Grateful - Thankful - Blessed

Hey guys!  Glad to hear your Thanksgiving was nice and relaxing.  
Our Thanksgiving here in Monticello was awesome.  We went and 
played basketball with the family before we ate.  They cooked us 
brisket and it was amazing.  It was definitely different than any other
BBQ I've had out here.  It had a little more spice to it and wasn't as 
sweet but it was really good.  We had a really good week. We made 
it out to Warren on Wednesday and taught a couple cool lessons.  

I have felt the spirit a lot this week.  As missionaries we have asked
people what they are thankful for when we have talked to them this
week.  This has also given me the opportunity to think about what I 
am truly thankful for.  Definitely out here on my mission I have been 
so thankful for all that you guys do for me.  It would be much harder 
to serve without the support of my family and friends.  So thank you 
so much for everything you do for me.  I’m also super thankful for all 
the many amazing church members I have been able to meet here, 
both in this area and others I have served in.  I have met so many
amazing people that I will never forget.  I’m so thankful for this gospel
and for the Book of Mormon.  I testify that it is true and that is will
bless your life if you read it everyday.  

This week is the last week of this transfer.  We are looking to finish 
strong as a companionship here in Monticello.  It has been a good
transfer and I am so grateful for it.  I know I am supposed to be here 
at this time.  On Thursday Lynn G.Robbins is coming to visit so that 
will be awesome.  I always look forward to being taught the gospel by
other leaders.  I have learned so much serving my Savior and am truly 
grateful for all He has blessed me with.  I am so grateful to wear my 
missionary badge that bears my Saviors name.  I know He loves me -
and I know He loves each of you.  And I Love you guys! 

Love Elder Merrill

Happy Holidays Everyone!

The District!

This week in Monticello...

Hey guys!  This week in Monticello was good.  It was a 

week where nothing really too exciting happened but it 

was a good week.  My wrist feels better everyday. I just 

wear my brace now when we are riding bikes.   

Tuesday was just a normal day.  We just biked around 

Monticello and taught a couple lessons.  

Wednesday we went back to the little town Warren. That 

was really fun.  We were able to talk to some cool people 

and also provide some service for a member.  

Thursday was another normal day around Monticello.  

Friday I’m pretty sure was just another normal day. I don’t 

really remember anything much happening.  

Saturday was cool!  We went back to the town Hermitage. 

This is the place that I told you about where people there 

have had the feeling that there will be a Spanish Branch 

there soon.  We helped the member there install a shower. 

Elder Toomer and I got to crawl underneath the house and 

do some plumbing.  That was pretty awesome - ha ha!  We 

are really learning how to do all kinds of stuff out here in the

Arkansas Little Rock Mission!    

Sunday we were able to watch the Face-to-Face broadcast.  

We saw our neighbor Ray there so that was cool!  

Sorry there's nothing really exciting to tell you this week.  We 

went bowling today for P-day.  Tonight we have been invited 

to eat dinner with a family here.  They are going to cook us 

some Texas BBQ!  Yum!  

Love you guys!  The Church is true!

Love Elder Merrill

An amazing blessing & sweet service opportunity

Hey guys!  I had an awesome week here in Monticello!   My wrist 
is doing great. I just wear the brace while we are out and about and 
then usually take it off in the apartment to get some movement and 
strength back into it.  So far it seems to be working. I figure it needs 
about one more week and it should almost be back to normal. It has 
been amazing to be able to shower normal again. 

Last week P-day was awesome.  We went to our investigator Keith’s 
house and hung out for half the day.  We played a few games of horse
shoes and he smoked some chicken for us to eat.  It was amazing!  
Then we fished on his pond for about an hour until it got dark.  Elder 
Padilla was the only one who caught a fish.  After fishing we had an 
amazing lesson with him.  He has many views on a lot of deep doctrine 
that lines up almost exactly as our church.  He is convinced that we are 
here on Earth to develop our soul and not our body.  We told him he was 
exactly right.  That is part of the plan.  He challenged us to find some 
scriptures backing this up so that will be a fun scriptural treasure hunt.  
We are going to see him again tomorrow.  We have prayed together 
that everything will go well and we will have the spirit with us when we
teach him.  

Tuesday was a pretty standard missionary day.  We biked around town 
most of the day looking for new people to teach.  Wednesday was about 
the same.  We had a really good visit with one of our home teaching 
families.  We spent about an hour and a half there with them and they 
shared their whole story with us.  They still have strong testimonies but 
were offended at church so now they don’t really feel welcome.  It is 
always so sad to see this because it usually flies both ways.  It's usually 
hard to know what the real story because each side of the story is different.  
Hopefully we can help their family return to church soon.  

