September 21 - Forever Missionary

Dear everyone,

Wow.

I can't even fathom it. A year and a half has gone by. The best year and a half of my life. Hard to believe this is the last group email I'll be sending home. Hopefully I'll have given the majority of you big hugs by the time next Monday rolls around. Ahhhhhh!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Mixed emotions!

Ooookay! So I was eternally grateful for our SUPER CRAZY BUSY WEEKEND! Kept me moving. Kept me focused. Thursday was our last day at the monthly Ashford fair! It was a hit. Almost the entire Zone showed up to support the event, and we easily passed out over a hundred Book of Mormons! We tried a few different contacting techniques, and Elder Heflin even gave a Book of Mormon to Miss Connecticut! :D :D

Got home super late, and the next morning we were up early to pack the Spaceship and catch the first half of district meeting before the 2+ hour road trip to New Haven! My last Open House. Sheesh. As soon as we got there, the long-awaited T-Texts came in!!!!!! (Remember, that's the nickname for Transfer Texts when we find out where everyone goes.) Guess who's going to be the new PVC Sister????? The first person in the entire mission I would have chosen: Sister Francis. I LOVE SISTER FRANCIS!!!!! She's PERFECT for the job! She was my Sister Training Leader here in Weston, and I would trust her with anything! I'm so so so happy. :) :) :) Also, those who are going home get to pick what is next to their name in T-texts. I put #forevermissionary.

The Open House was good! :) A lot of members showed up, and it was awesome to see their involvement. They stopped most of the people on the street. Way to do missionary work! The last tour I gave was to this sweet Yale student named Tung. Sister Francis and I gave it together, which was special. The old PVC Sister with the new one. :) And the spirit was so strong! It was a neat last memory. Tender mercies.

When we finally packed up, drove the 2 hours home, and got to bed, it was past midnight. We had to get up super early the next morning, too! Crazy packed day! Exchanges with the Sister Training Leaders to cover all five of our events! Whoo!!!!! So Sister Demuth and I drove all the way out at 7:00 AM to Canton, Connecticut for a fair. :) It was a lot of fun, but we weren't allowed to proselyte, which was lame. Kinda pointless. Still, somehow (through Sister Demuth's mad skills) we got out 20 Book of Mormons to those who approached us out of curiosity. :) From there, we jumped in the car and drove to CENTRAL FALLS!!!! For the last time for me. They were having a Family Home Evening with the whole ward. I was excited to see everyone, but when I walked in the building. . . I think it really hit me for the first time. I just stood there and cried. I love the people in Central Falls. They're my family; that place is my home. It was rough. But I had a very sweet goodbye with the Frandsens. Talia (their daughter they named my name) was 1 year old that day. :) Special.

Speaking of special, you wouldn't believe the last Sunday I had. New Haven was having their stake reorganized, so guess who came into town? Elder Holland. Elder Jeffrey R. Holland. And we were invited to set up displays for him and the stake. It was a wonderful, powerful meeting. I received much direction and comfort and answers to prayers there. And after stake conference, when almost everyone was gone, Sister Cruz and I were taking down the displays when Elder Holland walked right up to us!!!! "Sisters! I love you so much!" I shook his hand, practically shaking. And then I thanked him for everything. I told him I'm finishing my mission this week, how his words and testimony had meant the world to me on my mission. He did this crazy stare-into-your-soul thing, and said, "This week???? That means I can give you a hug!" Elder Holland hugged me! And my companion. We talked to him for a minute, and then he told us he loved us again and walked away. It was tender and incredible! That man is a man of God. And God loves me. He knew just what I needed my last weekend in the mission.

I know this email is long, but I have to tell you something important. Are you ready?

My mission isn't over! It's not. And it won't be on Friday, either. Serving in the MBM has meant everything to me. It's taught me all I need to know to get through this life, given me lifelong friends, and changed me from the core. But most importantly, I learned how to give everything I have to Jesus Christ, forever. And that's my mission. I don't need to wear a nametag to stand as His representative.

I am a witness of the miracle of the Atonement.

I love my Savior. I love the Book of Mormon. And I love all of you to the moon and back.

I'll see you so soon.

I cannot say the smallest part of which I feel.

Love,
Sister Merkley
MBM Missionary

September 14 - Sprinting to the Finish Line!

Dearest family and friends I love sooooo dearly!

Life in the MBM is stellar! I love it here so much, and I had the greatest week to show for it!

So that video we've been making with the Digital Elders? It's finished!!! I really would like to show you, but I don't think I can attach it here! Man. It's soooo good. High quality. Elder Simmons really figured out that Adobe program. I can't wait for them to present it to the Mission Presidents and the Bretheren.

