This week in Penha

Querida Fam bam-

Yet another good week here in Penha. We found a couple new families that are super cool, I hope they continue to progress. One day, we got a call from a member of another ward telling us "my mother-in-law isn't a member of the church, but wants to be baptized. Can you guys help us out?" We almost tripped over ourselves to get there. Miracles happen.

One night we were eating with a member and I got to try chopped liver..... it was awful. Do not recommend. There's a reason why the phrase "what am I, chopped liver?" exists. Because nobody sane likes it. Fortunately, the Irmã made beef too, so I got out of just liver.

I love being a missionary. It's hard, it's disappointing, it's frustrating, but most of all it's awesome. The Lord is wonderful, and He loves us all so much.

Sorry I'm not better at writing letters! Love you!

Elder Merrill

P.S. I've never wanted to watch the Olympics so badly.... but we aren't allowed. However, we can ask people what's going on, so it's a good conversation starter and so I'm  not too out of the loop. I know the US is winning. Like always. Go USA!

Service Project at Irmã Valéria's

This roof was covered in plants

​Irmã Valeria!

We destroyed these brick pillars... it was super cool.

Nossa semana

Fam-

Our week was just swell.

I don't really have a ton to report on... we contacted a bunch of adresses from our activity, and got some new investigators... one of them came to church yesterday!

We had interviews with Pres on Wednesday and he is so awesome. He and Sister Silcox are like our Dad and Mom. De verdade.

We also had leadership counsel and it was fun to see my past companions. Elder Vasconcelos told me that Jorge and Rayne (investigators from Jardim Odete) finally got married and she was baptized yesterday! It makes me happy to get good news about people I helped teach:)

In priesthood executive comitee yesterday, bishop shared a really cool experience. He was at the store buying bread for the Sacrament and grabbed the cheapest loaf he could find. But as he passed by all the other loaves in the aisle, he had an impression and felt a voice say "So it's this that you're going to offer to the Lord?" He immediately put the first kind back and got different, better bread. The important thing isn't the price, he wasn't saying anyone who buys bread on sale for the sacrament is wicked, but that it's in the intent. I then thought to myself "how many times do I grab the 'cheapest' thing and offer it to the Lord? How many times have I 'technically obeyed' but not done it with a willing heart? How many times have I sqeezed in reading the scriptures right before bed and not learned a thing? What cheap offerings in my life do I try to pass off every day?" It made me really think. So people, always remember that the Lord wants our hearts, and everything else is an extension and manifestation of our love for Him.

I love you all!

One night we got home and there was a cat running laps in our house.... turns out he crawled in a little hole near the roof and then fell through the ceiling. If you look closely you can see the claw marks hahaha

Put new soles on my shoes! Airplane tire rubber

Look who I found! There was a big institute fireside, and Larissa came and I got to meet her boyfriend. It made me so happy to see her so happy!:)

The Pokemon Go craze has officially hit the young men in our ward..."Go ye into all the world, and preach the gospel to every creature." - Mark 16:15

...but even Pokemon chase off the missionaries sometimes...

Feliz Agosto!

Querida familia-

This week was pretty swell. We weren't sick anymore, so that helped haha. 

On Wednesday I did a special division in Sapopemba (special because it wasn't the new way of doing divisions where the 2 companionships stay in the same area) with Elder Nadolny, who's been in the field 3 weeks. He's waiting for his visa to serve in the New York North mission, and learned Spanish in the MTC... so he's teaching in Portuguese, but has to keep up his English and simultaneously learn Spanish.... poor guy, it must be a headache, but he doesn't stress it. It was super fun, I love being with new missionaries because they have an energy and light about them that gets me all excited and motivated. I'm pretty sure I benefitted more from the division than he did.

We had a cool activity planned on Saturday and invited the zone to invite everyone on the street to take a tour of the our church building.Sounds great in theory, but only one person accepted the invitation... oh well, at least we planted a bunch of seeds and got a bunch of addresses to visit in our area!

