Last interviews with the Jeppsons

Last interviews- President and Sister Jeppson

We helped some members decorate for a "Jack and the Neverland Pirates" birthday party

Referral Miracle!

Saludos a todos!

REFERRAL MIRACLE!! We went to teach a cute, Mexican sister in our ward yesterday- Hna Serabia. She made us some yummy Mexican-style tostadas tigas, and told us about this surge of desire to do missionary work that she's had lately! Her son is on a mission in Nebraska, Omaha. Hna. Serabia told us that when we last visited their family for a Family Home Evening and invited them to pray and think about people with whom they could share the gospel, she and her husband both thought of a neighbor whom they have known for years. Hna. Serabia had a spiritual confirmation that this sister is ready to hear the gospel! After dinner and sharing a message with Hna.Serabia, we walked over to her friend, Enna's house. Sure enough, she let us right in (even though she had forgotten we were coming over). She opened her heart up to us and expressed her grattitude for this neighbor, as well as her feelings as she's been struggling with depression after recently surviving cancer. She needs and WANTS the gospel in her life so much! And we are so excited to teach her.

So we've found a lot of new investigators lately in a little concentrated area of apartments and houses in New Brunswick, on the edge of the border of area against the elders' area. Except now we've come to realize that
some of the records in our Area Book are wrong and none of those people actually live in our area... so we are handing them all over to the elders to teach as of now! 8 people who we have taught at least once, and some of them are starting to progress. And we are back to looking for more sprinkles of Spanish-speakers in our donut-shaped area! We are so grateful for that referral experience we had last night to increase our hope in finding people to teach! Pres. Jeppson is encouraging me not to doubt, and to "see people in temple white."

A series of unfortunate events has happened to my companion lately: 

1. A vitamin deficiency or something random and undiagnosed that sent her to the hospital 2 transfers ago with a long recovery 
2. Food sickness one night/morning from some chicken or something someone sent us.. I walked her around the corner late at night to buy some Sprite and Powerade and she was puking all night 
3. The elders borrowed our car to drive to a conference and we walked MILES on Tuesday. She got a nasty sunburn on her shoulders and the back of her neck and I had to try hard not to laugh at her burn line as we were praying that night 
4. A little white dog flew out of NOWHERE at 100mph the other day and attacked my companion's ankle! There is a reason God calls companions to support eachother... and laugh things off. ;)

I love you all! Keep nurturing your seed of faith and sharing the fruit
with everyone!

Love,
Hermana Martin

Heating up in the Garden State!‏

Mis queridos,

One of our favorite members, Hermana Quispe,  who comes out to teach with us all of the time and has a daughter on a mission in California.

We could hardly sleep last night waiting anxiously for the tranfer text to see if my companera, Sis. Haddock, would stay or go. Turns out the zone leaders didn't text us the list of transfers until about 7:10am this morning. We are both staying here in New Brunswick!! We thought Sis. Haddock would leave since she's been serving here for a while, but it will be good for her to stay another tranfer here because she knows the area really well and we are just getting things rolling with finding new investigators. We seem to be getting closer with the members lately, too, and they want us to visit them and take them out to teach, so that is really good! We'll really just be able to work hard this transfer and it looks like things will go smoothly. Sis. Haddock and I will just keep praying to keep finding and helping the people we do find to start really progressing in the gospel, because almost everyone is at a standstill!

Sis. Haddock and Sis. Martin conquering the bay! 
(Not in our area- zone activity)

Wow, New Jersey is BEAUTIFUL in the spring!  Winter was pretty dreadful... and it makes the trees and grass everywhere seem even more green and the flowers even more beautiful. We could feel the humidity a lot this morning and it's really starting to warm up. We'll probably be getting a lot of spring rains, too. Yay for the heat!! :)

Last week for a P-day zone activity, we went to the little beach on the bay of Perth Amboy, NJ. Statton Island, NY is just right across the bay and there is a cool train that travels across a bridge to it. We ate pizza and took lots of funny pictures... you'll see! It was really fun to wear jeans! :)

The ward Mother's Day activity on Saturday was a blast. The hermanos of the church cooked up a special, classic Peruvian dish for all of the hermanas and served us! (We were lucky to be in on this too! These people really know how to treat the mothers/ hermanas right on Mother's Day!)

We had a new investigator there, who was a referral from her cousin. We miracuosly found her home while we were with a member as a "team-up", and this member invited her to the party and everything! It was great! She came to church yesterday too!

I feel like I've grown so much spiritually on my mission! Heavenly Father definitely tests and tries our faith, but then he blesses us for it. I am trying to work on what Pres. Jeppson has been encouraging us to do lately: "Look unto me in every thought; doubt not; fear not!" I have enough faith to go out and try and find new people to teach, but I think I often doubt too much that they will really progress and be baptized. Last night we stopped by an investigator's home who we were really excited about over Easter. Her husband had told us earlier in the day that we could come back over that night. We taught a powerful Restoration lesson to his wife once, but she told us in the doorway that she's not looking to change her religion, and that she hasn't read in the Book of Mormon yet, but she'll "let us know" when she wants to hear more. Those are the dreaded words: "let you know." I don't think anyone has ever once "let us know" and contacted us back after saying that. Except maybe Hermano Rigoberto Leonardo a year ago did...and he did was baptized!

But even when hard things happen, we can remember that there is hope! I know that we make more of a difference that we realize! Most members of the church and even many people on the street automatically have so much trust in us, and it is our responsibility to be obedient, seek revelation by the Holy Ghost, and fulfill our role in our Heavenly Father's plan. It is really beautiful!

Love,

Hermana Martin

Everything is BLOOMING!

Querida famila y amados amigos...

New Jersey is gorgeous in the spring!! 
Yay, I was so sick of the cold… 
We've been getting all kinds of CRAZY rain, though. 
But it didn't stop us from finding some people! :)

Just like the apricot tree, investigators have been popping out of the dreariness this week!! :) Woohoo! We found familes of Dominicans, plus re-contacted another lady = 8 new investigators!

In the month of April, we were really chugging along and my faith was tried, but am recieving the "witness after the trial of your faith" that there really are people (and families, like we fasted to find last month as a mission!) out there being prepared to receive the gospel. WE just need to be prepared for THEM! :) Things are looking up in the area of New Brunswich North (Spanish)!

On Wed, we spent over 6 hours helping a family move with the elders. The old apartment had 3 floors, a lot of heavy boxes and furniture, and narrow hallways!  It was dumping rain on us as we loaded the U-Haul and unloaded into their new place, too. My sweatshirt was still wet when I took it to the laundromat this morning. It was fun to do some hard, physical work for once!

I am starting the Book of Mormon again for the second time in Spanish, and right now I'm searching to strengthen my testimony that the Joseph Smith's First Vision was real. It's amazing how much testimony-strenghtening evidence you can find in just the first few chapters of Nephi!

Exactly 3 months left! I don't want to get "trunky," but I want to make goals and become the best missionary I can be. I will be excited to see my family and friends at home again! There will be some culture shock going back to Utah from New Jersey, I believe... I love you all and I love the Lord! Make the gospel a constant part of your heart and always be looking for ways to serve in the work. You've already been called to it.

Love,

Hermana Martin

View of the drive through New Brunswick that we take many times daily to get around our area...

 Last District Meeting of the transfer last Tuesday with this cute, little district.