I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith. - March 7, 2016

This is it. The last email. 

How do I even begin to start this one? This experience has been the best, most amazing, heart wrenching, uplifting experience I've ever had in my entire life. I have no idea how I did it, I really don't. I don't know how I made it, but here I am, at the end, writing my last email as a missionary. I can't believe it's almost over. 

I haven't been a perfect missionary. No one is. I'm convinced the system is set up in a way so that you fail every single day. That way, you learn how to really and truly rely on Christ. You learn what it means to stand back up after you fall.

So, here are some numbers and stats about my mission. I've had a whopping 18 companions, including those in the MTC  - Sisters Hatch, Sondrup, Jones, Warren, Kolo, Fa'oa, Boyd, Samanez, Wooten, Bell, Hansen, Dominguez, Hunkin, Stephens, Leon, Brewer, Hoffman, and Bueno. I've been in five trios. I've served in seven areas - Ucon, Pocatello West I, Tyhee II, McCammon, Grace, Inkom, and Eagle Rock. I've eaten 516 bananas on my mission. I've been a missionary for 558 days. My longest area was Ucon (six months), my shortest was Grace (two weeks), and my favorite area was Tyhee. 

The summer I spent in Pocatello was probably my favorite part of my mission. I learned how to be truly happy. I found what happiness is. I found it. No one can ever take that away from me. I love Pocatello and everyone I've met there more than anything. It's literally my favorite place on planet earth. I was sent exactly where I needed to go. I didn't need to serve my mission in some remote, exotic, far away place. Idaho was perfect for me, and will always be special to me. Idaho is my home. 

To everyone who has written me, thought about me, prayed, followed my mission blog, etc for the past 18 months, thank you. Thank you for your support. From the bottom of my heart, thank you. It's meant a lot. 

To everyone I've met on my mission, thank you for changing my life. Thank you for helping me find real happiness. Thank you for being some of the best people I've ever met before. I've met my best friends out here, and leaving is the hardest thing I've ever had to do.

To the missionaries I'm leaving behind in the field, make the most of it. It goes by fast. My mission has been the best experience of my life. I love you all so much, I'll miss you a lot. God speed. Don't get too trunky :)

I'll end this one with my testimony of the gospel. I've spent the last 18 months teaching, testifying, and growing. I know that the gospel is true. I know that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints is God's church, established again on the earth. I know it is. I couldn't say that before my mission. I thought it was a good idea, and I thought it could be true, but I can honestly say with all sincerity of my heart that I know it's true. I know that Joseph Smith was a prophet of God, and helped establish God's church again on the earth. He saw God and Jesus Christ. I know that the Book of Mormon is another testament of Christ. It's given me more power, more light, more knowledge than any other book has. It's changed me, and I know it can change anyone's life. I know God is real, and I know He loves us. He loves us more than any words can describe. His whole life, His existence, is dedicated to us. I know Christ lives. He lived for us, died for us, and lives again. Christ alone knows exactly what we're going through and exactly how to help us. He doesn't make everything perfect. But He does perfect us and builds us into the kind of people that can overcome anything. I know the Atonement, His sacrifice for us, works. I don't know how, and I don't think I ever will. But it works. This life is not easy. At all. But with Christ, it's possible. We can do everything with Him. I know He lives and I can't ever deny that. This gospel is the most important thing in my life, and I know I don't act like it all the time, but it is. I love it so much. It's changed my life and given me hope in a better world, one free of chaos, one free of everything bad. I know if I live my life in line with the gospel, I'll be ok. 

I have absolutely loved my mission. More than anything. But, I'm ready to go home. I'm ready to move on. I'm ready to start the next part of my life. I have given everything I have for the past 18 months, and now I'm ready to move on. I'm ready to serve in a greater capacity. I'm ready to try and change the world outside of Idaho. I'm ending happy.

To quote Paul the apostle, "I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith." 

