April 24-30, 2012: Feeling the answers

Hello Hello,

Sounds like you had a great week! Rim to rim to rim sounds pretty awesome. I would love to do it sometime. Maybe next year after a little bit of training? Those members I ate with last night said they are planning to do it in the spring of next year. They told me to meet them there. haha Probably won't happen. When I told them that you were running R2R2R they were quite shocked. They said that they nearly die just hiking to Havasupai. Both would be pretty sweet though! Seeing a river like that with all that red rock makes me so happy. I haven't seen a river in person in two years. It's amazing the beauties that we take for granted. Those pictures of you guys are awesome though! What a crew.

I've been getting Elder Brothers out and running in the mornings. We mapped out a 2.5 mile run that we do 4-5 times a week. It's really the only amount we can do in the amount of time we have to exercise but I've gotten down to the 18 minute mark. I know that is nothing special but I hope to be under 17.5 by the time I come home. That would be a 7 min mile average for 2.5 miles, which would be fine with me!

We had some stellar lessons this week. Some investigators were brought to tears as they accepted the message. Each committed to come to church. We were so sure that we would have 4-5 people there. Even our ward mission leader, who came to several of the appointments and witnessed the change in the people, said that we should count on having several there. Sadly, sacrament started, and once again none showed. It's in these hard times that an introspection of one's self begins to occur. I constantly am asking what I am doing to keep these people from receiving the blessings of the gospel more fully in their lives. I've beaten myself up over and over again, praying to find some comfort. This morning in my study I was led to read through my patriarchal blessing. I found comfort in it and was then led to my knees for some serious prayer and further comfort. I realize that it's a major part in our Father's plan that agency be used wisely. I can't force or coerce people into action, I can only invite. They still have their agency and I need to respect that. Still, it makes me wonder what more I could have done to help them choose differently. It really hurts. We do have a baptism on May 12th though that is going to be great. It'll be a great way to leave the field.

I had a pretty neat experience this week in receiving an answer to a prayer. I have been feeling like I've been learning so much and focusing on so many different things at so many different times that when a time comes for me to remember what I learned long ago I've forgotten certain details of the key learning. I've been praying that my mind can be focused, and be given the strength to retain the information that I study and learn. I prayed for an experience where I would know that the knowledge I've gained over the last few years can be brought back to remembrance. We came across certain people this week who had false pre-conceived notions about the church and then some questions. At the beginning of my mission, I would never have been able to hold an intelligent conversation regarding the bible and specifically certain stories from it. In my conversations with these people, it was neat to "feel" the answers come and be able to respond comfortably and confidently. What could have become hostile, "bashing" sort of scenarios, turned out to be great experiences that subtly answered my prayer.

Regarding my topic for my talk on the 27th, I think you should just choose a topic for me. I can never decide what to speak on. That way I can just adapt and find certain stories that I can tell. Otherwise, it will turn out chaotic and I won't know where to stop or what to share! So you should decide as a family and let me know next week or something. Each vote on it or whatever. Haha

Sorry this email is so short this week. One of the missionaries I live with keeps getting bed bugs. Don't worry they haven't entered our room. It's funny because he's poisoned his entire bed several times and they keep coming back. Also, he is on the bottom bunk and the bugs don't mess with the elder on top at all! He finally called the front office and they told us what we have to do to get the apartment sprayed. It's quite a ridiculous list of things and it includes bagging all of our clothes for two weeks. Yeah, not gonna happen. I'm probably just going to have to load everything up into my suit cases and live out of them. I know that sounds like the typical definition of "trunky" but I promise I'm not trunky at all. It's inevitable that it's coming to an end but that just implies urgency and sprinting to the finish.

Thanks for all you do! I love you all lots. Remember that next week is my last email I will ever send as a missionary. Sad day. Have a great week!

Love,

Elder Mouritsen