Monday, August 16, 2010

August 16, 2010 - 5 Burgers At One Meal

August 16, 2010
Mishawaka, IN

Alright, so what the Bones is going on back home????? Scott’s moving??? What’s Jessie gonna do? When is Scott moving? Where did this girl pop up from? I haven't heard anything from Scooter. Flagstaff though..... doesn't sound too exciting. I guess Scott must really like this girl. Or, maybe he just wasn't thinking it through, what’s up? I just read the letters and was like what the..... when did this all happen? Hopefully she is a nice girl and she doesn't get Scott too aggravated. Someone tell him that if she is a keeper, don't screw it up, ha ha. And tell him to write me about it all, and have his little girl friend write me too. That would be sweet. So is Jessie just being left in the dust then? Well, she can always go to college, that’s what I think would be fun. Well, the letters were great though. Thanks for them. I finally got a letter from Paul, ha ha. It was awesome! I’m gonna be honest I struggled trying to read all your letters, even Dad's, ha ha. I had to have my companion help me out on words. He started to give up, so I eventually worked it out until the sentences made sense. If somebody can, I'm going to try and write Grandma Whitney but I don't have her address, so if someone back home could snag that for me that would be great. Well how is everything else going? Is the house sold yet??? When does school start for dad? Am I ever gonna get a picture of the family?? Oh and I haven't gotten the packages with the test stripes yet mom, or the freestyle lite meters. So I dunno if I’m supposed to get those later or something???

The Mission is going crazy. I got a lot of rebuking, my self-experiences. During lessons with investigators, every time the spirit would come in the room I would seem to always screw it up. Just by being my normal self, I would start talking about things that had nothing to do with the lesson and I would tell stories that were pointless. If the person started straying from the lesson, that’s exactly what I would do and I wouldn't bring it back. My comp and I have being trying to work on it a lot, finding solutions that will help both of us out. You start realizing when you’re out here that if you’re disobedient, if you’re taking the spirit away the investigators don't progress because of your actions. It’s all on your head. I mean of course people have their choice and if they get offended they get offended or stuff like that. But if they don't feel the spirit when they were willing to listen to it, because you yourself and your companion didn't fully bring it in, it’s probably the worst guilty feeling you could go through, especially when you realize it. When things start going into perspective greater and greater it throws me off. I’m so thankful for the atonement. Without that I would be nothing (well and so would be everyone else). But you have to depend on that. If you use it and you want to keep improving it is never at all easy in any sense but the thing that is, it is worth it. I’ve had to rely on it so much out here. The spirit is so strong, it brings a feeling of peace and comfort and everything is going to be ok. Happiness is a big word. Even when you know you messed up big time with someone or even with obedience it comes into play so much, I mean, man, I can't even explain it. I wish I could just write everything down but I can't. You can get the gist of it when you read my journal ‘cause that’s where I write everything down. I have already written 120 pages in less than 3 months.... I don't think I could keep that up. I did the math and if I write the same amount I have been, for the rest of my mission then I'll have over 1200 pages when I’m done ha ha. I probably wouldn't ever read them ‘cause they are so long, but that’s not the right attitude. Dave and Bev are still going good, except for taking the spirit away from the lessons. But, their daughter was super sick on Sunday, so they weren't at church. I experienced some godly sorrow I think during sacrament yesterday. They didn't show up to church and when an investigator doesn't show up to church and they have been improving so well I think it’s pretty much hell for every missionary and that’s what it was for me. At first I was thinking why they weren't there. Then I blamed myself, then I was just way concerned for them that if they actually knew the true reason for everything we were teaching them and how important it really is. Then I just started thinking that oh they probably got in an accident and now they are in the hospital, ha, way to think positive I know but it’s hard. Everyone in your area, every single person you are responsible for. If you don't try to talk to someone, don't cross the street when you see a person on the other side and if they would've accepted the gospel and you didn't give them that chance you will be held accountable. Deep stuff, it’s scary and it’s a motivation builder at the same time. That’s why the spirit is so important. But anyways not a lot of things happened last week that were too exciting, so I don't really know what to tell ya. Well, actually I broke a record at a member’s house the other day. They cook hamburgers for the missionaries every so often and they are like 1/2 pd hamburgers and the record for a missionary was 3 and that was Elder Williams. So I was like ‘Please, way too easy’. So I ate 5 hamburgers and I would've eaten I think one more, but they ran out of hamburgers. I totally just swept the record, ha ha. It was a piece of cake. I kept eating too after I had the 5 hamburgers, like chips and stuff. The family was impressed they were like ‘no way this guy eats this much and isn't 250 lbs’. I guess I just have a talent, but that’s all there is for exciting news. Actually my companion and I sang for this guy "I am a child of God" and in turn he sang us a song, ha ha. He sang "This little light of mine", it was way funny. We recorded it so maybe I’ll send it out to you guys, but that’s pretty much it for the mission. If you guys want to know anything else just let me know. I love you all.

Oh, and dad my study in the scriptures has been crazy ever since you talked about Elder Bednar and how he studies (which I still don't know how he does it so you could shed some light on that). I have been trying to improve mine so I have this study journal that I bought and any scripture I like I write it down and write my feelings about it. Then I look up the cross references and try to figure out the main message from it and how I can apply it to myself as a missionary and how I can use it for the people we teach out here. It’s way hard. I struggle with it sometimes but let me know what you think or any study tools or ways to study that could help me improve I've been trying to figure the best way for me to remember everything, it’s hard. I struggle with remembering people’s names even and that never helps, ha ha. I love the thoughts you send out keep sending them. They always do me good. I liked the last email you sent about D & C 100:4. Tell me stuff that you want me to shed light on at all. I don't really know what all to write. Tennis sounds good. Thanks for the updates. It all seems pretty tight between everyone in the pros and sounds like you’re doing good with leagues and tournaments. You still got to win one though. I love you Dad,

Elder John Michael Moore

P.S. - I love you too Mom, Scott, Paul, and Jessie

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