Lakwe!! [Marshallese: The greeting lakwe or iakwe (pronounced yawk-way) means “hello”, “love,” or “goodbye”. More beautifully, its direct cultural translation means “you are a rainbow”]

This week flew by! But it was super good! Hope you are all doing so well!! 

On Tuesday we found out one of our less active members who we lovedddd was in the hospital. She was the first person in this ward I met! Her name is Geri and we would go over every week and make calls with her and she would yapp our ears off. But she passed away that night, so we were super sad cuz we loved Geri!  

Thursday we had exchanges and met this cool less active member and her cute baby Ryder! Its wild we meet so many awesome less active members who just need some church friends and someone to talk to **aka ministering people** so this is your reminder to do all the people on your ministering assignment because there’s some great people who just need a friend.

Friday we had exchanges again :))) we met this cute lady Yolanda and she lived in Jamaica she has her own online church tho lol! Then we were calling some people who filled out like a facebook ad to talk to missionaries and this lady was like oh are you guys a dog insurance company and we were like uhhh no…she hung up on us…

We also called another one of those ad referrals and i shared this scripture about the sacrament and he was like I NEED THAT I NEED THE SACRAMENT and i was like yes brother you do!!

Happy 7- eleven day on Saturday!!! I hope everyone celebrated 🥤 we helped some old lady move or pack or just idk what we did it was very unorganized lol then had some lessons met some people just the usual lol. 

Sunday we had a full morning of meetings starting at 7am with a stake meeting then sacrament meeting then a ward mission meeting then a ward council meeting woof felt like my pops going to meetings alllll dayyyy on Sunday lol 

Buttttt we had 9 friends at church which is WILD!! 

And we went to visit this member at a senior care place and she had us help her sew haha it was so fun and she gave me a little jean clutch she sewed …peep the google photos lol

Gratitudes 🔥

– sleep 

– nice people (theres lots of nice people and some not so nice people but i am grateful for the nice ones haha) 

– Tums – saved my life this week 

– my personal study time actually is the best time of the day like it is literally so fun anywho i say that like every week but its true 

– My comp sister evans! She is actually the best. we have so much fun together!!!

2 Nephi 4:20 “My God hath been my support; he hath led me through mine afflictions in the wilderness;”

God is always our support so we need to rely on Him. We are all going through the “wilderness” but he can lead us through. Just keep going and lean on God! On exchanges the sister who i was with said a prayer and asked God to just help us find one person this hour and after I said my own prayer too and asked God for support and help to do this. The next door we knocked we were able to teach her and set up a time to go back! God supports us and gives us so many miracles!!

Love you all! 

– sister martin 

HAPPY 4TH OF JULY 🎆

HAPPY BIRTHDAY CALI 🥳

Tuesday wow it was such a good day!We had interviews with President and Sister Parker and it was just so uplifting it was so good! We then had district council and got in n out bless! So you remember that girl Misty i think i talked about well her family is super anti so she told us her name isn’t actually misty its ella because she didnt want us knocking and asking for her so she gave us a fake name lol anywho she’s moving back to keizer with her parents so we cant contact her anymore 🙁 

Oh and this mexican grandma in our ward made us the best tacos ive ever had!!!! 

on tuesdays our ward has a little book of mormon study for new members and friends but not going to lie i get more out of it then them like i am just taking nots the whole time its so great!!

Wednesday we were on exchanges and we had a super cool mircale. We went to knock on a less active members door and his girlfriend Esther answered because he wasn’t home and she was super fun! We taught her for like 30 mins lol her beliefs are quite different than ours but i challenged her and the less active boyfriend to come to church and she said they would come the next sunday! And for the member meal we had ribs and potatoes and salad and watermelon it was so goooood

Ok what a day thursday it was an eventful day!! A few people dropped us :/ but so many miracles happened. I’ll just talk about one! We knocked a door where a person who had talked to the missionaries a while ago lived (grey dot iykyk) and a like 27 year old guy opened the door turns out he moved in 11 days ago and he was AWESOME like coolest person ive meet!! He was super interested in the ysa and meeting good people and friends so we passed him off to the ysa elders but he was genuinely so cool!! There was so much more but not enough space in this email haha but it was a great day!! 

Friday we had exchanges so it was chill lol lets just say God kept me safe this day haha 🚗 💥 and lots of other little miracles!! 

