Special Text

Today, January 31st, we got a special text from a family it New Mexico. It said:

"We've loved having your amazing daughter in our ward lately! She is an amazing example to our family. Love the Greer Family"

It came with this picture:

Pictures

so this is Ervin and his mom and dad, his parents we are hoping will be baptized soon, the dads heart has been sooooo softened!!!!

And then I take after [my] mom and cant keep my eyes open in pictures! 

we taught him the 10 commandments and number 4 is don't rock on .....Sundays go to church!

He loved that one! So he made the rock on Sunday part and I made the go to church part! hahaha we are funny!!!

since we had to go to ABQ for the doctor, I GOT CHICK FIL A 

over my fear of chickens....some what

I had two investigators give me gifts

Our ward mission leader doesn't quite know my name is guess... haha sister marcos 

Luminaries!! This was soooo cool! they light the way for Christ into your home! and ahhhh soooooo cool!! 

when my companion had to fix my hair...

After the missionary broadcast!

Classic New Mexico red chili! 

Our investigator ashley always wants me to hold lilly her little girl and she decided that if we sat together that'd be ok! she says I'm one of the only ones who can get her to smile!!

its sooooooo foggy! the pictures is on the top of a hill looking into the valley! you cant see anything not even mountains!

After christmas snow!!!!! yaya!!!

Letter #41

January 26^th

So this week has been amazing. On Thursdays we go to Mandy’s farm to do service. We work a lot with the animals, and there were some alpaca fighting, it was pretty funny! Those are crazy animals, the elders were in the pin with them when they were fighting, and oh that was great too!

Wed. we had the world wide missionary broadcast Ahhhh that was soooo cool! I learned sooo mocha and have already seen blessings come from it! 

On Saturday we decided to make a consecration scheduled! And it’s been sooo cool to see how much more of the spirit we have and the miracles we have seen! Its sooo true that scripture in D&C 130:20-21 when you do what the lord asks he will bless you!

Sundays are really fun, as crazy as 9 hours of church sounds it’s great! Paul and Andrew are the most amazing people I have met!! I learn sooo much from them! I don’t even know how to explain it but they are sooo sweet and humble, they love and are understanding the gospel! I feel like I have known them forever!!

Then on Monday we locked our key in the apt, so one of my companions-sister Fristup had to climb through the window, but with grace and class!!Family

People we saw this week;

Brother Bock- we had to tell him that we couldn’t come see him anymore because he’s not progressing, he’s less active and does want to change, and he told us he wouldn’t be sad when he got to heaven. And I my heart broke, he’s never been to the temple and I know I just KNOW that when he gets to heaven and if he doesn’t do anything here, he will be sooo sadden...

Ervin- he’s sooo awesome and it soooo amazing to see him still progress even after he was baptized!! You can see the difference having the Holy Ghost with someone makes! 

Bro Musket- he’s Navajo! And I love it! My favorite thing is teaching the gospel but then teaching it to natives!! Ahhhhhhh!!! He’s less active and it’s awesome! Because when you talk about the book of Mormon THATS HIS FAMILY!

And we asked if there was a story in his tribe of a great white spirit coming to visit his people long ago, and he said yes. It was sooo cool to tell him about 3 Nephi 11 and say ok here it is! Ahhhh

Ashley- Cool miracle that has taken over the course of the whole transfer;

So there is a family named the Fords, and we (Sister Christensen and I) had dinner with them the night before Thanksgiving.
They were telling us of their friend Ashley, who was divorced and had a baby out of wedlock but is super sweet. They told us she comes over to their home all the time because she loves how it feels! Well then Brother Ford was teasing and saying we should come and see them tomorrow. And I thought no, we have already seen you, we need to spend our time elsewhere, 

well all during the next day I felt like we needed to go over there. But I had no idea why. So finally around 8:00 pm I said ok! we will go over, and right has we went over the ford's friend Ashley was coming over, we met her and set up a lesson,

Then next week we taught her the Restoration, the spirit was sooo strong. Well the next day she went to the bank, she let this man cut in front of her and thought nothing of it. well the next day she was having a really bad day, and the bank called and told her the man who she let cut in front of her left her something. So she goes back, not remember that she’s a single mom with a hard life. The man left a book and $20!

She read about the author of the book who was this man. He’s a member and he’s in our stake. Anyways last night we taught the plan of salvation and the spirit was sooooo their wow that was such a special lesson, she said this made sooo much sense to her! And we taught the lesson at the Fords home and THE MAN WHO GAVE HER THE BOOK WAS THEIR!!! And it was cool because the book he wrote he added in the last chapter of the story of Ashley! And talked about the missionaries! So I’m in a book now!!! :) 

It’s just a huge testimony that God has a plan for everyone and he will do everything he can to get us on that plan!

