2-9-2016

 

 

It sounds like you guys have had quite the week! It's so cool to hear about all that's been going on. Though I am saddened by Ds injury and am of course praying for his well being, and you know what... maybe he will be able to go back and be able to recover at home. Which that would actually be a blessing in a round about way. I know that he will heal :)

Anyway, I love to hear all about your crazy goat stories and sheep and stuff, it sounds like they're doing super well! I guess I'll share this crazy story and you HAVE to read it to everyone because imagining it is so funny! We  were teaching these less active brothers outside their house in the middle of nowhere and they were letting us have these starting to ripen mangos (a little sweet, but mostly bitter) and so our Ward Mission Leader, Brother M, was peeling them during our lesson for all of us... when all of the sudden in these super spiritual lesson... a HUGE PREGNANT GOAT come running in from I don't even know where and gobbles up the mongo peeling faster than anything I've ever seen! It pretty much made me whole day, because we still got the spirit back and it was really great... and I was reminded of home by huge, pregnant, food hunting goats! :)P

Aww, I'm so grateful for your dad! That's really really a blessing for both me and for you guys because if he does that, that'll really make it a bit easier :)

So, this week... I suppose that there's a bunch again that has happened this week! I suppose that the best place as any to start is going to be the fact that after last Monday, the computer did something really weird to my camera and now it won't read the card... so there aren't any pictures until I manage to buy a new memory card for my camera. Which is SO LAME because I didn't even use a 10th of how much memory it had! xP

Anyway, I picked up a chick this week! She was the cutest thing in the world... not a human chick, but I saved the life of a chick... a baby manok! (chicken) because it's mom was running away and the baby got stuck in some tall plants, so I went over there and helped it out and returned it to it's Mom! That was really fun, and right before we went to find a less active who wasn't home but at someone elses home! We got there and got to teach a new member who was with this less active, talk about prayers answered! Another cool experience happened the next day when we were getting punted all morning, I think 6 times in a row and then decided to go to an area pretty far away to visit a less active member. It turned out that she wasn't home so we did what usual Filipinos would do, as the neighbor where they went! We soon found our less active at some sort of funeral dinner rememberance for one of their friends husband. Sure it was sad, but at the same time I saw the hand of the Lord because we taught them ALL the plan of Salvation. We found 3 new investigator families and a different less active who was baptized in 2004 I think and then was inactive for like 10 years, so we'll be going back this week and hopefully work on reactivating this less active member! 

And my final super special moment was actually yesterday in Sacrament meeting, of course it was fast sunday and testimonies were being borne. What was super cool is the fact that there are at most 65 people who come to church on Sunday and it was one after another of testimony for the whole time! The bishop actually had to jump up at the end and stop others from getting up so that we could close. What was really special is that even though I understood maybe 50% of what they were saying, I felt the spirit so strongly in their words and could really feel the strength of the active members here! I've been humbled so much to come to know them and be among them and their homes. You wouldn't believe they types of homes I've been in! Some are dirt floors while most are plain concrete. Often concrete or bamboo walls and a tin roof! 

 

I'm really grateful to be serving in the best mission in the world, Philippines Urdaneta for LIFE!!! (okay... for less than 2 years left, but these memories will be with me for life) :)

Time for my other assorted funny stories for this week, one is that I heard Styx again, funny enough it was the "don't let it end" song and I heard it while we were teaching the Plan of Salvation AT that funeral... probably the best timed song in the whole world!

Another is the fact that I saw a roadkilled cobra just the other day, turns out that there are in fact cobras here! When we walk back at night, my companion and others always remind me to stay away from the sides of the path because there are sometimes cobras in the grass off to the side! Not going to lie, that was pretty freaky, but cool!

And finally, is my experience that this totally old Filipino man went out of his way to give me a high five! Which was kind of strange to me, but I kid you not when I say that people here love americans! Every day I hear SOMEONE yell "hey joe" or ask "what is your name"... so I'm going to start with replies like this! "Who's joe? The only Joe I know is Joseph Smith, and he can change your life" and for the other "OH MY GOSH YOU SPEAK ENGLISH TOO?! *what them freak out a little* Joke lang, ano ang pangalan mo?" :)P

Well, that's all for this week, it's been really fun! I can feel that my testimony has grown so much since i"ve come here and every time I do personal study in the morning, it's like my own Spiritual renewal for the day ahead! What a wonderful time!

Until Next Week,

Elder Morris

PS- I think my hair is getting lighter ever since I came here xD

and also, you should totally get me that persons name going to the same mission and the day... what if I totally got to train him?! xD

 

ps- that weird thing that Elder Q, me, and Brother M are riding on is called a Kuliglig... rather interesting!

