Week 20: Christmas Eve Baptism

December 26, 2017

Wow, what an awesome week! It was so great to be able to teach people about Jesus Christ during the time when we celebrate his birth! The members here are so nice and really made it feel like home. 

The highlight of this week was definitely the baptism of Kyle Taylor. It made Christmas 100 times better to have seen him make that important step towards Christ. He was baptized on the 24th and confirmed on Christmas day, such a cool baptism! It was extra great because he asked me to baptize him and it was just a perfect baptismal service. 

It was really great because we were able to do some service this week at loaves and fishes which is a homeless shelter. We got to hand out food baskets for Christmas and it was amazing to see how happy it made these people. We also got some food baskets from our ward and were able to hand them out to some struggling investigators and less active members that we are working with. 

Christmas day was really fun, we went to a great church service and got to sing in the choir. We went to dinner with a couple families from the ward and they really felt like family and made Christmas pretty great. The best part was definitely being able to talk with my family! It was great to be able to see and hear them for a little bit. 

It was a great Christmas and I hope it went well for everyone back home as well! Love you all

--

Elder Morgan

The Bishop's Costume

Week 19: Merry Christmas, Another Trio, A New Name

December 19, 2017

Wow this has been an exciting week! It snowed pretty good this week so it has been like biking on an ice rink for the past few day, way more fun! It was also my first time in below zero weather and I think the Lord is thickening my blood or making me fatter or something to help with the cold so that is nice. Christmas came up so fast too. It doesn't feel like I have been gone long enough to talk to my family yet. 

This week we had interviews with the mission president and it went really well. President Rehm is an awesome man and I gain more respect for him every time I talk with him. He is almost done with his mission, they only have about 6 months left until he and his wife are released. 

We were also able to pick up our new companion, Elder Zaugg. He is from Canada and only has one transfer left of his mission. He is a really funny guy and we get along well! We probably only have 2 weeks as companions though because transfers are coming up. 

We had the opportunity to start teaching temple prep lessons to the Wollmans and I love them so much, they are hilarious! They were a less active couple that the missionaries have been teaching for a while and are finally preparing to enter the temple! Sister Wollman has given nicknames to all the missionaries and I'm Maverick for some unknown reason. 

I am still so excited about Kyle and Ahriana! We started teaching the lessons over again with Ahriana there and it is amazing. Kyle is still planning on being baptized on Christmas Eve and they are just doing so well. 

I am so lucky to be serving in Canon City 1st ward. There are so many members here that are amazing examples to me and I love being able to serve around them. I feel so much closer to Jesus Christ through working to build His kingdom in this ward.

I hope everyone has a great time celebrating the birth of our Savior and remembers the reason for the season! 

    

Love,

Elder Morgan

Week 18: Snow!

December 12, 2016

Another awesome week come and gone! It finally got cold out during the beginning of this week and it snowed! I didn't think I would love the cold too much but it is the best! It is also really fun to bike in the snow, I only slipped like 5 times so I'd say I did a pretty alright job. The weird thing about Canon City is that the weather changes so quickly. It was cold and snowing for a few days and now its back up in the 50'2 and 60's. 

This was a really spiritual week for me though. I really felt close to my Savior and felt my testimony strengthened that He is the way to peace and happiness and really just the center of everything good. 

Hunter was going to be baptized this last Saturday but the man he wanted to baptize him was out of town until Christmas! He really wanted him to baptize him so he decided to wait which is a bit of a bummer but he is still staying strong so it will work out. 

Kyle and his wife Ahriana are progressing so well and I am so excited for them! It was so key to get Ahriana there to the lessons because now they are both way more motivated about the gospel! I was so excited when they told us that they had done couple scripture study everyday this week. He is planning on being baptized on the 24th! What an awesome Christmas for them. 

We had a Christmas Zone Conference this week and it was real uplifting. One thing that stuck out to me that our president said was that these will be the best 2 Christmas's of our lives because you get to spend them with Christ. 

We also got a call on Sunday from the AP's letting us know that we are getting another companion! His name is Elder Zaugg and he was companions with Elder Coverly a few months ago. I'm pretty excited to meet him but man it looks like I'll never go a transfer without being in a trio. 

Anyways I hope everyone is having a wonderful holiday season and remembering the true meaning of Christmas. If you haven't already, look of the Church's Christmas initiative on mormon.org!

Love,

Elder Morgan

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Jonah's companion kept throwing this at him

Week 17: Sleeping Probs & Stake Conference

December 5, 2016

This week was so great! It's finally starting to get cold out and everyone is putting up their Christmas lights, best time of year! We had some awesome success and miracles this week and I just had a lot of fun with it all. 

We had Stake Conference this weekend and it was one of the best ones I have been to. The theme was "spiritual self-reliance" and all of the talks were very powerful. One speaker shared the story of a ten year period in his life when he was sued for 400 million dollars and was constantly and falsely advertised as a criminal in the news. The other 3 owners of the company were in a similar situation and 2 of them committed suicide along with some of their wives. The other owner pleaded guilty to a crime he didn't commit so that he would be put in prison and the people coming after him would finally leave him alone. The speaker shared how he and his wife made it out of that situation fine. He said it was due to their cleaving to their temple covenants and the promise from the Savior that all would be fine. It was such a strengthening talk. 

It was also a pretty funny week because of my sleeping problems haha. According to all of my companions, I talk in my sleep a lot. They think it is pretty funny because I have a really good attitude in my sleep and am saying stuff like "Aw man thats sick!" or "Woodland Park? Sweet!" The funniest night though was when I woke up and was freaking out because I thought we had lost the phone. So I was tearing off my bedding and stuff and then I turned on the light and woke up my companion and told him I couldn't find the phone and he was obviously confused haha. then I went and grabbed the phone and said I was going to call the Elders in the other ward and ask them where the phone was........so after my companion told me I had the phone in my hand, I went back to bed very confused haha. 

Anyways, we have had some amazing spiritual experiences this week as well. Hunter is doing so well and is planning to be baptized on the 10th! So excited for him! He also drove down on Sunday to the Springs to watch Stake Conference instead of watching the broadcast because he wanted to meet more people, golden!!

Kyle is also progressing very well! We finally met his inactive wife and had a super spiritual lesson. We talked about families and the temple and she bore her testimony about wanting to have a priesthood holder in the home and being married in the temple and was crying and it was just perfect. I think Kyle will really be even more motivated now that his wife is getting more involved. 

This week I have really felt closer to my Savior and it is great. Well I hope everyone has a fantastic week and merry Christmas!

Love,

Elder Morgan

Thanks for the hat, Salvatierras!

The District