I'm just emailing you to tell you I'm all here and working hard! And boy do I have stories! THey are LEGIT. Anyways, you'll hear all about them on Monday. I have some fun ones! My first day, I was serving out in the PROJECTS and heavenly father knew I liked it too much, so he sent me to the STICKS. But it's been awesome. I'll talk to you on Monday!!!! My new comps are sister thompson and sister goodman. All the visa waiters are in trios. Here is my address:
WRITE ME!!!!!
Sister Marshall
11301 Grand Oak Dr. #10Grand Blanc, MI 48439
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Dear Beloved Brothers and Sisters:
Mother, I did get the Kohls shoes and I can't wait to chuck the gray ones. they are quite literally falling apart. Thanks so much for the packages and love. I'm just taking it all in before I'm out of the country. Suprise! You get to hear from me on Thursday Night when we get our travel plans. So I will be calling you latish SO PICK UP or I lose 100 minutes. That is essencial. Next week I will call from the airopuerto before i head out to the field. It's weird tot hink I've been here this long. I got a letter from Amy last tuesday, and I'll write her so she'll be getti9ng a letter soon. I just love the MTC. I'm trying to think about all of the things that happened this week. I just love being here so much. They are going to have to pry me from the MTC! You really grow to love everyone that you are with here. Our investigator, Plino, is "getting baptized" on Saturday. Our other pesquisador... we were just working through things with him regarding the Word of Wisdom. Yesterday I bore testimony that the Book of Mormon is a source of strength, and I felt the spirit so strongly. I've worked a lot this week with Irmao Walker. It's been really hard with him because he critiques A LOT. But I know that is what I need, so I force myself to get help from him. I feel like I've learned a lot this week. A couple elders in my zone got reassigned to Jville, Fl, so thats cool. I was a host this week. What that means is that I go and rip crying sisters from their screaming mothers, and say, "see you in 18 months!" I do it a little nicer than that, but I had to console many a crying mother. Oh, we taught Plino and asked him what kind of music he wanted at his baptism. he said he wanted metallica. He's so freaking hilarious. Sundays are awesome. We get to watch movies at night. We watched the Joseph Smith movie which was BOM DE MAIS! I heard a quote today: "You can pray to God in any language, but he only responds in Portugues." Haha... I just thought it was funny. yesterday was a bizarre day. One of the siters in our zone got really sick. My comp, who is the sister training leader and Sister Jory Miller spent the day helping her. Sister Hathaway and I were comps for the day, so that was super cool. We taught her pesquisador, Edmilson (Olson), and then we taught my pesquisador that night (Walker). We taught Edmilson the plan of Salvation, and I guess my drawing was really funny or something because he started laughing at it. I thought it was rather artistic. Our lesson with Helder (Walker) was the most spiritual lesson we had given. It was awesome. I'm sad because I think today was the last time we had Olson as a teacher. He was a really good teacher and you could tell that he really loved the people he served on his mission, and I can't wait to just go to Brazil and just love the heck out of people! So animado! Anywhoo.... If I think of anything else to say, I'll tell you later. Talk to you thursday. PICK UP YOUR PHONE. Love sister marshall Tudo bem familia?
How are yall doing this week? It has been a really good week. I just love the MTC so much and I can't wait to actually teach people. Sometimes I wonder what people learn in English, because we are going through the ringer when it comes to language study. My teacher, Irmao Olson has been helping me a ton with the language and helping me come up with a plan to successfully learn it. I'm so excited to go to Brazil. We got our first investigator to accept baptism... His name is Plino (Irmao Olson) and he's probs my favorite investigator. On Wednesday we clappped outside the door, because apparently you do that in Brazil.. you clap outside of the gate instead of knocking on the door. Anyways, so we were clapping screaming "Irmao! Irmao!" (because we didn't know his name, so we are supposed to just say "Brother!" until you find out). So he had to hide his face from us for a minute because he couldn't stop laughing. Then he goes on to tell us this greusome work accident that involved bones popping through the skin and blood everywhere.... and I was like... "E muito triste.... Irmao, qual e seu nome(whats your name)?" And he died laughing again because it was super random and was like... "TIME OUT!!!!!! sat there for another solid 2 or 3 minutes, finished laughing, and then was like.. okay time in" It was really funny. I guess I'm just super funny or something. But he accepted baptism in that lesson. And yesterday we taught the commandments. He told us that his pastor told him that we were the devil and that we sacrificed babies in our temple and wouldn't let us in his house. I didn't really know what I was saying, but when i was planning my language study plan, he said that we handled that situation really well and he's still getting baptised So BOM. We also talked about the commandments, and I showed him a pictrue of our