Coming At Ya Live With The Flu

Hey everybody!

I can't really hear right now, my eyes are watering, my nose is running a 6 minute mile and I've basically coughed up my lungs, but that is quite alright because today is a great day to be alive even with the flu! The elders brought me some soft tissues so my nose doesn't feel scratchy when I blow it in toilet paper. #purebliss So, I'm just going to be straightforward and let y'all know that this email isn't going to be the greatest haha.

This week it SNOWED, and that's rare over in these parts; that being said, nobody knows how to drive in it so the city shuts down. It was pretty crazy. There was also a lot of freezing rain which isn't my cup of tea. It didn't snow down here until Wednesday, but it was snowing cats and dogs up in Knoxville. So when we went to hear Elder Christofferson really late because his travel had been delayed. While we waited we had a testimony meeting, I liked it because normally when you hear other missionaries testimonies it's when they're either arriving or going home. Anyways Elder Christofferson arrived and we had a brief meeting, it was a question and answer session. There were a lot of interesting questions asked and I loved the way that he approached them. The one that really struck me the most was when a missionary asked how can we stay the person we are becoming when we are no longer a missionary. Elder Christofferson responded with Jeremiah 31:33:

"But this shall be the covenant that I will make with the house of Israel; After those days, saith the Lord, I will put my law in their inward parts, and write it in their hearts; and will be their God, and they shall be my people."

We must have the gospel written in our hearts. The gospel shouldn't be something that's associated with us, it should be who we are.

Sister McDermott and I are being transferred out of Chattanooga on Wednesday, they are closing our area. I'm grateful that I had the opportunity to serve here because I have been put in situations that have helped me grow. It has helped me recognize a lot of the blessings that I have had here in the mission and that I have at home. Of all of the missionaries in the world, Heavenly Father chose me to serve here. Chattanooga was a "furnace of affliction" and I'd like to think that as I leave here I have been a little bit refined (1 Nephi 20:10).

Love all y'all,

Sister Merrell

My Diana

Hi everybody!

So yeah, it's me. We didn't get to email yesterday because it was President's day or something like that. We celebrated with dollar hot dogs at sonic in the pouring rain. The real celebration is happening today because we get to go to Farragut after we finish emailing to listen to Elder Christofferson of the Quorum of the Twelve. Heck yeah! I'm stoked. #presidentsdayafterparty

The other day my dear friend Tish from Oak Ridge, texted us and told us that she had someone for us to go see. DIANA!! When I was in Oak Ridge I used to visit Diana twice a week in the assisted living center. She always made me laugh and she is just a really special person to me. The last time I saw her when I was leaving Oak Ridge we threw her a birthday party and she just wanted to keep holding my hand because she didn't want to see me go. It was hard to walk out the door that day because I thought I would never see her again. Anyways, Diana was moved to a hospital literally down the street from our apartment! I thought that this news was too good to be true so when we walked over there I tried not to get my hopes too high. We walked in the room and I saw her I just wanted to cry because I was so happy. Diana had to move over here because she had a tracheotomy, and the assisted living facility doesn't offer that sort of care. She still has the same spunk and I am super excited that Sister McDermott got to meet her! Heavenly Father loves me so much! It was really a pick me up and so much more. I feel like this is why I am still here in Chattanooga.

This week we also had Zone Conference. It was awesome to sharpen our teaching skills and to learn. I loved every second of it.

I was reading in Ether 2 this last week. I love this chapter so much. It is a great model of how we should approach prayer and how answers come.

 "22 And he cried again unto the Lord saying: O Lord, behold I have done even as thou hast commanded me; and I have prepared the vessels for my people, and behold there is no light in them. Behold, O Lord, wilt thou suffer that we shall cross this great water in darkness?"

The Brother of Jared approached the Lord in prayer. He asked Him for help, and the Lord responded, "What can I do to help you?" This is how I feel about the answers to my prayers sometimes. In my prayers I am calling out for help in desperation: Help! Where's the life boat? What's the escape route? Help me out of this darkness! And the Lord responds to me, asking, "How do you need Me to help you?" 

 "23 And the Lord said unto the brother of Jared: What will ye that I should do that ye may have light in your vessels? For behold, ye cannot have windows, for they will be dashed in pieces; neither shall ye take fire with you, for ye shall not go by the light of fire."

Sometimes my ideas are dumb, sometimes they're not the right one like maybe I think of a "window" but that's not right because it will be "dashed in pieces" or maybe I think of a "fire" but that's not going to work. Sometimes the Lord tells me what I DON'T NEED but he won't tell me what I NEED. 

"25...Therefore what will ye that I should prepare for you that ye may have light when ye are swallowed up in the depths of the sea?"

