Óla! So in preparation for today and reflecting on the past week, I had made a list of things I wanted to talk about. Of course, I left the list at home and now am just going to try and remember everything.
So time sure does pass really fast. This last Tuesday we went on an exchange with missionaries in our zone, a district leader E. Muniz and his companion that he is traning E. Fagg (yup, it sounds just like it´s spelt.) E. Muniz is my ex- zone leader and one of my best friends here in the mission. I told E. Fagg that he got one of the best missionaries in the whole mission to be his trainer. I stayed in our area with E. Fagg; it was really good and fun too. I really wanted to help him just go out there and talk to people on the street or in front of their houses etc. One thing I really struggled with as a new missionary was just stopping and talking to people, I really wasn´t fufilling my calling as a missionary and I didn´t want him to be making the same mistake. So that´s what we practiced. He did super well. I told him to just go out and do it and I would be right by his side to help like his companion will be. It took me back to my first divisions with E. Rogers and how great that was for me. I can´t believe that now he is at home, I am in his place and am taking new guys on exchanges too. I enjoyed it and tried to give him lots of good advice and just encourage him because the language WILL COME and some day he won´t even remember what it was like not to understand. Unfortunately we didn´t get to teach too much that day, and the teaching we did wasn´t just standard lessons, it required talking with people and seeing their needs so he didn´t get to be too involved, but we did´teach a good lesson about The Restoration of The Gospel that night, he did great again.
Oh, funny story, Monday night I was giving myself a hair cut for our leadership meeting the next day when the clippers stopped working when I was about at the halfway point. That left me in a pickle. I told E. Cardoso that if I didn´t get it working he would have to learn to cut hair with sissors pretty fast. Luckily we got it up and running again, but I was worried for a moment.
OH! I saw monkeys! Our area is pretty... the word in Portuguese is mato, i guess in English it would be like the woods, or foresty. We went to visit a less active family and in the trees by there house there was a bunch of monkeys! I was pretty excited, and bummed that I didn´t have my camera with me. I just didn´t think I would ever see any this far down south but I guess I was wrong.
We struggled a little bit this week teaching. It seems like everybody packed up and took a week long vacation, plus we still just don´t have too many investigators yet. I know they are out there, but it has been a struggle. But we have also found many other less-active members of the church to be working with.
There is a family of young men that are less active that we have been working with. Gregory, Gabriel, and João Vitor. They are all really awesome. They were taught as a family but the parents never got around to being baptized because they didn´t quit smoking so just the boys were baptized. We are really wanting to help the parents rekindle that desire to follow Christ and help them to partake of baptism so the whole family can go together and they can work towards being an eternal family.
We found another less active family two nights ago and the father came with us to stake conference yesterday. It was SUPER good. Elder Carlos Godoy was there, and President and Sister Swenson too. I felt very uplifted. There were so many members coming in that we kept giving up our seats and setting up more chars. Finally I asked all the missionaries in our zone to just stand so that all the member could have a place, especially young mothers and Elderly couples. We did manage to set up some chairs for us later on, but it was tight. It was so good to see the church so strong in this area.
Man, I had that list for a reason, I don´t remember everything I wanted to say.
We did another exchange with another companionship this week as well. E. David and E. Annunçiação. They have been struggling a bit and we wanted to help them out and see what was going on. I ended up having a really good conversation with E. David and we talked about our motives for having served a mission, why we do what we do, and the attributes we develop etc. This email is turning out to be super long so I won´t go into the details. It just seems to me like some people think you will go on a mission and magically aquire better attributes. But we need to do the things that will help us be better. We may sometimes pray for patience, but we want that patience RIGHT NOW! We will gain patience by BEING patient, we will learn love, by helping and serving others. Being on a mission isn´t enough, you need to BE a missionary.
Well, I will wrap up this email. I hope everyone is well. It sounds like it. Special congradulations to Uncle Sam, and also to Jennifer as of Wednesday :) I expect details this coming week.
Come Grande Amor
Seu Filho, Irmão, e Amigo
Élder David F. Morgan
Monday, March 12, 2012
Tuesday, March 6, 2012
Too much craziness to give the email a title
Oi!
So, I just looked through those little face icons on the computer to see if there is one that looks absolutely overwhelmed, doomed, and very humbled.. or screaming in terror... doesn´t exist. this is as close as I could get.
So! I feel like so much has happened I don´t know where to start and I feel like it´s been so long that you should all already know about it... but it´s only been a week. So to sum it all up. I got transferred, I am in Porto Alegre opening an area.... oh ya, and I got called as a Zone Leader. (WHAT?!)
I will just start with the story. So transfers. We went up to Porto Alegre to the Mission Office where Elder Almeida was going to be meeting his companion that he will be training. When we showed up there I saw my companion from the CTM Elder Jensen who is the Financial Secretary. Happy to see him I gave him a hug and he told me, ´Hey Congratulations!´ I asked him ´for what?` he was kind of running out the door and so he just gave me a weird look, muttered something and left. I thought it was kind of weird. But when I actually walked into the office I was greeted by more ´Congratulation!´ once again, I asked ´for what?´ (p.s. usually President will call you and let you know if you have been called as a Zone Leader) everybody thought I was just faking not knowing, so they wouldn´t tell me. Finally I figured out that I had been called as a Zone Leader. Surprise! I felt a little light headed.
