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

11/15/13

Hello Family,

       Shout out to Hannah.......Happy Birthday!  It sounds like it was really fun to spend time with her for her special day and to of course, see baby Lizzie again! Sounds like everyone has been super busy lately........woah!  Maybe its because the holidays are coming up or something :)

      This week has been extremely busy for us too.  We had early morning practices and meetings every day this week........we were all so dead!  

     Our big concert was Tuesday evening and it turned out so well!  We filled the Assembly Hall and the entire General Relief Society Presidency was there and some of the board members as well.  The concert was so fun.  We started out singing “Called to Serve” and then while singing the 3rd verse everyone marched holding their country flags.......it was pretty cool actually!  We had a little celebration party afterwards and got home late, so President allowed us to sleep in till 8........best thing ever!

     And last night I went and saw “Savior of the World”.  I was expecting it to be pretty similar to the Easter Pageant, but it was actually a lot different.  

It was pretty interesting as they portrayed a lot of the story of Zacheriaus and Elizabeth and the angel coming to them prophesying that they would have a son.  The Easter Pageant goes through the entire life of Christ the main events, but this one really didnt.  It was awesome though.  Nephi and Samuel were part of it as well , so it was really interesting and cool to watch!  

     OK, a little sad news first, and the good news comes later.  I met this 16 year old boy on chat in June. I taught him all that I could and I asked if he would be baptized and he had a baptism date for the 30th of November.  He doesn't live with his parents, so he had to drive 4 hours to get his parents to give permission and sign the baptism papers.  Well, he wasn’t answering any of my calls or texts, and i was starting to worry a little bit.  So i called the mom of the house he stays with,  and she said that his mom didn't sign the papers for him to even keep staying at their house!  So, child custody services took him away.  Seriously, I am so bummed!  Please pray for him and pray that he can still get baptized.

     HEY, exciting news this week though;  So I have been teaching this guy named Steve from England since last transfer, (when I was with Sister Marquez).  He drives a train, so he literally has one day a week that he can talk and unfortunately it is my pday.  Luckily though he can email all he wants, so I have been teaching him through emails lately.  We hadn't talked about baptism lately though, and then I wasn't able to talk to him for a week.  But then this week I got a hold of him and he said  “Sister Marsh, I got baptized Saturday!!!  WOWW.......I was sooo happy!!!!! He was one of those people that we taught every week, but we didn't think that he was really grasping everything.  But apparently he was, and he is a member now! So awesome!  

     The church is true and God really does have a hand in His work and with preparing people for us. 

     Hey, I love you all!  Thank you for everything!!

The church is true.

Sister Marsh

       

My whole zone at savior of the world

11/8/13

HELLO!

    Well another week has passed and the first snow fall has happened! Wasn't too excited about the snow, but that does mean that winter is coming soon and that means Christmas! I am so excited for the month of December to have the lights on every day and to be in the Christmas spirit! Temple Square I decided is just super awesome!  Especially during Winter.  There is a play called Savior of the World and the staff has blessed us with tickets to give to people we meet that we feel like would benefit from the message or to our investigators that we have, but they want us to be able to talk about the play and know what it is about so we get to see it this week!! 

    I don't know if any of you remember but President challenged us to start the Book of Mormon and to finish it before December.  We started September 1st and I got so into it and I enjoyed it so much that I finished it this week!  The Book of Mormon is the best and reading it more like a story and not as scriptures really helped me and I learned so much. 

    This entire week we have had mission meetings every morning at 7:30!  It has been a struggle some days getting here on time but it is exciting as we are preparing for the Musical Fireside on Tuesday.  I wish you could be there it is going to be really cool!  We start the program with Called to Serve with the famous 3 verse that we have and we are all holding our country flags and it looks really cool!  It has been a lot of work but I cannot wait to see the finished product!

    One quick story of a good experience this week!  So my companion was on exchanges with the District Leader and so I was with her companion and we came across this guy and his wife, his 2 little kids, and his parents.  They asked us to do the pin drop in the Tabernacle and so we did and then we ended up talking with them and they wanted to go EVERYWHERE.  They were so energetic and such a fun family to be with.  We were at the Conference Center and the dad comes up to me and says well did my wife tell you our story?  I was like nope and he says well we just got baptized 2 weeks ago! Even though we had no influence on them joining the church it just made me think of the investigators that I have had the chance to teach that have accepted baptism.  The joy that they have and the joy that this family had just made me smile the rest of the day.  It made me think on how lucky we are to be members of this church.  This church is so hopeful and so full of joy and it is such a blessing to have it in our lives.  I think so many times we take it for granted to be raised in the church but it truly has made me think lately how grateful I am to have the gospel.  

    Thank you so much for all your words of encouragement and support.  I love all of you and am so grateful for the opportunity I have to be a missionary right now.  Have a wonderful week and mom...have so much fun with your little grand baby!!!

The church is true.

Love,

Sister Marsh

11/1/13

Hello hello!!!

    Well, this week has been really good. On Saturday President started reminding us about “Apostle Protocols” and what to do and not to do when we see one......then on Monday, Elder Oaks and his wife spoke to us!!!  Honestly, it was soo awesome.  I love seeing the apostles a little more relaxed and in a more secluded setting. The Oaks decided to do something a little bit different and they spoke to all of us at once.  They just built off of each other, and of course since we are missionaries, that is what they talked about........missionary work!  I left my notes at home, but one thing that they said that stuck out to me was, "All we need to know is the “fundamental principles” of the gospel.........the answers to the small details can come later.  I love this because I feel like so many of our investigators right now have testimonies about the Book of Mormon and about Joseph Smith and Jesus Christ, but they won't get baptized because of one little question that doesn't even matter is getting in the way.  It’s frustrating, but I was able to share with them what Elder Oaks said, and it helped them see that they know enough and they will grow and learn in time.  A couple of them were really opening up to baptism this week.......yay!!

     This week has basically been insane!  There were lots of meetings and random things this whole week; about rules and dress and grooming; and that wouldn't interest you; BUT we did have an awesome Halloween last night!!  Our mission presidency spoils us.  The Square closed at 5 yesterday and so we all stayed there, but changed into p-day clothes and went downstairs in the visitors center.  When we got downstairs there was a huge potato bar and salad bar and TONS of treats for us!  Then the Zone Leaders had a donut eating contest and whoever finished first, their zone got to eat first!  Then they made it very dramatic and suspenseful as to what movie we were going to watch afterwards........and we got to watch “Chronicles of Narnia”!!!  Seriously, the mission was basically screaming, and some of the sisters almost cried.......haha, we were so happy!!  It was the best thing to just sit and watch a normal movie.  So, we were all dead by the end of the night, but it was very fun.  I hope Halloween was fun for every one else!  

I want to see want baby Lizzie wore on Halloween! :) 

     Bad news!  It is supposed to snow soon :(  I am not looking forward to it; but I am excited for the month of December when the lights are all up!  They have been putting christmas lights on every individual branch of every tree since June.......no joke!  It is going to be so pretty; that’s the only part of winter that I am looking forward too.  Also, this next week is “Music from Temple Square”.  It is a big fireside that we invite our investigators and recent converts to come listen to.  The elders and sisters from the neighboring missions come as well, and try to bring people too.  The concert is put on by us,  so there will be a huge mission choir and lots of individual performances.  I am really excited because I heard it was a huge highlight for the mission last year, so I am looking forward to it!  Well thats all for this week!  Hope everyone is doing good.........Love you all!

The church is true.

Sister Marsh

Me and Sis.  Cardus on Halloween!   

Sister Brock, me and Sister Gee!  The only true bright blondes in the mission!

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