Week 4 - Never Underestimate the members

Meet Rafael



 

Sister Missionaries in the Washington District

Your birthday sounds amazing! Rachel told me to take a picture for your birthday! I'm glad you got it and you had so much fun!!!! Your birthday sounded like a blast! And that is so hilarious!!!! Typical Martinez family outing to the movies!!! ha ha! You guys are ridiculous!

No, I haven't gotten anything in the mail yet but I'm sure it'll be here really soon! I'm sending out some letters, so they should be there soon too!

Well, it sounds like you guys are doing awesome!!! That's so great!!! People think that Utah is Mormon central and I guess in a way it is, but there are children everywhere that need His gospel! I am so so so so proud to hear that our ward is killing it with missionary work!!!!!!! Never ever underestimate the power of members!!! It is so true when we say every member a missionary! When we get referrals and members involved the work goes a billion times faster!!!!!!! You're young woman's theme sounds awesome! That is what we teach people all the time! Ezra Taft Benson said that "When we choose Christ, we choose change." Amazing right?! Coming unto Christ is our whole purpose on this earth! It is what will make us happy in this life and the eternities to come! When we choose Christ I promise something wonderful will happen. Like for example that family that is going to church in our ward right now!!!! that's what the gospel is for! We become a part of a family, we become a crucial part of the body of Christ (Corinthians 12) and recognize our own spiritual gifts and how to use them for others like Christ does! Also, like Ruben! Mom! You and Dad are living up to your potentials! I have never been so proud as I am right now! I am so proud of you sharing the gospel with others. We had a talk in church yesterday about the love of Christ which as you will read in my letter, was EXACTLY what I needed! He said that when we go to a movie or a restaurant or a place that we loved and enjoyed, we go to people and say "Hey! You've gotta try this out!" Such it is with the gospel! We love it, We live it, We share it!!! But how often do we say, "hey, you've gotta see this movie! In fact I'll go with you sometime to see it!" Usually we just tell them how great it is and then leave it at that! Take that spiritual journey with them, invite them to read, ponder and pray and sit in missionary lessons with them. I promise it will mean so much more than just telling them about it and letting them figure it out themselves!  This past week was a little rough but It was when I changed my attitude from endurance to love that things got better! You'll read about it in my letter! It's amazing! Whether you're born into the church or not, everyone is a convert! We must all find our own way to Christ and become like him! That is our goal and purpose!

We listened to a talk by John Bytheway this week in the car and it was amazing! You really need to find it and listen to it or read it! it's awesome! It's called five scriptures that will motivate you to action! It's great! I couldn't find it on lds.org which is the only one we are allowed to search so if you find it could you e mail it to me? I encourage everyone to read it and get to work!!! Missionary work starts now!!!!

Well, like I said it was a tough past week BUT I am sending you a good long letter and it is awesome! You will love it! I know I did! I definitely know what it means to come unto Christ after this week! For the first time in my life, I had to rely solely on my Savior. My mom and dad, my sisters, my brother, my family and friends. They weren't just a phone call and a hug away! And now that that trial is over, I have become so much stronger for it! And guess what! We finally have our first investigator since we got here! It's Donald! Sweet huh?! ha ha! I tell ya, If you are of the age to serve a mission, there is no greater thing you can be doing right now than serving a mission!!!!! Especially if your the age of the new age change! School, it can wait! Boys! Blegh! Who likes them anyways?! (ha ha ha) Work? Family? All these things will actually be benefited and better after serving a mission! I get scared thinking of what would've happened had I decided not to serve!!! I know it's bold to say, but I hear other elders and sisters saying it, my president from the MTC and here in the field both said the same. "There is no greater work that you can be doing at this age and stage in your life than missionary work!" 50% of marriages are ending in divorce, EVEN IN THE CHURCH! But couples with both spouses that have served? That percentage is only 2%!!!!!!!!! Serve serve serve! and if you can't serve, well than get to work at home with your family and friends! I am so so so so so grateful to be where I am! And with the new year coming, I look back at the beginning of 2013 and the resolutions I made for myself and laugh! I definitely didn't see myself living in Missouri serving a mission!!!!!!!!! ha ha ha! But now my one and only resolution for this year is a resolution that only a full time missionary can make! To serve my Lord and Savior Jesus Christ, 24/7, all day, everyday. Physically, mentally, emotionally, spiritually AAAAALLLLL His for the entire year of 2014!!!! ha ha ha ha what a powerful and amazing resolution! One I will treasure and cherish forever! An opportunity like this will never come again! I am only this age once, I only get to be a missionary like this once! I will make it count! So my advice to home! PUT HIM FIRST! I promise that when you do, the decisions you need to make will become clear! Listen to that talk by John Bytheway!  Decisions that need to be made will be made simple when you put the Savior in the center of them! When we choose Him we can't go wrong! Love the life you are leading! Everyday you live is the only one of it's kind. There is only one December 30th, 2013! What were you doing when it happened?! And it you're not loving it! Come unto Christ! An eternal invitation that everyone should accept! I promise you will see the most amazing difference in your lives! Mine has changed! Those around me are changing! Catch the wave my dear loved ones! Don't be left behind!!!!!

