**His Work**His Way**By His Power**

Hey Y'all!!

This week has been miraculous. That's the only way that I can put it. It started out with an amazingly inspired zone conference in Kingsport. Our President has given our mission a new theme: 
**His Work**His Way**By His Power**
I absolutely love it. In only a few words is shows where our focus should be:
-We aren't serving our missions for ourselves, but for God

-We can only accomplish the work we are doing by having the spirit with us

-The changes that happen in these peoples' lives only come through Heavenly Father's love

Zone Conference left us with feelings of determination. I wish I had time to write more!

We saw Travis and Katie early on in the week. We talked about the Book of Mormon and how it helps us understand and apply Christ's atonement personally to us. We ended the lesson with a commitment invitation to come to church. Travis said, "I don't make promises I don't keep... and I promise that we'll be there." We were so anxious to see if they would show up on Sunday.

We received a referral from a member that lives in the Kingsport ward. We were a little bit nervous about contacting it because Bobby lives in some ghetto apartments, but when we knocked on the door there we found a humble and God-loving man. We taught the restoration and invited him to join us for church on Sunday.

I don't know if I've talked about Andrew yet, he is awesome. He was referred by Graham, our assistant ward mission leader. Graham is from England and joined the church when we came here and met his wife. He was baptized but went inactive and struggled with drinking and smoking. Through the ARP program he was able to free himself from his addictions through the power of Jesus Christ. Now he's a missionary and sharing the gospel with his co-workers, like Andrew. Andrew has committed to be baptized on September 13th. We are so excited!

On Sunday we had a great meeting with the ward council as we came prepared with our new-found skills from zone conference. The needs of our investigators were addressed with willingness and we felt the spirit as we discussed the rescue list. We left the meeting with feelings of inspiration. Travis, Katie, and Bobby all came to church! We were so enthused and we were even more excited as ward members were reaching out to them and helping them feel loved. 

We had so many successes this week but there were many feelings of discouragement as well. When we called Don to make an appointment with him during our weekly planning sessions he told us that he wanted to take a semi-permanent break from our weekly meetings. I felt like my heart was breaking, but I knew that it was what needed to happen. Don was running circles as we tried to teach him the things we know are true. He needs to learn them on his own through experience. We won't lose contact with him though! Don is not out of our lives forever!

The big race at the Bristol Speed way is this week! Hopefully we survive driving through all of the traffic! Haha! I hope all of y'all have an amazing week! I love you all so much!

Love,

Sister Andrea Kate Merrell

PS Sometimes when we have to wait 15 minutes for the Ronquillos to come home we drive down the street and have hipster photoshoots. Enjoy!

The Burden of Those Called to Bear the Messianic Message

Heyyyy Y'all!!!

Coming at ya live from ABINGDON, VIRGINIA! Yep we came up here to spend P-day with my precious trainer Sister Weight and her companion Sister Cox! It's been great so far. We're going to have a good day. We passed a creepy cool cemetery on the way here so I'm going to make sure we check that out. I'm weird. I know.

So I wanted to start out this email with a quote from Elder Jeffrey R. Holland's most recent conference talk because it really has been coming to my mind so often that it has become my theme for my outlook of the work in Bristol:

"Here we have the burden of those called to bear the messianic message. In addition to teaching, encouraging, and cheering people on (that is the pleasant part of discipleship), from time to time these same messengers are called upon to worry, to warn, and sometimes just to weep (that is the painful part of discipleship)."

This week we have had many of the pleasant parts of discipleship. We taught Rocky our investigator from Guatemala. He barely speaks English so we have taken on the challenge of using our rusty Spanish skills to teach him in his native language. We read from El Libro de Mormon in 3 Nefi. He read out loud in Spanish while we followed along in English. We understood a lot of what he was saying so it wasn't too hard. As Rocky said the closing prayer I picked out the words "saber estas cosas es verdad" or something like that...(to know these things are true). I loved it.

We were able to come back in contact with our investigators Travis and Katie. We talked about having real intent. Travis admitted that he was struggling to find real intent because he was comfortable with the nondenominational church they currently attend. Travis told us that he enjoys when we come over because there is always so much soul searching and he can feel it. Gosh, isn't the spirit so great?

