He Loves Church And Is Reading Everything That We Give Him

Hello!! 


Hows it going??  This week was kinda crazy! it always is when preparation day isnt on a Monday. It throws everything off from the normal schedule. But, it was another amazing week! and it wasnt to hot, so thats a blessing. Update for F--! he is not preparing to be baptized this week, but it will be coming up soon! The church that he went to before lent him some money to make some house payments. He came to church last week and the pastor of the other church of course didnt like that. So he has been getting on F-- that he has to come to church there until he has paid it all off. So F-- doesn't feel good getting baptized this week, but he should be able to get it paid off by next week. Even though the pastor told him to come to church there, This Sunday he came to church with us!! It was super awesome. He loves church and is reading everything that we give to him. When he prays you can tell that he really is sincere to learn these things. He is awesome.    With M--, he is super busy and often gets home around 9 or 10, so we weren't able to have a lesson this week. They still seem to be doing good though from the little we talked over the phone. He lays carpet and now he is doing it on his own because his partner quit, so its been a lot of long hours for him. E-- has been busy too! and her husband M-- works long hours also. They also had to cater this weekend and didnt get to come to church. So we had this potential investigator names T--, We havent been able to get anything to work, when we dont have a member she is home, and when we do have a member she isnt home. So its been a while without being able to have a lesson. But... We finally had a lesson Saturday! she is so awesome. she really wants to know what it the truth and what church is true. She has been to close to all of the churches in the city but hasnt liked any of them. She in in a wheelchair because she dosnt have a foot and she gets judged at a lot of the churches. But she came to church this week!! she asked a lot of questions and felt comfortable there. She loved it also! We went back over that day after church with some other members the D-- family. They are awesome and are going to be a lot of support for her. She is so awesome also! That is kinda how our week went! we taught a ton of awesome people and talked to a bunch also. also!! 

Ok, so blonde moment or something. i dont even know. We went and met this old guy. he was swinging on a chair swing and we talked to him for a little. We sat on some other chairs. We had a good conversation. He was showing us something on his chair and where it was breaking. I wasnt paying to much attention because i was looking at the chair thinking more about that. he said something but i didnt really hear what he said and i was just like, Yeah!  then it just came through my head slow or something. he said, You probably think i look stupid just swinging on this chair all day. after i realized what he said i was just like Noo!! sorry i was looking at the chair!  it all worked out good, but it was pretty funny. He thought it was funny so it was all good. i thought you all would like to hear that, i promise i am not a mean person!

So its tomorrow that President and Sister White get here!! Its going to be so weird, but i am excited. when they get here President Ware shows them around a little and leaves not to long after! Its going to be interesting what changes and what stays the same.   ya also we go to the Columbia river temple! its a little temple in Kennewick. The mission home is actually  pretty close to it. Also its all good if you dont go to their homecoming talks. The GFR is also a great thing. Both are going to be great, so there isnt a bad choice. the hard thing is, that it is still a choice!

Everything back at home sound like a ton of fun!! its weird to think that all those things still happen, because for us as missionaries it is like a routine. The people keep you on your toes though.There was a lot of fun pictures! i wish i had some! but i dont! i do the same thing everyday!  Next week we dont have preparation day on Monday. We will be working on Monday and coming home early, at 6, for The fourth of July. So we are going to make the brownies and watch the Testaments and hopefully not pack! We will know who is getting transferred Monday at 6. so i will let you know Tuesday what is happening! i feel like i will stay here. Thanks for all the love and prayers you all sent this way! i feel them both!! i love you all!! have a great week!

