2010

Send stuff to my mission address Iam moving

Happy New Year!!!

Time is flying fast. It feels like I Haven’t been gone that long but it has been 8 months. That is crazy!!!! I really have a hard time realizing how long I have been out. It seems like so short a time but at the same time feels like forever.

I love you all so much and thank you for all of your gifts and letters and cards and everything. It was very thoughtful for all of those things especially the Prayers. So of all the gifts that I feel like I have been given in some way this Christmas my favorite is very special to me. We had our zone conference and Christmas activities this week on Tuesday. It was a lot of fun. Part of it was watching a slide show of people in white about to be baptized. It was Really nice To see it and Here peoples testimonies of the Savior. But at the end there was A picture that I never knew if I would see. It was from Rosenberg and a family of 3 were getting baptized who I had met and taught. It just hit me hard. Of all the things that I am grateful for this season one of them is that these three individuals have been baptized and received the gift of the Holy Ghost. That they made the choices to hear the message and to act on the answers that Heavenly Father has given them. I am so happy for them. Also the family I have mentioned before that he changed and was able to baptize his wife and son. Their family is doing great. There other daughter is getting baptized along with her boyfriend, and Mark’s niece and most likely sister. All of them come to church and have felt the spirit change their lives. It is great news to hear.

The work here is going well as well. There are a lot of people we are teaching and talking to every day. The problem this week was most everyone was out of town and those that were in town were busy. It has also been cold so hardly anyone is outside. Except on Saturday a TON of people were fixing their cars. It was strange. It was wet and cold and we saw about five people fixing their cars all in the same neighborhood. It was strange. But most people have been staying inside.

Our zone conference was a lot of fun and I really had a great time there. I got to see several people who I have been pretty close to. There were also missionaries who were visiting the mission who have been home that I know and it was great to see them at lunch at the conference. It was a lot of fun.

Christmas was awesome. Christmas Eve we went to the Gladwell’s home for dinner and games and such. They put out almost everything that we have every year for our traditions. It was spooky. The food was great though. They are a large family and they are really great. When I send home pictures I will send some of them. We had a fun night and played games then went home. On Christmas we got together as a zone at the church building. We talked and we were going to cook pancakes but half of the building’s power was out. You see there was a storm that came through about 3:40am on Thursday that we actually got a tornado watch for. No tornadoes but the storm woke Elder Robertson and I up. It was really windy and it was a thunderstorm. So we think that the storm might have something to do with the power. Anyways we got together at the church and played different games. We played scrabble and had a lot of fun. I never thought that Scrabble and fun could be in the same sentence but I guess it can be.
Then we bounced around different member’s home’s we visited the Coopers and we saw the Oliver’s and the Horman’s. At the Horman’s we had the opportunity to call home. That was awesome. I was so happy to be able to call home and talk to so many people. Thank you all so much for talking with me and for even wanting to talk with me. It was great. I talked about a lot of stuff on the phone but I do have to say that Kira sounds a lot older and it is weird. Time flies by so fast.

There really isn’t that much that has happened out of the ordinary. We taught people this week and we have been trying to come up with new ways of finding people to teach and talk to. We did hug a drunk guy but that is a story for another time. I love you all so much and I hope that you enjoyed Christmas and you will enjoy New Years.

love

Elder Devon J. Marr

CHIRSTMAS!!!!!!!!!!

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!
I love Christmas time. It is so nice. The people are so happy and the spirit is in more abundance with people. If everyone thought of the Savior as much as they do during this season then the world would be like this all the time. That would be very nice. That is something that I like about the general authorities in trying to tell us to keep the spirit of Christmas year round.

Life has been good. I am in Friendswood for at least another transfer. We will have a car once a week which will help a lot. It is actually a van. Which is kind of funny. But at least it is something. Elder Robertson is still here. The only change in our district is Elder Persian went home. So Elder Schwartsman is our new district leader. He is an amazing missionary and a great man. On Monday we went to Sugar Land to drop Elder Persian off at the mission home. On the way he wanted to go to Buffalo Wild Wings. So we went and four members of our district took the blazing challenge. That is when you eat 12 of the hottest wings in 6 minutes and you get the meal for free and a free tee shirt. They all did it. Elder Persian got 4:23 which was crazy fast.

About the actual missionary work it has been good. An investigator who hasn’t been to church for quite a while has started to come back again and noticed that things weren’t as good without church. He is a great guy. He may not be a member but he already does his home teaching and he does a lot of stuff that a lot of members don’t even do. He is a great guy and friend. One thing I have noticed is that it is so easy to love people. Even if they give you grief. I realized it is a choice not just something that happens. You can choose to love someone and care about them. That’s not to say that it won’t just happen but it is a choice.

This week we saw Santa Claus on a truck. He rides around on a fire truck before Christmas. He goes through the neighborhoods and throws candy to the children. We just saw him. I didn’t get any candy. But it was nice to see him. Do you think he is a member? Hmmm….I wonder….Oh well.

Life has been great. I know that this is very short but for some reason I am really slow at typing this week. I just want to tell all of you that I now that Jesus Christ lives. I know that he has a perfect body of flesh and bone. I know that he was born almost 2009 years ago and that he loves all of us. I know that He loves each of us more than we could love anyone or anything. He wants what is best for us and he is willing to take upon himself the punishment of our sins if we turn to Him and do His will.

Love,

Elder Marr

P.S. I will be calling at 6:00 Washington Time. I will be calling on a member’s phone so if it is a number you don’t know then answer it. We should try to keep it within 45 minutes and I want to talk to Mom first and last. Figure out times for yourselves and what to say if you have anything you need to tell me or ask me. I love you.

Christmas is coming. Elder Marr is getting fat. Please don't send him icecream or candy in a hat. If you don't send candy some pictures will do if you

make sure to send your stuff to
701 Mary Ann Dr.
Friendswood, TX
77546

A family from my last area has had some great blessings. The member in the family, who is the father, stopped going to church when he was 15. He is now in his mid 30’s. He has had a rough life but when the missionaries found him he changed. He gained an early testimony of the gospel and wanted to know and do everything we asked him to do. When he found out that he shouldn’t drink tea he was surprised. He drank, not exaggerating, almost a gallon a day. But when he learned he shouldn’t he stopped. His main hang-up was smoking. Meanwhile we were teaching his family. Mainly his wife and one of the three kids. The wife and son would come to church and listen to what we were teaching when we would come over. This man changed. It was a testimony to me that if you do everything that you are supposed to do than the Lord blesses you. He progressed very fast and his family saw that. It was amazing. So I get a call the other day and his wife and son are getting baptized. Also that the rest of the family and some of the family’s friends are very interested in the gospel. I was also told that the father had been talking with Elder Garcia and Elder Whippy about getting off smoking but that it would take him a long time because he had been smoking since he was I think 16. One day he went to the store to buy tobacco because he making his own cigarettes. So he reaches for it and feels like he shouldn’t buy it. So he doesn’t. He hasn’t smoked for about 3 ½ weeks. Since he is committed to be off them for good he was able to be ordained a priest on Sunday and baptized his wife and son. It is a testimony to me that if we do what the Lord asks us to do and we are obedient that he will bless us. There is no if and or buts about it. Blessings may come a lot further down the road but he always blesses us for the things that we are asked to do.

This week has been going well. We had our ward Christmas party which was a lot of fun. The food was really good as well. There are a lot of great people in this ward and one of the families that we have grown close to is the Olivers. Their son is the one who is home because of medical reasons from his mission and will be going back in February. Also we have been over there for several dinners. Two in the past week as a matter of fact. They are great. Last week on Monday we rode our bikes over to their house to watch “The Testaments” and to eat dinner. They are all so nice and so friendly.

We have a couple that we are teaching that I just love. They are so fun yet reverent for the lessons. They are a great family and so easy to get along with. Sometimes people are too gloomy or not happy but they are always happy and friendly. I have realized on my mission that doing good things brings happiness and choosing to be happy makes you happy.

So this email is pretty lame I know but I have to send something. For my call home… as of right now we don’t know a specific time but I will be sending that in my next email. Plan on 3 or 5 your time. (If in Washington). I am so excited for Christmas. Try not to cry.

Love,

Elder Devon Joel Marr

SNOW!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

That’s right boys and girls snow! It snowed on Friday in the morning and afternoon. In the morning it stuck on the ground and covered it with a small layer. Then in the afternoon it snowed very hard but didn’t stick much. The snowflakes were very large and it was very cold. I took plenty of pictures so you can all see the snow. I will send them home soon. It was the earliest snowfall in Houston in recorded history. Thanks “global warming”.

So this week was all right. It rained allot and many people were busy or out of town. It was slower but it was good. One of our investigators is showing a lot of interest in the church and is willing to try it out. She came to mutual on Wednesday and liked it. It was one of the first times that a younger person has done something they said they would do. It built my faith. Not to say that younger people are flakey or anything but people get busy and usually religion gets put on the back burner. Her parents are not that interested in the church and are very catholic. But the spirit can touch anyone. There is a member in our ward who wad married a member for I believe 20 years and he said that he would never join the church and Catholics were right. He was like this for a long time and would run away from the missionaries. Then a few years ago the spirit touched his heart and he joined the church and loves having the Holy Ghost and the blessings of the gospel. His wife told us that she did not want to pressure him and he should join because the Lord told him it was right not that she told him. It is true that anyone can change because of the Holy Ghost and the change it can bring to your heart.

So last Monday we had a nerf war in the gym of the Alvin church. Our whole zone showed up and it was a blast. Some of the missionaries borrowed Nerf guns from members that had been modified and they dominated. It was fun.