I am in a new area called Agronomia Mapa, opening a part of the area. A new stake was just made in Porto Alegre, and therefore the mission created a new zone. Partenon Viamão. My companion is Elder Cardoso from São Paulo. I have known him since I was a greenie in the mission, we were in the same zone in Pelotas. He is a really good guy, a little crazy, but in a really good, making jokes, hardworking way, so it´s good. He has about five months left on his mission and has a sweet accent that I am trying to mimic because so far I like it the best. But in spite of feeling overwhelmed I am comforted because he is a good missionary and will and already is helping me out a lot.
When I talked about The Lord stretching us and putting us in situations to help us grow, I didn´t really have this in mind, I feel like a got put on the rack a little bit. I haven´t even been a senior companion yet. Luckily I have always been put with District Leaders so I have a little bit of experience there; and I am really just trying to trust The Lord and realize He is in control. I think I just feel really inexperienced.
I really do like our area. It is out and away from everything which is really nice. We are in downtown Porto Alegre, and it is really busy. I prefer to be up and away from all the hustle and bustle. Simões Lopes and Camaquã were two really quiet and calm places generally speaking and when I got of the Bus in Porto Alegre I felt a little shell shocked. Buses, highways, people shouting and selling things on the street, I had a bit of a ´deer in the headlights´feeling.
We are working really hard and talking to a lot of people because we are opening the area we are at a total of about 6-8 investigators right now. We are teaching an older lady named Yara who came to church on Sunday and felt The Spirit really strong and felt very peaceful and renewed, I hope and pray we will see some progress there. We are also teaching some families too, they were progressing but then turns out they started having relationship problems, I hope they will put there faith in Christ and realized that He can help them work through it. It would be real tragedy to see any family broken up, I really want to help them out.
We had a Zone Leaders Council on Wednesday. It was really kind of neat to be in such a close setting with President Swenson. ALSO E. Palandi, E. Hansen, E. Falcão, and I are all ZL´s together, so our district from Simões Lopes is all back together, it was really fun to see them and we all got to catch up a little bit.
To sum it up, I am spending a lot of time on my knees and have lot´s to think about unlike when I showed up in Camaquã. The ward is nice, it was a little weird to be in a large group of people again at Sunday, but nice..ish haha. I played the piano. The Bishop's son here will be leaving to Belo Horizante this Thursday and it was interesting to see them saying goodbye and it brought back some memories. Especially of those SUPER good burritos that Jenn made, that I was way too nervous/ busy to eat haha.
I am going to wrap this up. So basically Jenn´s baby could be coming any day now. So Congrats if he/she happens to be born before my next email home. :)
Lot´s of love to all. Please pray for miracles to happen here.
Com Grande Amor
Seu Filho, Irmão, e Amigão
Élder David F. Morgan
So, I just looked through those little face icons on the computer to see if there is one that looks absolutely overwhelmed, doomed, and very humbled.. or screaming in terror... doesn´t exist. this is as close as I could get.
So! I feel like so much has happened I don´t know where to start and I feel like it´s been so long that you should all already know about it... but it´s only been a week. So to sum it all up. I got transferred, I am in Porto Alegre opening an area.... oh ya, and I got called as a Zone Leader. (WHAT?!)
I will just start with the story. So transfers. We went up to Porto Alegre to the Mission Office where Elder Almeida was going to be meeting his companion that he will be training. When we showed up there I saw my companion from the CTM Elder Jensen who is the Financial Secretary. Happy to see him I gave him a hug and he told me, ´Hey Congratulations!´ I asked him ´for what?` he was kind of running out the door and so he just gave me a weird look, muttered something and left. I thought it was kind of weird. But when I actually walked into the office I was greeted by more ´Congratulation!´ once again, I asked ´for what?´ (p.s. usually President will call you and let you know if you have been called as a Zone Leader) everybody thought I was just faking not knowing, so they wouldn´t tell me. Finally I figured out that I had been called as a Zone Leader. Surprise! I felt a little light headed.
I am in a new area called Agronomia Mapa, opening a part of the area. A new stake was just made in Porto Alegre, and therefore the mission created a new zone. Partenon Viamão. My companion is Elder Cardoso from São Paulo. I have known him since I was a greenie in the mission, we were in the same zone in Pelotas. He is a really good guy, a little crazy, but in a really good, making jokes, hardworking way, so it´s good. He has about five months left on his mission and has a sweet accent that I am trying to mimic because so far I like it the best. But in spite of feeling overwhelmed I am comforted because he is a good missionary and will and already is helping me out a lot.
When I talked about The Lord stretching us and putting us in situations to help us grow, I didn´t really have this in mind, I feel like a got put on the rack a little bit. I haven´t even been a senior companion yet. Luckily I have always been put with District Leaders so I have a little bit of experience there; and I am really just trying to trust The Lord and realize He is in control. I think I just feel really inexperienced.
I really do like our area. It is out and away from everything which is really nice. We are in downtown Porto Alegre, and it is really busy. I prefer to be up and away from all the hustle and bustle. Simões Lopes and Camaquã were two really quiet and calm places generally speaking and when I got of the Bus in Porto Alegre I felt a little shell shocked. Buses, highways, people shouting and selling things on the street, I had a bit of a ´deer in the headlights´feeling.
