tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-18149556467148150082024-03-05T08:40:35.097-08:00Elder Carter MorganHere's the latest news on Elder Carter Morgan's missionary adventures to the Brazil, Sao Paulo West Mission! You can send email to: Carter.Morgan@myldsmail.net
You can write Carter at:
Elder Carter Morgan
Missão Brasil São Paulo Oeste
Rua Dr. Rui Batista Pereira, 165
Jardim Caxingui
São Paulo - SP
05517-080
BrazilKristyn Morganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14547091448290436347noreply@blogger.comBlogger60125tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1814955646714815008.post-9015908477030192102015-07-06T20:17:00.002-07:002015-07-06T20:17:36.649-07:00LAST EMAIL FROM THE FIELD!July 6, 2015<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">Greetings from São Paulo, Brasil! We had another good week with some great opportunities! </span><br />
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">
We went to the temple this week with a bunch of our recent converts and the members of our ward which was awesome! The people here in São Paulo are so blessed to have a temple so close. All of our recent converts, particularly Ana, really enjoyed the temple!</div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">
We had a great training for all of our ward missionaries about how they can better share the gospel. They all received it really well and some even bore their testimonies in sacrament meeting the next day about what they learned!<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">
This is my last email from the mission field. For all back home, I want everyone to know that I know that the Savior lives. He lives and loves us. I know that this church is the true church of Jesus Christ upon the Earth and that Joseph Smith was a prophet of God. President Thomas S. Monson is a prophet today and the convincing evidence of all of this is the Book of Mormon: Another Testament of Jesus Christ, which is indeed the word of God. I know all of this without a shadow of a doubt and my mission has reinforced these principles. I know now that I am the man God wants me to be. I challenge every worthy and able young man to serve a mission, because I too made the decision to serve, a decision which I have never or will ever regret.</div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">
Your friend,</div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">
Elder Carter David Morgan</div>
Kristyn Morganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14547091448290436347noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1814955646714815008.post-10644225852156068942015-06-22T18:25:00.001-07:002015-06-22T18:25:59.433-07:00June 21, 2015--three weeks to go!<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">
<span lang="EN-US">June 21, 215</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">
<span lang="EN-US">Another good week in paradise, that being São Paulo, Brasil. Things are still going well here and we found a lot of great people to teach this week! One was a couple named Divani and Luzia. Elder W. Almeida had talked to them a few weeks back and it had been hard to set up an appointment with them. Well, after some diligent trying we were finally able to teach them. Divani has always been interested in the Church and they both accepted the Restoration super well! They need to get legally married before they can get baptized, but they´re already working on that, which is a miracle here in São Paulo.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">
<span lang="EN-US">We had zone conference this week, which is always good. I always enjoy hearing from our mission president. We had a lot of good training on Preach My Gospel basics, which was great to see. All you kids back home better be studying Preach My Gospel! That book´s fantastic!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">
<br /></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">
<span lang="EN-US">We´re organizing in the ward a caravan to the temple for all our recent converts. It´s going to be awesome!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">
<span lang="EN-US">That´s about it for this week! Thanks for all the prayers!</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">
<span lang="EN-US">Your friend,</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">
<span lang="EN-US">Elder Carter David Morgan</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVnXLHajBnYZIIUJKoRo4WSwmOFZYO_FrT00iyFKYGZhKxAMJEqtawxPFk4cYWCluxRnUJHUy527BZAK_OK4AR7-u9fPeKJozSHs3jvsmF8WH9GcX-0rFf1JcWI0Zn-vfH5qGW8P85JiI/s1600/Carter+6%253A21-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjVnXLHajBnYZIIUJKoRo4WSwmOFZYO_FrT00iyFKYGZhKxAMJEqtawxPFk4cYWCluxRnUJHUy527BZAK_OK4AR7-u9fPeKJozSHs3jvsmF8WH9GcX-0rFf1JcWI0Zn-vfH5qGW8P85JiI/s320/Carter+6%253A21-1.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="text-align: start;">Me participating in the sack race at the Festa Junina. I didn´t win.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="text-align: start;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="text-align: start;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_hKzbFOSvYIFJQ-4dPms5dU7IbUeLgF2m8N9V1gwoAftYzj1F8WxIB6sNu74Uv18I51Ye6iju1u7LnxDxB8svuUISzcVmCsnWLktgeOvxbe60ClocJikbjbS3Lojo_zLKmjhNyAfT4F8/s1600/Carter+6%253A21-2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh_hKzbFOSvYIFJQ-4dPms5dU7IbUeLgF2m8N9V1gwoAftYzj1F8WxIB6sNu74Uv18I51Ye6iju1u7LnxDxB8svuUISzcVmCsnWLktgeOvxbe60ClocJikbjbS3Lojo_zLKmjhNyAfT4F8/s320/Carter+6%253A21-2.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
This is the local "Dance of the Orange" in Brasil. These people are nuts.</div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAmSSoaRfM_FhAomHQ0wyEOX4N0O1RgXOD31v_BeSKD88O8Q-bkDCc6FroL3w7wQs4us5wvgtZZiyr3TvlPV2ji7j5shNMYymRCJ8MSMADmTtojggiuOBDMJbEH-HQzf0rCFQ9ADH07bA/s1600/Carter+6%253A21--3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgAmSSoaRfM_FhAomHQ0wyEOX4N0O1RgXOD31v_BeSKD88O8Q-bkDCc6FroL3w7wQs4us5wvgtZZiyr3TvlPV2ji7j5shNMYymRCJ8MSMADmTtojggiuOBDMJbEH-HQzf0rCFQ9ADH07bA/s320/Carter+6%253A21--3.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="text-align: start;">This is me and Elder Castilla on exchanges. Another missionary let me play with his Magic cards. I may or may not have lost control.</span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="text-align: start;"><br /></span></span>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiu1QCYTYlqzvikT19viJ0Qtp_gVKlIzxx8pGv4_Gf-P5cGyiw1LCJyL7l5-vwOavF77wouKjwKF7kbNrScC3DuuMNTRIfaFKK1EhJgg26-ZeWyt5Umwf1hpGWAAdWIUe4PiT6q7cz_hc/s1600/Carter+6%253A21-4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiiu1QCYTYlqzvikT19viJ0Qtp_gVKlIzxx8pGv4_Gf-P5cGyiw1LCJyL7l5-vwOavF77wouKjwKF7kbNrScC3DuuMNTRIfaFKK1EhJgg26-ZeWyt5Umwf1hpGWAAdWIUe4PiT6q7cz_hc/s320/Carter+6%253A21-4.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="text-align: start;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span lang="EN-US"><span style="text-align: start;"><span style="text-align: start;">I finally got my dream and ordered a chocolate pizza with chocolate stuffed crust. I´ve been wanting that for a while.</span></span></span></div>
</div>
Kristyn Morganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14547091448290436347noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1814955646714815008.post-70222956494179516672015-06-22T18:16:00.003-07:002015-06-22T18:16:39.048-07:00June 15, 2015<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">June 15, 2015</span><br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;"><br /></span>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">Greetings from São Paulo, Brasil! Things are still going great and we´re getting a lot of good work done here!</span><br style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;" /><br />
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">
Our recent concerts, Adriana and Ana, were both called as ward missionaries, which is awesome! They´re both pretty excited, but Ana´s a little more excited. She´s more sociable than Adriana, but they´re both great.</div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">
We had the Festa Junina here in our ward, which is kind of like a hokey Fourth of July. It was pretty fun and I got to wear a farmers hat and participate in a sack hop race. I may or may not have fallen down and my arm popped briefly out of my socket.</div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">
A man recently returned to church and his nine year-old son isn´t baptized yet, so we´ll be helping him with that.</div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">
The adventures of Jon Carlos, Ana´s son, in sacrament meeting:</div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">
So, I brought one of those Book of Mormon picture books to sacrament meeting, hoping it would keep him quiet. Yeah, that didn´t work. He put it on the ground and put his hands on top of it and started scooting himself around like a racecar. Later he came to sit with Elder Almeida and I and take the sacrament, but he didn´t put his little plastic cup back in time. Being the good boy that he is, he ran across the chapel to another deacon passing the sacrament and stuck the cup in his tray. Then he returned and whispered if he could have some candy. I told him he could, but he´d have to ask his mom. I thought he´d run to his mom to quietly ask her, but I should´ve known better. Instead he screamed at her from across the chapel, "MOM! Can I have some candy?" Well, she said yes so I gave him a little chocolate. He then told me that he was going to make a snake out of the candy, which he promptly did. I told him he should eat the candy. He told me he already ate. I asked why he wanted the candy then. He said he didn´t know.</div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">
That´s about it! Thanks for the prayers!</div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">
Your friend,<br />Elder Carter David Morgan</div>
Kristyn Morganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14547091448290436347noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1814955646714815008.post-74523960789642630872015-06-22T18:15:00.000-07:002015-06-22T18:15:38.444-07:00June 8, 2015June 8, 2015<br />
<br />
<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">Another good week in São Paulo, Brasil. Ana was confirmed a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints yesterday and even bore her testimony in sacrament meeting! The ward is super impressed with how solid she is and she´s doing great!</span><br />
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">
We had a couple of good family home evenings this week with the members and played some fun games. A missionary taught me a came called "Não Come Pedro" and it took me longer than I´d like to admit to realize that that´s just a translation of "Don´t Eat Pete." So much for thinking I learned some cool, brazilian game.</div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">
We talked to a lot of people this week. Like, a lot. That was good, though. It´s always good to get to know more people.</div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">
That´s about it for this week! I had the opportunity to interview someone for baptism the other day and she bore a powerful testimony of the Prophet Joseph Smith. With her I also testify that he truly was the prophet of God exactly like Abraham, Moses, or Peter.</div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">
Your friend,</div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">
Elder Carter David Morgan</div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZG2QItXOYK4yJ1mmWw-fcyu6Lah18Mi-gQFIT97SpVf01COI28HJdNBAAb4WLQtrwxcnB8Z-mX3ONRqCU80Qf8iGO_fxuSh-vXUcD50mUADDJca0mdLwgHy_nOlJqSboViShldMDY5xA/s1600/DSC00407.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiZG2QItXOYK4yJ1mmWw-fcyu6Lah18Mi-gQFIT97SpVf01COI28HJdNBAAb4WLQtrwxcnB8Z-mX3ONRqCU80Qf8iGO_fxuSh-vXUcD50mUADDJca0mdLwgHy_nOlJqSboViShldMDY5xA/s320/DSC00407.JPG" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="text-align: start;">Me contacting people. Elder Almeida took this photo real sneaky like. I figured that I´ve been contacting people my whole mission, but I don´t have a dang photo of it! So I had to take one</span></div>
</div>
Kristyn Morganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14547091448290436347noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1814955646714815008.post-78779920132109039222015-06-22T17:33:00.001-07:002015-06-22T17:33:21.202-07:00June 1, 2015<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">
<span lang="EN-US">6/1/15</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">
<span lang="EN-US">This week was awesome! We found a lot of great people to teach and we´re trying to see how each one of them will progress at the moment to find out how much time we should spend with each of them. Either way, they all seem to be pretty interested and we should see some great results in the near future.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">
<span lang="EN-US">Ana was baptized this week! It´s been nothing but great teaching her and she´s super ready to be a member of the Church. The baptism was awesome and super spiritual! She´s just eating up the Gospel and loves everything that she´s learning.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">
<span lang="EN-US">We had stake conference this week, which was also great. The focus was on our family and keeping the Sabbath Day holy. Our recent convert Adriana really liked it. It was funny, we stopped by her house to check in on her after the session and we asked what called her attention. She said that she was really struck by how we need to keep our covenants. Then she paused for a bit and asked, “What exactly is a covenant again?” Haha, it´s a steep learning curve after baptism.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">
<span lang="EN-US"> Transfers have come and gone and there aren´t any changes here in our area. It looks like I´ll spend another six weeks here in Alvorada, which I´m excited about. The district mostly stayed the same too, which is awesome because I´m a big fan of those guys.</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">
<span lang="EN-US">That´s about it. Thanks for all the prayers!<br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">
<span lang="EN-US">Your friend,<br />Elder Carter David Morgan</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">
