Letter #75

September 27th

this week has been interesting, we are getting to know the area better, and there are a  lot of interesting people over here. haha

Something that we are struggling with is that when we first meet people they seem interested and want us to come back and then we do and they just need someone to take to and dont actually want to learn. 

but its going good. friday we had a zone training and it was sooo good! president was there and i asked him if bro varela could take us to lunch and he said yes! so i have been trying to get a hold of him to see if that would work! man, i saw some boys riding their bikes like Adrian and i lost it, i was doing sooo good, and then i just missed them so much more than i realized! 

but i am making the east side home! we are trying to work with people, they are all still a little confused why the elders are gone, but they just need to know the sisters are here and we are here to kick it! hahah :)

Women's conference was just amazing! I love conference and i loooved all the speakers! its was amazing! annd i loved President Uchtdorfs talk! he did amazing! 

Sunday was good and busy, are church is at 1:00 so its takes up most our day,

Then monday... WE GOT TO GO TO THEM TEMPLE!!!!

I received the most amazing revelation that has REALLY helped me to know that Heavenly Father is so proud of me, It was such a special celestial moment! 

I KNOW our Savior love us, our Father in Heaven KNOWS what will make us happy, how we can help his kids and in turn help us!!

I LOVE JESUS CHRIST, MY SAVIOR AND REDEEMER!!! I hope you can feel of that love, and let that love in you for them grow!

Love sister Markus 

Letter #74

September 20th

So super cool things have happened. Sister Wade and I have been doing our best to find new people to teach.

Well we met this guy named Justin last week, and he wasn't interested...a few days later we saw him again and he was like yeah this is weird and we told him if we see him another time he has to meet with us and he aid ok so we were like ok see you tomorrow and...we didn't see him, but a few days latter we saw him and he was like ok this is weird. you re stocking me and he walked off. hhaha and these were all in different places of our area!

well we see him another time and we said hey you didn't keep your promise you have to meet with us and he laughed and said ok, we told him that this was God telling him he needs this and that he knows him and knows this will help! we talked about how this is bring him a lot of happiness and he said you know i could use that! so we are hoping to see him soon! :D

Also we met this lady who the night before we met her was looking up the stop smoking program the missionaries have and she didn't want to bother trying to sign up to have missionaries come, and the next day we came! haha how cool! and now she is doing the program and loves it and i bet we will start teaching her soon!

so things are slowly working up here!! 

I love it and love seeing God work His mighty miracles here! 

Sister Markus

Letter #73

September 13th

I don't know if this week was fast or slow. Things are slowly getting better. I think the hardest park is just feeling in the dark not really knowing the area and trying to find people to teach.

Wednesday was trying by people, trying by people and trying by some more people. We are trying a lot of former's and potentials and we didn't see a lot of success.

Thursday:

Tried by people and tried by people. we were out knocking for 3 hours and I got sooo burned, and for that whole 3 hours only 5 people answered their doors! Oh man, but we went to a R.S. activity and got to meet some people. Its going good. :)

Friday:

District meeting and then tried by people tried by people and knocked some doors. The Elders were only teaching a couple people when we got here! haha

Saturday 

We tried by some people, met someone the elders were teaching and she is super sweet and took us out to dinner! That was fun! Still trying to find and figure out the area!

Sunday

Church my most favorite thing. They did a sacrament meeting where people got to come up and talk about their favorite hymn and then we sang a verse! It was cool! Then after church we were able to meet another investigator!

Monday 

We planed our week out and got to have a lesson with an investigator!

So things are good, going slow but we will get it!

Love you all!

Sister Markus

Letter #72

September 7th

Man....oh man... 
Wednesday - DONNA GOT BAPTIZED!!!

and that was just the most celestial baptism ever! The spirit was so strong and 

the room was filled! standing room only! I can't wait till next year when she can get sealed! 

honestly the rest of the week was stress! i was so nervous for transfer news and the boys weren't up this week and so if i did leave i would say bye and i was so nervous!

we got transfer news and....i got transferred.... UGH!!!!

you know maybe this makes me a bad missionary that my first thoughts were no! no no no! i DON'T want to leave. I DON"T want to go to a new area for only 6 weeks.... and to make it all better we are pink washing (meaning there used to be elders here.....)

And you better believe that yup they left terrible notes, the house is super run down and gross and messy.... and we are just 100% in the dark and know nothing about the area.

I saw one of the elders that had served in that area and i asked him what would be good to know about the area, and you know what he said?

"that it sucked!"

AHHHHH!!!

