NEW ADRESS:
1000 E. Curtis #503
Pasadena, TX
77502
That is my new area. It is just outside of the city and I feel claustrophobic here. Coming from my last two areas, which were very small areas, this area is way more packed. I got used to more open spaces. But here it is rather compressed. It is good though. Our area is small compared with my last areas. We have a mall and a Walmart and a ton of stuff though. It seems like they tried to put too much in too little space. It's all good though. I am with Elder Leishman who has been a good friend basically my whole mission. We have wanted to serve together or around each other our whole missions. He is a good guy. Even though he is from Canada. I always make fun of him and he always makes fun of people from Washington. He only lives about 7-8 hours away border time included. So he is the closest companion to me that I have had yet. He is a good guy. He is 23 and a stong person. He has a good sized family and he is younger in his family. He is a good friend and Elder. It was sad to leave Bay City but I like it here as well. I hope that Elder Cayas does well in Bay City.
So this week was good. It was sad saying goodbye to everybody. I really am going to miss some of the people in Bay City. If I visit anywhere it is going to be Bay City. I love the area and the people. It's kinda sad to think about Bay City. Life there was good. I am still getting used to this area. There are hardly any people who speak English that we talk to on the streets. It is weird. Our ward actually meets in the same building as three other wards. Each ward is in a different stake. And two of the wards are in another mission. And we share a ward with some other Elders. ELder Oliver and Elder Manoa from Hawaii. He's a greeny. He is good though I like him. So it is weird to see missionaries from another mission and be able to talk with them. One of them is David Archuleta's second cousin. He is a cool guy actually. They cover our area but in Spanish. So we get lots of referrals from them and we give them a lot of referrals.
So we haven't been able to teach very many people this past week that are in our investigator pool. So I don't know much about the people here. there are a few people that are potentials right now and there is a recent convert who is awesome. She is sharing the gospel with a ton of people and is trying to help other people know what she knows now. If everybody shared the gospel like her than the church would be growing like crazy.
I love my mission. If there are any who are reading this I would never tell you to not go on a mission. It is the best and hardest time of my life but definitely the greatest. I wish that I could do this forever but I am starting to realize that it will not last forever. I want it to. I love it very much and I just wish sometimes that I could clone myself so I could share the gospel with more and more people. But that is not possible so I have to do what I can.
Today we are having a big activity in League City , with the whole zone. I haven't had an activity like this in a long long time. If you tried to have an activity in Bay City then people would have to drive like an hour just to get to everybody else. So I am happy about this activity.
Sorry this is short. They always are. I am just not the best writer and I get writer's block every time that I type. I just can't think of much to talk about and stuff so I always have to call it quits early. I love yall and hope that this week goes well for all of you. Keep the faith and stay strong. I love you all and I know that the church is the truth. And that by knowing that it will change your life if you follow it.
love,
ELDER MARR
Monday, August 30, 2010
Monday, August 23, 2010
OFF TO MY 5TH AREA
I'm getting transferred. I don't want to go. I know it is the will of the Lord but I love it here out in the country. I have a feeling that I will be sent to the city. Which will be pretty cool. I haven't been out there yet. I am also very sad to be leaving Elder Cayas. He is a good missionary and one of the many missionaries that I care for very much. He is a good guy and we were sad to hear that I would be leaving. But that is the way things go on a mission. The Lord has somewhere he wants me to be and a work for me to do. Bay City is a good place and I will miss the people dearly.
Now for the update on this past week. It was a pretty good one. People start school today so it was a little hard to pin down people to teach what with their children having to get things for school and the like. There were a few people who we normally teach one to two times a week that have been very busy. This week look like it is going to be going very well. With School in session nobody can go anywhere and they are stuck in town. It makes things more convenient for everybody. I came into Bay City the week that school got out and I am leaving the week it starts again.
I saw Elder Hansen on Thursday in Sugar Land. He is doing very well. He has lost a considerable amount of weight. He looks very healthy. I on the other hand am just starting to loose weight again. I put on just a few pounds but some areas do that to ya. Luckily we have been on bikes a lot. Yesterday was the hottest day so far this year. It was 101 not counting the humidity. Being so close to the gulf it gets very humid down here. A lot more than my past areas. So needless to say it has been very hot. If you are outside for a minute your whole body is sweating. It is strange to me now if I am outside and not sweating.
