Canada Week 78: My cup runneth over!

To all my wonderful friends and family who have been there and supported me through this wild, amazing roller coaster journey of a mission - I want to say THANK YOU!  I cannot believe this is my last weekly email I will ever write as a full time missionary for the Lord.  This last week was special and hard all in the same breath, but my heart is full, and "my cup runneth over" with love and gratitude for so many things. 

This week was the same as any other week - we taught lessons, had teaching appointments, performed services, ate our suppers, and went for walks - but this week was a little different and will always hold a special place in my heart.  This was the week that Tyler took the step of baptism.  He chose to follow his Heavenly Father and Savior.  It was a very sacred, special experience that I will forever cherish and hold close to my heart.  I may not have been there from the beginning, but I am overfilled with joy and gratitude that God allowed for me to be a small part of his journey towards Him and His son, Jesus Christ.  Tyler is such an amazing example to me of truly humbling yourself and allowing Christ to help change you for the better, and accepting that through Christ our sins CAN be forgiven.  I will never forget the joy on Tyler's face as he was baptized.  He was bursting with light and happiness and it was the sweetest thing.  He has come such a long way and I only saw part of his growth.  He chose to give up things he loves for Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ, who he has come to love even more than those things.  The spirit that filled the room as he was baptized was beautiful.  I am so grateful for a gospel that has such a special feeling about it that allows for these beautiful moments to occur.  I am truly grateful and humbled for this opportunity I have had to serve in the Canada Edmonton Mission and to be part of so many people's lives.

I have had so many thoughts shuffling around in my head about what I wanted to share in my last missionary email.  It all keeps coming back to the very simple understanding and testimony that I have grown to have and hold near to me.  I could be here all day long listing the lessons I have learned, the ways I have grown, the many beautiful and not so beautiful moments, and the endless amount of people that have made this experience everything and more to me.  My mission has been the wildest ride.  It has been one of the most sacred experiences that I have been a part of in my life so far.  There were many bright wonderful days, and there were many dark days I had never anticipated.  My heart will always have a special place for the memories, the endless moments, the people, the lessons, my growth and everything in between that has all worked together to create the mission I had, and the mission that God knew I needed.  Jesus Christ truly is our Savior.  He is our older brother and and our friend.  I am truly humbled and grateful to say that I KNOW Christ lives and loves us and is always there for us.  I know God is there and is always listening no matter how silent.  I have had dark moments where it truly felt like heaven was closed, but I can testify that as I persevered and pushed through the light would shine again.  The light will always shine.  It may be little by little, and come in the simplest of moments, but it WILL come.  This work is beautiful, and it has been the most incredible thing to feel the love God has for His children, through me. 

It will be bittersweet to go.  A little piece of my heart will always be in Canada.  I will be forever grateful for the experiences and memories I have made here.  This wild and amazing adventure I have been on for the past 18 1/2 months in the Great White North has been unforgettable! ♡ 

Much love to you all!  I will see you very soon! 

Love, Sister Merrill 

Sister Merrill - CEM - August 2019-March 2021

Tyler's baptism!

Sister Jordan, Sister Merrill, Sister Crowe

Saying goodbye to the amazing Sorochan Family!

Bittersweet to say Goodbye to the CEM

Canada Week 77: Always make the choice to believe!

Hello hello my beautiful friends and family!  It is truly bittersweet knowing I am entering my last full week as a missionary here in the Canada Edmonton Mission. 

The past week was full of fun and adventure and goodness!  Last Monday President Cowley informed us that our companionship would soon be a trio!  Wednesday morning we picked up our cute new companion Sister Jordan.  She brings such a strong spirit to our crew, and it has already been such a blessing to serve with her.  We not only received a new companion, but also all of the areas she was covering.  We now serve in 7 wards which is pretty crazy and pretty awesome if you ask me.  As you can imagine we taught a lot of lessons this week.  They were all wonderful and it has been fun to meet more members and investigators.  I'm excited to stay busy and work hard the last couple weeks of my mission.  Tuesday we were able to have an in person MLC (Mission Leadership Council) and it was so fun!  It was so nice to be with other people after so long of not.  Besides the craziness of back to back lessons this past week we also enjoyed the outdoors, walked the dogs, performed our weekly services, and heart-attacked another friend's door.  We enjoyed many moments of joyous laughter and fun!  I will forever say that laughter is the best medicine for anything life throws at us!  Laughter and happiness bring my soul immense joy. 

This week I had a lot of emotions and thoughts swirling around in my mind.  I want to share some thoughts from a talk that struck me called "Choose to Believe," by L. Whitney Clayton.  He touches on the fact that each of us, at one point or another, will go through our own spiritual wilderness where we will face rugged, emotional journeys, turmoil, hardship and dark, hopeless moments.  Yet, there will ALWAYS be a spiritual light beckoning to us, giving us hope of rescue, and that light shines from our Savior, Jesus Christ.  He says that recognizing the Savior's light starts with a willingness to believe.  "Every day each of us faces a test and it is the test of our lifetime.  Will we choose to believe in Him and allow the light of His gospel to grow within us, or will we refuse to believe and insist on traveling alone in the dark?  The Savior provides His gospel as a light to guide those who choose to believe in and follow Him."  It is a choice - it will always be a choice - each and every day!  I know I have mentioned similar thoughts before, but I loved the focus and emphasis Elder Clayton gave on our personal choice and action.  An impactful line that I loved states, "The decision to believe is the most important choice we ever make.  It shapes all our other decisions."  I am here to personally testify of the power of choosing to believe.  I know that some days it takes more effort and that other days it seems effortless, but I can say that it is 100% worth choosing God every single time.  Faith and belief just don't happen to us - we have to work, and hope, and then ACT on them.  Choosing God is more than a blessing.  I know the mental hardship of making that choice some days, but I also know the goodness and strength that comes from doing it each time.  It may not always be recognizable, but it will always be worth it in the end.  I have found that making the choice to believe changes our focus from merely stating things in the gospel to living the gospel and truly making it a part of our heart and of ourselves.  

I have a firm testimony that God loves us.  He loves us enough to provide the ability to choose despite the heartache it may bring Him at times.  He loves us enough that he sent His son to suffer and die for us.  He knows how to succor our every need.  He truly is running to heal us, to lead us along and to help us back home.  I love this gospel.  I love my Heavenly Father and my Savior, Jesus Christ.  I love feeling the joy, love, peace, and excitement that life brings - even when there are dark moments. 

Thank you for all of your love and support along this crazy amazing mission journey I have been on for 18 months.  It has meant more to me than I can express.  I pray everyday that the words I share will touch someones life in some way.  I love you and will see you soon! 

Love, Sister Merrill 

Sister Crowe & Sister Merrill

Sister Crowe, Sister Jordan, Sister Merrill

The new trio!

Mission Leadership Council

Trish's dogs they walk each day ;)

Beautiful Sister Merrill!