November 16-22, 2010: "Do as much as you can in the time that you have ..."

Hello family!

This week has felt like an eternity. Monday I just said some goodbyes, which was hard, almost like saying bye to family again. Tuesday was transfers and President let us know that there were two new zones made, along with five new districts and seven new areas. I knew that one of the zone leaders in my current zone was being transferred so I was hoping and praying that I would still be in the same zone so that I could go to the baptisms that were in my old area. Well my zone was said last and I was freakin’ out the whole time! I'm with Elder Kennington, from Afton Wyoming, and we live just on the other side of the freeway on 19th Ave and Thunderbird. We also live with two other missionaries in an apartment. I don't really like it as much as living with a member but it's a good experience! Also, our zone got split so we only cover the Phoenix North Stake instead of both the Phoenix North Stake and Glendale stake. Elder Johnson (the elder I replaced) and his new companion is Elder Henrie (from Kaysville)! How cool is that!? We are both very young to be zone leaders and it is so intimidating and I feel extremely inadequate! It's hard to get to know a brand new ward too. We only cover one ward and it's the Young Single Adult ward and it's freakin’ fun! We also have baptisms set for the next 4 weeks in a row which is awesome for a YSA. Since they split the zone, because it used to have 35 missionaries, Phoenix North now has 21 missionaries and 2 districts. We drive a 2010 Chevy Colorado which is pretty dang SWEET! haha We still ride bikes a lot though. Sometimes we just drive down to a busy intersection, park the car, and then just go nuts contacting people. One time we were talking to different people at one time and all of a sudden I look across the road and Kennington is way over there all by his lonesome. It's funnier to tell it in person because he's been out for almost 18 months and hasn't been that far away from his companion in awhile. I, on the other hand, was just talkin’ to people, goin off by accident haha but it's great. Kennington is actually a state champion arm wrestler in Wyoming and has been known to arm wrestle people out here to get them to take lessons... HAHA He's awesome though and is planning on going to Utah State after the mission so we will be seeing each other up there and have already planned to room or something. So Elder Cichy got transferred again as well and he is now a district leader in Peoria. Elder McBride is a stud and I can see him being a DL in the near future! I see him quite often at meetings and what not.

On Saturday I was still able to attend Uncle Howard Emery's baptism from my old area. He's the 82 year old man who looks just like Dick Van Dyke. It was awesome and cool to be able to say bye to all the familiar faces in the Campobello ward. I told them that we would come down in a few years to go see some spring training games with them. You in? There was also a YSA baptism on Saturday night too and Kennington was baptizing her so I then confirmed her in sacrament on Sunday. Welcome to the ward Elder Mouritsen!

It's really cool to be able to see what the entire zone needs to work on. We also have to call President Beck every Monday and go over the numbers for the week and also let him know about the baptisms that will be coming up in the week to come. It makes us want to push harder and get everybody to achieve their goals so that we have something uplifting to report to President. He is quite the intimidating yet unbelievable man!

That's crazy that the new church handbook said that about the Aaronic Priesthood Oath. I would have never guessed. We've been having a lot of strife from it as well. It also says that for the ward mission coordination meeting that only the Ward Mission Leader and Ward Missionaries attend, and also that the full time missionaries don't always have to be at the ward council meetings. Many wards are changing what we've finally improved and are returning back to where they started instead of forward to where they need to be with regards to the meetings. It's hard for them to understand that it's just a general handbook for the entire world. Some have even said that Preach My Gospel is now five years old and needs to be updated for people to follow because it says things about the welfare meeting. President Morris (member of the mission presidency) said that Preach My Gospel is closer to doctrine than the handbook and should still be followed with regards to ward council and the ward coordination meeting. It's funny how they say that about Preach My Gospel... because the Book of Mormon is over 2600 years old. Does that need to be updated too? haha...

Thanksgiving is actually our P-Day so I won't be writing any letters today! We just get our regular hour to email and then it will be a normal work day. Since we went to the baptism for Howard, there were many members from the Campobello ward there and one of them, Sister Capuano, invited us over to dinner at her home for Thanksgiving. She is a great cook and we are very excited because dinners are very scarce in the singles ward. I can't wait for the package though! Those are the best. We also received word that we will be having a Christmas Zone Conference on December 1st which is going to be a talent show/ devotional and then we will be able to go to the temple and do a session with half the mission. There are so many missionaries now (around 196 by end of December in the amount of land that used to carry only 150) that they had to split the temple days. It'll be an awesome experience though.

I read a quote recently that really opened my eyes for some reason. It had something to do with preparing now instead of looking and waiting for opportunities to arise in the future, because of change. Examples like, "I can't wait to graduate high school, then all will be better" or "It would be awesome to hold that certain calling" or "as soon as I'm off on my own, then everything will be good." Why have those unnecessary battles in our minds when we could be just focusing on what we're doing now? Thus, helping us to prepare for what’s to come by not worrying about it by doing what’s right in the present. As a missionary, I hear the comments all the time like, "Man, when I'm home all will be well" or "if I only had a better companion, or a better area, or a more helpful ward." It all comes back to the ghost of Christmas Present quote: "Do as much as you can in the time that you have because suddenly, you're not there anymore!" I could guarantee that every missionary who has returned home, has had the thought at least once of being back in the mission. So why not just live in the moment? Love what's going on right now. I think it was Elder Worthlin who spoke on the topic of, "come what may, and love it." Who cares what the future could possibly, maybe, hopefully bring. It's what happens now that will determine the outcome! So why not make it benefit us and those around us in the greatest way possible!

Anyway, Kennington has been running me every morning! It's been awesome except for that it's been so long and my legs were only in biking shape so my IT bands (I think at least, the ones that run from the hip socket along the femur to the knee) were killing for some reason! After a few runs they have worked themselves out though and I'm already back to 140 pounds. It's cold here now too! Not 18 degrees or anything but when I didn't even come out with any long sleeves or running gear it takes a toll on ya! So if you have any sweet long sleeved shirts, I'm only a state away! haha

Love you all so much. Thanks for everything. I'll write everybody back on Thursday...These past three weeks have been nuts!

Love,Elder Colton Matthew Mouritsen

P.S. Get on those people up there to send letters! haha