More Photos of Christmas! week 26 cont.

thanks for the gifts!

The City

The apartment sisters

The Sunday after Christmas

Maligayong pasko at Maligayong Bagong Taon!!!!

I can't believe that it's 2014 in just a couple days!!! Where does the time go?!

Life here is so good. I am loving this new area and loving getting to know my way around more. I don't know if I really love the traffic though...but other than that this area is great!

 This past week was good and we were able to eat with the stake president and his family on Christmas and with some other members. I opened my Christmas presents by myself while everyone else was just kind of relaxing and on Christmas eve I read the nativity story by myself and opened one present.:)

We had our Christmas Zone Conference on Christmas eve, so that was really good to go to that and see all the couples and missionaries and of course President and sister Peterson. It was a really good conference. We had all the spiritual stuff of course, but then we played games and did a huge gift exchange (which of course I would end up with a teddy bear),  Each zone  then did a skit. Ha ours was a really rough version of the ants go marching one by one, but the missionaries go tracting 2x2. Ha it was really fun though. Then we ate dinner at McDonald's and then Sis Vaipou and I went with Sis's  Cox and Malig to Elder and Sister Hardin's house for some treats. It was a really good day.

The rest of this week has been good though. I absolutely loved skyping with you guys!! ha next time I will do better about only talking for 40 mins. though...haha oops. Oh well. it was so nice to be able to see everyone!!

I wanted to send some pictures today, but I left my camera at home, so next week I will get some pictures home!!

We have a curfew tomorrow at 6pm, but one of the members asked president if we can eat with them at 6 and then they will take us home! I am very excited for that. I don't think we're going to be getting much sleep though on the 31st because they have been doing fire crackers for like the past month and also Sis. Malig,  a filipina in our apartment,  told us that it is a tradition here at midnight to jump as high as you can so that you will grow tall. It is also a tradition to make as much noise as you can to scare away the evil spirits. Hahaha I am just a little upset that our bedtime is 10:30...

I love you all so much and I hope you have a great new year!

Love,

Sister Mecham 

Food on Christmas!

Me, President and Sister Peterson
Christmas Zone conference

Me, Sister Viapou

Me, Sister Wilkes

Merry Christmas!

I Love my new pillow case!

skyping on Christmas!

"To San Pablo I've Been Called" Week 25 Philippines

Our mission theme song is to the tune of "In Our Lovely Deseret" and the first line is "To San Pablo We've Been Called by a Prophet of our God" and I have been singing it a lot to myself this past week because I GOT TRANSFERRED TO SAN PABLO (3). 

It is really great! It is a rather large city, but it is really really cool! My new companion is sister Vaipou, she is from Samoa and is 6 weeks behind me on her mission, so we are pretty close in 'age' of the mission. She is great and is just so loving. She is so pretty and just so much fun! 

Sister Lorente and I spent our last few days in Candelaria visiting lots and lots of members and packing and packing and cleaning and packing. I was actually really good though and surprise...I actually fit all my stuff in just the 2 big suit cases! They weighed like 100 pounds though I'm pretty sure, but hey. I got all my stuff packed.

Thursday morning we traveled to the mission home to meet our new companions there. Sister Lorente got transferred and sister Finau got transferred too. Neither of them were very happy, but there are good sisters taking our spots in Candelaria.

So these last few days, we have just been trying to get used to the area and get all settled in. 

San Pablo is a WAY bigger city than Candelaria but is kind a weird because there will be tons of buildings and traffic, then you drive down the road a little but and there is a huge field of rice or corn or something. It is super random.

But I love it. I am SO happy to be here. I am like maybe 30 mins. away from the mission home too so that is nice :)

Fun Facts

Our ward has the stake president's family and both of his councilors in it. The stake president is having us over for Christmas lunch.

We went to like 2 1/2 hours of the NINE HOUR CHRISTMAS PARTY they had on Saturday. It started at 1 and got over like at 8:30. I about died when they said it was going to be that long. 

