Week 72: P Day Pics!

Hey Everyone!


Sorry this is short!  Here are some pics from my P Day today!  I LOVE my mission!! 


Elder Marsh

Bandeja Paisa! Common meal from northern part of Colombia

El Mohan monument in Neiva

Inspired by one of the myths of Huila, it serves as an access to the cable car that crosses the Magdalena River towards Isla Park “La Gaitana”.

City of Neiva!

El Río Magdalena (Magdalena River).  View from El Mohan monument.

Week 71: Good News!

Hey everyone!! This was a great and hot week here in Neiva! I’m gonna jump right in to the good news!

So Luis went to church this week for the third time.  We also taught him and passed by his house every day to see how he was doing.  And he is doing GREAT!  He is getting himself ready to get baptized this Saturday! Woo hoo! He is doing super well with his prayers, his reading, and his desire to get baptized and follow the Lord´s example.  He has been following the commandments we’ve taught him and most of all he has changed.  He was a little bit unsure about his baptism, but he told us an experience that he had the night right before church, and feels it was an answer from God.  He then didn’t doubt his baptism and he’s going to enter into the covenant this week.  What a blessing!

We are still teaching Sara and Angelo.  Juliana´s son hasn’t arrived to Neiva yet.  The whole family is super interested in the church and are still planning on their baptism! We’re excited for them!  On Saturday we taught them the plan of salvation.  After they gave us dinner! Some arroz con pollo!  It was delicious!  It’s like a rice with shredded chicken and some vegetables.  Super delish!

This week as a zone we did just as good as the last week!  In these three weeks of January, we have found 310 new investigators and have set 151 baptismal dates! Crazy!!  There’s just something about this zone that is super animated to work and find!  That makes me super happy to see them have so much success!  I love it!  Elder Centurion and I don’t even know what to say it’s just jaw dropping!  I pray we continue having this much success.  It means there are many of Heavenly Father's children ready to listen to this gospel and I know this makes the Lord happy.

We found the son of a less active member that told us he’s ready to be baptized.  We set up a baptismal date of February 4^th.  Although we’re not sure if that will work, we are still working on getting him to attend the whole block of meetings.  His name is Camilo and he’s super pumped to get baptized!  What a blessing!

Thanks to everything for all that you do! Love you so much!

Elder Marsh

Get jacked and baptize! Elder Centurion and I :)

Eating cui (guinea pig)

Week 70: What a Week!

This was a super awesome week for the missionaries here in Neiva. We broke some records as a zone this week finding 123 new investigators and setting 64 baptismal dates. What a blessing it is to be a Neivano today!

My comp and I were able to find 11 investigators and set 7 baptismal dates.

One awesome experience we had was that a less active member moved into our ward, and in his house we have 2 future baptisms for the 4th of February and a possible 3rd when the son of his girlfriend gets here to Neiva. So we’re super pumped about that! The father’s name is Mario and his son’s name is Angelo and he’s 9. Mario´s girlfriend, Juliana, has a daughter that is 8 years and her son’s going to be coming to Neiva and he’s 13. As for Juliana, she needs to get divorced from her old husband and then married to Mario before she gets baptized. So were going to be helping with that process! It might take some time but we’ll be here to help them out!

Also, Bibiana got BAPTIZED!! Woo hoo!! It was seriously such an awesome experience.  She was so happy!   We have some funny pictures of her baptism that I’m going to send with this.

Elder Centurión and I are doing great together. We were able to find many investigators and help them progress and get baptized.  It’s not an easy thing to do at all.  There are so many temptations, problems, things that they need resolve before baptism can occur. We are focused on helping people receive that restored gospel. We are loving it! I’m so happy here, on my mission. I’m seeing miracles every day. I’m seeing the joy the gospel brings to people. What an amazing time it is to be a missionary of Jesus Christ. I know this church is true. And there is no other way we can return to our Father in Heaven, but through His gospel. 

Love you all! Have a fantastic week!

Elder Marsh

Overjoyed for Bibiana,! After changing baptism several times :) 

Bibiana and her 3 children. Julian's face...priceless!

Week 69: 2017

Hey everyone!

This week’s letter is just gonna be some pictures! ;)

There were transfers this week, so Monday was busy!  Then, we went to Bogota for a leadership meeting.  It was a great meeting!  On Thursday, we had to plan for the zone meeting and ran a bunch of errands.  Saturday and Sunday due to the New Year’s celebrations, we didn’t have anything going on.

Love you guys!  Have a good week!

Elder Marsh

Future BYU 2017

BYU Placa(plates)?  All the way out here! <3

La zona Neiva

Week 68: And a Happy New Year!

Hey everyone! 

