March 24, 2014---LAST EMAIL FROM MISSION FIELD!

Dulce Familia Mia,

I can't believe this is it!  I thought that the last couple weeks would have lasted forever..  I guess I can't say that this last one won't, but I doubt it will because it's looking like it'll be a pretty good one!!  I'll just start off by saying that we have dinner appointments every day of the week and the White family is having us over on Saturday so that I can burn an old suit we have in our apartment.  I've never really followed the tradition of burning a tie, shirt or pants, but everyone really wants me to burn a suit, so it's gonna happen ha.  We have been meeting a bunch of people as always and have a lot of appointments set up.  Unfortunately, we don't have anybody on date, but I'm not saying that it's not possible because God is still a God of miracles!  Anything could happen.  

We were able to teach a lady named Lorena again this week.  She told us that she'd read the whole Book of Mormon when she does get the time to sit down and read it.  It amazes me how people that read just understand things better.  It's not like I'm talking about people that can read either, I mean the people that choose to read.  Ha 

We have a couple of appointments set up this week with the Carters and the Herreras.  It just feels like there's so much more to be done than can be in a week.  I guess that's why the Lord sends more missionaries in to take over after we leave.  

We have been treated so well by the members here!  The McDowells took us out to pizza on Thursday and Brigham fed us a big plate of steak one day.  We ate at the Araujo's for Giovanna's birthday!  We have also been going to see Diana's friends with her.  It's been really fun and nice having people so willing to work with us.  I swear, any member of the church I've met in Pearson would do anything for the missionaries.  It's gonna be too bad to go back to normal life for that reason!  

Elder Allen and I want to make this the best week of our missions.  We'll be sure to do nothing less than the best so I have some awesome, fresh stories to tell you when I'm back there in COLORADO!  I love you SO MUCH!!!  Sorry, I don't really have a ton more to say for some reason, so I'll just end it with something intensely spiritual!  

I've told so many people this lately, but it's true!  If nothing else, I'm BEYOND grateful for the change that this mission has made on me!  I feel like this is who I am.  I love sharing the gospel and I want to keep the commandments.  Life isn't like what it was before.  I know that change came because of the Atonement of Jesus Christ.  The Lord knows exactly what I've needed to learn and I'm incredibly happy for every last thing - good and bad - that has happened on my mission.  I wouldn't even call the bad things bad because they always turn out good in the end anyway.  I love you for your love and support and prayers and I love the people I have been able to serve in Florida, South Carolina and Georgia!  The Book of Mormon is true.  It's undeniable evidence that the Restoration really did happen.  I know that Joseph Smith is a prophet.  God loves all of His children!!  He wants them to return to live with him!  We should always choose to give him the benefit of the doubt when we pass through trials.  He knows better.  I can finish my mission saying that it was better than I could have ever imagined.  3 missions, 3 years!!  

Love,

 Elder Moore

 

Some pictures from a great week:

 

 Me and my girl, Maria

 Elder Allen and Sister McGowan.  She told Elder Hillier to go away because he made her feel short haha

 Giovanna and Mariana Araujo

March 17, 2014

Dear Familia mia,

Boston, MA, eh?  I have been thinking a lot about you two lately because of your call.  I got to watch part of it at Chad & Judith's on her phone over Facebook.  I'm SO happy for you!!  You know what it feels like now to open a mission call!!  We read the senior couple part of the white handbook today and it talks about how many of the Elders and Sisters in your mission look to you for a good example.  It also talks about how you should make as much an effort as possible to find, teach and baptize on top of your other responsibilities!  I hope you knock down prison walls with your faith like Alma and Amulek.
 

It's been a tough week because I got sick on Wednesday and it was pretty bad, but I haven't let it get us down too much.  We have several people that could still be baptized before the end of my mission.  We're just trying to keep working hard even though it's definitely the end for me.  It's weird because there's always a feeling of wanting to let up right before transfers end, but this one's obviously different.  I'm still convinced that these last two weeks can be the most fruitful of my whole mission.  I'm convinced that part of that will come from me teaching Elder Allen to work as hard as he can.  He's going to bless the lives of SO many people during the rest of his mission.  I've said it before and I'm gonna say it again.  I'm blessed to be his companion!  We're going to do all we can to baptize before the end.  Missionaries think in terms of months or transfers, so when I'm saying pray for three I mean three this transfer.  

