Wow, that's awesome that Will got his call. Thanks for telling me. So Kiersten went to Prom? With who? That's good that she is keeping up her standards. I wish women in Europe had standards. It really isn't something that they should be proud of. Oh by the way, don't be surprised if everything I own and my body smells like smoke. 99.9% of Germany smokes, I swear. It's nasty.
Happy Birthday, Kelsey. It's weird to think that you can drive by yourself now. Don't remind me that I won't be a teenager after this year. Ya, Preach My Gospel is the bomb. I study everything in it. I've been through the whole thing. I study the lessons a lot and try to figure out more things that I can say in German. How did you get that picture of me with Pres. and Sister Ninow? Ya, I do look pretty good huh :) Just kidding.
That's so sweet that Dexter is already leaving. I love that kid. He'll do awesome. It's weird to think that all the kids are home now from school.
Thank you so much for praying for me. You don't really know how much the spirit helps me out. Yesterday I was talking with this lady by myself and I could understand almost everything that she said. I pray for you, too. I love you all. I am working hard and serving as much as I possibly can. I am working so hard. I go to bed every night and just pass out. It feels good.
I love you all and pray for you everyday. I wish you all the best and look forward to receiving your letter. Have you gotten mine? Ya, Elder Carroll was a sweet missionary. He was AP until he left. We figured out that we both knew the Fieldings. That's pretty cool though that you talked to him. Ok, well I've got to run. Thanks for all your prayers and I wish you all the best. I want you to know that I love you and that I am working as hard as I can so when people hear the name Merrill, all that is complained about the name is that he works too hard.
"No Regrets"
Love you all.
Liebe euch,
Elder Merrill
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Tuesday, April 21, 2009
April 21, 2009
Dear Family,
To answer your questions, Elder Henderson goes home in like July or August. something like that. We go shopping for food on p-day's, e-mail, play a board game usually, and teach. Every week we teach a less active on p-day for 30-45 min. Ya, we are right next to an old castle. It's pretty big. When I get that picture card from you I will send this one back so you can see pictures and put them up on the site. We get around by baun (train) and then we walk. We don't have bikes but the bauns go pretty much everywhere. The weather has been really nice. This past week it rained for two days, pretty hard on one of them. It's been like 75-80 though most of the time. The language is going good. I'm understanding more and more each day I feel. It's still really hard to understand because they speak in a different dialect so its not clear at all. I can understand quite a bit but it's still not 100%. Yes there are times where we meet people who speak better English than German. Most of the time it is Africans or people from England.
I have eaten twice at members homes. The first I had to eat so much. It was kind of sick how much they fixed us. I eat a lot of pasta with sauce, just cuz it's easy to make and we don't have too much time to fix something up good. The other day though, I made some crepes.
Oh ya, its elder McQueen. (This is a missionary serving from Kyle's Aunt Debbie's ward). I've met him. He seems like he is pretty cool. That's sweet about all the mission calls. Brennan will love his mission. Just tell him that learning a language makes things 10 times harder.
That's good that the funeral went good. Cameron was a good kid. I read over what he told me and its good stuff. Thanks for all your prayers and letters. As of now you are the only ones that I get letters or e-mails from. I look forward to p-day because I get to hear from you.
I know that the gospel is true and that it blesses lives. I have seen the work go forth and people accept our message. We are teaching about 4-5 investigators right now but no baptismal dates set yet. I really hope by the end of this week we will have at least one set. I love you all and am so grateful for all that you do. I can't believe how much I have already learned. I love this gospel and I love my friends that I have. Keep sharing the word with others. Eventually they will accept it. I love you all. Stay true and work hard in what ever you do.
"No Regrets"
Liebe dich,
Elder Merrill
To answer your questions, Elder Henderson goes home in like July or August. something like that. We go shopping for food on p-day's, e-mail, play a board game usually, and teach. Every week we teach a less active on p-day for 30-45 min. Ya, we are right next to an old castle. It's pretty big. When I get that picture card from you I will send this one back so you can see pictures and put them up on the site. We get around by baun (train) and then we walk. We don't have bikes but the bauns go pretty much everywhere. The weather has been really nice. This past week it rained for two days, pretty hard on one of them. It's been like 75-80 though most of the time. The language is going good. I'm understanding more and more each day I feel. It's still really hard to understand because they speak in a different dialect so its not clear at all. I can understand quite a bit but it's still not 100%. Yes there are times where we meet people who speak better English than German. Most of the time it is Africans or people from England.
