A Letter from Vancouver: Monday, November 26, 2012

Subject: Through small and simple means...

Hello Mi Familia! 

Oh goodness what to say! This week has been a great week. Lots of things have happened over here in the great state of Washington! I growing and learning right along with our investigators and it is a great thing. The Lord really does prepare a way for his children to do the things that he has commanded of them. I have felt that this week in the lessons that we have taught and in my own personal missionary life.

 

This week we had a lot of people cancel on us and that is to be expected because of the Holiday but at the same time it was hard. But! Like I said the Lord prepares a way for his children to do his work. So even though we didn't get as many lessons taught as we would have liked, we saw a lot of people this week that needed to hear the message of Jesus Christ and all that he has given us. As we set up appointments we decided to share with people the Mormon Message Thanksgiving daily. It was so powerful! As Elder Oaks shares his testimony in that short clip, it helps you understand that true meaning of giving thanks to our Savior even in the hard times. That has been a testimony to me this week as we have met with different people and heard what is happening in their lives. How they can over come them and face them with strength and faith in our Savior for all the many blessings he has given us.

 

This week we also watch Legacy with Michael ( Erika's husband) and Erika. It was awesome! We were able to talk a lot about the priesthood and how women in the church still hold a special place even though we are not priesthood holders. It was amazing and so wonderful to talk with Michael about the priesthood and how it has shaped my life and how grateful I am for the worthy priesthood holders that I know. His understand was that women in the church were just meant to be stay at home moms and live as though she was less than her husband. Sister Brox and I quickly corrected him. haha Michael I know has the desire to know more. He is someone whether he wants to admit it or not that is search for something more than what he already has. LOVE IT!

 

Another awesome thing that happend this week was that Lucas ( Erika and Michael's) son said he wants to be baptized and we set a date for Dec. 8th! Lucas is awesome! It's just getting him to say more than 3 words at a time. hahah But we are so excited for him and the opportunity it is for him to set an awesome example for Sabrina and Michael. Pray for Lucas that he will continue with his plan and make and keep this sacred convenant.

 

Well I love you all!! I'm so very grateful for you and everything you do for me while I'm here! Love you much!! The church is true!!

 

Love Sister Mecham

Just a reminder!! 

Sister Mecham's address is:

Washington Kennewick Mission
8202 West Quinault Ave
Suite D
Kennewick, WA
99336-1017

I'm sure that she would LOVE to hear from all of you doing the holiday season. What better time to write a missionary?

Love, 

Sister Mecham's sister

A Letter from Vancouver: Monday, November 19, 2012

Subject: Come What May and Love It!

Hello my dear family and friends!! So this week as been a busy, humbling and exciting week. On Wednesday we had the opportunity to meet Elder Piper from the Seventy! He came and shared so much with us! He has so much knowledge and it was so wonderful to be able to kind of pick his brain and see what it is about missionary work that I'm not quite getting. He did a question and answer and super honest with us which I loved. He talked a lot about how we need to help our investigators come to the answer themselves. They ask us a question and we need to GUIDE them to the answer not flat out tell them the answer. That way in this process of conversion they can truly know for themselves if the gospel is true. I loved this! I thought it was absolutly perfect! Especially at this time in work that Sister Brox and I are doing. People have questions. The one way that they will be able to really truly say "I know this church is true" is exactly how Joseph Smith came to know which church was true. He studied diligently and prayed with a sincere heart and real intent. That's what our investigators need to be doing. What better way than to GUIDE them to the answer.

 

The bad news for this week is this... Our Skaugstad family dropped us. Sister Brox and I went over on Thursday for our lesson and we sit down and Sister Skaugstad said that they had been thinking out all of this and that it is not the right time for them. Gosh darn that adversary! He knows how to get people. But at the same time I truly think that although they were seeking truth, they weren't quite ready for this. They are such wonderful people and I love them so very much but I know that the Lord has a plan for them. One day they will be baptized. They are looking at other religions but they said themselves that there is not another church that will have the same values and beliefs that we do that they have come to know and love. As for now, Sister Brox and I just simply pray.

 

On a happier note! We have a part member family that is so stinkin awesome! Erika ( the mom) is a member and has been for just about a year now. She has two kids, Sabrina and Lucas who have been taking the lessons for sometimes now and truly are on their way to the waters of baptism. Micheal ( the dad) is not a member and well... Lets just say... He will be. hahah He is so stinkin solid! He doesn't believe in God.. yet. After all that has happened, with Erika being baptized and his kids taking the lessons Micheal finally said he wanted to learn more "just so he knows what it is his kids are getting themselves into" So we taught him last night and pray with all our hearts that his heart with change.

