More About Elder Morgan

Elder Morgan's mission companion's mom (did you get that?) has been in contact with our mom trying to get us a picture of Elder Morgan first arriving at the MTC (see picture in post below). In the process she has exchanged with us a few of the things her son has said about his companion Elder Morgan. The first one he says that Elder Morgan was asked to play the piano for a special performance of "Be still my soul". No surprise there, right? David is amazingly talented. But the next thing she quoted was really funny. If you know David well, or even at all, you will think so too. It's SO typical David. He says, and I quote:

"Yes, we are on the seventh floor, no elevator it kills me. Then elder morgan always forgets his meal card so we went up about 5 times a day.  So finally I told him his meal card privileges were revoked and now I hold onto his card 24/7. It is really funny.  Thunder thighs and glory glutes."

Elder Morgan Arrives At MTC

We've been waiting for this picture a while now. It should have been emailed shortly after Elder Morgan got to Brazil but somehow wires got crossed and it never made it to us. So it is FINALLY here. A picture of Elder Morgan in the MTC with his Mission President and his wife out in front (the older couple). Elder Morgan is in the back row on the left. His companion is back row center (with the dark hair).

Passed The Hump Day

Well, last friday was my districts ´hump´day at the CTM, we are now on our way out of here. Which is a bitter sweet because you can't help but love this place but I am more excited to actually get to Porto Alegre! So now that I have that out of the way. Oi everyone tudo bem? I am completely convinced you could live in Brazil off of those two phrases and a thumbs up. Glad to hear about everything going on back home. It´s funny to think that you are all heading into summer and ´winter´ is just on the horizon here. Of course it´s still in the seventies and I love it. The mornings are actually suprisingly cool though. I dont have my list on me of things that I had planned to write home about, but I dont think too terribly much was actually added to the list this last week, I just cant believe a week has actually passed since I last wrote. The individual days here seem pretty long but the weeks just fly. We have been practicing street contacting the last few days, this friday we are actually going to go talk to people and try to place some copies of the Book of Mormon and just try to talk to people. It´s nice though that I have practice here talking to all the Brazileiros (by the way, the ei sound is killer to get) and when we walk around on P day. It is a nice healthy scoop of humble pie though, but every now and then we tend to suprise ourselves. I think a lot of it is just trusting in ourselves and especially The Lord that he really does provide a way. I think it´s in The Other Side of Heaven that the man says ´ somtimes God calms the storm´ and Elder Groberg replies ´and sometimes He just lets us swim´. I think God is content to let us just swim for awhile here, but I can definetely tell he is in a boat right next to me keeping a close eye on me. We get to go to the federal police this friday too, apparently that is about a six hour process, we have to register and get an identification card that proves that we actually live here and are allowed to be here. I will hopefully get a lot of study while waiting. I feel like there was a funny food story this week but I really just dont remember what it is. My mind is kind of frying right now. Bro. Minor sent me a letter and on it was a picture of my Brain exploding between learning the Gospel, Portuguese, learning the rules and everything. I must say the picture was quite accurate. Ha he also sent me a ´heart in Oregon´sticker, I laughed and was pretty grateful, I need to figure out where I want to put it. Right now my heart is locked up in Brazil though. I think I mentioned this last time, but I am getting pretty dang good at volleyball (or so I think) but what is more suprising is that I have actually gained weight for about the first time ever in my life! before I left I was pushing 160 on a heavier day, they have a way nice scale here and I get up to 168-9 sometimes. I gotta burn that off! Glad Shaun has his Eagle project under way and that is so cool to hear that Grant Russell got home! Glad to hear all went well with the open house, minus the rain which is fine. And Shaun I got your letter about the picnic in the Van, pure genius, Im glad you recognize that you learned from the best. I was proud. Life is good here in São Paulo and I am working hard. I am working on writing all you who wrote me back. Thanks a million again. Oh! dang I just remembered a really cool story about Sister Clark the CTM presidents wife I wanted to tell. She told us about fleeing from communism with her family and her story was so amazing. I felt impressed to write it all down, my notes are scibbly but very thorough. I will relate it next time. I have to go. I love you all very much. Love Seu Filho, Irmão, e amigo. Elder Morgan

