13th Week, First Transfer

Davey wasn't able to get on the computer on Monday.  He got on yesterday and sent a letter and some pictures.

hey so sorry i didn't get on yesterday our network was out and we couldn't get on the internet so today i am on! well let me tell ya about my area and new companion and everything that has happened, well elder pace is my new companion he is from bountiful utah ...anyway the YSA is super different than a family ward we cover a stake so our area is huge and we have a car so i don't get to bike around so i am getting fat even faster..but like i said the YSA is super different like for FHE we went to a bbq swim party that they were putting on and of coarse we didn't get to swim but it just is totally different than my last ward! my companion has been out for 9 months and he is the designated driver and the senior companion but i honestly have been shaping things up i am not being prideful but really nothing has been done since january i think the last baptism was and we have no progressing investigators or anything so seriously it is like i am the senior companion and i am super blessed because on one hand it is very hard like extreamly but i am growing and learning so much so i am greatful for this happening to me. so that was the watered down version of that haha but i think you get the point. the area is really good we are finally starting to pick things up when i came into the ward last thursday we had nothing but we just barely got a new investigator who is going to get baptized and we found two others that are awesome as well so things are picking up like i said and the lord and heavenly father are shaping me i am just so grateful for everything but i came out here to work and build the kingdom and that is what is happening so it is awesome. so ya also last week all the new missionaries came into the mission i got the oppertunity on taking one of them out on what is called open your mouth and we take them out for there first real door knocking time ha it was awesome also i should probably tell you this just to freak out mom ;) elder pace he is the designated driver so we were leaving the mission office one day and i was backing him out and he got distracked by something and long story short he smashed my leg and pinned it against a van and it hurt like crazy! oh i was so peeved haha but no worries all is well in zion so ya i am fine mom. oh and a fun experience before transfers elder dunford and i were biking and two black guys stoped us and asked if they could read the bible with us so we were like heck yes! ha but long story short these black guys told us how white people are a cursed race and that our white skin is the disease called leprosy and that god hates us and when jesus comes again he will make all negros rulers over the white race and we will be slaves and do all manner of horrible stuff that i wont say. so ya we were really mad after that and so my companion grabed me and pulled me away from them cuz i wasn't happy with what they said so i wanted to fight them but i didn't! so that was good but ya it was a fun experience and i have learned from it all we said back to them was may god bless you and have mercy on you. so ya that was pretty much my week like i said i am super sorry i couldn't email yesterday and also lastly there is a member that is going t st. george next week for some reason and he said he is willing to take anything i need to send home with him so i have a box and he is going to drop it off to you when he is st. george so ya that is awesome i will give him moms phone number and ya you can meet up some where and he will give that to ya! well i love you all so much and am so grateful for you and all you do for me and i hope everything is great in your lifes i pray for you daily well again i love you and wish you all a grand week and hope the reunion was great i miss ya! Love your son and Brother,

 Elder Moss

Cleaning the Church

In a truck moving

Pizza Buffet

Cowboy, the self proclaimed prophet who fought Incas in a previous life

Basketball on P-Day

Farewell

New Companion, Elder Pace

12th Week

Davey and his Dad were able to talk today after Davey emailed his weekly letter:

okay so my week was good we had some really good lessons take place but there is this one guy i want to talk about which is a way cool experience so on a preparation day a couple weeks ago while we were doing laundry a man came into the place and asked just for some reading stuff on our religion so we gave him  some and he left and we didn't think anything of it but then weeks later we were biking and i saw a man at his house so i went and talked to him and it just so happens that he was the same guy we meet at the laundry center and so we have taught him 2 or 3 times and he has come to church and everything so it was just a way cool experience cuz we thought we would never meet him again but we did! then we got transfer calls and i am getting transferred to a YSA called the academy so Wednesday i will be gone to a different area! ha so ya that was the news i thought i would share with you and also i am super fat so last saturday for lunch we had a zone lunch and went to a pizza buffet and i wanted to get my moneys worth so i ate so much it was so much food and i felt so fat and couldn't move thats just an idea of how much i ate. then that same day for dinner we had dinner with some Tongans and they decited to take us out to a buffet dinner and they pretty much Made us eat and eat and eat ugh it was so much food so ya i am fat..haha but ya that was the just of my week! 

Is YSA Young Single Adult's ward?  Are you moving to a new area or just assigned to a different ward?

ya it is and i am moving to a new area

So what is the new area?  I assume you are getting a new companion?  Do you know who it is?

his name is elder pace i don't know if that is how you spell it or not but ya i get a new area and it is a car area cuz it is super big!

So, your companion now will stay in your area now and get a new companion and probably finish his mission there and then leave the new companion to take over they people you are teaching now, right?

Is the academy/ysa in fresno or another city?

