Sorry no time today!!! Perfect obedience, right?!

Yo he aprendido mucho este semana! Bueno, cada día en la mission estoy aprendiendo! 

Martes teníamos intercambios con las hermanas lideres. Fue muy diferente estar sin Hermana Steele y tener que guiar Hermana Baker en nuestros planes pero fue super bien! Yo aprende mucho de Hermana Baker ese dia. 

 google translate I learned a lot this week! Well, every day in the mission I'm learning ! Tuesday we had exchanges with leaders sisters. It was very different being without Sister Steele and Sister Baker have to guide our plans but it was super good! I learn a lot from Sister Baker that day

I recognized the importance of planning and following those plans to insure no time is wasted. Hermana Baker works with an urgency that I really admire. She is doing an amazing job as Hermana leader! I was intimidated at first, but she helped me recognize my strengths as well as things i can do to serve with todo mi corazon, alma, mente y fuerza! 

google translate... all my heart , soul, mind and strength

It was hard for me to think I could be called on to train a new missionary. And though I still have many things to learn and many weaknesses, I've learned to focus on the strength I do receive and can receive through my Savior. I want to be worthy and able to whatever is asked of me.

I'm becoming more comfortable talking to people in lessons and on the streets. I'm grateful that my companion pushes me to be better everyday. 

We don't have very many people to teach at the time. We really trying hard to do more contacts, knock more doors and teach to find and find to teach!

I'm so grateful for the things I'm learning here on my mission about the world, myself, but mostly of my Savior!

Hermana Meacham

CHRISTMAS DAY SKYPE!!!!

OUR VERY SPECIAL CHRISTMAS PRESENT!

SUCH A GREAT TIME SKYPING THIS CUTIE PIE WITH HER SWEET COMPANION SISTER STEELE! PAIGE LOOKED SO HAPPY AND HAS A GLOW LIKE NONE OTHER! WE MISS AND LOVE HER AND HAD A GREAT TIME TALKING TO HER! 

Feliz Navidad!

Can't believe it's DECEMBER 22. where does time go?

This week had both ends of the spectrum of missionary work. 

L and A (the couple we've been teaching, he's inactive, she not a member). Well we couldn't get a hold of them for a while, then when we finally did it was awesome and they even asked for their own commitments to read in the book of Mormon AND set up their on appointment to tour the church. Everything seemed to be going great and we made plans to re invite her to be baptized. Well they had been wanting to move and L was looking for a new job but we didn't realize it might happen any day. About a week ago we went to their house for an appointment and they weren't there. We called with no answer, so we went again the next day. Their neighbor came out and told us that they had come to gather their stuff that day and moved. I wanted to cry. They still haven't answered our calls and we don't know how they're doing but we're still praying for them. 

I now realize the time I have with these people is so precious and I don't want to waste anytime. I hope the faith we helped them find is sufficient enough for them to continue to seek for the truth.

But when God closes a door he opens another right? so We have an investigator named P. The Hermana's before us began teaching her but we couldn't get a hold of her for the whole time I've been here! But this week we finally were able to set an appointment and she was actually home! I was a great lesson and though she said she still wasn't ready for baptism she said she'd think about coming to the Relief Society activity with us on Saturday. Which is awesome because she really has a hard time getting out of her comfort zone and has never come to church. We called her on Saturday before the activity to see if she would come with us and she said she wasn't feeling up to it. Luckily my companion is genius and remembered a quote we read that morning in our study by Elder Holland that says we need to be devastated when our investigators don't meet their commitments because this is their salvation! So she didn't hide the fact that she was upset as they finished their conversation. 2 minutes later P called back and said she changed her mind! The activity went so well and the Hermanas in the ward really befriended her.

 

It's seriously such a privilege to see these changes in people's lives and the way the gospel truly does bring a light we can't find any other way.

