June 24th, 2015
Heyyo! I want to start out by saying, Happy late Father's, Day Pap! Thanks for everything that you have done for me in my life. I love you and will always look up to you as my best example.
This week was a pretty good one. We have been doing lots of splits with the missionaries in our zone to get to know them better and to help them out with whatever they need. Last Thursday we did one of the coolest services that I have done on the mission. As a zone, we went to a disabled children's care home. I didn't really think much of it before we left but when we got there I was so humbled by what I saw and heard. The director of the home said that there were 32 kids who were in the home. About 30 have disabilities so severe that they can't communicate. We went over to where they were and got to go interact with them for about an hour. Some of them would smile as you talk to them. Others were just sleeping. It was sad to see them in such poor conditions. It was super hot, there were flies that were flying all over their faces and some were just laying on the floor. It made me really think about life for a second. I really want to live my life so that I can help others. They told us that a few weeks ago that 2 of the residents had passed away. We spent the rest of the time counting diapers and doing an inventory on food and other supplies.
We have also had a good week with finding some new people. This Sunday a less active family that we have been working super hard with came to church. I was soo happy to see them there! I just hope that they can keep on coming to church. We celebrated a birthday of a super sweet member last night. She turned 69 years old. Also yesterday when we were eating lunch we randomly saw a huge cloud of super black smoke. We ran over and saw that A wooden house had caught on fire. There were so many Dominicans with their phones out filming. I just had to join them... haha I got a good selfie.
Well this was pretty much my week. I love you all so much!Luv Elder Morgan
June 18th, 2015
This week was a super fun/ activity-filled week. I don't know where to start.. We have had lots of FHEs with the members and investigators. We are trying to spend more time with the members to strengthen them so that they will have more confidence to work with us.
This week we had a group of American dentists come to Puerto Plata and give free dental work to the members and non-members here. It was a great experience. We as missionaries got to go help translate, and contact people who came. It really was a huge help for the people here. The Dominicans are terrible with taking care of their teeth. From the time that they are young they eat lots of candy and drink lots of soda and don't clean their teeth. Most have rotting teeth at a young age. Also the dentists here are using outdated practices and are expensive so people never go if they have problems..
The dentists who came were some of the coolest people. It was awesome to see them donate all of their time, equipment, and services to help these people. they were doing fillings, cavities, taking out teeth and lots of other stuff. On Monday, it was our day to go through. I was super confident going in knowing that I wouldn't have a cavity because in these last two years I have been brushing and flossing like crazy. So I go up to the dude who is checking what everyone has and...He found a cavity.... I was in shock.. haha He said it wasn't really preventable with brushing or flossing because it was in a little crevice in my tooth.. but they took care of it. Today was the last day that they worked on people. They are going home on Saturday. There is another group of dentists that will be coming in a month so that would be good.
Yesterday I went with Elder Kunzler to visit an old area of his. It is called Jarabacoa. It was so cool to go and see because it is a little town up in the mountains. It didn't even feel like I was in the DR, it felt more like Oregon.
We have been working super hard with a few little girls that have been taking the lessons from us. On Tuesday, the mom said that they can't be baptized because they are Catholic and always will be.. I was pretty bummed.. We are always looking for new people to teach, but most people don'twant to hear anything... But I still have to work hard until the end! I love you all so much! HAGS.
Luv Elder Morgan
Well as always another great/fast week has gone by. There are so many things that are going on in the mission. We are all getting ready and preparing everything for the arrival of the new mission President.
Last night might have been the last time I will see President Douglas here in the DR. I have been lucky to have been a Zone leader in this time of my mission because I have been able to form a good relationship with him. I have learned more about him and Sister Douglas. They really are one of the most amazing couples that I have met. They are such good examples to all of us here and just want to do good in the world. I love them both.
Now that my mission is coming to an end I have been thinking about all of the blessings I have received, the things I have learned, and the people that I have met. The thing that surprises me the most would be how much that I have changed. I remember always saying before the mission that I wasn't going to change and that I was going to come back the same
person. For me looking back at the person I was in the MTC and the person I am right now I can say that I am a different person. I have changed for the better. I'm not saying that I am perfect or ever will be, or that I will never argue with my sisters or parents again. Or that you will never see me cliff jumping naked at Lake Powell again... haha okay maybe.. The thing is that the mission has shown me and given me a greater appreciation for everything that I have in life. I hate to admit it, but I love my family so much more than I did before the mission. We have all been blinded and have taken everything for granted in our lives. I am so grateful for all of these things that I have learned. I know that I don't have that much time left but am going to live every minute up. This week we have been able to find some new investigators. It is really tough for us to find new people to teach because people are pretty hard here with their Catholic beliefs.
Today we hiked up the Puerto Plata mountain. It made me miss little cottonwood canyon.. haha but it was awesome. I love this gospel and I love my Savior Jesus Christ. I love you all so much!
HAGS!!
Luv Elder Morgan
One more week down. This last week we had the last Zone meetings that we will have with President Douglas and his wife. It was a super special meeting. I got to talk for about 20 minutes on how we can help people understand baptism. I am going to miss hearing Sister Douglas talk. She is just so awesome and inspiring. She always talks in a way that gets every ones attention and on topics that are very interesting. This last week she talked about how we can call upon the powers of heaven through prayer. I loved everything that she said and how she said it. Haha I wish that one day I can talk in public like she does.
This Sunday was Mother's day here. It was a great day because I got to look back at these last two years and think about all of the different mothers that I have had in all of my areas. I called each one of them up and thanked them for everything that they had done for me, I am so grateful for everyone. My companion and I have been working like crazy to find new people to teach. We are having some luck. Last night we had a super fun FHE. We had a karaoke night with some members and investigators. Haha it was awesome because I chose a Queen song to sing and realized that it is impossible to mimic Freddy Mercury's voice so it was terrible.... haha but lots of fun though.
Well, that was pretty much my week. I love you all so much!Luv Elder Morgan
