Reaping the blessings of bringing people into the Gospel!

Hey Family!

It was a great weekend with another Stake Conference here in Ilopango.....for the 10th time or so just in this stake hah. There were two Seventy, the Temple President and our Mission President. It was so spiritual. I really learned alot about the small things in the family and the blessings that we receive while we do those small things and go to the Temple. I was also able to see Karen Zepeda and her mom! They once again had a big bag of bread for me. They were sitting down a few rows behind me and on the other side. During the conference they said to raise your hand if the missionaries were the ones that brought them to church. Many people raised their hand. I looked and Karen and her mom and they were both raising their hands but also pointing at me haha. We are also planning our investigators wedding and Karen is going to be the abogada (lawyer) that marries them! It will be awesome! Elder Aguilar, one of the Zone leaders that's in Alta Vista told me that this week we are going to do divisions and that I'll be going to Alta Vista and that the Zepeda Family already invited us over to eat dinner. He told me that they are always asking about me and wondering when I'm going back to Alta Vista for interchanges.

I also saw Orlando again! It was amazing to see him! He is now an Elder in the Priesthood! He was telling me about how his life has just been improving. He told me that just three months or so ago he was finally able to open a bank account and start putting money in there. I was just so happy. I just remember the first day when I met him and he didn't have anything and his relationship with his family was not the best. The Lord has blessed him so much. I am so grateful to be one of the missionaries that got to teach him from the beginning. He also gave me and my companion a stick of gum during the session. He's a giver.

The time is flying by! I love you all and can't wait to hear from you! 

Love Elder Markham

Enjoying the fruits of El Salvador...but watch out for falling coconuts!

Hey Family!

Not much to say this week. But it was great to see you all and talk to you for a bit. It's hard to think that that was the last time we will talk while I'm here in the mission. The time is really going by too fast!

 It's the fruit season and it's getting ready to start raining as well. Like I said you have to be careful while walking or you'll get a huge mango or avocado to the head, or even a coconut! Some of our neighbors are members and sometimes they give us fresh mangos. They are sooo good! The pupusas are pretty great as well. I've been eating quite a few lately. Just trying to enjoy them while I can. But I'll be able to make some pretty good ones back home. 

Sounds like Blake's becoming quite the Spanish expert. Sorry Brad, but your Spanish is a little weird haha. It will be fun to make some sweet Spanish videos in your Spanish class next year Blake! And maybe Aubrey too! Are you thinking about taking Spanish this next year? 

This week is the week of the family here in El Salvador. There's a few activities this week. Wednesday is a thing they are doing in the church to teach families about Family Home Evening and Friday will be an activity that will teach the families about the organizations and stuff in the church. It will be great!

I love and miss you all! I hope to hear more about what you are all up to!

Love Elder Markham

He's been in the Capital too long... and can't wait to talk on Mothers Day!

Hey Family! 

So this Sunday we will be talking at 6 my time! I'm super excited to see you all!

This week was a good week. Tuesday they called me and asked what airport I'm going home to....that was weird. Wednesday I did an interchange with another Elder in the district named Elder Newey. He's from Utah. It was really awesome. We taught tons of people. We found this older guy that lives alone. When he came out to see us he told us to come right in! He told us the house was ours haha. He then took us on a full tour of the house. It was a really sweet guy. Then we were able to teach him about Jesus Christ and how He could change the mans life. He really listened well to us and Elder Newey told me today that he went to church yesterday! It was awesome! We also found a guy that we started teaching. He told us that his grandson served a mission and lives in San Patricio. San Patricio was my last area. I showed him a picture of me with a kid from there and he said that that was his grandson. That just comes to show that I've been here in the Capital for too long. I know every ones Parents, children, grandparents and grand kids. 

Today we went to a place called Suchitoto. We just went to go see a really big lake and take pictures and eat at a really expensive restaurant ahaha. It was fun. It's the farthest I've ever been from the Capital....and it's only about 45 minutes away. 

The members here have been helping us a ton with the lessons. We had more than 20 lessons with members this week. We are trying to get them to give us more references. Today we should get a few. Our ward mission leader is awesome! I miss you all! I can't believe it's already time to skype again! I will see you all Sunday!

Love Elder Markham

The importance of keeping the Sabbath Day Holy

Hey Family!

Wow, I've never been so tired in my life haha. I forgot to tell you last pday but once again we were out of water. We didn't have water for another week and a half! Luckily yesterday we had water in the morning before going to church!

We have been teaching lots of people! We have about 9 or so lessons a day with less active members and investigators and each lesson has about 4 or more people. There are two families that we are going to teach today that have daughters ages 9 and 13 that haven't been baptized yet. The families are members, just not the kids. So we should have those two baptisms pretty soon. 

