Zone interviews, X-rays, meetings, Exchanges Week 69

First off. I am still really sad Buster died. Diabetes? That's just so sad. I am going to miss that dog. I hope there is a Spirit World for animals.

As for life in the Philippines...this past week has been crazy and our numbers kind of hurt because of it. 

I did really enjoy our zone interviews last week though in Lipa and President really encouraged me to go back through my conference notes and look for the things Heavenly Father needs me to be working on and set some more goals. So one of those goals is to continue to strengthen my testimony of the Gospel, strive for more obedience (mostly in how I choose to use my time at night, aka journal), and to work on Christlike attributes again; Faith, Love and Charity, and Patience.

 I am pretty sure those attributes are a constant work in progress...but I think they will be a great way to end my mission. 

One great scripture I read was in Romans 15:1-3- 

1 We then that are strong ought to bear the infirmities of the weak, and not to please ourselves.

 2 Let every one of us please his neighbour for his good to edification.

 3 For even Christ pleased not himself; but, as it is written, The reproaches of them that reproached thee fell on me.

Christ truly is our perfect example. Especially in patience. 

As for our work this week, between interviews, district meetings, run arounds at the hospital to get an X-ray (which is required before we go home), and exchanges in Lipa, we had a hard time getting lessons this week. We did find 2 new families to teach and they are both actually interested, so I am very excited to continue teaching them and to get back to them this week!! 

I have really noticed a lot this week the miracles for going the extra mile in OYMs and then extending the invitation to be taught. It's been sticking in my head a lot the sentence "Find when you teach, teach when you find" from Preach my Gospel. That is how we started to teach both of those families. 
I do have a testimony of OYMing and inviting them to listen to the message. I also know that reaching our OYM goal is something WE have control over and that when we set a goal and stick to it by talking to one or 2 more people before going home is worth it. The times when I don't feel like OYMing and make up my mind to do it any way, those are always the times when the people are incredibly receptive.

I love being a missionary and all the things I get to learn each day. I know that I am supposed to be Sister Ghouri's companion at this time and that all my past companions and past experiences have really prepared me for her. I really feel like I am training her. Which is a really good thing, because I am SO excited to see what she can become, and I know that this time in the first months still of her mission is the best time for her to learn the doctrines of the lessons and be able to teach them simply. I also have been able to give her some ideas to help her learn the language. I don't think she likes it all the time, but I am seeing little miracles with her already

Last week was crazy, and these next few weeks will continue the craziness, but it is good to keep us always busy.

On Thursday I worked with Sister Burnham in Lipa. It was SO fun! They have a super nice apartment and it is actually a lot cooler in Lipa, so that was a good change instead of sweating so much.

This week we are really going to work on finding through the members, so we have set appointments with a few of them to help them get started to give us some referrals.

Tomorrow we have a special meeting in San Pablo with Elder Robbins and Elder Tobias, so I am really excited to see what they have to say. Plus this will be the last time, for probably a long time, that I'll get to see my Polynesian companions:( 

Sister Lorente is back though, but on Marinduque, the island, and sister Woodruff had to go home for some medical reasons, so I won't get to see those two :( but it will be good to see the other 3 before I go home!

I am still loving Darasa, full of ups and downs still with our teaching pool, but kaya namin:)

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

Love,

Sister Mecham

YOMO Week 68

Hello po!

This week in Darasa has been crazy! I love it here. We are busy with lots of investigators and mostly just figuring out this area, because sister Ghouri and I are still pretty new, but we've had a really good week.

We have 2 families we are teaching and we are working on getting all the stuff they need so that they can get married! That is seriously such a big problem here. But they really are the cutest families. One of them is really really close to being done with her lessons and has been coming to church. We just need to get their marriage! 

We had FHE with the one family last Monday and they are just the cutest. Their dad is actually a member and was baptized when he was in like 7th grade, but has been less active for a long time now. They have 3 little kids and I want them to get married so bad so that their mom, Madeline can get baptized!! 

This week we've also been able to visit some of the members who we haven't seen at church. One lives in a super poor area. They call those areas 'squatters'. They just live in shacks. So any way, as we were walking down this super long, muddy road back to the main road, I could see down the path from us a man with a gun! I freaked out a bit and told Sister Ghouri we should stop and wait to go down there because there was also a huge group of people all gathered around watching. So, we stopped and talked to a woman who was outside sweeping. She then told me they were going to euthanize a dog (but of course conjugated 'euthanize' in Tagalog which I still can't figure out how she did that). 
I didn't think much of this at first because I think there are many very sad looking dogs that would probably be happier in heaven...but then of course being a good missionary, I asked "Bakit po?" ('why') and she answered me, "Kakain sila" or  literal translation, "they are going to eat". Again. One of those experiences that just hits me in the face reminding me I am still in the Philippines. And pretty much a different world. The rest of the story is after I asked that question the man points the gun and shoots some tranquilizer or something and then watch it die.

As for a happier note... YOMO means "You Only Manila Once". Why? we had a surprise trip to Manila!!!!!!! WOOHOOO!! Yeah. they called on Friday and said my batch had to go to Manila to do some paper work and fingerprints at the immigration office. Yesterday around 3 we all met up and then headed to Manila, saw the temple!, had to eat KFC on the sabbath because there was no where to eat in the hotel (the hotel did pay for the meal though). Then this morning we left the hotel at 7 to go to the immigration office.

 Let me tell ya. That was a cultural mixing pot. I could probably stay there for days and just people watch. It was a long, yet kind of entertaining process. After being there till like 12, we got on a van again and they took us to Krispe Kreme (yes) and then dropped us off by the buses and we ate some McDonalds, then got on the bus. And here we are. back in a little sweaty internet shop.

