WEEK 18!!! FOUR MONTH MARK!!!

Meagan Martineau	12:50 PM (7 hours ago)

Ready for Women's Conference!!!

The pizza Hermano Pinalosa just brought us!! :)

Hello everyone!!!! 

Just to answer some questions before I forget:

We just called the zoo and said we wanted to volunteer!! When Hermana Pincock was here last she did it 3 times! :) It was SO FUN!!! And we are still getting along great! We have never fought or anything!! And things have been getting a lot better in the mornings!! We have BOTH been improving our studies :)

And I LOVE the Rodriguez family!! They are CRAZY but super fun!!! :)

And yay!!! It sounds like the family is doing really well!!! I am so glad!!! I love getting updates like that!!! I want pictures of the play, rocket, tackle box, ...piano students?, and game!!! Preferably with you all in them too!!! And ask David if it's that same game he was working on before with the lizard people that live up north and there are like..7 regions I think, if I remember right? He'll know what I'm talking about :)

Tell Morgan, Tayler, and Rachael, FELICIDADES!!!!! (CONGRATS!!!!!!)

This week was a little slow with the work, but it was still a good week. We dropped literally ALL of our investigators except for 2... And now we only have 3 investigators but they seem pretty serious!! 

Last Monday we had a district activity where we went to a park in Arvin and filled pantyhose with flour, tied a knot in them, and whacked each other with them!! It was so much fun!!! But while we were running around and chasing each other I kinda twisted my knee or something... I'm not sure what happened but it has been hurting pretty bad all week. I've been icing it when we get home at night. Hopefully it will feel better soon, but it's not hindering the work so that's all that matters!! :)

So miracle Thursday: On Thursday last week we received some GREAT NEWS!!!! Our incredible investigator Mario who is SO prepared to be baptized called us and told us that instead of getting off of parole on April 21, he gets off TOMORROW!!! And he asked if he could be baptized sooner!! So we just need to finish teaching his lessons and get him baptized!! It's a little confusing with general conference so his baptism might not be for 2 more weeks, but it's ok! We are so excited for him!! He even got up and bore his testimony at church yesterday and said how he just knows the church is true and how he feels so good in the lessons and at church!!! :) :D

Then later that same day (Thursday) we met with our investigator Reina again. I don't know if you remember but I told you a few weeks ago that she was leaving for El Salvador, and she got home on Tuesday and met with us Thursday. She is still excited for baptism and she even brought her Book of Mormon on her trip and read while she was there!! And her husband sat in on that lesson and we reviewed the first 3 lessons and he understood everything and said that he wants to be baptized too!! The only problem is they both work on Sundays.... But we have a lesson with them tonight and we will talk about getting a few hours off so they can come to church. Wish us luck!! :)

Then we got to go to the Women's Conference Broadcast on Saturday! That was pretty fun!! We invited Reina, but she had to work... But it was still SO GOOD!!! It talked a LOT about service! It makes me want to get out there and dig more holes at the zoo or something ;)

Then Easter Sunday was nice :) VERY different than normal Easters, but it was good :) We had a really crazy, awkward dinner at our bishop's house...We went over and the house was full of family and no one really acknowledged that we were there except his wife. Then before we left she said it was too crazy for us to share a message and walked us out.. So that was a little awkward, but the food was good!! Then it was just a normal day of proselyting! It was just a little sad because, as you know, Easter is my FAVORITE holiday so it was a little hard to be away from you all, but I still had an enjoyable day :) And Mario bore his testimony in church so that was AWESOME!! :)

Oh and I forgot to tell you, this is a 7 week transfer so we have one more week before we know where we will be going next transfer :) I HOPE I stay put!!! :)

---side note: Just barely one of our members Hermano Pinalosa came in, pulled us aside and gave us a PIZZA!!! A whole big pizza!!! All he said was "I figured it was about lunch time!!" How nice is that!? :)

So that's my update!!! I love you all so much!!! Thank you for everything!!! You are the best!!! I love the gospel so much and I LOVE my Savior and Redeemer with ALL my heart and soul!!!! I am SO grateful for this opportunity to serve my Father and my Brother!!! I wouldn't trade it for anything!! I love you all!! Keep the faith!!!

Love siempre,

Hermana Martineau :)

My District - before we whacked each other with flour :)

​NINJA!!! I won second :) 
(Darn Elder Wahlquist >:

​I ALMOST got him!!! 

​FLOUR WARS!!!

