Fam!
Goodness gracious i am here! Ha wow is all i can say! I can't believe it. These past few days have been a crazy roller coaster and now we are here and it's gonna be great to get going on all of this! Well i'll just start from where we left off on the phone but ya we got on the flight and it went well and i got a little nap which was much needed! ha but ya it was a little strange going passed the mountains and knowing that it'd be a while haha but all in all it was a good flight and once we touched down in Baltimore the nerves were crazy crazy haha we walked out of the plane and i couldn't figure out why people were lookign at me so crazy but then i realized oh yeah your a missionary and welcome to Baltimore ha it's weird to be back in the real world and all that but i'm happy though really really happy! Today is my P day by the way just so you all know Wednesdays are P DAYS ha So we were walking down the stairs and there was our mission president and sister belliston and sis belliston just jumping up and down and clapping and doing all that stuff and it was so great to right off the bat feel the love and excitement that they had for us. wow it was great and a big bear hug from our mision president was great from the moment i saw them i fell in love with both of them and they are such such great people wow! And the ap's were there as well wow they are way sweet elders. They taught me somehting right off the bat that you can be serious wehn it's time to be serious and have fun when it is time to be fun and they were just having a blast with us and all of that was a lot of fun. We got in the van and drove to the mission home. I cannot bleieve how many trees are here! You can't see any land marks or anything it's just thick and lush and it's crazy i kinda get discombobulated not knowing where everything is it's really funny but ya. What a great mission home it's a red brick house and just tucked back in all these huge thick trees it was amazing. So we had the first real meal out of the mtc and that was so so so good burritos and everything was fresh and wow i was kinda happy to have a nice meal that was homemade! So it was a really relaxing night but it just was weird to go from utah to maryland just like that and wondering whats going on and what's next and ya it's really strange, but it's really fun to try and get all of this down. So we met with sister beliston about health stuff and then an interview with president. Those were both great they really do care so much about us and i could jsut feel there love the whole time. Don't you worry mom i'm in great hands! Angel Caballero is here in the mission and he went to dixie and we were pretty good friends i knew him really really well and ya president showed me the board of all the missionaries in the mission and the companionships and ya that was way cool to see. President asked me about elder caballero and i just told him a little bit and he said he was a great missionary. So we stayed there last night at the mission home and transfer meeting was today at 9 am, so all night i was thinking ok where am i gonna go where am i gonna be who am i gonnna be with? I'm sure you all can just imagine haha but i fell asleep and it was all good. We woke up, got ready and headed out for the meeting. We had a little orientation on some things just the new elders and then they have this tradition werhe the new elders walk in when the elders start singing the opening song of the meeting and we walk in and all these elders stand up and look at us and are singing wow it was a crazy experience welcome to the mission i guess haha and so we had a good meeting and there are some elders going home and they sang a song and presdient beliston spoke and his wife and jsut thier love for the gospel and missionary work is really amazing. Then was the fun part we all got to get up and bear our testimonies to everyone and stay up on the stand and look down at all the missionaries, adn while i was up there i saw Elder Caballero down there and things started going through my head and one by one president would call our names out for a new elder and then have their trainer stand. Well a little time went on and guess who my trainer is? ELDER CABALLERO! Ya we go to the same high school and totally know each other and hear he is my trainer. I couldn't beleive it and i still can't haha he is the best and i know that he is a hard worker you can just see it in the way he works and talks wow this is gonna be a sweet time with him that's for sure! So we got done with the meeting and kinda hung out and talked to all the new missionaries. Dad the kid that was with me and mike on our recruting trip to byu is here in my mission! he's from idaho and i dunno if he's gonna go back and play or not i'm not sure but i swear this place is just a small small world!So i went and got my bags and my bike...My bike is perfect mom i'm so happy we bought that one and not a brand new one it's really really nice and it's gonna do the job just great i'm really happy you got that one for me thank you thank you! So a member picked us up and elder caballero and i and two other english speaking elders that we live with got in the truck and went to our new pad haha Oh and by the way mom i had two packages from you when i got there. Thank you so so much those were perfect i'll make sure to send you pictures of our nice celebration haha Thank you mom those were so so nice. So i'm now at some library in Glen Bernie is the town were in it's south of Baltimore. My new address is 303 Oak Manor Dr. apt. # 104 Glen Bernie, Maryland 21061. You can send letters here or to the mission home and they will get to me either or your choice. But our place is pretty nice. Not too bad at all and it's just different but i'll get used to it and it'll be great. We have a huge huge huge area cause there is only like 20 spanish missionaries in the mission but from what i can tell they are a bunch of great elders who work hard. So ya and we have a car every other day that we share with the english elders so one day is car and one day is bikes which isn't too bad at all. I can't tell you the feelings that i am having right now ha it's just so different here and i just feel so out of place but i am so excited to just get to work and do all i can. Last night the ap said something to me that really stuck out he said well your here and now you have 3 options 1. you can have the time or your life love the mission and work as hard as you can and enjoy it 2. you can grind everyday of your mission and end up hating it in the end 3. you can go home. and i thought a lot about that last night and i'm jsut so excited to fall in love with the people and to fall in love with the mission and work work work and just do everything i can tell we are going to have a lot to do and a lot of land to cover but at the same time i wouldn't have it any other way. I am so happy to be here you have no idea. I know that the lord blessed me with someoen that i know and someone that is like me for a trainer and i really think that the sky is the limit for elder caballero and i! I can't really tell if we are in the ghetto or not here but it seems like a pretty nice area ha but i can't really tell where we are there's trees everywehre and it's tuff to figure out but that'll come through time i'm not worried but ya i feel great about this place. Wow the humidity here is different, ha dad all i could think of when i got here is when we were at fenway park and i looked over at you and said dad i'm leaking! cause thats what i'm doing here yesterday was worse than today but for the most part it's not too bad just a tad bit warm ha but i'll get used to it. I really have no idea what to expect but from talking to my companion he has loved it here and everyone seems to be really really close and everyone is happy and i just always wanna be seen as that way too because this is seriously the best time of my life and i wanna take advantage of everyday and not miss a day. So today after i'm done emailing were gonna go to walmart and get some food and i need