Goodbye New York.......

 

The hardest part is saying goodbye...

      I never thought I would be writing this blog. This mission has been amazing! It has had its ups and downs just like every missionary experience has, but I have learned so much and have met so many wonderful people. I remember the moment that I received my reassignment. I waited for the page to load and then screamed so loud that the teacher from the next room came to see if everything was okay! I was so excited to come to New York! But Rochester? Where is Rochester, well I soon found out where and all the blessing that came with it. The first day in the mission we went to the sites. I had no idea that the sacred grove, hill Cumorah and the Book of Mormon publication site were here. I loved every moment I spent there and couldn't believe how blessed I was to come and see that as part of my mission. I have grown to love the sites! I mean they are not really hard to love they are where God and Jesus Christ appeared to the young prophet Joseph Smith. There is an amazing spirit there that makes you never want to leave! I was so blessed to go and serve at the sites over pageant. It was a wonderful learning experience.

    The first area that I was sent to was Amherst (Buffalo). I loved Buffalo! I met so many wonderful people and had the opportunity to see the gospel change people and their lives! I loved every moment there and learned and grew so much even during the harder times. Then after two transfers there I was transferred to Brockport. I never thought I would be transferred but God had a plan for me as he always has. I have learned to love Brockport just as much as Amherst. They are very different but I love them both!

    I love the people in these areas so much and am truly sad to leave them. Everyone has had a huge impact in my life. I never thought I would meet so many wonderful people in such a short amount of time.
  When I received the phone call that my visa was here I was in complete shock. I really didn't know what to say. It was the most bitter-sweet moment of my whole mission! I truly do love the New York Rochester mission. It is a place where I have grown a lot! There have been so many people that have changed my life. They have helped me realize what is really important in life and that is the gospel of Jesus Christ. I am so grateful for all of my companions and the lessons I have learned from them. They have become some of my best friends and have helped me grow as a missionary and as a person. I am grateful for all the missionaries I have been able to serve with from my districts and zones. This mission has some of the best missionaries I know. Every missionary that I have been around has taught me something new. I am so grateful for the two wonderful mission presidents that I have had here. President Christianson and President Francis. I have learned and grown from the things they have taught me. I don't know exactly every detail of why I was sent here but I do know that God has a plan. It took me a long time to realize that he is in control and will take care of me because he loves me and all of his children. Luke 12:6-7

Here is my address for all those that would like to send me a letter!

Sister Melanie Morgan
Brazil Joao Pessoa Mission
Rua Deputado Jose Mariz,515
Tambauzinho
58042-02 Joao Pesson-PB 
Brazil 

None Were With Him

Christ suffered the burden of our salvation and was completely alone. Because of him we are NEVER alone. Christ went through this pain to understand what we all will go through and so he can help us completely if we ask him. He restored physical life so we can live with our family and with our heavenly Father for forever. I am so grateful for him and what he has done for me. I will never understand the pain that he went through but I hope to always so gratitude for his sacrifice.

 

"May we declare ourselves to be more fully disciples of the Lord Jesus Christ, not in word only and not only in the flush of comfortable times but in deed and in courage and in faith, including when the path is lonely and when our cross is difficult to bear. This Easter week and always, may we stand by Jesus Christ “at all times and in all things, and in all places that [we] may be in, even until death,”²¹ for surely that is how He stood by us when it was unto death and when He had to stand entirely and utterly alone. In the name of Jesus Christ, amen." Jeffery R. Holland

Life Is Short

Life is short....
What does that mean to me?
It is such a simple phrase but it really makes me think.
Every action is accounted into life and each action is either making life better or making it worse either for yourself or for others.
We have the choice... the question is what will we do with that power.
Life is short so handle each situation with love and let people know that you care.

The Hill Cumorah Pageant

The hill cumorah pageant

From lds.org

So I am finally writing about pageant! The only problem is that there are no words to describe pageant but I am going to do the best I can. I included a lot of pictures so hopefully that will help show how amazing it was!

Taking a picture at the slightly funny sign at pageant with a member from the cast photo bombing the picture! :) We were able to go to pageant every night! It was amazing. The Hill Cumorah Pageant depicts events that happened in The Book of Mormon. The most memorable part for me is when Christ appears to the people in the Americas. Here are a few verses from The Book of Mormon that describe the event. Verse seven is God talking about his son and then it continues to when Christ appeared to the people. 3Nephi 11:7-12 

7 Behold my ^aBeloved Son, ^bin whom I am well pleased, in whom I have glorified my name—hear ye him.

8 And it came to pass, as they understood they cast their eyes up again towards heaven; and behold, they ^asaw a Man ^bdescending out of heaven; and he was clothed in a white robe; and he came down and stood in the midst of them; and the eyes of the whole multitude were turned upon him, and they durst not open their mouths, even one to another, and wist not what it meant, for they thought it was an angel that had appeared unto them.

9 And it came to pass that he stretched forth his hand and spake unto the people, saying:

10 Behold, I am Jesus Christ, whom the prophets testified shall come into the world.

11 And behold, I am the ^alight and the life of the world; and I have drunk out of that bitter ^bcup which the Father hath given me, and have glorified the Father in ^ctaking upon me the sins of the world, in the which I have suffered the ^dwill of the Father in all things from the beginning.

12 And it came to pass that when Jesus had spoken these words the whole multitude ^afell to the earth; for they remembered that it had been ^bprophesied among them that Christ should ^cshow himself unto them after his ascension into heaven.

From lds.org

Abinadi and his wife! 

Character that i don't know, Sister Rippstein, King Noah! , Sister Klepinger, and Me!
King Noah was awesome and Elder Fuller did a great job reenacting his lines!  

Some of the wonderful volunteers at the Book of Mormon Publication Site 

Two other volunteers! They were a great! The wife was so nice! loved talking to her! 

Lunch a Nimas! One of the volunteer couples paid for our meal
and enough for ice cream at the end! They were so kind! 

A wonderful surprise from my Aunt and Uncle! They thought I was in Buffalo! 

The Book of Mormon publication site: where I worked the second week!

Sorry that I wasn't able to write more about each one. I was just running out of time! :) I really loved every moment of Pageant and the opportunity to serve at the sites! Once in a life time experience! 

Daily Bread

John 6: 35

 "... Jesus said unto them, I am the ^abread of life: he that cometh to me shall never hunger; and he that believeth on me shall never ^bthirst. "  

 

 

We all have some sort of manna in our lives. Something that remind us of Jesus Christ or makes us line up our will with Gods. When we go through times that are hard we learn to trust God and to search for answers through prayer and scripture study. That daily bread is so important!  The sad thing is we put that off until the end of the day when we are not "busy", and by then we are so tired that we do not feast on the scriptures and our prayers are half hearted. This is the most important growing and strengthening time that we have!

 

Every day we eat our daily bread we grow just a little bit more. "...By small and simple things are great things are brought to pass..." Alma 37:6 

 

 

Seek help everyday, God is there for you and wants to help you sometimes all we have to do is just ask. Most of the time there will not be a miracle but he will be able to help you get through the day. One of my favorite things Elder D. Todd Chritofferson says is that sometimes it helps not to think to far ahead. That is something that I am really good at. I am good at planning and worrying about things that are so far away! We just need to slow down and to try and take each day at a time. We just need to do what he says and do what each day requires. Sometimes our day will become so much better and a much great learning experience as we include Jesus Christ.  "the greater blessing is to walk through it with him (Jesus Christ)."

 

God is patient with us so we need to be patient with ourselves. We need to remember him everyday and to partake of the daily bread. He is the bread of eternal life!