We are All enlisted Till the Conflict Is Over!!!

Hi mom!

Isn't it crazy that I'll be 22! I am so old here compared to the other elders and sisters who, most of which are 18 and 19 now!!! I'm always telling them how lucky they are! I totally would have gone if I had the chance at that age!

Well, I got your envelope and can I say that was just what I needed! I've already read that new Ensign twice! I use it alot in lessons! The union elders are jealous we got the new one! All the pictures are up on my wall and I love them! Pictures and letters give me the greatest encouragement ever! I am so excited to get the birthday box!!! It sounds exciting! Just the thought of everyone thinking about me on my birthday is awesome! I have the greatest support group a girl could ever ask for!!!! 

I am so excited to visit out here again when I get home! Everyone had better eat their fruits and veggies and stay healthy so we can do some church history visiting! It's killing me being in the same state that has all the church history and not being able to go and see it. I know I will someday touch the bullet holes of Carthage and I know that someday when my Savior comes I will meet Joseph Smith and thank him for my life!  So much history here! In fact in this month's Ensign, in the article called “Enduring Well”, it mentions President Smith and his time spent in Liberty jail while all the saints were being exterminated by Boggs! Remember mom, do not ask Heavenly Father to change your circumstances. Rather, ask him for the strength to change your own circumstances! In that talk he talks about challenges not being about opposition, but about opportunity! It is a chance to prove to Heavenly Father that you mean business! In first Nephi Ch. 7 (one of my favorite things to use during a lesson) Nephi prays to Heavenly father after Laman and Lemuel tie him up and leave him to be eaten by beasts. In verses 16-18, Nephi did not pray to have his circumstances changed. Rather, he prayed for the strength to change his circumstances! Where does this strength come from? It comes from the Atonement! Elder Bednar once gave a talk in the Ensign, the article was called, “The Atonement and the “Journey of Mortality”. In it he talks about the atonement not just being used for people's sins. That's only half of it! The atonement should be used to turn bad men into good, and good men into better. Bad to good is only half the battle! That's the cleansing power of the Atonement and usually the only power many understand and use. But what most do not understand is the enabling power of the Atonement! The good to better half! That's where the strength comes from! Like the strength that Nephi had. The strength Joseph Smith had. The strength the saints had. The strength good people use to become better. Tap into that power. He wants to see His countenance in us. In order to do so, we have to let him make us strong by enduring well our oppositions and making them opportunities to grow. Read that talk and the talk in this month's Ensign! It will do wonders for you!

Donald and his daughter were all I could think about for so long. I spent a long time trying to decide where we could have done better. What we did wrong. But when it came down to it, I did the best that I could! I know that he will feel the spirit's whisper someday and that his family will be blessed because of the seed we planted. It is so hard to leave families behind and put them in the Lord's hands. I want to help. I want him and his daughter to live together forever. They deserve it! But I need to accept Heavenly Father's will. Someday he will see things different. I know he will. I must move on for now but that love I feel will not die. I love them both and I hope to see them again when Christ comes and I wish to listen to their story of how they became and eternal family! All is well! The brother and sister we are teaching now.... drumroll please.... HAVE A BAPTISMAL DATE!!!!!! That's right! They have committed to baptism. It is the greatest feeling I've ever felt! When they agreed to prepare for baptism I nearly passed out! ha ha ha! Heavenly Father has a way for preparing us all to receive his word, in his own way and time and I know it is their time! I am so grateful to be a part of this work! Whew! I am so so so proud of them and they're commitment to change their lives and become the people they were designed to be! Children of our King! The Johnsons got a new dog and are doing much better too! I love them so much! They got a Chihuahua and name him Jose! haha she was so excited to tell us about that because I'm Mexican so she told us that we just have to meet him. I call him my little Mexican brother! ha ha ha! he's cute! I'm actually going over to the Johnson's this Wednesday for my birthday! I'm excited! It has been a week of ups and downs... sounds familiar?

