How's everyone doing? The clips and pieces of your lives I get to hear about and experience vicariously are so refreshing. Thanks for all the updates and love and support. I couldn't be doing any of this without you!
I'm really starting to fall in love with this area. So much. The longer I'm here, the more I come to understand how everyone has a story. And if you truly understand that story you can't help but love that person. I'm so blessed to be able to be a part of these incredible people's stories, however briefly or however small my role. :)
Let's see if I can briefly cover this entire last week. Wow, it feels like it has been an eternity. It's a little ridiculous how much can happen in a week.
We had a combined YM/YW activity this Tuesday with the parents involved so they could come to understand more about the youth program! It was fun, because we were in charge of the games. ;) Sister Godoy taught a super funny game. We also had our first tiff. It was a good thing, because we were able to talk it out, and now we're even closer and we know more about each other. :) She's so sweet. It's a little difficult to always have to focus to understand what your companion is saying, but I know how much more difficult it is for her. I'm really impressed with how good her English is. And she asks these fantastic questions I have no idea how to answer about why we say certain things and when specific words are used.
Wednesday was awesome. We had splits ALL DAY LONG! Jocelyn was free and her mom, Jacqueline, had an urge to come out with us! So we tackled all the appointments we had, and while Sister Godoy and one of these amazing members were at an appointment, I would be tracting/personal contacting/doing stop-bys with the other member, or vice versa. It made us bold, and miracles happened! I can't even tell you how awesome it was. We planted so many seeds and were filled with energy and on fire! Sister Godoy and Jacqueline knocked on a door and found Romana, a girl who was delighted to learn and soaked in the entire first lesson. I found two guys I had a lengthy discussion about the gospel with that are interested. We were able to get back in touch with a former investigator and help her remember her previous testimony. She is now investigating again. Not to mention the appointments we had already set. They were so great, too.
We were so impressed by the miracles of the day that the next day we decided to do splits again, but this time we took Jocelyn and Tori, and we took them to Woonsocket. (It's pronounced One-SOCK-et. I know. Weird.) Woonsocket is entirely inactive. But we had a successful day nonetheless! Especially since Tori (who is about to go on her mission to Peru) had her first shot at tracting. She got a feel for it. These girls are going to make wonderful sisters.
On Friday we had district meeting, and Sister Godoy and I were asked to do the training. Righty-ho. We were so tired. It worked out just fine, though. :) We talked about how to get our investigators involved with service, and how to help them share their testimony with others.
Skipping over some other stuff. . . Okay, here's a really cool event. Exchanges. My first-ever exchanges where I leave my own area! AHHHH!!!! Sister Hobbs was my companion for the day, and I got to be in Providence for 24 hours. I loved it. It was so cool! Sister Hobbs is a beautiful, classy ballroom dancer with an awesome testimony. We talked ballroom for most of the free time. It was great. She understands!!! The appointments that day were so. . . unique. The first one was frustrating. We both left really wound-up. This old man was so critical, crabby, and defensive. You'd think he came from a movie. I had to bite my tongue multiple times. We said a prayer to unwind. :) Goodness, sometimes it's really hard to know what Jesus would do.
The second appointment was such a neat learning experience. Yehui is their investigator from China. He never had the concept of God while growing up. Crazy. We met him at a member's home, and after lunch had a wonderful, deep discussion with him. He asks all the right questions. We could answer him, but the concept was so hard for him to grasp. My heart just went out for him. And his prayer was so genuine as he asked for Heavenly Father to testify to him that He's there and that peace exists in this world.
Last appointment! We went to a part-member family's home. It was chaos, but so much fun! There had to have been 15 people there, and we all met outside while we were waiting for the dad to finish smoking the perfect turkey. He's legit. He cuts the different kinds of woods in advance so he can smoke the turkey with the perfect blend of applewood/cherrywood or whatever. And there were three dogs, a cat, a duck, and a turtle in or around the house. SO CRAZY!
Anyway, I've written so much and there's so much else I want to do, so I'm going to sign off! Hope I didn't bore you! Have a wonderful week. Thanks for everything. Don't forget I'm praying for you, and how true and perfect this gospel is.
Love always,
Sister Merkley
MBM Missionary
P.S. We found a deaf girl who is interested. Now I REALLY have to practice my sign language.
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