I am really learning the power of turning to the Lord

Dear family,

 

I am so glad you got my package and liked it too! I am sorry about my weird camera Mom, thanks for doing all of that, I really appreciate it and will see what I can do. Thanks also for all the facebook updates WOW! A lot goes on while one is on a mission haha. I also can't believe that Sister Lingenbrink is coming here!!! If either her or Sister Maren Hale are reading this, I am SO EXCITED you will be here so soon, I will be waiting :).

 

Wow what a week. I feel if there has been a transforming week on my mission, its been this one. I feel that my pavillions of pride and fear are breaking down and I am able to more easily feel, and recognize His presence, aide and love. I think it is probably because of the difficult things that have occured this week. It is through conflict that we grow, it is amazing how easily we say that, but how hard it is to live it. I am grateful for a loving heavenly father who knows what He is doing. I am learning more and more the power of turning to the Lord in our difficulties. He really does see the bigger picture, and knows the hearts of all of His children. As I have turned to him to strengthen our companionship, he has lifted and blessed me and inspired me to know how to react to and treat my companions. We have also found that because of the challenges, our love for each other has grown.

Well this week has also been very cold. Oh. my. goodness! I hardly ever complain about cold, for heavens sakes I usually find it kind of fun to run in a blizzard ha ha but this is different. This cold burns and gets inside of your skin.....it also probably doesn't help to be in a skirt ha ha. It sure does make us feel like missionaries :). Thank you for that coat, and the good gloves, they are perfect for this.

 

Random story. Remember that Independent study I did? The ISYS 100 and 101? The one you loved? ha ha Dr. Mckell the writer of those classes and the "king" of beginning ISYS at BYU is serving in my mission now with his wife! I met them one evening and I made the connection only after talking for a little bit.

 

I am really learning the power of turning to the Lord and working under His power and guidance. He really does guide this work, I testify to that. There has been several occasions where I really didn't know what to do, and my own wisdom made a mess of things, and I fall on my knees or take a deep breath, close my eyes and ask for help. Almost each and every time, a clear thought pops into my head. Sometimes it is something I need to do, sometimes it is a person we need to visit, sometimes its a comforting memory of my family or other loved ones, but every time it is from the Lord.

 

I am grateful to be here and love you all so much. I really miss you! Sorry this is so short!

 

 

Megan

Merry Christmas with lots of pictures!

Megan and the areas she helped with clean up

 Thanksgiving Day

 The Turkey bowl

Merry Christmas again :) So weird to think that I have been able to communicate with you everyday this week. Thanks for the pictures and that 2nd Jib Jab, wow we are awesome! But one question....why did I end up as the kid who gets his (well I guess her ha-ha) tongue stuck on the pole....ha-ha.

The rest of our Christmas was good. After I got done talking to you, I chatted with the Elder and Sister Gulbransen (the senior couple) while my companions finished up. We later went to another Senior Couple's apt for dinner with some of the other missionaries. My first meal without rice in a long time. It was really good and a lot of fun.

After we were done, I learned how sensitive one of my companions is.....in a really hard way. I have been learning this all week, but it peaked yesterday. That is all I really can say about that except for the fact that I am learning that one of the hardest parts of serving a mission can be working in companionships. So I am learning, and changing and growing and trying to get it to work. Anyway, we finished our Christmas by visiting one of our investigators who was spending x-mas alone. She was grateful for our company.

Despite the difficulties, it has been a really good week. We miraculously found a new investigator named Jugo (which means juice :) ). We finally got in touch with his mother (who is an investigator also), and he was there when we visited. Almost at the exact same time we all three got a strong prompting that He needed a Book of Mormon. Sis Madsen and I actually pulled out books from our bags at the exact same time. He was receptive and wanted to come to church......AND HE DID!!! His mother wasn't able to, but at the appointment, she testified that she knew the Book of Mormon is the word of God because she prayed and received her confirmation and answer from heaven that it was true. She said that she felt the exact same peace and spirit as she read it as she does the Bible. Really cool and powerful testimony. Sad, but when we heard her testify, we could hardly believe our ears. It is amazing the experiences we have when we ACTUALLY read the scriptures, particularly the Book of Mormon.

Funny story. the ward had a ward activity and some of the members performed a funny skit. One of these members was looking for a simple "longer" skirt for it, and couldn't find one anywhere. She figured that maybe the Sister missionaries might have one. I found one of mine that I inherited from a sister who has since gone home. The next day she wore it in the play. One of my companions pointed out how my skirt worked perfectly for her part. I looked over, and saw that indeed, it was perfect. The member was playing a grandma. We laughed for a long time about that ha-ha. So thank you for that beautiful blue skirt for Christmas, now I don't have to worry about my "grandma" skirt ha-ha.

I love you and really miss you!!! It was so good to see you all, even if it was over skype. Have a great next week together :)

And chipper, I am so proud of you! Waiting for that call can be the longest weeks of your life...except for your 1st week in the MTC ha-ha.

