It's A Great Reminder To Me Of The Difference Between Going Through The Motions of Reading And Going To Church And All That, And REALLY Doing Them For The Right Reasons

Hello family,

we're doing great here in ALLEN!  it's been kinda a busy couple days and we haven't had a whole lot of time to work in the area really yet, but we're excited to get to work this week :).  haha mom i love all the questions :) We live with 2 sisters who are in the same branch with us as well, Allen 2 branch.  and there are elders that cover ward 1.  my first area with so many missionaries, so that's fun :).  The language really isn't too different... just many of the h's change to s.  and then some words are different.  but a lot of people speak tagalog, especially with the other sisters, since they're tagalog, so thats a little rough.  I understand some but not nearly enough haha.  but yes, the gift of tongues is definitely real :).  many blessings :).  its a pretty big area but we're just gonna start at the closer areas and maybe eventually get out a little farther. we'll see.  but nothing like biliran :).  the apartment is great, we're on the 3rd floor and the view is SO PRETTY.  right on the ocean :).  haha mom the toilet and shower are fine :).  i don't think yolanda hit here very bad, but not sure yet.  our attendance yesterday was 81!  they are hoping to become a ward soon!!  we just need a couple more active melchizedek priesthood holders :).  so close! my new companion is sister Russon!  she is from kaysville and is so sweet :).  shes a trooper too and eats everything and says its fine... even though i'm guessing it's still kinda new and weird for her.  haha she's so sweet.  today i think we'll try to buy some more 'american' food to give her a break sometimes. i am so so so excited though to be with her these next couple months, we are gonna have so much fun :). just keep praying for her okay since i'm not sure the best way to help her always to adjust and to learn the language :)

Today i also wanted to tell you about one of our investigators we taught this week!  Her name is J--, and she is a single mom, with a little boy who's one named E--.  When she was younger she was going to church pretty regularly for a couple of years, but was never baptized.  When we visited her last saturday she told us that she had been going to church but not really there spiritually, that it never really entered her mind and heart what she was hearing.  She said she would read the Book of Mormon sometimes but never understood any of it.  But when she had her son it kinda woke her up and she kind of realized that she really wanted to know that is was true for herself and to be baptized!  she wants to raise her son in the church :).  She came to church on sunday and we are planning for her to be baptized around the beginning of the year!  It was a great reminder to me of the difference between going through the motions of reading and going to church and all that, and REALLY doing them for the right reasons :).  

ah love the pictures!  ali and mom, you both are so cute! ah. and wow brayden!  haha who knew you were so talented?? oh wait we all did.  great job :)  haha and love the one of jax and ali!  haha it's actually starting to fit him now :).  you're so tall!!!  dad, 20 years? haha dad your job is as old as i am.  perfect age :)

goodness i love you all :).  don't forget that ha?  talk to you next week!!

Love, Sister Mortensen

President Maurer, Sister Russon, Sister Mortensen, Sister Maurer

View From the Apartment

I Know That It Really Doesn't Matter If You Can't Really Speak And Understand The Language That Well...It Really Is Just The Spirit

Hi Family,

This has been a crazy week.....My nanay in the mission, sister kalua-santiago, went HOME today!  That is so crazy isn't it!  I'm gonna miss her... but i know we'll see each other plenty of times again and am SO excited for her as well :).  haha i can't even say how grateful i am for her :).  goodness how in the world did i luck out with such great companions? i am blessed :)

Ah my dear family, I love you all so so much :)  and i have a favor.......pray for me lots now okay? but mostly pray for my new ANAK because i'm training!  ...and transferring to allen up in catarman zone... which means i'll be learning a new version of waray and also tagalog i'm told!  So lots of prayers okay? :) i'm excited and surprisingly medyo calm about it.  If i stop and think about it too much, its scary haha, but then i know that it really doesn't matter if you can't really speak and understand the language that well...  it really is just the spirit, and new missionaries always have such STRONG faith and excitement for the work, so we'll be able to just figure it out together :)

we came to tacloban yesterday (tuesday) for transfer day and then today we met the new missionaries and went out OYMing with them!  and then had p day, and i got to go back to TANAUAN with SISTER GERALDEZ!!!  my previous area, and my previous companion :)  she was assigned there as well :).. how lucky are we?  we asked president and he said that would be great so... we went and visited some members :).  And goodness it was SO wonderful, i can't even say :).  Ah goodness i just really have felt so blessed this week :). haha.  i know God loves each and everyone one of us and will BLESS us if we just try to follow Him :).  don't worry, He's very patient with us and understands when we make mistakes... we just have to try.  so keep trying everyone!  I'm praying for you ALWAYS ;).  love you all!!  

pray for us :) haha

Sister Mortensen

Pictures from our zone activity last Monday.  We went to the zoo, which is really just 

someones house where they let you walk in and look around.  The lion was the coolest.

