Week 93 - This week was great

Family!!!!

Love you!!!!!!!!!

Well, it's been a good week. Let me tell you why. 

This month we were praying really hard to help someone else get baptized. With pray and fasting, a sister came to our mind that has been going to church for 4 months straight and is practically a dry member. She hadn't been able to get baptized because there were a few issues and President had told us it wasn't possible, but the Spirit told us that she was going to get baptized, so we continued praying and we talked with the President again and he received the revelation that she could get baptized! She was so excited to hear that because she's always wanted to be baptized! She has such a strong testimony and is more faithful than many members that have a lot of time in the church!  

Her name is Trinidad. Her sister Flora and son Eduardo got baptized like 2 months ago. It was a great baptism and we had some investigators there as well! 

The other great thing about this week was that we had the visit of a member of the quorum of the 70, Elder Pieper. He is the first councilor in the Mexico area presidency. It was so great hearing from him. We had 3 different meetings with him and all in all 8 hours of listening to him! It was so great. What I really learned from his visit is that 1. We don't need to worry about things that we can't control and 2. The Spirit must be the teacher

These two concepts are things I've known for a long time, but I guess when I heard them this time The Spirit really testified to me that that's what I need to do. Sometimes in the mission there are so many factors that we WANT to control, but ultimately we CAN'T. Such as, the decisions of investigators, the ward, the members, the area, etc. We don't need to worry about those things. Instead of wasting our time on that, we must ask ourselves "Well, what CAN I do?" 

Now, talking about the Spirit. The Spirit really is the teacher. We can give a lesson with a ton of eloquence and perfectly planned out, but if we don't let the Spirit teach, the message will never enter into the heart of the investigators. What does that mean for me? It means that I need to shut up sometimes and let the Spirit do some teaching. I need to be in tune with the Spirit and well prepared. Then, in the teaching, I must be quiet and ask a lot of questions. I must let the investigator think and share and INTERACT with The Spirit! It makes so much sense now. It's not about us teaching the people, it's about us inviting the people to have their own spiritual experiences! 

Well, we put it into practice. Last night, we were teaching a lady who went to church for the first time yesterday. As we were teaching her, I felt prompted in the middle of the lesson to ask her, "Do you have any questions?" She just looked at us and said, "No, but I want you guys to know that I've decided to get baptized." We didn't even have to invite her to do it! We hadn't even been talking about baptism, we were just talking about Joseph Smith, but The Spirit told her that she needed to get baptized. As we finished the lesson. we knelt and she offered a sincere prayer. She said, "Father, thank You for sending me Your servants, I believe that this is the true church and it's where You want me to be, help me to keep following this path." Wow! 

If only I had learned all this earlier! haha 

Love you all! I know that this church is true. Without a doubt in my mind, Jesus Christ is the Savior. He lives. The tomb is empty. I love Him and My Father in Heaven.

Elder Morgan

Week 92 - Pirate Morgan

Family!

Love you all so so so so so so so so so smuch! Yes, Smuch.

This week was a good one. We had our monthly Zone Leader report with the President and the Asistentes (Assistants). We're looking really good for this month of August. Our goal is 200 baptisms. That would be a record for our mission. 

We also had a zone conference this week. My companion and I trained on the importance of inviting the people to do things. If you read the scriptures, you'll notice that God always invites us, he'll never force us or obligate us. As missionaries we must teach with the Spirit so that the people we teach commit themselves to doing something by themselves.

We've been finding some great new people to teach that really want to make changes in their lives. I love helping those that WANT our help haha. 

Two weeks ago, there was a luchador (Mexican wrestling) match in a gym close to our house here. One of the luchador's name was "Pirate Morgan". To advertise the fight, there was a car with a speaker on top of it that went around announcing the fight and said, "Featuring the world's best luchador PIRATE MORGAN!!!!" We found one of the fliers on the ground and took it home with us. 

The other big event this week was yesterday. I spent all of my time at church in the bathroom "tossing my cookies." However, after a trip to the hospital and two injections, I'm back to full health! 

Also, there is new rule here in the mission. We are no longer able to write friends, only family. Sorry! However, the good news is that soon we'll be able to talk face to face! 

Anyways, things are going well here! Looking forward to working really hard these next few months. 