Week 4

Oi! Wow I can not believe that another week has passed already! Thank you for everybody who braved my address and wrote to me. I really appreciate it, when you are a missionary, there is just something special about getting a letter in the mail. Well that is pretty much universally true actually. I will write back to you all as quickly as I can but it takes a little longer for letters to get from here to the U.S than the other way around. My email will probably be pretty short this week. It seems like we just really buckled down and worked hard, we all made a lot of progress with the language this week, as a district we made a goal to be much more focused in class, but I have been praying for strength to not be so tired, or at least to push myself even when I am falling asleep and I have been really blessed with some more will power. I am completely wiped out at the end of the day though, which is kind of nice, but 6:30 comes pretty quickly. I am also becoming quite proficient at Volleyball, which we play a lot of in the evenings. Just by the way. So as far as ridiculous exploits, this week was pretty dry but about half of our district (which consists of eight) went to the doctor this week. Myself included, Elder Goldsberry got me sick, but it really isnt too bad. By the way Elder Goldsberry will be sending you that district picture so look for that. If it doesnt come let me know. My really neat experience of the week was being the director for the CTM choir yesterday for devotional. We sang ´I Need Thee Every Hour´ which is one of my favorite hymns. The spirit was really very strong and I was very grateful for the opprotunity. Everyone was a little restless and I just told everyone to really think about the words and it was great. Well Im going to sign off. I love you all. Take care. Seu Filho, Irmão, e Amigo: Elder Morgan

Elder Morgan & Pilots

I forgot to add this picture last time I posted pictures. I think it's great. How many missionaries can say they have a picture with their pilots? The funny thing is they saw us and knew David was going to Utah (must have been the suit and name tag that gave it away!)

Week Three

Oi Everyone! Glad to hear about everything going back home, well I'm sure not everything but lots. Hope Bri's open house goes super well. It seems like between Mothers Day and two birthdays in one weekend it has been jam packed. (BTW happy birthday to Mom and Shaun! I sent you a letter but I thought I should say something!)  So I today marks week three since I arrived here in Brazil, it has been a pretty rollercoaster of a week, but in a good way. We had a lot of fun and all of us in our district felt that we made a lot of progress with the language this week, both the instructors and us are really learning how we work with each other and what works best for all and we are starting to really progress in class and plan the week well. I have been pretty tired this week but have found that its not too hard to push through. I just focus on whatever it is I'm doing and just really throw myself into it. The days go by fast. Time flies when you are having fun. On sunday I was asked to do a special musical number in church and so I played an arrangement of Eu Sei Que Vive Meu Redentor (I know that my Redeemer Lives) The piano was super out of tune but I really enjoyed getting to play. I don't really get to too much here. We also had a member of the area presidency come and speak to us. We were able to have a question and answer with him and he told us about the missionaries who taught him in Porto Alegre years ago and his own mission in São Paulo, The Spirit was very strong and I felt very renewed. It seems like everyday there is something that builds me up and makes me want to be better and better every day. On a sadder but really a happier note, Elder Silva and Elder De Jesus left  to go to the area´s where they will be serving on Tuesday. We had a teary goodbye. It is amazing how close you can become with very little verbal communication over only three weeks. Elder De Jesus shared with us a scripture from the Book of Mormon about the pure love of Christ. It really touched my heart. Goodbyes can be hard. Also Elder Jensen, one of my companions is getting transfered to another district because we have two companionships of three so they are going to even it out. We will still see him all the time but his presence will be missed. So on a lighter note, I ate chicken hearts.... They were good. Really good. Ha, some of the Elders were dying just trying to put down one but I actually really liked them. I'm sure if they hadn't known what it was before hand they would have loved it. First crazyish food experience. Fun fact about Sao Paulo too, is there are more helicopter here per capita in the world, maybe they are just behind new york but it is either the first or second. We see about forty or fifty on a daily basis, really close up too, its awesome. If any of you feel inclined, go online and see if you can find pictures of the Sao Paulo Temple grounds. We go every wednesday and it is really gorgeous, especially in contrast to the rest of Sao Paulo. We can't take our cameras out of the CTM (cause they would probably get swiped) and I can't send pictures anyways, and there isnt any kind of printing place around to send my snail mail, sorry. But when I get to Porto Alegre I'm sure I will get some pictures out there for everyone. Thank you for writing me everyone, I heard about Jordan and Keenan going to Brazil! That is sooooo AWESOME! Seems like the northwest is just where its at right now! Well until next week, I love you all, take care and I will write next week. Sue Filho, Irmão e Amigo, Elder Morgan

