Always an adventure!

Hey y’all, how is ya?  This week was a good one. Monticello is awesome - 
I absolutely love it here!  It’s a pretty small town - only a couple thousand 
people or so.  We also hardly ever have wifi so definitely a change from 
the big city of Memphis.  We also attend a branch here and it is great.  

Tuesday we rode bikes around all day.  I was able to get to know my new 
area pretty well.  We were able to visit a couple people here.  That night 
we had dinner with the branch mission leader's family and also the sister 
missionaries.  They are a big hunting family with lots of guns.  It was fun 
to talk about hunting with them.  

Wednesday was an adventure.  We drove to Memphis for my follow-up 
appointment with the orthopedic doctor I saw last week.  The drive was 
3 hours there and 3 hours home.  My appointment took about an hour.  
I had another X-ray and met with the doctor.  He said everything looks 
great with my wrist.  He gave me the go ahead to just cut the cast off 
myself in about a week.  So we'll go to the store and get some wire 
cutters or something to see if I can can get this thing off me.  :)  
I'll need to wear a brace for a couple more weeks after the cast comes 
off and then it should be healed  Good thing I'm kind of a pro at healing 
broken bones. I guess that has been the positive in all of this.  After my 
appointment we went and got some dinner then drove home.  

Thursday was just another normal day here in Monticello.  It rained all 
day but luckily not too hard because we were riding bikes that day.  My 
wrist isn't hurting anymore at all so I felt pretty good riding.  We were 
able to visit a few people while we were out.  It was nice to see more 
white people on the streets instead of just all black people.  I know that 
sounds racist but it’s not.  I have totally grown to love black people and 
white people and Hispanic people - - I have learned to love all people 
while serving here in the South.  We are all children of God.  

Friday we had our weekly planning session.  We also discussed all the 
people they have been teaching here in the area. After the morning in 
our apartment we went out for awhile.  We taught a lesson to a lady in 
her front yard that went pretty well.  We hope to go back next week.  
Being in a small town after a big city has been a nice change.  And my 
new living space feels good.  It already feels like home.  Also serving 
with Elder Toomer feels like home. 

My new address is:
732 Old Warren Road  Apt. 6
Monticello, AR  71655

Saturday was definitely an adventure.  We drove out to a little town called 
Hermitage, Arkansas.  It is about 30 minutes away and only has about 800 
people.  They goal for us as Spanish missionaries here is to go to Hermitage 
once a week and eventually start a Spanish Branch.  The members in this 
town have had feelings and dreams and very positive promptings from the 
Holy Ghost that there will one day be a Spanish Branch in Hermitage.  It is 
really cool.  I feel so blessed to be able to be able to be a part of starting a 
branch of the church in this area.  Being in Hermitage for the first time was 
a really amazing experience for me.  While in the town I had a very strong 
and very distinct feeling that this is where I need to be right now.  I know that 
there will be a Spanish Branch there one day.  We weren't able to teach too 
many people there that day but we were able visit a couple Hispanic families.  
We had one really good lesson with an older lady.  We also received a few 
more Hispanic contacts. Our goal is to also make ourselves known in this little 
town.  We had a little trouble on our way home from Hermitage.  We had pulled 
off to the side of the road to look at directions.  We had barely been stopped for 
a minute when a 19-year-old girl slammed into our back end going 55 miles an 
hour.  Luckily no one was hurt.  We actually barely even felt the impact.  She 
completely knocked out our back left tire, including the suspension and drive
shaft.  Basically the entire wheel well was empty.  Luckily she wasn’t hurt either.  
Please don't worry - we all are fine.  Except now we don’t have a car anymore 
and are sharing with the sisters.  We rotate every other day.  

Always an adventure! 
  

Sunday was awesome.  It was my first time being in an English branch.  The 
Branch President is a really cool guy.  He has tons of land on his property and 
a couple private fishing ponds.  We are going fishing for a P-Day soon.  I am 
very excited about that.   

