September 21, 2015

Hello everyone!

Things are going great here in Arizona! Not much is changing. the
weather is getting cooler and the days are getting shorter. It feels
really nice here in the evening. I love it! This week has been harder
because we lost a lot of investigators, so it is back to square one
again. Just a heads up, this is the last week of the transfer, so you
won't hear from me again until next Wednesday (emails and letters
would be appreciated)! Because I'm typing on my iPad, this email will
be shorter this week.

Monday: P-Day (Magic), lessons, and FHE (pac-man). Nothing too exciting.

Tuesday: Temple trip! It was super fun to go to the temple again! I
loved it and got good pictures (I don't have all of the pictures, so I
will send them next week). We had super good Mexican food afterwards
and had some good lessons.

Wednesday: We helped set up a new apartment for a new senior couple.
Pres. Sweeney was there so I got to talk with him a little bit too. We
also had Elder Sullivan with us for the day. It was great because he
made balloon animals for the people we teach.

Thursday: I was on exchanges with Elder Beesely. We helped build a
patio and were able to have a lot of lessons. It was a very productive
day.

Friday: Weekly planning and tried to find less-active members.

Saturday: More searching for less-active members. We also chopped wood
for our investigator's mother.

Sunday: Super busy. Lots of meetings (branch council, church, and
stake coordination meeting). The YSA Branch presidency got
reorganized. It will be sad to see them go. They were great to work
with, but the new branch presidency is also great! I have worked
with them before.

Sunday: God loves everyone one of us. We can turn to him
for council and for guidance. He wants us to succeed and we always
must remember that (Jacob 3:1-2). That is where faith comes into
play. God knows us better than we do. We are not expected to be harder
on ourselves that God is (and we are not allowed to be).

I love you all and miss you. I hope you all have a great week!

-Elder Morgan
6265 N 82nd St
Scottsdale, AZ 85250

-Elder Morgan

September 14, 2015

Elder's Casey and Morgan... 

Go Show Low Cougars!!!

Coming soon... Zone T-Shirt

Hello all!

Yesterday marks four months of serving a mission. The more time that goes by, the faster time seems to fly. It is amazing to me that this transfer ends in two weeks! Luckily, it is starting to cool down in Arizona. the night feel so good and the days are getting less hot. I'm definitely continually growing and learning a lot. My new companion is Elder Hugo. Is is a great missionary from Alaska and I still get to train him. Here was my week:

Monday: Temple trip and some solid lessons.

Tuesday: We got to take an hour and a half road trip to Payson where we dropped off Elder Casey. The senior couple that picked him up bought us all Carl's Juniors which was super good.

Wednesday: We had to go to Snowflake because Elder Hugo had an appointment. After that I had Taco Bell for the first time on my mission. It was super good. We put in a mailbox for an investigator, helped some other missionaries move someone, moved some paver stones for another investigator, then had Missionary Night that evening (the branch president took us in his Jeep again through his shortcut -- fun as always!)

Thursday: We had a great zone training meeting in the morning, had some lessons later in the day, and met with the bishop in the evening.

Friday: We did some moving in the morning, weekly planning, and other service later in the day. In the evening we got to go clean the temple and the branch president bought us El Cupidos (super good Mexican food)

Saturday: We finished weekly planning, met with our ward mission leader, and had a lesson in Lakeside. While in Lakeside, we did some contacting at yard sales. We had a lesson/dinner in the evening with our recent converts, then we contacted in the park (always a weird experience). After that we visited another potential investigator and had a lesson in the evening.

Sunday: We had meetings from 9:30-12. we found out that next week our YSA Branch Presidency will be reorganized and that made me sad. They are great leaders. We had dinner in Clay Springs, lessons in the evening, then finished our companionship study that we couldn't do earlier in the day.

Monday: Nothing too interesting has happened yet today. At Walmart we got some magic cards to use on P-Day, so we will do some of that. We also have to clean our apartment.

Spiritual Thought: I decided that I would bear my testimony for this thought, rather than share a scripture. 

I know that God loves us and that he gave us this life so we could be happy, learn, and grow. I know that Jesus Christ lives and sacrificed his life for us. I know The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is God's church on Earth. I know that President Thomas S. Monson is God's prophet on the Earth today and the only man on Earth who hold the keys of God's Priesthood authority. I know this church is lead by inspired apostles and prophets called of God to lead this church.

I love an miss you all! Thank you for the support!

-Elder Morgan

September 7, 2015

 Elder Morgan with Elder Casey and friends making the best of things!

