"Here is an Apostle of the Lamb"

Overlooking the SL valley with Elder Pau'u

Dear family,

The emails were awesome this week! I love all the pictures. I am really wondering why my entire life we didn't have any quorum of the 12 general authorities come all 18YEARS of my life and as soon as I leave they come what seems like once a month. They probably saw the righteousness of the stake go up after I left and wanted to see what was going on. 

Not that I can complain at all because we did have Elder Ballard come and speak to us on Saturday. It was super sweet!  He is so funny and we all got to shake his hand! He spoke with two other general authorities of the seventy, Elder Pingley (?sp) and Elder Christensen.  Elder Ballard told a story of a missionary in his mission he was over in Ontario Canada that came to him and told him he was going to be his best missionary. He explained to him that he made a covenant with God that if he worked as hard as he could and was the best missionary then he would keep his dad alive. He told of his first day in the area were they went straight to a members home for dinner.  After eating this missionary looked at his watch and told his senior companion that they had been there for forty-five minutes and needed to leave.

Olympus District B Meeting

The senior companion told him of the -30's temperatures outside and how he didn't think it was a good idea. The missionary told him "I need your help to save my dad." He told of his diligence as he worked to be the best servant of the Lord he could be. He was released as a mission president at the same time this missionary went home and was able to witness this valiant missionary run to the arms of his father. Some of his really funny quotes were:

"You have a great mission president. One of the reasons why is because he married over his head... It think we all have." Looking back on the stand

This was when he was telling us that there didn't used to be any missions or missionaries in Utah:

Elder Ballard: from the stand.  "Now how many missions do we have in Utah?" Looking back at sister Eberhardt  "4? 5?" 

Sister Eberhardt: 9

Elder Ballard: "Wowwwww!"

He said that if we could go to our knees every night and say to the Lord, "I did my best," then we are great missionaries. The spirit testified to me that here is an apostle of the Lamb. I have gotten way ahead in the 100 day BOM reading challenge and am in 3 Nephi 20 and just like the apostles called then, I know that the same is still true of them today:

7 And the disciples did pray unto the Father also in the name of Jesus. And it came to pass that they arose and ministered unto the people.

8And when they had ministered those same words which Jesus had spoken--nothing varying from the words which Jesus had spoken--behold, they knelt again and prayed to the Father in the name of Jesus.

I know that my redeemer lives.

I love you all,

Elder Moe

"Dang! That Kid Looks Just Like Gilbert Warner!"

Elder Moe & childhood friend, Gill Warner

Dear Fam,

This week was pretty awesome! Thank you so much for all your letters and pictures. So yes, we went to the Warners and ate dinner with them! It was crazy awesome! But to rewind a bit I guess, I have been making quite a few connections lately. Being in YSA has a lot to do with it. So before a sacrament meeting, I ran into a kid named Lars that served around Jonathan Moe! That was pretty fun and I realized that I hadn't seen him in like forever and Lars told me that he was studying abroad in Jerusalem right now I think. But after that, we were standing outside a sacrament meeting and there were four guys all trying to sit on this couch in the foyer. A kid in the ward wanted to take a picture with the guys on the couch, so I remember looking and I think at that point I just thought someone had looked familiar. (That happens a ton by the way, you meet so many new people and see so many faces.  I have seen people that I could promise I know and then talk to them and I have never even met them before.) But anyway, we were still in the foyer and I had looked over there a few more times and then I looked a little closer and I was like "Dang! That kid looks just like Gilbert Warner." Then it hit me... Wait... So I looked again and he was realizing the same thing at the same time. The light bulb came on for both of us at the same time. He jumped off the couch and was like ELDER MOE!

Elder Moe & Elder Pau'u with the Warners!

And I was like NO WAY!!! Then someone stepped out gave us a dirty look and shut the doors to the chapel. We just caught up for a bit and then we ended up stopping by there for dinner. They were our first dinner of the night. We ended up having 2 more... But it was super awesome! Shoot me The Gelwix's address too because I am pretty sure they live in our area or zone as well. 

Preston, we all have to pull a Brandon Conrad every once in a while. Speaking of that, is my hair (that I taped to the wall) and mine and Stephen’s race tallies still on the wall at track? I’m glad you are keeping the party alive in Owasso! Try to include everyone you can when you are doing stuff. Send some pole-vaulting videos too bro! 

