Dear Mom and Dad!
 
First of all, definitely make sure you do tell any of Erika's admirers that she indeed does have an older brother. Haha… seriously.
 
Man, so little time and I feel like I have so much to say this week. I have 30 minutes to write you guys this email and forward it to Kylie with a message to her.
 
I really hope you both know that I do value and appreciate the time and effort you take to email me and devote mental brainpower into writing intelligent emails - haha, I really do. I hope you know that I look forward to reading them, and they always provoke thought and invite me to repent and become just a little better each week. I really loved what you were saying Dad about testimony and conversion! There are so many people who we teach that are not active in the Gospel of Jesus Christ because they are not truly converted… many never were! I think that almost all of them had/have some level of testimony. Thank you for those insights.
 
There are many things I want to say in response to what you've both written about but I want to include some things that are new with me for the time I have left...
 
Elder Bradley is getting transferred tomorrow morning at transfers. I know he has helped me a lot with not only the way I work, but also the way I view the work, and we've had a blast together! So the missionaries we live with (Elder Smith and Elder Lund) will both be staying in the same house but Elder Smith will become my new companion! It was kind of funny when President told him that he was getting transferred and called to be a Zone Leader but that he didn't need to pack… do the math! Haha. I've known Elder Smith my whole mission and we've become very good friends. We've helped each other out through struggles and we trust each other.
 
There are so many miracles that have been happening in this area and they will continue! We had Ellen, Hongye, Matt, and a guy named Eric all at church in the student ward on Sunday and then there was a ward potluck after and they all stayed but Matt. It was so great to see people fellowshipping and building genuine relationships with these people. That is so crucial! Elder Smith and I will be putting Ellen and Hongye on date within the next week or two. I extended the baptismal invitation to Matt during our first lesson and he accepted but he doesn't want to choose a date yet until he really knows it's true. His parents are very strict Lutheran and he says he needs to talk with them first. Joseph IVCrows is his actual name haha, he's Southern Ute. Unfortunately there hasn't been any progress with him since I fist told you about him.
 
... Alright I'm just about out of time. I sure love you guys a lot. I'm proud of you. I respect you. And I truly do thank you for all you've given me and helped me to become.
 
Love,
Elder W. Marks
 
P.S. I want to copy/paste a reply to an email I sent to President that he sent me back. I think there is a valuable lesson to be learned in what he said...

Elder Marks,



Thank you for doing your best and being a superb missionary. You keep going even when you do not feel very good. That is a sign of a "man." True men do what they need to do because they are the father, the husband, the protector and the provider. Pres. Hinckley said, "Most of the great things in life are accomplished by people that do not feel very well". I have the utmost respect for you and I am honored to serve with you. 



Your friend and fellow servant,
Pres. Maynes

Just a short note this week:

Hey Mom and Dad!

... We have transfers on the 30th and Elder Bradley is probably getting transferred. He's been here since April and we've been together for 2 transfers so it would be a real surprise if he stayed. I am really hoping I get to serve with Elder Smith, the one living in the same house right now, I've known him my whole mission and he's been someone I know I can talk to. He's a good friend. He's been a Zone Leader in the past but came here to help Elder Lund out. President told him he wanted to make him a Zone Leader again soon so we're hoping. Obviously Whatever happens will be okay but we're thinking it's relatively likely because both Elder Smith and I have helped Elder Lund out a lot so we're thinking President might leave him in the same house so we can both continue to help him. We'll see!
 
... I hope you all have a really awesome week! Just hold to what we know and everything will be ok. I love you all very much!
 
Your Son,
Elder W. Marks

Hey Everyone!
 
Well, we didn't email yesterday because we were climbing Grey's Peak! Grey's Peak is 14,270ft. High! Elder Bradley and I went with L.T, we started at 11,220ft. It took us exactly 5 hours (on the way up) and it was a 4.5 mile hike one way! It was so intense. One of the hardest things I've ever done, but very worth it! I got a lot of great pictures. It was so beautiful on the top of that mountain, and it was such a clear day. Other than the lack of oxygen I just felt such clarity of thought up there. There is a reason that often in the scriptures prophets would go to the tops of mountains to communicate with God. I was thinking of you all up there.
 
I'm so glad that Garrett is having such a great time with football and staying safe! And that he's getting bigger and stronger! Wish I could see him play.

