8 months!?!?! What the heck!? I honestly cannot believe that I am a third done! But what a great 8 months it has been. :)
This week was good! My comp and I had our first real argument haha...but ever since then everything has been a lot better! We had a lesson that was just not the way missionaries are supposed to teach. First of all, because my comp is a native, he just naturally talks more. We've had a lot of lessons where he just talks the whole time, never stops. As missionaries, we need to check for understanding, ask questions, TESTIFY, and hit every point in the lessons. We didn't do a single thing. haha. We left the lesson and I just said "I'm sorry man, but we need to improve A LOT!" He got pretty fired up and I ended up getting pretty fired up but we got home and I apologized and just tried to explain that we need to get better and that I have things that I need to say in lessons. I want a relationship with the investigators. They need to feel the Spirit and if he is just teaching word for word without taking a breath, they aren't getting anything. But every lesson since then has been great! :) Almost perfect! :) haha. We have 4 or 5 investigators that are REALLY close :) so I am excited and happy with what is going on now.
We had interviews with President Deere this week and that was great :). He is gonna be an apostle :) haha. He talked with me a lot about my comp and helped me a ton. He told me to not get frustrated and that I should be happy with what I'm doing and that he and the Lord are happy as well. He told me that although I may not realize it, I am doing exactly what I should be doing and what the Lord was wanting me to do with Elder Rodriguez. That helped me a lot.
This next week is transfers. I don't know what is gonna happen. If I don't leave this transfer I am almost positive that I will be here for another 3 months. I don't care what happens. I would like to see it through with my investigators here, not like in Sevilla. But I will be happy with whatever :). If I'm blessed to leave and have a comp with drive, that would be great :). But I will do whatever I need to.
I don't know if I told you guys, but the girl that bailed her baptism my last weekend in Sevilla got baptized :). She was baptized the same day as the woman that I found crying in the street late that one night. I know I told you about her :). I can't remember if I told you guys they got baptized or not. They asked if I could come baptize them but the missionaries told them I couldn't. They did call me on Mother's Day though :). I am super happy for them :).
Things are going better and I'm hoping the keep going better! :) I'm excited to find out what's happening this transfer! haha. I will let you know next week! :) Love you all!
Elder Marchant
Monday, June 16, 2014
Monday, June 9, 2014
Blessings of Forgiveness....
A bit of history to what Derick is talking about...Derick directed a community childrens theater play the summer before he left so that he could earn some money for his mission. He directed this play with the help of the High Schools Drama Sterling Scholar. The last night of performance after the end of the play he was told that he had to give everything that he had raised for the play back to the school and couldn't keep any of it. In the end....we were blessed from his obedience but it was tough.
So you all know about the musical and what happened and what Grandpa Evers told me the day after he gave me the blessing: that I needed to forgive and give away the money and everything. And that someone in the mission would need to hear this story of forgiveness. Well, I found at least one of those people this week. :)
A member moved here when I got here and he has always seemed super weird but when Elder Rodriguez saw him, he recognized him. Turns out that this man lived in Elder Rodriguez' house for a few years when my companion was 12 or so. Well this man invited us to come and eat with him this last week and so we came in to Malaga to eat out with him. He and Elder Rodriguez started getting caught up on everything that has happened and this guy told us that he got married years ago and this lady just married him to get papers to stay in Spain and then she told the police a lie and got this man put in jail for 2 years unjustly. I could tell that this man was very angry and emotional as he was telling us this story and I felt prompted to tell him what happened to me. I told him about the musical and what the school did and everything and he was just getting more fired up, yelling about how unjust everything was and how he can't believe anything like that would happen. But then I told him about my Grandpa giving me a blessing. I said that my Grandpa came up to my house early in the morning the next day and told me that after the blessing he didn't feel right, that he prayed all day to figure out what he missed saying. My Grandpa told me that the Lord told him that I needed to forgive the people. That it was a lesson that I needed to learn and that the story of forgiveness would bless the lives of people in the mission who needed it. This man broke down crying and gave me a hug in the middle of Domino's Pizza. He whispered in my ear that he was the man who needed to hear that story. I explained to him of the huge burden that was lifted off of me after I had prayed and offered my forgiveness. It really is a feeling that I can't even explain. This man just kept crying and crying. He asked me if I could give him a blessing. We went back to the church and I went and prayed and then gave him a blessing. It was one of the most powerful moments ever. I can't remember anything I told him. It felt like that blessing was only for him. He gave me a hug again and told me that he would go home that night and pray and offer up his forgiveness for what had happened to him. I haven't seen him since then but I won't ever forget that day! It is such a testimony builder to me of the power of the Priesthood, of Personal Revelation, and of Forgiveness. What an amazing day. :) Thank you guys for all your help during that time and thanks Grandpa Evers :) I love you all.
