Oi!
So I know we just talked yesterday, well most of us. But I just wanted to send out a quicky today.
I think this is one of the strangest Christmas´ to have ever passed. At least for me. But one thing amazing about being a missionary during this very special time of the year. Is that I really (I mean REALLY REALLY) had time and the state of mind to focus on what is often called ´The True Spirit of Christmas´
The angel who spoke with the sheperds was completely right when he called his news ´Tidings of great joy!` Though I have always felt a reverence during the Christmas season and the joy that comes from being gathered together as a family during the holiday season, I don´t know if I ever took the time to think about the great joy that accompanied the birth of The Savior. To be honest, I don´t really know where I am going with all of this, but not only have I felt a great reverence, and gratitude for the birth, life and sacrafice for The Savior Jesus Christ this year. I feel a profound, peaceful joy that has filled my heart with love for Him, and a desire to share this feeling with others. The thought that I now get to bring those tidings of great joy to others is such a privilege.
I hope you all had a great Christmas, let your thoughts and feelings linger a little longer on The Savior and His birth this year.
It was a great week we had. Very tiring to be truthful. But great. I won´t crowd this email with too much.
All of my love. Feliz Natal
Elder David F. Morgan
Wednesday, December 28, 2011
Monday, December 19, 2011
He handed me his cigarettes
So week two has already passed in Camaquã, but strangely enough, today I am walking the same familiar streets of pelotas and sending email from an internet café I have already used a bunch.
We are going to have our Missionary Christmas conference tomorrow and we are preparing some songs etc. as a zone today so Elder Almeida and I took a bus last night and we are going to be here in pelotas until probably Wednesday because the conference will end late and there won't be a bus leaving for Camaquã until then. But as far as our week went, it was a lot better. I am starting to get a feel for things here and feel a little more comfortable. I think the worst part is that I don´t have anything constructive to think about, so my mind just starts to wander and I am having trouble focusing. We havn´t been able to follow up on almost anybody we are teaching yet, so I don´t know their needs and how to help them.
We do have one.. well two people we are teaching though that I am really already growing to love and have I have a great desire to help them. A lady in the branch here has been less active for years at church. Before I got here the Elders managed to talk to her and her husband and he has been listening to us and reading The Book of Mormon! It was kind of funny, he works in construction and kinda has that really closed off expression always and seems like a pretty hard guy. I asked him about work and we started talking about construction. I am in NO WAY an expert and have the most minor experience working construction (thank you Dad) but for some reason I was just talking away with him and he pulled out old picture of construction projects and he opened up and it was just really neat how it all came together and miraculously I manged to have a conversation about construction... in portuguese. It was really important I felt to build that foundation of I guess friendship and establish some trust and common ground before we just started teaching a bunch of information about The Gospel.
We taught them about The Word of Wisdom that night, and promised him that by living this commandment he would be more receptive to The Spirit of The Lord in his life and to finding answers to questions he has, especially that our message really is true. We asked if there was anything we could to to help, or take with us that would help them, and he pulled out a packet of cigarettes from his pocket and handed me his cigarettes! What faith!
Yesterday we shared a short message with them and we committed he and his wife to pray together every night before going to bed. To just kneel down as a couple and one of them can offer a simple prayer. I know that will help them SO much. They accepted the invite and when we go back to Camaquã this week we will check up on them. I am really excited to go back and see how it has been going.
I thought about it a lot yesterday, about the habits we have in our family. Praying before meals, as a family in the morning and evening. Daily scripture study. Just these little things have been such a big difference in my life and our family. Granted I was asleep for the majority of our morning scripture study :P I remember that we HAD scripture study and I am grateful for the habit and the love for the word of The Lord in our home. I know those little and simple things will be such a blessing in the life of this family and of anybody who applies them.
I also thought about the tradition with the candles for Christmas a few weeks to late! GAH! will for sure be doing that here next year! Kills me that I forgot. It is because it in NO WAY feels like Christmas here.
Well, I am going to go. I love you all. I can´t to talk to you in a week! FELIZ NATAL!
Seu Filho, Irmão, e amigo
Elder David F. Morgan
We are going to have our Missionary Christmas conference tomorrow and we are preparing some songs etc. as a zone today so Elder Almeida and I took a bus last night and we are going to be here in pelotas until probably Wednesday because the conference will end late and there won't be a bus leaving for Camaquã until then. But as far as our week went, it was a lot better. I am starting to get a feel for things here and feel a little more comfortable. I think the worst part is that I don´t have anything constructive to think about, so my mind just starts to wander and I am having trouble focusing. We havn´t been able to follow up on almost anybody we are teaching yet, so I don´t know their needs and how to help them.
