19 February 2008

Bonjour my most cherished people,

today I write you from a keyboard that is in Arab. It is something that I've never seen before and I think it's pretty cool, I expected it to be a lot more complicated looking, but that's only because I'm a weirdo. Don't worry there is a Latin alphabet arranged in the typical French keyboard fashion, I'm not very good in Arab...yet.

So I was blessed to see three baptisms on Saturday! It was awesome. All three people were from Brive and they came to Périgueux because Brive is yet to have a baptismal font. There was an 8 year-old baptized, a 13 year-old, and a woman in her 40s. The latter was probably the neatest story, she's been an ami for ten years and has wanted to be baptized but couldn't due to her husbands not being in agreement, but his heart was softened and she was baptized. To top it off, the original missionary that taught her 10 years ago lives in Heber City, he flew here with his mother, his wife, and his four children(the 7 soon to be 8 year old Lexie being the oldest and the 8 month-old being the youngest)to baptize her, it takes approximately 20 seconds once the baptism starts and they came all the way here just for that, I thought that was pretty special and pretty cool.

I hope you all have had a great week, much love and thanks.

Elder Miles Marsala

12 February 2008

Hello everybody,
How is everyone? I hope that your all doing just wonderful. So we've found some amis from the islands. Two from Tonga and one from Fiji. They're about the nicest people you could meet and they're so sincere,it's incredible. Another thing about them that I love is their humility and willingness to both credit and thank the Lord for absolutely everything. They are all here playing professional rugby and they all give all the credit to God. Whenever they do something good the first thing I hear them say is, "I just thank God you know, for blessing me with this opportunity and the skills that He gave me." It's like that with everything, their families, their homes, their talents, their health, their happiness, the other day one of them was lost trying to get home from Toulouse and in the prayer Ralulu(Fiji) prayed that Samo would find his way home, and when it happened, He thanked the Lord.
I've learned a lot from these men. They work very very hard, they exercise at a high level, they trian daily, all this to become stronger, faster, and better. And once they accomplish a goal that they've set out and they've developped to be stronger, faster, and better they avoid the natural man-who would give themselves credit for working hard, or maybe just thank the trainers who did tests and studies to see what worked the best for them, the first thing they do is give credit and thanks to God for having blessed them.
I hope that one day I can humble myself as they have themselves and find a way to give more gratitude for all that God has given me. For afterall, He has giving me everything and does give me everything.
I love you all very much and know that I am grateful for you.

Love,
Elder Miles Marsala

5 February, 2008

So at Zone Conference this last Thursday we spoke about President Hinckley, authority, and how President Monson would become the next Prophet. It was a fun discussion that was mostly a refresher which thankfully we don't have to do to often. There was a bit of exciting news that President Merrell announced, he mentioned that if you lived in Bayonne or Périgueux you could go watch the funeral services on Saturday night, I was thrilled! I felt so lucky to be in my ville, not too many of us got to watch it and I felt blessed. It was such a beautiful service that I think helped us all. As expected, this was Gordon B. Hinckley, there was much laughter to go along with it. I loved his paper clip cuff links. I also found it amusing that after President Monson mentioned President Hinckley's unconventional uses of a walking cane, that at the end when showing clips of his life and listening to his children speak-I never once saw him use the cane for it's prescribed use.
I was very excited to see that President Eyring is still in the First Presidency, I really really like him and I think that he feels the capacity well. How cool to have Elder Uchtdorf as President Uchtdorf. I just realized in typing this but what is now currently the First Presidency all spoke to us at the MTC during my stay, first Tuesday was President Eyring, followed the next Tuesday by President Uchtdorf, and shortly thereafter followed on a Monday morning by President Monson, cool!
How blessed we all are to be led by living prophets and Apostles that hold all the keys of the Kingdom in an unbroken chain of authority. Isn't it wonderful to live in the fullness of times in a world that has the Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ?

