WEEK 49!!! I'M LEAVING ARVIN!!!!!!!! :( :( I KNOW I AM GOING WHERE THE LORD NEEDS ME!! :) LAST EXCHANGE AS AN STL.

La familia Navarro

Our new cat friend at our apartment complex!! He's just like Stormy, but lazy and chill like Fuzzy <3 le llamamos "amigo gato"

Recent converts - La familia Cortez

Less active family - La familia Moreno

La Familia Salinas de Lamont

Hno Villegas and Brenda Lopez

Left: new inv Lucas who came to church after only ONE LESSON!!, red shirt: Filipe Escamilla - recent convert from Tehachapi, white shirt behind: Efrian Cardona from Tehachapi who is no longer less active!!, blue: Diana next to me: Hna Gomez, little girl: Brenda Lopez from Lamont

Our old man friend investigator Julio who comes to church!!

Juanita. I love this girl so much. I love her!!

Exchanges!!!

OUR DISTRICT!!!

Meagan Martineau

Dear Everyone:

I'M LEAVING ARVIN!!!!!!! :( :(

But that's ok. :) I know I am going where the Lord needs me!! Where that is I don't exactly know yet... President Layton started a new thing where know one knows where they're going or who with until the day we go there!!! So when we get calls now we are just told if we are staying or leaving. I am leaving and Hermana White is staying. But thankfully there are only so many Hermanas and so many Hna areas that based on who is staying and leaving we pretty much have it figured out. I will most likely be going to Buena Vista in south Bakersfield with Hna Zambrano!! That's not a for sure though. The only other options are to go back to La Cresta 2 w/ Hna Perry or to LC5 with Hna Luquette, but we are pretty sure that won't happen. Also based on the logistics, Hna Blau will most likely be the new STL!!!! She is going to do AWESOME!!!! So ya, I'm really really sad to leave Arvin, but all is well :) I am going where I am needed at this time :) But HOLY COW have we seen miracles in Arvin!!! It is a magical place!!!!

Our investigator Daniel went to the church in Bakersfield with a member from Arvin because his sister Monse now has a restraining order against her friend Juanita who referred them to us!! (that's a long story but basically one didn't say hi to the other at school and they almost fought, so now they have a restraining order...) So if we want them to come to church they will have to go in Bakersfield so Juanita and her family can come here. But nevertheless, Daniel went to church and loved it so much that afterward he texted us and asked us to come over to teach him more!!! His baptism will be Nov 26!!! I'm so excited for him!!! He is a future missionary!! 

And sad news....Jessy Bueno - tattoo man - ....dropped us. He is going through something right now and Satan is attacking him and blinding him. He is now suddenly very confused about the truth and texted us saying he thinks it's better that we don't meet for now. But he'll come around one day I hope!! Also Frida as of today is basically homeless because she had to move out of her friend's house. She will probably be at her mom's for 2 weeks but if the manager doesn't let her live there she will be homeless until the housing authority people help her with an apartment...we fasted for her yesterday. I hope it all works out for her, the poor thing. Plus at church yesterday she was throwing up sick and had to go home, just to top the cake. :/ But the Lord is on her side so it will all work out!!

Back to good new!! We had exchanges with Hnas Van der Toolen and Badger!! (little did I know it was my last exchange as an STL...) I was with Hna Badger and it was pretty good!! On the exchange we met a guy that told us that he felt a peace when he talked to us that he's never felt before. However he wouldn't give us his address or phone number because he has trust issues, but he told us if we wanted to learn he would come to church. Well yesterday he walked in during the sacrament hymn because he wanted to feel that peace again. He left right after church ended so we couldn't get his information but we ran into him again at the grocery store this morning and he is going to come to an activity this Saturday! We are so excited! We have really seen the work double!! And we had a Book of Mormon miracle when a man saw the Book of Mormon in our hands and told us he's read it before. He let us teach him, then he showed up to church on Sunday as well! His name is Lucas. Also our old man friend Julio came to church again for the 3rd time!! The work is hastening!! So many miracles are happening everywhere!!! That's why I don't want to leave Arvin!! There is so much happening that I want to be a part of!! I will miss it and miss the people there, but the work will hasten either way, which is the most important thing!!! I am just so glad I get to be a part of the work at all!! It is such a cool thing to see miracles happen every day and see people change their lives right before our eyes!! It is truly a blessing!! <3

I know the Lord's hand has really been in the work and has been in our lives so much. I have grown closer to Him in ways I never thought possible <3 These past 11 months have truly blessed my life so much!! I hope to make the next 7 even better!! I am so grateful for my Savior and all that he's done for me!! And thank you for all that you have all done for me too!! <3 I love you!!! Have a great week!!!

