August 30, 2010 Oracion, escrituras, y iglesia = Testimonio‏

Hey Hey Hey!!! Well.... another crazy week. It's amazing how some things can go SO good and others.... not so good.

We did have the Loeza family at church this week which was awesome!! As of right now only 3 of them are set for baptism because Orlando has not been keeping his commitments and we know he will not be ready. But Argenis, Joselyn, and Kimberly are so excited for there baptisms and are looking great for this Friday. We couldn't be more excited for them. Joselyn is liking the Book of Mormon so much that she took it to school to read it there... and by so doing, got in trouble and sent to the principals office! Atta girl. But they are making amazing progress.
Sad thing is though, that the dad will not be able to baptize them. We found out that he drinks and this past weekend came home drunk. We had a good sit down with him and his wife and sent all the kids off so that we could just talk to them. It was an amazing lesson we had with them. The spirit was so strong! By the end of the lesson they were asking themselves the questions that we had planned to ask, like..."Why did we even get baptized if we were just going to fall back into our old habbits," and "What kind of examples are we setting for our kids?" It was sooo cool. So Sunday we went to their house at 11:30 and they were all ready to go to church! So we talked with them, and 12:30 rolled around and they were like, welp time to go don't want to be late! So this week is going to be amazing!

And on top of that... Guillermo is getting baptized Friday as well!! 4 baptisms!!! :) He is still in Kansas but will be back tomorrow night. Earlier this week I reviewed the baptism questions with him and he is so ready! He has been reading daily from the Book of Mormon and praying everyday. Even sharing the gospel with co-workers down there. Ha funny story about him... So every morning when the alarm goes off I think to my self... no way is it 6:30 already. It can't be... but it ALWAYS is. So Wednesday the "alarm" goes off and I think to myself.... no way is it 6:30 already (ya know my morning ritual) and sure enough, it was 5:31. Guillermo texted us and said I am so excited to get baptized in the church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. So I was ok with having to get up at 5:31 because of that. ;) So just know come Friday... there will be 4 baptisms here in the great Omaha Spanish North!

So this week was also kinda rough.... I found out that Veronica and Tony Sandoval are having marriage problems. Which is really sad because they are 2 weeks away from being able to go into the temple and be sealed! 2 weeks!!!! Ah. Stupid satan. Bumbhead. So I have been working with them and texting Veronica quite a bit beacuse she is looking for help and advice. I don't know why... but I always seem to be helping people with marriage/relationship problems. This is like the 5th time. So yesterday, I taught the Gospel Principles class on families and the responsibilities that Father and Mother have. Also talked about the fathers and the priesthood, on how we have the authority but not always the power, and then taught about mothers and nurturing. It went really well. I think the reason it went so well was because I started off with a soccer analogy. Hispanics love their soccer, so that automatically got there attention. Plus the Loezas were in there as well. And we went and saw them last night and they said that they want to start having family home evenings, so tomorrow night we are going to go over there and teach them how. Woohoo!!! I love that family and their strong desire to change. The parents are totally on board now!

So it was kind of a downer week with finding out about Brother Loeza not being able to baptize his kids, and the Sandovals problems, but hopefully all will get better. But it's been a great week too with the kids all coming to church and looking great for baptism! So no complaints.

Also this week we had some awesome trainings about how we can help our investigators gain a testimony so that they will then be ready and willing to keep commandments. We learned that a strong testimony comes from prayer, reading from the Book of Mormon and church attendance. When these things are done consistantly, investigators and members gain testimonies and then keep commandments. Also the bishopric gave a bomb class about prayer, scripture study, and family home evening. These things are become more and more important by the day. Doing these things is what gives us that constant protection needed against the threats of the world. So much of what we do as missionaries and members of the church right now is being evolved around the family.

Well... that was our week. I love you all!!!! Glad to hear that things are picking up down there in La Verkin. Can't wait to come check out the house.

Love you!
Love,
Elder Moore

August 23, 2010 From Fantastic....to horrible.

