November 26, 2013

Dear Family,

Here is what I wrote to President Eaton this week:

Dear President,

The Lord is blessing us greatly. As I have been praying for myself, Sister Margaritis, and all the missionaries having to make changes this transfer, I have been filled with peace. It is so humbling to see how I have changed when facing a new challenge. I know I will have many struggles as a trainer, but I have been able to feel peace about the changes that are happening and the responsibilities I am being given, only because of prayers, those I have said and those said by others for me. I am truly sad to let go of Glacier Park, but I feel confident in knowing that the Lord has a greater plan for what I and my new companion need to do. For Sister Margaritis, I know leaving Lake Wilderness is one of the most difficult things she will have to do on her mission, but I know she will do wonderfully in her next area. Even if she can't see it now, I am seeing how the Lord has blessed her to deal with this. She has grown in a lot of ways.

There are so many potential opportunities to share the gospel in Glacier Park. I am excited for what new missionaries can do for that area. I am confident that you and your family inspired people in that ward and that good things are to come. And although I am not thrilled about covering a new area, I am grateful to be able to grow and learn. And having to rely on the Lord so much is almost freeing. I am excited to learn and grow.

We were able to meet with Alyssa this past week. After a month of praying that she would contact us in some way, since she had been ignoring us for a while, she did! We met with her, and she said she just felt like she needed to meet with us again. We hope that this time around she will have a desire to keep her commitments.

I know this email is getting long, so I will end it by saying thank you, as always. Thank you for new opportunities. I'm sure I will have many moments of desperation, but I guess those moments end up in the most growth, right? Have a great week, President!

Sister Mecate

So in greater explanation, Sister Margaritis is being transferred. I am staying and giving up Glacier Park, but I will now keep Lake Wilderness and also take over Rock Creek ward, which is another ward that meets at our building. I have been called as a trainer. I will meet my new companion in about 5 hours! She is probably just arriving at the mission home after a long morning of travel. I will miss Sister Margaritis. We have been a good companionship. She has been in this area for almost 9 months, so leaving is hard! But I know she will do great in her next area. This transfer will be one of great growth for both of us. I'm training-Aah! But like I told President Eaton, the Lord has blessed me with peace. I am excited for this new opportunity to grow. I am one that likes to take the back seat sometimes. Being the leader is going to put me out of my comfort zone, but I know it will be great. If I only learn one thing from my mission, it may just be that I am learning to put my trust in the Lord more than ever before. Obviously I'm learning so much more, but with faith being at the core of missionary work, it's changing me! Isaiah 42:16 reads, "And I will bring the blind by a way they knew not; I will lead them in paths that they have not known: I will make darkness light before them, and crooked things straight. These things will I do unto them, and not forsake them." Isaiah 41:10-"Fear thou not; for I am with thee: be not dismayed; for I am thy God: I will strengthen thee; yea, I will help thee; yea I will uphold thee with the right hand of my righteousness." I truly believe in the truths told in these scriptures. Of course, sometimes in the moment we lose faith-I do all the time! But reflecting upon the experiences that I have already been blessed with and putting my faith forward now has brought me great peace. Prayer is wonderful, amazing, powerful. As we pray specifically and with faith, we see miracles.

This morning I read 3 Nephi 26 in the Book of Mormon. I read it once and thought it fine, but I received no personal revelation which I felt prompted to write. Then, I reread it with a specific question in mind, one that has been given to us as a talk topic-"How can I teach with power?" What I found the second time around was that the Spirit pointed out many things to me which I then felt prompted to write in my journal. So many times I have been taught to study the scriptures, not just read them. Sometimes I don't think about what that actually means. This experience helped me realize the power behind that principle! The scriptures come alive as we study with specific topics and questions in mind. And the Book of Mormon has the power to answer all the important questions of life. In it, we learn about who we are, what will make us happy, where we are going, how we can find true peace, and what God expects of us. I testify that it is true. If there are any who are looking for more in their life, I know that the Book of Mormon has it! it contains a fulness of truth!

