Christmas! - December 29, 2014

This week was christmas! It was an awesome week. We had a lot of great things happen. 

First, I should let you know...I drove into a ditch this week. On accident. We missed the turn to a lesson's house, and we were just going to turn around...and I forgot there was a ditch right there. So I drove into it. We were stuck. Not fun at all. But, not a minute later, a member drove past and had chains in his truck so he pulled us out. But, the lady who's house we were in front of got scared and called the police on us because she thought we were scary and were going to rob her. So, I drive in to a ditch, and had the police called on me. All in 15 minutes. Oops.

Driving in ditches, cops being called.

We had a baptism on Saturday! We've been teaching Johanna and Kaiden since early October and it was so so so awesome to see them be baptized. They were really excited. They would remember so much of what we taught them, it was awesome. Like, we asked them this past week why church was so important, and they said to take the bread and water. We taught that like, months ago. It's just so amazing to see someone you taught all the way get baptized. During one lesson this week, Kaiden said to his friend, "You really need to come listen to this, they're teaching some really good things about God." Dang. That was cool. I've never had people say that about us before.

In the Zone on Christmas

Christmas and Christmas Eve was fun. On Christmas eve, we went caroling with our zone in Rigby. It was so nice to go and spread happiness that way. It was freezing, but we had a lot of fun. On Christmas, we had two dinners we went to, and then we had a zone get together that night. We watched real movies again! We watched How to Train Your Dragon 2 and Maleficent. We just laughed and joked the entire time. After, we had a big snowball fight. I like snowball fights. 

It's been snowing like crazy this week. I LOVE IT. My companion, not so much. Haha. It's all good. I love my companion, though. Sister Warren is so awesome. She's a hard worker and we get along really, really well. 

Anyway, have an awesome week! Love you!

Angry Eyes - December 22, 2014

Yes, we are bad parents!!!  We were driving all day on Sunday which is our "email" day and didn't email Morgan.  I could have easily dictated an email in the car - heaven knows I had time - but it slipped my mind.  We feel so bad.  Poor baby Morgan...  However, we were definitely thinking of her as we had taken Sister Potatohead to the Mall of America for pictures with her sisters!!  And Sister Potatohead is with us in Detroit for the Christmas Holiday!!

Due to the fact that I received NO EMAILS FROM ANY OF YOU THIS WEEK, I have angry eyes.

Ok, now I'm over it.

We had such a great week! Holy cow. We taught a bunch of lessons, we watched He is The Gift a total of 15 times, and we did a lot of work. It was great.

Here is something fun that happened. I'm pretty sure I can never ever everrrrrr ever eat milk products again. Every time I drink milk or (now) eat ice cream, I get sick. This happened on Friday. I was at dinner, and ate like, two bites of ice cream and I got sick. Good gracious. I was in bed all afternoon on Saturday. But, I decided to go out in the evening, and we ended up teaching three lessons that day! It was awesome. I loved it.

On Sunday, we took one of our recent converts to a music fireside in Rexburg. The missionaries up in Rexburg hosted it. It was soooo so so good. I'm so glad we were able to bring Nick and his two kids with us. Nick is probably one of my favorite people that I've met here.

We got to go to the temple this week! Sister Warren and I went with the Landons, We went to Idaho Falls and had such a good time. 

This email is also kind of short because I forgot my planner at home so I forgot most of the things I had written down to send to you. Sorryyyyyyy. 

Sister Warren is an awesome companion. She's so nice and is always concerned about me. I love her a ton and I'm so grateful we are companions.

Anyway, that's pretty much all I remember...

Talk to you thursday! If you get a random text or call from a 208 number, its the member who's house we're skyping with. So, just be by your phones this week. It will probably be sometime in the afternoon. What's your skype name, just to be sure?
Have a good week!

Morgan, Sister Flores, and Elder Fontes all wearing polka dots

Busiest Week of my Life - December 15, 2014

Seriously. This week was so dang busy, it's not even funny! I was so tired yesterday. I fell asleep during one of the sacrament meetings we went to. Bad, I know. But. I was so sleepy I just couldn't stop it. We taught 20 lessons this week. Good grief.

