Hey Family!
What an original way to start the email. This last week was a great week! I also cannot believe how fast the time is passing, I hit 11 months on Monday. We also had changes yesterday, I will be here in Porvenir another change to finish the training of Elder Rodriguez. I will also be here for Christmas and I will hit my one year mark while I am here, that means I will reach one year in just two areas.
This last week we went to the temple with the Gonzales family. That is the family of Jose Gonzales, it was a great experience, but Elder Rodriguez and I paid for it all. We went last Friday with Jose and his “wife” Tere. We had a great experience, it is such a huge blessing to be able to take investigators to the temple and that they can enter in to be able to pray and feel the spirit of the temple. After we came out of the temple we asked them how they’re feeling about the 22nd, which is the goal that they have for baptism. Jose said that he wants to be baptized and that he knows that these things are true! Tere was not quite as gung-ho but was still happy and said that she felt a great peace in the temple. The only holdback is that she is a little hard of heart about the whole marriage thing. I believe that they will be married this month and baptized the next. The temple this time of year is really beautiful, so I took some pictures and a quick video to show you (sorry about the English in the video!).
I went to the doctor again last week for a check up on my toe, luckily everything is growing how it should, so I should not have any more problems. This time I went with Elder Fogg because he had to go to get a wart removed. It was kinda funny because he passes out super easy when he can hear what somebody else is doing to him, so he passed out twice.
I came across a quote this last week from President Gordon B. Hinckley which I really like. It says, The major work of the world is not done by geniuses. It is done by ordinary people, with balance in their lives, who have learned to work in an extraordinary manner. I love this quote! And it is a great reminder that we do not have to be the world’s smartest person to accomplish something or do something amazing. We are all sons and daughters of God. Learning how to harness our power, put our mind to a task, and then work, work, work. We can all be extraordinary and accomplish our goals, whether they be physical or spiritual.
Also, another scripture that jumped out to me this week is in Proverbs 4:7 which goes great with all of the study of scriptures that you guys have been doing. It says, Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding. Doing something like studying the scriptures and not just reading them is seeking wisdom, and when we obtain wisdom our eyes can be opened and we gain understanding of the things of God.
I hope that this next week is an extraordinary week for you all! That you can make the choices necessary to make things happen. (let’s get this happening, ok Tony Beats!) I love you all so much!
Love, your brother and son,
Elder Marks
What an original way to start the email. This last week was a great week! I also cannot believe how fast the time is passing, I hit 11 months on Monday. We also had changes yesterday, I will be here in Porvenir another change to finish the training of Elder Rodriguez. I will also be here for Christmas and I will hit my one year mark while I am here, that means I will reach one year in just two areas.
This last week we went to the temple with the Gonzales family. That is the family of Jose Gonzales, it was a great experience, but Elder Rodriguez and I paid for it all. We went last Friday with Jose and his “wife” Tere. We had a great experience, it is such a huge blessing to be able to take investigators to the temple and that they can enter in to be able to pray and feel the spirit of the temple. After we came out of the temple we asked them how they’re feeling about the 22nd, which is the goal that they have for baptism. Jose said that he wants to be baptized and that he knows that these things are true! Tere was not quite as gung-ho but was still happy and said that she felt a great peace in the temple. The only holdback is that she is a little hard of heart about the whole marriage thing. I believe that they will be married this month and baptized the next. The temple this time of year is really beautiful, so I took some pictures and a quick video to show you (sorry about the English in the video!).
I went to the doctor again last week for a check up on my toe, luckily everything is growing how it should, so I should not have any more problems. This time I went with Elder Fogg because he had to go to get a wart removed. It was kinda funny because he passes out super easy when he can hear what somebody else is doing to him, so he passed out twice.
I came across a quote this last week from President Gordon B. Hinckley which I really like. It says, The major work of the world is not done by geniuses. It is done by ordinary people, with balance in their lives, who have learned to work in an extraordinary manner. I love this quote! And it is a great reminder that we do not have to be the world’s smartest person to accomplish something or do something amazing. We are all sons and daughters of God. Learning how to harness our power, put our mind to a task, and then work, work, work. We can all be extraordinary and accomplish our goals, whether they be physical or spiritual.
Also, another scripture that jumped out to me this week is in Proverbs 4:7 which goes great with all of the study of scriptures that you guys have been doing. It says, Wisdom is the principal thing; therefore get wisdom: and with all thy getting get understanding. Doing something like studying the scriptures and not just reading them is seeking wisdom, and when we obtain wisdom our eyes can be opened and we gain understanding of the things of God.
I hope that this next week is an extraordinary week for you all! That you can make the choices necessary to make things happen. (let’s get this happening, ok Tony Beats!) I love you all so much!
Love, your brother and son,
Elder Marks