7/31/17... It's been a great transfer. I'm sad to see Elder Carroll go, but we'll be good friends for a long time.

This has been quit the crazy week! We have been running everywhere. Also went on 3 exchanges in a row so I barely even saw Elder Carroll this week until Saturday.  I'll talk more about it.  Also transfers this week.  And finished off with some golf today--a member took us to play 18 it was so fun...except I had to play right handed but hey i hit the ball pretty clean playing righty.  It wasn't bad. 

Played some basketball early this morning with some elders that go home soon.  It was a ton of fun, everyone is really competitive so it gets serious. I guard Elder Brown who is going to play at Big Bend CC so it's really fun. I got elbowed in the mouth pretty good and almost had to get stitches!

Don't even know where to start, it's all a blur every time it gets to Monday. So last Monday was a lot of fun we went fishing I think I told y'all about that, caught some big bass ;) Tuesday was a good day, Elder Carroll and I just worked hard.  We knew it would be one of our last days together until Saturday. Wednesday we went to district meeting which was great..  We had some great trainings on teaching skills.  I love working on my teaching skills.  They can always improve.  But it's almost like teachings skills are how can I better follow the Spirit in lessons. Right after that we went on exchange and I stayed in Pineville with Elder Olsen. We saw a ton of miracles!  We went saw a couple less actives that turned out to have part member homes.  We taught 2 sisters about the Book of Mormon and how important it is to read everyday, then one of the sister's boyfriend was there so we were able to go teach the boyfriend about it as well and they committed to read it everyday and come to church next Sunday!  Next lady we taught was a lady who's sister requested missionaries to go and give her a blessing.  We went over and started teaching her as well and she could possibly be very prepared.  Her sister got put up for adoption and, crazy story, but she found her and her sister is LDS and she wants to learn a lot more!  Amazing! 

Thursday after studies we drive over to the Fort Mill 1 area and exchange with the elders there!  I went with and Elder Osborne whose been out a out a year as well.  We found some great people, we taught a young guy on his porch just at 9 and he was pretty interested we were excited about him!  Had a good night over there.  Then,,.. after studies elder Carroll and I get back together just to drive over to the church and exchange with the Waxhaw elders!  It was so wild!  We exchange our stuff and Elder Talgo and I drive down to Waxhaw when suddenly we get a call from Elder Carroll to remind me that I had the keys to our car in Pineville still!!  So I totally made them bike all night because I accidentally took the keys!  They had some crazy story though, they ran into a guy that started to prophecy at them and all this other crazy stuff.  But the whole day Elder Talgo was telling me about this dinner appointment that we had planned at this trailer park home and how it was just a gnarly house and last time they went there, there was a dead cat in the living room. I was soooo scared!  So we put in the directions and we drive to this house and I see the address and I was like this has got to be the wrong place....he said nope this is it.....it was the biggest house I have EVER been in... maybe even seen.  It was massive, I would liken it to Bruce Wayne's mansion! 

We exchanged back Saturday!  And we had to go over to President's house to get Elder Grieve and go to some appointments because the other 2 assistants are going home and had interviews with President.  Well we get there and they hadn't eaten lunch so Sister Alexander made us all lunch and we ate with President and the assistants!  It was so fun!  We went and taught some people in their area.  We went and had dinner at Matt Olsen's after and then went and picked up Jo with him and got him a white shirt and some slacks for him to wear to church.  We then went back to Matt's house and Jo and his friend Kisel ate, then we taught them the restoration and it was amazing.  The Spirit was so strong.  Jo bore his testimony to his friend about how he knows it's true already.  His friend said he already knows it's true.  It was a sweet moment. 

Sunday morning we got transfer calls and we found out where everyone is going. Elder Carroll is going to Winston Salem!  My home town!  And guess who his companion is....its Elder Zesiger!  My MTC companion!  My new companion is going to be Elder Johnson, don't know him yet, he is a Spanish speaker but is white and speaks English as well.  He has been out almost 2 years, I think. He is going to play football in college, maybe, I heard.  We'll see, I've heard a ton of really good things about him! 

