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!

Talk to You Very Soon

Hey Mom I am going to keep this relatively short, so I have a lot more to say on Christmas. So I am sending a Christmas package home today! I hope it gets there by Christmas. I will call Christmas Eve to let you know when I will be calling for just a minute. Uhm invite my friends to come over. I will actually have little gifts and cards in the package for them. So if they want them they need to come get them lol! I just did not feel like sending out 5 differnt packages. It's just small stuff so just tell them on facebook.  They each have something. So let them know. Call them or something and let them know. And what else... Oh yeah Melissa will not be able to make it :( It sounds like we don't really have restricitons of phone calls so I will probably just be giving her a call. And I wil be able to talk to you all for a long time :)

 ... Oh before I forget - Elder Wilkey! He is related to Bladen!! He is Whitney (His wife's) cousin! Haha how cool is that! We talked about it for like a good hour lol Small world! I forgot Brandon told me that Whitney had a cousin in the same mission. Crazy right?? Don't tell him! Elder Wilkey is going to call them on Sunday and I am going to talk to him for a moment! Well Tell Nicole I am happy for her! And that is so exciting! I hope you all have a great Christmas! I am excited to talk to you all! :) You seriously have no idea! Make sure Greg has a good day! It's his first Christmas home! Seriously! Ahh.. I wish I could be home. Just for Christmas! Well I will give a quick ring on Saturday! Well I love you all so much! 

Love Mark! 

Talk to you all very soon! :) 

First Week in the Bronx

Hello Everyone! Happy Hanukkah! :) 

So what's up? How is everything going this week? So The Bronx! Well it's the Bronx lol! Awesome place, so far -not Harlem though! We are having a little trouble getting the area started! I love my companion Elder Wilkey! Such a fun and awesome kid! We get along and can talk for hours! I get along with him, probably better than the rest of my comps so far! Such a fun loving kid. Only problem he is a little hard to get out the door. We are going to pick it up! I could really see that last night. He just needs someone to tell him "kay lets go!". But he is a way good missionary. So good with people! Very personable and loving! And just hilarious! He reminds me of my friends back home! And makes me miss them! So right now, really our only investigator that I have met is an older man named Jerry. Very nice/humble fellow he is! lol! But he is going to Florida for 6 months this weekend, so yeah. We are working from the ground up but I know we can do it. Plus on top of all that we do not know very many of the members. And his Spanish is not the best, and neither is mine lol! But I have been leading a lot, and he is the senior comp.  He is such a peoples person! But I think this is going to be a great way for us to learn! I am excited! We have already had a ton of laughs/good times together! :)

So I don't know if I told you last week, but Elder Kay is my District Leader and Elder Huerta is in my District. He has two more cycles so I will have ended up spending half of my mission by him when he leaves lol! So I am excited for that! Your relationship with someone is so much different when you are their companion. You have to make decisions together and be with each other 24/7. You just see it from another perspective when you take a step back and observe what it is that you are looking at. But most of the people here are Dominican! And I love Dominicans so it's going to be good.. Before my mission, I had no idea what or who they even were lol! I just thought all Spanish people were Mexican lol! (not really) Now I know better lol! Just never thought that I would meet black people who speak Spanish.. Well if you can call it Spanish. Half the time it sounds like rocks hitting cement lol! But it's fun to imitate and speak like them! Not your typical Spanish. 

So this cycle is goign to be good! Some Christmas miracles are going to be comign soon! I can feel that! And I know that! The Lord will bless us! This is his work, and I love what I am doing, and am so excited to fall in love with the people here! I am going to love it! My attitude this week is much better about the situation than it was last week! i have an awesome district and an amazing zone! It just feels right now! Looking back at last cycle in Harlem, it really was time for me to leave and move on. And move to the next stage in my mission and find those people here who are ready to accept the gospel! I am excited to see more come into it! Its true happiness! That is Christ! That is his nature! To make one happy! And what makes one happy? Love! Pure love! and that is the Gospel! That is the Atonement! That is the sacrifice and divine mercy of Christ! :) 