Elder Mortensen

He Loves Talking About The Gospel

Hey!!!

today was temple preparation day!!  so we got to wake up early and make it in time for the temple! it was a great time, like always. and of course that is why i am writing today not Monday.  This was an awesome week! For sure the coolest thing that has been happening is our investigator F--!! we went over Tuesday and helped him with his little business. he has a little shop and paints car. So we get to talk to him a lot. We were thinking it was going to be kinda hard to always keep it a gospel related conversation, but he makes it so easy!! he loves talking about the gospel! he had a good lesson and he was like, so when are you going to come over again? tomorrow? we were just like sure. he told us to come back earlier and he would feed us lunch. so he ended up not being there because his phone was smoking and then he broke it and went to fix it. But we ate food out side because we couldnt go in because his mom was the only one home. But he came home and we had another good lesson. We went back that week and also yesterday!! he is progressing really good. He came to church also! He said that he really loved it. As we have been working with him, some of his friends come by. He is always sharing our church with them and is trying to get them to all come also! he keeps saying that he is going to be a Mormon soon. He is so cool! he brought his mom to church also. She is stuck at home and mostly just reads the Bible, so we are trying to get her to read the Book of Mormon also!  This week we didnt teach as many investigators. We were able to do a lot of work with less actives though. it was a good week.

This week we had a departing Zone Conference with President and Sister Wares. It was a great time. i am going to miss them. I really did grow to love them so much! it is going to be weird with all the change that is going to be happening here soon in the mission, but i am excited for the Whites to get here!  i didnt know Bro Bell knows him! that will be cool. I am super excited for them to get here. the Wares sent this out.  "We report our mission in the Draper 1st Ward sacrament meeting on Sunday, July 10th at 11:00am (corner of 12300 South and 600 East in Draper) followed by a little reunion at our home afterwards. Our home address is xxx Ardelle Cove, Draper, UT 84020. President Ware’s new cell is xxx-xxx-xxxx and Sister Ware xxx-xxx-xxxx. "  so if you want to go to a awesome spirit filled meeting and meet some of the coolest people i know, you should go to that!! 

thanks for being concerned about me getting my brownies! but it will all work out! i will get one some how. i dont know about the pants. i might want them when it gets hot in the summer. its cooled down, so i dont know. I havent changed any, well mostly. so i think it was a 32 around and 33 or 32 long. but we get $135 a month. It is for sure enough. i went over it a little last month because i ran out of like everything at the same time, like bathroom stuff, so i just had to get that. 

it sounds like back at home everything has been a lot of fun!! High adventure camps to eating food!! what better could you do? its probably not a good thing they have the black bear diner up here. i think you all we be in orem a little bit more. i am glad to hear fathers day was good!! getting together with the Mortensens was always fun. also i was thinking a little earlier about how old everyone was. i thought of jaxsen and thought the age 12. i dont know when but ever sense he turned that age, its seems to have just stuck! its weird to think how everyone is getting older faster then me. But i guess some things are just weird. 

i hope you all have a great week!!! thanks for the emails! i love you all! 

Elder Mortensen

ps  picture!!

ppss at the temple and zone conference they took a picture with one camera and are going to send it to us later, so there will be more later!

Elder Mortensen and Elder Tirado at the Temple

President Ware, Elder Mortensen, Elder Tirado, Sister Ware

You Can't Have Faith In Christ Unless You Know Who Christ Is

Hello Everyone!! 


This week was so awesome. We were able to teach a lot of people! There was a really cool miracle on exchanges this week with the Zone Leaders. Elders Tirado and Thompson, one of the Zone Leaders, were in our area working. There is this man named F--, he was a referral from a while ago and we haven't been able to have a lesson yet, but have seen him a few times but he has been busy. We still felt like we should keep trying to find him home. they went over to see if they could find him home with enough time that he could have a lesson and they did!  They sat down in his little shop in the back. They said that he started off asking who do we believe God is.  They taught the first principal of the restoration, God is our loving heavenly father, for pretty much the whole lesson. We had a devotional 3 or 4 months ago, maybe more, that Elder Johnson from the 70 came and taught the importance of that first principle. How everyone needs to understand it so they can have the faith to receive an answer from God. He taught you cant have faith in Christ, unless you know who Christ is.  One Thing about faith is its something not seen that is TRUE. If they dont really know who God is or who the Godhead is, they will have a harder time receiving that answer. They will have to put their faith in something else, like a scripture, until they know.  He had a ton of great questions. He was invited to be baptized and he said yes! He is now working for July 2 for his baptism! At the end they asked him if he would say the prayer, so he did. So he asked, really wanting to know, if this really is the true church. He just sat there for a few minutes after his prayer was done, just thinking. he didnt say amen so they looked up wondering if he didnt know how to end it and needed help.  he looked up and said, I think i am going to be a Mormon. even though i wasn't there, its so exciting to me! To find those people that really are being prepared in this area.

