2-27-20

I don't know where to start!! GREAT AND DREADFUL DAYS FOR THE MISSIONARIES!!

Last Thursday (2-19) President Howell called me and asked what the chances were that the reservations would be closing down and they would be blocking off the roads. So no one would be allowed in or out. I told him there was a good chance that, that would happen if the virus were to come into the reservation. He told me that the church was thinking about pulling all the senior missionaries so they would be home if they needed medical attention.

(I guess I should state that the Coronavirus has hit first in China and has spread throughout the world. As of today there are 81,321 confirmed cases in the U S. This is the most in the world. In the world as a whole we have 536,374 (confirmed) in the world with 24,112 deaths. So this is a huge deal. The church is sending all the missionaries home from foreign countries. (at least those where the virus is really bad and they will be reassigned here in america as best as they can after a 14 day isolation. The prophet has told the church to fast and pray on the 29th. The church has taken all of this very seriously!!)

President Howell called back later that day and told us the church was sending all seniors home (at least in our mission as medical attention was a long way away from most of us) I have not heard of other missions yet. Roberta and I cried and cried all day as we have been having so much success in Eagle Butte and Cherry Creek. We have left 2 people with recommends to attend the temple. We were teaching 8 more people the temple lessons. We started out with an attendance of 15 to 20 people each week and the week we left had 60 to 70 people in attendance. We opened up Cherry creek and the week before they closed all churches to meetings we had 25 people in attendance (We were meeting in Gloria Belmonte's home as the church was burned down). (the church closed all churches in the world so that no one could attend and pass the virus to each other. The church also closed all temple, thus we left 2 people with recommends.).

We had many friends and we went around and said goodbye to them. It was a hard day Valerie Swan had made us a beautiful Star quilt. She is about 68 years old and made this beautiful quilt. She also has made us jewelry. She is so wonderful. We cried and cried with her. She called her sisters Pam and Aurelia and was crying so hard they couldn't understand her (they told us when we went by to say goodbye to them. Pam for example was totally inactive and was the primary president. She is now active and doing really well (other than beating up her husband now and again). We have Ray Washburn in Cherry Creek, Gloria Belmonte, Denise Kill Crow (taking the temple lessons) Delinda, Manny and Renee (also taking the temple lessons) and others Roberta help me here!!

We have left so many wonderful people Carla Veaux (need help) Carla's family just had some kids get baptised (her grandkids) and we are thinking they will activate Carla and some of her kids and so many people. I really need to mention The three wonderful elders we had working in Cherry creek. actually we had more than just the 3 as Elder Perks from Rexburg helped us open it up and now Elder Brown has really kept it going (from AZ) And others (Elder Leonard, Elder Anderson). We also had Sisters really doing a great work in Eagle Butte. Sisters Like Brooks, and Howser, and again others (Sister Eliesa, Sister Roberts, Sister Christensen, Sister Sonnenburg, and Sister Van Hoff. )

Needless to say it was very hard coming home. We packed up and left Friday and stayed with Kathy Huntington Friday night and then on the Alamosa on Saturday. We stopped and saw Susan and Robert first, on to Ryan and his family, then to Jared, and on to Jenny's. We had lots of hugs and kisses and it was a wonderful reunion. Later that night Elder Degraw saw the pictures of us with the kids and grandkids and called me and said; "hey what are you doing, you are in quarantine?" I said I guess we missed the memo. So here we are in quarantine and hating it. thlpe virus keeps spreading and things are looking pretty grim. The stock market has been really hurting and they have shut down the country as no one except "essential" workers are supposed to go to work. People all over are out of work with no money coming in. The country has come up with a bill putting 2 trillion dollars into the economy to keep us from going into a depression. It is a scary time for a lot of people. It is a hard time for us as we HATE staying in our home and doing nothing.

I have been working with the church to purchase a building in Cherry Creek. They aren't very excited right now to purchase a building.  They are fearful with us gone, they people will not keep coming!

What are the Morgans wanting to do?? well we hope to return back to our mission asap. Even if we need to  re submit our papers. We feel we need to finish our work! And we hope other senior missionaries will continue our work!!

3-19-20

Well it is with heavy heart we reveal the great and terrible day. The great part is that we get to go home and be with our family. The terrible part is that we leave our wonderful new friends and the job is unfinished.  We have 8 people taking the lessons to go to the temple for the first time. We finished a temple class and have 2 people who have their recommends to attend the temple and are unable to because of the coronavirus. We had plans to take these people to the temple every month until we leave and now we are leaving tomorrow. We had 15 to 20 people attending sacrament meeting when we came out. We opened up Cherry Creek (and the building burned down) and we had 25 people attend the last time we had church in Gloria Belmonte's house. and about 40 attend in Eagle butte. We have had as many as 65 attend Eagle Butte. We have activated so many wonderful people! We are heart broken. BUT we are excited to return home to our family. In the last month we have baptised 8 people and are baptising one more tonight before we leave tomorrow. we also have another young boy on date to be baptised in two weeks. We now have no missionaries in eagle butte so i am not sure what will happen with him. Thomas 3 legs just came by and said he has started to read the book of mormon and is in 2nd Nephi.

