10/26/14... Sarah's LAST day in the USA!!! We get to talk on the phone tonight!!!

Fam!!! Can you believe we are talking on the phone tonight??? I can't wait.

It sounds like everyone is doing SO good! What a fun weekend with the BYU game!!!... and thank you for the play by play, I can picture the whole thing. Love it!

Mom, seriously though, I don't know how you do it all, it sounds like all of your activities- the B day party, the ward activities, friends from out of town, work, all went so well, I am so glad! You are super woman. 

So I AM SO READY TO GO! Our stuff is mostly packed, we went to the temple this morning, and we are all set! I don't know if it just hasn't set in, or if it is just the Lord helping me feel calm, but I feel very at ease. It could also be the fact the I have been in this place for 9 weeks and it is just time! :) Tyler, you are a champ for being here 12 weeks. 

Anyways, it has been a super good week! We taught our last lessons with our investigators (the next people I teach will be REAL!), learned our last grammar principles, finally had the culture class that our teachers promised us for the last day (so fun!),  and I have been trying to get all the words I want to learn down. It is humbling to think that even though I feel like I have given it my all to learn every last thing I could, there is still a good chance I am going to get there and think "what the heck are these people saying??" haha I am grateful for the fact the the Spirit is what converts, and that a smile goes a long way! In Thai you would say "Yiim talod!!!!" (smile 24/7)

This last week I have been feeling so grateful for the fact that the Lord has called me to be a part of His work. It is very humbling to feel the weight of the responsibility, but to know in whom I trust and who's work this really is. I have really been thinking about how true it is that I read of the miracles and know of the miracles that God is capable of, but do I believe and have the faith to say He will do that for ME and the people I teach? 

I find so much comfort from D&C 84:88 that says "And whoso receiveth you, there will I be also, I will go before your face. I will be on your right hand and on your left, and my Spirit shall be in your hearts, and mine angels round about you to bear you up." 

I know that this is true. That Heavenly Father has been preparing people in Thailand (He still has 24 hours to do a little more preparing before we get there :)) and that we are not alone in this work. 

Thank you so much for your endless prayers and support and love while I have been at the MTC. You have no idea what a difference it has made. 

This email is short, but we will talk so soon and I can give you more details!! 

All of my love, Sister Morgan

10/19/14... It's the Final Week Countdown to THAILAND!!! and Happy Birthday Sarah!!!

FAM!!!! Oh my gosh, so good to hear from you!! It sounds like everyone is doing so well and I loved all the pics and the vid! Thank you so much for all of the birthday wishes too!! I AM 20... What!!! 

Let me give you some highlights from the week cause it was definitely one for the books:

Monday night we got to skype with KhonThai again... seriously SO FUN!! We skyped with Wisan this time, one of President Senior's counselors, Wii's dad, the one I am friends with on Facebook, he is the coolest! He videoed us introducing ourselves so we can look back on it later and see how much better our Thai is... HAHA. Needless to say, after talking with him we just want to be in Thailand already!!!

So then last week we had this awesome idea that since everyone in our district loves Christmas (probably no one  as much as me, lets be honest) and since we won't be in the states for Christmas, that we would do the 12 Days of Christmas before we left and end on Oct 25... so perfect right??? So I made like all these decorations on P-Day... we had a MERRY CHRISTMAS banner above our chalkboard, a huge tree that Eld Frodsham made then I made Thai script ornaments and an Angel Moroni for the top, we had snowflakes on our window mirror thing, a "WELCOME TO THE NORTH POLE" sign on our door (so funny right??) Then my personal favorite... we all brought a sock to hang on the wall as a stocking and I made tags with everyones names. So we got everything put up on Mon night, and Tues morning everyone was so happy... hahaha we were all just feeling the Christmas spirit, I'm pretty sure Elder Slabaugh had tears of happiness while we were studying... like so precious. Well after lunch, we come back and our teacher had gotten there and ripped EVERYTHING down!! haha we were so sad, but it was SO worth the 3 hours of Christmas Cheer we got out of it!!

Then probably the second best thing of the week... so Elder Ridings and I share the same birthday (and mission, and Freshman ward at BYU... weird right??) Well Elder Magera bought a card from the bookstore (I seriously have no idea why it was in the MTC bookstore) to send to him from Elder Chio (Eld Ridings companion...... seriously they trump Tyler and JC for Harry and Lloyd and we love them so much for it) hahaha so He mailed it and everything and Elder Ridings got it on Saturday and it was seriously SO funny... 

