Happy Mother's Day!

Hey everyone! Happy Mother's Day!

This was a great week! Carlos M was baptized on Saturday and it was really cool! He has changed so much and really loves the Lord and the gospel. It's sad though because he's moving back to Boston in 2 weeks, but he's going to find the ward up there and I'm sure he'll be alright. We had to move our baptism with Jeff O from this week to June 1st because he wants his wife's family to be able to come, so hopefully I'll still be there. Transfers are in two weeks and I hope I'll be sticking around. We are doing so great and should have.. lemme count.. four more baptisms in the next coming month. Justin B, the guy from New York, will be coming home soon within the next two week and he'll get baptized, and we found another lady named Janet C who is super ready too. Her mother in law is a member and she knows a lot about the church and she so politely asked us "you know, I really like your church and I've been looking for a change from Catholicism, and I'd really like to join your church if that's alright?" She is really great and a super nice lady! 

We are still working with Jennifer D and Kim G, they are both coming along and hopefully Sister D will be ready to be baptized on May 26th, but she's still solid. 

So lately it's been a little interesting, our neighbor/Spanish Elder/buddy from Brazil, Elder Rafael De Oliveira went home because he had some severe asthma and couldn't handle the humidity much longer, so he needed to go back to Arizona to heal and they'll probably send him to a different mission when he recovers, so we took on his companion elder Belliston and well be in a trio until the end of the transfer in two weeks, so its been a little crazy and different balancing the two areas but we're making it work. But we've sat in a couple lessons and contacts in Spanish and we got to attend 2 hours of the Spanish branch yesterday so its been a little weird not understanding anything but a couple words and phrases here and there, plus it adds a different dynamic with two companions instead of three, but were making it work. If you could, look up Rafael De oliveira from Mesa Arizona on facebook on my profile and send him some love I'd appreciate it.

I did get the journal thank you so much! It got here just in time for me to run out from my other one so there was no missed revelation.

 Oh before I forget, an apostle is coming to our mission June 2nd along with 4-5 other general authorities, so we're pretty excited about that! We don't know who it is but we will find out this week, on the 20th I think, so I should know when I call you guys.

I have been watching what I've been eating. Eating less and more fruits and veggies. I should be skinny in no time. Anyway, I hope you all have a great week and Ill call you soon! Oh and if I could get the usb's back asap before my card fills up thatd be great! Love you all! I'm so grateful for your good examples to me! Have a wonderful week!

Love,
Elder Morrison

May 7

Hello Everyone!

This was a great week! We are having so much fun teaching such prepared people! We switched the baptismal dates around according to the people's preparedness; We are having Carlos M baptized this Saturday, we were able to set a date with Jeff O for May 19, and Jennifer D is being baptized May 26. All of these people, including Sister G came to church this Sunday and it was great to have them there. Luckily we dont have to worry about forcing or inviting members of the ward to embrace investigators and new members, many of them do it on their own because they understand how crucial it is to help these people. All of the investigators that we have have good friends in the ward and we frequently have their friends come with us to teach or teach in their friends home, so it works our good.

In our ward we have 14 ward missionaries who basically have the calling of helping us and embracing investigators.

We spent most of the week teaching, we taught the most lessons this week that I have my entire mission, so things are going very well. I have no complaints. The Lord is blessing us so much.

So cool story from this week, a long ways back when I was in Durham probably during my 2nd or 3rd month in the field, Elder Gonzalez and I accidently knocked onto this less active guy's door. Im pretty sure I told you the story in an email on Septmeber 12th (I just looked it up) so I wont go over too much of it again. But we knocked into this guy;s door, Chris D, who had alot of problems he was dealing with, and because of that his wife had left and they were planning on getting a divorce.

Fast forward a little ways, Im still pretty young and companions with Elder Tarwater, well we help him move and we find out he's trying to fix stuff with his wife so they're living together again with their two daughters. And that was the last I heard about him. Well he's living in Apex where a bud of mine is serving and my bud writes Elder Tschaggeny and I a letter and tells us that he was really prompted to go see this family (the D's) who haven't been to church in while so he doesn't know who they are. So, lo and behold, he goes and knocks on their door and fast forward to now after some rigorous teaching and repentance from brother D, they are frequently attending church, reading scriptures everyday, they watched all sessions of conference, and he was able to exercise his priesthood and give his wife a blessing in between sessions of conference. It was really sweet to hear that and it just made me so happy. It is amazing how our father in heaven works and can send two inexperienced missionaries to the door of a man who just needs to know that his Father loves him and wants him to return to the fold, and how our Father in Heaven places missionaries where they need to be to be able to help his children. The healing power of the atonement is amazing and real.

