Heart attacking Annemarie

This week has been so incredible! The Lord is showing so many miracles and we have been blessed in so many ways. Sister Larsen and I are just in awe with everything that has been going on. We also have been doing service every single day. 

Tuesday was pouring rain and we went to help one of our investigators, Bonnie, paint her kitchen and it was so fun. Bonnie is amazing and she is Kim Rosario's (from South Shore ward) sister in law. We have been teaching Bonnie and we just talked this whole time about the gospel and we know she will be a member one day. She knows a lot about the gospel but just needs to act on it.

There is a goody exchange that happened on Saturday in Plainview. Plainview is about an hour away from our home and lots of miles. People were going to help set it up . Sister Larsen and I weren't sure if we should go because we we felt like a lot of people would be there helping out. We felt prompted to go so we went with a member and only a few people showed up. We were grateful we went because we built the member's trust more and had a connection with the people we were working with. We were there for about 3 hours setting it up.

Wednesday, we helped Jenny with her basement and we made concrete and then poured it down on the floor. It was such a great opportunity to learn new things.

Putting concrete down

Thursday, we helped paint the Weidler's house and I absolutely love the family. I got along with her daughter, Chrislyn and we are pretty much best friends! She is the cutest little girl ever!

Painting!

Later that night we got to go help in Grandma Lugo's backyard. Remember that there was big storm last week? Well there was a big tree in her backyard that snapped in half and fell on to the electricital wire and pulled the electricity out of her house. So we all worked together to cut trees and drag them to the curb. A few people came together to help out. It was an amazing opportunity because we met a less active, Dulce and her sister, Ingrid there. Dulce went less active and doesn't want missionaries visiting and teaching her about the gospel. But that day we were able to gain her trust and she looked at us and said, "You can stop by anytime you want!" We are meeting her on Tuesday. Her sister Ingrid is not a member. She lived in Utah for awhile and knows a little bit about the church. She likes to follow in her sister's footsteps. She is super awesome! So we will see what happens with her.

Later that night, we went and visited with Annmarie. Annmarie invited a friend, Crystal, to learn about the gospel and it was a super powerful lesson. Sister Larsen and I felt like Annmarie was a member at that time. She testified strongly about the BOM and the spirit filled the whole room. You could see in Crystal's eyes that she was feeling the spirit. Two days later, Crystal admitted to Annmarie that the spirit was powerful in her home. Wanna know what makes Annmarie more awesome?!? Crystal was Annmarie's ex-husband's girlfriend and things were crazy. Annmarie later realized that Crystal needed a friend and needed the gospel and Annmarie wanted to help her take that step and it was cool that she didn't let anything stop her from sharing the gospel with everyone.

Friday, we got invited to red lobster with Grandma Lugo. Afterwards we went to her home and we got to sing to Grandma Lugo a bunch of hymns and primary children songs. The spirit was soooo strong and Grandma Lugo cried. Grandma Lugo is sick with pancreatic cancer. She overcame it once but it came back stronger than it ever was. She lives her life, and loves everyone. She brings bags of treats to church every Sunday where the kids could grab some and take them home. She has the biggest smile on her face and you can't even tell she has cancer. I love her and she is such a powerful influence in my life.  

On Saturday,  we helped Melissa, Jessica, and Adrianna with crafts. One day, we had a lesson and I pulled out my Chinese BOM and it has a book cover that I made with duct tape to protect my BOM. They freaked out and wanted to learn how to make one. We taught them and made it with them. It was so much fun.

THE BIGGEST MIRACLES were that there was a goody exchange going on Saturday night in Plainview and we were invited by a member to go but Sister Larsen and I just didn't feel like we are needed there. We talked about it and decided to pray about it. We prayed about it three times. We got this strong feeling every time that we were needed to be there and so we went. We went with a member, Sister Weidler and told her that we felt like we're needed there and we didn't know why. I had such an incredible time being with members from different ward including South Shore people. Sister Cruz came up to me saying there were deaf people there. The South Shore sisters' investigators, Pana and John were there with three of their deaf friends and Farianna was there as well. There was a presentation and I got to interpret and the spirit was so powerful and I understood everything and interpreted it. Pana and John and the deaf people felt the spirit and asked for the vp number so they could call us. I met a couple, Romeo and Trini, who live in Queens. The other lady, Vaso is super awesome. Pana and John were super awesome telling them about the church. #miracles! After the exchange, Sister Weidler's jaw just literally  dropped and said, "Now we know why you were there." That added to my testimony of how the Holy Ghost can guide us to places even when we don't understand why.

Another awesome thing about the people in Long Island is they love to serve people they have never met. So I was hoping to find a few outfits for Annmarie's little baby that will be due in December. People were wondering why I was chilling around the baby clothing at the exchange. I told them about Annmarie. They joined me and Sister Larsen for the outfit hunt. We had a garbage bag full of baby clothes and we gave them to Annmarie. I am amazed because the people there wanted to help Annmarie and they don't even know her. When Annmarie found out, she felt so much love. My heart was touched by these people's example.

One thing I was pondering on my mind this past week. There are some Chinese people here on Long Island and many are hidden. About 6 Chinese people came to church yesterday. Some were members visiting, 2 are investigators, and 1 is a recent convert and she brought her Chinese friend, it was incredible to speak Chinese with them again. Some of them speak really good English. I was able to understand their Chinese and speak it with them, it was awesome. I have such a strong feeling that there should be Chinese speaking missionaries here on Long Island in the near future to help set up a Chinese branch one day. Our ward mission leader has the same feeling too. We are going with a Chinese recent convert, Cara to the temple for her first time on Saturday. It's going to be amazing! I love Cara and she has such a strong feeling that she will be making a big change when she goes back to China. I spoke with President Reynolds about this. Let's see what he and The Lord said.

We got three people with a baptism date this week. Melissa, Jessica, and Annmarie. Melissa and Jessica will be getting baptized in like two weeks. Annmarie will be getting baptized in three weeks. They have such strong faith and a desire to learn and improve each day. I am excited for the new covenant they are going to make with Heavenly Father. I have developed such great love for them. Please pray for Annmarie, she is receiving a lot of stumbling blocks because of her desire to do righteous things. Her husband, who use to be supportive of her going to church, now is not supportive and that has been really hard. Her faith is super strong and unbelievable. 

Members are amazing and I love them. I love talking with them and strengthening their faith. They take such good care of us and you can really tell they truly love you and want to help out with everything and that is one successful way that really helps hasten the Lord's work. Sister Larsen said that in her whole time serving in Terryville the past 5 months, she have never seen the members love and trust us this much. Well, one way is to serve and love them and they will take such great care of us.

McKenzie and Me Again

This week is going to be super busy! We have exchanges and since the temple is closed in July, I will be going to the temple for my one year mark with Sister Beecher, then we have sister conference, and then we are going to the temple again with a Chinese recent convert from Terryville on Saturday and then I leave to train. I am super stroked!

I don't know how much time I would have writing you next Monday because that's when my trainee flies in. 7 more days left!!!!

Love you!

Sister Moore

I got stuck in this dress!  Sister Larsen had to help me pull it off...haha!