# 73

Dear Family,

This week I helped two Turkish men fill out their visas to get into the Armenian border! It was fun trying to speak with them! My short term missionary also got her call to Ukraine! Crazy huh!?! I am glad everyone had a great time at the BYU game and that Dad and Trev made the pic on BYU's news! It sounds like you all enjoyed Lion King on Broadway too! I am so happy you all are happy! I love and miss you so much :)

Love,

Misa :)

Dear President,

I've never been more tired in my life. But I've also never been more happy! This past week felt like a rollercoaster, but overall we had a really good week, especially with our new converts. 

The family who was baptized a week ago has been experiencing some health problems. (One of the sons who is not a member is extremely sick and the daughter-in-law who is pregnant is also very sick.) I've been able to share a good testimony of who the Lord helps us, especially when our family members are sick. We've been going over to help their family and have been working with their ward friends and the Bishop and Stake President regarding blessings and hospital visits. They should be well taken care of. 

Most of our other investigators haven't been able to meet with us, so we've been finding a lot this week. But we found an older couple he really wants to meet and learn from us! We also ran into a man who invited us to meet his family. His wife, daughter-in-law and granddaughter are very interested in learning. We are also trying to meet his son and other family members. We see potential with them in the future. 

We loved serving with or short-term missionary this past week. She was a great help with the people and with the language. She opened her mission call this week and will be serving in the Ukraine. (Her sister will as well in the neighboring mission).

Our exchange in Georgia with Sisters P and C went very well. We spent most of Wednesday planning with them, so that they could have a solid plan for how to plan in the future. I think the lamenated sheet which we had in the Mission Leadership Council will be a great help. I then went with Sister C and we knocked some doors and met with a mother and her children. The next day we also met with an Armenian family! It was nice to be able to understand what was going on :) Sister Costley is doing very well. She's focused on helping Sister P with the language and she really wants to make sure things are 50/50 in lessons. Sister P seems to be doing very well. She is very talented and knows why she is here. We were able to see Sisters S and B as well. They seem to be doing well, but Sister S is dominating the companionship. Sister B seemed to be a little more shy this time around. If Georgia has Sister Training Leaders I can definitely see Sister P and Sister B as Sister Training Leaders. They are solid.

(Side note - we heard that Sisters S and B and Elders D and F had a preparation day activity planned today. I think Sister Carlson already informed you about that. We just want to make sure you knew about it.)

When we came back from Gerogia, we heard from the Ararat Zone Leaders that Sister B has a problem with respecting us because of our calling. We're trying to figure out the best way of going about working with her. We know sometimes in the past the sisters tend to group us differently than them, but we've really been working on strengthening our relationship with them. (After all, we are still the same sisters since before this calling!) We really want to help them get to know Sister Morreall and Sister B, not the Sister Training Leaders. And this isn't the case with most of the sisters, but there are a few we are working with to strengthen this relationship. We just don't want it to turn into a Georgia situation. We may spend a Preparation Day or two with some of the sisters who may be feeling this way. Hopefully, they will open up and enjoy themselves with us.

We also had sent a short term missionary to the Charentsavan sisters this past week. We found out about Sister K after we returned from Georgia. I believe Sister B had a good conversation with her. We are hoping to spend some time with them as well on a Preparation Day to relieve some of the stress. 

Sisters A and M had a short term missionary with them this past week. It was supposed to be for a few days, but only lasted one day. I think there were too many strong personalities put together in one apartment :) We talked with the Stake about reassigning the short term missionary somewhere else. (We are thinking Hrazdan.) And we are planning to go on exchanges with the Gyumri Sisters (as well as the Vanadzor sisters) this week. We will find out more about how it went from them then. The sisters are all clear now on the money situation with short term missionaries. (Elder Reese would be proud.)

This week I've been thinking a lot about making sure I am becoming more and more consecrated everyday to the work. I'm not perfect, but I'm striving to be better. I read 3 Nephi 27:21, 27 this week: "this is my gospel; and ye know the things that ye must do in my church; for the works which ye have seen me do that shall ye also do. Therefore, what manner of men ought ye to be? Verily I say unto you, even as I am." And Luke 22:32 "when thou art converted, strengthen thy brethren." 

That is my goal. To become continually converted everyday and to strengthen those around me. To leave the rest behind and to become new. But to also help others become new. I love the story of the rich young man who asked Christ what more he could do to follow Him. "Jesus said unto him, If thou wilt be perfect, go and sell that thou hast, and give to the poor, and thou shalt have treasure in heaven: and come and follow me. (Matthew 19: 21). Part of entering into the Kingdom of Heaven includes giving all we have to help those around us and to come unto Christ through conversion. I love what Bruce C. Hafen says in his talk The Atonement: All for All. He says: "If we give all that we have, then our giving only almost everything is not enough. So we must willingly give everything because God himself can't make us grow against our will and without our full participation. May we not shrink when we discover paradoxically, how dear a price we must pay to receive what is, finally, a gift from Him. When the Savior's all and our all come together, we will find not only forgiveness of sin, 'we shall see Him as He is' and 'we shall be like Him.'"

I know that I'm not perfect, but I also know that Heavenly Father is willing to work with me in my imperfections and willing to erase the mistakes I make and has provided a path for me to become better. Everyday I am trying to give more and more of myself to the work and to Him, so that my efforts and His will be united.

Thank you so much for all that you do! I can't imagine what it would be like to watch over the mission, but you and Sister C are incredible! I love you both!

Have a great week,

Sister Morreall