Week 42

Dear friends and family,

First a question for any turleys who might be reading this. Do any of you know a Georgia Kelly, or a Lonnie Morris? One guy in my ward, Glenn Kelly is very gracious to us, and there family has been great friends to me, and he was telling me about how he remembers the shooting in the 12th ward and all about that stuff, he grew up in that area too I think. I talked to them about it on the way to the Mesa Temple Easter Pageant! It was such a great experience, the pageant was awesome! we had investigators that were supposed to come, but we called them when we got there, and they said "Oh, we're at home, we are not going to be coming" it was frustrating, but I was still so happy to be able to go! There was this protestor there who started talking to us, he was actually really nice, he commented on my beautiful tie. It was a really nice tie I must say. We didn't talk long, because I was with some members, also its fruitless to talk to protestors, but I did give him some information he hadn't heard that he might go look up.

Well, tuesday was an interesting day. The Bishop family is digressing, we're worried about them, we had a good lesson though, and got a lot of things out on the table. I always knew that with this family there would be a fall back like this, and that it would be a real struggle to get them to the baptismal font, but I know that they will be awesome members. I believe that its one of the families that I am put here specifically for. I love this family very much. The teenage boy said flat out he doesn't want to be baptized now, that was 4 days after his scheduled baptism. It was pretty tough.

Thursday started off real well, we had an awesome lesson with an investigator, and she texted us afterwards saying how grateful she was for us to come over. When we got there she was asking questions about the location of the Garden of Eden! ha ha, crazy. The rest of the day was awful! I can't even explain it, but just nothing worked, we tried to do missionary work, but couldn't, everyone cancelled, and we got nothing done. I was pretty upset about it on Friday, but as soon as I got out at 10 and was doing the work, I was just fine. I love missionary work, its the cure-all, it fixes everything.

Friday was a good day, I ate at a thai restaraunt because the owner loves missionaries, he isn't LDS, but he wants his temple work done when he dies. Incredibly nice man! it was a fun day. I saw turtles.

Well, that's all for this week. Have a great week.

elder Martin

Week 41

Greetings. I may not have a ton today. but I do have one really awesome story at least!

This has been a fantastic week! we have found so many new investigators. We were tracting one street, and found 2 new people to teach, it was so awesome, we only tracted half the street even! then we had to go to an appt. So we were walking back to the Car, and Satan wasn't happy that we were there, so he decided to put an 11 year old boy in our path. We didn't even see him, but he called out to us "Hey what are you guys doing?" Under my breath, I said "It's Elders, not guys" we answered "We're missionaries, just talking to people about Jesus Christ" we were not even going to bother with him, we don't usually talk to kids, plus it looked like he had a mental disorder, so we kept walking "Hows that going?" he asked, we decided to go and talk to him, he obviously wanted to talk. So we start telling him about what we are doing, and he says "I'll be honest with you, I think the book of Mormon is dumb!" and we said "Oh really? why is that?" he said something like "Because Joseph Smith was a false prophet, and thinks he Saw God" he then went on to quote some scripture, and use the whole trinity approach. I must say even better than most pastors we run into! I was kinda impressed, so we talked to him, and explained a few scriptures to him, then his grandma came out, we told her how awesome her grandson was, and she said "Well thanks, are you mormons?" we said yes, she said "You believe in a false Jesus" Whoa! crazy lady. So we talked a while, she got pretty heated, and then Elder Jones did as well, he started bashing with her, so it needed to end. I started to end it so we could politely leave, I said "Well, we disagree, but its so great to have that Faith in Jesus Christ" and then Elder Jones decided to say one last thing, and started bashing again... ugh, so she just walked off laughing at him. It was pretty bad actually. We had a talk about bashing. But the little boy was SO CRAZY! So brainwashed, it was honestly very sad. Satan truly does have a hold of many, through the craftiness of man. Good people blinded by false teachers and preachers.

We had an awesome lesson with some investigators this week, one that normally wants proof simply listened. They said that they would have trouble with the Word of Wisdom thing, but hey at least they are thinking ahead like that, of becoming LDS! it was pretty cool to see, we had a great lesson with them.

I am going to the Easter pageant at the Mesa temple on Saturday! I am so very very excited! I have never seen it, but I've heard so many awesome things about it.

Well, my time is short, I must leave,

Elder Martin

Week 40

I always have so many stories to share, but then when it comes to actually writing them out, I forget them. First things first. I should not be expected to know when Labor day is! I apologize profusely, but I will say, I don't care when it is, as long as he gets baptized. I will continue to indicate that labor day is may 1st. and I will celebrate Labor Day on may 1st.

