Emails from Mitch from the last three weeks.

6/22/15

Happy Father's Day! You're the best dad! For all of you out there celebrating Father's Day, I am sorry that your dad isn't as funny, hardworking, dedicated, determined,   self-less, happy, wise, generous, giving, humble, witty, supportive, determined, a friend, good father, loving and faithful husband, fearless, brave, a true disciple of Jesus Christ. I mean, I am sure your dad is great and all, but he doesn't have anything on my dad. He is the BEST! Dad, I love you. 

Thanks for always making me do hard things and teaching me not to back away from a challenge. Thanks for always making me mow the lawn and set up the tent with you. Thank you for making me help with building the basement. Thank you for teaching me to work smarter, not harder. Thank you for teaching me that when I enjoy my work, it isn't work. Thank you for teaching me that nothing that is easy is worth very much. Thank you for teaching me that when you hesitate, you die.  Thank you for being the best example I could have ever asked for. Thank you for loving my mom. Thank you for loving me, Maddie, and Makenna. Thank you for always putting our needs above all else. Thank you for teaching by deed, not just word. Thank you for giving me the kind of role model that a young boy needed. Thank you for always being an example of a worthy and dedicated priesthood holder, who always offered self-less service, who always took the time to fulfill his responsibilities, who always lifted the hands that have hung down. 

I said it, but I am going to say it again. If your dad isn't Chris H Morris, sorry. There is no one like him. He is like the Dream Team packed into one. All the competition just doesn't matter, it is a joke. He is like the 1972 Dolphins, UNBEATABLE!

 I love you Dad.

 Have a great week!

Elder Morris

6/29/15

This week was a great week! We were able to work real hard and see the hand of the Lord working with us. There have been some faith building experiences. We have had some trials, but the good always overcomes the not-so good. Just like the darkness can do nothing but flee from the light. It has no choice. 

For starters, WE FOUND AN INVESTIGATOR OF GOLD!!!! And when I say gold, I mean like the 24K gold. So 2 weeks ago, she came to church with a friend. So her friend introduces us to her. Her name is Andree (it is pronounced like fault in California, San Andres, just take of the s). So we talk to her and she seems pretty nice. So we take her address and we pass by the next week. She lives in a florist place.... una Florería. But there is no man that lives there so we can't teach her there. So we just talk and get to know her, win her confidence and stuff. So this last Tuesday we had a lesson with her in the church. IT WAS SO AWESOME. I am not going to lie, we talked for like an hour and a half. A lesson should be at the most 45 minutes and usually like to keep them to 30. But it was just so cool! She told us pretty much her whole life story. How a year ago she hit rock bottom. She was overweight, doing things that a girl of 17 should not do, just a mess. Then her mom got cancer. She realized that she was just completely lost. Some Christians gave her a pep-talk and she decided that she needed to change her life. (Good thing she didn't go with them, right?) Wrong, she did go with them! And then the JWs, and the Catholics and the whole list of religions, but she felt as if she was just going to a play. That they were all just fake. And then she came to our church and BOOM!!! OH THE DIFFERENCE!!! Thank you Holy Ghost!!! WHOO HOO!!! Okay, anyways, she is awesome. She wants to get baptized, but she has to go to school on Sundays. She is trying to change it, but she says the chances are slim. Wait just one second there missy, I just ate a slim Jim this morning (thanks mom) and I don't believe that! So I whipped out 3 Nephi 13:32-33. BOOM! So she is doing all she can to change it and she came to church yesterday too!!! And then after, she came to us and was like, "Hey, you told me you were going to give me something to read in the BOM. What was my homework going to be?" "Uh... Alma 32.. Uh, yeah, that is a good one." It totally caught me off guard! She is just awesome!! Please pray for her so that she can change her schedule and assist church!!!

Also Ninfa came to church again. She is looking really good for baptism as well! Just a ton of blessings this week! We had 4 investigators in church!! And 2 we have just met and invited. Life is great! The Lord works miracles. If we just let Him work in our lives, He will give us the blessings that we may stand in need of. And He WILL work miracles. 

Have a Great Week!!!

-Elder Morris

Also, Cause it's 'Merica!

7/6/15

HAPPY 4th OF JULY!!! Oh America, how I miss thee. But I always have you in my heart!!!  But we won't be apart much longer...

Anyways, how was this week? I hope it went really well for all of you guys! I hope all your wildest dreams are coming through cause of your firm faith in The Lord!

This week was good. We worked hard, but stuff didn't turn out as well as we would have liked. But that is alright, just keep chugging along!

Our Investigator of Gold, Andree, (See last week) has to go to school on Sundays so she has to wait 8 weeks before getting baptized....... But everything happens for a reason. So, oh well.  

We also went and contacted a family who not too kindly told us to leave. Then the Bishop calls us into his office and explains that this family was baptized a couple years ago but the thing is that the dad was a cop. Normally that isn't a problem for church members, unless that is that you decide to start working for the drug cartels.... So yeah, we aren't going to visit that family anytime soon!!

Hmm what else? We went to the center of Monterrey today and I bought some pretty sweet stuff to take home. My mom is going to love it.

Anyways, I was studying the other day (I know, a missionary studying, oh weird), and I was Reading about the 2,000 Stripling Warriors. A scripture stuck out to me and I would like to share my thoughts about it with you all.

So the scripture that stuck out to me was Alma 57:21. It says this: "Yea, and they did obey and observe to perform every word of command with exactness; yea, and even according to their faith it was done unto them." Okay, let's take a look at it, shall we? We find in the chapters before that they were saved by the miraculous power of God. The simple answer to the reason that they were saved is because of their faith. But this scriptures gives a Little bit more insight in the reason. It says that they "DID OBEY AND OBSERVE TO PERFORM EVERY WORD OF COMMAND WITH EXACTNESS." They were obedient. They had all the faith in the entire world, but if they would not have acted, well we all know that "Faith without Works is dead." And in this case it would have been literal. They acted upon the faith that their parents had taught them. It talks about Words of command. What are the words of command that we receive today? Scriptures, prophets, parents, etc. These are the Word of command that we must live by to be able to be saved spiritually. And how did they obey them? WITH EXACTNESS. We cannot say that we will only be obedient as long as it suits us. It doesn't work that way. It is like Pres. Bird always says, if we are almost exactly obedient, the Lord is almost blessing us. If we want to live through the ugly war waging around us, we have to be EXACTLY obedient. We cannot afford to leave anything on the table. Only then will we see the blessings in our lives. Only then will we be saved by our faith. Only then will we reach the Celestial Kingdom as eternal families. Of this I testify to you and of this I testify to all the people of Monterrey that are in my reach. There is no other thing I would rather do at this point in my life. I love this work and I love the Lord. That is why I try to be obedient. Just try it, the Lord will help you out. I know he will. 

Love you guys a lot!!!!! Have a Great Week!!!

-Elder Morris