October 13th 2014

Dear Family,

Aww, I love seeing the pictures of home :) Virginia is so beautiful! Mommy, I'm sorry things have been tough lately. I've definitely noticed that on my mission as well - even as a missionary, sometimes you have highs and lows spiritually. I think it's just a part of life. But the important thing is how we react to those low times. I'm so grateful for your example in trying to do the right things, even when it's hard. :) Thanks so much for the package!! I absolutely loved it! I'm wearing my new skirt right now :) I've actually lost about 10 lbs in the past few months, which is something I'm really excited about haha. Hopefully I can keep it up and be in great shape when I come home :) I didn't realize my car was broken! What happened to it? Is it working okay now? I hope so! Haha. That's so fun you've been looking for Arizona jewelry! Sorry, no pressure or anything, haha. You know I love anything you guys send me :) And I don't want you to worry too much about it, or spend some atrocious amount of money. I am perfectly happy with just letters and homemade stuff for Christmas, too :) That's so funny, that's true there are no oil paint stains on the floor haha! Just you wait! :D It was so fun in Gilbert, there was a member - an old lady, Sis K who painted the furniture - and everytime we saw her, she was in these old workclothes covered in paint, her hair going everywhere. It just made me miss home and painting haha. I'm excited to paint with you again :) I love your cute pumpkins!! Those are so neat with the jewel corn stems! And that would be awesome if you sold prints of my paintings in the stores!! Seriously! That would be a great way to make money while I'm gone :D  The downstairs bathroom looks so cute! I love the colors, and I LOVE the red washer and dryer!! So cute! 

That's so awesome you went out with the sisters too!! :) I'm so proud of you! A busy mom, with everything going on, and you take the time to go out with the missionaries and share the gospel and strengthen new members. I know when members come out with us, they are so blessed. Bringing members brings miracles :) That's so awesome you could go out with them and share that experience! I'm glad you loved it! It did sound scary driving though, haha! It's funny how cool it is there - here, it's still mid 90s :D It doesn't feel like fall at all!I got Randi's package too, and I absolutely loved everything, the skirt, the Joseph Smith stuff.. I'm sorry I haven't had time to write her. Can you let her know I love her? And that I pray for her? I hope things work out so she can move out to Virginia. We would love to have our aunt Randi close by :) 

That's cute Dexter got a pit bull! My companion LOVES pit bulls. She's not scared of dogs at all! Even huge barking ones, she just walks up and knocks on the door anyways haha. It's really funny! That's so cool we're related to George Washington!!! :D And that Hannah got asked on a date! Her dating experiences almost begin, haha. That is definitely a great opportunity to share the gospel, though. :) She should invite him to church sometime!  I hope Isaac and Jacob are doing great too, and Adam and Peter and Dad! I really miss you all. But the time is going so quickly, I hardly even notice. 