some pillows and a blanket of somethin cause all i have is sheets so mom i hope thats ok i dunno what to do but i know i will just get a cheaper blanket and then we can talk about it next week and you can let me know what you would liek me to do but i should be totally fine and our apartment is pretty nice. We need to clean it up a bit but i know i'll be the one thats gonna be keeping us nice and tidy haha it's not liek they are slobs they just need a little jordan clean up and they'll be good. The other elders that i live with have been out for 2 months and 14 months and they seem to be pretty cool. Ahh i just can't believe that elder caballero is my trainer and that here we are two kids from the same high school and now were companions and he's my trainer. Seriously i've been praying for a good trainer and my prayers have been answered for sure! I can't believe i am here and i can't believe this crazy journey i'm starting up but it's time and elder caballero is fluent in spanish and i know that's gonna help my spanish so so so much and that's another blessing for me as well! I can tell that these next few weeks are gonna be tuff but i'm excited to just work work work. I have been so blessed to be here at this time i know it. So after we go to wal mart and get that stuff were gonna go back and do laundry and make dinner and then we have an apt tonight at 7 and were gonna try and get them to commit to baptism haha i'm nervous! and then after that we are going to another one at 8 crazy crazy and just to remind you all these are in spanish so we'll see about that! haha this first day we just get thrown into the fire and i'm so happy that it is this way for sure. Elder bowden is in annapolis and elder hale is in d-town baltimore haha so it'll be fun to see them grow too. I can tell i have so much work to do and so much stuff to do but i'm so happy cause at the mtc you just don't get to feel like that but out here you get here and you just know that there is work to do! Elder caballero is a horse i can tell that i'm just gonna be riding him for the next few weeks but we don't have a branch here and he's like "Elder Hammer we're getting a branch started" and i'm so excited for that. There is work to be done that is for sure and I couldn't have asked for a better trainer. I think i have every last thing that i need here for now and i am prepared and now it's just time to rely on the lord. These missionaries have a light and glow about them and they just are sweet to be around! I dunno what to say other than i'm really really excited and i just am ready for this crazy journey to begin. i'm excited for me adn my new pony(bike) to start stompin the pavement together and to really really work ha can you tell i'm excited people cause i am. Elder caballero didn't have anythign bad to say about safety here and siad that this area is really good area and that he feels safe and that were watched over really well so mom don't worry. Wow i'm at the library right now and i never realized how sheltered i was ha i'm seeing some eye opening things and people here and i just wanna stand up on the table and give a sermoned so they can all quit lookin so mad and sad ha But wow Baltimore, Baltimore, Baltimore! Jace kars and hailey i can't wait till tomorrow i can start singing "Good morning Baltimore" haha. Well fam i know i'll be hearing from you and i hope i ahve got you all caught up to speed on everything. But ya i'm happy and i'm excited and i'm ready! Don't you worry about a thing i am in good hands and the lords with me. just like i said yesterday fam. We have everything in life and we have no need to complain and i just am so happpy that i can look back at home and know that my fam and friends is healthy and happy and safe! I love you all so much and i feel the love of your prayers for me. I'm gonna need them i'll just tell you that much haha but family i love you all and everyone who writes me and all my pen pals and i just am grateful for all that you do i know it's only through email but i mean every word that i say! Thank you thank you thank you. Today is my P day so i'll be talking to you all in a week with i'm sure an eventful email haha. I love you so much and i'm happy and excited don't forget that ever ever. The lord is with us and it's time to start pounding the pavement. I love you all!
Con mucho Amor,
Elder Hammer (Residing in Maryland haha)
Friday, August 28, 2009
Wednesday, August 26, 2009
{one more day}
Hola Family!
Well the email is a little early this morning because we are doing laundry early today cause i have a lot to do so hopefully this doesn't throw you off too bad ha. Wow what a great last week we have had. We have had so many great experiences here this past week and i just am happy that we are leaving on such a high note. Thank you all for your letters and last packages to the mtc this week. I have loved everyone of them and have loved seeing letters from all of you. Thank you thank you. Well the elders from our district going to Cananda left this morning and that wasn't all that fun ha Those elders feel like my brothers and saying goodbye to all of them was tuff. But i really have been so blessed to have been with all of them and i'm excited for them to have one of the best mission presidents in the world. This past week we had a testimony meeting just with our district and our two teachers and it was a very spiritual experience. Our district has really grown up and i know that every elder in our district is ready. It was really sweet to hear some of the things that our teachers said and there passion for us. Hermano Shulca said he's taught for two years and he's never seen a district as ready adn strong as ours, he was crying through telling us that and i don't knwo if he really meant that but it's amazing to have a teacher who says that and feels that way about us. Our first week he told us if nothing else he wanted us to become disciples of jesus Christ by the time we left and i remember him saying that and being like what in the world how am i gonna do that and i think i have just begin to scratch the surface of what i can do but i am so grateful for our teachers. our other one Hermana jacob is in the tabernacle choir orchestra and plays the violin and played for us her last night, all i could think of was jacie palying her violin and how much i wish i would have had her play for me more. Music is seriously the best thing here and i have come to really love it and she played a poor wayfaring man of grief for us and i couldn't believe it she had some of us in tears by the time she was done. She is really good but jace i think you've got her beat haha So ya tonight we have one last class with hermano shulca and then were off to BALTIMORE! it still hasn't hit me yet that i'm going there ha it's a strange feeling i have right now but i'm really excited.
Yesterday we got to go to the temple dedication at 3 and wow how amazing was that! They had the pictures going with music and for a half hour we had to sit there and watch it, excuse got to sit there and watch it and i couldn't believe that temple. That is way too nice in there to be a temple wow that celestial room with that shandaleer was amazing. I can't believe how lucky we are to have so many temples so close to us and one in our little town. As i went to the temple this morning for the last time in who knows how long i just sat there and am so grateful for temples and for what they bring into our lives. I'm so happy to know that i'm sealed to my family and that no matter what happens if we do our best we will all be together again. Thanks mom and dad for being good examples to me and always attending the temple and being worthy for that. I'm forever grateful for the temples. The dedicatory prayer was way cool, i've never been to one of those and if you can just imagine waht it looked like with over 2000 missionaries doing the Hosanna shout WOW! I'll never forget that day and all the memories we have had here. First week we get here 7 apostles and the last week the temple dedication. I came at the right time!
