Another Week in the Lords Vineyard

Well, another week gone by in this part of the Lord's vineyard. What a week it has been. SO full of ups and downs, as usual, but the ups really just seem to out weigh the downs all the time.

Where do I begin?! Well, after emailing last Monday, we left and went straight to a lesson with our family. They have truly become my family. We taught them the Word of Wisdom. That's always a tough point for investigators here. But we taught it and I can proudly say that today is 'M"'s sixth day being completely drug free!!!!!!!!!! WHOOOOOOOO! I truly feel like these people have become my own brothers and sisters. When they trip and stumble, I choke up and cry. When they are strong and push through their adversities, they make me stronger. When they hit sorrows, my heart breaks. When they smile and laugh, the sun has never shined brighter. I wouldn't dream of ever coming home. I've never felt such a great depression and such a great happiness before. Confusing? You bet! Worth it? All the more! "M" is doing astoundingly good! The rest of the family is all in different places. Some are doing better than others. Just goes to show we are all unique and God will work with us all in our own ways. I love them and I don't know what I'll do if I get transferred... it feels like leaving home and family again... BLEGH!

Well, lemme tell ya about valentine's day. We had an appointment set up with a widow in our ward. We were gonna have a little pizza party with her... but she got sick so we just dropped by, said hi and left. Well, we were worried because we had so many people trying to make appointments with us that our night was booked! ha ha!!! Valentine's day was busier and better than Christmas!!!! We had a pizza party with "M", "E", "D", "B" and "C". They are the best family ever! "M" will probably be baptized this Saturday! Fingers crossed!!! Then, the young women's were having a valentine's shin dig at the church. We were invited by the "G"'s (the same guy who gave me a blessing a couple weeks back). They are my family!!!! I have never met anyone like them in my life. So we got there and they had invited the Elders to the dinner too. So we ate with the "G"'s, the Elders and some others. We got to meet a lot of non members and just talk and laugh with the ward. Mom, these people are my family. I've never been closer to a group of people in my life! I love them so much!!!! Then after that we went to the "J"'s and saw sister "J"... whew! That family is going through some tough stuff! But they'll be ok. Well, we decided to go visit a potential we placed a book of Mormon with and see if they had read it at all yet. We visited and, get this, her mom answered the door and her name is "R". She told us her best friend is LDS and she's always wondered about our church. So when her daughter came home with a book of Mormon she was surprised and she said she was really glad we came and found her. we are visiting with her this Satruday!!!!!! woooo! God prepares all His children to receive His word!

Well, the day before Valentine's was Elder Cox's birthday. So Sister Calton and I took some of the balloons I got for my birthday and blew them up and took them with us to district meeting. He loved them! Everyone in our district signed the balloons and it was fun! We have some pretty amazing Elders in our district. They work hard, even though not everything goes very good all the time. Well, we are spoiled by the people in our ward either way! Elder Cox must've had 5 birthday parties!!!! We end up at the same dinners and the same places a lot so we ate a lot of cake these past few days!!!! ha ha they really love us out here. Needless to say, Elder Cox and Elder Abad have a lot of cake in their fridge to eat.

