Week 12: I ate more food

Training session

Monday-I am grateful for powerful songs, good juice, and funny moments.

Tuesday-I am very grateful for answered prayers and day dreaming.

Wednesday-I am grateful to be in Gods hands and my progress in Portuguese.

Thursday-I am grateful for the rain, following the spirit, and old friends.

Friday-I am grateful for trying new things and fast days.

Saturday-I am grateful for talking with kids, missionary work, and happiness.

Sunday-I am grateful for a peaceful life and cleaning.

Well, we were knocking doors and we got to this one house and we hear a person inside and her dog is barking at us. We knock and wait, and then knock and wait and the dog just barks and barks and barks. Finally, the lady inside had enough of it so she comes outside, grabs her dog, says I love God and then goes back inside. I was just laughing and asking what in the world just happened.

We had Stake Conference and it was good but difficult because they talk really fast and I was very tired. I learned about the temple and ministering.

 

We have a new investigator and he is awesome!! He is 17 and he doesn't smoke or do drugs or drink. Which is very rare out here. He is making progress and has questions for us so that is always promising. He is going to pray about the truthfulness of the BOM, yeehaw!

 

We taught a group of kids in the rain. A drunk guy showed up and that was annoying. By the way, kids are not good at keeping promises, none of them will come to our activities that we invited them too, oh well. 

My comp advertises me for English class to others because I'm an American, it's actually kind of annoying but ehh if it gets them to come, worth it.

I am learning how to follow the spirit better. We visited a member who hasn't been to church in more than 10 years but still loves missionary work and has a strong belief in the restoration and the BOM. I felt prompted to talk about enduring to the end and so I did and I am not sure if she will come back to church but it's always better to try.

 

I am working on talking to everyone, and especially talking to members during lunch. To be honest I have never been the one to talk much or have a lot to say. But, I am working on it and I feel the spirit guiding me through the day. I am so grateful to feel the spirit so strongly everyday.

 

The rat never died and my comp told me how he just walked into our kitchen all chill like one night when my comp was lifting weights. He tried to wack it with a broom but those things are fast. I was already asleep so didn't see this happen.

This week was a quick one and full of difficulties and blessings. A week for a missionary.

It's the thought that counts

email me

lmorrison@missionary.org

Elder Morrison

Cool Jeep

White house is ours

Angel wings

Thumbs up for more working

Week 11: First ZC and French Toast

Campinas Temple

Monday-I am grateful for the internet and good music.

Tuesday-I am grateful for connections to home, the temple, and prayer.

Wednesday-I am grateful for teaching and the sun.

Thursday-I am grateful for learning how to do hard things before the mission.

Friday-I am grateful for clouds and learning.

Saturday-I am grateful for desiring others salvation and the spirit which testifies.

Sunday-I am grateful for sunsets and stars.

Me and Elder Rohde

My homies, for those of you who know Sister Smith, she graduated from Skyridge in 2018 and was on student council. Anyways when I walked into Zone Conference she was there. She is in my zone! A good connection to home that I can always appreciate. She was a senior when I was a Sophomore.

Sis. Smith from Lehi and Skyridge!

My first Zone Conference was quite a good one. Good stuff about personal testimonies and running analogies. I enjoyed it lots. BUT, getting there was trash. The temple is probably 15-20 minutes from our house in a car but with the buses, it was an hour and a half, so yeah. Oh and 2 hours or more getting home. Gotta love public transportation.  

The temple session was awesome and I am so grateful to have the Lords house so close! I KNOW HE LIVES. He hears my prayers and loves me.

We started teaching English and it was actually very good! No one came until 15 minutes after it was supposed to start but that's ok. We had 10 people and only one is not a member. It was fun, easy, and comfortable to teach.

Lots of other missionaries like to keep their readers up to date on their weight and I finally found a scale and I am 69.5Kilos: (Mom edit: 152.9 lbs) I don't know what that is in pounds but I don't think I have gained or lost much. Actually speaking of, I have been working on pushups every morning and I have done 100 pushups or more everyday. At first it took me 5 sets and then 4 and then 3 and then 2 and this last week I finally got 100 pushups in one go. So that's a win.

So we have an investigator who we met 2 weeks ago and had a baptism date of next Saturday but in our last lesson Friday, she wanted to move it up to Sunday because she wanted to be baptized as soon as possible. We were very pumped for her and realized that we had only taught her 3 lessons-1st Plan of Salvation, 2nd The Gospel of Jesus Christ, and 3rd The Restoration. I know that she was prepared for the church and when she told us how she wanted to be baptized a week earlier than planned, you could feel the joy in the room. Everyone was smiling so wide.

Well Saturday, we went to teach Juliana the commandments and all was well until we got to the law of chastity and she was like, no I don't believe this. She kept on speaking and my heart was just breaking. My companion talked and the member present also talked and eventually got her to the point to where she still wanted to be taught but she is not going to be baptized Sunday. I bore my testimony at the end and talked about how sometimes we don't know all things and how I don't know all things and right now Juliana doesn't understand the law of Chastity. But, God understands all and he will help you understand. I was crying, my comp was crying, and I am sure that Juliana understood me. I never thought that it would be so heartbreaking to hear her say that she didn't want to be baptized anymore. I guess that I am doing good at caring for others salvation.

