Hello Familia
ok so if this email is short forgive me, this is the third time i will be writing it now...... the comuter is having ´errors´......gooze fraba..... Ok well, im doing well. It was good to hear from home on christmas. It sounds like you had a very very white christmas this year, and from the last couple e-mails from home, itsounds like its only getting whiter. Enjoy the snow for me, be careful, but enjoy it. I sure miss it. BUT someone has to endure through 70 degree weather year round, it is a sacrifice i am willing to make. Today had been and outof the ordinarily sunny day. almost no clouds at all in the sky. so that should mean we are goin to have a BIG rain atorm this evening and probably through the night! I am excided for that. The thunderstorms are like notheing ive ever seen before. Since we are so high elevationwise, the lightning is always right there above us and there is almost no sound delay at all! i LOVE it! This week between new years and christmas has been interesting. Drunk people out in the streets making all sorts of noise all throughout the night, drunk guys passed out n the sidewalks, just step over them, and also drunk fights, at times very entertaining, always makes me feel better about myself. We were leaving the chappel friday afternoon and got stopped by a drunk man on the sidewalk. We talked with him for a while and helped him walk to where he said he lived. When we nocked the door a nice old lady came and we asked her if he lived there and she said she had never seen him before. So we kinda chatted with him about church for a couple more minutes then we left. im sure he doesnt remember any of it, but it was a learning experience for me. He reaked of beer, his arm was cut bruised and bloody, his lips were puffy and bloody. My guess is where we found his on the sidewalk is where he passed out and hit the pavement pretty hard. And then he woke up lost and saw us walking by. It is amazing to see hw many people are throwing their lives away for alchohol. It is very sad to see. He was very very unhappy, i wish we could find him at least half sober and teach him how he can actually be happy again. Thats waht we have as members of the church, we have the ultimate gift. We have the restored gospel of Jesus Christ, we know that Heavenly Father has a plan for us, the plan of happiness. Thats waht it truely is, the plan of happiness. I wish everyone we talked to would see that and accept that. it is amazing how this gospel blesses and changes live so much. There is no way that this isnt the true church of Jesus Christ.
We had FHE with the branch president last night, it was fun. We started with a lesson and testimonies, then played a couple little games. the losers of the games had to sing kareoke. I foung out im not half bad of a spanish singer. Especially when compared to the people here, they aret shy about singing even when almost all of them should be. It is just a completely different world. BUT i am actually used to it. I know longer hold my breath when on a bus ride or in a taxi (the drivers here are the craziest in the world, not just a few, but ALL of them). While walking down the street i am used to getting stared down be cause im one of 2 gringos in a town of 50,000. its all just a part of any other ordinary day to me. I love it here. I have really fallen in love with it. The work is a little bit slow because of the fact that my companion is a little preoccupied with some of the members here, but we are pluggingalong and i am really cracking the whip and having sometalks with him, and the members alike. So in time im sure everything will pick up. I guess there´s nothing gonna teach me some initiative faster than having to babysit my trainer. When we make contacts i am the one to start the contact and say the basics, i have come to the knowledge also that my companion is afraid of making contacts and teaching lessons, so i am doing better to bebold and get things going. Sunday for example we were having lunch with a family who has not been to church for a couple of weeks, be fore getting there i suggested to my companion that we use the talks we gave in sacrament metting as a lesson for the family. He agreed, but after the meal he was more contentwith watching tv. Finally i got tired of waiting for him to ask for the family to get togeter for a lesson, so i did it! And i started the lesson, he gave his quick part and it went well. I am getting alot more comfortable really fast with giving lessons, and spiritual thoughts. I am loving it. I am learning alot of lessons and growing so so very much. I have printed off a few different talks by apostles to study and it has been really good. I am just doing great to tell the truth of it. Without trials, how are we supposed to learn and grow?! thats the way you gotta look at it.
Love you all family. sorry i havent sent any pictures yet. its notworking on this computer, but i promise i will get some sent as soon as i can!
Elder Matthew Morris
Tuesday, December 30, 2008
Monday, December 22, 2008
Feliz Navidad!
Hola Familia!
