you guys! guess what? I'm being transferred!

I can't believe it. I thought for sure I'd stick around to direct the sector. I'm going to a sector called San Pablo in La Union. I'm so excited!! Hna Steele served in La Union, but a different sector. She loved it, she has a convert there, hopefully I get to meet him. My new companion's name is Hermana Davis. Don't know anything else about her but I'm so excited to get to know her!

I'm also sad to leave little Colòn! I've seriously had the best experience here. I've fallen in love with this place and these people. I've grown and learned so much, it's crazy! I'm especial grateful for my companion Hermana Steele. I LOVE YOU SO MUCH HNA STEELE. She's become one of my dearest friends. Not just because we have so much in common and the same sense of humor but because of the experiences I've had with her. We've had some pretty tough days and some pretty awesome days. And I can honestly say that every one of those days she taught me something. She has an incredible love for ANYONE we talk to.

Well this week we set a goal as a district to personally write down 10 strengths and weaknesses then focus on one of our weaknesses to turn it into a strength. Well I'm not gonna share my list with y'all but it was really interesting to actually write them out. This morning I read in 2 Nephi 4, Nephi's psalm. Nephi kinda has this break down and recognizes all of his weaknesses and sins. It's so interesting though because instead of getting upset at himself or giving up, he glorifies in his Savior. I know the Lord really does give us weaknesses to make us strong (Ether 12:27). And not strong on our own, but strong in Him, our Redeemer. 

I'm so grateful that the Lord is so patient. I'm so grateful for the gospel in my life. I'm so grateful so all of you in my life! Especially my family, you guys seriously are the best. 

con MUCHISIMO amor

hermana Meacham

reactivation, retention, and baptising

i hate starting my emails. it's like "hey so yeah i'm just gonna start writing about what happened now i guess". how do you small talk in email?

i think everyone was out of town this week. stinkin summer vacations. Soo we taught a lot of inactives. Surprise! I love it though. President is always taking about how an even amount of our efforts should go to reactivation, retention, and baptising. I love that. 

Yesterday in church Hna. steele and i did a musical number with a girl from a family that's starting to come back to church. We sang "i believe in christ" in a really pretty arrangement. the first two verses were in spanish and the last in english. Her english is amazing. She wants to come to utah to go to byu and i totes wanna room with her. she's tan linda! (so cute) We're giving them the lessons to help prepare their youngest daughter for baptism. I love their little family.

yesterday we taught this guy the restoration. I could be wrong but i don't think he understood. He kept calling us prophets. Then he went on a rant about the dreams he's had. Nada que ver (nothing to do) man. it's so interesting to teach all these people with all these different ideas. i always just wanna ask "hey ever heard of the grand apostasy?"

We also started teaching a lady named "I". We met her my first week in the field but didnt know where she lived. We saw her the other day and both recognized her. She has some problems with her leg and her vision so we taught her part of the plan of salvacion and invited her to be baptised. She hasn't accepted but she said she'll pray. It's just a testimony to me that the Lord puts people in your path that need His message. And if your tonta (silly) the first time and dont get their address He'll give you another chance. 

Transfers are in a week and a half! nervous but super excited.

I'm seeing miracles and learning so much everyday. Love you all!! 

Hna Meacham

wut erp

ummm well not much new to tell, it was a reallllly slow week. one of our investigators was out of town, one had visitors and one fell of the face of the earth. you can cry for us if you want.

i just hope it won't stunt their progress. we're praying really hard and trying new ways to help the people we are teaching while looking for new people.

The mission is challenging in every single way. As soon as you think you're getting the hang of it you get a curve ball. I have grown so much but I can see there's still a lot of growth ahead of me. I'm excited. 

I started the Book of Mormon in Spanish this year and it's challenging but so fun! it's so interesting to read in another language. It's such a testimony builder for me of it's truth! Anyway, so I get to study the experiences of Nephi EVERYDAY. Nephi is probably one of the neatest people that have ever lived. If you need an example of faith, diligence, obedience, or almost any other Christlike attribute go ahead and flip to 1 Nephi. This week I studied in 1 Nephi 17, sooo cool. I'll just give it to you in nutshell real quick. 

So Nephi and his family are in the desert right, for EIGHT YEARS! walking all day and eating raw meat, and their wives even have children in the desert. So finally they get to this land of abundance with fruit and water and abundance. They set up camp and I'm sure are just livin' the life. Then just days later Nephi is talking to the Lord in the mountains and the Lord says build a ship and sail out into the unknown waters.... uhh haha for realzies? I would probably pretend I didn't hear Him and go back down the mountain to eat some fruit. but Nephi says "Where should I go to find material to start?". He didn't ask where they were going, why, or cry. In the end of the chapter he testifies to his brothers that if the Lord commanded him to turn water into stone he could do it.

 I know sometimes the things in our lives seem nearly impossible to do or overcome and it would just be a lot easier to forget all the Lord has asked for us. But all things are possible WITH OUR SAVIOR. 

There are some nights we come home and I think "there's no way I'm getting up to do this all over again" but I remember my Savior and pray for His guidance and help and every morning I get back up to do His work. Because of Him. I'm so grateful for the Book of Mormon and this opportunity I have to share it with others everyday.

thanks for everything. 

love you all

hna meacham

with her companion Hermana Steele

(Mom here)...I'm assuming this is the volcano...

"tiene que aprovechar!"

Well we had a week full of sun. Jelly? I even got a little burnt. It makes a little easier to get out and work but at the same time NOBODY'S home. They're all at the beach, which is like 100 yards from our house. The walk home from the chapel is along the coast and we see all these people and I just wanna yell "Go home so we can teach you. The gospel's way cooler than the beach!" It's a good thing summer is only like 3 weeks here. Every single person says "Tiene que aprovechar! (must take advantage!) cause tomorrow it could rain"
 So true, today we had a rain storm.

We had a conference with Presidente Obeso this Tuesday. It was INCREDIBLE. I love President Obeso and his wife. Seriously. I learned so much and just got so pumped to work. We talked so much about the members and how we should be working with them. He gave an example of 

two trucks stuck in the snow, they both start spinning their wheels trying to get out, exhorting tons of energy and don't get anywhere. Until the second decides to use chains, he immediately gets on his way while the other is still spinning in the snow. As a missionary the work is tough and takes a lot of energy but if we wont get anywhere if we're not using the members (chains).

Well you all know we've been trying to work to strengthen the ward and we really had been working so hard but we weren't using them the way we should in the work. We changed our mind set and started setting lots of lessons with members. And guess what? 

We're getting somewhere!!!

You know how we were also having a hard time finding new people to teach? We seriously were trying so many different ways to find people and we didn't seem to have much success but with a little patience and help from the members we have a few people that are starting to progress and we're so excited!! 

I always heard that the Lord has prepared people for us to teach and figured maybe I just wasn't doing my part cause I wasn't seeing that. But we knocked the door of a girl named F and taught her the restoration right there, and she actually wanted to understand what we were saying! She said she doesn't believe in one true church but agreed to pray about Joseph Smith. When we went back (with a member!) she said she had prayed every single day to know if Joseph Smith was a prophet! And that she feels really good!! That never happens! We've only had a few lessons with her and she hasn't accepted baptism yet but I know the Lord really has prepared her to hear this message! We're so excited for her! Keep her in your prayers.

The mission is soo hard. 

I've never been so challenged in my life. But what I'm learning is incredible. These people are changing my life. "Tiene que aprovechar" (must take advantage) of the hard times cause they're what make the good times so good.

Thanks for your prayers and your love.

keep spreading gospel light

hna meacham

p.s. i love Spanish. I can totally understand josh groban now.