Sister Walton in our ward made us Christmas presents and gave them to us early since Sister Margaritis is leaving. She made us matching pajama pants! The fleece is a sister missionary design. So cute! I will have to send you a picture. Sister Walton is one of the coolest people I have met on my mission. I just love her. Also, I will have to send you a picture of the Hinton's. Brother Hinton is the Lake Wilderness ward mission leader. I just love his kids! I can't stand how cute they are! They are just a precious family.

Something that I thought very profound was what Elder Basilius said to Sister Margaritis when she asked what advice he had for her about being transferred. He said "Thank God with all your heart, might, mind, and strength that He has let you stay as long as He has." When trials come upon us, some of our greatest strength can come from thanking the Lord for the many blessings that we do have. I thought this very appropriate and inspiring for this time of year, but also for our whole lives!

I love you all so much. Have a most fantastic Thanksgiving! One thing that I am thankful for are those who have passed on and who help us from the other side of the veil. I know God send angels to lift us up when we need it! The gospel is so great! I am also so grateful for eternal families! And many more things. I love you!

Sister Mecate

November 18, 2013

Dear Family,

I am loving the new Bible videos the church has put out. They portray Christ and His apostles in a way no other videos have yet, I think. My favorite so far may be "Jesus Declares: I Am the Light of the World, the Truth Shall Make You Free." Jesus declares that He is God. I do believe, and I testify, that Jesus is the Christ, that He is the Son of God, and that He has the power to do all things, even forgive our greatest sins, and our smallest shortcomings. Please watch the video! It will change your day! http://www.lds.org/bible-videos/videos/jesus-declares-i-am-the-light-of-the-world-the-truth-shall-make-you-free?lang=eng

Some great things are happening here. We are finding people to teach in both wards. Our teaching pool may be small, but we see miracles daily. We have been able to see Lachelle and to teach her about the Restoration, about prayer, about the hope that the Savior gives us because of His sacrifice. She wants the peace and the joy. She is nervous and unsure, like we all are sometimes, but once she grabs a hold of the gospel, I don't think there will be any turning back. She is one of the best people I have met.

This week I had a moment of doubt about the Restoration. But everyone has those once in a while, a trial of their faith. I was thinking about what our friend, Cheryl, has said about our beliefs. She used to be a member but is not anymore. It wasn't really that I had doubts about the Restoration as much as it was a struggle to understand why Cheryl cannot see the truth. The next day in church, the Relief Society lesson was on the kingdom of God coming forth in the latter days. It was an answer to my prayers. God is so aware of us and loves us. The hastening of the work that has been emphasized in the last year, and for the last couple centuries, is real and it's true. Sometimes people won't accept the gospel for whatever reason, but God's hand is in this work, and the kingdom is being built up. We won't have answers to every question, doubt, or concern we have in this life. But we are promised that the Spirit will testify to us of truth. We will feel in our hearts what is right. "But the fruit of the spirit is love, joy, peace, longsuffering, gentleness, goodness, faith,

Meekness, temperance:" Galatians 5;22-23. The things that follow this trend are the things that we should hold fast to in our lives. This is what we should be implementing in our relationships and in our personal character. The message of the Restoration is one of love. The Book of Mormon brings us peace. And the restored Gospel of Jesus Christ leads us to be gentle, good, meek, and to have faith. There are so many other blessings that I have had in my life because of the restored gospel. I invite you to reflect on the blessings you have received from the restored gospel. There will be many! Something that I have had a strong testimony of, for my entire life it seems, is that of eternal families. I know that through the priesthood power and the covenants made in the temple, families can be together forever. We will see again the loved ones we lose. I know this like I know my name is Danielle Kristen Mecate and I like ketchup!  Elder Uchtdorf says, "Doubt your doubt before you doubt your faith." The gospel is good. And it's true, I promise!

In sacrament yesterday, Brother Hinton, our ward mission leader, spoke about missioanry work. He began by telling a story about how he loves this treat called scotcharoos-peanut butter, butterscoth chips, rice crispies, and chocolate. He realized that his kids had never had them before. He was so excited for them to try them. Then his son Gordon said he did not want to try them and he wanted an otter-pop instead. Brother Hinton was devastated. Why didn't Gordon want to try this treat that was so good and would make him happy? . But, Brother Hinton said he persisted with Gordon, until finally Gordon tried them and he loved them, but it did take a lot of effort and persistence. Sometimes we try to share the gospel, and people don't want it, even though we know it will make them so happy. They don't know that yet. But if we persist, following the Spirit, one day they may accept it and find out how happy it will make them. I wish you all could meet the Hinton family. I love them. Many laughs on my mission have been instigated by the authenticity of the Hinton family.

