Letter home May 28

Dear Family,

That's so awesome the C's daughter is going to Mesa!!! Wow! We could literally be serving across the street from each other... that is great! It's funny, I know so many people who are serving there. Tell her she's going to the greatest mission in the world, besides Tempe AZ of course (:

That's so crazy what's going on in the world. I'm kind of glad I'm in my 100% gospel filled life right now... as missionaries we are exposed to a ton, things I've never faced in my life before. But it's amazing the Spirit that comes into our lives when we set ourselves apart from the cheap, vulgar things of the world. It always feels so weird going shopping and things, just because of the music that's playing and the things the world advertises... I'm so glad that we can share the gospel and help bring light and truth and happiness to this world that desperately needs it! I hope you have fun with Elder "OJ" haha, that is hilarious! And sounds fun! And thanks for sending the pictures of beautiful Virginia! Sorry, I didn't mean to complain about the grayness of the last ones - I know they were by the beach haha (: It was just crazy to see, a huge contrast from AZ! And the lush green of VA looks sooo foreign, even now, it's so beautiful! I'm glad Chessie and Baxter and the chickens are doing well.. it's fun to see pictures of them. (:

Well, our week here has definitely been very exciting. I think it's been one of the longest weeks of my whole mission! But it's been great. So much has happened. It started off with a crazy note. So, you know how I wrote home last week about Pres. T's talk, about doubting our doubts before we doubt our faith? And then, how the next day, I was reading from the Book of Mormon, and received that spiritual witness that God truly knows everything, and I can trust Him to be the source of truth? Well, that was probably one of the simplest, but most profound moments that has ever strengthened my testimony. It was amazing.

Well, the next day, we went to teach this lady a lesson... she had said she was interested, and told us to come back. We came back, and she took us into her room, and then had us start teaching her. We started teaching her from the pamphlet, and she would say really negative things about what we were saying. We would try and help her understand, or share a simple testimony, and be really respectful. But she kept picking apart every simple truth we taught her. Finally she pulled out a composition notebook, where she had handwritten pages of anti Mormon literature to attack us with... it was so awful! I felt so yucky afterwards. It was really sad. She pretended to be interested and brought us into her home to convince us that we belonged to a cult.. it was crazy. It was really crazy though, how it happened on Tuesday - literally the day after I received that spiritual confirmation, yet again, of the truthfulness of the gospel, and of the prophet Joseph Smith. It was amazing how God truly helped me and prepared me for that experience. I know He is truly aware of us. I think a year ago that would have shaken me up, but with everything I've learned and the experiences I've had, it didn't shake my faith or my testimony one bit. I know this church is true. :)

We also had another incredible lesson with a young lady named J. Like many people here, she has the most heartbreaking story. She used to live in Mesa, and was being taught by the missionaries there, and was almost baptized! But then she got kicked out of her house, and had to come back to live here - with some family who she had moved away from, determined never to live back with them again, because of how bad the circumstances are. It was so heartbreaking, just her house had that icky, icky feeling because of what her family is doing. So she was stuck in this environment, and felt that there were things around her and in her home that shouldn't be there. So we went over with the elders in our ward to give her a blessing, and had a member come with us. The elders gave her a beautiful blessing, and the Spirit was strong. She was able to feel that peace. After the blessing, they left, and we sat and talked with her with the member who was with us. The member started sharing some experiences with J, and it turned out that she has been through exactly what J is going through. She talked with her about how Satan is real, but that through reading the scriptures and praying every day, he can have no influence over us. We can bring that light into our lives that will push all the darkness away. It was so, so powerful. After the lesson she shared with us some experiences that she had, with tears running down her face, and it was just so powerful. I know Heavenly Father is real, and that the power of Christ's Atonement and the Holy Ghost is real. It was an incredible, incredible experience. It was heavy though. 

As a missionary, sometimes I feel like the heaviest burden is on me. Just being responsible to be the missionary Heavenly Father wants me to be, to love my companion, to help these people and do everything I can to help them come closer to Christ... literally everything I can. Every prayer, every moment reading the scriptures, every thought, every action, is just influenced by my calling and my responsibility as a missionary. I am so grateful, and wouldn't change anything. I love being a missionary, and right now I feel like I could stay here forever. :) But it is a heavy burden. 

So, it was a bit of a heavy week. But we have also had some really fun, awesome moments too. :)

Tuesday night K came with us to lessons, and we taught a kid named A whose getting baptized next week. He is so awesome!!! We taught him to keep the Sabbath Day holy, and played a game of charades to keep him interested (he's 9). So we acted out things, and then decided if it's something Heavenly Father would want us to do on Sunday.. it was so fun! It really helped him understand, and it was also so fun in the process :D

We also had one of the greatest moments of my mission!! Oh man. So, C and T - do you remember them? From Maricopa? I guess C wants to serve a mission! When we first met her, she had told us that she wasn't sure if she was committted to the church. And now she is going strong and wants to serve a mission. And T, he is super pumped to serve, and he is so excited to be a missionary someday. It made me so happy, to think of them being so happy and so involved in the gospel! And having that faith, that testimony, that when we gain it, we want to go out and share it with everyone, because of the happiness it brings. It's just the greatest. :)

Well, this week we had dinner with K, and she's so awesome! We were sitting and talking, eating our burritos, and she told us that she has been thinking of serving a mission!!! She's been thinking alot about it, and praying alot about it, but isn't sure... just because of her newness to the gospel, and also because her boyfriend implied he would break up with her if she left. Well, we talked about it, and she said she really wants to go, and she knows she should put God above everything else - above her fears, and make Him first priority in her life. And she said she feels like she knows what her answer is already, but needs to make sure. Isn't that amazing? She would be the greatest missionary! She is so awesome - so kind to others, and so excited about the gospel. She's even been having scripture study with another friend she has who just got back from his mission too! She is doing so well, and it just brings me the greatest happiness. I'm so, so grateful that I'm so blessed to be able to see these changes in the people's lives who I've taught. It's amazing. :) 

Other then that, this week has been good. I've felt a bit down the past few days... just realizing my weaknesses, and feeling a bit alone. But I know that I'm learning from it, and that I can find peace and strength in the scriptures and in prayer, and that has been a great blessing to me. Sister D is also awesome. She's been a huge support and example to me. 

Well, thank you so much for all your prayers, and for your examples. I really love you guys. Thank you for your support and your love. It brings me a lot of strength and comfort to know your always there, even if far away. :)

I love you!

love,

Sister Whitney Morris

Funny Moments

We were out with this AWESOME member, and we were driving around... and she told us that she and her husband were talking, and had realized that missionaries say super about everything! We are always saying that is super cool, he's super solid, that was a super awesome lesson, I'm doing super great, we can bike there super fast, that person is super golden, ect. So her and her husband were laughing about that, and said it's because we're super men and women, and so everything is super... haha, but ever since they told us that, we always laugh whenever we say super. Because we really say it ALL THE TIME. And now we've noticed so many stores, taco trucks, ect who have super in the name! It's so funny! 

Also, we were driving with a member the other day, and there was a man walking down the street, wearing.... a purple cape, cheetah print pants, a tie tied around his knee, and other multiple ties tied around his ankles and neck....just chilling, walking out of the gas station and walking down the street. Hahaha, you see the craziest things here... I love it. I really love Maryvale. :) It is soooo crazy, and it's the best.

A & Sis D & I & their family (: