WHAAAUUDDERYOU DOING HERE?

Okay, so I just got my reassignment like an hour ago. I'm still taking it in and I don't really know how to control myself right now... So bear with me. Our district and Sister McElderry's district are still waiting on our visas, and most of McElderry's district is staying at the MTC for another week. But Sister McElderry, SISTER SHAW, Thomas, and Sirmans are all going to the Mississippi Jackson mission.

-interrupting with I'M SORRY MS JACKSON, I AM FOR REAAAAAALLLLL-

 

I. Am. For. Real.

 

My sweet sweet vaca (COW) companheirazinha is leaving me. I am seriously upset about this hahaha. I'm excited. It's good that we're going. I just love Sister Shaw a whole stinking lot. We'll definitely continue to talk/email but i'll miss my compy comp.

 

Elders Vaterlaus, Ellis, and Badger (the elders going to my mission) are all assigned to the Nashville Tennessee mission. OTIMOOOOO. I'm super psyched for them. But I'm going to their mission aaaand I'm assigned to another mission all by my lonesome..

 

and that mission is....

 

are you ready?

 

okay okay...

 

THE CALIFORNIA SACRAMENTO MISSION.

 

I'm excited. I think. I'm still taking it in. I don't really know. God definitely has a sense of humor. I've been bashing on Californians hardcore (all in good fun of course), and naturally I'm called to California until my visa comes. I am actually SUPER excited. My comps and roommates all leave Monday morning, so I think I'll be flying solo for a day because I leave Tuesday morning. WEIRD. Sister Sirmans is FROM that mission, her ward shares the building with the mission office and she's been telling me all about it... I could totally meet her mom. I think she's more excited about my call than I am to be honest haha. But it will be so great! I can't wait.

 

Onto the next subject..

Tuesday Night.

 

We have devotionals every Tuesday and Sunday night. And who was the devotional by, you ask? Just JANICE KAPP PERRY. Basically the Garth Brooks of the Mormon world.... okay too far, too far. Nobody touches Garth. But you get it. She is a boss. A 74 year old boss.

 

She kind of started with the story of how she met her husband.. They were taking a bunch of music classes together at BYU, but didn't really talk.. Then one day she was getting ready to pracitice something on the clarinet, and his first words to her were "I think those lips were made for something better than playing the clarinet." ... The whole MTC broke into laughter, BUT IT GOT BETTER. Her husband, brother Perry, walks up from the stand as she's telling us this story, strolls over to the microphone, grabs her face and kisses her. Like KISSES HER, kisses her. They're 74 and 78. It was grand. The whole MTC kind of lost it. It was the funniest thing. He then walked back towards his chair, fist held high in the air with a big grin, and all the missionaries go wiiiiild. Obviously us missionaries don't see much affection up in here. But seriously it was the best. But THEN, he turns around, kisses her AGAIN, and walked back to his seat with a satisfied look on his face. Totally just went in for it in the middle of her talk. We were all in tears laughing.

 

Sister Perry regained her composure and quietly said "Perhaps I won't tell that story in public anymore........................................... or maybe I will" Instant laughter all over again. I adore her.

 

She wrote a song about her family, and her kids and in-laws sang in it as well.. She showed us the recording of it, and Brother Perry came up to the mic once again and started singing the end of the song. He is a gem.

Afterwards she just said "I know that man like a book, but today I don't know what page he's on!" It was theeeeee cutest thing ever. I wish everyone could have been at that devotional. It was wonderful.

 

She wrote the EFY medley of As Sisters in Zion/Army of Helaman that we all sing, but she has a "fireside version" that is really essentially a "missionary version"  that is The Sisters of Zion and a slightly modified version of Army of Helaman. She had us sing it at the end of the devotional and it was GOLDEN.  Part of the lyrics say "We are NOW the Lord's missionaries" and it goes on and it's SO powerful.

