"Stay Humble Punk"

Saturday Baptism

Dear Family,

That's so sweet that school is out!!! That's the best feeling ever! Preston you literally are saying you’re too busy because you have to many friends... Hahaha you are going to have a great summer. You are in a special place in life and it's so cool to see how God has put you there - with pole vaulting, with friends and everything else. I really did pray about quitting football and to have guidance in what I should do. I know I learned a ton in the experience, and it shaped my life and senior year. I was able to step out of a crowd going to not good places and have a friendship with Stephen and a number of other blessings.  I am also sure that the reason for that decision was because of you and Becca as well. It's awesome to see where you’re at and where you’re going. But hey, stay humble punk. That's a lesson I have learned from my mission a lot. If I don't check myself all the time, and make a concerted effort, I rise up in pride. If I don't recognize it myself, and make some course corrections, my Heavenly Father helps out and my life gets HARD until I am humble again. Stay humble and pray for humility. It sounds like you are doing it already. I can't help but think back on when we were surfing and we figured out the way to catch a wave at the same time. You've gotta pray for every wave you try to catch and then thank Him for the experience. 

Becca, the only reason I know what dabbing is because Elder Manning was still home when that started... Hahah  Have you had opportunities to talk with your friends about the gospel? Becca, for real, if you start doing missionary work now and "Become a missionary long before you enter the mission field" like Elder Bednar advises, you will find the joy of missionary work and will have that mighty change of heart before or even without going on a mission. (Not sure if you have decided to serve a mission yet) (you totally should though) 

Thanks so much for all the pictures of the projects that you are working on. I really love to see that! That dodge ball shirt is hilarious!! I will search and try to find something you can mark in Nehemiah. I love how involved you are as the high counselor over missionary work. I would love to serve in the Stake. You and President Bell are studs. I love hearing that he is speaking out about the things that most people ignore or just let slide. 

Here is a crazy day we had last week from my journal Mom:

May 18, 2016 7:30 AM Wednesday

Yesterday was super long and awesome! We started it by going to drop off our laundry from Sister Edwards at like 7:00 AM. We had dropped it off on Monday, but one of sister Edwards daughters returned it to us before it had been washed. It was pretty funny! On the way home, we swung by Elder John and Manning’s apartment to pick up some milk. When we got there, Elder Manning was in the shower and Elder John was just sitting on the couch. We had MLT later that morning at 9:00, but I knocked on the door and said, "Elder Manning! Hurry up we've got to get to MLT! We are gonna be late!!" He was like, “WAIT… WHAT?? Ok be out in a second!!" Elder John was just on the couch laughing. We gave him a hug and left. We got a text from him a few minutes later that said, "Don't come back. EVER." It was awesome! 

When it was actually time to go pick him up, we dropped Elder John off with Elder Harris and made arrangements for them to split because Elder John had to go downtown to get medicine or something. We were a little nervous how it would all go. Then we had MLT and it was so awesome! I had a lot of questions that were answered. I felt the spirit so strongly and was able to learn not only things people said, but things that the spirit taught me. I am starting to slowly understand and recognize what the spirit is like. 

After MLT, it was crazyness like it always seems to be and while we were downstairs trying to figure things out, there was a bag of leftover carrots from lunch. I grabbed them and was snacking on them. I ended up eating the whole bag... We were walking out of the mission office with Elder Manning and Elder Privado, and Elder Privado and I at the same time had the feeling like we forgot something. I quickly realized that I needed to go talk to President and so I had an opportunity to do that. I am glad that Elder Privado had that prompting and was willing to act on it. 

After all that, we finally left and had to hurry because we had a lesson at 4. On the road home and after making a few calls, we found out that Elder Harris wasn't with Elder John. He was with the member split and Elder John had been dropped off at the apartment... Elder John was alone, doesn't speak the best English and didn't have the phone. AHHHHH! Luckily he was just sitting on the steps of the apartment and everything worked out. Sadly, he had been sitting there for about an hour... 

We were able to make it to that lesson we had, but on the way, I felt pretty sick and had a sweet headache. We got into the lesson though and I forgot I felt bad. It was with a girl named Brooke who is dating a member in the ward. The lesson went super sweet! She is not on date to be baptized yet, but she is prepared. After the lesson, I went right back to feeling super sick so we came home and I tried to settle my stomach. We had to pull over on the way home because I was about to loose it. At that point, the experience was familiar enough to remember the last time I ate a huge bag of carrots, thought I was going to die and projectile vomited all over the toilet. After my stomach settled a bit, we went to another lesson that we thought we had scheduled, but we found out quickly that what I thought was Katie responding was actually Elder Soleberg asking her if 6:15 would work. I replied that yeah that works perfectly! We had a member coming with us and everything and it wasn't happening... Ahhhhh! 

We finished off the day with an amazing lesson with Daniel! We had his old Boy Scout leader there and he informed us that not only did Daniel get his Eagle, but like 4 golden palms as well and he did it on his own. The lesson went exactly like a lesson should and we ended our day on a great note.

"Lovest thou me?" Is a question to ponder this week!

Love,

Elder Moe

He Speaks to Us Through Others

My new companion Elder Soelberg!

Hey, hey fam!!

The story on my hair: So I was getting really hot so I took a bath but that didn't work. I drank some water and then I realized that it was my hair that was making me so hot so I decided to shave it all off.  Hahah but really I just was tired of doing it in the morning so one night I went in the bathroom while Elder Soelberg was talking to one of our DLs on the phone and cut it all off. He heard the clippers start up and I was like "I think I am just going to go straight up" he was quietly motioning to me not to do it "don't do it!" And then I did it *BZZZZTT* there was no going back from there. 

