A week of presents you could say....

Elder Ethan Merrill's weekly letter arrived on Monday, Oct. 22nd, which just happens to be his younger brother's birthday.  He writes us another great letter about his week in the mission field:

      The heat has come, all at once really. Not today though, it´s been raining for the past 8 hours. But I like the rain for 2 reasons. Today we got to sleep and just relax. Its really nice to do that after a week of h ard work, instead of getting all tired at a basketball court playing games on P-day. The other reason is that it's cool instead of hot. I can´t believe how hot this is going to get in December, (boy does that sound weird.) So even if it is ugly outside, with all the rain and all, I´m going to enjoy it because of all the cool air that is out and about now. But we still have to go walking around in the rain, but no worries, I kinda like that.
       We got a whole bunch of new things delivered to us from the mission office. A new fridge, oven, table, microwave, and a whole bunch of new stuff too. This is good because all those things were in some pretty horrible shape. The oven door didn´t close, the fridge dripped water onto all our food inside and the table was being held together with duct tape that I happened to have from South Carolina. But we were able to live with all that, so really, it´s just more easier now.
         I can´t believe that Kyle is 17 today! I bought him a birthday present and everything. but he´ll have to wait another 17 months to get it. LOL. It´s a shame that he´ll have his birthday party a little late, but a least it gives people more time to plan to be able to come. I wish I was there, but let him know that I miss him and wish him the best. I completely forgot to tell you! I got the package the day before my birthday! Thank you for the peanut butter! They don´t have any here in Bolivar. I don´t know for sure, but there is a wal-mart in a city that is close to us, so if ever I get transferred there, I´ll check if wal-mart sells peanut butter here in Argentina. Thank you again for sending that to me!
         I´ve been walking all over the place really. We have the city and surrounding the city, we have a lot of fields. We went to the fields yesterday to find a family that had been taught before. It took us 15 minutes to walk there and another 10 to find the house, but we found it in the end. The family was really amazing! We hope that we´ll be able to baptize them, but this week, we find out if we´ll be transferred or if we´ll stay for another 6 weeks. I´m so happy to hear about the temple and all the people I know. Tell them that I´m thinking about them too! 
         The days are getting longer, with a little more heat like I said, but I can remember when it was October 1st, and it´s already October 22nd. I think this summer and mission are going to be really fast for me. I hope for you too. I miss, love and think of you all and I hope that you´re all doing great! see ya around!

I am SO glad his birthday box arrived! It was just a jar of peanut butter but I knew they didn't have any in Argentina and P and J sandwiches are still one of his favorite things and I really wanted him to have a birthday present from us, so I was absolutely thrilled it made it! Hooray!  

 

20th Birthday in the mission field

This week on his mission, Elder Ethan Merrill will be celebrating his 20th Birthday! I had remarked in the letter I sent him that I bet he didn't think he would be celebrating it in Argentina!

     What a week! Things have been a little crazy with all that I have been doing. The highlights were definitely turning 20 and reaching the 7 month mark on my mission.  I can't believe that I've been out here this long and that I can say I have had this much success with everything!
     I had a nice little party-lesson at a member's store.  We had pizza and cake which was fun, and then I worked for the rest of the day.  I know that although I wasn't there in person, you were all right behind me celebrating!

 He talked a bit about some of his everyday life there in the mission area:

     Church was the same as always. We have a small building, and I mean small.  Tracting was good this week too.  We usually knock on doors in the city or in the fields, but that's the only difference really.  I got to hold a baby kitten that was only 1 day old. 1 day!! They're much smaller than my hand and they can't open their eyes.  They're super cute!
     The weather is all over the place.  It's cloudy but not raining and it's hot outside.  We were supposed to get a new fridge, oven, microwave and table for our house, but the car that was supposed to bring the stuff broke down. Just our luck. No worries, we've been doing fine so far and we'll do fine until that stuff arrives.
     Nothing really new right now.  Halloween is coming up but I don't think it's a big deal over here.  Most of the holidays are the same, the only different one that I've seen is one called "Day of the Kids."  Nothing big, just a day to take your kid to the park and buy him/her a gift.  I love hearing stories from home, it's always fun to hear how things are back there.  Spanish is coming along excellent for me.  I just need a little more practice until I've got it down really.  I want to show you all that I can speak in another language when I return, that'll be cool!  Hey I miss you all and I love you lots! Hang in there, I am!

Well Elder Merrill, we love hearing about your life on your mission! I mailed him a birthday present and I'm really hoping it gets there, but I'm nervous because there is just no guarantee! But, just in case, we signed birthday cards for him to open on his 20th and 21st birthday and put them in his suitcase so he will have those at least!  Way to have a great week Elder!

