As you know from my last email I have been transfered. To be honest the area I am at is the last place I thought that I would be. I am in an area just south west of Friendswood named Angleton. This area is HUGE and it is very country. Alot more like what I thought Texas was like before my mission is what this place is like. the coolest thing about this area is that Elder Robertson whitewashed this area long ago and was here for 7 1/2 months. When he was with me he had left this area. One of the reasons that I thought this would be the last place I would go. So I knew alot about the area before I even got here. I had already met some of the members and seen many pictures of the area. And I must say that I love this area already a whole lot. We have a car because of how big our area is. Our area covers Angleton, Danbury, Holiday Lakes, and past of Lake Jackson. Most of our investigators are in Lake Jackson near the church. From our apartment to there and back takes a good 30 miles. It is a collection of towns that are very spread apart. I love it though. It is so open and there was one day when we went to dinner that I could look out over the flat land and see for miles and miles and miles of just flat. It is really cool. The sky seems so much bigger because there is nothing in the way.
Going to church on sunday the ward is very different to the Friendswood ward but the people are great. Everyone seems very down to earth and very Texan. We have had serveral things of real BBQ this week already. The food is soooo good. I love it a ton.
My new companion is Elder Jensen. he has been on his mission for 20 months and is a spanish missionary. He is a really hard worker and is on top of everything while still being relaxed about everthing. He is a great teacher and I lvoe teaching with him. Teaching with your companion usually takes a few weeks to get into how to connect with your companion on teaching but we teach very similarly and everything seems to flow well. He is a good man and I look forward to serving with him. rumor has it that I will be taking over the area and staying here for a while. Since Elder Robertson left this area they have only kept missionaries here for 2 transfers at a time. So alot of switching around. But who knows what the Lord has in store.
Apart from all of that info on my new area and new companion this past week has by far been the busiest I have ever had. More stuff going on, transfers, people to see, and more lessons than I have ever taught in one week. I love it. But today it is a little nice to take a deep breath and prepare for this coming week with a hope that things work out as well as they did this week. It feels good when you stay busy and you always have important things to do. This area is just doing amazing. I love it soooo much.
Let's see what should I include in my email. There have been alot of interesting events this past week that I would love to talk about but if I can tell at least once of the stories acuratly then I will be happy. That's terrible english. Anyways, I do want to mention a little about my past Bishop. He is a great man and he is a spiritual giant. I will miss him as a Bishop and a friend. He has helped me alot just by his example and his willingness to do the Lord's work. I don't see a single bad part about him and that is a great example to me of what I want to be. He is a great man and leader and I am so thankful that i was able to be a missionary in sercive of him as Bishop. I don't mean to boast too much about him but he is a good man and I will miss him very much.
Now I will tell you jsut one story from this week.
We had just gotten done with a lesson when Elder Jensen and I were driving back toward Angleton. We are driving and Elder Jensen pulls the car over to the side of the road and pulls out the map. He makes a few calls just incase there is anyone we can see in Lake Jackson before we leave that town. He makes a few calls and gets a hold of a less active member who tells us to come over.
We arive at the the house and notice a group of people gathered at a table in the front lawn. The driveway is covered in American flags and such. We get out of our car and walk up to this member and what turns out to be here neices and nephews and sisters. She then tells us to go get some food. While we are eating we start to talk with those that are there. None of them are members but they are great people who are open to talking with us. As it turns out this party was for one of the neices who had just gotten back from Iraq after her first tour. So we talk some more and get there information to send missionaries over. Then we start to leave seeing how we had already been there for a while. When walking across the yard we hear a firetruck.
This firetruck drives slowly past this house we are at and stops a few houses down. It is followed by about 30 motorcycles than stop right after it. It is in these moments that the member shoves a camera into Elder Jensen's hands and tells him to take pictures. Everyone on the bikes and in the firetruck come out with a speaker and microphone and place it on the table at the party. These are all veterans who are here to welcome home the neice from Iraq. It was pretty cool. They gave her different gifts and such. It was awkward with us there but we couldn't leave because of all the bikes and all the neighbors seemed to come over to this event that everyone was listening to. So we took pictures for them and eventually left. Everything just seemed to come out of nowhere and it was suprising to Elder Jensen and I.