SO this week I got my haircut. Elder Robertson cut it for me and I like it more than when I go to cheap hair salons. It is shorter than it has ever been but I like it. My hair got pretty long for being a missionary. But I got it cut so it is good now. Elder Robertson cut his hair as well. On a completely different note the Oliver family in our ward has a son that just got sent home from his mission on medical leave for 2 months. He is a really nice kid. His name is Rhett Oliver and he has been driving us around lately. He is taking us to lunch today actually which will be awesome. There are some nice restaurants around here. A lot more Italian than in Rosenberg. Anyways He is very nice and has put my mission in a different perspective. I would never want to go home from my mission early! He doesn’t like it and he can’t do much except watch TV. If I got sent home for a time on medical leave I would read as many books to find answers for people as I could. Like parts of the “journal of discourses” or “Mormon Doctrine” or “Day of defense”(I think)
They are literature I can’t read that I will when I get home. He is helping us a lot and I am glad that he is willing to still be as much a missionary as he can be.

I really loved the devotional last night. If you missed it they should play it again sometime on BYUTV or have it on lds.org. I loved it. President Uchdorf’s talk was my favorite but they were all great. The music was great as well like always.

I love you all and I am sorry that this email is so much shorter than usual. There was not much that has happened this week. But next week will be a lot more busy and we will be having our ward Christmas party this Saturday. I am really looking forward to that.

Love,

Elder Devon Joel Marr

A WEEK IN THE LIFE OF ELDER MARR

This week was a little different. I had a great Thanksgiving but I missed home. We had two dinners. One with the Livasay’s who are a great family who cooked a kajin (sp?) style dinner. Our second dinner was at the Bakers and it was more traditional. Both were great and Bro. Livasay is going to send an email with pictures to you guys next week. He would this week but he is out of town. I hope that all of you had a great Thanksgiving. It is one of my favorite holidays. It did make me miss home though. Everyone know that I love you and I ma very thankful for all that you have done for me and for the prayers and love you have shown me or just for reading some of my emails.

This week hasn’t had too many huge developments. We had interviews this week which were great. I love talking with President Saylin and counseling with him on how I can be better and how our area can do better. We will most likely be moving in a few weeks to a more northern part of our area. Our area is very spread out and the place we are now is not the best location for the work. It still gets done though.

We are teaching a new family and they are great. They are a family of three and they are extremely nice people. The parents are willing to listen to our beliefs but they put up the wall of being Catholic. But their daughter is very intrigued. We talked about how you can know for yourself if something is true if you ask and seek the answer with a sincere heart. She feels like she can seek and know the truth for herself. I hope that the parents have softened hearts to just experiment upon what we teach and to pray to know if it is true. They are very nice people and I pray for them to except the gospel because I know that it will bless them forever.

I really don’t have that much to update this week. Many things have happened but nothing huge. We have gone through a lot of different things this week. The Lord has been testing our faith and how dedicated we really are. It has been tough but I know that the Lord has made promises with us and that this area will see miracles and great blessings. Elder Robertson and I talked about how we can do better. We are looking at things a different way and are really trying to sacrifice anything we can think of to be better. Obedience brings blessings. That is the truth. We have been obedient. But also working smart is an important thing to do. We have been trying to work smarter and it has been tough to come up with different ways to do things but we are coming up with some great ideas with the Lord’s help.

I love my mission with all of my heart. I am also so grateful for all of the letters and packages that I have received lately. I will try to write you but this P-day is really busy. We have to go to Alvin and also to the bike store because my bike broke but that is another story. Well I guess I’ll tell it.

One day my bike was acting strange but it was doing ok. Then we are riding one day and I’m not going off jumps or doing anything crazy and Elder Robertson yells to me on the street. Several parts from my bike just fell off. Some of the screws and bolts fell off and it left my bike unusable. Luckily Elder Maw one of the zone leaders has a car so they were able to get his bike to me and I am borrowing it until my bike is fixed. We are going to the shop today so that should be good. On Elder Maw’s bike two days ago I crashed. Luckily I didn’t damage his bike at all. We were on a paved path kind of like a sidewalk and we were going along and I went off the path for a split second on accident. So I corrected and tried to get back on the path. There was a lip in the path that my tire caught on. The next thing I know I am flying through the air and hit the ground filling my shirt pocket with dirt. I laid there for a moment laughing. Elder Robertson just about died of laughter. About 2 seconds before my crash Elder Robertson called me a nimrod. Then I crash. He was laughing so hard. We both did. Luckily no blood or bad wounds but that is the story of my first mission bike crash.

One of the coolest bike accidents that I have heard of is one by Elder Adams. He was biking along and gets hit by a car. The car drives off and he is on the ground. At this time his companion is talking to someone on the street. So his companion and the man on the street see this and Elder Adams gets up and starts talking to the man on the street about the gospel. He is a dedicated missionary. He was actually an atheist before his mission and graduated with a bachelor’s degree in philosophy. Then the missionaries met with him and a year later he is on a mission. He is one of the best in my opinion.

Well I got to go but you all have a great week and enjoy this holiday season. I love you all and I hope that you have a great week.

Love,
Elder Devon Joel Marr

HAPPY THANKSGIVING!!!!

I am so excited for the best tasting holiday of the year. I will miss having Thanksgiving away from home. It is one of the best holidays of the year. We are having two dinners too so it will be an adventure. I love food. Just as an update I have gained about 20 pounds on my mission if I haven’t said that yet. Not all of it is fat though but I am sure you don’t want to hear about all this.

The work is going well. We talk to a lot of people every day on the street. President Saylin really wants every companionship to talk to 20 new people every day when at all possible. It has been different but I love it. We have been challenged to do different things and it makes you look at the work in a different way. I like it.

We went on exchanges twice this week with our district leader and zone leaders. I went with Elder Kropp on Tuesday. His bike kept having problems and the brakes kept coming loose or something. We also mapped out new developments that he didn’t have on his map. It was really good. We had fun and we talked to some really great people. On Saturday Elder Maw came down here and we had a blast. We taught a lot of people about the gospel and had some really great interactions with people. A lot of new investigators have come out of that day. It is interesting to see how the Lord can bless you. No matter how good of a teacher you are or how profound you sound the spirit is what does the converting. The spirit can soften the hearts of others and help with the work more than anything else can. Elder Maw is not the best speaker and can even be awkward at times but he is humble and knows that it is not him who converts people but the spirit. He just has to listen and love the people he talks to. I love missionaries like that.

This week was good. Thank you everyone who sent me letters and packages. I love them a lot and it was needed. I was foolish this month and didn’t watch my funds. But the packages I got will more than keep me fed until my funds are replenished. I will try to send out more letters today. I don’t know what to send home from Christmas but I will try to send something. At least pictures.

So this week we had Zone Conference. It was really good but long as always. Richmond zone wasn’t there so I only got to see a few missionaries that I know. Luckily Elder Sharp was there. He was Elder Voek’s companion after me. He is way cool and we were able to talk. Our mission absorbed part of a stake and the areas in it so he is out there. Pasadena and stuff. I think…. Anyways it was really spiritual and really uplifting. One missionary bore his testimony and told us that his father had passed away that week. He knew that his family would be all right and that his father would want him to stay out here. He was sad but he knew that because his father was a good man and that they had been sealed in the temple that he would see him again and it would only be a short amount of time before he saw him again. In the grand scheme of things. It was a powerful testimony. It lets you realize how important the gospel is and the peace it brings to the heart. He is a strong missionary.

On a different note church was very different this week. There was a scouting event that went through Sunday. Also the Bishop and his family were out of town. So there were only about 100 people at church. Brother Livasay (High Priest group leader) presided and President Stanton (Elder’s quorum president) conducted. It was different but I liked it. The members of the church here are very friendly and love each other a lot. The Bishop is a great man and knows that the spirit is what will progress this work more than anything else and he knows that missionary work will only enhance the members spirituality.

I love this area and I love this mission. It rained this week and we got pretty wet. I am not used to rain and this colder weather. I am going to freeze when I get home. Your body just gets used to it I guess. I love you all and I am glad to hear from some of you. I hope that everything goes well and remember that the Lord loves you and if he is putting you through a trial then it is for a reason.

Love,

Elder Devon J. Marr

P.S. Happy Turkey Day

"I want to ride my bicycle. I want to ride my bike"

A long week. A good week. I will try to go in order of things that have happened this week.

First we went to the park on P-day last week. It was alot of fun. We also played Monopoly and I lost first both times. I am not that good.

Random story. Elder Robertson and I were riding our bikes near an elementary school that we live by. We saw some birds in the distance on the ground that looked pretty big. As we got closer we saw that it was about 10 vultures. We got up to about 5 feet away from them and all they did was look at us. They were eating something but it was strange that we could get that close to them without them flying away or something. They were pretty gross. I am not a huge fan of a lot of birds.

So we had lunch with the Bishop on Wednesday. He is a great Bishop. He is very focused and has a great family. He is a testimony to me that if you follow the council of the general authorities you will be blessed. He is a nice man. If he was younger I would be his friend for sure. I say that about a lot of people though. I have realized out here that the world has a lot of good people in it. Him and his family are some of those people.

Funny story: I love popcorn. So I bought a box of 24 bags on Monday. I popped a bag and Elder Robertson and I had a race to see who could eat 8 pieces of popcorn the fastest without using their hands. It was pretty fun. HE recorded it on his camera and it looks ridiculous. I lost by about a fifth of a second.

We had our zone meeting this week and I was able to see some Elders that had become my friends from serving around them before. It was a good meeting and I was really happy to see them again. There are a lot of obedient but cool and fun missionaries in our mission. IT is very hard working. I believe that that is something that President Allred definitely did for his mission. Hard workers. I trust all of these missionaries to do a great job.

