Copy and paste the following link to see this weeks video!!
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Monday, January 24, 2011
Monday, January 24, 2011
Hey there Mom!
Oh boy what a week! Tonight we have Interviews with President! I am really excited! This past week was what I would like to call.... A roller coaster! We did A LOT of finding with very little results. This mission might be more successful than it has been in the past, but I learned this week that that does NOT mean it is easier. Ha ha!
I don't want you to worry because I am doing better than ever but I did have a tough week. The only reason I share this with you is because I had a pretty cool Experience with it. Well on Thursday the whole District went to Valenciennes to do District Finding. While me and Elder Butel were there we had a hard time finding anybody to talk to. Out of nowhere I became extremely depressed and discouraged. Never before in my life have I ever experienced anything quite like this. It was scary for me to say the least. Of course nothing bad happened but I remember me and Elder Butel were waiting for our Train and I was sitting in the Train Station. It was just us and he knew I was having a hard time so he just gave me some space. But while we were sitting there I remember being more discouraged than I have ever been in my life. I didnt know why! I remember sitting there and questioning so many different things. I wanted to go home so bad! I didnt understand why I was there. I felt so in-secure about my French and I just felt like it was pointless for me to stay. Well while I was in the trainstation all I did for about 30 mins is pray. I remember thinking about 1st nephi 3:7 and feeling like I was honestly doing all that I could and I knew that the Lord wanted me to be there and just praying for Help. To help me be more positive, and to give me a reason to stay. Well finally the train arrived but nothing had really changed. I got on the train and continued to close my eyes, I felt incapable of doing anything else than sitting there and praying. Well after we had been on the train for about 10 mins we got a phone call. I remember feeling like I didnt care who it was so I just sat there in my own world, trying as hard as I could to get myself out of this funk. Well Elder Butel ended up telling me the phonecall was for me. So I answered and Elder Helvey one of the APs who i got to talk quite a bit with when I first arrived. Anyways he went on to ask me if I would give a short talk in a missionary training that we have coming up on February 15. I remember when he first asked, thinking oh man is this a bad time. Ha ha but almost right away I felt better, and realized that this was an answer to my prayers! Not only was this a reason to stay but it made me feel important and that even though my french isnt perfect that I was still doing some good here! another cool thing was the topic I was asked to speak on! I am supposed to speak about Recieving Revelation through Prayer! I thought that was so cool! It was such a testament to me of not only the Power of Prayer but also just how inspired the leadership is in this mission! I just cant wait to talk to President today and tell him how grateful I am for this assignment and the fact that he is so in tune with the spirit to know exactly how to help the missionaries here! What a mirracle!
Well needless to say things are much better now! I am doing wonderful and we have started planning our next huge triple ward missionary activity. It is going to be a Soirée Nouriture on February 26th. There is actually another cool experience that I had in regards to the planning for that activity too but perhaps I will share that next week!
It is soo crazy to think we are in week 6 of this transfer already! How the time is flying! I have already been on my mission for 3 Months!!!!!
Anyways thanks so much for your email! It was fantastic! I hope everything works out withfinding a Job in Iowa and I am so excited (not suprised mind you) that you recieved a good review with your boss!
And I think its so cool you are staying in Marks basement! I miss that place! That was so much fun for me to have my own place there! I loved it! I think about that awesome setup I had all the time! I was spoiled Rotten!
I am glad to hear everything worked out with the Truck and getting it all loaded and shipped off!
As for Nicholas he is doing Great! His Identity Card should be ready in 1-2 weeks! And the ward here is really pulling together to help him out. He has his own place, and is close to getting a permanent apartment using the social security finances that the French Government will send him. It has been quite the experience to help Nicholas ALL the way through this crazy process!
Elder Butel says Hello! We are working VERY hard, and being very obedient. I hope you are enjoying our Videos! Its so much fun to make them each week!
Anyways I am glad to hear things are going well there! I sent a letter To John Parker about 2 weeks ago and got an email from him today! He says hello and that he still wants you to call him if you need help with anything!
Anyways I love you mom! Thanks for the email from Liz Tupper I really enjoyed it!
Oh before I forget! can you please tell people to make sure and send their letters to the mission home! The letters take about 1-2 weeks to get here and I dont want other missionaries to have to forward my mail if I get transferred! So yeah please tell people to send mail the Le Vesinet UNTIL I find out what is going to happen next transfer! (ps I find out on Saturday morning the Transfer Trivia (who is going where)) Anyways I will most likely drop you a sentence or two to let you know if I am staying or moving somewhere Else on saturday morning after I find out!
But once again I love you soo much and cant wait to hear from you again next week!
Love,
Elder Morgan
p.s. Can you please give me your new address? as well as addresses for both the Jollys and the Skinners?
Oh boy what a week! Tonight we have Interviews with President! I am really excited! This past week was what I would like to call.... A roller coaster! We did A LOT of finding with very little results. This mission might be more successful than it has been in the past, but I learned this week that that does NOT mean it is easier. Ha ha!
I don't want you to worry because I am doing better than ever but I did have a tough week. The only reason I share this with you is because I had a pretty cool Experience with it. Well on Thursday the whole District went to Valenciennes to do District Finding. While me and Elder Butel were there we had a hard time finding anybody to talk to. Out of nowhere I became extremely depressed and discouraged. Never before in my life have I ever experienced anything quite like this. It was scary for me to say the least. Of course nothing bad happened but I remember me and Elder Butel were waiting for our Train and I was sitting in the Train Station. It was just us and he knew I was having a hard time so he just gave me some space. But while we were sitting there I remember being more discouraged than I have ever been in my life. I didnt know why! I remember sitting there and questioning so many different things. I wanted to go home so bad! I didnt understand why I was there. I felt so in-secure about my French and I just felt like it was pointless for me to stay. Well while I was in the trainstation all I did for about 30 mins is pray. I remember thinking about 1st nephi 3:7 and feeling like I was honestly doing all that I could and I knew that the Lord wanted me to be there and just praying for Help. To help me be more positive, and to give me a reason to stay. Well finally the train arrived but nothing had really changed. I got on the train and continued to close my eyes, I felt incapable of doing anything else than sitting there and praying. Well after we had been on the train for about 10 mins we got a phone call. I remember feeling like I didnt care who it was so I just sat there in my own world, trying as hard as I could to get myself out of this funk. Well Elder Butel ended up telling me the phonecall was for me. So I answered and Elder Helvey one of the APs who i got to talk quite a bit with when I first arrived. Anyways he went on to ask me if I would give a short talk in a missionary training that we have coming up on February 15. I remember when he first asked, thinking oh man is this a bad time. Ha ha but almost right away I felt better, and realized that this was an answer to my prayers! Not only was this a reason to stay but it made me feel important and that even though my french isnt perfect that I was still doing some good here! another cool thing was the topic I was asked to speak on! I am supposed to speak about Recieving Revelation through Prayer! I thought that was so cool! It was such a testament to me of not only the Power of Prayer but also just how inspired the leadership is in this mission! I just cant wait to talk to President today and tell him how grateful I am for this assignment and the fact that he is so in tune with the spirit to know exactly how to help the missionaries here! What a mirracle!
Well needless to say things are much better now! I am doing wonderful and we have started planning our next huge triple ward missionary activity. It is going to be a Soirée Nouriture on February 26th. There is actually another cool experience that I had in regards to the planning for that activity too but perhaps I will share that next week!
It is soo crazy to think we are in week 6 of this transfer already! How the time is flying! I have already been on my mission for 3 Months!!!!!
Anyways thanks so much for your email! It was fantastic! I hope everything works out withfinding a Job in Iowa and I am so excited (not suprised mind you) that you recieved a good review with your boss!
And I think its so cool you are staying in Marks basement! I miss that place! That was so much fun for me to have my own place there! I loved it! I think about that awesome setup I had all the time! I was spoiled Rotten!
I am glad to hear everything worked out with the Truck and getting it all loaded and shipped off!
As for Nicholas he is doing Great! His Identity Card should be ready in 1-2 weeks! And the ward here is really pulling together to help him out. He has his own place, and is close to getting a permanent apartment using the social security finances that the French Government will send him. It has been quite the experience to help Nicholas ALL the way through this crazy process!
Elder Butel says Hello! We are working VERY hard, and being very obedient. I hope you are enjoying our Videos! Its so much fun to make them each week!
Anyways I am glad to hear things are going well there! I sent a letter To John Parker about 2 weeks ago and got an email from him today! He says hello and that he still wants you to call him if you need help with anything!
Anyways I love you mom! Thanks for the email from Liz Tupper I really enjoyed it!
