Maringa December 26, 2011
MERRY CHRISTMAS! And a very happy, happy new year!
I was so great to talk with you yesterday! You and Sharon are looking great and it sounds like life is going pretty good! I am so happy that Christmas was good and that you got to visit with a bunch of family. I hope everyone is in great spirits and had a wonderful Christmas! Yesterday was cool. We pretty much just visited the members. We watched a movie with Bishop called how rare a possession about the Book of Mormon that was really great. We ate dinner with a family of recent converts that are super cool and have a mom and sister to baptize still....OOOOooooOOO :)
My new companion is Elder Proulx. He is originally from Pennsylvania, but now he is living in Springville and will go to BYU probably. This week we are going to work hard and help lots of people come to Christ! We are going on splits with the members every day actually. It is really nice. I like that the ward helps us out so much here. It is really great. So, I can’t really think of anything new, kind of said everything yesterday.... but to quote Grandma Elaine, I sure do you love whole bunches! I realized that I am not good at taking pictures. I never remember to get the camera. So, they say a picture is worth 1000 words, and so a video must be worth even more, so I will send you a video of us singing to make up for the short letter. It got out of focus, but I think the sound is good.
I know that Christ resurrected from the dead to save us. I know he lives and loves us individually. I know the church is true. Just keep on Swimming!
Love, Elder Markham (Iron Man)
I was so great to talk with you yesterday! You and Sharon are looking great and it sounds like life is going pretty good! I am so happy that Christmas was good and that you got to visit with a bunch of family. I hope everyone is in great spirits and had a wonderful Christmas! Yesterday was cool. We pretty much just visited the members. We watched a movie with Bishop called how rare a possession about the Book of Mormon that was really great. We ate dinner with a family of recent converts that are super cool and have a mom and sister to baptize still....OOOOooooOOO :)
My new companion is Elder Proulx. He is originally from Pennsylvania, but now he is living in Springville and will go to BYU probably. This week we are going to work hard and help lots of people come to Christ! We are going on splits with the members every day actually. It is really nice. I like that the ward helps us out so much here. It is really great. So, I can’t really think of anything new, kind of said everything yesterday.... but to quote Grandma Elaine, I sure do you love whole bunches! I realized that I am not good at taking pictures. I never remember to get the camera. So, they say a picture is worth 1000 words, and so a video must be worth even more, so I will send you a video of us singing to make up for the short letter. It got out of focus, but I think the sound is good.
I know that Christ resurrected from the dead to save us. I know he lives and loves us individually. I know the church is true. Just keep on Swimming!
Love, Elder Markham (Iron Man)
Foz do Iguacu December 19, 2011
Hello Mother!
A Very Merry Christmas to you!
I am jealous that it is so cold there is Utah. Here it is very hot.
That is terrific that the surgery with Grandma and everything went so well! Congrats to Chad and Ashley as well! That is super, super exciting! Yeah!
So this week was roughish.
On Monday we had our Christmas conference like I wrote about last week. Tuesday was P-day. Normal. The rest of the week we just kept on working like normal. We found a really great family named Eduardo, Zenilda and Evandro. They went to church with us and it was awesome! Filipe is doing well, but is really scared to leave his other church for the time being. We didn’t really have all that much luck finding many new people this week. Life is kind of crazy with Christmas coming up. On Saturday we had a Christmas concert thing with the wards in Foz and it was pretty neat. We got to sing a lot and had some investigators there who liked it a whole bunch.
Now for the crappy news. Today is transfers and I am getting sent to Maringá. I didn’t really want to get transferred, but I´ll go where He wants me to go I guess.
I don’t know why but this week has been super hard. Not just this week, but we haven´t been having all that much success these last few. Elder Folland is great and I hope his new companion will be too. I don’t know him, but I´m sure President choose well.
For our Christmas call let’s do the following:
11:15 would be the best time for me. Night time is better to teach. If something changes I´ll try to let you know, because I´ll be in a new zone, so I don’t know anybody yet. Thanks for making a login and everything. I’ll use it for sure!
I love you more than anything else! Please know that I know the church is true and that God loves us. I testify of his called prophets today. I wish a merry Christmas and lots of love and spirit this week! Send pictures!
Lots of love:
Elder Markham
A Very Merry Christmas to you!
I am jealous that it is so cold there is Utah. Here it is very hot.
That is terrific that the surgery with Grandma and everything went so well! Congrats to Chad and Ashley as well! That is super, super exciting! Yeah!