At dinner last night we were able to talk with Brother Ronquillo about how he grew up in the church. We asked him if he still believed the Book of Mormon to be the word of God. He told us that he is still Mormon and always will be. He still has a testimony. This was an answer to prayers because we had been struggling to understand where he was at. He told us he can feel the spirit when we come around. I was so humbled to hear that. I am grateful that he could feel God's love through us. We now feel more comfortable to share the doctrine of Christ from the Book of Mormon when we join them for dinner every Sunday evening.

The painful parts of discipleship also were also experienced this week. We went to visit Don and we showed him this Mormon message that we felt really related to his experiences of struggling to know God:
http://www.mormonchannel.org/video/mormon-messages?v=3701964025001
As we watched the message, we saw tears come to his eyes. We saw him feel the spirit. It was such a tender moment. Afterwards when we began to discuss his thoughts, Don told us that he knew a divine power existed but he didn't think it was a loving Heavenly Father. I began to cry; which was weird. I never cry in lessons. I don't cry in front of people, that is so weird. But there I was crying because I consider Don to be part of my family. I didn't want him to feel alone and like God wasn't designing a path specifically for him. It is so hard for me to understand how someone so Christ-like can feel like he doesn't know God or Jesus Christ. Regardless, we will continue to help Don feel the spirit and hopefully he will continue to make progress. He's still reading the Book of Mormon every day!

I love being a missionary. I love it here, even though it's the hardest thing I have ever done. The pleasant parts are wonderful and spiritually uplifting, and the painful parts help me understand the suffering that Christ felt for each of us. I want to stay in Bristol forever. Saturday we were going a lil' bit crazy because we spent the day trying to track down some of our 125 less-active members on our ward roster. We took a break and walked through a cemetery and evidently saw the grave of the inventor of Dr. Pepper (I'm not sure if it's the for real guy but a lady that we met at the cemetery told us that so we'll take her word for it).

Have an amazing week!


Love,

Sister Andrea Kate Merrell

Out With The Old, In With The New

HEYYYYYYYYOOOOOOOO

Sister Neil is home with her family! Weird stuff. "Killing her" was such a blessing because I got to see who she was at the end of her mission. I didn't know her before but I know that she is a great young lady! I love her guts!

I got my new companion! Her name is Sister Burr and she is from Cedar Hills. She is 20 years old. I love her so much we are going to have the best transfer ever! We're already hooked on Russian accents and it's only day 5! We do the insanity work out dvds every morning so we're going to have beach bodies by the end of this transfer. #bristolbabes Also she's super humble and just a really good person so it's great to get to hang out with her all day every day.

We had a great week! I got to see Don twice because Sister Neil went to say bye to them before she left and Sister Burr and I went to go see him. I LOVE THAT MAN. We had a good lesson on desire-believe-know and how those are the steps we have to take to know that Jesus is our Savior and that God loves, knows, and cares about us. It was good. He also gave us Burrungas which are his own creation. Burrito+Chimichanga=Burrunga ME GUSTA THAT AMIGOS.

Guess what home dawgs? My mother, SISTER WEIGHT, is in my district now!! Isn't that awesome! We get to see each other like 3 times a week! WE ARE THRILLED. SO MUCH LOVE UP HERE IN BRISTOL, TENNESSEE/VIRGINIA!

Our assistant ward mission leader referred us to his friend Andrew. He came to church yesterday and we are having a lesson with him on Wednesday. Member missionary work is the BEST. He already has a support system and a friend that he can ask questions to. We are so pleased.

Well I LOVE Y'ALL! Have the best week ever! Keep on keeping on!

Love,

Sister Andrea Kate Merrell

PS last night at the Ronquillos house for dinner I was holding their rabbit and it literally POOPED ON MY FINGER AND ON MY SKIRT. It was disgusting. I disapprove of that rabbit and I always will.

Double Whammy Baptism and Schwaby's Birthday Bash

Hey y'all!!

This week was really good! Sister Schwab, my beloved friend who used to be in my district when I was in Oak Ridge came with me on exchange on her birthday! We had a great time celebrating her 21 years of life. We set an alarm for midnight so we could wake up and I sprayed silly string all over her and gave her a cupcake. We had an eventful day of missionary work too (don't you worry). We went and addressed some of Theron's concerned (earlier this week he had told us that he wasn't getting baptized on the 26th which was disappointing but we're still hopeful). We think we helped him overcome the things he was worried about but we aren't too sure. It was a good lesson though! We saw Don and we had a great lesson with him too. I was excited that she got to come to the salvation army to serve dinner. She loved it. It was a really good day.

