Hola familia!!! August 25, 2011

 

Wow!  The weeks are starting to fly by.  I can’t believe it’s already Thursday again.  It’s hard to remember everything that happened this week because there was so much that went on.  I was glad to get your Dear Elder’s and I got an awesome package from Kortney with a Nerf gun and some more Mini Wheats and a ton of cars things haha.  She's a great friend!  I am so glad Colton’s surgery went well.  I have been praying for him every night and I know that the Lord is blessing him.  Wow, it’s crazy that Amanda Bell got married.  She's not old enough I feel but, I’m glad the wedding went well and that you got to talk to some old friends.  That’s a cool story that Becky Ivins’ son is in Pittsburgh too.  You'll have to start getting in on the mom clubs haha.  You’ll have to contact my companions’ mom. 

I found out that my companion is amazing at the piano.  Probably the best I have ever seen.  He doesn’t play modern songs.  He plays Beethoven, Bach, and Rachmaninoff.  He is insane.  I’ve never seen someone’s fingers move so fast and it inspires me when he plays . 

The Hairspray musical sounded way fun.  You guys do all the fun stuff without me:( jk.  Sydnee is starting high school.  That blows my mind.  She's not old enough to go to high school!  It makes me sad that I won’t be there to ward off the boys that want to date her.  The Trooper will be a great car for her! Just don’t let her do any hit and runs haha.  Mom, I think I need some apples from Costco in my next package.  All they have here that looks decent to eat is the bananas and I have one for every meal so I’m getting a little tired of them, and oranges would be nice too. I love you. 

This week, the Hermana’s left and went to the Peru MTC.  It was sad to see them go but our classroom feels a lot bigger now and it doesn’t get as hot so, I’m not sweating the whole day now.  I have a story. So, our teacher is named Hermano McPherson and he could probably be a prophet.  I think he has every scripture memorized including the whole Bible haha.  He gives us so many insights and he makes class very interesting and spiritual.  However, the first week of class we were all amazed by him and all wanted to be him, and I said he is like a Jedi so after that we started calling him Jedi McPherson.  So, the day the Hermana’s were leaving one of our Hermana’s, Hermana Hoffman, pulled out a light saber that her mom sent to her!!  It was awesome.  We all signed it and are going to give it to him tonight and hopefully he will like it haha.

On Tuesday we had a great devotional and another member of the Quorum of the 70 spoke and his wife spoke to us.  His wife spoke first and told us that we need to love our missions and be wise.  She said “Let the Savior be your best friend.  Let him always be with you and in your life”.  She also talked about how nothing is impossible to the Lord.  There will always be a path or way for us to accomplish the things we need to.  She tied it into the story of Nephi getting the plates and how no man could have ever completed this task if it wasn't for the help of the Lord.  Our Heavenly Father is so powerful and sometimes we forget the power that he possesses.  I would not be able to make it through a day without Him in my life. 

Her husband, Elder Claudio D. Zivic, a member of the 70, started off by relating life to an echo.  Everything we put into life we get back but we usually get some interest when coming from God.  He also used a quote that I liked a lot, "Total dedication is complete victory" -Gandhi. He also gave us the formula Faith+work=miracles.  He also shared many stories about praying and how it has helped him in his life and has helped him make so many good decisions in his life.  See Alma 37:37.  I always leave those devotionals wanting to be a better person and it always seems like they are talking directly to me every time haha.  Weird how that works.

I’m am running low on time but i just want you to know that I love you guys and I will write a hand written letter telling you some more experiences that I have had during the week that you can put on the blog if you want.

The Spanish is coming slowly but surely.  I am learning something new every day and my district has decided to always speak Spanish.  If we say one English word, we have to carry around a big rock haha.  Keep praying for me though.  I need all the help I can get.  

I love you guys so much and pray for you constantly!!!  

Love 

Elder Mouritsen 

Items from his follow-up letter dated the same day August 25^th.

To Dad,

Hey.  How’s it going?  I hope well.  How’s work?  It sounds like Sydnee is going to master the art of driving the Trooper pretty quick!  It needs new tires though because they are super bald.  I actually didn’t think I would ever say this but, I kind of miss doing the yard haha.  I saw a man mowing the MTC lawn and it makes me miss mowing ours because I know it doesn’t look as good now since I’m not doing itJ  How’s your work out going?  You better be working hard because I get up at 6:00 every morning so, if I can do it I know you can.  My companion has gotten a lot stronger just in the time we have been here.  So, it does work.