I'll see you on the flip side. 

Sister Morgan Ruth Smith, Idaho Pocatello Mission

August 27, 2014-March 8, 2016

P.S. to all my friends still on missions, email me at morgan_r4@yahoo.com! LOVE YOU GUYS!

Last P-day, Ordinances, and Feelings - February 29, 2016

Well. Today's the last full p-day! We're not gonna focus on that because I'm having really mixed feelings right now. 

This week was..amazing. As you guys know, we had a wedding/baptism/everything this Saturday. It went so, so so amazingly well. It was perfect. So, this couple, Kate and Chuck, have been meeting with missionaries for the past three months or so. Their daughter, Lilly, got baptized a few weeks ago. Some incredible miracles have happened with them. I'll go into more detail when I get home, but Kate decided to get baptized. First, she and Chuck needed to get married. So they planned for it on the same day. It was just..amazing. Chuck got ordained to be a priest after that, and he was able to baptize Kate. It's so amazing to see the changes that people make. They are truly some of the best people I've ever met in my life. The next day, Kate got confirmed and Chuck was able to pass the sacrament. 

That's what missionary work is all about - helping people receive ordinances to come closer to God. That's what happiness is. I'm so glad I had this experience.

I'm feeling..really weird about coming home. Really weird. I don't know if I've done what I needed to do, I don't know if I've helped the people I needed to help, but..I know my time is coming. My time to be a missionary is almost over. But I still have seven days to work hard. That's what I'm looking forward to. We have the departing missionaries temple trip this week, I'm really looking forward to that. 

Love you guys! 

Haka with the Elders

Leann is a tag-along with the Sisters!!

Chuck and Kate's Baptism

Morgan

Thoughts and two weeks - February 22, 2016

I go to the mission home in 14 days. How insane is that. I remember when I was in my first area, about two months out, and I went to bed one night after a long day, I looked up at the ceiling, my eyes got wide...and I thought I would be a missionary forever. I was convinced I'd never go home. And now..I'm looking at it square in the face. That's insane.

This week was a nice, normal week. We taught a lot. We have a baptism/wedding this Saturday that we've been helping the family involved get ready for. That's been fun. I really like them a lot, they're amazing people. 

I spoke in church yesterday and I'm pretty sure that's the 25th time I've done so. 

So, I've had a few experiences this week that have really made me think about what brings actual happiness in life. I don't know everything, but I'm coming to realize that happiness is using our agency to follow the gospel. We use good judgement and do the things we know we need to do. Good judgement comes from experience, and experience comes from bad judgement. Sometimes we need to make dumb choices to know what makes us actually happy. You have to know the bitter to know the sweet. That's just how life is. We need to make mistakes in this life so we can know what makes us happy. We're going to make mistakes in life, that's going to happen. But we can learn from them, we can grow, and we can be better. I regret every mistake I've ever made, but I don't regret what I've learned from them. The gospel's where peace is. Life is complicated, but the gospel isn't. 

Life is hard. But the blessings of enduring to the end far outweigh the consequences of giving up. My mission has been so perfect, I can't wait to talk more about it at home. 

Anyway, have a fantastic week. I love you all! 

I was in a band - February 15, 2016

Biggest news of the week - I was in a band!

So, the trio of elders in the stake right next to us had a baptism this saturday. They were going to do a musical number, so I was like, hey, can I join in? So I brought my guitar and we were in a band! I did the bass line, Elder Wright did lead guitar, Elder Ieti did ukulele, and Elder Moe did lead vocals/guitar. It. Was. AWESOME. We sang a song called "Lovest thou me," i'll send you the recording we got of it. It was so much fun to do that. So now I can say I was in a band. Cool.

Other than that, this week was pretty...meh. Bueno was sick, she was..no muy bueno! hahahaha i never got tired of that. It was a pretty normal week otherwise. And I realized...it's the normal weeks that make the really good ones stick out. 

