Sister Brittany Ann Mecham : Elder Robbins, Sick, Happy Halloween and All Saints day, and special broadcasts. Week 70

This last week has been nuts and this week I think is going to be even crazier.

Monday was a normal P-day. We did go to the Palengke though, probably my last time, and bummed around and bought mangos for the last time also:(

Tuesday we went to San Pablo for a special meeting with pretty much the entire mission to listen to Elder Robbins and Elder Tobias speak. It was really really good! Elder Robbins talked about the fact that because we have 100% agency, we need to be more ready to take our 100% responsibility. It was really powerful. I really learned a lot from him and it was a good motivater to just really become more Christ-like. He talked about how if we take more responsibility for ALL our actions, being Christ-like will not be forced, but it will be a natural reaction. It was great.

Then he also talked about how missions are like the 'Lord's University'. That is the only university in the world, 'not even BYU' has courses like 'Premarriage 505', Patience 505, clean room 101, Diligence 505, etc. It was kind of funny how he put it but it was totally true. Missions are a completely unique experience.

My favorite part was actually during the opening hymn. We sang "Behold, A Royal Army". "Victory, victory, through Him that redeemed us" in a sacrament hall full of missionaries is probably one of the most powerful spiritual experiences I have ever had in my entire life.Even more powerful than what we feel at the temple. I can't describe the power that was felt as we sang Victory through Jesus Christ. It was amazing. I felt so close to the Savior at that time.

Our work this week was interrupted a bit with that special meeting and Sister Ghouri was sick all day Wednesday, the earlier curfew for all Saints day (Nov. 1) and then we had a special broadcast yesterday for the Philippines with Elder Dallin H. Oaks.

We were still able to do a lot more than I had expected. The days we did work, we went to lesson after lesson after lesson, or OYM to OYM to OYM. We were completely exhausted and I crashed by 9:30 on Friday night after falling asleep filling out the area book. But it felt so good. I just love missionary work.

I think I am driving Sister Ghouri crazy a little because I am just go go go all the time, and she takes her time with things, but we have really seen the blessings of trying to get that 1 more OYM or going back to try to find an OYM or contact a referral. It has been so good to see those blessings just constantly stream in.

The Lord is blessing us in many ways and everyday I see the blessings for following through with ALL our goals to OYM or to try to teach our investigators. Just today I saw the spirit touch a woman who seemed really annoyed that I was talking to her on the jeepney on the way home, but as we were talking, I could see the change in her countenance and helped her smile a little before we got off the jeep.

Fun stories from this week:

-explaining Halloween to Sister Ghouri. They don't do Halloween in Pakistan.

-Singing 'hedwigs theme to Sister Ghouri during companionship study. They also don't have Harry Potter in Pakistan.

That's pretty much it. Our house is a cultural melting pot and we are having lots of fun eating Pakistani food and Filipino food and making sister Suapaia do Samoan dancing for us (she's actually from New Zealand though). We have the best house.

Today we also went bowling with our zone and then went to SM. Next week, we are hoping to be able to go on a hike and then that will be my last real P-day. It is so strange. But I am just loving these last few weeks. I feel like I am growing the most in these last weeks and I just feel on fire with the work and I can just feel Heavenly Father pouring blessings upon us.

Fun surprise to, I AM GOING BACK TO CANDELARIA TO VISIT ON SATURDAY AND SUNDAY!!!! I can hardly stand it!! In our mission we can visit one area before we go home, we call it our 'last Sunday', so I am getting really excited to go back and to visit the people there!

Any way. Life is so good here! I love you all:)

Love,

Sister Mecham