Elder Morgan and Elder Casey plus two other Elders at Sonic! HAPPY! 

 Elder Morgan with Elder Casey and a friendly 

ward member who took them to the temple.

Elder Morgan and Elder Casey on Labor Day at the Temple.

Hello all!

I don't have a lot to say about this week because so much happened and I can't remember it all. It has been quite a hectic week. It started last P-Day when we spent most of it in the ER because my companion has been really sick -- so sick that he is going home tomorrow. Through out the week there have been a lot of calls with doctors, the mission president, and his wife. He is a great missionary, and I'm sad to see him leave, but hopefully he'll be back soon! For FHE that night we had steak which was super good.

Today: Because Elder Casey is leaving, he will miss the temple trip. Luckily, the temple was open for Labor Day, so we got to go do a session! It was super fun!

Last Tuesday we finished painting a fence that we have been working on for a while and had had some good lessons!

Wednesday we had district meeting. I gave a training on living the higher law. We also had some good lessons through the day. At night we had missionary night. It was just us and the branch president that night. We went to visit a less-active and his investigating girlfriend. While on our way there an back, we took a "shortcut" in his Jeep. it was super fun!

Thursday was a crazy day. We had another missionary with us because of exchanges. We did some service in the morning then bounced around from studies, to a lesson that fell through, to getting our area book checked.

Friday: There was a bunch of random stuff that we had to do because my companion was sick, so we didn't get to do too much. We did have a lesson though!

Saturday: Was a pretty empty day. We started the morning by cleaning the church. It took over two hours because there were only six people there including us.

Sunday: Church meetings + all our our lessons fell through.

Spiritual thought: Study of the scriptures is essential to resisting the temptation of Satan. We were charged in the last general conference to read from the Book of Mormon everyday. The scriptures are God's way of communication with us and they can tell us all things that we should do (2 Nephi 32:3-4), but not just spiritual things. I am so grateful for the scriptures and the teachings we can learn therein.

Thank you all for you support and prayers! I love an miss you all!

Sincerely,

Elder Morgan

August 31, 2015

Hello everyone!

This week has been going well. We have been trying to implement the
ward council process better and it is coming along well. There aren't
too many noteworthy things that happened this week.

Wednesday, we were struggling to find ways to use our time and we had
people fall through. Luckily, the sister missionaries had to move
apartments. It was a massive move. There were four sisters, ten
elders, and some senior missionaries. It took us two hours. It was
hard and all of the elders stayed in our proselyting clothes, so it
was super hot.

Friday, we had zone conference in Eagar, AZ. It is about 45 minutes
away. It was a beautiful drive! Our mission president shared with us a
training from this year's mission president's seminar about doing the
will of the Father. We also took the Hartman personality test.
Apparently my core color is blue and secondary is red. The assistants
to the president gave us a training on how to use time wisely. We also
got training on using service as a finding tool and regrets. It was a
very good training, very inspiring, and I learned a lot!

Saturday was a fun day. We made a lot of visits and were able to get
some lessons! One of our favorite lessons to teach this week has been
how to receive revelation through the Book of Mormon (see 2 Nephi
32:3-4 and Alma 37:6).

One of my favorite scriptures this week is Alma 37:6. I love it because
it discusses how it is small and simple things that cause great things to occur. When I
read it, I read great as meaning large rather than good. Whether it be
increase conversion, sharing the gospel, falling away, or anything, it
will most likely come through small and simple means. See the Mormon
Message "Patterns of Light: Spirit of Revelation" by Elder David A.
Bednar.

I love and miss you all!
Elder Morgan


-Elder Morgan

August 24, 2015

Hello everybody!

Things are great in the white mountains of Arizona! The weather is amazing, the skies are beautiful, and the work is moving along. There isn't too much to say since the last time I've emailed on Wednesday. I'm really enjoying Elder Casey; he is an awesome missionary and I'm grateful he is my companion! We have zone conference coming up this Friday which is exciting. Things are moving along well! It's a lot of fun being able to train and help a new missionary grow! I am really enjoying that.

Wednesday: We had YSA Missionary Night. We also found a new investigator and  started teaching him! We were able to confirm a baptismal date in the first lesson and we have another lesson with him tonight. We also had a good lesson with other investigators about the Plan of Salvation. (Ask a Mormon to explain it to you if you want to know more :)

Thursday: We kept busy and were able to have a solid amount of lessons that day. Only one fell through (which was a blessing). We also had one in the evening that we couldn't find. We searched two trailer parks at night, knocked on a variety of doors, but couldn't find the lesson. It was a freaky night...haha.