I got my flight plans. WHOOOOOOOO. It's all real now..haha

Anyway, have a good week!

Band Practice

I Found Crazy People

This week was so much fun. So last monday, i asked my companion where the sketchiest part of our area was. This led us to go tracting at a trailer park out in the sticks. I am SO GLAD we did so. The first door we knocked on, this guy spoke Spanish gibberish to us. Like, "holablahblah yo no hablah blah blah english" and then shut the door. Ok. Then we went to another trailer. We knocked twice, and right before the third knock, someone inside yelled out "NO!!" and we walked away as we stifled laughter. 

Then. We pass this lady outside and she yells, "Oh no, it's the God Squad! Come on inside!"...so we did. And i am forever grateful that we did. She went on a 30 minute rant on how she is neither a man nor a woman. And she didn't know what Idaho was. I'm pretty sure she was on several drugs. It was so crazy. At least we had a member with us. Hahaha. So i'm glad that happened.

Other than that, this week was great! Bueno and I get along super well. We've been working really hard and getting a lot of things done. We have a ton of appointments this week, which is awesome. I haven't had that since my first area. 

Things are going pretty awesome. The weeks are flying by and I don't have that many left, but i've still got time and i'm making the most of it. 

Love you!

Sup, IF - February 1, 2016

So this email will be much newsier than last weeks. Sorry! We didn't have much time...

Anyway. So transfers happened this week. We got to the transfer site in Pocatello around 7 in the morning, loaded up all my stuff onto the trailer, I got on the big van with a bunch of other sisters, and we went off. It was a total party on the way up there. There were like, 12 sisters in that van. It was awesome. We laughed the entire time. Then we got to Idaho Falls, I got off, met my comp, saw some old friends, and saw a bunch of missionaries I don't know. Seriously, I know like five people up here. I guess that's what happens when you spend most of your mission down south..oh well. My comp is Sister Bueno (yes, that's her last name) and she's from Georgia. She. Is. Awesome. Seriously, we've laughed so much the past few days. It's been so much fun. I like her a lot. 

So, the area. We cover Eagle Rock stake, and we have nine wards - 39th, Mill Run, Old Butte, Osgood, Pioneer, Rosewood, Sageview, Village Park, and Westview wards. It's a pretty big area, but we're always busy. Which is good. I spoke in church yesterday, that was fun. It was probably about my 25th time or so speaking in church. 

I. Have. Thirty. Five. Days. Left. That's crazy. I've been thinking a lot about how I'm going to continue to grow when I get home. i've been thinking A LOT about how I've changed, if I've even changed, etc. It's weird to think about going home. It's gone by so fast.. I have no regrets with anything here. I've loved it here and I'm excited to make five more weeks of memories, miracles, and good times. 

Love you!

Not much time – January 25, 2016

Sorry! We don't have too much time to email today. Biggest news of the week, I'm getting transferred up to Idaho Falls for my last transfer. I'll be in the Eagle Rock stake with Sister Bueno, she's only been out three months. So that will be fun!

It's a whirl of emotions being transferred for my last transfer. I'm sad to be leaving Inkom, but I know I need to find one more person. And they're up in IF. So. Yeah.

We went sledding this week and it was fun.

Anyway, Have a great week!

I'll have more to talk about next week, sorry!

Good-bye, Inkom

Brother Vanderkooi - Family History Center 

Farewell, McCammon

The Clark Family

The Sisters in the office

Morgan's new companion, Sister Bueno - in Idaho Falls (IF)

It's snowing, we were walking, and it was cold - January 18, 2016Flirty

Sounds about right. 

Remember a few weeks ago when I drove into a fence? So we had to take it back to the shop to get everything else fixed up. So we didn't have a car this week. That wasn't fun. But it's ok. It was snowing a crap ton, but it's ok because i like snow.

So. Even though it wasn't a huge, successful week (it was pretty normal, nothing huge happened), it just hit me how much this experience means to me. I love it. I love it so much. 

