Monday, December 28th

Hello everyone!

Well, the biggest news from this last week, and the thing I'll
probably spend a bit of time talking about is my brown
recluse spider bite.

So, on Monday, I noticed a little blister on my hand and
opened it up to drain it. Well, I thought that would be it.

On Tuesday it had grown a little bit and my hand had
swollen up quite a bit. Well, we cleaned it out and
re-bandaged it up, and we were on our way.

Well, on Wednesday, it had grown quite a bit, and we tried
to get puss out. We didn't have too much luck.

Christmas came, and it had continued to grow. Late
Christmas night, puss started coming out. We cleaned out
all the puss, and then there was a good-sized hole in my
hand. We cleaned it up, took a picture, and then bandaged
it up.

On Saturday, things weren't getting much better. We were
out tracting, and a couple of people we contacted said that
it was a brown recluse spider bite, and that I need to take
care of it right away. So, I called Sister Miller (the mission
president's wife). She agreed that she thought that's what it
probably was, and called a doctor in the mission presidency,
and he called in a prescription for me.

Supposedly the brown recluse is something like the fourth
most venomous spider known of.

Today, my hand is looking a lot better. The swelling has
receded quite a bit, and it looks as though the bite is
starting to heal over. I'm hopeful that it won't get much
worse. Please keep me in your prayers. Thanks!

In other news, I loved talking to y'all on Christmas. It was
good to hear from each one of you.

I can't believe this week will be 2010. I wish y'all the very
best New Years.

As for me here in Zapata, it will probably be like every
other week...maybe get some sparkling cider for New
Years, or something like that. Please pray for the work here
in Zapata. I love you all.

Love,
Elder John

Monday, December 21st

Hello family!

Well, this email will probably be pretty short, considering I
get to talk to you all on Christmas! I can't believe it's this
week! Things are going really well for me. I am loving the
work here in Zapata. The members here are great.

I want to share a quick story that happened to us yesterday.
We were out contacting/tracting, and we knocked a door. A
15 year old kid answered, and we asked if we could meet with
him and the family. Well, they let us in, and we found out
that their dad had passed away 5 years ago, and that they
were looking for peace and happiness in their family. Well,
we taught about the plan of salvation. The spirit there was
very powerful, and I'm excited to have the opportunity to
work with that family.

I sent out a tape sometime last week. I hope you all get that
soon. It's nothing too special, but you can hear me even
before Friday that way. :)

Well, again, this is going to be short, but I do love you all.
I'm doing well, and working hard.

Love,
Elder John

Monday, December 14th

Hello all!

Well, a lot has happened this week. Elder Velez got ET'd
(Emergency Transfer), so I have a new companion. His name
is Elder Peterson. He's from Pleasant Grove, Utah. We were in
the same district when I was back in Weslaco. He's been out
one more transfer than me. We're excited to be working
together.

Yesterday was District Conference for Laredo and Zapata.
Before the conference started, President Miller asked to
speak with Elder Peterson and myself. He addressed the
importance of Zapata, how he needs it to succeed, and that
he trusts us to make it grow.

Elder Peterson and I have been working extremely hard. We
are finding some wonderful people. It's amazing what the
Lord does for us when we are willing to put ourselves out
there and work as hard as we can. He will always make up the
difference, no matter how big it may be.

So, this last week we had Zone Conference up in Corpus
Christi. It was a three and a half hour drive each direction.
We had to wake up at 4:30 in the morning to get there on
time. It was a great experience. It was our Christmas
program after as well. I played and sang my own
arrangement of the First Noel, and then I sang with another
group We Three Kings. It was a great experience.

Well, this is a random tidbit. Elder Peterson and I have been
lifting weights in the morning. I'm incredibly sore, but I'm
excited to see results. I'm still on my health spree, which I
guess is a good thing.

I'm attaching several pictures: A couple are next to the Rio
Grande (our area), a huge cactus we found while tracting,
A Christmas Tree in Zapata, and a funny sign we saw on our
way back from Corpus Christi. Enjoy!

I love you all!

Elder John

Monday, December 7th

Hello once again from Zapata. We had a pretty good week. We're
starting to see a little bit of a change in our branch. I'll start
with last Monday evening. We had family home evening. Well,
only one person showed up. He's a less-active, so that was
awesome. He's in his 50's. We talked with him for a good hour,
and he's really excited about things. He wanted a blessing for
health before he left, so we did that. Several times throughout
the week, he texted us and let us know that it's working, and left
us scriptures about leaving the ninety and nine and going after
that which is lost. He missed church again yesterday, but
needless to say, we're excited about him.

Yesterday at church we had two less-active ladies come. They
were immediately fellowshipped. One of them was even
planning on leaving right after sacrament, but the Relief
Society president started talking with her, and got her to stay
for that as well (they only have Sacrament and
Priesthood/Relief Society here.) So, we're on track, it was great
to see a little bit of the fruits this week.

In other news, we've had some good times tracting this week.
There's been some funny signs we've seen. I'm attaching
those pictures. One is a snowmobile crossing sign....who
knows why in the world that's needed....the next is a tex-mex
sign that doesn't make a whole lot of sense....only in Texas I
guess. The third is from the ice-cream we got at McDonalds....
Hot and fresh ice cream; nothing like it.

We're working hard, and having a great time. I really think the
people here just need to feel that we care about them. I
appreciate all your prayers in their and my behalf. Thanks :)
Well, I love you all. If you have questions...you know where
to find me.

-Elder John

Monday, November 30th

Due to issues with Myldsmail.net which erased my email...again.
Ugh! I'm sending a picture. A picture is worth a thousand words
after all, isn't it? I'm sorry that the letter didn't work out. Things
are great here in Zapata. I love it, and I'm excited to keep
working here. There's a bright future here.



I love you all!

The picture is the Rio Grande... I'm looking into Mexico. That's a
little place in my area...it would be so easy to cross there...
Anyway, enjoy!

Love,
Elder Meservy

Pictures!

A couple of weeks ago, we had the best surprise--a member where John is serving contacted us. It was so neat to hear how he was doing from someone who had recently seen him.

In fact, they had had John and his companion over multiple times for dinner--as well as bumped into them when they were out sightseeing. We loved getting to see all the great pictures she sent--and hope you enjoy them too!

Monday, November 23rd

Hello from Zapata! What a surprise! I REALLY did not expect
to get transferred...but here I am.

Zapata is a really small town. We have a little branch that is
struggling. Yesterday at church we had 8 of us, that's with the
missionaries, and the branch president...who has to travel an
hour down here every Sunday. We had 4 members from the
area come. It's small, but I'm excited to be here and to help
out. I really feel like this is where the Lord wants me.

So, the closest missionaries to my companion and I are an
hour away. It will definitely be a unique challenge, but I'm
looking forward to it.

My companion's name is Elder Mauricio Velez. This is his s
econd transfer. He's from Whittier, California. So, it's a really
small world. Apparently, Royal Meservy was their stake
patriarch. He helped Elder Velez' parents get settled in the
states. They really love the Meservy's... so...here's to hoping
I don't mess up the good family name :)

Well, I do enjoy things here in Zapata. I will probably be in
this area for quite awhile. We'll see though. I really can't
wait to keep working here. It should be a great opportunity.

Well, I love you all, and I appreciate all of your love and
concern for me.

