Dear everyone,
I can`t even begin to list all of the things that have happened this week. It`s been way too much. We`ve been trying to prepare our three baptismal candidates but on Tuesday we had our Zone classes like usual and the zone leaders asked me to stay afterward for 2 hours to learn a song to sing with them the next day. Then on Wednesday (the next day) we had to get up early to go to Mission Conference with President and half the mission. That usually lasts 7 hours. We sang our song and it turned out all right. Then that night we had to meet with our mission leader to finalize our plans about the Ward Family Night we were having on Friday. "La obra misional" was in charge of it and our mission leader put it all on us. He didn`t help with anything. So we had to plan that out Thursday and Friday morning during our studies. We planned it though and on Friday night we were in the chapel for 4 hours setting up, cleaning up, teaching and performing for the 40 members who showed up and then cleaning up again. We arrived at the house more then an hour late. It also rained a little bit on Thursday and Friday so everyone slept all day. Then on Saturday we spent the whole day visiting everyone we could, teaching them a short lesson and inviting them to church. On Sunday we were scrambling around for 3 hours at church trying to help the investigators and the less actives to feel comfortable and to stay for the other classes. Luckily the teacher for our Gospel Principles class didn`t show up and we had to give the class. Then we worked the rest of the day and in our last lesson of the day my head nearly exploded?! We had a soap opera-ish lesson with Alejandro, Daniel, Jacqueline, the crazy grandma, Jacqueline`s mom, and the Uncle José. The most rare and confusing situation I`ve ever seen in my life has happened in this family. Now it`s not sure if Alejandro is getting baptized... There`s still hope though.
OK! Wow, I probably wrote way too much and sounded way too negative. Truth is though, it was a horrible week. Doesn`t matter though. This week is a clean slate and we`ve gotta keep working anyway. Everythings good though. Two more weeks in this change and we`ll see what happens.
I love you all. Thanks for all the love and support! CTR always!
Love,
Elder Mooney
Monday, May 31, 2010
Monday, May 24, 2010
I feel blessed.
Hello Friends and Family!
Just want to let you know that Alejandro did not get baptized this week. We postponed the baptism till this next Sunday because Jacqueline`s mom had to go out of town. It`s all good though. That just means we have an extra week to help him get prepared. We watched the documentary of Thomas S. Monson with him and the family and invited him to pray about it. He now fully believes that Thomas S. Monson is a prophet. As I`ve reflected on how much he`s learned and changed I feel blessed to have been called to serve in this ward at this time. The Lord could have called anybody to this sector, but he`s allowing me to be here and I feel blessed.
Daniel, the brother of Alejandro, the "husband" of Jacqueline is also progressing. He wants to get baptized. He believes everything`s true. He`s learned everything and visited Temple grounds with us... BUT for some reason still doesn`t want to get married now. He says he feels to young and that he wants to own his own house first. We promised him that if he gets married the lord will bless him, his wife, and his baby, yet he still doesn`t want to. We`re a little stumped. Here`s the funny part. He`s even willing to pay a FULL TITHE every month, but he doesn`t want to get married. We taught the law of tithing to the family and brought them forms to look at. He filled his out and wanted to pay his tithing on the spot. We explained that he had to be a member first. We`re hoping that the baptism of his brother and a family home evening with a recently married couple will do the trick. Please pray for both Daniel and Alejandro.
The recent convert Rodrigo Garrido just received the Priesthood on Sunday. It was awesome and he was way excited. He`s going to pass the sacrament this week and what he doesn`t know yet is that we`re going to have him baptize his nephew Cristian and his neighbor Bryan that are getting baptized the 6th (hopefully!). It`s amazing because we have a group of four young men who attend church, mutual, and seminary together. Rodrigo(16), Juan(10), Cristian(10), and Bryan(12). Two are baptized and the other two soon will be. It`s awesome when things just click and the work begins to pay off.
