August 26, 2013

Well shoot mom happy birthday! that is super exciting i am so glad you had a good time and also tonya. i wish you all the best i love and miss you so much! i won't lie i was planning on getting you something but i don't have money haha and hardly anytime. i will try to do something for you though! but it will have to be next week i am so happy for you and you mean the world to me! love you so much

well my week was really good we were supposed to have 4 people at sacrament meeting but we didn't :( they were bums and didn't show but the week was very good we had a member actually set up an appointment with us with one of her friends so that was great we invited her friend to be baptized and she accepted but then we found out that she wasnt' YSA age so we passed her off to the family ward ha but we had a lot of lessons with investigators that our members came out with us to so the member work is really picking up! and i am super grateful for that. i also went on two exchanges with some of the elders in my district elder burnham was first he is serving in clovis 7th ward and that went really well he is a hard worker and exactly obedient but he has a problem with teaching but over all just a really great missionary but he got his visa and went to argintina so he left today. then i exchanged with clovis 3rd ward elder wells, he actually came out the same time that i did so that was cool also he is a great missionary he doesn't talk to everyone but when we went out together we did and we found a lot of potentials for his area, there ward is really struggling we met with a family and tried to set up a mission plan for there family and the father was totally against it and did not want to do it! i was sad but they are working hard and just need the ward to pick up and help it is a slow process but they are improving which is great. i am really though trying to learn how to better help my district we have a lot of potential but i just am trying to learn what i can do better to have us all do amazing in our areas. but anyway this week was a blessing we found 4 new investigators and also taught a lot of lessons it just was a blessing and a fun story we were driving in the car one night and (this is how we do some of our finding) we saw this girl on the side of the road running so we quickly pulled over and stopped her and talked to her about the gospel and asked if we could share a message she said she didn't know so we then asked if we could get her number and shoot her a text on what she decides so the next day comes and we text her and she says she cant meet with us or anything so we got sad but i got the idea to say a prayer and i asked that she may be able to meet with us that a miracle could be preformed then after that i texted her and said well we respect that choice but if you could pray about it that would be amazing and she was like alright whatever. so a couple days passed and nothing happened then one day she texted us and said she prayed and that we could meet up sometime! so we are going to be meeting with her sometime this week! but ya it was really great but that was a bit about my week and everything just a lot of teaching and finding we went to the college and taught kids on the campus which was also fun so ya it was jsut a busy but very great week! i love you all and hope everything goes great this week!

Love Elder Moss

August 19, 2013

We received a hand written letter my snail mail today.  Inside was a package of BBQ flavored larvae:

Hey Family,

Just wanted to wish you all a great week.  I love you, and to the boys...good luck in school, work hard and stand as examples at all times.  I enclosed a treat for you all and hope you like it!  Mom and Dad, you're the best, keep up all you do.  I love you so much.  Well, I am headed to Buffalo Wild Wings for dinner tonight so alright, love you all.  You're always in my prayers everyday at all times!

Love your son,

Elder Moss

P.S. Chase & Brayden...you're both dillweeds : )  Keep working out : )  Maybe you will have a body like mine one day!  I'm gonna wrestle you both!  And then wrestle Katelynn's husband and kill him in basketball!!

Email:
Hello all ya'll! This is Elder Moss reporting from California Fresno..well this week has been harder but also very good. we have had to drop a lot of investigators cuz they aren't progressing which stinks but it is good cuz we literally talking  to everyone about the gospel and about becoming a mormon it is the best we are meeting a lot of people but school has started up for the YSA so we are going to just go to the collage and tackle them and get them all baptized ha nah i wish a lot of people are bigger than me so that wouldn't work out to well but we are going to be finding more cuz we have not as many investigators and need more! Brayden and Dad that is awesome you are losing weight and tracking the calories keep working out also! you are the best i should start cuz i have lost a lot of muscle which is so sad! haha i call it an increase of spirit pounds ;) and chase you gotta work out and practice sports! your awesome chase though really i am so grateful for you and brayden as my brothers continue to be an example and a blessing to all people you meet. NEVER lower your standards at any time ALWAYS set new and higher goals for your self. your both grand examples to me so thank you. i love you all.

 also this week as district leader it has been stressful haha but so awesome! i love it truly i just have no time at all i am always doing something and it is the best! training is going great as well i love elder lord he is a great missionary we get along well. this week we had a former assistant to the president with us he is going with companionships and teaching them all that he knows so he was with us and that was a blast some of the best time i have had on my mission. on sunday we had two investigators show up that we had no idea would but that was cool and president gelwix showed up also and took me out to have a lesson with a former investigator so that was super fun i just love it out here! you all better be doing missionary work also at home! but i don't know what else to talk! i love you all and pray for you everyday mom and dad you are best thank you for having me haha keep working hard, miss you all!