I am so glad to be getting Poo's e mails in the mail! Isn't that the cutest thing in the whole world! When I read about that guy showing up with his swim trunks and towel to get baptized my heart melted and it just made me wanna cry! That's the most adorable thing I think I've ever heard of in my life! It's good to hear from him! Wouldn't it be crazy if somehow I stayed out here for and extra week and a half and he came home a week and a half early and we got home on the same day?! ha ha I wonder what that would be like sometimes! What a glorious day that would be! 

Well, I gotta hurry now! That's just a quick update. I still keep a regular journal and when it's done I will send it to you and you can read all my adventures if you want! I feel like freakin Bilbo!!!!!!!!!! Now that..... is rad! I love this work. I love my Lord, Savior and King Jesus Christ. I love the Book of Mormon, it is the Keystone of our religion. I never understood that till now! I love our prophet. I love my family and my companion. I love my Missouri people and I love this life. Onward, ever onward my mother. I love you. Give dad a huge hug for me! I love you both more than you know. You walk with me always and eternity is in the hands of those who grasp it. Walk tall, God is the head of our army. Failure is not on His to do list! We are all enlisted till the conflict is over!  

Always and eternally yours, your (favorite) daughter!

Sister Martinez!  

Week 7: What do you get when you meet all your goals...ADVENTURE DAY!!!

I will meet my goal!

So, I'm emailing pretty late today and sooooo much has happened! I need to write in my journal more often! Well, Sister Calton and I met every single goal set for our zone last week! (yaaaaaaaaay!) Inspired goals are amazing! When you have faith and you act on that faith, the Lord will help you achieve the things He asks you to do! I know now what Nephi is talking about in 1 Nephi 3! Well, because we met all our goals we got more miles (which we don't use since our car is still in the shop) AND we got to have an adventure day!!!!!! It was so awesome! We met up with one of our recent converts! She is outstanding! She is 19 and the only member in her family! Her faith is overwhelming! She went with us into St. Louis for the day and we went to the St. Louis Science center and we also went to the St Louis zoo!!!!! The saint Louis Zoo is supposed to be the best in America and it was free! It was so much fun! I got a T-shirt with penguins on it! I bought Gma and Gpa a magnet for their fridge! I need their address so I can send it to them. We had a blast! It was so weird to be wearing a T-shirt and jeans! Just like the old days! But the most amazing part about Monday was walking through the zoo and having families walk by us and say, "HEY! How's it going sisters!" or HEEEEY SISTERS! and to have small kids give us high fives as we walk by. Missionary work is so important and it is sweeping the world! Parents are preparing their children to be missionaries by making us their heroes and teaching them that being a missionary is very important! I am proud to be someone parents teach their kids to be like. I love being a missionary! I don't mean to sound big headed or anything, but missionary work is awesome! We went to lunch after the science museum and we talked with a family sitting close by. They were members and they were eating with their kids. As they were leaving the dad, stopped by and grabbed the check sitting on our table. We tried to stop him but he insisted and said, "It's ok sisters. I'm teaching my kids." That really struck me. By taking care of us and helping us, he was teaching his kids how important missionaries are and instilling a fire in them to one day be missionaries themselves! Well I hope I meet them again someday. They are in my mission so fingers crossed!

Well, We didn't get to e-mail yesterday because we had exchanges. That's when the Sister Training Leaders (STLs) switch companions with Sister Calton and I. So I got to drive yesterday and this morning! It was awesome to be able to drive again! I really missed it! So I went with Sister Minyard while Sister Calton stayed here in Washington with sister Errington. I was in Fenton for the day yesterday and I learned a lot. She taught me a lot being an experienced missionary and all. It was very weird being in a new place with a new companion. It felt like leaving home again!!!! I was so excited to come back home to Washington and Sister Calton! But guess what I saw yesterday in Fenton! I saw a Waffle House!!! ha ha made me laugh! It was so nice to come back today! I feel at home again and I really missed sister Calton! I just love her so much!

Well, our friend and his daughter are not interested in learning anymore right now. We went over for our appointment and basically, we were really only able to offer him to read the BofM and find out the truth for himself. It was a good learning experience. But no matter how we tried we always seemed to end back up on some very off subjects. But Heavenly Father prepares His children to receive His word. Maybe someday in the future.

