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!