Hey Mom and Dad!

... This week is transfers! CrAzY!! I got a call last night from president, asking me to train again! I'm soooooo excited!! This will be my third time training, and fourth time through the 12 week booklet... I get it president, I need to focus on the basics! I'm also whitewashing again! And this time, the area has been closed for about a month, so I actually am opening an area. Just "leveling up" every time I train, haha. Sis Asay is staying in Trophy Club / Roanoke, which I think will be super good. And honestly, I'm ready to move areas again. I don' know why I already am, but I'm excited for it. So, that's news from me!  I'll be living with a member apparently, which will be a new experience also.

What else happened this week? Oh, the 4th! We walked in the parade, and it was sooo fun! We ended up walking closer to the end, but there were missionaries throughout. So, no newspapers, but we did get some good pics I'll send. It was HOT though. Actually, so hot that Sis Asay was light headed, almost fainting for the rest if the day! Even after we got her some water and AC. It was bad. She actually said she blacked out on me in a lesson we were in that afternoon! We couldn't tell during, but I couldn't believe it afterword! I'm just glad she's okay, and it passed.

Not much else this week. I love you so much! Mom, good luck with the new position. I pray you'll get it! That would be great! Also, I'm super jealous that y'all got to see Phantom! I love that movie, and want to see a big production so bad... someday!

I'm so proud of y'all recommitting to your health! You can do it!! Stay strong and do what you know you can. I believe in you, and am excited to hear how it goes.

I love you so much! Have a great week!

All my love,
Sister Erika Marks ☀❤

Hey y'all! Well, not a ton to tell this week. I hope you traveled safe with the cruise, and that Kylie and Garrett were able to make it home safe from Oregon. How fun!

We had a good week out here. I'm getting super excited for the fourth tomorrow! Texans sure do love it. We actually get to walk in the Trophy Club parade tomorrow! We're carrying the opening banner for the parade, and should be in the newspaper, so I'm going to try to get a clipping from a ward member. 

... I love these people so much, and that's really why I'm here. To help my brothers and sisters get home. I just also know it's super unhealthy not to acknowledge and handle negative emotions when they arise, because then you can never process them. ... I hope you know how much I love you, and that I really am doing well. How ungrateful and prideful would I be to ignore the innumerable blessings in my life, to complain.

Let's see... what actually happened this week? I found this donut shop that is AMAZING. Haha. Seriously though, it's great. They fill the donuts right there, so you can get whatever filling you want into whatever donut you want.... seriously. Even maple bars. Wow. Anyway, you know how I love raspberry-lemon flavored stuff? Well, I can never decided if I want a raspberry filled donut, or a lemon filled donut - it's a struggle. But today, there was no more conundrum. They said they could fill the same donut with both fillings! J wow. It was sooo good! J

We really didn't have anything else this week. Sorry to keep it so short. I hope you had a wonderful week! I love ya to death!

All my love,
Sister Erika Marks ☀❤☀❤☀

So, I don't have a title, but here's the rest if the poem I started sharing with y'all a few weeks ago. I hope you like it! Love ya!

My Poem - Untitled
 
Heavenly Father I bow my head
And seek for heaven's peace
I need thee now to intercede
As I'm pleading on my knees
 
I trust thee Lord
You know I do
But now I'm pleading
Needing
Your strength to see me through
 
His spirit comes
He speaks. He whispers.
When I open my heart I hear
His voice so calm, so tender
Speaking truths unheard by ears
 
"Come unto me" and "be perfected"
 I feel His soft reply
For "peace I leave" and "peace I give"
If I, so proud, comply
 
There must be more my heart still argues
Something required of me
Can peace really come
So easily?
 
"Yes my child, I love you,
You know that long by now.
The atonement is here, it's for you too,
If you'll but humbly bow."
 
So now I'm bowing, humble
But where is still my wall?
Or is this, my faith, not able,
Though on my face I fall?
 
I know my strength is nothing.
My wisdom - that of men.
I know my heart is willing.
Though my flesh seems strong as ten
 
Only through Christ, Redeemer
The Prince of Peace, My Lord
Can my flesh be conquered
And break this flaxen cord
 
His light now shines so freely
Filling up my soul
O’re flowing, my heart sings praises
At last, my joy is full.
 
