January 23, 2012

Hello Everyone,
Dad, that's good that your Patriots get to play the Giants in the Super Bowl again. Hopefully they can win this time--that's exciting!  We had something pretty cool happen last night. We were knocking this street and it was like 7:00pm so it was dark and we had this great conversation with this lady and her kids out on her front porch.  Her husband wasn't home so we couldn't go in but we set up a return appointment.  But when we were finishing up 2 cop cars rolled up and they got out and told us to come here.  The one was really nice and said oh hi elders haha  and the other guy was pretty big and was kind of standoffish and just didn't seem friendly.  So they just said that someone called us in but once they found out we were LDS missionaries then we were good to go.  They just ran our ID's and stuff and so we just chit chatted for a few minutes about our missionary work with them.  The not friendly guy left but the other guy stayed behind so we kept talk'n to him and said that growing up he had quite a few LDS friends and then like after 15 minutes of talk'n he finally admitted that he was actually a member and was baptized when he was 19 and even thought about serving a mission.  He said he didn't wanna say anything in front of the other officer cause I guess that guy is like really anti religion.  So it was cool talk'n to him. We got his info an  hopefully we can set up a time with him and then baptize his family! (ha ha) So even though someone tried ruining our night they sent us more missionary work to do (ha ha).  Then later on the street we talked to another one of those crazy non denom people for like 20 minutes.  She just kept trying to tell us that we are all saved by grace no matter what as long as we believe in Christ.  She just didn't understand anything we tried telling us.  Those people are impossible to talk to.  But we are working with this one guy.  He was a referral from another ward. I guess the missionaries there had taught him a few times and then he moved into our boundaries.  So we taught him and he came to church yesterday with his girlfriend so that was good.  He is a really nice guy and really wants to be baptized.  He pretty much can whenever he gets married or kicks out his girlfriend (ha ha).  But I can't remember if I told you but Roxanne dropped us so oh well.  I really hope Julie gets that job.  I actually talked to this member that took us around one night to some appointment's and he is from Monticello.  His last name is Anderson and I guess his dad is the Judge there and he said he knew the Lewis' so i thought that was cool.  I got the pics of Ava today--she looks really cute it looks like she got Trevor's eyes.  Courtney it sounds like you did good at your basketball game just keep playing hard and keep doing good in school.  And Monkey it sounds like you got a new boyfriend.  Courtney will have to keep an eye on you (ha ha).  You will have to let me know more next week.  Well that's all I got for this week. Glad you finally got some snow there (ha,ha).  Love you all very much. I will talk to you more next week!


Love Elder Morgensen

January 16, 2012

Hey Everyone!

Sounds like everything is going good!  As far as Roxanne goes she wasn't at our appointment on Saturday and she didn't come to church on Sunday and hasn't been answering our calls so thats kind of a bummer.  I don't know about these people sometimes its hard finding anyone that actually wants to change something in their lives.  It seems like everyone here is just content where they are.  The area is predominantly Catholic just by tradition so its hard getting into any doors.  But oh well we will just keep working hard and hopefully get a referral or two from the ward.  But the ward is really cool so thats a plus.  In fact I'm emailing on a members computer right now cuz the library is closed for Martin Luther king day so they are really nice.  Being around a bunch of dental students in the ward and eating dinner at their homes makes me want to do that.  It seems like a really good job.  But that's really cool about finding out all that stuff about Brigham Young--that's way sweet!  Sounds like football is underway. My companion is from Denver so I just told him that they lost (ha ha). I am going to try and scrape up a blank dvd from one of the members and put a short video on it from my camera. I filmed me opening my christmas presents so i was going to send that to ya with a few pics. But yeah, my companion is feeling better and am noticing that I can pedal easier on the bike (ha ha). But you will have to tell Tyson and Stephanie that I got their package and tell them thanks!  I will try and write them a letter when I get the chance.  I've been talking to Bryce and Josh and they seem to be doing really good where they are at so thats good.  But yeah, at the Christmas Conference I got a big envelope from Ginger and each of the primary kids had written a letter to me so that was really nice of her. So I thought I would write them back. I'm in the best time of the year to be on a bike that's all I can say.  I still get hot when I'm on my bike. I can't imagine how bad it would be biking in the middle of the summer--so hopefully I have a car in the summer (ha ha).  Everything is going good for me. It sounds like Dad is still giving awesome talks in church keep it up man! :)  Well we aren't really working with anyone new right now but we will keep looking.  But we do have this one thing on our phone and we can check the weather anywhere in the US and it sounds like its just way way cold there in Beaver (ha ha). Hopefully you are all enduring well.  Keep living right and the Lord will keep blessing you :)  love ya!