The firesides this week were pretty good as well on tuesday we had Spencer V. Jensen from the 2nd quorum of the 70, he spoke in one of the dedications for the temple this week too. He taught almost the same talk as president holland taught our first week and just really stressed the importance of teaching with the spirit. Since i have been here there has been two topics that seem to get touched on every week, teaching with the spirit and temples. I have been so lucky to have all these great speakers and we really take it for granted ha wehn a 70 comes everyone here is like disappointed cause it's not an apostle and it's sure easy to take these amazing men for granted.
Last night we had Stephen B Alan, he has spoke to us 2 times already so i was a little skeptical but his talk was really good. We sang count your many blessings for the opening hymn and he talked alot about counting our blessings and when life on the mish gets tuff to count your blessing one by one and how different it will make us all feel. He gave us a minute or two to write down the blessings in our lives and it just got me thinking that i'm very very blessed. We have everything in our lives, the gospel, families, jobs , temple and churches near by were very lucky oh and lots of golf courses haha i had to throw that in. I haven't been thinking about that much so i deserve to throw that in there ha I just am really grateful for everything and i hope that i can show people in Baltimore that it's all because of the gospel. Thanks fam for everything i love you and am grateful for you all.
Well tomorrow is the day. I can't believe how fast this time has flown by as i was packing up i was looking through that picture book you sent me with the pic's of the mtc day in there and i looked at that and was like wow that seemed like yesterday. It's time to get out to the field though, 9 weeks is inspired for spanish because we ahve gotten to a point where there has been alittle plateau because we are just saying the smae things over and over again, but i can't wait to get out there and just not understand a word ha it'll be great.
Well family i hope you know how much i love you all and how thankful i am for each and everyone of you for making my mtc experience great with letters and packages. I think i might have the new mtc record with letters and packages but thats a record i wanna have! Thanks you all i have had the best tiem here and have been so blessed with your love in your packages and your letters. Thanks everyone and all my pen pals who write me! Tomorrow is a big day and i can't wait because it's time. I remember what you told me nick about getting comfortable and the lord throws change at ya and thats exactly what he's doing but it's the change i'm ready for! I love you and i can't wait to chat tomorrow. I love you family and i hope everyone has a great week this week, cause i'm gonna be living it up in Baltimore! haha Nos vemos
Con Amor,
Elder Martillo
Well the email is a little early this morning because we are doing laundry early today cause i have a lot to do so hopefully this doesn't throw you off too bad ha. Wow what a great last week we have had. We have had so many great experiences here this past week and i just am happy that we are leaving on such a high note. Thank you all for your letters and last packages to the mtc this week. I have loved everyone of them and have loved seeing letters from all of you. Thank you thank you. Well the elders from our district going to Cananda left this morning and that wasn't all that fun ha Those elders feel like my brothers and saying goodbye to all of them was tuff. But i really have been so blessed to have been with all of them and i'm excited for them to have one of the best mission presidents in the world. This past week we had a testimony meeting just with our district and our two teachers and it was a very spiritual experience. Our district has really grown up and i know that every elder in our district is ready. It was really sweet to hear some of the things that our teachers said and there passion for us. Hermano Shulca said he's taught for two years and he's never seen a district as ready adn strong as ours, he was crying through telling us that and i don't knwo if he really meant that but it's amazing to have a teacher who says that and feels that way about us. Our first week he told us if nothing else he wanted us to become disciples of jesus Christ by the time we left and i remember him saying that and being like what in the world how am i gonna do that and i think i have just begin to scratch the surface of what i can do but i am so grateful for our teachers. our other one Hermana jacob is in the tabernacle choir orchestra and plays the violin and played for us her last night, all i could think of was jacie palying her violin and how much i wish i would have had her play for me more. Music is seriously the best thing here and i have come to really love it and she played a poor wayfaring man of grief for us and i couldn't believe it she had some of us in tears by the time she was done. She is really good but jace i think you've got her beat haha So ya tonight we have one last class with hermano shulca and then were off to BALTIMORE! it still hasn't hit me yet that i'm going there ha it's a strange feeling i have right now but i'm really excited.
Yesterday we got to go to the temple dedication at 3 and wow how amazing was that! They had the pictures going with music and for a half hour we had to sit there and watch it, excuse got to sit there and watch it and i couldn't believe that temple. That is way too nice in there to be a temple wow that celestial room with that shandaleer was amazing. I can't believe how lucky we are to have so many temples so close to us and one in our little town. As i went to the temple this morning for the last time in who knows how long i just sat there and am so grateful for temples and for what they bring into our lives. I'm so happy to know that i'm sealed to my family and that no matter what happens if we do our best we will all be together again. Thanks mom and dad for being good examples to me and always attending the temple and being worthy for that. I'm forever grateful for the temples. The dedicatory prayer was way cool, i've never been to one of those and if you can just imagine waht it looked like with over 2000 missionaries doing the Hosanna shout WOW! I'll never forget that day and all the memories we have had here. First week we get here 7 apostles and the last week the temple dedication. I came at the right time!
The firesides this week were pretty good as well on tuesday we had Spencer V. Jensen from the 2nd quorum of the 70, he spoke in one of the dedications for the temple this week too. He taught almost the same talk as president holland taught our first week and just really stressed the importance of teaching with the spirit. Since i have been here there has been two topics that seem to get touched on every week, teaching with the spirit and temples. I have been so lucky to have all these great speakers and we really take it for granted ha wehn a 70 comes everyone here is like disappointed cause it's not an apostle and it's sure easy to take these amazing men for granted.
Last night we had Stephen B Alan, he has spoke to us 2 times already so i was a little skeptical but his talk was really good. We sang count your many blessings for the opening hymn and he talked alot about counting our blessings and when life on the mish gets tuff to count your blessing one by one and how different it will make us all feel. He gave us a minute or two to write down the blessings in our lives and it just got me thinking that i'm very very blessed. We have everything in our lives, the gospel, families, jobs , temple and churches near by were very lucky oh and lots of golf courses haha i had to throw that in. I haven't been thinking about that much so i deserve to throw that in there ha I just am really grateful for everything and i hope that i can show people in Baltimore that it's all because of the gospel. Thanks fam for everything i love you and am grateful for you all.
Well tomorrow is the day. I can't believe how fast this time has flown by as i was packing up i was looking through that picture book you sent me with the pic's of the mtc day in there and i looked at that and was like wow that seemed like yesterday. It's time to get out to the field though, 9 weeks is inspired for spanish because we ahve gotten to a point where there has been alittle plateau because we are just saying the smae things over and over again, but i can't wait to get out there and just not understand a word ha it'll be great.