Oh before I forget! can you please tell people to make sure and send their letters to the mission home! The letters take about 1-2 weeks to get here and I dont want other missionaries to have to forward my mail if I get transferred! So yeah please tell people to send mail the Le Vesinet UNTIL I find out what is going to happen next transfer! (ps I find out on Saturday morning the Transfer Trivia (who is going where)) Anyways I will most likely drop you a sentence or two to let you know if I am staying or moving somewhere Else on saturday morning after I find out!
But once again I love you soo much and cant wait to hear from you again next week!
Love,
Elder Morgan
p.s. Can you please give me your new address? as well as addresses for both the Jollys and the Skinners?
Monday, January 17, 2011
Video #2 & #3
Copy and Paste the URL below to download Mason's 2nd and 3rd videos!
https://www.yousendit.com/dl?phi_action=app/orchestrateDownload&rurl=https%253A%252F%252Fwww.yousendit.com%252Ftransfer.php%253Faction%253Dbatch_download%2526send_id%253D1025557043%2526email%253D1b16ac337de2101a7a7308cff0ed9182
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https://www.yousendit.com/dl?phi_action=app/orchestrateDownload&rurl=https%253A%252F%252Fwww.yousendit.com%252Ftransfer.php%253Faction%253Dbatch_download%2526send_id%253D1025557043%2526email%253D1b16ac337de2101a7a7308cff0ed9182
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Monday, January 17, 2010
Momma!
Wow what an amazing week! I enjoyed your email soo much! Thank you soo much for it and letting me know what is going on back home! Please tell Brad that I Dont mind him reading these emails one bit. It makes me happy to think that you might be reading them together.
Anyways I am sooo soo soo happy you were able to get all of that done so quickly. Would you please do me a favor and send me the Jolly's and Skinners address! It is so amazing that everything is working out so nicely. Brad thank you soo much for helping out my mom on the other end. It makes me feel so good to know that you are being taken care of mom! How did the Truck get from Seattle to Iowa? Did you drive it mom!? I wouldnt be suprised but I kinda hope you had some help drving all that Way in the middle of Winter.
I know things might not seem that great with the house and all but I am soo grateful for how things have worked out. Its so nice to know that the ward and the missionaries there helped to take care of you and now you have Brad taking care of you in Iowa! It makes me so happy! :)
I am glad you enjoyed the pictures! I am sorry it took me so long to get them up! I will try and keep smug mug as up to date as possible! I hope that you enjoy the video from this week as well. I cant promise that you will get a video every week but I will sure try!
Me and Elder Butel are having an amazing time! I love him so much and we are just Perfect companions! I will tell him that you say HI! We have yet to see the Toulemonde Family again! We have been very very very busy! However I hope to see them one last time before the Transfer is over! Time is flying by!
This past week was crazy! We explained a little bit about why in our videos but I will try and summarize it again real quick. So first off we spent the first half of the Week helping our a recent Convert Named Nicholas. He recently told us that he was homeless and had been sleeping outside. So we all met together with the Bishop and a man from the bishopric in the Lille ward and discussed the best plan of action. He has no identity (everything was stolen in late December) So that was our focus this week. We spent quite a bit of time at the Marie (towncenter kinda) the Police Station, and a place called Pole Emploi which is an unemployment center. We were able to get him a Identity Card (well he will be able to pick it up in 3 weeks) and we were also able to get him registered to start recieving unemployment benefits as well as a place to stay. It has been sooo cool to watch him go from homeless, to helping him stablize his life, with an income, and place to stay, clothe..... everything. This is not at all the type of missionary work I originally immagined myself doing here but It has been a cool experience.
The 2nd part of the week was focussed on our Movie Night that we Organized, planned, and did everthing for that happend on Saturday the 15th and started at 6! We were able to somehow get a copy of the new Joseph Smith Prophet of the Restoration movie which we found out doesnt even go on sale untill next month! and It was in French! The ward was soooo excited! It was obvious at the end of the night that all of our hard work and stress has payed off! Elder Butel is amazing, I feel so blessed to be his companion. His only flaw is that he seems perfect. He is really helping me become such a great missionary. I talk to other missionaries about him all the time and it is for the most part generally agreed upon that he is one of in not THE best missionary in the mission. This might seem a little bit selfish but It makes me feel so good that President would stick me with him. After the movie was over, Me and Elder Butel testified to everybody (practically 3 wards) about Joseph Smith and the restoration. It made me nervous to talk in French let alone in any language infront of all those people but I will never regrett it. It was such an amazing experience!
Yes I did get those blessings you typed out and sent to me! Thank you soo much! I have a envelope that holds all of my important things like my mission call, my pat, blessing. my setting apart, that letter you sent to me in November along with another couple things that I like to try to read once a week! I love that little Envelope! So thank you for send me those things! But Please don't feel bad at all about the pictures. If you get a minute to send them, Great! I would be super excited. But believe me I know you are SUPER busy and dont think for a second that you are a bad mom! You are the BEST! I love you so much! Thanks for everything you do!
Grae is going to come home huh!? thats cool! will she stay with you at Mark's house!? Please Tell Mark that I say hi! In fact would you mind sending me his address too? Dont forget to send me your new address either! Anyways please Tell Grae that I say HI and that I love her! I think about her all the time and I hope she is loving life over there in Hawaii!! I am so glad to hear that you are getting along with Tyler and everybody else there! It makes me happy. It really does.
Well I should probably get going. But I love you soo much! I am so happy to hear how everything went this week! You are soo amazing. You are so on the ball. I am impressed, but not suprised that you are already all moved out! You are amazing. Please tell everybody there that I say Hello and tell the Jollys and the Skinners that I say thankyou. And the missionaries too! I love you soo much mom! I hope things continue to go sooo great for you! And I will continue to pray for you, Brad, and the family back there! I love you SOOO MUCH!
Love Elder Morgan
xoxoxoxoxoxox
Wow what an amazing week! I enjoyed your email soo much! Thank you soo much for it and letting me know what is going on back home! Please tell Brad that I Dont mind him reading these emails one bit. It makes me happy to think that you might be reading them together.
Anyways I am sooo soo soo happy you were able to get all of that done so quickly. Would you please do me a favor and send me the Jolly's and Skinners address! It is so amazing that everything is working out so nicely. Brad thank you soo much for helping out my mom on the other end. It makes me feel so good to know that you are being taken care of mom! How did the Truck get from Seattle to Iowa? Did you drive it mom!? I wouldnt be suprised but I kinda hope you had some help drving all that Way in the middle of Winter.
I know things might not seem that great with the house and all but I am soo grateful for how things have worked out. Its so nice to know that the ward and the missionaries there helped to take care of you and now you have Brad taking care of you in Iowa! It makes me so happy! :)
I am glad you enjoyed the pictures! I am sorry it took me so long to get them up! I will try and keep smug mug as up to date as possible! I hope that you enjoy the video from this week as well. I cant promise that you will get a video every week but I will sure try!
Me and Elder Butel are having an amazing time! I love him so much and we are just Perfect companions! I will tell him that you say HI! We have yet to see the Toulemonde Family again! We have been very very very busy! However I hope to see them one last time before the Transfer is over! Time is flying by!
This past week was crazy! We explained a little bit about why in our videos but I will try and summarize it again real quick. So first off we spent the first half of the Week helping our a recent Convert Named Nicholas. He recently told us that he was homeless and had been sleeping outside. So we all met together with the Bishop and a man from the bishopric in the Lille ward and discussed the best plan of action. He has no identity (everything was stolen in late December) So that was our focus this week. We spent quite a bit of time at the Marie (towncenter kinda) the Police Station, and a place called Pole Emploi which is an unemployment center. We were able to get him a Identity Card (well he will be able to pick it up in 3 weeks) and we were also able to get him registered to start recieving unemployment benefits as well as a place to stay. It has been sooo cool to watch him go from homeless, to helping him stablize his life, with an income, and place to stay, clothe..... everything. This is not at all the type of missionary work I originally immagined myself doing here but It has been a cool experience.
The 2nd part of the week was focussed on our Movie Night that we Organized, planned, and did everthing for that happend on Saturday the 15th and started at 6! We were able to somehow get a copy of the new Joseph Smith Prophet of the Restoration movie which we found out doesnt even go on sale untill next month! and It was in French! The ward was soooo excited! It was obvious at the end of the night that all of our hard work and stress has payed off! Elder Butel is amazing, I feel so blessed to be his companion. His only flaw is that he seems perfect. He is really helping me become such a great missionary. I talk to other missionaries about him all the time and it is for the most part generally agreed upon that he is one of in not THE best missionary in the mission. This might seem a little bit selfish but It makes me feel so good that President would stick me with him. After the movie was over, Me and Elder Butel testified to everybody (practically 3 wards) about Joseph Smith and the restoration. It made me nervous to talk in French let alone in any language infront of all those people but I will never regrett it. It was such an amazing experience!