Saturday came pretty quickly and Sister Stanton and Rick were baptized. Sister Stanton went first, she nearly drowned because her husband had no idea what he was doing. He put his hand on the back of her neck and his other hand to the square. It was so nerve racking and she was freaking out. Her face said it all. But she went under and she came back up and she was still alive AND she was cleansed of her sins. Double whammy. It all worked out. Rick's went more smoothly. The ward loves both of them so much and there was a great turn out! It was awesome.

Transfers are on Wednesday so I will be getting a new companion. Sister Neil is leaving! She is getting ready to go HOME and it's so weird. I was watching her pack earlier and it was the strangest thing of my life. I am kind of nervous to be the seasoned veteran of Bristol. I will probably get lost a million times but oh well. This retired cop who lives in our neighborhood gave me my own can of pepper spray so if I get in any sketchy situations I will be well prepared. It advises on the can, "ESCAPE IMMEDIATELY AND CALL POLICE. DO NOT TRY AND CAPTURE THE ATTACKER." So yeah I'll probably pray about that.

Anyways I love you all and I hope you're all having a great summer break. It's almost over! I'm glad because then when we drive by the lake in Piney Flats I won't have to close my eyes and pretend I don't see anyone boating hahahaha.

Byeeeeeeeeeeeeee.

Sister Andrea Kate Merrell

Baby Kate, The Last Samurai, and Maple Manor

HOLA AMIGOS. It's me!

This week we've just been working with our future recent converts! Rick came to dinner at an awesome member family's, the Tedricks, house. He really enjoyed it. Also the Tedricks named their new dog after me! Isn't she cute!? Her name is Kate! 

 

 

 

 

Rick has really felt like everything is getting in the way of him getting baptized. He has been fighting off temptations like a boss though! He hasn't had a cigarette in 2 weeks! WOW! That's a pun get it?? Like WOW and W.O.W.. (Word of Wisdom). It's funny because it's fun.

Sister Stanton is a sweetheart and has been ready for forever. She's amazing. Theron has overcome lots of obstacles that he has faced. He said he had prayed about the Book of Mormon, Joseph Smith, etc. and he just felt good about everything. He doesn't felt like he's had an overwhelming feeling but he does know he's going in the right direction and that's enough. He'll receive the overwhelming confirmation at his baptism.

We saw Don and he told us that he got emotional at the baptism for the little boy in our ward that he came to last week. What???? We told him that was the spirit testifying of truth. He told us he just got emotional because he does when he watches the movie the Last Samurai... Dangit he just needs to trust that God is trying to guide him with the spirit!

Hi. It's me and I live at maple manor (look at this place).

 

 It used to be this huge house/mansion that they made into an apartment complex. It's super old. SUPER OLD. And it's a lil bit nasty but that's okay because your apartment should be the hubs of hell on your mission anyways so you shouldn't spend much time there am I right or am I right???

I love your faces people! And your emails! And your letters! Thanks for being the best fan club ever! Keep CTRing and stuff! LOVE Y'ALL!!!!

Sister Andrea Kate Merrell

Investig8rs R Kewl

Hi it's me!

This week has been good... WE HAVE 3 SET FOR BAPTISM ON THE 26TH! WE ARE SO EXCITED!!! SHABOOYA SHABOOYA SHABOOYA!!

It seemed like every time that we met with Sister Stanton the reoccurring theme that she pulled from her reading assignments was humility. That was totally the spirit talking to her because we honestly would just give her the standard missionary reading assignments that we give to all of our investigators. When we went to meet with her this week she told us that the spirit has told her that this is the way that she needs to go. IT WAS SO AWESOME! She felt she got her answer when she was at church, she came to relief society for the first time and the lesson had a tangent about not caring what others think and focusing on caring what God thinks. She took this as her answer that she needs to not care about what the people at her church would think if she became Mormon. She's getting baptized on the 26th with Rick and Theron. That's a testimony builder for receiving revelation at church that's for sure!

