Merry Christmas to all!

Mom note: Christmas was an awesome day, in part because we got to talk to Elder Morgan. He is doing well and really enjoying his mission experience. Here are some of the things we learned:

• Troutdale, Oregon is beautiful but WINDY because it is at the opening of the Columbia Gorge.
• Trevor really appreciated all the cards, gifts and goodies that were given to him for Christmas. He said he had more calories on his counter top than he could ever imagine.
• Trevor said the thing he misses most on his mission is HIS FRIENDS back home!
• Trevor felt he had to choose between becoming an Oregon State fan or a University of Oregon fan, and he is now an official Ducks fan! (UO)
• Trevor has taken up looming and makes hats in his spare time since he cannot watch T.V. or spend time on Facebook. You may have seen him sporting one of his creations on his Christmas card.
• Trevor is also into Disk Golf and says it IS NOT the same as Ultimate Frisbee.
• He plays basketball 3 mornings a week and enjoys it!
• It rains A LOT in Oregon so Trevor bought some rain pants to wear as he knocks on many doors each week.
• Trevor LOVES to teach people, in part because he LOVES people, and because he LOVES the Lord Jesus Christ.
• He enjoyed singing in the church choir for Christmas, and he also went Christmas caroling.

After we visited with Trevor, he was off to spend Christmas evening with the Bishop and his extended family. Here is the report we got in an email explaining his celebration.

"I had a great Christmas evening! We went to the Bishops brothers house! It was the biggest house I have ever been in!! The food was AMAZING! We just chatted for a long time. It was really great. And then we finished the night of by playing some poker. It was either play poker or watch "Wallie" on the television...and the white book says we cannot watch television. (haha) All in all, It was a great evening with some great people! I hope your guys Chirstmas evening was awesome! It was great to hear from you guys!"

Love,

Elder Morgan

Mom note: The white handbook has rules that all missionaries are to follow, and I guess they didn't think to include anything about Poker ;) Oh, our silly boy.

Wise Men Seek Him Still

Merry Christmas to all!

David Archuleta to be a Mormon Missionary

Almost CHRISTMAS!

Hey there!!!

So for Christmas I will be calling from Bishop Cards house at 1:30 Oregon time, which would be 4:30 Virginia time. I can't wait to hear from you all!

This week has been another great week in Troutdale!

I have definitely seen how I have progressed and grown to be the missionary I am today. I can tell a difference in attitude, spiritual growth, and even physical growth (so much food!). This week Elder Rowley and I had the opportunity to go to the temple with a recent convert who was baptized about 2 years ago. The temple is such a sacred place. Before I went on Saturday, it felt like it had been forever since I had gone to the temple. Well, it had been 3 months, but it seemed so much longer. Every time I go to the temple I always feel the spirit so strongly. I know that this place is the House of the Lord because I can feel the Holy Ghost so strongly when I enter. The Temple is beautiful inside and outside. It is different from the Washington D.C. temple, but yet it is the same. I loved going to the temple on Saturday because I was able to grow more as a missionary by being in the house of the Lord and reflecting on all that he has given me.

It's crazy to think that my 3 months of training are almost over! These 3 months have just seemed to fly by. I'm really grateful for such a great trainer like Elder Rowley.  He has taught me what it's like to be a successful missionary. He has helped me grow into the missionary I am today. But soon (one week) I will most likely get a new companion who will help me learn and grow. Likewise, I will help him learn and grow. It has been nice having Elder Rowley as a companion because we can do so many musical things! We have sung at an old folks home, at church, and we have even gone caroling! BUT who knows, maybe I'll get a companion who is tone deaf....haha. But probably.

I am so grateful for *personal and companion study. I really feel that those times are when I grow in the gospel the most. I really try to understand more about the gospel and find what the Lord would have me learn, and what he would have me teach my investigators. Our investigators and less actives are really great people. Sometimes they don't always exercise their agency the way I would like them to, but they all progress in the gospel in their own ways.

I got your letter! That was awesome and it made my day! I love hearing more about our family. It really makes me think about how much our family has been blessed. Even though our family has had some hard times, we still have so many blessings. I know that this is because our family is focused and centered on the Gospel of Jesus Christ. The Lord has promised that when you keep his commandments, you will be blessed. In the Book of Mormon, I love how he says you will "prosper in the land". We can all "prosper in the land" by obeying God's commandments. Since going on my mission, I have seen many people "prosper in the land". All these people just try their best to obey God's commandments, and it works! I have seen the blessings for others, and even for me when I focus myself on living the gospel.

Anyways, I love you all and I pray for you every day! Thank you for all of your prayers!

Love,

Elder Morgan


* Mom note: Through daily personal and companion study of the scriptures, and obedience to the commandments of God, a missionary strives to develop Christlike attributes, and prepare themselves to teach gospel truths including: The Message of the Restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, The Plan of Salvation, The Gospel of Jesus Christ, The Commandments, Laws and Ordinances.

