You can see Ireland if you look really hard!
 

 Dear Family,

Good morning from Stranraer.  We got our phone call last night.  I have been reassigned to whitewash a completely new area as Senior companion.  The area is called Oban, a beautiful bay side town in the West Highlands. This is going to be a very challenging responsibility, but I anticipate the next few months with excitement.  I know only that "there are a few members there", so I’m fairly blind as of this moment.  If the Lord trusts me enough to open Oban, then I don't need to worry about my ability to accomplish what is being asked.  Nephi 3:7   Opening Stranraer gave me the experience I need to feel more confident.  Perhaps I will whitewash my whole mission. I’ll miss Stranraer and the people here greatly, but I’ve made some great connections and I’ll be back to see them before too long. 

Angela and I.

I went on exchange in Ayr on Tuesday with the new Elder Crittenden from Coleville, Utah. We taught six lessons in 6 hours.  Not bad eh?  Already 5 months have gone by since I've left home, that feels a little weird to say. 

 

Good to hear my friends back home still remember me, tell them all I said How ere yae?

Thanks for everything, have a great day.  I love you, thanks for writing today, I miss you all.

Elder Merrill

Stone Circle in Machars
 

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
 

New Companion

Drummore

Hey Family,

Elder Park and I are getting along great.  He's a funny, tall guy from West Jordan.  Likes basketball, and he has lost almost 50 pounds since he has been on his mission.  He's great to work with and teach with, so that is all good. Your prayers are felt, so thank you very much, you are in my prayers.  He has been on his mission for 15 months, has served in Inverness, Edinburgh, Livingston and Morningside (both by Edinburgh).  So he has now seen a lot of Scotland.  Cool news!  This next moves, there opening up several new areas, president told me they’re opening the Orkney islands, the outer Hebrides, and even the Shetland islands, way way up by the Netherlands.  Maybe I’ll go there... that would be great. 

I hear things here and there about tennis and golf, but not enough to really know what’s going on, so thanks for the update.  It really is an unreal place to live in, so beautiful and occasionally mind blowing scenery.   I love it.  Evan is just full of talents; it doesn’t surprise me that he's a good golfer. The kids got game.  Good to hear that Austin is now a zone leader!  It tells me he's hardworking and obedient.  Good for him. 

The work here in Stranraer is going very well! Just this last Sunday, Angela came to church for the third time, loved it, and expressed a desire to start paying tithing even though she isn’t a member yet.  She has given up alcohol, tea, coffee, and hasn’t smoked a cigarette since Friday!  How amazing is she?  It’s been amazing to see her through her journey to become a follower of Christ.  I was able to have the blessing of finding her, teaching her everything, and if I’m lucky baptizing her.  She is ready for baptism, but is living with her fiancé.  I’m hoping and praying things will work out so she can be baptized very soon, but as things appear now, it will be around November(because of legal issues, she cannot be married sooner, so either wait, or have her fiancé move out. I vote the latter option) long after I’ve left Stranraer.  She is so willing to sacrifice the world, give up her old ways, and is so prepared that I cannot even take credit for teaching her.  Maybe you guys can email her – it’s up to you.

I love Angela and the people of Stranraer with all my heart and I know I was sent here to find and teach Angela, and she knows it too.  I told her about the section of my patriarchal blessing, where it describes my mission, and how I will find the people I was sent to find.  I told her I believe she is one of those people.  It was a very spiritual lesson that was a blessing to be a part of. 

I miss our long drives, when we could talk and laugh and listen to outdated music.  Have a great week.  Thank you for everything.

Elder Merrill

Sydnee,

I love to look at the pictures of you in my wee book, I have to fight some of my missionary friends to keep them, but they’re great.  Your smile is so contagious.  Thanks for being such a good influence for good to me.  The good example of a righteous young woman is more powerful and effective than most everything else.  So thanks, your Brothers proud.

I love you.

Elder Merrill

Evan my favorite little man,

I love you, and hope everything is going fantastic in your life.  You’re a great example to your friends, remember that everyone is always looking up to you, I probably will too when I’m home. How tall are you?   I love you and miss you.  Keep up the good work.  Like a boss. I think about you a lot Evan; you’ll be a great missionary.  Be good to mum and dad.   

Love ya.

Elder Merrill

The Toblerones are huge here!

