The last 2 weeks i have kept many different transactions and thousands of shillings spent all in my mind. From many different money sources (my monthly money, personal money, and our zone working fund). But i have remembered it all in my head and then was able to account for it all later on and could remember the exact days and amounts of all the money that we spend on things. And in the end after the accounting, everything all lined up. I am quite impressed by my mind! Linda, one of our investigators, is so awesome!!! We had a few lessons with her this week and she reads the material we give her and keeps her commitments we give her! She has great questions and her heart is really being opened to receiving the message. Its a cool relationship we have because she doesn't see us just as missionaries. But even considers us her friend. She opens up to us, trusts us, and really love it when we come! She even cooked us some lunch which was really nice! We also got to meet with Yusuf again, the muslim guy we are teaching here. We go to his mosque and teach him and he is the best guy. He has SUPER good questions and like every time we go he expresses how he loves how we actually help people to understand. He has questions that literally we have to think about and we for sure don't have all the answers for. So it is a nice challenge for us. Our branch mission leader is also giving us a lot of help! He calls us and tells us we should go visit our Ministering families and wants to take us to go visit some less-actives. He is really such a great help to us. He has a positive attitude towards things, like how we biked quite far to go see a less-active who was not even home. She just smiled and we laughed as we rode our bikes together back to mautuma. He even took us to go and minister to our assigned families who 2 of them are less-active families and they both came to church with there whole family on sunday, so there is the fruits of our work! Some interesting things for the week. I had to draw water from a near by well to be able to wash my clothes because no water at our flat, as well as i had to do it in the little sunlight i had. But i got to wash with the company and stories of my great companion Elder Bigirindavyi. Apparently as well, a girl cant get married here until she knows how to slaughter and prepare chicken really nice to the liking of her possible husband. Haha so girls at home dont complain. You would probably scream even just seeing a chicken flap its wings. Elder Big's birthday was on the 22nd. It was a nice day and our last appointment just next door to where we stay (where Sharon, Barbra, and Racheal live) i planned it out with them that after the lesson when we were going that they would "wash" him. It all worked out according to plan. he got some nice big buckets of water dumped on him 😂😂 Last thing for this long email, HAPPY BIRTHDAY THIS WEEK TO MY DAD!!! I am so thankful to have him as my father and for all the many things he has taught me and helped me with. His influence and love and direction in my life has really helped me become who i am today! All the best birthday wishes to you Dad! i love you soooooo much! Cant wait to see you in a few weeks! :) Racheal was also baptized on sunday!! it was a really great day and time! She was glowing like an angel and was standing out like a Princess! She is one of my best friends here and is like my adopted younger sister! Love her! "If the world is to be improved, the process of love must make a change in the hearts of men." - President Hinckley Love, Elder Merz P.S. - hope you like our new ride, the big road smoother machine....

The week we got a whopping 1 day to work in our area, Wednesday. It was a really great day none-the-less. But wow. We took like the only car that goes to mautuma, we hopped in and hopped it would take us to somewhere where we could get to Eldoret faster. Luckily it worked out really nicely and we got to Eldoret in 90 minutes! We had our interviews with President Msane and the next day our Zone conference. Somethings that stuck out for me is how when we pray, we must pray with real intent. That means that you are willing to act and submit to the will of God no matter what the answer may be. Whether it is a yes, no, or wait. I also liked the quote from President Benson that says "Vision without work is a dream; work without vision is a drudgery; work coupled with vision is destiny." We went and visited some members from Eldoret that i missed a lot. One in particular was sister Jane and her family. They were all super excited and happy to see me. We got fed and played/talked with the kids. It was seriously so nice. We also went and taught a really cool blind lady who is investigating the church in Huruma. SO we got to work with Elder Fraga and Ntlebi. It was a super cool experience! She even has a Book of Mormon in brail that somehow we were able to get here! We had our district conference and it was really cool to be able to see some people from mautuma be sustained to receive the Melchizedek priesthood! The talks that were given were very powerful and if the members apply the things that they talked about and learned, we will see great progress in the branches here in the Eldoret district. Thats about it for the week! Have a great week all! Love you! Sincerely, Elder Merz