Well family i hope you know how much i love you all and how thankful i am for each and everyone of you for making my mtc experience great with letters and packages. I think i might have the new mtc record with letters and packages but thats a record i wanna have! Thanks you all i have had the best tiem here and have been so blessed with your love in your packages and your letters. Thanks everyone and all my pen pals who write me! Tomorrow is a big day and i can't wait because it's time. I remember what you told me nick about getting comfortable and the lord throws change at ya and thats exactly what he's doing but it's the change i'm ready for! I love you and i can't wait to chat tomorrow. I love you family and i hope everyone has a great week this week, cause i'm gonna be living it up in Baltimore! haha Nos vemos
Con Amor,
Elder Martillo
Monday, August 24, 2009
voy a baltimore
Hola familia!
Well i have one week left here and i can't believe it. One week i'm supposed to be speaking fluent spanish haha not exactly on track for that but that's alright I'm excited to get out of the MTC and get to Baltimore. What a great week this has been. Many great experiences this week but this week has for sure been the slowest because we got OUR FLIGHT PLANS on thursday ha that's making the time go a lot slower but thats good because i'm not ready to leave this Place this. Alright here it is I leave AUGUST 25TH TUESDAY, MY FLIGHT LEAVES SALT LAKE AT 10 AM (DELTA AIRLINES FLIGHT #1106) AND I LAND IN BALTIMORE BWI AT 4 17 i'm guessing that time is eastern time zone. I have to be to the travel office at 6 am which isn't too bad that morning. There is some elders that are going to Mexico that i know that have to be tehre at 3 A.m. But yep there are my flight plans. I can't believe that this time is already here. For 8 weeks i've looked at other elders get there flight plans and been like well i still have a lot of time ha well thats not so true anymore.
Today has been a great day. we went to the temple this morning and both of our teachers were there with us in the session. Hermano Shulca and Hermana Jacob. They really are the best people. I have been so blessed to have such great teachers and i dunno they have never been to the temple with other districts that they have taught so may be were just a special district. They really are the best though and it was a lot of fun to be with them today in the Temple. I always thought the provo temple was so weird looking but i have come to love that temple. It's amazing and just really different but very nice.
So this week i have been so spoiled beacuase of all of you. I recieved so mnay letters and packages this week, i was in heaven. Thank you grandma hafen for the snickerdoodles i absolutely loved them! Thanks aunt mitzie for the cookies and all of your love! Thanks jodie and tiff for the great letters about your trip it sure sounds like that was a blast! Thank you MAUDI AND MARLEE for the letters and pictures i loved them thank you i love you girls. And to my adorable amazing can't even describe the words Mother! Thanks mom for all the packages this week and the living christ and proc to the world and pictures. I loved them so much Thank you all for all your love through packages and letters i am so blessed to have such an amazing family. THank you all!
Well this week Elder Nelson left and that's crazy to see cause i have been here the whole time with him but i'm happy and excited for him to get out there. This week we had a great fireside from Elder snow from the 2nd quorum of the 70, i forgot his last name but they said he was born in st george so he might be one of our relatives. But he gave a talk about things thtat he was working on in his life to better serve the lord and the things he talked about were amazing. He talked about moses chapter 7 and how his whole talk was about "i will choose him" and he talked about choosing the lord in everything that we do, and the part that hit me the most was a story from his mission. He said he had a new companion and he was terrible at german couldn't speak a lick. and one night they went on exchanges and the two new companions went with each other not knowing any german and the two senior companions went together. Later after they got back the junior companion told them about how they got into a ladies house and are going to teach her again. He couldn't believe it. That lady was baptised later and is a member adn the junior companion and elder snow have stayed in touch since then. She ended up passing away and elder snow was talking to him just recently about how that night he got into that house that day. The man told him that she ahd told him beofre she died that she opened the door and the reason she let them in was because "i could see the virtue in your faces" Elder snow talked about how important it is to have that light of christ and to have his image in our countenance. I Loved that story and it's just a reminder to me that i don't know who is watching and that i better have a smile on my face no matter what and get that image in my countenance. I loved that fireside and his words and we just were very lucky to have that talk.
Last night we had the head person over proselyting for the Church. He gave a really good talk about reminding us all what our purpose is. He really stressed to us that we are to always INVITE and that Baptism is our main goal. We teach here so much to missionaries and it's really easy to forget what the purpose of our lessons are because it's hard to teach fake investigators. But i really learned alot last night and how important it is in everythign i do to remember what is my purpose and apply that to every lesson and every person. it was another great firesdie. We only have two left! i can't believe it. the firesdies and devotionals are the best times here and i have been so lucky to have such great speakers. PRAY WE GET AN APOSTLE THIS WEEK haha. This next week we dont' have sacrament and we get to watch teh temple dedication. I am really excited for that. Thanks mom for the hankerchief! I needed one of those. I don't think a white sock is allowed huh? haha no but that should be a great experience for us right before we leave.
The espanol this week has been doing pretty good we really are trying to speak it alot and our classes are only in spanish. Today we are actually fasting as a district from english. It's fun to do that because we have to come up with some crazy broken spanish to say what we want haha. But i am excited to get out there and get to work and have to really rely on spanish becasuse i know thats when i will learn the most.
Well fmily i love you all so much and am so grateful for all you do for me thanks for all the letters and packages and all my pen pals. I have the best family in the world. Nick i sent you a letter last week to your old address i hope you got it, just letting you know let me know about your new address if you already have moved. I love you fam and i can't wait till the hoods of baltimore start calling to me haha nos vemos
Con amor
Elder Martillo
Well i have one week left here and i can't believe it. One week i'm supposed to be speaking fluent spanish haha not exactly on track for that but that's alright I'm excited to get out of the MTC and get to Baltimore. What a great week this has been. Many great experiences this week but this week has for sure been the slowest because we got OUR FLIGHT PLANS on thursday ha that's making the time go a lot slower but thats good because i'm not ready to leave this Place this. Alright here it is I leave AUGUST 25TH TUESDAY, MY FLIGHT LEAVES SALT LAKE AT 10 AM (DELTA AIRLINES FLIGHT #1106) AND I LAND IN BALTIMORE BWI AT 4 17 i'm guessing that time is eastern time zone. I have to be to the travel office at 6 am which isn't too bad that morning. There is some elders that are going to Mexico that i know that have to be tehre at 3 A.m. But yep there are my flight plans. I can't believe that this time is already here. For 8 weeks i've looked at other elders get there flight plans and been like well i still have a lot of time ha well thats not so true anymore.