I love serving with Elder Toomer!  It really is so awesome.  We all get along 
great.  Elder Toomer and I have always joked that we would be each others 
last companion and then return home together.  I am feeling so blessed and 
excited that we are able to serve together now.  Elder Padilla is also super 
awesome.  He is from Peru and still hardly knows any English.  He is learning 
more everyday and we are helping him.  We have a really fun time together.  
It is actually a nice change being in an English area and speaking English 
more than Spanish.  I do miss teaching in Spanish though.  Luckily, in our 
companionship we basically speak nothing but Spanish so that should help 
keep up my language skills.  

Elder Merrill - Elder Toomer - Elder Padilla

Thanks for the awesome emails, I always enjoy reading them.  Today we’re 
headed bowling so wish me luck left-handed.  I hope y’all have an awesome 
week!  Love you all!  

Love Elder Merrill

Elder Padilla and Elder Merrill

Elder Merrill was blessed to sing in another Missionary 

Musical Tribute Fireside.  The performed in Monticello

the Sunday after he arrived in his new area.  He sang in 

the fireside the 2 previous Sundays in the Memphis area.

Crossing the River to Monticello Arkansas

Hey guys - It's transfer day!  I'm crossing the river again and heading to 

Monticello, Arkansas -- and my companion will be Elder Toomer!!!  I

am so pumped!  I will be finishing up training his Greenie with him so

we will be in a trio.   I’ve heard many good things about Monticello so 

I'm excited to serve there.  The area was opened last transfer so I'm not 

sure how much Spanish there will be but I'm excited for the change.  I 

have mixed feelings about leaving Memphis because I have been there 

for so long.  I have really grown to love the Spanish Branch there.  It was

sad to say goodbye to a few people.  I am looking forward to being back

in Little Rock for today.  I am hoping to see a few former companions - 

maybe Elder Giles.  I'm also sad to say goodbye to a few missionaries 

leaving today.  You may remember Elder Donahoo?  He is headed home 

tomorrow.  We have become pretty good friends.  I feel so blessed to have

met so many wonderful people here in the Arkansas Little Rock Mission.  

I am currently riding in the transfer van on my way to my new home for 

at least the next 6 weeks.  I am seriously so excited to serve with Elder 

Toomer!  I can't believe it has been 15 months since we boarded a plane

together to head to the Mexico MTC.  I have to go back to Memphis on 
Wednesday to get another x-ray and check-up on my wrist.  Do you like
my camouflage cast?  Sorry I don't have a lot of time to write today with
everything going one.  I love you guys.  Have a great week! 

Love Elder Merrill

                                      

                                                      Love that SMILE!  

Memphis Spanish Missionaries

Elder Smalley & Merrill, Hermana Robles & Keller, Elder Short & Sotomarino

   TRANSFER DAY!  

 Just look for the Elder in the cast

Today was a huge answer to prayers

Prayers have been answered!  After x-rays last Monday I was put
in a splint.  I then had a CT scan on Thursday and put in a light 

fiberglass blue cast.  Today I saw an orthopedic specialist to review 

the scan and find out what was next.  It was good news!  

"All good news.  No displacement of the fracture so no surgery and 

they are applying a new cast.  Re-check and re-xray next week and 

the doctor is confident I will heal well.  Four weeks in a cast.  Yea!"  

Today was a huge answer to prayers.  Thank you so much to all
who have prayed in my behalf.  I was pretty concerned about the
possibility of going home if surgery was needed so I definitely know
I'm still here for a reason.  

I know that God will always answer our prayers and those 

answers will always coincide with His plan.  

I'm super excited to be staying and serving!  I'm also excited to see 

where the Lord will send me next because I know that I am leaving 

Memphis next week (Mysterious music plays)! 