I hope you all are able to have a peaceful, happy week. I am blessed to only have to focus on others right now, and not the hustle and bustle of life. It can be so hard, but I know the small things like scripture study, prayer, and church are great blessings and really allow Christ to be in our lives. Love you! Have a great week!

Love,

Sister Mecate

November 12, 2013

Dear family,

Yesterday was a great and beautiful day. Since it was Veteran's Day, we took P-day on Tuesday instead, so the library would be open for emailing. We didn't find out until Sunday night that we weren't having P-day on Monday, so we were a bit disappointed, but it turned out to be a great blessing. The sun was out yesterday, and there was a slight breeze. We were able to spend much of the day outside proselyting rather than sitting in the library emailing or at the store grocery shopping. The weather first reminded me of San Diego, and then later in the day it felt like a brisk fall day in Utah. I found myself longing to be in these places that I consider home, and I recognized the odd weather (for Washington, at least) as a tender mercy from the Lord. It reminded me that I need to take more time to realize how blessed I am and to have an attitude of gratitude in my heart. It was a beautiful day to share the gospel!

This week we had a wonderful lesson with Maureen. She is truly an easy person to love. She is honest, sincere, and kind. She lives above the lake and has a beautiful view right outside her glass sliding doors onto her patio. She told us about the eagles that lived in the trees for years, and how a huge wind storm ruined their nest. Her concern for the eagles' well-being endeared me to her as a fellow nature lover right away. Maureen is also really busy with training for a new job. But she is making the time to meet with us, because she has a desire to learn about the gospel. She has already read a good chunk of the Book of Mormon and has questions about Nephi, the tribes of Israel, and all sorts of things. She has Native American blood in her, and the story of the Book of Mormon intrigues her in relation to her ancestry. She also told us about some personal trials she has had concerning the Plan of Salvation. We, along with Sister Hartmann, our fellowship, were able to bare our testimonies of the Plan of Salvation, and how God has prepared a way for each of His children to return to Him, whether it be those who died as infants, or those who died as adults, without participating in the gospel. After this lesson, she eagerly planned a time for us to come back and teach her more. We invited her to continue reading the Book of Mormon and to pray and ask God if it's true. I have faith that Maureen's heart is in the right place and that she will soon discover the truth for herself. I really just love her!

I really enjoy being over two wards. Because both areas are small compared to others, I don't feel like we are too busy or anything. There is a lot of potential in both areas. Right now it kind of feels like we are on the edge of success, and we just need to keep working hard to get that little push from the Lord so that we can really see progress with people. This week we were able to help Anna and her daughters move apartments. Anna is the lady who showed up at church a couple of months ago. We weren't really able to get a hold of her or teach her anything since then, because she was always so busy or preoccupied.She called us one day to see if we could help her move. It was a long process for their family. They had a lot of stuff, and just one van to move it. We helped them a couple of different times, and they just could not hide the exhaustion on their faces. I truly feel that this opportunity to serve them is a blessing for them and for us. We hope that now they will be open and willing to let us teach them, so that they can receive the blessings of the restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ. I know the opportunity will arise soon. The Lord is working His magic.

