I really don’t know how to approach this email......yep......... Well I guess I will just do what I always do in my emails and give yall an update.
So we had interviews this week and I saw Elder Voeks. My trainer who has been home for 15 months. Crazy A.
............I am going to miss my mission. The greatest time of my life and i have to go home. I love teaching the gospel. I love feeling the spirit. I love talking to someone on the street and testifying to them. i love talking to somebody that does not want to talk with us. I love the random people that you see and talk to, that make no sense at all. The mission is so full of inside jokes that i just can never really convey well unless you were there. I love the missionaries in this mission and for their love and support that they give to those that they teach. I love the people who I have taught out here. Even those who have not been baptized. I love the faith of so many people and for their determination to serve the Lord. I love President Saylin and for his faith and for his closeness to the Lord.
As i have done in my past emails I will do so in this email. In the words of President Monson this last conference during priesthood session. "If you have not read the Book of Mormon, then read it!" I would like to add if you have read it then to read it again and again. i have found that on my mission that when i think that I know everything about something I am only scratching the surface.
Gain a testimony of this gospel by the power of the Holy Ghost by praying and asking if these things are true! Hearken unto these words and believe in Christ. And if you don't believe in these words then believe in Christ. And if you shall believe in Christ you will believe these words. For they are the words of Christ. And they teach all men that they should do good. What can I say more? The scriptures are laid before you. Please do not rest them.
I know by the power of God that this gospel is true that the Book of Mormon is the word of Him and that Joseph Smith even though a young unlearned boy with his own struggles and problems was and is a true and holy prophet of the Lord Jesus Christ. I know that God exists and I know that Christ lives and has a resurrected body of flesh and bone. I know that we all one day will live again.
If you have any doubt of anything that I have said then that is just fine. There will always be a need for faith. But faith is not the end goal. There is a chapter in the Book of Mormon where Alma encourages everyone to try an experiment. It is in Alma 32 and i encourage all to read it. We all can plant a "seed" in our heart and see if it grows. I know that in this way we can all going a perfect knowledge after we exercise our faith.
I love you all and I sure do love my mission. For those of you preparing to go. Be worthy. If you are it doesn't matter how experienced or shy you are you will perform miracles in the lives of those you will be sent to serve. That is a promise. If you are not worthy than push back when you will be leaving and talk to your Bishop and work with him to get your spiritual life in order. If you may be reading this and leaving on a mission very very soon then be obedient to your mission president and to the white handbook even if missionaries around you are not.
I love my mission. I need to repent still of so many things and i still have changes that I am planning on making even with this one week left to serve full time. I am sorry to all of you if i have ever done anything in that past that has hurt you or if I have been a bad example to anyone. I am a new person and look forward to talking with all of you in person again.
love,
ELDER MARR
Monday, April 25, 2011
Tuesday, April 19, 2011
Turning up the Heat
This week it was hotter than usual. The temperature here in Texas has been crazy hot. Besides one day for an hour of sprinkling and about 5 minutes of actual rain it has not rained since early January. So hopefully I bring some of that back with me when I come back to Washington. But I want rain. I am getting tired of seeing a cloud that is a little dark and being extremely excited hoping that it is going to rain. And then it doesn't. It has been a little hot lately too. For the past week and a half it has been in the low to mid 80's with two of those days being in the low 90's. It's hot but not that hot.
Anyways, this week we went to the temple. We were in the earliest session and went through with President Saylin. It was a very sacred experience. Our session of 15 missionaries got to go to a sealing of an office senior couple here in the mission. It was a very special experience. They have a son who has passed away and they were sealed to him as well. Elder Whippy was proxy for their deceased son. It was a very special experience and a powerful one. We all felt the spirit strongly and many if not all shed a few tears. It is an experience that I will not soon forget.
