Last blog post

Here are the last photo's of CamCam from the mission blog, as well as the words the president's wife wrote about  the departing group.

 Nice photo bomb!

 Thank you

to these incredible, valiant, wonderful, powerful missionaries! 

We watched them grow up in the mission. 

They have blessed our lives, the lives of other missionaries,

and the lives of members and members-to-be.

Our joy is full.

We love you and miss you!

Thank you for coming!!!!

Week 95

Well, my dear loved ones, this here, is it, my last big email, this is my last real Pday, next weeks pday is transfer day, and I will be to busy being... moved, that day.

SO! Let us reminisce a bit, I am going to tell you of my last two years, in a nut shell! Well, actually in a library, but, you know what I meant...

Day one, MTC, I loved the MTC, I had an AWESOME district, and a great companion, with the best MTC teachers in the history of the MTC! My comp, Elder Bird, was a wonderful example, and still is! I learned a lot from him about staying focused when staying focused is not always the most fun!

Then came the mission field, I left the comfort of the MTC to go to the most miserable weather this earth has to offer! I was sure I would die, right off the plane! 

I was then shipped off to the wonder... land of Philadelphia Mississippi! And I spent my first 3 months there and in the mission with my trainer, Elder Ashby, Whom, though I did not always see eye to eye with, did teach me a LOT! And will always be, to me, a good missionary. 

After he left, I found my long lost brother, Elder Anderson, he was my second companion, and is now, my best friend! I was only his companion for 1 transfer, but we served around each other for another 3, and will be friends forever! He taught me A LOT OF PATIENCE!! As I'm sure he did all his companions :)

Philly was the PERFECT place for me to start my mission, a small branch, that I love with all my heart, and by far the most success I have seen through out my entire mission, I loved my time there, and will cherish it forever.

After my time in Philly was done, I was sent away to my second area... Jonesboro Louisiana! This would end up being my biggest trail, all 4 and a half months there, were the hardest of my mission, I could blame my comp, but it really was not his fault, Elder Hartwig was not an easy comp, but I gave him way to much of a hard time, and could have worked really well with him if I just let him be my pal. He had a big heart and taught me how to love everyone, I am grateful for those 3 months.

After he left I got another comp I feel sorry for, he came to a dead missionary, poor guy, I probably sucked! Elder Ely helped me get over myself and prepared me for my next area. 

Joneboro was tough, but the members of that small branch took care of me, and are just the best! Also had some of the best southern cooking you will ever find in that area! GOOD TIMES!

Shreveport came next.. And Elder Marcum, who, got a long with me.. but that's about it, in fact, he got so much along with the other Elders that he ended up with a big black eye for most of the transfer, so that was a tough one..

Then I got Elder Adams, and we had a some success together, we just worked well together, I learned a lot from him, the way he tracted was different to me, and something I took with me for the rest of my mission, he is a good friend.

Shreveport was not my favorite area, and my least favorite ward, but it was a nice change from middle of no where to big city.

After Shreveport I was sent to my home! Bay St Louis Mississippi! In the Waveland ward. LOVE THAT PLACE!

I started off there with one Elder Christofferson, Another one of my very best friends! We had almost NO success, but that's just how things go in Waveland, it was tough, but I love that place! Christoff taught me SO MUCH! He will always be one of my best friends. 

Then Elder Mobley came to me, I don't know if I have worked better along side any companion, we just agreed on how to do the work! He is one of my favorite comps, even though he is not a huge fan of me... Its cause I'm white!   

I was with Elder Mobley for only one transfer, then came training! Kinda... Pres told me he wanted me to TRAIN!? He... was out of his mind, clearly.. But he made up for it by making the normal 12 weeks of training only last 6 weeks, I guess I helped by apparently being to flirty with one sister missionary... Blast me and my charm! 

Elder Creger is my mission son, (And now my district leader...) My 6 (shoulda been 12) weeks with him were some of the best of my mission! We worked hard, and never stopped, he to this day thinks I'm a no good missionary, but that's ok, I love him anyways! 

Pres told me I was going to be leaving like week 3 of the transfer, so he gave me a lot of time to decide what I wanted to do, I told him I was DONE being a District leader, (Not a fan of mission leadership, never have been) And that I wanted to get off my knees with all that biking, so he gave me a car area!

STONEWALL!! Which is really just Shreveport again.. 

MY first comp there was Elder Rose, my DL was Elder Anderson! Whom I love, and elder Anderson was training! Making Elder Meyer my nephew! I love him too, that was our district, remember this, cause it comes in to play later, it was pretty much the best district ever! 

Elder Rose was a great comp, we had a lot of success together as well, good times, good times!

Stonewall was a good place for work, but never really felt like home.

Then... Well, I wont even talk about the next transfer... 

AFTER THE TRANSFER OF UNSPOKEN! I was transferred (best transfer call of my life!) To the LAND OF WEST MONROE! You may know it as the place they film Duck Dynasty!  

I was with Elder Clements, I think that's how you spell it... My first time back on the bikes! DAY ONE KILLED ME!! I couldn't even sleep that night it hurt so bad, a few days latter Pres came to town and gave me a blessing, (In which he pretty much told me to suck it up..) But the biking become MUCH more doable, SO WE BIKED ALL OVER THE PLACE!! IT WAS THE BEST!
I used this transfer to teach Elder Clements what NOT to do when someone tries to tear you down... I just was a little less patient with rude people at that point in my mission.

