8/18/14

FAMILY!!!!

     Well this week started off great!  We had Mission Leadership Council Tuesday.  I love President Poulsen.  He is incredible.  I look up to him so much and he is a wonderful teacher.  But he talked a little bit about the Spirit and about revelation.  Something he said really stuck with me he said, “No one can be baptized and receive the Holy Ghost and NOT receive revelations.  The Holy Ghost is a revelator.” I think sometimes we don’t always know or recognize if we are receiving revelations or not.  But my personal opinion is that if we are doing the right things and doing everything we are supposed to do, when we receive impressions they are coming from God.  The church of Jesus Christ has ALWAYS been led by revelation. I learned so much at MLC, but I will share one more thing.  Sister Briggs the AP said something that I really liked.  She shared a dream that she had had a couple nights before.  She said it was the 2^nd coming in her dream and Christ was there and talking and helping everyone and teaching, but when he came to her all she wanted to do was hold his hand and feel the prints in his hands.  As she talked about it I thought of how Jesus Christ did EVERYTHING he promised he would do.  He promised he would come to earth to be our Savior and Redeemer.  I have never thought of it before, but we are told that we will have perfected bodies when we are resurrected, but why then are Christ’s scars still on his hands, feet, and sides? I believe it is so that when we all meet Jesus Christ again that we will know that it is really Him.  We will be able to feel the prints in his hands and know that He did what He said He would do.  I also think that as a missionary, I need to be doing the things that I am preaching just like the Savior did and do the things that I said I would do.  If I am going to ask my investigators and people I meet on the square to come closer to Christ, I better be doing the same thing.  The sisters and those I am talking to are looking at my hands.   Good reminder for me J

     No way!  This day (Wednesday) was INSANE!  First off this morning around 10:00 no one was responding to take the Flagpole tour so we just took it even though we had a lot of office stuff to do, well we are having a good ‘ole tour and at our last place this guy just interrupts and says, “Guests I just want to let you know that I received my answer.  I KNOW that this church is the true church.  I just want to tell everyone right now!  Please listen to these sisters that are taking you around.” Sister Hansen and I just were like uhhh ok thank you for your testimony and he just walked away and our tour group was like alright cool! Anyway then I just made the biggest fool out of myself! So we were downstairs in our office and this guy walked by in a suit, looking like he knew what he was doing but NO ONE knew who he was.  Well I knew he looked familiar and that I had met him before but didn’t know how or why I knew him...so being the dumb person that I am I say, “You look familiar what is your name?” and he says, “I am Elder Watson, I have come here before”.  COOL!  Just asked a Quorum of the Seventy what his name was! Imma a LOSER!  He was the Seventy in Asia and he just got released...maybe that is why I don’t remember him anymore... wink wink!  Then we have our Westgate shift.  Westgate you have the CRAZIEST things happen.  First off you are trying to find sisters for all these unscheduled tours and it is so hectic and then you have the guests that come to the window and then sisters not responding to take the tours so it’s a little bit hard not to want to scream WELL then storming to our window comes this lady and her baby.  She starts to scream and yell, “I want to be EXCOMMUNICATED how can I do that? I just hate the church, I hate everyone in the church, and everyone is rude.  They teach you to help everyone and to serve everyone and yet they treat me like I am a beggar.” She keeps going for like 15 minutes about how she paid her tithing for 28 years straight and went to church and NO blessings came and she just NEVER wants to have ANYTHING to do with the church AGAIN!  She is crying and yelling and Sister Hansen and I are just dying like NO WAY!!! Both of our phones are ringing nonstop and we are ignoring all of it trying to figure out what in the heck to say to this lady.  Well we tell her to talk to her bishop and she says NO! Can I talk to security?  SO I call security and they all come and they try and help the lady.  The crazy story ended quite nicely though.  The security here on Temple Square is amazing.  They all are priesthood men and they talked to her and calmed her down and told her what they should do to receive help and NOT to remove her records.  She ended up calm, not crying anymore and asked to see the Joseph Smith movie! J YAY for security! Well that was rough....then about 15 minutes later this Chinese family of like 15 people come in a PANIC to my window.  The family speaks NO ENGLISH except the little 10 year old girl who has very broken English.  Well she keeps translating for her mom and she says, “I need a hospital.” And pointed to the TINIEST TINIEST little splinter that has a little puss over it... mom you would have LAUGHED OUT LOUD it was like a tiny scratch.  Well they were all around the little boy and panicking thinking that her boy is going to die and so they ask for a medical guy to come...so what do I do? Call security again.  It’s cool though the SAME EXACT security guards came and are like NO WAY these sisters are trouble, but they talk to the family having a translator with them and one security guard says, “I can give you a band aid” I was trying so hard to not laugh and have the family see me, but he ended up having them go to the pharmacy to get a needle to poke the little area and to just get the splinter out.  Apparently he got a splinter at Yellowstone and didn’t get it out so it started to get infected/ have puss around it and the mom thought her son was not going to live!  NO WAY I just can’t even believe it.  I thought of you the whole time Mom, knowing that you would have laughed so hard and been like, “You are going to be just fine, put a band aid on and you will be ok.” UNREAL this 3 hour shift was the craziest thing ever!  An eventful day to say the least!!!!

