Week 19

Welp another one down! This week was something else, wow, and it’s Christmas week! MERRY CHRISTMAS everyone!

 

 

Love you all, thanks for all the emails and letters and gifts sent for my birthday it means so so much to me, and also my birthday was kind of just a day in the week haha. We had some good lessons and just gave 100% to the work so i couldn't have asked for more haha! Love you all, thanks for all you do for me and all the support! 

 

 

To be honest, the past few weeks have been tough. There has been lots of change. With Elder Dille leaving abruptly and moving to a temporary new apartment with new companions and new area and now covering 2 wards, with teaching pools, different area books with different sim cards, etc. it has just been a lot of adjusting and a lot of balls to juggle. From an outside perspective it sounds kinda dumb... but wow, i wouldn't trade it for the world. Brother Tyler Nelson was my family’s ministering brother before I left on my mission and he sent the following story to me on my birthday this past week and i want to put this in here. This hit me so different this past week and I feel it describes my journey perfectly.

 

 

A man was sleeping at night in his cabin when suddenly his room filled with light, and the Savior appeared.  The Lord told the man he had work for him to do, and showed him a large rock in front of his cabin.  The Lord explained that the man was to push against the rock with all his might.  This the man did, day after day.  For many years he toiled from sun up to sun down, his shoulders set squarely against the cold, massive surface of the unmoving rock, pushing with all his might.  Each night the man returned to his cabin sore, and worn out, feeling that his whole day had been spent in vain.  Since the man was showing signs of discouragement, the Adversary decided to enter the picture by placing thoughts into the man’s weary mind:  “You have been pushing against that rock for a long time, and it hasn’t budged.  Why kill yourself over this?  You are never going to move it.”  Thus, giving the man the impression that the task was impossible and that he was a failure.  These thoughts discouraged and disheartened the man.  “Why kill myself over this?” he thought. “I’ll just put in my time, giving just the minimum effort; and that will be good enough.”  And that is what he planned to do, until one day he decided to make it a matter of prayer and take his troubled thoughts to the Lord.  “Lord,” he said, “I have labored long and hard in your service, putting all my strength to do that which you have asked.  Yet, after all this time, I have not even budged that rock by half a millimeter.  What is wrong” Why am I failing?”  The Lord responded compassionately, “My friend, when I asked you to serve me and you accepted, I told you that your task was to push against the rock with all your strength, which you have done.  Never once did I mention to you that I expected you to move it.  Your task was to push.  And now you come to me with your strength spent, thinking that you have failed.  But is that really so?  Look at yourself.  Your arms are strong and muscled, your back is sinewy and brown, your hands are callused from constant pressure, and your legs have become massive and hard.  Through opposition you have grown much, and your abilities now surpass that which you used to have.  Yet you haven’t moved the rock.  But your calling was to be obedient and to push and to exercise your faith and trust in My wisdom.

 

 

These past 4 months have been hard with companions and opposition. I have been pushing against this rock and I am thinking I have gone nowhere but WOW! As I look at how my testimony has grown and looking back at myself 4 months ago, I would describe myself as nowhere near who I am now. With hardship and trial and getting beat down, i just can’t thank the lord enough for the way He has shaped my back to hold these burdens upon it. Christ is our strength. He is the light. He is the healer. He is the comforter. He is the peace. He knows exactly what i've gone through and what i WILL go through and he has done the same for everyone around me. Seeing myself grow these past 4 months I wouldn't trade it for anything and I cannot wait to continue to go through the pain to receive the gain! It sounds weird, and some people will know what i mean by this, but at this point, i want the trials, i want the hardships, i want the pain because i know that it shapes you to who you will BECOME!

