CHRISMTAS MIRACLES AND AN AIRPORT

CHRISTMAS MIRACLES AND AN AIRPORT

Sister Marlowe…Week #3

Tuesday December 27, 2016

Hey kiddos!

SO SO SO MAN DONT EVEN KNOW WHERE TO START

Okay so not lots of time because I'm getting on an airplane today but wowwie so CHRISTMAS

First of all, I want to give a shoutout to all the homies who sent so much treats this week I love you all fam. Many sugar, much candy, very food. (No that was not a typo mom, I mean what I say and I say what mean)

Okay WOW

Before I start my beautiful Christmas narrative, I want to share that I have a fam-base yes fam-base not fan-base of about 30 people up in this MT of C. So basically my whole zone and a few other Elders that were our lightning gym time homies I am constantly referring to as my fam, and I have all these handshakes with lots of people it's honestly fantastic. Literally saying goodbye was so sad. Awful. They are my actual day one homies in this adventure of my life that started in this MTC.

ANYWAYS.

Yeah. SO Christmas. Christmas Eve was pretty regular, nothing super exciting or memorable, ended off the night after classes with a live nativity skit thing, I give it a 7/10, then we come back to our residence and we're all just hanging out in our room, eating chips and queso and really just livin it up you know. WELL GUESS WHAT. IT STARTED SNOWING. So you can bet your bottom dollar we had our half our zone sisters outside in the middle of the night in the snowstorm because it was a Christmas miracle! When 2,000 missionaries pray for a white Christmas, I don't think God will say no. It is sooooooo gorgeous here now!  

CHRISTMAS MORNING. The sisters in our district had stockings for our elders for Christmas, (Shout out to my momma Lou) and they loooooved that! Then we had our big Christmas morning devotional with a general authority! Not going to lie, I did have a few hopes it would be President Uchtdorf, but that's okay! Elder Dallin H Oaks came with his whole family, he and his wife spoke and did a wooooonnderful job! And his daughter Jenny Oaks Baker and her kids and a few other family members performed. Beautiful! 

So every missionary every week has to write a short, 3-5 minute sacrament talk because the branch presidents will just randomly select anywhere from 2-6 missionaries to speak on the spot, but this week they told everybody to still have a talk written even though we were having a sacrament meeting with THE WHOLE MTC. So of course, knowing me and knowing there's a one in two thousand chance I get picked to speak, I didn't write my talk. Also I have to add the fact that me and my companion had spent the last three days writing individual letters to every missionary in our zone which comes out to twenty-four handwritten letters. So I didn't write a talk! So we get to the meeting, and MTC presidency starts calling out names of missionaries to come to the front before we started the prelude music. So guess who is one of the lucky 15 missionaries called to the front to be in the pool of speakers they'll pick from.... Yeah. So I'm panicking. Nk talk, and an apostle is sitting on the stand right behind the pulpit. Great. So I sit in my seat and whip out a talk during the prelude and THEY NEVER HAD ME SPEAK. So miracles I guess. 

Ps. I'll just send the talk I wrote so it can at least benefit someone 

We are celebrating a special holiday today, Christmas to celebrate the birth of Christ. We are all at the MTC preparing to go share his gospel--a simple plan of five steps: faith, repentance, baptism by immersion, receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end.

Because of Christ, we don't have to worry about having a sad ending, only a joyful eternity.

We are all here because we have faith in that plan, Faith in our savior, and faith in our Heavenly Father.

We have faith that Jesus Christ enables us to overcome any challenge, whether it be serving a mission, or even death. We will overcome. 

2 Nephi 22. the Lord Jehovah is my strength and my song; he also has become my salvation.

I will not give up, let up, shut up, until I have stayed up, stored up prayed up, preached up for the cause of Christ.

We are disciples of Jesus. 

Garbage, but anyways

Okay so on with my Christmas story, we're all just hanging out after sacrament, (and I got to call my family and honestly I think they thought I was crazy because I just kept talking about the most random things but it was sosososo good to talk to them) and I'm thinking "ya know it's been a pretty good Christmas, we got snow, Elder Oaks came and gave an amazing talk, I didn't actually have to speak in sacrament, I'm with my best buds and 2nd favorite fam, it's been okay" 

So. Then we go to our last little (psh, little) christmas evening program and guess who shows up my heckies 

SO MTC PRESIDENT JUST GOES UP JUST LAUGHING AND GIGGLING AND SAYS SO WE HAVE A SPECIAL GUEST TONIGHT, HE'S A RETURNED MISSIONARY AND HAS SOLD MULTIPLE ALBUMS AND 

DAVID ARCHULETA JUST LITERALLY STANDS UP FROM THE AUDIENCE.

CRYING. 

PS. I know like only probably two people care but just have to add the fact that he sang: my jam Be Still, My Soul, his brand new song My Little Prayer (@erinastel), and also Glorious, which he recorded for Meet the Mormons. Also. Little known fact, the only recording he has ever done of Glorious was while he was ON HIS MISSION. Elder holland called his mission president and was like hey fam. I need Elder Archuleta to record a song, the church's recording artists are flying down tomorrow and he has to have it ready. So he's amazing 

And yeah. That was my very merry Christmas at the MTC. 

