10/25/13

Hello Family!

     This week has been so busy!  I have felt like we have had a million things to do this week!.  I made Sister Cardus jump right into the middle of Youth Conferences and YSA's this week because we were  constantly busy with those, but they are very fun!  

     Sister Cardus is awesome........I love her!  She is on fire and is so strong straight from the MTC.  We have been taking lots and lots of Spanish chats, and it is super fun for me because it lets me practice my Spanish, which I’d been wanting to do.  She has to help me a lot, but since it is a “chat”, I can trick the other person and they think I speak perfect Spanish, haha!

     OK, so one night this past week we were planning on taking our dinner at 8 o’clock, and then NOT returning to the Square; but then around 7:30 we were just walking around and kind of just waiting until 8:00, (because we were very hungry).  But then we saw this guy, and I felt like we should go talk to him.  He was walking the other way so it was kind of awkward to contact him from where we were, but we felt strongly that we needed to.  His name is Jeremiah and we were able to start talking to him.  Sis. Cardus is not super confident in her English, (even though it is really good), but let’s just say, that I ended up talking a lot.  Jeremiah was baptized 10 years ago after his sister died.  And since that time, his life has been a mess.  He chews tobacco, does drugs, is addicted to pain pills, and is addicted to gambling.  He has been divorced 3 times and he has 3 little baby girls.  I turned to my companion and said, “I am sorry, but we have to help him, dinner can wait an hour”.  So we talked with him and took him to a couple of places around the Square that I felt he needed to see.  We stayed at the statue of Christ for a long time and the Spirit I felt was so strong.  This man has such a good heart, Satan is trying to hurt him so much.  It broke my heart.  I was almost speechless after we talked to him.  I felt like I didn't want to talk and disrupt the Spirit that I had just felt.  He told me after that he, “will NEVER forget the feelings he felt tonight”, and he wants to fly all his daughters to SLC so that they can feel the peace and the love that we helped him feel. Amazing.  I am now calling him and trying to help him be an active member of the Church and also help him overcome his addictions and the problems he has.

     Training is the best.  I just love seeing Sister Cardus do well and help other people.  We had District Meeting on Wednesday and we were role playing situations with our current investigators.  I actually have a strong testimony of role playing, because we always receive revelation on how to help our investigators, but I still don't really like to do it.  I was listening in while my companion and my Zone Leader were teaching another sister.  And as Sister Cardus was teaching, she was so powerful and was testifying so strong of her beliefs and we all were crying.........yea, we're girls.........but it really was so strong.  We usually evaluate at the end, but not one of the four of us knew what to say because we were all just amazed.  So, we just turned our chairs around and moved on.......hah, it was so funny!  I love having the opportunity to train, and the Spirit and energy the sisters have coming right out of the MTC is incredible.  It was exactly what I needed right after coming back from surgery and then General Conference.

     Thank you so much for the letters Clara and Krissy.  Made me so happy, and the pictures of baby Elizabeth are to die for.  I am about to die that I can't see her and hold her.  Honestly it’s so hard because she is the cutest!  I show her off all the time and to all the sisters because of how pretty she is!  

      Well, Halloween is coming soon and I am kind of excited!  I wish I could dress up and go to a haunted house or something, but being here is 100x better!  My hernia is doing really good. I feel so much better and don’t have any problems anymore!  

Thank you so much for everything!  I love you all.  Have a wonderful week!  

The church is true.

Sister Marsh 

10/19/13

Hola Familia,

     Why the Spanish???  Well, I am training a sister from ARGENTINA!!  I am so excited!  Her name is Sister Cardus.  She is from Bueno Aires and she is the sweetest person.  I feel like I have come out of my shell a lot on my mission and am more outgoing then I was before, so I want to get her to that point. She is pretty shy right now and I bet is just overwhelmed, but that is my job and I am excited to be able to help her, and focus on her and what she needs instead of what I need.  My new p-day is Friday and I am still doing “Member Events”, so we have 2 Youth Conferences this weekend and YSA on Monday.  So I am just throwing her into everything the first couple days!  Also, Sister Marquez is now outbound.  She actually went pretty early, and was sent to Richmond Virginia.  She will be there until February 19th.