Hello there! 12/12/11

Hey there everyone!

I hope your week is going great! This has been another wonderful week in Troutdale, Oregon.

I hope you guys are having a lovely winter! In Troutdale Oregon its more "windery" that any place around. There is a huge gorge right next to the town, so all the wind (and cold) just funnels right into town. When it's not windy....its rainy. I heard I have not even seen the worst of the rain OR the wind. I'm ready for it though. I have a really great windbreaker and I can add layers underneath it. I also purchased some rain pants that I wear even when it's not rainy because they are also made out of windbreaker material. And boy does it get cold. When it gets cold, your face feels like it its gonna freeze. I put my hood up, which keeps my ears quite warm, but my face gets cold. Oh, well. That's the life of being a missionary. Missionary work is still amazing!

It's CRAZY to think that I have been out for 3 months! It has just gone in the blink of an eye! I feel like I have grown up so much more than in any other time. Elder Rowley and I gave a talks (and I sang and he played the piano for the musical number in between our talks) in sacrament meeting last week. A lady came up to us and she told us even though we were young, we spoke like we had "old souls". I found that kinda funny, but I thought that was pretty cool.

Thanks for sending the Sinterklass package! Elder Rowley and I both loved it! It made our day.

And yes, I am doing fine with my blankets and sheets. It is getting colder, but I just sleep with my thermal on or one of  my sweaters on top and then pajama pants on the bottom. Thanks for thinking about that though! I seem to be doing good.

There is one thing you could do for me. We have a very nice lady who fixes our pants whenever they rip. (For some reason or another, they always seem to do). She actually loves doing this for us and she always ask us if we need anything sewed. So, I was rather clumsy one day and I missed a step getting off someone's porch and I tore a hole in one of my "lightest black" pants right on the knee. Now this lady is a pro at fixing pants. She totally fixed the hole in my pants....BUT even pros make mistakes. She was fixing my pants and she got glue on my pants. She told me that she felt horrible and that she would buy me new pants. I told her to do no such thing because I had so many other pants. Would you let me know if my pants have a warranty?

So you want some more pictures, eh? How about this: Can I mail you my SD card after new year and then you can have all the pictures you want off of it? That would be great because that would be a lot easier that having to attach my the pictures in an email. I'll plan on doing that. I'm excited for you to get them!

We were really busy this week. We taught about 4 lessons a day and every day we had dinner appointments. We were able to teach 29 lessons this week. I love the opportunity to be a missionary in such a great area with great members.

Elder Rowley and I have come up with a "method" for us to be successful missionaries. Our goal is always to teach at least 20 lessons per week. (When we weekly plan the goal is always higher.) We have found out that in Troutdale, Oregon, teaching 20 lessons can be done. If you break it down per day that's 3 lessons a day if you wanna get 21 lessons in a week. When Elder Rowley and I teach 6 lessons (1 a day, not including p-day) for dinner appointments there are 15 appointments left. If you teach 2 lessons on p-day (not including the dinner because we don't always have dinner with members on p-day) that's 13 lessons left. Then all you have to do is teach 1 lesson with an investigator and 1 lesson to a less active member a day. Then we have 21 lessons!

Even though we have that "method" it doesn't always work out perfectly. But for the past 7 weeks we have been able to teach 20+ lessons a week because of this method. We also always make sure to do the 13 steps for daily planning because the planning we do each night, helps us plan our whole week out. Those 13 steps for daily planning are such a blessing. All this success we are having is not because Elder Rowley and I are such great missionaries though, it is because the Lord has provided us with his children to teach. This area is a great area with people wanting to be taught. I really do truly love the people I serve in Troutdale.

If there is anything I can do for you, let me know!

Love,

Elder Trevor A. Morgan

Mom note: 
An LDS missionary's job is to teach people about Jesus Christ and preach his gospel. This is why tracking "lessons taught" is so important to Elder Morgan. He is seriously engaged in this effort, and feels accountable to the Lord for his time. Missionaries are a tool whereby the Lord can share his message with his children on earth.  Missionaries will teach basic principles of the gospel of Jesus Christ including faith in the Lord Jesus Christ, repentance, and baptism for the remission of sin. They also teach many other principles to  investigators and  members of the church who desire to know more about the gospel of Christ. 

Hey There! 12/05/2011

Dear Family,

This week has been another great week!

This week has been full of amazing blessings from the Lord. Elder Rowley and I are so blessed to be in such a great area with such great members and investigators and even less actives. They are all willing to listen to the Gospel and they try to "liken" the gospel into their lives. This week we were able to teach a very good amount of lessons for our area! We reached our goal with "members present," "lessons taught to recent converts and less active members," and got close to our goal in other lessons. This week we taught 21 lessons, which I love because so many people want to hear about the gospel that truly does bless their lives.

