Love you Mucho

Hello Everyone!

So yeah I guess you're right my letters have been getting a little shorter week by week. I guess that just happens. I am running out of things to say I guess. :P But sounds like everything is going good back home! That makes me happy to hear about Nicole! And Tre.. Wow.. Tre seems like he is going through his own little adventures! haha! I pray for him! I really really hope he is okay! But I know that the Lord is with him! He is a great person! He is the man for the job in that little town! :) 

Well you want to know something exciting?? Well I guess it has been a pretty exciting week! I went on a split yesterday with Elder Huerta Luna and his companion Elder Sayou (from Brazil) It was fun! We went to this older lady's house and she was just so sweet! You could just tell there was something different about her. She was a member and was really nice! But it was good to be with Elder Huerta again! Also we went and tried teaching Cindy's dad. She came up and saw us, but her Dad was not very interested but agreed to go to her baptism! It was really nice to see her again! 

Well... I hope you and Dad don't get mad. But for the past month I have pretty much been supporting me and Elder Wilkey.. he decided to buy slacks at the beginning of the month and consequently had no money... So he had no food, or anything. So it was then up to me to make sure we were both alive. Well needless to say I had to dip into the AMEX. Well, then over the weekend a lady came by and asked us for some money in front of Yankee Stadium. Turns out that she was telling us she had gone to like 3 different churches that night asking for someone to help her because she had to feed her 4 kids, 2 of which were twins and were 2 months old.. The spirit prompted me to say yes. So we walked to the grocery store with her and she bought the cheapest loaf of bread and some baby formula. I was so happy she was not lying about her babies. Well turns out that her husband had just left her and she was from East St. Louis. First person I have met on my mission from STL. So that gave us some stuff to talk about!  She had been in the Bronx for like 2 weeks... When we swiped her onto the bus for her to go home she was crying. It was really humbling. I felt good after it :) Like really good! I just knew what I did was right... Bad thing is.. I maxed out my AMEX affer spending that last $20... So Sorry :( Hope you can forgive me!

Well we set a baptismal date with this awesome lady nambed Gisela! Elder Petersen tracted into her last cycle. She straight up asked them why there are so many churches. She did not have time to meet with them then, but we came back and she understood the restoration and the need to be baptized by authority! She is awesome! And she wants her kid to be baptized! We are going to visit her tomorrow!!! :) :) 

I am happy! Also my Spanish seems to be getting a lot better as well! :) 

And no I never got anything from Bladen but it's all good! I am sure he is a busy man! But yeah Elder Wilkey is way fun,  I love the kid! He has a great heart and is a really good friend! 

And it has been fun having Elder Lewis back! He was upstate for  2 cycles serving in English and now he is here. We are in different wards, but living together. So yeah our entire apartment is Spanish. In the Kingsbridge chapel where we are, there are 2 Spanish Wards and an English Ward. 

So about the King cake! Just send it! :) I will eat it! :) Haha! there is no specific day, but if you send it and maybe write a note on the box they might try and get it to us faster! :) And mom I will send you a separate email about the other things you asked! Well I love you all! Take care! You are in my prayers! God is playing a huge role in my life! And the people that he has put in my path play one that is just as big! Including all of you! Love you mucho!!

Love, Marky! :)  

Transfers!

Hey that’s a nice dream you got there!  ( I had told him that I had just finished  a dream where he was home and had given me the biggest hug!)  Sorry but I will not have a lot of time today. We have been helping people back and forth moving them in and out of apartments. Elder Wilkey and I are still here!  But you will never guess what?!?!?! Elder Peterson got transferred to Connecticut and Elder Lewis moved in!!! Yay!!! So I am pretty excited for that! And No Cynthia did not get baptized. She has not come to church yet. Sorry i am not being personable by the way. I am just trying to get everything in in as little time as possible. That’s so cool to hear about Todd and his tournament! That was really nice of Butters to do that!  (Todd’s team won the championship game and the goalie turned down the MVP award and asked that it be given to Todd. )  Uhm what else! I sent Thomas a card today! So it should be there soon. Uhm what else... TOday was a big transfer. A lot of people went home. Elder Kay was transferred to South Mann. Elder Huerta is still here. This is his last cycle; he is in a trio for the third time! Haha.  But It is really looking like this cycle is going to be great! A lot of people who served around me in the beginning of my mission are now here so it is going to be fun! :) Elder Naverrez is my Zone leader!  So yeah.. I am pumped! We also found a new investigator named Guisella who was asking us questions about why there are so many churches. I have a really good feeling about her! And Elder Stratton told me that Cindy from Harlem has a Baptismal date for the 18th of Feb! So that is really exciting!! Well that is pretty much it in a nut shell! There is so much more to say but like no time! :( I love Spanish people so much! I enjoy eating their crazy delicious food and just having a good time! They are so sweet and so humble! :) Well I love you all very much take care and have a great week! I promise you will hear more next week! Today was just hectic! Tell Todd Good Job for me and Thomas Happy Birthday! I love you all Very Much and you’re always in my prayers!~ 

