Farewell Sioux City

Dear Elder Morain Fan Club,

Wow! I hope all of you had a wonderful Christmas! I have been so blessed this past week and a half. But first off I need to tell you that I am being transferred tomorrow morning. I am really sad I have to leave Sioux City, where I have spent 6 months of my mission here.
I had an amazing Christmas! I got to talk to my family and it was great to hear from them.
Last night I was able to be a part of a miracle. I had the opportunity of Baptizing Joylynn Davidson, a 9 year old native american girl who we have been teaching. Her sister Lydia also was baptized. It was truly a tender mercy of the Lord. I am so happy for them and the beautiful spirit they have about them. Being a part of their Baptism has made everything worth to me. I am sad I have to leave my friends of Sioux City, but I know that I came back here for a reason. I'll go where the Lord wants me to go as the hymn declares. I am grateful to be a missionary and I will make the most of these last 3 months I have to hold this sacred calling.
Keep it real
LO
VE Elder Morain

From Jeff's Mission Photos, Part 2

SIOUX CITY ZONE – December 3, 2009 Back: Elder Mackay – Elder Morain – Elder Bringham – Elder Jennings Elder Truman – Elder Richards – Elder Perazzo – Elder McConnel – Elder Gates Elder Diamond – Elder Gibson – Elder Wray – Elder Vidrine Front: Elder Thomas – Elder C. Jones – Sister Shields – Sister Evans Hermana Murphy – Hermana Madsen – President & Sister Talbot Sister & Elder Phillips – Elder Blanchard – Elder Phillips

HAVE A WONDERFUL CHRISTMAS

Merry Christmas America!

Dear Elder Morain Fan Club,

Merry Christmas everyone! I hope all of you are having a jolly Christmas. I had quite the week! For the first time in my life, I had the opportunity to Confirm the Holy Ghost. This family lives in our ward boundaries but was taught by the spanish speaking sisters. On Tuesday they had a wedding for the parents and immediatley following their wedding they got baptized, along with their daughter Breanna. So on Sunday in Sacrament meeting I was asked to confirm Breanna. I was pretty nervous when I was asked to perform this ordinance. But I said a prayer asking my Heavenly Father to help me communicate what he would say to Breanna. As I was confirming her, a miracle happened, and I said words I never would have said to her, and I knew it was the spirit speaking through me. I am so thankful for this opportunity of being a full time missionary. I have grown so much because I am doing things I never would have had the opportunity of doing, if hadn't been for me being on a mission.
I am so happy at this Christmas time. I feel the Christmas spirit as I give of my time to my Savior, who is the reason we celebrate Christmas. I testify that He Lives and is there for each and everyone of us. I know this because he has been there for me when I pray to him, when no one else has been there for me, he has always been there. He has gotten me through the hardest times of my life and I have come to know him better as I've reached out to him during my trials.
Keep it real
LO
VE Elder Morain

Winter Quarters Temple Trip!

Dear Elder Morain Fan Club,

How has everybody been? I hope everyone is having a special Christmas Season. This last week has been amazing for me. I was able to have the opportunity of a lifetime on Friday. I got to go to the Winter Quarters Temple with Ignacio Bustamante as he got his Endowments out. He was my ward mission leader when I was trained in the Sioux City 2nd ward, he was baptized about 2 years ago. So I was able to go to the Endowment session with him and it was a very spiritual experience. It was my 2nd time going to the Winter Quarters Temple and we got to see the Mormon Trail Center, which is the visitor center with all the church history from Winter Quarters. There is such a strong spirit in Winter Quarters. I feel a deep gratitude for the Pioneers that stayed in Winter Quarters and I was able to see some of the sacrifices they made there.
As I was in the Temple with Ignacio, I remembered an experience I had when I was at BYU Idaho. For my interview to submit my papers for my mission with my Stake President, he brang all the prospective missionaries into his office. My Stake president asked all of us why were we going on a mission. A couple of us answered with some good responses, but not what he was looking for. He then told all of us to stand up and walk over to the big window. As he drew back the curtains, we saw the lights shining brightly from the Rexburg Temple. He then pointed to the temple and said "That is why we are going on a mission. To bring people to the temple." So as I was in the Temple with Ignacio, I felt the spirit so strong, as I remembered what my Stake President had told me. I am so thankful for the opportunity I have to be a full time missionary here in Iowa. I have seen miracles come to pass before my eyes. I know this church is true.
Keep it real
LO
VE Elder Morain

Happy Pearl Harbor Remembrance Day America!

