Week 20-21

Welp… Happy New Years and Merry Christmas! haha I am very late on both of those wishes but honestly this past month has been… well let’s just say… I have had many good learning opportunities on my mission. Here’s two weeks worth…

 

 

I am still in a trio with the zone leaders and serving in two areas. My comps and I have all been sick the last couple weeks and missed out on some Christmas dinners and New Year’s celebrations because we are trying to not get others sick. We are not sure what we are sick with (we have all been negative on Covid tests) but between the congestion, coughs, and just wanting to throw up all the time, we moved some couches from the basement and into the garage, set up a projector and watched some inspirational videos from the church and just sat dead as the day, sick.

 

 

I’ll be honest the holidays are the best time to get sick cause everyone is gone but it was still very depressing not being able to work as best as we could.

 

 

I was notified today that I am getting a new companion this week and moving back to the barn to serve in my original area. So happy to be able to return to Clear Creek and give them all my attention.

 

 

Saddest and hardest news of all…our recent convert, Valentin Gonzales, was shot and killed on Dec 30 by some 18 yr old. I was balling my eyes out when I got the call from Valentien’s wife. It has absolutely crushed me. Keep their family in your prayers please. They just recently had a baby as well. So so sad.

 

 

So ya, that’s some tough stuff that’s been going on for me these past few weeks but even through the darkness of this earthly life, there is light. It is the light I want to focus on today and every day. Ahha

 

 

Some happier news…

 

 

So starting off with Alli. Alli is a part of the YSA and we had such a sick lesson with her. Lately she has been doubting the answers she received from reading the Book of Mormon. We first met her about 3 months ago. We set a date for baptism and invited her to go pray about the Book of Mormon and she got an answer and she knew it was true from the bottom of her heart. She was pulled off track by a roommate who told her it was all fake and it created doubts. We reminded her that SHE knew it was true and just like Joseph Smith - right before something huge happened - there was doubt and fear. We shared the first vision video and she loved it! We offered her a blessing and the spirit was so strong, it was so crazy, oh my goodness. After we finished, her eyes were still closed but she was crying. She said, “i feel nothing else in the world matters but this. My mind is so clear and I don’t want to lose this peace.” Then after about 3 minutes of sitting there she said, “wait, does this mean I am getting baptized?!” We said, “YUP” hahaha It was so funny. She is nervous but she is ready and has been this whole time. She’s the best! Pray for her too plz:) 

 

 

Our friend Eric is a bit of a different story. I don’t know if you knew but last spring there were 2 elders killed in a head on collision in the area I am currently serving. Eric was being taught by the two elders who passed in that collision. He felt bad for all missionaries so he spaced himself from everyone even though he was on date to be baptized. We found him not too long in our area book, deep in there, and we called set up a lesson. He showed up the next day and said “guys I am committed and I am ready to be baptized. Let’s set a date!” He went straight for baptism. haha It was so cool. We didn't have to even ask. Haha But about 3 weeks ago he just ghosted us and we had no clue why. He was always on our minds so we decided why not pray one day just strictly for him and make it the most spiritual prayer just for him. We felt prompted to just go to his house which we've never done before.

 

 

We went to his house and see 2 people sitting on the porch. We put the car in park and said a pray before getting out. Specifically in the prayer we said, “let us be able to find eric somehow through these 2 people on the porch”. We get out and one of them sees us and starts sprinting to us full speed. She gets to us and is balling her eyes out, “oh my heck i promise you i was just praying for you guys to come by. We didn't know how to contact you so we just prayed this whole time for you to come and here you are!!!!” We were an answer to her prayer… wow what a miracle… we ended up finding eric in the house after she let us in. We had a great lesson with him and he’s back on date for the 9th!!

 

 

Oh by the way, we met Nephi…. Hahahah if you have seen the Book of Mormon videos on gospel library - yes that nephi - we met him in real life. His sister is in the YSA and he came over on Wednesday for institute. We got pics with him ahhah which was fun and ya just another cool thing that happened.

 

 

OOOOOH favorite miracle ever!! Such a cool miracle wow! We set a goal two Tuesdays ago to find a total of 10 new people and to put 3 on bap date. We said we were going to be exactly obedient and have the faith to be able to do that!! Lesson after lesson we had no time to go finding at all cause our schedule was full but from 7:45-8:30pm we had 45 minutes to find. We pleaded with the Lord to find these 10 souls and 3 souls to be on bap date.

 

 

To be a “new person” - 1st off you have to teach a principle, 2nd you have to leave with an invitation or a commitment and 3rd you have to get a return appt. Just 45 mins to find 10 people and put 3 on date… that’s a lofty goal but we had the faith it would be accomplished. We felt prompted to go a trailer park that’s been knocked up and down by me in the past but we felt we were guided.

 

 

We get there and there was some gathering going on and we put the car in park and the party was ending. We had to move fast to talk to everyone we could. We were in sight and sound of each other (a mission rule) so we could talk with 3x the people. After contacting for some 45 mins… we ended with 13 new people and 1 on date! The one on date was a dad with a huge family so we will most likely get all of them on date eventually haha!! WOW what a miracle right!!?!??!? We set a goal and did all we could as best we could to be obedient and look what came of it wow! I loved this miracle so much it was a testimony builder for me and I cannot wait to see more miracles like this. 

 

 

2 weeks of miracles and struggles! I love you all so much - thanks for all the support you give me! I appreciated all the Christmas packages, letters from my ward, emails from friends, etc. over my birthday and Christmas. It makes me a very happy missionary:)

 

 

Till next week, Elder Mortensen outa here!

 

 

P.S. Zone Leaders have the responsibility of picking up and delivering all the Christmas packages. It's been fun playing santa. 

 

 

Email:

johnathan.mortensen@missionary.org

 

 

Address:

Elder Johnathan Mortensen

Texas Fort Worth Mission

1331 Airport Freeway Ste. 305

Euless, TX 76040