June 28, 2010

Well not much changed in my life this transfer. I am still here in Kanesville. I was actually pretty mad about that. About not going back to full spanish, since now I am the oldest spanish missionary in the mission, plus I speak it the best, even better than a native from Peru. He is always asking me questions. So I wasn't to happy. President Kunz called me and said that he knew I would be dissapointed, which I was, but he knew that there was more for me to do here. The Lord does work in mysterious ways... and sometimes I don't like his ways... but gotta accept that He knows better than me.

Well, instead of being mad for a while, I decided to just go work. And we talked to a hispanic guy on his porch and we started talking about the gospel, then his wife came out and we started talking to her, she is american and her two kids both speak english too, but his english is very limited, well, the 3 of them are now set for baptism on July 24th. So I guess that there was a little more for me to accomplish here. It is an english area, but I am in charge of the spanish work here. I am also helping my friends in the Omaha ward contact some less actives out here. So I use my spanish sometimes, but not as much as I want too. But President Kunz did say I would be back in full spanish next transfer. So this transfer better fly by. But right now in our area we do have 5 people set for baptism on the 24th of July. So it is going to be a way awesome day!!!

Also yesterday we had 6 people at church that are investigators! So the work is going really good right now. It does suck though, because we are doing it all without the members. They have no desire to do anything. Our ward mission leader said to us yesterday "It's amazing that you still baptize even without our help."
So we had a meeting yesterday with some of the ward council, and most of them were complaining about having to be there in the meeting, and they weren't doing any of the assignments that L. Tom Perry gave to them to do. So I said, "Hey, an apostle of the Lord came here, to this mission, and told us how to do missionary work, why are we not doing it?" And none of them could say anything. So I hope that that gets them going and contacting the people they need too.

Yeah I am in a 3some still. With Elder Butler and Elder Warby, me and Elder Butler have served around each other since the day he got here. So I know him really well.

Oh yeah I forgot to mention, yesterday for lunch, we ate at the Edwards mansion! President Edwards pretty much owns Council Bluffs, he owns some dealerships here and oh man..... it was cool, and this morning we went out on his property, which is also huge, and fished for 3 hours. It was awesome!!! I haven't fished in like 2 years. It was fun. And he gave us 200 dollars to take the missionaries out for lunch today. This place isn't soooo bad. It's definitly no sweet spanish area though. ;)

That is basically how the work is going here! I"m glad that the Vassars gave you that hug for me. ;) They are awesome! It was great to see them!

Don't worry Momma I will finish off the mission strong. I am doing really good right now. I would much rather be in full spanish, but I'll make do with what I have now. ;) Obviously there is more for me to do here, and I'll do it.

I'm glad that the house is all coming together! Can't wait to see it, you are right, just 5 months. By the way my pday next week will be July 6th, tuesday, just a heads up. :)



I love you!!!!! Have fun!

Love,
Elder Moore

June 21, 2010

Well hello hello hello!! Shout out to the Adamsons...... Go Lakers!! ;)

This past week I had a really nice treat! Rick Vassar gave me a call. They were here in Nebraska, so I was able to see him and his family. It was really cool. They are a great family! And Victoria has grown up so much!

This week was a packed one. We had zone conference, interviews, and the temple. So not a whole lot of work got done. But work still did get done.

I had a really really cool spiritual experience this past week. There is a woman from our ward in the hospital with heart problems. She was really having a hard time and freaking out and crying. We went and visited her to give her a blessing. I gave the blessing and the spirit was there stronger than I have ever felt it at any other time in my life. I won't give much detail about what happend, but let's just say.... the priesthood is very real, and the spirit is very very real.

This week we have had some of the most crazy of crazy storms. Non stop lightning and thunder. This last storm started yesterday at 8 at night and ended today at 9:30 today. It was a huge storm!

Well it sounds like Brooklyn has had a crazy start to summer with her trip, birthday, and youth conference. But sounds like a great one! That is Awesome that Matt Farr got his mission call!!!! Good for him. I'll barely miss him by a month. But that's alright, we'll meet again. ;) I"m really excited for him! I can't believe everyone that is leaving on missions. It's crazy!! I love it. The mission is a great expereince. ;)

Well I don't have to much to say about this week, besides that it has been busy. Transfers are on Thursday. So I'm looking forward to that. Besides that, life is good. I"m really enjoying the mission.

So these past 2 weeks I have been studying a lot about the Holy Ghost and Personal revelation and it has been incredible and I've really felt the spirit helping me know what to say and do. The spirit gives so many great gifts! I started a study this past week based off of one scripture that will take a lifetime to study, but it's been amazing. It's based off the scripture in Matthew 16:15. Jesus asks his apostles "whom say ye that I am?" So I've been studying ensign talks and conference talks and the scriptures and learning more about Christ. It has been amaazing and I have learned so much about him. He truly is the son of God, and Savior and Redemer of the world. I also learned something really cool the other day, through this study. In 1 Nephi 3:7 Nephi says that the Lord always prepares a way for us to accomplish what he has given us. And in this study about Christ, Christ says, I am the way. The way that has been prepared for us is Jesus Christ. I had never related those 2 sciptures before. So that was really cool!!

No I didn't get a chance to see the Lakers game. ;( But next year. ;) It sounds like it was a really good one! That's right Celtics!!!!! I'm so happy the Lakers won it!! 2 peat!! I'll be around for when they win it next year.

Haha Brooklyn is such an awesome girl!!!!! I love my brother and sister. We have a sweet awesome sauce family!!! Well I love you!!! Thanks for everything!!!