Well we had a good weekend. It was zone conference so we went to Otavalo for friday and saturday. President Sloan gave some really good advice and i had a good interview with him. I told him Elder Castro and I have a couple of things that we need to work out and that we are making compromises for each other. I am goin to just try to have a talk with him myself rather than going to the president about it just yet. During our interview president let me know that the reason he put me in Tulcán, way way far away from anything, is because he trusts me and he knows i can handle myself and be a n influence on the elders up here. Like i have said before, there are two companionships here and the nearest elders to us are in Ibarra, a 2 1/2 hour busride away. So it really is just us and our 80 active members! haha. But we are doing good.
Christmas is comming up REALLY fast! Time flies by in winter when it is still 65 degrees everyday. Its hard to beleive that it is december! One thing that the missionaries in our mission are doing for christmas is, we are having members right their testimonies in Books of mormon and then giving us a referral of a family to give it to. We then visit the family, sing a couple of hymns and share a 10 minutes message about Christ, his birth, and atonement. Then hope for the opportunity to come back and share more. At the zone conference most of the missionaries said that the program was not working for them and they werent gaining investigators. BUT as for here in Tulcán where the "cold hearted" people live, we are having amazing success with it! Our secret, we meet up at the chappel at about 6 pm, then we split off as companionships with a half a donzen primary children who are wearing "feliz navidad" santa hats and holding candles, and the children sing "i am a child of God" we share the message, then the children again sing a christmas hymn. We have had some GREAT experiences. I know that it is all because of the wonderful spirit that the children bring into the lesson. It just shows why the savior taught we must become meek humble and innocent as little children are in order to enter into the kingdome of God. In the last week and a half we have had the opportunity to give 5 different blessings. One was just last night with some new investigators that came from the christmas program. We shared the message of the restoration with a man, his wife and their daughter. The man had cancer a few years ago, survived some kind of treatments that got rid of the cancer, but he lost the ability to talk. He cannot even mumble. It is a very sad situation, but we gave him a blessing and shared a few additional scriptures on faith. The spirit was so so very strong and i am so excited to be able to visit them again, i think tomorrow! The mother and daughter have so much faith in Christ already. i would bet within a month and a half they can be baptised. The people here really are amazing! They are all willing to help at anytime and they are just so nice.
For christmas.... well i dont know what we are goin to do. We have to be back at the house by 4 in the afternoon. If we have a dinner appointment with a family we are aloud to leave for that but then have to return back to the house when its done. (They drink ALOT on holidays here) We have the same rule for new years, but we dont have any dinner plans for christmas because all of the members are going to the temple in Guyaquil for the 25th and 26th. So we will just have to see how it works out. The work is great, dont worry about me. I do miss the snow quite a bit, but i am trying to enjoy paradise as much as i can for all of you! Love you all. Thank you always for the letters pictures and support!
¡Feliz Navidad!
Elder Morris
Well we had a good weekend. It was zone conference so we went to Otavalo for friday and saturday. President Sloan gave some really good advice and i had a good interview with him. I told him Elder Castro and I have a couple of things that we need to work out and that we are making compromises for each other. I am goin to just try to have a talk with him myself rather than going to the president about it just yet. During our interview president let me know that the reason he put me in Tulcán, way way far away from anything, is because he trusts me and he knows i can handle myself and be a n influence on the elders up here. Like i have said before, there are two companionships here and the nearest elders to us are in Ibarra, a 2 1/2 hour busride away. So it really is just us and our 80 active members! haha. But we are doing good.