     Today (Thursday) was the best!  Jackie Sweeney is my favorite person in the world.  Jackie is a newly reactivated member that every sister here knows.  I have never had the chance to really talk to her for very long, but she means so much to all the sisters and she made the biggest impact on me today.  She told Sister Hansen and I that from the first time she met us (not as companions) that she prays for 10 sisters by name from our mission and that we are 2 of them!  She started going inactive from the time she was 12-18 and just now is active again.  She went to school with Zac and Emily.  After we made the connection she told me that Emily was one of her best friends in her eyes her senior year.  Despite the things she was choosing to do, Emily was always so sweet and loving to her and inviting her to church activities.  Not only was it special for me because she was talking about my sister-n-law, but it was a testimony to me about being an example.  We might not be serving a mission full time, and we may not be inviting our friends to meet with missionaries, but loving them, being an example, and continuing to invite others including members to activities can have an incredible impact on someone.  Jackie’s life now has forever changed.  She RADIATES when you see her and talk to her.  She is all about doing good and serving God’s children.  I love her and I love talking to her.  It has helped me realize that if you truly let the gospel into your life, it can change you forever.  I have seen that so many times on my mission and with so many people I have taught, that if they sincerely let the gospel help them and let the Atonement of Jesus Christ heal them, they are completely changed. The gospel blesses lives and the gospel brings miracles.  I love this gospel and I love being a part of God’s work.  Lately, everyone has been asking me how much longer I have on my mission and it has made me so sad.  I always want to be a missionary. Missionary work has changed my life and I love getting to serve and teach everyone I meet more about the gospel of Jesus Christ.  My testimony has been strengthened so much and I can’t imagine not wanting to share this for the rest of my life. It has changed me forever being on the Lord’s errand. 

     I love this gospel and I love my mission with all my heart!  Have a wonderful week!  CONGRATS NATE and MCCALL!!!  I love you all!  

The church is true.

Love,

   Sister Mindy Marsh

7/7/14

Family!

     Hello hello!!  I hope you enjoyed the 4th of July!  Have so much fun at the family reunion...I am sad I have to miss it, but I will be there next time!  I love you all!!

     Tuesday- MLC! We learned so much and in so many different categories. But I think something that stuck out to me was that I need to have my goals instilled within me so my desires to achieve them increase! I think so many times I make goals write them down even, but then never look at that paper again.  So I am trying a new thing to have my goals written on every day in my planner because I look at that ALL day and to tell my goals to Sister Gee so that she can remind me and help me!  Sister Briggs did a training as well that I loved.  Because the meeting was for district leaders and zone leaders we talked a lot about helping the sisters in our districts and zones.  We talked about how we should not be “correcting”, but helping the sisters more so they can be better.  We also talked about unity.  I thought about how important unity is in missionary work.  It is almost impossible to be effective with your companion if you are not united and there is a road block somewhere.  I also think that it helps in our districts and zones as well.  We set goals as districts and zones and I think that when we are all united in our goals and all working together for the same purpose it is much more powerful and we accomplish and become much more effective.  My favorite thing that stood out to me was what President said.  He said, “If we always do what we’ve always done, we will get what we’ve always had.”  I love this.  I think on my mission I have noticed more than ever that I have so many weaknesses and that my mission is a place that I can change and I can use the Atonement to be better.  Change is such a good thing and as we use it to improve our lives we will receive more than we ever have.  But I think in missionary work it is so true as well.  If we aren’t seeing results as much as we would like to and we don’t change something about the way we do missionary work or approach it, then our results will never change.  It is something so easy yet sometimes we forget and don’t change anything. I love it!

