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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