We had a number of great lessons with some of the people that we work with. One of them told us after we shared our message that he wants to be baptized and that he wants to know what he has to do in order to be baptized. He is a good guy. I hope that he is able to join the Lord's church soon. Besides the heat and many people not being around it was a good week. Good people and a lot of people that Elder Cayas and I talked to. We usually don't talk to more than 60 people a week on the streets during the week, because our town is so small. But this week we talked with about 130 people. Which is alot better for out here in Bay City. The people here are nice. I just hope that I don't get transferred to somewhere like Friendswood again. The people here are so much kinder than people who live there. But Friendswood was my favorite area so I guess I still loved it. Anyways now I am thinking out loud. Or typing. Which would it be? Anyways back to business.
I look forward to the change. I like change. Even though I feel like nothing can be better than where I am and who I am with there are things that the Lord wants me to do and Bay City is no longer the place he needs me. He needs me somewhere else. I wish I could have been here longer. iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// sorry I fell asleep. Not really though I just thought it would add some excitement to my email. Because let's face it they are not too exciting.
Anyways this week went well. I am excited to be able to tell yall about my new area when I get there. I know it will be a good place and I am excited for it. Thank you all for your prayers and support. I love you all and I continue to encourage you to share the gospel with your friends.
love,
ELDER MARR
Where to send mail
4627 Austin Pkwy
Sugar Land, TX
77479
Now for the update on this past week. It was a pretty good one. People start school today so it was a little hard to pin down people to teach what with their children having to get things for school and the like. There were a few people who we normally teach one to two times a week that have been very busy. This week look like it is going to be going very well. With School in session nobody can go anywhere and they are stuck in town. It makes things more convenient for everybody. I came into Bay City the week that school got out and I am leaving the week it starts again.
I saw Elder Hansen on Thursday in Sugar Land. He is doing very well. He has lost a considerable amount of weight. He looks very healthy. I on the other hand am just starting to loose weight again. I put on just a few pounds but some areas do that to ya. Luckily we have been on bikes a lot. Yesterday was the hottest day so far this year. It was 101 not counting the humidity. Being so close to the gulf it gets very humid down here. A lot more than my past areas. So needless to say it has been very hot. If you are outside for a minute your whole body is sweating. It is strange to me now if I am outside and not sweating.
We had a number of great lessons with some of the people that we work with. One of them told us after we shared our message that he wants to be baptized and that he wants to know what he has to do in order to be baptized. He is a good guy. I hope that he is able to join the Lord's church soon. Besides the heat and many people not being around it was a good week. Good people and a lot of people that Elder Cayas and I talked to. We usually don't talk to more than 60 people a week on the streets during the week, because our town is so small. But this week we talked with about 130 people. Which is alot better for out here in Bay City. The people here are nice. I just hope that I don't get transferred to somewhere like Friendswood again. The people here are so much kinder than people who live there. But Friendswood was my favorite area so I guess I still loved it. Anyways now I am thinking out loud. Or typing. Which would it be? Anyways back to business.
I look forward to the change. I like change. Even though I feel like nothing can be better than where I am and who I am with there are things that the Lord wants me to do and Bay City is no longer the place he needs me. He needs me somewhere else. I wish I could have been here longer. iiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiiii//////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////////// sorry I fell asleep. Not really though I just thought it would add some excitement to my email. Because let's face it they are not too exciting.
Anyways this week went well. I am excited to be able to tell yall about my new area when I get there. I know it will be a good place and I am excited for it. Thank you all for your prayers and support. I love you all and I continue to encourage you to share the gospel with your friends.
love,
ELDER MARR
Where to send mail
4627 Austin Pkwy
Sugar Land, TX
77479
Monday, August 16, 2010
Spiders, snakes, and crazy dogs
Yesterday we had an investigator fireside. It was one of the largest that I have had. It was sooo cool. The speakers were great. One of the speakers was a man that I taught in Angleton that joined the church shortly after I left. He has been around for 20 years on and off. His wife joined the church and he just put up a wall that he us catholic and was going to die a catholic. Then he told of how he finally took it seriously and prayed and read about the Book of Mormon and got his answer. He encouraged everyone there to not put off joining the church and just find out if it is true and follow your answer now. He said that he feels like he wasted 20 years of being confused in his mind and wishes he could go back and tell himself that he should join.
