08-26-2019 - Rod's Letter, "It's time to check in"

Dear Family and Friends,

I just noticed that I haven’t written for more than a month so I guess it’s time to check in.  We are still trying to visit all of the missions we are responsible for and in the last month we visited the missions in Knoxville Tennessee, Columbia South Carolina, and Charlotte North Carolina.  We have seen a lot of the South and have met wonderful Mission Presidents and their wives and many, many valiant missionaries. 

When we were in Knoxville the zone conferences were on Thursday, Friday and then not again until the following Tuesday.  We decided that rather than travel back and forth between there and Georgia we would stay the weekend.  It was really fun.  On Saturday we went hiking in the Great Smoky Mountains on a rather steep trail to a place called Rainbow Falls.  It was 5 miles round trip and in spite of the fact that we walk (on flat ground) 3 miles every morning, we had stiff legs for several days and really had a hard time going down stairs.  But it was good to be back in the mountains and for a while I could actually tell which way was North, or South etc. 

On Sunday of that weekend we visited a Micronesian branch in Asheville NC at the invitation of the mission president, Pres. David Pickett from Oakley ID.  (Rita Woodworth- do you remember the Picketts?)  There were 6 different Micronesian languages represented in that little branch and they were having a special branch conference because a gentleman from the church translation department was visiting to get member input on a new translation of the Book of Mormon into the Ponpeian language.  I didn’t even know there was such a place and Ponpei but there is.  Anyway after Sacrament Mtg. in the second hour he read with members from what has been translated so far to make certain it was readable and understandable.  He asked several of them to read aloud and to make certain it sounded right.  After the meeting they had an amazing linger longer with roast pig and lots of other unusual dishes.  When we arrived at the same time as the mission president and when the branch president learned that I was the “Area Medical Advisor” he attached much more importance to the title that it really deserves and we were asked to sit on the stand with Pres. and Sister Pickett.  We were treated as visiting dignitaries with a ceremonial necklace for me and a flowered lei for Carol to wear on her head.  We were just a bit embarrassed by all the fuss.  But it was fun.   

The following two weeks we were in South Carolina.  We attended zone conferences four days one week and then drove home and returned the next week for two more.  The mission president in South Carolina is President Wes Innes who owns a orthopedic supply company in SLC and knows Dr. Bitner and Dr. Sumko quite well.  While in South Carolina we were able to make a brief visit to  Charleston and the following week visited Savannah.  Both are wonderful cities with parts of the city restored to colonial and pre-civil war times. 

This last week we were in Charlotte NC where the mission president is President Detlef Adler who is from Germany.  He was an area seventy before being called to be a mission president and was the CEO of a clothing manufacturer which is the worlds 3^rd largest producer of men’s shirts.  He didn’t tell us all of this- I had to do a little research.  President and Sister Adler were very warm and welcoming.  They expect a lot of their missionaries but they are much loved.

We have one more mission to visit (Raleigh) and then we are going to slow down and just visit one mission/month.  We have become weary of hotels, at least the kind we can afford at this rate, and of restaurant food and we are looking forward to staying home and serving locally.

We still have not learned to speak or understand Southern.  We went to a rib joint when we first got here and we were the only Caucasians in the place.  We couldn’t understand the people behind the counter and we just said yes when they asked us questions.  We ended up with food we didn’t think we had ordered (delicious nevertheless) in a take out carton when we really intended to dine in the restaurant.  A couple of weeks ago a member of the high council spoke in sacrament meeting.  He is a big, tall, broad shouldered black man.  From what we gathered he played Division 1 football and was a big deal in college but that was about all we gathered.  It might have been a great talk but we will never know. 

Even though it has been a very hot summer Carol has been freezing in almost every zone conference we visit.  The missionaries come in from the heat and crank up the air conditioning.  Meanwhile Carol is wearing sweaters in the middle of the summer and recently purchased a small blanket/shawl to put over her legs.  Last week in South Carolina she came out of the church and took her shoes off and stood on the hot asphalt until her feet warmed up.  It was very humid there and when I got out of the car my glasses fogged up. 

When we were walking along the Savannah River in Augusta, Georgia, Carol looked at the slow moving, smooth river and said it would be a great place to water ski.  A few moments later we spotted an alligator in the river and she changed her mind. 