So this week was roughish.
On Monday we had our Christmas conference like I wrote about last week. Tuesday was P-day. Normal. The rest of the week we just kept on working like normal. We found a really great family named Eduardo, Zenilda and Evandro. They went to church with us and it was awesome! Filipe is doing well, but is really scared to leave his other church for the time being. We didn’t really have all that much luck finding many new people this week. Life is kind of crazy with Christmas coming up. On Saturday we had a Christmas concert thing with the wards in Foz and it was pretty neat. We got to sing a lot and had some investigators there who liked it a whole bunch.
Now for the crappy news. Today is transfers and I am getting sent to Maringá. I didn’t really want to get transferred, but I´ll go where He wants me to go I guess.
I don’t know why but this week has been super hard. Not just this week, but we haven´t been having all that much success these last few. Elder Folland is great and I hope his new companion will be too. I don’t know him, but I´m sure President choose well.
For our Christmas call let’s do the following:
11:15 would be the best time for me. Night time is better to teach. If something changes I´ll try to let you know, because I´ll be in a new zone, so I don’t know anybody yet. Thanks for making a login and everything. I’ll use it for sure!
I love you more than anything else! Please know that I know the church is true and that God loves us. I testify of his called prophets today. I wish a merry Christmas and lots of love and spirit this week! Send pictures!
Lots of love:
Elder Markham
Foz do Iguacu December 13, 2011
Hello Mommy!
So thank you very much for the letter this week! I am glad that things are going so well back at home. The Lord is really blessing us so very much. I will pray for Grandma because she can´t stop running for sure! To answer some questions: That’s totally fine for them to use the truck. It needs to be driven. Also, about the exotic birds, Paraná isn´t really very exotic and so people only have those things if the buy them. It is more to the north that has the crazy forests and stuff.
This last week was interesting. Monday we spend 10 hours on the bus going to Londrina. I got really sick from I don’t know what and it was sort of miserable. Tuesday we had leadership conference in Londrina and learned a bunch of cool stuff, just that I was still sick and didn´t pay attention all that well. Wednesday we spent another 10 hours on the bus trying not to be sick. The rest of the week was kind of slow. The assistants came here to work with us because they gave some training at the Christmas conference. That was cool and it is always fun to see them. Yesterday was the conference and so today is our P-day. The conference was great. We ate at a super fancy restaurante called Fogo Dourado. Bom demais! We had a little program and I got to play piano a whole bunch which was fun. The really funny news is that I talked to Sister Tavares about why I was getting sick. She called São Paulo and they determined it is a problem with the heat. I am super white and it has been about 110-115 here the last few weeks. They authorized me to use a dress hat to stop getting sun burned. It will be funny to be the only missionary walking around with a hat equal Parley P. Pratt style. I´ll send you a picture when I buy it.
Anyways, I love you all so very much. I love to read the conference talks and I know that we have a living prophet here on the earth. I know this gospel is true and brings great happiness to our lives. Keep up the great work!
Love Elder Markham
So thank you very much for the letter this week! I am glad that things are going so well back at home. The Lord is really blessing us so very much. I will pray for Grandma because she can´t stop running for sure! To answer some questions: That’s totally fine for them to use the truck. It needs to be driven. Also, about the exotic birds, Paraná isn´t really very exotic and so people only have those things if the buy them. It is more to the north that has the crazy forests and stuff.
This last week was interesting. Monday we spend 10 hours on the bus going to Londrina. I got really sick from I don’t know what and it was sort of miserable. Tuesday we had leadership conference in Londrina and learned a bunch of cool stuff, just that I was still sick and didn´t pay attention all that well. Wednesday we spent another 10 hours on the bus trying not to be sick. The rest of the week was kind of slow. The assistants came here to work with us because they gave some training at the Christmas conference. That was cool and it is always fun to see them. Yesterday was the conference and so today is our P-day. The conference was great. We ate at a super fancy restaurante called Fogo Dourado. Bom demais! We had a little program and I got to play piano a whole bunch which was fun. The really funny news is that I talked to Sister Tavares about why I was getting sick. She called São Paulo and they determined it is a problem with the heat. I am super white and it has been about 110-115 here the last few weeks. They authorized me to use a dress hat to stop getting sun burned. It will be funny to be the only missionary walking around with a hat equal Parley P. Pratt style. I´ll send you a picture when I buy it.
Anyways, I love you all so very much. I love to read the conference talks and I know that we have a living prophet here on the earth. I know this gospel is true and brings great happiness to our lives. Keep up the great work!