Love,
Elder John

Transferred

Elder Meservy was transferred:
P.O. Box 14991 Zapata, TX 78076

Monday, November 16th

Hello once again from the great state of Texas! It's hard to
believe another week has come and gone once again.

First off, I'm glad to hear Hyrum is home and doing well.

Next, I hear that some pictures of me taken by a member have
been circling around.... I hope they didn't disappoint. I hear
Lydia misses me a lot. (At least that's what the member tells
me she says.) It's fun to talk with someone that has close
contact with the family.

Well, things are cold and windy here right now. We should be
getting some rain today.

It's definitely been getting colder. I've had to use my jacket
quite a few times...yes...in 80 degree weather. I know most
of you would love to have that.

Well, I guess it's now time to talk a little bit about this last
week's adventures with the missionary work. We had a really
good week. Yesterday we had a really good lesson with a lady
name Maria Barron. Her husband and son are both inactive
members. Well, we set a baptismal date with her. She loves
the Book of Mormon, and understands it well. During the
lesson, she said, "I don't understand it." We asked her what
she didn't understand, to which she replied, "That people
don't believe in the Book of Mormon. If you believed the
bible you would believe in the Book of Mormon. It just
makes sense." We were SO excited. She seems to understand
the authority and everything.

Well, I'm trying to think about anything else that's new or
exciting, but I can't seem to think of anything at the moment.
I trust you all are doing well. I love you all.

-Elder John

P.S. Transfers are coming up this Wednesday, but I'm
pretty sure I'll be staying here in Harlingen, but who
knows. (Letters can still be sent to my Harlingen address
if you have it.)

Monday, November 9th

I have now been in the field for over a year. That's weird. The
time is going so incredibly fast. I really cannot believe that it's
already November.

As I write this, it's drizzling outside. It's cooled down a lot
here recently. It's even been cold...I guess if I can call 80
degrees cold... I really have gotten used to Texas heat.

Well, I'm doing well. This last week we had interviews with
President Miller. It was a good interview. I was able to learn
a bit more about the things I can do to continually become
better.

We had some great lessons with investigators this last week.
Several of them have really amazed me at their
understanding. Myeshia came to church again yesterday
(that was her second time). She loves church, and loves
learning more about God. It's fun to see the excitement in
others.

Tonight we'll be having Family Home Evening with the
Hawkins (member family) and Angie (one of our
investigators). We're excited for Angie to meet more people
in the ward, and we're grateful for the members' help in the
missionary work.

Well, I love you all, and I'm so grateful that Hyrum is
doing better.

I was looking at a picture of the family (the one taken
the summer before I came out), and realized how different
everyone must look. So, I'm sending you all a request. I
want pictures of you and your families. Whether taken as
the whole family, or individual pictures. Thanks!

Well, I love you all

-Elder John

Monday, November 1st

Wow! I can't believe it's already November! How crazy.

We've had a really good week. One of our investigators that
we've been working with for quite a while now bore his
testimony yesterday at church. It was really an amazing,
heartfelt testimony, and it's been amazing to see the changes
that he's made in his life. We're waiting for him and his
girlfriend to get married (she needs to get a divorce first...)

We've been working with another lady that has a couple of
kids. Well, she's made leaps and bounds in progress in the
few short weeks we've been meeting with her. From the first
time meeting her drinking her Bud Light, and asking us
ridiculous questions, to her quitting drinking now is really
amazing. She loves having us over, and we've had some
really great experiences there. She told us during a prayer
once that she felt as though there were angels lifting her
up. What an incredible experience! We're hoping to be able
to set a baptismal date with her here shortly.

What an amazing opportunity to be out here in South Texas
serving the Lord. Tomorrow is my 14 month mark. I cannot
believe how fast the time goes!

Well, I love you all

-Elder John

Monday, October 26th

Well, first things first. Congratulations to Dan and Laurie. I'm
sorry that there have been some complications, but I will
definitely keep Hyrum in my prayers. How wonderful it is that
we have the technology now to be able to keep these precious
souls alive.

Things have been pretty good here in Harlingen. I'm really
enjoying the time that I have here. I have continually been
growing and learning. Not perfect...yet. I know that many of
you probably think I am. :)

We had a really good week. Not too much progress from our
investigators. (Several have been sick)

I'm going to tell a story from yesterday. We were out
contacting people, and we contacted this man named Ruben.
Well, he let us come in and we had a really good first lesson.
He told us that he wouldn't be interested in reading the Book
of Mormon; that he will only believe in one book...the Bible.
Well, we taught a little more, and testified of it's truthfulness.
We read part of the last chapter of 2nd Nephi. I don't know if
I've ever felt the Spirit testify so strongly to me of the
truthfulness of the Book of Mormon. Well, he still rejected it,
but I came out of that lesson with an even stronger testimony
of the Book of Mormon. Those are the moments I love as a
missionary. It's great to have these experiences.

Well, I love you all!

-Elder John

Monday, October 19th

Well, another week from way down south.

Elder Campbell and I get along really well. This last week, we
had some of the highest numbers that I've had this whole time.
It's been great, and we work well together.

We've found some great people, and we're really excited about
the progress they're making.

One of them that we found this week's name is Myeshia. We
taught her once, and she came to church yesterday. She's a
student at the college here. She seemed to enjoy church
yesterday, and was fellowshipped really well by the members.
She's excited to learn more, and to keep coming to church.

Well, Nora and Ovidio (from my last area) got a hold of our
number, and gave me a call last night. They're going to be in
the area today, and wanted to take us out to eat. I'm excited
to see my recent convert again! I was so happy to hear from
them last night, and I'm excited to see them again today.

In other news, there's been a cold front here, and we had an
average high the last few days of about 85. We busted out the
hot chocolate. I know, lame, but it was cold!

Well, we have a busy week ahead of us, but it should be
really good. It's already zone conference time again. It's
crazy how fast the time goes.

Things really haven't changed too much for me, same old,
same old. I love this area, and have grown to love the people
here a ton. It's been good being on a bike as well. I miss the
car, but I guess there's nothing I can do about that. It's been
nice riding the bike since the weather has cooled down a bit.

Well, I love you all! Until next week!

Love,
Elder John

Monday, October 12th

Well, transfers were this last week, and I'm still here in
Harlingen. I did get a new companion. His name is Elder
Campbell. He and I were in the same MTC district, which is
exciting. We've had a great half-week together since
transfers.

It sounds as though all is going well back home. Things here
are great. I've decided that I've been gaining a little bit of
weight...not much, but I'm about what I was right before I
went into the MTC. I suppose that's what happens when you
have members feed you throughout the week. There's a
member family that moved down here from Utah (the
Hawkins) and we eat American food there every week. It's a
nice change-up from straight Mexican food (don't get me
wrong, I love the Mexican food, but it's nice to have a change
every now and then.)

We've found and have been teaching some great people this
last week. Unfortunately, none of the ones we're actively
teaching came to church yesterday, even though we had very
strong commitments from several of them.

I've been learning and growing a lot in the last couple weeks. I
feel that I have made leaps and bounds in my progression.
However, there's always more to be done. I guess that's just
the way it is.