He knows that I learn as I struggle for my answer. I have been prepared to face my trials as I have gained the testimony that I have today. Jesus Christ is my light when I am surrounded by darkness. My faith in Him can lead me through my trials. I'm glad the Lord trusts me enough to struggle.

Love y'all! 

Sister Andrea Merrell

Another Week in Da Hood

Hey.

This week... hasn't been my favorite week on my mission. But you have to have not-so-great weeks to appreciate the super great ones right!!?!? Okay cool.

We were going down to Eastlake to go visit Hermelinda, and we got off the bus at the wrong stop because my brain was telling me that it was the right one. When we got off the bus, Jasmine was in her car about to turn and she yells at us, "HEY!!". Okay so it wasn't my brain telling me to get off of the bus, it was the spirit. It was cool to see her. When we got to Hermelinda's house she wasn't there and some of her kids were. They told us that their brother had been in a really bad accident while playing with fire and gasoline he had been burned very badly. Everyone all over the neighborhood was talking about it and people were telling us that they had heard about it on the news. It's really sad, so keep them in your prayers okay!

Okay so I was reading in Jonah this week and I really liked Jonah 4:4 - "Then said the Lord, Doest thou well to be angry?" I was thinking about how this is a question that I should ask myself often. Does it do good to ever be angry? No! It's a waste of time and energy. But hey, maybe you're burning calories or something right? Yeah, not worth it! Being angry is LAME. In this circumstance, Jonah was mad because the Lord was being merciful to wicked people. He wasn't trying to see the people of Ninevah as children of his Father in Heaven. Elder F. Enzio Busche said, "When you cannot love someone, look into that person's eyes long enough to find the hidden rudiments of the child of God in him." So what I'm trying to say here is, #1 it's not worth it to be angry and #2 love humans even when they are hard to love. Being happy is just so much more enjoyable.

Love y'all!

Sister Merrell

Things Are Happening

Hey hey!!!

It's story time!

We were wandering around the streets in Eastlake and Sister McDermott all of the sudden stops. She asks me if I heard that noise. I turn around and watch her walk towards the chain link fence and then I follow. We got closer and I finally knew what she was talking about, I could hear some serious soul music! This girl really had some pipes. We walk around to the gate but it was locked, so then we went back to the window and I called out to her,  the singing stops and we start talking with her. She comes outside and we give her a Book of Mormon through the fence. Her name is Jasmine and when we went back a few days later we went in and taught her the restoration with a member from the YSA branch, Keyaundra. Jasmine was very receptive! It turns out that her family had met Mormons before, her dad was familiar with the boys in the white shirts on bikes and remembered having them over a few times a while back. We're excited to see what's in store.

A member told us about a boy, Elvis, and his family who had recently moved into the branch from Guatemala. Elvis is the only one in his family who is a member. We went over and met his mom Hermelinda, she speaks very little English and Sister McDermott and I speak very little Spanish so it makes for a great time. We brought a bilingual member though so it all worked out! Hermelinda told us how much she loves the church and how the men are great role models for Elvis. She reads The Book of Mormon and believes it to be true! We're having a lesson with her and her other two kids this week and we have high hopes that they'll get baptized!!!

Also here's a picture of me and Sister Bridgette. She dyed her hair red this week. Imma fan of it.

Well I'm about out of time! Love y'all!!!

Sister Merrell

God Loves You Meow And Forever. I'm Not Kitten!

Hey hey hey!!

Check out mine and Baby McDermott's new shirts! We just couldn't resist! Also hold off on the compliments on the excellent photography... Ha.

This week started out pretty cool. We had an appointment with our investigator Jill and so we had a team up come with us. Jill ended up cancelling so we were trying to drop in on a bunch of less-actives and we weren't having much success. We finally stopped by to see a lady that we had been trying to get in with for a while. She said that it wasn't a good time so we made an appointment with her for Thursday. I told her that I was writing it in pen so she better keep the appointment! I looked up at her and then I looked down again and my pen had magically exploded all over my hands. I asked her if we could come in so I could wash up. She let us in and we were able to talk with her for a while and get to know her! It was awesome! When we went back on Thursday we were able to have a good talk about where she was in her faith. She is so strong because she has endured so much. We are excited to be working with her now.

We had zone meeting this week and we received some good news. Elder Christofferson of the quorum of the twelve apostles is coming to visit us in February!! YAYAYAYAYAY!!! Zone conference was absolutely wonderful as always. We had interviews with President Griffin, and boy I just feel so lucky to have him as my mission president!