Elder Robertson and I were riding our bikes to visit some members when we started talking to a guy on the street. He was a nice guy but liked his church and didn’t want to change. He said that his last name was Rigdon. And that he was an ancestor of Sidney Rigdon. (If you don’t know who this is ask a member of the church) So that was pretty cool. We talked to a lot of people on the street. Many people here do not want to change or even listen to our message. But I know that we have people in our area that are prepared by the Lord to ask Him questions and that truly want to know the truth.

Stake conference was this week and it was a good one. The Friendswood stake has a great stake president. Also the Temple President spoke at the adult session on Saturday night. He was hilarious. He made some really funny Utah jokes. He was quicker witted and naturally funny than stand up funny. But he talked about genealogy a lot. When I get home I really want to look into it. Especially using the new web site. We also had our investigator fireside this past Sunday. One of our recent converts and a few others gave their testimonies of the gospel. One of them received a witness that the church was true. This was when he was 25. He didn’t feel like he should be baptized because his wife was EXTREMELY against it. So he called the stake president and talked with him about it. He was told that at some future point that he would be baptized but that he should focus on his family for that time. HE said that the hardest thing he ever had to do was to wait. He waited for I believe 26 years. He was alone with his wife then and had several children and grandchildren. His wife got sick and had to spend some time in another state. The spirit told him that this was the time for him to be baptized. He went to Salt Lake city for a week and was baptized and confirmed by the missionaries who taught him 26 years prior. He then went back and told his wife. She attacked him on it and was mad at him for a while. He said that for a year it was the hardest time of his life. She would do things to keep him from church and such. Then one day she walked in front of him with a few backs packed and said; ”You have to choose. Me or the church.” He says that it was the hardest decision he has ever made. He loves his wife with all of his heart. But he said; “I cannot deny what I know to be true. God told me that this is true and he knows that I know. I cannot deny what I know to be true.” So she left. HE was then called on a mission in Salt Lake and received his endowment there. His wife 2 years later talked to him and was very ill. He came and talked with her for a while. She told him that after she had passed away that they could be sealed together in the temple. Two days later she passed away. A year goes by. He performs the ordinance in the Salt Lake temple. At this time his children and grandchildren hate him because they blame him for the separation. But in this time one of his grandchildren is living with him. The day that he preformed that ordinance he baptized his grandson that afternoon. He made sure that we knew that he knew the gospel was true and no matter what happens that we need to stand strong and the Lord will bless us. He also told us that even if something very huge is asked of us that we should do it. Even Abraham was told to do something huge and he was willing to do it. We all have things that we must do and they are always hard. But you will receive blessings for doing what is right.

Love,

Elder Devon J. Marr

TRANFERED!!!!!!!

SANDRA SEGRIN GOT BAPTIZED LAST SATURDAY!!!!! I am so happy. Even though I was transferred far away a member gave us a ride back to Rosenberg for the baptism. I took pictures so I will make sure that I send some of them home. It is so cool!!! Also in our mission we get to go to sealings or endowments of former investigators. I know that she will stay active so it will be great to go to the temple in a year’s time. I am so happy about this. But it is not what counts as a good missionary. Some missionaries here think that baptisms mean that you are a good missionary. That is not true. What makes a good missionary is someone who works there very best and as hard as they can to help others get closer to exaltation. It is great though to be able to see the blessings of the gospel in someone else’s life.

I got transferred. I got the call on Monday morning as you already know. I said goodbye to all my good friends in Rosenberg. I have pictures. They are small but I will be sending them home soon. If you can find a scanner you can maybe scan them into the computer. Anyways I will be sending those hopefully today or tomorrow. I love this work and I will miss Rosenberg. I already do.

I will cut to the chase. I have been transferred to the Friendswood 1st ward. This is about an hour and twenty minutes east of Rosenberg. It is way different. The people are different, the feel is different, the members are different, even the way the buildings are made is way different. I feel like I am in a different country. It is a bike area. It is pretty big for a bike area. I love being on a bike though. You get to talk to all the people on the street and you don’t have to worry about mile limitations.

So at transfer meeting President Saylin goes through the people and where they are going. He says that I am going to be with Elder Robertson. After the meeting Elder Robertson walks up to me and says “So how is the ward?” I say “Do you mean Rosenberg?” He says “It’s not your area?” Then Elder Call, one of the AP’s, walks up, hands us a map, and tells us that we are whitewashing.(Whitewashing is called different things in different missions. It is when both missionaries are transferred out of an area and two new ones come in there place). So we were handed a map, were told that an area book was on the table were we stayed, and good luck. I am so happy.

Elder Robertson has been out for 14 months. He got here two days before hurricane Ike. He is a great missionary who is a hard working and is trying his best. I am honored to serve with him. He loves pictures so we will be taking a lot of them. Elder Garcia is now companions with Elder Whippy. Elder Whippy is awesome too. He is from Australia. He is so cool. If I ever have the money I am going down there to visit him after the mission. Anyway Rosenberg has changed a lot too this transfer. There is another pair of Spanish missionaries covering Needville and Rosenberg south of the 59.

In our district there are Elders Persian and Kropp. Also we have Elder Maw and Nielsen, our zone leaders, in our district. They have a van. It is pretty cool. They are all pretty cool. I do miss the missionaries from Rosenberg because they are awesome and I will just miss there coolness. Elder Robertson and I are very excited to push the work forward in this area. The ward is very willing to help with missionary work. The Bishop here is doing a great job helping the ward and our ward mission leader is doing a great job as well. Our Bishop is very spiritual and follows the spirit in all that he does. This area has so much potential.

The past few days Elder Robertson and I have been visiting members and meeting them. This has been our main focus because we don’t have many investigators. Getting to know the members is always a great first step. Many members here are not afraid to share the gospel with their friends or families. It is great to see other people be blessed because of their willingness to share the gospel with their friends. Many people are scared that their friends really already know or they won’t accept it but when they put it on the line and talk to it about people they receive great blessings. I love the members in this ward.

So the other day we were riding our bikes to visit one of the members. We were riding down a residential neighborhood when I saw something strange. There on my right, just eating grass, was a huge pig. This neighborhood is a lot like my neighborhood at home. It wasn’t on a chain or restrained in any way. We got a good laugh out of how random it was to see this pig.

We live with a member. Her name is Magda Adams. It is strange because we can’t enter a single ladies home just us. But in housing situations it is alright. She is very cool. She is older and she has a good heart and is very nice. She is a great person to be around. She was baptized rather recently only a year ago. She told us that she would prefer it to send our mail to her address rather than the mission address. (It gets to us faster). So her address is

701 Mary Ann Dr.
Friendswood, TX
77546

I love this area. I love my mission. I love teaching people the gospel. I love the Book of Mormon. The Book of Mormon is so great. It is as simple or as complicated as you want to make it. The spirit ALWAYS has something that it can teach you from reading it. I love you all and I hope that you all have a great week. I look forward to telling you haw my first full week has been. I love you all and have a great week.

Love,

Elder Devon Joel Marr

TRANSFERS: GOING OR STAYING

Transfer calls were this morning!!! I"M GETTING TRANSFERRED Ahhhhh!!!!! I am excited to get to my new area. However I am sad that I will be leaving Rosenberg, Elder Garcia, and all of the awesome missionaries in our zone. I have had a lot of great memories made in Rosenberg, Especially this past week. Life is so good right now. I will try to express a lot of stuff that happened this week. IT was a good week indeed. I have an idea of where I am being transferred.

Our mission absorbed a few areas from the Houston Texas Mission. So we have 9 new missionaries. Some of these missionaries are not accustom to the way that our mission does things and some of the different things that we do apart from other missions or the special inspired trainings that we have received on teaching certain parts of the gospel. So I feel that I am going to be sent into one of these areas to work with one of the new missionaries. I truly have no idea but I am excited to go somewhere were I will be stretched more than I already am. The Lord knows what is best and wherever I go is where he wants me to go.

So I received a call on Saturday from Elder Voeks. He called to wish me a late happy 6 months. I was under the impression that your six month mark is six months from the time you set foot in the mission. I felt like a looser. Anyways I HAVE BEEN OUT FOR SIX MONTHS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! That is crazy I still feel like I just got out here. I am a quarter into my mission. WOW. Time doesn’t exist out here at all. I also want to wish everyone a happy HALLOWEEN!!! I forgot to buy cards and stuff so I am sorry about that. I haven’t written letters in a while and I am sorry for not writing back to the great letters that I receive. I am sending pictures home this week. Our district is taking pictures today and we have our money replenished today. Wow six months.

So great news. One of our investigators is getting baptized this Saturday!! I hope that my new area isn’t too far away from here so I can be there. I am so excited. Her name is Sandra Segrin and she has been getting taught for a few months. She gained a testimony early and has been studying the church and reading her scriptures and giving things up so that she can be baptized. I am so proud of her and how her life is going to be blessed forever because of the decisions that she has made and the covenant that she is about to make. I will send home pictures of her baptism if I am there or not. She is a great lady and she is always very positive and looks for the good things in life.

We moved some things into Cathy’s apartment this week that her friend gave her. She gave her an “L” couch that is really nice a really nice bed and covers and on top of all of this she is giving her a laptop. Cathy is so sweet and is so filled with charity that she had a hard time excepting her friend’s gifts and kindness. It makes me happy to see people who care about others above themselves. I don’t think that Cathy has one thing about her that is bad except that she smokes. And she is trying to quit and get over them forever.