Today has been a great day. we went to the temple this morning and both of our teachers were there with us in the session. Hermano Shulca and Hermana Jacob. They really are the best people. I have been so blessed to have such great teachers and i dunno they have never been to the temple with other districts that they have taught so may be were just a special district. They really are the best though and it was a lot of fun to be with them today in the Temple. I always thought the provo temple was so weird looking but i have come to love that temple. It's amazing and just really different but very nice.
So this week i have been so spoiled beacuase of all of you. I recieved so mnay letters and packages this week, i was in heaven. Thank you grandma hafen for the snickerdoodles i absolutely loved them! Thanks aunt mitzie for the cookies and all of your love! Thanks jodie and tiff for the great letters about your trip it sure sounds like that was a blast! Thank you MAUDI AND MARLEE for the letters and pictures i loved them thank you i love you girls. And to my adorable amazing can't even describe the words Mother! Thanks mom for all the packages this week and the living christ and proc to the world and pictures. I loved them so much Thank you all for all your love through packages and letters i am so blessed to have such an amazing family. THank you all!
Well this week Elder Nelson left and that's crazy to see cause i have been here the whole time with him but i'm happy and excited for him to get out there. This week we had a great fireside from Elder snow from the 2nd quorum of the 70, i forgot his last name but they said he was born in st george so he might be one of our relatives. But he gave a talk about things thtat he was working on in his life to better serve the lord and the things he talked about were amazing. He talked about moses chapter 7 and how his whole talk was about "i will choose him" and he talked about choosing the lord in everything that we do, and the part that hit me the most was a story from his mission. He said he had a new companion and he was terrible at german couldn't speak a lick. and one night they went on exchanges and the two new companions went with each other not knowing any german and the two senior companions went together. Later after they got back the junior companion told them about how they got into a ladies house and are going to teach her again. He couldn't believe it. That lady was baptised later and is a member adn the junior companion and elder snow have stayed in touch since then. She ended up passing away and elder snow was talking to him just recently about how that night he got into that house that day. The man told him that she ahd told him beofre she died that she opened the door and the reason she let them in was because "i could see the virtue in your faces" Elder snow talked about how important it is to have that light of christ and to have his image in our countenance. I Loved that story and it's just a reminder to me that i don't know who is watching and that i better have a smile on my face no matter what and get that image in my countenance. I loved that fireside and his words and we just were very lucky to have that talk.
Last night we had the head person over proselyting for the Church. He gave a really good talk about reminding us all what our purpose is. He really stressed to us that we are to always INVITE and that Baptism is our main goal. We teach here so much to missionaries and it's really easy to forget what the purpose of our lessons are because it's hard to teach fake investigators. But i really learned alot last night and how important it is in everythign i do to remember what is my purpose and apply that to every lesson and every person. it was another great firesdie. We only have two left! i can't believe it. the firesdies and devotionals are the best times here and i have been so lucky to have such great speakers. PRAY WE GET AN APOSTLE THIS WEEK haha. This next week we dont' have sacrament and we get to watch teh temple dedication. I am really excited for that. Thanks mom for the hankerchief! I needed one of those. I don't think a white sock is allowed huh? haha no but that should be a great experience for us right before we leave.
The espanol this week has been doing pretty good we really are trying to speak it alot and our classes are only in spanish. Today we are actually fasting as a district from english. It's fun to do that because we have to come up with some crazy broken spanish to say what we want haha. But i am excited to get out there and get to work and have to really rely on spanish becasuse i know thats when i will learn the most.
Well fmily i love you all so much and am so grateful for all you do for me thanks for all the letters and packages and all my pen pals. I have the best family in the world. Nick i sent you a letter last week to your old address i hope you got it, just letting you know let me know about your new address if you already have moved. I love you fam and i can't wait till the hoods of baltimore start calling to me haha nos vemos
Con amor
Elder Martillo
Monday, August 10, 2009
letter number 8
Hola fam!
Jord here once again from the spacious laundry room at the mtc! Wow i can't believe that i'll only be writing you all two more times from the MTC and then it's out in the hoods of Baltimore! haha i'm excited though thats for sure. This week was a really good week and we are really pushing it hard for these last couple weeks because we can tell now that its goign to come even faster than we think. Thank you all so much for your letters and packages. Mom i just barely barely got the package with the missionary letters in it and the magazines. Thank you so so so much! But thank you to everyone who has written me. I really love to hear from everyone and all the fun that everyone is having! This life is just to good not to enjoy so i love hearing from you all.
This week we had a couple firesides that were really really good. On tuesday we had Brother Bateman and his wife talk to us. They are the presidents at the Provo temple, and yet again i have really really realized how important the temple is in this amazing work. It literally is the most important thing that we can get our investigators to do. His wife was really sweet, it's always nice to hear from there wives first cause they just tell you how great you are and they are just all happy and so they get you ready for the husband. haha No but brother bateman gave a great talk on the power that we have. He talked alot about ammon and the sons of mosiah and the power that they taught with and how blessed they were for their righteousness. I love that story and i think every other missionary here loves that too! He said somethign that i'll never forget and that is we "are endowed with power" and i guess i just forget sometimes the promises and blessings that come from the temple. The very next day i was reading in D AND C and there was a scripture that said that same thing. I am about half way done with d and c and i am loving it by the way. But ya we just are promised so many blessings and we have so much to look forward to with the Lord.
Last night's devtional was from a guy that we have already heard from but he is a good speaker. He talked about Charity and the importance in just loving the people whom we serve amongst. I need to work on this more and more adn i don't think we can ever become perfect in Charity but he just emphasized the success that will come from within when we practice charity. We are really blessed to have these devotionals and firesides, i will probably miss those the most when i leave here.
