Elder Perry, Easter, Referrals

Saludos!

Easter Sunday was amazing! We had stake conference in East Brunswick and three other sisters spent the night with us so they would have to drive back down to their areas between the Saturday night and Sunday morning sessions. Thanks to my family's Easter package from home, my companion and I hid plastic eggs for them in the morning and then we dyed a few hard-boiled eggs during breakfast, and it was really fun! Sis. Haddock and I also hid some eggs and candy for the little Peruvian girls who live downstairs.

At stake conference, I got to see some members from the Princeton branch, where I served in my first area! It was so exciting! I saw the Deardens, a member couple who my companions and I lived with over last Easter, as well as Rigoberto Leonardo!! He was baptized the Sunday before I left my first area in September, and this week I just heard his name announced among the brethren in our stake who have been ordained to the office of "elder" in the priesthood! That is true joy and fulfillment in my heart right there! Man, I love those people...

That night, we had a miracle and found a couple of new investigators who came from a member referral. We don't have a lot of investigators right now, so we are really excited to teach them and we are still searching. 

ELDER L. TOM PERRY CAME AND SPOKE TO OUR MISSION YESTERDAY! Wow, what an amazing experience! He came in and we formed a long line of missionaries and greeted him one by one. Seeing the way he interacted with people and feeling the spirit that came with him and Sis. Perry into the chapel was like getting a glimpse into heaven! Our mission president, Pres. Jeppson, is Sis. Perry's first cousin, and apparently Pres. Jeppson was involved in setting the two of them up before Elder Perry's second marriage! He called up an elder from Tsai Pan and told us the story of how he and his former mission companion and other Marines built the first little chapel on Tsai Pan while he was serving in the war. From the scriptures, he taught us about how God gives us priesthood authority and how the Church is divinely organized. He opened up a question-and-answer session and taught us about how to effectively teach, the importance of prayer, what it means to have "a broken heart and a contrite spirit" and other interesting things missionaries asked him about.

I went into the conference with him seeking an answer about how I can continue my spiritual growth after the mission. The main answers I concluded were: 1. Keep my heavenly destination in mind, and that I want to make and keep covenants in the temple 2. Always take time to be alone with the Lord. I think one of the biggest differences in truly spiritual people, like the apostles, is that they reallly take time to study the scriptures, ponder and contemplate ideas, and pray sincerely to our Heavenly Father. Elder Perry said that during General Conference when he is the next speaker up, he sits there pleading with the Lord! He is an inspiring and fun man to be around! One day he could be the president of the church. I feel so blessed to have had this expereince with him.

I'm doing well in North Brunswick! We are trying out new finding ideas. This week we will be giving a class at the Family History Fair at our chapel. I've really enjoyed District Meetings and we've been making a lot of goals for how to improve personally and with the work in our area. We went on an exchange with our Sister Training Leaders and they really helped us out a lot. We are contacting quite a bit, and Pres. Jeppson has challenged us all to contact with even more FAITH. I am still learning a lot of fun things about other cultures and my Spanish is still improving, which is exciting! It's so great to be a missionary! Some things are hard, especially trying to live up to such a high standard and fulfilling such an important cause every day, but I know the Lord really helps us through it. The gospel is so true and necessary for everyone. My testimony has been being strenghthened a lot lately. We are surrounded by a lot of Jewish people here and people of other faiths, which has led me to contemplate on what I really believe. I am grateful for my testimony of the Savior Jesus Christ, and to have his restored church on the Earth! I love you all! Keep trusting in the Lord, fulfilling your callings and family roles, and hastening the work!

Love,

Hermana Martin