Visits From Apostles and The Bird That Ruined My Day

June 26, 2019

Hey Everyone!

I hope you have all had a great week!
Mine started started off a bit rough...a bird pooped on me, I cried in class, and my teacher roasted us... But it ended so great!

This weekend, all of the new mission presidents came to the MTC for training. It was so fun having them here. During class, we could sometimes see apostles walking around! Apostles are ordained leaders of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints.  We would just lookout the window & Elder Uchtdorf would be taking a stroll around the courtyard... So cool! I saw so many familiar faces including my Aunt Deb and Uncle Allen! It was so fun to see them:)

An additional reason why I loved having the mission presidents here was because we were fed the BEST food. I had never been so excited to see Chick fil a and Taco Bell. Loved the royal treatment. 

Sunday was my favorite day at the MTC so far. During church, they asked two missionaries to speak right after we took the sacrament. So we all had to be prepared with a talk. Luckily, I had prepared one the night before about Agency so I was ready... And guess who was picked! ME haha. I gave my five minute talk all in Russian! I accidentally read the wrong verse during it which was embarrassing. Instead of reading the scripture about how great agency is, I accidentally read the verse before it which is about our parents transgressions but it's okay no one noticed. It was a great experience and a confidence boost. It’s pretty amazing how much we have learned these past couple weeks. 

The devotional that night was pretty incredible. All 12 of the apostles attended! I was in the choir and we got to sing “Sweet Hour of Prayer” which was really special. Elder Holland spoke and it was a really powerful message. It was on the importance of understanding the atonement. It changed my whole perspective on the Atonement of Jesus Christ. 

Tuesday was really fantastic...My comp and I had a lesson that we had literally NO time to prepare for. But we prepared as much as we could. It was on Christ's Earthly Ministry, the Apostasy, and Restoration. During the lesson the spirit was SO strong! I was just so happy as I was bearing my testimony on the Atonement of Jesus Christ and the importance of the Prophet Joseph Smith. I also learned how powerful Jospeh Smith’s "First Vision" is. I had memorized it before and as I was telling it to Егор (our friend we teach) I don't even know how to describe it it was the best feeling. Anyways.. afterwards, my teacher told us that it was the best Restoration lesson that he has ever hear from his teaching. Woohoo!

I love you all! Write me!

Love,

Сестра мэрэл

Uncle Allen, Aunt Deborah, Rachel and I

Love her!

Three Weeks In

June 19, 2019

здравствуйте!

Thank you all for your love and support! The MTC life has been treating me really well! I feel like I am finally getting in the groove of things and time is flying by. I am now 1/3 of the way done with the MTC. In 6 weeks I will be headed to Ukraine!

The language is still very difficult but it is starting to come faster. Words are becoming easier to memorize and in our practice lessons, my notes are all in English! I just translate the English to Russian in my head as I read it. It is such a neat experience learning Russian and I can feel the Lord's help in everything I do. According to my companion, I am even sleep talking in Russian...Oops!

I found a scripture that I absolutely love! 

2 Nephi 22:2  "Behold, God is my salvation; I will trust, and not be afraid; for the Lord Jehovah is my strength and my song; he also has become my salvation." 

I love this scripture because I know that God loves us and if we put our trust in the Lord, we will be able to accomplish some pretty incredible things! I love the "I will trust, and be not afraid" part because it is such a great reminder that we should not be afraid becuase we are in Lord's hands. I think about this scripture whenever I prepare a lesson because I get so stressed... But I shouldn't because I know that through the Spirit, the Lord will guide me. 

Love you all! Write me!

Cecpta Merrill

My Zone!

Ran into some familiar faces on our temple walk...Crazy, right? ;-)

Some darling sweets from some AWESOME friends

My Cousin, Sister Hall

Part of my district

Cectpa Merrill's Back, Back Again

June 12, 2019

She didn't write a letter this week.  But she did send this quick update to her family:

Hello family!

Thank you all for the life updates and love. This past week definitely had it's ups and downs... But I really am so happy to be here at the MTC. 

The language has been reeallllyyy overwhelming... We had a lesson with our teacher and it was really rough.  But it's okay, one of my teachers says that you have to make 10,000 mistakes to be fluent in Russian. So I might as well make them here at the MTC and not in the field:-)

The food is still kinda nasty but I have found a new love for the rice crispy treats with peanut butter on top. My knees are extremely bruised from playing volleyball but I destroy everyone so it's worth it;-) 

We had a really neat devotional yesterday with a wonderful member of the seventy. He emphasized how through Christ weak things can become strong. I am definitely feeling weak and inadequate here but know through faith and hard work, we can become strengthened. He also told us that President Nelson told him to tell us to thank our parents for getting us to the point that we are at... So thank you Mom and Dad. I wouldn't be here without you!