Much love,

Elder Miles Marsala

P.S.-On a BYU Television commercial before the funeral I saw a girl that I graduated with, and then during the funeral I saw two members of my home ward, Brother McChlanahan(I can't spell it-he does security for the church) and then I saw Brother Torgersen in the Choir

28 January, 2008

Bonjour tout le monde,

So yesterday at about 9:00am I received a call from our member from Texas telling me the news, I was absolutely heart broken. It was a sad day for me, I like all of you, loved President Hinckley. He was defintately the Prophet of God on the Earth and he spoke for the Lord. I have no doubt that he was called of God and that he was truly His prophet. I remember at the MTC and here when Elder Richard G. Scott spoke to us, all the apostles bore testimony that he was the Prophet. I will miss him dearly. I don't know if I can express what I'd like to about him, so I won't try. I'm very happy for him however, I remember how much he missed his dear eternal companion.
I send my thanks to him and the other brethren for all their dedicated hard work and service.
I love you all very much, thanks for everything.
Love,
Elder Marsala

22 January, 2008

So as usual the actual move was kind of stressful, especially when my train to Bordeaux was an hour and a half late due to a woman going into labor on the train. But how cool to think that another one of God's children has already much such an impact on the world, I found that pretty neat. It also gave me the opportunity to talk with a younger missionary called Elder Archer, who told me all about how frère Crane has been telling crazy stories about me at the MTC and even shared my email about my poor stolen mailbox, I was very excited to know that he's still getting my emails, he's a funny guy.

So Périgueux is beautiful! I haven't really seen the sun, but it's very pretty. We have some old ruins here or a Roman city and others of a renaissance town, I haven't seen them yet but I'm excited to after I profit from SOLDES today.

We're teaching a beautiful family from Mongolia and they're fantastic! Sunday was the first time that the whole family had come to church together and it was awesome! The grandma doesn't speak French but she feels the Spirit and follows along in her Mongolian Book Of Mormon-the Church is so cool. They're full of love and they have a great excitement about the gospel.

Well everyone, I love you much and I hope you've had a great week.

Much love,

Elder Marsala

15 January, 2008

Yes indeedy! I've been transfered to Périgeux to be with Elder Coull from Scotland. I haven't met him yet because I'm going actually in Carcassonne again, trying to get my carte de séjour, but they didn't give it to me yet, I'm annoyed with that.
I'm pretty excited about this upcoming transfer, I've never been on that side of the mission before. Everyone tells me that it's really pretty so that should be fun. I don't know much about the ville or my companion yet so I don't have to much to tell.
I'm very excited for this transfer but a little nervous as well.
I love you all very much, have a great week.

Elder Miles Marsala

8 January 2008

Bonjour tout le monde,

Well as most of you probably know, I'm a person who likes history, I like time, and dates are something of importance to me. Which is why on today January 8, 2008 my thoughts are most definitely turned towards my family. For it was six years ago today that my family was sealed together for all time and eternity in the Salt Lake Temple. I remember as if it had happened yesterday, I remember being in the waiting room with Alyssa and Quinten. I remember sitting out side the door waiting to go in, and Elder Haight stopping for a few minutes just to talk to the three of us before entering the room (it made me feel special). I remember the family and friends there to join us. But my favorite memory was being there with my family and being sealed forever by the Priesthood. It is definitely one of my favorite dates in all of History and one that I am truly grateful for. I can still remember looking in the mirror as a family and "taking a picture" that I still have in my head. It's because of days like that that I am so grateful for the Restored Gospel, and the only true Church upon the face of the Earth, I'm grateful for the Priesthood. I'm grateful for amazing members and friends. I'm thankful for missionaries, especially two sister missionaries in particular. I'm grateful for Apostles and their service and love for the Lord. But above all that I'm most grateful to my mother, for it was her that was a constant in all of this, the example, the missionary, the friend, the member, and the most wonderful woman. I would have none of this to be grateful for if it hadn't been for her. And of course I'm thankful for my father and his decision to be baptized and to join the Church. For his diligence and love for his family, for his love for my mother and for his children. I wish you all a fantastic week! Know that I love you.

Elder Miles Marsala