We are with one of our members Amiliea Perkins.

Cowboy capital of the world haha maybe...

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

Tron Game 05-26-14

Tron Game for FHE at the YSA branch, 05-26-14.

Temple trip 05-26-14.

Davey taking a "selfie" 05-22-14 to 5-26-14.

Elder Davey Moss and Elder King at a baptism on Sunday night 5-25-14.

Elder Davey Moss with Elder King at the Fresno Temple - on the trip the watched Forever Strong.

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!

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.

May 10, 2014

WEEKLY LETTER

Alright Family and Friends, this is Elder Moss I'm just making my voice recordings for the week and HOLY COW I just got a letter from Allen and Janet Moss. It's a letter about "drum roll" McKaylee's wedding - What the heck she is getting married in three days! - Oh, by the way it is May 10th and in three days she is getting married, oh my heck... what is going on back at home! That is sooo crazy..... yeah that is so crazy that I just got that, but good for her that is awesome I hope she will have a blast and everything.
I'm just reporting for this week, this week has been amazing! Our members are just kicking it off with us this week with being able to help us and the Lord is truly blessing us. So um, Mom I haven't got the package yet with my stuff in it, I hope it will be coming soon. On Monday we taught two investigators at members homes one thing you should know is his name is Thomas he had a baptismal date set for the 18th but it got dropped. He wasn't very solid for it because he believes in the pluralities of Gods and all of this nonsense, it's super frustrating but we'll get him no worries he still wants to be baptized he just doesn't know yet what day he wants to be baptized. We also taught Sarah, now Sarah we have seen grow sooo much! Sarah is a Lutheran and we met her at FHE and the first night I talked to her about the gospel, one of the members brought her and she didn't want anything to do with us, she said, "I've got my bible, I'm totally fine". She's a super nice girl. Well we taught her for the first time on Monday there has been a total change in her. She has wanted to learn about the Book of Mormon and since then she has read the Book of Mormon - not all of it, but just some of it - and she has the desire to be baptised. Today Saturday,(I'm skipping ahead) we watched the Restoration video with her and she said that she knows that Joseph Smith was a prophet, the Spirit was super strong, she said her first closing prayer with us, and it is amazing to see the growth in her. It is amazing what the Book of Mormon can do. The Book of Mormon truly changes hearts! It changes hearts in being able to allow the Spirit of the Lord to duel with in them and be able to give away to a whole new light. She knows she needs to be baptized, she has the desire, she kept saying after the Joseph Smith movie,"let's go fill the font right now, lets go fill it", but we told her that we have to go through everything before she can get baptized. She isn't sure about the date of when she will be baptized but she has the desire to be baptized and she will be baptized. Another investigator we taught was Courtney. Courtney is one of the girlfriends of one of the members. She has never been taught by missionaries. It was a pretty cool story, we felt inspired in one our weekly planning sessions to ask for her number and give her a call. We did end up calling her, she is super nice and everything. We set up a time to go meet with her at her home and we did. We gave her the lesson about the restoration and she loved it. Right then we set up a baptismal date for the 25th of this month. Later on Tuesday we went to go see the Restoration movie with her and she loved it, absolutely loved it. We then asked her to text us her thought and impressions after she got done watching the movie. We weren't able to stay with her because it was getting late and we needed to get back to our apartment by 9:30pm and she did. She knows that Joseph Smith is a Prophet, she has prayed about the Book of Mormon and she knows it is true. She is looking forward toward her baptism and she is super solid. We taught her about the plan of salvation, we sent her all of the scriptures to read and she did, she was well prepared when we went over it with her. She is looking so ready, it is so amazing how much she has changed. It isn't the normal change that most people say that someone has changed from bad to good - no not at all she has changed from good to better. This is the change that usually takes place in people who are kept from the truth because they knew not where to find it. It is a change from good to better and that change comes as the members invite their friends to come unto the gospel and to hear from the missionaries. It truly was a marvelous time, an excited time. I know the Book of Mormon changes lives especially the message of the restoration and the prophet Joseph Smith, such power and such a great spirit that always comes. I advise you to review Joseph Smith's story, his own account in Joseph Smith History. Review it, go over it, and know it.