<span lang="EN-US"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNiwGMiqm_uQdQzMQg_6Ng9lYarn5nk7po4dcKrzjfSEZFwCYkRLA7mUneJr0B_V7gXPZpEtfYlPsdh61vGhLhWKgYDrefM97APsED_bYUAJhiAPJMBHDEaLV4dPGCD1Ch0w_9OJmeWJc/s1600/Carter+6%253A1--5.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiNiwGMiqm_uQdQzMQg_6Ng9lYarn5nk7po4dcKrzjfSEZFwCYkRLA7mUneJr0B_V7gXPZpEtfYlPsdh61vGhLhWKgYDrefM97APsED_bYUAJhiAPJMBHDEaLV4dPGCD1Ch0w_9OJmeWJc/s320/Carter+6%253A1--5.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
My Zone</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlvpsPnt6p6IjXAOABKeNnyyvJhBSjv0Fu738gvwJJgKFJBlhRqlC_c2eRr8NG9Ce2w1somUGGeLEoBZPLja1ZuvfuXrZbiTzHdfvmlssePaMqt6Qcg4Llq8QS6LqpMv3O7crOQ-CJmVw/s1600/Carter+6%253A1-1.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhlvpsPnt6p6IjXAOABKeNnyyvJhBSjv0Fu738gvwJJgKFJBlhRqlC_c2eRr8NG9Ce2w1somUGGeLEoBZPLja1ZuvfuXrZbiTzHdfvmlssePaMqt6Qcg4Llq8QS6LqpMv3O7crOQ-CJmVw/s320/Carter+6%253A1-1.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="font-family: Helvetica; text-align: center;">
We found a small stage in a favela and decided to call the locals to repentance with some good ol´ fashion hellfire and brimstone. Okay, the stage part is true but there was no one in front of it at the tim<span style="font-size: 12px;">e.</span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="font-family: Helvetica; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: 12px;"><br /></span></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="font-family: Helvetica; text-align: center;">
<span style="font-size: 12px;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<img alt="DSC00379.JPG" class="Apple-web-attachment-container Apple-edge-to-edge-visual-media" data="cid:ADDC932D-B22E-4EBC-80A0-D09EC8A7B83D@hsd1.wa.comcast.net." height="150" name="DSC00379.JPG" src="cid:ADDC932D-B22E-4EBC-80A0-D09EC8A7B83D@hsd1.wa.comcast.net." style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; text-align: start;" type="application/x-apple-msg-attachment" width="200" /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCk40CAez1F0_AzXS_nphU9TGcIc_Ixu3GWUv_2T-7Obpafgo_2mOSEHyj1H0nGRS7hPT2ZZ37Ysx4XhSSdlqgNSuaVyuTOAyC8ZeG_cIPF4mRuOuSsKZte0uic85SPNLsp1XCuadBQKc/s1600/Carter+6%253A1-2.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhCk40CAez1F0_AzXS_nphU9TGcIc_Ixu3GWUv_2T-7Obpafgo_2mOSEHyj1H0nGRS7hPT2ZZ37Ysx4XhSSdlqgNSuaVyuTOAyC8ZeG_cIPF4mRuOuSsKZte0uic85SPNLsp1XCuadBQKc/s320/Carter+6%253A1-2.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">I would love to say that´s some sort of jungle mist behind me, but it´s actually smoke from a nearby burning pile of trash. Ah, Brasil.</span></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYyLM2gtZ_jBrpJ6iBxI5gfYBh609FqRDXTyLIx8MsLiv8_r9yoVYkzijhF157g1UW91mocZ2_cI_FtCIpaUQqpJxGowWEkD6NPu_LjuzP4vibyZBxquav4ZPztPh-wDOWfFggChlZwYk/s1600/Carter+6%253A1-3.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiYyLM2gtZ_jBrpJ6iBxI5gfYBh609FqRDXTyLIx8MsLiv8_r9yoVYkzijhF157g1UW91mocZ2_cI_FtCIpaUQqpJxGowWEkD6NPu_LjuzP4vibyZBxquav4ZPztPh-wDOWfFggChlZwYk/s320/Carter+6%253A1-3.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: Helvetica;">Me on exchanges in Arpoador. It has some great sites</span></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitn5QPun7sv6WUz5xiOFF6hprQXvx_1mX9EtIdYaqepOdyisFtykqsgmPPMgS3OAdq97TxDRmSa0BOJ19qzAMDL3eAhIPK93v3hzN6QOiIEknINDXfKaHTLR9D3d-HdHZPnvHPbMUTkdM/s1600/Carter+6%253A1--4.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEitn5QPun7sv6WUz5xiOFF6hprQXvx_1mX9EtIdYaqepOdyisFtykqsgmPPMgS3OAdq97TxDRmSa0BOJ19qzAMDL3eAhIPK93v3hzN6QOiIEknINDXfKaHTLR9D3d-HdHZPnvHPbMUTkdM/s320/Carter+6%253A1--4.JPG" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="font-family: Helvetica; text-align: center;">
<span lang="EN-US">Me gesturing to the beauty and magesty of São Paulo beneath me.</span></div>
Kristyn Morganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14547091448290436347noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1814955646714815008.post-91268938165839435822015-05-27T15:54:00.001-07:002015-05-27T15:54:18.046-07:00Baptisms!<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">Quick email this week!</span><br style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;" /><br />
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">
Cleria got baptized! It was awesome! Tons of people were there!<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">
Ana´s getting baptized this week as well! It´ll be awesome too!</div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">
The work is true!<br /><br />Your friend,</div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">
Elder Carter David Morgan</div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdKj9ZA9m8UbgveaEElkRIQbnn3qsLKpRmUl0eVQmjVwC7z4Cdbf2X49YxFfYeGyX61hW4UdLGWLjGUvCRWFVWjllyd78biTH-6j2WQlSkcaPPHdictr_wgpvC7Uznl2E6Se0vmoXLAwc/s1600/Carter+2.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgdKj9ZA9m8UbgveaEElkRIQbnn3qsLKpRmUl0eVQmjVwC7z4Cdbf2X49YxFfYeGyX61hW4UdLGWLjGUvCRWFVWjllyd78biTH-6j2WQlSkcaPPHdictr_wgpvC7Uznl2E6Se0vmoXLAwc/s320/Carter+2.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8wLw3mCeNO_exPMVX_oh5ZUX_kumNfyD4HoGtZGj8koU9Zg69d673HRVjgq1OyLymIa718SDwixXAUgqV0i50rD4N3flQeaLrQGEzOlJJ1lW5bYN_RWruzk8pZQAxocwnz5ObTn7AcUY/s1600/Carter+3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8wLw3mCeNO_exPMVX_oh5ZUX_kumNfyD4HoGtZGj8koU9Zg69d673HRVjgq1OyLymIa718SDwixXAUgqV0i50rD4N3flQeaLrQGEzOlJJ1lW5bYN_RWruzk8pZQAxocwnz5ObTn7AcUY/s320/Carter+3.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEHRw3JvdvJOSLjOBu0Ut3LH5QOS602LwiVGP5PcR6gKo1QTNGTMK_3zAoJ6I84-eJgOcbrhM5L4rNtHpco5HsKVHcfhzu_jvNqh_N3mCqYpwRpW5n27IPBL7SpXQNDHVGLQLww8D-EiU/s1600/Carter+4.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="320" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjEHRw3JvdvJOSLjOBu0Ut3LH5QOS602LwiVGP5PcR6gKo1QTNGTMK_3zAoJ6I84-eJgOcbrhM5L4rNtHpco5HsKVHcfhzu_jvNqh_N3mCqYpwRpW5n27IPBL7SpXQNDHVGLQLww8D-EiU/s320/Carter+4.jpg" width="240" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLYTxvagGLnqDZxOCAd7IGtQv3h62fFYOmao0IZs-M3Dl8YzduX_X4y4od8vrN4iav4vc8DnHk1SovkJD59dMdw-lD1ommSglBwdKKL4M57oi_MAyWjXM4K9a29ZrFLXprwJXqTwP40PA/s1600/Carter-1.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" height="240" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhLYTxvagGLnqDZxOCAd7IGtQv3h62fFYOmao0IZs-M3Dl8YzduX_X4y4od8vrN4iav4vc8DnHk1SovkJD59dMdw-lD1ommSglBwdKKL4M57oi_MAyWjXM4K9a29ZrFLXprwJXqTwP40PA/s320/Carter-1.jpg" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">
<br /></div>
Kristyn Morganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14547091448290436347noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1814955646714815008.post-85317526366346285792015-05-18T15:02:00.001-07:002015-05-18T15:02:49.020-07:00"Out of the mouths of babes..."<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">Greetings from São Paulo, Brasil! The work continues to go great here and we´re getting some great stuff done with our current investigators. Ana continues to progress well and her three year-old son João Carlos is absolutely hilarious and terrible. He likes to scream stuff in sacrament meeting. Here´s some of my favorites from this week:</span><br />
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">
<br />"My cookie is good! My cookie is good!</div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">
"So much darkness, so much animals!"</div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">
"I´m Iron Man! I´m Captain America! I´m the Hulk!"</div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">
He keeps us laughing, haha.</div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">
We´re also all set to have a baptism this week, which´ll be awesome. In the mean time we´re looking for more people to teach, which is always an adventure.</div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">
In ward council yesterday our bishop was worried that the ward would wind up buying too much food for the next activity and that it would go to waste. It was then that our slightly crazy Young Men´s President promised the bishop that if she saw anyone wasting corn or making a mess at the next ward activity that he´d give them a swift kick in the rear. Ah, ward council.</div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">
That´s about it for this week! Make sure to share the gospel with your friends! It´ll bless their lives for sure!</div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">
Your friend,<br />Elder Carter David Morgan</div>
Kristyn Morganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14547091448290436347noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1814955646714815008.post-16940019013836556812015-04-23T21:04:00.001-07:002015-04-23T21:04:26.498-07:00Catching up--and winding down!<br />
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;">
</div>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;">
I've been slacking on posting Carter's letters so here is catch up--with his most recent first:</div>
<div dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;">
Apri. 21, 2015</div>
<div dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;">
What a great week! We´re talking baptisms, baby! Our investigator Adriana was baptized! It was pretty sick! We´re working on getting her to the temple soon!<br /><br /><div>
We met a super sick guy yesterday! He had a ton of respect for us and was confused about why there are so many churches in the world. We gave him a Book of Mormon and he was so happy because he said it was the first time he´s ever received a gift in the name of God for free.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
We went to the Central Park of São Paulo today, which was super fun. I showing up all these Brazilians with my mad frisbee skills. They insist it´s a game for dogs, but I also insist that soccer is just the lamer version of foosball.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Running out of time this week! That´s about it!<br /></div>
<div>
Your friend,</div>
<div>
Elder Carter David Morgan</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg85eRxuK32-82WpAT5bkJQQY65Ik5nVNv5MAjERmdFY41sthUiSvxLjC62VZ7MWRkP58F3Ww9p2_24X9oO5rAM59SqiPw8Ja46VGTSSy7kr6HhQEeS3q-378LAta63gpwxUxPTdjm-KY/s1600/Carter--avengers.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgg85eRxuK32-82WpAT5bkJQQY65Ik5nVNv5MAjERmdFY41sthUiSvxLjC62VZ7MWRkP58F3Ww9p2_24X9oO5rAM59SqiPw8Ja46VGTSSy7kr6HhQEeS3q-378LAta63gpwxUxPTdjm-KY/s1600/Carter--avengers.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;">
</div>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;">
"Me lamenting missing the premiere of the Avengers 2 this week. :("</div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0L20WVSPaLZCrVKcQ1HsNHZCEVyBOCvc0bLGUiLcT8-phfLdD1aX89FhThWkR3uxV-O-ua54U6kmsgXXj_UewdSvb5WqfSVG_GdPxiJgX_t9gPF0LZ-Qh9xNYJGKxYgr3TGP3d5mPDwY/s1600/Carter--baptism.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh0L20WVSPaLZCrVKcQ1HsNHZCEVyBOCvc0bLGUiLcT8-phfLdD1aX89FhThWkR3uxV-O-ua54U6kmsgXXj_UewdSvb5WqfSVG_GdPxiJgX_t9gPF0LZ-Qh9xNYJGKxYgr3TGP3d5mPDwY/s1600/Carter--baptism.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
</div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;">
</div>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;">
"Photo of the baptism with Irmã Antonia, who fellowshipped Adriana, and our ward mission leader, Bruno."</div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyQpSw9RN5k5qBfhU9_ak_3XgRz-7-IzTr6K82i4fM7pXsWWIQq2dgy8MYSkQaXduPYKCbrqtG8tZ_u0nWAXTWXEuuHHy4mryCCI-ZwUNxskmT_0exUnHg5IWBg2sCf0I86g4zvjD_zU0/s1600/Carter--chick+fil+ee.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgyQpSw9RN5k5qBfhU9_ak_3XgRz-7-IzTr6K82i4fM7pXsWWIQq2dgy8MYSkQaXduPYKCbrqtG8tZ_u0nWAXTWXEuuHHy4mryCCI-ZwUNxskmT_0exUnHg5IWBg2sCf0I86g4zvjD_zU0/s1600/Carter--chick+fil+ee.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="text-align: start;">This is truly a photo to be remembered. Before I left for Brazil the Abitos and I went to Chick-Fil-A and they slipped a packet of Chick-Fil-A sauce in my bag without me knowing. Fun fact: Chick-Fil-A sauce doesn´t go bad after six months. Truly delicious.</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="text-align: start;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDA1HK20ZfH9t6hSr_L9_k0DbcjOkvySqTDST3r47hUatZncQmnW-0qra_dHzUDyKXZWf9ddRrVT-MSUhBvm09NkdJa80pYuKP3ealnjSw1IiMwsc63xkTcyJisn2tanC1QqOSSXCUVcM/s1600/Carter--dog.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgDA1HK20ZfH9t6hSr_L9_k0DbcjOkvySqTDST3r47hUatZncQmnW-0qra_dHzUDyKXZWf9ddRrVT-MSUhBvm09NkdJa80pYuKP3ealnjSw1IiMwsc63xkTcyJisn2tanC1QqOSSXCUVcM/s1600/Carter--dog.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: start;">
"I made friends with a street dog while out working. He followed me for a bit and I let me pet him."</div>
<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: start;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: start;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: start;">
April 13, 2015</div>
<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: start;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="text-align: start;">
<div dir="ltr">
<div>
Greetings from São Paulo, Brasil! Exciting news! Out of the nine missions in São Paulo, our mission, Brasil São Paulo Oeste, was chosen to attend a special meeting with Elder Christofferson at the Brasil MTC! How crazy is that! This either means we did something really right or something really wrong! It´ll happen in May and he´ll be the THIRD apostle that I´ll have met on my mission! That´s pretty sick!<br /></div>
<div>
Our investigator, Adriana, is all set to be baptized this week! She´s really liking what she´s learning and she´s keeping all her commitments. Those are the best kinds of investigators, the ones where there´s no hair pulling and begging, they just keep the commitments, haha. She´s a little nervous, but excited too!</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
We also found another family this week and they´re super excited to be baptized too. We asked them at their doorstep if we could share a message with them and they let us in without hesitation. We talked a bit about faith in Jesus Christ and baptism and the mom accepted the invitation to be baptized immediately. Her friend, however, responded that she was happy with her Catholic faith and didn´t want to change. We were about to let it drop there but we felt inspired to ask her if she had been praying a lot lately. She said she´d been praying more than she ever had in her life. We asked her if she was asking God for guidance and she said she was. We told her that God had answered her prayer and that she could know for herself if she acted. Well, she prayed the next night, accepted a baptismal date, and everyone went to church this Sunday!</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