Love, MArk! :) 

Be Attentive to Promptings

Hey there everyone!~ 

 

SO how is everything going?? Hope all is well! But to start off, mom send me the pictures next week in my email that you want me to explain and I will do so! But yeah I will be writing Todd again today or tonight! Do you know if he has written back yet?   And tell him I will get him a watch next month and send it to him. He wants a white one right?? ? I would have never even thought about wearing a watch when I was his age. I am glad you all enjoyed the pictures. I would have had more, but half the time my camera was dead and Hellberg took them for us both. So I am waiting for him to send them to me right now. 

So how is the Remund family doing?? I miss the ward a lot! Haha being in a nice orderly English Ward would be nice, but at the same time I love the craziness of the Spanish Wards here.  But yeah LSU lost to Bama. I was upset when I heard. I even wore my LSU tie Aunt Cindy sent me that day... Oh well. I wanted to watch the game but resisted hoping they would win if I didn't lol! I think God could only bless me or Elder Willis, and Elder Willis is going home in a week so I think Alabama won for him! lol! \

But yeah I heard about the Saints! That's way cool! So its in Indy this year?? So did you say you guys just plan on going down there for the Superbowl, or that you plan on taking Greg to the Superbowl... Because last time I checked thats way expensive! But hey, you guys do what you got to do! I sure hope they go again! That would be exciting! :)  (We are thinking optimistically that the Saints will once again make it to the Superbowl; if so it's only a 5 hour drive to Indy to enjoy the festivities - fingers crossed!)

So new years.. We just stayed up and played Stratego, which I bought,  anad then went to bed lol! Nothing special. I felt bad for staying up,, but it was New years. It was fun!  We were just being really stupid! Our apartment is a lot of fun! Probably the best pad I have lived in. Living with Elder Baba  and WIllis was fun tool And Willis and Stratton. I have had really good people that I have lived with for the most part. Other than that last cycle in Harlem. But this here was a nice change from that. I live with Elder Kropf from NM and Elder Peterson from AZ.  And of course Elder Wilkey! Elder Peterson came out with me! Its a lot of fun! Someone is always laughing! :) 

I am glad Dad is having a good trip! I emailed him about it! Sounds like he has had a little more free time then he does on his other Trips he has taken. 

Well 2 more months to a year now! Crazy how fast time is flying! I am having a lot of fun! Tranfers are  a week from today so we will see what happens. I am still not good at adjusting to change. It takes me a little bit! But life is good! Things are picking up here! We are teaching a lady named Cynthia! She is really cool! and really holds onto the things we tell her! I have already seen a small Change take place in her heart. She loves the plan of salvation, and before we came she had a lot of questions about where people go after they die. Especially people who have never heard of Jesus Christ. :) It was perfect! She wants to be baptized. The only thing holding her back right now is going to Church. She is afraid to use the Metro system since 9/11 so she would have to take a taxi and it is a long way from where she lives and would be pretty expensive. But its going to take a leap of faith on her part. We are going to go over this week and teach the WOW (Word of Wisdom, which is a law of health we as Mormons believe was revealed by the Lord for the physical and spiritual benefit of His children . . .  think no drinking or smoking)  and watch The Restoration (video depicting the origin of the LDS church) with her. It will be good! :) We will also probably hit on the Sabbath day one more time! She is very nice, kind of timid but has a really sweet heart. She is single and is around 40 I would guess. I am hoping the Best from her! She loves the Book of Mormon as well! She said it brings her peace when she reads it! :) 

 

The other day we also looked up a former investigator. His name is Alexis and his wife is Maria! They are really cool! We went over there and  they just welcomed us right in! All we taught them was about prayer and it was a powerful lesson. I told my story of when I prayed about going on a mission! He felt the Spirit. He told me he did! I just felt impressed to tell him that story, and the weird thing is I hardly ever tell people it in detail. It was hard to do in Spanish but the Spirit guided me! The Gift of tongues really is real! Especially when we are attentive to the promptings that Heavenly Father gives us! It was our first lesson with them! IT was so cool! They invited us back for dinner next week! He also told us to bring 2 other missionaries with us. So we are going to bring Elder Huerta and Elder Ramen! 

The two of them go home at the end of next cycle. By the time Huerta goes home I will have spent half of my mission around him lol! I am not complaining though! He is an awesome kid and we had plenty of good times together! So things are good! It was a week of growth for me! I also had some really good ideas about stories I would like to write when I get home! I figured out the whole plot from beginning to end of that one I was writing right before I came out. Plus I figured out the plot of the whole series of those books I have been writing since I was in 1st grade. Mom you will probably know what I am talking about lol! But It actually has a way good plot! I am excited to start it! Haha Elder Wilkey was sick for 2 days and I had a lot of time to think about it! Okay well I got to get going! I love you all! Keep it up on reading the Book of Mormon! It really is true and can Change your life! :) As can the Bible! I love them both! I have received so many answers to so many prayers through both of them! As well as the Doctrine and Covenants and Pearl of Great price! Okay love you all! Take care! :) 

Love, Mark! 