President counseled me to pick something to work on and to study it and to experiment with it and keep a record of my success and growth. I have started working on being more gentle... Well I have been working on it in my head for a while but now it's on paper too haha. In Proverbs 15:1 it says:"A soft answer turneth away wrath: but grievous(regrettable) words stir up anger." When I read this I thought of the times I have said something that I regretted and that was definitely not gentle. These instances always stir up anger, but when I have a soft answer I can feel comfort in knowing that I wasn't the cause of contention. In Present Monson's talk in April 2014 general conference he quoted this poem: 

"I have wept in the night

For the shortness of sight

That to somebody’s need made me blind;

But I never have yet

Felt a tinge of regret

For being a little too kind."

This is definitely something that I am working on. Being more gentle and kind with my words so I can cease to feel the regret of words I have said that weren't kind. I'm not perfect, hahaha soooo definitely not perfect, although some days I really wish that I was, but I am trying. Heavenly Father blesses us when we try.

Love all y'all!

Sister Andy Human Girl Merrell

Post MLK day in the 'Noog

 

Hiiiiiiiii!!!

This week has had a lot of fun things going on! It was transfers so Sister Bridgette (a Tennessee Knoxville Mission Legend) had her goodbye breakfast for those that were getting transferred. We crammed a ton of missionaries in that apartment of hers, that's for sure! She's the one on the lap of the sister next to me... obviously hahha. We also got to help a lady name Zabrina paint her house. She was referred to us by some elders in Georgia. It was fun to do some service, we had our work cut out for us that's for sure! Oh and my precious trainer/mother/bff Macall Weight went home!!! Wow that went by fast right? Just 15 months ago she was training me! Also yesterday was MLK day and so freedom was ringin' erry where in this city!
 

We went over to see a recent convert, Patricia, and we finally had a the talk with her about living the law of chastity. It went surprisingly well, we discussed with her that the home should be a refuge from the world and all of it's temptations. We also talked about how important it is that we look at/ watch ourselves constantly and self-evaluate of how we can be better and how we are doing in keeping the commandments.  Mosiah 4:30 sums it up pretty well: "But this much I can tell you, that if ye do not watch yourselves, and your thoughts, and your words, and your deeds, and observe the commandments of God, and continue in the faith of what ye have heard concerning the coming of our Lord, even unto the end of your lives, ye must perish. And now, O man, remember, and perish not." At the end of the lesson she knew what she needed to do.

This morning I was reading in 3 Nephi 9 when Christ is speaking during the darkness following his death: "O all ye that are spared because ye were more righteous than they, will ye not now return unto me, and repent of your sins, and be converted, that I may heal you? Yea, verily I say unto you, if ye will come unto me ye shall have eternal life. Behold, mine arm of mercy is extended towards you, and whosoever will come, him will I receive; and blessed are those who come unto me."

As I was reading this I was thinking, he spared the righteous people but He still had invited them to come to Him and be healed and converted. He didn't only spare the perfect people. I know that I make mistakes all of the time, but I always come back to Him because I stay close. I still need to be healed sometimes even though I am close. I need to continually be converted even though I am close. 

Love all y'all! Have a great week!!!

Sister Andy Face Girl Doll Merrell

Freezing

Hey Hey Y'all!!

This week has been COLD! I have literally been freezing, but that's okay because I just jog in place really fast and Sister McDermott is embarrassed because obvi I look like a fool. We're the coolest though! This frozen fountain is down the street from our apartment downtown.

 

We contacted a lot of former investigators that seem ready this week. Jamie is the girl friend of a recent convert and she has a cute baby! We went over and talked with her and she told us about how much she has changed her life. She has started to make decisions that were right and she just wants to feel peace. Sister McDermott did such and awesome job describing peace and telling Jamie that is within her reach. It was awesome! We're going to start meeting with her weekly! We also started teaching Jill. She was so overwhelmed with emotion as she talked about the spirit the missionaries carry with them. She accepted a baptismal date, we are determined to help her be ready. We met Janice tracting, she accepted the lesson and she drove us home afterwards. It was awesome to see her offer what she had to help us.

In Chattanooga I have seen pain, I have seen poverty. I have seen sin, I have seen suffering. I have seen struggling. I have seen sorrow. This place has really opened my eyes. And while I am among these people I have the task of seeing them the way Heavenly Father sees them. It's hard because so many people suffer because of their decisions. My mind is brought to Mosiah 4:17-19:

"Perhaps thou shalt say: The man has brought upon himself his misery; therefore I will stay my hand, and will not give unto him...But I say unto you, O man, whosoever doeth this the same hath great cause to repent;....For behold, are we not all beggars? Do we not all depend upon the same Being, even God, for all the substance which we have..."

I need God, and so does everyone else. I need to know that He loves me. I need to recognize that daily because the days I don't recognize it are hard. I am here to help people feel His love. Maybe they don't always understand His love, but when they feel it, it makes a difference whether I see it or not. That's why I keep going every day.

I love all y'all!

Sister Andrea Merrell