"Everything looks more elegant with a tie!"

Hey Everyone! Hope you all have had an awesome start to your new year so far. I know that I have! On New Years Eve we had to be in our apartments by 7 and study some certain scriptures so that was pretty fun. At 10:00 pm Sister Blair and I popped open a Martinelli and toasted to the new year! We tried to go to bed at 10:30, buuuuuuuuuuuuut our neighbors definitely had other ideas.........So I probably didn't fall asleep until 1:00 am. Gotta love waking up at 6:30 every day!! :)

But its okay cuz New Years Day was SUPER boss for us! We recontacted this one kid who met w/ the missionaries 7 years ago when he was 11. Now he's 18 and we had a really good conversation about Who God is with him. He kind of just feels that God is just someone that people make up in their minds to help them feel better. But we gave personal experiences and testified that God is our Loving Heavenly Father Who has a body of flesh and bones and then Sister Blair asked the super inspired question, "Can we meet with you again and help you to strengthen your relationship with God?" and he said, "Yeah, I would really like that!" WOOOOHOOOOO. I love being a missionary, it is so amazing to help people strengthen their relationship with God!

Jeremy & Jared's New Ties!

This week we also had some more lesson's with Jeremy and Jared and those were hilarious as always! We finally had to teach them about Tithing and Fast Offerings and our favorites of all the commandments..........Law of Chastity and Word of Wisdom! The boys haven't really had "the talk" yet so we mainly just talked about treating girls with respect and "See No Evil" "Hear No Evil" and "Say No Evil". It was pretty interesting but I think they got the idea haha But it just amazes me how much these kids understand! After we taught them about fasting Jeremy said, (in his adorable lisp) "Excuse me, before we go on....I would like to say that Heavenly Father fasted from His Son for awhile because when His son was on the Earth He couldn't have Him" AHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHHhsdlfjkhsdoihsfdljkfhsdkjlsdfhlkasjdfhajsjsdjgjdsabkljhlsdih TOO CUTE! I always learn something new from those kids and I am SO grateful that I have been able to be apart of their lives. Jared turned 12 on Sunday so for his birthday and baptism we bought him and Jeremy clip-on ties because normal ties choke them haha We had to postpone their baptismal date till Jan 25th because of scheduling problems, but that's okay. Just a few more weeks for them to prepare!

Soooooooo I guess that leads to the "Big News" of the day. Sadly, I won't get to be at the boys baptism........got that dreadful call this morning saying that I'm getting transferred back into Saaaaaaaaaan Diegoooooooo! Definitely a bitter sweet moment for me. I have spent the past 6 months out here in the Valley and I have truly come to love this place and the people with all my heart. I have experienced so many things out here that have truly changed my life FOREVER! As I look back on my time here, I can truly say that I have seen God's hand in my daily life hastening His work. Out of everything I will ALWAYS remember:

1. The amazing Spirit that was felt when Andrew bore his testimony right after being baptized
2. Walking into the FHC and Elder Scott telling us about Crystal's experience in Institute where she asked "What do I need to do to be baptized?"
3. Teaching Crystal the Word of Wisdom and in her opening prayer she said, "Thank you for sending the Sisters to come and teach me about the Word of Wisdom (which, by the way, I'm already doing Sir!)"
4. Watching the tears of pure happiness run down Crystal's face after she was baptized and confirmed
5. Watching Crystal bear her Testimony this past Sunday and seeing how much she has grown since her baptism and the many answers to her prayers she has received! (which btdubs, she's preparing to receive her Patriarchal Blessing soon!! Wooohooo!)
6. Reconnecting a Less-Active w/ one of his long lost childhood friends, who just so happens to be one of my extended relatives! (and MAJOR tender mercy of the day-today in Walmart as we were checking out this family just happened to come right behind us in line and I was able to say goodbye to them and give them my contact info! God is SO great!)
7. Saying a prayer in the middle of a parking lot during a rain storm and being guided by the hand of the Lord to find a less-active/part family member who's address we DIDN'T have!
8. Feeling prompted to go down to Calexico to try and contact some names off of the Ward list and finding Yolanda, Jared, and Jeremy Cole.
9. Our 2nd lesson w/ the boys and Jeremy saying in his prayer, "Thank you for sending your daughters to come and teach us more about You!"
10. And last but not least..........the true and pure JOY that I have felt as I have been a tool in the Lord's hand to further His work and feel the love that He has for all of His Children!

AND MANY, MANY, MANY, MORE!!!!!!!

 

I can't get over how happy I am to have served my mission in a place that I can frequently visit and NOT have to rob a bank to do so! The Imperial Valley will always have such a special place in my heart and I thank the Lord every single day for the opportunity that I have had to serve out here! I definitely WON'T miss the awful, disgusting heat, but I can truly say that I have been able to experience the "refiners fire" out here in Hell Centro! Now that I have all "the sin burned outta me" I can go back to San Diego and be the tool that the Lord needs me to be. I'm excited for this new adventure and for the many miracles that will follow! I know that the Lord is preparing people right now for me to find and teach and I can't wait to see what He has in store!

 

I love you all and I'll let you know next week where my new area is!

xoxoxo Sister Morgan