We had a Baptism!

Oh wow - I don't know where to start with this week. We had plenty of miracles and they are still yet to come.

On Monday - one of the members in my ward gave Sister Evans and I a free hair cut (she cut it dry - I had no idea that was a thing now). She also surprised us with a free meal, which was delicious.

We had a lot of miracles happen on Wednesday. We stopped by Jena's place, and we asked her what offended her (because she dropped us last week). She did not like how we asked the #4 question (Have you ever committed a serious crime?...Have you ever participated in a homosexual relationship?) and she was told by many pastors who she called up, to ask if  their churches asked those questions. They said it sounded like a job interview. We told her we ask those questions because we, as a church, believe in honoring, and sustaining the law and we also believe in repenting of our sins before we are baptized. We also told her that if we are not inviting her to come closer to Jesus Christ, then we are sorry and we promised we would do better. She is now an investigator again and we set up a day and time when we can come and see her (to say it in brief).

We also received 2 referrals from the Zone Leaders, and the Hermanas.

Also -- on Thursday -- The sister training leaders dropped off their trainee, Sister Gowen. We got to spend a day with her while the training leaders went to their training. When they came back from training, they told us how this whole mission is going to be changing the way we teach. We are going to start teaching in 10-20 minute lessons, without using most of the details in the pamphlet. If the person read the pamphlet, that counts as a lesson. We are going to start teaching with the pamphlet, but we will be focusing on the pictures. And, one of the biggest surprises to me, was how we are going to introduce ourselves using this phrase: "Hi, we're your [sister] missionaries!" And possibly, "Did you know you had [sister] missionaries?" and how we are here to help them come closer to Christ. Also, they said we will be getting ipads, and that we will be using an icloud to store our information (and I was very happy about the icloud, more than the ipad itself).

The Elder who is in charge of the proselyting department said that our Mission President is one of the best and he wishes that there were more Mission Presidents like him.

He also told us that our mission was going to be a practice run for this new style of teaching; he said we would have more investigators, and more baptisms, sooner, rather than later. He also told us that 1/12 would get baptized instead of 1/40-something, so that will be a great change.

Also ---

The greatest miracle of all happened!

PAM GOT BAPTIZED ON SATURDAY! She very prepared and we had a lot of the ward members help out. Sister Baker (our Mission President's wife) came for the baptism. I got to watch from the sidelines and I cried after Pam started to walk up the steps. Her countenance was definitely different and she was glowing. She has now made her first covenant with our very own, loving, Heavenly Father. The spirit was so strong, and I am so excited with how quick she had made the decision to be baptized. She wants to start doing baptisms for the dead when she visits a friend in Texas, which is in June (those who are baptized can immediately start doing baptisms for the dead). She wants to help those on the other side make their covenant with God since they didn't have that chance to get baptized while they were alive.

A member made a great chocolate cake, and there were some other refreshments as well.

Right after, though, there was a wedding going on about 7 pm, which we had no idea about until after the baptism. These people were going to get married, and then they had plans to move down to Florida the next day to be with the rest of their kids, since they couldn't leave the state. The wedding was very sweet, and I listened closely to what the Bishop was saying.

He talked about:

-How spouses should not magnify/focus on their spouse's weaknesses, but to focus on their strengths, and magnify those

-Both spouses are equal in value

. . .

Also - Pam got confirmed on Sunday, and my goodness. Sister Evans and I sat up next to the organ (because Sister Evans had to conduct the music) and we saw Pam beaming by the time she sat down after the confirmation.

. . .

I know this gospel is true, and I certainly know this church is true. I wish everyone can experience the joy the restored gospel brings - there is so much peace, joy, and  comfort when we come closer to Jesus Christ.

This is the only church that believes in marriage being eternal - even going beyond death. What a sweet blessing that is - knowing that families can be together forever, and that there is more to come after this life.

I am so glad that we have access the Atonement - we can be forgiven of our sins, and not a trace will be left on us; we can also access the enabling power, too.

With the restored gospel, death has no sting, and we can all strive to reach the fulness of our potential. Man is nothing without God.

I hope that someday, more and more people can experience the joy that comes from the fulness of Christ's gospel.

I will never step down.

"For do I now persuade men, or God? or do I seek to please men? for if I yet pleased men, I should not be the servant of Christ." - Galatians 1:10

I will not falter.

-Sister Marshall

Miracle May!

On the 16th was my 13 month mark. I have 5 more months left to go on my mission. 

This week was pretty dry teaching wise. A lot of people cancelled appointments, and a lot of people did not want to hear our message. 

