Canada Week 72: You are uniquely and individually loved!

Hello again my wonderful friends and family!  I can't believe another week just went by - time is flying!  I hit my 17 month mark this week as a missionary, and today I begin my last transfer in the CEM.  It is wild to think I will be home in 6 weeks.  I am so full of gratitude for this experience and am ready to take on this last stretch.  Sister Crowe and I are staying together and will continue covering our 3 areas.  We were also just were made the page admins for our Facebook page we run as missionaries.  

Traditional January weather finally began this past week as temperatures dropped into the negatives.  It has been quite chilly, but even despite the cold we still got out for some walks.  We are still helping our friend with walking her dogs, and it has honestly been amazing to be able to help her.  She has expressed how grateful she is for our goodness and compassion towards her.  We actually gave her a Book of Mormon this week and she has been reading it!  What a miracle!  We were blessed to teach lots of lessons this week that kept us quite busy, and for that we are very grateful!  Our members and investigators are just too good, and I feel blessed to be here serving and spending time with them!  We were also still able to participate in our services all weekend.  For supper one night a member brought us spaghetti, but gave it a fancy name so that was fun.  We planned an entire 40 minute training to present to one our of wards only to realize the meeting isn't happening for a couple more weeks....but hey at least we are prepared now!  We joined with the young women class this week, and yesterday taught our ward Gospel Principles class to help some people that just needed some extra love in the ward.  The spirit during the class was so strong.  We also had a good district council as our last week together before transfers.  I am beyond grateful for the sweet tender moments God allows to be so good!  God's love, miracles and mercy can always be found in between the lines of life.  

My thoughts this week revolved around the unique and individual love of our loving Heavenly Father.  He truly knows each of us individually and uniquely - to the point that He knows exactly when we need certain things, and how we need them even when we don't expect them.  Sometimes I let myself get too wrapped up in my inability to understand or comprehend things, and then I remind myself to just trust and have faith.  It can be so easy to get wrapped up in a lot of unnecessary thinking traps.  Being able to continually ponder and think upon the eternal truths of God's love for me as His daughter helps keep me grounded.  All throughout this week, little things just kept surfacing to remind me of God's unique love for me.  The speaker in one of our wards yesterday touched on receiving personal revelation and how it comes to each of us in individual, unique ways.  Sometimes it can be so personal that we miss it.  Or maybe we miss it because we are worried about how others are receiving it - this person heard an audible voice - this person had a dream - this person - this person - it can go on and on.  We are not here to compare and compete.  We are here to be complete with one another, and with Jesus Christ.  God knows what each person needs and when they need it.  We need to continually humble ourselves and be grateful for the revelation we DO receive.  God truly is in the details.  I know He is always looking out for each of us even when we get distracted along the way.  Some thoughts I loved from the Sunday school lesson we taught revolved around being God's children, the reason for our earthly progression, and going through the veil.  A point that struck me was that the veil is there for the purpose of not remembering so we could learn and understand the power of choice and faith in our lives.  The lesson stated, "A veil covers our memories of our pre-mortal life, but our Father in Heaven knows who we are and what we did before we came here.  He has chosen the time and place for each of us to be born so we can learn the lessons we personally need and do the most good with our individual talents and personalities.........we learned that all of us would have trials in our lives: sickness, disappointment, pain, sorrow, and death. But we understood that these would be given to us for our experience and our good.  If we allowed them to, these trials would purify us rather than defeat us.  They would teach us to have endurance, patience, and charity" 

It is a beautiful thing to know that God has a perfect plan that WILL help us receive the fullness of joy.  He is the perfect guide to our life's journey.  He has provided us with a Savior, Jesus Christ, and His grace to carry us through.  I have gained a profound testimony of these things, and will forever be grateful for my knowledge of Heavenly Father and His plan.  I know that what I go through, no matter how hard, it will give me experience and will be for my good.  The same applies to all of us individually.  You are so loved and so uniquely cared for.  Tie a knot and hang on! ;)

I love and miss you all!  Have the most amazing week full of goodness!  

Always remember to smile! 

Love, Sister Merrill

Yummy Cake Pops!

It's getting cold in Canada!

Canada Week 71: Choose to live in the here and now!