I can't believe how the time has been flying by. It seems like
just yesterday I was here at the library emailing. I'm doing my
best to make the most of each moment that I have as a
missionary. This really is a remarkable experience. I've never
felt closer to my Savior than I have as a missionary. There are
times, obviously, when the work is incredibly hard, but the
good times outweigh the bad. When we have even one lesson
that the Spirit is there testifying to the person of the
truthfulness of what we're sharing, makes up for all the
slammed doors, swearing, etc. that we experience as
missionaries.

How I love each of you. Thank you for all of your examples to
me in helping me become the person that I am.

Love,
Elder John

Monday, October 5th

First off, conference was amazing! As always. I can't keep my
excitement in. Only one left as a missionary. How the time
goes!

We had a pretty good week this week, except for a couple
days near the beginning of the week. We both weren't feeling
well, and had to stay near the restroom...other than that, it
was a pretty good week.

Elder Nielson, the one that came to our zone conference that
I talked about last week, is the same one that talked after Elder
Cook in the Sunday Afternoon Session of General Conference.
He's the one that talked about his mission to Finland if that
sparks anyone's memories.

Things are going well. Transfers are this week, and I'm almost
positive I'll be staying in this area, but I guess we'll see. I
really can't imagine leaving yet.

We're working with some really great people. One of our
investigators should finish up reading the Book of Mormon
today. (He agreed to a challenge to read it in a week.) He's a
great man, and I think he's finally catching the vision a little
bit more. He also came to all five sessions of General
Conference this weekend.

It sounds like things are cold in a lot of places besides down
here in South Texas. I'm actually kind of excited for this
winter. It's cooling down a bit here, but there still are days
where it surprises us and is in the high 90's instead of the
high 80's or low 90's.

What a wonderful opportunity that we have to have a
knowledge of the gospel in our lives. There really is nothing
that can compare with the power of this message.
Sigue adelante.

-Elder John H. Meservy

Monday, Sept 28th

Well, we had an excellent week. Zone conference was amazing.
We had Elder Nielson from the Quorum of the Seventy with us.
It was an amazing opportunity. During lunch in between
sessions, he ate at our table. It was fun to be able to talk with
him, and to feel and enjoy of his spirit.

On Thursday morning, I was looking at some of our numbers
from this transfer, and looking at some of the trends, and we
made a couple of observations. We found the days and times
that we didn't contact as much, or that we weren't as diligent
or focused. Well, we corrected it this week, and it was
exciting to see the results.

We contacted 106 people, and found 11 new investigators.
It really felt good to accomplish the goals that we had set.
Each week, we are raising our goals, little by little, and are
finding that we're accomplishing them. Really, the principle
of goal setting is one of the most important things that we
can do to help us out in this life.

So, I hear Sister Westwood is going to be going outbound
to the Billings, Montana mission. Crazy! Best of luck to her! :)
It should be a good cold winter up there.

So, a little bit more of exciting news. The October edition
of the ensign has an article all about the Texas McAllen
mission. It talks about the member missionary program.
There's a picture of a family in my last area that we would
eat with every Sunday night. The Esparza family. The
article is called "The Member-Missionary Effect."

Anyway, I love you all, and I love hearing from each of you.

Enjoy conference!

Love,
Elder John H. Meservy

Monday, Sept 21st

It has been a really wet week here in Harlingen. Probably the
most exciting thing this last week happened on Saturday. We
went contacting during a thunderstorm, and got stuck in one
of the biggest rainstorms I've seen in my life. We started our
bike ride home in the middle of the down pour. Each time I
pedaled, my foot would go into the six or so inches of water
covering the street. It was a good ride home, but we were
completely soaked. Riding a bike in a downpour is always a
good time though. I'm sending a picture or two showing how
wet I got.

Yesterday, we have 5 investigators at church. We have been
reaching most of our goals, which is a good feeling. As we
continue to push our goals higher, and higher, we are feeling
more connected to them, and we know that we can reach them.

This week we'll be having someone from the Quorum of the
Seventy at our Zone Conference. I always love zone
conferences, and this one should be especially good.

Well, I truly am humbled at this opportunity that I have to
share the gospel with those around me. What a wonderful
opportunity to have at this stage in my life. I truly have
grown leaps and bounds, and I continue to do those things
that I should do, so that I can return to live with my Father
in Heaven.

Congratulations to Lydia and Dave on the birth of their
baby. It sounds like things went fairly well.

I love you all, and pray for you.

-Elder John H. Meservy

Monday, Sept 14th

Another week from here in Harlingen.

We had a really good week. We were able to reach most
of our goals that we had set, which was a really good
feeling.

We've been out contacting a lot. This last week we
had a few days of rain, so I got to bike in the rain.
I had an interesting thought as I was doing that. I
was riding, soaking wet, in the rain, and I was
smiling. By all accounts I should've been miserable.
I can just imagine the cars driving by, thinking, "why
in the world is he smiling? He should be miserable."
The gospel really brings happiness in whatever
situation that we're in.

I have been learning a lot and have found so much
happiness in the work. Truly, the gospel is the only
thing that will bring these people true happiness.

Yesterday during gospel principles, we were talking
about the Holy Ghost. Well, it was there - strongly.
The investigators all were bearing testimony of the
feelings they've had in this church, and the
difference that they've felt in their lives. Those
are the moments you live for as a missionary. What
an amazing opportunity!

-Elder John H. Meservy

Tuesday, September 8, 2009

Well, another week here in Harlingen. We've had a bit of rainy
days lately, and supposedly there's supposed to be a couple
storms coming in today and tomorrow. Nothing like riding in
the rain!

This week we had some good lessons with several people. One
of them is trying to get over several addictions, and is making
progress and finding strength in the gospel. He says that he
can feel the difference in his life as he goes to church, and as
he puts forth a strong effort. I feel that he is one of the big
reasons that I am in this area. He and I get along really well,
and he seems to trust me.

In other news, I am continuing to learn and grow. I've been
going through the Book of Mormon again, and marking
different key words, and it's been amazing to me to see the
amount of times that certain words are in the Book of
Mormon. Some of the topics include; Baptism, Repentance,
Prepare/Plan, Remember, etc.

I love the work and can't believe it's already halfway behind
me.

I love you all, and appreciate your love and support.

Love,
Elder John H. Meservy

Monday, August 31st

Well, transfers were this week, and I am now in Harlingen. My
new address is 809 N. 26th St. Apt 7 Harlingen, TX 78550.

My new area is on bikes, which was great until yesterday when
there was a bike rainstorm. We biked through it anyway. A
couple interesting things to note here. First off, this was my
companion Elder Andrew's area before he went to Weslaco
with me, now I'm here. The other thing, probably the most
exciting, is that the original Iwo Jima memorial is in my area.
The man at the base of the pole pushing it into the ground
was from Weslaco. I tried attaching a picture, but it didn't
want to cooperate.

Being on a bike has been very tiring, but I guess that's the way
it is.

My companion's name is Elder Olsen. He's 5'6" and 115 pounds.
He's from Clearfield, UT. He has an identical twin. (My last
companion was a twin too...) He's one transfer behind me,
so we're co-senior companions.

I'm learning a lot and working hard. I love you all very much!

So, I guess a lot of wards here in South Texas don't have
pianists or organists, because I got roped in to playing the
organ for the Spanish ward here too. Well, I guess we serve
in whatever ways that we can.

Love,
Elder Meservy

P.S. Happy Year-mark to me on Thursday! :)

Monday, August 24th

Hello family and friends,

This week has been a decent week for me.

