October 12, 2010

Dear Mom, Dad, and everyone else,

This past week has been sweet. We've been working really hard and it's so much fun. My Golden's name is Elder Adam Wilde. He is from Dallas, Texas. He graduated in '08 like me but is a couple months younger. He went to school at West Point Academy. He also played football there. he is a pretty stacked kid, even though he says he's way out of shape. We are having a lot of fun with the four man Apartment. We have it set up so that in the morning we study first while Elder Gunnell and Elder Tryon shower and get ready for the day. Then we shower while they study. Elder Gunnell didn't get his Golden until Friday. Elder Tryon got sick on the flight over. During the layover in Dallas (where he lives) he had to go home for a couple days then he came. Elder Gunnell and I were gone all day yesterday in Frankfurt for a zone leader meeting so the Goldens were by themselves and had to rule the streets with 5 days of experience. They had a good time but were happy when we got home last night. It's so fun. Elder Wilde has already taken German in high school and so he can already speak pretty decently. He still has a lot to learn but it's a ton easier for me. We will still be doing splits with Elders in the zone. We have a split on Friday with a new district leader. I will be training him on his responsibilities as a district leader so it should be pretty fun.

Armstrong is going to be getting baptized on Saturday at 12:30. He is great. We are going to meet with him tonight. He is really excited to be a member and he will do well. He asked me to confirm him which will be really cool. This will be my third time confirming someone. Ayten is also doing really well. She comes to church without reminder calls and really enjoys it. She will be getting visiting teachers here in the next two weeks which will be good for her.

Yesterday at this zone leader meeting that Elder Gunnell and I went to, we talked about the mission and how to help the missionaries be more affective in the work. The mission has made a ton of progress this year compared to last and we want to keep progressing. There is a lot of miracles happening and because the mission is doing well there is a lot of adversary working against us. I don't want missionaries to fall into this temptation but to work through it and strengthen their faith. That's one thing that needs to be worked on is strengthening our faith. I have been praying for help in strengthening my faith and I know that the Lord will help me do it. It is a righteous desire and we are commanded to seek after those gifts of the spirit.

My love for this work, the missionaries, and investigators has grown a lot in the past year. I was able to share my testimony yesterday at the meeting and I was really moved by the spirit. I testified of the love that God and Jesus Christ have for us. The love that I have for others has just really grown. I cried a lot giving the testimony. I hadn't cried in over a year. The Spirit in that meeting was super strong. All of the missionaries there are super great examples and I hope that I can also be one of those examples for the others around us. An Elder shared his testimony about Faith. He read the story about the Sunday school teacher that was from Ireland and the boys in the class were super rowdy. Well at the end of the story it said something to the affect that you could warm your hands by the fire of this man's faith. He applied to how he always want to talk with every that passes by but he can't. He said that we need to have our faith so strong that when we are talking to one person, the other walking by needs to feel that warmth coming from us. It was an awesome testimony.

This work is so great. I love it all a ton. It's amazing how things work out and how the Lord leads us to do his will when we are obedient to the whisperings of the Spirit. I love you all and wish you a wonderful week.

"No Regrets"
Love,
Elder Merrill

October 4, 2010

Dear Mom, Dad, and Family,

First of all thanks for the updates. It sounds like things are really changing alot. It is kind of disappointing that Kortneigh is getting married before I get home but it's ok because it's a good decision. I'm excited for her and Shayne. Tell her that I would like to hear from her at least one last time before she gets married and that she better have some good explanations to what's happened in the last 10 months. Tell Kaitlan that I want to hear from her as well.

I got your letter this past week. Thanks for the printed off receipt, I hope it will work. I have thought a little bit about your question of working or going to school. I can't really tell you at the moment but next week I hope to be able to tell you. I'm going to ask Jake whether or not he's serious about going to school. If he goes I will most likely go. I would also like to know about how much money they would pay and for how long the work would last for. That's everything about that subject. Don't worry it didn't really distract me at all because I still feel like I have a year to serve.

This last week was pretty interesting. We didn't have to go on any splits which was kind of nice but at the same time it's good to be able to work with the other missionaries from the zone. I found it also quite interesting that you asked about my new companion. Elder Brecheisen still has one more transfer so it could have been possible that we stay together. He is getting transferred though. I am getting Elder Gunnell as a new Zone leader companion and then to throw a twist in the whole thing we are both getting Goldens. That means that we are both training as well as being Zone Leaders! We will all be living in the same apartment which ought to be fun. I've never had a four man apartment so it will be interesting. I am going down to Frankfurt tomorrow and will come back on Wednesday. Before the end of the year we will be getting 60 new missionaries. By the time I'm in my last transfer half of our mission will be super old and the other half will be super young. I'm super excited about it all though. I will be interested to see how it all works out this next transfer. I have a lot to learn still and the conference talks helped me to know what I need to work on and how I can better improve myself.