The front of the card: 

The man I love is not the man everyone else sees. 

The man I love is the man that only I know.

 The man I love shares with me all that he holds inside- 

His hopes and his dreams for the future, his memories and experiences of the past,. 

All the things that make him who he is today. 

The man I love is the man who's most himself when we are together. 

He is the only man who truly knows and loves me.

Then the inside: 

The man I love is you and only you, my partner, my friend, my everything.

and he signed it Happy Birthday. Phom Rag Khun, looking forward to 2 more years with you 

From Elder Chio

W seriously DIED cause Elder Ridings was trying to be so gracious and didn't realize we were all in on it... SO classic. I am going to miss these people SO much. 

But for real, Elder Ridings and I had a super good birthday!! Mom, thank you SO much for the package... everything was so so thoughtful and exactly what you know I love. You are THE BEST. Grandma and Grandpa, Thank you so so much for the card too, you take such good care of me!! (don't worry, I didn't open it until the 19th :)) Everyone else, thanks for the birthday emails and wishes!! 

My companions decorated our door with all of these funny inside jokes we have, and Elder Frodsham totally got me all of the Jesus the Christ and Our Heritage books, it was SO nice. Then the best... Elder Chio wrote me a card from the Legendary Elder Olive that I will cherish forever... The Elder Olive story I will save for another time, haha but it was seriously a great day! Then to top it off, at our devotional, Chad Lewis spoke (from the NFL!) and it was his son's birthday, so the whole room of 2,000 missionaries sang Happy Birthday and everyone around me said "dear Sister Morgan" instead. haha what more could I ask for?? 

This week I feel like my Thai has progressed so much and I am so grateful to Heavenly Father. I memorized the first vision this week, and our teachers really stressed the TONES because if you are off on them at all, it totally changes the meaning and the phuus((ncay will be so confused. hahaha so when I am practicing it on the elliptical in the morning I get the funniest looks, but who cares right??

So something that has been on my mind this week, the tidbit that I want to share with you all.... battle. I have always loved the battle hymns of the church (think Let us All Press On, Onward Christian Soldier, We are all Enlisted, Battle Hymn of the Republic-- So good right??) There is something about them that just makes everyone sit up a little taller and get STOKED to be on the Lord's side. Well on like Tues morn in the shower a Sister was just belting Battle Hymn of the Republic. This is pretty usual here, it ranges from disney to Taylor Swift to hymns, you seriously never know what your shower soundtrack is going to be. But anyways, I am listening to her, like getting so into it, washing my hair, almost marching in place like going to battle for the Lord, and then one part just hit me

 "As He died to make men holy, Let US live to make men free."

Christ has done His part. He had performed the Atonement, He alone has literally born the entirety of every sorrow, pain, sickness, sadness, and sin of all who will ever live that we might be free, but what good does it do if we don't share it with all men that this is the case?? Or even further if we don't grasp onto it ourselves?? We need to do OUR part.

I can't even put words to say how stoked I am to be on the Lord's side... To be going to "battle" for Him in 1 WEEK (seriously people, 1 week!) to share the message of the Savior. I love this gospel. I know that what it says in D&C 4 is so true, That if you have desires to serve God, you are called to the work. The Lord needs us all to go to battle for Him, because He loves all of His children and wants them to be free. Jesus Christ is our Savior and He lives. 

I love you all so much, WE ARE TOTALLY TALKING ON THE PHONE IN ONE WEEK!! 

Thank you for all you do for me, 

xoxo, SISTER MORGAN

10/15/14... To my friends who are not Mormon...

The other day I was writing a letter to a good friend who has written me several times since I have been on my mission.  As I was writing, I was filled with such happiness at the flood of fond, cherished memories that came to my mind while I thought about her.  I thought of the way she had always had the light of Christ shine through her in the way she treated me, my family, and everyone she knew.  I thought of the laughter we had shared, the good times that were always had.  As I kept writing however, I was filled with such longing sadness.  I wept as I wrote and thought about how I had failed to share with her the thing in my life I hold most dear, next to my family, and that is my testimony and witness of Jesus Christ.  