This week has been a super good one! We had an experience yesterday that changed my mission. We were having a conversation in a correlation with one of our ward mission leaders and he shared with us things he learned about working with less active members of the church. He shared ways to go about helping them feel like they did when they first came to know that God was there for them, that they have a Savior and the Gospel is restored on the earth. He answered a lot of questions that I have pondered and prayed about because of the words about my mission in my patriarchal blessing. I have been called on this mission to do this work and I am so grateful for the guidance and direction He is giving me. It is so cool to know that God speaks to us through others. Not in a way like "God told me you were supposed to do this" but where the spirit testifies of other people's words, confirming where they are from. I am grateful for the huge role the Holy Ghost plays in my life! Thank you as well dad for your words and insights about Elder Christofferson’s talk. I know that those words were from my Heavenly Father as well and will help me a ton! 

Love,

Elder Moe

P.S. Do the Christlike attribute activity in Preach My Gospel on developing Christlike attributes at the end of the chapter - page 126!  It's awesome! 

Pres. Eberhardt, Elder Nelson, Moe (with the spontaneous buzz cut) & Soelberg

Our investigator's baptism!  We didn't get one in
all white, but there was a random throne in the gym.

Elder Soelberg, Williamson and Elder Moe

"It's Good To Know Things Haven't Changed"

"Cinco de Mayo celebration!!!" with Elders Manning, John, Nelson,
Soleberg and Moe.

Hey Family,

It was so cool to see you guys yesterday!!! You really don't feel far away at all. Preston you are still a punk! Becca you are still cool! Dad you are still cheesy!! Mom you are still worried about my driving... It's good to know things haven't changed! Dad I can't wait to get home and help you with all that! I will totally work for you that would be sweet. The reason that I was asking about my cactus is because I hadn't heard anything about them. (It's true that that wouldn't be the hottest topic I guess) whatever! Hey, still send me a picture of the garden soon!

Elder John has been teaching me some Pidgin and it's super fun! Here are some phrases!

Pidgin

Name lo mi Elder Moe

My name is...

Dis bla em compla mi

This is my companion...

Thank you stret

Thank you a lot

Em good bla stret bro ye

That's awesome

Em olsem

That's how it is

You make you makim wanem

What are you doing?

Mi sorry stret.

I'm sorry

Mi forgim you.

I forgive you

Bye brats

Bye brother

"Olympus Zone Meeting"

I love languages! They are so cool. I keep asking President to put me in a Spanish program! I need to pray harder I guess! This week has been so super good. Elder Soleberg is awesome! We get along so well. It's weird how fast we were like best friends. We have had a few dinner appointments and some west missionaries that have been super surprised when we have said we have been together for a few days. Hahah! We have pretend arguments where people can see like Shawn and Gus when we have to make a decision and then we come back with the answer all collected and stuff. (Don't worry people know we are joking)

"Elder Boren is dead (gone Home) :( "

We had a miracle this week and his name is Daniel. Some Elders in the zone had someone calling them that was living in the Sister’s area but wanted to have his friend taught by Elders. The guy wanted the Assistants number but we had them give him our number first! It turned out that his friend was YSA (young single adult) and was being fellowshipped into the Holliday ward! We had a sweet lesson with him and he is preparing to be baptized on the 28th of this month!

We also had a tender mercy when we had something come up on Tuesday so we had to reschedule a lesson with Jonathan at temple square for Wednesday. Wednesday, we had a mission meeting that we had spaced, and so when we realized we had the meeting, we already had our suits in the car and we were really close to the mission office. Our Heavenly Father had our back and he has all of ours!! I love all of you!

Love,

Elder Moé (My poly name)

Mission Council Meeting

Mother's Day face time

"Your Parents Should Be Your Best Friends"

"Candidly preachin the word"

Dear Family,

A bunch of random stuff...

We are going to have to go get some Taco Bell for the 5th for sure. Be sure to watch Nacho Libre with some taquitos and lime aid.  I want to see the garden! How are my cacti doing? Did you kill another one... When I get home, lets do some type of running even or something we can train for; Triathlon - or is that too ambitious? I am down if you are! I am going to ask my landlord and see if I can drill two holes in the wall and sleep in my hammock. I might try to hang it while Elder Nelson is packing today. Yes, we did put that together for the Hawes! We wanted to take a picture all together but we forgot on p-day so we tried our best to make up for it.

"We love you Elder & Sister Hawes! Thank you for all that
you've done.  Kia Kaha! Forever Strong!!"

This week has been super good and I have just been so grateful for all the growth and progress Elder Nelson and I have made together.  Our relationship as companions was so constructive and open that I was able to see and work on things about myself that I hadn't even been aware of before. There were a few experiences in the last two or three weeks in the transfer that really showed me the unity that we were able to develop.

At a dinner with a member of the high council, the grandmother there asked us what could be the most important advice that we could tell her grandkids as they prepared to be missionaries. I took some time to think and ponder about what I needed to know at that time that helped me. Elder Nelson looked to me and then to them and said. "Talk with you parents and learn from them, they want to help you so tell them everything." I was in awe and testified to them that that message was from God because I got the exact same impression. I said, "Your parents should be your best friends. Trust them and tell them everything! They want to help you." I was able to tell them that they should NEVER be afraid to tell their parents anything. I know that that is so true. Parents are called to listen, understand and guide. I also know that nothing is fixed if it is not brought in the open. I know that is true in companionships and in our lives.

"These guys are awesome! The girl knows Shane Till!"

If you have two people that want to improve, that are open with each other and are humble, they cannot fail.

Love,

Elder Moe

"Betcha I could throw a pigskin over them
mountains - Uncle Rico"  " I ligit didn't notice this until
I went to attach it to the email :D Buttsniff :D"

"Another picture from Jonathan's proposal"

"Breaking and entering missionary style"