August 30,2011
Lakeside Ward/Tucson, Arizona
So to begin with...I DIDN'T GET TRANSFERRED!!!! I am still in my first area and I just love it. I'm so glad that I still have this opportunity to serve in the Lakeside Ward. I just love it here. So...my new companion is Elder Robison. He is from Nampa Idaho. He is a way awesome guy. He actually was semi trained by Elder Stapley so that is really cool. I already like him and he is awesome. Elder Stapley got transferred to the same zone but two wards down. He was supposed to train again and whitewash an area (which means they transferred out the two sisters so he is starting with nothing, and he got bumped up to District Leader.) A lot of stress on him. But last night we got a call from the Mission President, and his trainee did not leave the MTC. He is having night seizures and he can't leave yet, so he is staying until he gets those under control. Now, he has a new companion that has been out for 9 months, he is a district leader and is still white washing.
My face and elbow are doing so good. After this week I will be back to a full bike area, that means no car :(. Oh well...I actually do miss my bike, but don't worry I have learned my lesson, both hands on the handlebars at all times!!!!!! I got it.
I forgot my camera again, so next Monday I will remember to bring it so I can send pics of my baptism. It was so amazing. I never knew that this sacred ordinance could feel so amazing. Right now we are working with the mom of the children we baptized to get her into the waters of baptism. The father is still being a little harsh but what can you do. We found three new investigators this week...so I'm really excited about that. It is a family of three. A mom with a 17 year old son and a 12 year old son. The 12 year old seems the most interested right now. But a cool family none the less.
So a really cool experience for all of you...our zone leaders had a baptism and we invited Reggie our black investigator to it. He thought for a moment and he said YES!!!! So Brother Elrey picked him up and we went to the baptism. This man is amazing. He asks some really good questions. One of them is "What will I get from this church that I don't already have or will get from any other church?" Wow...that was a shocker when I heard that from him. He asks some good other ones too. Anyways...so after the baptism we took him on a church tour and showed him around the building talking about the pictures and what they represent and what they mean to us. Dad your favorite picture of "Christ Coming Again" was his favorite. He took a picture of it with his phone. Elder Stapley and I decided that we needed to take him in the Chapel and talk about baptism with him. When I say this I mean this literally...when we opened the chapel doors...and walked in...it felt as if we walked through a wall. It was the most amazing feeling I have ever had. The spirit was so strong in that chapel. I just loved it. The feelings of love, peace, happiness, joy, and so many other things. Those feelings reconfirmed my testimony that this church is true. When I walked in, tears started to roll down my cheek because of how I felt. That is the closest I have felt to being in the Temple without being in the Temple. I just loved it. So...we started to talk to him and bear our testimonies about baptism. We invited him to be baptized and he thought about it for a minute and he said that he would have to think about it more, read and pray about it. We asked him how he felt that night and the feelings I had were the same feelings that he had. We explained to him what that was and why he felt that way. My new companion and I will continue to work with him. I just love this work so much.
I think and ponder about my mission and what I have done daily to this point. Every single night I have the opportunity to pray to Heavenly Father and tell him about my day... what a great thing that is. How wonderful that is. During the day, all I think about is work, work, work, work, work and work. At night, I calm down and review my day and my mission. I have seen the growth in me. It is amazing to see how, if you let it, the mission will change you. I still am the goofy Elder Mortimer that is weird, but when its time to preach the gospel, it seems as if I am completely different. I am so thankful that I have this opportunity to serve God. These past 3 months have meant more to me than anything else in the world. I just love it. I am so thankful that I have the knowledge of this gospel. Thank you to all that continue to sent me letters and say Hi to me. I really love them. I will try to write back as soon as I can. This gospel is true and I know that. I love you all and hope you all have a wonderful week.
Love,
Elder Mortimer
My face and elbow are doing so good. After this week I will be back to a full bike area, that means no car :(. Oh well...I actually do miss my bike, but don't worry I have learned my lesson, both hands on the handlebars at all times!!!!!! I got it.
I forgot my camera again, so next Monday I will remember to bring it so I can send pics of my baptism. It was so amazing. I never knew that this sacred ordinance could feel so amazing. Right now we are working with the mom of the children we baptized to get her into the waters of baptism. The father is still being a little harsh but what can you do. We found three new investigators this week...so I'm really excited about that. It is a family of three. A mom with a 17 year old son and a 12 year old son. The 12 year old seems the most interested right now. But a cool family none the less.
So a really cool experience for all of you...our zone leaders had a baptism and we invited Reggie our black investigator to it. He thought for a moment and he said YES!!!! So Brother Elrey picked him up and we went to the baptism. This man is amazing. He asks some really good questions. One of them is "What will I get from this church that I don't already have or will get from any other church?" Wow...that was a shocker when I heard that from him. He asks some good other ones too. Anyways...so after the baptism we took him on a church tour and showed him around the building talking about the pictures and what they represent and what they mean to us. Dad your favorite picture of "Christ Coming Again" was his favorite. He took a picture of it with his phone. Elder Stapley and I decided that we needed to take him in the Chapel and talk about baptism with him. When I say this I mean this literally...when we opened the chapel doors...and walked in...it felt as if we walked through a wall. It was the most amazing feeling I have ever had. The spirit was so strong in that chapel. I just loved it. The feelings of love, peace, happiness, joy, and so many other things. Those feelings reconfirmed my testimony that this church is true. When I walked in, tears started to roll down my cheek because of how I felt. That is the closest I have felt to being in the Temple without being in the Temple. I just loved it. So...we started to talk to him and bear our testimonies about baptism. We invited him to be baptized and he thought about it for a minute and he said that he would have to think about it more, read and pray about it. We asked him how he felt that night and the feelings I had were the same feelings that he had. We explained to him what that was and why he felt that way. My new companion and I will continue to work with him. I just love this work so much.
I think and ponder about my mission and what I have done daily to this point. Every single night I have the opportunity to pray to Heavenly Father and tell him about my day... what a great thing that is. How wonderful that is. During the day, all I think about is work, work, work, work, work and work. At night, I calm down and review my day and my mission. I have seen the growth in me. It is amazing to see how, if you let it, the mission will change you. I still am the goofy Elder Mortimer that is weird, but when its time to preach the gospel, it seems as if I am completely different. I am so thankful that I have this opportunity to serve God. These past 3 months have meant more to me than anything else in the world. I just love it. I am so thankful that I have the knowledge of this gospel. Thank you to all that continue to sent me letters and say Hi to me. I really love them. I will try to write back as soon as I can. This gospel is true and I know that. I love you all and hope you all have a wonderful week.
Love,
Elder Mortimer
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