Dear Elder Morain Fan Club,

Hows everybody been? I have been better than ever here in Sioux City! We had our investigators with a baptismal date come to church on sunday! A Native American family has 2 kids that are getting baptized hopefully on December 29th, which is the mom's birthday. It was so good to see them come to church and feel the spirit there.
On Thursday we had our Christmas Zone Conference! We got to drive down to Des Moines for it and got together with 5 zones in the mission! It was probably the biggest gathering of missionaries I've been a part of so far. We had a talent show which was hilarious haha. I was in a couple skits and it was a lot of fun. There are so many talented missionaries in our mission. It was so good to see missionaries that I hadn't seen in forever...and it might be the last time for some I see on the mission. We had slideshow which was pretty funny as well. I am going to miss alot of these missionaries that I've gotten to know out here. Their examples and friendship mean so much to me and I will never forget them.
Last night we got to watch The First Presidency Christmas Devotional. I am hoping all of you got to see it because it was amazing. I escpecialy enjoyed President Monson's story of the drama at the Atlanta Georgia Airport. I recommend everyone to check that out if you didn't get to see it. I love Christmas time and the special spirit I feel with it.
Keep it real
LO
VE Elder Morain

Back in Sioux City, livin the dream

Dear Elder Morain Fan Club,

I hope all of you had a spectacular Thanksgiving. I sure had one! We got to serve thanksgiving dinner to some old people in a rest home with the missionaries in my district. We sang hymns to them while one of the elders played the violin. We have spanish sisters in my district too, one of them is Sister Murphy, who is from Roseville California! She and I are friends with a lot of the same people, including my cousin Kurtis!
After we served Thanksgiving dinner, we went over to a members home and had quite the feast. There was 3 families of the ward there and we had a blast together.
I got to go on exchanges in my old area, Sioux city 2nd Ward! It was amazing to be back where I had began my mission and to see the people I had grown to love by serving them.
On Sunday I had the opportunity to speak in Sacrament Meeting. I truly feel my Dad was inspired to send me a talk by Elder Jeffrey R. Holland entitled, "The Inconvienent Messiah" given at a BYU Devotional when he was President of BYU. I based my whole Sacrament meeting talk off of that talk. I was supposed to speak for only 10 minutes, but one of the speakers didn't show up. So I get up there thinking I am going to find a way to fill up time, but a miracle happened. I ended up speaking for 25 minutes without even realizing it. I felt the Spirit teach through me and prompt me what I should say. After the meeting all the members came up to me and thanked me for my talk. But it was not me at all, the Holy Ghost gave that talk and I was just his mouthpiece. It was an amazing experience that I will never forget.
Keep it real
LO
VE Elder Morain

Happy early Thanksgiving America!

Dear Elder Morain Fan Club,

You are never going to believe the news I have for you today. The tender mercies of the Lord have opened up an opportunity of a lifetime. I am back in SIOUX CITY!!!!!!!!! I am serving in the Sioux City 1st Ward!!!! I started my mission in the Sioux City 2nd Ward. I am in a 3-some with the Zone Leaders here in Sioux City! My companions are Elder Jones and Elder Blanchard! I served around Elder Blanchard before in my first transfer in Iowa City. I love the kid he is a stud. Elder Jones is awesome I love him already. We all get a long really well. I seriously could not think of a better situation that I could be in right now. The best companions I could ask for and getting to come back to my first area Sioux City! It is like a dream come true. Yesterday while I was at church I ran into my recent convert that I baptized here in Sioux City, Carol Betts! We got to talk for a bit and I am absoltley amazed at the progress she is making. She is working towards receiving her Endowments. Words can't describe the happiness that brings to me. Seeing Carol active in the church makes every sacrifice I've made on my mission worth it. I am so grateful for her and the example she has set for me. I am so happy to be back here in Sioux City, I haven't been able to stop smiling since I got here haha. I hope all of you have a fun Thanksgiving this week!
Keep it Real
LO
VE Elder Morain

Farewell Waterloo

Dear Elder Morain Fan Club,

How has everybody been? I have found out that I am getting transferred tomorrow. I am driving down to Des Moines with my companion Elder Stock. I'll find out who my new companion is and where my area is when I get to Des Moines so I'll let ya know next week.
I just found out that an investigator that I taught while I was in Iowa City just got baptized last weekend! I'm so happy for her because when I was there she was working every sunday at Mercy Hospital in Cedar Rapids, so I'm grateful she has been able to work it out and be baptized!
We were able to teach Arielle and her sister last wednesday. Her sister had not been taught the restoration so we taught that and showed The Restoration DVD with them. The spirit was so strong and we were able to have the lesson in our ward mission leaders home. I really hope that Arielle will be able to continue to progress towards baptism.
I am going to really miss all these amazing people I have been able to serve these past 4 and a half months in Waterloo. I have grown so much here and will never forget the examples these people have set for me. I am so grateful for the tender mercy of being able to be here in Waterloo for 4 and a half months. I look forward to my next area, which could possibly be the last area I serve in on my mission. Thank you all so much for the support you have given me on my mission.
Keep it real
LO
VE Elder Morain

From Jeff's Mission

Elder Wickman Mission Tour
October 14, 2009
Back:Elder Hughes–Elder Spendlove-Elder Bennett–Elder McConnel-Elder Thomas
Elder Stock-Elder Morain–Elder Knapp-Elder Wayland-Elder Matthews–Elder Cooper
Elder Whiting–Elder Paulson-Elder Gordet–Elder Monsen–Elder Alexander-Elder Hall
Elder Jergensen–Elder Marshall
Middle:Sister Myers–Sister Hofheins–Hermana Reese–Hermana Beesley-President Hartley
Elder Wickman–President & Sister Talbot-Sister & Elder Harvey – Elder & Sister Church
Elder Medina–Elder Jackson–Elder Dudley–Elder Ware–Elder DeVries–Elder Miller
Elder Palomeque–Elder D. Nelson–Elder Morris–Elder Ferrin–Elder Perazzo