The past few days Elder Manning and Elder Sorenson, our zone leaders, have been living with us. It has been so good with them. Because of new church-wide protocol there will be no more 4 man apartments so this was a taste of what that would be like for a few days. They are both great. We stayed up late telling stories and stuff on Halloween. Also we played games over at the Spanish Elder’s apartment. On Halloween you have to be in your apartment by 6:00. If you were out knocking doors especially people might think that you have a really good Mormon missionary costume. Halloween night Elder Garcia dressed up as captain Kirk and I couldn’t find anything to be so I took my tag off and was a Jehovah’s Witness. There are a lot of Jehovah Witnesses around here. Whenever we go knocking I would say 70% of the people think that we are Jehovah’s witnesses.

(RANDOM) The zone leaders moved out this morning into a member’s home in Richmond. It is a cool old country style home. They are going to like it there.

On P-day last week we carved pumpkins. I did the same one I did last year. But Elder Leichman is a really good artist so he drew out then carved the first vision. It was awesome. We had fun as a zone. Elder Voeks kept bringing up his theory on were the Book of Mormon took place. I am convinced of his theory. It is hard to explain over emails but when I get home you can attack me on my theory on where it all took place. I would say that this theory has the best chance of being the location. If you want to investigate the theory more than look for a Joseph Smith quote on what the west sea referred to by the Nephites is. Anyways enough with the random theories and unimportant stuff.

I am very excited for my new area and the people that I will meet and teach there. I love you all and I will be giving a good update on my new area and companion in my next email. I love you all and have a wonderful and blessed day.

Love,

Elder Devon Joel Marr

IN THIS LAND....IF THEY LIVE....RIGH..TEOUS..LY

This week has been very good. We have not had a lot of teaching appointments but the people we have been teaching have been blessed a lot. Just to let everyone know until further notice send letters to 4627 Austin Pkwy, Sugar Land, TX 77479. I will most likely be transferred not this Wednesday but the Wednesday after. I will miss Rosenberg but who knows I might stay but from what President Saylin told me it sounds like I am going to a different area.

So this week I will start from the beginning. Our district went to Brazos Bend state park on P-day. It was a lot of fun. They have alligators there and lots of wildlife. There were some huge spiders that looked awesome. I am going to send home some pictures this week with those included as well as some other pictures. It was a lot of fun. We also had interviews this week. I love talking with President Saylin. He is great and he gave me some good council on the work. A Needville area is opening in 3 transfers. So it will be a while but we are getting information together with members who live there and so on. If I never mentioned Needville before it is a small country town in the bottom of our area.

We are teaching a family and they are doing great. They continue to progress and come to church. They are really nice people and they are so willing to change. It is a wonder to see the faith and diligence of the people that we talk to. I know some people who have been through a lot of stuff.
It strengthens my faith to see the hope in other people’s eyes even though everything is going wrong for them. It lets you appreciate and find joy in what you already have.

Our ward had a big activity on Saturday. The activity was cooking without electricity. Being Texas people brought smokers and huge BBQ stuff. The food was sooooooo good. I am going to buy a smoker when I get home. The food here is really good. I was not a huge fan of BBQ until I had the BBQ that they do down here. They make it good. Most of the ward showed up and it was a great opportunity to talk to the members and for the members to get to know each other a little more.

On Sunday we had our primary program. It was pretty good/funny. There was one kid who sang really loud but really monotone. A lot of people were giggling at times about it because when the kids would walk up to say there little sentence some of them were really awkward and shy. It was a good program and our investigators who came to church loved it.

The weather today is CRAZY!!! It has been raining extremely hard and our car almost flooded trying to get out of our parking area. Also it is really dark today. Luckily we went to the state park last week and not this week. As I sit here typing this email my shoes are soaked also the front side of my pants are soaked. Well I am sorry that this email is so short. BTW the investigator who went to jail is home safe and sound. I don’t know if I talked about that last week so if I didn’t then let me know. I love you all and I wish the best of luck to all of you in your lives.

Love,

Elder Devon Joel Marr

P.S. Name that song

"Come thou fount of every blessing"

This week we had zone conference. It was great as you would expect it to be. There were some great talks and some great principles taught. President Saylin really tried to get it across not to put what we learn on the back burner but to apply it to our lives and to study and change from it. I have learned a lot lately how much you can change because of the gospel. I see it all the time. Even though you remain the same person you don’t have to repeat the same mistakes that you have made. That’s all the Book of Mormon and Bible are is showing what happens when you make certain mistakes and what happens when you follow the rules. They are there so that we don’t have to make the same mistakes that they made and don’t have to follow the same patterns of human nature that cause so many problems.

We had an interesting week. We had some really good lessons but there was a lot that happened this week so I will try to cover a lot of stuff.

Mark and Mary a part member/less active family that we teach are doing very well. He has medical problems that hold him back from coming to church but he has been studying and really trying to gain a testimony. He is progressing slowly but strongly. Their family already seems much happier than they did before we started to meet with them. I love the peace and joy that the gospel brings into people’s lives.

We had some interesting mornings this week. One morning a member asked us if we could talk on how to share and teach from the Book of Mormon for her seminary class. We had to wake up at 5:00 to get out there but I loved her class. It was a fun way to start off the morning. Also another morning, I think Friday, we helped at the old folks home with their garage sale. Getting things outside and stuff. It was fun and some of those ladies are so funny. I like that people at places like this find ways to laugh and to be happy.

Our whether has been great this week. During the day it has been around 75-80 degrees. Also at times with a light breeze. It has been clear skies all week. It has been beautiful. It actually makes Rosenberg look like a pretty place. Everyone here is astonished over how long it has been nice like this.

So another funny story from this week. Elder Garcia and I were going to see if a less active member was home. We go up there and knock and no answer. It is an apartment complex and to our right there are two older ladies sitting on the balcony. Out of nowhere a lady comes up the stairs and starts getting really mad at one of the ladies saying that she stole her 3 quarters that were on the washing machine. They said that they had been at the store so they couldn’t have stolen them. One of the old ladies picked up a cane and told the lady accusing one of them to be a thief to get off her porch. We tried not to get involved because it was not our business but we couldn’t get past them. So we tried to cool them all down and eventually gave the lady that was mad 3 quarters so that she could do her laundry. The Spanish missionaries saw all of this because they were on their way to visit an investigator and saw the argument.

Also the funniest/weirdest/saddest story of the week is that the sweetest and nicest of our investigators went to jail. Her wallet was stolen by one of her neighbors and she needed it because it had information on it for her housing meeting that she needs to make to keep her apartment. So she called the police and they came and she told them about it. The man could not confess ,even though she didn’t want to press charges, because he was on probation. So the officer asked if she had been drinking at all. She said that she had two sips of a beer. She took a breathalyzer test or something and she passed. But he said that she had been drinking outside which is public intoxication. So she was arrested. She told us later that the police officer can get into trouble for arresting her when he didn’t see her do it and she wasn’t drunk or anything. So she goes to jail and we hear because she gets to call us. So we go down there the next day to talk with her. They just built a new jail this year and it is really well made. I have never been to a jail before. It was really different. When we went in to talk with her we could tell that the police officers really liked how respectful and good we were. In the room there were people who were rude and loud and completely disrespectful. It was really strange. So we talked to her and she was not sad at all. It turns out that she has to stay for a few days because of some old tickets that she didn’t remember. Since she makes hardly any money she wasn’t really sad. She said that by the time she meets with the judge they are going to release her because her tickets will be paid for because of jail time and that they are spending money to keep her there when she didn’t do too much wrong. When we talked to us she told us that she is never even taking a sip of alcohol again. She said that she has been having Bible study, playing basketball, and has been trying to give love and kindness to her fellow inmates. We laughed pretty well when we met with her. She is so cool. She looked at this as an opportunity to help other people. She is amazing and she is not afraid to tell other people what she believes about the church. She is being released today and will hopefully be baptized in the next month. I have never been as shocked as I was when Elder Garcia hung up the phone and told me “*name* is in jail.” I was more shocked than ever before.

I love you all and I love my mission. Even though things have been a little rough for the people we teach this week it has been an uplifting and edifying week. I feel more consistently happy now than I can ever remember. Serving the Lord brings great blessing and feelings and capability to change. The fullness of the gospel is on the earth. That much I know without a doubt.

Love,

Elder Devon J. Marr


P.S. The title to my email is an amazing song

"My head looks like a wet dog"

Hello everyone back at home. This week was alright. It was an uplifting week that felt good and had lots of happiness but for the most part things went a little slow this week. The area took a little dip in the way it has been going before this week. Things have been getting better but this past week was, like I said, a little slow. But the work presses onward and this coming week we already have several good planned appointments.

I am sorry for not sending any letters last week. I got busy on Monday then I remembered that we aren’t supposed to write letters during the week so for those who have recently or long ago have sent me letters let me say that I am sorry.

This week we had birthdays for Mark and one of our investigators sons Isaiah (sp?). So it was nice to see them happy. This week has been a happy week although a little slow. It has been much cooler here this past week. It has been rainy and overcast all week. Reaching during the day about a high of 70 and a low of 64 so it has been rather cool. I feel more at home this past week maybe that’s why I think it has been so nice.

Our phone broke so we had to drive to the mission office to get a new one. All of our numbers were deleted so this week people would call and we would have no idea who they are. It made things a little more exciting. Our mission is doing well. Zone conference is this week and I am looking forward to that. Also Elder Garcia’s 18 month mark is on Friday. Mine will be one month from Friday. I can’t believe that time has gone by so fast. I feel like I just got here but yet I feel like I have been here for a long time. I am going to miss Rosenberg when I do leave it. Although there are some strange characters there are some really great people that I have become very close to over these past few months.

