April 19, 2011

Hey!

Things are pretty great here. It lightly rained here last night. That's about it weather wise. Its just sunny and hot. We have an opportunity to work in gardens around here. They grow brocolli here. Huge fields of it. Brocolli in large quantities smells exactly like crap. A lot of it.

Well good and bad news, the lady that was going to be baptized on Calebs birthday slipped on the Word of Wisdom so she has to be baptized this weekend. So she'll be baptized the same day Caleb becomes a teacher. She asked me to play the piano at her baptism and she asked me to confirm her. I'm super nervous. I've given blessings and things but never confirmed anyone, espescially in front of a sacrament meeting with over 300 people. There's going to be two baby blessings and a confirmation that day.

There's a ton of junk in my room. I don't even remember what it was all for. I guess it will be easier to chuck it when I'm unpacking it than trying to decide what to chuck while packing. Whatever value it had will probably be gone by the time I get home. It's crazy that I've been gone almost two and a half months. I'm officially not a greenie anymore. Transfers are today but I'm staying with Elder Perkins and Elder Mortenson. I get to kill two missionaries at once! (Send them home) It's awesome. Elder Perkins and Elder Mortenson were MTC companions so it's cool that they get to serve together in their last transfer. 

As for the package, could you send more milks? I gave mine away to some children we're teaching. And we've been having a lot of fun with those little baseball things. They make good prank things. Oh, could you send a USB card reader? That would be awesome! I could email you pictures that way. I've got some printed out that I'm going to send, but emailing will be cheaper because we have to print them out at Wal-Stupid or something. There were other things I thought of during the week. A tie hanger would be nice. My ties are currently... everywhere. I've acquired many ties here. The thrift stores are full of them. I can't remember the other things I thought of.

What time would be a good time for me to call on Mother's Day? They asked us to start making arrangments now. We have church from 9-12 and from 1-4. So the evening would work better for me. But we could arrange something else if we need to. If i remember right you are on the 9 schedule?

Missionary Month is awesome! I've got them beat though. I'm doing Missionary 2 years. So there. I know about sleep headaches though. All of our neighbors are partiers, Elder Mortenson likes to sleep with a fan on, Elder Perkins sleeps with the window open, and I'm in the middle of two snorers. I haven't been sleeping well either. The only thing I can tell Caleb is trust the Lord that it will work out. I've started sleeping with one of those eye cover things and with ear plugs in. One awesome thing to do is to read the scriptures by topic. Go to the Topical Guide and pick a subject you want to study. For example: I studied the Godhead this morning. I found some awesome scriptures that refute the Trinity concept. John 1:1 says In the beginning was the Word, and the Word was God, and the Word was with God. But from 1 John 4:7 we learn that there are three how testify in the heavens. God, The Word (Christ), and the Holy Ghost. So John 1 is talking about Christ being a god(not being God) and being with God(the Father), not the whole Trinity junk. Then I read the Bible Dictionary under "God" which goes through the Godhead. Something awesome I learned is that God is only omnipresent through the Holy Ghost. So the question now is: How is God going to be omnipresent when the Holy Ghost is on earth receiving a body? One possible answer is that it will happen during the Millenium when Satan is bound and Christ is personally reigning on earth.

I really liked that chinese proverb quote. Thanks for supporting me as I'm out working in the field.

I love and miss you guys,

Elder J. Garth Mortensen

P.S. anyone who reads this can write me. I wouldn't mind getting letters at all. I promise that I'll get back to you eventually

P.P.S. Did caleb and josh get the birthday things I sent them?

April 12, 2011

Mom,

I was jsut telling dad how it's 60 something degrees here. How people look at me like I'm crazy for wearing short sleeved shirts and stuff. I should've only brought 2 long sleeved. I have to wear a long sleeve on Sundays (unless its 80 degress then it comes off), and in meetings line district and zone meetings. I never have my jackets on. That's Crazy about the potential flooding and such. If it happens be sure to send me pictures.

Speaking of pictures, I can attach pictures in these emails, so if I get a USB card reader I can plug my camera card in and send you pictures. We've got several pictures to send and things. Nothing too special though. You'll see.

I'm glad to hear about Jenson and Gatlin. I think Jenson going will help with the family situation. I'm glad he's made the choice to go.

