Last day in the Mission

Elder Mecham, Elder Warren, DR Elder
President Hernandez, Elder Winters (I think)

DR Elder, DR Elder
These are the missonaries that will leave the same time as Ethan.

5 Days!!! HAPPY BIRTHDAY ETHAN!

Dear Family,
Well this has been a great week! We talked with Rosa, Arleth and Raldy a few times and they are doing great! They are still reading the scriptures together, and Arleth and Raldy are attending Seminary and going to Mutual. They are doing super good and have a lot of "animo" (excitement). We are working with a couple right now. We are helping to reactivate Leslie, and her husband who is not a member, is so excited about going to church and getting baptized. First she needs to get divorced, and then they can get married, so it will be a pretty penny and a lot of work...but they are very willing to do it. He has been working the night shift on the weekends...so he leaves work at 8 in the morning on Sunday, and goes home, showers, and comes straight to church...talk about dedication.
Jorge and Altagracia are doing great! They are getting prepared for their sealing in the coming months. The Elders have told me that they are doing well...and that they always go out with them to teach investigators. I have been writing them and they sound like they are doing great.
We had a great week! We are still finding more and more people to teach. We have found quite the number of less actives. The First Counselor in the Bishopric is leaving in this next week. He is moving to another area. He is a very faithful member and so we'll miss him. The Second Counselor will also be leaving within the next month, so that'll be a real shame!
Thank you so much for all the things that you sent me for my birthday! We were about to start the Office Meeting yesterday and then Sister Eickbush came in with that funny looking hat and everyone pulled out those little party blowers. That was really kind of them. They gave me two belts...yeah...way too nice. On Saturday or Sunday we are going to try and make the Cupcakes with frosting in the middle..we'll see!
We are still doing P90X...and it is definitely quite the program. It keeps you going! We wake up at 6 for about an hour and a half workout Monday through Saturday, and then on Mondays, Wednesdays, and Friday at night we do AbRipperX which lasts about 15 minutes. On Saturdays we usually play Basketball to vary. Hopefully I won't be a huge blob anymore!
Well this isn't really the best email...but I love you all and am grateful for all that you do! This work is true! He Lives!

Elder Ethan Mecham
P.S....did someone say Chicken Roll-Ups?

2 Weeks!!!!

Pictures of the beach right next to Sabana de la Mar
Some cute little Dominican Kids
Rosa Arleth and Raldi- They were baptized this last week
Hermana Hernandez (Mission Presidents wife) and Ethan
Elder Jensen, Elder Green, and Elder Mecham

HAPPY NEW YEARS!!!!

HURRAY IT IS JANUARY 2012!!!

YOU KNOW WHAT THAT MEANS :)

ETHAN WILL BE HOME ON JANUARY 31ST.

Hello Family,
This Week was great! Now that the excitement of Transfers is over...we have had much more time in the area to work with our investigators.. Last Transfer there were 4 of us in our area while Elder Linares was training Elder De la Rosa...so since they left...we are now working with their investigators. The one that has a Baptismal Date, Altagracia is doing alright and we will be passing by tomorrow to see how she is doing.

Me...I'm doing great! We had an eventful week since the water in our Complex went out and we were disgusting...(more than usual) since we didn't have anything to shower with...luckily hermana Hernandez and President let us shower over there and do some laundry...the water is now back and we are doing just fine. I have been loving the book of Helaman as I am going through it. If only we all preached as Nefi! Elder Jenson and Elder Green are doing great. We get along very well. For New years...a member sent us a fried chicken... so we ate that...and then we went to bed! Yay!
The Translation of the letter the week before was "It was good to talk with you all...now I remember what your voices sound like. It's weird to think that their are more to the family now and that it is still growing".
I hope that you are all well! I love you and pray for you always!
Love,
Elder Ethan Mecham

December 19 & 26th, 2011

Ethan at the Temple with other Elders
Boys will be boys! In an Elevator
Ethan at President Hernandez Home.

Ethan and the Elders practicing
for the Christmas Program

Hello Mecham Family! December 26th
Fue bueno hablar con ustedes y ahora recuerdo como suenan sus voces. Es algo extraño pensar que hay mas de la familia ahora...y que está creciendo aun.
I was very happy to hear that you were all doing well and glad to know that you are all well. Well, the work continues! The work is never over...the end of a mission is just a phase into a different way of doing mission work. Sharing the Gospel is the very foundation of the gospel. If you are grateful for the Gospel...it is because someone at some point shared the Gospel with some ancestor...so we should all be just as anxious to share with those who are willing.
I thank you all for being such a great support for me....but it's not over! Keep on keepin' on!
I love you all!
Love Elder Mecham

Dear Family, December 19th
It has been a great Christmas Season...we have all very much enjoyed the activities that have been going on and will surely continue to enjoy the rest of the season.
Today was the Christmas Activity that we had so long been waiting for...now they have all headed home and the Elders that are going home tomorrow are here. The Activity went great! About 170 people there...156 Full Time Missionaries and the rest were couples. We started with a Breakfast at 9 and then the Talent Show at 10...we had the Islands on camera so that they were able to see, and also participate. We also participated! We did a little skit mixed with a variety of songs such as, Silent Night, Let it Snow, and Children Go (The New Nashville Tribute CD). We had a great time with that. Some Elders played the Guitar, others did sound effects, others sang, and so on. Then we moved on to the Nativity Drama. Elder Green and I played the part (without being seen) of Nephi and the angel conversing about the condescension of God. Then we passed to the Video that I made for Christmas, of Christ, and then of all the missionaries that have arrived in the past months, along with the Baptisms and other activities in the Zone. After all of that, we passed the most important part, lunch. It was turkey...ham...rice and beans (but really good rice and beans called moro) and then to the cake with Ice Cream. Sister Hernandez made a 6 level cake with homemade peach filling. It looked like a wedding cake! It was SO good. She had flour brought from Puerto Rico to do it. We don't mess around here! Tonight is transfers...and so we will be taking the Elders to the airport (10) for the 6:25 flight. Elder Jenson is now with Elder Green and Me. I will be training him in my responsibilities.
The area has been good! We have been restricted a little with time from all of the things that we have to do. But Priscila's Baptism was great. We were able to see a lot of their family there. She was confirmed and is doing very well.
I'm terribly sorry about how short this letter is...but I haven't had time to blink today! I love you all and pray that all is well with you!
Love,
Elder Ethan Mecham