One night we were also looking for a less active that no one knows if he really does live at the address they have for him. It is a duplex. We didn't know what side of the house he lived on. We knocked on the front door. It ended up being a man named J--. He invited us in. We sat down and we had a great lesson! Elder Tirado and I are working on teaching better in unity. We were for sure able to do that tonight. During the lesson we just felt really good about him. He seemed to really be searching for something in his life. He is up here working and has a family down in Mexico that he sends money down to to support them. Half way through the lesson this guy walked in. We shook his hand and asked him his name. He left fast but he had the same first name as the less active guy we were looking for. so we asked J-- what his last name is and it is the less active! he said that he lives on the other side. So we got two awesome things done at one time!  This was a great week, full of a lot of miracles.

This week M-- and his mom, M-- came to church! also E--, a less active member from a part member family. that was awesome. We were expecting a few more investigators and less active members, but we dont know what happened. M--'s wife is having a hard time right now. she was in the Hospital and just a few days ago they told her that she probably wouldn't make it and she had around a year to live. Its a really sad time for her. We hope that they can find some comfort in the gospel. 

This week for my birthday i celebrated by going to a leadership meeting with President Ware! We also had two good lessons with less active members. What better way to celebrate a birthday?! i did get the package, Thanks a ton! This morning i made sure that i opened all the birthday stuff and of course took a picture! I was trying to figure out what the weird balloon things are that blow themselves up. One popped on the table i just cleaned! it is full of i am pretty sure baking power and vinegar. Thats what it felt like, i was going to taste it but i decided that might not have been the best idea. i will for sure make those brownies after I steal a pan from someone. 

The week back at home sounds really fun! it seems like since i have left you have all done a lot of cool things that we never did when i was home. i dont know why! but i guess its all alright. Haha the part that made me laugh the most is that Josh Lambert is planning a get together for us! that will be awesome! I always get the funniest emails from him. It is the best! I hope that everything continues to go good. i love you all and have a great week!

Elder Mortensen

Birthday picture!!!  Happy Birthday Josh!

This is how the first of the week felt, but it dropped into the
70s some time later in the week.  It only stayed at 105 but
thats what it was when we got it the car, it was kinda crazy.

I Came To Know More Of The Perfect Love Christ Has For Me

WOW!!!  Lots of pictures!! it for sure looks like it was a great week! It looks like it was a fun wedding! for sure nothing you will ever be able to forget.  its too bad that i wasnt able to be there but lucky for you all, you could still see me there. That was a blessing, also probably that i couldnt say anything or bug anyone with my hands in my pockets. it sounds like it was a fun mini vacation to Kanaraville falls to start it all out! I am sure that it was a really fun time to have everyone around!! thats one things that is always the best, just to be around people that you know and can have a great time with. i hope the food was all great! i decided because you would all be eating great food that i would go out and do something special also! so Little Caesars it was!!  it was great!  That day we also had Zone Council. That was really cool. It was mostly about how us as missionaries can stay motivated to always act in faith and how we can grow our faith to always see miracles. Faith is soooo important. It reminds me of something that i read today in 3 nephi 7, or something close to that. It was because of the faith nephi had that the wicked nephites were mad because they couldnt disbelieve his words. Also it caused angles to minister unto him daily. It is for sure faith that runs this work. It is the first part of the gospel of Christ for a reason. it is there so we will never forget it.  