I've learned being a missionary with a cast isn't too bad.  The worst 

part this past week was having to walk instead of bike so we weren't 

super productive.  We were able to have a couple lessons so that was 

good.  I know that the Lord will give me strength and help me endure 

4 more weeks in a cast.  I do have a little experience in this area.  :)

Thanks again for all of your prayers.  I love you all!   

Love Elder Merrill

Elder Merrill in his blue cast 

waiting to see the Specialist at the Campbell Clinic

 

Sporting a new camouflage cast  

Shout out to Elder Smalley for taking care of Elder Merrill -

and to everyone else who has helped!  THANK YOU!!!

Prayers for Elder Merrill

Elder Merrill broke his right wrist roller skating on P-day.

He had x-rays at an instacare and was sent to orthopedics.

He will have a CT scan on Thursday and meet with a specialist Monday.

Please pray that this injury can be healed with a cast.  

At times like these I wish I could just give him a big hug.  

I find it comforting that he wrote these words in 

his weekly email yesterday just before the accident:

"I know that if we have faith in God, nothing 

can discourage us and we will always be happy"

This has also made me think about Elder Donald L. Hallstrom's General 

Conference address he just gave called "Has the Day of Miracles Ceased?"

"While it is good to pray for and work for physical protection and 

healing during our mortal existence, our supreme focus should be on 

the spiritual miracles that are available to all of God’s children."

We all pray for the safety of our missionaries every day - but life still happens.  

We know Elder Merrill is in good hands in the ALRM.  

Thanks to everyone who has helped him.

And thank you for your prayers.  

The gospel brings happiness!

Hey guys!  It was a great week and Memphis continues to be awesome!  
Tuesday we had a district meeting.  After the meeting we went and helped 
a family move into a new home so that took awhile.  I always enjoy serving 
others so it was good.  Then that night we taught our English class.  

Wednesday was just a normal day.  We watched a bunch of videos to learn 
more about proselyting on Facebook.  That took a good chunk of time.  We 
then tried out some of the things we learned and were able to have a few 
conversations over Facebook messenger.  That evening we went to dinner 
and rode way out of Memphis, ok - not way out - but we left city limits and 
visited with some former investigators.  It was actually a pretty fun bike ride. 
When we got there they were just about to leave but we were able to talk to 
them.  They said they wanted us to come back so that is awesome.  We then
rode back closer to our apartment and visited a couple people there.  

Thursday we went and did some service at the library.  After that we had an 
awesome lesson with one of Elder Spencer's former investigator so that was 
cool.  She was actually really happy we came over and invited us back the 
same day next week.  After that lesson we went and visited a less active crazy 
Cuban named Rene.  While we were there some of his friends showed up.  He 
invited them all to church so they could find some good wives.  Elder Smalley 
and I just laughed because we really didn't know what to say after that.  Then 
that night we taught our English class again.  

Friday was amazing!  We spent most of the day in the presence of a General
Authority - Elder Klebingat.  We arrived about 8:45 am and the meeting began 
at 9:00.  It was a really relaxed meeting.  Elder Klebingat told us he didn’t really 
have an agenda and hadn’t prepared anything but he was prepared to answer 
all our questions.  We had a wonderful question and answer session.  Every 
question that was asked he answered.  He instructed us for about 5 hours on 
the fly.  It was really quite amazing.  We also discussed some really deep doctrine 
about the plan of salvation.  It was incredible.  He had forgotten his phone so he 
told us he was just going to call on us to read the scriptures - but he seriously 
rattled off reference after reference.  It was very impressive.  We really dove into 
what life was like with our Heavenly Father and the pre-existance and preparing 
to come to Earth.  We talked about how our world is the most wicked one that He 
created so that is why Christ came here.  This was a very scary thought to me but 
also so cool to think that our Heavenly Father trusted us enough to come here.  
Through his entire instruction I felt impressed to write down all the scriptures he 
referenced.  Most of them were about pre-Earth life.  This was very interesting 
and helpful to me because if you remember my patriarchal blessing talks about a 
lot about my pre-mortal life.  After his pre-mortal life instruction we had lunch.  Then 
during the afternoon we focused on how to improve our missionary skills.  He also 
really hit hard on the Book of Mormon.  The best part of to me was that he helped 
me see such simple principles taught in such a deep manner.  I don’t know if that 
makes sense but that is what it was like.  He also talked about the art of pondering 
along with our daily Book of Mormon study.  He instructed that part of our study time 
should be set aside for pondering so we can allow God to really talk to us.  I loved 
that thought.  It really was a wonderful day.  

