Zone Training Meeting Week 52

What a week.

So last Monday we had a lovely P-day. One of our cute members washed our clothes for us (she is an angel) and so we could just do all our shopping and such, then we didn't have anytime to teach because we had to go to Cabuyao for exchanges. We were afraid there would be tons of traffic, so we left early. Luckily there wasn't much traffic so we had time to swing by Jollibee, eat a Yum and fries and then head to the STL's apartment. 

Background muna...

I have definitely been thinking about what I want for the last few months of my mission and creating a vision of those things, so I had written tons of goals down and was just still lost and not really feeling sure of myself and just struggling. I had decided a couple weeks earlier that I would ask our zone leader for a blessing so it could be in English and I just really wanted to get some answers and assurance from Heavenly Father. So I already had this planned that I would ask our zone leader for this blessing at our zone training on Wednesday. In the back of my head I always said to myself, "man. If I ever had the opportunity to just sit and talk to President Peterson and get his feedback on things and just counsel with him and get a blessing from him, I would take it in a heartbeat." Well Heavenly Father definitely heard that thought and heard my prayers that whole week. So last Monday night when we got to the STL's house the first thing they said was "GUESS WHO'S COMING TO ZONE MEETING.......PRESIDENT!!!!" I was pretty much shocked! But then that thought I had came rushing back to my mind and I couldn't stop smiling. I am sure he felt there were other reasons for him to go to our zone meeting but I really feel like he needed to come for me. So Monday night I tossed and turned wondering of I should ask him to give me a blessing or not, but I finally decided to ask him and he said he would be more than happy too.

 Tuesday we had exchanges in Cabuyao, I was with sister Malig again. and Sister Woodruff was with Sister Kerr. It was a fun exchange and we had a good time. They have some really good investigators and it was fun to get some more ideas from her.

 Wednesday we went to Zone training. It was really good, plus president and Sister Peterson were there:) It ended up going on really long and so around 1 when one of the workshops was still going, President called me out right in the middle of it and we went and talked in a little classroom.

And it was perfect. I definitely broke down and just told him all these insecurities I had and was definitely crying and he just told me over and over to be happy. He told me he wants me to lift my head up and feel the joy and the work that  I have accomplished. He kept saying over and over too, "Sister, I am SO happy. I am just happy." and I felt so incredibly strongly the love he has for me and even more the love Heavenly Father has for me. He said that our purpose is to invite others to Christ, not to have a certain number of baptisms or areas or companions or callings. Just to invite others to come to Christ.

 He shared experiences from his mission and from his son's who served in Ireland. And just built my courage up again. He said he was so happy with what I had learned and the service I have given to these people. And more so too that I had this new knowledge about the Atonement and how I will always have this knowledge that I will be able to use and draw from for the rest of my life whenever I will experience trials. But the whole time he we were talking, it felt so familiar. I can't really describe it, but it was almost like a dejavu kind of thing but pure happiness. It just felt like I was talking to dad again.
God's love radiates through him and I needed that 15, 20, however long talk with him. After that he gave me a blessing and went over the basics of the gospel and what we are all here trying to accomplish and what our goal in life should be, to be prepared for Christ to come to earth again. He blessed me with a lot of other things, like help from angels and the ability to recognize their role and the protection and guidance I have received from the spirit. He also said that the work I have done here is not wasted and I may not see the fruits of my labors, but there will be fruit in the future and I will be able to rejoice with those souls in the future, maybe not in this life, but in the life to come. And that Heavenly Father is pleased with my work.

 I gave him a hug and just felt at peace again. Then I promised him that I will be down to Arizona in December to give him a report of my mission and he said "what a happy reunion that will be." Seriously I love that man. I feel like the most spoiled missionary in the whole San Pablo Mission to have spent some precious minutes talking with him before he left.

 I read in the Bible about how Christ during his ministry had just arrived somewhere and tried to have it unknown to the people, but immediately a woman saw him and ran to him to have Him heal her daughter, and in the Joseph Smith Translation it says that He could not deny her because he had compassion on all. And I know that that is exactly what president Peterson does. He spent one of his last days as a mission president to help one of his missionaries.

I know that this mission is exactly what I needed. I know that it had to be the Philippines San Pablo Mission with President and Sister Peterson to have gained this knowledge and testimony that I have now and I know that President Mangum is called of God to continue the work here. I know God has a perfect plan for all of us! Friday We will get to meet them and I can't wait!

I love you all so much and hope you have a good week!

Love,

Sister Mecham

June is almost over?! Week 51 in the Philippines

There is a line in the white handbook that is about time management and it says that the time in which you have to serve the Lord is incredibly short, or something similar to that, and it is SO true.

I can't believe that President only has one week left. I am very sad about that but it is going to be a good experience to learn from a new president. 

Because of this big change, today was our last day we were able to email President Peterson, so that definitely ate up a lot of my time for this email.

