What a weird week.
Don't be scared. I'm writing you all this email right now aren't I?
Well let's do this methodically not chronologically.
The Ocean.
I've at times considered myself not a fan.
But as of late I have to reconsider.
Although I do not acquire a tan,
I feel an intense energy, yea, a real power.
When I stand on the surf and the waves are big,
The foam comes skimming and with much surprise,
It moves me like a coal cart by a mine-pig.
What looks like foam is water that passes my thighs.
Whats great is every misty sweep, noisily but tranquilly-
circulates the sand and uncovers a new treasure each time.
I cant go in it which makes sense and isn't silly;
The rip tide could kill me in my prime.
This week was sandwiched by ocean Fun.
Last P-day Fire Island this morning Montauk without the sun.
The ocean is made of water. This week I was told that when Christ bled for us in the garden his blood ran down into a stream and eventually went through all the stages of the water cycle. Basically the point was that if you touch water you are touching His blood since His blood touched the water. I hadn't heard that before. I never knew anything like that before. But I do know we are baptized in water.
There once was a lady named Grace.
She learned the lessons at a quick pace.
So she was baptized on a Saturday,
And received the spirit the next day,
And now in heaven she's reserved a special place!
YUP! Grace was Baptized! Eugene was baptized too! It was a really smooth baptism and the spirit was great. A very interesting (in a good way) peaceful spirit. It was very clean and there was a beautiful program and I really wouldn't do it justice describing it.
Well the best part was Sunday. Grace asked me to be the one to perform the ordinance to give her the gift of the Holy Ghost. When she asked me I felt very humbled but also it felt right. After sacrament she told us how she felt during the confirmation. she said that she felt peace and that she vibrated. She described exactly how I feel the Spirit when I have very sincere prayers. Vibration! so that was really cool! She knows that she has the spirit and it filled the void (which I told her was the extra baggage that was swept away in the font) she described having after baptism. Wonderful! :)
Eugene's experience was different but just as wonderful and testimony building. The night after his baptism he discovered that there was more disapproval from his family about baptism than he expected. This stressed him out and he felt a very heavy load or burden. when Henry gave him the Holy Ghost and gave him a blessing he felt the burden lifted. Amazing! The atonement in action! The baptism of fire!
Well All is well with them. Eugene told us his schedule this week and literally every night was either a ward event or a YSA event! Only one night was free and that night he said was reserved to feed us and go out to teach with us. :)
Grace is just excited to go to the temple to do baptisms and confirmations (well... probably just confirmations. Ha-ha).
Well, here's what everyone has been wanting to hear me say for a long time, I went to a podiatrist and let him poke me with needles and sticks and cut me with scissors. Now I have a big hole in my toe that is healing nicely into what will be a normal toe. Woot! Here is the dumb part... or at least the only connection I can make to the following random event of terror I am about to describe.
The day I started my anti-biotic the podiatrist prescribed I had some freaky stuff happen. I took the meds at breakfast and then also at about 2 pm. The whole day I had the same food as my companion and basically the same food as the Terryville East companionship. At 7:30 pm in the middle of waiting for Eugen's interview to conclude I became intensely nauseous. The stomach pain was different than I have ever experienced, It was like a tight pressure that was made worse simply by deep breathing. It came in waves-one moment I would feel relatively normal and the next I would feel terrible. I began vomiting. It was so random My companion didn't know how to react. He just starting taking pictures and laughing at the situation (not my pain, my companion is awesome). Well it was getting worse and worse. By this time the interview was over and we had acquired a bag and napkins and I had received a blessing (I only could sit through the important part so no blessing words were given at my request). I waddled hunched over to the car where we began to drive home. I started to twitch and have muscle spasms. Then my arms and chest starting to tingle like they were falling asleep. My companion knew what to do when I told him what was going on - he took me to Stony Brook Hospitals ER. They told me I was gonna pass out if I didn't start breathing right; so I did it. They hooked me up and gave me meds to take away the nausea. It was gone. I felt practically normal.
Then they came in and pushed on my abdomen and I said "Ouch!" in just the right (or wrong how ever you look at it) place. They thought I might have the early warning signs of appendicitis. Well after drinking almost 2 pitchers full of Gatorade full of die they ran me through a big doughnut and concluded I was normal so they sent me home. They were just as confused as I was because it seemed to have no reason or cause. It wasn't food poisoning and it wasn't until 5 hours after my second does of antibiotic. Well to be safe they gave me a new antibiotic and some nausea meds just in case. I still have a weird sensitive stomach and don't feel all the way normal... but I'm fine. Its so weird. They said to go back in if I started experiencing more symptoms; so far I have not. I guess I was just allergic to the antibiotic and it took a while for it to get into my system. The mission is keeping close watch on me. President didn't call home cause nothing ended up being wrong and he didn't want to worry you, mom and dad. but I just wanted to explain all the CVS Pharmacy purchases.
This week was full of completely random events back to back. So many I can't even describe. Ha-ha. but in the end Kiser and I are together for another transfer it looks like, 4 people were baptized, and I fixed my toe.
Love,
--
-Elder Samuel Austin Morris
Monday, September 27, 2010
Monday, September 20, 2010
It Usually Woks Out Fine in the End
I am having a tough time remembering everything that happened this week. There may be holes in my stories. Ha-ha. I'm sure none of you will be upset. If you are then you need to get a life. LOL
OK, so I guess an easy way to do this would be to just go though our investigators.