No shadow of doubt still lingers
My spirit sighs in peace
I thank Thee, Lord, for thy deliverance
As I rise from pleading knees.
 
 
~Sister Erika Marks 
June 2017~

Hello from Texas!

I can't believe y'all are in Alaska! That's so cool (☃ ba-dum-tsss J). And HAPPY ANNIVERSARY!!! 28 years! Wow. That's awesome. I'm so glad that you're able to do this cruise for your anniversary, heaven knows how long you've been wanting to do this! I hope you have a wonderful anniversary, and thank you so much for being the best parents a girl could ask for. You're in my thoughts, I love you so much!

Well, this week has been great! It's been kinda weird now that the Smiths are baptized. We didn't have an official lesson with them this week, but helped quite a bit with wedding preparations for their daughter that got married on Saturday! I really think that now that she is married, Mary will be able to put the emotional energy needed into the gospel, and that she will know for herself and be baptized before long now. It's also super cool to see the energy with which Darrell especially is sharing the gospel! He said he gave away multiple pamphlets and copies of the Book of Mormon to people that were down for the wedding. Isn't that cool!? It's awesome to see because the fire of conversion is burning so bright in their eyes. And they're still so touched by the Holy Ghost. I love them!

This week we had a kinda cool experience on Tuesday. A few weeks ago, as we were walking to check our mail one evening, we walked past two older women (80 and 60s) and they stopped us and we ended up talking for about 30 min. They both have amazing faith in Christ, and they loved what we do as missionaries. We were carrying some cheesecake from dinner, and the conclusion of our conversation is that we should get together sometime for Cheesecake Factory cheesecake. J So, on Tuesday we did! We just chatted for a while, then I asked if we could share a scripture out of the Book of Mormon. Instead of reading Ether 12:27, as we planned, they had questions about the Book of Mormon, and we ended up doing a mini restoration lesson! When we read Moroni 10:3-5 Rosie said her, "spirit felt alive" as I read it, and she was super excited to read the Book of Mormon and was so grateful we gave her one! Jenean was also happy, but not as excited as Rosie. It was a fun afternoon, and these two women are just the sweetest.

Other than that, not too much happened. We had lessons with two investigators worth mentioning, Monica, and Barbara. Not much to tell with them. They both seem really interested. Monica has been studying with missionaries for years on and off, but she finally came to church on Sunday, and said she'll pray about her baptismal date! Barbara seems really interested, but is also really skeptical of religion. She grew up Methodist, then was atheist most of her adult life. Till about a year ago, she started wanting to come back to Christ and wants to raise her little boy (4) in a religion, she's looking for Truth and I'm super excited to work with her.

Sis Asay is doing great! On Monday evening last week, she got a blessing of healing, and let me tell you something, priesthood blessings work! She said her ankle and back pain were instantly gone, and all week she hasn't been in any pain from that. The MRI also came back showing nothing but bone bruising on her ankle, so things are on the up! The only thing we're fighting now is on-and-off nausea and headaches. But, the mission nurse is on the case, and we are hopeful it'll all be taken care of within a week or two! Yay! ☀

Well, I hope you have a great week! I love y'all so much! ❤

All my love,
Sister Erika Marks ☀❤☀❤

BEST WEEKEND EVER!!! I mean, I've had some amazing weekends in my life, but nothing (yet) is quite comparable to seeing a whole family baptized! What a blessing and miracle conversion is! Yeah, so the Smiths were baptized on Saturday! Ouida, Darrell and Brody. I still can't get over how prepared they were, and the incredible conversion process. You could see it in their eyes. At the baptism on Saturday, we had over 100 people there! Plus, our mission president was able to come, which was cool of him. He comes to as many baptisms as he can, but it's still cool to actually see him there. The actual ordinance was amazing. Darrell started crying, and I almost did! Then, Sis Asay and I sang, Savior Redeemer of My Soul (I think I'm going to try to sing is at every baptism I have). I almost choked up after the second phrase and had to pull myself together so we could sing! There wasn't a dry eye by the time the whole service was over, the spirit was so strong. Darrell and Mary's daughter, Kayla, was there with her fiancé also, and they agreed to have the elders sent to them in Hurst where they live. Yay!

