Baptism...TRANSFERS!

Hola!

Transfers always bring about a lot of emotions! Yesterday at church, I already knew that I was going to be transferred, so it was hard to say goodbye to the Elizabeth Spanish Ward! I bore my testimony in Sacrament Meeting and expressed my love and gratitude for those in the congregation and for my Savior. I felt so blessed to have been raised by faithful parents and grandparents who are largely the reason that I can be out
 here where I am right now! I have seen people's lives change dramatically here because of the Gospel, as well as in my past areas. Working with three people up to their baptisms in Elizabeth has been such a precious experience for me!

The night before Rosario's baptismal interview, we reviewed the interview questions with her. She said that she was good with all of them, but that she had been told that it would be okay for her not to pay a full 10% tithe. She asked us what we thought and we explained the commandment a little bit again. She said that that there was just no way that would be possible for her. My companion and I really relied on each other and the Spirit in that critical lesson. We shared personal experiences and reminded her of scriptures to help her realize that paying her tithing is really a matter of obedience and faith. Rosario's eyes were teary as she realized that living this commandment as well as the others is an opportunity to show her faith and true love for God, and she accepted. Rosario's example is incredible to me.
I am really looking forward to our mission's monthly focuses of consecration and the Gospel of Jesus Christ. I can't wait to implement it more in my life!  I am just praying that I can stay focused and motivated, love my new companion, and have success in my next area, which could possibly be my last!

This is a picture of the Elizabeth Zone! The English sisters and us are the only sisters, and we share an apartment. Crazy elders... ;) We have a good time and learn a lot and preach a lot of gospel!

Les amo mucho!

Love,

Hermana Martin

Luis was baptized!

Hola del este!

LUIS MENDEZ GOT BAPTIZED! 

Before the baptism on Sunday! :)

Making 7-layer dip and teaching Luis with Hna. Ortiz. Now he has been baptized! :)

One more soul has been brought through the gate into the straight and narrow way! Luis is happy. So is his fiancé, Hna. Ortiz, a member. :) Our Ward Mission Leader and Luis' good friend, Hno. Aparicio, recently came back from a trip to Peru. They wanted to surprise him by asking him to baptize Luis just minutes before, and he was surprised but happy to baptize his friend. Luis invited his non-member family, including his mom and two sisters, so that was great! Before the ordinance of the baptism, I gave a short talk on what Luis has done to prepare for his baptism, what it means and blessings of peace, love, and the promise to live with God that he will receive if he remains faithful. Standing up in front of everyone, I was grateful for how the Spanish was flowing and that I was able to take part in seeing conversion take place in this man's life. (There were only a few glitches in the service, like waiting for the bishop to come downstairs to conduct and then awkwardly searching for the key to the front doors of the font!) They had people over to Luis' parents' home for Peruvian-style chicken and Mexican tacos at his parents' house afterward! I am excited for Luis to have an eternal family! It is a weird transition for me from planning for him as an investigator and teaching him and now basically turning him on to the ward and trusting him to keep progressing on his own.

Hermana. Almanzar took us for a crazy ride
 to go teaching with us on Thursday.

Hna. Ortiz' 8-year-old son, Benjamin, was also baptized the on Saturday! We didn't teach Benjamin, but we helped out at the baptismal service by translating into English/ Spanish for his fathers' family and Sis. Haycock spoke. We talked to their non-member friends afterward too. 

On Tuesday I reached my one-year "Jersaversary!" Maybe that means I'm an official "Jersey girl" now? Hmmm... The snow has melted but we can't quite say that it feels like spring yet. We had kind of a crazy week! On Thursday and Friday, we went to 8-hour Leadership Trainings in Morristown for all of the new missionaries and trainers. The first day, Sister Haycock and I gave a 10-minute training on "following up" on the commitments we leave with the people we teach. We also "mediated" in the missionary role plays to support and give suggestions for effective teaching. They didn't need our help as much the second day, so we skipped out for some of the time to do our weekly planning.

Our Peruvian investigator, Rosario, is getting baptized this Saturday!! She's a bit shy, so she told us that she prefers not to do it after church on Sunday when there will be a ton of people there. She is amazing! She attended Luis' baptism and went yesterday and we also had a lesson with her and a Peruvian couple in our ward who has a daughter on a mission. Rosario announced to them at the that she wants to be baptized and asked Hermano Ordonez to baptize her. They were thrilled and the Spirit was so strong!

Hermana De Los Santos, our Dominican investigator, is still planning on being baptized this week too, we just don't know what day will work for her yet! We'll keep praying that it goes through! She has been working towards this on and off for years!