This week I have been trying to develop more charity for those I teach. Elder Rowley and I were studying in *PMG  and we learned the best way to develop charity for those you teach is by praying, even pleading for them in prayer. So, I tried it. It's amazing! It really does work! I prayed sooo much for the people I teach. I really love them all. It's amazing to see that even though I am on a mission teaching others about the gospel, there is not a day that goes by that I am not learning and growing myself.

This week we had many wonderful experiences. I'd like to share a few with you. Elder Rowley and I were helping a family pick some carrots out of their garden and this lady drives up into the family's driveway. We both said hey to the lady and then she went on inside. Then Sister Taylor (a women who lived in the house) came out and said that this lady had the faith and she needed a blessing. Elder Rowley and I were more than happy to give this lady a blessing. Apparently, this lady was hired by the Taylor family to help clean the house, but today she wanted to stop by a little earlier to say that she recently fell down her stairs and couldn't clean today. Sister Taylor then boldly asked her, "Do you have the faith to be healed?" She replied something like, "Oh yes, I love Jesus!" This lady is a very energetic person. Anyway, Elder Rowley and I then proceeded to tell her what a blessing entails and why we can do this. After the blessing she asked us, "Did you Elders feel the warm, soothing, feeling?" We told her that was the Holy Ghost. She knew it was. She was so happy after the blessing and said she would never forget this experience.

Another great experience we had was with a family that has accepted a baptismal date on the 17th of December. I love this family. They have such a yearning for the gospel. Lately, we have been meeting with them every week with the Elders Quorum President, Brother Trujillo. Elder Rowley and I stop by a few times each week to leave a short lesson with them, and to check up on them. They came to our Christmas party and they loved it! Unfortunately, this week the whole family didn't come to church, because apparently the parents forgot to set up their alarm. 

The 14 year old daughter woke up on Sunday, got ready to go to church,  and then she realized her parents weren't awake. She went next door and asked Brother Trujillo's family if she could get a ride with them to church, and they said yes. She really has a lot of faith to do that. Whenever we teach her family, she is always the first one to do the reading, to keep her commitments and she was the first to say that she wanted to be baptized. The parents of the family really do want to come to church (the whole family came the week before) but they just didn't. What an example this 14 year old girl has set for her family.

Another great moment we had this week was we had a ward Christmas party! The preparation for the party was amazing. The party went great! Elder Rowley and I made sure to invite everyone we could. We had MANY less actives and investigators come. We made sure to talk with them all and see how they were doing. It seemed like they all had a great time. Elder Rowley and I had the opportunity to help with the music part of the program a lot. Elder Rowley played the piano for almost all of the songs, I was able to sing "Gesu Bambino," and we both were able to sing in the ward choir. The Christmas party was one of those moments on my mission where I just had joy. I knew this was where I was supposed to be.

We then had a great testimony meeting. This ward is amazing. They have great testimonies about the gospel of Jesus Christ and missionary work. This ward really does care about its missionaries and missionary work. We were able to have some investigators who came to the Christmas party come to church also. Specifically two of those investigators, Ben (8 years old) and his west African grandmother Theresa (realllllyyyy old) came to church, which was great. Theresa just listens and sometimes adds in her thoughts. She in a really lovely lady. She is hard to understand sometimes, but I have almost gotten used to her thick accent. After church when I was talking to Ben, he was asking me what certain things were on a table in the church. He then takes a tithing slip and says to me, "what is this again?" I told them, "it's a tithing slip and I explained what you do with it..." He then cuts me off and puts it in his pocket. He tells me, " I know what you do with it...I learned it in class." That was an awesome experience for me. I don't know what he's gonna do with it, but maybe he'll pay his tithing. We haven't even talked about tithing with Theresa and Ben at their home!

These have been wonderful experiences for me! It has been another great week.

Thank you for all your prayer! I love you guys!

Love,

Elder Trevor Morgan

Note from Mom: *PMG is the book Preach My Gospel. This book is a resource a guide for missionaries, available to everyone.

Thanksgiving Letter!

Howdy Family!

This week has been another great week in Troutdale, OR. Let's see, last Monday Elder Rowley, myself, Elder Dixon, Elder Jensen, Elder Barret, and Elder Winterton went bowling on p-day! It was really fun! It was a nice way to spend time with other missionaries. It was also really nice because when bowling you can release some stress. Not that I had too much, but bowling always make me feel better. I'm grateful that I bowled as a kid, for a bit, cause I don't really have to worry about staying in the lane. I just bowl and it's fun! We then went to an ice cream shop and just chatted for a bit. All those Elders are really great people.

