Famous last words

I CANNOT believe that this is here. You always know your last day will come, but you never believe it. Everyone keeps asking me how I feel, and I don't know how to answer. I feel 1000 different emotions all at once, which equals no emotions at all. haha. Not true: I feel happy, and I feel sad. I feel hopeful and fearful, excited and nervous/anxious.  Overall I feel numb though, because it just doesn't seem real. Nothing has changed yet. I still went to Kirtland Saturday, church on Sunday, taught all day yesterday, and today is p-day. See, nothing different. I've said most of my goodbyes, gave my Mayfield farewell on Sunday, had an exit interview, and it's still not real. But I have had a lot of opportunities to ponder and reflect on my mission. Normally, I feel like it would be a scripture or something that comes to my mind to summarize my mission--and there are some--but the best way to describe how I feel right now comes from the good ol' Kirtland movie that we show with every tour. Yes, I can quote it, and yes, if you ask nicely I will act it out for you. :) But at the very end of the movie, the Saints are driven by persecution and commandment to go to Missouri. A sad and confused Phebe Carter Woodruff comes to Ann Whitney in the store to figure out why. I love Ann's response:

"Kirtland is my home, Phebe. I expected to live my life here. But, Phebe, the temple is finished. We have received God's law. His promises have been fulfilled!"

That's how I feel. Kirtland has become my home. I do feel like my heart will always be here. This is where I grew, where I loved and served, and where I gave my all. That makes it my home. Times like right now, I feel like I will live here forever. I feel like you all are coming tomorrow just to visit Ohio for Christmas, then I'll be back to work. This is where I have found the greatest satisfaction. But I know that this is actually it, I am going home, but I can find a purpose there too. As for the rest of Ann Whitney's quote, there are just not words to describe how much joy and gratitude I feel. When I decided 16 years ago that I was going to serve a mission, I thought that the I would be the one who would be serving. I was wrong. Heavenly Father has blessed me with SO much growth and progression, that I just don't even know how to describe it. All the promises that He made to me, I have already seen fulfilled, and I know that this is just the beginning. How can 18 months change me so much!? It's the experiences that I have been given, the aid that I have received, and the faith that has developed. I am just so overwhelmed that I am overflowing with gratitude. That overflowing may or may not have carried over to my eyes, haha.

At the trainer's meeting several weeks ago, President Sorensen asked me to stand up and bear my testimony to all the brand new missionaries about how understand my purpose has helped my mission. I told all of the missionaries, and President, that I was in the running for the Most Improved Missionary award because of coming to understand my purpose as a missionary. Not to say that I was a terrible person before my mission--because I'd like to think that I wasn't--but just because everything has become more clear and beautiful and exciting and satisfying. When you have a purpose to everything you do, life is fulfilling! My mission has been the most fulfilling thing because of understanding my purpose, no matter how long it took. Now I am just so excited to move forward with my life, take all the lessons I've learned, find a purpose in everything that I do, and living a happy fulfilling life :) If the Saints can learn and grow from trials and experiences in Kirtland and then take those lessons with them as they moved on to the trials of Missouri, then I can do the same thing with the lessons that I have learned from the same place :)

I love Kirtland. I love Cleveland. I love Ohio. I love Ohioans. I love the Amish. I love the ghetto. I love my companions. I love my leaders. I love Joseph Smith. I love my Savior. I love my Father in Heaven. I love this gospel. I love my mission.  :)

Always and forever will I be...,
Sister Melissa Maughan

Can they get anything right with my mission paperwork!?

Hello family!

I hope that you had a happy Thanksgiving! It was a really great one here in Kirtland/Mayfield! Really busy, but great. In the morning after studies, we headed to Kirtland for games and music. We played the most intense game of spoons I think I have ever played!! No worries, I won :) But the last two rounds required us to run through the gathering room, past the Christus, into the theater and down to the front to pick up the spoon, haha. It was hilarious to see. After that, we headed over to the Messegee's home for the afternoon and Thanksgiving dinner! It was wonderful to be with them and their family, and we had the most delicious meal! It's helpful to go to Thanksgiving in the home of two chefs. Yum yum! They have such an amazing family, and I love being there. At 6 that night, we drove back to Kirtland for leftovers (which I had to pass on haha) and a movie. President had given us permission to watch the movie about Emma Smith! It was so great. I've been wanting to see that for a long time, and so it was the perfect addition to Thanksgiving :)

The next day was the lighting ceremony at sites that marked the opening of the Nativity Exhibit. It is even more grand and beautiful than last year! It was a fun little lighting ceremony, and the weather was nice. The down side was that Sister Denison tripped and fell right in front of the mayor, the stake president, and the sites director. She tore up her knee and has sprained her ankle...no fun for missionary work! Now we really have to avoid tracting whenever possible, ha. 

