September 30, 2013 - 4th Week

Well, it’s been another week, and I can’t believe how fast it has gone. I really can’t. It seems like  right when you don’t think that you can fit anymore appointments or lessons, somehow you do. This week we met with a lot of Russian background potential investigators, we have already had one become an investigator and her name is Lyudmila. She is a great person. Elder Evans and I met with her and had great lesson with her. She had great questions that just opened up for knowledge and to know that this gospel is true, the only problem is that she spoke very little German and I mean very little. A lot of the time was spent in Russian to German dictionary’s trying to get our message across. We met with more potential from Russia and we set up appointments for all of them. The objective for this week and the coming week is Russian. I would have never have thought that I would have to speak Russian as well as German. Talk about brain over load. We did have a small miracle happen this week. We have a very less active member that speaks Russian and he is the only one in our whole ward that speaks Russian. So putting faith in the lord and with a little bit of luck, Elder Evans and I hoped that if we went by his home and asked him if he would joint teach with us, we could better teach all of our Russian investigators and maybe bring him back to activity. So we went by and we knocked on his door. He opened up and he was so happy to see us, so happy he forgot his German and spoke in very fast Russian. We extended to offer for him to come with us on a joint teach and he said yes before we could finish the sentence. He wants to help with all of our investigators that are Russian. Miracles happen all the time and you just have got to walk in faith and know that the Lord will watch over you and guide his missionaries.

I do have to cut this email short because we are going to Oktoberfest today and we need to get going. I love you all and until next time,

Elder Martinez

September 23, 2013 - 3rd week

I cannot believe that it has been another week and I am already at this computer and talking to you again. Well lets me first tell you that I still have no idea where Jessi is going on her mission. I have alot of emails about how cool it was and I have an MTC date where is she going? Ich Weiss ist Nicht? So if I could be told by somebody that would be cool.

All is well in Germany, and my little city of Augsburg. Meeting lots of people and talking and teaching alot. But it still amazes me that no day so far sense I have been on my mission has gone exactly to plan. Either we have met somebody new or we have had an unseen lesson given or we have had to deal with things within the ward. But all of this makes the days and weeks go by so fast. I can’t believe that tomorrow well be two months into my mission. Oh ya I am getting up there. But let me give a rundown of what I did this week.

Right after I got done with my emails and I sent out my letters me and Elder Evans and the sisters went to a very old cathedral, and when I say old I mean old. It has been there since 773. That’s pretty old. We went and walked around and it was georgous. I have pictures and will put them in another email. After that we went and got some food and got most of my winter clothes. All and all it was a great p-day.

The week started and we were teaching people and doing what we do best teaching the restored gospel. All of a sudden we get a call from a sister saying that we need to come to the church. We get there and we meet a man named Amedeo. He is from Italy and does he have a story. He came here on vacation and while he was here his wife divorced him and froze all his money and credit cards and he had no way to get back home. He was in complete and total distress and he could not speak a word of German. We as missionary’s tried to help him as best we can. But when Mark Anderson said that Italians loved to talk and they have no sense of personal space he was right. He loves to talk and very fast at that and he is right in your face when he does it. But he is a very nice guy and we are helping him get by. He is stuck here until Wednesday so we will meet and teach him until then.

The week kept going on and it came to Sunday and like I said, I had to give a 10 minute talk on faith all in German. I was so scared. Me and elder Evans spent all morning working on my pronunciation and everything. I felt ready. It came to the talk and as I looked out at our tiny 50 member ward all fear left and I just began to talk. As my talk came to the end I read a scripture. I read what I thought was Ether 12:7 but as I began to read I realized that I was reading Ether 11: 7. I will let you read and find out what I said but needless to say the scripture I read was not on faith. Oh well. Up to that point my talk was good. The whole ward after sacrament meeting was over came and congratulated me on the talk. I don’t think it mattered but still I was somewhat embarrassed. After that we had a member meal and we had to drive a whole hour in order to get to their house. Because we gave to give of a lesson after dinner, we got stuck in the dorf. We had to stay there another three hours because buses only run twice a day in the smaller dorfs. That’s ok we had more food.