Anyway.

Sister Warren and I have been tearing it up out here. Seriously. We found 8 new investigators. EIGHT. That is unheard of! I don't even know what we were doing differently, that's the crazy part. Anyway. 

One really cool lesson was with our investigator, Brooklyn. Sister Warren and I were on splits because we had another lesson at that time, so I went to Brooklyn's. Now. I love that kid. She's 11 years old and is the bomb. Her mom is less active, and she's super nice, too. Anyway, I went over there with the ward relief society president, and I started off teaching the restoration. I taught the first 1/2 of it, and then I pulled out a Book of Mormon and started teaching about it. Cool story, I can't even remember what I said about it. But I know I said that it was true, I knew it was true, and that she could learn so much about it. After that, I looked at her mom, and she was crying. Man. That was so amazing. It was a great experience to be able to have.

I got to see Roz this week too! It was so weird though, realizing how much of a bubble I'm in. I literally have no idea what's going on in the real world, it's kind of funny. But it was great to be able to see her and her friends. We went to this little taco/Mexican food place in Rigby. Pretty cool!

I'm playing violin in church next Sunday. And singing. I'm kind of...improving [improvising ?] over a song. They just handed me some music for the song they're singing and said, Can you play this? Hmm...ok. Another lady and I are playing and people have said it sounds really good..even though I'm just kind of improving on the spot. I'm also singing in the other song. I was there during a practice, and noticed all their tenors are 12 year old boys. So I told the choir director that I can sing tenor, too. She got really excited and asked me if I would do so. So, I'll report next week on how that went.

Yes, I did get the Christmas package! It's under our "tree." Haha. At first, we drew a tree on a piece of paper and taped it up, but then a lady we visit often made us a tree out of construction paper and tinsel. It's awesome and I love it.

The Christmas Tree

Anyway. We're keeping busy and teaching a lot. We have solid baptism dates for December, January, and February. All of them are 10 year olds...but. I think It's awesome. 

Splits with Sister Grey

Sister Jedis - with Sister Dearden

Sister Jones' last night

Sisters Dearden and Hancock were transferred out of Morgan's zone...

A little late, but still relevant.

December - December 8, 2014

It's four months until my birthday. Just so you know. 

My week went pretty well! It was interesting. That's for sure. Yeah. 

Anyway.

I hung out with different companionships in Rigby the first part of the week. On Wednesday, we drove up to Rexburg and got my new companion. Sister Warren is from California, has been out 10.5 months, and is a freaking hard worker. Good grief. I'm trying to catch up with her, and it's hard, but I'm learning. 

It isn't. Oh man. I was feeling pretty gross on Friday. My insides wanted to be on my outsides. Oh well. You learn and you grow.I learned that egg nog is bad for me. So remember how I'm allergic to milk? Whenever I drink milk, i feel gross. But, I thought egg nog was fine. 

I also learned this week that priesthood blessings are the best. I was getting stressed out progressively during the week...and then I got a blessing on Saturday, and I felt 100 times better. It was pretty cool! They're great. 

Hmm. We've just hit the ground this week. Literally. We're walking all around neighborhoods trying to find people to teach. Finding isn't my favorite.... but...you can't teach without finding people first. So there's that. 

We had a lesson with our Filipina investigator, Adela. I can't remember if I told you about her. But. She doesn't really speak English, so her daughter translates for her. Holy cow. That lesson was awesome! She knows the church is true, and she looooooves the Book of Mormon. Like, a lot. But, she won't be baptized yet because she doesn't understand the difference between the LDS church and the Catholic church. So, we'll explain that next lesson. She is so awesome. I love Adela so much.

That's pretty much it. I love all of you and I hope you have a good week!

Love, Morgan

Sister Sith

Rigby Zone in da HOUSE!!