I wish I had gotten a picture, but Elder Q and I also went back to that less active across the river and this time caught a ride on a waterbuffalo pulling a cart when we asked the old Filipino man if we could get a ride!

 

 

KAMUSTAAAAAAAAAAAAAAA!!!!

I know, jeepneys are so fun and colorful... since I can't send a picture right now... I'll help your imagination a little by saying imagine that Jeepney with 21 Filipinos, and one really tall, sweaty, American xD THAT's how it is to be here! YIKES... I hope D is okay, that sounds really tough. I'll be sure to keep him in my prayers :)

And it so cure that y'all have new goats, I can't wait to hear about the new baby animals that are going to be born in the farm soon! How exciting :D

Wow, this week has really been interesting. It was also really hard for us due to various things... such as getting punted all the time. Or the fact that I went on my first companionship exchange, or even just the fact that everyone is just so dang far apart! I guess first things first, my companionship exchange with the Zone leaders! It was so nice to have that because I got placed with a zone leader who also had to learn Tagalog and he gave me probably the most useful advice anyone has ever given me about learning another language... okay, that's probably an overstatement, but still it was really helpful! :) What else? Oh, well I'm just going to be rambling if that's okay... I don't really know where to start or where to end, so I'm just throwing all these things together! But it's been pretty difficult because we have an investigator who is actually keeping out commitments and that's been awesome: but the problem here is the Philippines various laws, and tons of people are what we call "live-in" couples. Or that they aren't able to get married so they live together without marriage. I think part of that reason is just the expenses... so anyway, he's been progressing really well and we had committe him to get baptized, but of course, he can't because of a live in partner.

Yeah, so anyway, I had a pretty awesome experience with foods this week... I know that y'all are going to think that this is SO GROSS. But I had two foods... Isaw, and dugo.

Isaw- Chicken intestines cooked over a fire on a stick

Dugo- Blood cubes cooked over a fire... need I say more?

The scary part is that Isaw tasted really good and Dugo tasted like liver, but with a slightly different texture! What a crazy adventure it has been to be a part of that! :O And lastly, I had some corn that oddly resembled to me the corn from Nacho Libre, of course it wasn't the same... but it looked pretty similar!

Oh my gosh, and I totally forgot to share this super funny things going on here... every single day, we're walking around and there is ALWAYS people doing Kareoke... apparantly they love it here! And they're almost always English songs... so I've hear REO Speedwagon, Alphaville, Queen, the Eagles.. you name it! I mean really, ALL. THE. TIME. I have not gone one day without hearing Karaoke... :) 

Well, this has really been a great adventure so far! And I've been out here in the actual field for a month  now... isn't that just so crazy? This last months has just flown by, I always feel like there isn't enough time in the day to get everything done! We are always trying to do better and better and we're always on the move, what an awesome and special opportunity I have to be out here in the field :) I know that this part of the world is where the lord wants me to be and is the best place I can be right now in my life! My testimony has become stronger and stronger with each passing day and reading some of the book of Mormon is so cool! I guess my advice would be when you read it... try to read it as if you're an investigator trying to learn more. Or sometimes I read it and treat it like a journal of ancient people... which makes the scriptures just come alive! SO cool :D Well, that's probably all for this week! I think what I'm going to start doing is writing down various things that happen in this week so that I can share more of the experiences both spiritually with our investigators and with awesome foods and stuff!

Totally just reminded me, last though... we have a group of less active members actually coming back into reactivity, which makes me smile so much to know that Elder Q and I are helping people come unto Christ, whether it be the first time or if they're coming back after years of inactivity :)

NOW that's all, so I'll talk to yah next week!

 

I love you guys!

-Elder Morris

1-27-2016

 

TUPA-sheep-

 

I'll be sure to take a picture of a jeepney this week for all of y'all... or there is the easier way of just looking one up on Google ;) Anyway, I was talking to Elder Q and he said that this last rainy season there were two days that they couldn't go out and proselyte and then a week with no work because of service due to a typhoon :O Anyway, that would actually be awesome... just burn off some CDs with church music and stuff! This years EFY music is really good ;D

I hope that all of y'all are staying safe and warm out there in Virginia! It's been crazy to hear how much show that you guys got!! How about school, did they cancel for a really long time?? xD

Oh, first... CRAZY awesome story! I was walking by this house and I legit listened to them playing Country Roads or whatever by John Denver! It was probably my favorite thing to hear this whole week! :D

