Dear Family,
Wow, it sounds like a lot is going on at home!! I loved seeing the pictures of the baby piglets! They are soooo cute!! :) I'm happy to hear that Dad got a job too, and even though it sounds like it will be a little hard, I'm happy that everyone has such a good attitude about it. I'll definitely pray him! Thanks for sending in my art portfolio! Not going to lie, I feel a little nervous living in on campus housing at GMU ;) I think if I did that, I would probably try and only do it for the first semester (I almost said transfer.... #missionlife) and then I would try to move in with some fellow YSA sisters in DC. We'll see what happens though. Haven't heard from BYU still... does George Mason have a deadline for acceptance? If so, what's the deadline for it? I'll do some praying today and just trust that Heavenly Father will lead me. :) I. Hopefully things work out okay, and that she'll be able to move into her own place! I hope she can learn to be grateful and see the good and everything you guys are doing for her. I'm excited for Dexter joining the marines!! He looked so handsome in his swearing in picture! I'm really happy for him, and it's a bit scary thinking what he could be doing now. Haha.
Also, great job in your play, Hannah!!! You looked beautiful, and that looked so fun! I'm so proud of you! :D And Jacob, yours is coming up soon too, right? That's so awesome!!! I loved hearing about the cool meetings and stake conference, too. That's one of the best parts of being involved in missionary work. :)
I did have two questions for you guys - first, do you think you could set up a doctors appt (diabetes docter) in Virginia for me around the middle or end of June? I haven't been in a while, so I'll have to try and go asap when I get home. Don't worry, I'm in great health, everything is fine. :) I'll just need an appt! I forgot the last question, so hopefully I remember it by the end of this email, haha!
As for us, this week has been pretty good. We've been knocking a TON of doors, it seems like nobody has been home this week! R has been out of town all week, we haven't been able to contact W :( And Y was out of town too. So it was a slow, knocking doors week. But we still worked hard! We had zone conference and that was incredible!!! Pres. T is really focusing on having all of us become more powerful teachers and enhancing our teaching skills. He said we should be able to know every point in all the lessons in PMG inside and out, and when randomly called upon we should know a scripture or two we could share, and be able to teach it simply, briefly, and powerfully. In our next interviews with him he's going to have us randomly teach him a point in the lessons! I think I'm good on most of the lessons, but lesson 5 will definitely need some work. So that was exciting! We received very powerful training, especially in teaching with the Spirit. I love Preach My Gospel, and I love this work! We see God's hand in it every day.
We also received training for online proselyting. Last week salt lake called 32 mission presidents in for training - the first time they've called them out since 1980 something when the footnoted scriptures first came out. I guess mission presidents aren't supposed to leave their mission, even if one of their children dies, so it was a big deal! The church has officially started the official ipad programs I guess, our test run is over. So they formed some new handbooks, including a 12 week training for new missionaries of not only how to be a missionary, but also a whole new training book on using online. Their making huge changes and it's so exciting! It was so funny - when the church first gave us iPads, they basically said "here, missionaries! Use facebook!" And we were just like "..... Okay!" with not having any clue in what to do with it, haha. So it has been an interesting journey, learning the ropes as a mission. We have been the test run, and a lot of things have changed since we first got them. Now their providing us with official training. New missionaries won't even use facebook right away! It will be in their like 10th week of training that they'll be able to start chatting and posting! Anyways, this Wednesday our mission is gathering to receive more training from a general authority and some people from the missionary department on how to use iPads and facebook. We are really excited! We are also all getting brand new iPads. We think it's because all the missionaries have to buy their own, so they want it to be fair and everyone to have a new one. The church has bought so many that they now have their own Apple outlet that they buy the iPads from.... That way they just put on all the needed filters. Crazy, huh? Probably also so they can have the different costs for different missions and everything. It's amazing how the Lord has blessed and trusted us with these tools to help the work hasten. It's really amazing though, because that really is all the iPad and Facebook is - just a tool. President T really focused on the fact that we aren't a iPad mission, we are a PMG and scriptures mission. I really liked that, because it's true! It was a very powerful training.
President T also gave us some funny dating advice for when we go home! One big change is we won't have iPad checks anymore - we will have iPad audits, weekly, with our companions. So one day a week we'll trade iPads and check them, make sure that nothing fishy is going on. President T talked about always having safety - keeping your companion safe from the evils of the Internet. He said this is training us for our future lives. Imagine having total transparency on the Internet with your spouse. He told us that if we are dating someone, we need to tell them "if we get married, I will be auditing your cell phone, Internet, email, etc. sometimes. Are you okay with that? Also knowing each others passwords?" President then said, "if they say that's not okay, that those things are private, turn around and run away, 100 mph if you need to!" I LOVED that! And I am definitely going to do that! In his training in slc, the apostles talked to the mission presidents about how we aren't going to be on the defensive anymore about the evil tide of pornography and everything on the Internet. Just think - 80,000 missionaries, every 2 years, learning how to use the Internet properly, flooding the earth with goodness, and knowing how to protect themselves and their families from evil. We're not just defending ourselves anymore, were fighting back :) How powerful is that?! As you can see, I feel pretty excited about it!
