The Saddest Thing

Ashley Mecham	Apr 20 (8 days ago)
to me, Amanda, Austin, Elizabeth, Liza, Jamie, Kendra, Lindsey, Patrick, D, Ryan

It's a good thing that things I don't like always happen on Tuesdays so that I have almost a whole week to think about it before I email you about it! 

Last Tuesday we had interviews with President Stucki. I was SO EXCITED because I knew he would tell me I'm training. I really had no doubt. Then, we talk about some things. Then he says, "You know, Sister Mecham, it's always been my plan for you to train these last two transfers. But the Lord has a different plan for you. The Lord has called you to serve as a Sister Trainer Leader... again." My first thoughts were: NOOOOOOOOO. Then he noticed the little tears welling up in my eyeballs. "How do you feel about that, Sister Mecham?" "President, I was really hoping to train." "I know, I wanted you to, too. But that's not God's plan." Bam. And with that, I can't say it's not right. Even though this whole week I've been murmuring a little. But really, I'm over it. I'm called to serve as a missionary and my Father in Heaven will use me here how He wants me to be used. I'm just a tool, I know.

Other than that, this week was great! I got stomach flu, but that only kept me indoors for a bit. I didn't tell anyone so no one could force me to stay inside! Don't worry, I'll rest when I'm dead. 

Oh yeah, HOLY WEEK. Holy Week is crazy here. They close EVERYTHING on Friday. But everything is open again on Easter Sunday. It's a little backwards. But on Friday that have Procession which is a huge parade thing in the evening where every Catholic in Paranaque (which is many) follows around statues as they are paraded around town. It backs up traffic, but no one seems to mind. 

This week was awesome. I realized again the reality of the Spirit. Things come out of my mouth that seem a little unusual to me, but it really helps people. It's crazy. Not because of me, but because of the Spirit. It's because God loves the people we're trying to help.

UPDATE: What president stucki told me was confidential... But our district leader just texted and said no one is transferring. Hm! I'll let you know next week what actually happened to us! 

nang pagmamahal,

Sister Mecham

The good things!

Ashley Mecham	Apr 13 (3 days ago)
to me, Amanda, Austin, Elizabeth, Liza, Jamie, Kendra, Lindsey, Patrick, D, Ryan

This week was hard but ended wondrously.

Let's start with the hard. Remember that family I told you about? The Roluna family? Who were, like, super golden? This week we came to them I they said they were really grateful for us for helping them strengthen their faith. Because their faith was getting so strong, they are thinking about returning to their old religion - Iglesia Ni Cristo. NO! WRONG! They weren't sure yet, just thinking about it. So I was very stressed by this because I knew that God had prepared them but Satan was tempting them to take the easy way out. So this whole week, I was not a very happy camper. I don't know why, but I let it really stress me out. But, with much help from the Lord, we found the perfect member to bring to their home to fellowship them. But it's hard because this member lives far and it busy. But, we scheduled it for yesterday. But then he called last minute and said he needs to change the time! We will go earlier! But, I was super stressed because I knew they usually aren't home at that time. But it was his only time. So, for a long while, that was all that was in my prayers. When we met up with Brother Sanchez (the member), he had a huge smile. He says, "Don't worry, Sister Mecham. I know that they will be there because I prayed about it before I left my home." (Small background about Brother Sanchez: he and his family were baptized last December only and they are super super strong young family.) How did he know I was worried? Because he's in tune with the Spirit. So, we get to their home. Brother Roluna is home. I don't see his wife, though. We can't teach him without his wife we need a third babae! My faith was weak. I ask him where his wife is. BOOM! She just pops out from the kitchen covered in sweat! She had just barely got home from a faraway trip like one minute ago! I am surprised. I look at Brother Sanchez. He's not surprised. What faith! So, I repented from my lack of faith. I will redouble my faith the next time. We taught them a wonderful lesson and they promised to continue coming to church (they missed two weeks) and really praying and reading to find out if it's true. So, I'm happier than ever - My Father in Heaven threw me a bone because He loves me. But even more than that, because He loves the Roluna family!