Eugene McGrath. Solid as ever. I have truly never seen someone so ready. Baptism is a formality now. He is reading and coming to church on his own. When we met with him after church we showed him the baptismal questions and he said he understood everything and had no problems with any of it. He will be getting baptized on Saturday the 25th with Grace Di Dominica. He has asked a member to baptize him (which we are very happy about, because originally he wanted a past missionary to do it and we aren't supposed to do that). I have no concerns for him. I am not worried at all, I know he will be baptized and stay active all on his own. To top it off the ward is doing a great job fellow-shipping him.
Grace Di Dominica. Wow. This week she came to meet us at the church for a lesson and guess what she had with her? A brand new quad! Yup, she got herself a quad online. So I gave her my extra scripture markers. Guess what she did with those scripture markers? You guessed it, she used them. She had them with her at church and she was using them to mark the scriptures people read in church. During sacrament she was going through the intro to the Book of Mormon and marking that. Then later she was reading The Doctrine and Covenants and marking that up! LOL! She makes me so happy! She is so willing to just accept and believe and then do what it takes to develop her own testimony. This week we covered the law of chastity and the second half of the plan of salvation. She told us about how her son somehow had memories of his twin that died before it was born. We told her that in the millennium she would be able to raise that child. The spirit was very strong and all she said was "Good". Then we told her about baptism for the dead and she wanted to know If she should baptize her children who died. We told her she didn't have to because the atonement covered that. Then she expressed a desire to be baptized for her parents. It was awesome. She was nervous again about having to get dunked in the water though. Ha-ha. Its cause she doesn't like to be seen without make up. Which is one reason why we are so excited for her to be baptized on Saturday. That way she won't have to go though all of church makeup-less feeling uncomfortable. So when she asked for Sunday off for her baptism last week her boss gave her Saturday and Sunday. She was confused and told her boss "I don't need both days." But, her boss gave it to her anyway. So when we suggested Saturday she realized why. It was a cool little miracle! :D Woot. Don't you love how things work out sometimes! We still have a lot to cover with her... But I think she will be able to learn it all and accept it all (at least the things that you need to accept to be baptized) before Saturday.
Harold Ariza (Cortes). Well, after a lot of schedule changes and telephone calls and wishes that we could read peoples minds and not wanting to mess anything up... Harold was baptized on Yesterday! 8D It was great and went really smoothly and wasn't super long. Brother Stephen Bues and his wife came home early from vacation in Nw Hampshire to baptize Harold! It was really great. It was Bro Bues first baptism because in his mission in Finland they were not allowed to be the baptizers. Harold seemed pretty happy. I really hope that his filming doesn't distract him too much that he doesn't make it to church and conference. Its really great how everyone in the ward is with him. It seems like every one's children love him. He is so great with kids. I found out this week that he likes the White Stripes and plays guitar! Ha-ha. So that was cool. Also he made us "sugarcane water," he didn't know how to call it in English. But it was really good. Its basically sugar cane you can buy from the store boiled in water. It is really high in calories. He says that all the military people drink it and they give it to kids who are growing.
Well there is the top stuff.
Here is some other stuff that happened.
We helped the Velenas and the Psilos' work on there house. Kiser and I mixed cement and poured it and hauled bricks back an forth in wheel barrows to throw in between the old stoop and a new wall. Then we would pile dirt on top. Then more bricks then more dirt until we made it even with the top of the steps. We did this so that they could have really solid ground to build a new and improved stoop over the top of the old one. Basically my back is sore. Ha-ha. don't worry I used my legs, its muscle soreness not a thrown out back or nothin. Ha-ha.
This week I said Aks instead of Ask as well as "What time it is?" Funny, right? I'm really becoming a New Yorker.
A recent convert told us her upstairs neighbors want to meet us! So that will be a whole family to teach soon. Also the Velengas landlords want to meet with us, so they are trying to schedule a time. :) Neat, right?
I think that's all I have to write about at this time.. Thank you for reading. Love,
--
-Elder Samuel Austin Morris
OK, so I guess an easy way to do this would be to just go though our investigators.
Eugene McGrath. Solid as ever. I have truly never seen someone so ready. Baptism is a formality now. He is reading and coming to church on his own. When we met with him after church we showed him the baptismal questions and he said he understood everything and had no problems with any of it. He will be getting baptized on Saturday the 25th with Grace Di Dominica. He has asked a member to baptize him (which we are very happy about, because originally he wanted a past missionary to do it and we aren't supposed to do that). I have no concerns for him. I am not worried at all, I know he will be baptized and stay active all on his own. To top it off the ward is doing a great job fellow-shipping him.