There have been several strange o suprising things that have happened this week and this is just one of them. But this is my favorite to tell. Anyways this has been my week and I am very happy to be here. I love my mission very ,much and this week I hit my year mark. That is so crazy. I feel like I just saw many of you yesturday.
love,
Elder Marr
P.S.
My new adress for letters and packages and such is;
1100 Buchta Rd. # 911
Angleton, TX 77515
Monday, April 26, 2010
Monday, April 19, 2010
I'm getting transferred
The title says it all. There is a very large part of me that wants to stay here real bad. There are alot of great missionaries, investigators, and members here that I love quite a bit. Especially some great friendships that I have developed. I will miss so many people. I have no idea where I will be and will let you all know the good details when I get to my new area. So this week until you hear otherwise send mail to the mission office because I am leaving. I have a hunch that I will be sent out into the country. I would love that. It would be so great. It is sad that I was only with Elder Johnson for one transfer. He is a great missionary and I will miss him very much.
So that is transfers. I don't want to talk about it more than that. Elder Jones is sitting next to me right now and we were just talking about how we both have almost been out a year. That is crazy!! It truly feels like I have been out for maybe a month but parts of it feel like forever. Also there are some great missionaries leaving. Elder Nielsen my former zone leader. Elder Maw a former zone leader. Elder Garcia my former companion, and Elder Wang who has been in my district for two transfers. Elder Wang talked to us on Friday about some touching stuff.
Elder Wang talked to us about a mission. He hit the head on the nail when he said that our journey out here is not to just be missionaries or ministers or to preach the gospel but to develop ourselves into disciples of Jesus Christ. That means a lot to me. Something in the word disciple is big. It means responsibility but it also means great trust and love from the Savior. When you are on your mission there are many times that you feel about an inch high. Heavenly Father at times reminds you that it is Him that is doing this work and we are just the tools in His hands if we let ourselves be. I love my mission sooooo much. There have already been so many blessings that I have received and I have been able to learn so much in this short year of my mission.
So a little about the past week. It has been in the high 70's and yesterday was the first rain in a LONG time. I was actually very happy that it rained. It hasn't been that bad on bikes. I hope that my next area is in a car though for the summer. That would not be fun.
This week things have been slow. Not bad but slow. Many people busy and just not home. But we have had a good week. We have someone getting baptized in a few weeks and her husband this week agreed to prepare himself to progress int he priesthood.(He is already a deacon) That will be cool. He will be able to baptize her and they will feel the love of the Lord. There have been some great blessings that have been given to those in this area. there have been some trials for some of our investigators as well. ONe names John Kanon is getting a surgery this week on his back. Every time he starts to do something to get closer to the Lord the more things get in his way. It is rough for him but he is holding on just fine. I have learned much while here in Friendswood. Especially in my studies. I will miss this place just like I miss Rosenberg. It feels like I will be leaving part of myself behind here.
I love you all and I wish that this week goes great for everyone. I will be sending home pictures hopefully today so you will be able to see them if they get uploaded.
love,
ELDER DEVON J. MARR
So that is transfers. I don't want to talk about it more than that. Elder Jones is sitting next to me right now and we were just talking about how we both have almost been out a year. That is crazy!! It truly feels like I have been out for maybe a month but parts of it feel like forever. Also there are some great missionaries leaving. Elder Nielsen my former zone leader. Elder Maw a former zone leader. Elder Garcia my former companion, and Elder Wang who has been in my district for two transfers. Elder Wang talked to us on Friday about some touching stuff.
Elder Wang talked to us about a mission. He hit the head on the nail when he said that our journey out here is not to just be missionaries or ministers or to preach the gospel but to develop ourselves into disciples of Jesus Christ. That means a lot to me. Something in the word disciple is big. It means responsibility but it also means great trust and love from the Savior. When you are on your mission there are many times that you feel about an inch high. Heavenly Father at times reminds you that it is Him that is doing this work and we are just the tools in His hands if we let ourselves be. I love my mission sooooo much. There have already been so many blessings that I have received and I have been able to learn so much in this short year of my mission.