Hello hello my wonderful friends and family!   Another adventure filled week has come and gone.  Every day seems to bring something new - sometimes it's exciting and sometimes not so much - but we have the power to choose how we see it.  I hope you all had a good week.  

This week we were blessed to have virtual exchanges with the sister missionaries we are over.  It was SOOO much fun to be with them (even if it is through a screen).  They are each so amazing in their own way, and I am grateful to be serving with such strong, faithful sisters!  They are also wonderful examples to me and I am grateful that God placed me right here right now to serve with them.  We also had a Sister Training Leader's call and it was also fun to be with all of those beautiful sisters.  We have thoroughly been enjoying the uncharacteristic warm Canadian weather that has allowed for us to go on many nice walks to find new people and get fresh air.  Honestly it has been one of the biggest blessings God has provided this winter with all the Covid restrictions and increased time inside.  We even got to say hello to the Elders in the area this week who don't live too far from us.  Sadly, this past week we had a lot of our lessons cancel and our Internet decided to stop working...but no worries...we were still able to have a few lessons and became expert car lesson givers! :)  It was fun to meet with more ward members and visit with others and share testimony with each other.  It was just wonderful.  We were able to teach a couple investigator lessons and help them progress in a positive way.  As always, we continue to try and pray to find others who may need us.  We also fill as much time as we can serving others as well as our weekly planned service.  A highlight was walking President Cowley's dog Moose again.  Well - I say it is us taking her for a walk, but in all reality, it is more her taking us for a walk!  She is sure an excited fluffy thing, and we love it!  Sunday night my companion and I went live on Facebook with a Come Follow Me study.  It is posted on our group Facebook page called Finding Christ in North Edmonton if you want to check it out.  It was super fun, and the message we shared what just the reminder I needed! ♡

As for my thoughts - there are many - but this week I want to share of the importance of focusing on the here and now.  I continually strive to do this each day, but I tend to worry about things to come, and over think the things to do come.  New light was shed on this idea as I listened to talk given in one of our sacrament meetings yesterday.  The man's topic was about looking to the future.  He shared that as we look towards the future, we can get there by doing small and simple things, and by focusing on each day and even each moment as they come.  He said this begins as as we focus on our breath in each moment.  Too much of life is focused on the end result, or the finish line, and we tend to overlook the life we are living right now.  People can also look to the future as a means to pass through the now.  If there is one thing I know - it is that the future doesn't change if we don't change right now.  Nothing will be different if we don't work towards it each and every day.  We are taught this in Alma as he talks with his son Helaman.  Alma 37:6, "...by small and simple things are great things brought to pass..."  It is in the small and simple steps we take each day that we will bring about great change with Gods divine help.  We can shape the future we desire with the choices we make NOW.  Thomson S. Monson said it best, "Decisions determine destiny."  We all need to enjoy the moments as they come.  We need to allow ourselves to acknowledge and feel each emotion, each adventure, each opportunity, whatever it may be!  I know that God has great things in store for each of us with every step we take.   

Sorry my email is a little on the shorter side this week, but know every word is said out of love.  I am so grateful for my Savior and the chance He has given me to try over and over again - every moment of every day.  I am grateful that God has given us the power to choose - to choose gratitude, happiness, positivity, growth and more.  Each day is a chance of new opportunities IF we look for and seize them.  God has big plans for each of us.  His work is a great work and it is an honor to be a part of!

I still love and miss you all!   Always remember to smile! ♡

Love, Sister Merrill 

GOD is GOOD!

Virtual exchanges

STL Call

Teaching in the Car

Walking President Cowley's dog Moose

Hello Elders!

Come Follow Me Facebook Live

Canada Week 70: Mishaps and Miracles!

Hello again my friends and family!  Hopefully you all were able to stay safe, smile and find some good during a week of insanity in the U.S.  Our week in Canada was once again full of adventures, memories, laughter, and a few mishaps.  Every week always seems to bring something new.  Some weeks are better than others, but God never ceases to be good and pour out His blessings upon us! 

