Luke is serving in the Argentina Buenos Aires West Mission.

Friday, March 22, 2013

Letter from Luke Dated March 22, 2013

Hola Familia! 

Como estan ustedes? Esta es mi ultima semana en el CCM! Voy al mision la proxima semana!

Okay. I'm done typing in the spanish. So this last week in the MTC has been pretty good! For the most part it has been the same as the other weeks. Just a few things that made this week awesome! So on Tuesday we got to teach in the TRC. (Teaching Resource Center) This is a place where we get to go teach members, and our whole purpose in the TRC is to bring others closer to Christ. So this tuesday my companion and I got to teach this awesome sister, she lives in Provo, but is originally from Peru. She speaks very very little English, she is very active in the church. She was baptized when she was in her twenties and since then has converted her husband, who just got done serving as bishop, and she's raised 7 kids in the gospel and most all of them have stayed very active! As we were with her, we didn't do much teaching. She was the one who taught us! She bore her beautiful testimony of the Book of Mormon and shared with us a few personal experiences. It was an awesome experience.

So on Sunday during choir practice the director, Bro. Eggett, said that we needed to show up early for Tuesday practice if we wanted to guarantee ourselves a seat. He said that Tuesday would be a "Special Night." So we all thought it was going to be Pres. Monson, or Pres. Uchtdorf or someone like that. So tuesday rolls around, and we show up for choir practice an hour and a half early. We still had a huge line to wait in. After we finally got in we got sat down and just hung out for a little while, and looked over the music. The song we were singing is called "Like ten thousand leigons marching." They had a special arrangement made just for Bro. Eggett and for this night. We were all super crazy excited. So as it got closer to time to start, Bro. Eggett got there, and we started singing a little bit. Then he stopped us in the middle of a part of the song and said " Okay. I can't hold it from you anymore. You guys know the little show between sessions of conference where they show like some special place in the church? Well this time, that special place is the MTC. And they have asked us to perform this song tonight so they can get footage for this show." So during the whole practice we had cameras right in our faces. You should all watch the show though. I was sitting in like the third row over in the section on the right of the conductor right on the aisle. So that was pretty sweet!

On tuesday we also got a letter from church headquarters that says we can now email anyone, not just family. And we will have more time for email. So share my email with like everyone. And put it out on my facebook too!

So. The most important event of this week. Yesterday we were stuck in a class from 8 to 6. But my district all snuck out of this class at the same time, so we could go find out where we are getting reassigned to. (all of us don't have our visas yet.) So two hermanas are going to St George! One elder is going to Boise Idaho! One Elder is going to Ogden! One hermana is going to Provo! (she's not extremely excited) Then there's me. I'm going, with three other Elders and 3 other hermanas, to....... SALT LAKE CITY!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! I'll be there as long as it takes to get my visa, so it could be 3 weeks, it could be 6 months. We'll just have to see. I'm excited, but nervous. I'm hoping i'll be able to go to conference at least one session, but we'll see if i'm able to.

So I just want to share with you my testimony of the Book of Mormon. So before I came here, I never really read it too much, and when i did, I never actually studied its words. But as I've had time to really study this book, I have learned to love it. Joseph Smith said "any man will come closer to god by abiding by [the book of mormon's] precepts than by any other book." I can testify that is true. I have come so much closer with God, learned so much, and strengthened my testimony so much through this book! If you look for it, the answers to absolutely any problem you could have are contained in this book. Elder Bednar gave a suggestion that whenever we have a problem, we go buy an inexpensive, paperback copy of the Book of Mormon, Label it on the cover what our problem is, then read, from the title page to the end of Moroni, and highlight every passage that has anything to do with that problem. Then, go back and read everything we have marked and make a summary of it. This will be the solution to our problem. And by the time we get to be old we will have four or five hundred copies of the book of Mormon, and four or five hundred answers to our problems. I add to his words and say that the answers to every problem we could have is in this Book. And if we study all these words, with the spirit, our lives will be forever bettered. I say these things, in the name of my lord and savior, Jesus Christ. Amen.