We had the opportunity to teach the Primary children about the First Vision this Sunday. Man, those kids are nuts. Someone of my favorite moments:<br /><br />Teacher: "Who knows who Joseph Smith is?"<br />Kids: "Me! Me! Me! Meeeee!</div>
<div>
Teacher: "Just raise your hand, don´t shout 'me!'"</div>
<div>
Despite this warning, this happened about eighty more times, haha.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Teacher: "Joseph Smith had a book he read to learn about God..."</div>
<div>
Kids: "THE BOOK OF MORMON! THE BOOK OF MORMON!"</div>
<div>
Us: "The Book of Mormon wasn´t translated yet..."</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Teacher: "Who knows the scripture James 1:5?"</div>
<div>
Half the kids raise their hands, including a three year-old.</div>
<div>
Teacher, a little surprised to the three year-old: "Rafael, you know it?"<br />Rafael: "Know what?"</div>
<div>
Teacher: "The scripture."<br />Rafael: "What scripture?"<br /></div>
<div>
Haha, it was pretty hilarious. I told the teacher afterwards that about twelve years ago I was exactly like those kids in Primary and that now in three months I will have successfully completed a full-time mission. I told her not to lose hope, haha.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
That´s about it for the week! Thanks for the prayers!<br /></div>
<div>
Your friend,</div>
<div>
Elder Carter David Morgan</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
-Primary<div>
-Adriana will be baptized</div>
<div>
-New family</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
</div>
<div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: '"Helvetica","Tahoma","Arial","sans-serif"';"><span style="color: #666666;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdF1vz_M9dJNso2B5KGOXu9Us3A-ZkDuf6D-nLgQH37BO5xYTaYJ1EbPSWhZnzrBIx8pbM1hvpFI8ND5QRkhS_HNXYNc6a0c0IjSn9AJbVG3g7Eorw2NbB6UuTLda8aJXlu7qT0zHBjN8/s1600/Carter--brazil+glory.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhdF1vz_M9dJNso2B5KGOXu9Us3A-ZkDuf6D-nLgQH37BO5xYTaYJ1EbPSWhZnzrBIx8pbM1hvpFI8ND5QRkhS_HNXYNc6a0c0IjSn9AJbVG3g7Eorw2NbB6UuTLda8aJXlu7qT0zHBjN8/s1600/Carter--brazil+glory.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="text-align: start;">"Me gesturing to the glory that is Brasil."</span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="text-align: start;"><br /></span></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<span style="text-align: start;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGSsOczrKCPL6RVc4AzgqGVmD1f383s1PlBcao-o_N-ksftgvpbi8NY_o9ILB1molxGUhEQJgP4QXTdrKGfLqudbKGuAYxsGH_H8vgxkqkM2GGhY1cN_CVGKVUfVquNU8J141D0MQDtpo/s1600/Carter--pizza.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiGSsOczrKCPL6RVc4AzgqGVmD1f383s1PlBcao-o_N-ksftgvpbi8NY_o9ILB1molxGUhEQJgP4QXTdrKGfLqudbKGuAYxsGH_H8vgxkqkM2GGhY1cN_CVGKVUfVquNU8J141D0MQDtpo/s1600/Carter--pizza.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: '"Helvetica","Tahoma","Arial","sans-serif"';"><span style="color: #666666;"><br /></span></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="font-family: '"Helvetica","Tahoma","Arial","sans-serif"';"><span style="color: #666666;">"</span></span><span style="text-align: start;">Me, my comp, and Elder Acuna with pizza."</span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="text-align: start;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="text-align: start;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="text-align: start;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: center;">
<span style="text-align: start;"><br /></span></div>
<div class="MsoNormal" style="text-align: justify;">
</div>
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;">
</div>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;">
April 6, 2015</div>
<div dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;">
<br /></div>
<div dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;">
Greetings from São Paulo, Brasil! Things go well in our constant fight to bring light to the people who need it here and we´re seeing some good success!<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
The family we´ve been teaching for a while continues to make good progress and absolutely love what they´re learning. I´ve never seen three people so focused on a lesson before. When we were explaining the Plan of Salvation to them they were so captivated that they all refused to answer the door when someone knocked! No one wanted to leave the lesson, haha! They´re ready to be baptized, they´re just working through some relationship issues before they seal the deal and get married, which is a pre-requisite to baptism.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
We have another investigator who´s preparing to be baptized as well. She´s quite timid but enjoys what she´s learning. We had told her that we´d swing by her house at 12:30 to bring her to General Conference this Sunday. Well, due to some extenuating circumstances, we weren´t able to make it there until 1:00. I was sure that she would have left at that point, but she was sitting loyaly by the door with her daughter and Book of Mormon in hand. We´re excited for her!<br /><br />Wasn´t General Conference awesome?! I´ve downloaded the talks and I´m excited to hear them in English. I was able to understand the Portuguese just fine, but it´s great to hear the emotion of the apostles´ voices.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Though there are some today that feel that the prophets and apostles don´t have our best interests at heart, I assure you that they do. They are guided by God and will not lead us astray. Indeed, it is not in the program.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Your friend,</div>
<div>
Elder Carter David Morgan</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Mar 30, 2015</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<div dir="ltr">
Greetings from São Paulo, Brasil! Things are going well here in the Alvorada ward adn we´re seeing some great stuff get done.<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Our ward mission leader introduced us to his friend who had investigated the church a few years ago. This week he started re-investigating and wants to start working towards getting baptized! He´s a little worried about some of the commandments, but we had a good lesson with him and he seemed better after that.</div>
<div>
<br />We found a woman named Adriana this week by talking to her in her doorway. She responded really well to the message of the Restoration and accepted a baptismal date! She said she had always wondered which church she should join and why there were so many but she says that our message answered those questions.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I did an exchange with some other elders in the district and EVERYTHING fell through. Like, literally everything. We walked A LOT that day, haha. I think all in all we ended up sharing a Gospel principle with 89 people that day, which was pretty nuts. It was good fun, though.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
It´s simple, but reading the scriptures daily, praying daily, and going to church every week will prevent about 95% of the problems common to humanity. I´ve seen testimonies of that DAILY while on my mission. Make sure to do the small and simple things to stay close to Jesus Christ!<br /></div>
<div>
Your friend,<br />Elder Carter David Morgan</div>
</div>
<div>
</div>
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
</div>
<div>
</div>
</div>
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: start;">
</div>
</div>
</div>
Kristyn Morganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14547091448290436347noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1814955646714815008.post-81273245715977107652015-03-23T16:29:00.001-07:002015-03-23T16:29:52.604-07:00New Area!<br />
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;">
</div>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;">
Greetings from São Paulo, Brasil! It was a great week this week getting to know the new area! It´s a lot different from my old area, but it´s really good! It´s a lot poorer but the people are really humble and ready to listen?<br /><br />So, what are two of the best things in a mission? Going back to an old area to visit, and a baptism. What´s even better? Doing both at the same time! Yesterday I got to go back to Novo Osasco and watch Pedro´s baptism! Pedro´s such a stud with a super strong testimony. He gave up a lot to join the church and I´m sure that if the ward takes good care of him that he´ll stay firm in the faith.<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
We´re teaching a lot of good families here! The only problem is that that none of them are married legally so we´ve got to get on that. They all really want to be baptized and are coming to church, they just can´t be baptized until they get married. Once they get married it´ll be super sick!</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
We live in a bit of a nicer house here. It´s not on the fifth floor of an apartment building without an elevator like the last one, so that´s something. We also don´t live with another companionship so that gives us a little bit of breathing room.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
That´s about it for the week! Things are going good and we´re excited to be working down here! Wish me and my companion, Elder Chayson, luck!</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Your friend,</div>
<div>
Elder Carter David Morgan</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHHImkFOiG6SriXNM2JMG8_cPmWW4oDQDYgsTKnHYKzzMM_A5HyN-ltWOnXXcJcOSJhlQxuJJXFvSwShDwCA9dvnkwrGqW2UsGqNradp7sJNdXE0QIrYnLG1_xqjMjqRejOer8djF0tMQ/s1600/Carter-3:23.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjHHImkFOiG6SriXNM2JMG8_cPmWW4oDQDYgsTKnHYKzzMM_A5HyN-ltWOnXXcJcOSJhlQxuJJXFvSwShDwCA9dvnkwrGqW2UsGqNradp7sJNdXE0QIrYnLG1_xqjMjqRejOer8djF0tMQ/s1600/Carter-3:23.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
</div>
Kristyn Morganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14547091448290436347noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1814955646714815008.post-8144278532455537702015-03-11T11:55:00.000-07:002015-03-11T11:55:19.592-07:00"Lemme Break it Down For Ya"<br />
<div style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;">
</div>
<br />
<div dir="ltr" style="-webkit-text-stroke-width: 0px; color: black; font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px; font-style: normal; font-variant: normal; font-weight: normal; letter-spacing: normal; line-height: normal; orphans: auto; text-align: start; text-indent: 0px; text-transform: none; white-space: normal; widows: auto; word-spacing: 0px;">
Greetings from Osasco, SP! This week has been a week of miracles as Elder Da Silva and I have been doing our best to give our all! Lemme break it down for ya.<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
So, last week I talked about our drunk investigator, Pedro, that went to church when he was a little less than sober. Well, this week we went back to visit him and he was anxiously awaiting us. He´s really interested in the church and likes what he´s learning. He even said he´s losing the desire to stop drinking! The mission´s been focusing a lot on baptizing those who are "self-sufficient" in the sense that the members don´t need to constantly bring them to church. We talked about this with Pedro and told him that this week he´d have to get to church on his own, even though the church is in downtown Osasco, a couple of miles away. We also did this to see how committed he was and to know if it was productive to contine teaching him. He agreed and as we started to teach him we notice that he was super determined to understand and get himself to church, to the point that he started brainstorming which of his neighbors he could ask for a ride. Seeing his real intent, we told him not to worry and that we´d get him a ride this week. He stopped for a bit and then told us "No. I don´t need a ride. This week I´ll go to church alone to show my faith. This week I´ll got to church by my faith." We were pretty shocked at that! Fast-forward to Sunday and ten minutes after the meeting starts he´s still not there. Twenty and nothing. Figuring he must have gotten drunk or something we kinda lost hope. That´s when I left for the hall one last time just to see if he was, hopefully, there. Lo and behold, standing in the middle of the hall in a dirty white shirt and plaid dress pants was our good friend Pedro. He had a great time at church for the second time and when we tried to get a ride for him to get back home he turned it down and said that he had to "get to know the route." I think he´ll be coming for a long time, haha. He´s also set to be baptized in a few weeks!</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
We also found a great family! This woman told us that even though she´s been attending her church for 11 years, she´s never felt the urge to be baptized. When we presented the message of the Restoration she agreed to pray and if she receives an answer to be baptized too! Ah yeah!<br /><br />That´s about it! Thanks for everything!<br /><br />Your friend,<br />Elder Carter David Morgan</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ91c55b1rrE_E2XZko5eboSB9y7B3nR4Cu9wpRqHan7MNRRBMR5pjgk3Rz4plczQDMzk-gF7759D5rSPj75kabfY5mofFlC1nePERRVLmHE4yYe3TBQjaul4agCVA0D9VDg0qsY9JrPI/s1600/DSC00242.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhJ91c55b1rrE_E2XZko5eboSB9y7B3nR4Cu9wpRqHan7MNRRBMR5pjgk3Rz4plczQDMzk-gF7759D5rSPj75kabfY5mofFlC1nePERRVLmHE4yYe3TBQjaul4agCVA0D9VDg0qsY9JrPI/s1600/DSC00242.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
"The bookmark we made--we were unusually proud of it"</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi3rEs_tkbL1VphkXrDuPmbKZmmwkwMnz_ehaEscgOOjHgRcBtHvypN4zXm-Xn3BHjZxBUSeNfjGppipQ78do-o8zADtZ0ZiJN3TLpcGRihCtUBUGBVe7wq72GKrZ4PxqW8wcprJIr3bQ/s1600/DSC00245.JPG" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhi3rEs_tkbL1VphkXrDuPmbKZmmwkwMnz_ehaEscgOOjHgRcBtHvypN4zXm-Xn3BHjZxBUSeNfjGppipQ78do-o8zADtZ0ZiJN3TLpcGRihCtUBUGBVe7wq72GKrZ4PxqW8wcprJIr3bQ/s1600/DSC00245.JPG" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
"Elder Barton and I ordered "American" pizza. It came with scrambled eggs on top..."</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
</div>
Kristyn Morganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14547091448290436347noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1814955646714815008.post-13760377044419942892015-02-19T11:28:00.001-08:002015-02-19T11:28:27.441-08:00Short and Sweet This Week<div dir="ltr" style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">