While studying this week and teaching lots of people about the Sabbath day I learned some cool things and was also really grateful for the example that mom and dad set for us in helping us get to church every Sunday. I like what it talks about in Doctrine and Covenants 59:9 about how the Sabbath day cleans us and we will be without mancha (stain??). I can't remember what that means in English but you can look it up haha. It's sad when people choose not to go because we have to see the blessings that they lose. But it's rewarding to see the huge blessings they receive when they go! SO thanks Mom and Dad for everything!

I miss you all and can't wait to talk on Mothers day! 

Love Elder Markham

Some changes and getting excited for Mother's Day!

Hey Family!

I don't have too much time today, but real quick we had a great week. I was kinda sad though because Elder Togisala had emergency changes and went to San Patricio where I was before I came here to Valle Nuevo. My new companion is Elder Hernandez from Guatemala. He has 11 months in the mission and he's a great missionary! Kevin passed his interview for his baptism! Ana didn't because she still has a few things to work on but said he can get baptized this week. 

On Tuesday we went to the temple! It was awesome! I love going to the temple! It's one of the things I love most! I was able to get one of the really big Book of Mormons for Jenifer. She's the less active we found last week that hasn't been able to go to church for her eyes. But we were also able to teach her sister. Her sister is awesome! She has a huge desire to do what is right. They have both been reading in the Book of Mormon like crazy and they understand so well! They both went to church yesterday and I'm sure she'll get baptized in May. She has a date for the 14th.

It's crazy to see the time go by so fast. Everything is going great! I'm happy, healthy and nothing could be better! I miss you all so much! Just a bit more until Mothers day (The only day besides Christmas that we get to talk to Garrett)! Love ya all!

Love Elder Markham

Small miracles that become Big...

Hey family!

It was a pretty good week this week. This week we will be doing Ana and Kevin's interview for their baptism next week! She's ready but just a little scared for the big commitment. Her and Kevin went with us yesterday to church. We are teaching another sister named Linda and her daughter Camila. They are really awesome! Camila is only 8 but she likes to listen. Linda lives with her mom and brother but they don't really want to listen much. Linda said that they would go to church with us Sunday. But when we got to her house in the morning she was sleeping and her brother didn't want to wake her up. But a little after sacrament meeting during the Gospel principles class, they showed up! It was awesome that they came! Linda wants to go to a church to help her daughter. She accepted a date to be baptized  the first week of May! 

We had an awesome experience this week. Last week we were looking for a man named Jose Duran. But he lives in a gated area and unless you have a visit it's hard to get in. So the guy at the door didn't let us in. But this week we found his daughters address in the ward directory and saw that her birthday was Friday. Jose isn't a member. So we went there a little later in the day Friday and there was a different guy there. We said we were going to visit her and gave him the direction. He let us in and said that he thought the last passage was hers. We went down there but as we were walking we noticed that the numbers were too big so we thought it would be another one. As we turned around there was a little girl looking at us and I felt really strongly that we needed to talk to her. I asked her if she knew Alexis and she said she moved. But that her dad (Jose) still lived there. She took us to his house but he wasn't there. I then asked how she knew her. She said that her sister was listening to other missionaries and that Alexis always brought her sister to our church. We then asked if we could see her sister and went back to her house. We met her sister and she started to tell us how she has been wanting to go back to church but her mom doesn't let her because she has an eye problem where her vision goes away suddenly and can't see. Her mom only trusted that her friend (Jose's daughter Alexis) took her to church. We put a visit with her to go back and we are planning on trying to meet her mom and uncle to see what we can do to get her to church. It's awesome how God has helped us to find His children in need. After we talked to her, her sister came out of nowhere again and told us that Jose came back so we were able to meet him as well! He's not a member but he will be soon!

I love and miss you all! 

Love Elder Markham

Continuing to learn and always striving to be better

Hey Family!

This week was a huge learning week! I loved the talks from this week especially the ones in the Priesthood session! I learned more than anything else what I need to change in my life to be a more powerful missionary and priesthood holder. I have already tried putting these things in practice and I've already been able to see a few changes. I'm so grateful for General Conference and the words of the living prophets! And I didn't know Grandpa was a poet! haha....I don't know if you saw the session when someone shared a poem from Edwin Markham...

Well we haven't had water for about a week now. The whole area where we live hasn't had water so I guess while we were out visiting a truck came by and started selling water to everyone. Some members live real close to us so they're going to be helping us out a bit haha.

Rodolfo has his testimony and is ready to get baptized! He believes that the church is true and that the Book of Mormon is the word of God! We are getting ready for his baptism here in a couple weeks! He is doing great! The thing that I like most about teaching him is about the Savior and repentance because the Spirit is always so strong. He has a huge desire to change his life. I can see the happiness it brings him and that is what the mission is all about. Bringing others unto Christ through faith, repentance, baptism and entering the temple. I love being here and being able to help so many people! I love and miss you all!.....like always! haha

Love Elder Markham

*Garrett says they have drinking water...but that's it.  He appreciates things more when living under hard conditions.

Pics sent by Elder Togisala (his mom Amber)

Elder Togisala and Garrett