Monday, April 23, 2012

Create Success


Hello everyone-
A few personal notes- and a couple of successes this week:)
That is so crazy to hear that Matt already is an AP.  He is a great missionary!
That's crazy that James is serving so close to his family on his mission! He too will be a great missionary.  Hard work and service makes you happy.
I'm excited to see the pictures of the building! I'll be praying that you are able to move in this weekend! The office will do great there and I am sure dad will love the 2 minute drive or walk to work.
Oh something else I can think of that I'd like is Gummy worms. There is a gas station off of the 215 and Gibson. I think it's a speedee mart. it's right over there by Cassy and Evan's place.  They sell these gummy worms in a plastic bag with paper at the top. I can't remember what kind they are, but I LOVE those ones. I can't find them here anywhere.  Also, Could you maybe see about finding P90X in a paper form? possibly with photos. I am trying to look for something that I can do to work out that will cut down on my fat. The bottom of me looks great, because of the bikes... while the top is.....
This past week was a really great one. On Tuesday I went on Exchanges with Elder Crawford. He's a new missionary. We had one of the funniest experiences! HAHA This little girl probably 8 or 9  comes creeping up to us like crouched down and was acting almost like gollum off of Lord of The Rings. She was hunched down and in a loud whisper voice she said "You punched my friend in her face! I'm going to RIP you apart!" then we said "What?" and she said again in the same creepy loud whisper voice "YOU PUNCHED ..... IN THE FACE!! I'M GOING TO KILL YOU!!!!" We looked at each other and said "We didn't do anything." then she stands up and in a normal voice she said "OH! oh! Sorry guys!" then she ran off! HAHAHAHA it was the funniest thing!
This last weekend we had I.....'s  baptism, Saturday. It was great! Elder Rose baptized her and then on Sunday I confirmed her. She was so cute on the stairs before she went into the water she looked up at elder Rose and whispered "I'm nervous!" It was really exciting to see how happy her family was for her to get baptized.
This Next weekend we have J..'s baptism on the 29th after Church on Sunday. He is so ready to get baptized. He knows the gospel so well! I can not wait.
I can't think of anything else that has happened.
I'm dying from allergies here. It is getting really bad.
Love,
Elder Marshall
PS here is a talk ans a thought :)

Create success
                                                                Elder M. Russell Ballard
     Our time in the mission field is short but eternally important. As we examine the mission field, we see that some missionaries succeed to a great degree and others seem to stumble along, trying to stay enthusiastic, but somehow not obtaining the results which they desire. What makes the difference between a highly successful missionary that baptizes regularly and a missionary that seldom baptizes? Through examining the trends in the missions, we find that it is not the area, it is not the people, and it is not the time of year. Instead it is the attitude of the missionaries and their ability to utilize and apply the talents that they possess. We know that a missionary with a good attitude produces good results; fair attitude, fair results; poor attitude, poor results. The missionary with a good attitude works with the people and not through them. 

     Ability means nothing to a missionary if it is not used. The greatest men came to the top because the strength that grew out of meeting resistance. Self-deceptions are responsible for more then three-fourths of all the so-called “unexplained failures” in the mission field. Many missionaries in the race for success explain their shortcomings as they do in the game of bowling. If they fail to win, something was wrong with the ally, the pins, their arms, their members, their companions, their areas, etc. etc. The trouble is never themselves. Of all the distinguished failures, those who deserve the least sympathy are the ones who gather in foolish little cliques, praise each other, deceive each other, criticize others, and fool themselves. They say, “I am not appreciated.” “I have had bad luck all my mission. Others have had a better chance.” “I wish I could have the fortune of Elder ‘success.’” A fireball missionary starts when an investigator says “no!” This is a plain and simple concept but very true. 

     Do not be a missionary who complains about his companion his leaders, and his burdens. Instead be a missionary who can be placed in any area and in any set of circumstances and be relied on to set things right. Become a creator of circumstances instead of a creature of circumstances. 

     Success does not depend on the message, but on the messenger. We each learn that failure and excuses go together, so we must learn to get away from excuses. Dull or slow months are for dull missionaries, so remember that sharp missionaries don’t have any. 

     This is why success is not luck. It can be predicted and followed each day into a successful week, year, and mission. Live one day at a time as though it where a building block. Do each day what should be done that day, and do not under-work, because that brings on the “bad luck” and slumps. 

     By being able to control what we put in this mind of ours, we determine our own lives. “as we sow, so shall we reap.” We can see how important it is to sow the right beginning thoughts. Another interesting fact about our minds is that we can only entertain one thought at a time. Therefore, your destiny may be determined by one single thought, and it is up to you whether you make it positive or negative. Think baptism and you will baptize. Your actions, attitude, mission, and life will be directed by your thoughts.

     Whatever the mind of man can conceive and believe, it can achieve. If you can’t see yourself baptizing, then you probably never will. A desire does not come from practical knowledge, but it comes from compulsions and obsessions. Desire leads to a goal, and it is the starting point of all achievement. The power of definite desire is beyond all practical goals that use no emotion. We need to get involved emotionally in our goal to baptize. Who will baptize next? The mission field is successful only to successful missionaries.

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