Hey Mom and Dad!

I love being by the water so much! Actually, the other day we went down to the park that's on the lake to do our study for the day, and apparently we invaded the geese's territory, because they came up to us and started hissing! I'll attach a few pics of them before they got vicious, but it was so weird and kinda scary.... haha! We just moved a bit further back from the water, and they stopped bothering us.

I laughed so hard when I read that William talked up his commission [note: summer sales job] and a signing bonus! Haha. William sure does have a way with people, and I think it's funny he pretty much sold himself to the salesman. I can't believe he's going to be in Houston! Apparently that's even more hot and humid than it is here for me! It's crazy to going he's going to be so close, yet so far away! And even if I did serve in a southern area close to Houston, we obviously wouldn't be allowed to see each other anyway. It's awesome that he got the job though.

It sounds like you've got some good projects going on, and I'm sure y'all are getting antsy for the snow to melt so that you can push on with the outside ones! I can't believe you're still getting snow! Did you at least get that week in February where everyone thinks that it's spring before another big storm hits? That week is always a nice break from winter. Hopefully it really will clear up soon. Winter for that long can be really hard! But just remember to see the beauty in it! Especially enjoy it for me, since I can't be there myself! And don't forget to drink hot chocolate! It sounds like that apron turned out awesome! I'd love to get a picture next week. And it's so good you were able to clean the glass. I love being able to watch fire. It's such a cool element.

Sis. Martin got back her MRI results, and it's all clear! So that's good, but also kinda frustrating. It means that nothing is really wrong with her brain - yay! But it also means that we're back at square one trying to figure out why her migraines are daily, and why she's experiencing such extreme fatigue, especially on her right side. We have another neurologist appointment on the 20th, which will hopefully answer some questions. Dad, thanks for your reminders about staying positive and Christ-like. I'm trying really hard, but sometimes it's difficult. Especially because I feel like all of the pressure is really on me as her companion. I mean, I know there are other concerned parties, but it really falls on me to help her, to stay positive, and to make sure she doesn't talk herself into a worse health state. I definitely feel Heavenly Fathers love and support at is time, and I know Sis. Martin does too. Y'all's prayers are also felt and so appreciated.

We actually have transfers this week, but I'm not changing. No surprise there! Sis Martin and I are staying an Azle for another 6 weeks! That means that at the end of this transfer, I'll have spent 1/3 of my mission here. That's weird to think!

We were able to get a hold of Misty (Joel's wife) this week, but she wasn't able to set an appointment yet. We're getting close though! Hopefully we'll get in touch with them later to set an appointment for later this week. We did get a hold of a different part member family though, and they seem really interested in coming back and the wife being baptized! We are meeting with them on Wednesday, and I'm super excited! Their names are Dyllan and Breanna, and they have a baby girl too! So I guess no awesome teaching experiences last week that were out of the norm enough to mention, but this next week sure does look promising! Hopefully the lessons don't fall through, and I'll have cool stories to actually tell next week.

We do service each Wednesday at a local Christian food bank, called the Community Caring Center, and I love it there so much! We work in the back, loading food to give to people, and it just feels like such honest service. We also get to interact with some really amazing people, and though we can't directly proselyte, we do get to answer their questions. There are a few of them that I think may want to meet sometime to really learn more! I hope so. Seriously, they're all pretty much Mormon anyway.... we call them dry Mormons! J Also, last week they gave us the CCC t-shirt, so now we look official when we're there! I'll try to remember to take a picture this week to send to you.

I love you all soooo much! I hope this next week is amazing!

Love,
Sister Erika Marks ❤❤☃☀

Hey Mom and Dad!

Sorry, I don't have a ton of time today, I'll just warn you now. We had Sis Martin's MRI in Keller today, so that ate up all our email time. Sis Martin had a kind of scary development last week. For a few days (and on and off still, I'm not convinced it's gone entirely) she woke up, and couldn't move her right side from her shoulder down. She's said it was like extreme numbness and fatigue, but when I poked her right sides she couldn't feel me doing it. It was really scary, so we were ready to have the MRI done, and we pray and hope that it all works out. She can move (and walk) today and hopefully it'll stay that way! And she did see a neurologist before, and has had MRI’s before also, but these complications came up from a concussion she sustained in the MTC. Though she does have a bad history of brain damage and concussions.