This week has been kind of rough, but it was an overall great experience! I suppose that I'm going to start at what is on my mind most right now... and that is the funny fact that Mormon Standard time... is actually Filipino time!! Why do I say this? Because every Sunday we're supposed to start at 9... that's the time that we tell everyone! However, EVERYONE shows up late and so we start Sacrament meeting each week at 9:15! And then it's always interesting because the microphone is really quiet and Filipinos are the softest speakers ever... so I can barely hear what it is that they're saying! But it's going okay :) I've gotten to a point in these past 3 weeks that I'm able to understand what we're teaching in a lesson and what it is that my companion is sharing... the only hard part is that I can't speak this language to save my life! However, it is coming.. and I know that i'll be able to share this gospel effectively with all those around me in the coming months!

Crazy experience for this week was when we were walking from an appointment to the church... over an hour walk on a cement sidewalk road. And so it was really really hard and hot for about 10 minutes before probably one of the most unsafe things I've done... a truck with a bunch of Filipinos stopped next to us and offered a ride, so Elder Q and I hopped on the back and they took us to the church building! The unsafe part is that i was standing on the literal back of it, and we went at least 30 miles an hour... but, obviously I'm safe here emailing you! So I didn't die!

Another crazy story is our walking through a shallow river... we were at another appointment, a really long way back to the main road... that is if we had taken the normal route, but by cutting through this river, we were able to cut probably 30 mintues off our walk! Did I mention that we do a lot of walking here? xD

Anyway, I have one more pretty fun story about the... M. family! We found them when going to refill our phone card and OYMd this store owner (also, there are individual businesses literally EVERYWHERE... like out of peoples homes!) and we've been teaching them for a while! I can tell that Nanay is really interested and Tatay was too, that is until we extended a baptismal invitation and he hasn't talked to us since. But Nanay has been really receptive and I just love to go and teach them! :)

Love y'all so much! I'll email next week! Stay safe and warm, don't forget to pray together every day and read the scriptures! While they are very simple, I find that they do provide the daily fuel to our fire of conversion :)

-Elder Morris-

ps- those two other Book of Mormons are the two other languages that I'm going to be around for the next... until I come home. Ilicono and Pangansinian! xD

 

 

I was reading Shannons email and she said she learned that you LOVE radishes and were eating them whole in the car and I realized that I really miss radishes and vegetables right now... we don't have too many vegetables out here xD

Isaacs first baptism

I love getting y'alls emails :) I've had another interesting food this week... though I don't really remember what it was called... so I'll try to get the name for yah next week :) It's funny that you bring up my pants... because that reminded me to tell you that I'm actually starting to develop a rice gut xD xD It's so crazy to be here and have rice with all of the meals just about... oh well! Anyway, it's really an awesome opportunity to have lessons with investigators every single day and help them to come unto Christ! The only problem is that nobody every follows through with commitments  so even if they commit to baptism, they still have to do a bunch of other stuff!

Something that might be good for a package would be the plantain anti itch stuff you always made, or a recipe or something! I've been getting home every evening with some 3 or 4 new mosquito bites! (word of the week Lamok- mosquito and Manok- chicken) And maybe also... I don't know! There's not really much that I can't get out here, and for a cheaper price than back home in the states! A haircut was 38 pesos... so less than a dollar :O Oh my gosh, I heard from the Utah parents some unofficial news, which is so so exciting! I think my favorite part about all that is that they're always going to have that hilarious story about how they met xD xD It's also so great that you guys got to go do a temple session with S, I bet that was a neat experience :) 

So, this week isn't really much different from last week! I don't really know where to begin, so I think I'm just going to kind of ramble on about a bunch of different experiences! So we walk just about all day every day here, or ride jeepneys around... which is really fun but it takes a long time, every day is pretty hot and dry, which actually reminds me that it has not rained since I got here... not going to lie, I expected a lot of rain!!! Anyway, so we were teaching this investigator the Restoration, this was our first appointment... and it was so awesome, we extended a baptismal invitation for sometime in February (because of the baptismal requirements here for people) and he literally said yes and then proceeded to ask what time it would be!! (Of course though, that was all in Tagalog so I didn't understand too much... but I got the point :)P) Other than that... this week was pretty long and I'm coming along a little bit better in the language now :)

Oh, one more thing that I really really have learned... Filipinos are not afraid to point out a big pimple on someones face... xD

I'm having such a wonderful time out here though, as long as each day is... at the end I always feel like there's never enough time in the day to actually get everything done!!

