Garrett is Nephi!

Garrett portrayed Nephi from the Book of Mormon at a Stake Open House today!  A friend that he baptized last year sent me this picture that she took (Thank you Karen).  He has always been my Nephi!

A New (and Old) Area for Garrett!! Back with the Zepeda family!

Hey Family!

It was the longest week ever with changes this week! Guess what!? Yep! I'm back in Ilopango!!!!!! This is my third area in the zone! It's so close to Alta Vista that this morning we had a meeting in the church over there. I was able to go to the Zepeda Families house and buy some pan dulce. Well I didn't really buy it. I said I was going to buy one little thing. Then Karen Zepeda, who I baptized a year ago, filled up a huge bag and gave it to me to eat for free! haha, I walked up to the store door that they have to surprise them. Only Karen was there today and when she was walking out she stopped and said, ELDER MARKHAM!? Haha it was awesome! She says she's going to the temple for the first time tomorrow! I'm so happy! I should be abe to see the whole family Saturday and Sunday because we will have two activities with in the stake. Saturday is going to be an open house and I'm going to dress up like Nephi (A Prophet from the Book of Mormon) and give a little presentation. 

So my area is called Valle Nuevo. I'm the district leader here. Which is pretty funny because I'm district leader for the same district as the first time I was district leader, just in another area. Which means I'll be able to work with the elders that are in the area that we baptized Salvador Hernandez! I'm pretty excited for these next few changes. Especially since this area is one of the first areas that the members started to grow! So it's a pretty big ward. And the members are awesome!!!!! We have a dinner list that the members sing up to give us dinner every night! I have never seen that here! Something else that I've never seen here that I saw yesterday was the members going by Sunday morning leaving tithe offering slips! We also have a great ward mission leader and ward council that are really willing to help us. The only  thing I don't understand is why didn't the last two missionaries take advantage of it?? Because there aren't many investigators here and so we are starting from zero pretty much. My companion is from the Dominican Republic. His name is Elder Castro. He's a good guy. He has about 8 months in the mission. 

Well it was a crazy week but I'll be able to share some more experiences this next week! I love you all so much!

Love Elder Markham

Garrett with his companion Elder Castro (sitting diagonally from Garrett) with Elder Togisala sitting next to Garrett and Elder Togisala's companion sitting across from Garrett. (Thank you Amber...Elder Togisala's momma for sharing!)

Lots of upcoming Baptisms...but a new area for Garrett.

Hey Family!

Wow! It was quite a week! Soooo many things happened. But I have good news and bad news...

Good News.... Well Saturday we found another family that is super awesome. The guys wife is the only member of the family but she hasn't gone to church for a long time. We were able to talk to them and they committed to go to church with us Sunday. But just the dad and his two daughters. Maria and Beranice Hernadez also went, Paz and Sergio as well, and one of my ex companions brought his girlfriend to church.....which I will explain here shortly. So to shorten things up, we had 8 investigators in church yesterday! It was awesome! Ok so about my ex companion. Do you remember one of my companions in Santo Tomas? He's from Honduras and also served here in San Patricio. Well he came back for her but she's still not a member yet. So with his help we've been teaching her and her 8 year old son and they will be getting baptized on the 27th of February. We also met her sister yesterday and she also wants to get baptized that day. Just the week before will be the baptism of Maria and Beranice on the 20th of February. In March we have a few other people that have baptismal dates and should be getting baptized here soon. I am so thankful for the Lord´s help. We couldn't have done it without him.

Bad News...I have changes this week. We don't know what day I'm leaving because it's going to be a bit different than how it was before. But I will be letting you know about my new area this next week.  **Mom's note: (This is only bad news because this means that since Garrett is leaving the area, he won't be able to participate in all the baptisms coming up.  It's hard for the missionaries to bring the Gospel and work hard to find and teach these people about Jesus and then have to leave before their baptisms...but Garrett understands he needs to do what the Lord asks of him and he is willing to go and help bring others to Christ)**

I love you all!!!! Thank you for all your support!

Love Elder Markham

Some new pictures from Garrett's friend Aldo!  So happy that they feed him so well!  We aren't sure if the sunshine is making Garrett grow, but clearly he is one of the taller ones in El Salvador!

This was Garrett's changes today...excited to hear where he is going!

World Wide Missionary Conference and a visit from an Apostle!

Hey Family!

This week was awesome! We were able to get lots of visits in and find lots of new investigators despite the new problems we are facing in our area! And we were able to set a baptismal date with Maria Hernandez and her daughter for the 20th of February. The only things for right now are that they are drinking coffee, but we bought them some chocolate stuff that they can drink instead, and they have to talk to Rodolfo if they can get baptized. Also they are going to be praying to see of the Book of Mormon is true. The Branch has helped us out because two of the sisters in our branch went to visit them. So that was nice.

Wednesday we had the huge world wide conference for all the missionaries. It was great! I learned a lot about working more effectively and how important my calling really is. Then on Saturday we had our meeting with Elder Cook! We got to shake his hand and tell him our name. Then when he began to talk he said he enjoyed our one on one spiritual interviews...that was awesome. Then he talked a lot about what we learned Wednesday. It was funny because when he started he said that he had a few ideas of what he wanted to talk about but still didn't know what he was going to say. I really like his strategy. I think I'll use it more often. Then his wife spoke a bit and it was so funny because she had all of us stand up and sing a song but she was having everyone sing different parts and stuff . She's super fun. Then Elder Cook talked a bit more then left us with an awesome blessing and his testimony. He told us that someone once asked him why the General Authorities aren't as direct and specific with their testimonies. Elder Cook said that he was going to be more specific that day. He told us that he knows Christ lives, and how he knows His face and His voice. The spirit was super strong.

