ALL DAY, EVERY DAY!!!

Good Morning, and Aloha

I hope everyone was able to have an enjoyable Thanksgiving! A lot is going on right now in the zone and in the mission!! Our new zone theme, “All Day, Er’y Day!” We are seeing miracles, one right after the other, and I know that it has been through fervent fasting and prayer. Our zone is more unified than ever (including zone exchanges and chanting the Haka every morning during exercise :), and together we are being so blessed in finding the elect. A week and a half ago we had 4 with a date, as of today, we now have 16 with a baptismal date. Our zone leaders committed us to having a total of 30 with a date for December by the end of this week! It definitely sounds crazy, but we know that by doing all we can, we can help God keep His promises.

Well, Thanksgiving here was definitely different, being warm and all, but it was perfect. The Bishop of the Laie 1^st ward’s father hosted a giant thanksgiving feast for the public. It was so neat. All the Senior Couple Missionaries, a couple of us from the zone, with a lot of people on vacation or the homeless coming to stop by. It was such a great missionary opportunity; we were even able to get a new investigator! There was a woman from Ukraine, who I noticed was watching Sister Jones, Christiansen, Looney, and I. I turned to her often and smiled, and she smiled back. Later, she was talking to one of the Senior Sisters, and she said that she wanted to talk to us because she felt something very special about us. It was really humbling. She didn’t care about what we were wearing or what we looked like, but she felt something different about us. I know that the spirit was working through her, which allowed Sister Christiansen and Sister Looney to get her contact information to teach her some more. Best Thanksgiving ever.

Oh, and the food was good, haha. 








First Thanksgiving with rice instead of mash potatoes!

Alright, let’s hear some more miracles:

Miracle#2

I mentioned going on Zone Exchanges. Well, every single one of us in the zone exchanged companions last Friday. Just through that we found 3 more with a baptismal date. I know that it was truly inspired. It was so nice being back in an area again. I was able to be with Sister Mark. She just got here 3 weeks ago, is from Micronesia, and is AWESOME. She definitely came pre-trained. Unfortunately, the whole town was at the state football game because the local high school, Kahuhku High School, was playing. Sister Mark and I were going around trying to find people to teach, but nothing. We then stopped and said a prayer, then felt like we should go see some members. On our drive there, we saw someone standing at the corner smoking. We drove up a little bit and parked, got out and went to talk to him. He was an inactive member, but as we continued to talk to him we were able to find out his concern!! So, after teaching him, we invited him to come to church on Sunday, and he said he would. Chee-Hoo!!

Miracle#3

Just last night Sister Jones and I were chatting, and we received a chat from a guy who had a question about a specific scripture in the Book of Mormon about God and Jesus Christ being two separate beings. We answered the question to the best of our ability, but it somehow turned into what we sometimes refer to as “bible bashing.” Not on our end, but we had to simply testify and get out of the chat. Well, the second the chat ended we got a notification for another chat. We accepted, and then a girl comes and asks about the EXACT same scripture. Sister Jones and I just looked at each other and thought it must have been a joke.  We then talk about it (a blessing about being online), and decide that we definitely need to approach it differently. We thought and prayed in our hearts what we could tell this girl that would help her, and she said that our answers made perfect sense.  She is from Canada, had been investigating the church for the past six months, has a baptismal date, but still had a couple of questions. She said that she had moved her baptismal date several times because she got nervous of how her family might react. She explained to us that she knew this was the path she needed to go, but didn’t know how to pursue it. We then said a prayer with her, testified, and let her know how much Heavenly Father loves her. We then concluded the chat with a way to keep in contact. It was such a miracle that Sister Jones and I were able to receive that specific chat before so that we could know how to better respond to the same question in a better way. I am so grateful for the hand that Heavenly Father has in this work.

I am so grateful for this gospel. It is true! It brings so much happiness and peace into our lives if we let it. God is our loving Heavenly Father, who sent His only begotten Son to live and die for us. I know that He still lives, and I know that God lives, and I know that the commandments they give to us will lead us to everlasting joy and eternal life. I invite you all to ask at least one friend if they are interested in receiving the “Joy to the World,” dvd from the missionaries. I can promise you that your efforts will be noticed as you spread the best message we have to share: Jesus Christ. I love you all, and hope you are all enjoying the wonderful season. 

