Hey Family!
This last week was another good week! First things first, we got Marco Garcia married this last Saturday, and baptized; along with Bryan Valenzuela. The wedding and the baptism went well, I’ll make sure I attach some photos down below. We have the hardest time actually being able to teach Marta Gomez. We were able to have a family home evening with her on Sunday at a member’s house, which was really good. She is reading in the Book of Mormon and she says that she believes in it and that she wants to raise her family in the Gospel. She also needs to get married, she has two kids. Her boyfriend is in the military and is almost never home, I think that she will eventually be baptized but it just might be a little while. Mariela attended church again on Sunday, and her boyfriend was there also. She is progressing but also needs to get married! People here really do think that just being boyfriend and girlfriend is the same as married. We are going to keep working with the investigators that we have but we really need some new investigators, preferably from references from members. The Book of Mormon really is so powerful in all aspects of life.
Really, not a lot of investigators smoke here which is nice. Of course people do, but not as many as I thought would.
That will be so nice to have a second smaller chainsaw. And if you want to carve a wood spirit or bear you have a chainsaw. :) That is quite classic for me to still have some stuff in the car, isn’t it? Should have been an old tape measure in there somewhere also?
The cake [wedding cake for Will and Mariam's reception] is going to turn out so well! Mom, you are going to nail it like you do with all of the cakes. Saturday should be a really good day. And to have Erika home also!
Changes are on the 15th of May. During our interviews with president, he asked me if I was ready to lead the area if Elder Corrales left, and I am. So Elder Corrales is going to be leaving this area and I will get a new companion. I hope it is one Elder named Elder Bywater, but the chances of him coming here seem slim.
I bought a blender last week. It is so nice to have. I usually make a smoothie with oats, banana, a little peanut butter, and a little bit of choco Panda, which is a chocolate powder. Will you send me the nutrition information for a cup of oats? Also, is there any down side to eating lots of oats?
This last week we were in a Paca, which is just like a little thrift shop for clothes, and sometimes ties and shoes. These things are everywhere too because a lot of churches have a paca to be able to earn money. Anyway, we were in one and I found a pair of Johnston and Murphy signature series dress shoes. They are seriously like brand new. I don’t know if they have ever really been used. The name on the insole is not worn off or anything. They were only 25 Quetz, which is about 4 dollars.
I bought an umbrella this last week because rainy season is going to be starting in the next week or so. But the main crazy rainy season from what I hear is end of May and June. It rained a couple of times this last week, talk about being instantly soaked. T
Quote time: A man will succeed at almost anything for which he has unlimited enthusiasm. Charles M. Schwab, Billionaire Broker. I like this quote because we all have different things that we are working towards, whether it be fitness goals, work goals, summer sales goals, adjusting to home goals, being a consecrated missionary goals, working in a foreign country goals - we all have goals and things that we want to accomplish. I believe that this quote is awesome because when we have unlimited enthusiasm for something, we do the work that is required, and will eventually have success. This also reminds me of a quote from some guy who I cannot remember the name of for the life of me, which is driving me crazy because he is kind of a big name in the motivation world, whom I listened to a lot before my mission. He talks about if you want something bad enough to go out and fight for it to work day and night for it if all you dream and scheme is for it you will succeed. If you can find this quote [Mom note: it is Les Brown], will you email it to me next week? Thanks!
I love you all so much and am really enjoying the time that I have to be serving. The language is improving everyday, I can almost always understand what is going on now, and can contribute to conversations a little more. I do my best to study everyday and always use the words and grammar that I am learning. Speaking in past tense is a lot different in Spanish. I love you all so much and you are always in my prayers.
Love you Brother and Son,
Elder Marks
P.S. You should read Alma 37:41 and send me your thoughts next week. This verse gives us a great recipe for having miracles in our life, because God is truly a God of miracles.
P.P.S you will not guess what I saw this morning! As we were driving along in a tuk tuk a bus went flying past us and it had CDA plates from Idaho! I could not believe it. The driver would fit in with the rest of the crazy drivers from CDA.
