Elder Marriner Kaden Merrill: A really cool experience

Hola! This week was really awesome! Great things happened including
a baptism!  Tuesday and Wednesday I was able to return to Jonesboro for
an exchange. It was pretty cool to drive around the old streets and see a
few of the members. We had dinner with a family I got to know pretty well
so that was really fun.

Thursday we went and did service for Habitat for Humanity again. They
usually have us fix their books and move them around. They let me have
this sweet super old cowboy tie so that was cool. After the service we went
and had dinner with the Sister Missionaries at Brother Trayler's house. He
is so hilarious. He is 88 years old, has never been married and lives alone.
He has a bunch of really cool stuff in his house because he has lived in 80
different countries around the world - so needless to say he also has a lot of
really cool stories to share. Dinner with him is always an adventure.

Friday was fun! We received a Bible referral for a contact in the next town
over so we set up an appointment and went there Friday. When we met the
guy and talked to him we found out he was already a member. He had been
baptized in Kentucky and had recently moved here. When he left Kentucky
he asked to have his records moved but he didn't know if the actually did so
he wanted us to check. He seems nice and really wants to start coming back
to church. After our visit with him we went to visit some people in the hospital.
This really isn't my favorite thing - there is just something that sets me on edge
when I'm around a bunch of sick people. I told Elder Pickering the only place
I felt comfortable in hospitals was in an Orthopedic office - haha. We had our
branch talent show that night which was pretty fun. I played Hallelujah on the
piano and Elder Pickering, Sister Gubler, and I sang it. It was pretty awesome!
I didn't get a video of it though so we will have to record it sometime so I can
send it to you.

Saturday was by far the best day of the week! Every Saturday morning we go
and help out at the Methodist Community Breakfast which is held at their church.
They had asked us to give the devotional so we found a cool little story to share
called "pushing against the rock." They don't like us to talk about the Book of
Mormon too much. Elder Pickering read the story and I gave the message. At
the end of the story everybody was clapping and yelling "amen!" It was really
awesome.  I continued by sharing a scripture and ended with my testimony as
people continued to yell "amen" every once in awhile. The best part is that
whoever gives the devotional says the prayer. So at the end I took off my hat,
looked out at everybody and said, "now, let us pray." Everybody bowed their
heads and I said what felt like one of the coolest prayers of my life. It's not that
I worded stuff differently, but there was just something about everyone coming
together from different backgrounds and praying together. I felt like a Southern
preacher - it was kind of amazing! After the prayer we had some of the workers
come up to us and say they had never seen everybody get so into the devotional.
It was a really cool experience.

Then Saturday night we had a baptism! It was so awesome! Elder Pickering
had been working with the guy for a while and I have gotten to know him since
I have been here. It was just really awesome to see him get baptized! He is a
father and was the only non- member in their family so that just made it even
more special.

Sunday we went back to Little Rock to sing in the musical tribute. It was truly
a great night! David, a member from Monticello that I got to know, came to see
us. He is moving to Oklahoma so that will probably be the last time I see him.
It was good to talk to him once again though. The tribute really brings people
together and always brings the spirit!  Well I guess that's all I have for this week.
I love you guys!

Love Elder Merrill