December Miracles

Hey Everyone,

Sorry I wasn't able to get an email sent out last week, we were super busy and the day flew by. This letter will include the last two weeks and update you on how things are going. 

We were able to watch the First Presidency Christmas Devotional with members and that made it fun. The members continue to feed us and we are enjoying getting to know more families. 

Last week we spent time throwing hay bales again. It is hard labor but we are happy to help others out. This week we had a pretty horrible service project where we went to a less active member's home and worked in a stinky, smelly, chicken coop for hours installing insulation in the largest chicken coop I've ever seen. We stood in poop the entire time. So many ducks/geese and chickens in the yard. But, we did it and are finally getting that smell out of our noses. 

We continue to work finding investigators on FB and last week I sent a FB referral to missionaries in Africa. That was pretty cool and the first time I had referred there. 

I went on exchanges with Elder Davis, our Zone Leader. Elder Davis and I have been companions before and we had a great day of work. I appreciate his dedication as a missionary. 

Last week we found Megan and have begun teaching her the gospel. We also found Mike and we taught him the Restoration lesson. We will continue to see how he progresses. This week we found Roxana and will teach her again on January 10th after the holidays and she is available again. 

On Sunday we had permission to visit the town train depot for a Christmas display activity and to share our Light with those we talked to. It was a great experience and we got to know more prominent people in town. 

Several have asked about our Church building update from the black mold situation. If you recall, water dripped from the roof into the baptismal font and room. After more investigation there is also black mold in the walls and floor. It will be more time before the building is available for use. We went to the Warrensburg building one time before there was a gas leak and Church was cancelled for our area so we spent the day with extra visits and teaching. We are now going to Warrensburg for Church and will continue to go there and hold our baptisms there until the Concordia building is re-opened. 

Sunday we ate dinner at the Morgan's. Brother Morgan is one of those members that took a very long time for conversion to happen. Because of the length of time that it took him to be converted he likes to tell his story to every missionary that eats in his home. Since he has fed Elder Paul and I many times he has now asked us to role play meeting and talking to an investigator with him. He likes to ask very hard questions and tries to stump us. On Sunday during our "fake lesson" I testified to him that we are all children of God. Brother Morgan instantly challenged me and said, "Where does it say that?" I immediately turn to Acts chapter 17 and read verse 28 which says: "For in him we live, and move, and have our being; as certain also of your own poets have said, For we are also his offspring." Brother Morgan smiles and turns to me and said, "I had no idea that scripture existed." And I said back to him, "Because you haven't looked for it." Brother Morgan then becomes very serious and tells Elder Paul and I that he has tried throwing curve balls at us over and over and we come to the plate swinging every time. He then chuckled and said, "You two are something else. You two are the only missionaries that have ever sat in my home and taught me something." Needless to say, we love Brother Morgan and he and I have made a plan to prank my new greenie when we knock on Brother Morgan's door looking to share the gospel. I'll be ready and hopefully my companion will enjoy the prank. 

Two weeks ago we had a special mission wide zoom call where President Ames (our mission president) asked all of us to accept his challenge of a 29 DAY FAST. This isn't a food fast, yet you can include certain foods in your fast that you give up. Our fast was to focus on giving up things of the world that we rely on. It could be swearing or eating too much sugar, or not getting to bed on time or being distracted by something that takes up your time. We were to pick 5 things to "give up" or to "become more consecrated in". I selected my 5 things and wrote them down. I picked really hard things because I felt that if I was going to see the blessing and miracles of my fast that I really needed to let the Lord be in charge of my life. Our mission president also encouraged us to make our personal scripture study be an "experience" in our lives. An experience where we find ourselves "going up to the Mount" and making our study so powerful that it carries us the remainder of our day. I can confidently write that I have been extremely diligent in my fasting and I have seen miracles in my life personally and with others. 

We continued to teach Lori last week and her baptismal date has been confirmed for this Saturday, December 17th. This week Lori had her interview with our District Leader and then she also needed to talk with our Mission President and has been cleared for baptism. I'm including a picture of her Bible and Book of Mormon as part of my pictures today. She has read both several times. She is ready to be baptized. Our mission president has a rule that if possible, a member of the ward or branch needs to be the one who baptizes new converts. So, most likely I will not baptize her but will be there and be a part of her special day. I am happy for Lori and know that she is ready, and knows and loves the gospel. Lori understands a lot and will continue to learn. We have had the branch mission president go with us many times to visit and teach her. Brother McCurdy will continue to follow up and work with us once she is baptized. I am grateful for this miracle of finding and teaching a new convert along with my companions. I know that by making changes and fasting from things of the world that we have been blessed with a baptism.