 

 

I love the word become. We use it all the time in our teaching and finding; become! Life is just a journey, it’s just a trial we all go through. Through the pain comes the joy. Through the darkness comes the light. Through the hell of life, comes the atonement of Jesus Christ. The atonement is the solution for all! We are not alone in this journey we are never alone. We can ALWAYS turn to someone. When you feel more alone than ever before, there IS a way out of the pit you might feel you’re in! I cannot wait, i truly cannot wait to continue in this journey and teach and show others here in Texas that same thing! We are not alone, we are never alone! I love this work! I will do my best to endure all trials, to recognize the pain won’t be as painful as it feels for too long. To see that I can rely on my Savior through the pain, the hardships, and the burdens. I know I’m never alone when i go through them! My goodness, that was almost like a mini rant haha. I truly do love this work and wouldn't trade it for anything! Seeing the joy in others as they learn about the gospel of Jesus Christ is true happiness. Seeing that there are ways out, seeing that there is peace in life, love in life, joy in life, true HAPPINESS, its addicting! It truly is! I want to share it with anyone and every i can because i know how much this the knowledge of the gospel of Jesus Christ can bless everyone’s lives!

 

 

I want to share one very true and special story that happened this week. We are teaching a girl named Rylee... so amazing:,) This amazing 24 year old walking through life as we all do. Her parents are not members and neither is she. Rylee has an aunt who lives in Ohio who is a member. On the 17th we get a call from Rylees aunt. She tells us about herself and Rylee’s situation. Rylee has fallen into an alcohol addiction. She wanted to stop and did. She was going to rehab and was getting better with it. One day Rylee’s roommate found Rylee motionless and unconscious in their apartment. She was basically brain dead. As we heard this on the phone our hearts sank. We were motionless, scared, fearful. The aunt asked us if we could go over and give Rylee a blessing at the ICU. She said the parents would be fine with it and we said we would. The phone call ended and we sat there, not saying a word to each other. Anyways, after canceling a lesson and moving things around, we found ourselves at the hospital. As we were signing in, they told us only 2 people would be allowed in the room at a time and her parents were already there. The front desk lady, with the softest heart and being touched by God, let us all in. We went up the elevator, said a pray while going up, found ourselves walking down the hall and I saw some medical hospital things and I’m VERY BAD WITH ALL THINGS MEDICAL and was queasy in 2 seconds without notice. I put my head down and said i might just wait outside the hospital. INSTANTLY the spirit overcame me and I walked in not being phased by ANYTHING. I was at peace, not sick, just spirit filled, walking down the hall seeing all the patients, mourning for them, until we found ourselves at Rylee’s door. We walked in and wow so sad... shook hands with the parents and asked if we could give her a blessing. Her heart monitor was beeping and she lay motionless, brain dead. We dropped oil on her head, set it apart for healing sick and afflicted. As we took her head in our hands knowing at any moment something could go wrong, we held her head in our hands... and gave her a blessing of healing and comfort... as word after word was said the spirit in the room FILLED PAST A POINT, mustering all our faith, all the hope, all the love, all the comfort, into this blessing... hearing her heart rate rest, we knew she was hearing this blessing in her heart, her heart stopped racing at such high rate... she was at peace... putting all faith into this we ended the blessing, shook the parents hands gave them hugs, stepped outside the door as it closed behind us, took one last look through the window, and left... wow.... this morning we got a text from the parents of rylee... saying "She woke up a little, and recognized my sister today. Told her she loved her. She said she was in a lot of pain"... wow, im speechless, how is it even possible that we have the priesthood... the power of god in ourselves, that is used for his children all over the earth! I am so so grateful for this experience it brings tears to my eyes hearing this... motionless, speechless, brain dead... to speech, sight, words, feelings... THE PRIESTHOOD IS REALLLLL!!!!!! I cannot speak with this i don't know how to describe my feelings other then wow... God is so real, so good, and wow i am so grateful i was able to be an instrument in his hands at that time!

 

 

This email is so long WOW! I’m going to probably end it here but i cannot wait to continue to be an instrument in His hands gathering His lost sheep and bringing them to the fold of His kingdom!  

 

Till next week, Elder Mortensen outta here!

 

 

Email:

johnathan.mortensen@missionary.org

 

 

Mailing Address:

Elder Johnathan Mortensen

Texas Fort Worth Mission

1331 Airport Freeway Ste. 305

Euless, TX 76040