Well, that's all! I love you guys so much, can't wait to hear from you next week :)

Love,

Elder Morris

Wow, it sounds like your week has been really crazy! I hope that y'all are staying warm and safe! I always love hearing about all that is going on, keep being awesome :) I'm so grateful to have an email every week from all y'all :)

This week has had many many things happen, so I suppose that I can always start with my highlights! :)

First off, there was a baptism for one of our investigators this last Saturday and it was probably the best experience in my whole life, it was small and just the one old Nanay. It would have been two baptisms, but her sister decided to not be baptized because her children don't want her to be... but anyway, I know she'll be baptized one day, especially since she comes to church every single Sunday :)P And afterwards, she bore her testimony... I couldn't quite understand this little old ladies speaking let alone in another language, but I felt the spirit so strongly and she actually started to cry! The joy that comes into someone's life when they come into this gospel is just so so amazing!!!

While teaching this week we found 15 new investigators and extended 18 baptismal dates... it's so crazy how willing people here are to listen to the Gospel, we'll just see how well they are at actually following through with commitments and finding out for themselves if this gospel is true! I think that it's just hard for them because of the poverty mostly that people don't come to church and don't follow through with all their commitments. But the people here are really so so kind!

What else? OH, I tried some interesting foods this week... Balut, which I have a video if this will let me send it... surprise surprise that it's actually really good, especially when you salt it! xD Second, Adidas... no I didn't each shoes... adidas is chicken feet! Also... really surprisingly good xD And lastly, one that you might actually enjoy is Bola-Bola, the only way that I can describe it would be vegetables mixed with an egg and a few other things and then fried... quite literally my favorite food here so far! That's my food wise adventures for this week!

The language is starting to come very very slowly, and it really doesn't help that everyone is speaking really fast and will try to talk to me... I don't quite understand anything in any conversation... but during a lesson I'm able to understand what my companion is saying! :) Speaking of companion, Elder Q is awesome... he's helped me alot to overcome some of the stresses here and to enjoy learning the whole new language... that and he cooks for me all the time, and is a really good cook! Even if we do have rice with every single meal xD

Scripture for this week is DC 50:24-25... I think that's the right reference :)P But I like how it talks about after we have light, if we keep following Christ and God with all our commandments that we're promised more and more light until the "perfect day" :) I know that this gospel is true and if we truly keep pressing forward and following the things that we know to be true, and strive to learn more... that there is always always more light that we can have in our lives :)

Until Next week! Love you guys so much,

Elder Morris :)

Also maybe for the package- The RM and other church movies?? Because we have DVD players in our apartment and are allowed to watch good movies like that, RM, Home Teachers, Church Ball, etc. :)

YER AN ARRTIST!!!!!!

I had a pretty hard time focusing on the way to Rosales in the Jeepney... because the driver was playing Hotel California and other Classic rock songs xD

1-4-2016

I aboslutely loved reading your emails! I'm so sad that Starsha died... she was my favorite goat in the whole wide world! Though I suppose replacing her with Lady is really great :) It sounds like there are many many adventures that have been happening around there, I hope that y'all stay safe! Keep me updated on everything even if I can't respond to it all, just know that I read it and love hearing about everything going on! :) Just by the way, the food here so far I've had a lot of rice, dried fish... and spaghetti xD No Balut yet, but I'll have some one day and send y'all a video of my eating it ;) Soooo... I am officially in Urdaneta and actually out proselyting every day now! It's a really neat experience and my trainers name is Elder Q. He's a native Filippino who speaks 4 different languages... which helps because apparently the people here speak more Ilongo than Tagalog... which totally doesn't help! These past few days have been pretty rough, everyone speaks the language and tries to talk to me.. but I don't understand a word that they're saying! It's probably the hardest culture shock that I have ever experienced! But other than that, it's such a beautiful place here! My area is called San Leon in the Rosales zone... the Branch here is so small! But I'll get to that in a little bit. First, our apartment... it's actually pretty big! It's a small house with concrete floors! The water for the toilets don't work, so we fill a bucket with water that is used to flush! Also, there isn't toilet paper, so I went right out to buy some when I heard what they do instead.... literally... this is one of those places where people use their left hand to wipe. I just can't even xD The shower is very low power and is always cold... but it's our apartment, I gots to get used to taking cold showers every day now for the next two years of my life and probably eventually be forced to use the... cultural way of cleaning...