When we came out of the temple we took a few pictures and I took some with past companions. Elder Hansen and Elder Cayas were both there. It was strange that this was the last time that I would see them as a missionary...... Weird. I love those two Elders. I have loved all of my companions. It has been one of my favorite blessings of my mission. I have made friends that i will have forever. I am going to miss them. I love my areas, i love the people that I teach, I love to teach, I love to be a missionary, but the two biggest things that i will miss will be feeling the spirit this much and this intensely and being away from my close friends in the mission field. I feel almost like Alma the younger when traveling to a city to preach. At this point he had not seen his brethren, the sons of Mosiah, for 14 years. They were rebellious together, they spent time together, they saw an angel together, they were converted together, and they preached separately but the same message. Then he sees them and as the record says he was overcome with joy because they were still his brethren in the Lord. I have that feeling sometimes when i see some of the missionaries that I have become so close to. We have served together, been more converted together, has special spiritual experiences together, and preached the same message together and then later apart. I will miss these great missionaries I have come to know on my mission who have served with zeal and with love. I hope to be more like some of my companions one day and more like those missionaries who serve with such care and love. There is still time.
I love this time of my mission. To be perfectly honest I don’t think i am coming home in 2 weeks. My mind just doesn't let it register. It seems to me like a joke or something. Don't get me wrong I am very excited about coming home and being able to spend time with each of you but i just have such a hard time understanding that there are only 2 weeks left and then it will be over for a very long time. I wish I could get a 2 year extension. *sigh*
Anyways you guys only get one more of these after this one so I love ya. Look forward to sending you a message next week. And maybe one the week after but I have no idea.
I love you all and keep reading the Book of Mormon and going to the temple. If I had to choose one or the other it would be the hardest decision of my life.
love,
ELDER MARR
P.S. Be good and go to church. :)
Anyways, this week we went to the temple. We were in the earliest session and went through with President Saylin. It was a very sacred experience. Our session of 15 missionaries got to go to a sealing of an office senior couple here in the mission. It was a very special experience. They have a son who has passed away and they were sealed to him as well. Elder Whippy was proxy for their deceased son. It was a very special experience and a powerful one. We all felt the spirit strongly and many if not all shed a few tears. It is an experience that I will not soon forget.
When we came out of the temple we took a few pictures and I took some with past companions. Elder Hansen and Elder Cayas were both there. It was strange that this was the last time that I would see them as a missionary...... Weird. I love those two Elders. I have loved all of my companions. It has been one of my favorite blessings of my mission. I have made friends that i will have forever. I am going to miss them. I love my areas, i love the people that I teach, I love to teach, I love to be a missionary, but the two biggest things that i will miss will be feeling the spirit this much and this intensely and being away from my close friends in the mission field. I feel almost like Alma the younger when traveling to a city to preach. At this point he had not seen his brethren, the sons of Mosiah, for 14 years. They were rebellious together, they spent time together, they saw an angel together, they were converted together, and they preached separately but the same message. Then he sees them and as the record says he was overcome with joy because they were still his brethren in the Lord. I have that feeling sometimes when i see some of the missionaries that I have become so close to. We have served together, been more converted together, has special spiritual experiences together, and preached the same message together and then later apart. I will miss these great missionaries I have come to know on my mission who have served with zeal and with love. I hope to be more like some of my companions one day and more like those missionaries who serve with such care and love. There is still time.
I love this time of my mission. To be perfectly honest I don’t think i am coming home in 2 weeks. My mind just doesn't let it register. It seems to me like a joke or something. Don't get me wrong I am very excited about coming home and being able to spend time with each of you but i just have such a hard time understanding that there are only 2 weeks left and then it will be over for a very long time. I wish I could get a 2 year extension. *sigh*
Anyways you guys only get one more of these after this one so I love ya. Look forward to sending you a message next week. And maybe one the week after but I have no idea.
I love you all and keep reading the Book of Mormon and going to the temple. If I had to choose one or the other it would be the hardest decision of my life.
love,
ELDER MARR
P.S. Be good and go to church. :)
Tuesday, April 12, 2011
THE BEST WEEK EVER!!!!!!!!
I have no time to write this email because of some other stuff that I had to print out and my email to President Saylin.
Anyways so this week I have several events to mention.
