December 29, 2013

Oh my goodness. Christmas was a good one. Skyping family was the best thing ever and I really loved seeing everyone's faces and getting to talk to them more. It was hard to be away from home but so worth it to see family for the little time that I had. One thing that i learned this past christmas is that it is all about christ.We have this holiday because of him and his birth. The spirit was chirstmas should be with us always. But we should drop the mas and then it becomes the spirit of christ. When we have this spirit with us we are striving to always remember him and so our best to come closer to him. By doing this we are happier and can love those around us with an open heart and love them as christ would love them. We should strive to always look for him, "Wise men still seek him". Be that wise man today and still seek for the love and light of christ. 

So funny story. there are lizards everywhere here. In tagalog lizard is butiki. We taught two lessons and at each lesson a lizard fell from the ceiling and landed on my companions lap. 2 different times!!!!!! Hahahahaha it was so funny. 

We have this one investigator who is in love with me, he is like 42. He always stares are me when we teach even if i am not talking. He has given us food every time we see him. He gave us a whole little chicken one night, and mangos the other time we taught him. Man I am just so white here, everyone loves me. Sometimes it makes me uncomfortable. I suppose I just have to get used to it.

i has my first baptism on Sunday for a sister names Dolores. It was such a great experience and I look forward to more to come. 

I got really sick for two days. My stomach hurt really bad and I think it was from the chicken one of our investigators gave me. But we has a lot of work to do. So we went out. I witnessed a miracle. the times that we were teaching up until we came home, I did not feel sick at all. The lord was able to bless me as I went about doing his work and I know that that was a blessing from him. That was a miracle because I really felt aweful. But the lord loves his missionaries and will provide a way. 

One last story to close my email. We meet an investigator names ningning. Her sister is a member and is visiting from texas. She is not a member but has been coming to church for 3 sundays now with her sister. She tells us that she is trying to find the truth and when we teach her she loves what we have to say. She tells us that when she goes to church she is not bored and loves hearing about the gospel, especially that our families can be together forever. All she wants is to knowthe truth so when we talked to her about Joseph Smith, that testified to her that she can know for herself too. We love her already and we extended a baptism invite to her for Feb 8th. We hope and pray for her that she ill be ready. 

i am loving my mission. My companions are the best and I love my area. Thank you for all the love and support!!! Mahal ko kayo!! Love you!

Sister Hopkins

Pictures: One is of Sister dolores' baptism, my very first fresh mango.

December 22, 2013

I am in the Philippines!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!It is so crazy to actually be here. The flight all together was about 20 ish hours give or take an hour. We finally got to the mission home where I received my companion. Her name is sister Feinga and she is from Tonga. I am excited to serve with her. I am still trying to get used to everyone looking at me, the white girl. I guess i didn't actually know how white I was until coming here. They all look at me, ALL THE TIME!!! They all say hey its the white girl, she is so pretty. I still have to get used to that because it is so weird. I am the only white person in my area. 

I want to share one thing that I am starting to learn about and that is humility. there was one day we taught 2 lessons on the floor. One of those lessons was on the floor and in the dark. Another sister we visited had cockroaches running across her floor and a mouse chilling on her stove and it didn't bother her. these people have nothing, really, nothing. But yet they are so happy to have us share the gospel with them. I have so much to learn. They are so humble and I need to strive to be more like that. We should be grateful for the little things that we have that dont seem like much. We should be grateful for warm water, for ac, for a home cooked meal. I know i am grateful for a washing machine. I washed my clothes my hand this morning and rubbed me fingers raw. I have so much in my life and I need to be more grateful for that. 

I love you all and merry Christmas. I hope this year we can all remember why we have Christmas. 

December 14, 2013

Kamusta Nanay!!!! and Pamilya Ko!!

