Monday's blessing: A chance to chat with Elder Merrill

July 29 ~ saying hi to Elder Merrill as we email notes – what a great part of my day!

Mom: Hi son!!!! Just letting you know I'm here and going to read your letter. SURE LOVE YOU!!!! :) Love Mom

Elder Merrill: Heya, just got finished writing my mission president, I´m gonna write Kyle and Dad and then I´ll write you back. Love you!  -me

Mom: Hello again son! Boy, you write such good letters, I love them! I am glad you are doing well. What day do you find out about transfers? Here, the missionaries are told on Sunday and then leave on Tuesday.  But they don't get any exciting bus adventures like you do!

Yep, the monsoons seems to be leaving which means back up in the 100's for us this week. It will stay hot for August, we will see what September brings!

Well, I never really had you sign up for classes because I thought you would be gone before the semester ended in December, so that's no worry. Based on when you get back, you would probably get a job first and then figure out classes for the fall semester. You will have plenty of time when you are home to get all of that in order.

Do you like seeing Elder Templeton again? He wasn't your actual companion, just part of your apartment group, is that right? I see your next note, yep, you just write other people and I'll take whatever time I can if you have time left over, no worries!

I just want you to know that I love you very much! It is such a treat to get your letters and hear how you are doing. Tell us about your investigators if you have time today. LOVE YA! Mom

Elder Merrill:  Thanks, I try to cover every topic or question that you have, so just remember that if you have any questions, I´ll probably be able to answer them.   Hmm, monsoons. I miss those. You can curl up with some toast and some movie or video game and enjoy the fact that you´re not outside. On the mission, you gotta leave if it´s not raining TOO hard. It gets a little crazy sometimes.  Yeah, the job first sounds like a good idea, I hope that I can get one soon, I don´t know the state of the economy, but if it’s the same when I left, it seems difficult to me. 

  Yep, I liked seeing Elder Templeton. It´s fun seeing people you already know, you can swap stories and find out things that you already know.  Well, just know that things are going good here. Life is fun for now, but when the heat comes again, that´s when I start to get worried. I hate the heat. At least on the mission.  How’s life back home with Kyle and Stuart? Any new adventures with them?

Mom: Yes, I agree about the best part of monsoons is being all snug inside and watching a movie or something like that. Kyle has been showing Kelsey all the Last Air Bender Episodes and Legend of Korra as she has never seen them before. Can you believe there is still no time frame for book two for the Legend of Korra! Sheesh! I bet it isn't ready when Kyle leaves for his mission!

I think you will do fine getting a job. You have a lot of experience under your belt as a missionary and you speak Spanish, those are 2 big positive things going for you. I think the economy is getting better too.

I bet it is cool seeing other missionaries again and catching up on adventures and news. So is your mission president still the same one from when you first went to Argentina or did he complete his 3 years? And when you get told about transfers, how much time do you have from when you are told to when you actually leave?

I have your birthday box about 1/2 way done, so if you want anything specific added, be sure to tell me by next week. I want to give it plenty of time to get to you. I love that you still have the card we signed before you went into the MTC. Very cool :)

What else did you guys do today for P-day? LOVE YOU!!!! :) Love Mom

Elder Merrill: That´s one of the things that I have written down, the legend of Korra. I want to see them when I get back. What do you mean by time frame? I don´t get it.  Yeah, yeah I´ll just stick to my strengths and I´ll be sure to find something. 

   I´ll write you next week on what I want in my birthday box, I made a list of a few things that I want.   I´ve had the same mission president for Argentina for all of my mission, but he started at about the same time as me.  We slept for P-day! We had to wake up at 3 in the morning to go to the terminal.   Hey, I got about time for one more, then I gotta go.

Mom: I mean they haven't given a time for when it will be finished or released. No date yet. It seems like it has been a long time since the first one came out, but Kyle says no date on the rest.  He thinks they might be making season 2 and 3 at the same time, but that is just a guess.

Wow, 3 am is an early wake up call. Were you picking up new companions? Are you staying in Quequen for another transfer then?

If you have to go now, just know that we love you dearly! We truly pray for you every day and night and we send you so much love and cheer!  You have a GREAT Week son! You are doing such a super job being focused and working steadily! Keep that up, and you will be blessed!

I am so grateful for you! :) I love you oodles son! Love Mom

Elder Merrill: Nope, still here to say good bye, but I need to go after I send this.  :(    Yeah, I´m still here in Quequen and we were picking up new elders.  I get the thing about the time frame now. Hmm.  Maybe it´ll be ready when I get back.  