It's a great day to be happy!! :)

Happy Easter everyone!!!

​HAPPY EASTER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I LOVE EASTER!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

​I LOVE this book!!!! I KNOW it's true!!!!!!!

WEEK 17!!!

Meagan Martineau	Mar 21 (7 days ago)

HELLO EVERYONE!!!!!!!!

I apologize that my emails seem a little all over the place, I'm just trying to respond to my mom's questions and everything first so I don't forget :)

Mom, just an FYI we're not supposed to take pictures while we're proselyting... Hermana White and I took those pictures like during our dinner breaks and on P-days. Hermana Pincock likes to watch Mormon Messages and things like that and/or take a nap during dinner... I try to take pictures but it's hard when most of the day is proselyting time when we're not supposed to.... I want to be obedient!! :)

And I did get the package and letter on the same day and I LOVE THEM!!!! Thank you SO much!!!! :)

Which Morgan is going to Uruguay?? I know like 4 Morgans my age that it could be! :)

YAY LAURA!!!! I am so happy for her!!!! Tell her that the CCM is THE BEST!!!! And she is going to LOVE IT!!!!!! I still miss it at times!!!!

YYYAAAAAAYYYYY DAVID!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I am SO happy for him!!!!!!! I want to know how that went for him!!!!!!!

So I don't have an awful lot to report this week... It was just a week of talking to people, most not wanting to listen, and only few new investigators. We have been doing a little better about talking to more people, but in all honesty I am more afraid of my companion with talking to people, than talking to the person. There are times when I really want to talk to someone and she just is like ".....well........I guess....... if you REALLY want to........." and it's just hard. I have been a little better and talked to some people even when she didn't want to, but I need to get over that fear. I have a LOT to improve. Our mornings have been getting better!! She isn't writing letters during studies anymore and she doesn't fall asleep as often!!! There is improvement and we are doing a lot better!!! And we still get along great!! We have never had problems with that :) I am not the missionary I want to be YET, but I WILL get there!!! I just try to take it one day at a time. I am trying to overcome my fears and be obedient. It is not always easy, but it is ALWAYS worth it!!

So last Monday we had a zone activity where we basically just played on the play set at a park. It was like a tag sort of game where we had to climb a lot. It was REALLY fun!!! Then on Saturday we went to the zoo to do some service!! It was the highlight of ..... the MONTH!!!!! We got there and they sent us to an exhibit and basically we just dug a GIANT hole, about 2-3 feet deep across the entire exhibit so they can lay some wire down so no weeds can grow through, then put all the dirt back. We were only there for 2 hours so we just dug the hole. It was REALLY fun!!! We put the dirt in buckets then when the bucket was full we had to carry it out of the exhibit and dump it in a pile. It was just like carrying buckets of water to the sheep!! It reminded me a lot of the sheep and scooping pens and such :) I also felt like I was at "Camp Greenlake"!!!! ;) It was way fun!!!!! But it was really funny too because everyone kept pointing and talking in Spanish (mainly the men) not realizing that we could understand EVERYTHING THEY SAID!!! It was kind of awkward, but we just laughed after they left!!!

Yesterday we had to drop our investigator Roberto.... I can't remember what I've told you about him, but he was one of our more serious investigators. He didn't come to church AGAIN so we had to drop him. It was really hard because we have had some really good, cool spiritual experiences with him!!! Maybe in 2 weeks or so we can go back and see if he'll come to church :) And Mario is still AMAZING!!! We gave him a challenge to read the entire Book of Mormon before he gets baptized April 23, and when we went back for our appointment 2 days later, he was in Mosiah 27!!!! He told us that he wants to read it twice before he gets baptized!!! He is so awesome!!! That's really our investigator report for now.

Thank you for all you do for me and for your examples!!! I will write a letter this week!!! I love you so much!!!!! Always remember the Lord in ALL you do!!!! Keep being wonderful!!!!

Con mucho amor,

Hermana Martineau :)

​
A txt from Mario our investigator!!

​Me diggin a hole!!! 

People at the zoo: "What's that?"

Us:  "A hole"

People: "What's in it?"

Us:  "Dirt."

Hahahaha!!!!

Me with a cool owl!!!

AHHHH!!!

Hermana Pincock and I!!!

​Giant cactus!!

(Have I told you yet, I've actually eaten cactus at a member's house!!)

​It's a good day to have a good day!!! <3

​I LOVE this book!!!!!!!!!!

WEEK 16!!! STILL MAKING STARS!!!