I'm jealous that you all got to see the temple dedication. That
would be such a great thing to watch and participate in again.
There really is a peace in the temple that you find no where
else in the world.

It sounds as though things are busy at home...as always, I
guess. There never was much of a slow moment at home.

Congratulations mom and dad on your 37th anniversary. I
have often reflected on the mission about how lucky I am to
have been raised by a mother and father who love each
other, and their children.

This last week we had 103 contacts, and 10 new investigators.
Probably the best part about this week is that we had 7
investigators at church. We found a great family that
missionaries had taught a long time ago, but for one reason
or another had been put back in the area book. Well, we
stopped by again, and they were excited to see us, and they
came to church.

Well, this week is transfers again...Odds are I'm gone, but I've
been surprised before, so we'll see what this week brings.

I have been studying a lot out of Abraham 4 and 5 lately, and
have really learned a lot. I love all the hidden treasures in
the scriptures, and can't wait to be able to return to the
temple. There really is nothing like it in all the world.

Well, I love you all dearly, and am grateful for each and
every one of you.

Love,
Elder John H. Meservy

Monday, April 17th

Hello my family and friends!

This week was a good week for us. The last few weeks in district
meeting, we've noticed the number of contacts to new
investigators has been almost exactly 10%. Well, the numbers
from this week confirm that. We had 101 contacts, with 10
new investigators. It was a great week. I feel I have made a lot
of progress personally with the things that I am working on.

Elder Clarke and I have been finding a lot of people excited to
listen to the gospel. It's definitely been a better week than last.

I feel like this transfer I've had to learn a lot of patience. A
whole lot of things going on, and I can't do anything about
any of them... I guess that's life. I just have to deal with other
people's decisions, and let them do things on their own time.

Well, I'm learning a lot as I've been studying through the
Book of Mormon again. It's amazing when scriptures stick out
to you in a way they never had before. The gospel is so
simple, yet so deep. I love learning about the scriptures, and
just wish the missionary library included more books :)

Well, I love you all, I keep you in my prayers.

Love,
Elder John H. Meservy

Monday, August 10th

Well, it's been a rough week with finding new investigators.
Out of the 73 contacts that we had, only 1 wanted to listen to
us. It can get a little bit discouraging, but what can you do?
That's the nature of this work.

We've been doing a lot of less-active work. We feel like we've
come a long way, and have helped to break down some of
the barriers that were holding them back from the church.

We have a really busy p-day today, so I don't have a whole
lot of time to write... It doesn't help that somehow
everything I had written in my email just got erased...so
I had to restart.

Anyway, please know that I love you all, and I pray for you all.

I love you

-Elder John H. Meservy

Monday, August 3rd

Well, happy 11 month mark day to me today! Crazy!

This last week we had mini-missionaries with us. Both me and my
companion had them, so we were on splits for the whole week. It
was quite the experience teaching them about missionary work,
especially when they don't even have the MTC background. I'm
guessing that's what it would be like training a greenie. Anyway,
it was an awesome week, and it was great to work with these
young men and see their growth during the week.

We had a less-active come to church yesterday for the first time
in over 5 years. It was awesome to see him come. We had done
some painting in their house, and I think that really put the fire
under him and encouraged him to come. Service definitely opens
up teaching opportunities.

So, Martha (the recent convert) has had a question ever since she
began investigating the church. She's always been curious about
God's name. We had tried to answer it by ourselves, but it still
wasn't making too much sense to her. We found the answer in
Jesus the Christ. So, we got a copy of it in Spanish, and we
brought it over to her. She read it while we were there, and then
at the end she offered the prayer.

Her prayer was incredible, and she felt the confirming witness of
the Holy Ghost. In her prayer she talked about how she now
understood and knew the names, but knew that they were holy,
and that we don't use his name. The Spirit in the room was
incredible, and for a few minutes after we just sat in silence and
didn't dare speak. The power of prayer is real, not only have I
seen it in my own life, but also in the lives of those that we teach.

How grateful I am for this amazing opportunity that I have to be
here as a servant of the Lord Jesus Christ. I want to share a
quote that we have memorized in this mission. It's comes from
"My missionary Commission" by Bruce R. McConkie "By
revelation, I have been selected to represent Him. To stand in
His place. To do what He Himself would say and do if He
personally were ministering the the very people to whom He has
sent me. My voice is His voice, my words are His words. My acts
are His acts, and my doctrine is His doctrine. My missionary
commission is to do what He wants done, to do what He wants
said. To be a living modern day witness of the divinity of this
great and marvelous latter-day work. How great is my calling."

I feel blessed to have this opportunity to represent Him.

I love you all.

Con carino,
Elder John H. Meservy

Monday, July 27th

Well. It's another week here from Weslaco.

Things are still going well here for me..

This week we went looking for a less-active member, and he let
us in. Apparently he was in the Bishopric some 10-12 years ago,
but got offended by something someone said. Well, we sang
hymns for both him and his wife. (They had a hymnbook out on
their bookshelf.) It was amazing to feel the spirit as we sang. You
could feel a difference in their attitude, and also in the spirit from
the time that we entered the house, to the time we left.

This week they're doing a thing called "mini-missions" for the
youth in South Texas. Starting today, I'll have a kid with me, and
he'll be living mission rules and everything. Elder Clarke and I
will be on exchanges with the kids all week. It should be a great
experience for them.

Things continue to roll forward here. I can't believe July's almost
over! Time flies, yet goes so slow... crazy!

Well, I love you all, and appreciate all the prayers!

-Elder John H. Meservy

Monday, July 20th

Well, I bet you're all anxious to find out where Elder Meservy
is now...

Ready? I'm in Weslaco. Still. I'm excited to be here another
transfer. I was almost positive that I would be leaving this
transfer...I guess not. I'm still with Elder Clarke. We're excited
to be able to work together again another transfer.

Well, we're working with some really great families. One came
to church yesterday. Well, the father did, the others were down
in Mexico. They say that they'll be there this next week. They
have baptismal dates for the 22nd of August. I'm so excited
for them!

This last week we had to drive the other elders to a doctor's
appointment in Brownsville. We were right next to the ocean,
and right next to the border of US and Mexico. It was crazy.
We went and got a hundred pound bail of ties on the first
street after you get into the US. It was great to be that close.
It's only about a 45 minute drive from here to the ocean, and
only like 5 minutes from here to the border of the US and
Mexico.

Well, I'm learning a lot, and have really learned and grown so
much already.

Other than that, not too much is new.

My address is still
608 E. Sugarcane Rd. D
Weslaco, TX 78596

I love you all.

Elder John H. Meservy

Monday, July 13th

This week is transfers again. I'm guessing I'll be leaving Weslaco,
but I guess we'll find out tomorrow night...and next Monday for
all of you.

This last week I've learned a ton from the scriptures, and have
grown a lot. I have been doing a lot of studying about light and
truth. I've been basing the study out of Doctrine and Covenants
Section 93. This has become one of my favorite sections. There
is so much information in there, that it takes me a good hour to
go through like 3 verses.

Anyway, I'm glad to hear that the tape and pictures made it home
safely. I hope you all enjoyed them.

We've been working with some great families lately, and we found
another new family to start teaching this last week. They're really
great, but they didn't end up going to church yesterday, which
was a little disappointing...

I'm doing well. I can't believe it's already halfway through July!

