MTC 4th of July 2013

Happy Fourth of July! Crazy how i've been here for a month! I get my flight plans tomorrow. Stinks that we get them after pday! I'm really going to miss everybody here! They are so much fun! This week has been good overall. Some days are harder than others. It's kinda a roller coaster. Good thing i kind of like roller coasters, huh? The language is coming! Everyday. but its hard at times. All the Konjugations(that's how you might spell it in cebuano) are crazy. I got a letter from Elder Webster! It was funny! Tell, Everybody at the party i say Hi and I love them! Oh and thank you for the package! I LOVE IT! I was craving peanut butter cookies and that is exactly what was on the bottom of the box! Salamat jud kaayo! Oh I've seen Quinn! He told me to tell him Hi. So can you tell him that? i always think of that time we saw him running. Hahahahahahahhahahahahahahah We're still teaching Edeline ug Ruel. Edeline is geting baptized on the 10th. And Ruel finally prayed! He wouldn't pray for the longest time! It's a little hard teaching the same person as the other companionships because sometimes things can get mixed up. Like we thought Edeline's family was in the Philippines and then here and now they are back there and it's just weird. Haha but it's fine. Today we have a little something tonight and then we will watch fireworks from the stadium of fire thing, but we'll probably be behind the MTC. I'm not exactly sure what we will be doing today...haha. the temple is closed so we have like an extra 3 hours so I will write you a letter about when we taught Ruel. It was kinda crazy. And we won't be cleaning the temple as of now. The devotionals are AMAZING! On Matthew O Richardson, second counselor in the general sunday school presidency, It was great! He talked about being a REAL missionary. He also spoke about "What e'er thou art, act thy part" and that stone thing. Ya know what i'm talking about? Well the pictures on the stone are numbers and the numbers across, down, and diagnoly equal 18. If one of the numbers didn't act their part, they wouldnt equal 18. It's like us. We need to act our part so everything can come together how it's suppose to. Sister Nielson in my district said something about how we're like puzzle pieces. We're the missing piece. Well, the Gospel is. And we have found that piece and we are bringing it to the people of the Philippines to complete their puzzle. It was really good. On Sunday we listen to....wait for it...Sheri Dew! It was amazing too! I was reading the end of Alma this week. I never realized how great those chapters are! I just had to keep reading! Haha dili maayo to run into people and that pastilan iro (dog)! Haha you're funny! And you know how you had goals with Jacob? Set some for when I get home and then you show me up and teach me everything and we can do more races together! :) Kevbot is home?? How cool! When does Elder Wells? Boys. Haha you should have gone to the mountains. Kyle Terry? My best friend! Haha joke lang. Tell Kristie and Sandeep thank you! and tell them Hi! And all your funny friends at work! I hope i eat food like that! Did you like the fish? THat's a little sketchy. Haha Nahigugma ko nimo! That's really how you say I love you! Love, Sister Sawyer

