A Letter from Kennewick: Monday, December 23, 2013

Subject: Merry Christmas!!

Hello my dear family!! Merry Christmas!! I feel like this month has flown by and I just don't know where it went!! I want a do over. haha I was really excited to get out and bear testimony of Jesus Christ but I seems like I was so busy doing it that I forgot that that is what I wanted to do! haha

 

It's been a crazy last couple of days! With transfers and meetings with our ward leaders and trying to figure out the best plans to get us all united in the vision of our mission. We have experienced a lot of really amazing miracles this week as we have been doubled in to these wards. When I left Kennewick Park it was really hard. We said goodbye to all of our investigators. It just hit me how much the gospel unifies us with people and how as we share the gospel we are literally connecting spirit to spirit with one another. I felt that as I had to say goodbye but it makes it easier knowing that it is all apart of God's will and that everything will work out.

 

It has been amazing how as we have been explaining and sharing the vision of our mission it has helped me to keep it in my mind and working hard to reach that goal. Our mission is focusing on baptizing weekly and when they first told us about it I didn't think that it would really be possible but as I prayed about it and shared it with the members it just has been amazing to see how for me it has become real. I love it!!

 

Sorry this is such a small email but I have some much to tell you about on Wednesday when I see you!

 

Well my dear family, I love you lots and lots. I love being here as a missionary and teaching people about Christ and feeling how important it is to be living where Christ is the center of my life. I love you all! Merry Christmas!

 

Love, Sister Mecham  

A Letter from Kennewick: Monday, December 16, 2013

Subject: Transfer....!!!!

My goodness!! So lots and lots is happening!! There were a lot of changes this week in the Mission with transfers happening. Me and my companions are being tripled out of Kennewick park and Elders are being put into our ward. I will be transfered still living in Kennewick, being doubled into Rancho Reata and Cottonwood Springs wards serving with Sister Brand! Sister Brand and I have worked to together and I just love that girl!!! She is amazing!! Our Zone consisted of the Kennewick Stake and the Kennewick East Stake and they have just now split the zone into the Kennewick Zone and the Kennewick East Zone. So many other things have happened and lots of really good changes are taking place!!

This week here in the Kennewick Park ward has been amazing! We have been able to be a part of some amazing experience. One of them being our PEC meeting yesterday. I know that the way the Lord has always wanted his work to be done is by working together. Yesterday as we were in PEC it was so great to see how the ward council members are trying so hard to figure out an effective way and the best way to accomplish the Lords work. It was just amazing! The spirit in that room was powerful!! The Elders better take good care of that ;)

We had an amazing week this week! I think I talked about Sarah last week in my letter. Sarah just moved into our ward and we got to finally teach her on Friday night!! She had 3 questions: The Priesthood, The Atonement, The Godhead. Each of us took a principle and explained it simply and then she taught it back to us!! As a mission that is something that we are focusing on! Teaching simply so that there is no confusion! We asked simple inspired questions and as she answered she taught herself. The spirit in that room was thrilling!!!! She is definitely learning and wanting to learn for all the right reasons! It is fantastic!!

I don't have much more time but I know that the Lord is in all things. He is in the details of our lives. I know that Jesus Christ is my savior and redeemer. I know that His Atonement is real and that is really truly completely heals us as we let it. I love you all!! Have a great week!! Merry Christmas!!

Love Sister Mecham :)

A Letter from Kennewick: Monday, December 09, 2013

Hi there my dear family!!

 

This week has been a crazy week full of fun and really wonderful amazing experiences!! First, can I just say that I really do love Christmas time?! It's amazing!! Nothing like sharing the message of our Savior Jesus Christ to bring people together and provide a message and a way of life that heals the heart. It is so fantastic!

 

This week we get to see Sister Leslie! She is doing great! We didn't get to meet with the whole Leslie family because Brother Leslie was so tired and beat after work this week. We are going to try to see them tonight. But with Sister Leslie, we got a text last Monday while we were emailing and she asked us when we would be coming back over. Here is to show how little faith I had, I thought "perfect. She is going to have us come over and then tell us that they are done taking the lessons and that this just isn't for them and they feel too pressured to pray and read and life is just crazy right now for them..." and so on. But thank goodness that is not what happened! haha She told us that she had some hard things that she wanted to talk about with us. We went over on Wednesday and before we went in we prayed and the thought came to us that we needed to take in a Family: A Proclamation to the World. So we did! She confided in us about different struggles that she is has had in her life. She told us that she just wanted to be a good mom. She just wants to give her children the best life that they can have. Right then we pulled out the proclamation and got to bare testimony of her role as a mom and her role as a wife. We got to tell her that as she lived true to what it says in the proclamation then she will receive divine help and she will feel that she is doing her part. It was amazing!! Just how subtle the spirit works and how amazing it is when you listen.

 

Another great thing that happened was with our investigator Jenn. She is so wonderful!! We have been trying to see how we can help her in feeling the spirit more in her home. She is having a really hard time right now. Her fiance is not feeling well, she can't get baptized yet because they aren't married yet and she just trying to do things that don't create big waves for their relationship. She is amazing! Really trying to do all she can to become better each day and also waiting for the right moment to be able to take the next step. We talked to Sister Madison her fellowshipper about helping her come to church. Sister Madison thought about it and said she felt really uneasy about that being our focus for the lesson. Jenn's fiance hasn't warmed up to that yet. She told us that she just kept getting this really strong feeling of helping her to do FHE in her home. So we told Sister Madison that she could prepare ways for Jenn to do FHE in her home and that we would love her at the lesson. Well Sister Madison was really listening to the spirit. I don't think it could have gone better! Jenn was so excited and we talked about ways that she could do this with having her fiance involved in it too but having it be low key and a time where he can feel the spirit and see the change in her and in their family. I'm so grateful for fellowshippers and the chance that we have to work so closely together! It's amazing!!

 

We did pick up a new investigator this week that the Elders are handing over to us. Her name is Sarah and she is so prepared! She is married to a less-active member and apparently she drags him to church. Haha Sister Bledsoe and Sister Davenport helped them move in this week while I was in a meeting. I'm so excited to meet them this week!!

 

Something that I learned this week is the principle of Happy and Hard. When Elder and Sister Richards came to talk to us a couple of weeks ago they talked about this and it really didn't hit me till just this morning. For my personal study I looked up happiness in the index. I read through some and ended up reading about Ammon and the Anti-Nehpi-Lehi's and how they are trying to leave because the people are being destroyed. Ammon talks to the King about leaving and the King tells him to go to the Lord. Ammon goes to the Lord and the Lord tell him to get those people out of there. Ammon is devastated for his people and just wants the best for them and for them to be safe. He meets up with Alma, Aaron, Omner, and Himni. It says that Ammon was so filled with joy that he fell to the ground. Then is says" Now was this not exceeding joy? Behold, this is joy which none receiveth save it be the truly penitent and humble SEEKER of happiness." I thought that was just amazing!! Here is Ammon with this really big responsibility on his shoulders and trying to free these people and his heart is still penitent and humble. He still is happy even when all of this is going on. It was such a huge lesson for me to start learning today. This really spoke to me and I just know with all my heart that as we are truly seekers of humility and happiness and joy the Lord will bless us in the darkest time. He always does.

