September 29, 2014

Dear Family and Friends,

This week was a pretty good week.  We had 12 lessons and a lot of meetings!  We also got sick again at the beginning of this week....well actually I don't know if we ever got over our sickness.  We have been studying a lot about how to work better with the ward members so we've been meeting with a lot of the ward and helping them see how they can be member missionaries.

 We did meet with Tom (the guy that called us last week) and we taught the Restoration.  We brought a member, Kyle, with us to the lesson who lives down the street from Tom.  Tom asked Kyle where he lived and he said about 4 houses down.  Tom said, "Ohhh the fireworks guy??"  I was so confused because Kyle doesn't work with fireworks or anything...  Then Kyle's face got all red and he was like, "Uhhh yeah that was my family".  After asking some questions we got the story.  Apparently Kyle and his family were shooting fireworks off on the 4th of July (which is illegal because we are in a serious drought) and someone called the cops on them.  This is totally my opinion, but I think Tom called the cops on Kyle's family.  AWKWARD!  But other than that the lesson went really well and he's interested so we are going to see him tomorrow!

 We also get to watch "Meet the Mormon" on Thursday (yes that's right before it comes to Theaters :)) with all the missionaries in the High Desert!  I'm so excited :)  We watched the Trailer and it looks so good.  It comes to Theaters on October 10th so I'll let you know how it is next week :)

 
ANDDDD  Transfers are coming up next week!  Yes, I have been in the Arrowhead Ward for exactly 8 months and 1 day (6 transfers) soooo I will most likely be leaving.  I really hope I go somewhere warm because it's starting to get chilly at night.  I will let you know next week where I'm at! 

Hope everyone is having a great day and has an awesome week.  Love,

Sister Moon

Pictures:

Saying goodbye to people!

Rosie and Vicky (Investigators)

Sister M (Awesome Relief Society Teacher)

The S's (Future Famous Family; he's running for Congress in like 2018)

The H's (Hilarious Family)

 

September 22, 2014

Dear Family and Friends,

Well, last week was not the best week, but we did keep busy.  We only had 10 lessons, but we set up a lot of appointments for this week!

 We actually went tracting for an hour!  We met a lot of people and left tons of pass along cards. We talked to Tom for a few minutes, and he wouldn't give us his phone number, so we gave him ours and told him to call us and we could set up an appointment. We didn't really think he'd call us (maybe we should have more faith), but Saturday he called us and we set up an appointment for Tuesday. I am so excited! He said, "Hey remember me? I would like you guys to come over and teach me a lesson." How cool is that?  Miracles do happen!!!!

Debbie is still struggling with smoking, but she received her Patriarchal Blessing yesterday and she said she felt really good about it.  We hope this will help her have more of an eternal perspective!  She has such a strong testimony and we are working to get her to the temple!!

 

We also were biking down the street and we passed a member's house (they just moved in) and their 2 kids were jump roping out front.  We asked if we could join them.  So we jump roped with them for like 10 minutes.  I forgot how hard that was...the picture will show how short these kids are :)  I'm not a giant!

 Sister J, Sister M, Sister R and I also had a watermelon eating contest.  Guess who won?  Yep, that's right, yours truly :)  It was pretty crazy because Sister Johnson almost died, but  God protects His missionaries and allowed her more time on this earth!  Sister Martinez was close, but not close enough.

That's about it for this week.  We are looking forward to a great week, ad I hope you are too!  Love,

Sister Moon

 

Picture:

Jump roping :)

 

September 15, 2014

Dear Family and Friends,

 This week was definitely better than last week.  We had 18 lessons!  We also found a new investigator, Heather, who is struggling right now.  She just graduated form High School so we are about the same age.  We showed her a Mormon Message called "The Hope of God's Light" in order to help her understand that there is a God.  It is a great video, and the Spirit was so strong.  She agreed to pray about it, because she once knew there was a God, but now has doubts.  I know that if she prays the Lord will answer her prayer!

I also got the privilege of pulling out Ethan's 2nd tooth haha.  He was waiting for me to come back so he could have me pull it.  He is so dang cute.