Well, I don't have much else to report.

I love you all.

Love,
Elder Meservy

Monday, July 6th

Hello family and friends!

Another marvelous week from Weslaco.

I've been working my tail off this week, as always... It just is a lot
hotter this week than it sometimes is...rather, than it was.

It's always hard to know what to write in this letter home,
because it feels as though it's the same old thing day in and
day out for me. Just new people, I guess.

Last night, we had a lesson with Martha's son. It was a really
great lesson, and he's excited to learn more. He broke down and
even started crying. He's trying to do what's right, and I think
he realizes that we're bringing the truth. Martha's daughter
came to church yesterday as well, which was awesome.

The Fourth of July here was different than back home...that's
for sure, but it was still good. We got invited to eat with the ward
mission leader from the Spanish ward, and then we went over to
a family from the English ward's home.

I'm going to start working on a tape to send home here soon...so,
hopefully that willl make it there this week. It probably won't be
very exciting, but that's alright.

Well, I love you all dearly, and keep you in my prayers.

Love,
Elder Meservy

(Enjoy yourselves in Yellowstone)

Monday, June 29th

June 29, 2009

Well, my first birthday on the mission has come and gone. Crazy.
It was really a great birthday. I'll go ahead and share some of
what happened.

Woke up, went to church. While waiting for church, I got a phone
call from Sister Miller (President Miller's wife) singing happy
birthday to me. Then, I sit down at the organ and start playing
prelude, and a family that doesn't even live in my area comes up
and gives me a happy birthday card, and told me they left the
cake for me in the refrigerator. A few minutes later, Sister
Weese comes up and gives me a happy birthday balloon...
(a small one...not distracting)

After church, we taught a couple lessons, and then went to my
recent converts house, and they fed us dinner and cake. After
which, we went to Martha's house, where they were having a
birthday party for her grandson, and we jumped in a moon
jump for a while.

Anyway, I put way too much soda and junk into my body
yesterday, and today I'm paying for it.

Anyway, all in all it was a good birthday. Thank you all for your
birthday wishes and gifts.

The weather has definitely been very hot here. I'm starting to
understand the South Texas heat a little bit more.

Well, I've felt a little bit sick for a while now...hopefully I'll be able
to get over that soon. It's been slowing me down a bit.

We had interviews with President Miller this last week, and that
was excellent. It's always good to talk with him one on one.

I am learning a ton, and continue to stretch and grow.

I love you all.

Love,
Elder Meservy

Monday, June 22nd

Another week from Weslaco.

Well, it's certainly been heating up a lot, and I hear it's just going
to keep getting hotter! I guess that's how it goes here in South
Texas though.

This last week we had a really good zone conference. I learned a
lot, and am excited to put into practice what we learned.

I have really studied a lot about grace this last week, and have
really come to understand it a whole lot better. I was always
confused about grace vs. mercy. I have found out the big
differences lately, which is super exciting!

This week we have interviews with President Miller. It's
always great to talk to him, and to hear his counsel and his
advice. I am grateful to be under the direction of him, and am
always excited to hear what he has to say.

Well, this week I'll be the big 2-0! I'm not going to be a teenager
anymore. Crazy thought, but hey, it's exciting!

Well, this last week at zone conference I realized I'm not a
greenie anymore. I was talking with several other missionaries
and they were talking about what transfer they're on, and I
was surprised to not be the youngest of everyone anymore. I'm
just stuck, content, in the middle.

I appreciate all of your thoughts and prayers.

I love you all dearly.

Con amor,
Elder Meservy

Monday, June 15th

Well, things are starting to heat up a lot down here in South
Texas, and I'm told it's only going to get hotter.

This last week we had an incredible week. We had 75 contacts,
and 18 new investigators. However, most of those have proved
to be lazy already, and really weren't as interested as they
appeared to be at first.

Well, we spent a couple of hours the other day cutting Martha's
lawn. That was really hot and tiring, but we got some good
Mexican food for it, so it all worked out alright.

I've learned a lot, and have grown a lot lately. I have seen the
hand of the Lord in my life. That's for sure.

I've been doing better emotionally this last week. (I don't know
if I mentioned it, but the couple weeks before were pretty
hard on me.)

I have been learning a lot out of the scriptures, and it seems as
though I'm continually growing and learning.

I've appreciated all the emails I've gotten lately, and for those
that haven't emailed me lately. Get on it. :)

Alright, well, until next week.

I love you all.

Con amor,
-Elder Meservy

Monday, June 8th

Well, hello, this time from.....

Take a guess! Weslaco!

Yeah, I'm still here. I love it here though.

I got a new companion. His name is Elder Clarke. He's from
Canada. Ontario. He's awesome, and we're getting along really
well.

Well, I had the opportunity to confirm Martha as a member of
the church yesterday. It's a really good feeling, that's for sure.

We're working hard, and this last week we found 9 new
investigators. We'll see if, and how much they progress.

I am doing pretty well. Things seem to be going alright for me.
I've been strengthened lately in some of these frustrations. I
have come out a lot stronger, and am learning to accept things
as they come.

How wonderful it is to be a part of this great work.

I love you all.
Love, Elder Meservy

Monday, June 1st

Hello Family!

I can't believe that it's already June!

Well, yesterday was incredible! Martha was baptized! It's
amazing to see the changes that she's undergone, and I'm
excited that now she made the decision to be baptized. We also
had a good lesson with her and one of her daughters after
church. We were talking with her son as well, and he really
seems to enjoy having us around.

Well, transfers are this week, I don't know if I'm going
anywhere or not yet. I'll be sure to let you all know this next
week though if I get moved or what not.

Mom and Dad, be safe in Europe. I'm sure it will be nice for
you two to be able to spend more time with the family
history stuff...

Well, I love you all, and send you my love from South Texas.

Have a great week.

Love,
Elder Meservy

Tuesday, May 26th, 2009

Well, once again, hello from Weslaco. I can't believe that another
week has already come and gone.

On Saturday, Leticia was baptized. Elder Andrews performed
the ordinance. Then, on Sunday, I had the opportunity to
confirm her a member of the church. What an amazing
blessing! The gift of tongues is a real power. I was able to say
things that I don't think I know how to say.

Anyway, this next weekend Martha is going to be baptized. It
really is such an incredible opportunity to be here working
and helping people out.

We have had a couple of really good rain storms this last week.
One of them woke me up at around 4:30 in the morning. A
LOT of lightning with it as well. Apparently, once it hits
hurricane season in a few months, it's a lot more of the norm
to rain a lot.

Well, it's always nice to hear from everyone. It really sounds
like things are going well. Transfers are next Wednesday. (Mom,
I'll let you know about the bike, I'm going to figure that all out
this week).

Well, I love you all, and appreciate all of your prayers in behalf
of me. Take care, and press forward.

Con Amor,
Elder Meservy

Mondy, May 18th, 2009

Hello family and friends!

Well, it's been a good week here in Weslaco. This Saturday
Leticia is going to be baptized, and then confirmed on Sunday.
She asked me if I'd do the confirmation...the only problem is
that it's in Spanish...we'll see how that goes. I'm definitely
nervous about it, but I'm sure that it will go well.

Then next week, Martha is going to be baptized (May 31). I
can't wait. I'm really excited for hers, because I've been
working with her since I got to the area, and it's exciting to
see her decided to make the change and to be baptized.

