Wow, what a week. Well, I am back in Cadereyta. haha I went from Cadereyta 2 transfers ago and now I am back! But in a different area. Now I will be working closer to the center, with less hills. I am also training!!! WHOO HOO! So I will be here till the end of my mission. Wash clothes by hand!!! Ha-ha it isn't actually too bad. Also, we don't have hot water. BUT IT DOESN'T MATTER!! Because it is going to get super hot soon!! Until then we are using an electric water heater contraption. So we have a bucket of hot water to use. But, like the last time I opened an area training, they left us with nothing. Not even progressing investigator forms. It looks as if they didn't even make them. Also, we just barely got a map so this last week we were just walking around knocking on doors and contacting. But it was so cool to see the Lord working with us. 

First, we found a really cool family! The mom appears to have been baptized as a little girl but went inactive early and doesn't remember anything. They are awesome. A family of 5 who all have potential. 

Second, we found a father and son (and maybe wife). They have a tienda and they gave us soda and chips after our lesson. The dad is super interested and is reading the lesson one pamphlet.

Third, we were walking to an appointment when a little girl comes running up behind us and says that some people want to talk to us. Usually the only people that want to talk to us are drunk guys! So I was a little suspicious as we follow this girl to a couple of ladies sitting on their porch. Soon we found out that 2 of them are members less active and the third is a friend. All three have kids of the age of baptism that haven't been baptized and they want us to come by every week and teach them. Ha-ha All righty then, you tell me when and where and we will be there!!! We are seeing some really great stuff happening here.

Every day that I wake up I am inspired by my companion. Every day I thank my Father in Heaven for him and for his dedication, for his love, and for his desire. You see, my companion isn't like all the rest that I have had. My companion has a muscle disease that keeps him from correctly controlling his muscles. The doctors were negligent when he was born and he wasn't given the care he needed. Because of that, neurons in his brain died that control his muscles subconsciously. So basically, every movement of his arms or legs is a concentrated effort.  Of all the missionaries that I have known, not one is even close to the great example that he is. He is one of the most humble and most dedicated missionaries I have known. He is just awesome. He doesn't care about setbacks or limitations, he just wants to serve the Lord. I am so glad that he is my companion. I really feel it a huge honor to be his companion. Every second that I have with him gives me motivation to give it my all. I don't know what else to say about him, other than this kid is the motivation that I need to finish running 110%. Missionaries always talk about "Dyeing" their last couple transfers. This kid deserves everything that I have got because he is sacrificing so much. I know that the Lord put him with me to impact my life. He already has in just 1 week. 

Remember, the Lord knows what happens, He knows what we can do. We are the ones who limit ourselves. Folks, give it your all, not just because that is what others expect, but because you want to dedicate yourself to the Lord.

Have a great week!

Elder Morris

Mitch's letter home 5/11/15

Well, not much to update. I am getting transferred. That is something new. The mother's day call was great. I love making my mom laugh, I hate when she makes me cry. (Because of the spirit folks). We will see how this week goes, where in Monterrey will Elder Morris go? Who knows, but everything has its purpose. Wherever I end up and with whomever it is, it will be because the Lord wants me to be there. Last week I shared my testimony of the Book of Mormon with a sister from my home ward. I enjoyed sharing my testimony with someone besides an investigator and so I want to share it with you guys too.

You can't testify enough. They say that the convert that really matters is the missionary. I truly believe that. Our mission president challenged us to read and study the Book of Mormon, marking every reference of Christ, His words (said by Him or His prophets), His attributes, and His doctrine. As a missionary you hear all the time "The Mormon Bible". While doing this challenge, I was able to gain a personal and first-hand testimony from the Holy Ghost testifying to me of the truthfulness of the Book of Mormon. The BOM is exactly what it says, "Another Testament of Jesus Christ". Folks, Read this book!!! Love this book!! People that have a serious interest in finding out if the BOM is the word of the Lord don't have to wait until they get to Moroni 10:3-5. They don't have to read of the Savior's personal ministry here in the Americas. They don't have to search and look for truth and wait more time to be prepared. If they read it with "Real intent, a sincere heart, and in faith in Jesus Christ", the Holy Ghost will tell them. The Book of Mormon is the Keystone of our religion. If we make it the Keystone in our lives, only then will the FULLNESS of the Restored Gospel make a profound and lasting change upon our hearts, changing the very nature of the carnal man into a dedicated and converted disciple of the Lord Jesus Christ. I love this book. I can't even begin to describe it. This book has to be true. There is no other option, there is no other way. I know it because I live it. And if others want to know it, they have to do the same.