I spent a grand total of 6 weeks in West Monroe, but in those 6 weeks, it became one of my favorite areas, I love that place, and that ward, I will always remember my time there fondly.

SOMEHOW! I managed to get sent to the place in the mission that is WIDELY known as the best place to finish your mission, and I joined Elder Anderson, and Elder Rose in the Hattiesburg district, and Elder Meyer was not far away as he was in our zone, and we saw him weekly, SO THE BAND WAS BACK TOGETHER!!! 

My last Companion has been Elder FIsher, I could not have asked for a better person to end my mission with, he has helped me make my last 3 months the best I could make them! 

Hattiesburg really is a great place to die, (that's mission lingo for end!) Small, but great ward, good people, good work, LOVE IT HERE! 

My mission has been a roller coaster to say the least, I have been fed well! (TO WELL!) I have been shot at! I have seen miracles! I have been attacked my BIG DOGS! I have been told that I should not go down a road cause that's where people go to die!! (I want anyways..) AND THAT WAS ALL JUST IN MY FIRST AREA!!! 

I know everyone says the mission is the best two years of their life... I'm not going to say that, I have never been one for being fake, but I will say with out a doubt that this has been by far, the best two years FOR my life, I have grown more in this these two years then probably the last 10 years... And not just cause I got fat... 

I could not have done it with out all the people I had on BOTH sides of the vale (mission lingo for home and the field) taking care of me! THANK YOU!!!! 

I love the south! I LOVE THIS MISSION! Just a bunch of misfits! I LOVE YOU!!! 

I have one more week to prove that I can do anything! PRAY FOR ME! 

Always remember to smile! And keep your Camcamian levels high! 

MUCH LOVE! For the last time,

Elder Cameron Aaron Martin. 

Week 94

This week Elder Fisher got super sick, so we had a rough one, but the zone was challenged to do some things this week, so WE did get that done, mostly just a lot of tracting... That was... fun.. 

We knocked on this one door, and this old lady was inside, and she was like, "OH! You want to talk about Jesus? SURE! Come on in! I put one foot in the door and she YELLED!! "YOU KNOW WHAT I THINK ABOUT JESUS? I THINK YOU NEED TO GET THE (insert bad word here) OUT OF MY HOUSE AND GET THE (again) OUT OF MY SITE AND ON YOU WAY!!!" So I was like, "But MAM! That doesn't make any sense!" She then yelled some more and we left, haha, crazy old people. 

Well, that's all the fun I have this time, LOVE!!

Elder CamCam Martin!

Week 93

WELL!! Not much going on last week, again, but we did bike for the first time! Elder Fisher dont like to bike, and, well, its hard on me, so we never did it, just walked everywhere, but when we biked we found 20 bucks! Biking is my new best friend!

We have a zone meeting, not a zone conference, just a meeting, like a distinct meeting, anyways, one of the DL's in the zone knows me well enough to know Im not afraid to speak my mind, so he asked me to help him as he kinda threw down on some lame stuff happening in the mission, well, when the time came, HE CHOKED! Said like one thing, haha, I took care of it for him, wasn't even something that really mattered to me, but did to him... The things I do for people.

Um, not much else to say, so here are some pics for maybe the first time ever from me!

1. My Dist last transfer.

3. Me looking good with some sisters! Ha, they all love me..

4. Lunch selfie!

Week 92

So this week was ALMOST crazy! Almost, there was this one day, that nado sirens went off! AND IT GOT NUTS!! But nothing happened.. I was sad, SO CLOSE! I took lots of pics but I don't have a cord for this new camera to send stuff, thought I did, I was wrong, I will get it next week!

Other then that not much going on, our top investigator MOVED! So that's a thing, a lame thing.

On Saturday, which, was the best day EVER! For.. many reasons, I randomly saw a family from the Waveland ward that I love! I WAS SO HAPPY TO SEE THEM! Goodness, I love the way I get blessed sometimes, what a loving Heavenly Father we have!

WELP!

That's all this week, LOVE!
Elder CamCam Martin!

Week 91

HELLLO! Well, week one of my last transfer was good! We didn't have the car for most the week, so we walked all over, and yes, I sang the whole time!

Its been a good week, our main investigator came to church again, he has a lot of issues other wise he would be baptized by now, but we are working very closely to him, and that is going rather well..

Did I mention last time that Elder Creger is our DL? You don't remember, but I trained Elder Creger! Its weird having him here.

Um, I have no time today, but know that i love!

LOVE!

Elder CamCam Martin!

Week 90 or something

SOOO! Today is the first day of my last transfer, so that's a thing... I am now the oldest missionary in the mission, and BOY is that weird! 

Micheal our top gator came to church again, that was good!

SO! Let me tell you a story, a story of love, a story of fear, a story of tears, a story of joy, a story of friendship, a story of hate that guy, a story of MISCALLS! the story of, "THE EVENT" that's what we are calling it now.

I must start by reminding you have Elder Fisher, he is my comp! He is great! 

Let us go back a few weeks, to interviews, where pres asked us both what we wanted to do THIS transfer, we BOTH told him we wanted Elder Fisher to stay! He said M'kay and all was well! (OR SO WE THOUGHT!)