   

Overall it was a great week!  And had a blast with Elder Carroll this last month.  It's been a great transfer.  I'm sad to see him go but we'll be good friends for a long time. 

I'm loving it here in Pineville though it's been so good! The members are so nice and we find a lot of people to teach. This is definitely the Lord's work and I am just grateful he trusts me to be a part of it. 

Love y'all! 

Elder Morgan 

Ya I'm doing really good! Little stressed about transfers, but that happens every time. I'm going to miss Elder Carroll.  We had a blast. 

I never got the protein you said that got shipped either. Hopefully no one snaked it. 

Guess what? 

Chrystal from Salisbury, got baptized that one week and a couple days before I left we taught her mom.  Well, her mom and husband got baptized and her sister got baptized!  Now some other family members are being taught!  How sweet is that? 

 

7/24/17... So I've served in 2 states now!

  

Such a great week!  

it's a bummer Elder Carroll and I will probably only get to be together one transfer.  We get along really good. He's super funny and we both like to work hard so we are seeing a lot of miracles! 

Jo was able to come to mutual this week with the young men and I guess he really liked it.  He is getting to know some of the kids better and he is really great. He came to church this Sunday again and the youth had a combined Sunday School jeopardy and Jo answered a couple questions right I guess. Oh and on Saturday there were some sisters here in Providence that had a baptism and Jo said he wanted to go so we scrambled to find a ride and called a ton of people. Finally we called one of the young guys in the ward that are just here for summer sales and they said they could take us. His name is Matt Olsen and his brother actually served in the YSA last February in Kennewick. Do y'all remember him? 

Went on exchanges twice this last week with Catawba elders.  They're in South Carolina so I've served in 2 states now! Then went on one with Lancaster, they're in SC too but I stayed in Pineville. We found a couple of great new investigators this last week. We are just praying we can get back in contact with some of the new investigators we found 2 weeks ago. We haven't been able to talk to Maria and Ava who could be pretty solid. But I totally messed up I texted Maria when I meant to text one of the members and asked if they'd come to the appointment so I'm hoping Maria didn't get freaked out or something. 

We had a great lesson with Beryl and Davis this week, we watched the Restoration video with them and I think Beryl really felt the Spirit while watching it and she even likened Joseph's situation to her own. They weren't able to come to church which is a bummer.  We are really trying to get her to feel comfortable with the ladies from relief society. 

We just got done fishing all day! It was so fun. We went on the Catawba river and tried to catch some cats. I caught a couple bass and a couple sunfish but nothing big. It was a bummer. But it was super fun. We bought some good bait just hung out on this super sweet river. It was really peaceful. Elder Fulmer and Elder Watson are the ones we fished with. I'll send some pictures of it.

Elder Fulmer and Elder Watson

We were able to find a member last week that just moved in. We talked to her and she joined in the D.R. when she was younger and loves the church. We set up a return appointment and we went to try her and her mom answered and told us she wasn't there, so we started talking to her mom about the church and about the restoration and she was pretty intrigued it was exciting, there's a ton of nonmembers in the home and I think there's some pretty good potential there. Unfortunately Poly kind of dropped off this week.  She told us she's just too busy right now. It's a little frustrating because we can't speak Spanish to help resolve any concerns or what not. We had a great week though! 

We have been doing a Book of Mormon read as a mission and it has been amazing. We're reading it in 4 months so we are finishing November 10th. And we are highlighting the Christlike attributes that we see. I have been in awe of how obedient Nephi is and how he will follow the Lord in all that happens.  He trusts Him in every situation. I've been striving to develop Christlike attributes more. It's not easy but it all comes line upon line precept upon precept.  And we receive that which we are ready for. I've come to love Preach my Gospel and the Book of Mormon. Something I learned the other week in my studies is that in   

2 Nephi 32:10-13 Nephi tells us he will see us face to face at the Judgement bar. Then in Moroni 10:27 Moroni tells us he will also stand face to face with us at the Judgement bar of God. Christ will ask us how well we used the Book of Mormon. And I'm guessing they will ask us if we put an honest effort in reading the Book of Mormon everyday like our prophet has commanded us.....what will you be able to tell Nephi and Moroni? This hit me hard. 