We have been teaching Lesly's parents and sister for mostly just this week.  Lesly is still incredibly solid.  We asked her mom if she had read from the Book of Mormon and she said no, but then we asked Lesly and she just shook her head yes and told us that her cousin's been reading to her on the bus on the way to school.  SO cool.  She'd make a great little missionary someday.  

I don't know if you heard already, but I'm planning on spending Friday before General Conference with David Huckvale in Provo before going to the mission reunion.  I hope that you can meet President and Sister Barry.  You'd love them.  

I guess I'll be praying that Colorado doesn't get too much water this year haha.  That's a new one.  It seems to be either way too much or way too little.  

I can't believe this is the second to last e-mail I'll write you as a full time missionary.  It's a bittersweet feeling as I'm sure you know having so many kids serving before.  Miserable joy in the words of Charlotte's mom, right??  Love you!

Elder Moore

March 10, 2014

Querida Familia,

What an amazing week!  I feel like the power from your prayers has been really motivating Elder Allen and me.  I wish I could tell you in person all about Lesly's baptism!  I wish that you could have been there.  It was so sweet.  The day before the baptism she was interviewed and found ready and we asked her who wanted to baptize her.  She said she wanted Elder Allen to baptize and me to confirm.  I can't lie, I was a little bit sad to think it could have been the last chance I would have to baptize someone as a full time missionary, but that doubt and sadness was taken away almost immediately and replaced with being SO excited for Elder Allen to baptize someone for the first time in his life!  We decided that night that there were a lot of people that we could have baptized in the next three weeks as well anyway.  I'm excited that things are working out the way they are because it's really making me want to stay sure that I'm working as hard as possible!  

We did the baptism a little bit differently than ever before, we had all the talks before and then a little testimony meeting after the actual ordinance.  We invited Lesly to tell everyone how she felt after her baptism and all she said was, "I feel happy about my baptism."  It was so sincere haha.  We DID get a couple of referrals out of the service.  We started talking to her older Sister, Jessica.  I'm not one hundred percent sure if we'll be able to baptize her in three weeks, but after talking to her it's pretty easy to see that she's going to love the restored gospel.  

We spent a lot of time preparing for the service and I just really think that it payed off.  Lesly invited a bunch of her friends and family and Olivia came and loved it.  I hope that it gave her strength to talk to her family about being baptized.  We taught her the Plan of Salvation this week and she opened up a lot about why she's not already baptized and most of it just comes down to her not feeling ready to tell her parents and grandpa.  They're really strong baptists, so she doesn't want them upset.  I'm hoping that when she does tell them that they react in a loving and understanding way...  We promised her that no matter what they said though that God wouldn't ruin her life for making the decision to do what she believes is right.  She worries a lot about not being with her family in the Celestial Kingdom.  I'm not really even sure how to answer that, but we just assure her that God loves her and will make her happy in the end.  If family is really what makes us happiest, could someone really believe that God would take that away from them as long as they themselves are faithful?  Complicated.  I'm just grateful that God can comprehend all things because I for sure can't. 

The Carters didn't come to church this week because Dale had to work.  We didn't even get to see them because it was raining all week and we usually teach them and talk to them outside..  Hope they're doing good and they don't ever forget what they felt in church that day.  Pray for all of everyone!!  

I'm excited about all of the things you said we're going to do when we get back, but it's not even making me trunky.  I've reach the point I thought I'd never come to - I wish I could stay out here longer.  Haha but I'm still excited to see you guys.  Pray for THREE!!  It's going to happen :)  

Love ya'll,

Elder Moore

 

 Lesly's baptism day!

 These are pictures of returned missionaries from Elder Moore's mission who met Charlotte at the St. George Temple Visitor Center and sent him the pictures.  She's a pretty adorable sister missionary!

