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
Monday, January 3, 2011
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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