In district meeting this past week (same day as Elder Cox's birthday) I was asked to do another training. You know me. I LOOOOOOOVE to talk and motivate people. So the Christ like attribute I worked on this past week was patience... Lemme tell ya, when you ask God to help you be better at something, HE GIVES YOU THE CHANCE TO WORK ON IT! He doesn't just make you patient or smart. NOPE! Needless to say, I had ALOT of opportunities this week to work on patience! I have never felt a greater pain in my life than when I go to a member's house and they tell me and my companion that they can't do it anymore. People we used to trust look us right in the eye and say it's just too hard. They say if Satan wants me, he can have me cuz I'm done fighting!!!!! I am constantly reminded of Satan's illness. I can feel him breathing down my neck and whispering in my ear. All I can muster up the strength to say in the final moment while they shut the door is a choked up sad, "please don't." Then the door is shut and we walk away from the house. yes. It happens. My dear friends. It happens. It makes me sick sometimes. We have to bear with patience. So, I shared this in my training this week. So many people give up because they don't understand patience and hope. Just because you join the church, went on a mission, got married in the temple and live your life the best you can, doesn't mean your scotch free. It most certainly does not. You must be patient! Then, I used an example. The greatest example of patience in this dispensation. While in Liberty jail, the prophet of this dispensation, Joseph Smith, faced the greatest adversity the world has known other than the Atonement of our Savior Jesus Christ. sold to a mob by his own friends, with a wife, children and saints being murdered, plundered and savagely treated by the adversities of darkness. with streaming guilt, pain and suffering in his soul for the welfare of not just himself but also his brethren in the jail with him and his people.God's people! he cries to the Father he thought had abandoned him. He pleas to the Father and cries out, "O God, where art thou?" He asks the Father to show Himself. He begs to Him and asks why He has abandoned His children. He claims to the Father that if He would just strike down their opposers and save His people, they would be faithful to God forever. Why wouldn't God save him? Why did God abandon him and His people? Then, as He always does, He answers this prophet's pleas. He says to Joseph, "My son, peace be unto thy soul; thine adversity and thine afflictions shall be but a small moment; and then, if thou endure it well, God shall exalt thee on high; thou shalt triumph over all thy foes." The greatest revelations Joseph Smith ever documented were received in the hellish pit called Liberty jail. Revelations we hold onto to this very day. Yes. It happens. Struggle. Grief. Pain. It happens. But when we bear with patience our afflictions and have hope, we KNOW that God will answer our prayers, hear our pleas and keep His promises. When we are patient and hopeful, we are confident and strong, knowing that God is truly not that far away. We stop looking at our hardships as punishments. We stop seeing them as abandonment and start seeing hard times for what they really are. AN OPPORTUNITY! I cannot stress this enough. I get turned away because, "it's just too much" all the time. Yes, it's hard. It's supposed to be. If it was easy, it wouldn't be true. I am sorry, but that is how God is going to see who we really are. Definitely easier said than done, but doable for sure! If you are having a hard time and feel like giving up, I exhort you to study the Atonement of our Savor a little better. I promise that as you study His Atonement and come to understand it better, you will come to know Heavenly Father. You will come to know your purpose better and you will be able to bear your afflictions well. It's so simple, yet so hard. It's so depressing, but so happy. It's so heartbreaking, but so fulfilling. So up and down. But aren't those signs of life. On a heart monitor, we call it flat lining. When there are no ups and no downs in that line, it means the heart is not beating and the person is either dying or dead. But when the heart beats there is a dramatic up and down motion to that line. It's a sign of life. It means your breathing. There are so many people who are spiritually flat lining, we as missionaries, every member being called and enlisted, are expected to be spiritual paramedics. We are called to bring these people back to life with our spiritual defibrillators! teach them of who they really are and give them a beat, a life full of ups and downs! Because it is in those ups and downs that we progress, that we become like our Heavenly Father. We become happy! Of course I had to throw some medical stuff in there. There are too many people giving up/ spiritually dying in front of my eyes to sit back and let them go. Satan thinks he's so tough! That ill snake has another thing coming!

Moral of this giant email, go bring someone back to life today! Someone who is flat lining, someone who needs to know they are loved, someone who needs to know there is more to life than what the world has to offer them. Go! Get them! Save them! Let them feel the happiness and joy that comes with having a beating spiritual heart! Do not let the adversary take you! You are much stronger than that! We all are! Remember, God leads this work. Wherefore can we fail? God does not fail. Choose you this day! (needless to say, the training went pretty well).

I love you mom. I love you all. Tell Daddy I said hi. Keep praying for missionary opportunities. Fight. Don't let go. God is on our side.

Love always,

sister J Martinez

My advice: Be Patient!

Hi mom!

All is well this week! So much better! Never in my life have I truly relied on the Savior before. I never truly understood that phrase until now. Everyday my Savior lifts me up and makes me stronger. Sometimes He has to lay us low before he can lift us higher!

