I'm a Jesus Girl

YES I KNOW. I forgotted to send my group email last week. I'm ashamed. My apologies friends. And after I got so many emails from people saying how much I bless their lives with my fantastic emails, too ;)

Gee whiz. Well I gotta catch you all up. 

Fun fact: gave my first talk as a missionary yesterday. Turns out it's just as scary as giving a talk back home, but truth be told I think I was more prepared. Something about two hours of study time every single morning makes a difference I think. When I practiced it the night before, it was almost 15 minutes long. I had 10 minutes to speak haha. 

Second fun fact: Not only did I speak, but I also sang Come Thou Fount, and they asked me to give the opening prayer. So that's cool. It's just a party over here. Copies of my impressive talk are available, although recordings are actually illegal. Sorry y'all.  

As it turns out, I absolutely LOVE being a missionary. Who knew?! Its seriously just a big fat blessing and I've only been out in the field for a little over a month! I'm not sure where to begin because these past 2 weeks have just been one tender mercy to the next but I'll try to not rant or make it too long. Bear with me.

There is this precious couple, who is blessedly young, that we get to teach. We were led by God to them, because they had gone inactive and hadn't been taught for a while and we generally don't have time to visit all the inactive members. We have around 700 members in our ward but only 150 actually show up. And even then some are so old that it's hit or miss whether or not they come. But anyways, we went to their house. Well her mom was there and let us right in. But because her sweet mama talks too much, we were going into the third lesson with basically no idea of what their needs were. We had no lesson planned and we had no idea what the Lord needed His children to hear. So nervously we head in. My friends, The Lord will give us what we need and when we need it, because He loves us. During that lesson, the Spirit was stronger than ever. I was able to share with them exactly what the Lord wanted them to hear. He knows our needs. He knows what is in our hearts. He knows the very longings of our souls. He wants to bless you, I promise. I was humbled to be able to be the mouthpiece of the Lord. 

Second piece. Me and my comp were casually walking down the road when a beloved, blessed son of God comes walking across the street yelling "ladies!" This man was probably 40-50 years old and his pants were sagging probably mid-thigh. His bright yellow bandana was pretty cool though. Anyways, he walks over and asks, "Yous Mormon ?" Well of course we are. And then he holds out his hands and asks for us to pray for him. I was almost unsure how to feel about that. Humbled that he recognizes that we have something special, surprised that he wanted prayers and blessings, or amused because my companion was terrified. Well I said a prayer for him and he thanked us and apologized for scaring us and he and his friend carried on their merry way. To sum it up, every single one of God's children is in need of some sort of support or blessing. The seemingly worst of the lot or the best of the best. We all need the Lord. Don't feel embarrassed to ask for help getting there. We each have our own strengths and weaknesses for a reason. My strengths are for your weaknesses and vice versa. We are here to support one another. Believe it or not, the Lord knows what He's doing. He meant for us to go through pain and heartache, because that makes us stronger and better. But He did not mean for us to go through it alone. The Savior, Jesus Christ, has already gone through it in the loneliest journey in all of human history. There is no reason for us to do this alone. He is there with you right now. This very second He is uplifting you and helping you through. He knows you perfectly and loves you with a perfect love. 

Okay, one or two more things. I know this is already suuuuper long. Sorry sorry. 

OKAY, so we went to our friend Fredy's house. We had to stay outside because his girlfriend was outside. The morning after our lesson, we woke up ITCHY. Turns out, his porch was infested with spiders. I have almost 20 bites all over my legs. And they were super itchy. Sooo we're wearing pants every time we go over there from now on. 

Anyways, I have a ton of stories, but I'll stop taking up so much time. Love you all! Keep building on your faith and never be afraid to share what you believe. You'll find that people respect you for it. 

You are all in my prayers (yes my knees are suffering but you can bet it's worth it!) God loves you!

All my love,

Sister Morrison 

Onwards and Upwards! 

You're an adult now, wear a belt

Guys!