     Conference was awesome!  Crazy busy, but so fun.  And ya, I pretty much saw everyone!  I have been to watch most of the talks over the last couple days, and was able to attend the Sunday afternoon session.  But I think my favorite session was Saturday afternoon; specifically the talk by Elder Holland.  One of my favorite things I got from the whole weekend was, "That love never changes.......it is there for you when you are sad or happy, discouraged or hopeful.  God's love is there for you whether or not you feel you deserve it.  It is simply always there.  Never ever doubt that, and never harden your heart."  I really love this because being on a mission helped me so much in feeling the love of the Savior.  Especially since a little piece of the love God has for his children gets to be emulated through me to the children I am teaching; and it is amazing to feel a piece of that love. 

     Ok ,and I am obsessed with baby Elizabeth!  I wish I could meet her, she is so precious.  I am jealous you all got to see her and hold her!

     This week has just been crazy busy.  Sis Marquez left Tuesday, so I was in a trio that whole day.  I had to take a bunch of the new sisters to Walmart the day they arrived, and that was super crazy.  I haven’t been able to have a normal “missionary day” yet this week!  My new companion probably thinks Temple Square is crazy!  

     Oh, and I had a very humbling experience this week that I know will have a big influence on the rest of my mission.  I had been thinking for the last couple weeks about what kind of missionary that I am.   I’ve also thought about “who” I wanted to be and what I wanted to do, and it just overwhelmed me.  And since I was really close with Sis. Fredrickson, (who was the AP and just went home),  I decided before she left I would write her a little letter and go in and talk with her.  It was such a humbling experience.  I talked with her about what I could do to be a better missionary and to be the person I want to be.  As I listened to the counsel, I had to put all the pride I had behind me; but I left feeling so humbled, and so excited and motivated to be the best I could be.  I am excited to be what the Lord needs me to be so that I can be a tool in helping his children come back to him.  

     I love this work.  I love being a missionary and I love this gospel.  Thank you for everything .  Have a wonderful week!  Love you all!

   
The church is true.
Sister Marsh

  

10/9/13

FAMILY!!!!

     WOW such a big week!  First off CONGRATS Hannah and Rob!!  I'm finally an aunt! I am so happy and the baby is a cutie!  I wish I was able to be there for the big day and to spend time with the family but I am a little preoccupied with the mission.

     I am sorry I haven't emailed for a couple weeks; I was home in Arizona on medical leave to have surgery.  The surgery went really well!  The Lord was definitely aware of me and my situation, and knew it would be a good experience for me to be back for General Conference.  The doctor cleared me to come back after a week post-op, and I am so glad that he did!  Conference was so fun, but also the most tiring thing ever!  I loved it though.  This is kind of what happened each day:  we would come to the square at 7:30 and eat breakfast for 20 minutes, then go up onto the Square and talk to everyone we saw!  There were so many people and it was so crazy.  I even lost Sister Marquez once for 15 minutes and I couldn’t find her anywhere.......and it doesn't help that she is soo short either:)  At lunchtime we would go downstairs for another 20 minute break, then it was back up to the Square!  To my surprise, the loud speakers on Temple Square actually play Conference, so it was nice to listen a little bit while walking around and talking to people.  Anyway,  we stayed outside walking around and talking with people until 6:30, when we would eat dinner;  then back to the Square we went until 9:30!  Luckily we had really good food.  Some stakes in SLC provided the food for us both days and it was super yummy and nice to not have to worry about cooking for ourselves.  After those 2 days we all had conference hangover!  We were dead.  Being on my feet that long after surgery was a little tough, but definitely worth it!  And coming from Mesa; I saw a LOT of people at conference!  It was so fun to see so many friends, and to be surrounded by thousands of members.  

     President was very nice and knew how hard we all worked, so he let us sleep in till 12 on Monday.  I was serioulsy out cold until 11 o clock.....but it was so nice!  Then we had a service project.  We went to “This is the Place” park and helped them set up for the Halloween haunted houses that they do.  Unfortunately, the service MY group was doing was moving and lifting stuff that was over the amount of weight I am allowed to lift, so I just watched everyone work......bummer!

     Well, it has been so good coming back to the mission.  The sisters have been the best and have made me feel so good and feel that I was missed while I was gone.  I love my mission so much and I could not be happier or in a better place!  I am so excited to see what happens next week at transfer conference!  So ya, heads up... .....my p-day most likely won’t be Wednesday so stay posted for new assignments and a new companion!  

