Two weeks of blogposts

This week:

MY BROTHER IS A MARRIED MAN!!!!!!!!!!!! AND I HAVE A NEW SISTER!!!!!!!!!  From what I've heard of the wedding it sounds like it was an incredible experience.  I couldn't be happier for Tim and Katie!!!!!!!  Setting the bar high you guys :) 

Honorary bridesmaid!  Little did you know!!  You had flowers made of weeds, right?  Haha, that's all I could find.  Haha, I tried to wear blue!

We tried to wear the wedding colors!

Anyway, this week was a miraculous week!!  I have been super sore lately, not sure why, I was thinking it was Denghee but I don't have a fever or anything, so the whole week I was just sleeping during lunch and going to bed at like 8:30.  Now I'm on meds so it's not as bad.   But despite that, we truly saw miracles! 

tour of my house

the reason the house floods.  You see what I mean by open?

my kitchen

my desk

So we decided to go with all of the investigators that we weren't visiting any more but that had attended church once or more times with us this week.  Let me tell you, that was inspired.  We went with a man that was not positive in the past, but he has been going through a rough rough time and he basically could not have been more prepared!  Sometimes it takes big trials for us to come unto the Lord but it is all in the Lord's plan right?  This hermano was definitely going through a trial.  I've never seen a grown man cry before; but we just assured him that through the atonement he could, and would, be whole again.  Nothing is too big for the Lord! So with all that going with old investigators we also had a challenge from our zone to find a certain number of "news" this week, so we had to use every spare second we had to find new people to teach!  I am so grateful to have a companion because in those moments where I was like, "My body hurts and my head is going to explode I just want to go home", she was able to listen to the Spirit and we found the people we needed to find!  People that came to church!  Yeah we saw so many miracles!!! 

So we decided to fast on Saturday for a couple of reasons.  I am only human and not perfect, and I knew I would probably be pretty homesick that day, what with my brother getting married, so I was fasting for the ability to turn my whole soul to the Lord like it says in Omni 1:26, I think, and we were also fasting to be able to have investigators come to church, because that has been a real challenge for us this whole transfer!  Well wow, the fast worked so well, I have gained such a testimony of fasting on my mission.  I was able to focus on my work here and had a little quiet prayer at 11 when I knew Tim and Katie were getting sealed.  But the rest of the day I was so focused and we worked so hard, and we ended up having more investigators in church on Sunday than we have had the past 6 weeks combined!!!!  We just sat in sacrament meeting and saw our investigators coming and keep coming and keep coming!  We were like, hey I forgot we even invited you!  Another blessing of fasting, this sweet less active lady gave me this hug on Saturday afternoon and said something to me that mom has always said.  I truly believe that guardian angels exist, ones we can see and ones we cant. :)  

Before we started our fast we were gonna have lunch.  It was like 20 minutes till our lunch hour and we were going to quickly stop by a recent convert.  Well we got there and they were about to start making tortillas for lunch so I was like,  "YES we will help",  I love making tortillas.  We helped and then their lunch got there, three tamales for the 6 of them. these people are very humble.  So I was like oh maybe we should go so they can eat.  But then the hermana came up to me and was like this is for you, with a tamale in her hand.  She told us that she was so grateful that we always visited her but she never had anything to give to us, and finally she could share something with us. I was like, "No hermana that's for your 4 kids!"  She was like, "No, I insist!"  So while you guys were all at your wedding feast, I was having a little wedding feast of my own, a shared tamale and homemade tortillas.  It wasn't much, but it was more filling than anything I could have imagined.  Between the 8 of us we shared the 3 tamales and I just felt surrounded by love.  I am truly so blessed to be a missionary.  I wouldn't rather be in any other place. :) 

If you don't have a testimony of fasting,  I challenge you to make this coming fast Sunday a return to real fasting.  Fast with a purpose.  Fast for 24 hours.  Focus on serving others while you fast.  When you feel weak and just want to sleep, study and feast upon the scriptures!  Do it.  You wont regret it. I also keep a fasting journal and that has helped me a lot to remember why I'm fasting and write down relevant things that happen while I'm fasting. :) 