They made a good choice in asking you. All you have to do is pull out your camping bible and you're set. I'll bet it wasn't even that hard to plan. Those girls are lucky. I've actually had dutch oven apple cobler here. And we had taco salad for dinner last night. But they're not the same.

That's great to hear about that program! I know that if you stick to what Dr. Friden says, that the Lord will bless you for your efforts. Plus, you have to support of your friends and family. That's part of the covenants that we make. I know there's not much support I can give from here but if it helps, I'm eating your share of calories. I've gained 25 pounds since I left. I'm up to 185. My pants are starting to not fit.

Big Aaron is crazy. We're going over for family nights every monday night. We've been talking about conference and I think it's really starting to help. It's really weird to see myself become an answer to someones prayers. I think he's going to start coming back to church with his family. His wife is one tough cookie though. It might take her a little while to forgive herself and come back.

I need my back brace. I don't know where it's at. I would like a tape of family and friends talking. That would be really cool. Other than that I don't really know right now. I'll think about it a little during the week and let you know.

We went to a pentecostal church the other day. We witnessed people being "healed" from the preacher smacking there forheads and such. The preacher claimed he had seen Christ and all kinds of things. He claimed that once he started preaching he would become Christ. It was... interesting. Some random guy came up to Elder Mortenson the Elder and prophesying to him. Weird stuff about his mother and things. Then another lady came up to us to ask us who we were because we had light shining from our eyes. That she could see the love of Christ coming out of us. That was really humbling to hear. We're counting her as a new investigator and we're meeting with her soon.

I've got about 20 minutes still so you can email me if you're there.

I love you mom.

Love,

-Elder J. Garth Mortensen

Hey,

Things are great. Mother Nature here is really happy. It's been in the 80's all week. But the week before someone sinned because it was 5 days of dumpage. It rained like it does in the Uintas for 5 straight days. Other than that it's really warm here. We only have to wear our jackets on Sundays, but if it's over 80 we don't have to wear them.

Yeah, they were sitting in the foyer between church two sunday's ago and asked us where were from and stuff. They said they were heading back to utah and said they'd take anything I needed back. So I gave it to them. She was talking about the Elder before me. Elder Mecham is like 6'5". I'm still with Elder Perkins but transfers are next week. So we could be changing. I don't think we'll be changing because next transfer is his last transfer. And this is my first transfer. But you never know. President Murri is kind of a goof noggin.. (In a good way) Oh man he's funny though. He lives in Logan so you could go see him after he gets released. That would be kinda cool. I apparently keep getting AP points. Which is scary because I don't want to be AP.

I was thinking about how weird its going to be for you to have someone to go to dinner with and things. It's weird that Jetta's going to be 3 when I get home. Hopefully they have another one year old for me to play with. Go ahead and tell them that. Yeah President Monson was laying the spiritual smack down. He really is the Tongue of the Lord. President Uchtdorf is the Hammer of the Lord. Elder Chistofferson is the Law of the Lord. Elder Scott is the Eye of the Lord. President Eyring is the Love of the Lord. Elder Oaks is the Judge of the Lord. My favorite talk this Conference was Elder Oaks on desires. It touched me because my Patriarchal Blessing talks alot about my desires. So I've been working on that one.

There's a family here that's inactive that God sent me here for. The Terrasas family is so awesome. Big Aaron, the dad, is a master martial artist. And by master I mean he could easily fight with guys like Bruce Lee and Jackie Chan and do all those crazy things. But he goes way into the pschological stuff of it. He knows so much about how the body works and things. He showed us how to explode someone's kidney. Anyway.. He's one of the people that is inactive because people prejudge him and things. He's not afraid to speak his mind and people condemn him for it. He was in the bishopric and people would ask him for advice and he would say ask the Lord and then come ask me, or build your faith and you will get the answer. Things like that that people actually needed to hear. No one liked it or something. But he's pretty much insane. They have a weimeraner named Sinatra. She look's pretty much exactly like Copper. He was surprised I knew the breed and how to handle a weimer and things. Natalie his wife works at US bank and things. We're still figuring our her deal.  But we're seeing lots of  progress with them :) Hopefully they'll be to church soon :)

It's crazy here. My companion is going apostate haha. I've been driving him a little hard. Plus his girlfriend just got home from here mission a month ago and she hasn't written him since. He's taking it kinda hard.

Yep yep,

Love,

Elder Mortensen