Greetings from Osasco, SP! Things are going well here as we continue our endeavors to preach the gospel! I don´t have a ton of time this week, so here are the highlights.<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
We started teaching this awesome part-member family! The wife goes to church pretty actively but the husband´s not baptized. We´re going to do a family home evening with them tonight!</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Our super solid investigator, Erik, was called by God to gather Israel. Okay, not really, but he did tell us that he received revelation from God to unite our church, the Catholic Church, and the Congregação Cristão do Brasil into one big church. I´m sad that we can´t help him into this worthy task.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Things are going well with the new comp. Elder Da Silva rules!<br /></div>
<div>
Thanks for all the prayers!</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Your friend,</div>
<div>
Elder Carter David Morgan</div>
</div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">
<div class="MsoNormal">
<span style="font-family: '"Helvetica","Tahoma","Arial","sans-serif"';"><span style="color: #666666;"><br /></span></span></div>
</div>
Kristyn Morganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14547091448290436347noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1814955646714815008.post-33333667678293026402015-02-02T15:53:00.001-08:002015-02-02T15:53:15.083-08:00Unusual Happenings at EHS<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">
Greetings from Osasco, SP! Transfers are upon us and Elder Guamangallo will be leaving the area for bigger adventures and greener pastures. I, however, will stay here with our appropriately sized adventures and nice-shade-of-green-not-too-green pastures. My new companion will be Elder Da Silva, a Brazilian, so I´m pretty psyched about that.</div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">
We had an AWESOME contact this week! We were walking down the street and we saw a woman walking briskly in our direction. Sometimes if people are walking too fast I don´t like to stop them because they might be in a big rush or going for a run, and since I used to run a bit back home I know it´s annoying to be stopped. But we decided to stop her anyway and we met a great woman! In our little conversation that we had on the street she told us that the moment she saw us she thought, "If those two young men stop me then it´ll be a sign from God." She was so receptive to our message that she agreed to be baptized right in the middle of the contact! We´re going to work with her a lot this week and hope things pan out, seeing as she has a smoking and drinking problem.</div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">
A member brought a new family to church this week! Luckily they live in our area so we´ll start teaching them soon. They´re a young couple with a young child and they´ve been thinking about getting baptized in a church. We´re hoping to make some good progress with them too!</div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">
We teach a recent convert here in the ward named Luzia. She´s older and was born blind. She is also the nicest woman on the planet. She´s so sincere and since she can´t do much for us she tries to do little things to show her appreciation. For example, we mentioned our birthdays once to her three months ago and she memorized them and remembers them to this day. She told us that she´ll never forget them. The pure love of Christ just radiates from her.</div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">
The youth of the church here in Brazil are downright punks! Not really, but I´ve struck up some pretty good friendships with most of them so we like to joke around. I sat down in Priesthood this Sunday and one of them tapped me on the shoulder and said that I was in the wrong class and that the young women were meeting down the hall. Downright punks, I say! In return, I usually just tell them that I´m superior because I come from the best country on Earth. I also refer to one of them, Junior, as my "irmão preto," which just means "black brother." In return, I am his "irmão branco" or "white brother."<br /><br />As I´ve heard of some unusual happenings at my old school, Evergreen High School, let´s all remember to follow the example of our Savior, Jesus Christ, and show mercy for those in unfortunate circumstances and not judge them in an unrighteous way. At the same time, let´s remember that we can NEVER condone sin and must support the just punishments for certain actions. While it´s difficult to seperate the sin from the sinner, I believe that this ability is one of the highest marks of a true disciple of Jesus Christ.</div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">
Your friend,</div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">
Elder Carter David Morgan</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<iframe allowfullscreen='allowfullscreen' webkitallowfullscreen='webkitallowfullscreen' mozallowfullscreen='mozallowfullscreen' width='320' height='266' src='https://www.blogger.com/video.g?token=AD6v5dzMLtva5ytUEYo4YBoNaL9H9pgpYd-3uq_IE_IqI0B51ovyuXhLr7dsKJkstgA4bGBGpBpVEElxG9sT7uP3Mw' class='b-hbp-video b-uploaded' frameborder='0'></iframe></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">
<br /></div>
Kristyn Morganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14547091448290436347noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1814955646714815008.post-92143117623960970302015-01-12T14:21:00.001-08:002015-01-12T14:21:03.671-08:00Another week<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">Greetings from Osasco, SP! This week was good! Elder Guamangallo and I have been focusing on talking with EVERYONE! Since we live in a pretty big city, "everyone" can mean a lot of people. The mission has a goal that each companionship should talk with 20 different people each day and this week Elder Guamangallo and I talked with 100 people in one day! It was awesome!</span><br />
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">
We were able to teach a mother and her ten year-old daughter this week, which was awesome. You could really tell during the lesson that she just GOT IT. She was really interested in reading the Book of Mormon and has promised to come to church this week. She can´t be baptized yet because she´s living with her boyfriend and they´re not married, which is a huge problem in Brazil. But you know what´s crazy? Even though she´s been living with this guy for ten years, out of the blue they decided to go ahead and actually get married about a week before we met them! They´ve already set a date at the courthouse and everything! I took this as a big sign that God has been preparing them to meet with us.</div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">
It´s been absolutely pouring everyday here, which is good fun. The good news is that it only usually lasts for two hours or so each day. The bad news is that you can NEVER TELL WHEN IT WILL HAPPEN. It´s like a flash flood everyday!</div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">
That´s about it! Thanks for the prayers!<br /><br />Your friend,<br />Elder Morgan</div>
Kristyn Morganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14547091448290436347noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1814955646714815008.post-28263053649548008002015-01-08T23:24:00.000-08:002015-01-08T23:24:19.992-08:00Happy New Years!<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">Happy 2015, everyone! While the holidays were great, São Paulo gets a little deserted during this part of the year and the only people left on the streets are the drunks, haha. The whole mission is excited for things to get a little bit back to normal, haha.</span><br />
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">
We contacted an address that we had picked up earlier this week in an apartment complex. We got buzzed in just fine but when we got to the apartment we found out it was the wrong guy! I guess there was some sort of confusion with addresses, but this new guy, Osmar, was super cool and we were able to teach him about the Restoration. He was super interested and it was a great lesson, but his work schedule is pretty crazy so it´ll be a longer road with him.</div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">
We´re trying hard to work with the members of the ward down here, particularly the Priests. We´re starting to do a lot of exchanges with them so they can get a feel of missionary work. I wish I had done things like that before my mission.</div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">
As a mission we have permission to watch the Disney movie Malificent today. I´m super excited! I bought a copy from a vendor on the street for a buck today! It´s probably totally illegal, but I love Brazil!</div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">
That´s about it for this week! New Years is a great time to look towards the future and think about how we can move forward in our lives with the Savior. The Church made a great video about this which I´ve included at the bottom. It´s based off a much larger Elder Holland BYU devotional, which everyone should read if they have the time.</div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">
Video: <a href="https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lrZij9MSTRI">https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=lrZij9MSTRI</a></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">
Devotional: <a href="https://www.lds.org/liahona/2010/01/the-best-is-yet-to-be?lang=eng">https://www.lds.org/liahona/2010/01/the-best-is-yet-to-be?lang=eng</a></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">
Your friend,<br />Elder Morgan</div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">
Your friend,</div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">
Elder Morgan</div>
Kristyn Morganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14547091448290436347noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1814955646714815008.post-6998900447894907032014-12-22T15:24:00.001-08:002014-12-22T15:24:59.058-08:00Christmas<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">Greetings from Osasco, SP! We had a really good week down here! Elder Guamangallo and I opened the area and it´s been a lot of building, but this week we´ve seen the Lord bless us and our hard work pay off. Here´s some of the cool stuff that happened this week:</span><br />
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">
First off, we had an AWESOME mission Christmas party! It was at the church owned camp in Caucaia, sort of the country of São Paulo, and it was beautiful. At the party I got to see my original MTC district again, this time a year and a half later. The ban on soccer was also lifted for a couple hours which made a lot of elders really happy. We also presented our skit as a zone and it went great! That was a lot of fun, although acting is a lot harder in Portuguese, haha.</div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">
Elder Guamangallo and I found a family this week! They live on a street close to our house and as we were walking to begin our work for the day we struck up a conversation with the mom who invited us in to teach her, her husband, and her two teenage children. They´ve all agreed to be baptized, which is awesome! We have another appointment with them tomorrow and we´re hoping everything works out great.</div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">
We also taught a man named Marco, a referral from the orchestra concert at the church. He´s in his fifties and has a young family and is totally open to anything about Christ. We taught him about the Restoration and left a Book of Mormon, which he agreed to read with care. We invited him to church and he said he would definitely come, as long as nothing came up at the last minute. We agreed to call him an hour before church but when we tried to we found out that we had the wrong number! We were a little worried so we said a prayer as a companionship and asked God that he would remind Marco of the commitment he made to go to church. When we got to church he wasn´t there, which was disappointing. I went to use the bathroom and when I came back guess who my companion was talking with in the chapel? That´s right, Marco! It was awesome! The sacrament meeting was absolutely great, all about the Atonement, and Marco really enjoyed it. He even read the Book of Mormon passage we left with him! We´re excited for him!</div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">
That´s about it for this week. Keep the faith!</div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">
Your friend,</div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">
Elder Carter David Morgan</div>
Kristyn Morganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14547091448290436347noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1814955646714815008.post-21825452220424297502014-12-09T08:44:00.002-08:002014-12-09T08:44:50.512-08:00Chicken Hearts and Testimony<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">Greetings from Osasco, SP! Things are going well down here in the beautiful land of jungles and smog and we had a lot of fun this week in the Novo Osasco B area. Here´s the down low:</span><br />
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">
After district meeting while we were waiting to do follow-up with our district leader, we started a foosball competition with the zone using the table that the church has. Elder Lopes, a missionary from Cape Verde, and I totally DOMINATED. Six games in a row, baby! I give him the credit, as I think foosball may be the national sport of Cape Verde. I have no information to base this claim off of, but I´m going to go with it.</div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">
I definitely ate a chicken heart this week. Wait, scratch that. I ate FOUR chicken hearts this week! I guess it´s kind of a delicacy here in Brazil. Why they eat chicken hearts, I do not know. It´s cheaper to buy lunch meat down here than chicken hearts, haha.</div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">
Had a great experience this week where we were working in one of the poorer parts of our area. An appointment had fallen through so we stopped to say a prayer and ask for direction on what we should do. We felt prompted to continue a bit further into the neighborhood and walked until we hit a dead end. There we met a family, introduced ourselves as servants of Jesus Christ, and were able to pick up a lot of investigators because of it! You never know how the Lord is preparing his children to hear the Gospel.</div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">
