"Just Another Reason That Texas Is Zion" Hahaha, I made another joke of that nature in Sunday school in church yesterday, they were talking about overpopulation and how you could fit everyone into Texas with room to spare.
It's been a good week though! We were able to teach quite a bit. We have another investigator on date for baptism and it's looking like late November. This is when the Anderson girl may get baptized too, but they haven't been able to make it out to church due to family issues (hospital, work, etc).
We were able to teach almost 25 lessons again this week! And we found another family to teach - if we could just get everyone we're teaching in one week-swing, we'd be teaching 30-40 lessons a week, I guarantee it. But ah well, we'll slog at it again while we got it!
Things have been good otherwise, lots of coordination and member support, meetings and ward councils, etc. I also played guitar for the Senior Citizens in Goshen on Tuesday, which was way fun. It's been busy out here in Goshen, and we'll continue to make it that way! God bless everyone!
-Elder Martin
Provo Mission Week 1
Monday, October 27, 2014
Monday, October 20, 2014
Week 51: Another Baptism On The Way!
We had a major cancel spree Wednesday night which cut out 5 or so lessons, but I was able to do three baptismal interviews (as District Leader) for other missionaries which is way fun. We also have set Mary Anderson on date for baptism for the 15th of November, though that may get changed a bit so her Dad can come out of the hospital to visit and see the baptism. We found three or four new people to teach as well all around the stake, and our weekly planning list is growing so much we might need to make it two pages long, and the font is already pretty small on it haha!
We did the last round of service for Hermano Guerra this week too, he's gonna be discing the fields for winter and won't be doing much else. It was way fun though and it's been great to help him out so much.
Last P-day we had an amazing hiking trip on Godiva Mountain, all the way to the very top, with TONS of mines along the way, it was really cool! We came down the Mammoth side too.
We both spoke in sacrament meeting yesterday too, and for part of it as I was talking on the Plan of Salvation I did a little "Hellfire and Damnation" preaching haha, it was fun. Just as well, this is probably the fourth time over the pulpit I have expressed my belief that Zion is actually in Texas. No one's proved me otherwise yet haha! Yes, most people get the Texas joke, but I haven't really convinced anyone yet. I even announced in a stake-wide Bishopric meeting that we should give big Texas flags instead of towels to converts as as the come out of the baptismal font haha.
That being said, I feel so blessed to be serving in this stake still, I feel like I say that every day now. Such lovely people out here, and so much potential to invite others to come unto Christ as well! Have a great week everyone!
-Elder Martin
We both spoke in sacrament meeting yesterday too, and for part of it as I was talking on the Plan of Salvation I did a little "Hellfire and Damnation" preaching haha, it was fun. Just as well, this is probably the fourth time over the pulpit I have expressed my belief that Zion is actually in Texas. No one's proved me otherwise yet haha! Yes, most people get the Texas joke, but I haven't really convinced anyone yet. I even announced in a stake-wide Bishopric meeting that we should give big Texas flags instead of towels to converts as as the come out of the baptismal font haha.
That being said, I feel so blessed to be serving in this stake still, I feel like I say that every day now. Such lovely people out here, and so much potential to invite others to come unto Christ as well! Have a great week everyone!
-Elder Martin
Monday, October 13, 2014
Week 50: Regular Weeks At Last!
Hello y'all!
As much as I enjoyed Stake and General Conference and the Ogden Temple Re-dedication, I have been rather glad to see just "regular sundays" coming up for the next few weeks. It's hard to have church attendance when there's no church haha! That being said we didn't have too many of our investigators show up yesterday, which is a bit of a bummer, but things happen (e.g. a wedding and a hospital trip in the case of our two closest families). In any case we've found three new families to teach, two less actives and one part member, and if we can finally nail down appointments with all the people we've got, we'll be teaching like crazy. Teaching is great by the way. Teaching the recent convert lessons to Lita is so fun. Her family continues to do very well, and she's on top of everything.
We also got to see the "Meet the Mormons" movie in a chapel before it came out in theaters (a dual zone missionaries-only screening), and despite my original thoughts that it might be lame, it was actually way good! I recommend seeing it to everyone!