Well, as for me, this week has been CRAZY. Even crazier then last week!! We had a great Monday, we had two family home evenings to go to with investigators and new members, but by the end Sister D was feeling sick.... she got a fever and a really sore throat. So we had to come home and let her rest. I was kind of panicking though, because the next morning was zone conference, and we had our huge training to do. It was scary! So we called the zone leaders, and she was so sick that they told me to just prepare to do the training with the Hawaiin sister we live with, Sister F. So Sister D had to stay home, with Sister F's companion :( It was sad! I missed her! And Sister F and I did the training. It was so fun!! We started off by asking the missionaries about the most spiritual experiences they had in their lives, before their mission. They shared some powerful experiences, and then we had them think about where they were, what they were doing, and what the environment was like. Then we moved out into the gym, and did this super fun roleplay. We set up half the stage completely covered in toys, and a tv blaring (a cheesy old LDS movie from the library) and we had the zone leaders be the investigator and the investigator's toddler son. We had some of the missionaries try to teach them, with all the distractions going, and it was really funny haha. The distractions totally controlled the lesson, with the kid crying if the tv was turned off, ect. But then, we had the other half of the stage set up like a member's home (prepared for a lesson). So it was clean, soft toys for the kid to play with, ect. And there the missionaries were able to teach a really spiritual lesson. We talked about the importance of the environment, and then encouraged the missionaries to try and have their lessons on holy ground - in a member's home, in a church building, or on the temple grounds. It was really fun! There's a cool part of the missionary handbook that talks about dedicating homes. It basically says that member's homes can be dedicated to be holy places where the Spirit resides, where family members can grow in the gospel, and where families can prepare for eternal family relationships. We asked, don't we want that for our investigators too? In members homes they can learn those same principles in that environment. It was really cool. :) We also talked about street contacting, and had this fun role play. In PMG it talks about looking for clues when talking to people, and showing sincere interest in them, and relating the gospel to them in a way that meets their needs. Well, we made up these scenarios that have actually happened to us street contacting in Phoenix (a man riding a horse, a family with a pet pig in the doghouse in the front yard, a lady on her way to the airport, someone who doesn't speak english, ect) and they had some fun roleplays. There was also this super cool thing we shared that Elder Sweitzer of the 70 taught us. He talked about the DIMS - discouragement, idleness, murmering, and sin. This is a process that happens, we become discouraged, then we become idle, we murmur or complain, and then we sin. He talked about eliminating those things in missionary work and in our lives. So we talked about eliminating that in street contacting - sometimes we get discouraged because people are mean, or we're rejected, we become idle by being lazy and not talking to people because we don't want to, we murmur or make excuses by saying their too far away or their too busy, and we sin by not talking to them - by not giving them that opportunity to talk and to learn more... of having the opportunity to do good, and not do it. So we talked about overcoming the dims by doing it anyways, by having love for them and for Christ, and by just telling ourselves we can do hard things. There were alot of really great ideas the missionaries shared :) Overall it was just such a fun training! I feel lucky because I feel like I learned the most, the missionaries had such amazing insights and are such great examples. It was awesome! One of the elders talked about how sometimes he knocks on doors and asks if the "goldens" live there (aka the golden investigators). Haha it was a creative way to make it fun :) 

There was one embarassing part though.... we made these handouts that said "I ______ can do hard things!" with the new hashtag our mission is using, #standonholyground. Well, I made those right before bed the night before... so I accidentally wrote the wrong hashtag! Haha I did #standinholyplaces instead. Woops!!! So that was super embarassing hahaha. But oh well! :D 

Sorry to ramble forever about the training. It was just really fun and a cool experience. :) We had another super cool experience this week!! We got to watch Meet the Mormons!! I guess all the missionaries in the US and Canada were supposed to watch it before it comes out, so we can answer questions about it. So we went to a stake center in Mesa and all watched it together. It was AMAZING. Holy cow!! It was so fun to see the candy bomber, and the Naval Academy coach (woot woot!) and also the last story at the end was sooo powerful... it was a great reminder to me that we should never, ever judge anyone by the way we see them now. Because this mom started her journey in the gospel as a 19 year old homeless girl with two sons, and look where she ended up. It was so powerful to me, and such an incredible reminder that every person on this earth has divine potential, to become who God wants them to be. We just need to help them see it and find it for themselves. :) So that was powerful!

We also had a crazy experience with C. We went to visit her, and we got there, and she was yelling at one of the workers :( we went in to help calm her down. Sister D handled it like a pro! We sang a primary song with her, and then said that we should color pictures. So we started coloring with her, and then sister D said "You know, we should give one of these to the worker, because I think he must be feeling pretty sad right now." So she had C color a picture for him, and we went to give it to him with a picture of Jesus. It was so cool! She took this crazy situation and made it into a lesson of Christlike service, patience, and forgiveness. I wanted to record it and rewatch it, because she just handled it so well. I thought it would be perfect for a mom haha. It was a really awesome experience. 

We have had so many cool experiences teaching! We taught this 26 yr old couple with 5 kids, who aren't married, but who are SO awesome. They live in this humble, humble home, and the kids were sooooo sweet! They just surrounded me, and I showed them pictures of Jesus, and they kept asking me all of these questions about Him. It was soooo sweet. We taught them about the Restoration, and the kids were all listening and involved. The dad really wants to be baptized, he's INCREDIBLE, but the mom doesn't want to be baptized or married. So that's sad :( Nobody ever taught them that they should be married first before having kids. But their moving into the elder's area, so hopefully someday her heart will be softened so they can be baptized. Those were the sweetest children I have ever met! I just love them so much!