 I'm so grateful for this season and spirit of Christ it holds. I know my Savior lives. I love what it says in "the Living Christ", that his life "neither began in Bethlehem nor concluded on Calvary". We can celebrate the life of Christ like everyday is Christmas. We can shine the light of Christ when we demonstrate charity, His pure love, in all we do.

love you all

merry christmas!

xoxo

hermana meacham

Christmas card!

ADORABLE HERMANA'S

Sister Steele y (and)

Sister Meacham

on the back she writes...

I can't believe Christmas is already here! It's warm here so I keep thinking I just left home and Christmas will be here in a few months...nada que ver. It's definitely different to have Christmas here in the mission, but all the same, Christ is the center and I get to testify of Him everyday! It's hard sometimes to be away from you all but I know I can live with you forever because of my Savior.  This is what I want the people here to have! I'm so grateful for each one of you in my life, this family was not randomly selected- that's for sure.  Hug each other for me okay? YEAH! Miss you, love you, praying for you always. 

Can't wait to talk to you! 

MERRY CHRISTMAS!

Hermana Paige Meacham

the Living Christ and His gospel

Everyone:

i keep waiting for the week where i'll have more email time so i can catch you all up and write an actual, really good email. but here i am again with 5 minutes left. So just remember to study the life of the Savior. i've been reading a lot in 3 Nephi lately about the birth of the savior and then His coming. I know as we study His life and His teachings we can come to not just appreciate the Christmas season but come to know Christ and acquire His attributes.

Love you all! 

praying for you all!

part of my letter to pres you can read:

This week has been great! I really loved being able to come and listen to the doctor speak to us. I love that he focused on the fact that we're all weak because we're human, but that's why we have the atonement. The grace of Christ really is sufficient to make up for all that we're not. This week I've really been trying to trust in God and rely on His grace. I seem to always forget that I can't serve this mission on my own and I don't have to! I'm a representative of Christ so I should learn to lean on Him and do things in His way and His timing. 

The first 12 weeks has really helped me. This week it has lead me to make some new goals for myself. I'm learning to trust in the spirit and, most importantly, act on the spirit. If I can learn to not let anything keep me from sharing the gospel I'll not only invite other to come unto Christ but myself as well. 

Our investigators are doing well. We've just recently made some progress with our investigator and her pareja who is in-active. They're now very willing and excited to read. We just had a tour with ella in the capilla and she really loved it! They were out of town this week and it looks like they might move. We're trying to help them to come to church so if they do move they can still feel comfortable attending in a new ward. 

We're also made some plan to "baptize, retain, and reactivate". I think it will help us to focus and the people we should be visiting. I'm very grateful for my companion and her excitment to make new goals and always improve. 

I'm so grateful to be a missionary this time of year and share the message of the living Christ and His gospel.

some personal notes

HI MOM! sorry we didn't write yesterday, it was kinda like some labor day i guess so nothing was open. 

i got my packages today!!! all three!! thank you so much for the treats and decor and gifts. I love it!!! we're excited to hang up the tinsel and things and LISTEN TO CHRISTMAS MUSIC. that ipod is packed. thx. 

thank you for your always uplifing words! you help remind me of who i am and what i have to offer to people. im so grateful for that.

we're not allowed to leave our house on christmas or christmas eve unless we have appointments because its so dangerous. so we'll just set a bunch of citas with the members! i hope. but we have a christmas dinner as a zone in like 10 days where i'll have my first interview with President Obeso. eek, im a little nervous, i hope he understands my spanish. haha

i love that to think of the blessings from the temple as water overflowing. Im trying to have more of a vision of temple here in the work. Its easier for me to relate the blessings of the gospel/convenants to the temple. I think of the way i felt in the temple when i recieved my endowments and try to express that when i talk to people about baptism. Temple is the goal for all these people anyway right?! i miss the temple. but i know im still recieve the blessings of the temple even though i cant go like id like to. Im keeping my covenants and helping others to make covenants too!

love you so much mom! keep being the mom, friend, neighbor, sister etc. i know you are! id like to think we'd be bffs even if you weren't my mom. Good luck with the christmas party!

