Happy Thanksgiving

How is everything going?

I talked to the mom of a family in the ward here and she is embarrassed that they need help so she won’t tell me what they need.  So I was just thinking, if you want to tell me how much you guys are willing to spend, Elder Stewart and I can go shopping and get them a few things that they need.  She was talking about selling her car so they could have Christmas but if they sold their car they would have nothing to drive.  They are doing pretty badly and I know they could use the help but they just don't want to accept it.  This family loves the missionaries and would do anything for them and has done pretty much everything they could for the missionaries in the past but the dad’s company is doing really bad so they really have no money. 

We have been sharing a Thanksgiving message at our dinner appointments that has been really cool and fun to share with people.  Elder Stewart got all these pictures of different kids all over the world and it shows their bedroom and gives a little bio on each of them.  We show the families we teach all the pictures showing these kids that have nothing.  Some don't even have a place to live.  It is pretty sad to see the pictures.  Then I share a scripture in psalms 100:3-4 that talks about thanksgiving and the true meaning of it.  I think this lesson has been good to share because it helps people realize that they are blessed with so much and that thanksgiving isn't just about the food and then the shopping the day after. 

Tonight we are making dinner for the Hurley family who is the stake president’s family.  They are such a cool family and always make sure that we get fed.  They try and find as many people as they can for us to teach.  President Hurley is an auctioneer and can talk really fast.  His wife shops at Costco every now and again and she said she would get us a bag of Costco chicken.  I am so excited because Wal-Mart chicken is not good.  Anyway we are making Chicken wrapped in bacon, mashed potatoes, veggies, and pumpkin cookies.  The great thing about it though is that Loannva an awesome black lady who is one of our investigators is going to be there! Wahoo! 

We met with Loannva this week and were able to talk to her about her experience at church.  She said she loved church, especially the relief society with all the ladies.  She then asked us what the Holy Ghost was and what it felt like.  I said the Holy Ghost helps us know what is right and what is wrong and what is true and not true, then I told her that the Holy Ghost feels different for everyone but, for me I get this tightness in my chest and sometimes the hair on my neck stands up.  After we explained that, she said “that must have been what I felt in your church”.  We are very excited for her and hope to set a baptism date with her. 

I did get my haircut today but it was ten bucks.  No one gives missionaries free haircuts in this area, but I needed one really bad.  I hadn't had one since the MTC and my comb over was getting pretty gnarly haha.  It actually looked sweet and if I was home I would have just kept it.  My beard is coming in really thick these days.  I didn't shave this morning because shaving hurts my face really bad but I already have a good shadow and it’s only 2:30.  Can you see if Bryan has any other good vitamins that you think I need?  I think I am getting sick.  I woke up with a sore throat and a stuffy nose but I quickly took vitamin C and Sudafed and gargled mouth wash.  I can still feel my throat is getting sore though. 

I am excited for my coat!  I have been wearing the jacket you sent to me every day pretty much so it will be a nice change to have a new coat. 

For Thanksgiving we are going to see as many members as we can so we will be well fed.  We have already started listening to Christmas music on the radio and we just turn it down when commercials come on.  It makes me excited and happy but it makes me sad that I won’t be home for Christmas and that last Christmas was pretty much my last Christmas as a kid.  We do have a Christmas tree though and we are going to decorate it so that will be fun.  For Christmas I would like a GPS so I can know where I am going on these roads.  Oh, I drive the car now because Elder Stewart got his driving privileges taken away because he ran into a ditch so we have to get a new bumper haha.  It is nice to drive again and I love driving the roads here because they have a lot of hills and turns so it makes driving fun. 

I got the card from Ashby's.  Tell her thanks.  I got a package from Amy, Whitney and Debera so tell them thanks.  I like the pictures that Amy sent me at my farewell get together.  Kate is really cute and Nick is a stud and so is Alex.  Tell Debera that I needed new toothbrushes and toothpaste so her package was perfect.  Whitney sent Thanksgiving in a box so that was way cool!  I have great sisters!  I have a great family!

Well mom there is so much I could keep writing about but I am running out of time.  I love you all so much and pray for you!

Love,

Elder Mouritsen

P.S.  I don't have much time to write hand written letters so tell people if they don't receive a letter back quickly or maybe at all that I still love them and I am thinking about them. 

"Will you follow the example of Jesus Christ"

Hello Family,

This week we had exchanges again but this time was different because Elder Stewart went to someone else’s area and I had to stay in our area and plan and set up all the lessons and speak Spanish all by myself with no one else to fall back on.  The first exchange was with Elder Curl and he has only been out for a month so he didn't know much and doesn't like to talk to people.  It scares him to death so I had to do most all the teaching in English and Spanish.  I was great though.  I learned so much and I had to use my Spanish a lot too which was great because I need all the practice I can get.  I saw this exchange as my first test on my mission. 