Sorry my emails are so boring I wish that I would have prepared something better. I think last week I said I would but I thought that the library was going to be closed today because it is Columbus Day but I was wrong and didn’t prepare anything. We are also getting our hair cuts today. I need one bad. My head looks like a wet dog. Anyways I love the work. I wouldn’t choose anything else to do than to serve a mission. Feeling and being led by the spirit are the best things that you can do and I just love it so much. I love teaching people and hearing their life experiences then being able to give them something from the restored gospel that helps them and leads them to the Lord. I know that my email is short but I am going to end it. I love you all and I bear you my testimony that I know beyond the shadow of a doubt that the priesthood has been restored, that the Book of Mormon is true, and that Joseph Smith was called of God as a prophet to bring in the dispensation of the fullness of times. I love you all and I hope that you have a good week. I know that I said this last week but I will definitely prepare something to say in my email next week. I can think of a few stories to share but without my journal they would be presented horribly.

Love,

THE ELDER REPORT

Conference weekend is sort of like a missionary’s vacation. You wake up like normal and have the normal morning routine but you go to conference. Then after the first session you eat lunch and visit somebody for a lesson. Then you go back to conference. After the afternoon session you have dinner. Then you go to priesthood session. After that you go home and end the day. The next day you can guess how it is laid out. Also this week we had a move down in Needville that took up most of the day on Friday. So that was nice I love doing things like that. And then today is P-day. Life has been very laid back lately. It is a little nice but I want to get back to teaching people and having lessons all the time. You feel a little non-productive during conference because you are sitting there just taking notes or listening.
There were many great talks at conference but my favorite was the one by Jeffery R. Holland. His talks the past few conferences have been phenomenal. A few conferences ago he spoke on our Biblical view of the Godhead. Then I believe two conferences ago he spoke on how it is that we are “Christians” and how the Book of Mormon is very plausible in its reality of being an ancient record. Then this conference he spoke of several little things but what struck me was two things. When the prophet Joseph Smith and his brother, Hiram, were going to Carthage jail, where they knew death awaited them, Hiram read a scripture from the Book of Mormon to comfort Joseph at this time. He then folded the page to show that this is what they stood for in life and whomever saw it after they had passed on would know of what they stood for. Elder Holland made the point that why would Hiram give comfort to Joseph at this time from the Book of Mormon if they were going to their death and knew that if all was a lie that reading from the Book of Mormon would profit them nothing. Also why would Hiram read to Joseph a book that “Joseph wrote?” It would make no sense. Elder Holland also gave his name and testimony for the entire world that the Book of Mormon was true. It was a powerful talk.
A funny story this week:
We receive a call from a lady who asks us if we would like to have a lesson. She tells us to bring representatives from the church and that she wants to see what Mormon Bible study is like. So we are driving with the Spanish missionaries to go to this lesson. We look up the address and drive to it. We see an apartment complex on the right and soon come to find that it is not on that side of the street but the other. It is an assisted living home. We walk in totally taken off guard. We ask the receptionist were the person is. She calls her to the desk. She is the lady over activities at this home. The ladies who stay here want a Bible study so we walk into the dining room and there are a bunch of senior folks sitting there waiting for us. We had no idea that this was what she meant on the phone by Mormon Bible study. So we talked about a few things that Christ did in the Bible and afterward it wasn’t that bad but it took us all for surprise.

This week has been pretty good. The work continues even though this week it hit a little bit of a slump. Several people went out of town this week or weekend and some of our investigators have been busy which left us with little productive things for us to do. But it was a good week none the less.
I am sorry this letter is so short but there is not much to update upon. I love you all and I hope that this week goes well for everyone. I hope that everything is going well for all of you individually and within your own families. Have a great week and I will hopefully have more information to update upon in the following week.

(INSERT SUBJECT HERE)

This week has been a great one indeed. Several people have been transferred and it has been a little sad to see them leave. From something that President Saylin said I feel like I am staying here one more transfer. A big thing that has happened this week is newer mission rules. These are rules just for our mission so if you talk to any other missionaries don’t think that these rules apply to them. Being obedient is never a bad thing. These new rules are a challenge however for all the missionaries within this mission. There are many new rules placed upon music, studies, phone minutes, and district and zone activities to name a few. These newer rules are very hard to follow and are testing many missionaries’ (including myself) faith in President Saylin that these rules are from the Lord. I can tell you all and the missionaries here that they are. This week we had the most investigators at church ever, a less-active family come to church after a long time away, people finding jobs, etc. I will tell of one in particular that was great. Well maybe two.
When Elder Costa of the seventy came he asked us to have companionship study every single day no matter what was going on that day. Also in the new rules it says that we are to have it every day. Elder Garcia and I rarely have companionship study on P-day. We are now committing to doing it every day. During our study we received a call from the AP’s. They told us that they received a referral that is in our area of a family that has been curious about the church and who have relatives in the church for a long period of time. I feel like these people are prepared. Also during our study we called a lady who randomly came to church one Sunday and she wanted us to come over at the one time that we had open today. She is very curious as well.
Another interesting blessing that I do not know if it has to do with obedience or not but I will share it. After church I became very ill. I had a temperature, I was shivering everywhere I went, I had a headache, my stomach hurt badly, and my mind was jarbeled. I felt like this and I was sure that I had the flu or a cold. We ate our dinner and I still did not feel good at all. So it wasn’t that I was hungry or thirsty but that I was sick. We had a meeting at 7:00 last night at Bishop Sorenson’s home. Let me just say on a little side note that this meeting was special. The ward council came together to talk about a ward mission plan. When we talked about this we talked about how the brethren of the church really want this to happen. Also that the members have to share the gospel, invite their friends to church activities or lessons and to spread the gospel by example and by reaching out to others and making them feel welcome. In the meeting the spirit was so strong several people had tears in their eyes and one sister actually cried because of the changes that this will have. They realized in those moments that they have to stand as witnesses of God at all times, in all things, and in all places they may be in. They understood that they have to change to live a Christ-like life without taking breaks or resting or keeping to themselves but to share the gospel everywhere and be the best that they can. It was a deeply spiritual meeting.
Upon arriving at this meeting feeling very sick the Bishop opened the door for us. He shook my hand and I instantly felt better. In the blink of an eye. My mind also was calm and clear. All of my ailments ceased the moment I shook his hand and walked into his home. There is no way I could go from feeling that sick to that good that fast unless through the power of the spirit. IT was a testimony to me of the power of God and the spirit which resides with others and in other’s homes.
One of Elder Garcia’s investigators in his last area was baptized by his this week. It was a great experience and she loved it very much. She is a great lady and she called to tell us how awesome her confirmation was at church. What it shows me is that people who really live the principles and do as Heavenly Father asks them receive blessings. I just hope that she remembers the blessings which she has received and stays strong in the gospel.
My time is short so I must put an end to my writing at this time. I love you all and I understand now why it is so important to be 100% obedient. Everything that we are asked to do if we do it will bring more joy and blessings than if we only did most of it or even 99% of it. But we must all try our best to get that 100%. That is also what repentance is for. We can repent so that the Lord can show us the way to get to 100%.

Love,
Elder Devon Joel Marr

Coming Home

Elder Whipple who is one of the AP’s is coming home. Not me. I just want more readers.

This week was transfer week and I am not being transferred. But I will get to the coolest news of the week right off the bat. This week on Saturday we met as a mission up in Houston. We were privileged to hear from Elder Cladio R.M. Costa of the presidency of the seventy along with Elder Richardson of the seventy. It was one of the best meetings I have ever been to. The sprit was strong, he told great stories, his council was great, and he was hilarious. His sense of humor had almost everyone laughing so hard they couldn’t think straight. It was a great meeting. He explained the authority of a seventy and it is something that many members do not even understand. Seventies hold very little keys but hold apostolic authority being called by the apostles. If you are not a member ask someone what some of these things mean. But it was very fascinating. I would go into more detail but I forgot to bring my notes to the library. Just so you know it was a great meeting that brought the spirit in very strongly.

Some other good news, some of our investigators have their financial situations stabilizing. This way they can progress easier because of being able to get themselves to church and other reasons. Also it is just good to be making money to support a family. This week has been a little different but has been a very enjoyable one. Elder Manning went on exchanges with me this week and we had a blast. Luckily the day went really well and we taught a lot of people and we just had a lot of fun. This transfer our zone isn’t changing much. Elder Cambell my district leader is training and Elder Stack is getting transferred. This is the biggest news in our zone. I will take pictures because we are getting together today so yall can see what everyone looks like and just to have pictures.

The mission as a whole continues to progress and to grow. This mission has changed much and all for the good. President Saylin has really been working hard and trying to follow the Lord’s plan for this mission. President Saylin spoke yesterday at a fireside that I was able to attend with the couple that we teach. It was his 23rd anniversary of being a member of the church. I think that is really cool. He bore his testimony and implored all attending the fireside to pray and ask if the church is true. The spirit was very strong. The Saylin family as a whole is amazing. Their children are great kids and the best things about them is how not fake they are and how truly loving they are.

This week we had a really good lesson with a family we teach. We talked about Alma 32 and faith. I would ask all of you to read this if I haven’t asked it already. It is some of my favorite scripture. Anyways this really helped them understand how to get answers from the Lord and why we ask them to read and come to church and pray.