 

I'm so excited to be here. I'm excited to go to Cali and Brazil, and for all the people I'll meet and teach. Sister Sirmans said that a lot of the Sacramento mission is super ghetto and I am SO PUMPED. Its going to be so hard to leave my district and my companions, but I know that we all have wonderful things ahead. I know I'll see some of the Elders in Floripa when we get our visas, and Sister Shaw and I are basically going to be friends for the rest of our lives after (and during) the mish, so nbd. I love love love the people I've met here. I have 2 more days with my companions, and 3 more days at the CTM. Then I'm out in the field, doing real life missionary work, with real people, in California... I cant wrap my mind around it. I feel like I've been in the CTM since the beginning of time. I've learned so much. The spirit is so strong here. I've had the BEST experience here. I know that this gospel is true. I know that the gospel has been restored, and I know that God loves us all SO much and he has a plan for us. I know that the Book of Mormon is word of God along with the Bible, and I know that it is true. I am so excited to meet the people in California and I can't wait to get to Brazil, either! I know there are wonderful things ahead. I love you alllllll, I'll get my Cali address to you ASAP but It will probably be Wednesday, orrrr the Monday after. I dunno yet. Love you all!

 

-Sister Morrill

 

 

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THE CIRRRRRRCLE OF LIIIIIFE

Okay, so this week has been straight up cray cray, guys. STRAIGHT. UP. CRAY.

 

For starters, we realized that next week is our LAST week at the MTC. That one hit HARD. wowzaaaa. We also realized that THAT means we will be reassigned to a mission in the States next week (unless by some miracle our visas come in) IT'S GETTING REALLY REAL. I don't know how I feel about this. After 5 weeks the MTC is like a really really happy kind of prison, I love it here but I MISS THE REAL WORLD.. just a little bit. I'm so excited to hit the field. But I'm going to miss our district sooooooooo much. We are SO tight, I love them. In the beginning I said there was only 1 Elder going to my mish... that was a lie. I'm sorry. There are 4. One of them got their visa on our first week in the MTC, so he's been in Brazil and there's 3 Elders left with me! Then both of my companions and one of the Elders are going to Sao Paulo Leste missao. And the last Elder is going to Santa Maria. I am not looking forward to the goodbyes haha, I LOVE THEM ALL SO MUCH.

 

So this week has been just super awkward and SERIOUSLY hilarious. But hey, welcome to missionary life. Embrace the awkwardness.

 

Remember that one time ONE WEEK AGO when I challenged you all to write Elder Ellis? Oh yeah, that. Well that didn't work very well. My awesome mother was the only one who did it.

Thanks mom.

Always got mah back.

Elder Ellis was extremely confused as to why my mother wrote him a letter, but it was hilarious and I'm sooooo glad she did.

 

So we taught Carla a couple days ago, and she wants to be baptized, and first she needs to get married and she was getting suppppper excited. So Sister Shaw was saying OVER and OVER how excited she was for Carla and Gene to get married and she went on this big thing about marriage... Mas, to be married in Portuguese is casar, so she was supposed to be saying casado.. But she kept saying cansado, which is tired. Sister Shaw was like OH I'M SO EXCITED FOR YALL TO GET TIRED... And once or time she said Cacado (the C in the middle is supposed to have a thing underneath it, so it sounds like cassado, but I cant change to portugues on this computer..bah) But anways, cacado means hunted... So once or twice she told her she wanted them to be hunted and how excited she was about it. It. Was. Hilarious. Language barriers are the bomb.

 

STORY TIME

 

So last Tuesday, the Travel office called our classroom and asked Sister Shaw to come in for something. If we hear from travel, we assume it's for our visas so we were all excited. But we got there and they needed her to be fingerprinted for a background check for her visa... fun stuff. They had to come back the next day to actually do it, and Sister McElderry and Sister Shaw asked the guy if he could tell us they got their visas when they called our class tomorrow.