Here's a funny story. So we're teaching a family and they have an 8 year old son who...is really flirty. On Saturday, we were at their house. He kept hugging me and before we left he asked, "Can you sleep over in my room?" hahahaha. At church on sunday, he sat next to me and drew me a picture of us. He's such a cute kid. 

Flirty boy on the left!!  I love that Morgan is giving us one of her authentic smiles!!

Anyway, transfer calls are this week. At this point, anything can happen...so i'll let you know next week what happens. Literally anything could happen. But...its my last transfer and that's so weird. Ugh. 59 more full proselyting days...haha. 

Love you!

morgan

End of My Blackout Year - January 4, 2016

So in missionary terms, your blackout year is the year you spend entirely on your mission. And...mine is over. The time has gone by so fast. I can't believe it. I honestly can't. 2015 has been the best year of my life, hands down. It's been the most incredible experience I've ever had. I can't even put into words how much I loved 2015. And 2016 is prepping to be pretty dang good, too! But, I realized yesterday kind of why 2015 was the best. About May of last year, I was miserable. I wasn't having fun, I wasn't really progressing, anything. And I prayed that something would change. God sent me my answer in a 4'11 Peruvian companion who taught me how to work hard and completely forget about myself. And I realized...I am truly and honestly only happy when I think about other people and forget about myself. Before the mission, my life was the Morgan Smith Show. Everything was about me. Everything I did..it was mostly for me. Even my reasons for going on a mission was because of me. And I realized..that doesn't matter at all. I don't matter. Other people do. I am completely happy when I forget about myself and focus on others. That's why 2015 turned out to be one of the best years ever. My life isn't really about me anymore. I'm not perfect...I still think about myself a lot. But. I'm working on changing, and that's what matters.

Anyway.

This week was amazing! We had the opportunity to go to the temple in Rexburg and that was awesome. A ton of miracles happened this week. We had a referral that we went to go contact on Tuesday night. it was 8:45, dark, snowing, cold, etc. But we knocked on this guys door, and it went perfectly. We set a return appointment, and when we came back, his less active wife was there and was talking about how she wanted to go to church again and how she wants her husband to be baptized and stuff like that. They're in the perfect position to accept the gospel, too. It was perfect.

We also set a baptismal date with one of my favorite investigators! Pleaseeeee pray that she'll know that February 13th is when she needs to be baptized. She's got some stuff she needs to overcome, but she's amazing and we love her a lot. She needs a lot of prayers.

New Years was awesome, too. On NYD, we had a giant breakfast thing at President's house. It was so much fun! We had a huge game of Phase 10 going on at one point. Like, 10 of us were playing at once. It was awesome.

Anyway, have a great week! 8 more.

Merry Christmas, Indeed – December 28, 2015

Dang, Gina. This Christmas was so good. Obviously you saw me for about an hour..but here's how the rest of the day went.

So, we woke up around 8 (all day pdays mean we can sleep in) and opened presents. I promptly put on my new sweats and wore my Vans blanket around and put on new socks. So. Thank you for those!!

We had breakfast with the Nelsons (the people we live with). They had all their family over, so that was fun. Then, we went and skyped. I graced you all with my face and funny stories.

Then, we drove down to McCammon and had lunch with one of the bishops that Sister Brewer was close with. She served in McCammon for like, 7 months by the way. So. That was fun! He was the bishop in the ward where Janice got baptized, and he said she's been coming to church every sunday! that was soooo good to hear. But we had fun, played phase 10, and then we drove back to inkom.

We had dinner with one of our Ward mission leaders, Brother and Sister Clark. I just love them. They are amazing, and dinner was so much fun.

Then, we went to the institute building in pocatello and watched movies and played games during the evening. So, it was a fantastic christmas.

So, the baptismal date we set didn't really work out as we would have hoped. But...it's ok. We did all we could. And we'll still work with them. It's all good, though.

