Chontaleno ya. (?)

Sorry for not writing last week. My son Elder Peterson and I had to go to Managua to do a couple things, and my new area is about 3 hours away! Elder Peterson did get the chance to briefly write his family last week, don't worry mom :) So, I had changes! Finally left the Zone of Jinotepe. It was difficult, but I really miss it. And I was changed to Juigalpa! Super hot, eastern side of Nicaragua.

Franklin from Jinotepe

So let's talk a little about the Zone that I am in. Juigalpa. As I said last week, my new ZL companion is Elder Hanson. He has done a great job, but the other leaders in this Zone were not doing a good job, so the Zone was a little dead when I got here. They had a bad month in October, and things were looking really bad for November. Therefore... we had some things to change! And we are in the process of doing so. We have changed the attitude, the way of working, respect for leaders, how to baptize, all that good stuff. As I heard one time a few months back from a Stake Leader here in Nicaragua, "the leader always determines the rhythm." So as leaders, Elder Hanson and I are trying to first off give the example, and then help others to follow it. We have seen that things are already changing! Because they are doing what they should be doing better, they are completing with their goals, and more baptisms are popping up out of nowhere! O sea, miracles :) we hope to keep this going to help turn this thing around! Our personal area isn't necessarily considered one to be "blessed." Third straight really tough area that I have been put in. I guess I just haven't learned what the Lord wants me to learn yet! We are working super hard to get this area moving, like really hard. 

Alright sorry, with basically two weeks since writing, I am really confused as to what has been going on! So next week will better. On Tuesday Hanson and I had Leadership Conference at President's House. I love President and the opportunity that we had to learn from him. I will miss that guy. And the opportunity to see a bunch of my best friends! Naisbitt goes home one month from today. I am really gonna miss that guy. He is crazy haahah. On Friday we had Zone Meeting. We basically just motivated and exigird the missionaries. Funny story, the tie that mom sent me, Elder Hanson has the same one, so we went all twinny for a day! Wahoo!

I loved working with my American son Elder Peterson this last week! I love this work. Sorry for the bad update, next week will be better! But I am still good because the one I sent a few weeks ago was really long and good. I am so grateful to be a missionary for the Church! And to be here in Juigalpa! Go Jazz! This is our year!

Love you all. Keep up the good work. Next one's it.

Elder Merrill

He's alive!!

This is probably not worth your time, but thought you might want to know Sam is still alive.  How did moms do it in the good ole days?! I found the picture off his former ZL companion's blog.

............

Hey, just wanted to quickly let you guys know that I am alive! Hahaha I haven't been able to write, because I was in Managua all day Monday with my new son! His name is Elder Peterson, from Morgan, Utah. First American son. I am in Juigalpa. East side of Nicaragua. My ZL companion is Elder Hanson. I have now been put with my 3 best mission friends as my companion. Naisbitt, Copeland and now Hanson. Other than that all is well. I will write you guys next week. Love you. Have a great week!

Elder Merrill

Elder Copeland and Elder Merrill

Just put a little trust in me!

Well, this week was a lot of fun. Let's get right to the good stuff.

Monday night we had another lil Family Home Evening with investigators, and we watched the Joseph Smith Restoration thing. But I think I already told you guys that hahaha. It was a lot of fun and our investigators loved it! We also found out that we were going to have ANOTHER Multi-Mission Conference on Saturday, with Elder Snow, the Historian of the Church. It is cool, but means a lot more stress and less sleep.

Well, for these last few months, President himself put our Zone monthly baptism goals, instead of us putting them. He promised that if we hit these goals, then he would do a sick P-Day activity for the entire Zone. These are not easily goals to hit. President always stresses progress, just being a little better. So the goals were at least one baptism higher than the record of baptisms that a Zone has had in a month in the time of President. Depending on the amount of weeks there are in a month. For example, the record that Zona Jinotepe has had in a 4 week month was 23 baptisms, which we did in January. So, Pres put our goal for 25! We went into last week with 14, but everything was looking solid to get 25. It was gonna be close, but looked likely. That was the focus all week! Working on our 4 (Ana, Alfredo, Francis and Perla, as I talked about last week), and helping the rest of the Zone as well. I went out with Elder Collado on Tuesday to go visit some of these possible baptisms, and it was a lot of fun. I love working with that guy! I feel like I am in my training when I am with him, just speak a lil more Spanish and know a little more about the Gospel :)

Wednesday and Thursday were normal work days. Our 4 possibilities were looking good, even with all their problems, as I described last week. Perla, golden. Francis, super faithful. Ana, a little shaky but solid. Alfredo, a kid. We have worked so hard with them, and I have never prayed so hard for 4 people in my life. It was a good week preparing them!