After transfers with Elder Curl, Elder Stewart said that we would be having exchanges again and that I would be staying in our area again.  So I had to do all the planning and Spanish speaking again.  Elder Dastrup was my exchange.  The first night he was with me, we went tracting and knocked four doors and we ended up setting up return appointments with all four of them.  It was 4 out of 4.  It will probably never happen again but it was great.  The next day we taught a guy named Chester and a man named Nicholas and both lessons went well and they are now investigators.  We are starting to get several wonderful investigators so hopefully this next transfer will be awesome and we will have a baptism or two.  These two exchanges were a great experience and I learned a ton about myself and what I need to work on but I was really happy when Elder Stewart got back because we work awesome together!

This week, I was able to say the words “will you follow the example of Jesus Christ and be baptized by someone holding the priesthood authority of god."  I said this too a lady named Bert, short for Roberta.  She is about 70 years old and she said she would be baptized and we set a date for the 10^th of December.  This was an experience I will never forget I could feel the spirit in me when I said those words and I know she did too.  The spirit is so strong.  It's incredible!

We do get to teach some Spanish families but not too many.  It seems like the more we search for Spanish families the more we end up with great American families haha.  We had three investigators at church yesterday and we have two baptismal dates set and I got to set both of them.  Yesterday I also had to speak in church! I was asked to speak on Saturday night at 9:00 pm and at 9:30am the next morning I had to give a 15 min talk. Oh boy was that nerve racking!  I had no time to prepare but I got up and talked about the importance of the Book of Mormon and why it’s so important for our investigators to read.  I think it went well.  I could feel the spirit and luckily it lasted 15 min.  I hope people enjoyed it.  I wish you guys could have been there for support.

Well I love you

Write back a.s.a.p.

November 07, 2011

Wow, it sounds like Sydnee is the party master and everyone loves her and our house.  Did you get the surround sound working yet?  150 trick-or-treaters! That is crazy!  We didn't have one, but Stewart made those pumpkin chocolate chip cookies mom makes so they were really good.  Elder Stewart is a baker.  He loves to bake, which is good for me because I always get to have the end result without having to do any of the work.  Except, I cleaned the kitchen today because it was gross from all the food and stuff we have been making the past two weeks.  We haven't had one dinner appointment for two weeks so we have been eating a lot of brown rice and chicken.  Elder Stewart cleaned the bathroom while I cleaned the kitchen so I’m glad that I didn't have that job.  This week I bought new rugs for the bathroom and Stewart bought a new shower curtain.  Both were really gross and needed to be replaced. 

I laughed when I read your email and you said that you fixed the water heater and you said it took a lot longer than you thought it would take.  Haha, isn't that how it always goes when we do something like that?  When we say something will take a couple of hours it usually takes a whole day or something close to that.  But hey, at least you won’t have to put up the Christmas lights this year.  Let’s just hope that they are not all burnt out. 

That is awesome Sydnee, that you bore your testimony!  Don't FEEL like you are the least loved kid in the family Sydnee, you should just know that you ARE the least loved kid haha, just kidding.  No, I feel like no one even thinks about me sometimes when I go a whole week without receiving a letter or something.  It’s hard and you are right, when Whitney has her baby we'll both be forgotten so don't worry, we can stick together during that time. 

This week went by really fast.  We had exchanges with Elder Viellejo who is the zone leader and speaks Spanish fluently.  We worked really hard on our Spanish with him but Elder Stewart and I realize that we have a very long way to go before we will ever be talking like him.  Elder Viellejo is probably the best teacher that I have seen so far.  He taught so simply but also very powerfully and I took a lot away from that experience because I want to be able to teach just like him.  

Also, this week we have been helping the Reyes family.  They are members in our ward and we have been painting their house to get it ready for them to move (I hate painting).  Brother Reyes can’t find work so they have to move.  Their house was pretty scary when we started but with the paint it is looking a little better.  We also have to help refinish the floors which I don't think any of us know how to do but the Spirit will guide the way.