There's another weird story. One day we OYM an older woman in a duster. We set a return appointment. We return the next day. A man comes out and says the woman from yesterday is busy. He says she won't be busy tomorrow. We return the next day. The man comes out and says HE is just about to leave so we can't teach him. We were confused because we thought we were there to teach the woman... but we set a new return appointment. Then, later that day, like five hours later, we were walking in that same area when I hear, "MAYHEM, MAYHEM!!!!!!!!" I thought, 'it sounds like someone is trying to call my name but butchering it..." I ignored it. Then we saw a few people and started talking with them. In the middle of our conversation, the same man from earlier appears at my side. "Come teach me now." "Uhhh what?" "NOW!" Then he runs off back toward his house. Sister Jensen and I looked at each other tentatively... He really doesn't seem crazy. So we go. The woman is there, too. But we had the weirdest lesson of my life. He would not allow sister Jensen to try to speak Tagalog. Only english. Luckily, I was allowed to speak Tagalog. But I can't really explain to you how weird he was. In the middle of my teaching, he looks at me, and in complete politeness says, "You, stop teaching." Then turns to Sister Jensen, "You teach." But not like angrily... More like we were his puppets. It was strange. Long story short, he agreed to prepare to be baptized so I'll let you know how that goes.

Sister Jensen got chased by two very large rats in a tiny alley way. It was hilarious. 

Oh man, I was hoping to talk to you about how awesome conference was! But maybe next week because I got carried away with weird stories that I know cannot be fully appreciated in writing. 

I love you and I love being a missionary and I will find out this week if I'll be training for my last two transfers! Pray for me!!

Sister Mecham

Mata't Utak

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Ashley Mecham	10:01 PM (18 hours ago)
to me, Amanda, Austin, Elizabeth, Liza, Jamie, Kendra, Lindsey, Patrick, D, Ryan

Yesterday I ate the head of a chicken. Including the brain. And the eyes. It was not very good but they really love it here. It's a texture thing. All I have left to eat are the intestines and the feet and I've pretty much eaten a whole chicken!

Corazon is going to do baptisms for the dead on Friday!

We ate dinner at the Godito family's home on Thursday. Brother Godito is a chef and a good one. He cooked us backed tomato basil macaroni with real mozzarella cheese. It was heaven. Then we had a real long conversation about food and I felt like I was talking with Eliza Young about the food channel. It was delicious.

There was on ox cart parked outside our apartment for a while. They were selling baskets.

We got to watch the women's meeting on Saturday! It was awesome! We'll be watching conference this Saturday and Sunday. But I'm downloading it right now for a sneak peak:)

This week we had a great lesson with our punk investigator named Hideki. He's come to church for 9 times now and is finally super excited to be baptized! Before he wanted to, but he wasn't dying with joy and excitement like he should be. Now, he just can't wait and we're so excited for the 26th!

That's all the things for this week. Still lovin' you all! The office lady emailed me again and threatened that I won't be able to go home if I don't send in the form she needs! Little does she know, that's not a threat... but a temptation! Hah! I'm funny. Okay. Have a great week!

Sister Mecham

Binyag ni Corazon!

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Ashley Mecham	9:56 PM (20 hours ago)
to me, Amanda, Austin, Elizabeth, Liza, Jamie, Kendra, Lindsey, Patrick, D, Ryan

This was a nice week. 

We met a woman who is Indian named Kamlu. She grew up here but her tagalog is choppy. So she asked us to teach her in English. Sister Jensen is happy. I feel like I sound silly in English. But it's okay.

Then we had a really awesome specialized teaching training seminar by President Stucki and it was awesome! I learned so much and it's so fun to improve my teaching skills every day!

Then, on Saturday,  CORAZON MILLENA WAS BAPTIZED. It was happy all around. At first, she told me she didn't want to bear her testimony after. So I told the ward mission leader so she wouldn't feel awkward. But, of course, philipinos are like this: Our bishop forced her to do it. Which turned out great! She only didn't want to because she didn't want to cry in front of everyone. But she totally did cry and it was actually really great and I'm so blessed to be a part of her life.