Well for some not so great news but still ok. Presdient Dean got realeased this week from being our Branch Pres.He thought he would get released after we left but they did a few weeks early. So we now have a new branch president named president lindsey. But it was tuff to say goodbye to that man. I don't think you will ever know fam how amazing of an impact that man has had on me in the Mtc. I give him a lot of the credit for this being an amazing experience and i know that i am really really blessed to have been with him and serve with him. I have had the best priesthood leaders throughout all my life adn thats something that still hasn't changed. The Lord knows me and knows what i needed during this Mtc time and President Dean has been the best! Yesterday we took tons of pictures and there were a few tears as we sang God be with you till we meet again, but all and all it's all good. I can't get attatched to people so easily haha (I hate that song by the way!)
We got another new district this week in our zone and were getting another one on wednesday. our zone is huge! But adam timo from snow canyon the football player is in my zone! He's a stud and boy can that kid jump he threw it down in the gym the other day and it was nasty haha but ya the new district is a bunch of great elders. That elder that i was helping last week is going home for sure i think tomorrow. It's really sad because he just has a lack of faith and just can't do this and has his mind set up. But it's been kind of good for me to see someone say all those things and it's really made me realize how blessed I am and how i know i can do this and how I KNOW that i have a testimony of this gospel and of this work. D and C is amazing it seems like every chapter has some reference to missionary work and the promises that the lord has promised us all. It is amazing the love the Lord has for all of us and all of his missionaries and i know that no matter how hard it gets, it's only gonnna make me stronger and that much better.
So to add to yesterday's tears with president dean, i also had to say goodbye to Archie. He's probably somewhere over the Atlantic ocean right now flying but ya that wasn't too bad, But i just am grateful for someoen like arch who has been by my side for everything. He's gonna be such a stud out there and his spanish is amazing. But yes i will miss seeing Archie at the Mtc but it's his time and it's going to be my time soon so no time to waste!
This week has been a good week for spanish. We are studying hard and are putting a lot of emphasis on using spanish for entire days. It's really tuff to express yourself sometimes throughout the day, but it is helping us so much and we are all looking up words and doing all we can so we can say things we want to say. Were still all pretty Gringo though. Pretty much my best friend is my dictionary i carry it everywhere with me and wehn i dont' know something i just whip it out and WAALLLAA Espanol haha. I'm excited to get out have to work through espanol. Puerto Ricans are the main culture in Baltimore adn they have the fastest spanish so that will be fun, But i'm ready to just immerse myself in spanish.
We should be getting our flight plans on thursday and so i will have all that information for you next week. I am almost 100% positive that i will be leaving on tuesday the 25th so i would say plan on that for sure. But i'll get you all the details and all that good stuff next week. it's crazy though just when you get comfortable it's time to leave ha i really have loved the MTC so much. It's is the spirits playground and i have never been somewhere where i just feel so at peace and so happy and it's just kinda nice to be out of the world a litttle bit.
Well Fam i love you guys so much. I have an elder in my district whose dad has cancer and has 4 months to live and here he is out on a mission. I look at him and just realize that i really am so blessed. i have an amazing family who i love and care abaout so much and they are all healthy and are doing great, and i have no worries ha just spanish. no but i just want to thank all of you for your love and your prayers, I feel your love through all of your letters and i know that heavenly father is watching over me because of all of your prayers for me. Thanks for the packages and the letters and all my pen pals i have the best people surrounding me and i love you all! Two more weeks people! Ha i can't believe it, but i'm excited as well! I love you all and pray for all of you always! Have a great week everyone and I will talk to you next week! Adios
Elder Martillo
Jord here once again from the spacious laundry room at the mtc! Wow i can't believe that i'll only be writing you all two more times from the MTC and then it's out in the hoods of Baltimore! haha i'm excited though thats for sure. This week was a really good week and we are really pushing it hard for these last couple weeks because we can tell now that its goign to come even faster than we think. Thank you all so much for your letters and packages. Mom i just barely barely got the package with the missionary letters in it and the magazines. Thank you so so so much! But thank you to everyone who has written me. I really love to hear from everyone and all the fun that everyone is having! This life is just to good not to enjoy so i love hearing from you all.
This week we had a couple firesides that were really really good. On tuesday we had Brother Bateman and his wife talk to us. They are the presidents at the Provo temple, and yet again i have really really realized how important the temple is in this amazing work. It literally is the most important thing that we can get our investigators to do. His wife was really sweet, it's always nice to hear from there wives first cause they just tell you how great you are and they are just all happy and so they get you ready for the husband. haha No but brother bateman gave a great talk on the power that we have. He talked alot about ammon and the sons of mosiah and the power that they taught with and how blessed they were for their righteousness. I love that story and i think every other missionary here loves that too! He said somethign that i'll never forget and that is we "are endowed with power" and i guess i just forget sometimes the promises and blessings that come from the temple. The very next day i was reading in D AND C and there was a scripture that said that same thing. I am about half way done with d and c and i am loving it by the way. But ya we just are promised so many blessings and we have so much to look forward to with the Lord.
Last night's devtional was from a guy that we have already heard from but he is a good speaker. He talked about Charity and the importance in just loving the people whom we serve amongst. I need to work on this more and more adn i don't think we can ever become perfect in Charity but he just emphasized the success that will come from within when we practice charity. We are really blessed to have these devotionals and firesides, i will probably miss those the most when i leave here.
Well for some not so great news but still ok. Presdient Dean got realeased this week from being our Branch Pres.He thought he would get released after we left but they did a few weeks early. So we now have a new branch president named president lindsey. But it was tuff to say goodbye to that man. I don't think you will ever know fam how amazing of an impact that man has had on me in the Mtc. I give him a lot of the credit for this being an amazing experience and i know that i am really really blessed to have been with him and serve with him. I have had the best priesthood leaders throughout all my life adn thats something that still hasn't changed. The Lord knows me and knows what i needed during this Mtc time and President Dean has been the best! Yesterday we took tons of pictures and there were a few tears as we sang God be with you till we meet again, but all and all it's all good. I can't get attatched to people so easily haha (I hate that song by the way!)
We got another new district this week in our zone and were getting another one on wednesday. our zone is huge! But adam timo from snow canyon the football player is in my zone! He's a stud and boy can that kid jump he threw it down in the gym the other day and it was nasty haha but ya the new district is a bunch of great elders. That elder that i was helping last week is going home for sure i think tomorrow. It's really sad because he just has a lack of faith and just can't do this and has his mind set up. But it's been kind of good for me to see someone say all those things and it's really made me realize how blessed I am and how i know i can do this and how I KNOW that i have a testimony of this gospel and of this work. D and C is amazing it seems like every chapter has some reference to missionary work and the promises that the lord has promised us all. It is amazing the love the Lord has for all of us and all of his missionaries and i know that no matter how hard it gets, it's only gonnna make me stronger and that much better.