     Wednesday- Zone Leadership Council on the 26th Floor of the Church Office Building! First off it was fun to be in the COB and on the 26th floor.  President shared with us more about the New Mission President Seminar that he went to recently and also the changes that the 12 Apostles have added to Preach My Gospel.  One thing that was really stressed is enduring to the end.  We talked about the baptismal covenant because the number of people joining the church is high but the number of them going to the temple and staying active is not the same. It made me realize how important it is to teach and make sure that my investigators understand the covenant and promise that they make at baptism.  It is a covenant that will bring them many blessings, but they have an obligation and they have things they have to do in return.  They need to be going to church and living the commandments.  Joining the church requires effort on their part.  This is something that I want to stress with my investigators, that they truly understand what the baptismal covenant requires on their part.  President said it best, “The convert should be converted to the gospel not the missionary, but the friendship with the missionary should last forever.”  It’s so true.  You want the investigator to be converted not because of you but because THEY love the gospel.  

     Thursday- We had a nice Relief Society about the 4th of July and then we picked up t-shirts for GIRLS CAMP at BRIGHTON this Saturday!!  I am so excited to do it again this year!  It has been a big event in planning for me and Sister Gee but I am excited and the shirts are sooo legit!!!  

Friday-

     Happy 4th of July!!! Today was soo awesome!  It is soo fun to see all the sisters even though they are not from America dress up in Red White and Blue! Everyone looked SO good!  Also the best part was Pres. Harman had J DAWGS cater for lunch and man it was so yummy!  Made Sister Gee and I feel like we were back at BYU! 

     Well I am running out of time today!  The mission is great!  I love it and I love Sister Gee!

Remember the church is true.

Sister Mindy Marsh

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

5/28/14

Hi All,

I loved Mindy’s letter today because she shared some really great counsel that she received during a recent training session with Elder Clarke. 

She is so lucky to be taught frequently by these general authorities with incredible wisdom and experience, and I’m so glad she shares it with us!

Happy summer everyone!

Karen

     Wednesday- MISSION TOUR!!!! Elder Clarke is incredible.....that's all I can say. I hope that I will be able to apply everything he taught us in my mission, and also when I get home. I think so much of what he taught is so important to us staying good, successful members of the church throughout our whole life. One of the major things he talked about was the Book of Mormon. He told us that we HAVE to be reading the BOM! He said that the ONE thing that will cause someone to become less active is when they stop reading from the BOM. He also mentioned that the other day he was at a good family friends’ house for dinner.  They were all talking about their favorite books and how much they enjoyed reading them everyday. He observed and told us that he was devastated and very sad that no one said their favorite book was the Book of Mormon.  That made me think about the books I enjoy, (even though I don't like to read :)) and wondered if I would say that one of my favorite books is the Book of Mormon?  But I think it should be!  I have decided to really sincerely immerse myself in reading. I read daily, but I want to love the Book of Mormon so much that I would honestly tell someone that it is my favorite! 

     He also encouraged us after our missions to make sure we read the Book of Mormon with our families and our future families; because it will fix families. He said he lives by the quote, "Love problems...Love life!" He said you have to love problems.......they happen to all of us, and they happen a lot.  So, if we HATE problems then we are going to HATE our lives. I like that! Last time when he came in December, he talked a lot about Chapter 8 in Preach My Gospel; Using Time Wisely. This chapter is amazing! He not only related this to our missionary work, but our careers after our missions. He talked about 3 things

    1. Vision: We have to have a better vision than everyone else or we won't be better or more successful than anyone else. He told us we need to have a higher vision than our boss, so that you will never be fired and you will always make your boss happy!  :)

     2. Goals: He said we HAVE to have goals on our mission, but we HAVE to have daily, weekly, monthly, and yearly, goals AFTER our missions too. He showed us a card that he keeps in his pocket that has his goals for that day. That is the only thing he carries in his pocket and it is planned for each hour. I think what I liked the most though, was he said that our goals need to come from US. If they come from your mission president or from your boss, they won't matter to you. But if they come from YOU, they will mean so much more and you will TRY to accomplish them, and you will DO it!

     3. Accountability: He stressed how important it is to be accountable to someone (companion), yourself, and the Lord. He brought up how in the Temple when Jesus Christ and Adam created the earth, they go and report back to Heavenly Father after every single time. He said that some of us might think it’s repetitive and takes up a lot of time, and he said it would cut the whole temple session in half if you took the reporting out. He said it makes an important point though, that it is so important to report and to be accountable to the Lord. He also said they never ONCE went back and told Heavenly Father they were only able to finish half of their goal;  they always accomplished ALL of it! We should do the same. We should not finish our day until those goals are accomplished; just like Nephi when he was commanded to build the ship he didn’t say, “Yes I will try”, but rather he always went and DID IT!