love paige

Thanks for the email dad! sorry we couldnt write yesterday. it was some kind of holiday like labor day so nothing was open. 

yeah the church is a pretty good size! we have about 80 people attending church on average each week. there's one more ward that meets there too with 4 elders. The area really is pretty and nice too. some of the houses we`ve been in definitely gave me major culture shock when we first got here... it's crazy, most of our work is in Colol but we have a couple random sections (mirador and el faro) that are further away and they're like the states. especially el faro they have like 3 story houses with 1-3 cars and full kitchens its just sooo crazy the difference in peoples lives that live maybe 2 minutes away. theres not many people that listen to us in el faro though. 

weve been visiting this family a lot that less active, the parents are divorced and their youngest daughter hasnt been baptized but cause their waiting for her dad to be worthy of the priesthood again. She'll be nine in march and he's not doing anything to change. It just made me think of how gratful i am for you and your always worthiness to hold the preisthood for our family. i know our family will never be withheld from those priesthood blessings. THANK YOU!!

love you so much daddy!

a letter to her mission Pres.

This week was the fastest week of my life! I'm starting to wish every night that we could have a couple more hours in the day to visit just a couple more people or study just a little longer. I'm just glad I get day after day to work again. I'm beginning to really adjust, and feel a lot better day to day. I'm starting to recognize my strengths and that I really can add to the lessons. I really grateful that my trainer has pushed me to keep up with things even though it's been hard at times. She has taught me a lot and really has desires to make a difference. 

We`re still working a lot with the ward leaders to strengthen the ward and I think we'll begin to see results. We've starting teaching a new couple and they're willing to learn more and more. I have high hopes for them. We`ve set some baptism goals for them and will invite them our next visit. I want to do all I can to insure that they'll recognize the spirit and the blessing of this gospel. The other couple we're teaching are progressing slowly but we're trying really hard to work with members and finding ways to help them feel comfortable attending church. We have a young girl committed to baptism but we're still trying to help her gain her own testimony. Her parents aren't active so we'll be trying to met with her parents too. 

This area is tough sometimes and it's easy to feel like I haven't made much of a difference here but the scriptures and Preach my Gospel remind me that I am called of the Lord and that if i serve with all my heart the Lord will make up for the rest.

¡HOLA DAD!

great to hear from you! Yeah the whole timing thing is way weird. Everyday seems forever long for sure and the weeks really do go by so fast! but then again sometime it feels opposite. today is my first day of my second transfer in the field! i cant believe it. its weird that its starting to get warm because its makes it feel like time kinda stopped, i keep waiting for the snow to come and it never does haha. Thanksgiving was just another day, usually we eat with the member for lunch but our appointment fell through so my comp and i made lunch at home, it was kind of our cute little thanksgiving. we also justified ourselves in stopping at a mini market to buy cake cause it was thanksgiving. the cake was kind of terrible though. we`re definitely busy on sundays too! i cant imagine christmas in tiawan, weird...

i dont know my exact address but we live on the corner of las lumas and Puente in a "cabaña" in the backyard of a little white house. the chapel is on Imperial. Our area goes from the coast up to the street Colòn then we have a section in Mirador too. All these streets are in puerto varas. hope you can find some it!

LOVE YOU DADDY!

p.s. i wish i could go to the temple soooo bad!!

note from Mom, 

we think we found them...

the church on Imperial 

Paige lives behind this house in what she calls a "cabana"

Just a note

HI mommy! Yeah I've definitely felt the beatings of "I'm not good enough". When people don't respond how you want them to to this message it`s hard not to reflect on yourself and list of things you didn't do right. I have to remind myself and we bring the message "unto the hearts of men" not into! If they`re ready to accept the gospel they'll accept it regardless of my terrible Spanish because the spirit is the ultimate teacher!

