September 22, 2014

Hello family and friends. Guess what? I'm alive! Hahahah I really need to plan out what I'm going to say before I get on the keyboard oops. Well this week was another great week down here in Nicaragua! I guess I'll tell ya'll some good things that happened.

Thursday I had my first Multi Zone Conference out in Managua! Ah crap I forgot to take a picture of the picture sorry! But it was so awesome! I got to be in air conditioning for a whole day, eat lots of food, but more important than that learn a lot and feel the Spirit! We started by hearing from Hermana Russell and she is awesome! She doesn't even try with Spanish hahaha President always has to translate to everyone. But I love her! She is one of the most loving people I know in all honesty. And President Russell is awesome too! I learned so much about the importance of repentance and commitments to help with true conversion! Then we got to do some practices, eat some more and have some fun! Naturally I got placed in a game that involves flexibility..... so embarassing.

About the practices.... I guess I should probably tell you a little bit about how we teach down here. We're the highest baptizing mission in the world along with the North mission, so we definitely get our point across. Every first lesson we put a baptismal date. You don't leave until you have a baptismal date. A little weird, sometimes it bothers me, but for the most part it's pretty effective! We give them two dates about 5 or 6 weeks in the future and let them choose hahaha. So yes this mission is all about baptizing. ESTOY AQUI PARA BAUTIZAR Y RETENER.

I work by myself with Elder Hartley quite a bit and we're decently effective, so hopefully that tells ya how my Spanish is going! I'M ALWAYS TIRED. Literally always. And I haven't lost any weight!

I felt the love of my Savior so much this past week, just like every other week! I'm so grateful for this opportunity that I have to serve my Savior and the people here in Nicaragua. It's hard, really hard, but VALE LA PENA! 

I love you all and pray for ya always, thank you for everything!

Elder Merrill

My mission buddy from Idaho Falls, Elder Bennett and a BASKETBALL... flat