If all goes well, we should have 3 confirmations in Sacrament Meeting this Sunday! That will double the amount I've seen so far in my mission. And then I'll be transferred two days later. I have no idea where to! Missionary life is crazy. I feel the Spirit so much and I am grateful for the calling I have and the opportunity to influence people's lives as I try to be worthy to let God work through me. 3 Nephi12:20.

Love,

Hermana Martin

MARCHing onward!

Saludos!

Exchange with the Kearny, English-Speaking Sisters

I went on two exchanges this week. It is always an insightful experience for me to see how other sisters do missionary work and think about the different abilities and skills different sisters have! I went to Kearny with Sis. Huele, a red-headed sister from Minnesota who was my current companion's trainee, from Tuesday to Wednesday. Then Sis. Insong, a sweet, hilarious sister from the Philippeans came to my area of Elizabeth with me from Friday to Saturday. We contacted people together and taught a member family we'd met on the street a while ago, then got fed a Mexican dinner, plus an Ecuadorian/ Honduranian dinner! Sis. Insong said that she'd like to request to be switched to Spanish-speaking. ;) I was impressed by the bold way she testified to the things I shared in lessons and how she boldly told a family in our ward that it IS possible for them to go to the temple to be sealed as a family someday if they have enough faith!

Our investigator, Luis, has progressed so much! Missionaries in this area met him in the past through members, but my last companion and I really started focusing on teaching him in December, right after I got in the area. A few months ago, he really struggled to read and understand the scriptures, and he frequently forgot to read in the Book of Mormon and pray daily. We had one lesson a while ago in which he felt really guilty for not having read the Book of Mormon, especially because his girlfriend who teaches with us mentioned that he had been wasting his day off on Facebook! Since then, Luis has been reading consistently and his understanding has increased! He has shared scriptures with us from 1 Nephi that are personally relevant to him. Luis had the faith to ask for work off on Sundays, which caused some contention in his workplace and he eventually stopped working there because of it. With the help of a lot of prayers from him, his girlfriend, and us, he found a job with even more benefits that doesn't require him to work on Saturdays or Sundays! It was a miracle! Luis is such a sweet, humble man. He passed his baptismal interview yesterday and will be baptized next Sunday! It is his goal to have an eternal family.

We have some amazing members in our ward who really support our investigators when they come out with us. One thing Sister Haycock and I enjoy doing is contacting with members when they come out with us as team-ups! I've only experienced it a few times, but it's nice when the members get to feel the spirit of missionary work more, and the people we contact seem to be more receptive and able to relate to the member rather than just us as missionaries! We've also been strengthening several members of the church and visiting them fairly often and sometimes bring other members to teach them with us
We had a good lesson the other day with our investigator, Rosario (a single mom from Peru). She really wants to be baptized to renew her commitment to follow Jesus Christ, but from what she told us, didn't really understand the significance of the Book of Mormon and why it is evidence that Joseph Smith was a true prophet and that this is God's one and only true and living church on the Earth. We read in the Old Testament in Ezekiel with her about the "stick of Judah" (the Bible) and the "stick of Ephraim" (the Book of Mormon) and that it was prophesied that they would come together. Then we read in 1 Nephi 13 about how through the years of apostasy after Christ's death, people changed the Bible and took away "plain and precious truths." We taught her about the pattern God has always had in calling prophets to guide his church, even after they reject the truth for a time, and that this was the same thing that happened with Joseph Smith. We finished by reading in Mormon 7 with her about how the Bible and Book of Mormon testify of Jesus Christ, followed the Lord's commandment to all of us to be baptized in Christ's name.Rosario shared her own personal experienced about always being at least a little confused about the truth and questioning whether the way she's seen people worship really is from God. She told us that the "works" of charity that she has seen by the members of the church who have fellowshipped her have helped her know that it is true. We keep inviting her to study and pray to receive a spiritual confirmation by the Holy Ghost that this is the real truth.

I found my dog, Noodles!

Ahh, I'm going to be sad to leave Elizabeth and Sis. Haycock in two weeks! We decided to make it the best two weeks of our lives! We've experienced ups and downs together in this transfer. The saddest thing is when people reject the Gospel of Jesus Christ or just flat-out choose not to make time for it in their lives when they need it so badly. Kind of like when Moroni had the Lamanites surrounded and offered to spare their lives and let them go free if they'd only lay down their weapons and make a covenant of peace. I think that too often as people, we hang on to our own pride and selfish desires that will eventually destroy us, rather then humbly accepting the love and power that Christ offers.

