6/30/14

Family!

     WOW! Where do I begin??  This week has been a crazy roller coaster; so many new sisters and sisters from Outbound, and so many things happening all the time!

     Wednesday- I dropped off Sister Cardus at the airport this morning and it was so weird.  I can’t believe that she is already gone. It freaks me out because when she gets back from outbound, I will only have one transfer left. I’d love it if she could be my last companion and “kill” me on the mission! But today was my first day with Sister Gee........and it is going to be a dream!  We covered the Humanitarian Center today which was probably not the best idea because we had SO much to do and everyone was calling us left and right for things they needed and reporting stuff to us; but even still it was so fun.  We got to talk a lot and she filled me in on a lot of stuff that we do as coordinators.  Transfer days are always crazy and so tiring so I went home super exhausted. I moved apartments and now live with 2 ZL's, one who I came to the mission with and the other I have gotten really close with, and she extended to leave with my class so it has been so fun. Seriously, they are hilarious and let’s just say this transfer is pretty much perfect......in every way!! :)

     Thursday- President and Sister Poulsen got back this morning and we saw them at Relief Society. I didn't realize how much I missed them.  And the first thing he said to me was, "MAN, I don't know how the 2 tall blondes in the mission, who are already friends, are now companions?"  I said, "I don't either, but hey, it is your fault not ours!" This week has been quite hilarious especially because of the trainings I had to give for Guest Services and West Gate today.  I have never served at either place, but and I had to train the sisters on it, haha; it was comical, but I’ll learn. 

     Friday- So, all 200 of the sisters here have detailed schedules by the HOUR........and we are in charge of making those schedules.  They were already figured out for this transfer, BUT......lots of sisters are requesting different times for calling their investigators, but we can't adjust some assignments because of other issues, but we do rearrange schedules a LOT.  The annoying part is we have to change about 15 things after changing one simple thing; so it takes SO much time.  

     Saturday- This morning we had to give AV training, and when we walked out and Sister Gee's cousin was there with her 4 non-member friends!  We took them on a tour and were talking a lot about modern day prophets and the Book of Mormon.  At the end we invited them to read the BOM and they all took a copy and they ALL gave us their numbers so we could call and teach them more......AWESOME!!  Then we had a wonderful lesson with Jamah and he gave us a lesson as well. Then Sister Gee's family was here.  We were able to go to dinner with them and it was so weird because her mom is so much like you, mom, and her sister is exactly like Krissy.......so weird, but it was good because I felt super comfortable with them because I felt like they were my own family!

     Sunday- A wonderful Sunday!! This morning Elder Clayton from the Presidency of the Seventy and his wife spoke at our sacrament! They were incredible.  His wife spoke about seeing our self as a temple and having our spires reach towards heaven and being beautiful on the outside as well on the inside.  She also talked about how in God there is love, light and life and we need to put that in others we meet......and not let them take it out of us, but to put it in them!  Then me and 3 other sisters sang the musical number.  That was nerve racking, but it went really well. Then Elder Clayton spoke about making something of our self.  He told a story about some turkeys that learned how to fly and then walked home and he related it to us.  He said our missions and the things we learn can really change us, and we should use it to our advantage, even after we get home.  Great lesson!  We also had Staff Meeting today.  The mission presidency is hilarious and I love that I get to work so closely with them. They love the sisters so much and will do anything and everything to make us happy and successful. We have a lot of things coming up that are going to be so much fun, but they are secrets to the whole mission........except for us, because I have joined the "Circle of Trust" according to President Skanchy!  :) Then Benson and Sam came to the Square for a lesson.  It was soo good.  He needs to move out of his apartment before he gets baptized and he said that he got an offer for a contract so hopefully he can move out soon. The Lord is taking care of my investigators.......even when I can’t talk to them as much as I’d like to.  It actually hit me hard this week that when we do what the Lord wants us to do and follow Him, then He will take care of the other things.  He will take care of my investigators even if I don't have time to call them, because I am doing what he has called me to do this transfer.  

     I love the mission right now.  This is the best transfer of my whole mission I think.  I love it.  I love my companion to pieces and I love my investigators! Thank you for all you do and I hope that everything and everyone is doing well!  Love you all!

The church is true.

Sister Mindy Marsh

6/24/14

Family!!!

     Hello!!!  This week has been INSANE!!!!!!!!!!  A million of things have happened and a million of things have changed in the mission! 

