This week was so incredible! We had a lot of neat opportunities and we felt the Spirit so strongly. I love love love being a missionary. I am so blessed to be here in the MBM!
Let me start with our trip to Trumbull, Connecticut. It's the farthest drive we have in the mission from our home. 2 1/2 hours. They asked us to come out to train their youth at a mutual on how to give tours and get them to participate in the Church Tour they have coming up. We packed up our entire set-up and took the drive out! Haha, we ran out of things to talk about, so Sister Couto is now teaching me Portuguese on the drives. With road trips like this, I'll be fluent before I come home. :D
It was an incredible experience! We set up everything we have, and then about 20 youth showed up for our training! The Elders in the area helped us out a ton, but we played a game to get them excited, then we took them on a tour. I was worried we wouldn't be enough fun for them, but they seemed to enjoy themselves. They really got thinking about their friends that could benefit from these videos, and they paid extra-close attention because they knew that they'd be giving the tours themselves in a couple of weeks! :) And at the end, we had a discussion to combat their fears of sharing the gospel and issued a challenge with the Elders. Boys vs. girls competition! Everyone got a stack of invitations. 1 point for every rejection, 2 points for every maybe, 3 points for every yes, and an additional 5 points if they actually show up for a tour! Winners get a special treat provided by the missionaries. They were so pumped! Nothing like a competition to motivate the youth!
We spent the night with the Trumbull/Trumbull SP Sisters. 6 of us in that little apartment! And we're planning on staying there for four days this coming week! It'll be fun! I love love meeting all of the missionaries in the mission. I make new, amazing friends wherever I go. These missionaries are all stellar, hardworking, fun, obedient missionaries. Anyway, we got stuck there for awhile in the morning because of another snow storm, but we finally made it home!
We had Zone Conference this week! It was amazing, as usual. I can't even begin to describe it. The entire mission presidency was able to make it. President Packard, whom I love so dearly, President Clayton Christensen, who is the single most brilliant business man in the world (so the studies say) and is very ill, and President Haight, who is filled with so much charity and who made a covenant with the Lord to share the gospel with someone every day for the rest of his life. The three most inspired men that I know personally. All of them spoke to my heart, answered questions I've been searching for answers to, and inspired me to consecrate myself more completely.
After Zone Conference, the Algers (replacement for the Vails) took us to the Cheesecake Factory! Um, I'm spoiled. They're the sweetest! I'm grateful that they work with us in the office now!
Saturday we took another drive. 1 1/2 hours to get to Ludlow, MA. Elder Terry serves there! Good to see an old friend again (I've been around in the mission AWHILE. . . ) and his companion is great, too! It was the first time they've ever had the PVC, and we came for a baptism. This sweet, 85 year old woman entered the baptism. Isn't that amazing? I love how people can be so open to the gospel even in their old age. It was a beautiful baptism, and there were quite a few non-members there--her family that came to support her. I hope the videos we shared touched them.
Yesterday was one of the sweetest days in my mission. :) Guess where I went? My favorite-est place ever. Central Falls, Rhode Island! We went to Central Falls to do a training for the Spanish Ward on how to make their chapel tour effective. So we went early so I could go to my favorite ward and see people! It was amazing. I gave so many hugs and got tackled by kids and nearly cried so many times! I love the Lorencos, the Whites, the Rhodericks, the Tanners, Sister Gaboriault, Lovely, everyone!!!! It completely made my day!
Our training went pretty well. It was a little rough, because the translation slowed everything down, but I think they're excited to invite their friends to a chapel tour. And after that, we scrambled over to Sister Shea's home! How I've missed her! She's my Rhode Island mom. She fed us a wonderful dinner and caught me up on Rhode Island life. And then she spoiled us with a bunch of little presents. :) She's so motherly and funny and wonderful, and I was so happy.
We stopped by one more home before we traveled back. Sister Barnwell and CC! And the rest of the family. :) The first two weren't able to make it to church today. CC's been really sick again. But I hammered on the door, and there were so many screams and hugs!!! :') We had a wonderful catch-up. It's amazing to me how the Spirit is there for reunions, too. Especially with people you've had spiritual experiences with. I reminded CC that I'm still holding out on President Haight's blessing, where she was promised she'd be healed within a year. I can't wait. They are so strong.
That's my crazy, amazing life! I am so grateful for your support and love! I gotta run, but remember that you're all in my prayers!
Oh, one more thing. I'm hitting my year mark this week. It's amazing. I've grown so much, changed so much, but I still have eons to go. I want you to all know that the gospel is true. My mission has changed not only my life, but me, in ways I can't even comprehend or try to explain to you.
Love,
Sister Merkley
MBM PVC Missionary
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