So that was an awesome meeting. We did some service this week, we cleaned up a man's yard who had to go into a care home. It was a TON of work! We were SOOO sore the next day! It was sadly a pretty slow week in the work. We haven't been able to contact W at all, or Y, and almost nobody has answered their door. The good news is S is getting baptized this Saturday, and we are asking permission to go :) We hope we can! So it was a harder week, that's for sure. We have seen many answers to prayers though. I had two specific answers that helped me remember how much God is aware of us and loves us. First, after one day I came home pretty discouraged. Nobody answered, we had been knocking doors all night, I was exhausted and kinda sad. So I sat down to read a conference talk before bed. I was going to read a recent one, but then I decided "naw, I'll read an older one today." I picked a random conference, and the first title that popped up was "notwithstanding my weakness." I laughed a little, because it seemed so perfect. And then I saw the author, and it was elder Neal a maxwell. (He's become one of my favorite apostles - all the missionaries in our mission LOVE him). So, I knew that talk was going to be perfect. I read it, and it was sooo comforting, and so strengthening. It was exactly what I needed to hear that night, and I felt like Heavenly Father was talking right to me. It was amazing! It's in the October 1976 conference if you want to read it.
Our other miracle happened Saturday night. It was another slow day, just knocking so many doors. We went through back up plan after back up plan, and finally we just started going through a list of names in the ward the relief society president gave us to go by and see if they still lived there. Well, we sat in the car, and there were a few different ones we could see. We saw one name, and I felt really strongly a feeling that we should go there. We did, and this man was standing in his front yard. It turned out that he was about to leave to put money on his electricity card to put his lights back on (his power was out). He felt very alone because he had lost everything. His wife left him with his kids, he was barely recovering from cancer, he didn't have a job because he had been so sick, and he was left alone in this huge house, that he can't afford. It was so heartbreaking. We were just able to stand and listen to him share his experiences with us, and it meant so much to him because he hadn't had anyone he could talk to. I know Heavenly Father guided us there to be there for him that night. Even though it wasn't a lesson, it wasn't a golden investigator, it was a son of God who was really hurting and who needed someone to listen to him. It was very powerful, and I'm so grateful heavenly father guided us there.
We also received training for online proselyting. Last week salt lake called 32 mission presidents in for training - the first time they've called them out since 1980 something when the footnoted scriptures first came out. I guess mission presidents aren't supposed to leave their mission, even if one of their children dies, so it was a big deal! The church has officially started the official ipad programs I guess, our test run is over. So they formed some new handbooks, including a 12 week training for new missionaries of not only how to be a missionary, but also a whole new training book on using online. Their making huge changes and it's so exciting! It was so funny - when the church first gave us iPads, they basically said "here, missionaries! Use facebook!" And we were just like "..... Okay!" with not having any clue in what to do with it, haha. So it has been an interesting journey, learning the ropes as a mission. We have been the test run, and a lot of things have changed since we first got them. Now their providing us with official training. New missionaries won't even use facebook right away! It will be in their like 10th week of training that they'll be able to start chatting and posting! Anyways, this Wednesday our mission is gathering to receive more training from a general authority and some people from the missionary department on how to use iPads and facebook. We are really excited! We are also all getting brand new iPads. We think it's because all the missionaries have to buy their own, so they want it to be fair and everyone to have a new one. The church has bought so many that they now have their own Apple outlet that they buy the iPads from.... That way they just put on all the needed filters. Crazy, huh? Probably also so they can have the different costs for different missions and everything. It's amazing how the Lord has blessed and trusted us with these tools to help the work hasten. It's really amazing though, because that really is all the iPad and Facebook is - just a tool. President T really focused on the fact that we aren't a iPad mission, we are a PMG and scriptures mission. I really liked that, because it's true! It was a very powerful training.
