Faith without works is dead....

Dear Family and Friends:

For this week Presidente Marivilla held a special 3 day seminar for a group of 11 missionaries, unfortunately my comp was chosen to go and I wasn´t. So again I went on splits with a member. We went up to Tumbador to look for a new house to live in , but I don't think we will be moving up there. Pres. said we can't start another church in Tumbador until we make Amparo a ward which is pretty much just going to be trying to reactivate the members down here.

We did some contacting up there since we had some time and the very first house we knocked on were these 2 snakes (girls that try and get missionaries sent home...) and we were like, well...we´ll come back another day when your parents are home, lol. Then the second door we knocked on were these two brothers both of which were priesthood age. They didn't have time to let us in they said so we just gave them the message about the restoration and after the lesson was over they were actually pretty excited about our message so we set an appt. for another day.

Then right before we left we contacted one other house and there was and old looking man, probably in his 60´s. (Smile from mom...) Anyways we started talking to him and he told us how his old evangelico pastor kept bugging him for money and also how he didn't really think that church was the correct one and also how his wife had died about 2 months ago and how much he missed her. And we were like, brother! we have the perfect message for you, lol.

And yeah thats about it for this week....actually the other day I was in a trio with 2 other gringos and we were contacting and we found this one guy that looked just like Johnny Depp from the secret window, lol, he could definately be his double, lol.

One other huge thing! I got my birthday package too!!!!!!! Thank you so much for everything! That dvd player is going to be such a great teaching tool and also that classical music, is so awesome I love it and wish I had more, so good!!!! And for the ring! All the elders are like, WOW thats so cool, lol!!! Thank you all sooooooo much! Love you guys!

Now for mom's questions:

1. Tell me about your toe. Did they really take the WHOLE toenail off? Dad had that done in the Philippines, but they just cut up the side and took some of it off. (Elder Marquis had an ingrown toenail and went to the Guatemalan doctor)

Yes, they really took it all off, lol, it looks and feels really weird.

2. How is the work going? Were you able to find any more of the old members? If so, were they excited to see you or like the first guy?

Nah, this week we just tried to contact and find some new investigators.

3. How many people did you have at church on Sunday? Does the whole area go to one church, or do you have one in each city....Or will have when you get them all active again...

This week we had about 50 members there. There aren't really any members in Tumbador since the accident awhile ago so only one church in Amparo that everyone goes to.
(See previous blog about "accident" )

4. What is Elder Roan's first name? Where is he from?

His name is Timothy Roan, from Austin Texas.


5. Do you teach or do other ward duties on Sunday's ,or be the missionaries there for investigators etc?

We teach some Sundays, but usually we hang out with our investigators as much as we can.

6. Do you have trouble with dogs in your area? How do you keep them off of you?

No, I don't really have any problems with dogs in this area. But when I do, I either beat them off with my umbrella or I shoot them with the sling shot I bought, lol.

7. When is your next zone conference?

I don't know when my next conference is going to be, they dont really tell us, but I did get your package, thanks so much!!!
(..Mom sent Elder Marquis' birthday package early so he would have it for a zone conference the first part of August and he actually received it in about10-14 days!...there was alot of prayer accompanying this package...it was expensive, but we took the risk and prayed alot...yea for prayer!!)

8.Any cultural experience to share?

ummm....well, there´s always the women breastfeeding, the loud latino music you would here in a restaurant, almost everyone here walks around with a machete, and there is this thing here called the ojo (o-ho) .. little babies get it when someone who is angry holds the baby and the anger goes into the baby and the only way to get rid of the ojo is by rubbing an egg over the body, lol,... these people are so simple.

9. Any new foods this week?

Nothing to wierd this week. sorry.

10. Tell me about a typical day..how far do you tract, etc?

A typical day starts with prayer, breakfast, working out, showering ( by bucket), pray before we leave, and then we walk about 15-20 miles a day trying to find someone who can actually understand the importance of our message, lol.


11. Should I find you a new camera cord so we can have more pictures?

Maybe. It all really depends on whether or not my old comp remembers to bring it next transfer.


12. What else do you need that you lost?

The camera cord. The wall charger for my cord and camera. lol And socks, they just kinda disappeared lol.


13. Best contact of the week?

The best one was with this woman named Mirna. She has two kids and a husband, Osberto. Anyway, we started contacting like normal and then we began talking to them to find out more about them and what we should teach them. So we asked her what church she goes to and she is an Evangelica, but she doesn't like how her pastor keeps asking her and her family for money so she stopped going. So, we taught her how anyone who preaches for money is wrong and is not of Christ. Then we taught her about tithing and fasting and how it's really a personal thing and how its not for the bishops or pastors but for the building of churches and helping other people. And yeah she was super positive and her family is probably one of the first ones that have actually come off as being a possible happy, laughing family that could become mormons, lol. So that was super fun.

14. Spiritual experience to share?

Spirtitual experience this week is about fasting. I was feeling like none of our investigators were progressing and none of the inactive families that we were teaching would ever come back so this past week I fasted and prayed super hard for a partiular family to come back. About 10 min. into church none of them showed up and then one family that I really love walked in and I was like yeah!!!! so that was super cool. But just like in all things... Faith without works is dead.

P.S. And in the future if you all send another package you guys should definately throw some shells and chesse in there too, my comp got some and they are soo good, lol! And I have received grandmas letter... just got it the other day!! (Thanks, grandma!!)

Anyways thank you all for everything that you've given me and for your prayers just over all everything!!!!

Love you all tons,
Elder Brandon Marquis