A Summer to Remember

 To the Missionaries of the Great Texas Houston Mission,

The prophets have taught that we are living the fulfillment of the Lord's statement that "I will hasten my work in its time" (D&C 88:73). Elders and Sisters, we are witnessing the fulfillment of those words. There have been more convert baptisms in June and July than any consecutive two month period in the history of the Texas Houston Mission! The Lord is truly hastening His work. We marvel at the wonderful people who have been prepared and we are grateful for each of your efforts to qualify in such a way as to allow the Lord to permit us all to participate in this great harvest of souls. We are mindful that some of you aren't seeing the results that you would like, but we assure you that the blessings we are seeing are only coming because of increased collective faith and collective obedience. No effort is wasted. No one has been forgotten.

The great blessing the Lord promises to the laborers in His vineyard is found in D&C 88:75. It reads:

74 And I give unto you, who are the first laborers in this last kingdom, a commandment that you assemble yourselves together, and organize yourselves, and prepare yourselves, and sanctify yourselves; yea, purify your hearts, and cleanse your hands and your feet before me, that I may make you clean;

75 That I may testify unto your Father, and your God, and my God, that you are clean from the blood of this wicked generation; that I may fulfill this promise, this great and last promise, which I have made unto you, when I will.

There are no greater promises we can receive than to be made clean and therefore inherit eternal life. The path to "preparing" ourselves is simply by living the way He would have us live and being who He would have us be. As we recommit ourselves to be as obedient as the Lord has asked and then labor in faith, we will see even greater blessings come to our families and to the lives of those we teach.

God lives. We love Him and we love you! There is no greater work on the earth. We are humbled to be able to share this time with you. God bless you all for your valiant service!

Love,

President and Sister Mortensen

We attended District Meeting in the Klein Oak District last Friday. It was great to be with them and learn from each other and from the spirit. We were inspired by the hard work and miracles that are happening. 

Wonderful training from Elder Seamons and Elder Dixon

Role Plays

Klein Oak District

"This is the Place"

To the Missionaries of the Great Texas Houston Mission,

On July 24, 1847, after 1,300 miles beginning in Nauvoo, Illinois and ending at mouth Emigration Canyon in the Salt Lake Valley, Brigham Young was very sick with Rocky Mountain Spotted Fever and was riding in the back of a wagon. After exiting Emigration Canyon and cresting a small hill, he asked to look out of the wagon. Those with him opened the canvas cover and propped him up so he could see the empty desert valley below. He then proclaimed, "It is enough. This is the right place. Drive on." The words, "this is the place," were soon heard throughout the wagon train as the Mormon pioneers descended into the valley, their long journey having come to an end. 

None of us will ever know how profound the sacrifice was of the approximately 70,000 early saints who ultimately made this trek. We will also never understand the difficulty of the way. But all of us inherit the legacy left by these early Saints who became acquainted with the hand of the Lord in their extreme circumstances.

There is an interesting parallel between those early Mormon pioneers and those of us called to leave our homes and families to travel a distance and sacrifice our time and efforts for the gospel's sake. Our challenges are different, but the reward of coming to know and trust in the Lord that results from those challenges is the same. In our day, the Lord still admonishes that we serve Him with ALL our "hearts, might, mind and strength." It is the price of discipleship. It always has been and ever will be. It is only as we give everything that we qualify for the promise to inherit, "all that my Father hath" (D&C 84:38).

Joseph Smith taught, "A religion that does not require the sacrifice of all things never has power sufficient to produce the faith necessary [to lead] unto life and salvation." Understanding this then, let us willingly give our whole selves to this work that we might lay up for ourselves "treasures in heaven" and find the joy promised to the faithful.

We love you. The Texas Houston Mission is the place for us to labor to bring to build up His kingdom. We love our pioneer heritage and love knowing that as we develop our faith, our posterity will be blessed just like our lives have been blessed because of our "Blessed, Honored Pioneers.

Love,

President and Sister Mortensen

Lunch with Departing Missionaries

Temple Trip with Departing Missionaries

Wonderful Assistants

Testimony Meeting at the Mission Home with Departing Missionaries

Hermana George and her parents

Elder Bullinger greets his mother and family

It's Go Time!

We are sure going to miss these wonderful missionaries and those who departed on different days.

Final Goodbyes

Here come our new missionaries from the MTC! They look wonderful and ready to work.

Such an impressive group of new missionaries

So many new sisters!

Here come our five new missionaries from the CCMA! So happy to have them all together.

Training at the Stake Center

Texas BBQ at the Mission Home

Love our new kitchen help!

Singing happy birthday to Dane!

Lucky birthday boy!

Blue Bell ice cream fans!

Breakfast at the mission home

Elder Nelson cooks AND cleans!! 

All of our new missionaries

Temple trip to remember to begin with the end in mind.

Elevating our vision

The following pictures are of the new missionaries with their trainers. They are so excited and ready to get to work!

Friday we attended District meeting in the Bear Creek District. We loved being there and seeing the great things that are happening among these consecrated servants of the Lord.

Elder Moray in action 

Bear Creek District