Sorry, I get a little excited! I love you mom! I promise that blessings will come as you invite Rubin and his family to learn more and as you lead by example. Be an example! I know that you are mine!

My endless love and gratitude for everything! Love always!

Sister Martinez



Our Merry Christmas skype from Sister Martinez

Even though Sister Martinez has only been gone for 3 1/2 weeks, her skype was an awesome Christmas gift. Being blessed to have 2 missionaries, we were so excited to be able to hear all about what is going on in Washington, MO. She is so proud to wear her badge, which she is so honored to have her name with the Church of Jesuse Christ of Latter Day Saints. It means alot to here. Merry Christmas everyone!!!

Week 3 - Joining the Missionaries in the MO St Louis Mission

The Kipp Family

The Johnson's great-dane



 

President and Sister Johnson, with Sister Martinez

Hi mom! I'm sending you a letter,  I got your package! I don't think I saw a connector in there, but I did get you PJ pants with owls, and the letter writing stuff and your card! That card was hilarious! No worries though, Sister Calton is letting me use her connector for pictures!

Well, everything is great! I am in love with Washington, Missouri! The members here, as you can tell, are amazing! Most of them are converts and their testimonies just floor me! They each came to the truth through the missionaries and the few that were born into the church are tried everyday about what they believe! I often think "who's the real missionaries here?!" They are teaching me more than I teach them I think! Yeah, the first picture you got was from the Kipps. Their house is big and beautiful, much like most of the houses here. They are such a sweet family! Then the second picture with the great dane, that's the Johnson family! They are recent converts and just got sealed a couple months ago!!!!! They are so amazing! Sister Johnson called us on the phone today to tell us about her amazing missionary moment that she had! They have one great dane, two St. bernards, a cat, and some fish! They have a very busy house with dogs that look like horses and small bear cubs! ha ha! Another lady we teach has a great peirenese! People here love their dogs! Yeah, we live 5 blocks from the Missouri river, Sister Calton and I run there every morning! It's been in the 60's these past couple days but today it's in the 20's. You never know what the weather will be like in Washington! I met president and sister Morgan! They are amazing! They are so loving and happy to be our mission parents! It was cute, at our first transfer meeting, she got up and said I'm so happy to have adopted 250 new kids! ha ha she's a sweetheart! Well, the flight out here was good, I came out here with 12 others that I was in the MTC with. They are practically my brothers and sisters and it was hard to part ways with them! But at the transfer meeting we were each given an envelope with our trainer's name and the area we will be in. We each had to go up to the pulpit and read off our thing and introduce ourselves! it was hilarious! I got up first and Said, "my name is sister Martinez and I'm from Logan, Utah." Then I opened my envelope and said, "I'll be serving with Sister Calton in Washington, Missouri." She jumped up and screamed, "woooooooooo!" and ran down the aisle to the pulpit like it was the price is right! She gave me a big hug and we went back and sat in the pews. Another girl read her envelope and a big Tongan sister stood up and yelled, "COME TO MAMA!" ha ha! everyone was laughing as she ran up and gave her a big hug! Then another elder went up and read his envelope and his trainer yelled and ran up to the pulpit, picked up elder rose like he was a baby and carried him back to their seat! ha ha ha! these people are amazing and so much fun! I am having a blast with sister Calton! She's short, beautiful and full of energy! She is so hard working and I love it!

