12/2/2013..wonderful memories

 These are pictures of us bucketing water into the baptismal fount! ;)

 This is Brother Scott Axline! Another fantastic individual! Seriously, it was a beyond life changing experience to teach this man. :) He got baptized 4 o clock Nov 30th and confirmed the next day. It was also him and his wife's 19th anniversary, so for their 20th anniversary, there are going to go through the temple. :) Does it get any better than that? :)

This is Patrick! He got batpized at 6 o clock Nov 30th and confirmed the next day! Such a fantastic experience. :) I love this guy!

12/2/2013....2 Baptisms and a 5 minute bedtime dash (and tumble)

12/2/2013

   Oh my goodness golly gracious...... this was easily the BEST week of the entire mission for me! It was absolutely incredible! So spiritual! So wonderful and just so gosh darn fun! We definitely had a fantastic Thanksgiving. We had 2 dinners, one with the Dodges and one with one of our Ward Mission Leaders. It was soooooo good and I was so darn full! ;) To be honest, I've gained a little weight since coming out. NOT A LOT! Just enough so that I've noticed a little. ;) BUT, I have started getting really motivated to exercise. I set goals each night for what I want to do in the morning and I tell myself that I WILL accomplish those goals when I wake up! This morning, I did 110 ab exercises, 55 push ups and 80 curls of 20 lbs. It was awesome! I'm starting out kinda slow so I don't burn myself out and I also have a jump rope! Needless to say, I am very very excited about it and I promise I will come back in even better shape than when I left!

11/25/2013..Happy Thanksgiving and Happy Baptism!!!

Happy Thankgiving!!!!

I definitely had another wonderful week! It went SO well! :) We have a baptism this coming saturday. This past saturday we were able to finish up all the lessons with him, have lunch with him and his wife and help him hang up his Christmas lights. Man! It was the best! :) We also got to sit by him and his wife during their ward on Sunday! His wife is so happy for him as well. :) Apparently, he has been investigating the church for 20-30 years as him and his wife have progressed through their marriage. It has just been incredible to see him come to the knowledge that this is something he needs and that he has grown to desire it. :) Overall, I really don't feel like I did a lot. I know that it was just his time, that Heavenly Father has been preparing him for this moment and that Elder Abbott and I simply had the honor and opportunity to guide him in the right direction. :) He is such a fantastic guy and I can't wait til he and his wife are sealed for time and all eternity. :)

11/18/2013...No Failures..just delays of success!!!

This week we weren't able to set another baptismal date with anyone BUT, one of our investigators moved his date up to November 29th! After talking with his brother in law, who is a bishop, he decided that he shouldn't wait and if this is something he wants, he should do it now instead of waiting and giving satan more time to work on him. Also, he will have a bunch of family in time on that day following Thanksgiving. We are SO excited for him! We were so surprised too! Heavenly Father truly does reward us according to our diligence and efforts. No matter what, if we keep pressing forward through the dark and the light, we will be able to find our way out because the greatest guide of all, even Jesus Christ himself is guiding us. :) As we keep trucking along and keep trying, we WILL be blessed! I know that with all my heart. :)

Picture Time

 That's the house we are building and that is the aftermath of Elder Abbott and I throwing saw dust all over each other!

 That's my grandpa Merkley off to the far left! I found this picture at the MTC and did a double take! I couldn't believe it! It's hanging up at the MTC!!! Man..... it was so wonderful to find. :)

Campinas+Pocatello= Campatello! (taken right before he left the MTC)

11/11/2013..Drinking syrup and trying to move cars!!

I am in the Pocatello 2 area which makes up the Gibson Jack, Indian Hills, Cedar Hills, Mink Creek, Arbun, Johny Creek, and Juniper Hills wards. It truly is up in the hills and on the west side of the tracks where there are SO many trees! ;) The cabin has been going so well! We have gotten to spend a LOT of time up there and have loved it! It's been hard but definitely worth it! The Sister (the only non-member in her family) has really LOVED seeing it go up! She has been getting so excited and the fact that Elder Abbott and I have been able to be a part of that has just brought us so much joy. :) Anyways, she is doing really well! We taught her and her family a lesson this past week and we got to talk about Elder Dube's talk "Look ahead and Believe" It was so good, so spiritual and we even talked about temples for a while which was incredible! 

SNOW DAY in POKIE