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| Love note to the Elders |
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| What people drive in Modesto California |
............................ Elder David Curtis Moss, Fresno California Mission ........................... ____________________________________________________________________ This blog is written by Elder Moss and his family. When we receive a letter, a picture, an update, etc., we will post it here so his friends and family can know where he is and what he is doing (the most recent posts are at the top).
Wednesday, July 30, 2014
July 7, 2014
Dad - "I am almost home. I've been watching the email so it looks like you just got on." "I'm home now. Seems like it has been a long time since we chatted."
Davey - "I know right! it has and that is an awesome story about Dillon! how is he doing?"
Dad - "We only got the one email from him and that's it. We don't know, nor have we heard, anything more. What is this about movie night? We never had movie night when I was on a mission. I can understand getting together to watch the Saratov Approach but Forever Strong, really?"
Davey - "That was one of the hardest things that I struggled with when I first came out on my mission was worthy but the atonement is truly the greatest thing ever! and I had a super spiritual experience that I hold dear to me it was when I was meeting with president Gelwix and at the end he said as your inspired priesthood leader I want you to know that you are clean and worthy. The hardest thing for me was I never forgave myself so the burdens stuck with me but the atonement is true and great!"
Dad - "It does my heart good to hear you say that and share that with me. I am so glad that you have experienced the atonement and have had spiritual experiences. You now know why missions are so important - they are the best way to prepare young men to be worthy father's and priesthood holders for the rest of their lives. The baptisms, the members, the friendships are all collateral - they are great - but collateral to what the missionary gets out of it."
Davey - "yah that is so true but it is so much better to prepare and prevent than to repair and repent, but when we need to repair we can and then in Ether 12:27 happens and in Alma 5 where a change of heart takes place. That's the process between justification and sanctification! It is awesome I love being a missionary! It has been hard lately with communication between me and my companion but we are still doing great and with president Gelwix goes home today it will be a good change but I love him so much!"
Dad - "We are planning on going to his homecoming, we have it on the calendar. We have been praying for you and your companion to make it easier with the communication problem, every pray we offer that is mentioned no matter who prays."
Davey - "thank you so much for that I really appreciate it!" "ha ha so that is a new finding idea that we are doing here in the YSA we are watching different movies with members so they can also invite their friends and so then we get introduced to them we don't get permission to watch a lot of the movies like 17 miracles and so forth that aren't in our mission movie library so we just go to meet and greet so it has been good so far!"
Mom - "How are you doing?"
Davey - "I am doing fine mom I love you so much! I am grateful for you and all you do I don't have much longer on line."
Mom - "I love you too! Be safe and remember the Lord will always be with you when you are on the Lords arrand. I pray for you always. Stay healthy - smile and keep positive - love mom"
Davey - "I know right! it has and that is an awesome story about Dillon! how is he doing?"
Dad - "We only got the one email from him and that's it. We don't know, nor have we heard, anything more. What is this about movie night? We never had movie night when I was on a mission. I can understand getting together to watch the Saratov Approach but Forever Strong, really?"
Davey - "That was one of the hardest things that I struggled with when I first came out on my mission was worthy but the atonement is truly the greatest thing ever! and I had a super spiritual experience that I hold dear to me it was when I was meeting with president Gelwix and at the end he said as your inspired priesthood leader I want you to know that you are clean and worthy. The hardest thing for me was I never forgave myself so the burdens stuck with me but the atonement is true and great!"
Dad - "It does my heart good to hear you say that and share that with me. I am so glad that you have experienced the atonement and have had spiritual experiences. You now know why missions are so important - they are the best way to prepare young men to be worthy father's and priesthood holders for the rest of their lives. The baptisms, the members, the friendships are all collateral - they are great - but collateral to what the missionary gets out of it."
Davey - "yah that is so true but it is so much better to prepare and prevent than to repair and repent, but when we need to repair we can and then in Ether 12:27 happens and in Alma 5 where a change of heart takes place. That's the process between justification and sanctification! It is awesome I love being a missionary! It has been hard lately with communication between me and my companion but we are still doing great and with president Gelwix goes home today it will be a good change but I love him so much!"
Dad - "We are planning on going to his homecoming, we have it on the calendar. We have been praying for you and your companion to make it easier with the communication problem, every pray we offer that is mentioned no matter who prays."
Davey - "thank you so much for that I really appreciate it!" "ha ha so that is a new finding idea that we are doing here in the YSA we are watching different movies with members so they can also invite their friends and so then we get introduced to them we don't get permission to watch a lot of the movies like 17 miracles and so forth that aren't in our mission movie library so we just go to meet and greet so it has been good so far!"
Mom - "How are you doing?"
Davey - "I am doing fine mom I love you so much! I am grateful for you and all you do I don't have much longer on line."
Mom - "I love you too! Be safe and remember the Lord will always be with you when you are on the Lords arrand. I pray for you always. Stay healthy - smile and keep positive - love mom"
July 7, 2014
Good morning, this is Elder Moss reporting. It is Sunday
morning the 6th of July and it is almost 7 in the morning, it is
like 6:40 now, yum I’m tired – I’ll just tell you that right now. Yum but it is
a good tired but yum yah. So this past week has been up and down week. Still
helping them move along… we haven’t found any new investigators and they are
just not solid so yum we will have to keep working through our members, but yum
we did/had FHE on Monday night. That was out at Volk Ranch, a really nice ranch
they are really awesome people. We had I think we had one non-member there that
time, but it was a really great activity. It could have been advertised better
but it was still a great activity and hopefully we will do it again in the
future so more people will invite there friends…it was really cool. Then we met
up and had a lesson at the park the next day Tuesday, July 1st and we
had a lesson at the park with a girl named Britney, so she just met us there –
right on the grass it was pretty fun. We talked about the restoration a little
bit and why there is so many churches and different things and then of course
we went and had a lesson with Kevin. Kevin he is really awesome, he just needs
to put off his natural man and listen to the Holy Spirit he was supposed to be
here to church today but he said he couldn’t make it this Sunday. It will be
like the first Sunday in five Sundays that he won’t be able to come so
hopefully he will be able to come next week, but he is still moving along. And
then we went and visited a less active on Wednesday her name is Tiffany… and I
will tell you more about Tiffany in my next voice recordings.
