It has been a MARVELOUS week! Jake got baptized Saturday!!!! Isn’t that awesome!!!! I love him so much, he’s amazing. I don’t remember how much I told you about him, but his story is so cool. Bishop gave him the opportunity yesterday to bear his testimony after his confirmation, and it was beautiful. He’s ex-marines, and life has pretty well thrown him everything it could think of. Yet, he’s here! A year ago, when missionaries first met him, he wouldn’t even come out of the kitchen or talk to them. They would just visit with his wife and daughter in the living room, and he would blow them off. Then, over the space of many months, his heart was softened (I would guess in part from his family being gone for almost 10 months now) and he allowed us in. When he spoke, it was clear to see how Christ had touched his life. It blows me away. He’s awesome.
Guess what though! This week for him was so bad! I was appalled at how blatantly Satan was attacking him right before his baptism. Seriously. He got rear ended, then while he was checking the damage, got straight up clipped by another car that was going 30+ and didn’t stop. Then he got the flu, which turned into pneumonia (the doctor said if he hasn’t come to the hospital, he would have died by Friday), then he found out the tickets were way more than he thought, so his family didn’t come home, and on the same day, he got laid off of work! And yet, he is so faithful, and he still went through with the baptism. It is such a testimony to me. He’s a good man. It was really sad that his family couldn’t make it, but he’s looking forward to the temple sealing, as the most important ordinance in one year. And there was a really good turn out and support from the ward on Saturday night. The ward is really taking him in as one of their own.
That was pretty much my week. Our whole lives tend to revolve around someone about to be baptized. It was a good week. We sang this beautiful song at his baptism called, “Lovest thou Me” and I got a recording of it, so I’ll send it. It is such a pretty song. I would love to have it as a musical number at my homecoming. I don’t have music for it though. Just the words and the recording... anyway, I hope you like it.
And as far as naming my poems, I decided to name my first one, either “Pleading Knees” or “Pleading on my Knees” or “My Plea in the Night” or something along those lines... what do you think? And I haven’t thought of a title yet for the second one (the one I sent last time) but I have been working on refining it, and have touched it up a bit for better wording and rhymes and stuff. When I finish and have a title, I’ll resend it. I’m happy y’all liked it. I find it fascinating to write these poems, because I really can’t just sit down and write them. They feel like they are inspired and not really me coming up with it. Maybe I think of actual words, but I truly believe the source is divine.
I didn’t know William and Mariam were coming to visit! That’s awesome. And it’s so good that you were able to redo the room! I was thinking about that the other day, and was wondering what the house would look like when I get home. I mean, it’s nice you have two extra rooms now. “EmptyNesters”. That’s such a cute idea they have for their reception with the video. It will definitely be a lot of work, but so worth it! It should be a beautiful little shin-dig
I’m glad Dad is feeling better. That’s been quite the beast of an illness. ... Sis Mapa goes home next week, and so I’ll be getting a new comp. It’s crazy! But I’m excited for the change. It should be really good. We have a few more people we’re working with right now that I have high hopes for! With any luck, we’ll have some dates set soon.
One of those is a girl named Misty we found this week. We were following up on potentials, and there was one woman whose address didn’t have a house number. However, we asked one of her neighbors, and they pointed us right to the house. When we pulled up, she wasn’t there, but her two kids were outside. The daughter (Misty) is 18 and apparently has met with missionaries before when she lived in California. When we asked about meeting up again, she was open to it, and we set a return appointment for tonight! She was really sweet, and I’m excited to see what will happen.
As far as Jai... she’s been radio silent all week... seriously. She hasn’t responded to anything we’ve sent her. And she wasn’t home when we dropped by. We were worried this would happen. But, we keep trying! She really does know it’s true, she just needs to act. And she’s pregnant with her first child, Mom. I just keep praying for her, and hope we can at least stay in touch.
And Dad, I think I can manage without you (and William, lol) coming down to beat some people up. Thanks though . I just hit them with some “scripture power” in the form of a blue Book of Mormon, haha! Nah, this week has been a lot better. And now it’s the last week of the transfer! It’ll be great.
Well, I think that’s it for me! I love you sooo much! I hope you have a fantastic week!