We have met many wonderful young elders and sisters.  Some of them have been very inspiring.  There is a missionary in the Atlanta North Mission who came on his mission with muscular dystrophy, an incurable muscle wasting disease.  He knew that he was going to get gradually worse but came anyway.  When he arrived in Georgia he could run and play soccer with the other missionaries but he has developed a foot drop and has to use a brace.  He now has left sided weakness and falls often but he is still working hard and wants to finish his mission. He truly is serving with all of his might and strength.  In fact, he is sacrificing his might and strength to the Lord. 

Another missionary has had Crohn’s disease since he was 12 years old.  When he was 17 the medication he was taking for Crohn’s wiped out most of his kidneys and he is operating on about 5% kidney function.  He was hospitalized in January, gets tired easily and needs to rest during the day but is determined to complete his mission.  He is a hard worker and a good teacher. 

We attend our District Council meeting each week when we are here in Fayetteville and this week we are holding the meeting here at our apartment and feeding the district lunch.  Transfers are on Wednesday and we are losing our district leader, Elder Beau Phipps from Burley ID.  He has been here for 12 weeks and we have become quite attached to him.  We hate to see him go.  The rest of our district, 3 elders and 4 sisters, will remain intact this transfer.

We are loving our mission.  We miss all of you but we are making new friends and meeting amazing people.  You have got to try this!

Love,

Elder and Sister Merrell, Mom and Dad, Grandpa and Grandma, Rod and Carol

08-25-2019 - Zone Conferences in North Carolina, Charlotte

We had another wonderful, spiritual week. We attended zone conferences in the North Carolina Charlotte Mission (Christian's old proselyting area) with President and Sister Adler.  They are from Germany and I just loved their direct and to-the-point approach to missionary work. They were so warm and welcoming, and we could see that the missionaries love them dearly.

President and Sister Adler from Germany

President Alder taught with the spirit about commitment and testimony.  He said, "Action is one of the chief foundations of personal testimony."

Sister Adler spoke about the stumbling block of inadequacy. She surprised us all with a quote from Pres Brigham Young, "When the thought of inadequacy comes to you, send it to Hell.  That is where it came from."  The quote still makes me smile.

Again, we were so amazed at the elders and sisters wisdom beyond their years as they shared ideas, answered questions, and taught each other.  You can see their beautiful, shining countenances in these pictures!  We love being around these noble spirits!

Zone Conference in Pineville, North Carolina

Elder and Sister Shupe (Mission Nurse)
and Sister and Elder Merrell

Elder Merrell giving his presentation on "Managing Stress."

We witness the "diversity in administration" as we visit each mission.  President Adler presented a "sprint" letter to all the missionaries who have three months left to serve. The letter asked for their signed commitment to sprint to the end of the race, to give 100% to the end of their mission.  The elders and sisters received the letter with a smile and "I'm on-board" attitude.

Sister Adler had a wonderful idea to help welcome the new missionaries just coming into the field.  When it was time for our lunch break, she asked everyone to line up and share one piece of advice for these new missionaries. She stood in the hall with her iphone and recorded each missionary as they took turns stepping up and sharing their best advice. Sister Adler will show this video in the mission home the day of their arrival. This way the new missionaries can see and hear everyone in the mission as part of their orientation. Elder Merrell and I loved hearing their advice!

Zone Conference in Greensville, North Carolina

Zone Conference in Charlotte, North Carolina

At the end of every zone conference, the elders and sisters would stand, lock arms and sway while singing their mission song.  We asked Christian if he remembered singing a North Carolina mission song and he did. Elder Merrell and I were given a copy of the words, so I am posting them for Christian.

We Sure Love Ya North Carolina

We've been called to serve the Lord from every land.

We have left all behind to lend a helping hand.

The true gospel is the message that we bear.

Our Savior gave so much that we just want to share.

Chorus

WE SURE LOVE YA NORTH CAROLINA

And we pray you'll receive His word.

No place else we go could be finer.

For this is where we've come to serve the Lord.

The Lord's mission will excel in every way.

Each one of us has pledged to serve the Lord's way.

We love all our fellow men and those we teach.