     Hey, I sure love you and I´ll talk to you next week! Tell everyone I´m thinking about them! see ya!!!!       -Elder Ethan Merrill

Mom: I will tell them. LOVE you son! Say hi to your compadres! :) oxox :)

Wrapping up July 2013

July 29, 2013 ~ I can’t even describe how utterly happy I am when I see his email pop up! WOOHOO! Let’s see how Elder Merrill is doing this week:

I´m doing good. (always a good thing to hear!)  Well, things are always busy at the end of the transfer.  I have to clean the house a little, set things in order in case I go, and try to work a little harder with my investigators in case they have a new missionary to work with. It really hasn´t been cold here at all. It´s the afternoon right now and I don´t need a jacket yet. When the sun goes down, that´s when I need to put something more on. I haven´t had too many problems with the cold though, like I said. Wow, 3 monsoons?? We get rain in Argentina but that´s it. No thunder, no flooding, just wet cold rain. I don´t like days like that here in Quequen because the streets get super muddy. Well, it being the start of August means that it´s getting to be a little more colder for Tucson and here, it means that it´s getting a little more warmer. (Sadly, no, it will be in the low 100’s this week in Tucson and probably for a good part of August.)

         I´m glad that you enjoyed church. I can understand what people say during sacrament meeting and all, so I get something out of my meetings here. I´ll always try to be a representative of Jesus Christ where ever I go because I represent the people who have such strong testimonies. 

         I was actually wondering once during this week if Sparky and Hobbes got along in the house. No, huh? I remember it took the longest time before she and Blacky could be in the same room or no.

         All those people ask about me huh? Well tell them that I´m doing fine and that I´m thinking about them too. I don´t dwell on it a lot, but I do wonder how everyone is doing back home. Brad has a birthday this week then? Tell him that I said Happy Birthday! And then Kyle starts his classes for Pima soon? That´ll be interesting. I often wonder if things would be different if I had taken any classes, but I didn´t really have time or the desire because I was more focused on going on a mission. Well, we´ll see how it all goes when I get back. I´m still not sure if I want to work or go to school when I get back, maybe both, but that seems a little crazy.  

          I study the things in Preach My Gospel right now, I´m going through it page by page doing different things, I like where I´m at right now, in the attributes of Christ and why we should develop them on the mission. But I read the scriptures too. I still have my companion, Elder Bernel. There are also 2 new elders in the house here, Elder Templeton, who I lived with before in Carlos Casares, and Elder Solares, who was in the same zone as me.          

     I was going to say, I don´t really have anything new to report, everything is basically the same. I hope that things are the same back home. I´m still here, doing good, doing what I can.  Let me know if you have any questions about how life is for me, but just know that everything is going good for me. 

        Well, that´s about it for me, I´ll still be here and I hope that your day is going good, I love you lots and know that I´m always thinking about you and the family! See ya later! Bye! 

                                        -Elder Ethan Merrill    

I haven't seen the sun in 4 days!

July 22, 2013 ~ Elder Merrill is experiencing a lot of winter rains and the mud that comes with it. After going to the Mormon Battalion Historical site in San Diego and learning about the history and hardships of those faithful people, I know I am grateful he is a missionary today and not 180 years ago!

It´s true!  I´ve been working for what feels like forever in the rain and the mud! I hope that things have been better for you.....but with the Tucson heat, rain might be welcome. No worries though...I´ve been able to go out and about working with the people and all. Its been a little crazy, working in the mud though. 

          It´s still cloudy right now. They say that it´ll clear up tomorrow, but I don´t know about that. It sounds that you´ve had quite the adventure though! Hey, I´m gonna send this so you know that I´m here and all, and I´ll continue with another letter. Love you!

                            -Elder Ethan Merrill  

Still here.  Going to California seemed like a pretty crazy time! All the sights that you described and all the things you did, I bet that you had a blast. I think the most awesome thing was seeing Julia (Sister Julia Harris – Mormon Battalion/San Diego mission) on her mission. How did it happen? Was she walking in the street or something? Or did you find her on a Sunday in church? I bet it´s weird seeing her as a missionary. I know I´d be freaking out if someone I knew was here in Argentina and found me.

       I bet that the temples were pretty cool. I wonder how they look? Then off to the concert hall and the star street. I wonder if there´s anyone that I´d care to see there? With all the people there, I bet that I´d find someone that I´m a fan of.   