 

Elder Morgensen

 

Oh yeah and I watched a movie this week about the building of the Salt Lake Temple. It's really crazy what the early settlers went through to build it!  After 7 years of working on it they had to rip it up and start over after they found cracks in the foundation.  Just everything about that temple is mind blowing.  All the work that went into it is just crazy.  Glad I didn't have to build it (ha ha).

January 9, 2012

Hey Everyone!

Glad to hear that you're doing good! Roxanne is doing good. She came to church with us yesterday so this was her second time coming so that was good.  It was fast and testimony meeting and of course the weird people have to get up and start sobbing about their year and talk about a bunch of crazy things. Oh well, hopefully she will come next week for a regular meeting.  Because the first time she came it was on Christmas so it was just one hour and we pretty much just sang songs.  But the gospel principles class went well and hopefully she liked relief society.  When we asked her how she liked it she just said, "it was different".  She is used to those non denominational churches where it's like a rock concert so this is a big change.  But hopefully she will keep reading and progress.  But thats good to hear about Statton and Clayton. I can't believe that they are already home.  I'm glad they both had a good mission.  But the biking is going good. I'm already a lot more in shape when I ride so thats really good.  My companion was kind of sick this week so we didn't get to go out much so I did a lot of reading.  I pretty much read the whole missionary library except I haven't read through Jesus the Christ yet.  It's a really deep book.  And then I read another book that I think mom gave me its called "Believing Christ". It was really good as well.  I think you have the missionary library because I think I have seen your copy of Jesus the Christ on your nightstand.  But the others are True to the Faith, Our Heritage, and Our Search For Happiness.  I'm not sure if you have those ones and if you don't you should get them; they are really good. I really liked reading them.  That will be tough for Chan to be away from Ava while she finishes up school.  Bryce, James and Josh are all doing good. I write to them quite a bit!  They all seem to be really strong missionaries!  As for the Monkey's I'm really jealous that you can play Battlefield 3 and I can't (ha ha).  I will have to play it when i get home.   Wow, Courtney thats sounds like a really good basketball game.  Can't wait to watch you when I get home! It sounds like you did really good!  Thanks to the monkey's coaching of course (ha ha).  Well family love you tons and take care! :)

Love

Elder Morgensen

January 2, 2012

Hey everyone!

Well it sounds like you all had a fun break and a good New Year's celebration.  I would have really liked to have gone snowboarding (ha ha)  but mine was still pretty good.  I bought me and my companion a 5 dollar shrimp platter at Walmart so we stayed up and ate shrimp, Christmas candy and watched "The Testaments".  It was pretty fun.  I'm sure dad is really enjoying football season on his new big screen TV (ha ha).  I'm sure the playoffs are good and the superbowl is just around the corner!  Well, I will be able to remember 2012 as the entire year I was on my mission.  Missionary work should get interesting at least by the end of 2012, with Mitt Romney probably running against Obama (from what I hear he is looking like he will be the Rep. candidate) and then supposibly it will be the end of the world (ha ha).  So I will be looking forward to that.  But the work here is going pretty good. We are teaching a lady named Roxanne.  She is probably mid 30's and is divorced with two boys-- one is 9 and the other is 2.  She came to church on Christmas but texted us yesterday and told us she wasn't able to come.  But we are working with her and hope that she continues to progress.  Dad thats really cool that you are getting into some geneology.  I'm sure it will be really interesting what you dig up about your ancestors--that would be really interesting to know.  Plus being able to take those names to the temple will be really cool.  And as far as the bike goes I'm definately getting more used to it but it will probably take a few more weeks until my legs get in better shape (ha ha).  But my new companion is pretty cool; we get along well.  Thanks mom for sharing that article in the Ensign. I will have to find it when I get back and read through it.  I'm sure you really enjoyed your break and probably don't want to go back to school.  But it will be summer vacation in no time.  As far as new years resolutions I haven't really made any except to just work hard. Well, I'm glad that you all had a fun break and New Years eve.  Well, Monkey's just keep up the good work in school, you will have to let me know if you get strait A's for the second quarter.  I love you all a lot and I am glad to hear everything is going well! :)

