One Month

Hello all!

 

I cannot believe that I have almost been in the mission field for a whole month! Time is just flying by faster and faster every week!

 

I forgot to write down some subjects to talk about, but I will just wing it and see how it goes!

 

Last Thursday we had a Zone Development Meeting (ZDM) in which we had some trainings on how to transition better while we are teaching, and since my companion is a district leader I had to help teach all the other missionaries, which is scary because I am one of the newest ones there! We learned a lot and has really helped our teaching appointments this past week. Durning this meeting the mission President pulls us out, one by one and interviews us. It isn't a worthiness interview, but he talked out the concerns I had. I poured out my soul to this man, I told him about the lowest points in my life when I was doing things that I shouldn't have been, I told him about trials that I though had made me weak. He is one of the smartest men I have ever met and he really helped me. (I bet he will be the next General Authority) President Mark Bassett told me that my mission is like lifting weights, that I am going to grow the most when I am struggling to lift the bar, but because of the sacrifice that Jesus Christ made for us ALL; he is standing right behind me, as a spotter with just one finger on the bar. He is helping me through my struggles and building my spiritual muscles into a better missionary, a better man, and eventually a better father than I would be if I wasn't serving a mission.  I told him that I wasn't serving my mission for the right reason as of right now, but he told me about when he first started serving his mission, how he felt the same why, but that I would grow into the missionary that is out for the correct reason and that i will grow into something that my parents will not believe by the time I go home.

 

I see the room for improvement, I see how I can grow, and even though i WAS having a hard time at the start I cannot wait to grow as much as he said I will. It happens every day, i just don't see it, but by the time I am home, those who I love will see it and I can ask them about how I have grown.

So that was my Thursday,

 

Not too much happened over the weekend, but we did find 2 other families to teach! One family is a family of 3 and the other is a family of 5! The family of 5 all have baptismal dates for June 26th and I am excited to see them work towards that goal!

 

I received a few letters this week and was extremely stoked about that, I am not sure if I got anything today, but if I do then i will write those people back as well. I wanted to say thank you to T.J Brinton for the letter that I received from him, The contents of which came at the perfect time, when I needed to hear that the most. I was able to ponder them and ask my Heavenly Father specific questions about what he said. so thank you!

 

We had church on Sunday ( unlike last week because of the temple dedication) and I loved it. I didn't get to be there the whole time, because I was waiting for some investigators to show up and join us, but they forgot. Oh well, there is always next time.

 

My personal/preparation day has started out great! We went to the temple, and this was my first time going through the Mesa Temple! What an AMAZING structure! I loved the opportunity that I had to do that and I felt the spirit so strong in there that I started crying and my Zone Leader came over to me to ask if I was OK. I was fine, I just felt the presence of loved ones there with me and I had not felt that since I went through the temple in Medford, OR. I love this temple. I am happy to be one of the two missionaries (not including the sister and that visitors center) to be serving in the area of the temple. We teach a lot of people in the visitors center which really invites the spirit while we teach. A lot of the times we sing a hymn with the person before we start teaching them, I have been told that I have a good voice, but doubt it to be true.

 

This place is already growing on me, I promised myself that when I got here that I wouldn't let myself fall in love with Arizona, because if I told someone that already then it would be hard for them to believe me, so I will hold back those feeling that I do have about this place, I will just say that I am having fun in the sun!

 

I am grateful for the opportunity that I have to be a missionary and now that I am out here, spreading the gospel everyday, I have realized that I WASTED my time back home. During high school I didn't tell any of my non-member friends about my beliefs, I should have, this message is too important for them not to be told about it. I have since written 2 of my high school friends about it and hopefully I will hear back from them soon in order to feel some peace about the matter. To those in school still - Get to work! Tell everyone, because if you don't, and you come out on a mission you will feel guilty about not trying.

 

I love you all, I am sorry if this email wasn't the greatest, I just had to express some things. I doing great here, no baptisms this weekend, but 4 scheduled for the 12th.

 

I finally decided on a scripture for my plaque that hangs in the church building and I want everyone to read it. Alma 26:29-31. This describes some of the things that missionaries do and go through, I have already been persecuted for what I believe in (a guy spit on me yesterday - not very nice)

 

Take care of my family, I love them very much. I am saddened at the news that my grandma isn't doing well, and every time the mission office calls for me I am nervous that something bad has happened, so please keep my family and especially my grandma in your prayers.

 

Love,

 

Elder Morgan Thomas

 

 

STAY TUNED...PICTURES HAVE ARRIVED, WILL POST SOON.