Shouting out to the World! A humbling reminder.

Shouting it out to the world!

I need to apologize for the two really short emails that I have written the last two weeks. As I sat in my bed that Monday night, I thought to myself how hard it is to wait a whole week and then just hear that I am still alive and that I can only write you a small email. I will try my very best to really tell you as much as I can about my week and all that happened and all that I did 
(as long as i can remember it). So let me tell you about my week:

On Monday I had one of the best p-days on my mission so far. a member came to us the Sunday before and asked us if we would like to go see a mountain and a waterfall. We had nothing planned so we accepted the invitation. On the way, we found out what mountain we were going to and that it was the tallest in Germany. Its called Sugspitze, and mom it was so much funand and was soooooo pretty. We took a cable car all the way to the top and we were on the top of Germany and you could see all of the pretty mountains. it was one of the best p-days that i have ever had. I will send you as many pictures as I can, but I will send more in the coming weeks. The whole time the member was just telling us that she was having so much fun and the sisters and Elder Helbig and I all look back on that day as one of the best P-days so far on our mission.

The next day we had to go to Munich for our zone training and we had a great time. A great time to learn from the zone leaders and also to learn from others and see how you can improve your work in your area. After, we met with another of our investigators and talked to him about the atonement and how it can apply to him. His name is "J" and he is from Nigeria. He wants to be baptized but he believes that he has to be completely perfect before and after in order to be baptized. We told him that no one is perfect. A person can not attain perfection in this life. It is impossible. We will make mistakes and continue to make mistakes everyday. We told him that through the atonement of Jesus Christ, and if you continue to follow your Heavenly Father with faith, and endure to the end you can live with him again. We had a great J/T and we told him that nobody is perfect and that so long as we repent daily and try to do better each day, we can feel the holy ghost in our life and be happy. It was a great appointment and he is making progress every time we meet and we hope that he can accept a baptismal date pretty soon.

On Thursday we had a zone conference. That is a conference that we have with President Miles and Sister Miles the AP´s and the whole zone. It lasts all day and we heard from President Miles and his wife, the AP´s, and this time we even had the Munich stake president. I had a great time and learned so much. The spirit was in such great abundance. We made an appointment for "R" to meet with President Miles after the conference. I have written alot about "R", and he is so close to reaching baptism. The last thing that he needed to do was talk to President Miles. He came to us and asked us if he could be baptized on the 18th of February and he promised us that he would be there on Thursday to meet with the president. Ralph talked to the president on the phone himself and set up the time. The zone conference ended and we waited and waited and he never came. As president apologized and told us that he could not wait any longer, I found that I had tears rolling down my cheek and I was so heart broken. He was so close, and yet he did not show up. President Miles patted me on the shoulder and simply said: "Don't worry Elder, we will get him". That night was a hard night for Elder Helbig and I, who also had tears. As we were on the train back to Augsburg, we both new that one day, maybe not with us, but one day Ralph will become a member.  With that knowledge, Elder Helbig and I was able to feel comfort and move on with the rest of the week. We have several investigators who are close to baptism. We are so thankful for all the He has given us, and also for the trials that we have in our work from time to time.

This Sunday, we got a new bishop and the old bishop was released after serving for about 7 years. The whole ward was wondering if they were going to call a new bishop, and if they did, who it was going to be. As they released the old bishop and announced the new one, everyone was excited and ready and accepted the change. It was funny to see all of it happen. It reminded me of our ward when we get a new bishop. The whole ward wonders and has their opinions. Its always someone that you don't expect, yet they seem perfect for the position. Sunday was alot of fun.

Yes mom, I did receive your awesome package and all of the valentine gifts and hearts that were in it. I loved it so much. As we sat there doing our studies in the morning, someone buzzed our apartment and my heart jumped. I was so happy to see a package from my family and all of my loved ones. I also got the package with the calendar in it. Thank you so much for the info on the calendar. It helps so much.

This week, just like every week, was a week of ups and downs. As we read in the 31st chapter of 2 Nephi, in the 20th and 21st verses:
"Wherefore, ye must press forward with a steadfastness in Christ, having a perfect brightness of hope, and a love of God and of all men. Wherefore, if ye shall press forward, feasting upon the word of Christ, and endure to the end, behold, thus saith the Father: Ye shall have eternal Life.
And now, behold, my beloved brethren, this is the way; and there is none other way nor name given under heaven whereby man can be saved in the kingdom of God. And now, behold, this is the doctrine of Christ, and the only and true doctrine of the Father, and of the Son, and of the Holy Ghost, which is one God, without end. Amen."

Mom and Dad, I know that all of us will have weeks that we will be tried and pushed to our limits and we feel that things may be too hard to handle. But when we have a steadfastness on the Lord, and keep moving forward and adapt and overcome, we shall have everlasting life. I love you so much and I hope that you all have a great week. Yes, we will be participating the regional broadcast for all of Eurpoe. Till next week,

Your Son, Elder Martinez