More Teaching and Service Opportunity

Hey everyone!

      It's been another crazy week as we've had transfers. Elder Blackham left to be a zone leader in an English ward, Elder Rodriquez returned to his area where he was before his companion got re-assigned, and now Elder Walker is my companion. He is a good friend of mine from my last area in South Bay and we both assisted the Hermosa Liahona Ward. It's been cool to hear the success they've had in the ward as they had quite a few baptisms and more coming on the way. We'll be going back for a baptism this Sunday. So I'm getting excited to go back! Anyway, Elder Walker is from Mississippi, and he has an unique southern accent. In some way or another he speaks some really fluent Spanish as he's been serving for about a year. He was made the new district leader here. He's got a lot on his shoulders with a new responsibility and we both are going to be learning the area together. It's been a struggle with our investigators this week with Paula and her family as hardly got contact with them. It's so frustrating but we at least know she has a testimony of the Book of Mormon and Joseph Smith, I'm not too concerned. We had a good lesson with Sandra and her daughter Stephanie this week where we established the possibility of baptism. Because they like the church, they are considering it. Unfortunately they didn't show to church on Sunday. I'm excited to work with Elder Walker because he's very bold and has some great ideas to get our area moving. One special thing we got to do this Saturday was doing service for a church who was handing out school supplies for kids in the city. We were assigned to help fit shoes for the kids. It took place in a parking lot in the middle of the day, and there were thousands of people who showed up to come. It was the craziest scene ever! People waited 3 to 4 hours in line to see if they could get a pair of shoes. Many of the smaller sized shoes ran out really fast so it was hard to tell the little kids that there was no shoes there size. But they had a lot of really nice pairs and it was cool to see their faces when they tried them on. I was grateful to help those kids that needed help. I am looking forward to this week.

Os amo tanto!

Elder Marrott

Crazy Roller-coaster Week

Hey Everyone,

         It was a crazy fast week with some ups and downs. We are still struggling to keep constant contact with our investigators, even though some are coming to church like Sandra and her Family. We had a lesson with them watching the Restoration Video.  They were a little confused but because they love church, the ward, and the doctrine of gospel, they know that they will come to know for themselves that it is true. They are a really special family. We've struggled to find Paula at home, even though we've set appointments with her and she wants to go to church. However, we came to learn a little more about their family through her daughter Carla who was visiting with her 2 daughters from the projects in Watts (really harsh part of town, the mission just closed off that area for missionaries due to violence). She expressed to us the desire to read the Book of Mormon because Paula has taught that it can really help her right now. She basically told her whole life story with drugs, her ex, her job, her house everything! My companions and I were blown away by her story. The special thing I got to do was to bear my testimony of the Atonement to her and how all her guilt, pains and fears can disappear as she puts her trust in God's plan especially in Christ. I promised her that as long as she read from the Book of Mormon and prayed every day, she and her family would be protected from any danger, as she lives in a very dangerous neighborhood. She's been sleeping with a shotgun in her arms for a long time and has had nightmares fairly consistently every week. I walk away feeling extremely grateful that I've been raised in the gospel and have the opportunity to spread the good news of the gospel. The last couple highlights of this week include Temple Service, the missionary farewell fireside, and playing soccer with the men in the ward. This last Thursday because the temple is closed the next few weeks my companions and I got to do some pruning on several bushes and trees that are in front entrance of the temple. We had tiny machetes to cut off branches and we placed them on burlap sheets to carry them around to dispose them. I had been a while since I worked that hard in the hot California sun. It's been fairly hot here, but not as bad compared to what I'm used to back home! It was fun to go to the fireside because I got to say goodbye to a few missionaries that are going home AND say hi to my last companions (Elder Ditton and Elder Cressman) and my last Ward Mission Leader Hermano Romero! Oh man I almost cried when I saw him! Apparently a lot of things have gone down in my last area, especially with my last investigators. Freddy and Enrique have gotten worse with drinking and drugs so its no longer safe to see them anymore. It broke my heart, but I know one day they will humble themselves so they can feel happier in the gospel. Lastly this morning we played soccer with the ward, and I actually scored a goal! Yeah I showed up a bunch of Latinos. I surprised myself more than anyone. Well transfer are coming up this week so I will let you know how it goes!

Os amo tanto!