There really isn’t too much else to update on. The area is improving and Elder Garcia is an awesome missionary. We have a blast. The food this week from the members has been really good as always but we have been using a lot of miles to visit members for dinner. We are allotted 1250 miles a month. We have about 320 miles left for the month. There is no way we are not going over. Our area is huge and we have been busy with investigators on the opposite side of town and members who live in Sugar Land. I like keeping busy but it kills miles. The work is good. I love my mission and all of the people in it. Today is going to be fun. We are meeting with some other missionaries to go out to lunch and stuff. Also today is just a good day. The weather has been very mild lately. It has been overcast so it has been much cooler. I find it to be perfect outside. But it does get humid sometimes. I am just rambling. I hope that everyone has a good week this week and I will give a better update next week. I just can’t think of anything else to update upon.
LOVE,
Elder Marr
P.S. Favorite scripture right now = Moroni 7:48

THIS IS WHAT THE EMAIL SAYS:

Hello everyone. This week has been rather slow. We have been trying to find some people to teach to enlarge our teaching pool but it has been rather difficult. All this week it has reminded me of home. It has been overcast and lightly rainy on and off. The heat is a little more intense and the humidity is a little stronger but it still reminds me of home. We had President’s interviews this week on Tuesday. I love speaking to President Saylin. He is a good man who cares very much for the mission as a whole as well as individuals.
This week was pretty good. We have been teaching this lady and she is going to be baptized on the 24th of October. She is so cool. She is truly seeking answers to her questions and wants to understand everything the best that she can. I might have mentioned her in the last email because it was late but I do not remember. Also the couple that we teach continues to grow and progress toward getting married so they can get baptized. I am so excited for them. There has been some rather sad news as well this week. One of our investigators mothers is going to be passing away very soon. It has been a sad but also comforting week. I am so happy that I have the knowledge I have about the next life and what is going to happen.
I cannot think of any funny stories this week. This email will be very short. Not that nothing happened this week just that nothing extravagant happened this week and there isn’t too much that is updateable. There has been a teaching tool that we have been using that has worked very well in opening people’s hearts to the gospel. That is Glenn Beck’s conversion story.
I highly recommend this dvd or if you can find in on youtube or something watch it. It doesn’t matter if you are a member of the church or not or if you hate Glenn Beck or love him. Everyone should watch it. It isn’t to brainwash you but to encourage you to ask questions. One of my favorite parts of the video he quotes Thomas Jefferson. Thomas Jefferson has a nephew whos mother had past away and whos father was going to die. His father approached Thomas Jefferson and asked him to teach his son and tell him how to be a good man. Thomas Jefferson told him that he would oversee the boy’s education. When his nephew turned 16 ,I believe, he sent him a letter. In the letter it said; when it comes to mathematics know this….politics know this…. Science know this….concerning religion he said this; “QUESTION WITH BOLDNESS.... fix reason firmly in her seat for if there be a God he would rather honest questions that blind folded fear.” Glenn Beck took this to heart and took this approach when looking for the truth. He says; “I reject you. (‘You’ being God) I reject you because I don’t know you. I reject you because I only know about you because I am told that you exist. But if you do exist. And I honestly seek you out. I will find you. Because you want me to find you.” This is true. Heavenly Father wants us to ask questions and question everything. And through honest questions we can find the truth. I testify that I have done this and that I have found for myself that what I am doing out here is true. When it comes to praying and asking if the Book of Mormon is true. The promise in the Book of Mormon that if you have faith in Christ and are truly seeking for truth not caring were you find it, as long as it is the truth, and you ask if the Book of Mormon is true than you will receive your answer. So if you ask with a sincere heart with real intent. You will receive your answer through the power of the Holy Ghost. It may not be immediate and it will take a true heart but the Lord is bound to the truth so he will give you an answer if you seek it. I promise.

Love,
Elder Marr

A DAY LATE AND A DOLLAR SHORT

Labor Day was yesterday so the library was closed. But luckily Pres. Saylin is having us take an hour today to write emails home. This week I didn’t write any letters because P-day was busy and we did stuff for Labor-Day. This week has been one of the best. The work out here has been a little different. It has been challenging and very sad. This economy is affecting everyone and I am sad for them and any of you who are having difficulties financially. But the Lord is blessing this area in ways that he has not before. I suggest that any who are able to read this month’s ensign article by Elder Holland. He is my favorite if you can have a favorite. All of the things that I have heard from him have always related to me personally much and the things that he holds dear I hold dear. I think that is why we have twelve different types of people for our apostles. Each one relates to the people in a different way.
Interviews with President Saylin were this morning. They are always good. President Saylin is a great man and he is doing a great work by being here. Our mission is being blessed far beyond it ever has before. I love this mission. I truly believe that it is the best mission anywhere but I am sure that all missionaries say that about their missions.
This week has had its ups and downs but the ups have been great. One thing that has really helped this area ,not in missionary work per say, was a huge storm that rolled in on Saturday. OH MY GOSH!!! It was around 7:40 and we are talking with a less active member of the ward on his porch. We see lightning in the distance. That’s no big deal. Then the wind gets crazy! By the time we ended our conversation the wind was blowing so hard you could barely hear. Then about 20 seconds before Elder Garcia and I go to the car it starts pouring rain. I have never actually seen real pouring rain, even in Washington. From the run of 30ft. to our car we were soaked. It was crazy. Driving in that was even scarier. So we had another appointment and in order to get to their apartment you have to walk down this path with no cover. So on this walk the rain is already starting to flood stuff. You cannot see the path because the water is about two inches deep and you step off the path into mud so my shoes were nasty and I had mud splatter all over my pants and shirt by the time we got back to the apartment. Driving home the power went out for only about 20 seconds but the storm was right on top of us. It was real loud too. Lighting flashing only a football field away at times. It got crazy. Pulling into our parking lot was the worst part of it. The road was flooding and the underside of the car got submerged a few times. So the battery was dying. Therefore the power steering was going out. I thought that we were going to get stuck but luckily we were able to park in an ok spot. On the way walking to our apartment there was a river in the parking lot about 5 inches deep. SO INTENSE! This storm was so much fun and I thought it was amazing. Also this area has not received hardly any rain while I have been here.
That was the storm. Now a funny story. Elder Garcia and I were tracting in an apartment complex north of our apartment. We knocked doors and found some success in the complex. But there were a group of kids there that were very nice and interested in what we were doing. One of them told us were people lived and who was home. I turned to Elder Garcia and said “He was a sober child, and quick to observe” (Mormon joke) He then called up to us as we were knocking on a person’s door and said “Where did you get that purse?” We were confused by his question and he was looking at me. I was holding my small scripture case in my hand and he thought it was a purse. I was going to say it was a scripture case but before I could do so someone opened the door in front of us. Children here are really funny. Sometimes I wish that we could teach them instead of their parents. They don’t have all of the problems or pride that some do. I can see why Christ always spoke of the children being examples of how we should be. Another funny thing is that we are teaching a guy now with a grill. If you don’t know what a grill is it is jewelry over your teeth basically. Look at pictures or something it is hard to describe. Anyways this guy has a real grill. I have only ever seen the ones that go over the teeth but this guy has ones that go over or are each individual tooth. They are gold with the front being some type of expensive metal. He is a nice guy but it is weird looking.
There isn’t much else to talk about just that the area goes well and I am sorry as always for not writing more letters. I would say that I will write them next week but I have no idea what is going on. Don’t think that I don’t love to receive letters because believe me I do. They are the highlight of my week. I love you all and have a great week this week.
Love,
Elder Devon Joel Marr

P.S. For those of you interested look up a video about the Book of Mormon taking place in the great lakes region. I have only heard about it but it sounds fascinating.

HELLO,hello,HELLO,hello, we welcome you today!

Hello. This week has been slow. I wish we had snow. Anyways this week has been ok. Some great things are happening with some of our investigators and they are having miracles happen in their lives. One of the people we teach has found a job, Cathy’s daughter is having her heart softened toward her mother, and we have found some very good new people.
Let’s see this week. Hmmmm…. On Tuesday we went to Needville with a very nice member who offered to give us a ride. We started at 12:30 and ended at 5:30 so it was pretty long out there. It was a fun day though. Needville is such a small Texas town. It is really different than Rosenberg. We talked to a man who had some really nice dogs. He was nice too. We will be visiting him either this week or the beginning of next week. This reminds me of this dog that we see all the time. There is a dog that always sits in front of one of our investigator’s homes. He is a wire haired jack Russell terrier. He is the sweetest dog. We call him Zorom.
One Wednesday we had TEMPLE ZONE CONFERENCE! It was awesome. It took us forever to get there though. Our session was at 9:00 so we had to be there by 8:30. We live an hour away from the temple when there is no traffic. We had to leave really early. When we got there the temple looked really beautiful because of the lighting. I took a few pictures with other people’s cameras that I will get copies of and send home. Also this temples interior is amazing. I had a great time. After the temple we had our conference with a talk from President Saylin on the mission and on obedience, and then we had training by our AP’s on following and teaching by the spirit. Then we had training by Sister Saylin. It was a lot of fun and very spiritual. On my mission the number one thing that I have learned and been able to recognize is the spirit. I do not get promptings as often as some but I can recognize them between my thoughts and what the Lord tells me now more than ever. There is a difference and when you receive a prompting or revelation it is different than you thinking it. It is one of those things that are almost impossible to describe. There is actually another thing that I heard in church this past week that I find very interesting. The Bishop was talking about parenting and that the parents are responsible for teaching their children the gospel and parenting in general. Then he talked about an extensive study that the church had to find out what the number one thing was that led people to go on a mission, receive the Melkezidek priesthood, get their endowment, be sealed in the temple, and stay active. The church after this study found out that the number one factor is a personal spiritual experience. I found this very interesting and I would say that every person who joins or is raised in the church needs one of these experiences to know that the church is true. The way that you have one of these is to do the basics. Go to church, read your scriptures, pray, and keep yourself in an environment where the spirit can be present. Also exercising patience for the spirit to touch your heart. For me I did not have a full spiritual witness of the truth until I was at the MTC. This does not mean that I did not have a testimony but I did not know 100%. You can know yourself even if you have a testimony. By doing what I said earlier and asking to know if something is true. I try to ask at least once a month if something about the gospel is true even though I already know it is. Doing this strengthens your testimony about that particular thing much more when you do this.
Anyways back to my update.
We had our carpet cleaned this week and it was nasty before so now it looks and feels a lot better. Our apartment has gone from looking like junk to looking like a church. It is so clean. There isn’t much else to update on. The rest of the week was the norm. We did have a great lesson with Lily. She said that she will be baptized once she gets an answer if it is true. SO we are really excited about that. I hope that everyone who reads this will know that it is nearly impossible to write letters anymore. There is so much preparation and stuff going on every P-day that things stack up. I want everyone to know that I love you and I am not trying to be flaking when it comes to writing letters. If I had the time I would write everyone a huge letter but sadly we can only write letters on P-days and I have been very busy. I love you all and I just remembered something. We had a super loud awesome storm the other night.