During my personal study on Saturday I read my patriarchal blessing again and 
studied all the scriptures I wrote down the day before.  During this study time I 
received the coolest personal revelation that I have ever received my whole life!
Definitely the most amazing study experience I have ever had as a missionary.  
I am so grateful for this. 

Saturday night we had dinner with the wonderful Benitez family.  On Sunday 
we only had sacrament meeting because we combined with the English ward 
and had a linger longer after to break our fast.  Elder Klebingat was definitely 
the highlight of the week.  Being in his presence was such a huge testimony 
builder for me.  I know that the plan of salvation is essential knowledge for us 
to have to understand our purpose in life.  I also know that the Book of Mormon 
contains the steps we need to fulfill our purpose here on Earth.  
The gospel is so amazing!  

"So that those who believe in God may have the firm hope of a better
world, yea, even a place to the right hand of God; and this hope comes
by faith, provides an anchor to the souls of men And makes them secure
and firm, always continue in good works, being driven to glorify God."
-Ether 12:4

This is one of my favorite scriptures. We live in a crazy world. I know I can always 

find peace in the words of the prophets. I know that if we have faith in God, nothing 

can discourage us and we will always be happy.

The gospel bring so much happiness to people.  I have decided that being happy is 
way more fun than being sad.  And if we have nothing else to make us happy we will 
always have our foundation in the gospel. That’s the amazing thing about this plan.  
I love it and I love you all!  

Love Elder Merrill

MEMPHIS SPANISH DISTRICT

Hermana Robles & Keller, Elders Merrill, Sotomarino, Short, & Smalley 

Elder Klebingat & President Hansen

Elder Merrill arriving to be inspired by Elder Klebingat

Remember to Haz lo Justo!

Hello from Memphis!  And GO AGGIES!  I had to rub that big 
Aggie football win last week into Elder Smalley's face just a 
little bit because he is a big BYU fan. 

This week was good.  I had the opportunity to go on exchanges 
which I always enjoy.  On Tuesday and Wednesday I went with 
our District Leader Elder Sotomarino.  We stayed in his area so 
it was cool to meet some new people and teach his investigators.  
Thursday was a pretty normal day.  Elder Smalley and I went to 
the middle of the ghetto which is always interesting.  We actually 
found some some pretty cool people and a couple of them even 
invited us back.  That night we taught our awesome English class.  
We usually have about 15 people attend so that is great!  Friday 
I went on exchanges again, but this time with our Zone Leaders.  
We really went into the ghetto - like "leave the IPad in the car part
of the ghetto!"  It was really awesome.  I know the Lord will always
bless us with safety there.  

General Conference was so amazing!  We had some investigators 
attend for a session which was so great!  I now love Conference! 
It really is so great.  Some of my favorite talks were from the last 
session.  I also loved the talk about Joy and everything about the 
Book of Mormon.  Elder Nelson's talk was super awesome!  

Today for P-day we went to the church and played basketball this 
morning and then went to the Botanical Garden.  It was beautiful.  
Sorry this is email is kinda short today but I can’t really think of 
anything else to write.  I love you all!  

Remember to Haz lo Justo!   (Choose the Right in Espanol) 

Love, Elder Merrill

Fun at the Botanical Garden

Memphis Spanish Missionaries 

So this happened the other day - 

never a boring day here in Memphis!