It was a good fireside. President Whipple, the stake president, spake as well. He had a similar experience to President Saylins. But he joined when he was 19. I like our stake president down here. He is a good man and a good speaker. He really cares about others and I am happy that he is so enthusiastic about missionary work in the Bay City Stake.
So this week was a pretty good week. We had exchanges again and I got to go up to Wharton with Elder Sharp again. I did this before a few months back. We had a good time and taught some good people. We had some funny highlights from our exchange that in looking back made us laugh. The first is that we were riding our bikes and came across a HUGE spider. I would send home a picture if I would have had my camera on me. It was the largest spider I have seen in the wild that isn't a daddy long leg. It was big and the fangs were big so we didn't get too close. It was cool.
Anyways the second random thing is that there was a poisonous snake that this lady had hid in this ladies garden. She was working on her garden and was scared that it would bite her. SO she asked us if we could kill it because she was older and scared. So we helped this lady and tried to shoo it off but it wouldn't leave so we killed it. It was kinda weird that it all happened.
Another story is that Elder Sharp almost got ran over by a car because a dog was chasing him and he was trying to get away and he just missed the car. So we turned around thinking sadly that the dog was going to be hit but the car just barely passed it. We felt so relieved. I would be so sad if a dog died chasing one of us. After that the dog left us alone.
SO those are my quick storys about his week. I can't think of any other funny ones right now but I am sure that there are many. I am just used to seeing and hearing funny stuff or seeing weird stuff.
Elder Jensen is entering into his last week as a missionary. I am so sad that he is going to be gone so soon. I remember the day that he became my companion. Good times. I hope that I see him again. He told me that he would stay in touch and that he would be sending me letters. He is cool so I bet he will. Elder Jensen is one of my best friends and I was so sad to see him at the fireside because it will be the last time I see him until I go visit Utah, when I have money. But he will probably get married before I get home so I might not get to hang out with him right when I get home. He is a good missionary though and I will miss him very much. I learned a lot from him and he is going to be very sad to be home.
We have talked to many good people this week. There is one man. He is a reverend at a non-denominational church in Needville. He is a nice guy and knows a lot about the scriptures. We talked with him on Tuesday and he likes to talk a lot. He talked to us about things that he says that he has learned from the spirit. He taught us on things that he had discovered and that nobody else teaches. He talked to us and "taught" us about the pre-existance, the purpose of life to be more like God, the spirit world, the third heaven, and resurrection being body and spirit uniting. It was pretty cool. He is someone that already not knowing believes in what we believe. We are going to see him tomorrow. He is a great guy.
I love my mission and I loved this past week. I really hope that things start to get better and better. It seems kinda up and down lately. I don't have much to update on for this past week but life is good. The church is true. And the savior really did come to this earth. I know he did.
I love you all and wish you a happy week.
love,
ELDER MARR
It was a good fireside. President Whipple, the stake president, spake as well. He had a similar experience to President Saylins. But he joined when he was 19. I like our stake president down here. He is a good man and a good speaker. He really cares about others and I am happy that he is so enthusiastic about missionary work in the Bay City Stake.
So this week was a pretty good week. We had exchanges again and I got to go up to Wharton with Elder Sharp again. I did this before a few months back. We had a good time and taught some good people. We had some funny highlights from our exchange that in looking back made us laugh. The first is that we were riding our bikes and came across a HUGE spider. I would send home a picture if I would have had my camera on me. It was the largest spider I have seen in the wild that isn't a daddy long leg. It was big and the fangs were big so we didn't get too close. It was cool.
Anyways the second random thing is that there was a poisonous snake that this lady had hid in this ladies garden. She was working on her garden and was scared that it would bite her. SO she asked us if we could kill it because she was older and scared. So we helped this lady and tried to shoo it off but it wouldn't leave so we killed it. It was kinda weird that it all happened.