How is everything at home? That is so crazy that Ty and Tasi will be moving soon. I loved having them in Boise for 6 months. I miss them and I miss you all sooooo much! Whenever I eat donuts I think of Brynlee and how much she loves donuts. My donut addiction is bad. I have one every morning with my breakfast, ya I may have a few pounds more on me. But hopefully I will lose it when i get to the 'pines in 2 days!!!@!@!@!@!!!! WHAT?? I can not believe how fast that came by. I am really excited but also scared and that is ok. I look forward to it though. So sunday night we may or may not be getting any sleep. I will probably call home around 7 in the morning or when I land in Detroit. Just be ready for the call I suppose. Im not sure when and yes I did get the phone card. 

We had our last class with our teachers and I am so sad to be leaving them. they have taught me a lot about what It takes to be a good missionary and have helped me alot with my Tagalog. I still struggle but that is expected, I mean i have only been speaking this language for a month and a half. I know I can get it and I will with the help of the Lord. I love our teachers though and will be sad to not see them everyday. They mean a lot to me. 

I have some experiences that have built my testimony in the last week. We got new sisters and they are just the best. As Sister training leader we really look out for them and learn to love them. One night we had one sister who didn't seem okay. We pulled her out to talk to her and see if we could help her. She started to shake, hyperventilate and before we knew it she was having a panic attack.She curled up in a ball and was shaking and I felt so helpless.I started to cry because I want to help her but didn't know how.  We were so scared but the spirit told me to go get our zone leaders. We went into one room to say a prayer for this sweet sisters and we knew what to do after. The elder's gave her a blessing as we got the on call nurse. As soon as she was given the blessing she stopped shaking and was able to calm down. This was a dramatic experience for not just her but for us as well. My comp and I just hugged each other and cried and the elders went into another room before going back to class. this sister is doing so great now. This was a miracle. The priesthood power that Elders hold is so so real and it is the power of God. That was a miracle that that sister was able to feel peace and be calmed by Heavenly Father through these humble Elders. I learned a great lesson. We must be worthy to receive promptings from the spirit. Had i not already been following the spirit and being worthy to receive those promptings, I don't know what we would have done. We MUST act on promptings from the spirit, but we must also be worthy to receive them from the spirit because we may miss out on an opportunity to receive a prompting to help someone who really needs it. That was a miracle. Miracles happen here everyday. I have seen them. 

Tuesday night, Elder Cook of the 12 apostles came to talk to us about our missions and our mission calls. He said something that was very profound that has stuck with me ever since: You are called to your specific mission because you are the only one who will be able to help certain people. The lord knows I can do this and is preparing families to hear the gospel from me, Sister Hopkins. That is powerful to me. He also read a quote from President Hinckley " Tell the missionaries if they have more faith, they will have more success." I need to have great faith and I will be able to find people and I will see miracles. It was a very good talk. 

Thursday we got to skype again with some member sisters living in the Philippines. They are so cute and have such great strength. 

Thank you mom for the two packages. Also Thank you aunt kim for your package as well. I loved it. 

I know that the church is true with all my heart and soul. If I didn't I would not have come out on my mission. I can not wait to share this message of Jesus Christ with the people of the philippines. I know that god lives and that Jesus Christ is the Savior of the World. With Christmas approaching we have him in our thoughts more. But we should have him in our thoughts always, not just the month of December. There is a quote that I love that says "wise men still seek him." Are you that wise man? Strive always to come to him and seek him everyday to help you in your trials. I promise that when we embrace the Savior and welcome him into our lives, we will be happy and our lives will be greatly blessed. I know that the Book of Mormon is the word of God. 

I know it, I live it, I love it. 

I love you all! Mahal Ko Kayo!!

Sister Megan Hopkins

December 7, 2013

How are you all doing? I have had a pretty crazy week. First my kasama and I have been called to be sister training leaders!!!! We serve along side the zone leaders. We serve the sisters and help them with anything they need. If they need to talk or cry we are the ones to step in and help. It has been a blessing to serve the sisters around us. We really love the calling and continue to develop more in our calling before we leave. 