We have for sure seen a lot of little miracles this week. it seems that that is how most of them come, just in little ways. One of the biggest things that we are working on this week was talking to everyone. We are getting better and better everyday to really share what they personally need to hear, not just to hear something about the Gospel that might help. It is for sure something that we have felt we should work on. One things that stands out to me in Preach my Gospel is when it teaches us that everything we do in missionary work is to help us become Christ like teachers. That has been on my mind as we have been finding. We know for sure that we cant teach with rote repetition so we also need to not try to find with it either.  Its hard but its working.  We had a really good lesson with L-- this week. She wanted to have the Book of Mormon so she could read and learn if it was true. We had a plan to teach the gospel of Jesus Christ. It was awesome to focus on what she needed. She needed to know that the book of Mormon isnt just a history but it teaches the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We read in the Book of Mormon where she ended last. We taught how in everything we read there is something to learn about Christ. It helped her understand.  We had a cool lesson with a less active couple, the R-- family. in planning for it, it was more following the spirit. Elder Tirado read in Alma 49 that day and we decided to read part of it and talk how they personally could fortify themselves against the battle that they are facing. They came to the decision to come to all three hours of church and not just Sacrament. So that is what we invited her to do. The spirit was for sure there. Bro R-- works and said that he wouldn't be able to come. This Sunday she didn't end up coming but she knows that it is something that she needs to do. Here soon she for sure will be coming. We have found as we focus on the needs of each person more and more, that it helps us to follow the spirit more and more in the lessons. It was good to see happen. 

One things i learned about this week was about charity. I have always thought a little about it but as i was walking around in the 98 degree weather before dinner for a few hours, fasting, that is when it made me wonder. I wondered why we are told to do things that are hard and sometimes a little miserable. Why would Christ tell us to do that? It is for sure so we can grow in our personal faith and dedication. But as we go through these times, we always pray. We pray to receive those blessing made possible by the Atonement of Christ. so every time that we do something hard that Christ needs us to do, that our Father needs us to do, it had to have pained Christ in the Garden, as much as it is us now. I was thinking why would that be why we do that. Why does it have to be that way. In my prayer that night i was thinking about that. That is when i could imagine Christ saying to me, I don't care, i love you. I just was there kneeling crying. almost crying as i write this also. I came to know more of the perfect Love Christ has for me. That he is willing to go all the way under me in those hard times, just so he can lift me up. i know that he is always there and that he will always be there. For me and for each one of you. I would hope that we can always remember that and learn that in our hearts. Because as we understand the Atonement with our hearts, not just our minds, that is when we receive strength. 

This was a great week full of times to learn. I love being out here!  i love you all and hope you have a great week this week! i am glad that you all had a great week with the wedding this last week!

love, Elder Mortensen

Wedding tie!  This is what it looks lilke to tract in 95 degree weather for 3 hours.

 

Zone Conference

Wedding Pictures - Josh's brother Brayden got married last week.  Josh was represented by a cardboard cutout.  

Brayden and Hillary

The Family

We Always Do A Lot of Work But There Is Always A Little More That You Can Do

Hey!! 

how is it going!  This was a cool week! At the first of the week we had a goal to try to have a lesson everyday. We were really making sure that we put in all the work that was going to be needed to do that. We always do a lot of work but there is always a little more that you can do.  We for sure saw that as we expected the lessons to come and as we were willing to put work in, that we were able to get into more peoples houses and teach them. One thing that i have been helping Elder Tirado out with is being bold to just ask to come into peoples houses. Just talking for a little and asking if they would like you learn and if we can come in. Its been going good. As we were able to teach more this week it made me realize a lot more, how i need to become a better teacher!  As i was studying in Preach My Gospel, the teaching skills chapter is going to be my best friend this week. I have had a little time to read over a little. it was really helpful to let me know what we need to be doing to become better teachers. One thing that stood out most was how he says that a lot of their understanding relies on if we are worthy to share with the spirit. It has been more on my mind to make sure i am doing all i can to keep the spirit with me and gain more and more power as the days go on. It teaches us that all we do in missionary work is to help us become Christ-like teachers. That is for sure the next thing that i am working on this week. We were able to find a few new investigators and had good lessons just about everyday. It was awesome. 

It was to bad this week we weren't able to have any investigators come to church. M--'s wife L-- was in the hospital, for her appendix, so they didn't come this week.  It was a cool experience to be able to teach them what a blessing is and to give her one in the Hospital for her recovery. She is doing really good.  We had a dinner with them earlier in the week. They asked if we wanted the hearts with the rice or not. I was just like ya sure thats fine. I was expecting two or three of them. There was like 10 at least! it was just a big pile!  it was good, it just surprised me and was a little weird to eat so many. But i was full after the meal, so i cant complain to much.

