1-1-12

Tuesday: Due to the fact that we gave up our Pday yesterday so we
could have our distrizona, we were allowed to do our Pday stuff today.
We started out by playing tennis. Last week I was pretty bad.
Seriously. this week, I got really good at serving. that reminds me of
a quote I read once: "Life is like tennis--he who serves best almost
always wins." that`s pretty cool. Anyway, today was pretty epic. Elder
Smith beat the 3 of us consistently. but I finally beat him in the
last match. Haha. It was the last match because I quit while I was
ahead. :) We went back to the house for a while before lunch. While
there, I finished my reply to Cassie. While I did that, elder Brady
went with elder Smith to write the family. Elder Maldonado went to
lunch with the Branch President`s wife. We arrived on time, expecting
to see the other 2, but they arrived 30 min. ate. Their taxi wasn`t
clear on where they wanted to go. Then I went to write MY family.
Kevin said he`s going to Bulgaria tomorrow. That sounds exciting. In
the afternoon, we were invited to play soccer with the youth, a common
thing in the Mission, but we were so darn pooped form this morning. So
we just did the normal contacting. We found a few nice people.

Wednesday: Today was a great day. When I got up, I decided to call
Elder Calaway. It had been a very long time since I`d spoken to him.
Gosh it was so good to hear from him. Actually, from our brief
conversation, I could tell that he`d changed a lot...for the better of
course. He`s always been someone just trying to do their best. We
talked about how weird it is that time the time has passed so fast. We
remenisced about the last time we got to call our parents. His dad had
answered and acted normal (i.e. "hey jake.") So funny! he said his
parents asked about me in the phone call. "Where`s Elder Merrell?" He
said they really like me. I had written them a letter, telling them
what a good boy they have. I forgot how much I love Elder Calaway. He
really is one of my best friends--someone I can count on. He said
we`re going to play a lot of xbox live when we get back. I miss him a
lot. He said he might be training this next transfer. I`m so happy for
him. It waws just one of those moments when you realize just how big
your heart is, and how good it feels to love. I put all my finished
letters I`d written in their envelopes. We had lunch with Hna. Daz.
She lives on top of a big hill that makes me sweat every single time.
We spent the afternoon doing contacts. We had an appt. but she wasn`t
there. I got a little discouraged. In one week, I`m almost certain
I`ll have another comp. I can`t wait to see how that goes.

Thursday: I had some personal study time and loved it. WhenI spoke
with the family, I got to have a one-on-one conversation with Cassie
(sister). She`s so good about reading her Scriptures. She says that if
she doesn`t read in the morning and night, she feels restless and not
as happy as when she does. I feel exactly the same way. Thinking about
it, she`s changed a lot. I remember at the beginning of my Mission, or
even as recently as this past Spring, she seemed a bit more confused.
But now I can see the Spirit influencing her life, and she can see the
joy that comes from it. That makes me so happy. I miss my family a
lot! We had lunch with the Neira family. They served us peeled
potatoes with roast. It`s a really common chilean dish. In fact, we
had it yesterday, too. In the afternoon, I went on exchanges with
Elder Maldonado. His companion`s causing him some problems, too. He
actually broke down and cried because he felt so bad for not having
been able to do good work this transfer. I understood that. The sad
part is I think he`s staying with his comp. one more transfer. We did
contacts in the afternoon. We had some appts., but they all fell
through. It`s shocking how little success we`ve had this transfer.

