Back to Full Speed

Hola everyone!

This week we weren't able to get too much done because I was mildly sick but everything is fine now! I just was super randomly lightheaded and had a migraine for about a week but I finally got to a doctor and I'm just fine now. Still don't know what it was but one of the medications he gave me worked! But yeah I got to be rolled around in a wheelchair at the doctors office and at a missionary meeting we had Friday morning so that was super fun!

This week we finally saw almost all of our investigators! Everyone is back and I'm so happy to be able to work at full speed again. We even got two new investigators this week! They are a super sweet couple and we're so excited to begin teaching them! They already have such a solid understanding of our Savior, Jesus Christ, and what He has done for us. They had their 16 year old son pass away just 4 months ago and I'm so grateful for the chance that we have to help them find that comfort and peace of knowing that they will be able to see their son again, that God has a plan and everything will work out in the end. That knowledge won't be able to completely take away their sorrow at the loss of their son, but I know how much that knowledge has helped and blessed me with the comfort I've needed throughout my life during the losses of my close loved ones. 

I know with all of my heart that families are forever. I have no idea what I would do without that knowledge, I don't know how anyone can get through the grief of losing a loved one without that knowledge. I am grateful beyond words for my family that my Heavenly Father has blessed me with and that He loves me so much that He has made sure that I can be with them always. I've been listening to some of the church's children's songs lately and one that I love is called "The Family is of God" and I keep reflecting on the chorus 

"God gave us families

to help us become what He wants us to be

This is how He shares His love,

for the family is of God"

I'm far away form my family right now but I always have my Heavenly Father and my Brother, Jesus Christ by my side here. I can testify with all of my heart that each one of you does too and they love you more than anyone could imagine. I love my family so much and I love being a part of this great work, in helping others strengthen their families and their relationship with our Heavenly Father. 

Les quiero muchisimo, que tengan una buena semana!

Hermana Martin

Feliz Ano Nuevo!

Hola everybody!

Wow this week was crazy. 

Last Wednesday we had a zone conference! All of the missionaries in the south (so us and El Paso) were together again so I got to see my Hermana Moss, my trainer Hermana Holding, and a bunch of other missionaries who recently got transferred out of Las Cruces, it was so fun! 

President Miller did a bunch of trainings and each zone conference and they also call on 2 missionaries to give little 5 minute talks. I figured since I'm still a newbie and there was over 60 other missionaries there I'd be safe right? Yeah so I had to give a talk and naturally I was busy with missionary stuff and forgot to prepare one so I just got up there and said a bunch of random stuff in Spanish because half of the people there don't understand it so I figured it would be safer. 

Everyone said my spanish is really good and that my talk went well so I guess I'm just pro at winging it now. After zone conference the week was just a blur. Everyone is just getting back from vacations so we should actually be able to get back to work this week WOOOO! Oh and Beyonce is still giving us all sorts of problems so the mission is working on getting us a real car with 4 wheel drive! But yeah it was a good week, just nothing much to report quite yet.

So this new years my resolution is to gain a closer relationship with my Savior Jesus Christ and understand the Atonement better. He has done everything for me and I can't wait for the opportunity to better understand what that means, and what better time than when I'm serving Him!

In this time of resolutions and changes we have a great opportunity to really evaluate where we're at and where we want to be. I would encourage everyone to include a spiritual resolution among the list this year. Whether it's reading more in the scriptures, praying more, rededicating yourself to living a commandments, or whatever you may need, the Spirit can guide you to how you can grow more this next year and what you personally need to feel closer to your Father in Heaven. 

Love you all and have a great year!

Hermana Martin

A White Christmas! Almost

Hola everyone!

Ok so the week was crazy and awesome, like always it seems. 

I still can't send pictures though so there will be a large quantity next week. So first off, Feliz Navidad! I guess in most hispanic cultures (at least with all the people I've talked to out here) Christmas is basically just celebrated on Christmas Eve so we went to a family's house that night and helped them make a whole lot of tamales and then we went to a different family's house and ate a whole lot of tamales and hit a giant pinata and drank this really delicious hot fruit punch stuff with sugar cane, and various and assorted fruits in it. I'm getting the recipe. It was so delicious. 

We didn't have time Christmas morning so Hermana Gonnuscio and I did a whole bunch of Christmas festivities when we got back to our apartment that night and it was so fun! Noche bueno is definitely going to be a tradition from now on. 

