Week 71

Welp... good thing there is the atonement because i have absolutely broke my commitment to write every week. The first 3 weeks were hectic and that’s why i didn’t write, got white washed emergency transferred, followed by a actual move out, and then i totally forgot BUT moral of the story I was busy! And then I got stressed and dug myself in a hole and didn’t write another after cause i had already broke the commitment... anyways.... ATONEMENT is real, and so I’m recommitting haha, 2.0 baby runnin it back!!

 

 

Anyways past few weeks have been crazy. Elder Lunt and I separated after his training was over, cute lil kid. We got really close and he was actually my longest comp I’ve ever had. I know, crazy. He stayed in Fort Worth 3rd ward. We had great times there. We were on bikes for 4 weeks and had a car the last week. Those 4 weeks were crazy on bikes. Many face plant crashes,  couple calls to people to get rides because of broken bikes, spending $150 on repairs for bikes because of crashes and such, 2 baptisms, lots of new freinds found, white washed into the ward, just a great transfer overall with Elder Lunt. We were a good power couple! The fun memories, every night biking with big ol’ coats on and helmets, haha, just crying and having snot run down our faces because of how cold it was with the humidity! Our area was HUGE for bikes so there were many days where we would have biked between 20-50 miles... haha Got to love it! We loved fishing too, haha, hence the fishing pics on p day! There was opposition in all things and it got hard but we stuck it through, the light beat the darkness! We were pretty dang sick the whole last week which was absolutely tuff! Anyways, I am now a week into my new transfer we feels even crazier.

 

 

I’m back in Denton. Not only in the Denton Zone but in the same area I have already served in previously, hahah, the Denton YSA ward. What’s crazy is that it was last year this same exact week I moved to Denton last year. What does that mean? That means in this area i will have spent both birthdays, both Christmases, both New Years. I will have served in this area in the year 2021, 2022, and 2023! WHAT!?!?! So crazy! Overall I’ve loved being back but at the same time it’s been EXTREMLY tough because just like last year this time. Everyone goes home from campus which is where we live and we cover the campus so that means no people walking around, which means no members as well, which means no referrals, which means tuff… BUT… There’s the beast people who stick it out through Christmas and the holidays so we are working with a couple people and it’s been amazing! It feels like I’m back at 5 months of my mission LIKE EXACTLY 5 months, and the only way my brain can tell me that I’m not at 5 months is when I testify about the growth I’ve had in 1 full year... area to area... its BEYOND REAL!!! It gives me the opportunity to reflect on myself see where i could've done better and where i want to keep growing. Reflecting has really helped me in my testimony!! 

 

 

I’m with Elder Iverson now. He came out 1 transfer after me so I’m just a little bit older. He loves sports and loves vintage things especially vintage haha, always buying things from the 40's, and its rubbed off on me now too, haha! Overall I’m stoked to be here!! Something that really makes me happy was a girl we were able to baptize here a year ago. She’s going to get her endowment soon and it blows me away how she’s not only stayed active but is now going to go on the next step of the covenant path. It brings a smile to my face every time to see the growth of everyone from a year ago!!

 

 

We had a tornado not too long ago and that was exciting. It was about 30 miles away from me so that’s even cooler. ahhaha My mom probably doesn't want to know that seeing a tornado is on my bucket list so keep praying i can see one.  haha!

 

 

Last thing about this miracle we had this last week... we ended up getting a referral from some elders next to us about this girl who is wanting to change her life around... the other elders set up a lesson with her and we were going to go in their place since she was YSA... get there.. knock... NOTHING... which is fine, Elder Iverson made a joke of something and i was just dying laughing and then the door creaked open slow... we both shut up instantly and turned back... and it just slowly... and i mean SLOWLY creaked open... we both looked at each other and said hello? nothing... and there was a ring doorbell there so it was even more awkward like we were breaking in ahha... we said hello again and no answer my comp walked in a foot looked behind the door and then shut it hahah, turns out it doesn't shut... so he closed it and it came right back open... ANYWAYS... long story short we got back to the car and were just talking about her and what we should do and started to drive away and i stopped in the middle of the street and said... lets just go back 20 seconds later a girl walked around the corner of a street i said hahah she's way to young to be the lady we are here for... "but could you imagine if she was haha" my comp rolled down the window and said hey do you know who lives at that house the door keeps opening and she goes oh i do... we go what? so are you kylie she's like yep... my comp looks at me and i just smile hahaha what a miracle if we wouldn't have giggled at the door... went in a foot... stopped in the middle of the street NOTHING would have happened!! THE LORD IS IN THE DETAILS!! Her phone is broken so she didn't get our calls or texts or voicemails we walked in... she pretty much taught herself haha, she showed us JOURNALS full of notes on the bible... she's 18 and has absolutely had a rough past with drugs and such and has totally changed her life around and turned it all to god, she wants to become better and a Christian she said hey this sounds weird how can i do what you guys are doing... we said what go to the YSA? she said no like you.... we said to be a missionary? she's like ya i wanna be a missionary and go out and preach the truth hahahahaha WHAT!? We said well you gotta get taught some things... get baptized.. get confirmed a member learn some more and then you can be a missionary... she goes okay perfect where do i start? We looked at each other again and just smiled haha so gold, she's like how do i get baptized as soon as i can, I've been wanting to get baptized for a while now! Anyways long email but we gave her Book of Mormon, told her read it and we will see you tonight for an activity... she shows up to the activity 3 hours later and we ended up sitting by her and she goes wait how did joseph get visited by angels, wasn't it like 3 times in one night or something like that and he found the plates under a rock but he wasn't ready the first couple times and he found them on a hill oh what's it called, we told her, SHE was like OHHHHH YAAAA... 3 hours she finished like everything ahhaha idk what she read but probably joseph smith history or something!! Overall just a crazy miracle and she's just too prepared its so cool to see what the lord does in the harvest of the souls of man!!

 

 

Sorry for long email that covered a lot of the past as well as now! Ill see y'all on the flip! 

 

 

Till next week, Elder Mortensen, outta here!