Christmas is comming up REALLY fast! Time flies by in winter when it is still 65 degrees everyday. Its hard to beleive that it is december! One thing that the missionaries in our mission are doing for christmas is, we are having members right their testimonies in Books of mormon and then giving us a referral of a family to give it to. We then visit the family, sing a couple of hymns and share a 10 minutes message about Christ, his birth, and atonement. Then hope for the opportunity to come back and share more. At the zone conference most of the missionaries said that the program was not working for them and they werent gaining investigators. BUT as for here in Tulcán where the "cold hearted" people live, we are having amazing success with it! Our secret, we meet up at the chappel at about 6 pm, then we split off as companionships with a half a donzen primary children who are wearing "feliz navidad" santa hats and holding candles, and the children sing "i am a child of God" we share the message, then the children again sing a christmas hymn. We have had some GREAT experiences. I know that it is all because of the wonderful spirit that the children bring into the lesson. It just shows why the savior taught we must become meek humble and innocent as little children are in order to enter into the kingdome of God. In the last week and a half we have had the opportunity to give 5 different blessings. One was just last night with some new investigators that came from the christmas program. We shared the message of the restoration with a man, his wife and their daughter. The man had cancer a few years ago, survived some kind of treatments that got rid of the cancer, but he lost the ability to talk. He cannot even mumble. It is a very sad situation, but we gave him a blessing and shared a few additional scriptures on faith. The spirit was so so very strong and i am so excited to be able to visit them again, i think tomorrow! The mother and daughter have so much faith in Christ already. i would bet within a month and a half they can be baptised. The people here really are amazing! They are all willing to help at anytime and they are just so nice.
For christmas.... well i dont know what we are goin to do. We have to be back at the house by 4 in the afternoon. If we have a dinner appointment with a family we are aloud to leave for that but then have to return back to the house when its done. (They drink ALOT on holidays here) We have the same rule for new years, but we dont have any dinner plans for christmas because all of the members are going to the temple in Guyaquil for the 25th and 26th. So we will just have to see how it works out. The work is great, dont worry about me. I do miss the snow quite a bit, but i am trying to enjoy paradise as much as i can for all of you! Love you all. Thank you always for the letters pictures and support!
¡Feliz Navidad!
Elder Morris
Monday, December 15, 2008
Hello Family!
All is well here in Ecuador. From the letters i got from home it sounds like winter has arrived in good old rexburg. I really miss the snow. it never snows here. We had a good rain storm the other day that hailed a bit. They say they get hail storms pretty often, sometimes the hail is the size of golfballs if not bigger. The ones we got the other day were just BB sized. I learned a lesson that day though, when it starts out really warm and sunny early in the day, it means a big old storm is going to hit just after lunch. Yes it does rain everyday. maybe for only half hour, or maybe half the day, but it rains EVERY day. Yesterday after church we went to a members home for lunch and when we got done with lunch we went out to get a taxi to go back to the church for the other branch´s meeting and it was pouring! Within 30 seconds outside we were SOAKED! The rain drops were huge and there was alot of em. But it was fun.
The church is in kinda rough shape down here. There isnt really any reverence at all in meetings, its sad. It really makes me miss the homeward and the challenge Bishop Purse gave us. I am so grateful for the reverenceand the spirit i could feel back home. There are only two branches here in Tulcán and in my opinion they should be one. Only about 40 people show up for church on sundays. Husbands dont come, usually only wives and small kids. Teenaged boys almost never come. Priesthood holders are on low supply here. So we have our work cut out for us.
Something Jared said to me before i came out is that i may be shocked at how many missionaries in the field are pretty much useless. WOW, how true that is. My trainer Elder Castro is a so-so missionary. He is helping me with the language and everything, but i am really working hard to get him to obey the rules. We are almost never on time getting home. He likes to chat with the members alot. There is a girl in the branch here who he just knows he is going to marry so we go over to her house to see her and her family often. So i am working alot with him trying to get out and around the city more. We decided to go knocking doors the other day after we contancted a referral. It was a bit of a rough area and everyone was calling me gringo so we left. We did get a couple of referrals though.
The average monthly income here is about $240. Most of the people here have little businesses out of their houses like , bakeries, convenient stores, mechanic shops, cabinas (phone booths), and thats about all i can think of. The wives usually stay home and run the little stores while the husbands, or more often boyfriends, go drive bus or taxi. There are alot of little cook stands on the side of the roads as well. little home made grills where they usually cook potatoes, pork, or bananas. We are not allowed to eat from those things though, and if we were allowed i still dont think i would! haha. The food here is getting better. I love love love the bread and all of the bananas. Saturday i had my first raw banana, it was really good. Before that i had only had grilled and fried bananas, they are really good too. We had some fish with our rice yesterday..... im still not sure about that. they eat every little piece of the fish here. And the flavor is a bit different but i will probably get used to it with time.