I got to help host new missionaries that arrive hear in Wednesday. We helped them get out of the car as they were dropped by and then showed them around, help them check in, and find their rooms for their stay here at the MTC. It was a very sweet opportunity to help the new sisters with emotions from yes I am excited to do i really want to be here. We also get to host this next Wednesday which will be so great. 

My kasama and I have an experience this week that bore testimony to us that we are in tune with the spirit. We went to go teach Jerry as as soon as he opened the door and we came in we knew that something was wrong. We had planned to teach him the word of wisdom but the spirit told both of us that we were not going to teach him today. He said he felt sick and was swaying back and forth. We left a scripture and left. Jerry was drunk (not really because he was our teacher). there was no way we were going to be able to teach him because the spirit would have not been able to testify to him the truth of our message. 

FLIGHT PLANS!!!!! We got our flight plans Friday. We have to be to the MTC travel office at 4:30am on December 16th. We fly from SLC to Detroit, MI and the we fly strait to Manila. We are supposed to arrive in Manila at 12:15 am on December 16th. So this year I will not experience December 17th. I am super excited but also kind of nervous. The time is just about here though. CRAZY!!!! But ready or not it is coming. 

Every Tuesday evening we have devotional. This last tuesday Elder Ballard was supposed to come and talk to us but couldnt because of the snow that came that day. So instead Elder Hafen talked to us and it was amazing. He talked to us about the power from the temple and how that will help us on our missions. He explained that when we come home we will take off our name tags but not our garments. When we come home we wont have the help that missionaries have but we will still have power because of what we have done in the temple. We will still have power. He also promised us that when we serve and we feel that we can't go anymore, angels will help us. It is so important that we don't give up, but rather do all we can to be the best we can be. 

I am so grateful to be here on my mission. 

Ipinakita po ng Diyos ang tamang daan sa atin sa pamamagitan ni Jesucristo. He is the only way we can return to the father and receive buhay na walang hanggang. I know that God lives and that he loves us so much. He is so mindful of each and everyone of us and what we need Alma 26:37. 

"Come unto Christ and be perfected in him"

I Love you all so so much! Mahal ko Kayo!!!!!!!

Sister Megan Hopkins 

November 30, 2013

Service Projects on Thanksgiving!!

http://www.deseretnews.com/article/865591538/MTC-missionaries-find-charity-service-in-lentils-and-rice-on-Thanksgiving-Day.html) 

Kamusta!!!!!!!!!!

This week has been one to go down in the books of my mission. One of the best weeks. First last Sunday, my kasama and I taught our district about repentance. The spirit was the real teach and it was cool how that worked. I learned that repentance is a dear dear gift that our Father in Heaven has given to us to help us return to live with him again. Sundays are the bomb here at the MTC! 

Miracles are happening everyday here. One of the miracles that has happened is with our investigator named Jerry. He is a 60 year old man who wants to learn about the church but his wife is not happy and doesn't want him to. We asked him to be baptized but he said he wasn't ready. the next time we went he told us that he loves what we have been teaching him and he committed to go to church on Sunday. So Monday we will follow up and see what he thought about that. It was a miracle thought to see him go from no to wanting to come to church and to learn more. Miracles are still happening all around us. We just have to recognize them.

THANKSGIVING!!!!! So even thought I did miss being with family this year, thanksgiving was probably the best day I have had at the MTC thus far! It was incredible. Elder Russell M. Nelson of the twelve apostles came to talk to us. He talked about things we can to do have a successful mission and be a better missionary. It was also nice to have him say that All the apostles  and the first presidency pray for us daily. They really do love us missionaries. Next was our service project. We packaged meals for children in Utah who don't have food or go without meals. In the span of 3 hours, the missionaries here at the MTC packaged over 300,000 meals for the children of Utah. Pretty amazing huh? Later that night there was a skit about the first thanksgiving and we then watched Ephriam's Rescue. If you haven't seen it, you should. It is a good movie. Such a great day of gratitude and time to reflect on things that I am so thankful for. I and so grateful for family and friends that support me and pray for me. i love you all. I am so grateful to be out here on my mission and can't wait to go to the Philippines, only 2 more weeks!!!!! 

