Ello Mom!!

 

HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO YOU!!!!! I will write you another email soon.

 

This week has been hard for me but it was an eye opener for me. I definitely learned how to be more humble and rely on the Lord more. I definitely noticed the difference in the Lord's mission when I rely on the spirit and not lean to my own understanding and knowledge.

 

We finally met with our less active, Sister Perez again and helped her do service. She doesn't really like to talk about religion but somehow the spirit was there and our conversation just led to talking about spiritual stuff. She knew that transfers were coming up, so she asked if we were staying or leaving. I told her that I might be leaving to go back to the Chinese program and her face was a little confused. I explained that I was originally a Chinese speaking missionary. Her face was in shock. She said as soon as I said that she got the chills. A deaf girl speaking Chinese. She asked about Chinese people and what their beliefs were at first when I first start teaching them. I responded, "Buddhist." She was amazed. She talked about her family being strong catholic. That conversation led to the temple. We explained that there is a temple in Hong Kong and they are building a temple in Rome where her family is from and she was so amazed. She is starting to recognize God's miracles and His blessings for her. She is slowly changing too. She is an amazing woman! She gave me a big fat hug. I love her.

So Sister Passey and I were nightly planning on Friday night and we got this phone call from a random number.

Sister Passey: Hello this is Sister Passey

*silence*

Sister Passey: Hello

A person: Hello is this Sister Moore?

Sister Passey: No... May I asked who this is?

A person: Hello Sister Passey, It's President Reynolds, may I speak with Sister Moore

Sister Passey: Of course you can.

She was so happy that she threw the phone to me.

Me: Hello, this is Sister Moore.

President Reynolds: Hello this is President Reynolds........ The Lord has called you to train a Chinese speaking missionary and she is coming mid-transfer.

Imagine my expression! I was soooo happy and President Reynolds heard me being filled with excitement. He laughed and said, "Thank you for accepting the calling. I will see you in Rego tomorrow for a meeting."

So I am going back to the Chinese program. I am so nervous. I know the Lord will guide me through it all. 

Next day on our way to Rego, we got a call saying that our apartment needs to prepare for a trio companionship.

We got the transfer call and so I am staying with Sister Passey with another companion which we will find out tomorrow for a few more weeks and then I leave mid-transfer to train.

Yesterday we went to church. Sunday is normally the most exhausting day for me. Anyway it was a success. We had 5 deaf investigators and 3 deaf members so 8 people total. All the sister missionaries performed a special musical number. Sister Passey played the piano and sang. The other English sisters Sister Hammarstrom, Sister Robertson, and I signed the song, "Savior, Redeemer of my soul." We taught the English sisters to sign for few days and it was epic!  We made our deaf people cry and I felt the spirit so strong. We had a combined class with the hearing and it was awesome! They even allowed the deaf to teach the class. The work is progressing slowly. The deaf just talked after church and it was great that we were all connected.

I love Chrissie so much. She is a female full of light. She came for the 2nd time to church yesterday. Last time she came was the 2nd time I came to church. She was just SOOO happy and filled with gratitude. She really wants to get baptized. We have been having a video phone lesson with just her for three months 3x a week. She asked us to come over tonight to her home to teach her family. Her boyfriend is confusing her with the gospel. So we are excited to teach them. Pray for us because her boyfriend can give out sarcastic comments and I just know how to bring the topic back and showed whatever he says doesn't destroy me and my companion and the spirit and the Lord's work. His heart is a little softened. Chrissie said she loves the church and feels the spirit so strong. The members are awesome with Chrissie. When one of the deaf members found out Chrissie didn't have a dress, she quickly made her a dress and brought it to church. Chrissie had never worn a dress before. Chrissie was so excited and she put it on and she was jumping up and down showing us how beautiful she looks in the dress. I couldn't help but smile. The relief society stake president, Sister Cruz wanted to communicate with Chrissie so we interpreted for two of them. Sister Cruz expressed her love to Chrissie. Chrissie said, "Thank you for welcoming me here. I feel like a big family here." Sister Cruz cried and said, "You are family." She felt the spirit so strong with Chrissie and it was a powerful moment for me to see. We are excited to work with Chrissie. She and I are pretty much best friends. We have so many laughing moments.

So one thing that was hard was Pana and John. I hope you know how much I love them and have so much faith and hope in them. They are progressing really slow. So basically our zone leaders and district leaders ask us to maybe drop them soon if we aren't going to give them a baptism date. I was not happy about that and try to defend them. They wanted them to progress on Preach my Gospel standard. But they are progressing according to their needs. They changed so much and I am not giving up on them. They are finally praying on their own and are willing to read the BOM now. I wish our leaders could understand that. But Chrissie was da bomb with them yesterday at church. Pana has a lot of trials and she can't move on from the death of her loved ones and is still in mourning after a year. She is always negative about them. Chrissie has a lot of trials too and she is still happy and upbeat. Chrissie basically told them that she is still happy and grateful for what she has in her life. Pana was surprised and I was like, "Yeah Chrissie!"

Sister Betancourt is awesome! We are really working hard to work toward the temple goal. She is doing a lot better and is super happy. She invited us over for dinner yesterday, helped her set up Skype and read the BOM with her for the first time. I am SOOO excited! I love her.

Spiritual message:

I started studying the BOM again. I like to "Liken the Scripture" to modern days. What hit me was in Mosiah 18: 11-12 Now it came to pass that the king commanded them that all the men should leave their wives and their children, and flee before the Lamanites. Now there were many that would not leave them, but had rather stay and perish with them. And the rest left their wives and their children and fled.

 

How weak are the people that left the family? How strong are the people that stayed with their family? Let's relate that to modern time. There is so much evil in the world. How often do we lean into simple temptation? How often do we do something before thinking of the consequence? We have pornography, drugs, lies, stealing, and others, will we be willing to lean to that and be distant from God and our family or are we strong enough to resist the temptations and of the worldly things and stay true to our covenant we have made with God and be with our family for eternity like the men who stayed with their family because they know it's important? Do what is most important and right in your life today!

I love you!!!

Sister Moore