 

Love, 

Elder Morgensen  

December 19th 2011

Hey Everyone!

Hope that your enjoying Christmas time.  Well I got the call last night and I am getting transferred :(  I'm kind of sad. We thought that it was going to be my companion that was getting transfered. We didn't even think that it would be me but oh well.  It looks like im leaving the area just when things are starting to pick up. We are meeting a ton of great people and I'm sure the lady in the wheelchair is going to be baptized sometime next transfer.  And possibly some great new investigators but I guess thats just how it goes.  I haven't opened any presents yet but hopefully nobody has sent anything to me here in the apartments.  I hope my new area is good and has a good companion.  That's so great about Chan's baby--thats really awesome!  I'm so glad everything went well. I'm excited to get some pictures.  I'm sure she is really cute and I bet Chan and Trev are really happy.  But no they dont let us skype here so that kind of bites.  But I will have to call you on Christmas because in the new area there will be a new phone so i dont even know the number yet.  But plan on me still calling home at 2 pm here and 1 pm there.  Hopefully it still works out cuz i don't know what time their church is or anything cuz they don't tell you where you are going.  So i don't know what the plans will be so lets still plan on 2 and if for some reason that doesnt work out I will still call sometime close.  I'm really excited to call home and talk to everyone!  Well, we are headed to the Salt Lick Restaurant at 1:00--I'm sure it will be some more great BBQ!  I also got a Christmas card from Julie and Cade and it just sounds like they are doing good.  Hopefully I stay in my new are for a while.  Maybe I will get to test out the bike.  It sure will be cold tho but I'm not sure what I would like better the cold or extreme heat.  I've made it a goal to finish the Book of Mormon before Christmas so i will be pretty close.  Well everyone gotta run--I will call you on Christmas. I'm really excited to talk to everyone!  I love you all a ton! :)

Elder Morgensen  

December 12th, 2011

Hey everyone!

Wow it sounds like its pretty cold there i remember scraping frost off the windshield in the morning glad i don't have to do that for a little while.  Its kind of weird here though it got down to like 35 one day while we were knocking and we were both freezing it felt like it was 0 degrees outside i think it was because of the humidity.  But we had a fun ward Christmas party on Saturday we had a really good meal along with some entertainment and the live nativity play it was pretty fun.  Me and my companion went to a local thrift shop and bought some old Christmas sweaters for the party.  They were only 3 bucks each but they keep you really warm i ended up liking it ha ha.  It was pretty fun wearing them to the party.  Thanks so much for the Christmas picture it looks really good!  I'm sure the house looks all nice and decorated.  We do have a small artifical Christmas tree in our apartment that had a few bulbs on it but my companion knocked it off the counter so it shattered all the bulbs but the lights still work so its nice having it in the apartment.  I'm pretty excited for next Monday a member has offered to take us out to a great BBQ place its called the Salt Lick.  It's supposed to be really good but its out of our area so we called the President and he said that would be fine.  We had something pretty cool happen this week with the lady in the wheelchair her name is Janis Payne.  She kept cancelling appointments on us because she would say she is in too much pain or doesnt feel good so finally we offered to come over and give her a blessing.  She didn't really know what was going on but she said she would like one.  My companion annointed her with the oil and then i sealed it and gave her the blessing.  She looked pretty astonished when we were done.  She then told us that she had never felt something like that before.  She said that for the past 19 years she has always had bad pains in her shoulders.  She said it doesn't matter how many pain pills she takes she said that its always there.  But then she told us that this is the first time in 19 years that she hasnt had pain in her shoulders.  She was pretty amazed she really couldn't believe it and honestly i couldn't either.  I think at that point she recognized us as true representatives of Jesus Christ and everything now clicked with the Priesthood and authority.  It was pretty cool to witness we went on to teach her and she just kept feeling and rubbing her shoulders and thats all she wanted to talk about.  So we went back the next day and taught her the Word of Wisdom because she smokes and drinks coffee.  She said she is really going to try to quit we brought her a how to stop smoking packet that the First Presidency and Quorum of the Twelve put together.  Its supposed to work in a week its just a routine throughout the day to follow.  It calls for a few things so we went and bought her some grapefruit juice and cinnamon mouthwash and some vitamin c pills and gave them to her.  We then told her that we would be calling her everyday to see how things are going and stopping by at the end of our nights and just talking with her to see how she is doing.  I'm kind of sad because that was like 4 days ago and she hasn't returned our calls and either hasn't been home or hasn't answered the door when we gone by.  So i don't know she pretty much saw a miracle and now won't do anything about it.  We aren't even sure right now if she is using the program but oh well there isn't much we can do at this point until we can get in contact with her.  So thats been how my week has gone we have done a lot of knocking we haven't had hardly any appointments.  But we are still having a good time.  I'm really excited to hear about Chantel getting her new baby!  I can't wait to see a picture.  I can't believe that me Candace and Courtney will be aunts and uncles and you Mom and Dad will be a Grandma and Grandpa!  That's pretty crazy and you aren't even 50 yet dad ha ha.