AND NOW I'm 45 minutes away from getting on a train to the Salt Lake Airport, and my life will never be the same. I AM SO EXCITED. Also. I've heard it said that a goal not written/shared is only a wish..... So you are all my witnesses: Sister Pope and I have made a goal to have 5 referrals to give to our mission president when we meet him on Thursday after all our layovers and flights... Pray up for us!!

I love you all and I'd love to hear from all of you over the next year and a half of this adventure!

December 27, 2016

Hi! Just about to head over to the travel offices with my bags! I'm sorry I couldn't get you my itinerary yesterday, not my P-day. I don't have a way to send you a picture right now I'm so sorry!!!!! I completely forgot. We fly out of Salt Lake at about 12 today, have a two hour flight to San Fran, then next thing I think we leave San Fran at 7:50. I'll call you with more details probably in Salt Lake.... If I can figure out the phone thing :) We fly from san fran to Auckland, about 13 hours, and then I can't remember when we leave there. All i Know is we land about 10:35 am in Melbourne. I'll call you. I LOVE YOU!!!!!!!!!! Give everybody hugs for me!!!!

Ps. Pics

Proof of David archuleta

me and my cutie Sister Boyce

our pretty pretty Christmas miracle snowstorm

I have more pictures I wanted to send but I don't have my camera with me! just had those on my email from my ipad before I got that turned in. Next week!

                                

                                                

President Vidmar

Elders and Sisters,

Happy New Year!

PLEASE CAREFULLY READ THE FOLLOWING LETTER AND LOOK FOR MY REQUEST:

This transfer will be unlike any other in the history of the Australia Melbourne Mission:

1. As you know, the Book of Mormon Musical opens mid-January. Soon after, the extensive campaign from the Church will open in various locations throughout the city, most prominently at Southern Cross Station. But regardless of where you serve, “Mormon” will be on the minds of people in this region more than any time in it’s history. We have a special opportunity, along with ward and branch members to let more people know who we really are, what we really believe, and what really can be found in the Book of Mormon. Let’s continue to prepare ourselves and members for this unique opportunity.
2. We will be privileged to receive a visit from Elder Gifford Nielsen, General Authority Seventy and First Counselor in the Pacific Area Presidency, and his wife Wendy. He will preside over 3 zone conferences from 9:00 am to 3:00 pm (lunch included) on the following dates:
- January 25 at the Launceston Building for the Tasmania zone
- January 26 at the Deer Park Building for Wyndham, Deer Park, Craigieburn, Wangaratta and MCC zones.
- January 27 at the Maroondah Building for Maroondah, Heidelberg, Braeside, Narre Warren, & Gippsland zones.

In preparation for the meetings, Elder Nielsen has given each of you the following assignments:

A. Fill out the missionary questionnaire (125 of you have completed this. Thank you. For those who have not, I believe we have passed the deadline, since I have already received the results).
B. Prepare a five minute lesson on how to teach the law of repentance. (Be prepared to teach this lesson if called upon by Elder Nielsen).
C. Read Alma 17-27 keeping in mind how Ammon and Aaron connected with King Lamoni and his father and how Ammon cared for those he baptized. (Be prepared to contribute to any discussion and to offer comments if called upon).
D. Read and study the words given in the recent worldwide General Conference (Take the time in your personal and companion study to review the conference talks, including those given at the General Women’s session).

Please arrive at 8:30 AM and sit reverently until Elder and Sister Nielsen arrive with Sister Vidmar and myself. Please stand respectfully when they enter the chapel. I am confident that what will follow will be truly special, if you come with the spirit to learn. Come prepared, take notes, make commitments, and follow through. Do not be as the five virgins who came without oil in their lamps.

My friends, I love the promise of a fresh start and a new year. Many people use the beginning of a new year to make resolutions to change: to lose weight, to exercise more, to give up bad habits, to be more kind, to study their scriptures, among many other things. However, these commitments are too often short lived, and after only a few weeks, many find themselves reverting back to old habits and behaviors. Let us together make a commitment to make 2017 the very best year of our lives. Commit yourself to being the missionary you expect of yourself, the missionary your family expects of you, and most important, the missionary the Lord expects of you. Each of you knows your strengths and your weaknesses. I know mine. I resolve to repent and be a better mission president to each of you. As a mission, we are not reaching our true potential. But I know collectively we can improve. I know together we can see miracles if we quicken our pace and lengthen our stride, and trust in the Lord. Sister Vidmar and I love you and have great faith in you. May God bless you in this noble cause!

PLEASE LET ME KNOW YOU HAVE READ THIS LETTER BY BEGINNING YOUR LETTER TO ME WITH THE FOLLOWING 3 WORDS, “I GOT IT!”

With Love,

President Vidmar