Thanksgiving is sooonnnnn!! - November 24, 2014

It is. I'm excited. We have modified p-day so that we can have most of thanksgiving off. It's technically called a service day...but whatevs. I'm excited.

It's so good to hear BYU slaughtered Savannah State. Good grief, that was bad. Good for us, bad for them. Ha.

So! We had a good week. We went on exchanges on tuesday and I had to lead the area with one of the STLs along with me. Good news, I didn't die. Bad news, I almost ran over a dog. Every time I go on exchanges, I almost run over a dog. But, it went well and I feel a lot more confident to when Sister Jones leaves and I'm still here.

Speaking of which, my companion is leaving in a week! Holy cow. I don't want her to. She's been a fantastic companion. We have a really, reeeeeally similar sense of humor. Like, it's ridiculous how similar we are. But, I've learned a ton from her and I'm grateful we were together for the past few months. It's weird, all I know about being a missionary, i know from Sis Jones. It's all good things, though.

Last Monday, we went to an indoor trampoline facility thing. It was super fun, but the next day my back was sore. Sister Jones was sore too, and so were all the other missionaries that went. I don't quite understand because we didn't flop around on our backs....

We get transfer calls this tuesday. Eek. Everyone (meaning my leaders) keeps telling me I should train. I do not want to do that. That would scare the everliving daylights out of me. I'm sure it would also be really beneficial, but i have more fear than I have faith. it's something i need to work on. But, I'm excited to see what's going to be happening the next few weeks. I seriously doubt that I'll be transferred out, but I'm definitely getting a new companion.

This week was just a week full of realizations. I'm starting to realize how short of a time I actually have to be on a mission. Like.....it's basically no time at all. I'm also realizing I need to do more. We work and do a lot of things, but I can always do more. I'm also realizing I'm becoming a missionary. Like...I actually really want to be here. Really. At the beginning of my mission, I did, but I dreaded knocking on doors, time when we didn't have lessons planned, etc. But, i don't anymore. I want to go out and meet people. I seriously love being a missionary. It's one of the best things that could have ever happened to me. Ever. 

Yesterday, i was getting into the car and we were parked on ice, and I slipped and slammed my calf into the car. So, now I have a pretty nice bruise. 

I spoke in church yesterday! i talked about service. I think it went really well. I love service.

Anyway, that's pretty much all that happened this week. have a great week!

Addendum by Jenni Smith, Morgan's mom:

Morgan has asked to get Christmas cards from all of you!!  She would just love to hear from you.  Her address is listed here on the blog - it is the Mission Offices in Pocatello and they forward the mail onto the missionary:

Sister Morgan Smith

Idaho Pocatello Mission

135 S. 7th Ave

Pocatello ID 83201

SNOW. SNOW. SNOW. - November 17, 2014

So, it snowed this week. A. Lot. Holy cow. It got really cold, too. One night while we were driving around, it was -9. Man. I wanted to go somewhere cold..wish granted! It's been fun though. 

I drove in snow for the first time ever this week! I've lived in it before, but I've never driven in it. So that was..new. I go really slow. After zone training on Friday in Rigby, we did donuts in the parking lot so I can get the feel of driving in snow. It didn't really work out (me learning, at least) because I spent most of the time trying to make the car go out of control because it was fun. Don't worry, we were safe..haha. But it was so much fun to spin around! 

 [I will interject at this point that I do not condone her actions and I believe that missionaries should not be doing donuts in the parking lot.  What is wrong with my kids that they do these crazy things when they move away?]

Where are the wool mittens I knit for her??

We had zone conference this week. Elder Martino of the seventy came and taught the entire time. It was an 8 hour conference, and I learned a lot. 

Last Monday, we went laser tagging up in Rexburg. I was really bad at laser tag, because I kept running out into the middle of things and running after people shooting them. I had a pretty high shooting score...haha. Super fun, though. After that, we had a bonfire and roasted hot dogs and smores and sat around talking and laughing. It's fun to be able to do that kind of stuff.