Elder Rowley and I have a Bible Study class that is going well. We had a record of 5 people come! I know the more it gets rolling, more people will show up. I really like the lessons. We taught about Jonah and the whale the other day. We talked about how even though we mess up, God wants us to pray and repent when we make mistakes. 

Tuesday night turned out great! We have been teaching this family and they have really been interested in the gospel, and Tuesday night we set the date for their Baptism on the 17th of November! There are 3 who can be baptized! Another really great thing is that they have a person who is living with them who is already a member of the church, and they are all trying to read The Book of Mormon together! They are a great family.

Thanksgiving was GREAT! I had 2 dinner appointments! I was soooooo full! The first one was with younger married couples and their kids, at the church. That was really fun because they are all so nice. Their kids are a lot of fun to play with. We had A LOT of food there. The next place we went was to the Kniff's home. Their food was great! All the food was just the typical thanksgiving food, BUT, I loved it! Sister Kniff's daughter (the daughter is like in her 40's) gave Elder Rowley and I some music that we are going to sing at the ward Christmas party. It was a great day! (By the way, I'm singing Gesu Bambino for the Ward Christmas party...thought you guys would like to know!)

Just like every day, we start out reading our scriptures in the morning. Well, on Thursday morning (Thanksgiving) I was reading *Mosiah Chapter 2. It was the perfect chapter for Thanksgiving. At the end of verse 19 it says "Oh how you ought to thank your Heavenly King!" That really hit me. Heavenly Father has given me so much. It then goes on to say in verse 20, " I say unto you, my brethren, that if you should render all the thanks and praise which your whole soul has power to possess, to that God who has created you, and has kept and preserved you, and has caused that ye should rejoice, and has granted that ye should live in peace with one another..." I really began to think after reading those verses, that God created me so I could become like Him. He has given me EVERYTHING!!. Being on my mission makes me really treasure my family, friends, and home (wherever that may be) even more.

Another thing I came to realize is how grateful I am that God gave me my body. That is something I needed to have so that I could have all the blessings that God wants to give me. And because of God's plan for me...I have a body!! In *Mosiah Chapter 3 it continues and says, "And now, in the first place, he hath created you, and had granted unto you your lives, for which ye are indebted unto him. And secondly, he doth require that ye should do as he hath commanded you; for which if ye do, he doth immediately bless you; and therefore he hath paid you. And ye are still indebted unto him, and will be, forever and ever; therefore of what have ye to boast?" From these scriptures I realized that thankfulness and humility are directly related. We can develop humility by being truly grateful for what God has really given us. Nothing is really ours, but because God gave everything to us...we need to use it wisely and share it with others.

I am so thankful for you guys! I love my family! I'm so glad you had a great Thanksgiving!!

Love,
Elder Trevor A. Morgan

p.s. I did get all the packages in the mail that you sent! Thanks! AND if you try to find where I live on google, try typing in Reynolds High School. I live in the apts. right behind the fields. Oh, AND ALSO, I bought some rain pants, and a University of Oregon hoodie, and maybe a few other bike things. But, Go DUCKSSSSS!!!!!

* A note from MOM... The Book of Mosiah is found in the Book of Mormon, which is a collection of books written by ancient prophets on the American Continent. Mosiah was one of these early prophets. The ancient prophet Mormon compiled these ancient records and recorded them on gold plates which were preserved by God's direction, until He brought them forth in the 1800's. The latter-day prophet, Joseph Smith Jr., translated the record which God had preserved for our day. It is another testament of our Savior Jesus Christ, and it is a companion to the Bible; both being holy scripture that teach and testify of Jesus Christ and his gospel.

Hola!

Hey Family!

This past week, I've had a hard time getting started on time. Basically, it was because BOTH Elder Rowley and I got sick this week. It seems like EVERYONE in Portland has been sick in the last couple of weeks. We had a lot of motivation for missionary work, but we were told to sleep and gets lots of rest. Because we were sick, we didn't have a "precise" time for doing things. Last week we scheduled our lessons for this week, so we would still try to go to those. Even though we were sick, we still managed to teach 20 lessons! We would even set our alarm clocks for 6:15, wake up, say our companion morning prayer, then our personal prayer, but then we would just turn back over and get some more rest. I could tell though that if I had started my day by reading my scriptures, it would have been a better day. 

There was a talk given by Richard G. Scott in General Conference in which we talked about the power of scriptures. He said the scriptures could spiritually heal us AND physically heal us. I know that to be true. I would make sure I still would read my scriptures everyday when I was sick (it just wasn't in the morning). I knew that if I was reading the scriptures, the word of God, I could be healed by the word of God. While I wasn't healed from the headaches and congestion, I was ALWAYS given the energy to do missionary work.

