Tender Mercies!

This week was another difficult but awesome week!!! There have been so many times where I feel like I'm about to lose hope but then Heavenly Father always provides me with a tender mercy that keeps my hopes and spirits up! This week those tender mercies came in multiple ways.

The Text from Alvin

On Thursday we were doing Weekly Planning and before we start we come up with a list of names of people we want to see during the upcoming week and then have a super long prayer praying for each of them by name. So of course it was my week to say the prayer and it was one of those moments where I finally had to let all of my walls down and truly humble myself before the Lord. It seems like that happens basically every.single.day. Which means I probably need to humble myself more instead of being compelled to be humble haha But right after that prayer we were slowly getting up (being on my knees so much is really starting to become a painful process) and our phone got a text. We look at it and it was from a number we didn't recognize........turns out it was that guy Alvin that was my very first street contact saying that they decided not to move and were interested in meeting with us again sometime soon!!!!! I think my heart skipped a beat. It was so amazing to see how Heavenly Father truly blesses us when we are obedient and submit our will to His. We invited them to the Mission Presidents Fireside on Sunday, but they didn't show up. So we'll just keep chugging along and try to meet with them when they are ready.

Another tender mercy this week came in the form of music. On Saturday we had practice for the Mission Presidents fireside (which is a bunch of musical numbers performed by missionaries, testimonies of new converts, and a couple of mormon messages) and I realized how powerful music truly is to the soul! While listening to everyone practice their musical numbers and singing in the choir, I truly felt that all of us were bearing testimony through song and it just made it even more powerful. Also, today I went to the Stake Center and sitting right outside the Family History Center was this big box with my UKULELE in it!!!! I just about died I was so happy!!!

Package from the Family!
SO HAPPY TO HAVE MY UKE!

My Mom and Sister Katie are in San Diego right now and they were so kind to bring me my uke and music!! It has been crazy to think they are here right now and actually only a couple of miles away!! They even had to drive through Poway the other day!! But I'm really glad I didn't see them. Everyone must think we are crazy that we can't talk to our family or see them and think that my church is super controlling. So let me clarify that for you all. While I am on my mission I am dedicating all of myself to this work and to my Heavenly Father. These 18 months are not about me and what I want to do. Its about serving my Lord and doing what He needs me to do in order to share this Gospel with His children. I honestly don't even want to see my family right now. Don't get me wrong, I love my family with all my heart and really miss them. But I am so focused on my work that I don't want any distractions. And my family, friends, facebook, country music, etc are major distractions. Preparation Day's are nice to talk to my family and friends and see what all is happening in their lives, but during proselyting time all my thoughts need to be focused on the people here in Poway. If i'm not focused, I won't be able to put my all into this work and do everything that Heavenly Father needs me to do. The church doesn't control me and limit my free agency. Everything I do is out of personal choice. Its out of a love that I have for God and for this Gospel. And actually I feel like my religion and testimony give me more freedoms. I'm not weighed down by addictions, worldly obsessions, mistakes from my past, etc. Because of my faith and trust in God I am able to experience true and everlasting happiness. My family has been so blessed and strengthened from building ourselves upon the foundation of Jesus Christ and from having the priesthood (authority to act in God's name) in our home. I am so grateful for this Restored Gospel and the knowledge that I have of the Plan of Salvation. I can't even imagine what my life would be like without it, so that's why I am sharing it with everyone I can while here in San Diego. I just want to help someone find peace and joy through this Gospel that I have been so blessed to have my whole life. So if anyone has any more questions about what I'm doing here in San Diego or want to learn more about my church, I have a couple of friends that I would like you to meet :)

Awkward Zone Pictures!

XOXO Sister Morgan

2 Corinthians 9:7 & 2 Corinthians 12:9-10