Elder Marchant
New Suit!!! The best members in the world gave it to me!! :)
I've begun to develope my art skills because my companion sleeps through companion study time. :) haha
And just silly pictures!
Monday, June 2, 2014
It's been...one week since you looked at me.... la la la la. Who can name that song!? :) I'm guessing probably just dad :) Maybe Tyler can because it's on the silly song CD :)
Mom, I can't remember if I've already asked you this or not but did you accept that lady on facebook named Susan and tell her to email me?
Well this week has been pretty normal again :). Well every week has been getting better with my companion and the area. It was SO dead when Elder Wiley left! Now we have a good 12-14 investigators that are actually really good! We are hoping for great things! :) Every week has been getting better as far as obedience and work ethic, I've realized as I've been doing numbers and goals every week. Nothing super eventful has happened but we are getting very close to having a few baptismal dates :). There is a lady that I've been teaching since I got here named Angeles. I don't know if I've told you guys about her or not (every week I forget what I have said) But she has a demon dog that pees all over us and destroys everything and so she won't come to church because she can't leave it at home. Well we have been having great lessons with her and she tells us that she has prayed and knows everything is true but she doesn't want to get baptized right not because when she was little her mom went behind the dad's back to baptize Angeles in the Catholic church and Angeles holds that story really close because it shows her mom's devotion and love of the Lord. She thinks that if she gets baptized in our church that it will take away from the act of love that her mom did. So this last week we talked about Temples and baptisms for the dead and that her parents can be baptized still in the correct way with the proper authority. She loved the idea of that and thought is was really neat but she said that she's gonna read and pray again. :) I guess that's all I can ask for for now :). We are praying a lot for her! There are several others as well who we have plans to set dates with as well :) so everything is going great!
I'm super excited for Tyrel! Is he learning Tagalog? I think that's what Dan learned.
Cathedral of Malaga
It's gone! The shortest haircut I think I've ever had! Flippin' 5 dollar Arabian haircuts :) haha
Mom, I can't remember if I've already asked you this or not but did you accept that lady on facebook named Susan and tell her to email me?
Well this week has been pretty normal again :). Well every week has been getting better with my companion and the area. It was SO dead when Elder Wiley left! Now we have a good 12-14 investigators that are actually really good! We are hoping for great things! :) Every week has been getting better as far as obedience and work ethic, I've realized as I've been doing numbers and goals every week. Nothing super eventful has happened but we are getting very close to having a few baptismal dates :). There is a lady that I've been teaching since I got here named Angeles. I don't know if I've told you guys about her or not (every week I forget what I have said) But she has a demon dog that pees all over us and destroys everything and so she won't come to church because she can't leave it at home. Well we have been having great lessons with her and she tells us that she has prayed and knows everything is true but she doesn't want to get baptized right not because when she was little her mom went behind the dad's back to baptize Angeles in the Catholic church and Angeles holds that story really close because it shows her mom's devotion and love of the Lord. She thinks that if she gets baptized in our church that it will take away from the act of love that her mom did. So this last week we talked about Temples and baptisms for the dead and that her parents can be baptized still in the correct way with the proper authority. She loved the idea of that and thought is was really neat but she said that she's gonna read and pray again. :) I guess that's all I can ask for for now :). We are praying a lot for her! There are several others as well who we have plans to set dates with as well :) so everything is going great!
I'm super excited for Tyrel! Is he learning Tagalog? I think that's what Dan learned.
Cathedral of Malaga
Malaga
Super Guapos with new haircuts!
It's gone! The shortest haircut I think I've ever had! Flippin' 5 dollar Arabian haircuts :) haha
Monday, May 26, 2014
Happy Monday Everyone!
Happy Monday Everyone!
Well this week has been pretty slow. We only had 6 lessons with investigators but we found 7 new investigators so that was a huge blessing because the work has been really slow here.