Till Monday :)

Love,

Megan

 

Breaking news and the newest music surround us in NYC

Hi family!

Crazy to write you all and know you are all together. I hope you are all happy and having fun with the new toys ha-ha. I loved the Jib Jab!!! Wow I miss snow and mountains and you :).

Also, a shout out to Michelle! And really Ian and Emma Clouse, CONGRATS!!! You are parents!!! And Michelle you are an Aunt!

What a crazy week. First of all, an interesting aspect of being a NYC missionary is that we aren't really in the "missionary bubble." We don't go out looking for news and music (no TV or newspapers), but the breaking news and newest music surround us. I heard about that horrific shooting in Connecticut the afternoon that it happened. I was "fearlessing" someone on the train and they told me about it. I was in shock and it made me sick. Kind of crazy how people do these things for attention and when it happens that is what we give them. Of course, who am I to say why people do these things. Just before we were on the subway and I found out, we were in Subway (the sandwich shop, not the train). There were some really cute little kids in there and I just thought to myself, how anyone could look at these precious little children and not smile, even in a hardened place like NYC. Little did I know how sick this world can be.

My companion ended up needing to go to the ER last night and as we were waiting, Wipeout was on (made me miss you guys, and it was cool to see that even in a somber place like an ER on a late Sunday night, that show was making everyone laugh together, no matter their background :) )...but more importantly, President Obama's Vigil came on. It was a powerful speech and powerful to hear our president quoting scripture and testify of the Living God. It was also interesting because it was extremely similar to the talk and call that one of Christ's living apostles gave just 2 months prior. Modern day Revelation is real.

Also, with Hurricane Sandy and the Sandy Hook Shooting my companion and I decided that the past 2 months have ruined that name for us.

My companion has been really down and out this week, so there has been a lot of hanging out around the apartment. It's a good thing I love my companion ha-ha. I have really enjoyed getting to know her. We have spent a lot of time talking and laughing and getting to know each other. Our lives and worlds before the mission are completely different, and yet, God has brought us together at this time to serve each other. I have never had to experience anything close to what she has endured. I have always strived to be someone who is aware of her blessings and that not all the world lives the same privileged life that she lives. Over and over again on my mission, I come face to face with that other side. It is one thing to read about African poverty, it is another thing to have a dear friend who has lived it and will be returning to it.

I loved the family Christmas card this year! It is interesting, usually I read it, cringing to see what embarrassing thing Dad wrote about me (I was honestly scared this year seeing how I had no way of preventing it, though, it isn't like I had a say in Christmas cards past ha-ha.) This year, I read it and actually started to cry a little bit because of how amazingly blessed and amazing my family is. I really miss you a lot.

I was able to go on a couple of exchanges and do a little bit of missionary work this week. A really cool experience this week came when Sis Gonzalez went to visit a less-active who the bishop wanted us to see. She was just moving back in the ward and needed help folding clothes and organizing her apartment. We originally told her we would be by at 7pm, but we had to change the appt to 6:15. We sent her a text, but she never got it. As we were walking to her place, there was a woman with a lot of bags, who was carrying a baby and pushing a child in a stroller. Just as we were coming up behind her, she desperately asked us for help (she was looking for anyone). We of course said yes, and as she turned to look at us, she excitedly exclaimed, "Las Misioneras!!" At first we were confused cause we didn't know who she was, but then she introduced herself as Rony...the women who we were on our way too see. She said she was hurrying home from picking her kids up from the way from work to get ready for us to come. And as she said, "God knew that I needed you now." I know it was nothing short of the spirit that put us where we needed to be, and I learned that often the spirit "silently" guides us. As we are obedient, and have the spirit with us, we don't have to always worry about whether we are receiving promptings or not, the Lord knows our souls and how to communicate with us in ways we don't always recognize. This is why the spirit is EVERYTHING in this work and why obedience is SO critical.

I will get to call you before I send my next email!!!! I will call sometime on Christmas Day (Probably morning). Sorry, that is about all I know, so keep your phones on :). Missionaries keep asking about Skype but I haven't heard anything definite. I am going to go with no cause I don't know where we would do it. I am so excited to talk to you all. By the way, the subway this morning was FULL of ads for this Samsung Galaxy smart phone, It was one of the strangest moments of my life to think that one of those phones were in the hands of my mother :p ha-ha. I hope Allie lets you actually use it.

Merry Christmas!!!

Hermana Chipman

We had our last day of service on Saturday

Hello family!

I loved your emails and can't believe the craziness with my parents with a smart phone and i pad. Allie wrote me an email about the whole thing traumatizing her....it is traumatizing me too, I am trying not to think of it ha-ha.

I love hearing how everyone is doing. Give Natalie a big High 5 for me! That's Awesome! Also Allie congrats on your big award! Great things are to come for sure! Have fun at winter training, and keep Dalby in line for me ;) ha-ha.