So that's life for now. Tomorrow we have interviews and next week we have another special meeting in San Pablo!

 Time is going SO fast, but I am loving my mission. I love everything I've learned and being able to talk to all the other sisters that came here with me was so fun. Every one'smissions really are perfect for them. 

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

Love,

Sister Mecham

New area: Darasa

Ward Member

Family in the ward

Family Home Evening with a family we are teaching.

Sister Ghouri and a ward missionary.

Transferred Pala, Conference, DARASA week 67

Hi Family.

Well. I got transferred! 

I was definitely a little shocked to get a phone call on Tuesday morning during studies, saying I was transferred. I had thought for sure I was going to finish my mission in Canlubang, so I hadn't done anything to prepare for transfers. 

So, Tuesday and Wednesday we went to as many of our investigators as we could and then stopped by all the members in between and taught some of the less active members one more time. 

 I washed my clothes one last time in our washer. I love Canlubang and I had definitely gotten very attached to the members there, but I really feel so willing to do what Heavenly Father wants me to do. I am still really sad that I had to leave our 3 investigators who are ready to be baptized. It truly has been a miracle to see them be changed by the gospel, but again, I am excited to have all new people to help this transfer. 

Plus ,I am SO excited to be working with Sister Ghouri. She is from Pakistan. Yes. Pakistan. The church is in PAKISTAN!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am absolutely astounded at her faith. She is here to be a missionary, even if she doesn't understand a word anyone says to her or a word I say to her. She knows she needs to be a missionary. I am her second companion in the field and this is her first area. she's been out about 5 months. I have a lot to learn from her during my last few weeks here in the Philippines. She is incredibly Christlike and really just the sweetest thing ever.

Our area is good. I really haven't been able to see a lot of it though with Conference and transfers and weekly planning, so this week I am ready to see more of it and get to know the investigators and the members here. We have already been able to get with the bishop and he is SO great! He has a vision for his ward and has prepared a list of the unordained elders  for us to go start contacting. I am really really excited to be here.

Conference was a much needed thing for me this last weekend. A lot of my batch mates are here in Lipa zone and I was able to talk to a lot of them and I feel like Alma and the sons of Mosiah. Meeting with everyone again and hearing all their wonderful stories of conversions and changes and companions, I walked away from conference on Saturday just thinking to myself "wow. everyone really has had great missions." and I just felt so happy for all of us.

 My favorite line from this conference was said by Tad Callister. he said something a long the lines of 'I don't know (or suppose) titles such as Bishop or Relief Society President, etc. will last after this life and continue to the next, but I do know that the title of Mother, Father, Wife, and husband will be far greater'. That's not exactly what he said, but the same idea. It was my favorite line because I have had a hard time just feeling happy with the way my mission has turned out because it hasn't been the most 'glamorous' mission. So knowing that titles and positions and callings really aren't the most important things, but being a good parent someday will be what is the most important, just gave me the greatest peace in the world. 

We really are all in training to become Gods and our Heavenly Father has a perfectly planned training for each of us. I know that all my experiences I've had here were tailor made for me, and now being able to hear about the seeds I've planted and seeing the pictures of my former investigators, now members of the church, just makes me so happy. I am very happy with what I have done here and I am so ready to keep going until the end. 

It is blowing my mind that I really only have like 5 full weeks left of being a missionary. Time flies. I am really glad to be here though. Darasa is really cute. it is probably the poorest area I've had though, so that is another thing to get used to, but I am ready for these challenges!

Love,

Sister Mecham

General Women's Conference week 66

Hi family,

This week has been great! We have 3 amazing investigators who should be ready for baptism before I leave; June, Dave, and Ricky. I've talked about June before and his goal date is now the first of November, just to make sure he is totally ready. He likes coffee, so we have to wait a couple weeks to make sure he can fully get over it. But he is doing great! He's been sick all week, so he missed church yesterday, and was really concerned about having to wait even longer to be baptized, but we assured him he can still be baptized on the first:)
Dave is still doing great. He's pretty cute, and is also anxious to be baptized. He keeps asking us when, but he hasn't been reading and praying everyday and church is not his favorite, so we have gone back to the very basics again and now he understands he needs to come to church. We are going to make him a calendar so that he can mark the days he reads and prays and  Sundays when he comes to church to get him more excited about it.

And Ricky. We found him a few weeks ago. He lives by 2 members and he has progressed SO quickly. He is 30 and still single. Every time we teach, he is just so open about how he wants to change his life and repent and really just come to Christ. He came to church yesterday and you can just see how he is changing. He is very serious about being baptized and so ready to change. His goal date is November 15.

This last week has been really good though. Our mission is really changing our visions and doing more. There are companionships talking to over a hundred people each week!! It is SO cool to hear the experiences that president shares to us. There is so much work to do here in the Philippines and you can really feel the mission shifting to higher goals and visions. I love being apart of it at this time. Next week, we start using new planners and it is my last planner, but I love having these new goals in the mission, because I feel like the whole mission, especially myself, is going to finish so much higher. I love it.

This week we also will get to see conference! Last Saturday was the women's meeting and it was great, except the stake told everyone the wrong time, so we got there half way through the meeting. There were some serious technical difficulties, as they tried to fix it, they had byutv on so I may or may not have watched some of the byu vs usu game. That was weird to see football again. I hope next week for general conference there are no weird delays so we can all just go and focus on the spirit:)

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

Love,

Sister Mecham

Just a peek at this week....Tracting, Jeepney's and kids climbing coconut trees at the church!