7/25/13

Hello hello hello family!

     So this week has been crazy!! Transfers happened...sisters went outbound, sisters came back and sisters left!  We had 54 new sisters come into our mission and so we are up to 200 sisters and will soon be to 220 in the next month!  A lot of sisters have been coming off transfer.  Nothing really changed with me.  Thankfully, I got to stay with Sis. Lotoa!  I was really hoping that I would be able to stay with her, and we did!  We got switched to a new zone and so our p-day is Thursday and our assignment is “All Square”!!  I will be walking the Square all day!  But it was good because when I have surgery on the 8th, I won't have to find cover for my assignments.  

     This week has been really good though.  Angel got baptized this Saturday and after driving a very long time to find the building that was very close to us, we got there and were able to be there for him!  He seriously was a miracle especially because we found him in the Beehive House and I have loved being able to help him and to teach him!  

     Tuesday was our transfer conference.  We gathered as a mission and TC Christensen came and spoke to us.  He is the film director for “17 Miracles” and for “Ephraim's Rescue”, (which just came out a little while ago), and other church movies.  So we got to watch a bunch of clips from different movies and it was so cool!!  We are so spoiled in this mission!!  We have very cool experiences and things that we get to do here.  One of them being the Pioneer Day Parade!  (I didn't even know that there was a pioneer day parade until last week),  and it was so fun!!  Pres. Uchtdorf was in the parade and many other people.  We were trying to find good seats and we found some bleachers,  but you needed a wristband......well, then a guy gave us wristbands, and we ended up with chairs and great seats!!  The cutest little family sat next to us and they had twin 3 yr old boys, and one of them loved us!  He reminded me every second to take a picture of the float!  :)  It was soo cute, and the parade was so much fun!! 

     Also, this week I saw the Garcia's from Santa Rosa!  It was so funny because she looked so familiar, but I wasn’t sure exactly who she was, and she had to tell me!  She also said they really miss our family in California!!  Also, it was a pleasant surprise to get to talk to mom this week!  I had asked Sis. Gillette to call, and when I saw her the next day I asked if she got a hold of her?  She said, “No, sorry I have been away from my office all day”. Then she said, ”Lets call her together!!”  Anyway, I guess I just got a little emotional because since I’ve been on my mission, I have realized  how much I love my family, and how special they are; especially my parents.  I also wasn’t feeling too great that day.  Anyway, so when I got to talk to mom,  I just got a little emotional.  Don't worry, I was smiling and I was very happy to have heard your voice!  No need to worry about me.......everything is GOOD!!!!  

     So, my new p-day is Thursday, so remember that!! :)  Thanks!!  Also, I forgot to tell you the best part about my new zone!!!  Sister Briggs my companion from the MTC is in it!!!!  And I am only 1 of 3 Americans in my Zone.  I am also the only one who drives from my zone,  so I think that p-day’s are going to be crazy and  packed because I am going to be driving people everywhere!!  Also, we have 4 of the 6 Poly's in our zone (half of them went outbound this transfer)  but our zone has almost all of them, and  that means it will be a party!!  Sis. Lotoa is our district leader so its going to be so fun!!  I can't wait!! 

     Thank you for all you do!!  I love you mom and dad!  I pray for you and I am so grateful for you!!  I am sure that me/Sis. Gillette will be in contact soon because of the surgery  but don't worry about me!  I am not scared for the surgery I am just counting down the days till August 8th!  Thank you and I love you so much! 

     Hope everything is going well!!

The church is true. 
Love, Sister Marsh

Me, Angel, and Lotoa 

This is Bob.  He has been here for 5 years every single day!  He loves the sisters on Temple Square!  I always remind him and tell him to never forget who is favorite sister is!!  He is in a wheelchair but it was so special because he wanted to show me he could stand for a couple minutes!

I know I look so gross!  I felt sick all day!  But this was at Transfer Conference with TC Christensen!! These sisters are all from American Samoa!  Lotoa, me, TC Christensen, Sis. Saili (just went home), and Sis. Savelio (just went outbound to Louisiana)!!

Me, Lotoa, & Tukuvato with our favorite twin boys!! Matthew and Jacob!! 

President Uchtdorf!

7/17/13

TALOFA!!!