We're going to the temple tomorrow. HALLELUJAH. I am SO EXCITED. We're going with the Clarks, so that will be fun. Yayyyyyyy

anyway, have a great week! love you

Going out for hibachi

New Year's Eve 

A visit to the Rexburg Temple

I ran in to a fence

Big new3s of the week - I drove into a fence. I was on the intersection of Grant and Main in Inkom. And i was trying to stop at this stop sign, and instead of stopping, the car skidded, started sliding, went through the intersection, and into the fence. I saw it coming...and there was nothing I could do to stop it. Hahahaha. It was actually really funny. I broke part of the fender, cracked part of the front of the car, broke the axle, bent the wheel...yeah. So. There that was. I have since given up driving.

The transfer was this week and now I only have two more. What. But it's been fun and we've been working SO HARD. Like, really really hard. I'm almost sure we had more lessons this week than we did all of last transfer. Yeah. We actually found a new investigator this week, too! So I was stoked about that cuz we've had next to nothing going on the past few weeks. So. That's cool. 

I'm with Sister Brewer and Hoffman, Brewer goes home in 9 days, that's crazy. She's from Tennessee. Hoffman is from Pittsburgh and has been out like five months. They're both stellar missionaries and I'm enjoying being with them. We laugh a lot. 

Here's another funny story - we went up to this door to knock, and Brewer goes to open the screen door...and the handle breaks off. We were dying. No one answered...so we just left. Oops. But it was so funny.

I love my mission. I've been thinking about that a lot these past few weeks. It's completely changed how I think about things. I'm still the same person. I'm still Morgan, but the way I think about things and what I see as important in life has completely changed. That's exactly what I needed. My mission has been perfect for me. I haven't been in leadership my entire mission, I haven't had the most numerical success, but it's been perfect for me. 

Merry Christmas, can't wait to talk to you this week! 

Love, Morgan

Uhh-ohh...

New comps:  Sisters Brewer and Hoffman

Inkom, Round 2. And 12 weeks left. - December 14, 2015

WHAT. 12 weeks left. Crazy.

This week was pretty good. IT SNOWED FINALLY. 

Transfer calls came, and I'm staying in Inkom. Sister Leon is going to Pocatello, and I'm getting two sisters. One is going home at the end of the month, and the other has been out about 4 months. So, that will be fun. Hopefully...we'll be able to find more people to teach, cus...we're kind of empty right now. But. That's ok.

So here's a funny story from the week - we were driving around Inkom, and we see this deer. It ran across the road. Then. A whole heard of like, 20 deer ran across the road. You know you've been in Idaho too long when a herd of deer run across the street...and it's funny. 

Anyway, Christmas is coming up and I'm super stoked. I'll talk to you then!

I always send Morgan some fun decorations

She found some ice

Friends at Zone Conference 

More Zone Conference

Beautiful Inkom

I was ill - December 7, 2015

I was ill this week. It was horrible. I kept getting really, really hot and then really, really cold and i was nauseous and it was just gross. But. I am better!

We had zone conference this week and it was awesome! I got to see a ton of my friends and that was fun. Sister Wooten straight up gave me a quesadilla maker for Christmas, haha. So then we had our Christmas talent show. And...well, I'll sing you the song I did when I get home. It was hilarious and everyone was laughing. It was a fantastic conference. I learned a lot.

Yesterday was just a fantastic day. We were sitting in Sacrament meeting, and I just felt..amazing. Taking the sacrament is the best part of the week. The chapel doors are literally the start and finish lines to my week. I love it. You know, I really wasn't that great of a person before my mission. I wasn't. But because of the Savior and because the sacrament, I can be better. I can start over each week. And that's fantastic. 

Thanks for everything you guys do, I really appreciate it. I love Idaho so much and I'm stupid happy to be here. Have a great week!

