HAPPY 20th BIRTHDAY ELDER MERRILL!!!

Hey guys!  This week was a good end to this transfer.  It's really hard
to believe another 6 weeks has gone by - but the next 6 weeks will be
much more of the same because I am staying in Little Rock with Elder
Anderson!  I feel blessed to serve with him for another 6 weeks.  It will
be good.  It's even harder to believe I only have 3 more transfers left!
I will fly home on Independence Day now  - July 4th!  

Tuesday and Wednesday we went on exchanges. I was so happy to
be able to serve with Elder Sotomarino one more time.  He is returning
home to Peru this week.  We have had a fun last week with him here in
Little Rock.  We had his "funeral" and were able to have some fun dinner
appointments with members of the branch.  We are really going to miss
him.  On Wednesday we ventured down south on our exchange and it
poured rain.  We were on bikes so it was rough!  We were able to visit a
less active member and it went really well.  Right after our studies that day
a member called and asked if he could come out with us - this was really
a miracle because that helped make the visit with this less active member
that much better.    

We have basically had a 4 day rain storm this past week - more that just
rain - I'm talking crazy tornado-like weather!  There were a bunch of flash
flood warnings and sirens.  Luckily nothing was damaged and the weather
was never really a safety threat.  It rained on us all week but Saturday was
the best - we totally got caught in a monsoon!  It was so insane we had to
video it!  We were riding home trying to beat the storm but we didn't make
it.  It literally slammed into us.  It was raining so hard we couldn’t even see.
We hit a puddle on a path that was as tall as our bike tires - it was crazy! 
We had rain jackets in our bags but the rain came so fast we were soaked
to the core before we could even get them out!  Lucky for us, some other
missionaries drove by and stopped.  They didn't have a bike rack so we put
all of our things (bags, books, tablets, wallets, phones) in their car and then
we biked the rest of the way home.  It actually ended up being pretty fun.
We were able to get back to our apartment, change our clothes, and get
back to work.  

Sunday was great as always!  After church we had dinner with wonderful
branch members where we ate the best pupusas ever!   We all ate way
too much - we could barely walk after. 

Today's P-day has been awesome!  We played some board games and
then went over to a birthday party - for me!   Everyone got together just for
me - I felt honored.  It was fun.  We ate hot dogs and birthday cake.  Elder
Anderson bought me a bunch of drinks so I was pretty happy about that.
Thank you somuch for the birthday package.  It was so awesome!  I love
you guys!  Can't believe I will be 20 years old tomorrow!

Love Elder Merrill 

HAPPY 20th BIRTHDAY ELDER MERRILL!!!

Elder Merrill & Elder Anderson

Excited to serve together for another transfer in Little Rock!

Little Rock Spanish Missionaries

Elder Merrill - Elder Gonzales - Elder Sotomarino - Elder Anderson

On Valentines Day we visited a member of our branch named Julio and his 

nephew Yayer who are living and working in the U.S. while their families 

are in Mexico. We took them a balloon and we had a fun lunch with them!  

We then sang hymns with them for a while which they both really enjoyed. 

Sacred music really invites the spirit and Julio really loved singing with us!

Elder Merrill and Elder Sotomarino

Elder Sotomarino's "funeral" 

Elders eating with the Ramos Family.

"Called to Serve.  We are happy to serve them!"

Guillermo had us over for lunch.  He bought street tacos 

for us and they were so good!  He said we are now officially 

as Mexican as he is. We took that as a compliment!

Elders with the Barrientos Family

The Monsoon!