and taught some of the less active members one more time. 

 I washed my clothes one last time in our washer. I love Canlubang and I had definitely gotten very attached to the members there, but I really feel so willing to do what Heavenly Father wants me to do. I am still really sad that I had to leave our 3 investigators who are ready to be baptized. It truly has been a miracle to see them be changed by the gospel, but again, I am excited to have all new people to help this transfer. 

Plus ,I am SO excited to be working with Sister Ghouri. She is from Pakistan. Yes. Pakistan. The church is in PAKISTAN!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am absolutely astounded at her faith. She is here to be a missionary, even if she doesn't understand a word anyone says to her or a word I say to her. She knows she needs to be a missionary. I am her second companion in the field and this is her first area. she's been out about 5 months. I have a lot to learn from her during my last few weeks here in the Philippines. She is incredibly Christlike and really just the sweetest thing ever.

Our area is good. I really haven't been able to see a lot of it though with Conference and transfers and weekly planning, so this week I am ready to see more of it and get to know the investigators and the members here. We have already been able to get with the bishop and he is SO great! He has a vision for his ward and has prepared a list of the unordained elders  for us to go start contacting. I am really really excited to be here.

Conference was a much needed thing for me this last weekend. A lot of my batch mates are here in Lipa zone and I was able to talk to a lot of them and I feel like Alma and the sons of Mosiah. Meeting with everyone again and hearing all their wonderful stories of conversions and changes and companions, I walked away from conference on Saturday just thinking to myself "wow. everyone really has had great missions." and I just felt so happy for all of us.

 My favorite line from this conference was said by Tad Callister. he said something a long the lines of 'I don't know (or suppose) titles such as Bishop or Relief Society President, etc. will last after this life and continue to the next, but I do know that the title of Mother, Father, Wife, and husband will be far greater'. That's not exactly what he said, but the same idea. It was my favorite line because I have had a hard time just feeling happy with the way my mission has turned out because it hasn't been the most 'glamorous' mission. So knowing that titles and positions and callings really aren't the most important things, but being a good parent someday will be what is the most important, just gave me the greatest peace in the world. 

We really are all in training to become Gods and our Heavenly Father has a perfectly planned training for each of us. I know that all my experiences I've had here were tailor made for me, and now being able to hear about the seeds I've planted and seeing the pictures of my former investigators, now members of the church, just makes me so happy. I am very happy with what I have done here and I am so ready to keep going until the end. 

It is blowing my mind that I really only have like 5 full weeks left of being a missionary. Time flies. I am really glad to be here though. Darasa is really cute. it is probably the poorest area I've had though, so that is another thing to get used to, but I am ready for these challenges!

Love,

Sister Mecham

General Women's Conference week 66

Hi family,

This week has been great! We have 3 amazing investigators who should be ready for baptism before I leave; June, Dave, and Ricky. I've talked about June before and his goal date is now the first of November, just to make sure he is totally ready. He likes coffee, so we have to wait a couple weeks to make sure he can fully get over it. But he is doing great! He's been sick all week, so he missed church yesterday, and was really concerned about having to wait even longer to be baptized, but we assured him he can still be baptized on the first:)
Dave is still doing great. He's pretty cute, and is also anxious to be baptized. He keeps asking us when, but he hasn't been reading and praying everyday and church is not his favorite, so we have gone back to the very basics again and now he understands he needs to come to church. We are going to make him a calendar so that he can mark the days he reads and prays and  Sundays when he comes to church to get him more excited about it.

And Ricky. We found him a few weeks ago. He lives by 2 members and he has progressed SO quickly. He is 30 and still single. Every time we teach, he is just so open about how he wants to change his life and repent and really just come to Christ. He came to church yesterday and you can just see how he is changing. He is very serious about being baptized and so ready to change. His goal date is November 15.

This last week has been really good though. Our mission is really changing our visions and doing more. There are companionships talking to over a hundred people each week!! It is SO cool to hear the experiences that president shares to us. There is so much work to do here in the Philippines and you can really feel the mission shifting to higher goals and visions. I love being apart of it at this time. Next week, we start using new planners and it is my last planner, but I love having these new goals in the mission, because I feel like the whole mission, especially myself, is going to finish so much higher. I love it.

This week we also will get to see conference! Last Saturday was the women's meeting and it was great, except the stake told everyone the wrong time, so we got there half way through the meeting. There were some serious technical difficulties, as they tried to fix it, they had byutv on so I may or may not have watched some of the byu vs usu game. That was weird to see football again. I hope next week for general conference there are no weird delays so we can all just go and focus on the spirit:)

I love you all and hope you have a great week!

Love,

Sister Mecham

Just a peek at this week....Tracting, Jeepney's and kids climbing coconut trees at the church!