( Here I am right before going to email you today!)

Well this week couldn't have started off better, and couldn't have ended worse. So to explain, I'll take you through the list of events that took place.

So right after I finished emailing you all last week I got a call from Orlando Loeza. He is the father of the kids that we will be baptizing in less than 2 weeks now. Well Sunday night we had given his daughter a blessing who has been really really sick with the flu. Monday they had an appointment with the doctor. So Monday afternoon we get a call saying that he had taken his daughter to the doctor and she was perfectly fine. He thanked us for healing his daughter and knew that it was only the priesthood that could have done that. I'm glad that he was able to see the priesthood in action and hopefully he will recieve the Melchizedek preisthood soon. But that really built my testimony on the power of the priesthood.

Then we went to the Old Market, it is such a cool place! Just an outdoor store place downtown. And this guy walked up to us who was a member and gave us 20 dollars and told us to go get some ice cream. So we did of course. Haha, by the way that is the first time that that has happened to me on my mission. Kinda... one time a woman gave me her onion rings.

Then on Wednesday I got fat. I've never eaten so dang much!! We went out to eat and I ate a huarrache, a sope, had some coke and orchata, then later that night it was Sister Riveras b-day so we showed up on her porch with a sign, party hats and Mole and Cake with flan. So I ate some mole and flan cake right afterwards. I had planned on fasting the next morning because I was so dang full....but, I ate. ;) What can I say I like food.

Then Thursday we went with Sister Rivera to visit the Loeza family. They are so cool!! But there are 9 of them so getting them to sit and be quiet is impossible. So needless to say everytime we go over there it is a party!

So Saturday we got a text from President Kunz asking us to all fast for the next 24 hours for the people that are set for baptism. This will come into play later.... So we started our fast.

Saturday was so so SO awesome!!!! We went to the trail center with..... 17 people!!! We brought 17 people there! Incredible eh? I would say so! The people at the trail center couldn't believe how many people were walking in with us.
We had all 9 of the Loeza family, plus one of their girlfriends, and their uncle. Then we had Roxana and Manuel and their 2 kids. And then the bishop came and brought his daughter. So we looked at Reflections of Christ pictures, watched the Joseph Smith movie (which they loved!) And then took a tour of the trail center. It was so awesome!!!! They had such a good time.


(Our trail center group!)


Well We ended our fast at 12 the next day and went and ate lunch with Roxana and Manuel. Holy dang I ate like 8 tacos. Not even kidding. And then they were going to come to church. And the Loezas were going to come for just sacrament meeting because it was Argenis' bday. So we were cool with that. So we had worked so so hard to get the standard this week. Last week we missed it my one lesson with a member. So we were really wanting to hit it this week. So we had taught all the lessons we needed too, found the new investigators, contacted referals. We'd done it all.....And not one person came to church, and to hit the standard requires 2 people at church. So that was pretty much the disappointment of the century. Knowing that we had done everything possible, to hit the standard and to help people come closer to Christ, and we had no fruits to show for it. Sacrament meeting is kinda like the big game. Everything you do during the week is focused on getting people to church. Getting them to come there and feel the spirit and take the sacrament. And when know one comes... it's just heartbreaking. Especially when 7 investigators said they would come. We were all pretty bummed. So this leads me to my fasting comment.

I hate fasting, I dont like not eating, so that one I obey because I have too. I'm not quite at the point that I do it because I love too. So I have fasted 3 times on my mission for people to come to church.... and 3 times... they haven't come. I'm not saying I've lost my testimony about fasting... I'm just saying....Anyways.
That was our week.

I'm glad to hear that Justin is doing great and is having a good time. That kid is a goober! He ridiculous!!! And by the way Ladron means thug or gangster and sometimes boss. That kid has to remember that there is more than just one spanish speaker in the fam. ;) I'm actually writing him a letter right now just giving him some advice. But I'll definitely include a tie in there when I send it. :) That's a good idea.