Then, yesterday they were confirmed. I love confirmations so much. Because when the words, "receive the Holy Ghost" are said you can feel the spirit almost "whoosh" into the room! The whole spiritual level spikes, and I don't know how you couldn't feel it in that moment. Darrell said that when he was sitting in that circle, he could "feel the power of the priesthood". Isn't that cool?! And next week, he'll be ordained to the Aaronic priesthood! Brody probably will be as well, but we're not sure exactly what will happen because he doesn't turn sixteen till the next day... they might let him become a priest anyway, or he might be a teacher, and ordained a priest the next week, or he might just wait a week.... I don't know. That's in Bishop's court, not ours, luckily!

Speaking of things that are in my court though... we are working with this Cambodian woman who doesn't speak hardly any English. Luckily we have two men in our wards who speak Cambodian and can translate! The thing is, she may or may not be mentally capable of making the decision to be baptized. We can't really tell. So, we are to pray and ponder about this. President said whatever we decide (whether or not she should be baptized) he will support. It's a lot of responsibility, and I'm definitely praying a lot! I really don't want to decide the wrong thing with her... but I do believe that the Lord will guide our decision and it will be the correct one.

I really appreciated your words of encouragement and love, ... Something I find interesting with Sis. Asay, especially, is that none of these health problems were prevalent before she left for her mission. She said that before this, she only had one or two migraines, she wasn't almost ever nauseous, her ankle obviously wasn't injured, and her back was manageable. But just one thing after the next keeps attacking her. ... She's an amazing missionary, and I feel so blessed to have her as my companion. I continue to pray for her, and I just hope this all gets figured out with me, so that her future companions and she can just hit the streets!

Well, I don't really know what else to tell you! It's been a good, crazy week. I feel so unimaginably blessed for my opportunities here, especially with the Smith family. I just know that Mary will be baptized (by Darrell!) before too long. I'm so excited for that day. Then, I will figure out a way to come back for their sealing. I have to.

All my love,
Sister Erika Marks ☀
 
p.s - Also, Dad, HAPPY FATHERS DAY!!! I was thinking out you all day yesterday, and though I wasn't allowed to call home, know you were in my thoughts. Also, I swear, you have something in the mail from me, I'm so sorry I didn't get it off on time (we can blame the Hughes genes this time...) J but I swear it'll be there soon! I love you so much!

Oh my goodness, I can't believe Garrett is all grad-ga-ma-cated! Way to go G! It sounds like y'all had a successful, fun part for him. And the yard looks gorgeous! That's awesome. I love that you already got the gnome! He wasn't supposed to arrive till tomorrow. Any luck with a name yet? I love your reaction! Haha 😂 And, I'm going to send a separate email today of some awesome pictures we took with him before we shipped him off... it's pretty great :) and I'll thank Bro Highfill for you. He's awesome. And a scare box would be too great. Will you send me one anyway so I can scare future companions and stuff with it?

...

The Smiths are so great! They're so ready for baptism! They're having their interview tonight, and then all but the mom will be baptized Saturday! I so wish that Mary was also ready, but I have a deep faith that she will be soon. It's been such an honor to walk this path with them, and I am so grateful I have this opportunity.

The sister coming back from Japan gets in tomorrow, so I don't know how fast we'll go out with her. The family is one of our close friends here, and so anything we can do! Plus, they said I remind them a lot of their daughter, so I thought that was really sweet of them. I'm excited to meet her.

Tell grandma Hughes I love her. It's good she can be with you for a bit.

Also, I just found out there's someone in my stake here knows grandpa! His name is Jim Christianson. Isn't that cool? Small world.

Sister Erika Marks ☀

P.s - Below: A Gnome Story

Wow! The kitchen looks great! It's awesome you were able to actually get it done in time to have the BBQ for Garrett. It should be fun! And that's great he was able to speak (at Seminary Graduation)! I'm sure he did great, I look forward to reading it!

That's so great you were able to go to the Idaho Falls temple dedication! That's an amazing experience, and it's awesome they allowed the whole state to go. I loved being able to go to the Provo City Center temple dedication, truly an amazing experience.