As the weeks go on and as I keep going and teaching more people I grow and learn everyday that I am out here. I love my mission I could not have picked a better place to serve gods children. I got your letter and I loved it more than I can say those things brighten your day just a little more. I do have to go because me and elder Evans have a lesson to teach but I love you and I cannot wait to hear where she is going.

Love and miss you all but I have got more work to do so until we talk next week.

Elder Martinez

P.S Guess what I am doing next p-day? Me and the whole district are going to Octoberfeast. Can you say Lederhosen. hahah cant wait.

Augusburg, Germany, Week 2, PDay - 9/16/2013

I believe Elder Martinez is in the train station.

I wonder if he bought a pair of lederhosen. Maybe the dresses for his sisters?

Here is the same sight at night



This may be a tower that catches Elder Martinez' eyes as he looks out his window.

Apartment living as an Elder

Atleast he has a matching livingroom set.



I can honestly say that the weeks go by even faster in the field then they did in the MTC. It seems like just barley yesterday that I was here in this same internet Cafe and was writing about what was going on my first week in the field. Honestly the days just kind of seem to all roll together in one big jumble. So, I need to look at my daily planner and remember what I did this past week.

let’s see,  Monday, after I got done writing my emails to everybody about my week, we got a call from a member that is originally from China and has lived in Augsburg for a long time now. She called us and said that she had a friend that really wanted a lesson and to know more about the gospel. So we had to cut our P-day short and go talk to this man. We met at our great new church, and we met with this man. This man was also from China and his Name was Ding. He spoke absolutely no German only Chinese. So the Sister that gave the referral had to translate all that we told her in German into Chinese. Let’s just say that it did take us a little while to get all of our points and message across. But I did witness my first golden investigator. We taught him the first three lessons and he has already committed to be baptized. The sisters in our area are also meeting with him and teaching him as well. He could very well be my first baptism. He gets interviewed for baptism next week. I will let you know when his date for baptism is. All this is happening so fast that it really does not seem real. The only problem with all of this is that he lives in a different area not in the Augsburg area where we postulate and teach. So we cannot teach him as an investigator for our area. It kind of sucks that way, but none the less he travels three hours twice a week to meet with us and talk with us because the only person that can speak Chinese in our hole zone is the sister that referred him. I know blessings will come for his sacrifice for coming and learning more about the true gospel of Jesus Christ. Oh and I also gave away my first Chinese book of Mormon as well that day. Who would have thought I would have given a Chinese B.O.M in Germany? Not me that’s for sure.

Tuesday was my first district meeting and there we as a district just discussed things that are going on in our district this coming week. Mostly we get together and talk about stories and about other things. After that we spent the rest of the day finding and teaching people.

Wednesday, more of that finding and teaching people if we can.

Thursday, we spent most of the morning doing my visa requirements for Germany, really it was sitting in an office and giving them papers. Not that exciting but after we finished that we took our weekly ride out to Dillingen to teach John, Moses, and Godwin. We call them the brothers simply because they are always together. They are recent members and we are simply going over all the lessons again also teaching him lesson five.

Friday, we had our weekly fireside where we tell ward members to come to the church for a fireside and they are encouraged to bring their friends. It is a good time to talk to the members and to also get referrals for potential investigators. It’s a good time.

Saturday, was good day. We did a day long finding day in Ingolstadt, and there we did that for the elders in that area. All the district comes together to try and find potential investigators for the elders in that area. It was a good day and we talked to a lot of people. We did both dooring and street contacting, we were not able to find any solid investigators or get any contact information but we did have several good conversations. Most of them were with Roman Catholics and they simply just wanted to know what we believed. Not really investigators. Most people here are born catholic and will try to stay catholic.

Sundays are always one of our busiest days. A lot of talking to members, setting up dinner appointments for that week and also try to set up joint teachings for the week as well. Never before has a Sunday gone by as fast as this one has this week.

