Wow...December

Dear Everyone,

This week went so slow but so fast at the same time! At the beginning of the week we unintentionally broke the word of wisdom, so it started off a little bit different. We got this really good vegetable, fruit drink from some members when we went to teach Jilma. Afterwards when we were talking about how good it was I looked at the ingredients and saw that there was Green Tea in it...oops! But that same night, after we repented, we had a miracle lesson! We went to the Deza's home for dinner and had an idea of what we wanted to share. If you haven't seen the video "He is the Gift" yet, watch it! It’s so good! I also posted it on my facebook page, so you can watch it there (click on the English one). So anyways, we shared that video with them and gave them a bunch of pass along cards to give to their friends. Then we set a date. The Spirit was super strong after the video, so we said a prayer and were thinking of a date. No one in the family wanted to say the date they were thinking out loud, so they made us. But we said December 14 and Hno Deza started crying and the Spirit was there and we had all been thinking of the same date. So on December fourteenth, we are going to teach a lesson in their home! It is going to be a miracle!

We have some investigators, Zeda and Angie. They are a mother and daughter from El Salvador. Zeda really wants us to bring Angie to church with us, but Angie doesn't want to go. So now we are trying to help them both come together and see how important it is. But the father, Arturo promised to come sometime soon and do what he can to get them to go as well. Kind of a strange situation.

We have had quite a few changes with this last transfer. One of those is that we don't have Spanish Zones anymore. We are once again mixed in with all of the English missionaries as well. On the bright side I'm meeting more people than before, but it’s weird having meetings in English. There is a pretty big difference in the Spanish and English programs, but this will be good. I have a zone leader, Elder Walters from La Canada, CA and he says he is related to the Murphy's! This world is so small.

Because we are separated, we had a Spanish Forum last week. It went really well and we got some good training. Some of the things we had learned we used that night and found a new investigator. But one thing I also learned is that Little River is the best district in the mission :) Not by numbers necessarily, but in unity. Our meeting got turned into a vote, because there were problems in other areas about who gets referrals and who visits what members, in or out of their area, if we will have areas at all, and things like that. These were all things that Little River hasn't dealt with because we all just work together and have good communication. It has probably been caused by lack of communication with the other missionaries. When you are working in a ward with 3 other sets of missionaries, you have to talk a lot. But we are unified and I had no idea there were problems like that. On the bright side, when I get transferred, I won't have to learn the hard way :) And by then things will be back to normal!

So this week, it snowed! It was really exciting and kind of scary. Don't worry, I think I can drive in the snow ;) Elder Collins seems to be a bit worried about me, but I'll be fine! I'll just go slow. But really it was fun and I only had one tiny snowball thrown at me.

This week our teaching pool has been growing. As Christmas gets closer, people are more welcoming and want us to share things with them. The downside is that we have a really good first meeting and then they don't always answer the door the next time. We just keep pushing along :) We'll find the prepared ones who are ready now behind some of these doors! It’s a little bit sad when they don't answer the door, but I feel good at the same time because I know that I am doing what the Lord wants me to. I'm helping Him with His work and he will use me to do what I can :)

I found some scriptures this week in the New Testament that have made me think a lot. 1 Corinthians 13:11- "When I was a child, I spake as a child, I understood as a child, I thought as a child: but when I became a man, I put away childish things." The first time I read it I thought it was really funny. I thought of it as a child. Now I just think it’s kind of funny :) I can see how true it is, even just in these last few months. I am putting away childish things and growing and learning every day. I think of where I would be if hadn't chosen to serve a mission, and I don't want to go back. I like who I am now, but I like who I will be in the future even better. This is my time to become more than I was while I walk with the Lord. And then in 2 Timothy 4:7- "I have fought a good fight, I have finished my course, I have kept the faith." This is what Paul said at the end of his ministry, and this is what I want to say at the end of my mission (only applying to my time as a full-time missionary). I am fighting and keeping the faith, but there is so much more that I can do. Those are just some of my thoughts right now :)

Hermana Pettit and I have been working on our knocking. President tells us that we should make our knocks intriguing, so the people will want to know who knocks that way. One day we were out knocking doors and Hermana Pettit starts doing a strange knock. When she finished, she looks at me and I can see she's trying not to laugh and just says, "That was SO awkward!" and we had a good laugh. Just in case you didn't know, some knocks really are kind of awkward and we've used them. Also, when it's cold outside it hurts to knock on a door and gloves make it quieter, so Hna Pettit said something about using a golf ball. But when I was cleaning up a little bit at home I found my lucky hockey puck that I got from my dad and we have started using that instead. Its 100% successful so far!

Along with other funny things, I also got asked to be someone's girlfriend this week....that was awkward, because I don't know Spanish, so I just said my purpose and things were weird, but then I hung up. That was a very awkward moment in my life, haha.

For Thanksgiving we had fish for dinner at the Maldonado's and their family from Maryland. I got to sit at the little table that was like the kid's table at our Thanksgiving dinners, except there was only one girl younger than us there. So it was a little table, but for adults as well. Haha, we had some fun and we learned some of the slang words in Guatemala.

Overall the week was great, the work is moving and Christmas has started. I now have added to my imagine dragons pillowcase with a duck dynasty blanket. The collection will grow. Please pray for good weather here and for my investigators and for me and my companion. I can feel all the prayers you have said for me already. Thanks for all you do! I love you and miss you! If you get the chance this week, read "You Matter to Him" by President Uchtdorf, it’s really, really good!

Love always,

Hermana Moberly

Peru!

Snow!!!

Peruvian Family (and Purses ;)