We had zone conference this week, and boy, was it a good one! President Eaton's focus was on creating a culture of faith in our mission, in our meetings, and in our companionships. It was definitely something I needed. I struggle from day to day to have the faith to see miracles. I feel so blessed to have such an inspired family as the Eaton's to lead and guide us as a mission. One of the scriptures that President Eaton's daughter shared (she just got back from her mission in Italy) is Ether 12:4. I have really been liking this scripture lately. "Wherefore, whoso believeth in God might with surety hope for a better world, yea, even a place at the right hand of God, which hope cometh of faith, maketh an anchor to the souls of men, which would make them sure and steadfast, always abounding in good works, being led to glorify God." When we stop to think about things through God's perspective, everything seems so clear. As long as we have faith in Him, the storms of the world, and the "darts of the adversary" take the backseat, and we can live in a world of hope. There is so much that we can apply to ourselves and our relationship with God in this scripture. That night after we returned home from zone conference, we had two very faith filled experiences. We had a great lesson with Jim and Laura about the restoration. It was the most productive lesson we have had in their home yet! It took faith for us to buckle down and teach those bold doctrines with them. Then we went to visit Lachelle at the laundromat. She ended up not being there, but her son, Derrick, was waiting in the parking lot in his car to close up. We have never really talked with Derrick much, because it just seems like he wouldn't be interested. But Sister Margaritis had faith. She pulled up next to him and we talked to him through our car windows. He has a lot of trials in life, especially for someone who is only 20. By the end of the night we had gotten out of our cars and we said a prayer with him after he told us he doesn't really have a belief about God. After the prayer, we saw his countenance change, and he seemed so grateful to us for talking with him and saying that prayer. Some days, I just don't have so much faith. Other days, I am blessed with more faith than usual. I have seen God's power in this work, and I am so grateful that He truly is in control.

My favorite scripture this week is D&C 33:8-10. "Open your mouths and they shall be filled, and you shall become even as Nephi of old, who journeyed from Jerusalem in the wilderness.

Yea, open your mouths and spare not, and you shall be laden with sheaves upon your backs, for lo, I am with you.

Yea, open your mouths and they shall be filled, saying: Repent, repent, and prepare ye the way of the Lord, and make his paths straight; for the kingdom of heaven is at hand;"

The Lord is promising that if we open our mouths to share the gospel, they will be filled with what to say. When we are acting in the service of God, He will provide. Satan does not want us to open our mouths to share things that will bless or uplift others. I find that when I have doubts, but then I don't listen to them, I am blessed and others are blessed. But, when I do listen to my doubts, everyone is missing out on great opportunities. Don't listen to Satan. As President Spencer W. Kimball (and Nike) said, Just "Do it."

Have a great week! You are all so wonderful. I love looking through my family photo album, even though I've seen each picture quite a few times by now. I love you!

Love,

Sister Mecate

November 4, 2013

Dear Family,

It has been a most fantastic week. Little miracles keep me going! Being a missionary is hard and difficult, yes. But the Lord is so good to us, all of His children. Being a part of this work is such a blessing! First, I will tell you, we got to have dinner with the Seely's yesterday! It made me so happy! We caught up on what's been going on in the Valley for the last eight years. We had some great laughs and conversation. They are such an amazing family. The lasagna Sister Seely made was delicious, too. They showed me the play kitchen and dollhouse that they used to play with when I would babysit. It was so wonderful to see how grown up they all are! The friendships we make in the Church truly last for eternity, no matter how long it's been since you've seen people.

We had a tracting miracle this week. It was dark out, and we were lacking in faith. Sister Margaritis prayed that we would have a miracle before we went out. It's something we have been trying to improve in our prayers. The first few doors were not encouraging at all. In fact open guy just shut the door while we were still talking and trying to have a conversation. On the third or fourth house a truck pulled up just as we were walking to the door. We hate those awkward situations. So, we just waited while he got out of his truck and put his dog inside. We thought he was just going to go inside and not talk to us, but then he came back and asked what we were up to. We quickly steered the conversation to the restoration. This man, Rob, was humble and curious about the message we were sharing. We could tell the Spirit touched his heart as we talked to him about the restoration of Jesus Christ's true church. He is looking for something to bring relief to his life. We also found out as we talked with him that he grew up in Rowland Heights! I excitedly explained that my Grandma lives there and that my dad grew up there! He said he went to Nogalas High School. I can't remember which one you went to, Dad. And when he went to pronounce my name, he said Mecate the way you say it-correctly! So of course in my head I was thinking maybe he met you years ago and remembered the name, but that's just me being imaginative. Anyways, we gave him a book of Mormon and testified of the peace it has brought us and to our families. By the end of our conversation he said, "Looks Like I've got some reading to do." No other words could have made us happier, except for maybe, "I need to be baptized." We were so excited that he was open to hear the message we had to share. We know this can bless his life and his family and whatever trials they are going through. The lord truly is preparing people everywhere to here about the restoration of the gospel and church of Jesus Christ.

