Hey Everyone!
This week has been full of fun and
exciting news and experiences. Since the beginning of this transfer, we've
found quite a few new investigators that are interested in the gospel. One
includes Rocillo and her family. We had a lesson with her Monday night with her
nephew Omar and her grandma Socurro that live in Mexico. We taught the plan of
salvation and answered a few questions they had about the pre-earth life and
the difference between a spirit and a soul. We are meeting with them tonight
and hopefully receive their information so they can continue receiving the
missionaries in Mexico. With my new companion being a district leader, we've
gone on exchanges a couple times when he had meetings or to have interviews
with the other missionaries in our district. I went on exchanges with Elder
Hernandez, who is my grandfather in the mission. (He trained my trainer Elder
Ditton). He's from El Salvador and he's been serving in his area forever. All
the members of the ward are in love with him. Many of the ward events planned
for this week are too give him a farewell party as he leaves at the end of this
transfer. Anyway we had a really great lesson with a lady named Ita and we were
close to having her accept a baptismal invitation after teaching about the gospel
of Christ. I learned a lot about teaching with Elder Hernandez as he's a very
natural teacher and I wasn't hard for him to ask her to be baptized. As a
mission we are working a lot this week on the FUNDAMENTALS of missionary work,
and one includes the Doctrine of Christ which focuses on extending the
baptismal invitation in the very first lesson with a new investigator. This
really helps as we quickly address with our investigators that our purpose is
to help them come unto Christ which includes baptism. This week has been
special because I had 2 opportunities to invite our investigators to be
baptized. One was with Paula and her 95 year old mother Graciela who we met my
second day in Silverlake. But she's one of the "prepared" people how
address to us that she loved the Book of Mormon and the Restoration pamphlet
that we gave her. She took time on her own to find out about what it takes to
get baptized, and she read from Moroni 6 about not baptizing children until
they're eight. She really liked it. She told us directly that she wants to join
our church, even though we didn't teach anything or come to church yet! SO
PREPARED. We planning to have her and her mother be baptized the 5th of August.
She couldn't come this Sunday because she works really late at a rehabilitation
facility. She's coming this next Sunday and we hope to teach her a couple more
times this week as well. That's not all. This past Friday we had a lesson as
well with Luis, 21 year old who's been working hard to get his GED. My Companion
Elder Blackham and his past companion had been teaching him for about a month,
and he has shown a lot of interest in what we have to share. He's changed his
life around so he could be more responsible to take care of his family and to
prepare himself for the future. We were on exchanges again, and Elder Rodriguez
(who came into the mission the same day as me) taught him the plan along with
one of the young men in our ward Dave. It was a very spiritual experience even
though we did in a stairwell to an apartment. We invited him to be baptized and
he accepted. We're excited for him; the only thing that might impede him is
that he plays soccer on Sunday, so we are looking forward to teach him more
about the Sabbath Day. Basically the work has skyrocket here in this area, we
going to keep working hard to get our investigators to progress. The other
great thing about this area is the Ward. Barrio Cuarto is very organized and
very active. Last Friday, we had a missionary dinner at the church building
with all the members who are involved with missionary work; the ward mission
leader, gospel principles teachers, ward missionaries, quorum presidents,
relief society, bishopric. I'm excited to get to work with more members because
they are the key to accelerating the work.
Anyway, I'm been
having a lot of fun. My companion and I are very similar in personality but we
are very different in height. He's super tall 6'7! The Spanish is going well, I
don't know many words, but one way or another I can carry out a lengthy
conversation. I'm obviously still working on it, but I feel very comfortable
teaching and it's the best part about the mission. I'm back in a car area, so
I'm not biking as much and the members that feed us here, stuff us up. I love Latino
food, but man they make so much! Elder Blackham and I are working on running
more in the morning so hopefully we don't gain weight. Last I checked I was
still 135, hopefully it’s the same! The weather here is a little different than
it was in my last area as I was closer to the beach. Now I'm nearer the city
and there's more concrete and blacktop to absorb the heat. It's gotten to the
90s but it's not humid at all so I can deal with it.
Anyway that's all folks. I love this work and its helping me
become a more bold and fearless person. 2 Tim 1: 7 says "For God hath not
given us the spirit of fear but of power, and of a sound mind" I feel God
working miracles inside me and with the people we met. HOW GREAT IS MY CALLING!
OS AMO TANTO!!!!!!
PS. I can't believe I'm almost 1/4 through my mission
AHHHHH!!!!
Elder Marrott
Dad: Elder Blackham lives on the other side of state street
near 800 N and 400E by Provo Canyon. He said that they teared the whole school
down except the field house. Thanks for the info about the All-star game. I
forgot all about it. Yeah TONY! Try to
get Phil’s Ecuador address, I probably won't get send my letter to him before
he get's out of the MTC.
Mom: I haven't got your other letter yet but I'll get it
soon. Thanks for the photos of Cam's wedding everyone looked awesome! Keep up
with your running and the sales
Kurt: Happy Birthday! I'm going to try to get a letter to
you soon. Keep your head up.
Aubrie: Sorry I will try to write to you soon.
Missy and Ryan: I hope you all are doing well thanks for
keeping up my blog!
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