Elder Marriner Kaden Merrill: Soccer star and a Miracle

Hey guys! All is well here in the land of Memphis. Transfers are next
week so we will see what happens to me. I really hope I stay here -
I love Memphis!

Thanks for the package! I loved everything! The ties were awesome,
and I am wearing the Aggie shirt today #aggienation. We made the
Oreo pudding last night and it was delicious. There are some cookies
left - trying to stretch them out. It's still super weird to think that it has
been a year since I became a full-time missionary. Time is flying!

Saturday was really a super awesome day! We played soccer with
the Spanish Branch's team against another ward in the area. It was
amazing! It was also the first time I have felt like an athlete again my
whole mission. Best part - we won the game 3-2. In the last couple
of minutes the other team got really close to scoring and tying the game.
I was playing defender and our goalie had just dove onto the ground to
block a kick. Right after that the other team tried to score again so I ran
and kinda did a jump spin and blocked it with my behind - It was amazing!
It was so much fun but it was also really hot! It honestly looked like some
one had dumped a gallon of water on me by the end of the game. I actually
drank a gallon of water. We forgot water so after the game we went to a
gas station to get some water and a gallon was the cheapest. I bought it
and pretty much drank it all! Today my legs are super sore. Not really a big
surprise that I'm a little out of shape. I feel like I am a different kind of fit now.
I can walk and ride my bike all day long without a problem....Running is kind
of a different story - ha ha.

This week leading up to Saturday was pretty good. Our car was still in the
shop so we were on bikes again. We haven't had a lot of people to teach
for a while, so that's been kind of frustrating. Yesterday we found a couple
of solid investigators. Hopefully all goes well with them. We just keep
looking and finding and keeping the faith.

We did have a really amazing experience this past week - I might even call
it a miracle! Here is some background. We teach an English class with the
sisters every Tuesday and Thursday. It is super fun. We have about fifteen
people that attend the class each week. This week we had a new guy show
up and introduce himself to us. His name is Ricardo and he is from Columbia.
At the end of class we invited everyone to church as we always do and then
everyone left. Then yesterday at church Ricardo just walks into the door for
sacrament meeting! We were so excited - it was so awesome to see him again!
After sacrament meeting we started talking to him. The sisters had given him
a pamphlet and they had told us that he wanted to talk to us. So we took this
opportunity at church to talk to him. He asked us to come over and teach him.
What? This never happens! Of course we said yes! We hung out with him for
the rest of church. He told us God led him to the church. I asked him to explain
that a little more. He said he went to a store to buy something that he has never
gone to before. He said he probably never would have, but that day he felt that
he should go into that store. While in that store he saw one of our English class
signs. He wrote down the phone number and called the sisters. He asked them
about the English class and told them that he would probably be there. He then
told us when we announced that we had a church service he was really happy
because he had been feeling a desire to learn more about the Bible and Jesus
Christ. It was truly amazing! This experience was a huge testimony builder
for me. Here we are - missionaries needing people to teach and God sends us
Ricardo. God really does bless us in our trials. God really is in the details.
Remember that! I sure love you guys!

Love Elder Merrill