So my first Sunday here was amazing, The elders in my ward are so awesome too. In fact, Elder Cox saw me at transfer meeting and Said, "Do you know brother Cloward?" I said, "Daniel Cloward?" He said, "yeah! I just got transferred from Charlestown(I think that's it) and he said to tell you hi. The whole family says hi!" I almost cried! I love this mission and all the people in it! We have 3 recent converts. One is 15, the other two are 19 years old! They are amazing. They are the only ones in their families to be members. They each come from different families but they might as well be sisters. They astound me! When I was that age, I was not as strong as them! All the members here are like that! I am the minority here. Most people are Baptist, Catholic, Presbyterian you name it! They're all pretty nice and they usually let us in, not because they are interested in changing religion, but mainly just because they love talking about Jesus!

Well, I think I will be skyping from the Johnson's house this week. I'm not sure how that works out but we'll probably call you that day maybe sometime around noon or something. You'll have to tell me how to skype Poo. I think I miss him more than anyone! ha ha! We've never been further apart but spiritually, we've never been so close. I'm so proud to be working alongside him and so many others out here in the mission field. I am so happy out here mom! All these people are amazing! My companion is a blessing and an amazing trainer. I love everyone so much! The area is beautiful! so many hills and trees in every direction as far as the eye can see. I was a little nervous when we left the airport in St. Louis and I choked on the air a bit. It smelt worse than LA but I'm already used to it and loving it. Our apartment actually smells like Tia Connie's when we used to visit. It reminded me of them and how much I love everyone!

I'm so glad to hear you're doing better mom! I love you so so much! I know that what Poo and I are doing will send continued blessings to our family. I constantly think of all the elders that taught our family and how much I wish I could meet them and thank them. Never give up on someone. Heavenly Father has a way of humbling and preparing His children for His gospel! I see it daily! I am so thankful to be part of this amazing work force! I can't imagine my life without serving a mission! I have hard times but they are so quickly overshadowed with all the blessings that surround me!

I love this gospel and am continually grateful for this opportunity! I'm excited for Christmas, mainly because all of our potential investigators want to meet after Christmas is over! ha ha everyone's busy with family!

Well, I love you! I cannot wait to talk to you this Wednesday! you'll have to tell me how to skype Poo when we talk and if you send anything to me send it through normal us postage. Not UPS or Fedex cuz then I won't see it for a long time. It will sit at the mission office forever till a zone leader goes and gets it. Always send everything to the mission office through normal US postage. I didn't see a picture adapter but maybe i will look again.

I love you so much! I am so well taken care of out here, spoiled even! The members are great! I love you and I love all the family! Say hi and merry Christmas to them all for me!

I hope ya'll do something awesome for your birthday! I know I'll be thinking of you!
Love love love love love!

Sister Martinez





Week 1 in the MTC - Can any missionary be more excited and blessed then me??!!!!!

Mom! We are so busy here mom! Since I'm a state side missionary, everything others would learn in a couple months we learn in one week! It has been so crazy! I am so so so proud to be a part of this army though! I cannot imagine a better place I would rather be! I wish I could tell you all the amazing things that have happened to me this week! I can't believe how much can happen in one week when you’re on the Lord's time! All mine and Sister Eustice's investigators are doing so well! They are really learning for themselves that there is a better way to live! Also, I found out this past week that Sister Eustice's dad works at thermofisher too!!!!! Isn’t' that weird! He's got one of the greatest daughters in the whole world! We've really learned to rely on each other completely! It has been so stressful always studying and working but when we work as a team with the spirit, we have already had so many miracles. We are preparing to fly out on Wednesday I think! So I will e mail you when we get to Missouri! I can't believe it's already time to leave! ONE WEEK! That’s all we really got! I am absolutely fascinated with how much the Lord can strengthen His army (namely myself) in one week!!!! My district has become my family away from family and my home away from home. All together there are 8 missionaries. 4 sisters and 4 elders! There's elders Fabrizio, Hennen, Percival and Johnson. Then there's my district sisters and roommates, Sisters Broadhead, De Silva, Eustice and I. I have never been so loved and taken care of and at the same time I have never loved a group of people more in my life other than my own eternal family. We all learn, work, study, uplift and pray together. The elders are always offering us priesthood blessings and we are always asking for them to help them practice for the field and also because we have never been so hard pressed and weak. I am so glad to have those four elders! They are my brothers! I know it gets difficult but mom, I have never ever been so strong! I literally feel the Lord speaking through myself and sister Eustice when we teach! I wouldn't trade the look in an investigator's eyes when they feel the truth for anything in the world! I've never felt this kind of love for people before and I just know Missouri will be just as amazing! 