We found out on Halloween night that the less-active family we are teaching, the Streight's have been reading the Book of Mormon! We were thrilled to hear that! I think I underestimate how powerful the Book of Mormon can be in our lives. It is such a blessing! To see that people we are teaching and who we care about are reading it is one of the greatest joys on a mission! I wish everyone could realize the importance and power of the Book of Mormon. It carries such a special spirit with it. It has a converting power and a spiritually healing power. I have recently been reading in 3 Nephi. A lot happens in those first few chapters. One theme that sticks out to me as a missionary is that true repentance leads us to baptism, or for those who have already been baptized, it leads us to the sacrament. Making that covenant with God is a result of the joy we feel as we repent. The righteous were really being tried and persecuted, but they still found joy in their Savior. They had to have so much faith. This was the time right before the Savior appeared to them in the America's. They had never seen Him. They had no proof that He was real. But they followed the teachings
of the prophet, Nephi, and they were spiritually protected. They found joy amidst darkness. We are promised the same joy in these latter days. We have no "proof" or evidence that Jesus is real, but we have the Spirit of God to testify of Him in our hearts! As we follow the teachings of the prophet, Thomas S. Monson, and as we immerse ourselves in the scriptures, we can find peace and happiness amidst the darkness of the world. Jesus Christ lives and He loves us!

We had a great fast and testimony meeting this Sunday. One boy related how making a cake is like sharing the gospel. He knew his mom and brother would not want to take the time to make a cake, so he did it without asking, knowing that they would enjoy it. Sharing the gospel is kind of like that. People don't know what they are missing out, so they don't want to take the time to hear about it. So we just try to share it! I really liked his analogy. He's such a cute little kid. Many other wonderful testimonies were shared.

I love you all! Have a great week! I don't want to hear about anyone ending up in the hospital from stress, so try to take a break once in a while, like a P-day! ;)

Love,

Sister Mecate

October 28, 2013

Dear Family,

This has truly been a wonderful week. Last Tuesday we went tracting around 3 o'clock. normally we would tract around 5. The first door we knocked on, a lady named Maurine answered. She has a brother who became Mormon, she doesn't currently have a church to go to, and she was very interested in learning about the prophet. It was one of the best doorstep experiences I have had yet! We are going back to teach her more about the restoration tomorrow. Within that same hour, we visited a family in the ward to tell them about Maurine. What we didn't know was that they just had a tragic death in the family. We were able to pray with the two daughters that were home. Knowing that we were in the right area at the right time, doing what the Lord would have us do was such a blessing to me. I am so grateful for those moments where it is so clear that the Lord is aware of me and Sister Margaritis.

This transfer is going by too fast already! We are almost positive it is our last transfer together. But it has been fruitful so far! I am learning a lot about patience in the Lord's timing. Not yet having a baptism has been weighing heavily on my mind. Of course, I am not here just to "baptize" people. I am here to bring them closer to Christ. But I often can't help wondering if I really am doing something horribly wrong. I kind of feel like I am failing the people in this area. But I have to remember, I don't understand everything. The Lord has a greater plan than I can come up with. All of my weaknesses as a missionary are troublesome to me, but this isn't about me. It's about doing what Christ would do. And if I focus on that, peace and happiness are the result. 

The Lord is really blessing us with miracles. On Saturday, we had 3 people text us to see if we could help with moving people. We didn't have to make it to make it to all three. In the morning, we went to help move out a family that we had never met before. They are not members. We were told to just go in and start working. When the Mom walked in, Cory, she looked at us in surprise and asked who we were. We were soon all good friends. When we met her kids, who came later, they asked us in child-like boldness, "Do we know you?" Her husband was also quick to befriend us. They are a neat family. I love them! We didn't share a message before we left, because it would have been awkward with all the people there, but we are eager and excited to go back and teach them the restoration. Such a blessing!