This week we had the marvellous experience of seeing Daniel enter the waters of baptism. When we arrived in the area, the ward secretary passed his name to us, explaining that he'd been investigating the church for about 10 years because he married a member, but never was baptized due to unresolved doubts. He was taught by soooooooo many missionaries in this time, and he regularly watches General Conference... After our first visit, I thought "oh boy, this won't be easy....." but we continued visiting, bringing answers to his questions but always telling him that what we say meant nothing if he didn't pray about it, and if he didn't read the Book of Mormon to gain his testimony. Over the last 2 months, we saw an amazing change come over him as he really, truly meditated over the chapters we left him. One day about 2 weeks ago, we taught about baptism and remission of sins, and we challenged him to baptism. He paused, and then told us that it was finally time. We about tipped over with joy! This last Friday he was baptized and his wife bore her testimony in tears saying that God had finally answered her many many prayers. He is so exited to be sealed in the temple in 1 year from now, and really wants to have his family together for all eternity. I am always amazed at the mercy the Lord shows us. We, two boys with ties and nametags didn't do anything special; it was the power in the Book of Mormon that brought peace to his doubts; it was God who softened his years-hardened heart, who after all these years made the difference. He is amazing, and I know He loves all of us.

I love you all!

Elder Merrill

Daniel's baptism!

Augusto, our LMA was stoked to baptize since they've been friends for years

Look, so many people came to our open-house activity that the receptionists fell asleep... oh well

Sometimes I get tired of making phone calls.....

The week

Querida Família- 

We both spent some time sick last week and had to stay home a day, so there wasn't too much that happened, but I think we're past the worst of it now, just a little stuffed up. Being sick is no fun. You always just feel so tired...

One day we were teaching an investigator and it got cold all of a sudden and we only had on short sleeved shirts. He saw we were sick, so he fed us hot soup and gave us sweaters to use. I love nice people.

One night all our appointments fell through and so on our way home we stopped by 3 different evangelical churches to see what it was like.... it was interesting.... and loud. We even kinda participated in one of them haha... Ai ai....

Saturday our ward had a Festa Julina, which is an annual celebration that involves lots of music, food, and group activities. It was super fun! Lots of members brought their friends, but unfortunately everyone lived in other areas except for one lady. We gave her a quick church tour but she wasn't interested at all..... oh well, we tried.

We had a sweet Zone Conference this week combined with another zone. We learned a lot about better ways to teach like the Savior, especially by using inspired questions to really teach the person, not just the lesson. We can't ever help someone until we know what their needs are, and effective questions and careful listening show that we actually care about them. 

I love you all and have a wonderful week!

Elder Merrill

Zona Penha!

"The Group".... We don't know what type of a group we are, but we just call ourselves the group.

Festa Julina

Ward activities are the best.... food without end

Irmã Vera and Irmã Valéria (Valéria feeds us lunch at least twice a week...) they're so sweet!

Nossa semana

Familia-

This week was a lil slow. But it happens sometimes. Without the "mais ou menos" weeks we couldn't appreciate the awesome ones.

After futebol (soccer) on p-day I was sore for like 4 days heh heh....

There were various days that literally EVERYTHING fell through, plans, plans if the plans fell through, and even last resort plans. *sigh* But thank goodness not every day was like that.

Julio and Mariela moved this week:( They had a somewhat emergency come up that made it unsafe to stay here, and so we helped them pack up and head out. They came to our ward yesterday for Mariela's confirmation and to say goodbye, since they'll be in a different stake... it's sad to see people go.

We did have a wonderful miracle on Saturday. A member's husband that's been investigating the church for 10 years finally decided to be baptized! He knows more than most members, I'm almost sure. He said he watches every General Conference. The only thing holding him back were some doubts, but now he's beginning to really have faith. I'm excited to continue helping him to prepare for baptism to be clean of his sins and be able to lead his family in the gospel! I'm so grateful for the wonderful opportunities Heavenly Father gives us every day of our lives!

I love you all!

Pics of the awesome LOTR-themed planner Sister Coronetti made for me

Julio and Mariela getting married! 

Mariela's baptism!

Perfect use of the Pillow Tie.... Last Saturday we had to do some baptismal interviews in the farthest area of the zone, a 2 hour bus ride there and 1.5 ride back.... it was killer, but I was prepared:)

My new soccer shoes.... we're playing on p-days now with the young men

Me fixing our shower..... this always happens to me

Um ano

Fam.... 