We are working really hard and talking to a lot of people because we are opening the area we are at a total of about 6-8 investigators right now. We are teaching an older lady named Yara who came to church on Sunday and felt The Spirit really strong and felt very peaceful and renewed, I hope and pray we will see some progress there. We are also teaching some families too, they were progressing but then turns out they started having relationship problems, I hope they will put there faith in Christ and realized that He can help them work through it. It would be real tragedy to see any family broken up, I really want to help them out.
We had a Zone Leaders Council on Wednesday. It was really kind of neat to be in such a close setting with President Swenson. ALSO E. Palandi, E. Hansen, E. Falcão, and I are all ZL´s together, so our district from Simões Lopes is all back together, it was really fun to see them and we all got to catch up a little bit.
To sum it up, I am spending a lot of time on my knees and have lot´s to think about unlike when I showed up in Camaquã. The ward is nice, it was a little weird to be in a large group of people again at Sunday, but nice..ish haha. I played the piano. The Bishop's son here will be leaving to Belo Horizante this Thursday and it was interesting to see them saying goodbye and it brought back some memories. Especially of those SUPER good burritos that Jenn made, that I was way too nervous/ busy to eat haha.
I am going to wrap this up. So basically Jenn´s baby could be coming any day now. So Congrats if he/she happens to be born before my next email home. :)
Lot´s of love to all. Please pray for miracles to happen here.
Com Grande Amor
Seu Filho, Irmão, e Amigão
Élder David F. Morgan
Monday, February 27, 2012
Transferred
Óla!
So, I got transferred. It really bites. Everybody was saying goodbye to Elder Almeida, (it was nice to know ya etc.) and then I ended up being transferred.
This was a pretty strange last week her in Camaquã. We found some really great people and taught some good lessons. We went to São Lorençco do Sul on Thursday for a district meeting and then we were going to go on splits plus Elder Almeida needed to do a baptismal interview there. During out district meeting Elder Dos Reis (pronounced Dose Hays) started to complain about a lot of pain he was having, it got so bad that we gave him a blessing and then took him to the hospital. To make the story a little juicier I will include that he threw up a few times in the three minute walk to the hospital and we had no idea what was going on. Finally we decided that Elder Capistrano and I would go back to Camaquã and we would go work and then come back for the baptism and to end the companion exchange in the morning. We had a good day of work and I enjoyed working with Elder Capistrano, we taught a great lesson about The Plan of Salvation. Then i got a little worried when i went to call Elder Almeida and our phone was having problems. But we went back in the morning anyways. To make a long story short. Turns out Elder Dos Reis has kidney stones! OUCH! Too much soda pop, not enough WATER! Poor guy. Glad I drink a bunch of water (thanks for instilling that in me mom)
Before i get to my sentiments about being transferred, we got a letter from Presidnet Swenson today. He met our ´soon to be´ new Mission President. President and Sister Castro from Paraná (a starte here in the south of Brasil) will be our new Mission President couple in July. I still have another four months with President and Sister Swenson but I will be SOOO sad to see them go. My mission will be split just about down the middle with the New President. I know it will be great but it will be hard. President and Sister Swenson are just such incredible and special people. Oh, President and Sister Castro will also be bringing 3 of their kids with them so they must be fairly young to still have a few with them at home that will join us here. Cool.
So I am going to try to keep this short but really I want to get out there and spend my last P-day here with the members here. Last night I prayed and told The Lord how much I love the people here and that I really wanted to stay if it was His will, but that I trusted Him; still I was really bummed... more than bummed, I was downright sad when I got the call today. After my first transfer here, honestly I could have been transferred and it would have been just fine by me I struggled pretty hard when I got here. But in this last transfer I have just grown so much and learned so much how well The Lord knows us and puts us exactly where we need to be. I have really developed that charity and love for the people here and the Branch and I just want to do all I can to help them and it just breaks my heart that I won´t be able to watch over them and serve them and share The Gospel here anymore. I think of all the progress we have made here until now and I am so happy, but I also know we are just at the begining and there is so much more to do. Letiçia still needs home teachers, and we are just starting to get the members to teach people with us, and we just found some great people to start working with, and Paulo is just starting to pray everyday. So how can I leave them when there is so much left to do? It is hard. I know Elder Almeida will continue to be great here though (please continue to write to him ) and he will be training here. He has really helped me to learn a lot, I will miss him ha even though somtimes I tell him I could punch him in the head. Anyways, this all seems very random but basically I love Camaquã and I will be sad to leave a place that I have grown so much in.
I will be transferred to somewhere in Porto Alegre (dangit, I was hoping to pass the year mark without every going there ha) I will let you know about my new area and companion next week.
Com Grande Amor!
´Seu Filho, Irmão, e Amigo
Élder David F. Morgan
So, I got transferred. It really bites. Everybody was saying goodbye to Elder Almeida, (it was nice to know ya etc.) and then I ended up being transferred.