This ward is rich. Sobrang rich. They were throwing candy out the whole night, gave everyone 2 meals, tons of ice cream, refreshments and then at the end of the night, each family got a large basket of grocery type items. It was nuts.

The ward is SO nice though!! I am SO excited and happy to serve here!

Our house is a lot smaller than Candelaria and has 0 yard, so that means I have to do handstands and cartwheels in the house again.:)

Maybe like 100 feet from our house is a Pentacostal church.  They love to sing and play their drums and just rock out right during our personal study time on Sunday morning. It is fantastic.

They also start their practice at like 10 pm, but at least this week has been Christmas songs :)

So that's my life. I love it. This Christmas will be super weird, but I am happy here :) 

I love you all and hope you have a very Merry Christmas!!!

Love,

Sister Mecham

Me with my new companion, Sister Viapou

Sister Lorente and new companion, me and Sister Viapou

Transfers??? Week 24 in the Philippines

Well I am getting transferred. I wish I could tell you where, but I have no idea. They will tell us tomorrow.

 The AP's just called us and told us to get our area book looking nice, our apartment clean, and pay our bills. But the only problem is, Sister Lorente is transferring too. We are really sad because we don't want to leave "Z" or some of our other investigators because we finally have this area seeing progress, but I guess it'll all work out some how.

Anyway. This week has been good. On Wednesday we had Zone training meeting in Lucena.

 Thursday our kitchen sink (aka the only working sink in the whole house) got clogged with too much rice and pancit, so we had to call the couples to come fix it. Well. 3 couples showed up. The Gines, Hardins, and Feralles's. I just love all of them so much. The sink took a while to fix and all the elders had to go get supplies and such, so I sat out in our front room and talked to Sister Gines and Hardin for like an hour and it just felt SO good. It totally reminded me of just talking with family back home. It was much needed. Plus now, I have a new goal in life. I want to be a Couple missionary. They can do whatever they want. Literally.

Friday, Sister Harris and I had exchanges. It was a great day too because all of our lessons were referrals!!  The only referral I have received on my whole mission was" Z"! So that was really cool to see how much this area is progressing. Plus one of them was a Joe (American). He is actually kind of wierd...but his wife is a member, so he could definitely be baptized sooner than our other investigators. But it was really good to work with Sister Harris. She was definitely impressed with the progress of this area as well as with my Tagalog. I have definitely noticed the change in both and it really does feel great to be improving. 

Sister Harris is done with her mission this week, so I was so glad to be able to work with her one more time. She is a really good missionary. Ha but we got double the stares because she is a tall blonde American, ha but it was fun.

Saturday, Sister Manu and Sister Finau had a baptism for 5 little kids they have been teaching in Sariaya. They were kind of a special project because there are no missionaries there. All these kids parents were less active, but now they are coming back! It was a really good service.

And yesterday we got to go to Lucena to watch the first presidency Christmas devotional. It was SO good!! Plus "N" came to church again!! and I got pictures with a lot of the members.

This week, I think we will definitely just be following up with members and  "Z" and our other investigators and getting our area ready for new missionaries. 

I love you all so much and I'll let you know next week where I'll be transferred!!!

Love,

Sister Mecham

Our bedroom

 Our district and sister Umiten

Sister Pitman visited my family?! I did splits with her before she finished her mission.

"I'm Dreaming of a White Christmas" Week23

"Z" GOT BAPTIZED SATURDAY AND CONFIRMED SUNDAY!!!!!!

It was SO perfect, and probably the closest thing to a "White Christmas" I'll be seeing here in the Philippines.I couldn't be happier. Sister Lorente and I are SO happy we were able to see her make these huge changes in her life. She has really been changed by the Book of Mormon.

 We rounded up some tablecloths and flowers and pictures from the members to have set up at the church and just made sure the room was really clean and looked nice (Mom would be so proud of my Relief Society skills :) ) . 