Well, the weeks went by and soon transfer calls were upon us! But no worries, RIGHT!? Elder Fisher and I were staying together, HE WAS GOING TO KILL ME! We had already made some awesome plans for this transfer, PLANS OF EPICNESS..NES! PEOPLE WERE GOING TO WRITE BOOKS ABOUT US!!!! And by people, I mean an apostle! Either that or an apostle would have to come to the members and fix all that we broke... ONE OR THE OTHER! But regardless, it was going to be AWESOME!  

Well, Friday come, and we already know how we are going to answer the phone when the AP's call, (In this mission the AP's call if you are staying, and pres calls if you are leaving)

The day is going, no calls are coming, but that's mkay! BIG MISSION! Takes some time to get us all.

BUT THEN! The sisters tell us about how the AP's already called them!! FEAR! strikes in! I don't even know what to think, but we still fill MKAY! Cause they forget to call people sometimes.

THEN! THE CALL! From one Elder Joseph, a brother of mine in Shreveport! He calls, I say "WHAT UP HOMIE!" He asks.. "Do you know Elder Fisher?" NOO!!! WHY WOULD HE ASK THAT!! Turns out, they already got called too, and some Elder in shreveport was told they were getting ELDER FISHER!!! NOOOOO!!!!

ANGER! Elder Fisher bounces, and I pursue! We walked, and WALKED! A few screams, we, are NOT happy!

BUT THERE IS STILL HOPE!! Elder Joseph could have been joshin us! So we go about our day.

Then the call come... a ring on the phone, a vibrate on my chest.. (I put the phone in my front pocket)

I take out the phone, I don't want to look... ITS PRES!! I TOSS THE PHONE!! We sit, in fear, hoping it just goes away. It won't, IT KEEPS RINGING!!! .... I don't answer... 1 missed call..

I called him back, unhappy! He answers, I say "President! You are not supposed to be calling! I AM NOT M'KAY WITH THIS!" Then I hear his calming voice, and all at once, I feel a calm, a sad calm, but a calm.

Then after calming me down, he tells me I don't look like a horse, and proceeds to give me the bad news. "You will be getting a new companion.... ELDER (#&*$@*&!!!!" (No need to know his name..)

NOOOOOOOOOOOOOOO!!!!!!!!!!! This was the worst news ever!!!! EVER!!!! 

We get done with pres, and I start screaming! WHY WOULD HE DO THIS TO ME!? DOES HE NOT WANT ME TO MAKE IT!?

So we called the other Elders, to go to their pad, to cry with them, and have ice-cream, there were other reason for being VERY sad as well, in fact, made me punch a metal wall... But we won't get into that, cause we don't talk about these things!

ANYHOW! That night was the worst.

THE NEXT NIGHT!! Was the best, we called pres back, and told him about how I want to WORK my last transfer and DO NOT want to do it alone! AND HE HEARD US OUT!! 

We then tell him about how Elder Fisher and I had PLANS!! And he told us to pray, and call him back the next day! 

We did both those things. And when we called him back! HE SAID WE WERE STAYING TOGETHER!!! MORE SCREAMING!!!! AND THIS TIME IN THE RAIN!!!! 

SO HAPPY!! So I will die the way I have always wanted to, HAPPY!!!!! 

WELP!! LONGEST STORY EVER!!!

LOVE!!!

Elder CamCam Martin!

Week 88

Welp, life has been good!

We had one of those investigators come to church again! Said he was come again next week! His family didn't come this time, but they will be back.

The other guy wants to be baptized, but  he has been missing for a few weeks... The south, gotta love it.

Tomorrow is my LAST Zone conference! I am definitely going to give my opinion on a few things...

We went to a craw fish thing yesterday, I don't really like craw fish, they always looking you back in the face when you eat them! 

There was also shrimp though, that stuff is good, not the shrimp you would get back home, these things are HUGE! And yummy! 

WELP!!

Guess that's all I got!

LOVE!! 

Elder CamCam Martin!  

Photographs

Here are more pictures from the mission presidents blog. 

Elder Martin was awarded a key for the cleanest apartment or something? Maybe he just got his picture with the key though.

 I believe this is a zone conference.

 Transfers. Is CamCam losing weight?

Week 87

Been a fast week, Elder Anderson whom I love, goes home in 2 weeks, well, he got his flight plans the other day, and BOY OH BOY! It hit us both, it hit me cause I'm next, when he goes, I'm the oldest in the mission, that's freaky!

SO! We have had some good come of the Gladys Knight thing, we have had 4 people come to church! I know that doesn't sound like much, BUT IT IS!!! We are exiting about a family of 3 that came yesterday, and a young man that came last week, I can see a lot of good coming this way soon! 

Some dunk guy came to church yesterday too! He was trying to talk to us just in the middle a talk! Ha, he stood behind us and just starting chatting away, it was funny. 

WELP! That's sadly all I got!

LOVE! 

Pictures

Here are some photos from a specialized training for district leaders or trainers and their new greenies.

This is from a zone conference. I may have already posted this one...

Week 86

I am now in Hattiesburg MS, its a wonderful place and I love it here so much!! 

We are super exited for this week, cause Gladys Knight is coming to town! She is doing this really awesome thing at the Church where she and her choir sing and bare testimony of the church and such things! Its really exiting, cause people LOVE her down here, so we are expecting to get a TON of referrals from this.

She and her choir do this every year, they PRAY about where to go, and felt very strongly about here. Its kinda a big deal! 

I got bear hugged by a big Polly guy about 2 weeks ago, and I think he broke a rib.. My chest is really starting to hurt from that... Its no fun, I guess I will get it checked one day... 

