Maligayang Pagdating sa Pilipinas!: January 2013

Kumusta Pamilya ko!!!!!!

How is everyone?? I am doing so well here in the MTC! I survived my first week!! I'm going to try to tell you most of the things that happened this last week. Handa? Go.

When I got here my host was Sister DeGroot - a friend from Lone Peak who is going to Canada! She is seriously an angel. She carried my two huge suitcases up to the top floor of the residence by herself and would not let me help her at all. She is the best missionary. Then we had class. My guro is Brother Langer and he is the best. He only speaks Tagalog to us, which was terrifying the first day but now I understand basically everything he is saying. I love class so much.

My companion is Sister Ram. She is from Fiji. She is very short. I'm going to try to upload a picture, but who knows if that will work. I am working so hard to develop patience because we have completely different personalities. She never wants to work and she has no HUSTLE!!! But I'm working on it. My roommates are Sister Diamond from Ogden and Sister Taliaivao from Australia and they are hilarious. We get along really well. Sister Tali has strange words for everything and she tried Cheetos for the first time the other day. Popsicles are ice blocks. Flip flops are jandals. Hoodies are jumpers. It's great.

Let me tell you about Elders. Elders are these people who are 18 or 19 or maybe older but act like they are two years old. They cannot focus on anything for more than thirty minutes. Let me give you an example. One day we were doing personal study in the classroom and we were on a role. We were all completely silent, studying our own things. They, out of nowhere, one of the Elders from another district opens the door and tosses in a miniature sock monkey. DIIIBBBBBBSSSS, all the elders yell and leap out of their desks toward the monkey. Then they talked about wrestling and the superbowl and there was no chance of getting back on the subject. Yes, so those are elders. Also, I got a few letters on Friday and because they were from boys the elders go CRAZY and one of them rips one of the letters open. So there's that. Two years old.

I've been seeing a ton of people I know: Sister Ostler, Kendra Knudsen (not yet sister), Evan Braithwaite's mom who works here, two friends from school who work here and MORE.

Okay, one more story about Sister Ram. So one day we're sitting in class and everyone is silent. Then she says, out of nowhere, to everyone, "Do you ever just wake up in the morning and think to yourself, 'What the H*** are you doing here????'" There was no chance for me. I died laughing. She is unlike anyone I've ever known.

So we taught our first investigator on our second full day. His name is Daniel Cook and he obviously only speaks Tagalog. The first two times we taught him we were able to brings notes with us. However. last night we had to teach him in Tagalog with no notes. AND WE DID PRETTY WELL. Let me tell you about it. There's no chance we could have done it without the power of the Holy Ghost. So we were teaching him about having faith in Jesus Christ (pananampalataya = faith) and that went really well. Then I was going to ask him a question about having faith in Jesus Christ but I couldn't remember how to say a vital word. So instead, I asked him if he knows that the Book of Mormon is true. "Opo" he says. Which means yes. So I'm obviously really stoked. Then I ask him if he knows that this church is true and he says, "Opo." STOKED, mostly because I was not even planning on asking him either of those questions because we had only taught him three times. So then, obviously, I want to ask him if he wants to follow the example of Jesus Christ and be baptized. But guess who didn't study the word, "baptized" because she wasn't planning on extending that commitment?? It's me. So I look to my companion. Nothing. So I basically just say MABUTI which means good and ask him if I can say a prayer and then SEE YA Daniel Cook. I really dropped the ball on that one.

So want to hear how Heavenly Father answers prayers??? Because Sister Ram is an international missionary, she gets to call her family the first week she gets here. The first time we went to try to call them they didn't answer. So we went again. FOUR TIMES IN ONE DAY. Who has time for that?? Not me. But I was outwardly patient. So the next day she wants to go back and call again. I was so stressed that we would have to go back every few hours to try to call her family FOR THE REST OF THE SIX WEEKS HERE. So I prayed that they would answer so I could be efficient with the Lord's time and BAM. They did. The power of prayer, people. That's it.

So we get gym time here with is what gets me through the day. Seriously. I play volleyball with Sister Heiner from my zone and all the Samoan and Fijian elders who are so hardcore - spiking the volleyball everywhere. So right now I have one million bruises covering my arms from that. I look abused. But I LOVE it. Sister Ram does not play sports so she stands on the side and watches. I tried to explain to here that she needs exercise to be healthy but nope. She just laughs at me. Dad, remember when you said my sense of humor would help me on my mission?? It is. I just have to laugh at everything.

Listen, tell everyone to use dearelder.com to write me letters because I want to hear from them and it's free! Also because I currently have gotten the most letters and I want to keep up my record ;). But seriously, I love hearing from everyone.

Okay so the little numbers on the side of the screen just turned red so I'm afraid that if I keep writing something terrible will happen. I LOVE YOU SO MUCH, PAMILYA KO. Let me know how everyone is doing!!

ALSO MOM PLEASE CAN YOU SEND ME A PAIR OF BLACK OR GRAY OR BOTH TIGHTS??? We went to the temple this morning and it was FREEEEEEEZZZINNGNGGGGGGG i'm gonig to die without tights. LOVE YOU!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Ingat po

Sincerely,

Sister Mecham

written 16 Jan 2013
Dear Pamilya,
I don't have a P-day till next week, so I wanted to write you a quick letter to let you know that I am doing GREAT! I love the MTC so much. Everyone is so nice & welcoming! My friend Sister DeGroot (I told you about her, she's going to Canada) was my host which was such a blessing! She is such an ANGEL! She would not let me carry my bags up to my room which is on the top floor! No elevators for her, even! She is the best missionary. My companion is Sister Ram &she is from Fiji & she is SMALL!! I tower over her. I have to constantly check myself because her short little legs do not move quickly at all & if I don't watch it I'll leave her in the dust. She also has to go to the bathroom ALL THE TIME. I'm too impatient for that. But patience is what I will learn on my mission. I promise. But don't worry about me! The food is not good so far. And the beds have mysterious stains. But I really LOVE IT.Also, the language is great. Dad, Rosetta Stone actually helped a lot. Especially with pronunciation. The elders sound so silly when they try to say anything. But my teacher only speaks Tagalog. And I can actually understand a lot of what he says. I feel so cool! Oh, I also saw Sister Ostler today! She looks so great, so tell her parents all is well!! I seriously love you guys so much & am so grateful for all you've done to get me here! Be safe & write me, please:)
with love, Sister Mecham

Wednesday, January 23, 2013

Ashley's mailing address

first e-mail 1-22-13

Ashley's first letter home-Sat,1-19-13

Wednesday, January 16, 2013

Dear Family and Friends