Megan, the piano teacher

Sister Insong is from Davao, and she speaks Cebuano and Tagolog and English. She's great. I would think that her brother already knew English before since so did she. It is great that we get to teach piano! It's every Sunday after church and we do 30 minutes for one student, both of us teaching because we have 2 pianos! We are using our new chapel and it's so wonderful! We hope that they will be able to play after we're gone.

Things Megan misses

Know that I love the Book of Mormon and I miss yogurt and milk...and especially, your faces.

Megan's 11-1-10 E-mail

Hi family! This week has been really good! Last Wednesday, the Assistants called us, (Elder Cerdhe from Arizona and Elder Shelley from St. George) and said that we were both to report to Tacloban the following day, (Thursday) because Sister Blonquist was getting transferred and that we were both training! I remember her saying that that would just be too hard of a thing for her at the point that she was at, that it was just be a really hard thing for her and that she thought that that wouldn't happen to her....well news flash...The Lord knows best actually. And he calls the weak things of the world so that they can become strong. Her new companion is Sister Brinton from Arizona and they are in a Waray Waray area-they sleep in an apartment with Sister Farnworth and her companion-lucky! And they are actually reopening that area. My new companion is Philipina from Davao and her name is Sister Insong. Her brother is serving in California speaking English and Tagalog and her dad is the Stake President. I played piano in church so that was fun. We are going to teach piano every Sunday so that they will have a permanent player. I hope everyone is doing well and I love you. I keep opening my heart to people and then I get hurt. Sometimes I open up knowing for sure that I will get hurt but I still do it because if I don't then I'll never know what love is. It's one very difficult thing about missionary work.

Megan's miracle

We witnessed miracles this week. Sunday morning, I had an experience that I have never experienced before. We got into the new church at about 8:45, and everybody else was already there-most of them from Balaquid which is 20 minutes away...and we started teaching primary, when Sister Blonquist says.."Johnreys here....and Jaime!!!!" These two brothers we have been PLEAding for them the past 4 months, teaching them every week, encouraging them, serving them.....and when I heard her say that......I BuRst into tears!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I don't know that I have honestly cried tears of JOY before in my whole life!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I had to leave the room! I couldn't beleive it! They promised us that when the new church was finished that they would come....and I'm thinking, if they won't go here when it's close, why would they go all the way to the new church?? Where was my Faith in them!!!!!!!!!

Megan's 10-25 E-mail

Sorry this is late, there is an election here so we weren't able to email yesterday because no buses were going to Naval-where we email. The work always slows down a bit around transfers....but we are kickin! We had a baptism last Saturday in our new church! And then we had church on Sunday in the new church. It was SOOOOOOO wonderful!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!....

Lake Carmen in Argentina

We went to the Carmen Lake today. It was really pretty and up in the mountains. It was wonderful to see the amazing creations of our Father in Heaven. How great is His imagination and wonderful His talent. Truly He knows true beauty. As beautiful are His creations, He loves us more than the mountains he created. His children are His pride and joy. He loves us more than Yellowstone Park and more profoundly than the Grand Canyon. How close He is listening when we pray and happy He is when we are obedient. Do not doubt that He loves you! We know how to show how we love Him. Our Savior Jesus Christ is the only person that showed his love for God perfectly. Take confidence in Him and learn how to trust Him. Let us show our love for our perfect Father.

Josh's 10-25-10 E-mail

Yesterday we had our ward activity. We watched Joseph Smith Prophet of the Restoration and it was wonderful. During the movie Elder Gutierrez recieved a phone call from President Northcutt telling him that his father had passed away in accident at work. He burst into tears and we went to go call home. The funeral of his Dad was today, so yesterday with the zone leaders we drove with a member to Salta, left him with some missionaries and then came back. We arrived back at 3:oo in the morning and we only slept for 4 hours because we had a zone activity. That is why I am tired! Before we felt we gave my companion a blessing and it was amazing the spirit that filled the room. It was touching and the power of the priesthood was shown. It also made me once again ponder deeply and meaningfully about my life. How do I treat others, do I show my love, if they passed away would they know that I had loved them? The actions we do and the words we speak to others, possibly may be the final words we speak. Honestly, they might pass away tommorow and we might not see them for a while. How sacred are our words and precious is our time with our loved ones? Let us watch our words and show our love and never think I can apologize for the things I said because there might not be one. Our words should be as Christ's words and our actions the same. Love as he would love and do as he would do. Leave no doubts, accept no excuses.