We had an awesome lesson this week with a lady named Missy and she actually lives in a very nice house which is weird because people that have money or live in nice houses never let us in or want to hear about our message but, Missy did.  Missy had a Book or Mormon in English and Russian (she is a translator for the military) that her friend gave her.  She was interested to know where we got the Book of Mormon.  She had all sorts of questions that were awesome.  One question was "why don't other religions accept the Book of Mormon because it is just more doctrine from god"?   She said she was Catholic and wouldn't be changing but, after our lesson I could envision her becoming a Mormon.  We talked about the great apostasy and had her read Amos 8: 11-12 that talks about a great famine in the land of doctrine.  After she read this scripture she said she didn't know that is said that and that it was very cool.   She thought that living with your family forever was really cool as well.  It was such a good lesson and the Spirit was there so strongly that I think she was pricked in her heart.   Hopefully something becomes of that lesson.  At the end of the lesson she asked about the mission and we told her that we are here for two years and only get to talk to our family twice a year.  She was amazed and then she asked if she could feed us sometime.  Of course we wanted to jump up and yell “heck ya you can!” but, we calmly said “of course that would be great.”  It was a fantastic lesson!

I am so glad that everything is going well at home!  Well, I love you guys send me some more pictures and letters. 

I love you all and pray for you!

Love elder Mouritsen

31 October 2011

Happy Halloween!

I got your package this week.  The shirt is very nice, I like it.  I finally got Whitney’s package which was good because I have been going on an M&M dry spell for a while and was debating on whether to buy some but, luckily you and Whitney sent me some. I can’t believe Astra Waller is gone.  That was sad for me to read, she was so young. I am glad I have the knowledge of the plan of salvation though and I hope that her parents do too because, without that knowledge, death can be very difficult more than it already is and I have seen that already on my mission.

Yes it snowed a lot on Saturday and it was sort of miserable because the snow is so wet and slushy and all the people were really grumpy and didn't want to talk to us. It made me want to be home with you guys and watch a movie while sitting next to the fire and drink hot chocolate or something. I am glad I had my nice Gortex boots.  They worked nicely.  It was the first time that I have worn them so they still need to be worn in but they are nice. My gortex jacket is very warm and keeps the water away from my body but I'm not sure how I feel about the style of it haha.  Everyone seems to look at me funny when I wear it so it’s a little awkward but, it’s not missionary work if it’s not awkward. It snowed so much and the roads got so icy that they cancelled church yesterday, something that never would have happened in Utah.

I am really glad to hear that grandpa has been doing a little better I have been praying for him a lot and I fasted on Monday for him which was a great experience for me. I hope he continues to improve and have him know that he has been a warrior in the face of his cancer!

I can't believe the Cardinals won the World Series, who would have guessed that but it sounds like it was a good game to watch. Too bad for the Rangers.  They keep making it to the World Series and lose but they must be doing something right to make it there two years in a row.

The university of Utah sounds like they are struggling being in the pac12 conference but I'm glad they beat Oregon and didn't they beat Pittsburgh too? The win against Oregon I bet was huge, they are way good! Did you get to watch it or go to it?

Sydnee, I got your letter it was nice to hear from you again. Sorry I haven't written you back yet it is hard to find time to write letters out in the mission because I am either out proselyting or studying trying to learn Spanish and trying to finish the Book of Mormon. I will write you back today though. My plan is to be finished with the Book of Mormon by November 19th because we challenged a girl in the ward who is 19 to read it.  She has never read the BOM and she said she will read it I do. So I've been working really hard on reading it. If I finish on the 19th I will have read the BOM in less than two months. I am reading in Alma right now when Alma is giving guidance to his sons in chapter 38, it’s awesome and I know why dad loves Alma so much now. I challenge you to try and read the BOM in 2 months. You only have to read 9 pages a day. You can do it!!

Mom, I knew about Kortney transferring to the U.  She told me a while ago. It will be way cool to go the same school as Kortney again, just like old times. Tell her to write me back.  I sent her some pictures in an email but she never responded so tell her to write me back.

I haven't heard from Debera in a while either, I hope everything is going well with her and her family. I hope Danylle is still progressing in the Church. Happy Birthday Barrett! Before Barrett knows it he'll be 19 and serving a mission.

This week has been busy and hard.  We have had so many investigators that we have taught the first lesson to and have made return appointments with but when we go back to visit them for the second time they are never there. So we are having a hard time getting in contact with people which is so frustrating.

One funny story, on Saturday when it snowed we asked this man if we could help him with anything as he was shoveling. He said there is a lot we could help him with and then he said “Mormons right?” We said yes and then he said “The thing that would help me the most is if you guys just kept walking.” Then he said, "get thee Satan behind me" really loud.  It was so funny. I wish you could've seen this guy. I don't understand people sometimes. They say they know everything about the Mormon Church and they don't want to be involved with it and then we say have you read the BOM and they say no. So you don't know anything about our church then? Haha.

Well family, things are going well here.  I wish I was home with you on this Halloween Night having some chili or setting up a haunted house or something. Tonight we have to be in our apartment by six and make 72 hour kits. We might buy some candy though and pass it out.

I love you all!!!

Love Elder Tanner Mouritsen