June 22, 2010 - Logansport, Indiana

June 22, 2010


Holy Cow, mom and dad what a crazy crazy first week out on the mission.

First things first. Mom they said to send insulin from home and it would be fine or whatever way you were thinking of it getting shipped to where im living at is good. I’m not sure what other major important stuff I was supposed to write about, but email me some questions and I’ll get on it.

So I’m sorry i didn't get a chance to even say goodbye to you momma on the phone, but the airport was nice to see real people and the real world again. You will never guess who me and a couple of other elders saw at the Detroit airport. Lance Armstrong!!! Way cool huh? We were walking on that moving floor thing and he was walking the other way. We were debating that when we got off to run back and talk to him but we didn't want to look like idiots being reps for the Lord and everything, so we bridled our passions I guess. We got to the mission home and just went through a little orientation. We ate dinner and got ready for bed. The first night it rained crazy hard like a pitcher of water was being dumped from the sky or something. It was ridiculous. The next morning was more orientation, then to a church to see who are first comp would be. We were with other elders that have been out for longer about 60 of them and the mission pres. told everyone where they were serving and who they would be with. The new elders were last which was me. We had to go up to the pulpit say our name and stuff then the pres would tell us who we would be with and who our companion would be. So I got put with Elder Banner. and I’m serving in Logansport, Indiana which is the largest area in the whole mission. The farthest we would have to travel to reach one end to the other end would be about 1 hr and 20 mins in a car, so I think about 60 mile or more distance or something like that and it’s just me and Elder Banner taking over the whole area, no other elders. We have a super nice house we live in Logansport, it has everything. Elder Banner is probably the coolest guy that I could've been put with. He is actually from Ogden, UT, he lives over on 32nd street which is crazy. He has only been out for about 7 - 8 months. He got out a little later then everyone, he turns 21 tomorrow, so tonight for p-day we are celebrating I think, ha. He snowboards and skated, does dancing...not like queer dancing but break dancing, ha. Basically, he is an awesome trainer, way funny and nice. When we got done with our meeting we went out to lunch to Cici's with a bunch of other elders before going off to Logansport, it was way good. Good news, I’m not fat yet. I’m still fit and healthy so don't worry mom my dream of becoming a tubbo will probably not come true. We can run every night except Sunday, so although my comp is a little slow I just run circles around him and do some parkor. We got to town, I unloaded, we went shopping, I got a bike for free and a helmet for free, they are both pretty ghetto but still they work. I got them from elders who were leaving and not going to need them cause they had a car. We have a car but we switch off if we are going to use it or not if we stay in town. So after we got done shopping and getting situated we went out to the outskirts of our area and talked to this kid named Nathan Puckett who is 12, and way into the church. He is already in 3rd Nephi reading it and that would be just unheard of for me being 12. His mom was a member but it was against her will I guess cause her mom made her, so she doesn't go at all, and her husband is way strong Catholic, so a torn religious family. When we went over there we were planning on asking Nathan to get baptized, but we had to ask his mom if it was alright to do it, ‘cause we need her permission. Luckily when we got there he had already talked to her about it and she wasn't fully on board, but she didn't say no, so right there we taught him the first discussion with his mom there and set up a baptism date for July 17th. My first day out, and I had a baptism set up, even though I know none of it was me, it was still super, super cool to be a part of. He goes to church every Sunday with his aunt so he already has going to church down. That was cool to be a part of. On Thursday, we went about tracting and talking to people it took me a couple of people to get used to asking and talking about the gospel, but I think I’m doing ok now. I definitely have had a lot of doors slammed in my face now. But it’s getting better for me, learning what to say and learning to love the people out here which I do. It’s weird, but I just see everyone doing stuff and say to my comp they need to get baptized, he says it to me all the time. He will be like right before we knock and say they need to be baptized or they need the gospel. Bearing testimony definitely helps. We have talked to a lot of people just that Elder Banner knew because he was serving out here before I came and he knows everyone, so if we met people he knew it was kinda an introduction to me to get to know them which was good and then we would share a message after we knew each other. We have eaten dinner with a couple of members already. They are really sweet out here especially to missionaries. There is only one church for our whole area and some people to get to church is a 70 mile round trip, I feel really bad for them but at least they are strong. On Friday we tracted and had appointments with people. It was 95 degrees out and I was sweating a little not to bad, but my comp was terrible he wasn't used to it yet. We did service on Thursday and Friday, just at the Salvation Army doing whatever they need us to. We are supposed