Monday, February 29, 2016

February 29, 2016


FAMILY!


I just finished reading your emails and I can't even believe how soon
I get to hold you guys. It's a good thing I love you so much or this
going home thing would be really hard. I still have one more week
though and that's a long time! I'm reminded about what the Savior did
in just a few days and then I feel a lot better about this last week I
have a missionary. But first things first! I'll tell you about this
last week :)



So remember how I said that I had my last intercambio? Yeah that was a
big lie hah! There was a miscommunication and one of the zones didn't
get assigned sister training leaders, so the next zone over is in
charge... us! So 3 more intercambios the last week and a half of the
transfer. AH! I was feeling really stressed out until I found out that
Hermana Berry got to come with me :) That was SO FUN! I got to be with
my baby again! We have grown so much in the last year. She is
seriously the sweetest person I have ever met and it was so fun to be
with her again. And this week I get to be with Hermana Baxter :) She's
my friend from BYU and I can't think of a better way to finish our
missions. Stay tuned!



Gerardo is doing great. We set his fecha back to the 18th so we would
have time to teach everything and his response was the best. A lot of
people say maybe or i'll try, but Gerardo said, "I will be prepared
for that day!" And has been talking about it ever since. He's so
excited it's the cutest thing. Every lesson is always a great one with
him!



Aga just has my heart. She really does! She is down to one cigarette
now. Almost there! Then we need to address the law of chastity... but
she really had made so much progression! She'll get baptized one day
soon. She's so excited to meet mom and dad. She's been talking about
it for the last two weeks! So excited for you to meet her.



We have two great new investigators that were member references and
they are great. The first one is Aldo and the second is Clotilde.
There really is such a difference between the lesson we have with and
without members. So you all have a job (and me soon too!). Find the
missionaries and go out on a lesson with them. There are very few
things more powerful!



We have a goal to meet the members and we came up with a new message
to share with them during our visits with them. We have been watching
the last 5 minutes of Grandfathers talk "Ask the Missionaries!" and it
has been so wonderful. Whether we help them with their genealogy,
visiting teaching, or teach their friends, we have already seen the
results. So thank you Grandfather! Plus it's a fun excuse to see him
for a few minutes every day :)



Okay I think that is about it. I love love love being a missionary.
And I am SO grateful for my companion. She is an absolute angel and
i'm so thankful for her patience with me! The mission is shaping me
into the person that my Heavenly Father wants me to be and I can't
think of anything better. I love it here. The people here have my
heart! I'm ready to give my everything to them this last week. Thank
you for everything and I hope you have a wonderful week :) Love you!



xo,
Hermana Marsh

The handouts we've been giving to the members during our visits with
them :) it allows us to serve our wonderful members more and it gives
me an excuse to see a little clip from my cute grandfather everyday!

 A few of my favorite members at church yesterday :)




Monday, February 22, 2016

February 22, 2016

Mi Familia :)

Oh it is so fun to hear from you. I've been on the mission over 17
months and talking to you guys never gets old. Happy to hear that all
is well :) Happy Happy Birthday to my Emerson and Finlay! I can't
believe that my little boys are 9 years old. I love you two and I am
thinking of two! We had a great week this week i'm excited to tell you
about it.

This week was filled of lots of lasts. First off- last concilio. It
was so wonderful to be in the mission home full of missionaries. We
talked about the importance of our studies and using time wisely. It
was exactly what I  needed to hear because I need to study at home and
use time wisely at home too! I love it. My companion and I got to
play a musical number on the piano too which was really fun for us. I
love concilios I will miss them! We had our last temple trip too and
that place has grown so dear to me. I love the Spain Madrid Temple.

It also was my last Zone Conference which I thought went really well.
We even got to squeeze in my last intercambio with the hermanas from
Toledo. I got to go with Hermana Calderon who actually is going to
serve in the temple square mission. She is from Spain and is waiting
for her visa and she is the CUTEST thing. So excited to spoil her
rotten! She's wonderful. And as always, it was so great to be with
Hermana Toone as well. That girl has been such a blessing for me! We
got to share our final testimonies at the Zone Conferences together.
First and last!

The work is going! After concilio about using time wisely we decided
that we had some weeding out to do. That sounds really bad, but I
can't think of any other way to do it! We decided that if they weren't
progressing, we needed to take a break with them. That included Sonia
:( i'm really sad about it. But we have faith that The Lord will put
someone in our path that is prepared. Aga and Gerardo are still doing
well though! We also had a miracle with Lourdes this week. She hasn't
been answering our calls and I thought she was over it. BUT she ran
into a member at the doctors and it turns out her phone broke in
Ecuador and we are going over this week! WAHOO! Stay tuned :)

We have been doing lots of finding this week and are excited to see
what happens with the people that we have found. Our menos activos are
doing great as well :) I love being here. I just am feeling really
weird right now! Excited to see my family soon, but really there isn't
anything better than being a missionary. Especially in the best
mission in the world ;) I love my Savior and am thankful for the
blessing to testify of Him 24/7. I love you all and hope you have a
great week!

xo,
Hermana Marsh

Concilio day!