I'm happy to hear William's rash is finally taken care of! It's about time! And I can't believe you are getting more snow! I hope y'all stay safe with the ice and rain and now snow again! You're in my prayers, always. Mom, I've been trying to think of a cool experience with prayer I can tell you, but nothing comes to mind, at least nothing that is really RS lesson status. I can just bear my testimony of the power that prayer really does have in our lives. There have been more nights than I can now count where I knelt by the side of my bed, and prayed far more earnestly than I have before, tears streaming down my face and pleading with God to help the people I am working with. Asking Him, that please, help me know how to help the people; to understand the scriptures more fully; to overcome my weaknesses that have never before been this obvious. And though I'm still so far from perfect, though I still lack so much knowledge of the scriptures and I still struggle to know how to help the people, as I strive to do my best, I've seen the Lord work miracles, even just mini ones. I've seen the spirit work to help me become more knowledgeable, more patient, and more the woman I know He wants me to be. I guess I just wish everyone could know what it's like to really feel the power of prayer in their lives. I know as we strive to pray more earnestly, and with real intent (meaning we're really intending to do what we're told) we will have the Lord's influence in our lives. But it all comes down to if we ACTUALLY, REALLY WANT that influence. We cannot be scared of what the Lord is going to make us, even if it is so much different than what we had planned. Because it is far different. It's far more grand, and far more eternal. For this knowledge, I am forever, eternally grateful. Thank you for raising me to know Heavenly Father myself.

No word from Joel or co. this week. We're trying though! Not much else to tell. I am so happy to hear you're reading from the Book of Mormon again as a family. I love that book so much. What a blessing that we have it in our day. I love each word of it! It sounds like Garrett gave an awesome talk. I'm so proud of him, and am so excited for him to be able to serve the Lord as a missionary. I know he'll be great.

Also, I love Gnomeo! I didn't realize I forgot to tell you I got him. Thanks for the Valentine’s package! And I love having my gnomes on my desk. Please tell Kaisa happy birthday for me tonight! Enjoy the party with everyone, and don't forget to tell them that I love them and I hope they're doing well! Also, I didn't realize the Thompson's were actually moving! Tell them to travel safe for me. I love them, and hope this all works out the way they're wanting. Y'all are in my prayers!

I love you sooooo much! ❤☀:)
Sister Erika Marks ☃

Hey hey hey!

Oh my goodness, I love y'all so much! This last week was just soooo amazing! I guess I really don't have any specific story that’s overly worth mentioning, but it was just a good week! There's mainly two things that I wanted to tell y'all about. The first one is about a cool experience I had with the subtlety of the spirit, and the second is similar to the first, but it is just cool how Heavenly Father answers prayers we didn't realize we were sending His way.

