Letters from Kennewick: (The last month)

February 24, 2014:

Subject: "In short, He can't if you don't believe."

Hello there my dear family! We have had some really great things happen this week!

 

So this week in our area we were able to see some really great miracles with our investigators!! Each day I wake up and I am grateful for the people that I have to teach! I'm grateful for the way that they have affected my life and changed it. It is really the best thing in the world.

 

Ron and Rachel came to church yesterday! It was so amazing!! When we had our lesson with then Friday they started asking all these questions about the word of wisdom and we told them that we would answer their questions but that we were first going to talk about Joseph Smith and talk about the Priesthood. As we talked about it, they listened really well and the spirit was really strong. I love bearing testimony. I know that that is something that no one can ever take away from me. As we shared our testimonies of Joseph Smith and the Priesthood everything just fell right into place. They committed to come to church. It was such a great lesson! So Sunday comes and we get out of our meetings and go in for sacrament meeting and we can't see them anywhere. They were coming with their fellowshippers but they were nowhere to be found. We sat down and the meeting started. As we sat there I got more and more nervous that they had forgotten. Just when I had come to terms that they weren't there, I looked up and there they were sitting just ahead of us! They looked so different that I didn't recognize them! Hna. Gifford and I did a slight reverent happy dance. The first talk of the meeting was on obeying the commandments specifically the Word of Wisdom. It was all focused on how our bodies are given to us as a gift from God and that we need to respect our bodies by keeping them clean. It was so perfect!

 

After the meeting they came up to us and we asked how they liked it. Rachel just started to cry. She said that everything that was said is what she needed to hear. She said it was so different from what she had experienced before in going to church. She said it was so good!! Ron loved it too and said it was nice to have people that experience the same things you do everyday be able to share their testimonies and experiences of how they are able to make it through their trials. They loved that everything was on such a personal level! I just couldn't be happier!

 

I was thinking about why we bring our investigators to church and how important it is. I was sitting there thinking about why I get so nervous about having my investigators at church and something that just kept coming back to me was how we need to trust in the Lord and not in ourselves. The spirit is what makes the experience lasting, not by what we do or say. It's the spirit that touches their hearts and helps them to feel that it is true. I am so grateful for the role of the Holy Ghost!! If it weren't for the Holy Ghost, we really would be lost.

 

This area is looking up. I know that as we work harder and be more diligent everyday that better things will continue to come. I love that the Lord is willing to bless us as we follow and do our best.

We haven't been able to get in with some of our investigators because a lot of them are out of town. We did get to meet with Cheryl this week! She said that when we come she feels so good! Just before we come over she said she starts to feel warm inside and when we are there she feels it and then when we leave it stays with her.... I LOVE IT! The Holy Ghost is amazing!!

 

We have a return appt. with Stan and Kris tonight. They have been out of town and so this will be kind of like a catch up lesson with them. I just love them so much!

 

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

 

Love Sister Mecham

February 18, 2014:

Subject: "The BEST way to spread Valentines' cheer is sharing the GOSPEL for all the hear!"

Hi there my dear family!

 

We have seen a lot of miracles this week in this area! Miracles in lessons, with members and within myself. It all starts with our faith. I know that the Lord does work by our faith. He needs us to exercise that faith so that he can work mighty miracles! We were able to teach some investigators, Ron and Rachel, that haven't been taught for a long time. It was so great!! We taught them on Thursday, Friday and Sunday. We took them a church tour on Sunday and ya know family I was surprised that when we extended the invitation to come to church that they actually said yes! haha The church tour was off because there were 2 different groups practicing songs... one in the chapel and one in the primary room. Both rooms we needed but tender mercies of the Lord! It all ended up working out and we at least got the time that we wanted in the Chapel. We have a return appointment with them this week. I'm really excited!! I just love them!

We also got into see Cheryl this week. We had some great lessons!! We were able to teach her on Friday and Saturday. On Friday we talked a lot about the Book of Mormon. Cheryl told us that she has a hard time understanding a lot of things. She told us that is it going to be like teaching a kindergartner. I love it because it helps me to remember truly how simple it all is! What the Book of Mormon restores and why it is so important that we have it. At the next lesson, we brought a member with us. This member invited Cheryl to church and told her that she would pick her up and bring her to church the next day. IT WAS SO PERFECT! All we told her on the phone before the lesson was that we were going to invited Cheryl to church and if it would be possible if she could bring her. I was jumping for joy on the inside! It was probably one of the best member present lessons that I have ever been in. Cheryl ended up waking up late and not being able to make it but we are going back tonight with another Sister from the ward.

