Elder Max Merritt

Mar 25, 2019 Today was my last day with my companion, we went for a run, ate lunch, and had some powerful lessons, minus one where Daniela said she does not want to get baptized... but I will continue with faith. We gave many priesthood blessings tonight to the sick. More importantly I want to share the symbol of the mission as I see it. When we “missionaries” serve missions, it is an act of service and a symbol of the life of Jesus Christ. We leave our families for a space of time to do a work which is so difficult. We as missionaries are asked to walk some part of the road he walked, a little, just a bit. We are asked to feel the pains, he felt as he was rejected, ridiculed, denied, abused. Now I’m not saying I have felt exactly as Christ did with his crucifixion and so forth. but we leave the comfort of our homes and our parents to be, in some cases, hated for the name we represent and rejected by all. Our hearts break with those in pain, or who reject the gospel. We feel the ne...

Mar 11, 2019 Today was a tough day, on Mondays it’s our preparation day, so we clean the room, clothes, play sports, eat like kings, and call family. This morning we woke up and showered and shaved and studied the scriptures for an hour. My companion called the wife of the mission president also known as mission mom, about a fish bone that has been stuck in his throat. She said come to Chiclayo and go to the hospital. So, we left our room at 8 and spent the whole day in taxis and hospitals. We went to the best hospital in Chiclayo and I walked in and in front of the door was a dry puddle of blood. It was not big but enough to make you wonder... we got back to Jayanca at 5 and it was a day where I was not moving and working hard but the waiting just took the energy out of me. I was kind of sad I did not wash clothes, play sports, or eat like a king. I spent 3 soles on lunch which is the equivalent to 1 dollar, but I had a boost of moral talking to the family! I am exhausted after to...

Mar 4, 2019 Well today was awesome! we had super day of preparation, so all the elders and sisters got together, and we played games like sharks and minnows, water sports, volleyball, massive jump rope and more! I got really sun burnt but that has become the norm here on day of preparation. speaking of norms-- I got to say hi to the one and only... the man, the myth, the Elder… E. Norman! We said hi and I also vented to him a bunch of stuff and he helped me! He told me sometimes it’s just hard to get things rolling and that is all part of the learning process to be a testimony to god to see how bad we want to be out here and how hard we will work for it. then I talked to this sister missionary who is from Bolivia we came from the same mtc group, so she is obsessed with me talking Spanish because I knew none when I left the mtc. So, she wanted to talk a lot! But I do not want to get sent home. We came back to the area and CALLED our families! That was so awesome! Mom, Dad-- that rea...

Feb 25, 2019 Better today than yesterday! Please watch the video The Atonement and Missionary Work. It is a video for missionaries, but it also gives perspective on life. Please, please, PLEASE! Today we went to Lambejeque to have a last-minute zone meeting, there we found out that we had the most success in this month than we have had in the last 45 months! That was amazing! Then we headed back to Jayanca. We ate lunch and talked a little with our families. This is new so I have many problems with it. Then we got haircuts and went out to teach. My companion is really depressed today so that was difficult. Hopefully he will feel better. I love you good night Feb 26, 2019 Better today than yesterday. Well today was a ride! The district leaders called early this morning to have a district meeting, so we drove 2 hours round trip and got back to the room at 12. He also said he wanted to do an inner change today, but we needed to do a planifacation seminar and with that we...

Feb 18, 2019 Be better today than yesterday. What a day, we got up and had a good breakfast and we washed our clothes, when we were studying we received a call from the district leaders that the prophet received revelation that missionaries can have the opportunity to call family and are allowed to govern themselves with the time! In the past it was 1 hour to email mom, report to the mission president, respond to other emails of missionary updates or friends, and if time allowed send out a weekly report which I try to do every week! This was the best way to learn how to type 70 words a minute! We then went to Chiclayo to play futbol with some elders. I got sun burnt, then had some chicken roasted and French fries! We came back at with eager anticipation and went to write to our families! I was glad to have a little more time to type because I had 3 weeks saved up due to me forgetting my cord in Bagua. I called my family, but some kid had ripped the microphone off the head set at ...

Feb 11, 2019 Be better today than yesterday. Today was an awesome day! We got up and had breakfast then went shopping, I spent 8 soles on floss... that is the equivalent of 8 dollars! For dental floss! So, 20 soles of my 100 this month was floss and deodorant. Then we came to the room and cleaned it really well, went and typed our families and had another free lunch! It’s an inactive member who owns a restaurant. We took a cat nap and headed to Motupe for a district meeting, that was a joke. With changes in companionships today the Elders were not focused. We came back and got ready to go teach and found a woman and 7 kids who are interested in the church! We have a lesson with them tomorrow! Great day I love you goodnight! Feb 12, 2019 Better today than yesterday. Today was another good day, we are fasting again for our investigators, that is when we don’t eat or drink for 24 hours as a testimony to heavenly father of how bad we want success. Its going well, the only dow...

January 25 , 2019 Today I was better today than I was yesterday. Today was a busy day! Not a lot of lessons but a lot of work. We went to Bagua Grande to end an interchange I had with E. Moron, there we also did a planifecar seminar and a baptism interview for the zone leaders. We headed on back to Chica and continued our work, we went contacting and taught a lesson to a family that the parents belong to different religions. That was a difficult lesson... we then went and checked in on Jacory because her baptism is tomorrow, and I’m baptizing 4 people! My joy in this gospel is full! We then came to the room and ate dinner, but at all the visits I got fed so I did not eat much tonight. I love you and goodnight! Jan 26, 2019 A little better today than I was yesterday. Well today was a long day and my feet are killing me. We first visited the three BIs to check in if they were ready for baptism and they were all excited! Dora is my favorite! Well we came back to the room and...