I'm Alive 3/9/2015

I'm sorry I didn't write last week. Just as I was starting my mass email the power shut off for the entire building a half hour before our time ran out. It was really disapointing. I didn't write yesterday because it was a national holiday, Women's Day. All of the schools and the council office were closed (the only places on the island with internet). So now I will give a quick update.

It has been a great couple of weeks. I have eaten worms (nothing new, but still weird), stingray, dog and cat. Always good times in the islands!

My favorite experience in the past couple of weeks was teaching Tiiwini about temples and family history work. He is the first person I have ever taught that has understood how cool and how big a blessing the temple is. Before he was baptized we taught him the Plan of Salvation and how people that weren't baptized in this world will go to spirit prison. He was the only person to every ask, 'Well how will they get baptized?" I wanted to answer his question then, but his mind was pretty blown after the lesson, so we said that we would teach him later. So last week was finally the time. As soon as he found out what the temple was and what happens inside a light came into his eyes and he gave us 100% of his rapt attention. He almost hungrily asked us questions about how he would do work for his ancestors so that he could meet them in heaven. The spirit was so strong and he soaked in everything we told him. Families can be together forever. People who died without knowing to gospel or being baptized can be baptized after they die through the temple. God loves all of his children and wants all of them to receive salvation. The temple is Gods House so it is clean and pure and the spirit is so strong inside. And lastly he if he keeps God's commandment and stays clean he can go to the temple in a year and the Church will pay for him and his family's plane ticket to the nearest temple. This Gospel is so amazing. I fell so blessed to be able to share it with Tiiwini and all of my Brothers and Sisters on this island.

My next favorite event happened to also be with Tiiwini. A couple of weeks ago he told us about a small plot of land he had back in the woods and how he basically wanted to make it into a garden paradise. So we offered to do service with him to help it get started. Much to our surprise, it wasn't anywhere close to a garden yet, still just an uncleaned plot of forest full of trees. So he gave both of us Machetes and had us start cleaning as much ground as we could. It was so much fun. Most of the trees were small and kind of hollow (no idea what they are called in English) so we could cut down a swath of them with one blow. Others took a fair bit of hacking to get them to fall, but it was always worth it. Not only were we bonding and helping a man that we love so much, we were using Machetes! (Seriously one of the only tools that you can find here). Most services that we do here consist of sitting and chatting for an hour, doing a medial task for 30-45 minutes, then chatting for another hour. This was the first time we got to work, get dirty, sweat, and we had so much fun doing it. Unfortunately I had huge blisters on every single one of my fingers afterwards...But it was worth it!

One last bit of news: My Companion, Elder Miller, is getting transferred. We have had a great 2 months together, but I know that I will learn and grow with my upcoming companion.  (Elder Morley will now be companions with Elder Davis, also from UT.)

I love this work so much. It truly is the Lords work and His true gospel.

I Love you all so much!

Elder Morley