Elder Sitivi has stolen Morgan's hat.  

Morgan wanted everyone to note the girl in the front roasting cauliflower.

Not too much has happened this week, really. A lot of people cancelled because it was snowing. We still have to work....don't cancel! Oh well. One of our investigators did come to church on Sunday! That was awesome, because for the past...2.5 months, he hasn't wanted to. So for him to want to come on his own and for him to stay the entire time, that was a huge breakthrough. We were really excited.

Yesterday, we were eating lunch at one of our bishops house. We were talking, and it turns out he played for BYU the first year LaVell Edwards coached! He showed me the letter of recommendation LaVell wrote for him some years ago. That was awesome. I'm glad to see BYU won yesterday! At least we're bowl eligible this year. So happy about that.

Sister Jones is leaving in 2 weeks! That is seriously sad. I will miss her. I won't have a companion for two days or so, so I'll go to Rigby and tag along with one of the sisters up there. It's crazy to think it's almost transfer time and I'm getting a new companion soon. 

Anyway, that's about it for this week. It was cold and snowy and lovely. :)
Love you!

IT'S SNOWING!!! - November 10, 2014

So, while doing my hair this morning, I heard Sister Andrus talking on the phone to someone about how it was snowing. So I ran out, and it was, indeed, snowing. AWESOME.

Happy birthday, Maddie!!!!!!! It's crazy to think you're 17. Weird.

This week....well. Let me tell you all about it. It was literally the best week of my entire life.

First. I've decided to keep track of how many bananas I've eaten on my mission. It's about 50-55 bananas so far, in case you wanted to know.

We went to the IF temple Visitor's center with the family our (now former) investigator is living with. It was awesome! She absolutely loved it. You'll have to come out to IF sometime and see the visitor's center, it's a great place to take investigators to feel the spirit. Oh man. So great. There is a Christus there, and you can really feel Christ's love when you listen to the recording they have.

Idaho Falls Temple Visitor Center

Our Thanksgiving dinner is set! We are eating with our ward mission leader in one of our wards. I'm excited, because that family is so cool. Sister Jones kept joking that she was going to try to get us to a vegetarian thanksgiving (she's a closet vegetarian, I'm pretty sure), but my fears have been laid to rest. 

So, there's such thing as a stake font filler. I found that out this week. Idaho is full of surprises.

On a sad note, the lady I had my first lesson with, Angela, passed away this week. We were driving by her house and noticed a ton of cars outside. We immediately pulled over, and the bishop was there. She passed about an hour before we got there. Her son that was baptized a few months ago is taking it pretty well. He's still sad, but he knows his mom is in a better place and isn't in pain anymore (she had two inoperable brain tumors and lung cancer). Her other kids aren't doing as well. It's a sad thing, but she isn't in pain anymore. 

Friday, we attended the re-baptism of a member that we've been visiting for a while. I love that family. It was a small service, but the Spirit was still definitely there. They looked so happy! It was great to experience.

Saturday was the best day of my life, not even joking. Alicia was baptized, and it was the most powerful, spiritual experience of my life. She was so ready to accept the gospel in her life. Everyone who came in contact with her (ward mission leader, district leader that interviewed her, bishop, etc) said that she had such a solid testimony. It's...it's hard to explain her story, I'll tell you sometime. And it's hard to describe this experience. I'll have to tell you in person. But, the entire service was amazing. Super spiritual. When she was actually baptized, and came out of the water, she was just sobbing. She wanted this so badly. During the intermission, Sister Jones and I played the "Because of Him" Mormon Message that was going around during Easter. It really hit me how much Christ does love us, and how much he has done for us. I shed a tear! See, I'm not a robot! It was just an amazing, amazing experience and I'm so eternally grateful I got to play a small part in that experience. I think I'm starting to understand how much joy missionary work can bring. I finally get it. A lot of people at the service said it was the most spiritual baptism service they've been to. I'm so grateful that I'm being able to have these experiences.

