Megan's Letter 5/31/16

Hope everyone had an amazing Memorial Day! I know we did. (: We set up a stand in the park with all the missionaries in Tuscaloosa and talked to people about how Christ visited the Americas! It was so much fun. (:

This amazing guy we've been teaching, named Bruce, was baptized yesterday! We have been trying so hard to find someone to baptize this month for Miracle May, and to be honest I was a little doubtful! But we exercised faith and the Lord provided. (: Bruce is in the Army so Memorial Day was perfect for his baptism! He bore a sweet testimony of the gospel and his hopes to be a spiritual giant and example for his kids. He is incredible!

We also passed through Eutaw on our way to an exchange! Yes, that's right, Eutaw. Pronounced "Utah"! This little town is the reason I always have to clarify that I'm from Utah- the state. (:

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​Also, Sister Layton went running through the forest to catch me a firefly! Let me just tell you, they are amazing. Sadly she got scraped up in the process!

Last but most definitely not least, Elder Bednar will be at our Stake Conference this weekend! I'm so grateful for this opportunity to hear from an Apostle of the Lord. In preparation for him, we were asked to read from his most recent conference talk about always retaining a remission of our sins! I loved this quote:

"We are imperfect human beings striving to live in mortality according to Heavenly Father's perfect plan of eternal progression. The requirements of His plan are glorious, merciful, and rigorous. We may at times be filled with determination and at other times feel totally inadequate. We may wonder if we spiritually can ever fulfill the commandment to stand spotless before Him at the last day... Although none of us can achieve perfection in this life, we can become increasingly worthy and spotless as we are cleansed by the blood of the Lamb."
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I will let you know what I learn from him next week!(: I hope everything is going well for all y'all. Remember that I love you!

-Sister Merrill

 

Megan's Letter 5/23/16

I'm feeling pretty lazy today so this will be short (: Sorry y'all!

 

 

Two exchanges this week!(: One with Sister Rogers and one with Sister Cullimore!

 

 

​Also there is this crazy rope playground at the public park by our apartment, so we went for morning exercises!(:

​And there was a gorgeous full moon this week!

Our investigator Bruce showed up to church yesterday! He just got back from military camp on Saturday so we didn't think he was going to make it. After church we had a great lesson with him and set a baptismal date for the 31st! Our mission has a goal to have every companionship baptize this month. It's called "Miracle May", and we have definitely been seeing miracles. (:

I'm grateful for the joy that the gospel brings and the miracles we see when we exercise our faith! I hope y'all have an amazing week.

-Sister Merrill

Megan's Letter 5/16/16

This week was super busy and a lot of fun!

First off we had Mission Leadership Council on Tuesday! We had several trainings from President Hanks, who never disappoints. I learned a lot! And then we had to prepare those same trainings and present them in front of our Zone on Friday! I was super nervous, but I think it went well for the most part.

 

I love Sister Chavez
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After the meeting I was able to go on a short exchange with Hermana Mitchell in Hoover! It was a lot of fun. We went tracting in a trailer park and I just smiled and nodded while she taught people (: The Spanish missionaries may be in Alabama, but it seems like a whole other mission!

Yesterday Sister Layton and I had an incredible experience!

We were out tracting in this nicer neighborhood and we weren't having any luck!

*not surprising*

So we decided we should probably go somewhere else, when Sister Layton said she felt like we should go a few more doors! The next door we knocked was this sweet couple that immediately invited us in! Solonge is the wife, she is from Brazil. Rudolf is the husband, he is from Germany! It was so great to talk to them. They have been travelling back and forth for years. They finally decided to stay in Tuscaloosa, and felt the need to be closer with Jesus, and then we knocked on the door! I told her how we almost left, and she started crying and thanked us for not giving up. They accepted the Book of Mormon whole heartedly and we are seeing them tomorrow!

Solonge loves the trees! She always has. I loved to hear her talk about how much she admires something so simple. I made her this painting and added a scripture from the Book of Mormon. (:

 

Alma 32:41

"But if ye will nourish the word, yea, nourish the tree as it beginneth to grow, by your faith with great diligence, and with patience, looking forward to the fruit thereof, it shall take root; and behold it shall be a tree springing up‍ unto everlasting life."

I am so grateful to be here! I love the people more than I can express. I hope everyone has a good week! I love y'all so much.

-Sister Merrill

There was some confusion with my new address, so here it is:

900 Hargrove Rd. Apt #190

Tuscaloosa, AL 35401

Megan's Letter 5/9/16

Hello everyone!!!

I hope that everyone had an amazing Mother's Day! I am so grateful for my Mom, and was happy to be able to talk to her and everyone else yesterday. (:

So in honor of making it to T-Town......

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Everything in Tuscaloosa is basically themed after the University of Alabama! I have never seen so many red advertisements in my life  I love it here though! We are also neighbors with the YSA sisters, which is a lot of fun. We went on a blitz this week, and I got to meet this really cool recent convert named Stone!

 

 

There is also a nice big mall that we can contact people in... I love air conditioning Also we got sunglasses for 50% off and had to take a picture. This is my companion, Sister Layton!(:

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This week I thought and studied on what it means to have hope! I think one of our greatest resources of hope is found in scripture study. I know that when I am having a hard time, I can always find something to lift my spirits in the scriptures. 

Romans 15:4 says:

"For whatsoever things were written aforetime were written for our learning, that we through patience and comfort of the scriptures might have hope."
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The second verse of Hymn no. 19 also stuck out to me. It says:

 

"When dark clouds of trouble hang o'er us and threaten our peace to destroy, there is hope smiling brightly before us..."

So when it gets too hard to have faith- start with hope! I know from experience that all things really will work out for our good, even if we can't see the whole picture yet. (: Have a great week! I love y'all!

-Sister Merrill 

Megan's Letter 5/2/16

Okay guys, I had a really good week for a few different reasons.

We had a cool lesson with these Japanese foreign exchange students! We taught them about the Godhead- which they had no former knowledge of. I made them little cards on the 3 members of the Godhead to keep. They were so sweet and open! One of the girls, Chisato, even said the closing prayer! It's rare to teach people who aren't Christians here so it was a lot different, but I loved it.

This week there was a nondenominational Christian concert at UNA! The Elders decided to have a competition with us of who could contact the most people... We lost by two... but we got more solid investigators so I count that as winning (; It was a lot of fun though! The music was great and we got to teach a lot of people about the Book of Mormon!

Also, I found a frog and I picked it up just for Brynn (:

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​ Another exciting thing that happened was transfer calls! I found out that I will be leaving Florence, and heading to Tuscaloosa! Home of the University of Alabama... ROLL TIDE (: I'm also called to be a Sister Training Leader which will be really cool too!

Leaving Florence is really weird since I've been here almost 5 months! It's crazy how fast time flies. I'm going to have a hard time leaving behind some of the people I've met here. Florence will always hold a special place in my heart!

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Recently I've come to understand Matthew 10:39.

"He that findeth his life shall lose it: and he that loseth his life for my sake shall find it."

I've come to realize that the more I focus on myself, the more miserable I am- and the more I focus on serving others and the Lord, the happier I am!  I'm so grateful for this chance I've had to lose my life and find it all at once (: I hope that y'all have the best week ever! Love you!

-Sister Merrill