(Rebel)



Well I love you!!!! We just keep working away out here. And hopefully this week will be a better one. Enjoy La Verkin! I hope everything shapes up in the house.

Love,
Elder Moore


(Take a good hard look at what I'm holding :) hehehe! Found that. It grows in Iowa...it's called ditch weed.)

August 16, 2010 Guess what I got?

Ok, so lets start off with something crazy that happened this week.... I got my first set of "trunky" papers. I need to feel these bad boys out so that they can start making my travel arrangements. I will be getting home December 10. It was so crazy getting those!!! It made me realize that time is running out. But it's ok, cause I have been working my butt off. This week we went from one person set for baptism, to 5 people set for baptism, and we had 5 people at church so it was flippin sweet!!!!

We set the kids of the Loeza family. The parents were baptized 12 years ago and have since gone inactive. But they were found again here in Omaha, and we started teaching them, and set 4 of their kids for baptism. The dad also really wants to baptize his kids, and that is what we want also, so he is doing everything he can to become worthy of that. So this should be an awesome experience for the whole family. We are also working really hard with the uncle of that family. So hopefully we can just get this whole family baptized. That would be so sweet!

So this week we had an ok week. I mean we were totally stoked about the 5 sets, but we had so many appointments cancel on us and 3 dinner appointments cancel also. That was a major bummer! But oh well... I'm still alive and kickin and that is the important part.

So the work is really picking up here, and we have a few more potential people that we are working with that could be set soon for baptism. We should be baptizing this area right out of existence. ;)

We also had a sweet soccer game with some mexicans this past week. Us american missionaries vs. some mexicans. Ha, yeah... totally won that game 5-2. It was legit! But so dang hot. It's been like 100 here with tons of humidity. The humidity is so crazy.

Man that is such a crazy story to hear about that boy dying. That is really sad! A guy that I taught when I was in South Omaha, a 19 year old, was shot 3 times and killed. There is so much killing going on here right now it's crazy. We saw in the paper that Omaha is home to 74 gangs right now and there are shootings pretty much everyday. It's ridiculous.

Yeah I wouldn't mind staying on verizon. I like it. So you don't need to cancel Justin's phone, I'll take that when I get home. And if I want to change later I will. :) Ha it's crazy to be talking about that kinda stuff.

Well I'm glad that everything went well your first Sunday in church, and don't ya worry when I come back that house will be a party house!! ;) I hope everything is going well with the kiddos. Say hi to them and tell 'em I love them!!! Cause I do!
And yes I did get my tag back and right as I opened your envelope I put that one back on. ;)

Well take care and I love you tons!!! Keep your head up!
Love,
Elder Moore

August 9, 2010

Hey hey HEY!!!
Well I did get transfered.... but I'll tell you where in just a second. You won't believe it. So I get a call from President Kunz Wednesday morning and he says... Elder Moore to you miss spanish? And I said Yes. Then he said, "Well... I almost sent you out to Kearny as a zone leader, but I knew how much you love spanish, and how you would rather be there, so you are going back." So ya know where I am?..... Omaha North! Again. Haha! But it's ok, I was so so so excited to come back to Omaha! It was like coming home in a way. Since I spent the first year here, why not spend a little more time here ya know. :) So I am in the north, my mission birthplace, and I am a district leader here. And I have 2 companions, Elder Curisinche and Elder Starkey. President told me the 2 comps I would get are struggling some so to help them out. And so far we have done great! There is 7 elders and 2 sisters in my district. Oh yeah, and there are only 2 beds in our apartment, so of course I am sleeping on the couch. :) Since you all know how much I love the couch. ;)

So when I got here, they were teaching only one person. So not a whole lot going on here. But Elder Curisince had served here before also, so he knew some people and I know some people so now we are teaching a butt load of people. We went out and recontacted some of the people that we used to teach. So as of right now, we have a family of 4 that could be baptized, a family where the parents are members and the 5 kids of baptismal age are not, and Roxana and Manuel. So there is a possibility of many baptisms right now. I am so excited!!!! I am really looking forward to this transfer! There is a possibility for so much good work to be done here!

