Week 53 February 29, 2016

Hola Familia!

This week was good, nothing too big happened, just happy to be a missionary!:)

Wednesday was a good day for us. We normally do not have many set appointments because Hispanics are more spontaneous, but were able to meet with one of our investigators who we previously thought had dropped us, turns out he just had a lot of things going wrong every time we wanted to meet with him. We brought a member with us to teach the Plan of Salvation. We also re-extended a baptismal date for march 12th and he accepted. He didn't show up to church yesterday but we are praying everything will work out. 

Thursday we went to a play to support one of our branch member's daughters. Her name is McKayla and she was a panther in the play, The Jungle Book. It was super cute, because there were around 150 kids from ages 5-12 in the play. We gave her roses after the play and she just beamed as we took pictures with her in her adorable costume. 

Friday we had district meeting and I was in charge of giving the Skill Check this week. Ekonomo and I got there early to set up some things. I came up with an idea of putting up a bunch of chairs and tables to create an obstacle course in the gym.  We had each member of the district follow a rope that weaved through a maze. I even turned off the lights to give extra effect. At the end of the maze, they saw different pictures of temples from around the world; then I asked them to read from the scriptures that talked about temples and enduring to the end. I explained that we are sometimes blind as we follow the iron rod back to Heavenly Father's presence. We may not know what is in front of us and may be surrounded by distractions and darkness, but we need to have faith and keep holding on and believe that as we are diligent in keeping the commandments we will make it back to Him. It was a great object lesson that I learned it from Guti.  I am sure the other members of my district won't soon forget it because they will probably have bruises to remind them of it for weeks! :o

Saturday was especially great because we went to the Ontario Stake Women's Conference. We were on exchanges that day so I was with Hermana Vujich from Nyssa. We were primarily there to translate for anybody that needed it, but no one from the Branch showed up:( There were even classes offered in Spanish given by members of the English wards!!! We felt bad that nobody came, but we stayed and enjoyed the speakers and the classes. Out of the 3 classes, the last one was my favorite. The speaker posed the question to us 'Why do we sometimes adhere to Satan's council?'  Then we talked as a group about how we should listen to Heavenly Father's council instead because HE is the one who truly loves us!!! Satan tells us lies because he doesn't love us!!!! I have never though about it that way and it surprised me. Why would we take council and listen to somebody's advise who never loved us in the first place? It made so much sense to me. 

Sunday I was asked to give a talk in Sacrament meeting. I actually forgot all about it until the day before but Brother Smith, the second counselor, told me it was alright if I spoke about my original talk that I prepared on Valentine's day. I was the last speaker and only had 10 minutes. I started by giving a small quiz from the self examination test from the Charity section on Christlike attributes from Preach My Gospel and read from Matthew 25:34-40. There are a lot of members who struggle to show charity with other members, so hopefully that talk opened their eyes a little bit. I was so nervous to speak and most of it was impromptu, but I know that whatever I said was from the Spirit so I am not worried about it.

Welp familia! Have a great week:) Please keep our investigators in your prayers, they need all the help they can get. 

Hermana Moss:)

Week 52 February 22, 2016 Donkeys!

Hola familia!

This week was probably the greatest in my life! The spirit was abundant and lots of cool things
happened. 

On Monday, I went on exchanges with Sister Bertolino in Nyssa for the day. It was a lot of fun.
We tried to go see several people in their area but nobody was home!  So instead we took pictures
with some donkeys and emus!!! The donkeys reminded me of the movie Shrek and I quoted it to
Sister Bertolino all the way to the next house.  We laughed a lot!  Also, apparently Nyssa is the
largest Thunderegg capital of the world!! It's basically a glorified multicolored rock. But it was
sad because we finished exchanges and left without getting one.. I will have to go on exchanges
again and fulfill my quest to find one. 

