It Was Cool To See That As I Was Teaching I Could Feel The Spirit Working With Me And Guiding My Words

Hello!!!   

I dont even know where to start. This week was crazy! this week we didnt have a normal day. and by normal i mean leaving the apartment after lunch and just doing missionary work, not going to meetings or anything. Monday, well Monday is Monday and preparation day and that is always the weird days! Tuesday we had planned some service to go and help the Humane Society with a few of the things that they needed. Its been fun there. some of the sisters go there on another day also. We were talking to one of the ladies that works there. She kinda knew that we are Mormons but she thought that the sisters were nuns...  so we got a pretty good laugh out of that! Wednesday we had Exchanges with the Zone leaders! I was with an elder that was with me all of my time in Hermiston and all the time here also, so i have gotten to know him pretty good. So that was a great exchange and i was able to learn a lot. I learned about talking to everyone. We are doing good, but this elder talks to everyone! if there is a person that walks around a corner we will run up there, stopping before they see us running of course, so we can talk to them. It was great! we talked to so many people. We also put a bigger focus on working in the area book. It holds all of the records of past investigators and the things they were taught and why they were stopped teaching. At times it is hard to look through and find some one we need to visit, but when its done with a prayer in your heart and listening to the spirit, you will find people to teach. On the exchange we pulled two names out. Both miracles. the first one was someone for us that wants to learn. They were too busy to keep meeting with the missionaries but now have a little bit of time. So we will be going back to teach them. the other one they ended not living there still. But there was a non member that comes to church most weeks and the elders didnt know where he lived and didnt have a change to talk to him in church yet. ( this is english in the Zone Leaders area) and he is the one that lives there. He said that he has wanted to actually join the church just didnt know how or who to ask. Those elders will continue to go back and will teach him so he can be baptized. It was a really cool day. Thursday we had MLC (mission leadership council) usually its just the Assistants, zone leader and sister training leaders. But this time the district leaders went also. We received a lot of training to be a more effective leader to the missionaries in our stewardship. We also learned how to more effectively do a Baptismal interview. So i will be excited when i get the change to do that. that meeting was in the tri cities so now we are in trouble with miles. Friday we had ZLC ( zone leadership council) to prepare for Zone council tomorrow. That was good. Then Saturday we had Zone council. that was great! it was on new ways to effectively find. That we need to be using all of the methods that we are given if we want to be effective. I gave a training on using the Area book. so i was glad i had an experience with it earlier that week. Sunday was church and elder Tirados Birthday and today is Monday again! Crazy week!!! it went way to fast! so that is a little look into my life. 

this week we had a lesson with E-- and P--! the couple Hno Zavala brought us to. It was a great lesson! It started off a little dull and rote. But we were able to recognize that and asked some inspired questions and it changed the whole spirit of the lesson. We were able to see some of the needs they had and truly teach to those. It was a lesson that when we walk away you just want to cheer! so you do just a little. It was cool to see that as i was teaching i could feel the spirit working with me and guiding my words. I was able to teach with more power then usual. It was a great experience and i am glad that i was worthy to have the spirit work with me. Because without it, it would not have worked. They committed to reading the book of Mormon and praying about it. We are going over tonight again, so we are excited for that.  This was an amazing week. it really was.

Its good to hear that back at home things were still great! Lots of fun things still going on! Its good to hear that Ali and Jaxsen both got home safe with some great experiences to help them grow to become better people. We all need those! Thanks for the letter again! and the quote! families are the best! even if your are born into a crazy one and you seem to be the only normal one in it. but i guess i can live with it! have a great week! i love you all!

Elder Mortensen

We also had this onion!  Walla Walla is famous for their sweet onions.  They are super good. You can eat them like apples.  We couldn't tell if it was a sweet or not.  So i tried it. S adly it wasn't.  But after an apple, some chocolate ,and brushing my teeth, the taste was mostly gone!