We are teaching someone from  the states right now.  Literally he only speaks English.  It's so nuts teaching in English but it has helped me strengthen my testimony that I was called to the right mission in the right language!!!  Haha it's hard to be serious when I'm teaching in English.  Thank goodness for Spanish and being able to be super blunt!!  Hahahaha.  But it was funny because he has a very U.S. like house.   It was made of sheet rock not cement!  I was like where am I!  There was this weird thing on the wall and I'm wondering what it is and he goes that's the air conditioner. AC????  What is that!!!!! HE EVEN GAVE US KOOL AID.  Oh sweet America. 

Happy Sunday.  I guess the Catholic church was celebrating Corpus Christi so they put balloons all over the city!

Fiesta Catholic style!

We had a fun birthday party for a 10 now 11 year old recent convert.  He is from very humble circumstances so we tried to show the parents that it doesn't take much.  Just some games!  So we did doughnuts on a string and this game with balloons!  It was so fun and we really gained the trust of the parents! :)  I love being a missionary and being creative with the way we teach :)

Thrift shop outfits, haha!

My comp is a;ways wearing big bows in her hair.  I'm taking after her now!

I can't think of anything else.  Haha I'm sure other stuff happened, but this is a pretty long email already!  Haha I'm off :)  Another week as a missionary.  Best calling in the world with the best and happiest family (of 6!!!!!!) in the world. 

I LOVE YOU GUYS SO MUCH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! :)

love love love,

hermana moore

Last week:

Subject: un año

Well just like that a year has come and gone, QUICKEST YEAR OF MY LIFE!  And now there's not much left :/. 

And that's all I have to say about that!

This week was very wet, are you surprised?  And very fun!  It went by seriously so quickly!

This week the primary president challenged all her 8-10 year olds to go out with us for an hour to visit their less active friends!  Okay seriously cutest thing ever!  Every day this week we had a lesson accompanied by a child.  It was amazing!  There are some amazing future missionaries here in this ward!  And they are pilas!  They were running around and we were like wait please walk slower!!! One of them helped us give service to this one woman carrying leña and we ended up find a new family to teach!  I really think that would be a great thing to do at home.  Mom, you could totally do it. Have your primary kids, and their moms of course, go out with the missionaries for an hour and visit the kids that aren't coming to their primary class!  It worked really well and we had quite a few more people in church this Sunday!

compita!

Speaking of my amazing ward... we have a group of members that love to help with anything that is missionary work.  So we assigned them to visit our recent converts.  They magnified... exemplified... blew up... that calling we gave them!  In 2 days these 4 men did THIRTY TWO VISITS to our recent converts!  Um what!!!!  Is that not incredible!!!!!  We were floored and as we speak they are doing it again!  They are going to do it every week on Mondays and Tuesdays!  It's incredible.  We are so blessed to have so much support!  We have started having mini mtc´s with them where we help them better their teaching skills because they are doing a lot of teaching now.  I feel like I'm working with future missionaries even though they are all over the age of 60.  This ward abounds in single old retired men that love to do missionary work!  Hahahahaha

On Friday we had some members that live in a very far part of our area that wanted to give us lunch! They live in Las Animas, and you have to take a couple methods of transportation to get there!  Then some tuktukero was trying to charge me 15 quetz for the ride and I was like no, absolutely not.  Take your 6 quetz and leave!  I learned how to be sassy and not be overcharged from Hermana Cadavieco. Those tuktukeros know not to mess with Hermana Amor now! hahahaha.  But anyway, we go to lunch and had a lovely little time with this sweet couple.  Then as we were finishing we hear this bus honking and they said there goes the last bus!  Wait ...WHAT!   We have appointments!  Then they said,  "Oh don't worry.  Sometimes tuktuks pass by... sometimes."..... and so a few minutes later we head out to... walk?  We didn't really know what to do.  We were a good ways from the house, 2 towns over! Separated by a banana finca!  So we went walking, and walking, and walking, and walking.... about an hour later a tuktuk finally passed by and picked us up!   He said, "Hey good job you almost made it home!"  So that's why I have a bunch of pics in Las Animas.  It was so fun though.  It was like a little escape from our world of San Francisco and a fun little vacation up the mountain! :) 