It Was A Great Reminder To Me To Focus On The Positive And Rejoice In the Little Things

hello family!  

goodness what a fun couple of weeks you've had! haha are you going to school sometimes too? and yes i spent a LOT of time at the benson building, and actually watched that show haha. i'm glad jaxsen is learning his lesson.... because i definitely had to as well :).  

yes mom, 3 more months, thanks for the reminder :). it's crazy diba?  I can't believe it. i can't decide if i'm more excited or more sad. haha :).  kinda reminds me of the mix of emotions before leaving.

the new family we found last week is the G-- family :).  The father is pretty busy with work, so we set an appointment with them for saturday night... but only one of the sons was home, the rest had gone to a family birthday.  so hopefully this week we'll be able to visit them again. 

mom i love your scripture to ponderize!  i just picked my new one for this week earlier this morning, also about prayer :) 2 nehpi 4:35.  keep it up you guys!!

i was hoping to send some pictures today.... but we're at a different email place and the computer won't read. it. so next week hopefully :)

Yesterday during sacrament meeting, i was marking who of the less actives and investigators had come to church.  We had a pretty long list of people who we were hoping would be there but... not many of them showed up.  But then i realized that even though there were many missing, there were some new faces, and people who we had been visiting and praying for a long time that had come to church!  It was a great reminder to me to focus on the positive and rejoice in the little things :).  We have many many blessing, and I need to be better at recognizing them and thanking God for them :).   

ah goodness time flies, i'll just have to tell you about everything once i'm home. But till then, i LOVE you all so much!  haha i know i say that all the time, but its true :).  and i know that Heavenly Father loves you all as well and hears and answers our prayers!  so keep on praying ha :).  

Sister Mortensen

They Pray As A Family And Read, Even In The Book of Mormon Sometimes

Hi family

Thank you so much for the letter dad!  and also for all of the pictures!!! wow looks like you guys have had a wonderful week in California :).  CONGRATS to ashlyn!!!  that is so exciting she got married :).  and i still can't get over that you saw brenda!  ah i miss her and jennifer :).  can't wait to see them again as well.  glad to hear she's doing well.  

I'm not sure what pictures sister Maurer sent.... but yes it is so beautiful here :).  and it's actually not very often that i miss the niceties of home... just occansionally.  haha well whenever i laba too :).  but being away from all of that really does make you realize what really matters.. you guys!  i miss you all :).  

This past week I went on exchanges with Sister Newton!  We lived in the same apartment in Tanauan, so i was so excited to get to spend some time with her again.  We got back to her area in Naval a little late because the rides took a while, and by then there wasn't time to go out to where they had planned to work.  They are still working to get to know the area since it is a BIG area, and so there weren't too many people we had to go visit that night.  We OYM a bit and tried to contact some other OYM's from before, but didn't get to teach anyone that night.  She just kept going and going though and always had another idea to go and try.   ah i love exchanges :) so much to learn from them.

We also found a new investigator family this week!  Two of the kids are active members, and the rest of the kids and the parents are Catholic.  They are former investigators, but it's been almost a year since missionaries have visited them.  They should have a record in our area book, but don't....Makes me wonder if there are other families without records that were lost from missionaries transferring?  But this family seems to have great potential :).  We should probably have thought to contact them before, since they are part member....but we only did this past week.  Haha there's definitely always something we're missing and can be doing better, like this wonderful family.  They pray as a family and read, even in the book of Mormon sometimes.  Both Brother and Sister participated great in the lesson and have a good understanding of the gospel and great faith :).  We're excited for them :)  So we'll see how it goes this week!

