I'm in the Philippines!!!!!

Alright family. I am finally here after much much!! travel. 

WOW. I seriously cannot believe that I am a missionary here. When I look around to see that I am here, it is seriously so surreal. The people are amazing! like everyone has said that they are. The cockroaches are HUGE!! like everyone said they are. We have about 15 pet lizards that live in our house and eat some mosquito's which is good. THE SPIDERS ARE AS BIG AS MY FACE!!! No joke. It is very unsettling to be walking in a huge field to a members home and know that there are spiders that could bite my leg and carry me off into their nest :/. We take our showers, wash our clothes and go to the c.r (bathroom) with a cute little bucket, and we walk everywhere. It is really hard to be very honest but all of that goes away when we walk into someones home who has literally nothing. They have one room with a dirt floor and barely any walls or a roof, yet they are so happy to have the missionaries over and to give what little food they have. It is heartbreaking to see these families who offer you little food and you can see that they are starving. I am just thankful that I have a filipina companion to tell them that we have "already eaten" and that we will just take a small portion so they will have some for their family. 

It is definitely not California out here but I would not trade it for the world. I want to share a quick, sweet experience that we had the second day I was here. We went to go visit a less active member at his home. He wasn't there but we were able to talk to these three sisters and taught them the first lesson. 

While teaching them on the dirt floor of a shack with dogs running around and a cow next to us, the spirit so sobra strong!! I cannot even explain that feeling that I had then. Those 3 sweet sisters who felt the spirit so strongly and have now committed to be baptized. Although I could not say hardly anything or understand anything... I know that they understood and knew that what we were teaching was right. 

I am so thankful to be here and to learn from these amazing and humble people. It is not an easy life out here but I would not want to be anywhere else. :)

I hope that all of you are doing well and that everyone is staying safe and healthy. I love you all!

Oh by the way, I am in an area called "Lingayan" its about 6 or so hours from Baguio. Just so you know where I am :)

LOVE YOU ALL!!

--
Mahal, Sister Merrill