And I didn't say goodbye to the boys, and leaving the west side was honestly harder than leaving home, all of you...words can not describe the sorrow and anguish of leaving them...i miss them so much and want to go back home...): (to the west side..)

But i am hoping and praying that things turn around here and are good...

i need to keep telling myself there is something here i need to learn or i can help with...but its hard!

I love you all! 

Sister Markus

Letter #71

August 31st 

1000%, this was the best week ever! ah!! 

Last P-day we went to Laguna burger! Oh nelly, so the Elders serve out on the Laguna reservation and right by Rt 66 is Laguna burger! and it is sooo good, so we all drove out and did that! That will have to be a place to come back to! :)

Wednesday we went on exchanges...

Then Thursday! Ah!

It was a good day, we saw that cute old lady Lucille, who still thinks my name is Marquez, but whatever :) 

Then right after we got out of dinner We got a call. But backing up! I forgot, Donna! Man Donna is just a rock, she has been coming to church every week. Her parents came from Indonesia to be here for a couple months. And she is just awesome. We haven't been able to see her a whole tone. 

But anyways, we get a call from Bishop Wolfley and... he told us that Donna had called him and told him she wanted to be baptized!

I don't remember crying that much for something that brought me such exceedingly great joy! AH! 

Donna Kingston, who has been taught for 6-7 years by missionaries, who when i first got here didn't really want to see us because she knew we'd talk about baptism, who's husband passed away IS FINALLY GETTING BAPTIZED!!!!!!!

I can not even explain my joy! this is what a mission is all about I love it!

I was thinking about it yesterday as we were filling out her baptism record. I thought why do missionaries feel such joy when people get baptized?

Its because you work and labor so incredibly hard, and as you teach these people the gospel of Jesus Christ, your testimony just grows exponentially!! And you have sucha love for the principals and the people that when they "partake of the fruit" inexpressible joy will fill your soul! 

And just to think, ahh this time next year, Donna and Matthew can be sealed to  Brother Kingston! THAT IS WHAT MISSIONARY WORK IS ALL ABOUT!

And ah! i just am sooo filled with happiness, to think that I have just a sliver of a part in helping this family to have an eternal family and the joy that comes... man! I want this  forever!!!

I love my Savior, I have seen him carry me and those we teach! I know he NEVER gives up on us and we need to NEVER give up on him!

I love you all beyond words!

Love, Sister Markus

we may be a little excited with donna and took a picture with her teaching record! haha

Letter #70

August 23rd 

To say that time flies wouldn't even begin to cover how I feel right now! What the holy hannah its almost September?!!
This week really has just flown by. We taught Ignacio and he is just a hoot everytime! haha.

It was cool to see in a lesson we had with him. We asked him "do you know why it is important to come to church?"

And he shook his head no.

Then one of my most favorite things about being a missionary is having the spirit inspire you on what to share and what they need. I felt impressed to read Alma 36: 19-21

19 And now, behold, when I thought this, I could remember my pains no more; yea, I was harrowed up by the memory of my sins no more.
 20 And oh, what joy, and what marvelous light I did behold; yea, my soul was filled with joy as exceeding as was my pain!
 21 Yea, I say unto you, my son, that there could be nothing so exquisite and so bitter as were my pains. Yea, and again I say unto you, my son, that on the other hand, there can be nothing so exquisite and sweet as was my joy.

And we explained this is why we go to church. Because during the week we make mistakes we are hurt and taking the sacrament is healing. i love how descriptive Alma is here, and who wouldn't want to feel such joy EVERY WEEK? We asked him if he wanted to feel that and he said yes. Then afters a long time, he came to church :)

I love seeing the spirit work and convert people! ah!!

Then something else really cool. So we are teaching Aurora and her family! And when we go over there im always nervous because the daughter throws out hard questions and we get off topic a lot and then it comes down to why we even need the bom! ah

well we had a SUPER inspired lesson. (Which is also something i love is when you plan for lessons and the spirit tells you what they need)  Well we read Mark 9: 23-24

 23 Jesus said unto him, If thou canst believe, all things are possible to him that believeth.
 24 And straightway the father of the child cried out, and said with tears, Lord, I believe; help thou mine unbelief.

We talked about how sometimes we have trails and hard things that test our faith. But those are things that help strengthen that belief. And man was the spirit there and guiding that lesson! AH it was so cool all of them sat just so intently listening and the spirit guided the lesson to talking about fasting and prayer. And Aurora got soo excited about fasting and man, I love seeing how Heavenly Father knows us so personally and what we stand in need of and that he uses us - too little missionaries - to be such great instruments to help his children! I LOVE it so much!