12-29-2019 - Christmas Celebrations

Chelsie, Dan, and the grandchildren drove down from Virginia the day after Christmas and spent their holiday vacation with us. We loved it! It was so nice to be with family. We went to the Atlanta Temple to do baptisms for the dead. It was Ruby's first time. While we were waiting for names to be recorded, Ruby said, "Now I know why you like to do Family History, Grandma." 

Elder Merrell and Daphne at the Atlanta Temple

Daphne is 10 years old and looking forward to the time she can participate in temple ordinances.  She and Grandpa ate donuts and drank hot chocolate and walked around the temple grounds to get their steps while waiting for the rest of us to finish in the temple.

We also visited the Noah's Ark Animal Sanctuary in Locust Grove, GA.  

Noah's Ark Animal Sanctuary
Enjoying a small and very loud monkey making jungle sounds
 Closest to fence: Daphne, Ruby, Hannah Hind, and Dan
Next row: Elder Merrell, Samuel Hind, Chelsie, and Hyrum

An alligator at the Noah's Ark Animal Sanctuary

We visited the Oak Hill Cemetery in Newnan, GA with a confederate soldiers' section.  Rod found some Merrell/Merrill headstones and looked them up only to find they were not part of his family tree, at least not yet.

Oak Hill Cemetery in Newnan, GA

Harrison Merrill Headstone in Oak Hill Cemetery, Newnan, GA

We also spent time playing games! My how my grandchildren are growing taller and taller!

Hyrum, Daphne, Ruby, Sister and Elder Merrell 

Ruby, Hyrum, Elder Merrell, and Dan playing a Merrell Family game of "500"

This week Margaret came to our church for the first time. Her story: Missionaries came to her door in 2001 and left a DVD with church contact information. Last week she decided to call the number and a referral was sent to our Elder Todd and Elder Bailey. They found her, taught a lesson, and invited her to come to church.  She came!

After sacrament meeting Margaret said the talk was just for her. (The speaker talked about faith and doubt and how to overcome doubt.) She told us that God brought her to our church. She is 66 years old and has gone to the same Church here in Fayetteville all her life. This was the first time she had ever gone to another church. 

She loved the Relief Society discussion.  Our sisters share from their hearts and the spirit of love and harmony is always there. Margaret could feel that and participated in the discussion. She said she thought she was that only one struggling and now she knows that these ladies are just like her. She also knows that Satan is working on her. She told us that she is coming back to our church next week. She said the we "made her feel like one of the church families."