So, Tiffany yum…she is like Chinese and she got baptized
like when she was like 16 or something. Just this past little bit she has been
non-active. Her boyfriend just went on a mission – well he has been out for a while,
but while he has been out on his mission she has become inactive. She clams it
is mostly because she works on Sundays, but she does want to come back to
church which is really good, a very positive thing. She was a national dance
champion a couple of years ago or something, but she is a really talented
dancer in ballroom, so she is really cool. Hopefully we will be able to
reactivate her. The people we are looking at to baptize are Kevin and Sarah,
that is who we are still working with. Sarah keeps texting us that she wants to
but she doesn’t know what her parents will think so we keep helping her having
good experiences so we can move her along. Our new investigator that we have is
Hannah, you probably have heard of Hannah. So, Hannah is really awesome we had
a morning lesson with her like at 10:30am. It went really good, she struggles
with knowing the identity of God and Jesus Christ and different things. She is
very friendly and super talkative, so perfect for YSA – right (ha ha). On
Friday the 4th of July we invited her over to a friend’s house to
watch the soccer game, you know FIFA (ha ha) and she came and we had lunch, it
was a barbeque of course just like the 4th would be and that was at
Jake Diah’s house – it was kind of funny, we were like eating our lunch and
they were all watching the game cause we can’t watch the game and we hear what
is going on in the background with all of the screaming and whenever Brazil
would score. Jake served his mission in Brazil and his brother Ben served his
mission in Columbia so they were having a little rivalry while the game was
going on. Hanna, she had a really great time so hopefully she will keep having
positive experiences. I will tell you more about the 4th of July and
other things in my next one.So um, the 4th of July was fun, really fun. There were about 8 missionaries that were invited to go to our YSA houses in Riverbank, it was Amelia Perkins house and we had a super good barbeque. A lot of people were there, um it was just a great time, um no non-members which stunk but it was really positive it was a good barbeque. We watched fireworks and then came and picked us up and took us to see more fireworks with Sarah and Mitch. While we were watching fireworks at Mitch’s house Kevin was out walking the neighborhood and he noticed there were some people, and I yelled at him and scared him, it was so funny. He came over and joined us for a little bit. So on the 4th of July our rules are at 6 o’clock we have to have our cars parked and we can’t walk, we can’t drive, we can’t ride bikes, or anything. We have to be in our apartment unless a member comes and picks us up and then we can stay out until 10:15pm and so we did that. It was a lot of fun, it was definitely worth it, and a great experience. And what else happened… I know something else happened…but um… Saturday (if I remember I will come back to it) – Saturday we met with President Clark we got to meet the mission president, he is really awesome! He is going to be a great mission president! He is gun hoe and so awesome! He is super rich! Like super rich – its nuts, but um he is super positive. His wife sister Clark is a petite little thing and she of course is just awesome, she is very spiritual and ready to go. Hopefully we will get to meet them more, I have a leadership training next week – it was just a great time that we were able to learn a little bit more about them and where they are coming from. So today at church we are planning on Sarah and Hannah showing up so that is all we are looking for right now. I really appreciate all that you are doing back at home, I can feel your prayers, and I love you all so much, I’m grateful for all that you do and if I remember anything else that has happened I will be for sure to send it out. Love ya
June 30, 2014
Hey family and friends this is
Elder Moss, so this past week has been good. We ahh found a lot, on preparation
day we watched the Saratov Approach it was a lot of fun! Saratov Approach is a
super great movie – mom I don’t know if I would recommend you watching it because
you will probably cry a lot. Yah but it is a really good movie. Right now we
are having our lunch, I made Elder Salomon waffles. So he is having…if you can
picture this a waffle, with butter, with syrup, and then chocolate ice cream in
the middle with another waffle with butter and syrup on top (ha ha) and this is
what we are having today (ha ha). Oh my gosh(ha ha ha) you have to love it,
right! So, we have been teaching Marissa a lot. We had a specialized training
on Tuesday and we were being taught by Greg McEwen, he is a professional
teacher/trainer on Essentialism and I received this training a year ago, so it
was kind of weird that I have been out a year and it is coming around again. It
is a super good training, we went down and had that um on essentialism and the
importance on listening and just different things – it was super good! We have
been working with them – we went on an exchange with one of the Zone leaders
his name is Elder Fog. It is kind of weird, Elder Fog in my Zone leader and I
am over his district (like I am his District leader) and before when I was in
Fresno East I was his Zone leader and he was one of my District leader (ha ha) it is like we just swapped places, but
you know that is how it goes with every calling there is always going to be a release
and so it has been fun. We had a movie night – we set up a movie night with
some of our investigators we watched Forever Strong and so that was on Friday
which was yesterday. Today is Saturday June 28th, so yah on Friday
we watched Forever Strong we had four non-members there and two of them were
are investigators and two of them (girls) we were trying to get to be investigators.
So that is all that has happened so far. So love ya all!
Davey is talking to his
companion, Elder Salomon, helping him with questions he is having with English
and translating words and figuring out what the word means. In the back ground
you can hear Elder Salomon saying “release”, Davey says, “no not realize – it is
release” Davey then gives the definition to him.
Okay really quick this is Elder
Moss just finishing up my voice recording. Today is Saturday, we are doing our
baptism for Marissa – she is totally excited. We are trying to clutch
everything down because we have to get everything ready for it. We have to call
everyone for it. We will be having her baptism at 6:30 tonight and it will be a
lot of fun. We are going to go print off the programs and get everything ready
for that, so it will be fun. (Davey ask Elder Salomon if there is anything else
they have done, that was fun or like a
cool experience.) Yah I can’t… a lot has happened this week, I don’t think
there hasn’t been but a lot of great spiritual experiences we have them every day.
We keep working hard and keep pressing forward. For FHE we did…it was fun
(Elder Salomon just reminded Davey) we did some Book of Mormon story skits, so
we picked some stories in the Book of Mormon and we did like skits and stuff…
it was fun. Yum not a huge turnout though but it was a good opportunity to get
to know the Book of Mormon more and different things. Ya, I just love you all
so much, the gospel is true, I keep growing every day, keep learning new things,
and keep striving to live always by the spirit. So, continue to strengthen your
testimony every single day, you will see miracles, keep preparing, and try this
week to have your personal studies everyday – try to share with someone what
you have learned in your personal studies that day. It may be hard you may have
to start teaching the family first, but strive to push yourself every single
day like in your personal studies and then it will make your personal scripture
studies more effective and you will want to share them more. Have a great week!
Hey family and friends this is
Elder Moss, this will be the last voice recording that I will be doing before I
send them off. Last night we had a super funny time… a I don’t know it was a really
funny time in the moment, but we went to go visit this family and we shared a
good spiritual message and at the end I asked if we could say a prayer but
there response was, ”let’s sing”. (ha ha) So, they wanted to sing with us so we
started singing hymns and it was kind of weird but it was fun. Then we said a
closing prayer after, it was just really random. Ya so that was pretty much it
for our week. At church we had two investigators, it was our YSA conference and
so it was really packed and we had a lot of people there. Hopefully we will be
able to help those two investigators get baptized. We are having a sweet activity
tonight for FHE we are going out to a ranch, (interruption) sorry I am here
with all of the elders at the computers, so we will be going out to a ranch
tonight and (more interruption- in the background you can hear someone making
chicken noises and Davey saying to be quiet, and a lot of laughing) This is
what you get when you are with a bunch of missionaries (ha ha) and yah we will
be going out to a ranch and having a big bomb fire and everything and so it
will be a lot of fun and we will be getting a lot of non-members there it will
be a great opportunity. Yah and that is everything so far, so yah love ya all
and have a great week! (yelling in the background and Davey laughing)
Tuesday, July 29, 2014
June 23, 2014
Good morning family and friends, this is Elder Moss. Reporting
from Modesto California, so ya. Just a couple of items that liked happened this
week. It has been a really good week, um we have had a couple of struggling
days but for the most part it has been a really good week. Um well to start off
last Monday we played basketball against another stake and it was a lot of fun,
like really good basketball and it was a lot of fun. If you remember Sarah,
Sarah Vine, her parents freaked out about her getting baptized so she is
postponing it for right now. We had her do a fast to soften the hearts of her
parents and so that was yesterday and so we are still waiting to hear back and
everything from like how her parents are taking it and the directions in which
she should go. We are also still working with Kevin who is still praying to
know if Jesus Christ is his Savior and about his baptism this Sunday. We are
trying to work with him more and be able to help him along. We are also, um
helping Marissa. Marissa has been facing a lot from Satin, like she has a baptismal
date for the 5th, but she texted us if she could get baptized this
coming Saturday. We were like Wow – Ya - Sure – totally, she said she was just
facing a lot right now and Satin has been attacking her and pounding her and so
we will have to be working so close with her and be able to help her get
baptized on the 28th, so that was a cool miracle. I also went on an
exchange with the Zone leader and it was a really fun exchange. We did a lot
and taught a lot and we also caught a black widow. I don’t know what it has been
lately but we have been catching all of these spiders and feeding them to this
black widow that we have. It is kind of like our “pet” that we have. It is kind
of weird, but it is something fun that we did.