We also did a service project picking pumpkins for Hermano Guerra's farm again, it both got me into a Halloween mood and also got Smashing Pumpkins songs badly stuck in my head haha. Hope everyone has a great week!
-Elder Martin
As much as I enjoyed Stake and General Conference and the Ogden Temple Re-dedication, I have been rather glad to see just "regular sundays" coming up for the next few weeks. It's hard to have church attendance when there's no church haha! That being said we didn't have too many of our investigators show up yesterday, which is a bit of a bummer, but things happen (e.g. a wedding and a hospital trip in the case of our two closest families). In any case we've found three new families to teach, two less actives and one part member, and if we can finally nail down appointments with all the people we've got, we'll be teaching like crazy. Teaching is great by the way. Teaching the recent convert lessons to Lita is so fun. Her family continues to do very well, and she's on top of everything.
We also got to see the "Meet the Mormons" movie in a chapel before it came out in theaters (a dual zone missionaries-only screening), and despite my original thoughts that it might be lame, it was actually way good! I recommend seeing it to everyone!
We also did a service project picking pumpkins for Hermano Guerra's farm again, it both got me into a Halloween mood and also got Smashing Pumpkins songs badly stuck in my head haha. Hope everyone has a great week!
-Elder Martin
The Lovely Old time Goshenite Jensen Family
I put hot sauce on everything now haha.
This is just from the past month or two.
Ah, being a Spanish Elder!
The Pumpkins we helped pick for Hermano Guerra.
We got to take some of our own home,
I took a weird one just to smash in honor of Smashing Pumpkins haha.
Elder Pena being a Jewish High Priest haha.
So, dinner last night with the Jewett Family, and Sister Jewett's mother was there. Her name is Sister Atkinson, born in Francis, Utah. My Great Grandmother (my Mom's father's mother) was an Atkinson from Francis, so we look it up, and what do you know - we're related, via my Great-Great-Great Grandfather Amos Stiles Atkinson. That's the second cousin of sorts of found in the area haha, of the joys of serving in your ancestral home of Utah haha.
Monday, October 6, 2014
Week 49: General Conference
Oh yeah, I did love Conference, and as you might have saw with the Facebook pictures, I got to go again (which was very unlikely and unexpected I can assure you) for the Sunday afternoon session. It was the bomb.com. It was way cool hearing the talks in Spanish too, though it was better when I was actually there, because having just the English subtitles on the conference center screens was much easier on my brain then having someone speaking over it in English, which since I understood and could hear both languages was mentally tiring in the extreme haha. I'm going to go back and watch each in pure spanish, I'm excited.
I also got to go to Conference with Elder Rivera, and boy was that great. We caught up and talked about old times, and just in general affirmed our friendship. I completely get what you mean about appreciating my trainer more now that I am one. He's such a great guy, I can't believe he finishes his mission in December, that will be a sad day for me when he leaves. Luckily he's still looking at schooling here in Utah, so hopefully he won't be far from me afterwards. It was great too to have a real fluent conversation (and lots of hilarious joking) with him in Spanish, oh boy it was great fun.
We also went to the conference center by linking up in Heber (meaning I got to drive through Provo Canyon for the first time in months, it looks great with the fall, as does Heber Valley) and then going north, passing by Park City and the like up there, which was way fun! I missed Sunday morning session in transit, but Saturday I caught first session with Carma Bell and some of her friends (see the picture to come, I watched conference with a bunch of cute girls, Bishop Kay afterward asked me how our "date" was haha) and the afternoon session with my family-away-from-family, the Davis family. It was a good time for sure.
Elder Holland's talk was superb, as was Elder Christofferson's, Elder Robbin's, and Elder Benard's. And of course both the Spanish talks. To be honest though, with a lot of them I got the impression that I need to go back and read them, which is a first for me.
One of the Mission Boundaries, out west of Eureka.
Carma Bell and her friends, who we watched the Saturday morning session of Conference with.
Yeah, these are the girls I run around with on my mission, we're a pretty wild bunch.