But, to put it simply, I am learning a lot and there are so many goals I have and so many things I want to apply here as a missionary and even more as a returned missionary. I am so grateful to be here.

We have a really great ward and they always want to work with us. Last night we had a family of recent converts work with us to teach a lady who was baptized a long time ago and her husband and it was perfect. We listened to the spirit that told us to have them be the ones to help fellowship  that family. Last night we taught a very good lesson with them. Teaching through the power of the spirit is the most amazing feeling in the world and truly fills you with Joy. The lesson wasn't perfect. There were dogs barking and kids playing and making noise in the background of the lesson the whole time, but there is no doubt that this family felt the spirit.

We are excited to see this area continue to progress. This is a short one, but I love you all and hope you have a great week!! 

Love,

Sister Mecham

P.S. I got sad news last week. Sister Lorente, my anak that I trained, had to go home last week because she's been fainting a lot:( She'll have to be home for like 3-4 months. I am hoping she can make it back soon! She is a good one and I really hope they can figure out what's going on with her!

Canlubang and Zone Conference ! Week 50

Happy Father's Day!!

Life is sailing smoothly in the Philippines and I am definitely getting more used to Canlubang. It rains a ton, but it keeps it a little cooler.

We had a busy week this week. We had a perfectly wonderful, tear-filled zone conference with President and Sister Peterson this last Thursday. President really has done such a good job here. He shared 2 Nephi 31 and said he feels like Nephi. He feels like he has shared all he can with us and there is just more he wants to go over with us about the doctrine of Christ.

 I learned a lot. They also had a question and answer session. It turned into a  conversation about marriage and choosing an asawa. Plus they showed us their wedding pictures and told us to teach the doctrine of eternal families. At the end they had everyone come up and give them both one last hug.

It was incredibly sad and I cried a lot. I realized how much I really love both of them. I have learned so much from them. 

Their last assignment for us was to pray for and love our new President and after our missions to report to them on our missions. So before the end of this year, I will definitely be going to Arizona to report to them.

I am so grateful to be serving here at this time. As for our work here in Canlubang it is progressing. Sister Woodruff and I are definitely figuring out how to work together and learning how to teach more in unity and we have seen changes. 

Last night we taught a very beautiful lesson to some of our investigators. They are 20,19,and 16. their mom is a member and 2 of her kids are baptized but do not come to church. They have come to church a few times and yesterday we had stake conference so we arranged for a member to pick them up. When the ride showed up, no one was home. We stopped by later and talked visited them.

 While there we shared 2 Nephi 31:17-18 and talked about what we need to do to return to God. The whole time I was really puzzled trying to figure out what we could say to them that would actually touch them. Sister Woodruff shared the scripture then when it was my turn, Heavenly Father definitely put the words in my mouth I needed to say. I asked them what they would feel like if Christ walked into the room right then and sat down with us. Immediately the spirit came into the room and it was SO powerful. It helped all of us really feel the importance of the book of Mormon and the need to repent so that we WILL be ready to see Christ and our Heavenly Father again. It was so amazing. What was even better was that Sister Woodruff and I were on the same page and the lesson just flowed and we left them with the spirit in their home after we knelt in prayer to close the lesson. We also left them an assignment to read Alma 36 and look for the benefits of repentance and then to kneel and pray to ask God if he really loved them. It was such a good lesson.
It is always amazing for me to see how much we are blessed and how much I start to feel better as soon as we open our mouths. I know that this work is true and I know there is so much work for all of us to do, and for me it is definitely just starting here in the Philippines.

Have a good week! I love you all!!

Love,

Sister Mecham

Transferred! Na Ako! week 49

Transfer day!

  I am emailing you all today from my new area...CANLUBANG!!

It is a HUGE area and I still really only know how to get home and to the church...but that's all I really need I guess. But I really like it here. It is definitely not a city like San Pablo, but it is bigger than Candelaria.

 My new companion is Sister Woodruff, she is 19 and from Colorado. I am finishing her 12 week training, so I am a nanay again! This is my first American companion since the MTC and I am not sure how to handle it yet, neither are all the Filipinos we see. All the random English things people yell at us has increased 2 fold and we stick out like 2 sore thumbs. Ha Heavenly Father has a sense of humor.

My last week in San Pablo was crazy. We went shopping on Monday and I bought tons of random souvenirs from the palengeke. We ate at Pizza Hut in the SM. Sister Tua'one and I went on an exchange (it lasted just for our studies though and then from 6-8p.m. for a couple appointments). We had planned to go Saturday, but Sister Mann and I needed to be in our area because she was so sick the week before. But it was good. 

 Monday night, president called sister Tua'one and told her she was getting transferred, so she started packing that night. 