I know you all were hoping I would burn something on my year mark... sorry to disappoint but I didn't burn anything, what between being a bit sick and the abundance of rain... we didn't get to it.  Haha plus our house floods every other day.  Lots of rain.  This morning was hilarious.  When I wake up and get out of bed only to see water up to my ankles!  Welcome to rainy season.  Don't worry, nothing got ruined, and I have a lot of stuff hanging out to dry now, but the scriptures are safe!  That's all I care about!! 

One year anniversary for me and Hermana Goddard.  A Hermana gave us a cake with candles
so we could celebrate our mission birthdays!

I really hope you all can support your missionaries.  Just imagine how easy you all have it!  Text the missionaries and drive them to an appointment.  Yesterday the bishop, his wife and their 5 kids walked 30 minutes with us across a river and through a field to visit a family, in the rain.  But we all were so happy and it just does so much good!  Utilize your resources!  Work hard in this work! :) 

Okay and I have to put this in.... CONGRATULATIONS TIM AND KATIE ON YOUR SEALING!!!!!!! I'll be praying for you guys on Saturday :)  I couldn't be happier for you two! :)

and.... CONGRATULATIONS HANNNYYY.  My best friend is getting married!  Proud of you, happy for you!!! :)

SO MUCH HAPPINESS going on at home!  Nothing makes a missionary feel happier than seeing the ridiculous amount of blessings in the lives of all of her loved ones :)  Keep doing good so you can keep being blessed.  As the bishop said yesterday, "Blessings are for the faithful", loyal (fiel translation?)  Be faithful and loyal!! :) 

love love love,

hermana moore

p.s. on the picture.... didn't you know, these people are midgets!  And I'm a giant! :)  Hope this gives you all a little giggle :)  Her name is Hermana Luisa and she is 89 years old, very Catholic and very sassy! :)

I Could Not Be Shaken!

Jacob 7:5. Read it. 

So this week was a WET week.  Monday and Tuesday and Wednesday we were in code orange (ooo scary) of a tropical storm.  Don't worry, it's not a hurricane.  It just rained non stop and was really windy.  What that means in Guatemala is that no one has school!  Because who wants to get wet?? US, DUH.  Everyone was like oh you guys didn't leave during the tormenta did you?  And we were like um yeah.  We put boots on and used our umbrellas. and we are fine!  Well no actually we are both sick now, yay for the 5th time I've had a cold in my mission!  Sacrificing it all! ;)

This week was a lot of birthday celebrating.  Rolando's birthday was on Wednesday!  We took him out for a hair cut because he desperately needed it and then we had a surprise lunch with all of his new friends from church!  We gave him a bunch of ties too and he just loved it!   He gave this little speech that I recorded.  I just love that man!  He also bore his testimony in sacrament meeting.  I can't really understand him most of the time but I can feel the spirit when he speaks!  We are so blessed to have met him!!!! 

Also my companion turned 22 this week, (I may or may not have hummed 22 by t swift all day, woopsy call me a heathen!)  We loaded up her day with surprises!  Started it bright and early with pancakes and fireworks and then had 4 cakes throughout the day!  I felt so sick by the end!  But needless to say it was a really fun day.  I hope my sweet comp felt like a princess :) 

So yes lots of rain and... well disappointment this week.  We had 12 investigators committed to come to church yesterday and we did EVERYTHING so that they could come, and not a single one came.  It was kinda sad.  No, it was REALLY sad.  We cried a little bit.  But then some lady got up to bear her testimony and she just said that despite all the family problems and money problems and everything in her life, su fe no la ha perdido, or she hasn't lost her faith.  I needed to hear that, sometimes we just need to remember that the Lord has such a plan for every part of everyones lives. I don't understand the Lords plan but I trust Him.  I really do. I love that scripture in Jacob, no matter what,  I have faith in Jesus Christ, wherefore, I CANNOT BE SHAKEN. 

