Time to Vacuum

Greetings from the land of wet socks and black umbrellas.

So I'll just start this letter off right and tell you a little story. This one starts and hopefully ends in water (baptism... clever I know). We met a lady that my best friend in the ward referred us to. We went over at the beginning of this week and started talking about the weather and why my tie is so short. All the important things. She was pretty fascinated that we paid and dedicated two years of our lives to serve others and to share what we believe. So the days passed and we came back to do some yard work around her horse pasture. We were picking up rocks and raking some leaves while we talked about the entire first lesson. It was just casually brought up and smoothly transitioned from topic to topic. The words were flowing and the spirit was rolling. It was probably my favorite lesson so far. Very organically clear and bold... while the rain was blurring out all of the distractions and noises of the outside world. Beautiful.

There's a man who lives in a house. Intriguing I know. It gets better. One day we went to this house. The house in which He lived. We talked with him and he said he was looking for "something." Not so much a physical something, except a job perhaps because he is going through a really hard time, but something to give him the idea of hope again. He has no hope for himself. We talked with him for almost an hour and told him that we are there to share the way of happiness and of hope. The way of deliverance and of change. He is reading the Book of Mormon right now and we'll meet with him again later this week. I was heartbroken after we left the first time. I sat in the car for a minute and wanted to cry because he has the world against him and if for just one moment he could understand that what we were saying was true, his battle within could turn into peace. Not everything will be perfect, but it will be put into a more perfect perspective. Hope.

We met a firefighter. He is a father of two and he is.... almost a Mormon. Stay tuned till next time.

There is another man doesn't want to let us into his home but he is slowly letting the Book of Mormon into his heart. I'm hoping that one of those two changes soon.

All isn't well in Zion but that's how it's supposed to be. Imperfect people. Struggling missionary. This is mortality and this is where we learn and change. I'm learning not to expect anything more than trial. I'm learning that it doesn't matter what is going on around me. I am at peace. I am happy.

All of my love,

Elder Trent Jay Merrill