Love ya!

Elder Morris

Happy Anniversary Mom and Dad!!!

May 4, 2015

First,  Happy Anniversary Mom and Dad!!!!!! WHOO HOOO!! Wow, you guys are old! 25 years? That is pretty neat. I want to be like you when I grow up!!! YOU ARE THE BEST!!!!

This week we had some cool stuff happen. Okay, who am I kidding. This week was pretty normal. We just had leadership counsel and a zone conference and exchanges with the assistants. Nothing too crazy. It was really funny. President Bird was talking about how they were waiting to hear from their daughter because she was super pregnant. Then he started telling the graphic story about how their second daughter was born, making all the sisters go woozy, it was so funny! Then a little while later he went on a rant for like 25 minutes about how men can't multitask and women can. With many stories from his personal life. I was just dying from laughing so much!! Good stuff!

Well, I don't have any more time. Life is good. Missionary life keeps moving, even when you don't want it to. For example, the mission secretary just called me asking me what my home airport was. I told them Hawaii so Mom and Dad, you have to pick me up in Hawaii. (hehe) No, just kidding. Well I got to go!!! LOVE YOU!!!!

                                                                           Love the Temple- My Zone

Great week.

April 20, 2015

Wow, tomorrow I hit 20 months in the mission. I don't like it, but what can you do about it? That is super nuts.... Life is good. We had a good week! We had a whole family get baptized! The Sanchez family got baptized on Tues. It was pretty much the best baptism I have had on the mission. The spirit was just super strong, pretty much tangible. The talks were great, the family were just so happy, the members came to support them (even if they showed up late.) It is something super special to be able to see an entire family enter into the waters of baptism. I know, without a shadow of a doubt, that the Gospel of Jesus Christ changes lives, but it especially changes the family because the family is the central part of the Plan of Salvation. The true happiness comes from having the gospel bless our lives through blessing our family’s lives. I am so glad that my family is eternal. I know that the Lord always helps those who serve and love Him. Those of broken hearts, and contrite spirits.

This week I had my testimony of Charity, Faith, and Hope strengthened. We have a missionary in our zone who is struggling. He doesn't have a good hold on the language. He said that he isn't really studying Spanish because he doesn't feel the desire. He said that he just reads from the dictionary looking for new words. I thought about what my desire was for learning Spanish. It wasn't too hard. The only thing that got me through learning Spanish was my desire to understand and talk with the people that I loved, that I was trying to help. I expressed my feelings of that and he told me that he was having troubles with loving the people, that he was having troubles with loving Mexico. D&C 4 instantly came to my mind. Verse 5 says "And faith, hope, charity and love, with an eye single to the glory of God, qualify him for the work." If we don't have these things, then we won't be able to really be the missionary or the disciple, that the Lord expects and hopes of us. Truthfully, I don't really remember what else I said. I read some other scriptures with him and  I explained some things, but the Spirit really was just guiding the whole thing.  We set the goal of studying the attributes of Faith, Charity, and Hope to help him feel the love for the people and the place. I then had the chance to give him a blessing. I could feel the Spirit really strong as soon as I laid my hands on his head. Just another testimony builder of the Priesthood. We really do nothing. We aren't the source of the power, just the conduit by which the power is given to others. I am having just a ton of testimony building experiences and I feel that I have progressed a lot in these last few months and I know that I am progressing every day with the help of the Spirit. Life is good, the work moves on, lives are changed, miracles happen, hearts are softened, and eternities are made. Love you all, have a great week!!
Elder Morris

p.s. I saw Pres. yesterday and we talked to him for a min. As we walked up he was like "That is just my favorite name!" He really likes calling me Mitchell Dee. He then told me that a missionary who went home 2 transfers ago is engaged. He then turned to me and said, "Your goal is to beat him. Before 2 transfers." I just laughed because girls are still weird and have cooties. Ha-ha LOVE YA TONS!!!!!!!!!