     Let’s just say that I learned SO much and although I felt like my missionary work was going pretty well; now I have a lot of new ideas that I want to implement!  I want to just go out and work soooo hard and do all of these things, and see how it changes the work :) 

     Thursday- ONE YEAR!!!! Wow so weird! Honestly, the day was not extra special or interesting at all.  One great thing that did happen though was Benson came to Temple Square to listen to the Mormon Tabernacle Choir practice so we were able to visit with him. He is amazing and is seeing the elders regularly and is EXTREMELY excited about getting baptized! He is like another Ben and I feel so blessed that people that are this prepared are being put in my path so that I can teach them and help them learn more about the Church. 

     Friday- The Humanitarian Center was DEAD! Not one tour came in and I had all these appointments with investigators in Africa.  But the electricity was down in Africa because of the storms, so I wasn’t able to talk to ANY of them! I did call this guy who someone transferred to me and he is from Sudan.....…(another African) and he is so excited and so receptive! He wants to learn so bad so I am super excited to start teaching another African!  

     Saturday- Today was a great day! I got to see Nate and Sara Perk and our future cousin McCall. They were at a friend’s wedding. Also, we finally got a hold of Liberia! We were getting a little worried and praying so hard that the investigators would do well and I was trying to put all my trust in God, and my prayers were answered. Everyone was doing well and everyone is still progressing very well! The best thing happened; Ben went to the temple for baptisms!!! He loved it so much and felt the Spirit so strong and told me that it was so special and he learned so much and could feel the Spirit of the pioneers. He said he could feel of the love and all the hardship and sacrifice that the pioneers went through. I am so happy and it was the best thing to have a recent convert go to the temple!!!  

     Sunday- Exchanges the whole day! We went to Music and the Spoken Word and it was incredible. They had a special program for Memorial Day and wow! We had such a fun tour of 50 people from a family reunion and the family was SO cute! They were all members, and they were so interactive and participated in everything; even the kids and teenagers. We had one of the kids volunteer and we asked him to bear his testimony. It was so sweet and the mom told me afterwards that she had never heard him bear his testimony before.  Then we had 4 of the other little kids sing, “I am a Child of God” on the stage in the Tabernacle, and at the end we invited the grandparents to share their testimonies to the whole extended family. It was so much fun! We also had a lesson with Bobby and Ben helped us. Even though he is such a new member, he was wonderful. He bore a powerful testimony and told him that “Baptism is the greatest thing that he can do in his life right now and that he will be blessed so much if he follows in the path of Jesus Christ”!  GO BEN!

     Monday- Another lesson with Bobby today and Ben helped again! We taught the Word of Wisdom and Bobby is awesome…....he already lives the Word of Wisdom. We told him herbal tea was okay but to stay away from black teas....…it was so cute; he said he didn’t know what black tea was :) Then Benson came to the Square so we could teach him. He is incredible! I wish all of you could meet these people in real life, they are 100x better in person.  Anyway, we had a really good lesson about baptism, priesthood, marriage, faith and the law of chastity.....…it was a long lesson and we talked about SO many things.  All Benson could say was, “This church is amazing and it is so smart and teaches and blesses everyone!”  So, pray for him that Satan will not get in his way for his baptism in 2 weeks. He needs the prayers more than ever since his baptism is so close and Satan is going to try and do everything to not have it happen. I have faith and Benson has faith that nothing will go wrong. He is very strong and not worried! 

     Good news, our friend Osazee (the one we were only able to e-mail because he was traveling in the US), went back to Nigeria yesterday. I was finally able to connect with him today and he has been reading the Book of Mormon and is SO excited for us to teach him more!!  It was a wonderful day because I gained another African investigator! 

     I am ONLY going to teach Africans the rest of my mission I already decided! :) But seriously I LOVE AFRICA!! I love you all and hope that everything is going well! CONGRATS on graduation Clara and happy Summer break! 

The church is true.

Sister Mindy Marsh

Mom, Dad, Clara or Krissy, I know this might be a weird request, but I would love for you to send an email or a letter to Sister Ye my last companion. When Elder Clarke was here he had all the sisters stand up who are from North America who get emails and letters from their parents each week. Then he had all the sisters stand up who don’t get letters or emails form their families at all, and Sister Ye stood up. Her family does not support her at all and they hate the church and that she came on a mission. There were about 8 sisters in the mission who stood up and then he had all the North American sisters stand up again and he said it is our responsibility to have our families adopt them and write them…...it made me just cry so much to think how I would feel if I didn’t have the support from my parents, my siblings, extended family and friends. I think that Sister Ye would love to receive a letter from you. We are very close now and from being her last companion I feel an obligation to help her and to love her. If you would please do that I would be so grateful! You know the mailing address because it is the same as mine and her email is: xiaoce.ye@myldsmail.net thank you. I love you!