Well remember how I told you transfers would be interesting? Well what we were thinking came to pass (with so few sisters in the mission you can put pieces together). Anyway I love my new companion and know these things are done by revelation. My new companion is Sister Imende. She is from a city 11 hours outside of Nairobi, Kenya. She is wonderful and I am learning a lot. She is actually an English missionary and is in the Spanish program for her last 2 weeks of the mission (She goes home in a week). Because of the hurricane, hardly any of us "new" missionaries got our 12 week training and so we are being "re-trained" this transfer. The other 2 sisters serving in the ward moved into our apt and are "re-training" me in the mornings. When Sis Imende leaves, I will be in a 3-some with them. Interesting eh?

Sadly she has been incredibly ill and so has been in bed most of the time. The other sisters and I are taking turns in working our areas and staying with her. This past week has felt like a whirlwind trying to get back into some sort of a proseylyting groove. We were proselyting before, but only as much as we could. There wasn't any goals, weekly planning, meetings. We called it a "Marshall Law transfer." I felt like Elder John Groberg catching up with all the teaching records and area book work for the past 2 transfers this week ha-ha. I will be honest; I was pretty overwhelmed with everything for the First two days. I was just taken a back at the trust my Heavenly Father and President had in me to keep work going in an area with hardly 1 transfer worth of experience and my limited language skills. On top of it all, the ward is having a Christmas party and Christmas program and I am the only person who can play piano, man I wish I was better at sight reading! Or at least if I were better at Spanish so I could understand the Choir director's directions ha-ha. I am just doing the best as I can and I have the faith and know that God knows that I am. It is not going to be perfect, probably far from. But I am giving it what I have and I know as it says in Moroni that His Grace will be sufficient for me as I keep seeking Him and trusting and trying. I am learning that is a lot of what a mission is, trusting and trying. I am feeling the spirit carry me more than ever before, and the Spanish and miracles just continue to unfold. The labor is truly qualified for his hire.

We had our last day of service on Saturday. We went to Far Rockaway again and served with Members who drove down from the Syracuse Stake. It was pretty unreal shoveling my last snow shovel of moldy dry-wall ha-ha. I really am sad; it was an incredible opportunity to just love people. As my president said, the work we are getting back into is even more important and urgent because people are living with sin and fear and doubt that is quite literally rotting their soul so they need the Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ to clean them out and change them. This work is dirtier and the effects and progress are not as easily seen as giant piles of trash, but it is our work now. It was also really cool because EVERYONE knew who we were. They had seen us around or on TV. It is weird gaining attention from a world that we have so little contact with. As we were driving home to home, there were many other groups helping out, out and lugging things out. (Kind of makes us wonder where everyone was 6 weeks ago when there still wasn't mold), but it is neat to be able to silently pass the baton and just fade in the background. Thank you for all of your prayers, packages and support.

I got the packages. Thank you SO much! I LOVE the coat. Very NYC and I feel very pretty in it, which doesn't happen very often as a missionary ha-ha. And one of my companions wants me to put those gifts under the tree (Yes we found a small one!), but I can't do it. I am keeping them safe in the box where I won't get too excited ha-ha. I will be sending a box this week with your x-mas gifts, and some of the service stuff I don't need anymore.....I think most of it I will just throw it out....knowing where they have been ha-ha.

I really miss you a lot and pray for you everyday. I am so grateful for the opportunity to come from such a wonderful and loving and awesome family. You are all great, you really are. I hope you are feeling better Stephen and that you are surviving finals (I know you are rocking them!). I hope you all have a really fun break too.

It means a lot to have your support out here. Makes you not seem so far away :). I know Jesus Christ lives and that this is His church restored. I know the Book of Mormon, I just finished it, and the truthfulness of it fills everything that I am. What an honor and privileged and blessing to have the authority and power to preach His gospel. Keep up the great work. I know it is hard, but we can do it, that is the Lord's promise to us.

Have a great week! Enjoy being together!

Megan

I finally got to go to church this week!

Hello Familia!

Wow what a crazy week and transfers are tomorrow! Sis Simplicio is "out" and going to another area for her last 2 weeks. I am "in" and so will still be here in Rego. It will be interesting to see how it all plays out.

It is so good to hear from everyone. Wow I miss you all. Especially the letters from those I haven't written back yet. I love you, miss you and appreciate you all!

And a shout out to my cousin Julia, CONGRATS!!!!!!!!!!! If I must miss your wedding, you will have to make it up to me by sending me pictures :)

Really Cool, Elder Hallstrom from the Presidency of the Seventy came and spoke to us as part of a mission conference after our doing service on Saturday. It was really cool. He asked us two questions, "What have you learned from doing this service?" and "How will it change you?" I have really strived to take his questions to heart. I have been thinking a lot about what I have learned and how I can apply it and let it change me this next transfer and for eternity. I have always wondered what it means to have charity, "the pure love of Christ" (Moroni 7:47) and how do we know if we have it? As we were in the conference and people were answering what they had learned, the spirit forcefully entered into my heart with the thought that I have learned that charity is just as much of a verb as it is a noun. Like faith it is an action word. Jesus Christ loved people through His actions, through His atoning sacrifice we can know and see and feel that He would literally do ANYTHING at ANY cost for those that he loves. As we have been doing service, people's emotional gratitude has surprised me because I don't feel like we are doing anything spectacular. But now I realize that it is through our actions, they feel our love for them and even more importantly God's love for them. In a sense we are just acting as windows to that love and that is quite spectacular. I have been praying and fasting to know my "new purpose" as I move forward, and the spirit has taught me that it is to show my love to others through my actions, in other words, show charity and be that window to heaven’s love.

