WHAT AM I GOING TO MISS ABOUT BEING A MISSIONARY?

EVERYTHING!!!

SISTER DAVIS

I had my final walk week. We didn't know we were going to be on walk week so it was a bit of a surprise. Luckily the members are amazing and some days we were bounced car to car and didn't have to walk, and other days we walked a TON. But it was still a real good week! 

WALK WEEK!

We are starting to work with a part member family. The dad came to church yesterday for the first time in 2 years! We are going to start working with his sons. 

I gave my departing testimony at zone meeting. I'm grateful I get to "die" in North Little Rock zone because this is where I was "born." I also got to bare my testimony during testimony meeting for my last time as a missionary. I'm still incredible numb to everything. It really hasn't hit me yet that I'm really going home. 

 

SISTER EVANS -LAST ZONE MEETING

Sister Peterson and I had a real good lesson with a Spanish family this week!  They were talking among themselves, and got going on a certain topic. We were kind of losing control of the lesson (they love to talk) and I sort of interrupted, introduced Joseph Smith and recited the first vision. The lesson changed immediately and the spirit became so strong. All their eyes were glued to the picture of Joseph Smith in the pamphlet. Their hearts were softened and they all wanted us to come back to continue teaching. I love how the spirit can command attention like that. We are going to teach the restoration as many times as possible this week! It's my favorite lesson to teach. 

Right after this lesson we get a call from an unknown number. All I hear is "Sister Moore...? It's Amber!" Ahhhh she was close to Morrilton and she and Jake and ELLOWYN came to see me!! I finally got to meet Ellowyn! I LOVE AMBER SO MUCH! Coolest thing ever. She found out that she has an aunt who is Mormon! She wants to go through with her for both of them to get endowments this fall! I don't have words for how happy I was that I got to see them before I leave!

AMBER, JAKE AND ELLOWYN

The elders had a baptism this weekend of the dad of a part member family! Yay! He bore his testimony yesterday. It was the cutest thing all he said was "well I'm excited to be baptized. I feel really good. And I know this is the true church. Amen"  

I wish it were possible to make a list of all the things I've learned on my mission. However, I do want to share one thing that I have come to better understand since being a missionary. The ability and gift given from our Savior to REPENT and CHANGE. 

 

EXCHANGES IN CONWAY WITH SISTER SKORDAS AND TAYLOR 

PMG says "Our faith in Christ and our love for Him lead us to repent, or to change our thoughts, beliefs, and behaviors that are not in harmony with His will...Bringing our lives in line with God’s will through repentance is a central purpose of our lives. 

4th missionary : "to believe that weaknesses and deficiencies in your character are unchangeable is to reject the central truth of the plan of salvation" 

The power of the Atonement enables me to become more like my Savior through repentance.  To get rid of "barnacles" as President calls them, and to move forward each day being a little better than yesterday. To be on my knees and plead for help and then get up and actually make the change! 

I think a great example of this is Alma the Elder. He was a priest for wicked King Noah. He heard Abinidi's words and believed them!  He recognized King Noah was wicked and wrong. 

I tried putting myself in Alma's shoes and it helped me realize how much easier it would have been for him to repent in prayer, but excuse any sort of actual change because it would put his life at risk, it would be incredibly inconvenient to leave his old life, job and friends and maybe it seemed like his circumstances just would allow the change to happen. Fortunately that's not what happened, he made the difficult and inconvenient changes, and completely repented. 

Instead, he stood up for Abinidi and begged King Noah to spare his life, which in return put Alma's life in danger. Alma fled and starting teaching to others the very doctrines that Abinidi taught that completely contradicted everything about his past beliefs and past behaviors. He baptized hundreds of his followers. He eventually was given authority and organized God’s church. He raised a righteous posterity, named Alma the Younger, who became one of the greatest missionaries to ever live! 

THAT is what it means to repent and change. To give up the old life, no matter how comfortable we are there and to take on the new. To change our behaviors, thoughts and actions completely. 