Elder Marrott

Family

Ohh Aubrie.......I'm so sorry!! I can't even imagine what you are going through. If you get the chance to share with me how you're doing, I'd love to hear from you! I'm going to be sending you a letter real soon!

Were you able to view the pictures I sent 3 weeks ago?

I'm running low on black socks, I keep losing them in the wash. If you could send me some I'd appriciate it.

Kurt: If you get the chance, do you think you could send me copies of the music you had on your mission (ex: Paul Cardal and John Schmidt) that would be awesome.

Thank you Mom for the letter!

Love you all

Short and Sweet Message

Hey Everyone

Another fast week this week with some fun experiences. We had lessons again this week with Paula and her mom as well as Sandra and her 2 daughters. Paula seems to understand everything we teach, but she just has come to church while Sandra is just beginning to learn and she came to church for the second time this week. Just goes to show how people progress in the gospel than others. I got to bear my testimony this week in sacrament meeting as they had a meeting dedicated to missionary work. I'm glad that I got to do it as a lot more members are coming up to talk to me more. The ward is super friendly here and really excited about doing missionary work. For dinner on Saturday we went to a place called Tommy's where they sell only Chile cheeseburgers. Weirdest burger I've ever had but I was worth it. The best part about being in the city is going on the roofs of apartment buildings and seeing the Hollywood Sign and Downtown LA. It's so cool.

Have a great week

Os amo tanto

Elder Marrott

A Great Start In A New Area

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!   

Transfer!

Hey Everyone,

         I hope you all had a fun Fourth of July. I got to celebrate my holiday by being TRANSFERRED!!!! Yes say goodbye to Lawndale, to Hermosa Liahona Ward and the beach, and Hello to Silverlake and Los Angeles 4th Ward and to Downtown LA/HOLLYWOOD. I was so hard to say goodbye to all the fantastic people, members and especially my investigators other in my area. I was so excited to make a lot of progress in my other area this transfer, but it looks like God has some work here for me to do. Silverlake is a lot different than it was in Lawndale. I am basically living in the Ghetto of HOLLYWOOD at the north-eastern boarder of the mission. The area reminds me of a old rundown San Francisco the streets are very hilly and they have some very cool views of the city. From the chapel that I attend, we can see the Hollywood sign and the Griffith Observatory pretty vividly, and Dodgers Stadium is just a 1/4 mile outside my area......and my mission...I'm a little disappointed about that. I'm looking forward to take pictures here because there are a lot cool, weird, and interesting sights. My new companion's name is Elder Blackham and the first thing that I noticed is that he is 6'7 ft. tall. Yep. He's also from Orem and attended Orem High, my dad's alma mater. He's really awesome and he's excited to work the area as he's not too familiar with either, so it's going to give us a chance to really learn how to work an area. We've already found some really good potential investigators and we hope that we can make some progress with them with the time we have here. This week I've really learned that God truly works in mysterious ways. I could have easily been distraught and bummed about leaving my last area, but I know that God has a reason for having me here in Silverlake, and I can already see why already. Wish me luck this week and I hope that we can find more people here who accept the gospel.

Os Amo Tanto!

Elder Marrott

Success and Disappointment

Hey Everyone,

       This week was an emotional roller coaster, full of disappointments and successes. The week didn't start off well at all. This Tuesday, we went to go visit Freddy and we found him in a ferocious argument with his girlfriend Maritza. She was angry because he was drinking again and that he wasn't changing. It's really hard with him because he is super uber prideful and he doesn't understand the meaning of a change of heart. We were there trying to settle down the situation, but nothing seemed to work, as Freddy could not admit that he was at fault on anything. I was the hardest thing in my life that I've had witness. I broke into tears just watching what took place. Eventually Maritza stormed off and left us with no clue what to do, fortunately our Ward Mission Leader, Hermano Romero, (basically the most amazing man I've ever met) came by and tried to get things settled with Freddy, it didn't really work, but we just walked out and waited in the street to see if Maritza was coming back. While we were waiting we saw a girl on the street struggling to get her groceries out of the car. We ran over to help, brought everything to her apartment and were able to set an appointment to teach a lesson. This girl, Damaris is amazing, the best way I can describe her is that she's been prepared to accept the gospel. We actually had a lesson yesterday where we set a baptismal date with her! It's crazy how God bless us in the weirdest of circumstances. Anyway back to the crazy day. We walked back from Damaris's house after dropping off the food and Maritza was walking down the street. We got her to come back and work things out with Freddy. I don't know how we did it, but they were able to work things out. Miracle! But not really, Freddy is still being really stubborn and prideful, even after talking with Hermano Romero, even after having a lesson about humility, and even after talking with the bishop. He won't stop drinking! It's going take a lot of prayers and love for him to turn around. But we've found some wonderful new investigators this week so we aren't getting down on ourselves. Lastly, yesterday we got to go to a missionary farewell event. It's something awesome that the mission does where all the missionaries who are leaving this week get to share there testimonies in front of their former investigators and missionaries. The only way that us other missionaries can attend the event is if we find a ride with one of our investigators to take us, so we had some member take us and Freddy and Maritza. Its super special and its super cool see all the missionaries in one room again. I got to see my trainer Elder Ditton again. It is such a great, tight knit and organized mission here and President Baker is the best.