To everyone,

I want to tell you about a devotional we had last Sunday because I didn’t get to in my last e-mail.  On Sunday we had the director of most the Church movies speak to us.  He was a great public speaker and knew how to speak with the Spirit.  His name is Stephan B. Allen.  Oh, he was also a mission president so he knows missionaries.  He talked about the Holy Ghost but before he really started talking about the Holy Ghost he felt impressed to talk about being obedient and following the rules.  He told us not to get caught up in the missionary crowd.  There will be some missionaries that get lazy and start thinking some rules don’t apply to them anymore.  He shared a story of two missionaries that were in different companionships but, when transfer time came, the two friends decided they were going to meet up and go to one of their apartments and hang out.  So they did, and they started talking about when they would make bombs and how fun it was and then they thought it would fun to make some bombs.  They went to the store in normal clothes and bought the bomb making material then went back and made some bombs.  They lit off the first bomb and they thought it was pretty cool but, the sheriff who lived down the street didn’t agree.  The cops soon arrived and asked them if they had set off the bomb and they said “No”.  Liars!  They then confessed and the cops searched the apartment for more bombs.  The cops found more bombs and they also found a map on the wall with pins in it!  Those four missionaries spent that night in jail.  Crazy story huh?  The rules they have given us are important!

He also told us not to touch children.  He said a missionary was accused of molesting some kids because he was watching them in the nursery while his companion was teaching the parents.  Bad idea!  Never leave your companion!  That missionary is still in prison.

After he shared these stories because he felt the Spirit told him he should, he started with the rest of his talk.  It really made me feel the Spirit and made me want to be exactly obedient to all the rules, even the ones that may seem stupid.

This week we taught Juan.  Our goal was to get him to pray and ask him to be baptized.  We went into the room excited and nervous.  We asked Juan if he kept his commitment of reading the scriptures and praying about them.  He didn’t.  Then we talked about prayer and taught him how to pray then we asked him if he would say the closing prayer.  He wouldn’t.  We tried so hard to get him to pray but he would not pray.  He even started backing his chair back haha.  It was an epic failure!  But, I think we made him feel uncomfortable so we’re going to work on gaining his trust tonight and hopefully he’ll pray.

Love 

Elder Mouritsen 

MTC

MTC, a set on Flickr.

August 18, 2011

Hi family,

How is everything going? I hope everything is good.  The weeks are starting to go by very fast.  I can’t believe it’s already Thursday again.  The days are very long and hard but it makes the weeks go by fast.   Mom I might need you to send me some more T-shirts to wear to gym and to bed because I don’t have very many.  I hope you received my card for Kate’s birthday and wish her a happy birthday for me and tell her to write me.  Dad, you need to follow my routine that my companion and I do in the morning at six before we are supposed to shower.  All we do are sit ups push-ups and dips for thirty minutes.  I can’t believe you got Sydnee the white iPhone! No fair haha, jk. Good for her she'll be the coolest girl at school, just hopefully it doesn't get stolen.  I hope she is feeling better.  I thought I was getting sick last week because some of the sisters are sick and our teacher but I loaded up on the Vitamin C and I seem to be doing fine now. 

On Sunday we had a devotional.  It was probably the best devotional we have had here.  His name was Brother Heaten. He reminded me of Grant Anderson, that’s how good he was.  He started out by asking people what a successful mission is and how you know if you had a successful mission.  It’s not about the Baptisms.  That’s for sure.  He seemed to stress that a lot.  After talking for a while he got into the topic of being promised.  As missionaries, we expect good things to happen to us all the time and we think we are promised good things but, that’s not how it works.  He said that it should be put as this, I as a missionary will put forth all my efforts to convert someone to the gospel and PERHAPS they will be converted.  I will serve with all my heart might mind and strength and perhaps I will have a baptism in my area.  He brought up the scripture Jacob 5 and, if you have time, read it.  It’s kind of long but very cool and notice the word perhaps.  Also look at Alma 29: 9 and Mosiah 28:2 and look for the word perhaps, it’s really cool.  One more example, I will go to college and perhaps I'll get a well-paying job.  Brother Heaten also said a quote that I liked "The seed you plant doth bare fruit".  We might not have one baptism in two years but we do make an impact in some peoples live and hopefully they will come unto Christ one day. 

This week we started teaching our new investigator who is also our teacher.  It’s way hard because he expects so much of us and doesn’t let us use any English at all, not that we have in the past so I guess that doesn’t matter, but he does ask questions that are hard enough to answer in English let alone Spanish haha.  My companion and I try and speak as much Spanish as we can throughout the day and I think it is helping.  It’s hard to see your own progression but, I’m sure I’m starting to get a little better, I would hope haha.  Yesterday we taught our investigator Ofelio and we got him to take the Book of Mormon and he committed to read and pray about it so perhaps he will haha. 

That’s crazy how close the fire was to Bonnie’s house but I’m glad their ok.  Keep me updated on Colton's shoulder.  It’s amazing how many missionaries injure themselves in the MTC and are sent home.  Nate from engineering tore his ACL and was sent home for eight weeks as an example.  Well family I love you very much and I pray for you constantly. 

Have a great week and I hope to hear from you soon.  Keep sending the packages of goodies haha they are great!