Soooo the next day in the middle of class, as promised, the intercom came on and asked for Sister Shaw, and he's like "YOU GOT YOUR VISAAAA, COME TO THE TRAVEL OFFICE!" So our district was freakkking out. Sis Thomas and I were in on it so we left ASAP to keep a straight face..

Sister Shaw and sister McElderry had to leave campus and go to the police station for the fingerprints, and Sister Thomas and I went back to class... I decided to play it up a little bit.. So before I walked into class (I HAVE NO IDEA HOW I PULLED THIS OFF) I just broke down in tears and walked in, in front of alllllll the elders. And they all wanted to know what was up with Sister Shaw and what was wrong with me hahaha. I was the only Sister that they haven't seen cry since we've been here.. So I TOTALLY make this story saying that Sister Shaw's visa is here, she got her travel plans, she's getting fingerprinted at the station right now, when she comes back she has to pack, and she leaves the MTC for Brazil at 7:40 tonight. I was thoroughly impressed with myself right about then.. The elders all believed me.....because I was actually in tears. And they all felt suppper bad because they wanted to see her before she left. I almost broke because Elder Badger was legitimately upset, but I DID NOT make myself cry for nothing.

So we went to dinner after class, and then we had rehearsal for the broadcast (WHICH IS THIS SUNDAY. PREPARE YOURSELVES.) at the Marriott Center, and in the middle of rehearsal Sis Shaw and McElderry FINALLY got back and I told her what I told our District. After rehearsal we had a devotional, and then we had to go back to class for District Review.

Sooooo we walk into our building after Devotional....With Sister Shaw.. after they all thought she was already on a plane... And the elders were SOOOO mad. It was hilarious to everyone else. But they were super upset haha. They were all like WHY ARE YOU HERE? WAIT IT'S A JOKE? SISTER MORRILL CRIED THOUGH. SHE WAS CRYING. I BELIEVED HER. It actually took like a solid day or two to rebuild their trust hahaha, they were mad mad mad. But they love us so much and I understand them being upset, we're all superrrr close and I know they were super bummed that Sister Shaw was leaving.

OH, so I made that story about Sister Shaw leaving around 4:00... We were in our own class until 5... And somehow not only our district, but the districts next to our districts, the zone leaders, EVERYONE ELSE in the zone, and our Branch Presidency "found out" that sister Shaw was leaving... within an hour. Idk if you realized, but none of us have phones... or technology... at the MTC. That news traveled FAST.  Everyone knew. Our Counselor in the Branch Presidency was told by the zone leaders and it just kept going onnnnn and onnnnn. It was great. \

 

Another thing about the MTC, we don't have phones so we're all reverting to our kindergarten ways and were passing notes like allllll the time. Sister Shaw gets all fancy and folds them with a little tab to pull it open.

 

I told you all about the cow thing right? So vaca means cow in portuguese... And thanks to our studly Elders we learned that vaca alsoooo means prostitute in Portuguese. I mean obviously you can tell what we're saying based on context clues, but it seems that we have been calling each other prostitutes for the past 4 weeks. Frijole legalllllllll. FYI, frijole legal = cool beans. You BET that was the first thing I learned here.

 

There comes a point at the MTC where you just know you've been there too long. We're all kind of losing our social skills and really, really stupid things become hilarious. We have a lot of quotes, scriptures, etc we are supposed to memorize here, and last week we were loooosin it, we started putting the words from what we were memorized to Disney lyrics, namely The Lion King... We tried Hakuna Matata, Can you Feel The Love Tonight, andd the Circle of Life. We're in class at like 8-9, just JAMMIN to this quote "7 habits of diligence" or something like that, and we're all "naa na na na ESTEJA CANSADOOOOOO" Yes, we are the senior District in our Zone, and yes, we jam to Disney for language study. We are District 69B.   -fade out to Danger Zone from Top Gun-

 

Whoa whoa whoa, I am outtt of time again. I LOVE YOU ALL. TALK TO ME, I NEED CONTACT FROM THE OUTSIDE WORLD. I DONT CARE HOW WELL I KNOW YOU. Sorry that sounded desperate.. The MTC does that to ya. Paz e bencaos, errbody. Paz e bencaos.