MTC June 27 13

Hey Willis! It's crazy that I've already been here for 3 weeks! Time has flown! The days are slower, but the weeks sure fly! I'm so thankful for this opportunity! I can't believe that I'll be leaving for the Philippines really soon! I feel like there is still wayyy to much to learn, but I know that I can do it! It'll be hard, but so worth it! In my PMG there was a picture of Christ that says something like "I never said it would be easy, but it'll be worth it" or something like that. And sometimes it will just fall out and then I am reminded of why I am here. When I get frustrated because I can't say the things I want to say or I don't know as much as my companion, I just have to remember that and that I can get through the tough times. Hulat (wait). You didn't get my first letter? What the HECK YO? Sister Bateman arrived on the same day and she's going to the same mission. My whole district and many in my zone are going to Cebu. There are a few going to Tacloban. The broadcast. That was just great. I was on the other side of the aisle from Kierst. Same row just other side. They didn't show much of my section. During called to serve they just showed Elders. Poop. But that's ok. It was cool to be able to 'sing' well a little real singing except when it was flippin' high in a meeting like that. When the 12, well 11 of the 12 Apostles, walked in the Spirit in the room changed. It was AMAZING! We were told President Monson would be there. but he wasn't....when we were practicing some guy came and talked to us and thanked us and blah...he said something about security. They were checking every seat with a flashlight, but I don't know what was going on. It made me think of how I could have been a better friend and talked to more people about the church. I was always scared. My teacher said that every little encounter with the gospel is a way that God shows his love for his children. We don't have to baptize them, but that seed that you plant will grow. I thought that was pretty cool. The mission presidents have been here and the general authorities too, so we have been eating in the gym for a week and they have curtains on the doors to 1M so we can't see in. Hahah it's pretty funny. Thank you for the packages!!!!!!!!!!!! YUMMY! I shared with Kierstin! And she came to my room last night so I gave her the photobook! Thank you for sending it! She loved it! Man. THose cookies are just the best thing ever! The chocolate was a little melted, ok a lot, but I put it on the air thing in our room cuz it's always freezing in there and they should be good to go! And the crocs. Thank you! They stay on my feet and my feet feel better. Seriously the best package ever. Has Haley came and gotten Brooke's book on my dresser? Jacob. Hahah glad he was able to catch the next day! He emailed me and he had some great words of wisdom. I print out the emails so I can have more time to write emails and I need to print his out. It didn't make the morning cut, so if I remember next week. It was really good and I want to tape it on the inside of my notebook where I put my good quotes and such. Hayden is just great. It is great to see all the worthy young men who hold the priesthood here. There has been a sickness going around and these 2 sisters in my District asked for blessings and the Elders just hopped up. They didn't even think twice about being worthy. Well, I don't think so since they are here. Ha I bet Aunt Suzi and Uncle Jess's talks were just the best! Wish i could have been there! Hello to them, Auntie Jo, Pa and Mommy na and everybody else! Grandma's and Grandpa's quarters=happiness. Well, I love you! The computers in the laundry room were full and I can't figure out the pictures in here, so I'll try to send pictures! Love you! Love, Sister Sawyer

Second Letter MTC June 20 13

Hey Mom! This week was great! Edeline is our other teacher! She is from Gilbert too. She went to Gilbert though. BOO! She says she knows Tanner. Her name is Claire Brinton, well now Ormsby because she just got married. She is just amazing! I love both of my teachers. I heard that you like one and not the other, but both are just great! We have been doing the usual. Wake up, get ready, personal study, eat, class, eat, class, eat, gym, bed. Sometime in there we go to the CR. Oh did you guys get my letters? I sent dad a happy fathers day letter, i hope he got it! How was father's day? I hope it was great and dad didnt have to work. We went to devo and the speaker said that our father's miss us, but they wouldnt want us anywhere else. It was nice to hear that because i wanted to be able to tell him in person, but i know this is where im suppose to be and this is part of Heavenly Father's plan for me. When I have doubts I just remember my patrachle blessing and then everything is better. Cebuano is really coming! We SYL more and it really helps! Sometimes it's frustrating not being able to what you really want to say. Especially in lessons. I can understand more that i can speak. It's just a weird language. Sometimes in the Philippines they will say pwede magshare sa mensahe which is can we share a message or they will say magpaambit which is the real word, but some of them dont know it...haha it's kinda funny! Please keep sending Dear Elders! It seriously is the highlight of my day! I just got one! Oh. Jared. Poor Jared. Is he gonna be alright? Haha is it like ON his butt or just near? How embarrassing. Haha I almost died laughing when i read that! The sisters wanted to know what was going on, but i couldn't tell them. You're Welcome Jared! :) I saw Elder Webster's cousin! Elder Flake. It was crazy. I met this Elder at the airport while we were both waiting for our people, Elder Courdier, and then we kept seeing each other around and saying hi. At gym he came up to me and said someone in his district thinks they know me and he said Elder Flake's name, but it didnt sound like flake, so i said i dont think i know anybody by that name. And then there was Elder Flake asking if I knew Camron Webster and before he could get his name out i remembered him. It was cool. I got Camron's address from him, so i can actually send him a letter. He just left Monday for New Hampshire and Elder Courdier left Tuesday for SLC. Both English speaking. No eggs...Pastilan!(dang) THanks for the picture of Bob and you and hope! Poor little Hope. I miss her. Haha Jagi? What the Heck!!! He was my favorite cat. Sorry to Kristie and Sandeep. Why in the world did jared go to a kesha concert? hahahahahah that is hilarious! did he get front row tickets? Im so glad Jacob is going to Peru!!! Tell him to send me pictures! Shots. Haha sucker. Did he grow out his beard? Did they take pictures? Ha and i do the hand thing. I have to quit it. And the Elders call me the "baby" cuz i look like one, but i really dont. And Elder Ferris says i have huge hands. My comp and i have the same size. My fingers are just long. JERKS. MOM! How was camp???????????? I bet Sis Lutes was fun! ANything crazy happen? I see Elder Wells all the time, and Elder Sellars is in the same building as me, but he leaves Monday. He's so nice and funny. I see Elder Jensen and Elder Christiansen too. And siempre (of course) Hermana CARR!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Little black clips for my hair? My hair breaks really easy in hair ties.and the clear skin is on my dresser. unless i brought it and forgot where i put it in my suitcase. i didnt pull everything out. And crocs. Whatever you feel would be good! I just dont know. Haha. Well, I need to move the laundry and i'll decide what pictures to send. Love you!! Sister Sawyer

