Sunday, September 29, 2013

The WHOLE MTC?

September 28, 2013

We received a surprise email from Elder Morris. He was able to email us one more time from the MTC as he was given an extra P-day this week to prepare to leave for Mexico. We were able to chat while he was doing his laundry.
He told us that he has been asked to say the opening prayer in the Devotional for the WHOLE MTC on Sunday (today). He is a little more than nervous. Better than being asked to talk, always a bright side!
He asked me to share these photos and this quote-

A quote I really liked when I was watching a Life of Jesus Christ Bible Video today.
"The Spirit of the Lord is with me because he has anointed me to teach the gospel to the poor, he has sent me to heal the brokenhearted, to preach deliverance to the captives, to set at liberty them that are bruised."
This really struck me because that is me. The Lord has called me to go and lighten others burden, to bring light to those in darkness, and lift those that are downtrodden. I have realized that I am on the same mission that Christ was. For the people I am going out to teach, I represent our Savior. That is a huge responsibility but I know that I am not going at it alone. I will have the Lord going on before me on my right hand and on my left, ”And whoso received you, there I will be also, for I will go before your face. I will be on your right hand and on your left hand, and my Spirit shall be in your hearts, and mine angels round about you to bear you up.” D&C 84:88
I already have a deep love for this work and I am super excited to get to Mexico and start spreading this glad message.

Elder Morris leaves bright and early, 3:00am on Monday morning for Monterrey. I can't wait to hear his voice! I should be getting  a letter on Tuesday that he forgot to mail…

                           This is from his Missionary page, it shows that his MTC training is complete

                                                     These are the Elders in his Zone
                 This is a picture his companion, Elder Farnsworth took of him as he was studying

Saturday, September 28, 2013

Last week at the MTC

9/18/13
Mi Familia,
This week has probably been the best week yet!  Definitely the week where I have felt the spirit most!  But I’m not going to tell you yet. J  (It’s later in the letter). So I have realized that I haven’t really given much detail, so her it comes.
Elder Farnsworth (he is from Sandy) and I exercise out by the fence especially when BYU plays. We will definitely be there this Saturday. When we have personal exercise time we do “horizontal running” for 10-20 min. and just talk. It is a really good stress relief. Then for the next 30-40 min. we go hard.  On Monday I was walking like an old man. I don’t remember being this sore in my life!
So, spiritual experience, nah, maybe a little later, just keep reading. J  Also, I keep getting letters for a Mitch. I think that sounds familiar, but my first name is Elder. At least that is what everyone keeps calling me. Whoever it is, he really has some awesome people writing. He also sounds devilishly handsome. Lucky guy! Ha.
Well in the devotional last night we heard a talk about becoming a missionary. My favorite quote was “authority is conferred, but the power is earned.”  That has so much meaning for everyone in the church.  When we are set apart for a calling, we don’t automatically receive the power; we have to earn it by doing our best to fulfill the calling. “When service ceases to be a burden, it is in that moment we are endowed with power.”  If we replace the word “service” with our calling it can help with anything we are called to do.  I came across this scripture a while back and thought you (Mom) would find some comfort in it. Mosiah 28:7. Look it up! What, did you think I was going to make it easy?  I have people look up scriptures for a living! J 
Ok, now for the moment you’ve been waiting for. What I had for lunch, ha ha just kidding. J   Okay, so as you know we teach our teachers who act like investigators. So Elisa has problems with religion because she wants to find out everything for herself.  Problem is she doesn’t see the need for prayer in her life.  She likes to think someone is there, but she doesn’t know.  We had taught Elisa 3 times before this lesson and she is always distant and not very cooperative. So me and my companion had the goal in mind to commit her to pray. Like in Moroni 10:3-5.  The lesson was going the same as always, her not wanting to take it serious.  I’m not sure where the lesson was even going. My companion was getting frustrated. So, in my broken Spanish, I testified and promised her in the name of Jesus Christ, if she prayed like Moroni directs, she would receive an answer from God.  It was one of the most spiritual experiences I have had. It felt like I was completely engulfed by the Spirit. I could feel Heavenly fathers love for her and for a split second, I saw her as God does and I loved her. That experience hit me with so much power that I never will be able to forget that. Because of that, I know that by the power of the spirit, anything is possible.  Even a new missionary testifying with the spirit in terrible Spanish. 