To all who read this, you, like this friend, are not far from my thoughts.  I think about your lives.  I pray for your happiness.  You, my friends of all ages, my classmates, my family members, my teachers, my coaches, my teammates, have all played very significant roles in my life, many without even knowing it.  

I have looked to your Christlike examples as you have served me, taught me, laughed with me, strengthened me, cried with me, worked with me, and ultimately helped shape my life.  Because of this, I am left with those same sentiments of longing to share with you the greatest happiness that can be known in this life.  

So to you, I offer the same testimony I shared with my dear friend.  

I give to you my witness of the reality of a loving Heavenly Father and His son, Jesus Christ.  I testify that Jesus Christ is our Savior and that the gospel that he established while he was on the earth is on the earth today and that I am His representative as a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.  

If there is one thing I could ever do to repay you for your priceless influence in my life, it would be to watch this video from one of the very Apostles of Jesus Christ.  If nothing more, it will help you understand a little bit better why I am serving a mission.  I give you a promise however, that if you watch this with a sincere heart, you will feel the familiar call of a Father in Heaven longing for you to have the fulness of His gospel, and you will know that what is said is the truth.  You will want to know more, and you can.  This gospel is for everyone, and I hope you can forgive me for not sharing it sooner.

All of my love, prayers, and best wishes,

Sister Sarah Morgan



Come and See --David A. Bednar


Come and See - Shorter Version


Find Missionaries Near You

10/13/14... ...It is all about turning our heart to Him. (Letter #7 from Sarah!)

Hey!!!

It sounds like everyone is doing so good! Thank you so much for the pics, I LOVE SEEING YOUR FACES!! 

Another good week here at the MTC... Everyone has said that the downhill side of the halfway point of the MTC goes so fast and it is so true! We are SO busy but it is so much fun. Here are some highlights of the week:

On Monday night we got to skype with people from Thailand! We taught a lesson to a guy named Ronny who is a translator for the Church in Thailand... it was so much fun! The connection was a little bit in and out on the computer, but he was the happiest, nicest guy! It makes me so excited to LIVE THERE so soon! We will skype again tonight.

Then on Wednesday the new Thai districts arrived! It totally took me back to getting here and just being like ok, what just happened? haha, so many AWESOME Elders and Sisters though, and they are all learning so fast. There are 4 new Sisters and 8 new Elders. It has definitely been a good thing having them come, cause everyone is stepping it up and speaking more Thai and wanting to be good examples. We have 3 more international arrivals tomorrow, then 7 more from the states on Wednesday (all Cantonese speaking) But we are so excited to have our zone grow!! As the Sister Training Leaders we pick them up and go to meetings with them and really just try to make them feel comfortable. And we do cute stuff like decorate their doors in the residents which is kinda fun. 

On Thursday our teacher Sister Stolworthy got back from her honeymoon and we were all SO HAPPY to have her back! She is such a good teacher. But really, all of our teachers are so great. We are constantly saying how grateful we are for their insight on the gospel and help with the language. They are going straight to the celestial kingdom for sure! haha. Dad and Grandpa, thanks so much for the cupcakes and doughnuts!! We have zone prayer in our room now every night, and the Sisters definitely love the treats!! 

On Friday probably the funniest thing of the week-- So I have casually expressed to my district that I think Pink Eye is like the nastiest sickness ever, like there are one thousand sicknesses I would rather have than that HAHA. 

So Friday morning I come upstairs and Elder Stone, from the other district, is standing just outside of the doorway to their classroom and Elder Hall is sitting at his desk inside. They call me over and are like "Sister Morgan come here we need your help!" or something, so I go into their classroom, and Elder Stone shuts me in there and Elder Percer turns toward me and TOTALLY HAS PINK EYE!! Hahaha I was just like screaming and trying to get out and they were all laughing so hard. So mean right?????? Hahaha the Elders in my district had told them I hate pink eye so they thought it would be so funny. They are the worst.............. and they are probably going to get pink eye this week, just watch!

