November 1, 2014

HAPPY HALLOWEEN,

The time is flying by! Can we just talk about how it is already November and we just had Halloween?  How did that happen?  I feel like we should still be in summer. Dang, it went by so fast.  And this week was crazy.  It went by so fast, but at the same time I looked back on the beginning of the week and it feels like forever ago.  

So quick awkward update.  When Sister Black became my companion she was told that she was going to be an STL with me.  But apparently she is not supposed to be an STL with me.  The assistants called to ask me a couple questions about some sisters and I was like, "well you can talk with me and Sister Black since she is an STL as well..."  They were kind of awkward on the phone.  Then the next day we get a call saying there must have been some miscommunication and that I was a solo STL.  It was really awkward. So I am supposed to do exchanges all by myself....that might be rough.  But at least I am only over 4 sets instead of like Missoula where I had 16 sets.  Haha. 

Also, I love Sister Black.  She is like a breath of fresh air! We teach the same, our humor is the same, the way we think is the same.  It is wonderful.  She is a real champ. I don't think I wrote a whole lot about her, but she is the 2nd oldest of 4.  She has an older brother that is married to a recent convert.  She has two little sisters a 16 year old and an 11 year old.  And Sister Black goes home next transfer.  She talked with President and he asked how we were getting along and asked her if she wanted to stay with me until she finished her mission.  She said yes, so it is most likely that I will finish her mission.  She is from Price Utah and went to school for a little and wants to go into Elementary Education.  

I went on exchanges with the Sisters in Lewistown for a couple days.  Sister B (the love of my life)  and Sister Kupfer, who just came from Nauvoo.   It was so much fun! I have this love/hate relationship with exchanges.  I love it when I am on them, but going on them is really hard. I hate leaving my area.  HATE IT! It's the worst.  But I love getting the opportunity to help lift sister’s confidence and just praise the heck out of them, especially when they deserve it.  Sister Kupfer and Sister B could not be more opposite, but they make it work.  It was really neat to see Sister Kupfer come out of her shell and get comfortable with teaching. She has some crazy stories of protestors and anti Mormon people coming to Nauvoo.  But she said that a proselyting mission is much harder and more draining than what she was used to.  I hope I was able to help her a little.  

I have about had it with ____ and _____.  They have been frustrating me to no end recently.  Sister Black and I prayed about and really thought about a lesson we could have with them that would help them progress and help them desire to make changes for the right reasons.  Right now Becca is nowhere near baptism.  She has no desire anymore.  None.  And_____ just goes through the motions and we aren't sure where his testimony actually lies.  We feel like it is much more social than it is spiritual.  So we had this rockin lesson planned and they totally destroyed it.  UGH! My life.  We got there and _____ wasn't awake and didn't wake up for another 30 minutes.  And then the whole entire lesson he was making crude jokes, not paying attention, teasing _______ while she was reading and both of them gave us ridiculous answers to the questions we asked them.  We read 3 Nephi 11 with them and I asked what they were doing to prepare to meet God.  And _____ just laughs and says, " I am dying......get it? I am dying to meet God!?"  ______ I AM GOING PUNCH YOU IN THE FACE!  I was not having it. Sometimes I have to remember I am a missionary and not say the things that come into my mind.  I bit my tongue and said it was time for us to go.  I almost took my tag off and went off on both of them.  But, I kept my cool.  It is just so frustrating when you invest so much time and energy into someone, and they don't even care.  I think we are going to give them a  break and see where it all goes.  It makes me so sad.  But I refuse to baptize someone just because I taught them all the lessons and they answered correctly to the interview questions.  They need to feel it. They need to understand the seriousness of the covenant they are making  with God.  :(   

BUT! on a happier note! Brother Bailey had a cobbler party on Thursday and invited one of his tenants, Dennis.  Wonderful. That man is wonderful.  Earlier that day Brother Bailey gave Dennis a ride somewhere and Dennis started asking questions like, what is my purpose in this life, where is my brother who died.....yeah. Real talk. That happened.  So we taught him the Plan of Salvation and it went beautifully.  He is prepared my friends. prepared. prepared. prepared.  He is a very spiritual man that has gone through a lot in his life.  Between being homeless and having family members die, and being an alcoholic.  He has had some very profound experiences that lead him to God and have subsequently lead him here.  The Spirit was so strong in that lesson.  He was feeling it.  We are scheduled to have another meeting with him this Thursday.....with cobbler, which never hurts.  