This was a pretty strange last week her in Camaquã. We found some really great people and taught some good lessons. We went to São Lorençco do Sul on Thursday for a district meeting and then we were going to go on splits plus Elder Almeida needed to do a baptismal interview there. During out district meeting Elder Dos Reis (pronounced Dose Hays) started to complain about a lot of pain he was having, it got so bad that we gave him a blessing and then took him to the hospital. To make the story a little juicier I will include that he threw up a few times in the three minute walk to the hospital and we had no idea what was going on. Finally we decided that Elder Capistrano and I would go back to Camaquã and we would go work and then come back for the baptism and to end the companion exchange in the morning. We had a good day of work and I enjoyed working with Elder Capistrano, we taught a great lesson about The Plan of Salvation. Then i got a little worried when i went to call Elder Almeida and our phone was having problems. But we went back in the morning anyways. To make a long story short. Turns out Elder Dos Reis has kidney stones! OUCH! Too much soda pop, not enough WATER! Poor guy. Glad I drink a bunch of water (thanks for instilling that in me mom)
Before i get to my sentiments about being transferred, we got a letter from Presidnet Swenson today. He met our ´soon to be´ new Mission President. President and Sister Castro from Paraná (a starte here in the south of Brasil) will be our new Mission President couple in July. I still have another four months with President and Sister Swenson but I will be SOOO sad to see them go. My mission will be split just about down the middle with the New President. I know it will be great but it will be hard. President and Sister Swenson are just such incredible and special people. Oh, President and Sister Castro will also be bringing 3 of their kids with them so they must be fairly young to still have a few with them at home that will join us here. Cool.
So I am going to try to keep this short but really I want to get out there and spend my last P-day here with the members here. Last night I prayed and told The Lord how much I love the people here and that I really wanted to stay if it was His will, but that I trusted Him; still I was really bummed... more than bummed, I was downright sad when I got the call today. After my first transfer here, honestly I could have been transferred and it would have been just fine by me I struggled pretty hard when I got here. But in this last transfer I have just grown so much and learned so much how well The Lord knows us and puts us exactly where we need to be. I have really developed that charity and love for the people here and the Branch and I just want to do all I can to help them and it just breaks my heart that I won´t be able to watch over them and serve them and share The Gospel here anymore. I think of all the progress we have made here until now and I am so happy, but I also know we are just at the begining and there is so much more to do. Letiçia still needs home teachers, and we are just starting to get the members to teach people with us, and we just found some great people to start working with, and Paulo is just starting to pray everyday. So how can I leave them when there is so much left to do? It is hard. I know Elder Almeida will continue to be great here though (please continue to write to him ) and he will be training here. He has really helped me to learn a lot, I will miss him ha even though somtimes I tell him I could punch him in the head. Anyways, this all seems very random but basically I love Camaquã and I will be sad to leave a place that I have grown so much in.
I will be transferred to somewhere in Porto Alegre (dangit, I was hoping to pass the year mark without every going there ha) I will let you know about my new area and companion next week.
Com Grande Amor!
´Seu Filho, Irmão, e Amigo
Élder David F. Morgan
Tuesday, February 21, 2012
10 months, oh my goodness.
Oi!
So today I have reached 10 months since I reported to the CTM in São Paulo. That kind of freaks me out. Weird that a whole year ago I was taking phone orders for flowers saving up money and getting ready and trying to spend as much time with people as I could. It doesn´t seem like a whole year has passed. Mission Time-Warp.
Hey! So Shaun is going to BYU! I bet Keith is pleased with that, ha one of his brothers ended up being converted. Congrats to ya Shaun. Also something that freaks me out. Little brother going to college.
So we had a little bit of a rough week, but not TOO rough. I think I was just a little burnt out. Part of our focus this week in ´Operação Salvação´ is to have members present in our lessons. We made lots of plans with the members and work really hard to make it all happen and we honestly got left hanging.It was a bummer and if I said I didn´t get slightly frustrated I would be lying, but it didn´t last long and I remember all of my own weakness´ and we are all trying, plus things just happen. Our goal was 10 with a member and we made more than enough plans for that to happen. Ha, we ended up with 4. Plus we invited a lot of people to a church activity on saturday and so many people committed to go and then nobody showed up. Members showed up late and the activity was a bit of a bust, but we ate sandwiches that were really good and we had a nice chat with President Florismar. But overall I really feel good because before we didn´t really make much effort to get the members involved and that is really getting turned around and improving these last couple of weeks and I want to keep it going. Camaquã is still progressing very well and I know we will be having great success here in a little bit.
I braved a ham and cheese sandwhich this morning which I haven´t done since I got ruined by them in the CTM. It was good. Don´t have really any funny/random/ or nitty-gritty experiences this week.
Basically, I don´t remember if I have already said this. But something that has astounded me as a missionary is how The Lord knows me so well that he put me in a place and with people that help me learn SO many lessons and be stretched and grown in ways that I didn´t know possible. It hurt at first and I struggled a lot when I got to Camaquã but now I look back and look at how much I have learned here and how much I love this place and the people. I have really grown to love the branch here and the people and hope that I get to stay here (especially with transfers coming up in a week) But as always, The Lord´s will be done and I know he will put me right where I need to be when I need to be there.
Last thought, I remember a very important quote today when I was reflecting upon my mission/ life ha, and it is by Elder Richard G. Scott, I am positive I have already shared it because Jenn sent it to me.
´We become what we want to be, by consistently being what we want to become every day´
Envision who you want to become and set goals and stick with it to become that person, your life's greatest work will be you.