      It’s weird, I feel like I just was put with Sister Marquez.

     Thank you for everything.  I hope you all are having fun in Texas with the new baby!  Love you all.

     
The church is true.

Sister Marsh

        

9/19/13

Hey!!!

     First off I want to say HAPPY 50th TO THE BEST DAD IN THE WORLD!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  

    Anyway, maybe I’ve said this before, but we are so spoiled in this mission!  Seriously, I don't know how else to describe it!  First off, this last Friday we had Zone Conference. It was at the Daughters of the Utah Pioneers Museum.......it was awesome!  A lot of the conference was based on going back to the basics and doing all the “little things” and doing the things from the 12 week program, (a program used for your first 12 weeks as a missionary........self explanatory  haha but applying and using it for your whole mission, not just the first 12 weeks!  One of my favorite quotes that President Gillette used was, " The world would change human behavior, but Christ changes human nature."  I love that!  The AP's announced the theme for conference and so the day after Zone Conference started our 21 days till conference pump up!  We have little activities that we do every day to get us prepared and excited for conference!  I love my mission and all the sisters and senior couples in it!  They are all amazing and bless me so much.  President Seppi, (one of President's couselors) prepared a mission FHE for Monday night.  But actually, it was for like all day!  So Monday we had a progressive dinner with different members from the Seppi's ward.  I was blessed that I went to the home of the nicest couple in the whole world!  We had appetizers and we took a personality test, (the one where you find out what color you are) and she gave us all Mormon Tabernacle Choir CD's!  After that we went to the stake center in the park where we had a delicious dinner with a ton of food and then Cold Stone catered the ice cream......soooo good!  We played volleyball, frisbee and football, (actually only me and Sis. Cummings played football),  but hey dad and brad.......Elder Creer a senior couple in my mission told me I am super athletic and throw a football very well :)  I was very happy!  So, we were able to play outside for 2 hours and it was the best thing ever, to just be outside in normal clothes playing games!!  Then, how cool is this.......the guy who WROTE the personality test came and spoke to us!  He talked about the colors and everything about the different personalities.  It was soo fun and so interesting!  It was so funny to listen to the personalities of sisters.  Some sisters were laughing because it was “totally them” and some are like, “Ohhh that is so not me” and trying to deny it,  but it totally is them!  So 2 quick funny things;  Sister Finau is this girl from Tonga.......really dark skin and so pretty, and her color was “white”.........so she wanted to ask a question and it is a tradition in Temple Square that you stand up say your name and where you’re from.  So she stood and said, "I am Sis. Finau from Tonga, and I am white!" and all of us started laughing soooo hard!!!  I don't think I have seen Sis. Gillette laugh soo hard!!  Holy cow, so funny........now we all make fun of her!  Then this other Sister Jarrett from Hawaii stands up to ask a question, but forgets her question,  so she sits down, then stands up again, sits back down, stands up again, then sits back down and is like, “I am so sorry, I forgot my question..........and the speaker was like, “You’re a yellow!!”  We all just busted up again!  It was hilarious and the night was soo fun!

    On a more spiritual note!  I have really been trying to think so hard about what to teach this girl Karlie (19) and how to build her desire to learn.  She is the sweetest girl in the world and I had talked to her once, (she was a referral).   I thought she was just being nice and didn't want to tell me she didn't want to learn about the church.  But, then I called her this week and was just asking about how she was.  She said, “I was thinking a lot about you this week, so I looked up a couple Mormon Messages and watched them and was hoping you would call”.  She said, “I have had so much confusion about religion my entire life, and  I was actually wondering if I could ask you something? .........(she got soo nervous and I was nervous too), then she said, "Mindy, I was wondering if you could actually teach me all the lessons?"  WOW!!!!!!!!!  Seriously, it doesn't get better than that!  She is someone I care so much about and I didn't want to offend her.........but then SHE was the one to ask me!  So, now I am teaching her and I just love it!!   Miracles happen every day if we will just open our eyes!

    I love you all!  Thank you for everything and for the love and support that you all give to me! 

The church is true.

Love, 

Sister Marsh

9/11/13

Hello Family!!!! 

