Tuesday, July 27, 2010

Sisters Meldrum & Martin...Both from Texas... :)
"Arise Spectacular" in Ogden

Hiking Ben Lomond

Ogden District

"So Pioneer day has come and gone. The Ogden Pioneer Days Rodeo was in our area! Holla! But yes, Pioneer day with the flags and fireworks was nuts! Bigger than the 4th! But a whole lot of fun. It was pretty sweet because one of our recent converts (from TEXAS) wanted to cook us "real Texan food" for the two Texas sisters and oh boy oh boy, I have never had slow cooked pulled pork like THAT before. I was salivating from the start of dinner to the end of it. So scrumptous!!

I was listening to my music the other day and we have an "EFY" style version of "Be Still My Soul." I think that is going to be the transfer theme song. I have never really paid attention to the words in that song, yet how profound they are:

'Be still my soul, the Lord is on thy side. With patience bear the cross of grief and pain. Lean to they God to order and provide. In every change, He faithful will remain.'

What a testimony that is, no matter what we are going through, no matter how we feel, in EVERY change, He (the Lord) will faithfully be there for us. He can help us and provide, He is on our side to help us out. Yes, it's true, I love that song! I need that song this transfer."

The pictures are from the Ben Lomond hike. It took us 7 hours! It was 16 miles and I don't even know how high we climbed, but it was intense. This is the mountain that Paramount Pictures uses as their logo. The other pictures are from the "Arise Spectacular." 33 Stakes of youth got together for a half-time show-- Olympics style. We got to participate. We also got to march in the 24th July Parade. President and Sister Olson rode in a car! It was all good!

Recent pictures of Sister Breanna Meldrum...

Tuesday, July 6, 2010

FAMILY!

So, Happy 4th of July! It's kinda funn. I feel like only in UTAH will the STATE move a NATIONAL holiday from a Sunday to a Saturday! All the state events were held on the 3rd of July. So many people also celebrated on the 5th of July, and even a small group on the 4th. I feel like it has been a dragged out three-day celebration of fireworks. I can't wait until I get some normal sleep again. But I have realized that I am in love with this holiday for multiple reasons:

1. It is summer time and warm!!!
2. FOOD!
3. Fireworks!
4. BBQ
5. People out everywhere so we can talk to them all!
6. Good Grub!

Yes, it is true, the best pulled pork can be found around the 4th along with tons of people out and about. ...So as good little missionaries we headed into our apartment at 9 p.m. But the unfortunate thing was IT WAS STILL LIGHT! We pretty much live in the Ritz of missionary apartments and have a small back deck that we can over see our area (on the 2nd floor!) Also, the river, where they shoot off the fireworks. So we were on our back deck looking out and planning for the next day and wondering when they were going to start shooting them off. It gets dark around 10 pm and we have to be in bed by 10:30 so we were really hoping we would get to see them, and finally they started. Much to say there were trees and street lights in the way. Not a show like "Stadium of Fire!" But still pretty sweet. I love fireworks AND we made it to bed on time. :)

Tuesday, June 29, 2010

Breanna wearing a "Jody Dress" which she swore she would never do :) Never say Never!

"Ana got baptized Sunday, June 27th at 7 pm. It was one of the BEST baptisms in the world. She had to get dunked twice, and Sister Martin and I were standing there with a towel for her. As she came out, we gave her a huge hug,....yes it was very wet, and Ana stood there and cried. We helped her out, and we sat in the dressing room with her while she was still wet. She was so happy she couldn't move. She was crying and smiling and praising Jesus. We didn't know if she was going into shock or if she was going to faint from joy like in the Book of Mormon. But then we saw humble Ana get off the little bench and kneel on that dressing room hard tile floor. As sisters we kneeled down beside her, still wet, and Ana gave the best prayer I have ever heard. I don't know if I have ever felt the spirit stronger in my life. I wish I could capture that moment in a picture, and I have prayed that I will never forget that feeling. As she gripped Sister Martin and my hand, she looked us in the eye and said, 'Thank you, Thank you for not giving up. I had no idea h ow amazing this would feel. You are my angels.'