Come Grande Amor
Seu Filho, Irmão, e amigÃO
Elder F. Morgan
So today I have reached 10 months since I reported to the CTM in São Paulo. That kind of freaks me out. Weird that a whole year ago I was taking phone orders for flowers saving up money and getting ready and trying to spend as much time with people as I could. It doesn´t seem like a whole year has passed. Mission Time-Warp.
Hey! So Shaun is going to BYU! I bet Keith is pleased with that, ha one of his brothers ended up being converted. Congrats to ya Shaun. Also something that freaks me out. Little brother going to college.
So we had a little bit of a rough week, but not TOO rough. I think I was just a little burnt out. Part of our focus this week in ´Operação Salvação´ is to have members present in our lessons. We made lots of plans with the members and work really hard to make it all happen and we honestly got left hanging.It was a bummer and if I said I didn´t get slightly frustrated I would be lying, but it didn´t last long and I remember all of my own weakness´ and we are all trying, plus things just happen. Our goal was 10 with a member and we made more than enough plans for that to happen. Ha, we ended up with 4. Plus we invited a lot of people to a church activity on saturday and so many people committed to go and then nobody showed up. Members showed up late and the activity was a bit of a bust, but we ate sandwiches that were really good and we had a nice chat with President Florismar. But overall I really feel good because before we didn´t really make much effort to get the members involved and that is really getting turned around and improving these last couple of weeks and I want to keep it going. Camaquã is still progressing very well and I know we will be having great success here in a little bit.
I braved a ham and cheese sandwhich this morning which I haven´t done since I got ruined by them in the CTM. It was good. Don´t have really any funny/random/ or nitty-gritty experiences this week.
Basically, I don´t remember if I have already said this. But something that has astounded me as a missionary is how The Lord knows me so well that he put me in a place and with people that help me learn SO many lessons and be stretched and grown in ways that I didn´t know possible. It hurt at first and I struggled a lot when I got to Camaquã but now I look back and look at how much I have learned here and how much I love this place and the people. I have really grown to love the branch here and the people and hope that I get to stay here (especially with transfers coming up in a week) But as always, The Lord´s will be done and I know he will put me right where I need to be when I need to be there.
Last thought, I remember a very important quote today when I was reflecting upon my mission/ life ha, and it is by Elder Richard G. Scott, I am positive I have already shared it because Jenn sent it to me.
´We become what we want to be, by consistently being what we want to become every day´
Envision who you want to become and set goals and stick with it to become that person, your life's greatest work will be you.
Come Grande Amor
Seu Filho, Irmão, e amigÃO
Elder F. Morgan
Monday, February 13, 2012
Great Week. They CAME!!!
Óla! So pretty much we had a way great week! The work here in Camaquã is really getting better and starting to progress, though there is still much more work to be done I am excited about the progress that is being made. Also, advice for future missionaries: There is a direct relationship between how completely exhausted you are and how happy you are. Be sure to give enough of yourself to be completely tired all moments of everyday therefore guaranteeing for yourself the maximum amount of happiness possible. (Also, this happiness at times only comes after a few weeks of SUPER hard work, but is very worth it)
In other words, I am super tired, but happy. The nice thing about Camaquã and being out away from everything, that for any kind of conference, reunion, training, we must travel by bus, it provides for good nap time.
So to answer why the subject of the email is THEY CAME: There is a less active family here that has been in my mind from the first week we have been here. Valmir and Jossara. We eat lunch with them every week and I even used there computer on Christmas to talk to you all. They have been active members of the church for 20 years and have served at teachers, advisers, and presidents and who knows what else. They are great. It bums me out that the last few years that have stopped coming to church. I have been praying about them a lot and I haven´t been able to shake them from my mind since we have gotten here. This last Thursday at lunch with them (after they travelled for about a month) they showed us pictures of their travels and then pictures from when he was the Branch President here. It just got me thinking so much, the branch seemed to have so much life when they were there. When we were giving a message the next thing I new I was talking very openly about them coming back to church and what steps would be needed to make this happen and that we really needed them there and they needed it even more. We invited them to go to Stake Conference and he said they were already going to be in Pelotas and they we would see them there. I prayed A LOT Saturday night. At conference, I looked around and didn´t see them, and we got there before anybody. Suddenly halfway through the conference he sent us a message talking about the speakers and that he was the young men´s president of the man who just spoke, he then thanked us for having invited them. When we stood to sing the intermediate hymn I saw them near the back of the hall. My heart soared! I was so happy they came. Now I just hope we can get them to church this next Sunday at regular meetings!
Wow, so basically there is lots of things to write this week that I feel I won´t have time.
So at our training last Friday a sister missionaries called over to me and told me she had to talk to me. (oh great right?, ha just kidding) When she was looking through the mail she saw some of my letters and noticed I was from Medford. Turns out she just got her visa and had been serving in the Medford 8th Ward!!! What?!?! She asked me if I knew the McClures and showed me a picture of her with them! Ha I let her know that I know the McClures super well (mostly from many nights sleeping on their couch) and that Jared is one of my best buddies! She also mentioned a bunch of other families (Bennions, Hokansons, Zimmer) and said that Bro Russell is the best ward mission leader of ALL TIME! So that was kind of a neat coincidence.