Me with my trainer Elder Rivera at General Conference together.
He leaves in December, so it was great to have some time to spend with him!
We sat on the third row in Conference, we were way close!
Monday, April 14, 2014
Week 24: Quite A Week, and Changes Keep Rollin' On Through
Hello everyone!
It was a busy week (again and as usual), so I'll get right to it: after emails on p-day we headed up to Traverse Mountain in Lehi so Elder Contreras could buy some civilian clothes for his new life ahead of him, though it was not all a loss for me, I got me a sick new Mariner's hat, perfect since with my new short hair hat-head is hard to get!
That night too we talked with Sara again, and she wants her oldest son Deagon taught and, if he still wants, baptized. She is great friends with Heather too, so we have been teaching them sort of together, and the two have been committing together to go to church. The next day we got to meet Heather's husband too, and he's really cool and chill, and fine with us coming and visiting. It'd be nice if he didn't have to work as much so he could be present for the lessons, but we'll do what we can! Heather accepted being baptized in a later lesson this week, though she's going to talk with her husband before she sets a specific date. It's great teaching her, she's very honest and open with us, which is so nice - beating around the bush wastes so much time. But yes, we're very excited about the progress she's making, and the ward and neighbors have been very supportive and helping her and Sara out with things.
Moving on though, interviews with President also happened, and that was great. He gave me some great advice and counsel; he is a great man. The next two days we had to run a couple of errands before Elder Contreras left, though per my request we got to treat him to lunch at Station 22 cafe. In the evenings we had another great lesson with Tina, who is a new investigator we had. She is very set on reading the Book of Mormon to see if it, and the church, are really true. The Rupp family are doing well too, they're fine with their kids taking the lessons too, and hopefully it encourage the parents we well; so two more investigators there too!
We had many lessons with Porter Walker too this week because, as I failed to mention last time, he was gonna get baptized! Porter is 10, and has been setting a great example for his parents and family. His brother got ordained a deacon the same day as the baptism, and his parents have set a family goal of getting sealed in the soon-to-be-completed Payson Temple. They are working great together, and they have two half brothers coming to live with them soon that want the lessons too. He was baptized this Saturday, and I was able to stand in for Porter's confirmation the next day, and it's great to see someone that young making covenants and really understanding the weight of them, if not the full extent. Elder Contreras had already left by that point though, we dropped him off the previous morning and he was taken up to Provo. He was a great elder with lots of good experiences and knowledge, but funny and easy to work with. He is already back in Mexico City now and will be working at the CCM soon enough until he heads up to BYU-I in the fall. We will miss him, and it has been quieter without him.
On Friday we had a great lesson with Daniel (Hansen) Curtis, who is going to pray and also will ask if he can get Sundays off to attend church. He has great faith and is really just a swell guy; it has been a joy to teach him. Sunday I gave a talk both in Goshen and in the Spanish Branch, and that was a lot of fun. We had a lot to talk about at the ward correlation meeting too, so it was a good day!
As of today though, we've learned that Elder Rios is being transferred, we don't know where to yet, but it is way sad to see him go. We only had one transfer together, and it sucks cause we were becoming great friends. He is a convert to the church of about three years, and the people in the area love him. Lucky for me though, I will get to see Goshen in the spring and early summer, which I am excited for! Ah, changes keep coming, but what ever happens, the Lord's in it!
Have a great week everyone!
-Elder Martin
It was a busy week (again and as usual), so I'll get right to it: after emails on p-day we headed up to Traverse Mountain in Lehi so Elder Contreras could buy some civilian clothes for his new life ahead of him, though it was not all a loss for me, I got me a sick new Mariner's hat, perfect since with my new short hair hat-head is hard to get!
That night too we talked with Sara again, and she wants her oldest son Deagon taught and, if he still wants, baptized. She is great friends with Heather too, so we have been teaching them sort of together, and the two have been committing together to go to church. The next day we got to meet Heather's husband too, and he's really cool and chill, and fine with us coming and visiting. It'd be nice if he didn't have to work as much so he could be present for the lessons, but we'll do what we can! Heather accepted being baptized in a later lesson this week, though she's going to talk with her husband before she sets a specific date. It's great teaching her, she's very honest and open with us, which is so nice - beating around the bush wastes so much time. But yes, we're very excited about the progress she's making, and the ward and neighbors have been very supportive and helping her and Sara out with things.