 It was such a beautiful service and she was SO happy!!!! Sister Lorente and I could not stop smiling! It was a perfect set up and the spirit was so strong. I finally felt like a real missionary! I loved it!

 After the baptism, we were all just kind of standing there and talking. "Z's" husband, was just kind of standing there.  I just asked him how he was feeling. He just looked at me and I could just see that his eyes were red and it looked like he was going to start to cry. It was definitely my second favorite part of the baptism. He has kinda been the "black sheep" of the family. These last few months he has really changed a lot.

His family and pretty much all the ward members always say "oh sister, he was a less active" or "sister, he's Laman in our family" and he never says anything to stand up for himself. But Saturday night, I know he felt loved by our Heavenly Father for the changes he has made. I know Sister Lorente and I really did our best to show him and Z love. I KNOW they have changed. We were SO proud of him to be the one to baptize and confirm his wife. It truly was beautiful.

Sunday was beautiful too. He was able to confirm her during sacrament meeting.
After the sacrament, Bishop invited her to go up and bear her testimony and I kid you not, she was absolutely glowing!!!!!!!! She is the cutest. She also bore her testimony at the baptism. We had visited her on Friday and after the lesson, we asked her to bear her testimony but she told us she wanted it to be a surprise for us, so we had to wait till Saturday. I love her so much!

That was the definite highlight of the week and was really just wonderful.

In some other news though. I am pretty sure I'll be transferred on the 18th.
President had to interview Z on Tuesday because of her current religion. He just had to make sure everything was good. (I had to translate for it!!! scary!!).

 After the interview, I just talked to him for a little bit and then as he was leaving (Sister Peterson had come with him) he just put his arm on my shoulders and said "Sister. You are tired of this area. I can just feel it." and I just said, "Yes President", so I am feeling a transfer is coming.
 I am definitely nervous, but I think I am definitely ready for a change! I am so sad to have to leave sister Lorente though. I have already made my mind up that I am coming back here in 5-10 years with my husband to visit her and her husband and we will all tour the Philippines together!

Fun Facts:

Sister Lorente taught me a new word. It is nakakapagpabagabag. It means to be disturbed!

They have a tradition here. You go caroling and then you ask for money. Well I was unaware of this, so Sunday morning as we were getting ready to go to church some people came and sang and I just stood and watched them then clapped for them and said salamat po when they got done. But then they didn't leave and sister Lorente said that they will wait till we go give them money. So we ended up just hiding in our house till they left...

Jollibee (the main fast food place here) has a theme song. But it sounds like a real song. I definitely encourage you to go look it up.

Also "Nasa yo na ang lahat". Sister Lorente taught me that song too. I love it.

That's it from here. This week we will be finding new investigators and enjoying the sunshine while you all freeze :)

Love,Sister Mecham

Zone p-day! Last Monday in Lucena

Baptism Day!

I Love Papaya!

White Christmas!!!

Baptisms, Apostles, and Tricycles Week 22

Well I have to apologize for the semi-depressing email last week

. This week has been SSSSOOOO much better!" Z" IS GETTING BAPTIZED ON SATURDAY!!!! 

It turns out that if the bishop sees you get super upset and almost start crying in front of the ward council, he takes your side and talks with them to figure out a way for "Z's" baptism to be on Saturday night. Who says crying doesn't solve anything, psh. 

Ha I really hope that doesn't have to happen again! 

We have been busy this week going to her house EVERYDAY to get her ready for this Saturday! President is going to interview her on Tuesday just to make sure that everything is all good and that she really is ready to be baptized. Of course she is!! Her countenance has changed SO much since we've started teaching her and she just absorbs the lessons like a sponge! It really is such a miracle to see her change. 

