Departing Interview With President Sommerfeldt

Hello Everyone,

I hope each of you had a fabulous 4th of July holiday. We are blessed to live in a country where we can worship how we'd like and where we'd like. Serving my mission in the United States has been a blessing and I am grateful for the assignment that the Lord gave me. 

Our trio is going strong, Elders Fleming, Gillman and I continue to work hard and are actually having a blast serving together. I have enjoyed our time together and having a third companion is really a blessing this time around because we each get along very well. 

My leadership responsibilities this transfer have been a great blessing. I have enjoyed the extra work and interaction with each member of the district.

This week we had president interviews and it was certainly an adjustment to sit with President Sommerfeldt vs. President Ames. Each man is so different, yet both so amazing.  President Sommerfeldt asked our mission to come to interviews as a district and to sit and talk with Sister Sommerfeldt while President Sommerfeldt met one on one with each missionary. President Sommerfeldt asked to meet with me last because he wanted to give me my departing mission interview. It was extensive and we talked about a variety of things. I appreciated his counsel on a number of things and his gratitude he has for me as I am ending my mission. I'm assuming I will see him one more time in the mission home next Thursday where I will spend the night before flying home. 

This week we found 4 new investigators: Aike, Dee, Bedance, and Ferra. We've got lessons set up to teach them and hope they will move forward with their interest in the gospel of Jesus Christ. We had to drop Benjamin, and Carlos and family didn't have time for us this past week. We hope to see them this upcoming week. 

We spent the 4th of July working, meeting with President Sommerfeldt, and then we had our own BBQ at the firepit in our apartment complex. We bought items to grill hamburgers and had our own celebration. We completely enjoyed ourselves and had a great time watching the fireworks shows.

This week at District Council the theme I felt inspired to focus on was: "Effective Ways to Spread the Gospel." Our training revolved around that topic and it was another great council. 

I fulfilled my last exchange with Elder Goodson, who is a ZL in my district. I went to Platte city and served 24 hours in his area. I placed a Book of Mormon with an older lady who was working outside her home. We had a nice visit and I was able to share my testimony of the Book of Mormon before I handed her a copy. 

Our trio served at Hillcrest again this week. Same situation, different week. There are a lot of stories I could share about that place but let's just say I'm looking forward to only having one more time to serve there. 

For P-day today our district gathered and had lunch, we shopped and played frisbee golf. Our preferred activity was ice blocking (sitting on blocks of ice and riding them down steep hills), but for some reason, we could not find one block of ice anywhere in our area. Perhaps it's a good thing?

Sad news to report...Jordyn's baptism was cancelled the day before she was to be baptized. Her parents really put pressure on her to not join the church. Everyone was devastated, including Jordyn. It saddens me that there are parents who place such burdens on their adult children telling them how their relationship will change because of religion. 

It's been great being back in the Parkville ward and seeing members I met when Elder Gillman and I were companions. We continue to cover two wards, including Tiffany Springs. We have several correlation meetings before and after the block meetings with each ward so our Sunday is very long but we are hanging in there and enjoying our service to the wards. 

And for my own personal record, I've  added up how many potential device audits a missionary could/should have over their time as a 2 year missionary--153 audits. Device audits are conducted weekly by companionships, on exchanges with your district and zone leaders throughout a transfer, and on a blitz. I handle my device audits a bit differently as a district leader and make sure I am looking at the positive uses of devices and not just the negative. 

Today our trio spent time cleaning out the Parkville elders apartment. It was a good time and we made sure it was in top shape since apartment inspections are coming up. Too bad we have to clean up others' messes, but again, all in the day and life of a missionary. 

As a missionary I have learned how important it is to have faith in the Lord Jesus Christ. In Hebrews 11:1 it says: "Now faith is the substance of things hoped for, the evidence of things not seen." We are taught in Alma 32:21 "And now as I said concerning faith--faith is not to have a perfect knowledge of things; therefore if ye have faith ye hope for things which are not seen, which are true." Elder Carl B. Cook Of the Presidency of the Seventy shared at the April 2023 General Conference about "Just Keep Going--With Faith". He said, "God will help individuals overcome discouragement and other obstacles if they look to Him, follow the promptings of the Holy Ghost, and just keep going--with faith." Being a missionary has been one of the most amazing experiences I have ever had. It has also been a time of growth and leaning on the Lord, having faith in His plan for me. 

Elder Mortensen

Pictures/Videos this week: 

Final FB Profile picture of my mission

Some members of our district

Pday lunch

District Council

Frisbee Golf

4th of July BBQ

Video cleaning the Parkville apartment 

BBQ hamburger dinner

Video lighting the charcoal briquettes