Daddy, hahaha I just picturing you sleeping in your missionary lessons with your eyes open haha, that hasn't happened to me yet but I'm struggling to stay awake during personal study and in my morning and night prayers too. My companion as sores on her knees from praying, I think I'll get them too. Osorno isn't too big, not even quite has big as Salt Lake I'd say. We travel by collectivos and public buses. I'm getting really used to the area now, its feeling more like home. I'ts soooo beautiful here. I'm jealous you have snow! I want a white christmas sooo bad! A and L are progressing, slowly, but surely! the last lesson we had we watched the restoration video and A said "I'm just like Joseph Smith! I'm searching for the right church too" and "I didn't really have a desire to learn from you guys before to be honest but now I really do want to continue meeting and learning for myself" they still want to take there time but we`re teaching them again tonight and re-inviting her to baptism. 
So say a little prayer in your heart for us! yeah C is hard to teach, when we met with him he doesn't quite let us lead a discussion, he get off topic really easy but he loves to met with us so not really sure where he'll go. Spanish is still hard for me but I can see how everyday I'm getting better. Yesterday my companion did a part of my training where we talked about the struggles we have in common in my training now and her training a year ago, it helped me realize that everybody struggle with the language at first and I will learn eventually!

love you dad!

WUT UP?

wut up. 

This week. so good. so crazy. so hard. all the above.

AND I'M LOVING IT. 

on Martes we only worked a half day, we left at about 530 to go to Puerto Mont. We had to stay there for the night so we could be on time for the devotional with Elder Nelson the next day. We stayed with another set of sisters and went on splits with them for a couple hours. It was really great!! It made me excited (and a little nervous) for future transfers and all the things I`ll learn in those times. the next morning we woke up a 430 in the morning to head to Osorno! It was such a beautiful devotional! We all were able to shake hands with him and his wife before they began (i wonder if he recognized me or my name...). Both Elder and Sister Nelson talked about how to make the most of our mission. They talked about how we need to use every moment wise so we don't look back and think "I could have done more!" and how the people we`re teaching here are like our babies and we need to "follow up with commitments" for the rest of their lives. 

When we got home later that day we opened the door to find the floor soaking wet! I guess the power had gone out and our fridge was melting haha. Also our toilet struggles so we`ve had to have a bunch of people come in to figure it out. ohhhh la lucha. 

This week we met with L and A again; L said he wants A to take her time so she can know this stuff for herself and not do things out of obligation. We assured them this is what we and the Lord wanted to and went over Moroni`s promise again but I don't think they'll be willing to come to church anytime soon. They will definitely be a slower process but I still have faith in them! 

We also met with C, he is super hard to figure out. He works a lot so when he meets with us he wants to use that time to eat as well so we met at a little cafè in our sector (owned by someone from Washington!). He has lots to say about random things so it`s hard to stay on topic but he loves to met with us so yet another investigator progressing slowly but I have faith in him as well! 

We`ve been doing a lot of reactivation work, this ward struggles a little bit. But they are the most wonderful people in the world! 

We watched finding faith in Christ with a sister and her daughter who`s about 6. Afterward we talked about how she could live with her mom forever and you should have seen the light in her eyes, oh my heavens, it was beautiful. She said the pray and thanked Heavenly Father that she could live together forever with her mom. 

I also had my first full day of intercambios with the hermana training leaders! It was a lot of fun. I love to obverse every ones different teaching styles.

Love you all and thank you for all your support! 

praying for everyone back home. 

xoxxo paz y bendiciones

hermana meacham

This week went fast!!!!

This week went so fast, but none the less it was a great week! my companion and I are working hard. We made goals this week to do better with our street contacting so we made a goal to talk to 120 people (the standard of excellence in 70). We figured we could each talk to ten people a day. well... we didn't reach our goal, BUT it helped us realize we can and we should be talking to everyone. When we make plans for our days and present them to the Lord, He then can take those plans and allows things to happen so they become the plans He would have us do. For example, if we say we`re going to teach B at 4 o'clock, He then can help place someone in that path that needs to hear the message of Christ. And maybe we won't even end up teaching B but it happened how the Lord would have it happen, as long as we`re listening to the spirit and do all we can. 