Elder Moss

Painting Sister Burnett's House

At Father's and Son's

Elder Lord (my companion) and I

Our Zone

A big cactus I found

Tracting an orange grove

Dad's Thread:
Mom is applying again for the secretary job at Snow Canyon High.  She would really like this job and if she got it would not want to move up North if I got a job up there.  Anyway, the moral of the story is to keep praying for us so we will know what to do and will be blessed in this area.   We really feel blessed so far as we are still making enough money to do what we need to do.  Chase doesn't want to move as he is now in High School and popular being on the exec council.  Brayden ended up getting into football and when they weighed him in he topped at 201 lbs.  Can you believe that, 11 years old and 201.  Anyway, we had a talk and he and I are keeping track of calories and trying to eat healthier.  On Friday he asked Chase and I to ride bikes with him to Tuacahn and back.  He is doing so well with it so far and wants to get in shape.  The Hafen reunion is coming up in a couple of weeks, over labor day weekend.  Mom won't be able to go as she works evenings, this is another stress as she is off in the morning when I am home and I am in the evenings when she is at work.  Your mom's birthday is this Saturday.  She got it off so we are going to go out as a family and do our traditional birthday dinner where she gets to pick.  Our garden is doing good, every week we get a bunch of vegetables and fruit too since we are taking care of grandpa Moss's garden too.  We are eating a lot of salsa with all the tomatoes and jalepenos we have.  Love you ton's.  Can't wait to hear about your week and how training and being senior campanion and district leader is.  Bishop Hurt said he is going to write a letter to all missionaries quarterly and asked for our input yesterday at church so mom wrote something this morning to him.

dang that is so cool! i miss you all tons and i always pray for you keep working hard and don't move haha ;) 

We got your letter today!  Mom is looking at it right now.  She said, ewwwww! Are you serious?  Are they really, really worms?  

So funny.

I can't wait for the boys to try them.

haha yup they are worms! they are so good!

Did you eat them?  Also, I noticed your week letter started with "Mi Semana"  Are you speaking Spanish now?

of coarse i ate them! and haha i know barely any spanish but i am picking up a little while out here


Mom's Thread:
Hey Davey!!  What the heck... Worms!  What kind of a snack is that?

It soooo made me laugh!  How are you?

haha ya mom thats my snack it is super cheep i just go out side and get worms then put bbq sauce on them ;) ha i thought you all would like that. i am great super busy with all my responsibilities but it is good i just got to get use to it all. i loved your voice message it was great

K you should have seen me look at your "snack", once I finally figured out it was real worms I sure am not going to touch it.  Dad said, Oh, good a healthy snack for Brayden it is only 9 calories".  I will certainly NOT let him try it.  Hey, I need to know your address.  I want to go onto google map and see where it is.  

i don't know what the address is but it is on the corner of gettysburg and peach its an appartment complex called maroit manor? idk how to spell it but ya and you gotta eat some of the worms!!

That is good enough on the address.  Dad is begging me to try to eat some worms...  I said yeah right.  Have you eaten some of those types of worms?

I am glad you are working hard, but you know as a mom I worry about you working hard.  I know the Lord will bless you in all that you do and the more you put into your mission the more you will get out of your mission.

Is their a favorite restaurant that you and your companion like to go to? 

ya i have eaten those worms mom! you gotta eat some! and a favorite resturant? um idk i dont think so no. and please don't worry about spending money or sending it to me anything like that for us please we are doing just great and fine. the only thing i ask is when i email you things i need if you could send them to me haha but other than that you are already doing everything for me your prayers and examples of what you are doing at home is plenty thanks so much!

I haven't had a chance to order you your garments, but it is on my list to do today.  I forgot the size you wear.  I need the size. Dri Lux top and Cotton bottoms, right?  Also what is Elder Lord's first name?

I've got to go to work now.

Love you so much and pray for you always.

Love, Mom

ya totally that works great and just like a M or L top and same with the bottoms idk though for sure haha and his first name is Derek.

August 12, 2013

hey yall how are ya?!