family. and he was like.... "spongey bobby?" But its been going pretty well. Irmao Olson is my favorite teacher. Irmao Walker is a lot more difficult. We haven't been able to get him accept baptism and he really likes alcohol and smoking and stuff, and complains that he has no money. But were teaching him tomorrow, and making a plan to quit those substances. Teaching in Portuguese is really hard, but I love it. And we do this thing called TRC where RMs come and talk to us and then we share a lesson with them. It's probably my favorite thing ever. I'm trying to think of other things that happened this week. They're all kind of blending together. I went to the temple this morning. It was super nice. I love giong to the temple on P-Days. Things that I need:Super Gluemaybe duct tapetightsHonestly, I just want a good pair of wing tips, but whatevs.Photo Album with family pics, include some of the avengers pics. those are solid.Other than that... I cant really think of anything!But Love you guys so so muito! Have an awesome week! Love sister marshall Update: 5pm (Another email) Okay, continuation. I actually don't have sterling's address :( i know so sad. Tell Sister Alcatraz I'm sorrrry! I can't think of anything else that really happened this week, other than me and my companion can read eachothers mind. It's pretty trippy, and kind of weird. I'm so excited for devotional tonight. Devotionals are always so good! Ahhhhhhhhhhhhh!!! I'm sad P-Day's almost over, but weeks are blowing by now. It's weird. I can't believe I've been gone for almost a month. Tell Amy T to write me! AHHH! I have so much I need to tell her about the MTC experience and that there are tons of girls in my zone who are going to Fortaleza. They're all super cute white girls, like herself. And Amy is going to love them because they're the best. Did you know I'm the oldest in the district? Weird right? Oh, and Happy Birthday! I'd send you a letter, but I just ran out of stamps... so... Anyways, have a great week. Tell people to write me or let my wrath be kindled against them. Oh, and tell cathrie to mail me jakes letter. I'm dying to get it.Love yallSister Marshall Hey Mamao e Familia!!!!!
Anyways, my teacher irmao walker is the hardest teacher in the world. I'm not even joking, by 9:00 I would be just about in tears and thinking I STILL HAVE 30 MORE MINUTES!! 10:30 is the best time in the world . I sent a letter yesterday, so it should be getting there soon. I'm reading the scriptures in Portuguese now. I understand a good amount of it, but I still use the dictionary and the scriptures to solidify the words I don't know. I can read Portuguese really well, and apparently my pronunciation is very portuguese like. Mas it is hard because all the girls that are in my district are fluent spanish speakers and they all speak so fast and I can't really respond. They also don't like speaking portuguese because they're die hard spanish speakers, so it's been really hard. It's hard going from 5 in the morning until 10:30 at night with no breaks. Yesterday, I had a melt down in my last class. My lessao with Helder didn't really go very well, and then it was killing me that all the sisters could speak to him so easily and I couldn't find the words. I didn't even get through the lessao. He told me I ran out of time, and so we had to finish up. Being a missionary is so hard. But I know that I'm supposed to do this. I feel so strongly that this is what I need to do, and even if it kills me, I gotta keep pushing forward- persevero ate o fim! But it's been good. I was so ready to go the temple this morning and just enjoy P-Day!!! I love the food, but it's kind of hard on the stomach after a while. We have breakfast at 6, lunch at 11 and dinner at 4. so then by breakfast we're starving again. But today we ate at the cafeteria at the temple. I testify that it is manna from heaven. So good! Let's see. I'm trying to think of things that happen but the days are all starting to blur together. I love singing in the MTC choir. I guess the week after we leave, they're going to be singing in a CES fireside or for the prophet or something. I'm still praying hard and fervantly for the visa to come through. I know it will. I know that I am supposed to be in Goiania. I can't wait to go to Brazil. One of our language helpers is from brasil. He googled earthed our area. Parts are super metropolitan, and parts are SUPER GHETTO! It's about to get crazy, but I am a world of excited right now. I love being here. I love the people. My district is so funny. Our zone only has 4 girls right now, but apparently they are going to have like... 8 come in tomorrow. They're also going to be opening up another mtc in new mexico or somehting. Cool, right? Every day has been such an adventure, and I know that the only way that this is possible is because we have help from the Lord. There would be NO OTHER WAY. I have seen such amazing things happen here. It's really amazing! Ummmmmmmmmmm...... I'm trying to think if I have anything else to report right now. We had to watch Sister Monson's funeral on Sunday. I was a little upset because I wanted to watch the Joseph Smith movie. We watched the testaments last sunday, and it was so funny. But it was cool as well because we know that after this life, there is SO much more, so it wasn't a sad occasion. But I tell ya what, I don't think I've seen president monson look like that since he spoke right before