On Wednesday Sister Ekonomo and I went to a Noteworthy concert with the Young Women in
the Spanish branch! They are a BYU A Capella group that happened to have a show in Ontario.
We didn't know half of the songs because they sang newer songs and we have been out on our
missions so long that we haven't heard anything that has come out recently. They rocked our socks
that night with their musical gifts. It made me want to join a group when I get back, but then I
realized that I have no talent for that haha!  Guess I'll just stick with country swing-dancing.

Thursday was the epitome of awesomeness because I got to go to the temple with President Cannon,
and Sister Cannon and a bunch of other missionaries who have reached their halfway mark...
Except I have been out a year now so this trip was much overdue, I pretended to be half way out to
put myself in the right mindset, haha! While I was in the temple, I was prompted to read D&C 121.
It gave me some answers to what I have been searching for and I was grateful to have that wonderful
experience. vs.28-29 called my attention as soon as I read them.  

28 A time to come in the which nothing shall be withheld, whether there be one God or many gods, 
they shall be manifest.

29 All thrones and dominions, principalities and powers, shall be revealed and set forth upon all who
have endured valiantly for the gospel of Jesus Christ. 

What a cool promise! This motivated me to keep going strong and to 'endure valiantly' and I pray that everyone
back home will do the same.

Saturday we had exchanges with the Parma sisters. I went to Parma and was with Sister Robinson while Sister
Smith stayed in my area with Ekonomo. I was looking forward to being with Smith again, but the Spirit directed
us otherwise. We had similar success when I was in Nyssa.  Not a lot of people were home. Maybe it's just my
luck.  For our lunch break we went to this cute little hole-in-the-wall cafe and we got pie shakes!! I ordered a
marionberry pie shake and some fried dill pickle spears. It was da' best!! So good, but I couldn't finish them
haha. 

Sunday, the Spanish branch had a fireside. The first counselor in the branch presidency spoke about Lehi's
Dream and had all of the members draw their own version of the dream, then it was read out loud. I loved that
story from the Book of Mormon, and even more so when it is in Spanish:)  Earlier that day, the whole Meza
Family and a few others left for Utah to go and see the new Provo temple open house. Hermana Meza was
originally going to take the kids and go without Juan, her husband, because he couldn't get the time off from
work and generally didn't want to go. This made her really sad because it was yet another reason to put a strain
on their marriage.  We have been over there a few times to try and convince him to go because we didn't want
him to feel left out and he is so close to getting baptized, we hoped that if he went he would feel the Spirit and
want to be baptized when he came back home. This past Monday, he stopped by the branch president's auto-
shop and asked if there was still a spot for him to go to Utah! Or course President Montgomery said yes, and
Juan was going to tell his wife the next day. We went over the following day because the P. Montgomery already
told us about it and we were thinking he was going to reveal his secret but he didn't tell us. Turns out he hadn't
told his wife yet, so we didn't blow his cover. The following day we got a call from Hermana Meza telling us that Juan was going to the temple! We acted very surprised and were so happy that the whole family was going to be able to go! It was truly an answer to prayers and the best miracle of miracles so far. Now we just have to
pray that he will gain a testimony and want to get baptized by the time he comes home haha:)

This past week I read an article from Timeless Treasures booklet that Pres Cannon gave us last year. It was
called "Living with a purpose..real intent" I can't remember the exact title, but it was a way cool devotional talk
and I liked it a lot. I encourage y'all to real it when you get a chance. There was a part in there that talked about
how when we find a goal to work toward, we shouldn't waste time doing other things that could distract us.
There were also other cool stories the speaker included that made me laugh. Again, way cool, read it!

Alright familia, stay strong and try not to get sick. I have been sick since I got back to Ontario and have been
coughing so much.  I got a blessing and hope to feel better soon.

Love y'all

Hermana Moss

Week 51 February 15, 2016 Valentine's Day New Leader Training

Hola familia!!!!

Whew! Things are finally slowing down.. but I can't believe that this week is the halfway point in the transfer.  I need to learn all I can from Ekonomo as she will go home at the end of this transfer :(  I saw Collins go home and now I am seeing Ekonomo leave me too.. It's not fair! But the bright side to this is that normally the departing missionary will have a burst of energy and no fear because they realize that it will be the last time to preach and extend commitments which is great for me because working hard feels so good at the end of the day.

