Sister Brittany Ann Mecham : 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