12/10/13

Hello family,

     Well the days keep flying by and I can't believe how close Christmas is already....I will be calling home in 15 days!  WOW!  This week has been crazy as always and it snowed soo much this week.  Saturday all day it snowed. It was freezing and I was really thinking that we might get a snow day on Sunday because of how much snow it was but we had to endure it instead!  Lots of things happened this week so I want to just go day by day a little bit or else I will forget everything.

      Wednesday-Sister Peters and I got to be together because our companions had a Spanish concert for 3 days.  It was funny to tell people that we were both from Arizona and that we have both been here under a year and everything was just like repeating ourselves.  But I was with her and we saw Kathryn Orchard....crazy!  But it was fun to be with Sister Peters and to learn from her.  

     Friday-We were so busy, we were running around everywhere.  We were late to almost everything because we had something else right before and it was stressing me out, but we had a YW group that came to have a tour.  We took them around and we were trying to get them involved and ask them questions and they weren't saying ANYTHING!  Like nothing at all.  We took them the the Christus last and we were up there and I felt a little bit bad but I just knew I needed to drill them with questions about Christ.  What they were feeling.  What Christ meant to them.  What they would give back to Christ for Christmas this year and everything like that.  I got I think 3 people to answer total, but then I just bore my testimony of Christ and then we ended the tour.  After the tour some of the YW girls came to me and they were crying and said thank you so much for your testimonies.  About 10 minutes later the leader saw me again and she said thank you for the tour and for taking the women around, I have seen some girls cry that I have never seen cry before.  Not that I wanted them to cry, but I know they were able to feel the Spirit and they needed to be uplifted.  The feeling you get when you follow the Spirit and you can feel and see the Spirit touching others is amazing.  I love it!  Great day!

      Sunday-Let's just say I am so happy that I was early to church on Sunday.  We got there and we were just sitting down talking to the sisters next to us, when all the sudden everyone stood up.  So I followed what everyone else was doing but didn't know why and I looked on the stand and it was Elder Cook!  He wasn't supposed to be there and President had no idea, but we were all surprised and had a 12 apostle in sacrament meeting!!   Quick little funny story one of the sisters was speaking and she goes, " Of course I turn to Elder Holland because he is my favorite...and she reads a quote by him and then she is like Sorry Elder Cook....he is dying laughing and all the sisters are like omg no way she did not just say that! "  So funny!  Then Sunday night we were able to go to the Christmas Devotional.  I hate to admit but I don't think I have ever seen the Christmas Devotional one time so I didn't really know what to expect but it was amazing.  I loved it!  I enjoyed all the talks but I really loved Elder Nelson's talk.  Favorite 2 lines he said was ," Peace can come to us or me, if I put faith in the Prince of Peace....Amazing grace...who saved a wretch like me."  I love that.  All of us no matter how perfect we think we are..AREN'T and we need to be saved by Christ just like the song says.  I know how real the Atonement is.  Christ has truly saved me in my life and I know how the Atonement can truly heal us and heal what we have done.  

     Now to hopefully respond to your email more :) Even though all my friends are getting married and I am missing their weddings....I love my mission!  It is the best thing to be here right now.  Rachel does call me Mindy always.  If someone calls in to mormon.org <http://mormon.org>  or comes on chat or it is a referral then we always go by Mindy.  The only time we use Sister Marsh is if they are already a member OR they came to temple square and they referred themselves, because they would have met us and seen our tags!  WOW! i am good on pajamas and slippers!  Tights and socks yes please really warm ones if you can! Also Yes I would love some more sweaters too or some more collared shirts.  Also I like button sweaters but also like pullover sweaters that I can wear over collared shirts!  And I think I am good on scarves, but I did have some pretty nice winter clothes but I left them at home so maybe if I could get gloves I would enjoy that!  As for Sister Cardus she says she is good she just wants the blanket :)  Also if it is possible to buy some garments for me I think I might get rid of a couple pairs because i haven't gotten new ones.   By the way, Lizzie is the cutest baby ever!  And Clara you looked soo pretty at Winter Formal and I loved your dress and your bangs!  Thank you so much mom I love you!  Have a wonderful week!  I will talk to you next week and call you in 15 days!  

The church is true.

Sister Marsh

SNOW...EVERYWHERE!

At the devotional

12/3/13

FAMILY!!

     Well first off I hope everyone had a fabulous Thanksgiving!  It seems like it has been forever since I have been able to email you.  A lot has happened since transfer conference! I will start with transfers first! So everything stayed the same with me and Sister Cardus.  We didn't move apartments and we are still member events, but we got moved to the Beehive House!!  My ZL though is Sister Lotoa my mommy on the mission!  It has been so fun to be with her again in the Beehive.  It feels like I am back to my 1st transfer because that is where I was trained. It does feel like it has been a really long time though since I served there though because my tours were real rusty the first day! So we are in the Beehive a couple days a week but only 2 times during the night shifts so we still get a lot of Square time that we can be around the Christmas lights and talk to the thousands of people. 

     Next Thanksgiving!  The Square closed at 2 so the whole mission left at 2 at went to this place called Noah's.  It is a huge building that is used for all events.  There was ice skating on the roof, ping pong, shuffleboard, pool, a walleyball court, karoke, dancing, and there was 3 theaters that were playing: Princess Bride, National Treasure, and Monsters Inc.  It was soo much fun!  It was kind of weird, I'll admit, to not be with family on Thanksgiving but honestly being at that place was the funnest thing!  Then for dinner Apple Spice catored everything.  We had good turkey dinner and rolls, and all the normal turkey dinner food!  Felt so full after!  

    The big exciting news for the week is that the Christmas lights turned on!  I would have never thought but it was way more people than conference AND it was for a straight 5 hours!  And every day it has been like that....it doesn't even get slower during the weekdays it is so crazy.  The Square is open till 10 during the month of December so twice a week everyone stays until 10 and then the day after you stay till 10 you can sleep in till 8.  Wow it has been so nice to sleep an extra 2 hours let me tell you! 

    I have been running into people left and right which is pretty fun too.  But my favorite part about this week is the new investigator we got.  Her name is Rachel.  She is 15 and from Ireland.  She came on chat and was asking about our beliefs and just how much she was impressed by Mormons.  She said that we are so genuine and sincere and she has never experienced that in the Protestant church.  We got her email because her phone charges us to call her :(  So we were sending her lots of emails this week.  We taught her the whole Restoration.  After I asked her if she would pray and ask God if this was true and if Joseph Smith was a prophet.  She chats back and forth with us through email so she says yes I will go right now.  She said she was waiting for her answer.  The next morning we checked our email and she says, Mindy I know that it is true!  I was like HOLY COW!!!  She says I think I might have to be a Mormon by next year!  :)  So we taught her about the Book of Mormon and she was SOOO excited!  We sent her a copy of it and she started reading it online until it gets to her!  She is seriously perfect!  I am so happy and it has been so good.  

     Well that is pretty much it for this week!  My new pday is Tuesday and pdays changed from 1-9 to 10-6!  So I will be emailing probably a little earlier than I usually do! Today was the first real snow day I would say!  Looks like a blizzard outside and I really do not like it!!!  But it is pretty I must say! 

    Yes mom, the green blanket will be the best it is her favorite color!  Sounds like you all had fun in St. George.  I did miss you all and wish I could have been with you!  Also that is so exciting for Brad and Emily I am praying that everything will work out!  Of course baby Lizzie is the cutest baby ever and I wanna meet her so bad!  Tell everyone Hi and that I love them!  HAPPY HOLIDAYS!

The church is true.

Sister Marsh