I love the Book of Mormon. I don't want to go a day in my life without reading it. I know without a doubt that Jesus Christ is my Savior and that he has restored His church on the earth today. The power and authority of God is on the earth today and it's found in the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, it was restored through the prophet Joseph Smith. Christ lives and guides us through a prophet today. I'm grateful for the knowledge of these eternal truths. I love the Gospel. 

Love,

Elder Morgan 

 

 

 

7/17/17... Wild Week! ... let me tell you why. BED BUGS!!!

Hmmm where do I even get started about this week it's been crazy.  We've been running around all week. 

.....let me tell you why.  BED BUGS. Tuesday morning we woke up, got out of bed and get ready to work out and I look down at Elder Carroll's feet and there's all these red bites. I asked what they were and we soon found out they were bed bugs. I had a couple bites on my feet too. So we called the office packed up all our stuff and put it in trash bags, took as much food as we could and had to go move in with the elders in Sharon. It's been a crazy ride lol. I am living out of a suitcase and not much more than that. We could even be in here for 17 days, that's how long the last bed bug incident happened in the mission. It's terrible. But the Sharon elders are the best and it is fun spending more time with them. 

We had a ton of miracles this week. Tuesday Elder Carroll and I were in an apartment complex and we walk up to a building with some teenagers and younger kids sitting around and we start talking to them and we end up teaching all these kids the restoration right there.  It was hard keeping a bunch of teenagers interested in a lesson but 2 of them actually became new investigators so we are hoping we can continue to help them progress. Monyia is having a baby so we got in contact with her and she just said it would be better if we started meeting with her after she had her baby in about a month. 

It might have been Wednesday Elder Carroll and I saw a lot of miracles this day too.  One of them, we are going to see a former investigator and this lady opens the door and we start talking. She is from Peru and is so nice, she knew the temple there and some members. She was so open to our message and loved it.  She asked for multiple pamphlets to give her kids.  And she gave us inka kolas. And water. She asked if she could come to church... How elect is that?  She was working this Sunday but she wants to come next. Then we go to our dinner appointment and it was good.  We share a good message and we help him move some stuff. We get ready to go and he shows us his backyard and he has all these hunting waders up on his fence, like 15 pairs. We go look and he says to take one. We were hesitant but he insisted. He gave us free hunting waders! How crazy is that! So I'll be sending some of those home soon haha. 

Wednesday we were just dead tired both Elder Carroll and I and we were working but just didn't have any energy. We had been getting some rejection that day and we got back in the car and we are figuring out where we were going. This man comes up to our window and says "are y'all the latter day saints? I love Mormons y'all should come visit me."  We get his info and set a time for us to come back. It was so sweet. Then we go to the gas station and go in to get a drink and the lady goes y'all are out doing the Lord's work... I got your drinks. Much needed on a day we were dead tired... a guy comes to us and says he wants us to teach him and a lady gives us free drinks haha. What a day.

We had Zone conference on Friday and it was really great, we watched 2 talks from the mission presidents seminar by Elder Anderson and Elder Holland.  People say that Elder Holland's talk was the best missionary talk of all time. Talked about the divine companionship of the Holy Ghost. He said some great things that made me realize just how important it is to always be doing the things that invite the spirit into my life.  We also talked a lot about the basics, kind of using the tools that we overlook sometimes. It was really good. 