So that’s a quick rundown of the week that I have had and some of the things that I was able to do and the people I was able to teach. We are working with alot of potential investigators and hopefully, with all the lessons we have set up, they can become investigators and eventually become progressing. The only hard thing is that sometimes you work hard to talk to everybody and yet when you look at the numbers for that day alot of the times its zero all the way down, maybe you get one or two people that are interested but most of the time they aren’t. So the numbers don’t represent the work very well. But you just keep moving forward and eventually you will find that one person that needs the gospel.

Another thing that I learned this week is that the mission office does not send my mail to me from the mission office. It stays there until the next zone or training meeting, For us that is in about two more weeks. So more than likely, yes I have received your letters, but I do not have them. For that purpose here is my address of my apartment so the mail will come straight to me.

Kirche Jesu Christi HLT

Elder Martinez

Schwibbogenplatz 2F

D-86153 Augsburg

Germany

That is the address of my apartment; the mail will come to my mailbox. Well it’s another email session said and done, and until the next time, Elder Martinez.

P.S. Remember that you always walk with me, and you always will.

Augsburg, Germany - Elder Martinez' first area to serve! 9/9/2013

Hello from Augsburg, Germany

Wow has it been a week. I guess I should start from the beginning. We woke up at the MTC at 3:45 and were gone to the airport by 5:00. As we got there we were all in good spirits and we all were excited to get to our mission and get to work even though it is still really early. We got on the plane and we were on our way to München. It was only about an hour flight and we were in München. I was nervous. New language another culture and I was about to have to cook on my own. But I was moving forward. We stepped off the plane and something happened or changed. The thought came into my mind that I was in the country that I have been dreaming about for all of my life. Fear left and excitement took over. Germany! Here on my mission. I was excited to get to work. We met the President and Sister Miles, we also met the AP's. We got straight to work. We got on the u-bahn and we began to contact in German. It was Elder Graver and I, a missionary from Mass, and we both spoke little German, but we kept moving forward and talking to people. On that train was where I put out my first German Das Buch Mormon. It was an older lady and she didn’t believe that God could love her. In school she was told that God did not exist and to not rely on him for help. But by the time that we finished talking with her, the last question she asked us before we had to get off the train was “how do I pray like you Elders?” It was amazing. I was pumped to keep moving. We did but no success like that. By about 12 we went to this park. I didn’t know it, but it was my first WWII site that I would visit in my mission. The park was basically a giant hill it had a pond at the bottom but the actual part that you could play and sit on the grass you had to hike to. Being so tired and in a shirt and tie I really didn’t want to hike but I did. We got to the top and there we met the President again. There he told us that the hill that we were standing on was a pile of rubble and war weapons that was gathered after the war. I couldn’t believe it. The hill was massive and it was all from WWII. I was in Germany. I couldn’t believe it. I couldn’t take any pictures because when we left to tract, all we had was our Book of Mormons. Schade!

After that we left for the mission office and for our information about where we were to go. We had a great meal and we all sat in a circle and President Miles was telling us one by one where we were all going. I was the last one to be told. Talk about suspense ya? Everyone except for about three of us was going to Switzerland. I didn’t know what to think. He said my name and he told me that I was going to Augsburg, Germany. I was so happy. I was staying in Germany.

That night was a bitter sweet night, that was the last night that I was going to see my entire district that I had spent 6 weeks in the MTC with. It was fun but sad all at the same time. We woke up in the morning and we left for the train station. We were all sad to see everyone leave and go their separate ways. Maybe in two years we can see each other again. Maybe. That was where I met my companion, Elder Evans. He was funny and great to talk to there is actually a set of sister missionary’s that also in our area that rode with us on our train. Augsburg is only about 50 minutes away from Munich, so it was not that long of a train ride. Right when we got off the train we had to get on another train and go to Dillingen. There we had another lesson. I was nervous, only been in my area for about an hour and I was about to give a lesson. We got to Dillingen and it turns out that the lesson was with a man named Moses and had just been baptized about five days before I had gotten there. He is from Nigeria, and he speaks English, but not like my English it is so different. We taught him about the priesthood. Elder Evans told me that I did really well for just doing it without any prep beforehand. We ended and had a few more contacts to meet before we got home. All went well. We got to the apartment, my first time all day and I was ready to sleep. We went inside, and let me tell you, it is not MTC. It is not bad but it is definitely different then what I was used to. We had a really good meal and I went to bed. I was awake in my bed for about, 1 minute.