Love,
Elder Devon Joel Marr

S....l.....o......w.......w.....e......e.....k....

I have enjoyed parts of this week very much but it has been slow. School starts here for the kids today so lots of people were out shopping and their schedules were not set. This next week will be a much more successful week that this week. This area has been really sad. Especially this past week. The economy is hitting a lot of the people we teach hard. The couple that is getting married is not anymore anytime soon because of their financial situation and the finances of their families. Also some other people we teach are starting to sell anything they can to buy groceries. It is a sad situation. The people have hope that they will find something in the future. Especially since all the people that are having troubles that are close to me have skills that will allow them to find decent-good jobs eventually.
On a lighter (sp) note, P-day was really fun this week. We played volleyball and basketball. I always have a blast on P-days. E.Voeks is doing well. He loves his area and they just had a baptism this past Saturday. He is loving it and I think that he needed to get away from Rosenberg because he had been here so long. Elder Garcia is starting to like the area more and more because of its interesting characters. It is also a weird town to get used to. The roads and the way the town is made are really strange. Look at it on a map sometime. It is also very different from his last area.
I will now tell a story from this week. We went to contact a referral who ordered a Finding faith in Christ DVD. As we pulled up we saw a lady on a chair in front of the apartment we were supposed to visit. As we walked toward the apartment she started saying things that were not so nice that I will not repeat. Then we asked her if she was the lady who ordered the Bible. She said no and that she was from a certain church to show us that she believed in God. We then walked around her and knocked on the door we were trying to get to. The lady who ordered the Bible answered the door. We went in and had a great chat. She told us that she cannot wait until she can move away from her interesting neighbors. Then in the middle of our conversation the lady on the chair comes into the apartment and tells us that she let us in so she can kick us out. She then told us to leave. It is not her apartment. The Bible lady told her to get out and the response of the lady on the chair was that she believed in a certain church. This was probably not the best story but to me it was really funny afterward.
Let’s see what else happened this week? Bingo was fun. I think I dozed off a few times and had to keep reminding myself that I am a missionary and I need to be an example. But it was very tiring this week for some reason. District meeting was really good this week. After the meeting our district went to Chili’s. Our district is smaller now and only consists of Elders Cambell, (forgot his new companions name), and Garcia and Marr. We had a lot of fun. I love eating with the missionaries. It is always a blast. Another amazing thing that happened this week was an awesome storm. It rained for about an hour just pouring down. There was also lighting and thunder. The Brazos Elders called us to see if we could give them a ride. They were soaked when we got to them. We leaped out of the car to help them put their bikes on the bike rack and we got really wet. It was awesome. Houston area needed it. It has been really dry here and this is the first real Texas storm to hit this summer. WOW I just realized how long I have been gone from home. I left before prom and now school is about to start up. I have been gone all summer. Sorry if that past comment made anyone sad but time is going by faster than it ever has in my life. Moments are long but the overall time has flown by.
This week Elder Garcia and I contacted a bunch of referrals. I probably made around 100 phone calls just to referrals. It has been crazy. Luckily now that most of the referrals have been contacted and visited we have knocked out a lot of referrals that need to be contacted. This week will be better because we will be able to focus on our investigators that we already have.
So something that we did this week was spray paint our kitchen table chairs. They were a really ugly golden color so we spray painted them this cool gray and stenciled out the state shape on the back. On mine I we had the Texas pink. The chairs are awesome. Oh if anyone has seen the pictures I took of the apartment when I first got here it looks A LOT better. I might have said this last week but I just want to reiterate it.
Well everyone I hope that you have a great week. I tried to write letters last week but then we all got together and I didn’t have that much time. I will try as always to get some written this week. I love you all!!!!
Elder Devon Joel Marr

P.S. Alma 32 (especially the second half) is amazing read it and pray about it.

Transfers

My new companion is Elder Garcia. He is awesome. He was in the Memorial area which was in my zone so I know him a little. He is a cool guy. Of anyone I could have picked out of those I knoew could be my companions he is the one. He is an awesome Elder. He has a strong testimony and has alot of love for others. He is 26 and is the youngest of 6. He is a great Elder to work with and helps get the job done.
It was sad to see Elder Voeks go. Luckily he is in my zone so I get to see him at least once a week. He is with an Elder that has been out one transfer. Last I heard from Elder Voeks he is having a great time and loves it up there. It is sad for him to be gone. He is one of my best friends and I know that he and I will be close even after the mission.
We got to go to the cheesecake factory on Wednesday. It was sooooo good. We went to say goodbye to some people who were leaving. Sis. Burke from the Spanish branch left. She was really cool and a good friend. It was a sad but good week. It is stange how sometimes that happens.
Elder Voeks and I (before he left) got permission to give Cathy’s mom a blessing up in the city. Her mom has come a long way and can speak now and is fully alert. Cathy was told that her mother had less than a 50% chance to live and even then she would lose 70% of her brain function or be a vegetable for lack of a better term. But thanks to Elder Voeks and Elder Schwarz her mother received a blessing when she was in the ER. Now Cathy’s mom can talk and has a normal functioning brain. She understands things and can communicate everything. All thanks to Elder Voeks and Elder Schwarz being worthy and following the spirit in were to be.
This week besides transfers has not been too eventful. We have been trying to contact referrals. Mostly people who call in to order something when they see a church commercial or advertisement on the computer. We have a lot that we are unsure if they have been contacted or not. So we have been driving like crazy trying to contact them. It has been really busy. I do say that my letter writing has not been tended to in a while. With transfers, cleaning the apartment (it looks completely different now) and the work itself I have had very or closer to no spare time. I am sorry everyone for not writing. I love you all and I hope that you understand.
The good news is that some people are turning around. Tony who we has to drop a while back we have re-contacted and he was at church this past Sunday. Also we had one of the best sacrament talks ever. The Bishop got up and just spoke not even any notes. He talked about unity, love, friendship, and excepting callings. Our ward to be honest is not very unified. But the Bishop is all for a unified ward. The amount of love that he has for others I do not see myself obtaining for quite some time. He is a kind and loving man who wants to see others blessed. This week I realized how blessed I really am. Not by any special experiences but by recognizing what I have and giving thanks. I am closer to the Lord than I have ever been before. I have had an interesting week. But the Lord gives comfort and strength. I also discovered again that the more you give the more you receive. The message that I am out here to share is true. And since that is the case I do not understand why people don’t focus on it more that already have it. I have only this week fully realized how truly important this work is and what it means to the world. I have met many types of people. I have NEVER seen the restored gospel curse or bring someone down. Satan might throw a huge obstacle in their way or a large trial. But if they can get past that trial than I have never seen someone not improve or grow. These are the miracles that I get to see in other peoples’ lives. And to be a part of that is the largest blessing I have ever received. Because I help these people the Lord has blessed me beyond what I have ever imagined. All that living this gospel does to you is improve you and help you grow in every aspect of your life. I have seen it in others lives and in my own.
Love,
Elder Devon Joel Marr

TRANSFERS ONCE AGAIN

Transfers coming up on Wednesday. Elder Voeks is going to be leaving the area. He has been here for 7 transfers and it is sad to see him leave. A lot of the mission is changing. Every companionship in our zone is changing along with all the zone leaders in the mission. Lots of changes but good changes. The mission is doing very well. Everyone is happy and there aren’t many problems. So Elder Voeks has wanted a Needville area to open ever since he got here. He talked to President about it and President decided that it should be experimented with and opened for a short time. The Elders would be living in a member’s home. But just two days ago transfers had to be completely changed. A missionary has some medical issues that require him to go home for a period of time. So that means that we are one missionary shorter than planned. So Needville, being on the bottom of the list of areas, had to be dropped as a new area. So we were a little sad about that.
This week has been busy, fun, and productive. We went on exchanges on Monday. That was a great experience. Elder Cole who I was with is a great missionary and we did a lot and had a great time. I would love serving with him. It was a great exchange for me but for Elder Voeks it was a little different.

So while I was in Richmond on exchanges some funny things happened in Rosenberg. The car broke down twice which seemed like battery trouble. So they tested the battery and it was bad. They replaced the battery and the Elders are driving and it dies in the middle of the freeway. Eventually they can get it to the side because most roads in Texas are slightly slanted. I have a picture Elder Voeks took of the car being towed away. I am going to photocopy it and send a copy home or something. But luckily now it is fixed. The real problem with the car was that the computer in the car broke. I didn’t even know that could be a problem.

So the week went on and we have been finding many great people. One in particular we were driving and contacting media referrals. Then Elder Voeks gets the impression to turn on a road I didn’t tell him to. The road ends without any outlet. So Elder Voeks turns it around at the end of the road and stops. He looks at this house and feels like it is familiar somehow. He then remembers that he was told by the Spanish missionaries of a house that looked just like this one 5 months ago but was never able to find the house. So we went in and had a great lesson and talk with the family there.