So to add to yesterday's tears with president dean, i also had to say goodbye to Archie. He's probably somewhere over the Atlantic ocean right now flying but ya that wasn't too bad, But i just am grateful for someoen like arch who has been by my side for everything. He's gonna be such a stud out there and his spanish is amazing. But yes i will miss seeing Archie at the Mtc but it's his time and it's going to be my time soon so no time to waste!
This week has been a good week for spanish. We are studying hard and are putting a lot of emphasis on using spanish for entire days. It's really tuff to express yourself sometimes throughout the day, but it is helping us so much and we are all looking up words and doing all we can so we can say things we want to say. Were still all pretty Gringo though. Pretty much my best friend is my dictionary i carry it everywhere with me and wehn i dont' know something i just whip it out and WAALLLAA Espanol haha. I'm excited to get out have to work through espanol. Puerto Ricans are the main culture in Baltimore adn they have the fastest spanish so that will be fun, But i'm ready to just immerse myself in spanish.
We should be getting our flight plans on thursday and so i will have all that information for you next week. I am almost 100% positive that i will be leaving on tuesday the 25th so i would say plan on that for sure. But i'll get you all the details and all that good stuff next week. it's crazy though just when you get comfortable it's time to leave ha i really have loved the MTC so much. It's is the spirits playground and i have never been somewhere where i just feel so at peace and so happy and it's just kinda nice to be out of the world a litttle bit.
Well Fam i love you guys so much. I have an elder in my district whose dad has cancer and has 4 months to live and here he is out on a mission. I look at him and just realize that i really am so blessed. i have an amazing family who i love and care abaout so much and they are all healthy and are doing great, and i have no worries ha just spanish. no but i just want to thank all of you for your love and your prayers, I feel your love through all of your letters and i know that heavenly father is watching over me because of all of your prayers for me. Thanks for the packages and the letters and all my pen pals i have the best people surrounding me and i love you all! Two more weeks people! Ha i can't believe it, but i'm excited as well! I love you all and pray for all of you always! Have a great week everyone and I will talk to you next week! Adios
Elder Martillo
Monday, August 3, 2009
another week goes by... #7
Hello Hammer fam!
Jord here from the mtc! Well i have 3 weeks left here and it's pretty rediculous how fast the time flies by here. Not gonna lie i got my first little bit of nerves this week to see the end of the mtc is coming near but i am excited to get out to Baltimore! I still have a l ot of work to do though over the next 21 days though so i'm far from done. But wow this week was another fast but great week. I really am enjoying it so much here i always used to joke around how the mtc is going to be bad and all that and it really a place that i love! It's gonna be tuff to leave this place that is for sure.
Well i finished the Book of Mormon this week and am cruising through D and C now. This past week we had a fireside and the guy talked about how incredible to Book of mormon really is and how it only took 63 days to translate whereas now days he said it takes about 4 years to translate the Book of Mormon with the technology we have today. It really made me realize how true this church really is and how true the Book of Mormon is. Joseph Smith was a prophet of God no doubt in my mind!
>We had a fireside last night from a couple and the guy is over all the international MTC's around the world but the guy was so young like 40 and his wife spoke too. She seriously was a hoot she was just laughing and cracking jokes the whole time it was really funny. She was a mix between like a tammy cope and a brenda curtis mom. ha and i know how much you laugh around those two! But he gave a really good talk about when he was a mission president in nagoya japan. He talked about an experience when he was younger in a wood shop class and how was sanding something and he kept sanding the middle of the board and his teacher came up to him and said "worry about the ruff edges and the center will take care of itselft" He talked more about his teacher and the kind of man that he was and that he wasn't talking about the wood that time. He was talking about serve others around you and you yourself will get taken care of. I loved that quote and i loved that story because it really is true its time to "forget about myself and get to work" as gordon b hinckleys dad told him. I loved the firesdie last night and it really was such a great story and one that i'll remember forever. We really are so blessed to be here we get so much good doctorine and speakers and just this whole experience is a mission in and of itself.
Well this week we got a new district and elder bowden and i were in charge of orientation and kinda showing them around and stuff which was a really fun experience but i think i have figured out why i was called to be a zone leader. One of the elders here is from idaho and is an only child and is just a big ol teddy bear his name is elder conder. He has beeen struggling a lot and he had an interview with pres dean on sat mornign and pres thought he was gonna go home for sure. But after that he talked to us and told us that he was gonna stay and that president dean had talked him through it so no big deal. Well on saturday nights we go to the Referral center and call people about referals and book of mormons that have been sent to their house jsut all that good stuff. Well i've been here five weeks and elder bowden and i haven't had any good experiences there no one will ever talk or just no one answers so elder bowden and i prayed that we'd have a spiritual experience sat night at the RC. So we walk out of class on our way over there and elder conder is out in the hall and he stops us and tells us that he needs us to call president dean. He just said he didn't know if he could do this anymore. So we went and called presdient dean and he wasn't gonna be there for about 30 minutes so we went back to talk to him. He just is homesick and just doesn't know why he is here. But his companion said he'd give him a blessing. so elder bowden took him and went and talked about it and elder conder and i had a moment together. Basically this was that spiritual experience that i was praying for in the RC. We started talking and he said that for the first time he started tdoubting his testimony, and once he said that i was like no no no this isn't happenign and i pulled close to me and i put my hands on his shoulder and just started reassuring him with my testimony that he had a testimony and i started to cry ha i don't know why but i just wanted to help him so bad and i just bore my testimony and told him that it's tuff here no doubt about it but that it is so worth it and that he was called of God. It was an amazing experience and i felt like i had maybe gotten through to him but his companion came in and gave one of the most amazing prayers i have ever heard. it was just a spiritual night and i think he's gonna end up staying for one more week to give it a try. More than anything it was what elder bowden and i had prayed for and it was that spiritual experience that we weanted. It wasn't at the RC but the lord knows when and where to place people for us. I know that our heavenly father is watching out for me guys! No doubt and he is blessing me with the experiences that i need out here. I really am so grateful for prayer and how much more it had become more important to me here!JUst thought i'd share that story with you all.
