9/22/14: Livin' in Jam Rock

Hello Family!

This week was a great one! I am still trying to get the hang of the patois and all that but I have had a lot of interesting experiences here in Jamaica. 

We had some great lessons with Taphirah on Tuesday and Thursday. We talked more about the Book of Mormon because he wasn't able to read very much. He is great! The spirit was strong and he still has that strong desire to be baptized and be a part of the church. He is awesome! 

Kimoya is great as well! We were able to talk about the Plan of Salvation with her and she loved it! Nothing is really new to her though because she has heard all of these things in church. She just needed to be taught the lessons and then she can get baptized. We are praying that she will be able to get the bus fare to come to church. It's hard for her. She went to church a long time ago. We were only able to see her once this week though because she got pretty sick. 

At District meeting this week, we had a great discussion! One of the points that Elder Hall brought up was one from Elder Cornish when he was here. Elder Cornish asked the simple question of "What verse(s) of scripture describe the Gospel to you?" The first one that came to my mind of course was 2 Nephi 31. I LOVE that chapter. Then as we got talking and sharing, more came to my mind like 3 Nephi 12:19-20, Mosiah 4 and 5, Alma 5, 3 Nephi 27:19-20, Moroni 6. Others that people shared were D&C 18:10, D&C 14:7, D&C 15:6, Mosiah 2:41, D&C 20:37, 2 Nephi 2:6-8, and many others. It was a great meeting. It really helped me to remember how simple the Gospel really is. Sometimes I think we make it too complicated and we need to come back to square one, study the Doctrine of Christ again and remember and gain a renewed testimony of it. I love this Gospel so much!

 

Last night we had a lesson with Romaine but it ended up being a lesson with like 10 of his friends and family as well. We started out by talking about the Restoration but we realized that he doesn't understand the Godhead and how they are three separate beings. Which is what most Jamaicans believe. So we started sharing and testifying about that. I think it really helped them. Except for one of the friends who just thought we were insane for thinking that haha. I am praying that he won't influence Romaine too much and that Romaine will really think about things and pray about them to know for himself. We had a good powerful discussion though. 

On Saturday we went to a funeral in Linstead. One of the members passed away right before I got here and since the Ocho Rios branch doesn't have its own building, we drove to Linstead. I must say that funerals are very, very, interesting and different here. Let's say a lot more up beat as well. haha! So there is a lot less crying which is good. I wish I could have met her though. She seemed like a really nice lady. She has three young daughters and a young son who are less active. They seemed to be interested in the church again since she died. We had a good turn out from the branch at the funeral to support her. I hope they will lean on the church and see the blessings that can come from it. 

I had to give a talk yesterday in church on families and the relationships with them. It went pretty well! Of course I cried. I mean, when do I not. haha! I thought this mission was gonna help my emotional instability! Whatever. 

Well thanks for all the emails and updates! I really means a lot to me! Have a blessed week!

Love,

Sister Mouritsen

9/15/14: Wow. Just Wow.

Hello Family!

This week was a wild one. Definitely! Being back in Jamaica is weird! It is not how I remembered it four months ago. Haha. Probably because I was still in shock! But I love Ochi! (Ocho Rios) The branch here is great! It's small but great. There are about 30 members that come on Sundays and Tajara and Rojaro who got baptized last Monday, got confirmed yesterday, barely. It was great! They don't have their own building here yet. We meet above a grocery store. The Branch President is Elder Hardy and he and his wife are the senior couple here. He asked me to give a talk next week on family. I think I can do that :) Easy.

This week was an eye opener for sure. Many of the members live up on the mountains. Like literally on the mountains. I guess I never REALLY realized how flat Cayman is. Here we park our big truck and hike. It's awesome in a skirt. The only thing I can think of is 'Chinscraper'. I know I've never actually been on Chinscraper but that's a good way to describe it here. haha! This place is just SO different than Cayman. The people are amazing and awesome and so dang friendly. I love it.

We had a lesson with a girl named Kimoya who is 16. Her mom is a member of the church but Kimoya lives with her uncle. She wants to be baptized and has been to church before. So we are teaching her the lessons. She is so great. :) We also had a lesson with a guy named Taphirah. His girlfriend is getting taught the lessons and wants to get baptized but they are living together so they are planning on getting married this month and then they will get baptized. Taphirah is really humble and really receptive to the message. I love it! 

The hardest thing about being back here on the rock is the language. I am learning to understand them better. I didn't have to deal with the Patois as much in Cayman. The lessons usually start out well and they remember that they need to speak English for me but by the end it is straight Patois. Thank goodness I have a Jamaican companion. She speaks Patois for me all the time so that I can begin to understand it. It is such a cool 'language' hahaha. And NOBODY knows how to say 'Mouritsen'. Seriously. You'd think I was from another world because they physically can't say it. Haha!  I love Jamaica with all my heart. I know that I am meant to be here for a reason even though I miss my home in Cayman. No offense Utah. I'll probably just end my mission and fly to Cayman. :) Jk. Sorta. Not really. But jk. hahaha. 

Thank you for all the emails. I hope all is well with all of you! I pray for you all constantly! Have a blessed week! Keep being the examples that you are in the gospel. :)

Love,

Sister Mouritsen

9/9/14: Til we meet again - From Cayman to Ocho Rios, Jamaica

Hi family!