 

 

July 8, 2013

Dear Family,

Elder Park and I showed up to the Coronation Day Center, where we have church, early at about 10am.  When we got there, Bro Mcrobb welcomed us then told us we were both speaking in sacrament.  So we had a couple investigators, less actives, a gospel principles lesson to cover, and now between me and my comp we had to take up the entire speakers section of sacrament meeting.  I can honestly say I gave a good talk about the Restoration, Faith, and the Holy Ghost.  It was a great spiritual few minutes.  Elder Parks talk was excellent and well done for the little preparation time that we had.  A mission is an interesting thing.

 This branch and the people here have really become my home and I feel a part of a big family here, so it’s all great and I love it in Stranraer.

Got some interesting news.  We are moving out of our flat.  We are currently looking for a new place to live in Stranraer.  Our mission president and his wife deemed our flat uninhabitable due to dampness, beetle infestations and drunken and suicidal neighbors.   So just await the new address, not sure how long this move is going to take or how much longer I’m going to be in the current flat.  Most likely another few days in this place, and another week or more till we are in a new place. I’ll let y'all know.  

Have a great week I love all of you very much, I miss and think of you all the time.  ~The picture book of our family that you gave me in my birthday package is a huge blessing and I look at it and reflect on it daily.  Give the kids a hug for me.  I love you!

Elder Merrill

My Zone
 

Preach my Gospel

             "My preach my gospel.  Slayed.  I squeeze water out of this thing."

**This makes us so happy to see how much he is enjoying learning about sharing the Gospel.

Jun 30, 2013

Dear Family,

I’m doing very well, and as you know from my emails the work is keeping me very busy.

Moves week was very interesting.  Me and E Tinsley traveled up to  Ayr on the Tuesday and on Wednesday morning he left for Edinburgh.  Around 9:00am I took Elder Johnson to the bus station to begin his trip down to Glendalkin in Dublin.  After he left,  and we barely caught his bus, I was alone!  Don’t worry, the Zone leaders had previously informed me that this was to be the case.  From there I drove to the Ayr flat alone, and stayed there for awhile until Elder Park showed up.  We then drove home.  Elder Park can’t drive so I’m the DD.  Thanks for the package.  The contents were just what I wanted.  Several folk have brought up the Trewartha’s.  It was very nice of them to help us out with the package.  The chicken in a biscuit didn’t last long.  I’ve gained one stone. Whatever!

My diet and exercise here stinks.  It’s just very difficult to be good.  Needless I don’t feel too healthy, at least not like I was before.  It’s the huge lack of exercise and also we have a car.  To every blessing, a curse.  I love you all.  Have a great week.  Thanks for being a great family.  I miss you guys and I’ll speak with you soon enough!

Elder Merrill

Mom,

Try cooking a Samoan:
Top ramen noodles
2 eggs
White bread
Delicious!  We eat these a lot.  I make a Killer Samoan!

July 1, 2013

The Chapel in Stranraer
 

  Dear Family,

Finally, P-Day. The hottest it’s been while I’ve been in Stranraer is around 71 F and I was burning up.  In Cork, Ireland last week it was around 85, which is bliming hot for these islands. This last week has had a lot of rain, but from what I’ve heard this next week should be fairly dry and warm.  I think because I’ve adapted to the climate here, Utah weather would probably kill me.   Everyone here talks about Utah as a vacation area and those who have been loved it.  My appreciation for where we live has definitely grown since I’ve left.   I’ve been out just over 3 months, seems like a long time but it’s gone by fast.  Some days are longer than others. My new comp is Elder Park; he's a nice 6 foot 4 guy from West Jordan, UT.  Fairly mellow kid and we get along great. All he’s been able to talk about since he got here is how small and old the flat is, it really is crap ha-ha but I don’t mind it, we aren’t ever in it anyways.  He came from Edinburgh, and he has served in Inverness, and all the way up in the Isle of Skye.  Lucky.

