Tuesday, April 26, 2011

I'm Trying to Love as He Did in All that I Do and Say

Ok not much time at all today. Sorry for the spelling in advancve lol :) Just fix it for me :) ok being a Zone LEader is alright. Its what the Lord wants me to do so I am doing it to the best of my ability. He says "Jump" I say "how high" that's my mentality about it. Basically I have to talk to all the DL's once a week and make sure everything is ok in the Zone. Set up Sacrament and Priesthood Meetings. Uhm, oh we are the Agent Zone leaders of the building so that means we are basically the head zone leaders of our residence hall... Ugh. One of the rules is we have to make sure no one is using the vending machines past 10. Some Elders can be a real pain in the You know what about it. I just try to be as loving as I can, but no offense some of them are real jerks about it. I'm just trying to do what I have been asked. Oh and last night some kids above us were playing football in the halls at about 11 at night, and quiet time is 10:30 so we had to go up there and tell them they needed to quiet down. I hate being a Nazi :( But its what I am supposed to do, so I have to. Like I said I try to do everything the way Christ would. Which is very unachievable lol! Obedience is way improtant here though. so yeahh.... lol! I love it though., It can be really frustrating at times though!

Sending the Memory card today! Thanks for the reminder! Also Thank you for the easter Package I loved it! It was awesome! And I got the new one today so thank you for that too! Love you all for it! I can't wait to get my letters from the family.  Spanish is going good! :) getting a ton better actually. I can really seee the improvement since Elder Scott came. Priesthood blessings are the Best! hahaha But really they are! I'm not fluent,but I know that through the Lord and with a butt load of practice I soon will be!
 
 
Ok real fast only 2 min left! They just changed up the whole schedule! I see Jackson and RJ a ton now! Both have the same Lunch ant Dinner as me! Ok so basic day is we have two teachers a day! Hermano Gilli left for Colorado this week for a new job so we got a new teacher.  Hermono Hernandez he is from MX. Oh and Elder LAw left this morning he got his Visa yesterday! Crazy!
 
Ok then we have personal study, language study, and gym ,and comp study not much time 10 seconds left! I love you all! and miss you Have fun! in my prayers.   Bye love you!
 
 
I

Thursday, April 21, 2011

Sports Scores, Anyone???

ok not much time today but I will get as much in as I can :) This is replying to both you and dad! Mom thats awesome you got a new car, and exciting Greg will be home soon~ That will be neat when you go to Panama city this summer and get to meet Elder Ware!  (Greg found out that one of his best friends from the MTC and his mission will be in Panama City with his family the exact same week that we are there!)  I'm happy for you all! Ok first things first! Mom my P-day will change to Tuesday starting next week so be ready to hear from me again on Tuesday :) I'm 99% sure it will, so if for some reason it doesnt dont be too upset, but its changing on Tuesday so I get two p-days fairly close to each other!!!!
RICHARD G SCOTT CAME AND SPOKE TO US ON TUESDAY!!!!! IT was awesome! I wish I could tell you everything he said, but I dont have time so I will keep it brief! So first of all he asked all the missionaries learning a new language to raise their hands! Then he went on to say "By the Authority of my Apostleship and in the name of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ I bless each one of you with the Gift of Tongues" It was so spiritual and so awesome I will never forget it! The room was full of peace and full of the Spirit the entire time he was talking! He also said "I now step out of the shoes of Elder Scott, and address you as an apostle of the Lord Jesus Christ and tell you I don't believe Jesus Christ is a Glorified and Resurrected Being... I know He is" If you want to talk about feeling the Spirit... Wow! Just amazing - the Spirit totally embraced the whole room. I know he is an apostle of the Lord and that he is called by our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ and that Thomas S. Monson Leads and guides not only the Church, but he is the Prophet for the World. The Church is True and how happy I am to be here :)
Sorry about that lol! Ok back to my email! Someone please tell me how the Blues are doing???? And whats going on with Sports in General!!! who won the NCAA Finals!!! When is the NFL draft!!!!!! ugh lol! Just give me an update on the NHL Playoffs most importantly!
Ok so Elder Crisp is no longer with us :( He got his Visa last Thursday right after I wrote you all :( He left on Wednesday :( I miss him but I know he is where the Lord wants him! He was a great example to me! He told us that he wished he would have been like us when he was 19, but I really hope to be like him when I am 25! He is a great man! One of the funnest guys I have ever met! he really reminded me of Greg!
Oh and Elder Scaife and I are now Zone leaders... Its alright just more stress lol! But Hey I will do whatever the Lord wants me to do! Its fun to do, and to get to know everyone, but sometimes is a burden but not too much to handle. I actually think District leader was more work but hey its whatever. I will do whatever is asked of me at this point, because I know in the end it will be well worth it!
Ok so you asked what I do during Gym. I Work out twice a week and Play basketball the rest of the time. I like to think that I am getting better lol! I love playing basketball. I hit 3 3 pointers in a row two days ago so, hey for me that is really pretty good lol! I love gym time! Its awesome!
Ok almost out of time! I will send pics on monday! SO mom that means you send me a New Card today! haah ok! THank you both mom and Dad for everything I love you all! :) Dad glad to hear work is good! Greg keep up the good work I love you! Todd and Lindsay you should get a letter soon! Thank you everyone for everything! I love you all and can't wait to see you in 2 years! Let Melissa babysit I think that would be awesome! Ok so Love you all 30 seconds left! God bless you are in my prayers! ttyl on Tuesday love you!!!
Sorry for spelling :P



Mark and RJ ~ Baptism Day, 1999



       Elder Mattei and Elder Russo ~ MTC, 2011

Thursday, April 14, 2011

Not Much Time

ok not much time cuz you sent me a ton lol! Spanish is great we are teaching a ton in spanish! We had our first TRC its like practice lessons, and me and Elder scaife taught the whole first lesson in Spanish! Yo se la igesia de jesucristu es verdadero. Nuestro amoroso Padre Celestial nos da profetas a bendece nuestro familias. Amo mi famila! conta Too, Yo se amo! ok haha thats enough spanish for you all I dont got a lot of time lol!

