Training probs

At the departure breakfast, they have the missionaries going home give a training/testimony after their slideshow. Sister Flink went home this transfer. She was only with us in the VC for the last week and a half but wow, she is so incredible. Such a consecrated missionary. I love getting to learn so much from these amazing sisters, especially the ones going home. They are so incredible. Sister Flink bore such a powerful testimony and pointed out many times how short the time we have here really is. That is something that just recently, like 4 days ago, is really hitting me. It seems so crazy that I have already been out on my mission for almost 4 months. It doesn't seem real. The time missionaries have is sooo short and soo sacred. I know that this time is going to continue to fly by. This is the only time in my life that I will have to dedicate everything that I have to the Lord and to spend everything I have on testifying of my Savior and His restored gospel and SHARING it with others. This gospel is amazing and life changing. Everyone needs to have the opportunity to hear this message and decide for themselves if they will accept it. I love every single day I have out here on mission. It's a once in a lifetime experience and a time for so much growth to happen.

Thursday morning, I went into the chapel of the stake center to wait to meet my new compy. ☺️ there were only two sisters coming out, so the other sister and I were trying to guess who went with who. Haha. President assigned the sisters first. My new companion is Sister Flake! She is the cutest thing ever. She is from Spanish Fork, UT and we are the exact same height ❤️.

Her first day.. Was crazy. Ha. Filled with meeting with President Vest about an investigator, crazy dinner appointments, oh yeah, and teaching the law of chastity on her very first lesson! Hahaha but she made it through the craziest week ever. So she's set for her mission!

A little bit about the crazy week, in a very very simplified version: Kyle got baptized this week and we pretty much didn't know if he would be getting baptized until Saturday afternoon. Soo, before Saturday, trying to do everything we could to make sure the baptism would still go through and then the next 12 hours after we found out it was a go... Planning a whole baptismal service. Oh yeah, and neither of us had planned a baptism before. Ha. #trainingprobs. I feel so bad, she'd ask me a question about missionary work or baptisms, and I just give her an awkward laugh and say, "I have no clue. Ha" she's a rockstar for putting up with me.

But, KYLE GOT BAPTIZED! This week was literally filled with the most happy feelings I've ever had on mission and also the exact opposite of those feelings. But back to what an old district leader told me my first week in the mission, "the heights of the highs, outweigh the lengths of the lows" #preach.

We had his baptism right after church, it was the most perfect thing. He COULD NOT stop smiling the whole day. He walked into church with a suit and his beard shaved, and just the biggest smile. I didn't think he could smile any bigger... Until after he was baptized. You couldn't pay him enough money to stop smiling. Haha. He is seriously amazing. It was such a joy and privilege to get to see him make those covenants with his Heavenly Father on Sunday. Guys! I can't even describe to you the joy of missionary work! Look up Alma 26:16 to hear a better description of how I feel, haha.

The only request he had for his baptism was that we sing Nearer My God to Thee. It's his favorite song (because apparently it's in titanic) and that his family came. It was a great day. Also, he loves mozzarella sticks, so Sister Flake and I made him this for a little congrats gift. :)

Some other highlights about this week:

There was a CRAZY storm that Sister Flake and I got to brave. I don't know what it is about Missouri feeling like it needs to give every missionary a welcome gift through crazy storms and tornados! Haha

We were dripping wet by the time we made it back to the VC that evening. We couldn't see a thing as we were driving back, definitely nothing like Vegas "rain".

Miracle Tuesday: the whole week, Sister Flake and I had been talking about how we wanted to find a new investigator who was solid. We are here to teach the elect. "The field is WHITE already to HARVEST". We are harvesters as missionaries. We've been praying so hard to find this new investigator and to be led by the Spirit to find them. Tuesday afternoon, we found three new investigators within an hour who are SOLID. We were going to try a former investigator in an apartment complex, when we started talking to someone in the parking lot on the way to the house. This lady was so sweet. She was waiting for her son to get home from school. Her son, Logan, got off the bus (a cute little red headed boy with Down's syndrome) and said, "it's rapunzel!" Yeah. Heart. Melted. Then, the apartment we went and tried was such a miracle. The former investigator we were looking for had moved, but this new couple who had moved in were so interested in the message we shared with them. God is a God of miracles. He listens to each of us and is involved in the details of our lives.