In November, Sister Lorente and I had fasted for just one miracle in this area (meaning one baptism) and yesterday during sacrament, Z and her husband came in late and she just turns around and gives us the biggest smile and waves at us! It just hit me SO hard that SHE is our miracle that we prayed for. There is every reason for her not to be baptized because of her past and  her families religious beliefs, but I know that she is ready to be baptized and I feel so humbled to be able to help her. 

Another really amazing and wonderful miracle this week was on Tuesday. We had our mission tour with Elder Brent H. Nielson of the 70 and his wife. It was such a good meeting. 

We had a special sisters meeting in the morning with Sister Nielson and it was great! She said that when she was a young mom, she read a book about finding the holiness in everyday life, and so she really encouraged us to do the same in our work.

 Of course we are in the Philippines and it is super different for a lot of us, but she said that there is always something holy we can find. Then she said that when we get home, we need to marry someone who is a returned missionary and is ready to raise a family. Ha! Just like what we always talked about in young women's. It was really good.

Then the main mission tour with Elder Nielson was great too. There had been some rumors that he would interview a few of the missionaries and I just kinda pushed it to the side. That morning when I woke up I felt nervous and I immediately kind of knew that I would be interviewed. When we were in the big meeting, we all stood when he entered and then he had everyone come up and shake his hand individually and introduce ourselves, and I just felt SO nervous. After everyone shook hands and stuff, he sat on the stand and the meeting started and then he looked at me again and I just knew that I would be the one to get interviewed.

The actual meeting was SO good!! I loved it. The spirit was so strong and I learned a lot about the atonement.

 President Peterson gave a really great talk about the Book of Mormon. Then we had a delicious lunch and the Nielson's sat at our table and ate with us.  We then had the second half of the meeting. It was perfect!

After that meeting President came up to me and just kinda pulled me to the side and said "Elder Nielson would like to meet with you after, so when you see him start to leave, just make your way out behind him." I died. I could NOT stop smiling and I was kind of in shock!!! I just felt so loved. 

I had had such an awful week and I was just so humbled that I would be able to be interviewed by an Apostle of the Lord!! It was a good interview too. He just talked to me about our family, my areas, and about the St. George area.

He said that as much as I want this area to function like a ward in St. George, he said it probably won't because the church is only 50 years old here. He said that it is such a blessing to be able to see the church in such it's early stages here and that 'when I come back in 50 years with my husband, I will be shocked to see the progress here!

 It was such a neat experience and was a huge relief from the really bad week I had. He is going to email you guys too and send a picture of us. He said that they like to email you guys and just let you know that the missionaries are doing OK. :)

As we were leaving, President shook my hand and I just told him  thank you and he asked how the interview was. He said "good. I thought you would like that". It feels so good to know that president totally has my back here and is really looking out for me!

Now one fun fact;

I am going to make a Disneyland ride of a tricycle in the Philippines. Last night we got a ride home from Zeiti's house with their neighbor. There were already 2 people in the side car thing, then the in laws of Zeiti got in too, so there were FOUR adults in the car thing so Sis. Lorente and I were on the back of the motorcycle. I am pretty sure the tricycle was like 20 years old too and like super rusty.

 The driver was just going SO fast!! The roads had tons of ruts because it had rained a lot and so we are just bouncing ALL over the place! Then he is trying to avoid them so we are like running into all these bushes and Sister Lorente and I were just dying of laughter and holding on for dear life!! 

To add to the experience, this cow was in the middle of the road so we are chasing this cow out of the road. It was scary! Not to mention the guy was drunk. It was exciting!

Any way. I love you all SO MUCH!!!

Love,

Sister Mecham

Sister Mecham and Brent H. Nielson area President of the Quorum of the Seventy

Sister Lorente, Sister Mecham and President Nielson

Sister Mecham and Sister Lorente at the SM (shopping mall) in San Pablo.

Philippine Tricycle! With side car !

                         

Thanksgiving Dinner! Chicken, mashed potatoes, mango pie!

Thanksgiving!