 

I just want to share my testimony that I do know that our Savior lives. I know that the Atonement is real. I know it with all my heart and soul. I know that he is the "Prince of peace" that through him we don't have to wait for happiness and peace. That can happen right here and now as we accept Him and believe him. Merry Christmas!! Have a wonderful week!! I love you all!!

 

Love Sister Mecham :)

A Letter from Kennewick: Monday, December 02, 2013

Hello my dearest family and friends!

How are you all?! I hope you are doing well and that you had a lovely thanksgiving! It was wonderful here! We went to a couple of families houses and just enjoyed being with them. We finished the night by playing phase10 at a members house. It was great!

We've had some really cool teaching experiences this week. We taught the Leslie family twice this week. On Tuesday we shared with them the Restoration video. I love that movie! It always brings in the spirit so strong and helps investigators feel the spirit. They loved! We talked to them about how important it is to pray and to know that these things are true. They asked us a whole bunch of questions about our family lives and what our parents taught us. They asked if we ever had the choice to believe in this or the choice to leave it. It was a really wonderful experience for me to be able to share with him my experience in growing up and the way that my parents honored/ still do honor my agency. It was so great! At the end of the lesson Sis. Davenport invited Brother Leslie to say the closing prayer. He was kinda mad but.. HE DID IT! It was great!! And they wanted us to come back! We went back on Saturday and started reading the Book of Mormon with them. We started in 1 Nephi 1. It was really great! We kept it really simple and explained as we went what was being talked about.

Something that really hit me as we were reading that chapter with them was that, this whole principle and concept of God speaking to his children and the way he does with Lehi through a vision is something that we are familiar with in the Bible. The Book of Mormon is not new doctrine, just more of the same doctrine found in the Bible on a very simple bases. How much I love the Book of Mormon!! It is so fantastic!

When we had Elder Richards come to us, he talked to us about teaching truth and teaching it simply. We aren't to be using things that make the gospel principles complicated and confusing. The simpler we teach the more our investigators will understand the essential truths:

1.Jesus Christ is our Savior and Redeemer

2.Joseph smith saw God the Father and Jesus Christ

3.The Book of Mormon is the word of God

4. The Priesthood

We are just learning how to teach simply and to teach so they gain these testimonies. It has been really wonderful to see the change that happens!

We had another lesson this week with another investigator family that didn't receive the message the same way that the Leslie family did... It is really hard when that happens but when people aren't ready, we can't force them to be. If we want to know the gospel is true then we have put of faith to the test and pray. Simple.

Well my dear family, I love you all. Have a wonderful week! I love you all!

Sis. Mecham

D&C 50:24 

A Letter from Kennewick: Monday, November 25, 2013

Subject: Thanks for Thanksgiving!

Hello family! So I hope this email gets to you all. My email isn't letting me compose an email so I had to do some little tricky things. Haha

 

This week has been so great! We had Elder Richards from the second quorum of the seventy come and talk with us! He spent 3 days in our mission going around and teaching. It was so wonderful! We were able to receive a lot of council and direction in how we can be more effective instruments. He focused on teaching truth and teaching truth simply. He told us to get rid of our anologies and our gimmics and focus on what the spirit is telling us. Sis. Davenport and I have been working really hard on at that this week and it has helped us to be more direct in addressing the needs of our investigators. I am loving it! We still have a lot to learn but we are already seeing the difference that it is making.

 

I'm so sorry that this email has to be so short! haha We have such a great week ahead of us and some really great lessons planned. I will have to explain a little more next week in my email.

 

I love you all so much! Thank you for your support. It means the world to me. The Lord lives and loves us. He has created a plan that is perfect for us all to be be able to return to him again. I love you all!

 

Love Sister Mecham

A Letter from Kennewick: Monday, November 18, 2013

Subject: And...the wind is here.

The wind is crazy here!! It blows all the time. haha I thought I loved the wind.. I'm starting to re-evaluate my feelings toward it. Despite the wind, I am still loving Kennewick! People here are just great! We are working hard with the members in the ward and enjoying their enthusiasm for the work! People are really catching the wave and it is inspiring. 

We have been given a lot of opportunities to work with the members. On Friday we have a FANTASTIC church tour with the Cortina's. Brother and Sister Cortina are a young married couple in the ward. They came to do a church tour on Friday night with Sister Davenport and me. We had Sister Cortina pretend to be the investigator and Brother Cortina was the member that brought her down to the church. They did awesome! It was so cool to see how they reacted to the challenge. Sister Cortina asked a lot of really cool questions! Brother Cortina was able to bear strong testimony on the sacrament and baptism. It was a blast! 

We met with a semi-active family this week and shared with them the Doctrine of Christ. It was a really neat experience. They have a son with Down Syndrome and Autism, James is his name. He is so sweet! He sat and listened to the whole lesson and did really well. I'm really excited to work with this family and be apart of their growing experience that they are going to have. James is a very big blessing in their family. 

We have this women that we are helping to learn English. Her name is Inhyang. She is from South Korea. We have a program here called Daily Dose and they help people in learning English and communicating. They are called as missionaries. It is a really cool experience for non-members to be apart of! They get to learn and better their language skills. It also offers them an opportunity to learn more about the gospel and eventually take the lessons from the us Full-time missionaries. We have an appointment on Wednesday with her and two of the Daily Does missionaries to help her. We'll hand her off to them and then when she is ready to receive the Gospel we will teach her :)

We are working on finding new investigators! Something that Sis. Davenport and I are working on is a challenge/promise that Elder Ballard gave to us when he came, if we talked to 10 people each day then our baptisms would double. We need to put our faith in that because that is where is all starts! Opening you mouth. The Lord promises us that they will be filled as we do that. Believing him is a step a faith that we are taking more seriously now then ever before. It is going to be s blast! 

We have Elder Kent Richards coming to us tomorrow to talk to us. We're really excited!! We have some really awesome meetings with him this week that I just can't wait for! 

Well my dear family, there is so much more but not enough time to tell you all about it. I know this church is true and I know that our Savior lives. It is through his Atonement that all things are made possible. I love you all!! 

Love Sister Mecham 

A Letter from Kennewick: Wednesday, November 13, 2013

Subject: Hello Kennewick :)

Hi family!! So I'm in Kennewick and I am loving it!! It is so wonderful here! There is a different feeling here than anywhere else. The temple is so close and being so close to President and Sister Ware is so fantastic! We've had a lot of opportunities already to be around them more and it is such a strength to me. 