Oh! I don't know how I could forget! But Saturday was Dress like a Pirate Day at Krispy Kreme! Soo, of course that's where we were during our lunch hour. The workers smhed at our costumes. Haha

Bottom line: You do what you gotta do for free donuts. We were walking in and saw on the sign, "must have three of: then a list of pirate costume stuff" we had a scarf wrapped around our waists and our eye patches... Whoops. We decided that we could still make it work, and made ourselves some hooks 😂

Ahh! I feel like this week was a whole month with everything that happened! Sorry this email is soo long!

We traded a Book of Mormon with this couple who wanted to give us their Jesus Person Pocket Promise Book. Ha. Something that I am so grateful for as I have been able to talk to so many people of pretty much every religion around, is prayer. So many people we talk to say, "well I'll show this Book of Mormon to my pastor as see what he tells me to do or I'll ask my preacher what he says about that belief". It makes me so sad. I wish that everyone knew and understood that it is so much more efficient to go directly to Heavenly Father and ask Him what is true or not. We always tell people to never take our word, everyone needs to pray and ask God if the Book of Mormon is true or whatever the question may be. I'm so grateful for the freedom that I have and the opportunity I have to ask questions about life or anything and receive answers directly to the being that created everything on the Earth, our Heavenly Father.

Ummm.. Sister Flake had NEVER had Chick Fil A before! So I made sure she got to try some, and mostly just filled the craving I had of not having it in like 5 months!

Last but not least, I can now say I have seen a crazy weird Missouri bug, I mean there are tons of them, but this is apparently a walking stick... Like the guy in A Bugs Life. It was huge and so strange though. We stuck a Book of Mormon in there so you could see size, and so that I could remind you to read it ;)

I love you all so much. Thanks for everything you do. You all rock. Special shout out to Summer Lawson, happy belated birthday friend.

Don't forget the important things in life, the gospel, your testimony, and your family.

Ahh! I love you all so much you have no idea. I have such a great week.

Sister MorganHaha hi family!
I feel like I haven't talked to you in forever! But hello! Welcome to
transfer 3 and Thursday pdays!

So to my title... Training probs. I have to just laugh at myself so
many times as I am training a new missionary. I make sooo many
mistakes that are just hilarious because they are such obvious
missionary things that I shouldn't have forgotten them. Example A,
last night at prayer meeting. Yesterday being Wednesday.. Aka a week
into the transfer! I looked over at my cute companion (I'll get to her
in a bit) and realized that every single night of daily planning so
far we haven't set daily goals!! I'm blaming having to plan on the
iPad for this. He he. But wow, rookie mistake on my part. I'm pretty
sure there's a whole section in Preach My Gospel about the importance
of setting goals. Ha.

Anyways, before we get to this transfer... Wrapping up last
transfer... Had to say goodbye to my momma, Sister Hansen :( she's off
to St. Joseph, MO. Here's all the VC and Jail sisters at the transfer
departure breakfast. (Last Wednesday morning of the transfer)

Transfer week! ... not a newbie anymore I guess

Hello!!!!

I just got back from the temple this morning. I LOVE the temple. I have missed going so frequently so much! The Phillips, one of the senior couples that serves at the VC with us, took us. They're my favorite :)

Our last PDAY together :(

Wow, this week... I know for sure that I will not be able to say everything that I want to about this week. It was.. Crazy. Haha. Perhaps one of my favorite weeks on the mission. I think the reason why is because I learned so much. I went on exchanges in Kearney, MO on Wednesday with Sister Prior, our sister training leader. It was soo good. She is amazing. I learned so much from her. I think the main thing that stuck with me from the exchange is something that she has learned on her mission. She said, "we are all given the same amount of time out here on a mission". She was saying how we all have the opportunity to choose how we use that time. And how we want to serve the Lord... It pretty much comes down to consecration, which has been one of my goals and one of the things I have been trying to work on my whole mission. And not only for my mission, but for my life. I want to live a consecrated life. In essence, prioritizing what is really important. For me, I want to make a better effort at making sure my Savior comes first. Always. And that me and my family always stay close with each other. What is it for you? I love that we can apply what Sister Prior says all the time. We are each given this day. It is up to us how we choose to live it. I love the scripture that says, "Choose ye this day whom he will serve"

The Willis House sisters: ❤️ I have grown to love these sisters sooo much this past transfer. 