14 MARCH 2016

Meagan Martineau	1:42 PM (2 hours ago)

Just to answer some questions first so I don't forget:

1. We let Larry go... He was so cool though!! He slithered (or whatever snails do) all over the jar all the time!! It was awesome!! But we didn't want to be distracted, so we let him go.

2. No we are NOT allowed on facebook and I have not been on facebook, so if it's a new "like" someone might have hacked me again... I have a hacker in Virginia that has hacked my facebook 3 times so I have to keep changing my password..

3. I am SO GLAD you got to go to Elder and Sister Moon's homecoming!! I love them so much and already miss them!!

4. I WANT ZUPAS!!!! :( But that's ok, because Cali is better than Utah (right now for me) anyway!! :p

5. I gave Hermana Rodriguez (my ward mission leader's wife) your phone number so she can call you and set up a time to see you. Warning: They are CRAZY!!! They make a LOT of jokes, so bring Dad with you ;)

6. Diana and Nita responded about my testimony challenge and tell them THANK YOU for me!! :)

7. Tell the Richardson's FELICIDADES!!!!! (congrats!!!!) And I'm sad I will miss the weddings but I EXPECT pictures!!! :)

8. Things with Hermana Pincock.... Well we all had regular interviews with President Wilson on Wednesday and we talked about the problems and he gave me some great tips to bring it up during companionship inventory which we're supposed to do during weekly planning every Thursday. I was all set and prepared to bring it up and I knew what I was going to say (President told me to make it seem like I needed the help, like I am too tired to study in the mornings so ask her for help in exercising in the mornings, and I told her that I was having a hard time feeling the Spirit and that her testimony strengthens mine (which is true) and I asked her if we could specifically connect our personal studies together (meaning we BOTH have to do it) and things like that, and I just acted like I really needed help and she is very kind and willing to help so that was a good way to go about it) but she hasn't done companionship inventory her entire mission!! So what to say wasn't hard, it was getting to do the inventory so I could say it was the problem!! But we did it and made goals together and it was good. And it has been helping a little!! And we have been really improving on companionship study!! And every morning starting Friday we go outside for a walk for 10 minutes, which is better than nothing!! After that 10 minutes she goes back to bed, but still, that's 10 minutes more than she was exercising!! :) language study is the hard thing though... that hasn't improved at all... but I will work with her on that this week... So things are improving little by little!!! YAY!!!

9. So we had to drop Saul and one of the families and all but one of the other... They are really nice families and will always let us in but they are not willing to progress toward baptism which is really sad... One of the guys from one family though is about 28ish named Roberto. He is progressing, reading the Book of Mormon and developing a testimony of it!! It is so exciting!!! :) But he couldn't come to church yesterday :( And we have another investigator who IS getting baptized!!! His name is Mario. He has been involved in a lot of bad things, been arrested, etc. but he wants to change his life and come closer to God. He is currently on probation but he just moved in with a member in our ward and has been coming to church with him, and now we are teaching him!!! He is SO ready for baptism!!! He just bursts and beams with happiness when we teach him!! He even wants his family to learn!! He already has a testimony of Joseph Smith and the Book of Mormon!! He even bore his testimony in church!!! He is getting baptized on April 23 (because he has to get off probation first). He is SO prepared!!! It is exciting!!! :) So those 2 are our golden investigators!! The others are dropped or new and we have to see what happens from here. So ya. The work is a lot slower here for everyone, but we do have Mario as our little ray of sunshine!!! No one will open their doors now because immigration has been going around and knocking on doors, and if they're Mexican, sending them back to Mexico... It has happened to some of our members... It is really sad so it has been hard to find people because no one will answer their doors... But we WILL find the elect!!! :)

So ya, that was pretty much my week!! Oh and yesterday I was asked to bare my testimony in sacrament meeting--yes in Spanish. But I think I did ok.. :) A lot of people told me that my Spanish is really good, but they are probably just being nice :) There are a lot of good people here :) I really like it here. It has its frustrations for sure, but it's good :) It's where I am supposed to be and I wouldn't rather be ANYWHERE else!!! I KNOW the church is true!! I KNOW God lives!! I KNOW my Redeemer lives!!! I love Them with all my heart!! And I love and miss you with all my heart!!! Thank you for everything Mom and Dad!!! I love you!! :)

Love siempre,

Hermana Martineau

Still making my little stars!! The 2 smallest stars i've ever made!! :)

​My cute new cardigan I got last Monday because I left my jacket at an investigators house and it was raining and I was cold... so I got this to make up for it!! You know how I am with jackets... I always lose them!!! But I always find them!! Don''t worry I got it back!! :)

WEEK 15!!! FOLLOW UP TIME!!! READ THE PS!!!