Friday: Weekly planning day (that's always fun)! We had two lessons that day. The first one we surprised the persons we taught, so that wasn't good. The second one was with a recent convert and it went well.

Saturday: We spent most of the day trying to visit people. We we had two lessons which went well and lost an investigator. We also got the two people we met with on-date (confirmed) for baptism which was awesome!

Sunday: We had our church meetings and we were going to have a lesson that evening, but it fell through. In the evening, our stake president invited us to the stake priesthood leadership meeting. It was all about the ward council process. I learned a lot and got great ideas on how to more effectively use it! I'm excited to start implementing it better.

Spiritual Thought: Before our zone conference this Friday, our mission president is asking us to read the entire gospel of John and find all the places where Christ says "I have come not to do my will, but the will of him who sent me." I love doing this and reading about Christ's life because it is a reminder of how we should be striving to live our life -- doing the Lord's will. I still need to continue working on this, but I love that reminder to do the will of our Heavenly Father and hope I can get better at it.

I love you all! I hope you're having an amazing week!

Sincerely,

Elder Morgan

PS: Enjoy band camp Pride & Cougar Band!

Pictures 8/19/2015

 Baptism Day!

Another special baptism day!

 Scottsdale Mall

 Cousins... 

Elder Morgan and Sister Kamalu

August 19, 2015

Hello all!

I actually took pictures this week! This was a busy week but a lot of fun. I'm continuing to learn a lot, become better, and meeting new people! I also hit my three month mark last week and finished my mission training which is so awesome!

Transfers: I'm in the same area, but Elder Anderson left. I get to be a trainer this transfer! I'm training Elder Casey, from South Jordan, Utah! He is a super great missionary and I am excited to work with him!

Monday: Had some solid lessons. One of them was a surprise too, but that's still awesome! For P-Day it was super relaxing. I got caught up on a lot of housekeeping stuff I needed to do.

Tuesday: We painted a fence for service, and I had to paint with fences on both sides of me with 12-18 inches in between. It was rough. We met with our ward mission leader to talk about the ward mission, next we had some lessons and then popped into game night. Game night was a throwback to home because they were playing a lot of music I used to listen to, haha.

Wednesday: We had zone training meeting in the morning and had missionary night in the evening. We met with a YSA less active who is ready to come back and found someone else who might want to be taught! We will see what happens.

Thursday: We had some solid lessons this day, it was great! Our last lesson of the day was with an investigator who is slowly progressing and changing. I really love working with him!

Friday: We did our weekly planning all at once with one break for lunch, then went to weed wack a lawn. After that we had a good lesson in the evening and got two people on date for baptism!

Saturday: We helped out at activity days, then we had a baptism for a YSA recent convert! It was a very nice service. We did more weed whacking today day (but I spent my time trying to figure out how to put string in the weed whacker), had a great dinner, then we were invited by on of our investigators to go to their church (called The CHURCH). It was a neat experience seeing a different type of church service. We also got our transfer news today.

Sunday: Church meetings throughout the day, had one last lesson with our YSA recent convert to say goodbye as she goes to the valley (Phoenix area in AZ), then we went out with some priests (young men ages 16-18) to teach one of our actual investigators. We were giving the priests real-world mission experience and they got to teach the lesson. It was super fun!

Monday: I finished the 12 Week training program. We had our first lesson with a referral and were able to get them on date (that was a miracle). The rest of the day was spent packing, and then, around 4:00 some of us left to the transfer meeting in the valley. It was a super fun truck ride down. We went to Scottsdale Mall so I could get my shoes looked at (it was a SUPER nice mall). The trip to the valley made me miss being in a more urban area. We also got to have dinner at the mission home which was extremely good and I saw my cousin coming into the mission! (Blake and Lauren were called to the same mission, but Lauren is a Spanish speaking missionary.)

Tuesday: We had a lot of meetings for transfers and our new missionaries. In the morning we got to work out with the mission president which was fun. We drove back up to the mountains, took some pictures at a pretty overlook, had Wendy's, then arrived in Show Low. We got to say "Hello!" to a few people at game night, but then had to go plan.

Wednesday: So far all I did today was study and get my back adjusted. It felt great. My companion is a great missionary!

Spiritual Thought: This life is hard. The Lord gives us trials so we can learn, grow and become better. So long as we trust in the Lord, have faith in Him, and keep his commandments, all will be well with us and we will inherit the blessings He WANTS to give us because He LOVES us!

I love and miss you all! Stay strong and keep doing what you're doing!

Sincerely,

Elder Morgan