Alicia's baptism

Other than that, the week went pretty well. Weeks are starting to blend together. It's getting colder. I love it. I love my mission.

Love,

Morgan

And sometimes the elders like to mess with the sisters!!

NOVEMBER - November 4, 2014

Hey!

It's getting nice and cold here. It was 32 this morning. It's the best.

But, this week went pretty well! Last Pday, we went and carved pumpkins with our non-district district (we used to be in their district, but we got switched from Iona to Rigby. Lame). My pumpkin was tiny, so I just carved a smiley face in it. it's so cute and sits on our door to the garage at home.

Morgan's happy pumpkin

On Wednesday, we went to the temple! It was sooooo beautiful. I had such a good time. I love how the Rexburg temple sits on a hill all cool like that. The inside was amazing. It was nice to relax and have a nice, peaceful time at the temple. The couple that took us is a recently reactivated member, they were just sealed last year. They are awesome.

At the Rexburg Temple with Sister Jones and a couple from Ucon.

Morgan and Sister Jones at the Rexburg Temple which is on the same street Rozzie lives on, less than a mile away!!

Halloween was pretty awesome. Our zone got together in Rigby and we were able to watch real people movies and we had a dinner we made. We watched Frozen (even though everyone voted for the Lego Movie!!!! our district leader wasn't happy about that) and Heaven is For Real. We cooked breakfast for dinner and Sister Jones and I made pancakes. It was a really fun night. It was also weird at first because I was like, I'm not supposed to be watching this! But then I remembered that we were allowed to. So that was good.

I'm reading Proverbs right now. At the temple, I flipped open a bible and opened up to that, so I'm reading a lot out of it. It's a really cool book! I'm learning that I need to accept correction and chastisement because it will help me to grow.

We had interviews with President Brinkerhoff this week. He told me I look a lot more confident. I hope he doesn't think I'm confident enough to train this next transfer (train a new missionary straight out of the MTC). But, it was good to meet and talk with him. He said that he can tell that Sister Jones and I get along really well, have a good companionship, and that we're obedient. It's always nice to hear people say that.

So, here in Idaho (and probably Utah), only the stake center has a baptism font. In order to save time and resources and stuff like that, all the 8 year olds have a specified baptism day on Saturday at the beginning of the month. We went to one on Saturday, and I was expecting maybe 3 kids and 40 people there. No. Eight or nine kids were baptized and over 150 people were there. It was crazy. It's such a weird concept, I'm not used to it..but it was pretty cool to see. We taught one of the girls who was getting baptized all the discussions (her parents asked us to) so we were able to see her be baptized.

Yesterday, in testimony meeting, a kid came up and said a normal, 6 or 7 year old testimony, and then said, "I believe in the United States of America and know it is a real country." Ok. 

We're getting ready for our baptism on Saturday! Sister Jones and I are soooooo so so so excited. This girl is so ready and we are so excited for her. This girl definitely has a past, and you can see it. She's got a few tattoos and piercings, but that doesn't matter. All that matters is that I've seen a change in her and I know that she is solid in the gospel. She literally glows when we come over and see her. It's amazing to see the changes in people.

Love you all!

TWO MONTHS - October 27, 2014

I've been out two months today! Crazy. It feels like I got here just yesterday.

This week was pretty good. It wasn't all great, all the time, but it was still a good week. 

So. Last Monday, a less active that we teach texted us saying that she wanted us to get rid of her e-cigarette thing. Being the responsible, nice, conservative missionaries we are, we brought along a hammer to the lesson and smashed it. We poured the liquid stuff down the toilet and had her flush it, and then took the hammer to the cigarette. Oh man. That was so much fun! I loved it! We usually have the lesson at a members house, and she about died. I guess people aren't used to see missionaries smash things with hammers.

On Wednesday...oh boy. That was quite the day of situations. First of all, we were going through a neighborhood meeting members and asking who they knew would be receptive to the missionaries. There was also a girl walking the neighborhood, selling pies for a school fundraiser. We would be in a members home for a minute or two, and without fail, Pie Girl would ring the doorbell. It was so awkward. 