The biggest miracle of this week happened during another exchange. On this exchange I went to an area called Marshall with Elder Larsen, while the DL went to my apartment and had an exchange with Elder Paul. The story I am about to share is an absolute missionary miracle and I will never forget the thoughts, feelings and actions of this past Friday. It's good to note that as part of my 29 day fast I practiced self control in every area of my ability during the exchange, from my thoughts, appetite, actions, etc., I wanted to make every second count. When you exchange it is at night after the work day. You arrive at the apartment, sleep, wake up and start the day with the elder you are exchanging with. Once we were up and doing our morning missionary routine I asked Elder Larsen if I could use his phone to look at his area book (since I was out of my area I couldn't see anything online). I was excited to see many, exactly 52 green dots, in their area book. Green dots basically means that the home has been visited by missionaries and most likely a lesson has been taught. Elder Larsen and I discussed a plan and talked with the DL and let him know what we were planning to do with the day. It's also important to state that Elder Larsen is on the Autism Spectrum and he shares with everyone that he barely made the cut off to be a proselyting missionary. Elder Larsen struggles at times to talk and get words out and to finish a sentence, so I knew that as we talked with people to be aware of when to help him. Our goal that afternoon was to visit homes of several green dots before a lesson that was scheduled later that day. I felt very inspired to start with a certain home and so we stopped there first. We walked up to the porch and knocked on the door and waited. No movement and no one came to the door. I immediately felt frozen, stuck in the spot I stood. I couldn't move my feet, my head, or speak. I felt clearly impressed not to move an inch and knew I needed to stay there. Elder Larsen turns to leave and I am able to say to him, "wait". I knock again and the door opens and there stands a lady named Debbie. She immediately lets us in. We see an elderly woman sitting (around age 90) and we ask if any men are home. Yes, a man was also there (we are assuming Debbie's husband). We go to the kitchen and she sits, we stand. She just starts talking, telling us that the missionaries have been there before and had taught her but she continued to investigate several other religions. As Debbie is talking her voice is shaky and she seems distraught, depressed, stressed or that something was bothering her very much. She began to talk more to mask her feelings. At a short pause I felt inspired to say, "are you okay?" Debbie immediately began to cry and through her tears she tells us that she was asked to care for and watch this elderly woman in her last days and she doesn't even know the woman but felt she should open her home and heart to her, but that it is very difficult as the woman doesn't remember her or what she does for her and how much she helps her. Debbie shared that their storage unit was broken into and many personal and sentimental items were stolen and how distraught she was about her items. She goes on to share some heavy things going on with other family members and how hard it is on her and that there isn't much she can do to help but to pray for them. I then speak and tell her that she's going through some hard times right now and taking care of an elderly dementia person on her own is very difficult. I then told her about Jesus Christ, about his life, his humble beginnings, his trials and hard times and I testified that Jesus Christ knows her and loves her. Debbie then says, "Does Jesus Christ know I'm caring for this elderly woman I don't even know?" At this moment I felt the warmth of the Spirit so intense, like a warm blanket settled on my shoulders--I physically felt the warmth. I then opened my mouth to speak, but it wasn't all my words, my mouth moved and spoke and what I can remember was that Debbie was told that she is doing the work of the Savior. That she is showing charity and love to one of God's daughters. That charity is noble and the strongest kind of love. I told her that because of her charity that she would be able to endure and to be kind and that she would be lifted up in her cause. I told her that Jesus Christ is the perfect example of charity and throughout his life he always went about doing good for others. I told her that she would be able to endure her burden well. I didn't move when I spoke, or flinch, I just spoke. I told her that the Lord knows the situation that she is in and that God is aware of her and very proud of her. Debbie asked me why God was proud of her. I told her it was because she was his daughter who is serving another one of his daughters and when you serve others you are serving Him. I told her that God is proud of her for taking this elderly woman in and pleased with how she is treating her. I turned to Elder Larsen to see if he wanted to add anything and he began to talk, but couldn't get many words out and it was then that I felt my soul expand. Debbie continued to complain about her circumstances and I