We had a very solid investigator at church yesterday, and after talking with some members for a while she expressed desire to be baptized in the sea.  Her name is Angela McCleary and we have been teaching her for around 4 weeks. She likes me a lot and calls me her dude.  She wants me to baptize her; we have a great relationship. She is more a friend than an investigator, and get this... her maiden name is Patton.  She’s great, she’s working on giving up smoking, and yesterday when church was over she said she hadn’t had coffee or smoked that whole day. She’s a relatively heavy smoker, so this is great. She is living with her fiancé, and they’re not due to get married until November, so that’s my only concern, but she is really solid and has been fellowshipped greatly by the branch here.  She received a very strong witness one day, while we were reading from the book of Mormon.  I remember the exact words I was reading when the spirit testified to her about it, I was reading in Moroni 10:3-5, a fairly widely known and used scripture.  I had read the words, “to know if these things are not true", and right then she told me the spirit filled her heart and she knew it was true.  I invited her to be baptized and she accepted. She will hopefully be baptized on the 14 of July.  She and I will hopefully stay in touch throughout my life. 

Hope this story can enlighten your day; I’ll send a picture of Angela and me.

Were also still teaching Martin, our Czech friend.  He's doing very well, and his life is really being blessed.  He missed church yesterday, but we've ordered him a Book of Mormon and all the lesson pamphlets in Czech, and hopefully that will help him progress much better.  

I hope all is well at home and I love you all very much. Enjoy the rest of your week and I look forward to hearing from you next Monday.

Elder Merrill

 

Martin, our Czech friend
 

Jun 24, 2013

Furthest South person in all of Scotland!

Mom,

My assignment for this moves is to Stranraer with an Elder Park, who’s been out 1 year 3 months.  6 more weeks here, it’s what I wanted, I love it here.  I love you and miss you.  What a blessing this job thing is huh?  Congratulations! This is a big deal; you’re just so good, I’m proud of you.  How cool is that, I’m smiling.   Every ones coming up to me saying, do you know the Trewartha’s? They were talking about you in Edinburgh, Aberdeen, Dundee, everywhere.  Great people. Thanks to them for being great.  I love you so much, how great it’s been to hear about the blessings God has given us.  I may attend BYU, thanks for paying that ticket, right? Ha-ha Keep it up mom, I love you.

Elder Merrill

 

 

The Rock of the mull of Galloway

 

Funny things from our Mothers Day phone call!

Mothers Day call!

He looked great and was so happy to see us.  A couple of funny things..

We asked him if he was singing in sacrament? (not something he loved before)  and he said, “of course, if I didn’t that would be 1/18^th of us not singing and that makes a difference!”

Who is your new hairstylist since your mom isn’t there?  he said,“It’s me!  Do you like it?  I cut it a little short and got a little bald spot but it is growing back and I think it looks pretty good!”

How is your bed?  He said, “That is a funny story.  We had to set everything up and my bed was so uncomfortable but I just chalked it off to bad beds on a mission.  (his bed at home is pretty awesome – we spoiled him) He said he told his companion his back was killing him but his companion would just say…they are the exact same!  Finally, Tanner jokingly fell down onto E. Tinsley bed during the day and said wow your bed is seriously so much better than mine!  Elder Tinsley tried Tanners and said, “Ouch that hurts.”  They took off the bedding and realized that Tanner had put the coil sides up and was sleeping with coils in his back!  So funny we couldn’t stop laughing.  Oh the things you learn on your own!

 

I wrote this poem in the MTC!

Dear Family,

I wrote this in the MTC.

By word and by sword
with God at their side
young men walk the Earth
where darkness presides.

By trial and error
they share what they know
with all eagles above
and all creatures below.

So as day by day
they raised up their heads
they looked round about
and the darkness had fled.

The dark was replaced
and though it gave fight
the men with black name tags
destroyed it with light.

By Elder Tanner Merrill


Every Elder in my District had me write it in their Journals.  Thought you'd all like it.  I hope everything is well with you all.  I love you.  You are in my thoughts and prayers, everyone of you.

Elder Merrill

Letter to his Sister!

Letter to his sister with good advise: 

Sydnee,

Life is good and the work is hard but I’m getting along.  It’s a blast serving a mission and I love it, such an interesting life.  It’s so good to hear your doing well and that you are making good decisions, nothing makes me happier than to see my sister still waxing strong in her faith.  The priesthood can be as much a blessing to you, just as it is to me or dad, seek out the righteous and lovely things in life and you’ll find it.  You get what you go for. Remember that.   I love you and miss you so much, rely on the spirit to guide you.  Listen, always listen.  Love you so much!

 

 

 

 

Jun 17, 2013

I got the Trewartha's mail, and I got your package, thanks for that it was amazing and I will live off of its contents for weeks.  Slim Jims were a great idea, good stuff. So thanks, Tell them I tried the donor kabob and it was awesome!