So today we went to Harlem today so I could go around and buy some things for Christmas! That city! That island and the people there mean so much to me! New York City means something completely different to me, then what it means to the 6 Billion other people in this world. The people there, are not the people the world believes them to be. It is not the place that the media and TV shows, and movies, and magazines tell us it is. It is a place where love is found and where good things happen. Yes there is a lot of bad. But the good shines through it! Just as the Lord promises it always will! We just have to be looking for it! I love the people on that small island! and I miss them! And that city, those people hold a special place in my heart that will never be taken away! I went back today and it just felt like home! It was nice! :) It was my first area in the mission, and I am excited to see what it prepared me for! :)} 

So yes mom I got the package - thank you so much! :) I started opening gifts yesterday! :) I got the CD and the stocking full of candy and toys! Thank you so much! :) I will be sending home Greg's gifts, and the small gifts I got for you all very soon! :) I am excited to call on Christmas as well! That I think will be the best gift of all! Is talking to my family! Well, that and celebrating and remembering the real meaning of Christmas! I read a talk in the Christmas Ensign today... I don't remember who it was by. But it talked about the Birth of Christ and the Atonement! It was so good! I just loved it! My goal this Christmas is to learn who Christ really is! 

So the Bronx is crazy! Bunch of drunks and poor people just like Harlem. But just like Harlem, it has the good! It's going to be tight getting to say I lived in the Bronx and in Harlem after I get home! haha! Not very many people can say that! and it actually means something! But yeah! 

So tell Aimee I said congrats about school! Good for her! I am happy for her! I have a letter for her and Stella! But I dont have their addresses if you could send them that would be awesome! :) And tell Trevor I say Hi! and g2ive him a huge hug for me! I miss that kid! I was just thinking about him the other day! 

So crazy to think Mckeon left a year ago! :( Miss him! But I am happy for him! :) Stinks he moved ya know?? :( But oh well! :) lol! I was just telling Elder Wilkey last night that it was about a year ago that I got my call! So weird! Remember it like it was yesterday! That was unforgettable for me and Jackson! Such a good night! 

Oh yeah, you and Dad both asked.. So yes we mostly tract here lol! Funny there is a Book of Mormon ad that says "Doorbells ring are you listening?" It's Christmas themed lol! I think it is funny!  But yeah like I said we don't really know a lot of the members yet. Wilkey has been here for 2 cycles but his former companion had a small group of members they visited. But a normal day..

6:30 punch my Alarm clock.
6:31-7 Tire myself out even more than what I already am  by working out with Elder Kroph (We live with Elder Kroph and Peterson. Elder Peterson came out with me. Kroph is from New Mexico. Peterson is from Snowflake Arizona)

7-8 Drink Protein shake, stuff my face (If we are lucky and have food) Wait for showers... Waiting continued... A little more. Okay now like 5 minute shower after everone else takes forever. During the waiting try to clean up the apartment a little. MOM I wash dishes! Amazing right???? We don't have a dishwasher either!! You won't believe it!
8-9 Try not to fall asleep while studying. Haha right now I am reading The Book of Mormon. And also reading a talk out of the Ensign each day. I am hoping to finish the Book of Mormon by Christmas. Then I want to read the New Testament. And Preach my Gospel after that. (most likely during companion study. Followed by the Book of Mormon in Spanish. And eventually the Old Testament. We will see what happens lol! 

9-10 companion study. Sing as an apartment, pray, read the White handbook. 5 pages. then share what we learned in Personal study. Then prepare lessons for the day and what and who we will teach. Go over plans from nigh before.

10-11. Language study- if we are lucky enough to get to it! :/ Seems like we never really do. Elder Wilkey and I decided we are going to make time for it! 

11-12 lunch! if we have any. By this point I am starving. If not we go out and get some :) 

12- all day! Teach lessons, teach of Christ! Contact and knock doors! Sometimes with other random things in between like we do things called blitzes were our Zone comes together and we focus on 1 missionary area and we all knock doors or contact people in that area. Then we have service too once a week! In Harlem we worked at a food shelter! That was fun! They would give us a bag of food to take home! They loved the missionaries! (Speaking of which a guy gave me a 5 dollar discount today because I was with the church when I was buying Greg his presents Gotta love people! They are too nice! :) ) But here we help at an old folks home and serve lunches and play pool with the old men! It's a neat thing we got going on! Oh and they feed us lunch! :) Then we also have Baptisms and other activites and meetings with the Ward/mission. It's all fun stuff! :) But I love teaching! It's fun! And more than that I think I just love getting to know people and finding out how the Gospel will help them! 