We threw a short little party for Sister Hafoka on Saturday for her birthday :) cookie logs are a must now #success

Celebration worthy news:  Kyle is getting baptized on Saturday! We met with him multiple times this week, but Thursday was the day he committed again to be baptized. The Spirit is amazing, that is the only way missionary work works. Because, let me tell ya, we are not perfect teachers. At all. Haha. I can't even describe to you how happy and excited I am for Kyle to enter the waters of baptism this Saturday. He is amazing. I learn so much from him every single day. He has such great determination to follow Jesus Christ even though his family isn't exactly supportive. I told him the story of my mom being the only one join the church in her family and how much her joining the church has blessed my life. He is excited to be that example for his family :)

THEN, on Friday, for Friday Morning Training Meeting (FMTM) we did the Mormon Walking Trail around Independence Square with all the sisters. It was so fun

Hahaha, this is the temple lot across the street, where we started the walking trail at. This group meets there every single morning from like 5:30am to like 10am to pray for the second coming. #dedication 

Transfers are on Thursday this week! So crazy to think that I've already been out in the field for 3 months! I'm no longer a newbie! I'm going to be training a new missionary this next transfer which is #crazy. I got the call from the AP's on Friday and wow. I'm so nervous. I don't know a thing about missionary work it feels like. Haha but I am very excited for it. We'll find out tonight where/if we get transferred. Everyone is so nervous for this transfer. No one in the Willis wants to leave!

On Saturday, I went to the trainers meeting at President's house. It was so good. There are only two new sisters coming in is transfer and a TON of elders. This will be the last of the "big" transfers for a while. 

Little update with the companionship ;) we are making every moment count for the rest of this transfer...

Oh.. And... We have got out Russian accents perfected .. Hahaha I wish the video we recorded would fit in an email. It's hilarious. 

Hmm.. This week, I have become more and more grateful for the priesthood. I am so grateful for all the blessings that come from it. I'm so glad that it has been restored on the earth today and that we have the opportunity to make sacred covenants with the Lord, like baptism, through that restored priesthood. 

I love you all so much. Don't forget that and more importantly, don't ever forget that your Father in Heaven loves you. As I was in the temple this morning, that is the only thing that I could think of. I can't comprehend fully the love that He has for us, but it is amazing to feel it. It's almost unearthly. He is real and He has provided a plan and way for every single one of us to return to live with Him. That right there, shows the love that He has for us. He was willing to send His Son, Jesus Christ, to suffer the pains of the world for our sins, for us to be clean. 

Love, 
Sister Morgan

What is your foundation built on?

Hello everyone!

I don't have too much to say this week. I just wanted to let you all
know that I love you so much. Thank you so much for being you.

I promise you all that Heavenly Father has a plan for each and every
one of us. I can't tell you how much of a comfort this has been for me
throughout my whole like and especially on my mission.

Know that your Heavenly Father loves you and the trials that you are
going through right now are but a small moment in the eternities. And
guess what? We are eternal beings. We have eternity. Don't get
discouraged. There is ALWAYS going to be room to progress, to grow, to
change. What a blessing that is. We can get through anything IF we
build our foundation on the important things. That is "upon the Rock
of our Redeemer, who is Christ the Son of God, that ye must build your
foundation" (Helaman 5:12). Every single person needs to have this
foundation. We all need to have our own testimonies of this gospel and
of our Savior. It is so essential, so important, and so vital. I can't
express this to you all more clearly. Do not let worldly distractions
get in the way of the things that matter most... Our relationship with
our Savior.

I love you so much. I hope that your weeks are going well, and that
byu is as good as ever. Independence wishes you all well.

This work is so amazing. I am so grateful for this opportunity that I
have to strengthen my relationship with my Savior. I couldn't have
asked for any other blessing. And when the times get tough and
discouragement sets in, what a comfort it is to be able to know that
there is a loving Father in Heaven who is looking out for me, my loved
ones, our investigators, and most importantly, everyone.

I love you all so much.

Sister Morgan

Be Spiritually Minded!

Hello everyone!

Another week has passed. Where does the time go!?