So a little about the past week. It has been in the high 70's and yesterday was the first rain in a LONG time. I was actually very happy that it rained. It hasn't been that bad on bikes. I hope that my next area is in a car though for the summer. That would not be fun.
This week things have been slow. Not bad but slow. Many people busy and just not home. But we have had a good week. We have someone getting baptized in a few weeks and her husband this week agreed to prepare himself to progress int he priesthood.(He is already a deacon) That will be cool. He will be able to baptize her and they will feel the love of the Lord. There have been some great blessings that have been given to those in this area. there have been some trials for some of our investigators as well. ONe names John Kanon is getting a surgery this week on his back. Every time he starts to do something to get closer to the Lord the more things get in his way. It is rough for him but he is holding on just fine. I have learned much while here in Friendswood. Especially in my studies. I will miss this place just like I miss Rosenberg. It feels like I will be leaving part of myself behind here.
I love you all and I wish that this week goes great for everyone. I will be sending home pictures hopefully today so you will be able to see them if they get uploaded.
love,
ELDER DEVON J. MARR
Monday, April 12, 2010
This week has had its highs and its lows. But mostly highs. Last week we had great weather and some great dinner appointments. The worldly blessings of this week have been good. Also I took my bike in to get the crank switched out with the other bike I have. I took it into a bike shop because I could not get the pieces of of the first bike. So we went back to pick up my 2nd bike with the parts of the 1st bike on it. When the guy talked to me he told me that he got new spokes, my handlebars were dangerous so he got different handlebars put on it, then he put new brakes on, he also put a few new pieces here and there that were small. I was so worried when he told me all of this. I was dreading not having enough money to pay for someone to put all of these new pieces I would have to pay for on my bike. So he asked me some more questions and asked me if I wanted my 1st bike. All that was left was the frame with nothing on it. It is a piece of junk and I would have thrown it in the garbage anyway so I let him have it. Then I asked how much it would cost for all the stuff he did and what I asked for. He told me not to worry about it, and that it would be on him. He said that the bike frame I would let him have would pay for most of it so it was no big deal. He was a very nice guy and I was soooo lucky to get that deal.
Those are the worldly blessings of this week. Now to the spiritual blessings. This week we had our zone meeting. We talked about how setting goals can help us stretch and to be better. I have never been good at setting goals and they gave alot of good pointers on how to be a better goal setter. So I have been setting some new goals to help me be more organized and to keep track of everything. As well as some other personal goals. There is a section in Preach My Gospel that talks alot about the importance of setting goals in your life and how to accomplish them.
This week has been full of great experiences. One of them was a dinner that we had with the Talley family. They are members and they have a ton of kids. All of their kids but one are out of the house and married. He is the Patriarch of the stake and a great guy. So this week they invited their friends over for dinner with us and them. They have done this many times before and have been fellow shipping this family for many many years. So they come over and they are great people. They are the Prince family and it is a couple and their daughter. We had a good dinner and after dinner shared a short message. When talking about faith we were impressed to start to talk about eternal families and how we can be sealed to our spouses and families forever. Mrs.Prince started crying and told us of how her mother had passed away a few months earlier. It really touched all three of them. The Talley's had invited them to hear from the missionaries many times but this time they excepted. It was a great experience that continues to teach me that there is no way I can teach or know what to do but that the Lord knows everybody and what their interests and needs are.
Another great experience this week was with a family that we have been helping quit smoking. They both have not smoked for over a week now and have been doing great. They have gotten rid of all of their ashtrays and cigarettes. They have been having a rough week but with faith, blessings, and a determination to quite they have found it a lot easier then they thought. She has tried to quite several times before but has never gotten close to making it this long. He has never tried to stop since he started smoking. But he is doing great even if he has to call us during work when he normally would have his smoke break. They are great and I know that God is helping them a whole lot. There is no way they would be doing this well without His help. The days of miracles and blessings and great works are not over. God still exists and he has not changed. Everything is just like it was when man first came about, in God's eyes. We are still His children and we still make mistakes and we still have people that follow Him. It is cool to see how God has not changed. Many people do not see that He is the same. But that is most likely because they don't have modern day revelation, or prophets, or apostles. Like the church of old. We are so blessed to be guided by inspired leaders who receive their inspiration from the Lord. It is a great blessing.