But we are teaching a new family, I think I told you about them. This one guy we ran into had received the Book of Mormon 3 years ago on the bus in St. Louis from some elders and has been wondering ever since. His sister was interested too! She was talking to her mom on the phone just the night before about wanting to find a religion when we knocked on her door the next day and they were both home and let us in. I know nothing happens for a coincidence. When sister Calton and I do what's right, we seem to run into a lot of "coincidences" ha ha! Well, him and his sister both came to church this past Sunday and she brought one of her 3 kids. He's 11 so he went to primary while we went to Sunday school. The elders were teaching about the priesthood in gospel principles. I was nervous since we had really only taught them the restoration, but it went SOOOOO great! They seemed to understand it and they really loved the equality in our church. They loved the fact that men and women work together and that neither is greater than the other! She is a lot like me! Pretty hard headed! ha ha! She really liked that the priesthood is held by men, but used to bless everyone! It really made sense to her the way it makes sense to me. We get a long pretty well. She reminds me of you mom! ha ha! And, the men in the class were very supportive also. They talked a lot about the role of the woman being so important and that we are like puzzle pieces! You can't complete the picture without one or the other! We are a family unit! She loved that! and so did he, he liked that the priesthood isn't used for money or for social status! It's not an occupation! It is a blessing and must be used with love and care, just as Christ used it. He really admired that, he was so excited that he leaned over to me and said, "I am coming to church next week too!" ha ha it was awesome! When we went to visit them last, he told us he had stayed up til 4 that moring reading! He's not a great reader so he was only in Nephi chapter 7 but he was sooooo proud and excited! So were we! I can't wait to keep visiting them!

How is my brother, Elder Martinez? I think about him a lot and keep his picture in my scriptures. When I sit down for a lesson I often imagine him there with me, sister Calton and the Savior all teaching together. Like Chewey and Han Solo, or Sam and Frodo,  I am proud to be on the same team as him! ha ha Elder and Sister Martinez! Funny how things turn out sometimes!

Well, I love you. You and the rest of the family truly walk with me here in Missouri. I imagine the things Rachel would say when the cops pull up behind us and make sure we aren't selling anything. I imagine what Mel would do and say meeting all the dogs here in the area. I imagine Poo walking the streets with me, trudging through snow and sharing the gospel. I imagine you and Dad walking on either side of me with Sister Calton and I following in the Savior's footsteps, keeping me aware of my surroundings, keeping me warm, and pushing me to keep going and celebrating with sis Calton and I when good things happen. I am so proud of my family and of who they made me out to be and I am so thankful for this opportunity to learn, grow and become strong in the gospel by helping others get there too. Keep doing good! Sister Calton told me something the other day that made me smile. She said, "We leave our families for 18 months, so others can be with theirs for eternity."

Forever is ours through our savior Jesus Christ. I love this gospel, I love my family, I love my friends and everything the Lord has blessed me with.

Forever,

Sister Martinez

Week 6: This is the greatest season!!!

The greatest things one can find when you walk and not drive!

This is the greatest season! Missionary work is booming forth just as President Joseph Smith said it would. I love reading D&C 60:8-9 and 61:3 and knowing that I am literally in the mission that he got those visions in.

Sister Calton and I decided, after having a period of not much success, to stop driving and walk as much as possible. We have had so much more success with less driving. We hardly ever use our car anymore! When we take our time and we don't go in haste, we get more done! Funny how that works.  My skirt has muddy dog paw prints on it and a couple small holes in some places from dog paws. I love all the dogs out here! They're all so sweet. My boots already look like I've had them for a couple years now and I've only been using them for a month! ha ha I wouldn't have it any other way! Everything is still in good shape. None of what I have is too worn out to use yet. Although, summer may come faster than we thought it would! Today it is a beautiful 60 degrees outside and it's beautiful! I'll have to invest in short sleeves soon.

