July 25, 2016

Friends and Family,

I hope everyone had a great week UN-iting themselves with others!

Unity is something that just makes sense. There's no point in contention (unless it's siblings growing up, haha just kidding :)

We had a pretty good week! Not as many great stories as last week, but we had some success. Kim did not come to church and neither did 4 other people that said they would, but we did have Nate and Dusty come! Dusty is the fiancé of a less active member and they're both going to start coming regularly! Nate is friends with a member and his great aunt is a member as well. He seems pretty interested!

I have one more week with Elder Bates and then I'll likely get a new companion since we've been companions for 3 months. He's also been in this area for 6 months so he's due for a ticket out. He's been a good companion, the easiest to get along with, be productive, and enjoy working all at the same time!

I read Esther this last week and it's a really good book! I didn't realize how good it was until I read the whole thing! Great story, awesome principles to pull out and apply to our lives, and not too long either! Esther is a woman who had incredible courage. She asked people to fast for her as she went before the king to plead for her life and the lives of her people. I know the power of fasting and courage can bring blessings and, as needed, miracles to those who put forth the effort and act and ask!

-Elder Moon

PS.  This is where I left a note for my parents that visited the temple the day after I was there.   They found it!!

July 18, 2016

Family and Friends!

This last week was incredible and amazing in so many ways! We went to
the Hill Cumorah Pageant twice, once with Jana and once with Henry. We
went to Joseph Smith's home with Henry before the pageant and our ride
had to go work security at the pageant, so we were going to have no
way of getting to the pageant (3 or so miles away). Worst case we
could've walked. But I knew someone named Tommy from Victor when I
served there a few months ago. He wanted to meet up for pageant so he
met us at the Smith Family Farm (Joseph Smith's home) and drove us! It
was great! Tommy, Henry, and everyone loved the pageant! So if you're
ever in western NY in July, make sure you go see it!

My favorite part of pageant is when Christ comes! There was a little
boy who got lost during one of the nights and was about to go up on
stage. Our ride (the one working security) said "come here buddy, are
you lost?" And he started crying and said "yes" so the member asked
"what are you doing up there?" The boy said something like "I was
going to ask Jesus because I knew He would take me to my daddy" Awwe!
That's so cool and symbolic at the same time!

Here's the incredible miracle: We were going to see a former
investigator that we'd previously met and set a return appointment
for. When we arrived for the set appointment, she was t home. But Josh
and Kim were, and when we asked if they were interested, they said
yes! We sat on their porch and taught them about the restoration. Josh
loved it and when we invited him to be baptized on a specific date, he
said "that's a great goal, but if I know before then can we move it
up?" What!? That doesn't happen very often! Talk about miracles!

Another awesome part of this week was Henry's baptism! It went well
and he's excited to continue moving forward on this new path and never
look back! One thing I thought was cool is the same day we had a
baptism up here, my Dad had a baptism down in Virginia (he's the unit
mission leader, so he works closely with the missionaries down there).
Such unity!

Speaking of unity, the Book of Mormon has a lot of "ites" (like
descendants of a certain person). For example, Jared's descendants are
"Jaredites." Then in one chapter, shortly after Christ visits, the
people have all things in common and are unified in every way. A verse
says "There were no robbers, nor murderers, neither were there
Lamanites, nor any manner of -ites; but they were in one, the children
of Christ, and heirs to the kingdom of God." This next comment is
cooler when it's said, so I'll type out how to pronounce it. These
people were UN (pronounced uhn, like the UN in under) ited (rhymes
with righted). I heard someone say this catchy phrase, that "a people
who is UN-ited is United!"

Therefore, the challenge is to try and unite yourself with someone you
have either held a grudge against, lots close contact with, or just
someone you haven't befriended as much as you maybe should have. Next
week we should be more UN-ited! :)

Love you all!

Elder Moon

July 11, 2016

Friends and family!

This last week was good! The Hill Cumorah Pageant is happening! If any of you are in Palmyra New York this week you should check it out! Not that anybody on this mailing list would drive all the way to Palmyra....*cough cough my family cough cough* haha, the mission rules are that you don't see your friends and family for 2 years and we followed those rules! We just had to coordinate where we were going to be and make sure our paths didn't cross. I was officially within .25 miles of them when we drove by their hotel on the highway, but we kept the rules! It was hardest for my mom....

On a different note, Henry is getting baptized this week! Lynn is progressing and will hopefully be well enough to come to church next week (she has serious health problems). But she should hopefully be well enough to come next week!

This week's challenge is to eat healthy. I hope I do this one, Elder Bates and I decided we want to eat lots of vegetables this week. We'll try and then see how it goes and whether I want to do it again next week...

Love you all!

-Elder Moon

PS- Pageant fun!  My family was in this same spot an hour before me!

July 4, 2016

Friends and family,

Happy Independence Day! I hope you all have a wonderful day to celebrate the freedoms we enjoy! There is a scripture in the Book of Mormon that says:

12 Behold, this is a choice land, and whatsoever nation shall possess it shall be free from bondage, and from captivity, and from all other nations under heaven, if they will but serve the God of the land, who is Jesus Christ, who hath been manifested by the things which we have written.

It's from Ether chapter 2 verse 12. I hope we can all use this verse and show our gratitude for this wonderful country!

Henry is getting baptized next Saturday (the 14th) and he's so ready!

Lynn is beginning to truly investigate. She started with no faith and no hope, but now she's starting to develop some. It's awesome to see those transformations!

This week's challenge is to research one of the founding fathers and learn something new about them this Independence Day/week. And if someone (maybe my Mom) could send me a new fact about the founding fathers so I can fulfill my own challenge since I don't get Google and have very limited other internet access... Thanks!

Have a great week! Love you!

-Elder Moon