I also got the shirts! Thank you so much! But no study journal yet, still waiting for that one.

Love you all so much and have a great week! Happy mothers day mom and have a fun trip!

Love,
Elder Morrison

April 30

Hello everyone!

First of all, elder tschaggeny and I are doing a ton of great work. We were able to help a lot of our investigators progress and the month of May is looking like it's going to be full of baptisms. We were able to help Jennifer D, our Haitian investigator, commit to be baptized the 12 of May. She's been to church the last 4 weeks and has really enjoyed it. We also have been teaching a man, Carlos M, who is committed to be baptized May 19th, we taught him the word of wisdom this week and he gave us all 3 of his packs of cigarettes.

We were also able to teach brother O again this week, we haven't heard from him in a while so we were getting worried but then sister O called us up and told us that they were having some family problems and not to worry about thinking that they were blowing us off. She told us that Brother O also went and bought 400 dollars worth of church clothes, so that's a reaaallly good sign!

Sister G is still doing great, but we're making slow progress with her still. We're trying to figure out how we can help her quit smoking, because at the moment she isn't even trying, but she's keeping all of her other commitments. We're just being patient with her and being there for her. She needs our support big time. 

But elder Tschaggeny and I are doing some great work and being really busy. Plus we have a lot of fun together and get along great! I've been really blessed thus far with great companions. The ward is really good and the other companionships in my district are also doing alot of great work and should be having some baptisms in May as well. It's really exciting but I can see myself being transferred soon. It's already week 3 of this transfer so I could only have like 3 more weeks here. 

President and Sister Cotterell came and spoke in our sacrament meeting yesterday and that was really cool, it was the second time they've come to my ward on my mission, and apparently that's pretty rare, but they got to talk to the investigators that we had there and it was just a neat experience. Tomorrow we have our last interview with him, because in July they'll be leaving. It's kinda weird that we'll be getting a new mission president soon, I don't know what its going to be like. the Cotterells have made a huge impact on this mission, and the mission president's have a lot of influence over the success of a mission.

This week I learned how precious life is, we had a couple tragedies happen in our ward this week, which I'm sure (sadly) is fairly common in military wards. But a family in the ward had a son pass away over in Afghanistan after an ambush and another woman's husband was pretty severely injured in an explosion. I learned alot about the sacrifice these men and women and their families make to serve the country and the risk the put their lives in to help others. It really was sad, but a testimony builder of the plan of salvation as the families were able to put it all in perspective of our heavenly fathers plan.

Thank you all for all that you do! I love you and miss you guys and but I know that this is the work of the Lord and where I need to be!

Love,

Elder Morrison

Trusting in the Lord's promises

hey everyone!

 I had to say goodbye to Elder Fogle but it was all right, he's grown into a great missionary and I'm sure he'll do just fine in a new area. He was a great guy though and I sure will miss him. I got my new companion this week and his name is Elder Peter Tschaggeny (pronounced chah geh nee, just take off the "ts" in his name) and he's from South Jordan UT. We went to BYU at the same time and we know a TON of the same people from up there. We have a lot of mutual friends so it was pretty cool. He's been out about 6 months and is a way nice guy. We're having a lot of fun and doing so much good work together, it's a little different being with a missionary now that has some teaching experience and is very sociable, but we've been able to adjust quite well.

We had a great week as far as missionary work goes! Sister D, Sister Gand a new investigator that we found this week named Carlos M all came to church this week, which was really exciting. Sister G loved relief society and told us she felt the spirit really strong and even added some comments to the discussion, so it was great to see her comfortable and willing to participate. That's always a good sign. We also were able to set 3 baptismal dates this week with 3 new investigators, all for may 19th. 2 of them were Kiara and Sister P, and they were really excited and felt the spirit really strong when we taught them the first time and they wanted to come to church and this baptism this weekend but ever since they missed the baptism we haven't heard from them. I have a feeling they got anti-ed or something, but I really hope not. We also set one with Carlos and he was really excited and felt the spirit really strong as well. He is staying with a part member family in the ward while he looks for  a job and we were able to teach him and he told us ever since we gave him the Book of Mormon he has just felt different, he's felt good and that it's true, so we're pretty excited about him. All of our other investigators are progressing as well, except brother O, we haven't heard from him in a while so we're starting to get worried about him. 