We are beginning to teach the discussions to a less active family in Glacier Park, the Streight's. The son is trying to get back to coming to church. Our first appointment was scheduled for last night at 7pm. There was also a baptism scheduled at that time for a man named Will. We met Will at general conference, and he seems like an amazing guy. I wanted so badly to go. We tried inviting many people to go watch, but no one could make it. We can't just go to baptisms unless we have someone to take to them. So anyways, I was kind of bummed that we couldn't go. As we went to the Streight's house to teach them, I was really trying not to be selfish in thinking about wanting to be at the baptism. However, once we got there and started talking with the son, Aaron, my heart was blessed with happiness and love for this family, and I was so grateful to be there teaching them. We taught the restoration and showed the 20 minute clip about Joseph Smith. We committed them to read everyday from the Book of Mormon. It was a wonderful lesson. Kimmie, who is about 30, seemed so eager to receive the blessings of reading from the Book of Mormon. Also, in her prayer, she said she was grateful that Aaron tried to come to church today. (He didn't go, because he was late in traffic). It was just funny, but I think you had to be there. Even though they weren't all jumping out of their chairs so eager to read or to go to church, the hope that was in their eyes that they were trying to hide was enough for me to be SO happy. I am grateful for the change of heart I was given. The Lord is so good to us!

On Sunday we were invited to teach the kids in primary. I was so excited! We talked to them about how we can be missionaries by the example we set and the service we do. We also talked about how growing our testimony is like growing a plant. We brought in a live plant and a dead plant as visual aids. They really liked that. It was also the primary program this week. We have amazing families in the Lake Wilderness Ward. I have grown to love them all so much.

Oh, I almost forgot! We invited Allen and his family to come to the Glacier Park Halloween party. Allen is someone we taught when we were in Glacier Park 4 months ago. He told us then that he didn't believe our doctrine and wasn't interested anymore. When we were inviting people to the party, he was one of the first people that came to our minds. And he came! I was so excited when we saw him and his 2 kids walk through the door! Then the rest of the night I was kind of paranoid and stressing out as we tried to tell people to go talk to him and make him feel welcome. (I felt more like my old self than I have in a long time with the stressing out part!) His daughter quickly found a friend and seemed to enjoy herself. And his son did, too. It was a miracle, and so exciting.

I kind of feel like this email has just been a long report. So I must tell you of my testimony! I love this gospel! I know Jesus Christ lives and loves us! I know that His church has been restored to the earth and that we have a living prophet on the earth today. It's really quite amazing when you think about it. We are so blessed! The priesthood is the greatest blessing God could give to His children. And we have access to that power! I am so grateful for the blessing that the priesthood has been in my life-father's blessings, blessings of healing, the sacrament, baptismal covenants, temple covenants, and being sealed to my family forever! And so much more. God truly does love us. We can know of that love through sincere prayer and diligent scripture study. We also feel of that love as we serve others and love them like Christ would. I love you family-I love you, I love you, I love you! Pray for and then look for opportunities to serve this week. You won't regret it! Have a tremendous week!

Love,

Sister Mecate

October 21, 2013

Dear family,

The first week of the transfer is over. It's gonna fly by! I think this is my last one with Sister Margaritis-it will be our 4th together! Anyways, great things are already happening! Oh, and guess what. We are taking over Glacier Park ward again. So many mixed feelings! First of all it was not communicated to us very clearly that we were in charge there. Second of all, they took missionaries from there, because there "isn't a lot of work there." So we aren't sure if that makes sense to have us only giving half our time to the area, but that's what' s happening. It will be a little more stressful, a little more demanding, but that's all part of the adventure! I am excited to be serving the ward members there again! They are wonderful people. We developed some great friendships just from the 3 weeks we served there a few months ago.

On Sunday, a lady named Mari (short for Marianne) showed up to church. Her humble and meek spirit made it easy to love her right away. She just moved into the area and is trying to get settled. She said she is looking for a church. After sitting through sacrament meeting, she expressed how good she felt there. She really felt welcome, and we could tell she felt the Spirit.

We have had many experiences this past week with less active members. We talked with Cynthia about feeling peace that only comes from the Savior. She shared a personal experience about peace she felt after receiving a blessing when her daughter was born. Frank told us he felt he needed to start coming back to church. And he did! (This is the same guy who crashed his bike a couple weeks ago and said he would rather bless his bike before he buried than get a blessing for himself. He's a funny guy). A less active father and his 2 kids came to church so that his son could be ordained to the Aaronic priesthood. And a man named Mike is coming back to church and is accepting a calling. We had a great discussion with him at his doorstep this past week. It's such a blessing to see the lord working in these people's lives.