Miracles of this week: I am able to speak Spanish better than I ever have, and I haven't had a language study in a transfer. The gift of tongues is real. I still struggle of course, but now almost every time I “fearless”someone in Spanish. They get a really weird look on their face and ask where I am from. They aren't used to a "blonde" (at least compared to them ha-ha) Gringa (American woman) speaking confidently to them. When I say I am from the United States, they brighten up and compliment me on my Spanish. Often times it is really funny, because I have only said a few simple phrases to them, but amazing what the Lord can do.

I finally got to go to church this week! It was my first time in almost 6 weeks. It was incredible! Anita and Saul came with their daughter-in-law and new granddaughter to have her granddaughter blessed. That was their 3rd week in a row together, and I think Anita's 6th. We also had one of the Less-actives we have been working with come and bring her 2 daughters to also be blessed. Her non-member husband and mother-in-law came too. Our other investigator Hno Espinoza even participated in Sunday School. And the best part about it all, we weren't really involved in any of these things. They all came without us calling and all desired for their babies to be blessed without us being there. The Lord truly is able to do His own work.

This gospel is true and personal revelation is real. Really all we do as missionaries is invite people to come unto Christ by helping them receive the restored gospel.

Love you miss you!

 

Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day-Saint's Christmas ads in

New York City & Time Square

 

 

 

Thanksgiving was Wonderful!

Hello Family!!

So great to hear about your holiday and your awesome races! Way to go! And WOW Maren Hale (Maren was just called to Megan’s same  mission)  is a friend of mine from my ward last year, she was one of my FHE group leaders and the little sister of one of my best friends in the ward! Wow, I can't wait to see her :)

This week was another grueling and amazing week. The demanding schedule of service all day and proselyting all night is starting to take its toll, but I am still happy to do it :). We have all had to back off a little bit, for all of our back's sakes. That is one good thing about having all these member volunteers come in on the weekends--fresh blood and backs ha-ha.

Thanksgiving was wonderful. We got up and went to Flushing  Meadows Corona Park (it has the big globe from  the “Men in Black” movie) to play football with a few other zones. It was a lot of fun and amazing to run around and play outside ( I forgot how much I loved the smell of turf.) Our zone came all dressed in crazy ties and we looked good.  I will send pictures. After football, a group of Latinos challenged us missionaries to a soccer game. The missionaries ran out of players so they invited me to join (they were desperate ha-ha). It was a lot of fun and I held my own.  I even stole the ball a couple times. As one of the elders told me,"You just ruined that kids day" ha-ha. I guess BYU 4th ward soccer prepared me for my mission ha-ha.

This week all of our service has been in Far Rockaway, and it is the "hood." We definitely are the only white people walking the streets. I love it and I’m meeting a lot of interesting people. I am really learning the power of loving and serving people different than me. This past week we helped a lesbian couple (at least I was pretty sure they were) clean out their house,. They were very grateful and it was a privilege to serve them. They invited us over for a cookout next summer when the house is restored :) On Saturday we helped a Mr. Washington from South Carolina. He was a big black man with a large cross on a chain around his neck. He is probably one of the most humble and good hearted men I have ever met. When we first got there, the members and missionaries from the North mission (they came to help out), began to take the lead and such. (It is really funny being a sister missionary because no one takes you seriously when it comes to cleaning out basements, even when you have been dedicating your whole life to it for the past month). I finally pushed my way through and told Mr. Washington what needed to be done with  the dry wall (how you have to take 4ft out because mold grows up, how any furniture touched by the water must be cut out or thrown out etc. etc.). He looked at me  and said excitedly, "Dang girl! You Smart! You know wha' chu' doin'! I like you!" And then we got to work.  

As we were working Mr. Washington went around repeating over and over "alleluia amen!" Sis Simplicio had a great talk with him and he bore his testimony to us about his relationship with God and how we were a literal answer to his prayer. It was beautiful and felt really good. When we ended, he sang us a song. It was beautiful and full of soul. We then sang "I am a child of God" for him and the spirit entered into the room so powerfully. It was neat.

It is crazy how the Lord is blessing us to know what to do. Turns out that FEMA approached our APs and wanted to know how we do our work orders so they could model their system after ours.

I love you all.  The Spirit is real! Our church has a direct connection to heaven, as well as the authority to act in God's name on earth through the Priesthood.