Friday: Today was a good day, but also a little sad. It was sad
because elde rKemp went home today. I KNOW, RIGHT?! I remember when he
left, two yars ago. For me, time in the mission passes normally. Not
fast or slow. But I believe that will change my last day, when I look
back and say, "Already?" I got a little taste of that today. Because,
for me, my Mission has always been looming in the future, it has been
the focus of my financial endeavors, and the bane of potential
relationships. but I literally only have a few months left before it`s
already over. But I`m not going to focus on that right now. Elder Kemp
served his Mission with excellency. I actually got my comp. to have
personal and comp. study with me. And he liked it! It was so wonderful
to hear what he`d learned and for him to want to share it. I learned
some great things in Helaman 3, myself. We had lunch with the Sister
that doesn`t season her food. But the food was extra good and she was
conversational. She sent us home with 4 giant loaves of home-made
bread. In the afteronoon, I got to interview Camilo for his baptism
tomorrow. He came to Church, on his own, our first week here. Since
then, he`s come to all the Young Single Adults activities and is in
the Branch Choir. He`s already a member, pretty much. The Interview
went great, for the most part. I had to fill him in on some doctrinal
points, because the other Missionaries had skipped some stuff. But he
passed. He`ll be baptized tomorrow, at 11. It`s funny because he`s
getting baptized in 2011 and confirmed in 2012. Pretty sweet!

Saturday: Today was a good day. We woke up really early so we could
run to the chapel and turn on the baptismal font., for camilo`s
baptism. Then, we came back home and studied and got ready like
normal. When we eventually returned for the baptism, we were really
diappointed with all the people that didn`t show up. There were 3
members and the 4 of us. 2 of the members only showed up because they
had to give talks. Elder Maldonado was chosen to do the actual
baptism. He kept complaining about hwo small the font was. As he was
bringing Camilo up, he guided his head right into one of the metal
handrails. OOPH! But camilo said he was alright and we ended fine.
Afterward, Ayleen Neira, a way cool youth from the Branch, asked if
she could speak with me. She thanked me for the Scriptures I always
share after lunch. She said that, out of the 4 missionaries, the
ScripturesI share always impact her and are exactly what she needed.
that`s proof that the Spirit`s guiding me. Sweet! We were going to
spend the night at the Diaz family`s home, but Hna. Diaz called at
7:30 to cancel. Dang it! So we just did the normal thing until it was
time to go in. Not a lot of success. We found out our transfers
tonight. the 4 of us, in curanilahue, are staying . I`m going to be
with Elder brady for 6 more weeks. That`s going to be really hard for
me. I called Elder Lisonbee. He`s going to finish in Yumbel, where
Elder Burch is currently serving. Elder Calaway`s going to train in
Ñielol, and share a house with Elder Montalban. Elder corliss is
training as well. And...the Pres ahs decided to re-open Tirúa. My time
there was really hard. I hope they have better luck. Elder Lisonbee
said he`s getting an iPad when he gets back. He`s excited to wach "The
Amazing Spiderman" at midnight with me, and use our iPads in the line
while we`re camped out. He knows me so well. :)

Sunday: So, it`s 2012. that`s the year I go home. that also means I
spent all of 2011 in a foreign country. That`s awesome! My New Year`s
commitment is to continue the good habits I`ve learned in the Mission
(i.e. Scripture study, daily prayers, keepng commandments, etc.). And
more dates with girls! I was behind on my quota last year. Haha. This
whole "New Year" thing is seriously freaking me out. Anyway, we went
to church alright. In the afternoon, I tried to study Spanish with
Elder Brady, and he asked, "Why?" His usual response to EVERYTHING.
I`m so frustrated. because of the new year, we`re starting the "Gospel
Principles" book over, hopping off the 3 classes we`ve been stuck on,
for months. We learned abou tHeavenly Father...and i learned
something! Or maybe it just "clicked." It is this: the more we know
God, the more we`ll love him. It`s something I`d been wanting to know,
in the back of my mind. Because if we DO love him more, we`ll have a
greater desire to obey his commandments. And if that desire comes,
we`ll have more power to resist temptation. But how do we get to know
God? Reading Scriptures, prayer, and keeping the commandments. It all
fits! The Neira family`s warming up to us, at our lunches. Oh! And I
totally finished my marking of the Book of Mormon where it mentions
Christ. It took about 3 months, but I did it! Not my whole "system" is
done. The other companionship got permission to go to Talcahuano to
visit some people. We just stayed in our sector and did contacts.