Another story is that Elder Sharp almost got ran over by a car because a dog was chasing him and he was trying to get away and he just missed the car. So we turned around thinking sadly that the dog was going to be hit but the car just barely passed it. We felt so relieved. I would be so sad if a dog died chasing one of us. After that the dog left us alone.
SO those are my quick storys about his week. I can't think of any other funny ones right now but I am sure that there are many. I am just used to seeing and hearing funny stuff or seeing weird stuff.
Elder Jensen is entering into his last week as a missionary. I am so sad that he is going to be gone so soon. I remember the day that he became my companion. Good times. I hope that I see him again. He told me that he would stay in touch and that he would be sending me letters. He is cool so I bet he will. Elder Jensen is one of my best friends and I was so sad to see him at the fireside because it will be the last time I see him until I go visit Utah, when I have money. But he will probably get married before I get home so I might not get to hang out with him right when I get home. He is a good missionary though and I will miss him very much. I learned a lot from him and he is going to be very sad to be home.
We have talked to many good people this week. There is one man. He is a reverend at a non-denominational church in Needville. He is a nice guy and knows a lot about the scriptures. We talked with him on Tuesday and he likes to talk a lot. He talked to us about things that he says that he has learned from the spirit. He taught us on things that he had discovered and that nobody else teaches. He talked to us and "taught" us about the pre-existance, the purpose of life to be more like God, the spirit world, the third heaven, and resurrection being body and spirit uniting. It was pretty cool. He is someone that already not knowing believes in what we believe. We are going to see him tomorrow. He is a great guy.
I love my mission and I loved this past week. I really hope that things start to get better and better. It seems kinda up and down lately. I don't have much to update on for this past week but life is good. The church is true. And the savior really did come to this earth. I know he did.
I love you all and wish you a happy week.
love,
ELDER MARR
Monday, August 9, 2010
})=WEEK=({
This is a week that has been rather good. Elder Cayas and I have been having some rough times though. Nobody seems to be around and the prepared people that we are trying to find seem to be hiding. We have had some great things happen this week though. There is one I will talk about. We started teaching a lady named Velma. She is a sweet lady in her 50's she lives alone and is so kind. So much like a grandma. We taught her this week and on the first lesson told us that she wants to be baptized and to prepare herself for that. She came to church as well and stayed for the whole three hours. She liked church and loves the people. It's people like her that make me want to talk with everyone. You can never judge who is ready for the gospel. Most of the time the people you think that will not want to know or listen about the gospel are the ones who will and who just need the truth so they don't go looking down strange paths that lead them nowhere in "finding" themselves. On that note. I know this is a little off topic but I will say it anyways. What I have found on my mission is that member's friends are the best investigators and the best place to find people to teach. EVERY person that I have had the privilege to teach that got baptized when I was in the area or right after I left have been part member families and member referrals. EVERY. And they have a lot higher chance of staying active in the church. So I implore all of you to share the gospel with your friends. Not only as being an example or answering questions but by sharing truths of the gospel, inviting to pray or read the Book of Mormon, and inviting them to meet with the missionaries in your home. I have seen when members loose their "fear of men" the wards in which they live are strengthened and many people join the church. So I invite all of you to pray for the opportunity to share the gospel and to pray to know who with. The Lord will answer your prayers and will prepare someone for you to be able to help. This also works for those who are members of the church but may be struggling with their testimonies or who have lost their testimonies. The Lord loves all of his children and is willing to help you. Member missionary work. There is no better way.
Those are my feelings about member missionary work. Please do not forget them. But now I will talk about what has been going on in the work this past week.
We had interviews with President Saylin yesterday. He is a great man and I really loved talking with him. I am realizing that I have been on my mission for a year and three months. It is scary. I feel like I have been out no time at all yet at the same time when I think back to my first transfer it feels like ages ago. I just hope that it slows down so I can get more done with what little time I have left. It is crazy.
Elder Cayas and I got our haircuts last week. We searched again for a place to get our hair cut. We found a place and got our haircut by a nondenominational preacher. Kind of random. He was a really nice guy and we are going over to talk to him again this week. He was very kind and gave us haircuts for a discount. There are so many kind and nice people in Texas. It is very friendly or very unfriendly. It's either or. Kinda weird.