Oh! Here’s my spiritual thought for the week: Helaman 5:30 “And it came to pass when they heard this voice, and beheld that it was not a voice of thunder, neither was it a voice of a great tumultuous noise, but behold, it was a still voice of perfect mildness, as if it had been a whisper, and it did pierce even to the very soul”. I love the way the spirit works. I love that we have to choose to be in a place in life to hear it, I love that he whispers, and he have to open our ears. I love that he will always speak to us. I know he speaks to us. I love the Holy Ghost and am so grateful for his companionship. May we always listen to his subtle promptings!
All my love,
Sister Erika Marks
Guess what though! This week for him was so bad! I was appalled at how blatantly Satan was attacking him right before his baptism. Seriously. He got rear ended, then while he was checking the damage, got straight up clipped by another car that was going 30+ and didn’t stop. Then he got the flu, which turned into pneumonia (the doctor said if he hasn’t come to the hospital, he would have died by Friday), then he found out the tickets were way more than he thought, so his family didn’t come home, and on the same day, he got laid off of work! And yet, he is so faithful, and he still went through with the baptism. It is such a testimony to me. He’s a good man. It was really sad that his family couldn’t make it, but he’s looking forward to the temple sealing, as the most important ordinance in one year. And there was a really good turn out and support from the ward on Saturday night. The ward is really taking him in as one of their own.
That was pretty much my week. Our whole lives tend to revolve around someone about to be baptized. It was a good week. We sang this beautiful song at his baptism called, “Lovest thou Me” and I got a recording of it, so I’ll send it. It is such a pretty song. I would love to have it as a musical number at my homecoming. I don’t have music for it though. Just the words and the recording... anyway, I hope you like it.
And as far as naming my poems, I decided to name my first one, either “Pleading Knees” or “Pleading on my Knees” or “My Plea in the Night” or something along those lines... what do you think? And I haven’t thought of a title yet for the second one (the one I sent last time) but I have been working on refining it, and have touched it up a bit for better wording and rhymes and stuff. When I finish and have a title, I’ll resend it. I’m happy y’all liked it. I find it fascinating to write these poems, because I really can’t just sit down and write them. They feel like they are inspired and not really me coming up with it. Maybe I think of actual words, but I truly believe the source is divine.
I didn’t know William and Mariam were coming to visit! That’s awesome. And it’s so good that you were able to redo the room! I was thinking about that the other day, and was wondering what the house would look like when I get home. I mean, it’s nice you have two extra rooms now. “EmptyNesters”. That’s such a cute idea they have for their reception with the video. It will definitely be a lot of work, but so worth it! It should be a beautiful little shin-dig
I’m glad Dad is feeling better. That’s been quite the beast of an illness. ... Sis Mapa goes home next week, and so I’ll be getting a new comp. It’s crazy! But I’m excited for the change. It should be really good. We have a few more people we’re working with right now that I have high hopes for! With any luck, we’ll have some dates set soon.
One of those is a girl named Misty we found this week. We were following up on potentials, and there was one woman whose address didn’t have a house number. However, we asked one of her neighbors, and they pointed us right to the house. When we pulled up, she wasn’t there, but her two kids were outside. The daughter (Misty) is 18 and apparently has met with missionaries before when she lived in California. When we asked about meeting up again, she was open to it, and we set a return appointment for tonight! She was really sweet, and I’m excited to see what will happen.
As far as Jai... she’s been radio silent all week... seriously. She hasn’t responded to anything we’ve sent her. And she wasn’t home when we dropped by. We were worried this would happen. But, we keep trying! She really does know it’s true, she just needs to act. And she’s pregnant with her first child, Mom. I just keep praying for her, and hope we can at least stay in touch.
And Dad, I think I can manage without you (and William, lol) coming down to beat some people up. Thanks though . I just hit them with some “scripture power” in the form of a blue Book of Mormon, haha! Nah, this week has been a lot better. And now it’s the last week of the transfer! It’ll be great.
Well, I think that’s it for me! I love you sooo much! I hope you have a fantastic week!
Oh! Here’s my spiritual thought for the week: Helaman 5:30 “And it came to pass when they heard this voice, and beheld that it was not a voice of thunder, neither was it a voice of a great tumultuous noise, but behold, it was a still voice of perfect mildness, as if it had been a whisper, and it did pierce even to the very soul”. I love the way the spirit works. I love that we have to choose to be in a place in life to hear it, I love that he whispers, and he have to open our ears. I love that he will always speak to us. I know he speaks to us. I love the Holy Ghost and am so grateful for his companionship. May we always listen to his subtle promptings!
All my love,
Sister Erika Marks