     Tuesday- It was a good p-day today! I took a youth group around that night even though it was pday. Elder Carlson, my district leader from Iowa, his mom is the Young Women's President so she brought the young women and young men from her ward for an activity.  It was really fun to meet Elder Carlson's parents and little brother!  So it has been really cool.  President is SO SO good!  I love him so much. He is wanting so much to help all the international sisters with their English because lots of their companions don't know the rules and reasons why to say certain things certain ways, including me, so this entire summer there is 4 MTC teachers that are teaching English for beginners, intermediate, and advanced English speakers.  So 5 days a week they spend 2 hours with the teachers and I am sooo excited!  It is so helpful not only for them but for me too because I don't remember all the technical rules on speaking English! So this week we have had lots of exchanges everyday!

     Wednesday- Our investigators are doing awesome!!!  We finished teaching Bobby EVERYTHING that he needs to know for his baptismal interview.  He scared me really bad though, he answered and said, "Sister Marsh? I am really mad...I am sooo mad."  I said why??!!? Then he goes, "Because you guys haven't called me in 4 days." I was like I am so sorry we have been very busy lately and then he goes.... I AM JUST KIDDING!!!  So now my investigators are all playing jokes on me!  But Bobby is doing so well.  His faith in Jesus Christ is so solid right now and he is doing everything he can to follow Christ.  He told me that he realizes how much Satan is trying to bring him down the other way and how he is trying to stay strong and rely on God so that he can overcome all the temptations he has.  He is so great!  Also his friend he referred Jamah is doing so well!  We taught him the Plan of Salvation and the Word of Wisdom and Law of Chastity.  He had lots of questions...good ones though...and we helped him understand but also gave him lots of scriptures to read in the Book of Mormon that would help him understand the things we taught him!  

     Thursday- Relief Society this morning....OUTBOUND!  So Sister Cardus is leaving...my little baby!  I can't believe she is leaving, that means I am really old on the mission now!  But anyway she is going to Houston Texas outbound!  Also Sister Briggs my MTC companion is now the new AP!!! I am excited for her.  She is going to be soo awesome!  Jamah is doing wonderful!  We talked to him today and he read the scriptures we gave to him and he told us, "Well everything you taught was in line with what I read!"  I said, "Well thats good I am glad we didn't lie to you :) ." It is awesome though, because now he has a testimony of the Book of Mormon and he is learning by faith and finding answers for himself in the scriptures and not because we are telling him.  I love it.  He is progressing soooo much faster and with a much stronger testimony!  

     Saturday- Great DAY! We had a great lesson with our friend Eckar!  He had soooo many questions.  We asked him to read the introduction to the Book of Mormon and the Restoration pamphlet...well he had questions that were from every lesson...so we were jumping ALL over the place but it was great!  Then we called Jamah again...he asked us to call him so I had NO idea why or what we were going to teach because we had called him 2 days ago, but I told him hey we will call you Monday and see how church was and seeing the missionaries and he says...WAIT!!  I want to share a message with you!  Well I was a little bit nervous that it was going to be not in line with church doctrine or like off topic or something and he says, "My message today comes from Mosiah 3:19"  I was like AHH HECK YA!!!!  So he has me read it and he asked me questions and then bore his testimony and shared his thoughts on the scripture then he says now turn to Alma and he shared 2 more scriptures that were related to putting off the natural man and becoming more Christlike.  I was shocked!  It was very very insightful and spot on with everything in the church it made me sooo happy!!  I told him I would prepare a message for him next time and he said, "And I will too!!!" I love my investigators!!!  

     Monday- TRANSFER CONFERENCE!!!!!!!!  So this whole week the AP's who I am close with, the Office Assistants, and Temple Square Coordinators all knew the transfer board, so they all kept saying to me and trying to tease me being like, "I know your new companion and you are going to have so much fun" and everything like that and trying to make me mad because they knew and I didn't, well this morning we went to transfer conference and they told me my new companion is SISTER GEE!!!!!!!!!!  She is the one who I am going to room with at BYU after my mission!!  She is one of my closest friends in the whole mission!!  I think they have made a mistake but I am sooo excited I can't even handle it!!  We are also Temple Square Coordinators!!  I am sooo excited this transfer is going to be the best thing ever!!  So pretty much I am in charge of making sure everything on Temple Square is running smoothly...it is a lot of logistics and scheduling things so I will be really really busy but I am soooo happy to be with Sister Gee!!! :) It is awesome because I work really closely with the AP's( Sister Briggs) and have Staff meetings with the AP's, Mission Presidency, and the Office Assistants I am soo happy!!  Heavenly Father loves me ALOT!!! Pretty much to say I was excited would be an understatement! 

     I love you all and I can't believe I only have 3 transfers left....its getting too close!!  

Remember...the Church is true.

Sister Mindy Marsh

6/17/14

Hello Family!!! 

