Jason Merrill's Missionary Scrapbook
Monday, February 20, 2006:Thanks for the news and most of the time I
receive the letter from the kids but I didn't receive anything about the wedding
or any thing of that sort. I receive the letter every week through e-mail the
only thing is at times the format is messy and I don't get to read all of the
letter. I receive most of it though most of the time. Well, I don't know what happened this week but I only
received the letter
from mom. We are having fun. I received a letter form Bart and Daine and they haven't heard from you in some time and are
wondering how things are doing here. I wish I could write everyone but I just don't have time for
everything. I had the first chance to actually relax and have a tourist
experience. We went to a waterfall and had fun and I have many photos but
the computer I am using is really old and is taking a lot of time just to write. I will try to send the
photos of the water fall and the other area we are going to visit the following week. Well, I don't
think that we are going to have 6 baptisms but we are looking forward to have 2
this week if everything works out. We are really excited because we have some
that have committed to be baptized the following week. We are having fun and working hard. I hope things are going well and you didn't
say who has been married since I left. I would like to know. Well, got to go.
Hope all goes well there at home.
Love,
Monday, February 27, 2006 Well not much has happened this week. We had everything fall through for the baptisms but we are going to
reschedule the baptisms for in a few week with a large group but who knows what will happen. Well today the weather
around
here is very bad and we were planning to visit another area but nothing is
working out very well. we are hoping things will go better. Well I hope things are going good there at home and I am going to try to
send the pictures from last week.
Love,
Monday, March 06, 2006: Well all is well here and things have gone much better this week than last
week. We are working hard and have had some success. We are working on
having
a few baptisms the following week we hope all work out. We had lots of fun this week. Today was a blast. We went to another area
and
had fun playing soccer and taking pictures of the waterfall and the area.
We
also got the whole story of the hill Comora in the area it is interesting
the whole area. I am glade that I am here. I will try to send some
pictures
of our day. The one will be of the Hill Comora and the other of the
waterfall we visited. Well to answer the questions. The first question I read came from Heidi
and
I really don't have anything in mind for my birthday. The only thing that I
have been really worried about lately is trying not to spend money and
conserve. I really don't have any clue right now. I haven't heard anything
from Gary. I wish we could keep in better touch. I know that he doesn't like
to write or type so I haven't bothered to much. I would like to know a
little
about his work and how things are going there.
Well to tell the truth about the area they say it is one of the most
beautiful areas of the mission but we don't get much time to visit the areas. I
would like to. We try to visit at least one a week. I hope that the
pictures
are showing up alright. Well, it is time to go again.
Love,
PS. I was able to wear street cloths today and I have felt weird almost all day.
Monday, March 13, 2006: Well, all is well in Zion or at least becoming better. We are working hard
and trying to keep me alive. I came down sick with something else but it only lasted about 12 hours and we went beck to work. The only problem that
we have right now is my companion has not received his money for the month
and we have to work really hard to keep water in our systems. We are
trying
not to buy to much but we need to buy water and things to keep us
hydrated. We also had an amazing time this week. We went to an amazing area. The
area
is called Nanciyaga. There is a internet cite that we want to visit that tells about the area. If you would like to check it out here is the cite, www.nanciyaga.com.
We hear there are some pretty cool things
there. The area is very green and full of artifacts that are really awesome.
We were really excited to visit and see the area. We also had the opportunity to have our faces painted with mineral mud. That was interesting the area
is
full of mineral water and the mud they put on our faces mad my face really
smooth.
Well, you asked what has happened with this family I told you about that
we
thought we had visited. Well, they are really close to being baptized. We
are going to set the date for them tomorrow when we visit. We are going to
try to baptize them and around 4 other families before the end of the
month.
We are really excited for everything that has happened. We are going to
try
to keep you up to date when we baptize but we really are having a hard
time
in this area.
Well, time is almost up and I am going to send you a few photos of the
things today.
Love,
P.S. tell grandma Merrill thanks for the letter today. I don't think I will receive my package for around two weeks when we have interviews
Monday, April 03, 2006: Things are doing great this week. We are working very hard and doing
fairly well. My new companion is very different but I hope things work
out. We are going to have some fun this week I hope. We had a fun
opportunity to watch the General Conference. It was amazing how much
applied to what we are doing here in the mission and things that can
help us here. We are looking forward to having baptisms this week.
They will be the first in almost 2 months. The
family is great and wanted to be baptized around two weeks ago but the
father hasn't given permission. We are hoping this week, the only thing
that he wants before the baptism is to visit with the missionaries
before the baptism. He lives in the United States and we tried to send
the missionaries a few weeks ago but this week the mission president
helped send the message.
We are hoping for this week. If not the following. Hope all is well
and I will try to send pictures this week.