Laundry and Eating Armadillo

This week we sent out our birthday wishes to Elder Merrill, since his birthday will occur before his next P-day and we want to make sure he knows we are thinking of him and sending him birthday cheer! It was also General Conference and so he talks a little bit about that in his letter home:

     Thank you for the birthday E-mail! I'm doing fine here and I hope you are all doing good too.  I love hearing about how things are going at home, with Kyle and Jessica and Brad and Stuart and Dad.  I think of you guys and I'm so thankful for the support you send me.  I'll tell you what's been happening here a little.
     Most everything was normal at the beginning of the week here. Work as usual. On Wednesday, we got to have lunch at a members and it was pretty good, and then I realized the main course was armadillo.  The animal.  Oh, that's weird!  Then I got to Friday and we had a pretty good storm.  Of course, we had to work through the heavy rains and winds, but it's all an adventure really that's fun to look back on when it's all said and done.
     We then went to conference in Olavarria and I got to watch it in English.  WHAT A CONFERENCE! Men can serve missions at 18 and women at 19! What an announcement! Also the Tucson, Arizona temple! Then the talks from the apostles and prophets! It means a lot more when you're on a mission!  On the way back from conference the next day, we met 2 girls who spoke English because they were foreign exchange students from the States.  It was interesting to get a different perspective from someone who is in Argentina from the states and not as a missionary.  Then we got home Sunday night and it was late (1 am) and I was tired, but I got some cereal and it wasn't until I took the first bite that I realized that the milk had gone sour.  I've never tasted sour milk before and if you haven't, I don't suggest it!

I had asked Elder Merrill how they did their laundry over there in Bolivar and this was his answer:

     Let me tell you a little about how laundry is done.  We have a machine of sorts. It's a large white basket-thing, with 3 propellers on the inside that kinda scoots and churns the clothes around.  Then, when that is done, it has a timer on the washer, and it's time to dry.  Well it spins all the clothes around super fast, getting most of the water out of them. Then we have a clothesline that we hang them up to dry and a  large fan to help speed up the process.  It may sound complicated but it's rather easy really.
     Well that's about it for this week.  Thank you again for the birthday wishes!  I'll let you know if get that package. Physical mail and packages we can only find out if we have them every Tuesday.  I will always be thinking of you guys! Love you!

Catching up with Elder Merrill's News

So Mom and Dad have been traveling around and thus it is time to update the blog on what our awesome Elder Ethan Merrill has been up to.  Here's news from the past few weeks:

Sept. 24th and a humorous little story:

So you wrote me this week´s letter in Utah? That´s pretty crazy! Wish Uncle Roland a happy birthday from me. I don´t know what the plan is with you and dad traveling all over the place, but whenever you write me a letter is fine. If you can´t, or forget, you´ll be home in 2 weeks and that´s when I can expect a weekly letter again. but, you should be able to write me right? Things are about the same here. [The weather is]opposite of you, things are beginning to warm up here. I know that sounds totally weird, but it feels normal to me. When it´s December and in the middle of summer though, I´ll let you know if it still feels normal. I forgot to tell you but the idea where you send me money for my birthday sounds great to me. I´ll just go and pick it up off my debit card and spend it on whatever. I can´t believe that in 2 weeks it will be my 20th birthday. Craaaaazy! This mission really is flying by for me.

           Nothing really new here. I do have a funny story though. I was at the park having lunch with the other missionaries and a member. I was playing with the kid of the member on a playground when I got really dizzy and tired from a merry-go-round. I sat back down at the lunch table and the kid wanted me to get back up and play with him on the playground. I said, ¨No I´m feeling too tired to play right now.¨  So I am sitting there slightly lifeless looking, and the kid goes up to his dad and says,  ¨se apagó¨  which translated means ¨he turned off.¨

So while I was visiting my brother Roland in Utah, to surprise him for his 50th birthday, Elder's Merrill dad was in Tacoma, Washington. He was teaching a class to a group of Army personal at Lewis/McCord. I joined him there so we could go to the Seattle Temple on my birthday, as we had been sealed there on my birthday 24 years earlier. We were both still able to write Elder Merrill as we knew how important those letters from home can be.

Oct. 1st and a little bit about life in Bolivar:

Happy birthday Mom! Well, late birthday anyway, but I was thinking about you on the 29th! I have already got 2 or 3 presents for you guys. I keep picking up something from everywhere that I visit. I hope that you are having fun in Washington! nothing new here to say really, I hope that you all have had a good week with your friends, I am just doing the same thing really. One more week and then I have a birthday! How crazy is that? 20 years! I can´t wait for it! I still have those 2 letters you sent with me too. The ones that say that I have to wait until my birthday to open.

      Nothing is really new here. Thanks for sending me the letter this week. You said that people that don´t have faith have more challenges and struggles because they don´t have hope. That really helps me understand people here a little more. I know that you guys are always behind me and I can´t tell you how much that means to me!

        I´m in a place where you can use computers and music is playing from the ceiling. Music from the states are popular here funnily enough. I´ve heard ´´party rock anthem´´  ´´ so, you had a bad day´´and  ´´girls just wanna have fun´´ all in a row now. I´m always shocked to see how much an American influence there is here. I´m in high health and spirits, so don´t worry about me, I just take this one day at a time and I can hardly believe how fast this mission goes by. 

          I´ll keep a lookout for that birthday package! I don´t want many packages from home since the mailing system is so sketchy here, So no worries, I´m totally content with e-mails and money for things like my birthday and Christmas and thanksgiving, stuff like that.

            I am gonna have to leave soon, I have to go to work right after this, I love you all!  (p.s. owl city just came on. he´s my favorite artist.)

It's a real delight to get these letters from Elder Merrill and to hear about his everyday experiences and thoughts. We miss him so dearly but we know he is happy and well and enjoying being a missionary, so we don't mind sharing for him for a season.