Then we got to Friday. And everything went beserk. Remember, we had a huge Multi Mission on Saturday in Managua, so we had to prepare everything for that as well. At about 1:30 as I was working in our area, got a call from Elder Collado saying that they were gonna open up a couple areas in our Zone, and sent me out looking for houses :) so my friday was gone! I went to Nandaime and spent the whole day looking, but without any luck. Also, that day I got a call from Pres telling me that I was going to give the opening prayer at the meeting the next day. In front of 400 missionaries, two mission presidents and 2 general authorities, Elder Snow and Elder Alonso. At least that shows that President trusts me ahahaha but a little stressful!

Friday night Copeland and I didn't even sleep, cause we had to leave at about 2 in the morning to go pick up the rest of the missionaries in the Zone. And I was a little sick too. In our area, we were confident with everybody in the Zone, except our own baptisms. We were super super nervous about those 4, or at least 3 of them. We went to the meeting, and it was great! Learned about the importance of writing in my journal and putting it all on the table. My prayer was good too hahahah I think. But that was not the important part.

The baptisms. We got back to Jinotepe from Managua at about 2:30, and I was pretty sick, feeling really crappy. And..... like it always happens, 3 of our 4 possibilities were nowhere to be found. And their family was saying that these 3 (Ana, Francis and Alfredo) were not going to be receiving us anymore. Hahaha classic. As we found out, I got super frustrated, with the feelings of "here we go again", like has happened so many times in my mission. I begin to have the same doubts as always, because we had worked SO hard for these people. The feelings of "why?". I was feeling like all this work had been done for no reason, and I was really mad. But I tried to keep optimistic and we went a searchin.

Elder Copeland and I went to get the church ready, then took a taxi up to where these people live. Elder Copeland felt an impression to take a different route than we usually do though, and we did it. And miraculously, we saw Francis walking down that street with her son. We would not have found her had we not taken that route. Pura inspiracion. Nice work Cope. We got out of the taxi and she seemed super animated about getting baptized, and said that Ana and Alfredo were as well. Did I tell you that they were trying to do this baptism in secret so that they wouldn't get kicked out of their house? But she said all was good, just had to drop something off at her aunts. We went with her obviously, but waited outside and hid so that her family wouldn't see us. She didn't come out for about 20 minutes, so we got a little worried. We finally passed by and saw her inside, and she signaled to us to wait just a little. We waited and saw some old lady walk in. About 3 minutes later, she came out, didn't even look at us, and started walking toward herself. We caught up to her, and she was super sad because her aunt had found out and told her, "if you get baptized, then get out of the house." She did not want to do it. We tried to animate her, but nothing was really working walking to her house. Then we sat down and talked to her for about 45 minutes about faith and how she had seen miracles and how she could do this and how the promises of God always get done. No matter the circumstance, no matter the difficulty, if we are obedient, God will bless us. She wanted to do it, but was scared of getting kicked out of the house. Somehow, gracias a Dios(not bad here) and the Spirit, she decided to do it. But we had to secretly leave her house and get to the church so that her aunt wouldn't see her! We went walking down the street and then went down a little alley way to get out to the highway. As we left the highway, naturally we saw her aunt walking right towards us. Francis went sprinting back through the alley like she was going to her house, and Copeland and I sat there like nothing was happening. I thought, "well that was fun while it lasted", thinking that she would go back to her house and give up. Copeland and I followed to see if her aunt had seen her. When we got to the street, we couldn't see Francis. Two seconds later, one of our investigators on that street signaled at us... FRANCIS HAD HID IN THE HOUSE OF ANOTHER INVESTIGATOR FROM HER AUNT. She came out, we went to the church, and she got baptized. Perla got baptized as well. That night we never found Ana and Alfredo. We went in the morning to try, but couldn't get them. So we finished with two that weekend, 4 in the month.