Okay so in the morning I was cooking breakfast and you know
those little pancake sausage things that we have had that look like corn dogs ,
so ya I was cooking one of those and put it in the oven and then I went to do
my studies, I was studying my scriptures and different things. We went out to
work and were working really hard we came home and there was smoke everywhere
in the house, it was so bad and I said, “WHAT THE HECK!” It was kind of foggy
and I wondered what this was and so I was tracing it and following my nose
sent, like my nose can smell really good and came to the oven. I had left on
the oven with the corn dog in it all day. Oh my gosh! My corn dog was
completely black! Ya a I didn’t eat it, but I was so lucky that I didn’t burn
down my apartment, so ya um I won’t be doing that anymore. (ha ha) We are still
working with those people who are progressing towards baptism – we are really
trying to set more dates and find more solid people. We went to go visit a
member and we shared an inspired message with her and all of the sudden the mom
got a phone call and we all of the sudden stopped and went over to her neighbor’s
house and gave her a blessing; it was a really cool spiritual experience! She definitely
said she felt the spirit. She is a non-member, but she acts just like a Mormon.
She would definitely go to the family ward, but it was a really cool experience
and a blessing to exercise my priesthood and be able to see a miracle be
performed. That was a really cool experience. Um I was able to interview a guy
named Paul he is getting baptized this morning at 10 o’clock, we have some
investigators coming. Paul is really cool he is a Native American and he faced
a lot of adversity, but he is awesome really ready for the gospel. I
interviewed him and he passed and so he will get baptized this morning. And I
will finish my last voice recording on the next one.
So I will close up with this last voice recording. On
Friday, um which was yesterday, we had a Zone conference. Oh and I will send
another one if something happened today or Sunday. So we had a Zone conference
it was President Gelwix last Zone conference with the missionaries and it was
really awesome Zone Conference! We went over a lot of stuff, umm so that was really
good. I had some really cool moments with President. He called me into – after the
conference he said he wanted to talk to me for a minute. We had some really
cool like personal time together in which um feelings of love and um it was
really awesome! I just love President Gelwix so much! We have a really strong
relationship and it will be hard to see it go but I know that President Clark
is inspired man and he has been called to be here at this time. So it was funny
President got asked by one of the missionaries, “President since you are going
home what is one dating advise for post mission?” And President was like, “Do
you want me to be straight up with you?” and they were like, “Yay, yay.” He
said, “DON’T MAKE OUT!” He went into the whole doctrine behind it and
everything, but then he said, “You do NEVER do that! It will not bring the
spirit and you will lose the spirit, it is only for feeling of when you are
married.” That is SO true! Um so that is my advice for you… Chase & Brayden
(ha ha) and anyone else who is listening to this… um that isn’t married. That
was really cool, um what else… so yah it was a supper Zone Conference. We
watched President Gelwix’s Documentary; I guess someone made a documentary on
him and of his rugby career and everything. It was his last rugby season right
before he went to be a mission president and so… it was really cool. The only
piece of advice that I would say that I learned the most, well I learned a
whole lot so I really can’t say I have only learned a piece, but make sure you
are saying more than two prayers a day. Not just you’re Morning Prayer and your
night prayer, but make sure you pray always. Pray before every single meal,
pray before every time you read your scriptures before and after, Prayer is so
powerful and don’t lose the habit and create that environment to be able to receive
more revelation. I love you all so much! I am so grateful for you for keeping
me in your prayers. Love you and have a great day, bye bye.
All right family and friends, today is Sunday evening. A
little update – we had Stake Conference. Marissa of course is getting baptized
this Saturday, she is solid for it, and she is awesome! She is going to have
our Branch President baptize her. We had
Stake conference Saturday evening and it was super good super powerful. We actually
it was kind of a surprised for us we had some investigators go so we were able
to attend and it was really fun. Um President Gelwix came up and he spoke in
it, he spoke at it. He gave some great stuff, in which he talks about how the
members can invite the missionaries to their home to have an inspired message,
pray for the missionaries by name, pray for their investigators, and pray for
missionary experiences, and then the faith to act. They also talked about
hastening the work and everything. It was really cool President called out
Elder Salomon and I during his talk, he asked us to stand up. Um he got pretty
emotional he was talking about how our families are praying for us and we were
standing and then told them how everyone needs to be doing missionary work,
because our families are praying for us to have success and how they need to be
able to help us and it was a lot more than that, but it was very touching. After the conference President we had a good
time, president took some of the missionaries out to McDonalds and so we had a
great time afterwards. I will be sending a picture home of that, but that was a
lot of fun. It was a good time we spent with President and just being able to
see him and everything, so ya that was pretty much everything. Stake conference
was awesome and it was a real blast! I’ll tell you more tomorrow, talk to you
tomorrow.
Good afternoon family and friends, this is Elder Moss and
Elder Salomon. How are ya? So my last voice recording for this week, it has
been crazy. Like yesterday I had to go on an emergency exchange with someone in
our district because um they were just like not getting along at all and like
one of them was ready to fight the other and so I had to go on an exchange with
them and help out in any way that I could. It was a really cool experience in
which I was able to receive some inspiration for them and some direction for
them and so um it was pretty cool. So while we were on the exchange we were
parked outside plugging in an address and this car just rolled up by us and it
was this Christian guy and he gave us some of this anti-Mormon stuff and all of
this junk that he thought he knew. He was saying how he had all of these books
and everything and it wasn’t true at all and he was being dumb. So that was
kind of a fun thing, I was able to testify to ah the guy and I was able to talk
with him in a very non-threating but a very direct way. Yah so it was pretty
cool! Today as a zone we got permission to watch the Saratop Approach, it was a
missionary movie that two Russia missionaries got kidnapped. We are really
excited to watch that! Um kind of a cool story only our zone out of the whole
mission was approved to watch it, so that was pretty cool. So yah that will be
today, so that is all that has been happening this week. Love you all so much
and have a great week and see many miracles!
June 23, 2014
Quote -
"There is no doctrine more fundamental to our work than the Atonement of Jesus Christ. At every appropriate opportunity, testify of the Savior and of the power of His atoning sacrifice. Use scriptures that teach of Him and why He is the perfect pattern for everyone in life. You will need to study diligently. Do not become so absorbed with trivial things that you miss learning the doctrine and teachings of the Lord. With a solid, personal doctrinal foundation, you will be a powerful source for sharing vital truths with others who desperately need them." - Elder Richard G. Scott
"There is no doctrine more fundamental to our work than the Atonement of Jesus Christ. At every appropriate opportunity, testify of the Savior and of the power of His atoning sacrifice. Use scriptures that teach of Him and why He is the perfect pattern for everyone in life. You will need to study diligently. Do not become so absorbed with trivial things that you miss learning the doctrine and teachings of the Lord. With a solid, personal doctrinal foundation, you will be a powerful source for sharing vital truths with others who desperately need them." - Elder Richard G. Scott
June 16, 2014
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| President Gelwix |
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| Trainer Chase Dunford |
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| President and Sister Gelwix - farewell testimony meeting |
June 16, 2014
Alright good morning family and friends. This last week was
a pretty tough week, not going to lie. Um ya it was probably one of the hardest
weeks with Sarah postponing her baptism because of her parents, we had that
highlight of being able to go to the Modesto Nuts baseball game um that was all
on Monday. On Tuesday we had a Zone
meeting in the morning and that was pretty good. Then we taught some people out
in Oakdale, our investigator Kevin is the only one progressing right now. We
have a lesson tonight with – oh I’m sorry I didn’t even tell you the day. Today
is Monday ya and tonight we have a meeting with Marissa finally. So we’ve been
trying to meet with her for a while she is a members friend, but um Wednesday
of this last week we had leadership training and it was really good. I gave an
instruction on what is to happen before a district meeting in order for it to
be affective. It was a good leadership training, it was President Gelwix last
leadership training with us. He leaves on June 30th and then that is
when President Clark comes in and so ya its good it is pretty crazy, but ya it
is still good. Elder Salomon he is so difficult, not that we don’t get along
cause we totally get along but that it so hard to communicate with him. I have
to repeat things over and over with him and I don’t know it is just probably
myself I just need to be more patient or something cause he is learning English.