We also taught another investigator we took him on a church tour. His name is Leo, Leo is really hard. He is probably one of the hardest investigators I have taught, he is super science oriented taught - which isn't a bad thing, all science leads back to there is a God. He knows that there is some form of higher power. We took him on a church tour, pointed out the spirit, invited him to get baptized, and the cool thing about Leo is at the very end when we asked him to get baptized he wasn't sure he wanted to, he said, "I pretty sure I'm not going to get baptized, unless I get answered one of my questions." I asked him, "Hey Leo, what is your question?" He said he had a lot of them, they are very long and sophisticated and full of jumbledness. So we begin to talk and I asked him what is the simplest question you have for us? So he said the simplest question I have is only three words... Who am I? As I heard that my spirit lifted and I said that we have a beautiful message to share with you.We are planning to teach Leo next week about the plan of salvation, Gods plan for all of his children and how they can be happy and feel his love, so we are really excited about that. The church tour was awesome - great spirit at the house of the Lord.
We also taught another member referral. Her name is Cecilia, she is awesome, a great girl, she is a very strong Catholic. We invited her to read the introduction and the testimonies in the Book of Mormon - she loved it and had a lot of questions, she had highlighted a lot of stuff and she is just eating it up. She is going to be a little longer along the path, but she will definitely get baptized probably by next month. Yum, she is doing awesome!
We also had a dinner at a members house... (he laughs on his voice mail) there was a dead bunny rabbit. I know that was totally random. We were eating pizza, which I requested a meat lovers pizza like always... and there was a dead bunny rabbit there. (lol) I got the chance to throw it away, ya and I thought I would though in that random piece of information.
Okay so, President Gelwix goes home, this is his last transfer and he is going to be heading home. So yesterday, (Friday) I had my last presidents interview with President Gelwix. I know I will see him again at other leadership training's like zone conference all these other meetings , but it was my last real interview with him. I sat down with him and he asked me a question, "Elder Moss I love you so much, how are you doing?" I sat there for a moment, the spirit was so strong, and I returned the question back to him. I said "President right know I just want to talk about you, how are you doing?" It was a very tender moment in which the President and myself started to cry and not that he will miss his mission - he will miss his mission, but he expressed how much he loves me and being a missionary and it made me realize how important these two years are, how important it is to be a missionary every single day, and being able to help all of Gods children. It was truly a testimony builder to me. Then President Gelwix asked if I requested one thing what would it be. I said, "President if you have any time tonight then try to come over tonight, to say hi and spend a little bit of time with us at our apartment before you have to go back." President Gelwix was planing on going out after interviews to go teach with our Zone leaders. I had asked him to come over after he was done teaching with the Zone leaders. President Gelwix said, "I will try my best." So, I wasn't to worried it cause I knew I would be able to see him at the leadership training, but there was hope there that he might show up.
Friday night President Gelwix shows up to our apartment, maybe around 10PM he showed up after we had done our planning. President Gelwix decides that he wants to stay the night, now we've had President Gelwix come over many times and we have even stayed up late, but it was truly an experience to sleepover with President Gelwix in our apartment. We stayed up a pretty long time - if you keep this part confidential - President Gelwix and I stayed up tell 2AM in the morning, Elder King fell asleep. We stayed up and talked and a funny thing while we were talking President Gelwix needed to use the restroom and I went to get a drink. While I was waiting for him to get out of the bathroom I went into my bedroom and doing something with my pill and I think I was messing with Elder King (while he was sleeping), President opens the door my back is turned to him (I didn't think anything about it) and President tackles me. He flat out drill lines me into the bed and then he starts wrestling me. Now take it he first tackled me, then grabs me, grabs my arm and does all of these weird wrestling moves and he is KICKING my but!! Oh my gosh we had a great time and we had a great wrestle we both went at it with each other it was a GREAT time. We talked about some doctrines of the church and about our missions we just talked about a lot of things. It was truly one of the best experiences that I will never forget. We talked about rugby - of course we can't forget it. We talked about modeling and how when President Gelwix gets back he is going to a model specifically fat people, but don't tell anyone I said that (lol). It was a lot of fun! We even had some tickling matches, played some jokes on each other, we just had a great time with each other. There was this one time were President Gelwix and I held down Elder King and tickled him to death and it was a lot of fun. President Gelwix also got up and went running with us the next morning and had breakfast with us. It was a very sweet time. So that was my week I will get to talk with you more tomorrow since it is mothers day and we will get to Skype.
I love you all so much, God bless you and all you do, keep working hard, I love you, bye bye.