This week was a tiring one. We had to go to seminary for half of the week in the morning. It was brutal. I thought that getting up at 6:30 was tough but I forgot how hard it is to get up that early. It was fun though. We got to talk about missionary work and how they could share the gospel with their friends. Many of the kids know alot more about the gospel then I did at their age. It is amazing to see how many of the youth already have a solid testimony of the gospel and you can see the difference it makes in their lives. The youth of this church are just going to be more and more faithful and strong.
I hate to leave but my time is up. I wish I was a faster typer.(sp?) But I like to update you guys the best I can. I am doing well and I love my mission. It would be so much easier to talk about everything that goes on if I could just talk to you all. But sadly I have to type things out. Anyways. I love you all and you all have a great week.
love,
Elder Devon J. Marr
P.S.
If it is still going on I hope that all of you take the opportunity(that can) to go the the Vancouver, B.C. temple open house or dedication.
Those are the worldly blessings of this week. Now to the spiritual blessings. This week we had our zone meeting. We talked about how setting goals can help us stretch and to be better. I have never been good at setting goals and they gave alot of good pointers on how to be a better goal setter. So I have been setting some new goals to help me be more organized and to keep track of everything. As well as some other personal goals. There is a section in Preach My Gospel that talks alot about the importance of setting goals in your life and how to accomplish them.
This week has been full of great experiences. One of them was a dinner that we had with the Talley family. They are members and they have a ton of kids. All of their kids but one are out of the house and married. He is the Patriarch of the stake and a great guy. So this week they invited their friends over for dinner with us and them. They have done this many times before and have been fellow shipping this family for many many years. So they come over and they are great people. They are the Prince family and it is a couple and their daughter. We had a good dinner and after dinner shared a short message. When talking about faith we were impressed to start to talk about eternal families and how we can be sealed to our spouses and families forever. Mrs.Prince started crying and told us of how her mother had passed away a few months earlier. It really touched all three of them. The Talley's had invited them to hear from the missionaries many times but this time they excepted. It was a great experience that continues to teach me that there is no way I can teach or know what to do but that the Lord knows everybody and what their interests and needs are.
Another great experience this week was with a family that we have been helping quit smoking. They both have not smoked for over a week now and have been doing great. They have gotten rid of all of their ashtrays and cigarettes. They have been having a rough week but with faith, blessings, and a determination to quite they have found it a lot easier then they thought. She has tried to quite several times before but has never gotten close to making it this long. He has never tried to stop since he started smoking. But he is doing great even if he has to call us during work when he normally would have his smoke break. They are great and I know that God is helping them a whole lot. There is no way they would be doing this well without His help. The days of miracles and blessings and great works are not over. God still exists and he has not changed. Everything is just like it was when man first came about, in God's eyes. We are still His children and we still make mistakes and we still have people that follow Him. It is cool to see how God has not changed. Many people do not see that He is the same. But that is most likely because they don't have modern day revelation, or prophets, or apostles. Like the church of old. We are so blessed to be guided by inspired leaders who receive their inspiration from the Lord. It is a great blessing.
This week was a tiring one. We had to go to seminary for half of the week in the morning. It was brutal. I thought that getting up at 6:30 was tough but I forgot how hard it is to get up that early. It was fun though. We got to talk about missionary work and how they could share the gospel with their friends. Many of the kids know alot more about the gospel then I did at their age. It is amazing to see how many of the youth already have a solid testimony of the gospel and you can see the difference it makes in their lives. The youth of this church are just going to be more and more faithful and strong.
I hate to leave but my time is up. I wish I was a faster typer.(sp?) But I like to update you guys the best I can. I am doing well and I love my mission. It would be so much easier to talk about everything that goes on if I could just talk to you all. But sadly I have to type things out. Anyways. I love you all and you all have a great week.
love,
Elder Devon J. Marr
P.S.
If it is still going on I hope that all of you take the opportunity(that can) to go the the Vancouver, B.C. temple open house or dedication.
Monday, April 5, 2010
Mcbusy week
This week was busy. I liked it. I am sorry that I did not send out any Easter letters or Joelica letters or any letters last week. I got really sick and had to deal with that. So I guess the week wasn't busy when I was sick but this week we always had something we really had to do. Which is awesome. I am glad to be over my sickness now. It was a form of the flu and was not very pleasant. Sister Saylin told me that some other missionaries have been getting this as well over the past month. So it wasn't like I was going to die.