Megan

 

Miracles seem to follow us

Dear Family,

 

Good luck with your race this week! I am sorry you can't run this year mom, what a bummer. I guess this year will be up to Allie, Chip and Dad to carry on the family turkey day 5k legacy ha-ha. But Stephen, check and make sure its okay for you to run it. NCAA can be crazy about these things during the year, so I would ask your coach if you haven't already. I love hearing about what you are doing for thanksgiving too! Have fun with the Burgoynes! You will have to give them all hugs for me :). Oh and Stephen, I met Danny's brother once in the Marriott School. He is very nice if you haven't met him yet.

 

 

For thanksgiving we are having a big lunch for the whole mission tomorrow, and zone turkey bowls on Thursday. Hopefully the elders will actually throw the sisters the ball ha-ha. Then the dinner invites are building. The ward members see it as a great honor to have the missionaries over, all of them. So we will see how it plays out...I am kind of nervous ha-ha. Also some of the communities we have helped out have invited us to their feasts.

 

Service this week has been nuts, but great. The work is getting really nasty because of the mold that is beginning to set in. We also are branching out. Our zone got sent to Far Rockaway this weekend. As some of the elders that serve there call it, the "Hood." It is neat to serve so many different people. They also all have nasty crawl spaces.

 

Yesterday we had a really powerful experience. We were helping a black lady named Bonnie. She is a single mother of 2 teenagers. She had a crawl space that needed cleaning. We started with a prayer with her as we usually do and blessed her, her family and her home and then got to work. Probably the nastiest experience of my life. Imagine this, a 4 foot ceiling, a space covering the entire bottom of the home, full of fallen soaking wet and moldy insulation. I got to be the lucky few who endulged. We spend 2 hours down there ripping apart the insulation and shoving it out of a little vent hole and the trap door. We still had fun doing it. It was me with 3 members down there. There was a nursing student, actress, and personal trainer all from the manhattan singles ward, it was an interesting mix haha. It smelled so bad that one of the girls was threating to puke (it was that gross) and I quickly told her (half way joking haha), that we are all on that edge and so she better not or we all will haha. Anyway, we were hurrying to finish because bonnie had her dialysis appt. When we did finish, we crawled up and she was so grateful that she hugged us even though we all smelled like we had been playing in a moldy crawl space. She also went on to say that while we were working she got a call from the hospital saying that they had a kidney for her and were ready to operate today. She had been waiting for that call for 9 years! My companion was with her when she got the call, and Bonnie immediatley attributed the blessing to the prayer we had offered. What a miracle. We asked if we could leave with a prayer she exclaimed, "of course! I could sure use another one of those!"

 

It is nasty work but I am so grateful to be able to serve these people like this. It also is amazing to witness the miracles that seem to follow us, more than just cleaning basements. I know God lives and that this is His work. I love you all! Have a great week!

 

Megan

Megan is pictured in this week's Church News!  See the article and the picture at : http://www.ldschurchnews.com/articles/62973/Helping-Hands-inspire-hope-gratitude-in-storm-victims.html

Sister Megan Chipman of the New York New York South Mission carries a box as part of clean up Belle Harbor in the New York City Borough of Queens.

 

New York Daily News article about the Helping Hands volunteers- Tuesday, November 13, 2012

Read article at http://m.nydailynews.com/1.1201469

The work is messy, nasty, & very rewarding

 

Hello family! How are you all?

 

I am sorry this is so late! Due to service, Veterans Day, weird library hours, and things taking unexpectedly long today.....this is coming later than usual.

 

I just got your letter Stephen! Wow was it good to hear from you and wow can you make me laugh, I miss your humor so thank you :). Mom I also got your package and turkeys and both were perfect. I am going to say to hold off on the rain slicker. I was thinking about asking for it and I might regret it, but honestly it would just get ruined and getting wet with rain water can't be as bad as the sewage water we play in these basements ha-ha. Also, a very kind stake sent in an entire church gym full of clothes that we were able to search through. I didn't take a lot cause I am pretty set with your package and the couple things that I bought (a $7 jacket and some rain boots.) The best find was a winter coat that I can trash! And it's blue! Your sending my winter coat was not in vain though. This past snow storm was FREEZING (and I rarely complain about it being cold outside) and so I am grateful to have the liner to layer with. Thank you so much again! ----Oh and the knee pads are just what I needed too!

 

Well I will try to answer some questions :). At first we were just going house to house asking for help, but now they have a "referral" or "work order" system. (The first title was getting too confusing!). Essentially we handed out a bunch of flyers with one of the APs phone numbers on it and people call in for help. We are trying to limit the help to members, first responders, elderly and other people who really cannot do it themselves. The APs and president then organize everyone in groups and send us there. This past weekend, over 1000 members bused into the area and also helped us out. We do everything from hauling stuff out to tearing apart dry wall and taking out insulation and floors. I really wasn't expecting this part of being a missionary, but I am learning quickly how to use hammers, razors and crow-bars. Some of the elders consider me the "dry-wall master", and I often feel like the "insulation queen" because that is usually what my jobs entail. (Side note, pumped insulation is nasty stuff!). When you do it all day almost everyday, it isn't tricky to figure out. Also it doesn't take much skill to tear things apart.