WELP! That's all I got for now!

LOVE!

Elder CamCam Martin. 

Week 85

YES! I am on the move once again! After only 6 weeks here in West Monroe, I am getting Transferred to Hattiesburg Mississippi! 

My new address will be
2300 Lincoln road apt. 10
Hattiesburg, MS 39402.

I will be in a district with Elder Anderson, whom I love, AGAIN! AND Elder Rose, My zone will have Elder Christofferson, ALL KINDS OF FORMER COMPS! It will be some great times! That's for sure!

I FEEL like that will be my last area, even though I already said that once about this area! 

This will be my 8th Companion in 8 transfers... That's a lot, it will also be my 8th area! I like how I have had a completely different mission then Jason's lame 2 area mission!

This week was super slow, but we have been talking to a guy that is very interested in the idea of having a prophet! So that's cool!

I'm not sure if I already shared this story, but here I go!

We were tracting, and we knock on this door, that had another door right next to it, it was weird, kinda like as if it was two apartments in one building, but it wasn't.. Just one house!

ANYHOW! One door opens, and there stands a REALLY old man, who was probably not all there, Its Elder Clements turn to talk, (Its always his turn, cause he is green and I am gray!) And he is giving his shpeal to this guy, when suddenly the OTHER door opens, ahh.. awkward.. So I take the new guy, and really, just take over.. So this new guy says something like "Well, I think you guys are a cult!" My eyes narrow and its on! "Why is that?" I ask, "doesn't your bible say 'another testimony of Jesus Christ'?" Now first of all, I have NO IDEA how that would make you a cult, but I guess to him it would, but I ignored that clear flaw in what he was saying and took on the other one, and said "No.. It says Holy Bible..." He was taken aback, had no reply, so he said something about worshiping a different Jesus.. Not sure where that came from, but I told him, "OH, No, we worship the same Jesus that is in the Kind James version of the Bible, Our bible, that says, Holy Bible, and that's what we read and teach, from the Bible, so if that makes us a cult then we are ALL a cult!" To which the old guy said "Amen!" HA! Now he was really speechless, I think he squeaked out the word "well.." But he was struggling, I then ended with "All we do is teach people about Jesus, the same Jesus that saved us all!" The old man said Amen again, and we were on our way! 

D&C was not kidding when it said our "Enemies will be confounded."

ANYHOW! LOVE IS LOVE! AND CAM IS CAM!

LOVE!!

Elder CamCam Martin!

Week 84

Conference was great! I feel like we were mostly called to repentance, more then normal, I had a lot of talks that I really liked, there was also a lot about love! Love, obedience, and being better was what I took from it all.

On Sunday it rained, and rained, AND RAINED!! More then I have ever seen in one day ever! SO MUCH RAIN!!! 

I was scared that the bad weather would interfere with conference, but everything came in nice and clear, blessing!

This week, this guy at wal-mart stopped us, and said "Its the missionaries!" I joyfully replied "YES SIR!" He then got for reals and said "No your not. What church are you from" I said, "Um, yes we are! We are personal representatives of Jesus Christ! So we teach about His church, The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints!" At this point, I already know that his soul purpose is to tear us down, so I was probably being a little condescending... (I'm not as awesome as those Sisters Elder Holland spoke of, but I will be doing better from now on.) He said "Nope! Anyone that changes the bible is not of Christ!" "OH!" I said , "I see the problem, you have us mistaken for someone else, we have done nothing in any way to change the bible." he want on to say YES YOU DID! And was about to say something but I cut him off and said "Wait, do you read the Kind James version?" He said he did, "Yeah! So do we, I read it every day! Same exact bible as you read!" He then told me that I in fact DO NOT read the bible every day! I told him that was news to me. He then proved his point with John 1:1... NO IDEA HOW THAT PROVED HIS POINT! But it SURE did! He then told us he was a Mormon for 40 years and then found the truth.. It took everything I had to just smile, and not call him out for the lie that that was, and say to him "No you weren't, You have never been a member of the church, cause if you were, you would know that everything you are saying is FALSE!" I however, bit REAL HARD on my tongue! He then told us to do the research and that we cant change the bible as he walked away, I should have let him go.. But I made one last "NEVER CHANGED A THING!!" As he walked away, I'm probably a bad example to my very new and young companion.. HA!

Another guy as we were walking down a street in the sketchiest part of our area, (our whole area is sketchy..) yelled to us "YOU CANT GO DOWN THAT WAY!!" I asked why not? He said,  "They kill people over there!" OH! Well then! I told him we had people to see, so we were going anyways, haha, the look on his face!

Another lady, and the other side of our area, STILL A FREAKY PLACE! Beckoned us over to her car and told us that we didn't need to be in that part of town, she was calm at first, everything CHANGED! She said, "AND WHEN I SAY THAT! I MEAN LEAVE!!! NOW!!! This is NOT a good place to be! I should know, my dad was a cop! GET ON THE OTHER SIDE OF THE TRACKS! (If I may just cut in here to ask a question, why do tracks always determine society?) AND GET THERE FAST! YOU WILL DIE HERE!!" Hahahahaha, awww, I know they are just trying to help, but I just want to say, "Get thee behind me Satan! You don't know who we are!"

Anyhow, enough about that, life is great! I LOVE WEST MONROE!

AND YOU!

AMEN!

Elder CamCam Martin  

Week 83

HEY THERE!!