9-9:30 come home, plan... and play Bang! Or watch a church movie eat some more. write in my journal (or during personal study) Hang out, talk and then hit the hay at 10:30 And Elder Wilkey and I will talk for a little bit and then have good dreams! :) And Thats pretty much a day of my life in a nutshell.

Well that's about all I got for today! Actually no! Mom send me my Bank of America card when it arrives at home! I had to send it back home before I could get it! So please do that ASAP! Thanks so much! And also if you could get a cord to fix the N64 that would also be great... And the Hockey net... Please... Well I love you all! :) Take care and have a good week! Merry Christmas! :) 

Love, your crazy Son, brother, and Friend Mark! :) 

PS.. No I did not hear about freaking Pujols... that ticks me off... Ah! Domincans... lol! J.K. He is a good guy whatever reasons he did it for I am sure were the right ones! Love you all! 

Moving to the Bronx

Hello everyone! So I am out :( I am way sad! I will probably keep this email really short because I was up really late packing after saying bye to a ton of people! I am sad, but happy! Elder Huerta Luna (his trainer) is in my District again! And Elder Kay (from the MTC) is my DL so in that regards it is good! Also my new companion Elder Wilki seems way cool! I can already tell we are going to get along! But yes I got the tree and the Package! Thank you so much! It means a lot! So tell everyone for now to just send mail to the mission office until I get you all the new address in the Bronx. I am serving in South Bronx. So yeah I am excited it will be a nice change I think! :)

But I will miss Harlem :( Haha I gave Hermana Munoz your number mom and she said she might call you lol! I was way emotional when I left. I was there for so long. And it was my first area. I think I cried everywhere I went lol! I just seriously love those people so much! I will tell you guys more when Icall this month! But yeah.. I was sad. When I heard Elder Torres say we were getting whitewashed  (having both missionaries leave) I thought he was joking.. But then he said seriously.. and I just went and cried.. I thought for sure I would be there for 1 more. President basically promised me.. But God's will will be done! And I felt comfortable with it. I have made so many friends there. Life long friends. I did not think it was possible to grow to love so many people in so little time. I was and am way sad. But excited for what is up ahead and who I will meet and who else I will get to spend time with, and grow and learn from them.

I learned and felt my testimony grow so much in the past 7 months. I have changed as a person for the better that is for sure! Elder Hellberg helped me get over the change and now all is running smoothly as it should. New York, and especially Manhattan holds a special place in my heart. The lights, the city, the noise, and especially the people I have grown to love! They are amazing! This city is amazing! I believe I look at New York 1000 times different than the majority of the world does! This truly is the greatest place on earth!

So Elder Hellberg just left! I gave him a hug and will see him soon! He is going to come back for when Angie and Anthony are sealed! So Anthony's Baptism was great! Elder Hellberg baptized him.. and I confirmed him a member of the Church! Talk about stressful.. But seriously the gift of tongues and guidance of the Holy Ghost are real. I felt them! It was an awesome experience! :) Crazy week this week! Really eventful. went from Elder Hellberg saying bye, to us having to go back again so I could say bye and Thank you! :)

Well thanks for the pictures. Dad is in my prayers. Sounds like he is working hard! and Mom just keep doing what you do! Because you are doing a great job at it! :) I am really tired this week and don't feel like writing a lot! I will fill you in more next week! Take care and God Bless! I have felt his hand in my life. And no matter what all the doubters, all the unbelievers, and all the persecuters may say,He is there. And he loves us. Keep him in your hearts, and don't be afraid to question. Because if we don't question there is no growth! :) I have felt that and I know that! Love you guys so much! Love you! Take care!

Love, Marky Mark!!