10 Nov 2008

Dear Friends and Family,
Here is Morgan's letter from this week. His Czech language is causing many typo's so instead of correcting them, I hope you can read between the consonants. Enjoy, Susan

hiya moma a dada

Well greetings from central europe! it is still crazy for me to think about it sometimes that im roaming around causing spiritual havac (in a good way of course) in the middle of the european continent. the temperature here is definately dropping and the skies are looking greyer and greyer. The Locals are saying that we should be entering into snow season in about the next 3 weeks so im getting excited and a little nervous. i hope i will be able to stay warm. No ill be fine, im really excited. So it sounds like good things are happening in georgia!!! wooo hooo! So by the time i come back home there will be a new stake there right?! Well family i just went on a vilet(day trip)today to a castle called Bezdez. it is one that is in ruins but it was very neat and beautiful. i'll have to send the pictures from that next week though. I had lots of fun and was really evcited that i could enjoy the time with the district. So pretty much everyone in all of Europe knows that we have a new president, and whenever we contact people on the street they always through in "the Question" so, what do you think about your new president? So it is a little difficult, we just tell them that we have been away from home so long already that we dont know a thing about him.

Anyways the work is going really well, we found 8 new investigators this week in our area (not to be confused with potential investigators)! it was awesome, that is 8 people that we have had a lesson with, prayed with, and set up a following meeting with. The work is so hard but so satisfying and fun!

Our Questions to Morgan:
How is tracting going? (Note from Mom: By the way tracting is spelled without a "K". hehehaha.)
As you learn a new language your mother tongue starts to go to the dumps, in czech we say Traktovani for the english word tracting which is probably why i cant spell it correct. tracting is a little hard just because here the situation is a little different. Going trakting here is like walking into a hotel back in america and knocking on the peoples doors. So as you can guess a lot of people arent too happy about that. So its a little difficult to find the elect. but it is possible.
Is your teaching pool getting bigger?yes we found 8 New investigators this past week!!!
Where is Elder Hatch from? Arizona phoenix area
Are you eating well? yup im learning to cook some good things.
What size pants do you wear now? Is your waist size 33 or 34? probably 34
Do you want me to send one of the pair of brown pants that you didn't take? if you would like to.
Any favorite food items that you want me to send that you can't get there? Oreos, popcorn, Chicken in a can for chicken salad!!
Do you ever use the iron we sent with you? i left it at the MTC it was too heavy. We have a good one right now in our apartment
Are you keeping a journal? i have kept a journal everyday for about four months straight now. Im am very pleased with it.
Well family it has been a great week and we are looking forward to giving a baptismal commitment to our investigator Lukas so, In the words of a czech Hold Your Thumbs!!! It is the same as cross your fingers, or you can just pray that helps too...haha...Ftyp, that is how they say joke.I love you, stay strong,and keep the faith, Morgan

Mom Note: I attached his letter to his mission president - we have the video of the Miracle Bowl and have watched it a couple of times. I also showed the last 3 minutes of the game in Seminary one year to teach the principle of "Never Giving Up" - so it seems there is one thing he remembered from Seminary. (hopefully there are many more).

President,
Well it has been quite an eventful week. We were able to see a great amount of success this week as a district. As I reflect back on everything that happened I was able to see that our success, finding 13 new investigators, was due to the fact that we had the faith and the energy to go and do it. We had the help of other missionaries in the zone, but even still when it comes down to it, like in The Miracle bowl as we call it in the year 1980, when BYU played SMU (Southern Methodist Univ.), BYU was down quite a few touch downs, and everybody had given up hope and had left the stadium thinking the game was in the bag. That didn’t matter though, BYU wanted it, they knew they could get it and so maybe we could say “with faith” they went after it and came out on top victorious at the end. BYU scored 21 points in the last 2 minutes and 33 seconds of the game. That, is what it takes in missionary work, it takes sacrifice, and struggle, and then after the trial of our faith that is when it comes. That is when victory is made, that is when the elect are found and brought back into the presence of God.
As missionaries we are apart of a great work that I’m still trying to figure out and understanding. But my understanding becomes more and more clear as I see my faith tried and as I see they blessing from that trial. If I could just get rid of my own self pride, that I know how this work works and that I know what’s best for these people, then I would start to see that the Lord truly knows how it works and the He truly knows what is best for his children. It becomes clearer.
The district is doing great we have little kinks to work out but we will overcome. With Lord at our side we can accomplish all.

Starsi' Nowland