This is week was sooo cool! God really is a God of miracles! I'm serious. I say it a lot, but if you look for the miracles in your life, you will see that they are there and they are SWEET! He just loves us a lot I think. I mean, I know. He does. I can promise you that. 

So first we're gonna throw it back to 2010 or somewhere back in my youth. For those of you who don't know my maman, (that's French for momma,) first of all, shame on you because she's the best lady I know or will ever know, and secondly, if you are blessed enough to have her chocolate chip cookies, you now know that they are the best in the whole wide world. So way back when I was a young squirt my maman told me to memorize her recipe. So guess who memorized the recipe? Me, that's who. And guess who's blessed alll these years later? Me, that's who! And GUESS who had the brilliant idea of making these cookies? Wow I'm so proud! You're right, it was me, and yes it was a fantastic idea. Thank you. So my poor companion and I went to the store last Monday and got supplies for these little bites of heaven. We didn't actually make them until Friday but I was certainly hyping them up all week and praying that they would actually turn out. Friday comes and we wake up. It was quite possibly the quickest I've gotten out of bed in my life. Which means it was a normal sedate pace, but it was quick in my heart because I was uber excited to make these cookies. Lo and behold, after I began mixing and adding ingredients we had just the right amount of eggs left in the carton, and I remembered how much baking soda (2 teaspoons) so blessings from God. And everyone is obsessed with them now, so not only was I spreading the message of the gospel but the worlds best cookies. Win win, I think.

This week we've met so many awesome and elect people. My mission President said we should find an elect a day and k was like cool but how do we do that because sometimes we go all day without a single person opening the door or getting the door slammed in our face. But once again we see that the Lord provides for His children. Exhibit A: it was nearly time to go home and we had been knocking doors all day. All day folks! We skipped lunch because we felt good about a certain area and a few people and no one was home and no one answered. We hadn't shared a single message all day and I was anxious. Finally we say okay. Less than an hour left, let's go home and tract around our apartment. So I feel super good about this ladies house and we pull up and knock and a man answers the door and literally says "Nope." And closes the door. First of all, ouch. Secondly, what are we supposed to do now? So we walk and call out to people and knock and nope no nobody. Then we get to this lady and her granddaughter on a porch swing. We strike up a conversation and a half hour later we hand the little girl a Book of Mormon and we're setting a return appointment. And that happens all the time! Last night we were running out of time and patience with the people in a certain neighborhood. I literally heard someone yell through the door "No one is home. Go away!" So we said a quick prayer and went to the bathroom at a Circle K. We had met one of the guys who works there before and he was working there again. One conversation and Book of Mormon later we have an appointment with him! 

Life is just so good. Honestly guys we are so blessed! There is no reason for us to not smile! Find something happy and positive each day to just make you smile and carry you through. I promise God can help you up in all of your problems. He wants you to be happy! I love you all so very much and I'm grateful for you all the more everyday!

Onwards and Upwards!

Love, Sister Morrison 

Its You's not Y'all

Hey howdy, how are ya?

Quick side note before I get into my week. Maryland is a southern state. "Bless her little heart" is something I hear, and sweet tea is as common as water. Not to mention, every old lady wants to give me candy, cookies, cake, and ice cream on top of it all. And lemme tell ya, you'd better not say no or the look of disapproval is almost too much to bear. Bless them. 

So Maryland. I am currently in Cumberland, aka the Nursing Home. Half of this city is abandoned because a lot of places went out of business and the people just up and left. The other half is 85% over the age of 65, and the other 15% I have yet to see. It's a real party over here. My first Sunday was a shock. The chorister was a cute old man with a lot of singing in his background so he belted out the hymns while the rest of the congregation barely whispered the words in various octaves. The Sunday school teacher sounded like Randall from Monsters Inc. and with about five minutes left of church, Brother Anderson, the resident mummy, got up and cries for a half hour because he and his wife had been married for 58 years. His wife clucked and muttered at him from the front row. So yes. I'd say it's been a party. 