Yes I did get those blessings you typed out and sent to me! Thank you soo much! I have a envelope that holds all of my important things like my mission call, my pat, blessing. my setting apart, that letter you sent to me in November along with another couple things that I like to try to read once a week! I love that little Envelope! So thank you for send me those things! But Please don't feel bad at all about the pictures. If you get a minute to send them, Great! I would be super excited. But believe me I know you are SUPER busy and dont think for a second that you are a bad mom! You are the BEST! I love you so much! Thanks for everything you do!
Grae is going to come home huh!? thats cool! will she stay with you at Mark's house!? Please Tell Mark that I say hi! In fact would you mind sending me his address too? Dont forget to send me your new address either! Anyways please Tell Grae that I say HI and that I love her! I think about her all the time and I hope she is loving life over there in Hawaii!! I am so glad to hear that you are getting along with Tyler and everybody else there! It makes me happy. It really does.
Well I should probably get going. But I love you soo much! I am so happy to hear how everything went this week! You are soo amazing. You are so on the ball. I am impressed, but not suprised that you are already all moved out! You are amazing. Please tell everybody there that I say Hello and tell the Jollys and the Skinners that I say thankyou. And the missionaries too! I love you soo much mom! I hope things continue to go sooo great for you! And I will continue to pray for you, Brad, and the family back there! I love you SOOO MUCH!
Love Elder Morgan
xoxoxoxoxoxox
Mission Video #1
Here's surprise #2!!!! I hope you will like it! We wont be able to make the next ones as long. But we are going to try and make it a p-day tradition to make a short video about our week before we go do emails. JUST FOR FUN :)
Alright I think I am gonna get off now! I hope you have a super fantastic day momma! I love ya. I am sorry things are a little tough right now with Debbie. But you are amazing! Thanks for all that you do for me and Grae. You really are the best mom ever and everybody really does need a mom like you. Love you mom!
Elder Morgan
Click on the link below to download Mason's mission video!
https://www.yousendit.com/dl?phi_action=app/orchestrateDownload&rurl=https%253A%252F%252Fwww.yousendit.com%252Ftransfer.php%253Faction%253Dbatch_download%2526send_id%253D1021226449%2526email%253D7cc6b4b40a3bac5a9a44ede424755e3d
Alright I think I am gonna get off now! I hope you have a super fantastic day momma! I love ya. I am sorry things are a little tough right now with Debbie. But you are amazing! Thanks for all that you do for me and Grae. You really are the best mom ever and everybody really does need a mom like you. Love you mom!
Elder Morgan
Click on the link below to download Mason's mission video!
https://www.yousendit.com/dl?phi_action=app/orchestrateDownload&rurl=https%253A%252F%252Fwww.yousendit.com%252Ftransfer.php%253Faction%253Dbatch_download%2526send_id%253D1021226449%2526email%253D7cc6b4b40a3bac5a9a44ede424755e3d
Monday, January 10, 2010
Hey mom!
Here is suprise one!
http://onedriven.smugmug.com/Other/Mission/15309174_2hhC9#1145458329_e6LRL
Love you
Elder Morgan
So I dont have a whole lot of time today to email. I have been super busy trying to figure out how to get the pictures up onto Smugmug and all that fun stuff. I hope you enjoy them! :) Me and Elder Butel Have also made you a video that shows a little bit of our apartment.
I am having so much fun with Elder Butel! As for the house, PLEASE dont worry about it! I am not worried about it one bit! I hope that everything is still going good there for you! Have you started working on you invitations at all yet!??
Yes I did get the package.... HOW COULD I FORGET IT WAS THE MOST AMAZING THING EVER. I Loved Everything. I use everything.. the Jam is almost gone already. I wear the slippers and all the rest of the clothes EVERY DAY. I was unsure of you sending the blanket at first BUT I LOVE ITTT SOOO MUCHH.... Words cannot express my love for that PACKAGE. THANK YOU SOOO MUCH.
This past week was great for us heree! We are having a Soiree Cinema on saturday night and we are gonna show the new Joseph Smith Movie to 3 wards here. The Lille Ward. the V-D'ascq ward and The Valencienne ward. I dont remember how to spell the last one sorry :p Anways, that is our district. There are 10 missionaries in our district and we are all helping to organize this. We are all super excited! Anyways thats our update for right now!
I hope you are having a wonderful week. Please tell everybody to feel free to email me at mason.morgan@myldsmail.net and I will do my best to snail mail them back. Also Tell everybody to check out those pictures! I am gonna try and keep it updated! But I should probably go. I do have one question though. Can you please send me Liz Tuppers email address and if possible her snail mail address. I would prefer to send her a letter.
Anyways I love you SOO MUCH. Please tell everybody I say hi! Especially Grae! Love you Mom
Love
Elder Morgan
Here is suprise one!
http://onedriven.smugmug.com/Other/Mission/15309174_2hhC9#1145458329_e6LRL
Love you
Elder Morgan
So I dont have a whole lot of time today to email. I have been super busy trying to figure out how to get the pictures up onto Smugmug and all that fun stuff. I hope you enjoy them! :) Me and Elder Butel Have also made you a video that shows a little bit of our apartment.
I am having so much fun with Elder Butel! As for the house, PLEASE dont worry about it! I am not worried about it one bit! I hope that everything is still going good there for you! Have you started working on you invitations at all yet!??
Yes I did get the package.... HOW COULD I FORGET IT WAS THE MOST AMAZING THING EVER. I Loved Everything. I use everything.. the Jam is almost gone already. I wear the slippers and all the rest of the clothes EVERY DAY. I was unsure of you sending the blanket at first BUT I LOVE ITTT SOOO MUCHH.... Words cannot express my love for that PACKAGE. THANK YOU SOOO MUCH.
This past week was great for us heree! We are having a Soiree Cinema on saturday night and we are gonna show the new Joseph Smith Movie to 3 wards here. The Lille Ward. the V-D'ascq ward and The Valencienne ward. I dont remember how to spell the last one sorry :p Anways, that is our district. There are 10 missionaries in our district and we are all helping to organize this. We are all super excited! Anyways thats our update for right now!
I hope you are having a wonderful week. Please tell everybody to feel free to email me at mason.morgan@myldsmail.net and I will do my best to snail mail them back. Also Tell everybody to check out those pictures! I am gonna try and keep it updated! But I should probably go. I do have one question though. Can you please send me Liz Tuppers email address and if possible her snail mail address. I would prefer to send her a letter.
Anyways I love you SOO MUCH. Please tell everybody I say hi! Especially Grae! Love you Mom
Love
Elder Morgan
Monday, January 3, 2011
Monday, January 3, 2011
Hi momma!
I was bummed I didnt get to hear from you today! But I am sure you are super, super busy so I totally understand.
This past week was a lot of fun. Not a whole lot of missionary work just because it was New Years and Elder Butel got pretty sick. But we are both super excited to have a normal week this week without any sickness or holidays so we can just get to work.
I didnt know this until about Wednesday but our area actually goes all the way up into Belgium! So last Thursday we went to teach somebody who lives in a Belge City Called Mouscron. It was a lot of fun. It was funny though cause you take a bus across the border and there arent even any signs that tell you that you are officially entering Belgium or Leaving France. Ha ha!
I am currently working on 2 suprises for you. both should be ready by next Monday! So get ready!
Me and Elder Butel are getting along just great still! We are having a blast and working well together. Something I have really been enjoying is cooking our own meals! We dont have Mangez-vous's very often but that is not such a bad thing. We have been eating a ton of pasta. Last night we had some fish with rice and peas and carrots.
Last night we got to teach for the first time in a while. We talked with an older man named Joseph. It felt so good to actually being doing work again! The holidays are kind of a rough few first weeks to spend in the mission. I dont understand at all how somebody could serve their 2 years and not work hard. It would be completely Miserable! Working hard is what makes missionaries happy, and in a sense it's what makes a mission possible. I have been given some pretty great oppurtunites to see just how working hard either makes or breaks you on a mission. And I am greatful to have learned that and been given those Experiences so early on in my mission.... Some of them before I ever even arrived in France!
My French is still coming along just great. The members are all fairly impressed and say that it is evident that I am making a lot of progress just based on speaking to them these past 2 Sundays. I am understanding more and more every day.
I finished reading Mathew yesterday and I am halfway through Mark now for my personal study. There is so much to read and to learn on your mission and I am going to really try and take advantage of my personal study! I'm pretty lucky to have somebody who speaks such good french for a companion! He has really been helping me. We are constantly setting new goals that we feel will help us be better missionaries and one of those happen to be speaking French ONLY outside of the apartment.
Anyways I wanna hear all about your new years and how everything is going for you! so make sure and email me back before next Monday! Tell me how things are going with Brad and the rest of the family!
