Spaaaarta!

So Sparta is unlike any place I think I will ever be. So much green, and so few people, and the people that are there are straight up hill billies. Its pretty fun to get a whole different feel. I feel like I go across the country when I'm over there, yet its only a hour and a half drive away. Jersey is so cool. we got a car last Tuesday to drive around Sparta with unlimited miles. Pretty intense.

Its a lot of driving and delivering packets, but get this, I know one of the reasons why we were sent to Sparta. So the great success at the fair lead to the formation of nearly 600 packets. When we got to the sisters apartment to start making calls, I randomly grabbed a packet from a pile of 200. I look at the name on the packet and see that its a Hispanic name. I thought to myself, wow how weird! Then I opened up the packet and saw the women's handwriting and then BOOM flashback to when sister Dubon and I worked the fair the first week of July! I helped her fill out her family history because she didn't speak English!! We called her, set an apt, visited and she's so awesome. She didn't even really care to talk about family history, she just wanted to talk to us and see what we were all about. It was so cool. It's amazing how aware Heavenly Father is of us.

While we are working away in Sparta trying to help out the missionaries over there, unfortunately our area is slowly but surely crumbling :( its nearly impossible to try to manage an area when you are gone 5 out of the 7 days in the week. I just keep repeating to myself that the Lord will help us and bless us for our efforts in Sparta. I just have to keep repeating to myself "a donde me mandes ire senor" all the live long day.

I had the amazing blessing of going to the temple last Saturday with recent converts N_____ and C______ :) it is so cool to see people progress in the gospel. the peace and calm that is in the temple is amazing. Espicially in the manhattan temple you can truly appreciate it because its so drastic compared to the noise and speed of Times square.

Last but not least, Elder Christofferson came to our stake conference! Can you believe that?? Such an amazing blessing for us here in New Jersey. We had stake conference in a huge symphony house in Newark. It is gorgeous there. I consider that place sacred for me because there I received one of my strongest spiritual confirmations a year ago at the Scotch Plains Stake conference when I was new in Kearny. Elder Christofferson spoke about how we receive answers from God and how we cannot dictate God. We must accept His timing of when we will receive the answers to our prayers. He left 7 very specific and prophetic blessing on the people of new Jersey that were so powerful.

1. Power to resist temptations and the efforts of the adversary that are real. Resist His temptations.. Do it now.. Do not wait.
2. A greater capacity to serve. I bless you with that desire. It will take some time but it will come. A blessing of new means and capacity.
3. I think that you have a desire for greater Faith. I bless you with this. Faith is a gift given to the righteous and obedient. It comes through the spirit. Pray for it. It will change your present reality.
4. A new vision in your life. You will see the Lord through new lenses and will have confidence. I bless you with this trust. He will preserve you when you are down and discouraged. 
5. Food on your tables and more… enough to share with others always.
6. Blessed marriages. Your relationship with your spouse will bring great satisfaction and the sisters will have confidence and support. Trust that the bond will become unbreakable.
7. A blessing that the work will continue to grow here in New Jersey. It will blossom into great fruit. We are a part of this growth.

At stake conference I was able to see many people probably for the last time as a missionary in many of my past areas. there were some tearful reunions :) Its amazing the impact that we have had on each other. I am so grateful to my mission because of all the amazing people that I have been able to rub shoulder with and feel of their spirits and grow with. what a blessing.

Well love you all!

Hermana Mortensen

so this is S______ from Newark! she has recently moved into the ward from Ecuador when I was there. I was so excited to see a young ysa girl asked her if she would like to come out with us. she would come out with us and would also come to us crying because of her terrible living situation with her father that she has meant for the first time in 18 years. it was a terrible transition but she would come out with us to keep her strong in the faith. when she saw me she ran over and starting tearing up telling me that she completes her mission papers in a week and hopes to be serving in December. I was ELATED. such joy. I am praying she goes to Texas Houston.

BEAUTIFL lake by the miracle Peruvian family house in Sparta #nofilter

mah sista friend, Hermana Kramer. Its funny cause people will yell at us from across the street and say, "are you two sisters??" and we say "yes!" thinking that they are asking like sister missionaries. and then they say "oh really? who is older?'" classic.

tiny house we drove by on our way home on stuart little street