Week 64 - October 24, 2016

From: Jordan Mark Merrill <merrill.j@myldsmail.net>
Sent: Monday, October 24, 2016 4:59 AM
To: Lauri Merrill
Subject:

Yo! Not to brag at all or anything, and don’t feel bad at all when you hear me tell you that... I DRANK FRESH COW MILK TODAY!!!! Ya don’t freak out I know, big deal right? Freak, it’s either the fact that I haven’t tasted milk in 15 months or the fact it was fresh but daaang it was good. Only 65P:) But yes we all know it, blessings like that don’t come easy. So we had to wake up at 4 in the morning and start our walk in the morning dark. If I’d throw out a good guess, I’d say we walked about 10 miles or so. We weaved through streets and fields and after a while we finally showed up to this cow farm looking place. I wouldn’t say it looks like one from good old Utah but it was alright. There we bought our milk straight from the cow, it was even still warm. Not sure if it went through a process or cleaning gig but oh well I’m still alive. It actually wasn’t until later I was able to drink it, I was scared it would be gross if I tried it warm so I put it in the freezer then tried it when it got cold, yes it was great:) After we walked back and just continued on with our regular P-day.  We played basketball, volleyball, and helped another missionary spend his last day in the mission before he goes home from medical release. (He’s my batch so it was sad to see him on his last day.) We got fed by 2 different members today. Record! And saw a beautiful clear sky and a clean nonsmoking Mayon. But as of now I’m tired as ever ha. So my spiritual thought for this email (considering I don’t sometimes add those in mine). I’m currently glued on reading "Our Heritage" the newer version. I’m about 3/4th the way and I’m to the part where the church is finally a solid establishment and only few problems are interfering. But from what I have read, us saints in the modern day have it golden in our lives. We too often forget the trials and things the early saints had to go through just to stay alive let alone be a faithful member of the church. We have our wards/stakes/branches organized and we attend church on Sunday with no worry. There was a short story where a group of members in a town were gathered into a small barn and the mob stood outside firing the guns into the building. Almost everyone was killed or just about. Among the people was a dad and 2 of his kids, the dad and the older kid were killed but the youngest got his hip socket blown out. When the mob left the other members came to help, the mother found her husband and son dead but saw her other alive. She, with others instead of burying their dead had to throw all the bodies into a dry well because they were worried the mob would come back. As the mom helped her kid she asked him if he believed he can be healed, he turned to her and asked the same question. To make it short, he lived and regrew his hip back in order to continue to be a faithful member along with his mother because of her faith and obedience, her only son was saved and had the strength to go on. Again to make my sermon short, the book really is great and it gives me a whoooole new look on missionary work and how it’s not about me at all, it’s like the few early missionary’s jobs. Give a short time of their life to help others find there's. So for me being assigned here in Malilipot, I’ll admit, it’s a slow growing area and it’s really hard to see the fruits but then again I sometimes forget to look at the bigger picture and remember it’s not all about how many baptisms you come home with, it’s the difference you make in people’s lives, member or not. But I really do love it here in my area, gives me something to really work on. The area is beautiful and the work is a work in progress. This week we have the great chance to have interviews with President Kotter so I’m grateful he is our leader. He actually is making really big changes in the mission so hopefully he can keep helping us out. So I'll end my King Benjamin sermon now and I’ll say I love you all:) Magsisi kayo huh? Huwag po kayo ipagpaliban and araw ng inyong pagsisisi. Mahalaga po talaga ang pagsisis sa buhay po natin. Salanks (Salamat + thanks) 

**Elder Merrill**

From: Jordan Mark Merrill <merrill.j@myldsmail.net>
Sent: Monday, October 24, 2016 5:07 AM
To: Lauri Merrill
Subject: Re: October 23, 2016

I opened the Halloween box:) ha-ha if you do that to me again I don’t know what I’m going to do! ha-ha. But it was great thank you, actually out of all the candies I think the Sixlets tasted the best. I don’t know why. OH and the pop rocks, when I opened a pack during church I had about 30 kids swarming me. I never got the hump day card:( My health is good, no sicknesses and I’m gaining weight again (Filipino comp=rice everyday) Yes, I still want to go to USU and hopefully that’s my plan with Parker... really do miss the kid. I’ll admit I had a week of low for a while but I’m good now:) I don’t know why, but even now I still feel like I’m not seeing much I’m just going day to day doing the same thing so I’m looking for a way to fix it. So my 2 years end July 26, 2017. Monday is the 23rd, the last day in area. Tuesday is transfer day or when we take our stuff to the office and finalize our plans. Wednesday we all go our ways so depending on flight conditions I will be home the 26th or the 27th. But typhoon Nona last year caused the going back delayed a week so who knows. 

**Elder Merrill**