Happy Fall

Well transfers came and went, I¨M STAYING IN THE PROMISED LAND LEON BABY!! And Elder Rush and I are still comps and we are going to baptize a bunch of folks this change!! Ya Tu Sabes!!

Seriously so pumped to be here, finally feel like I am hitting my stride as a missionary. Took me long enough!! HAHA, Seriously, I love this place, such a dope area and people. We baptized Suhey this Thursday. It was a really sweet baptismal service and her confirmation was also very sweet. She is such an elect lady. While she still continues with immense problems and junk in her life, not caused by her own actions, time and time again she has testified that through the Atonement of Christ and the Book of Mormon she has been able to feel a strength enter into her life. And though the problems don't blow away immediately, she doesn't either. That firm foundation in Helaman 5:12 is real, and the Iron Rod in Nephi 8, is too. Through Christ we are stronger.

It has been a huge blessing to be God´s instrument in helping her overcome opposition and make such a sacred covenant with the Lord.

I have been studying a lot about covenants lately. I have learned that when a missionary understands and appreciates covenants they will work like caballos (horses) to help others make and keep those same covenants. I have learned a lot, and truth be told I am impressed at the grace of God in making those covenants with us!! Imagine of all the things he could do with His power and presence, and yet He uses it all for US. And the biggest testament of that love and grace and power, is found in our covenants. Just think of the baptismal covenant what we promise:

1. To take upon us His name, which is to be His disciple, His follower.

2. Always remember Him, which is to remember who He is, and what He did, and what He continues to do for us.

3. Keep His commandments which He has given us, simple, just OBEY!!

And with our fulfillment of these three simple things we have so many PROMISED blessings: salvation and the companionship of the Holy Ghost, just to name two quick ones. Truly God is love and grace and mercy. 

All of this for God´s ultimate goal or creation: me, you, our neighbors, all of us. His work is our progress and our happiness, for us to become something more than what we now are. That is why covenants can be hard but never impossible to keep. That is why missionary work kicks my tail every day!! But...

Being in Nicaragua has changed me forever, and I still have a long way to go, and I am so pumped, stoked even, for the next 10ish months. I can't even begin to tell you all how happy I am to be here. Teaching and baptizing Suhey taught me a lot, just like every convert I am blessed to teach and baptize. 

I know this is God´s true church, it has been established and designed with the purpose to teach me of His Almighty Son, Jesus the Christ. Particularly through the Book of Mormon I have drawn close to my Savior every day out here. I know that I am called of God to do His work, to feed his sheep, save his Lambs, to preach His gospel and defend His faith. I know Him and love Him, with all my heart. 

And I love you all 

Stay Sweet, 

Love Elder Morrison

American Hustler

This week was gone fast!! We have so many people to teach we just run from appointment to appointment teaching, and trying to find new people in between. We are just getting stuff done! 

We have two baptisms lined up for this week, Suhey and Jose. Suhey is a wonderful and tragic story. But through the gospel her life is turning around! She has had so many trials and continues having them, but she told us the most sincere testimony of the Book of Mormon. She said of how when things get a little too stressful, sad or depressed she says she just feels a comfort and strength from it!! I love the power of the Book of Mormon. It truly just brings in the spirit of Christ into our lives.

We have been teaching Jorge Luis, a young man of 22 years, and he is an alcoholic, we have been working with him and he was clean for a week. Then he got drunk one night and got tossed in jail. That was a bummer. He is probably one of my best friends. We met him when my old comp tried to pick a fight with him because he was bothering us. Now we are trying to get him to turn his life around.

Truthfully I have learned a profound sense of gratitude on my mission for my wonderful life. When I see Jorge Luis, and think of how blessed I have been, it just gives me the biggest desire to serve and help him so he has a normal life, not a life of addiction and sin and sadness. Luckily for the love of our Heavenly Father he has sent His Son, gave us His gospel, and has given us the Book of Mormon that teaches us of His Son and His Gospel.

Love you guys so much, 

Stay Sweet, Love Elder Morrison

What's good?

Hello,

I love Leon! I just want to die here (in mission terms that means finish the mission). Probably won't but yeah this place is just the best. I mean sure 90% of the population here worship idols of Mary, and are very rude, but still I LOVE THEM. It makes this place unique. I absolutely love serving here though.

This week as we were in a zone meeting I was reviewing the phones of some of the missionaries and found that they were calling their friends in other Zones, so I walked into their district meeting absolutely livid, but when I went to open my mouth I didn't yell or throw a chair like I wanted to. I just walked in and testified of how sacred their calling is and how that when they pull garbage like that they live below their privileges as missionaries and lose my trust, the mission presidents trust and the Lord´s trust. I told them how much I loved them and how I wish they knew how incredible this opportunity of the mission is.

Truly the mission is a miracle worker, the old me would have thrown a chair at them! Haha, but it was one of those moments when I realized that I truly am no better than them, we all have our mistakes and the best thing is to move on and get better.

Love you guys so much, excuse the short email I got very little time!!

Love Elder Morrison

The Peanut Farm

This week was just the best!!

We were able to baptize and marry Wilber and Eugenia. Which was quite the adventure, so many days and hours praying and fasting helping them get through their problems, and boom! They done got baptized this Saturday!!  A family of gold for sure!!

We didn't realize how pilas they were until Friday. Eugenia came to the church like normal for the lesson but she forgot the papers for their marriage in her house, and we needed them!! So we decided to go with her to her house to get them. Now we were teaching them in the church because they told us that they lived far away, however, we didn't realize how far!! We hopped on a bus and then at the last stop we got off..walked through the neighborhood... off the beaten path and into the wilderness where we hiked for several HOURS. 2 Hours of walking through forest and field. Fields of peanuts that surround Leon for miles and miles. It was a journey, it is such a beautiful place!! I was in awe at how cool it was!!

The elect of God find a way to get it done! They have made that journey at least twice a week during the week and once for Sundays. They live so far away it blew my mind, but they did it! They are very converted to the gospel now. I felt it such an honor to be a part of their conversion story,  truly wonderful people that have blessed my life so much. In the end I know that they weren't coming because I was such an amazing missionary or anything like that. They came because they knew by the spirit that the message we bare is the TRUTH. They are pumped to go to the temple in a year and become an eternal family, and the members here have helped us so much, so I know they will be able to complete with that goal.

In other news: this week I fell asleep on the ground after companion prayer at night, we were so tired from working so much!! The night before I fell asleep in my shirt and tie at 11:00. We were able to proselyte for a total of 70 hours this week! And we saw the results!!

I bought a headband off a drunk man for 16 cords, because the headband was really cool. Because Leon is in the finals in baseball and this town is bumpin'!! 

Love you all, and loving life, 

Love,

Elder Morrison