 

It is very messy and nasty work. The other day I was pulling soaking wet insulation out of the ceiling above me. there was so much water, it was just pouring out of the ceiling. It also is pretty dangerous and I know the Lord is protecting each of us. I have felt the spirit guide me and protect me. We all have masks and gloves and even though I often find myself surrounded by rusty nails and swinging hammers, I feel safe :) and the work is very rewarding.

 

My back and leg are miraculously not even a problem. I do try to be careful and leave the big jobs to the Elders, but I really have been able to lift and move close to how I used to. At one of the houses, I helped a man who was a good friend of the family we were helping carry some big boards to the beach where they were piling the trash. He told me that he was impressed and that I was a "strong woman," and later he let me teach him about the restoration and was really interested. Amazing how the Lord can heal us and can use all of our talents, even a strong body, to open doors to the gospel :).

 

I have had so many touching experiences this past week I wish I had time to share them all. One in particular, we helped an elderly couple, Mary Ellen and Andrew this past weekend. They both had lived in the Rockaways for over 70 years and had never seen such devastation occur. They both lived in their basement and so lost everything in the storm. When we got there, Mary Ellen told us their horrific story of how they survived the storm. Like everyone else, they didn't evacuate. When the water came in they ran to the top floor with their daughter where their tenant lived. There they tied themselves together with electrical cords so that if they got swept away, they would be found together. They literally just lied on the floor like that and waited to die. I guess the water was really scary when it came. Many of the firefighters and cops that we have helped have stated that it was probably the single scariest moment of their lives (and many of them were at the world trade center when it fell). Crazy stuff. Anyway, we helped them finish up their clean up. When we said a "closing prayer" with them (we begin and end each home with a prayer), Andrew cried. When I went up to shake his hand, he looked me in the eye and said, "Thank you so much, I was so depressed this morning and for lifting my spirits I can never repay you." to which I replied, " You are very welcome sir, we are happy that we could help. Some jobs are a lot easier with an army. To which he looked me in the eye again and said, "Yes, especially when it is God's Army." When we all got outside we took pictures with him and his wife. She wanted the picture because she wanted to remember what angels look like.

 

Andrew's comment really got me thinking. I even shared that experience and talked about it in the short talk I had to give at our small missionary zone service sacrament meeting. That was another amazing experience. I only was given about 45 minutes notice and so I prayed that the spirit would be clear and direct in what I should share. I opened my preach my gospel and scriptures and was taught a powerful truth. Very similar to the one you shared your email Dad :). I wanted to answer the question, "Who is God's Army?" When I gave the talk, The spirit bore powerful witness to me, and everyone in the room that God's army are those that make covenants with God to become like His son Jesus Christ. And when they do this, others can recognize their Savior in His army’s countenances and works.

 

I love you all! Till next week! Thanks for everything and the prayers!

 

The following is a beautiful video depicting the work done by the missionaries and other members in the area: http://vimeo.com/joshuabrown/hurricanesandy

 

The group that did the video also setup a facebook page dedicated to the cleanup efforts along with some pictures there also: http://www.facebook.com/groups/mormonhelpinghandsnyc/

The following is a recent article about the clean up efforts done by the missionaries: http://www.mormonnewsroom.org/article/new-round-of-cleanup-projects-scheduled-by-mormon-helping-hands

 

The following are some pictures from the article as well as sent by the mission.  Megan is pictured in the first two.

 

 

Going out & serving is my religion in its purest form

Hello family!!!

Mom, Thank you SOO much for sending me stuff! I was just about to ask for some things and you already sent them!! Sister Simplicio and I went and bought some little things but it is going to get cold fast (already has) and the need for basement clean up is endless!

I have thought a lot about what I would write about today because the transformation that has taken place in me and what I have experienced is incredibly difficult to describe. Last week there was a night that I was on my knees just crying and begging for help because I felt so weak and was so overwhelmed with being a missionary and learning a language and being away from home. This past week I have almost broke down crying several times, but it is different. Last week it was because of my issues and difficulties. This week is because of the suffering and devastation in the lives of the people we have been serving. And even though I am exhausted, I have been filled with joy, a joy I haven't felt before. I know it is because my focus is beginning to turn from myself to the people I am serving. Amazing how you really can selfishly serve someone, by thinking of yourself and how you are performing. It’s a powerful lesson and powerful to realize that Christ served and took no thought of himself.

Yesterday was one of the most powerful sacrament meetings I have been apart of. All the missionaries in my zone (about 25) went to the English ward dressed in our work clothes. We took the sacrament and then left to go clean out more basements.
The spirit bore a powerful testimony to me that this is my religion in its purest form. Going out and doing good and helping those in desperate need as Christ would. It was neat to be apart of.

