He Said Right When He Needed It The Missionaries Showed Up

Happy late Thanksgiving! 


I hope it was a eventful week! It looked like a ton of fun! I liked all the pictures! Its weird to think that that it was thanksgiving last week. It feels like it was for ever ago. Our day was good though. We went around before the meal at the church inviting more people to come. No one ended up coming that we invited that morning or the days before, but it was good. I dont know why people wouldnt want to come to have a free feast, but i guess they didnt. that is the only meal we had that day, other than little ones at our apartment, but it was good i only got really full instead of double that like last year. I dont really have any pictures from that but i know one of the members that took a picture of us as we were eating and had me write our your number, mom. so i hope it got to you! and if not maybe one day it will! There was about 40 of the members there. It is about what the expected so there was plenty of food. I couldnt say i had a favorite, it was all really good. but we did take some Cheesecake home! 

We had a few lessons this week, but not to many. One of the crazy ones was a lesson that we brought a member to. Elder Matalolo had taught him before and know that he really wanted the Book of Mormon proved to him, like Historically and everything would have to make sense. there is a member in the ward, Brother F--, that when he was baptized that is what he said he needed and wanted to know. So we brought him. we expected it to go kinda crazy but not how much it did! It was crazy! and super long. It wasnt arguing or anything there was just a lot of talking about so many different things and some of the things were really deep. It ended really good and the member really wants to help This guy, D--, so he is writing him a letter and he wanted his phone number so he could call him. The member is so excited, and is super cool!  We were talking to our ward mission leader and told him we brought Bro F-- and D-- is very similar to Bro F--. His response was, oh so you talked about how the weather cycles work on Kolob? so if that gives you a hint into who is Bro F--. He is a chemical engineer and a genius. But crazy. 

We are teaching this guy names J--, He is an MMA fighter, so its kinda cool. But he is going through a divorce and its been really hard and he said right when he needed it the missionaries showed up. He says that he never turns anyone down and he wanted to learn more about the Mormons and read the Book of Mormon. We had some good lessons with him. He is working at the school and training for his fights so he is really busy but God is something that he wasnts to have be a bigger part in his life, so thats why were are there i guess. We have a lot of hope for him. 

I hope you all have a great week!  i love you all! have a good rest of the time in school before Christmas break!! Bye Bye!!

Elder Mortensen

The Gift of Tongues Is Real! It Has Worked Miracles Here With Me!

Hi!!! Again! 

It is weird to be here in Benton City. It definitely is not the same as being in Pasco. Especially from being in Pasco YSA!  Haha. We had fast and testimony meeting this last week. The biggest difference is here the ward is full of old people! The meeting turned more into fast and testimony and story sharing meeting! It is weird being around so many old people. I am going to have to figure out how to do this kinda of work again. The area has a lot of people to teach, but not a lot of people that have been doing anything really. The last companionship kinda just kept teaching people even if they werent going to ever change. they just like to hear a message. So its a little different.I am not going to come in and change it super fast because my companion Elder Matalolo has been here for 3 months and it isnt right to just come and take control when i dont know how the area works. So we will have to see how it all works. The area book was not wrote out. i went through and cleaned that out. I had Elder Matalolo write the lessons that were taught to investigators and the things they have been taught. Also drop the people that have record but arent being taught and making record for the people that are being taught. So the area had a lot of work done in it, but it wasnt taken care of super well. We have some cool people to teach though. Benton is a little town and most of the neighborhoods are trailer parks. There is a lot of spanish and english work.  It has been really good for me especially for learning Spanish. I dont know why but before i have not really been good at speaking to people in Spanish, part of the reason is having companions that are fluent in Spanish so i never really need to carry a conversation, Just kinda be there and add things. But here we are both very much not fluent and i have have to carry the conversations. The gift of tongues is real! It has worked miracles here with me. It is the first time where i have not had to worry about not understanding and not worry about how to say it back. Spanish is just starting to work! it is great i still have a long way to go though. But i am so excited that it is getting better. 

Its been good being a district leader! i haven't had to do anything. I feel a lot more prepared again this time around. Just because i have done it before and i have only gotten better as a missionary. My companion is from St George. He is half Samoan and half Navajo. He is a really good missionary. Not much happened this week yet. we had a really good Zone Conference yesterday with Elder Zaballos of the 70. He taught alot about how to help our investigators. The biggest thing is doing the things to help them understand that they need to do certain things to gain a testimony. It was super good. But thats about all i have to write about today.

Its good to hear that things at home are still good. It was cool to hear the experience about ali and dads trip that didnt work out but at the same time worked how it needed to. That is really cool. I hope everything goes great this next week for all of you! i love you all!

Elder Mortensen. 

This is Elder Matalolo!!

Also Elder Laffiteau, my trainer is in my 

zone! This is his posterity. Mom if you 

don't know what i am talking about ask Brayden, he will know.

This is kinda cool. This is the Lehi clan that was at the Zone conference. Elder Tolman and Sister Daniels. I have been in school with Elder Tolman sense kindergarten. so its weird to see him. There are 7 missionaries total here from Lehi  It's weird. 

Last night in Pasco!

He Feels Like He Has A Family Now Here In The Church

Well Hello!! 