Well, the Smiths are doing great! They're right on track for the 17th baptism, and Brody is actually going on high adventure tomorrow! It was awesome, we taught the Word of Wisdom, and they stopped drinking coffee cold turkey! Along with Darrell stopping his chewing tobacco and all of them cut ice tea. It's so cool what he gospel can do. When we taught it, Darrell especially had no problems saying, "if Christ were here today, you wouldn't find him on the porch smoking and drinking coffee, so it makes sense." Wow! I'm so excited for this family, it's incredible. And Mary still isn't ready in her mind for baptism. It's hard, because she totally is, but doesn't realize it. I just continue to pray for her, and hope that when the time is right she'll be able to enter into the waters of baptism so that they can all go to the Temple together. I look forward to witnessing them make these steps on their eternal path.

As far as Roanoke goes: I love it! It's crazy being over two wards, and definitely adds its fair amount of stress, but in a good way. I've come to realize that I really thrive on stress. I really think that most people do. We can't move forward and progress unless we have something to overcome and conquer. Yeah, there are people that shut down under the extra stress, but I really believe that these situations are what enable us to move forward and grow closer to God. Heavenly Father knows this, and that's why He allows or maybe even puts hard things in our path. If we are to be perfected, it doesn't come from having no resistance. #physics J

In Roanoke, we have a few really promising people it looks like, but we only met one so far. Her name is Brittany, and she's married to a member. She's also super ready for baptism! We don't quite have a date set for her, but mainly because she's scared to tell her parents (Baptist pastors) that she wants to be baptized. She's probably in her late 20s, and they have two adorable little boys.

We have been able to get out more this week, but still have our days of not being able to get out till late because of Sis. Asay’s sicknesses (nausea and a headache that won't go away) and ankle. We have a follow up appointment for that on Wednesday, and we're really hoping for the best. Is it bad that I'm almost mentally preparing myself to send home another companion? Oh, how I don't want to. I just worry that if this really is a torn ligament that she'll need surgery that can only be given at home. She, of course, will come back if she does. I just want to be able to help her in anyway I can during this time, and hope that it doesn't come to that. We'll work through anything we can in the field, and I have hope that it'll all work out.

Speaking of going home early, I just found out there's a family in Trophy Club who's daughter is about to come home early from her mission in Japan. They told us because she will hopefully be able to come out with us a lot while she's here, so that she doesn't get too out of it, mission wise. She is coming home for medical reasons. The reason this one kind of hits me close to home is that she entered the MTC also on October 12th. She's been out exactly as long as I have. I just can't imagine having to come home after 8 months. That would be so hard. Because that's a decent chunk of time, and then you'd have to do it all over again to go back out. Anyway, I'm excited to work with her, and we're privileged to be able to help in any way we can as she goes through this transition.

Well, I think that's it for me this week! I love you so much! I hope you have a good one. You're in my prayers.

All my love,
Sister Erika Marks ☀❤☀❤
 

I love you soooo much!!! And, I think as far as complaining goes, what I really want to cut is the mental laziness that comes from mental complaining. Especially in this heat! It's super easy to complain if I'm not watching it. We literally stepped outside the other day, and it was so humid and hot that my sunglasses fogged up immediately! I didn't even know that was possible! Ech. However, I am starting to like this humidity a bit, it's kinda nice. At least, that's what I'm telling myself....

The Smiths are still doing great! Getting baptized is Brody, his dad, Derrell, and Derrell’s mom, Ouida. The mom, Mary, said she's not quite ready yet, but she is okay with baptism, just not now. We're hoping that the next three weeks will help her, and she will be able to be baptized with her family after all. We'll be teaching them tonight about the priesthood, and that Darrell or Brody could baptize her after a few more weeks.

It's all looking so pretty up there! Man, that looks like it would have been so fun to work on. And I love the bear rock. It's Awesome! J Also, the shop looks great! And Garrett is such a trooper. I hope everything with school and his papers and stuff goes smoothly. Including the dentist! I loved going to Dr. Hull for my wisdom teeth, and I hope he can do Garrett's without having to go to a surgeon... ew. He's in my prayers that it will all work out smoothly... Man, y'all are going to be empty nesters soon if you don't watch it.