It is supper hard, I take the lead on everything which I’m used to but I’m used
to a companion that can back up really easy but it will get better with time. I
will finish my voice recording on my last one, love ya bye.
So ya, we were talking to Sarah this last week she is doing
good she still wants to get baptized but doesn’t know when it is supper
frustrating on our part cause like …. Ah I don’t know. She called me a baptizing
pusher (ha ha). She says I always mention baptism every time we talk to her (ha
ha) and it is true it is the first covenant that we make with God and it is so
important, it is how we receive the Holy Ghost and so many more things. It is a
game changer and so ya I always do that. She is doing really good it’s just her
parents are actually getting better they are talking again and different things.
Um… we went on an exchange this last week with the Zone leaders, ah that was
good. We didn’t teach a whole lot of people, but we did have another lesson
with Kevin that was on Friday and it went really good. Our member messed up
stinking big time cause there was a YSA dance last Saturday and he promised
Kevin he would pick him up for it and he never did and Kevin was like waiting and
so you could tell Kevin was bugged about it. So ya there was a YSA dance on
Saturday and ya we didn’t go to it – don’t worry. (ha ha) Well shoot what else
happened… we only had one person at sacrament on Sunday and that was Kevin.
Kevin came again he has come four time now, he is still praying to see if he
should get baptized and different things, as long as he keeps having a positive
experience he will do good. Um, what else has happened?... We have been
dropping a lot of our investigators. I don’t know but this week has been really
low on the number side. We are still trying to find and we are still trying to
teach um so, we are working really hard, we are trying work as hard as we can,
but Satin has been going crazy with our area!!! But then God has been blessing
us still! So today, Monday, preparation day we are going to have a basketball
game with another Zone and so that will be fun – um we should have a fun time
with that. But hey I love you all and I wish you the BEST EVER. Continue to
read your scriptures and everything and God will bless you. Tell me more about
where you are staying and stuff I would love to hear about it, okay love ya
bye.
June 16, 2014
Quote -
“You could ask yourself, 'How did God bless me today?' If you do that long enough and with faith, you will find yourself remembering blessings. And sometimes you will have gifts brought to your mind which you failed to notice during the day, but which you will then know were a touch of God's hand in your life.” - President Henry B. Eyring
“You could ask yourself, 'How did God bless me today?' If you do that long enough and with faith, you will find yourself remembering blessings. And sometimes you will have gifts brought to your mind which you failed to notice during the day, but which you will then know were a touch of God's hand in your life.” - President Henry B. Eyring
President Gelwix
President sent this to me (Davey) and I forwarded it to my family.
GELWIX MISSION REPORT. Sister Gelwix will report on our mission to our home ward on July 13th. If your family would have any interest in attending, we would love to meet them. Listed below are the sacrament meeting details:
Olympus 5th Ward located at 3070 Nila Way, Salt Lake City.
Start time is 12:30pm.
GELWIX MISSION REPORT. Sister Gelwix will report on our mission to our home ward on July 13th. If your family would have any interest in attending, we would love to meet them. Listed below are the sacrament meeting details:
Olympus 5th Ward located at 3070 Nila Way, Salt Lake City.
Start time is 12:30pm.
June 9, 2014
Hey Family and Friends, this is Elder Moss and Elder Salomon.
This last week I will give you a bit of an update. You heard my last voice
recording about how we had transfers and everything went extremely well. I got
my new companion Elder Salomon he is from Mexico, in Veracruz. Where ever that
is… it is over by the Gulf of Mexico. We have been having a lot of good things
we have a baptism this Saturday, which is awesome! Today is Monday of when I am
doing this voice recording. On Tuesday night before transfers Elder King, Elder
Crawford and I we all went down to Fresno and went to the Presidents departing
farewell testimony meeting. We had two investigators with us and it was awesome
like it was super powerful. Both investigators want to get baptized, we had 5
investigators at church and then another one ditched out early after sacrament
meeting, so one our members ran out after her and he asked her where are you
going and everything and she said that she wanted to get baptized and so we get
to follow up with that and help her move along. Her name is Marissa. Sarah is
getting baptized on the 14th now, this coming Saturday.
Okay so this is the final voice recording, so this last week
Elder Salomon and I we have been doing good. We have had to drop a lot of
investigators just because they weren’t progressing. We found Donavan, he is a
former and we committed him to get baptized on the 22nd (August) and
he agreed, but he didn’t come to church. He has been to church four times
before, but he didn’t come this Sunday so we have to meet up with him. He isn’t
very spiritual but he is into music, cars, and you know worldly things. But we
should be able to move him along. Yum, and then tonight at FHE with our branch
we are going to a Modesto Nuts baseball game. Now don’t get me wrong we aren’t
just going with the members we have to get special permission to go during
normal proselyting hours since it isn’t a normal FHE activity and so we have
some investigators going with us so this was the only way that we could get to
go, so ya they are doing a barbeque before the game and then going to the game
after. Ha Ha it will be such a good time, it like really weird but ya. This is
Elder Salomon’s first time in a YSA branch and he is having a blast, he is from
Mexico and is learning English and now he is my companion and things are going
good so far. I love you all and I hope you will have a great week, may you see
many miracles in your life, um let me know if there is anything else you would
like to know and alright… love ya bye. June 9, 2014
“Though we have rightly applauded our ancestors for their spiritual achievements (and do not and must not discount them now), those of us who prevail today will have done no small thing. The special spirits who have been reserved to live in this time of challenges and who overcome will one day be praised for their stamina by those who pulled handcarts.” – Neal A. Maxwell
May 22, 2014
Good evening family and friends, just really quick just so
you know why I wasn’t on email on Monday because we had our temple trip this
Thursday, I guess that will be tomorrow – today is Wednesday night. So ya we
are going down to the temple down to Fresno, our Elders Quorum president,
Thomas Whitney of our YSA branch will be taking us. So this past week we have a
lot of fun stuff. Monday was prep day and we had a zone activity called Tron, I
think I told you about this, ya it was called Tron and you get circle glow
sticks it is pretty much dodge ball with glow sticks. (pause) Elder King is
checking our dinner calendar. Hey we have had some really great solid lessons. Sarah
she is solid for the 21st of next month. We moved up her date
because she is so super solid. She is the one whose dad is a Lutheran minister.
Her mom and her dad don’t support her at all, they have been giving her anti Mormon
pamphlets and all of this garbage and it is just ridiculous it is so dumb. She
is just so awesome and she has such an amazing testimony and just keeps moving
forward. She is reading the D&C right now which tells you how cool she is.
We are also having a baptism this Sunday, her name is Courtney and she is a
member referral also, she is awesome and solid as ever. She will get baptized this
Sunday at 4:30. We have also been working with a girl Cecilia and Leo, we have
also found a new investigator his name is Jesus, we took him on a church tour
and it was super powerful and we challenged him to baptism he excepted and then
challenged him to a date and he excepted just super easily and it was really
awesome and he is ready to be baptized.
Oh ya I am totally fine no worries at all haha and hey
wrestling is the best! It is the best way to know joseph smith (he wrestled) so
that is just a second testimony! We went to the temple today this morning and
it was amazing like always I received some great revelation and just a great
time! If you have some time watch the special features on the movie forever
strong specifically the parts where president Gelwix is interviewed and
basically he gives some great advice and cool things that the family would
love!Alright I love you have a great week keep up all you do! Love you so much!
May 22, 2014
Mom - "Wow, You are on...I'm glad you are able to get onto a computer. Did you get the package we sent? Did you get the voice mail and news article?