Let’s fast forward to Sunday. The church that we got to is brand new; it is only about four years old. It is the nicest church that I have ever seen. The ward that we have is also very nice. We have about 100 active members and about half of them have kids under the age of 5. It is a very young ward. As I went there they all wanted to talk to me and ask me about my last name. They could not believe that a Mexican was in their ward as a missionary. The only problem was that they all spoke really fast so I had a hard time understanding what they were saying. But they understood I was from Mexico. I keep a photo of my family in my German scriptures on the front page and as I was reading from them the photo fell out. One of the members picked it up for me and they saw that only me and my dad looked Hispanic. Word spread that my mom and my sisters looked German and everyone wanted to know where my mom’s side of the family came from. I think they all really like me just because of my last name. As church ended and we were about to head to member’s house for dinner, the Bischoff pulled us aside and guess what Mexican gets to give a talk on the 22nd of this month? This one does. Wish me luck that my German gets a little better by then.

Besides church and study, we have been out contacting and giving lessons. There have been days like yesterday that all of our potential contacts fall through and they don’t want anything to do with us. It’s a little hard, but it’s better because when they yell at us I can’t understand so I don’t really get mad or offended. It’s kind of nice. as we went to one other potential contact we rang the buzzer and a man answered, we said, " wer sind missionara auf die Kirche Jesu Christi der Heiligen der Letzen Tage." and he told us to come in. We could not believe it, we walked in and it was a man named Clause, he is from Germany and he is about 64 years old. He lives really close to the church and he wanted to know about the really pretty chapel. We told him about it and we ended up having a really good lesson with him. He was excited to read about the book of Mormon and we were about to set up another appointment but then he told us that he was going on vacation for a month. But he gave us his number and email address for where he was going to stay so that we could stay in contact with him. Talk about golden investigator. I only hope that I am still here to teach him. He could be my first baptism.

The small city of Augsburg is actually one of the oldest in Germany. It is really pretty and I love laboring here. (pictures will come, I just forgot my adapter at the apartment.) Everybody smokes and loves to drink. You can get cigs like candy here. Oh well you just have to get used to it. The city has all kinds of old fountains and old statues and cathedrals. I can’t get enough of it. There are hardly any cars because of the public transportation. It is better than I have ever seen.

I love the food. Alot of meat and pasta, and hardly any potatoes. hahahahahaha. My favorite drink is Apfel Drinken. This is basically carbonated apple juice. I can’t get enough of it.

The people are all nice and they love to talk about everything else but religion. Hopefully that will change.

Well that is about all the time I have for this week. I can’t tell you how much I love the people and this country. I love doing the lords work. Only blessings come from it. I love my companion. He is helping me do the best I can for a greenie. keep emailing me and writing to me. I do have a new address but I forgot that back at the apartment as well. Next time I will have my address and pictures.

I can’t wait to hear from you and read your emails next week,

Love Elder Martinez

Elder Martinez - Munich, Germany

Dear family of Elder Martinez-

We are delighted to tell you that Elder Martinez arrived safely in Munich this morning.  He is tucked away in bed now after a long day of orientation. 

We thought you might enjoy these pictures from this evening. His new companion is Elder Evans, and they will be serving in Augsburg, Germany. 

We are thrilled that he is here and are very impressed with his preparation and enthusiasm.  He will be a great missionary.  Thank you for all you have done to help him become the fine young man he is today.  We love him already, and we will do all we can to help him grow as a missionary and have a successful mission.  Your son's preparation day is on Mondays and that is when he will be emailing you home each week. If you would like his apartment address where he will be serving - please email him before next Monday and ask him to give it to you in his first email next Monday.  If you have questions or concerns, please feel free to contact us.  May the Lord bless you and your family at this wonderful time of missionary service.