Hey Davey,  This is Mom.  How are you doing?  Did you get our voicemail?

yup i did! loved it

Oh Good! I thought we would do this once a week to just say a few words to you. We had fun doing it.  It was funny that Chase had a hard time thinking of things to say.  He has had a lot of things going on with the student body and i think he has had a lot of fun.  

Braydent is so excited for school. Dad gave them fathers blessings yesterday.  He said some really cool things in their blessings.

Katelynn is finally getting settled up north and trying to get her classroom organized.  We have been praying for Jeff to be able to get a job in Orem, one that will make it able for him to go to school.

I have applied for a Secretary job at SCHS.  I don't know if I will get it but I've asked everyone to pray that if it be Heavenly Fathers will that I will get the job.

Things are going good with life in general.  I can always find the joy and peace that I need each day.  I feel so blessed to have such good children and they are doing what is right.

I got to see the new temple movie.  It is so good.  I loved it!!!  I hope you will get the chance to see it.

How has your week been.  I have been praying that you will find the joy in your mission and find those people that want to hear the gospel. 

your prayers have been heard we found and taught so much this past week thank you so much!  we should be getting to go to the temple this transfer so i am excited to see the new movie! 

hey so i got the voice recorder it was awesome! thanks so much! and dang so much ice cream! i would eat it up if i were there! and you are going to be surprised i am not a picky eater anymore with anything so that sounded way good what brayden made except with my hamburgers i am still picky haha 

but anyway this week was very good we did a lot we had our quad zone activity last monday so we went to that and played rugby and basketball so that was a lot of fun i really enjoyed it. transfer calls were also this past saturday so this wednesday is transfers for us. i will be staying with elder lord cuz i am still training him but i did get called to be a district leader so now as of this wedsday i will be a district leader there are 4 areas total in my district so this should be great for me! haha  but the mission is great i love it here in fresno so much we are getting a lot of investigators and the ward is slowly but still progressing, we are teaching this Hmong kid named upain that is 20 and it is so sweet i love him so much but he knows absolutely nothing about christ or god so it has been so awesome to teach him and hear him pray for the first time. also we have another investigator nick that has been frustrating he wont come to church but yesterday we gave him a church tour so it is a slow progression but he is going to be baptized i can feel it haha. but ya we have had a great week been teaching a lot of people and getting members to come out with us it has been one of the best weeks since i have been here in the academy ward so ya but just living the missionary life is about all i am doing all day every day ha so i cant think of any experiences right now but next week i will for sure have some! i love you 

Elder Moss

 well i love you all and hope you have a great week hope to hear from you soon! love you all 

Elder Moss

Davey,

It sounds like you have to go.  Sounds good with your investigator.  Wow District Leader, that is a lot of extra responsibility.  You'll do good!

Love you so much and I pray for your happiness. 

MOM 

ya i reached the time limit of being online but i love you and pray for you all! wish me luck playing ball! ;) have fun in school! haha 

August 5

We posted Davey's first P-day in Fresno, then second week in Fresno, etc. week by week.  It was pointed out that he has been out longer than the number of weeks we show on his blog.  This was because he was in the MTC a couple of weeks and we didn't start that until he was in the field.  Also, he started in the MTC on a Wednesday and flew into Fresno on a Wednesday so it was confusing.  Anyway, we are just going to put the date of his letter/email/ update instead of weeks from now on, everyone knows he will done in February 2015.

hey dad and family how is it going today?!

Great! Did you get the pictures that dad sent you? And my email I sent last week?

This is MOM

i got the pictures!

Well?  What did you think?  I loved the one of you being a pirate...arrgh!  How has your week been?  Did you get the letter from grandma?

haha ya i know! the picures looked good you and mom looked good have you been losing wieght?! or did you just suck it all in! ;)  week has been great and yup i did i loved it so much! how are you mom>?

Mom just went to pick up Chase from a leadership meeting he had with the exec council at the high school this morning. Not losing weight but need to.  Thanks.  How about you...how is the weight?

i don't want to talk about my weight i am on the errand of the lord i don't need to be worring about my body even though it has gone down the drain...haha i am glad i wear garments cuz i would hate looking at myself with my shirt off now ha just to let you know i am going into exile for 2 months when i get home and just working how hard core haha ;)

You are so funny!  We can't tell anything from your pictures.   So about the baptisms - who are they.  And what about the others you say you have?

well we have nick adrian brian but they aren't super solid so we just got to keep working with them they just need to come to church!