How humbling it was. God has blessed me so much. Why do I, selfish little Meldrum get to participate giving God's children a key to their salvation. To be able to see that, I wish I could describe it. I can only think of, 'How great will be their joy...' I have never felt joy quite like that. Pure Christlike love for someone else. A little glimpse into the Celestial Kingdom I think.

We saw Ana yesterday and she looked REALLY good! Can't stop smiling and telling everyone that she needs to go to church with her! :) I love it! I am so short of words to describe it. She has several daughters and never got to raise them and told us that we are her daughters...I said yes Ana we are! I want you to come to my wedding! And she cried! She said that she never got to go to her own daughters and this would be a iracle for her. So yes, put it on the list!"

Hey Y'all!

We have been blessed hand over foot. We have seen 4 baptisims this weekend!!! They were all amazing and lots of fun. One girl is already at girls camp, the couple wants to know how long they have to wait until they can do baptisms in the temple, and the boy that was baptized is nervous to pass the sacrament because he might trip and fall. I didn't realize how many young boys are scared of that. I can honestly say that that thought never even crossed my mind.

Amongst the joy, Satan has been working harder to get us down. I have been emotional lately, like a teenage girl. I lost my planner, and I love my planners cause they are a super cool record of my mission, and I love the covers I made for this transfer..... and then I lost it. I still can't find it, and I am trying not to think about it because it makes me angry. Oh well, get off my back Satan.

We went hiking last P-day. I have decided that I love hiking. I now realize that I did quite a bit of it when I was at college. There was one summer in our ward in Regency when we went every weekend. It makes me want to go camping. The sister's sleepover is coming up and I want to see if we can sleep on President's deck outside instead of inside. That would be awesome!

We are working hard. There is a large hispanic population here, and a really yummy mexican bakery right around the corner. Oh, my!!! I have learned the days in spanish because every day there is a different sale on their baked goods. 4 conchas for 75 cents!! (But only on "martes") Jueves has different goodies!

Time is up, but things are good, love you bunches!

Sister Meldrum

In another previous letter.....

FAMILY!!

Hello there everyone... one and all, small and whiney, short and fat, bald and tall, happy and grumpy, sneazy, sleepy, etc....

So, I pretty much LOVE MY LIFE! Seriously! Life as a missonary in Ogden is the BEST! One of my FAVORTIE parts of my mission is meeting people I know that I would have never meet otherwise, talking about things that I would have never brought up in other situations, and laughing along side all different shapes and sizes of the children of God. We were street contacting people a few days ago and we ran into Budah, and Floosie! Yes, in the FLESH! Are you wondering who these two people are? You mean you have not hear of them??? They are "Jesus rappers". Budah is a big black guy and Floosie is a white guy who was raised mormon. Well, we get talking to these two, and they are like "Yall work for Jesus? We sing for Jesus!" and proceeded to freestyle for us. then they burned us a CD of their latest, "One True King" (AKA- Jesus). Its pretty good. Nothing like I have ever heard... Its amazing. Needless to say that we are trying to keep the listening to a minimum on the mission, but our zone leader and district leader LOVED it and asked for copies... so I guess its all good right? :)

Dad, don't you fret about the homless... Smiley has the right motives. He KNOWS its true... the sad thing is, He walked away from his baptism. It's something he has been looking forward to for such a long time and then when the time came he just didnt know how to take that step... he got scared. We have been looking for him, but its hard to find a homeless man on the streets. I have learned so much from Smiley. He is one of my favorites. He has been through alot and relies on the Lord a lot.

I am also impressed with Elder Uctdorf's talk at conference. The Story about the "can food mormons", I tend to see that in Ogden. We have had several "Ogden" trainings that talk about welfare. And weather a persons motives are Celestial or not, the Brethren have instructed us that if someone wants to get baptized and are living the commandments in order to make these promises with God, to do so. Some bishops that I have worked with question our motives... if we are only out here to "get numbers" (luckily not here in Ogden, the know welfare inside and out, and what is approriate) but in the situations there have been questions if baptism is a right step for a person, esp where recent converts become less active almost immediatly after their baptism. but stop and think about this, BAPTISM IS RIGHT FOR EVERYONE! EVERYWHERE!!! The covenant of Baptism is so important, that the Brethren have told us to proceed; and the with the watchful eye of the church the chance they these children might be "found again" are higher. God watches out for his children, and blesses them continually for making that step. Life is a road- and we ALL need to take that first step.