Grace Di Dominica. Wow. This week she came to meet us at the church for a lesson and guess what she had with her? A brand new quad! Yup, she got herself a quad online. So I gave her my extra scripture markers. Guess what she did with those scripture markers? You guessed it, she used them. She had them with her at church and she was using them to mark the scriptures people read in church. During sacrament she was going through the intro to the Book of Mormon and marking that. Then later she was reading The Doctrine and Covenants and marking that up! LOL! She makes me so happy! She is so willing to just accept and believe and then do what it takes to develop her own testimony. This week we covered the law of chastity and the second half of the plan of salvation. She told us about how her son somehow had memories of his twin that died before it was born. We told her that in the millennium she would be able to raise that child. The spirit was very strong and all she said was "Good". Then we told her about baptism for the dead and she wanted to know If she should baptize her children who died. We told her she didn't have to because the atonement covered that. Then she expressed a desire to be baptized for her parents. It was awesome. She was nervous again about having to get dunked in the water though. Ha-ha. Its cause she doesn't like to be seen without make up. Which is one reason why we are so excited for her to be baptized on Saturday. That way she won't have to go though all of church makeup-less feeling uncomfortable. So when she asked for Sunday off for her baptism last week her boss gave her Saturday and Sunday. She was confused and told her boss "I don't need both days." But, her boss gave it to her anyway. So when we suggested Saturday she realized why. It was a cool little miracle! :D Woot. Don't you love how things work out sometimes! We still have a lot to cover with her... But I think she will be able to learn it all and accept it all (at least the things that you need to accept to be baptized) before Saturday.
Harold Ariza (Cortes). Well, after a lot of schedule changes and telephone calls and wishes that we could read peoples minds and not wanting to mess anything up... Harold was baptized on Yesterday! 8D It was great and went really smoothly and wasn't super long. Brother Stephen Bues and his wife came home early from vacation in Nw Hampshire to baptize Harold! It was really great. It was Bro Bues first baptism because in his mission in Finland they were not allowed to be the baptizers. Harold seemed pretty happy. I really hope that his filming doesn't distract him too much that he doesn't make it to church and conference. Its really great how everyone in the ward is with him. It seems like every one's children love him. He is so great with kids. I found out this week that he likes the White Stripes and plays guitar! Ha-ha. So that was cool. Also he made us "sugarcane water," he didn't know how to call it in English. But it was really good. Its basically sugar cane you can buy from the store boiled in water. It is really high in calories. He says that all the military people drink it and they give it to kids who are growing.
Well there is the top stuff.
Here is some other stuff that happened.
We helped the Velenas and the Psilos' work on there house. Kiser and I mixed cement and poured it and hauled bricks back an forth in wheel barrows to throw in between the old stoop and a new wall. Then we would pile dirt on top. Then more bricks then more dirt until we made it even with the top of the steps. We did this so that they could have really solid ground to build a new and improved stoop over the top of the old one. Basically my back is sore. Ha-ha. don't worry I used my legs, its muscle soreness not a thrown out back or nothin. Ha-ha.
This week I said Aks instead of Ask as well as "What time it is?" Funny, right? I'm really becoming a New Yorker.
A recent convert told us her upstairs neighbors want to meet us! So that will be a whole family to teach soon. Also the Velengas landlords want to meet with us, so they are trying to schedule a time. :) Neat, right?
I think that's all I have to write about at this time.. Thank you for reading. Love,
--
-Elder Samuel Austin Morris
Tuesday, September 14, 2010
Cloudy With a Chance of Submersion
Well Elder Morris is quite blessed. I have a great companion, fall is coming, spiders aren't crawling all over me anymore, the spirit is giving me all the words I should say, and baptisms are happening all over the place.
Yesterday I got some very good news! I got a call from Elder Gourdin who took my place in Plainview three transfers ago and he told me, "guess what!? Nikita Smith is getting baptized today! So if you can make it you are invited. Sorry I should have told you sooner.". he was right, he should have told me sooner because I wasn't able to see the baptism, but I was able to call her on the phone and congratulate her. I was so happy. It really made my day. I was not expecting that call at all. Nikita said she misses me and that I was her and Darnell's favorite missionary. That was kinda a bittersweet thing to hear cause I don't really like being put above other people. I was just happy she decided to be baptized. I am still confused why Darnell didn't baptize her instead of Gourdin though. Anyway that was really good news for me. :D I am so happy I was able to teach the Smiths for 12 weeks, I'm so glad they are making the right decisions.
So we don't have as many spiders because I decided to investigate under the deck that is over where our windows to our bedrooms are. With a can of raid and a whole lot of courage I killed and killed and killed. It may be named the Middle Island Massacre. I killed hundreds and hundreds of spiders (no exaggeration). I killed spiders the size of Ritz Crackers, I killed spiders with really thick long legs! I killed spiders with funnel webs! Not just the men, but the women and the children too! I sprayed some nests that were hatching and about a thousdand spiders turned into clumps of raid soaked death! I sprayed windows I sprayed the underside of the deck, bushes, corners, ac units, the ground, the walls! It was worse than Arachnophobia! When I would spray the big spiders they would spool out about 5 feet of web! as if they had lost control of all bodily function and let loose. Then I would spray them again and their legs would straiten and then fold in. THE HORROR, THE HORROR! I thought that was good enough, so I went in and told the others in the pad. Elder Mitchell decided to see for himself. He came back a few minutes later and got a second can of raid and told me later he killed at least 60! Well, the spiders are gone. But now we have cock roaches. Ha-ha. We kill about 30 everyday.
So, here is what excites me right now. We have 5 baptismal commits! Three of which are guaranteed. The other two are Stephanie and Carlos the Claros kids. They may not be baptized because the family is not coming to church and are playing a lot of games and being very difficult to work with. It made me said cause they were the ones who originally were progressing the best! The other three commits (it was 4 but Judy told us last night that she can't be baptized right now) are Grace, Harold, and Eugene.