Ok, so this is one of them weeks that I really have NO IDEA what happened, ITS GONE! From all memory.

A lot like the month of March, which some how comes to an end today! Not sure how that even happened.

It is to bad that Pday didn't fall one day latter, I could have had some much April fun!

This week we met some more normal people, so that's nice! We did have some random group of dude as we were tracting stop us to feed us food... They were having a BBQ!

Wives are the worst in the south! SO MANY TIMES THIS WEEK! We had a nice little lesson going, where the dude is all kinds of into it, and then out of no where, the wife just butts in and ruins everything, one lady was like, "we already know all this! We don't need you telling us any of it." and I was like, "Can I tell you something you don't know?" and then I went on to talk about how there is a prophet  and the such, and she again said "we know all of that" so I said "Well who is our prophet then???" She said, "Well! I know Jesus!" I told her in order to really know him she needs to know his true Gospel! (I'm not sure if I'm just getting more bold or more sick of the "I already know him" excuse) She still was not willing to listen, so I just bore my testimony to the guy about how we DO have a LIVING Prophet, and that the Lords Church IS on the earth, AND ITS OURS!! And after, she in a very angry voice said, "AMEN!" haha, ahh, 

I had to go on Exchanges with the Zone Leaders, I hate doing that, I just want to stay in my own area, and do my own work, ahh, I guess it has its purpose..

Church was good, this family sat by us, and will never sit by missionaries again on a fast Sunday, every one of them got up by the time it was over, ha, I'm pretty good at bugging someone to do something till they do it!

WELP! I love you all!

AMEN!

Elder CamCam Martin!

Week 82

Yep, I'm falling in love...

With the south! 

And that's probably all.

TEHE!

WELP! This week flew by! Not even sure where it went! I think its in New Hampshire somewhere..

I have gotten lots of random love this week, letters from people I have never met, random members of other words feeding us, and of course the young women doing everything in their power to talk to me! Good stuff, kinda needed it, cause it was also a rough week, what with the CRASH! No one wants to talk to us! .... And other not fun stuff...

But the Lord always finds a way to keep us happy! And he has!

My new district is GREAT! You have ME!! that's would be enough, but then there is my comp, Elder Clements, good young man from rexburg! Bless his little heart.

And my wonderful Sisters, Sister White, and Sister Craig, All other districts wish they had these Sisters! You would think that they would keep the two best Sisters ever away from one another, so as to help more of the mission, but NO! They put them BOTH in my district!  Probably cause pres knew this place would need all the help it could get with me in it...

We talked to a few more crazies! This place is FULL of nut jobs! I LOVE IT! This one guy, they call him Coach Cadillac.. No idea why. ANYHOW! There were times while talking to him that I had to look the other way so he didn't see me trying hard not to laugh! HA! CRAZY! Mostly when he was talking about how "hoot owls" are EVIL! And if you see one, "turn around! AND GO BACK INSIDE!!"

WELP! I cant think of anything else, OH! I got called fat a few times, yep, both by people that I knew about a year ago, and they saw me and pretty much said I am fatter!

PS! Haha,

LOVE!
Elder CamCam Martin!

Zone conference

From a recent Zone Conference.

Week 81

So my first week here has been quite the week, painful knees, flat tires, bike crashes, random meeting of members from Utah, RAIN! Blessings, white supremacy flags, hot, cold, a sister missionary going to the ER. a swarm of young women exited to meet the best looking Elder they have seen in years! Just to name a few of the things that happened this week.

Day one we biked, AND IT HURT! More then ever before! I could not even sleep that night! But it was gotten much better sinse then.

Our area is small, so that's a thing, not a whole lot to do, and we DON'T EVEN LIVE in our area! So we have to bike like 2 miles just to get there.

We have this Less Active guy, he is like a real life Clint Eastwood! He is a white guy that lives in the hood but takes no.... How does a missionary say this... flack? from anyone!

I have helped my comp who has been here for months discover that there are better ways to and from our area! And that we have more area then he thought...

We SAW JACE ROBERTSON! The fun son! IT WAS SO COOL! You all need to pray that the Lord will give me a second chance with that, 'cause we didn't talk to him at all! He was busy taking pictures with people.. Lame! We still should have said something, I WILL CONVERT THAT FAMILY!

I met the craziest person in the history of the WORLD! She was once a member and the missionaries talk to her from time to time, My comp brought me to meet her... One of the first things she said to me is, "I'm a witch.." Ok, that's cool, She was wearing a pentagram on around her neck... this email is getting red listed for SURE! 

Anyhow, she told us all about how people from mars came to this earth 'cause their planet was dying.. Cause they forgot how to love, and NOW they are the rulers of the world, And they are the ones that made the pyramids... And something about how there were 8 Presidents before Washington, which, kinda true, but I will let you look into that, but she said that "they" covered that up! So I asked, why? how would covering up that there were governmental leaders before Washington do anyone any good? She had no real answer for that! Other then "THEY DON'T WANT US TO KNOW!!" Oh! Right, why didn't I think of that? She also asked one of those "HOW BOUT THIS ONE!" Questions, thought she would stump me, She asked, "If we were created in Gods image, where did dinosaurs come from? " What? I guess she feels she always stumps the missionaries with that one, I think they just don't know how to answer a question that's not really a question.. I told her the same place Lions came from.

She was nuts! Lived in a trailer park, with all the other crazy people. 

One of the hardest times I have ever had not laughing when someone is telling me what they believe.