There are many things that I enjoyed in conference but the best talk was from President Uchtdorf about Pride. Elder Gardner and his Golden, Elder Rampton, stayed the night at our place on Saturday because of conference and I was talking to Elder Gardner about how all sin is because of selfishness and selfishness is a form of Pride. Many times we don't need to even sin to be guilty of pride but pride is sin. Elder Uchtdorf is a wonderful teacher and has a great testimony. There was a baptism here in the ward in August that was kind of referred from President Uchtdorf. It was an exchange student that was in Utah and he was able to have a connection to President Uchtdorf and he had lunch with him. President Uchtdorf taught about the Restoration and gave testimony. Pretty cool experience this boy had.

This last week we were given a referral by an inactive sister. She said that she would set up an appointment Saturday for us. We went to the appointment not knowing what to expect. The man was home and let us in. His house was a disaster. He said that he has lost all hope and that he wants to change his life around. We sat down with him and taught the Restoration. He was moved by the spirit. He said that he could feel that we were sent from God. It was a great feeling. We offered to help him change his life around and he agreed to do what it takes in order to come closer to the Savior Jesus Christ. We have an appointment set up for Tuesday morning and will be helping clean up his life. It's a great feeling to help others feel the love that God has for them.

"No Regrets"

Love you,
Elder Merrill

September 27, 2010

Baptism of Ayten

Pizza Hut with Elder's Quorum - 15 Pieces :)

Dear Mom, Dad, Family, and Friends,

First off I want to thank Dad for writing me this week. I was thinking a lot this week about how I hoped Dad would write me. It's always great to hear from you and I really appreciate it because I can only imagine how busy you are. Mom I hope that doesn't make you feel that your letters aren't appreciated. I love getting your letters. You always have good stories to tell that make me happy and excited for you all at home. Thanks as well for the little stories. I love to hear about those little things happening and it's great to hear how everyone is changing. I hope that the weather goes well and that everything is able to work out with 4th cutting. I'm praying for you and hope that you all are safe, healthy, and happy. I look forward to your letter mom. I haven't got it yet but I sure hope that it will come tomorrow. There is something about receiving things from loved ones that just makes me happy. It's wonderful to hear from everyone.

I'm super excited for General Conference this week. It should be interesting for me. It's going to be the last time on the mission that I'll be able to watch it so I'll make sure to take super good notes. I love listening to the prophet and hope that our investigators that will come can also feel of the spirit when he speaks. I was looking back at past Liahona's and noticed that the church should have reached 14 million members this month, if the pattern continued. It's great to see how the church is moving along being taught in every land and in every tongue. I am so thankful that I've been able to serve here in Germany and help them hear about the Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ. It's an amazing opportunity to be serving at this time. There are many many things that I have learned and things I have also developed that I don't think I would have been able to If I had not been able to serve a mission.

This past week we were able to go on one split with some Elders but I don't know how effective it was. The Elder that I went with was pretty closed off and didn't want to change very much. It's kind of frustrating when you want to help others but they don't want to be helped at all. This week we don't have any splits planned so it should be a lot easier to just work in our own area. One of my companions was sent home this last week because of stuff before the mission that wasn't cleared up. I felt really bad for him and I hope that he is able to make the steps necessary to make things right. I found it interesting that this wasn't told until the transfer before he went home. I am super glad that we are all able to repent and to remove those sins that will keep us from our father's presence. Another thing I've also noticed is that Obedience isn't Obedience unless it's 100%. In my interview with President Ninow this past week we talked about this a bit. I asked him how I can better help the missionaries around me want to be obedient and have this desire. We talked about the desire should first come from a love of God. Then from a fear of God, fear meaning a respect or knowing that God is a fair and just God and then we talked about how each one of us must report to God our missions and that we are accountable for everything that we do. I am grateful that I have made correct decisions on my mission being obedient and following the council of my leaders. It's because I've done this that I've been able to have success but not only success but a love and joy as I am in the work.

I know that this is the one and only Gospel of Jesus Christ on the earth today. I know that it's through His Atonement that we can better ourselves and repent of the mistakes that we make. I know that through the grace and mercy of our Lord that we can be forgiven. I know that through the Prophet, Thomas S. Monson, the Lord speaks to his saints. I know that through our Faith great miracles can come to pass.

"No Regrets"

Love
Elder Merrill