Grace is amazing. I have such love for her. We have only had two lessons but from the first time I saw here I felt like I knew her (Kiser said the same thing). She is so familiar. She is so willing to follow the lord! She has gone through fire but has come out humble and not crispy. She does her homework we give her and came to church for all three hours. She tells us how helpful we are (which feels really good) and is already making friends in the ward! :) We plan on meeting with her on Tuesday at sister Beus home (pmg style baby!). Yesterday Grace found out that when you get baptized you go all the way under the water in front of everyone. She seemed shocked and scared but responded, "I am gonna need to get ear plugs then"! It’s so amazing to me when people trust the promises of Christ and do as he asks even when it scares them. This could have been reason for others to just say, "Oh... um, never mind I don't want to be baptized", but not Grace! She just knew it was necessary and said to herself, "OK, what can I do to make the most of it?" The answer was take that day off work and buy some earplugs! :D
Harold! Harold is the man! What 23 year old Colombian-New Yorker in the middle of film Graduate school decides he wants to come to church and be baptized? Harold does! And not for some weird secret agenda! But because he wants to join his family in the celestial kingdom and he knows truth when he hears it; he has been prepared. He has lived a clean life. He instantly accepted the Word of wisdom and the law of chastity and even tithing! During Sacrament he read the pamphlets we gave him on the word of wisdom and the law of chastity. He is so cool and nice and fun! He played with the little girls in the row ahead of him by making funny faces and things. Ha-ha. It was great.
Eugene is more of a Mormon than me! He listens to conference talks in his spare time and studies his scriptures regularly, his favorite movie is the RM and he brought his non member cousin to church yesterday! He is so ready to be baptized. He is super nice and has had so many trials but is so willing to just press forward with faith and let the Lord guide him from now on. I am excited for him.
Wayne Duncan got the priesthood! And he seems to be a long time member by the way he answers questions and interacts with members. He is almost done reading the Book of Mormon already!
Thanks for your prayers. I know I am in the right place at the right time and I am so glad that it is a time where I am being allowed to see the fruits of labor, to see what good can be had. I am thankful that the Lord has seen me a worthy tool to accomplish his work despite my short comings and weaknesses.
Is everyone getting pumped for conference?
-Elder Samuel Austin Morris
Yesterday I got some very good news! I got a call from Elder Gourdin who took my place in Plainview three transfers ago and he told me, "guess what!? Nikita Smith is getting baptized today! So if you can make it you are invited. Sorry I should have told you sooner.". he was right, he should have told me sooner because I wasn't able to see the baptism, but I was able to call her on the phone and congratulate her. I was so happy. It really made my day. I was not expecting that call at all. Nikita said she misses me and that I was her and Darnell's favorite missionary. That was kinda a bittersweet thing to hear cause I don't really like being put above other people. I was just happy she decided to be baptized. I am still confused why Darnell didn't baptize her instead of Gourdin though. Anyway that was really good news for me. :D I am so happy I was able to teach the Smiths for 12 weeks, I'm so glad they are making the right decisions.
So we don't have as many spiders because I decided to investigate under the deck that is over where our windows to our bedrooms are. With a can of raid and a whole lot of courage I killed and killed and killed. It may be named the Middle Island Massacre. I killed hundreds and hundreds of spiders (no exaggeration). I killed spiders the size of Ritz Crackers, I killed spiders with really thick long legs! I killed spiders with funnel webs! Not just the men, but the women and the children too! I sprayed some nests that were hatching and about a thousdand spiders turned into clumps of raid soaked death! I sprayed windows I sprayed the underside of the deck, bushes, corners, ac units, the ground, the walls! It was worse than Arachnophobia! When I would spray the big spiders they would spool out about 5 feet of web! as if they had lost control of all bodily function and let loose. Then I would spray them again and their legs would straiten and then fold in. THE HORROR, THE HORROR! I thought that was good enough, so I went in and told the others in the pad. Elder Mitchell decided to see for himself. He came back a few minutes later and got a second can of raid and told me later he killed at least 60! Well, the spiders are gone. But now we have cock roaches. Ha-ha. We kill about 30 everyday.
So, here is what excites me right now. We have 5 baptismal commits! Three of which are guaranteed. The other two are Stephanie and Carlos the Claros kids. They may not be baptized because the family is not coming to church and are playing a lot of games and being very difficult to work with. It made me said cause they were the ones who originally were progressing the best! The other three commits (it was 4 but Judy told us last night that she can't be baptized right now) are Grace, Harold, and Eugene.
Grace is amazing. I have such love for her. We have only had two lessons but from the first time I saw here I felt like I knew her (Kiser said the same thing). She is so familiar. She is so willing to follow the lord! She has gone through fire but has come out humble and not crispy. She does her homework we give her and came to church for all three hours. She tells us how helpful we are (which feels really good) and is already making friends in the ward! :) We plan on meeting with her on Tuesday at sister Beus home (pmg style baby!). Yesterday Grace found out that when you get baptized you go all the way under the water in front of everyone. She seemed shocked and scared but responded, "I am gonna need to get ear plugs then"! It’s so amazing to me when people trust the promises of Christ and do as he asks even when it scares them. This could have been reason for others to just say, "Oh... um, never mind I don't want to be baptized", but not Grace! She just knew it was necessary and said to herself, "OK, what can I do to make the most of it?" The answer was take that day off work and buy some earplugs! :D
Harold! Harold is the man! What 23 year old Colombian-New Yorker in the middle of film Graduate school decides he wants to come to church and be baptized? Harold does! And not for some weird secret agenda! But because he wants to join his family in the celestial kingdom and he knows truth when he hears it; he has been prepared. He has lived a clean life. He instantly accepted the Word of wisdom and the law of chastity and even tithing! During Sacrament he read the pamphlets we gave him on the word of wisdom and the law of chastity. He is so cool and nice and fun! He played with the little girls in the row ahead of him by making funny faces and things. Ha-ha. It was great.