Moving on though, interviews with President also happened, and that was great. He gave me some great advice and counsel; he is a great man. The next two days we had to run a couple of errands before Elder Contreras left, though per my request we got to treat him to lunch at Station 22 cafe. In the evenings we had another great lesson with Tina, who is a new investigator we had. She is very set on reading the Book of Mormon to see if it, and the church, are really true. The Rupp family are doing well too, they're fine with their kids taking the lessons too, and hopefully it encourage the parents we well; so two more investigators there too!
We had many lessons with Porter Walker too this week because, as I failed to mention last time, he was gonna get baptized! Porter is 10, and has been setting a great example for his parents and family. His brother got ordained a deacon the same day as the baptism, and his parents have set a family goal of getting sealed in the soon-to-be-completed Payson Temple. They are working great together, and they have two half brothers coming to live with them soon that want the lessons too. He was baptized this Saturday, and I was able to stand in for Porter's confirmation the next day, and it's great to see someone that young making covenants and really understanding the weight of them, if not the full extent. Elder Contreras had already left by that point though, we dropped him off the previous morning and he was taken up to Provo. He was a great elder with lots of good experiences and knowledge, but funny and easy to work with. He is already back in Mexico City now and will be working at the CCM soon enough until he heads up to BYU-I in the fall. We will miss him, and it has been quieter without him.
On Friday we had a great lesson with Daniel (Hansen) Curtis, who is going to pray and also will ask if he can get Sundays off to attend church. He has great faith and is really just a swell guy; it has been a joy to teach him. Sunday I gave a talk both in Goshen and in the Spanish Branch, and that was a lot of fun. We had a lot to talk about at the ward correlation meeting too, so it was a good day!
As of today though, we've learned that Elder Rios is being transferred, we don't know where to yet, but it is way sad to see him go. We only had one transfer together, and it sucks cause we were becoming great friends. He is a convert to the church of about three years, and the people in the area love him. Lucky for me though, I will get to see Goshen in the spring and early summer, which I am excited for! Ah, changes keep coming, but what ever happens, the Lord's in it!
Have a great week everyone!
-Elder Martin
Porter's baptism - Me, Porter, Brother Sabey (the WML) and Elder Rios
Porter's family
Our Trio at Station 22
New Mailing Address
If you are mailing me a letter, please mail it to our PO Box in Goshen.
The address is:
Elder Alec Jeffrey Martin
PO Box 209
Goshen, UT 84633
The address is:
Elder Alec Jeffrey Martin
PO Box 209
Goshen, UT 84633
Monday, April 7, 2014
Week 23: General Conference is My SuperBowl!
Hello everyone!
Well, this week was quite awesome! Elder Contreras put it best, "General Conference week for missionaries is like the Super Bowl". And how true that is! But first for the rest of the week, we got a good number of lessons in, and encouraged a lot of people to watch Conference. We will be checking up on them this week, but my hope is that a lot of people found it easier to watch General Conference on TV then go to church on Sunday, haha!
For myself, I was able to attend the Sunday morning session live at the Salt Lake Conference Center! This was very surprising because we only get tickets from the mission once during our mission, and usually they go to the older missionaries! It was amazing to go and to be there live! I also was able to attend the Music and the Spoken Word program (which I have been to before my mission) and it was also spectacular.
There were many things I learned during this Conference. I took a bunch of notes, but I will say that one of the greatest conference experiences happened while I was at the Sunday morning session, actually sitting there in the conference center. While watching President Monson speak, it just hit me so strongly that this man is a Prophet of God, with the same power, authority, and position as all the famous prophets of days past. He speaks with God, and the Spirit testified that to me in a way like never before just watching him speak with my own eyes. It was a remarkable experience.