Great General Conference!

Wow, what a week. This week was SUPER awesome!!! Definitely one of the most spiritual weeks of my mission. What I am going to share is just a portion of what has happened. We had Leadership counsel this week. We all went in fasting and prepared ourselves to be fed spiritually. Oh boy, did that happen. It was AWESOME!!! We talked about the atonement. How and why the Savior did what He did for us. It is amazing because he has done so much for us and asked so little in return. It is a huge comfort to know that I have someone like that cheering me on. It was super powerful and we were reading scriptures and we were feeling the spirit and watched a video of Pres. Eyring and Elder Holland talking with a video presentation of scenes from the atonement from the church's bible videos. Boom, the spirit is palpable. And then we end by singing I know that my Redeemer lives. There was not a dry eye in the room folks, let me tell ya. Very few time have I felt the spirit that strong on my mission. It is something that I will never forget. Also when we got home we found 2 families just super chosen and super awesome!

Then with Conference, it just topped off the week. I loved the talks and the counsel from our living prophets on the earth. I know that those men and women with their messages were inspired just as I know that I am sitting here writing. Man, good stuff!!!

Some of the quotes from Conference that I loved:

"It is supposed to be hard" L. Whitney Clayton

"Actions are the evidence of our belief and the substance of our faith". L. Whitney Clayton

"I can teach you to dance, but not to hear the music." Wilford A. Anderson

"A saint is a sinner that keeps on trying." Dale G. Renlund

"All I want to do in life is to please my Fathers, both temporal AND eternal" Michael T. Wringwood

"I know what time it is at home" Quentin L. Cook

" I am here to become a better man because I love my Father in Heaven and His son Jesus Christ." Dieter F. Uchtdorf

"You can build on whatever strength you have"  Dieter F. Uchtdorf

"We cannot embrace the choices they make, but we can embrace them" Brent H. Nelson

"God loves us deeply, perfectly, and everlastingly" Dieter F. Uchtdorf

"Living the Gospel is not a burden, but a joyful rehearsal for eternity" Dieter F. Uchtdorf

Family, I love you. Just know that I am forever indebted to you for all you have done. It is weird to think of, but I will be with you guys for the next General Conference! LOVE YOU!!!!!
Elder Morris

ACTION FIGURES FROM MY EASTER PACKAGE FROM HOME. LOVE EM!!

Thanks for the Birthday wishes!

Letter  3/9/15

Wow, this whole 20 thing feels weird. Thanks for all the Birthday wishes!!! It was a really great week. We found a whole bunch of new investigators. 17 to be exact. There were many whom I feel really have been prepared by the hand of the Lord to receive this glad message at this time. One of them is the Familia Sanchez. They have friends that are members and have always been looking for the true church, but they haven't been able to find it. When we taught the Apostasy they told us that this how they had felt their entire lives, going from one church to another looking for the truthfulness but not being able to find it. They came to church on Sunday and said that they had finally found it and that they were really at peace with their decision. They are just the best family and are SO prepared. It is a huge blessing to be able to be one of the missionaries to teach this family. I am really excited to see them progress and make covenants with our Father in Heaven. And a bonus is that they have a business making and selling campechanas and the Dad said that for us, they are free.... I think I am going to have to work on self-control with this situation. Ha-ha

My birthday was great. In total, I received 3 cakes from members. Thanks mom..... Ha-ha Really I have the best family in the whole world. They are always watching out for me and helping me to feel loved! I don't know what I would do without them. I love you!!!!!