This is just one of the "many mighty miracles we have wrought in this land" Alma 26:12

I just love this work! I am sooo honored that our heavenly father entrusts me with his children!!  The feeling it is to bring this joy to others is one I will never be able to express!!!

I feel like Ashley and I knew each other in the preexistence and I told her I would bring the gospel to her!!

Well I love you family and friends! Thanks for all you do!!!

Love sister Markus 

Letter #40

January 19^th

So its has been yet another crazy week!

So wed. we thought Sister Rackley would have the cat scan but she didn't, so that day was slow. Then she had it Thursday, and it went good, it was at 11:00 and by 1:00 we had the results.... nothing.

She was still in a lot of pain and they didn't know what was going on. So President Miller called Thursday at10:25 saying that he was going to move her closer to ABQ.

So now I am in a trio with my STL's who already cover two areas! So they cover the YSA and another ward.

Which means that we now cover 2 wards and the YSA Branch which also means we have 9 hours of church. WOOT! haha It is fun, just a lot! So Friday morning is when we combined! So its fun because now its like work work work! I love it! 

The two men we are teaching, Andrew and Paul, they are amazing! Just seeing them I get excited, they truly love the gospel! Andrew told us he was going to read the whole Book of Mormon this week! hahaha :)

With the Sister's areas we cover a place that is called Meadow Lake, El Cerro ahh its great!! Its just in the middle of no where! 

There was one time a couple of weeks ago that for a p-day we went to this gas station out there called Mana Mart, so its half gas station half food place! hahah oh man, and they don't really speak English. Well (Sister Gibbons and I) were trying to tell him what we wanted and he told us to try something else. So we said ok! 1- bad, you do not go to a gas station and tell them "sure, i have no idea what you said but that sounds good!

hahah so the one Spanish speaking Elder asked what we got, we couldn't remember what it was called, then when we got it the Spanish man called it out. So we ask the Elder what it was, he said pork meat!

I ate it...........just one bite....... gross gross gross. It had a familiar taste? what the.........

flash back to my first transfer...when I had pig fat and pig skin soup....

YUP IN MY burrito was pig skin!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! 

So its just constantly just an adventure out here! I love this area!!!!!

Also, today I thought I would get a hair cut.....its terrible... just terrible...

but last night I cut my companions hair and it looks great!!!!

hahaha but I am doing good, I have now had 5 areas, and 10 companions, and transfers are on the 1st! So it will be a normal tue p day! But I'm excited! I love my mission and I just love this work!!! 

I love you all and hope all is well!!!!

Love Sister Markus

Letter #39

January 12^th

Man yet another crazy week! My companion still isn’t doing good, she is getting a cat scan tomorrow! Crazy, she told me the other day she had a feeling she was going home, I sort of felt the same, so I have no idea what will happen! 

It’s been hard because since she hasn’t been able to really work she doesn’t love the people as much , that’s what she has told me so that is hard because I looove these people!

Ok sooo cool story, so I’m not sure if you remember George, he was at a rehab place and our Mission President baptized him. It was AMAZING! 

Well George was so awesome that he went back after he was baptized and was telling all the people he knew about it. Well the last week in December came and this guy named Paul came (we have a member who works at this rehab place and others who can go pick them up) and so Paul came and he loved it, well the next Sunday was canceled then the next he couldn’t come because someone forgot to sign so he could come! So he wants to learn sooo bad! Well this last Sunday, he came and he brought his friend Andrew!!!

Ahhhh I just love it, they are people who have been to jail and are now in a rehab and just soooo humble!!!! Ahhhh sooo ready for the gospel and the lesson was soooo spirit filled!

And I love love love them! Because they are amazing!!!!!!!!!!!! 

Other than that not much has happened!!! 

I love you all!!!

Sister Markus

Letter #38

January 5^th

So last tue. my companion wasn't feeling good, so I had to take her to an urgent care.....they thought it was stomach acid stuff, but her stomach has been hurting her for about a month in a half now, so not sure whats going on, the stuff they gave us at the Dr's. hasn't helped. She's too sick to do anything, and it  has been hard to find splits with members, so I haven't gotten to work a lot, ugh...I feel like there is such great potential here and Satan knows it and so hes doing everything in his power to make the work slow down! But I refuse!!!!!

Kathleen got baptized and that was amazing, she of course was just beaming, that is something that is so cool,  you can see a physical change in these people! The light is just radiating around them! And it was cool because shes 68 and so her brother baptized her while her nephew was in there as well to help and wow, plan of salvation was just laid out! Here is this man who 40 years ago found the church and was baptized and since then he has been trying to have his sister join the church. They are the only family they have here on earth, before their mom died she joined and was sealed to her husband! 