We met a really great family this week and started teaching them. When we finished and invited them to read and pray about The Book of Mormon the mother told us that she would but then she said ´but I already believe in everything you´ve just taught us, I can feel it here ( pointing to the heart)´ I was so stunned I didn´t even know what to say. We knelt in prayer with them and they all offered great prayers and we marked a baptismal date with them. Sadly our next appointment fell through but we hope to get back there soon!
So ´Operação Salvação´is going super great too and there is a lot of fire in the mission right now and we are working really hard. The week wasn´t perfect we had days where everything seemed to go wrong, but I know we were doing our best to do our part and serve The Lord.
Well I will wrap it up. Lots of love, I pray for you. I know The Lord is mindful of his children and blesses them. Just thought of another really cool experience but you will have to wait until I get home to hear it.
Also, The Book of Mormon really is true, I know it, without a doubt. It is a blessing in my life.
Com Grande Amor
Élder David F Morgan
In other words, I am super tired, but happy. The nice thing about Camaquã and being out away from everything, that for any kind of conference, reunion, training, we must travel by bus, it provides for good nap time.
So to answer why the subject of the email is THEY CAME: There is a less active family here that has been in my mind from the first week we have been here. Valmir and Jossara. We eat lunch with them every week and I even used there computer on Christmas to talk to you all. They have been active members of the church for 20 years and have served at teachers, advisers, and presidents and who knows what else. They are great. It bums me out that the last few years that have stopped coming to church. I have been praying about them a lot and I haven´t been able to shake them from my mind since we have gotten here. This last Thursday at lunch with them (after they travelled for about a month) they showed us pictures of their travels and then pictures from when he was the Branch President here. It just got me thinking so much, the branch seemed to have so much life when they were there. When we were giving a message the next thing I new I was talking very openly about them coming back to church and what steps would be needed to make this happen and that we really needed them there and they needed it even more. We invited them to go to Stake Conference and he said they were already going to be in Pelotas and they we would see them there. I prayed A LOT Saturday night. At conference, I looked around and didn´t see them, and we got there before anybody. Suddenly halfway through the conference he sent us a message talking about the speakers and that he was the young men´s president of the man who just spoke, he then thanked us for having invited them. When we stood to sing the intermediate hymn I saw them near the back of the hall. My heart soared! I was so happy they came. Now I just hope we can get them to church this next Sunday at regular meetings!
Wow, so basically there is lots of things to write this week that I feel I won´t have time.
So at our training last Friday a sister missionaries called over to me and told me she had to talk to me. (oh great right?, ha just kidding) When she was looking through the mail she saw some of my letters and noticed I was from Medford. Turns out she just got her visa and had been serving in the Medford 8th Ward!!! What?!?! She asked me if I knew the McClures and showed me a picture of her with them! Ha I let her know that I know the McClures super well (mostly from many nights sleeping on their couch) and that Jared is one of my best buddies! She also mentioned a bunch of other families (Bennions, Hokansons, Zimmer) and said that Bro Russell is the best ward mission leader of ALL TIME! So that was kind of a neat coincidence.
We met a really great family this week and started teaching them. When we finished and invited them to read and pray about The Book of Mormon the mother told us that she would but then she said ´but I already believe in everything you´ve just taught us, I can feel it here ( pointing to the heart)´ I was so stunned I didn´t even know what to say. We knelt in prayer with them and they all offered great prayers and we marked a baptismal date with them. Sadly our next appointment fell through but we hope to get back there soon!
So ´Operação Salvação´is going super great too and there is a lot of fire in the mission right now and we are working really hard. The week wasn´t perfect we had days where everything seemed to go wrong, but I know we were doing our best to do our part and serve The Lord.
Well I will wrap it up. Lots of love, I pray for you. I know The Lord is mindful of his children and blesses them. Just thought of another really cool experience but you will have to wait until I get home to hear it.
Also, The Book of Mormon really is true, I know it, without a doubt. It is a blessing in my life.
Com Grande Amor
Élder David F Morgan
Friday, February 10, 2012
Wish I knew more country music. But not really.
Oi!
So once again the week has passed super fast and most of it has already fled from my memory.
Funny story. It starts in Simões Lopes. When I was with E. Palandi, we passed a house one time and he said, ´hey let´s knock here, it´s the same number as my house back home. (#370) It was a funny coincidence that is my number too. A few days ago, Elder Almeida said the same thing, ´hey lot´s knock here, it´s the same number as my house at home. ALSO #370. Whoa! What are the odds?
We had a good week of work, it was REALLY hot, or raining really hard, but that has to mean some big blessings are coming our way.
We went on exchanges with our Zone Leaders this week. so I made yet another travel to Pelotas this week, ha and there will be TWO this week. and probably another the following week as well. My goodness.
Anyways. Elder Nascimento stayed here with E. Almeida and I went to Pelotas with E. Hunsaker.