And I can certainly testify that those changes feel so good! I feel so connected with the Savior as I use His Atonement to become more like Him. 

 

My favorite scripture is in 3 Nephi 11:15-17 

Although I don't have the opportunity right now to feel or see his wounds, I can still have a personal and powerful testimony of the atonement of Jesus Christ. I have felt its power and seen it change my life and the lives around me over and over again. 

Excited to see y'all:) 

Love y'all 

Las quiero

Hermana Moore 

SERVICE- CLEANING COP CARS

AHH AUGUST OF 2016 IS HERE?!? 

What the heck y'all...

So the biggest miracle of the week...I got news that...DANIELA AND JAMIE ARE GETTING SEALED IN SLC ON AUGUST 17!! The day after I get home. As soon as I got word I just broke down into tears. So amazing. Originally they weren't going to go until December, but a family in Danville are heading to Utah so they are tagging along with them. They had no idea when my home date was so none of this was planned. But God sure knew and He is just too good. It'll be so nice to be able to come home to Arkansas family - looks like I'll get on the plane after all:)

This week was another real busy week! We got a ton done and found a lot more people to start teaching! We found two more Spanish families this week as well! It has been such a huge tender mercy to be able to teach in Spanish. Sister Peterson speaks Spanish so she and I went out for a few hours together and tackled all the Spanish we've been finding.

Four of the less active families we've been working with were at church this week! Some hadn't been in years. SO COOL! The ward is doing a big emphasis on home and visiting teaching right now- lots of rescuing coming soon!

A lady from the ward passed away suddenly this last weekend. We attended her funeral this week, and her son serving his mission in California flew home for the funeral. He bore his testimony at the funeral- oh my heavens. It was so powerful. He is one of the 4 kids, 2 of which have some disabilities, and all are now orphans. It was amazing to hear him bare his witness of the priesthood and the restored gospel. He flew back out 2 days afterwards to finish the last 5 months of his mission. Okay Utah, don't get offended, but the wards and branches out here are so united. Since they are the minority they depend so much on each other. It's been a big example to me to watch the ward come together and take care of this family.

Today I'm spending the day in Russellville with Sam! We are going to go see some old friends :) Driving into Russellville I felt like I was home!

Although being a missionary is my "normal" by this point, I still feel I am constantly learning and relearning each day. It's been awesome to not reach a "stopping point" and to continue progressing. My mind is all over the place but I'm still so happy and the work is awesome. I feel my testimony of the Savior has deepened a lot these last 2 weeks. I needed to be in Morrilton. 

Love y'all

Las quiero

The church is true FYI

Hermana Moore 

"I'M FIXIN TO GO TO THE STORE!"

HERMANA HUDSON MY COMP FOR 5 DAYS

Family

Hello from Morrilton! 

Something kind of funny...

Russellville- "I'm fixin to go to the store"

Danville- "I'm fixin to go to the store"

Memphis- I'm finna go to the store"

Pinnacle- "I'm finna go to the store"

Morrilton- "I'm fixin to go to the store" 

Hahaha

Anyways,

I love it here! The members are great. Oh my heavens the Peterson family... I was meant to meet them. I'll have to send a picture. They are gold. Jessie, one of the daughters is headed out on a mission and spent some time teaching with us this week. I LOVE HER. They are one of those families that I feel immediately like they are my family. It's a struggle because I have a handful of families that "I want to be like when I grow up" and I'm going to have to take on multiple careers and lifestyles but there are just so many incredible people and I want to be like all of them! 

So yes, miracles are real because at the beginning of the week...I was worried I'll be honest. The teaching pool was tinsy, there was nothing going on...and Sister Moore was STRESSED OUT. But God is so good and when we get to work He just showers down the blessings. We were 1 person to church away from hitting the SOE this week. Without going into much detail, that is HUGE. I haven't prayed so hard in so long. I've been constantly on my knees pleading for the spirit to guide us and that we can be the instruments that God needs us to be for this area. It's been incredible to see the change in just a short few days. 