Oh so my new years! We ended up doing Finding as a District on Friday Morning at Republic De Beauxarts in Lille for about an hour. We mixed up all the companions and I was with Elder HIll for a little bit. We passed out a few Book of Mormons (which is actually tougher than you think it would be here) and then after that we all went and got Kebabs. (That is the fun thing to do here... go to a Kebab shop and get Sandwhiches.) They are super good. Anyways after that Elder Butel was still kinda sick so we headed back to the apartment for a while. Our P-day officially started at 6 pm on New Years Eve so once that hit Me and Elder Butel went over to the Lille Elders Apartment (there are 4 elders who all live in the same apartment there) and we had a cheese and champony (fake champagne kinda like sparkling cider) party. It was pretty fun. But we had to be back at our apartment by 9:30 so we had to leave the party a little early. But oh well.
The next morning we got to sleep in and we actually both slept in until about 10:30! It wasn't a good sleep and I really had to try hard just to sleep in that late but it felt good.... Well not really I was tired for the rest of the day. But it was fun to be able to sleep in and be lazy for a morning. That was pretty much the extent of my New Years. So yeah! Tell me all about yours!
I love ya mom! Hope you are doing just great!
-Elder Morgan
I was bummed I didnt get to hear from you today! But I am sure you are super, super busy so I totally understand.
This past week was a lot of fun. Not a whole lot of missionary work just because it was New Years and Elder Butel got pretty sick. But we are both super excited to have a normal week this week without any sickness or holidays so we can just get to work.
I didnt know this until about Wednesday but our area actually goes all the way up into Belgium! So last Thursday we went to teach somebody who lives in a Belge City Called Mouscron. It was a lot of fun. It was funny though cause you take a bus across the border and there arent even any signs that tell you that you are officially entering Belgium or Leaving France. Ha ha!
I am currently working on 2 suprises for you. both should be ready by next Monday! So get ready!
Me and Elder Butel are getting along just great still! We are having a blast and working well together. Something I have really been enjoying is cooking our own meals! We dont have Mangez-vous's very often but that is not such a bad thing. We have been eating a ton of pasta. Last night we had some fish with rice and peas and carrots.
Last night we got to teach for the first time in a while. We talked with an older man named Joseph. It felt so good to actually being doing work again! The holidays are kind of a rough few first weeks to spend in the mission. I dont understand at all how somebody could serve their 2 years and not work hard. It would be completely Miserable! Working hard is what makes missionaries happy, and in a sense it's what makes a mission possible. I have been given some pretty great oppurtunites to see just how working hard either makes or breaks you on a mission. And I am greatful to have learned that and been given those Experiences so early on in my mission.... Some of them before I ever even arrived in France!
My French is still coming along just great. The members are all fairly impressed and say that it is evident that I am making a lot of progress just based on speaking to them these past 2 Sundays. I am understanding more and more every day.
I finished reading Mathew yesterday and I am halfway through Mark now for my personal study. There is so much to read and to learn on your mission and I am going to really try and take advantage of my personal study! I'm pretty lucky to have somebody who speaks such good french for a companion! He has really been helping me. We are constantly setting new goals that we feel will help us be better missionaries and one of those happen to be speaking French ONLY outside of the apartment.
Anyways I wanna hear all about your new years and how everything is going for you! so make sure and email me back before next Monday! Tell me how things are going with Brad and the rest of the family!
Oh so my new years! We ended up doing Finding as a District on Friday Morning at Republic De Beauxarts in Lille for about an hour. We mixed up all the companions and I was with Elder HIll for a little bit. We passed out a few Book of Mormons (which is actually tougher than you think it would be here) and then after that we all went and got Kebabs. (That is the fun thing to do here... go to a Kebab shop and get Sandwhiches.) They are super good. Anyways after that Elder Butel was still kinda sick so we headed back to the apartment for a while. Our P-day officially started at 6 pm on New Years Eve so once that hit Me and Elder Butel went over to the Lille Elders Apartment (there are 4 elders who all live in the same apartment there) and we had a cheese and champony (fake champagne kinda like sparkling cider) party. It was pretty fun. But we had to be back at our apartment by 9:30 so we had to leave the party a little early. But oh well.
The next morning we got to sleep in and we actually both slept in until about 10:30! It wasn't a good sleep and I really had to try hard just to sleep in that late but it felt good.... Well not really I was tired for the rest of the day. But it was fun to be able to sleep in and be lazy for a morning. That was pretty much the extent of my New Years. So yeah! Tell me all about yours!
I love ya mom! Hope you are doing just great!
-Elder Morgan
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
Hey momma!
I didn't get to email yesterday cause I ended up going over to the Toulemondes for Lunch! It was great! Gonna email dad and tell him to call me next Monday if he can. But I am really having a blast here. We had district meeting today and we planned some cool stuff. Our district is awesome. Anyways I'm gonna email Dad and Grae really quick, But I love you and hope work went alright for you and that you got to enjoy your Christmas. Tell Brad I say hi! And Tell everybody I was thinking about them ON Christmas and I wish them a Happy New years!
Love ya momma!!
-Elder Morgan
I didn't get to email yesterday cause I ended up going over to the Toulemondes for Lunch! It was great! Gonna email dad and tell him to call me next Monday if he can. But I am really having a blast here. We had district meeting today and we planned some cool stuff. Our district is awesome. Anyways I'm gonna email Dad and Grae really quick, But I love you and hope work went alright for you and that you got to enjoy your Christmas. Tell Brad I say hi! And Tell everybody I was thinking about them ON Christmas and I wish them a Happy New years!
Love ya momma!!
-Elder Morgan
Mason has lunch with close friends from Lille
Mason's first area conincidently includes Lille, France where he has spent a great deal of time in the last few years. Our sweet friends, Fam. Toulemonde, live there and Mason has been in contact with them. This tremendous family became part of our own when their son, Clem was an exchange student in our home in 2003. We have since visited back and forth many times and count them among our closest friends. We love them and I am so grateful to have them nearby as Mason is beginning his mission experience in France. :)
Following is a brief e-mail I receieved from Clem on December 27th. :)
Hello,
First congrats for your engagement ! I'm really happy for you!
Also, I just had lunch with your son and one of his Elder.
He contacted me through Gmail, and I invited him for lunch with his elder.
It was so great seing him again! He looks in really good shape and happy. He really gained in maturity and wisdom.
He got the chance to meet the whole family, with the latest addition (Octave).
Anyway, I hope you are doing well!
xxx
Clément
Following is a brief e-mail I receieved from Clem on December 27th. :)
Hello,
First congrats for your engagement ! I'm really happy for you!
Also, I just had lunch with your son and one of his Elder.
He contacted me through Gmail, and I invited him for lunch with his elder.
It was so great seing him again! He looks in really good shape and happy. He really gained in maturity and wisdom.
He got the chance to meet the whole family, with the latest addition (Octave).
Anyway, I hope you are doing well!
xxx
Clément
President and Sister Staheli
Don Hansen Staheli, 58, France Paris Mission; Val Verda 1st Ward, Bountiful Utah Val Verda Stake; temple sealer; former regional representative, stake president, bishop and missionary in the Franco-Belgian Mission. Personal secretary to the President of the Church. Born in Spanish Fork, Utah, to Gerald Douglass and Nadine Hansen Staheli. Married Cynthia Anne Bodine, five children.
A member of the Mormon Tabernacle Choir, Sister Staheli has served in stake Primary and Young Women presidencies, as ward Young Women, Relief Society and Primary president, and seminary teacher. Born in Salt Lake City, Utah, to Harold Shiblon and Marian Stuhff Bodine.
President and Sister Staheli began their service in France in July 2008 and will complete their mission in July 2011.
A Welcome from President Staheli
Dear Sister Morgan,
Sister Staheli and I were delighted to welcome your son, Elder Mason Taft Morgan, into the France Paris Mission on Tuesday, December 21, 2010. He and his MTC companions were enthusiastic and all arrived in good health. He spent his first day eating some home cooked food, napping, visiting with me, contacting non-members in the heart of Paris, and sharing testimonies in our home. We enjoyed his spirit.
The next morning, after a mission orientation, Elder Morgan left for his first assignment to work in the Villeneuve D'Ascq Area with Elder Butel, Jean (DT), who will be his trainer. Their apartment address is:
Elder Morgan
Les Missionnaries
223 A05, blvd de Valmy
59650 Villeneuve d'Ascq
France
We feel very privileged to work with your son. We also realize the responsibility we share with you to help him continue to grow spiritually as he faithfully performs his duties. May the Lord inspire us all to sustain him in this challenging and exciting assignment. We hope you will join Sister Staheli and me in praying each day for your son, his companion, investigators, and all of us serving in the France Paris Mission.
A positive, supportive letter from home every week does wonders to sustain a missionary’s morale. Proverbs 25:25 states: As cold waters to a thirsty soul, so is good news from a far country. If you have any questions, or if we can assist you in any way, please contact us at our office (001-331-3480-0483) or home (001-331-3976-8402).