Love,
Elder Moore

June 14, 2010

Well this week was pretty good! We had a baptism on Saturday. Micky was baptized. So that was a lot of fun seeing her start her journey on the way to eternal life. She is a bit of a cooc, but she is funny.

We had some pretty cool moments this week. But before I get to that.... Last Saturday, we got in a car accident. That brings my toll up to 3 on the mission. A guy ran a stop sign and we hit him. So it smashed up the front of our car. Haha, man, 0 accidents before the mission. #\3 while on it. Crazy sauce eh?

So ha, we had a weird, powerful, scary type lesson this week. We talked to a guy on the street named Darwin. He is a paper guy. LIke 60 years old, long hair, beard. He said that he had read the Book of Mormon and invited us over to his house. Well... we went to his house and he was waiting outside for us and took us around back. We went in through this door and up these stairs and into a hallway, and it was like we were in a scary movie or one of those Saw movies. Everything just felt really eery. Then we walked through his kitchen, which had nothing in it, and into the front room that had only a chair. With a rope tied to some wood and leading to the front door across the ceiling. It just felt really scary. And from talking to him we found out he goes to a psychaitrist every once in a while... But we stareted to teach him and had a way powerful lesson with him where the spirit was strong and he was understanding everything and as we were about to finsish he said.... Wow, I feel really good right now. I want you to leave. Lets stop the lesson there, and you can leave now. Haha, it was the weirdest thing ever!

So I went and had dinner with the Sandovals this past week. That was great. I love that family! We were going to be down in Bellvue so I called Veronica and asked her if we could come over for dinner. And she said of course we could! So it was fun seeing some of my old friends.

Well the work here in Iowa is going great! Here, I talk to a lot of hispanic people and teach them the first lesson sometimes, but then I have to turn them over to the Spanish Omaha South missionaries because that is part of their area. So that's a bummer but I did find them like 9 people this past week. And I was able to team up with them and teach a lesson. So that was a lot of fun since pretty much all the teaching we do here is in English but I am hoping that I will go back to full spanish next week when we have transfers.

I know that President Kunz put me here for a reason. I got a long with every missionary in the mission but one. Elder Gann. Who is my comp? Elder Gann. And Elder Warby. And now me and Elder Gann are way good friends. We have a lot in common and are always talking about stuff we both like and quoting movies and stuff. So it's been good.

Well I'm glad to hear that Brooklyn had a great birthday!!! Sorry I missed it. ;) And that she had a lot of fun in Taiwan! That must have been a really neat experience for her. I love that girl!

And Justin's date to enter the MTC is coming up fast! Woohoo!! He is going to flippin love his mission.

Well I hope all is well... I"m sure there is much more to say... but I can't remember all of it right now. But I'm pretty sure I covered the highlights with the baptism and all.

I love you!!! Thanks for your testimony mom. I really appreciate it. And I have really appreciated your love and support!

Take care.
Love,
Elder Moore

June 7, 2010

Well unfortunately these computers here only give us one hour and kick us off. No matter what. SO I can't write as much as I used too. But hopefully I'll be out of Iowa and back into a spanish area at the end of the transfer which is 2 and a half weeks away.

I have found so many hispanic people here but I have to turn them over to the Omaha south spanish elders. But yesterday I was able to have a sweet lesson with three brothers. It felt SO dang good teaching in Spanish. It's what I"m used too. When we teach people in english or talk to them on the street I have such a hard time, believe it or not. But being able to talk to them in spanish and teach them in spanish comes so much more naturally.

Well this week we found a snake in the toilet. Ha, crazy stuff. It was dead.

And on a more spiritual note... We had a way awesome lesson with a 22 year old girl named Susan. She has had such a hard life. At age 15 she was raped in her church and her dad is a major jerk and just a lot of things have happened in her life that are just so terrible and heartbreaking. So it has led her to question if God is even there and if he exists. Well we were teaching her at the church and we went in the chapel. And we kneeled down and prayed with her in there. And we asked God if he was there. And in the prayer there was a long 2 minute pause where we just sat and listened. And then we closed the prayer. And not a word was said for like 3 minutes following the prayer, the spirit was so strong in that room. Then she started to cry and said, "I know he's there." It was so powerful. And I personally received a very strong witness that God lives and loves us and answers our prayers.
Also we were able to go watch the Joseph Smith movie with her yesterday. That is such a good movie! I noticed this time through, that whenever Joseph Smith or anyone has a trial or a problem, he always says, "We must trust in God and move on." or "To endure it well we must trust in God." Everytime he had a trial his solution was to trust in God. 3 words... Trust in God. I love that.

Thank you mom for your wonderful email. I have been struggling lately as you know. But I am getting better now. We had a great week. It's been really hard. But I know that it's all in the plan of the Lord. Whatever happens to us we have to realize that the Lord is shaping us into who he knows we can be. Its hard to want to believe that sometimes, that these trials are for our good, but I know that if we do endure them well that we will be richly blessed for it.

My new companions are Elder Gann and Elder Warby. We have a great time together. But Elder Gann goes home this transfer, and I will be leaving here in 2 and a half weeks. Yeah! I can't wait to get back into spanish

Well that is all I will write for this week. Sorry so short. But as I said, I have very limited time. Mom thank you for your encouraging words and for the strength you provide me with. I love you so much!!! Sorry I can't write more right now because of time. But I'll try and get a letter off to you this week. I do love you mom!! Less than 6 months left now. :) Then I can give you your nightly hug and kiss. Haha

Well I love you! Say hi to Brooklyn for me and wish her Happy Birthday!!!!!!!

Love,
Elder Moore

June 1, 2010

Elder Moore dashed off a very quick email today to let me know he had been transferred to Iowa. I guess we can expect to hear more next week!