MONDAY 17TH DECEMBER 2012-WEEK 20

Today marks my 140th day away from home! Time is flying WAY too quickly... I have now served four and a half months in Poquoson and am loving every minute of it! I have made friends for life here and have been blessed to have met some of God's greatest children!

 

So, transfer news: I'm staying here for (at least) another six weeks :) Elder Jensen goes home tomorrow (I'm sad to see him go - I've really grown to appreciate him!) BUT I have a great new companion coming on Thursday! His name is Elder Ovard and he's been out for three months. I met him a few weeks ago in Richmond and he seems like a great missionary so I'm excited to learn from him!

 

This has been a weird six weeks... very humbling (I'm sure that will sum up every transfer - I've never struggled with pride eh?!) and, at points, extremely challenging but also very rewarding - I feel I've grown up a lot already :) I am now ready to apply humility and faith and let God take over more... I am only an instrument after all! We've seen a lot of progress in those we have been called to teach - in fact, we had 5 people we've been working with at church yesterday (a ward record in fact!).

 

This week has also been a great week - miracles as usual! My favourite one was on Saturday - we'd been walking around all day dropping off 'care packages' to some families who needed some TLC. It was getting dark and we were cold and tired and had to rush back across town to see Justin Aamondt open his mission call (Utah St George btw!). Well, there was no chance we'd make it on time so I said a quick prayer in my heart and, no jokes, thirty seconds later, a car pulls up and this couple offer to give us a ride ha! We managed to give them a card and share a little and make it to out appointment on time... so, the moral is that God will send taxis to His servants when they pray for them ha!

 

We also had a lot of people struggling this week - I don't know if you heard back home but there were some horrific shootings in the States and a lot of people have been really hurt by it! It happened on the day of the ward Christmas party and there was just this heavy feel in the air... lots of mothers mourning! I can't share many details but I felt very blessed to be able to use the Priesthood to offer service to some who were REALLY struggling! It made me appreciate the Atonement a lot more as I KNOW where those children have gone and I know it was only through Christ's sacrifice! It is true when we say the Jesus lives!

 

We're excited for this week - Rhett is getting baptized on Saturday (yay!)/ He's a real special kid... we have a lot of banter but we really do love him! Every once and a while, I catch the vision of him as a missionary.... that's what it's all about really! Baptism is simply a step back home :)

 

I love you all - hoorah for Israel :)

MONDAY 10 TH DECEMBER 2012-WEEK 19

Can I share two stories this week please?

 

Story one: we were in Walmart last Monday, doing our weekly shopping - we got to the checkout with all our stuff and the lady in front of us pointed out an elderly lady who was struggling with her shopping. So, off we go to help her (her name was Dixie Lang - she was 80ish and used to work for NASA when she turned 50) out to the car, all the time talking with her and asking about her life! Wow, she was a fascinating lady... just had a wonderful way about her! We put the shopping in, I took her by the arm and got her into the car and, as we were walking away, she said 'I'm a Christian y'know?'... we had a quick discussion with her about the Church and we felt really great - we felt like we'd been able to serve a lady!

 

Well, here's the best part... we went back to the checkout to get our shopping and the lady who was in front had paid for our shopping! We asked why and all she said was 'Merry Christmas - thank you for helping out that lady'! Talk about feeling humbled! It was amazing to see a complete stranger serving us... and yes, I may have had to fight back a few tears ha!

 

Story two: we have an elderly lady from Ireland that lives downstairs from us who is always friendly to us. Last week, she had a panic attack and had to be rushed to hospital! We were thinking of people to serve that day and she came into her minds so we got some cookies and a copy of the Book of Mormon (we chose a few scriptures about peace for her) and left it on her doorstep. About three days later, we got home late one night and there was our cookie box, a calender and a card on our doorstep... Christine had written us a card (even though she struggles to write) and asked if we could come by sometime and tell her more about the Book of Mormon! Miracle or what? :)

 

Sorry it's a short one this week... time flies in the mission field, especially on P-day ha! Anyway, I love you all... thanks for your constant support!

MONDAY 3RD DECEMBER 2012-WEEK 18

The Book of Mormon prophet Nephi once declared 'behold, my soul delighteth in the things of the Lord... My God hath been my support!' (2 Nephi 4:16,20). If any statement sums up my week, it has to be this - my heart is full of the joy that God offers!