Sincerely,
Don H. Staheli
President, France Paris Mission
Mason's Address in France
Elder Mason Taft Morgan
Les missionaires
223 A05, blvd, Valmy
59650 Villeneuve D'Ascq
France
He'd LOVE to get letters from you! Please write! :)
Below is a letter from the mission office about sending packages.
Dear Parents of Missionaries,
We appreciate the privilege of having your missionary serve here in the France Paris Mission. We know our missionaries are doing the work of the lord. Missionaries cherish mail and packages from home. We realize that much time, thought, and effort (and in some cases expense) go into packages from home. To ensure successful and timely delivery, please consider the following guidelines:
1. Always ensure that sufficient postage is attached to the article.
2. Verify the recipient and sender addresses, making sure they are clearly labelled in neat handwriting or that stickers are sufficiently large.
3. Never forget to mark the country of destination and origin.
4. The larger the package, the more beat up it can get and the more likely it is to rip open. Use tape to seal all edges and ensure there is nothing inside the wrapping that would rip open the packaging.
5. Never send cash in the post. This is against French law.
6. Shipping with UPS or FedEx will require your missionary to pay a tax upon reception. Shipping with these providers is strongly discouraged.
7. You may consider using ‘registered mail’ which requires a signature on delivery and can usually be tracked online.
8. Remember that sending packages to the Mission office address (i.e. to Le Vésinet) will mean that the missionary will have to wait longer to receive them. The office only distributes postal items at zone conferences and interviews, both of which take place only once every 6 weeks. This also means that the missionary has to carry their item all the way home from the conference or interview, usually on public transportation.
9. Easter and Christmas packages sent to the office should arrive at the very latest of three weeks before the event. The office does not have the ability to forward packages. Not sending your packages well in advance may mean that your missionary won’t receive them when you want most for them to enjoy them
10. Don’t send packages within two weeks of a transfer date, unless your service guarantees you a timely delivery.
11. Packages should not be larger than 2 ordinary plastic shopping bags (at full capacity). Because we have many other items such as missionary supplies to deliver in our vehicles, we don’t have space for large packages for all of our missionaries. Big packages pose problems and may be delayed in delivery.
12. Because of widely different circumstances among families of our missionaries, we endorse the practice of parents occasionally sending something to their missionary’s companion. Also a letter to your missionary’s companion at a holiday season may fill a real need.
13. Remember not to send anything that would distract your missionary from his/her work, such as inappropriate music, literature, posters, etc.
Thank you for your help and understanding. The France Paris Mission
Les missionaires
223 A05, blvd, Valmy
59650 Villeneuve D'Ascq
France
He'd LOVE to get letters from you! Please write! :)
Below is a letter from the mission office about sending packages.
Dear Parents of Missionaries,
We appreciate the privilege of having your missionary serve here in the France Paris Mission. We know our missionaries are doing the work of the lord. Missionaries cherish mail and packages from home. We realize that much time, thought, and effort (and in some cases expense) go into packages from home. To ensure successful and timely delivery, please consider the following guidelines:
1. Always ensure that sufficient postage is attached to the article.
2. Verify the recipient and sender addresses, making sure they are clearly labelled in neat handwriting or that stickers are sufficiently large.
3. Never forget to mark the country of destination and origin.
4. The larger the package, the more beat up it can get and the more likely it is to rip open. Use tape to seal all edges and ensure there is nothing inside the wrapping that would rip open the packaging.
5. Never send cash in the post. This is against French law.
6. Shipping with UPS or FedEx will require your missionary to pay a tax upon reception. Shipping with these providers is strongly discouraged.
7. You may consider using ‘registered mail’ which requires a signature on delivery and can usually be tracked online.
8. Remember that sending packages to the Mission office address (i.e. to Le Vésinet) will mean that the missionary will have to wait longer to receive them. The office only distributes postal items at zone conferences and interviews, both of which take place only once every 6 weeks. This also means that the missionary has to carry their item all the way home from the conference or interview, usually on public transportation.
9. Easter and Christmas packages sent to the office should arrive at the very latest of three weeks before the event. The office does not have the ability to forward packages. Not sending your packages well in advance may mean that your missionary won’t receive them when you want most for them to enjoy them
10. Don’t send packages within two weeks of a transfer date, unless your service guarantees you a timely delivery.
11. Packages should not be larger than 2 ordinary plastic shopping bags (at full capacity). Because we have many other items such as missionary supplies to deliver in our vehicles, we don’t have space for large packages for all of our missionaries. Big packages pose problems and may be delayed in delivery.
12. Because of widely different circumstances among families of our missionaries, we endorse the practice of parents occasionally sending something to their missionary’s companion. Also a letter to your missionary’s companion at a holiday season may fill a real need.
13. Remember not to send anything that would distract your missionary from his/her work, such as inappropriate music, literature, posters, etc.
Thank you for your help and understanding. The France Paris Mission
Friday, December 24, 2010
Awesome! I added you on skype! I will get online tomorrow at 4 here which is 7 in the morning your time. President said the new missionaries were allowed to get online to set up plans with their families for christmas day! Anyways I will talk to you tomorrow! Merry Christmas! Love ya
Love,
Elder Morgan
Love,
Elder Morgan
Monday, December 20, 2010
Hi Mom!
I haven't left for France yet. Plane doesn't leave untill 8:40ish tonight. I am in the middle of replying to your email but I need to know a few things. If I get the chance to call you from the airport will you be available this afternoon/evening? Also what time is best for me to call you on Christmas? We MAY be allowed to use skype since international phonecalls are so expensive. soo.... what is your skype account name?
Hey Mom!
So I think You heard already, or at least President King told me he would email you and tell you that my visa came in this past Tuesday! I have a direct flight to Paris tonight. So the cool part is that today was the originally the day I was supposed to leave the MTC and so the French District that I was originally supposed to be in is going to meet me at the Airport here in Atlanta and I am on the same flight with them from here to Paris. Whats even cooler is that President King has told me that Elizabeth Smart will also be on the plane.
Glad to hear you are having fun and feeling at home there in Iowa. I have loved it here in Sharon Springs. Its almost the complete opposite of Monroe... In every way. My companions here are extrememly obedient and have been very patient in helping me break bad habits that I have already formed and create new ones that will help me to be a better more obedient Missionary. I really got attached to the ward here. Last night we went caroling with a couple families and I had to say my goodbyes after we were done and it was really sad. I am really gonna miss some people here. Bishop Hilton and his family were absolutely incredible. I loved their ENTIRE family! They had a really little Baby named Finley who was just about the cutest baby in the world. So much so that I took a picture of her and sister Hilton. But yeah.... this ward was amazing. It was so cool to see a ward and how powerful and good it was because everybody really took the positions seriously and magnified them. Especially the Bishop, I dont know how he did everything. He owns his own business, has 5 kids and still makes it look easy to be a great bishop. Another cool thing here has been that we have been having a Secret Santa leave stuff at the door to our appartment. I am bummed that I will not be here for the last couple days, especially to find out who it was all along. Its kind of weird how something as small as leaving a suprise on a missionaries doorstep for 12 days can mean so much. It was so much fun at the end of each day to have something to look forward to once we got home. We actually also were leaving secret santa gifts for one of our investigators named Ruby. And that was almost even more fun to think that she was possibly enjoying being a on the recieving end of a secret santa as much as we were.
Another Person we are currently teaching is an old man named Ronnie. He is awesome. He is about 57 years old but his health is not that great due to heavy smoking and chewing tobacco for almost his entire life. However he recently quit smoking and drinking. Anways he has been reading in the Book of Mormon and he loves it. Ronnie is a baptist and he loves his bible but he says he likes the Book of Mormon because it goes hand in hand with the bible. We had the oppurtunity to go and help Ronnie chop some wood one day last week and me and him have been good friends ever since. Every person he introduces me to at his house already knows me as the "hard worker" because I guess Ronnie liked it when we helped him out chopping wood.
I am kind of excited to go to France. Im not too excited to leave this ward. But I guess thats how it goes. Having kind of a rough day today, I think its just cause I am stressed about my language and going to France.
Not sure if I am going to have an exit interview with President King or not. I am supposed to be at the Mission office at 5:30 pm tonight so we'll see what happens. Definitely been more obedient in this area. Elder Hemsley and Elder Jensen are really great missionaries and I have been learning a lot from them. They are great teachers. I think that might be part of my frustration today is I don't feel like I have learned everything I need to from them yet. But Oh well. The Holidays here have been really awesome. Like I said the ward is incredible and it seems like every house we visit is sending us home with cookies, snacks, and other random goodies and then there is always the Secret Santa. So yeah, Christmas time here in this ward has been super amazing.
Yeah, I have addresses and all that jazz for my companions. Elder Jensen and Elder Hemsley havent signed my journal yet but they both promised that they would so I am sure it will happen before they drop me off tonight.