Love siempre,

Hermana Martineau

WEEK 48!!! BERTO'S BAPTISM AND LOTS OF PICTURES THIS WEEK!!! "JESUS CHRIST. HE IS THE SECRET. HE IS EVERYTHING....."

​Grape fields <3

​My birthday cake with sparkling candles!!

​PS like the tan line on my wrist? :)

​Brother and Sister Anderson from the Stake in Bakersfield. They work with the Arvin group and took us to dinner in Arvin at Lupita's :)

​What a beautiful day <3 

This is outside our apartment :)

Berto's baptism!!! - the lady in blue is Hermana Navarro and the 3 boys in front are her sons, Berto who got baptized is her brother, their uncle :)

After the baptism, Berto and Hermano Rodier :)

What we left on Hermana Navarro's door for her birthday today :) 

I made and drew on the hearts, Hermana White wrote the note on the big one :)

Arvin <3

Meagan Martineau	3:28 PM (4 hours ago)

Dear Everyone Who Gets This Email:

I hope it gets to all of you happy and well :) I am happy and well :) Life is not perfect, not even missionary life, but ya know what? It's worth it. It's hard, it's REALLY hard!! I don't know of anyone that doesn't have a hard life in some way or another though. We all have struggles, we all have trials, we hurt, we have heartaches, feelings get hurt, but there is a way to over come all of that. JESUS CHRIST. He is the secret. He is everything. Without Him we truthfully cannot do anything. He is our rock, He is our light, He is our life, He is our joy. He is MY joy. I love Him so much and I am so grateful for His love, for His sacrifice, for His grace. He is what's giving me strength. He IS my strength.

This week has been pretty good! We have seen little miracles all week :) We were able to see Jessy Bueno again this week for the first time since his surgery. He's doing pretty well!! He thought we were mad at him for some reason but we cleared that up with him which was good! And we were able to teach our new friends Daniel and Monse this week. I can't remember if I told you about them. Our less-active friend Juanita who is a junior in high school referred us to them and they are SO COOL!!! They came to church with Juanita yesterday and they REALLY liked it!! Their family is Catholic but they used to go to different Christian churches on their own looking for a good one, but they never felt connected to any, even though they liked them. They walked into our little group in a tiny Veteran's Post shed and immediately felt a connection, a connection to the people, to the doctrine, to the Spirit there. It was cool. Then they asked us to come over and teach them after church so we did. And they brought a friend they want to share it with!! They are excited and ready to get baptized!! Their date is Nov 26. We are so excited!! This will help Juanita too and with her strength, eventually her family will come around and come back to church. :) And they are going to bring their friends to the gospel too!!! They're already doing missionary work!! It is awesome!! Also our old friend Julio came to church again!! We're still not sure how much he's understanding though.. He will probably take more time just because he's an older guy, but he's a cutie!!

Then Berto's baptism was AWESOME!!! The Spirit was very strong. While he was changing afterward I got the chance to play some interlude hymns. It was so fun and the Spirit was strong. After he got baptized when he was still in the font, he just hugged the guy who baptized him so tight. It was so sweet. He is such a sweet man <3 He is a very special spirit that's for sure <3

And my birthday was wonderful!!! We took some pictures in the grape fields and random places around Arvin. Then at the Noche de Hogar (family home evening) that we have every week with the group we had cake :) The family who had it at their house was la familia Navarro. Hermana Navarro bought the cake and they all sang to me. Hermana Martha Pulido gave me a present and another member Jazmin and her daughter Zoey gave me a card. They were very good to me :) It was really fun!!! :) They are wonderful people!! The lady who has sent you all the pictures and video is Hermana Navarro. We eat dinner with her every Thursday. Today is her birthday! You could text her "Feliz Cumpleanos" for me if you want!! :) She's awesome!! All the members are!! A member from Bakersfield who's in the Stake Presidency took us to dinner on my birthday, but they didn't even know it was my birthday!! It just worked out!! And tonight as a late birthday celebration our recent convert Ada Cortez and her family are having us over for enchiladas verdes - my FAVORITE!!!! So they are all super good to me!! I LOVE the members!!! I never want to leave Arvin!!! I hope I stay here till Christmas!!! I don't know that that will happen, but that is my hope!!! :) 