My companion and I get along well. I was getting really frustrated at the beginning of the week because I felt like I was just dragging him everywhere but I found out what his favorite scriptures were and I hung them up on the door and we read them whenever we leave to work and since then he has been working harder and complaining less. :). That's good! I still feel like we aren't working as hard as I want to but he says that we are working harder than he has in the mission so that must be good! haha. Now we gotta keep going harder a little at a time. But he's funny and we get along good. He's helping me a lot with Spanish. That's a plus haha. And he has a guitar! So during language study I sing him songs in Spanish :) hahaha.
We have been working with a less active kid named Walter ever since I got here. His family is from Argentina and they are SO great! I LOVE going over to their house! Well he just turned 17 and he is just at an age where he doesn't wanna be in the church. He is some rough friends and doesn't have a dad so it's hard to be here like that. Once a week we go over to his house and teach him a little english and I teach him guitar. Then we share something with him from the scriptures. He knows it's all true. He just doesn't want to follow the rules... his Mom and Grandparents are a little TOO overbearing on him as well so it makes him want to rebel. But we went to his birthday on Thursday and I bought him a capo for his guitar because before he always tied a pencil on haha. And I wrote him tabs for a guitar song he wanted :). We had a great time with him and he introduced some of his friends to us and they are actually pretty interested :) So we hope that good things come from that :). Him and his family are in one of the pictures I sent you. The last one I think :).
I honestly can't think of a whole ton of stuff that happened this week. We are just working and praying for new good investigators. We found a lot last week and hopefully good things come of them :).
Love you all! Have a great week!
Elder Marchant
Well this week has been pretty slow. We only had 6 lessons with investigators but we found 7 new investigators so that was a huge blessing because the work has been really slow here.
My companion and I get along well. I was getting really frustrated at the beginning of the week because I felt like I was just dragging him everywhere but I found out what his favorite scriptures were and I hung them up on the door and we read them whenever we leave to work and since then he has been working harder and complaining less. :). That's good! I still feel like we aren't working as hard as I want to but he says that we are working harder than he has in the mission so that must be good! haha. Now we gotta keep going harder a little at a time. But he's funny and we get along good. He's helping me a lot with Spanish. That's a plus haha. And he has a guitar! So during language study I sing him songs in Spanish :) hahaha.
We have been working with a less active kid named Walter ever since I got here. His family is from Argentina and they are SO great! I LOVE going over to their house! Well he just turned 17 and he is just at an age where he doesn't wanna be in the church. He is some rough friends and doesn't have a dad so it's hard to be here like that. Once a week we go over to his house and teach him a little english and I teach him guitar. Then we share something with him from the scriptures. He knows it's all true. He just doesn't want to follow the rules... his Mom and Grandparents are a little TOO overbearing on him as well so it makes him want to rebel. But we went to his birthday on Thursday and I bought him a capo for his guitar because before he always tied a pencil on haha. And I wrote him tabs for a guitar song he wanted :). We had a great time with him and he introduced some of his friends to us and they are actually pretty interested :) So we hope that good things come from that :). Him and his family are in one of the pictures I sent you. The last one I think :).
I honestly can't think of a whole ton of stuff that happened this week. We are just working and praying for new good investigators. We found a lot last week and hopefully good things come of them :).
Love you all! Have a great week!
Elder Marchant
Pictures from his time with Elder Wiley
Monday, May 19, 2014
It's been a pretty long week haha. Elder Wiley was a great companion and I miss that kid a ton! I love having companions that I love so much that I miss them when we leave though :).
Not a whole ton to report. The work is pretty rough here but in Europe for the month of June we are having the Month of Invitation and all the members are going to invite someone to church! So we have been really encouraging the members all week long to be praying before June for a name and a face of someone who is prepared for the Gospel so they can invite them to the Church next month! Then we can teach them! Yes!! :) haha. I am praying so hard that the work picks up a ton this next month! We need it.
In small news, Les Miserables is playing in Malaga from June 20 to July 20 and that is about the biggest temptation I've ever felt my whole life! hahahaha :) I wanna go so bad!! The Sound of Music was playing in Sevilla while I was there and I wanted to go to that too but this is even worse!! Maybe if an investigator invites us..... :)
Also, mom, get on my facebook and accept a lady named Susan (well accept everyone else from here too haha). She is a lady from Britain that we contacted and taught a couple lessons to but she just lost her job here and had to go back to Britain and she called us and told us all of this the day Elder Wiley left so we couldn't meet up with her. But she asked for my facebook to keep in touch with me. Will you ask her to email on this address or something so I can be in contact with her and get her met up with the missionaries there? :) Thanks!
