September 12, 2011
Lakeside Ward/Tucson, Arizona
Hey everyone!!!
So another week down and a lot more to go :). This week was a lot of fun. I loved it. We taught a few more lessons and had some really good contacts with a lot of cool people. Some people are a little more interesting than others but oh well, we are called to teach everyone here no matter what thy look like or who they are. I'm so thankful for that wonderful opportunity to do that. I just love it so much.
Sorry I'm emailing you all today yesterday was so busy that we didn't have a chance to email. But I'm here now. Thanks for all of your support and love so far on my mission. It really means a lot to me and there is no way that I can repay you for all that you have given me thus far on my mission. I am so thankful that everyday I can call you my family.
So a neat experience for ya. Yesterday and this morning I was having a rough time. Just thoughts of mine and feeling that I was failing as a missionary because some of our recent converts are not doing what they should be doing so its a little hard for me. So in the middle of personal study I decided to go and pray. I went into our room and shut the door so I could be alone and I just knelt down and begged heavenly father to help me. I had the same experience I had when I was 16 in Michigan. I knew that Heavenly Father was there and that he was watching over me. So I kept kneeling there and pondering many things. Thoughts and impressions came to my mind that never had before. So after that I went back to reading the scriptures and the very next verse i read was 2 Nephi 2:27. WOW. It hit me like a ton of bricks. I have read that many times before but never did it hit me like it did this morning. I have to realize that people do have their agency to chose if they want to accept the gospel or reject it. Some days I wish I could just shake the people into believing this because I know what it can do for them. I love this gospel so much. It means the world to me. I know that I am who I am today because of it. I'm so thankful that I was raised on the principals of the gospel, without them I do not know where I would be. Every day I see people that can use the gospel priciples in their life but they choose not to. Its so sad. It breaks my heart every day.
A really great experience that Elder Robison and I had. So we were coming back from the Bishop's house or a dinner appt. I don't remember which one, but we stopped at a Walgreens to look at where we wanted to go. So as we were stopped there. I was on the phone and Elder Robison was just standing there. Then out of no where two girls come up to us and said are you mormon missionaries? I said yes we are and we started to talk. They said we used to be Mormon. I said ooohhhh reeealllllyyyyyy. Then they went inside to go get something and we stayed outside and I told Elder Robison that we need to find out who they are. So when they came back we started to talk to them again. I found out it was a less active family that Elder Stapley and I have been trying to see for the past 2 months. Yesterday we met up and we talked and they promised us that they would read the Book of Mormon again and pray about it. The reason they gave why they stopped coming to church was they really didn't understand it and they felt they were forced to do it so they backed off. Now we are going to help reactivate them and I'm so excited. I love this work. Also, after we met them for the first time, they said they felt like they needed to talk to us. I WONDER WHYY AHHHHHH. I love it.
Well thats pretty much how my week has gone. I promise I have been keeping both hands on the handle bars and I am staying safe.
I love you all so much.
Love ya,
Elder Ryan D. Mortimer
So another week down and a lot more to go :). This week was a lot of fun. I loved it. We taught a few more lessons and had some really good contacts with a lot of cool people. Some people are a little more interesting than others but oh well, we are called to teach everyone here no matter what thy look like or who they are. I'm so thankful for that wonderful opportunity to do that. I just love it so much.
Sorry I'm emailing you all today yesterday was so busy that we didn't have a chance to email. But I'm here now. Thanks for all of your support and love so far on my mission. It really means a lot to me and there is no way that I can repay you for all that you have given me thus far on my mission. I am so thankful that everyday I can call you my family.
So a neat experience for ya. Yesterday and this morning I was having a rough time. Just thoughts of mine and feeling that I was failing as a missionary because some of our recent converts are not doing what they should be doing so its a little hard for me. So in the middle of personal study I decided to go and pray. I went into our room and shut the door so I could be alone and I just knelt down and begged heavenly father to help me. I had the same experience I had when I was 16 in Michigan. I knew that Heavenly Father was there and that he was watching over me. So I kept kneeling there and pondering many things. Thoughts and impressions came to my mind that never had before. So after that I went back to reading the scriptures and the very next verse i read was 2 Nephi 2:27. WOW. It hit me like a ton of bricks. I have read that many times before but never did it hit me like it did this morning. I have to realize that people do have their agency to chose if they want to accept the gospel or reject it. Some days I wish I could just shake the people into believing this because I know what it can do for them. I love this gospel so much. It means the world to me. I know that I am who I am today because of it. I'm so thankful that I was raised on the principals of the gospel, without them I do not know where I would be. Every day I see people that can use the gospel priciples in their life but they choose not to. Its so sad. It breaks my heart every day.
A really great experience that Elder Robison and I had. So we were coming back from the Bishop's house or a dinner appt. I don't remember which one, but we stopped at a Walgreens to look at where we wanted to go. So as we were stopped there. I was on the phone and Elder Robison was just standing there. Then out of no where two girls come up to us and said are you mormon missionaries? I said yes we are and we started to talk. They said we used to be Mormon. I said ooohhhh reeealllllyyyyyy. Then they went inside to go get something and we stayed outside and I told Elder Robison that we need to find out who they are. So when they came back we started to talk to them again. I found out it was a less active family that Elder Stapley and I have been trying to see for the past 2 months. Yesterday we met up and we talked and they promised us that they would read the Book of Mormon again and pray about it. The reason they gave why they stopped coming to church was they really didn't understand it and they felt they were forced to do it so they backed off. Now we are going to help reactivate them and I'm so excited. I love this work. Also, after we met them for the first time, they said they felt like they needed to talk to us. I WONDER WHYY AHHHHHH. I love it.
Well thats pretty much how my week has gone. I promise I have been keeping both hands on the handle bars and I am staying safe.
I love you all so much.
Love ya,
Elder Ryan D. Mortimer
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