Perla's baptism

Francis took an enormous step of faith that day. She has a 1 year old baby and isn't married, doesn't have a job, nothing. But she decided to put her faith in God. To be completely honest, I didn't know that was possible. I will never forget that moment and what she did. She will be forever blessed for that, I have no doubt. In the Zone, we finished with 24 baptisms. Our goal was 25. I was really disappointed, because our two baptisms that fell were the ones that would have helped the Zone hit their goal. But I learned a great lesson that day. It was the will of God. Although I was really sad, we did break a record, with 24 baptisms. And although they didn't all get baptized, I can honestly say that I really felt your prayers. The Spirit was very strong last week. And I am so happy for Francis and Perla. And I am so grateful for that miracle. It was the biggest miracle I have seen on my mission. Francis is a chosen daughter of God, just like all of them. It was a humbling experience, because I felt like an idiot for doubting and get frustrated.

Francis' baptism

Today, Copeland and I kept looking for a house in Nandaime! We got to play with some monkeys! That was super cool. The are incredible. Can basically do anything they want and are really smart! 

 

 

However, today was tough. We were looking for a house last night for 4 hours, and today from 8 to 3pm. We were really frustrated, because nobody wants to lose their P Day looking for a house! At 3, we decided to humble ourselves and say a little real prayer. We sat down on the sidewalk, I said a super humble prayer feeling like a complete idiot for not putting my trust in the Lord sooner, and we went searching. We found a house within two minutes. It's just the little things sometimes isn't it?? I feel like this last week the Lord was just telling us, "son, just put a little trust in me." I love the Lord, and I am grateful for His many miracles. And I am grateful for the opportunity to learn and grow every day.

Changes this week! Love you all so much. I felt your prayers this last week. I can promise that.

Elder Merrill

 

 

Happy Anniversary!

Go Aggies! That was surprising, but lots of fun! I wish I could've been there hahahah. I would imagine that BYU-Utah State will be pretty fun in November or whenever they play. So this week was another really quick week. Don't I always say that? Hahahah I guess this mission is just going by way too fast! And once again, can't really remember what happened. We'll see if I can. I need to pay more attention to detail, because as you know, time goes by very fast. I don't want to lose it.

Monday night we had a little Noche de Hogar (FHE) in the chapel with some of our super awesome investigators! We watched The Testaments, and it was great! I actually wasn't there because I went to do a baptism interview, but it was still really cool I think. We have got some really pilas investigators. 

Tuesday I went down to Rivas! I am starting to get really sad, because my time in this Zone is almost up (maybe). This is the last week of the change, and next week there are changes! Easily the fastest change of my mission. But anyways, had the opportunity to go work with Elder Scheffler and get to know the possible baptisms for this month. Putting on the animation, puro smile :) hahahaha we got to know a lot of people and had a lot of success! I love working down there. I love the people down there. Keep in mind that I have been in this Zone for the entire year. I am no longer part of the Bountiful Central Stake. I am part of the Jinotepe Stake! And even though I want a new area, I kinda don't want this to end. Hey before I forget, I think today is the one year anniversary of me getting a massive rock chucked at my face. That's cool. Can't believe that it's already been a year since then. I also had a little poop accident that morning, just never told you guys hahahaha. Not because of getting jumped, just happened in the morning because I am in Nicaragua and that can happen at any moment!

One year ago today! Good times!!

Well I am just gonna talk about the most important part. My investigators! So we have two baptisms right now in the month, and we have the chance to baptize 4 this weekend. The record in this area for a month is 4 baptisms. But more importantly, they are awesome people, and they have been going through a lot of crap. Ana, Francis, Alfredo and Perla. Perla is golden. No problems there. She is super awesome. Alfredo is Ana's son, and Francis is the cousin of Ana. Ever since those 3 started going to church, they have been receiving a lot of persecution. Everyone hates the church here, don't know why hahahah. It's unreal. Francis has been really tough through it, because she has seen a bunch of miracles, Alfredo is 12 so he doesn't care, but Ana has been struggling a little. We have been working extremely hard, and praying super hard as well to get these people down, but it has been tough. And then today they called us and told us that they are getting kicked out of their house for doing what they are doing and for getting baptized. It was super tough to hear. Copeland and I went and visited them, and Francis said, "we are gonna go see if the government can give us just a little land so that we can build a house, even if it has to be made of plastic." In Spanish obviously, but super humble. That is all I ask of you. Please pray for these 4 amazing people. Ana, Alfredo, Francis and Perla.

