Nov 4, 2013

Dear Family,

Hello!!! How are ya'll doing?! (That is how almost everybody speaks in Florida) Well at least where I am at. I am in Madison Florida. It is a little place. My companion is Sister Bunderson. She is super fun and nice and friendly! We are having a great time serving together! She is a great trainer and just loves serving a mission. I am serving in a branch and there are only about 60 people that go to church. The branch area covers about 4 little towns. It was very different then going to Vineyard ward on Sunday. I had to be the chorister in sacrament meeting, teach the gospel principles class for sundayschool, and then play the piano for Relief Society. I am being put right to work. It is fun. The people are very nice in this area. I felt very welcome yesterday and loved going to church. One of the recent converts that was baptized last saturday was there on Sunday with her 2 kids but my companion and I had to go down and sit by them to try and keep the kids quiet and get her to stay in the chapel. She was late for church though and so she missed the sacrament. She lives about 20 minutes away from the church and needs a ride and so it's tricky for someone to go get her and bring her to church. This recent convert has been a little needy and we spend a lot of time listening to her, going over to her place to comfort her, etc. She's very nice and has good intentions we just need to get the branch more involved with her and work with her. I have visited a lot of less actives and many of them are older women or couples. I still haven't been able to meet any of the investigators. None of them came to church yesterday which was sad but we will work harder this week. And everytime this past week we tried to go visit them they weren't home. Not going to lie, it has felt like the last 4 days have gone by SOOO slow! But they have been good days and I am loving serving the people here and the Lord. So every morning we get up at 630 and exercise til 7. The exercises vary on what day it is. Monday, Wednesday, Friday we run and then the other days we stretch, do push-ups, do ab workouts, etc. Nothing too exciting. Then we get ready from 7-8. From 8-10 we do personal and then companionship study. It is hard to stay awake sometimes!! Well at least during personal study. I need to be better at that. haha. At 10 we go out and visit people or try and see our investigators, eat lunch for an hour, walk around the lake to try and find people to talk to, etc. Really it kind of all depends on the day and if our plans get changed by Christina (who is the recent convert) or any other people that call us. It has been pretty good so far and I've loved being here. On Wednesdays we go to a rest home and sing to them, play the piano, and share a little message. That was WAY out of my comfort zone but somehow the Lord blessed me to not be nervous and to just sing how I would by myself. I was grateful. My companion said she was nervous that I would be tone deaf or something but she said I was great and that she was relieved to know that I could sing and play the piano. I arrived here in Madison on Wednesday and that was the first thing I did as a missionary in Madison. It was interesting. 

Well I feel like I am just rambling on and on so I hope that everything makes sense! Just so everyone knows..... I LOVE love love getting emails and letters!! Haha! It just makes me so happy! I know I don't have enough time to always write back but I love reading what everyone is up to! :) I can't think of anything really to tell you...

Wait! Something exciting is that I get to travel outside of my area this weekend and spend the weekend in Crestview!! My companion is very musical and she put on a production of Rob Gardener's Joseph Smith the Prophet in her last area and the mission president gave her permission to put on another performance this weekend! So we will travel there this saturday (it's about 6 hours away) and then the performance issunday night and we'll travel home on monday. Super exciting! I'll be able to sing in the choir and participate! It'll be fun:) But that means that I probably won't write home til either monday night or tuesday morning. Just to let you all know.

Well I sure love you guys!! I am loving serving the Lord and know it is what I am supposed to be doing right now. It has been so good for me. I know the church is true and that the Lord blesses those that follow him and keep his commandments! He wants us to be happy and I know that when we are doing the things in life that please God, we'll be happy!! I have totally seen it on my mission. I hope you all have a great week! Talk to you next week! I love you!

Love, 

Sister Jenni Merrill