Sure Thing Boss

Well, here it is only week 2 of the transfer. I honestly feel like it has been a full transfer already. 8|

This week we taught one lesson. The rest of the week we were driving places or filling orders or doing things for the leadership meetings that were being held.

The lesson we had was with John Gadd. He is so much fun and so smart. He is an inactive member. Well we basically had an AMAZING discussion with him and because we only said what the spirit put into our mouths (as best we could) we were able to say just the right thing that was able to be just what we needed to say. He was kinda speechless for the first time I've ever seen. He said, "Elder Morris, you just said something that really pissed me off.". I looked at him kinda scared and waited for him to tell me what I did wrong, "You pissed me off because you said something that really makes since...", I was relieved at those words and chuckled a bit inside from joy. He pondered the sentence I had said (which really was just a nicely timed and juxtaposed paraphrased Nebakanezer's dream). "How would you cut a stone without hands?... It would have to be with something like... an earthquake! That wouldn't be pretty. Someone might get hurt." I jumped on the opportunity and said some more things I wanted to get in while he was pondering. Well short story shorter we left on a high note. It felt so awesome. I'm so glad that we were able to help John realize that the church and its members are progressing. That the members are not perfect and that we and the church are preparing for the second coming when Christ will reign, and that the church will continue to receive revelation and continue to progress and grow until in really does cover the whole earth. Its really easy to see, the church now and the church when it started are quite different. The Doctrine is true, the prophet receives true revelation, the church is directed by Christ. That stone cut forth without hands really is a rough stone rolling, and the lord will do things as he always has, he will continue to use imperfect flawed people to accomplish is perfect and righteous cause.

A letter from McLean told me that we can't judge. We can't judge our leaders or other missionaries because they and we aren't perfect and we don't know their heart or their circumstances. What we can be sure of though, is even though they will make mistakes and they will do things we don't like or we think are incorrect or maybe even not Christ like, that none of us are perfect. However, though Christ's grace their is repentance available for all. Also through the Holy Ghost Christ and Heavenly Father can instruct us and bless us and help us on our journey to become like Christ even in the midst of our trials or short comings or failures. I have been called many bad things on my mission, I have been accused of many things. My patriarchal blessing was right when it said I would be treated with meanness by the agents of Satan. I am not saying that I have not made mistakes, of course I have, but I can know where I stand with the lord. I can know that I am accomplishing what I was meant to regardless of my weakness and my mistakes. I can trust in the lord. He expects me to succeed by relying on the savior. We are saved after all we can do. "maybe the 'we' is us and Christ" (John Bytheway talk).

Alright moving along. Tuesday we filled many orders. Wednesday we bought pizza and put it out for hungry missionary leaders and then we filled orders. Thursday we bought 3 boxes full of sandwiches and put them out for hungry missionary leaders and then filled orders. Wednesday and Thursday Swains Kid Elder Aldridge was in a trio with us most of the day because of the leadership meetings. (oh by the way, did you know Tanner Spear is being trained by my MTC companion elder Wright? well he is, in park slope). Friday was CDM, after CDM we did some office work, but I can't remember what it was... whatever it was it took a long time. Saturday was a long day. We drove 252.6 mi. We kinda double booked ourselves and so we had to go to Dyker Heights (closest part of Brooklyn to Staten Island basically) where we picked up Elder Call the mission celebrity for his concert. After Dyker we drove back to Rego Park (middle of Queens) where we loaded up the van with stuff we needed, and call helped. Then we had a failed attempt of going to Sears because we went before it opened, luckily they didn't charge us for parking but unfortunately we didn't get the ACs we needed. Then Swain and Aldridge got in the van and we drove to Terryville (North-west Suffolk county) where we dropped off Swain and Call to prepare for the concert. Then we drove to the Southampton and set up the new sisters pad and waited for them to show up so we could move them into it. Then after that we drove to Riverhead (base of the North fork of Long Island) and moved out some really angst filled and snappy elders to their new pad. since we didn't have the AC we were supposed to bring them we tried 3 stores to get one there in Riverhead with no success. Then Elder Baum took the three of us (McFarlane, Aldridge, and myself) to Applebees! we felt unworthy of such a treat and thanked him heartily. Then we drove back to Terryville and watched the concert then after the concert we (Call, Swain, Me, Aldridge, McFarlane) drove back to Dyker. We had what ended up being basically a talent show along the way (Tangent: a talent as of last week would trade for $1.42 million. we did the math with Bro Gadd). Well, Call and Swain shewed their great singing skills. Then followed a conversation of How swain was an actor and Call was a great musician and Aldridge was a great Artist (and he proved it with his analyzation of facial structure and showing us his sketch book). Following, McFarlane Quoted large chunks of about 3 movies with impeccable precision. McFarlane then question what my great skill was and what I was going to major in.... I had no Idea. Well after we came home from Dyker it was 10:30.

As if we didn't drive enough on Saturday, Sunday after church and lunch we drove to Bushwick and then East New York and then to Little Neck and then to Terryville. It was 122 mi. We did it because of an emergency transfer. Guess what!? A family from Highland visited the Rego Park ward on Sunday. yup. The Johanson family. Their son graduated '09 from Lone Peak and is on a mission right now, but they were here on vacation with their daughter who was quiet, but nice to look at. ;) Ha-ha.

This week I re-realized that "a nother" is actually "an other"... but we all say "a nother", or at least, I always have.

We had two failed attempts to have our van get state inspection, because last time Elder Adolphson wasn't in the office to approve it and today their lift operator was on vacation. >:| At least we have until the end of July before we get ticketed.

Well My year mark was on Thursday.... its weird how I can say what I was doing a year ago and its my mission. This would have been my Fourth day in the MTC which was my first Sunday in the MTC.... That was a trunkie day for me. LOL. well. I'll never experience that again.

I don't know what else to say. so, have a nice day.

"And remember, I'm the President of the United States; Always!!!"

-Elder Samuel Austin Morris