The Spanish missionaries baptized a family this week. I have met the family before and they are really nice. There were 4 who were baptized. The Spanish Elders went over yesterday and told us that it seemed completely different than when they had been there before. They said that you could feel the spirit in the house and in others much more vibrantly.

So before transfer calls Elder Voeks and Elder Olsen knew that they were prolly going to leave. Also Sister Burke is at the end of her mission. These three people are my closest friends in the mission. It is sad that all of them are leaving. We have had great times though. I am definitely going to stay in contact with them because of how awesome they are. We are trying to get permission today to go to Cheesecake Factory with them all and some other missionaries.

Last night we had two dinners. Our first dinner was at the Crankers and we had a bunch of lasagna. Then we went over to another member’s house just to visit and he thought that when we asked if we could stop by that it meant dinner. So we had huge steaks and potatoes. I was fuller after those meals that I can remember. I am still not hungry and it’s Monday. Cool little story about sacrament. So we were sitting there listening to a talk from a member in the stake presidency and everyone hears this loud rumble. It lasted for about 10 seconds. It sounded like someone rolling a garbage bin on concrete right next to you. It was a deep booming sound as well. The church is pretty sound proof already and the chapel even more so. It would have been loud outside. We got a little rain but nothing very enjoyable or helpful to the plants. It just made everything humid. This week has been great. Time is flying by and change is on the horizon. I love you all and have a great week. I might not be able to write any letters this week because today is busy with Elder Voeks leaving soon and such. (The apartment is a mess). Keep working hard and endure to the end.

Love,
Elder Devon Joel Marr

And it came to pass....

Hello all!!! This week we had interviews with the President. They went really well. I love President Saylin. He is a very loving and caring man who just wants to help and uplift. I look forward to talking to him again. Transfers are coming up not this Wednesday but next Wednesday. Elder Voeks thinks that he will leave because he has been here for 7 transfers. Which is a long time. The President told us this week that the spirit hasn’t told him to open a Needville area yet but that the spirit hasn’t said no yet so he is waiting. The Spirit is something that is overlooked I feel quite a bit in everyday life. But on a mission it is everything. Nothing can be done without it and you rely on it for telling you everything. You still have to work your best and use your brain but having the Spirit confirm something to you is the most important part of missionary work. You rely on him and he relies on you to do what he asks.
We had a very busy week. It was the busiest and also highly enjoyable. Something funny that happened was I was going to teach a lesson with a member on exchanges. We entered the home and they say; “We told you last time we would feed you next time you came.” “It’s ready.” I have absolutely no recollection of them ever saying that they would feed us. Luckily I hadn’t eaten anything yet. They are so nice to cook for us when we are just coming to teach them and talk to them. People down here can surprise you with their love and charity. By the way it was really good lasagna.
This week was good. The couple that I have mentioned they looked at the stake center this week for their wedding. They are going to have it in the gym so that way they can decorate. I am so excited for them. I feel like a girl. Only on a mission. There are a lot of things that Elders find enjoyable that most 19-22 males would never find enjoyable. A mission shows you that TV, movies, video games, the internet, and cell phones all are not what are most important. I love all these things but my mission has showed me that all that matters is people. Some of the blessings of a mission I have found are not just spiritual. You just mature faster. It is really cool.
We took the couple to a baptism last night at another building. They enjoyed it and she cried quite a bit. Then she saw me crying and started to quietly laugh. It was a great baptism. Now that I realize much more what baptism really is I have gained such a better appreciation for it and the gift of the Holy Ghost. The man who was baptized was so happy and it meant so much to him. This work is the best!
This week we had lunch with the Bishop and his family. Normally there is an hour limit to dinner or lunches but with the Bishop you can be there as long as you want. It was so much fun. Their family is hilarious and they are just good people. We talked for a long time and ate fried bread tacos. I never realized how much I missed those until then. I don’t know how it was brought up but they love MST3K. We got laughing so hard about some things. The interactions with people and the other missionaries is one of my favorite parts of the mission. The missionaries mostly because almost all of the ones that I have met are so much fun to be around.
So there is a member who helped a lady we talk to move. He is letting her keep her couch in his garage while she lives with her daughter. His name is Brother Miller. I might have mentioned him in other emails but he is a generous and charitable man. He taught the lady that we moved with Elder Voeks on splits one day. They were showing her a picture of Jesus from the gospel art book (find what this is and buy it, it is $3.50 in some areas and is full of great pictures. It’s a bargain.) She saw one picture that she really loves. It is one that is in many church buildings with Jesus descending out of heaven with the angels blowing their trumpets. It’s a good picture. So Brother Miller when helping this lady tells her to wait a second right after dropping off the couches at his garage. He comes out with a huge framed version of the picture and gives it to the lady that he has met once. My favorite part of this is that he did it with no other motive than to be charitable and to see someone else have joy. That is what the gospel is all about. Being truly sincere and a good person who cares about others before themselves. I love this work and I love all of you. I don’t think that I knew love the way that I do now. Heavenly Father has let me feel his love and his love for others. It is something that I am extremely grateful for. I have realized how much I love you all at home out here and not just because I have been away from you. It is deeper than that. I appreciate all of you and I hope that you all continue to progress and to grow while I am gone. Do not endure to the end. But progress to the end. That is what the gospel is all about. I love you all and have a great time wherever you may be.

Love,
ELDER DEVON JOEL MARR

AN AMAZING WEEK

Just to start off I want to say that this week has been very positive and has really been the most enjoyable week of my mission. I am sorry however about letters. Although this week has been very enjoyable it has been extremely busy. This is probably why I love it so much. But I will try my best to get back to you. We have had several small thunderstorms and a little rain. It has been very humid the past few days which has made it really muggy and hot. But the clouds have been extremely beautiful and large. I love it. The people have been in great moods and have been very funny this week. In particular members. There have been some Rosenberger’s this week. I think if I remember last week I did say what Rosenberger’s are. They are the weird people from Rosenberg. Yesterday for example there were two people who cut me off on the road which nearly caused an accident. Then there were scary people crossing the street and walking down the middle of the road. Also a guy in his car just sitting there in the middle of the road like he wants to turn but never does. Some of them are very odd. But I love it down here. The people are generally really nice even though a little weird.

So this week we have been teaching a couple and they continue to progress. They are so attentive and follow every commitment. We taught them that they need to get married and they accepted easily. She started to cry and it was really sweet. They are going to be baptized a day after their wedding. I normally wouldn’t share so much about an investigator’s stuff but I love them so much. For their wedding the Zeribeniez and the Smiths are going to help them plan and arrange things. Their wedding is in the beginning of September. I am so excited for them. They are going to have it at the stake center and are planning on a lot of people being there. It is so great to see them progress further and further into the gospel. We talk to people all of the time and tell them if they read the scriptures, go to church, and pray to ask if it is true then they will get their answer and it will bless their lives. People generally do not do one of these steps consistently or at all. All we are trying to say is that if you do these things that you will get that answer to your prayer if it is true. The difference about this couple is that they listen, ask questions, go through with commitments, read, go to church, and pray. I am reminded of Alma 32 which talks about if you would “but experiment upon my words and give even a particle of faith, yea, even if you have no more than a desire to believe, then let this desire work in you until you can give place for but a portion of my words.” That is all it takes.

Anyway there is that great news. We had Zone conference this week and let me just say that it was amazing. President Saylin is a very righteous and good man. He talked to us primarily about our purpose as missionaries. He asked us. Some said to baptize, others said to let them know there is a prophet, the Book of Mormon, the restored gospel, Jesus Christ. While these are all true that is not our purpose. We are out here to bring others to exaltation. Baptism is the gate that enters into the path to exaltation but it is not our purpose. We talked about this and how we can help others get there. I felt the spirit very strongly and it was a wonderful discussion. I loved zone conference.

This week on Thursday was Elders Voeks, Olsen, and Cambell’s 18 month mark. Elder Cambell wasn’t able to but we got together and talked for a while. Usually missionaries do something on their 18 month mark but we couldn’t find anything to do. So Elder Voeks and I went to the church building because we saw the Bishop’s car there. We went in and their family was cleaning. We talked to them for a while and they are really cool. Their family is a very genuinely good family. The Bishop is really funny and is respectfully upfront about things. He is a very loving and kind man. Their family reminds me of the Saylins. They are all worthy of an authority position but neither of them ever thought that they would have one. They took us out to DQ after they finished cleaning. It was a really enjoyable day.

FUNNY STORY:

So the Zeribelnie’s (who will now go by Z’s) are the fellow shippers to the couple I talked about. They are going to have the couple in their home for the lessons and such. They are also the ones who took the couple to the mission home fireside. Anyway so we have been trying to work out a time that the couple could have a lesson at the Z’s. After church Sister Z walks up and asks if we want to come over for pizza on Monday. We say sure of course. Brother Z then walks up and Elder Voeks starts talking with him about how the couple is going to get a ride to their house. We get a phone call later on from Sister Z the first time and brother Z the second time. They talk to us about how pizza costs a lot and they are not sure. They also sounded like we were pressuring them. We went to dinner shortly after at the Carpenter’s. Little side note the Carpenter’s are some of the coolest people ever. I would be their friend at home if I was a little older. Anyways they tell us that the Z’s talked to them to mention Monday night. As it turns out the Z’s were just inviting Elder Voeks and I not the couple as well. So they thought we were just putting that on them. Elder Voeks and I felt so bad. We called the Z’s and I could hear them on the phone laughing pretty hard. Luckily there is no hard feelings for Elder Voeks and I being nimrods.

I love yall and I hope that you have a great week. I haven’t been typing very fast this week so I apologize.

Love,

Elder Devon Joel Marr