"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