As I receive love from the members here, what they don't realize is that in turn they are helping my parents! They are so loving here! I love these families and need to remember them. We had dinner a member family couple nights ago and we talked about the plan of salvation. The mom told us about her son who passed away a while ago. He would be about 20 years old now, he was about 10 when he unexpectedly passed away. They have a family of six here on earth and a family of seven for eternity. So while we were talking about the plan of salvation, we obviously started talking about families and one of their youngest said, "let's sing our family song!" They wrote their own cute song about how they will be a family forever. It almost sounds like a girls camp song. Very fun and up beat. Well with grins from ear to ear they started to sing. Sister Calton and I were laughing about their cute lyrics when about half way through, the mom began to cry when they got to the part about eternity. After they finished a silence fell over the room. They have a son on a mission right now, in fact he's leaving the MTC today for Brazil (I think). The very very bottom of it, with the penguins! ha ha practically Antarctica! Well, we sat in silence for a while soaking in the truth of what they sang. Then I quietly told the family that what they just sang is the reason why Sis. Calton and I do what we do. We leave Our families for a couple years so others can be with theirs for eternity.They are an amazing family that have overcome so much. It is the greatest thing we teach! Families are eternal! What a blessing and gift to have that knowledge! There are many who struggle with death without that knowledge, and that's what we're here to fix! When we know the truth, we need not fear!

That story makes me cry a little! I think of cute little Daddy all sobby trying to give blood! Awwww! Take care of those missionaries! There are people taking care of yours! haha! But most importantly, and this goes for everyone back home, the greatest way to help the full time missionaries is to be an everyday missionary. Help 'em out by joining the ranks of missionary work! We are all truly enlisted!

Well, this week, my testimony of the book of Mormon grew ten fold. I told you last week about the two young brothers in this family, and their incredible testimonies of the Book of Mormon. Well, I decided I wanna be more like that. So I started to search! I read in "Preach My Gospel" and that's what I'm studying most right now. The Book of Mormon is indeed the cornerstone of our religion! If it is not true, than Joseph Smith, modern revelation, our ancestors and everything we do goes out with it! Which is why enemies of the church work so hard to disprove it! But if it is true, which the testimonies of millions ensures, than that means that everything involved with it must be true also. That's what scares our adversaries so much! And that's why it's such a powerful tool. If you have time, look up the name Di Francesco.There's a talk by him on his own personal account and I love it! it's called: “I Will Not Burn the Book!” By Vincenzo Di Francesco. You have to read and watch "How Rare a Possession" if you can! We watched it this past Sunday and I've never felt the spirit so strongly in my life! His is the most incredible story! I have such a greater respect for the Book of Mormon. Well after we watched that I was excited to go out and share it with my folks of Washington! We got back to work and started tracting and visiting people. Well, we got the police called on us yesterday but that can't stop us! ha ha ha! We've actually gotten to know him pretty well! There's nothing they can do since we are not selling anything we don't count as solicitors! Now you must hear the gospel!!!!! Nah I'm kidding! It's ok! I can understand some people's irritation. Although at first it really bothered me. We talked to our ward mission leader and he said something I will never ever forget and I think about it everytime we get discouraged. He said, "If only they knew who you are, they'd take everything you offer them." A lot of times people don't even want to take a pass a long card. Just like Francesco offered his colleagues the Book of Mormon and said, "how can you burn it if you have never even read it!" It's so true! If only they knew what we had to offer them! So we go forward! God prepares a way for all His children to recieve his message. In fact, we had an amazing Miracle this past week