     That means Hello in Samoan!!  I have been working on my Samoan and learning how to bear my testimony!! Slowly but surely it is coming!!  This week has been crazy!!  So this is the last week of the transfer so yesterday at Relief Society President announced all the sisters that would be going outbound next week! I am kind of sad though because like 80% of all the Poly's are in the same class and so they are all going outbound next week and so half of my friends are leaving!! :( Not where they will go but just who is going and then they told us who the other new AP is and it just seems crazy that this transfer will already end in a couple of days!  But this means I MIGHT not have a p-day next week depending on when my new p-day is next transfer so just be patient I have no idea when it will be!! I might have to email you though if I end up getting surgery though... 

     But this week has been interesting--our investigator Angel is getting baptized Saturday!!!!! So excited, but we invited him to meet us at Temple Square so we could have a lesson with him and the elders that teach him and so we did and we also invited a member to be there too.  So we invited our former less-active Abe. Angel told us that something he gets worried about is if he will go inactive....we were all freaking out and so nervous because the member Abe, used to be less active and we were like oh shoot oh shoot don't ruin it Abe.  But it went well so the baptism is still on!  No worries! 

     Also, it is so cool how many people come here that are from all over the world!!  I have started to keep track of all the countries that I have met people from and it is insane!!  Also we have lots of sisters in our mission from China and we always pray that the doors in China will open soon, and it was really cool some of the Chinese sisters took around some government officials from China the other day!  It just amazes me how much the Lord is orchestrating his work to all nations!

     Sorry I feel like this email is going to be bouncing all over the place but that's me!  This week we have had crazy thunderstorms every single night.  I had another wheel chair day!  I am like a charity case!  Every one wants to talk to me because they feel bad I am in a wheel chair and everyone asks to help and want to give me referrals!  But after that night I came home and I had cookies and candy from Elder and Sister Frost! They are so sweet and the Relief Society President in the mission brought me dinner.....haha I feel so bad! 

     It has been really neat though.  We have special guests that speak to us in Relief Society all the time and so last week Sis. Bonham came and she is on the Relief Society General Board and so she brought up something about BYU brownies and hardly anyone had tried them and so a couple days later she brought brownies for the whole mission!  And then the other day the Primary General Presidency gave us all goody bags with treats and a key chain and quote and stuff!  We are spoiled in our mission for sure!!  It is so fun!!  My mission is just so much fun!  I love all the sisters here and we all work so hard but we all laugh and have so much fun as well! 

     That is kind of all that has happened this week!  When I get to write next week, which who knows when it will be, but that email will probably be way more interesting!  My assignments will be different I MAY get a different companion, I will have a new P-day everything will change but I am super excited!!  

     Thanks for everything!!  Pray for me and that if I need surgery it can be fast!  I love you all!  Shelby Moeller stopped by but I didn't get to see her but tell her thanks for the note!!  I love serving on Temple Square!!

Love you!  Remember the church is true!!

Sister Marsh

7/10/13

Hello Family!

     So I will start with the bad things first.....my hernia is back.  Grandma and Grandpa, that is why you didn't see me on Sunday; I was at home all day! So I went to the doctor and it is a hernia and so I am meeting with the surgeon on the 18th to see if I need surgery.  I am ok.  No one freak out but mom you might get an email from Sis. Gillette talking about that so just be aware! The zone leaders and everyone is very obedient though and are making sure that I am off my feet so the first day I was in a wheel chair, but I was so embarrassed that I don't ride it anymore! Anyway I think that is it! 

     So I was so sad I didn't get to see Grandma and Grandpa but that is the reason!  I did see a lot of people this week though!!  I saw Reece Scurr from highschool and he had just got home from his mission a week ago!  Hunter Cowley came in town as well!  OHHHH and I saw Madi Rush's family!!  Ahh I love seeing people I know!! Also I was walking and I was like "holy cow this little girl looks so familiar!"  It was Ella, Rob's niece and so I got to see Rob's brother and sister and I think they sent a picture home. That was fun....I pretty much counted them as my family!

     Good things are happening though.  Ron and Sherri are the most amazing new converts!!!  They text me today and they said, "Our goal is in a year from now we will be on a mission too!!!"  OMG I love them so much.  I want to see them so bad; truly was the best thing to meet them!  I couldn't be happier!  So remember the guy I told you about, Angel, who we met like a week and a half ago in the Beehive House? Well he is amazing!  He is getting baptized this next Saturday and we get to go to his baptism!  He doesn't have a place to stay and he lives in his car but he was able to get a job this week and we have seen him like every day at Temple Square this week because it makes him happy so he is there all day!  He is so happy to see us always and he makes me cry.  He is just the happiest person but he has nothing.  He has so much faith and I can't wait to go to his baptism and to be there for him!  

