3/26/18... Tom got baptized this Saturday and it went really good!!

Hey yall!! 

Tom got baptized this Saturday and it went really good!! It was really exciting to see him and his family during that. They are really excited to be sealed as a family one day. The ward has been really great to them, and welcoming. It's been a blessing to me to be able to watch the growth in him. It's one if the biggest blessing on a mission to get to see conversion happen in others, because it helps us become more converted too. Now Tom has the gift of the holy ghost which will be one of the greatest blessings to him in his life. Not a lot of new converts realize how great that gift really is but it's awesome because that's the beginning to being born again, being changed by your faith through the grace of God, coming to know the nature of the Spirit is a process that just starts at baptism. 

Oh Thursday was a fun day we drove down to Gastonia for interviews and for district meeting. Interviews went really good, I love getting that time to talk to President Alexander, he even said he would give me a departing interview before he leaves, since the new mission President will be here when I leave. He also asked for my baseball schedule so he could come watch me pitch which i thought was nice of him to want to come do that. I love the Alexander's they're so great. I don't get how any mission President does it haha it would be so hard i feel like. 

Oh my goodness I did the dumbest thing this week though. So we were in a lesson with lady who ordered a bible. We have her her Bible and got talking, she was really interested in the restoration so we started to teach her. She was into the lesson and we testified and the Spirit was there but at the end something seemed to change and we asked her another question and she says "my name is Linda!" I had been calling her Wanda the whole lesson and I totally ruined it. I felt so dumb as we were leaving, I tried to recover, but there was no way 😑😂. It was a fail for sure. Note to self though lol. 

Sunday we had a miracle though too. We were in a neighborhood and we decide to knock on the neighbors door of this guy we knew and he came out, we got talking and he was the swim coach for the D1 school in Boiling Springs. He was ready interested in what We had to share with him and we have a church tour with him on Wednesday, I think he felt the Spirit as we were talking which made him say yes because it was a pretty choppy door approach! 

Overall great week though!

qs

Have you told Coach Waddoups that you want to live in the players apartment?  Give him my email and phone number so that I can contact the other parents to see which furniture is needed. 

I thought you did that? And I gave him your email and number already, it might be best for you to contact him about it. 

How is was Toms baptism?  Who was there?  How is he doing?  How was his family? 

Super good

How's the weather?  

It's been really rainy lately  which is typical for spring here I think. It's gone from high 70s to 30s though. 

Do you have a car at all there in Shelby?

Ya we are full car! Idk why President has blessed me with full car so much....knock on 

Did you get to play catch last week?  

How did it feel?  Do you still love it?

Ya got to throw last week, it felt really good, I think I'll be able to come back and not really skip a beat...i haven't thrown from a mound though so we'll see. 

Did you get the packages???!!

Yes! Thank you they're perfect, loved all of it!! 

You're the best mom!

Love y'all

Love you mom 

Elder Morgan 

3/19/18... I'm so grateful to be here in this mission. #blessed

Well another week for the books! 

Time is just flying! It is so crazy how fast things have been  going, I feel like I wrote y'all yesterday and I can't remember what happened in between there and  now!! I guess I'll just try my best 

No it's been a fun week though

Tom is doing really good. We had dinner and a lesson with them yesterday, we taught him about temples and what we do in the temple and about family history work. He just soaks everything in.  He always talks about how he is like a little kid learning for the first time in primary. He never grew up in a Christian church-- he knew the basics but it's been super fun being able to help him learn these things. It's always amazing getting to hear people pray for the first time and getting to hear them over time. They always get more personal and comfortable with speaking to Heavenly Father and it just warms my heart because that s such a special relationship that we have between us and our Father in Heaven. I've been blessed to get to see that happen with Tom and many others since I've been serving. I'm so grateful to be here in this mission.  I have had some time to just reflect on the mission and I'll remember these experiences for the rest of my life-- no doubt. 

Elder Bishop from Winston came back to visit the mission this week with Elder Rothenburger. If you remember I served with Elder Bishop in Winston in the 4 elder apartment (which they don't have anymore #blessed) but one of them served in Shelby,  so they came and visited people and stopped and saw us! It's was so fun seeing Elder Bishop.  We had such a fun time in that apartment. He's doing super good too, I guess he's going to be a medic for the national guard.  They gave us a person who he used to teach to go visit and we got to teach her this week. She talked a lot but we were able to get her reading the Book of Mormon again and set up a return appointment! 