And now, after 20 years of Kathleen searching and looking, she is a member of our Heavenly Fathers Family, and even better, now they truly can be a full family up in the celestial kingdom!!! 

Wow, to think I even helped with a part of that is what I wanted in my mission, to help people to be with their families for eternity, and Kathleen is now on that path!!

I know, my dear sweet family and friends, I KNOW that God has a plan for each of us! Iit may take 40 years, it may take 3. But God will never give up, its not in his nature to give up on us!  Just like Alma's father, Alma, we must pray daily with sincere hearts and real intent having faith in our Savior Jesus Christ, that our loved ones who don't know of the truthfulness or have fallen away may one day  in fact learn and know! 

I am sooo honored to know that I can help those humble prayers be answered! 

I love you I love you I love you!!!

Sister Markus

Letter #37

December 29^th

Oh man so its been a good week! 

Wed.- We had a super long lesson with Kathleen who is getting baptized this Saturday! And it was crazy because there were a lot of last minuet things we had to teach her. It was a little hard because  she wanted to be baptized and all her family is coming in from Utah so we had to get with her a lot! But its getting exciting!!

Christmas Eve was fun! We went and did service at a place called Mandy's Farm! Its where the special needs kids go! Anyway, we went and helped and there was a lady who was working and I would say she was in her late 20s. Well, I got talking with her and she was soooo grateful! She said we helped with 2 days worth of work and that because we helped she would get to spend Christmas Eve with her husband and 4 month old new baby! awww it was great!!! It was sooooo amazingly fun to help others like that!

Then that night we got to go caroling with our members and my violin and man the spirit was sooo strong! ahh i loved it!! :) I loved this Christmas time!!! :)

 On Christmas we opened gifts with the other sisters who live 3 doors down from us! That was fun! I LOVED it! Then we had a spirit filled zone training!!! ahhhhh one of our zone leaders was talking about how the atonement was sooo amazing and soo personal!  

I can't remember if he said it was from a talk.... he didn't say which talk, but he was saying we know that an angel came to Christ to help comfort him. Think what must have been said. What could possibly been said to Christ to comfort him in that time? I'm sure the angel said, "Look I know this is so hard. I know it may seem like you can't go on. You might feel like you can't go on. This must be the worst pain you have ever possibly been in. This must be excruciating pain. But Sister Markus needs this. She needs you to be able to carry on. To go through her trials and to have hope and comfort so she can be with you and her Heavenly Father and her family again. Sister Markus needs you! And I know with out a doubt that you were on His- Jesus Christs mind! That he clearly thought of you and that is what kept him going!!!

Saturday was ErvIn's baptism. My companion has been sick so that has been hard. But Kathleen came to the baptism but she walks with two canes and so we had to help her since it snowed a ton after Christmas. So we would lay down one towel and then she would walk on it....... lay down another towel.... she would walk on it, pick up the first one we laid down and did that till she got inside and to her car! It was great! Just know Christ would have done it! :)

So then crazy, Sunday there was "so much snow" they cancelled church! 

In all my 19 years of life church has never been cancelled!? what the... the worst part is we were driving to church already when we got the call! hahaha people were crazy! but ready...

so Kathleen has to go to church 2 times before she gets baptized! Shes only been once..... this Sunday was going to be her second time.  Her family is coming in town and she HAS to be baptized this Saturday... BUT CHURCH WAS CANCELLED!!! (which also means Ervin didn't get confirmed!~)

So we call our district leaders to ask them what we do, they call the zone leaders, and the zone leaders call the assistant to president! ah and,,,, she HAD to go to church, the only church that wasn't cancelled was up in ABQ- an hour away! 

So we called Kathleen and told her, she was not feeling good, she has a lot of medical problems. But she said, I need and I want to be baptized Saturday, I will go get dressed! We got permission to leave our area, and drove an hour to chruch! That was cool, I mean soooo cool!!!!!!!! She was truly acting in faith! She could have said.  no I will wait until next week, or even say no this isn't worth it! But she said she was sooo mad at Satan for making her feel like this.......so she was going!! ahhhh soooo coooL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! So she went to church and now she will be baptized this Saturday!!!! :)

Then yesterday we had an awesome zone conference! ahhh it was a good week! I am still learning to love my companion, I have a hard time showing that love to people I don't know, and when I feel like we are sooo different.... its HARD! But I know I need to learn to do it.... it will be good.. oh also Kathleen was telling us she needed to get baptized the 2nd to start the new year off clean!!! ahhhhh!!

I love you all! I hope you have an amazing week!!!! :)

Sister Markus :)