Thanks again
Elder Merrill

Dearest Family,

It’s been an interesting week in Stranraer, our investigators Ann and John have had issues keeping commitments and showing effort, so we have had to drop them.  It’s a bummer, as they were doing so well and have had great spiritual witnesses accompanying their lessons.  We had an investigator at church yesterday, which was fantastic.  It’s funny to say it but she was pretty much over fellowshipped.  That sounds impossible, but the second she walked in every member walked over with smiles and hugs and welcomed her, knew her name, and showed true love for her as a visitor and friend.  It was an amazing experience, not something you’d see in a larger branch, and it definitely brought a smile to my face.  My joy increases as we plant more and more seeds of light within our area, the progress is slow, but it’s happening.  We've increased our branch attendance with less actives and investigators, and although the increase is slow, it makes a difference in such a small place.  I love Stranraer and the people here, it has many problems, probably more than most, but it’s just an awesome place and everyone’s family.
I believe it hit 70 degrees this week, that was great.  It’s still raining a lot.  Scotland.
Today, after email, were driving up to Ayr, then to Glascow for our Pday, that should be fun.  Being banished, we don’t see many other missionaries on Pday when were local, so were making our last Pday a party.  It’s going to be great; we will probably play some form of game with the Elders and Sisters in Glascow.  It’s the biggest city in the UK, so it should be fun.
I love you all, and hope you’re doing well. 
Elder Merrill

Oh yes and one more thing,

We've recently started teaching a Czech man named Martin, when we taught him the Restoration; we have to use a translation app on his cell phone.  We speak back and forth through this device.  He's got a baptismal date set for a month or so from now.  At the end of our lessons, I pray into the phone, and then he reads it.  It’s very difficult trying to get him to understand things, as he doesn’t know what God is, or prayer, or the Bible.  So it’s like teaching a deaf person, who doesn’t know that he's deaf.  Pretty interesting, he is great.  Pretty golden, less than a month ago he was rich, had a wife and a good job.  Since then, he had lost everything, including money, his home, his wife (divorce), and his job.  He has nothing, and has been humbled to receive our message.   When we first met him, he exclaimed to us that he had been taking his resume around to every business in Stranraer.  He was very upset as no one had called him.  I asked him if we could have his phone number and if I could see his resume.  He gave one to me, and as I read my mind was pretty much blown.  The guy is a genius, speaks 6 languages and has attended lots of school.  I pondered how it was possible that he didn’t have a job, when I read the number off the top of the paper, and put it into our phone, I called the number so that he could have our phone number.  He looked at his phone waiting for it to ring.  Nothing happened.  I called again, no ring.  Puzzled, we checked several things that could be wrong with either of our phones.   Nothing was wrong.  After looking more carefully we discovered he had put the wrong number on his resume, of which thirty had been passed around the town.  First he expressed frustration, but it soon turned to hope and we saw his upset face turn into a smile and then a laugh.  He expressed great gratitude to us for helping him find his mistake; he then changed the number and redistributed the paper throughout the town. It was great lesson, and tells us of the importance of checking and double checking important information.  I am sure this could be related to the gospel.  May we pay close attention to the small and simple things in life that can make a huge difference.  To all of you an amazing week, I love you and miss you all.
Till next week,

 

Elder Merrill

Hello Family,

It’s so good to get messages from you all.  I miss you, and I can’t wait to see what the house looks like when I get back.  Who knows what mom has in store for it.  How is the weather?  It got up to 27 C here one day, that’s around 75 Fahrenheit.  Not too bad, when it’s sunny the whole place lights up and there are a good 4x as many people about.  That, and it’s a lot more beautiful when the suns out. 

We try our best to work with the members, but it’s difficult because of the very few numbers.  So we rely on working with less actives, referrals, and former investigators.  Since we are the first missionaries here in years, there are many less actives and former investigators.  We have several people we are working with specifically, but only one progressing at the moment.  Our biggest issue is getting our investigators to church; some are progressing wonderfully with all of their commitments except church.  Our best investigator, Gordon, lives 25 miles away and doesn’t have a car, so he will come by bus next week.  John, our favorite because of the funny things he says and does, like pouring coffee in the trash bin and offering us weird foods, is stuck in the mud because he can’t get himself to church, it’s a difficult issue to overcome.  We have just gotten so far with John that whenever he dodges appointments or misses church, we do what’s called “John Recon”, and drive around Stranraer looking for him, it sounds extreme but we usually find him, speak to him and everything’s good again.  He's just got social issues, mostly his family not being too keen on Mormons.  We’re working on it.