The coronavirus is all over the world now. It is in every state in the union. We have been in quarantine here in our home and have been asked not to visit with anyone face to face but we have taught a few lessons on the phone. Faran is ready for her 6th lesson. others like manny and ranee are only on number two. Pam is on number 5 but needs number 2 also. Danease is on number 4 and her "daughter" is being baptised tonight! She is really her niece but her mother dropped her off and never came back to get her. Sweet Sweet people. Soooo many sweet people! Ray Washburn is absolutely wonderful. Cherry Creek has been a high point in our life as missionaries. Well I really can't say that as their have been so many high points!!
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3-15-20

Well a lot has happened since I last posted. The prophet has counseled church world wide and the stores are being trampled with people who are wanting to buy up everything. It is a little scary being so far away from our food storage as well. We bought up $1,000 worth of food to take care of ourselves, the sisters, and the elders. We also bought up some extras for people we are working with who might be in need. We took over a bottle of Clorox to Valerie yesterday and today we sent a pack of toilet paper to Veronica Holy as she was out. They were both pretty appreciative. (felt good!)

We had 4 baptisms last night and it was great! They were the grandchildren of Deloria Straighthead and Carla Veaux. We had activated Deloria and had been working on Carla ever since we got here and we hope this gets her activated! She has only come a few times. Her husband is pretty anti and we think that is why she hasn't been coming. The spirit is willing but the flesh is weak...... for most people around here!

After the baptisms and cleaning up the church the 3 elders; Brown, Anderson, and La Vin all spent the night with us. Then this morning they and the sisters had breakfast with us. It was great. Soooooooo this is the time where we have the corona virus and  everything has been shut down throughout the world. That includes the church. President Nelson closed down all the church in the world and invited people to have sacrament meeting in the homes of those with worthy priesthood holders to bless and pass the sacrament. I asked all the missionaries to come up with their favorite story. It would be their favorite scripture story, favorite story their parents told them, or just anyone that had experienced or read. It was great! Elder Lavin shared a letter he had to send in to the first presidency to be able to come on a mission. He was in the Boise, Idaho mission and was sent home and got to come back on a mission and he came here. He is a really good missionary but I guess he beat up his companion who had been bullying him. I shared the finding, baptizing, and the after fruit of the Berkheisers who Elder Thompson and I baptized on my first mission. I guess that is my favorite story of all time until maybe now. (excluding family) Anyway we blessed and passed the sacrament and had the talks and it all lasted an hr and a half, well worth the time. Then the elders left to a dinner appointment and we fed the sisters and had a little birthday party for Sister Houser. It was a great day! We have wonderful sisters; Sister Houser, Sister Van Hoff, and Sister Sonnenburg. They are doing wonderful! Of course our elders are doing wonderful as well, especially Elder Brown.

We took a long overdue nap and afterwards we went over to visit with Deloria Straight Head. She is the one we activated. We gave her the temple lessons and she was going to be interviewed to go the the temple this last Wednesday. She had been drinking coffee since she was young and was really having a hard time giving it up. She also was not paying her tithing. She ended up being taken to Rapid city this last week for a problem on her kidney. We didn't know about it for a few days. When we found out we called the Rapid City elders and asked them to give her a blessing. They did go over and gave her a blessing. Anyway, this afternoon when we visited with her she said he had a very strong feeling that we, the senior missionaries spirit's were with her. She said the Holy Ghost was so strong with her in the room and told her missionaries would come and give her a blessing. Shortly afterwards the elders came and gave her a blessing. She said "I know I am loved" there were a lot of tears all around. She also said she has given up coffee and has been paying her tithing. We all know when we attempt to go to the temple the devil gets really strong in our life. Well she not only went into the hospital but also has to go back for an operation in a few days. And the temple is closed!! She is feeling really bad that now that she is active she can't go to church!!  We will get her there! She is absolutely wonderful!!