Two of our investigators Ramòn and Juana weren`t progressing to well. Juana is a less active member and Ramon is her pareja or living partner. We`ve taught him everything but Juana has to get divorced and then married to Ramon before Ramon can get baptized. For a while they weren`t progressing but then BOOM! Juana had been praying about the divorce and on mother`s day her ex-husband told her that he`d already prepared the papers. She just has to read and sign. Then Ramon found a job that required that he worked on Sunday and we taught him how important it was for him to not work on Sundays. That next week he talked with his boss and worked 2 full days straight without going home so that they could go to church on Sunday. It`s been one miracle after another.
Everything's going really well here. There`s way too much work to be doing here right now and I feel responsible for helping each and every one of these people. I felt really sick the other day but worked through it, because I didn`t want to risk losing any time with our investigators. I know this work is the work of the Lord. I know this gospel`s true. I feel blessed to be where I am doing what I`m doing. And I`m so grateful to have such an amazing family and friends supporting me from home. Thank you for all you do!
Love,
Elder Mooney
Just want to let you know that Alejandro did not get baptized this week. We postponed the baptism till this next Sunday because Jacqueline`s mom had to go out of town. It`s all good though. That just means we have an extra week to help him get prepared. We watched the documentary of Thomas S. Monson with him and the family and invited him to pray about it. He now fully believes that Thomas S. Monson is a prophet. As I`ve reflected on how much he`s learned and changed I feel blessed to have been called to serve in this ward at this time. The Lord could have called anybody to this sector, but he`s allowing me to be here and I feel blessed.
Daniel, the brother of Alejandro, the "husband" of Jacqueline is also progressing. He wants to get baptized. He believes everything`s true. He`s learned everything and visited Temple grounds with us... BUT for some reason still doesn`t want to get married now. He says he feels to young and that he wants to own his own house first. We promised him that if he gets married the lord will bless him, his wife, and his baby, yet he still doesn`t want to. We`re a little stumped. Here`s the funny part. He`s even willing to pay a FULL TITHE every month, but he doesn`t want to get married. We taught the law of tithing to the family and brought them forms to look at. He filled his out and wanted to pay his tithing on the spot. We explained that he had to be a member first. We`re hoping that the baptism of his brother and a family home evening with a recently married couple will do the trick. Please pray for both Daniel and Alejandro.
The recent convert Rodrigo Garrido just received the Priesthood on Sunday. It was awesome and he was way excited. He`s going to pass the sacrament this week and what he doesn`t know yet is that we`re going to have him baptize his nephew Cristian and his neighbor Bryan that are getting baptized the 6th (hopefully!). It`s amazing because we have a group of four young men who attend church, mutual, and seminary together. Rodrigo(16), Juan(10), Cristian(10), and Bryan(12). Two are baptized and the other two soon will be. It`s awesome when things just click and the work begins to pay off.
Two of our investigators Ramòn and Juana weren`t progressing to well. Juana is a less active member and Ramon is her pareja or living partner. We`ve taught him everything but Juana has to get divorced and then married to Ramon before Ramon can get baptized. For a while they weren`t progressing but then BOOM! Juana had been praying about the divorce and on mother`s day her ex-husband told her that he`d already prepared the papers. She just has to read and sign. Then Ramon found a job that required that he worked on Sunday and we taught him how important it was for him to not work on Sundays. That next week he talked with his boss and worked 2 full days straight without going home so that they could go to church on Sunday. It`s been one miracle after another.
Everything's going really well here. There`s way too much work to be doing here right now and I feel responsible for helping each and every one of these people. I felt really sick the other day but worked through it, because I didn`t want to risk losing any time with our investigators. I know this work is the work of the Lord. I know this gospel`s true. I feel blessed to be where I am doing what I`m doing. And I`m so grateful to have such an amazing family and friends supporting me from home. Thank you for all you do!
Love,
Elder Mooney
Wednesday, May 19, 2010
Dead tired...
Dear Seres Queridos,
This week has been a fairly good one. I just want you to know that this email my be a little short because we played basketball and fùtbol as a zone today, then went home and fell asleep. Now I`m here writing emails and I`m dead tired. I don`t think we get enough exercise as missionaries...