Thursday we went on exchanges with the zone leaders, Elder Zesiger came her since they are in a trio it was Elder Osborne, me and him here. It was a good exchange, Brother Camp also came out with us after he took us out to dinner and so we had 4 people in a few lessons--it was kinda funny! That's when we met the lady Elder Rothenburger told us to go see. Then we drove over to Tom's house and had his interview over there. Went great. The baptism this weekend should be really good.  A bunch of other elders are bringing their investigators as well. Destany is doing sooo good too. She is helping one of the Gastonia elders' investigators and now both of them are fellowshipping one of the other elders' investigators. Group chats have been a huge help with everything. Technology is definitely a blessing and a tool in the Lord's hand if we use it the right ways. 

About to go play some catch today, I think, and get some groceries. Not a whole lot going on right now. We have a good day lined up though--the Hamptons are feeding us and they are one of my favorite families in the ward, such good people!  We'll have FHE with them tonight. It's always fun doing FHE, it makes you feel at home!

Anyways I love y'all 

Love you momma! 

-Elder Morgan 

3/12/18...I feel a lot of joy out here...I'm just trying to help my companion feel it and be happy...

Had an awesome week! 

Shout out to T bone for turning 26 i think?! Happy b day tho bro! 

I totally my a guy who is going to be big time in music, Idk because we didn't listen to them but he showed us part of his stuff and it was way good. We were knocking on a person's door and about to head out of the neighborhood and we thought we'd go knock on one more door before leaving. A guy answers and he was super nice, we start talking about the Gladys Knight event that is opening in April and he tells us that he is a musician himself. So we get talking more and I thought he was going to be like Brett Eldridge or something big time but he says he's in a band called dirty grass soul. He said he played at the Pendleton Round Up. But he was super nice and he said he had a Mormon friend that was in his band. I asked him if he knew about the Book of Mormon and he said no so we explain it and he was pretty interested in reading not so much investigating but he'd read. His band is totally going to be famous though I've got a feeling! It'll be my claim to fame that I gave him a Book of Mormon haha. 

Had a great lesson with Tom yesterday! We went over all of the baptismal interview questions he is doing so good, it's been awesome to watch him grow. He just soaks all of the things up that we teach him. 

We went to a small town called Kingstown one day and we were talking to a ton of people, it was literally like 2 neighborhoods but a bunch of people were listening to us so it was fun. We are making a big push with family history work.  

Man I am trying to think of stuff to write about and it is just not flowing! I went a whole week without drinking soda, just because i feel a ton better when I don't. 

I don't know I don't have much to write about I really am sorry for this one!

I do love y'all though! Love you mom!  

From: Bradley Michael Morgan <bradley.morgan@myldsmail.net>

Date: March 12, 2018 at 10:06:19 AM PDT
To: Jeff Morgan <jeffmorgandmd@hotmail.com>
Subject: Re: 19 Months 9 days and 20 Hours

We'll play a few rounds before I go off to school. I have realized that I need to put more trust in God in the development of my body. I've always just fought it so I think I'm going to just put it in God's hands more. That's sounds kind of cheesy but I think it'll help me a lot. Had a great week this week though. Tom asked me to baptized him on the 24th so I'm excited to get to do that. 

I've gained a huge testimony of fasting recently, and I've felt the power of reading the book of Mormon everyday it really does just bring the Spirit into your life constantly. 

Doing good with elder Osborne too, he is a cool guy and has a lot of potential to be a great missionary but he just doesn't try, he doesn't really talk in lessons much so it's hard to really be in unity. But we are working on it!

I'm sprinting to the finish though I know it's crunch time already. 

Love you 

On Mar 11, 2018 11:36 PM, "Jeffrey Morgan" <jeffmorgandmd@hotmail.com> wrote:

That is how long you have been on your mission if you were wanting to know.  I just looked it up for fun.  There is a website dedicated to that function.  Just so you know.  This week was great. I worked Monday thru Wednesday and then jumped on a plane and went to Phoenix and visited Tyler with Mom and Sarah.  We had a great time and enjoyed being in the sun for a few days.  We had a big barbecue with Tyler on his birthday and it was fun.  I went golfing on Thursday for the first time for the year and it was so fun.  Would have been better if you were there but we will wait for another day to do that. We got to meet Tyler's girlfriend and she is really nice and I think Tyler really likes her.  Now is the time in your mission that you need to focus on making everyday count, leaving it all on the table with no reservations.  I think that is great that your mission president trust you and asked you to work with the your current companion.  I hope everything is going well with him and that you are enjoying everyday.  I love you and am proud of you.  Work hard and the Lord will bless you.  

