Mis queridos,
Sorry for not giving an update last Monday- I felt really weird after not writing about the week!
A year ago now, I was living on campus at BYU Hawaii, where I was studying, going to the beach, and getting ready to go to the beach and people were setting up the Haunted Lagoon at the Polynesian Cultural Center! I never pictured myself living in a place like this, although I had dreamed of living in New York City which is just a few miles away! Living in West New York is like living in a mix of Little Cuba/ Little Mexico/ Little El Salvador/ Little Ecuador. There are pumpkins and decorations popping up in people's apartment windows and on their porches! I am excited to see what Halloween, Thanksgiving, my birthday, and Christmas will be like here in the mission. Sis. Clark and I bought some pumpkin spice air freshener at WalMart today to make it feel more like at home.
We don't have very many investigators right now, but tonight we are looking forward to teaching a couple- Adiel and Olinda, who had been meeting with the sisters before us for a while. We really hope and that they will commit to watch General Conference this weekend (which will probably mean getting work off), because that could be the key for them grasping the importance of the RESTORED gospel of Jesus Christ. Maybe the prophets can answer some of the questions they have so they will want to get baptized!
We're also going to visit our other investigator, Alfredo, from Guatemala. He works kind of far away at a German bakery just three blocks down from Carlos' Bakery from Cake Boss! (I asked him and he said that Carlos' Bakery is bigger and better than the one he works at. I hinted that he should bring me back a pastry from there sometime but I don't think he really got the hint...) Alfredo didn't know anything about our church before the previous sisters invited him to the English class. At our last lesson, he started speaking in some kind of Mayan dialect on the phone to his friend and I was thinking, "I really hope that's not Spanish, because I'm not getting any of this!" He's a really sincere guy and has been reading the Book of Mormon on his phone while at work. :)
Our numbers of lessons taught have been crazy the last few weeks- first low, then really high, and then really low again... it kind of stresses me out because I'm trying to get the hang of things and be responsible, but I'm also trying to be good at getting all of our studies in because my companion is in training while keeping this area going that the last sisters worked so hard in! I get a little frustrated with Spanish sometimes when I can't understand the people who are giving me directions or when I finally think I've figured out how to explain a principle of the gospel we want to teach and then I remember we've still got to translate it into another language! But I am grateful to be able to get to know the people we've met and already learned to love here. I feel really inadequate sometimes, but I know those are the times when I've really got to turn to the Lord.
I've almost finished reading The Book of Mormon all the way through again. We were challenged to start reading it in August. I have come to have so much more appreciation for all aspects of the gospel since being out here and actually having time to study and apply it. I am excited to apply all the things I've learned in my future family, because I realize more how all the doctrines and commandments that I've learned all my life really are so important!
Stay strong in the faith! I love you all! You can get through anything. Listen to the prophet this weekend! Share the gospel! Pray and listen to know who God is preparing for you to share the gospel with! It's true.
Love,
Hermana Marissa Martin
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