On Saturday we went over SO much grammar and vocab, you could say we were probably all going to explode, but it was AWESOME. Our teacher Brother Hunsaker challenged us to stop writing in romanized and to only do script. I know if I want to progress, that is the next thing I need to do.. it just kind of makes my lips numb to think about it.... (Please tell me you got that reference, NO ONE HERE APPRECIATES "WHAT ABOUT BOB?" - haha so many prime moments... I quote it, and everyone is like what?) But for real, I love this language!! I still have a lot to learn, but it is fun to see how much we actually do know and can communicate now. I say it every week, but the Gift of Tongues is real, and I am so grateful! Saturday night we also interviewed all of the new Sisters and senior companions. It is fun to get to know them better and hear how they are doing since we are so busy during the day! ALSO!! Today I got the BEST HALLOWEEN CARD EVER... It absolutely MADE MY DAY!! thank you Jourdan, Lisa, and Rachie, love and miss you! 

On Sunday we had leadership meetings all morning. Then our devotional at night was with the guy who is over all of the technology for the church (like mormon.org or the #becauseofhim type campaigns) seriously SO SO COOL. I have always had such a testimony of Heavenly Father's timing with technologies that enable communication coming forth (think General Conference reaching millions of people in their own homes vs King Benjamin's address where they had to wait for scrolls to be passed out with the message on it. or think "the dark ages" where there seemed to be little advancement by way of technology etc. ending right around the time the gospel was restored. These things are NOT coincidence!) The church is definitely utilizing the web in such a cool way to find those prepared for the message, and it is SO awesome! Now go share your favorite talk from General Conference on Facebook! :) haha

If there is one thing that has been on my mind this week, it is how much the gospel is truly about the heart. In my study of the Book of Mormon, I have been making note of every time the "heart" is mentioned. How many times does it refer to "pride of the heart", "a mighty change of heart", having the message "written on your heart", having a "humble heart", having "hearts knit together in unity", "turning the heart", being "puffed up in the heart" etc? SO often... the entire Book is essentially an account of different groups people and their dealings with the heart. I really think Heavenly Father is trying to teach us and get the point across that it is all about turning our heart to Him, to Jesus Christ. I am trying my best to "purify my heart" and I know that that is how this work becomes easier and it is also how I will be better able to represent Jesus Christ.

I love my Savior, I love you guys! Thank you so much for your support and prayers

Mom, I can just picture Homecoming--- it sounds AMAZING!! You are super woman

Dad, Have you killed the dog yet? hahaha I was dying picturing you cleaning up after it, thinking about all the times I have watched you clean up throw up or anything gross. HAHA. thank you so much for your letter. keep killing it as the prez

Brad, YOU STUD!! The hair is looking dirty, but I can see the chicks liking it. I like how mom put it... not just a duck slayer but a LADY SLAYER! 

Parker, I am sure you are the life of the party just like always, I was telling my district about how you say yeeee instead of "yea" when we read the BOM as a family and I was laughing so hard thinking about it... you are a legend around here

Tyler, OMG you are a world traveler! I am so glad you and da boys are getting to the beach though! Newport is so fun.. you guys need to have an honorary annual ping pong tourney on MY BIRTHDAY!!!! tell Chris he maybe stands a chance without me there...

Thats that! I love you so much!! Eat at a Costa Vida or a Cafe Rio near you in my honor on October 19th!! Actually thats a Sunday, go on Saturday! 

xoxo, Sister Morgan

10/6/14... We have been doing "Thai Day Tuesday" and "Thai Day Friday" but now we are going to "Thai Day Everyday!!!!!"

Sawadii khaa to the best family ever!!! 

How is everyone?! I am so happy to hear about Maverick... Parker our prayers have not been in vain! The pics are way cute... maybe you can summon Pavol the dog whisperer back to house train him??? HAHA. It sounds like everyone is happy, and BUSY... that is just what I like to hear because it is the exact same way here at the MTC. :)

Another AMAZING week, here are some of the highlights! 

We have been learning SO much Thai, especially focusing more on the tones. It is crazy how hard it is sometimes to make your voice do the different sounds, but my companions and I have started doing these drills where you say the same word over and over that highlights a vowel sound with the 5 different tones. Then you change the word and do different combinations. It is ridiculous but helps a lot. I try to read from my Thai Book of Mormon every day too. It is funny cause there are some phrases that are used over and over like "I" as in "I, Nephi..." and in Thai they use the holy form of "I" and it's pronounced "kaaapaaajow!" or "And it came to pass..." is pronounced "Let head ghaaan day baaang goood khuuun!" haha funny right?? It is definitely a work in progress, but reading is the best way for me to memorize the tone markers and patterns etc. We are also trying to SYL (speak your language!) as much as possible. We have been doing "Thai Day Tuesday" and "Thai Day Friday" but now we are going to "Thai Day Everyday!!!!!" I really believe the Lord will account and bless us for every bit of diligent effort we put in to learning this Language. It is only with HIM that we can do this, I am so sure of that as I have felt Him time and time again in my studying. 