Sister Davenport is my new companion and she is so fantastic! She is so good at listening to the spirit and discerning peoples needs. She has helped me to better understand and fulfill my purpose. I really feel the change that is happening in me and it is so cool. The word cool doesn't even do it justice. I feel like that is such a lame word to use but it is more like empowering. It is empowering to feel the spirit change me and work within me. I love being a missionary. Sis. D is from St. George and she is the 4th of 4 and the only girl in her family. She loves cameo and working so hard. She is such a blessing. 

We've been able to teach some lessons in the short time that I have been here and met a lot of the ward council and the ward and getting me connected with them. The Leslie family is a family that we got to teach on Saturday. They had referred themselves on Mormon.org. Sister Leslie is has watch a YouTube segment on a Mormon family and she loved how they are so family oriented. This family talks about what they believe and share their testimonies. Sister Leslie loved it so much that she wanted to learn more! So we went over for their second lesson on Saturday and taught them the plan of Salvation. They loved it! We were explaining our purpose here on earth and what happens after we leave this life and they really loved that! They took so much comfort in what we were saying. Brother Leslie grew up Jehovah Witness and didn't really agree with some of the things that he was taught. We have a return appt. with them tomorrow! 

We had some really cool training's that we were apart of this week and it was a blast! We got to learn so much from President and Sister Ware. They talked about internalizing the Doctrine on Christ, goal setting, building a strong base in the Doctrine of Christ. It was inspiring! We had a training last night all on working with our ward council and the ward mission plan. If there is one thing  that we learned there, is that the gospel is simple and so our plan needs to be simple too. I really love the way that missionary work is now going and changing. 

Well my dear family, I love you all! Have such a wonderful week!  I know that Jesus Christ lives and I know that this church is true. 

Love, Sister Mecham 

2 Nephi 31:21 

A (Last) Letter from Naches: Monday, November 04, 2013

Subject: Kennewick here I come!!

Transfer calls came and..... I'm going to Kennewick!!! I will be serving in the Kennewick Zone and serving with Sister Davenport! I have met her and boy is she the sweetest person that you will ever meet! I will tell you more about her next week after I get play 20 questions with her. :)

 

I'm really sad to leave Naches. I love this place! I love the people and the scenery is absolutely beautiful! All the orchards and the mountains. For the first 8 months of my mission I had never served where there were mountains or what I call a mountain and then I come here and these are more like mountains than rolling hills. BUT! I'm so very excited to Kennewick! I have wanted to serve there so bad! It is beautiful there too and I know that I am going to love it.

 

This week we got to meet with lots of the members and have some really cool experiences inviting them to embrace missionary work and knowing they are called to serve too. It is really cute to see the little kids love it when we give them a mormon.org card to hand out or invite their friend to church or hand out a Book of Mormon. They get excited and start thinking of all the people they know and who they want to give it too. It is such an example to me of how we really do need to become as little child, humble and meek and submissive. It is so fantastic to watch and be apart of!

 

Finding new people to teach has been a struggle this week but I know the Lord will bless us as we are bold and have charity in our hearts for those that we are inviting to come unto Christ.

 

We got to see Lisa a lot this week. It was sooo good!! I really just love her so much! She is so solid and I'm so proud of her and her diligence to being continually converted to the gospel. She is such an example to me! I am going to miss her terribly. But I know that it is what needs to happen. 

 

We had a great halloween! We got to teach a new investigator named Geobany. I think I told you about her last week. She is so darling! We got to teach her using the Restoration pamphlet. You teach them with the pamphlet and you teach by the pictures. As you do this it always leads to the invitation to baptism. I have come to understand the importance of commitments and invitations. I invited Geobany to be baptized and right aways it brought us concerns that she has and ways that we can help. It also let us see where is was at in her commitment level. She right now isn't really commited BUT she is still being prepared and she was invited so she was given the opportunity to repent and change. It was a really cool experience! I love inviting people to be baptized! I didn't realize how much I loved it untill I just did it on faith. We were on exchanges that day and the Sister Training Leader in our zone helped me to understand that. I really needed that exchange to help me gain a testimony of that. So cool!!! 

 

Well my dear family, I love you all!! I am so grateful for you all and I can't wait to hear from you all next week. Have a fantastic week!! Love you!! 

 

Love Sister Mecham  

A Letter from Naches: Monday, October 28, 2013

Subject: "Lucifer is raging in the hearts of men. We are living in the last days. They are being swept away. WE'VE GOT TO BE GOOD AND WE'VE GOT TO BE BRAVE!"

This was something that Elder Ballard told us on Saturday when he came to speak to our mission. It was amazing!! I was standing about a foot away from an Apostle of the Lord for about 3-4 hours. Literally sitting at his feet and listening to the council he had to give. Knowing that the whole time he was speaking by the spirit. It is something that I will never forget. We got to also hear from Elder Maynes and Elder Risenmay. Everything that they said to us was so inspiring!! Some of the things that I learned from our conference:

• The power of diligence and the power of a testimony.
• The power of my calling as a missionary and as a member of church.
• Talk to EVERYBODY
• We've got to be good and we've got be brave.
• Don't let anything dampen your enthusiasm or desire to serve.

Something he also said about our work and the gospel is: " Anxiously engage in giving it away" I LOVED THAT! So good!! As you sat and listened to him you could feel that love of the Lord has for all of his children. I want so badly to repeat that day!! It was amazing! At the end of our conference as he was finishing his remarks he left of blessing on us. It was so powerful! I can't even describe the feelings that I felt. It was truly life changing.

 

This week we again weren't able to get in with Amanda. We sent her a text and never heard back from her but we are going to call her today and try to get in with her. We talked to the ward about it and ask for some assistance in helping her and fellowshipping the family. I'm really excited to see the way that this is taking the ward and how they are going to be more involved.

 

Stacey is doing great! She had a lot of homework this week and so we didn't get to teach her but we did have dinner with her on Monday night and it was so great!! She was the cutest! She made us real authentic Mexican food!! It was delicious! We got to chat with her and got to know her better. It was most definitely needed. Her husband came home after we had finished dinner and we got to finally meet him! It was really good. We were laughing and talking and just helping him see that we are human too. Really wonderful experience. She then came up to Camp Zarahemla on Friday night for the Relief Society retreat. She got there and Sister Pratt and I had been there for about 2 hours and had to go. We thought she would be up there sooner but life happened and it pushed her schedule back. She got there and just cried. She had a math test that didn't go well and she was just stressed. We talked about how this was going to be something good for her and Satan knew it so he was putting everything in her path to make her not go. But she made it! She pushed through and did it! The women welcomed her and it was wonderful!! We left her and knew that those women would take really good care of her.

