EMAIL: Week 42 - District Leader

WRITTEN 5/15/17

Sorry first of all but this email will be really short. Having my pday last Saturday kinda messed up everything up soo I didn't really do the day-to-day thing. This one. I'll just give you an update on a few things: 

• Omar didn't get baptized :( we have to move it up to the 28th because he hasn't stayed in church for longer than sacrament. We're working on that👌

• It was super awesome to talk to you guys on Sunday! Man time flies tooo fast! The next one won't be until Christmas but it will be here faster than you know!

• We had transfer calls last night and it turns out that elder Brooks and I will be staying. Actually we were the only companionship in zone 1 out 12 areas that didn't move or change.

• I'm going to be a district leader this transfer!

Well this week has been awesome and I'm looking forward for a new transfer with Elder Books, we are going to kill it!
 

Have an amazing week!

Next weeks letter will be better!

Love,

Elder Marz

Happy Mothers Day Facetime CALL !! (Whoop Whoop!)

EMAIL: Week 41 - Rainy Days and District Meeting in Morristown

WRITTEN 5/6/17

What's good everybody!?

There's been a change  of circumstances so that's why I'm emailing today but  so far It's been a fun-filled week here in NJ!

Monday Elder Brooks and I went fishing! It's really nice to just be out and exploring:) Later that night we had an appointment with our awesome Omar. Still doing super awesome! Just soaking it all up, we taught him about the word of wisdom and how it's such a blessing to have. The amazing thing is that God is our father and he knows what's best for us, he knows what will hurt us and he knows what will keep us safe. All we have to do is choose to follow Gods will. Omar has chosen to do that and it sooo cool!

Tuesday we had district meeting in Morristown. We talked a lot about desire and what it actually means to have desire. We talked a little bit about the difference between wants and desires, and desires are just deeper more pure wants. Most "wants" are worldly but "desires"are more spiritual, they have more meaning. After at lunch Elder Muir (English Elder)  and I took a shot of balsamic vinegar and it was pretty interesting haha. Later that night we had our English class and we taught about opposites and it was kinda funny cause Elder Brooks and I were just used as an object lesson😂.

Wednesday we had service in the morning and then some studies and then we went and tried by a bunch of less actives. Had a lesson with a less active which I've only met once or twice but he says that he's planning on coming to church on Sunday with us so we are pretty excited about that! We had our English class and then another lesson with Omar, we went over the 10 commandments with him and focused on sabbath day. We want to help him make Sunday a priority because next Sunday (Mother's Day!) is his baptism! He's planning on coming to church this Sunday so we are crossing our fingers that he does🤞

Thursday we went out to lunch with a less active which was nice. Now that it's getting warmer she's going to try and make it to church more often. Lots of people her just don't put going to church high on their priority list. If it's nice and nothing is in the way for them to go to church then they go but that's rarely the case, Satan is always trying to stop you from doing something good and he'll play all of his cards! Later we had an appointment with our investigating family, Ana, Alfonso and their two kids. We prayed with them and waited for an answer if God wanted them to live the Gospel right now and for now on. They didn't receive an answer so they aren't ready, sadly we had to drop them for now. It's really sad cause we put so much prayer and fasting for this family to see it come like this. The family will be baptized it's just a matter of time! Later we had an exchange with some other elders. Elder Caccioppoli came with me to my area for the night and into Friday.

Friday it was raining all day! We went to service building houses and we were working with insulation and I got it all over my arms and they were super itchy😬. After that we went back home, got all the stuff off my arms and then we did some studies, went by some people and then exchanged back. Elder Brooks and I had a ward activity to go to with some members and investigators. It was really fun, really focused on just getting to know each other. It wasn't awkward or anything, the members got to know our investigators and the investigators got to know the members. 