Love,
Tuesday, April 25, 2006: Well, all is well. I really liked the letter from Heidi. She is the only one that is telling me what is going on in their life. I wish that everyone would tell me more like her. I have been having a lot of fun this week. It has been a nightmare of a time working but we have been trying to make it fun. We are in the vacation time of year and the people here take two weeks for the Week of the Saints. The name is because of the things of the past with Christ and everything. We are really trying to get something done here and are looking forward to baptisms over again. We haven't had any here in Catemaco in a long time. We have 5 planned before the end of the month. I don't know what happened the other week when I sent my e-mail. Things work at times and at others nothing wants to work. Well, to tell the truth right now I received my package and I have received my letters but they arrive around two months after they are sent. I haven't tried to send anything in a long time so I don't know how things are working I hope that things are still the same for me so I can send things to everyone there at home. You asked if they celebrate Easter well, the answer is NO!. but they do celebrate the crucifixion and the resurrection but they focus on the crucifixion. Here they crucify people not to the point of death but really close. It is really brutal. Well, hope all is well there at home. We are hoping the best for this week because we really want to have baptisms but we haven't had them yet. Well, its time for me to go.
Love,
Monday, May 01, 2006: A lot has happened in this week. We had the first baptism for a long time.
It
was nice to be able to baptize again before I transfer. I don't know if I will be
transferred or not so we don't know what the number for mothers day will be. We are hoping that things go good this week. I have really been struggling with my companion because he loves to talk
and talk. We are going to try this week and use less time in the
lessons. We are trying very hard to keep up good spirits. Thanks for the letter mom. I really like to know what is going on there at home. We are really looking forward to speaking with everyone
there at home. I don't know what the problem was the other weeks but it is good that
you got my letters.
For this week we didn't have to much go very well except we had a baptism.
For my birthday we really didn't do much. I have a companion that was
in the military here in Mexico. He really likes to talk about the
past. I can't stand how much he talks about his past but I am dealing
with it.
I hope that everything there at home is going well. I will try to send
some pictures this week also.
Love,
P.S. We went to the wild life reserve this week it was fun.
Tuesday, June 13, 2006: Sorry, I didn't write yesterday. We are working hard and went to the temple
yesterday. It was great and we had fun but it sounds like they might
remove
the privilege of going to the temple every 6 months. We don't know for sure but I really hope not.
Well, I hope that every thing went well for Gary's birthday. I remembered
but
we didn't get time to do much yesterday. I won't forget to include that Scott
has his this Sunday and I wont get to write before hand. I hope that
everything goes well there at home. By the way Gary how did your birthday
go, and what kinds of things did you get. I hope things went well.
Well, not much new has happened this week. We are really in the slumps
right now. My companion has had a really bad week but we are hoping things
work out. This week we also found a few things to take pictures. It is really hard 
because we live in the city. I hope that I can send you the pictures when we dressed up in bull fighter clothing.
Well time is nearly up and to send pictures I need to end soon.
Well, I love you all there at home an hope that everything goes well this
week.
Love,
August 7, 2006
This area is very cool and the area
has many different things. The area has pyramids that are still in the ground
ready to be uncovered. This is really neat for us to go and see them. I will
send you a few right now and hopefully my mom will send the rest.
Well, I don't get much time and need to write a lot. I
hope the best for all.
Love,
Monday, August 28, 2006 Hi everyone there at home. I hope that things are going good. I have been really stressed out this week but most of that has gone. I had interviews this week and my companion is starting to get on my nervse. I know things have been hard for me but I also know the importance of this work. I am hoping for more baptisms but things arn`t looking so good. I liked the letter from Heidi. Things realy have changed there. I hope that things keep going good. I also liked the letter from mom. I like when the general authorities speek and I heard that Elder Meade is really cool to listen to. I hope that thing keep going well for you. I dont have to much to tell you but I will try to send you the pictures from the other week.
Well the time goes so fast and I still need to do a few other this before we leave to work.
Love,
Monday, September 25, 2006 Well, not to much has happened this week. I am amazed with how time flies even more when you are with a newer companion. I lave the work. I have heen working hard to get the members really active in the work and we actually started to see results the last week. On Saturday we had an activity and there were many that brought friends and relatives but that wasnt the best
part. The members really put us on the spot. We had compatitions among the members. The women vs. the men. Well they put us on the spot when they put us vs. almost everyone. I had fun and we really did well. We really are gaining confidence with the members and I think that things will start to go much better.
Well, it sounds like things are going well there at home. I also would like to tell you that if the kids don´t want to eat squash they are really going to miss out because there are many things that you can do with it. We actually had a dessert the other day that was sweetened squash. Well, not much has happened but I do have alot of pictures and videos. I just don´t remember my camera when I leave to write. Well, I will try harder the following week.
Love,
Monday, October 9, 2006 Bueno cosas aqui estan muy bien. Yo quiero ver si Heidi puede decir de que estoy hablando. Esta semana ha sido uno con mucho lluvia y escuchamos que he un hurracano serca pero no necesitamos preocupar mucho. El trabajo va bien, mi compañero es bien chido. Yo se que Heidi no va a decir que es chido
porque es un modizmo. Bueno voy a escribir en ingles para todos pueden entender.
Well, things are going great. I have been working hard and things are going better. We are working with a few new families we just hope that they are better than the last ones that we stopped visiting. I am doing well, I have been sick with a cold the past week but today I am doing much better. I am excited to hear that there are more leaving for the mission. I just hope that they can stay strong. Well, I dont have much more to say this week. I hope the best for all.
Love
PS the word chido is awsome or something of that nature