Then Christmas we had a big zone training so all of the missionaries serving here in Las Cruces got together and talked about Christmas and shared our testimonies about what Christ means for us personally and it was one of the most incredible and spiritual experiences. I can't think of a better way to spend Christmas than of teaching and testifying of Christ. And then after the meeting some senor couple missionaries had prepared a big Christmas lunch for us so I got funeral potatoes and ham! Which I was going to miss so much because we really only get tamales out here for Christmas. Which are also delicious though. 

But so then after we went to this sweet member's house to Skype our families! It was so weird actually being able to see and talk to everyone but it was so fun! So then we wake up the next morning and it's super cloudy so we figure it's going to rain and dress accordingly when we suddenly start getting texts form the missionaries further north that it's snowing! After a little bit it made it's way down south and I missed my first white christmas by like 12 hours but hey, a white after christmas is pretty cool too.

That was the most snow I have ever seen, we got at least 8 inches! It was so much fun and we had a meeting with our elders that cover the north half of spanish ward and our ward mission leader that night so naturally we had 2 giant snowball fights. But then I had to drive in all that snow since I'm the senior companion which was interesting but I learned really fast! 

Nothing else too crazy has happened though. All of our investigators and members are still on vacation in Mexico so I can't wait for January when we can really start finding and teaching again! So this was the strangest, but I think my favorite Christmas so far. I wasn't able to do really any of my normal traditions, but I got to really focus on the true meaning of this season. I got to help others feel and understand the joy and peace that our Savior brings to each and every one of our lives and truly declare glad tidings of great joy. I still can't even believe that I'm lucky enough to have this opportunity to spend a small year and a half of my life in full, dedicated service and that I get to feel this joy every single day. I hope all of you had a very merry Christmas as well and stay safe this New Years!

Hermana Martin

Feliz Navidad

Hola everyone and feliz navidad!

Ok so Monday night after emailing Hermana Espinoza went up to Albuquerque so she could head home so I got to be an english missionary for a little bit with one of the sister training leaders! I also realized that I have a hard time speaking english now. Spanglish is my vida. 

So Tuesday morning we go to the transfer meeting to pick up my new companion! Her name is Hermana Gonnuscio and we came out on the mission at the same time! She just went to the MTC in Provo instead of Mexico for some reason. But she's super awesome and she got trained by a greenie just like me so neither of us fully know what we're doing but we have a great time doing it! 

So Tuesday night I was giving her a low down of the area, including all of Beyonce's recent history in about every car shop in Cruces and of course I just had to say "but we should be fine now! I mean what else could go wrong with her?" So naturally the next morning our engine starts making an awful noise and the rpms are going crazy so we drive her right over to the dealership (and when I walked in they knew me by name. not a good sign) and they kept her overnight but couldn't find anything wrong with her. 

So we got to ride the busses for another day and I should be a professional bus route reader at this point. We got her back Friday night and she started freaking out again and so we called our vehicle coordinator again and we figured out that the cause of the problem was this little box called a Tiwi. 

Tiwi is in every mission car and it regulates our speed and rpm and makes sure you don't drive aggressively and stuff, which is a really good idea but of course everyone hates it. So I guess it was messing with our engine somehow so I got to kill our Tiwi! Merry Christmas to us! All of the other missionaries are so jealous. And to top of a great week on Sunday as I was playing the prelude before sacrament meeting the stake president walks in and all of a sudden men are carrying in a brand new piano that plays the hymns all by itself! All I have to do is push a button now! That makes my Sundays a whole lot easier! 

Ok missionary work wise we weren't able to do too much this week. Almost everyone went down to Juarez in Mexico for the holidays so we're just going around singing Christmas carols a lot so it's pretty fun! And people are always surprised when two little white girls can sing in Spanish. 

Everything is fantastic here, the people are so amazing! One of the hermanas in the ward has been feeling pretty awful and when we went to visit her I couldn't stop crying because I just love her so much and I knew I couldn't do much to help. I have always loved the people here since I got my mission call but I never realized that I would grow to love them this much. I can't even imagine how much more our Heavenly Father and our Savior, Jesus Christ love us. It's just absolutely astounding to me. I'm so grateful to be able to spend this Christmas season sharing some of that love that I get to feel with the people here of Las Cruces. Love you all and feliz navidad!

Hermana Martin