We had a really got rainstorm on Saturday night here. It's
been the first big rainstorm that I've seen since I got down
here.

I've done a bit of studying this last week in Helaman ch. 5.
It's been incredible to read about these missionaries. One
of the biggest things that stuck out to me is the word
remember. In verse 6 alone, it has it 6 times. I was thinking
about the importance of remembering, and the words of the
Savior came to mind, "This do in remembrance of me." The
things we do in this church are about remembrance.

Well, I hope that all is going well. I love you all dearly, and
pray for you.

Con amor,
Elder Meservy

Monday, May 11th, 2009

Well, I don't have too much new to say since last night on the
phone. It was great to be able to talk to all of you! Things are
going really well here in Texas. It was definitely a boost to be
able to talk to the family yesterday. It's another 7 months until
that will happen again. Interesting thought... I'm now 1/2 done
with phone calls on the mission.

Anyway, there really isn't much new to report. I'm loving the
mission, and have been learning a lot.

Con amor,
Elder Meservy

Monday, May 4, 2009

Hello family!

Well, it started out being a rough week, but near the end we had
a bit of success. We had 45 contacts, and 6 new investigators. 2
of the 6 came from an HQ referral, and the other four were from
a member referral. Members truly do make this work a lot better.

On Saturday, we contacted and delivered a Finding Faith in
Christ DVD to an HQ referral. We had a really powerful lesson,
but they just denied it time after time. However, that didn't
take away from the feelings I felt. As they turned down
everything we had to say, the spirit strengthened me, and I
knew that what I was saying was the truth. What a
wonderful blessing!

One of the lessons that we taught on Sunday was to the member
referral family. They were incredible. They seemed to
understand the lesson incredibly well, and are excited to have
their own copy of the Book of Mormon. What an awesome
experience.

So, Mother's Day is Sunday! Well, time is running short. I will
call Saturday night about what time I'm calling Sunday.

I love you all!

PS, I would love for as much family to be there as possible!
Thanks!

Love,
Elder Meservy

Monday, April 27, 2009

Well, transfers were this last week, and guess what I am now...

Weslaco. Still. I'm actually excited to be able to work here for
the next little while still.

Well, it sounds like things have been going well at home. That
new playset sounds like quite the toy. I'm sure the grandkids
love it. I guess I'll have to see a picture of it to get a better idea
of what it really looks like, etc.

Dad, you were asking about the drug trafficking on the border,
and if I hear much about it. I've heard bits and pieces, but
haven't been affected in any way by it. I do live in a little bit of
a ghetto, well, not my apartments as much as down the street,
but I've never felt danger. I have seen my fair share of people
smoking pot, etc. About the swine flu, I've heard a little bit here
and there about it, but haven't gotten sick.

Congratulations to both Dan and Laurie on graduating this
last week! Woohoo! I'm sure it went well. I wish I could've
been there to see it, but, I'm doing bigger and better things
right now.

That diary sounds really interesting that you got a hold of, mom.
I have actually been really interested in family history since
I've been out here on the mission. Was it Thomas Cottam
that was down in the colonies in Mexico? Anyway, I've been
interested in family history a lot more than I was, and have
spent time trying to learn more of the five generation chart.

Grandma's letter and check did arrive, and I'll be responding to
that today. So, a letter will be in the mail. Tell her thank you for
me.

Well, the work here has been good. We're working with a lady
named Leticia. She just got married a couple weeks ago to a
recent convert from Peru, he was visiting our ward, and
introduced us to Leticia. We've had a couple of lessons with
her, and she is really excited about the gospel, and knows it's
true. How wonderful that is!

I've also gotten close to a recent convert family from the
English ward. They're a funny family, and they love having
the missionaries over. We go over most Sunday nights.

Well, I'm not thinking of too much more that I'm wanting to
say, or that is new that I should talk about. Know that I love
you all, and keep you in my prayers.

May the Lord bless you and keep you.
Con amor,
Elder Meservy

Monday, April 20th

Well, here we are in Weslaco.

I can't believe it. Another week has come and gone! How wild!
It's been awesome though. We had a pretty good week.

The weather, again, has been really hot and humid. I guess
that's what you get when you're down in South Texas. It
sounds like you all had snow. That's nuts! Some day I'll see
snow again, but it won't be for quite a while, that's for sure.

So, this week, we started teaching a couple new families.
There seems to be quite a bit of potential, we'll see how it
goes though. It's awesome to be a part of the work here in the
Lord's vineyard.

Martha was out of town this last week, so we'll work with her
this week. Her baptismal date is for May. So, we'll keep
working with her.

This Wednesday is transfers. Hopefully I'll be here in Weslaco,
but who knows... I've loved my time here, but I'll go wherever
I'm needed.

Less than three weeks and it's Mother's Day. You know what
that means! :) Anyway, I've loved all the letters. Keep them
coming, and if they haven't been coming from you, start them
coming.

Congratulations to Dan and Laurie on graduating! That's
super exciting. That just mean they'll have a little time to
write me now. :)

Well, I love you all, the letters are definitely wonderful, and
I'm always excited to receive them.

Thank you for all you all do for me.

Con amor,
Elder Meservy

Letter from Monday, April 13, 2009

It's a hot day today here in Texas. I guess that'll be the norm
though. This email will have responses to several questions, as
well as other important events from this past week.

So, Elder Andrews and I have been together for 5 weeks or so
now. We've had a lot of fun working together. He's Senior
Companion, but we have both agreed that the title of Senior
Companion really doesn't mean too much.

Well, I haven't heard too much from Monique lately, I get a fairly
short letter about once a week or so. It's good to hear from her
though. She seems to be enjoying the MTC, and it sounds like
she's getting along with her companions.

This week has been pretty good. One of the major highlights is
that we set a baptismal date with Martha! We've been working
with her since I got here, and she finally set a baptismal date!
We're also working with some Less-Active families, and one of
them came to church yesterday, which was really exciting to see.

Last night, we had an Easter celebration up at Ovidio's and
Nora's. It was a lot of fun. A quick story from that- I was
jumping on the tramp, and I did a backflip, and then did
another half, and landed on my back on the bar, and then
slid down onto my head. But no worries, all is well. I'm a little
sore, but nothing that I can't get over. And, I got pictures of it,
which makes it all better!

Anyway, we've found a lot of good potentials, and a few really
good new investigators.

The work continues to roll forward. Crazy thought...I call home
in less than a month! It crept up on me pretty quick. Well, I'll
try to send a few pictures home this week via snail-mail.

Well, I send you all my love from Texas!

Con amor,
Elder Meservy

3 Nephi 12:10-12 - This has become a new favorite of mine.

Monday, April 6, 2009

Conference was awesome! It's far better than Christmas as a
missionary. However, the satellite didn't work for Priesthood
Session for some reason, so I was unfortunately not able to
watch that as I had hoped to. I guess I can always read it in the
ensign. But, either way, it was an awesome experience. What
an amazing day and age in which we live.

Well, this last week it's been pretty hot still. We had a packed
week with finding, interviews, teaching, and conference. How
great it is to be a servant of the Lord in this day and age.

I've now hit 7 months out here, that's 5 months in the field.
It's crazy, I feel old, but at the same time, I feel so young in
the mission. This past week seemed to just fly by, which was
good. It seems as though time is speeding up. Transfers are in
just over 2 weeks, so, I'll be here at least until then.