On Thursday I had my very last Hartford Open House. How crazy is that? Here's the fun part: it rained. The whole time!!! It all worked out, because the awning covered the outdoor display, and people were eager to come in from the rain. :) That was nice. Everyone was eager to invite and work hard. I stood out there with an umbrella, getting rejected a ton. But the few people who accepted were really neat! It was a fun last tour. We had about 42 people come inside! And then we get drenched putting everything back in the Spaceship. Hahaha!

Friday we had District Breakfast, District Meeting, then headed out together to the greatest service project! A bunch of missionaries were called upon to help with the Red Cross Blood Drive at Fenway Stadium!!!! It was so much fun!!! I'd never been in Fenway before. It's so neat. We took tons of pictures. Sister Cruz and I were assigned to help with the food, and registration for awhile. Elder Jelk got to dress up as a giant drop of blood and dance on the street! Hahaha, it was great! There were a ton of people there. We collected nearly 800 units of blood before we left. So incredible.

Saturday we went to "Waltham Days". A fair right here, in our home ward boundaries! It was so much fun! There were booths and dancers and lots of people. We set up the Book of Mormon roundtable under our little tent, then Elder Jelk, Elder Wharton, Elder Asay, Elder Waters, Sister Cruz and I contacted! Elder Waters and Elder Asay did worked particularly hard. And you know what? Together, we placed over 100 Book of Mormons.

After that event, we went on exchanges, and Sister Saito and I picked up the Brockton Elders and drove to Central Falls again! They were able to attend a baptism of someone they'd taught. I set up the Portuguese display for the baptism, but the service was all in Portuguese and I didn't know the person being baptized, so I excused myself. Sister Saito and I went and delivered invitations to people I love! I want them to come to transfer meeting and hear my final testimony as a missionary! I looooooved getting to see Sister Shea, Sister Barnwell, and the Coopers again. A few tears were shed. <3 <3 <3

Wow! A week and a half left. I'm working as hard as I can, going at full sprint! Next week is going to be crazy with things to do! That's how I like it!

I am so grateful to be here. To be a missionary. To know the people I've met and to feel the kind of joy I've felt. This is truly Christ's church. I know it.

Love,
Sister Merkley
MBM PVC Missionary

P.S. HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOMMY!

September 7 - Boston is Beautiful!

Dearest family and friends,

Goodness, it's September already? Time is flying. I'm loving every moment out here, though!

This week has been less eventful (literally). We travelled a lot less, but there was still plenty of work to be done! :) I told you about the Digital Mission Commercial we're making last week. Well, this week we went to the Mequires with Brother Haight to get his voice recorded for the narration. It was a lot of fun. The digital elders are really happy about how it turned out. It was good to see the Megquires and Brother Haight again. I miss them already!

We did random things in the office. . . switched out videos on the app for some new ones, edited videos we're making, Digital Mission work. . . Oooh! I'm teaching someone from Ukraine. Did I mention that??? I love the Digital Mission! Also, we had a crazy time unloading our Spaceship and moving into the old mission "party bus" so the Spaceship could get fixed. The Weston Elders (Moving Elders) helped us out with that, then helped us move it all back, because apparently the replacement doors are on back-order. Go figure. Still got a broken vehicle. :D

Friday was Zone Meeting! It was soooo funny. The Zone Leaders and Sister Training Leaders had a recent convert and Brother Haight come as guest speakers. It made all the difference. We had a great time, but also learned a lot about working with members and what to do to gain their trust. Brother Haight gave me an incredible blessing after the meeting. It really helped me as I've been thinking about this CRAZY upcoming transition in my life. He's an inspired man. Truly.

That night we had dinner with the Dowlings, and then the Digital Elders filmed us Skyping a lesson with an investigator in their home so we could use the footage for the commercial!

We took a road-trip on Saturday, but this time it was for more filming for the commercial. The Waltham Elders taught with a Spanish family, then we took off for Cambridge to film three other companionships in Skype lessons and online. The footage is great. I'm really hoping and anticipating that this video will come together nicely. <3 Can't wait to show you! Oooh, and since we were in Cambridge, we stopped by the Charles river for a few shots. I'll send you one. I was so struck by how beautiful Boston is; how much God really loves us, for giving us such beauty!

Yesterday was our only PVC event, but I didn't go. Hahaha, Sister Bybee went with Sister Cruz down to Providence for a baptism, because she had taught the investigator getting baptized. It worked out nicely! I stayed with her companion, Sister Webber and went to the Spanish Branch with her. She's a riot. And a fabulous missionary. Sometimes I wish I could speak Spanish. It's really limiting when you don't speak many languages in this mission. But I got to be a normal missionary again! I even took the T for an hour with her to get to a dinner appointment. It was a blast!

I'm at the Belmont chapel today. We have an extended P-day, because we came here for a big Primary event this morning! It was so much fun. :) :) :) I'll tell you more about it next week! I love you all! Cya sooooooon! AHHHH!!!!!

Love,
Sister Merkley
MBM PVC Missionary