Also, I'm not going crazy I promise, but I actually am enjoying the humidity a lot more this summer. I definitely could move here:) 

Also tender mercy..We were sitting in the chapel getting ready for sacrament meeting to start and in walks...Bishop Stokes from Russellville! Turns out he got released as Bishop and is now the High Councilman over Morrilton. #BLESSED It's so good to see Russellville family. 

Companions- Sister Clarke and Sister Fifield are great! We are having a lot of fun together. I love them a lot! Sister Fifield’s aunt was my Spanish teacher in 7th grade! Haha she is from Kaysville and Sister Clarke is from New Mexico. 

 

So 2 main miracles this week:

We were out walking and saw a guy cleaning out his fishing boat so we started helping him and struck up conversation.  We left him with a pamphlet to read and he told us we could come back. When we went back by we couldn't go inside because there wasn't a women home so we talked on the porch. He had read the pamphlet and found an old Book of Mormon that he had already had and has already read and accepted a baptismal date for August! #blessed  gosh dang it missionary work is the best! Come to find out he was already in the area book as someone who wasn't interested. So cool to see he has changed his mind! We are super excited about him! 

There was a Spanish potential in the area book. Normally he would be covered by the Russellville Spanish missionaries but it's a lot of miles so he hadn't been seen yet. So we went by and brought a member, Zakk, who had just gotten back from a Spanish speaking mission with us so he could help me teach and it went so well! He also accepted a date for August! It'll be a bit challenging because he'll have to attend the Russellville branch but for now this returned missionary and I are going to keep teaching him. #vivalaraza #morriltonspanishbranch 

Oh and here is my address:

102 A Eastgate Drive

Morrilton AR 72110

The Atonement is real. I feel Heavenly Father helping me finish my mission strong! Studies have been so good. I feel the power of missionary work every day. 

Love y'all

Las quiero 

Hermana Moore 

GINORMOUS SPIDER IN OUR HOUSE

THE SAVIOR IS CONSTANT

(SLEEPOVERS)

Family-

I'm going to be a better writer this week! Lots of details to make up for last week. Ready?:)

A story I missed from last Thursday:

It was a long rough day. I kept getting lost-_- we went so many miles. We hardly had any lessons. Lots of last minute errands kept coming up. Just random things that made the day feel so unproductive. At one point throughout the day we had been near Aleasha’s apartment and left a little sticky note for her to come home to after work. As we were getting into bed, feeling a little (a lot) defeated we get a text from her. She explained a situation that had happened with her best friend who is very against her joining the church. She said our note made her day and had her in tears. It was exactly what she needed. Huge tender mercies for her and for us.


Tuesday-

ALL THE GOLDEN PEOPLE ARE BEING FOUND RIGHT AS I LEAVE PINNACLE! Mary Ann is a new investigator. So receptive. We had walked by her house on Sunday and we saw her daughter in the window so we knocked. She is a young mom and was looking for a family church. We taught the restoration and she loved it. Her daughter wanted selfies after and called us her "best friends." So sad to leave them.

So Aleasha is the strongest new member ever. She has been cut off by family and friends and there has been so much persecution. The social change has been real hard. On Tuesday we stopped by to see her and we both felt incredibly impressed to invite her to teach with us. Which at first seemed odd because she was just baptized 2 days before, but she agreed and was super excited! She came with us to see and teach Mikell and it was awesome! Aleasha is one y'all will definitely have to meet!! I'm heartbroken to leave her and her kids.

JOHNSTON FAMILY

SISTER TOBLER FROM PINNACLE MOUNTAIN

Wednesday-
Lots of packing and goodbyes. Of course, there is never enough time to say goodbye to anyone. But we did get to see a few people. We had Book of Mormon class as well and Mikell came!

