"I Need Someone To Defend My Faith. I Need Someone Who Loves Me."

Hello Dad,

How are you?  Sorry I am really bad at responding to mail.  Everything here is going really well.  I love training and wish I could do it until the end of my mission.  Hopefully I will be able to.  Elder Knight is another great missionary that I get to serve with.  It is crazy to think that he is Brianne's age.

I really love serving in Lumberton.  It is an experience that I am very lucky to have had.  It is something that is very unique and I probably couldn't experienced it anywhere else in the world.  Having 9 missionaries in one branch is a lot of fun.  We see them a lot throughout the week, especially the sisters because our investigators live close to each other.

In this area I've truly come to love being a missionary.  I really love teaching and finding new people to teach.  I also love how much I am learning about the gospel.  I've found that bearing pure testimony is the best way to proclaim truth.  I've had some experiences here contacting people on the street that I have grown alot from.  One in particular was a guy who just started saying things about the church that were completely false.  Immediately after I heard him, Elder Hollands voice came into my head saying "I need someone to defend my faith.  I need someone who loves me."  I then bore my testimony and told him what I knew to be true.  His countenance changed and you could tell that he felt the spirit.  We did not get a return appointment but it was a neat experience to see the Holy Ghost at work.  Did you run into a lot of anti-Mormons on your mission?  I'm sure it is everywhere.

I heard about the tornado in Oklahoma.  Did it go through any of the area's where you served?  That is really sad to see such a terrible tragedy.

Thank you for all of your support.  I feel like I've been on a mission for only a few months.  But at the same time I feel like I've been a missionary for a while because I can't really see myself doing anything else.  I love my mission.  Thank you for being such a good influence for good in my life.  Brother Warren said it best that you can't help but feel how much charity you and mom have.  I am here because of that.

Love, Elder Mortensen