I love you all! Life is crazy! And the gospel is truth and light. Share it.

Love,

Hermana Martin

It's Warming Up!

Feliz primavera!

The weather has been teasing us a little bit and getting warmer. I just hope it keeps getting better! I never realized how happy the sun makes me!

Missionary work is a blast! I am so grateful to be here in Elizabeth and I'll be sad when I have to leave! We still have 3 investigators with baptismal dates and have added one more who is a little iffy on the date.

I am so grateful for active members who recognize their responsibility to do missionary work and the influence they have. We are teaching a single mom from Peru, named Rosario. She's amazing. She was a contact on the street and just has this pure, strong desire to learn like I've never seen. She is progressing, but has found anti-Mormon things online about Joseph Smith and has doubts about paying a full 10% tithe. Before, I might have been hesitant to encourage a mom living in a single room with her son who stores her clothes in cardboard boxes to pay tithing, but I've seen more the evidence that obedience to the commandments of the gospel brings, and we know it will bless her life. We found a member sitting down with Rosario after church on Sunday, sharing her testimony of her baptism in Peru and she talked more about the blessings she's seen from to obedience to the gospel in her life, as helped Rosario with resolving some problems. She can do it!

Luis Mendez, who will be baptized on the 23rd, changed his work schedule to not have to work Sundays and now he has lost his job somehow. But this hasn't weakened his desire. We taught him the Word of Wisdom yesterday and he said that he has already stopped drinking alcohol!

I've been thinking a lot about pride and how even though as missionaries serving full-time, we need to ponder on where our motives really come from. Do we want to impress the people at home or look good compared to other missionaries? Or are we motivated out of a sincere love for Christ and others? In Relief Society, we taught about faith and repentance and I shared how I have recognized my own need to repent to become more like the Savior than I would have ever imagined. But that's what makes us happier.

Missionary work is demanding and it can be stressful when we critique ourselves to much. Just let the Lord guide us along.

I love you all!

Love,

Hermana Martin

Feliz marzo!

Buenas!

Wow, it's crazy to realize that I only have about 24 weeks left as a missionary! I just found out from Pres. Jeppson that the callings are getting switched around after this transfer, so I will probably be leaving Elizabeth and my new companion, Sis. Haycock, after only 4 more weeks. But I am still  getting more and more excited about working with Sis. Haycock in Elizabeth! We laugh a lot. I am learning a lot from her and we are both really happy about having 5 investigators with baptismal dates, including the two daughters of our recent convert, Catalina, who we taught last night. Even though we ended up teaching something totally different than we had planned, the Spirit was confirming to us that what we were teaching was right. It is so exciting to witness the gospel uniting families! Rosario, Luis, and Michelle (one of Catalina's daughters) attended church yesterday.

We have a mission-wide goal to contact 10 people per day. You sure meet a lot of interesting people on these streets! We felt prompted to knock a random door and found a referral for the Portuguese driving elders. I have definitely seen miracles from contacting with the Book of Mormon, including Rigoberto (from Peru) who was baptized last year in the Princeton Spanish branch after my trainer, Sis. Nava, wrote our names and phone number in a book for him. He actually called us about a week later and told us that he wanted to go to our church, after he had read in the Testimony of the Prophet Joseph Smith. He is now a strong member in the branch! One member recently told me that Rigoberto dressed up like Santa Claus for their last Christmas party, and that just makes me so happy! Haha!

We are often told, "Obedience brings blessings. Exact obedience brings miracles." It's such a true principle. I love you all!

Love,

Hermana Martin

 Our investigator, Rosario, and her son, Terry, before Sis. Willis left.

. A member family we are working with to help them get sealed in the temple!

Here's a picture of my last companion and Diana, who is a ward missionary. She is really cute and just got baptized a few months ago!



Dear Marissa:

Congratulations! You have been admitted to Brigham Young University to begin Fall 2014. Through your preparation and personal achievements, you have distinguished yourself from a very strong group of applicants. We believe you will make a positive contribution to the BYU community. It is a great pleasure to welcome you to our campus to pursue your educational goals. To be eligible to continue to future semesters, you must register for and complete this semester or term.

To secure your admission, it is essential for you to read the additional information located at the link below and follow the instructions in question no. 1. This will also provide you with important information regarding scholarships, housing, financial aid, etc.

We encourage you to maintain the standards outlined in the University Honor Code, and we look forward to having you on campus.

Warmest regards,

R. Kirk StrongDirector of Admission Services
WOOOOAHHHH!!! COUGARS! :D I'm so happy! This feels right!! :) I've been praying for this. Now I need scholarships!