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Hey guys!  This week was really great!   We had a lot of meetings 

and instruction from President Hansen which is always inspiring.  

But being able to attend the temple was definitely one of the big

highlights of my week.  With everything going on we didn't have 

a lot of time for proselyting but plan to work really hard this week.  

Monday was a normal proselyting day.  We road our bikes all over 

the place and were able to talk to a lot of people.  Biking has been

super fun and I think I am starting to lose weight.  We have been 

chased by some dogs while riding a couple times - a little scary - 

but just adds to the adventure.   We didn’t really have any solid 

lessons that day but it always feels good to just get out and work 

really hard.  It really doesn't feel like work when serving the Lord. 

Tuesday was our P-day because of the the temple trip.  Before the 

temple we went to a place called the Main Event and went bowling 

and played laser tag.  That was really fun.  Then we went home to 

get ready for the temple.  We left for the temple about 5:00.  After 

our temple session we were blessed to be instructed by the temple 

president.  It was really super awesome!  He talked about honoring 

all of our temple covenants and being endowed with power.  Even 

though we won’t be able to attend the temple again until we return 

home, we can still have the Spirit of the temple with us everyday 

when we truly strive to honor our temple covenants.  I am so blessed 

to have these covenants.

Wednesday was another proselyting day and we were able to teach 

a few people which is always great!  We didn't really have any formal

lessons - we just taught a few people on the street.  You just never 

know where that will lead so we continue to teach anywhere - anyhow.  

Thursday was a big day.  We had Zone Conference and received our 

smart phones and Facebook!   We will still keep our IPads and also 

have the smart phones.  New missionaries who come to serve in the 

ALRM will have smart phones instead of tablets.  It’s weird having 

Facebook.  The first time I logged on it felt like I was sinning.  But it’s 

pretty cool.  We can be friends with everyone back home - it’s actually 

encouraged.  Please post and tell everyone to follow me on Facebook 

now!  We can’t message anyone except investigators.  The conference 

lasted all day - 9:30 to 6:00 -so the only thing that happened after that 

was teaching our English class which I always enjoy.  

Friday we planned our next week like usual.  This always takes up a 

good chunk of time.  After that we returned to the ghetto and had a 

really  awesome lesson with Aurora and Adan.  They are the kind of 

people who know God is good and think you just go to church when 

you have the time.  They are good people.  They always give us some 

amazing food when we visit.  We share our spirit - they share their food.  

Saturday was a normal Saturday.  We were able to visit some areas we 

hadn’t been to in a while.  Then we went to dinner with a member we 

had never visited before.  We were able to share a wonderful message 

with her less active husband.  He really opened up to us and we are really

hopeful he will come to church next week.  

Sunday was a pretty relaxing day.  We had a really awesome restoration 

lesson with a former investigator.  The spirit was strong.  After that we did 

some Facebook finding.  We still haven’t really figured all that out yet but 

we will.  Today we have been hanging out with a bunch of other missionaries 

in Bartlett by the temple.  It has been pretty fun P-day.  I always like getting 

to know new missionaries!

This week in my studies I read Ether 12 - man that is one powerful chapter!   

I especially love verse 4:  

4  Wherefore, whoso believeth in God might with surety hope for a 

better world, yea, even a place at the right hand of God, which hope 

cometh of faith, maketh an anchor to the souls of men, which would 

make them sure and steadfast, always abounding in good works, 

being led to glorify God.

I just love how this verse talks about how if we have faith in God we can 

hope for a better world.  I know we definitely need that hope in today’s 

world.  I love you all and hope you have a great week! 

Love Elder Merrill

You can find him on Facebook under Kaden Merrill

ZONE MEETING

Elder Smalley, Elder Merrill, Elder Short, Elder Sotomarino

Companions - Elder Merrill & Elder Smalley

Biking in Memphis

Hello!  I am so excited to attend the temple today!  Because of 
this our P-day was changed to Tuesday this week so we don't 
use proselyting time.  I have really been looking forward to 
going - it is going to be amazing!   

This past week we had a really good start to this transfer. Elder 
Smalley and I got a little relaxed last transfer so this one we have 
decided to just work really hard, everyday, and it is already paying 
off.  Tuesday was when Hurricane Irma got to Memphis.  It rained 
ALL day so we tried not to bike too much.  Wednesday we spent a 
lot of time talking to people around the apartment complex.  We 
were able to teach a few of them so it went pretty good.  Thursday 
we rode out into the ghetto of our area.  This area is called Orange 
Mound.  Remember in the movie "The Blind Side" they go to an 
apartment to visit Michael's mom?  Well that apartment is in Orange 
Mound.  It is really a super ghetto.  It's pretty cool that guy grew up 
here right?!  Since it is really sketchy over there we never stay long 
enough for it to get dark when we ride over there.  One street over 
from this is an area that is basically all Hispanics.  We have found 
some pretty sweet investigators there.  Friday was a slower day 
but that night was a party.  Our Spanish Branch had a talent show 
activity and it was really fun.  We got to witness some really awesome 
Mexican dances.  There is also an Italian member in the branch and 
he sang an Italian opera song that was really amazing.  It has been 
really great to be able to be surrounded by so many different Hispanic 
cultures out here.  One of the best parts about being a Spanish Elder
serving in the States.    