Eugene is more of a Mormon than me! He listens to conference talks in his spare time and studies his scriptures regularly, his favorite movie is the RM and he brought his non member cousin to church yesterday! He is so ready to be baptized. He is super nice and has had so many trials but is so willing to just press forward with faith and let the Lord guide him from now on. I am excited for him.
Wayne Duncan got the priesthood! And he seems to be a long time member by the way he answers questions and interacts with members. He is almost done reading the Book of Mormon already!
Thanks for your prayers. I know I am in the right place at the right time and I am so glad that it is a time where I am being allowed to see the fruits of labor, to see what good can be had. I am thankful that the Lord has seen me a worthy tool to accomplish his work despite my short comings and weaknesses.
Is everyone getting pumped for conference?
-Elder Samuel Austin Morris
Monday, September 6, 2010
Hurrican't
Well, I have to say I am very disappointed with all this hurricane business. Our mission president quarantined all the missionaries who were in Suffolk county while the hurricane was supposed to be pounding us category 4 style. We were in our apartment for 40 hours while it drizzled occasionally and subtly swayed a leaf on a tree with the breeze that was more non-existent than existent. It was all hype! Like some media scandal to get people to buy sandbags and bottled water to give the economy a slight boost. HA-HA. Literally the wind was stronger after the hurricane past than while it was close to us. I was sad cause I wanted to say I had survived a hurricane and say things like "we missionaries rescued people from the tops of their houses with our raft made out of a desk laundry bags and recyclables". But I suppose it was a blessing, not only did no one get hurt or nothing get damaged, but we were able to do some serious cleaning in our apartment and I was able to get some letter writing time.
So something funny; I sleep on the top bunk of our bunk bed. I noticed the other night that the railing that was at my head was way jammed into one bed post and that the other side was almost completely out and because it was not put together correctly the whole bunk bed frame was beginning to bow. I knew that this was not good; I wanted to save the bed and also a future missionaries life. so I called Elder Kiser. I knew that that piece could be pulled out because the bed support would be holding the bed all together (I guess I didn't take into consideration that the bed was a snap together bed and that it was not bolted together). Well I said, "Kiser, the head rail is jammed into this making it so that the other side is not snapped into the other side. On the count of three I need you to pull hard your direction on the poll while I pull hard my direction on the other piece." I was on top of my bed leaning over the edge gripped onto the frame when I counted "one, two, three!!!!!" I pulled, Kiser pulled, everyone else watched. It worked! We pulled the piece out, but the weight of my laundry bag I hung off that piece plus my own wait on a now unsupported end of the bed caused the whole thing to separate and pull me head first in between the bed and the wall onto where we Keep our luggage and a whiteboard. I was lucky that we had stuff there cause otherwise I would have fallen on my head probably! LOL instead I landed on the whiteboard with my hip and bent it over the luggage. Everyone was surprised and scared but then we all laughed and yelled things like "oh snap!", or "oh my gosh!" They say my face was priceless as I fell.
Well, the other elders found a clarinet left behind by a previous elder who I suppose didn't care about it (since he left it). Well, magically I can play it. I can play hymns with it and everything way easy. Ha-ha! All that recorder playing paid off. So I guess I can play the clarinet. Ha-ha.
Guess what is ridiculous and crazy to me!? Last night I discovered that this time TWO YEARS AGO I was starting my first year of college and in a few weeks from now it has been two years since I was apart of Nosferatu! That is crazy to me! I realized that I actually really miss college and being apart of theater productions. I didn't think I missed that. I wish I would have taken more advantage of my time there at UVU. No worries though because a year from now I'll be back at school.... this also is a weird thought but I am excited as well.
OK, let's get serious now. Elder Kiser and I are rocking the forest like Amazon loggers! We have amazing unity and we feel very trusted and blessed by the Lord. Miracles are happening. Things are working out how they are supposed to, like PMG (preach my gospel) style, yo! Members are being cooperative and trusting us, investigators are being set in our laps, lessons are full of the spirit, and our numbers are good. We taught 17 lessons this past week (this area has not taught that many lessons in a while). Every week we are together things get better and better.
