Hello Everyone -
Things are going great. President Mecham has been here
and he brings such a wonderful spirit with him.
Dad
Sounds like you had an exciting week. There seems to be a
lot of changes to the wards over there. That is really crazy. I am really glad
that you are enjoying teaching seminary. Teaching people is so much fun.
Question 1: If we were able to
see you today, what do you think would be the most notable change in yourself?
Answer: I have no idea. I am not sure how I am
changing, or how i was before I left. The changes are just a part of me, and I
am not sure what life was before the different changes. I guess it would be
just how excited I am about this gospel. I don't think I every
understood it like I do now. It all makes sense now, and it exciting.
Question 2: If you had a chance to go back
in time and learn the piano, would you and why?
Answer: Yes. I would, i wish that I had
been more diligent in learning the piano. Music is such a big part of bring the
spirit in during meetings, and I could play the piano in the Colonia branch,
but in Thool the piano is no good. But I can feel a difference between a cd
playing and a person playing.
Question 3: What has changed most in your teaching practices today,
compared to when you first got to the island?
Answer:
How bold I am in my teaching. At first I was shy, now I am not.
Question 4:
How many lessons did you get to teach this week? And how many with member’s
present. Was there an especially memorable teaching moment?
Answer: 23 lessons and 6 member presents. We were
teaching a family. The wife has been struggling ever since the ***** of God
people went and talked to her. It is the same time I was called an anti-christ.
We prepared a good lesson on burdens and trials, and how they help us. It was a
great lesson. She is doing a lot better now, and I know now, that she still
believes.
Question 5: You often speak about going into
the jungle and villages to find people.
What makes it so hard to find someone since the island is relatively
small?
Answer: Well, everyone is spread out,
and sometimes you walk down a path, and no one lives there, other times there
are a lot of people there, even when you find people, you still have to find
the people the Lord has been preparing. So… you sort through a lot of stuff.
Question 6:
You often speak about how much you love the people and the culture. I know that
missionaries love their areas because of the service they get to render. And
when you serve someone, you end up loving them.
Is it more than that?
Answer: I feel like it is. I feel like I have a
special connection with the people here. I am not sure how, my guess would be
that I already had a love 4 years before I was able to go here. [ Note:
Missionaries do not pick –or even ask-- where they serve in the world. They get
assigned by a member of the Quorum of the Twelve Apostles. When Johnny was 15 years old, he fell in love
with the Yapese copy of the Book of Mormon and had been telling family/friends
that is where he would love to go. To Yap Island. ]
Question 7: If you could pick any topic to teach on during a Stake
Conference, what would it be if you had the chance to decide? And why?
Answer: Member missionary work, and how it is
supposed to work. Suggestions on how to make it work and helping the member’s
really understand what their role is as a member missionary. I don't think I
understood when I was home. I would want this because people get baptized
through members. If I didn't understand it when I was home, I bet most people
don't understand. Perhaps return missionaries, and they could have forgotten.
When people go fishing here they go to where the birds are because that is
where the fish are. Well, for missionary work, we(missionaries-fishermen) go to
the the member’s (birds) to baptize people (fish).
Mom
Tell Melanie congrats for me. She is going to love
serving the Lord. Sounds like this youth thing was awesome. Grandma wrote a
letter and said it was going to happen. I got it yesterday. Sounds like you and
dad really enjoyed it though.
Question 8: Do you wear any shoes besides Crocs? What do the other missionaries wear? How about the Yapese? Are your Croc's holding up?
Answer: Only
crocs. Most of the missionaries wear crocs. The Yapese wear sandals. They are
flip flops.
Question 9: Tell me
about church. How many people were there
- what did you do?
Answer: We had
27people!!!!!!! It was great. I taught the youth Sunday school class.
Question 10: Are you using the Philippine's Temple pictures we sent? If so, give an example.
Answer: Yes. We talk and teach about the temple. I
show a picture. I give them one if they want. Also to all those planning on going
to the temple this year, I have given a picture to them.
Question 11: I
think President Mecham is visiting Yap - what is different about your days when
he visits? Did he give you any specific
counsel?
Answer: We just have meetings with him all day Monday.
Then Tuesday is p-day, and then he leaves that night. Advice this time was to
work with the branch council meetings… that we don't have yet, and talk about how
to help our investigators. So we are going to start encouraging the branch
council meetings.
Question 12: Is there any news in the mission? How many missionaries are serving in the
Micronesia Mission now? How many when
you went out?
Answer: Phonepi has 1,900 and is going
to petition for a stake. If they get a stake, we could get a temple. In August
we baptized 116 people as a mission. President Mecham wrote President Monson on
his b-day, President Monson wrote back. It was awesome.
Question 13: Have you
ridden in a boat since you have been on Yap?
Answer: No
Question 14: Do people
ride bicycles on Yap? Skateboards? Answer:
Some people ride bikes, but not very many.
Question
15: Of all the lesson topics you teach - which is your favorite to teach and
why?
Answer: The restoration.
Because it is different than what people already know.
Question 16: Do you give a lot of priesthood blessings - or is that a rare
occasion?
Answer:
I give a lot of blessings. People call us when they need a blessing.
Staheli
- Hope all is still going well. Got a letter from grandma and she said that you
came to Chico for a while and that you all had a great time. That is really
fun. Love ya
Reed
- Glad the b-ball is going well. I bet you make the team. Good job on almost
dunking. That is awesome.
Grandma
- I love your letters they always make me smile. You are the best.
Bro
Fogleman - It is so great to hear from you. Sounds like you are
having a lot of fun, and a lot of things are about to changes.
Q1:
What is your favorite thing about the Island?
A1:
The people. They are what make Yap amazing.
Q2:
What do you miss the most from the States?
A2:
My mom’s cooking.
Q3: Are your companion's mostly
native or are they from other areas?
A3: They are all from other spots in
the world, America, Fiji, and the Philippines
Q4: Has your mission seen a large
influx of Sister Missionaries like other missions around the World has?
A4: Yes. It has seen a large influx
of sisters and elders.
I can’t remember who asked this, but in the mission
when I started, there was about 60ish missionaries, sometimes 55ish up to
65ish. That was the highest. Now we are at 109 and next week up to 110. So
there is a large increase in missionaries.
A couple questions from Elder Meyer:
1. There are several families who are preparing for
the temple, and wanted to know how a baby flies on a plane. So how does that
work.
2. Second mom this is for you. It is a hard one.
The wife who is struggling that I talked about has a young child. It was born
with a huge disorder sickness thing. The head is really small and deformed. It
is called microcephaly. What do you know? What can they parents do to help the
baby?
3. Also could you send some exercise bands? Thanks.
To Everyone
Well let’s see. Things have been great. Church was
amazing. We had 27 people there. J*hnny, a recent convert, gave a talk. It was
his first one. He did a great job. M*ldon,
another recent convert passed the sacrament. It was amazing. Down in Colonia,
A*gistine was put in as young men’s president. He told me that the branch
president called him three times to put him in. He always said no. Well, we
talked with A*gistine about it for a long time. I talked about callings,
service, and the youth program. It was a fun lesson. He said that if the branch
pres asked again that he would say yes. So, I went and talked with him he wasn't
that eager. I shared what happened… in
the end, A*gistine was called again, accepted and was put in on Sunday. It was
great.
Sorry it is a short letter, I am trying to send pictures also,
but it is not working so I am sending this so you get this email…
Love you all you are the best
Elder Meyer
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