Elder Cayas has been cooking alot of rice. It is soooo good. But I am riced out for a few days. I had soooo much yesterday for dinner. It was crazy. I really do like it now. Just not steamed rice. But the way he cooks it it is good.
There are a lot of small paragraphs in this email.
So my week was pretty good. We are trying to teach some of the new people that we have. Also some of the people that were progressing have been sick or out of town. So it has been slower. But with school coming up we have more people back in town getting ready for school. I hope this week goes well.
Elder Carol and I went on an exchange in Wharton. It was really great. I thought we lived in a small town. But we talked with alot of great people and I learned alot from his example. It is weird how much missionaries change. I remember meeting Elder Carol long ago in Rosenberg my second transfer. It seems like so little time has passed but he has changed quite a bit the past year. He is a great missionary and is far better that I feel I will ever be. I look up to him as a great example. There are so many great missionaries in our mission right now. And so much going on. Sadly we don't hear much about other missions. I hope that they are finding some of the success that we are finding. OR maybe we are starting to be more like them.
Well I have a couple other emails to write but I love yall and I hope that you have a great week this week. Keep strong and always let the Lord guide you.
love,
ELDER DEVON JOEL MARR
P.S.
I luvh yall
Those are my feelings about member missionary work. Please do not forget them. But now I will talk about what has been going on in the work this past week.
We had interviews with President Saylin yesterday. He is a great man and I really loved talking with him. I am realizing that I have been on my mission for a year and three months. It is scary. I feel like I have been out no time at all yet at the same time when I think back to my first transfer it feels like ages ago. I just hope that it slows down so I can get more done with what little time I have left. It is crazy.
Elder Cayas and I got our haircuts last week. We searched again for a place to get our hair cut. We found a place and got our haircut by a nondenominational preacher. Kind of random. He was a really nice guy and we are going over to talk to him again this week. He was very kind and gave us haircuts for a discount. There are so many kind and nice people in Texas. It is very friendly or very unfriendly. It's either or. Kinda weird.
Elder Cayas has been cooking alot of rice. It is soooo good. But I am riced out for a few days. I had soooo much yesterday for dinner. It was crazy. I really do like it now. Just not steamed rice. But the way he cooks it it is good.
There are a lot of small paragraphs in this email.
So my week was pretty good. We are trying to teach some of the new people that we have. Also some of the people that were progressing have been sick or out of town. So it has been slower. But with school coming up we have more people back in town getting ready for school. I hope this week goes well.
Elder Carol and I went on an exchange in Wharton. It was really great. I thought we lived in a small town. But we talked with alot of great people and I learned alot from his example. It is weird how much missionaries change. I remember meeting Elder Carol long ago in Rosenberg my second transfer. It seems like so little time has passed but he has changed quite a bit the past year. He is a great missionary and is far better that I feel I will ever be. I look up to him as a great example. There are so many great missionaries in our mission right now. And so much going on. Sadly we don't hear much about other missions. I hope that they are finding some of the success that we are finding. OR maybe we are starting to be more like them.
Well I have a couple other emails to write but I love yall and I hope that you have a great week this week. Keep strong and always let the Lord guide you.
love,
ELDER DEVON JOEL MARR
P.S.
I luvh yall
Monday, August 2, 2010
A YEAR AND THREE MONTHS
This week was not the best. Not terrible but just no body has been home. Elder Cayas and I have used up all of our miles for the last week of the month. So we had to be on bikes except for some things. And it was hot! Crazy hot. The humidity has been outrageous and then all the clouds left and there have been no clouds in days. It has been in the mid 90's most of the week. It is crazy. But sometimes sweating profusely is good for you. Gets all that junk out of your system. Besides lunches and dinners and other drinks given to us by members or investigators I drank 3 and 1/2 gallons of water this week. It felt good. I don't really like soda much anymore. Also when I drink a lot of soda it just doesn't refresh me like water does. But I have to have at least a glass every week or else I get sick of the taste of water. I have come to love the one drink that I hate. DR. PEPPER. I love it. But I can't drink it too often because it doesn't taste good if you have too much. Anyways back to the good stuff.