To be honest, my first impression on E. Hunsaker when I first met him a few transfers ago, was not the most impressive, and I was honestly (though I am ashamed to say it) a little surprised when he was called as my Zone Leader, and the idea of spending the day with him was an interesting one. But, as I thought about it, I decided to give him the benefit of the doubt, and thought that in reality I don´t know him that well and he is probably way different than my first impression and I will more than likely have a great experience and learn a lot from him. I was right. It was great, we worked hard, talked to lots of people, it was a holiday so we didn´t get to teach much; but I really learned a lot from just talking with him and we talked about being missionaries, companions etc. He also is a bit like my first impression which is SUPER red neck ha. He was a little disappointed I didn´t know more modern country music. When you get past Faith Hill, Garth Brooks, or Tim McGraw, I get pretty much lost... but I´m not really ashamed of that.
He talked to me about just being myself and when he prayed I really felt The Spirit strong and I could tell he has great faith.
We starting teaching a great family, that already have had some contact with the church previously, they are a little reserved, but treat us well and listen and ask questions, and I have great hopes for them.
That is about all for this week.
I was reading in The Book of Mormon, stories about other missionaries like Ammon and Aaron. I was impressed with the importance of service, and of always being an example. I also feel inspired as read the chapters of their teaching.
I am gonna go now. Much love, make sure you have a good balance in your life, and be happy.
Seu Filho, Irmão, e amigo
Elder David F. Morgan
So once again the week has passed super fast and most of it has already fled from my memory.
Funny story. It starts in Simões Lopes. When I was with E. Palandi, we passed a house one time and he said, ´hey let´s knock here, it´s the same number as my house back home. (#370) It was a funny coincidence that is my number too. A few days ago, Elder Almeida said the same thing, ´hey lot´s knock here, it´s the same number as my house at home. ALSO #370. Whoa! What are the odds?
We had a good week of work, it was REALLY hot, or raining really hard, but that has to mean some big blessings are coming our way.
We went on exchanges with our Zone Leaders this week. so I made yet another travel to Pelotas this week, ha and there will be TWO this week. and probably another the following week as well. My goodness.
Anyways. Elder Nascimento stayed here with E. Almeida and I went to Pelotas with E. Hunsaker.
To be honest, my first impression on E. Hunsaker when I first met him a few transfers ago, was not the most impressive, and I was honestly (though I am ashamed to say it) a little surprised when he was called as my Zone Leader, and the idea of spending the day with him was an interesting one. But, as I thought about it, I decided to give him the benefit of the doubt, and thought that in reality I don´t know him that well and he is probably way different than my first impression and I will more than likely have a great experience and learn a lot from him. I was right. It was great, we worked hard, talked to lots of people, it was a holiday so we didn´t get to teach much; but I really learned a lot from just talking with him and we talked about being missionaries, companions etc. He also is a bit like my first impression which is SUPER red neck ha. He was a little disappointed I didn´t know more modern country music. When you get past Faith Hill, Garth Brooks, or Tim McGraw, I get pretty much lost... but I´m not really ashamed of that.
He talked to me about just being myself and when he prayed I really felt The Spirit strong and I could tell he has great faith.
We starting teaching a great family, that already have had some contact with the church previously, they are a little reserved, but treat us well and listen and ask questions, and I have great hopes for them.
That is about all for this week.
I was reading in The Book of Mormon, stories about other missionaries like Ammon and Aaron. I was impressed with the importance of service, and of always being an example. I also feel inspired as read the chapters of their teaching.
I am gonna go now. Much love, make sure you have a good balance in your life, and be happy.
Seu Filho, Irmão, e amigo
Elder David F. Morgan
Tuesday, January 31, 2012
Birthday Week
óla!
Yup, I´m twenty. Really, birthday was a pretty average day, we got home and planning took FOREVER, so I didn´t even do anything special that night, but I had a quiet present opening session and was thrilled over the stuffed monkey to now cuddle with on a nightly basis. I am wearing one of my new ties today too, it works to replace a few of the silk ones that have gotten wrecked in the freak thunder storms we have been having, I am always grateful for the rain that cools us down though, even though it is a pretty mild summer so far. I got lots of happy birthdays´ from members and the people we taught that day, so I felt special, and I enjoyed all the little email notes too, thank you all very much. I felt surprisingly at peace with the passing into the next decade of my life, and then very frightened when I realized I only have to live twice as long as I currently have and I will be forty...
Elder Almeida´s birthday was yesterday. I wanted to make a cake for him, but again, oven is busted. I felt really sick all that day too, didn´t sleep well at all the night before because of it, but I tried to stay positive not to ruin his day ha. Again, things like presents etc. not really traditions he has from his family, so all my attempts to celebrate his birthday were a little awkwardly received haha, I would like to meet his family someday. We were also going to make tacos at our lunch appointment, I even made special Morgan ´yellow stuff´ and then it did´n´t work out. Oh well, maybe another time. It was a good day though, and we started teaching a really great new family, they even asked us if they could visit church, but unfortunately they will be traveling for two weeks and we won´t be meeting with them for awhile. Sadly the father had to leave suddenly over a work situation during the beginning of the lesson and came back right for the end, so we left the pamphlet with him and invited him to read it to learn more, read The Book of Mormon, and to pray about our message.
Also! I bought myself a birthday present. When getting my last hair cut, and then watching E. Almeida get his, The man was just passing a machine over our heads and I thought, ´I could do that´ so, when I found out how cheaply I could by a pair of clippers here, I bought a pair and gave myself a haircut. I am actually SUPER excited about it, and it turned out way good; even in the back haha.