We had a great day for missionary work the day before Thanksgiving and found several new investigators, but wow, Black Friday is most definitely the worst day to do missionary work! Lousy lousy lousy. Everyone is rude, not home, and/or cancels appointments. But that's okay, we still have another full week to find and teach, and I am looking forward to every minute of it. 

So I already told this story to Mom, but it's just too funny to pass up. This week I got my trunky papers (that's not the funny part) and I refused to open them until after we had finished daily planning that night. In the large packet they gave me was a copy of the paper that they sent home to mom and dad about when to be at the mission home next Thursday. It says "Dear Brother and Sister Maughan.......would you please be at the mission home at 10 am to pick up Sister Webb." um...what!? Looks like I extended without even asking for it! Haha. I texted Sister Messegee about it and she said " they just can not get things right for you, can they?" Apparently not! San Diego, Cleveland and Peru [Melissa's second mission call told her to report to the Peru MTC to prepare to go to Cleveland!!] just to get on my mission, and "Sister Webb" to get off my mission! Ah, good times :) 

Well, I hope that you all have a great week! Enjoy the beginning of December! 

Much love,
Sister Maughan

Sureeeee you're not counting down....

You know mom, you say you are not counting down, but I took someone on tour this week who just moved into our neighborhood and Glenville Ward who told me you are counting down the 17 days I have left or something, so sorry...secret's blown!! :) 

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!! Can you believe it's Thanksgiving?! I love this time of year. It's so wonderful and happy, and we have SO much to be grateful for! I am grateful for so much: for serving a mission, for meeting wonderful people, for having the gospel in my life, for the world's most amazing family, for serving in such a sacred place, for a (semi) healthy body, serving around fantastic missionaries, and for recognizing the many miracles and blessings that I see every single day! Like I say, a happy time :)

This week has been a good week, but a weird one. For instance, I was in Kirtland for 78 hours straight. Now during the busy season of summer that would be tiring because I'd be on my feet all day every day giving tours, but during the slower season, it's tiring because you sit and make calls and do Mormon.org chatting all day! whew. But it was still really good. Sister D and I were on exchanges with the training sisters, and it was a really good experience for Sis. D to get some practice taking over the area. She did a great job, though she was very very nervous. I think it was good for her to see that she can do this though, that the Lord wouldn't call her to do anything that she wasn't capable of doing with the Lord's help. That was really good for her. 

Before we went on exchanges though, we had an awesome day on Wednesday! When we were planning on Tuesday night, I turned to Sister D and said "Sista, we is gunna have an epic day of findin'!" Yes, I did say it just like that, and yes, it was an epic day of finding!! We were able to get a member from the singles ward to come with us all afternoon, so we had an extra amount of faith, and off we went! We met with several investigators, did lots of tracting, and stopped by some potentials. We had several amazing lessons and new investigators and miracles that day, so overall, successful. Have I mentioned how much I love being a missionary?!

I hope everyone has a fantastic Thanksgiving! I love you all so much and will talk to you next week!

Much love,
Sister Maughan

Did I mention this is NOT the time to get sick!?!?

Seriously, this is just getting ridiculous. For someone who prides herself on her good health (that's the problem apparently--pride) I'm sure tired of getting sick! This week it has been a terrible sore throat, a sick nasty cough (you know, the ones that shake the house and make you worried you'll find a lung on the ground after) and a persistent fever. grrrr..... It's okay. I think the fever is finally gone for good. 

But apparently I am not the only who has been sick! These week, we had two sisters from our mission go home sick :( One of them was Sister Schwanke's companion in Painesville. So there were two sisters who were full time sites/chat who both previously served in Painesville who are shipped back there and so they were in a triple-up for 2 days...until a full proselyting sister went home sick! So now, Sister Schwanke is out full pros for her last 4 weeks as a missionary! I think she was really sad to leave Kirtland because she won't finish here, but she loved Lorain (it's west of Cleveland) so I think that is the only benefit. We sure miss her though. 

So we've had a pretty good week, and it was almost a normal week (minus a day for zone conference) and so we actually had real time in our area! Always a treat. We found a new investigator this week when a less active from another ward moved into our area. She is starting to come back to church--and she's bringing her boyfriend with her! We've only met with them once, but they both have great faith and I am excited to teach them! 