March 3, 2014

Dear familia,

I'm so happy that everything went well at the funeral!  That's so good to hear that it was a beautiful service.  I never doubted for a moment that it was going to be anything less that amazing.  Sorry you haven't received your call yet.  TRUST ME, I know how frustrating waiting for that can be!!  

Can you believe it?  It's MARCH!  I will have served TWO YEARS by Wednesday.  IT's amazing how long it's been but how short it's felt.  Yesterday, we had a wonderful experience in sacrament meeting.  I'll have to tell you a little bit of background info leading up to it though to let you feel how special it really was.

We've been visiting with Sister Carter and her daughter since my first transfer in Pearson and since the first time, they have wanted to come, but haven't been able to get to church because their house is in a little city about 30 minutes from the church and they don't drive.  The only other option that we have been able to think is her husband, Dale, but he's firmly devoted to the church they attend regularly.  We've been going out there and have started to get to know Dale a little bit better and it all led up to Saturday.  We asked him how he felt about coming up to Pearson on Sunday morning for church and he told us that he didn't really want to go, but then we asked him what about for Sister Carter and Marlena and he agreed to take them!!  

So anyway, we were sitting in church and service started and about a minute later, there Sister Carter and Marlena and her kids were!  It was SO good to see them in church.  Unfortunately, we had to leave the chapel to go and translate out in the foyer, but then during fast and testimony meeting Sister Carter got up and bore a powerful testimony.  Everyone in the church felt that!  She told the story about us going over there and then said, "Even though it's been hard and I haven't been able to come to church, I'm proud to say that I've made it.  I haven't been to church for ten years, but I still know that it is true!"  About a million people talked to her after and thanked her and welcomed her.  We couldn't have asked for anything more amazing to happen!  It seems like Dale is really starting to like us more and more.  I'm hoping he opens up and comes in next time they come to church.  

Lesly didn't make it to church this week because of a miscommunication.  (It amazes me that people used to get by without cell phones.)  She's still planning on being baptized this week though.  Friday, March 7, 2014 in Pearson.  Be there or be square :)  Seriously though, pray for her!!  We made her invitations at Walmart to hand out to her friends and family.  It's going to be an amazing service, I already can tell.  I had a dream last night that we filled up the chapel with people supporting her.  We'll hopefully be able to find a lot more people to teach through this service!  I'll let you know how it goes the following Monday.  

Sorry to say, but I don't think that Uncle Keith and Aunt Kathy could visit me...  They probably live in the Georgia Macon Mission boundaries though, don't they?  Augusta's in our mission.  Seems like a pretty area.  

Elder Dearing is still here.  He's training an Elder from Sacramento, CA named Elder Hillier.  He told me this week that before coming out, he had looked at my blog and read over some of my e-mails!  I guess you could say that's "pretty cool!"  Elder Munford moved up to Ridgeland, SC.  If you ever get to talk to Heather Ingram, tell him to treat that Elder extra special.  He's the funniest person once he opens up.  

I have been so blessed to be companions with Elder Allen.  He and I have been having a little bit of a struggle without a car since last Monday, but we'll be getting it back pretty soon hopefully!  According to the shop guy, we should have it by Wednesday assuming they don't find more problems!  

Elder Allen and I both bore our testimonies yesterday.  I was stressed because I didn't really know what to do because of the translation, so I just had to put it down and go into the chapel.  It was cool because then Judith Merrell told me that she got up and was prompted to bear her testimony in Spanish without me even saying anything, so that worked out perfectly!  I bore my testimony for the last time on my mission in fast and testimony meeting.  I didn't expect it, but I teared up a lot.  I haven't been so nervous in my life to bear a testimony.  

I know that the church is true.  More than anything, I'm grateful for the change that a mission has made in my own life, and I hope that I have inspired similar change in others.  I know that the restoration of the gospel came to us through the prophet Joseph Smith.  I know that Jesus Christ is our Savior and knows us perfectly.  I know that his promises are always there for those that obey his commandments and strive to live the gospel.  It's true, what else do I need to say? 

Love,

Elder Moore

 

Lesly with Santa Claus

Giovanna, Lesly, and Natalia

Beautiful Sunset in Pearson, Georgia