Hey Family!
 
This last week was a great week and there is a lot of information, but I will try to condense it down to just the most important, and also the coolest, things.
 
First off, we have the baptism this Saturday of Sister Orbalina. She first started listening to the missionaries about 9 months ago but always had problems with marriage, she is not married but was living with some guy. But she moved out of his house because it was a bad relationship. She is super quiet and does not like talking, but also really awesome. Where she lives there is a member who passes by with his truck and picks everybody up on Sunday. She used to live about a mile from the road where he would pass by, and she would always walk up to the road just hoping that he would pass. 
 
The other main investigator is Ruben. My first day here we taught him for the second time. He has a bad relationship with his parent’s so he is living here in Oratorio with his cousin and her husband. Her husband happens to be a counselor in the District Presidency, so he went to church with them several times without the missionaries knowing. After the first time teaching, we left him 3 Nephi 11, but when he showed up to the church for the second lesson, he had read the first six chapters and Third Nephi 11,12,17, and Moroni 10. He has a date to be baptized for the 16th of Feb. At first we had the concern that his parents would not be willing to give him permission, but he talked with them and they have given him permission! 
 
The branch seems good, the people are great, hopefully it will be a ward in the next few months. 
 
Elder Jones is still great, we are already great friends. He was already in this area and has three months in the mission. Luckily there is already a teaching pool of people that we can help progress, but we will also be finding new people to keep the teaching pool stocked. And yes, there are bananas and coffee everywhere! Also coconuts and mandarins. There are parts of our area that are fairly jungly. 
 
Yeah, Oratorio is a little small itself, but our area extends to a part called Las Cabezas, which is towards El Salvador, and in the other direction to El Molino which is at la Isla. We do a ton of walking though we also use a little tuc thing, which is nice. Honestly, most of the time walking around we are dripping sweat. 
 
A couple of other investigators who could keep progressing are Giovani and his "wife" Karina. They have gone to church once and we have taught them a couple of times. Unfortunately, they did not go to church this last week. Hopefully they have a good reason and will come this next week. There are some other investigators who have potential but aren't progressing very well for now, if they start progressing better, I will let you guys know. 
 
On Monday we had our district meeting in the area of Cuilapa, which is about twenty minutes from where we live. When we were coming back, we had to take a micro bus and there was no room on the inside, so we ended up with one foot inside the bus and the other hanging outside with our hands holding on to a little bar that they had on the inside of the bus. We were like that for about 10 minutes flying down the highway, and then some people eventually got off of the bus and we could get in, but that was kind of an adventure. Also, originally Orbalina wanted to be baptized in a river, so yesterday Elder Jones and I took a bunch of time finding a river and then trying to find a spot on the river where there was sufficient water to be able to baptize. After about two hours walking around in the sun, (it was about 90 degrees, and the hot months have not even started yet) we didn’t have any luck finding a spot for a baptism, so we had to convince her to be baptized in the church.  
 
Doctrine and Covenants 24:8 says, "Be patient in afflictions, for thou shall have many, but endure them, for, lo, I am with thee, even unto the end of thy days." I love how straight forward the Lord is. He said be patient in your affliction, for they SHALL be many. We knew from the get-go that we were going to have many afflictions and tribulations, but if we endure, He will be with us. With God ALL things are possible (Mark 10:27). For after much tribulation come the blessings. (D&C 58:4)
 
Enjoy the temple this week and stick with the process in all things.
 
I love you all so much and hope and pray that we all have a great week in our personal, physical, and spiritual goals. 
 
Love,
Elder Marks 
 

Hey Family,
 
                This last week we had some amazing stuff happen! We had changes and we saw a couple miracles with the Gonzales family. First off, changes. I am now a step dad! [meaning his companion just finished his training, and Garrett is his second companion in the field]. My new companions name is Elder Jones from Syracuse Utah. We are serving in a place where I will probably always be sweating because it’s hot.  The area is Oratorio, zone Cuilapa, which is also outside of the capital, we are in district Ixhuatan (ish-wa-tan). Honestly, when we got the changes I was a little surprised that I was going to be staying outside of the capital, its great though. Outside of the capital is the best. In Cuilapa there is no stake and that is one of the big goals, and the branch in Oratorio is one of the key points. So I am now serving in a branch, which has an average attendance of about 85 and there are 300 registered members.
 