So yesterday on the way to church I got a call asking if I could teach the Gospel Principles lesson. Haha, I hadn't read it, and I haven't spoke spanish in like 10 weeks. So I got a little nervous, but it was on Repentance, so easy enough. It went really well and there was 5 investigators in the class. So that was cool. I am so happy to be back in spanish!!! You have no idea.

Also, since I stayed close, I was able to go back for Stella Mattox's baptism. That was great seeing her get baptized!!! That is the oldest person I have baptized on my mission. 71.

My new address is:
Elder Brandon Moore
605 S. 37th st #4
Omaha, NE 68105

So there ya have it. I am really looking forward to all the great things that are going to happen this transfer.

I am also glad to hear that Justin is doing great!! He is going to be a great missionary.

Good to know that the move is going just fine. And that Brooklyn was able to meeet some 'Hot' guys. Gosh she is funny!!

Please drive safe! 24 hours is a long drive! It's sad that Granny passed away, but she has the celestial kingdom written all over her. She was a great woman!! I love you!!!

Love,
Elder Moore

August 2, 2010

Hahahahaha Justin talks about how he isn't going to write long emails and look at that first one....GINORMOUS!!!!

Well before I get started I want to say hi to a few people.... Hi to the Pillings! And the Sohms!! And the Morgans! And Aunt Diane! :) And of course to my friends on their missions that read this! And hello Amber. :)

Well this past week was a good one. And this week is transfers. I cannot belive it. We had exchanges with the assistants on Saturday night, and I was given warning.... I'm going leadership somewhere. He told me that he hopes I am ready for this because it's going to be a big change for me with lots of responsibility. So we'll see what happens. But whatever it is, I'm excited for it!!

So we got a referral for 2 jamaican guys this week! Totally awesome and legit!! It was one of the most powerful conversations I've ever had! The guy said to us that he felt some sort of energy running through his body that he had never felt before and that he knew that what we were saying was true. He told us that we were ripped (and it's funny because this guy was really strong so that was funny) but he said that we had spiritually strong muscles and that he knew that what we were saying was true! And we taught him a lesson and he understood it all and was repeating back what me and Elder Butler were teaching him. It was just a really really cool experience. These guys are totally getting baptized soon. And he has a wife and a son that are going to be baptized too. We have another appointment with them tomorrow.

So this week I did something AWESOME!! I picked corn for the first time. We were picking and husking corn for like 3 hours. I'm sure to those that do it all the time it isn't fun. But for us.... ah man it was the best time ever!! Ok, over exaggeration there. But it was still good. And we found a frog and Tanner was holding it and he put it close to my face and it jumped on my face. It was freaky! But kinda funny at the same time.

So I'm glad to hear that Justin is having a fantastic time in the MTC. He is going to make such a great missionary. I love that kid!!!

It is weird to think about.... only 4 months left. But I'm looknig forward to them. I am having such a good time right now.

Sister Mattox is getting baptized on Saturday. She is so so so ready!!! I can't wait for that. I won't be here, but that's fine. She is still getting baptized and that is the most important part. Yesterday Taylor blessed the sacrament for the first time and bore his testiomony. That was aweosme!!! All 3 of us bore our testimonies too and after that the meal calendar was full. Funny how that works... But it worked.
We also saw a really good play on Saturday called "Come Home to Kanesville." It was a really good play!! It was actually a musical about the pioneers. So that was basically our week. It's been a lot of fun. And a lot of really good stuff is happening here.

Yeah I did read that part about granny. That is so sad but she lived a good life! She is a great woman with celestial kingdom written all over her!! Also a woman I taught a lot in Omaha died this past week..... this was just a kinda sad week for that kind of stuff. I sure am going to miss granny though!

And youc an send me my tag when I get my new address that will be fine. I'm glad that you put it to good use. I love you. And thank you for the pictures!!

I hope all is going well there and I hope the move is going great! I love you!!! Have fun and take care!

Love,
Elder Moore