We also had a super cool lesson with A. He's preparing for his baptism this Saturday :) So we went over the program with him. Then we sat in the chapel and showed him the Bible video of Christ being baptized. The Spirit was so strong, especially when afterwards we talked about his feelings for Christ and about his upcoming baptism. And then we talked about the sacred promise we make when we're baptized, and pointed to the nearby sacrament table and talked about how every Sunday we can renew that sacred promise and be cleansed and forgiven of our sins, for the rest of our lives. It was so, so sweet, and the Spirit was so strong. I am so happy for him! He is an incredible kid! And he is filled with happiness about his baptism!

We also had a great lesson with L! Some ward members pitched in to help her quit smoking, and help her get rid of mosquitos, so she's doing so much better. :) We started a smoking program with her, and hopefully she'll be able to quit and be baptized Oct. 24th. I love her so much! Hopefully I'll have pics to send of us with her next week! She's going to wear a skirt to church next Sunday for the first time. :) She was waiting because she didn't have any dress shoes to wear. So this Sunday, she'll finally have some, and she wants a pic with us. :) 

We also had some super funny moments!

Our WML in one of our wards, his wife is super pregnant... like 6 days overdue now haha. Anyways, they were showing us pics of the ultrasound. Their 7 yr old boy saw it and yelled "What kind of creature IS this???!!! It looks like a MONSTER!" Hahaha it was soooooo funny!! He then started describing how he thinks his baby sister is a t rex... it was hilarious hahaha. 

We also had a super funny moment! So there's this Elder, Elder T, who is so awesome! He just graduated high school, and has these big glasses and is a total hipster. Well, his first name is Raul, and we were laughing because we were saying his name doesn't fit him. Raul sounds like a masculine macho mexican guys name :) So later on that night, we met a potential investigator and her boyfriend. Her boyfriend is this huge, macho, masculine mexican guy. We introduced ourselves and said "Oh, what's your name?" In this deep husky voice he said "... Raul". Hahaha that was super funny too! We had a great laugh about it :D

Well, I hope you are all doing well! Thanks so much for all your support and love. :) I MISS YOU GUYS. Adam, your bday letter will be on the way today! And Dexter's too. :) Hannah, Jacob, Peter good luck with school! Isaac, stay swagtastic! Dad, hope your job is going well, and the yard looks great! Mommy, I love you!!! Thanks so much for being such a great friend and support to me, even when I'm far away. :)

Love you guys, with all my heart! Also how is my car? Haha. 

Love ya!!

con mucho amor,

Sister Whitney Morris

 

Also us trying on zippy pajamas on pday!!! :) Sock monkey and cheetah!! woot woot! Haha

 

 

Some more views of Phoenix. I've mostly taken pics of the country looking places. I'll take some of the neighborhoods too :) but here's some cool buildings and landscape and stuff.

 

Gorgeous sunset

 

 

This hilarious note we found in the back of our dresser hahaha

 

A cute American quilt we have in our apt, that I get to keep :) (don't mind my sweatiness)

 

The hermanas we live with left cute notes everywhere, haha

 

 

 

 

Something gross! I'm never one for gross pictures, but when I changed my set in my insulin pump, my blood like pumped out into the tube!! Gross huh?? haha,,, it was gross, but I thought you would get a kick out of it. yucky!

 

Also, Hermana D's poor legs!! The mosquitos here are AWFUL!!!

 

Also a little monkey statue with a beer can.... #phoenix

 

Our church building :) and random mail trucks, so you can get a feel for what PHX looks like

 

 

 

And a scene of an Arizonan party! The Hispanic families here have bday parties all the time, where they have brinka brinkas (or the jumping castles). this one had horses too :) this is right in our neighborhood. it's so fun. there are almost no white people here, it's very racially diverse. which I love! I love the different languages and cultures. It's awesome!