This week Elder Rowley and I have focused a lot on making sure we obey the small rules. We were teaching our Bible class this week and it was on "David and Goliath". We were talking about what are our "Goliaths" that we face. Elder Rowley said complacency. I totally agreed. We also talked about what the high schoolers "Goliaths" were, Some of which are: the world, music, classmates, forgetting things, forgiving, and others. It was a really neat class because we only had 3 people (who were all high school age members) but I really think they took something out of the class.

At the end of the week we talked about how we can be more effective missionaries for next week (which is now this week) when we are no longer sick. We talked about what we can do better personally, and as a companionship, to make us better missionaries. We talked a lot about making sure we follow all the rules, no matter how small they may be. We really wanted to focus on starting study times EXACTLY on time, getting to appointments on time, leaving appointments on time, and be effective missionaries. We also thought about "raising the bar." 

As missionaries we have developed a great relationship with the ward. They appreciate everything we are doing and want to help us out as much as they can, but we almost have become as there "kids." Sometimes we have gone over (but not much) on the time that we spend with members in their homes. (Really only the people who have kids or had kids on missions know how long we should be at their houses.) SO, Elder Rowley and I thought that if we set the expectation for what we want to do, and how long it should take, and we let the members know, they will help us make sure we get going by the time we told them. They care about us a lot, and like I said before, they want to help us any way they can. As missionaries we need to be sure were are using our time most effectively. Even though I am having a good time with ward members who are active at church, or less active, or even sometimes investigators, I need to be cautious, because I'm not on the my time, but the Lord's time for the next 2 years.

We also wanted to stop by members houses more (for about 15 minutes) so we could leave short messages with them and ask for referrals. By doing that we want to show the members that we care about them, but by telling that we'd leave a short message it shows that we are still busy doing missionary work. It's awesome because the ward really does care about the missionaries. We are fed every week, we are giving rides occasionally, and people are willing to come to lessons with us. The Columbia ward takes great care of their missionaries. You have no need to worry, ha ha.

I love being a missionary.

If there is anything I can do for you, let me know!

Love,

Elder Trevor A. Morgan

Welcome to Herndon, Elder Mooso!

After learning about Elder Morgan's greenie dinner in Oregon. We decided to welcome our newest Herndon missionary, Elder Mooso, from Meridian Idaho (in the white shirt above). Elder Mooso has joined Elder Barrett to serve in Herndon. He comes directly from the MTC in Provo, Utah and this is his first area in the Washington D.C. South Mission where he will serve for the next two years. We hope all the good people of Herndon will welcome Elder Mooso with a warm handshake and a listening ear... and maybe a glass of water :)

Great Weekend!!! 11/7/2011

This weekend has been a great weekend! This weekend is what makes being a missionary awesome! On Saturday, Carolyn, one of our investigators was baptized! She was confirmed on Sunday at church! She has been investigating the Church for two and a half years! She knew this was the right step for her life, so she finally made the decision. At the Baptism, Elder Rowley and I sang "Amazing Grace." Elder Rowley played the guitar and sang the melody, and I sang whatever harmonies I wanted to. It was a wonderful experience, and really brought the spirit into the baptismal service. It was a great baptism, and after she was baptized, Carolyn bore a powerful testimony that she knew this was the right step for her to be taking. She was crying a lot, but they were tears of joy.

Later that night, Dakota, another potential investigator, started texting us! We've been trying to contact him for 3 weeks. He told us that he has been in the hospital for 3 weeks. He was in a major car accident due to drugs, and the person next to him died...but he was still alive and barely injured. In the past month, he has had some trials in his life that I can't even imagine. AND HE'S ONLY 19! Anyway, he told us he was glad that we were so persistent in texting and calling him. His phone was actually at home for those 3 weeks, but when he got home, he was touched when he looked at his phone and saw we had been texting him, and calling him for all those weeks. He said he was grateful we didn't give up on him, because he really wanted to meet with us. We tried to meet with him that day, but he could meet with us. We then texted him and asked him if he wanted to come to church with us....but he didn't respond UNTIL we were asleep in bed. At 1:30 in the morning (on Sunday) he texted us back and said he wanted to go to church, but he didn't know where it was and he needed a ride.  We ride our bikes to church, so making the arrangements for his ride was going to be a challenge for us with such little notice....

BUT, Sunday was ANOTHER amazing day!  We tried to get a ride for Dakota before we went to some morning meetings but nothing worked out.  Then, we asked someone in our meeting, right before church, and he said he could drive us to pick up Dakota. So, at 8:40 we called Dakota (church started at 9:00). We woke him up when we called, but he said we could pick him up and we could take him to church! WE DID!

And Carolyn received the *gift of the Holy Ghost at church on Sunday, and was confirmed a member of the church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints!

This Sunday was our Fast and Testimony meeting, and I had a feeling it was going to be a good one!  I knew I was going to bear my testimony, and just before the meeting started, I saw another one of our investigators who decided to come to church! Her name is Theresa. She is a west African lady who loves to have Elder Rowley and me come to her house! We have invited her to church many times, and she's always said she can't come, but this time she came to church!