Saturday, March 16, 2013

Letter From Luke Dated March 15, 2013

Hey everyone!
   So things here are about the same. We have about 6 hours of class every day, plus 4 hours or so of study time. Our teachers are trying to give us as much study time as possible, so some of us have become "investigators" for other missionaries in the class. I'm one of them, I took my background story from like 10 different people I've known and associated with throughout my life. This is really helping me understand the way an investigator feels during a lesson and how to better approach their needs. I'm really grateful for this opportunity that I have to get a different perspective on the whole process.
   We had a devotional on Tuesday night. Elder Paul V. Johnson of the seventy came to speak to us. It's such an amazing experience to hear from a general authority every single week. Hardly anyone in the world has an opportunity like this. I sing in the choir every week for the devotional, partly because it gets me good seats, and partly because I like to sing in the choir. The director, Brother Eggett is one of the funniest guys I've ever met, and he usually tells a story about the gospel, and applies it in a way we've never heard of. Last Sunday he told of the atonement of Christ in a way that i had never thought of. It really made me think of how much more grateful we should be for the things Christ has done for us.
   Almost everyone in my district is sick in some way. My companion has pneumonia plus some kind of viral infection in his lungs, another elder has been having severe allergic reactions to something that he's been in contact with here so his face and hands swell up almost every day, one of the other elders has "severe digestive issues." Lets just say the food isn't treating him too well. I'm not really sick. Every now and then I feel a little bit of cold symptoms, but other than that I'm doing great! Since my companion is sick we have had to go to the student health clinic off campus a few times now. Yesterday we had to go there to get him some more medicine and on the way back the shuttle driver went up by the riverwoods and a few other places around Provo. It was nice to get out, even if just for a second.
   This next Wednesday I'll have the opportunity to host new missionaries. So I'll be one of those who patiently waits while the missionary says goodbye to his family. I'm pretty excited for this! This last Monday we had the chance to host senior missionaries. This was pretty cool, the senior missionaries are so nice and fun!
   So. Bad news. Yesterday we all got some papers in our mailbox. It said something along the lines of this; "Elder Morgan, We regret to inform you that you have not yet received your visa clearance for Argentina and will not be able to travel to Argentina on your scheduled date. Your name will be put in for reassignment. We will have your reassignment on Thursday."  So from everything I've heard, most of the time a reassignment is only for one transfer. And afterwards I will be able to go to Argentina. So on Thursday I get to find out where I'm going!! Pretty exciting!
   Said goodbye to my friend Chase on Monday, and to my friend JD yesterday. That was all kinda bittersweet. Soon I'll be the one leaving, That'll be interesting for sure!
   So we've been playing a game called El Nativo. Every day we all draw papers, they either say Gringo or El Nativo. If you draw El Nativo you can only speak Spanish for the next day. If you draw gringo you have to make everyone think you're the nativo. Well, I have no clue how it happened since I barely spoke any spanish, but I got voted for the most times! So I won my teachers favorite tie! This is a pretty big deal, Just saying. I'll try to send pictures of it later today. 
   So I know most of you are like 5 minutes away, but still. It's really nice to have spring coming up. The days are a lot nicer here. Since there's just a bunch of big buildings on campus it can be really dark throughout the days. But lately it's been a lot brighter. We get to study outside a lot more, and today we're having lunch outside. That'll be really nice!
   I love showing off my letters from my nieces, nephews, and all my family to the people in my district. The Hermanas (Sisters) in my district love seeing stuff from the family.
   I'll get you my address for my reassignment as soon as I can. But in the meantime, Keep writing letters! Dear Elder would probably be best right now just because of the lack of time before I leave.
   
   I'm so grateful for the the opportunity I have to consecrate my life to serving the lord for two years! I know without a shadow of a doubt that what I'm doing here will help me and others throughout the rest of our lives. I know that this church is the only true restored gospel, that Joseph Smith truly was a prophet of God, and that Thomas S. Monson is a prophet of God called today. I know that the Book of Mormon can be a great blessing in all of our lives, and that the answer to any question we may have is contained in its pages. I know these things to be true. And I say these things in the name of Jesus Christ. Amen.
   I love you all.     
     Elder Morgan








Friday, March 8, 2013

Letter Dated March 8, 2013

Hola!