1) I went on exchanges with Elder Williams in Chinatown. It was awesome. It was a little strange and we only taught one lesson all in Chinese but I loved it. It was way different than what I normally am used to in the mission. We got along great and he was best friends with one of my past companions Elder Richardson before the mission. So we talked about him and we had both served in Broadway in the past but at different times. So we got along way good. We had a great exchange and some spiritual lessons. It was a good exchange.
2) During our exchange I received a phone call telling me that I would be going on a two day exchange on Thursday night to Saturday night. And that I would be spending two days in Pasadena North,(my area two areas ago) with Elder Richardson (who I served with there. He is still there) So it was like a flashback. It was like watching your favorite T.V. show but you have missed a season. Some of the characters are new and some are gone and some have different haircuts and beards. Any ways it was the best exchange of my mission I think. It brought back so many memories and it was great to see some of the people that I was able to teach while I was there in the area and to talk to some of the members that I had gotten close to. I don’t have time so I have to move on but this exchange alone could merit a whole page of a weekly entry.
3) While on exchanges in Pasadena i received a phone call that one of our investigators, Brother John Adams, wanted to be baptized as soon as possible. We held his baptism this past Sunday and it was a wonderful experience. I love that man with so much of my heart. He is so humble and willing to change even though he could keep going through his life living it the way that he always has. But he wants to follow the Savior and do what God has revealed to him that he needs to do. He has a strong testimony of the Savior and that the Lord has restored all of his blessings and teachings in the church of Jesus Christ of Latter0Day Saints.
This is all I have time for I am sorry that this is so short.
love,
ELDER MARR
Anyways so this week I have several events to mention.
1) I went on exchanges with Elder Williams in Chinatown. It was awesome. It was a little strange and we only taught one lesson all in Chinese but I loved it. It was way different than what I normally am used to in the mission. We got along great and he was best friends with one of my past companions Elder Richardson before the mission. So we talked about him and we had both served in Broadway in the past but at different times. So we got along way good. We had a great exchange and some spiritual lessons. It was a good exchange.
2) During our exchange I received a phone call telling me that I would be going on a two day exchange on Thursday night to Saturday night. And that I would be spending two days in Pasadena North,(my area two areas ago) with Elder Richardson (who I served with there. He is still there) So it was like a flashback. It was like watching your favorite T.V. show but you have missed a season. Some of the characters are new and some are gone and some have different haircuts and beards. Any ways it was the best exchange of my mission I think. It brought back so many memories and it was great to see some of the people that I was able to teach while I was there in the area and to talk to some of the members that I had gotten close to. I don’t have time so I have to move on but this exchange alone could merit a whole page of a weekly entry.
3) While on exchanges in Pasadena i received a phone call that one of our investigators, Brother John Adams, wanted to be baptized as soon as possible. We held his baptism this past Sunday and it was a wonderful experience. I love that man with so much of my heart. He is so humble and willing to change even though he could keep going through his life living it the way that he always has. But he wants to follow the Savior and do what God has revealed to him that he needs to do. He has a strong testimony of the Savior and that the Lord has restored all of his blessings and teachings in the church of Jesus Christ of Latter0Day Saints.
This is all I have time for I am sorry that this is so short.
love,
ELDER MARR
Monday, April 4, 2011
General Conference Weekened. We have been fed!
This week was a good one. We had some of our investigators come out to conference with us. Armando Escobito and John Adams. It was a good weekend. I especially loved the talks gave by Elder Bednar, President Uchtdorf, President Monson (especially his priesthood session talk for those who heard it), and Elder Holland. Elder Holland's talk was great that he emphasized the importance of conference and what it can do for all of us. He spoke of fulfilled prophecy and of the special expereince that is general conference. It really helped me to understand that I need to cherish the gospel more and be more grateful. In between sessions we went out contacting. Trying to talk to all that we see. It came more naturally to bring up modern day prophets and apostles to these people. Yet so many people are stuck in what they believe. I talked with one lady this week who seemed to me to fulfill prophecy gave in the 28th chapter of 2 Nephi. I told her about the Book of Mormon and the blessing it is to have more of The Lord's word. She told me that she had the word of God and didn't need any more. Because she had enough. It is a little sad when people shut the door as it were on what you have to say. It is all worthwhile to find those who are willing to accept what you have to say and have the faith enough and humility enough to ask the Lord if our message is true. I love it! I have been able to teach so many people who are so sincere in trying to find more purpose and meaning to life and who want to just know the truth.