Love 

Dad  

Brad:  Sorry about the letter --it was weak today.  How are you doing? I loved your letter though, I hope y'all are loving the trip

Mom:  Having fun. I’ll send some pics...Are you doing okay??  Worried about you.

Brad:  Ya I'm doing pretty good, I mean I'm happy, I feel a lot of joy out here right now it's just I'm trying to help my companion feel it and be happy out here because it doesn't seem like he is. 

Mom:  Oh dang. Keep the fun factor up. 😉. I’m sure having him see success with Tom and Destany might be really good.  Maybe he’s been in areas with no real success.  

Mom:  Brad, I’m so proud of you. Keep your chin up. Pray for guidance and point out the little tender mercies you see to him...I know they will be there. Gratitude is always the anecdote to negativity. 

Pretty cool that your Mission Pres had the faith in you. 

Do you remember the story of Elder Springer from Grandpa Don's mission ?  

One day Elder Springer's companion called Grandpa and said, “President...my companion is gone. He’s locked my bike up and said he is going home and left.”  So Grandpa went to every train station and bus station he could think of around there. He asked if anyone had seen a missionary. Someone said they had seen him get on a train to Paris (or somewhere?) so Grandpa drove as fast as he could to the next train stop. He found Elder Springer and he said “I’m done...I haven’t had any baptisms I’m going home.”  Grandpa said, “Elder Springer, stay with me a few days and be my companion.”  He rode all over Holland with Grandpa (in his Mercedes!) and met with people and Grandpa got him to stay just one more transfer.  

Well one day he gave a Book of Mormon to a nice black lady, but she said she had no time to learn the lessons because she was leaving for Ghana. Later she wrote to him and asked for another Book of Mormon. He sent it and kept sending them as she asked for them. Finally it started getting too expensive cause he was paying the shipping with his own money so he told Grandpa about it. They sent a bunch from the mission. Well, when missionaries finally got to Ghana, there were HUNDREDS of people waiting to be baptized!!!  All because of Elder Springer. 

I met Elder Springer at Grandpa’s viewing. We talked and he got all choked up and said Grandpa saved his life. He knew that he is the man is is today because he stayed on his mission. He said he remembers those days in the passenger's seat of President Van Slooten’s Mercedes well. 

He knew that Satan wanted him to leave—he was sure he couldn’t handle it anymore and checked out. But hindsight ...we know that Satan did NOT want him to give that Book of Mormon to her that day. 

Elder Springer was such a humble man. He took absolutely no credit for all that had happened in Ghana. He felt so indebted to Grandpa for his influence to keep him out there. 

Brad. I know it feels like a lot of pressure. Keep the faith. There is a reason why Satan does not want Elder Osbourne to be happy.  You can do it. 

I love you so much. I remember your mission Pres said that you will feel Grandpa Dons influence on your mission. Watch for it with Elder Osbourne. You may just feel some inspiration!  

So proud of you. 

Love...me!

PS. Maybe take him to the famous Shelby baseball field and pitch a little. He might like that. 

3/5/18... I'm staying in Shelby and I got a new companion this week--Elder Osborne!

Got a new companion  this week, Elder Osborne! I'm staying in Shelby for another one at least! Which I'm totally good with, I love it out here. The ward is super fun, the people are all so nice, and missionary minded. 

So Tuesday night we were in a lesson with this guy that we met named Rachad, we were talking to him about the church a little and I look down that the phone for just a second and President was calling us. When we ended the lesson we called President back and we were in the car and he told us to call him back when we got home... We thought something was going on like we were in trouble or something lol. But we got home, he just talked to us about what's going on this next transfer, told us where we were going and some details about it and then asked me about my return date and we talked a bit about that and when I have to be at school, He is just so loving it's been so nice to have him as a mission President, I've gained a lot of love and respect for him and Sister Alexander. 