Thursday was awesome.  We had Zone Conference in Little Rock so I got 
to go see Elder Giles.  I really enjoyed the conference.  President Hansen 
focused the whole day on the Book of Mormon and the new Preach My 
Gospel chapter we received not too long ago.  He also really emphasized 
electronic scripture study.  He said he was encouraged by an Apostle to 
teach us this.  After he taught us - he encouraged us to do so.  And let 
me tell you, my scripture study has improved tenfold!  Now every scripture 
that speaks to me I tag it with everything it can relate it to.  I add a note.  I 
try to link it to other similar scriptures as well.  It has truly changed my entire 
scripture study.  It really has been an amazing blessing!  

Friday was super sweet.  We went to the Elders Quorum President's house 
and built a deck for him.  He supplied the wood and instructed us how to do 
it.  We literally built the whole thing by ourselves from scratch.  He watched 
of course to make sure we did it right but it was a really super sweet service 
opportunity.  They also fed us roast ham after so that was amazing.  

This past week we had an amazing lesson with the baseball guy I told you 
about.  He has been an investigator for about six years.  His wife is a super 
strong member, he has just been struggling with some doubts.  We went over 
and were able to clear up a lot of his doubts about the Book of Mormon and 
Joseph Smith.  It got to the point that at the end of the lesson he basically said 
he just needs to decide when he is going to get baptized.  I feel that this day 
for him will be soon.  

Saturday was just another Saturday but we had a wonderful Sunday.  We 
had a potluck dinner right after church with everybody.  There was a lot of 
good food and it was a great opportunity to get to know the members.  

This morning we got all of our cleaning and shopping done and then went 
and played tennis for about two hours.  There is a tennis court right by our 
house.  After we are done emailing we are going bowling with the sisters so 
that will be fun.  I’m getting ready to beat everyone left handed again.  
I hope you all have an awesome week.  I love you all so much!   

Love Elder Merrill

Elder Padilla, Elder Merrill & Elder Toomer

SPAM anyone?

Cutting my cast off and other adventures...

Hello everyone!  This week was really full of excitement and some 
fun adventures!  Tuesday was a pretty normal day.  We were on 
bikes and were able to visit a few people and teach some lessons. 

Wednesday we had a car - luckily - because it rained all day.  We 
drove out to a tiny town called Wilmer.  The population there is about 
1000 -probably a little less.  After visiting Wilmer we went to Warren 
which is a little bigger.  Still smaller than Monticello,  but a cool little 
town.  While we were in Warren we happened to knock on the door 
of a Pentecostal preacher.  That was a fun experience.  While we 
were talking to him his friend came up and we had a little Bible bash.  
It’s funny because every time someone tries to fight against the Book 
of Mormon they never really have a good reason.  So we shared our 
testimonies and left.  

Thursday was a fun day.  We went to a little town called McGee. While 
in McGee we taught two little kids who are going to get baptized pretty 
soon.  Their father is a less active member who is starting to return to 
the church.  After teaching the kids we returned to Monticello and had 
a correlation meeting with the mission leader.  

Friday we always have our weekly planning.  After that we ventured out
on our bikes again to visit a few people around town.  On Saturday we 
decided to map out the town with numbers.  We then prayed about which 
area we should go to.  After praying we felt impressed to pick a certain 
number.  We went to that area and stayed there for the entire day finding 
people to teach.  It was actually really cool.  We found an awesome couple 
on their porch.  We talked to a Baptist preacher and a few other people. 
What an amazing blessing it was for us to witness miracles in the area we 
chose.  To witness our missionary prayers to find people being answered.  

Sunday we had an awesome fast and testimony meeting at church. I got 
up and introduced myself to the ward, bore my testimony and shared a 
story I love called Footprints in the Sand.  Look it up and read it if you have 
never heard it.  After church we rode our bikes around the area some more 
and then had dinner at a neighbors house.  We are teaching the husband 
who is not a member.  His name is Jay and he remind me a lot of myself.  
He has played baseball his whole life and he loves hunting.  He has been 
taught by missionaries for quite awhile and we are really hoping to be the 
one to baptize him.  

Then Sunday night we had another adventure - we cut my cast off!  Elder 
Toomer did it with a kitchen knife and all went well.  My wrist actually feels 
really good - just a little weak and stiff.  We went out earlier today to buy a
brace.  The doctor said to wear the brace for a bit and especially when I'm
active.  Today we are headed out to one of our investigator's house to go 
fishing on his pond.  I am super pumped!  I will let you know how it goes next 
week.  Thanks for all that you do for me and I hope y’all have a great week! 

Love Elder Merrill

Elder Merrill biking in Monticello Arkansas

Pine Bluff District

Elder Merrill - Elder Padilla - Elder Toomer

Elder Armstrong - Elder Paopao 

Elder Brinkerhoff - Elder Skelton

Sister Minster - Sister Jensen