Hey family!
This was a better week then last week! We found five new investigators to teach. In order to be a investigator you have to pray in a lesson, hear the overview of the Restoration pamphlet and accept a date for baptism as a goal. I feel good about all of them but especially two of them, Jefferson and Bryan. They both are actually a little younger, Bryan is only fifteen but he looks like he is 22 or so. And Jefferson is probably 19 or so. They both actually seem interested. Asking question about what time the church starts and where the church is. Not just “yeah, I’ll read” and then when we return the pamphlet is in the same spot collecting dust. The first part of the week was a little tougher because last week was Samana Santa or Holy Week, so everybody was resting and did not want to hear from us. Another one of our investigators is Marco Antonio, he really wants to get baptized, but needs to get married first because he is living with his girlfriend and has a kid. But I know that he is working with the bishop to get everything taken care of. I think we will have three of four more baptisms this month. We tried to teach Maria Luiza and Dani multiple times this week and they we never home.
The service project went really good. We actually had some people show up this time, which was nice! We were able to do the whole thing in one day. I have some pictures that I will attach below and I will get one of the completed thing and send it along next week. It felt really nice to wear my work pants and boots and get to work. I may have accidentally broken a sledgehammer while trying to bust up some rocks. That was exciting. I also killed a spider with a sledgehammer this week. The spider was a little bigger and nasty lookin’. But it was outside and not near our house so it is all good. Dad, I saw a natural cluster of honey bees up in a tree this week. Hopefully all of our bees are not dead. I am trying to get more pictures but it is a little different here because everybody already thinks that all gringos have money. And from what I have heard, people really do not like getting their picture taken. But I will keep trying.
Conference this week was awesome! Dad, do you think the changes will make things a little easier from a bishop’s stand point. It seems like it will in the long run but maybe a bit of an adjustment period. And people asking questions that nobody knows the question to. A couple of things from conference that I really liked was the talk from Brian K. Taylor that talked about being children of God. I love the part when he talked about when Moses was tempted by Satan. When Satan said, “Moses, Son of Man, worship me”, and Moses responded, “Who art thou? I am a son of God!” It is really the full first part of Moses 1 but mainly 12 through 22. You should all read it and think about the amazing power that we have from being children of God. Another that I liked was Lynn G. Robbins. I liked his point about not just going from failure to failure but GROWING from failure. Because as he also taught, repentance is not the backup plan for if we fail, it is the plan for when we fail. We can all take comfort in this idea, I love that God knew that this life was going to be tough and working together with His Son established a plan for in which we can repent and return to live with Him forever. In the Sunday morning session, I like the analogy that Larry Y. Wilson used about the ship in rough waters. He taught that life’s storms is no time to dust off the Holy Ghost. If we know the Holy Spirit in the calm waters, the Lord’s direction will be very clear in stormy waters. This is one of the things that I am trying to develop, learning to listen and act on the prompting of the Holy Spirit. What a great blessing that we have the Holy Spirit to help guide and direct us in this life. And always, Dallin H. Oaks talk of the little things. The little things are what turn into the big, great, powerful blessings that God has waiting for us when we are willing to tend to the small things.
Mom, I had some fresh mangoes this week. They were so tasty. I thought of you when I ate it. It was so juicy and tasty. I wish there was a way that I could send you one in the mail. I mean the ones in the States are good but these are REALLY good.
We are going to the mission office tomorrow for a meeting so hopefully the package will be there. But if it is not, then we can get it some other time in the future. Sorry Mom, but that picture is not by where I live. I will get some pictures of where we live, We live in a nicer part of our area. Where people have tile and paint.
It sound like you guys have some big plans for the spring and summer projects. They all sound good. I think some people find so much joy in having a garden and taking care of the yard because nature seems to have the spirit. That is so bad about the maple! Hopefully once it gets moved it might live. Flippin deer! They are lucky that it is only pellets and not your pistol. Kinda sounds like classic Robert. Only smoking half of a stogie so that he can quit. It is amazing how many people are just missing some key aspects of the truth.
Love You Tons!