This past week apart from that was good. We had our zone conference this past Wednesday. It was really great. This mission continues to do very well and to grow. Elder Johnson and I were not able to stay for all of it but it was great. I have learned some really great things that I will be able to apply to my area and to myself. As well this week was Joelica, Easter, and General Conference.
General Conference was amazing. In my opinion there have been certain talks that I have liked more than some of the talks given but overall this was the best conference that I have ever heard. The talks all flowed so well and everything talked about was great. In my opinion the Saturday session of conference was the best. There was so much shared and so many things that I learned that I can apply to my life to be a better person. That is the job of the Prophet, apostles, and other leaders. It is to say the Lord's will that we need to change and that the way we have been living our lives is good but that we can be better and then they tell us how we can be better. It is a great experience. I always love to say that that is our mission as missionaries. It is to tell people how to be better and as we teach we learn how we can be better ourselves. It is awesome.
This week the temperature has turned up quite a bit. It is cooler today but two days ago it was around 85 degrees. With humidity of course. So the heat is starting early. It will only get hotter and hotter and hotter. I have grown to like the heat more but the only problem with it is that you cannot escape the heat or humidity even if you have air conditioning. You cannot get away from it. When you are cold you can get warm but when you are hot it is hard to get cold. It will be interesting to see if I am in a bike area in the summer. I sure hope not but time will tell.
Today we will be having a zone activity BBQ. It sounds like a lot of fun. I am excited to go. Except we have a lot of other things to get done so it will be alot more rushed. I love the missionaries here. They are lots of fun and they are all hard workers. I especially love my district and my companion. I have always been blessed with great companions and great missionaries around me. I have got the feeling like I am going to keep having great companions that I love very much.
I love you all and I hope that you all have a great week and that you had a good Easter. Always remember what Easter really is and what it truly represents. I only echo that of all the prophets when I say that Jesus Christ is real and that he did rise from the grave. And because he has death has no victory over us.
love,
Elder Devon Joel Marr
P.S.
steak COOKIES !
This past week apart from that was good. We had our zone conference this past Wednesday. It was really great. This mission continues to do very well and to grow. Elder Johnson and I were not able to stay for all of it but it was great. I have learned some really great things that I will be able to apply to my area and to myself. As well this week was Joelica, Easter, and General Conference.
General Conference was amazing. In my opinion there have been certain talks that I have liked more than some of the talks given but overall this was the best conference that I have ever heard. The talks all flowed so well and everything talked about was great. In my opinion the Saturday session of conference was the best. There was so much shared and so many things that I learned that I can apply to my life to be a better person. That is the job of the Prophet, apostles, and other leaders. It is to say the Lord's will that we need to change and that the way we have been living our lives is good but that we can be better and then they tell us how we can be better. It is a great experience. I always love to say that that is our mission as missionaries. It is to tell people how to be better and as we teach we learn how we can be better ourselves. It is awesome.
This week the temperature has turned up quite a bit. It is cooler today but two days ago it was around 85 degrees. With humidity of course. So the heat is starting early. It will only get hotter and hotter and hotter. I have grown to like the heat more but the only problem with it is that you cannot escape the heat or humidity even if you have air conditioning. You cannot get away from it. When you are cold you can get warm but when you are hot it is hard to get cold. It will be interesting to see if I am in a bike area in the summer. I sure hope not but time will tell.
Today we will be having a zone activity BBQ. It sounds like a lot of fun. I am excited to go. Except we have a lot of other things to get done so it will be alot more rushed. I love the missionaries here. They are lots of fun and they are all hard workers. I especially love my district and my companion. I have always been blessed with great companions and great missionaries around me. I have got the feeling like I am going to keep having great companions that I love very much.
I love you all and I hope that you all have a great week and that you had a good Easter. Always remember what Easter really is and what it truly represents. I only echo that of all the prophets when I say that Jesus Christ is real and that he did rise from the grave. And because he has death has no victory over us.
love,
Elder Devon Joel Marr
P.S.
steak COOKIES !
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