Also, we had an investigator at church yesterday, a man (who was clearly not COMPLETELY in his right mind) stopped us on the street last week, started talking to us about The Book of Mormon. He had found it in the trash and started to read it, found it interesting and asked us to come by and explain more. Ha, I am pretty sure part of his youth was passed with using quite powerful drugs, so having a conversation with him is quite interesting ha, but he understands well and is very creative too, when we were giving a lesson to the members on Sunday about how they can share The Gospel with their friends he gave a lot of good insights too. Also, when he told us how to find his house that has no address, he told us just to ask people were John of the Big Knife lives. or John Machete. I am looking forward to knowing how he got that nickname.
The work, honestly is still the same, I hope the lesson we gave to the members will help them have missionary experiences and have a desire to share The Gospel, THAT is going to be what makes the difference in this area.
We just started a new program in the mission called ´operação Salvação´ (operation salvation if you couldn´t tell) Ha, it´s basically just something to help us get fired up and creative, but is the standard council for missionaries too, and trying to focus on working all of us together in our districts and zones.
We made what is becoming our bi-weekly trip to Pelotas for leadership training. Us junior companions went to another room with Sister Swenson and we talked about training for new missionaries for a few new Elders and Sisters who showed up. Then I realized afterwards that the whole thing was in Portuguese and so they probably didn´t understand too much, ha oh well, it was fun.
That´s about it for the week, Lot´s of love. I started thinking a lot about Humility and Gratitude, and prayer this week. I will refrain from giving the same thoughts that I feel sure I have already given.
I love you all, take care. Do something selfless and kind today, even if it seems awkward to make the extra effort, I promise it will be worth it.
Elder David F. Morgan
Yup, I´m twenty. Really, birthday was a pretty average day, we got home and planning took FOREVER, so I didn´t even do anything special that night, but I had a quiet present opening session and was thrilled over the stuffed monkey to now cuddle with on a nightly basis. I am wearing one of my new ties today too, it works to replace a few of the silk ones that have gotten wrecked in the freak thunder storms we have been having, I am always grateful for the rain that cools us down though, even though it is a pretty mild summer so far. I got lots of happy birthdays´ from members and the people we taught that day, so I felt special, and I enjoyed all the little email notes too, thank you all very much. I felt surprisingly at peace with the passing into the next decade of my life, and then very frightened when I realized I only have to live twice as long as I currently have and I will be forty...
Elder Almeida´s birthday was yesterday. I wanted to make a cake for him, but again, oven is busted. I felt really sick all that day too, didn´t sleep well at all the night before because of it, but I tried to stay positive not to ruin his day ha. Again, things like presents etc. not really traditions he has from his family, so all my attempts to celebrate his birthday were a little awkwardly received haha, I would like to meet his family someday. We were also going to make tacos at our lunch appointment, I even made special Morgan ´yellow stuff´ and then it did´n´t work out. Oh well, maybe another time. It was a good day though, and we started teaching a really great new family, they even asked us if they could visit church, but unfortunately they will be traveling for two weeks and we won´t be meeting with them for awhile. Sadly the father had to leave suddenly over a work situation during the beginning of the lesson and came back right for the end, so we left the pamphlet with him and invited him to read it to learn more, read The Book of Mormon, and to pray about our message.
Also! I bought myself a birthday present. When getting my last hair cut, and then watching E. Almeida get his, The man was just passing a machine over our heads and I thought, ´I could do that´ so, when I found out how cheaply I could by a pair of clippers here, I bought a pair and gave myself a haircut. I am actually SUPER excited about it, and it turned out way good; even in the back haha.
Also, we had an investigator at church yesterday, a man (who was clearly not COMPLETELY in his right mind) stopped us on the street last week, started talking to us about The Book of Mormon. He had found it in the trash and started to read it, found it interesting and asked us to come by and explain more. Ha, I am pretty sure part of his youth was passed with using quite powerful drugs, so having a conversation with him is quite interesting ha, but he understands well and is very creative too, when we were giving a lesson to the members on Sunday about how they can share The Gospel with their friends he gave a lot of good insights too. Also, when he told us how to find his house that has no address, he told us just to ask people were John of the Big Knife lives. or John Machete. I am looking forward to knowing how he got that nickname.
The work, honestly is still the same, I hope the lesson we gave to the members will help them have missionary experiences and have a desire to share The Gospel, THAT is going to be what makes the difference in this area.
We just started a new program in the mission called ´operação Salvação´ (operation salvation if you couldn´t tell) Ha, it´s basically just something to help us get fired up and creative, but is the standard council for missionaries too, and trying to focus on working all of us together in our districts and zones.
We made what is becoming our bi-weekly trip to Pelotas for leadership training. Us junior companions went to another room with Sister Swenson and we talked about training for new missionaries for a few new Elders and Sisters who showed up. Then I realized afterwards that the whole thing was in Portuguese and so they probably didn´t understand too much, ha oh well, it was fun.
That´s about it for the week, Lot´s of love. I started thinking a lot about Humility and Gratitude, and prayer this week. I will refrain from giving the same thoughts that I feel sure I have already given.
I love you all, take care. Do something selfless and kind today, even if it seems awkward to make the extra effort, I promise it will be worth it.
Elder David F. Morgan
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