We have the older district leaving this monday and that will be really sad because we all are really close. It is as if we are a giant family, that is how close we have gotten. But I look forward to seeing them do great things in the Philippines. 

If I could give you all some advice it would be to pray. Sometimes we may feel that God doesn't hear us or answer our prayers but he does. A sister in my district said this about prayer " We communicate with god through sincerity, and he communicates with us through stillness". Sometimes we are always going going going, but take the time to slow down, ponder, and pray. He will hear you and help you with anything. His hand is reached out towards you, all we have to do is grab it.

I love you all so much and pray for you all. Don't ever forget that you are a child of God!!!! Mahal ko Kayo!!!!!!! Only 2 more weeks!!!!!!!

Love, Sister Hopkins 

November 23, 2013

IFAMILY!!!!!!                                                                                                                                                                                     

MAHAL KO KAYO!!! I love you all so very much. 

Mom, thank you for sending that package. It is ok that it took a while, at least it got done. I look forward to your package. I would love some family pictures and anything that you want to send me. Just something that shows you love me. That is all I need :) Mom, do you remember those sister I met at the temple after one of our sessions? One of them is in my zone, her name is sister Davis and she is so great. She has become a really great friend of mine. 

Just to clear things up, my area in the Philippines was not severely hit by the giant storm. But it has humbled the hearts of the filipinos. I noticed before I left that a lot of missionaries were being called to the Philippines and I didn't know why. but I do know now. they need so much love and service to help them heal and get over this trial that has come in their lives. I am so grateful that I can be one of those missionaries to help build up the Philippines again with hope and a love for God. 

I have been in the MTC for almost 3 weeks!! It really has gone by fast. The districts ahead of us have already gotten their flight plans so that means we are the next ones to get our flight plans!!!!!! I can not wait to get to the Philippines! I am so excited to be there for Christmas! 

Last Sunday at devo we had an amazing speaker, her name is Mary ellen Edmunds. she was soooooo funny. She has us laughing like the whole time. But there was one thing that she said that really stuck out to me about her mission. She said that the first little bit she was discouraged and wanted to go home. but she stuck it out. So instead of having 15 pages in her mission journal she had over 200 pages. she said she learned so much and wouldnt trade it for the world. I think when things get hard every missionary thinks about going home for a split second. But I dont want to just has 15 pages, I want over 200 of helping others come to christ, of seeing miracles, of seeing my own miracle of my own conversion. 

I want to pose a question, what is the reason the 1st presidency came out with preach my gospel? To better help the investigators? Because it was inspired? Yes to all, but the main reason is to convert us as missionaries and keep us converted. Too many times missionaries have come home and not wanted to go to church anymore. the only success that really matters on your mission is your own conversion as a missionary. I had a testimony before I left, but I am starting to see my conversion, I am started to see me align my life with the will  of the lord. It is incredible to see. My prayers are so sincere and more personal than ever before, as well as my scripture study. I am not fully there, but it is not expected of me. The only thing the lord expects of us is that we do our best. This place is a place of miracle and I have seen  many miracles happen in class and all around me. 

If any of you have ever had doubts or doubt now about the gospel or about god not loving you, I would invite you to pray with a sincere heart really wanting to know and along with that I would invite you to pick up your book of mormon and read from the pages. I feel so much love as I read. Just start from the beginning with Lehi and his family. those first 3 chapters can relate to anyone at anytime in their life. 

THE LANGUAGE IS STARTING TO COME!!!! Not all of it yet, but I know it will come. I love you all so much. Thank you for your loving and your prayers. I feel them everyday!

ALAM KO PO NA SIMBAHAN NI JESUCRISTO!!!!! I know this church is true :) 

Love, Sister Hopkins 

November 16, 2013

Elder Kelton Jenkins & Sister Hopkins! These 2 have been friends since the 7th grade! 

Here is a new letter from Sister Hopkins!

