Happy Mother's Day 2013

May 13, 2013
Yesterday was Mother's Day and it is one of the 2 days in the year that the missionaries get to call home and talk to their families - so it is a highly anticipated day. However, we asked Elder Merrill to ask his mission president if he could wait one more week and call on the 19th instead because his Dad would be back in Tucson then for his baby brother's graduation. Happily, his mission president ok'd the request and so we will wait one more week and then chat with our super awesome and completely wonderful young missionary!! WOOHOO! Meanwhile, here is another great letter from Elder Merrill:

Hey there! I know that this is one day late, but I still want to wish you a Happy Mother´s Day! Transfers were interesting. I was traveling all through the night, but everything was all good. I hope that things are going good at the house for you guys. Necochea is a fun place. I am actually in a city that is right next to it, a place called Quequen, funnily enough. It´s just like my last area, a city next to a bigger city that is connected by a bridge. It´s funny, the bridge looks just like the San Francisco Golden Gate Bridge. Just smaller. The city is more like a country town, there´s a couple of fields around and about it, but we live about 10 minutes from the beach and it´s in our area! I can´t tell you how exited I am to take a couple of photos of the ocean! I´ll go next Monday, as this Monday we went to Necochea´s central, and that´s kind of like a mall. So we just wandered about, looking in different stores and stuff, and then we´ll hit the beach next Monday.  I live in a house/thing, with 3 other elders, my companion, and the other pair of companions, we share the city. I think I said that my companion is Elder Barrie, He´s actually a lot like me, so we get along fine. But he´s scarily a lot like me. We´re different in some ways but we´re similar in many others. 

           I´m super stoked that I get to talk to you and the family, and also I hope that James can make it! I know that James has a busy schedule and all, but it´d definitely be awesome to talk to him. I hope Brad can make it too, I also hope that Jared can come too, tell him I´d be thrilled to see him!  I´m going to try to call at about 2:00, or rather, I´m going to call at 6:00, but you´re 4 hours behind, so it´ll be 2:00 in Arizona. 

                 That´s funny about the primary kids! Ours are about the same here, I don´t have much chance to work with little kids while I´m a church, but it´s still a little fun if I get the chance. They do indeed have a Mother’s Day here in Argentina, but it´s on October 3rd. so we decided to call on Mother’s Day according to Mother’s Day in the states.

                I haven´t gotten the socks yet, but that doesn´t mean they´re late yet, we don´t get mail the last week of a transfer, and the first week, we didn´t have a meeting with all the missionaries, so tomorrow is the first time that anyone has the chance of getting mail. I´ll tell you Sunday if I got it or not. Those socks will come in handy! It´s not too cold yet, but it´s cold enough to have to wear a jacket in the evening. 

              I hope you had fun with your astronomy class. Here, I can see the stars and stuff in the sky really clearly, as there´s not a whole lot of lights in the ends of the cities. I can see pretty much whatever is out here. 

               Hey, I hope you have a great week and just know that I´m way exited to be able to talk to everyone! I have pretty much the whole night to talk with you all, so I´ll see about being prepared, like bringing a water bottle, as I´ll be talking a lot with you guys I think. Stay safe, and know that I´m always thinking about you guys! I love you lots and I hope that you all have an awesome week and I can´t wait to see you all at the end of it! Bye now!

                                  -Elder Ethan Merrill