Successful Week!

Hey Everyone!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

        I"M SOOOOOOOOOO HAAPPYY!!!!!! This week was so great because so many good things are happening in my area and on my mission. I've never been happier in my life. But I guess I have to share the sad news first. My Ward Mission Leader Bishop Madrid has been struggling with health problems as of late and during sacrament meeting, he felt uneasy and had to go to the hospital. He's been such a fireball for missionary work since I've been in this area and he's such a great mentor to me. I would ask everyone who reads this to pray for him. He's the greatest spiritual giant you will ever meet. On Saturday, I when on exchanges with him, just he and I to a less actives home. He had no obligation to visit him but he just wanted to, it shows what a great man he is. It so happened that this man was baptized a couple years back by an elder from St Louis Elder Clark (don't know him) and also happens to be a crazy St Louis Cardinals fan. We got off really well. Hopefully we can get him activated again. He's suffered effects from a car wreck a couple months ago. Anyway there were several things this week that made it one of the best. 1) We had a lesson with Frank and Alicia again and had their member friends from Long Beach over to help us teach the Carmonas. Hna Carmona is super nice to the missionary as she feeds 12 missionaries every Saturday in the ward she attends. She told us of how grateful she is for the gospel. Frank and Alicia have great respect for this lady, so it was easy to share the message with them. It was funny we were talking about music and how we as missionaries don't listen to the radio. Hna Carmona mentioned that us members of the church try to listen to clean music, but told us that she a big fan of Pitbull. :) We also got a referral from a member visiting from Mexico and has brought her nephew and his wife to church. The nephew Eduardo is a less active of 8 years and he's wanted to return so he can raise his young family in the gospel. We watched Together Forever at his apartment with all his family and they knew that it was true. We are excited for all of his family and their decision to come back. Also we had a mini missionary come with us for this weekend a 17 year young man named Jhorrdy from Huntington Park, and he recently got baptized in October. We had fun teaching him about missionary life and having him help us teach some of our investigators. He has a strong testimony and he helped us out a lot. When we went to drop him back off in Downey, the missionaries that were serving in one of my prior areas Silverlake up in Hollywood came up and told me that one of the investigators that I found there in October Ana Monzon is going to be baptized this next Sunday and she wanted me to give a talk at here baptismal service. I was so excited as it will be my first investigator that will be baptized that my companion Elder Walker and I found. I'm ecstatic! Things are so good!

Quote of the week!

Many blessing come soon, some come much later in life, and others don't even come in this life, perhaps they come in the next, but for those who believe in the Lord Jesus Christ, they come.

           Jeffery R Holland

Os amo tanto!

Elder Marrott

One Year Mark!