ANNNNNYWAY, I got here and there were two sisters having their baptismal interview the next day... needless to say, I get to baptize one of them next Saturday, which is a remarkable experience! They are the sweetest people, both are really old :) Which sort of leads to the branch, it's so small... there were 84 chairs set up for sacrament meeting, and they weren't all even filled! I mean... it's really really small! But then later, I got to see the list of members that have been baptized in the area... 6 pages of people... lots and lots! From what I've been told, there ARE 700,000 members in the Philippines... but that 500,000 of them are less active. Which is really sad! A lot of the work here that we're going to be doing is just helping less active members come back to church! I have no idea why though so many are less active, people here love religion... quite literally! Every single Jeepney and trike just about, have some sort of picture or something about religion! Which I actually don't mind TOO much because that makes it really easy to talk to people about religion and share our beliefs!

I love you guys so much! Thanks for being the best family in the world, I'll email you next Monday :)

Much Love,

Elder Morris

I loved being able to read y'alls email and see the pictures back home! It sounds like Christmas was just such a wonderful experience, I'm happy to hear that you guys aren't freezing! Keep doing well there back home, say hi to the sheepies for me :D I hope that everything stays going very well and I can't wait to email about my first week in the field... now THAT might just be a long long email, haha :) It's officially my last day in the MTC, and tomorrow I wake up at 5am to catch a bus to get to Urdaneta. It's so crazy! The experience here has been so fun and I've made a lot of friends... even friends who barely understand English, which is really great... Filipinos have a definite unique sense of humor! I don't really have much to say about this week except for a lot of study and language practice. I just cannot believe that tomorrow I head out to the field!

With Love,

Elder Morris

ps- Because I don't really have a lot to say for this week... here's a bunch of pictures of Christmas and stuff :) The fish is some food that we had for dinner a few nights ago, it's a whole fish that's cooked and dried xD

pss- Spiritual experience/thought is in DC 18:15-18 about the worth of souls... just read it, it's really good! I feel that the worth of souls IS great, and bringing one soul... even if that one soul is ourselves, then great will be our joy! And how much more joy would it be to bring many??

That Elder I'm standing with in front of that tree with all the lights is Elder L. The one from
Fredericksburg Stake :)

Dear Brother and Sister M,

 

We are pleased to inform you that your son, Elder Morris, arrived safely in Urdaneta earlier today. They left Manila late due to the heavy traffic and the inability of the group to secure bus tickets coming to Urdaneta and so their departure from Cubao was delayed for about 3 hours. The group arrived at approximately 4pm and were picked up by my Elders at the pick-up point promptly and brought to the Mission Home. After dinner and a short rest, we held a small meeting for the missionaries, together with my wife and 5 children for them to get to know my family and I better. They have now been ferried to the various apartments where they will spend a night before they meet their trainers and will be assigned an area tomorrow at our transfer meeting.

 

Attached is a picture of your son with my wife and I at the Mission Home. Rest assured that your son is in good hands. I will email you again when your son has been assigned an area and a trainer.

 

Sincerely,

 

President, Philippines Urdaneta Mission

 

 

12/17/2015

 

 

I truly love hearing about y'alls week! It sounds like such a wonderful time and I'm glad that you guys are staying warm! We're here in the MTC until a little bit after Christmas! Where to even begin about this week here?! I guess a good a place as any would be starting with the flight, so the last week or so! I have to admit to this, that I slept probably 8 hours out of the 15 hours to Hong Kong, which was really nice because there wasn't really anything to do! I'm also not used to having going into an airport and suddenly being one of the few people who speak only really english... it's just weird :)P We got to the MTC at around 3am, because traffic in Manila truly is awful, even at 2am! When I say awful, I mean that people in New York and those city areas are tame... when we drive, people are within 1 foot of another at all times and make 3 lanes when there are only supposed to be two. Pedestrians just walk across wherever they want... I don't know why there aren't a million times more crashes and stuff! It's already so much different that America could ever be!

I don't want to make y'all TOO jealous... but the weather here has been fairly dry and very warm for the first few days, and not even too humid! However, apparently there was some large typhoon that came into the Philippines... we got was a ton of rain! I guess that I'd better get used to walking out in the rain almost all of the time, haha!

The MTC here is really really small, with only 3 buildings total (though they are building two more to house more missionaries). There are at max 100 missionaries here right now, and probably only 30 or so English speaking, language learning missionaries! The food... well, it's really good...if you love rice :) Quite literally we have rice with every single meal, and some sort of meat. It's surprisingly good!!! :) A few days ago we all went out to go to the immigration office, which was in central Manila, and at LEAST an hour drive to get there because of constant bad traffic. Before actually getting there we stopped at a gas station because one of the cars was almost out, and a few Elders decided to get something... interesting. Balut. Balut, is the half developed chicken or duck egg that they boil in vinegar or something like that. I didn't get any since I currently have no pisos. (the Balut was 15 pisos, which is equal to about 50 cents or something like that back home) Apparently they taste pretty good, like a hard boiled egg with a unique texture! Is it bad that I actually want to have some of it??