Friday night Elder Grieve and I went on exchange!  It was really fun.  I had a good time being with Elder Grieve again and we were able to find a part member family and some potentials, so it was a good night.  Saturday was so good.  We were trying to see everyone that could come to church and we stopped by this lady's house named Georgette.  She was asleep so her brother told us to come back another time. We go and knock on the door across the way and a 16 yr old kid came out and we got talking. We start teaching him the restoration and about halfway through the lady across the way opens her door.  So I go and start talking to her while Elder Carroll continues to teach.  We both are teaching the restoration and they both are super interested.  We invited them both to church and Jo came to church!! It was a miracle! 

We had a great week I had a blast. We just got word that we can move back into our apartment today, so that's what we'll be doing the rest of p day after we get some good ballin in. 

Love y'all! 

Elder Morgan

Price's Chicken 

Best fried chicken in the game.

Escape Room.

 

Huge Baptist Church

7/10/17...Hola! Banos Nachos!

Where to begin. This week is a blur already but it was great as far as I can recall. 

Last Monday we didn't do anything too exciting, went and did some chores and stuff in the apartment and cleaned the car. Then we just played some basketball at the church with the assistants. It was really fun. It's pretty sweet, Tuesday's Thursday and Saturdays, us and the other companionships by us go play basketball or football in the mornings here. It's a lot of fun. There's an elder named Elder Brown that's going to play for Big Bend CC in Washington for basketball. He'll probably play Gabe one day. 

Tuesday the 4th! I love America! Seriously what a great place to live.  How blessed are we?! Elder Carroll and I downloaded a bunch of talks on the constitution or any America talk and listened to them all day. There are some really good ones. President Benson has a lot on the constitution.  He declares it as a sacred document. Then he says "when the Lord comes the stars and stripes will be floating in the breeze over this people." Pretty sweet. Such a great place to live, and if we serve God and live righteously we will be a free people. Ether 2:12. It was so great knocking on some doors talking to people on the 4th. We found some great people. We found this guy named Monty. We got talking to him about the restoration and we ran out of all our copies of the Book of Mormon. So we told him we could give him one next time we come. Well looking in his house he just had hundreds of books everywhere and I really felt that he would already have one. So we asked him and he totally had one but had never read it or anything. He works a ton so it will be hard for us to teach him regularly but hopefully we can get back in contact with him really soon. That night we had a great dinner with Brother Warner. He cooked a ton of meats for us, smoked some stuff overnight that was really good. Then we lit some sparklers....ya crazy I know. Not quite the fireworks we would get from the Indian reservation but we made it fun. We were able to watch some good fireworks from the apartment when we got in which was nice. 

We had a conference at the mission office Wednesday which was really great! There were some really good trainings given. We talked about really having a sense of urgency for the work and having a desire to hasten the work.

We were kind of bummed we weren't able to teach Poly or Beryl this week because of some things that came up in their schedules. And they didn't come to church. So Poly is going to have to be moved back at least a week for her baptism. And Beryl should still be able to make it for the 29th. She is going to quit smoking this week as well! 

I am starting to get adapted to the new area and ward which is good, I'm not very good at adjusting quickly to the change. I need to get the area down as quick as I can because Elder Carroll will have been here 7.5 months after this transfer. 

One day this week we were doing some finding and we were just striking out like crazy, getting rejected a lot and we had no idea what was going on. So we decided to stay in the area where we planned to be and keep finding. We talked to a lady named Monyia who was super receptive and possibly elect. We put her on date right there at her door and she seemed excited.  We haven't been able to have to good of contact with her, but we are still hopeful we can teach her. We are really working to find solid investigators that can progress. But you gotta separate the wheat from the tares and that takes time and effort and a lot of faith with prayer. I know that this is the Lord's work, the Lord will grant us our righteous desires. I know that the Lord will provide solid people for us to teach and progress towards baptism. I love this work. I know it truly is the Lord's. 

There is so much I've learned about the gospel and I have learned how big of a role missionary work is. Elder Bruce R. McConkie said that baptism is the path to purity and perfection. My role it to invite people to make steps towards perfection that they can be made clean through the blood of the Lamb. I love this gospel I know it's true. And I love me familia! 

