email recieved 3-30-10

FLATLAND IS GREAT!!!!! My companion is Elder Ricks. He’s from Meridian Idaho!! My address is 1013 E 28th St., Marion, Indiana, 46953 LOOK ME UP!!!!!

P-day is Tuesday up here. It’s way awesome! We are going to go play basketball with some of the guys in "tha HOOD" later today, it should be fun.

Marion is really small, half of the homes are in bad shape or they are abandoned. All the huge companies around here closed. So there’s no more work. It’s really nice though the people are so humble. We stopped a guy last night around 8:45 p.m.when we were walking home. We gave him a pa(pass along) card for the movie Finding Faith in Christ. He then told us how proud of us he was, that the Lord will greatly bless us for having the TENACITY to get out in the street and preach the good word. That made this whole week of up and downs all worth it.

The ward is really small. We have more more priesthood members back home than they do in their entire ward. Sunday was nice we went and ate dinner at the Turner’s home. They are the most awesome people ever!!! Sheesh! Their daughter Afton is 16 or 17 and she is planning on getting a PHD in something or other. I couldn’t do that.

TELL EVERYONE IF THEY WANT TO HEAR FROM ME, THEY HAVE TO WRITE A LETTER OR EMAIL ME AT mark.swanson@myldsmail.net SO I CAN SEND A LETTER BACK TO THEM!!. We aren’t allowed to email friends, but I’m going to print off emails and write letters to you when I have some spare time.

The work is going well out here. We met with Bill Blake yesterday, he's pretty much already a member, his wife has accepted baptism, but hasn’t set a date yet because she wants to wait for him, and he wants to finish the Book of Mormon first, but he said he wanted to be baptized as well once he's done. We are having FHE with them tonight because they do that on Tuesday instead of Monday (his wife works/owns a coffee shop) then later we are going to go meet Kylee and Sean Wilkins. He is a member and has been for a long time. He’s 22 and she's 21. She isn’t a member, but Sean has been a good influence on her, so we’re going over tonight to get to know them and maybe set a baptismal date!!!! WELL I’M GLAD TO HEAR YOU GUYS ARE DOING WELL!!!!! INDIANA IS BEAUTIFUL!!!! I CANT WAIT FOR EVERYTHING TO GREEN UP!!!! Oh, on a side note Hehehe. So there is a church up here called the BETHEL AFRICAN METHODIST EPISCOPAL CHURCH....... I thought Methodist and Episcopalians didn’t like each other???? Hahaha well anyway, I love you guys so much!! Thanks for helping me get out here. LOVE YOU GUYS!!!!

OH HEY GUYS-- WHAT WE DRIVE UP HERE?? A 2010 FORD FUSION!!!! YEA BABY!!!! WE EITHER WALK OR DRIVE EVERYWHERE!!!

Mark sent more MTC pictures -

Mark - the Fun Guy!!

Utah to Indiana!!

Letter Recieved 3-29-10

Dear Family and Friends,
Hey Indiana is AWESOME. Today was cool. We went to Brother Blessings house. (He is a less active member) He’s a great guy, but the last missionaries tricked him into coming to church, so he likes me and Elder Ricks – but not the rest.
After that we went tracting!! Yay!! We talked to some people and then we knocked on the next door and a guy opened the door. We introduced ourselves, but then he cut us off and said, “Yeah, you’re Mormons? You church is an abomination!” (He’s a pentahostil – I mean Pentecostal) Then Elder Ricks asked what he thought was abominating about the church. He then proceeded to bash on the church for 3-5 minutes and finished by saying that Jesus Christ came to his house and told him his church was true. What a nice man.
We kept on tracting for a while after that with no success. Then we did weekly planning for 2 hours!! Phew – that’s a long time. After, we went to dinner with Bro. Wilson’s. He’s a pretty cool guy!! After dinner we went tracting some more (our contact fell through) but we met this guy Monty. He invited us in immediately and started asking ?s about us and what we do! It was a cool experience and we are going back next week!!
Well, we live in a house!! All by ourselves!! Awesome right?

Our address is:
Elder Mark Swanson. 1013 E 28th St. Marion, Indiana 46953
Love to all! Elder Swanson

Mark Leaves for Indiana Tuesday, March 23rd

Letter from Mark recieved Fri. 3-12-10

Mark & his companion Elder Long with some Matrix moves. Can you guess how they're doing it? Look in the bottom on the picture for clues.

When they're not being silly - Mark and Elder Long are the new Zone Leaders for the guys going to Indiana. That's just like Mark to have the responsibility to make sure everyone is on track, feels loved and good about their efforts.

The guys in Mark's district - going to Ind. In.