                Monday morning after changes I got a call from President Shumway talking about the importance of this area. He said that he almost never does calls like that but this area is super important. He also told me that, “you are more than ready to be a zone leader but I felt so strongly that you need to go to Oratorio. You and elder Jones will be doing the work of four missionaries.” Last change there was Oratorio 2, but it was closed, and now Elder Jones and I will be covering our area and also what use to be the area of Oratorio 2.
 
                So last week the mom of Jenny was being kind of a stinker, but this week we went and visited the family, but only her and her three daughters were there so we just talked with them. After looking through all of their family pictures we talked about baptism. And lets just say that Jenny got baptized last Saturday! The mom had such a big change of heart. She totally gave the decision to Jenny and supported her when she said that she wanted to be baptized Saturday.
 
                The baptism went great, we had lots of support from the ward. After some talks and everything, she was baptized. The mom felt something different when she saw her daughter get baptized. We also talked with her briefly afterward and she was crying. We just hope and pray that the feelings that she had in her heart was enough to change her heart and not just touch her heart.
               
                Saying goodbye to them was tough. After so many months teaching a family you start to become a small part of their family. They made us dinner the last day that I was there and they wrote me little notes. When I left they were all crying. I honestly did not realize how much of an influence I was for their family. The other three kids will be baptized in two or three weeks and hopefully the parents will follow shortly behind.
 
                 Elder Jones and I are going to have a great change together. It will be nice to be with another gringo. J We are going to work like CRAZY but we are also going to baptize! I love you all so much! Keep up the good work with all that you are doing.
 
Love,
Elder Marks

 Hola mi familia!
 
I hope this email finds everyone doing great! Including Buddy and the cats. I hope that this last week was a good solid week. 
 
This week we also have changes so next week I will be writing you from somewhere also and giving you the run down on the new companion. Hopefully he is not a dweeb. :)  Dad, last week you asked about the missionaries here in the mission. Overall, this in one of the more obedient missions in Guatemala. There is always disobedience but nothing too huge. There are lots of great missionaries, especially the ones from Idaho. However, there are also lots of really white ones from Utah. :) Overall the Latinos are great. With Elder Rodriguez, he really wants to know things that he can do to be a better missionary. 
 
With investigators the biggest news is with the Gonzales family. The mom still does not want to progress, though everybody else in the family has desires to progress and get baptized. However, according to the rules, if somebody is younger than 15 and they are not being baptized at the same time as a parent, they need three months of assistance. The only one in the house who is older than 15 is Jenny. In one of our lessons this last week we went around the room, and one by one they shared their thoughts and desires about baptism. All four of the kids and the dad expressed great interest and desires to be baptized. The mom also did, but only so-so. When it was Jenny’s turn she said that she wants to be baptized and that she now does not have any fear or doubt about the step of baptism.

All of this happened last Friday and she accepted to be baptized this Saturday. However, when we went to visit them on Tuesday, there was a change in her firmness to be baptized. After talking for awhile we found out it was because of the mom! The mom is letting her own doubts and memories of baptisms in the Catholic church that happened when they were babies, change her mind. She had talked to Jenny and put more doubts and fears in her mind. Like what happens if you mess up after your baptism. At the end of the lesson we took some time to talk to just the parents, we were very clear and direct on a few things. We talked about the importance of supporting their daughter and reminding that in the Bible people were baptized more than once, and that Jenny had received her own answer and how this is something that she wants to do. We agreed that at least for last night and today that they would give her some space and not really talk about the baptism thing with her. Both my companion and I feel a mixed range of emotions: sadness, frustration, and also kinda mad, but with the realization that everybody can make their own decisions. We will be visiting them again tomorrow to see what’s up.

When Elder Rodriguez and I got back to the house we were feeling a little bit like, “what the flip Kip” because of some of the other things that also happened during the day. We remembered an awesome video so we watched it and felt a little better. :) This video is talking to mission presidents and missionaries but applies to all of us in this life. It is a little over eight minutes long, but it is worth the time. You should watch it as a family tonight. 
 
I love you all so much! I pray for every one of you daily. Make this week a good week, if every week we are a little better than last week, we will eventually be perfect. 
 
Love, your brother and son,
Elder Marks

Video: The Atonement and Missionary Work

Hello family,

Jose and his family still go to church every week but really cannot progress to much more because the mom is so scared of taking any action when it comes to marriage, or just asking her boss for a schedule change so that she can go to church. The rest of the family still wants to progress and be baptized, we are going to keep praying and teaching them, the key will be through reading the Book of Mormon with them. Some of the kids could be baptized now, we want them to progress as a family, but they also cannot wait on the mom forever to start getting these blessings.

