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