Sister Brianne Mortensen: I've Realized The Importance of Building A Relationship With The People You Teach

Hello Family,

I'm glad you got the letter!! yes, transfers won't be till next week :). we will be getting flu shots and having a combined zone conference with all the missionaries!!! I am soo excited to see everyone :). can't wait! i've been healthy mom, don't worry about me :). There's this sickness going around here that they call sore eyes, and almost all of the people we teach have had it. but we've been blessed and none of us have got it :). I did take one round of the antibiotics back in st bernard and it got rid of everything just fine :). And i still have another round if it comes back again. and yes you did send me the towel haha :)

32 days josh! holy moly! keep preparing :). and enjoy your time with the family! sounds like your cabin trip was so fun! haha that's so cool! and i'm still waiting for your email! haha :). Also. I'm SO excited for you to go to the temple :). I can't wait to go back :)

ali what a fun time! That is so wonderful that you got to spend some time with grandma and grandpa :). How long were you in joseph for?

Bailey is home!!! Ah and she is so beautiful!! wow and brayden hamptons home too! all these people my age are coming home now..... that is crazy! but i still have a long time left here so don't worry :).

Haha I love the words of wisdom! haha i write ours down when i remember to as well :). In one lesson we were teaching J-- and E--, who i told you about last week i think. They are 15 and 18, and best friends and are HILARIOUS. E-- asked us, totally serious, how he would receive an answer that the book of mormon is true. And sis culangan says that it probably won't be the same as joseph smith where they speak to you. And then J-- says "if they do speak to you, you are the next prophet. prophet E--!" hahaha! i think it's funnier in waray. but yeah :) With these two and their friend J-- as well, I've realized over again the importance of building a relationship with the people you teach. When we first started teaching them, they were soo shy and would hardly talk or ask questions or anything. But know, as we've got to know them, they've become so much more comfortable with us and ask questions all the time. Last time we taught them too J-- shared what he had been reading in the book of mormon and what he had learned from it. When we build these relationships with people, they can open up to us and we can better understand how they are feeling and what we can do to help them.

We experienced this another time yesterday with Sister C-- . She was in the hospital last week from pneumonia and is still recovering. She is pretty old and this has been hard for her. Her son died last year as well, and she's still struggling to cope with that as well. Yesterday she shared that she is afraid to die, since she knows her kids and her husband need her here. But at the same time she wants to be with her son again. She doesn't seem to really have anyone to talk to about how she's feeling, so she's grateful we can come and talk to her. We mostly just listen, and reassure her that God loves her and has a plan for her. And that no matter what happens, it's His will for her. We hope to get some other members to go visit her as well. She also asked for a blessing, so Bishop said he will go visit her again and give her a blessing :). It's important not only for us to build relationships with the members, but also to help the members build relationships among themselves! Especially the recent converts. We're still figuring out how to help them do this :).

We are being blessed here in Tanauan :). Thank you for your prayers! We're praying for you all the time as well, and I know the Lord is watching over you all :)

LOVE YOU :)

Sister Mortensen