Hinckley passed away. I'm glad that we have such a great knowledge. The Plan of Salvation is so awesome. It's hard to describe to someone who isn't mormon, but it's super cool. I memorized a few scriptures in Portuguese. Lets see.... I'll email pics in a little bit, and maybe email a little more later. Love you all! Sister Marshall ***********Updated letter sent that evening********************* I did in fact receive the boxes. my district leader gave me a package slip 10 minutes after the mail room closed on saturday, so I couldn't get it until today, but tudo bem! Anyways, I'll be fine. It's just been really hard, but I guess I knew a mission wouldn't be easy. It's just hard in ways I didn't even imagine. Today, me and my companion raided the free bins from all of the residence halls since tons of missionaries left yesterday. I got a couple cute shirts, and I'll probably just put them back when I leave the MTC. Also, everyone is pretty much sick in the MTC. Oh, also do you remember that missionary who had viral menengitus? They sent her home for a couple weeks to get better, but apparently she's walking now without a cane or help. It's way cool. I can't really think of anything else to say. The MTC is jam packed right now. And tomorrow, theres supposedly going to be 1200 missionaries coming in to tomorrow. So there will be about 9,000 people in the MTC. But yeah, the common cold spreads like the plague, and a few other things are getting passed along as well. Bleh! Anyways, tell Angelee and Ashley I'm sending them a letter that will be there in a few days, so they can get ready for that. Oh, and thanks for the chocolates, my roommates want to say thank you as well. But yeah, other than all the craziness, I think I'm doing pretty well. I'm just reminding myself that my trials are for a small moment, and I just need to endure 'em well. The pics are fun though. We found funny glasses in the free bin, and I finally saw sister vig when I had my camera with me. Thank goodness too, because she's leaving for the Phillippines this week. Well I can't really think of anything else that I need to tell you right now. Other than I love you guys, but yall already know that. Hope everyone's doing okay! Update: 6pm
Okay, so I took a few more pics in the last few hours. Thought they were fun. The one with the guy is some guy we met while i was taking a pic by the bycicling men. He's from London, came in today and has been a convert for ONE YEAR. He told us about how a year ago his parents wouldn't let him join the church and so on his 18th birthday, he got baptized because he knew it was true and his family pretty much disowned him. But I guess they came around and although they aren't happy that he's going on a mission, they're stoked that he's going to Australia. Just thought that was cool. I love hearing convert stories. Also I saw sister Vig the other day, and she told me that her family is taking discussions and are wanting to get baptized now. Oh! And I saw steven austin the other day. He works at the MTC security. Crazy right?? What a small world this is!!! Also, I get to call you when I leave the MTC, so that will be in about a month. WOO! I tell you what!! Missionary Training Center is SO FULL. I joined the choir so that I could be at all the devotionals. There are so many people that they can't fit everyone in the auditorium anymore. Did you know that 48% of the missionaries right now are girls? And we get guest speakers for Relief Society. The other week, Sister Janice Kapp Perrry was the speaker. It was kinda cool. It really sucks though because since we're not supposed to be here, we have to be up and ready at 6. E Nao Chiqui. Chiqui (pronounced... shee-kee) is my favorite word in portugues. It basically means classy. I also like "Legal" (pronounced... leg-ow!). Anyways. I can't really think of anything else. Oh, also my companion got really sick this weekend.. like throwing up sick, and you know how I am, but I'm being super obedient to the handbook and really sticking close to her, even if it's super hard for me, because "obedience brings blessings. strict obedience brings miracles." And boy could we all use miracles!!! Portuguese is so hard, but I love it. I love it. I love it. I love it. I can't believe I've already been here about two weeks. The first day felt like a thousand years. Anyways, the date that I'm scheduled to come home is "November 18, 2014". So mark your calendars. It's coming up. haha. just kidding. Well tchau for now! sister marshall -------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------------- Beleza Minha Famila Bonitinha! So far, everything is so so so so great! I love the MTC so much! It really is something that I think everyone should experience, and I am so glad that more girls get to experience this now. It really is a place of miracles and proof of God's love for us. So last Tuesday night we had devotional, it was so good and then some! We sang come thou fount of every blessing and then PRESIDENT NELSON was our devo speaker. He's all awesome and stuff. Afterwards, I waved goodbye to him as he was driving away, he saw me and waved back. SCORE! Other news. Remember Vasco, my first pesquisador? Well, he's totes my new teacher. And he's so cool. It's really hard understanding his portuguese because he served in portugal, but he's like..cool. We couldn't get "Vasco" to get baptized, BUT he told us he would read the Book of Mormon. I