And yes, I am still writing in my journal regularly. Haven't been getting any letters or anything special lately. I think it's just because everybody was hestitant to send stuff to Georgia when nobody knew how long I would be here before I left for France. But I am excited to get some letters from Max and Andy who both said they were gonna mail letters when I finally got to France.
I wrote dad a quick email today telling him I got my visa. But I dont think I will have time to write Grae. But tell her I love her and I will try and write her next week and that I hope she enjoys her Christmas Break!
Anyways I gotta go!
Love Elder Morgan
I haven't left for France yet. Plane doesn't leave untill 8:40ish tonight. I am in the middle of replying to your email but I need to know a few things. If I get the chance to call you from the airport will you be available this afternoon/evening? Also what time is best for me to call you on Christmas? We MAY be allowed to use skype since international phonecalls are so expensive. soo.... what is your skype account name?
Hey Mom!
So I think You heard already, or at least President King told me he would email you and tell you that my visa came in this past Tuesday! I have a direct flight to Paris tonight. So the cool part is that today was the originally the day I was supposed to leave the MTC and so the French District that I was originally supposed to be in is going to meet me at the Airport here in Atlanta and I am on the same flight with them from here to Paris. Whats even cooler is that President King has told me that Elizabeth Smart will also be on the plane.
Glad to hear you are having fun and feeling at home there in Iowa. I have loved it here in Sharon Springs. Its almost the complete opposite of Monroe... In every way. My companions here are extrememly obedient and have been very patient in helping me break bad habits that I have already formed and create new ones that will help me to be a better more obedient Missionary. I really got attached to the ward here. Last night we went caroling with a couple families and I had to say my goodbyes after we were done and it was really sad. I am really gonna miss some people here. Bishop Hilton and his family were absolutely incredible. I loved their ENTIRE family! They had a really little Baby named Finley who was just about the cutest baby in the world. So much so that I took a picture of her and sister Hilton. But yeah.... this ward was amazing. It was so cool to see a ward and how powerful and good it was because everybody really took the positions seriously and magnified them. Especially the Bishop, I dont know how he did everything. He owns his own business, has 5 kids and still makes it look easy to be a great bishop. Another cool thing here has been that we have been having a Secret Santa leave stuff at the door to our appartment. I am bummed that I will not be here for the last couple days, especially to find out who it was all along. Its kind of weird how something as small as leaving a suprise on a missionaries doorstep for 12 days can mean so much. It was so much fun at the end of each day to have something to look forward to once we got home. We actually also were leaving secret santa gifts for one of our investigators named Ruby. And that was almost even more fun to think that she was possibly enjoying being a on the recieving end of a secret santa as much as we were.
Another Person we are currently teaching is an old man named Ronnie. He is awesome. He is about 57 years old but his health is not that great due to heavy smoking and chewing tobacco for almost his entire life. However he recently quit smoking and drinking. Anways he has been reading in the Book of Mormon and he loves it. Ronnie is a baptist and he loves his bible but he says he likes the Book of Mormon because it goes hand in hand with the bible. We had the oppurtunity to go and help Ronnie chop some wood one day last week and me and him have been good friends ever since. Every person he introduces me to at his house already knows me as the "hard worker" because I guess Ronnie liked it when we helped him out chopping wood.
I am kind of excited to go to France. Im not too excited to leave this ward. But I guess thats how it goes. Having kind of a rough day today, I think its just cause I am stressed about my language and going to France.
Not sure if I am going to have an exit interview with President King or not. I am supposed to be at the Mission office at 5:30 pm tonight so we'll see what happens. Definitely been more obedient in this area. Elder Hemsley and Elder Jensen are really great missionaries and I have been learning a lot from them. They are great teachers. I think that might be part of my frustration today is I don't feel like I have learned everything I need to from them yet. But Oh well. The Holidays here have been really awesome. Like I said the ward is incredible and it seems like every house we visit is sending us home with cookies, snacks, and other random goodies and then there is always the Secret Santa. So yeah, Christmas time here in this ward has been super amazing.
Yeah, I have addresses and all that jazz for my companions. Elder Jensen and Elder Hemsley havent signed my journal yet but they both promised that they would so I am sure it will happen before they drop me off tonight.
And yes, I am still writing in my journal regularly. Haven't been getting any letters or anything special lately. I think it's just because everybody was hestitant to send stuff to Georgia when nobody knew how long I would be here before I left for France. But I am excited to get some letters from Max and Andy who both said they were gonna mail letters when I finally got to France.
I wrote dad a quick email today telling him I got my visa. But I dont think I will have time to write Grae. But tell her I love her and I will try and write her next week and that I hope she enjoys her Christmas Break!
Anyways I gotta go!
Love Elder Morgan
Tuesday, December 14, 2010
Sister Morgan,
Just thought we'd let you know Elder Morgan's visa came through today! He leaves on Monday the 20th at 8:40pm from the Atlanta Airport...so expect a quick call before then that evening.
If you already sent his Christmas gift to our mission office, we'll make sure he gets it before he leaves.
Many thanks...we've enjoyed having him here, if even for a short time!
Happy holidays,
Sister King
Just thought we'd let you know Elder Morgan's visa came through today! He leaves on Monday the 20th at 8:40pm from the Atlanta Airport...so expect a quick call before then that evening.
If you already sent his Christmas gift to our mission office, we'll make sure he gets it before he leaves.
Many thanks...we've enjoyed having him here, if even for a short time!
Happy holidays,
Sister King
Monday, December 13, 2010
“YESSSSSSSSS!!!!” I'm sooo excited for you!!!! That is sooo sooo soo cool! And I love all the details and the pictures are great! You look soo beautiful. And soo skinny too! :) Anyways thanks for sharing that with me. That made my week!
I wish I had more time to tell you how excited I was to read about Brad's Proposal and you're super awesome weekend, but I don't have a whole lot of time to write emails today :( However I am gonna try and send you some pictures after I get done with this email.
Anyways, so on Wednesday I found out that I got transferred to the Sharons Springs Area in the Cole Mountain Zone. My new companions are Elder Jensen from Alberta, Canada and Elder Hemsley from Springsville, Utah. They are the zone leaders for this area. They are both super great guys and I am learning a lot from being here in this area. They are helping me create some good helpful, obedient habits.
This area is almost the exact opposite of Monroe. It is extrememly wealthy. The teenager Justin Beiber lives in our area. This means however, it is extremely tough to talk to people. In most cases we cant even go to members houses because they live in gated communities with security guards and check points and everything. Its really, really, really weird.
Yesterday was my first sunday in this ward and it was awesome. Bishop Hilton here is one of the most amazing men I have ever met in my entire life. He spoke yesterday and he told everybody he had been preparing for this talk for over 3 months, and I had the strongest feeling that one of the reasons I was here in this ward was to hear that talk. It really was a great talk too. He talked quite a bit about the worth of souls and how much god loves us. It was an AMAZING talk.
There are two people we have taught since I have been here. Ronnie is an older man who lives in a trailer (I am fairly certain it is the only one in this city as I have yet to see another) but he is the nicest old man! We went over and helped him chop some wood for about 3 hours the other day. He has a huge log splitting machine so it was A LOT OF FUN. Anyways me and him are developing a good friendship. Our other main investigator at this time is a young girl named Ruby. She is pretty awesome, I think she is going through a hard time right now, but I think she will realize very quickly how the gospel can bless her life. Last night after church we went to a stake choir concert which was good. And after that we got to go over to the Bishops house to talk with him a little more about the new direction missionary work is taking in this Mission. It just gave me and my companions even more of an oppurtunity to see how extraordinary this man is, and his family. I am super excited because If my visa doesnt arrive before christmas Elder Hemsley and Elder Jensen are going the Bishop Hiltons house for Christmas which is awesome.
Anyways I am having lots and lots of cool and funny experiences here. The Elders I am with now are much more strict which is great. I am really looking forward to being more obedient. However this means not as much time to email but thats okay. Maybe just tell everybody that I love them and Miss them all and I hope they are having a great Christmas season. Please tell Cara, Jake, Nate and Andy that I say hi and that I am constantly thinking about them and that I love them. Oh and Dont forget Grandma. I was just thinking the other day about Andy and how close he is to getting out!!!! I am soo excited for him!
Anyways, so funny story, we were over at a members house last sunday (when I was still in Monroe) and I was talking to the parents while there kids were in the other room watching tv. Well we were in the middle of a great discussion about the gospel when we heard a super loud explosion. It turned out that one of the kids who was about 11 years old, had decided that he would sweek the floor and empty the dust pan into the fireplace. The best part about it is there was a AA battery in the dust pan that he wanted to watch burn. Well he watched it and it didnt do anything for a while so we went back and watched the tv from the couch. well about 10 mins later it exploded. Its actually a blessing the whole house didnt burn down but it blew ashes, burning peices of wood, and fire all over the carpet. Needless to say the carpet is ruined but we spent a solid 20 mins trying to put out the smoldering carpet. Like I said it is a real blessing the house didnt burn down. One of the largest burning peices landed right next to a super old couch and I think it would have been game over if it had actually hit the couch.