Saturday (today) we had to get up at 4am because we had to drive to jersey city so Elder Brooks can go to the temple with one of his recent converts. The rule is that if you go to the temple with a recent convert then you have to be back in your area ready to proselyte by 11am otherwise it becomes your pday. So it's 11am currently and I'm in the jersey city apartment hanging out with Elder Janotti and doing studies and pday stuff. You guys won't hear from me on Monday but I'll be FaceTimeing you guys next Sunday! Woop woop! 🙌

Have an amazing week!

Love,

Elder Marz

EMAIL: Week 40 - Learned to Make Baleadas

WRITTEN 5/1/17

What's good everyone?!

This week has been awesome! I started he week on an awesome note and I went fishing on Monday! It was super super nice out! I didn't catch any fish but I sure did catch a great afternoon! Haha

Anyways on with my week.

Tuesday we had district meeting. After we went home and we finished up studies and made some cookies for some members at the same time. We went and dropped them off and then we learned how to make baleadas (A dish from Honduras. Super good!) at the little restaurant down the street. 

Wednesday morning we had a chapel tour with a member and one of our investigators Juan. His son Ivan has been a member for like 5-6 years and he comes to church pretty much every Sunday. Juan has never been inside so this little tour was really great for him. An opportunity for him to see al the rooms, see al the paintings and to understand what church is like on Sundays. We invited him to come and he said he'll do his best to get there! Later that night after our English class we met with our investigator Omar. He's still golden as ever! He prayed and asked God if he was on the the path that God wanted him to be on and he got an answer! Omar said that it is the way God wants him to go! (Internal fist pump!) So we are still helping him build his faith everyday! 

Thursday we did lots and lots of planning. We are trying to Crazy Plan (going crazy into the details when we plan. Ex: who are we going to call and ask to sit by Omar at church. Or another one: Tuesday we will send him some pictures of temples) for all of our Investigators, which takes some time! After that we went contacting in the park and on the streets. 

Friday we had our service helping to build homes and the. We did our studies and after we drove over to Hackettestown! (45-50min away) had an appointment with a recent convert Benjamin. He's 15 and from the Dominican Republic, sweet kid. His dad has been a member for 7-8 years and his son Benjamin just got baptized in October. Then we went and pasted by some potentials, less-actives, inactives, and then we did some knocking.

Saturday was pretty much all service. From 8-12 we were helping at a 5k/15k race in Clinton (1 hour away). Our job was to basically just make sure that the racers are going the right way and that all of them are doing ok. The best and hardest part was that we were stationed right next to a river so I got super fishing trunky. When we were waiting on the runners I would be throwing parts of my bagel into he water and watching fish swim and fight for it. It was so entertaining for me haha. I would just talk about fish and fishing and rivers throughout the entire race haha. During the last 30-45min an older couple started fishing right next to us haha it was awesome! After the race we drove back to Dover and helped a family move. Later we had an appointment with Omar! He's so awesome. If he has questions then he reads and prays and his questions are answered. He just read where Nephi had to kill Laban and Omar was really intrigued that God would command a man to kill another man. But as Omar kept reading he understood why. We've honestly have had to do almost nothing with Omar. He just soaks it all in and just loves it. We are starting to teach him about the commandments so he can be living them for his baptism! Later before going home we stopped by our friend at the restaurant down from our house and she asked us if we wanted to learn how to make papusas! We did and they were way good! Haha it's really fun being tight with a lady who works at a restaurant cause then we get to lean how to make Hispanic food! Yummy!

Sunday was awesome as usual. It was fast Sunday. Omar did t come and neither did Juan. They didn't feel very good. It being spring time here the allergies are really really bad and so that's what probably got it in the way:( We'll see both of them soon and we'll see what happened, hopefully they'll come next week! Later we had an appointment with the Montenegro family, they are so awesome!

Well it's been a fun week and the weather is getting better and better, it's super green!

Have an awesome week!