Hey Everyone,

    This past week has been great, but it’s going to be quite monumental this coming week. On Friday Feb 8th I hit my one year mark on my mission. WHAT! Some days I can't believe it’s been a year already, other days not as much. But nonetheless it’s been a fantastic year, by far one of the best years of my life.  Looking back and see the changes I've made in my life to grow and the experiences that have refined to get at the point where I am. I give thanks to all my family, friends here in LA and at home who have helped me and prayed for me. I'm excited to know that I still have another year left to make an impact on the great people here in Los Angeles. The highlights of this past week is on Tuesday we had a zone activity here some missionaries got together to play sport and a little obstacle course game that the Zone Leaders set up. I was nice to do as many Elders in the zone were going to move to different areas the next day. Our zone did great work this past month, and thing seem to keep looking better. On Wednesday we had a great lesson with a couple Frank and Alicia again. We attempted to teach the Restoration to them but something prompted us to focus more on their understanding of the gospel. Frank shared with his life experiences that has helped him to God especially after being in Jail for 15 years. Alicia talked about her brother who was a drug addict who overdosed was dead for a week but stayed on life-support, came back to life, fully recovered and now is a Christian pastor. They had so many stories to share and I felt like we have gotten closer to us and trust us by sharing those stories with us. It was a cool story how the Elders found them. Well first, Alicia has a friend who is a member in Long Beach and for Christmas, she invited Alicia and her husband to a Ward dinner. They enjoyed it their time there, but no arrangements were made to send the missionaries to teach them. Then on New Year’s Day, Elder Low and his companion before me, Elder Harper, we driving up to the mission home to drop off Elder Harper, because he was being sent home because of his health. Before heading up, he told Elder Low he needed to tract one more street before he went home. They so happened to knock on Frank and Alicia's door. They were stunned because they thought someone from Long Beach sent the missionaries to them. We told this story to them and they know that we are teaching them for a reason. Tomorrow we have an appointment with them and their friends from Long Beach are going to accompany us to the lesson. I'm so excited and I hope it breaks the ice for them to progress towards accepting the gospel. Also we taught Jose again this week and he for certain he needs to be baptized but he's not fixed on a day yet. He's coming along he's just been stressed out with his health and working on selling the house. We did service for him on Friday to clean his back porch and help him assemble some screen for his windows. Super fun. Then on Saturday we when to a ward baptism for a young girl in our ward, Elder Low baptized her. Alicia one of our solid investigators come to support as they are close family friends. Afterwards we tried to set a baptismal date with her but she still doesn't want to commit to a date. Grrr. but she will be baptized soon. Anyway , Things are just going great here. I'm loving the mission right now. Great new things to come! I can't wait!

Missionary Quote of the week: If you treat a man as he is he will remain as he is, but if you treat him as if he were what he ought to be and could be, he will become what he ought and should be. –Goethe

It's the truth we must see everyone as sons and daughters of God and they must be treated as such. If we want to help our friends to become more Christ-like, we must act Christ-like to them and be an example of the believers.

Well, I will see you all in a year!

Os amo tanto

Elder Marrott

Influx of Missionaries and Senorita Merida

Hey Everyone!

    

        I hope you've all had a great week! Sorry I didn't email yesterday, there's been some changes in the transfer system in the mission. Because of the influx of new missionaries, the Mondays before transfers become normal work days and we receive the transfer call that evening. Elder Low and I will staying together for another transfer. Then the Tuesdays before transfers will be p days, so that is why I'm emailing today. The mission is starting to figure out how to do things more smoothly so things are starting to get less hectic. I'm excited to work with Elder Low more because we have a lot of good things coming our way. But I really loved last week because we were able to go sightseeing again but this time in Palos Verdes. I swear its paradise over there with beautiful views, mansions, and the weather was absolutely perfect! I sent some pictures home. There's one view that I was able to view the whole city of LA. It was funny to look over the past area I've served in. It was a start to a great week. Later that night we held a Family Home Evening with Cynthia and her family. She has 5 young daughter so we had to make it interesting. We ended out singing some primary songs like Snowman and it got everyone excited. We played a fun game called the Spirit game where someone hides a piece of candy in the room and some has to look for it blindfolded. Everyone in the room yells at them to tell them where to go but most are telling in the wrong direction. There's only one person who actually tells them the right place to go. Sometimes the people know who it is and sometimes they don't. But it really helped Cynthia help her family learn how to listen to God telling them the right things to do. They are an awesome family, but unfortunately they couldn't come to church because their whole family is down with the flu. I hope you can send out a prayer for them. Then on Wednesday we got a surprise breakfast given to us from a referral we received. Her name is Senorita Merida and she's from Mexico, but she learned about the missionaries by watching the PBS documentary about Mormons. She said she cried when it told about the missionaries that serve and she's wanted to find some of us so she could feed us. She cooked us some mean pancakes and sausage. I was to die for. Apparently she's an seventh day Adventist, but has admired the work that we do. She's quite the knowledgeable lady with a wonderful family. She was a teacher in Mexico and she's quite the reader especially about European history. She chewed our ears of about the Vatican and the Spanish Inquisition, it was quite entertaining. I'm not sure how receptive she would be to us teaching her, but she's quite the opinionated woman. We hope to stop by again soon. But missionary work is going great with investigators coming to church. Things seem to be running smoothly. I'm loving it. I love my Ward Mission Leader because of how missionary oriented he is. He's given us a referral every time we come over. Unfortunately he's not been feeling well and work is super stressful. Send a prayer out to him as well. Well until next week!