Love you all so much. Keep up the good work!

Elder Merrill

Symbol on the Nicaraguan Flag

Stress and Miracles!

These weeks go by so fast! A la grande! This week was the fastest of my mission. I'll tell ya'll why in a sec. And this has also been the fastest change that I have had in my mission here with Elder Copeland! Life is a lot more fun when you are baptizing! hahahah this week was really busy, so let's explain a little about it! First off mother, "animating" is going around pumping people up for their baptism, and in most cases convincing them. Because here, anything can happen in any given moment.

I'll get straight to the good stuff... we had two baptisms this last week! First one was with Fernanda on Wednesday. It was kind of a blessing, because she turned 9 on Tuesday.  Her mom is a member. She is super cool and super cute and it was a super fun baptism!

Thursday we had another Multi Zone Conference! Which for most missionaries means a super fun day learning and all that good stuff. However, for Zone Leaders that means lots of planning, teaching a workshop, stress and no sleep! So it was a pretty stressful week. We had to do the same pick-up route that I have been doing for 6 months, which meant waking up at 2 in the morning and not getting home til about 10 o'clock. It was a really long day. Elder Copeland and I taught a workshop about how to teach better. Which is weird... why would President assign a really bad teacher (me) to teach about how to become a better teacher? I just think he had a little mistake there ;) other than that the Multi Zone was great! President Russell spent about 2 hours talking about how to become consecrated missionaries, relating the 4th Missionary talk to our own mission! And he gave every missionary a copy of the 4th Missionary (thanks Cal)! It was a super long day but it turned out being pretty good.

Saturday we had another baptism! Andy... he is such a funny, cute kid. We reactivated his family and got him baptized. It was really cool! Saturday was super stressful though, full of baptisms falling and miracles then baptisms falling again all around the Zone. But it turned out to be a good weekend!

I just have one thing to ask of you all... pray for Ana, Alfredo, Francis and Perla. I will tell you why soon :) love you all so much! Go Aggies!

Elder Merrill

3rd General Conference

Playing with a turtle!

This last week was yet again, awesome but extremely fast! Like I said last week, Elder Copeland and I went through our second conference together.... so crazy how fast those six months have gone. Which scares me a little to know how fast the next six are gonna go, but not thinking about that hahah. So let's see what we did this last week!

On Tuesday I spent the whole day working with my companion Elder Velasquez, and we worked really hard! We spent the whole day contacting new people, and it was pretty successful. This Elder Velasquez is super funny and fun to work with. Elder Copeland went and worked with some sisters, and he did well!

Wednesday was a normal day of work, lots of fun.

Thursday I went down to Rivas to work in my old area with Elder Scheffler and his companion. We worked super hard and I helped them a lil in their area, because they were struggling. We had a lot of fun. It was also fun to work in my old area! I wasn't a huge fan of that area, but it was good to go back and relive some of the memories. Oh by the way, this last week, my first son Elder Castro hit a year in the mission? Crazy right? And my second son, Elder Arevalo, already has 9 months. And I have been in this same zone for his entire mission! Mucho tiempo jajaja. But anyways it was fun to work in my old area! 

Friday I went to District meeting down in Rivas. Did some ¨animating¨, because we have a great opportunity to have a great month in October! In this Zone we have a lot of pressure and put really high goals. Because sometimes you gotta ¨expect perfection to get something similar.¨ Then I went back up to Jinotepe! There was a lot of new apartment stuff going on that I had to work with, which is yet another miracle from the Lord that we see all the time, something as simple as Him helping us find a new house for missionaries in an important time. Then we went out to work to prepare everyone for Conference.

