Sister Syd: Canada Week 47: I LOVE Christ's genuineness

HELLO! I hope everyone is doing well! Crazy how another week has come and gone again - I know I say that every week - but it's true! Somehow it is AUGUST and I'll soon reach my year mark as a missionary. I'm currently writing this letter as we drive to Jasper National Park. I am so excited!

This past week there were many Sister Merrill missionary adventures in serving and teaching and running. We were once again blessed to love, help, and serve others around us. This is my absolute FAVORITE THING to do - it makes my heart so happy to do service upon service! We are becoming absolute experts in yard work and painting. We have truly loved being able to help those in need with their yards and homes. As we serve we love to share little messages and the spirit is oh so sweet :) God is so good! We were also able to have some incredible lessons with amazing people we are teaching. With that being said, Satan never ceases to work incredibly hard to stop this work. We will never let broken arms and heart attacks stop us. I can testify that God's power and strength is unstoppable! We have seen many mini-miracles that could be easily missed if not looked at with the right perspective. I want to express my absolute love for some very cute kiddos we are teaching - THE BRYANTON FAMILY! They have my entire heart! I have no words to express my gratitude for my Heavenly Father for placing me in this area at this time so I could meet and teach this beautiful amazing family! We were able to have a couple lessons with them and they were just oh so good! We taught them about the atonement and the blessings it can bring into our lives if we allow it. Their little faces were so bright I almost cried. I love each opportunity I get to share and bear my testimony about my beloved, wonderful Savior Jesus Christ!

Thursday we got to go to Onaway for the annual Canada Edmonton Mission 5k run. We received training from our mission leaders in the morning. After we ran, had lunch, and played lawn games. It was a fun day and nice to be with other missionaries for a bit.

I have been thinking a lot about the idea of God's ways being higher and the power He has to perform miracles according to His time table. This has led me to study more about trusting in Him and what that looks like just for me. I read a few talks about this and one that stood out to me was by Dieter F. Uchtdorf titled, "He Will Place You On His Shoulders and Carry You Home." The focus of it was finding those who are lost. One part that caught my attention was this, "Just as the Good Shepherd finds His lost sheep, if you will only lift up your heart to the Savior of the World, He will find you." Emphasis on the "if." Our part can sometimes be forgotten, or looked over as we need or want various things in life. We need to expend our own efforts. I know as we continually strive to do our best, those small efforts start to pay off. Just like most things in life, it takes time and practice. Another focus of mine in studying trust is in humility. What is this idea of humility? What does that mean? I have tried to deepen my understanding of this. In Preach My Gospel it teaches that humility is a Christlike attribute we should strive to attain in our lives. We have to put our full trust into Him and be humble and willing to submit to whatever God's plan is for each of us. If we learn to trust Him, then we will learn to trust in His plan for us. I know that He can make our lives better than what we could ever do on our own no matter how hard it gets. This includes believing that everything will work out and that the blessings will come. As I strive to truly trust God on my mission verses just saying I'll trust Him - I can see a big difference. I can feel it inside of me. I testify that everything comes down to Him. All of it. I know that if we put Christ in the center of our lives we will be forever blessed for it.

I want to bear my testimony of the pure, genuine, Christlike love that is available to all of us. I know that as we love on another in the same genuine way that it can go a long way - sometimes we don't even realize how much. We really have no idea how many lives we affect or hearts we touch each day even just with our simple interactions and examples. I often wonder what the reunion in Heaven will be like. Will we get to meet those we affected in this life and had no idea? Who knows? I truly love serving and loving others as Christ did! I am SO grateful for the opportunities He provides, and for the experiences He allows for me to have each day as a missionary.

I love and miss you all! Always remember to smile :) and never forget that you are oh so loved!

Love, Sister Merrill