Feliz ano!

Feliz ano nuevo!

We had a pretty good week! Catalina was confirmed and received the Holy Ghost yesterday in Sacrament Meeting, so that was good! We are teaching an investigatortonight who we weren't able to see over the holidays, but he should be pogressing quickly very soon! We plan to invite him to be baptized in Feb.

Transfers are happening tomorrow, but luckily I am staying another 6 weeks here in Elizabeth with Sis. Willis! We are losing one English-speaking roommate, Sis. Page, who is leaving and also training a new missionary. I really do like it here and feel like this area is a good fit for me, for some reason. It. is. FREEZING!  I'm very grateful for the leather gloves my aunt, Mandy, sent me, because they've saved my life!

I'll be going home from my mission this year in August. Sometimes I am amazed when I realize that I can understand and speak a different language now, even though not perfectly. Miracles happen. We work hard here in New Jersey, but one of the hardest things is to get people in this area to put God above work! Or to find people who really care, will accept something more than the Bible, and want to make and keep commitments. So baptisms are pretty far and few between for us, but we keep praying!

This month our mission is focusing on the topics of repentance and using the scriptures this month, including memorizing scriptures because we haven't been doing that a lot. I know those things will help me a lot. I absolutely love studying lately, especially writing in a study journal the things I learn in the Book of Mormon.

I've also been learning a lot about how the Lord's church works from participating in ward council and other meetings. Most of all, it makes me realize that no matter where we are or what we are called by God to do, we should seek the Lord's guidance on how we can fulfill our role and what the potential is for us personally and for those over whom we preside. And do the best we can. Also- we are all a team. Our Area Seventy, Elder Olsen, asked our ward and branch leaders this Sunday, "When is the last time you personally found someone for the missionaries to teach? When is the last time you reached out to strengthen a recent convert or less-active member? When did you last to temple work for your own ancestors?" It made me happy. :)

Our mission president's son-in-law, Alex Boye, came and sang and spoke to us for an all-mission Christmas conference in Dec. He talked to us about the concept of asking yourself, "What would I have happen?" If anything could happen to you- today, this week, this year, in your life... what would it be? Write it down in personal study. Think of things that if your family/ friends saw them, they'd think you were crazy! Because God can make anything good happen, and even our wildest goals are puny to Him. And you will see it really happen when you keep at it with faith!

I love you all and I love Jesus Christ.

Join in on the Work of Salvation! The Lord can use us and he qualifies us.

Love,

Hermana Martin