My testimony from the pulpit was focused on the doctrines of Jesus Christ: faith, repentance, baptism, the gift of the Holy Ghost, and also enduring to the end. Those 5 points are  what we try to teach others as missionaries. Anyway, as I was bearing my testimony, Kim, a less active member we have been working with, stood up in the VERY back and yelled (while I was up at the pulpit), "Elder Morgan, I'm here, I'm here!! Your hard work paid off!!!" I was so happy she was here at church! BUT, usually a person doesn't yell from one side to the other during church. It was awesome though. This lady hasn't been to church for 37 YEARS!!! I was so happy she came! We meet with her all the time and she said she knew she needed to go, but she would never show up. She even got to the point of telling Elder Rowley and I not to call or text her. BUT, when I saw her at church, she was SOOOO happy.

After I bore my testimony, she came up and told everyone that if it wasn't for Elder Rowley and me, she wouldn't be at church. She was filled with joy. She knew this was the right thing for her to do!

I'm running short on time, but basically the next hour elder Rowley and I taught the "Gospel Principles" Sunday school class. We had everyone introduce themselves because there was an unusually large amount of people in the class. Basically, this turned into a class of investigators, less active members, and recent converts talking about how Elder Rowley and I always come knocking on their doors. They were teasing us, but it is true. BUT, IT'S IMPORTANT! WE ARE HERE TO SERVE THE LORD AND HELP OTHERS COME UNTO CHRIST! AND IT WORKS!

Love, Elder Morgan

---

A note from Mom:

*The Gift of the Holy Ghost - A gift from God to man, bestowed by those with priesthood authority upon newly baptized members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints.

In simple terms, the gift of the Holy Ghost is an enhanced spiritual power permitting those entitled thereto to receive it, to receive a greater knowledge and enjoyment of the influence of Deity."  (President James E. Faust, former 2nd counselor of the First Presidency of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints) 

Short Message, 10/31/2011

Hey sorry this is gonna be a little short and maybe sloppy. I've been trying to send you a lot of pictures this hour, so hopefully you'll get them!

This week has been great! I'm continuing to learn what it takes to be a missionary. I love the chance I have to read the Book of Mormon every day. When I read the BOM, I know that my day will go much better.  I love that I have a hour to study personally, and then I have an hour (sometime 2 because I am a Greenie) to study with my companion. I am so blessed to be able to have that time.

In companion study we have talked about talking simply. I love that and I need that.  I am learning sooo much. We have simplified the lessons so that we can say that when we approach someone at the door.

I LOVE BEING A MISSIONARY!!!

Love,

Elder Morgan

"Missionary Challenge"

If you go back to my post on October 4th, you will read about my first dinner in Oregon. The bishop and his wife have a family tradition of honoring brand new Elder's from the MTC by serving a "green" dinner to the "greenie" missionary and his companion. As a part of the meal they give the green missionary (me) a "Missionary Challenge." They said that we could go to Dairy Queen and get the Blizzard of choice if I would eat a jar of GREEN baby food. Boy, was it nasty, but I did it, and OOH was that Blizzard worth it!  YES!!!

Elder Morgan and  his companion Elder Rowley

It's all GREEN for the GREEN missionary... ME

Elder Morgan questions how parents can be so cruel 

and feed this stuff to their small children.

This is NASTY!!!  Poor babies!

I survived and lived to tell about it!

IT WAS WORTH IT!!

Elder Morgan with his companion, Elder Rowley with the Bishop's kids.

Yum! Yum!

MTC Pictures

The MTC (Missionary Training Center) is the first stop for all LDS missionaries. At the beginning of their service LDS missionaries usually spend 3-12 weeks at an MTC where they receive training in doctrine, conduct, proselyting methods, and when required, a foreign language. There are 17 MTCs located in nations throughout the world. Because Elder Morgan's mission did not require language training, he stayed at the Provo, Utah MTC for 3 weeks (minus 2 days). Here are some of his pictures while at the MTC. (Sept. 14 - Oct. 2, 2011).

Boys will be boys! Even Mormon Missionaries... 

Having fun on "P" day (preparation day or play day?)

Mount Timpanogos; a lovely view from the MTC.

Symbolic...

The University of Utah

BEATS it's rival

BYU (Brigham Young University)

Elder Morgan is prepared either way!

Elder Mahoney, another great Elder!

MTC classroom... Missionaries learn, study and prepare.

Dorms at the MTC.

More dorms...

Another Jedi Missionary... having fun!

Elder Morgan's MTC companion, Elder Jorgenson.

Let's take pictures of each other... 1,2,3, CHEESE!

New friends!

ELDERS

 MTC Entrance

Another Jedi!