Hola!!

Hola!!

Fist off!! Todd has an Iphone??? What has this World come to??? :) Do I get an Iphone when I get home???? :) Hehe! But yes as I told Dad I will be writing Todd, as soon as I am done emailing so I am going to keep it fairly short so I can do that! I would be willing to help in whatever way I can. I just wish I could talk to him face to face! 

Well sounds like the stay Grandma and Grandpa had went well! I am so thankful for them and Granny and Pop-pop! I was just thinking about that yesterday! :) Oh and I used the money that Aunt Ciny, Grandma, and Grandpa gave me to buy a NY Rangers Jersey that I am going to have Missionaries sign! :) So I am happy I have one I have been wanting to get one. Just stinks I will never actually get to go to a game! So how is Todd doing in Hockey??

So crazy the Blues are doing so well! This is the year! And probably should not have told me about the LSU and Saints games It's going to take everything out of me not to go to Applebees those nights lol! I so hope LSU wins and that  the Saints can pull it off as well! What a good year that would be right?? And I hope Peyton gets another shot with the Colts! He deserves it he has done so much for that team! They would be smart to pick a receiver and throw Peyton behind the line again! Is their Oline still as good as it was??

God really does love us and Answer us when we need him to. And I was reading through the B.O.M. in Mosiah and a scripture just touched my heart so strongly. "14 And again, the angel said: Behold, the Lord hath ^aheard the prayers of his people, and also the ^bprayers of his servant, Alma, who is thy father; for he has ^cprayed with much faith concerning thee that thou mightest be brought to the ^dknowledge of the truth; therefore, for this purpose have I come to ^econvince thee of the power and authority of God, that the ^fprayers of his servants might be answered according to their faith."

So glad to hear about politics thats cool! I know nothing lol! Well I am going to get running to write Todd but I hope you all have a great week! We are starting to find some new people and things are starting to run a whole lot smoother! We found 2 news yesterday! It was a hard week last week but this one has started off way good! then we have 1 more new tonight! So i am excited! Well I love you so much! All of you take care and know you are in my prayers! I feel myself growing each day! :) :) I really feel it's just my outlook on things. And even more than that my outlook on people and seeing life through their eyes. Walking in their shoes.  Its amazing how much you can change,, but at the same time be the exact same person! :) Love you all! :)

Love, Mark! :)

Gett' r done! 

So Nice to Call Home

Mommy dearest!

Hello everyone! Okay this is going to be a little short because I am at the library and only have a limited amount of time!

But no I am not really too homesick. I mean I am at times, but when I am productive it does not really bother me! But not going to lie, sometimes it does hit really really bad! But I am fine! It was just so nice to call home! I wish I would have talked longer before Wilkey called! I realized after I was done I did not say half of the things that I wanted to. :( I wanted to talk to Dad you and Greg about more things, but I guess it will just have to wait until Mother’s day. But it was so nice to talk! I just felt refreshed afterwards!  Oh and yes tell Bladen for me.(Mark just found out that his companion, Elder Wilkey’s cousin is married to his friend who served in the St Louis mission, Elder Bladen.) I did not get the chance to  talk to him!

So Tell Grandma and Grandpa I said Hi! That’s cool that they are there! So we have a fairly small teaching pool right now. We are working on that. We are teaching a lady named Cynthia. She is in her late thirtyies.  She committed to baptism for the 14th of January. We have only taught her once, So I am really excited to go back! Right now our efforts are mostly focused on finding, and it has been really really hard!

So today is like the first really cold day we have had here! It’s freezing! The wind is killing me! All I have is my suit. We went to the temple for our Ward Mission Leader’s Endowment today! It was really good and refreshing to go to the temple! I liked it a lot! And before Elder Huerta and I went and visited Nelson! He was so surprised! It was fun to see him again! He told us that especially Elder Huerta and I hold a special place in his heart!  Haha, He does not even know Melissa but He tells me how much I need to marry her and bring her back after my mission!

Haha okay.. So is Bryan really that thin?? Wow never would have thought!  But anyway.. Okay almost out of time.. What should I say... Okay sorry I don’t have a lot of time! Just know that I love you guys and miss you very much! Next week I will be able to say more! These stupid computers just have a silly time limit! Haha! Well I love you all so very much! And miss you! Life is going good! Just keep me in your prayers every once in a while! And the people here! That’s all I ask! :) I love you all! I will talk to you next week! :)

Love, Mark!