Bus Life

Well this week we had an entire 2 days of working in our area and one of them we had a baptism. Well lets start with that, Monica got baptized!! Hermana Macias was super pumped with her first baptism. She is 2 months pregnant and you would NEVER know she is soo tiny. I remember the first lesson my companion had on the lesson she told us she wanted to be baptized in 15 days and my companion was on cloud 9, and probably the only thing she understood. If only the mission was always that easy. Miracles.

Well back to the week, so I was in Quito Tuesday and Wednesday. We had Verification for my comp and I renewed my visa. Thursday we were here in Puyo. Friday we went to Baños for a Zone Conference. All day in the bus and in the chapel there and Saturday we ended the week with the baptism and the wedding of a girl in the ward. Another big news the branch went to the temple this week, 9 hours in a bus to the coast and Cynthia went! Well if that made any sense that is what we did this week, being here in the furthest part of the mission is a bit complicated. There is always something to learn from everything. I am sure at this point the Lord is happy that I am learning to not get car sick on terrible barf roads. 

This week I have studied seccion 18 about the Worth of Souls, I encourage everyone to put the Atonement into practice daily. We are invited to repent we are commanded to repent. I have learned here on the mission that the way to feel closet to the Savior is accepting him into my life each day, repenting and becoming better. To try and understand the Atonement better, get on your knees and accept the fact that we are not perfect here and we fall short each day. I know that the atonement can change lives, it will change lives and if it hasnt changed your life, let it change your life.

Funny story for the week, we were asked to sing a song at the wedding ?! Being all white missionaries here it would have only been appropriate to sing Lion King in spanish!!! Can you feel the Love tonight never sounded so great..thanks to the elders.

Have a great week remember who you are and say your prayers at night.

Con amor

Hermana Merrill:)

Cutting down sugarcane

At the mission office

Eating sugarcane

Wedding in Puyo 

Guinea pig fire roasted

Baptism of Monica

Washing clothes

Semana LOCA‏

This week has been the craziest of my entire mission. First, Ecuador is having and political outrage which includes the native people "fighting" with the police. With their handmade wooden tools and blocking the streets so no one can pass. It makes no sense, because there are plenty of landslides anyways! YAY Second, Cotopaxi the volcano exploded just some ash! Next I am in Quito right now to renew my visa. What?! I have been here for a YEAR. That is a little of the craziness that has happened. Hermana Macias has experienced so much in just 3 short weeks. 

Elder Waddel?! The conference was going to start at 10 am, but did not end up started until 5pm thanks to all the craziness that has happened the past couple days, the president and him were stuck all day trying to get there. In the short hour that we had with him was amazing. He spoke to us mostly about baptizing converts and not just baptizing. The part that struck me the most was he talked about 2 different types of missionaries. Ones that strive to have the spirit with them and ones that do not. Something I have learned here on the mission is that we should do NOTHING to keep us from having the spirit with us. The power, protection and guide it gives us is not worth not having. We should pray to have faith in the spirit not to have the spirit, baptized members have the gift of the Holy Ghost, I think sometimes we just need the faith to trust in the spirit. 

After the conference because of all the craziness we had to sleep in Ambato and I got to stay with the Hermanas in my old sector. It was a treat to be with them and to know that some converts there have been to the temple these past few months when I have been in Puyo. This week has been a HUGE testimony builder. Amongst the scary crazy situations, along with some problems in Puyo, I have had the experience to reflect on my testimony of the power of the priesthood and to know that we are truly protected has missionaries.

OH and the cherry on the top is that I saw Hermana Diaz today in Quito, she is the north mission but we went to the same high school and grew up together!!

I love this work. 

Love you all, say your prayers at night.

Hermana Merrill

Humidity or humility

Being a missionary is the best thing. this week my new comp is getting used to the life here in Ecuador, and I am starting to forget what home is really  like, and being with someone who was recently home. Like new Emojies and she says’ there is some stick thing to take selfies?! Also Robin Williams died?! I feel very outdated.
This week we worked finding and teaching the same people. Monica is progressing to be baptized the 22nd. The work here in Puyo is progressing with faith. One of the million things I have learned on the mission is that when we just really STOP thinking about ourselves and think about others things really just turn out better. Forgetting myself and being more humble; enough said....

This week we made some bad empanadas, thanks to some time in our camping style kitchen oh yeah. We also have learned how to stay cool in the humid rain forest. You would think we were living in the Amazon or something…wait we are. This week we have tons of things including a mission conference with Elder Waddle. So stay in tuned for next week! 

Thank you for your support and prayers

Love you all

Hermana Merrill

Puyo is still kickin!

Well it has been another week, long but a great week. So last Monday I left Pelileo to go to Quito with Hermana Carter and met up with Hermana Peralta on the way. It's always fun to see old companions on the mission. We all went up to Quito to find ourselves locked out for some time, got some McDonalds and headed to the nurses house. Wednesday we all got our new companions, fresh ready to work greeeeenies. My new comp's name is Hermana Macias. She's from New York City, 20 years old, took BALLET her entire life and is the 3rd of 4 kids. 

I love being with new missionaries, they want to do everything perfectly and have the best attitude. I love her already and we have been working, working, working the past couple days we have had here. We had some great encounters with some shuar people, the native Indians here. My brand new comp is having culture shock. I have gotten her to eat rice like an Ecuadorian. We walked into one of the first lessons of her mission and the girl Monica told us she wanted to be baptized in 15 days when I invited her to be baptized.  Exactly 15 days, came out of her mouth and Hermana Macias could not have been any more excited. If only the mission was always like that HA! Oh and it also hasn't helped that all this week, we haven’t had hot water, our next door neighbors got everything in their house stolen and our toilet EXPLODED with dirty water. WELCOME TO THE MISSION and the jungle all at once.

We have seen miracles this week. I could not be any more grateful. I love the work of the lord, I love being a missionary. If there is anyone that is having doubts; doubt your doubts, the church is true. If it wasn't I would not be here and would not be so happy. It is time to put our trust in the lord, not just think we are trusting him, but giving our entire heart to him, doing everything we can possible do and thanking him in everything we do. Bring Christ into your life, let him in he will heal you, and take away the pain. 

Well that is about it. This week, be a little more thankful for the fresh clean food you eat, the fact that you live in a house and not a hot humid hut and the gospel of Jesus Christ in your life.  The people here are humbly grateful. 

Love you all

Hermana Merrill

This weeks Pics

My new comp at the training meeting aka nice and clean

and our area...