Week 42

SOOO tomorrow I get a new comp, and pretty much a whole new district, should be fun..

 

ANYHOW last week went by really fast, and I really remember none of it.. and if I do remember stuff, I dont know if it was two weeks ago or last week, so I will do my best to remember some good stuff..

 

Did I ever talk about how we went to this way cool gator farm? it was awesome!

We did a lot of biking, and I mean a lot, we biked all over, every day this week we have tried to find a less active.. or as they now call them, "returning members" ... cause less active is too offensive, even though really, they are just inactive.. but what eve, anyhow that kinda went good, met a few, they were all mostly nice so that's good!

 

We did a lot of service too! so that has been fun, we did this thing called "paint your heart out" and we just went and paintedsomeones house, it was this HUGE thing the city did, and our church was like the biggest sponsor, so that was cool, later that day the city fed every one that participated, it was like this big craw fish boil thing, and I cant eat craw fish, cause they are GROSS! so that was a thing, but it was really fun!  

 

Sunday was a really good day, some really good talks, good lessons, and then a Baptism! YAY! the guys name is Mark and he is WAY cool, he was the sisters investigator, and really seems like he has been a member his whole life, great guy, it was some good times, later sunday we put on this little mission prep call thing, it was good.

 

ANYHOW!

that has been my week as far as I can remember,

LOVE!

 

Elder CamCam Martin

p.s. Anyways, our district is kind of being rebuilt, three of the 6 are leaving! My comp of course, Sister Mongie, who is probably one of the best missionaries of all time! so thats sad, and Elder Souter, who, just got here, so that was weird, anyhow, Elder Eisinger, or ICE! as we call him, is training, so I dont know his new comps name, but should be good fun, and Sister Parsons, who, JUST got here last transfer, as in, she has not even been out 2 months, is trianing! making her also one of the greatest missionaries of all time! anyhow, I am looking forward to the next few months here with all of them, should be some good missionary times!

Week 41

SO! I am told that Casey and i were more just BURDENS yesterday, just a thing that got in the way of your CAKE AND ICECREAM! well, I am SO sorry we kept you from what's really important, next time just let us know you have other things to do and we will just shoot you a text, make it quick..

 

 

ANYHOW! even though it was cut short by CAKE! we did just talk, so I really don't have much to report, but, I feel its a good time to talk about Mothers, and all the many Mothers in my life!

 

My own Mom, Who not only raised me, and brought me up in the Gospel, but was my school teacher for every year I was in school, I know, I don't know how she did it either. I love my Mother, she carried me when I was young, and pushed me when I was older, She is the reason for my high standards, and I will always be grateful for that! Her testimony is incredible, and has impacted me more then any other, She is my example of faith, and always will be, I love her with all my heart, and am so grateful she is mine.

My 3 Beautiful sisters. my three hero's, I cant say enough how much I look up to them. The oldest, The single mother of two, who found a way to raise two rowdy children, while also juggling jobs and school! But if that wasn't enough, she did it all away from her family, (even though one of her siblings tried his best to help, but really just ended up being more of a burden then any help at all) Even though she has had plenty to gripe about, she never has. I have never known her to back down from a challenge, I have never seen her give up. No matter what life throws at her, I know she will be always moving forward, with her children in her arms, loving them without end. She is my example of courage, and I know who to look to when I need some.

 

The Youngest, (youngest girl.. that is.) Also faced the trial of single parenthood, and though she did find a wonderful priesthood holder, who loves her and treats her like she should be loved and treated. (and whom I am very grateful for, and love very much) It was a mountain she still had to climb, and not her only mountain either. I have seen her climb many. I can not imagine the pain they have caused her, but I know that she endured them well, she is my example of strength, when I have a hill to climb, I look to her, and I put my best foot forward.

 

The In-Law :) She may have entered the family a little later, but you better believe she jumped right in to things, and immediately fit right in with the Martin clan! (No small task!) Her heart is big, and she will be the first to volunteer to help other mothers with there children, actually, the first to volunteer to help anyone with anything! If someone is helping, its her, and she never expects anything in return. She is my example of selflessness, when I think to my self 'how would this benefit ME!?' I think of her, shake it off and get to work.

 

There are MANY other Mothers that have touched my life, Grandmothers, Aunts, and Mothers of close friends. I am very grateful for the blessing of all of them, and I love them all, very very much, Thank you for all that you do MOMS! and happy Mothers day!

 

LOVE!