Love,

Elder Marz

POEM: Holes

Holes

I had been in that hole for a very long time 

In the dark and the damp, in the cold and the slime 

The shaft was above me, I saw it quite clear 

But there's no way I ever could reach it from here 

I could not remember the world way up there 

So I lost every hope and gave in to despair 

I knew nothing but darkness, the floor and the walls

When from off in the distance I heard someone call 

"Get up, get ready, there's nothing the matter!

Take rocks and take sticks and build up a fine ladder!"

This was a thought that had not crossed my mind,

So I started to stack all the stones I could find

When I ran out of stones, the old sticks were my goal

For one way or another, I'd climb from that hole

I soon had a ladder that stood very tall and I thought, 

"I'll soon leave this place once and for all!"

I climbed up my ladder, a difficult chore

For from lifting those boulders my shoulders were sore

I worked and I climbed but I soon had to stop

For my ladder had stopped short, some ten feet from the top

I climbed back down my ladder and felt all around

But there were no boulders nor sticks to be found

I sat in the darkness and started to cry

For I'd done all I could do and I gave my best try

But in spite of my work, in this hole I must die

And all I could do was sit and think, why?

Was my ladder too short? Or my hole much too deep? 

Then from way up on high came a voice,

"Do not weep."

Suddenly, faith, hope and love entered into my chest

As the voice calmly told me that I'd done my best

He said, "You have worked hard, and your labors been rough

But that ladder you've built is at last tall enough

So do not lose faith, there's reason to hope

Just climb up your ladder, I'll throw down my rope."

I climbed up the ladder, then climbed up the cord

When I reached the top of it, there stood the Lord

I'd never been happier, my struggle was done!

I blinked in the brightness that came from the Son

I fell to the ground and His feet I did kiss

I cried, "Lord, can I ever repay Thee for this?"

He looked all about, there were holes in the ground

They had people inside and were seen all around

There were thousands of holes that were dark, damp and deep

And the Lord looked at me and He said, "Feed my sheep."

Then he went on his way to save other lost souls

So I got right to work calling down to those holes,

"Get up, get ready, there's nothing the matter! 

Take rocks and take sticks and build up a fine ladder!"

It was now my calling to spread the good word

The most glorious message that man ever heard

That there's one who is coming to save one and all

And we must be ready when he gives the call

He'll pull us all out of the holes that we're in

And save all our souls from cold, death and from sin

So do not lose faith, there is reason to hope

Just climb up your ladder, He'll throw down his rope

A poem Evan shared early in his mission and one I heard later from a return missionary in our home ward. So good we needed to document. 

EMAIL: Week 39 - Golden Investigator and Bonus Note "I Love You"

WRITTEN 4/24/17

Hey everyone!

This week has been awesome!

I'll start talking about Tuesday cause you know what happens on Monday.

Tuesday we went to district meeting and it was quite interesting cause there was only four of us. Elder Brooks, myself, and another companionship of English elders. Usually we have 2 sets of elders, one set of sisters, senior couple, and one zone leader but this time the sisters were at the mission home for an emergency and everyone else was in different meetings so it was a fun little meeting. The rest of the day I was on exchange with another elder in Clinton, about a 40-60min drive from Dover. We went to a small town near the edge of the mission boundaries called lambertville. And I kid you not, this town was obsessed with fish just as much as I am. They had fish things hanging from the trees, door mats, pictures of fish, fish were everywhere! And the Delaware flowed right next to the town, and there were people fishing! Jezz man talk about my kind of town haha.

Wednesday we switched back and then we did some knocking to try and find some peeps. Did some street contacting. Cool fact the busiest street in our area happens to be where our area splits with the sisters area. So when we contact people it's usually a 50/50 chance that they live in our area 😂. We walk that street promoting our English class with flyers. We're seeing some success from that cause the church is on the same street so people already know where it is. We had our English class later that night and it was awesome.

Thursday we had an appointment with our "GOLDEN" investigator Omar. Seriously though this guy is sooo awesome! He has kept every appointment we've made and he's never cancelled or juked. And even better he's kept every commitment we've given him! He accepted to be baptized on Mother's Day (May 14th) so we are super excited! His wife is a member but has been inactive for years! So this such an amazing opportunity to change some lives and we are so happy!