So I'm sending you this last voice recording to go over all that happened over Mother's day, since it is Monday. It was great to hear from you and being able to Skype and see everyone's faces it was really cool. I really appreciate all of the time we had it was totally awesome. Umm there was something I was going to ask you about, but now it slipped my mind. Umm so yah never mind. We had a great night we set up a mission plan and today we have a sweet zone activity planned. We are going to play TRON in the gym. We are going to buy a whole bunch of glow sticks and it will be set up like the movie Tron and it will be kind of like dodge ball, I'm not sure how it will work but it seems pretty cool. We will have FHE and a couple of lessons and we will keep it up. If you would keep Sarah in your prayers she is facing the advisory from her parents that would be awesome. Courtney is still sold for the 25th of this month (May) of course you can keep her in your prayers to if you want to but everything is looking good for her. I hope your week goes great and everything is going awesome and I'm really excited for you all. Continue to strive to do better every single day. I love you sooo much and pray for you always and for everyone and in their well being and in continuing to do better. Thanks so much, love you, and have a great week.

Monday, May 5, 2014

Hey, good afternoon family, this is Elder Moss.  I'm super late trying to fit everything in sorry.  First of all, Mother's day is coming up so Happy Mother's Day mother.  I am definitely going to be able to talk to you on Mother's day.  It will be awesome, super looking forward to it.  So we just got to talk to the person that we're going to the family with.  This last week we had a lot of fun, we uhmm, of course we baptized Dillion which was awesome we had his baptism, he did super, just great.  We've been bringing back a lot of members from like school and different things and so we've been really successful at that.  We also, we found a lot of new investigators - all from members.  Like we've been teaching a lot of members' friends in their houses and so were just working really great.  Specifically, like, our branch mission leader, he hasn't been coming for like the past three weeks and we've been really concerned so we went out and saw him and I guess he's been having some problems.  He's a recent convert and so like we went through different things with him and helped him along.  We also had an investigator who came and played basketball with us.  Her name's Michelle and she plays basketball at MJC and we beat her, it was pretty good, it was pretty awesome.  That was a lot of fun though.  Let me think, besides that, just the baptism which was awesome and we're setting up for this month for two more baptisms and we're just working really well with all of the people in the branch.  Nothing like super new or super crazy that happened but it was just an awesome week full of miracles.  The church is true.  That's all I can really say.  I'll talk to you more about it on Mother's Day definitely but I love you all so much.  I definitely know this church is true and I'm so grateful for being able to be a part of it.  I've gotten to see myself change so much, it's awesome.  Allright, love you all, bye bye.

“Reading, studying, and pondering are not the same. We read words and we may get ideas. We study and we may discover patterns and connections in scripture. But when we ponder, we invite revelation by the Spirit. Pondering, to me, is the thinking and the praying I do after reading and studying in the scriptures carefully.” - President Henry B. Eyring

Monday, April 28, 2014

MOM:
Are you still on?

yes i have 12 mins left ha

I am so glad I didn't miss you! I would have been really sad if I did. 

So, you weren't able to get my voice mails?

yup you still get me no worries! and ya like i haven't been able to listen to them it stinks...

I will have to see if dad has an answer.  We got your package last Friday. It was full of all of your letters/journals. I had fun going through them

I won't be sending you your package (toothbrushes, ect) until next week. 

We finally have put money down on a home that we will be building in Lehi. Dad has got a new 3rd part time job, he will be teaching at the Provo community college. I'm still looking for a job up north.

Chase went to Senior Ball this last Saturday and I was able to have him do all of the prep for the date with out the Mom's help.  He did get and he said that everything went good!

How are you doing? Still Healthy?

thats totally fine no worries! dad has 3 jobs?! holy cow he is going to be working himself to hard! and that is awesome i hope he had fun! and i am great as always you know me mom ha and yes i am healthy!

I know you usually are always healthy and I've learned that my cute boy is also very positive.  I've learned a lot from you that it is important to always be positive in everything that happens in your life. To find the good in everything.

Brayden is going to write you, he just found out that you are on.

alright sounds great but mom i have to get off now i am over time! i am so sorry i love you all and am grateful for you!

I love you too! May the Lord bless you and protect you!


DAD:
Hi Davey, I am on my way to work so I am talking on my phone. I'll be at work in a minute and converse with you for a little bit before I have to actually go to work. Haven't had a chance to listen to your voicemails yet. How was your week?

it was great a bit slow we are striving for new investigators we do see miracles everyday though and i love my mission. all i can control is how many people i invite a day and so it is great!