So, are you guys all applying what you've learned in conference?? i sure hope so :). going through my notes in my studies this weeks has been wonderful.  there are so many answers just for us :)  one thing i'm doing is ponderizing! it's great :) My scripture this week was D&C 6:36.  "Look unto me in every thought; doubt not, fear not."  To help me focus more and just trust in Him :).

Love you all so so SO much!

Sister Mortensen

Billiran Zone Conference - October 2015

Our Questions Really Will Be Answered In Conference When We Will Just Ask

Hi family,

I did get to watch conference this weekend!  in english :)  there was a room for cebuano, but we definitely just watched in english :). ah i'm glad ali is enjoying the piano as well!  I'm playing the piano for the district choir, and so we have practices every sunday.  so while we are waiting or they're practicing alone or something, i get a minute to play anything i can remember, and it's great even though it's only a little bit of time :).  so keep enjoying the piano for me ali :) and sounds like a memorable experience hiking!! haha glad you guys are alright :) great picture gihap :)

Dad thank you so much for your letter! love you too :) I was gonna write you separate, but i'll just include it here i think :) and yes it is SO true, our questions really will be answered in conference when we will just ask!  It is literally so amazing :).  I had a list of 5 questions i had written before, and each one of them was answered in the first session, and even more fully throughout the rest of the sessions.  How amazing is that! haha and i'm glad you guys all learned from conference as well, kay for me i felt like it was all about missionary work :). haha i guess that how it always works, with the scriptures and everything as well.  the holy ghost helps you apply what you're learning to whatever your needs are. How amazing is that :) I really loved how many talks focused on the Holy Ghost. 

Oh one of the new missionaries in my zone lives in Central and know nonie and cameron!  Elder Bastian!  it's a small world, even this far from home :)

this week we visited a less active family for the first time!  The R-- family came to church last week, and so we asked where they lived and then decided to go try to find them.  it's kinda far but with the bikes it doesn't take too much time :).  Brother works on a boat far away, and so he only home for one month every year :(.  that is so hard on families, but is fairly common.  so sister and the kids come to church only occasionally, since i think it's hard without brother.  But they came yesterday to conference, and we have an fhe there later today!  then brother leaves back to work again later this week..  but hopefully with a little love and support from the branch, the rest of the family will keep coming to church :).  

Love you all so much :)  talk to you next week!

Sister Mortensen

We Aren't Going To Be Told Every Little Thing We Should and Shouldn't Do

Hey everyone!  

It sounds like it has been a great week!!  and your conference weekend sounds just like i remembered it :).  so fun :).  yep we haven't watched it yet, but we will this coming saturday and sunday!  i'm soo  excited.  and thanks mom for the quotes, makes me even more excited!  

Ali you have an anak! a child!  who's the father?? (Note from mom:  Ali brought home a fake baby for 24 hours for her Child Development class at school.)  also, reminds me of a funny story.  in the mission, a missionary you train is called your anak.  so one time while we were at church waiting for something, my companion says to me "you're gonna have an anak!"  and our branch president looks over at us so confused... hahaha! ahhh ali. I miss you :)

Me and my companion are doing great!  It's pretty amazing how quick it changes from feeling like a new companion, to someone you've been with for a long time :).  i guess that comes from being together literally 24/7.  She really is a great missionary :).  The other sisters in our apartment are sis. pui, who transferred in to biliran when i did, and sis. talataina, who's new and used to be my stl!   They are so much fun. Our zone there's 10 sisters and 6 elders.  Lots of sisters, we're lucky here  :).  We don't really have a lot of time for activities on p'days, since we don't have cars like josh and have to use public transportation which takes a while sometimes :).  but usually about once a transfer we have an activity.  Yep it's typhoon season now, but DONT WORRY mom ;).  We are very prepared and they text us as soon as one might even be heading for us.  so don't worry haha :).

A-- didn't make it to church... but we're planning to visit her again a couple times this week and really help her to come to general conference!  Brother O-- and his family didn't come as welll....and we'll do the same with them.  