   Well to be honest, this week has gone by sooo fast!  It has been  crazy just dealing with all the new things for the recent transfer and with a new companion.  We get a long super well though and I am excited to be with her.  I feel bad that I am going to leave her for a while, and she will have to be in a trio......she isn't too excited, but she’s just glad that I will be all “repaired” for Conference!  
So, this transfer we are in charge of “Member Events”, and we had our first one this week.  It was a big YSA conference from Weber.  So we had to plan the program and that basically means that we do the opening song, a game and then we show a video that can relate to the game, then we conduct short testimony meeting and then send them on a tour of Temple Square.  I was so nervous.  I usually do totally fine with huge youth groups or a bunch of older people, but I was so nervous for the YSA group;  probably because they are close to my age.  But it went really well, so I am happy about it, and I’ll be excited for the next one so that I can do it again!
   Oh, and its been raining a lot lately!!  I am praying the rainy season doesn't last very long, because it is sooo hard to take a group of people around the Square when everyone is holding umbrellas and isn't very happy that they are wet and everything!  They just don't always have the best attitudes and that makes it hard for them to feel the Spirit.  
     So, one thing that happened this week that was really good; was an investigator lesson that we had!  We took around a mom and her son Zach.  The mom is NOT active in the church, and the son is her step-son; so he has not been baptized.  The lesson was supposed to be for the mom, but the elders asked that we try and have Zach participate because their goal is to eventually teach Zach the lessons.  Well, I found out that Zach has Muscular Dystrophy and he wasn’t suppose to be able to walk or talk at all, but he did both!  I don't know what it is, but realized I love kids with disabilities like Zach!  The lesson turned out to be all for HIM and his step mom was helping us teach!  It made her realize the things that she needs to be doing in her life.  At the end of the lesson we were talking to them and the elders said, "Zach, would you want us to come back and to teach you more?"  And I will never forget how cute he was.......he said, " Yes that would be great......you are all sooo nice!!"  I am such a baby, because that answer, and that boy  Zach touched my heart, and I started to tear up when he said that he wanted to learn more.   
     Then a couple hours later we took 2 ladies around Temple Square and they asked me what we have learned since we have been on our missions.  I always have a different answer every time we get asked that question; but on that day, (after teaching Zach), I told them that I have learned how to love everyone and to see people the way God does.  God loves every single one of us, and I was able to truly feel a piece of that love when I was with Zach.  The love that God has for each of his children is uncomprehensible, but since being on my mission and meeting certain people, I feel like I have experienced a tiny bit of that love through meeting some of his children on the Square.  
   I was so sad I wasn't able to see Jessi!  Yesterday my companion was sick, so we were home all day :(   Luckily I was able to see her a couple weeks ago!  I miss her and I always tell people that she was my only friend when I lived in California!!  I hope she is doing good on her first day in the MTC. 
I sent her an email already, but if she is anything like me........I felt more relieved to finally be in the MTC compared to all the anticipation leading up to it!  Hey speaking of people we know.........I saw Jared Heywood today mom!  He served in the Phillipines in the area where my companion is from;  so they know each other really well!  (you might get a picture from Jill)  
   Ahhhh the Thayer Park ward........I miss that ward!  It seems really weird to think that you don't live in that ward anymore.  It doesn't  seem right, but I bet that all the people in the new ward love you guys!  How could they not love you! And NO WAY.........Garrett Rhoton is leaving already!!  Honestly I feel like just yesterday he was 12 passing the sacrament.  And I totally didn’t even remember that Madison was going on a mission.......where is she going?  Also, I am so sad to hear about President Olsen.   There are just some people in the ward that you think will always be there; and I feel like he is one of those people.  
   Holy cow, I am sooooo happy that Brad and Emily got an email!  That is so exciting!!!  Babies are going to be a part of the family by the time I get home!!  I wish I could be there when Baby Ryan is born, and when Brad and Emiliy get a baby........but I am so happy for them!  I always make sure to put “Baby Marsh” on the prayer roll in the temple and I pray for them too!  
    Well, I hope that I answered some of the questions.  I tried to address every single thing you said mom, so hopefully you appreciate it!!  And to address Dad's email now:) Pday doesnt really feel weird cause mine only changed from Thursday to Wednesday, so it’s not bad at all. I actually like Wednesday better.   And everything is all set for the surgery and for the flights.  I don't know the exact times yet, because the secretary hasn't talked to me yet, but I know that she booked them yesterday.  Conference is going to be crazy though!!  We have to be contacting people extremely early in the morning and we are here really late;  but I think it will be fun!  When I saw Elder Banks, he said at conference he gets bombarded by Mesa people!  I think that will be fun to see people, but I might be distracted because we have very lofty goals for referrals and things at conference!  It is going to be a very busy weekend; but I am excited to be in the middle of it!  Actually, being in the “middle” of everything that goes on for the church is pretty exciting!!  My mission is the BEST!  I love it soo much and I am so blessed to here, despite what I might have thought or said before I got here :)  
It is the best and I love it!  I love you Mom and Dad!!