That night we got a call that Sister White, one of my Sister Missionaries, needed a blessing, found that odd, cause we saw her 2 hours earlier and she was fine, but I guess this crazy stomach bug thing came and came quick! She was throwing up all over the place! SO! We gave her a blessing, and went on our way, Then at 12:30 AM I get a call! From the sisters! They had tried to call the Mission pres AND his wife, which is what they are supposed to do before going to the hospital, but they could not get a hold of them, SO THEY CALLED ME! And that's fine, they asked if they could go to the ER, Sister White was throwing up still and now there was blood, I said GO! I think they only called me so that if they got in trouble for going with out permission (which would NOT have happened) I would be to blame, not them.. ANYHOW! She is doing much better now, poor thing!

We were out biking about one night, and it started to rain! So I said, lets go eat at taco bell. Maybe the rain will die down, NOPE! Got worse, BUT THE LORD WAS LOOKING OUT FOR US!!

As we were eating, this guy comes and sits by us and calls us Elders! When someone does that you know they are Members, He told us he was here on business and from Utah, And HE served in this mission 15 years ago! COOL! Anyhow, he gave us a ride home! SO THAT WAS GREAT!

Yesterday we had interviews with the President, on our way how to get ready for that, I noticed my brakes where not working very well... SO I was in a hurry to get home to fix that, (they still don't work) When crossing a street, I did not just go straight across I instead cut the corner and went into on coming traffic, when the traffic got close I decided it was time to get on to the side walk, my bike, was thinking otherwise! The difference in opinion mixed with the oncoming cars  resulted in a catastrophic event!! My near death! SOMEHOW! I ended up in a parking lot... My bike was with me, but turned to the side that I did NOT fall, not sure how it all happened, newton's laws tell me it didn't happen at all! BUT I KNOW MY TRUTH! 

My hand took most of the blow of the fall, luckily I was wearing gloves cause it was cold, they saved me! My hands would have been shredded if I was not wearing them!

WELP! I will have to tell you about the other stuff next time cause I'm out of time! 

MUCH LOVE!
Elder CamCam Martin!  

Week 80

SOOOO! I am getting transferred again! I'm going to West Monroe! LAND OF THE DUCK COMMANDER! I will have to convert them all! But mostly the cute daughter!

With only 4 months left, this will likely be my last area, I don't see me going anywhere else. It was weird to know your last area, a weird feeling. Not sure how I feel about it.

 

This week has been good, started out with an exchange, I went down with Elder Meyer to Coushatta... They live in a shack! No joke! It is heated by a space heater! So there as some cold nights! I spent two nights there, and it MADE ME SICK!! I think there was black mold growing under the bed as well, so that helped.

 

We had dinner there with a nice family, they are pretty red neck! He asked if I was a city slicker, I told him NO WAY!!... but kinda.. Then he started talking about guns, and said something along the lines of "you wouldn't know how to shoot a gun." WELL! I have never been so offended! SADLY I could not just say "Get one of your guns and we will go in the back yard and I will prove you wrong!" The reason I couldn't say that was NOT cause you cant just go shoot in his back yard, cause, remember, they are red neck, YOU COULD! But cause its against the RULES for us to use a gun! LAME!! He brought out an AR-15 to show off though, and said, "would you even know how to load this?" WHA!!! YES! How dare he!? I proved him wrong.. as best I could with out actually handling the gun. And talked a good talk about guns and the such, SHOWED HIM RIGHT UP! He never again called me a city slicker!

 

Other then that, this has been a LONG week, Tacted a few times, and really never had a real good lesson this week, kinda lame!

 

WELP! I will see you in WEST MONROE!

 

LOVE!!

 

P.S

My address is.

1912 N 7th St. apt #101

West Monroe LA, 71291.

Week 79

Its been a good week, other then the weird weather! All week it has been in the high 70s, even to the 80s, and then today! BOOM! 20s! And ice all over the place!

 

On Thursday we had Zone conference, I like zone conference. This was a good one, as always, learned some good stuff.

 

On Friday we had dinner with a family from the ward, and they had SOME FRIENDS OVER!! YAY MEMBERS DOING MISSIONARY WORK!!! We had a great lesson after dinner, and they are interested! They are from Cali so they have not had some other religion bread into them, so that's good! They have a faith is Christ but don't have a real religion, THE PERFECT PEOPLE!

 

Yesterday we went to an Elderly Members house, he had some limbs out in his yard do to some bad weather, so I told him we could go clean it up.  He said he didn't want us getting our nice cloths dirty, I then convinced him that these are our work cloths! And we were wearing work boots! I mostly said this cause I didn't see how we could get dirty just moving a few sticks! I ate my words.. His back yard was SO WET! It was more like a mud pool then a yard! We did get dirty...

 

Not as cool a letter this time, but that's all I got!

 

LOVE!

Elder CamCam Martin!

Week 78

SOOO! This week, though long, has had some high points, mostly the weather.. IT'S SO HOT!!

 

So remember that lady I talked about that we tracted into that said she had been praying for this and what not? And I said it would be my first ever testimony of tracting?

So she has disappeared, we will try her a few more times, but, we have done all we can do there, but that's ok, I still believe I will find someone from tracting!