I have eaten twice at members homes. The first I had to eat so much. It was kind of sick how much they fixed us. I eat a lot of pasta with sauce, just cuz it's easy to make and we don't have too much time to fix something up good. The other day though, I made some crepes.
Oh ya, its elder McQueen. (This is a missionary serving from Kyle's Aunt Debbie's ward). I've met him. He seems like he is pretty cool. That's sweet about all the mission calls. Brennan will love his mission. Just tell him that learning a language makes things 10 times harder.
That's good that the funeral went good. Cameron was a good kid. I read over what he told me and its good stuff. Thanks for all your prayers and letters. As of now you are the only ones that I get letters or e-mails from. I look forward to p-day because I get to hear from you.
I know that the gospel is true and that it blesses lives. I have seen the work go forth and people accept our message. We are teaching about 4-5 investigators right now but no baptismal dates set yet. I really hope by the end of this week we will have at least one set. I love you all and am so grateful for all that you do. I can't believe how much I have already learned. I love this gospel and I love my friends that I have. Keep sharing the word with others. Eventually they will accept it. I love you all. Stay true and work hard in what ever you do.
"No Regrets"
Liebe dich,
Elder Merrill
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
1st Letter from Germany
Kyle's cousin, Cameron Merrill, passed away on April 9. If you read the first post of this blog, you will see that Cam gave Kyle some great advice the night before Kyle entered the MTC. Cam served in the Poland Warsaw mission and was one of the best as his Mission President said at his funeral. We love him and his family and he will be greatly missed!
Hello Family.
How are things for you? Germany is pretty crazy. We got here and then went and did a street preach. No one wanted to listen. Kind of disappointing. Well I got my first companion. His name is Elder Henderson. He is from Michigan most recently. Germany is definitely a very different place. The prophets have said that this world is the most evil world that God created and Europe explains that. The very first day I was here I saw a naked man in a park sun tanning. And then just the other day some young lady answered her door and was pretty much wearing nothing. All I did was look at the top of her head. This place is not somewhere I would want to live. Oh by the way, I'm serving in Karlsruhe. It is the southern most part of the mission. Anyway, ya so pretty crazy.
We supposedly have an investigator that wants to get baptized and Elder H. is gonna have me do it. He should get baptized next Sunday. But yep, so maybe that will come through. I haven't met him yet but tomorrow we have an appointment with him. There are a ton a Muslims here. So many different people. OK, so I went into the nastiest house on Sunday. Some lady has two cats and they shed like crazy. The place smelt like urine and it was hard to breathe after a while. Very, very disgusting. Very different experience here out in the field. Different than I thought or had imagined.
Kiersten, you are crazy going wading for balls. So you went up to BYU's Campus huh. Did you see any of my friends? That's cool. Korbin nice work with track. That's pretty sweet how well you are doing. Kory good luck with your test but just remember I never was in spectrum and look how well I turned out. :) Dad sounds like things are getting really busy. Good luck.
Please send me some pictures. You can send them through email but ya I would love to get pictures. Mom, sounds like you are doing really well and staying busy. Yep so my p-day is on Tuesday. If you get this e-mail before the funeral, tell everyone I say hi and that I am where I need to be.
So I'm not really too sure of what to write about but I'm doing well and praying all the time for patience and what not. Please pray for me that I will be able to handle the trials put upon me. Please pray for me. I need all the prayers I can get. I pray for you everyday and sometimes at night I'll think, oh ya, I have a family at home. Pretty crazy. You forget about so many things while you are out here in the field. Its way crazy out here. I hope all is well.
Well I want to let you all know that I am working hard and that I am being 100% obedient and I know that the Lord will bless me because of that. President Ninow is so awesome. He reminds me so much of Dad. Great family. Well thanks for your love and support.
"No Regrets"
Ich liebe dich,
Elder Merrill
Hello Family.
How are things for you? Germany is pretty crazy. We got here and then went and did a street preach. No one wanted to listen. Kind of disappointing. Well I got my first companion. His name is Elder Henderson. He is from Michigan most recently. Germany is definitely a very different place. The prophets have said that this world is the most evil world that God created and Europe explains that. The very first day I was here I saw a naked man in a park sun tanning. And then just the other day some young lady answered her door and was pretty much wearing nothing. All I did was look at the top of her head. This place is not somewhere I would want to live. Oh by the way, I'm serving in Karlsruhe. It is the southern most part of the mission. Anyway, ya so pretty crazy.