We also watched the Saturday morning Conference with a less active I'm working with named Frankie. He's a Navajo and a former four wheeler racer, but ever since a nasty crash a few years back he's been in rough shape, but he writes poems now, and he's shared a few with me and we talk about them; it's pretty legit! Saturday afternoon and Priesthood session were spent in Goshen with the Sabeys, a wonderful family. Brother Sabey is the ward mission leader there. Sunday afternoon session was spent with the Davis family in Genola, who are also awesome; and we had a wonderful time talking and eating with them afterwards.
I was struck throughout the conference on themes of discipleship, love, and missionary work. The Preach My Gospel study admonition by Elder Ballard was quite solid. I encourage everyone to take that up, and share what you find with me, I'm always on the lookout for tips to improve! Elder Holland's opening talk was of course a fireball and makes you want to get up and change your life on the spot, and President Eyring's talk on leaving a legacy is important for all of us, no matter what stage in our lives. Elder Scott spoke excellently on fellowshipping and better yet, being a friend to help share the gospel. President Uchtdorf's talk on Gratitude is something we should hear often, if not monthly.
There were many other talks I enjoyed, but I look forward to seeing them in print and studying them again, particularly looking out for the passages I liked and took notes on, and seeing how it looks in print. But for sure, we have living prophets and apostles today, who speak with the power and according to the will of our Father in Heaven, and what a blessing it is to have the guidance! Let me know what you liked from conference too, and have a good week y'all!
Oh, and I got a haircut, as you can tell by the picture. I figure I'll never really have hair this short again, so I'm trying it out for now.
-Elder Martin
Th view from where I was sitting in Conference
Me at the Salt Lake Temple
With Elder Prince from the Ogden Mission (my friend from Dubai)
He went to the same session and found me when we took pictures by the north gate!
Me, by the north part of West Mountain and Utah Lake
Well, this week was quite awesome! Elder Contreras put it best, "General Conference week for missionaries is like the Super Bowl". And how true that is! But first for the rest of the week, we got a good number of lessons in, and encouraged a lot of people to watch Conference. We will be checking up on them this week, but my hope is that a lot of people found it easier to watch General Conference on TV then go to church on Sunday, haha!
For myself, I was able to attend the Sunday morning session live at the Salt Lake Conference Center! This was very surprising because we only get tickets from the mission once during our mission, and usually they go to the older missionaries! It was amazing to go and to be there live! I also was able to attend the Music and the Spoken Word program (which I have been to before my mission) and it was also spectacular.
There were many things I learned during this Conference. I took a bunch of notes, but I will say that one of the greatest conference experiences happened while I was at the Sunday morning session, actually sitting there in the conference center. While watching President Monson speak, it just hit me so strongly that this man is a Prophet of God, with the same power, authority, and position as all the famous prophets of days past. He speaks with God, and the Spirit testified that to me in a way like never before just watching him speak with my own eyes. It was a remarkable experience.
I was struck throughout the conference on themes of discipleship, love, and missionary work. The Preach My Gospel study admonition by Elder Ballard was quite solid. I encourage everyone to take that up, and share what you find with me, I'm always on the lookout for tips to improve! Elder Holland's opening talk was of course a fireball and makes you want to get up and change your life on the spot, and President Eyring's talk on leaving a legacy is important for all of us, no matter what stage in our lives. Elder Scott spoke excellently on fellowshipping and better yet, being a friend to help share the gospel. President Uchtdorf's talk on Gratitude is something we should hear often, if not monthly.
There were many other talks I enjoyed, but I look forward to seeing them in print and studying them again, particularly looking out for the passages I liked and took notes on, and seeing how it looks in print. But for sure, we have living prophets and apostles today, who speak with the power and according to the will of our Father in Heaven, and what a blessing it is to have the guidance! Let me know what you liked from conference too, and have a good week y'all!
Oh, and I got a haircut, as you can tell by the picture. I figure I'll never really have hair this short again, so I'm trying it out for now.
-Elder Martin
He went to the same session and found me when we took pictures by the north gate!
With Stephen Davis after conference, who is a boss!
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