        I wonder how Kyle’s trip was? I bet it was pretty awesome! From the photos, it looks like he spent some of the time doing water activities on the sea and the other time on land doing other fun actives like caving. And now he´s spending time with James and Jared huh? I´m JEALOUS, but that´s alright. 6 months isn´t much time to wait really. Well, more like 6 and a half I guess. Tell Kyle good luck with college and all. 

      Dad told me a little about the temple (Raleigh, NC temple). I do like to see all the different temples. For how big and grand they appear, I think we only ever see about half of what’s inside I think. I wonder what´s in the other parts? The one in Provo has a lunch room.        

     Thanks for always sending me support! Letters keep me going and all. Speaking of letters, birthday´s in 2 months basically! That´s crazy!    I´ll be 21! And I still have that letter that you sent me off with saying on the front: ´´Don´t open until your 21st birthday.´´ It´s driving me mad not being able to open it! Well, I´ve waited this long, I can wait a little longer. I´ll send you details in what I want in my birthday package if you feel like sending me one.

         Hey that´s all for now, I´ll let you read this and then I have to write dad a quick something and then I´ll be free. I love you lots! bye!!!  -Elder Ethan Merrill

Brief email exchange with Elder Merrill today:

Mom: Hello sweetheart! You keep writing your other letters, I just wanted to let you know I'm here to "chat" when you are done! LOVE YOU!!!!   Love Mom

Elder Merrill: wow...that´s pretty crazy still that you got to talk to Sis. Harris. I wondered how her mission was. Some people get that assignment as missionaries, they work at the temple or a historical site. There are missionaries that spend all of their mission in the MTC! (that would drive me nuts.) 

     So, you work in relief society now? That should be fun. I didn´t know how being a teacher would be in the mission, but I just started one day, worked on becoming fluent with teaching the lessons and soon enough, you become better and get used to teaching. Well, like I say, it´s all with time. Hey, I´m sorry we didn´t have much time to ´´chat´´ but I gotta go.  :(   I miss you and the family and know that I´m always thinking of you! Love you lots! Bye!

 p.s.   I´ll give you the details of my package in the middle of August or something, I gotta think of some stuff.       -Elder Ethan Merrill

Mom: LOVE YOU! Have a great week son! oxox Love Mom

Way to stay focused Elder Merrill :)

July 15, 2013 ~ It was fun at the end of my crazy 8- hour drive to CA day (with a starting time of 1:30am!) to read Elder Ethan Merrill’s weekly letter. I think his statement at the end of his letter is one of the best things I’ve heard him say. He is truly a treasure and a blessing!

How ya doing?   I´m good here. Sorry, nothing really new happened this week. This is the next-to-last week of the transfer, so I´ll know soon if I go to a new area or if I have a new companion, or if there will be new elders in our house, or if everything stays the same. But with transfers, I´ve never had a transfer where everything stays the same. My companion Elder Bernel is doing good. We haven´t had much different things happen here, but we are getting pretty close with some people to baptism. 

          I hope that things are good at home. Sorry about Kyle getting food poisoning. With all the crazy foods that we have here in Argentina, I´m surprised that I never got a case of something weird disagreeing with my stomach. Speaking of food, I found a recipe for no-bake cookies. It says, chocolate covered wheat balls, or something like that, but near the end of creating it, I realized, ´´Hey, these are no-bake-cookies. Just without the m&ms.´´ They weren´t as hard, and it´s not the same without M&M´s, but they were still good. 

         We had a little rain here, but not a lot. It gets a little colder with the rain, and A LOT muddier, but it´s all gone now. I just hope that it doesn´t rain for the rest of the week because it really makes it crazy walking around in it. But people here tell me that it´s not as cold as it usually gets. 

          I don´t know much about Brad´s family but it is interesting having in-laws for the first time I suppose. Let me know how it all goes. I´m used to talking with complete strangers now, so I hope that things go well if I ever meet them. 

        I realize that you probably won´t get this letter until tomorrow or something, what with taking Kyle to California and stuff. But just know that I ´m thinking of you guys always. Tell grandma I´m thinking of her too. I like the placement test for Spanish idea.

         I´m doing awesome here. I just turned 16 months in the mission yesterday. I can´t believe it! In just 7 short months, I go home!  I feel like Elder Herrera, my first companion in the mission, in South Carolina in fact. He´s going home July 24th, and he wrote me this last time. He tells me that he feels nervous and kinda scared, but happy and exited too. I guess I´ll feel like that when it´s my time to go too. For now, it´s the last quarter of the mission, so now I gotta focus even more, since it´s the time when I´ve got the best experience. I´ll write you more next week okay? I love you lots! Bye now!

                  -Elder Ethan Merrill