GOODBYE TO PINNACLE MOUNTAIN

Thursday-

We got up early and went to the church to play basketball with Mikell and the Elders. Mikell is so solid! Ahhh I officially left pinnacle mountain and said goodbye to sister King :( and was switched to Spanish with Hermana Hudson! WOOHOO I’M HERMANA MOORE AGAIN! We had a few lessons, Spanish is coming back slowly but surely. Most of the day we spent packing. The Hermanas are moving Apartments so we packed and cleaned so the office elders could get us all moved... And then as they were on their way the tornado sirens went off and we all had to go in.

DISTRICT MEETING - BASKETBALL ANALOGY FOR ME

We also had a meeting with the Little Rock Stake President, President Wakolo and the rest of the leaders in the zone on the missionary work in the stake.

SERVING AT "OUR HOUSE"

Friday-

We moved apartments finally! Lots of packing. The office elders came and helped us get all moved in. Once we finally got moved in we were able to go out teaching with a member who took us to meet her friend and her family! Yay for teaching in Spanish again! Then we came home late and hadn't had dinner yet and I was hangry. So we start searching for food and realize that we left half of it at the old apartment. So then we went to cook eggs and realized there was no pan. And then we were going to make oatmeal but then realized there was no microwave. I ended up making eggs in a pot and dipped them in peanut butter. Hahaha

HIKING PINNACLE MOUNTAIN

Saturday-

We woke up extra early to go hike Pinnacle Mountain with the Hermanas in the branch! And then pretty much all day we helped prepare food for the wedding and baptism. The Spanish elders baptized a family of 5! So amazing! President and his family attended and as we were waiting for the transfer email to come, (I had been trying to get President to tell me where I'm going all week) so he pulled me aside and told me where I'm going and why I'm going there... So I'll be spending my last month in....MORRILTON!!:) I'm going back to North Little Rock zone! It's 25 minutes from Russellville!:) I'll be in a trio with Sister Fifield and Sister Clark. I’m being referred as "Hermana" but Morrilton is an English area. So I guess it'll be zebra? There won't be much Spanish work I don't think but a little bit! When I was in Russellville, Morrilton was a great area and there were monthly baptisms but lately it's been super dead. So much work to be done and it's so exciting!! President gave me some specific things he wants to see happen. It'll be good! :)

SPANISH ELDERS AND SISTER HUDSON

Sunday-

HUGE TENDER MERCY: Because of all the storms this week Pinnacle Mountain’s power went out and they had to attend church at the Otter Creek building, which is the same building as the Spanish branch! And even better, all the sister missionaries serving in the otter creek building got to sing in the English ward’s sacrament meeting! It was so fun to see everyone one last time! I attended my last Spanish branch church service as a missionary! Breaks my heart! It's been awesome to be back Spanish for a couple days.

Today:

Temple trip! My last one! And I got to see Hermana Lewis! She leaves tomorrow! It's so crazy I can't believe it. I can't begin to explain how amazing she is and how incredible this day had been being able to spend it with her. I know 100% she was meant to train me. She has had the biggest impact on my mission. I wish I had words to thank her.

Last week, there was a night we got in for the night and I just felt so overwhelmed. There were so many changes that happened this week. Different areas and companions, getting released. Watching someone new take over a ward that I love :( And I'm still not the biggest fan of change :) but I felt a wave of security come over me that reminded me that the Savior is constant. It's so comforting to feel attached to Him.

Scripture I loved this week John 15:5

“I am the vine, ye are the branches: He that abideth in me, and I in

him, the same bringeth forth much fruit: for without me ye can do

nothing.”

Love y'all
Las quiero
Hermana Moore

 

ALICE

CLAIRE

JAS

SELFIE WITH BUDDY

NO MORE A SISTER TRAINING LEADER  :/ :) :(

EXCHANGES WITH SISTER KENNACH

Family-
So I got the release call last night! No more an STL and I won't find out my new area until next week. I'll stay with Hermana Hudson until Tuesday and then head to my LAST AREA:/ :) :(   So crazy. Fingers crossed I'll go back Spanish!