9/19/13
Right now I’m sitting in the Mexican Consulate. I don’t know how long it will take. Hopefully not long at all. Today started really early, 3:45 am. We left the MTC at 4:30 am and went to the frontrunner station in Provo, then caught the Trax line from North Temple station to the airport. We ate some breakfast and waited for 2 ½ hours for our flight. Our flight was a Delta Connection so I was hoping to sit next to someone so I could strike up a conversation, but no such luck.
When we landed a nice old couple picked us up. They took us to the Boise State football field. It was as blue and ugly as ever. But it was cool if you’re into that color of blue. Then we went to a little nature park and looked at some animals. We then went to Chick-fil-a for lunch. It was way good. J  Then we went to some park and just relaxed.  It was way nice to relax and unwind. There were a ton of squirrels. Boise is a nice place. I guess Idaho isn’t that bad.
Oh man, I fell asleep at the Consulate. Crazy stuff! After the Consulate, we went to the mission home and registered them or something. Then we went and talked to the Boise Mission President. It was pretty cool. Isaac Ford had been reassigned to Boise until he got his Visa. I asked about him and found out he had left the day before. I was bummed that I missed him by such a narrow margin. We then went over to the Boise Temple. The woodwork was gorgeous they pulled out all the stops on this one. I sat next to a gentleman on the way home and waited for the moment to start up a conversation then pounced. We talked about where I was going and he asked me why I thought the church was doing so well in South America. I talked about the Book of Mormon and its origins in South America. We parted ways and he wished me luck in all my endeavors.  Good stuff!
Love you guys so much!!! Muchisimo amor!
Elder Morris


Elder Morris leaves for the Monterrey Mexico East Mission on Monday, Sept 30th. This Mom cannot wait to talk with him. He is ready to start this part of his adventure as a Missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

Sunday, September 15, 2013

Time Warp......

Sept 11, 2013

Wow, 3 weeks? What the crap? I swear I just got here the other day but some days it feels like an eternity! Time is crazy here. I don't feel like I am already half way done with the MTC. There is SO much I still need to learn! I do not know if most of you know that in the MTC there is a TIME WARP! Days are like weeks and weeks are like days....
 
Spanish is still coming slowly, but that is to be expected. It is just super tough to be patient!! I wish there was a way I could just plug my brain into some computer and download all of the information and be fluent!! 
 
Every day we teach a mock investigator(our teacher) in full Spanish. On Monday we were teaching our investigator about the Plan of Salvation. I was explaining how God had sent his Son down to Earth to atone for our sins. The Spanish word for the verb "to send" is enviar. Well I said "Dios envita su Hijo, Jesucristo, expiar para nuestro pecados." I used envitar instead of enviar. The verb envitar means to avoid. So I told the investigator that God avoids his Son, Jesus Christ, to atone for our sins. Afterword our teacher came in laughing and told us what I said. I laughed pretty hard! He said that he almost broke character because it was so funny. Good stuff!
 
One of the miracles of the CCM (MTC in Spanish) is that there are never any coincidences. I have learned that everything happens for a reason. God has planned everything down to the most minuet  detail. What is great about being a missionary  is that your life is dedicated to finding, using and experiencing those details big or small. A letter from home can change me whole day!

Know that I am doing great! It is hard but I am living on faith. In one of my few lessons that we have in English, one of my teachers asked us to think about an experience when you knew the Book of Mormon was true. I tried but could not think of a time when I didn't know that the Book of Mormon was true. I did not have some huge spiritual experience. What I did find was a section in the D&C where Oliver Cowdery was asking God if the Book of Mormon was true, he asked for a big spiritual confirmation. The answer from God was that He had spoke peace unto his heart and what more could Oliver want. I felt that was my answers also, not that I asked for a huge spiritual confirmation. I have always known, since I was a child, when God spoke peace unto my heart and I continue to have that peace.
 
Thanks for all the letters and prayers being sent my way! I love hearing from everyone, it makes my day when I get a letter. I consider it a huge blessing. Keep them coming.....
 
Muchisimo Amor, Love you all!
 
Elder Morris
 

Brock Jones and me         

 My Stripling Warriors, Mommas Boys Shirt
             This one is for you Mom!!

Friday, September 6, 2013

Gift of Tongues or tongue tied.....NOT!

Sept 5, 2013

This week was so great! It was super tough to go back to work on Tuesday though. It was like a Monday x 3! But it was okay, because coming back to this work is a lot better than going back to school!
I have begun to love this work. It is hard, harder than I thought, but it is worth it. I know that when I put my faith in Christ, anything is possible. Even learning Spanish. I have definitely seen the Gift of Tongues at work in my life.
 
We were teaching one of our instructors who was playing an investigator he had met on his mission. We had planned on giving him a brief lesson on the restoration. When we were teaching, he started asking questions about the god head, something we weren't ready for. I didn't have any Spanish responses written down and it wasn't a subject that I had studied in Spanish. All of the sudden words that were relevant to the subject came into my mind. The problem I have with Spanish is that  I know the words that I want to use I just can't put the words together to make a coherent sentence, but when those words can into my mind I just started talking. It was great! I talked about how God and the Son have physical bodies and that the Spirit doesn't and that allows him to enter into our souls. It was crazy awesome!
 
The MTC is so great, everyone here has the same purpose and we all want to grow closer to our Heavenly Father. It is way tough but if I have faith, I know He will help me. I think that is the biggest thing I have learned here. If we turn over everything to the Lord, our problems, our worries, our mistakes and short comings, he will use us in ways we didn't think possible. We can become great tools if we let ourselves be crafted into what he wants. When you align your will with God's, nothing can stop you.
Love you all and thanks for the support and prayers. I have truly felt loved and blessed this week.
      

                                                            Mucho amor,
                                                                          Elder Morris