We tracted into a lady in town. She is really nice. We weren't having much luck that day and things were looking down and we've been struggling for people to teach. So she opens the door and is really nice to us and we tell her who we are. She looks a little confused at first, then we say, "we're the Mormons. That's our nickname." She lights up and says, "ooooooooh ok! I've heard of Mormons!" Then behind her a guy pokes his head around the corner and starts to listen to us talk then they let us in. It was her brother who came up behind her when we said we were Mormons. He excitedly says, "yes! I know who you are! I met a couple of boy missionaries on the bus in St. Louis 3 years ago! They gave me a Book of Mormon!" We were shocked! It's obvious whose hand was preparing the way! We sat down with him and we started to talk to him and tell him what we're all about. We started to talk about the Book of Mormon and he began to look sad. We asked if he had a chance to read it at all and he said, " a little bit, but I was homeless for a while. I lost the book. I lost everything." He began to tell us about how he lost everything he owned once and became homeless. Then he prayed for the first time in his life for help and the next day his sister took him in and he's currently searching for a job. He says he's been searching for the boys who told him to pray and gave him the book ever since then. He reminds me of Francesco!!!!! He is searching for truth and knew it when he found it. So when we invited him to church he was excited to go!!!! We had an awesome Sunday with him. The Elders in our area (Elder Cox and Elder Marvin) also had an investigator at church this week.  Our district has been struggling but now because of our faith and hard work, we are beginning to have success!!! It's exciting! We are still teaching him and we still have a little ways to go, but he seems happier since he went to priesthood with the elders! I hope things work out alright! I know they will!

Well, I love what I'm doing! I love this work! If it wasn't hard at times it wouldn't be worth it! Missouri is an amazing group of people despite their past and some of the lingering beliefs about Mormons! They actually let us in more often than not!

I love you all so so so so much and I will talk to you all again so very soon. I'm sending out more letters today. I can only write for a couple hours on Monday's so I do the best I can with them.

For ever and eternity,

Sister Martinez

Week 5: It's gonna be the best year ever though!!



On a lane to a members house

Missouris is so beautiful!



Snow storm can't stop me!





The day after the storm...of course it's sunny pfff!



I know it's crazy right! It's gonna be the best year ever though! I can't believe I was able to say "this year, as one of my resolutions, I'm gonna serve the lord 24/7 all day everyday!" ha ha wow! this is a year to remember! I definitely have a new testimony of fasting too! It works! trust me! ha ha So yesterday it snowed a TON and it was freezing! The actually cancelled church! When the weather gets bad out here, even if there is a chance it MIGHT get bad, all the schools and businesses and people shut down and go into hibernation. Well, I woke up yesterday morning looked out the window and my heart sunk. I look forward to church every week, in fact Sunday is our busiest day! What were we supposed to do! I was so bummed! Well, sis Calton and I started our fast for the good folks of Washington and I had personal study while she got ready for the day. for some reason I started thinking about ammon and how he was so stoked when the bad lamanites came to scatter the flocks. So I opened up to Alma 17 and read that chapter. I got to verse 29 my heart did a flip! It says, " now when Ammon saw this his heart was swollen within him with joy; for , said he, I will show forth my power unto these my fellow servants, or the power which is in me, in restoring these flocks unto the king, that I may win the hearts of these my fellow servants, that I may lead them to believe on my words." I was stumped! I went back to the window and it was snowing in every direction. I got the newest feeling in my heart. Something I had never felt before.  A smile stretched across my face. The lord provided me with an opportunity. This was my chance to prove to these people how much they truly matter to me. This was my chance to "restore these flocks unto the king." This was my chance to win the hearts of my fellow servants, my fellow folks of Washington. Well, Sis Calton came out and We prayed to know what we should do (although I had already received my answer). We read Alma 17 together and made that decision. The cars were grounded, but that didn't stop us! We were asked to plan our day like a normal day, so we did! I put on 3 pairs of leggings and my sweat pants(my boots go up pretty high and my skirt goes low so no one could tell ha ha), put on a dress with a skirt over it, my long john's G top, a long sleeve shirt, a t shirt, a hoodie and my jacket over that, a scarf, a beanie, Sis Calton's toe and finger warmers and three pairs of socks(thanks Elder Martinez for the muppet socks ha ha). We looked as professional as we could with all that on! then over all that, My Savior's name and mine(my tag) went right over my heart.