Love Elder Markham
Foz do Iguacu December 5, 2011
Hello! Mother of mine!
How good it is to hear from you!
I was very happy to get your happy birthday letter and everything! I am glad that thanksgiving was fun and the food was good and everything. That’s crazy about all of that wind. I wish it were cold here.... I think i might die of hotness! But it’s all good right?
So last week was pretty normal. Worked hard. Ate food. My birthday lunch was pretty awesome. Irmão Carlos in our ward used to work in a really nice restaurant and he made a whole ton of really really really good food. We ate some lemon cake that was absolutely excellent!
We brought a new family to church yesterday named Erni, Maria and Lucas. They are really cool. Also Filipe accepted to be interviewed for baptism this coming week and also Rafael (the brother of Viviane and Ana Carolina)! We should have a great week. This week will also be Friend Sunday and a pizza party in the church. It should be a great chance to involved ´people in the Ward. I am leaving for Londrina in about an hour for leadership training and Conferencia of Christmas will be next week. Also tell grandma and Debbie and Bill very thanks for the letter!
I know that we have living prophets in our days. I know the plan of salvation is real and that our families can be together forever. I love you soooooooo much and I will continue praying for you. Keep up the great work!
-Elder Markham
How good it is to hear from you!
I was very happy to get your happy birthday letter and everything! I am glad that thanksgiving was fun and the food was good and everything. That’s crazy about all of that wind. I wish it were cold here.... I think i might die of hotness! But it’s all good right?
So last week was pretty normal. Worked hard. Ate food. My birthday lunch was pretty awesome. Irmão Carlos in our ward used to work in a really nice restaurant and he made a whole ton of really really really good food. We ate some lemon cake that was absolutely excellent!
We brought a new family to church yesterday named Erni, Maria and Lucas. They are really cool. Also Filipe accepted to be interviewed for baptism this coming week and also Rafael (the brother of Viviane and Ana Carolina)! We should have a great week. This week will also be Friend Sunday and a pizza party in the church. It should be a great chance to involved ´people in the Ward. I am leaving for Londrina in about an hour for leadership training and Conferencia of Christmas will be next week. Also tell grandma and Debbie and Bill very thanks for the letter!
I know that we have living prophets in our days. I know the plan of salvation is real and that our families can be together forever. I love you soooooooo much and I will continue praying for you. Keep up the great work!
-Elder Markham
Foz do Iguacu November 28, 2011
Oi Momma!
Thank you for the letter! I love to hear from you! It’s kind of cool that I will be turning 21 as well. Now I can drink and buy cigarettes! As for the age we will be resurrected, I just think it’s funny that we will be twinkled at the age of a tree in the millennium. Maybe we will be Ents. Tell grandma super thank you for the birthday money! I will go shopping today and buy something nice. I got kind of sad that we don’t have thanksgiving in Brazil thinking about all of the great food. We eat really good here in Foz and the food is excellent! But if I could trade out rice and beans for a nice sandwich or casserole, I think I would! The best thing about food here is called Churrasco. I learned how to make it and its sure good!
That cool that Mary Ann and Randy are going on a cruise. Mary Ann and Camille are famous in our mission because I showed everybody how they are in the Ensign for conference that one time. As for Tyrel being engaged....... wow weird. But tell him congratulations and to save some cake for me!
This week was......hot. The temperatures here are starting to be about 100 the whole day long. This would be tolerable except for the fact that everyone keeps on saying that we haven´t seen nothing yet. *gulp*. I hope the Word of Wisdom protects against skin cancer and dehydration! If you feel like sending any more SPF 100 sunscreen I totally accept.
With all this work we have to stay in the baptismal font more often to keep cool! This week we saw another tender mercy of the Lord and Ana Carolina the sister of Viviane was baptized Saturday! Her brother Rafael is also progressing well and we found a great family (Edson, Igor, Filipe and Sara) this last week. There is another man named Filipe who is going to church strong now and with lots of prayer he will be baptized very soon! We had Stake conference yesterday and Presidente Tavares visited us her in Foz. There was a very funny old man who used to be in the temple presidency and he made everyone laugh by saying that the 2 things we need in a good marriage are trust and ketchup in case our wife doesn´t cook well. There was also a returned missionary from New York who said a line that I really liked. He said in New York there are more that 8 million people and only 170 missionaries. He wakes up everyday thinking I have 8 million people to convert today! I liked this attitude. Let’s baptize Brazil; all of it. Elder Folland is super awesome and already speaks Portuguese really well. The members are giving us tons of food and references and things are going pretty well. In 2 weeks we will have a Christmas conference which will be cool. The week of the conference our P-day will be on Tuesday so don’t freak out that my letter comes late.