 

We did meet another lady while tracting this week, only, she was a former media referral. We got this media referral about 2 months ago, when Elder Rose was still here, we called her and talked to her a few times but she seemed unwilling to set up a time to meet, so we moved on. Fast forward to last Wednesday. Before leaving for DDM I looked at our map to plan a place for us to tract on the way home, we had an early dinner appointment out that way so I didn't want to go back to the pad only to have to go back out there. I found a area that seemed like it would have plenty of tracting to do, put in my mind how to get there, and we were on our way. Well, finding the area I had planned to tract turned out to me far more challenging  then I imagined, I drove down the road that I was SURE the area was off, and found could not find nothing! I was getting frustrated and was about to just give up and drive to an area I was more familiar with and tract there. We soon passed a road that looked like it had a nice little neighborhood off it. This was NOT where I had planned to tract so I just kept driving. 2.1 seconds latter the very strong thought came to my head "turn around!" I quickly obeyed, and we went to that little neighborhood and strarted to knock on doors. Again, this was not at all what I had planned, but days in the mission rarely are, so we went forward in faith... Kinda, It was one of them fancy neighborhoods so I didn't expect anything to come from it. The tracting went as expected, mostly no answers, a few cranky old ladies, and one women that was very well aware of how she was already "saved"! Then we knocked on the car port door of a large home, and... No answer, from the door, as soon as I was ready to say "no one is home, lets move on" A voice from behind us said "Can I help you?" I kept my composure, but deep down I screamed like a little girl, she came from no where! Well, actually she came from the guest house right behind us that I DID not notice. We told her who we were, and she invited us in! COOL! As we were sitting down she said that she had tried to get us over there not long ago. I immediately knew who she was, I asked if she was Anita, (the referral) and she said she was. We had a great lesson about the restoration and the Book of Mormon, and answered some REAL questions she had! It was one of those, "These are the same questions a 14 year old boy had in 1820."  She said we had answered questions that no one else had ever answered. Its good to be a Mormon!

 

That there might be the best mission work story I have ever told, I'm getting good at this!

 

Other then that, we met this CRAZY family while tracting, all kinds of people in the house, all trying to get their bash on at the same time! IT WAS SO FUNNY! They thought Christ went to hell and back after he died, I didn't say anything, but they could tell I disagreed. They knew ALL kinds of things about Mormons... Well, they thought they did, the word cult came up, I just ignored that one, They rest of the "problems" they had with the church I shot down pretty quickly.. Then my comp would say something and they would suddenly have a very different problem.. It was mostly them trying to bible bash us and me saying "well... not quite" So we didn't stay long.

 

WELP! This letter is way to long!

LOVE!

Elder CamCam Martin!

pictures

Week 77

Nothing really happened this week.

 

We had an ICE storm, so that was cool, I have never really seen one like it, everything was coated in ICE! The car had like a sheet of ice all over it we had to pretty much pull off when it started to melt a bit, anyhow, so that happened Wednesday, by Friday it was 70 degrees.. I love the south.

 

It really was a lame week, This week will be better, I hope..

 

I am trying really hard to think of anything else that would matter in any way whatsoever to report. But I can think of nothing!

 

LOVE?...

 

elder martin..

Week 76

Welp! Its been awhile, my bad, not been much to report. So here we go!

 

I have a new comp, Elder Rose left, so that's a thing.

 

We got a new Word Mission leader, Brother Tuck, good guy! I like him.

 

We both gave a talk on Sunday, they are really starting to try and get the member to do missionary work in these part.. And trying is the key word there.

 

We do not have Ipads, and will not till summer, and I WILL NEVER USE ONE!! Cause even if we do get them before my time here is up, it will be like a month before, and I will refuse to take one for only a month, Im serving my mission the old fashion way! With a backpack full of books!

 

It has been really cold this week, like, 30s, all week, I have not seen the sun in a good week, its making me sad.

 

I SNOWED! Kinda, a mix between snow and rain, just not quite snow, almost, but not quite. Anyhow, we tracted in it for 2 hours, I thought we would for sure get all kinds of sick from it, but I'm just as sick as I have been for like the last 5 months, just kinda sick.

 

We for the first time in my mission tracted into someone that was INTERESTED!! She said she prayed for us and all that good stuff! IT WAS AWESOME!

 

I lost my wallet, could be a problem, if I don't find it soon, it is.

 

WELP! That's all I got,

love

Elder Cameron Martin.

Week 73

Well this may have just been the shortest feeling transfer of all time! I just got here and the transfer is already over! ITS CRAZY!

 

An interesting week to say the least!

 

Pday was good! got to play some basketball, but sad! WAY SAD!! Cause I learned that the girl I taught that got baptized in Shreveport is in PRISON! She is like 15! WHAT THE HECK!? Worst news ever!

 

Tuesday was an ordeal! When I first got here we came to the library to volunteer so we could get some service hours out of it, well they had to do a back round check, no prob, I will give you my info, and that will be that! WELL! We did not hear anything from them for weeks! So I just forgot about it, then we get a call, they want us to go take a drug  test! REALLY!? Are we getting a job there!? Ok, whatever we can do that, so we go to the main library, in down town Shreveport, NOT THE LIBRARY WE ARE VOLUNTEERING FOR! But hey, what ever, we get there, ready to pee in a cup... This did not happen, all we did there is fill out every possible sheet of nothingness you could ever think of! And they send us to some other random place to go take the test! FINE! I can do that, I have already filled all that junk out, now we can just go and do the dang test.. NOOOO! These drug testers need all kinds of randomness filled out too! I would have just said forget it at this point... actually, i would have said it before we went to the library, but Elder Rose was in it to win it, so we went through every hoop possible, and got it all taken care of, best part, they probably wont even call us till next transfer, and odds are, one of us wont even be here anymore... yep!

