It's been a loooong week. 
To make a long story short my companion and I definitely had some challenges thrown at us. But we're just like "get thee hence satan". 

The deets:

- We're been trying REALLY hard to get the members excited about the work. We're picking a few families and a few individuals every week to visit and help them be excited to share the gospel. We'd start with a scripture, usually tim.4:12 about being an example of the believers, then we'd show them a typical practice we do in the mornings to prepare to share the gospel then they'd do a practice after. The families really loved it and really got into it. It was so cute to see them share the gospel so simply and even cooler to feel the spirit as they testified of the simple truths. We don't need a fancy testimony to make a difference. We were able to get a few references from them as well! You guys, give the missionaries references.

- Last email i talked about M, the lady we found that accepted a date for baptism. Well, sad news, we haven't found her since. She wasn't home for our next appointment and we've been almost everyday since and she's never home. So we're back to zero with a baptismal date.

- We've been working super hard with this SUPER SUPER LINDA less active family. I love them with my whole heart!! but i just want to shake them! We're praying so hard to figure out what we should be sharing with them to help them and everytime we go it seems to go so perfect and they're all pumped to go to church and then... they're not there. Any ideas? We're running out. On the other hand there's a less active family that has been coming to church everyweek since before Christmas! They're incredible!! The youngest daughter turned 8 but they don't think she's ready for baptism so we'll start teaching her.

- Every time I think we're hitting a turning point with our investigators they fall again. It's frustrating! I'm starting to understand just a fraction of what I think Heaven Father might feel with all of His children. As a missionary is SO easy to see the difference the gospel and living the principles makes in peoples lives. I'm grateful God has patience with us. It's something I've definitely had to learn here. 

So yeah, the missions tough. and this week's been tough, but I can't even explain to you the love I've also felt this week. I know as we do our best the Lord blesses us. and even when we don't do our best the Lord says "it's okay, we'll try again tomorrow". I'm so grateful for the examples I have in my life. I think of the people in my life and it helps me to keep going and try and little hard with a smile. 

1 Nephi 3-4. READ IT.  I love Nephi. We really can do anything that's asked of us. But we have to look forward with faith. My friend send me this talk (shout out to Anziano Atwood for all the mail he sends me #youdabomb), it's called "Remember Lot's Wife" By Elder Holland. READ IT. It's not faith if we're looking back. We have to trust in the Lord that the Lord has great things in store for us and the best is not behind us.

Fun facts:

- My companion is the cutest. We have too much fun. 

- I have 44 flea bites. yay. 

- I have the strangest dreams

- I met the cutest little boy that is literally Asher's twin, but with black hair.

Love you all

Hermana Meacham

Last week I said I wished you could all just come  in my shoes for a minute to experience what I'm experiencing. I started thinking about what it is you really would see and experience. 

You'd probably notice the millions of wild flowers and roses that grow everywhere, all the stray cats and dogs (no doubt get a few flea bite (that itch like crazy) and maybe even a dog bite), you'd probably get rained on, eat meat, and hear music coming from the church Evongelica. But most importantly I'd hope you'd see the people and the hand of God in their lives. 

Lately I've really been trying to focus on the people here as Children of God. My sweet sister missionary, Sister H in Alabama, said something along the lines that we should remember that Christ suffered for every person! It makes it a lot harder to pass someone by or give up on them. 

...Speaking of giving up, C and G still aren't progressing like we'd like them too. They're not willing to open their mind to the Book of Mormon or the Restoration (which is like the main message we have to share to the world). We found a few new people this week that I really think could progress! We set an appointment with a lot of them for Saturday and we were going to be so busy and we were so excited! annndd... they all fell through, every appointment for that day. Except one, with two in active girls, I and S, that were baptized 3 years ago. We went and began to teach the restoration, like we always do, day after day. But as we read James 1:5 and the experience of Joseph Smith the spirit really hit S and she began to cry. She explained that she had lost that testimony she once had and had begun to have some doubt but that hearing this lesson again reminded her of what she once knew. Of course, you all know me, I began to bawl with her. Through tears we bore testimony that she could once again have a witness of these things to be true and the promise in James 1:5 applies to us for the rest of our lives. They both said they would pray to recieve that witness again and we promised we would too. I realized that day the power of the message of the restoration of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. It's incredible! And we have a promise from God that we can receive a witness of it's truth EVERY TIME WE PRAY. We just have to ask. 

Well we also found a lady outside and she invited us into her house, we tried to teach the Restoration but she didn't understand all that well (and she kept laughing at my Spanish and trying to give us tea and cake, so that was distracting) But she wants to do the will of God so she accepted a date to be baptized! We hoping for P and V (a new investigator who is the girlfriend of an inactive) to both accept a date this week too! 

Things are going well and I really am so happy to be doing the work of the world. Love you all so much! you're all in my prayers! and thank you for all your emails and letters! 

p.s. today we went to Saltos de Petrohue. it was beautiful! also I'm staying here in puerto varas with Hermana steele! we're so happy and excited to continue to see the work of the Lord move forward here.

Hermana Meacham

Seguir Adelante!

¿que pasa?

everytime i email i think my brain turns off cause suddenly i can never what happened that week! I wish i could just show you all everything, let you borrow my eyes for a second and get a glimpse at Chile. 

This week we had a goal as a district to get the members more involved in the work and show our trust in them to be missionaries too. One day we went to an appointment with our investigators, C and G, with a really sweet Hermana in the ward. We were excited to watch "the restoration" with them and have this member share her testimony. Unfortunately our investigators aren't ready to accept our message yet... They believe in the Bible and the Bible only. It's hard to see people reject a book from God full of truth that simple shows His love for us. But after we said "esta bien, seguimos adelante! (ok, go ahead!) We'll find contact someone that will accept this message". 

So we began the next day knocking doors, looking for new investigators. But the only two people who would listen were one man (still recovering from his new years party i think) and a priest, who persisted to tell us we didn't know anything about the bible or Jesus Christ. Rough day. But the next day we set out with our hopes still high. We taught a lady the plan of salvacion that has been inactive for YEARS, and she thought we were crazy when we said we are literal spirit children of God and who lived with Him before this earth.

It's tough to go day in and day out with people telling you that you're wrong. But it makes it easier when I think of my Savior, who was rejected everyday, yet no one would call Him a failure. If I do my part with all of my heart and a smile the Lord is pleased. I know I'm making the difference the Lord has asked me to make. 

We really can make such a difference in the lives around us, whether we recognize it or not. We just have to seguir adelante! (go ahead)

Love you all! 
thanks for your prays! 
and read the Book of Mormon!

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