This week was so rough for me.  So we are learning tagalog and we have class twice a day for 3 hours each...so not my way to spend a day but that is ok. There are others in my district that are getting a really good hang of the language but so far that is no me. I get so frustrated when I want to say something sa tagalog pero I dont know how to say it. In class one morning, Brother Nordstrom could tell that I was having a really hard time with my myself and the language. He flipped to a scripture in D&C 1: 19-23. this is about how weak things can become stronger. I started to tear up and the spirit testified to me that I could do this. I may be weak but I am progressing so much. If you cant understand my emails im sorry because it is hard to speak english without a little bit a tagalog. I am grateful that I have a teacher who is intune with the spirit and can help me to reach my potential and become a great missionary. 

i am so happy that Brooke is doing good! I wrote her a letter and I hope she got it. REPLY SOOON BROOKE!!!

If anything i have learned this week that the lord knows who I am. Tuesday nights devotions we got to learn from Elder L. Tom Perry. He spoke about the Philippines and what is going on over there. she told us a story about 20 missionaries and a young stake president. the stake president wanted to get his missionaries to safety so he got tickets for all of them. when they got to the airport, they were not able to get on the plane because people want to get out of there so they pay loads of money to get to safety. so the missionaries were at the airport along wondering what to do. A moment later, a filipino pilot asked if they were missionaries. They in turn said yes and willing the pilot took 3 trips on a small jet to fly the misionaries to manila in safety. Talk about a miracle. The lord is so mindful of us. I can see that in the short time I had been here that I have been blessed to see miracles. Miracles in teaching, in speaking, and through prayer. If I could leave you with anything for this week it would be that God hears and does answer our prayers. If we ask with sincerity and a wanting to seek for help, the lord is willing to help us and bless us. we only need to ask. I love the MTC and this is such a place of spirit and love. 

So the food is ok...it does weird things to you..that is all I will say about that. 

In class we learned how to teach the first lesson and that any need that an investigator has can be taught through the first lesson. the principles are:

1. God is our loving heavenly Father

2. God blesses families

3. Gospel in every dispensation

4. the Savior's ministry and atonement

5. The apostasy

6. the restoration

7. The book of mormon 

8. We can pray to know for ourselves. 

If we apply these to anything we are going through, we can find hope and peace. Kind of cool to think about, we can teach prayer with all these and we can teach love of god through all of these. 

I hope all is well with everyone. I hope to hear from more family soon because I love and miss them. You are all in my prayers. And I can feel prayers being sent my way. I love being a missionary and I couldn't be in a better place. 

I love you all! Mahal Kita!!! Until next week. 

Love, sister hopkins

Work of the week: Kapayapaan. this means peace sa Tagalog :) 

The First of Many To Come...

Kamusta!!!! 

I knew that a mission would be way hard and all my friends told me it would be the hardest thing that I would ever do. I didn't realize how hard it actually is the be a missionary. It is the best calling to have but also the hardest. The first day we got here I got my first kasama(companion) Sister Calder. The moment she walked in the room, I felt so much love for her. It was a weird feeling. It was weird to have a companion at first but now we feel so weird if not with each other. she is from Utah and is a 19 year old missionary. Most of the missionaries here are that age. Our first night we taught an investigator names Sarah in a large group of new missionaries. She couldn't understand why if God loved all of us so much that some people had harder lives than others. We were taught to focus on her and what she needed to hear at that time. A lot of elders were telling her sob stories about how hard their lives had been and more talking at her about the gospel instead of what she needed to hear from God. The spirit was so strong and I knew she needed to hear 1Cor 10:13. At the time i didn't know where that was so I turned to my kasama to ask her. She was able to find it, and I took her the bible and asked her to read it. I asked her what that scripture ment to her and she said that god wont give us anything we cant handle and she started to tear up. She loved that and I saw the light in her eyes change from sad about life to hopeful. The spirit was so strong and that was what she needed to hear, I know that, she knew that, and everyone else in the room knew that. That is a a moment I will always cherish. I came out here for those moments and what a blessing it was for me to be there along the way as she comes closer to Christ.