But ya, all is well :) Arvin is growing, it is great <3 I love it so much!! And I love you all so much!!! Thank you so much for all the sweet birthday wishes, cards, and presents!! I really appreciated all of it!! I love you all so much!!! Thank you for your constant support!! <3

Have a great week!!

Tengan una buena semana!!

Les quiero mucho!!

Con mucho amor,
Hermana Martineau <3

WEEK 47!!! MIRACLE SATURDAY AND MEETINGS WITH ELDER COOK!!!

While opening presents. Thank you so much!!! I feel so blessed!!!!

Hna White made this for me for my birthday <3

​Sorry, just finished running so I am sweaty :)

​Exchanges with Hnas Williamson and Torres!!!

Meagan Martineau	Oct 17 (2 days ago)

Thank you so much everyone for the birthday wishes!!!! I really appreciate it!!!! 

It has been a great day so far!!! :)

So this week: We had exchanges with Hermanas Torres and Williamson!!! They came to Arvin and I went with Hna Torres!!! It was so fun!! She is a cutie, and Mom she says HI!!!! :) And the meeting with Elder Cook was WONDERFUL!!!!! It was a very long day but very good!!!! We had to leave at 7:20am to get there and we were in meetings ALL DAY until 6pm, minus an hour lunch break and 2-3 5 minute breaks. It was a LONG but very spiritually uplifting day!!! 

We learned a LOT about repentance and REALLY what it is, what it entails, what it means. I learned SOOO much!!!! And a lot about how to teach it better. We learned something very interesting that there is not anyone who truly understands repentance that won't get baptized and won't stay active. That impacted me a lot!!

Then afterwards we went to the baptism of 2 girls from Lamont who go to our group!! The Elders taught them but at first they wanted Hermanas so we taught them initially but we talked to them and they said they were fine with Elders so they took over from there, but we got to go see them get baptized afterward and it was so good!! And Berto got to go too and see a baptism before he gets baptized. We were talking to him and trying to see if we could push back his baptismal date a week or two just to help him understand all the lessons because we still have 6 more, but he said no he wants to be baptized ASAP!! So he is getting baptized this coming Saturday the 22nd!!!! We are so excited!!! He is such a cute man and has the sweetest spirit and best of intentions <3 I can't wait to see him enter into that great covenant with the Lord <3 And with Jessy, we haven't been able to talk to him but the member that visited him in the hospital says he's doing well and he just got home the other day. We will probably pop in on him sometime this week to see how he is!!! And Frida has been a little hard to contact because she keeps changing phone numbers but she's doing good. She's still here in Arvin living with her friend but we want her to move to Bakersfield with a member because she's not in the best environment. It's MUCH better than before but still not good. We are still praying that she gets the courage to ask!!

*Miracle* Also on Saturday we had an appointment close to our apartment at 10am so we just walked, then we just kept tracting around the area and talked to a lot of people!! Then we realized we had missed lunch and had an appointment with Martha Sigala at 1 and it was almost one. We were pretty close to her house too so we just walked there too. Miracle was that she was just about to eat lunch and gave us some too. Then we just just kept on foot. It was coming close to dinner time and we were going to walk home and we were walking past the Moreno family's house (the less-actives we have been working with) and we decided to just see how they were. Oddly enough they thought we were supposed to have dinner with them that night and were expecting us at any time, but we didn't have dinner with them!! But they had food prepared and waiting for us!! It was all such a miracle!!! We also found a bunch of new investigators that day, one of which came to church yesterday!!! His name is Julio and he is in his 80s!! He's a cute old man!! So that was a huge day full of miracle after miracles!!! Things like that happen every day!!! It's so cool!!! It's such a cool thing we are doing and get to be a part of <3 I love it!!!! <3