So, these are the ones that you say may be baptized?  How about the one on the 30th.

ya he is our only one this month with a date but there shall be more! we have a lot that have dates but we have to push them back cuz they don't come to church the bums. but what has been happening at home besides the past wedding, what all has happened?

i love you all so much and i miss you keep choosing the right and stand strong in all places! dont give into temptation ever blessing await all of you just don't think for one second that you can do something that is wrong don't allow you to even let that thought enter the mind stay worthy and make righteous friends. stand for what is right and true. that is my prayer i love you all and i know you will do it and share the gospel! hasten the work of salvation you are member missionaries share the gospel give out pass along cards anything! don't give any excuses cuz i have heard them all you all share the gospel and widen your circle of influence you will feel the atonement more in your life as you share the gospel. i love you all and have a great week i am going to play some rugby now! love you your the best family truely now keep growing and pushing for more excellence becoming more better.

Love elder moss

Thank you Davey.  You do the same.  Stay strong and keep moving forward even if discouraged.  We will pray for you and for those you are looking for.  Love you tons.  Thank you for the example you are.

you da best all of you! haha love you so much! chase and brayden you better be an amazing example stand strong just like i just said before your amazing you have great potential dont do anything to ruin it only make your potential even greater!  

Mom is back now and we are both here as well as the boys.  Dad had a friend on facebook that he knew in Texas, a girl that left on her mission from the ward he was serving in, say she was in Orem (the friended each other on facebook several years ago) and he saw it while we were up there and we went to breakfast with her and her daughter who she is dropping off to college.  She is coming down to go to Tuacahn this week as we offered her some tickets and she accepted.  It was way cool seeing a member from the mission so long ago.

dang that is way cool and way good president hinkley always did say what the 3 things every new member needs! and he told us missionaries to keep in contact with our investigators!

She wasn't an investigator but a member that went on a mission from the ward he was serving in.

oh gotcha then.  alrighty so my week has been good way good some might even say great! well anyway some of the high lights was last week we had trainer trainee meeting which was way good we learned a lot and i change little things in my life especially as a missionary to become better. then we have been throwing down on our members to do missionary work so we actually had a lesson in a members home with a former investigator that they invited over this past week which went good the spirit was strong but she ignored it and so that was sad. then we have been going to see some less active members and helping them out and showing them how they need to come back to church it stinks when the person is a returned missionary and they go less active im just like shoot what did you do on your mission aghhh! it is way frustrating haha then we of coarse went tracking which we went for a very long time and just found families for other missionaries to teach so it was good but at the same time we are running low on investigators. but of coarse we do have some great investigators that are going to be baptized which is good one on the 30th of this month and hopfully others before that. but everything here is great i love being a missionary and serving the lord this last saturday we had president gelwix come out with us to 2 appointments that we had and he also took us out to eat at dog house grill which is a place that has the best tri tip steak sandwhich! but he came out with us and the lessons were great i loved it ha elder lord and i didn't say anything the second appointment cuz president just went off and was amazing haha it was a great night. he said some really good things about me and how i teach and everything which i loved and he expects great things from me. but  today for preparation day we are going to be having a great day we have a quad zone activity where president gelwix is coming and we are having a rugby tournament between zones! haha it is going to be awesome! i love you all wish you were here playin or watching! i love you all and hope you have a great week! Love you Elder Moss

You know what i love about being a missionary is the super tough hard days when all your appointments you had set up and thought were for sure solid but all fall through throughout the week and then flat tires on your bike in the front and then you fix it then the back tire the same day blows out and then you get yelled at and unkind words are thrown at you and different objects are just missing you like unto Samuel the Lamanite when he was crying repentance on the wall and the people were throwing things at him but nothing did ever hit him that's what my mission has felt like and i love it and rejection isn't the worst thing that can happen but a ton of it gets you to question at times if there is someone else out there in my area that need the message that i've been blessed with and the quick re-assurance from the spirit says" yes there is and don't you give up on them don't you dare you are the missionary they need please don't let them wait, go find them" then my immediate reaction is not always okay lets do it but more than usual is a prayer in my heart asking the Lord for forgiveness for my unbelief then the forgiveness settles into my soul and every fiber of my human being then i gain strength to knock yet another door and there the individual/family await who the Lord prepared that would listen to what i have to offer them, a gift from the Father and the Son and the Spirit "The Gospel" they are filled as they accept it all into there lives and begin there process of becoming a follower of Jesus Christ.

I LOVE MY MISSION!!

Love you all, Elder Moss