LOVE Y'ALL! 

glad you got to experience some southern weather, Cookout and hospitality! 

 

7/3/17... Elder Carroll and I did a Zone Week this week.

Our zone activity last week!
We played pioneer paintball, dodgeball and kickball it was really fun! 

Cheeeeaaaauhhh! 

Wow this week has been stressful haha. We have seen some amazing miracles. Elder Carroll and I did a zone week this week. That's where everyday from 10-10:30 we have councils and trainings over messenger. So that was stressful, but it was great! 

The first day we talked about Moroni when he makes the Title of Liberty declaring freedom, and liberty, and how he stood up for righteousness and obedience. So we talked about that, then we all made our own title of liberties. Then the next day we talked about prayer, then faith to find, and then putting investigators on baptismal date. It all went really well I loved seeing everyone's input and thoughts. And it was crazy at the end of the week we found 56 new investigators as a zone. Wow. 

We saw some great miracles too. Wednesday we went to Monroe for a district meeting and we went on exchanged right after. I liked a quote that Elder Fulmer said, "Your day is what you make it." I strongly believe this. If you have a positive attitude and you are willing to work, you are going to have fun and it's going to be great. But if you wake up thinking today is going to be hard then that's what it's going to be. We went on exchanges afterwards. Elder Christensen and I came back to Pineville and worked here. We had a super great lesson with Beryl right when we got back too. We put Beryl on date for the 29th the week earlier and this week we taught her the word of wisdom.  She seems super committed to live it. She just has to give up smoking,.....and get this she felt inspired that she needed to quit smoking the week earlier so she started to use the patches. Heavenly Father is amazing and works miracles. Elder Christenson just got in the mission last week and is just a fireball of faith.  It was so fun being with him. We found 3 new investigators that night. We met this guy named Montereo who had played basketball at the church before and he wanted to come to church. He didn't end up showing at church but hopefuly next week. 

Elder Carroll and I are having a blast though-- He is a super chill nice guy so it makes it fun.  He is from Pleasant Grove, Utah. He went to Lone Peak and he is friends with the guy who got drafted from Duke. 

We found a lady named Monay, and she seems super elect!  We taught her the restoration on her doorstep and she was super stoked.  We invited her to be baptized and she was super excited too!  She said she'd never been baptized and was even talking to her mom the last week before how she wanted to. It's amazing how God leads us to people like this, searching or looking for truth and we find them. I have such a strong testimony that this is the Lord's work. She was so excited to continue to meet with us and come to church!  I'm so stoked to start teaching her, she is having a baby at the beginning of August! 

Today we just had a solid lesson with Poly. Taught her la plan de salvacíon. We have to teach her through a translator. It's pretty fun to teach like that. 

Qs

How's the new place???  

Pretty nice only 1 bathroom. Super nice apartment complex really wealthy area and nice economy. 

WHO IS YOUR COMPANION??

Tell us about him!!

Elder Carroll. We are super similar, he loves sports and just having fun so we are going to work well together. 

HOW IS THE NEW AREA??

Great love it. The people are nice, there's a lot of apartments, so we have so many people to talk to. 

Did you get the suits altered?  Or do you need to return them?

Ya got them... they're good, I want to try and get them lengthened on the arms a bit, but they're pretty good. 

What is your mailing address?

9100 Fisherspond Dr. Apt E1 

Charlotte, NC. 28277

Amazon Pantry requests?  Favorites?? (In addition to OREOS of course!😋)  I have a bunch of stuff already in your order... Do you want the same stuff? or different?  What did you like?  What did you NOT like?

Tostitos con queso dip, maybe some protein. 

Car?  (I'm assuming so, since you have to go on exchanges so much...)

Are you the driver? Or how does that work?

No I'm not the driver. But ya full car, 

Any questions for me??

How's the south treating y'all? 

Who's Parker dating these days? Lol

How much do I have on my card? I'm trying to not use it, but it's hard when your companion likes to eat out or go shopping. 

Love y'all! 

Elder Morgan