We had Elder W. Rodriguez´s birthday party this week at a member´s home. It was pretty awesome, mostly because I got to drink Guarana and eat cake with Kit Kat bars.</div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">
That´s about it for this week. Keep the faith!<br /><br />Your friend,</div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">
Elder Carter David Morgan</div>
Kristyn Morganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14547091448290436347noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1814955646714815008.post-63813645420893223932014-12-02T18:54:00.001-08:002014-12-02T18:54:28.434-08:00<span style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">Merry December, from Elder Morgan! I´ll admit, I´m a little homesick for the cold December weather of home, seeing as we´re about to head into summer down here. But that doesn´t change the fact that the work is good and we´re having lots of fun!</span><br />
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">
To start off, it rained A TON this past week. Like, a ton. The first time we camped out under a gas station for an hour or so just waiting for it to pass because it was coming down in sheets. Elder Guamangallo and I have a knack for carrying around our umbrellas all day on the days it DOESN´T rain, and then not bringing them the days it does. We´re not very good at predicting the weather apparently, haha.</div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGOhRF2QmanjIoeK7mONTYCUgDZsnzq9oFBWLha5wpODCVxFSPKW3BMmhVGB3JuS0_lfwic0AZQNoMdnxeKlpjvI5QyhKvXTOBosX2ZCoxSWLEO5TbEr1ToalU8ca6lIE0G95SBGZXpF4/s1600/Carter+in+the+rain.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhGOhRF2QmanjIoeK7mONTYCUgDZsnzq9oFBWLha5wpODCVxFSPKW3BMmhVGB3JuS0_lfwic0AZQNoMdnxeKlpjvI5QyhKvXTOBosX2ZCoxSWLEO5TbEr1ToalU8ca6lIE0G95SBGZXpF4/s1600/Carter+in+the+rain.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
(Me waiting in the rain)</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFLcU8pK-O0NXNLHmq-cSeo_jwpPcFgdEdlgiJvNmb4tXKE5NScdrjOa14r3bv1qNftpGh7SIdN268ke3sGBRMfY6SUgjszW45pZd2Hpm7lrvOV247OLBKIjxTko5XcSMxCnfHemT6uhU/s1600/car+in+the+rain.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgFLcU8pK-O0NXNLHmq-cSeo_jwpPcFgdEdlgiJvNmb4tXKE5NScdrjOa14r3bv1qNftpGh7SIdN268ke3sGBRMfY6SUgjszW45pZd2Hpm7lrvOV247OLBKIjxTko5XcSMxCnfHemT6uhU/s1600/car+in+the+rain.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
(This shows you how crazy the rain is here)</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">
We also had our zone conference this week, which was fun. It´s always great to hear from the Mission President. President Del Guerso is a great guy and his words were very inspiring. He talked about how we shouldn´t judge others becaue everyone is at a different moment of spirituality in their lives, and even though we may be at a high point there might be others that are at a low. It definitely made me think. We also got to watch the Pixar short, "One Man Band," which is hilarious.</div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">
Also at zone conference I got to see some of my old friends. I´ve included pictures of Sister Culp and I, both trying to do sporty things. As you can see, we don´t know a lot about sports.</div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfsYlmQB3htF44Zjjd0UT9DDK3VzIJ2TTYXJOAQeDpykdMuTPTSRK9-Y80XWOHQYnPxs4QCkOZdeCyE5vyEp3RYSNf_jWqBW5wbRgGHFI5jePhbJACsAKxAgniSduhVp-smgG5oF3z5r8/s1600/Sporty+things.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgfsYlmQB3htF44Zjjd0UT9DDK3VzIJ2TTYXJOAQeDpykdMuTPTSRK9-Y80XWOHQYnPxs4QCkOZdeCyE5vyEp3RYSNf_jWqBW5wbRgGHFI5jePhbJACsAKxAgniSduhVp-smgG5oF3z5r8/s1600/Sporty+things.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">
The Portuguese is coming along well and I rarely feel totally lost anymore, but by some weird stroke of luck all of my church leaders have the WEIRDEST accents. My bishop, ward mission leader, and mission president all sound like they came from Mars, not Brazil. It´s always fun in coordination meetings, especially because our ward mission leader likes to speak English with me, but quite frankly I can´t tell what language he´s speaking at all. "What, Irmão Adão? Are you speaking English or Portuguese?" Good times, good times.</div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">
During lunches with our ward members, Elder W. Rodriguez constantly introduces my companion as a Peruvian, even though he´s from Ecuador. Not sure what that´s about, but I think it´s pretty dang funny.</div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">
My nickname of "Captain" from California has continued in Brazil, only this time I´m "Cápitan America." It´s pretty sick. I got this nickname mostly because I like to give the other elders a hard time by pointing at random objects such as cups, floors, pencils, or the sky, and saying, "You know who invented that? An American."</div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">
Okay, weird story of the week. While contacting a potential investigator a woman that we didn´t recognize came out of the neighboring house. We asked her about her neighbor and she gave us some information. She then saw our nametags and asked if we were men of God. When we told her that we most certainly were she hugged me, kissed me on the cheek, and then did the same to my companion, all while we stood as stiff as a board. She then began weeping, put a cross keychain in my shirt pocket, and went back inside, praising God. Not sure what that was about, but hopefully it helped her.</div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8RYvDG-VZHDEGsOvbPU_PVPYHm1C5x1Xxbdk20suC8ocU-nP9YuXofQNtGx0iA4OhuLdJqV46BmVyspu5JeOr5Smh_OGgAQXjfX4BAO4KPj-UOCVQKrJyse-jxFwweu9-9BuW_33_vqM/s1600/companion+and+carter.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh8RYvDG-VZHDEGsOvbPU_PVPYHm1C5x1Xxbdk20suC8ocU-nP9YuXofQNtGx0iA4OhuLdJqV46BmVyspu5JeOr5Smh_OGgAQXjfX4BAO4KPj-UOCVQKrJyse-jxFwweu9-9BuW_33_vqM/s1600/companion+and+carter.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">
Things about Brazil:</div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">
- Stroganaff is, like, the king of all meals here in Brazil. Everyone loves it, and I must admit that it´s pretty dang good.</div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">
- Brazilians think that McDonald´s is LEGIT. Like, straight up fancy. It´s considered high class.</div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">
- Snow is fascinating to Brazilians. My roommates were legitimately shocked when I told them that, yes, I had indeed seen snow in my life.</div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">
That´s about it for me. Thanks!<br /><br />Your friend,</div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">
Elder Carter David Morgan</div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">
- Beijo e braco</div>
Kristyn Morganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14547091448290436347noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1814955646714815008.post-41312987961492811802014-11-24T16:05:00.003-08:002014-11-24T20:38:11.638-08:00<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">
Greetings from São Paulo, Brazil! This past week has been fun and I'm acclamating to Brazil. I was able to see three members of my original MTC district, which was nice. It was good being able to catch up with them after a year apart in the states.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3fn7CBdxDcO-ke77Jp5JN4HvuPEjzMfR0ExXvuRU1NA5P6mSyby31OAQitmSPWJynz1_vWR8Ihp8axemOQLx-_8YsmBGbBqBEqqr-eI26xsBwe-3RgUzd_RY0MPFutkxWImIeUfHUFMs/s1600/Elder+Thomas:11:3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj3fn7CBdxDcO-ke77Jp5JN4HvuPEjzMfR0ExXvuRU1NA5P6mSyby31OAQitmSPWJynz1_vWR8Ihp8axemOQLx-_8YsmBGbBqBEqqr-eI26xsBwe-3RgUzd_RY0MPFutkxWImIeUfHUFMs/s1600/Elder+Thomas:11:3.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivK2HfjaJJRcHazcFDrjY5cDxdkChZIqlLoWDgkCF_VOJSvfca0M2NTcrUoClA1ZOnRsmgmcdBMqVxcbo2lURjznERFsS231dqcBtMXcJlsGX4Mk258oo9MLNWPIxxJZFuX2alV4IBa-g/s1600/nissinen.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEivK2HfjaJJRcHazcFDrjY5cDxdkChZIqlLoWDgkCF_VOJSvfca0M2NTcrUoClA1ZOnRsmgmcdBMqVxcbo2lURjznERFsS231dqcBtMXcJlsGX4Mk258oo9MLNWPIxxJZFuX2alV4IBa-g/s1600/nissinen.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">
Went to one of the Mission Councils this week. There I saw Elder Nissinen and Elder Jacobsen, two of my friends that were serving in Rancho Cucamonga with me. We ate lunch together and had a good time laughing and reminiscing about the good ol' days of California.</div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">
I gave a talk at the meeting for new missionaries this week. I attended because my companions were giving a training. The talk went as well as you could expect a talk given by some with one week of Portuguese would go, haha. But it was cool because at that meeting I ran into my very first companion in the Provo MTC, Elder Thomas. It was good to catch up with him.</div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">
I did exchanges with one of the Assitants, Elder Sales, and we worked all day in a Brazillian favela, which was good fun. The people here have very open hearts, especially when it comes to the Gospel. The people were very hospitable and kind to us.</div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1wQ9Ux1i3ar6K5andEsG_WFIp9PW4Z-8mzIfqW98vWj2E-pJOqHfABFCyTt8ku4PRVzaMS8U7x1N80X65wHh1ko9BGcpd0jWsm2NrwbhpJN-Eep2lwidmvnqHftrgwEOCP-WKBhXASY0/s1600/favela.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg1wQ9Ux1i3ar6K5andEsG_WFIp9PW4Z-8mzIfqW98vWj2E-pJOqHfABFCyTt8ku4PRVzaMS8U7x1N80X65wHh1ko9BGcpd0jWsm2NrwbhpJN-Eep2lwidmvnqHftrgwEOCP-WKBhXASY0/s1600/favela.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv19ZnbcTloxiQMs3WNpsP1QN3sGfA8NUP3IrEDXWO2EZeLkuWFAbzihqhDyZFnRvm8enuNPExQqetHP8XCPOJpnszMNWGZU1zYittZWlxmtGwuniW601bjyno_HEhY34PxM8gg8i1_uY/s1600/Sister+Culp:11:3.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEhv19ZnbcTloxiQMs3WNpsP1QN3sGfA8NUP3IrEDXWO2EZeLkuWFAbzihqhDyZFnRvm8enuNPExQqetHP8XCPOJpnszMNWGZU1zYittZWlxmtGwuniW601bjyno_HEhY34PxM8gg8i1_uY/s1600/Sister+Culp:11:3.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">
Yesterday was my birthday and I spent it in the hospital, haha. While working in the favela I got bitten by some weird sort of mosquito and had an allergic reaction to it. I was covered in TONS of red spots for a day or two, which I thought were just normal mosquito bites at first. But then I noticed that I kept getting lumps without mosquitos so we left church early and went to the hospital, which is fortunately in our area. The doctors informed me that it was nothing serious and that after a few shots and pills that I'd be completely fine. The medicine made me super sleepy though and the doctor said I had to rest for the day, so in the end I got what every missionary wants for their birthday, a seven hour nap! It was pretty awesome.</div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM3IF5reSCrog4oFVL_N2JMZeSEMKW8x5pt9UcexUz-NpfHqu8veGkdCNXFWauXygeflWqG-_vzRLnJT9Tkv2z-CMGeN2Do69misNbA70O01J77tpIDwyCwfF4zlmfNQccgpWjVd7bSsU/s1600/bday+11:17.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiM3IF5reSCrog4oFVL_N2JMZeSEMKW8x5pt9UcexUz-NpfHqu8veGkdCNXFWauXygeflWqG-_vzRLnJT9Tkv2z-CMGeN2Do69misNbA70O01J77tpIDwyCwfF4zlmfNQccgpWjVd7bSsU/s1600/bday+11:17.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">
That's about if for this week! Até mais!</div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">
Seu amigo,</div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">
Elder Morgan</div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">
November 10, 2014</div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">
I'm leaving the office tomorrow to open a new area in the city of Osasco! I'm excited! The office has been fun, but it's time for me to spread my wings and fly. I'll be living in a house with two other Brazilians and my companion, who's from Ecuador. I'll be the only American so my Portuguese is going to get really good, haha.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Had to speak English a couple times this week because of Americans that came into the mission office. We only have one other American here and he's kind of forgotten how to speak English. It's pretty funny, haha.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Thing about Brazil:</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
- Dryers aren't really a thing down here. Clothes lines for us!</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I don't have a ton of time to write today. The church is true, the book is azul! Dang it, that doesn't have the same ring to it in Portuguese.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Ate mais!<br />
<br />
Your friend,<br />
Elder Carter David Morgan</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
November 17, 2014</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Greetings from Osasco, São Paulo! Elder Guamangallo and I arrived in the new Novo Osasco B area this Tuesday and have been working hard ever since! Opening a new area has definitely been interesting, but Elder Guamangallo has served around her before and knows a little bit about the layout of the streets, so that combined with our trusty map and the natural sense of direction I have that comes from my slight resemblance of a Native American has really helped us out a lot.<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Elder Guamangallo is pretty sick. He has roughly the same time on his mission as me and is a super tall, super chill Ecuadorian. Also, absolutely no one in Brazil can pronounce his name. I´ve looked up all the Portuguese words that begin with "gua" and have begun introducing him as various objects during contacts. It´s pretty fun.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibmIiuFRYKXixTB9Q9ndkPFfYzZdgZTCaOBNbO_abMjoGE1jRwO6ilSsL5aABJpynj-5XOonwTiGCrNjA-rsC9onJMgJPDvLAIUGMkZDCJdXkVog_yLKb__v_CEKPui8yPNuZD84JputM/s1600/people+11:17.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEibmIiuFRYKXixTB9Q9ndkPFfYzZdgZTCaOBNbO_abMjoGE1jRwO6ilSsL5aABJpynj-5XOonwTiGCrNjA-rsC9onJMgJPDvLAIUGMkZDCJdXkVog_yLKb__v_CEKPui8yPNuZD84JputM/s1600/people+11:17.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiihF9AY_odj4FVXX53mNwmaYtInOG7ojNtlR0cDAChEpBJI93P9gfixEJJxz_wqQWhJOQIE_lOU-Dct62R61Vn9OFPjOc-6-T0Ek7VQ7JG1iDkrKlLVdDNLR9pnf2ll9TLgQejUCogRS8/s1600/room+11:17.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiihF9AY_odj4FVXX53mNwmaYtInOG7ojNtlR0cDAChEpBJI93P9gfixEJJxz_wqQWhJOQIE_lOU-Dct62R61Vn9OFPjOc-6-T0Ek7VQ7JG1iDkrKlLVdDNLR9pnf2ll9TLgQejUCogRS8/s1600/room+11:17.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