Friday we had service in the morning and we painted doors! (See video). You would think painting doors would be as easy as just slapping paint on and spreading it around but there's actually a process and it takes more time and effort then you would think! After service we came back home and had papusas (a dish from Honduras and it like a thicker tortilla with melted cheese in the middle. They are soooo good!) with the guy at the gas station who pumps all the gas (for those of you who don't know New Jersey and Oregon are the only states that have a law that makes it so you can't pump your own gas. Someone has to pump it for you! Weird right!? It's a really nice law to have when it's flippin cold outside and you don't want to get out of the car haha). Later we had some appointments with members.

Saturday we had appointments throughout the day but almost all of them got cancel or juked. So we tried to do some soapboxing but that wasn't super effective so we stopped. Later that night we had appointments with both of our investigators. Ana and her family who are interrogators they've been investigating for years and so we are trying to change that. Helping them maki g the smallest of changes in their lives so they can repent and be baptized. We Invited them to church so we hope they come. Then we had an appointment with Omar! We taught him the plan of salvation and it just made sooo much sense to him. We asked him to think about how it would be if we could live with God and Jesus and our families. He said it would be incredible and he's so right! We told him that it's possible to live with God, Jesus Christ and our families. #Hesprepared!

Sunday we had ward council in the morning and then church. Ana and her family came and also Omar and his family! Elder Brooks gave a talk about faith and repentance and it was really good. Both of our investigators and their families really enjoyed church! After church we met a member at a part member family's home. Bishop hunks that this family will open up if they are taught by elders so we went over and got to know them a little better. We are doing a chapel tour with the family on Wednesday so that should be awesome! Later that night we had dinner with the Montenegro family. Super fun time and super good food! Definitely one of my favorite families in my mission so far. I love this family. Hopefully after I finish my mission a can take a few trips back and visit them.

That's a little bit about my week. Hope you guys had a good week! 

Love ya!

Love,

Elder Marz

BONUS NOTE  WRITTEN 4/17/17

Hey mama,

Just letting you know I'm not breaking the rules for sending you an email this late, I got permission:)

Well mama I just wanted to let you know how much you mean to me and how much I love you. And I would want you to know that you have had a profound effect on me and continue to do as well. As it says in the primary song "The wise man built his house upon the rock" I would have to say that you are definitely part of my houses foundation! You've been there for me every second of the way. The day I was born to today while I'm on my mission. Through the thick and thin. The organized times and the unorganized. When I was hating life because of my decisions and times when you could sit and watch me grow and make better choices. Times when I've had no passion for anything and times that I'm full of passion. Times when I've had to make little changes and times when I've had to make big changes. You have been in my life in every aspect and that will never change. I am sooo grateful to be your son. And I feel really really blessed to be in such a loving family. I miss every one of you very much. I feel also so blessed to have been taught everything I know by such AMAZING parents. Seriously though! All of your kids (and me) are truly blessed to have such an amazing mother like you. I'm sure Wally and Daidy will be the better ones out of all of us. I think your first three are knuckle-heads😉. Don't let the world pull you down and let you think that you are not doing enough as a mother, or that you're not doing a good job. We both know that's not true. And everyone who knows you or this family can vouch for you! I love you so much. I think about all the fun times we had together. Going on our little fishing trip, all my evanisms. Actually I had one today sort of, I meant to say "pop a squat" but I said "squat a pop", yeah I'll prob be doing those evanisms for a lot longer;) I cannot wait to be back home so I can share with you all my experiences and things that I've learned. I know I still have a lot more time but it goes by sooo fast!

Well I have to get ready for bet but I just wanted to let you know that I love you and that you're the world to me.

Love,

Elder Marz

EMAIL: Week 38 - Spring in Dover

WRITTEN:4/10/17

What's up y'all?!