So....yeah....did anyone else wake up to 3 inches of snow on Friday?!? that was really not cool. That was the day of our zone conference in Cleveland and I was totally in denial. It is WAY too soon for solid snow! When we went to the conference everyone was wearing boots and thick jackets. Not me! I'm not conforming! So what did I wear?! Flats and a springy-flower cardigan hahahaha. That's right. Okay, fine, just to make you feel better, Mom, I also wore tights and a winter coat. Sigh. Thankfully, it has warmed up this week and we haven't had any more snow. Phew. Prayers are answered ;) 

Well, I think that is all I really have for today. I love you all and I hope that you have a great week! 

Much love without the snow, 
Sister Maughan

Daylight savings is God's gift to obedient missionaries

Happy p-day!! Oh wait...it's only my pday. But I can say Happy belated birthday to Erin Wilson, a happy current birthday to Elder Erickson and a happy early birthday to Brian Lowe, Tae Smart and Cassie Phillips! Does that work? Man, lots of birthdays this week. I'm disappointed that no one yet today has wished me a happy 22 and 1/3 birthday. pssh.

Things have been going pretty well this week, although not a lot of time in our area. With this new training program, we do 3 hours of studies a day (yay....) and we are told that we have to find that time. But with our responsibilities at Kirtland, and other meetings that we have been having, it is very difficult to find that time to study. At times I have to admit that it is really hard for me to sit inside and role play for 2 hours when I'd much rather be outside trying to find people to teach and actually doing the teaching! But that is when I really have to take a step back and a deep breath. The Lord has asked us to do this new program, and he is aware of this area and our situation. I am the one who is just not exercising enough faith. Sigh. I'm working on it, promise!

We had trainers and trainee's meeting on Friday, and that was incredible! We heard a lot of workshops about planning and purpose and how to be better just in general, and I just felt so inspired and uplifted. I really needed it. It's amazing how the Lord just gives us those things that we need, right when we need it. Somehow at that meeting we were asked to do an impromptu musical number (Sister Denison and I have identical voices...it's kinda weird.) and then right afterwards we went contacting in downtown Cleveland in Tower City. They put us into different companionships, loaded us up into the mission vans and randomly dropped us off and told us to be back in an hour and half. It was awesome! There were so many people and we got to talk to lots. My temporary companion, Sister Matsen and I were able to talk to lots of people and give out several copies of the Book of Mormon. We talked to one man for almost 25 minutes. His name is Bruce and he is the definition of searching for truth. It was an amazing experience to be testifying of this gospel and having him read from the Book of Mormon right there, in the middle of a big city. By the end of the conversation there was an amazing light in his eyes that was vastly different than how we started, and I knew that he now knew that he was not just somebody lost in a big city, but he was a loved child of Heavenly Father, who knew him. Bruce could not deny that. He agreed to meet with the missionaries in his area.

As we drove back to the mission office from Tower City Plaza, the sun was just setting. As I looked back, I saw the city silhouetted against the sunset, driving next to GORGEOUS Lake Erie with it's lighthouses, in a van full of excited missionaries, most of whom were just at the very beginning of their missions, and I have to admit I started to tear up. These missionaries have no idea what amazing experiences they are about to have in the next 18-24 months. And as I thought about Bruce, Lala, Andrew, Jason and the many others that we talked to that day, it hit me yet again that this is what my mission is all about. I can't believe I've crossed the line into my last month. It's just exciting to have the opportunity to keep serving and keep working and keep doing what I have come to love and live with all my heart. 


Well, on that note...I'm gonna send a picture of me and Sister Denison! We took it on a fall walk around the sites during a break. You can see the sawmill/waterwheel behind us. The other one is taken behind the sawmill and ashery. Love you all! have a great week! and I hope you thoroughly appreciated your extra hour of sleep due to daylight savings! 

Leaf piles of love,
Sister Maughan

Wanted: hairdresser who speaks English!!

Hello family!

Happy Halloween! Although I must admit I keep forgetting that it is Halloween. To me, it just seems like another day, I am not festive at all. In fact, I'm wearing a red skirt and a white shirt with a black cardigan, so that doesn't make anyone think of Halloween, haha. It's never been my favorite holiday anyway.