Bigi got sick this week....but it was okay because Peter (the guy who manages the missionary flats) came to Mautuma and brought us some stuff we really needed! Like hmm...some pots and pans, cups, bowls, a broom...ya know just those luxurious things. haha Also enjoy your constant water and power for me. We didn't have power or water for a few days this week. Makes things interesting 😂 We met with Rachel twice this week and she is really progressing well. She is super smart and remembers things very well. Its cool because every time we teach her, her aunt Mary Ann and her little sister Barbrah (the one we baptized) come and join the lesson and help us teach. We have also started reading the Book of Mormon story book with them to help them understand the stories in the Book of Mormon. It is going really well. They have a really nice sisterhood relationship, they are more friends than just sisters. I know you all think there are starving kids in Africa. But in reality there are starving kids everywhere. But here in mautuma i think it is impossible. We got fed a mega breakfast at our branch presidents until we could barely walk out the door. Then we got fed at the next 2 appointments. Then the next day we again got 3 suuuuper big meals right after each other....so if any one is worried, since i am out surviving in the jungle, if i am getting food. YES I AM!!! Fridah got baptized on Sunday, brother Simon baptized her. It was a really special day for her and looots of people stayed behind after church to support her! :) I love the members here in mautuma! I have a request for some people that are interested. We have started a big family home evening in different areas where people live here. But we are looking for some very simple, and fun games we can play with them. Please have them easy to understand and explain because we will have to translate to swahili. But nice easy fun games we can play with some paper, pens, idk. Any suggestions send em my way, and thank you in advance! :) I would like to quickly talk about prayer. Lots of people pray, and know how to pray. But a loooot more people feel they dont get answers to there prayers, so this might cause them to stop praying. But i would like to help you understand how answers come. The answer wont come as a notification on your phone, an old fashioned letter in the mail, or an angel appearing to you and telling you the answer to your prayer. "The Holy Ghost speaks with a voice that you feel more than you hear. It is described as a 'still small voice' [D&C 85:6]. And while we speak of 'listening' to the whisperings of the Spirit, most often one describes a spiritual prompting by saying, 'I had a feeling....'. Revelation comes as words we feel more than hear. Nephi told his wayward brothers, who were visited by an angel, 'Ye we past feeling, that ye could not feel his words.'" -President Boyd k. Packer. So when you pray please make sure you are in the environment and have created the climate for you to Feel the promptings of the spirit. Let us never be "past feeling" that we can no longer recognize the spirit speaking to us and guiding us. I wish you all well as you pray this week and focus on the feelings you receive, rather than the words you hear. Love, Elder Merz

I dont have much to report on for the week, as i have not been in my area for another week.... On Monday we went to Kitale and emailed, Tuesday we had our DDM and after we went and contacted for the Kitale elders and found 9 men who are interested to know more and serious. We put in some good work for them. Its so weird being back in an area where there are lots of people to talk to. Wednesday we went to Eldoret and had a correlation meeting with the District President and talked about how the areas are progressing. Us and the Huruma Elders went and got a super nice hair cut. We slept on there floor for the 3rd day in a row and woke up to the mosque outside praying at 3 am. I just had to join the prayer session so i prayed it would stop. Thursday we traveled to Nairobi with the Huruma Elders (Elder Fraga and Ntlebi) and the Eldoret STL's. We had a fun 10 hour bus ride together and enjoyed each others company. We had too many jokes to tell and share. It made the trip quite bearable. We got there and got taken to the Assistants flat. So us 4 elders, and the Kisumu Zone Leaders (Elder Card and Nyanhamo) and the assistants all slept there. We had a great time together and Elder Fraga and Carlson (both in my group) talked into the morning hours. Mlc went well the next day and i was able to learn that the only opinion of me that matters is the Lords. We traveled back Saturday and only got Sunday to work. Buuuut we had 3 great lessons after church and Baraka was also confirmed. It was nice to sleep in my bed and not to floor for 2 days. But Sunday i woke up next to a huge spider....i should have asked him i guess to sleep on his bed.... We are looking forward to having time to work in our area this week and continue to progress the great and legendary Mautuma. We are close to becoming a ward when the stake comes to Eldoret. I got my flight info which is weird. the calendar tells me it is August 2018 but in my mind its not real. Oh well sorry for the not so good email, but there's not much to say when i am traveling all week. Love from the bush master, Elder C. Merz