Tuesday I had new leader training all the way in Nampa. We got a call from the AP's telling us that we will need to conduct an exchange with the other sisters in Middleton because one of the new STL's there will also need to go to the meeting with me.  I got the opportunity to be with Sister Angelos again!  We have been on exchanges before when I was in Caldwell and it was so much fun! She is planning on going to BYU when she gets home as well, so that means I will get to see her when I eventually get back to the Y. The meeting was very well put together and I got to learn a lot more about the responsibilities of being an STL. Most of what was discussed  was directed to the new district leaders. I am now starting to realize that STL's don't have a very big authoritative position which is exactly what Collins told me when she was an STL.  (If I remember correctly, she described it like being a firefighter and when the fire eventually happened you aren't equipped with a hose!! Haha, silly Collins.) For example: lets say that there is a pair of sister missionaries that got involved in something they shouldn't have, the zone leaders would be in charge of handling the situation and giving appropriate correction and the STL's are basically there for emotional support afterward. It's like we are the cheerleaders of the sisters in the mission we just happen to have a fancy title.  I am sure there are other situations where we would be more involved. Honestly, I am glad it is that way, I don't know if I could handle the stress very well of being a zone leader or an AP. 

Friday, we had our district meeting and everything went as it should until one of the sisters in the district was asked to be in charge of a skills check, so she decided to put our brains to the test and check our charades skills!  It was a lot of fun, there were lots of different topics such as missionary life to Disney quotes. It wasn't necessarily focused on training, but I think every once in a while we need a little fun to break up the monotony of everyday proselyting. After our district meeting, we went to a member's house and did Zumba with her! It was sooooooo much fun! If I could Zumba all the mission weight off that would be my favorite option. 

Saturday, we went to a baptism in Nyssa for a girl who will become a member of the YSA ward here. Most of the investigators in our area are either super close to getting baptized and just don't want to make the final commitment or they aren't close enough because of various reasons. Pray for us to understand the needs of our investigators and how we can best help them. 

This week I was asked to give a talk about how we can show the love of the Savior to others.  It was supposed to be a "Valentine's Day Special", but the speakers before me took up most of the time, so I didn't end up speaking after all. I was a little disappointed because I like the challenge myself to speak spanish in front of native Spanish crowds.  Sunday night we were invited to a birthday party of one of the primary kids in the ward. His name is Valentine ironically enough as his birthday is actually on Valentine's Day!!  He is the cutest kid ever and I absolutely adore his family!!!

Welp famila I love y'all bunches!!

Hermana Moss:)

Week 50 February 8, 2016 Back in Ontario, Idaho

Hola familia!

So this week was equally crazy as the last. Of course there is no rest for the weary. I am in my new old area of Ontario.  I struggle to remember where everything here because so much has changed. On the bright side, I have been able to see a many people from my first adventure, here in Ontario. For example we got to see the Meza family. They are awesome!

On Tuesday, we had dinner with a family who's dad was a native Texan! He actually knows Brother Moore from the Sugarland 2nd Ward.  I enjoyed talking with him because his accent was beautiful! haha! On Wednesday, we had MLC with all of the other STL's and ZL's in the mission. It was a shortened meeting because the previous one went overtime. As soon as I walked in, I felt like a greenie again, which was weird because I don't think many things can make me feel like that.  Throughout the meeting we were discussing topics in order to better help the missionaries focus and towards the end of the meeting the AP's and President opened the floor for comments and suggestions, to which I added my thoughts. It was super cool because I eventually felt like I was supposed to be there. It felt as if all of my hard work and obedience brought me to that point.  In President Cannon's opening remarks, he got up and thanked us for being there and for being the missionaries that he can depend on, then he addressed us as the best of the best in the mission. Man, it was so gratifying to hear that!! It's my motivation to keep doing with what I'm doing and to try my best to serve the Lord with all my heart, might, mind, and strength. 