So my new companion is named Elder Rodriguez. He is from Barcelona. I've heard a lot about him and so far most of it matches up haha. He's cool and we get along good. He is really fun and friendly and the first companion that I've had that really loves having a clean piso :). But he is about to finish his mission and is super dead. He doesn't have much of a desire to work and looks for excuses to not. It's hard because I have a lot of drive to work and it hinders my ambition to work hard a little bit. I'm praying that he finds the desire to finish his mission working hard and being obedient. I told him when he got here that "I am here to work and I work hard. I'm obedient. I know you're dead. But while you're my companion we are gonna go find, teach, and baptize. I don't care if you sleep in and miss studies but during work time we are gonna work." haha. He said okay and we've been working pretty hard. He drags he feet a bit but he's just ready to finish. I am gonna get him a baptism here though! haha. I want so bad to have success here but it just isn't coming like I want! I'm being patient and trying real hard to have a good attitude :). But I am so ready to see some success! I know it'll come though :)
All is great though and I love the mission! :) I promise I'll be better at taking pictures, Mom. But I don't have anything... :) Elder Wiley is gonna send me all the pictures we took on his camera when he left though so you'll have those soon! :) Love you all!
Elder Marchant
Not a whole ton to report. The work is pretty rough here but in Europe for the month of June we are having the Month of Invitation and all the members are going to invite someone to church! So we have been really encouraging the members all week long to be praying before June for a name and a face of someone who is prepared for the Gospel so they can invite them to the Church next month! Then we can teach them! Yes!! :) haha. I am praying so hard that the work picks up a ton this next month! We need it.
In small news, Les Miserables is playing in Malaga from June 20 to July 20 and that is about the biggest temptation I've ever felt my whole life! hahahaha :) I wanna go so bad!! The Sound of Music was playing in Sevilla while I was there and I wanted to go to that too but this is even worse!! Maybe if an investigator invites us..... :)
Also, mom, get on my facebook and accept a lady named Susan (well accept everyone else from here too haha). She is a lady from Britain that we contacted and taught a couple lessons to but she just lost her job here and had to go back to Britain and she called us and told us all of this the day Elder Wiley left so we couldn't meet up with her. But she asked for my facebook to keep in touch with me. Will you ask her to email on this address or something so I can be in contact with her and get her met up with the missionaries there? :) Thanks!
So my new companion is named Elder Rodriguez. He is from Barcelona. I've heard a lot about him and so far most of it matches up haha. He's cool and we get along good. He is really fun and friendly and the first companion that I've had that really loves having a clean piso :). But he is about to finish his mission and is super dead. He doesn't have much of a desire to work and looks for excuses to not. It's hard because I have a lot of drive to work and it hinders my ambition to work hard a little bit. I'm praying that he finds the desire to finish his mission working hard and being obedient. I told him when he got here that "I am here to work and I work hard. I'm obedient. I know you're dead. But while you're my companion we are gonna go find, teach, and baptize. I don't care if you sleep in and miss studies but during work time we are gonna work." haha. He said okay and we've been working pretty hard. He drags he feet a bit but he's just ready to finish. I am gonna get him a baptism here though! haha. I want so bad to have success here but it just isn't coming like I want! I'm being patient and trying real hard to have a good attitude :). But I am so ready to see some success! I know it'll come though :)
All is great though and I love the mission! :) I promise I'll be better at taking pictures, Mom. But I don't have anything... :) Elder Wiley is gonna send me all the pictures we took on his camera when he left though so you'll have those soon! :) Love you all!
Elder Marchant
Tuesday, May 13, 2014
Monday, May 5, 2014
This week was the Week of Consecration
This week was the Week of Consecration.
Roughest week by far of the mission! haha. We are obedient missionaries so we didn´t have to change much but I have never had a week so hard as far as the work goes. It honestly felt like all of Spain hated us!
Day 1: We get flashed by some crazy lady at the train station.