By Tuesday afternoon the AP's called me and said I was transferred to Canlubang! So Tuesday Sister Mann and 

I went out and worked as hard as we could and taught as many people as we could and then ended our night eating with our stake president's family. They are the best and I am definitely missing our whole ward. I love them. We stayed up a little bit later than we should have washing laundry and packing.

Wednesday we had district meeting and then came home studied, and packed a bit. We then went to Julie Ann and Vincent's. They were sad that I was leaving. I really hope they will just continue to progress! 

Thursday we woke up early and went and rode bikes around the lake one more time then got back home and got ready to head out to the mission home.

Transfer days with 2 sisters luggage is a mess, but luckily it wasn't raining or anything so we got there smoothly.

 The Smiths (senior couple) drove me and the other new sister to our new area, Canlubang.

I really like it here. We already have lots of members who want to work with us and lots of referrals to teach. Plus, we had 2 investigators at church yesterday and President and Sister Peterson and the office couple (Hansen's) came to our ward because President Peterson's first councilor is in our ward. It was really such a good day.

We have our last zone conference with president this week and it is definitely going to be very emotional. I cried when they spoke in sacrament yesterday. I am so glad I got to serve with them and even more grateful for all the things I learned from them!

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

Love,

Sister Mecham

This is what happens at district meeting when you have a Tongan rugby player and a little Filipino :)

our last district meeting in San Pablo

my last visit with Julie Ann and Vincent

Thursday morning we rode bikes one last time together. 

                           

Transfer day!

cute little ward members!

Our Stake President(Maligon) and his family fed us on Tuesday. They are one of my favorite families and SO kind!!!

Our new apartment ( on the left). The one on the right is empty

Special visitors at our new area on Sunday! President and Sister Peterson.

My new companion! Sister Woodruff

Welcome to Canlubang!

The Hansen's

                           

                   

Ospital at Nagsuka. week48

Well this week has been just peachy. 
Sister Mann got SUPER sick this entire week, throwing up anything she put into her body. So we spent a lot of quality time together this week laying on the cold tiles with the fan on full blast, and cleaning up puke. It was great!
 And we topped it all of with a trip to the hospital on Thursday so Sister Mann could get an IV because she kept throwing up the medicine. The hospital was actually WAY cleaner and nicer than any of the other hospitals I've heard about in the Philippines so Sister Mann definitely lucked out with that one. Plus there was air con.

 It did have some upsides. I took a nap on 2 of those days which are the first 2 naps I have had in a really really long time because there is just never time for those kind of things, except for at10:30 pm. So that was great. Plus I finished the Book of Mormon and almost got caught up in my journal and had a lot of time to just sit and ponder my life so far.

 It was actually exactly what I needed. We definitely neglected our investigators this week, but I was able to kind of just refresh myself and receive some revelation and a glimpse into the bigger plan Heavenly Father has for my life. I learned a lot this week. 

Sister Mann was feeling good though on Tuesday morning, so we were able to attend a really great meeting at Mabini with Elder and Sister Christensen. He is one of the seven presidents of the 70. It was a really really good meeting and Elder and Sister Echo Hawk of the 70 spoke to us too as did President and Sister Peterson. 

It was a really really good meeting. During the middle of it, we had kind of a rest hymn, but we sang "Called to Serve" and it was SO powerful!! I wasn't thinking about it when the song started, but then I looked up on the stand and Sister Echo Hawk was definitely getting teary eyed, and then what do ya know? The spirit hit me too and I couldn't even finish singing the song. I love being a missionary.I have always loved that song, but singing it with apostles of the Lord in a congregation full of endowed missionaries and members of the church is SO much more powerful. I am truly so blessed to be a part of something so much bigger than me. 

This week I tasted of the 'joy' of the gospel and the atonement and missionary work again. Joy is so much sweeter than happiness. On Saturday we were able to teach one lesson and I think being cooped up in the house all week totally lit a fire and being able to share the gospel again was SO amazing. Last night we were also able to teach a couple lessons and it just felt so good! 

This transfer has by far been one of my absolute favorites and the sisters in our house are the greatest people in the world. I am scared though that because this transfer has been so good, Heavenly Father is prepping me for another big mountain to climb this next transfer....Ha ha but I guess we'll see!

I love you all and as always I hope you have a good week!!!!!!

Love,

Sister Mecham

Sister Mann getting IV fluids after being sick all weeek ;(

Sis Waldrom and Sis Mann catching a nap at the hospital. Yeah for air conditioning.

Sis. Lorente and Sis. Mecham at the conference with Elder Christensen and Elder Echohawk.

Sis Mecham and Sis Mann

our church

Sister's Waldrom, Mecham, Tua'one, & Mann  

Sister Mann feeling better!

 Our apartment!

Sister's Baird, Mecham, Tuo'one, & McKinney

sister's Mecham, Lorente, and McKinney

Sster's I was in the MTC with

Service project our ward did for an elementary school.

More of my favorite missionaries