This is going to be kinda a long email so bear with me:)

It's been a very beautiful week here in Dover this week. We are starting to see lots of blooming trees and green grass. Spring time is a super fun time of year. Plus it's when we celebrate Easter! 🐣 

Well you all know how mondays go so I'll start with Tuesday.

Tuesday was zone conference in Morristown. It was so awesome. We talked a lot about becoming. Specifically becoming Gods instruments. Pertaining to "Becoming" David O. Mckay said “The purpose of the gospel is … to make bad men good and good men better, and to change human nature.”[BOOM!!] Such a simple yet powerful quote.

"Bad men"↘️             ➡️"Good men"↘️                                    ➡️"Better men"

                       ↘️    ↗️                              ↘️                            ↗️

"Puteth off the natural man"          "And becometh an saint"

Pretty interesting because there is an underlying principle in this. Eternal progression! We will never stop progressing. Not while we are here on earth and not when we are with God in Heaven. Always becoming, so cool! It's also interesting that most the time when we want to become better at something or become a better person we have a mental expectation of who we are going to be. And then we get frustrated when we can't meet those expectations and we complain to God for not letting us become who "WE/I" want to become. But in all reality His version of myself is not the version I see of myself. It just strengthens my testimony to know that God is helping me BECOME who HE WANTS ME TO BE. 

We also talked about the enabling power of the Atonement. And how powerful it is. Most of us don't truly understand the power of the atonement. Well the power of the atonement can simply be put as- "Me (my trials) + The Atonement = Easier life."

It doesn't mean life won't be hard but with the atonement our burdens can be lifted.

I am kinda like Nephi I think cause I really like things that are simple. 2 Nephi 33:6 -"6 I glory in plainness; I glory in truth; I glory in my Jesus, for he hath redeemed my soul from hell. So yeah that was pretty much a lot of what zone meeting was about and then after elder Brooks and I went on an exchange with the zone leaders until Wednesday afternoon.

Wednesday night we had our English class and it's actually been really awesome. We are now starting to do it two times a week, Tuesday and Wednesday nights at 7. And we are teaching a few people from the class.

Thursday was our walking day and we pretty much just made one huge circle around Dover trying to see all the members we can. Also we had an appointment with one of our new investigators. His name is Omar and we kinda found him by accident. We were teaching a member in her home and then we met Omar there. He's the daughters husband of the member. Turns out that the daughter is a member but very very inactive. We gave Omar a restoration pamphlet to read a few day ago when we first met him and it turns out he's already read it twice! So awesome! #keepingcommitments #Gonnagetdunkedsoon #prepared!

Friday. We had interviews with president in Morristown. He only takes 10 min with each missionary so it's pretty fast but it's really nice to talk to him every transfer. Also this week we were really focusing on getting the members involvement with missionary work. So what we did was print out little invitations for Easter with the new Prince of peace picture of Jesus on it and we gave them out to almost all the members on our area. The invitations weren't for the members but for the members to give out to all their friends. So we went around doing little 15-20 min lessons with all the members we could so they could invite their friends.

Saturday was crazy as crazy could be. We did some service at a rite aid to help people donate to a soup kitchen in Dover that feeds 80-120 people a day. We just bagged for like a hour or so. It was fun but man being a bagger takes skill. Then we had some appointments in hackettstown which is like 40min away. While we were 40 min away from Dover the sisters call us and tell us that they are going to the hospital cause one of them didn't feel good. So we booked it back to Dover to see if they needed a blessing cause they weren't answering their phone. When we got to Dover we found out that they were out and doing fine so then we had to plan what we wanted to do in Dover. We spent the night finding.

Sunday, Easter!

Our investigator Omar and it family came to church! It was so awesome! There were so many people at church, it was so cool to see! Later that night we had meal appointment with a golden member family. The Montenegros. We had some awesome food!

Overall a great week! Looking forward to another week!

Love,

Elder Marz