3-11-20

We should post more because I am sure we will forget a lot. Last night we were giving our temple prep class and I could visibly see a sister (Pam) become irritated. We asked her kinda what she was worried about and it ends up that her husband had cheated on her and much more and she was afraid she would have to pay for his sins!! "and they shall become one flesh" I think she had been worried about that for a very long time. Understanding the gospel is so wonderful (Follow the prophet). The more we learn about the teachings of OUR savior the more I realize the great love the lord has for us, his children!! We printed Matthew 20: 1-16 and we are going to take it to her today. She has not been active for a very long time! What a burden to carry!! Cast your burdens at his feet!
Pam had small tears in her eyes last night, but Fran really had tears in her eyes! So many of the people here have been listening to the spirit that says: "you are no good" "God can't love you" "you will never make it to heaven" "just quit trying" and the list goes on and on!!

March 6, 2020

Yesterday we went to pick up some necklaces Valerie had made for us.  Elder Morgan was in the car and she asked him to come in.  She brought out a double eagle star quilt.  It was amazing.  She said she just couldn't wait until November to give it to us.  We cried.  She is such an amazing person.  She is in a wheelchair and is super independent.  We sometimes help her scrape her walks.  If we are a little late she will be out in her wheelchair trying to scrape them herself.  She is going to be one person we will have trouble leaving.  She is an angel.

3 5 20

We had an interesting conversation with Pam yesterday. She was complaining about her husband and how mean he is to her..... and he drinks and............. She said sometimes she just has to beat him up. He never hits her but she does him. She said she knocked him out one day when she threw the phone at him. She said her son came in the door one day when she was sitting on top of him and hitting him. He thought she was wrong for what she was doing. "But he (her son) didn't see what her husband had done to her first!" It sounds like they have had some real battles.

We had zone conference tuesday, It was good:  (some thoughts)

When I get home from my mission I really want to look back and say to myself; I really did the best I could do. No regrets!!

We need to go forward with courage and persistence. Each day we need to stay "in the game"

Never delay an impression to pray, or to do anything!

Sometimes it isn't that we don't want to do something. Sometimes it is just that we don't know how to do it! Soooo how can we find out how to do things??

President Howell's dad was a bishop and his mother was the Relief society president and they both went inactive in the church. It all started by them criticizing the leaders of the church!

Another person spoke that their grandfather was a general authority and some of his kids and grandkids have left the church. We need to stay close to the spirit and follow our conversion, no matter what things come into our lives!

Br Olson has a patriarchal blessing that says he would work with the Laminates. His first mission was not to work with the Laminates and he felt bad. However now, with his wife he is serving a mission to the laminates in white river!

There are only 2 Laminate mission couples and they are both in our mission! They are actually half brothers. Their dad had 5 wives and 31 kids. He was not a member of the church. they are VERY excellent people and missionaries. Their names are Ron and Joe Begay.

You cannot say anything wrong to the right person and you cannot say anything right to the wrong person. (takes a little pressure off missionaries)`

3-1-20

Well today we blew them away (whoever them are). We had 22 people in Cherry Creek, Gloria Belmonte's little house was full! It was fast and testimony meeting and Manny and raynee both bore their testimonies!! (Our next branch president in Cherry Creek). I think we had an exceptional meeting today as well! We have wonderful elders in Cherry Creek;f Elder's Brown, Anderson, and Levin. for sunday school class I talked about Tankini coming to battle against Cherry Creek and what preparations would be necessary to take to prevent them from destroying ourselves and families.

 (The new branch president's wife) bore her testimony today about two spiritual experiences she had had. One was she had been praying to know whether or not Jesus was the "Creators" son. She prayed and prayed to know. She had kinda a vision (I didn't understand exactly how it happened) BUT she saw what she saw and heard what she heard. She heard God speak to her and told her Yes! is my son and your brother and your husband, Manny is your brother also (and you really need to treat him like a brother). She really didn't understand how her husband could be her brother until she joined the church and everyone called each other brothers and sisters. The other experience was when she had been drinking for a few years. She said she was raised in another church and her mother read bible stories to her and her siblings for a long time while they were growing up. BUT, and I say BUT her parents also taught them how do drink. So she was an alcoholic for a number of years. In fact her mother would take care of the kids for her so she could go out drinking. (Crazy life on the Rez) anway she was hung over one morning and she was talking to "the Creator" about how horrible her life was and how she wanted him to take her home. She just prayed and prayed for him to take her. After lieing there for hr's she realized he wasn't going to take her. She heard a voice telling her "you know what you need to do!" She quit drinking and has been sober ever sense. She and Manny have not been active but Manny is an Elder and we are giving the temple lessons to them starting Wednesday. We are way excited! She did ask though: Soooo if we go to the temple and are sealed for time and all eternity, what happens if we decide in the next life we don't want to be married? (apparently they don't always get along) What would you say?? I just said well, I believe that we will always have our free agency. If for some reason you change your mind I am sure things can be worked out! It seemed to satisfy them. I told a temple sealer about the experience and he started to say something and then just didn't say anything:)