Ok yeah I pick up the mail as DL. But I was not assigned because Elder Law and Elder Crisp got their visas cuz they havent yet :( I feel bad for them! They switch the DL's and ZL's every three weeks so. Someone else in my district will become the new DL on Sunday and Someone in our Zone will become the new ZL. haha ok sorry I feel so rushed!( DLs are district leaders, ZLs are zone leaders) Sorry about my voice mail lol! Thats kind of funny though!(Todd is presently using Mark's old phone; when I called it yesterday, I got Mark's old voicemail.  I miss his voice!)  I'm glad that you are able to give my car away. But yeah I will miss it but that is very nice of you guys. Give it a hug for me! Thats awesome that you got a new car mom! Feel like I am missing a ton but it is all good! How is Austin feeling being back home? I bet thats still really exciting for him!

So no I can't get on the internet and check the blogs. The computer access is limited, but there are ways around it, but thats where your own personal accountability comes in!! Thats awesome that Tre is putting in his papers! He better write me when he gets his call!!!

So I have seen RJ and Jackson a little! Rj a whole lot more I get to talk to him all the time. I never see Jackson :(  I am just glad they  are here! oh and Rj got to call home cuz of something with his passport or something! And he got to fly out ot San Fran for a day and get it sorted out!

Ok but Melissa seems to be doing good :) Let her know I miss her! and Let me know how everything is back home! I wish I had more time to to expound on things :( once I get to NY I will be able to! I just want to get there! Sorry for my spelling once again! Oh and mom that would be cool if you sent doughnuts or something! Greg sounds like he is doing good! LEt him know I miss him! And to keep doing good work!

ok few quick things, get ahold of the schnitzleers and get my hockey net for todd! I am sure you guys can find their number somewhere! Also I need Nash's and Bladen's Addresses! oh and send me some of that red axe hair gel i am out lol!

more pics soon to come! I love you all. and you are in my prayers! Hope everything is well! Talk to you all Soon!!!!!! :)

Friday, April 8, 2011

MTC Photos

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Way Excited!!!

Hey Everyone! First of All I love you all! and Whats up! Haha ok mom thanks for highlighing the questions it helps a lot especially with the limited time I have to be on here. 
 
MTC is awesome! I love the people,mountains, and the overall environment. It kind of stinks being stuck on the same plot of land for a solid two months, but its all good. I was hoping that I would get to leave for a couple hours because Elder Scaife was sick, but that didn't happen :( But its awesome and I love It!
 
Conference was amazing! This Church is true and that's really all I have to say. I have never gotten so much out of it! Got to watch every session with 2,000 + missionaries so it was a really awesome experiance. I loved it! We have a prophet on the Earth today! How freaking sweet is that? Like seriously! Oh and my testimony has grown a ton this week! LIKE A TON! Yup! So life is really good and I can't wait to get to New York! I know I have a purpose  there! Oh and I fly out May 10th!! I have never been so excited for something in my life! 

And Mckeons signature was in the top of one of the little closets they have in Elder Kay and Elder Veaters room! It was in a little hole in it that all the missionaries call a Narnia hole where they store stuff and sign there names. The new missionaries that came in last week found sour milk in theirs lol! But that's where I found it! Its so awesome that I am basically walking in his footsteps. Same district and same teachers!
 
Heck yes I saw Rj and Jackson! I was not a Host, but Elder Kay and I went up and waited by the doors where all the new missionaries come in! Both of them showed up within like 20 seconds of each other! I kind of cheated to go see them cuz we are not really supposed to if we are not hosting lol! But yeah, I missed them so much! I did not get to talk for long! At all! They were busy for sure! I need to find them again though! Rj started crying as soon as he saw me  then I started crying. I missed them so much! Its so good to see them! Now I really just need to find them so I can actually have some time to talk to them! I love those two so much! Jackson won't be hard to miss, but I was so happy to see both of them. I was hopping around like a pupppy waiting for them! I have not been so excited sicne i have been here! I am so glad they are here and for what they are doing! Both of them are awesome. Seriously you have no idea how happy it made me! I could tell the both of them were in total shock, I assume I was that way tool! But they will be fine, and I am glad we are all here so we can help each other out. Now I just need to find them and actually sit down and talk to them :( and you have no idea how hard that will be to actually do. But I know I will! Just glad there here lol! and sorry for repeating myself like 1034823904869048549589058349058 times. hahaha
 
So being a district leader is stressful. Its good, and I get to know my District really well. It is really hard to lead though, because everyone has different opinions and what they want to do. And everyone has differnet problems and part of my assingment is to help resolve those and its really hard to do sometimes. Prayer is always the answer though. Heavenly Father has helped me with a ton of decisions since i was assigned as one. I wish I had time to expound but I dont :(
 
That stinks about Thomas. He is in my prayers. you all are. Tell him I love him okay? And give him a hug for me please. Tell greg I love him as well. And thank you for the letter this week, I love getting mail! I am sending you a post card today. So yeah I need to get off. I love you all sorry for the spelling no time to correct lol! But I love you and you are all in my prayers. God is with you! I promise! He is doing amazing things for all of us, and yeah. Miss my buds! got letters from mark and mike this week. Jake needs to write bck. Love you all! Have a good week!  Like a boss!
 
Love you all, Mark