So this week has been pretty good! we got to go to two really good devotionals plus a good mission confrence!  The tuesday devotional was my favorite, it was Elder Aidukaitis of the seventy. He was very animated and funny! He focused on the kingdoms of glory and the fact that we can choose what kingdom we go to. If we make a decision as to which kingdom we want to go to, our actions will reflect that choice. Pretty cool the way he worded it. The rest of the week was pretty good! we said goodbye to one of our favorite districts, which was kinda hard, but in two weeks, we'll be the ones going away. But the rest of the week we just had normal classes, we're learning a lot more about the conversion process and what it takes to convert someone. Also we're working on our teaching skills which are improving. A lot! My spanish is coming along pretty good! I know so much more than when i first got here! its pretty cool! So i'm sending a couple of pictures, hopefully they work. One is an elder who is in the army as well, we hit it off immediately! The other is an elder from Springville. Elder Britt, he's the funniest guy i've ever met! And the one of a spoon is a game we play, where we try to sneak spoons into peoples pockets, bags, and clothes without them knowing! it's way fun! And i'm going to try to send of a video of our zone singing god be with you till we meet again in spanish. "para siempre dios este con vos" I think that a lot of times songs and scriptures in spanish are ten times more beautiful than in english. Keep sending me letters! I love hearing from everyone! Oh and Hermana Romero says hi. I know you don't know her, but she told me to say it. 

Love,     Elder Morgan

P.s. 
Send this to anyone i may have missed, which is a lot of people!









Monday, March 4, 2013

Letter Dated March 1, 2013

Luke Wrote,

Hola!
So i'm almost done with week 3! It's been pretty good! I have been learning a lot, having a lot of fun, and had a few cool experiences!  


On sunday we had a fireside, the director of the missionary department of the church came. It was pretty sweet! He spoke a lot on working hard, and staying faithful. After the Sunday firesides we get to watch a movie. This week was the testaments. Truly an awesome movie. I didn't cry. Not never. That just doesn't happen. 

Monday we got two new investigators. Noemi and Ignacio (nacho). Who are really our teachers. I'm pretty sure they suffer from multiple personality disorder. 

Tuesday we just had class and stuff, then in the evening I went to choir practice so i could get a good seat for the devotional. During practice a bunch of security people went and cleared the whole building for  bombs and stuff. So we were pretty sure whoever it was would be a big deal. (My companion said it was gonna be Jesus.) 

But the room filled up, people started to begin sitting on the stand, then all at once, every person in the whole room stood up. I look over at the doors and M. Russell Ballard is walking in. Pretty sweet! We sung consider the lillies. It was pretty cool. 

Elder Ballard spoke a lot on missionary work, the influx of missionaries, and the power and authority that we have as missionaries. He said that he wishes he could show us the power and glory of Jesus Christ. It was a really impressive talk. 

Wednesday was fairly uneventful. Besides the fact that I got to see the one and only Chase Wilson! It was pretty cool. We saw eachother. Then everything started going in slow motion, dramatic music started playing, and we ran towards each other. Or maybe i just ran into him in the lunch room. That would be true too. 

So, we get kinda bored in the residences at night. Last night we played an epic game of nerf gun hide and go seek/ capture the flag/ tag. It was awesome. My knees are now all skinned up. It's bad.

So today i get to go to the temple. I love going there!

My district is pretty fun! We have 6 Elders, and 6 Hermanas. we have a lot of fun! We're like a tight little family. And we even focus and learn every now and then.

So chances are I will get reassigned. I'll just be sent to a mission in the states for a little while. Hopefully Huston Texas! Whatever mission Tanner is in!

So I hope everyone has a good week, I really wanna hear from you all!

Elder Morgan


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Letter From Luke Dated February 22, 2013

Luke wrote,

So i've been in like 7 days now. and it feels like 7 months. I don't know why it feels so long. But it just does for some reason. My first investigator's name was Marley. However, she turned out to be one of my teachers. So it was kinda weird. The best lessons i taught were complete tangents from where we planned to go, primarily guided by the spirit. Pretty cool. So I was reading in 2 nephi 25 or 26, i cant remember which one. And it just hit me how accurately Nephi prophesied the coming of the lord, how his life would go, how he would die, and when he would come over to the americas. That's pretty cool!

So on wednesday i was able to watch people get dropped off by their families. It was a little bittersweet. When you dropped me off, it was so surreal that that would be the last time i see you for two years. Crazy. But i'm loving this place, My district is awesome! We have 6 elders y 6 Hermanas. We're all so spirited and have a great time, and work really really hard. It's pretty fun.
 

Send food and candy. haha. 

So ties are like currency here. Every night we have tie trades, and it gets pretty crazy. Ugly ties and paisley ties are the biggest items. haha

Send letters.Dearelder.com is the way to go from what everyone says. I can only get email once a week, but letters come every day.
Love,

Luke