Davey - "I got the news article and i havent' been able to listen to the voice recordings we dont have a lot of time sorry and yes i got the package i loved it so much! and hey though did you know soy protein boosts estrogen levels? so when we send protein bars try not to get the soy protein in them haha but i am still going to eat them and i am so happy for them!!!"
Mom - "Funny... Connor has been having a hard time since the accident. He hasn't been able to sleep and feeling pretty guilty. It was a complete accident and conner was the only one wearing a seat belt. Keep him in your prayers. I saw one of your friends I can only remember his last name, Reed. He asked about you and he told me alot about his mission and after mission."
Davey - "Shoot I don't remember his name sorry and yes of coarse I will keep him in my prayers that is so crazy. but one question mom are you alright?"
Mom - "I am fine... no worries. My estrogen levels are awesome ;) (I must be eating the right stuff)"
Davey - "hahahahaha oh my goodness you are so silly mom! well I just sense you aren't at your fullest like you usually are so I just want to let you know I love you and you are seriously the best and the light whenever I am having a hard day i think of coarse of my savior but then I always think of you and it gives me strength because I know how strong you are and your just the best!"
Mom - "Davey you are so amazing!! In all reality when I get down I actually thing of all of my children and in my savior and it gives me comfort. I know when I am doing everything that I am supposed to be doing that the Lord will strengthen me and give me courage to face the obstacles in my life. I also get so much comfort when I read my scriptures and then liken them in my life. I am fine, if we didn't have trials we wouldn't progress in our life. I love you so much and it always gives me comfort listening to you and reading the things that you are experiencing! Thank you for being such an amazing son!!!"
Davey - "that is such a great solid testimony thanks so much mom you are the best!"
Mom - "How long do I get you?"
Davey - "for 10 more mins"
Later Post -
Mom - "How are you doing?"
Davey - "I am doing awesome, I love being a missionary it is the best it is super hard but the best!"
Mom - "Today was the last day of school for your brothers and both of them decided not to go since they weren't taking roll call in their classes. Dad and I are going on our 25th anniversary trip on Saturday. Dad got us a plan ticket to Texas, Galveston. We will be spending about 4 days together. This will be a much deserved vacation for me. Then when we get home I will have only 2 weeks at Tuacahn and then we will be moving. Dad found us an apartment to live in while our home is being built. So life will be moving pretty quick, when we get back."
Davey - "holy cow that is crazy well enjoy the vacation and happy anniversary that is exciting! keep holding in there and working hard but don't stress too much mom! (its not good for the skin) if ya know what I mean haha ;)"
Mom - "Funny... my skin is showing it's age, but that is fine. I have listened to a couple of your voice mails and I am loving them. It sounds like you are have some great success. I pray for you and the people you are teaching on a daily basis. You sound great!! It puts a great picture in my head of you - and I love it!"
Davey - "ha I hope so and hey guess what I have a huge goose egg on my head we had some other elders over last night because we were going to the temple this morning and they were riding with us and we wrestled and I smacked my head hard on a corner and haha it was a great time I will tell you that much!"
Mom - "Ouch, I am sorry you got hurt. Are you okay? You know I have never liked the wresting... maybe a little, but it always seems to get a little to intense. Maddison Moore wanted me to tell you hi. She is working at Tuacahn again, she is dating a Pain kid from Santa Clara. It so cool you had a great turn out for church.The boys are having fun with their start of summer brake. Our apartment has a basketball court and a pool. I have to help Chase get a job up north. Dad told him about a job at Artic Circle, Chase didn't think that was a good job. So He will be looking. Have you been able to go to the temple yet?"
Davey - OFF LINE
Davey - "I got the news article and i havent' been able to listen to the voice recordings we dont have a lot of time sorry and yes i got the package i loved it so much! and hey though did you know soy protein boosts estrogen levels? so when we send protein bars try not to get the soy protein in them haha but i am still going to eat them and i am so happy for them!!!"
Mom - "Funny... Connor has been having a hard time since the accident. He hasn't been able to sleep and feeling pretty guilty. It was a complete accident and conner was the only one wearing a seat belt. Keep him in your prayers. I saw one of your friends I can only remember his last name, Reed. He asked about you and he told me alot about his mission and after mission."
Davey - "Shoot I don't remember his name sorry and yes of coarse I will keep him in my prayers that is so crazy. but one question mom are you alright?"
Mom - "I am fine... no worries. My estrogen levels are awesome ;) (I must be eating the right stuff)"
Davey - "hahahahaha oh my goodness you are so silly mom! well I just sense you aren't at your fullest like you usually are so I just want to let you know I love you and you are seriously the best and the light whenever I am having a hard day i think of coarse of my savior but then I always think of you and it gives me strength because I know how strong you are and your just the best!"
Mom - "Davey you are so amazing!! In all reality when I get down I actually thing of all of my children and in my savior and it gives me comfort. I know when I am doing everything that I am supposed to be doing that the Lord will strengthen me and give me courage to face the obstacles in my life. I also get so much comfort when I read my scriptures and then liken them in my life. I am fine, if we didn't have trials we wouldn't progress in our life. I love you so much and it always gives me comfort listening to you and reading the things that you are experiencing! Thank you for being such an amazing son!!!"
Davey - "that is such a great solid testimony thanks so much mom you are the best!"
Mom - "How long do I get you?"
Davey - "for 10 more mins"
Later Post -
Mom - "How are you doing?"
Davey - "I am doing awesome, I love being a missionary it is the best it is super hard but the best!"
Mom - "Today was the last day of school for your brothers and both of them decided not to go since they weren't taking roll call in their classes. Dad and I are going on our 25th anniversary trip on Saturday. Dad got us a plan ticket to Texas, Galveston. We will be spending about 4 days together. This will be a much deserved vacation for me. Then when we get home I will have only 2 weeks at Tuacahn and then we will be moving. Dad found us an apartment to live in while our home is being built. So life will be moving pretty quick, when we get back."
Davey - "holy cow that is crazy well enjoy the vacation and happy anniversary that is exciting! keep holding in there and working hard but don't stress too much mom! (its not good for the skin) if ya know what I mean haha ;)"
Mom - "Funny... my skin is showing it's age, but that is fine. I have listened to a couple of your voice mails and I am loving them. It sounds like you are have some great success. I pray for you and the people you are teaching on a daily basis. You sound great!! It puts a great picture in my head of you - and I love it!"
Davey - "ha I hope so and hey guess what I have a huge goose egg on my head we had some other elders over last night because we were going to the temple this morning and they were riding with us and we wrestled and I smacked my head hard on a corner and haha it was a great time I will tell you that much!"
Mom - "Ouch, I am sorry you got hurt. Are you okay? You know I have never liked the wresting... maybe a little, but it always seems to get a little to intense. Maddison Moore wanted me to tell you hi. She is working at Tuacahn again, she is dating a Pain kid from Santa Clara. It so cool you had a great turn out for church.The boys are having fun with their start of summer brake. Our apartment has a basketball court and a pool. I have to help Chase get a job up north. Dad told him about a job at Artic Circle, Chase didn't think that was a good job. So He will be looking. Have you been able to go to the temple yet?"
Davey - OFF LINE
May 12, 2014
Dad - "Hey Davey how are you? I'm up at Joni's new apartment right now and just saw that you were on the email and wanted to say hi even though we just talked."
Davey - "hey hey that is awesome and ya its all good how has your day been?"
Dad - "My day is been real good. I went in installation of emergency system for no lady. I then stopped by Joni's new town home and we put her kitchen cabinets all back together, painted, ordered some carpet, and just basically helping her get moved in and get her town home remodeled."