Morgan

Post Thanksgiving Thanks - November 30, 2015

This week was awesome! Thanksgiving was THE BEST. It snowed so much the night before, so the roads were covered. It was so cold! I LOVE THE COLD. It's the best. And the snow. So, obviously..we went to a church parking lot and spun a few donuts and drifted a bit. Don't worry, we didn't get into any accidents!

But..then...i got stuck in a ditch/tree thing. Driving up in Pocatello. Oops. It was so funny though. So it was worth it.

Dinner was great. I spent it with one family i met in Tyhee that I absolutely love, so that was good. We had so much fun. That evening, our zone met at the mission office building and we played Murder in the Dark. That was so funny. There were about 30ish people there. So, thanksgiving was thanksgave and it was the best.

We had a really cool lesson this week with a family we've been teaching. The parents aren't members, but the kids were baptized last year some time. We read 2 Nephi 2 with them, and it was absolutely amazing. There was such a warm, peaceful feeling while reading that. It's stuff like that that makes missions worth it. I felt like I was on fire. I absolutely love the Book of Mormon and i love the peace that it brings. 

We have a busy week this week with zone conference, zone meetings, etc. Should be fun. 

Anyway, have a good week! Love you,

Morgan

Giving thanks while thanking gives and give thanksgive and...thanksgave - November 23, 2015

It's thanksgiving this week. If you didn't know that. Hahahaha. 

Ok i worked really hard on that subject line...thanks for putting up with me.

Anyway. This week was pretty good! A lot of good things are happening in Inkom. Tonight, we have a  lesson with a new investigator. She's 11 years old, has been to church a ton of times, and wants to be baptized and her parents finally gave her permission! So that's pretty exciting. 

Last night, we had dinner with a family that had six boys and one girl. We were giving a spiritual thought and talked about how we can obey the commandments. The one year old girl got up and started talking, and her brother interrupted. She turned around, pointed at him, and said, "Go to your bed now!!" It was hilarious. 

I got my trunky email this week. WHAT. That's dang crazy. It has gone by so stupid fast. Last year at this time, I was pretty sure I would be a missionary forever. And now the end is in sight and that's really, really weird. 

I love this time of year. I love how happy everyone is. Thanksgiving is the best. This week, remember all the blessings you have that you can be grateful for. Gratitude makes a huge difference. 

Also, I was looking over emails I sent like, a year ago...I'm sorry my emails have gotten progressively shorter. Much shorter. The days all feel the same. 

LOVE YOU HAVE A GREAT WEEK!

Stinkom - November 16, 2015

Hi!

This week in Inkom was good. We're kicking butt, teaching all sorts of lessons, and trying to find new people. There aren't that many new people in Inkom, because it's so small. But that's the hard/fun part. Inkom is a really, really hard area. It's tiny. But that's the fun part. I really, really kind of like Inkom a lot, because it's so difficult. It's so pretty here, too. 

We've had some bomb lessons this week. We taught this lady from Bulgaria and she had a TON of questions. It was so cool to be able to answer all her questions from the scriptures. She had some really hard questions too. But that was cool.

My companion is Sister Leon. She's so sweet and adorable and little. She's been out 11 months so that's cool. She's even served in Inkom before, for six months. So she knows everyone. Everyone. That's super helpful.

So I lost my camera charger, that's why I haven't sent any pictures for a while...my bad.

Anyway, i love you guys! It's starting to snow here and I LOVE IT. I LOVE THE SNOW AND THE COLD. I can finally wear my winter hats. And good socks. I love the cold so much.

love you!

Morgan

I've decided. I never want to relive transfer 10 again. - November 2, 2015

So, big news of the week. I got Emergency Transferred...yet again. Right back to my old area in Marsh Valley. Well, technically right now I'm in Inkom with the sisters there. But some people went home and stuff...so I got sent right back to where I was. So. Yeah. 

At this point, I'm just mentally exhausted from changing every two weeks. It starts to take a toll on you. Good gracious. 