 

Wednesday, saw a zombie..

 

The rest of the week was spent tracting, some of it on exchanges again, this time I stayed in stonewall with the new guy Elder Meyer,

While tracting, some drunk dude came flying down the road in his big ol SUV, he saw us, and like all people, tried to get in his driveway as quick as possible so he could get inside and not answer the door by the time we got to his. Well things did not work out for him, he ran right into a big bush/tree thing. No idea how either, it would have been tough to do on purpose, he got out, looked around, as if he hit someones car.. backed up and made the adjustment to get all the way up the driveway, then he and all his drunk pals piled out of the car into the house, Elder Meyer didn't really want to knock the door, I saw it as a day brightening experience, so we did! They did not answer, they just giggled inside daring each other to open the door, as we were walking away they were all looking at us out the window, I only know this cause they were not very quit or sneaky about it, I'm sure they thought they were though. So I turned around and gave the the cheesiest, biggest smile and wave I could muster! They got a kick out of that and started mumbling some kind of attempt and an English language... They failed..

 

Mardi Gras is huge here, they start celebrating it well before the actual day, parades all over the place! And drunk people! Its good times!

 

Joey and Cassidy Vandine are going to be baptized this week! I am so happy for them, it will be great!

 

WELP! have another great week! Talk to you soon!

LOVE!!

Elder CamCam Martin!

Week 72

HI THERE!!

 

Last week was all over the place, I don't even know what happened!

 

I do how ever remember rain! And lots of it! The rain came with warm weather though, and that is A OKAY with me! Cause the first few days of the week were FREEZING!!! like.. 20s... CRAZY!! And then the rain came, so still stunk to be outside! but after 2 days of nothing but rain! IT GOT WARM!! YAY!! BACK IN THE 60s! Gotta love southern winters! Now its raining again... dang rain..

 

On Monday I went to Coushatta to go one an exchange with Elder Anderson, (whom I love) Coushatta is a very small, back woodsy kind of town, like Jonesboro, but worse, and far more racist! Also, everyone there hates Mormons! So that's a thing, so glad I am not serving there... Anyhow, we had dinner with a cool family from the branch there, and all was fine and good, good, fun, cool people, till for some reason Winnfield came up, Winnfield was the other city... town... In my district when I was in Jonesboro, the winnfield branch is TOTALLY racist, I mentioned this, and the guy who we were eating with pretty much said "well... I am a racist.." Not his exact words! But pretty dang close, so that was awkward... I would tell you what he said, but one, I don't really remember, and two, you would not believe it... You would say "NO! People don't think like that anymore!" BUT THEY DO!!! THEY DO!!!!

 

We have a husband and wife that will be getting baptized on the 25th! So that's cool! They are really young, like, he is 18... So its kinda odd teaching people who are married, and yet 5 years younger then me... I have also had dinner with ANOTHER couple that are younger then me, I am in their home, they are married, they are feeding the missionaries, and they are younger then me! WEIRD!

 

OH! That racist family? They lived in a town called MARTIN! way cool! I will try to send pictures of the Martin Baptist Church!

 

WELP! LOVE!!

Elder Martin!

me holding a jar of moonshine...

I am also looking real fat in this one... mostly cause I am..

First two pics are some things I found tracting that I thought were funny.

Week 71

HAPPY 2014!!! ITS GOING TO BE THE BEST YEAR EVER!!!!

This is a little poem about how our new years went...

 

Twas the night before new years, when all through the house
Not a creature was stirring, not even a mouse.
BUT EVERYONE AND THEIR GRANDMA WAS BLOWING STUFF UP ALL OVER THE PLACE OUTSIDE THE HOUSE!!!

Loudest night of my life!  AND I DIDN'T EVEN GET TO TAKE PART IN ALL THE FUN!! I HAD TO BE IN BED TRYING TO FALL ASLEEP!

It was a rough night to say the least.

 

It has also been really cold this week! LIKE TODAY!! ITS FREEZING!!! .... 20 degrees out there... way cold...

Ima freeze to death my first winter home..

 

So... yeah, kinda been a slow week, not a whole lot happened..

We DID meet this guy who is like a Mayan archaeologist!! And wrote a book all about how its ALL TOTALLY STRAIGHT FROM THE BOOK OF MORMON! ITS AWESOME!! There is even city's under water there! He told us all kinds of awesome stuff! Just so much prof that the Book of Mormon is real!  He said there were in the old Mayan times big groups of like 150 people that would gather in "churches" and they were always big families, and always led be the oldest son or some such thing, anyways! For years they could not translate what the word was that they called them! And finally some lady who is NOT a member said the closest thing we have in the English language is WARD! HA!!! WAY COOL! This guy was born a member and served a mission but kinda left the church for a long time, till he really started to study Mayan history and the book of Mormon together, now he says there is no way he could ever not believe in the book of Mormon!  He wrote a book about it and I GOT A FREE COPY!! He also made a cool little video, which he will give me one too! The book is called "The Lives and Travels of Mormon & Moroni"

The dudes name is Jerry L. Ainsworth. Anyway I found it way cool! I learned a lot about where he says everyone landed, and lived, and all that goodness, AND IT WORKS! So yeah, way cool!

 

ANYHOW!

I sure do love you!

Elder CamCam Martin!