don't think he understood what the spirit felt like, and its hard to explain it in English! Try doing that in Porchie! Our other teacher, Irmao Olsen is hilarious. The elders spend the entire time pranking him and it is so funny. Like the Elders drop spoons in his pocket when he's not looking and he's like.. what the? and our zone leader always makes chirping noises and then our teacher thinks it's elder brooks, who naturally looks like a mischievious elder. I signed the papers yesterday for my visa. Me and Elder Ruiz had to sign them again because we're both in the Miami consolate. He's from southern florida, so he's in the same boat as me. 2 girls got their visas last night in the middle of the night. it was super awesome... but iwas so tired and couldn't stop hearing the screaming. But it's so awesome. There are so many miraculous things that happen here. A few weeks ago, Sister Williams who is going to portugal got viral meningitus, and has needed a wheelchair. Last week, she hasn't really been able to move, but by the end of the week, with the help of elders and sisters in her district, she has been able to walk up the stairs and into her classroom. I want to cry every time I see her walking up the stairs. She's a real trooper. On Sunday I heard this hilarious devotional from this old lady who served her mission a million years ago in the Phillippines. She was so funny. She was telling the elders that if they go bald, its okay, the angels keep their hair in little sacs, so theyll get it back in the next life. So dad, there's still hope for you. She also said people who didn't accept the plan of happiness are NOBODIES. get it? i almost fell out of my chair when she said that. i'm so excited to get mail. My companion is from provo, so she gets packages every day from her family. .. i know right? i've gotten like... 3 letters. YOU KNOW WHO YOU ARE. as for the rest of you. get writing. Yesterday, my teacher, imao olsen was the investigator,. Super funny. He prayed really funny, and I guess that's how people pray in brazil. as for the visa. I've been praying about it, and I keep getting this feeling that says something like, "i will show unto you a miracle," and that there is someone in Goiania who is waiting for me. So that's kind of reaassuring. My companion is so funny. She' s like... SUPER UTAH, if you know what i mean. anyways, she's afraid to eat things in the cafeteria. I can't even imagine what shock it will be going to brazil. I went to the temple today. It was awesome. I love the temple... so much. Anyways, love you guys, I'll send more pics tonight, and maybe another email later if i have time. Com amor, Sister Marshall MY BELOVED BROTHERS AND SISTERS. OI FROM SISTER MARSHALL!
It's been one crazy week! I don't even know where to start. So I met a bunch of missionaries heading home or to the MTC at the ATL airport. It was pretty cool. My week has been so crazy so far! everything about it has been so awesome, and so exhausting. I am always so tired because we wake up at 5:30 since we're not supposed to be here! But its good because by 9:30 I'm ready to be asleep. All of my classes are very hard, but I know it's for my good. Me and my companhera sister Anederson are teaching an "investigator" named Vasco. It's been so hard, because I don't really know what he's saying. But we as District 70B have learned so so so much about portugues, the gospel and our purpose as missionaries.My district is super tight. There's 12 of us visa waiters all going to Goiania. We are all really good friends now and it's really like having a family down here. It's good. Brother Olsen, our teacher, is pretty good too. He's taught us some slang words that we can't say until we're out of the MTC haha. Like.... OPA! which means something like... whaddup ... or ooos. He also taught us "Beliza" which is also slang that just means beautiful, but it's also a way of saying whats up. I met sister Jory Miller, the one who went to BYUH and it's awesome. She worked at Bracelets at the PCC, so we worked right next (like 20 feet away) to eachother for almost 2 years and didn't know that either of us existed.We watched on Sunday "Character of Christ" by Elder Bednar. It's so good. It's an hour long, but if you get the chance to watch it, it's amazing. I'm singing in the choir tonight at Devo. I've never been so culture shocked in my life... and i'm in utah. It has been crazy thus far, but a good kind of hectic crazy. I love it here so much, but definitely missing you guys hard core.Things that I need:I accidentally took two right shoes of those really cute gray oxfords. can you send me a left foot and i'll send back the right? it would be most appreciated. also tennis shoes maybe? other than that, maybe another p-day shirt would be nice. I'll go ahead and talk to travel offices today to see what the deal is. all of the people who got reassigned last week to missions were nova york e philly. cool right? but i have faith that the visas will come soon.Iwent to the temple this morning. I had many thoughts that kind of contrasted eachother this week, and so I was praying in the temple, and it all became very clear.I keep forgetting I'm a missionary. I see everyone with name tags, and i'm thinking, "look missionaries!!! oh wait!" it's cool though that I get to be one of those people wearing the badge. I love the evangelho, and the lord so much, and i can't wait to learn more. Tchau! Sister Marshall |