It's weird. Friday marked one year since I entered the MTC. I still remember clearly how lost I was. I'm glad I've since figured some things out. Not everything, goodness I've got plenty to learn, but some things I'd like to share quickly:

- You often find exactly what you're looking for. If you pessimistically search out the bad, the flawed, the imperfect, you'll find it; if you look positively for the good, the blessings, the lesson, you'll also find it. In either case, you'll be justified in your findings. The difference? Your happiness. 

- Being on a mission doesn't in and of itself change anything about you. It just gives you opportunities, and you can choose if you'll make the hard effort to do what's right or if you'll slip into the spiral of justification and excuses doing less-than-optimal because it's easier and more comfortable. Wherever we are, we have the power to choose, and that's what counts.

So now I've been philisophical, I'll move on to the week.

We got the transfer call yesterday, and I'll be staying the next transfer here in Penha with Elder Moraes! It's good, because that'd be super annoying to leave so soon....

One day we walked an hour to get to lunch, just to find out the Irmã was out of town, so we called the Bishop and he saved our day. Since he's the institue director, we ate with him there. Afterwards, he destroyed Elder Moraes and I in foosball and then we spent over an hour just talking about doctrine. It was awesome. Totally opened my mind to some things I'd never considered about the Creation, the Fall, the Light of Christ, and other super cool things. Our bishop is so cool.

Last night we were at the church to prep the baptism of another area and I was playing to piano to pass time and someone motioned me into the other room, where they sat me down at the piano in front of a ton of youth. Long story short, before I knew it I was accompanying a the choir at a stake youth fireside to a song I'd never even heard before. Since I was already there, they announced I'd just be the pianist for the whole thing. This seems to be something that happens with frequency to me..... Thanks mom and dad, the people of Brazil appreciate the lessons you made me to take when I was younger haha:) The fireside was cool, and it made me miss the Wenatchee mission prep ones....

Julio and Mariela (the bolivian couple we've been working with) got married on Friday! The Elders quorum president took us out to ice cream afterwards. That night, we were able to have a wonderful baptismal service for Mariela. Julio was so happy and proud that his wife is finally a member. It was cute. They're planning on going to the temple to be sealed next year! I love the feeling that the knowledge of God's plan brings, that we can truly be together with our families forever if we follow the gospel of Christ!

Have a wonderful week!

Elder Merrill

Happy Birthday 'Murica!

Happy 4th everybody! 

Though I'd forgotten until last Friday when somebody told me that Monday would be Independence Day, that didn't kill my festivity this morning. At 6:32 I called the americans in the Zone and wished them a good 4th, then called some other americans and sang the Star Spangled Banner to them, then Elder Bush called me to blast the Mormon Tabernacle Choir version of the National Anthem, and Elder Hughes called to sing me "You're a grand ol' flag." Anyone extra inspired today can study 1 Nephi 13 about the prophesied necessity of the US and mark it using only red, white, or blue colored pencils (Yes, white colored pencil. You never use it for anything else anyways). Enjoy the fireworks and send me pics next week, I won't be seeing any here, unless there's a soccer game (they do use fireworks for those, and you can usually tell who's winning based on the flashes and bangs haha)

So moving from America to Brasil, this week was another great one. We did a division Wednesday with another area and then that night went to the Assistant's area for a division with them. Friday was Leadership Council so we stayed 2 nights with Elder Barroso and Elder Santana, which was super fun! I loved the day I spent with Elder Barroso, remembering our too-short 5-week transfer together in Jardim Odete. 

At the Counsel, the sister AP's presented a new "6-week planning" that we'll begin doing in the misson at the beginning of each transfer to have an even larger vision of what we can accomplish and how in each 6-week period. Also, it'll give more direction to weekly planning and make it a lot easier to keep track of things. I think it's cool.

Well, that's about it for this week 

I love you all and make good choices:)

Elder Merrill

They traded the lock on the gate at the church building in which we usually have our District Meetings.... This is Elder Beatty attempting to hop the fence, but gave up when the little points put a hole in his shoe.... I managed to get over and pressed the button from the inside to let everyone in. Only cut my hand a little on the pointy things.... good thing I got a tetanus shot!

Penha Zone shirts! (the scripture is "Wherefore, by their fruits ye shall know them" 3 Nephi 14:20

Division with the Assistants!

Afterwards I made cookies with Elder Barroso