     WEDNESDAY- The Humanitarian Center is getting really busy now that everyone is out of school.  We took back to back tours all day with big youth groups.  We also had an amazing lesson with Jamah; he is so awesome. We taught him the gospel, so that includes faith, repentance, baptism etc. Well, when we got to baptism I said, "So the next thing we want to talk to you about is baptism."  He says, "Oh YES the thing that I want to do!" WOW! So awesome! I am excited that the missionaries in his area as well as Bobby's area got transferred, because the new missionaries are a little more proactive.  I am very anxious because I think they will get baptized sooner than next month, like the other elders wanted to do.  

     THURSDAY- Exactly one year ago from today I left the MTC to go to Temple Square!  Also, I thought of you Krissy......all day! I was praying for you a lot, and I hope that everything went well with the surgery and that you are feeling better.  I love you.  Then Tonight we went to dinner with Bruce and Becky Boucher and it was so fun! They wanted to see me and my companion before they left to Puerto Rico so we met them for dinner........President said yes, but only if he could meet them, (because they would be at the same Mission President Seminar in 2 weeks) so afterwards we all chatted with President for a couple minutes.

     FRIDAY- The Humanitarian Center was CRAZY today!  We took 6 tours; which means there wasn’t a single hour that we didn't have a tour.  A lot of it was a HUGE stake of youth that was 4 tours of 40 people each.  But when we were almost finished with the last tour, Kathy, the receptionist said, “Sister Marsh are you almost done, their are some visitors here for you”.   I was very curious who it was; well, it was a family from my out-bound ward in Iowa! The Schaerr Family.  It was so fun, and their son, (who is 18) was a ward missionary so we knew him pretty well, and he just got his mission call to Ogden! And Brother Schaerr’s is in the Stake Presidency, so it was really fun to see them!  Also SHOUT OUT to SISTER NYE!  Happy Birthday to my favorite companion!!  Welcome to the 21 club!!!! 

     SATURDAY- Today is baby Sister Cardus's birthday!  Also, it was a great day and Benson came to the Square.  He is doing well, but something got in the way of his baptism, which is frustrating but he should be baptized next transfer. He is strong and still so rock solid!  We hadn’t seen him in person for a while, so it was good to see him. And we keep meeting Africans this week, so I am setting them all up to be friends with each other and to go to church together! It is the funnest thing to watch and see!  And Sister Cano had a Spanish meeting today, so I was on exchanges and did MTC contacting.  The missionaries who are going to Visitor Centers come to Temple Square on Saturdays and go on splits with us for a couple hours.  I haven't done it in forever so I was really excited.  I got paired with a sister who is from SLC, and she is going to the MESA Visitors Center!!!  Her name is Sister Lund, and she is so so cute and fun! We got a long really wellI hope I helped her a little and taught her something, because we kept laughing and just having so much fun.  I told her you guys would look out for her!  Hermana Lund!  So next time you go to the temple look for her and tell her I said hi!! 

     SUNDAY- HAPPY FATHER'S DAY! Dad, I hope you had a wonderful Father's Day! I remember my first Sunday on my mission in Temple Square was Father's Day and now it is already here again.  I want you to know how much I love you and appreciate you.  I appreciate all the sacrifice and all the support you give to me here on my mission as well as other times.  I look up to you so much Dad, and am so grateful for the strong testimony you have in the Gospel. Your testimony has helped me in so many ways and has continued to bless me and strengthen me on my mission.  I am grateful for all the advice and thoughts you share with me every week through e-mail.  I love you Dad!  

Well, I was starting to get a little frustrated because all of my African investigators were supposed to be baptized, but the missionaries weren't visiting them weekly or setting up baptismal interviews.  I have been fasting and praying so much for all of them and for the missionaries in their local areas.  Well, I talked to the sister missionaries in Liberia yesterday who are teaching all my investigators, and long story short, there is a new sister in the area and she is jumping on all of them; so they finally have interviews on the 29th and their baptisms are on July 5th........YIPEE!!!  I was starting to really worry, but things are working out really well and falling into place. 

     I hope that everyone has a wonderful week!  Krissy please get better quickly and make sure you don't grow to be taller than me!!  I love you all! 

The church is true!!

Sister Mindy Marsh 

6/3/14

FAMILY!!!

     Tuesday & Wednesday- Tuesday was a very sad day. A sister that I came out with from Honduras, Sister Gudiel got sick and she flew home to Honduras today. President has no tolerance at all for when the sisters get sick.  I am so so blessed that President Gillette was the mission president when I needed to go home for surgery because I think I would have been sent home and not been able to come back for 6 months with President Poulsen.  3 weeks ago 2 sisters went home, now Sister Gudiel, another one on Wednesday, and another sister in my class is going home next week! It is crazy and so sad; but when sisters are sick, it not only hinders the work for them, but also for their companions and it isn't worth it.  Anyway it has been crazy; one right after the other! 