Sincerely,

President and Sister Miles

Alpine German-speaking Mission

Last post from Preston England MTC

Hello All my Family,

This is going to be my last email update from the Preston England MTC. The past six weeks have gone by so fast and I can't believe that it is already gone. But I don't know how it went for you guys, maybe it went by fast or slow. Let me give you a run down of what I already know is going to happen: When I leave for Germany next Wednesday. I will leave at about ten in the aftenoon and I will be on a one hour flight from Manchester to Munich, Germany. There the mission president will meet me and all of the other Alpine mission Elders and Sisters and from there wel will go to the Munich mission home and we will stay there for the night. The next day we will leave for our areas and then we will get to work. I don't know what area yet, but I will tell you as soon as I find out. I have a filling that it will be Austria. In case you didn't, know Americans can not get visas for Swtizerland. They must really hate Americans. Oh well who doesn't now adays.  The group of missionaries that are in the MTC right now are the funnest that I have met. Especially the ones from Germany and China that can't speak English. The only thing they can say is I love you. But maybe that all they need to say. Let me tell all of you that I am really nervous getting out into the field. It is going to be really hard especially when the language I will more than likely not undestand. But I know that I never walk alone. I know that I will always have a third companion, and that companion will always be the most important. I love you all and I cant wait till the next time I can get on. Dont forget to keep writing me and sending me emails. Especially sending me hard copies of all my family. I love getting them. The next time I can get on is a week from Monday. That will be my first pday from the field and I bet will have alot to tell you at the point. Until then, Elder Martinez

Week 5 - August 28

Elder Martinez and roomates

Elder Packer and Elder Martinez memorizing

Elders and Sisters in the district

So, I was awake early in the morning and couldn't sleep. I was anticipating the letter that would arrive soon. I then had a thought, and took a chance to see if Elder Martinez was on line. It was 5:11 am in Logan and 12:07 pm in Preston, England.

"I'm awake...you there?"

"Mom, are you there?"

"I am Poo! I am!"

Halo mama, wie gates es ienen"

I never sleep on Tuesday nights cause I know your thinking of me somwhere in England.

Oh ya, for sure I could figure that but it's about 12:15 pm out here in Chorley what time is it in Logan?

Are you reading all you emails?

Ya, I am trying to read all them but its hard because I really want to talk to you more. Oh, and I did get the package yesterday. It was the best moment of the MTC so far.

Than print it off and read later. Lets talk. Dads at work. Just you and me right now.

OK, well what do you want to know? I only have thirty minutes to talk but I need the other thirty to write emails.:)

Yea! Which scarf did you like the best? I hope you enjoy the treats. I have another box ready to go today. Anything specific in it you want?

To tell you the truth I love both of them all the same. I just love having them, they remind me of home and whats waiting for me at home. Yes I do enjoy the treats. Especially all my roomate elders. Oh and did Jessi like her socks that I gave her?

Are you taking lots of pictures? When will you get the notice of where you will be transferred to? I have the address of the mission home, so I will send your package there.

I am taking as much as I can. I really don't have that much time to take pictures or to carry my camera with me. Im really trying to learn the language more so that I can have an edge when I get to Germany. I don't know what my first transfer will be yeat but by this time next week I will find out by being there. Did Jessi like her socks?

Well then you keep doing the right thing and learn that language! Don't worry about pictures. You will get the language because you have a strong desire, a strong will, and mind. It's what you've alway wanted. It will be wierd that in two years you will forget English! She loves the socks. She has worn them non stop since they came in the mail. I have read my letter several times. I love sharing them with gma and gpa. Gma can't wait to make skirts for Jessi for her mission.

Oh that's awesome.I am so glad that she loves them. I saw them and just had to get them for the because they reminded me of here. I have not really had a chance to really shop for anything but when I find stuff I will for sure send them home. I have another package that I will send away today and I will put some England chocolate in there for the family.

Ya it will!  I do have to go because I got more emails to write and to talk to more people and I only have about thirty minutes to do it. I love you mom and I can't wait to hear more from you. This will be the last time I can email you for about two weeks because next pday I will be flying to Germany. But when I am out in the field, my pday will be on Monday. So I will talk to you then. Remember the hymn "Till we Meet Again", Love you and miss you. The picture of me and Elder Packer is of us two planning for an investigator at the temple. The wierd red one is of us in our classroom and we got tired of speaking and learning German so we just played with our cameras for about five minutes!

