Sorry for not emailing yesterday I got all my clothes tailored so I don't look like a child anymore with massive clothes! So we didn't have time to email yesterday so here I am today! This week has been a good week here in Kenya. On last Monday we get invited to one of the best members house for her birthday party as well as an integrated Family Home Evening. I shared Alma 60:21 which says "Or do ye suppose that the Lord will still deliver us, while we sit upon our thrones and do not make use of the means which the Lord has provided for us?" and connected it with D&C 50:24 which says " That which is of God is light; and he that receiveth light, and continueth in God, receiveth more light; and that light groweth brighter and brighter until the perfect day." I love these scriptures because we need to do as it says. We need to make means for what the lord has provided for us as well as when we have light we need to keep using that light or else we will not get more. This last week we also had exchanges with Elder Tucker, my very good friend from Bountiful and who is just super cool and one of my best friends in the mission! We got bounced like all day but we keep on pushing forward and looking for people to talk with and share this amazing message with. We also went to Moi University again and we got some referrals from our investigator as well as on the hour long Matatu ride back we had some fun....so Elder Card and I were sitting in front and I was talking and joking around with the driver. So after like 5 minutes we pull into this tiny town and he hops out to go get a drink or something and another gets in just to watch the car. I jokingly say "Twende" which means lets go. SO this guy starts to drive away and I am like WOOOW dude i was just kidding don't actually jack this guys car!! Then on the ride back we were singing simple songs like the wheels on the bus and then we sang the primary song popcorn popping and then I sang a solo of a hymn and then we got everyone to sing a few songs like happy birthday and silent night and then we also sang some more Christmas songs as well as the "aint no mountain high enough" song from Remember the Titans haha everyone was laughing and having the best time ever! I will never forget that! So we watched Conference this weekend and I absolutely loved it! I loved many of the talks and I will share some quotes from my favourite talks from 2 of my favourite apostles. The first is from Jeffery R. Holland when he talked on Saturday. "Jesus listening can hear the songs we cannot sing." "Stand as close as humanely possible to the Saviour." "It is by divine design that all the voices in Gods choir are not all the same." "Come as you are, but don't plan to stay as you are." I also loved Dieter F. Uchtdorfs talk and here are a few things he said that I love. "Fear does not change our hearts." "God did not give us the spirit of fear but of power and love." "Dont be paralyzed by fear because something might happen." "If we walk up right in God all things will work for the benefit of us." We also had a baptism on Sunday of Sister Scola. She is from Upperhill Nairobi and is going to school here. She attended the church in Upperhill for about a year but never really took the lessons or got baptized. So the last month we have been teaching her and I got to baptize her! I feel so close to heaven when I am at a baptism and especially when I am in the waters! It was such a great experience and I am so blessed to have been asked to baptize! Lastly we got some transfer news. So Elder Thomas is recovering well and is going to Mombasa so I am staying another transfer here with Elder Card! Not much news but yeah that's what is going on! I hope you all have a great week and are safe and I pray for all of you! Much love from the wonderful country of Kenya! ❤ Love, Elder Merz

So this week has been a very different week in the mission. So last Monday we were playing football and where we were playing wasn't the nicest place to play. There was like 50 spectators and a bunch of them were drunk which was kinda funny but is also wasn't. This one super drunk guy was betting his super old flip-flop for the winner, we were laughing so hard!! So we were playing and someone kicked the ball the Elder Thomas and he got it and stepped weird off the ball and long story short he might have torn a ligament in his ankle. So Tuesday we were with the Pehrsons all day at the hospital and he got an X-ray that didn't look too good for his ankle and we got lunch at the hospital hotel(cafe) which was verrrry good. So after lunch we met with the surgeon and he said it doesn't look good and he might need surgery. His exact words were "Give it 6-8 weeks and it might be healed." notice the MIGHT. The surgeon was super nice and cool. He is an Indian and has been a doctor in Russia, India and Kenya! He asked us about what we do as missionaries and even though we believe different stuff he was very respectful and glad to hear that some young kids are doing something good with their time. He was awesome!! So then on Wednesday we just hung out at the flat, he was icing and elevating. Then some Elders from Kisumu came and stayed with us. One of them is Elder Mortezazadeh. He and I talked about Real Estate a lot because that is what his dad does and that is what I want to go into so it was very cool. Him, his companion Elder Jack and us two just hung out and laughed a lot. Then on Thursday Sister Msane surprised visited us and she was super impressed by how clean our flat is and even told everyone the next day at Zone Conference! She also talked with us and talked to Elder Thomas about his ankle. Sister Msane is the best and is even an retired doctor in South Africa. So she takes care of us well. So on Friday morning President and Sister Msane picked us up in the Boma In mini-van and took us all the the chapel for Zone Conference. It was a super good zone conference and we talked about how we can get more referrals, new investigators as well as get more help from the members. I look forward to implementing the things I learned this next week and use what works here. So some more news. Elder Thomas flew out from here to Nairobi to get another X-ray and MRI so I got a new companion. His name is Elder Card! He is from Cardston, Canada. Hahaha yes Corynn Elder Card! He is super cool and we get along very well already. Its kinda funny because we are both tall, strong, and both played running back in football! I will continue to find out more about him and tell more next week about him but yeah so he is my new companion here since Elder Thomas had to go to Nairobi. I will let you guys know of the news as well of him once I find out more. So lastly is the BIG news! For those of you who didn't see Conference I am with you....yeah because of the time difference we are seeing it this next week. But Elder Thomas got to watch it live with the office couples in Nairobi and THEY ANNOUNCED A TEMPLE FOR NAIROBI KENYA!!!!! He called me immediately and within an hour like all the members and missionaries knew! This is a blessing beyond the description of words. This well bless SOOO many people and not just here in Kenya! In Tanzania, Ethiopia, Rwanda, Uganda etc. Before everyone from here would have to travel to Joberg to go to the temple but now one is being built here!!! This is a blessing from heaven and I am beyond happy to have that news! That is what the people here needed. It will bring the less-actives back, make the members even stronger, as well as give our investigators and recent converts something to look forward to, to continue to grow closer to our Father in Heaven! Words have not been invented for the joy and the blessing this is to me and everyone who this has touched. I slightly feel like my missionary work here so far has helped that temple come here and that the work I will continue to do will just make that even more. I am so thankful for this church and for the blessings and answered prayers that come from living and following Heavenly Father. All my love and joy until next week, Elder Merz