But! Sister Evans and I taught Seminary on Friday, about the Pearl of Great Price, at 6:00 in the morning. They were a great group, and there were some students where I felt very impressed with their maturity.

I have 2 Miracles to Share!

So our investigator, Pam, has quit smoking for a week! We celebrated this week with Sugar-free cupcakes! 

Pam is getting baptized May 23rd, at 7:00 pm! She decided this on Friday, and she got her interview on Saturday! We are so excited! She has been investigating for 24 years, and the one thing that has been holding her back from joining, was smoking. 

We also had some referrals this week! 

. . . 

The most random thing I've seen this week was a young adult hanging outside of a truck from the handle, with his fist in the air, yelling, "Onward!" and the driver drove in circles around the large island in the area. The girl he was with (we talked to him and the female he was talking to) came out to the car with a bird on her shoulders. 

. . . 

Anyways! I hope you all take care! 

-Sister A Marshall 

Many, Many Miracles!

This week was great! 

Also - Transfers! Sister Evans and I are both staying! 

A family of the church made vegan lasagna, and it has been the best I've ever had; they used cashew butter (I think?) for the creaminess and I certainly want the recipe for it!

We taught Pam, one of our investigators, the 15 Step Stop Smoking Lesson on Wednesday. She quit cold turkey and it has been almost a week. I couldn't be more proud of her! 

We also taught Jena and we showed her, her baptism calendar; for her to make her baptism date, she needs to be taught all 23 lessons before May 30th. If we cannot meet with her to fulfill all of the baptismal requirements, we can push her date back - whatever she needs to do in order to make it to baptism! One of my favorite things to do in the mission is to have the investigator teach the lesson back to us so we can check for an understanding. It works pretty well! Then we can fill in what the investigator forgot to mention/teach them more about a certain principle. Oh, how I love doing this! :D One of the greatest ways to check our own understanding is by teaching it to others. As a missionary, I know this quite well!

There was another great miracle! Beth, one of my investigators in Williamsburg, got ahold of my current phone number and called me up to tell me that her baptism date is moved to May 23rd! I was so surprised, and filled with so much joy. I cried, and I was speechless for the most part! 

She told me something an Elder told her that was very astounding. He said something along the lines of, ["If this Book is a lie, and it most certainly could be, why would Satan write a Book that tells us to come unto Christ?"] These words are very true. Satan would want us to be as far away from Christ as possible. 

Another great miracle happened was when my companion shared with me a talk she read that came from the November 2014 Ensign (The Sacrament - A Renewal for the Soul) about the sacrament. In the article, this woman had been focusing on the repentance part of the Atonement when she was taking the sacrament. She completely missed out on Christ's enabling power.She forgot the times where the Savior was there to help her in times of need. 

I am now thinking of how Christ has helped me throughout the week, and that has truly been a great blessing to me. I have noticed that he has helped make my burdens light, and my weeks easier to bare. 

. . .

Mother's Day! 

I got to skype my family and it was a wonderful time! I can't believe it was that time of year again. The months go by fast! 

Miss y'all!

-Sister Marshall 

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Let the Fourth Be With You

I'm using Sister Evan's title for her email on mine too. It is May fourth, After all! 

I don't have much time left on emails but I wanted to send at least something before I log off. 

Here are some of the highlights of my week:

-We managed to get a flat tire when we pulled up next to the sewage drain (these drains are huge on the side of the road - they are a very large opening and it, to me, looks like a little child could roll inside). We went to the car shop. While we waited outside, there was a man with tattoos who recently got out of jail. He told us how he found Jesus while he was in there, and he showed us one of his rap songs he was writing. It was very religious-based, and I felt the spirit in some of his words. Eventually, we gave him a book of Mormon.

- This week was hard because of stake conference, and no sacrament because of that. By next Sunday, I was so grateful for the sacrament, and I felt like I was spiritually starving. If there is one thing I don't mind complaining about as a missionary, it would have to be how I dislike not being able to take the sacrament because of stake conference, general conference, or because of weather and safety.

-I made Sister Evans Banana bread because I love her. It's as simple as that! And it was good! :D 

-I wrote 'The Baking Channel' on the oven in dry-erase as we watched the bread rise yesterday. 

-I have come to a more of a sure knowledge that my weaknesses are strengths. (Deuteronomy 23:5 - curse into a blessing)

-The whole mission fasted for Miracle May! We are going to try our hardest to bring God's children closer to Christ.

Anyways - have a great week, everyone!

-Sister Marshall  

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