Oh My Goodness I Am SO GRATEFUL For Lights and Water

Hello everyone!!  

MERRY CHRISTMAS!!!! it was so fun to talk to you all! definitely the best part of christmas :).

the internet is PAINFULLY slow and is helping me learn patience. there is only one internet cafe open here in allen and the line to use it was LONG. we were planning to go to catarman, but there's only one place the missionaries know of there that is open as well. also long lines :). so we're just here in allen and had to wait.  the electricity has come back!!!  kinda :).  only in the very center here in allen which is luckily where we live, so we have power and water at nights!!  during the day it turns off. but oh my goodness i am SO GRATEFUL for lights and water.  haha we have life so easy. almost all of our area though still does not have power, and it might be a while till it's back.  so we still might have to come home every night by 6.  which is hard. but it is good. i think i told you but i'm not sure, but my first anak, sister  laniton, is our roommates!  and her new anak as well!  sister resolme,she is ADORABLE.  goodness i love these sisters.  so we're one big family here in allen, and it is SO fun, i love it :)  i have alllways been so blessed with companions and roommates and i love it. haha.   I'm sooo glad we are staying here in allen, even if it is kinda different than "normal" missionary work.  we still haven't got into teaching a whole  lot, since people are still busy with rebuilding and cleaning up and all of  that.  this coming week we are planning to really focus on finding and serving where ever we can.  we had a meeting with some of the members to talk about ideas for the new year, and they are all so excited and involved in missionary work, it is amazing!  and you can see the changes they're making in the branch as well.  our average sacrament in nov was 85, tapos in december average was 100!  the goal looking forward into 2016 is to maintain that and grow it even more :).  and one days soon become a ward! how exciting is this :).  i also have been thinking  of my goals for this year, and am still finalizing them. haha.  but it's pretty exciting :).  what a fun time of year :).  i'm grateful to be here on a mission and learning so so SO many things!  including setting goals, and patience!  definitely patience :). but i can't imagine where i would be at if i hadn't come on a mission.  it definitely, no doubt at all, was the right thing for me.  i'm so blessed :)  especially with my family!
ah i love you all :).  i'm so grateful for your example and your support and everything.  love you!

mom.... no flight plan yet :).  yeah!  maybe there's no flights and i'll stay longer??  :) joke lang mom :)

love you all :)

talk to you next week!

Sister Mortensen

Christmas Zone Conference.  Bri is on the right side, second row from front.

Tacloban Conference when Elder Ardern visited!
Bri is on the far left, second row from the front.