Glad to see such a positive attitude. This weekend is fathers and sons with the 9th ward. I'm going down and taking the boys and also parker Hayes with us again. I need to buy some bullets so that braden can shoot his new gun while we're out there. We are going to Pinto to the ence cabin. This will be the second fathers and sons you miss, can't wait till next year when you'll be with us

dang that sounds sweet have fun and i know right next year will be a blast!

Yep, and also hunting, we should hear the draw results in the next little bit. I hope the boys at least draw out.

shoot yeah it will be great, i love you dad i hope you always know that even through me being so stubborn growing up you knew this day would come when i would be so appreciative of all you did for me! thanks for butting heads with me ;) 

I am proud of you son

thanks 

Modesto North Zone

WEEKLY LETTER:
Good evening family and friends, what's up?  This is Elder Moss up here in Modesto North.  So, This past week has been really good.  Tonight is Saturday night and we've had a really great time this week.  First off, some funny things that happened.  We were having dinner with some member, we were actually having Cafe Rio, it was so stinking good.  Ah, it was so much fun.  So, we were doing all that and at the beginning like I've grown to love salsa, chips and salsa, all right Chase and dad.  So, I'm stating to like it a lot more.  So, yea, I was getting some chips and salsa and I dropped them and the salsa spattered all over me, oh my gosh.  It just stunk so bad.  Yea, so I cleaned myself off.  The lady, or Sister Jankowsky, she went and got some of her makeup wipes, it was like moist towelettes pretty much, it was weird, cleaned me off, that was pretty embarrassing.  Everyone like laughed at me well not everyone but it was like a funny laugh cause I was laughing at myself.  But then we continued with the dinner, it was super good then at the end we were having strawberry shortcake and I go to take a bite of strawberry shortcake and it falls on me - I spilled on myself twice during dinner.  That is like the most I have ever done on my whole mission.  So, yea, oh my gosh, we were just laughing our heads off.  It was the best, super funny and everything so it was really cool.  So that took a lot of time to explain.  But, I also...we got a new district since transfers happened and everything - actually my district stayed the same I just got one new Spanish Elder his name Pena and they're doing really awesome.  That's really all the only changes.  We are still up here in Modesto North I just got three companionships in my district - it's me and three others.   We have one sister companionship, it's the only sisters in the whole zone and I'm the one stuck with them.  No, I'm just kidding I'm not stuck with them, they're awesome, they're the best.  So yea, that's just a little bit about that.  OK, going back, it was really cool, one of the other district leaders...someone in his district is getting baptized this weekend and so the district leader or the zone leaders are suppose to do the baptismal interview but I guess the zone leaders have taught this person so they can't do it and Elder Martinez, who's the district leader, was going to give the interview and everything and then I guess his baptism, he's baptizing somebody, pushed up their interview and so he couldn't go anymore and so he called me to do the interview.  It was up in Sonora which is the most northern part of our mission.  It's up in the mountains and the trees, it's pretty much just like all trees - I can't explain it - it is so beautiful.  So I got to go on an exchange up there to do a baptismal interview.  It was like the best.  It brought me back to like going up in the mountains hiking around and different things.  There is like lakes everywhere and there is like hills and you can't see nothing besides mountains and green trees and deer were everywhere.  Kinda funny story:  The elder I was with, his name is Elder Boyce and he bought a slingshot and we were shooting little slingshots at the deer because literally they would come up like to our door at the house that we were staying at - they sleep with members.  And so the deer would just come right up to the door and it was awesome.  We had a such a great a time, it was just the best.  And the kid passed his baptismal interview so he is getting baptized this weekend. So I had a great time up in Sonora, super green, I just loved it.  A rainstorm started up there and it was just so beautiful.  Just fresh air, up in the elevation, it was awesome.  Like truly just a tender mercy from Heavenly Father.  Um, we also taught Dillion who was suppose to get baptized this week, or this month, on the 13th.  But he had some law of chastity problems that he came out with and he couldn't get baptized.  And we met with him this week and we shared like super spiritual messages with him and we were trying to come up with a day, he was suppose to get baptized this Sunday, but he said that he wasn't ready so we were like, "Dang!"  We were like, "Dillion, when do you want to get baptized?"  We just like told him straight up like, "When is like the time for you?"  His birthday is on Monday and so he said that he wanted to get baptized on his birthday but we can't do baptisms on Monday night because of family night, it's just church policy.  