Brenda, oh Brenda.  Pray for Brenda.  We taught her about tithing......and she was not about that. At all.  We had a recent convert, Martha Jones come to the lesson.  Sister Jones's husband is not a member nor does he want anything to do with the church.  It is the same with Brenda, so they connected really quick on that point.  So we thought it would be good to bring Sister Jones to the tithing lessons so she could bear her testimony how she was able to gain an understanding and testimony of tithing and how she has been able to do it without her husband supporting her.  But Brenda had a really hard time committing to living the law of tithing.  But understandably so.  She said they are barely able to make ends meet as it is and there was no way that her husband would allow her, nor would she be able to pay tithing to the church.  I think that lesson scared her off. She told us she didn't need a ride to church, but that she would walk. And when we woke up Sunday morning and it was snowing she texted and said she still didn't need a ride.  And she never showed.  We are going over tonight to see what's up.  I really hope that we can resolve her concerns and get to come to church.  She is so close! And this is when it really gets tough! She is so close, and that is when the adversary comes in full force. Dang you Satan! You little punk! Shave your legs!  

One of my companions always says, " SHAVE YOUR LEGS SATAN!" she went to this fireside where they were all given little cheap razors and the speaker said that when Satan was beating on you, hold up your razor and say, "SHAVE YOUR LEGS SATAN! Oh wait, you don't have any!" hahahahahahahahahaha I died. But I love it because it goes to show us that we have so much more power than Satan.  We have a body, we chose right, we are on the Lord's side. Hahah so when life gets tough everyone....just tell Satan to SHAVE HIS LEGS! 

We went to see Penny Taylor last night. OH how I love Penny Taylor.  She just cracks me up.  She is 70something and is the sassiest woman I have ever met.  So sassy.  She is a convert to the church and has a rock solid testimony. She amazes me.  She struggles in some aspects, which is why we see her, but she is incredible.  When we went over there last night, she was telling us about her family growing up.  I wish you all could come to these lessons with me and hear these people's stories. It would make your jaw hit the floor. And make you never complain about your life again.  Her Dad was an alcoholic and her mom smoked like a chimney.  Both of them were physically, emotionally, and mentally abusive.  Penny said she would cry herself to sleep as her parents had screaming drunken fits in the middle of the night.  She married 5 different times and married the same kind of guy that treated her like dust beneath his feet, she was raped as a young 19 year old girl at knife point and her own daughter was molested by her father.  I'm talking ROUGH life. And as we were talking I was overwhelmed with the Spirit bearing witness to me that God knew and she knew coming into this world that this was going to be her life.  And I could promise that God probably sat her down and said, "Penny, now  listen here, I am sending you to an abusive home, where you won't feel love, or significance and you will be treated terribly.  But I need you there because I need you to find the gospel and bring it to your family's life.  I know that I can trust you in finding the gospel.  I will be with you every step of the way, and when you find it, you will know. And you will know what to do."  And that is exactly what this amazing woman did.  She joined the church and because of her membership she was able to baptize her parents and her brother as well as do their endowments and sealings in the temple.  She bore a powerful witness to us that she knows they accepted it.  She knew they were there and they have thanked her many times.  One thing that I absolutely love about my mission is the love that I have for the people. I know missionaries say that all the time.  But it is so real! I love these people so much.  I meet them and tehy tell me some of the darkest places they have ever been and I can feel the Savior's love for them.  I am so grateful that I have this time to represent the Savior and when I say they are worth it, that they are loved beyond measure, that they have a purpose and diving gifts and abilities, that they are known and understood by God, that it isn't just what I think, but what the Savior knows about each of them.  Seriously, I leave every appointment with so much love for these amazing people. (well except for Karl and Becca at the moment....jk)  I am so blessed! I love my life!

I also got to be interviewed by President this week.  Oh how I love him! What an inspiring man.  I just leave those interviews feeling like I can do and become anything I want.  He has a way of making people feel worth it, and capable and loved.  He is just so wonderful.  At the end of the interview he gave me a big hug and told me how much he loved me.  Totes not allowed to hug.  But I guess the mission president does what the mission president wants.  Hahaha,  but I needed a hug from someone that I knew understood and loved me.  I will forever be grateful for President Mecham and what he has helped me become.  

I love my mission.  I can't lie and say it is always the best.  There are some hard days where I really just wish I could be home.  But those feelings and those thoughts of negativity are always followed by a spiritual confirmation and hug from my Father in Heaven that I am known.  I am loved. And I am where I need to be.  This gospel has changed me completely.  I am so grateful for the hard times and the good times.  Because it has stretched me to become and reach a higher level.  I love the gospel. I love my mission! 

Love you all! 

SIster Big Sky Moline