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.