My companion: Elder G. </div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiythz1YOtzcBz2kBNHvzMedPLEaws_shOV2pbppzxuAeQWHd9RVBtgaIHewTNaxLQPy1TFmqX2i0eOIn_7AWF33n0KXHLrP6Q_Q8vasxt-fhWeCPUU04u-I0XEd6PkgKMFVeFNnAKsUGE/s1600/Ososcoa+11:17.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiythz1YOtzcBz2kBNHvzMedPLEaws_shOV2pbppzxuAeQWHd9RVBtgaIHewTNaxLQPy1TFmqX2i0eOIn_7AWF33n0KXHLrP6Q_Q8vasxt-fhWeCPUU04u-I0XEd6PkgKMFVeFNnAKsUGE/s1600/Ososcoa+11:17.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Me standing awkwardly in Osasco</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div>
We arrived in the Novo Osasco B area to discover that we´re rooming in an apartment the size of a shoebox with two other elders and one bathroom. Four elders. One bathroom. The mornings are always interesting, but good. I´m a regular speed demon when it comes to the shower now.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
In my move from the office to Osasco I accidentally left my sandals, so I had to bust out the white temple slippers and wear those around the house. They look pretty sick. But you may be asking yourself, "Elder Morgan, what do you do when you´re in the shower?" Well folks, that´s what grocery bags tied around your feet are for. Brazil has only upped my level of class.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Since we opened an area, we didn´t really have any investigators. Like, at all. But we found a lot this week! Among them are a woman named Silva, who´s Catholic and deals with a lot of health issues but we had a great lesson about the Book of Mormon and we should be meeting with her again tonight.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
It started POURING one day this week and we didn´t have our umbrellas so we asked the owner of a small shop if we could stay there for a bit. Brazilians are super nice and she said yes and we talked a bit about the Bible and some of her favorite scriptures. We talked about how we have another testament of Jesus Christ, the Book of Mormon, and left her with a copy and a return appointment. She was a pleasant woman and hopefully we see some progress there.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
It turns out I´m the first American missionary in the Novo Osasco ward in about a year, so the ward´s pretty excited. It´s funny to hear some of the members try to speak English with me, because quite frankly I can understand their Portuguese better than their English, haha.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I´ve been getting a lot of questions about food. The food here is really good. Meat, beans, potatoes, rice. Pretty much that. Quite frankly, I had more sketchy meals in the states. Things like "It´s an organic chicken-spinach combination without the chicken! Instead it´s been replaced with tofu!" What the heck, people? We could all learn a little from these Brazilians down here. Also, lunch is the main meal and we have it with members and they feed you a ton, so you don´t really have to have dinner. You just stuff yourself at lunch and work the rest of the day. A big money and time saver.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Things about Brazil:</div>
<div>
- There´s about one millions dogs that roam the streets of São Paulo. They are homeless and I want to help all of them. However, they will bite you if you try to pet them. I may or may not know this by experience. My dream is to figure out a way to charm the dogs, become their leader, and be followed around the streets by twenty loyal attack dogs.</div>
<div>
- My first name, Carter, is INCREDIBLY strange to Brazilians. Like, they´ve never heard it before, can´t even begin to think how you´d spell it, and I have to repeat it several times before it registers with them. It´s pretty funny.</div>
<div>
- Brazilian juice? SUPER good. We get it with every meal.</div>
<div>
- Guarana, the soda, is the In N´ Out of Brazil. At first you have it and think, "Why on Earth does everyone love this so much? It´s not that good." Then you have it a few more times and realize that it´s the nectar of the Gods.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaLpLwYfj8Xqt6sp2affmxxgeWAP_VcGUD4rZ8aaII2F9d5f3x6nqERomD6DquvjQnPL4DdwjwcYCSoNCwCErEd5BuOSCBTcyLTFtUsVBXXrI0MijLfK3YCHU36HSepM-zODTrUimzvdg/s1600/Natives+11:17.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgaLpLwYfj8Xqt6sp2affmxxgeWAP_VcGUD4rZ8aaII2F9d5f3x6nqERomD6DquvjQnPL4DdwjwcYCSoNCwCErEd5BuOSCBTcyLTFtUsVBXXrI0MijLfK3YCHU36HSepM-zODTrUimzvdg/s1600/Natives+11:17.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
That´s out it for this week. Thanks for the prayers, I certainly need them!</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Your friend,</div>
<div>
Elder Carter David Morgan</div>
</div>
</div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">
November 24, 2014</div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">
Greetings from Osasco, SP! Another good week down here in the land of Guarana and chocolate pizza. We had the ward primary program this week, which was good fun. The missionaries were invited to sing the "We are as the army of Helaman" song, which was good fun. What was not good fun was the fact that I don´t have the words memorized in Portuguese so my wardmate had to frantically scribble them into my planner so I wouldn´t look like a total idiot, haha. Everything worked out in the end, though.</div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinbftJHNC9XsQAS0zYHmmVn0mC8rFMMRGshNONfPjMMPn3rfSknQRWYfkyyGCJTvt_Wn16XVsfp3PHDJU_Tmz7Odg1Pxr4DrTVOE-H4iWVNlZXmLd1g4z0qq0i1Om0PeF5JV8MWBBKs6E/s1600/comps+11:24.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEinbftJHNC9XsQAS0zYHmmVn0mC8rFMMRGshNONfPjMMPn3rfSknQRWYfkyyGCJTvt_Wn16XVsfp3PHDJU_Tmz7Odg1Pxr4DrTVOE-H4iWVNlZXmLd1g4z0qq0i1Om0PeF5JV8MWBBKs6E/s1600/comps+11:24.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTCOQPrxLbKMwYACS1GdGrsAC5LPtOv9waodYt8_U66ZrUdt4ltTAFJk8b077a0p4Wq9b-Jc14jqJRBWaqiKHsDcyXJS3ckMwaZ9wadkdH2pXsrFDWQ2StY_mVpZxBq1vkDVLVqOkU7xs/s1600/Ososco+11:24.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjTCOQPrxLbKMwYACS1GdGrsAC5LPtOv9waodYt8_U66ZrUdt4ltTAFJk8b077a0p4Wq9b-Jc14jqJRBWaqiKHsDcyXJS3ckMwaZ9wadkdH2pXsrFDWQ2StY_mVpZxBq1vkDVLVqOkU7xs/s1600/Ososco+11:24.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">
<br />
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Our zone is preparing a skit for the upcoming Mission Christmas party. The skit is Lehi hosting a dinner for various characters throughout the scriptures. I play Mormon, and I have the killer line (made my yours truly) of looking at the dishes on the table, acting indignant, and saying "Sorry, I only use golden plates." Buh dum, kish.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-28SAxGgjJEK30ExofFr2qovhMZT5ob4m-5cB1S4w6nKmyoK44R8-2l2yaWaFEzVbUbzJZGVipE-p-LA8WlZw_3-N13zzCi3dkNxxtyiwICUanXnGqjd8cLTgQkw2QK3q1z7m-IgJH5Y/s1600/warriors+11:24.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEi-28SAxGgjJEK30ExofFr2qovhMZT5ob4m-5cB1S4w6nKmyoK44R8-2l2yaWaFEzVbUbzJZGVipE-p-LA8WlZw_3-N13zzCi3dkNxxtyiwICUanXnGqjd8cLTgQkw2QK3q1z7m-IgJH5Y/s1600/warriors+11:24.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Apparently all Brazilians think that all Americans are rich and beautiful. So you can imagine their disappointment when I showed up instead, haha. I was told by a member that my accent doesn´t seem American, but rather Russian, whatever that´s supposed to mean. My companion also said that I don´t look American, but European. I asked him what he thought Americans look like and he said "Red hair, blue eyes." These people have a lot to learn about America, haha.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
I was reunited with my flip flops this week, so I don´t have to use my temple slippers anymore, a welcome change.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
There are visa-waiters here too, but they´re Brazilians who are waiting on visas to Angola. We are a mighty and proud people. We cannot be surpressed!</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
The ward had a baptism this week! It was an older, blind woman and it was really cool! She´s the relative of an active member and she was so sweet and grateful for the ordinance.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
We taught an investigator this week who said that he KNOWS that we´re sent from God because we speak unusually well Portuguese for the time we´ve both been in Brazil. The gift of tongues is certainly real and it was nice to see it used as a testament of our sacred calling.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
<div>
Things about Brazil:</div>
<div>
- You know how everyone and their dog told me in the United States that I looked like Jacob Black? Well, Twilight´s not as popular here so now the new thing is that everyone asks me if I´m related to J.P. Morgan. Also, my zone leader looks EXACTLY like Edward from Twilight. I´ll have to get a picture.</div>
<div>
- Milk comes in boxes here, not jugs. This is actually kind of nice, because it keeps for a lot longer and you don´t have to refrigerate it until a day or two before you use it. This way you don´t have to buy a whole other fridge just for milk coughcouchMorganscoughcough.</div>
<div>
- In case you haven´t already tried it, put maple syrup on your ice cream. It´s a thing down here and it´s sooooo good.</div>
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
That´s about it for this week! Keep the faith!</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Your friend,<br />
Carter David Morgan</div>
</div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; font-size: 12px;">
<br /></div>
Kristyn Morganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14547091448290436347noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1814955646714815008.post-37030759821963884182014-10-27T16:59:00.001-07:002014-10-27T16:59:28.575-07:00Brazil's Just a LITTLE Different than CA...<div style="font-family: Helvetica; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;">
Greetings from São Paulo, Brazil! It's been an interesting week, trying to get situated to everything. Brazil's just a LITTLE different from Southern California. Lots of walking, lots of rain this week. Stuff like that.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYn0epaAIzEJYh0pWTFu51slL-3bfc8jwWnNXsbpn-uRu8kThqYWq41aL7ueSGXWGGlTY_ZpIk1BluMhxwrMtZA90oCefhigrz-1H0NlLHzV1yG7KFb0v2VS1xtwaBl4G1bC2RvuOkhRw/s1600/carter:sao+paulo.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjYn0epaAIzEJYh0pWTFu51slL-3bfc8jwWnNXsbpn-uRu8kThqYWq41aL7ueSGXWGGlTY_ZpIk1BluMhxwrMtZA90oCefhigrz-1H0NlLHzV1yG7KFb0v2VS1xtwaBl4G1bC2RvuOkhRw/s1600/carter:sao+paulo.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9dhR-tPq9K0DGmDt07bSD8DeS1H5MW9gScK9OH7-2sDefSO6osfkVMshOY974pN-gYCzT0GaXkMjr6aNOLUjRctrArtVph5qypTE8LIkjc0w3cJ4EpZhpcJLqtZSXlLpNXVKA9Bm9yRY/s1600/park.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEh9dhR-tPq9K0DGmDt07bSD8DeS1H5MW9gScK9OH7-2sDefSO6osfkVMshOY974pN-gYCzT0GaXkMjr6aNOLUjRctrArtVph5qypTE8LIkjc0w3cJ4EpZhpcJLqtZSXlLpNXVKA9Bm9yRY/s1600/park.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;">
I spend a lot of time in the office working with the referrals as of right now. Now you may ask, "Elder Morgan, what's the most difficult part of working in an office in a different country? The new language? The culture shock? The strange keyboards?" Nope, none of those. It's deciphering the dang handwriting of all these referrals! People call in with their referrals and the secretaries write the information down, but sometimes it's like trying to read ancient Egyptian! I think I've got the hang of it now, but every now and again I'll run into a symbol that could potentially be 18 different letters and 6 different numbers at the same time.</div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;">
Oh, another weird thing about working with the referrals. Now that the office has a secretary exclusively for referrals it's my job to write everything down when missionaries call about people to teach. But if you've ever learned a foreign language then you'll know that talking on the phone is super difficult, haha. It's pretty funny, people will call and we'll talk in Portuguese and I have to say, "Repeat, please" a million times. People will ask, "Who is this?" And I'll say, "Elder Morgan, the referral secretary." And they'll ask, "How long have you been in Brazil?" And I'll proudly reply, "Three days!"</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixyOZZDcsWrw75_lQYjOto0EHjjSiGS2XGz2-5BWeH0aCEETxA0neFswTlKNJffeoL-_w-J6at3lFdw-159_6xZEJycxYjgS8AFHDZ3WA2H4YCGremLyWXSuGrnUEcj_7T9RMwwhUjwno/s1600/companions:dinner.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEixyOZZDcsWrw75_lQYjOto0EHjjSiGS2XGz2-5BWeH0aCEETxA0neFswTlKNJffeoL-_w-J6at3lFdw-159_6xZEJycxYjgS8AFHDZ3WA2H4YCGremLyWXSuGrnUEcj_7T9RMwwhUjwno/s1600/companions:dinner.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;">
We had a few investigators attend sacrament meeting, which was nice. One was named Josepi and he's really cool. He's an older gentleman and is trying really hard to quit smoking. He asked us to take his cigarettes from him so he won't be tempted, so we did. I have to say, it felt weird walking through the streets of Brazil with a pack of cigarettes in my pocket, haha.</div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;">
<br /></div>
<span style="font-family: Helvetica; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;">Things about Brazil:</span><br style="font-family: Helvetica; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;" /><br />
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;">
- Sao Paulo pizza is DANG good. Like, amazing. It's a lot different than American pizza, but still really good. They don't use red sauce, and you can get the crust filled with chocolate. You'd think it'd be gross, but it's actually super good.</div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxAUPiJcLyealhB7FNzXf2yNBNOqD9jvapv8Y3BHGCuUCZknwouaV4nNQsSFKj9fQo1uVKfAx7vyxoGpm9o3wlv49vsbur7VzZdMQw1O2HWvVWyxSrL0huEjYlCEfjUA9Q7L3AvT19z_Y/s1600/chocolate+pizza.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEjxAUPiJcLyealhB7FNzXf2yNBNOqD9jvapv8Y3BHGCuUCZknwouaV4nNQsSFKj9fQo1uVKfAx7vyxoGpm9o3wlv49vsbur7VzZdMQw1O2HWvVWyxSrL0huEjYlCEfjUA9Q7L3AvT19z_Y/s1600/chocolate+pizza.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;">
- You can't throw the toilet paper in the toilet. It has to go in the trash basket. Weird.</div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;">