I know that God live and loves and guides us. This is the work of the lord and no unhallowed hand can stop it. We have the fullness of truth and access to the blessings of heaven. Our family is forever. I love you and so do Sharon and Dad. Keep on reading the Book of Mormon every day.
And most important: Never give up. NEVER surrender.
Love you
Your year older son:
Elder Iron Man Markham
Foz do Iguacu November 21, 2011
Thank you so very much for your 2 letters this week! It was good demais! Elder Folland and Sharon say that I speak English really weird now. I was dumb struck happy when I read that Zack gave a talk in church! I have been praying for him for a long, long time! Holy cow! Also I was a little sad to hear about Bro. Merrell, but at least now he will be able to play organ all he wants! Take good care of Sister Merrell, they are such good people. I am happy that Sharon´s play went well! She must be very good. Thanks for the counsel as well. I am being happy but the zone is in a pretty hard spot right now. Vamo lá! Desanima não! (Let’s go! Not be discouraged! The great news was that this week........ 3 baptisms! Waahhoo!
We really saw the hand of the Lord Foz miracles this week. We ran like crazy. We did so many divisions this week that I felt like an assistant again. You can’t get too used to sleeping in a bed now can you? :) The people who were baptized were Aline, Maria and Viviane! It was so special to see Elder Folland baptizing for the very first time. He loved it and we have another 2 marked already for this week. Sometimes it takes a while, but start us and you can’t stop us! HA! The Lord has really blessed us a lot. I recognize like you wrote that baptism is not everything, nor how we measure our success, but I am so happy when like Ammon, I see many of my brethren truly repented and showing forth their faith making covenants with Heavenly Father, In Doctrine and Covenants 20 we read, an Apostle is an Elder, and the calling of an Elder is to baptize! God has really blessed us this week, so let keep on working. This week unfortunately we had to stop teaching a lot of our investigators because they stopped progressing or don’t want it, but we will work super hard to find a bunch of new people this week. It should be pretty awesome. In our divisions, we taught 4 more people that accepted to be baptized this week, but it didn’t work out, and so they will probably be baptized next week. Hurrah for Israel.
We had some super good food this week to. I am going to learn how to make Churrasco and it will be bom demais! (so good!)
I love you so very much mommy! Thank you loads and load for the prayers advice and thoughts. Tell everybody that I love them in the family and back at home. And Happy Christmas Harry! I know the work in the temples is true. I know that the prophets today can lead us like the Liahona. I know that prayer is really communication with God and that He hears and answers us. Never give up! NEVER surrender. Have a great week!
-Elder Markham
Foz do Iguacu November 14, 2011
Hiya mommie!
So this week there isn´t all that much to say. I spent most of the week doing transfers and sitting on the bus. But first off, I´ll start by answering your questions:
It’s going ok. Josmar is ok, but not super great. Guilherme is doing great. I do not know how many missionaries there are in the Londrina Stake. Yes our mission has 2 councilors. They are good but I don’t remember their names. I’m not really sure what they do exactly, but it must be important!
That is super neat that they finished the broadcasting building and everything. I think Jessica works there now. It must be super fun to mess around with all the cool stuff! Haha! Also here are the pictures from last week. I will be praying for Grandma for sure and the surgery. Please say hello and give a hug to everybody back on the ranch.
So this last week was like this:
Monday: p-day
Tuesday: Transfers, which turned out to be a giant mess and we spent pretty much all day trying to receive people and straighten everything out.
Wed: 12 hours on the omnibus to Londrina
Thurs: Leaders council that was pretty good and we learned how to train other leaders and Elder Dewey, Kaelin and I sang a sweet version of Hie to Kolob.
Fri: 12 hours on the bus returning to Foz
Sat: Running around crazy to catch up on the work
Sun: Rained like crazy and everybody got real, real wet.
Good week!
The only thing is that I am a little frustrated that nobody was baptized here yet. President sent me here to turn the zone around and help everybody out, but since I got here nothing has changed. Any suggestions?
This is the true church of the Lamb. Families are forever and ever and ever! Yeah!
Love you lots!
Let’s use SKYPE again on Christmas ok?
-Elder Markham
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