Halloween was pretty fun though. I was still in Grace at that point, so we went to Soda Springs and hung out with missionaries there. We watched "The Cokeville Miracle" and that was fun. We just messed around for a few hours. At one point, one elder climbed up to the top of the basketball hoop in the gym and was swinging from that. So there that was. Haha.

Anyway, endurance. That's the name of the game at this point...haha. But that's when you really grow. Pushing forward even when mentally, you have nothing left, is dang difficult. But that's when you really grow. I came on my mission to grow, so..I guess I'm getting what I asked for. And that's ok.

Anyway. Love  you guys! have a good week

I'm So Tired - October 26, 2015

As I approach 14 months of being a missionary....i'm so tired. I kind of feel like I've hit a wall of some sorts. I honestly don't know how I'll have the energy to do four more months. But. Somehow, I'll be able to do it. I don't know how, but I'm just going to do it.

Anyway, Grace is awesome. It's such a cute little town. I'm turning into a hick out here. The truck we have is my favorite thing to drive. I have camo shorts. Farming sounds like fun. Mom, I know this may disappoint you, but I LOVE IT HERE. Haha. 

I really wanted to talk more about what I've learned this week. I mean, it was a good week workwise, but I just want to tell more about what I've been learning. 

So, i'm on this kick where I'm reading all of the epistles in the New Testament...backwards. So I started with Jude, and then John, and then Peter, etc. So this week I finished Colossians. I highly recommend it, it's a fantastic book. Paul's writing this epistle to those in Colosse to show that sanctification really only comes through unification with Christ. So he just goes to town telling us how to do that. I absolutely love what he says in chapter 3:9-10, "Lie not one to another, seeing that ye have put off the old man with his deeds; And have put on the new man, which is renewed in knowledge after the image of him that created him." I've been working all my mission to put off the "old man" that I was before my mission. I just..i never want to be that person again. Because of this whole experience, I've been made into something completely different. A new man, as it says in verse 10. I can't return to who I was. And that's really ok. I love my mission and everything I've been able to gain from it. It's fantastic. 

This week we were able to see a couple who, by the looks of it, had a rough past. At first glance, the husband looks pretty scary. But. We started talking about stuff they need to do to be sealed in the temple, and they just glowed. They've still got some stuff to overcome, but they're on the right track. They read scriptures when things get hard. They text each other quotes and scriptures and stuff throughout the day. I have so much respect for them. They get it. They understand the gospel. It can change lives. It's changing their lives right now. It was such a cool experience.

Anyway, hope yall have a great week. I love Grace, I love my companions, and I love being a missionary. See ya!

The District

She's liking it in Grace

Still likes Halloween!!

Something about Quesadillas... October 19, 2015

Quote attributed to one of my new companions, Sister Dominguez.

Well, big news of the week. I was ETed to Grace! I'm now in a trio with Sister Dominguez and Sister Hunkin. Basically, it's been a party since Friday. I spent most of the week in Soda Springs on a five day long exchange, and then got sent to Grace on Friday morning. I'm about 100% happier here, I love my life, and WE HAVE A TRUCK. I love driving that thing. 

So Janice Hall got baptized this week! She's the 92 year old I've been talking about. She actually turned 92 on her baptism day. It was such a cool thing to be a part of. She looked so adorable. She was terrified of water, but she did it. Dang. That was one of the coolest baptisms I've seen.

The other day, after I went to Grace, my comps and I were in a lesson and were going to share a scripture. All three of us happen to open to the same scripture, Mormon 9:21, which states, "Behold, I say unto you that whoso believeth in Christ, doubting nothing, whatsoever he shall ask the Father in the name of Christ it shall be granted him; and this promise is unto all, even unto the ends of the earth." I love that scripture. It's fantastic. And, it was perfect to share with them. It's true, though, when we completely rely on Christ, miracles can happen. So that was legit.