Anyways its so different being in a rich area. But I am really really loving it here with Elder Jensen and Elder Hemsley. They are both super great guys.
I cant believe its almost Christmas time already! I am not sure if I am leaving before Christmas. I have yet to hear anything about my visa but who knows! I will be super happy either way! I did talk to President King and the mission office will forward any packages to France if they come after I leave.
So we need to figure out what time I should call you on Christmas day. What time do you work? I think they way phone calls work is the missionaries end up just using members cell phones since most plans these days have unlimited long distance on weekends and stuff like that. But yeah- Anyways let me know what time you will be able to talk. The phone calls are supposed to be between 30 and 40 mins. But I am excited because I will get to call you when I go to Paris too!
Anyways, well I am super excited to hear all about the latest update with you and Brad! Im soo excited for you!!! :)
I love you sooo much mom!
Elder Morgan
I wish I had more time to tell you how excited I was to read about Brad's Proposal and you're super awesome weekend, but I don't have a whole lot of time to write emails today :( However I am gonna try and send you some pictures after I get done with this email.
Anyways, so on Wednesday I found out that I got transferred to the Sharons Springs Area in the Cole Mountain Zone. My new companions are Elder Jensen from Alberta, Canada and Elder Hemsley from Springsville, Utah. They are the zone leaders for this area. They are both super great guys and I am learning a lot from being here in this area. They are helping me create some good helpful, obedient habits.
This area is almost the exact opposite of Monroe. It is extrememly wealthy. The teenager Justin Beiber lives in our area. This means however, it is extremely tough to talk to people. In most cases we cant even go to members houses because they live in gated communities with security guards and check points and everything. Its really, really, really weird.
Yesterday was my first sunday in this ward and it was awesome. Bishop Hilton here is one of the most amazing men I have ever met in my entire life. He spoke yesterday and he told everybody he had been preparing for this talk for over 3 months, and I had the strongest feeling that one of the reasons I was here in this ward was to hear that talk. It really was a great talk too. He talked quite a bit about the worth of souls and how much god loves us. It was an AMAZING talk.
There are two people we have taught since I have been here. Ronnie is an older man who lives in a trailer (I am fairly certain it is the only one in this city as I have yet to see another) but he is the nicest old man! We went over and helped him chop some wood for about 3 hours the other day. He has a huge log splitting machine so it was A LOT OF FUN. Anyways me and him are developing a good friendship. Our other main investigator at this time is a young girl named Ruby. She is pretty awesome, I think she is going through a hard time right now, but I think she will realize very quickly how the gospel can bless her life. Last night after church we went to a stake choir concert which was good. And after that we got to go over to the Bishops house to talk with him a little more about the new direction missionary work is taking in this Mission. It just gave me and my companions even more of an oppurtunity to see how extraordinary this man is, and his family. I am super excited because If my visa doesnt arrive before christmas Elder Hemsley and Elder Jensen are going the Bishop Hiltons house for Christmas which is awesome.
Anyways I am having lots and lots of cool and funny experiences here. The Elders I am with now are much more strict which is great. I am really looking forward to being more obedient. However this means not as much time to email but thats okay. Maybe just tell everybody that I love them and Miss them all and I hope they are having a great Christmas season. Please tell Cara, Jake, Nate and Andy that I say hi and that I am constantly thinking about them and that I love them. Oh and Dont forget Grandma. I was just thinking the other day about Andy and how close he is to getting out!!!! I am soo excited for him!
Anyways, so funny story, we were over at a members house last sunday (when I was still in Monroe) and I was talking to the parents while there kids were in the other room watching tv. Well we were in the middle of a great discussion about the gospel when we heard a super loud explosion. It turned out that one of the kids who was about 11 years old, had decided that he would sweek the floor and empty the dust pan into the fireplace. The best part about it is there was a AA battery in the dust pan that he wanted to watch burn. Well he watched it and it didnt do anything for a while so we went back and watched the tv from the couch. well about 10 mins later it exploded. Its actually a blessing the whole house didnt burn down but it blew ashes, burning peices of wood, and fire all over the carpet. Needless to say the carpet is ruined but we spent a solid 20 mins trying to put out the smoldering carpet. Like I said it is a real blessing the house didnt burn down. One of the largest burning peices landed right next to a super old couch and I think it would have been game over if it had actually hit the couch.
Anyways its so different being in a rich area. But I am really really loving it here with Elder Jensen and Elder Hemsley. They are both super great guys.
I cant believe its almost Christmas time already! I am not sure if I am leaving before Christmas. I have yet to hear anything about my visa but who knows! I will be super happy either way! I did talk to President King and the mission office will forward any packages to France if they come after I leave.
So we need to figure out what time I should call you on Christmas day. What time do you work? I think they way phone calls work is the missionaries end up just using members cell phones since most plans these days have unlimited long distance on weekends and stuff like that. But yeah- Anyways let me know what time you will be able to talk. The phone calls are supposed to be between 30 and 40 mins. But I am excited because I will get to call you when I go to Paris too!
Anyways, well I am super excited to hear all about the latest update with you and Brad! Im soo excited for you!!! :)
I love you sooo much mom!
Elder Morgan
Monday, December 6, 2010
Hi Momma!!
I'm good! Not sure how much longer I am gonna be online here but I just wanted to say hi. Been a busy day. We got our transfer calls last night! I am getting transfered! I find out where I'm going on wednesday. So I'll be able to tell you all about it next monday! Hows work! Love you too!
Its so great to here all the exciting things that are going on back home. Keep me updated on the job search in Iowa!!!
So this past week was pretty horrible. I mean it was great, and I learned a lot. But man, it was flat out tough. I told you how I was struggling with obedience and how it was causing me to be unhappy. Well along with that I got pretty sick again. Well everything is good now, me and Elder Oxley and Elder Laelau are getting along just great. We had a good p-day today, and I am kinda bummed I am getting transferred but I know that I have learned what I was supposed to from my companions and my area while I was here In Monroe.
I am doing much much better. Been studying Lehi’s tree of Life vision quite a bit lately. Its really cool to read it in French because of some of the things that are worded a little differently because of the Language translation. And I made a goal to bear my testimony every fast and testimony meeting while I am on my mission and I started doing that this past week. Our church was actually flooded on Sunday so we only had sacrament meeting. But it was still a good day.
What else is there?? I still have not heard anything about my visa. We had a multi zone conference this past week. We learned about Mormon.org for 4 hours. This is the missionaries new focus in our area. And the church announced that studies have found that tracting is giving the church a negative image. And within 2 years Thomas S. Monson has announced that ALL tracting will stop. Mormon.org will be the new source of finding investigators. The missionaries will help members create profiles. As members create profiles, we will encourage them to refer friends and neighbors to check out the website and the profiles, and eventually this will lead to the missionaries teaching people who have visited the website and become more interested. The church did another study on a focus group of people. They found that the website was very successful! One of the biggest problems we face as missionaries is when we meet somebody set up and appointment with them to teach them the gospel and in the time between they look up mormons on the internet in find anti-mormon doctrine. Mormon.org will not only combat this, but the website has been quite successful in getting people to want to know more. It’s a pretty awesome thing. Missionaries here are asked to now create a profile of their own and spend as much time as necessary to get to know the website so we can successfully relate it to our investigators.
I am really going to miss the ward here though. But I know I will love the next ward too! I did my last radio broadcast this past week. It was very very cool. We taught about charity. One of my favorite things about teaching is all the stuff you learn when you prepare for your lesson. I have a testimony of the fact that when you plan to teach a lesson, if you successfully prepare for it (even if you have taught the lesson countless times) you will say something that touches the people you are teaching but what is even cooler is that you will learn something while preparing that you NEEDED to learn at that specific time. I know when we did the radio show this past week and we taught about charity, out of however people might have been listening, that I especially needed to hear and learn about charity.
As for everybody back home. Max sent me and email with his address and all that on it. He sounded really happy to be in Hawaii! I am really excited for him. I am going to send out two letters to him this week. I have written one already. I have not heard from Kai yet. And I did not have time to email dad or Grae today. This whole email and letter thing can be a little overwhelming at times. But I like it. I just need to get better about staying focused and writing letters.
I am super excited for the packages!!!! Thanks so much momma! I cant wait to get them! Oh and I don’t think I need anything else! Were you able to find the Gloves I was talking about!? Actually you remember how you said you recorded all of my blessings? Is there any way you can get me a copy of those? It would be super awesome if you could type it out.