On Wednesday we hosted new missionaries again, and I hosted two girls who had gone to BYU Hawaii! One of them was Wi's roommate and the other one was good friends with Emma Erickson! Such a small world, and they both said they definitely love the banana bread sundae at Kahuku Grill. HAHA. Anyways, there were a lot of international arrivals, there is an Elder who just arrived from Thailand who we all LOVE talking to, and a bunch of Korean Elders and Sisters arrived too. Well we were having dinner on Wednesday, and we are just eating, and I look over and these Korean Elders and Sisters are making noodles they had brought from home in the microwave that is on the side of the room (like cup of noodles but with Asian writing all over it) Well they start like laughing and talking with these people a little further away, and suddenly their noodles are on FIRE!!! And I run over there and turn off the microwave and put out the little fire, and when they notice they are just laughing so hard!! Hahaha they had left like a whole piece of the tin foil lid thing on the cup... then they just like grabbed the noodles from me and smiled and put them back in the microwave. It was seriously so funny, but they got their noodles and the MTC did not burn down. Asian comfort food gone wrong!!!!!

Then probably the second funniest thing of the week-- So Elder Choi in our district is SUCH a character. Well like anytime one of the Sisters in our district wears anything black, he will say something like "Why so dark??" Like we are talking I wore a tan skirt with a white and black striped shirt, or Sis Coates wore a black shirt with huge yellow sunflowers on it... HAHA you seriously never know with this guy. So on Friday the Sisters in our district wore ALL black to see what Elder Choi would say and it was seriously SO funny. But we definitely got some weird looks from Senior couple missionaries especially... The things you do to stay a little entertained here at the MTC... so priceless :)

General Conference was the definite highlight of the week! If you know me you know I LOVE Conference. I love the renewed sense of commitment that comes, where we can walk away and say, "I have been spiritually fed, I have learned in His way, and now I will get to work." I am excited to implement the things I have drawn from Conference into this coming week, so I can be a better missionary, companion, daughter, leader, friend, and follower of Jesus Christ.

 I feel like every Conference I am like "Wow, that was the BEST CONFERENCE WE HAVE EVER HAD!!" There were so many talks that seemed to be exactly what I needed, but I would like to share a few of my general thoughts about this conference.

So in the General Womens Meeting there was a video clip highlighting the temple with members from all over the world (We were so excited when one of the Sisters interviewed said "Phrawiihan"--the Thai word for Temple!!) There were Sisters from England, Africa, Chile, Mexico, USA, all bearing testimony of how attending the House of the Lord is a blessing in their lives. There was even a choir of little Korean Primary aged girls singing "I love to see the Temple" in their language and native dress. 

Then as many of you witnessed, this was the first General Conference where several of the talks were given in different languages with English Subtitles. 

Think about this. These people are able to speak and hear the gospel in their native languages. They are able to attend the temple closer to their homes then ever before possible. They are able to feel comfortable, included, and truly feel the truth of the message that the gospel is "One Fold, and One Shepherd."

This may have had deeper significance to me as I am learning a new language, but I type these words with tears in my eyes as I recount the significance that these two things I have pointed out imply. The creed found in the Book of Mormon is indeed coming true "that the time shall come forth when the knowledge of a Savior shall spread throughout EVERY nation, kindred, tongue, and people." (Mosiah 3:20) The time is NOW. With a reported 88,000 missionaries, the gospel truly is rolling forth to the ends of the earth as the stone cut out of the mountain without hands--- and it WILL and IS filling the whole earth. The people in Thailand are ready, I can feel it. I give you my witness that this is the truth. That we have a very loving Heavenly Father who is mindful of ALL of His Children. That Jesus Christ is the Savior of ALL mankind, that this is His Church and that I am His very representative. I am so honored, and so excited to get to work.

3 weeks people, can you believe it?!

RAG THUG KHON MAAG CING CING!!!! (I love you all really a lot a lot!!!!)

THANK you THANK you THANK you so much for your love and support!

Have a great week, and don't forget to say your morning prayers Brad and PJ!! 

xoxo, 

Sister Morgan