The highest goals we set are now within our reach.

To us all the Lord has said, "Come thrust and teach."

And as his instruments for His elect we'll reach.

Those who sow and those who reap in gathering.

In Zion will rejoice together with our King.

We love being at zone conferences.  They are a spiritual treat and so very motivating.  We feel so blessed to be here serving in this part of the Lord's vineyard.

Back in Fayetteville this morning as we pulled into the church parking lot, a deer was there to greet us all. It made us smile!

Yes, our meeting house is surrounded by forest.
Trees grow thick as weeds.

08-18-2019 - Finishing Zone Conferences in South Carolina

We drove back to South Carolina this week to attend the last two Zone Conferences held in Augusta, and Ridgeland. We just love rubbing shoulders with the missionaries. We learned how to improve ourselves and become better missionaries by taking care of the small and simple things.  

We were also inspired and motivated in a discussion by Pres. Innes.  We discussed the importance of teaching the Doctrine of Christ and especially the importance of living it. I took notes because these teachings apply to my life always, not just will I serve a mission.

Pres. Innes asked the question, "What would our mission look like, if every missionary had more faith?"  This opened up ideas of increased miracles, revelation, people to teach, change of heart, excitement, power, obedience. 

He then asked, "What would our mission look like if it was a mission of daily repenters?"  Answers: an abundance of the spirit, more power and authority to teach, more revelation, more humility, more charity, more diligence, stronger desire, more Christ-centered.

"What would our mission look like if it was a mission of covenant keepers?" Answers: more sacrifice, more spiritual strength, more emotional strength, more devotion, more consecration, atonement would be more active in our lives, greater measure of the spirit.

"What would our mission look like if it was a mission with more influence from the Holy Ghost?" Answers: more revelation, more spirit with us, kinder, more united, more knowledge, more success.

"What would our mission look like if it was a mission of those enduring?" Answers: more joy, more happiness, more peace, and exaltation.

This discussion makes it easy to see how living the gospel brings the blessings we all want and need.

President and Sister Innes and Sister and Elder Merrell

Loved the hanging moss in the trees at the Augusta, South Carolina Meeting House

More beautiful hanging moss and the amazing green tunnels that we continually drive through.

We were told not to touch the moss. 
It was full of chiggers, a nasty tiny bug that can make you itch for weeks.

After Zone Conference we watched a baseball game in Augusta, South Carolina;
the Augusta Green Jackets vs the Greenville Drive.

At 9:00 pm the temperature had dropped to 95 degrees.
I think that might be why so few were in attendance.

Southern Cookin' at the Boll Weevil Cafe;
Fried green tomatoes, gumbo, and corn bread.

Overlooking the Savannah River from the Augusta, Georgia side.
I thought it would be a wonderful place to water-ski.
Look how smooth the water is.

I had second thoughts when we saw an alligator swim by!

We took a trolley tour of the city of Savannah, Georgia
and had a surprise visit from Forrest Gump with his box of chocolates.
We were next to the park where the famous "box of chocolate" scene was filmed.

This is the first African Baptist Church built by slaves
after their duties of the day were completed.

The streets of Savannah are filled with Southern Mansions

We had dinner at Joe's Crab Shack on River Street

A paddle boat on the River Street in Savannah, GA

We are trying not to fall into the Savannah River!

The Candy Kitchen on River Street in Savannah, Georgia
Fresh salt water taffy tastes wonderful!

The River Street in Savannah is lined with old cotton warehouses.
Years ago this is where the price of cotton was determined.

Back in Atlanta, we spent some time with the senior missionaries in our mission. 
We watched an Atlanta Braves game against the LA Dodgers.

08-11-2019 - Zone Conferences in South Carolina

Another week has flown by!  We left for South Carolina after church on Sunday, so we could be in our hotel room on Monday for two Medical Health Conferences scheduled that day. Our MHC's are on-line video conferences and include the mission president and his wife, the mission nurse, the area mental health advisor, counselors from LDS family services, and Elder Merrell and me.  They usually last around an hour to an hour and a half.  

These conferences are new to the church's missionary program as of January, and are a great help to the mission president as he makes difficult decisions.  I do admire all these good men and women who love and care for our missionaries, especially our mission presidents and their wives.