First letter in the MTC June 16 2013

Did you guys not get my letter? I sent it last week...it should have gotten to you! I love your dear elders! keep sending them! I love to read them and get mail! it makes me sad when someone doesn'

t have a letter and the rest do. I'm doing laundry right now. its pretty weird. I forgot my quarters today, but next thursday. Haha i wrote grandma and grandpa a letter. I just need to send it along with another one for you guys. The first few days were slow. sitting that long was not very fun. But now, its a lot better! once sunday came, it went pretty fast! HOORAY! The Cebuano is coming along quite nicely. Sometimes it is frustrating, but then its alright. We had to teach our first investigator last friday....wait for it....in CEBUANO! What the heck? it was supper humbling. Oh and im not worrying about spelling...i have to get everything out. Hahah so please excuse it. It is so hard to communicate what we want with Edeline because we can't speak the language very well yet, but we usually can kinda get it out what we want. Many hand signals. haha we were trying to teach her how to pray and we just told her to follow us so we got on the ground and it was hilarious. we teach Edaline in a little room in which ever building she is in that day. We think she is our other teacher, but we'll find out today. some of her pictures are on a shelf so we kinda figure its her. Our other teacher is Bro Pasikala. he's pretty funny! Ask Jacob where Sterling is! I've been looking for him! Thank you for the crocs! Everybody wears them and my shoes are a little big when i put those socks on. I cant walk. haha i look so stupid! I can bear my testimony and pray. we have to bear our testimonies 10 times a day. we have learned so much i feel that i have been her for weeks! but it has only been one. if we weren't doing the Lord's work, this would not be possible. The church is so true!!!!! The food is pretty good. I've never had so much in my entire life! the meals are big too. I have to work on not eating it all...haha it is just so good! KIERSTIN!!!!! I see here ALL the time! I saw Kelsey, Sister Foutz, in the bathroom and she said Kierstin is just on the 3rd floor so we ran upstairs and surprised her! It was AMAZING! We are at the main mtc. and Grant, and Jackson, and i guess Rylie and Tyler too. I haven't seen the last two yet. I'm keeping my eyes open. oh. real quick. Watch the Braodcast on Tuesday. I'll be "singing" in it. No big deal or anything. And we went to the Mariott center for devotional on Tuesday. It was the first time ever. historic. Ive been scoping out the place for Aunt Suzi and Uncle Jesse. I have lunch around 1:10, I think, I'll let you know when it gets closer, and the map is right outside the cafeteria. i have seen a few couple missionaries and i always think of them and can't wait to see them here! My companion is Sister Bateman. She's from Idaho. (you da ho). She's nice and fun! sometimes crazy, but hey, its alright. more in my letter. hahahahahah E my district is pretty amazing too. we only have one set of elders. elder hatch and Ferris. elder hatch is from Utah, and Elder Ferris from new Zealand. pretty sick accent. there are 8 sisters. and 6 of them are in my room. including me. What else do you want to know about? I feel like i am just rambling on and on. i'll try to send pictures. i had to get a sd reader at the book store. oh and will you send my crocs? The one with holes in the heals, everybody has them. haha. and im glad i have many shirts! I thought i had a lot, but i really don't. so if you happen to find any or any cute skirts, send them my way with some cookies! We get to go to the temple later! I'm excited! Oh and one of Camron Webster's cousins is here! Elder Flake. It was funny. I met this Elder at the airport while we both were waiting for our people, and i saw him again at gym and said someone in my district thinks he knows you. It was kinda weird and then he asked if i knew Camron and as he was saying that I remembered him! It was funny. Now i see them all the time. How is everything there going?? Love ya! Sister Sawyer I dont have a name anymore...haha it's weird.