 

We've been having a really successful week in meeting with the members and helping them with their missionary work! They all have responded really well to the invitations and the challenges that we have left with them. It is great!! Lisa and Brother Moore are really catching the vision and always make sure that when they have us for dinner that they have someone there for us to teach and help. It is wonderful!

 

Well my dear family, Things are going really well and they are starting to pick up. Transfer calls are on Saturday night and I just have a feeling that I will be leaving Naches. Sis. Pratt will be done with her training at the end of this week so she will need to spread her wings and fly. ;) haha It will all work out the way it is suppose to. 

 

I love you all!! Have a great week!!!

 

Love, Sister Mecham :)

A Letter from Naches: Monday, October 21, 2013

Subject: "Faith in the Lord is always faith in his timing."-Elder Neal A. Maxwell

Hey there family!! The little quote above is a quote that Sister Ware shared with us at zone conference this week. I loved it so much! It is so true! When we have faith in the Lord that means that we trust is Him and we have faith in His will that it is what is best and we wait patiently for his promised blessings.

 

This week was great! We had some rough spots but it was really good. When you have challenges it makes you appreciate the really good times. I told you last week that we had just gone to the Temple. It was amazing! Loved every minute of it!! We then had the opportunity to have Zone Conference last Thursday and hear from President and Sister Ware. The training that they gave us was amazing and so inspired! I had fast last Sunday to know how to best help the ward here and to be able to influence them in their missionary work. Pres. and Sis. Ware talked all about member work and how to help your members in their missionary work and how to teach them and open the way for them to be successful. It was so powerful!! I know that that training was so inspired!! I left there feeling so spiritually uplifted. It was fantastic! We are starting a new key indicator, member lessons. We are going to be reporting each Sunday how many lessons that we are able to share with members and teach them. It is fantastic! He gave us a lot of different tools to use to help the members and support them. I'm so excited to see how this helps and changes missionary work! Pres. Ware also talked to us about a 40 day fast. He told us about an experience that he has had since he has been here in the WKM. He said that he was being distracted by things. Things that necessarily weren't bad but just wasn't bringing him an added measure of the spirit. He read this little talk about fasting from our distractions and gave it to each of us. He said that he wanted each of us to participate in this. We start this process with a fast and while we are fasting we and and ask Heavenly Father to help us in knowing what we need to fast from so that we can have the spirit with us more fully. As we fast and pray and with the Lord come up with the things that we need to eliminate from our lives, we promise him that we will work with him to remove these things so that we can be the missionaries that he needs. It was amazing when Sis. Pratt and I started this! We started Thursday night and I knew that night that it is something that is going to change me. Satan starts to work really hard on you when you start to shove him out the door. It has been hard but I have already seen the blessings from acting. 

 

We were given the opportunity to teach Elders quorum yesterday. haha It was a different experience that is for sure. It was really fun though! We got to talk about missionary work and teach out of the Lorenzo Snow book. Sis. Pratt and I thought a lot about how we felt the lesson should go. Being able to teach the fathers and priesthood holders about the blessings of missionary work and helping them fulfill their priesthood duties. It was so great!! The spirit was really strong!!  

 

We didn't get to teach Amanda this week. She had some family stuff come up on Friday and wasn't able to meet with us. We got to see Stacey this week but not Yesenia. Stacey asked us some more questions on our beliefs and we had a really great discussion. She invited us for dinner tonight! We are really excited!!

 

Things are starting to pick up around here. As we continue to teach the members and help them and they help us the Lord is going to bless us and miracles will start to happen.

 

Lisa is doing great!! She has been so great at studying her scriptures and everything. Brother Moores mom passed away this week and Lisa said that reading her scriptures gave her so much peace and comfort during it all. She is so solid!! I do love her so much!

 

Well my dear family, I love you all!! I know that this church is true and know that our Savior stands at the head of it. I so grateful for the power of the Holy Ghost and the direction that it brings into our lives. Again, I love you all!! Have a great week!!

 

Love, Sister Mecham :)

A Letter from Naches: Tuesday, October 15, 2013

Subject: If the bitter cup doesn't pass, drink it and be strong"

Hi family!! Boy has today been fantastic!! We got to go to the temple today and I just want to say how much I love the temple. I love sitting in there listening to the words and knowing that what I'm doing there is what the Lord wants for all of his children. Beautiful!! I learned so much today and it just makes me so excited to go back again and again!

 

We have had a really good week this week! We were able to get into see some less-active that we haven't been able to get into see. One of them being this fantastic lady named Sis. McCoy. She is absolutely lovely! She has had some really unfortunate things happen in her life but goodness does she ever know that the Lord is there. She takes care of some of her children and some of her grandchildren and even a great nephew. All of those kids just adore her and respect her. It was such a humbling experience to be there and see them all interact and to feel of the love that they have for each other and the love that the Lord has for them. We shared with her an article out of the September ensign. It was the first presidency message by Pres. Uchtdorf. It's called, " Saints for all seasons." It was so great!! She really responded well and now we just have to keep going back and help her get back to church with her family.

 

This last Tuesday we went by and tried a former investigator that we had tried a million times before but she never answered. Her name is Bianey. She has a darling family! She has 3 kids. One is in college, one is in high school and then her youngest is 2. She let us in and we talked her about our purpose and what she thought about what the missionaries taught her before. She didn't remember a lot of it but said that she did like some of it and that she had some questions and that we could come back! We set up a return appointment for Friday to go back and teach her. We went on Friday and talked with her about the Plan of Salvation. Her mother wanted to sit in on the lesson but because she doesn't speak English Bianey needed to translate for her. Each time Bianey would tell her what we said she was smile and nod her head and say"Si!" She told Bianey that what we were teaching was the truth. We asked them if it would be better if some missionaries that spoke Spanish should come and teach them and they both agreed that would be better. Sis. Pratt and I were sad that we couldn't keep teaching them. I love them so much!! We will though being going back tomorrow to teach the first lesson with the Elders.

 

We've had a couple other little miracles happen this week. Sunday a women walks up to me as I am greeting people and tells me that she needs some help to find the restroom and that she hasn't been to church in 30 years and she this is her first time back. I took her to the restroom and then told her to meet me back at the door and I would take her to where Sis. Pratt and I were sitting. She was so kind and sweet! Her name is Sis. Adams and she is just the nicest women you will ever meet. That was a little miracle this week and we'll be going to see her this week and get to know her better.

 

Yesterday we were on exchanges with the Hermanas. It was so good!! I love being able to see how other areas work and to see how other missionaries do missionary. It helps you to grow. But miracles happen on exchanges! Sis. Pratt and Hna. Lambert were working here in Naches. They got into see a part-member family that we have been trying to get into see for the longest time! The Harris family. They have two little boys and they are just the cutest things! They were able to teach the Harris family all about the Plan of Salvation and answer some questions that they had. Sis. Harris had taken the lessons a while back but then moved here and hasn't met with missionaries since. Brother Harris hasn't been active since he graduated from high school. They loved the lesson and said that we could come back on Friday during the day. So the Lord blessed us to find another new investigator!! I was excited! This family is ready.