 

Where to start?! Firstly, with all the news back home! I am SOOO grateful for your updates this week - to hear that 3 of my best friends have taken upon them the blessing of the Melchizedek Priesthood has brought me near tears in this library! Josh, Jason and Sam - I am so proud fo you! I love you a lot and am grateful that Heavenly Father saw it fit to make our paths cross! Next stop - missions and then, our long awaited mission reunion! I'll try and stay unmarried for that, but, with my good looks and rugged charm, I can't make any promises ;)

 

Also, I have been so blessed to read some incredibly inspiring updates from my family this week... I love you Pelham family! I'm pleased that you are seeing the miracles that Heavenly Father is pouring upon us right now :)

 

This week has been a roller coaster for me and man, have I been blessed to ride it! I was up in Richmond for leadership training and had some of the most amazing experiences of my mission so far! May I share just a few?

 

One of the coolest ones was with Sister Pond, who I was in the MTC with. We were put into the same group and I felt prompted to ask her how she was doing. She said she was okay but, after asking if I could help with anything, she asked for a blessing! And wow, was that an amazing experience for me! I felt the Spirit testify of the reality of the Preisthood as I laid my hands upon her head and placed a blessing from her Father in Heaven on her. I am grateful that, even in my weakness, God invited me to be involved in the process so that I could feel peace that I was worthy :)

 

Secondly, I felt prompted to text one of our investigators randomly and ask if there day was okay. They replied 'it's okay thank you! You always seem to pick the rough days to see how I'm doing... it must be the Spirit!'. I asked why it had been rough and then she opened up about the trails her family were experiencing! I felt such a love for them that I know didn't come from me as I testified of the Atonement and it's power to heal ALL wounds!

 

At the end of leadership, we had a testimony meeting for an hour or so. For the first time in my life, I actually didn't want to get up and share my testimony... well, Heavenly Father had other ideas ha! President Perry actually held the meeting until I got up and simply said 'we need your testimony Elder Pelham'. I don't remember all I said but I do remember the overwhelming feeling of the Spirit - I feel blessed to have a mission president who listens to the Spirit and stretches me out of love (maybe I will share the entire story one day - now is not the right time!).

 

On of my favourite experiences happened on Saturday - whilst Elder Jensen and I were planning on who to see, a solid family in the ward came to my mind. There son left on his mission to Idaho at the same time as me and I felt that, for whatever reason, we needed to visit with them. It was one of the sweetest moments of my life so far as we walked into that home and testified of their son's missionary labours. We were able to minister to a mother who simply missed her son. How humbling it is to know that Heavenly Father knows and understands even a mother's sorrow at sharing a son!

 

This has been a week of miracles but the most important miracle this week was the chance I had to repent... I am not the same as I was yesterday, or a week ago, or even when I left! I have been transformed through the Atonement of my Saviour, who loved me enough to give all for me! I know that, if He needed to do the Atonement all over again just for me that He would! I bear my witness that these things I share are true - if you act upon the doctrine of Christ, you can know of the reality of them too and feel the happiness and joy that permeates my soul, even now!

 

I love you all; I love my mission; I love my Saviour,

 

Elder Marcus Pelham

MONDAY 26TH NOVEMBER 2012-WEEK 17

Week Seventeen?! Man, this is flying by!

 

I hope you can hear the difference in me now... I'm 19 after all! That makes me just about old enough to serve a mission ha! This has been a great week with a lot of fun... it was my birthday on Wednesday (or as the other missionaries called it 'my first REAL American birthday'!), my first Thanksgiving on Thursday (it's basically Christmas without the presents - we had THREE dinners!) and every day is amazing as a servant of God! My companion, Elder Jensen, is a very funny guy - he's always got something smart to say which I love! We've got a new 'teaching' thing which is to take people out to ice cream.. believe it or not, it's successful!

 

How can I sum up this week? If I'm honest, it's all been a blur! Right now, my main focus has to be on refining myself - I got a little content and let silly little habits creep in but, thanks to good friends who aren't afraid to enourage me to improve, I'm repenting and going back to the basics! We have a 14 year old named Rhett who will be baptized on the 22nd December which we're really excited about... he's a great example of real growth or fulfilling the potential God intends for us! I'm excited to see the influence the Holy Ghost will have on him... it really does change lives!

 

I'm sorry it's so short this week... I will try harder to make time next week! Just know that I love you all and I feel your prayers strengthening me! I am becoming stronger as I learn to give it ALL up to God... after all, 'we make quite a team' <3