Oh their temple trip was moved! to june 7-8.  josh's birthday! does that work still?  

also, that is one thing that i have really loved about being in this branch.  They are really focused on helping everyone get to the temple.  We just had branch council meeting and one of the things we talked about was the people and families that we can help be prepared for the temple trip next year.  and goodness it is so exciting!!  :)  when we visit these people gihapon, we always tie whatever we are teaching back into how it helps us be worthy for the temple.  So you guys back home!  the temple is so close!  take advantage of that, and go to the temple for me and all of us here who are hours away :) haha ;)

Haha mom, you and josh are right, this is the hardest thing i have ever done.  It reminds me of something from my studies this morning that i wanted to share!  From ether chapter 2, where the brother of jared is commanded to build the barges.  verse 18 says "O Lord, I have performed the work which thou hast commanded me."  he's followed the commandments, done what is required of him. but he recognized that he isn't finished, there's more to be done.  the next verse he brings up two problems that still haven't been solved---no air, and no light.  The Lord tells him how to resovle the first problem, to make the two holes.  But then leaves it up to the brother of jared to solve the second.  But even then, the Lord performs the miracle that makes it possible. but it is still up to the brother of jared to figure out what needs to be done, do his part, and then ask the Lord.  It's the same here in the mission as well.  We aren't going to be told every little thing we should and shouldn't do.  Even if we follow the commandments and mission rules, there's more to be done.  Like it says in d&c 58, that men should be anxiously engaged, and do many things of their own free will.  If we will be like the brother of jared, and recognize what else needs to be done, do our part, and then ask the Lord for his help, we can see miracles as well!  Just like the brother of Jared.  So yes, this is by far the hardest thing i have ever done.  But it's helped to begin learning how to rely on the Lord and His help.  So it's hard, but that's a blessing haha :).

sure hope that makes sense, no time to read over it again :).  just....read the chapter for yourself as well haha :)

well, i loooooove you all!  i'm praying for you always, don't forget that :)

Sister Mortensen

Careful...You Might Do The Cha Cha!

Hello to the BEST family in the world!!  

It's been a great week with my new companion, sister clerigo!  she is from bukidnon, Mindanao, so she is native cebuano speaker.  She's been on her mission since last october, so almost a year now.  I didn't know her much before, we've never been in the same zone or anything before :).   But she is so great!  it's been great working with her this week :).  i really miss sister geraldez though! ah. i really don't like transfers. but they're a blessing as well haha :)

we have biked much this past week, since it's been pretty rainy.  which is probably why there was no problems with them this week :) haha josh no worries, i'm sure you'll have your own crazy experiences as well :).  every day is different it seems haha.  and you're just as sarcastic as ever! :) but yep that's my favorite song as well, 'the hardest thing....' it's a good one. and so true :)   but yes take advantage of your companion that's a native speaker!  haha thats a huge blessing.  keep up the great work :)

funny story... a couple weeks ago after we visited O-- and his family, we were walking through this empty building that had mud and water on the ground and was slippery.  So i was... having a fun time, and twisting and sliding around in it.  haha :). sis geraldez thought i was gonna fall and kinda was making some noise trying to get me to stop.  and we walk out and look back.... and brother O-- and two of his kids were watching and smiling so big!!  haha.  whoops.  when we went back i asked how much they saw, and they laughed and said they saw me doing the chacha.  hahah!  so this past week, when we were leaving in had just rained and was wet again, brother O-- says, "careful, you might do the chacha." haha lesson learned...no more dancing on the mission :). 

This week one of the most exciting things is we were able to teach A--!  She is our one and only recent convert in our area right now, but she is also less active.  She has a little girl and is going to school as well right now, so is always pretty busy.  This is the first time we were able to visit her for about 2 months!  She lives close to the church, so we drop by her house pretty often, but only now we were able to teach her :).  We shared about our baptismal covenants and renewing them through taking the sacrament :).  She really does have the desire to come to church, but just feels that she does not have enough time.  But she said she'll try, even just for 1 hour, this sunday.  So i think we'll go by sunday morning and try to pick her up as well.  Hopefully we'll be able to continue to visit her as well :).

President Maurer said it is fine either way, for you to pick me up or us come back later.  So yeah i think it will be best to come back in May? that ok? also he said he will send a letter to you guys about it as well :).  also, what's the name of our airport? salt lake international?  haha i can't remember for sure :)

love you! i'm praying for you!  hope you have a fantastic week!  

sister mortensen

Sister Mortensen and Sister Clerigo