Pictures from her last week in the CCM

Week 4 Letter from the CCM - Buenos Dias from Mexico

HOLA!!!

Wells folks it has been yet another week on the toilet. I just bring my Spanish books in the bathroom at this point.

My email this week might be pretty boring...we do the same thing every day 6:30am-9:30pm study Spanish. We taught our first lesson to a guy from Mexico City he is 16 and came with all his member friends it went sooo well!!

My Spanish is getting better I think but it’s HARD I have never done something harder, this makes half dome seem easy. TRABAJAR all day every day. I love the CCM and only 11 days until I leave and reality hits. I am still the only girl going to QUITO all the Latinas here are serving in Mexico.

It rained less this week when the sun has been out, it’s amazing. Over 100 people got the flu last weekend the girls in our room got it and my companion and I managed to NOT!! Other than my digestive issues. haha 

We had some amazing devotionals this week, all were so special. We usually have area authorities from Mexico come to speak to us. The thick accents and broken English makes you pay attention even more. I have really been focusing this week on not just knowing of Christ but knowing HIM. The scriptures have all the answers to our questions and falling to our knees in prayer will bring us the most comfort and help.

I LOVE YOU ALL

I MISS YOU MORE THAN A FATT BOY MISSES CHOCOLATE CAKE

be good, the lord will bless you

Para siempre dios esté con vos

LOVE ALWAYS xoxo

HERMANA MERRILL:)

ps go eat a cheeseburger I miss them

Carissa is missed....very funny

Pictures from Week 4 in CCM

Week 3 Letter from the CCM - PEPTO is life

HOLA FROM MEXICO CITAAAY!!

This week is one to remember, I GOT SO SICK first of many weeks laying on the bathroom floor all night, and taking Pepto all day. Who knows how I got sick but ohh WELL its gone!!

It has rained so much here this week, buckets and buckets it comes down like no mans business. Also the storms at night are the best with lightning and thunder it’s so beautiful. I have officially reached half way in the CCM!!!!!!! Only 2 more full weeks, I leave the 26th!!! I love it here but am ready to get off to Quito. This place is like a mini heaven everything is beautiful the spirit is so strong and the people are so kind. I LOVE Mexicans they have such big hearts. I also had my first encounter of people touching my hair; this little sister from Guatemala was petting me for a good 30 seconds.

My Spanish is coming, my companion knows much more than me but I try. Our lessons are going good, they even asked us to help some elders that have been here longer than us! It is amazing to think all of the sudden I can get around somewhat speaking broken Spanish. The days here are so long but the weeks are going fast.  On Tuesday we had a devotional from a Spanish member of the 70 he was amazing, he spoke like Elder Holland, so profound. His entire talk was about obeying the commandments, and how we need to obey because we love our savior. I love the spirit, I have felt here, the CCM is of God (de Dios). I love my Savior Jesucristo he is the way the truth and the light of this world. There is no other source of perfect happiness. 

Well that’s it for the big weekly newsletter.

We woke up to rain its pouring, which is rare it usually rains in the evening.

I LOVE YOU ALL WITH ALL MY HEART

para siempre dios esté con vos

xoxo

Hermana Merrill

Pictures from week 3 in CCM

Week 2 in the CCM

Today we got to go to the temple! The temple is on the other side of the city so we drove a while to get there. I do not suggest anyone as white as me to go to Mexico City alone... every Mexican guy waves at me. Anyway, the Visitor’s Center at the Mexico City temple is like Disneyland.  It’s brand new and has so many ammmmmmmmazing rooms.  It’s decorated so cool; it makes the Oakland VC look like a boring museum.

The Mexican parties are popping outside of the CCM. We see disco balls and dog fights AND THEY WERE PLAYING THE MACARENA!!!   So it also FLOODED here last night, which seems like a usual occurrence. The storm was so bad we got stuck in the comedor, where we eat, for a good hour.  Then we walked back to our classroom in water almost to our knees. We also got a 2nd teacher in the afternoon last week he is AMAZING. He teaches so well and I have learned so much Spanish.  The way Sacrament meeting works here is everyone in our Zone plans a talk and they randomly call on 6 people to speak each week out of like 50, and yes of course I was picked this past week. My talk in Spanish was short and sweet but I survived! The Mexican food here is still delicious; I will never get sick of it. Someone go eat some In N Out for me it sounds soooo good. Also, the water in our casa got fixed, praise the lord it was broken for a week. My Spanish is coming; IT IS HARD and you never have time for a break. I love my companion and my district. They are like my little family I spend 16 hours with a day. I am so grateful they are all such fun and loving people, or it would make these first 6 week harder than it already is. 

On a more spiritual note, we had a devotional from Elder Holland on Sunday. It was amazing. His powerful words are so profound and inspiring. He means nothing but business. He spoke about teaching with power and authority. I am not hear for anything else but to serve and forget about myself completely. These short 18 months are already going to fly by.

I already LOVE the Spanish people. The Sisters that are here for only 2 weeks, from Mexico are so kind; they even help us with our broken Spanish. We have become the best of friends with them. It’s sad they leave on Monday to go out to serve.  I am still the only girl going to QUITO here and Ecuador. It’s kind of sad haha… I love it here. It is like a mini heaven set apart from the world full of Gods army.

Thank you for the prayers, I love you all and hope you have a wonderful week :)

Para siempre Dios este con vos 

LOVE always,

Hermana Merrill :)

Pictures from Week 2 in the CCM

They got to go visit the Temple in Mexico City.

Hermana Merrill's address in the CCM

This is Carissa physical address until Aug 26th:

Sister Carissa Ann Merrill
Ecuador Quito Mission
Mexico Missionary Training Center
Carretera Tenayuca-Chalmita #828
Colonia Zona Escolar,Gustavo A. Madero
07230 Mexico, Distrito Federal
Mexico