Love Elder Mouritsen

Elder Mouritsen with his friend from the ward Elder Kowalk

Hello family! August 11, 2011

 

This week is flying by.  I got my package and the cookies and M&Ms are great, haha.  I have almost eaten a whole bag of M&Ms by myself.  Your letters make me feel so good every time I get them:)  This is my first official P day and so from now on be ready to receive an email on Thursday afternoons.  The MTC is starting to get better and my companion is awesome.  He makes me laugh a lot just because of the things he does, haha.  He snores so I am very grateful to dad for putting ear plugs in my bag because I use them every night now and I fall asleep lots faster!  Today we get to go to the temple.  The protein shaker was way nice that you sent me mom.  I don’t know why I have waited so long to buy a new one.  I have already used my laundry soap today and my clothes will be very clean now!  What’s going on with you guys tell me everything?

This week we had to teach our investigator twice and the first time we taught went really bad but the second one went really well.  For the first one we took in notes and kept looking down and reading them and I don’t think Diego was feeling the Spirit and wasn’t too interested in the message.  Yesterday though, we prepared what we were going to say and then said a prayer that we would have the Spirit with us as we taught the gospel to Diego.  So we went in without any notes and we did great.  The words that we needed to say didn't come out perfectly but he knew what we’re trying to say and I think he could feel the Spirit very strongly because I know I could.  At the end of the lesson, Diego started asking about our church and asked if he could come with us next time we went.  So we told him the time and day and said we would pick him up!  We came out of that room with so much more confidence and it really made a difference that we prayed for the Spirit and we didn't take any notes in with us. 

This week we also had a devotional on Tuesday and it was the president of BYU.  He told an interesting story about two missionaries that would stop to get drinks at the nearest gas station.  The store clerk kept watching their example and was thrilled by it.  She was very interested about the Church because her friend just became a member and loved it, but when she was walking up behind the missionaries to talk to them about the Church she heard them make a crude comment about the lady in front of them.  The lady was wearing a scanty skirt.  When the store clerk lady heard this she quickly turned around and never talked to those missionaries again.  Those missionaries missed a great opportunity to teach the gospel just because they thought they were alone and could make a comment like that.  We are missionaries and we have to always set a good example anywhere we are even when we are alone and we think it would be ok.  We are representatives of Christ and we need to be as much like Christ as possible. 

It's pretty amazing how spiritual it is here and I love it!

I love you guys so much and pray for you every day! Please keep writing me because it does make me feel loved and happy!

Hi family August 6, 2011

 

This is my first email that I have been able to write.  The MTC is super hard and it has been a little depressing these first few days but everyone is saying just make it till Sunday.  Mom, the Dear Elder letters that I get have been wonderful to read.  I can’t believe you packed your phone in my suitcase, haha.  I laughed forever and it was really hard not to call you or anyone for that matter. I had a cell phone at the MTC, probably the first one ever, haha.  My companion is the kid that texted me just before I came here to the MTC. His name is Elder Nelson.  He is pretty cool.  My room is pretty nice and big but the sheets are a little sketchy.  The bathroom is a community bathroom but the showers are individual so that is very nice.  The food takes me back to the 7th grade and makes me want to call you to come save me.  I haven’t had any Marshmallow Mateys yet but I'm trying to pick the healthy choices that don’t make me want to die haha.  Sadly, we didn't get to have a nap when we first got here.  I so wish we would have because I needed one really bad.  I haven’t been able to sleep very well at night but everyone says that it takes a few nights to get used to the schedule so hopefully I start sleeping better.  I got my departure date, it is Oct 3rd so I have a while here.  My P day will be on Thursdays from now on and I’ll be emailing you around 2pm.  I need you to send all the e-mail addresses of everyone to me and their street addresses.  I got to see Michael Kowalk the first day and I have seen a bunch of other people that I know in here.  Ask Michael’s mom to give you a copy of our picture that he took.  The first day I got here we started our Spanish class and then on Friday we had to give our first lesson.  It was so hard.  I can’t believe how much they expect of us. We are the first people to be doing the new program that they just started and that’s why we are already teaching lessons.  Hopefully it will help us learn Spanish faster.  Pray for me to learn it.  I need all the help I can get.  We learned how to pray and testify in Spanish.  I just need to practice a lot.    

Tomorrow we get to walk around the temple which will be a great change from the classroom, and yesterday we started our gym class which is the best part of the day but it goes by way too fast. 

I love you so Much and miss you a lot. I pray for you every night.  Love you!!!!

So far....

Here's a funny story...

So my mom was using her phone down in Tanner's room the day he left and somehow put it in Tanner's suitcase. Don't ask me how that happened, but somehow it did. Anyway, on Thursday morning my mom received a call from the MTC saying that her elder was standing at the window with her cell phone. So we had a friend who lives in Provo pick it up for us and when we got it back Elder Mouritsen had sent a small note along with it! 

So Tanner is doing well. He is liking his companion so far. His name is Steven Nelson and his family actually lives quite close to us. Elder Nelson had contacted Tan before they left and told him that he was also going to Pittsburgh just like Tanner! Pretty cool!