Saturday was the adult session of our Stake Conference.  We brought 
Ricardo along with us so Elder Smalley and I switched off translating.  
One of the members of the Stake Presidency gave a really amazing 
talk about the sacrament.  He asked if we are just going through the 
motions each Sunday when we partake of the sacrament or if we are 
really preparing ourselves to take upon ourselves Christ's name.  I 
really enjoyed his talk.  Stake Conference was Sunday and it was so 
awesome.   President Hansen was one of the speakers in the meeting.  
He spoke about missionary work of course.  He encouraged each member 
to be a missionary by their example.  It was a really great talk and I think 
everyone enjoyed the conference and the spirit felt there.    

The other exciting news of the week is that we will soon be getting smart 
phones and Facebook.  This Thursday we will have a missionary wide 
zone conference about these new changes.  I'm so pumped!  This mission 
has changed so much since I got out here.  There's nothing as constant as 
change right?   Thanks for the emails.  I always really look forward to hearing 
from everyone.  Love you all!  

Love Elder Merrill

Elder Merrill and Elder Smalley biking in the rain

-They are getting used to being a bike only area now-

Memphis Tennessee Temple

Today will be the last time Elder Merrill gets to attend this temple 

as a missionary because it is closing the end of the month for renovation.  

Stayin in Memphis!

Hey guys!  Well - I'm staying in Memphis with Elder Smalley - 
our 3rd transfer together!  The big change for us is that we are 
now a bike only area.  President Hansen is trying a new thing 
and creating all bike areas.  We'll see how it goes.  I'm actually 
really excited to stay here.  I love Memphis!   And hopefully I will 
lose some mission gained weight biking all the time now - ha ha!  
Hermana Keller is also still in my district.  This will be 6 straight 
transfers serving together with her!  Crazy!  

This week has been pretty good.  We had some complications 
with exchanges and somehow I ended up in Elder Anaya's area 
with him the whole week.  We both had guitars so he taught me 
a few things.  I'm sending the guitar home soon.  We were able to 
do some fun things in his area.  We were given the opportunity to 
do some awesome service for a member with all four of us.  We 
moved all of the member's stuff he had in storage to a shed at his 
house.  Serving together with these Elders is so much fun.  Some-
how hard work with them is always fun.  It was such a blessing to 
serve and spend time with Elder Anaya this past week before he 
leaves the mission field.  It was super sad to say goodbye today. 

This week really wasn't too eventful so I don't have much else to 
say other than the church is still true!  Today we've been at the 
church all day for transfers just hanging out with missionaries.  
It's been fun, but being at the church all day is super boring....  
Well I love you guys!  Have a great week!

Love Elder Merrill

Walkin in Memphis!  

One last picture of this Memphis 6-pack

Hermanas Keller & Petty

Elders Anaya, Merrill, Sotomarino, & Smalley

Elder Anaya's funeral 

He will be missed in the ALRM!

Elder Merrill says good-bye to Elder Anaya

Elder Merrill says good-bye to Elder Jorgensen

Elder Merrill hanging out with missionaries on transfer day 

The Lord sure works in mysterious ways!

Hey guys!  We went to the Civil Rights museum today for Elder 

Anaya's last P-day.  It was a really cool experience.  I think he 

is ready to go home.  I will definitely miss him a lot. 

This week was pretty good.  We had a good district meeting on 

Tuesday that was super fun.  We played Jeopardy.  Our team 

ended up losing and as a result we had to eat the gross bean 

boozled stuff.  It was so nasty!  

On Wednesday we had a really awesome lesson with this guy 

named Jose.  He was a referral that we received from Georgia.  

Because of this referral I found out something crazy!  Do you 

remember Elder Hadfield from my MTC district?  Well he was 

the one that sent the referral!  Crazy right?!  The Lord sure works 

in mysterious ways!   

Thursday we received some of the leftovers from Hurricane Harvey.  

We spent most of the day trying to stay out of the crazy rain from 

the hurricane.  We decided to go to the mall and try to talk to people 

and make contact with some potential investigators.  Saturday we 

spent most of the day finding people again and had a little bit of 

success.  We are hoping Ricardo gets baptized this Saturday but it 

is not looking super solid.    

I had a really cool experience during my personal studies this week.  

I was reading my patriarchal blessing again and I noticed a line in it 

that I had never noticed before.  In my mission section there is a line 

that says some of the people I serve with and around, along with the 

people I bring into the Gospel, will be some of my best eternal friends.  

I always took that to mean that we would be good friends forever from 

this point on.  But now I have come to the realization that I knew these 

people before this life and they knew me.  This Gospel is amazing!  

Another cool thing that happened this week is that an investigator gave 

me a guitar.  His name is Randy.  He is more of an investigator/friend we

have made out here.  We met him at a car dealership one time when we 

took the car in to get fixed.  He saw that we didn't have fidget spinners 

with us so he said to call him in two weeks and he would give us some. 

We called and he invited us out to lunch.  So we went and and he gave 

us the spinners and we talked.  After that we have just kept in touch and 

become pretty good friends.  He now takes us out to dinner about once 

a week.  He is super awesome.  So now I have a guitar.  The only thing

is President Hansen says I have to send it home.

I'm grateful for all the cool experiences I had this week.  I love that the Lord

works in mysterious ways and I love that this Gospel is so amazing!  I'm so 

grateful that I get to share this gospel as a missionary.  That I get to share it

with the people I am serving with and the people I am serving in the ALRM!   

Have a great week!  Love you guys! 

Love Elder Merrill

CIVIL RIGHTS MUSEUM

Ricardo with Elder Merrill & Elder Smalley

Elder Smalley & Elder Merrill

The gifted guitar