Wednesday, October 17, 2012

Staying in Clovis

October 15
Hello everyone,
 
That is great to hear about Austin going to the temple! I am happy things went well for him there. 

I will make sure to pray for grandma. It is so crazy to think that the veil is so thin right before we pass, I bet she is seeing many people and hopes she will be able to tell them we love and miss them. I know that we are really right here living with our kindred dead. It is something we really don't think about or realize until we are right there by someone who is ready to pass.

I can't think to much about what I remember about Grandma...I was always to enthralled with grandpa, and didn't pay much attention to her, except when I was watching her before I left. I know she had to be a wonderful woman because grandpa wouldn't want any less than the best. She was not always the easiest to be around, but I know she had a great heart and a strong testimony.  She always had the best intentions. She loved hanging out with her friends and laughing. I remember one time at the cabin we were watching conference and she fell asleep.  We thought it would be funny to change the change make her watch UFC fighting with us, and she was completely against it at first, and then a couple minutes later she was TOTALLY into it! BITE HIM! BITE HIM! KICK HIM! hahaha We all laughed and she cheered the whole way through. 

I am staying with Elder Pennington :) I am excited. We are getting a 3rd companion though.  We will work hard to make it work. The area is also splitting again. I am not happy about it because Elder Pennington and I have worked so hard to get referrals and gain trust with the members, and now everyone we are teaching may go to the new elders coming in the area.. We'll see how everything goes. We will be moving again. I will make sure to get you the address of our new place. We are thinking we are going to be moved in with a member. I am glad that Elder Pennington and I are staying together. He is definitely one of my favorite companion.

I haven't gotten the absentee ballot thing yet, but I should be getting it soon. I want to vote!

Things are going great in the area right now! We are receiving so many referrals. The members love to have us over. We are getting people to church, and have several people ready to get baptized. I am excited to have those we are teaching gain the blessings that we have as members. We have a couple people that we were working with ask us to come back and teach them. We can not wait to continue with them.

I love you,
Elder Marshall

Right after getting this letter Elder Marshall's grandma Marshall passed away in her sleep.  We were able to call and speak with him about her.  He remember more things about her and expressed his gratitude for having such wonderful grandparents.  He also bore his testimony of the plan of salvation. He knows he will see both of his grandparents again one day.  She will be missed.

Monday, October 15, 2012

Conference was superb

October 8
Hello to my family and friends---
This past week was a little difficult, but very inspiring. My companion was really really sick. We still went out every single day and worked as hard as we could. He didn't let it slow him down. We were able to receive referrals from members and see a lot of success with all of those we are working with. There is a guy we are working with who has done chewing tobacco since he was 11. We gave him a triple combo and he said he was reading through the D&C and he opened up to section 89, and realized right then that Joseph Smith was a prophet and that he needed to live the Word of Wisdom! HOW COOL IS THAT! I am super excited for him.

I want to go to a business college and own a business because I feel like I will do well in that area. I just don't know what business I would open. But where do I go to college. I may be far away from going home, but I am tired of small planning and unsure living. I want to have a game plan of what I am going to do with the rest of my life, and I don't know where to start or what to do. I like planning ahead.  I will stop thinking about it until it is time to come home but will you look into some colleges?  I am fine with going to school a semester down at CSN. It would help me get back onto my feet and get me back into the swing of things.

My allergies are fair. I am tired of worrying about them, and I do not want to really bother anyone about them.

Saturday we find out about transfers... I really hope that Elder Pennington and I stay together. We are finally getting the wards trust, and have had several members tell us that they will be extremely upset if they whitewash us out. I know that we aren't the most perfect set of missionaries, but we work extremely hard. Elder Pennington goes home half way through next transfer. He wants to be home for Thanksgiving. He will miss 3 if he goes home after the transfer.

In the picture our neighbor posted on facebook we were in our apartment complex deep frying. We use to have parties on a regular basis to get to know the people we live with and plant seeds. We didn't think much would happen through them, but a lot of people are open to talking to the missionaries now. :)

That is crazy that Jon comes home so soon. It does seem like only the other day we were selling his truck. 

This week was a bit difficult. Elder Pennington was extremely sick, but he didn't let it stop him from working. We still went out to every teaching appointment, and went out as much as we possibly could to visit part member families or our investigators. We are doing our best to push them towards baptism. We feel like they are all ready to get baptized. Hopefully soon we will see them get baptized.


Conference was superb. I really enjoyed it. This is the first time I have had a comp where we talk about it as it goes or between speakers.

Saturday we had a couple miracles. We got 2 referrals from the talk about "ask the missionaries". It was SO great. They are very genuine people and are extremely excited about learning about the church. We see them having great success.

Mom, it makes me really happy to see Robles and Simpson get excited about getting mail. Thanks for emailing and sending notes in the mail! Thanks to Jessica too!

My suits are both looking great. I am not to worried about them. The black on we bought before I came out is in pristine condition. I get it cleaned regularly and I really only wear it to meetings. Then I take it off. I have a small nick on the cuff of one of my legs, but I am going to get that fixed soon. I really can't think of much I want or need. I will keep in mind that Christmas is coming up and come up with something you could send :)  I don't know what I want. I am pretty content with what I have. I really don't need anything more. But gift cards are fun!

Love,
Elder Marshall

Monday, October 8, 2012

Miracles happen when you work

October 1
Hey there!

It is cooling off here. We are under 100 most days, and I am loving it. We are excited for the temp change.

Things are going great with Elder Pennington and I. Our investigators that we can keep in constant contact with are doing great!  We had a church tour with one this past week he loved the church. He is very excited to get baptized soon. We are working on getting him to church with his work schedule, but hopefully soon he will come. We are thinking about how we can get him to get enough sleep to be rested for church and safe enough to drive. He is a delivery guy. Probably the funniest one EVER! We laugh with him almost the whole time we are together.

We had a miracle last night. We were able to teach someone we thought would take months to get to meet. We have an eternigator here in the ward. She has been wanting to be a member of the church for years! She has to get married before she can get baptized. She and her Common law husband have been together for 10 years and have 2 kids. Really can't talk them into moving into separate homes... definitely not good for the kids... So we went over to have a lesson with her, and she wasn't home just yet, but her Husband was outside on the phone! We were in luck! So she showed up like  a minute later and invited us in. Usually the husband will get off the phone and go straight to the back of the house and not talk to us at all. So he came in a couple minutes later and sat down on the couch! That was our first time going together and he came in and talked to us! We hit it off really well telling jokes and having a good conversation. We talked to them about getting married and the blessings that come from being married. We told them that they would be more blessed by keeping the commandments. We talked to them about signing the papers so she could get baptized. Then we talked to him about taking the lessons, and he said he would be interested in meeting with us some more! We are excited for this family! They are the hardest to work with and we are making great leaps. We are very excited for them.

Well, That's about all that is going on.

Thank you for the updates on everything going on.

I bet Brittany is ready to give birth. hahaha Most of the women in our ward are prego, well use to be a lot of them gave birth recently. Babies everywhere

I can't believe how much the grocery bill has changed since Tyler and I left, over a hundred dollars! I know we ate a lot. I have had to change a lot on what I buy to make it through the month. It is not easy having the and other necessities we need on our budget. We have to really pay attn to what we buy. It will go down again soon when Austin leaves.

I love you. Tell Austin to really prepare himself to go to the temple. I know I was not totally ready to go. I know that if he starts to study the temple prep book and really get ready to go he will love his first time through.

Love,
Elder Marshall