- In lots of places if you ask for water they'll ask you if you want it chilled or at room temperature. Why anyone would ask for room temperature water is beyond me.</div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;">
- The President of Brazil is running for re-election and her logo looks a lot like the Chick-Fil-A logo. Every time I see it I get hungry.</div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;">
That's about it for this week. Até mais!</div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;">
Your friend,<br />Elder Carter David Morgan</div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT96c97UlAhRbVVWVdMdaPSn7tVtWxUGqTmZ2cm_KR4Eioj50K_r9_9z7c8L57n-lHaR7RFcL5-QLmave5m9iG3YLAsBc7BJPmre8HnP77lu4faY-lUo8CIOodU5NVlkxkr4iD1J5WpEQ/s1600/dead+cat.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEiT96c97UlAhRbVVWVdMdaPSn7tVtWxUGqTmZ2cm_KR4Eioj50K_r9_9z7c8L57n-lHaR7RFcL5-QLmave5m9iG3YLAsBc7BJPmre8HnP77lu4faY-lUo8CIOodU5NVlkxkr4iD1J5WpEQ/s1600/dead+cat.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; orphans: 2; text-align: center; widows: 2;">
(Once again I can't figure out how to turn this picture--but as Carter says, "this isn't for the weak stomached or cat lovers--I found a completely squashed cat on the road! Kid still has his sense of humor, that's for sure…)</div>
Kristyn Morganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14547091448290436347noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1814955646714815008.post-72758455761014774432014-10-22T09:57:00.001-07:002014-10-22T09:57:42.134-07:00Greetings From Brazil!<span style="font-family: Helvetica; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;">Greetings one and all from the Sao Paulo Brazil West mission! That's right, after over a year of waiting, the day has finally arrived. I'm actually in the mission of my original call. It's been both exciting and and overwhelming. I have to say, I miss the California sun. It's currently overcast and a little rainy down here in Sao Paulo. It feels like home, except everyone is a shade of brown and they all speak Portuguese. So, in reality, it's not really like home at all, haha.</span><br />
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtnli6k1i-KPasOiLpMbQqTQacVrLjTmFSqvmerJmmkm_X1TB-NQCktWmoO6RU5teubFSLXH4WDfHhkUwUiSoHHPLD8_EBCGc1PbMdCaUCde_pO362hMxsU5uKBgsyhuHw_L7LYkahWTk/s1600/Sao+Paulo+at+night.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgtnli6k1i-KPasOiLpMbQqTQacVrLjTmFSqvmerJmmkm_X1TB-NQCktWmoO6RU5teubFSLXH4WDfHhkUwUiSoHHPLD8_EBCGc1PbMdCaUCde_pO362hMxsU5uKBgsyhuHw_L7LYkahWTk/s1600/Sao+Paulo+at+night.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;">
My brief stay at the Brazil CTM was really good. The program they've designed especially for visa-waiters is really good. We were treated really well and not like new missionaries, which was good.</div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj06jJr8qkSsAbJWXX_hdfVacYBeOOtBYjo1kzivjhlw0YFka6O82zdpsEhPJFQnXoKZ6kmjfuckcINn6T-mF6zBmW1GVBqEPVLM7mKmkSXD31OHHDvCCebCUZKolbvVXpO1cgO7kDMdJs/s1600/CTM+District.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEj06jJr8qkSsAbJWXX_hdfVacYBeOOtBYjo1kzivjhlw0YFka6O82zdpsEhPJFQnXoKZ6kmjfuckcINn6T-mF6zBmW1GVBqEPVLM7mKmkSXD31OHHDvCCebCUZKolbvVXpO1cgO7kDMdJs/s1600/CTM+District.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;">
I left the CTM in a taxi this morning and arrived at the Sao Paulo West mission office to find out that I've been recruited as one of the mission secretaries for the time being. What the heck? Apparently since I arrived in the middle of a transfer they had a little trouble figuring out where to put me and President Del Guerso said, "Why not keep him here in the office with the other secretaries?" So here I am. It looks like I'll be handling all the referrals for the mission. At first I was a little nervous, but I've been reassured that we won't be doing JUST desk work. We have our own area and ward and all those good things. So it looks like this next month will be interesting, haha.</div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;">
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
So it's my first day in Brazil and I already have five baptisms! Well, only if you're counting baptsisms for the dead, haha. Just got back from the Sao Paulo Temple. It's interesting attending the ceremonies in a different language, but the same Spirit is there. I had the privilege of baptizing another elder in behalf of five deceased ancestors. How wonderful it is to know that there is salvation offered to those who didn't have the chance in this life!</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2-TyjTAxYO_QsORraj1dxioLKJYslP50vOigqOgKAD1QZuIUE0yJbjFNn_RLaILottKXXd4Zm9n59sC4hI0hPbtIrewrE9n0kBQ9PehvwsCui5GdmAIxcnAU5JngPOfwsh6zDpiSh2B8/s1600/Campinas+temple.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg2-TyjTAxYO_QsORraj1dxioLKJYslP50vOigqOgKAD1QZuIUE0yJbjFNn_RLaILottKXXd4Zm9n59sC4hI0hPbtIrewrE9n0kBQ9PehvwsCui5GdmAIxcnAU5JngPOfwsh6zDpiSh2B8/s1600/Campinas+temple.jpg" height="320" width="240" /></a></div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
Things about Brazil:<br /></div>
<div>
- People down here often don't use the word "we" and its conjugations. They use the phrase "a gente" which means "the people" and then conjugate it in the voce form. It throws your ear for a loop.</div>
<div>
- Turns out that at this time of the year it's actually not that hot. Who knew?</div>
<div>
- People here are very touchy-feely. I'm just glad I got here in the MIDDLE of my mission where I've opened up a little more to that stuff, rather than the beginning of my mission where I didn't like human contact.</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
<div>
That's about it for this week. Keep the faith, folks! Wish me look!<br /></div>
<div>
Your friend,<br />Elder Carter David Morgan</div>
</div>
Kristyn Morganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14547091448290436347noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1814955646714815008.post-28993089077527620522014-10-07T22:40:00.004-07:002014-10-07T22:40:52.510-07:00Farewell California--Hello Brazil!<span style="font-family: Helvetica; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;">Greetings and farewell from Southern California. That's right, folks. After a long wait, Elder Morgan will be boarding the plane tomorrow for Sao Paulo, Brazil to begin his service in his original call. I'm super excited, although a little numb to it tat the moment. I don't think it's quite hit me what I'm about to get into, haha. I will say, though, today has been one of the most relaxing of my mission. After coming down the hill from Hesperia I got to say goodbye to a lot of my good friends at transfer meeting and then I've gotten to chill at the office all day without a companion. It feels nice to just rest for a bit. On top of that, I got to go out to eat with the Abitos, some members I'm really close with from Chino! It's been great!</span><br />
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;">
Things couldn't have ended better in my last area. We found three families to teach in one week and they're all doing super well. We had an awesome lesson with a woman named Marcy and her daughter and they took really well to the message of the Restoration! A lawyer from down the hill referred them to us and we were able with him and our bishop give her a priesthood blessing. She's fallen on hard times recently. I have high hopes for her.</div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;">
Our investigator, Lesley, continues to do well. She came to a session of General Conference and enjoyed it. She gets a little antsy sitting through long meetings so we were really proud of her for doing a whole session. She's progressing well and she told us she wants to be baptized soon! I'm excited for that.</div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;">
Met a man wandering through the desert yesterday. As we went to talk to him he flagged us down and yelled "Mormons!" and we had a good discussion. He was taught in Chino a while back and wanted to be taught again.</div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;">
The Porider family is still doing well. We brought our bishop to a lesson with them and the father took well to the message of the Restoration. He seemed really interested. My favorite thing about him is the fact that usually when we tell people that there's a prophet on the Earth they respond, "Oh, that's nice." Not this guy. He said, "Wait. You're telling me that there's a guy like Moses on the Earth today who speaks to God?" Yes sir, there is, and you can know for yourself. It was great to see him take such an interest.</div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;">
I'm sad to leave California but excited for Brazil. What a wonderful year it's been serving in this beautiful state. I look forward to many return trips with my family, kids, and grand kids one day. And oh, what a day it will be.</div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;">
Your friend,</div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;">
Elder Carter David Morgan </div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8zxsadiRLyNHB1U_dwOIOUVlNpqRpSQgfrAP8JMCZuVbZIdETj4qSF8ZH3hcvOPYdwYvzHjsBK5bop9ZvUAHY2bfhG1xIF8bn-bWxuTjE8nBCbWkKdRNU8E6ng6rNiKosW2y9J_V8tzo/s1600/1c.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEg8zxsadiRLyNHB1U_dwOIOUVlNpqRpSQgfrAP8JMCZuVbZIdETj4qSF8ZH3hcvOPYdwYvzHjsBK5bop9ZvUAHY2bfhG1xIF8bn-bWxuTjE8nBCbWkKdRNU8E6ng6rNiKosW2y9J_V8tzo/s1600/1c.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Me and Elder Brown</div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKVXm6_HmbIwd-7pC-YKBJ9d7llbDNrPJbiPQlpzT26Z4uMr4lJR5wUiMC2DKqY5UrrJZw9P4A-lAeJ8eB98ktYn-h39XL6S0-Q_ZPjlKpJPyHLamcbAIdUQIp9opbBpoqctIN-SOIL0Y/s1600/2c.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgKVXm6_HmbIwd-7pC-YKBJ9d7llbDNrPJbiPQlpzT26Z4uMr4lJR5wUiMC2DKqY5UrrJZw9P4A-lAeJ8eB98ktYn-h39XL6S0-Q_ZPjlKpJPyHLamcbAIdUQIp9opbBpoqctIN-SOIL0Y/s1600/2c.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
This is who I work for</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPftv81wmwg485On3I0NqWtl3UmqPnenzNXJ7isSxWpNtMed72aRs6abBB9d1dwnCsRMwRJehCNS0Np90vyrA4qwkShPlTHHtHQJ4FCYfrJ9ilUUB8JWZ_iRDXOW1czIChJa-QpDET7pA/s1600/4c.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgPftv81wmwg485On3I0NqWtl3UmqPnenzNXJ7isSxWpNtMed72aRs6abBB9d1dwnCsRMwRJehCNS0Np90vyrA4qwkShPlTHHtHQJ4FCYfrJ9ilUUB8JWZ_iRDXOW1czIChJa-QpDET7pA/s1600/4c.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<br />
<div style="text-align: center;">
Me and the Abitos (a super awesome family that takes care of me)</div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
<br /></div>
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUrPbUknE7as1ph4uaQIu-sdysiA6ckDGeDEAfWvixOrz1iJdyreOhlf4dhgPx6qdbHtTs8bQU4XafcFHIrQCBUhdfsnnTMnQAtda6TsXdNATvhjLQEPvEJOaKiW1o-XkAO9Pdr8encSI/s1600/5c.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgUrPbUknE7as1ph4uaQIu-sdysiA6ckDGeDEAfWvixOrz1iJdyreOhlf4dhgPx6qdbHtTs8bQU4XafcFHIrQCBUhdfsnnTMnQAtda6TsXdNATvhjLQEPvEJOaKiW1o-XkAO9Pdr8encSI/s1600/5c.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="text-align: center;">
Roommate Bonding</div>
<br />
<br />
<div class="separator" style="clear: both; text-align: center;">
<a href="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGaGxbPcSMeobjbnp0odEvvhE83bWSLFY_S26-qnOpnw1BmJ79RCXzuslHF_iuBWyYIfDDqcgEvfRdSEdCTlBSLwEbqZ43L7m7_fwgaW4lxyOR5yFY-id9LlNaF3FE5YdpHgKZ71DCy6A/s1600/3c.jpg" imageanchor="1" style="margin-left: 1em; margin-right: 1em;"><img border="0" src="https://blogger.googleusercontent.com/img/b/R29vZ2xl/AVvXsEgGaGxbPcSMeobjbnp0odEvvhE83bWSLFY_S26-qnOpnw1BmJ79RCXzuslHF_iuBWyYIfDDqcgEvfRdSEdCTlBSLwEbqZ43L7m7_fwgaW4lxyOR5yFY-id9LlNaF3FE5YdpHgKZ71DCy6A/s1600/3c.jpg" height="240" width="320" /></a></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; orphans: 2; text-align: center; widows: 2;">
My Awesome Desert Couch</div>
Kristyn Morganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14547091448290436347noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1814955646714815008.post-48003227118414643542014-09-14T21:48:00.001-07:002014-09-14T21:48:56.261-07:00The Gandalf Principle<br />
<div style="font-family: Helvetica;">
What a week it was, ladies and gentlemen! Prayers are definitely answered and miracles have not ceased! Let me give you a little background on what this area has been like for the past couple months:</div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica;">
This area used to have sister missionaries in it and they struggled really badly to find and teach people. They had a car for the area we covered and really weren't able to get a lot of things going. Well, our mission president is crazy and decided to move the sisters out and move Elder Brown and I in. Well, that made the ward angry cause they liked the sisters a lot. Our president also decided that what they covered in a car would now be covered on bikes by elders. The terrain stunk, the wind never stopped, and it's blazing hot here in the desert. So pretty much everything was stacked against us.</div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica;">
But then Elder Brown and I thought, "Wait a minute, here we are in an area just full of housing tracts that have never seen missionaries out and about before. Every missionary before us was in a car. So we're going to be a new thing to these people. Why don't we just get to know everyone around here and become the local celebrities?"<br /><br />Thus was born the "Gandalf Principle."<br /><br />We figured that we must become like Gandalf. No matter where Gandalf goes in Middle Earth everyone knows Gandalf and Gandalf knows everyone. How hard could it be to do that within seven square miles? So we set out meeting and talking with as many people as we could. Anyone who gave us their name, spoke English, and didn't threaten to kill us went on our potential investigators list. We have literally fifty non-members written on a whiteboard, eight of whom are sincerely interested, many more who are open, and a lot more after that who don't want anything to do with the Gospel, but are more than willing to give us water and shoot the breeze. So now we're getting to know everyone and everyone knows us. The local schoolkids all say hi to us and ask us questions, which is weird for the high desert. People actually know us by name, not just as the Mormons!</div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica;">
And guess what? It's totally working!<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica;">