Davey - "no way that is way awesome! your going to have to teach me how to do all that when we have quality time together! "
Sunday, July 20, 2014
May 26th to June 2, 2014
Hey good evening family and friends,
This is elder moss and elder King. Something cool that happened, today is our preparation day it is towards the evening but we found a new investigator. We were led by the Spirit we had great planning, we followed our backups and we found our new investigator. This has been happening a lot of course, but the cool part was there is a member family here and there was a YSA girl here her name is Page but she is home because she is getting married to a guy named Sam and it was kind of funny we went over to their house to teach one of the investigators. I saw a picture of them and I said no way, so could this be him, I asked them what his name was and they said it is Sam. I said no way, lo and behold we went back over tonight and I met Sam and he was my first EFY counselor and so I was one of his first early groups when he first became an EFY counselor. It was super awesome to see him it took him a little bit to remember me, I had to tell him my first name but he was awesome he remembered me he was in complete shock, it is such a small world. I got to see my first EFY counselor it was really cool. So yeah I thought I would share that with you. I love you all ok bye bye.
Good afternoon family and friends this is Elder Moss I'm with Elder King driving to our next appointment. So as you can tell my voice has changed, this last week I well I'm a little sick right now. I'm getting over a sickness, but I do have a pretty cool sounding voice so I thought I would do my voice recording while I was still sick. This last week was really cool we went out and we taught and we have had appointments for every single hour of the day which has been difficult since these last two days I've been really sick but I have been blessed by the Lord that he has been able to allow me to keep working and to keep working hard. So some of the things that have happened that are really cool one of our former investigators called us her name is Jessica. She asked for a a blessing she has been having nightmares so we went over there and gave her a blessing and then she said how she wants to change her life and make it more in line with God so we will start teaching her again which is cool. I tried some tea, t-e- oh I spelled it wrong, it was some herbal tea and I tried it for the first time and it is nasty. That stuff is just sick, I don't even like the taste of it but I tried some tea because I've been so sick I'm supposed to be drinking some more hot stuff because I have been so sick... I hope you can understand this voicemail and I hope you can bare with me but yum we also another investigator his name is Kevin. He has been really struggling with praying and receiving answers he won't pray in the name of Jesus Christ but this last time we had a really great lesson and he prayed in the proper order and which God has commanded us to pray, that was really cool to see. I can't really think of what else has happened so far, so today we hav have all of our appointments canceled we had four appointment so that has kind of stunk but we are still pushing forward the last two days were awesome. That is pretty much it, you'll get another voicemail from me tomorrow so love all, bye bye.
Good evening family and friends, this is elder moss and elder King.
So a little bit about our week. (Davey yawns) I'm really tired, I'm always tired, but it is a good tired because I'm working hard, you know so as I work hard I get tired but it is a good tired. This week was good, we had one of our investigators come to church. The one who was supposed to get baptize this next week, Tosh didn't show up so we get to go find out why and see what is happening with him, you know. He may not be getting baptized next week so we will go figure it out. We got transfer calls Saturday, last night today is Sunday night. Tomorrow it is pretty cool we are going to go study have personal companion study with all of our elders quorum so that will be fun. We will get to go study with them to have effective studies. Courtney our last baptism was confirmed today in church, Elder King was able to confirm her that was pretty cool. That was his first time confirming someone so that was a good time. So ya we got transfer calls last Saturday and we thought for sure we would be together one more transfer but nope we are getting spit up. So Elder King is going down to Fresno West so right down by the temple and I will get anew companion his name is Elder Solomon he is from Mexico I think. He is an English speaking missionary that didnt know a lick of English when he came out on his mission so I think he is in his fourth transfer being out on his mission and we will still be up in the YSA branch. As you can tell I am a lot better. Love you all have a great week.
Alright so update today is monday heading over to email so you are about ready to get these. A little update of what we did this morning it was really fun. We did our laundry at our elders quorum house and it was a lot of fun. He had all of the elders quorum presidency there ahhh I guess it wasn't the presidency but the elders quorum and we did a personal study with them. It was a lot of fun and we had a really good time. Afterwards there was a member of our branch his name is Nathan. Nathan is always wanting to wrestle me and he messes with me. I told him if he would come to the study session on Monday that I would wrestle with him. (As Davey talks he says , shoot it looks like a car accident.) But yum Nathan went and afterwards he wanted to wrestle me, we go and start to wrestle and everything... (he says to elder king) how would you put it elder? Elder king says "you rocked him". So I rocked him, it was a lot of fun and we had a good time, I worked him it was really easy. And then our elders quorum president, his name is Thomas this was at his house, he was wanting to wrestle him next and I beat him too. I tapped him out it was fun I got him in the arm bar and that is how I tapped him out, I don't choke him out that wouldn't be right it was a lot of fun we had a good time, Elder King was just playing the piano. It was a good time but I didn't loose and I was super tired afterwards but I didnt loose that was the good part and so now we are heading over to the stake center and email these to you. I love you all and hope you have a great week and may the best times be ahead of you and may you see God's hand in your life, love you all so much bye bye.
May 26, 2014 - Quote
Elder Davey Moss Quote for the week,
"Never let a problem to be solved, become more important than a person to be loved."
-President Thomas S. Monson
"There is no tomorrow to remember if we don't do something today, and to live most fully today, we must do that which is a greatest importance. Let us not procrastinate those things which matter most."
-President Thomas S. Monson
"Never let a problem to be solved, become more important than a person to be loved."
-President Thomas S. Monson
"There is no tomorrow to remember if we don't do something today, and to live most fully today, we must do that which is a greatest importance. Let us not procrastinate those things which matter most."
-President Thomas S. Monson
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May 22 to the 26, 2014
Alright good afternoon family and friends,
This is Elder Davey Moss, today is Thursday night the 22nd. We just had a really cool experience with one of our investigators, so her name is Sarah we have been teaching her and she is a really ready two get baptized next month. She is really cool, she has been having a real hard time with her family they are super anti Church - I think I have already told you about her. We just had dinner with her and another member, we went to Round Table and we shared a little message, a scriptural thought, and she said something really awesome. She told us that she had noticed something super different have we have been meeting from the beginning to now & she said, (Davey is talking to Elder King and asked, Do I turn here? He says to go right. Davey said no I cant turn there it is ano turn right but then Elder King said yes it is you can turn right. Davey said okay, okay) um but um, so we are going back to Sarah really quick, so she said something really cool that from where she was to where she is now she has noticed that there is a difference. Specifically a difference when we come and share the gospel with her and when we leave she feels the spirit come and she feels it leave when we go and she really wants that Holy Spirit, the gift of the Holy Spirit. I know we bring the spirit and wen you are worthy of your Covenants you will be that impact to someone and to so many people in their lives . That was a really cool experience that we had. I have never had an investigator tell me that before so I thought I would share it. I love you all bye bye.
Hey Family and friends this is Elder Moss, and Elder King. (Elder King is saying it in the background.) yeah that's Elder King over there he's doing his own little thing. Haha. I'm doing this voice recording trying to catch up, I told you about our temple trip it was awesome. We were able to watch Forever Strong on the way down it was a lot of fun and then we went to Dog House Grill which is a must if you ever come to Fresno. Last week was , today is only Saturday night tomorrow night is our baptism with, but we have been meeting with our investigators a lot of them are doing really good we have a couple of new investigators and so that was really good. Tosh is still praying about the 8th of June to get baptized, Sarah who has a date for the 21st texted us today and she might move it up to the 15th. That would be really awesome if she could do that. Something really cool things we had two dinners tonight and elder King feels really fat. He hasn't gained a missionary belly yet. Sarah has been facing a lot of adversaries from her family in her life and has asked us to send her jokes like over text stuff and it is super hard I don't know any good jokes, especially missionary jokes, like jokes in general it is super hard. She is doing really good yeah and so if you had any good mormon jokes feel free to shoot me an email. So we had dinner tonight at one of our dinners one of the members gave us an ostrich jerky and some kangaroo jerky so elder King and I have been eating it, it is really good. It was pretty good jerky so yeah I've tried now kangaroo and ostrich, so yeah that is all that has been happening lately. I love you all so much and I hope your Saturday night is going good. Elder King and I are just chillin at the apartment and living the life of a missionary. I love you all and have a great day at church tomorrow and we are going to have an awesome baptism.