I dont even know what to say about this week. But it was awesome! M-- got baptized!! It was a great day!! it was super powerful!  We had a district council and right after we had to go and start filling up the font. The font looked pretty big and i was excited because M-- is a big guy. But of course it cant go perfect. when it was time for him to be baptized i walked into the water and then him. To my surprise, the water only went a few inches above my knees! the drain wasnt super tight and the water went down, but only a little, the font was just tiny! But it ended up working good. When he was under the water his knee came up, you cant blame him because the water was so shallow. So i somehow used my elbow to push it under. After i talked to the other missionaries and no one noticed that i did that! haha so it worked! After we changed and came it to the room, the spirit was so strong. Elder corral and a missionary that taught him before were teaching the restoration and sharing their testimonies. M-- was super excited after his baptism. He also said the closing prayer and thanked God for the chance that he had to be baptized. I cant even explain how awesome all this was.  This Sunday he turned and asked if he could go and bear his testimony. He was the second one up and shared the greatest testimony i have heard from a convert. He was still M--, he talked about how he loves to lift, but he shared that as he was growing up he never had a family really, he shared how he was taught how to live from being on the streets and in jail. He said that the only thing that got him to the point he is at right now is His father. From knowing him he was talking about God, he doenst know his Dad. He told everyone thanks for what they have done and that he feels like he has a family now here in the church. The spirit was amazing. Elder corral was almost in tears, i was almost in tears, M-- was almost in tears, and everyone we talked to after about it was almost in tears. It really softened the hearts of the members and they know that M-- really is there because he knows that it is true. I always knew M-- had made a lot of changes and he was prepared and has done everything he needs to be baptized, but after sacrament meeting i was able to see that he really has internalized the things that we have taught him. He also found a job and said it is all because of prayer and he was doing what god wants him to do. M-- is super awesome! that was the biggest thing that happened and not much more  happened. We did teach many people other then M-- this week. C-- had to work a ton and we didnt find him.

The other big part of news is Yes, transfers are this week. We finished nightly planning on Sunday and i was just like sweet, no calls that means no leadership for us this transfer. then as i was on my way out of the room i looked at the phone and saw we had a voicemail. It was President. So we called him back and well, we are both leaving this area! it sucks. I will be going over to Benton city. It is west of Richland near Prosser. I will actually be in the same Spanish group i was in when i was in Prosser! i will be in a Spanish and an English ward in Benton city. It is going to be super awesome. I will also be going back to be a District leader. So pray for my district, they are going to need it! Elder Corral is going down to Hermiston near where i started my mission. It is super exciting and weird that i am leaving. I am not excited to leave but i am excited for my new area.

it sounds like a great week end! I am jealous that you already had Thanksgiving! we already had plans to eat it with this super awesome family, but we will be gone, so that wont happen i guess. Its good to hear that Jaxsen did good in his race! that he didnt fall this time! It is so cool that Grandma and Grandpa are on another mission! They are great! i am excited for them.

thanks again for the Email! it is always a great time but also a very fast hour and a half. I will for sure have some new things to write about this week! i hope you all dong get to board of my letters!! but have a great week! i love you all!

Elder Mortensen

Elder Corral, M--, Elder Mortensen

He's looking like a Mormon!!

hello! 

It definitely sounds like it was a fun week! Haha the first thing that comes to mind is Jaxsen crashing in his race. I feel a little responsible for that. I might have jinxed  him from earlier. I told him not to crash! but i hope there was a GoPro on. Haha it makes me laugh that Brianne won all of the Shooting competitions! that is super awesome! For you dad, looking good. Its also kinda funny that Ali probably knows more of what she is going to do in college then me. I should probably put a little of effort into thinking about it. But good for her. 

this week here was awesome! definitely the greatest news i could tell you is we found M--! He is doing great! He is also getting baptized this week!! He is super excited. So are we. Its a little bit stressing though. Right now we are planning the baptism, and another interview with him, and the hardest part is finding him rides. He has to keep working so he can start to save up some money so he can get a car. So there is still a lot more work to do there. It has been really good to be able to see him progress to this point. If there is anything that i would ask for some extra prayers for it would be for that baptism to go good and especially for M--. Thanks for all the prayers that have been said for him already.  

C-- is also doing pretty good. We had a really good lesson with him on exchanges. He wanted more information and was trying to understand more about the gospel. We taught him the lesson of the Gospel of Jesus Christ. He really liked it. It was a super good lesson. It was very different to teach with someone that has been on the mission for a while. My last two companions being newer and its just different. once you have been on the mission you start to think more a like. It probably is being more in tune to the spirit and receiving the same things more often. We still are focusing on baptism for him and helping him get ready for that point. 

For A--, she actually moved out to Spokane. So we aren't teaching her anymore. She needed a change in lifestyle. So she wanted to move somewhere different and get a new start.   That for the most part is the people that we are teaching. We are also working with this guy named J--. He is Less active. He is working a job that makes him not be able to go to church on Sundays. So he tells us we are his Church for now. he is also preparing for his Patriarchal blessing, so we are helping him keep learning and keep praying. He is doing good though. 

We did get a chance to do some service this week. We go every week to this place called Union Gospel Mission. We pack fruit and vegetables into boxes and they give them out some where. We have also been working with the City and working in their fields. That is ending here soon because of winter though. 

Well that is what i got for today! i might be more if this keyboard didnt suck. But is does, so sorry! I love you all!! Have a good week!

Elder Mortensen

Ps pictures!

This was on exchanges. Elder Somerville is from Lehi!

I recognized him but didn't know him.

I also carved a pumpkin!  I didnt have a light 

so I put a lamp in it. It actually worked!

Also getting read for the rain! Its been crazy! so it was 

time to pull out he massive jacket that makes me look funny.

We moved into our new apartment and there was a 

football on the roof right out side the window in front 

of my desk. It was to distracting for studies that we 

had no choice but to go get it. And I didnt fall!