Meagan Martineau	1:00 PM (4 hours ago)

Thank you so much for everything you said, Mom!! I love you so much!!! And to everyone else that said hi, thank you so much!! I love you all!! I just feel so happy to be in the Lord's work!! It is really hard in a lot of ways and very emotionally and spiritually strenuous, but it is SO WORTH IT!!! I have just had a blast!!! I love sharing the gospel with people!!! Whether they accept or not, it is so fun to just get the message out there!! Every time I share my testimony my faith increases so much!! 

About my companion, Hermana Pincock: We get along great!!! She is really fun and has a lot of fun and laughs a lot!! She loves the work and is great!! Just when we're home she likes to do her own thing and talk and tell stories and not necessarily study as much as she should... She is NOT a morning person so she likes to get ready and then go back to sleep for personal study. But it has been a little better this week. I have been trying to subtly hint at her to study. Companion study has been a LOT better and she has done personal study twice this week!! There is improvement!! I seeked some advice from my Mission President and he gave me some great tips that I am going to try and incorporate this week to help her :) 

About our investigators: The work is a LOT slower here in east Bakersfield.. The finding is WAY less than in Palmdale, but the few investigators we have are pretty serious!! But Satan is working SSSOOOOO hard on them!!! Our investigator Luis had his baptismal date for March 25th but he wanted to get baptized sooner and he's had all the lessons before so we just have to review with him, so we reset his date for the 11th (this Friday - our bishop here likes to do baptisms every other Friday... it's weird), but we would have to teach him EVERY DAY to get all the lessons in until then, and it was going to work, but then an emergency came up and he had to leave for the weekend, so he won't get all the lessons in again on time... but we got permission from our bishop to set him for the 19th. Hopefully he will come home today and we can see him tonight to reset him for that day!! Then our other investigator Lizet really wants to learn and get baptized, but every time we have a lesson with her she has to cancel because someone in her family dies!! It is really sad. Their family is going through a really hard time. Her brother got shot in the head, but survived, then we went back and she found out that her uncle died and her mom went to Mexico to the funeral, then we went back again and her cousin had just died, then we went back and her grandma's best friend died, so her mom went back to Mexico to console her mom..... It has been CRAZY!! And she's only 15!! Poor girl... apparently a gang is out to get her family... and they are finding them.... it's really sad and scary. So we will have to see with her... Then we have another investigator Saul who really wants to change and be baptized but he works SO MUCH we can only see him on Wednesdays... So his progression will be slow.. We'll see how that goes. We are also teaching 2 families right now.... it's really interesting and I don't have time to write about them now... We'll see how that goes!! :) 

Also, we have a pet snail. I found him stuck to our apartment building so we though he was dead. I put him in the sink and was going to clean out the body after nightly planning, but he came out of his shell and is very much alive... We have him in a jar. His name is Larry :) 

Tell hello to EVERYONE!!!!!!! :) And that I love them all and pray for the ward back home every day :)

Tell the Payne family hello for me and that I love them so much!! Tell all the Old Barn Folk a warm hello and that I miss them and I miss my ticket-taking days, and in 15 months I will be back at it!! I am so glad that everyone likes their gifts!! They didn't have much for me to buy, but I did what I could!! :) That was very sweet of Arlene!! I'm sure Hermana White will do that :)

I love you all so much!!! You all mean so much to me!!! Thank you for all that you do for me and thank you for the prayers!! I am learning so much every day!! Even though it is hard, I LOVE sharing the gospel!!!! I love you so much!!! I love my Savior and I love my Father SO much with all my heart and soul!!!

Keep staying strong!!!

Love siempre,

Hermana Martineau

PS FOLLOW UP TIME!!! I challenged all of you who reads these emails to share your testimony with someone, and I would LOVE to receive an email or letter on how that went!!! :) Your testimony truly is strengthened when you share it!! :)

​Awkward selfie I took cuz I feel bad I haven't taken many pictures.. :)

​

​Hermana Pincock and I

​A map of our LARGE area!!!

​Our areas. It's split up by color so we can use our miles more wisely cuz it's so large :)

​Empty pizza roll!! :(

​HE'S ALIVE!!!!!!!

​Larry the snail <3 We'll probably let him go today though...