Strawberry Fields Forever

I remember sitting in our back yard with the sun setting over the beautiful Wasatch Mountains, listening to the Beatles. Everything else seemed to be falling apart around me and I felt empty. Even though everything was "just fine..." I just wasn't. I had some things going for me but forgot any good inside of me. I felt nothing and wanted to be everything.

I don't claim to feel the same anymore and I thank God for that. I do sometimes feel that same superficial pursuit: To be something that I'm not. To be someone that I can't be. It's a journey that has no end because there is no destination. The race is long and in the end I'm the only one running along the path... trying to beat the imaginary winner that I can't catch. Serenity is the only victory. I think if there really was a “secret” to it all... that would be it.

Now back to the reality of things, I call this week the great and dreadful day of transfers. It all worked out. We did this thing where we planned out every possible scenario. Just to insure the most efficient and smooth transfer that we could orchestrate. There were eleven new areas that opened… which is the most that’s ever happened in the history of the mission. There were additional white washes and visa waiters to add to the mix… always keeping us on our tiring toes. We had 30 new missionaries, 20 of them are sisters. I feel like we on our way to earning an honorary degree in supply chain management from this. I feel very lucky to have Elder Draper… he’s one of those brilliant people you always hear about. Always learning from him. 

 
Chance was baptized last week. He received the priesthood yesterday and is more active than we are…. So… if you don’t get the chance to meet him here, you’ll see him in the celestial kingdom no doubt…

We’ve been meeting with our WWU investigator as much as we could between transfer prep and office whatever…. she’s been pretty good. One of our lessons we brought Chance and he bore a sweet and powerful testimony of the gospel and we just said, “Look, just ask God what he wants you to do.  Just ask God… and he’ll tell you.” So we set up a lesson for a couple days later and studiously prepared for any questions she might have or previous ones she’s asked. As soon as we had our opening prayer we just asked her, “So what did God tell you to do?” She said "be baptized… " All of your prayers and fasts for her have opened her mind and softened her heart to know what she needs to do. September 15th is the day that will go down in the books of heaven and on earth of the eternal covenant she will make. My heart is full.

Our lessons with another one of our investigators are hilarious and spiritual feasts. We taught him the plan of salvation and he said he just had the chills the whole time. He said it all makes sense and he’s been looking for this for years. In prison he studied all different kind of religions. He knows a lot from the Bible and other religions. A while ago we taught him the word of wisdom. Something that he’s struggled a lot with in the past. On our follow up lesson a week or so ago we just asked him how it’s all going. He said he quit everything. Just straight quit… and then shared all of the blessings that he’s seen from living that law.
Full of love and anxiety,


Elder Trent Jay Merrill