Os amo tanto!

Elder Marrott

Cynthia's Family and Introducing Elder Benkhe

Hey Everyone,

       It's been quite another eventful week again here in North Lomita. Probably one of the most successful weeks I've had in the mission. On church on Sunday, we had about 8 investigators at church which is the most I've had at church before. The members in the ward have been great in befriending everyone and having great lessons at church. We had a break through with Cynthia's family as she and all her 5 kids came again plus Nicole and their mother! Which I was super surprised to see her mom there. We had a lesson at Cynthia's house and her mom was visiting. As we were reading 1 Nephi 10 with Cynthia, she came in and started listening. She's quite an interesting lady who has had, I guess you could say, an "exciting" lifestyle. Cynthia would always say "she needs God more than I do, and that's saying something." She had a lot of questions about the church, so we gave her a summary of what we believe and she seemed very stunned as we said it. She said that she was coming to church, but Cynthia didn't believe her. They ended up coming to Gospel Principles and Nicole and the mom said the prayers. It was very surprising. It was an inspired lesson at church because our ward mission leader Bishop Madrid taught about eternal marriage, because Cynthia, Nicole and their mom need to get married. I finally think it's gotten them to understand. Hopefully we can make wedding plans this week. Maria Garcia also came to church, the referral we received from mormon.org, and we didn't know if she would be able to ask off work, but she did. Hermano Rodriguez got her a ride to sacrament and the relief society president gave her a ride to work afterwards, she's being befriended very well. I had 2 really good lessons this week. One with Jose Morales who is the old man with one leg. This week he was concerned about his health because he went to the doctors to test if he had cancer in his esophagus. While we were reading the Book of Mormon, the doctors called and said he didn't have it. He looked so relieved, and he felts grateful for the chance to talk with us. He feels God is blessing him for listening. He would have come to church if he didn't have an open house because he's selling his house. Lastly, we had a lesson with the Castillo Family. The mom and their 2 kids are members, but not the father Miguel. We had splits and Elder Benhke came in to my area. He has an awesome story as he's a convert as of 2 years ago. He's from Minnesota, but the missionaries taught him when he was in Utah for school. He has the strongest testimony I've ever heard in my life of Christ and the Book of Mormon. Anyway we had a family home evening with them, but at first Miguel didn't come out of the room for the lesson. I was praying at the beginning that he would come out because the goal was to initially teach him. While we were playing a game, Miguel came out of his room and starting listening. Their came a point in the lesson when Elder Benhke taught the atonement super powerfully and Miguel really felt the spirit testify to him that it was true. Elder Benkhe then invited him to be baptized, and he accepted. His wife got a little emotional because she's been working on him to be baptized for a while. It was cool too because he invited him to be baptized on Feb 17 which happened to be his birthday. WHAT! He says he will try because he's got some bad habits he needs to get rid of. It was by far the best lesson I've been a part of. I have a testimony that people can change when we strive to help them and invite them to do so.

Os amo tanto

Elder Marrott

Awesome Bishop with Awesome House!