Yesterday was very busy. We went to the church early to teach Harold (the 22 year old film making Colombian) He is awesome. Well the lesson was going well when the elder's quorum president came in and interrupted. He said someone had called on the phone and said that they wanted to know when church started and they wanted to know what they had to do to join the church. So elder Kiser went and talked to her on the phone and set up an appointment for 2:30 while I finished the lesson with the elders quorum pres. Then church started and basically all of our investigators showed up. Judy, Eugene, Harold, Stephanie and Carlos, and Wayne. Then we gave Wayne the gift of the Holy Ghost. There is too much that happened that would take too much time to explain because of back stories and everything but lets just say that fast and testimony meeting was perfect because it was like everything our investigators needed to hear. Especially for Judy, who Saturday night knelt down with us and prayed to know if the date we had chosen for baptism was what she should do (the spirit was so strong and revealed to us that she had gotten an answer; she had felt peace and she was smiling and she told us things like "I know" when we told her she was feeling the spirit and needed to be baptized.). Then the rest of the church we participated in a blessing, a baptism, another confirmation and an ordination to the priesthood! As if that wasn't enough success for one day one of the new couples in the ward, the Beus, invited us to dinner and Harold too! It was awesome! That's what diner appointments are really for and that's what we did! It was an amazing appointment we never had any awkward pauses in our conversation the food was awesome. We all had fun including Harold (plus the baby liked him). Then Harold ended up staying for an hour after we left! Brother and Sister Beus are both music majors and helped Harold select music for his thesis he is shooting from Film Graduate School. Bro Beus attended Julliard and is now at Stony Brook University.
Well we have 5 investigators with a baptismal date right now! There are just too many stories to tell. but no time. so I must go.
Peace Out!
--
-Elder Samuel Austin Morris
So something funny; I sleep on the top bunk of our bunk bed. I noticed the other night that the railing that was at my head was way jammed into one bed post and that the other side was almost completely out and because it was not put together correctly the whole bunk bed frame was beginning to bow. I knew that this was not good; I wanted to save the bed and also a future missionaries life. so I called Elder Kiser. I knew that that piece could be pulled out because the bed support would be holding the bed all together (I guess I didn't take into consideration that the bed was a snap together bed and that it was not bolted together). Well I said, "Kiser, the head rail is jammed into this making it so that the other side is not snapped into the other side. On the count of three I need you to pull hard your direction on the poll while I pull hard my direction on the other piece." I was on top of my bed leaning over the edge gripped onto the frame when I counted "one, two, three!!!!!" I pulled, Kiser pulled, everyone else watched. It worked! We pulled the piece out, but the weight of my laundry bag I hung off that piece plus my own wait on a now unsupported end of the bed caused the whole thing to separate and pull me head first in between the bed and the wall onto where we Keep our luggage and a whiteboard. I was lucky that we had stuff there cause otherwise I would have fallen on my head probably! LOL instead I landed on the whiteboard with my hip and bent it over the luggage. Everyone was surprised and scared but then we all laughed and yelled things like "oh snap!", or "oh my gosh!" They say my face was priceless as I fell.
Well, the other elders found a clarinet left behind by a previous elder who I suppose didn't care about it (since he left it). Well, magically I can play it. I can play hymns with it and everything way easy. Ha-ha! All that recorder playing paid off. So I guess I can play the clarinet. Ha-ha.
Guess what is ridiculous and crazy to me!? Last night I discovered that this time TWO YEARS AGO I was starting my first year of college and in a few weeks from now it has been two years since I was apart of Nosferatu! That is crazy to me! I realized that I actually really miss college and being apart of theater productions. I didn't think I missed that. I wish I would have taken more advantage of my time there at UVU. No worries though because a year from now I'll be back at school.... this also is a weird thought but I am excited as well.
OK, let's get serious now. Elder Kiser and I are rocking the forest like Amazon loggers! We have amazing unity and we feel very trusted and blessed by the Lord. Miracles are happening. Things are working out how they are supposed to, like PMG (preach my gospel) style, yo! Members are being cooperative and trusting us, investigators are being set in our laps, lessons are full of the spirit, and our numbers are good. We taught 17 lessons this past week (this area has not taught that many lessons in a while). Every week we are together things get better and better.
Yesterday was very busy. We went to the church early to teach Harold (the 22 year old film making Colombian) He is awesome. Well the lesson was going well when the elder's quorum president came in and interrupted. He said someone had called on the phone and said that they wanted to know when church started and they wanted to know what they had to do to join the church. So elder Kiser went and talked to her on the phone and set up an appointment for 2:30 while I finished the lesson with the elders quorum pres. Then church started and basically all of our investigators showed up. Judy, Eugene, Harold, Stephanie and Carlos, and Wayne. Then we gave Wayne the gift of the Holy Ghost. There is too much that happened that would take too much time to explain because of back stories and everything but lets just say that fast and testimony meeting was perfect because it was like everything our investigators needed to hear. Especially for Judy, who Saturday night knelt down with us and prayed to know if the date we had chosen for baptism was what she should do (the spirit was so strong and revealed to us that she had gotten an answer; she had felt peace and she was smiling and she told us things like "I know" when we told her she was feeling the spirit and needed to be baptized.). Then the rest of the church we participated in a blessing, a baptism, another confirmation and an ordination to the priesthood! As if that wasn't enough success for one day one of the new couples in the ward, the Beus, invited us to dinner and Harold too! It was awesome! That's what diner appointments are really for and that's what we did! It was an amazing appointment we never had any awkward pauses in our conversation the food was awesome. We all had fun including Harold (plus the baby liked him). Then Harold ended up staying for an hour after we left! Brother and Sister Beus are both music majors and helped Harold select music for his thesis he is shooting from Film Graduate School. Bro Beus attended Julliard and is now at Stony Brook University.
Well we have 5 investigators with a baptismal date right now! There are just too many stories to tell. but no time. so I must go.