     PS.  I hope everyone had a good Fourth of July!!  We kind of closed down the Square and we had a big talent show!! My goodness the sisters here are the best!  I know everyone says "I have the best mission"  but really mine is!!! :)  Where else in the world can you meet people from all over the entire country within 35 acres!?  ya....NOWHERE!!!  But most of the talents were dances from their own countries!!  Honestly it makes me wish I was from a different country!  hah I love America but it is so cool to see everyone else's country dances and things like that!!  The sisters here are so amazing!!  I love everyone!!! 

     Well sorry this email is very short!  But I was kind of a worthless missionary this week!  Hahah just kidding, I worked as hard as the doctor allowed me too!  It was funny though...all the texts that got sent out about tours...we just responded and said "can't companion is useless!!" It was great!!  But I am ok....I am just waiting to go to the doctor so I can get fixed.  I am hoping I can just get surgery and not have to worry about it in the future on my mission but I will keep you posted!

     I hope everyone is having fun at Lake Powell...hate you....jk I love you all!!  Have so much fun!!  I miss you and pray for all of you!!

The church is true.

Love,

Sister Marsh

With Dave and Jill Ryan and their kids

Elder Creer and his cool car!! We jammed out in the back!!

Happy 4th from me, Sister Olden, and Sister Dantas!

My favorite Sis. Briggs!!

Dad knows...I am friends with all the Poly's! 

Wheel chair day!!!!! ahhahahahhah biggest joke ever!  Everyone thought I was faking it!!

7/3/13

Hello Family!!

     WOW!  Sorry about not emailing at the normal time!  I had a great surprise this afternoon and was able to see Dad and to be with him for a couple hours!  Luckily it was my p-day so we were able to actually be with him and not have to worry about assignments!  Thanks Dad, I needed that and I love you! 

     First off, I wanted to tell you about a funny story first!  So we have a presentation about God's Plan for families and you move from like room to room and watch a video and its displayed to look like what is happening in the video-it is actually really cool!  But anyway we were taking a group on a tour and I thought we were done and so I was like so relieved cause I had to go to the bathroom sooooo bad. Then the group was like "Oh well we have 20 minutes before we have to head back." We were like oh great!  So we took them to God's Plan and in the first room I was like, "Sis. Lotoa I NEED to go to the bathroom NOW." And she was like "ok here is the phone. Call an exchange and have her switch with you."  I was like "I CAN"T!!! Calling someone will take too long I have to go right now."  So we had to ditch our group in the middle of the presentation grab the first sister we saw and I SPRINTED to the bathroom.  The sisters were so confused and Sis. Lotoa and the exchange ran back to the presentation and the group on tour was soooo confused and oh my goodness it was so awkward and so embarrassing!  Then I tried to just join back in the tour but everyone knew and it was so bad!!  Typical for Mindy right?!  :)

     RON & SHERRI got BAPTIZED!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  They got baptized Friday and they are the best ever!!  I love them and it was the best news to hear!  

     So I saw A LOT of people this week!  SO CRAZY!!  So first off, a lady walked in the Beehive and said she was from Dallas so I said, "oh cool my sister lives in Coppell." And she said, "oh really whats her name that's where I live." I said, "Hannah Ryan?"  She goes "OMG red hair pregnant?"  I was like YA! She said, "Oh ya I am in her stake!!" So her name was Mary Lynn Gouty?  Then I was walking at City Creek and saw Capri Funk!!  That was so fun!!  Then another group came in from AZ and high schools got brought up and she said she went to Thunderbird and she looked your age (mom) so I said "wait my mom went there." And she said, "whats your mom's name?" And she was like "OMG ya I went to school with her!"  Her name is Carol Conway so she was so excited!!  This week everyone was here I knew!  And I can't forget the NC Marsh's!!  P.S.  Sorry I wasn't able to chat more with you! Maybe you can come back on the way home!! :)  But I am glad I saw you for a second!  

     Tomorrow is 4th of JULY!  I am so excited to dress up in all Red White and Blue!  We are having a big talent show with the whole mission and I am so excited!  I will let you know how it goes and I will make sure I take lots of pictures to send next week because I took ZERO this week sorry!!!  

     Thanks everyone for all you do!  I love being a missionary and I am grateful for all the examples I have in my life!!  The church is true!  LOVE YOU!!!

Sister Marsh!

With Dad and Sis. Lotoa on the Temple Grounds