Merry Christmas

For those who have never been in Nicaragua for Christmas, just imagine the opposite of the states. They all stay out past midnight, they all throw HUGE parties pulling out all the stops, cranking music, throwing fireworks, dancing, yelling, eating, drinking and being merry. It was really hard to sleep last night to say the least. And we tried to get home early to avoid any weirdness. To a Nica this time is awesome, however to a white dude it has been strange but I have adapted to the new customs.

This time next week I will be completing my first and possibly only full year outside of the United States of America, that is weird!

This week we baptized perhaps the easiest convert ever, the most faithful member I have ever met in my life, and I am not kidding this man is more consecrated to the work than most missionaries, Juan Rizo´s son named Samuel. He turned 9 this Thursday and got baptized. We taught him, which made it easy because his father had already taught him everything and he counts as a convert baptism.

The kid is awesome, I have seen very few people that have been more pumped to get baptized in my mission! So that was nice.

My new comp Elder Melenciano is awesome, he is never negative and loves talking trash to Nicas playing soccer, even though he is terrible at soccer, but he doesn't care! He is awesome we are pumped to throw some fuego here.

Love you all Merry Christmas!
Elder Morrison

Navidad

First off I am sitting now writing next to my new companion Elder Melenciano, he is a good friend of mine. We have been in several zones together and we both a very enthusiastic to be together and are confident that we can see many miracles here in Matagalpa. Elder Jimenez my old comp just got changed to a different area here in Matagalpa.

I also heard some good news, several some of the investigators I was teaching in Leon have been baptized! I miss Leon, it was such a special time for me there. It is where I truly learned the importance of this work and the true significance of my calling. And now I have been greatly blessed to come full circle, to be here in Matagalpa where I began and put to use my ever-deepening profound faith and respect in my calling as a representative of the Lord.

Last change flew by despite the struggles we had in our area. I was very thrilled that the last week of the change we were able to baptize Belkis, the daughter of a recently activated member Rosa. Service was the key, just acts of small service made all the difference in the world for this family. We were able to get their trust and then bring to them the beauty of the gospel in their lives! I learned once more the importance of the saying "People don't care about how much you know until they know how much you care" this is true, knowledge without love has no effect on people.

This time of Christmas is so incredible because we are blessed with so many opportunities to serve. So please follow the initiative of #lighttheworld

I love you all Merry Christmas and Stay Classy,
Elder Morrison

Running through the 6

Hey everyone,

Well this week was one to remember, because I got to go to Ocotal, and that was fulfilling! I realized a lot of things, one was how privileged I am to be able to go and serve in a place like that and help to establish the church. It was really special to realize how amazing this work is and how blessed I am to be in Nicaragua. I worked like a mule in Ocotal and it was a very trying time, but when I returned it reaffirmed and strengthen my love for my Heavenly Father and his perfection wisdom and power.

I remembered how through those 4 and a half months I grew so much, learned so much, and strengthened my testimony there. I miss those times, in a strange way, when I would kneel down and beg with all my heart because I felt it was way too hard for me to bear and I couldn't go on. Obviously I could and I did continue on, thanks solely to the grace of my Savior.

As for Matagalpa I am super frustrated in certain aspects and really hopeful in others. Truth be told we have not had a ton of success and I am annoyed by that, but we have been working hard and trying to just do what is right and we are starting to see little miracles that keep us rolling along and I am very hopeful for the future here. I love Matagalpa, it is such a blessed place and the Lord has been hastening His work here and I am just trying to keep up!

One of the people is Belkis, she is a young girl and we have been working with her family who is a mix of less active members and non members, her mom was really shut off, but we have been able to get her trust and even activate her through acts of service. And she gave the ok for her daughter Belkis to be baptized! When we first showed up the mom wouldn't even let us come in, or teach, but one day I carried her firewood for her and another day I washed her laundry for her and played soccer with her young children, and now she is super happy and is coming to church!

I love this work and am super pumped for this next week! I love you all so much and hope you are all doing well!

Love,
Elder Logan Morrison

My feet smell bad

I saw a sloth this week, with a baby, that was neat, yeah they are slow. In Spanish they are literally just called a Lazy (Perezoso). I saw it in La Dalia, a little town outside of Matagalpa. We had to go on a terrible bus ride, a 2 hour long ride standing in the heat with a bunch of people eating greasy smelly food. But we threw down some serious fuego where we found a lot of really cool people for them to teach and baptize. This week I am going to help out a couple of missionaries in an area where there are wild monkeys, that should be cool!!

As for my area, it has been an uphill battle. A lot of unkept commitments but we will not give up so easily. But one good thing we have been able to establishe a good relationship with the Stake President.

Matagalpa has been a stake for a little less than a year, and it has had some growing pains, and the missionaries before didn't work that much with the President, but Elder Ward and I have been able to gain his trust and we have been able to put into action some plans that should bring a lot of success and get this place bumping once again.

This week however I only got to work in my area 1 day, I have been so busy because we had Consejo de Lideres this week (interviews) and I had to go work in two different areas helping other companionship's, so my area has been suffering a little bit, but this should be a good week.

Elder Ward before Matagalpa was in Ocotal, I was there with him, and President gave us two permission to go to Ocotal to baptize some old investigators that are finally getting baptized, which is awesome! I miss Ocotal, even if it was my refiners fire! 

Love you all a bunch 

Stay Classy, 

Elder Morrison