This week Elder Cayas and I have found several new people we are teaching as well many potential people who are interested in the gospel. Elder Cayas is a great guy with a wonderful testimony. He is a great Elder. Some of the new people we are teaching I do not know much about. We have taught them once maybe twice each so far. Also the investigators whom we did teach before these new people have almost all been out of town this week, in the hospital, or "busy." So this week we taught a lot less lessons that usual. But it was still a great week.
President Saylin came down from Sugar Land with most of his family for our Zone Meeting on Friday. It was Elder Jensen's last ZM so it was a little sad. He is staying focused but he is excited to go home as well. He has a girl that has been writing him that he plans on dating when he gets back. He's a good guy. Anyways, President Saylin came down and taught us how to use the Book of Mormon more effectively and shared his testimony of the gospel with us and a part of his conversion story that I had no idea about. He testified of the Book of Mormon and the power it has to change the hearts of others and let them be free and know the truth. It is the greatest tool in missionary work along with the spirit. I love the Book of Mormon. There is absolutely no way that it is false. There is no way to disprove it, there is only evidence that it is true, and even those who wrote the book know that what they are sitting and writing it so they dare us to ask God himself if it is NOT true. He even uses the word 'not' to show how much faith he has in the Lord that if you really ask and you are willing to follow your answer that even if you tell the Lord to show you that it is false that he will answer your prayer that it is true. I have been reading over Moroni's strong encouragements and how he is practically screaming at us to just follow what the Lord has told him to write and if you don't believe him to ask God.
Anyways, Elder Cayas and I have another busy P-Day. We have to get haircuts, shop, clean, get our oil changed and write letters. No time to nap. Sadly. But it is going to be a good day today. I am excited for this week and for the people that we will meet and the people that we are going to teach and the experiences that people are going to have over time that I am looking forward to. I just pray that everyone that I teach will just read the Book of Mormon and know that Jesus is the Christ. It is soooo important to realize how BIG that is. Sometimes I even take it for granted what the Lord has given me and that he has revealed himself to me through scripture.
I hope that this week goes well for all of you guys. I love you all with all my heart and I thank you for all things that you have done for me.
love,
ELDER MARR
This week Elder Cayas and I have found several new people we are teaching as well many potential people who are interested in the gospel. Elder Cayas is a great guy with a wonderful testimony. He is a great Elder. Some of the new people we are teaching I do not know much about. We have taught them once maybe twice each so far. Also the investigators whom we did teach before these new people have almost all been out of town this week, in the hospital, or "busy." So this week we taught a lot less lessons that usual. But it was still a great week.
President Saylin came down from Sugar Land with most of his family for our Zone Meeting on Friday. It was Elder Jensen's last ZM so it was a little sad. He is staying focused but he is excited to go home as well. He has a girl that has been writing him that he plans on dating when he gets back. He's a good guy. Anyways, President Saylin came down and taught us how to use the Book of Mormon more effectively and shared his testimony of the gospel with us and a part of his conversion story that I had no idea about. He testified of the Book of Mormon and the power it has to change the hearts of others and let them be free and know the truth. It is the greatest tool in missionary work along with the spirit. I love the Book of Mormon. There is absolutely no way that it is false. There is no way to disprove it, there is only evidence that it is true, and even those who wrote the book know that what they are sitting and writing it so they dare us to ask God himself if it is NOT true. He even uses the word 'not' to show how much faith he has in the Lord that if you really ask and you are willing to follow your answer that even if you tell the Lord to show you that it is false that he will answer your prayer that it is true. I have been reading over Moroni's strong encouragements and how he is practically screaming at us to just follow what the Lord has told him to write and if you don't believe him to ask God.
Anyways, Elder Cayas and I have another busy P-Day. We have to get haircuts, shop, clean, get our oil changed and write letters. No time to nap. Sadly. But it is going to be a good day today. I am excited for this week and for the people that we will meet and the people that we are going to teach and the experiences that people are going to have over time that I am looking forward to. I just pray that everyone that I teach will just read the Book of Mormon and know that Jesus is the Christ. It is soooo important to realize how BIG that is. Sometimes I even take it for granted what the Lord has given me and that he has revealed himself to me through scripture.
I hope that this week goes well for all of you guys. I love you all with all my heart and I thank you for all things that you have done for me.
love,
ELDER MARR
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