September 2013 is here and Elder Merrill is doing well

Sep. 2, 2013
Today is our favorite day - it's time to get a letter from our awesome Elder Ethan Merrill.  I'm especially happy because it is a day off of school, so I got to be home and say a little hello to him again.  It is such a paradox; we are so grateful for Elder Merrill's service as a missionary and his willingness to give up this time in service to the Lord - but we still miss him like crazy! But we are 3/4 of the way through and before we know it, we will be welcoming him home! Go Elder Merrill :)

How ya doing?  I suppose when you get this, you´ll be at school. I know that it can get a little crazy with the schedule sometimes, try a planner or an alarm so you can set the important things down somewhere. It´s the only thing that helps me remember all the things that we have to do during the week. But that´s just if you feel overwhelmed and can´t remember all the things that needs to be done. 

         Yeah. It got hot than cold than hot and today it´s rainy and cold. The weather is all over the place in Argentina. Anything can happen. Even more so in the city I´m in: Quequen. Well at least it´s not too hot yet. I won´t enjoy summer. 

         Wow, I wonder if the bathroom will look a lot different or just a little different when I get back. If it really is in 2 weeks to get everything done, that might go by slow for you, but it goes by fast for me. The time is really flying over here. 

          Like I said, with your job and all, no worries. You´re a great teacher and I think things will go well. I remember reading Holes. I think I was in the 7th grade when I read it. I think I read the book and then saw the movie, but I don´t quite remember. 

            Yep. This is the last week of the transfer. It comes every 6 weeks. Can you believe that I´ve got 24 weeks left of the mission?  It seems short when I say 24 weeks but it seems long when I say half a year. It gets hard to fight the trunky thoughts at this point. 

             Sorry if this letter is shorter than usual. There´s literally nothing new to report really. Things go on the same. I often wonder how Andrew is doing. He goes home in the end of November, that´s just about 2.5 months away! I wonder how I´ll do at that point.......trunky I imagine. 

            No worries about the birthday package, I bet that it takes about a month to arrive here, so luckily, you have a little time to find it and get it out. If it arrives early, I think I´ll wait until my birthday to open it. If it arrives late, well....I´ll open it when I get it and everything will be good. 

            Hey, you guys have an awesome week okay? I´m doing good here, maybe I´ll be in another city when I write next week. Who knows? I´ll always remember to work at doing my best on the mission with all the people that I come across. I´m praying for you guys too and I hope that everything goes good for you guys in school, work and everything in general! love you lots!!!

         

                           -Elder Ethan Merrill        

Hi son!!! It is Labor Day today so no school - so I'm here!!! YEAH!!!  I'll read your letter and then write some more :)   LOVE YOU LOTS!!! Mom :)

cool, just respond when you´re done and chat until my time is done. love ya.-me

Hi best missionary ever!!!

Yeah, today it is very cloudy here this morning, which is a nice surprise because it is supposed to be 102* I think. Maybe the clouds will stay and keep things a little cooler.

The bathroom will look pretty much the same when it is all fixed back up. The only thing I'm changing is in the computer room. The top half of the wall is covered in this wallpaper that I never really liked so instead of replacing that, I'm just going to have them paint it instead. Yeah, it will be really nice when everything is all done.

Let's see, according to Sis. Stockton, Elder Stockton comes home the first or second week of December - I think it is the first week. I will be happy to see him because it will mean you won't be far behind, lol.

So transfers are coming up again. Gosh, it seems like maybe just a week ago that you had them!  Yeah, I hope I can uncover the birthday box soon, lol.  It will be fun to send that out to you.

So the missionaries here have been focusing a lot more on visiting the less active and trying to get referrals from members. Do you guys still do a lot of tracting there or do you mainly visit less active members too?

Oh yeah, I had asked earlier, so when you went to renew your visa, did your companion go with you? That sounds like it was a really long day, but yep, necessary. In Turkey, we had to renew our gate passes with the Turkish officials to get on and off the base once a year and that was always a pain but again, necessary.

SURE LOVE YOU!!! :) ~ Mom

wow.....I didn´t know it was labor day! How I´ve forgotten some things....    

            

             Huh, the way I understood it, is that the whole bathroom is utterly destroyed and there´s a hole that leads outside at the end. But maybe it´s not like that.....that´s just the image that I have in my mind. LOL. I can´t wait to come home and see it all.

            It´s true, Andrew comes home in December then...and 2 months afterward, I come home. It´s interesting, but 2 months can go by really fast or really slow, depends on if you´re really exited on what´s coming up.

            I forgot to say it, but happy anniversary to you and dad! I hope that things all go well back home for you guys.

             Hey I´m sorry, but my hour is up.......I gotta go now........I love you lots and just know that I´m thinking of you guys always! You all have a great week and just know that everything is going fine for me here! See ya around! Love you!!!!

                            -Elder Ethan Merrill