FOURTH OF JULY! lots happened today so ill try to make it short but we had a bunch of miracles and found 3 new people today! And we had a goood ward breakfast!!! Super fun day and we saw lots of fireworks

Sunday its like the grand finale like the whole week you invite so many people to come to church and then you just wait… and literally no one we invited came :/ but its ok, next week, next week we’ll get em. We also went to a kid in the wards baptism and it was so fun! 

Gratitudes 🐋

– good food oh my! 

– miracles!!! So many small miracles this week! 

– card and package from mom ❤️

– lots of laughing this week we had a grand time 

– Fruit! Theres so much fruit here

– the sunsets have been insane this week  

Found my new favorite scripture this week!!!

2 Nephi 10:23 “Therefore, cheer up your hearts, and remember that ye are free to act for yourselves—to choose the way of everlasting death or the way of eternal life.” 

This is such a good reminder that we choose our attitude and our effort! We need to cheer up our hearts and act for ourselves! 

don’t forget to say your prayers 🙂 

love and miss you all!! <3 

sister martin

Hola! 

Shoutouts! HAPPY BIRTHDAY MOM (it was on the 22nd but we are still celebrating) HAPPY BIRTHDAY MATTIE!!! (It was on the 28th but also still celebrating) LOVE YOU ALL!! Also it was my 1 month birthday on the 27th so yay!!

Tuesday….. long day lol. We had District council and got chickfila. We had a cool experience with this dude Jimmie, he didn’t come to church tho which is sad cuz i thought he really wanted to! We went back to the mall to do public contacting, it wasn’t awful actually except for one person said mean things lol but we met other nice people! Also idk why but im turning into a germ-a-phobe, we shake lots of interesting peoples hands lol…Send help and hand sanitizer.. Also i got bit by a spider so ya. Its crazy out here in salem haha 

Wednesday was chill lots of zoom meetings for training stuff! We had an interesting/awkward member meal but after we met a dude named tank lol super cool guy but we just found out he gave us a wrong number so RIP tank!

Thursday we had zone conference super duper good! We talked a lot about recognizing the Spirit and helping others recognize it! I gave out my first book of mormon on my own go me lol! And our member meal ghosted us soo yo quero taco bell??? Sí hermana

Friday we made some visits and what not and we went and got a burrito at the San Fransisco market sooo fire bro. We went and met a referal and it was cool she was like I’ve heard so many bad things about your church so i decided to come to the source so that was awesome!

Saturday it was cloudy and rainy all day and it actually made me so happy and we listened to mormon Tabernacle choir christmas music it was so great! We had a super cool phone call with this lady who used to be interested in the church but then her life just got crazy and she was telling us about things that happened and it was so sad but the Spirit was so strong even over the phone! 

Sunday holy moly we were soooo exhausted like we were just soooo tired, it was rough. but i gave my talk and ya it was chill! A few of our friends showed up so that was good! And we met some cute chuukese families! But we had a super duper cool experiance with this guy named mark and the Spirit was so strong

Gratitude 🙏🥹

– personal study… wow i used to think an hour is so long but i find myself doing extra personal study any free time i have at the apartment in the mornings and night i love it actually 

– Family/friends! So many emails that make my day better🫶 

– the rain 🌧️

– Sleep. I used to say in college i got the bes5 sleepcof my life. No it’s here. Like 10pm my head hits the pillow and im out till 6:30am

A scripture that i love right now is 3 Nephi 22:7 “For a moment have I forsaken thee, but with great mercies will I gather the.” I’ve kind of felt that this week. Theres a lot of times where it feels like God has forsaken me, I question why I’m here or I just feel so alone. But every single time I feel like that sometime after whether it be the next hour or the next day, I see Gods hand so clearly in my life. Sometimes its just a really good lesson or I read a good scripture or I get an nice email from someone, but I know God has not abandoned me. I know he won’t abandon you either <3 

Love you all so much 

♡ Sister Martin 

Ok so this is long but so good! Love you all 

Last days in provo were sad 🙁 At our last district council we had like a mini testinony meeting and it was super powerful!! So bye provo!!