We had also met a woman (she was more comfortable speaking Spanish) on Saturday and set up an appointment for Wednesday. When we got there, the entire family was in the living room...being taught by the Spanish Sisters. Awkward. So there that was.

I had a dream this week we were trying to get the baptism ready that we have next week, and the only font available was the one located in my old apartment in Provo. So we drove down there, and it was a kiddie pool. That was a frustrating dream.

Remember the first lady I talked about that was dying? Yeah...she's not doing to good. We saw her this week for the first time in a month...and I seriously think she has about two weeks left to live. It's really sad. Her balance is horrible and forgets a lot of things. She told us she went to the bank to try to cash a check, and instead of bringing a check, she brought the shampoo bottle. it is pretty sad. 

I received the best postcard EVER this week and I'm sending a picture along. It is the best.

Morgan loves postcards!!!  This made her very happy!

We helped out at a school carnival this past friday. I worked in the food truck, that was a lot of fun. Sister Jones and I drank almost all the hot chocolate, because it was pretty cold.

Speaking of cold, it was 34 degrees when we left the house this morning. AWESOME.

Our investigator, A (different girl, we met her a few weeks ago) is getting closer to her baptism date! We are so excited for her. You can physically tell what conversion looks like. She looks so much happier and bright. Everyone notices it. Oh man. So cool. She called us "her missionaries" the other day, that was so cool. People are going to remember you when you help them turn their life around. It's amazing and I'm so blessed to witness it.

So on Friday night, we're on lockdown, so we get to go to Rigby and watch actual real movies with our zone! Not cheesy seminary movies or the district, but actual movies. We're excited for that.

Have a great week!

(Separate email)

That is awesome that you have your own missionary thing to do this week! Knocking on doors is pretty scary. But, of all the doors I've knocked, no one has bitten me yet, or thrown things at me. You can do it! In our missionary stress book, there's one suggestion to coping with things that are intimidating. It says if it is something that you can overcome with the help of the Savior, than move on without fear. I like that a lot. Have fun with that! Visiting teaching is so great. Here, people are assigned nonmembers to Visit teach as well. I had never heard that before.

I will try to write neater! Sorry! I like writing little....I will try to go slower and neater. I have gotten all the packages, I'm pretty sure. if its send by priority mail, it gets here a day after it gets to the mission office. I love the Batman stamps. And the return address labels! Thanks!

It is kind of annoying when missionaries go on about how much they miss home or miss their family. yes, I miss my family and being home, but that's not what we're supposed to be focusing on! Just go to work and you'll be a lot less homesick!!!! Ugh. Oh well. I guess I have to be patient and consider that not everyone lived away from home for three years and isn't used to it.

So, we live with a woman named _______ Andrus. Sister jones always calls her a different name, like Sally or Susy, and I feel like we're on Finding Nemo when dory would always get Nemo's name wrong. She brought that up the other day and we had a good laugh. But, she's an older lady in her 70's and her husband died a few years ago, so it's just us. We live on the ground floor in a spare room and have our own bathroom and a study room. We live in town in Ucon. The Andrus name is pretty big in Ucon, they've been here foreverrrrrr (like when Ucon was first settled). Sister Andrus is really nice, we play board games with her a lot. She's pretty good, she beat us three times when we played Rummikub last night. 

Definitely read PMG. It is such a good book. It has so much more than just the missionary lessons! It is such a good tool. I'm glad we have it available to us.

We had to reschedule our temple trip to this Wednesday because we had a meeting on Friday. But it's in the morning on Wednesday, and I'm really excited to be going! 

Making Jello Jigglers 

Crazy big pizza

Tracting

Transfer #2 - October 20, 2014

First off. Disregard anything I've said about how awesome BYU football is this year. This was the year to miss. I love them...but my heart couldn't handle it this year.

This week started Transfer #2! Crazy. Time flies. 