Alohaaaa!

Sister Moyes

HAPPY THANKSGIVING

ALoha!

Sister Jones and Me

Well, this week has been amazing! This letter is going to be kind of short, but I hope does not take away from how much I still love this work. I am, in missionary terms, a new mom, aka: training a new missionary, and I am absolutely loving it! It's super fun because in the VC, we tend to call our trainers "Mom," forever...and being called mom is definitely a new experience! I love Sister Jones so much, though, and am learning so much from her. I cross my fingers that she is able to learn something from me. Chat has been really good! We have to double time our training/studies because I have to be able to train her in the visitor center, online, and just as a missionary in general, but she is a fast learner. I love her because if she doesn't fully understand something she is never afraid to ask questions, and when we train on something, I always see her apply it when we are proselyting. 

As for the Miracles I am thankful for:

Miracle#1 

There have been so many opportunities for me to sign lately! It has been such a blessing. I was able to give a deaf tour on Friday night, then, because of being online, Sister Jones and I can choose whichever ward we want to go to on Sunday. We were headed to the Laie 4th ward at 8am, but saw Sister Looney and Sister Christiansen (the new sister trainers...kind of like the Zone Leaders for the Sisters) going to their own ward, and thought we would join them. We get to their ward and I completely forgot that there is a deaf group in their ward! So, Sister Jones and I sat in the front row with a friend of ours, who is deaf, and all the other signers to watch the interpreter. It made me fall in love with sign language all over again. The tour I gave on Friday was a member, who actually lives in Provo, and said he would be happy to help with my sign language even more when I get off the mission!! So pumped, and such a miracle!

Miracle#2
On chat,  Sister Jones and I were able to teach someone who is ready to receive the gospel and accepted to have missionaries over! The miracle in that is that they are from England!! Hard mission. So we're definitely praying for them!

Miracle#3

A lady we chatted with, she came on to chat to inform us that she did not want the missionaries over anymore. We were so sad!! She had no way of contacting the missionaries, so was wondering if we could call them and cancel the appointment. We continued to chat with her and try to figure out her situation. She has such a strong faith already for this gospel. The thing is, her husband is not ready to receive the gospel yet, and she, being the amazing woman that she is, wants to always work as one with her husband. We could just feel how much love she has for her family, and how badly she wants the gospel for them as well. We were about to end the chat when we felt inspired to see if we could say a prayer with her. She said yes, and it was amazing! She said it was everything she needed to hear, and hopes that the day to learn more will come soon. We asked if it would be alright if we kept in contact through e-mail so we could still continue to teach her. She of course accepted! I cannot wait for the day that she and her husband are able to learn from missionaries in their home.

Christmas Already!

Fun at PCC

My New Pad

I am so grateful to be a missionary. Every day is a new experience, and every day we are able to be instruments in God's hands. God has provided us with truth on the earth today. That truth allows us everlasting joy! All we have to do is keep the commandments. I can testify that as we live the commandments and strive for exact obedience, we will be able to see miracles in our lives. Pray for missionary opportunities, for miracles, and I can promise that Heavenly Father will use your divine talents and gifts as a child of God. I love you all so much, and during this season of thanksgiving, am especially grateful for my family, my friends, and especially this gospel. Have a great Thanksgiving!!! 

Sister Moyes

HAPPY VETERANS' DAY!

AlooooooooooooHA!

Hi family and friends, it has been the craziest week EVER. Well, we all found out that we were getting six new sisters in Laie, so we knew that five of us would have to go full-proselyting (off-island) so there would still only be 22 sisters in the VC. So there are already four sisters being trained, so that meant either you are going out, or you are training the **new babies (new Sisters coming in) !! Everyone has been going insane trying to figure out what was going to happen! Well, my amazing companion Sister Gamba is going full-pros to Kuai!! I am so happy for her, and so totally jealous, haha, but she'll be amazing. As for me...well, Sister Gulla was the trainer of Sister Jones' first transfer, but Sister Gulla has been assigned to train a new sister from Micronesia. That being said, I have been assigned to be Sister Jones' trainer for her second transfer!  So, I guess you could call me her **step-mom = )  I am so excited, nervous, overwhelmed, and happy. I know that the Lord qualifies whom He calls, I just hope that I can fulfill this calling in the way that He wants me to!   (Note from Editor:  **Sister missionary lingo)

Sister Jones and Me

Also, I just want to say Happy Veterans Day, and thank you to all of my family members and friends who are Veterans. Thank you for all you do, and all that you have done to serve this country! I am forever grateful for all the time and life that you have sacrificed for our sake and for those you have helped. Thank you!