Before that, we had this really great lesson with this family, the Roluna family, that we just found last week. They're very poor but they are very rich with the spirit. They are very religious but they we excommunicated from Iglesia ni Cristo so they have no religion right now. Anyway, we taught them the plan of salvation and their faces were awesome as we explained it. They had tons of great questions. The dad, Roberto, bore testimony that he knew it was true and was so grateful that we taught it to him so they know that it's not enough just to be good people, but we have to find the true church, with the true authority to baptize, so we can follow the Gospel of Jesus Christ and go to the Celestial kingdom. Their understanding of the plan of salvation blew my mind. Then they committed to come to church. So we got up earlier than usual and went to the church earlier than usual because we really wanted to be there when they got there. We were half an hour early (which is way early because church usually starts a half an hour late). When we got there, one member of the bishopric was there (and no one else) and he said, "You have visitors." We ran inside and there they all were! Sitting on the front row! They had been there for a half an hour already! I asked them why they were so early and they just said, "we didn't want to be late!" They're so cute and I'm so excited for their progress as a family.

So that is that. I'm so happy. I love being a missionary. They're making me fill out a form for coming home. If I don't fill it out, I can't come home. Tempting?

Love you all!

ang hirap na, maganda pa

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Ashley Mecham	9:47 PM (1 hour ago)
to me, Amanda, Austin, Elizabeth, Liza, Jamie, Kendra, Lindsey, Patrick, D, Ryan

Whew! This was a rough week! 

Let me story to you:

There is this woman, Bernadeth, who has been coming to church for ages but isn't baptized. She is wealthy. When I got here, she was the only investigator coming to church. So I said, LET'S BAPTIZE HER. But then she's too busy for us to teach her. But this last Saturday I finally was able to teach her for the first time. I've been praying and fasting for her since I first heard about her. So, my faith was through the roof that she would decide to be baptized this month after this lesson. She knows the church is true. She is basically a member, just lacking the baptism - which is the key. SO, we get in the lesson and I am bursting with excitement and joy and the BAM she says she will absolutely not get baptized until her annulment goes through. In the Philippines, that takes FOREVER and is VERY expensive. I was bold. She was bolder. We committed to to prepare for baptism - she can choose the date. She refused any date. I tried all I could think of to bring the spirit UNTO her heart to soften it. Then she starting looking terrifying so I gave up, for now. But then, in a last effort, I turn to her 19 year old nephew, Hideki (who is progressing but kept saying he wasn't ready to be baptized). We invite him to choose a new baptismal date and to stick to it. He accepts immediately and chooses April 26. WHOOOO! I was focusing on the wrong person. The Lord is preparing people all around.

We are experiencing a lot of success in our area with helping less active members return. Wally Ong returned this last week! Now all we have to do is figure out how to convince him to stop doing faith healing... In which I know he's not using God's power to do. And if it's not from God, it's from some other way. Which is freaky but he's way old and can't work so it's the only way he gets food. But the Bishop is planning to step in and help him stop doing it. Brother Joven will be retuning, too in the next few weeks which is also another man we talked to who happened to be a member. He's even older the Wally and we have nice lessons where we have to yell because his hearing is barely there. But it's wonderful and I know the Lord has prepared these members to return to His fold. 

Other than this, I hate being a tall white American and having a tall, white American companion. So many people let us in the teach them. But they all lose their interest in our message and just ask us a million questions about America or our skin or Tagalog or if we have boyfriends and it's weird and can be discouraging. BUT, I know that the Lord is preparing people for us here and maybe that's the way we'll find them.

I'M GOING TO THE TEMPLE TODAY. I'm feeling really excited about it. But that's why you're getting this email on Tuesday.

Love you.

Sister Mecham

A Real Hard Week

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Ashley Mecham	Mar 9 (1 day ago)
to me, Amanda, Austin, Elizabeth, Liza, Jamie, Kendra, Lindsey, Patrick, D, Ryan

This week was a real hard week. 

I probably talked to more people than I have any other week in my whole life. And 90% of them did not want us to teach them or even come back another day. Our progressing investigators had problems come up - not unsolvable, only difficult. But, the faith is still there. This is still the Lord's work. I still love it.

