The Philippines Week 6!

Well this week has been full of many changes. After our divine P-Day last week, everything just got progressively more difficult. I think Heavenly Father knew all of us needed that day to be so perfect because of all the changes happening.

The work has been pretty good and we are finding some more success with our teaching and have been able to get more lessons this week and I am starting to understand more of what people say, but I still have a long way to go.

 

On Thursday, Sister Hellewell came to Candelaria (She knows Sydney Baker!!!!). Her companion is sick and may have to go home, so she is working with us until Thursday (when we all get new companions). Sister Mckinney and Sister Maka will be training this coming week and so Sister Maka will most likely get transferred (we find out tomorrow). Yesterday I had to say goodbye to Sister Nabus. She was supposed be spending the next couple days in the mission home and  going to the Manila temple. But, the temple is closed for a couple weeks, so she will take a bus back to her home on Wednesday.

 

Since there are 4 of us here now, we are all taking turns being companions until Thursday. Yesterday and today I have worked with Sister Maka and I have learned SO much from her!!! She just has a "go getter" attitude and is a power house. We only had a few hours to work because of all our Sunday meetings, but we still were pretty successful. Tonight we will also be working together. Then tomorrow Sister Mckinney and I will work  together . Wednesday will be Sister Hellewell and me. I am pretty nervous though because I have to lead the area and I don't want us to get lost or run out of people to visit...so I have been kind of stressed out these last couple days. I am especially nervous for Wednesday though because Sister Hellewell and I have only been here for 6 weeks.  We are definitely going to have to relay on the Lord that day and pray to understand what people are saying. 

 

Yesterday at church, in our relief society lesson, I was able to read the English manual again and it talked about our callings in the church and how we should approach all of them with cheerfulness. I know that we were supposed to have that lesson because as I read it, it felt like Heavenly Father was speaking those words to me and I wasn't reading them. It was such a sacred experience.

 

I know Heavenly Father is SO aware of me here and has places marami (many) things and especially people in my path each day to help me do this work.

 

We have all been warned that we will most likely have to train at the end of our 12 week training and it totally stresses me out, but I know that I will be able to learn so much from it. President and Sister Peterson wrote me a letter (well all the newbies) that said our missions will not be easy and not our favorite things, but when we have completed our time as missionaries, it will be our most favorite memories! I know that is true and I don't want an easy mission. Everyday it is re-affirmed to me that there is SO much Heavenly Father needs me to learn and I know I need to have more patience and LOTS more faith each day with the language, and just the work.

 

 Sometimes it feels like I will be on my mission forever.  These things I have so much stress about, that seem SO huge, and SO hard,  I know one day I will  look back at them and realize that I was able to get through them and learn from them because I have Heavenly Father helping me each day. When we are doing the Lord's work or when we are studying and reading the scriptures, the time flies and I just feel so good about the work I am doing.

 

I love being here. I  know these challenges are hard right now but , I know I wouldn't learn anything if it was easy. So, I am grateful for this opportunity to push myself and do these hard things. I am also incredibly grateful for the people Heavenly Father continues to bless me with and I can't wait to meet my new companion this week and be able to learn from her.

 

Mahal Kita!!!

Sister Mecham

This may just be my favorite investigator of all times. Everyone calls moms and older women here Nanay so she is Nanay Ester. And she is 68 and probably weighs 68 pounds. I just love her. She lives in a tiny little house with her tiny little husband, Eddy. I just want to take them home with me because they are SO cute!! Ester loves to look at the pictures in the pamphlets and reads them every time we meet with her.

(Also don't mind the fact that I look like a giantess... :-)

Another darling family that we are teaching!