WELL, here are the Miracles:

Miracle #1 

Being our last week online together, Sister Gamba and I definitely ended it with a bang (btw, I'm still online for next transfer) !! These past couple of days we were chatting, and had two very similar experiences. So the first, we were chatting with a girl who has been meeting with the missionaries but had a couple random questions. After we answered her questions we continued to chat and learn more about her and her interest in the church. She said she didn't really "get" God until she learned more about the restored gospel. After that everything made sense (Amen) ! We bore testimony, and expressed how much Heavenly Father loves her and what a blessing it is that we can be baptized to make that step to be closer to making our eternal goal. We then invited her to prepare herself to baptism! She said YES!! The spirit was so strong during her chat. She said that she would let the missionaries know that she is ready to be baptized!! CHEE-HOOO! Hah, so amazing. THEN, we were chatting with another girl who said she had met with the missionaries once, but didn't really have the time to meet with them again. She had a question about the spirit, and knowing whether or not she has felt it before. After asking her what she thought it would feel like, we explained that it is a feeling of peace, comfort, and a clear understanding of things. She didn't respond for a long time...then she said...that's exactly what I felt. She said she just felt loved, and so warm inside. We taught her that she was feeling the spirit and that if she is baptized, she will have the opportunity to receive the gift of the Holy Ghost; a gift that will be with you as long as you live worthy to have it with you! All she said was, "are you serious?" Haha, she was pretty happy about that. So then we extended the invitation of baptism to her as well. She said yes! She said that she would call the missionaries tomorrow (today), and set up an appointment so she can prepare herself. It was AMAZING! I love this gospel. 

Miracle #2 

Our investigator from New Zealand, we have been teaching her for a while now, has a testimony of the gospel, but still isn't 100% sure about everything. We asked how her scripture reading and prayers were going? She said she definitely prayed every day, but had not been reading from The Book of Mormon for a long time now. We taught her an awesome lesson about faith using the analogy of a seed. We asked her what would happen to a seed of an apple tree that never received water or sunlight...."It would die." So then we of course asked what would happen if she was not continually nourishing her spirit?..."It's gonna die, too." She got it =) We then shared the scripture  2 Nephi 32:3 "Angels speak by the power of the Holy Ghost; wherefore, they speak the words of Christ. Wherefore, I said unto you, feast upon the words of Christ; for behold the words of Christ will tell you all things what ye should do." This scripture was perfect for her....for everyone! So many times we get caught up in life that we forget to put God first. But as we do put Him first and nourish our spirits, we will be made strong, and we will have guidance in ALL things. She accepted our invite to read at least one chapter a day! So that was definitely a miracle.

Miracle #3 

Staph infection is almost gone =)

Miracle #4 

We had a tour from Norway in the Visitor center on Sunday, and it was really neat. When it gets too crowded we often times have to split as companions and take tours separately. Well, that happened yesterday, so I took these four, 25 maybe 26-year-olds, on a tour. None of them really grew up with religion, so it was a really neat experience to teach them the Restoration of Christ's church back on to the earth again. They loved that, and loved the temple. I was then prompted to guide them to the Book of Mormon table where we have copies in 83 different languages....including Norwegian. I explained to them that The Book of Mormon was a record testifying of Jesus Christ in the ancient Americas, and they thought that was very interesting. I testified that the truth of God is on the earth today and if you want to learn more about it, we invite you to read this book. Having pre-set the guest cards we have, I handed them each one explaining that if you were interested in having a book for yourself, we would love to send missionaries to come bring you a free copy. Two of them put their numbers, but no requests, and then one of them, a girl, she asked if she could have the missionaries bring her one! It was really neat. I love this mission. It's just so crazy to see that even though we are in Hawaii, we get to teach people all over the world as well. BEST MISSION EVER!