I love you too, Poo. I can't wait to hear where you are going. Love you....click, he was off.

Week 4 - August 21

So, I woke up. Got dressed and ready for work and ready for my day. Sat at my laptop, opened it up and ready to chat. Instead, I got this email...

Hey mom I'm sorry but at three oclock here, we are all going to the temple so I wont be able to get on till later. So when you get on, write me an email about what is going on and I will respond when I get a chance through out the day. Love you and can't wait to hear from you.

So, I shed a tear, well a few....then got to writing Poo a letter.

Then my letter came later in the day.





Elder Martinez, roomate, Elder Packer, roomate

  Hello mom,

Things are going great out here and I have a lot to write about. Let me start from the beginning. You know when you spend six weeks in the MTC it’s a little harder to find more and more things to talk about but there was a lot to talk about that happened this week. Another group of missionary’s have come and gone and it really makes me want to get out there even more because I really want to start bring people to the true gospel of Jesus Christ. But I had an opportunity this week. Yesterday they all the alpine German speaking missionary’s out to Manchester and told we have five hours and we had to tract and street contact the whole time. Now I was scared and I really didn’t know how I was going to do it for that long. So as we got on the train and got ready for the 45 minute train ride I and elder packer got strait to work. We met a man named, Mohammed, he was in Manchester learning to become a doctor we talked to him and he really wanted to learn more so we gave him a bom and got his information and he wanted a lesson. So right from the get go we were doing pretty well but that didn’t last long. As we got into the city, we would approach people and they wanted nothing to do with us. Everybody was giving us dirty looks and it started to get hard. Especially when we talked to a man that told us that we were doing Satan’s work and that Mormons are not Christians and that we are going to hell. That last insult was hard to swallow. It was hot that day and I was ready to leave. We were able to place a couple more bom’s but they didn’t want any lessons. The day was coming to an end and we got on the train to go back to the MTC. As we were standing in the isle, a family from Nigeria came and sat in the seats that were next to us. It was a mom and a dad and a new born son. The father was very proud of his son telling both me and Elder Packer multiple times that his son is the greatest in the world. I was tired sweaty and hot and I wasn’t in the mood to get shut down again but I went I against me feelings put out the natural man and talked to the father. The father was taking it all in but the mother was a little hesitant, but as the conversation went on I was led to talk to the mother and father about heavenly fathers plan and how that families are central to this plan and that through this plan families can be together forever. I said to the father “you can be with your son and wife for all of this life and for all of eternity” his eyes got bigger and wider than I have ever seen he was so excited. But at that time we got to the station and we had to leave we left them with our testimony’s and our message. I wish that I could have talked to them longer. I know that they were waiting for me and elder packer to talk to them and to teach them. I lost myself and because I did maybe someday that family can be together for ever. I will probably never see them again but I will always pray and wonder what will happen to them. That event made me want to go back to Manchester and do it all over again and try even harder.

So there was definitely more that happened this week than before. And I am even more excited to get out in the field. I just don’t know how I can do it in German. But I will try very hard. I do have one request from all of you and that is I really want pictures of everybody and the pictures that we took at my farewell (also I want pictures from my friends, especially of the night we played water pong), so please send me letters with pictures of all my family. That would be the best thing in the world. I I love to hear from all of you and all my familys love Is what keeps me going. Send me letter and emails of what is going on at home. I want to know.

Till next p-day

Elder Martinez, poo



Week 3 - August 14th, An Afternoon in Manchester, England

Well, its good to hear from you mom. Sorry my last email was so small, I had alot of people writing me and I tried to write to them all. This week was a little bit smaller and I didn't get as many emails (kind of sad) so I will be able to write to you more about what you would like to hear.

Let me start about the pageant, because the temple was closed that first two weeks, we were able to go to the pageant and watch it and actually participate in it. everynight, besides Sunday and Monday we would walk in to the pageant singing called to serve, and we would walk onto the stage and we would be there for the rest of the show. It was only about 5 minutes but it was the highlight of all of our nights because after studying and working for 13 hours it was nice to be able to stand outside and get some air and just relax. You know your a missionary when you look forward to standing out side.