Well, this week has been a lot of ups and downs but the ups overshadow the downs a hundred times over! The family we are teaching came to church again this Sunday. Though we tried to talk them out of it, few of them left after sacrament but two of them stayed. Mom. Our Savior lives. This is His work. I have been tossing and turning trying to figure out what I can do better, what I'm doing wrong, why this family is not progressing. Well, it was a total surprise, a boy in our ward was getting baptized that same day. Sunday right after church!!! So of course we invited them to stay and watch the baptism. They both agreed to. One of them is 29, his name is "M". The other is 11, his name is "D". "M" is "D's" uncle and they astound me. What astounds me more was the miracle that happened at the baptism. We went and looked around to see if they were there. We spotted "D" sitting with a twelve year old boy who just got the priesthood. His name is "I". They were laughing and joking and having a blast. Then I spotted "M", sitting by "G". He is awesome, he has a long past of hardship and mistakes just like "M". "G" had completely taken "M" under his wing. Then I watched as the Elders from the Elders Quorum walked in and sat down next to "M" and started laughing and joking about things and talking about the things they learned in priesthood. I was practically in tears. With little to no effort of my own, this ward had completely enveloped these two and showed them what it means to be a ward family. Sis Calton and I could've left and they never would have missed us! I watched as everyone was talking and laughing. The love, the joy, the peace. Afterward, I had to fight my way to them because they were so busy talking to others and asked them how it went (I had not seen them the whole baptism). They both told Sis Calton and I that they were excited for their baptismal dates, they bore beautiful testimonies and told us that they had been praying and that they know that this is the true church. My heart practically fell out of my mouth (sorry that was gross... haha). There it was. The answer to my prayers. What could I have been doing better? What was I doing wrong? Nothing! I was not being patient! This is His work!!!! Not mine! No matter how hard I work, He will give us situations to teach in and they will feel the spirit when it is His will to teach them at that time. There was no way I could've planned all that out! He is ever watchful over His faithful and I know that He is watching over me! This ward totally floored me this past Sunday. I am truly blessed and the blessings just keep coming the more I get to know the people.

Being healthy is something that I have truly gained a testimony of! I am trying to teach so many people who have such awful addictions. So many addictions that are so hard to conquer. Mainly drugs here. I often share D+C 10:5 with them. The one you showed me that day in sacrament meeting. How would I know how to work hard if my parents had not taught me how to! I got it from you and dad. My work ethic is directly from you two! Just like Nephi did, don't pray to have your circumstances changed. Rather, pray for the strength to change your own circumstances.(1 Nephi 7:6-19). He has given us hardship so that we can learn! Trust me... I had to figure that one out myself last week! ha ha!

I got your letter and there truly was a spirit intervention. I am learning to handle myself. To be a big girl and rely heart and soul on the one who wears the title Savior. I know He can do as he promises and that is save. Christ is my light, my life, my true beacon in my darkest moments. As he should be for all of us! When we choose Christ we choose change! So much is changing inside of me, I didn't even know I can do the things He has made me capable of doing! It is the same for us all! When you choose Christ, you will have moments when you say, do or feel something and you think, "where did that come from and when was I able to do that?" Well, it came from your faith! It came from your Savior! Every great story ever written in the bible or the Book of Mormon, (or ever in our church's history, especially Joseph Smith) started with faith. In fact, that is His question to all before performing a miracle. Do you Believe I can do this? When we trust Him and hand Him the reigns of our lives, He works miracles! Then, with a full heart, you will hear the spirit whisper to you, "Thy faith hath made thee whole." I have never felt so "whole" in my life. All my kinks and dings are being smoothed out, my rough edges are being sanded, and my blank spots are being made whole.