Wednsdsy we got up at 4:30 to start traveling to salt lake airport then to oregon!! At the airport we literally ate full cafe rio meals at 9:30am cuz we were starvingggg. In the airport we met this cute old Filipino airport worker and he was telling us about his mission in the Philippines and how he was the best baptiser they have ever had lol i almost pulled out my tagolag but all i know is kamote and gusto ko ng taco bell and i figured he would be confused if i just whipped that out 

We got to Oregon and met the Parkers our mission presidant and his wife! They are the best! But it was honestly a super overwhelming day and the sisters stayed in a hotel room and it was rough for me im not going to lie all i wanted to do was go home but its ok God needs me out here so I’m here! 

We woke up at breakfast at the mission home and then we met our trainers and got our area! So im in the Kaiser zone in the Royal Oaks ward but im technically in Salem! Its the most dangerous place in the mission and it really is the ghetto and the people here are super poor.. 

My trainer is sister evans she is super fun and chill! Shes an STL and this is her last transfer so hopefully a good one haha but shes been in this ward for A YEAR so very imposter syndrom cuz she knows everyone super well! And everyone things we are sisters lol! Anywho shes the best 

Then we went to our apartment its pretty nice then we went out to do the work haha and i was so terrified. But im sorry our first lesson was with our friend Kaylea and this is the first time shes met with the missionaries and it was SUCH A POWERFUL LESSON and it was amazing and she is so ready and get this WE PUT HER ON DATE FOR BAPTISM!!! It was so cool!! We were so happy after wow yes!! Then we just visited other people, i dont say much lol cuz i dont know like anyone or their story and i get so scared but we working on it! Then we had dinner at our ward mission leaders house the Sheltons and that was good so yes!

Then (so sorry everyday had so much so im trying to just touch the big things) friday we just visited people, lots of canceled appointments and no one answering doors or phones but we got a referral and so we went to his house… wasnt home… we went back to the car and called… he answered… his name is Thomas and oh my he was sooooo ready for the Gospel of Jesus Christ like wow and we ended up putting thomas on baptismal date, on my birthday!!!!!! But sad news he moved to a different area so we had to send him to these other elders so ya but prayers up for thomas! Oh and then a member bought us little ceasers for dinner so ya!!

Saturday was a LoNg DaY we worked hard but didnt have much success or find new people. There was a ward relief society lunch which was lowkey fire such good food. Then we knocked so many doors and we went public contacting at the mall to had our flyers to this event and Sister Martin does NOT like public contacting like i got physically ill, the whole time im not kidding i was about to throw up. So ya that was not fun and knocked some more doors and then this member Lori bought us dinner at Baja Fresh but she didnt stay lol she just swipped her card and left but lwoeky i needed those nachos cuz ya! We also got asked if we were twins today lol 

Sunday was a chill day church was nice not having to worrying about knocking doors and stuff but none of our friends showed up ://// i also got aksed to give a talk next week sooo prayers 

Anyways sorry that was so long! But love you all so much!! Miss you!!! 

Grateful 🙏

– still my sleeping mask 

– personal study time

– fooood

– Jesus!

Happy fathers day to the best dad ever!! I am so grateful for my dad!! He’s the best and i miss him sooo much!! I also want to talk about our Heavenly Father!!! God is truley our Heavenly Father and He loves us each soooo much!! Its been hard not being able to talk to my dad and family throughout the week so i have relied so much on talking to my Heavenly Father in prayer and have seen the comfort and love He has and gives me!! I know prayer can bless our lives so much and God is listening and answering all of our prayers in the way He knows is best! 

💙sister martin 

Whats up fam 🙂 

Sunday holy that felt like a century in one day oh muh!! We had church and it was kinda sad cuz i could see my byu ward building from where we had sacrament meeting  i was lowkey on my death bed that day cuz i was ill i’m basically better tho but it was fast sunday so bless my soul no food for 24 hours was a bit rough but we got through it! We had a little photo shoot after district council. Our District leader, he is always teaching us how to pose for photos lol we all say he poses like he’s in a cologne ad lol. Oh and sister shaver got attacked by a spider lowkey scary but check out the goggle photos for the vid 

Monday holy very interesting long exhausting day! We did service at 6.45 and we just collected trash in one of the buildings and yuh. Then lots of studies and class and what not oh and glory in our district we had FOUR packages in the mail room wow it was genuinely so fun! Shout out mom and cali and probs pops for the package! Then classes and then sister McMullin and i had a come unto Christ experience ya its a long story so I’ll just leave it at that lol 

Tuesday hmm we taught our friend Marah (this is our second lesson with her) wow the Spirit was so there and we had her end our lesson with a prayer wow like it was such a cool experience. Then we went to the temple for sealings which was so cool cuz shout out Trattie they got married in the Mt. Timp temple and that’s where we went so it was coool. And then Elder Steven C. Barlow of the seventy came for devo and our district sang in the choir but like i was lowkey still ill so idk how well i sang but it was still super cool. 