I don't know if I ever told you about Trish. She is going through an awful divorce. We haven't actually "taught" her, but we are trying to be a support to her through this hard time. She is one of the most selfless mothers I have ever met. She is doing all she can to save her son from the trauma of the situation. She lives to serve him and teach him and love him. This past week, after she told us all of the recent horror that have been going on, Trish asked if she could get a blessing, and if homes can be blessed. We were so thrilled that she would ask and that she has faith in the priesthood. We told her we would definitely find a brother in the ward who could give her a blessing. We came back on Thursday night with brother Thompson and his wife. They are righteous and Christ-like people. Trish told them most of her story and just opened her soul to them. brother Thompson gave her one of the most inspired blessings I have ever heard. After the blessing, Trish's countenance was one of peace. Time and time again, I have seen the truth of the priesthood as I have listened to and received priesthood blessings. I know that the authority to act in Christ's name has been restored to the earth! I know that the power of the priesthood is real! I know that Heavenly Father wants all of His children to be blessed by the priesthood by receiving the restored gospel. God is so good.

As we have strived to talk with more people, we have had some funny experiences. The two young men cleaning out their garage were interesting. We tried multiple times to relate the gospel to their lives and each time we were shut down by pessimism and skepticism. It was kind of comical to us how ridiculous they were being. Then there was the man we tracted into who, after we asked if there was anything we could do for him, exclaimed, "Seeing as I am a man of my own destiny, I can do things for myself!" And then he promptly shut the door. And there are many other instances which I could relay. Although we often get a chuckle out of these situations, it is always sad to think that we were not able to help these people come closer to Christ.

We have had wonderful experiences with service this week. We have been helping a lady named Pearl clean her house and hang paintings everywhere. Pearl is lonely and lives in a huge house (maybe I already told you about her). She has been opening up to us the more time we spend with her. She still doesn't believe in Jesus Christ, but she has a lot of faith in God. She has a beautiful spirit. Another experience of service was when we cleaned our ward mission leader's kitchen for her! That was probably the highlight of my day. We stopped by to drop off some fliers and asked if we could do anything for her. She said "Oh, I wouldn't ask you to do that. " We knew she needed something. She has 3 little crazy boys and a 4 month old baby girl. There is always something going on in their home! I have grown to love that family so much. I love their kids, and Brother and Sister Hinton truly invite the Spirit into their home in the way they teach their children and in the way they treat each other. Anyways, we convinced her to let us "sweep her kitchen," but we ended up doing the dishes and cleaning the counters too. I cannot tell you how good it made me feel to help her do that. She literally could not do it herself while she was trying to take care of her 2 year old and new born. It was such a blessing to us to be able to serve her. We had dinner with them on Sunday, which is always fun with Gordon and Hyrum. They always have something great to say. Hyrum was so cute as he told us about how he is scared the sun is going to over take the earth. He has had to pray a lot so he won't be scared so he can go to bed each night. He says he really tries, but it is just so hard to get that feeling of faith! His dad helped him recognize that since he has been praying about it, he has been able to go to bed a lot easier. What cute little Hyrum failed to realize (what I think we all fail to realize sometimes) is that faith isn't always just a feeling-it's a decision (Elder Anderson). Hyrum chose to act in faith by praying about his fears and then by acting and trying to do his best. He may still have that fear sometimes, but he does his best to act. And that is all Heavnely Father asks of us. just act, even when we don't get that "feeling of faith." The feeling will come after we decide to have faith. And then I just ahve to tell you what Gordon said in sacrament meeting one day. His dad was telling him to settle down and stay quiet for the sacrament and Gordon said, "Enough of this Heavenly Father and Jesus stuff!" I'm telling you these boys are a riot!

Well, I love you! Have a glorious week! I know I will, because my feet will be warm and dry with my new shoes! And Oh yeah, I'm a missionary!

Love,

Sister Mecate

October 15, 2013

Dear family,

Another transfer has passed and I am still here in Lake Wilderness Ward with Sister Margaritis. That will make 4 transfers together as companions and Sister Margaritis will have been here for half her mission! That's not the norm, I don't think. We are so very grateful to stay. I feel so strongly that there is more I need to do here. I feel more inspired and motivated to work hard and diligently to find those who are being prepared to here the message of the Restoration.