On Friday we had a zone meeting where the ZL's asked us to give a training on the missionary broadcast from a couple of weeks ago. We stayed up the night before and prepared a decent training on the subjects: 

-teach people not lessons

-finding people to teach/working with RCLA's.

It went really well and I hope whatever we said through the Spirit was listened to by the other missionaries in the OZONE. Gosh, I love being back here. This is going to be a great transfer! 

Welp, familia I love y'all! Hope everyone had a great week:)

Hermana Moss

P.S. Glad to hear the Broncos won! 

Week 49 February 1, 2016 Leaving Caldwell!

Hola familia!

This week was super crazy!!!! My head is still spinning.  Saturday morning we got transfer calls.  Guess what?  I am getting transferred back to Ontario.  The Caldwell area has had a sweep.  No one is staying.  I am super excited to go back. Except this time I have more experience under my belt, now I have new skills, and a new calling.  I am so honored.  I get to spend this transfer with Hermana Ekonomo, who is also a STL. She will be showing me the ropes and help me transition back into Ontario. The sad part is that she only has this transfer left before she finishes her mission:( You know what this reminds me of? Hern had a series of 1 companions and 1 transfer in and out before she got changed again- and now it's happening to me! I had Collins, then Smith, and now Ekonomo.... I hope I get to train one of the new hermanas coming in next transfer. I need some life to the death experiences haha!

Thank you so much for the birthday wishes! I definitely don't feel 20, but I guess it will sink in soon enough. I'm getting older!!

Monday night we tried to visit several different families, but none of them were home or they didn't have time to see us! It was discouraging but we decided to go home because we had some house keeping things to. After about 20 minutes, Smith tried to talk me into going back out to one more family. But silly old me started giving her logical excuses for why we shouldn't. Shot down, Smith answered a phone call and when I asked who it was, she tried to avoid telling me, so that got me a  little suspicious. Then out of nowhere, we get a knock on our door and it was Hern and Hawn with bags of birthday decorations and gifts!!!! Turns out Smith was in charge of getting me out of the house so they could come decorate so it would be a surprise when I got home, but nothing worked out according to their plan so they gave up and just came over.  We all had a great night together! Lots of laughs, fun and birthday brownies:) Guti also sent me a very thoughtful birthday present. I have had amazing companions!!!!!  Thanks hermanas.

Anticipating transfers, we spent nearly the entire week visiting people and saying goodbye:( I cried the first night and then I was okay. We saw and took pictures with nearly 30 families!!! And to each of them I wrote them a thank you note either in English or Spanish.. My fingers hurt from writing so much!! UGHHH! I hate goodbyes. 

Smith allowed me to cut her hair! It has been something I have been asking her to do since we've been together. She has had short short hair before and it looks super good! She is my inspiration to cut my hair short like hers one day. It was about 10 inches long and I cut off about 6 or 7 inches.. we took a video and it was pretty dramatic haha.  I might have a future in hair cutting.  (after nursing school that is).

On Friday morning, I got a call from President Cannon while we were at Juan's house making tamales. He asked if I would accept a calling as a Sister Training Leader.  I was mind blown and immediately started thinking how inadequate I was and how nervous I am to assume the responsibility. President likes asking the Spanish hermanas to be STLs. I know the Lord knows my heart and will strengthen me as well as teach me. I am interested to see what He has in store for me as I start with a position in leadership. 

Last night was exhausting, Smith had to stay up until 1 in the morning and we stayed up till 3 getting all of our stuff packed....I have accumulated so much junk on my mission. Just kidding it's not junk, its memories haha! I don't think it has hit me yet that I have left Caldwell.  I miss it.

Welp familia.. That's all I can think of for now. In the past 48 hours I have zipped up so many bags that my fingers and palms are blistered and they are starting to hurt when I type. 

Enjoy the photos!! I love you all:)

Hermana Moss