We went shopping this morning...and I bought baby bananas. They were just so cute, I couldn't not buy them! 

Last week, we went to a member's house in Rigby to pick pumpkins. I think Mom saw pictures...but yeah. We went with our zone. After, we went to a straw maze in Rexburg. It was ridiculously difficult. Good grief. It was my worst nightmare being trapped in something I'm so allergic to...oh well. We finished it, and it was pretty fun. Although I'm still finding straw everywhere. 

We did a tonnnn of service this week. We helped clean carpets, stack wood, and then we helped with a giant food drive in Rigby. Stacking wood was fun! I got so dirty though. I was wearing a white undershirt and the words on my t shirt got printed with dirt on the undershirt. Kind of funny. The food drive was awesome, too. There had to be over 500 boxes of canned food in this tiny room beneath the library. I had to have lifted over 100 of those boxes, moving them from the conveyer to their respective areas. SO MUCH FUN. I was definitely sore the next day but it was ok. I enjoyed it :)

Thanks for the package! I loved it. The t shirt was awesome too.

I'm the tallest person living in the house. Sister Jones is a half inch shorter than me, and the lady we live with is 5'1. I've never been the tallest. This is weird.

Sister Jones and I have decided (well...mostly me deciding, she just kind of laughed) that if the Book of Mormon had a soundtrack, it would be the Lord of the Rings soundtrack. 

So this week, we talked with a potential and a less active. They had a ton of things to say. Basically....don't go up to a convert and say that you don't like converts. Because that isn't nice. Be nice to people that are visiting during church!

Earlier this week, we were at someone's house who we had an appointment with. She wasn't home, so Sister Jones went around back to see if she was there. She wasn't, so we went by the wire fence to see her horses. The horses wouldn't come near the fence. I saw a wire on the inside suspended by yellow plastic things, and it was moving. I thought it was an electric wire, and I asked Sis Jones if she touched it...so she touched it. It shocked her reeeeally good. Or bad? Yeah. We both laughed at that. 

Hopefully we'll be able to go to the temple this week! A member is going to take us. I'm really excited.

So. Missions have ups and downs. This week had mostly downs, but it was still good. When there are more downs, you really have to choose what side to follow. You can't just give a half effort and expect to be ok. It's all or nothing out here. It's hard, but it's teaching me a lot. A. Lot. I like it.

I love you and hope you have a great week!

Hey mims! Thanks for the package this week! I loved it. :) 

Yesterday when I was journal writing, I listened to Amazing Grace played by bagpipes. It made me cry because it reminded me of you and i miss you. 

Did you get the letter I sent with the different papers? I hope you like them. it's just like a snapshot of my mission life. I sent another one today. When I get transferred, I send you my planners. They're like a journal of everything I do. It's cool to look at. 

We have lockdown on halloween night. I guess a few years ago, people dressed up as missionaries and did dumb things. So, we have to be with our zone and accounted for so president knows we didn't do dumb stuff. We get to watch a movie too! Jones said last year on halloween they watched Space Jam. I would be completely ok if we watched that again. 

Teaching is going pretty well, we have an investigator getting closer to her baptismal date, which is awesome. She is so cool. it's amazing how the gospel changes lives.

we probably get to go to the temple this week! I am so excited. The member's we're going with are taking us to the Rexburg temple. Cool stuff!

Morgan finds these doors difficult to tract.  

Food drive in Rigby.   

At the maze.  You have no idea how allergic she is to hay!!  I can't believe she went in!  We have had to bail (bale - hahahaha) on hay rides before!

Morgan's zone at the maze in Rexburg.  

Half Birthday! - October 13, 2014

So, it was my half birthday this week. i didn't do much other than recognize the fact it was my half birthday.

Transfer calls came and went and Sister Jones and I are staying in Ucon for 7 more weeks. She will die here (meaning she goes home after the transfer), and I don't know what will happen after that. We'll see! It's good here, though.