I love you all! All my friends and family. All of you make it possible for me to keep moving on and moving forward. Just the other day, President Morgan called just to see how I was doing. Me! He took a moment of his time to let me know he was thinking of me. I love President and Sister Morgan. I love this gospel. I love my friends and family. I love my home here in Washmo (Washington Missouri), I love running to the Missouri river and back every morning (I have lost quite a bit of weight, I don't know how much, I don't have time to worry about how much I weigh. All I know is my skirts were not sitting so low on my hips when I left home! ha ha). I love the way I feel when I am doing what's right and I am being obedient. I love my Savior Jesus Christ. I love my God and King. My Father which is in Heaven. I love the letters I get from home. I love my Washmo folk, they never cease to amaze! I love the Book of Mormon. I love my companion. I love, I love I love.

Send me some pictures for valentines day. All I ask is pictures and letters! ...and maybe a tube of true aggie chapstick, mine is all gone and I love that stuff! ha ha ha! I love you mom! You walk with me always! Happy valentines! I will send pictures soon and I love you!

Love always and forever,

Sister J. Martinez

PS. The weather here is hilarious. The last two days were freezing and snowing. Now it's like 60 outside! pfffffffff! what?! They cancelled school for the kids everday this past week but Monday. When it snows even a little bit here, NO ONE, goes outside. They all stay home and hide... that's fine we'll come knock on yo door!!! ha ha ha!!!!! just kidding.... sorta, we actually do go knock on their doors... now we just sound like creepers.... well we're not! nevermind! ha ha ha!  love you!

A Hectic Birthday Week!

Hi Mom!

First of all, congrats!!!!!!!! I'm so proud of you mom! So what was it that you got, slacker of the year, right? ha ha just kidding! You are awesome and you deserve that! That was awesome for everyone to support you like that! I love you all!

Well, I am so proud of you and dad! The world's most amazing everyday missionaries! I never knew how important it was to be an everyday missionary till now! You are awesome for helping their family.

Thank you Johnson Family !

Well, lots and lots of ups and downs this week. It's been pretty hectic. Well, this week, we've been having lessons with a great family, and their baptismal dates are coming up. We got a text from the mom asking about our beliefs on divorce. So we visited her that day and talked with her. We gave her “The Family: A Proclamation To The World”. She said she would read it and pray about what she should do. Well, Saturday was our last lesson with them till Sunday and when we got there, her husband was sitting on the couch. Up until this point he has not been interested in meeting us. He asked if it would be ok if he sat in on our lesson and come to church with us. PFFFFFFFF OF COURSE! We were ecstatic! The lesson went great and the spirit was so strong there. So Sunday came and we almost took up a whole bench because almost their whole family was there. While we were sitting there, listening to the much needed testimonies of the members Sister Calton motioned me to look over at the dad and mom. They were holding hands! This is why I'm here! This is a family looking for a better life. They recognize what this gospel can do for them and are willing to test it out because they need what God has promised them. Well, needless to say, this family has become my own family! The kids are amazing and the mom and dad seem to grow together more and more everyday. One of the sister's is already almost to 2 Nephi! I know this gospel belongs to Christ. It is His and He blesses those who seek after Him and keep his commandments. My testimony of this gospel has grown in ways that never could have happened in any other way than on a mission. I can feel the connection with my Savior growing everyday. Yeah, it's been a bit of a rough week, but if there were never any rough times, I would never grow stronger! Just like Lehi says, "opposition in all things!"

Well, I know the Lord's timing is everything to us out here in the mission field. He is constantly guiding His work and His glory. So much has happened this week, it is hard to write about it all. Even my journal doesn't capture how amazing this all is. God has a plan for all of us.

Thank you so much for sending me Poo's emails in the mail mom. When the days get long, there's nothing greater than having a letter in the mail. I got my birthday box and I LOVE IT!!!!!!! As you can see, I had an awesome birthday! Thanks everyone who sent me stuff and I love my string of pictures! I love you all and I am so grateful for all the people in my life!

Well, I'm almost out of time. I gotta get going, Missouri's not gonna baptize itself! ha ha joking.... joking. I love you all and I love this work! Till next week!

Love always, sister Martinez

I found a street with my name on it!!