Because we haven't been focused on just getting investigators, but rather building friendships and relationships with our investigators, we've actually gotten more investigators! Paradox!</div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica;">
The first investigator family we got this week is Julie's family. She's the mother of five children and is married. The family just moved to the neighborhood and we met her while we biked past her porch. She has LDS friends and has been looking for a church for her kids to be baptized into. We taught her about the Restoration and she took really well to it! She loves the Book of Mormon and it excited to read it! Booyah!<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica;">
The next investigator was a young man named Nick. We first met his father who wasn't interested, but he was cool so we wrote his name down and planned to visit him another day to get some water and get to know him better. We went back on Saturday and his dad wasn't there but his dad's friend Tommy was. Nick was in the garage but Tommy came out and chatted with us for twenty minutes and was totally interested! He doesn't live in our area but the missionaries where he lives should be teaching him now. Anyhow, Nick comes out at the end of the conversation and we ask him if he'd like to learn more. He says sure, we go back Monday, teach him the Restoration in his lawn, and he LOVED it! He said we "opened a new page" for him. He agreed to be baptized on October 19th! He thanked god in his prayer for sending "these two amazing people" to him. Unfortunately, he's YSA age so we had to pass him off to the YSA elders, but they'll do a great job with him!</div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica;">
Then we found the mother of ANOTHER family named Lesley. She was taking a walk and we were biking super fast but we slammed on our brakes to talk to her. We started to introduce ourselves but she cut us off saying she knew who we were and that her aunt was LDS. She asked why we never came to her neighborhood to teach and we were like, "Well, we can come to your neighborhood if you'd like us to. We can even come teach just you!" She jumped at that opportunity and when we went by Tuesday evening we found her anxiously looking out her window to make sure we were coming! We taught her about the Book of Mormon and she said she's been looking for a church for a long time with good family values. She seems super solid!<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica;">
So miracles are still happening, folks. Along with finding all these people, the ward has really warmed up to us. We had several members tell us out of the blue this Sunday that they hope we don't get transferred, which is weird because transfers aren't for another month, haha.</div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica;">
We went to the temple today which was great! Always nice to spend some peaceful moments in the house of the Lord.</div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica;">
<br />We're teaching Priest's quorum this Sunday. I always love doing that. We're also doing a mission prep/mission game mutual with them soon. We also took out some of the young men who are preparing to serve missions to do some missionary work with us. It was awesome!</div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica;">
Thanks for all the prayers and fasts! You guys are great!<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica;">
Your friend,</div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica;">
Elder Carter David Morgan</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
Kristyn Morganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14547091448290436347noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1814955646714815008.post-22808240801211401282014-09-14T18:50:00.000-07:002014-09-14T18:50:42.008-07:00Aqua duct kids!<div style="font-family: Helvetica; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;">
Another week in the blossoming metropolis of Hesperia, CA. We continue to boldly forge through this mysterious country known as the "High Desert." In very few missions do you have to deal with culture shock when you get transferred from one area to another, but the Rancho Cucamonga mission is just special like that. It's always a big transition when you move from the valley to the desert or vice versa, but it's almost always a good transition.</div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;">
This week our stake had its Pioneer Day activity. I'm proud to say that I bested many in various feats of strength, most of which required lots of pulling or tugging things. Too bad the pioneers didn't have Magic, that probably would've kept them more entertained. I also got the chance to shake a little plastic container of cream into butter, but then at the last minute when I was about to open it and enjoy the hard earned fruits of my labor I accidentally let it slip and it got everywhere. That was a sad point of my mission.</div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;">
Tender mercy of the Lord: One of my good missionary friends who I spent three transfers with in Chino, Sister Toolan, was transferred out of Chino two transfers before I was. She's here in Hesperia and though we're not in the same zone we DO share the same church building, so Elder Brown and I get to see her and her companion (who's also pretty legit) fairly often. I've included pictures of the three of us. By the way, in that picture of us and Sister Toolan she looks super awkward and it totally looks like we're super lame and creepy elders that forced a girl to take a picture with us. But I want ALL OF YOU to know that Sister Toolan LITERALLY threatened to kill us if we left the Pioneer Day activity without a picture. So it was totally her idea.</div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;">
Speaking of Elder Brown, he's dang good at taking pictures of me. I've included a picture that he took of me riding my bike along the road. He took that picture WHILE HE WAS RIDING HIS BIKE AS WELL. That's crazy! We've been compiling an "action shot" series of me while on my mission and it's turning out fairly well.</div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;">
While wandering through the desert we found a pile of trash and I used some of it to turn me into a modern day stripling warrior. Pictures are included for your enjoyment. Also, by that pile of trash there's never ANYONE, especially cars. Yet while I donned my armor THREE different cars passed by. That was pretty embarrassing.</div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;">
The California aqueduct runs smack through the middle of our area. So anytime we want to cross our area we have to bike through the undeveloped desert, find a gap in the barbwire fence, throw our bikes and ourselves under it, find a bridge that crosses the aqueduct, lower our bikes into the four foot pits that guard the bridges, lift them out again to cross the bridge, and then repeat the whole process except in reverse when we get to the other side. It's quite an adventure. But as we were crossing the aqueduct we actually ran into a group of kids sidling along the side of the bridge, which is weird because you NEVER see anyone by the aqueduct. I made a joke to them that when they fell in I wanted pictures and they stopped us and asked us what religion we are. We told them that we were Mormons and they said they wanted to ask us some questions. So we hopped off the aqueduct and were able to teach them about the Restoration which was super good. They all took copies of the Book of Mormon but most of them were just visiting from out of town so we won't be the ones teaching them. It was super cool!</div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;">
Fun fact: I am scheduled to fly home exactly one year from today. Get ready, everyone. The time is not far from my triumphant return.</div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;">
For all you future missionaries out there: Want to be a good missionary? Be a good home teacher/visiting teacher. Home teaching is just missionary work to members and missionary work is just home teaching to non-members. Also learn how to make LOTS of small talk. I find testifying of the Gospel to be easy, it's the small talk on the streets that's harder.</div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;">
Have a great week!</div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;">
Your friend,<br />Elder Carter David Morgan</div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;">
PS--From Carter's Mom: Carter just heard this week that his visa should be arriving in the next 6 weeks! He is VERY excited!</div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;">
<br /></div>
Kristyn Morganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14547091448290436347noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1814955646714815008.post-6403271765881462502014-08-18T17:48:00.003-07:002014-08-18T17:48:47.019-07:00One Year Mark!<div style="font-family: Helvetica; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;">
Greetings from Hesperia, CA! Fun fact about Hesperia: There's a place that gives missionaries free hair cuts. My hair looks great now!<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;">
This week has been rather eventful! First off, I hit the big one year mark this week! Woohoo! It was an awesome day! Some of my good friends from my old ward in Chino came up and we went out to dinner at Steak n' Shake. By the way, Steak n' Shake is AWESOME. It's seriously rivaling Chick Fil-A as my favorite mission restaurant. We had an awesome time together and it was great to see them again.</div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;">
This week I also got the privilege to ordain a young man that we've been working with to the office of a Priest. His dad isn't around very often and he asked me to do the ordination. I was very flattered, particularly because that was the first time I've ever performed an ordination to a priesthood office.</div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;">
This week we found, taught, and were dropped by a family. We taught the mom in her garage for about forty minutes while we were out biking around, but when we went back the next night to teach the whole family the dad was there and he was super born-again. He couldn't understand the idea of living prophets or additional scripture. It was super frustrating to watch someone completely not comprehend the message of the Restoration, but we were grateful that Heavenly Father allowed us the chance to teach some of His children.</div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;">
<br />That's about it for this week. This upcoming week is the last week in the transfer so we'll see what happens. Our mission president is crazy when it comes to transfers so pretty much everything is on the table.</div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;">
Your friend,</div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica; orphans: 2; text-align: -webkit-auto; widows: 2;">
Elder Carter David Morgan</div>
Kristyn Morganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14547091448290436347noreply@blogger.com0tag:blogger.com,1999:blog-1814955646714815008.post-24821788526268162742014-08-06T00:12:00.000-07:002014-08-06T00:12:03.298-07:00"Buddy, Where Are Your Pants"<span class="Apple-style-span" style="font-family: Helvetica;">What up, party people? I'm still here and kicking in Hesperia, CA. Fun news: It rained this week! And by rained I mean it kinda sprinkle, but it was considered a torrential downpour by California standards. It was actually cool to hear all the prayers said by those we met with. Everyone here was so thankful for the rain when we just kind of take it for granted back in Washington.</span><br />
<div style="font-family: Helvetica;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica;">
Aside from the rain, it's been pretty dang hot. Elder Brown and I are still tearing it up though. We've had a lot of opportunities to minister to the active members of our ward throughout the week. Just last night we were able to give a priesthood blessing to one of the women in our ward. Her husband is often away at work so she doesn't have the priesthood in her home so she very much appreciated our service.</div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica;">
Last night we had dinner with a super cool family. They were tons of fun and had three kids all under the age of four. Things got hilarious as the night proceeded. To culminate the hilarity, the three year-old boy wanted to use the bathroom but it was too dark upstairs. His mom told him to just go pee in the dirt in the backyard. You would not believe how happy this boy got when he found out that was allowed. He bolted out the door to wiz to his heart's content. Well, jump forward about ten minutes later when we're in discussion with the parents. Elder Brown turns to the glass door and says, "What the heck? Buddy, where are your pants?" and we see that the kid is standing at the door without pants or underwear on. He points to a spot in the yard to indicate where he's left his pants and when questioned why they're over there he says, "Because that's where I pooped!" Apparently this kid had taken the approval to pee in the dirt as also license to poop in the grass. That was pretty funny.</div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica;">
We found a family to teach this week! The husband is less-active but the wife and children are non-members! They were super cool and fed us Mexican food! The guy is a chef at a country club so it was super good! We have an appointment with them tomorrow night!</div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica;">
Last week I won the Hesperia B Zone Magic Tournament and officially earned the bragging rights and a sick title.</div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica;">
Tomorrow is our zone meeting and Elder Brown and I have been asked to give a thirty minute training on working with members to find people to teach. I think they've made us train as a retaliation for all the crap we've given them as their roommates, but the jokes on them. I secretly love training.</div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica;">
<br /></div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica;">
I hope all is going well wherever you are. Wish me luck!<br /><br />Your friend,</div>
<div style="font-family: Helvetica;">
Elder Carter David Morgan<br /><div>
</div>
</div>
<div>
<br /></div>
Kristyn Morganhttp://www.blogger.com/profile/14547091448290436347noreply@blogger.com0