 We also had an amazing zone meeting.  I learned how to be a better missionary!  We talked about being a conditional missionary versus being an unconditional missionary.  Since we are already indebted to God we cannot set conditions on our obedience...for example "I will get rid of my unapproved music if I find a new investigator today".  We have to be obedient because we love God, not because we want more blessings.  In John 14:15 it says, "If ye love me, keep my commandments".  I love God, so I'm not going to set conditions on my obedience.  I'm just going to do it.  It was the best training ever.  Our Zone Leaders are awesome!

 Whelp, that's about it for today.  I hope everyone has the best week ever!  Love,

 Sister Moon

 

Pictures:

 E's tooth again

September 10, 2014

Dear Family and Friends,

 

We just went to the temple this morning!!  It was a great experience :)  I took some questions to the temple and guess what??  Yes, the Lord answers prayers!  It was such a spiritual experience.  Last week was a pretty rough week and we had a lot of people tell us they aren't interested anymore so we were feeling pretty down.  THEN we went to the temple, and now everything makes sense.  I know the Lord has His hand in this work.  We only see a little bit, but the Lord sees the beginning from the end.  He knows what needs to happen.

 

We got to meet with James last week, and he told us he was moving.  We were really sad to say goodbye to him, but we had a great talk before we said goodbye.  He thanked us for helping him with his struggles.  He said he really appreciates us coming by and talking with him and helping him with his trials.  Then he said the closing prayer and he thanked God for us by name.  It was the sweetest thing because he is pretty shy and doesn't like to pray in front of us so normally it is very short and simple.  It was just amazing to hear his testimony during the prayer.  We're going to miss James.

 

That's about all for this week.  Hope everyone has a great week.  Love,

Sister Moon

 

Pictures:

 

James!!!!

Sister S, Sister R, and I at the Redland's Temple

Our crazy zone at the temple

 

 

September 2, 2014

Dear Family and Friends,

 

Happy Labor Day!!  It was a pretty great week.  We had a lot of miracles.  We had 18 lessons, we found a new investigator, and Bill, one of our recent converts, went to the temple to do baptisms for the dead and loved it!!

 

Charlie is still planning on getting baptized on September 13th, but is struggling with tithing so he's back and forth.  Prayers for him would be great :)  He is so ready, and he comes to church every Sunday.  He just needs the faith to understand that everything will be ok if he pays tithing!

 

Our new investigator, Lonnie, is amazing.  We taught the Restoration and he loved it.  He said he'd read from the Book of Mormon and he accepted a baptismal date of October 4th.  He seems very interested!  We also met with Devan, an investigator, and asked if he had prayed to know if the Book of Mormon was true and if the Restoration really happened.  He said, "No I haven't prayed about it, and I don't mean to say I don't think prayer will work because that's not it at all.  I just haven't prayed yet because I don't really have any questions yet.  I already believe it!"  We are so excited for these two investigators!!  We will be working with them a lot to prepare them to make and keep covenants!

 

We also went on exchanges this week and I went to the R Ward with Sister H.  We had a good 'ole time.  We were in a truck because the roads in their area are mostly dirt :)  Like big dirt hills :)

 

We also did service for Peggy and hauled a ton of wood.  My back was super sore and I was pretty exhausted the next day, but hey we did some pretty good work.  There was a lot of wood!

 

A cool story I heard in church:

 

A man asks the refiner how he purifies silver. 

The refiner replies, "Well you have to leave the silver in the middle of the fire for the perfect amount of time.  If you don't leave it in enough then it won't be completely pure, but if you leave it in too long then it will be burned" 

The man asks, "How do you know when it's been in for the perfect amount of time?" 

The refiner replies, "That's easy.  It's done when I can see myself in the reflection". 

This is what our Heavenly Father says about us.  We have to go through these hard times, but Heavenly Father is allowing us to become perfect.  We will be taken out of the refiner's fire when we are like our Heavenly Father.  In 3 Nephi 12:48 it says, "Therefore I would that ye should be perfect‍ even as I, or your Father who is in heaven is perfect."  With God's help and the Atonement of Jesus Christ we can be made perfect.

 

I hope everyone has a great week and enjoy the end of summer :) 

 Love,

Sister Moon

 

Pictures:

 

The wood we stacked!

The dirt hill we had to drive up :/

Exchanges with Sister Higbee