Alejandro is still going strong. He`s preparing himself to get baptized this Sunday and I hope everything works out. Please pray for him. It seems like he wasn`t living the word of wisdom before we were teaching him, but now he`s fully committed to living it. He`s accepted all of the commandments easily. It`s amazing to see a person just change his life in only a few days. Also, Daniel, the brother of Alejandro is listening to us again and we`re gonna try to help him realize that he NEEDS to get married. He already has a kid, but doesn`t want to commit himself. I don`t really get what`s going on in his head.
My companion and I have been learning to make weird voices while walking in the street. He`s impressed with my duck voice, the shmeegle voice, and a few others, but we`re trying to develop a few new ones. Easier said then done... I know it doesn`t sound like the best thing to be doing while walking in the street, but it`s what we do to keep ourselves from getting bored or discouraged.
Things are good here though. Time goes by so fast, and yet sooooo slow in the mission. I miss you all so much and hope everything's going well. Thanks for the emails, the support, and the love.
Love,
Elder Mooney
This week has been a fairly good one. I just want you to know that this email my be a little short because we played basketball and fùtbol as a zone today, then went home and fell asleep. Now I`m here writing emails and I`m dead tired. I don`t think we get enough exercise as missionaries...
Alejandro is still going strong. He`s preparing himself to get baptized this Sunday and I hope everything works out. Please pray for him. It seems like he wasn`t living the word of wisdom before we were teaching him, but now he`s fully committed to living it. He`s accepted all of the commandments easily. It`s amazing to see a person just change his life in only a few days. Also, Daniel, the brother of Alejandro is listening to us again and we`re gonna try to help him realize that he NEEDS to get married. He already has a kid, but doesn`t want to commit himself. I don`t really get what`s going on in his head.
My companion and I have been learning to make weird voices while walking in the street. He`s impressed with my duck voice, the shmeegle voice, and a few others, but we`re trying to develop a few new ones. Easier said then done... I know it doesn`t sound like the best thing to be doing while walking in the street, but it`s what we do to keep ourselves from getting bored or discouraged.
Things are good here though. Time goes by so fast, and yet sooooo slow in the mission. I miss you all so much and hope everything's going well. Thanks for the emails, the support, and the love.
Love,
Elder Mooney
Monday, May 3, 2010
I just want it to be Sunday...
Dear Family and Friends,
This week has been a good one. Truth is my mind is kinda blanking when it comes to interesting or amazing things that have happened. Juan and Rodrigo were confirmed by a member of the Bishopric here in Turquesa Ward on Sunday. It scared me so much though, because they showed up 9 minutes late, but just in time to be confirmed. They came happy, well dressed and excited to recieve the gift of the Holy Ghost.
I just finished my 5th change in the mission. Oh and guess what...? Elder Laney and I stayed in the sector and Elder Wilkey and Elder Tello left. My new companion has a year in the mission and is from Argentina, he seems like a pretty cool guy. Elder Laney´s new companion arrived in the mission the same time as me and just came from my first ward in the mission, VIcente Valdes. He filled me in on our investigators and such. We´re excited to get to work this change.
I love you all so much. I can´t wait to talk to you on the phone this Sunday, MOTHER´s DAY! Be good. Be on top of the small and simple things always.
Love,
Elder Mooney
This week has been a good one. Truth is my mind is kinda blanking when it comes to interesting or amazing things that have happened. Juan and Rodrigo were confirmed by a member of the Bishopric here in Turquesa Ward on Sunday. It scared me so much though, because they showed up 9 minutes late, but just in time to be confirmed. They came happy, well dressed and excited to recieve the gift of the Holy Ghost.
I just finished my 5th change in the mission. Oh and guess what...? Elder Laney and I stayed in the sector and Elder Wilkey and Elder Tello left. My new companion has a year in the mission and is from Argentina, he seems like a pretty cool guy. Elder Laney´s new companion arrived in the mission the same time as me and just came from my first ward in the mission, VIcente Valdes. He filled me in on our investigators and such. We´re excited to get to work this change.
I love you all so much. I can´t wait to talk to you on the phone this Sunday, MOTHER´s DAY! Be good. Be on top of the small and simple things always.
Love,
Elder Mooney
Subscribe to:
Posts (Atom)
