Letter #17

Wow, Ok is everyone sitting down? Because you're all going to need to put on a life jacket...its about to get deep! 

Ok I will tell you about the week first and then it will just all come together (no pun intended ;)

So it really starts with Thursday, we went out contacting at 11:00and we just got a ton done! Talked to a ton of people, and found some people who possibly might be interested in learning more. We really did that all day and it was good and we just felt amazing! Then came Friday, this was the first Friday of the month so we had Zone training where all the missionaries in our zone get together and just have a meeting together! Well, President was there which is awesome because I just love him! By this time my violin came yesterday and I had played it. So I was talking to him and thanked him for letting the Kunz bring it to me and I told him how grateful I was to play it and have it! He said now you need to learn how to play A Poor Wayfaring Man. Well, mom sent me sheet music and it had it in there and I had played it, so with out thinking I said "oh i can already play that one!" and he said perfect we will schedule you for zone conference! AHHH hahah it was funny. (zone conference is with a bunch of other zones together!)  So the next one is in September so I hope he forgets by then! But at zone training it was amazing! The spirit was sooo strong and it was sooo great!!! 

That day I came to the realization of this transfer! 

This transfer I lost all of our investigators, potentials and we got yelled at and doors slammed in our faces! It was so hard! I was feeling as if God wasn't answering my prayers, helping me in this hard time, and just feel completely alone. This transfer I didn't baptize anyone. My purpose as a missionary is to help others come unto Christ  and I didn't find any new person to come unto christ. except for myself. This transfer was for me, for me to truly to come unto Christ and to fully have a true relationship with my Father in Heaven. God knows us perfectly and I can promise you that! 

He knows 100% of what we need at different times in our lives. God knew that I needed to go through his refining fire to help him more fully with his glorious work! Because of these trials I have grown and have such an amazing relationship with him. I have put more trust in him and I have grown to love this gospel even more! Something that I also found is that because I went through all of this I now will be more of an effective instrument in Gods hands, because I KNOW that there is someone in New Mexico that is going through what I went through, and I will now be able to help and comfort them!! Ahh isn't this gospel AMAZING?  God loves us sooo much he is willing to let us have such hard times because he knows it will benefit us! 

Then comes Saturday! So on Thursday we contacted into this apartment and it was a young couple about to get married. Long story short the Elders tracked into them and they were interested but the elders gave us the wrong apartment #. We we were going to the wrong place but Sister Watkins and I knocked on their door and they invited us back that night but then they weren't home. So on  Saturday we went and the guy said,  oh, my fiance will be home at 7 come then!

So we said ok will do!

Then we had a lesson with a less active and then we got a phone call from North Carolina! what the? We called them back and it was the Elders in the NC Mission! So when I first got here (ten days in) we taught this guy name Bryan. He was the first person I invited to baptism and he seemed super solid and awesome but he had some family stuff come up. His dad died and he was going to be there for a while. We had thought about having missionaries go over but then we kinda forgot. But we would text him once a week to keep tabs on him. Well these Elders in NC found him!!!!! SEE another testament that God knows us and our situations! They found him walking down the street and have been teaching him! They said all he has to do now is get baptized! But he wants to get baptized here in NM!!!! Wow that was such a blessing! I know God loves all his children and wants them all to hear to gospel! 

Then we went back to that one couples apartment and we taught her. Talk about a golden investigator! She already knows how the Holy Ghost talks to her and she has a great relationship with God. She said shes been to 3 different churches and she doesn't know what is different about them and she wants to know whats different about this one! THE PRIESTHOOD!!!!!!!  hahaha anyways the lesson went AMAZING!  The spirit was sooo in the room! and she kept saying she felt good about it and ahh!!!!

I HAVE A TESTIMONY THAT IF YOU ARE STRUGGLING WITH ANYTHING HARD, WHETHER IT BE BIG OR SMALL, THAT GOD DOES SEE AND KNOW YOU AND HIS TIMING CAN BE HARD TO BE PATIENT FOR! BUT HE KNOWS WHATS BEST FOR YOU!!! AND ALL THIS HARD STUFF I HAVE BEEN GOING THROUGH IS SOOOOO WORTH IT!!!!!

Everyone should go on a mission! I could never trade this for anything! Study and read the scriptures EVERYDAY!!! When we pray thats us talking to God. When we read the scriptures, that's God answering our prayers! don't for one minuet let it slip because once you stop Satan will come in like a flash of lightning!!! 

I have such a deep love for my Savior Jesus Christ and wow, how lucky are we to have the fullness of the Gospel on the Earth today! 

Thank you for all the prayers and love everyone sends to me each and every day!!!! I love this gospel and next transfer I cant wait to bring it to others even more!!!! 

I LOVE YOU!!!!!!

Sister Markus