Elder Marks
P.S. I shaved my head back down to how Dad use to cut it for me. Unfortunately, I think when I’m a little older I am going to have the classic bald Mormon look. I hope I’m wrong, but I am preparing for the worst. :)
This was a better week then last week! We found five new investigators to teach. In order to be a investigator you have to pray in a lesson, hear the overview of the Restoration pamphlet and accept a date for baptism as a goal. I feel good about all of them but especially two of them, Jefferson and Bryan. They both are actually a little younger, Bryan is only fifteen but he looks like he is 22 or so. And Jefferson is probably 19 or so. They both actually seem interested. Asking question about what time the church starts and where the church is. Not just “yeah, I’ll read” and then when we return the pamphlet is in the same spot collecting dust. The first part of the week was a little tougher because last week was Samana Santa or Holy Week, so everybody was resting and did not want to hear from us. Another one of our investigators is Marco Antonio, he really wants to get baptized, but needs to get married first because he is living with his girlfriend and has a kid. But I know that he is working with the bishop to get everything taken care of. I think we will have three of four more baptisms this month. We tried to teach Maria Luiza and Dani multiple times this week and they we never home.
The service project went really good. We actually had some people show up this time, which was nice! We were able to do the whole thing in one day. I have some pictures that I will attach below and I will get one of the completed thing and send it along next week. It felt really nice to wear my work pants and boots and get to work. I may have accidentally broken a sledgehammer while trying to bust up some rocks. That was exciting. I also killed a spider with a sledgehammer this week. The spider was a little bigger and nasty lookin’. But it was outside and not near our house so it is all good. Dad, I saw a natural cluster of honey bees up in a tree this week. Hopefully all of our bees are not dead. I am trying to get more pictures but it is a little different here because everybody already thinks that all gringos have money. And from what I have heard, people really do not like getting their picture taken. But I will keep trying.
Conference this week was awesome! Dad, do you think the changes will make things a little easier from a bishop’s stand point. It seems like it will in the long run but maybe a bit of an adjustment period. And people asking questions that nobody knows the question to. A couple of things from conference that I really liked was the talk from Brian K. Taylor that talked about being children of God. I love the part when he talked about when Moses was tempted by Satan. When Satan said, “Moses, Son of Man, worship me”, and Moses responded, “Who art thou? I am a son of God!” It is really the full first part of Moses 1 but mainly 12 through 22. You should all read it and think about the amazing power that we have from being children of God. Another that I liked was Lynn G. Robbins. I liked his point about not just going from failure to failure but GROWING from failure. Because as he also taught, repentance is not the backup plan for if we fail, it is the plan for when we fail. We can all take comfort in this idea, I love that God knew that this life was going to be tough and working together with His Son established a plan for in which we can repent and return to live with Him forever. In the Sunday morning session, I like the analogy that Larry Y. Wilson used about the ship in rough waters. He taught that life’s storms is no time to dust off the Holy Ghost. If we know the Holy Spirit in the calm waters, the Lord’s direction will be very clear in stormy waters. This is one of the things that I am trying to develop, learning to listen and act on the prompting of the Holy Spirit. What a great blessing that we have the Holy Spirit to help guide and direct us in this life. And always, Dallin H. Oaks talk of the little things. The little things are what turn into the big, great, powerful blessings that God has waiting for us when we are willing to tend to the small things.
Mom, I had some fresh mangoes this week. They were so tasty. I thought of you when I ate it. It was so juicy and tasty. I wish there was a way that I could send you one in the mail. I mean the ones in the States are good but these are REALLY good.
We are going to the mission office tomorrow for a meeting so hopefully the package will be there. But if it is not, then we can get it some other time in the future. Sorry Mom, but that picture is not by where I live. I will get some pictures of where we live, We live in a nicer part of our area. Where people have tile and paint.
It sound like you guys have some big plans for the spring and summer projects. They all sound good. I think some people find so much joy in having a garden and taking care of the yard because nature seems to have the spirit. That is so bad about the maple! Hopefully once it gets moved it might live. Flippin deer! They are lucky that it is only pellets and not your pistol. Kinda sounds like classic Robert. Only smoking half of a stogie so that he can quit. It is amazing how many people are just missing some key aspects of the truth.
Love You Tons!
Elder Marks
P.S. I shaved my head back down to how Dad use to cut it for me. Unfortunately, I think when I’m a little older I am going to have the classic bald Mormon look. I hope I’m wrong, but I am preparing for the worst. :)