We do have one.. well two people we are teaching though that I am really already growing to love and have I have a great desire to help them. A lady in the branch here has been less active for years at church. Before I got here the Elders managed to talk to her and her husband and he has been listening to us and reading The Book of Mormon! It was kind of funny, he works in construction and kinda has that really closed off expression always and seems like a pretty hard guy. I asked him about work and we started talking about construction. I am in NO WAY an expert and have the most minor experience working construction (thank you Dad) but for some reason I was just talking away with him and he pulled out old picture of construction projects and he opened up and it was just really neat how it all came together and miraculously I manged to have a conversation about construction... in portuguese. It was really important I felt to build that foundation of I guess friendship and establish some trust and common ground before we just started teaching a bunch of information about The Gospel.
We taught them about The Word of Wisdom that night, and promised him that by living this commandment he would be more receptive to The Spirit of The Lord in his life and to finding answers to questions he has, especially that our message really is true. We asked if there was anything we could to to help, or take with us that would help them, and he pulled out a packet of cigarettes from his pocket and handed me his cigarettes! What faith!
Yesterday we shared a short message with them and we committed he and his wife to pray together every night before going to bed. To just kneel down as a couple and one of them can offer a simple prayer. I know that will help them SO much. They accepted the invite and when we go back to Camaquã this week we will check up on them. I am really excited to go back and see how it has been going.
I thought about it a lot yesterday, about the habits we have in our family. Praying before meals, as a family in the morning and evening. Daily scripture study. Just these little things have been such a big difference in my life and our family. Granted I was asleep for the majority of our morning scripture study :P I remember that we HAD scripture study and I am grateful for the habit and the love for the word of The Lord in our home. I know those little and simple things will be such a blessing in the life of this family and of anybody who applies them.
I also thought about the tradition with the candles for Christmas a few weeks to late! GAH! will for sure be doing that here next year! Kills me that I forgot. It is because it in NO WAY feels like Christmas here.
Well, I am going to go. I love you all. I can´t to talk to you in a week! FELIZ NATAL!
Seu Filho, Irmão, e amigo
Elder David F. Morgan
Monday, December 12, 2011
Pictures
Once again Elder Morgan sent pictures without any explanation or names. But here they are for your viewing pleasure.
Camaqua
Well, I guess when the Zone Leaders told me I was staying in Pelotas they just meant within the general area...ish. So my new area/ city is called Camaquã, it is about two hours north of Pelots and is part of the Pelotas North stake. My new companion is Elder Almeida, from Vitória, Espirito Santo (Isn´t that where Jordan and Keenan are headed?) He a very good missionary and I am glad to be working with him. Ha he speaks a little different so I am adjusting to his accent, it is kind of fun meeting missionaries from all over. There is just the two of us here in Camaquã and the city is not small; I would be lying if I said I didn´t feel a bit overwhelmed. I have been thinking and praying a lot about why The Lord sent me here, and how can I help.
I felt a bit like a green missionary this last week, luckily i can actually speak now. I feel completely lost in the city that we have completely to ourselves and is very different from being in just a specific part of town. I hope I can adjust quickly to working in a city. There is a branch here too, it has been a branch in the church for a dozen years now and like is Simões Lopes they have been thinking a little bit bigger and want to start working towards becoming a ward and having a proper chapel. Right now we are just meeting in a building downtown. I think the things I learned in Simões Lopes should be a big help in that regard, but that includes teaching the members how to help themselves, the fire has to come from within them and be something that they REALLY want.
So we live right in the middle of downtown in an apartment that looks right over a really beautiful park that is all lit up because of Christmas, but there is also a LOT of bustle, I got accustomed to being in the quiet part of town in Simões so I am still adjusting. Basically a lot of adjusting going on here, I hope I can handle it well.
I am already getting put to use on the organ (keyboard) on Sundays and I feel fairly confident that will now be a weekly assignment. I´m not complaining.
It is just now starting to feel like Christmas because of the music that plays in the park across the street, however Christmas isn´t Christmas until Kathy Mataea (how do you spell her name?!) is playing, so I started singing what I remember to help myself ease into the Christmas season. Also, it is REALLY starting to warm up, it feels a little weird to be roasting in December but it is also very nice out. We are working very hard to give our best gift to The Savior this year by bringing souls unto Him.
I hope all is well. Enjoy the gift of the Holiday Season.