Anyway, we went to immigration and I felt like a GIANT. Filipinos are all super short... like maybe an average of 5 feet tall. So I really stick out, which isn't too bad at all considering the fact that I can easily start conversations for being a foreigner who speaks a little Tagalog and is over 6 feet tall!

I love being here! Yesterday I had the opportunity to go out and proselyte for the first time with a couple more elders. We walked through the city and through some very narrow alleyways with homes that were back there... people here live in such poverty. I actually feel humbled just by the one day being out of the situation that many people are in. We went to the very back of an alley to this home with a concrete floor and clothes hanging from the ceiling to dry to have a lesson with a man named Brother H.... he's such a unique guy. He wants to be baptized, but has two problems, one is the word of wisdom with coffee and smoking... and the other one has to be a situation I had never even heard of. He HATES his grandson, and when I say hate, I mean HATE. He said that he literally prays every evening that his grandson will be cursed. (I don't think he quite knows how prayer works... :)P) and stated that when he dies, he doesn't want to go to heaven or hell because he wants to haunt his grandson first..... the sad part is that it's really over super small things. I've come to know that hate never solves problems, if anything it builds walls and barriers that are impossible to overcome sometimes. Anyway, this morning I was able to go do a session in the Manila temple! It was really a special experience to go through! It's actually a really small temple, despite what the pictures try to suggest online xD But it really was special! It was also much different from back home because they don't have the same temple clothes! We don't have a white tie, the white shirt (with some simple design) isn't tucked in AND the top button doesn't get buttoned! Apparently it's a traditional clothing of some sort that they do, it was really c neat experience!

I just can't even begin to describe the experience it is to be out here in the Philippines, hopefully I can get my camera to connect to send y'all some pictures!

Love,

Elder Morris

PS- When we went and met up with everyone for the proselyting, I met another Elder.... not a cool story right? Well it is when you find out that this other Elders name was Elder M! He pronounced it the same as Morris, but with one less "r".... and he said that on one of his other badges it's spelled the same as me. So crazy story, but it was really fun! :)

PSS- I was told that there's a Facebook Page for the Philippines MTC, you should look for it ;D I had my picture taken to be put up! Which reminds me of a funny story that literally, if someone has a phone here, they have Facebook... it's HUGE xD

PSSS- I also just wanted to let you know my address and stuff... I'm gonna give you my Mission address since it takes at least two weeks for any letter and at least a month for a package!

Letter mailing instructions

Elder Isaac Geoffrey Morris
Philippines Urdaneta Mission
P.O. Box 7
Brgy. San Vicente East, Urdaneta City
2428 Pangasinan
Philippines

Package Mailing Instructions

Elder Isaac Geoffrey Morris
Philippines Urdaneta Mission
LDS Chapel Provincial Road
PO Box 7, San Vicente E, Urdaneta City
2428 Pangasinan
Philippines

I was reading in Jacob 5 about the vineyard and I thought about verse 45. What struck me about the scripture was the plucking not of the branches that brough forth poor fruit. I took this into a personal view when paired up with Moroni 10:32. We have to deny ourselves  of ALL ungodliness, or in the sense that we need to "pluck" the unfruitful (ungodly) branches from ourselves. And that if we do not deny ourselves of ungodliness and pluck away the poor branches, then there runs a risk or it continuing to get worse until the bad overcomes the good and the good withers away. 

 45 And thou beheldest that a part thereof brought forth good fruit, and a part thereof brought forth wild fruit; and because I plucked not the branches thereof and cast them into the fire, behold, they have overcome the good branch that it hath withered away.

I memorized the first vision sa Tagalog!!!!

I saw a pillar of light exactly over my head, above the brightness of the sun, which descended gradually until it fell upon me. When the light rested upon me I saw two personages, whose brightness and glory defy all description, standing above me in the air. One of them spake unto me, calling me by name, and said, pointing to the other---This is my beloved son, hear him!

