8/27/2013...He made it!!

Elder Merkley with his mission president..President Brinkerhoff and wife.

THE REASSIGMENT IS......

Elder Merkley:

At this time, we have not received your visa to travel to your mission. You will be serving a temporary assignment in the Idaho Pocatello Mission until your visa arrives! :) Oh my goodness! I'm so excited! :) I know that there are people there that I need to help and give the Gospel too! I'll be pretty close to Washington as well! ;) I truly am expecting a wonderful experience and no matter how long I am there, it is going to be an amazing experience. :) Thank you for all your support and I will be sure to let you know when I arrive safely! :)

8/23/2013- answers to mom's 20 questions

Answer to  20 questions!

1-Things with my companions are going very well! We have been getting along well!

2-The best thing about Elder Bradd is how calm and wise he is. The best thing about Elder Alvarez is he is very bold and doesn't mind talking to people.

3-I love the other Elders that are staying in my room! Elder Kestler and Elder Williams are great and we are always singing.

4-I get up at 6:30

5-I exercise everyday either after service, or before or after dinner.

6- I eat at roughly 8,11, and 5

7- The best thing to eat is chicken cordon bleu and my least favorite is some sort of pasta called something like italian terazoli. Not delicious but I'll eat it if I have to! Haha!

Picture time #4

 One of his favorite teachers.. Brother Vanwagoner

wow...wearing the same shirt..how embarrassing!!

8/23/2013

8/23/2013

My Week in review: So! I'm just gonna shoot off a bunch of amazing stuff that I got to do this week! I got to go to a devotional given by a former NFL football player and BYU football player who has also been a sports caster for the Olympics in exotic locations all over the world! He was so amazing and I have a picture too! Also, yesterday we got to have an in field orientation for those leaving on their missions and it was most definitely one of the highlights of the MTC thus far. IT was just incredible. We heard from so many wonderful teachers, learned so many amazing things and it was super fun too! We also got to watch a play about the life of a missionary which was very funny and very insightful!

Picture Time #3

8/16/2013

8/16/2013

My week is review: this week was so incredible! We got to have some really amazing lessons with Heleno and Claudio and we even started a new program in class where we are assigned to teach each other and get to know each other! We all pretend to be someone and kinda live a different back story than we actually have and it is such an amazing learning experience! SO GOOD! Also, I finished the Book of Mormon this week! It was absolutely incredible! It's a true book and as we all read it, it can bring us all so much happiness and peace. :)

 Also, I got to sing in the choir for this week and we sang "Jesus Once of Humble Birth." It was such a wonderful experience and you could really feel the spirit. :) We also got to sing for an Apostle! Elder Richard G. Scott was at our devotional!!! He spoke and it was simply AMAZING! Just...... wow. It really was something special. :) He taught about prayer and since then, I have had a totally new outlook about prayer and i have learned a lot. :) We also got to try out to the upcoming Sunday Devotional as well! I am part of an 8 men acapella group singing come thou fount. It really is cool! And we got a yes, so we are in the yes "pile" and we just wait from here, keep practicing and cross our fingers! ;)

Picture Time #2

We caption this... 'missionary work (or at least missionaries) coming out of my ears"!!

8/9/2013

8/9/2013

Hey family and everyone!!

 This week overall was pretty tough. It had a lot of up and down moments but overall went well and was a great learning experience. I've got to speak a ton of portuguese and often speak it with my roomates and others outside and inside the classroom. We have also had several lessons since last time I wrote. We have abandoned the notes! Now, we just read scriptures ask him questions and try to work the spirit as best we can! I've gotten to see Elder Law, Cameron and Sarah's cousin, Sister Hirz, and Sister Reed!

I love you all so much! :) Dad, thank you so very much for the pictures! They look wonderful! And thank you for all the confidence and love that I feel everyday. :)

PICTURE TIME:

 Bryce and his companion.. Elder Alvarez

What a mimic..still having fun!!

8/2/2013

 This week has been amazing. :) Hey Dad! It truly has been amazing but definitely a roller coaster ride as well! But, I think the roller coaster has leveled out for now! Haha! Thank you so very much for everything! I love you Dad! And I WILL stick with it! Thank you so much for your confidence and you are very welcome for the letter!

 I LOVED the care package! It was such a wonderful and SWEET surprise! ;) Thank you for the stamps as well! I am definitely having many adventures! ;) One of mine, is..... I have taught 3 lessons with virtually with no notes! This last one we got to teach someone who spoke NO english and we shared a scripture with him and we had the opportunity to learn a lot about him and to share our testimonies with him! Today, we also had the chance to go up to the temple to write letters and just bask in the beauty of it all. It was soooo perfect. :) So peaceful, uplifting, gorgeous in every regard and EXACTLY what I needed. Sigh..... :)

7/26/2013

Hey Mom! I'm on my P-Day right now! Thank you so much for the Email and for all the info! It was much appreciated and I absolutely LOVE hearing anything about home. I apologize for not writing home in the past week. Things are very intense and crazy amazing but I did write a letter but I couldn't find it after that and we are only allowed to write on Friday. :( But, I am writing now! :D

 Thank you for the wonderful letters and for you, dad's, and Tanner's love. It is sooooooooo amazing to hear from all of you and it brought me to tears. I love you all so very much and I miss you guys. On a happier note though, thank you for giving her the necklace! And I am so glad that her friends helped her out a bunch. :) I really hope she enjoys it! 8 months? My goodness! That is a long time! Part of me things that waiting that long would be incredibly hard but part of me keeps thinking, "that would give me more time to learn Portuguese!" Haha! 

I get to see Parker quite often actually! Our main classrooms are right next to each other so during breaks I get to sometimes talk to him and we have been running together a couple of times.

 Oh my goodness..... I found the best running spot. I run around this line of trees over and over right in front of the temple...... It is just heaven. It's so perfect because it's always so sunny, so peaceful and as I hum "I love to see the temple" I just feel so at peace.