Personally, each day this week, I have been serving in the Rockaways. It is only 20 min south from the mission office. It is on a peninsula that runs east to west. The storm surges came up on both the north and the southside and met in the middle. 6ft of water in some areas!! All the streets and everything look like a beach. Everyone's basements and some 1st floors were completely full of water! Everything was destroyed and needs to be thrown out-including all the dry wall and insulation. A lot of people live in the basement or do their laundry down there. Many people lost ALL of their clothes to keep them warm. The govt has kind of showed up with water. The natl guard and police are EVERYWHERE mostly to keep the peace. For a while it was in marshall law-- and it still might be. There also is NO power and so no heat or lights, and no one knows when there will be. This isn't even the famous breezy point, and there are several buildings and homes burned down too.

The craziest day was when 3 other sisters and I helped at a neighborhood clothes and food distribution. There were two ladies who were seeing their neighborhood kids freeze and so wanted to do something about it. It was insane the need. Full grown men were almost brought to tears and I was helping them look for something to keep their families warm. Some people were so cold that they had a hard time looking through the clothes. They were so grateful and I wished I could have done more than just hand them a pair of pants.

I wish I had more time to describe everything; I will have to write it in letters. I will ask and see what they could use, you know, the missionaries could all use some coats and boots to trash. Maybe you could ask the mission office for ideas or if you could do that. Also a lot of supplies are coming in now for the area, but in a couple weeks.

I miss and love you all! Thank you for your support and prayers! This area sure needs it.

Love,

Megan

 

 

New York Times video clip about the damage in Rockaways:

http://www.nytimes.com/video/2012/11/04/nyregion/100000001884759/lights-out-in-the-rockaways.html#100000001884759

 

 

Updates during and after Hurricane Sandy

Email sent by Megan on Monday, Oct 29, 2012

Hi,
Just real quick, I got your emails. Thank you so so much for the news counsel and pics. You all are incredible! Exactly what I needed! I am regretting not sending my ballot before the storm. Well love you and miss you! Letters are coming your way! Lights are flickering!

Love

Megan

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Email sent from Mission President's office, Oct 30, 2012

　

Hi Parents, Bishops, Stake President’s,  

We just want to let you know that all missionaries are safe and accounted for, with no injuries. We have some that are without power, but they were advised to have enough food and bottled water to last for three days, so that shouldn’t be a problem. Those elders who were in Rockaway have not been able to get back into their apartments yet, so we don’t know any damage there. I have been where those apartments are and it is my guess that the apartments are fine, but the roads are probably covered with water and we don’t want to take cars down there through that. All of the Sister Missionaries are out at the Mission Home and they are without power, but they are together and all is well. President might need a vacation after this. The President has decided to leave the missionaries that were in the evacuation area away from their apartments for one more day.

Anyway, all is well, relatively, here.

Thanks for your prayers and best wishes.

Our love to you all.

Sister Shepherd, Mission Secretary
 
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Article from Deseret News about the Missionaries and their service in NYC on 10/31/2012

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865565759/500-LDS-missionaries-helping-neighbors-in-Sandys-wake.html?pg=all


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Email sent  from Megan, November 1, 2012

Hi!
I got permission to check if you could get my ballot :). Thanks for the pics and updates and article! I will send my ballot in today and it should be okay.

It is pretty nasty and heart-wrenching work, and I didn't even get sent to the hardest hit areas. Lots of buckets from flooded basements and filthy carpets and trying to salvage pictures and keepsakes. I will NEVER live by a river ha ha. We had a wonderful time at presidents. We had no power (power lines are still just lying in the streets still in some areas) and so it felt like a girls camp with the most awesome people. I even got to go running a few times in the Long Island fall :). Now we are back, our area seems to be left okay with a few less trees. Now everyone is just trying to get gas. Lines to gas stations seem to be over a half a mile long!! It is surreal to be living in a place hit in a natural disaster. As my mission president said in the article, there is SO MUCH to do. Making me realize how much I have grown to love this city in the past 2 months. This area still needs our prayers!

I love and miss you all! Now on to do my laundry I haven't done in 10 days, vote, and get ready to get back to work.

Love, Megan

Pictures of Megan helping with the clean up can be found on the New York City South Blog found at:
 
http://newyorksouthmission.blogspot.com/

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Pictures from the area and of missionaries helping

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Update from Mission Office, November 3, 2012

Hi everyone:

It’s been a few days since the brunt of the storm, but I thought I would let you know what is going on. We are slowly getting power back in most of the areas. None of the missionary apartments sustained damage. Most of them have power back. If not, they are staying at other missionary pads. They are fine. Most have been out working in the heavily damaged areas helping to remove trees, pump water out of basements, clean out debris, just do anything they can to help the people here. People have been bringing them food, and our Senior Sisters have also been working to feed them. We fed some of them last night at the Mission Office, and we will also be feeding them tonight as well. Tomorrow they will attend a short Sacrament Service and then will head back out to work. They are enjoying helping the people and they are enjoying being together working for a common cause. The Sister Missionaries stayed out at the Mission Home until last Thursday and then went home to their own apartments. However, the Mission Home has been without power since last Monday night. The lack of gasoline has been a problem, but the church FM group, headed by Vic Goepfert, a counselor to President Calderwood, was able to get some gas from Pennsylvania for us today. Hopefully that will last until the pumps are up and running here on Long Island. Our missionaries are doing great and they have become heroes in the eyes of many people. We are so proud of them.