 

One other cool thing about this week and about Wednesday and meeting Elder Piper is that I got to meet with him personally. At the end of the meeting President Greer got up and said that Elder Piper had chosen some missionaries that he wanted to meet with and could only meet with 10.... Pres. Greer said my name and I think I might have almost wet myself. I was so nervous and excited and everything! But it was so wonderful! He truly is a man of God! He told me to put in my letter home to thank my parents from him, for raising me and for supporting me here on my mission. So thank you Mom and Dad. I am so very grateful for the love and support that you and everyone else has shown me as I have been out here on my mission. I feel it and I am eternally grateful. Words can't describe how it feels when I'm having a bad day and I remember the loving family and friends that are supporting me back home. Love you all! Happy Thanksgiving! This is my favorite time of year. We have so much to be grateful for! I am grateful for my Savior. The love He has shown and giving to me. For loving me so much that He took upon him my sins and afflictions. For giving me the opportunity to be able to live with my Father in Heaven again. I love this gospel. I know it's true and I'm grateful to have this chance and opportunity to be a representative and disciple of him.

 

Love you all!!

Sister Mecham

A Letter from Vancouver: Monday, November 12, 2012

Subject: 4 people my dear friends

Oh my goodness.... This week. Hahah. Lets just say that it was an awesome week! Sister Brox and I had a rough start to the week. All of our appointments and our back-ups fell through and we serious almost broke down and started to cry. But what good would that have done? So Monday and Tuesday were like that. But then the golden day of Wednesday came around. We had an appointment with our investigator family, the Skaugstads and it was on obedience, follow the Prophet, and the Word of Wisdom. Word of wisdom was something they have been wondering about and had some issues with but nothing the Lord couldn't handle! So after we got them to kind of understand and commit to try their very hardest to live the commandment Sister Brox says the magic line..." Will you follow the example of Jesus Christ by being baptized by someone holding the priesthood authority of God?".... My heart stopped. The Spirit was SOO strong you could have touched it. What do you think they said?......

 

YESSSSSS! Oh my! I started to cry! haha Sister Brox and I had prayed together and individually about a date for them to be baptized and both came up with Dec. 1st. The Lord answers prayers my dear friends because when Sister Brox asked if they would prepare themselves to be baptized on that day Brother and Sister Skaugstad started to cry and answered YES. Their daughter Hannah is so excited to be baptized with them on Dec. 1st. Man, this was an absolutley powerful lesson. We go back tonight to teach them about continuing in prayer and scripture study.

 

Monday and Tuesday were trials of our Faith and Wednesday was a blessing and answer to prayers. Sister Brox tells me that it doesn't always happen like this haha. We met with this guy named Perry. He lives with his grandma who is a member and has taken the lessons before but suddenly up and left but is now back and wants to be baptized. We put him on date for Dec. 1st aswell.. Keep him in your prayers. Pray that he will have the true desire to make and keep this sacred convenant and that he understand what it means.

 

I love you all! Thank you for your prayers. Sister Brox and I feel them! I know this church is true, It bring such happiness and comfort to my life as I live it. And as I watch others strive to live it aswell. Love you!

 

Sister Mecham

A Letter from Vancouver: Monday, November 05, 2012

Subject: Oh hey there, Vancouver!

Family! 

Alright so here I am. I'm in Vancouver and it was my wish to be sent here! I was so happy to know that this was my first area. It rains almost all day and is cloudy all the time. Never thought that I would say that I missed the Utah sunshine but sometimes I do. I looked out the window the other morning and I could have cried when I saw just a little bit of a blue sky! But really truly and honestly it is not bad at all. I love it here :)

Well my compainon is Sister Brox and she is from Oklahoma. She is the youngest of 4 kids. Her favorite color is purple and she is a power house! She has been such an awesome trainer in helping me get to know the area and the Investigators and helping me feel confident in my teaching. She is the best!

We have so many people that we are seeing right now! We cover two wards and we have got some awesome people that help us carry out the work of the Lord. We have a couple of investigators that are getting close to baptism. Darn that agency! Satan works so hard on them! We have Sabrina and Lucas. Sabrina and Lucas are brother and sister. ( Sabrina: 14 and Lucas: 17) Their mom Erika was baptized about a year ago and is such an awesome influence and such a power house when it comes to the Gospel. With Sabrina and Lucas, we just have to push through somethings but man are they ready to take upon them the name of our Savior.

The Skaugstads are a darling family. Brother Skaugstad was searching for a religion and happened about the Church and just showed up to church one Sunday. They are so solid in the Gospel! They have a daughter named Hannah who is 10 and so we are also working with her to get her baptized. They have an amazing testimony of Tithing and everything. We just got get them to enter the waters of baptism! They will. I just know it :)

We were tracting last Thursday and tracted into a wonderful lady named Laura. She was raised catholic and doesn't really attend the catholic church anymore. She has got two absolutley beautiful children and they are just so darling! Her daughter Gillian was the one that set up the appointment for us to come back! hahah So cute. When we came back yesterday for our appointment, we heard Tray ( her son) running to the door screaming "They're here! They're here!" So darling. I could just eat him up. The lesson went so great! The BIG news..... I invited her to be baptized!!!! WHAT?! I know! I did!! I wasn't too sure about it but then Sister Brox kicked me under the table and told me to do it. haha So I did. Laura wasn't too sure about it but we got to the roote as to what is holding her back and with the help of the Lord, I think we can push through it.

Well dear family, I love this Gospel. I'm so grateful for the opportunity I have to be a representative of my Savior Jesus Christ and the opportunity I have to be helping his children enter into a convenant with him. This Gospel is true. I know it. With all my heart. Love you all!!

Sister Mecham