Happy Birthday!

This last week was awesome! Here is a little rundown and a couple of the things that I learned.

On Tuesday Elder Hanson and I went to work with a pair of Sisters, Sister Hawkins and Sister Ramos. Our goal was to get to know their progressing investigators and help find some new people. To be honest, we didn't have a lot of success. A lot of the citas fell and we didn't find anyone strikingly cool. Yet somehow they took 9 investigators to church on Sunday! I think it is interesting the many ways that the Lord blesses us. Sure we taught the Sisters some good things and helped them know what they had to improve on, but more than anything I believe that the Lord blessed both us and them just because we made the attempt to help them. Isn't that cool? We screw things up in so many ways but just with an attempt to try and bless someone's life, the Lord helps us how. How grateful I am for that, hahahah. So that was cool to see how they had a good day yesterday and have a good amount of progressing!

Wednesday Elder Hanson and I went all around the world trying to help a potential baptism from another area get her Birth Certificate out so she could get married.... but to no avail. We went basically up to Jinotepe! We went to a place called the Crucero, the highest elevated point in Nicaragua. It felt sooooo good. Then we got Subway because we were close. I love Subway. That place is so good. Just the 3rd time in my mission! We didn't get back into our area until about 5 and the rest of the day was normal.

On Friday we had a good District Meeting and then Elder Hanson and I again left the area to visit a lot of the possibilities for the month. There is a lot of pressure right now in the mission to get our goals, so we are working hard to lock down these people! And I love meeting so many new people who are trying to follow Christ for so many different reasons! For the most part it was a success. Elder Hall and Elder Martell had a good day in our area.

Saturday we baptized Carlos! We reactived his family and he was 9 so it was an easy baptism, but it was cool to see his parents go back to church. His dad even showed up on Sunday with a suit!

Baptism of Carlos!

We spent a lot of time out of the area this week, but the Lord blessed us for our efforts. Elder Hall and I took 11 investigators to church and Elder Hanson and Elder Martell took 8. 19 in total in the area! It was awesome. We are looking to baptize Reinaldo this week. He is about 60 with lots of desires to follow Christ! Pray for him. We also have Lesner, Jean Carlos, Edwin, Bryan and possibly Pedro progressing for the 28th, but they need the Lord's help. Please pray for them!

Oh and Sunday was my birthday! Turning 20 was kinda weird. It was a fun day. My companions and some Sister missionaries from here did a surprise cake after church. It was great. Then of course they did the Nica tradition throwing eggs on me! That wasn't too fun. Even though I hated it I am grateful for my loving companions and the blessing they have been to me. 

Happy Birthday Elder Merrill

A Nicaraguan Tradition!

After that Elder Hanson and I went to do some baptism interviews then went and ate dinner at some of my favorite member's house! It is Yadira, Hazel and Hermano Miguel. They are really cool and I love them. That was about it!

Awesome Family

Hermano Miguel

One other quick thing, something I was reminded of and learned yesterday. We have a huge goal for the month, and it is something that I really want to get before I go home. Which obviously makes me really nervous. I have been trying to find a adequate way to receive this very much needed help from the Lord. Because if there is something I have learned from my mission it's that I can't do this by myself. So last night as I was talking with one of our DLs, he mentioned that he and his companion were going to be fasting for a certain investigator that needed help. I have gained a HUGE testimony of fasting in my mission, but to be honest that was something that hadn't occurred to me recently as something that we could do. But it hit me, that is one of the best ways to show the Lord that we need his help! Funny how the Spirit works sometimes right? This time it was through a District Leader reminding me of something that could help. I am grateful for the promptings and hope that we can all try to follow those little whisperings!

Love you all. This week is my last Leadership Council. Should be fun!

Elder Merrill

Sammy the dog, Elder Sam Hall & Elder Sam Merrill!