Las Palmas crew :)


 Couldn't resist buying a little treat for the birthday girl. She is my favorite!
 Homemade valentines cookies with Lydia and Patricia :) cutest family.
  
 Mom and Dad, we are waiting for you!!!!!!!!!

Monday, February 15, 2016

February 15, 2016

Mis Queridos :)

Happy Valentine's Day! I love you all and I'm very thankful to have
you in my life :) I hope you are having a fun Presidents' Day weekend
too. The pictures from Arizona look amazing! Excited to tag along next
time. This week was a great one and absolutely flew like always.

Our people are doing well! We went over the baptismal questions this
week and it went really well. She only smoked a HALF of a cigarette
this week! She talked to her boyfriend and is making progress with
him, but once again she didn't show up at church again. So
frustrating! We confirm Saturday night, but something always comes up.
And that's a pretty important part of being a member of the church SO!
We'll probably push her fecha back again. Sad. She really is
progressing though, she just needs to come to church!

Gerardo is doing great though. We taught the word of wisdom this week
and it went well. He only has problems with coffee, but he said he had
no idea that God didn't want him to drink coffee and said he would be
done from here on out. The best! He is great and the members take such
good care of him. He still is working on Sundays at 12 and he doesn't
like that he can't keep all of the Sabbath day holy, but we are
praying for him.

Leidy is doing okay. We are trying our hardest to prepare great
lessons and invited the spirit, but she is always so distracted. We
met with their whole family last night though and her dad (member that
hasn't come to church in years) shared the strongest testimony. He is
going to be the key for this family! It was so cute though we asked
Ramber if he would offer the last prayer and he said "Yes, but can we
do it on our knees?" It was so cute. My companion just cried haha!

Hermana West's family came this week and we just tagged along to all
of their eating appointments it was the greatest. This ward sure does
love her it was pretty great to see. Especially Aga. She just cried
the poor thing! We had a really great lesson with her this week on the
Law of Chastity. We are one step closer!

Things are going really well here. I don't know if I could be happier!
We had a pretty great day today. I got to see ALL of my companions
that haven't already gone home it was wonderful! We went to the
Titanic museum which meant I got to listen to my heart will go on all
day so I was pretty content :) This week is going to be a big one. I
have my last concilio, temple trip, intercambios, and zone training.
Yay! It's going to be busy. And that's how I like it! Thank you for
everything you do for me. You guys really are the best! I love you and
am praying for you. Until next week!

xo,
Hermana Marsh
Sent from my iPad

 Picture from the last concilio I forgot to send.
Temple pics :)


 Literally SPRINTING to catch the bus.
 So nasty haha!
 I held a baby... My companions little brother doesn't count right?!




 P day activity. Titanic exhibit!

My comps :) Alcorcon, Las Palmas, and barrio 3!




 Posterity picture! Get this. My granddaughter is Italian! Ha! I love it.
 I broke my investigators door... They said fuerte Hermana and so I was

fuerte!! The worst hahah.

Look who's here from the north! Had to squeeze in a llaollao trip.


Monday, February 8, 2016

February 8, 2016


Mi Familia

HI! Oh it's so fun to get to hear from you guys. Mondays really never
get old for me. I'm happy to hear that everyone is doing well! Things
are going well here in Spain. It was week one of the transfer and it
FLEW. Week one is normally so slow! So that makes me a little nervous,
but time flies when you're having fun :) We really did have a lot of
miracles though and i'm excited to tell you all about it.

We had the COOLEST miracle with our investigator Gerardo. We went to
our lesson and he told us that before we started, he had some
questions for us. That is either a good thing or a bad thing, and in
this case it was a good thing :) He opens his book of mormon to the
one and only... 2 Nefi 31! Basically one of the best chapters in the
book of mormon about the doctrine of Christ. He then continues to read
verse 12. Go read it. I was freaking out! He found that all by himself
and we spent the rest of the lesson talking about baptism. This guy is
prepared!!

Ramber was confirmed a member of the church yesterday and it was one
of the cutest things. It's so special to see his brother baptize and
confirm him. We met with his sister Leidy twice this week ands she is
doing well. I feel like our lessons go really well and that she is
really engaged, but Sunday rolls around and she still doesn't come.
So we'll have to figure that one out.. She really is doing well
though!