Thanks for the letter there is always a lot to learn from reading them every week.  Thats cool that Jaxsen is going to do mountain biking. Jaxsen will for sure have to show me up and teach me a little when i come home.  It is weird to think that you are all out of school already! Also that it was a year ago that i finished. But its alright, summer is always the best! especially on the mission! I never thought how nicer people are at 9 because its still light. It was like 6 in the winter and people would yell at us and tell us it was too late, just because it was dark. So i will be having a great time also!

I hope and pray everything continues to go great back at home! it is exciting to thing that the wedding is this week!! that is so exciting. i hope it all goes great! Have a great week!! i love you all!

Elder Mortensen

A Surprise Picture from a Member in Walla Walla
(Thanks Sister Mullen)

We Were Able To Help Get A Few Less Actives We Are Working With Get To Church Again. It Was Awesome To See Them There!

hey everyone!!  


This was another great week! It was a really weird one though. We weren't able to get into very many lessons, so we spent a lot of time finding people. And when you do a lot of finding, that means a lot of little miracles, and even more weird experiences. Just thinking about it, of the funniest ones happened but i was so confused at the time.  We were walking around this Mexican looking trailer park. We were just walking around talking to everyone that was outside and knocking some doors. There was this Hispanic lady that i think finished smoking and was going inside when we stopped her. I was talking to her and she was kinda slowly going inside so i asked her if we could give her a card. She said "Si  ahorita" and the translation is pretty much "yes right now". so i was just kinda like ok, took a step and held out the card. and she said it again, then again. i was so confused! i just kinda looked back at Elder Tirado and he was just laughing. But i finally got the card to her. She said she didnt live here and she asked someone inside if they wanted to come talk. We could hear them say no they are Mormons and we are Catholics, tell them to go away. the lady looked at us and was like, They are busy right now. So we left and i finally figured out what "si ahorita" means! In mexico it is, ya wait just a little. so i was kinda forcing her to take it, is what it would have seemed like! so we got a good laugh of that after. But now i know! 

 We had a Exchanges with the Zone Leaders this last week. One of the focuses was to get out of the car and walk. When it is close enough, to always walk. We were able to see that work for us. sometimes we are to focused to get to where we had planned to be that we end up just passing people we could talk to.  It didn't get us a ton of new investigators or tons of lessons, but it help us talk to a lot more people and we were able to share a lot more then we would have if we were just driving past all of them. It was really cool. There was a lot of focus on talking to everyone this week. There were for sure days that were better than others. Days that we had more of a desire to talk to people and more of a faith to do it as well. but it did just get better and better and we are talking to more and more people. We had a lesson on exchanges with L-- again. It was a humbling time for me. I dont know if i was thinking that i could just do it by my self or if i didn't plan like i should have or wasn't concentrating to always having the spirit with me, or whatever else it might of been, but it just didn't work! The lesson was all over and at times it was hard to know what to teach about. we ended up reading in the Book of Mormon and she has a desire to really find out if the Book of Mormon is true. So that was awesome. But after that lesson just thinking back i was humbled. I know now more than before that if i dont receive the spirit, i wont teach. like it teaches in D&C. I didnt really want to have to gain that testimony in the way that i did. But i do have it now and that will help me to take better care of everyone that we will be teaching.

This week at church we weren't able to have any investigators come with us. M-- and his family were busy this week so we werent able to have a lesson and work kept them from church. But, we were able to help get a few less actives we are working with get to church again! it was awesome to see them there. They both brought their families also. One lady we are working with, E-- and her husband M--. she came to church. He said he would come if he didnt have to work. so when he wasnt there we were just like well thats to bad. Then when we were talking to E--, she was just like, ya he is at home. We have a lesson to day so we will have to give him a hard time. Well maybe we wont do that. we will have to see.  Hermana R-- also came with her whole family!! she is so awesome. It was good to see her at church. it was an awesome day. 