So we're like, "Yea, you can't get baptized on Monday night."  And he's like, "OK."  And this whole time while he's talking - this is probably a confusing story - but the whole time since he said he couldn't get baptized I was like, "Heavenly Father, we need to baptize this month, like we need to, like it's a must, like please help us, who are we going to baptize?"  Cause Dillion, we thought he was going to push back his date till next month but he was just like, "I think the very last day of this month I want to get baptized."  And so we're like, "No way, all right, sweet."  So, on the 30th of this month Dillion is getting baptized.  That's when his date is, he's solid for it.  And so just keep praying for him and everything.  He has to get re-interviewed since it's been awhile.  He's going to get re-interviewed so just keep praying for him and everything so it will go all well. We also saw another miracle.  We have really been trying to find new investigators and everything cause all of our investigators are like slowly dropping off.  So, we've been meeting with our members a lot and they've referred us to a lot people but every time we go by to see them and every thing they're never there.  So we're like, "What the heck, we need to find new investigators."  So like we were praying and everything and we felt impressed to go - we had already considered this person contacted because we had just tried so many times they were never there - and so we were like, "We need to go by and see her again."  Her name is Cecilia.  We caught her at home cause I guess she has been like really busy with finals and she was like, "Yea, Liz, she told me about you."  Liz is the member.  And we shared a super spiritual message just right outside with her and invited her to say the closing prayer - she's never said like a normal prayer cause she's Catholic so she has set prayers - and so we invited her to say the prayer and she said it beautifully and she's really excited to meet with us more and she's going to read the Book of Mormon, she understands it, and we're just going to meet with her next time and it's going to be really awesome.  That was like a miracle to us, it was a tender mercy that Heavenly Father granted unto us so all praise and everything goes to him cause he did it.  And then we also met with another investigator who we had dropped because we just hadn't been able to contact him and he met back up with us, we felt impressed to go and see him, went by his house and he was there, and he's like, "Hey, I got back with my Mormon girlfriend and I want to get baptized."  So we're setting everything up with Tosh, so keep him in your prayers too that he can be able to meet with us and get baptized.   While we were out in Oakdale contacting Cecilia, who was that other miracle I was telling you about, we were just trying to visit some other formers and other things and we were kinda confused, like we were just wrapping everything up and then we got a phone call from a member, it was actually a members father, he called us and he was like, "Hey, I need a blessing, I got really hurt, I got in an accident, I've been trying to call everyone but you're the last Elders which I called, could you please come over and give me a blessing?" We happened to be like three minutes away from his home so definitely the Lord's hand was in that.  It was really cool.  So, I gave the blessing and he felt super good after.  So, definitely priesthood blessings are amazing.  We also met one of the sisters, our members sister, who is married to a non-member.  I guess he's met with missionaries before and he says it's not for him right now and so I challenged him to a game of basketball and so he's going to come play basketball with us on Monday.  Hopefully we can be able to fellowship him through that and different things.  So, yea, that was a lot of fun.  The biggest thing, which was the most fun of the week, set aside from all those wonderful miracles, was the Roadshow.  So our YSAs put on this like regional Roadshow and it happened tonight, it was like with a bunch of YSAs around about the whole California region.  They do like these little skits and everything and they were so funny.  The funniest one was a bunch of Tongans who I connected with really well because they all played rugby growing up in Tonga and everything.  It was just so funny, that was this Saturday night and it was just like movie themed and different things and so it's like kinda different cause I'm like a missionary and everything and Elder King was just like, "This is so weird."  But it was super fun.  A lot of the other YSA Elders were there.  Like never on your mission will you be able to have an experience like that unless you're serving in the YSA cause like family wards just don't do that.  It was just a lot of fun I can't really explain it to you.  We had like a sweet devotional speaker and then the Roadshow and then dinner and it was just a bunch of fun skits and everything so...That was my week so far.  You'll probably hear one more about tomorrow if anything happens.  But, super great week, saw a lot of miracles, went through a lot of trials of faith and just doing really well.  Elder King's awesome.  He's doing so extremely well as a missionary.  So, yep, I love you all, have a great week, and God bless you all, and keep giving the praise to the Lord.  I love you, bye, bye.