Have a great time in Utah! When you look at the MTC, picture me studying my heart out;-) 

Love you!

Cectpa Merrill.

Her First Letter!

June 5, 2019

Hello Everyone!

My Companion, Sister Melendez and I

My first week at the Provo MTC (missionary training center) was a success! Only 76 weeks more to go;-) I absolutely love being here! It is so incredible living among over 1,300 other missionaries who are headed out to preach the gospel all over the world.
My companion is Cectpa (sister) Melendez. She is 26, from Minnesota, and is so sweet! We work really well together. The rest of my district members are great and we learn so much from each other.

Learning Russian has been so difficult but it is such a beautiful language!  Russian words run through my head alllll day. I have Russian class for 6 hours a day, 1 hour of exercise, and the rest of the day for meals and studying.
The MTC food is pretty rough. Peanut butter and bananas have become my new breakfast, lunch, and dinner;-)

The only time that I ever felt sad this week was when I discovered that I was replaced by a PUPPY. I was reading my Dad's email informing me of our new family member as I walked to our devotional about Elder Bednar's "Character of Christ" address and I started crying (HAHA so embarrassing). I felt so homesick. But then the coolest thing happened! The film was all about forgetting ourselves and becoming a true character of Christ. He said, "Quite worshiping yourself and start worshiping God". The film was exactly what I needed. Instead of pulling the "woah is meee" card, we must turn outwards and serve. Anyways, I can’t wait to meet Finley in about a year an a halfway:)

I love this gospel and the Book of Mormon. I know that it is true and I am so grateful for the opportunity to share the good news with all of our Ukrainian & Moldovan friends!
Thank you for the love and support! Feel free to write me anytime :)

Love,
Sister Merrill

We are exciteed!

Some Good Pals

My Cousin Rachel and I

My Replacement

Reporting To The MTC...Tears Were Shed

May 29, 2019


Jason and I were able to drive Maddie to the Provo Missionary Training Center where she will be taught the Russian language and will learn how to be an effective missionary for the next 9 weeks.  The morning she was to enter the MTC, she was stoic!  Eager and excited!  We were less impressive...tears fell.  It was hard to say goodbye, but it helped to know she was so ready and excited to be there.  We later learned she bumped into her cousin, Rachel, right after leaving us.  She is blessed to have so many familiar faces on the inside.

See you in 18 months!

...and just like that she danced into her new and exciting adventure!  She is going to be amazing!

We went directly to a breeder and picked up a puppy...because saying goodbye to her for 18 months was one of the hardest and most bittersweet things we have ever done!  Maddie is courageous, compassionate, funny, faithful, adventurous, a tad mischievous, loyal and hard working.  Irreplaceable!  We know we will feel her absence in our home (and are probably hoping to mask that with our new furry friend).  We will miss her and will look forward to her weekly emails and calls while she serves in the Ukraine!

Signing Off

May 28, 2019

Hello, Everyone!

I was set apart as a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints tonight!  It's been an amazing weekend filled with reunions and sweet farewells.    I will be reporting to the Provo MTC Wednesay morning and I'm excited to begin this adventure.  I'll be keeping in touch through this email distribution hopefully once a week.   I'd love to hear from you over the next 18 months.  Thank you for your love and support.  I feel blessed to have you all as friends and family,

до свидания!

Sister Merrill

Farewell Friends!

May 26, 2019

Madeline gave her farewell talk on May 26th, her last weekend home.  Once again, she was showered with love and support from friends, college roommates and family from far and near.  It was a fun weekend!  She gave a beautiful talk and bore her testimony of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and our Savior's atonement.  It was a happy farewell, complete with one last crepe-feast with friends and family later that evening.

So Blessed!

Maddie has been blessed to have incredibly supportive friends and family .  Many of them were there to guess where she is going and support her as she opened this new chapter in her life.

 

The Mission Call

After a week and a half of waiting and interpreting every Native American, "it must be-New Mexico', girl with french braids, "please don't be Reno" sign, the mission call arrived.  We're all still amazed she pulled it off without peeking!