Ok family and friends this is so funny my love it. So we got those too beef jerky the kangaroo meat and ostrich meat, and so haha haha haha I'm going to ask elder King has to have him do his ostrich voice for you, (elder king makes a quill sound and Davey is laughing. Elder King said to Davey that is what ostriches sound like, it has to be.) Davey says he loves his companion he is an awesome little youngster. He is awesome so there you go I thought that would be funny a lot of fun. I hope you all enjoyed a little laugh and have a great night. Bye bye
Hey, so our baptism went great it was really awesome! and after we also had a musical fireside which i conducted it was so last mintute that they asked me but hey thats missionary life! i hope you all are doing great!
Hey, so our baptism went great it was really awesome! and after we also had a musical fireside which i conducted it was so last mintute that they asked me but hey thats missionary life! i hope you all are doing great!
Monday, July 7, 2014
May 22, 2014
May 12 to the 22nd
Good evening family and friends,
I wasn't able to get onto email last Monday because we had our temple trip. Thomas Whitney will be taking us down, the Elders Quorum President. This past week we have had a lot of fun stuff going on. Monday was preparation day, we had a zone activity in which played a game called Tron, I think I told you about it already. It is like dodge ball with glow in the dark glow sticks that you wear it was pretty fun. (Interruption from Elder King... he is checking the dinner calendar.) We had some solid lessons, Sara is solid for the 21st of next month. We moved up her date because she is so solid. She is the one that her dad is a Lutheran Minister and her Mom and Dad don't support her at all. They have been giving her this anti-Mormon garbage and other stuff which is so ridiculous and dumb, but she is awesome and doing great. She has a supper strong testimony and keeps moving forward. She is reading the D & C which tells you how amazing she is.
We will be having a baptism this Saturday. Her name is Courtney, she is a member referral also. She is solid as ever and she will be getting baptized Saturday at 4:30pm, it will be a lot of fun. We have also been working with a girl named Cicileo and a man named Leo. We also found a new investigator named Jesus, we took him on a church tour and it was supper powerful. We challenged him to get baptized and he accepted, we challenged him to a date and he accepted. It has been amazing how he has accepted so easily to be baptized. Jesus wanted his best friend to baptize him, who wasn't a member. We explained about the authority of the priesthood and who is able to baptize him. He said that he felt like God has been leading him to our church, it was really cool. We need to follow through with him. We will be teaching him in a members home and keep moving him forward in the right direction.
Wednesday last week we had leadership training, and so yea, we um, we had great leadership training, it was spiritual just like they always are. We had...her name is...what is her name? Her name is Liz Wiseman and then she is a multiplier, meaning she goes around the world and she gives this multiplier training on like working with the genius and other people and like the natural genius and like all of these super crazy things and she's a good friend of President Gelwix. I guess she's a member of the church. And she came to our mission and we received just this marvelous training on multiplying in leadership and how it advances and I don't know, it's just awesome. Her name is Liz Wiseman and so...just learned a lot from her. So that was really cool. Also, President wrote in my journal. Um, I looked at it today and it's just the same stuff he always puts, or he always tells me, but it's cool, he wrote in my journal, there we go, can check that one of my bucket list or whatever maybe. It was really awesome. So then, just been...we've been really stressing lately, always have been stressing a lot, just working with our member, working with our members, helping our members, and so that's what we have been doing a lot of the time. We went on an exchange with the zone leaders over Friday and Saturday and that was really good. Um, taught a lot of people, a lot of lessons, and so hopefully we can be able to continue to help them move along, these, our investigators. We um, we also, we have a less active, his name is Mack Heard I think I told you a little about him. He um, he plays football at MJC, that's the Jr college, and he recently got hurt and so, he used to be inactive and everything but since his injury the Lord's humbled him and he wants to serve a mission now. And so he, we were actually inspired to go talk to him, we didn't even know he got hurt or anything, and so he's like one of our best friends now and he's going to be coming to the branch and is a huge strength. So that was a really cool miracle.
The next cool thing that happened was Sunday. We had the most members that we've seen her yet in Modesto YSA second branch. We had around 40 to 50 YSA come to church and we had a lot of investigators and, well, total there was probably like 4 - 5 non members there and the rest were members but it was just awesome, we really moved them along, then we taught Courtney of course that Sunday night. We had dinner with her and her fellowship family and everything, so that was really awesome. This work is so stinking awesome. Then next week came along, of course we didn't email you on Monday, taught a couple of lessons and then we had FHE with our members, I don't know, we had a good turnout. Couple of non-members there, couple of our investigators. And then Tuesday we actually had Zone Conference. And so it was actually up at our Stake Center and it was amazing, super great, it was about internalizing the atonement, um, like how to develop an atmosphere of revelation, like revelation through kneeling prayers, being able to be more unified with our companions, solidifying dates that we have, it was really cool, I actually read a conference talk out of the Ensign which I urge you all to do. You should be reading out of the Ensign, all the conference talks and continually reflecting upon them. But I read the one actually on pornography, pornography something, it was written by a woman. It was like the third talk of the Saturday after...or morning session or something. But it was super good. It talked about how like having a Christ focused home and like how vital everyday scripture study is with a family, like family scripture study and like family home evening every week. I was reflecting and like, dang, that is something we could of done better. So yea, I was just thinking about it and I think that would be a great talk to review and being able to reflect like what more could we do, like how can we improve to be able to become better, so... Some inspired thoughts for you that you can take or leave.
So yea, like I was saying, like zone conference it was great. Hopefully this will be my last voice recording, well not hopefully cause I know mom likes to hear my voice. But um, yea zone conference was amazing. The point that I wanted to quickly talk about was internalizing the atonement. Now I'm going to go over what was a very long discussion and a long training. But, ponder upon these six points in which we learned to internalize the atonement into our lives. The first is, I must understand my true relationship with God and understand his true nature. Number two, I must understand the plan of salvation. Number three, I must accept Jesus Christ as my savior. Number four, I must repent. Number five, I must endure to the end by following the example of Jesus Christ - the emphasis on, by following the example of Jesus Christ. And then number six is, of course, repeat steps one through five. I thought it was a super good training and it was really inspirational. Um, and so, yea, I just hope you can be able to, shoot, where is it? Yea, you can be able to do a study on that and be able to receive positive feedback from yourselves. Sorry, I'm trying to look at my notes again, I just lost my page. Um, so ok, sorry, so I wanted to also give you some scripture references for each of the six steps. So the first one the scripture reference is John 17:3. The second one is Alma 24:14. To the third point is Mosiah 3:17. To the fourth point is D&C 19:4. To the fifth point is 2 N 31:16. And the sixth point is Mosiah 4:10. And so, um, yea, just being able to do that scripture study for yourself and being able to see the blessings that come from it. Truly internalize it and it will bless your life and you'll be able to see so, so much more.
So, the last think I just wanted to say is like just how grateful I am for all of you and being able to be there. Um, wonderful things have happened this past week and we're just really seeing miracles in our area and I know it's thanks to your prayers of faith and also just all that you're doing. I truly thank you, um, I know the gospel is true, it has blessed my life so much and continue to let it bless yours. Always be ready to give your best and always just know that I truly do love you and I am grateful for you and your examples in my life. We are going to the temple tomorrow, Tomorrow is Thursday. And that is one of the greatest things. I hope that you are making time to go to the temple. And to be be able to just get out of the world and go to a house of the Lord in which you can truly feel the power of the spirit there. Of course you should be able to feel it more often every day. But, I truly know that temples are there for a reason. Of course they're there for a reason, right? But, we need to go as often as we can and not get behind on it but put God first and everything else will be able to follow through. One of my favorite quotes that I have heard this last week is by Bruce R McConkie and it is on the Atonement, it's going back to internalizing the atonement. He said, "The atonement of Christ is the most basic and fundamental doctrine of the gospel. And, it is the least understood of all our revealed truths." Isn't that interesting? That is so interesting to me. That it is the most basic but yet it is the least understood. The atonement changes us and it continues to do so. Let it continually change us and transform us to become the person who is truly our true identity. I love you so much, have a great ok, continue to live the gospel every single day. Love you.