I have met so many people here! A few of them remind me of people from home! We had a teacher yesterday (all the teachers are absolutely amazing) who just reminded me of dad! A big jolly Mexican fellow who was super hilarious!!!! The hallways here are lined with old pictures of missionaries doing baptisms or teaching from countries all over the world and from all eras of time!!!!! I am so proud and honored to be counted with those amazing missionaries who walked these halls before me! Quentin L cook came and spoke to us the other day! He talked about how we are literally angels! How angels preach and testify of the truth which is Christ! I am so proud to be one of them! It has been difficult but so worth it! Every minute of everyday is planned out and we are always on the go (one of the blessings of a state side missionary, you only get two weeks to learn as much as you can). President Stice is amazing and he inspires us to not be average missionaries! He tells us to be exceptional, so when we step off that plane in Missouri, the mission president will be able to breathe a sigh of relief because he just got a bundle of hard working soldiers for the lord!!!! That's me mom!!!! I've never been so proud to be somewhere in my life!!! My favorite painting here at the MTC is called the Dove. It is a painting of when Christ was baptized! It is beautiful and they have a HUGE painting of it! I love the colors and the look on Christ and John's faces! You can see the light of the dove in their eyes! You should look it up! It’s fantastic! I have lots of pictures but not very much time to email them all! I will make copies and send them to you as soon as I can! I really love the pictures you sent me! I keep some of them in my scriptures. I have learned so much. When my journal is full, I will send it to you so you can read all my stories since I don’t have time to write about them! I have touched so many people mom! They have touched me and changed my life forever! I have blended in with the sisters and have made so many lifelong friends. Just yesterday I met a sister her name was Hermana Acosta from Australia. It was her birthday and she way hilarious. She was a bigger girl, wearing a purple skirt and a yellow sweater with a green scarf. She's Hispanic and she's hilarious! We were sitting and listening to a devotional and she leaned over to me and said, "My hands smell like mayo, I just had a sandwich before this." then her and I just started wheezing and laughing! She is going to Tempe Arizona speaking Spanish!!!! I just love her! So many stories to tell mom! She reminded me of Rachel!!!! I am having an amazing time! Also, Can you send a pillow and some blankets to the mission home so I have something to sleep with? haha! I just thought of that! 

Anyway, I hope I have a little more time to write when I get to the field. So much has happened! SO SO MUCH! Also, I got a box of brownies from Sam Jen and the fam, I got some oreos from Toby and Annette plus a couple more letters from other people! I appreciate it all so much!!!! I am continuing to grow and learn and become strong and confident! I love you mom! I love you all! Elder Martinez and I have great conversations! Though we are so far away, I've never been closer to him. I know it's because we are both on the same errand! That is to be angels for our God and king!!!!!! I am in love with all these people and this work! I love you so much! I will talk to you and write letter as soon as i get the chance! 

Always remember! When things go wrong, pray pray pray and pray again! Turn to Christ, read the scriptures! Strengthen your testimony! Show him how tough you can be and how much faith you have and you will be blessed! I know this to be true! I just tested it all last week!!!!!! ha ha!

Love always, 

Sister Martinez

The 8 Missionaries to leave for MO, 12/17/13

Sister Martinez (3rd from left) and her companions