I saw a miracle on Monday night.  So we were going in a tuk tuk and normally I don't really want to contact the tuk tuk drivers because, well we have talked to basically all of them already!  But we got in the tuk tuk and I was like okay Hermana Moore why are you here, to rest or preach the gospel! So we talked to him and he wasn't interested. surprise!  But then as we got out he was like alright so when are you guys gonna visit us!  My kids will love you girls!  I was like whaaaat???  Then he gives us his phone number and tells us he lives in Zunilito.  It's like a good 20 minutes away.  Then he goes and don't worry, I'll pick you up and drop you off!  Free!  I'm sitting here like wait, what, this is too good to be true!  We wrote down his info and called him later that night and set up an appointment!  So the next day we went and met his family, with a member of course, we are careful and smart, and we met his wife and kids.  4 of them are of baptism age and they are so positive!  I was like, wow can they be any more golden!  It was such a cool lesson.  The little girl who is 10 was reading a part of the Family Proclamation in a lesson and I guess she thought we sang everything, because we had sung an opening hymn, so she sang the proclamation!  It was hilarious and so cute!  Kind of like a chant!  I already love them and I am so excited to teach them more.

More families we are teaching.... one of them is this family we have been working so much with.  The wife is all on board and the husband is getting there.  She loves the church though!  She keeps telling her husband, and then he tells us, that she has had dreams that this is the right church and that every time they walk by the chapel she says, I  want to play basketball there with the hermanas.  I want that to be our church! I love it.  Their 2 year old son pulled out their Book of Mormon every night to remind them to read together as a family.  It's incredible the change I'm seeing in them.  Haven't gotten them to church yet, but I know they will!!! :)

I basically love working with families, we are working with 6 right now.  It isn't easy and it takes a lot of your heart, but that is why I am here.  I'm here to bring these people to the temple!  And that's what we are going to do!  I promised president we would baptize x number of families this month and he promised me x number of temple trips.   The pressure is on and I'm ready to see the Lord's hand revealed! :)

THANKS FOR THE BEST PACKAGE EVER MOMMMMMM.  Seriously, you're the best.  We had a pizza party in honor of you!  Winsome foursome!  I loved everything!  We already used the Reflections of Christ dvd at a baptism!!! 

Paint ball. hahahahaha.  What did you do on your Monday??  I paint balled in an Ule jungle. 

Trying to look fierce.

Sorry his is jumbled and the spelling is awful, but I'm in a rush!

Love you all so much.  Excited for the amazing event that is happening in the fam this week.  I'll be thinking of you all on Saturday :)  It'll be like I'm there with you :)  And wow!  Taylor is home!  What a babe!  (Jill sent me a pic)  Don't get married too quick T :)  Wait for me! 

love love love, 

hermana mor (how the bishop spelled my name in the program.) hahahahahaha!

The best medicine is agua pura y la risa

That quote is from my favorite used to be homeless convert, Rolando!!!  This week we were reading in the Book of Mormon with him and we were talking about how life is difficult but if you hold on to the iron rod, (we were in 1 Nefi 11), then we will be able to withstand life's pruebas!  Then he just looked at us and said, you know the best medicine in life is water and a smile. simply put, but its now my new lema.  Drink some water and put on a smile and Rolando says I'll be okay.  And you know what?  It works :)

Rolando!