Ako ay nakikita ng isang haligi ng linawag na tamang-tama sa tapat ng aking ulo, higit pa sa linawag ng araw na dahan-dahang bumaba hanggang sa ito pumalibot sa akin. Nang tumuon sa akin ang linawag, nakikita ako ng dalawag katauhan, na ang linawag at kaluwalhatian ay hindi kayang maisalawaran, nakatayo sa hangin sa itaas ko. Ang isa sa kanila ay nagsalita sa akin, tinatawag ako sa aking pangalan, at nagsabi, itinuturo ang isa--- Ito ang pinakamamahal na Anak, Pakinggan Siya.

ps- I typed both from memory ;)

So actually I found something out, I won't be Skyping for Christmas... just a phone call. We got the info to call, so you guys be ready for me to call around 6PM on December 24th, it'll be the 25th here.... so yeah ;)

Love,

Elder Morris

That nasty looking egg is Balut... xD

And the Picture with us three Elders, I didn't really know who the Filipino Elder was... but the other Elder is Elder M. :)

12-10 2015

Hey-o! Its so awesome to get all of your emails, they certainly make my WHOLE day just so wonderful :D The week was off to a rough start, Monday was probably the hardest day I've experienced here... needless to say I wasn't getting a subject in the language and we had to prepare for our lesson, I had a breakdown... but I felt much better after talking to our Teacher, Brother S! He gave wonderful advice and a few scriptures that helped. Anyways, the rest of the week was MUCH better :) Though I did learn something, its hard being the only country boy in the zone,... because EVERYONE is totally germaphobic compared to me and talk so much about rap music. So I'm grateful for having the opportunity to live on a farm with a bunch of animals (no room for germaphobia sometimes...) and that I was raised with GOOD music :)P Also, the showers were finally fixed, so yesterday was the first day since I got here that the water was actually hot! it. was. so. amazing.

We were teaching a 'new investigator' named P who was really angry at God because his mother had gotten really sick and passed away despite visits from priests. He asked us why there were so many bad things in the world, and one of the Elders I was teaching with totally whipped out the scripture about "opposition in all things", and it turned the lesson super spiritual as we talked about Heavenly Fathers love for us and the purpose of trials that we all face in life.

It actually reminds me of an experience that I had yesterday with Elder G and Elder B. So Elder G was having some really hard stomach pains after lunch and we took him to the nurse, they though he might have appendicitis and sent us all to the ER. (don't worry, it gets better) :) And Elder G was in there for some 3 hours while we waited out in the waiting hall, where after a half hour or so, this Elderly couple walked in and this mans wife's eye was shutting down for some reason. We talked for a while about missions and stuff before they were admitted in to the hospital, just 10 minutes later this man comes back out and asked if Elder B and I could go and help him with a blessing for her! It truly was a special experience :) AND there wasn't anything wrong with Elder G stomach, so I kind of feel as if that was part of the reason why we went to the airport. I'm so grateful to hold the Melchizedek Priesthood and being a representative of Jesus Christ! :)

Now,  by next week I'm going to be in the Philippines... so I'll go ahead and email y'all the address after I get there :) Its just so unbelievable that I'm going to be out of the country by FRIDAY. I really cant wait! Also, I learned that I can in fact call family from inside of the airport... so if you get a call around 7-9am, it might be me! (I'll also be allowed to Skype for Christmas... so family... send me your Skype adresses) :D

Until Next week, when I tell you ALL ABOUT THE PHILIPPINES!!!

Much Love,

Elder Morris

PS- I TOTALLY forgot to say this, but I joined the MTC choir the first week I was here and went to the practices every Sunday and Tuesday and sung at the devotionals every Tuesday night... ;D

The choir is actually SUCH a spiritual experience, so much singing and devotion. Just before one of the devotionals, a prelude song was "I believe in Christ", and you cannot even imagine the spirit and joy that one hears when hundreds and hundreds of missionaries are singing that wonderful hymn!

PSS- There is an extra mattress in our room, so I decided for the last week that I would double up my mattress and cover up the sides. Its so comfy and dark in there... I slept better than I had for a while~!

 

I DID get your email! I loved to hear about all that has been going on, I understand with the getting confused about the days... I think it should be MONDAY when I get to the Philippines for P-day, but frankly, I have no idea.

Haha, I suppose that I deserved that "I told you so", the choir actually was a really amazing experience... though I did learn that I am nowhere near a decent singer. But I sung with my heart and that's all that one can ask for a choir to do. Speaking of songs, veggie-tales was life xD

Wow, I hope that you guys have enough wood for winter! That's a really big job for someone to do, but I know that the hard work pays off :) 

I have found that the Lord does work in ways far higher than our own understanding, I'm really grateful for the people that He puts into each of our lives. I know that there will be experiences that I am going to have in the Philippines that may even feel like miracles! I feel like it comes down to a quote that my Branch President says all the time... "obedience brings blessings, but exact obedience brings miracles" I'm already finding that to be true with the ER experience and the progress that I've been making in the language!