We got a heatwave just as I came so I was sweating more than I thought possible and I couldn't tell if I was dehydrated or if my insides were literally cooking. Maybe both. But I got to meet lotsa cute old ladies who invited me in to have their food. A favorite round here is pound cake with Cool Whip and strawberries. I think I've had that nearly every day since getting here. And if you hear "now you'd just sit there for a minute, I'll be right back" you'd best make yourself comfortable because you won't be moving for another hour. I think I've adopted at least 25 new grandma's. 

The youngest family in the ward are actually pretty young. There are about 6 primary kids. They all do jujitsu so do not ask them to show you their moves or they will attack you!

Small miracle moment: I was kinda super homesick and missing and thinking about my family, and we decided to stop in at this members house for our last hour of the day. Yes hour, sorry but we have to plan an hour for these sweet grandmas. So we stop in and she's like "Oh come in!" So in we go. And then the usual, where you from, how long you been out, etc. interview starts and then her son walks in. "Hey you're from Oregon?" Yep! "I got some Tillamook ice cream in the freezer. Best ice cream in the world. You want some?" BOY OH BOY, OF COURSE, I WANT SOME TILLAMOOK ICE  CREAM. And chocolate peanut butter too! And Oregon strawberry! I was in heaven!!!! But the miracles don't stop there folks! God was on a roll and He opened the Heavens and down came the rain and thunder and lightning! I literally ran outside and started dancing in the rain! It was so beautiful wonderful, and humid. God doesn't not leave us alone and He seeks to comfort us. I needed help and He gave me some and more! A new favorite verse of mine is found in Moses 7:43, "43 Wherefore Enoch saw that Noah built an ark; and that the Lord smiled upon it, and held it in his own hand; but upon the residue of the wicked the floods came and swallowed them up." The Lord will hold us in His hands and carry us home. He wants only the best for us and will continue to help, guide and bless us! Ask and ye shall receive! But you have to ask in faith. There can only be miracles when you believe in miracles.

Thanks for reading everybody! I love and pray for you all!

ONWARDS AND UPWARDS!

Love, Sister Morrison

President is Rafiki

Maryland welcomed me with a downpour. It rained the whole way from the church to my new apartment. I loved every second!! I apologize in advance for a rather long email, this week was long and wonderful.

The day I left was definitely too early to be up for anyone. Not even the sun came to say hello until I was already almost to the airport. 

We were in the airport for a while and then in the next few hours, we were on the other side of the country. Eee! It was exciting and humid and I was a bundle of energetic nerves. We left at 10:07am and arrived around 4:30pm.

We walked to the baggage claim area where our mission president and his assistants were. My president's name is Thierry Mutombo. He is quite possibly the happiest person I've ever met on planet earth. He laughs and smiles all the time. His energy level is through the roof and you can tell he loves life fiercely. I also learned quickly that he loves to say "Strong and powerful. Like a dolphin!" He speaks 4 or 5 languages, so that's cool I guess. I mean, can't everyone? His family is the absolute cutest. His wife doesn't speak English very well but she also speaks a handful of languages, and she just had a baby two months ago! Her name is Ruby and she is the sweetest baby I've ever seen in my life. I got to hold her for a bit while Sister Mutombo put the boys to bed. (Her boys are also the cutest things I've ever seen.)

We stayed up that night eating, having a devotional, and sharing our testimonies. We finally got to bed around 11:30. The next morning we got up at 5:30 and started our interviews with President. I was the first one ready to go at 6. I'll pause for you all to be shocked. I know I know. It's okay to be impressed. I was impressed with myself. 

After interviews were finished we went to the church to eat breakfast and meet our new trainers and learn a bunch of rules I've already forgotten. 

My trainer is Sister Morin. I know right?! Sister Morin and Sister Morrison? God has a sense of humor. She's about 6 feet tall and a long-distance runner. And quiet. And gentle. And has curly hair which I love. Basically everything opposite of me. She's the sweetest thing. She'll just listen to me talk and talk. I feel bad but every time I stop myself and apologize she says "No go on!" And I mean you have to obey your trainer because they know best right? 