And no, I can't go on facebook.... haha. Memorial Day should be amazing. I love this day. Tell everyone how much I love them, and feel free to brag about me a bit - hahahaha JJJ enjoy the Dutch oven chicken!

I can't believe Reba secretly got married! ... I hope she and her husband have a successful marriage and that everything works out okay.

So, transfers are this week! As we expected, neither of us got transferred, however, we are whitewashing again!!! They're combining Trophy Club and Roanoke wards into one area, so now we have two wards. I've never done two wards before, so this will be a learning curve. Should be good! Plus, now we have all the learning to do with a new bishop and ward council. New members, and new ward mission leader. Not to mention all the extra investigators! I'm so excited!

Anyway, I hope you have a great week. I love you soooo much!

Sister Erika Marks ☀❤❤☀☀❤☀❤❤☀❤☀☀❤☀

Hey! It's so good to hear from you! I don't really have a ton to send this week, but know that I love you so much, and you're in my thoughts and prayers. And thanks for sending me your talk, dad!

I guess the thing I really want to tell you about is something that actually happened last week, but forgot to tell you about! We had a conference with half the mission, and as part of that conference we made a goal as a mission to baptize 100 people before July's end. Which is three months. In order to do that, they've asked us to pray for it in EVERY prayer, and to make a personal sacrifice to do it. As I've thought and prayed about what I wanted to sacrifice, I came to the conclusion that I wanted to make two sacrifices. One that is more spiritual/emotional/mental in nature, and one that is temporal/physical in nature. Mainly because I feel like, for me, the physical will be an actual sacrifice, whereas I feel like the emotional will be more just like something I wanted to do anyway, and is just the catalyst that motivates me to do it. Anyway, I've decided that I am going to sacrifice complaining and chocolate. Should be good!

To that end, I would submit a request that y'all don't sent me any chocolate for the rest of my mission, as I can't eat it! Haha. And I'm really excited about cutting all complaining, as it really isn't a good thing anyway. Haha.

Other than that, there's not much to tell... the Smiths are doing great! Last week we set a baptismal date for all but Mary (the mom) for June 10th! Tonight we'll be following up, and see if Mary will also agree (she wanted to pray about it). However, we had to move the date to the 17th, because Brody won't be back from high adventure on the 10th until late at night. I'm so excited for them!!!

I love you so much! I hope you have a great week. ❤️

Sister Erika Marks ☀️

Video's Below: Doing the Hokey Pokey and Companion Lip Sync

It was so great to be able to hear from you all yesterday. Man, what a joy to hear your voices! Mom, I hope you had a fantastic Mother's Day, and a peaceful Sabbath. Thank you so much for your continued support and prayers on my behalf, I am so grateful for that strength I can always lean on.

It's so exciting you're getting closer and closer to your Alaska cruise. It should be amazing! You'll have to send lots of pics, and maybe an Alaskan gnome.

Anyway, I don't really know what else to tell y'all that I didn't yesterday...

The Smiths continue to do amazing! It's awesome to see the ward just take them in. Brody (the 16 yo) especially is being taken right in by the ward and the youth, fitting right in, which is great. Then, the parents continue to be enveloped by the ward, and it's so great to see. We have a lesson with them tonight, and with any luck, we'll have a baptismal date set! I love this family so much, and if there's anyway I can get back to Texas after my mission to see them sealed, I'll be here. It would be so worth however much a plane ticket would be, and however much homework I'll miss at school. I just love them so much, and can't wait to see them baptized and on the covenant path leading to the temple and eternity.

As far as service here, we do far more spontaneous service, and less of the organized stuff that we did in Azle. We're actually working on finding something to really do which will put us more in the community and with people that might want to learn more.

Almost all of you have made some comment in your emails or in the call about my companions [and their health issues], and why I've had the ones I've had. As I think about it, I think it comes down to what I need to learn from them. I've been blessed with few to zero health challenges and I think that this has given me a greater empathy and ability to help people and a definite increase in charity and sincere love for all of God's children, my brothers and sisters. I also wonder if these sisters need someone at this time that can help and understand them. I don't know. I just figure it'll all make sense in years when I look back.

Anyway, I love you so much! Please tell everyone how much I love them!
Have a great week!

All my love,
Sister Erika Marks ☀☀❤❤☀❤