 

Well my dear family, that is all that I have for you today. It has been another great week here!! I can't believe how fast the time flies. WAY TOO FAST! I love this work! I'm so grateful to be here and be apart this. It is marvelous. I love you all!!

 

Love Sis. Mecham  

A Letter from Naches: Monday, October 07, 2013

Subject: "Doubt your doubts before you doubt your faith."

That was one of my favorite quotes from conference! My goodness!! I loved that General Conference!! Seriously everything that was said was "delicious to my soul"! I just could not get enough of it. I want a redue! haha This conference was so inspiring and so down right what the church members needed and what those investigating needed! There is no doubt in my mind that this church is led by the hand of God. Some of my favorite talks were President Uchtdorf's talk, Sister Stephens talk, Elder Bednar, Elder Christofferson,Elder Hollands,Elder Ballard, Pres. Eyring's, Elder Oaks, Elder Scott's, Pres. Monson's. Man I feel like I could go on! Hahah But there were some key subjects that I felt were talked about a lot. First one is the role that the creation plays in our lives and how vital it is that we realize that with that creation there were no mistakes made. Second point is the importance of sustaining our church leaders and developing Christlike attributes. And third, remembering our covenants and living up to those covenants and honoring them. How amazing!!! I loved all the talks on the role of women and the priesthood. I was so impressed with how the messages were delivered and how clear they were to point out the role of each of God's children. 

 

That topic was so vital for Sis Pratt and I this week. We got to go and see Stacey and Yesenia again on Thursday. We talked more about the Restoration and about the priesthood. Stacey asked us why she could hold the priesthood and be able to give her children blessings. She was so worried about it. Her husband isn't interested in the church and learning more right now and she didn't know what she would do without that priesthood in her home. We explained to her the role that husband and wife play together and the responsibility of the priesthood and how we each have different responsibilties but we are to help eachother with those responsibilities and that if she does not have a priesthood holder in the home than she can always call on the bishop and her home teachers. As we left that lesson I felt like good about what we had shared but I also felt like maybe there could have been more to her question and that we could answer it just a little bit better. And then conference happens!! We had invited her to watch it but I get the feeling that she didn't watch it. The good news is though we can answer her question better this time.

 

I love teaching them! They want to come to church but Stacey's husband doesn't want her taking the little boys to church.She said she is going to keep working on him though :) We are going back again this week.

 

We have been trying to find different ways to work with the ward members and help them in their missionary work. All the talks on members and missionaries coming together in conference were amazing! Something that changed for me in hearing that council again was that it was literally coming from the prophet. It was something he asked us to do. Like living the word of wisdom. It put it into a whole new prespective for me. We either follow the council from the prophet of we don't, it's as simple as that. It's a struggle and has required me to think outside of the box and change my way of thinking.

 

Something really cool that we found out about a week ago is that on the 26th of October, one of the 12 is coming to talk to the mission. We don't know who it is but we're really excited!!

 

Well my dear family, I love you all!! I hope you all have a marvelous week! I'm so grateful for a Prophet on the earth today. It truly does show the love that our Father in Heaven has for us that he would give us such a beautiful and remarkable gift. I have such a big testimony of modern day revelation and listening to the council from our Heavenly Father given to us by his prophet.

 

Love you all!!

 

Sis. Mecham

A Letter from Naches: Monday, September 30, 2013

Subject: Blessings!!

Hello my dear family!! This week have been great! The Lord has really blessed us this week.

We have been trying to get in to see a referral that we have received about a month ago from Sister Warnick a missionary that serves at Camp Zarahemla. I think I told you all about this but she gave us a referral for someone that she had met up there. Her name is Stacey. Stacey is in her 40's and she has 4 kids. Her oldest is 20 and her youngest is 3. She is the sweetest!! We had tried to go over there a couple of times to get in with her but every time something was a bad time and she was busy and had stuff going on. We had an appointment scheduled with Jennifer our new investigator at 3 on Wednesday but she ended up not showing up so we decided to go and stop by Stacey. When we knocked on her door and she opened it she looked like she was going to turn us away and not lets us in. She asked us how long this was going to take and we told her that it could be a short visit. She lets us in and we sat down. Well turns out that Stacey has a whole lot of questions! She asked if her daughter Yesenia could sit in and so she did. We were there for 2 hours. haha She asked us all sorts of stuff from our life her on earth to morals and standards. They were so receptive! It was a miracle!! We have a return appointment with them this Wednesday at 3:30.

We got a text message from Adrian this week on Tuesday asking us if he could get a ride to church on Sunday. We were so excited and got everything set up for someone to meet us at his house to pick up and take him to church. We got a text from him Sunday morning telling us that his Mom and Dad don't want him coming to church with us and that they have chosen to go to a different church. It made me sad to think that he had such an amazing experience knowing that God listens to him and hears his prayers but he wasn't able to receive the fulness of the gospel because of his parents. BUT! One day he will be able to make that choice for himself and listen to the missionaries. He will always remember that experience. It makes me think of that scripture in Doctrine and Covenants 101:16 where the Lord says for us to be comforted concerning Zion because all flesh is in his hands. He knows what need to happen for Adrian and his family. What we did was plant a seed.

We had a really crazy experience this last weekend. So Long story short is, Lainey was driving to work on Friday morning and this car at the end of our lane and this girl sleeping in this sleeping bag next to it. She called Sis. Prest and told her that she thinks that she should make her some toast or something and take it to her. So after I had gotten in the shower I walked downstairs and started making my breakfast, Sis. Prest was making this breakfast to take to this women and told me everything that was going on. She leaves and hops on her bike and heads down the lane. About 10 mins later she come back and there is this car that is following her. She comes inside and tells me that this girl didn't know whether to got Utah or back to Seattle.... haha So this girl somes in the house and sits down and we start chatting. We find out her name is Lynn and she is from Texas. She has been living in Seattle for a while now and she wants to go to Utah because there is a boy there that she thinks is the right one for her. She met this boy when she was in China about 5 years ago.. she tells us this big huge story about when she first went to Utah and it really is just the craziest thing that I don't even know where to start. She realized that we were all mormons and just couldn't believe it. She said she has wanted to learn more about what we believe. She has been to temple square and said she just felt so much peace there. This was probably the only time that I will ever teach the lessons in my pajamas at 7:30 in the morning with a towel on my head. It was so crazy!! She stayed with the Prests all of Friday and spent the night there on Friday night. We ended up teaching her again on Friday night all about prayer and about Heavenly Father. It was a really surial experience and just really interesting and really cool!! How she ended up on our lane, at the only house in the area that houses missionaries, is really only by God. While she was here she met 3 different sets of missionaries. If there is one thing that I have learned from this is that the Lord really is on the details of our lives.

