CHRISTMAS WEEK +

Sorry this email is so late. Our library was closed on Monday and yesterday we had no time to email. So we had to talk to some people and do it today instead. It is raining pretty good and we had our car taken from us for the day. The other missionaries needed it for transfer meeting. So we had to bike in the rain which is amazing. Elder Walker and I are staying together. Which is awesome. I love Elder Walker. There is still a lot to do here in the ward and a lot that I am looking forward to. He is a good missionary and has a lot of love for the people.
 
So Christmas week. Lets see. It was great. We did a lot. Sadly many of our investigators were not around. So we talked to a lot of new people this week. It didn't feel like Christmas week. Tuesday it was 84 degrees and then by Saturday it was 40. A big drop. One part of the week you are sweating on your bike and getting home and turning the A/C on and the next day you are shivering and get home and turn the heater on. There is no consistency with Houston weather. It keeps things interesting though so you are always on your toes. It adds some excitement to, with not knowing what the temperature or weather will be like the next day.
 
On Christmas we gathered as a zone and played games and ate food. There are a lot of missionaries that I am close to in this zone. Some of them are being transferred which is pretty sad but there are still some that I just love. Elder Cayas is here int he zone and is staying. Although I don't get to see him often it is good to see him some of the time. He is a great missionary and one of my favorites. I love that guy so much. He taught me a lot of things being with him.
 
Christmas morning started with gathering as a district to open presents and read scriptures. We had a good time and it was better than last years Christmas morning. I thoroughly enjoyed it. We had these green sweaters that we wore and we looked kinda goofy but it was fun.
 
We also gathered for zone conference last week. Half of it was like normal and the other half was games and the gift exchange. I ended up with this cool flashlight. It was so much fun. President Saylin's parents were there and they are not members. They enjoyed it and President Saylin was very happy that they decided to join us. It made me think about how important the gospel is and that we can never give up on anybody even if they don't want to hear it. My mission president is one of the greatest men that i know. He is one of the greatest examples to me of what I want to be when it comes to my standing with God. You can tell that he obeys the Lord in everything that he can think of and just glows with the spirit. I feel the spirit every time that I am around him and it just makes me more excited to feel what it will be like to stand before the Savior and feel of his countenance.
 
I love you all and I hope that this week goes well for you. Have a great new year and resolve to be better. I love you and I will talk to y'all next week.
 
love,
 
ELDER MARR

Tiles, baptisms, and pictures of the sun

This week has been crazy busy. I cant believe how busy it has been. Then today has been even more crazy. With P-day ending early so that we can have some time on Christmas to relax as a zone. Ahhh P-day. So much to do and so little time. I cant believe that time goes by so fast. It always seems to go fast when you have stuff to do. It's good to though. At least we are always busy with important things to do.

So this past week was a good one. We had a lot of great things happen. The Lord has been so merciful to me in letting me feel of his love and showing me that this is not my mission but his and I am just an instrument in his hands. I know this to be true. I cannot express enough how much I feel like I don't deserve what the Lord gives to me. I am so flawed and all I have comes short of the mark. But he loves me still so much and is patient with me in all that I do. I love the Lord so much and I know that I can do better in all things. This time of year always makes me reflect on the past year and what has happened. I love you all and I thank you for all that you have done for me. I may not write letters or even shoot an email but know that I love you all so much. I wish that I could send you something for Christmas. The truth is that as all missionaries I have no money and I don't have any time to think of what to get people for Christmas. The greatest joy that comes to me is making other people happy. I hope that you all will be happy with what I can give. I cannot give much but I love you all. It seems like time and money are something that I do not have. But it reminds me of the true meaning of Christmas. This time is the time to celebrate and commemorate the Saviors mission and birth. Although he was not born on Christmas this is the time that we spend to think of Him. I try to love him with all that I have and I hope that one day I truly can have my eye single to His glory in its fullness.

I am going to tell all of you what I truly want for Christmas.

I want you to go to the temple.
I want you to find out if this Church and its teaching are the truth.
I want you to go back to church and start attending regularly.
I want you to spend the day with someone to cheer them up.
I want you to sacrifice your time.
I want you to repent and give up that sin that you don't want to give up.
I want you to pray.
I want you to love.

I am not perfect at all. I lack in so much and I know that unless it was the hand of God that I would not be out here on a mission. He has changed my life and I still want Him to change it some more. I have much to change and I have much that I can do for the Lord with more zeal and with more sincerity. I will try my best to give of myself this season and think of you when appropriate. I love you all.

I love you all and I wish you all a very happy and merry Christmas,

love,

ELDER MARR

This is my life.....