We hold our district meetings in a classroom at the churhc. There are only two companionships here in Tulcán. The other companionship is Elder Gonzales from Lima Peru and Elder Monson from SLC. No hes not related to President Monson. Bishop Klinger actually met Elder Monson when he came to Ecuador this summer. Elder Monson was serving in Otavalo and Bishop Klinger talked with him for a bit. ´
I cant think of anything i would really need for christmas. If you do send anything send it to this address and it should go to the mission home and they will send it here.
Dirección de la casa de la misión:
Robles 640 Y Amazonas
Quito, Pichincha Ecuador
also the pouch address is
PO Box 30150
Salk Lake City Utah
84130=0150 USA
Love you all. thank you for the letters.
Elder Morris
All is well here in Ecuador. From the letters i got from home it sounds like winter has arrived in good old rexburg. I really miss the snow. it never snows here. We had a good rain storm the other day that hailed a bit. They say they get hail storms pretty often, sometimes the hail is the size of golfballs if not bigger. The ones we got the other day were just BB sized. I learned a lesson that day though, when it starts out really warm and sunny early in the day, it means a big old storm is going to hit just after lunch. Yes it does rain everyday. maybe for only half hour, or maybe half the day, but it rains EVERY day. Yesterday after church we went to a members home for lunch and when we got done with lunch we went out to get a taxi to go back to the church for the other branch´s meeting and it was pouring! Within 30 seconds outside we were SOAKED! The rain drops were huge and there was alot of em. But it was fun.
The church is in kinda rough shape down here. There isnt really any reverence at all in meetings, its sad. It really makes me miss the homeward and the challenge Bishop Purse gave us. I am so grateful for the reverenceand the spirit i could feel back home. There are only two branches here in Tulcán and in my opinion they should be one. Only about 40 people show up for church on sundays. Husbands dont come, usually only wives and small kids. Teenaged boys almost never come. Priesthood holders are on low supply here. So we have our work cut out for us.
Something Jared said to me before i came out is that i may be shocked at how many missionaries in the field are pretty much useless. WOW, how true that is. My trainer Elder Castro is a so-so missionary. He is helping me with the language and everything, but i am really working hard to get him to obey the rules. We are almost never on time getting home. He likes to chat with the members alot. There is a girl in the branch here who he just knows he is going to marry so we go over to her house to see her and her family often. So i am working alot with him trying to get out and around the city more. We decided to go knocking doors the other day after we contancted a referral. It was a bit of a rough area and everyone was calling me gringo so we left. We did get a couple of referrals though.
The average monthly income here is about $240. Most of the people here have little businesses out of their houses like , bakeries, convenient stores, mechanic shops, cabinas (phone booths), and thats about all i can think of. The wives usually stay home and run the little stores while the husbands, or more often boyfriends, go drive bus or taxi. There are alot of little cook stands on the side of the roads as well. little home made grills where they usually cook potatoes, pork, or bananas. We are not allowed to eat from those things though, and if we were allowed i still dont think i would! haha. The food here is getting better. I love love love the bread and all of the bananas. Saturday i had my first raw banana, it was really good. Before that i had only had grilled and fried bananas, they are really good too. We had some fish with our rice yesterday..... im still not sure about that. they eat every little piece of the fish here. And the flavor is a bit different but i will probably get used to it with time.
We hold our district meetings in a classroom at the churhc. There are only two companionships here in Tulcán. The other companionship is Elder Gonzales from Lima Peru and Elder Monson from SLC. No hes not related to President Monson. Bishop Klinger actually met Elder Monson when he came to Ecuador this summer. Elder Monson was serving in Otavalo and Bishop Klinger talked with him for a bit. ´
I cant think of anything i would really need for christmas. If you do send anything send it to this address and it should go to the mission home and they will send it here.
Dirección de la casa de la misión:
Robles 640 Y Amazonas
Quito, Pichincha Ecuador
also the pouch address is
PO Box 30150
Salk Lake City Utah
84130=0150 USA
Love you all. thank you for the letters.
