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

Family,

I had the opportunity to have Easter dinner with the Dave and Colleen Hunsaker. (my sister Tiffiny's in-laws) It was odd to see pictures of Tiff and Dave and kids on their wall. It would be fun if they were in my immediate area, but they are actually 2 areas away. Colleen said that she would take us to the temple on Tuesday. I told her that if she ever wanted to be a missionary that she could come out with us everyday!!! :)

I heard about Steve's man cave for General Conference. I laughed at the visual of him and Anastasia and Ereland. I wish I could still play the conference bingo games I remember playing as a kid. We made some for the kids we are teaching, hoping that their parents would let them watch conference.

I was able to go to conference!!! It was through miracle tickets we were able to attend the Sunday morning session. It was weird to cross the mission boundary and leave!!! YIKES!!! But we had permission. Next time I have the chance to go it will be my last General Conference before coming home, so I will be able to go with the mission. I will have been able to go to the conference center for each conference while on my mission. HOLLA!!! I love serving in Utah! Sunday morning was such a powerful session. There seemed to be so much testimony of our Savior. It brought a peach and comfort that I was particularly craving. There was so much I needed to hear and I am glad most of our investigators had the chance to listen to it.

Previously, we had been blessed with a lot of baptisms, but now we are in the finding stage.

On a side note, two of the investigators we are teaching decided to buy 50 chickens!!! We are helping them out, and finding others to help them with the up and coming hard work. We also helped a family move. I hate to admit it, but I am thankful for the work I had to do as a kid. It is helpful to know what to do, and just get in a do it without having to wait for someone to come and tell me what to do next.

We are staying really busy and teaching about 20 lessons a week. I continue to miss USU even though the family wards are good.

Things are going well. I love being a missionary! Love ya!

Sister Meldrum

It is SO much warmer outside of Logan!

Hello Family!

Easter? You mean there is a holiday coming up?!?! I lose track of those anymore these days. It is weird being in Syracuse. Families are everywhere! Huge houses! with Yards! and Children! and Old People! I am not at USU anymore!

I am still adjusting, and Syracuse is good, but USU campus was a totally different type of missionary work. I have no IDEA how to be effective now.

So the first day here we had a baptism. It is always fun to see those getting baptized and even though I didn't know the girl getting baptized this time, I am excited to keep teaching her and her mom. I have missed that part of teaching. Teaching families is after all what the gospel is all about.

There is a lot of work to do here. It is hard for me to see it sometimes because of all the baptisms, but we are in the "finding time". It is harder to get out unplanned contacts here too because there are not as many people on the streets as there are on a college campus. We really have to go out of our way to talk to people on the street. But with summer coming up there should be more people outside.

This new library has time limits, so my time is cut short, but I love you all, and I know that God is personally mindful of all of us. I started the Book of Mormon over again and there is such a power in that book. Please, Please never let your testimony of the Book of Mormon become static! In our complacency we will lose the value of the truth that we have! If you have not prayed about it recently, and asked God if it is true then do it! We continue to learn and grow as we do it again and again!

The Oven is on Fire Downstairs!

The day has come when I have to pack up and leave USU. It is absolutely heart breaking. I feel as if there is still so much that I can do here. I am leaving for Syracuse. President Olsen would like to make transfers a "non-event" and wants to keep people in their areas for up to 6 months.

I have been so blessed with wonderful areas so far on my mission that I am a little hesitant about Syracuse. Woods Cross is "Ghetto Fabulous" and USU has kept me on my toes with students everywhere. Syracuse, I anticipate is much slower paced with families in large wards and houses. With the students transferring in from the globe, I will miss the diversity, and the feeling that I am a teaching at the United Nations.

It has been interesting to see how things have changed on my mission. I have realized that I can be pretty ignorant. I thought a one point that I would be done "learning" after 6 months in the field, and could then just "teach" working in a missionary groove, but as I have prayed, and as I have talked to people about this new area I realize that more trials are yet to come. I wonder if I have experienced my hardest moments on my mission or if they are yet to come. These learning experiences are never over.

It is exhausting and pointless to trust only in yourself. We need the Lord. We cannot get though life without Him. How do we get this strength? Easy! He give it to us in blessings as we keep the commandments and follow His words as closely as we can. If life is tough, then it is time to buckle down even more. It is important to kick it up in gear and give more energy to being a disciple of Christ. Have more "mighty" prayers with God (Enos 1:4)! We can only receive blessings based on our ability to keep the commandments...(D&C 130:20-21). Diligence is working hard, giving it your all even when you are tired and all you can think of is going home to take a bubble bath. It is often only as we push that final extra mile, when we do as so many prophets have suggested to "forget about yourself and loose yourself in the work" that we see the blessings of heaven unfold before us.

