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!

 

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