Moves (transfer) call in on the 23rd, and even though it’s at least a 60 % chance I’m staying in Stranraer, it’s still an interesting time, and the Lord is sometimes unpredictable in these things. We shall see.

Still love it here, the people are like jars of peaches stored in food storage for years, you may have to push and pull at the lid, and you may drop some, but the few you can get open are sweet.  Bad analogy, the people are tough, but nice and love to learn.  Something about this place, a lot of people can’t read, or can’t read well, and have a very, very hard time understanding the Book of Mormon or anything more complicated than see spot run.  But I love it, it’s still beautiful.

From Whithorn, the bottom tip of Scotland, more the Isle of Whithorn I can see the Isle of Mann.  I love motorbike races; the roads here are all really long and windy, perfect for anyone wanting a good race track for anything nimble.  Not exactly a Vauxhall Meriva, but it’ll do. 

I miss you all, you are great examples to me.  I love hearing from my family.

Elder Merrill

 

Update from Branch Presidents Wife

Dear Sister,

Just wanted to let you know that Elder Merrill is doing good, he is a darling boy, we love him like our own son, he is a pleasure to have in our home ,you did a good job of raising him, he gave a lovely Testimony today, he has that smile that would melt any ones heart.  He is darling.

Hope you and your husband are doing fine, keep in touch. 

                                            Fondest love  Nancy   xx

Small World

June 4, 2013
Brian Edwards (a friend in our old ward 10 years ago) was on a business trip and meeting with the missionaries in the Scotland and Ireland mission when someone said "There's an Elder from Pleasant Grove. You should meet him." He said, "Turns out it was Elder Merrill, formerly of Grove Creek 8th Ward." 
What a small world!  I was so happy to know someone actually got to see him!

Week 8

May 20, 2013

 

Dear Family,

Another interesting but good week has gone by here in the south of Scotland.  It was good to see you all over skype last week, the technology that allows us to do this is such a blessing.  I miss you all and I think about you every day.  As I’ve been so far from home, and witnessed such a new and different culture here in Stranraer, I’ve realized some incredible blessings that I have had in my life and very literally overlooked.  The blessing of being raised in a family strong in the faith, actively engaged in the kingdom of God here on earth is a blessing of comfort and I only now know how lucky I am.  It’s a blessing to know that back home, my parents are trying their best to stay on the straight and narrow path, magnifying their callings and doing 'well their part'.  So few in this part of the world experience the blessing of having a faithful and righteous family, let alone, a family back home who prays for them each day.  Over the past week I’ve met many individuals and I’ve seen many people who have broken, unsupportive families who bring them down.  In seeing this, it’s hard to imagine that their family is fulfilling the purpose God has intended for them, which is order, structure and love.  I can’t thank you enough for raising me the way you did, and I guess what really counted was the time you all spent with me.  I love you all. 

It saddens me to know how much of a better brother I could have been, all the time I could have spent with Evan and Sydnee and didn’t is something I think about quite a bit.  So, I’m sorry to both of you.  I love you both and we can have some real good times together when I get back.  I guess I got caught up in things that weren’t really important, and it was definitely a mistake I’m aware of now.  I look up to you both in different ways and I’ll see you in no time.  Keep being great people and love each other.

We have two really solid investigators and 4 others who are very good and will have baptismal dates soon.  John and Alister both have baptismal dates in June and are very enthusiastic.  They both smoke so that is a pretty major obstacle, but were working towards it and their beginning the very difficult journey of quitting.  We are doing all we can to keep their spirits up, but only God can give them the strength they need, and only they can ask for the strength to overcome this obstacle.  And only by asking in faith will they receive that strength. 

In a similar way, we need to ask for the things we desire/need in life, through prayer.  Sometimes, God has great blessings wishes to pour upon us, but he waits, he waits for us to ask in great prayer for the good and righteous things we desire.  If we do this, he will bless us.  He wants to bless us.  He promises us if we do what he asks that we will receive blessings that we have not room enough to receive.  I love you all and hope you’re doing well. 

How’s church?  What’s new? Fill me in; let me know what’s going on with my country. Thanks again, for being a great family.  And send pictures.

Elder Merrill