took my phone out of my pocket and opened my scriptures to Jacob chapter 3 and read verse 1 to her which says: "But behold, I, Jacob, would speak unto you that are pure in heart. Look unto God with firmness of mind, and pray unto him with exceeding faith, and he will console you in your afflictions, and he will plead your cause, and send down justice upon those who seek your destruction." Tears welled up in Debbie's eyes and she looked at me as if to say, "Tell me more." Again, I started to speak but they weren't my words. I asked her if she had faith in Jesus Christ. She said yes. I asked her if she knew what repentance was and if she had ever repented. She said yes she knew what it was and that she repents daily because she makes so many mistakes. Then with more power and authority than I have ever spoken to a person before I asked: "Debbie, have you been baptized?" She said yes, and immediately asked me if I had been baptized. I said yes! She asked me to tell her about my baptism. I told her how old I was, where we were living and that my dad baptized me by the proper priesthood power and authority of God so that my baptism is noted in heaven. I told her the feelings I had coming up and out of the water and how pure my body felt. Debbie was touched by my words and crying and then said, "I don't remember anything about my baptism". Again, with powerful authority I told her that being baptized by the proper priesthood authority seals our baptism on earth and in heaven. I told her because my father has the priesthood and is worthy that my baptism is sealed. I feel a nudge, a prompting and I turned to Mosiah chapter 18 verses 8-10 and I start to read: "And it came to pass that he said unto them: Behold, here are the waters of Mormon and now, as ye are desirous to come into the fold of God, and to be called his people, and are willing to bear one another's burdens (and I inserted "like you are doing"), that they may be light. Yea, and are willing to mourn with those that mourn (like you are doing), yea, and comfort those that stand in need of comfort, (like you are doing), and to stand as witnesses of God at times and in all places that ye may be in, even until death, that ye may be redeemed of God, and be numbered with those of the first resurrection, that ye may have eternal life." I then asked Debbie, "Do you want to be baptized?" Debbie answered, "Yes!". Debbie then looks at me for a while and her eyes go back and forth between me and Elder Larsen and she says, "You two are different from any other missionary that has been in my home''. Elder Larsen finds his words and he tells her about the 5 lessons that he and his companion will be back to teach her. He shares the steps that are necessary to be baptized and does a beautiful job explaining it to her. This entire experience I felt that warm blanket on my shoulders, I felt my entire soul expand, and I did not second guess what to say or how to say it. I was confident and used the power and authority I have been given. I also know that many times throughout this long experience I wasn't the one speaking, my words were not my words. I felt Jesus Christ standing next to me. I know that Christ knew I was fully consecrated and He is happy that I came prepared and as a proper representation of His work and glory. This was a spirit led experience and I was just an instrument in the Lord's hands. I've reflected on this experience the past few days and know that if I forget myself and fully rely on the Lord and give up my agency and my agenda, trusting completely on the Lord that miracles will happen. I share this not to boast, for this was truly a miracle that I was prepared for. We need to seek and expect miracles in our lives. I am glad we went to Debbie's house. I am glad I stood still and listened and let the spirit work in my life. It is the first time on my mission that I set a baptismal date at first contact. I hope to watch Debbie's baptism via zoom on December 27th. 

I want to end this email with another miracle and that is Transfer news came out late Saturday night and I am staying in Higginsville and will be able to see Lori get baptized. And, I am also training a new elder, so in missionary language, I'm pregnant and will be a dad next Thursday. I won't know who I am training until then but I will train and teach to the best of my ability. Elder Paul is leaving and I am grateful for his hard work and effort and friendship. Our district will remain an all-elder district which means more good times on P-day. 

These past few weeks I have felt like Alma, Nephi and Jacob--the ancient prophets (no, I'm not saying I'm a prophet). Alma taught with plainness and boldness, with power and proper authority being not afraid. Doing as the Lord would have him do. I feel like the ax has been sharpened and the Lord helped me do that. I am ready to train and I look forward to many more spiritual experiences. 

Elder Mortensen

Pictures and Videos:

Shop windows decorated for Christmas 

Pregnant me (lol)

The all ELDER DISTRICT 

Lori's Book of Mormon and Bible

On exchanges with ZL, Elder Davis

In the street on a wintery day 

Video of the chickens and geese/ducks

Videos of the Christmas activity at the depot