I want to go on bike rides when I get home with the family and with individuals. When I start to think about it very much I really miss doing things with the fam. Just the simple stuff! I love your saying, I've heard you say it a few times "getting caught in the thick of thin things" That happens more often than not. That's something I love about the way we view life is that we keep a grand perspective. So many people are so caught up in things which will not matter in the long run.
 
Dad, you should send me a pic of that tool cabinet you built! It sounds a lot more efficient...never a bad thing :D I really admire that gift and talent that you have developed over the years of having the ability to work well with your hands and figure hard things out. Weather it be working with wood, fixing the washer, putting up drywall, fixing electrical problems, landscaping, etc. etc. It is a real gift!
 
That is quite a compliment from Grandma! You (Dad) have always had a way of communicating clearly what you are trying to say and it makes me feel good to hear someone say that the way I talk reminds them of you. I feel like that is something my mission is teaching me a lot...how to communicate clearly what I want to.
 
We have been teaching Matt Mapes for about a 1-1/2 months or so. We found him through tracting. We've had a member at every lesson so far except one. He has a Lutheran background. Since we've started teaching him he has just loved our message! We had a lesson with him last Sunday and L.T. came with us to the lesson! (L.T. was confirmed earlier that day!) It was so neat to watch someone we had just taught and baptized testify with such power about the truths of the gospel. We are going to take Matt on a little church tour this Wednesday and have a lesson with him at the building. He has been hesitant up till now about coming to church because of things he was told growing up about "the Mormons". Once he goes in and feels the Spirit there and sees the pictures of Christ all over the place he should start coming to church! During the first lesson with him I invited him to be baptized as he came to know these things were true and he accepted. We have talked with him more about baptism and he wants to talk with his parents and his preacher about some questions he has of the Doctrine we have taught him. All of it is backed by the Bible and he wants to get their take on some things. He is reading the Book of Mormon on his own and continues to progress. That would be really awesome to keep him in your prayers! We both feel he has been prepared to recieve the gospel at this point in his life.
 
Alright, I'm going to try and shoot Kylie a quick Email. Thank you all for your prayers of faith and for your goodness. Don't forget to study your scriptures! ;o)
 
Love,
Elder W. Marks

Mom and Dad!

I really loved this last conference we had. My testimony of the reality of modern day prophets and apostles has grown so much on my mission and especially in the last few months. I really really loved hearing Elder Holland's talk about Loving God and serving him. It was so powerful. This conference was very bold. The Brethren do not beat around the bush, I love it! They addressed tough political topics and made no apologies. I really loved the Priesthood session a lot! It was neat to think that Dad and Garrett were sitting in the Stake center back home hearing the same messages. I am so glad we hold the Priesthood.

Thank you for sending me the information to be able to vote! I do not know a whole lot about what is going on politically but I feel that this election may be one of the most important, perhaps in my lifetime.

I have felt a lot of desire lately to continue improving the way I teach and the way I serve. I feel like I have come a very long way since I first came out but I really want to keep improving my weak areas and become a very powerful instrument in Gods hands. I feel like the things I have been learning on my mission will help me so much throughout my life.

The last few weeks I have become amazed at how Satan has a hold of so many peoples hearts, to different degrees. So many of the Less-active people we teach and people we interact with on the street just have hearts hardened. Excuses and justifications are made and people become objects that are being acted upon instead of agents that act for themselves. THAT WAS SATAN'S PLAN FROM THE BEGINNING! My heart aches for these poeple here. I feel that I cannot pray fervently enough, work hard enough, testify with enough power to motivate people unto righteous action, and it breaks my heart. This gospel is needed so badly in the world today.

Having expressed this frustration I understand that God is in control and that he will work things in the way they need to be worked. Like you said in your Email Dad, as a Father you do not want your children to deal with trials and challenges, but in a deeper loving sense you know it is necessary. Our perfectly loving Father who is in Heaven, I believe, feels this same way. He loves us enough to let us struggle and learn from our faults, trials, mistakes, and challenges. But there is no doubt in my mind or heart that his heart aches for those of his children who refuse to heed the promptings of His Spirit. He knows that so many more of his children could be so much happier if they would just choose differently. But he will not interfere with our agency, that would be contradictory to His character.  

Know that I love you very much and hope and pray you are doing well with your goals and desires. Have a really great week!

All my Love,
Elder W. Marks

"Loyalty is the crowning characteristic of Love" -Elder Holland