Elder CamCam Martin. 

Week 39

HELLOP!!!

 

WELL! it was another good week, kinda a slow week, my comp didn't want to get out much, he had kinda a good reason though..

ANYHOW! mostly talked to a bunch of Less actives, which is good work, and just as important, if not more, than finding new people, remember that! the people on your home teaching list, that DON'T come to church much, are the people you need to talk to the MOST! when an investigator drops us, or someone tells us.. things that are mean.. that's ok, they just don't know what they are missing, but a member, that has stopped coming, and turned away from the covenants they once made? well, to me, those are the people we try the hardest with. .. ok, here comes a home teaching/visiting teaching rant!

DO IT!!! We get calls from members every day asking us to help them with something, why? cause they don't know who their home teachers are, that is NOT ok, I have seen men GO TO WORK with home teaching, where they have 20 family's! and they see them all, every week, it's sad that we can't do 4! how hard is it to spend 10 minutes a MONTH! and 4 family's? its not! its easy, there is a member here, that wont go to church, cause he has never seen a home teacher, yeah, that's a really dumb reason, but, there is also not a single good reason he has not seen a home teacher, I am sure if you asked your bishop how many LA member there are in your word, you would be SHOCKED!  These members NEED to know, that not only do they need the church, but the church needs them, for most, all they need to know, is that they are loved, missed, and needed.  NEVER give up on anyone, there was a member in my last area, who, when I was there was the Elders quorum pres, that was VERY inactive only 2 years ago, in fact, i was looking back in that area book, and he was what we call "red listed" that means give him some space, well, turns out he had a great home teacher, but his home teacher never actually saw him, all he could do was leave him a message each month, (the first pres message) he was just leave it in his door.  Because his home teacher never gave up, he went back to church, and now is getting married in the temple. Missionary work is NOT just knocking on doors, in fact, we try not to do to much of that. "Every member a missionary"  To me, the best way for EVERY member to be a missionary, is to visit the family they have been asked to visit, and when they are done with that, go to the Elders pres, or the Bishop, and ask them what OTHER family's could use a visit, trust me, they will have someone for you.

I believe home and visiting teaching is the most importnant, and best service we as members of this church can do.

I AM ALMOST DONE WITH THIS VERY HARD TO READ RANT! one more story,

Brother Jones, he was my first convert, and he is awesome, the reason he got baptized? not the missionaries! Another awesome home teacher, Bother Jones' mom was a less active member, and her home teacher saw her every month, without fail, Brother Jones would always leave or go to another room when Brother Oaks (the home teacher) came around, till one day, he FINALLY started listening to the messages, and then agreed to meet with the missionaries, I think it took 2 meetings with the missionaries before he KNEW he needed to be baptized, 3 other baptisms came from that, and now Brother Jones is doing all kinds of home teaching. (even though he does not really have the means to do so)  And it all started with a home teacher that wouldn't give up.

 

Welp, this was different, but I have no time, so, I will end with that,

 SPREAD SOME OF THAT CAMCAMIAN AND DO SOME HOME/VISITING TEACHING!!

 

LOVE

Elder CamCam Martin!

Week 38

HI ALL!!!
So this week flew by, so don't really remember any of it, like at all, but I will try to remember all that I can.

Monday was fun, saw that city, the city is cool, we had some good times,

other stuff happened in the week, ha, like, at some point the housing people came and looked at our house, and helped us improve it, they still don't like it, and said they might move us, so thats a thing, I always get that house!

hmm, we did this cool day of service thing on... some day, it was cool, we got to wear those yellow vest and everything, it was cool, all we really did was paint though, so that was lame, but other then that good stuff, there were even some yellow vest on the news! cool stuff,

Sunday I gave a talk, 3 of us missionaries did, but was got to church late cause the other Elders slept in, so we roll in late I'm walking up to sit on the stage, and WHO do I see as I'm walking up!? THE MISSION PRESIDENT!! WHY!!? WHY NOW? OF ALL DAY!? so that made my all kinds of nervous, so I did not give that kind of talk I have been, but I think it was still ok, I reminded the ward that they had home teachers, everyone and their grandma asked us for blessings and service and such things, so I said, "ask your home teachers, they can help you!" 

WELP! that was really all I can remember  good week, love life, love Shreveport, love everything about this place, love the city
LOVE
Elder CamCam Martin!

Week 37

Shreveport is the BOMB.COM!