It's so crazy that people are starting school already! It's still summer! I hope everyone is enjoying their first couple days/weeks at school though. :) live it up at BYU for me friends :) 

I seriously can't remember what happened this week because it seems like this week was like 2 days. Haha, but here are a few stories for your Tuesday.

 this past week was Spirit Week at the VC. (I know, super presh. Also throwback to high school?) anyways, the theme was "Keep the Spirit Week". Basically, a fun excuse all the sisters get to match every single day of the week and an opportunity to study a certain topic each day. It was so great. I loved getting to learn so much and apply what I learned into my life. The thing I learned a lot about this past week, and really just on my mission in general, is charity. That is something I am constantly trying to work on. Having that Christlike love for every single person. I I learned that charity is the most important value to have. Kinda cool to think about because how simple is that. Ha. Seriously though, if we can be more charitable people, meaning more loving people, we will become great people. We will have a greater love for God and our Savior, which turns into a greater love for our family, friends, and those we are around each and every day. It was such a great thing to study. I loved it. Anyways, sweet Sister Baggett and I finally got the excuse for this: :)

I LOVE the sisters here at the VC. I have loved getting to know them and hearing their testimonies of this gospel. They strengthen me everyday and being able to learn so much from them is such a blessing. 

ALSO, Meet the Mormons. Such a good movie! If you haven't seen it, it's on Netflix. Do yourself a favor and watch it tonight. No promises that you won't cry though. Haha. 

We stopped by Kyle's house this week to check up on him and set an appointment up with him, only to find that he was in the middle of rescuing 5 baby kitties from the storm that just passed. They were underneath his neighbors trailer and him and his brother were army crawling underneath there to save them. Mud, spiders, and all. Haha. We got there and he was wearing a white shirt and white shorts... When we left, they were.. Well not white.. Haha 

Moral of the story: baby kittens are worth it ☺️

Ps.. If you could please keep Kyle in your prayers it would be so greatly appreciated. We are moving his baptism back for a bit. He can't wait to get baptized but really wants the support of his family first. The power of prayer is so real everyone. I can't even imagine my life anymore without prayer. I am so grateful to have that communication with my Heavenly Father to ask for help and strength. 

We also had interviews with President this week. I love President and Sister Vest. They are so amazing. 

Saturday, we had a lesson, with our investigators Ron and Calvin. It's the best meeting with them. They are so amazing. So genuine and sincere guys. And the funniest thing..  We seriously set up appointments with them at the park bench. Hahaha. It cracks us up every time we text and confirm with them. We're like, "still good to meet with us at 4 at the park bench?" Haha. Only in Independence. Well, I think. Haha. Two sisters in the VC were telling us how they literally taught this lady for weeks and weeks in the McDonald's bathroom. Ha, apparently she worked there and never had a lot of free time, so they taught her while she cleaned the bathrooms. #dedication. 

Miracle! This evening we are going to meet with this lady who came into the VC last week and talked with some of the sisters there and she ended up wanting to get baptized and is in our area. So many miracles at the visitors center. The spirit is so strong there. I love it so much. But yes, I can't wait for our appointment with her this evening. 

Last thought I want to leave with you all for this week. I was studying 2 Nephi 9 one morning and I loved the whole chapter, but especially the end of verse 39. "to be spiritually minded is life eternal". It is sooo important. As we remember the spiritual things in life, those will help us to have a portion of the joy and the happiness that will come with eternal life.  

And because I don't know how to not be a missionary anymore, I want to invite you all to remember that this week and apply it. Don't ever forget about your Savior. He is everything. He loves you so much. Everything that we have in this life... the spiritually minded things.. is only through and because of Him. Pray to your Heavenly Father daily and pour your heart out to Him. Prayer is such an amazing thing everyone. I can't even describe it in the way I want to but please try it. Be humble and never let a day pass by without accounting to the Lord how your day went and asking for help and strength for your next day. I promise you will see a difference in your life. You will notice the tender mercies of the Lord and the blessings. As we pray, we are able to become more spiritually minded as well ... Which is life eternal!

I love you all so much. I am so grateful for all of you. You are such a strength to me and I am grateful for the person you all have helped me become. Have an amazing week, I can't wait to hear from you all! :)

With love from Independence,
Sister Morgan