Love you all,

Elder Morgan

Week 91 - Sheridan Morgan is a great person.

Family!!!

Love you!!!!!!

This week was good. We were pretty busy, but it went well. 

We finally found out about our Ward mission leader. He had just dropped off the face of the planet, but he finally got a hold of us. Supposedly, some cops here pulled him over for not having his seat belt on, even though he did have it on. After first trying to get 400 pesos out of him, they decided to take him to jail because his car wasn't registered here in Mexico. After 9 days in jail and multiple attempts at trying to charge him for contraband and smuggling, he was finally released. He ended up with a bunch of skin problems from the dirty sheets they have in jail. Basically, that's the Mexican government for you. 

This week we helped out with a ward baptism of an 8 year old. It went well. 

We have been finding some pretty great new investigators and it seems that they are progressing really well. I am enjoying the mission a lot right now and trying not to think about going home even though it seems that every week the family wants to remind me about it! haha. 

Love you all! I know that this church is true. :)

Elder Morgan 

PS - we have received Elder Morgan's return flight information.  He will be coming home 10/27/2015.  :-)

Week 90 - Smoke and Mirrors

Family!!!!!!!!!!!

Love you!!!!!!!

So..... I have no idea how to title these emails anymore, so I've decided to just put random titles that I think would be cool. 

This week was good! Elder Alegria and I are working hard. This week we also had our leadership council. I am now officially the Elder with the most time here as Zone Leader. Everyone is so young. I can't believe that I've been going to those meetings for over a year! Time flies so fast. 

We also had a baptism this week! Gabriela got baptized! Woooooo!!!!!  Gabriela has been my goal for this area! When I met her, I thought, "I need to help this sister get baptized!" There were a lot of ups and downs, but she has made a complete 180 turn in her life. One of the things that she changed was her addiction to Smoking! She quit smoking after 30 years!!!!!!!!! Woo!!! She was so happy the day of her baptism that she was dancing around in the chapel dressed in white! haha. She's probably been one of the most difficult investigators that I've had, but also one of the most memorable! 

Anyways, that's the news for this week. Things are pretty normal here. 

I know that this Church is true. Joseph Smith was a prophet of God. The Book of Mormon will change our lives if we let it! 

Love, 

Elder Morgan

Week 89 - And our special guest is......

Family!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Love you all so much! For reals. A lot. A ton. A bunch.

This week was pretty good. 

We had our meeting with the Stake President and the Mission President. it went well. We gave a monthly report on the zone and talked about what we can do to be way better. 

This week we also found some great new investigators. People that really want to grow closer to their Father in Heaven. 

There were also transfers! Elder Canche went over to another zone and Elder Alegria (which means happiness in Spanish) is my new companion. He really is pretty happy! I'm excited to work him. The whole zone has been completely changed! Only 6 of the 18 of us are still here in the zone. Almost everyone is either opening up a new area, training, or has a new position in the mission. It should be interesting to see how everything goes, but I know that The Lord sometimes works in mysterious ways!!!!

NOW FOR THE MOST EXCITING NEWS......

This week, Elder Smalley called me (that's normal). The first thing he said to me was, "You need to get down here right now." I go, "Why? What's wrong?" .... "Just get down here. I'm going to pass the phone to someone so you can talk to them..." 

At this point I thought that I was going to start talking to some extortionist or kidnapper. Then this voice comes on the line and says, "Hi Elder Morgan, do you know who this is?" I had no clue. He said, "Who was your companion when you were in a trio with Elder Guzman." Then it hit me.... I recognized the voice.....ELDER SANDBERG!!!!!!  He came back to visit TJ. Anyways, I got to meet up with him a few hours later!!!! It was so great to see him. He's doing well and had come down to San Diego for the wedding of another RM from this mission. It was so great to see him. The first thing I did when I saw him was give him a big hug and then punch him because he promised he would write me and never did. 

Sandberg and Morgan

Anyways, That was my week! Looking forward to what the future has in store!

!!

Elder Morgan 

These are some cookies that this investigator made here in another ward so that she could get married and baptized!

This is a package that Frida sent me!!!!! Shes so cool!!!!!

Elders Canche and Morgan being themselves!