 

Love Sister Morrill

 

 

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Operation: Ellis Attack.

Hey heyyyyy errbody.

How's life in the real world?

Good?

I've been in the MTC for 3 1/2 weeks.. WHAT. Sister Shaw and I have been getting a little stir-crazy, joking about breaking out of the MTC and all kinds of fun stuff. Before I get into this I just wanted to say how much I EL OH EL OH EL OH L-O-V-E MY COMPANIONS. They are just perfect. We had a rough start, being in a trio, but we've come SO FAR and we're having a blast with it. There's always more to work on of course, but really. They're fantastic. And my roommates. I just adore all of them.

 

So here's Operation: Ellis Attack.

This beautiful lil lady that's going to my mission has been writing me while I'm at the MTC, and she's actually from Elder Ellis' town (Elder Ellis is in my district) and they know each other and it's super cool. And every time I get a letter from her he gets uber jealous, and it's hilarious. He's so fun. It's been great. But now I'm turning it around a little.. But ya gotta help me. Deal? Good. So since we've had this little feud going on for the past few weeks, I want literally all of you to write him. DearElder.com.. Do it. You don't even have to mention me. Actually you shouldn't. Or do. Who cares. But I want him to get an INFINITE amount of Dear Elders, like tomorrow. Get on it everyone. I have faith in you. I want that stack of letters to be so big that he has to make his companions help him carry them to residence. This is serious people. He has the exact same address as me while we're at the MTC. Elder Samuel Ellis. Git R' Done! I'll even lay it all out for you..

 

Elder Samuel Ellis

MTC Mailbox #72

BRA-FLO 0702

2005 N 900 E

Provo, UT 84604

 

Also, our estimated departure date? I think that's what they call it.. But it's July 1st. I think they ask for that on DearElder. Yeah. So go for it.

 

MOVING ON NOW.

I'm trying really hard not to type this in portugues, and if I throw portugues in here I am genuinely sorry. So our district is trying to focus on FSL (Fala Sua Lingua/Speak Your Language) for the rest of our time at the MTC, and weee are slacking a little bit, but we actually can say so much. It's crazy. Like we can keep a legitimate conversation. It's broken, but it's portugues. I love speaking portuguese. Irmão Rodrigues went to Brazil for the week, so we have a sub for our classes in the evening. His name is Irmão James and he is kind of awesome. Since Irmão Rodrigues is gone so is our "investigator" Ruben, so we have a new investigator named Hino for the week. I LOVE HINO SO MUCH. He has liver problems that requires him to have lots of transfusions, so he's sick and it's sooo sad. But he is golden. He was so excited about what we taught him and he LOVES reading the scriptures. He wants to be batizado already. I adore him. I know he's not a real investigator, but I feel so much love for all of our pesquisadors, it's kind of ridiculous.

 

Since we finished teaching Carlos and we got new investigators, we made a goal to go into lessons without ANY notes.. which means we're depending completely on the spirit to show us what to say. It was sooo scary at first not being able to look up words and write what we were going to say, but we have seen SO MANY blessings and have had so many amazing experiences, all because we show that we trust the Holy Ghost to guide us. I love it.

 

OH OH OH. I SAW COLE LYMAN...ERR. ELDER LYMAN YESTERDAY. We both got ridiculously excited. It was really hard not to hug him. Us missionaries have gotten super skilled at that awkward avoid-the-hug-by-throwing-your-hand-out for a hand shake. super awk. But it's great. Mission life is going to be awkward. Awkwardness is the best though. I can't even count the awkward moments we've already had, but they're hilarious at the same time.