What are you going to do with your bike?

Do you know where Pace is from and how long he has been out?

yup he will cuz he only has 6 weeks left in his mission. and yup it is in the fresno east stake about 20 mins away from where i am now. and i think i will donate it to the mission for parts and just buy a different one thats better.

Ok, what ward/area are you in now? I don't think you ever told us.  We just always told everyone Fresno and had that on the blog and that you by the mission home and Fresno High School.  We will need to post on the blog that you are still in Fresno but assigned to a YSA ward.  Is there an area of the city southeast or northwest or something to describe where you are at now and where you will be or by something like the Mission Home or the High School?

i am in the Van Ness ward and no i don't know anything by my new area haha sorry 

Ok, well, when you get there you will need to interrogate your companion and take notes so you can tell us about him and all about the area so we know where you are roughly and who you are with.  Have you met Elder Pace at all on P-days or meetings?

i think i have like once before but i just remember a short elder with glasses so i am kinda concerned but i know i will love him and we will do great! ha and yes i will tie him up using dental floss and interrogate him! 

I am glad to hear you are using dental floss.  Your mom and I wondered about sending you an electric toothbrush, what do you think?

ya i think that would be good cause i don't like the manual ones haha 

OK, we're putting together a box for you and will throw one in.  Sounds like you will miss Nicole's baptism and this new guys.

nikole actually didn't come to chruch and doesnt want to be baptized right now anymore which stinks but she will hopefully next month and ya i know i will miss them! it stinks but oh well its not about the baptisms 

That's right, great attitude.  It looks like Academy YSA is up in Clovis and is northeast of Fresno.

exactly thats what it is haha so how are you dad?

Really good.  Still wondering about this job, just doing my best.  I am putting in a lot of hours and not getting paid much though.  Other than the job situation things are great!

ok well i gotta go so i will talk to you next week and get those addresses and write them next week i love you all and hope all is well! i hope chase still reads that email i sent him and also you! well i love you! 

We love you too.  Your mom and I are going to the temple next week and we will pray for you there as well.

11 P-day in Fresno

On Sunday we got to talk to Davey for 40 minutes, well, I think we went a little over.  The last few minutes he bore his testimony to us, it was real special to hear that from him.  Katelynn came down for Mother's Day and stayed late so she could talk to him.  Then, the next day he emailed us and Tamara got to chat with him again:

hey how are yall?

I had so much fun talking to you yesterday!!  I think it was my most favorite Mothers Day ever!

well it should have been ;) ha just playing so did you make it in time for afv?

Funny, no we stayed and visited.  Shyanne text me on the way home.  She said she would have loved to come over and talk to you, but she had been in Vegas with her family.  She asked how you are doing and wanted me to tell you she misses you and knows that you are a great missionary.

oh no way she texted you? ha that is awesome and sweet and i am doing great i am just writing an email to chase right now but how are you doing?

Doing good, I'm home right now having a little lunch before I go to Tuacahn.  I thought dad would be home, but he said the Boss' would be to work today so he might not be able to get on.  I am so impressed with your testimony, I touched me.  Your testimony is so strong, It just lets me know what a wonderful missionary your are.  

Katelynn is really liking this Jeff George.  I think you are a little taller than him.  I sent you a bunch of pictures when we were at the Coombs'.  Did you get them?

no i havent gotten any pictures! i wanna see haha

I will try to send them again, give me a little bit of time.  I told Chase that you are online. I think he is trying to get onto a computer.

What are some of the things you are going to do today?

shop do laundry and play volleyball and basketball so ya haha pretty fun!

It does sound fun, relaxing ;)  Chase said he is on with you, but he doesn't know what to say, haha

yes super relaxing haha i am trying to work off my fat! haha and ya i am talkign to him ha

i decided one i am done with a journel or note book i will send it home so you can look at!

Funny, I can't even picture you getting fat, you are funny;)  yeah, I just sent you a few pics did you get them?

i got them! they are great i will send you some!

Davey and his companion, another companionship, and the senior 

missionaries cooking dinner for the sisters.

I will love reading in it.  Do you want us to send you another journal?

not right now i will let you know but i  would like it if you sent me my basketball shoes! haha and my black and white slip on shoes that are great!

K, I'll Dad help me get them and send them to you.  What black and white slip on shoes? (I might have to ask Chase which ones you are asking about)

Anything else you might think of?

i think they are adidas but they are the only black and white slip on shoes i think i have and nothing right now! thanks though

K, we get them out to you.  Are you craving any fun treat? I might be able to put them in with the shoes.

ha no not right now just maybe a cd case to hold the cds and ya i think that is it for now thanks so much i love you! what can i do for you?