One lady we contacted in the street really needed us. Her husband had died two months ago, she was out of work and hungry. She said she would rather take her life. We were able to give her something to eat and teach her about Gods plan for us. We invited her to attend church with us and we got her address. We`ve tried since to find her but haven`t had any luck. The addresses are so messed up here and often people don't even know their own addresses. I really hope to find her again but I do know the Lord brought her in our direction the first time and we`ll be able to find her again if it`s His will. She helped me to recognize how I should be working out here. The first couple weeks were hard for me with a new language, new places and people and I was maybe feeling bad for myself until we talked to her. My reason for being out here became clear again. I`m so grateful for the Lords plans for us and the people he places in our lives.

So we have a new investigator! His name is C. A couple weeks before I arrived in Chile my companion found his number on a sticky note in the apt. For about a month the sister missionaries have been trying to set up an appointment with him and he sounded genuinely interested on the phone. We met at a members house. HE TALKED SO MUCH. I couldn't catch everything he was saying but I could tell how much he knew about our church already and religion in general! He said missionaries had passed by his house a few months ago and he had turned them away but he couldn't forget that they had said "we have a message that can help you". Since then he`s wanted to learn more. We gave him the restoration pamphlet, a Book of Mormon, and the talk by Elder Bednar addressed to non-members. He said he was willing to read in all three! He has been so prepared by the Lord to hear this message! I'm so greatful for those first missionaries that spoke to him, and even though it might have seemed like an unsuccessful contact for them they left an impression on him to want to learn more. An elder in my district said on average converts are hear about the church 6 times before they finally accept to hear the message. This has built my confidence in all those we talk to, that every contact is a successful one. And even if C or any other of our investigators choose not to accept the message now at least they`re one step closer.

What else is new:

On friday I had my first zone conference! It was great. Our district sang the theme song for the youth this year "Come unto Christ". It was so pretty. One of the elders translated it into Spanish and a bunch of us took turns singing solos, one girl sang in Portuguese and I sang my part in English. It was really fun. I totally butchered the lyrics in my part but its cool 'cause most of the people there don't even speak English. hahaha. 

ALSO um guess who is coming to speak to us?! ELDER NELSON! We so psyched. He`ll be speaking in ENGLISH. yeeee.

I have to give a talk in two weeks. eek. 

side note: I think I might as well change my name to Barbie. 

READ YOUR SCRIPTURES, THEY´RE BEAUTIFUL. 

love you all 

xoxo Hermana Meacham

Bonus info: (we, the family, love these sweet words, thought the reader would too)
HI MOMMY

So great to hear from you!

So good to hear about 

Weston! he looks so happy! Sad I missed it but I really do think my time will fly here so I'm not to upset about it. I`m gonna soak up my time here. Glad to her grandad came to church!! I want to hear Weston's talk! I MISS YOU GUYS. Sometimes I'm like, uh i wanna go to cafe rio with mom or watch doctor Phil with Mal SO BAD. But then i tell myself. hey guess what, you can't but you can in a year and a half and in the mean time you get to have the BEST FREAKING TIME OF YOUR LIFE AND HELP OTHERS TO HAVE ETERNAL LIFE. then its all good, still hard, but good.

HI DADDY!

great to hear from you. Sound like you guys really had a great week! I love hearing about everything from you. and I love hearing about your experiences on your mission. I can telll your learned a lot from your mission and you really appreciate it.

Sound like Westons talk was awesome! Hug weston for me. The work is good and i can tell my Spanish is getting better. Just more refined, i can understand a lot better though its still difficult. most people say it takes them about 6 months before they feel fluent. most of our work is between 5 and 9. The rain hasn't been terrible! Though my umbrella always turns inside out in the wind. 