We've met with that family 3 times this week, it was so fun I love that family! It can be so hard to get through a lesson, and they get so off track, but it is so much fun. I have rarely enjoyed my mission more than when I'm there. Although I will say that the most enjoyable thing is feeling the spirit. Yesterday I taught one of our new investigators in the singles ward. I was on splits so it was me and a return missionary who didn't do much teaching, which was fine. I don't like doing all the talking... which is weird, cause sometimes I think it would be easier that way cause I'm full of pride, but anyway I don't. I was doing most of the talking, as the only missionary in the room, most of the teaching I should say... and I got sick of it, and the Spirit probably got tired of hearing from me too, so he suggested that I invite others to bear their testimony. I asked the head of the house to, and the Spirit just descended on us all, and then the investigator started talking about what he's learned, and basically bore his testimony of Jesus Christ, and the Spirit came even stronger. I knew I needed to point it out, so I did. I told him what I was feeling, cause I knew if I was feeling it, he probably was too, which I told him. I told him what it was, that it was the Holy Ghost bearing witness of the truth of what was being taught. I asked him what he was feeling, and he said "I feel very warm, and confident in what you've taught" YES!! it was an awesome moment. It was a profound experience for me, I love feeling the Spirit that strong.

Saturday we were driving around, and saw that someone in our area had been toilet papered. I knew the house (as I know most houses) and recognized that it was a members home, so we went and cleaned it up. It was a lot of fun, even though it was freezing! and by freezing I mean 48 degrees... which to me is FREEZING! a week ago it was 99 degrees. Also it had rained and soaked all the toilet paper.

Anyway it was a good week, I quite enjoyed my experiences, and I look forward to this week!

Elder Martin

Week 39

I wish I could remember the things I've mentioned before. Did I mention the boy who is frightened of water? well we have an investigator who hasn't been baptized because he is afraid of being dunked in the water, and wants to wear goggles and a nose plug. We received permission to do so! and it was probably the funniest thing of the week... it might be one of those 'you have to be there' things but I will tell the story nonetheless. So we were in the room talking with him and his mom, and his 12 year old brother was in the other room, listening in on us. We say "You can wear goggles, but they have to be white" and the 12 year old pops in the room and says "Wait, he has to be in white?" and I said "Well, we were just talking about the goggles, but yeah actually his whole outfit has to be white" and then he starts waving his finger and head and says in a very authoratative voice "all white? Uh uh, not after labor day!" it was hilarious, which then brilliantly set us up to set a baptismal date. I said "Oh an excellent point, When is labor day?" the mom said "May 1st I think" "Brilliant," I said "April 30th just so happens to be a saturday, will you be baptized on April 30th, so you can keep the fashion rule of not wearing white after labor day?" and he accepted!

Wednesday we had an awesome new investigator that we are teaching, the whole thing is absolutely incredible, we have been receiving help from the other side of the veil, so that always helps. Thursday we were out of miles on our car, so we took bikes... I don't ride bike, I'm not used to it. I hurt. Our area is very hilly, and we set our appointments way too close together. The next day I went on splits with someone in the district, and it was with someone in a bike area. It was another awful day... well actually it was an awesome day, but I hate bikes... I would honestly love bike if I had a week to let the soreness wear off, and if it didn't hurt my knee.

Conference was incredible! the Gold Medal goes to Richard G. Scott, what an incredible talk! I love the spirit of Conference, I'm really upset that some investigators didn't watch, we'll have a talk with them, and let them know we are disappointed. Darn peoples.

That is all.

Elder Martin

Week 39

I wish I could remember the things I've mentioned before. Did I mention the boy who is frightened of water? well we have an investigator who hasn't been baptized because he is afraid of being dunked in the water, and wants to wear goggles and a nose plug. We received permission to do so! and it was probably the funniest thing of the week... it might be one of those 'you have to be there' things but I will tell the story nonetheless. So we were in the room talking with him and his mom, and his 12 year old brother was in the other room, listening in on us. We say "You can wear goggles, but they have to be white" and the 12 year old pops in the room and says "Wait, he has to be in white?" and I said "Well, we were just talking about the goggles, but yeah actually his whole outfit has to be white" and then he starts waving his finger and head and says in a very authoratative voice "all white? Uh uh, not after labor day!" it was hilarious, which then brilliantly set us up to set a baptismal date. I said "Oh an excellent point, When is labor day?" the mom said "May 1st I think" "Brilliant," I said "April 30th just so happens to be a saturday, will you be baptized on April 30th, so you can keep the fashion rule of not wearing white after labor day?" and he accepted!

Wednesday we had an awesome new investigator that we are teaching, the whole thing is absolutely incredible, we have been receiving help from the other side of the veil, so that always helps. Thursday we were out of miles on our car, so we took bikes... I don't ride bike, I'm not used to it. I hurt. Our area is very hilly, and we set our appointments way too close together. The next day I went on splits with someone in the district, and it was with someone in a bike area. It was another awful day... well actually it was an awesome day, but I hate bikes... I would honestly love bike if I had a week to let the soreness wear off, and if it didn't hurt my knee.

Conference was incredible! the Gold Medal goes to Richard G. Scott, what an incredible talk! I love the spirit of Conference, I'm really upset that some investigators didn't watch, we'll have a talk with them, and let them know we are disappointed. Darn peoples.

That is all.

Elder Martin