Turns out y'all that I'm in the old people retired community/the country. Cumberland is great though. I pretty much know nothing so I'm just slowly slowly learning and seeing how things are done here and how I can get the Lord's work to speed up. Unfortunately, we all know how much old people like to talk, (something about being so close to the end makes you wanna get as much in edgewise as possible,) so we tend to stay hours instead of minutes. It drives me crazy! It's too slow for me, that's for sure. Maybe if I can get this area hoppin' they'll let me go to a more fast-paced environment. Fingers crossed, prayers said. 

I've already met so many new people and learned so many lessons. I don't know if I can take another 17 months of all this learning. My wee little brain can't hold it all in. I'm writing it down in hope that I remember. Each journal entry in 4+ pages long! So some things I've learned:

•never leave home without your water bottle

•Maryland's high temperatures do not stop in the 80s 

•when it is 97+ degrees outside with 80% or more humidity, it tends to feel like 1000 degrees 

•old ladies love beets

•I MELT in the heat. I mean really guys. It's not pretty. 

•I get into really bad moods when I'm hot

•the Lord is the best sunscreen anyways

•God is aware of each one of his children!

•Showering 2-3 times a day is absolutely necessary 

•Heavenly Father loves us SO MUCH

Being able to be set apart and have access to God's power to help in His work has its definite perks. The Spirit is so strong all the time. The love I feel for complete strangers regularly makes me stop to revel in it. On Friday I met this wonderful daughter of God who has a very hard life. This women's house was barely standing. Her insulation peeked out from massive holes in the walls and the cracks that covered most of the house. I think the only thing holding that house together is her faith and God's own hands. She began to list off all her complaints and her worries and life struggles. On and on she went. She says she knows God helps her and uplifts her, but it can be so hard sometimes. And as I was sitting there in her disgusting house listening to her complaints, I suddenly felt this overwhelming urge to hug her. So I stood up and said "Sherry. God loves you. He is aware of every single need you have. He has His hand in your life this very moment and is preparing you for greater and better things." She stopped talking and said "Oh miss, I know He is. He's there keeping back the devil every day." It was such a powerful testimony to me of the humility this woman has and infinite and unconditional love God has for all of us. Never forget that you are His!

I pray for you guys every morning and night, and I feel the power of your prayers for me. Thank you so much for all you guys do! Much love my friends. 

ONWARDS AND UPWARDS!

Love, Sister Morrison

Goodbye MTC, Good Morning Baltimore!

Well its finally time to say au revoir to the MTC! It's rather bittersweet. I hate having to say goodbye to all these amazing people that I have gotten to know. Surprisingly there wasn't a lot of crying going on. A lot of hope and excitement and even some restlessness, but no true sadness. We're all happy for each other.  

I don't have a ton of time, so I'd just like to leave you all with what I've learned while here at the MTC. 

I know that Heavenly Father loves us. We are His children. He created us and has more love than any father ever could. He created a plan for us so that we can be happy and we can come back to Him someday. 

I know He sent His son, Jesus Christ, to be the Savior of the world. I know that Jesus Christ suffered in the Garden of Gethsemane to atone for the sins of the world. He knows us perfectly. He knows what we go through every day, every moment. He can help us be happier and learn to live more fulfilling lives. We can feel true joy. I know that. I have felt His tender love and have known how it feels to have your burdens lifted. In Him is true strength. 

I know we can be together with our families for eternity. I know that we can be together again. We can see our family again. Death does not separate us from our loved ones. 

I know there is a true and living prophet today who guides the church in love and by the hand of God. His name is Russell M. Nelson and he works with Heavenly Father to help us. 

I know that Joseph Smith was a prophet of God as well and that he led us into this last dispensation in righteousness with the restoration of the true and everlasting gospel and the translation of the Book of Mormon. 