Theron really respects Ryan, the member that we've been bringing over when we meet with him. Ryan recently returned from his mission and is great at explaining things exactly tailored to Theron's needs. Theron had a lot of freaky random questions at our lesson yesterday (he probably bumped into some anti literature) I honestly was just shocked and couldn't speak. Ryan went right to work addressing all of the concerns and did a great job. It was awesome. Theron said he's still working towards his baptism on the 26th so that's still happening! Phew what a relief!

Rick when out of town to go to the beach for the week so he was MIA. He got back on Saturday, we know because we drove passed his house and his car was there. We went to say hi and then we invited him to church. He told us he was tired from his trip but we were very persuasive. Guess what? He came! Yayyayaya! He is progressing beautifully towards his baptism date on the 26th!

I have a dictionary in the apartment because I love looking the definition of simple words that we use in Mormon culture. I was flipping through it and reading random definitions to Sister Neil before bed the other night and I flipped to the page that had the word "Savior". The 2nd definition said Jesus Christ. Hmmm this sounded perfect for Don who needs a logical explanation for everything. The dictionary even knows that Christ is our Savior. We showed him at our lesson that we had with him on Saturday. It was cool. It really made him think. He came to a baptism for a little boy in the ward that happened after church yesterday. He even brought brownies. After the baptism we told him that he's next... he said.. okay... It was a somewhat agreeable okay! He's going to be baptized and be a bishop someday, we just know it!

We met the new mission president on Friday, President Griffin! I LOVE HIM SO MUCH! My interview with him so amazing. You can really tell that he has the spirit with him and he is 100% in tune. I never thought I wouldn't love him as much as I love President Irion but hey, they are both really cool! President Griffin brought his 3 daughters with him. The youngest one is 8. They are all really cute and funny. The Griffins are the bomb.com/awesome.

I am completely out of time! I love y'all! Thanks for the love! Also today is my 5/6th birthday. In 2 month's I'll turn 21... again! Yeah I'm forever 21 like the store. So there's that!

Love,

Sister Andrea Kate Merrell

 

AND THE HOME OF THE BRAVE

Hey y'all!

Good news. I survived the 4th of July in Tennessee. If ya didn't know, hillbillies LOVE to make firework bombs and explode them in the hills. We heard them all night this week, especially when we were driving home on the 4th.

So have you been wondering how my missionary 4th of July went? Let me tell ya! We had a ward activity in the morning complete with a presentation on the history of America by Brother Stanton (Sister Stanton helped with most of that but shhh that's a secret). We played corn hole and ate hot dogs outside of the church. Our investigator, Don brought burritos for everyone and they were a hit! We then had district meeting. Then in the evening we went a member's house (the Youngblood family) and ate more hot dogs and did fireworks with another member family (the Filettis). It was so much fun! The Youngbloods live up in the hills so we kept hearing their neighbors explode things. There's also a brothel down the street... they told us it's called "Aunt Ruthie's"... I was laughing so hard but then someone corrected them and said it's called "Suga Mama". Hahahahhaaha sorry that's just some random info for ya!

This week has been blooming with success. Theron (Sister Stanton's grandson) came to the 4th of July activity. Everyone in the ward loves him. He also really enjoyed church on Sunday. After church we went over to teach him the Plan of Salvation. We brought Ryan a member who really hit it off with him at church; they're the same age and they went to high school together. Ryan helped so much with the teaching of the lesson. We were able to commit Theron to baptism on the 26th! The same day as Rick! Awesome huh!??

Met with Don on Saturday. I don't know if I've ever talked about him but he has no religious background. He struggles to comprehend that Jesus Christ could be our Savior. He doesn't recognize the spirit even when we point it out. BUT on Saturday we tried teaching him with a different approach. He always tells us how great he thinks the church is, how friendly the people are, how great the missionary program is, etc. We told him these are the fruits that he is recognizing from God and Jesus Christ's true church. If it's a good thing then why not join, right? We left him that to think about. He came to church yesterday and really enjoyed it. He hadn't been in the time that I've been in Bristol so we were really excited. We did some bird-dogging beforehand and made sure the members were extra friendly and inviting. It was splendid. We're starting to see some progress in him that hadn't been there for a while.

We get to meet our new mission president on Friday so I'll let y'all know how that goes. We're pumped!

Keep being awesome! I love y'all!!

Sister Andrea Kate Merrell