I did get the packages. THANK  YOU SO MUCH!!!!!! I opened them this morning!!! HOLY TON OF  CANDY!!!!!!! But thanks!!! I really appreciate it!!! And thanks for the socks and pens, they were much needed!!! And we are excited about the Halloween treats!!! :) And please thank the Richardsons and Arlene for me too and give them a BIG HUG!!!!!! Thank you so much for all the support and love that you give to me <3 I really appreciate it a ton!!  I don't know what I would do without you all!!! I certainly wouldn't be here!! Well, I wouldn't be here without Jesus Christ!! HE is EVERYTHING!!!!! I am so glad I get this time to learn more about Him and help others grow closer to Him. I am grateful that I have so many wonderful friends and family supporting me <3 I love you all so so much!!! 

I hope you all have great week!!!!! <3

Love siempre,
Hermana Martineau <3

WEEK 46!!! "REPENTANCE IS SO COOL!! WHAT A BLESSING IT IS!!!"

 Washing a car with a shirt and a water bottle... when you're poor and obedient :) 

 Exchanges with Hnas Perry and Gonzalez!!! 

(I didn't have my camera for the other exchange but I will get it from someone!!) 

 ​MLC!!! These are the STLs of the mission :)
(NOTE: I LOVE all the acronyms that missionaries use! MLC=Mission Leadership Conference, STL=Sister Training Leader, ZTM=Zone Training Meeting).

Meagan Martineau	Oct 10 (1 day ago)

Hello world!!!!!

So a quick update on good 'ol Arvin: 

Jessy FINALLY had his surgery!!!! He is in the hospital now and will be for a couple weeks then he will be on bed rest for a few more weeks, but some members in Bakersfield that have come to lessons with us are visiting him which is AWESOME!! From what we heard he is ok but he will have to stay in the hospital a little longer than planned.

Frida has to move out of her friend's house but there is a member in Bakersfield who is willing to house her until she gets her own place which HOPEFULLY will be soon!!! So she will probably be going to church in Bakersfield soon now :( But that's ok, as long as she goes!! :) 

(I don't know if I told you about him or not) but Berto Navarro is doing well!! He is an active member's brother we are teaching. He has some disabilities so it is kind of hard to teach him but he is mostly understanding!! He was supposed to get baptized this coming weekend but we have gone slower with the lessons so we had to push it back a week and we might even have to push it back one more week to make sure he understands. (his brothers are trying to convince him that Mormons are terrible people, including his sister who has completely taken him in and who is there for him every minute of every day, unlike them - the family hasn't liked her ever since she was converted) So we're working with him, but he really wants to be baptized and sealed to his parents who have passed away <3

Update on this last week:

We had exchanges in Esperanza, Palmdale, from Monday-Tuesday. It was Hnas Latimer and Hansen!!! I went with Hna Latimer and it was so fun!!! She is such a cutie and we were able to see some tender mercies and testify to a lot of people!! Then Friday to Saturday we had an exchange with Hnas Perry and Gonzalez in La Cresta 2 my old area!!! I stayed in Bakersfield with Hna Gonzalez and the other 2 went to Arvin :) It was pretty good, we were able to find some people, talk to some really rude people, and testify to them!!! That's one of my favorite things to do, talk to someone who is very rude and critical, testify to them, then they get nicer before we leave :) It's cool to see how the spirit touches people <3

We also had MLC this Wednesday, so we had ZTM on Friday. I LOVE MLC but do NOT like having to talk at ZTM!!!! At ZTM we take what we learned at MLC to the zone. This time we were given AN HOUR to fill!!! Usually the zone leaders take most of the time and we will do like a 10 minute training, sometimes we'll do the role play, but this time we had to do a 25 minute training AND a role play IN FRONT OF the whole zone!!!! It was really scary but I think it went well. It was about the importance of teaching repentance to our investigators. Repentance is something I never realized was SOO important before!! I knew it was IMPORTANT and NECESSARY, but I never really understood why or how to repent very well before. Now I have a greater understanding, so even though it was hard and scary, I'm glad I got to do it to learn more about this INCREDIBLY IMPORTANT lesson of repentance. Repentance is so cool!! What a blessing it is!!!! <3  The Atonement is real, the gospel is good, Heavenly Father loves us, Christ is our Savior, we have the way to salvation, we have an eternal family, the weather is cooling down, what more could I want!??!!? Life is good :) I love you all so much!!! Thank you for everything!!!! <3 Have a GREAT week!!!! <3

Love siempre,

Hermana Martineau <3

WEEK 45!!! A GIANT PIT BULL AND HUGE STORM ALL IN ONE EXCHANGE!!!

