June 22, 2009

Hey there Family!!!

So let's start off with the best news first. This Sunday we will be having 3, yes I said 3, baptisms!! Micheal, Jaden, and Arali Montonez. They are the sweetest kids in the world. They are 11, 10, and 9. They are kids of a less active member. We went and saw them on Thursday this past week and they are so ready to be baptized. They told us they went to their friends baptism and wanted it so bad. I am loving teaching them! Kids are so much fun to teach. And they have such funny questions like.... Do animals need to be baptized too? Ha, we answered no, because they are innocent, to which Arali, the sweetest 9 year old girl said, "Sharks aren't innocent, they eat people, there is nothing innocent about that." haha!! It was so funny. We gave them each their own Book of Mormon to read and we left a chapter for them to read. They came to church yesterday and Arali said that her and her 2 brothers all read it together. We also taught them how to pray, and hearing them say their first prayers was such an amazing experience. They are amazing kids who really love learning and try so hard to understand everything. :) Their Mom, who is less active, came to church yesterday and loved it. This family is going to be great! So they are going to be baptized this upcoming Sunday!

We saw Alister on Friday, he told us.... "I want to be baptized after church Sunday." I couldn't believe it!!! We of course said, "yes you can!" We came back Saturday night to go over the baptismal interview questions with him and..... I can't really say what happened.... But, he wasn't baptized. And there is a slight chance that may never happen. It was very sad and so disappointing. His wife, Erika, wants him to be baptized so bad! We will have to wait and see what happens with everything, but as of now, there is that chance it could never happen.

Manuel and Roxana are set for baptism on July 3rd. They have come to church the last 2 Sundays and have such a strong testimony. The thing that is holding them back is.... Manuel is married to a woman that lives in Mexico and we have to find a way to get them divorced. He said he wants to marry Roxana and be a member of the church. But this divorce may take some time. We watched the Testaments with them on Saturday and it was such an awesome experience! They are so cool! And they feed us EVERY time we go see them. They will make great members as soon as he gets divorced. We keep praying for that to happen, so right now they are working it out.

Also we have been teaching Max and Anna. Anna is very interested, Max, not so much. We taught them about prophets and taught them that they can know that Thomas S. Monson is a prophet through prayer. Max wasn't interested in finding out but Anna was. She prayed and asked, and well the best way I can describe how she got her answer was like this.....It's like when you are just sitting there and like a water balloon hits you in the face. It kinda of throws you back and you blink a few times cause you are stunned. Maybe you are shakin up. That's how it was for her. She received her answer. She knew he was a true prophet.

So this week I saw something way cool! An eye surgery!!! It was crazy. One of our members Ana Klien, different Ana, asked us to come and translate for her. And then to drive her and her car back after her surgery because she wouldn't have been able to drive. We told her we can't drive other peoples cars, so she brought Antonio to drive us back, a 76 year old man..... Yeah we'll get to that in a second.
So while Elder Arellano translated I talked to Antonio, for 2 and a half straight hours, in spanish. It was so cool!!! He is not a member, but has read the Book of Mormon 5 times and The Gospel Principles book twice. haha! He is so funny. So we talked a lot about life and the gospel, and just whatever in those 2 and a half hours. So then Ana had her eye surgery and I got to watch the whole thing. It was so cool!!! So she doesn't need glasses anymore. But wow, it was an experience like any other. And it looks like it hurts! Glad it wasn't me. Then Antonio drove us back. All I have to say is that God has more in store for me. Because if he didn't. I would have died on Tuesday. Antonio can't drive worth nothing! It was so scary!!! Wow.... That's all I can say.

So yes I do have my court tomorrow at 9:00. In all honesty I am not nervous. I may have been before my mission but now it's just like.... ah whatever. I talk to people I don't know ALL day. I go into people's houses I don't know. I get yelled at or told our church is of the devil. Just you name it, it happens. So I think tomorrow talking to a judge won't be too bad. :) We'll see what happens though. I definitely don't want to pay the 150 dollar ticket. And as of now my driving privilages have been taken away by the church for the past 2 weeks. I like not driving though. It's cool! But yeah, tomorrow is the big day and we'll see what happens.

Sounds like the Trek was so much fun! I never did one of those.... maybe one day I'll have my chance to be a Ma or Pa. Ha actually just a Pa. Ma's are for girls. Which I am not.

So things are good with Elder Arellano. He did scold me today. Elder Rawlins, he has become probably my best friend in the mission, calledtoday and said we were playing basketball at this time. We play ball every Monday. I told Elder Arellano and he said that we can't do this all the time. We can't always play and hang out with other missionaries. That was a bummer. So he said we can play basketball 2 times a transfer and that is it. Which sucks. He only has 10 p days left, he says they aren't fun anymore. So I am thinking, well if they aren't fun for you at least let me enjoy mine. :) Haha. But yeah... what can ya do.

So there is a 50 50 chance I will stay in this area after this transfer. If I do stay I will be here at least ANOTHER 3 months. Which is fine with me. I don't mind. I do like the Omaha North a lot. And good things are starting to happen here. If I stay much longer though I will need a U-haul to come and take all my stuff to my next area. :) Haha.

I love you all very much! I love getting the emails every week. It's something I look forward too! Take care!

Love always Elder Moore