We had some good missionaries come into the district this week as well, we got Elder hewlett from Centerville to be companions with Elder Goodrich and Elder Belliston from Salem Utah is with Elder De Oliveira. They added the Spanish companionship to my district so that was pretty exciting. Except for like 3 or 4 missionaries in the zone, Elder De Oliveira Elder Schank (zone leader) and I are the oldest missionaries in the zone (they all go home with me) so there's a big responsibility to be examples to the younger missionaries, but its a good time.

The mission has been going so fast as of late, being busy really makes time fly, but it's the best time of the mission when you're busy and have a ton going on, so I'm really happy with what's going on right now.

We had dinner with a guy in the Golden Knights this week, I'm sure you've heard of him. He was showing us all these famous people he's jumped out of airplanes with like Bill Murray, Randy Couture, and Tony Stewart. Then he shows us this picture of him golfing with this older guy and I go "no way is that Regis Phillbin!?" and everyone kind of just looks at me strange and starts laughing, and they go "no...that's George w. bush..." I was a bit embarrassed but its whatever. I thought it was Regis.

 ahhh man I miss Will! Tell him to write me soon! I always think about my buddy William... That will be fun going to California to see Kevin mom, how long are you going to be there? And BYU soccer camp for Megs man that will be a blast! I always loved going there for camp, it was so much fun... why didn't Jake want to go?

Sounds like the Morrison fam dominated the stake track meet! Holy cow Landon! I had no idea you were so fast kid! And of course Megan won for her age group, where in the world did all these runner kids come from. I was never a runner.

About the journal, I just need one for writing stuff in from my studies and for zone conferences and stuff. A regular sized one will do, I'm just down to the last 5 or 6 pages in the one I'm using right now. Also, did you find out anything about my watch?

 This week I learned a good lesson about following the spirit and trusting in the Lords promises. This week in district meeting I taught about following the spirit in prepping investigators for the invitation to be baptized and then extending the invitation, because that is something that our young district is struggling with is inviting people to be baptized and then following through with inviting them to be baptized on a specific date. So this week, as I followed my own inspired council of inviting when the spirit is the thickest and a promise that we will have more investigators accept the invitations, we were able to have three of our investigators commit to be baptized on specific dates, so I learned that not only as a district leader do I receive inspiration for my district, but also for myself. You may think that that's a real big "duhhhh" but the lesson I taught in district meeting really helped me as well.

 I love you all and I hope you have a great week! Read your scriptures, pray as a family, and serve each other! I know that you will be blessed!

 Love,

Elder Morrison

Surprise! Staying in Hope Mills

Hello Everyone!

Surprise! I'm staying in Hope Mills for at least another month and a half! We found out Saturday that Elder Fogle is the one being transferred, and also Elder Jenkins, another missionary in my district. Crazy... I was not expecting elder Fogle to be transferred, it will be sad to see him go. He has changed and grown a whole lot.. we were in a member's home last night and I had him prepare a spiritual thought (I always have his back of course but I just had him prepare it) and there has been such a change in how he teaches and conducts himself and his confidence from when he first got here. I was so proud!

This was a really good week again! I finally feel like we have some stuff going on, so it's fun to be busy. Sister G is doing great! We fasted for her Sunday to help her quit smoking because we feel that her addiction is the biggest thing holding her back from recognizing her witness from God. She is doing well though and should be coming with us to a baptism this week, and usually when nonmembers attend a convert baptism it reaaaallly helps with their progression, so we're excited for that.. Sister D came to church again this week and is really enjoying what she is learning. Despite how hard it is to communicate, she is so humble and sincere and has a way strong desire to do what's right, so she is progressing really well. Sadly the O's didn't come to church again this week after promising us they would, so were going to have to figure out what the concern is there, but we're still pretty excited about him and all that's going on there. He read Alma 32 and really loved it and picked so much out of the whole chapter, and he started reading from the beginning of the Book of Mormon and kept telling us how much he can't wait for "Laban to get his.."  it was pretty cool!