I love you all so much!

Love Elder Markham

The choir for the conference went really well and everyone loved their music!  Garrett is in the top left corner!

Teaching and singing....

Hey Family!

It was a crazy week getting ready for this week. The choir is doing better. I think after this last week of practice before the meeting on Saturday with Elder Cook we will be ready to sing like angels! We are singing "The Day Dawn is Breaking" and another hymn that I can't remember what it's called in English. This Wednesday we are going to have a worldwide conference through the Internet! A few general authorities are going to talk to us. I'm not sure who but I'll let you know! Then on Sunday we will have another stake conference with a few from the 70. 

This week was a little hard with the lessons but the few we were able to get in went very well. During the lesson with the Hernandez Family I felt like just asking the mom if, at this point of the lessons, she wanted to get baptized. She said that the only thing for right now is that she can't understand the book of Mormon. We said that we will explain it and help her through it. It was great because now we have a little better idea of what's keeping them from getting baptized. The husband hasn't been at home, but we've been able to visit them with some members. Also, yesterday, a family brought another friend to church. I guess she went to church with the missionaries before but wasn't able to get baptized. We will visit her this week and start teaching her with them and I hope that we will be able to get her baptized here in a few weeks.

I am so grateful for all that you guys do and all your prayers! I love you so much!

Love Elder Markham

These are some pictures sent to me from a friend of Garrett...Aldo Garcia!  I'm so thankful that Garrett is getting plenty to eat!!  It helps Momma's heart feel better...

Getting ready for a visit from an Apostle....and it's freezing in El Salvador!! hee hee

Hey Family!

 Last Monday we had a Family Home Evening with the Hernandez Family in the house of some members named the Rafailano Family. And it was awesome!! They totally killed it! The father started talking about why we have FHE and how it has helped them. Then Rodolfo Hernandez started asking a ton of questions like always. But the members were able to answer a lot of them and share scriptures and their testimonies. I loved it so much! Lessons with the members like that always get me super excited for the missionary work. The mom and daughter went with us to stake conference yesterday. It was pretty spiritual. They talked a lot about the youth being more obedient to the commandments and how the adults need to keep their temple covenants. I really enjoyed it. But now we are getting ready for the 23rd and 24th of January because Elder Cook is coming! The 23rd he's coming to visit the missionaries like when President Nelson came, and on the 24th he's going to visit our stake! We are going to have a huge blessing because he's only going to visit our stake and talk with us. And you'll all have to congratulate me because there's going to be a choir singing for Elder Cook in the missionary meeting and we had tryouts to get into the choir. And guess what! Yep, I got in. So I'll be up there right behind Elder Cook singing for him! 

So for a funny story, we were teaching the Hernandez Family the Word of Wisdom one day. We were talking about why we don't drink coffee and a few other things. Then they ask if we can drink soda. We said yes but that the Word of Wisdom also means we shouldn't drink too much. After the lesson they gave us a glass of pop. But it was about 5 ounces of pop. haha they said that they knew we shouldn't drink lots so they decided to give us a little.ahah Well I love and miss you all a ton! Hope to hear some great things this week!

Love Elder Markham

P.S.  Just another quick funny story,

My companion and I were going to bed and he asked me if I was cold as well. I said yes and that it was freezing! Then he asked me if I knew how cold it was, I said no and he told me that it was 70 degrees.....what in the world.

New Years Fireworks and Garrett's little shadow at church....

Hey Family!

Well it was an interesting week. But first of all, I had a good New Years. It's the same as Christmas. There is no difference haha. We ate tons of food and saw tons of fireworks. Israel is doing great! He told me about 5 times this week that I'm his favorite haha. And his little sister loves me too. She always follows me at church. Everyone says that she's like my child. Israel's dad went back to church twice. But he didn't go yesterday.

This wasn't the best week for the Hernandez family either. We were able to teach them all once I think. Then only one other day were we able to teach the Dad because the others weren't there. He can pretty much quote the whole Bible. So he likes to show off a bit and talk about a ton of stuff from the Bible. He says that the two churches he's deciding between is The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints, or a Christian church. He says he's not sure yet because these are the only two churches that he hasn't been able to find any faults with. For example, they don't teach anything against the Bible. But he won't ask God if the Book of Mormon is true. He says that he already knows it's true, but he says that because it doesn't talk about anything bad. We have been talking about the Book of Mormon with him for quite a while now. Yesterday we went to their house to take them to church but they didn't open their door. We saw the daughter walking around last night and asked why they didn't go. She said they were sleeping ahah. Today we are going to have a Family Home Evening with them in the house of a member family so hopefully this will help them be a little more animated (excited?). 

I am so thankful everyday for the time that the Lord has blessed me with to be able to serve Him. It isn't easy but it's definitely worth it! I have seen so many miracles that I can't even count them all. The church is true. Jesus Christ lives. Joseph Smith talked with God. And because God loves us so much, He has restored the Priesthood power for us to become like Him. I love you all so much and miss you lots.

Love Elder Markham