Good evening family and friends,
I wasn't able to get onto email last Monday because we had our temple trip. Thomas Whitney will be taking us down, the Elders Quorum President. This past week we have had a lot of fun stuff going on. Monday was preparation day, we had a zone activity in which played a game called Tron, I think I told you about it already. It is like dodge ball with glow in the dark glow sticks that you wear it was pretty fun. (Interruption from Elder King... he is checking the dinner calendar.) We had some solid lessons, Sara is solid for the 21st of next month. We moved up her date because she is so solid. She is the one that her dad is a Lutheran Minister and her Mom and Dad don't support her at all. They have been giving her this anti-Mormon garbage and other stuff which is so ridiculous and dumb, but she is awesome and doing great. She has a supper strong testimony and keeps moving forward. She is reading the D & C which tells you how amazing she is.
We will be having a baptism this Saturday. Her name is Courtney, she is a member referral also. She is solid as ever and she will be getting baptized Saturday at 4:30pm, it will be a lot of fun. We have also been working with a girl named Cicileo and a man named Leo. We also found a new investigator named Jesus, we took him on a church tour and it was supper powerful. We challenged him to get baptized and he accepted, we challenged him to a date and he accepted. It has been amazing how he has accepted so easily to be baptized. Jesus wanted his best friend to baptize him, who wasn't a member. We explained about the authority of the priesthood and who is able to baptize him. He said that he felt like God has been leading him to our church, it was really cool. We need to follow through with him. We will be teaching him in a members home and keep moving him forward in the right direction.
Wednesday last week we had leadership training, and so yea, we um, we had great leadership training, it was spiritual just like they always are. We had...her name is...what is her name? Her name is Liz Wiseman and then she is a multiplier, meaning she goes around the world and she gives this multiplier training on like working with the genius and other people and like the natural genius and like all of these super crazy things and she's a good friend of President Gelwix. I guess she's a member of the church. And she came to our mission and we received just this marvelous training on multiplying in leadership and how it advances and I don't know, it's just awesome. Her name is Liz Wiseman and so...just learned a lot from her. So that was really cool. Also, President wrote in my journal. Um, I looked at it today and it's just the same stuff he always puts, or he always tells me, but it's cool, he wrote in my journal, there we go, can check that one of my bucket list or whatever maybe. It was really awesome. So then, just been...we've been really stressing lately, always have been stressing a lot, just working with our member, working with our members, helping our members, and so that's what we have been doing a lot of the time. We went on an exchange with the zone leaders over Friday and Saturday and that was really good. Um, taught a lot of people, a lot of lessons, and so hopefully we can be able to continue to help them move along, these, our investigators. We um, we also, we have a less active, his name is Mack Heard I think I told you a little about him. He um, he plays football at MJC, that's the Jr college, and he recently got hurt and so, he used to be inactive and everything but since his injury the Lord's humbled him and he wants to serve a mission now. And so he, we were actually inspired to go talk to him, we didn't even know he got hurt or anything, and so he's like one of our best friends now and he's going to be coming to the branch and is a huge strength. So that was a really cool miracle.
The next cool thing that happened was Sunday. We had the most members that we've seen her yet in Modesto YSA second branch. We had around 40 to 50 YSA come to church and we had a lot of investigators and, well, total there was probably like 4 - 5 non members there and the rest were members but it was just awesome, we really moved them along, then we taught Courtney of course that Sunday night. We had dinner with her and her fellowship family and everything, so that was really awesome. This work is so stinking awesome. Then next week came along, of course we didn't email you on Monday, taught a couple of lessons and then we had FHE with our members, I don't know, we had a good turnout. Couple of non-members there, couple of our investigators. And then Tuesday we actually had Zone Conference. And so it was actually up at our Stake Center and it was amazing, super great, it was about internalizing the atonement, um, like how to develop an atmosphere of revelation, like revelation through kneeling prayers, being able to be more unified with our companions, solidifying dates that we have, it was really cool, I actually read a conference talk out of the Ensign which I urge you all to do. You should be reading out of the Ensign, all the conference talks and continually reflecting upon them. But I read the one actually on pornography, pornography something, it was written by a woman. It was like the third talk of the Saturday after...or morning session or something. But it was super good. It talked about how like having a Christ focused home and like how vital everyday scripture study is with a family, like family scripture study and like family home evening every week. I was reflecting and like, dang, that is something we could of done better. So yea, I was just thinking about it and I think that would be a great talk to review and being able to reflect like what more could we do, like how can we improve to be able to become better, so... Some inspired thoughts for you that you can take or leave.
So yea, like I was saying, like zone conference it was great. Hopefully this will be my last voice recording, well not hopefully cause I know mom likes to hear my voice. But um, yea zone conference was amazing. The point that I wanted to quickly talk about was internalizing the atonement. Now I'm going to go over what was a very long discussion and a long training. But, ponder upon these six points in which we learned to internalize the atonement into our lives. The first is, I must understand my true relationship with God and understand his true nature. Number two, I must understand the plan of salvation. Number three, I must accept Jesus Christ as my savior. Number four, I must repent. Number five, I must endure to the end by following the example of Jesus Christ - the emphasis on, by following the example of Jesus Christ. And then number six is, of course, repeat steps one through five. I thought it was a super good training and it was really inspirational. Um, and so, yea, I just hope you can be able to, shoot, where is it? Yea, you can be able to do a study on that and be able to receive positive feedback from yourselves. Sorry, I'm trying to look at my notes again, I just lost my page. Um, so ok, sorry, so I wanted to also give you some scripture references for each of the six steps. So the first one the scripture reference is John 17:3. The second one is Alma 24:14. To the third point is Mosiah 3:17. To the fourth point is D&C 19:4. To the fifth point is 2 N 31:16. And the sixth point is Mosiah 4:10. And so, um, yea, just being able to do that scripture study for yourself and being able to see the blessings that come from it. Truly internalize it and it will bless your life and you'll be able to see so, so much more.
So, the last think I just wanted to say is like just how grateful I am for all of you and being able to be there. Um, wonderful things have happened this past week and we're just really seeing miracles in our area and I know it's thanks to your prayers of faith and also just all that you're doing. I truly thank you, um, I know the gospel is true, it has blessed my life so much and continue to let it bless yours. Always be ready to give your best and always just know that I truly do love you and I am grateful for you and your examples in my life. We are going to the temple tomorrow, Tomorrow is Thursday. And that is one of the greatest things. I hope that you are making time to go to the temple. And to be be able to just get out of the world and go to a house of the Lord in which you can truly feel the power of the spirit there. Of course you should be able to feel it more often every day. But, I truly know that temples are there for a reason. Of course they're there for a reason, right? But, we need to go as often as we can and not get behind on it but put God first and everything else will be able to follow through. One of my favorite quotes that I have heard this last week is by Bruce R McConkie and it is on the Atonement, it's going back to internalizing the atonement. He said, "The atonement of Christ is the most basic and fundamental doctrine of the gospel. And, it is the least understood of all our revealed truths." Isn't that interesting? That is so interesting to me. That it is the most basic but yet it is the least understood. The atonement changes us and it continues to do so. Let it continually change us and transform us to become the person who is truly our true identity. I love you so much, have a great ok, continue to live the gospel every single day. Love you.
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