Day 2: We taught literally the craziest lesson I have ever had or WILL EVER have. This crazy woman told us stories for a straight hour about the visions that she has had; from the city of Atlantis, to casting out demons with her banjo, to the coast of the United States being destroyed by China and Russia. This lady told us the CRAZIEST stuff I've ever heard! haha.
Day 3: I've never been kicked out of a building that I've been teaching or contacting in. In ONE hour we got kicked out of 2! Every single plan we had for that day was cancelled.
The ENTIRE week was like that! haha. We went home every night just laughing at how terrible our day was! :) We kept a very good attitude and worked hard and stayed obedient but wow. What a hard week! I think my companion will be transfered next week too so it'll be hard being here and starting with a new companion and not having anything. But that's the mission :) haha.
We did see several miracles. Last tuesday we were walking passed a soccer field where the young men and bishop and some members usually play to try to get investigators to come. We went to see if we had any investigators there and there weren't any so we were leaving and all of a sudden someone yelled and I looked and saw a member named Ramon on the ground. He's an older guy and it was a hot day. He had collapsed on the ground and was shaking. I told the bishop that I had oil on me and we ran into the field and gave him a blessing. He regained consciousness and we waited there with him and did everything we could until the ambulances came. We went to his house that night and he was totally fine! He said that the doctor's couldn't explain what happened and they figured it was just low blood pressure. He got up and bore his testimony yesterday and was talking about the hand of the Lord in our lives and how it was such a miracle that we were there right then to give him a blessing and that we saved his life. I had heard stories like that all my life but never thought that I would be in that situation ever! It's crazy to think that one day I will be telling those stories about the priesthood and how we need to be prepared and about the hand of the Lord in our lives. :)
I am very grateful for the priesthood and that the Lord is mindful of ALL of us :).
I finished the Book of Mormon in english this week! That was good! :) and now I am reading the New Testament in English and the Book of Mormon in Spanish! :)
I'm excited for this next week and ready to see even more miracles! :) Hope you guys have a great week!
Elder Marchant
Roughest week by far of the mission! haha. We are obedient missionaries so we didn´t have to change much but I have never had a week so hard as far as the work goes. It honestly felt like all of Spain hated us!
Day 1: We get flashed by some crazy lady at the train station.
Day 2: We taught literally the craziest lesson I have ever had or WILL EVER have. This crazy woman told us stories for a straight hour about the visions that she has had; from the city of Atlantis, to casting out demons with her banjo, to the coast of the United States being destroyed by China and Russia. This lady told us the CRAZIEST stuff I've ever heard! haha.
Day 3: I've never been kicked out of a building that I've been teaching or contacting in. In ONE hour we got kicked out of 2! Every single plan we had for that day was cancelled.
The ENTIRE week was like that! haha. We went home every night just laughing at how terrible our day was! :) We kept a very good attitude and worked hard and stayed obedient but wow. What a hard week! I think my companion will be transfered next week too so it'll be hard being here and starting with a new companion and not having anything. But that's the mission :) haha.
We did see several miracles. Last tuesday we were walking passed a soccer field where the young men and bishop and some members usually play to try to get investigators to come. We went to see if we had any investigators there and there weren't any so we were leaving and all of a sudden someone yelled and I looked and saw a member named Ramon on the ground. He's an older guy and it was a hot day. He had collapsed on the ground and was shaking. I told the bishop that I had oil on me and we ran into the field and gave him a blessing. He regained consciousness and we waited there with him and did everything we could until the ambulances came. We went to his house that night and he was totally fine! He said that the doctor's couldn't explain what happened and they figured it was just low blood pressure. He got up and bore his testimony yesterday and was talking about the hand of the Lord in our lives and how it was such a miracle that we were there right then to give him a blessing and that we saved his life. I had heard stories like that all my life but never thought that I would be in that situation ever! It's crazy to think that one day I will be telling those stories about the priesthood and how we need to be prepared and about the hand of the Lord in our lives. :)
I am very grateful for the priesthood and that the Lord is mindful of ALL of us :).
I finished the Book of Mormon in english this week! That was good! :) and now I am reading the New Testament in English and the Book of Mormon in Spanish! :)
I'm excited for this next week and ready to see even more miracles! :) Hope you guys have a great week!
Elder Marchant
Pictures are from the Castle in Malaga
MALAGA
Random Pictures from Seville.
Layouts from last weeks pictures.
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