Saturday was awesome! We had a ton of success! We brought a lot of investigators to conference, which is the most important thing. And the things I learned were awesome. Let's see. Elder Lawrence, how he talked about Progress. I feel like Dad was up there talking, that is one of his strengths. We need to find a way to progress every day, even if it is just a little bit. Elder Holland was kinda tough to listen too. It brought such a deep love and gratitude for my mother and all she has done for me. My number 1 fan. I love you Mom! We brought 13 investigators on Saturday, and finished with 18 in total! And a few of them loved it so much that they came back by themselves on Sunday (that is unheard of here.) Priesthood was great, partially because we didn't need to bring investigators hahaha. But I loved Elder Anderson's talk about Faith. Give Brother Joseph a break! Hahahah that definitely applies here. Have I ever told you how much we get yelled at and made fun of here? It's about every 5 minutes that we hear something about coffee and Joseph Smith. It is crazy. Really builds up someone's patience ahahaha. But yeah Priesthood was awesome! Sunday was great too. There were a bunch of people that showed up to the church to watch it, thank goodness. I really loved President Monson's talk, except for the fact that I basically didn't get to hear it because Copeland and I were tending a crying child of one of our investigators. At least she got to listen to the Prophet! I did get to see the end though (Copeland and I were in another room watching it in English), and when I saw him really struggle, it made me really sad. I love that guy with all of my heart, and I just want to see him one more time in person. Who knows if it will happen though. Listening to President Nelson was so cool. Ever since he came here, I have fallen in love with that guy. He has such an awesome spirit, and I have met him! I also loved Elder Christopherson´s talk about the importance of a church! It is very important, and people here don't understand that!

So all in all it was a great week. I am so grateful to be able to testify every single day that Jesus Christ has restored his Church through Prophets and Apostles. This Church is what will help guide us to Salvation. So let´s do our job! Pray this week for Andy and Fernanda, our two baptisms this week. And pray for Perla, Ana, Alfredo and Francis. They are super cool people that need prayers! Love you all so much!

Elder Merrill

Drinking a little Coke like Fred and George (?)

Super Poor!

A La Grande. Milagritos

Hello family and friends! This week once again went by incredibly fast. This is all going by way to fast. Here is a little report!

Tuesday we had Leadership Council again, and this was fun. Hahahahahah our Zone is doing ok, but the mission has not had a great month. President talked a lot about how we are doing well, but there is a need to do more! Our goal at the beginning of the year was 2060 baptisms (Army of Helaman). And if we got this goal, President is gonna take us to San Juan del Sur! It is a super cool tourist place down south in Nicaragua. Last year the mission baptized 1729. Right now we have about 1680, or somewhere around there. It's pretty fijo that we get 2060, so President decided to test us a little more. He put the monthly goals for each Zone in these last three months of the year, instead of the Zone Leaders putting it. The goals are gonna be difficult, but possible! In Jinotepe, we need to baptize 26 this month, with only three weeks to baptize! Should be a lot of fun :) and we put a new goal for the mission! 2300! President promised that if we get 2300 baptisms as a mission, he will give us all sick Mission Shirts down at San Juan del Sur. Creating the vision! It was also fun to see a lot of my really good friends at Leadership Council.

Wednesday and Thursday we worked really hard! And Thursday night we prepared a little for Zone Meeting, that we had on Friday!

Friday we got up early to prepare for Zone Meeting. It was looking all good! And then I got the text. One of the APs texted me and said that President was going to be there. Which means nerves up the wall hahahha. We talked about how the Zone was doing, obedience, and then a little more about how to work with members. I always think about how in this life, we really only ever have two options. Obedience, and disobedience. When we are obedient, we come closer to Christ. When we are disobedient in any way, shape or form, we fall away from Him, and unless we repent, we will never be able to return to His presence. It is that simple. Obedience is that important! So let's be Obedient with exactness, because in that way we can see the blessings of change in our life. And if not, then let's repent! Afterwards, President said it was excellent, one of the best he has ever seen (but doesn't he say that to everybody???) hahaha but it was all good! Then that afternoon, I got to go around and work a little with my dad Elder Collado. Yes he is still AP. That is a lot of time. We went around animating all the possibilities. It was awesome to work with him, and in the off time in the car, talking about some of the best times of my mission, down in Granada with him. We have so many memories! 

Elders Copeland, Naisbitt, Hartley, Hanson and Merrill

Saturday we baptized Alejandra and Eyris! And even better, on Sunday they got confirmed. Even better! And everything went well in the Zone, Gracias a Dios. We finished with 20! Oh yeah and on Saturday we had to go help out some sisters to get a baptism done. What did we have to do? Distract a super drunk guy for about an hour because the sisters were scared of him. C'mon. Hahahah it was funny, but kind of a waste of time.

But the girls got baptized so todo bien!

Recent convert, Angel

I am super excited for my 3rd General Conference of the mission! Pray so that we can get enough investigators, because if we don't have enough then we can't go and watch! Love you all so much!

Elder Merrill