Well we had 6 investigators in church on Sunday which is so good! Sundays are interesting. Basically everyone just sleeps and eats the whole day, so this Sunday was difficult. No one wanted to meet with us because they were sleeping or eating. 

Members ask me all the time what the elders in my ward are like and I'm like haha, you don't understand Utah. Their minds are blown when I tell them that I have only had the missionaries over for dinner like maybe 3 times that I can remember. Here every single ward has a companionship of missionaries and a couple have more than one companionship. 

My English is dying slowly. The only time I speak English is when I call my family on Pday and sometimes I can't remember words in English. But, learning to speak a language is very cool and I am very blessed to be able to learn so fast. All thanks to the spirit.

My hair has finally grown back so I don't look bald anymore, I don't think shaving my head is a good move for me hahaha.

The members are pretty confused when I say that I have only been 18 for 3 months and I have been on the mission almost 3 months. I am definitely the youngest in the mission but I don't think I am that young until I remember that my comp and most missionaries in the mission are 20+. I am going to be home before I am 20!

We confirmed Nicolas yesterday and it was awesome!! We had a Venezualan, Brazilian, and American all in the circle. I was proud to be the only American and realized how just my being here is a testimony to others. Pretty darn cool and the church is for everyone.

I made french toast Sunday morning and wow that was good. It made me a little homesick tho not gonna lie.

Love,

Elder Morrison

Chillin at the chuch

Peace out

Week 10: Another Week Another Baptism

Monday-I am grateful for new comps and sleep.

Tuesday-I am grateful for the rain and being guided by the hand of the Lord.

Wednesday-I am grateful for my whole family being in the church and for working hard.

Thursday-I am grateful for food the members give us and my legs.

Friday-I am grateful for successful lessons, volleyball, and understanding more.

Saturday-I am grateful for sleep and learning how to make new drinks.

Sunday-I am grateful for free rides, waterproof shoes, and food from members.

Well well well we had another baptism! He is the son of the lady that was baptized last week, his name is Nicolas and he is 10. He has a mental problem but after he was interviewed for the baptism, he was so calm, it was a miracle.

Me, Nicolas, and Elder Rohde my new companion.

Johnathan, Nicolas's Uncle baptized him

This week went as well you could expect for a 4 week old missionary and a senior missionary who has never been in the area before. Basically I got us lost a lot and when I thought I knew where someones house was, turns out it wasn't. So we walked a lot.

I sort of related it to the pioneers based on all the walking we are doing, I don't mind it.

We have a new investigator, her name is Juliana and she is a Mom of 2 kids. She is progressing really well and we have her on date for baptism in 2 weeks.

 

My Portuguese is progressing and I am amazed at the gift of tongues, I have been able to speak during lessons and be understood most of the time. I don't understand everything yet and can't figure out when people are talking to me if they are asking me a question or telling me something. But I am learning.

I petted a crazy ladies chicken and drank this weird drink that is made from bacteria, so uh yeah. 

Tchau

it's the thought that counts

Love,

Elder Morrison

Week 9: 2020 Baby

Calendar from mom that Collin, her and I all have.

 Monday-I am grateful for finding joy in the little things.

Tuesday-I am grateful for my Zone leaders, making food, and where I am right now.

Wednesday-I am grateful for my agency, tamales, and the love of Christ.

Thursday-I am grateful for the spirit of the temple, giving my first blessing in Portuguese, and my happiness in the Gospel.

Friday-I am grateful for the Ward Mission Leader and my planner.

Saturday-I am grateful for my Zone Leaders and new things.

Sunday-I am grateful for happiness in the rain and change.

Campinas Temple

2nd Tuesday night in a row where I was woken up in the middle of night thinking that it was the 2nd coming, but nope just fireworks for New Years. They went for like 15 minutes, literally sounding like World War 3 and I thought that at any second the roof of our house was going to blow up, it didn't. Anyways Happy New Years!! As I was thinking about this year I realized how crazy it was!! I know that it is all in Gods plan though and when I think that I would still be in High School right now, my mind is  blown. 

On the first day of the year I ate some seriously good food and twice, members asked me what my plans were after the mission, don't they realize that that is bad thing to ask a 3 week old missionary!: Needless to say my first day of the year ended on a positive note with the best food I have had the whole time I have been here and a lot of love for others.

Zone Leaders, Alemma, Elder Rosa and Me

We got to teach Gleice about the temple and her husband was there and he picked up on everything, It was great and hopefully we can teach him the lessons and help him come unto Christ through baptism! The spirit was so strong in the room, I am so grateful for temples.

I went on splits and I had this 21 year old who just likes to sit at home, hes a nice guy but he didn't want to work, so that low key was trash but all is well.

We got a new oven!!! It is so amazing and it works and doesn't have a rat living in it so that is always nice. We baked a cake in it for Alemma's baptism on Sunday!! 

Alemma's daughter, Victoria, taking a selfie.

The baptism for Alemma was awesome and I felt real joy and lots of peace from the spirit, it's those types of things that help me remember why I am here. My trainer got emergency transferred and so now, me, a 3-weeks-in-the-field missionary will now be leading this area. A little daunting but the Lord is with me and he is my all. It rained like crazy and ya know how street drains are supposed to be like water falling down into them, not here, it was like a fountain of water coming up, quite the adventure. Needless to say I got soaked. Good times, no complaints, no problems.

It's the thought that counts!

Love,

Elder Morrison