Getting ready to go

Sister Meagan Sawyer was set apart on June 4, 2013 as a Sister Missionary to serve in the Phillipines Cebu Mission by President Merrill. The next morning, Sister Sawyer headed to the Provo Missionary Training Center.

Happy New Year from Cebu!

Happy New Year from Sister Sawyer in Cebu! Hi Mom! Happy New Year!!!!!!! We went to Toledo last night and watched Monsters University and some of Wreck it Ralph. Before we got there we had 2 lunch appointments. My word! I can't eat anymore! Nanay Ponteras, our mother here, said she wouldn't let us go to Toledo on an empty stomach. We told her that we were eating at the Ginigans before and there was going to be pizza in Toledo, but no. She wouldn't take it. We can't refuse because it is really rude, so we had to stomach it all. It was painful. But she is very kind. Oh at the ginigans we ate goat. It's pretty good. Then we went to Toledo. We even had a gift exchange. I got the catholic picture thing that changes pictures when you move it. It's pretty great. Maybe I'll bring it home. Hahah the Elders who brought the catholic things for their gifts thought they were so funny. Hahaha it was a good time. Then we spent the night with Sister Lupien and Sister Bingham. We didn't have a morning schedule...we could wake up whenever we wanted. I woke up at 630. Then tried to fall back asleep till 8. Then we came home and dropped our stuff off and came to email. Not a fan of the whole no morning schedule...haha Funny Story. We were sitting there watching the movie and all of a sudden our ZL, Elder Blount, starts doing a dance and steps on something. There was a cockroach in his pants!!! He had on his pj pants and ripped the side open cuz it was in there! It was so funny and gross! It was a huge one too! So, the baptisms! We asked Cherry who she wanted to baptize her and she was so excited that she got to choose. She asked if Elder Somerfeldt would. Elder Cube baptized May Ann. The spirit was very strong. Cherry's husband came and began to cry. He wants to get baptized as well. We have tried to set a date with him, but is struggling with the word of wisdom. He has quit smoking, but still drinks on occasion. He did not tell us that until a few nights ago...pastilan! But we know he can do it. We always tell him to ask for help from Heavenly Father. Our Father in Heaven always wants to help us. We need to humble ourselves and ask for his help. They read the Book of Mormon and the Liahonas that we have given them. They are an amazing family! How much does it cost to come to the Philippines? We set another baptismal date with Romio Labastida. The man that just showed up to church 3 weeks after we invited him on the street. January 25th, but one of our branch missionaries told us that he was smoking. What in the world Romio? He, or his relative, has a caribou...they said we can sit on it! I have been dying to sit on one! Hahaha so one of these days we are going to go sit on it. We'll make one of them sit on it first just to make sure it won't start running or doing anything crazy. Don't worry we'll pray before! ha So, Sister Hutchings and I are staying here another transfer! We were a little surprised we stayed together since she is done with the 12 weeks program, but we are excited to continue serving together. What a great opportunity it is to open the new year on a mission. I wouldn't rather be anywhere else. This is one of the hardest things I have every done, but one of the best things. I have come closer to my Father in Heaven and Savior. I love to see other people come closer to their Father in Heaven and Savior too. It is just amazing to see the change in people's lives. At the talent show. Elder Uata and I were the judges for some dumb thing we did. Oh kiki! How is the party at Bev's? I asked her what they are doing in Philippines-People were out drinking and singing. Now it is raining and they are all hiding from the rain or sleeping their hang overs off. Haha There were quite a bit! Not too many though. People don't have money to buy them. One member told us that it use to be crazy, but now walay cuarta. They don't like the rain. Even the littlest sprinkle. It is pretty funny. They always say "Ulan sisters!" It's funny. Sometimes I just want to say Mao diay or claro lang, but I don't. It is funny. On Monday it poured too. We had to walk to the dock where the jeepney for balamban was in the rain. We were SOAKED! I hope you have a great week and a Happy New Year!!!!!! Don't get caught doing fireworks! Love you and have fun! I like walking better. Haha I think rainy is till February, apan ambot! Love you so much mom! See you next week! Love, Sister Sawyer