Sonia didn't fall off the face of the earth, she just got a job. Happy
for her sad for me haha! She is watching her friends girls and she
works sundays, but she said she'd ask her friend if she could bring
the girls to church. Fingers crossed! Smoked only 1 time all last week
though :) It was the hiring week I guess though because Aga got a job
too and hardly has any time. The worst. We'll still pass when we can,
but things aren't looking to great for her.

We'll have our last lesson with Nicole tonight and I am so sad. She
really is one of the best investigators i've had... She'd get
baptized this transfer! But that's okay she'll go to Peru and share
the gospel with her family. Then come back and get baptized in May :)
The good news is that Lourdes gets home this week!!! YES!! Now i'm
just debating how soon is too soon to call... I'm a little excited
i've missed her!

We had our Mission Tour this week and we had Elder Moreira come. He is
AWESOME. Seriously so funny, but so serious all at the same time. He
shared with us the story about when Christ used 5 loaves of bread and
2 fish to feed the entire multitude. I'd heard this story many times,
but he said something that stuck out to me this time. Do you know what
kind of bread it was? Barley bread. That's the bread they give to
pigs, not people. But Christ made it possible so that this bread that
really isn't that appetizing fill thousands. He then talked about how
as missionaries, we really are nothing. But The Lord works with us and
shapes us so we can be the miracles and fill people spiritually. I
really am nothing. All success that I have had on my mission is thanks
to Him! I'm grateful that he trusts me enough though to work through
my weaknesses so others can have the gospel.

I love this gospel with all my heart and I can't imagine doing
anything else with my life right now. Hermana Spencer is wonderful and
I feel so lucky to be her companion. I hope you all have a wonderful
week I will talk to you soon!

xo,
Hermana Marsh

Thanks for the new shirt!!! I love it :)

 this is from lunch today :)    Nilo is my favorite. 
Very few people are invited to P-day activities haha!

Monday, February 1, 2016

February 1, 2016


Mis Queridos :)

HI! What a wonderful week it has been. I'm so proud of Hermana West
she did it! And we ended it with a baptism. I can't think of a better
way! It was absolutely wonderful Ramber is great. The greatest news is
I already love my new companion. Her name is Hermana Spencer and she
started in Mostoles my third transfer in Alcorcon. I'm so excited for
this transfer. Still can't believe that it's my last one, but we are
ready to go! Thank you for all of the updates and pictures. Happy to
hear everyone is happy and healthy!

The baptism yesterday really was wonderful, but my favorite part was
probably what happened after. They invited us over for dinner last
night and it honestly was one of the funnest nights of my mission. We
had a great lesson and then they planned a little dispedida for my
companion and it was such a great night. He's mom still likes us which
is the biggest miracle. And Leidy wants to hear the lessons again!
She's going to be next :)

Nicole is doing great. She had work yesterday, but told her boss she
would be late and came to church anyway :) SO SAD she is going to
Peru. It's okay though she's going to do it when she gets back! Sonia
and Lenny kind of fell off the face of the earth this week which
breaks my heart... but whatever happens will be for the best I guess!

We have been praying a lot lately for Aga and decided that we need to
focus more on her and the results have been amazing. She is a pretty
big smoker and drinker and we were always a little scared to teach the
word of wisdom though. We were big brave girls though and asked her to
set a goal to start quitting. We were thinking she was going to say
maybe 10 cigarettes and 2 beers a day or something like that, but she
said 2 cigarettes a day and 0 beers. And you know the best part? She's
doing it!!! I'm so proud of her. She loves coming to church too and
just cried when Hermana West left. I know she loves our visits and
it's the best feeling.

One more new guy! We have this guy named Gerardo that we are teaching
and he has come to church for 3 weeks in a row now. I didn't tell you
about him because he works a ton and hasn't had much time to meet with
us during the week, but he comes to church and the members love him! I
would have it that way than the other way around any day. He told us
that he wants to get baptized, but we've literally only had 2 lessons
with him haha! We are excited though and praying that he likes the
commandments haha!

I think that is about it as far a the people go. I really am so
excited for the next 5 weeks i'm going to hit the ground running!
Hermana Spencer and I are the sister training leaders for our zone
still and have a meeting this week after our mission tour which should
be incredible. This week is going to be a great one. I love being a
missionary!! I wish I could express it more. I love being here with
these wonderful people. Thank you for the love and support you send my
way. I can feel your prayers! I love you and hope you have a great
week.

xo,
Hermana Marsh
 My wonderful companion. I will miss her!
 I LOVE THIS FAMILY.
 Otra vez :)
 Last district meeting for Hermana West!

 MISSION ACCOMPLISHED! For Hermana West... I still have 5 weeks 😝
 I love this family too. The people here are just GREAT.
Lunch with the elders!