It's been a great week. Have I told you about Lachelle? She is a lady that President Eaton met at the laundromat a few months ago. He called us and asked us to go visit her, because the laundromat is in our area. The first night we met her, we weren't really sure what to do or say, so we ended up just offering to come help her close the laundromat some nights and she happily agreed. Lachelle is great. She has such a fun loving personality. We have now gone a few times and helped her, but never really had the opportunity to share a message. On our last visit, her two sons were there helping her close, but we just joined in and started sweeping. At one point Lachelle went outside to smoke and we followed her out, because we were talking with her. After a few moments of just talking, she began asking us questions about some of the rules we follow as missionaries. This led into her asking us questions about our religion, and this led into a full blown discussion about the restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. This night may have been the most exciting and satisfying moment of my whole mission thus far. There were points in out discussion where Lachelle was teaching herself about the apostacy, how, because we are all human, we all interpret God in a differing way, explaining why there are so many churches and why they do not all agree with each other. This led to her asking, "So what makes your church so different?" Probably one of the most golden questions we could get from anybody! After explaining the restoration and Joseph Smith's experience in the grove (having God the Father and His son Jesus Christ explain that none of the churches were true and that Joseph was to restore Christ's church upon the earth), she asked, "And how can I know this is true?" Another golden question! Seeing how Heavenly Father has prepared Lachelle to receive the message of the restoration was inspiring to me. She has a sincere desire to find truth in her life. We explained to her about the Book of Mormon and showed her the promise in Moroni 10:3-5. If we read the Book of Mormon and pray and ask if it is true with a sincere desire to know and act upon that knowledge, God will bless us with an answer, and we can know that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is true and that Joseph Smith really was a prophet! Lachelle told us she was glad she let her come to us instead of trying to force out religion upon her. She said she had been trying to bring it up for a while, but was too nervous, and we said the same about ourselves! We reflected on this and thought about how inspired that had been. Our own nervousness and shortcomings made it so that Lachelle could come to us at the right time. The Lord truly knows us so well. Even though we felt that we were failing sometimes as we did not share a message with Lachelle, the Lord was prepared for our weaknesses and blessed us with this miracle. As long as we do our best, the Lord provides a way for miracles! We still have not followed up with her, but we will soon!

We met with Nancy this week and we were able to talk with her about her decision to stop meeting with us. She had a dream where she went to another church and didn't feel good about it. Although we still have a good friendship with Nancy, we were sad as we said goodbye and left. I wish desperately that she wanted to hear more. We have more to teach her and I know this would bless her life and her family's. Even if Nancy does not change her mind while I am here as a missionary, this experience has given me more motivation to be a more powerful teacher, to not be afraid to open my mouth and share right away my beliefs with the people meet. I am so grateful for the ways in which the Lord is changing me. My desire to share the gospel continues to grow each day. I am receiving so much more than I am giving. Learning to truly rely on the Lord in all things has been somewhat of a challenge. I tend to doubt myself a lot. But as I remember the promises in the scriptures about trusting in the Lord and putting our faith in Him, I find peace and comfort, and I can keep moving forward.

We met a man named Ziggy while we were tracting Sunday night. Most of our conversation was of him bearing his testimony to us of the Bible and his belief in Jesus Christ. What a powerful man! He is about 70 years old, from Poland, and pretty tiny. He kept telling us to read Psalms 32:8. "I will instruct thee and teach thee in the way which thou shalt go; I will guide thee with mine eye." Although he really did not want to hear about the Book of Mormon (he was born-again Christian), he was inspiring to us! I'm not sure that we inspired him much, but we were so glad to have met him!

The Atonement of Jesus Christ is an amazing thing, something so amazing it is fairly incomprehensible!  How grateful I am to know that He sacrificed for me so that I could return to live with my Father in Heaven, eternally, with my family! I am so grateful for the apostles and the prophet. I know Thomas S. Monson is our prophet on the earth today! I know this is Christ's church. I love you all, and I am so grateful to have such a wonderful family!

Love,

Sister Mecate