April Showers

Good morning everyone. I had some weird dreams last night. I can't remember them though.... hate when that happens. I did have a pretty cool week that I can slightly remember. It went by a little too fast for my taste but hey... I'm getting used to it. Here are some highlights from the week:

1. I... can't think of any highlights.

That's one big tree stump.

2. Ok I just thought of something. So we had a lesson with a former investigator this past week for the first time in quite a while. We couldn't find a male to come with us so we sat in a lady's (who is a friend/fellowshiper/semi active member and my favorite hippie/person in the world... got it.) hallway for the little discussion. After we chatted for a bit we said a prayer and boom... it was on. And we were killing it. Not really but it wasn't as horrible as we thought it would be. She usually doesn't respond to questions and won't say anything but "yeah" to our invitations... we're not sure if she follows through though. Anyways she was participating this time around and it was all going well. Then the member's neighbor decided to come out of her room so Elder Gasser and I stood up and started talking with her for a little bit. Always the gentlemen. Her name is Patti. (Not Aunt Patti unfortunately... good one Trent.) We thought it was going well until she just starts to flip out on our investigator and Member! Calling them all these names and telling crazy stories about them. Our investigator started crying and was about to leave and the member was trying to talk her down. We slowly caught on that it wasn't such a pleasant situation as we thought it was so we took a step in front of our investigator and the member and I just tried to distract Patti while escorting her down the stairs. It was nuts. It got out of hand really fast ha. The rest of the lesson we were just consoling our investigator and gave her a blessing. She came to cottage meeting with us last night at President Wilson's home so I think she's doing better. One can hope at least.

3. I am pretty happy about life these days. For several reasons...but a lot has to do with the ward and the work. They are catching the missionary fire! It's amazing. Yesterday was fast and testimony meeting, A Brother in the ward stood up and told his experience with inviting his friends over and calling us to have dessert with them this past week. He shared how amazing it was and encouraged everyone to do the same. He brought up points from Elder Gasser's and my training to the ward a couple weeks ago. The members do the social conversion. They invite friends over for dinner, BBQ's, movies, whatever.. and then invite us over too and we'll do the scary spiritual side. We'll invite their friends to learn more and to read from the Book of Mormon. If your friends don't like it then you can make fun of us when we walk away. We don't care, we're getting transferred! Just get us in your home with your friends and good things will happen. And good things have happened! The member guy's friends are taking the discussions in Everett now. Another family is asking us for Book of Mormon's to give to their friends and are going to invite us over soon. Man, i'm so stoked! I bore my testimony yesterday because my heart just wouldn't let me sit still. Bishop got mad at me afterwards though because he said it sounded like I was being transferred. I must have been a little sappy. Two tears tops.

Man do I have any other shirts?

4. Well a lot of other things happened too let's see if I can some them up in a couple sentences instead of rambling like I usually do. I went to the Navy Base in Everett and toured a battle ship. I felt like I was in a movie with Sean Connery.

5. We had a meeting with the zone this week and taught for three hours (woof) and then went to a help a member move in Monroe.

6. Met another guy who we are starting to teach. Keep up you updated on that in the future.

7. Had dinner with an 80 year old man who hasn't been to church since he was 12 and his catholic wife. We've visited with them a couple times. We're good friends. She'll be baptized soon.

8. Had a nice discussion with some Jehovah's Witnesses for an hour on the side of the street.

9. Went to our investigators (Husband and wife) and they started pulling out their ghost hunting equipment and talked with the spirits in their house while we were there. Kind of creepy. Scared Elder Gasser pretty bad ha. I'm only a little sleep deprived over it.

No I'm not trying to hold hands with Elder Fortuna

10. I want to tell you about a sister in our ward real quick. So she is not active and crazy. I've met with her since I've been in the area and nothing usually gets through to her. This week we talked about forgiveness for some reason. It just came up. She brought up someone who she "erased" from her life and that's how she "forgives". We asked her how she would feel if Christ erased her if she did something that hurt Him and talked about it for a while. This lady despises and won't talk to her sister. She hasn't talked to her in 20 years or more. Two days after we had that lesson, her sister called her. They didn't get to talk yet but the sister told us about it a couple days ago and is freaking out. We told her how Heavenly Father is giving her the chance to forgive and move on... I really think that's true. It's beautiful to have the view of God's hand in people's lives. I rambled again.


Love you all,


Elder Trent Jay Merrill