pag-jajogging

This last week was CRAZY TOWN, PHLS. We didn't have the opportunity to work even one full day in our area. BUT, we did have the opportunity to do a lot of faith building things. We met the new mission president's wife and her husband. They are wonderful and I love them! They are so sincere and just overflowing with the Spirit. And I'm not just saying that because I know they've been reading the blog posts... :P We also had MLC and interviews. Good stuff. I'm still learning so much! I still have so much more to learn! 

One thing that I liked that President Ostler said was why we so often change leadership in the Church. It's because God wants us to put our trust in Him, NOT in people. It doesn't really matter who are earthly leaders are. We need to turn to the Lord. He also shared with me in our interview something that actually really helped me feel calm and peace about the upcoming changes. It was just really simple. The Lord wants to comfort us. Always. He wants us to feel His love and His arms around us. But sometimes, matigas lang yung mga ulo natin. He just said to just allow the Lord to comfort us. Let ourselves feel the peace and His love. And that's what I'm doing because I'm obedient to whatever the mission president says. :)

Oh, I heard that JP (my recent convert from Pasay) was called to serve as the 1st counselor in the elder's quorum! I told you he would be a great leader in the church!

Also, Ester and Gelnie passed their baptismal interviews and will be baptized on Saturday :) More families to prepare for the temple! There are so many miracles here and I just really love love love being a missionary in the Philippines.

"I'm hovering to death!"

^^^^ That's an example of the joy of teaching your companion English. Another is "finger foot".

This week was beautiful, as always. We went to the temple. Lots of revelation. 

We've been praying so hard for referrals, because that is our biggest lack in our area (because there are only a few members that live in our area) but this week we had a ton of miracles and got member referrals from other wards! We just talked to members on the jeep coming from stake conference and they know people in our area and boom referral. It's awesome and it's a great way to see how God is answering our sincere prayers. 

I know my english is weird in this email. My brain is tired and I don't want to try to be right because I woke up early and haven't eaten yet. 

This morning I woke up too early because they made me go to Manila and get fingerprinted again. I think this means they lost my first ones... Which is why i say to you that I don't know if my exit visa will come in time. Sister Stucki told me that she and President Stucki still haven't gotten their exit visa and they go home in two weeks. Harrrr harr. My arrival is a mystery for you.

This week, everyone was sick. Two of the families we are teaching were at the hospital on Sunday and weren't able to come to church. That will delay their baptism. It's sad, but I'm trusting in the Lord's timing and I know that if we strengthen our faith, we will continue to see miracles in our area. 

We had an awesome stake conference when Elder Quentin L. Cook presided (over broadcast). It was great. It was like General Conference but all the talks were directed to Filipinos. There was a strong focus on families and it was really great for the people we're teaching. 

I think this is it for now. I really am too weak from hunger to upload pictures but there are many from our temple trip. Stay tuned for next week. Love you!

ster mech

ganoon din

This week I was sick, I think the sickest I've been on my mission besides Dengue. But, we have so many progressing investigators that we really couldn't afford not to work. But, we could only find one ward missionary to work with us! (If you have two, one can stay with the sick one at the house and the other will work with the healthy one.) So instead, I ordered a priesthood blessing and we were off to work! Mostly I just sat there trying not to pass out while Sister Dumayas taught. We were so blessed to not miss one moment of work because of my failing body! It was seriously a miracle. That's when you know that Heavenly Father really loves our investigators!

This week we had so many investigators at church - families! Bishop had stars in his eyes. He came up to me and said, "Magaling ka, Sister Mecham." But I said, "Magaling po ang Diyos, Bishop!" We really are seeing the Lord's hand in our work and I know all we are doing to be worthy of it is giving our all - obedience and diligence.

I have no time for reals right now because of helping my dear momma. I love you!

Napakaiksi ng panahon

Hey! Emailing is stressing me out! Stop reminding me about going home! I'm not ready yet! I'll just see you when I see you and we don't need to talk about it.

This week was too busy in the way I don't like. We had MLC which is almost a whole day without work. But I learned a ton and I know it will help me be a more effective servant of the Lord. Then we had a special mission conference where Elder Craig C. Christensen and Elder Echo Hawk spoke to us. It was seriously great. It was also depressing because it was the last time we met together as an entire mission before President and Sister Stucki go home. I have seriously learned so much from them and they have made a huge impact on my mission and my life. We also learned so much that I wish I learned when I was new, but the Lord has His own timing. 

Oh man, we're experiencing so many miracles. We're finding the best people who are so prepared and they're really ready to come unto Christ. I just feel so blessed to be the instrument in the Lord's hands to help them do it.

There were too many emails this week. I have a lack of time now for you. Love you!

I'm going home.

TO PALAWAN. HAH fooled you.

I really feel like I grew up on Palawan and I'm pretty stinkin' excited to go home there and see my second family.

Our flight leaves in a few hours so this is going to be a great short email. Maybe not shorter than Ryan's...

Because I have a quick miracle to share with you:

The youth of our ward gave us one million referrals of people the met on the street during their One Week Mission. Sister Dumayas and I have been working hard to find and teach all of them. One of them led us to a far away place in our area that we rarely go to because there are no members and no investigators yet. We were led down a small street which turned out to be completely the wrong place than what we were looking for. (I really am finding it hard to express myself in english...) The people there had no idea who we were talking about. But, Esther let us in to teach her. Turns out she's dating a member in our ward. They've been dating for 6 years. And she never wanted to learn anything about the church. He always invited her, but nothin'. Then, as we were just listening to her, her eyes get all teary and she says, "I don't know what changed, but I'm ready now." She hasn't told her boyfriend yet that she's super interested in the church, but she already told her parents that she's going to be baptized. She was nervous to tell him and then BOOM we just show up at her house and she was so surprised. It was AWESOME. I don't know if I've ever tracted into anyone more prepared. It's just a miracle. 

It was good to see your beautiful faces last week. You all got fatter. (I swear that is not a mean thing to say if youre filipino. They laugh at me when I tell them Americans are offended by it.) That's okay, I'm fatter too. Too much food. 

I love you! Be safe! I still don't have definite news when I will be returning home. You really haven't heard anything from President Stucki? A bunch of missionaries in my batch say their parents got something saying when their flight was...

Maybe I'm really not coming home... :)

-Sister Mecham