 

Apparently everyone and their mother saw me on TV? O que?! I didn't even see any cameras while we were walking, and I was probably acting like a fool with my compy comps, so I hope it's not super awk. No biggie anyways. We were walking to the Marriot Center @ BYU to rehearse for the broadcast on the 23rd! It's being shown on BYUtv too, so really... Everyone should be watching. The Work of Salvation.. idk what time. It's everywhere. Watch it.

 

EVERYONE WISH MY BEAUTIFUL MOTHER A HAPPY LATE BIRTHDAY PRETTY PLEASE.

 

On Tuesday we had a devotional by Elder Arnold, in the seventy.. It. Was. So. Great. In part of the talk he talked about the Sacredness of our Call, and it got me thinking soooo much. This mission is not about me. This is NOT my time at all. This is God's time. This is for His work. and I am going to devote every second to Him and to furthering His work. His wife spoke also, saying to "cheerfully do everything in your power". I know when we do that we will see miracles. If we give everything we have, share our testimonies with everyone we can, and keep a good attitude through it all, we will be SUCH  a great instrument in the Lord's hands, and that we will come back from our mission with no regrets. Part of devoting ALL your time consists of "leaving behind all personal affairs" I've definitely realized how important that is. I am here to serve.  On my mission, my purpose is to invite others to come unto Christ. And I need to give ALL of me to be able to do that. That's been one of the hardest things to do, especially today. but I know that blessings will come with that as well. I can't be the best missionary I can be, or help our investigators, or be AS successful and I COULD be, if I am constantly thinking about home and the people and things that are there. I love them all. They will always be a part of my life and you are all definitely in my heart, I want to be a part of your lives, and I hope I will. For these 18 months my time is God's time. Right now I am here to help others. I am not here for myself. I know as i learn to practice EXACT obedience that I will see the difference it makes in my life and in others lives. I love this work. I love it. It is so difficult sometimes but it is SO important.

For the "Devotional After-Party" as I like to call it, we get to choose between some old devotionals to rewatch, or some church movies on occasion.. We watched the Joseph Smith movie: Prophet of the Restoration aaaaand it was fantastic. I haven't seen a movie in a month ahaha. It was like Christmas. I seriously encourage EVERYONE to watch it. I don't care who you are. Find it somewhere. Watch it. It is such a powerful, TRUE story, and it explains the restoration of the Gospel better than I ever could. It is great.

 

I'm outta time over hurrrr, I love you all so much!

 Tchau tchau from the MTC :)

 

Com amor,

Sister Morrill

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June 7, 2013

Semana Dois/Tres

HI EVERYONE. I FEEL LIKE IT'S BEEN SO LONGGGGG. I love you all. Alrighty.

 

So the MTC is just crazy. So I'm pretty sure I told you all I'm in a trio, idk. Being in a trio is honestly so roughhh but we've made so much progress. Sister Shaw is the BEST (BTW mom, she is from Texas). We've already made plans to live in a Brazilian community in Florida after our missions and it's pretty much legit.. k maybe not, but it would awesome. There are 5 of us in a room, and one day our roommate, Sister McElderry, started rambling about cows and how they have "best friends" and if their cow friend leaves they get really sad because there attached or something. But since then Sister Shaw and I are always like "VOCE SAO MINHA VACA!" We're tight. This probably isn't even funny to y'all.. Sorry. You had to be there. Anywaysss now Sister McElderry. She's one of our roommates and I ADORE HER. She's from Arkansas, and we nicknamed her ArkanSASS because she's the sassiest person you will meet. ever. She is hilarious. We're soul sisters. We have a secret handshake. It's pretty serious. Those two girls have me laughing to the point of tears multiple times a day. They're both going to Sao Paulo Leste and I'm going to Floripa and we are all soooooo upset because we don't want to be seperated. We're hoping that we get reassigned to the same mission while we wait for our visas hahaha.