Elder Morris
Wednesday, December 3, 2008
From President & Sister Sloan
MISIÓN QUITO ECUADOR
Robles 640 y Amazonas
Casilla 17-03-078
Quito, Ecuador
3 December 2008
Dear Family of Elder Morris,
Sister Sloan and I are pleased to tell you that your son has arrived safely and has begun his missionary labors. We spent some time becoming acquainted with him and want to compliment you on raising a worthy missionary. We also thank you for your willingness to sacrifice so that he can serve the Lord during this time in his life. Rest assured that we will treat him as we would our own sons.
You may be wondering how you can best support your missionary while he serves. We suggest that you write a letter at least weekly. Express your love for him. Tell him about the positive things that are happening at home. Encourage him to work hard and to be obedient. Ask him to devote all of his time and attention to his mission.
Prayer is a powerful means of support. Please pray for your missionary every day, for his success as a teacher, for his protection, for his health and well-being. Ask Heavenly Father to help him live worthily so he can find, teach and baptize Heavenly Father’s children.
Participate in your son’s mission by looking for your own missionary experiences. Pray that you will be able to find friends, relatives and acquaintances with whom to share the gospel. Invite your own local missionaries to teach them in your home. Share your missionary experiences with your son in your weekly letters. You will strengthen eternal family bonds as you engage in Heavenly Father´s work.
Again, thank you for sharing your son with us. Together, let us make this experience one that will bless and strengthen him and your family for the rest of your lives.
Sincerely,
Presidente Timothy Q. Sloan
Misión Ecuador Quito
Robles 640 y Amazonas
Casilla 17-03-078
Quito, Ecuador
3 December 2008
Dear Family of Elder Morris,
Sister Sloan and I are pleased to tell you that your son has arrived safely and has begun his missionary labors. We spent some time becoming acquainted with him and want to compliment you on raising a worthy missionary. We also thank you for your willingness to sacrifice so that he can serve the Lord during this time in his life. Rest assured that we will treat him as we would our own sons.
You may be wondering how you can best support your missionary while he serves. We suggest that you write a letter at least weekly. Express your love for him. Tell him about the positive things that are happening at home. Encourage him to work hard and to be obedient. Ask him to devote all of his time and attention to his mission.
Prayer is a powerful means of support. Please pray for your missionary every day, for his success as a teacher, for his protection, for his health and well-being. Ask Heavenly Father to help him live worthily so he can find, teach and baptize Heavenly Father’s children.
Participate in your son’s mission by looking for your own missionary experiences. Pray that you will be able to find friends, relatives and acquaintances with whom to share the gospel. Invite your own local missionaries to teach them in your home. Share your missionary experiences with your son in your weekly letters. You will strengthen eternal family bonds as you engage in Heavenly Father´s work.
Again, thank you for sharing your son with us. Together, let us make this experience one that will bless and strengthen him and your family for the rest of your lives.
Sincerely,
Presidente Timothy Q. Sloan
Misión Ecuador Quito
Tuesday, December 2, 2008
Elder Morris has arrived in Ecuador!
Hola familia!!!
well I'm here! it is AMAZING here! our flight went well yesterday and we arrived safely. it is so pretty here. i cannot tell you how excited i am. we are at the president appointment. right now. Ecuadorian are so kind! every one talks to you. the city is built up into the mountains. it is so beautiful. it has been raining almost nonstop. i love it. we get assigned our mission shortly. only one of the 5 of us will be staying in Quito. i am excited to see where i will be going. Prep. day is Monday. i will have to write more then. I'm sorry i cant write more but know that i love it here and i am doing well. Love you all!
Elder Morris
well I'm here! it is AMAZING here! our flight went well yesterday and we arrived safely. it is so pretty here. i cannot tell you how excited i am. we are at the president appointment. right now. Ecuadorian are so kind! every one talks to you. the city is built up into the mountains. it is so beautiful. it has been raining almost nonstop. i love it. we get assigned our mission shortly. only one of the 5 of us will be staying in Quito. i am excited to see where i will be going. Prep. day is Monday. i will have to write more then. I'm sorry i cant write more but know that i love it here and i am doing well. Love you all!
Elder Morris
Monday, December 1, 2008
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