There was one day (Wednesday - Ash Wednesday) where NO ONE was home and everyone we met did not want to listen. Everyone. For the whole day. We walked and walked and walked and walked annnnd waaaalked. Until it was 8 p.m. I was not discouraged. I knew the Lord had something prepared for us. Instead of going home early on the least productive day of my life, we kept walking. And talking to everyone. But there were barely any people. And then, out of no where, there was this man. William. I knew I wanted to talk to him, but a really loud voice in my brain told me that he would probably shut us down just like every other person we spoke to that day. But a really quiet voice in my heart told me to talk to him anyway. I did. He let us into his humble home. We taught him and his wife and his eleven children the message of the Restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. HUH? It was awesome.

Do you want to hear about my birthday? It was on Friday. We had weekly planning. IT RAINED (it's not rainy season, God just loves me). Sister Reyes painted my toenails like Hello Kitty because I'm so asian and so is she. I ate 2 snickers bars. Theeeennnnnnn: the birthday party. My birthday happens to coincide with the birthday of a very wealthy member in our ward. So we had a combined party. There was a chocolate fondu fountain and a halo-halo station and there were server men and everyone in all of Paranaque City was there - include the mayor. Yeah, the mayor of Paranaque was totally at my birthday party and I offered him the gospel. Bishops family gave me an awesome t-shirt and I got squeezed to death by too many small people. It definitely beat last year's beer pizza that I didn't eat. Happy birthday!

Oh yes, we watched Frozen. It was adorable. I recommend it to you all.

No time, I'm registering for classes.

Sister Mecham

maligayang bati sa aking kaarawan

Personal/Ashley's Mission Emails

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Ashley Mecham	Mar 2 (8 days ago)
to me, Amanda, Austin, Patrick, Elizabeth, Liza, Jamie, Kendra, Lindsey, D, Ryan

What a week!

I have perfect eyes. Sister Stucki made me get my eyes checked this morning because I've been having headaches. That's not it, they're still perfect. hah

Later on today we're having a zone activity in which we will be watching a movie. Whaaaaaa? I tried to convince our zone leaders to do something else, but they don't listen to me now that I'm not an STL (joke). So, it'll probably turn into a zone nap. We're watching Frozen, which of course I know nothing about.

You know, this week was good. Corazon is still planning on being baptized, but the ward made us change her date to the 29th because of silly reasons. I'm not bitter. We also have 5 other investigators that could be baptized on the 29th. That is going to take a LOT of faith. Well, two of them could be baptized tomorrow if they wanted, but they're still searching for answers. Hope is believing and EXPECTING things to happen. It'll happen. Also, Lenie has now officially returned and is an active member!!! It's so happy because we just found her and helped her back. Same thing is going to happen with Walfredo. 2x na he's come to church.

"No compulsion is used in bringing men to a knowledge of God; yet, as fast as we open our hearts to the influence of righteousness, the faith that leads to life eternal will be given us of our Father."

This is what's on my mind: After the Savior's death and before His resurrection, the apostles were lost. They weren't sure what to do, so at least some of them went back to their old life - fishin'. While they were fishing, the caught nothing. Then, Jesus Christ appeared to them and they miraculously caught a ton of fish. Then, this is the best part: The Savior, probably gesturing to the huge pile of fish, says, "Peter, do you love me more than you love all this?" He replies, "Yea, Lord; thou knowest that I love thee." Then He asks him two more times, each time in the affirmative. Then He commands him to leave it, and to feed His lambs, feed His sheep. That's what I've been thinking about. My Father gave me a wonderful life. I had everything I thought I wanted. It was in a huge pile. But then, He pointed to it all and said, "Do you love me more than you love all this?" And I left it. And I came here. And now I understand more than ever that I really really do love Him more than anything else. I don't know if I really knew that before. I thought I did.

I love you fam. I'm grateful for all you've done for me to get me here. I wouldn't trade what I've experienced for anything. NOW STOP REMINDING ME HOW SOON I'M COMING HOME, HUH! Hah, that was a sweet moment that I ruined. I hate to be the one to tell you, but I'm not coming home. (That's a joke, mom, don't stress.)

'ster mech