A Visit to the Provo, Utah Temple

Elder Morgan and other missionaries at the MTC visit the Provo, Utah Temple of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Temples are houses of the Lord, the most sacred structures on Earth for members of the LDS church. In temples, church members participate in ordinances designed to unite their families together forever (see The Old Testament, Malachi 4:5-6), and to learn eternal truths. Members can also provide ordinance work for their family members who have died without the opportunity to receive the Gospel of Jesus Christ. (See The New Testament 1 Corinthians 15:29 and 1 Peter 4:6). 

Missionaries leave the MTC to visit the Provo Utah Temple.

Happy Elders walk the pathway to the temple.

The Angel Moroni statue on the top of the Provo Temple.

Moroni is an ancient prophet in the Book of Mormon. His statue on top of most LDS temples symbolizes the restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ in the latter days. The angel is a representation of the angel in John's vision in the New Testament. "And I saw another angel fly in the midst of Heaven, having the everlasting gospel to preach unto them that dwell on the earth." (Revelation 14:6)

Did you know that LDS lady missionaries are called Sisters? 

Here are four sister missionaries that were in Elder Morgan's  MTC District (group).

Beautiful flowers line the pathway to the temple.

BEAUTIFUL!!!

The Provo Temple with Squaw Peak towering as a back drop.

A message displayed at all LDS temples.

The view of Provo, Utah from the Provo Temple grounds...

A hazy day.

CTR

CHOOSE THE RIGHT!

Missionaries show their solidarity in choosing to follow Christ and do what is right. 

Their name badges collectively display this favorite Mormon acronym.

Hey There! October 17, 2011

Howdy! I hope everything is going well. I hope Virginia is not too crazy. I never know, cause I don't watch TV or anything. How are the rehearsals for the musical going? I saw a high school in Troutdale was doing "Sound of Music." It brought back good memories.

When I was doing some exploring on www.mormon.org, I found video profiles of some church members. These videos explain their lives, their faith, and things about them that reflect how "normal" they are. I really enjoyed Alex Boye's and Brandon Summer's videos. If you haven't seen them I recommend watching them.

If you don't know Alex Boye, he is one of the few African American singers in the Mormon Tabernacle Choir. He is an amazing singer. He has his own albums, published through Deseret Book, and his record deal is with Shadow Mountain Records. His music is great. Anyway, he has a great video about how music has shaped his life. At first he sang and performed for himself, but later on in life, when he became Mormon, he wanted to sing and perform for other reasons. He says, "Music can heal the soul." I totally agree with that. I know that music can express emotions that can make a person's life different, even better. In his video, Alex Boye shares that there was a man who was about to commit suicide, but the man listened to one of Alex Boye's recordings and he refrained from committing suicide. Music can be a powerful tool in testifying to our hearts and minds that there is a God who really cares. People might not always make that connection, but it's true. Music can calm people and can make them feel good. There is something spiritual about music.

Brandon Flowers' video is another great profile. He is the lead singer of the band called "The Killers," and he is a Mormon. He said that his music doesn't have to be about money, sex and everything bad. It can be different. It can be good. In the rock pop industry, he shares that it is really weird to be married, especially at a younger age...like late 20's, but he is married and he manages his career with his family. In terms of what he values most, he says his family has surpassed his music. He says that as he has grown up, he has been more cautious about lyrics. He wants to be a positive influence in people lives. He has grown up in the church and he is thankful for his parents and the church instilling good values in him.

These videos are comforting to me because the more I think about what I want to do in my life, the more I think that it has something to do with music. I don't know what yet. I'm not saying I'll be focused on the extremes of getting rich and famous or becoming a music teacher, but I know that music will be a part of my life somehow. I'm grateful that I know that I can have a life centered around the gospel of Jesus Christ and have music in my life. They don't oppose each other. In fact,  music can help to bring others closer to Christ.

Even though I am on my mission, music can still be a big part of my life. Each day Elder Rowley and I start our companionship study with a hymn. Music invites the right spirit to our study sessions. I wrote the family a letter, which I sent just yesterday, talking about my first real Sunday in Troutdale. It was awesome, but what I liked the most was that Elder Rowley and I sang "Be Still, My Soul" for the musical number during sacrament meeting. It was a great experience.

Being on a mission makes me realize the blessings God has given to me while growing up. I'm so grateful for my family. I'm grateful for the resources that we have had so that we could live comfortably. Even in times when we haven't had all the money we wanted, we have been supported by friends, family, and from the church. I'm grateful for all the blessings I have had in my life. I'm grateful that I could spend a lot of my life involved in music. I love music. But most importantly, I'm grateful for God's plan that he has for me. This is something that is even bigger than music. This is an eternal plan that he has for me and for everyone. If we follow His commandments we can have joy forever!

I love you all and I pray for you every day!