If you have any questions or concerns, please don’t hesitate to call. We will return your call or e-mail as fast as we can.

Love to you all, Sister Shepherd, Mission Secretary


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News Story — 31 October 2012

Mormon Missionaries Help With Hurricane Sandy Cleanup Effort

http://www.mormonnewsroom.org/article/hurricane-sandy-cleanup



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News Release — 2 November 2012

Mormon Helping Hands Cleanup After Sandy

 

http://www.mormonnewsroom.org/article/mormon-helping-hands-clean-up-after-sandy

 

 

 

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Dear  Parents,

A friend alerted us to a CNN video showing many of our missionaries at work in Staten Island. Their picture appears about 3 minutes into the segment and again at about 5 minutes.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=fOQWix3J92Y&feature=plcp

-- Dr. Steven R. Goates, Professor
Department of Chemistry & Biochemistry
Brigham Young University
Provo, UT 84602-5700

We have been evacuated! Plus recent pictures :)

Hello family! So I know you usually write later, but I am writing a little earlier this week because of this hurricane.

It is kind of strange. We just heard about this hurricane 2 days ago. We were told to get our grocery shopping done early and to get ready to be home bound for a few days. But it turns out this storm is getting bigger and bigger and we got a text about an hour before church that all of us Sister missionaries were being evacuated to the Mission home today, and the elders in the lower areas all evacuated into other elders apartments who live. We hurried and packed and ran to church. I am now the ward pianist.....man do I wish I played more piano before my mission (its kind of rough ha-ha but I am all they got). The Bishop cancelled the rest of church after sacrament meeting and the rest of the meetings for the week. We are now all at the mission home (there are 27 sisters!). It should be fun :) We are being told we might now be here for 7-10 days. It is interesting. NYC apparently never gets hurricanes. There was Irene last year that everyone prepared for, there was some damage for some areas but for the most part it just rained. I guess they are having a hard time evacuating areas of Brooklyn because people don't believe it this time (which is silly because this storm is supposed to be HUGE). There are sisters from HI who are saying that their families have been evacuated for tsunamis that are being caused by an earth quake....CRAZY!!! Also all of NYC trains, subways and buses closed down at 7pm tonight...entonces, the whole NYC area is hunkering down...maybe this city will actually sleep!

However crazy, we are safe and praying :). We are emailing tonight because we don't know how much longer we will have power. Kind of funny, today in sacrament we sang "Paz Camlmense" or in English "Master the tempest is raging"....how appropriate. I am more worried about being in a house with 30 women ha-ha. It is strange not having anything to do. I will enjoy it while I can, and the sisters here are incredible!!! I also feel very blessed. As I was sitting on the stand (in the back) I looked out on my Rego Park Barrio II. Wow, how do I love these people. They are so pure, so good and so strong. I feel humbled that the Lord has called me to serve amongst these specific people. It is painful to think of everyone in harms way. You can tell people were worried today, about their homes and for a lot of them, what little they had. Sacrament Meeting was so full of faith. It was neat. Anita came by herself and stayed a while to talk to people :) sad not to see Saul with her, but good she had the drive to come. Goya, one of our investigators and our "mama dominiacana" also came. It is interesting I am a missionary, I have no home to worry about and a safe place to go, our food storage was taken care of. I am just bringing prayers and smiles. Amazing how I do feel in some ways that I do have family to worry about, for these people really are feeling as such, especially as I am so far from home.

Thank you for your prayers and support! Please as you are praying for me, also remember the people here in Rego Park and NYC. Who knows it might just be a rain storm.

Dad, I thought of you today as you were sustained Bishop of our ward! I would love to hear about how it went. I have been praying for all of you especially hard this week! Also thanks for your early email this week, it was nice to have something to read even when I am so early :) Oh and I got the ballot! Thanks! As soon as you can, will you send me some help in voting for the judges? I know that affects your work and I want to do the right thing and need to send my ballot soon. Just if you can of course!

Mom, I love and miss you as always and am thinking of you too!

Steve and Allie...love and miss you of course thinking of you! Thanks for being awesome! I hope you got your package Stephen :)

Te Amo mucho!!!
Megan

Well at least they couldn't steal the tire!

Corona neighborhood

Train station

Ward party

My district and the Statue of Liberty

Just like the movie "Hitch" with two jet skis and Ellis Island.

Brooklyn Bridge