and with that and a prayer at the door, we went out into the storm! Poor sis Calton, she's only five feet tall, so the snow went mid thigh at times but she insisted that she lead the way so I followed in my trainer's loving footsteps as we trudged through the snow. the highest it ever got on me was up to my knees. I felt like I was home!!! ha ha ha! We have never had more tracting success! ha ha people felt bad that we were in the snow. We actually had quite a bit of success yesterday! more than we have on a normal day! All you could see were our eyes as we trudged down the street! but we kept on going! I have a new respect for the pioneers, what we had to do was soooooooo minute compared to their sacrifice! Well, While we were trudging down the street, the thought to visit the Johnson's came to my mind, but I pushed it aside because they were completely in the opposite direction of where we were travelling. Then, Sis calton turned around and said, " I think we should visit the Johnson's." My heart skipped. Little by little, God let's us know He's there and He's watching over us. We said a quick prayer, I asked for forgiveness for not listening to the prompting, then we were off. Except this time we were walking against the wind. Missouri hasn't seen weather like this in 20 years! Or at least that's what people kept telling us after they told us we were crazy. All I could do was laugh because our eyelashes were frozen stuck together and mascara was all over sis calton's face! ha ha! but we pushed on. We helped a lot of people shovel their walks, talked to even more people and eventually got to the Johnson's house. I won't say what happened there but what I can say is that I love that family and they are so strong! Yeah their girl can be a turd at times but she's a sweetheart!  I love watching families pull together when trials come and I am so glad we followed the prompting to go to their house. Their 16 year old Caleb astonishes me! He's the one who answered the door the first time the Elders showed up and knocked. He said the first time he saw the book of Mormon he knew it was true. Then their youngest boy Mason said that he has read it three times already!!!!!! and he's twelve!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Yes they are struggling but hearing the boys bear their testimonies of the plan of salvation and seeing them work together, I know they are gonna be ok! Caleb reminds me of nephi and Mason reminds me of Sam! The generations of missionaries just keep getting better. They are going to be amazing missionaries! I am so proud of them for helping their parents when things get hard. They remind me of my own family back home, yeah things get hard and sometimes kids do crazy stuff, but family is family and when push comes to shove, we stick together! Well after we visited with them we headed back through the snow to home. it was only 7 but we were STARVING and tired (but not cold ha ha) and we decided to call it a day since it was dark and the wind bit more that before. So long story short, never look at trials as opposition, but as opportunities! For that is what they truly are. It is a chance to prove yourself to those you love including our Heavenly Father. It is a chance to bear witness and testimony of what we know and believe, just like mason and caleb did for their parents when things got hard. I love this gospel because it keeps families together through thick and thin, and when life chews us up and spits us out, take that time to thank God for the wonderful ride and the wonderful moisture (ha ha gross analogy, sorry) It's like president and sis morgan say, "when the door slams in your face, think to yourself, ""what a nice breeze." ha ha this life is meant to be enjoyed. 

Well that's only one story from this week! So many many miricles happened this week that you'll just have to read about when I send my journal home! wow wow wow! I love being a missionary!

Exercising is going ok. The members here feed us so much! ha ha, if we don't exercise we'd get pretty big! ha ha ha that good ol Missouri cookin! these people are amazing! But the running has slowed down for a while, because of the weather. So lets just say I've never done more jumping jacks in my life! But the lord has asked us to be healthy so I do the best I can. sometimes doing the best we can is all we can do and it is all he asks for.

Well, I know that by being healthy, we can set a good example for others. I know you and dad being healthy makes me want to be healthier. when I don't feel like doing even one more stupid jumping jack, I think, "Disney land, Disney land Disney land." then I can keep going. I want to always be able to walk and run and have fun with you all at Disney land and for the rest of my life! Some of our greatest memories are at that silly park and I wanna do it again when we get home, Elder Martinez and I.

Well I love you mom. You and Dad walk with me always! When the snow was up to my knees I pictured you and Dad at either side of me and My savior right in front of sis calton and I making footsteps for us to follow. I love you and all the family back home. Time goes on, health slips away, memories fade, but families are eternal. That is His plan and that is my purpose. I know it, I love it and now, I live it all day every day. I am proud to call you my mother and I'm proud(even though that picture is sad and cute) to call my Daddy my Daddy! I love you! Now go and do some good in the world today.

Forever and for always your daughter (and pride and joy! ha ha),

Sister Martinez