Wednesday we went to the temple again to do an ednowment session! Super fun! it was a long day tho cuz we had to come back and do our 2 classes still and they are 3 hours each :/ but it was a good day oh also i wacked my head on the bunk bed metal ladder and brusied my hed so thats fun 

Thursday urmm we went to the temple AGAIN wow and did baptisms and initatories so that was fun 3 day streak!! Me and sister Shaver have been hitting the planks in our class breaks so ya super fun.  

Friday hmmm twas a chill day we had a lesson with our freind and it went well ig lol. They like record them and we can rewatch them and holy second hand embarrassment lol but its chill then we had classes super fun super chill and fire pizza for dinner so yuh then i just ate hot cheetos right before i went to sleep so healthy whoot whoot 

Oh and i got my travel plans which is CRAZY im outta here on Wednesday at like 5am so ya!!

Pday we played pickleball and volleyball so that was funnnn and ya 

Gratitudes 

– packages 

– THE BOOK OF MORMON (YALL SHOULD READ IT WOW) 

– The polys that walk around playing their ukulele wow love them its my favorite thing

– Miracles. I have seen so many small miracles this week its been so cool 

– The temple so many times its so great

– Fisherman freinds. Not sponsored but should be cuz shout out they have saved my life this week. 

– I got my PMG covers lamanated and i love it its so wonderful

In my personal studies i read 2 Nephi 2:11 which says, “For it must needs be, that there is an opposition in all things.” Theres been a lot of opposition in this week lots of super great things but lots of super hard things. As I go through the week I have seen Gods hand and love through both the good and the hard. So when you go through opposition just rember that God is still there and still loves us through good and bad 🙂

ofa atu 

te amo

– sister martin 

What is up everyone!!!
It’s me sister Martin!!! I’ve been a missionary for like hmm a week and a half? Yuh
I did a week of home mtc (lots of lots of zoom meetings) and on Wednesday I got to the Provo MTC!! It’s been super good but super busy!!
Wednesday I got to say bye to my byu best friend Anna at the byu bookstore lol!! Then I had to say bye to my fam 🥲 Then I got to meet my comp irl Sister McMullin! She is super nice! We’re a bit different but I’m learning so much from her :))) Also shout out Sister Shaver from my home stake is in my district which is funnnn!! And the rest of the sisters in my district are so fun and the elders are fun too lol. My teachers Sister Bell and Sister Allen are sooooo good I really love both of them!!!!

Thursday we went running at 6:45am and if you know Amelia you know she doesn’t run so I like walk/jogged lol. Between classes the whole district sat on grass cuz Sister bell always tells us we need to touch grass so ya. Also shout out the mtc cafeteria cuz everyone says it’s bad but I’m sorry kalua pork rice and mac salad for lunch everyday yes please

Friday was good it was Sister mclain in my districts bday and if you know amel she loves bdays lol. We went running again😭 Also birthday miracle Sister mcmullin got a package and we LOVE the mail room here so it’s always a blessed day when we get to go to the mail room!! Sister McMullin and I had a teaching lesson and it was fireeee!!! So ya! Oh and in our 6-9 class I was like so delusional like me and Sister mclain were crying laughing like it was so bad but soooo funny like I think people were genuinely concerned. Oh also I gaslite an elder that I was fluent in Spanish cuz basically I am!

And today pday halla! (Also side note sorry for all those Samsung users but not a fan but that’s ok like i went to do an explanation mark and it was in the wrong spot lol) idk what i did today lowkey everyday is soooo long but it’s v good!! God has been soo good!!

Gratitude thingys

• I saw my byu roommate mykenize in the cafeteria 🤧
• my sleeping eye mask is wow so great (shout out mom for letting me take hers)
• Food has been overall good so yay
  -and I got to talk to my fam today

Anywho here’s this nice scripture! Alma 26:38 “Now my brethren [and sisteren], we see that God is mindful of every people, whatsoever land they may be in;…” I’ve been trying to be more mindful of others and I have seen that this can help us be more focused outwards so ya yall should try it and let me know how it goes!!

Ok love you bye

<3 Sister Martin