to do 4 hours of service every week, so that’s what we do. My bike got a flat tire the first time we used it so we had to walk everywhere else because of that. But going back to the weather, we were walking about and dying kinda, so we go see these people who are investigating and talk to them to get out of the sun. We stay for about an hour and share a message about Joseph Smith history and temple we get back out and half the sky was just black clouds and the other half was perfectly sunny. We start walking to another less active house when the wind just picks up, and I started to take pics to show the contrast of the sky. It was cool, but the wind picks up and it starts raining then all the sudden the tornado sirens just go off, and we are like the only people outside people are driving past and give us stares like we’re idiots or something. People ask to give us rides which of course we can't take, and others invite us inside, but we were almost to the less active's house. Lightning was crazy and the rain was picking up so we get inside the house before it gets way bad and the people are just like you elders are crazy. We just talk with them. The couple we talked with the wife was a member and the husband wasn't. The husband was drunk when we got there, so he was swearing up a storm and the lightning was just ridiculous. We listen to the weather report with them and see how long it will be. It was supposed to last until midnight, and it was around 7:30 or 8, so we just sat tight with them talking about stuff. Eventually it got better so we were given umbrellas and we walked home it was still lightning outside so probably not the smartest choice walking around with metal umbrellas but we were fine. Got home and wrote about it in my journal. My journal entries are crazy. I have almost 60 pages and I haven't even been out that long so maybe i should stop writing so much. But anyways, everything else that happened, Saturday, we got invited to go to lunch in a no name town about 30 mins away so we drove and ate with a sister in the ward. We went tracting again and talked to a nice lady who was just answering her own questions with what the gospel was all about so we set up a return appt and taught her a lesson right there. We do have breaks for lunch and dinner stuff it’s about an hour long. The way out here is that we do a 2 hour long break instead of 2 small hour ones. It’s weird but ok I need it cause I have been way crazy tired out here. I got a cold the first day and it’s just now barely getting better. It was terrible but I’m fine. We talked to this guy named Jim who lives by himself. He can’t hear well, so you have to yell at him for him to hear, so it was fun yelling the whole time. He was the nicest guy I've met. We taught him a principle about prayer and I taught it and I felt the spirit so strong it was amazing. We left him and he seemed to be doing alright. Sunday was crazy, church was just a get to know thing for me, I met the whole ward of about 50 people. I don't remember anyone’s names of course, but I guess I’ll work on it. We sat in on the Sunday School class for priests and taught them about missionary work and bore testimony which was so cool the spirit out here is jsut so, so...i can't even explain…basically, the best thing ever. After church, we visited with investigators and gave sacrament to an old guy at his house. We started to tract when we got a phone call that JIM was in the hospital. It was insane, he had gone into a diabetic coma. So, we rushed to the house got the car and drove over to see what was up. He was in the ER gaining consciousness and we just talked to the family and all it was pretty intense. The family was glad to see us and realize that we cared so we just tried to comfort them and all. When things got better and the family saw him in the ER we left to go tracting for a bit. We came back and they said he was going to be fine and they were gonna send him home so we go to his room thing and talk to him. His family asks us to give him a blessing so basically I thought Elder Banner was going to take over but he anointed with the oil and then gave it to me to bless him. I knew this guy for one day and I was like what??? But he said go for it and you can't really talk it over when people are watching you, so I just manned up and blessed him which was so awesome. I had to yell so he could hear so the whole ER heard me. When I was done it was amazing, again the spirit just took over and left with just the comforting feeling of I don’t even know, but just know it was sweetly perfect. We left Jim and that takes care of all the chaos. Yesterday was just another day tracting and talking to members. I have definitely gotten a whole different perspective on stuff. I love everyone out here and I love everyone back home. My heart has definitely felt a change from being out here on my mission. We talk about families and all and it got me thinking that I want to hear from my family more. So mom, it’s up to you to tell everyone to write me. I really would appreciate it. I mean everyone G-ma, grandma and grandpa, uncle Doug’s fam, uncle Brian’s fam, and of course my own fam. So tell everyone to write me and tell them to write about what they love in life, everything and anything, they can think of. I would love to hear it. We are on flash flood warning right now, so hopefully the car hasn't been swept away. I love you mom, dad, Scott, Jessie, Paul I really do. And anyone who reads this, I love ya, I hope you know that if I missed anything let me know.

My Address is
Elder John M Moore
815 17th St.
Logansport, IN 46947

I’ll be here for at least 6 weeks if not longer so make sure you write.