Like a soft cover cd case? Oh Davey, YOU are already doing it!!  You have put your heart and soul into the work, you are being the best missionary you can be, and I know you will return with honor.   Thank you, love you so much!

ya like where i can hold a bunch of them all together? haha and thanks mom your the best so how was your mothers day?

I was fun. Dad fixed stuffed french toast with my grapefruit juice, yummy.  Katelynn and Jeff gave me some cute socks and some cards.  I got a call from you which was the highlight of my whole day. Fun all around.

Oh, I love the pictures. I'm not sure about the one single picture of you.  And do you have a part in your hair?

Davey said this is how he receives inspiration and a tan at the same time

haha well sounds like a really great day! and yes all the missionaries in the fresno california mission have parts in the hair so that we are set apart from the rest of the world ha 

But you have never been able to have a part stay.  How do you do it.  Do you have to use a ton of hair spray?

You look great like always, now don't let that get to your head;)   

I know you will have to go, have a fun day today.

Love ya!!!

i don't use any hair spray there is a gel that is only made in california called gorilla snot gel and it is super strong haha but i have to say at first i had to use a glue stick to get it to part and stay parted haha

Have a good day, I am heading to work.  Love ya

well i love you and i got to go thanks for all you do and the blessing you have been in my life god bless you. i love you all! your always in my prayers make sure chase reads the email i sent him and don't delete it you all can read it and learn from it in your own individual ways! love you!

Chase also got on from school:

Hey its Chase. Mom said you were on.

hey! how are ya?

Good! Im just in Advisory right now and they let me get on.  So how has your day been?

it has been just dandy i sent you an email you can look at it now or later or both! haha so how are you? whats your day been like?

Its good. i woke up at 4am today to do homework so i am tired but other than that it has been good.  what email did you send it to?

to this one and shoot 4am ?! holy cow nice that was earlier than a missionary! haha

ya i fell asleep doing my homework but oh well. Right now the student council is watching a movie on bullying.  I am missing it but i have already seen parts of it. its been way sad. it talks about people who are bullied and follows them around. so ya.

shoot ya i hate bullies they are just cowards

ya. so how many people generally email you during this time?

like 50! haha jk no like 10 people just freinds and such.

K well i gotta go the bell just rang. maybe we can do this another time! its been fun.  See ya! have a great day!

 ok have a great day love ya bud

10th P-Day in Fresno

okay so my week was great it is getting hotter and hotter and i am not used to biking and being in church clothes! haha but i will push on its not that bad. 

so we have killed a total of 6 black widows in the past 2 and a half weeks which isn't that bad but still. we umm helped some senior sisters move into an apartment which was fun i enjoyed myself.

we met with elane a 95 year old lady who is so sweet and cute! she made us a cake and spaghetti and we showed the restoration video with her now she just has to get baptized! but she is kinda stubborn. then i went and picked up a bike from a member who gave me it which was super nice! then we had a dinner with a member and we ate orange chicken which was great and also homemade ice cream mmmmm it was good! but i am getting fat... and losing the body i worked very hard for which wasn't even that good.. haha but ya then we had an exchange and i went with elder mcclung who is from west virgina and we had a great time i went to his area and he is spanish speaking and i didn't know what to say in the appointment but it was still super great! 

oh and a really cool experience that happened that answered my prayers.  i said a companionship prayer that we would have the opportunity to bear our testimonies to bring someone closer to the gospel and literally right after that we went out and right around the corner a lady yelled us down and we shared the first vision and bore testimony strong and she wants to learn more so that was awesome! then we ran into a guy we call cowboy hahaha he is a man that believes he is a prophet and that in his past life killed all the incas haha yes i said that he told us he was the one who killed all the Inca's haha it was super funny i love that guy and meeting all these crazy people and just everything! 

yesterday we had an investigator show up to church and she loved it her name is nikole and she has a boy named cayden who is awesome, we have been teaching nikole for a while but she has had a bunch of problems with meeting new people so she hasnt' come to church but she finally did and we taught a lesson to her after  and she accepted a baptismal date for the 25th of may so that was awesome. 

we also went to the hospital and around to members cuz a lot of people needed blessing so they called us to help. but ya it was awesome today and through the week i loved it!  

love you all and hope you have a great week talk to you next week! Love elder moss! godspeed!


DAD:
Would it be better for you to call before your church or after your church?

so when does your church end? cuz i was thinking i would call at 4pm my time. idk what time that is in st. george.

That would be perfect. That would be 5 o'clock our time and would give us enough time to get out of church and get home and Katelynn's church is the same time is ours so we'll just tell her the same time

ok great! sounds like a plan! 
i will be calling moms phone i believe

Yes, that is fine and then we will try to conference katelynn In.  Will we need to call you back so your phone doesn't get charged?

we actually don't call you at 4pm next sunday well it would be 5pm your time? you call me, my phone number is 559-202-XXXX

Ok, just to repeat... you want us to call you at 559-202-XXXX at 4pm your time.  Is that right?

yup that is right!