Thinking about you all everyday. Thank you so much for your example of hard work dad. Thank you so much for all you do for me and your support. Miss you! 

xoxox

RAINY BUT BEAUTIFUL!

¡HOLA! 

Everything's been great here! We`re working really hard everyday. It`s still pretty cold here and yes it`s raining almost every single day! That`s the price you pay for the beauty here though I guess! 

The work is slowing down for us though, which stinks. One of our investigators, M, had a baptism date for November 22 but she dropped us. She first said in was because her dad didn't want to her be baptized in every church but then she said in all honesty she didn't know if she really wanted to. We`re still trying to make contact with her everyday but she`s not really willing to talk to us anymore. Like I said in my last email our other investigators either can't be baptized or are progressing really slowly. We`re trying to talk to lots of people in the streets but none are receptive so it`s hard to continue. It`s hard to jump into an area that`s not having much success but I know if I keep doing all I can with faith in Christ, He`ll bless me with the things to say to help bring others to the Gospel of Christ. My companion and I do have a glimmer of hope though! We got a reference from the Elders of an inactive and his girlfriend who isn't a member: L and A. We taught them and L remembered a lot about the church! He said he wants to start coming back to church and he wants A to be able to learn more. A is super receptive! She grew up Evongelica but never quite understood her pastors and didn't like that they didn't live what they taught. She totally understood that there's a prophet in the earth today! We really have a lot of hope for them. We`re planning for them to have a Family Home Evening with a family in the ward, Family F. This family is awesome. G F, the mom, has been a member for just 2 years but she's soooo willing and excited to work with us! She always asking about our investigators and the inactives in the ward and giving activity suggestions to do as a ward. YOU GUYS. BE MEMBER MISSIONARIES! They really do help bring forth the work of the Lord more than you could imagine! We also have another great member missionary in the ward. He`s only 17 but he`s so excited to share his testimony with others. He wrote his testimony in a Book of Mormon and asked us to give it to an investigator; we gave it to A and L. I hope they cherish it!

I`m getting to know the area a lot better and I`m understanding a lot more Spanish! Not enough to add much to the conversation but at least I can tell whether they`re talking about the gospel or making fun of my red boots! Hahaha. The members really are great. One less active family is starting to come back to church! They`ve been through a lot this past year and finally sought to come closer to God. The wife works on Sundays so she's not coming to church but the other day we read in the scriptures with them and you could tell they really were just soaking it up and really believed they were the words of God. Their kids are so cute too! 

Thanks for you prayers and support out here!

XOXO

¡paz y bendiciones! 

Hermana Meacham

Bonus info: 
 I'm starting to get use to the routine! our hours are a little different than all the other missions. we wake up at 7 and go to bed a 11. don't know why. we start personal study at 8 and companion study at 9 then language at 11 until lunch then another 30 of additional study then work until 930! we currently don't have anyone with date. Our numbers aren't doing too well. I'm starting to understand better. I wish it could come quicker! but i just need to remind myself to be patient with myself and trust the lord. The Spanish is a little different. i don't know what it is, it just sounds a little different.

Hola! I'm in Chile!!!

¡HOLA! I`m in CHILE!! it`s crazy right?

The first few days were a struggle, seeing that I don't speak the language here, unless you ask me about Jo.Smith, then we`re good. 

The mission presidency seems great! They all very loving and excited about the work. My companions name is Hermana S, she`s been out a little over a year and she`s great! She very hard working, her Spanish is awesome and she has such a great relationship with the member here. I think that`s what`s been hard for me, I want more then anything to have a relationship with the people in the ward and our investigators but I cant keep up with their Spanish!! They talk incredibly fast. 

I figured a way to explain it. It`s like when your in class and your not paying attention until the teacher calls on you to explain a concept. Everyone`s staring at you, you`re head starts spinning as you try to find information filed away in your brain and you try to read every ones faces for some sort of inclination of what the answer would be. It`s so frustrating! Everyday I have to remind myself, the Lord called me to speak Spanish, therefore 

I CAN DO THIS!!! 