Hey Everyone,

       It has been another fun week here in SoCal, where it’s been a little chilly but it’s always sunny and breezy. It’s weird living by the beach again. After we emailed last week, Elder Low and I went to see the Redondo Beach in our area. Oh man it was amazing. After living in the inner most part of the city of Los Angeles with of the hustle and bustle and crazy people and drivers, it felt super relaxing to sit by the beach. It is quite therapeutic and it's helped take off the stress of the work. But right now it couldn't be better. Elder Low and I had a very successful week with most of our investigators. After a long time Cynthia and her 5 daughters plus her sister Nicole came to church. They all have missing coming to church and especially with Cynthia and the stress she goes through raising her daughters. She seemed very at peace and uplifted after all the classes. She's been committed to be baptized for a while and her sister too but they both aren't married to their boyfriends, but it seems like they are making progress to getting it done soon hopefully both my next month. I'm super excited for them. One of the funniest parts about serving in this area is working with our ward mission leader Bishop Carlos Madrid! I would have to say he's the richest and most spiritual person I've ever met! I met him before in my first area because he gave us the referrals of Freddy and Martiza who live in one of hundreds of buildings he owns in Los Angeles. He and I have clicked really well because we both understand how insane the people are that live in that apartment and they have given us both grief spiritually and with him financially by not paying their rent. Anyway he's got quite the life story. He started out dirt poor as a kid living in Redondo Beach area, but grew up all his life faithful in the church. He served his mission in Mexico came back to go to college and now he owns several properties in LA. His house is quite the mansion. We go over to his house for coordination and he had painted in the entrance of his door inside, a mural of the waters of Mormon. Also in his dining room, he has a on the top of the wall a painting of the last supper personally and professionally painted just for him. I will have to send photos. Anyway, he's served as a branch president, 3x as bishop, and was a mission president in the Dominican Republic. A couple years ago as well, he survived a major stoke, so now he walks around with a really cool cane everywhere. He's bald as well and he makes jokes about it all the time. He has quite a strong testimony of the gospel and is quite the missionary. On Tuesday we brought him over to a lesson with us with a referral we received from Mormon.org. Her name is Maria Garcia and she referred herself to the missionaries after one of her friends told her about the church. She mentioned to us that she always felt good driving past the church building. Anyway, we had a lesson with her and her sister, even before we started the lesson, Bishop Madrid already committed both of them to baptism! Super strong testimony! We are looking forward to working with them more. Well, have a good week and I talk to you next Monday!

Os amo tanto!

Elder Marrott    

Great Success in the New Area

Hey Everyone,

          This week........Wow! Let's just say its been an answer to my prayers. Last Monday I was emergency transferred from Crenshaw to North Lomita in Peninsula Zone serving in the Habor 3rd Ward, the only Spanish ward in the California Torrance Stake. My area is one the biggest Spanish proselyting areas in the mission as it covers parts of counties Torrance, Carson, Lomita, Willmington, Redondo Beach, and Harbor City! It's huge and super beautiful. All the houses and streets are insanely nice especially compared to my last area in Crenshaw. The reason I was transferred was an elder serving here, Elder Harper was sent home because of his health. Elder Harper has served before in most of my past areas and he's very well known and loved. Unfortunately he's had a condition that prevents him from sleeping, so he went back home. He basically finished his mission as he had only 2 months more. Our prayers go out to him. My new companion is Elder Low and he's super cool He's from Tennessee. Funny story, on our night drive home from switching companions at the mission home, we were talking and we found out that we lived in the same apartment building out at BYU. He lived on the bottom floor to the left and I was in the 2nd floor on the right. We attend the same ward and we know the same people! SUPER WEIRD!! Our first night was just talking about memories from school, so we are getting along really well. He also ran XC in high school as well. I actually when I was on the XC squad, my team traveled to a meet in Tennessee in the same place where the XC state meet takes place. Super cool connections! The first morning together was the New Year and the mission held a mission conference to present the mission goals for the year of 2013. Apparently there will be a lot of changes in the mission to accommodate the influx of 18 year old missionaries that will be coming in. The next transfer will be different as it will be reduce to a 5 week transfer, so this means all the missionaries and me in the field now will be leaving a week earlier. (Instead of Feb 12 2014, I will come home Feb 5 2014....oh well) Also in March there will be 35 new missionaries coming in March. That’s 3x the average that usually comes in. and there will be more coming in after that. Craziness! There's a lot to look forward to this coming year. After President announced all the changes, we held a testimony meeting. I bore my testimony about how President was inspired to make the change I was involved in and how the Book of Mormon truly is a source of comfort to those in need of consolation. After that Elder Low and I went off to work our area. Man, the people here in this area are insanely awesome and all of the investigators and member here super cool. It's also been so special this week because the first member family that I first met in the field now live my area, the familia sanchez! I spent many nights over at their house, I celebrated my birthday with them, and my first Saturday in the mission was one of their little daughter’s baptisms. They were a less active family before I came but they became super active when i came in. Now the daughters and Hermana Sanchez are active but Hermano is working Sundays and is apparently drinking again. There's a reason I'm here! Anyway here's a quick summary of my investigators.