     Thursday- Wow!! Relief Society was INCREDIBLE!!! We had 3 professional women golfers come and speak to us. There names are Lorette Maritz, Reeve Nield, and Cecilie Lundgreen.  They are all members and from South Africa, Zimbabwe, and Norway. Not only are they professional athletes (and very successful), but they started eyes4zimbabwe and they travel the world giving firesides, and giving and doing humanitarian service EVERYWHERE they go. If you get a chance look them up at eyes4zimbabwe.org <http://eyes4zimbabwe.org> .  They spoke all about following the Spirit with “exactness”. There are way too many stories to share, but all of them said they would not be “who” they are, the “friends” they are, or be able to “do what they do” now if they didn't follow the spirit with EXACTNESS.  The way the spirit guides them was incredible and so inspiring.  I cannot describe how wonderful they are, and how much the 3 of them are doing for people all over the world.  You will just have to read about them! 

     It made me reflect and think really hard about when I receive spiritual impressions. Do I act RIGHT AWAY or do I second guess and wonder “why” I should do something?  They talked about how sometimes, they get woken up with a prompting at 2:30 in the morning! So, they help whoever they need to, or do whatever they need to do, and then go back to bed!  They talked about how they don't even wear a watch because they don't care if they are late to anything! If they are on the Lord's errand, then they will be in the right place when they need to be.  I was amazed and and I want my faith and my confidence in myself and in God to be that strong. 

     Oh, and I saw Christie Funk!!  We had dinner with her and she is the sweetest and funnest!  It was SO good to see her! Mom tell her thank you so much and that I love her! 

     Friday- Today we got a text from Sister Nakayama that Dunstan from Sri Lanka wanted us to call him.  Long story short; Dunstan was being taught by Sister Lotoa while she was training me; so we taught Dunstan together for 2 transfers. Well, she continued to teach him after transfers, but never passed on his information after she went home.  Well, I called him on Friday and he wants to be baptized in JUNE!!!  Seriously it made me so happy! He was never that receptive when I taught him with Sister Lotoa; but that was a year ago and now he is SO excited! :) 

The Humanitarian Center was pretty quiet today so we had a lot of time to be on chat and take inbound calls.  We found 4 new investigators that are very excited to learn more and we have appointments to teach them this week! YAYY!!! We also were able to teach 9 lessons to some other investigators, and a couple lessons to recent converts and less-actives. T

It was the best...we were on fire!! 

     Sunday- Today we fasted for our investigators so that we could reach the baptism goals we set this transfer.  Sacrament meeting was really good.  So many sisters bore their testimonies and because there are always sooo many that want to get up, they tell us our testimonies have to be very very brief.  Well it was already a little over time and Sister Agurcia from Honduras goes up and starts telling a story and in the story she says, "You know, Hispanics talk ALOT"!  After a couple more minutes she finally finished, and a polynesian, Sister Tupou literally stomped up after her and started by saying, "I want to double testify to what Sister Agurcia said that, “Hispanics talk alot!" Everyone was DYING laughing!  Our mission presidency couldn’t stop laughing because Sis. Agurcia IS hispanic! 

     But today was amazing.  Benson came to the square with the elders that are teaching him.  We talked with the elders and tried to think of what we could teach Benson that he hasn’t been taught 100 times! We decided to focus the entire lesson on Jesus Christ. We took him around the New Testament paintings that go through the whole life of Jesus Christ and we talked a lot about “who” Christ was and “why” he did the things he did. Then we went to the Christus (and the Spirit was very strong), and we finished by watching “The Testaments”.  I was a little hestitant and worried because it’s a pretty long movie, but I have NEVER felt the Spirit that strong before.  I think that was the strongest I have felt the Spirit on my mission, honestly.  The movie ended and Sister Cano and I bore our testimonies specifically on Jesus Christ and the elders did too.  We were all crying kind of speechless.  The elders asked Benson to say the closing prayer, and he didn't want to say it because he was a trying to let everything sink in and said, "I will let Sister Marsh say it". So I said the closing prayer and cried the whole time.  The lesson was so powerful and touched all of us a lot.  As the movie depicts the story of Jacob and Korihor, my testimony of the Atonement grew. I couldn't help but think of how Jacob was feeling, that he could not go back and be forgiven of the things he had done and that he wasn't good enough for the Atonement; but the Atonement is for EVERYONE.  No matter what mistakes we have done in the past, we are always good enough for the Atonement of Jesus Christ and we can come back always.  Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ want all of their children back with them in the end, and no matter how far away we feel, we can return and be blessed and cleansed by the Atonement of Jesus Christ.  What a blessing that is, if we will just humble ourselves and use that powerful gift! 

I love this gospel and I am sooo happy that I have the opportunity to serve a mission! 

The church is true.

Sister Mindy Marsh