 

Well my dear family, I love you all!! This week has been another really fantastic growing experience and being able to see that the Lord is willing to grant us our desires. We just have to push through our adversities to see the light.

 

I know this church is true. Have a great week!!

 

Love, Sis. Mecham 

A Letter from Naches: Monday, September 23, 2013

Subject: Hi there!

Hi there my dear family! I hope you all had a great week this week! We have had quite the week. Sis. Pratt was really sick this week with this nasty cold that is going around. Knocked her out for a few days. We were able to get in and see some people during the time of her being on her death bed. This week we actually found a NEW INVESTIGATOR! Her name is Jennifer. She is 17. The Spanish Elders actually tracted into her. They talked to her all about the Restoration and then realized that they would probably never make it back to see her seeing as she lives at the furthest part of their area which is an area that we cover as well. Her parents don't speak any English but they did tell us that it was okay that Jennifer took the lessons and learned more. We went and saw her on Wednesday and took a darling girl from the ward with us. Jennifer has a desire to learn more. Sis. Pratt and I were talking and we think we are going to have to teach her a little bit more about who our Heavenly Father is. I know that if she understands that just a little bit better than she will have even more of a desire. We have a return appointment for this Wednesday. :)

Yesterday was one of those roller coaster days. We got to church yesterday and everything was so good! Sacrament meeting was wonderful! One of our less-actives, Brother Harris, came to church yesterday! We walked up to him and told him how happy we were to see him. Haha I was so surprised to him there. He looked at us and said " Well... I told ya I'd be here didn't I?".. haha He and his wife are just so fantastic! We love going to see them! They are trying hard to make some changes.They know what they have to do. Now we just have to keep encouraging them and feeding them with the spirit so they don't give into Satan. 

The hardest part of yesterday was our lesson with Sis. Summa. I have felt sad for people on my mission, people that I see and try and teach and they reject it. People that we actually get in to teach and they decided that it just isn't the right time for them but I don't think that I have ever felt this sad for someone. We have spent so many hours sitting at her kitchen table trying to help her understand why the fullness of the Gospel is the very best and there is nothing that compares to it. We went over yesterday because we finally decided that we needed to sit down with her and have more of a heart to heart with her and really be up front and honest with her. She didn't really care for that all too much. After trying so hard to teach her by the spirit and bare testimony, we had to tell her that if she wasn't going to keep her commitments then we couldn't come over a teach her as often as we have been. We told her that we have to work harder at finding those that want to change and embrace the Gospel. 

The thing that stuck out to me the very most is this. If we don't wake up everyday and decided that we choose Christ than that is one more day that Satan has more control over us. I was reading in Mormon 3 today and he says "Behold, I had led them, notwithstanding their wickedness I had led them many times to battle, and had loved them, according to the love of God which was in me, with all my heart; and my soul had been poured out in prayer unto my God all the day long for them; nevertheless, it was without faith, because of the hardness of their hearts." I read this this morning and thought about Sis. Summa. In the footnotes it directs you to James 1:6 where it talks about Asking in faith "nothing wavering because he that wavereth is like a wave of the sea driven with the wind and tossed." I thought about that and how powerful that is. When we waver and we let doubt enter our hearts, we immediately decide that faith in the Lord isn't enough for us. We decide that what he has to offer us just won't cut it. 

I know that as long has we have faith, doesn't matter how much faith we have, big or small, that faith is the answer to all of our problems. For ourselves, we need to hold to that faith like it is all we have because at the end of the day it really is what matters most.

My faith has been strengthened this week. Knowing that the Lord really does know our hearts and that his Atonement is real. I know that he does lead and guide us. He always will when we put our trust in him. 

I love you all!! Have a great week!! This church is true. 

Love, Sister Mecham :) 

A Letter from Naches: Monday, September 16, 2013

Subject: Line upon line

Hello my dear wonderful family!!

 

This week in Naches has been great! We've been able to see some more Less-active people in the last week. We haven't found any new investigators this week but we are trying and that is what the Lord sees and the desire that we have in our hearts.

 

Last week Sis. Summa came to church and she was doing so well. I was so proud of her and just saw such a change in her. We went back on Tuesday and she was still doing great and then we went back on Thursday... something happened between those visits and I'm not quite sure what happened. We went over on Thursday and right when we get there she is the bathroom and tells us to come and make ourselves comfortable and she'll be out in a minute. We walk into her kitchen and sitting on the kitchen counter was a coffe cup... Sis. Pratt and I just look at each other pick up the cup, smell it and gosh darn that sweet women and given in to satan and got a cup of coffee at the doctors that day! We put it back down and set our things down in on the couch. I was the watchman while Sis. Pratt looked through her cubbards to see if she was stashing anymore coffee. Sure enough there was this HUGE costco sized Starbucks coffee beans bag right there. We put it back in the cubbard and waited for her to come back. We didn't know what we were going to do about it but I know that the Lord knew what he was going to do. All we needed to do was listen. We sat there and talked with her and asked her how her week was going and what not. We started talking about her goal to get to the temple. We asked her what could be holding her back from making that convenant with God.. It was quite for a minute. I have never been so grateful for how the spirit works on a person than in that moment. She came clean and told us all about how she got coffee at the doctors office and then she went to her cubbard and pulled out the bag. I looked at her and told her to hand it over and we were going to get rid of it. The bag had never been opened. We could have taken it back to the store but instead we found a lovely trash can that needed to be filled and left it there. I am so amazed at how the Lord works on the lives of his children. Those that I am teaching and myself.

 

Something that I have learned this week in watchin our less-actives and those that we teach and looking into myself is that God is always here. He is always there beside us. We have to turn to him inorder for us to know him. There is no way that that relationship can happen unless we decided that his will is always better then our own. That is something that has really strengthened me this week and something that I needed to learn again. I studied this morning the talk by Jeffery R. Holland called " The Grandeur of God." It changed the way that I thought about my Father in heaven and my Savior and they relationship they have and how unified they are. It is amazing to see that we too can have a very close relationship with our Father in heaven and know him and his nature.

 

Well my dear family, those are just a couple highlights from my week this week. I wish I had unlimited time to tell you everything but I don't. I love you all!! Have a wonderful week!!

 

Love Sis. Mecham

A Letter from Naches: Monday, September 09, 2013

Subject: Hey there family!

Hi there family! This week has been a little slow but great things have happened! 

So first things first, we tried to get Adrian who I told you about last week, to church but.. We think his parents aren't too happy about him wanting to come. We went over on Saturday night to invite him to church and Sis. Pratt saw him run in the back room and then his mom told us that he wasn't there.... We aren't too sure what to do but I feel like we at least need to try him one more time and just know what the questions are see where they stand as far as at least letting him take the lessons. We will just see what the Lord says. 

