So as you might have guessed this week was CRAZY full! Lots of Thai, lots of teaching and learning, just how it should be! I had more friends from school come in this week and it is always SO fun to see people from life before the MTC... Almost crazy to think there actually was life before the MTC! :) hahaha but it is the best place to be. Sorella Brunson leaves tomorrow and I am so grateful to Heavenly Father for the tender mercy of having one of my best friends live 3 doors down from me in this new place where a familiar face is so needed sometimes! He is SO aware of us, I can testify of that. I will miss everyone that leaves this week... The Phii Thais leave today at 3 pm and I am definitely sad to see them go! Its way funny cause we got here, and they had already been here for 6 weeks, so in our eyes they were so far above us (we were like ropes hanging on the Goodyear blimp.... no one ever gets that reference but I will always use it because What about Bob can never be quoted enough HAHA... watch that movie for me people) Anyways, you just think that they are like 25 years old or something and you have so much respect for them reading Thai script and answering your questions, then after you get to know them, like all of the Elders are at least a year younger than me! haha they are going to be such great missionaries. It is amazing to me the faith and dedication of the Elders and Sisters here, especially when I see these Elders, fresh out of high school who have chosen to do the Lords Work. Wow. I am constantly in awe at the amazing people I am surrounded by. My companions have been such a strength to me. From Sister Smith I learn so much about being a good friend. She genuinely loves and cherishes people, and has a talent for making things light hearted. From Sister Coates I learn so much about the importance of loving who you are, then letting that shine outward to the way you treat others. She has a glow about her that is contagious. I love them!
So Tuesday night it was pretty funny, we were all POSITIVE we were going to have a General Authority come talk to us. One of the Elders in charge had briefed us at our Sunday night devotional one how we act (when to stand, sit etc) when an apostle of the God is in our midst, and we were like so for sure that Tuesday would be the day... Well it wasn't, it was Elder Sitati from the Quorum of the 70, and it was a wonderful talk. The rumor is though, that RICHARD G. SCOTT is coming tomorrow night, and I am pretty excited. After we are done daily planning and we are just talking we will go around and say something we like, and since we were speculating on which apostle might be coming this Tuesday, we were saying who our favorite apostle was.... and I just really started thinking about how much I love these men. They are called of God. They love us and lead us. What a blessing that in God's perfect plan, we have a Prophet and his Apostles to show us the way. If anything, they are a huge reflection of God's love for US, His children On that note-- I am so excited for General Conference! Still no word if there will be a missionary choir there, but we will see!
This week my testimony has grown so much, and I am so grateful for the experiences the Lord has allowed me to have. A few things that have stuck out to me..
Mom, Tad Callister was our Devotional speaker last night!! It was an amazing talk on the Plan of Salvation... but one of the things he started with was an experience he had while he was a mission president. He said one of his best, most diligent missionaries asked him "President, how can I be a better missionary?" It really got me thinking that if I am here trying to give the Lord my best, there is ALWAYS something more I can be doing. I am humbled and ready to be a better missionary this week than I was last week. I think that it can really apply to any area of life, especially the areas that we think we are doing great in. I am a good scripture studier, but what can I do to be a better scripture studier? I am a good friend, but what can I do to be a better friend? The mission and life are ongoing progression, I am glad there is never a point when we can just say, "I am as good as Im gonna get... now what?"
at the end of his talk, I went up and told him I was Chrissy Morgan's daughter and he had nothing but GREAT things to say about you Mom, and Grandma and Grandpa!
The choir director here is so great... he is SO funny, but he also has these awesome insights on the gospel and one of the things he said yesterday during choir while we were practicing "Be Still My Soul" was "do we realize that God is as PERSONAL as he is GRAND?" I started to really think about that... If He is as personal as He is grand, we cannot even number the stars in the heavens, the vastness and the beauty of His creations, so if He is equally as personal, what a relationship that can be. He knows our hearts, our sorrows, our wants, our needs. He wants us to reach out to Him, and enjoy the peace and happiness that comes from that very personal relationship with Him. He is our very Father, of that I know. The painting can never become the painter, but the begotten child can become like his father.
