Week 85

Well, its transfer time.

Great news, I am STAYING HERE! and so is Elder Davenport, so I will be his last companion, and I will most likely end my mission in Cottonwood, which means that I will have spent my entire mission in just TWO AREAS! I was in my first area for 14 months, and my second area for 10! most people don't stay even 10 months in one area, most people think 6 is a long time.  I love my mission, I love the places I have served, and am so excited to be here in Cottonwood still.  We have the best area in the mission, we have beautiful Sedona, and Mingus mountain, we have the Verde River... okay that's nothing to brag about, its called the Dirty Verde, its a gross river.  But we have the best missionaries in the mission, and an incredible Stake President.  All is well, but will be better.

So its been a crazy week, once again I forgot my planner, so I will have to try and remember everything.

I have had some incredible studies this past week, and have learned a lot! I love the gospel! I love the scriptures!!! God has hidden so many little treasures throughout the standard works, and you can't find them unless you search, I can't wait to find more.

Some missionaries in my district kept telling me about a guy named Bob.  They said "Elder Martin, you have to come with us! we can't answer his questions, you can convert him." Obviously not true, but he had questions that I had answers to, mostly regarding the apostasy, so I said I would love to go.  Well, it turns out Bob is a 19 year old Sophist who thinks he's the man, and also he's a Taoist.  Which was a recent change, he has been a lot of religions I guess.  So we go over there, and apparently the missionaries kept saying that I would answer all his questions, so he already had an expectation that was not going to be easy to meet.  He was an idiot! The discussion went over an hour, and I was getting fed up with it, cause it was just ridiculous, not once did he have a question regarding the scriptures, he was all about energy and how God is just energy, he was also big into reincarnation.  This may have actually been my first "Bash".  I've gotten in arguments before, but I straight out told him "Reincarnation is false." He didn't like that, to which I said "Truth is what it is, and it doesn't care if you like it or not." He talked about how he was confronted by a demon, and he said "Tao protect me" and he saw a big hand come out and snatch the demon away, and how tao is very powerful.  I told him that the power of God far outweighs the power of any other force or false god.  He also didn't much like that.  He didn't like that God wasn't a piece of energy, and that we say He has a body of flesh and bones, he says that is way beneath God.  We entertained him for the first 45 minutes, and we were tactful... after that the gloves came off, the last 15 minutes I think were absolutely brilliant... there were actually 4 missionaries there, and we all bore testimony of the truth of what WE were teaching, and told him there is no other way nor name given.  It was honestly fun, but frustrating. 

I am so glad there are normal people here too! We had a wonderful baptism of Deanna on Saturday.  It's been a lot of hard work here, and finally there was a pay off.  It was so wonderful to see her baptized, and then confirmed the next day.  Elder Davenport baptized her, and I confirmed.  When those things happen, it outweighs all the hardships and the long days! As always, the water was almost scalding when we filled the font, and almost freezing when she entered the font.  I find it amusing. 

I wish I had more time, but again I am running short on it.

Elder Martin

Week 84

Should I tell you of my week?

 

Okay, I can't remember everything.  I could just lay out our entire day for you! Nah, that would be boring.

 

Speaking to an investigator, she told us of an online college that I might look into when I get home, its called Western Governors University.  Anyone heard of it? It's stationed out of Utah I guess, and it sounds quite interesting, at least for Generals, take as many classes as possible in a 6 month period, and it costs $3000.  May look into that when I arrive at home.

 

Friday we had Zone Conference, it was awesome, we got to go to Prescott! It was a lot of fun.  After that, I got to go on an exchange with one of the Assistants to the President.  I taught him how to be a good missionary. Ha, Just kidding, but we had a really good time together, I enjoyed being with him.  Everything fell through the next day, but that's alright, it was still a great day.

 

What an exciting day yesterday was!! Our investigator Deanna was interviewed for Baptism! She will be baptized this Saturday, I am so very excited about it. 

 

I can't believe how fast everything is going! another transfer cycle is almost over, If I survive this transfer, I will most likely end my mission here in Cottonwood, which would mean I spent 14 months in my first area, and 10 months in my second! how awesome would that be?

 

Well, that is all I have to say at this time.

 

Elder Martin

Week 83

What a fantastic week this has been!

So the past many weeks have been very very slow! Satan really has been working hard on all the missionaries and their efforts here in the Verde Valley, but we just got an eviction notice for him, and have booted him OUTTA HERE! Well, we're still working on that, but it seems like it, cause things have really picked up! Last week was pretty rough, we had 3 people who had a date for baptism either move their date, or move to Oklahoma! the one who moved to Oklahoma did so without notice, and without telling the missionaries, and it happened THREE DAYS before he was supposed to be baptized! This week has been such a turnaround, and not only that, the one who moved, just moved BACK and is going to be baptized this Friday! barring any unexpected out of state moves.

On Tuesday we took one of the priests from the ward out with us and visited a bunch of our investigators.  Normally such a thing would be fruitless, and no one would be home, we expected that.  But alas, everyone was home! it was incredible, we went to the last house, and we said "Okay its your turn to choose the scripture." So he chooses Alma 37: 6 which reads  6" Now ye may suppose that this is foolishness in me; but behold I say unto you, that by small and simple things are great things brought to pass; and small means in many instances doth confound the wise." He told us the scripture beforehand, and we go in and talk to the guy, Steve, and he tells us about his life a little bit and how he is making the small things too big, and overcomplicating his life, and a few other things, and the scripture fit so perfectly! we talked about focusing on the small and simple things, such as scripture study and prayer and church, and how those things will make life so much easier.  It was a great night.

That's pretty much how the whole week went! We found 5 new people to teach this past week, and set up 3 or so appointments THIS week that should go through.  I can definitely testify that opposition does come before the blessings.  God is really watching over everything, and He knows what is going on, and he doesn't work by the same time standards we do.  We want immediate results and blessings.  God has a better way.

Elder Martin