The church is true.

Love, 
Sis. Marsh

9/4/13

Dear Family,

    Hello! Well, this week has been super crazy!!!  First off, my p-day is now on Wednesdays.  Transfers happened today and my new companion is Sis. Marquez.  She is from the Phillipines!  She was in my zone last transfer but I don't know her very well, so I am excited to get to know her and to learn Tagalog!  Also, we are now in charge of “Member Events”!  This means all the YSA groups, Youth Conferences, or private tours that get scheduled, we are in charge of.  I am excited!  I am sad to leave Sis. Lotoa, but she is still here and I see her all the time, so its still good.  And, I didn't have to change apartments so that is very nice.  Oh, and I am almost positive Mom, that Sis. Peters (Tazmine) is living in my apartment with me......how crazy is that??  

Well, today has been a little sad.  I took Sis. Tukavatu to the airport because she has finished her mission......it was depressing. The only bad thing about my mission is that you get so close with the sisters here, and then you have no idea if you will see them again, and they are from all over the world!  Or maybe that just means I have some traveling to do after!

    This week was a good week for my investigators.  I went on exchanges with the Zone Leaders and I was in TC (phone and chat center). And I don't know why that day was different, but everyone answered their phones and everyone was progressing. It was sooo good!  One of my investigators has been liking everything we are teaching him, but I just didn't feel like he was actually “getting it”, and it was so frustrating.  So, I called James and he asked if he could call me back because the missionaries were on their way over!  I have NO IDEA how they got a hold of him, he lives in the middle of no where and I didn't give the missionaries his number and he didn't call them........truly a miracle!!!  That night he called me back and he has a baptismal date set for the 28 of Sept!!!  

Another miracle, we had a chat with a kid named Jon back in June, and he told us he wanted to learn more.  So, we would text him scriptures and try to call him, but he NEVER answered!  It was sooo annoying and frustrating.  He told us that his cell phone only works when he is in the city because there is no reception where he lives.  So, I was thinking......wow, it would be a total miracle and perfect timing to have our schedules match if we call him when he is in the city........so, I decided to call him and he answered!!  I was SHOCKED!!  I was like, “Is this JON!?”  Anyway, I was talking to him for a while and he told me he has been going to church since we chatted with him in June and he reads from the BOM every morning and night!  I was like WOW, this is awesome!  We put him on date for this month as well, and I really think it will happen!!  Miracles are all around us and if we are praying and have faith, then we will be able to see them.  I love this work! 

    For transfer conference we had John Bytheway speak to us!  Wow, he is awesome.  He talked about Luke 15 and the 3 different parables about the Lost Sheep, the Piece of Silver, and the Prodigal Son.  I have never understood as much about those stories as I did when he went into so much detail! He talked about how they are all lost, and are redeemed in a different way; but all through the same person, Jesus Christ.  He said, " We are all beggars.  NONE of us can do it alone.  We need the Savior, ever hour of our life”.   I love when we have lessons about Christ, because I have come to a much better understanding of the Atonement.  I love Elder Holland's quote when he says, "It seems to me that missionaries and mission leaders have to spend at least a few moments in Gethsemane.  But I believe that missionaries and investigators, to come to the truth, to come to salvation, to know something of the price that has been paid, will have to pay a token of that same price”.  I love my Savior, I have realized that I am NOTHING with out him and that he is the one that will help me and carry me through! 

   Thank you for all you do!  I love each of you and miss you!  Have a wonderful week! 

   The church is true.

Love,

 Sister Marsh