 

We had a great lesson with a less-active/ part-member family last night, the LaDow family. We talked to them about the Book of Mormon and how it has played a role in their lives. They pretty much told us that it really hasn't. Perfect! Now is the best time to let it!  :) We talked about how it helps us to gain peace and happiness in this life and eternal salvation in life to come. Brother LaDow said that he has been searching for peace for 30 years as he has turned away from the gospel. He said that he hasn't been able to find it. It was such a neat opportunity to bare testimony of how living the gospel and trusting in the Lord brings us that peace that we need to know that it will all be okay. It was so fantastic! I love being able to share my testimony! It helps me to love it even more and strengthen it each time. 

 

Well my dear family, I love you all so very much! I know that this is the work of the Lord. I know that He lives and loves us and leads us along the way. I know that it is through our Savior that we are made strong, even in our weakest moments. I love you all!! 

 

Love Sister Mecham 

February 10, 2014

Subject: Happy Monday!

Hello family!!
Hope you all have had a great week! Our week here was great! A little slow this week with lots of snow and bad weather haha. They ended up canceling church yesterday due to the snow. It was probably one of the weirdest days ever! I didn't know what to do with myself seeing as we had to have our cars parked too. Pres. Ware told us to make it a day of rest and worship and service. I'm glad it's behind us. haha We've got some great plans this week in working with the ward members and helping our investigators. It is going to be great!
We had a neat experience this week as we taught Cheryl. We were able to have a great lesson in Sister Cornia's home! Cheryl had questions about Joseph Smith so we talked to her about the apostasy and the restoration. After we talked about that Hna. Gifford asked what she desired. Cheryl stopped and said, " To be baptized." It was one of those moments where it was just peaceful. We talked about baptism and then we invited her to be baptized. She said yes! She thinks that she will be ready in like a year but I think as we are able to get with her on a regular bases her desire will grow and she will realize that she is ready.

We had another really great moment this week with one of our less-active/ part member families. We took a young women from one of the wards with us to visit her. It was so great! They young women was right there testifying and teaching with us. As we were leaving, the mom gave us a hug and said that she really needed that. We had invited her to church but then it was canceled so we will be going back and inviting her for this coming week.

Well my dear family, sorry it is so short today but I hope you all have a great week. I learned this week about how the Lord really does keep his promises to us and how important it is that we keep our commitments to him. I know that as we do that and trust in the Lord and believe in good things to come, we will see that the Lord is always right there beside us.
Alma 37:16-17
Love Sister Mecham

February 03, 2014:

Subject: Preachin' and teachin' the good word of God

Hello Family!!

 

Well transfers have come and gone and I just couldn't be more happy to have Hermana Gifford as my companion! Hermana Gifford is called Spanish but she will be here in Kennewick doing English work with me. :) She is just the best! She is from Logan Utah. She is the 3rd of 4 kids and has 3 brothers. We both can relate on the brothers thing :) She has been out just under a year.

 

This week has been great here in Rancho Reata and Cottonwood Springs! With transfers happening and what not, it has been a little slow but we have some really great plans for this week with some really great lessons! I'm really grateful for the members here in our area and their growing desire to work with us! We had a young women come up to us yesterday at church and ask us when she could come out with us this week! It was so great! She is coming on Wednesday with us to visit Colleen.

 

Kris and Stan are out of town right now but we are going to try them in the middle of the week. We want to set up a church tour with them! They were hesitant to come to church when we invited them last time we were there but they said they would love to come and do a church tour. There is no doubt in my mind that they will feel the spirit and see how it is different. I know I feel it each time I go. Amazing!!

 

We were able to find two new investigators this week and plan to invite some people to be baptized! We have been trying to find lots and lots and the Lord is blessings us by putting more people in our path. So the next step is to invite!

 

Carlos and Trisha are our two new investigators. Carlos was a referral from the Elders in Benton City. From what Carlos says, they've talked to him a lot. We had talked with his son Nate, last Sunday and set up a return appt. for the following Wednesday. Hermana Gifford and I went over that night and we were able to finally meet Carlos and his wife Trisha. We had a kind of scattered lesson with them but told them when we come back we'll talk more about the Book of Mormon and more about Joseph Smith. I'm excited to go back and see how they feel the spirit when we talk to them about it.