Ok, will do...can't wait.  Now, how about your week?

i will send a big email it will take a bit though haha

We are going to the Ence's house for a block party soon .. we have invited everyone including nonmembers so it is like a missionary fellowship your neighbors.

GOOD! continue to invite non members and do all you can!


MOM:
Hey I just got on.  How are you doing?

i am so great ha never better how are you? what you up to?

Just finished working with the kids at school.  I was just going to head out to Tuacahn and then I saw you on.  Good timing.  I am doing good too.  I have butterflies in my stomach cuz I can't wait for your phone call.  We have been really busy this last week.  We all wrote you a letter on Sunday, here are some highlights.  Brayden has finished basketball and baseball.  He did really good in both. He is about an inch shorter than me.  Chase had fun doing the Miss Ivins Pageant, he was an escort.  He has been very busy with school work and with student body things.  He volunteered to help with the Iron Man and he has gotten his first job.  He will work at Tuacahn during the Tuacahn season.  I'm doing the same things as always, work, church, and family things, but I try to find the fun in everything I do.  Katelynn is back on the market and is having fun dating different guys.  And dad is still working and filling the many cracks that need to be filled in when I'm not around with the family.

When do you think you will be able to call on Sunday?

that sounds like you are having a lot of fun! tell chase to save save save his money!!! and i think your calling me at 4pm my time which is 5pm your time (so that you can still have time to watch AFV at 6pm) haha but ya i sent dad the number you call me at but i will send it again 559-202-XXXX

Funny, AFV is always top on my list to watch on Sunday.

We were in church Sunday and the opening song we sang was "There is Sunshine in your heart" it made me think of you.  You truly bring sunshine to others.  Reading the letters from your Mission President and the ward member who gave you the bike, it makes me happy to know that your sweet spirit is still radiating outwards towards others.  And I think Sunshine was your nickname at school, wasn't it?  Anyways it totally fits you.

Have you been able to visit with any new people and share the gospil? 

i will send a big email about my week but yes we set a baptismal date this last week and had a great time!

That is awesome!!  For family night today we are heading over to Grandma and Grandpa Coombs to weed in the garden we started.

Oh and I thought of you again this morning, when Chase had a really hard time making his breakfast - Pancakes.  He didn't know how much water to put in the batter and then he freaked out when he flipped it over, cause he messed up on the flip.  I then knew I needed to give him more cooking lessons!

aweosme! sounds fun and i know mom you gotta teach them how to cook they aren't as good as i am ;) haha 

Oh I know what a great cook you are, ;) 

I am sorry but I have to go and get out to Tuacahn.  I love you so much and I'm proud of you.  Have a wonderful week!!!! 

Love, Mom

thats right!!

New Bike

We received an email from someone we didn't know with a picture of Davey attached.  After an email asking for explanation we got this:

Dear Brother and Sister Moss,

What a delight hearing back from you so soon!

Last week in Priesthood, they announced that one of the Elder's bike was stolen, and our missionaries were having a little struggle getting around. After the block I stopped your son and his companion, informed them that I had a 15 speed mountain bike they could have if they wanted it. we made arrangements for them to come over on Tues evening to take a look at it. I purchased the bike at a yard sale last year with the intention of using it to exercise. I already walk between 3 and 4 miles every week day morning, so I thought I'd get the bike to "extend" my exercise regimen. Have you ridden a bike lately? After a mile my thighs were on fire! I could hardly pedal home. I used it a few more times, with the same results, so when I heard of your son's plight, it was an easy decision for me, give it to the Elder's!

When your son saw it, what impressed him the most is that the tires are tubeless! Since it's primarily a mountain bike, tubes would be a hindrance. He wanted to pay something for the bike, but that wasn't an option, I told him it was free, plus my thighs couldn't take it any longer anyway! He loved the bike, so I wanted to take his picture with it, and send it to his concerned parents. The other picture was  a joke of course, but we thought you'd appreciate it.

Your son left a blessing on our home and my family, and what a sweet, spiritual blessing it was. My wife and I both commented on it after they had left.

Our son served a mission in Argentina 15 years ago, and I remember hoping that the members there would assist my son if he was ever in need, and they did. Now I had the opportunity to be of help to your sweet son. Thank you for raising a young man who represents the Lord, the church, and his parents with a sweet, kind, humble spirit. My wife and I love your son.

With Warmest Regards,

Ken Ritter

Moving the Sister Missionaries

Sister Ball, a single senior sister missionary, emailed us this photo and thanked us for Davey being there and helping her and her companion move to another apartment.