So we have been working with a lot of the Less-actives in the ward and helping them come back to church. Sis. Summa is doing awesome!! We had a break through with her this week! So she had been canceling on us a lot and not keeping her appointments. She we just stopped by unannounced on Wednesday night. She let us come in and sit down and we chatted for a little bit then shared a spiritual thought. I love how the spirit just come in and opens peoples hearts and they are able to talk to you from their heart. She shared with us why she doesn't come to church. She said she feels like because of what happened in her past she feels like she isn't worthy to be there. She talked about things that happened early on in her life before she was a member. We got to help her understand that she is worthy to be there. Satan wants to hold us from those opportunities to feel whole and new again. That is what the sacrament does for us. It fills in the gaps and wholes in our hearts and heals us with the Atoning sacrifice of our Lord and savior. We talked about how also because it was before her baptism as she repented before she was baptized, she was washed clean of those things. It was powerful to sit in that room with her that night. At the end, we were all just in tears. It was amazing. 

So here come for our adventure for the week, we had set up for Sis. Udell, a sister in the ward, to come and pick up Sis. Summa and take her to stake conference yesterday. Well we called Sis. Summa in the morning and woke her up and she was so excited to come to church and so happy. We thought great! This is going to be perfect. Sis. Pratt and I show up to the stake center about 45 mins before the meeting is suppose to start and we save seats. We are waiting and talking with the Elders and other members there then we see Sis. Udell. We run over to her and she tells us she forgot to pick up Sis. Summa. She says she is just going to call her after church and explain... Sis. Pratt and I just looked at her then looked at each other. That was not going to work. So that is when the Lord took over. We ran up to Lainey Prest ( the daughter of the people we live with) and ask her to take us to get Sis. Summa. This was about 20 mins from when the meeting is suppose to start. Sis. Summa lives like 25 mins away. Haha we rush out to the car and head out. We get there pick up Sis. Summa and head back over to the church. We got there about 35 mins into the meeting and sit down. 

It was the best feeling ever being there with Sis. Summa in church. I knew that if we didn't go and get her that the whole meeting I would be sick knowing that Sis. Summa should have been sitting next to me and I didn't go the extra mile to get her there. 

I'm so grateful for my Savior and the Love he offers me and the people that I love so much. I know that this church is true. With all my heart. I love you all! Have a great week!! 

Love Sis. Mecham 

A Letter from Naches: Tuesday, September 3, 2013

Subject: Miracles!

Hello there my dear family! So this week has been wonderful! We've had some really cool things happen in the area, beautiful weather and so on. What more could you ask for?! We've been able to get into some less-active that we haven't been able to get into and find some people that are ready to hear the gospel.

 

Last Thursday all of our appoitments fell through and we were in an area where tracting is really hard to do. The house are a mile or more apart from each other and between the houses are... cows... and fields. haha so we decided to go and try this member who hasn't been to church in a really long time. Her name is Sasha and her husband is not a member. She has 3 boys and a little baby girl who is about 2 months old. We stopped in and they had just gotten home. She thought we were Jehovah Witnesses at first and then realized who we were. haha She let us in and we got to chat with her for a little while. She usually works on Sundays and but she isn't right how because of the new baby. She told us that we could come back today actually and see her. We decided that with her we just need to take it really easy and simple and slow. Her parents are in the ward and so she has a lot of support. We love them already!

 

We had another really cool less-active lesson with a darling sister in the ward, Sis. Harris. She and her husband haven't been active for a long time and everyone in the ward just loves her and she is just the sweetest lady in the world. She is from North Korea. She was telling us about the things in her life that have been really difficult for her. She was telling us how her daughter had a really hard time and got pregnant while she was in high school. Sis. Harris talked to us about how she feels like she was too hard one her daughter and all of these other things. While we were sitting there, the Atonement was the one thing that just stood out to Sis. Pratt and I the very most. We told her about how through our Savior we can recieve forgiveness and also he healed from the things that we innocently endure. It was so powerful. I felt the incredible about of love that the Lord has for her. We promised her blessing after blessing and she said she will be coming to church this coming Sunday.

 

On Thursday night, our district leader and his companion came and did a blitz in our area. We tracted one street and they tracted another street. After 30 mins, we met back up with the Elders and talked about how it went. Sis. Pratt and I met some really cool people but we didn't find very many people who wanted us to come back and teach them. But the Elders did! They found one lady named Geovana and she said she would love for us to come back and teach her. The Elders told us that they felt like we really needed to tract the other side of the street. It was getting dark and so we decided that we would go back on Saturday. So Saturday comes and we go to the street, say a prayer and go to work. The first house we knock on, a teenage boy, about 16-17 come to the door. His name is Adrian and We start talking to him and he tells us to come and sit down at his patio table. So we sit down and he tells us how crazy it is that we knocked on his door just now. He tells us about how he was watching T.V. and he felt like he needed to go and pray and ask for forgiveness and so he did. He was asking God to help him know what religion was right for him. And then a couple of seconds later, we knocked on his door. It was THE COOLEST THING EVER! We told him about the Book of Mormon and we told him about how we can recieve forgiveness. He said he would come to church the next day and was so excited. He just kept saying " I feel like I'm in a dream!" haha  He ended up not being at church the next day. He ended up having to go to Pasco for something. BUT! There is always next sunday and we aren't giving up on him.

 

My testimony of being in the right place at the right time, following the spirt, was strengthen yet again this week. We may not have a whole lot of investigators but there are still miracles happening and seeds being planted.

 

I love you all. Have a wonderful week! My simple testimony is that I know that this church is true and know that God lives. I know that Jesus Christ is our Lord and Savior. Again, I love you all!

 

Love, Sister Mecham

A Letter from Naches: Monday, August 26, 2013

Subject: Hello there!

Hi my dear family!! I hope you all are doing well and having a wonderful week so far.

 

This week has been wonderful! We found a new investigator. Her name is Lori. When Sis. Zink and I were on exchanges with some other sisters back in July, Sis. Clegg and I tracted into Lori. We talked to her about the Book of Morman and prophets. It was just really cool. She seemed really interested at the time and she told us that we could come back. So we've been going back and going back. We always would talk to her on her porch and never inside her house. Her fiance is a chain smoker and so her little tiny trailer just would smell of smoke when we would go over. We finally got her at home without the fiance there. We got into her house and told her we would love to share with her a short video about the Restorationa and we got it all set up. We hit play and it was amazing!! The spirit was so strong!!! We hadn't been able to teach the Restoration is ages it felt like! It felt so good to share the experience of Joseph Smith. We finished the video and started answering her questions. She told us that if it was true that Christ true church was on the earth than she would want to be a part of it. Sis. Pratt and I didn't feel right about asking her to be baptized yet but we will definitley be bringing it up at our appointment this Wednesday.