Our p-day has been switched back to Monday! I have to admit, I am going to miss having Wednesday p-days, those were so nice in the middle of the week, but I have no doubt my companion is grateful that there was only 5 days before her first pday, as opposed to 8, haha. My greenie's name is Sister D and she is from West Jordan, Utah. She's sweet, and I really like her. It's a big adjustment coming into the mission field, and it's especially big when you know that you have only 6 weeks before you have to take over the area, but I'm trying to help her adjust as easily as possible. It just takes some time, but it will just get easier and easier. That's the plan anyway.

We did lots of tracting this past week, and trying to introduce Sister D to members of the ward. We just jump right into missionary work in Mayfield! haha. And to make things even more fun, we both gave 15 minute talks in church yesterday and she had to give a 15 minute workshop this morning in District Meeting! haha. Oh boy. But this is a fantastic mission--truly the best ;) -- and so from what I can tell, she is loving it. 

Hm... I'm trying really hard to remember what else happened this week that I can report on...Oh! Before I forget, my schedule at Kirtland changed: Now we are there Tuesday mornings, and all day Thursday and Saturday. So nothing too different, just a switch from Monday to Thursday. Also, thanks for the treats from Fo' Castle Farms!! It was so nice to get some nice treats from home! They were yummy! From what the Messegee's told me last night at dinner, it sounds like they had a WONDERFUL time with the family. Not that I am surprise at all. I have to admit I was a bit jealous that I could not be there with my family and my second family! It's okay though. That reunion will happen again sometime soon. It was crazy to see pictures that they took in the house. This was my thought process: "oh look at cute little Elaine!!....playing with the doll I got in Ghana.......in my bedroom....on my bed....?"  Weirddddd. I'm glad that you all had a wonderful time too! 

Well, I can't really think of much else to tell you, and I'm sorry to say that I forgot my camera today, so no pictures this week. Which may not be a bad thing considering my new hair cut. NEVER get a hair cut from someone who does not speak English, thinks that they are supposed to give you a facial, cuts off 4-6 inches when you wanted 2, and gives you an IDENTICAL haircut to their own crazy style. And absolutely don't let that happen 6 weeks before you go home from your mission. Not that I am speaking from experience.... haha. (I must admit, I don't know whether to laugh hysterically or cry hahaha) 

Love you all! 

Buckets of Love,
Sister Maughan

It Should Be An Extensive Surgery

Well, here we go!....

....Tomorrow is transfers! Unbelievable. I can't believe it's my last one.  I'm excited though. It's going to be quite the change. I feel like Sister Schwanke and I have been companions for my entire mission! And I feel like we are conjoined twins that will have to go under extensive, painful surgery to separate us haha. But really, we have practically the same mind and thoughts at this point! It's very bizarre. But I guess that is what happens when you are with someone for 24 hours a day without spending even a second apart. But it's exciting to have a new missionary. Mom, you asked if she's been in the area for a bit, but whoever my companion is, she is coming straight from the MTC!! In fact, as we speak she is flying somewhere between here and Cleveland and will arrive this afternoon. Whoever she is, both my options are from Utah, so it looks like I'll be finishing with a Utah companion! Not that that means anything, haha. It's just kind of interesting, since everyone always guesses we are from Utah, and the answer is never 'yes'.

Well, I'm trying to see what exciting things to tell you...Schwanke and I both got some sort of 24 hour bug last week, but unfortunately that went from Thursday morning til Friday afternoon, which is more than 24 hours I realize (thank you very much, my math skills haven't deteriorated THAT much!) but still short lived, although it cut a chunk out of our proselyting time! Sigh. But on Saturday we got to make up for it a little bit. We went on exchanges, but it was funky exchanges. President asked Sister Schwanke and I to BOTH go into another area and work with one of the sisters who serves there. Weird, right? A triple up in another random area! It was really fun though, and brought me back to my time with Sister Everson and Wattles in South Euclid! :) We did lots of tracting, taught some less actives they had never met, and found some new investigators. It was fun to be serving in another area, especially since I'm in my last area. But it still made me so grateful that I am staying in Mayfield :)

It's hard to believe that the Messegees will be with you all this week! Everyone laughs when I say that my Ward Mission Leader and his family are staying in my home with my family! Heck, sweet little baby Elaine will probably even be playing with my old toys in my room!! haha. I'm gonna say that has hardly happened in any mission ever, haha. One of the many joys of serving close to home!

Well, time for more class registration. I just signed up for beginners badminton! hahaha. SWEET! Then I can take everyone down! ;) Sorry this is so short, but not much to report on. I love you all, hope you have a wonderful week! 

Much love,
Sister Maughan