Week 3 - Preparing for Turkey Day

Hello family,

Wow. Literally I think that I emailed you all this morning last. Anyways, this week was good. Let's see...

Elder Scholes and Elder Phair who went with Elder Morgan to Vegas to get their Visa's

 So, VEGAS. Such a boring day. We woke up at 4:30 AM. Took a bus to SLC. Waited in the airport for 2 hours. 1.5 hour flight with turbulence the whole way. Literally they didn't let the flight attendants get out of their seats the whole flight!!! Then we went to the consulate which took about 30 minutes and all they did was take our fingerprints and picture. That was it. Then more waiting around.  Then we went back to the airport, waited for another 4 hours there, and got home at 10:35PM. BUT, I GOT MY VISA.

Sister (Hermana in Spanish) Reynolds

 Anyways, miracle of the week. An Hermana in our zone, Hermana Reynolds, was really having back pains this week. She went to the doctor and found out she has torn a muscle in her back. They put her on some pretty heavy muscles relaxers which made her get really loopy and emotionless (by the way, it's really funny watching someone play 4 square like that). Anyways, one day she was really hurting. So much in fact that she came to Elder Backus and I for a blessing amidst tears. Elder Backus and I gave her a blessing of health in which among other things I felt impressed to bless her with the ability to sleep. After the blessing she went her way and we went ours. Later that night, a few hours later, she came back to us and told us that it was completely different. She couldn't even feel the pain anymore. She also asked me, "Did I mention to you that I hadn't been able to sleep because of this?" She had never mentioned that to me. I know that the Spirit prompted me to bless her with the ability to sleep. They were not my words, but the words of our Heavenly Father blessing one of his precious daughters. I was so overcome by that feeling of love that our Heavenly Father has for us. Miracles are real. The Priesthood has been restored and through faith is able to do all things. Anyways, that finishes the story, but more recently we have found out that it has swelled up and is pinching her sciatic nerve. If it doesn't get better in 2 weeks, she will need to go see an orthopedic surgeon. Please keep her in your prayers. 

Thank you sooooo much for the package. The pictures are perfect!!! It's so awesome to see your beautiful faces. I also love the watch for Elder Backus! He is very thankful and he is the best companion ever. I love him. 

Welp, other than that, this week has been pretty normal. Sorry for the lack of photos or stories. Elder Backus and I just keep getting more and more comfortable with Spanish. Yesterday I also sang in the choir which was fun. The next like 4 weeks we're going to have General Authority's come here which is like the craziest thing that has ever happened at the MTC. It's cool that I get to be here for it. Tomorrow we have a special day lined up and a member of the 12 coming. We don't know who.

I know that I am here for a reason. I have been called to preach to the people of Mexico, our brothers and sisters and remnants of the Lamanites. I am so glad that I have this opportunity. I know that we are blessed in so many wonderful ways. I know that our Savior lives. He is the head of this church. His atoning sacrifice is the only way and name under heaven that we may return to live with our Heavenly Father. I love you all so much and hope that you have a wonderful Thanksgiving!!!!

Love,

Elder Morgan 

Week 2 - In the CCM (CCM is Spanish for MTC)

Hello friends and family,

Okay. So, the days are flying by. I feel like I just emailed you all yesterday! Anyways, about the week. 

HERE WE GOOOOOO.......

First off, let me talk about P days. We basically get all day to study/prepare. That means being able to go to the gym, do laundry, write letters and emails, language study, personal study, go to Brigham's Landing for some legit burgers and Jamba Juice, and go to the Temple!! Man, the temple here is so huge and awesome, but it closes next week for the rest of the year!!!! I'm so bummed. 

So, this Sunday we had a devotional by a lady named Mary Ellen Edmunds. First off, she is hilarious, but she talked to us about how we should be optimistic and powerful and always smile. Hard to do when you don't know the language, but we're working on it!!! Then we got to watch a video of a talk Elder Bednar gave at the MTC on Christmas of 2011. It's entitled "Character of Christ"....... WOW. EVERYONE WHO IS READING THIS NEEDS TO STOP WHAT THEY ARE DOING AND WATCH IT!!!!! It was so great. It talked about how to become Christ-like we must be willing to turn outward even when the natural man would turn inward. We also always have devotionals on Tuesdays. This week it was of Elder Audikaitus (Elder Marcos A. Aidukaitis) or something like that of the 70. He spoke on the Kingdoms of Glory. Pretty righteous stuff! 

This week we got two new investigators. Raili and Louis. They were both people that our two teachers Hermano Pasantino and Hermano Carr taught on their mission. (They role play as if they are them.) It's awesome. We were able to teach both of them the Restoration and commit them to read, pray, and come to church this week. Elder Backus and I are getting so much better at preparing and giving lessons. We have so far to go, but we are starting to understand each other much better. I can also teach the whole restoration in Spanish in 1 minute and 10 seconds. JAJA. 

This week we got a special little treat! We normally have gym outside and it's a bummer when it rains because we can't do like anything! But now we have these huge temporary buildings that look like big white marshmallows or bubbles that are held up by pressurized air. They're really cool and they have concrete floors and volleyball, and basketball, and indoor soccer, and 4 square. I'm not sure why, but 4 square is like what I live for during gym time now. It's literally the best thing ever. 

So, VISA update. Elder Scholes, Elder Phair, and myself will be waking up at 4:00 AM tomorrow to get on a plane to Vegas where we will go to the Mexico consulate to meet and do stuff about our VISA's. We'll be there all day and get back at 9:00 PM. Wooot. 

So, funny things of the week. I go and check our mail everyday. Well this week for some reason for like 2 days they didn't give us any dearelders which is the majority of our mail. So, we would always go check and have an empty mailbox. Well, one particular day, I checked and there was nothing. So, our district asked me whether there was any mail and I responded in a funny voice and with a couple hand gestures, "No, everybody HATES US." Well, I thought nothing of it until the next day when a Sister came up to me and explained to me that she and her district had overheard me say that and they thought it was the funniest thing and they had spent the whole day imitating me and laughing about it. So now, at lunch, I always see that district and they're like obsessed with watching me and laughing at everything I do..... Kind of funny. 

More funny things about our district. For some reason nobody in our apartment seems to understand how a thermostat works and all of them must be pregnant because they are constantly complaining about the temperature and changing it to either like 90 degrees or 60 degrees, I try and explain how it works, but they don't understand.

Love you all so much. I know that this church is true. I know that the only way that we can know for ourselves the truthfulness of anything is through the Spirit. He is the one that is the teacher out here, we are just the words. 

Elder Covey wearing his proper cleaning attire for when we do service

Love,

Elder Morgan