Meagan Martineau	Oct 3 (1 day ago)

To answer questions:)

-Yes we are back in the good 'ol Arvin apartments :)

-we were in Bakersfield with the sisters from Wednesday night the week before last week till Friday of last week

-It was SO FUN!!!! I love the sisters!!!!

-There was a fire in Tehachapi and Arvin is like a bowl surrounded by mountains so all the bad air just filled in there...It's pretty gross

-ya, they just fumigated and we're back :) They tried to move us but there are no open apartments in all of Arvin!!

-The bag was a bag of Hermana White's old clothes that she had in her hand. The apartment and car were both locked, that's why it was so bad we didn't have the keys because we were basically homeless for that hour and a half!!

-We just looked through the few little bags we had with us

-no idea how they got there!! Tender mercy? ;)

-yes I am still the driver and have been this whole time :)

-And we are settled finally!!! unpacked the last of it yesterday :) STill the same address

-Spanish is good!! Not fluent yet, but I can mostly say what I want and can understand most of what is said, it's just different because I've learned grammar rules and such but teaching the gospel I don't get to use them much so idk how good I would be in normal people real life :) But improving every day :)

-I don't really have dreams, but I do think to myself in Spanish as much as possible to practice to myself

-Jessy is good and made it to Sunday morning general conference!! He has his surgery this Thursday too.

-Frida came to Sun afternoon session and we gave her her scriptures there and she almost cried!!!

-Rosa dropped us - family issues, but we'll try back later in a few weeks - and Marcial hasn't responded to anything so we will have to pop in on him..

-it is cooling off!!! We actually had a big crazy storm this week!!! it's been in the 70's FINALLY

-no earthquakes in Arvin!!

-I am meeting Hna Latimer today for exchanges and I will meet Hna Torrez next week, but I have talked to them on the phone a couple times :)

-we watch conference at the stake center in Bakersfield - the same building I went to in La Cresta and where we have district and zone meetings

Now for this week!!!

So we had exchanges with Hnas Luquette and Pincock. I was in Arvin with Hna Luquette. She says hi to you, Mom :) It was fun! We found some people and had a great time!! Then we had exchanges with Hnas Blau and Zambrano, I went with Hna Blau in Arvin, the others were in Buena Vista. A GIANT pit bull jumped a fence and almost ate us, I had to pull out my pepper spray to protect us (my zone leaders in Little Rock gave it to me after that incident), then there was a HUGE storm and some tornadoes across the field so we had to run to a members house for protection!! It was crazy!!! Lots of wind, lightning, thunder, dirt, it was so cool!!! So that was a crazy exchange!!! Then we had interviews with Pres Layton on Thur and he helped me a lot, it was good. Friday we moved back to Arvin, then conference was AMAZING!!!

(Mom, you can cut in what I wrote to Pres. Rees here about what I learned from conf to save me time).

President Rees,

CONFERENCE WAS WONDERFUL!!!! I have never loved conference so much before! I really appreciate it a lot more now!! I think the overall message I got was how we can find joy in our earthly experience through increasing our faith in Jesus Christ through prayer. I learned that prayer should connect you with the Heavens, and if it doesn't, you're not doing it right. If you sincerely pray with all your heart then your faith in Christ will increase and you will have more joy in life. That is what I learned in a teeny tiny nutshell :) 

Thank you for the email, I really appreciate it!!! Life is great!! I'm still loving it!!!

Hermana Martineau :)

So it was a pretty good week!!!! A little crazy again!!! But good!!! Then today we head to Palmdale for exchanges as well :) It'll be good!!! 

Thank you so much for all your support and love!! I love you all so much!!! Remember the Savior always and that He is joy. He is the ONLY TRUE joy we have <3

Have a great week!! Love you all!!!

Hermana Martineau