There really isn't too much that's new to report. We are
continually working with people, trying to find, and help them
to understand the gospel, and the role that it can play in their
lives.

I love you all, and thought of you all a lot during conference
weekend. I'm 1/2 done with conferences on the mission. That's
a crazy thought too.

Well, I love you all.
Con amor,
Elder Meservy

March 30, 2009

Wow, another week here in Weslaco. How the weeks fly bye.

This week has really gone by fairly quick. It's crazy to think that
it's already almost April. I hear that the weather has been cold
and snowy in Utah. Weather down here topped 100 degrees on
Friday. So, needless to say, it's pretty much the opposite
down here.

This last week we had Zone Conference. It was a great
spiritual experience. I'm grateful for the opportunity that I
have to be here and to be receiving direction from the Lord's
appointed servants.

I am incredibly excited for General Conference! What could be
more exciting than to hear from the prophet of the Lord? I
think I'm even more excited for Conference than I was for
Christmas.

We've done a bit of finding this last week. We're trying to help
people to progress, but it's hard when they won't come to
church...Honestly, I don't understand how people can't believe
that there could be a prophet again on the earth. It's a
little bit frustrating.

Yesterday I had the opportunity to teach the third hour of
church. It was combined for the fifth Sunday. I taught about
fellowshipping. I feel that it went pretty well, and had several
people come up and thank me for the lesson. I also get to play
the organ every week for the English ward. It's definitely
been a nice skill to have.

Well, I love hearing from you, and look forward to another
week here in the Lord's vineyard.

I appreciate all the prayers in my behalf.

Love,
Elder Meservy

Monday, March 23, 2009

Hello family and friends-
Well, another week has already come and gone. It's crazy how quick time is going. The days truly do feel like weeks, and the weeks feel like days.
I am pretty much over my sickness, it's not entirely gone, but it
has subsided a lot.

We had a decent week this week, nothing too exciting happened.
We have done a bit of contacting and have found several new
investigators.

Elder Andrews and I have gotten along really well. We're
working hard, and getting work done. Elder Andrews is
awesome. He graduated in '06 from American Fork high. He
played basketball in high school.

Yesterday was one of my recent convert's (Isabel) birthday.
We were invited over for dinner, and a pinata. That family
is such a great family, and the kids really do seem to love us.

Anyway, this week is Zone Conference, and we'll get to hear
from Elder Richardson from the seventy. I'm looking forward
to learning more of the things that I can do to help others
continue forward.

I love you all, and pray for you.
Con amor,
Elder Meservy

Monday, March 16, 2009

Hello from Weslaco!

I'm starting my 4th transfer here. It's kind of crazy!

My new companion's name is Elder Andrews. He's from
American Fork. I'm definitely excited to work with him.

Well, the biggest news from this last week is that I've been sick.
Ugh. I have some form of tonsillitis or something similar, so I'm
on Amoxicillin. Also, I have developed another virus. I have some
red dots on my hand that the doctor says will just work it's way
through the system. So, on Saturday I stayed inside all day. I've
had a hard time swallowing any food due to my throat hurting
when I try. But, I think I'm finally on the mend.

I was supposed to give a talk in the Spanish ward, but due to not
being able to talk, my companion saved me and filled in for me.

I've really come to start to enjoy being out here on the mission.
I've definitely grown a lot.

The hardest thing for me still is waking up in the mornings. I
normally will half-wake up, go into the front room and "exercise"
(stretch) and wait for my companion to shower. However, I do
love this work, and I'm excited for the time that I still have to
be doing it.

It's been really cold down here the last few days. I've had to
wear a jacket, but today it's changed, and it's become a lot
warmer.

Well, I am grateful for all of the prayers, emails, and letters.
Keep 'em coming!

PS Happy wedding anniversary Grandma Moulton!

I love you all. Continue to stay true to the faith.

Con amor,
Elder Meservy

Monday, March 9, 2009

Well, on Tuesday I hit my 6 month mark! How the time has
flown by! Well, looking backward at time it's gone quick.

On Saturday we had a baptismal service for Brittany and
Bridgett Lozano. I had the opportunity to baptize Brittany,
and my companion baptized Bridgett. It was, as always, a
very powerful experience to stand in the water representing
the Lord Himself. How remarkable that we have the
priesthood power again on the earth! On Sunday we had
their confirmations. It's exciting to see these people making
those important steps in their lives. How blessed we are to
have a knowledge of the gospel of Jesus Christ!

So, apparently a lot of people are pregnant. What in the
world! That's crazy! Congratulations to all! I'm going to
have so many new nephews and nieces to meet! That's
definitely exciting to hear.

Well, we are now in the process of finding new investigators
to teach. We've spent a lot of time tracting. Nothing like
tracting in hot and humid weather. It's exhausting, but
it's been really good.

So, this week is transfers, and Elder Brown is going home!
I'll definitely miss him. We've really become good friends,
and it will be hard to have him go.

Well, I am so grateful for all of the love and support that you
all give me. It's been a remarkable growing experience for me
thus far here on the mission. I hope this email finds you all
well. You're all in my prayers.

I love you all.

Con amor,
Elder Meservy

Monday, March 2, 2009

Hello all!

Well, tomorrow is my 6 month mark! 1/4. Crazy. How time flies!
I'll enjoy burning a tie tomorrow in celebration.

Another week here from Weslaco. Not a whole lot has changed.
However, it sounds like people want to hear more about my
personal life as a missionary... So, I'll see what I can do here.

I am doing really well. I'm getting more and more bald every
day, but hey, that's ok. I took a video on my apartment a while
ago, and will send that as soon as I get the rest of the SD card
filled up.

My schedule hasn't really changed. I wake up at 6:30,
exercise...usually consists of a little stretching and laying down
and stretching. Not usually too productive. After that I eat and
shower. Then we have personal study for an hour,
companionship study for an hour, and then Spanish study for
an hour. After that it's out to work for a while, then we come
in and have lunch. After that we go out and tract/teach until
9 pm, come in, plan, and then go to bed. Nothing super exciting.

So, my companion is awesome. We've become pretty good
friends. He goes home next week. Crazy! He's pretty excited.
I'll definitely miss him.

So, Dad, in response to your question, I see your friend's sister
and husband weekly. They're in the ward where I'm at.

I play the organ every week at church, and occasionally get to
teach the Gospel Principles class, or sometimes even other
classes like primary, or the like.

Congratulations to Melodie and Jason! That's very exciting
news! I'm going to have so many new nephews and nieces to
meet. I forget how many there are. 23 I think, and there's
2 people pregnant now, right? Who knows...

Yes, mom, that Eric Whitacre CD you can put with my other
CD's as well. Also, I'll be sending that letter to you this week
most likely. (P-day is always short...)

We should be having 2 baptisms this Saturday. Brittany and
Bridgette will be getting baptized. We're super excited for
them. It's remarkable to be a part of this marvelous work.

Well, I love you all, take care.
Con amor,
Elder Meservy

Monday, February 16, 2009

Well, another week has come and gone. Crazy! The weather has
been really fickle down here lately. It's gone from like 90 degrees
to cold and raining a few different times lately.

The work was slow and hard overall this last week. We're in the
process of trying to find lots of new investigators. We've spent
a lot of time tracting lately.