The first day we also were in class learning tagalog. Man is it a weird, hard language to learn. I had no idea what our teacher Brother Nordstrom was saying. But after about 3 hours we were able to say hello, how are you, where are you from, and where you will be serving your mission, and how to reply to those questions. It is not a lot yet but it is more than I came in here with so i will call that a success. The second day was rough and hard to focus. I was really tired and thinking about home and wondering why i was here. Then after a class, I walked out and say Sarah, who we taught the night before. She waved at me with a great smile and I waved back. That was a tender mercy from the lord that I needed to give me strength to get through the day. That day we also learned how to pray in tagalog. Wow, so so cool. I am not very good yet, but I am getting better and can say that I am able to pray in Tagalog with some english along with it. I have been frustrated with the language but I can tell that already I have been blessed with the gift of tongues to learn what I have so far. 

I have seen Elder Jenkins everyday at either lunch or dinner and that has been great. It is fun to chat with him a little each day. And I also see Sister Goates each day(Hannah) which is also a blessing.

Yesterday was the hardest for me. I didn't know what I was here, I wanted to just go home and go back to school. It was rough. But after thinking about it, I can do this. I am supposed to be here at this time going to serve in San Pablo. There is a reason. It may be hard but I keep telling myself that I can do this or I would have been called someplace else. It has been a key thing for me to really rely on Heavenly Father. 

We taught our first tagalog speaking investigator last night. What an experience to teach a lesson in a language you know very very little about. Our lesson was in Tagalish with mostly english. As soon as we went in the room, I forgot all my tagalog because I was so nervous. It was very rough. His name is Ignacio. we taught him about God and that he loves us. we have another appointment with him tonight so hopefully that goes better than last nights. 

Today is pday though and I am so grateful for that. We are going to the temple today at 2 which I really need. 

We meet our branch president the other day, his name is President Howard, he used to be the mission president over the Manila mission. Super cool huh? He is very nice and so is his wife. I look forward to getting to know them better. 

Sometimes life can be hard. I know the last 2 days have been some of the hardest I have ever experienced. But I have really learned the importance of turning to my father in heaven and relying on him and not others. Sure it is good to be there for my kasama and I know she is there for me, but my greatest strength will come from him. He loves me and he loves you. I know this to be true. If we do what he asks of us and rely on the promptings we receive from him, we will be happy and can endure anything that comes our way. The spirit is so real and have felt it so strong here, stronger that I have ever felt him before. I love and and so grateful that I can feeling his presence and love everyday here on my mission because I wouldn't have much of a successful mission with out him. I love my father in heaven and I love my Savior so much. 

Sorry this is so long but there is a lot to tell because I have learned so much each day. Thank you for your love and support. Letters are a good thing too. I hope to get some soon. 

I love you guys soooo much!! You are such great examples to me. I can do hard things and so can you!

 Love, Sister Hopkins

Leaving For 18 Months....

Boise Airport Wednesday, November 7, 2013 5:30 AM. She flew out at 6:30 a.m. to Salt Lake City. 

Officially Sister Megan Hopkins

Megan was set apart as a missionary for The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints on Tuesday, November 5, 2013 by President Andy Scoggin of the Boise Idaho East Stake.

Sister Hopkins' Contact Information

email:  megan.hopkins@myldsmail.net

address:  DEC18 PHI-SAN

                 2007 N 900 E Unit 25

                 Provo, UT 84602    

Anxious....waiting.... & ready to go!!!

Hey! I am Megan's aunt Kylie! I love to blog & love Megan so why not combine the two & blog about Megan & her new adventure!!

I know there are so many people who love & will miss Meg as much as her family will! I am so excited to keep this blog updated & share Megan's adventures in the Philippines! Stay tuned & I will have weekly letters as she starts her mission!

San Pablo Ready or Not...

Sister Megan Hopkins has been called to serve in the Phillipines San Pablo mission. She reports to the Provo MTC on November 6th, 2013! She will prepare to teach the Gospel in the Tagalog language!