Love,

Elder Trevor. A. Morgan

Hi, I'm Alex Boye and I'm a Mormon

Brandon Flowers - A Fire Still Burning

News from Elder Morgan 10/12/2011

Elder Morgan and two more brand new missionaries.

We made it! 

First day in the Oregon Portland Mission

10/3/2011

Hey! sorry I didn't email any sooner, I've been pretty busy. I'm glad to hear all is going well in VA.

This week has been a great week. I was able to hear from a General Authority 3 times! He is from the first quorum of the seventy and his name is Elder C. Scott Grow. He is an amazing person. My stake had stake conference this week, so Elder Rowley and I attended the Saturday session, then the regular Sunday session and the missionaries in the OPM  had our own meeting with Elder C. Scott Grow. That last meeting was awesome, but it was soooo long. The meeting lasted 8 hours (with breaks). He talked about how we should spend half of our time working with less active and part member families. 

So I had some fun experiences this week. I committed someone to baptism, and she said she would be baptized!...except she called today when Elder Rowley and I were teaching the lesson in district meeting. I had Elder Rowley take the call and I continued to teach the lesson. After district meeting Elder Rowley told me Carolyn wanted to drop the baptism. Just yesterday, we set up the whole baptismal service with her. We talked about who she wanted to talk, what songs we should sing, and who she wanted to baptize her. (Sorry, I might not have said who this lady is. Her name is Carolyn Gordon. She is about 63 and was a Lutheran before...well she still is as of now.)  Anyway, Elder Rowley told her to hold the date of Nov. 5 and we would try to resolve her concerns about the church...She has even told us before SHE KNOWS SHE NEEDS TO BE BAPTIZED! Guess how long she has been taught by the missionaries? 2 and a half years!!! Okay, even if I sound a little frantic. I'm not worried. She'll accept the gospel of Jesus Christ. She has been and IS prepared. She loves the people at church and she really enjoys the missionaries. She is great!

I'm not sure if it has always been this way, but the Church is encouraging missionaries to do much more than baptize new people. We are to help focus church members on living the gospel of Jesus Christ, and try to encourage them to receive all of the blessings they can have through being active in the church, this includes temple blessings. I read a talk somewhere (I think it was in the MTC) and it explained that the spirit of Elijah is spreading, just like it says in Malachi, "And he shall turn the hearts of the fathers to the children and the hearts of the children to their fathers."

Just to wrap up the email, I was talking to Elder Rowley this week about being a missionary. I was asking him how "bold" can we be. We talked and talked about it. We came up with the conclusion that we can be as bold as we want to be, as long as we are doing it because we love that person. We are representatives of Jesus Christ. I am so grateful to be on a mission. I know I can be a good missionary, but it is only through prayer that I can become a great missionary. I pray multiple times a day to "have the desire to work hard." I can feel that desire.

I love you all and thank you for all of the prayers, emails and letters!

Love,

Elder Trevor A. Morgan

Commentary by Mom: Some facts about The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS church)

Stake: A stake is an administrative unit composed of multiple LDS wards (congregations). A stake is approximately comparable to a diocese in the Catholic Church. The name "stake" derives from the verse "enlarge the place of thy tent, and let them stretch forth the curtains of thine habitation: spare not, lengthen thy cords, and strengthen thy stakes." (Bible, Old Testament, Isaiah 54:2) LDS wards and stakes are established by geographic location. The Morgans in Herndon, Virginia live in the Herndon Ward of the Oakton Virginia Stake, which also includes the following additional wards: Chantilly, Fair Oaks, Franklin, Oak Marr, Oakton, Reston, Spring Lake (spanish speaking), Vienna.

Stake Conference: A semi-annual meeting for all members of a stake.

General Authority: In The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints (LDS Church), a general authority is a member of certain leadership organizations who are given administrative and ecclesiastical authority of the church. A general authority's jurisdiction is church-wide, in contrast to the responsibilities of a local authority or an area authority, which relate to a particular area, unit, or department of the church. As of April 2010, the number of general authorities was 109.


Quorum of the Seventy: Seventy is a priesthood office of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. Traditionally, a Latter Day Saint holding this priesthood office is a "traveling minister" and an "especial witness" of Jesus Christ, charged with the mission of preaching the gospel to the entire world under the direction of the Twelve Apostles. The office of seventy is based on the seventy disciples mentioned in the Gospel of Luke 10:1-2.

Families and temples: (Bible, Old Testament, Malachi 4:6, "And he shall turn the heart of the fathers to the children, and the heart of the children to their fathers...) Members of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints believe that family ties can be eternal. Husbands and wives are not only married for this life, but in temples, they are sealed for time and all eternity to each other and to their children. The eternal ties extend to grandparents, great grand-parents and all of our ancestors as well as to grand children and our future posterity.