Gladys still wants to be baptized but her mom refuses to give her permission, Gladys is only 17 so she cannot sign for herself, and she won’t turn 18 till almost the end of this year. If anybody has any ideas or suggestions with what we could do with either one of these situations, please send them my way.

I found a scripture this week that I think is awesome, especially with starting the new year and all, this is a great time to make some changes and lets make it happening. =) It is in Doctrine and Covenants 88:124, and it says:

Cease to be idle, cease to be unclean, cease to find fault one with another, cease to sleep longer than is needful, retire to thy bed early, that ye may not be weary, arise early, that your bodies and your minds may be invigorated.

I love the usage of the word cease. The word cease is almost always used when something should change in this moment, it does not say eventually cease to be idle. There was also a talk given by Elder Holland that is called, Be Ye Therefore Perfect, Eventually. There is a big difference in being perfect and ceasing to do things that keep us from being perfect. Dad, in his previous email talked about a verse from Moroni 10 in which we are exhorted to deny all ungodliness. When we cease to do these things mentioned in the scripture above, we are denying ungodliness, and becoming perfect… eventually. And as we all know there are many more things that we can and should change that are not mentioned in that scripture. I hope that we can all be perfect, eventually, through the atoning sacrifice of Jesu Cristo we can and will do it.

I love you all so much and hope and pray that you have an amazing week!

Love, your brother and son,
Elder Marks  

Hey Family!
 
Happy New Year! I cannot believe that yet another year has already passed. I hope that all of us have great memories from this year and we are happy with some of the great things that we all got done. I also hope that we can all set some great goals for this next year. Right near the end of 2019 I will be home so that can be the motivation for all, including me! :) 
 
This last week was still a good week but there were a lot of people out of town. Although it is the end of the year and it should be cold, it is still really hot here. And the hot time is not supposed to start until end of January/February time. 
 
That is sad that Brother Kingsford passed away. I hope everything goes well with the funeral, and that the family feels the support of the ward. 
 
Williams a cop, “Sir Sir! Please calm down”, that's right Will, put your hand on the gun! 
 
We have changes coming up in a few weeks. It is almost a given that I will be leaving this area. I cannot believe that I have been in Jalapa for four changes or 24 weeks. Time here has gone really quick and I have really enjoyed this area. We are going to finish out strong. In the next three weeks we are hoping and praying that Jose and his family can be baptized. It has been such a process with them because the mom still really does not want to get married. The good thing is that she is warming up to the idea, she is showing progress. Almost all of the family really wants to get baptized, almost whenever they pray they pray for the help that their mom's heart can be softened and that they can be baptized. They are going to be an eternal family.
 
The there was an accident with the communication stuff about the sealing, it is a rule that it has to be one year. But that is ok because next June when they can go, I will still be here and will go with them. His name is Miguel and his wife's name is Ilse, she has been a member for a few years. 
 
I am happy to hear that you guys went to Blaine for a few days and were able to enjoy time with everybody. It is awesome to see family and to be able to make those connections with grandma and grandpa, and mom to be able to see and connect with her sisters and brother again. 
 
Gladys, the same girl that you have heard on and off about for the last five months, wants to be baptized but her mom did not give her permission. We were eventually able to talk with the mom, and she said that she would talk with Gladys and let her make a decision. Hopefully the mom will do it in a way that actually let’s her make the decision.
 
Moroni 10:32 is awesome, I love that the word that he uses is exhort (Moroni 10:30). It is more than just an invitation. ALL ungodliness. Not just the big stuff that everyone knows is bad. Also, the little things, like healthy eating, negative thoughts towards other people, talking bad about ourselves. All that we do has an eternal effect, good or bad.
 
Please everyone, have a great year. Set your goals! work towards them, take action! control your emotion, and ordain your destiny! I love you all and wish you all a happy new year.
 
Love, your brother and son,
Elder Marks 
 
(Moroni 10:32 -  Yea, come unto Christ, and be perfected in him, and deny yourselves of all ungodliness; and if ye shall deny yourselves of all ungodliness, and love God with all your might, mind and strength, then is his grace sufficient for you, that by his grace ye may be perfect in Christ; and if by the grace of God ye are perfect in Christ, ye can in nowise deny the power of God.