Well.... I cannot even BEGIN to express how much I loved conference. I'm not kidding, I was trying to take notes so fast that my hand would cramp up. How blessed are we to have living prophets and apostles here on the earth? More than once, the thought came to my mind, "yup, that right there was just for you"
I would have to say my favorites where oh course, Elder Holland. Tears came. That was so so soooo powerful. I can look back and see times in my life where the Lord truly was clinging on to me. Knowing that we have a Savior truly gives life a purpose!! Another one of my favorites was Elder Wilford W. Anderson. He came to our mission and I got to talk to him for a good little bit in spanish :) His talk was SO amazing. He basically put to rest that there is no such thing as "faking it till you make it" we truly must hear the music or rather, feel and see the joy the gospel brings us, in order to dance the steps naturally. AND Elder Michael T. Ringwood when he talked about Shiblon. HOW AWESOME? the wordly recognition comes and goes so fast. All that really matters is what the Lord thinks of us. Lemme tell ya. Those are just a few that are coming to mind now, I could go on and on. WAIT. one of my very very favorites was by Elder Dale G. Runlund, "Twas I, but tis not I" One of my favorite moments however happened between sessions on sunday. a recent convert was skyping his wife and son over in Honduras and he waved for me to come over and see his son on skype and then I saw two sister missionaries in the background! I said, "ahhh! amigas misioneras!" they came over and we talked to them for a little and wow I cant even tell you how full my heart was seeing them. They were two latina missionaries who are so very different from sister dubon and i, yet we are doing the exact same thing as them. what a blessing to be on the same winning team as them.
So this week could be considered a little bit like the Refiners Fire. But I am so grateful for what it has taught me. So tuesday morning, during district meeting, P____ texts us saying that she can never see us again and dropped us pretty hard. Then sister Dubon looked at me and realized... oh my word, we really don't have any investigadores right now. We started having a cow a little bit. We felt really strongly that we just needed to "go vertical" (thats what president taggart says for basically pleading with the Lord). We went in earnest prayer and tried to think about what we needed to do because our area was really suffering, and we are suppose to have the example area!! I felt really confident that if we worked really hard that day, we would get at least 2 new investigadores. Then, we went on exchanges, I stayed in the area and sister dubon left. So sister larsen and I went out and executed all of our plans and let me tell you, I have not had that many doors slammed ever before! It was just one after another. Sister Larsen said it felt like a normal day for the english missionaries hahah anyways, I kept a smiling face the whole time because I was on the exchange and had to be "exemplary" and to top things off... IT STARTED SNOWING. so yeah, we were soaking wet. We got home and knelt down to pray and I couldn't help but be kind of frustrated with heavenly father, I was just like "cmon! I really felt that we were going to have success today but nothing happened! 0 lessons. absolutamente nada." we wrapped up nightly planning and then the phone rang. It was a number that wasnt saved. I said "hola habla la hermana mortensen" and then a very familiar voice said to me in spanish "have you already forgotten about me my beautiful missionary??" IT WAS MARTA FROM KEARNY! I hadn't been able to call her since I left so she got my number for the missionaries in kearny. She updated me on her progress and that she is reading the book of mormon and really progressing. She said that "I felt like I needed to tell you to keep being a disciple of Christ. There are people over there in morristown that specifically need you! thanks to you and your personality, I started learning and now I am so grateful" I almost just broke down crying!! what a blessing, that someone I taught was able to be an answer to my prayer.
As a mission we have been focused a lot on Helaman 3:35 and it talks about the humble and obedient people in the church were being persecuted and it talks about how they reacted to the persecution. It says that they did fast and pray oft, and they did wax stronger and stronger in their humility, and firmer and firmer in their faith of christ, and that they were purified and sanctified. So i decided to put it to the test. on Friday I fasted that we would be able to find at least 2 new investigadores. so we went out and I was feeling pretty confident. We went to a part of the area to a city called Boonton. I'm pretty sure the phrase "out in the boonies" originated from this place. Its so weird. you just feel like your in limbo, or some random run down latin american country. we were looking and contacting all day long and only saw white people! we had taught 3 white people and still zero investigadores. we were walking back to our car and I was just like "no way are we leaving here without finding someone, I felt so good about this place! as we were walking back I see out of the corner of my eye this hispanic guy who was going off to work. I lept up onto his porch which probably scared the living daylights out of him and we got to talking. he is from honduras and he grew up with a mormon family there. He said he remembers playing futbol at the church with his friends and he was so excited to see us because it was like a throw back to his home! He was leaving off to work and said that we could come back on Sunday. We went back and taught him, his wife and their two daughters ages 14 and 8. lemme tell ya, i have never ever see a family as prepared as they are. they even have Sundays off! We ended the week having 8 new investigadores. The Lord lets us hit rock bottom so that it will take honest seekers to their knees in prayer, pleading for His help. and he always delivers.
Love you all! Happy late Easter :)
Hermana Mortensen
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