So, my first story began weeks ago, without me knowing, and the end is nowhere in sight, but the tale thus far is super cool. At least it was for me, as it helped to demonstrate to me how sometimes answers to prayers, and revelation, really doesn't come through lightning, but just by doing what you're supposed to do, with full purpose of heart. So about a month ago, Sister Poulton and I were tracting down a country road. We got to an intersection where we could continue down the road we were on, or turn left for a small detour down a dead-end road. We hesitated to take the time to go down it, only because we were on a bit of a time crunch (we were tracting before an appointment in the area). Therefore (as good little missionaries do) we said a prayer asking if we should turn, and we both felt that we should take the left down the road. Crazy thing: the very first house we got to- we recognized! For some reason we'd been out about a month before to visit that house, but no one was home, and we couldn't remember why we had ever tried to come out. We therefore forgot about that house, as no one was home, and they didn't call us from the card we left on the door. All I remember about that first attempt is that it was purposeful to go there, we weren't just tracting the first time. Anyway, this day we were tracting, and a man answered. He was nice, and said we could come back that Saturday. We came back, and he had forgotten we were coming, so he gave us a phone number, and said to text later for a new appointment. Okay, nothing new. However, we then completely forgot about him and texting him back. (Mainly because it was right before transfers, so we just forgot with the shuffle of everything). So, you’re probably asking yourself, "why are we hearing about this now?" A canceled appointment a month ago is nothing special. So here's where it gets cool (I think, because I think it was the spirit that guided these very innocent seeming events) last Friday, we were out at a dinner appointment, and the member asked us if we had any cool tracting experiences. Out of nowhere, I thought of that experience I just told you! I literally hadn't thought of it for weeks, and I couldn't even remember the guy’s name, what street he was on, or anything! I was just sure that I could get there, if I could get off the right exit from the highway. So, it hit me, and I realized I HAD to follow up! I just couldn't shake the feeling we needed to go out there, so I made a note to set a time to try to find him during the next weekly planning (the next Thursday). However, we were out that way, and we were just following up on other potentials, and I again thought of this man (Joel) so right then, we went and found his house. We walked up to the door, knocked, and no one answered. We'd tried calling his phone, and there was no answer, so we were just going to leave a pass along card, and head on our way. Just then, a truck pulls into the driveway (awkward!) so we go over and luckily it's Joel, and he remembers who we are! We were able to visit for a few minutes, and we chatted with him and his wife. They both seemed sincerely interested, and volunteered to trade information for us to call back and set up a time to come back. We will be following up really soon, and I'll let you know what happens! It's Joel, his wife, Misty, and two daughters who live at home (though they have others that are already moved out). I just loved that I had three distinct interactions with him, and we've now gotten to the point that we will be teaching them really soon, hopefully! (I guess that counted as a missionary story, huh?)

The second one started Saturday night. We went over to a local member's (the Calaway’s) because Sister Martin was asking for a blessing before her neurologist exam today (I'm actually writing from the doctors office right now). I have been feeling like I want to ask for a blessing for about a month and a half now (just for council, mainly) but I never felt like I should or that it was good timing, or that I should because I always felt like my companions needed it more (dumb, I know, but that was my thought process). Anyway, Saturday night, I finally asked for a blessing from brother Calaway since Sister Martin was asking for one from him that night anyway. It was a great blessing, and answered some questions I hadn't even realized I was posing. I have such a testimony of priesthood blessings, it really is communication from the Lord, not from the priesthood holder. The main thing that I've been processing recently is feeling like I'm not able to follow/feel the spirit directing my conversation and lessons the way I felt like I should be. I knew, intellectually, that I was being directed, because I've been striving to live according to the pattern of revelation. I've been trying to more fully surrender my obstinate will to the Lord's, so that I can do what He would have me do with a happy heart, rather than just because He told me to. Then, after my blessing on Saturday, I had two experiences on Sunday that helped me really internalize that the Lord does work through me, even if it doesn't feel like it all the time. Both times, I went to give a short thought (they were both members, one less active) and didn't feel any particular influence to read or watch anything, I just did what kinda came to mind. The really cool one, was that I was trying to find a specific scripture for the LA, but I couldn't find it, and I had instead flipped to 2 Nephi 4:32-35 (kinda cool, because of what you were saying dad!) and so I just decided to read it with him. We had a great discussion, and he said that it was exactly what he needed to hear, and what he needed to do (hopefully that is come back to church!), and that that was in fact the second time that day he'd had that conversation. So Cool! Something I thought was just a passing spiritual thought, and what I happened to flip to, was actually guided thoughts from the Lord to bless his life.

We are literally in Sister Martin's appointment right now. She's having an hour long brain exam, so hence the long letter. I have time to kill! Haha :) we think that this will help a lot. She got a daily pill to take, to help prevent the migraines, and a good medicine that should help if she has one coming on anyway. She is a great girl, and I'm so happy to be her companion. She appreciates the prayers y'all send her way, and said to tell you thanks, and that you're awesome!

Anyway, those are pretty much my thoughts for the week! Joe came to church on Sunday, and he's doing super well! We really don't have any investigators right now, but we have a few right on the brink, that we think will pan out soon :) I love hearing from you at home, and thank you for sending Williams journal entry, and your thoughts of that. I'm soooo proud of you both, and I love you beyond the edge of the world! You're the best parents a girl could ask for! ❤

I love you so much! Have a great week!
Sister Erika Marks ❤☀❤☃