We supposedly have an investigator that wants to get baptized and Elder H. is gonna have me do it. He should get baptized next Sunday. But yep, so maybe that will come through. I haven't met him yet but tomorrow we have an appointment with him. There are a ton a Muslims here. So many different people. OK, so I went into the nastiest house on Sunday. Some lady has two cats and they shed like crazy. The place smelt like urine and it was hard to breathe after a while. Very, very disgusting. Very different experience here out in the field. Different than I thought or had imagined.
Kiersten, you are crazy going wading for balls. So you went up to BYU's Campus huh. Did you see any of my friends? That's cool. Korbin nice work with track. That's pretty sweet how well you are doing. Kory good luck with your test but just remember I never was in spectrum and look how well I turned out. :) Dad sounds like things are getting really busy. Good luck.
Please send me some pictures. You can send them through email but ya I would love to get pictures. Mom, sounds like you are doing really well and staying busy. Yep so my p-day is on Tuesday. If you get this e-mail before the funeral, tell everyone I say hi and that I am where I need to be.
So I'm not really too sure of what to write about but I'm doing well and praying all the time for patience and what not. Please pray for me that I will be able to handle the trials put upon me. Please pray for me. I need all the prayers I can get. I pray for you everyday and sometimes at night I'll think, oh ya, I have a family at home. Pretty crazy. You forget about so many things while you are out here in the field. Its way crazy out here. I hope all is well.
Well I want to let you all know that I am working hard and that I am being 100% obedient and I know that the Lord will bless me because of that. President Ninow is so awesome. He reminds me so much of Dad. Great family. Well thanks for your love and support.
"No Regrets"
Ich liebe dich,
Elder Merrill
Tuesday, April 7, 2009
MTC Pictures
1) Elder Waddoups (a good friend from BYU) and Elder Merrill
2) Kyle's District
3) Companion - Elder Davis with Kyle
3) Companion - Elder Davis with Kyle
4) Elder Merrill, Elder Merrell, and Elder Merrill (all in his zone)
5) Kyle on his 1st day at the MTC with Elder Spencer Hadley
Monday, April 6, 2009
Telephone Call
We just got off the phone with Kyle. He is traveling to Frankfurt and he was able to call us from the Dallas airport. He sounds great and is so ready to get out there and serve. He bore his testimony in German and we could understand a few words such as President Monson and family. It was great to hear from him and know that he will be a great servant the next two years.
Friday, April 3, 2009
Final P-day in MTC
Well its my last pday here in the MTC. Pretty crazy. We are all getting excited to go to Germany. This week has been a great week. Sounds like you have all had a good week too. So did you go down to Portland this week for spring break or what. So how are things going at home. Dad says that it got cold again and snowed yesterday. Pretty crazy. Same type of weather down here. One day it was like 55 degrees and then the next morning there was 3 inches on the ground. I am ready to be done with the snow for a while.
Ok, so this week has been great. We have a teacher in our zone that just got back from the Frankfurt mission 3 months ago so she came in and told us about President Ninow and the Mission. The thing I am most excited about is to meet President. I already know that he is called of God and that he is worthy to receive revelation for the whole mission. I can't believe it has already been two months. Time flies. The gospel is true. My purpose for coming to the MTC was not only to learn the language but also for myself to gain a stronger faith in our Heavenly Father and Savior Jesus Christ.
This last week I had an interview with my teacher and she asked me to share my testimony with her. I testified of faith and the importance of it. By the end of my testimony we were both teared up. She told me that if she could she would give me a big hug. She has been a great teacher. Her name is Jill Carpenter and is from Colorado. She told me that I will be a great missonary if I keep living worthy and being obedient and working hard. That is what I plan on doing. I can't wait. She also told me that when I get back from the mission she wanted me to really to consider teaching at the MTC. Our interview was very encouraging for myself and made me excited to be able to speak more fluently and share the Spirit of God that I have in my life. We all need to live worthy of having the spirit with us at all times.
We went to the temple today and the thing that was impressed in my mind is that we make very sacred covenants and that if we keep those covenants that we will be blessed. I can't explain how important it is to live a righteous life and to be worthy of having the Holy Ghost in our life. I have had an awesome experience so far and plan on learning more and more as I fullfill my mission. I know that the Lord loves us personally and that he really can comfort us. I have felt it in my life. My faith has never been stronger than it is right now. I love the Lord and this gospel. I cannot wait for general conference this weekend because the prophet is going to have very important things to say. I am so thankful that I have had good righteous friends in my life to help me choose to do right. I have been blessed to have been able to go to BYU and to meet the amazing people I did. They have written me every week and give me inspiring quotes and scriptures. I love those kids.