Peace Out!
--
-Elder Samuel Austin Morris
Thursday, September 2, 2010
SPIDERS!
I live in the forest. It’s starting to be fall. Bugs don't like to be cold I guess, so we gats them in our pad! Imagine Harry Potter 2 where the spiders are all leaving the castle and going to the forest in rewind. Ha-ha. I have killed a spider every night this week and sometimes two. They like to crawl on my bed. i woke up one morning with spider webs all over me. One night I felt a tickle and looked and saw nothing. Then again it happened so I brushed my arm. Then again so I got up and looked down at my blanket and rrrrrrrrrrrreeeeeeeeee!!!!! a quarter sized red scary spider looking for a place to lay its babies! So I killed it with a stop and shop receipt! I'm glad i didn't ignore it the third time otherwise I would have baby spiders in my brain spinning webs and feeding off my blood and controlling my actions like some sort of symbiotic relationship! NO WAY HOSE A! Elder Mitchell woke up with spider bites on his arm and head.
I forgot to tell you last week but we went to a Greek festival! It was way fun! My companion talked to people in Greek and we toured the Greek Orthodox church. They were nicer to us then I was expecting (probably cause my comp could talk to them and because we are so attractive and pleasant. :D) We saw fireworks, oh man.... I was so over due for fireworks! Man! And we ate lamb gyros! YUM! My companion is like Kyle Erik BJ, Todd and Mclean all combined. Not a lot of Nate though. But it was way fun. It’s like how Kyle and I used to run around all crazy! We work hard too though don't worry about that! We are way united and we defend each other well. He has a great testimony and an open and accepting mind. He tends to fight a lot with another elder we live with but for the most part its all fine (cause they like each other they just annoy each other sometimes.)
Also last week I saw the most beautiful sunset I have ever seen. No exaggeration. I'm so sad cause I didn't have my camera. It was at a place called Old Field Point. Its right on the north shore of our area in a place called Old Field. It has a really rocky shore and across the sound you can see Connecticut. We watched the sun set and then at the end when the sun was down the water looked purple and the sky was still amazing. Then as it darkened up a boat caught a fish and they screamed and yelled triumphantly. It was such a great moment.
For P-day last week after I emailed all you peeps we went on a road trip! Woot! We drove all the way out to the North Fork of Long Island (the furthest out you can drive) it’s called Orient Point! It has a way cool light house that looks all oriental but with a main twist. Ha-ha. its out in the middle of the water where the long Island sound meets the ocean! so the waves crash into each other and have created a big sand bar, so you can walk out into the water and It looks like you are walking on the water! There was a fisherman out in the middle when we were there and it was super windy and overcast! It was way cool and way fun! I collected rocks and shells. We also saw a few other light houses along the way. Plus we found the first submarine base! Totally by accident! It was way cool. I got pictures. Light houses are great!
Suffolk county looks like a mix between pictures I’ve seen of towns in Main by the shore and Idaho, but then add a bunch of vineyards like you would see in Bakersfield. Ha-ha. It’s full of quaint little towns that remind me of crested butte in a way. I love it, I have a desire to live here... but I imagine it would be hard as a saint because the church would be so far away and there are no mountains.
Well, Harold came to church yesterday! it was way awesome. We had to cancel his baptismal date because he didn't make it to church last week and we were not able to get in contact with him because he is shooting his thesis for his film graduate degree. he is way cool and really truly has the desire to come to church and be baptized. he is great! our plan is to meet with him in his spare time (he said he would call us if he got any) and before church every Sunday! Cause he is good about coming to church. He went consistently in queens and only missed last week since I've been here. He enjoyed church it seemed to me and the ward was very good about fellowship-ing him. Every one talked to him and he looked happy. No one understood him though when he would say his name! Ha-ha. He says it with a think Colombian accent and with his slight lisp and he kinda looks away when he says it! Ha-ha. So he ends up telling people like 3 or 4 times and then we have to say "his name is Harold!" ha-ha.
Judy Dollard is doing much better! When we ask her how she is doing she says "ok" instead of "terrible, just terrible" now! Her prayers are much, much more optimistic. Instead of praying about all her problems and trials and asking to have her trials removed she prays for the outcome and strength and comfort. Her countenance is brighter and she is taking the time to put on her makeup and things like that now. She seems more youthful and is really enjoying the fellowship of the sisters. We got her to go to enrichment night instead of worrying sick and not getting anything done on her deposition like she usually does. We are helping her to understand her beliefs are not catholic doctrines and that she really did live before this life as a spirit with heavenly Father.
One of our investigators Fransisco got wasted last Saturday and so the parents had to pick him up from his friends instead of going to church so the whole family missed. Carlos (11), Chris (7), Stephanie (9), Fransisco (20) and the parents Patricio (40's) and Marisol (less active member). They missed yesterday to our great disappointment and wouldn't let Fransisco drive himself and the kids to church. Next week they are going on vacation! so they aren't getting to church! :( but we have had awesome lessons with the family. Lessons where we told Patricio he could hold the Priesthood of God to bless his family and lead them and Marisol really bore her desires of having the priesthood in her home. Patricio was excited when we told him he could be the one to baptize his children but he said some mumble of an excuse when we invited him to be baptized. But the kids Stephanie and Carlos are still on schedule for September 19th. hopefully they will start to get to church soon!!!