Alicia: has a testimony and knows the church is true but won't commit to a date. Will be baptized soon.

Cynthia: has 5 little girls all under the age of 12 and a little boy on the way. Super busy but loves the missionaries. Isn't married but has the marriage license for this month

Nicole: Cynthia’s sister, isn't married either but doesn't want to get the marriage license because she lost her ID and is afraid to go to the DMV to get a new one because she has a warrant

Jose Morales: referral from English missionaries, 73 years old, has traveled the world, has been married 4 times and is now married to a 30 year old lady from the Philippines. Has a 12 year old son, who was just baptized. Before his son was born doctors thought that he wasn't going to live, but Jose prayed to God that if he would save his son he would give up his son to live dedicated to serve God like the stories in the bible. They found the church and the son attends the Samoan ward and is a deacon, and Jose plans for him to serve a mission like us. He's super excited to learn from the book of Mormon and support his son. Also, he has one leg. I have to say he's the most interesting man I've ever ever ever met!

So much more to say but so little time. I'll let you all more next time. This week has been a testimony to me that God answers prayers and he loves me. Take Care!

Os amo tanto!

Elder Marrott       

Emergency Transfer!

Hey Everyone,

         Today's been a great week with Christmas and Teaching and Church and everything. I spent Christmas visiting members, calling home and a big group of us missionaries went to a Nursing Home and went caroling. There was one feisty lady who offered all the elders if they would like to "make some [interestingly inappropriate term omitted]" with her (whatever that means :) ) It's been super fun, the best time in my life. But you know the phrase "It’s all fun and games until you get sick ( I started to get the flu and lost my voice the day after Christmas, but I'm fine now).......AND ........transfers...... My whole world has been turned upside down this morning. President Baker called me this morning and told me that I was being emergency transferred........................tonight.................I've never felt so disappointed..........What's happening is I'm being moved to an Area called North Lomita near the city of Torrance (close to the area where I started my mission) serving in a small Spanish branch. I will be made senior companion over Elder Low who has about 3 or 4 transfers in the mission. My companion is combining into a trio with other elders in our district so they will be working two areas. It's put such a big damper on my life. Everything was going well. We were teaching well, finding a lot more people to teach and now it feels like it’s all gone (at least to me).........I'm sorry that I sound sad, but I would be lying if I didn't say so. It's hard to write about all the things that happened this week because I know I probably won't see those people again. This Sunday I got to confirm Federico a member of the church and he also gave a talk at church. I've never seen a more spiritual man than him. I felt so strange leaving all the people I've met....But I trust that it’s where the Lord needs me now. I have no clue why it’s all going down, but I find out soon enough. I'm starting the New Year out with a bang!  The only thing that's keeping me going is Proverbs...Trust in the Lord with all thy heart.....and Lean not to thy own understanding. It wouldn't be right to blame anyone for what's happening but I really am hoping for the best. I usually don't ask this but keep me and the mission in your prayers. We all need to stay strong. Don't worry, I'll be happy because I know I'm serving the Lord. Good Bye Jungle I will miss you!

Love you all

Elder Marrott