Okay, so I only meant that I'm a country boy in the sense that I came from Virginia, helped with animals, butchered animals (nobody here except ONE elder has even killed or butchered an animal), and cutting wood. There's elders here that kind of look like that haven't worked a day in their lives. But that's good now because they're going on a mission where work is allllll we do :) I really can't fathom how one can even LISTEN to rap music and feel the spirit, let alone think it's good... not gonna lie, but I'm rather disappointed when they have those conversations.

Anyways, the hot showers have been so nice! Though when we're in the Philippines, a cold shower MIGHT actually be really really nice, too! I guess I should count my blessings that I don't have to be carrying wood everyday and burning it to stay warm ;) How is that, by the way? Are you guys staying warm? Are those fancy metal doohickeys on top of the furnaces working as well as they did when I left??

So, Jacob took my room, huh? Have you told him about the snake skins, or the house centipedes? ;) Just kidding, I hope that it suits out well for him! Does that mean the upstairs family room has a million times more room now? :D

It sounds like it does get quiet now... do you miss the silence being broken by Dobby?? xD

Oh no, I do hope that Starsha gets better, she's such a wonderful goat! And I totally cracked up when I read Adam skipping his puberty class! That and I'm actually kinda sad because I realize now that the school classes will never actually help anyone. I feel like in school- kids might start to be curious more about what happens and stuff and at home- kids would be too awkwarded out by that conversation with their parents that they would never talk about it again xD Annnnnyway...

I really love haring about everyones lives and stuff at home! I hope that you guys stay safe and stay warm the rest of this winter!

I got your package too, and I LOVED it so much!!!! Thank you so much for everything, it made me remember all those things back at home and I felt kinda fat too... for all the candy ;) Don't worry, I haven't eaten it ALL, yet... besides, I'll share with the other elders xD

Loooove,

Elder Morris!

PS- Tell Adam that we're choir buddies!!! :D :D :D I read Adams letter, has he really been wearing that bracelet I made him?? That's the sweetest thing!!! :)

 

Here's just a shortie about my week, I'll be allowed also to email after I get to the Philippines so that erryone knows that I made it safely :) This week has been really good, and a really great learning experience! We taught P just a few days ago and... well it went really poorly. But we got advice about directions to go and teach in and how to better teach by the Spirit. We then the next day went and taught A, who we felt really really good about teaching! We read a lot in 2 Nephi Kabanata dalawa, about Adam and Eve in the Garden and what would have happened if they didn't fall! Then about enduring to the end and feasting on the words of Christ. It was a really special experience even though our "investigators" are just our teachers roleplaying, but we can still feel the Spirit when we teach. It's interesting how all of that works! :) We also talked this week with our Branch President, President Howard... who was one of the first missionaries in the Philippines and served as a mission president in Manila. He shared a LOT of really great experiences about the Philippines and a lot with what it's actually like there! :) He described it overall like this: "There are two seasons, hot and hotter. And the wet and dry season... the dry season is when it rains half the day and the wet season is when it rains all day." So I'd better learn to LOVE the rain... that may take some time to actually get used to xD

It's going to be such a different culture and a different experience, but I'm so excited to be able to go out to the Philippines and serve there! It's just the language barrier that I feel is going to be hardest... but I trust that the Lord will help me :)

That's really all for this week! I'll email again in a little bit and tell y'all about how different the Philippines are!

-Elder Morris

ps- There's a scripture this week that I wanted to share! 1 Nephi 10:19. It really testifies that we WILL receive answers if we diligently seek out the Lord. It also states that He is the same yesterday, today, and forever. Which is really cool... because to me it says that this gospel was always true, is true, and ALWAYS will be true. We can ALWAYS turn to the Lord for comfort, guidance, and answers with the things in our lives!

Hey, so I was just wondering if you and Dad could buy me a really small wallet that can fit in the shirt pocket of my white Shirt? I learned yesterday that having it in my shirt pocket will be smarter because there are pickpocketers and such pretty bad in the the cities... xD You guys could just send it after I get the Manila MTC info to you??

Also- word of something... If there are any baggage fees that I have to pay on the way to manila, I have to pay for it with my own money, and the church will reimburse me for it somehow. :)

I'll be in San Fran. from 8-about noon. Would there be time somewhere around then to call, and if so, what number? :) If not, it's okay... I'll be able to Skype on Christmas!

-Elder Morris

(I had permission for this, by the way.)