Again the weather cannot make up its mind. I have shivered this week and I have broken a sweat. There have been days in the high 70's and days in the mid 40's. Yesterday was in the 40's and Saturday was in the 70's. It is crazy. I looked at a pool this week and said to myself that it would feel good to jump in. Then a day later I looked at it and when I thought of jumping into it in my mind I shivered. It is cold today but should be getting warmer. I love being in this weather. You never know whatcha gunna get. Don't worry parents and grandparents I have a jacket. I stay warm when it is cold and I  stay cool when it is warm.
 
If the weather was like this every day of the year it would be a pleasant place when it comes to weather. Now sure there aren't the beautiful landscapes but it is good enough. I do miss the mountains and hills though. It is so flat. Now that I am up near the city more it seems a little less flat just because of the buildings. But it is still flat. There aren't any sky scrapers in my area so no camera shots of a ton of land but it is a nice place.
 
This week we have been teaching some great people. There is so much that we have been doing and that we have been put into. There are many families that we are teaching and that are progressing. This past week we started teaching a family of 9 and a few of their relatives. As well there have been some other families and single people that are showing sincere interest in the gospel and that are gaining testimonies of their own. We taught a lady this week who at first repelled the idea of additional scripture. Then she embraced the Book of Mormon after letting us explain a little about it. SHe loves that book now. When we went over and taught the family they had some of their friends and relatives over. She speaks Spanish and some English and her friends just speak Spanish. She taught them what we had taught her and she testified of the Book of Mormon and told them that they have to read it. It was so cool. She already has a strong testimony and truly wants to follow the Savior.
 
This week was full of great feelings. There have been people who are open to meeting with us, many great spiritual feelings and experiences, and some great things that I have been learning. I felt the spirit a lot in my life this week. Not necessarily the most intense experiences with the spirit but most likely the longest periods of time were I have felt the Holy Ghost in my life. I love being a missionary. Everything that you do has an eternal purpose. Everything is important. It makes me feel a lot more responsibility than I did back at home. I love it because then when we are wiling to give more the Lord gives more to us. President Gordon B. Hinckley once said that we shouldn't use the word 'sacrifice' as much as we do in the church. The truth is that when we sacrifice for the Lord it is more of an investment than a sacrifice. He never lets us put Him in our debt.
 
I love the blessings of the gospel. I look forward to this coming week as well as Christmas week. I would be lying if I said that I am not looking forward to being able to call home. It is going to be exciting. I love being able to talk with someone instead of through emails or letters. Sorry yall always have to read my letters. I am not a great writer and emails and letters really don't convey who I really am. If I was a better writer than maybe it would but for now this is all ya get.
 
love yall and have a great week.
 
love,
 
ELDER MARR

H-Town

A cold week. The weather doesn't know what it wants at all. One day it gets up to 80 and you wake up the next morning and leave your apartment and it is in the 50's. It has been an unpredictable week for sure. You always have to pack some extra stuff in your backpack if it gets cold but you don't want to wear it out because it will be warm. So weird. I always liked that in Washington that when it was cold it was cold and when it was warm it was warm. Here it can jump so much from day to day that you never know what the next day is going to be like. And when people tell you what it will be like you can never trust it because the weather is usually wrong on their predictions. Anyone who lives by the coast knows that. It can change quick.

I love this place though. I miss Pasadena still but I love this area. There are so many people who are being prepared by the Lord and people who we are teaching that are prepared. I feel so blessed to be able to teach so many great people and help them on their path to get closer to Heavenly Father. We have a family that we are working with and the son is planning on getting baptized on the 18th. He is a great kid who shows obedience and is willing to do what is asked of him. He is aware of the spirit and is a good kid. i wish that I could of had the faith and spiritual sensitivity that he has at 9 when I was his age. I look forward to the day of his and his nephew's baptism. About the ages, I don't have time to explain. Luis is 9 and Sonny is 8. Luis is Sonny's uncle. Long story. Anyways, (Do I say that a lot?), I look forward to that day. They are great kids and their family is as well. There are so many people to talk about and so little time. We are working with many people and many who are prepared for the gospel. I love to have these people that we are teaching. Having people to teach is always a great feeling. Especially when they are so willing to follow the Lord.

A cool story from this week. We ate dinner with the Stanton family. With the Stantons who live with Sis. Stanton's mother. She is in her 90's. She talked to us at dinner about when she was a young member of the church. She knew every member that lived in the Houston area from part of Louisiana to Victoria. Now there are about three missions that cover that space. Which covers about 21 stakes if I am not mistaken. That blew my mind. I was totally shocked. The church has grown so much. It just makes me think that in 80 years there most likely will be at least 60 stakes in the area I have heretofore mentioned. That would be soo cool. To be a part of that expansion and helping all of those people is so cool. I love my mission and I love being able to help people do and follow what matters most.

love yall and have a great week,

ELDER MARR

P.S.

If Brother Brett Jensen is reading this congratulations on the engagement. Also Elder Breeze says congrats.