Wednesday we said some goodbyes for elder Luna, all the Simpson kids call him elder wuna because they can't say their L's very good! 

Thursday we drove with brother camp to Charlotte. He has a tradition to get ice cream with the elders before they leave. So we got to McDonald's, no I've cream there...like c'mon. The Wendy's and they give us our frosties and they had barely any chocolate in them, it was pretty much pure Ice! So that was fun, it's fun seeing all the people at transfers. I got to see Elder Carroll, Elder Kimball, some other peeps. Super fun! I literally don't know anyone in the mission anymore I swear haha everyone has gone home it seems like, all the sisters I came out with have been home for 3 months now.... Then got Elder Osborne. Came back Brother Camp wanted to take us to lunch too so we went and ate at the Shelby cafe, he got the garbage platter, it's a tradition for all the new elders to get it. Its got 2 biscuits, gravy, hash browns, 2 eggs, liver mush, cheese. I think I probably told y'all already but oh well. 

Tom is doing super good. We had to move his date because stake conference. So he'll be baptized on the 24th, we taught him the rest of the commandments today at the Powell's house. Which was kind of weird because the Powell's haven't been to church in a while but they insisted that we have a lesson over there, it was kind of weird. But it was a good lesson. Tom is still progressing well, and excited to get baptized, and eventually sealed in the temple with his family. 

Destany is sharing the gospel with her friends and fellowshipping people in other areas even! She just messaged us and said her friend wants to meet with us. She has been helping one of the zone leaders friends who has been super nervous to get baptized even, she calls her and reads the book of Mormon with her all the time. She texted us the other night and said she can't wait to turn 19 to go on a mission! How awesome is that! 

Life is good out here though, I'm loving it, Elder Osborne and I get along great. Its been super fun. We have been seeing small miracles everyday, it's been so great to be able to recognize the hand of the Lord in your everyday life. I'd even invite y'all who read this to challenge yourself to recognize everyday the hand of the Lord. Something that he did for you that day, you'll find how happy it makes you to realize these things. 

 Qs

Did you get those scholarship questions done?

Oh noooooooo! Can I do them this week?, I'm setting a reminder to do one a night this week. 

I remember in one of your last areas you were helping clean and build that orphanage... Do you do any of that type of service in Shelby?  

Ya a little bit, we are helping a guy flip a house almost. We've only done that a few times. But we'll go to habitat for humanity every once in a while or go help out at another store here. But we don't do a whole lot of service right now. 

Take pics of your apartment... and of YOU!!!  I haven't "seen" you in a few weeks...plus I want to see how your hair has grown out. 😉

K I got some I'll send today!

Quote of the week?

"We must cleanse our inner vessel, before our outward vessel". I don't think that s a direct quote but its in alma. Thoughts lead to action, if you are thinking pure uplifting thoughts, your actions will follow. But if you have unvirtuous thoughts, that will lead to unvirtuous actions. Its interesting, alma is speaking about the government when he says this but it applies so well to us individually. 

How are the workouts coming?  Do you have any bands?  I can easily order you some...  

They're going good it's a lot of body weight stuff here because we have no weights, Elder Osborne and I are going to start a good workout program, I have been bad on doing the arm bands. I have them i just need to break them out. 

When do you hear about transfers?  

Ready for an Amazon Pantry?  its been awhile!  LMK any requests...

Sure! Send some protein! Plz! Send some of those Kodiak cake instant muffins I think they're called, you add milk and heat them up or something. 

Do you know I LOVE YOU??? 

Yuppers!

Are you remembering to say THANK YOU???  Say it MORE often than you think is necessary... it makes people feel good.    143!

Ok will do! Thank you mom 😘😙

Do your teeth still hurt?-- I can't imagine that they didn't take your top wisdom teeth out!!!  When they said they took your wisdom teeth out, I just assumed that they took ALL of your wisdom teeth out!!!  crazy!

Not too much, they'll probably be fine to just wait and dad can check them out when I get back or something!

Love y'all!

Love you mom so much!

Elder Osborne is from Logan Utah....only my 2nd Utah companion actually haha. He likes sports and is a big fitness junky so it'll be good for me to be with him. He is about my height. Oldest of 5. Been out 20 months. He's a fun elder. 

Um idk about dinner stuff, I'm not a huge fan of the tv dinners so don't send many of those. Brown rice maybe too