President T also gave us some funny dating advice for when we go home! One big change is we won't have iPad checks anymore - we will have iPad audits, weekly, with our companions. So one day a week we'll trade iPads and check them, make sure that nothing fishy is going on. President T talked about always having safety - keeping your companion safe from the evils of the Internet. He said this is training us for our future lives. Imagine having total transparency on the Internet with your spouse. He told us that if we are dating someone, we need to tell them "if we get married, I will be auditing your cell phone, Internet, email, etc. sometimes. Are you okay with that? Also knowing each others passwords?" President then said, "if they say that's not okay, that those things are private, turn around and run away, 100 mph if you need to!" I LOVED that! And I am definitely going to do that! In his training in slc, the apostles talked to the mission presidents about how we aren't going to be on the defensive anymore about the evil tide of pornography and everything on the Internet. Just think - 80,000 missionaries, every 2 years, learning how to use the Internet properly, flooding the earth with goodness, and knowing how to protect themselves and their families from evil. We're not just defending ourselves anymore, were fighting back :) How powerful is that?! As you can see, I feel pretty excited about it!
So that was an awesome meeting. We did some service this week, we cleaned up a man's yard who had to go into a care home. It was a TON of work! We were SOOO sore the next day! It was sadly a pretty slow week in the work. We haven't been able to contact W at all, or Y, and almost nobody has answered their door. The good news is S is getting baptized this Saturday, and we are asking permission to go :) We hope we can! So it was a harder week, that's for sure. We have seen many answers to prayers though. I had two specific answers that helped me remember how much God is aware of us and loves us. First, after one day I came home pretty discouraged. Nobody answered, we had been knocking doors all night, I was exhausted and kinda sad. So I sat down to read a conference talk before bed. I was going to read a recent one, but then I decided "naw, I'll read an older one today." I picked a random conference, and the first title that popped up was "notwithstanding my weakness." I laughed a little, because it seemed so perfect. And then I saw the author, and it was elder Neal a maxwell. (He's become one of my favorite apostles - all the missionaries in our mission LOVE him). So, I knew that talk was going to be perfect. I read it, and it was sooo comforting, and so strengthening. It was exactly what I needed to hear that night, and I felt like Heavenly Father was talking right to me. It was amazing! It's in the October 1976 conference if you want to read it.
Our other miracle happened Saturday night. It was another slow day, just knocking so many doors. We went through back up plan after back up plan, and finally we just started going through a list of names in the ward the relief society president gave us to go by and see if they still lived there. Well, we sat in the car, and there were a few different ones we could see. We saw one name, and I felt really strongly a feeling that we should go there. We did, and this man was standing in his front yard. It turned out that he was about to leave to put money on his electricity card to put his lights back on (his power was out). He felt very alone because he had lost everything. His wife left him with his kids, he was barely recovering from cancer, he didn't have a job because he had been so sick, and he was left alone in this huge house, that he can't afford. It was so heartbreaking. We were just able to stand and listen to him share his experiences with us, and it meant so much to him because he hadn't had anyone he could talk to. I know Heavenly Father guided us there to be there for him that night. Even though it wasn't a lesson, it wasn't a golden investigator, it was a son of God who was really hurting and who needed someone to listen to him. It was very powerful, and I'm so grateful heavenly father guided us there.
It really has been a great week. The highlights have probably been going out with members, funny things that happen - we laugh about something every day :) - and just feeling the Spirit so strongly, in our studies, or when we testify to someone, or just feeling the Lord's guidance and strength and peace. I love this area, and I love this work!!! Transfers are next week, so if you send any bday packages this week feel free to send it to the apt. address. If it's sent after Saturday or so, you should probably just go ahead and send it to the mission home :) Thanks so much for everything! I love you guys, and you're in my prayers.
I love you all! :)
love,
Sister Whitney Morris
we taught A. a new member lesson and he gave both of us cherry chocolates for valentines day! he's the sweetest kid ever!
we taught A. a new member lesson and he gave both of us cherry chocolates for valentines day! he's the sweetest kid ever!
and another Chihuahua sighting. if you zoom in, this one has an under bite..... pretty intense!
mas pizza making
sorry, I'm not sure if I sent these already or not.
picking grapefruits!
and us with y, a and sister d :) after a lesson.
a barking Chihuahua haha
making papoosas :)
a gorgeous flower and skyline of phoenix
one of our many Chihuahuas of the Chihuahua challenge. funny enough, the Chihuahua picture hunt has been pretty slow this week too. but the Chihuahua sightings from the week before made up for it. :)
I love the second one. He's so cute. I'm still convinced I might get one someday.... haha. #chihuahuas4life #especiallythemexicanappleheadchihuahuas #yesthat'sarealkindofchihuahua #it'sthebestkind
us and S :) I love her!! She always calls the Spirit the "warm fuzzies"
we taught the plan of salvation with the elders at fhe. the lady in the middle is k b, a returning member. we are at the g's house. I love that family! it was fun!
sister s and I also got haircuts last week :) her first haircut ever!!! It was so fun!
An olive tree! WITH olives!!
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