Week Two Down

Hey there family and friends! So once again I don't have anyway to actually make paragraphs so sorry if this is hard to read, the computers here are pretty ghetto ha. Thank you everyone for sending me letters and support, I really appreciate it. So First things first, in case anybody really wanted to know, the toilet does flush the opposite direction south of the equator! I made a list of all the things I wanted to write about this week but it is upstairs on the seventh floor and I have a very limited time to write. I will try to remember it all. Ha I i had my first funny experience with goofing up on the language, E. Williams and I were kind of messing around because another Elder had said Achegarem-se with the accents in the really wrong place so we were reciting our purpose in Portuguese but with accents kind of convoluted. We came to the word ´Restaurado´which means restored, but with how we were saying it our instructor Irmão Vilas Boas thought we had said ´Tarado´which in Portuguese means a Sex Maniac. Haha, it was a good laugh. A lot of the Braziliaros left this week, it was really sad, it is incredible how close you an become in just a couple of short weeks. There were a few in our hallway that were particularly hard to say goodbye too, we all got a little choked up I think. Wow i really wish I had paragraphs to help me change from idea to idea. So it seems like some people want to know what a daily schedule is like, It changes from day to day but it is about the same. I wake up at six thirty and shower brush etc. At seven is personal study for an hour where I study scriptures or other gospel material, I don't usually study language here because I have all day in class doing that. We have a half hour for breakfast at 8, so people prepare your for beans and rice daily, which is true, but nobody tells you that in the CTM you have a ham and cheese sandwich EVERY morning for breakfast. We have already stopped reckoning our time here in days, but by ham and cheese sandwiches. There is class with Irmão (brother) vilas boas until twelve forty five then lunch. More class but now with Irmão Riviero until around five. Dinner (more beans and rice) then some sort of group meeting, then companion study. Gym time and then heading to get ready for bed and write in your journal etc. The weeks just seems like one really long day, but I like it. I haven't completely adjusted to the sleep cycle and time yet, but I'm getting better. I will admit to having fallen asleep in class a couple of times. This is going to be short because I have a few other emails to send out. Happy Being Married Bri and Nic!! I'm so happy for you both, I thought about you a lot that day! I think I'm four hours ahead of you but I don't know what time you actually got married. I heard it was great though. Know that my spirit was with you or something corny like that. The pictures mom sent me were way fun. So we just ate Churrasco here when we went out and about on p day today. SOOOOOOO good. They just keep bringing out endless meat until you explode, and apparently it only gets better in Porto Alegre. So pumped for that. Okay  I really have got to go. I love you all very much. Please send me letters. Right now I'm being put to shame at the mailbox each day. ha I'm just playing, but seriously please write me. Much love to you all. Oh and yes you can all email me but I can only directly email back family. Plus I only have a half hour so I will probably just skim so I can write my letter. So hand write. Love, Your Filho, Irmão e amigo; Elder Morgan

So it sounds like anyone is able to email Elder Morgan if they want but he can only reply to family. His email address is david.morgan@myldsmail.net. But it sounds like he prefers hand written letters. As my husband has informed me it's way better to get mail when you are out on the mission so keep the snail mail going his way.

At The Airport

Just a few pictures from the airport where we said good-bye to Elder Morgan at 5:30 in the morning! (Now we know who the true friends are! lol)

 We caught a glimpse of Elder Morgan through this window while he was getting ready to board the plane. It was our last wave.

 And somehow my mom managed to get her camera between a crack to get this picture of Elder Morgan getting on the plane. That's him with the black suit and backpack.

Hopefully we'll have more pictures soon. I'd like to get some from Elder Morgan at the MTC. Might be a while before he can get us those though.

Mail Call!

For those interested in sending packages to Elder Morgan here is the address. They are sent to the mission office who will then get them sent on to Elder Morgan wherever he is in the mission. (It makes things easier because if he gets transfered after you send your package then who knows if it will find him. If you send it here they will always know where he is.)

Elder David Morgan

Brazil Porto Alegre South Mission

Av. Princesa Isabel, 342-B

Santana

90620-970 Porte Alegre - RS

Brazil

 

We have also been informed that any packages must be send Priority Mail International, NO EXCEPTIONS. And must be sent to the mission home (the address above). Please DO NOT send them to the address where you send letters. He will not get the package!