It sounds like things back at home are still going good and still always going to be crazy! its good to hear that soccer is still running strong in the family. it always will because it is the best sport. We actually got to play actually soccer at the park last preparation day! it was a ton of fun. One thing i learned is i am way out of shape!  well, everyone else there is too. It was like 20 minutes in and we already moved the tires in closer as the goals so we didnt have to run as much. It was a lot of fun. hopefully Ali got a good Grade on the Trebuchet that i made! when i did it it landed less then half of an inch off my mark, so if you messed it up, well good job. haha i hope you have a great week everyone!!  i love you all!

Elder Mortensen

PS it was really weird to see me at home. it threw me off. but i do have a picture!! just like you asked, a selfie, during study!

Josh at Home!!!!!  We had a life-size cut out 
made for his brothers wedding in two weeks!

Studying Selfie!

Christ Will Often Bring Us To The Edge Of Our Faith To See If We Will Continue To Make Steps In Faith Or If We Will Just Stop

Hello!  


This was a pretty cool week. We had Zone conference down in Hermiston so i got to go back and see a little. We had to wake up at 5 so we could get there on time for car inspections. The conference was so good! We had a big discussion about the Brother of Jared in Ether 3 and why he was able to have this amazing experience happen.  One thing that really stood out to me is how Christ will often bring us to the edge of our faith to see if we will continue to make steps in faith or if we will just stop. As i have thought back to times in my life especially on the mission i have seen that really is how it often works. This week it gave me a little more motivation while i was thinking of that. It made me try harder to talk to everyone, it made me work more diligent through the days, it made me pay closer attention to the spirit because i knew that it was going to take more work and more effort than i have given in the past to get those miracles we are looking for as missionaries. Especially that now we have this knowledge and know what more of what the Lord expects of us. We were able to see this happen this week. I think this week was kinda a test from God.  There wasn't much success this week. It seemed like we talked to everyone that wasn't interested and couldn't find those that were searching for the truth. It came down to the last hour of Sunday night. We went to try to find a few potential investigators. They said that Tuesdays and Thursdays work best and they should be home. We thought of their names and we knew that it wasn't a day they are usually home but we felt like we should go to visit them, so we did! They said they were eating dinner and said they were a little busy, but It was a little rainy, luckily, so that is what got us in the door. We went and sat down with them. The whole "eating dinner" part was either a really bad excuse or they are just my kind of people! Because they were just eating cookies!! so we go some cookies also.  We had a good lesson. As we were teaching the restoration, the spirit filled the room. We taught with more power then we have been able to in the past. We were able to teach more in unity, that is what helped us. They didn't accept to be baptized. They said that they are already baptized and they only believe in one baptism. We shared more about the priesthood and why it is necessary. they said they would but only if they really did know that it is true. They are two awesome new investigators! L-- and R--! Now we have to work to bring the spirit to them so they can have their hearts softened even more. It was really cool. 

We havent been able to meet M-- too much. He has been really busy working. So we dont know how he really is doing. He seems to be doing good but kinda cooled down. He's not as excited as we was at first, but still wants it. 

We are teaching a couple, C-- and A--. They really want to learn but are set in their ways in another church, but they read the Book of Mormon!! so it really does just come down to a little bit of time and if the are sincere about it. They are really cool. 

M-- and M-- came to church again!! L-- wasnt able to because her kids were being problems. But they are really liking to come to church. One time that we went over there just M-- was there so we got to talk to him a little. It is still really hard for him to have as much faith as he wants to always have. He says that it goes up and down. It has been pretty hard for him. but on Youtube he found General Conference and really liked those. We showed him where all those were on the Gospel Library app and he is also going to start to listen to the Book of Mormon. They are going good just are going to keep needed help. But that is why were are here! so thats good. 

I am glad you like my justification for getting fatter! It looks like you all have had a great time back at home! It seems Ali is still as weird as ever! just seeing that picture reminded me of it all! And Jaxsen always doing something new! mountain biking sounds fun though. it might put some meat on your bones too. its good to know that my family is just having a great time!! i love you all so much! have the best week!!

Elder Mortensen

PS  a picture!!  There was a bunch of us at Zone conference from the MTC district!! it was cool to see them all