Com Grande Amor
Seu Filho, Irmão, e Amigo
Elder David F. Morgan
I felt a bit like a green missionary this last week, luckily i can actually speak now. I feel completely lost in the city that we have completely to ourselves and is very different from being in just a specific part of town. I hope I can adjust quickly to working in a city. There is a branch here too, it has been a branch in the church for a dozen years now and like is Simões Lopes they have been thinking a little bit bigger and want to start working towards becoming a ward and having a proper chapel. Right now we are just meeting in a building downtown. I think the things I learned in Simões Lopes should be a big help in that regard, but that includes teaching the members how to help themselves, the fire has to come from within them and be something that they REALLY want.
So we live right in the middle of downtown in an apartment that looks right over a really beautiful park that is all lit up because of Christmas, but there is also a LOT of bustle, I got accustomed to being in the quiet part of town in Simões so I am still adjusting. Basically a lot of adjusting going on here, I hope I can handle it well.
I am already getting put to use on the organ (keyboard) on Sundays and I feel fairly confident that will now be a weekly assignment. I´m not complaining.
It is just now starting to feel like Christmas because of the music that plays in the park across the street, however Christmas isn´t Christmas until Kathy Mataea (how do you spell her name?!) is playing, so I started singing what I remember to help myself ease into the Christmas season. Also, it is REALLY starting to warm up, it feels a little weird to be roasting in December but it is also very nice out. We are working very hard to give our best gift to The Savior this year by bringing souls unto Him.
I hope all is well. Enjoy the gift of the Holiday Season.
Com Grande Amor
Seu Filho, Irmão, e Amigo
Elder David F. Morgan
Monday, December 5, 2011
Transferred
Oi! There is so many things to do today, and such little time to do it.
So today we received a phone call. Elder Palandi, Elder Hansen, and myself were all transferred. am still kind of struggling with how I feel about that... probably will write about that later. Elder Falcão will be the only Elder staying here. i don´t know where i´m going to yet, just that i will be staying in Pelotas, I don´t know which area yet though.
Yesterday I was sitting in church and we had another investigator with us, Patricia who is VERY interested and really has been prepared by The Lord to hear The Gospel, she understands everything very well and we were really excited to have her there. Trust me you never pray harder than when you are at church as a missionary with somebody that is just getting to know the church. I was sitting there praying with all my might that she would have a good experience, i was also thinking about The Rochedo family because we are still trying to help them ´settled´ and when i was kind of ´struggling in The Spírit´as Enos put it. I just felt this really calm and realization come over me. The Lord is in control. He REALLY knows what He is doing, and we can feel peace in that. I am tyring to hang on to that same feeling today. With both E. Palandi and I leaving, there won´t be anybody to introduce this are to the knew Elders. We are going to try to leave as much information as we can, I kind of felt a bit of ´ARE YOU CRAZY?!´ taking away both of us at the same time. But my trust is in The Lord, and I know that He knows, better than I do.
So know we are just trying to prepare the area for the new Elders coming in, and say some goodbyes. So I am making this email really short because, there is just so much to do ha. I love you all, take care.
Seu Filho, Irmão, e Amigo
Elder David F. Morgan
So today we received a phone call. Elder Palandi, Elder Hansen, and myself were all transferred. am still kind of struggling with how I feel about that... probably will write about that later. Elder Falcão will be the only Elder staying here. i don´t know where i´m going to yet, just that i will be staying in Pelotas, I don´t know which area yet though.
Yesterday I was sitting in church and we had another investigator with us, Patricia who is VERY interested and really has been prepared by The Lord to hear The Gospel, she understands everything very well and we were really excited to have her there. Trust me you never pray harder than when you are at church as a missionary with somebody that is just getting to know the church. I was sitting there praying with all my might that she would have a good experience, i was also thinking about The Rochedo family because we are still trying to help them ´settled´ and when i was kind of ´struggling in The Spírit´as Enos put it. I just felt this really calm and realization come over me. The Lord is in control. He REALLY knows what He is doing, and we can feel peace in that. I am tyring to hang on to that same feeling today. With both E. Palandi and I leaving, there won´t be anybody to introduce this are to the knew Elders. We are going to try to leave as much information as we can, I kind of felt a bit of ´ARE YOU CRAZY?!´ taking away both of us at the same time. But my trust is in The Lord, and I know that He knows, better than I do.
So know we are just trying to prepare the area for the new Elders coming in, and say some goodbyes. So I am making this email really short because, there is just so much to do ha. I love you all, take care.
Seu Filho, Irmão, e Amigo
Elder David F. Morgan
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