This last week was another good week! First things first, we got Marco Garcia married this last Saturday, and baptized; along with Bryan Valenzuela. The wedding and the baptism went well, I’ll make sure I attach some photos down below. We have the hardest time actually being able to teach Marta Gomez. We were able to have a family home evening with her on Sunday at a member’s house, which was really good. She is reading in the Book of Mormon and she says that she believes in it and that she wants to raise her family in the Gospel. She also needs to get married, she has two kids. Her boyfriend is in the military and is almost never home, I think that she will eventually be baptized but it just might be a little while. Mariela attended church again on Sunday, and her boyfriend was there also. She is progressing but also needs to get married! People here really do think that just being boyfriend and girlfriend is the same as married. We are going to keep working with the investigators that we have but we really need some new investigators, preferably from references from members. The Book of Mormon really is so powerful in all aspects of life.
Really, not a lot of investigators smoke here which is nice. Of course people do, but not as many as I thought would.
That will be so nice to have a second smaller chainsaw. And if you want to carve a wood spirit or bear you have a chainsaw. :) That is quite classic for me to still have some stuff in the car, isn’t it? Should have been an old tape measure in there somewhere also?
The cake [wedding cake for Will and Mariam's reception] is going to turn out so well! Mom, you are going to nail it like you do with all of the cakes. Saturday should be a really good day. And to have Erika home also!
Changes are on the 15th of May. During our interviews with president, he asked me if I was ready to lead the area if Elder Corrales left, and I am. So Elder Corrales is going to be leaving this area and I will get a new companion. I hope it is one Elder named Elder Bywater, but the chances of him coming here seem slim.
I bought a blender last week. It is so nice to have. I usually make a smoothie with oats, banana, a little peanut butter, and a little bit of choco Panda, which is a chocolate powder. Will you send me the nutrition information for a cup of oats? Also, is there any down side to eating lots of oats?
This last week we were in a Paca, which is just like a little thrift shop for clothes, and sometimes ties and shoes. These things are everywhere too because a lot of churches have a paca to be able to earn money. Anyway, we were in one and I found a pair of Johnston and Murphy signature series dress shoes. They are seriously like brand new. I don’t know if they have ever really been used. The name on the insole is not worn off or anything. They were only 25 Quetz, which is about 4 dollars.
I bought an umbrella this last week because rainy season is going to be starting in the next week or so. But the main crazy rainy season from what I hear is end of May and June. It rained a couple of times this last week, talk about being instantly soaked. T
Quote time: A man will succeed at almost anything for which he has unlimited enthusiasm. Charles M. Schwab, Billionaire Broker. I like this quote because we all have different things that we are working towards, whether it be fitness goals, work goals, summer sales goals, adjusting to home goals, being a consecrated missionary goals, working in a foreign country goals - we all have goals and things that we want to accomplish. I believe that this quote is awesome because when we have unlimited enthusiasm for something, we do the work that is required, and will eventually have success. This also reminds me of a quote from some guy who I cannot remember the name of for the life of me, which is driving me crazy because he is kind of a big name in the motivation world, whom I listened to a lot before my mission. He talks about if you want something bad enough to go out and fight for it to work day and night for it if all you dream and scheme is for it you will succeed. If you can find this quote [Mom note: it is Les Brown], will you email it to me next week? Thanks!
I love you all so much and am really enjoying the time that I have to be serving. The language is improving everyday, I can almost always understand what is going on now, and can contribute to conversations a little more. I do my best to study everyday and always use the words and grammar that I am learning. Speaking in past tense is a lot different in Spanish. I love you all so much and you are always in my prayers.
Love you Brother and Son,
Elder Marks
P.S. You should read Alma 37:41 and send me your thoughts next week. This verse gives us a great recipe for having miracles in our life, because God is truly a God of miracles.
P.P.S you will not guess what I saw this morning! As we were driving along in a tuk tuk a bus went flying past us and it had CDA plates from Idaho! I could not believe it. The driver would fit in with the rest of the crazy drivers from CDA.