The people are so endearing; the member are incredible and so loving. Everyday we eat lunch with at a member`s house and they feed us soooo much! We always start with soup or salad, then the main course then something sweet like flan or fruit. The food is really good, THE BREAD. Everyone says careful with the bread cause you'll gain weight like crazy because of the bread. Super rico. They feed us a lot of eggs like egg drop soup or a fried egg on top of our meat and a lot of corn too. One member family has a little market on the side of their house and we get fresh fruit, veggies, nuts etc. for free. Can you believe that? We`re seriously spoiled. AND it`s so beautiful! we`re right by the lake and you can see volcano Osorno from our house.

 Right next to the lake is the business area, then more up on the hill is our area. The houses are really humble and little, they don`t have much but they`re always willing to give too. The roads are mostly gravel oh and the dogs! Perros everywhere! Probably more than the people, but for real (and they not all that cute. did you just hear that from me? yeah, you did).

So our investigators are doing good! I getting to know them, slowing but surely. We have one girl with fecha por bautismal! Her name is M and she`s super cute. Our other investigators are progressing a little slower; a couple won't be baptized anytime soon because their parents wont allow them. ): But we`re doing a lot of street contacting. This week we found a few people that were super receptive! it was so exciting! One is a couple with a little baby. We`ll teach him again this weekend and invite him to be baptized. Another was a guy in a section called Mirador, a little further from home, we totally forgot to get his name! But we`ll be back to bring our brother to the fold, don't worry. Another was a little store owner, C. Just about everyone here is Catholic or Evangelico so they always say "I`m already baptised". Yay for the priesthood though am I right?

Thank you to those that email though! I don't have much time to write so I`m so sorry if I don't write back but I promise they mean the world to me!! And thank you for your prayers. Love you all so much. 

Remember, read the book of Mormon and hug your family. 

oh also pray for my sweet brother coming home this next week!!!

xoxo

Hermana Meacham

SHE'S ARRIVED!!!

Dear Family of Sister Meacham,

We are pleased to inform that your daughter has arrived safe and sound and smiling to the Chile Osorno Mission.  It was a pleasure for us to greet your daughter upon her arrival and feel her desire to serve.  Enclosed is a picture that we took with her shortly after her arrival.  After a short period of orientation regarding mission procedures, customs of the country, etc., we assigned Sister Meacham to work with Sister Steele as her companion.  Your daughter's address during her time in the mission will be:

                                     Sister Paige Meacham

                        Casilla 7-0

                        Osorno, Chile

Sister Obeso and I love our missionaries and are truly happy to have the opportunity to work with Sister Meacham.  We appreciate your willingness to share her with us as she works as a missionary and ambassador for the Lord in Chile.  Sharing the gospel with these deserving children of our Father in Heaven will certainly bring great joy and satisfaction to her, and to you as well.  Thank you so much for helping her get to this point.

Please write her regularly–at least once a week.  Your love, interest, and support will be of great help to her.  Should there be any emergency or if you desire information regarding any urgent situation, please feel free to contact the Missionary Department in Salt Lake City rather than go to the expense of phoning the mission here in Chile. 

The missionary work is progressing rapidly here in southern Chile, and I hope that you will share in her exciting mission experience as Sister Meacham writes to you weekly and keeps you informed of her challenges and achievements and experiences.

Sincerely,

President Rodrigo Obeso

Chile Osorno Mission

T-MINUS TWO DAYS

Que pasa?! 

T-minus two day til my departure 

to the most wonderful 

place in the world!!! 

COMO?? It can't be real. This week has definitely had it's fair share of up's and down's. Like today we started packing...AH! 

And our favorite phrase for the next few days will be "the last____".

 It varies from the happiest of things to the worst.