Well everyone glad to hear that you are all doing well.

Wish you the best I love ya!:)

Elder Morgensen  

December 5th, 2011

Hey Everyone!

I really miss the winters there in Beaver its always a fun time of year.  Yesterday me and my companion stayed to the nativity display that our stake had put up for the community to come and see.  It was really pretty to see and it seemed like a lot of people came.  After that we watched the First Presidency's Christmas Devotional it was really good i really enjoyed it.  As for the great family that we found the day before we were going to go back for our appointment they randomly texted us and thanked us for meeting with them and said after some discussion they aren't interested with talking anymore.  It was kind of crazy we texted back and forth for about a half hour but we couldn't convince them to even let us come back.  So that was kind of sad.  We definitely know that the guy knows its true i think they are just being lazy because they know it takes a lot of work.  But oh well they are in the area book now and hopefully Elders will get them in the future.  As for the lady we are still working with her its kind of a slow progression she couldn't make it out to church yesterday because of the rain it rained pretty good yesterday.  So we are just back to the finding again we knock on a ton of doors.  Its crazy how many people we meet that grew up around the church and know a ton of great members but they just aren't interested.  There even seems to be a a few people that grew up in the church and are members but they go to a different church because of their spouse.  It just seems really weird to me but oh well.  Hopefully the work will start to pick up here luckily the members are great.  We just want them to be giving us more referrals because we don't really get any.  So we are trying to work with the ward mission leader to get something going and help him set up the ward mission plan for the year.  That will be really cool to hear where Grandma and Raymond get their call to i think they will really enjoy it. I hear from James and Bryce every week they are doing great. James always tells me to tell you all hello.  Bryce will be back in the summer and James has just about been out a year--crazy how time flies.  I guess i have almost been gone 3 months but it does seem like a lot longer.  I also talk to Josh Robinson he is doing pretty good. I guess right after he finished the training program his President made him a trainer so thats really cool.  Thats crazy the Statton and Clayton will be coming home but i guess it has been a while.  But yeah i got that email from Chantel. I guess she is due around the 15th so thats really soon!  A lot of great stuff happening in our family right now--we really do have the best family!  I'm really excited for Chantel--I cant wait to see a picture of the baby and hear her name.  I will be excited to talk to ya on Christmas and cant wait!  Thanks Candace for the scripture. You must be learning something in seminary--thats a really good scripture.  Make sure to pay attention in seminary and not skip out like i did. Seminary has a lot of great stuff in it.  Court you will have to tell me how basketball is going. It's probably nice that mom is coaching.  Well, take care and i will talk to ya next week.

Love, Elder Morgensen