I know that the Book of Mormon is the word of Heavenly Father and contains the fulness of the gospel. I know that if you read it, it will help you become happier and closer to God. I know it's TRUE. I invite you to read it and pay close attention to the feelings and promptings you get. They are from God and likely He's trying to tell you something. 

I love you all and I'm so glad I get to be here and serve Heavenly Father's children and bring them closer to Christ. I love this gospel so much, please feel free to email with questions about anything. I'm here to serve. 

Have a wonderful week my friends!

Onwards and Upwards!

Love, Sister Morrison

There was so much fluffiness in that room!

Hello Everyone!

I guess it's true that time flies by after the first p day. I feel like I was just barely sending y'all my very first email. But just like that, week two gone. It just gets better. The longer I'm here the more I'm itching to get out and get to work. It's hard to sit still in a classroom all day when the sun is shining and I've got such a desire to serve and try to be the light of the gospel in the lives of others, but I'm usually quickly humbled when I realize that I know very little about properly sharing the gospel. 

Please feel free to send me emails at any time. I can read them whenever I want. I just can't answer them until Mondays now. I assure you it's one of the highlights of my day when I get an email. Also, I don't have any of your emails because my mom is in charge of sending out the mass email, and my new email account doesn't have anyone's info, so if you're wondering why I haven't contacted you, that's why! 

The Lord loves to throw us curveballs. In our zones we have Sister Training Leaders, similar to Zone Leaders. Ours are leaving tomorrow, so we knew two new sisters would be chosen to replace them. Let me just say, when I told my companion that we would get called, I was being sarcastic. Apparently, the Lord decided that I was being serious. Therefore, we are now the new STLs. Yay for us! Luckily, we only have one week left here. 

Honestly, I could not imagine staying here any longer than 3 weeks. Good for those other missionaries, but gee whiz. No thank you! 

I am able to meet with and teach Rachel while I'm here. She's this awesome girl from Mississippi who has the brightest smile and the sweetest personality. She's a joy to be with and always leaves me happier just by being with her. She already has such a light in her life. Our last lesson we had our teacher, Brother Coca, joined us. He was mostly silent during the discussion, but his immediate reaction when he was giving us feedback was "there was so much fluffiness in that room!" It was so funny! We just like to gush over each other Haha. 

Fourth of July was great. We got to have a devotional about freedom. And more specifically, religious freedom. What a blessing it is that we live in a country where we are able to practice the religion we want to without any fear! We went up to the fifth floor and watched the Stadium of Fire from our windows. It was awesome because when we looked out the window we could see the whole city skyline and all the different firework shows everywhere. It was so cool. 

We've started teaching a guy named Brendon who is a musical theater major. He is super into musicals so I've had Phantom, Les Miz, and Moulin Rouge stuck in my head but exact obedience brings blessings so I haven't been singing them. Okay, but maybe sometimes I accidentally do when I'm not thinking, but I'll work on it! 

You guys! I just want to point out that we have a loving God. He is the Father of our Spirits and created a whole plan for us to be happy and go spend eternity with our families. He gave us families to help and support us and love us. And not only that but he also gives us friends and neighbors and wards and so much support! And on top of all of that, we have a loving Savior who suffered and died for us so that we could be happy because we can repent. He knows each of us perfectly. What we go through every single moment. John 16:33 says

"These things I have spoken unto you, that in me ye might have peace. In the world ye shall have tribulation: but be of good cheer; I have overcome the world."

I would like to remind you that we are never alone. You all have a friend and companion and brother in Him. And He will never ever turn you away. No matter how far you think you've gone, He's been right there the whole time, waiting for you to turn to His light. 

I love you all so much. Please don't hesitate to send an email with a question or if you just need someone to talk to. 

Have a fantastic week friends! 

Onwards and Upwards!