 

I love the city, and its not TO big either, only like 202thou! (that's slang for thousand!)

ANYHOW!

it was a good week, I drove to shreve with Elder Canaan, great guy! Elder Summsion, who, is super tall, and a new guy, who.. made me laugh..

it was a good trip, lots of trees... like everywhere else, just, trees.. so, much, trees! I am so sick of trees,

got to shreve, met my new dist, good guys, went to our pad, AND! its a town house.. I CANT DO STAIRS! not after a long day of knee burning! oh well, nothing can be perfect, and shreve almost is!

 

anyhow, there is this crazy girl that lives by the other elders, she is just in love with all kinds of missionaries, but is always saying FALSE PROPHETS! and the like, she craycray (as they would say it in the hood!) but the other day we were talking to her, and she was all like, "why would you even need another book, why would you want that?" so I used something I once learned form an old singles ward home teaching comp, and said "If God sent you a letter, what would you do with it?" she replied, giggling! "I WOULD READ IT!" I continued, "so, if he sent you a second letter, what would you do with that?" no answer, so I answered for her, "you would treat it just like the first" then she said, "see, my preacher told me you would try to confuse me!" good stuff, gotta love preachers,

 

Saturday, a member called us and asked us to help her move a tree that fell down near her house, little did I know, that the tree was BIGGER THEN HER HOUSE!! IT WAS HUGE! someone had already used a chain saw to cut it all up and such so it was movable, so when I went to the back yard all I could think was, 'HOW MANY TREES WERE THERE!' there was just one camcam, just one, we have like 7 guys moving it all, it took hours, and still didn't get 100% done,

 

sunday was SO different, first, there were MORMONS! I had not seen that many mormons in 9 months, so, it was crazy, also, not even a big ward, just more than 50 people is HUGE for me,

ALSO, they didn't even really acknowledge us, like, in my last to areas, a new missionary is big news, they always have them get up and give a short message on day one, here, we were not even introduced, it was very different,

 

hmm, OH, we play basketball! YEE!! I am so happy, every Monday and Saturday morn! not only do I get to do something i love, but I get to lose this CRAZY big belly I have found on myself!

 

WELP! that's all for now folks, keep on lovin!

LOVE

Elder CamCam Martin!

Week 36

HELLO FRIENDS!

what a great weekend! I enjoyed ALL the talks, and learned from them all, it was a wonderful conference, the only thing missing was the announcement of the Nampa Temple! but I don't need to tell you all how great it was, you already know. Did anyone but me notice all the yellow? also, so much talk about not sinning! all yall sinners better shape up!

 

SOO! this was a fun week, did a lot of mowing lawns, I broke a lawn mower that was fun! We also helped a member change a water heater, SO MUCH HARDER THEN IT SHOULD HAVE BEEN! just more reasons I will never live in a trailer!

 

WELP! I'm outa here! im being moved to Shreveport! ITS A CITY! A BIG ONE!! WITH A WARD!!! I am super happy about that, also, it has one of only TWO panda express'ss'ss..s THEM!  EVEN MORE JOY! My new comp will be Elder Marcum, he has been out for a good long while,

 

anyways, sorry for the shortness, but I really don't have much time, so I shall love you all later!

 

LOVE!

Elder CamCam Martin!

Week 35

It was a good week. and I had ALL KINDS OF THINGS TO TELL YOU! but, i forgot, all of it, yeah...
WELP
lets see, stuff is still yellow! all over, we go through this free car wash thing everyday, and by the end of the day, it's still all kinds of yellow!
I went on an exchange Tuesday to Winnfield,  we taught this guy that found the church cause he studied the Mormon battalion and said they are the best thing in army history or something like that, kinda odd, but it was a  good lesson and stuff, he wants to be baptized, but his wife is a punk!  so that's a thing
we found a lot of LAs that was fun, 
on Thursday we had this priesthood party thing, there was like 5 people there, ha, that's the branch!
SUNDAY WAS CRAZY!
the weather was all kinds of bad, more nados, church let out a little early so everyone could get home before it got way bad, by like 4 i'ts was all kinds of bright and sunny, so we drove around and found a lot of downed trees, i took some pics, but I don't have my camera, so..
it also took down a cell tower, so our phones don't work, and that's bad, cause now we cant talk to the zone leaders or pres, and we need to.. so that's a fun thing!

ANYHOW  !
this was a short one, but its all i got, so spread some love this week!

LOVE
Elder CamCam Martin!