 

I promise I'll get to important things eventually, but the world needs to hear more about this first. So Sister Shaw and I have been plotting against Sister McElderry, and my friend that works here as security, being the awesome person that he is, hooked us up with candy and a big roll of yarn. Soooo long story short, last night we stayed up until she was asleep and basically covered her bunk with yarn and made it impossible for her to get out. I'll be honest we spent sooo much time, sooo late doing this.. but her reaction when she woke up was priceless. It was fantastic.

 

On another note, me and my companions are doing a musical number for church on Sunday! Sister Thomas is playing piano (she is AMAZING) and Sister Shaw and I are singing a medley of Because I Have Been Given Much and How Great Thou Art. I don't know how I got roped into this, but I haven't listened to music in 2 and a half weeks so I'm singing everywhereeeee to make up for it. And my companions are apparently are tone deaf because they're okay with me singing with them. Nah. Sister Shaw has a beautiful voice though, so it drowns out my mistakes ;)

 

As far as choir goes, they have told us what's going on with the broadcast on the 23rd haha. So go watch it, you might see me mmmkay?

 

On Sunday, Ted Gibbons spoke for our devotional and it was absolutely phenomenal. He broke the typical devotional format, and came on stage acting as Willard Richards, Joseph Smith's bodyguard, and gave his account of Joseph Smith's story. It was SO powerful. I have so much for Joseph and Emma Smith for everything they endured for the restoration of the gospel. As we watched Brother Willard's account, the Joseph soundtrack by Nashville Tribute Band played in my mind. There is so much power in those songs, and even more so in the words of Joseph Smith. We are teaching 2 new investigators, Carla and Ruben, and I was able to teach them about Joseph Smith and how he was able to bring to pass the restoration of the gospel, and translate the Book of Mormon through our Heavenly Father. I was able to recite to both of them the 1st vision em portugues. It is amazing. We're teaching our investigators completely in portugues, and we've gone into all of our lessons after teaching Carlos without ANY notes. It was so difficult to do at first, but it leaves us with the opportunity to truly speak through the Spirit and focus on the people we teach. I love this work so much. It is hard, but it is SO beyond worth it. There is honestly nothing I would rather be doing.

 

A week or two ago in a devotional, I think the MTC President's wife had quoted Joseph Smith, saying "If I had not actually been called by God to this work, I would back out. But I have been called, so I cannot back out." That statement is so inspirational and powerful to me. This work IS hard. Granted I won't endure anything close to the things Joseph Smith did, but it is hard. But it is great. I have such a strong testimony in Christ and in this gospel, and I can think of no better way to spend these 18 months than to share that wonderful message with the people in Brazil.

 

I have 15 minutes left on the computer sooo I'll make this quick..

But we have get to go to the Temple on P-Days here (today) and we get to walk around the temple grounds on Sunday evenings, and it is SO wonderful. I love being in or near the temple so much.

So there's a lot of pictures to explain.. pretty sure they're all on Facebook, idk. But there was a picture of Elder Badger with his "campaign sign" on the chalk board.. None of the Elders in our district want to be district leader haha, it's a LOT of work so it's understandable. But they're so funny about it. Elder Badger is the only one who doesn't outwardly express that he wouldn't do it (they would all do it if they were called.. they're just being lame) so they're "campaigning" for Elder Badger to be district leader and it's hilarious. They made us all campaign badges out of mini post its, and we walked into class d y i n g because they just passed them out to us and made Irma Wells wear it through the entire class. Ummmm we've taken a lot of pictures but that's all I can think of really at the moment. I'm sorry for our crazy faces with Sister Shaw and McElderry. Sister Shaw's photos are so much funnier/more embarrassing  though, so maybe her mom will put those up and you can see what I mean. Or not. Idk. I'm rambling now but there's so much to sayyyyy. But I'm out of time. Peaceeeeeee errbody

 

Sister Morrill

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June 4, 2013~ More pictures from the MTC

New pictures sent from Jordan today.  Not sure who this new Sister is with her..But looks like they get a long just fine.

Jordan looks happy to have receive a package today! :)