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LIFE=CHANGED and Priesthood Miracles


May 27, 2019 LIFE = CHANGED

I don't have a ton of time this week, so I'm just gonna share this experience because it changed my life. I'm not sure how to describe it in words, but I'll try my best. 

On Sunday, I had a SUPER good personal study about the Atonement. I think this has been the transfer of better understanding the Atonement. I've always known in my head that we can't save ourselves or repay God through our actions because Jesus Christ is the only way back to Him, but I haven't always known that in my heart. Before my mission and my first few transfers out, I thought to "earn" God's help in the work and my life, I had to be the perfect missionary. If I made mistakes, got discouraged, or had doubts, it lessened the power of God and His love for me. I think I had a perfectionist mindset, which is very prideful because it assumes that we can do things without Jesus Christ's atonement. While we were sitting with the only less active we teach, our best friend Omar, he basically just unloaded all the concerns he's ever had about the church. We talked about premarital sex, the word of wisdom, being gay, mental illness--the whole shabam. It was such a cool experience because we didn't have all the answers and that made Omar feel way more understood than if we had just shot the cookie-cutter church answers to hard questions at him. We basically just told him we have no idea why some people struggle with things like mental illness and same-sex attraction, but we do know Jesus Christ. We testified about His atonement and perfect love and understanding. It helped Omar and also me to see that no-one on Earth is perfect. We do not have all the answers, we don't do everything right all the time, and we can never earn our salvation. I felt the Spirit so strongly. My gratitude for the Savior grew 10 fold and I now feel like I understand and love His sheep so much more. Wow! Kind of a hard experience to describe in email, but I am so grateful for it. I love the Saragozas! I know God sends imperfect missionaries to help his imperfect children.

In other news, I'm going to Curacao for an undetermined amount of time because I'm going to be companions with Zuster Woolsey, who is illegal at the moment in Bonaire because she's already stayed 6 months in Bonaire. So I have no idea what the next few weeks have in store, but it will probably be awesome! 

I love you guys!
Zuster Mergenthaler

Pic 1: The man, myth, legend: Aquiles
Pic 2: Taught Melody how to make a milkshake! 
Pic 3: amazing sunset
Pic 4: The OG, Juni, who makes us delicious burritos every Monday. And maybe plays Post Malone for us. Maybe ;)





June 3, 2019 -- Priesthood Miracles

Hello from Curacao! Land of the aqua-blue waters and normal-looking people. In Bonaire, everyone is drop dead gorgeous, so I was telling my new companion the other day that I'm glad there are normal-looking people on Curacao because it makes me feel more at home. I didn't mean to diss the people of Curacao by calling them ugly though, so we laughed about that. I have no idea how long I'll be here because Sister Woolsey might get taken to jail if she tries to fly to Bonaire, but also might not, so...but being in a quad has been a blast! Some stuff that happened this week.....

--Said goodbye to Zuster McGuire (*cries ugly tears*)
--Said goodbye to all the members in Bonaire. I had a moment of pure gratitude for the people of Bonaire watching our last sunset before she left. 
--Said hello to Zuster Woolsey, my mission mom (*does a happy dance*)
--I got pretty sick for the first time on my mission. I slept in front of the bathroom on Friday night and almost passed out at Missionary Leadership Training, so I asked the Elders for a blessing. The newest one, whose been out for a transfer, gave his first ever blessing! It was so precious. I'm so grateful for worthy priesthood holders! I felt so much better and didn't have to stay inside at all while I was sick. Because of that, we met like 5 new investigators! Blessings from the priesthood of God. Also, my dad got a random impression to pray for me right at the moment when I was praying to be able to go to sleep, so that's super cool. 
--Had the most AMAZING lesson with a cute couple the Elders met named Jalil and Maya. I usually don't go off about the Atonement and Jesus Christ for very long in the first lesson, but for some reason, we felt like that should be the focus. It turned out to be just what they needed to hear. When we testified, the Spirit was SO strong. Lot's of spiritual tears, people. I hope I get to teach them again. I want them to teach me how to long board on P-day. 

Anyways, that was pretty much my week! I love you guys!
Zuster Mergenthaler

Pic 1: me and the wools
Pic 2: skype lesson with Aquiles



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