Beautiful Day in Galloway Scotland!

July 22, 2013

Good morning Utah.  It’s a great day in Galloway, the sun is shining and it’s P-day. 

 

Lighthouse in Galloway (Southern Tip of Scotland)

 

Moves call is the 3rd of August and I’ll probably get moved from Stranraer.  I’m ready to move, I feel that I’ve done my part here.  I will miss everyone obviously but if I stay any longer I will feel like I’ve outstayed my prime, if that makes sense.  

 

Golfing in Scotland on Pday!

 

(Kurt works with a  man that had a nightmare about Tanner getting in a bad fight.  He couldn’t sleep that night…. He isn’t a member but Kurt reassured him he is okay!  This reply came from Tanner a couple of days later.)

Carlos's dream made me laugh.  But that's kind of weird, I’ll stay alert.  This Sunday could have been bad, we have an excommunicated member who lives here and torments our less actives and investigators, former IRA.  He was threatening members and Angela that he was going to show up at church this last Sunday and call everyone out and yell and rant.  So when I was told this, I thought something could break out, I just told the members not to worry because as long as I was there he wasn't getting past the front door.  But, he never showed.   I haven't been in any quarrels or fights.  I love Carlos, tell him I’m okay, and to take care.  It’s been a good and interesting week.  Angela came to church, and loved it again. She’s basically a member now, which is really good to see.  Hopefully the branch will always remember me for bringing someone into the church, that's all I can ask.  She has been approached by an angry excommunicated member 3 times last week, bashing her, me and the church.  He is starting his own church and is trying to get people to come to it, so because I’m bringing people back to the LDS faith, I’m a problem for him.  He's threatened my people and my church and even me indirectly but he’s not a real concern to me.  Just a dog with a big bark.  Even though this guy told Angela 3 times bad things about the church (for instance that we don't like her, we want her money, baptism is a 3 minute immersion, and then a whole other bunch of cursing and carrying on) she knows none of its true and that the church is true.  He tried to tell her I was bashing her behind her back, she said to him that she knew me and I would never do that, and told him to leave.  He departed with weeping and wailing and gnashing of teeth.  Ha-ha he’s Satan. 

I’m so jealous of you and Evans adventures, that sounds like a blast.  The biking experience sounds killer.  Reminds me of several times when I’ve run into situations that were too difficult for my capabilities, but no way out.  Those are the times where you learn your limits, I’m glad you’re still alive. Hooyah.

Dad, your lesson in high priest group sounds fantastic, I gave a lesson this last Sunday in priesthood, called: With God, all things are possible.  It sounds a lot like your lesson, it went very well, we had a strong spirit there and afterwards the branch president came up to me and told me I was a great teacher.  Thanks President Mckechnie.  So that was good, after that I taught Angela about the Gospel of Christ and the repentance process.  That was also great and spiritual.  Altogether it was a great day.  After church, we drove to new Luce to visit a less active, and then on to Glenluce then Castle Kennedy, all wee villages off Stranraer.

Pray always. I love you all!

Adios.
Elder Merrill

Newton Stewart Church