I also figured out that it's about 10% more cost effective to purchase a thing of 200 tic tacs versus the 60 tic tac thing. Fun fact.

Dad, THANKS FOR THE PACKAGE!! Those were all of my favorite things! Orange tic tacs are the best (nacho voice here).

this week, we had a zone comp study. Meaning, as a zone, we got together and studied. So that was cool! Because it was the last week of the transfer and a lot of people were leaving, we just bore testimony of stuff. It was great. I liked being able to know some of the missionaries on a more personal level. When people put on the suits and skirts and nametags, you always think that they're more...i'm not sure how to put it. You think they're perfect? Yeah. But you would never know that some missionaries read at a 5th grade level, or never prayed before their mission. I really liked that.

This week, we helped people move couches and move into a house. Tomorrow we're helping someone clean their carpets. it's always something. But, I like being busy like that. While moving a couch, I got a splinter and part if it stayed in my hand. So when we got home, I had to perform minor home surgery. Yeah. that was fun. But now my hand is spliter-less.

Also, could you send me a picture ASAP of me with the stingray I caught when fishing? I need it for a ward party this Saturday!

Fun story this week. So, everyone had been talking about "hobos." Like how they had hobos in the basement, or they saw a hobo running across the room. Or, they were bit by a hobo. I was getting so confused. How did these people get in their basements? And why do they bite people!? Sister Jones then told me they were spiders. Not people. I'm so glad I got that one figured out. I was actually confused for a while.

We set a baptism date with one of our investigators!!!! We met her a few weeks ago. I'll tell you her story some time. She's basically a miracle and I love teaching her. She came to us asking to set a date for her baptism, which never even happens. So we're excited!!

I spoke in Sacrament meeting again yesterday on Relying on the Spirit. I think it went pretty well.

We've been keeping busy and I love being here! 

Love,
Morgan

New haircut - and a different watch from the one I bought her... 

An under the sea moment at the Museum of Idaho.  They are Jelly Fish and  something else...

Museum of Idaho.  Morgan finds worthwhile things to do.  

With Sister Jones and Sister Dearden

A Llama??  He's supposed to be dead! - guess the movie

The zone picking out pumpkins.

The happy pumpkin owners!

Conference Week! - October 5, 2014

How about that general conference! It was so great. I loved Elder Bednar's talk and i want to take it and give it to everyone who isn't interested in listening to us! Seriously. It would help so much. We watched conference with our zone in Rigby.

So on Tuesday we went to Rexburg and got to watch Meet the Mormons. It was so so so good! It's supposed to open this weekend, and if you can, go see it. Seriously. It can open so many doors for us to teach. 74% of nonmembers who test ran it said they would recommend it and would be more willing to let the missionaries talk to them. Yeah. It is so good. My favorite part was about the Navy football coach. There was one part about a mom who sent off a missionary son, and almost all the sisters were crying. I shed a tear. But not that many because i'm still a robot. It was weird being in Rexburg tho and rozzie was so close!

We had exchanges this week with the sister training leaders. Sister Dearden came over and was with us for the day. That was fun. Sister Dearden is a hoot.

On the way to email, we passed a dentist place called "Gentle Dentists." The quotation marks weren't added, they were there on the sign.

Yesterday, after a month, I did my first door contact! I did not die. I was praying I wouldn't, and I didn't. But, a naked two year old boy answered the door. Awkward........

Transfer calls are this Thursday. WHAT. I'm almost done with my first transfer. I can't believe it. You really never know if you're going to be leaving or staying, so who knows what will happen. Transfers are next week. It's a 5 week transfer because president brinkerhoff has a meeting in Salt Lake? I think? and wants to be here for transfers.

This week we had the worst lesson ever with one of our less actives. She showed up drunk...yeah. The lady who's house we had it at was not happy. I was kind of ticked off...she wants to change but doesn't show it or put forth effort. 

We're still trying to find people, and it's not that fun, but we've got a few potentials that we might be able to teach. So that's cool. 

Love you!