This week was a crazy one once again. I think I say that every week. Do I? Well it's no lie! Sister Lewis and I are still working hard and doing our best to find those that are ready to hear the Gospel. We taught Omar again on Saturday before he was supposed to leave back to the Bahamas for a little while. We talked about the Book Of Mormon and read in Moroni 10. The promise. I REALLY hope and pray that he will just take it seriously and stop comparing it to his 'Kingdom'. The church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints is so much more than that. You can't compare it to anything because we actually have the fullness! Who wouldn't want that? haha. 

We taught Nick who is married to the member, Dee-An on Sunday. We had a powerful lesson about having the faith to act and we shared with him in Ether 3 about the Brother of Jared. It was powerful. We also extended at Baptismal date for September 27th. I hope that he will sincerely change and prepare for that day. I know he can do it. He just needs to act on his faith. haha. 

This week was tough with lessons. I don't know if I talked about Barry last time, so much has happened, but he was the guy who hollered at us when we were walking and was telling us about how he was almost baptized! Like he already had the white clothes on and everything! We tried meeting with him again but he stood us up. I'm guessing he isn't ready. But this week we didn't really teach much lessons. It seemed as though everyone was gone! 

On Friday we had the branch talent show and the four of us missionaries all sang your song Mads! It was awesome! But my camera decided to die right before we started singing!! Nosah!!! I am trying to get the recording from a member though. It was awesome and really helped to bring the spirit to the activity. That song is so powerful (No Need to Fear). It really inspired the members and they kept coming up and telling us how amazing and spiritual and powerful that song is. P.s. this experience totally reminded me of that one time in 9th  grade when AbLeMadAbAh decided to sing in the talent show... ha. haha. ha... I was laughing. 

On Saturday we got our transfer calls! I have been called back to Jam which is where I am at the moment. :) I have been called to serve in Ocho Rios! Yeah Ochi!!! :) I was so sad to leave Cayman because it is my home. I mean I was born there! But... I know that I am meant to be in Ochi now. :) I can't wait to get started! My companion is Sister Walker. She is Jamaican from Linstead and has been in Ochi for 3 months. I love her already! She is hilarious! So Saturday and Sunday I said my goodbyes, bore my testimony and had to be to the airport by 5 am Monday morning. Yeah packing was so stressful! But I love it here in Jamaica. :) We also have a car but sister Walker can't drive so I will be driving again. Instead of the nice little 2014 Toyota Yaris, I now have a big Mitsubishi diesel truck :) heck yeah man! 

So Sister Newcomer (who is going home to Pennsylvania on Thursday) and I flew to Miami and then to Montego Bay where the sisters picked us up and we went up to our house, literally up. There are like, mountains here. haha. Our house is WAY up there! And it's pink. :) We dropped off my suitcases quickly, and went to a baptism for a recent convert's kids, Taj and Roj. It was so cool! And then we drove to Kingston last night. Yeah. Three countries and 6 parrish's in one day. Unheard of! I also got to see Sister Mashabela today! We stayed at their house for the night. It was so awesome!! :) 

Today we have transfer meeting and then Sister Walker and I will be traveling all the way back to Ocho Rios to get the work started together. It has been an eventful week. I miss Cayman but there are new people and new places to see here in Jamaica. I can't wait to teach and share the Gospel with these people! I love this Gospel! :)

Love,

Sister Mouritsen

9/1/2014: September???

Hi Family!

I was told multiple times this week that I look like Mariah Carey. What? Yeah I dunno... This week was a good one though. We have been really trying to apply the things we learned from Zone Conference especially about trying to get the members more involved and more excited about missionary work. It's tough..... but we are definitely working on it. 

This week two people got baptized. :) Chado Powell and Ciara Hernandez. It was cool! They just turned 8 and there were SOOO many people there! We couldn't even all fit in the room where they were being baptized! There was a lot of family that flew in to see them. I love baptisms! 

Yesterday at church we had four investigators who attended! Paula and Angelo who we met while we were walking on the street to a lesson. Omar, who Sister Llewellyn and Sister Lewis met while they were stuck in the Bahamas at the airport.  Nick, who is married to a member. It was so cool! Paula and Angelo are Seventh Day Adventists though so we are hoping that everything will continue to go well. Angelo grew up going to Sunday church though so we are praying that he will remember that and want to keep coming and always bring Paula as well. Omar was a Seventh Day Adventist but just became a Jehovah's Witness a little while ago... Yeah. It's interesting. But he said that he loved church and now he wants us to go to his 'kingdom' next week. HA! okay.. He is super smart though and loves the Restoration. We have a lesson with him on Tuesday and I am excited to see what will come out of it! 

This week I was reading a lot in Matthew about things that Christ did. Man. Christ is so cool isn't he? Haha. I just love him with all of my heart! I seriously want to be like him. It would have been one of the most amazing times to be alive when he was on the earth. I can't wait to see him again and say to him that I did as much as I could in my '4 minutes' here on the earth. We don't have time to be angry, or sad or anything else! So don't waste your time with any of that. We are so blessed to be on the earth at this time. I love this Gospel and I love getting (not having, Dad ;) ) to teach the Gospel for just this short 18 months. Time out. 15 months. Whoa. Time flies when you're having fun... Well I love you all so much! Have a great safe week! Don't ever forget to wear a missionary tag on your heart. ;) Even if you're in Utah. haha! Love you!

Love,

Sister Mouritsen