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.