Our week began with some fun exchanges with the Spanish sisters we are sister training leaders for.  I actually lived with one of them in my first area for 2 transfers so it was great to catch up with her.  They are both such bright lights and examples to me!  Sadly, we forgot to take a picture, but the memory is there nonetheless.  We had lessons upon lessons upon lessons!  It was SO GOOD!  God sure helped us out loads this week!  We were also able to set up lessons with people who needed to hear some uplifting messages this week.  We were blessed to have some really good investigator lessons as well.  One lesson in particular was with our friend Tyler.  He is incredible and the spirit was so strong during our lesson!  He is currently working towards a baptismal goal of February 27th so some extra prayers would be greatly appreciated.  We were grateful to be able to resume our weekly services at the food bank and the bishop's storehouse this week and it was amazing!  I loved the goodness that I feel serving there.  An extra little tender mercy was that I saw some of my Drayton friends here in Fort Sask this week - It sure made my heart smile!  We also had ZONE CONFERENCE via Zoom this week.  It was nice to see everyone (even if it was online) and to hear the messages that were prepared.  The spirit was so strong and it was just what my little soul needed that day.  Sister Crowe and I taught one of the trainings and it went really well.  The spirit just took over and we just enjoyed the time we had to teach.  Sunday we had church upon church upon church and then more meetings!  Covering 3 wards provides abundant spiritual feasting and nourishment each Sabbath day!  Truly never a dull Sunday around here!  As for the few mishaps of the week.....one thing after another kept happening.  It all started with taking out our trash after we did a freezer food dump from previous missionaries here.  By the time we could take the trash out of our apartment the contents had melted and it leaked out of the bag as we took it outside.  We joked that we needed to move, but did out best to cover up our tracks! ;)  Other things included burning my arm with my curling iron, slicing my finger open on broken glass, and a headache beyond containment - BUT God honestly is SO good and helped pull me through all my little struggles! 

MIRACLE!  We have said hello to this lady since I came to this area, and this week we were actually able to have a conversation with her!  She broke her foot and needed help with her dogs.  We offered our free help and she was shaken.  I LOVE giving free service!  So throughout the week we were able to help walk her dogs and build a relationship with her.  She has now agreed to let us video call her and share with her what we teach and we are so excited!  She is so sweet!  This morning she thanked us for being her friends and for just being there for her.  You never know how far a smile and a friendly wave can go people!  I am so grateful that God always seems to place the right people in my path at the right time.    

Now for some of my thoughts this week.  I came across an amazing video on the church's media app in the Hope Works video section.  A guy shares his thoughts on human beings and the spiritual experience.  He shares a quote from someone that says, "We are not human beings having a spiritual experience, we are spiritual beings having a human experience."  This struck me and I have found myself pondering it ever since.  How often do we let others define us?  How often do we let labels that others, or even ourselves, give us define who we are?  How much of our lives revolves around us thinking and worrying about what others think, how we can please them, or how to not look stupid in any given situation?  Humans thrive off competition, but can get trapped in comparison.  Discouragement is one of Satan's greatest tools.  A quote Sister Crowe and I shared from Linda K. Burton in our Zone Conference training says, "When we seek to complete, rather than compete, it is so much easier to cheer each other on!"  I LOVE THIS!  Shouldn't we all be helping each other get back home?  We are here to lift, strengthen, love, serve and everything in between!  God doesn't want His children to put each other down, or put ourselves above another person for that matter.  Can you imagine a world where everyone just loves each other?  All God wants is for His children to just love one another.  We are all children of a divine being - we are spiritual beings - we always have been.  We are living, learning, and growing in this human experience that wouldn't be possible without a mortal body here on earth.  At anytime, we have the amzing gift to tap into our inner spirituality and see ourselves as God sees us.  This can make all the difference in how we see ourselves and others around us.  In 3 Nephi 12:16 it tells us to "let our light shine so that others can see God."  We each have individual, unique divine gifts and talents that we need to use to help others SEE HIM.  We are ALL special to God.  

I am so grateful for the opportunity to have this human experience even despite the bumps and hardships along the way.  Trials are supposed to come - we learn more from them than the good times.  I know that God has a plan.  Life may be a little crappy at times, but we can make anywhere we are shine if we want to.  Always remember who you are and whose you are!  We all have divine potential because we are divine beings.  

I love and miss you all.  Please remember to smile this week ;)

Love, Sister Merrill

Ouch!

Sister Crowe & Sister Merrill

Washing the stinky garbage cans

Sister Syd still loves sloths!