Have I mentioned I love being a missionary??  How else on earth could I meet and associate with such incredible and humble and wise people.  I'm probably going to write a book called  Proverbs of Rolando.  More wisdom from Rolando was received in stake conference when our mission president and the area 70 asked the question to the congregation,  "What is the goal of our church?"  Rolando stood up and simply said, "Que el evangelio llega a todo el mundo."  Or, that the gospel goes to the whole world!  This man has learned more and done more in this ward than anyone could ever have imagined; and he barely has 2 months as a member!  I can't tell you how many times this week ward members have told me with tears in their eyes that Rolando has helped them have more drive to work in this ward, to go to that activity to do one more visit! to go the extra mile!  Yesterday I saw him receive the Melchizedek Priesthood along with another recent convert and the dad of the less active family we found and have been working with.  They are ALL on their way to the temple. :)

In the back of the truck on the way to get the Melchizedek Priesthood!  This is the family of the little kid we baptized 2 weeks ago!  His dad received the Melchizedek Priesthood yesterday and they are on their way to being an eternal family :)

Missionary work is so incredible.... or better put, the work of salvation.... because it's not just us the missionaries.  None of this could have happened without a super pilas ward.  They want to grow and they are always working with us! 

free corn on a Tuesday morning in the jungle, cause why not?

Speaking of working with members, funny story time. :) So last week we got some great new ideas from Elder Duncan about how to work with the members... one was to go contact with them!  Basically show up to a member's house and be like we want to have an FHE here but we want to go with you to invite your neighbors!  Let's go!  And you invite them, well the family does, and we just sit back and watch the miracle happen.  Elder Duncan showed us a video of it when he did just that with some elders.  So my comp and I one morning we were like alright let's do it!  We went to a member's house and she was like yeah I have a neighbor who just moved in let's go!  And baddaboom it was JUST like the video Elder Duncan showed us.  The members invited the nonmember and at the end we were like oh by the way I'm Hermana Moore and I'm Hermana Phillips and we will be at the FHE too!  Haha that was all we had to say!  Then we showed up 2 nights ago and had an awesome FHE in a member's house and have a new investigator that is so interested in learning more!  So cool right! 

Alright that was the good experience, next one. so we have been working with a less active, we will call him Avelino.  He was going to have a big FHE in his house and a few hours before we were like let's go invite your neighbors to it and he was like yeah go for it and we are like no way you come with us you know them not us!  So we basically forced him to do it but oh my gosh it was SO FUNNY.  He was like, "HEY, neighbor. commhere. so uh.... these.... uh..... sisters are uh.... inviting you, it's their thing not mine, but they're like..... having a meeting at.... my house..... tonight.  They're inviting you..... so yeah.... come.  Bye."

HAHAHAHHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHAHA.  It was the funniest thing ever.  We were trying to count how many times he could say its their thing not mine in each contact he made.  In the end it rained really hard and no one came..... you win some and you lose some, right?  But I know that working with the members is the best and ONLY way we can do this work :) 

dirty flea filled bundle of love

I also have a super strong testimony in priesthood blessings.  This week I received one and in it they said that what I'm going through will help me become a better woman.  I'm learning a lot about faith right now.  Faith and jump roping to let the stress out.  Surprise I can jump rope now!  Mom can you send me a speed rope? :)  Oh, and agua pura and a smile.  That's the key.

Anyways, I love you all.  Keep doing what you need to be doing. 

Oh one last thing!  Our mission president said something over and over again in stake conference.... Don't feel good spiritually?  Go out with the missionaries.  It will make you feel better.  I truly believe that.  Go help your missionaries in any way you can!  But help them out by accompanying them. That's all we really want! :) 

love love love,

hermana moore

p.s.  Okay one more funny story.  We totally forgot to bring our suit jackets to the stake conference and in our mission it is like a live or die rule that you wear your suit jacket in every meeting where president is there.  So we walk in and see every in saco and we like want to die.  So my comp spots the bishop's wife and tells her the situation.  Long story short 2 minutes later we were in saco.  Some sweet women switched clothes with us!  Hahahahaha I had on a totally unmatching back suit coat and a hermana in the crowd had on my teal sweater.  These people are so nice! :)  The saco switch!