Fun things: 

-ALEASHA WAS BAPTIZED! Woohoo!! 

-Jarvis passed the sacrament for the first time yesterday! 

-We had 4 to church! 

-Zone meeting- we did a fun activity with the zone. No more instructing. Which now that it's over I'll miss doing. 

-SISTER KING TURNED 20!! 

CELEBRATING SISTER KING'S BIRTHDAY WITH ALEASHA!

-I got a really awesome blessing this week. If I had written all my concerns down, each one was checked off in order in the blessing. God is our loving Heavenly Father, I certainly know that. 

-We ran into a group of kids our age from the "fellowship" church last night. They were having group discussions and one group was outside on their driveway so we joined them and they had all sorts of questions. They invited us to come inside and join the other groups to close with a prayer. They were so kind! And so intrigued! Ironically enough their topic of discussion was on how to follow the spirit when sharing the gospel. haha so they had a lot of questions for us. We passed out a lot of cards and we hope something we said will stick with someone. 

-We were taking a bike day and we were gonna go out to lunch to celebrate Sister King’s birthday and we made a last minute decision to change where we were going and long story short we ran into this guy. We gave him a card at lunch and then 20 minutes later we were out on our bikes and ran into him again! So we talked with him, turns out he had tried to commit suicide 4 days before and had just gotten released from the hospital that day. He came to church with us the very next day and LOVED IT. We will start teaching him lessons this week. So exciting! 

-Saturday night - got a call from President, thinking it was my release call. But some sisters had gotten in a car wreck. They are ok! But we picked them up from the hospital and helped them get medicine and stayed the night with them. Last night of STLing ha  They are ok no worries :) 

Ahh so much happened. It was a good week I promise! Although I'm cutting short on details.  

Love y'all :)
Las quiero!

I'VE MET THE MOST INCREDIBLE PEOPLE!

WITH JASMINE

 Happy 4th of July! Yay! It's like Christmas in the summertime. Last 4th of July was the hottest day of my life so the gray clouds are very appreciated today. We have plans to go to lunch with Aleasha and her kiddos at the River Front downtown. #soblessed the 4th is on a Pday:)

4TH OF JULY WITH ALEASHA AND HER KIDS

WE ALSO JUST ATE THE MOST AMAZING BURGER AT "BIG ORANGE". IT CHANGED MY LIFE!

This week was just the usual stuff and since we have fun things planned I'm not really gonna email it all... Sorry!  I’ll send a bunch of pictures :)

EXCHANGES WITH SISTER NELSON

  

Fun stuff:

Ms Simmons bore her testimony in relief society. She has felt a big different since her confirmation!

Being with the Hermanas is the best ever! We have loved staying with them. 

OUR ROOM/BEDS UNTIL SISTER JACKSON GETS HOME

Kirks lesson - (ask me in 6 weeks) 

WE LOVE ALEASHA AND SHE GETS BAPTIZED NEXT WEEK. Her friends have been so hard on her about it but she has been so strong. I can't wait for her to move to Utah. I'm also in love with her kids. 

ALEASHA

TEXAS ROADHOUSE WITH ALEASHA AND HER KIDDOS

It's insane and awesome how natural missionary work is at this point. I don't know anything else. I want to give the whole world a card about Jesus Christ. I want to teach all day. I want to serve and do everyone's dishes (not really, but you know what I mean) I love putting on my name tag every morning. I've met the most incredible people. I love my mission president and the missionaries who have become my family. I love being a missionary! 

JARVIS AND HIS COUSIN GENESIS

Las quiero 

Love y'all 

Sista Mas  

6:30 GROCERY RUN

THE GUYS WHO DRIVES THIS THOUGHT IT WAS FUNNY WE RODE OUR BIKES IN OUR SKIRTS

THE JELLY BEAN GAME

SISTER KINGSBERRY

THE WALKERS (SHE'S FROM TRINIDAD = AMAZING FOOD)