We had our "last" lesson with Alejandro (Hermano V). Last week He warned us that we were going to have to give a very specific lesson on the ley de castidad and that he would make it very difficult. So Wednesday we knock on his door with our chastity pamphlets ready and of course there was no need. The lesson kicked off in to a direction much unexpected. The whole time we had been teaching him he was very receptive and usually kept his commitments, so you can imagine the look on my face when he said he didn't understand why our church had so many rules and why it should be important in his life. We reminded him the the commandment are of God and are to help us draw closer to His spirit so we can live with him again. He asked the saddest question ever "then why do I not feel like I'm receiving blessings?". My brain was a wreck trying to remind him of the spirit he's felt and the happiness his family has had since he began teaching the lessons. We bore witness with person experiences. He said thank you and that was that. He were so worried that maybe we had lost him. THEN we went to lunch that day and saw our other teacher. He said he had just talked to Hermano V and shared that our lesson today was so beautiful! You never know what your word can do until you act upon them! (Even if it´s a circus in your brain as you share). 

The beloved Hermano V. I cried like a baby leaving this human today.  He has changed my life in SO many ways and has literally been the best teacher I've ever had in my entire existence. (He might have had a difficult time getting dressed this morning, but we love him still)

Today we also had a beautiful departing talk today, my companion and I. He asked how our experience has been here in the CCM and I spewed Spanish phrases through my sobs. He complimented our Spanish and our teaching skills and shared how Alejandro (his investigator persona) is his brother in law for realzies!!! I died. It's like we were legit teaching an investigator in a round about way. I've never had such an incredible teacher before. 

The happiest of all soul to ever live. p.s. HE'S ENGAGED!!
guess that's what happens when you go to Utah for Conference #blessings

Hmo P is silliest of all,
and I'm so grateful for all I've learned from him.
(It's impossible for cute Hma F. to be anything but cute. <3 her.) Far too much gozo en mi alma hoy. <3

We also said goodbye to our other teachers Hermano P and Hermano S and I once again let the tears fall as we shared hand hugs and sang "Hasta ver" as we parted ways. I can't wait to see these people in Heaven and fully express (in true Spanish) the examples they are to me and the impact they've had on my life.

This picture is the definition of our days with S-Bot.
SO MUCH LOVE!

THE Hermano S. who practically saved my life in the CCM. I WILL BE A "PREACH MY GOSPEL MISSIONARY" IF IT KILLS ME because of this dude. 
This is our beyonce "flawless" pic, idk.
Call it what you want. <3

OKAY so today was way weird right with it's up and downs and tears and packing and what not, and I was not feeling like the bomb. BUT Neil A. Anderson came to talk to us today and IT WAS TOTES THE WORD OF GOD. It was EXACTLY what I needed and so piercing to my soul. He talked of Christ and how He is central and it is necessary for us to USE the Atonement in order to KNOW the Atonement so we can TEACH the Atonement. It´s kind of like and obvious principle but it helped me make this connection in my head that my investigators and I are searching for the same thing: to come unto Christ. I'm still learning more of this gospel everyday, I am Christ´s investigator. With Christ I can become the person God would have me be, it's possible and it's happening. So quit doubting, be patient and work hard, cause the Lord needs me and the Chileans need me to become that person. 

The scriptures are beautiful, life is beautiful, Christ is beautiful. 
And PLEASE pray for me on Monday and Tuesday cuzzzzz IDK what will even happen. AHHH!

XOXOX

Hermana Meacham

p.s. let´s count how many times I can use the word beautiful shall we? Geezz.

All of the lovely humans I was blessed to encounter in a classroom setting here. Members of el distrito + our teachers. <3 (Also cute CCM gold statue dude, fitting right in)

Eating contraband tacos because #yoCCMo #youonlyCCMonce
(BTW they were easily the best thing I ever ate and street tacos are wonderful and my stomach's feeling iffy today but it's all worth it.)

BONUS INFO...

HERMANA MEACHAM called us briefly from the airport in Mexico, we only talked for 3 minutes. We asked her to share her testimony in Spanish! We recorded just a bit! Sounds pretty good to us after only 6 weeks in the CCM!!!