We drove down to Wilmington this week and that was so much fun! We got to go Wrightsville beach before the conference and took some pictures. It's beautiful down there and I just wanted to go and jump in the ocean. I think President would be smart to keep me away from Wilmington, too much temptation to just go swimming down there! But it was a blast driving down there and then we got to have some activities after the conference; we played soccer, volleyball, capture the flag, and ultimate Frisbee, and the only thing I can say is that I am not in the shape I once was. I was hurting and exhausted after. I'm going to need to do some serious conditioning when I get home, more than the 30 minutes we have in the morning. But we had a great time and it was one of the most fun days of my mission.  

Something that I learned this week was about leadership, how to be a better Christ-like leader is to allow those that you lead to learn from their experiences by giving them some sort of responsibility, rather than just shouldering the load by yourself because you believe (or may even know) that by doing it yourself would be the best/fastest/most effective way to do something, but in the long run it will help those you lead learn and grow, and that's what leadership is all about, serving! And the best way to be of service is to service their character, to help shape who they are/ and who they are going to become.

 Anyway that's all the news from here this week, it sounds like a pretty average day back there in Vegas. It's been kind of a trunky week because one of the Spanish elders, elder Ventura, goes home this Tuesday so that's been the talk of Raeford and all that so it's been hard not to think about things from home. But it's crazy I can't imagine what'd it'd be like to be in his shoes. But it is weird to start telling people that I've been out about a year, that's really weird when it comes out of my  mouth. It doesn't feel right. The mission is going by way too fast, but still it feels like I'm frozen here in a bubble over in North Carolina and nothing different is going on in the outside world. I'm in my own little world out here.

But I hope y'all feel better and have a good week! Dad sorry to hear you're in pain, I hope it goes away soon..

PS: I need a new journal for my studying, a study journal, ASAP, I'm almost out of room in the one I'm using. And I need to know if there is some sort of warranty on my watch, the circular band that holds the main band in place looks like it is about to break soon.

I love you all and I know that this work is true. I am having so many experiences that are changing my life and I am growing on a daily basis into a better man and better servant of our Heavenly Father.

Love,

Elder Morrison

Pictures: me at the beach. And our ward mission leader let us throw on some of his army gear.

Happy Easter!

Dear family,

Happy Easter!!!

 We have had the last 3 months rolling up until these next couple weeks, we were pretty dang busy teaching people, so it was great! We taught a part member family, the Os. Sister O hasn't been active for about 10 years but is still solid with her testimony, just out of practice, and Brother O is solid! He's pretty excited about the things he's learning and I think that they are going to be great, Im sure he'll be baptized. We also met with Sister G again this week and it's still pretty slow with her; we're trying to help her get over the Word of Wisdom, she is having a hard time understanding why we don't drink tea. Like a really hard time. and it's kind of preventing her from progressing. But we are trying to help her strengthen her testimony of the Book of Mormon so that she'll know that Joseph Smith was a prophet and that he was acting as a prophet when the revelation was received and that it is a commandment of God. She didn't get to come to church this week though because of work again, but she's trying to get it where she has weekends off. We also taught a new lady named Jennifer D, and she's from Haiti and speaks french so its been a little tough communicating with the little english that she knows, but she came to church with us this week after only teaching her one time which is really exciting and always a good sign with investigators. Everyone was really friendly to her and I think she really enjoyed it and felt welcome. 

We're also working with some less active members of the ward and some of them are making it back to church, which is always exciting to see. the worth of souls is great in the eyes of God, even those that have strayed a little bit.

This Easter was really good! First, the night before, we surprised the spanish elders and filled their room with easter baskets and eggs, we got them little motorcycle toys and stuff. It was pretty funny. But on the ride to church, we usually get picked up by this older guy, in his 70s probably, named brother Rugg. And the first thing he said was "Im thankful for the resurrection." It was so simple but basically summed it up one of the greatest aspects of the atonement from the perspective of a man who's body has been ravaged by age through the years, and I realized that one day I too, would be in the position to where I cannot wait for the resurrection because of the pains accumulated through the years. We had a great day of church, and then we went to the Martinez home with the other elders in our ward and had a great dinner, I weighed myself before and after and I ate four pounds of food. whoa... but on the ride home it was pretty funny, Elder Fogle was climbing into the minivan and the martinez kids in the back said "no we want the OTHER elder..." pointing at me. So I had to climb into the back of the van and ride for a half hour being attacked by a six year old girl who was trying to put lip gloss on my face. And who kept telling me that she wanted to take me home and put me in a dress. It was a little strange. But easter was so good! So so good! 