Last night, I was asked to play violin at a music fireside in Pocatello. That was so much fun. I love playing violin at stuff. I played "Savior, Redeemer of my Soul." I got the music Saturday, and then played it Sunday. So. There that was. Sometimes, I think they (meaning the other missionaries who set up the fireside) have too much confidence in my abilities..but it went really well anyway. It was a lot of fun.

Anyway, love you all!

Janice's baptism

She likes the truck...

They have fun...

Morgan didn't have much to say - October 12, 2015

We did a ton of service this week. Like helping pour concrete and brain tanning a deer hide. So that was legit. 

This is the pile of cats that live at our house. How many cats are there? Exactly one pile. 

Week 2 in the middle of nowhere - October 5, 2015

So, biggest news of the week. Bob got baptized on Tuesday! I got to go up to his baptism, and oh sweet mercy it was the coolest thing I've ever seen on my mission. Seriously. That man is amazing. It was one of the coolest experiences to be able to see where he was 4 months ago and see him when he went into the water. I'll never forget that. Never. It was fantastic. 

I got sick on Saturday night and upchucked everywhere! It was gross. So I stayed home Sunday and listened to conference then. I feel better now. 

We've still got a ton of work to do. We have a ton of lists that have part member families, unbaptized youth, etc that we're just going through. Especially for the Arimo/Downey side of the area. So that's been fun.

We're teaching this 92 year old lady named Janice and she's getting baptized on the 15th. So that's exciting. 

Anyway, have a great week!

Bob and his wife Tammy at his baptism

Bob - Morgan was sure excited about this baptism!!

Chief Pocatello

Transferred out of Pokey!

The Sisters and Hermanas make a road trip

Yellowstone 

Road tripping with the Sisters and Hermanas!

My guess is that this is on the return trip.

Jackson Hole, Wyoming - It is a rule that you stop and take pictures at the arch.

And all the way into Montana!!

Welcome to McCammon, population...no one.

I thought Ucon was small? Yeah. No. Not even close. Ucon was a thriving metropolis compared to Marsh Valley. 

So, in my new area, we cover every small town from McCammon on down to Swan Lake. We have Lava Hot Springs (pronounced Laava, if you say it normal, the locals get mad..), McCammon (only cowboys live here), Arimo (population 300), Virginia (no one actually lives here), Downey (it has 2 gas stations!!!), and Swan Lake (I think 10 houses are there). So. Yeah. It's a beautiful area though! It's so cool. There's just nothing there...hahaha. But that's ok. We cover a stake and a half (Arimo stake and the McCammon part of McCammon stake) and there's so much to do. There's basically no work going on in Arimo stake right now, and there's not much to go off of. There aren't many records and stuff, so we're basically whitewashing into that part of the stake. So. There's SO MUCH to do. It's going to be fun :)

Anyway, I'm super stoked for tomorrow. Bob's getting baptized!!! I'm soooo so so excited. 

Pocatello was dang hard to leave. I miss it already. It was hard to say bye to some of the people here. Friends, other missionaries, my compa...yeah. It sucked. But. I'm supposed to be here for a reason, so I'll stay in McCammon.

Hmm. What else? We set a baptism date with a 92 year old lady in one of our wards this week. She's so....grumpy. But. She wants to be baptized, so that's cool! It's for October 15th, her birthday. So. Yeah. There's that.

anyway, that's what's going on this week. Love you!

Then I emailed her really quick and reminded her that she gave me no information about her new companion!!  She responded:

Her name is sister Hansen, she's been out six weeks longer than me and She's from Georgia! Another georgia comp haha

oh goodness we have sooooooooooooooo much work to do. there's absolutely nothing going on in arimo stake right now. But we have a good plan and we're going to baptize people there!

Bob Hensley's baptism is tomorrow. I am SO EXCITED!!!!!!!! I get to go back for it. Bob has the coolest story. Thank you so much for praying for him.