 

It is amazing to me each day how my love of the Book of Mormon grows. I love telling people about it!! I love being able to teach people about how they can come to know their savior better and how they can come to feel and know that he has a perfect plan for us. It really is just amazing!! I love the Book of Mormon so much and I feel how it has made a difference in my life. I really do love that I know that I can go to the Book of Mormon and receive direction and clarity in my everyday challenges. I know that it is true and I know it does bring us closer to God. I know it is his word. 

I love you all!! Have a great week!! I know that this is the fullness of the Gospel and that Christ is THE only way to make it back to our Father in Heaven.

 

Love,  Sister Mecham

January 27, 2014

Subject: Transfer Calls!

We got transfer calls and...... I'm staying here in Kennewick!! Sister Brand is leaving me though. She will be headed to Ephreta! I'll be getting Sister Gifford who is fantastic as well!! My first transfer here in Kennewick, we were in the same Zone. I just love her dearly!

 

This week I have felt the strength of the spirit with me! We had an amazing miracle this week! We were able to find two new investigators! We were on exchanges on Thursday with the sisters in Desert Hills. Sister Love was here with me. The night before we decided that one of our goals was that we were going to talk to everyone we saw. We were on our way to try a potential investigator and saw some people working on a house so we jumped out of the car and ran over and talked with him. He wasn't interested but we still had a great chat. We walked back to our car, got in and looked to find the address of our potential when a lady was walking to the mailbox. We got out and talked with her. Her name is Kris and turns out her granddaughter is serving a mission in New York! She told us that she wasn't really that interested because she had heard somethings about the church that she didn't agree with. We talked about Joseph Smith and the Book of Mormon and she still just said she wasn't all that interested but that we could come to her house for some hot chocolate and lunch. We talked a little more and said that we would love to come and have some hot chocolate! She lives with her boyfriend Stan who is so kind! We sat down with them and got to know them and it just naturally went into teaching more about the Book of Mormon and Joseph Smith. The spirit was so strong and you could see how hungry they are for the Gospel!! We invited them to read the Book of Mormon and pray about it. They both agreed. Kris kept insisting that she pay for the book! haha We made a return appointment with them to come back in a couple of days to see how it went. We brought a member from the ward, Sister Stapleton this time and it was perfect!! She did such a great job and asked some really great questions and gave some really great insight. As we followed up with them we found out that they had read the intro, the testimonies of all the witnesses and the chapter we left as well as the pamphlet. It was amazing!! Something that we are going to have to focus on with them is the feeling to know so that it can bless their lives. Really helping them see how this applies to them.

I've been studying this week about the Book of Mormon and something that I didn't realize that I wasn't doing is asking them to ponder it. Just as important as praying about it, we have to ponder it. Study it out in our minds and then ask. I know that is what I did to gain a testimony and have to continue to do to help my testimony grow stronger each day. As I've studied it more and more the spirit that comes with the Book of Mormon is so incredible! I love being able to testify to people that it really does bring me that peace and comfort each day.

Yesterday in Relief Society they talked all about being converted to the Gospel. The Kennewick Stake was picked to be one of the stakes that is incorporating the pilot program for the new adult youth program. It was the first Sunday of the new curriculum and it was amazing!! I love so much that it really isn't enough to have a testimony that the Gospel is true, we really have to be converted. Here is a little quote by Elder Bednar :) 

" Knowing by the power of the Holy Ghost that Jesus is the Christ is important and necessary. But earnestly coming unto Him and giving our whole souls as an offering requires much more than merely knowing. Conversion requires all of our heart, all of our might, and all of our mind and strength." How that is!! Conversion is action. It takes time.     

We had some great lessons with Ben this week! I need to search better on how we can best help him apply the Gospel to his life and his struggles. That I feel is our biggest hold up. He is going to do this all on his own time but there are somethings that he isn't letting the Atonement work on right now. I know that all I can do is pray, invite him and follow the spirit.

Well my dear family, I love you so very much! Have such a great week!! I know that the Lord is with us each step of the way. I know that through our faith in the Savior, all things are possible. 

Love Sister Mecham