Becca, this is what I say when people ask how many siblings I have: "I have a little brother that is 16 and a little sister that is 13 and she is more mature than both of us." Fo real though, you are one of the funniest people I know. You have a personality where just videos of you talking are funny. We have an Olan Rodgers (Ghost in the Stalls) in the making. 

 

Dad, send some more of the warehouse and your “plastic hoodie” and all the fun stuff with the business! People ask what you do for work and it's awesome being able to talk about how fun it is building this business. Send some videos of the zone activity! I love hearing about all the work and progress that is going on. I can't wait to be able to come back and help some more with it. You are going to be screen-printing pros.

Mom, I love you so much and I just know how happy it makes you when you get pictures and videos from people!  I learned so much from you and I’m glad I did because I see a ton of Elders who haven't learned how to clean, be responsible or be polite and kind.

Love, 

Elder Moe

Met Lars who knows my cousin Jonathan

"No comment needed"

"This guy is retired and one day he was walking down the road jamming to music and kinda bouncing in his step and someone told him he should dance, so he did!  He's been dancing on street corners ever since.  He just does it for fun and exercise.  People honk and wave and a ton of people know him now!"

Transfer & "Trying to figure out how to do missionary work in the YSA Stake"

Fam,

To answer some of your questions - Elder Pau’u and I are serving in the Olympus Zone in the Holliday YSA (Young Single Adult) Stake. We cover five wards: East Millcreek, Mount Olympus, Holliday, Wilford and Canyon Rim. It goes from 2700 to 6200, then from Highland to the top of the mountain. We live in a pretty nice apartment and drive a Volkswagen Jetta (there are only 2 in the mission) - It's pretty sweet.  Elder Pau’u is Tongan but he grew up in Southern California so all the Polynesian Sisters tease him and call him Plastic because he’s really Americanized - They say "yo, Plastic!"

He has really been helping motivate me to actually work out in the morning, which has been super good! I am getting back into shape and am trying to develop more self-motivation. I’m taking thirty minutes everyday to read through the Book of Mormon out loud in Spanish. I’ve set a goal, and am trying to keep motivated in doing something that’s not easy long term. It’s one of my weaknesses that Heavenly Father has shown me and that is how I am working to overcome it.

It has been interesting trying to figure out how to do missionary work here in the YSA Stake, but I feel like I am learning quicker than before. Your social skills have to be a ton better than anywhere else I’ve been and I am really working on that right now. It’s really pushing me out of my comfort zone. I feel like I can get along with adults better than with kids around my age and that’s what I have been doing most of my mission, talking to adults. It’s an adjustment that I need a ton of my Heavenly Father’s help with, which is super good.

In my studies, I have been looking a lot into diligence. Christ's example of diligence is amazing. After performing the Atonement, the hardest most excruciating feat in the history of the universe, he didn't rest; He didn't take a day off, he didn't sit back. He did the exact same work that He had done on earth, the salvation of mankind. He labored in the spirit world teaching the spirits in spirit prison. He organized the way for those spirits to be taught and saved by the Atonement He had just preformed. If He didn't take a break, after all that He did, why do I think I would ever be entitled to one. He inspires me on those days when I am dead tired and don't want to do anything. I can find strength through Him and because of Him. Look up the talk by Henry B. Eyring, Act In All Diligence. (This is the link)

I ran into this guy we used to know as “Elder Baxter” in one of the YSA wards.  He used to serve in the Ranch Creek Ward in the Oklahoma Tulsa Mission.  I’ll send a picture!

Love you so much!

Elder Moe

"Couldn't Think of a Better Way to Leave the Area"

Sis. Uelese, Sis. Elias and Elder Archer

Dear Family,

This week has been crazy and awesome! We had a baptism of three, a wedding, and the sister’s baptisms (I baptized one of the boys). It was awesome! Crazy awesome. I couldn't think of a better way to leave the area. I am trying to get pictures of all of the crazy events so I can send them. I loved all the pictures and videos and letters this week.  This family is awesome and I am proud to be a part of it. I am sorry I don't have a ton of time to email today.  Today is crazy… With no more transfer meetings, it’s crazy. This is a first time for all of us and so I don't think anyone really knows what is going on.  This scripture was fulfilled in part this Saturday with the baptisms - 2 Nephi 21:26. We only have a few pictures from everything but I will send more next week. I love you guys!

2 Nephi 21:26

The wedding

Baptism of three

Goodbyes

More goodbyes

 

Sisters Elias & Uelese, Elders Moe & Archer

Elder Moe ran into a friend of his cousin Jessica!