The Letter that came with the pics -

Hey guys - how are you? So I've decided to handwrite all my letters!! (that means mom gets to type them all to post to the blog) So things here are great!! My companion, Elder Long is so chill!! The MTC is still amazing and guess what? ME AND ELDER LONG ARE ZONE LEADERS! How cool is that!?! So what do you want to know? Write me back with some questions and stuff like that. Hope you like the pictures, I'm sending more next week.

Please pray for Elder Taylor. His mom died 2 weeks before he left and he's taking it really hard. It would mean the world to me.

So before I close, just remember - Have Faith in Christ, The church is true, The Gospel is awesome, and Live the Dream!!

Love, Elder Mark Alton Swanson

p.s. Friday is my P day. (That's the day Mark has time to write letters, do laundry and play a little)

1st Letter from MTC sent 3-6-10

Hey Everyone,

Just letting you know how everything is going. My companion's Elder Long. He is the coolest guy ever!! He likes to skate and he listens to the same stuff I do, 311, Sublime, Jack Johnson. So anyway the MTC is AMAZING!!!!!! It’s the funnest thing I’ve ever done!!!! I don’t miss home yet and I hope it stays that way.

Alrighty, so on the Spiritual side of things, the spirit here is so strong! You can feel it from when you wake up to when you go to sleep. Last night I got to help bless our district leader Elder Staples. When we were blessing him you could feel the spirit so strongly!! It was as if the Lord was standing there with us. I’ve never felt the spirit so strongly in my life!!

So the other guys in my district are Elder Long (my comp) Elder Lenahan, Elder Staples, Elder White, and Elder Worden!! They are all such great guys!!! The MTC food is awesome!!! I’m loving it here so much. The sisters in our Zone are awesome and they have blessed the Elders through there Shining example. Oh man the spirit is so strong here!! It wasn't an accident that we were placed in the same zone. IT WAS INSPIRATION!!!! My testimony has grown tenfold since I’ve been here over the past few days. Elder White sleeps above me and HE SNORES LIKE A BEAR WITH A CHAINSAW, but I love him anyway. Maybe you guys could send some ear plugs or something please.

I love you guys!! THE CHURCH IS TRUE!!!!!

MTC Arrival 3-3-10

Oh, Happy Day!! As soon as Mark started meeting the other Elders that reported with him, all nervousness was gone. He couldn't wait to get started.

One last hug and picture, then we drove Mark across the street where a line of elders, who'd been at the MTC for a couple weeks, were waiting to help him carry his "stuff" and help him get settled. Such a great way to get started.

You can't email Mark at this point, but if you'll go to http://www.dearelder.com/ you can write him a letter and they'll deliver it the same day or next, depending on when you write it. Use the box # and mission code found in the profile on the sidebar. His estimated departure date is 3-17-10.

HEY GUYS!!!!!!

Hey guys its mark here, just wanted to leave you guys with a little message before i go. I am so grateful for all of your support getting me to this point in my life. if it wasn't for all of you, i wouldnt be going on my mission. through you sharing your beliefs and your testimonies with me it has brought me to a greater knowledge and love for our lord and savior Jesus Christ. i hope that you will all continue to be the Amazing examples you were to me.

To all of my friends of other faiths. i want you guys to know that I love you so much. even though you are not of my faith you have helped me along the path through your constant support and love, even though we don't share the same beliefs. i also want you to know that Jesus Christ loves you. just becuase you aren't mormon doesnt mean you are a bad person or you're going to "heck". the lord loves all of his children, and he always will. i want you to know that you can pray to God and Jesus Christ and get an answer to your prayers. The Lord will always love you.

Again i just want to thank everyone for helping me get to this point in my life. I know that the New and Old Testaments are as they say a TESTAMENT of the love our Savior and God have for us. I also know that the Book of Mormon is ANOTHER TESTAMENT of Jesus Christ. I know that this church was restored to this earth by Joseph Smith. I know that he and all of the Prophets since him, are MEN of GOD. they were called of God to serve as his representative on the earth, to guide and teach us the will of the Lord. I know that Thomas S. Monson is the prophet the Lord has blessed us with in our day. I know that if you pray to the Lord, he will answer your prayers. I know that Jesus Christ suffered, bled, and died for me. so that we might return and live with him someday. THE CHURCH IS TRUE!!!

on a more Wordly note. i hope you guys will write me and when i have time i will write back.

on the subject of missionary work i have but one thing to say. LIFT WHERE YOU STAND, as president Uchtdorf said. we are all called to the work. we don't have to be a missionary to serve our fellow men.

Obedience is the Price, Faith is the Power, Love is the Motive, The Spirit is the key, Christ is the Reason, and Joy is the Reward. that is what missionary work is.

i love you guys so much. again thank you for all you've done to help me and...

I'LL SEE YOU IN TWO!!!!!!!!!!!

Love,
Elder Swanson