This week we attended four zone conferences. We enjoyed getting to know President and Sister Innes from Sandy, Utah.  They are great people.

Conway, South Carolina Zone Conference
(back row) President and Sister Innes, Elder & Sister Merrell, Sister Smith
(amazing talented single sister who taught at BYUI and was the creator of the Carinessa garment.)
and Sister and Elder (I have forgotten their names) Member Leadership Support Missionaries

Each mission president has unique traditions woven into their zone conferences. During all the South Carolina Zone Conferences, President Innes had a slide show prepared with photos of all the people in their mission who became members of the church since the last time they met. After the slide show, he turned the time over to the missionaries to share "mission miracles." These good missionaries shared sweet stories of how they were led, guided, inspired, etc. to help, find, teach, share, etc. the gospel with others.  The Lord is truly in the details of our lives!

Columbia, SC Zone Conference with Elder & Sister Jensen and Sister and Elder Merrell
(Elder & Sister Jensen work in the mission office and trained at the MTC
 with Marlene Shirley, Rod's office nurse.

Greenville, South Carolina Zone Conference;
Elder and Sister Balstaedt (mission nurse)
and Elder and Sister Merrell
If the missionaries have health questions, they are to call Sister Balstaedt first. 
If she needs help, she calls Elder Merrell.

We were able to attend the Columbia, SC Temple. We love being in the temple! There is always a feeling of love and peace there.

Columbia South Carolina Temple, Elder and Sister Merrell

We also spent some time at Myrtle Beach.

Birthday lunch for Elder Merrell 

Elder and Sister Merrell

Myrtle Beach, South Carolina

Myrtle Beach, South Carolina

I wanted to dip my toe in the Atlantic Ocean

We also explored Charleston, South Carolina.  We took a buggy ride & tour and learned that many of the homes are over 300 years old and have been restored to their original appearance.  

Elder Merrell after our buggy tour.  We were pulled by two mules.

Charleston, SC homes along the waterfront

We liked this invitation posted in the graveyard at St Philip's Church.

08-03-2018 - Good to be Home Again!

We had a wonderful week finishing up with the last Tennessee Knoxville Mission Zone Conference.  What a treat it was to be with the missionaries and feel the Lord's spirit as they teach each other and share their wisdom and experiences.  It was also a treat to hear President Pickett and his wife teach the missionaries.

President Pickett told a story about feeding his cattle at Christmas time in Oakley, Idaho a few years ago. He had given his employees time off for Christmas.

President Pickett and his son were in a truck feeding 4,000 head of cattle.  There had been a snow storm the night before and it was calving time.  He said when they approached the herd, all the cattle knew that food had arrived and ran towards them eager to eat. They were hungry! He noticed in the distance a black spot away from the rest of the herd.  This cow wasn't coming in, and he knew the cow must been calving.  He asked his son to drive out that way.  As they got closer, they could see a calf standing on his wobbling legs for the first time under its mother.  They also could see on the hilltop above them, a big coyote.

President Pickett didn't have a gun with him, so he got out of the truck and starting charging toward the coyote as fast as he could as he had done numerous times in the past.  This time was different, instead of the coyote running away, the coyote bared his teeth and held his ground. President Pickett decided instantly to turn around and run back to the truck.

He likened the coyote to Satan and how he is more bold and aggressive than ever before.  He counseled the missionaries to be on guard, to know he will attack them where they are weak, and reminded them to follow the missionary hand book and promised obedience would keep them safe.  He said the cow protected her calf from the coyote that night, and the next day she and the calf came in to the feed truck.


We will be in South Carolina for the next two weeks and realized it would soon be time for transfers before we had a chance to get to know our new elders and sisters in our district. We made an extra effort to get to know them after district council meeting.  We took the sisters out to lunch and invited the elders to our apartment for dinner that night. Elder Sillito had requested Japanese food, so Rod made his famous oyakodon.

We also spent time at the Midwest Food Bank inputting volunteer information again and enjoyed seeing the people on our Meals on Wheels route.  It is so fun to get out and serve in the community.
Saturday morning a group of senior couples went to the Atlanta temple and had lunch together. We work with some amazing people. I love it here!