I am grateful for the companion I have had here in the MTC. He has been great. I don't think I would have ever hung out with him in the Gentile world but he has been great to work with. We have a brotherly love for each other and we get along well. My MTC experience would have been much harder if I would have had a slacker companion. There are a couple districts in our zone that are those slacker missionaries and it really frustrates me because they are wasting the Lord's time as well as other missionaries by not living up to the missionary standards. I am so blessed to have been in a district that works hard and cares for one another. Thankyou for all your love and support and for teaching me right. I love you all and want to hear from you more.
"No Regrets"
Love, Elder Merrill
Dad, hope all is well with the farm and things haven't gotten too hectic. I love you dad. Thank you for being a great father to me and my siblings. You are a great dad and a great father for the ward. I know that a lot of people look up to you and love you and would do anything you asked them to do. I love you dad and wish you the best. I sent my picture card home and so if you could get those pictures saved for me on a computer or something where I can always get back to them after the mission and then send it back to me. The faster that happens the faster you will get pictures of me leaving the MTC as well as the first things in Germany and the Mission President. I'm sure that will be a good encintive :) Love you all! Thanks so much. Love Kyle
Ok, so this week has been great. We have a teacher in our zone that just got back from the Frankfurt mission 3 months ago so she came in and told us about President Ninow and the Mission. The thing I am most excited about is to meet President. I already know that he is called of God and that he is worthy to receive revelation for the whole mission. I can't believe it has already been two months. Time flies. The gospel is true. My purpose for coming to the MTC was not only to learn the language but also for myself to gain a stronger faith in our Heavenly Father and Savior Jesus Christ.
This last week I had an interview with my teacher and she asked me to share my testimony with her. I testified of faith and the importance of it. By the end of my testimony we were both teared up. She told me that if she could she would give me a big hug. She has been a great teacher. Her name is Jill Carpenter and is from Colorado. She told me that I will be a great missonary if I keep living worthy and being obedient and working hard. That is what I plan on doing. I can't wait. She also told me that when I get back from the mission she wanted me to really to consider teaching at the MTC. Our interview was very encouraging for myself and made me excited to be able to speak more fluently and share the Spirit of God that I have in my life. We all need to live worthy of having the spirit with us at all times.
We went to the temple today and the thing that was impressed in my mind is that we make very sacred covenants and that if we keep those covenants that we will be blessed. I can't explain how important it is to live a righteous life and to be worthy of having the Holy Ghost in our life. I have had an awesome experience so far and plan on learning more and more as I fullfill my mission. I know that the Lord loves us personally and that he really can comfort us. I have felt it in my life. My faith has never been stronger than it is right now. I love the Lord and this gospel. I cannot wait for general conference this weekend because the prophet is going to have very important things to say. I am so thankful that I have had good righteous friends in my life to help me choose to do right. I have been blessed to have been able to go to BYU and to meet the amazing people I did. They have written me every week and give me inspiring quotes and scriptures. I love those kids.
I am grateful for the companion I have had here in the MTC. He has been great. I don't think I would have ever hung out with him in the Gentile world but he has been great to work with. We have a brotherly love for each other and we get along well. My MTC experience would have been much harder if I would have had a slacker companion. There are a couple districts in our zone that are those slacker missionaries and it really frustrates me because they are wasting the Lord's time as well as other missionaries by not living up to the missionary standards. I am so blessed to have been in a district that works hard and cares for one another. Thankyou for all your love and support and for teaching me right. I love you all and want to hear from you more.
"No Regrets"
Love, Elder Merrill
Dad, hope all is well with the farm and things haven't gotten too hectic. I love you dad. Thank you for being a great father to me and my siblings. You are a great dad and a great father for the ward. I know that a lot of people look up to you and love you and would do anything you asked them to do. I love you dad and wish you the best. I sent my picture card home and so if you could get those pictures saved for me on a computer or something where I can always get back to them after the mission and then send it back to me. The faster that happens the faster you will get pictures of me leaving the MTC as well as the first things in Germany and the Mission President. I'm sure that will be a good encintive :) Love you all! Thanks so much. Love Kyle
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