Sister Syd still loves the sky!

Canada Week 69: CHOOSE God. CHOOSE Good.

Hello hello!!!  Another week has come and gone, but this one brought in a WHOLE NEW YEAR!  I hope everyone had a wonderful time ringing in the new year.  It's always exciting to recommit to changing ourselves for the better! 

Our week was long, but still full of adventure and fun!  We were able to have some super awesome member lessons.  It was nice to get to know a few more of the members here in my new area.  I think they are all so amazing.  One of the members gave us some fun tie dye sweats that are so soft and I love them!  We enjoyed a lot of walks this week because the weather has been so spectacular! 🤩 We were also able to walk our mission president's dog again so that was fun.  We decided to heart attack a couple of our sweet member's doors this and they TOTALLY caught us - both times!  What are the odds?!  It was hilarious!  The rest of the week consisted of virtual exchanges, New Years celebrations, interviews with President Cowley, and IN PERSON CHURCH!  It was so nice to be able to partake in the sacrament again because it has been way too long.  We were also blessed to have IN PERSON interviews with President Cowley and that was such a tender mercy from God.  I have really missed being able to interact with people, especially our mission president and his wife.  It was so spirit-filled and wonderful!  I am SO grateful that God puts the right people in our lives when He knows we need them! ♡ 

I have had so many thoughts running around in my mind all week.  Most of these thoughts have revolved around the idea of knowing about the gospel vs. living the gospel. Being a part of the Lord's restored church here on Earth is more than just having a knowledge of things, especially today!  It is more about what we do with that knowledge, and how genuine we are in sharing what we know with others.  Is Christ in our daily countenance?  Do we portray Him and our Heavenly Parents at all times, or only sometimes?  Do we truly show gratitude for the Book of Mormon?  Are we grateful for Heavenly Father's presence and the answers He gives to our prayers?  Or do we merely acknowledge it and go about our lives?  What I think it all boils down to is actually quite simple.  Love God, love people and be a good human.  One of our members recently made a statement that has stuck with me all week.  He said, "We choose everyday to believe in God."  This is SO TRUE!  We can't decide one day that we just believe and know God is real and then do nothing with it - because we know!  Satan also loves to sneak in subtlety - get to us little by little - and then one thing snowballs into the next, and all of a sudden where is our faith now?  How strong is our faith?  Has it been weakened by Satan's subtleties?  It is so important to choose to believe and have faith each day.  Greater faith is needed now more than ever.  We must continually exercise our faith muscles or they will weaken.  I have seen this in my own life.  I have felt my faith strengthened when I choose God and choose to believe, and I have felt the opposite when I have chosen to give in to Satan's negative thinking patterns.  Satan has the power to tell us that we aren't enough for God, that we aren't perfect for God.  He can tell us that we are too far gone to return to God.  We cannot let Satan have that power in our lives!  One of my favorite quotes by Brad Wilcox says, "Satan doesn't win when he can get us to cross the line, but when he convinces us that there is no way back."  We have the greatest power - the power of choice.  We don't have to give into Satan's ways - we can CHOOSE God!  We can CHOOSE good!  We know who wins the battle so whose team are we going to be on when it is finished?  God is always rooting for us.  God cheers us on even when we are angry, or lazy, or feel we aren't enough because we are ALWAYS enough for Him.  Elder Uchtdorf said it best, "There is no threshold of perfection you must attain in order to qualify for God's grace."  God loves all of us regardless of anything we could possibly tell ourselves.  You are enough because you KNOW God!  You are enough because you WANT God.  You are enough because you BELIEVE in God.  That's enough - and after that His grace will make up for everything else. 

I am so grateful for my knowledge of my Heavenly Father and Heavenly Mother.  I am grateful for all that they do for me.  I am also grateful for my Savior Jesus Christ and all that He is and does for me.  I can't express gratitude enough for God's grace.  I KNOW He loves me and each and every one of you!  Hang on, stay strong, keep going!  You are do amazing things! 

I love and miss you all!  Always remember to smile!  :) 

Love, Sister Merrill 

Virtual exchanges with Sister Smith and Sister Simmons

Sister Crowe & Sister Merrill

Happy New Year! 2021!

Fun tie dye gift!