Yesterday, Nora and Edgar were confirmed members of the
church. It was a great confirmation, and I'm excited for their
decision to be baptized and confirmed as members of the church.

I'm definitely learning a lot and have grown so much in the time
I've been out.

Well, here's an update on a few of our investigators.

Martha - Well, we had a lesson with her this last week, and we
read out of Preach My Gospel with her. We read the quote
that talks about how everything that we believe hinges on the
base of the Book of Mormon being true. She came to church
yesterday, and we had an amazingly awesome lesson in
Gospel Principles (I taught it...:)) about the Holy Ghost.

The Palacio family - We met them a couple weeks ago, and
they are a very nice family. He's been studying out of the
pamphlets that we've given them (he has writing all over
the pamphlets). We're excited to keep working with them.

Brittany and Bridgette - They came to church again this
last week. We're still working on teaching them the rest of the
lessons and all. With time, I think they will find out for
themselves the truthfulness of what we share and be baptized.

The Lord is definitely watching over all of us.

I love you all

Portense bien.

Con amor,
Elder Meservy

Monday, February 9, 2009

Wow, another week come and gone. It's crazy how quick the
time goes. Not alot has happened this week. We're continuing to
keep finding people, and to work with them to help them
prepare.

Well, I guess I'll talk now about those we're working with.

Palacio Family - We found them a couple weeks ago. They're
an awesome family. We had a really good lesson with them
this last week. We watched the Restoration video with them,
and they seemed to understand and to accept it. However,
they didn't make it to church... we'll keep working on that.

Martha - Well, Martha's lesson fell through this week, but
she came to church again yesterday. She's been so close for
so long... oh well. Again, we'll just be patient.

Brittany and Bridgette - These are two of the Lozano kids.
They've now come to church 3 times, and we're teaching
them the lessons. I think it's a matter of time until they
are baptized.

It's crazy that it's already a couple weeks into February!
The weather down here is crazy. It will be really hot one day,
and be really cold a few hours later.

Well, my thoughts and prayers are with you all.

Monday, February 2, 2009

First of all, I'm glad to hear that Lauren is doing well.
It's always a relief to know that things are going well.

Well, this last week was transfers. I'm here in Weslaco
still, and will be at least until April 22 (because
Elder Brown goes home at the end of this transfer,
and President doesn't like white-washing areas). I love
this area, and don't think I'll ever want to leave.

I play the organ every week for the English ward, which
is a lot of fun. Unfortunately, I'm not able to sit by
our investigators because of it, but I get to be with
them the 2nd and 3rd hours.

Well, the biggest news this week is that Nora and Ovidio
got married yesterday! Right after the wedding, Nora and
her son Edgar were baptized.

What a blessing it is to take part in this work.

We're still working with several other investigators. It's
such a blessing to be able to find people who are preparing
to receiving the gospel of Jesus Christ.

We're continuing to work with the Lozano family - their
oldest daughters came to church again this last week.
They all certainly seem to enjoy us coming by. One of
these weeks we'll get Don at church as well. It's hard
to know how much to push for him to come, versus just
being patient.

Life is definitely crazy as a missionary, I love it,
but sometimes it's incredibly hard. However, the Lord
watches over us and blesses us as we put our trust in Him.

I hope this letter finds you all well. Please know that I
am praying for you all.

Con amor,
Elder Meservy

Monday, January 26, 2009

Wow, another week has come and gone.

First of all, congratulations to Charlene and Nathan and
family! I'm glad to hear that things seemed to go well.

So, you say you got the shower fixed? The shower was
broken? I didn't know that...What was wrong with it?

Well, things are going well here in Weslaco. Unfortunately
we didn't have the baptism with Nora and her son Edgar
this last week like we were hoping to. However, Nora and
Ovidio did get their marriage license! We're hoping that
this next week they'll get married.

We've been teaching alot of great people, and we had
about 5 investigators come to church yesterday, which
was super exciting. Well, now for the details with
investigators.

Nora and Ovidio - Waiting for them to get married so we
can baptize her and her kid. We had dinner with them this
last week and a lesson.

Martha - Well, unfortunately we weren't able to meet with
her this last week, and she didn't come to church. We'll
keep trying to find her, so, nothing new there...

We still can't find Asusena, Yoshio and Gustavo... oh
well. They've got our number and they know where the
church is, we'll hope to see them there soon...

Jason - Well, we tracted into Jason a while ago. He's a
24 guy, whose dad is apparantly a less-active member. We
met with him for the first time in about a month on
Friday. He asked when we could come back, and when church
was, and to give him a reminder call about church that
morning. Well, he came to church and seemed to enjoy it.
He told us to call him today to set a time when we can go
back and teach him more. We're looking forward to that.

Don, Brittany, and Bridgette - Well, Don is the father/uncle
of the Lozano/Garcia kids that we baptized a few weeks back.
He really seems to enjoy us coming by, and is always very
generous when we come by. Brittany and Bridgette are two of
his teenage daughters. They've started listening to the
lessons, and they came to church yesterday! Don still
hasn't come, but we'll get him there...

Gustavo - We found Gustavo when we went to visit Freddy and
Vanessa. He's Freddy's brother-in-law. We've now taught him
a couple times, and he's been reading in the Book of Mormon.
However, he's very catholic, but thinks that all churches
are good (seems to be the case often here).

Anyway, there's a quick summary of what's going on here.
I hope this email finds you all safe and well. You are
all in my prayers.

Con amor,
Elder Meservy

Tuesday, January 20, 2009

Well, another week has come and gone...crazy!

Sorry this is a day late - the library and college were
closed for Martin Luther King Jr. day.

I'll be praying for you Charlene and Nate with the expected
birth this Friday. Have you guys decided on a name?

I am sorry to hear that things at the White's home haven't
improved too much, you too are in my prayers.

The work is continuing on. We had a pretty good week last
week. The biggest news is that Nora and Ovidio announced
that they are going to be getting married! I'm super
excited for them! (I haven't talked too much about them
lately for lack of progress), But, this week, we should
be having a baptismal service for Nora and her kid Edgar.
How great of a work. It's a blessing to be a part of this
great and marvelous work.

We still can't find Asusena, Yoshio, and Gustavo, but
Hermana Campos thinks that she may be able to track them
down. We're definitely praying that we can find them.

Martha came to all three hours of church on Sunday, and
seemed to enjoy it.  We're still working on setting a
baptismal date with her...she's getting alot closer!

Well, transfers are a week from tomorrow. I'm like 95%
sure I'm staying here in Weslaco, and if I'm here for next
transfer, I'll for sure be here for the transfer after that
because Elder Brown goes home after next transfer, and
President Miller doesn't like to "whitewash" areas (both
missionaries being replaced.) I feel like there's a lot
more that I can do here, and we're super excited to keep
working together.

We found a girl named Bianca this last week, and she
committed to reading in the Book of Mormon. We went by
last night to see how her reading went, and she had
actually read! She told her aunt that she was talking to
the Mormon missionaries, and she said her aunt got really
mad at her. Bianca didn't really care, and wants to keep
reading in the Book of Mormon and find out what happens
next (she just got done with Nephi killing Laban and
getting the plates).

Things are definitely going well, and I am excited to take
part in this work.

I think of you all frequently.

¡Portense bien! :)

Con amor,

Elder Meservy