So this week was a super good one.  It was a very good Christmas!  I had a great time talking with my family.  I love them all so much!  There were also transfers and I’m staying here in Neiva with Elder Centurion!  Yes! Haha  Neiva is an awesome place and we also have a few people that are going to be getting ready for baptism this month!

Sad news, Bibiana wasn’t able to get baptized this last week :(  She had some things to do and wasn’t able to make it.  It’s all good though!  She’s more than likely going to get baptized this week.  She’ll be starting the year off just perfect, with a new clean slate!  Please pray for her so that everything goes well with her baptism and confirmation.

We were able to find two new investigators this week, Jessica and Yineth.  They were very receptive to our message.  They accepted a baptismal date for the 21st of January!  We're going to help them progress and do everything they need to do to be able to get to their baptismal date.

This week we did some service for a member.  His name is Alain.  We helped sand the gate to his house so that he could paint it all pretty!  We were there from 8:30 am until after lunch.  By the end we were really tired but it felt good to serve.  We had a great time!  Alain is the funniest guy ever! haha he makes me laugh so hard!

But anyways this week I’m going to be traveling up to Bogota for a meeting and we have some pretty good appointments set up.  I’m pretty excited for that! There may also be a baptism!  Please pray for my companion and me, that we may find those that are white and ready for the harvest! 

Doctrine & Covenants 4:4 

 4 For behold the field is white already to harvest; and lo,

 he that thrusteth in his sickle with his might, the same

 layeth up in store that he perisheth not, but bringeth 

 salvation to his soul;

Be safe and have a happy New Year!

Elder Aaron Marsh

Service!

Alain! hahaha!

Cool sombrero

The Fam!

Merry Christmas from the Missionaries in Las Granjas!

Week 67: Feliz Navidad de Colombia!

Wow hasn’t this month just flown by?!!  It felt like just yesterday that it was p-day. That’s just the magic of missionary work, to be able to just get lost in His work!

This week we were able to see an amazing blessing with an investigator that we found.  His name is Luis and he’s 18. We talked to him two weeks ago but just this last week we were able to teach him!  We talked to him about God and what he believed and he wasn’t sure.  He told us that his mom passed away a few years back.  We were able to testify to him that we know he can see his mom again.  It was a beautiful spiritual experience and it really grew my testimony of the plan of salvation.  I know that this plan is perfect and that our Heavenly Father made this plan so that we can be happy and have hope!  He accepted the 21st of January to be baptized!  He also went to church the whole three hours and he loved it! When we first met him, he told us that we were wasting our time in the mission and that it’d be better if we were studying.  But he is feeling the truth of the gospel in his life and he is changing day by day!  I’m super excited for him!

Also, an investigator that I haven’t mentioned a whole lot, Bibiana P, is going to get married this week and the 23rd is going to get baptized!!  I’m soo happy for her! Her husband Carlos and kids are less active members but have been coming back to church.  Carlos is a super awesome guy.  This week, we are going to give our Savior the best gift in the world, helping one of his children enter into the waters of baptism.  Que bendición!

I love this gospel and the Savior!  He is my best friend.  Have a very merry Christmas!  I love you all!

Elder Marsh

Conference with Presidente Baquerizo

My boy Alain! 

Week 66: Mission Christmas Activity

  

Hello Friends and Family!  

So there were emergency transfers here last week and my new comp is here!  His name is Elder Centurión and he’s from Argentina! Che!(an expression Argentine’s use.  It usually means “hey”) jajaja vos sabes!(you know!)  He has 20 months in the mission now, so he’s about to die here soon(means the end of his 2 year mission is coming soon)! haha  He’s a super awesome guy and we get along super well.  I’m pumped to be able to work with him and bring people to the gospel.

On Tuesday the whole zone went up to Bogota (there’s 20 of us).  On Wednesday we went to the temple with Presidente Baquerizo and his wife!  It was such a spiritual experience.  I loved every moment.  Then on Thursday, we got together as a mission!  We had a few activities that we were able to be a part of and it was sweet! haha Overall, the activity went really well and it was SO good to see everyone that I’ve made friends with!

We were able to have a lesson with the familia Gutierrez, but they asked us not to continue with the discussions.  This was hard for me.   I felt a sadness.  It was seriously such a sad moment for us as missionaries.  It explains it pretty well in Preach My Gospel.  If people don’t accept the gospel you will feel a sadness for them as children of God.  

Anyways! Have a great week everyone!

Con mucho amor,

Elder Marsh

Part of the Zone Neiva

Elder Damiano!

Sister missionary calling to let me know when to shut water pipe so water doesn't drain the baptismal font.

Che! Elder Centurión!