I love the gospel. Hearing the words of modern day prophets and apostles is a marvelous blessing. Having a modern day prophet is more valuable to us than a dead prophet. Even though what they speak when moved upon by the Holy Ghost is scripture having a modern day prophet warns us of dangers not experienced by prophets before him.
Elder Bednar spoke about light. I loved his talk. It goes hand in hand with President Uchdorf's talk on the Melchizedek priesthood and its privileges. How I wish I could have these great sermons printed today and not have to wait a month. I loved conference. I learned a lot and I know some big things that I need to change to come into conformity with what will make me most happy and what the will of God is for me.
To all of those brethren who read this blog/email whatever it is. I challenge all of you who hold the priesthood to study the sections that President Uchdorf asked all of us to study. I sadly can only remember 3 of the sections off the top of my head. Read Doctrine and Covenents section 20, 84, and 107. These will tell us what our duties are, the promises we make and that the Lord makes with us, and the gifts, powers, and blessings of the two priesthoods. These things are important and are gave to us to let us know how to be sanctified by the Holy Ghost through the magnifying of our callings and priesthood.
I love my life. I am quite sad yet have a piece of joy that my mission will be ending so soon. I only have one month left. I love my mission and all that has happened in it. I thank all of you for your faith and for your prayers. I would ask you to do something for me and for someone else. Sister Jennifer Saylin our mission president's wife is pregnant. There have been a few complications and she may have a premature baby a few months before she should be giving birth. She is in the hospital right now and has been for about a week. I ask you to pray that she will not give birth to the baby for some time. They are in need of many prayers and much faith. They are great people who love the Lord very much. Sister Saylin has a laptop and her phone and is still fulfilling her calling in taking care of sick missionaries and giving them advice and guidance and co-coordinating doctor’s appointments. Please pray for her and for the baby.
love,
ELDER MARR
I love the gospel. Hearing the words of modern day prophets and apostles is a marvelous blessing. Having a modern day prophet is more valuable to us than a dead prophet. Even though what they speak when moved upon by the Holy Ghost is scripture having a modern day prophet warns us of dangers not experienced by prophets before him.
Elder Bednar spoke about light. I loved his talk. It goes hand in hand with President Uchdorf's talk on the Melchizedek priesthood and its privileges. How I wish I could have these great sermons printed today and not have to wait a month. I loved conference. I learned a lot and I know some big things that I need to change to come into conformity with what will make me most happy and what the will of God is for me.
To all of those brethren who read this blog/email whatever it is. I challenge all of you who hold the priesthood to study the sections that President Uchdorf asked all of us to study. I sadly can only remember 3 of the sections off the top of my head. Read Doctrine and Covenents section 20, 84, and 107. These will tell us what our duties are, the promises we make and that the Lord makes with us, and the gifts, powers, and blessings of the two priesthoods. These things are important and are gave to us to let us know how to be sanctified by the Holy Ghost through the magnifying of our callings and priesthood.
I love my life. I am quite sad yet have a piece of joy that my mission will be ending so soon. I only have one month left. I love my mission and all that has happened in it. I thank all of you for your faith and for your prayers. I would ask you to do something for me and for someone else. Sister Jennifer Saylin our mission president's wife is pregnant. There have been a few complications and she may have a premature baby a few months before she should be giving birth. She is in the hospital right now and has been for about a week. I ask you to pray that she will not give birth to the baby for some time. They are in need of many prayers and much faith. They are great people who love the Lord very much. Sister Saylin has a laptop and her phone and is still fulfilling her calling in taking care of sick missionaries and giving them advice and guidance and co-coordinating doctor’s appointments. Please pray for her and for the baby.
love,
ELDER MARR
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