I have been taught and learned these things before, but only at surface level. Now the Lord is teaching me at a deeper level. A level that will drastically effect my life, perspective and testimony.

Isaiah 64:8 ~"Thou art our father, we are the clay, and thou our potter, and we all are the work of thy hand."

I am in a time of molding and I just have to be malleable enough to allow him to work his magic. It is sometimes hard to be malleable. I am working at it though.....still in this "learning experience".

I am truly enjoying this experience, not just enduring it. I love my mission. I love the growth as difficult as it might be at times. Everyone should serve a mission! It changes lives!

Another one bites the dust!

What did one muffin say to the other muffin?
Muffin One: Its Hot in Here
Muffin Two: WOW- A talking muffin!

Joke of the day! HAHA

We had another baptism! I look up to our investigators. Their desire and dedication is often unparalleled to many others. They are incredible in their desire to do good. This week the sister that was baptized was nervous before the ordinance, but afterwards she was calm and so happy. The spirit was so strong. Her confirmation was amazing as her blessing testified of the impact she will have on her ward and on her family. The gospel truly changes lives!

My perspective on addictions has changed recently. One of our other investigators who has a strong desire to get baptized, is fighting smoking. Smoking is bad news. Seeing her go through something so difficult-- Addictions are powerful. I have been able to see how turning to the Lord has helped her in this daily, and sometimes hourly battle. The Lord is mindful of our struggles.

This week has been difficult. Both Sister Falemoa and I have gotten sick. And that is just plain no fun at all to be stuck inside. It was nice to catch up on some sleep- but I feel like such an apostate missionary for sleeping. I guess we started to look tired and sick though because right in the middle of our stake president interviews he asked us how we were feeling cause we look tired. Not a good sign. :) But it was really nice to see the love and generosity of the stake president because he then asked us when the last time we got a blessing, and when was the last time we put our own names in the temple. I didnt know you could do that- so we told him never, and he immediatly told us that he was calling both the Ogden and Logan temples to put our names in. I wanted to cry because this week has definitely been draining physically, emotionally, and spiritually. His care and thought for us allowed me to feel so much of Gods love.

Because I was sick one of the Elders gave me a blessing. I am so grateful for the priesthood and the power it has to continue to help us in the work. The priesthood power is real, and takes incredible faith to feel that this is truly Gods power used to bless his children. I have been thinking alot about the priesthood- because that is the main concern for one of our investigators. I am learning lots.

Transfers are this next week. Its nice to have another transfer up though because I feel like it is a fresh new start to the work again. Especially because I feel like I have been here for a while. I realize I have been depending on my own strength this transfer which has just made me tired and frustrated. It is when we rely on the Lord that we see miracles and the blessings. Our campanionship can be working so much more effectivley with the Lord leading it, doing it His way. The list of things to work on is endless and we are seeing how we can truly use the atonement in out lives DAILY to become better missionaries and servants in the Lords hands.

I love you all bunches! Hope all is well. Keep at the missionary work! It has such great miracles and blessings behind it!

Sister Meldrum

Life is like a box of chocolates!

We are doing great! We have already bought BAGS of hand-warmers. The good thing about being in Utah is that we teach so much we are not trackting outside hours at a time. It is just running from one apartment to the next. I wear tons of layers! Yoga pants, tights, socks, thermals, sweaters, jackets...etc. I know I look skinner in the summer just because there aren't so many layers!

I really like being honest to my personality while on my mission. Missionaries aren't perfect, and it is exhausting to try to make everything perfect. It is also true that when you put on a "holier than thou" attitude it turns people off and away and they wont listen to anything you have to say. When other people see you as yourself; for example a 21 year old girl who believes in something enough to give her time and energy away, talking to people about her beliefs without pretense or agenda, but just being real, and perhaps a little quirky, people pay attention and listen because they see that if the gospel truly works for her, then it might truly work for me. When people begin to think about if the gospel is true, that gives the spirit a chance to teach and testify. Satan really tries to make us doubt where we came from and the values we have. The Lord lets us see our diving heritage. We often share Jeremiah 1:5. This is where the Lord is calling Jeremiah to be a prophet, and says that He knew him before he was born. I like how it says, "Before I formed thee in the belly, I knew thee." Maybe it is just scripture language, but I was thinking one day that as we pray we use formal language to show respect to the Lord, and the Lord is using that same language as he speaks to us. He loves us and sees us for what we can become.

I am still working hard. I definitely have learned that the Lord expects obedience and then He can show us the blessings. Sometimes it is hard, but it is SO worth it!!!

Love you all bunches! Talk to you soon.

Your not so frozen, still smiling and learning tons missionary.