Well the espanol is going pretty good and it is getting into crunch time. We only speak spanish in class now which is tuff sometimes but the gift of tongues is so real. I read through a section of predicad mi evangelio PMG the other day and i understood it all and i was like wait did that just really happen ha its so fun to study it and to use it. But i have a long way to go that is for sure, but i know that lord is right next to me on this journey and he'll help me out.
Thank you all so much for your letters and love keep writing me i love to hear all about life outside of the mtc. I hope all is going well and i hope you all know that i love it here and i am enjoying it so much. The gospel is true and i can't wait to tell people how amazing my family is and thats why i am out here because i want people to klnow that it is possible to love their family just as i do with mine! This message is so powerful fam, i am teaching only in spanish now and the words just come and i am able to bear testimony its just amazing what we have and what i have! I love you all so much and i hope all of you know who are reading this email how grateful i am for each and everyone of your influence on me in my life. I wouldn't be here without all the great peoople that have been given to me in my life. I love you all. Thanks again to all the letters and packages and to all my pen pals who write me. I love you all! The church is true! Have a great week everyone and i will talk to you next week. You'll be getting some pictures this week!
Te amo mucho!
Elder Martillo
Jord here from the mtc! Well i have 3 weeks left here and it's pretty rediculous how fast the time flies by here. Not gonna lie i got my first little bit of nerves this week to see the end of the mtc is coming near but i am excited to get out to Baltimore! I still have a l ot of work to do though over the next 21 days though so i'm far from done. But wow this week was another fast but great week. I really am enjoying it so much here i always used to joke around how the mtc is going to be bad and all that and it really a place that i love! It's gonna be tuff to leave this place that is for sure.
Well i finished the Book of Mormon this week and am cruising through D and C now. This past week we had a fireside and the guy talked about how incredible to Book of mormon really is and how it only took 63 days to translate whereas now days he said it takes about 4 years to translate the Book of Mormon with the technology we have today. It really made me realize how true this church really is and how true the Book of Mormon is. Joseph Smith was a prophet of God no doubt in my mind!
>We had a fireside last night from a couple and the guy is over all the international MTC's around the world but the guy was so young like 40 and his wife spoke too. She seriously was a hoot she was just laughing and cracking jokes the whole time it was really funny. She was a mix between like a tammy cope and a brenda curtis mom. ha and i know how much you laugh around those two! But he gave a really good talk about when he was a mission president in nagoya japan. He talked about an experience when he was younger in a wood shop class and how was sanding something and he kept sanding the middle of the board and his teacher came up to him and said "worry about the ruff edges and the center will take care of itselft" He talked more about his teacher and the kind of man that he was and that he wasn't talking about the wood that time. He was talking about serve others around you and you yourself will get taken care of. I loved that quote and i loved that story because it really is true its time to "forget about myself and get to work" as gordon b hinckleys dad told him. I loved the firesdie last night and it really was such a great story and one that i'll remember forever. We really are so blessed to be here we get so much good doctorine and speakers and just this whole experience is a mission in and of itself.
Well this week we got a new district and elder bowden and i were in charge of orientation and kinda showing them around and stuff which was a really fun experience but i think i have figured out why i was called to be a zone leader. One of the elders here is from idaho and is an only child and is just a big ol teddy bear his name is elder conder. He has beeen struggling a lot and he had an interview with pres dean on sat mornign and pres thought he was gonna go home for sure. But after that he talked to us and told us that he was gonna stay and that president dean had talked him through it so no big deal. Well on saturday nights we go to the Referral center and call people about referals and book of mormons that have been sent to their house jsut all that good stuff. Well i've been here five weeks and elder bowden and i haven't had any good experiences there no one will ever talk or just no one answers so elder bowden and i prayed that we'd have a spiritual experience sat night at the RC. So we walk out of class on our way over there and elder conder is out in the hall and he stops us and tells us that he needs us to call president dean. He just said he didn't know if he could do this anymore. So we went and called presdient dean and he wasn't gonna be there for about 30 minutes so we went back to talk to him. He just is homesick and just doesn't know why he is here. But his companion said he'd give him a blessing. so elder bowden took him and went and talked about it and elder conder and i had a moment together. Basically this was that spiritual experience that i was praying for in the RC. We started talking and he said that for the first time he started tdoubting his testimony, and once he said that i was like no no no this isn't happenign and i pulled close to me and i put my hands on his shoulder and just started reassuring him with my testimony that he had a testimony and i started to cry ha i don't know why but i just wanted to help him so bad and i just bore my testimony and told him that it's tuff here no doubt about it but that it is so worth it and that he was called of God. It was an amazing experience and i felt like i had maybe gotten through to him but his companion came in and gave one of the most amazing prayers i have ever heard. it was just a spiritual night and i think he's gonna end up staying for one more week to give it a try. More than anything it was what elder bowden and i had prayed for and it was that spiritual experience that we weanted. It wasn't at the RC but the lord knows when and where to place people for us. I know that our heavenly father is watching out for me guys! No doubt and he is blessing me with the experiences that i need out here. I really am so grateful for prayer and how much more it had become more important to me here!JUst thought i'd share that story with you all.
Well the espanol is going pretty good and it is getting into crunch time. We only speak spanish in class now which is tuff sometimes but the gift of tongues is so real. I read through a section of predicad mi evangelio PMG the other day and i understood it all and i was like wait did that just really happen ha its so fun to study it and to use it. But i have a long way to go that is for sure, but i know that lord is right next to me on this journey and he'll help me out.
Thank you all so much for your letters and love keep writing me i love to hear all about life outside of the mtc. I hope all is going well and i hope you all know that i love it here and i am enjoying it so much. The gospel is true and i can't wait to tell people how amazing my family is and thats why i am out here because i want people to klnow that it is possible to love their family just as i do with mine! This message is so powerful fam, i am teaching only in spanish now and the words just come and i am able to bear testimony its just amazing what we have and what i have! I love you all so much and i hope all of you know who are reading this email how grateful i am for each and everyone of your influence on me in my life. I wouldn't be here without all the great peoople that have been given to me in my life. I love you all. Thanks again to all the letters and packages and to all my pen pals who write me. I love you all! The church is true! Have a great week everyone and i will talk to you next week. You'll be getting some pictures this week!
Te amo mucho!
Elder Martillo
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