Love,

Sister Morrison 

Don't drink the orange juice

Hey everybody,

What a busy and fulfilling week. I stayed up all night the day before my departure, which turned out to be a terrible idea. I checked into the MTC around 1:00, and then went up to my classroom to meet my district. All of the elders in my district are 18. It's so crazy. It feels like I have 6 new baby brothers. They are so sweet and have such awesome testimonies. The sisters in my district are so cool. They all have amazing personalities and I love how well all of us get along. Already all of us have become super close. Everybody is going in different directions. One girl is going to Canada, the rest are going to Massachusetts, North Carolina, California, and all the elders are going to Arizona. Kinda sad that we'll all be parting ways but good that we all get to have amazing experiences. 

I'm so excited to get out into the field. I know I've still got a ton to learn and a lot more growing to do, but I just cannot wait to share the gospel that I love with all of the people I can find. 

My teachers are Brother Abadillo and Brother Coca. Both are so awesome. Brother Abadillo is from Guatemala and Brother Coca is from Brazil. Its kind of funny because English is their second language so they both have awesome accents. 

The very first thing my teachers told us was DONT DRINK THE ORANGE JUICE! Apparently, it will leave your bowels "upset with you" according to Brother Abadillo. 

The second thing I learned is to get a badge reel! They're super handy for holding your keys and ID card. You have to use your card to get into every building so it's super fun to swipe it. 

Today we played sand volleyball and I learned just how competitive the elders are. I was coached as if I was a beginner. It was both funny and annoying. The smallest and sweetest sister got drilled with the ball but it was only her shoulder. She shied away from the ball after that.

Honestly guys, the Lord blesses us so much and we hardly recognize it. Just the little things that go right or the people we meet. It's so incredible to me. 

 I watched "The Character of Christ" a talk given by Elder Bednar. It was SO powerful. I loved every minute. It made me want to get out into the field and get to work. He talked a lot about not being selfish and realizing none of this is about you. In the grand scheme of things, the Lord can have other people do the job that you do. If you fail or decline that doesn't mean that the people you were supposed to help won't be taken care of. 

I had my first TRC meeting yesterday. It was incredible. The Spirit is so strong. I mean I can feel it almost always here, but it was especially strong in the meeting. It was just waves of love for this sister I've never met and my words were not my own. I mean they came out of my mouth but the Lord put every thought into my head. 

My comp is Sister Alder. She's awesome. She's this mix of super nerdy, aggressive argumentative, wannabe tough girl, super sweet and spiritual amazing daughter of God. We get along almost too well, despite the fact she went on a rant the other day about how much she hates the movie version of Les Miserables. (Much to my dismay.) She apparently hates Russell Crowe and Hugh Jackman. (Whatever.) And she likes to tell me what to do and always be right. I usually it just listen because she's senior comp right now and it's her decision on what we should do and where we should be. But I'm not exactly silent either. I only get quiet when I'm fiercely praying to love her bc she's being too bossy or something. And the Lord always blesses me. Charity is a wonderful thing. 

Yes, I've quickly realized that while Logan was super focused on exact obedience, and that's cool, it's not what I need to focus on. I need to focus on simply loving the people and being able to help them feel loved and heard and taken care of.  

There are so many spiritual experiences here but one of my favorites are the Bednar video, the feeling of love that overcame me while teaching and finding this scripture: Doctrine and Covenants 50:41-42, 44 

It's very comforting to hear the words "You are Mine" and know that the Savior is our foundation. What a perfect foundation. He'll never fall and he'll never abandon us. He always turns outward. The natural man in us wants to pull in and away from everyone and everything, but He has always, and will always, reach out and turn to us. In Elder Bednar's talk he mentioned when the Savior fasted 40 days and nights and was tempted by the devil. At the end of his fasting, it says he had angels minister to him. But Elder Bednar says that wasn't translated correctly. He actually sent angels to minister to John. He, even after being spiritually, physically, and emotionally drained, turned to help others. How amazing and wonderful! 

I love and miss you guys but I'm so excited to serve the Lord! 

Onward and Upward!

Sister Cassidy Morrison