Transfers amigitos...

6 more weeks came and left. Hermana Noreña went off to Guaranda and I´ll be staying in Puyo, training a newbie. I will let you all know next week who she is. Other than that, this week was a little crazy, Tuesday we left, sat on a bus for 6 hours to Quito, went to the hospital for my companion and came home Wednesday night. It was freeeeeezing up there I almost died of frost bite..for real. I finally went back to my jungle and now I am headed back to Quito to pick up my companion. I almost know the bus drivers at this point. Fun fun fun! The nice news is I am with Hermana Carter in Pelileo for tonight and they have an oven in there house, what?! Miracle we are making cookies. 

As for Puyo, things are great as for usual, Fernando is actually going to get baptized in two weeks thanks to some interview problems, but things are for the better that way. Also we found a ton of new people this week the short time I was in my sector, the Lord really has blessed us. This week I really want to put focus on this quote and just so happened that Dad sent it to me in an email as well. “A Saint is a sinner who keeps on trying.”First we all are sinners and we need to accept in order to execpt the will of god, and the Atonement in our lives.  I know that we need to do everything we can to keep on trying, give everything we do our best, I have really learned the mission is not meant for people that want to "half bake" things. But really, why "half bake" anything, do a good job in everything you do, get things done and do it with love. 

Say your prayers at night

Love you all and thank you for your support.

Hermana Merrill

This weeks pics:

The zone...welcome to the oriente, puyo tena baños and pelileo

the sisters

and the branch

and some girls in the branch

Week number ?

It has been a great week here in the heart of PUYO. 

This are same ole, in the branch everyone is saving their money to go to the temple in a month and a girl here in the branch is going to get sealed! 

As for the people we are teaching, everyone is great we had tons of people at church and Fernando is getting baptized Saturday.  I hit my one year mark, things are DOWN hill from here. I am doing great and am so happy to be here. I will include a picture of the lovely cake the elders bought, and thanks to a hymn book as the plate haha. That really explains how things are done here in the jungle. 

This week I have read tons of scriptures of the life of Peter. I invite you all to read more about him. To love Christ as he loved Christ, in hope that Christ does not have to ask us 3 times that we really love him. Read this talk...

https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2012/10/the-first-great-commandment?lang=eng&cid=email-shared

I have learned so much here this past year. I LOVE LOVE LOVE the mission. It is the best thing I have ever done. It has made me the person I am and taught me love people as Christ would love them.

Short and sweet I promise next week will be more interesting.

LOVE YOU all and thanks for enduring emailing each week!

Hermana Merrill:)

It's like.....RAIN!!

Well it’s been a wet week here in Puyo, but what really is new?!

The jungle is great. Javier got baptized on Saturday and I barely got pictures, but will send what we have. The branch here is hold on like Tarzan crossing a river. We are working a ton with members and are going to have the baptism of Fernando on the 25th. We had divisions this week, I got to go with Hermana Costa, my old comp. She is the best and it was neat to be with her, she speaks perfect English now. 

I have been busy this week finishing Alma. I love the war chapters of the scriptures. There really is much we can learn from the prepared fought battles, the strong missionaries and the love we can find for the small things we have. I know that by the small things we do great things will come to pass. I have seen that at first hand her on the mission. The families that do the small things daily are the most happy, and are successful. 

I hope everyone has a great week, say your prayers and be grateful for the food you have to eat.

Love you all

Hermana Merrill

Almost a year?

Well my fellow readers, almost a YEAR of reading these boring emails. I thank you all for staying strong and faithful. It has been a great week of work here in Puyo. The jungle continues to be wet and beautiful. The work is progressing and the branch is doing great here in the middle of nowhere. We have a baptism this Saturday of Javier. He is a teenager that has been living with his grandma who is member, before he never wanted anything to do with the church and believe it or not he is getting baptized Saturday. Love the mission; love the work of the lord. 

I encourage everyone this week to think of the ¿why? Why are we here? Why are we in families? Why do we work? Why do we study? Why do people go to church? Why do we pray? Nothing in life has meaning if we do not understand the why behind it. I think sometimes we just do things because we need to do them. Say our prayers because we need to say them but why? "i can teach you to dance but you have to hear the music"

I love this gospel and love being a missionary, it is the best thing I have ever done. I love each and every one of you and thank you for your support, say your prayers and be a little more grateful.

Love always

Hermana Merrill:)

ñañas

Lovin’ it here in the jungle. Well the days are easy and the moments are passing slow, but the days are flying. This week we worked our butts off as my mom would say. 

Cynthia got baptized Saturday. It was awesome, her family was there and a good half of the branch.  We had 145 people at church yesterday. The most is years the president said. I really have so many things on my mind. Here is a list of things....

-I LOVE fish, mom would be so proud.

-The dentist in Ecuador is a bit scary #nomedicne

-Baptisms are the best days on the mission

-also Pdays

-I have never prayed so hard and so much in my life

-The atonement is REAL

-There are so many chinos in the jungle of Ecuador?!

- Our sink broke so we are busily camping in our house

- I just want chipotle 

- I will never eat a grain of rice after the mission

- I have learned that I am here to be converted and help hearts be converted to our savior.

- Cold showers 

-Coconut is life........

- Loving the people as the Savior would.

- Remembering the temple in our day to day life.

- I threw my hairdryer in the garbage.....

- We all need to be a little more grateful for what we have

- In families is the ONLY way we will be able to return 

I hope everyone had a great week, I love this gospel and love the mission.

Hermana Merrill:)

#thusontoeternalperfection

I don’t know about you but I’m feeling 20….

So it’s been POURING RAIN here, it’s as if I was living in the amazon rain forest..Wait I am... ..

It’s been interesting week. My birthday came and left. My companion was barfing for 2 days straight including my birthday so I seemed to read all of the conference in the Liahona, clean the entire house a good 3 times and not eat rice for lunch. The morning of my birthday the elders bought me a cake, and we went to the Condo Families house last thing in the night to eat some cake. That´s about it, YAY for 20 years of living. VIEJA well at least next year I will home for the big 21 ;)

So what has been on my mind  and in my studies this week?! I am in the war chapters of Alma. Long story short there is a lot to be learned, prepared is a word that is often mentioned in  these chapters. As we are taught,  "if we are prepared we shall not fear". How do we prepare ourselves for the mighty winds that we know will come? Prepare ourselves daily, the small and simple things. Here on the mission I am constantly preparing myself, spiritually to face the people here in Puyo, to bring the hearts unto the Savior, but it would be impossible if I was not prepared daily. 

As for the work, things here are great Cynthia is getting baptized Saturday, the branch is growing and we had 126 people at church yesterday. I love it here and even my shawr tribe people that I teach. 

Love you all and thank you for your support and prayers

Hermana Merrill:)