The other elders got t-boned yesterday before church! They are totally fine but we watched it from our review mirror! it was nuts just a few seconds sooner and i would have been our car! So there goes a brand new Subaru. It was whack, the guy claimed he couldn't stop and that the breaks were recently fixed but we heard screeching tires; plus the guy was out of it! he looked super tired and said he had just worked a night shift.
I can’t think of what else to type. So, Peace! Read your scriptures and do your best to Love!
--
-Elder Samuel Austin Morris
I forgot to tell you last week but we went to a Greek festival! It was way fun! My companion talked to people in Greek and we toured the Greek Orthodox church. They were nicer to us then I was expecting (probably cause my comp could talk to them and because we are so attractive and pleasant. :D) We saw fireworks, oh man.... I was so over due for fireworks! Man! And we ate lamb gyros! YUM! My companion is like Kyle Erik BJ, Todd and Mclean all combined. Not a lot of Nate though. But it was way fun. It’s like how Kyle and I used to run around all crazy! We work hard too though don't worry about that! We are way united and we defend each other well. He has a great testimony and an open and accepting mind. He tends to fight a lot with another elder we live with but for the most part its all fine (cause they like each other they just annoy each other sometimes.)
Also last week I saw the most beautiful sunset I have ever seen. No exaggeration. I'm so sad cause I didn't have my camera. It was at a place called Old Field Point. Its right on the north shore of our area in a place called Old Field. It has a really rocky shore and across the sound you can see Connecticut. We watched the sun set and then at the end when the sun was down the water looked purple and the sky was still amazing. Then as it darkened up a boat caught a fish and they screamed and yelled triumphantly. It was such a great moment.
For P-day last week after I emailed all you peeps we went on a road trip! Woot! We drove all the way out to the North Fork of Long Island (the furthest out you can drive) it’s called Orient Point! It has a way cool light house that looks all oriental but with a main twist. Ha-ha. its out in the middle of the water where the long Island sound meets the ocean! so the waves crash into each other and have created a big sand bar, so you can walk out into the water and It looks like you are walking on the water! There was a fisherman out in the middle when we were there and it was super windy and overcast! It was way cool and way fun! I collected rocks and shells. We also saw a few other light houses along the way. Plus we found the first submarine base! Totally by accident! It was way cool. I got pictures. Light houses are great!
Suffolk county looks like a mix between pictures I’ve seen of towns in Main by the shore and Idaho, but then add a bunch of vineyards like you would see in Bakersfield. Ha-ha. It’s full of quaint little towns that remind me of crested butte in a way. I love it, I have a desire to live here... but I imagine it would be hard as a saint because the church would be so far away and there are no mountains.
Well, Harold came to church yesterday! it was way awesome. We had to cancel his baptismal date because he didn't make it to church last week and we were not able to get in contact with him because he is shooting his thesis for his film graduate degree. he is way cool and really truly has the desire to come to church and be baptized. he is great! our plan is to meet with him in his spare time (he said he would call us if he got any) and before church every Sunday! Cause he is good about coming to church. He went consistently in queens and only missed last week since I've been here. He enjoyed church it seemed to me and the ward was very good about fellowship-ing him. Every one talked to him and he looked happy. No one understood him though when he would say his name! Ha-ha. He says it with a think Colombian accent and with his slight lisp and he kinda looks away when he says it! Ha-ha. So he ends up telling people like 3 or 4 times and then we have to say "his name is Harold!" ha-ha.
Judy Dollard is doing much better! When we ask her how she is doing she says "ok" instead of "terrible, just terrible" now! Her prayers are much, much more optimistic. Instead of praying about all her problems and trials and asking to have her trials removed she prays for the outcome and strength and comfort. Her countenance is brighter and she is taking the time to put on her makeup and things like that now. She seems more youthful and is really enjoying the fellowship of the sisters. We got her to go to enrichment night instead of worrying sick and not getting anything done on her deposition like she usually does. We are helping her to understand her beliefs are not catholic doctrines and that she really did live before this life as a spirit with heavenly Father.
One of our investigators Fransisco got wasted last Saturday and so the parents had to pick him up from his friends instead of going to church so the whole family missed. Carlos (11), Chris (7), Stephanie (9), Fransisco (20) and the parents Patricio (40's) and Marisol (less active member). They missed yesterday to our great disappointment and wouldn't let Fransisco drive himself and the kids to church. Next week they are going on vacation! so they aren't getting to church! :( but we have had awesome lessons with the family. Lessons where we told Patricio he could hold the Priesthood of God to bless his family and lead them and Marisol really bore her desires of having the priesthood in her home. Patricio was excited when we told him he could be the one to baptize his children but he said some mumble of an excuse when we invited him to be baptized. But the kids Stephanie and Carlos are still on schedule for September 19th. hopefully they will start to get to church soon!!!
The other elders got t-boned yesterday before church! They are totally fine but we watched it from our review mirror! it was nuts just a few seconds sooner and i would have been our car! So there goes a brand new Subaru. It was whack, the guy claimed he couldn't stop and that the breaks were recently fixed but we heard screeching tires; plus the guy was out of it! he looked super tired and said he had just worked a night shift.
I can’t think of what else to type. So, Peace! Read your scriptures and do your best to Love!
--
-Elder Samuel Austin Morris
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