Other good news! We are getting TWO new sisters! We have not gotten sisters for about 6 months!!!! One spanish sister (I mean she is white- but is speaking espanol) and an english sister. HOLLA! Sister Martin and I will be staying in O-town though. Pres. already told us even though we have 1/3 of the transfer left.

Ok, I am really signing off now...

I love you! have a GREAT AND AMAZING week!

Aloha Family!

I feel bad for complaining about my toe- It made me a little tense and stressed yes- but it is feeling much better. thanks for putting it up on the blog.. :) That will be fun to look through one day. Its going to be a nice little journal.

PS- what do you mean mom milking it for all its worth to wear sandals?? You know me a little too well.... :) I am starting to wear shoes again, for as long as I can before they hurt.

But really, how is it that you know EXACTLY what I need to hear each week??? Its like little spirit rebuking. I feel like the more I am on my mission, the more I realize how much more I have to learn, to change, and really apply the gospel principles to my life. There never is a destination point when you can say "I got it!" huh?

I realize I never really tell you much about the work, and that I just pop out names when they get baptized. Those are the elect ones, I need to talk about the work more I think. There are a lot of blessings we see. A lot of things to do. This week- our district leader challenged our district to get 100 unplanned contacts as a district in a day. That means 25 per companionship. Well our normal goal is 10- so 25 seemed like alot... and we were LITERALLY running around the town- stopping EVERYONE we see to talk about Jesus. And we made our goal!!! total was 102!! It was really exciting. It cheered up our spirits, and really brought in the spirit of missionary work. That is what I want everyday! As a result of the hard work, we set up a few new investigator lessons, and found a handful of potentials. :)

Love, Sister Meldrum

It's Tuesday!

It SNOWED!!!! in APRIL!!! I think I am going into shock. The funny thing is, I am wearing sandals!!! The one time I get to wear sandals, and it snows.

I didn't preface this very well. Let me start over.

My big toe was hurting... so I had Sister Sutter and her mom who happens to be a nurse look at it. Her opinion was that I had an ingrown toenail. Yeah, that is fun. So it was off to Odgen with another sister from the mission who thought she also had an ingrown toenail. Little did we know we would be going in for "wisdom teeth EXTRACTIONS on our feet!!! I had two ingrowns and now my foot wont stop bleeding. :(

The doctor said not to wear dress shoes. I looked at him for a while, and I must have given him a weird look because all I could do was think to myself, "What am I supposed to do now? wear tennis shoes????"

I called a member in the ward and she is lending me her "Sunday sandals". Here I am in borrowed shoes in the snow with a toe that wont stop bleeding!!!! BUT, I have a smiling face. Part of me feels that I am completely useless. I feel that the work is going on without me. I only have a short time left on this mission and I cannot afford to wast time sitting on my rump! send me to Ogden! Most of the people there don't have limbs! I will fit in just fine!

The area is slow, so pray, pray, pray for peoples hearts to be softened and things to pick up. I am getting restless.... I am praying for charity with the area. Is it bad to pray for finacial unrest to humble the saints???

There have been little miracles all along the way though. That is incredible to me. Random contacts that we made, member invited, or finding a new investigator. I know they are miracles and not me doing anything, but trusting in the Lord. It is a testimony to me of the power of prayer and power in the scriptures. When you don't want to do anything, and are so tired and want to give in, you can find strength in the message that we carry, and in the name that is our our tags. How grateful and i that this is not my work, but that we get the chance to participate and to help "bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man."

Thanks for praying for me... thanks for all you do! I really feel it's strength and know it has helped sustain and support me through hard times.

I love you guys!

Love,

Sister Meldrum