 

We were trying some more people in the area book this week. We were on exchanges again and I was here in Naches with Sis. LaRue. We found a wonderful potential investigator! We talked to Lesha for about 30 mins. on her porch. She and her boyfriend just had a baby and she is very much a dedicated Christian. She has all the right pieces to put all of it together. She just needs the fulness of the gospel. She told us that we could come back anytime. The spirit was so strong. I just had this really strong feeling that eternal families are going to be one of the key elements for her. She is amazing!

 

We also got to talk to another man this week names Ronald. He is in our area book and the Elders were teaching him about a year ago. We went over and met him and started chatting with him. The thing that stood out to me the very most in talking with him is that he needs to badly to know that there is more than just what he is settling for. I don't think he is quite ready yet to have the missionaries over to teach him again but one day he will realize why we are so different than any other religion.

 

We got a referral about a week ago from a lady in our ward. She and her husband are missionaries at Camp Zarahemla. People go up there all the time and they get to talk with people about the gospel. Sister Warnick is a fantastic missionary! She told us about this women that has been up there with her family for a while camping and that she has asked a lot of questions since she has been there. Sister Warnick told her a lot about the plan of salvation and then told her that when she was done at camp that she would send the sister missionaries over to teach her all about it. So we called up Stacey this week. We had an appoitnemt with her but something came up so we had to plan for this week. I'm so excited to teach her!

 

Well my dear family, that is just a few of the little miracles that we have seen this week. The Lord does love us and he does want us to be happy. He is always willing to show is hand to us, but he does tell us that is comes after the trial of our faith. I know that that is true. I know that we will continue to see trials but as we look to the Lord all things are possible to those that believe. I love you all! Have a wonderful week!!

 

Love Sis. Mecham :)

A Letter from Naches: Monday, August 19, 2013

Subject: Naches...it doesn't get much better than this!

Hello family! So this week has been a wonderful week! We have transfers on Wednesday and I got to welcome in Sis. Pratt to the Naches ward! Sis. Pratt is from Logan Utah and she is... ready for this... number 1 of 11... yup you got that right. 11. She is fantastic! I love her already. She has red hair and just the best personality. We have gotten really good and just laughing really hard and trying to find people to teach. She is really great and getting out and finding and she does so well at making people feel great as she is talking to them.  

Each week we teach gospel essentials class and we do our best. Yesterday was our first time teaching the class together and may I say that the spirit did a fantastic job. About a month ago our class consisted of Sis. Zink, me and Lisa. Now our class has grown and we had about 10 people attend yesterday. The spirit was really strong and we had so many ward members participate and it was fantastic! 

This last week we have done again a lot of less-active work. We went and saw some people on Friday night that I hadn't met before so it was a brand new experience for us both. It was really interesting as we asked them to attend church. I just felt like before we went in to one family, the Zazzaro's, that they needed to know that they needed the ward and the ward needed them in return. We invited them and they told us that they will see if they they can come. But as we were leaving the Mom just walked us out the door and all the way to our car. She said " I don't know why I'm doing this.." She didn't want us to leave. She just kept thanking us for coming over and for sharing our spiritual thought. They didn't come to church but we will be going back there again this week and seeing them. They are just such a loving family and they need the gospel in their lives so bad. 

The next family we saw was the Harris family. They are a couple whose children have grown and have left the house. Their children aren't active and neither are they. We went over and Sis. Harris let us right in the door. We sat down and talked for a little while and then asked if we could share a spiritual thought. We shared with her Omni 1:26 and talked about how the Lord wants us to continue to come to him and partake of his everlasting gifts that he has given us. We talked about how we needed to show our faith in him. We hadn't even invited them to church when Sis. Harris said, " I know I just need to show my faith by coming to church. I just need to do it." It gave us a perfect platform for us to extend the invitation.  

I know that the Lord works through his servants and I know that he works through the spirit. Neither one of these families came to church yesterday but I feel like the Lord has helped us to build upon these things and help them get back on the straight and narrow path. 

I've learned this week that what the Lord needs from us is a willing heart. He needs us to be open and ready for his council and his direction. It isn't always easy for us to change our will to his but it is always so much more worth our time. When we use our agency for good, we will be restored with good things in the life to come. That to me sounds so much more rewarding then anything else. 

I know that this church is true. I know that Jesus is our loving brother, savior and redeemer. I know that it is by him and through him that we obtain salvation. I love you all and hope that we have a fantastic week. 

Love Sister Mecham 

A Letter from Naches: Monday, August 12, 2013

Subject: Transfers :)

So we got our transfer calls and DUN DUNNA NA!!!....... I'll be staying here in Naches! And being receiving a new missionary. I will have to tell you all about her in my email next week. Sis. Zink is going down to Kennewick and serving with a sister that just finished her training. Naches is going to be a great place to bring this new Sister into. Full of love and lots of potential.

 

This week was a wonderful week for us! We were able to meet a lot of Less-Actives that we have been trying and dying to get into. When we visit these people it just breaks my heart. I just want them to get to church and to be there and feel the spirit!! Sis. Summa didn't come to church yesterday. We were on exchanges on Thursday and I was here with one of the Spanish Sisters. Hna. Alhstrom came with me to see Sis. Summa and we talked about keeping the Sabbath day holy. Hna. Alhstrom shared this analogy of an ice cream sundae and what we want to put on our ice cream sundae's and if we had ketchup and mustard out on the table would we want to put those things in our sundae? Of course no we don't but they are good every other day of the week on our hot dogs but just not on our sundae's but if we had caramel and hot fudge.. we want that on our sundae's! Caramel and hot fudge are like going to church and reading our scriptures and ketchup and mustard are like going to the grocery store and going fishing.. good things to do but just not on the Sabbath. I loved it!! I love exchanges for that reason! You learn something new and then you get to apply it to your teaching style. Amazing! I thought that Sis. Summa got the message but apparently, we need to go over a couple more times which is always good :)

 

We got to have a wonderful lesson with another Less-active and her name is Sis. Hager. Sis. Hager has some really life challenges and family things that if only the people in her house and life would listen to the gospel, things could be so much better. I loved being able to teach her this week! We talked about the Restoration and about the Atonement. We didn't plan to make such an emphasis on the Atonement but as we kept talking to her our lesson just moved to that. Definitely the Lord and not us. Each time I talk about the Atonement I learn something new each time. It is amazing  how the Atonement is tailored to each individual and how the Atonement in a broad way is the same for each person but when you really sink deep down into it, it is different and is used to help each person accomplish the tasks at hand. Our invitation to her is to pray and ask God to help her use the Atonement more fully in her life so she can feel healed and cleansed. It was a BEAUTIFUL lesson!

 

Well my dear family, those are just a couple of my highlights from this week. I love the Lord. I know that he lives and that he is our Savior and Redeemer. This is the true church and it is led by a man called of God. I love you all! Have a fantastic week!

 

Love Sis. Mecham :)