The gospel is a message of love, so we must love first before we can share doctrine. The best way to teach is to serve. I know that for myself. Christ is the greatest example of love and service, let us follow him!

Os amo tanto!

Elder Marrott.

Zone Conference

Hey Everyone,

     Since Wednesday, its felt like a whole week already filled with all sorts of craziness. Right after I sent the last email, My companion, 2 of the ASL missionaries Elder Alsop and Elder Neilson, and I went to sight-seeing at the Griffith Observatory right up near Beverly Hills and the Hollywood Sign. The trip up there was quite the eye opener, seeing all the fancy million dollar houses and driving down Santa Monica Boulevard. The street was packed with every type of store you can think of. It's an experience that you have to see first hand to describe. Let's just say it was very.....flamboyant....yeah. Anyway. We enjoyed looking out over the city and get a closer look to the Hollywood sign as well. It was also funny as the ASL Elders ran into a  young Jehovah Witness couple who knew ASL as well. It was the nicest conversation I've ever seen between LDS missionaries and JWs, mainly because they were saying a single word. It could have been an argument all that I know...haha.

        Then this Friday.....We had Mission Zone Conference in the Inglewood stake center where Elder Paul V Johnson from the Seventy came to visit. Every single talk that was given was amazing! Sister Baker spoke on the Atonement (the best one I've heard since Elder Holland), President Baker spoke on the Holy Ghost and how missionaries can able to be able to be worthy and attentive to use it in every aspect in missionary work. Lastly Elder Johnson spoke on how we can learn and teach spiritual knowledge. He earned his doctorate in learning development, so he spoke to us on how learning different types of knowledge requires different types of methods. For example, Learning Facts = Memorization, Learning Skills = Practice and Evaluation. Learning spiritual knowledge requires EXPERIENCE. We cannot receive a testimony of any principle of the gospel unless we take action, such prayer, reading, service, etc. It's just an amazing perspective. And While he was speaking, He stopped so he could do a role play practice with a set of missionaries so he could practice the concept of teaching investigators "spiritually" He had a sister pick a random number, which was 77, and he counted 7 benches and then counted 7 missionaries over. Guess who he pointed to? No it wasn't me but yes it was my companion, so in the end yes he pick us. Oh Goodie. We taught Elder Johnson and his wife as investigators who had received the first lesson on the restoration, and we were going to follow up on their commitments if they read and prayed about the Book of Mormon. In this case, they did not read or pray, but they wanted to hear the next lesson. As missionaries, this isn't good, as if we are just teaching them the lessons and not having them keeping their commitments, they are not learning by the spirit, the are just learning facts about the church. The role play was really fun, and went really well. I didn't really realize that I was teaching a General Authority until I sat down back in my chair. I was extremely lucky to have that experience and It's really re-enforced my desire to teach by the spirit.

     Lastly his Saturday, we were able to bring one of our investigators to the Visitors Center. I would tell more, but I have no time. It was a testimony builder and I was great to see how all the exhibits really helped Freddy in understanding the gospel more.

     I hope everyone can try to see to find spiritual knowledge everyday through reading and praying. As it says in 2 Nephi 32:3, the words of Christ will tell you all things what ye should do. But in verse 5 it also says the Holy Ghost will show unto you all things what ye should do. What a promise.

Os amo tanto!

Elder Marrott