But as far as you lesson goes on Sunday. I think I sent home a preach my gospel or two in my package. You should check out some of the stuff in there for your lesson. That is an awesome book.
Oh! and I cant remember what it is called right now, but the thing you were asking about in the package that I sent home. That was from my roommate in the MTC Elder Amatanga from American Samoa. He was a really cool guy and wanted me to have it.
As for Scout going to Oregon, I couldn’t be happier about that. I know Andy will take good care of him!
This email was a little frustrating for me. I feel like I was very scattered and I couldn’t keep my thoughts together. I have so much I want to tell you. I like the list of questions though. I think that is a good idea. Anyways I gotta go. But I love you! I hope you have an amazing week!
Love Elder Morgan
November 29, 2010
Hi Mom!!
I spent some time replying to an Email from grandma. Things are going good here, but we are about to leave the library. I think we are coming back later though so I will work on an email for you then. I was SOOSOOOOO glad to hear about your AWESOME Thanksgiving. We had an awesome thanksgiving here too! here is a list of a few things I thought of that I could use for Christmas.
PS dont worry about me having to haul stuff to paris. I have LOTS of room in my suitcase AND am far way from reaching the wait limit in either bag.
I could use razor blades
a first aid kit
sonic-care head
A calender
and the special dental floss that I can use with my permenant retainer.
(any ideas on what I can do about my retainer that I lost at the MTC?)
Its getting colder here and I am realizing that I didnt exactly prepare for cold weather. So if you could remember to send a hoodie and some gloves that would be great!
WHAT time do you get off work today?
Love you sooo MUCH!
Elder Morgan
Things are going much better here. I am feeling a little sick today. Think I am getting another cold :/ It has been pretty cold here the past few days and our heater doesn’t work. :( But I am doing great! I have not heard anything about my visa.
One of the members here who is very quiet came up to me after my talk on Sunday. He said that never in 25 years had he given a referral to the missionaries, but he wants me to teach someone this week. Elder Laelau also said that he had a feeling that I might be here for a while. I’m not sure how long ill be here but I definitely realize now that I have a lot to do while I am here.
The Radio broadcast was a little hectic this past week. When we got there we were having some technical difficulties with our broadcasting equipment and our tech didn’t get it fixed until about ½ hour later. So we shortened our message and each got to talk for 6-8 minutes.
The Other missionaries in that picture are visa waiters going to Brazil and no they were not in my district at the MTC. Brazil and Mexico are the Hardest countries to get visas for right not is what I have heard. There are a ton of visa waiters here going to brazil. So many that they opened up a strictly Portuguese speaking area.
Thanksgiving was great!! We played football from like 9-almost 1:00 It was a lot of fun! After that we went to lunch at a Hawaiian families house (I don’t know how to spell there name…. Kalanuies?. It was supper good. Then we went to have desert and more food and play board games at the Finchers house. After that we went and visited the Suda’s. All in all it was a very very fun thanksgiving. I was thinking about you all day though and was extremely happy to know that you were gonna get to go visit Brad. I was even happier to hear how much fun you had and how you felt like you fit right in. It was nice to hear a little about Brad’s two sons. Tell them I say Hi and I appreciate their prayers.
I am not homesick at all. It’s the strangest thing though, whenever I am not obedient or doing something I know I shouldn’t be doing, I find that I become homesick very quickly. Its funny how that works isn’t it? But No, as of right now I am having the time of my life.
I did get an email from grae today and I Just barely got one from dad. I had time to write a real quick reply to Grae’s but not to dads. Ill email him next week for sure. We talked a little last week so I don’t feel to bad about not getting back to him.
As for you and Brad. I honestly really couldn’t be happier for you. I am so excited! Its so nice to know that you are so happy and doing so well.
My mission area is great. I am making good friends with everyone here. I spoke in church on Sunday and I did a absolutely horrible job, but hopefully you will understand why when you read my email to grandma below. This week went by super fast because of Thanksgiving though. This week we have a district meeting and an entire mission training. It should be an AWESOME week. I am still learning a lot. Other than that not a whole lot is new.
OH that reminds me! It would be awesome if you could think of some cheap easy to make, fast meals and send me Recipes’? A lot of the Elders Eat out constantly here and I cant stand all greasy food they eat 24-7 here. Its crazy! I think I have had 2salads since I have arrived. Another Thing I would love is actual print outs of pictures. It costs like 25 cents for every piece of paper I print out here and I would love a few good pictures of family and friends to keep in my scripture case?
As for me sending you pictures, I have asked around and I have figured out what is the best way to send you pictures. As of right not I have 2 memory cards for my camera. I have not even filled up the first one yet. So what everybody does here, is they have their parents mail them a SMALL external hard drive (25 gigs or smaller) I back up all the pictures onto that here. And send you one memory card at a time with pictures on it. This way I can edit my pictures and leave little notes on them so I remember what is what and you can have a copy of the pictures. The mission president asks us to only use myldsmail.net when we are on the internet so I don’t know if I should do smugmug. So can you mail me a small external hard drive when you get the chance? Either that or should I just buy one here next p-day? Its important to have a backup of the pictures because I guess it is not unheard of for people in the post office to steal camera memory cards.
I sent a lengthy email to grandma, it was a cool experience that I had this past week. Ill copy and paste it here:
I am soo happy to hear everything is going so well back home. Its so great to hear that everybody is doing so well. I still pray every day for you and I know that everything is gonna be just fine!
I had kind of a weird experience the other day that I wanted to tell you about though. So on this past week I was asked to speak in church on sunday. But before I go any further I have been really struggling ever since I have gotten to Georgia with being obedient. Well I looked up a bunch of scriptures and felt fairly prepared as sunday approached. Well as I got ready for bed on saturday, I decided that I would start fasting that night for help in being more obedient. So I started my fast and got in bed.
Well as I went to bed on saturday night I had a dream. I dreamed that I was home from my mission and that I was going to visit everybody at your old house in Banks where Jake lives now. Well I remember in my dream that we were all in the living room visiting (the room looked like it did when you lived there) and Grandpa came into the room. It was very weird but extremely realistic at the same time. But I remember everybody in the room was NOT suprised to see him, even though every single person acknowledged the fact that he was dead. Well Grandpa came over and I hugged him and I remember I was very emotional in my dream. But as we stopped hugging I remember looking at him and neither of us said a word to each other... using our mouths. But it was almost like we could tell exactly what each other was thinking. Well I remember reminding him that I had gone on my mission and I giving him this look that basically said "arent you proud of me?" Perhaps the most unique thing about this dream is what happened next. I remember his face did not change the entire dream, he just smiled and It made me feel good, I was able to tell that he was perfectly happy with me and that he loved me so much and was so proud of me. But at the same time he managed to tell me that I could have done better (on my mission). To me this wasnt weird. But the feeling I had when he told me all this was. As I think back on this dream I have come to believe that I have never before felt the same way that grandpa made me feel in this dream. I could feel how much he loved me, perfectly and it made me so happy, but at the same time he was able to make me realize things I could have done better without any hard feelings. I really wish I could describe this dream better. It was amazing.
But I was so overwhelmed by this dream as I woke up on sunday morning that I was in some sort of a funk and COMPLETELY failed on my talk ha ha. It was without a doubt one of the most embarrassing experiences ever! But man was it cool!! I know that I had that dream for a reason. I have really struggled with being perfectly obedient on my mission. I like to blame my disobedience on my companions but this dream really helped me.
If you look up "Angels" in the Bible dictionary (I just so happened to "stumble" across this on sunday morning, after my dream but before my talk) it says in one way or another that there are a couple different forms of angels, one of them being spirits that have not yet, or have ALREADY obtained physical bodies of flesh and bone. I guess the whole reason I tell you all this is that I now know the Grandpa is truly watching over me here and helping me.
I have not yet decided who I will personally tell about this amazing special experience I have had, but if you feel prompted or feel that somebody would appreciate this story feel free to share it. I already can already feel my mission turning around, I am striving to be more obedient and I can already feel an extreme difference. As I read through this I thought it was a little bit weird because its not like there were any revelations in the dream on HOW I could be more obedient or any "secrets to success" but I just have this renewed desire to be more obedient and I guess when I think about it, thats truly all I ever needed. The Lord knows us better than we can Imagine. Its because of this dream that I know that. And because of that, I know the Lord has a plan for you, and you might not understand why you haven't been able to find a job yet, but I know if you just keep on putting your faith in the Lord he will bless you more than you can Immagine. I didnt understand why as I prepared to leave on my mission my mom was going through such a rough time but looking back and how the Lord blessed my family at the last minute may not have been what I thought was best at the time or leading up to that point, But I would certainly never go back and change anything knowing what I know now. I love you Grandma, I hope things continue to go just great over there :) Thanks so much for the email!
Love you Tons mom! So glad to hear you are doing so well! I really am! Love you!
Elder Morgan
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