This is the last week of the transfer so Im pretty sure Ill be leaving next Tuesday. Tomorrow will be a great day though, we are driving down to Wilmington for an activity zone conference, half the day training, half the day sports/activities. That's going to be a blast, I cannot wait! 

I got the Easter package and it was gone in about 30 minutes split between four missionaries! Thank you so much, and thank you for the allergy medicine, it does help alot.

That's fun you had the Pasketts in town this last week, I dont know why but I thought of them the other day and their trip down about 2 years ago right? . I cant believe Brent and Mitchell come home so soon! Crazy crazy crazy how fast time flies.

Other than that, nothing is really new here! I hope all is well and you have a great week! I love you all and I know that this church is true, and I know that Christ lives and that we will live again, isn't it great. The Martinez boy (only 5) in his dinner prayer, asked God to never let him die. Thank God that we will never die!

Love,
Elder Morrison

Well hello again, its me!

Just got my teeth clean. They're lookin sweet and no cavities! But my top wisdom teeth are all the way in, but not causing any problems. And the dentist is in our ward so he did it for free, what a nice guy!

 First off, thank you for the Cd's! They were perfect and so good! And PS I bought a David Osmond CD and the Joseph smith tribute CD, so don't buy those and send them to me! 

Conference was great! We watched the first 3 sessions (sat and sun. morning) at our church and it was pretty much all 8 missionaries in the area and an older couple, that's it! But sister G came with us to the Saturday morning session and it was great! She seemed like she really enjoyed it, so we were pretty happy that she came! The last session we watched at our ward mission leaders home, brother Conover, and we ate some good kabobs from the BBQ after, and they just got a new grill so it reminded me of home and how you guys just got a new one. My favorite talk I think was maybe Uchtdorf's about resolving contention, because there were really alot of things that missionaries struggle with, especially with their companions. Luckily Elder Fogle and I are pretty good, but it allowed for a lot of self reflection. Also, I really enjoyed, I forget her name but the sister from the primary presidency, she talked about teaching for understanding to children, but it had a lot of applicability to missionary work. This session of conference was sooo good, and I can't wait to get the Ensign with all the talks in it, and it feels like yesterday that I was watching conference in Durham, 6 months sure did fly by! And I'm sure that this next 6 months will go just as fast, and by then Ill be 21 years old! I just realized that... weird... But I'm so grateful that we have a living prophet here on the earth today, and we are so lucky to be able to receive his guidance  and learn from prophets and apostles in these crazy times, because we know that their words are Gods words. 

Our temple trip was great too! I always forget how small the temple is here, it is tiny, but it is so beautiful! And I did get to eat at Panda express, I was verrrrryyy happy about that. I've missed that orange chicken.

Missionary work has been slow lately... I don't know why. Sister G is our only reliable investigator as of now, everyone else keeps putting us off. I feel like were back at square one again. Ive been having some feelings of frustration lately, and it's totally pride in me that I'm trying to rid myself of, but I'm ready to have a more experienced companion again! Training is so hard.... And I really feel like it has been such a blessing for me because every aspect of my missionary work I feel has improved, but I have been a little stressed lately because of the lack of success and I feel like it is all my fault, and I keep trying to find what more I can do to help these people and I feel like I'm out of ideas. Bless Elder Fogle's heart but he only knows what I've taught him, so basically his ideas are ideas that I've taught him. Were stuck and trying to rely on the Lord, and I hope that I've done everything he's asked of me while Ive been here. I learned this week that training is really hard, but when things are the hardest, that's when you have to stretch and grow the most.

 Also, one of the Spanish elders, elder De Oliviera (from Brazil but lived in Arizona) knows Ryan's current companion elder Anderson, ...small world. And also the other Spanish elder, elder ventura knows a missionary that served around Brian scroggins, elder McClain, I think they were companions but I don't know.

Anyway that looks like about it! Thank you so much for the prayers and love! I love you all and I know this work is true! 

Love,
Elder Morrison