Letter 3/19/15

This was a really good week. Our investigators, the Familia Sanchez, are really progressing well. We have visited them and each time they accept us warmly and with opening arms. They told us that they were going to sell their eatery that they have and make some changes in their businesses. We left them with a scripture and as we were about to leave, a thought came to me saying that "Those are some pretty big decisions". I asked myself what I would do in the situation. Almost immediately I answered "Well, I would involve the Lord. I couldn't do it alone." The Spirit prompted me to briefly teach a little about revelation and how the leaders of the Church and Jesus Christ himself have counseled us to ask of the Lord with faith and sincerity and He will tell us what will be the best. I invited them to pray together as a couple and ask for the guidance of our Father in Heaven. The next lesson I went on exchanges and wasn't there to verify the next day, but my companion told me something really cool. They had taken the opportunity and had asked for guidance. Then almost instantly the eatery got packed with people and they started selling more than they had sold in a long time. They know that it was the Lord answering their prayer. They are really special. They also said that they are going to be closing on Sundays and that after church, they are going to be taking all the leftover food from Saturday night and take it to the hospital and give it out. They are awesome.

This week has been full of blessings, big and small. My companion and I have been working on praying with a greater faith and doing self-evaluations to see what the progress is in our personal conversion. It has really been something great to see the difference. I would really love to tell you in a detailed manner what the changes are, but I can't. That is one thing that over the past couple of weeks I have seen and had my testimony strengthened because of it. The change comes gradually and slowly, almost imperceptibly, but it comes constantly. One day all of the sudden you say, "Wow, well that is different." It is something really special and I think that it is something that we all can do to be perfected in Christ. Moroni 10:32 I invite you to take 10 minutes each night and have personal reflection with the Lord. He will tell you what you can do if you ask with faith and humility. Have a great week!!!

Me and my companion Elder Quist

Our Temple Trip

These are the Campechanas I love soo much!

Elder Morris

Thanks for all the Birthday wishes!

Monday- Crazy stuff. We saw meet the Mormons. IT WAS SO GREAT!!!! I hope it comes out on DVD because I have a feeling it would be better in English. But it was still pretty awesome. It brought such a strong spirit. Also, I am pretty sure that my mom cried through the last story as well as a lot of other missionary moms. We had 4 lessons with members. I have never seen that on a P-day. This ward is awesome. We taught Sandra the restoration and the spirit was so strong. I was overwhelmed and I know that she could really feel that Joseph Smith was a Prophet of God.

Tuesday- I had exchanges in the muddiest area that I have ever been in. It was raining all Monday so there was some pretty serious mud. I bought a whole thing of oranges and by a whole thing, I mean like 30 oranges. DELICIOUS. I was able to testify with the spirit about how God has everything planned out. It is like we are looking through a microscope at a huge tapestry and all we can see are the little threads. We may think we know what it is going to be, God knows with a surety of what it will be because he made it and is currently making it. I would say I came up with that on the spot, but I would be stealing credit from the True Teacher, the Spirit.

Wednesday- Cold. The weather here is nuts. I don't think it is possible to predict it because everyone is always wrong.

Thursday- We ate pizza. I don't really remember Thursdays, with weekly planning they go by WAY to quick.

Friday- Exchanges again. We had some pretty sweet lessons. We found a golden investigator whose only problem is coming to Church. He has to work every other Sunday, but he is so awesome and his wife, well I haven't met her, but she is reading all of the restoration pamphlet and likes it so I am pretty sure they are super chosen. We also had a lesson with a Jewish/Christian couple. They were trying to say the Book of Mormon wasn't true because Jared didn't appear on some tablet as a descendent of Noah and a whole bunch of bologna like that. Listen, it is simple. READ with and open mind, MEDITATE the things that you read with a contrite spirit and open heart, and ASK our Father in Heaven in the name of Jesus Christ if these things are not true. BOOM!!! Problem solved. We also ate some pretty nice taco that night.

Saturday- Yeah, I don't remember.

Sunday- We had an awesome testimony meeting. And we had a couple really great investigators there who are really great also!!! Good stuff.

Love you Lots!!! Pictures and stuff this week!!!! LOVE YOU!!!!!!!!!!!

MMMMM Birthday stuff!