Last night, we watched the Joseph Smith movie, and I cannot adequately express my love for what he did. I couldn't help but think of Parker, a 14 year old boy with a pure loving heart, as I watched the scene I have become very familiar with over the years of young Joseph Smith humbling kneeling before God to know the truth. One of the things he says in the movie as he is calling apostles and they are unsure if they are cut out for the job, is "The Lord calls us in our weakness, but qualifies us for this work." I can testify that this is true. The Lord is using a very imperfect, unqualified 19 year old girl, and I can feel Him molding me into the servant that He needs to bring His light and gospel to His children. Every time I see this movie, I cannot help but KNOW more than I already did, that Joseph Smith was a prophet of God. I love him for all that he endured for the cause of truth, I love him for the work he began that I get to be a part of. At the end of the movie, after the prophet is shot, a martyr for the cause of truth, the screen says "Shall we not go on in so great a cause?" With my missionary badge on, this had a whole new meaning, and I can't help but feel a desire to feel somewhat of what Joseph Smith felt in submitting to the Lord and enduring all that He sees fit to carry on the cause of truth. I love this gospel with all my heart, and I know that it is the truth.
Dad-- I am so happy to hear about you getting set apart!!!! WOW my dad.... A Branch President... one Sorta Good Man.... HAHA but really, I am so excited. you and the branch will be in my prayers constantly and I will think of good activities for you. Idk why but when the lady at the Dr was on the phone with you the other day I just wanted to rip the phone out of her hand and talk to you. I love you so much and just watching her reactions to you responding to her questions, I could imagine your voice! And of course I loved when she said, "Hi, Joi, this is so and so calling from the MTC... cause I knew without a doubt she was hearing "Grandridge Dental, this is Joi, how can I help you?" HAHA I love that, tell the girls at the office I say sawadii kha and that the word for dentist is pronounced "maawwwfan" Thanks for your email and package! Have you been getting my letters in the mail???
Mom-- Wow it sounds like your job is going great!! I can only imagine how busy you are... give me details! Also I can only imagine how stoked the girls in the branch are to have you in there.. you are going to be perfect!! I am so proud of you and dad. About my foot, I am seeing a podiatrist next Monday (sad its not with my favorite podiatrist), and we will see how that goes! I actually have been in a lot of pain, but luckily my branch president is a dr, and I talked to him, and he thinks I have tendonitis in my achilles tendon... and possibly have extra bone or something where the tendon inserts. Its all good! I love you so much!!! Have you been getting my letters in the mail??
Tyler-- OMG SOMEONE PLEASE DEAR ELDER ME TYLERS MAILING ADDRESS ASAP!! I have had a letter to send to you for a week since I have like no time on the computer! I love you and thank you SO much for the emails and dear elders!!!!! I want to hear about life! Also I meet SO many people here from Birmingham! and I met an Elder from Cardiff yesterday and I told him you served there and in Swansea and he was like "Wow Swansea would be a terrible place to serve, its all beaches, it would be torture!" I was like ya you have no idea.... haha I hope you still have the Aloha Spirit and are riding the waves in your heart while you are in Provo
Brad-- Dear Elder me!!! update me on your life!! send me pics of your hair!! Clean your room!! Do some laundry!! Chew with your mouth closed!!! hahaha jk, Brad I love you and I can only imagine how you are just the life of the party with all your homecoming plans... good choice on wanting to eat dinner at our house, that was always fun! But for realz send me a pic of your hair cause I bet you look so cute! <---- I only said that cause I know how much you hate it when I say you are cute :)
Parker-- Mr Social life!!!!!! How are the friends? How are the parties? How are the girls? What are we going to name the new puppy is the real question!? Dear Elder Me!!! I can just picture you being so smooth with all the ladies in the singles branch... HAHA
I love you guys SO much........ thanks so much for the support and love!!!!
talk to you soon
Phraphuupencaw pen prabidaa bom sawan kccng raw le phrayeesuukrid song mii chiiwid yuu!!!!
God is our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ Lives!!!!!
<3 Sister Morgan
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