Yes, three apostles came and watched the pageant, as well as several of the 70 and the head of the missionary department. They all talked to us. They first came on a Wednesday and we had elder Holland and Elder Nielson of the twelve and the we had about four or five of the seventy there. Because about six hours before, half of the MTC left for the field that day, there was only about 32 of us missionaries there. The GSL and the ESL missionaries. We got to meet them and shake there hands and actually talk to them. When I met Elder Holland I shook his hand and he asked me where I was from. I said I was from Logan, Utah. He was really excited and he asked me if I went to Utah State, I said I did. He gave me soft punch to the chest and said, "Go Aggies". How many people can say they met and shook hands with a member of the 12 apostles, let alone get complimented because of where I went to school. It was one of the best moments of my mission so far. Like I said before, there was only 32 of us there and they wanted to talk to all of us. Holland, in case you didn't know, is very passionate about not losing missionaries when they get home from there mission. That it was unacceptable that the church loses young men and women that were once ambassador's for the lord. He told us that was the main reason that he and Gordon B. Hinckley came up with the preach my gospel. He told us, and with great authority, "You are all entitled to at least one convert and that is you, you yourself must become committed to God before you can ever invite others to come unto Christ." Really strong words that were told with great power. Elder Nielson then came and talked to us. He was much softer, but what he said was one of the best things to happen to me. He gave all of us, the small group of missionaries, an apostolic blessing that only members of the twelve can give. He blessed us that we may have joy in our mission and that we would love the people that we served and the people that we taught, he blessed us and our families that we would receive blessings that we would not have had if I hadn't gone on a mission. How many people can say that they got an apostilic blessing. The spirit was so strong. it was like getting punch in the face by the holy ghost. It was great. The next day, Elder Ballard then came and talked to us, he only spake to us for about five minutes but none the less they were strong. So to answer your question, yes I did meet the apostles and yes I did get to talk to them.

My German is coming right along and we are both getting better and better. Just last night me and Elder Packer were able to teach an entire lessen in German. It felt so good because finally it felt like we could talk in German. It wasn't great but it was German non the less. Me and my companion are both working really well together and we are really getting far with our investigators. We have had our rough patches where its harder to figure out what lesson we wanted to teach, but we figure it out and keep moving forward. We haven't really left the MTC this whole week because we have been studying most of the time. So needless to say I haven't been able to take that many pictures.

I cant wait to get my package, do you know how long it will take? Because I really want it to come before I leave the MTC. So let me know in the next email. Also just for your information, the MTC is going to do something with the GSL missionaries that they have never done before. They are going to put us on a train and take us to Manchester when we get there we are going to try and preach the gospel and find investigators for about 4 hours. I'm a little nervous but I believe that it will be nice to get out of the MTC and to start to get going in the work. Even for a little while.

Keep telling people to email me and to also write me, I still have not received any mail. Its kind of sad when I look in there and there still isn't anything in my box. Please tell all my family and friends that my pday is on Wednsday not Thursday, and that I have only one hour to look at them. Because last week I got the majority of my mail about 4 hours after I looked at my email. Tell everybody that I love them all and I miss them.

Ich weisen der das Buch Mormon ist richit, eine son unt eine himmmlisher vater leben unt haben enie gebote. Iche liebe mine famailie unt inie propheten ist elle zu gott.

Love and miss you

Elder Martinez-Poo

Poo, when you say "when I look in my box and still nothing is there its kind of sad" , is that a box a mailman puts hand written letters in? I have given people your email, not your mail man address. I feel terrible that you are looking in your mailman box and its always empty. I will give your mailman address to everyone!

Loved your letter. Will email more later.
Love mom 

Ya, every missionary has a mail box and I still haven.t gotten anything, but by the time they write me I will be in my mission, so tell them to write me at my mission home address. But also tell them to keep emailing me too.

Also next week on Wednsday, I will get on at 3:00 pm here in Preston. That means that it will be about 8:00 am in Logan, I really want to get a chat going with you on this email address. So be on at 8:00 next Monday.