nate morris west indies mission

September 28, 2009

To all at home! Happy Birthday to all who read this!

Berbice is SWEET! Super rural, 2/3 of the people don't know how to read, and they can't understand me when I talk. I have to speak Creolese. I love it here. See what happened in my area is that this guy got baptized, and he helped bring over 150 people into the church last year. He went apostate and got excommunicated and so now there is only like 30 people at church a week, with over 300 baptized members. It is going to be a though month. The work has totally slowed down in Guyana.

See what happened before was that people thought the numbers were more important than the person, so they'd go about baptizing 10 year old kids because their parents weren't interested and they liked church. I don't know HOW you can think that's a good idea but that's how Guyana did so well last year. Now we're back to what God really wants us to do, baptize only prepared converted people that understand the restoration and the atonement. I love it here. Ya know that's the negative of the work in Guyana but it really is a sweet place. There is a lot of prepared people in the world. I'm lucky to be in such a sweet place.

I'm with Elder Daines now. Being with Elder Noah for those 2 weeks was tough. I learned a lot of things I shouldn't be doing on the mission. Supposedly being this far from the Mission President , a lot of these missionaries in Berbice did a lot of movie watching, music listening, etc. I don't know HOW you can think that's a good idea either!

Elder Daines does missionary work the right way. I'm going to try to emulate more of his ideas. Following the spirit and only teaching prepared people is a necessary thing here. You can go about baptizing unprepared kids and women but I don't think that's how God wants us to operate. He is a great elder and I get along with him great. He has been out 20 months and will be going home soon. He is from Rexburg, Idaho and went to BYU Idaho but will be going to BYU next year studying filmmaking. It will be a great transfer with Elder Daines.

I'm not district leader or training a missionary anymore. I am working hard, but I guess I just wasn't needed as one yet. Elder Prince however will be training a new one. It's fun being so close to him, only a 30 minute drive and over the Berbice bridge. We've been able to gaff a lot. BTW they say that a lot here. Gaffing is sweet.

The work in Rose Hall is interesting. We'll be doing A LOT of finding. We weren't left with anyone to teach, only a 10 year old girl but we won't work much with her, only if she gets a solid link with a member of the church. So the work will be rough but it'll have great rewards. We know we can baptize in Guyana. We can baptize lots. We just have to do it God's way. The work will improve, I'm sure of it.

Can I get Colby's email address?? I want to wish him congratulations on his engagement. I can't believe in one month he'll be married!! That is so crazy.

Well I better be going. Keep it real back in the states. I love it here and don't worry about me! I am loving the work, not homesick, and my testimony is growing all of the time!

Elder Morris!