Alright, time is almost up =/ But I have a ton of pictures from this past week. That's what happens when you neglect to take any the whole transfer, hah, whoops! A lot of them are with Sister Yau who is going home to Hong Kong =(  So of course we had to take a bajillion pictures! 

I just want to end with my testimony of how true this gospel is. I will never be able to deny the blessings and the transformations for good that this truth brings into people's lives. This gospel only brings peace and happiness. I know that God is perfect, and I know that we do not understand all of God's mysteries; but we don't need to. All we need is to know that truth has been restored, and that Jesus Christ lived and died so that we can live again with God. As we keep God's commandments, it will set us free and bring everlasting happiness! I am so grateful to be a missionary, especially during this great time where God's army of missionaries are assembling. Thank you for your love, support, and prayers. I am so grateful to be a missionary, and I don't think I ever want to go home. Hope that's alright with you, mom ; ) Keep opening your mouths and sharing the gospel. Share those pass along cards! We get calls all the time from people who found one or received one. You never know who will use their agency to find truth!

Love you all,

Sister Moyes

THIS TOO SHALL PASS

Aloha family and friends!

I hope everyone is safe and sound with Hurricane Sandy. We definitely heard all about it from our guests and from our members. Sounded pretty scary. As my dad told me in his e-mail, "This too shall pass." Know that you have been in our prayers, and will continue to be. On that note, it is still the weirdest feeling seeing pictures from everyone seeing that fall is there, and snow is even falling! Today at the grocery store, they were already set up and ready with all the Christmas candies and decorations. I can't even describe how weird it is. It's like time doesn't really pass by here. Makes you appreciate the seasons a little more.

Well, although the seasons don't change, sicknesses still spread during this time of year. I feel really bad because I don't have too much to report for this week. After much persuasion I was finally convinced to go see the doctor. I was thinking maybe I had another sinus infection, or possibly strep, but turns out I have Staph. Unfortunately, I was forced to seclude myself from anyone for at least 48 hours (except my companion of course), and so we didn't leave the house for about 3 days, one of them just being that I was still feeling a lot of pain in my head, and did not have the energy I needed to do the online work fully focused. I was so grateful for the gospel, even more so, when I knew that I could ask for a blessing, through the many (any) worthy Priesthood holders that we have here in Laie. My recovery has definitely been quicker than expected, and I know that it's time to get back to work!!

With our area, the 19-year-old boy from my last letter, he gave us a scare when he e-mailed saying that he "did not want the Mormon church contacting him anymore. Thank you." Bahhh, we about cried. We e-mailed him and then called him, and he told us that the missionaries came to deliver the Book of Mormon he had ordered online, when he thought it would just come through the mail. The missionaries showed up and his mom FREAKED. So, the mom immediately called the Pastor to come over and lecture him about why he is a catholic and that he was a disgrace for looking at any other church. He then told us he got really scared, and didn't know what else to do. Sister Gamba and I both bore our testimonies of the truthfulness of the gospel. We helped remind him the many different accounts he has been assured that this is truth, and this IS the path that will lead him to feel everlasting happiness. We  taught him that if this was the true church on the earth today, that God would provide a way for him to be taught the gospel. He liked that promise. It was interesting to find out that his brother is actually a member of the church. Guessing maybe that's why the mom wasn't so happy =/ 

Besides that, nothing too much new. Oh, hah, we had a talent show for Halloween! SOOO much fun. The Elders put together a wayyyyy too choreographed song to a backstreet boy song...."Ain't nothing but a heart ache, I never want to hear you say...I want it that way!" Haha, it was pretty hilarious. They started it first with an introduction with one of the Elders getting Dear Johned. As Sisters, we were all pretty impressed, haha. It was fun. 

 Then today, for our P-day, my first day really outside, we decided to go on a hike up a mountain called Crouching Lion! It was incredible.

 

Online these past couple of days has been really interesting with the election going on, that's for sure. But, our mission is trying to reach 1200 baptisms for the year. The mission has never reached past 1101, and we are at about 900 baptisms so far. Meaning= it's time to work and go find 300 more to baptize before the end of the year!!!! We're pumped! Our zone already has 20 set up for this month, and cannot wait to see the miracles that are in store for those we find. There is not better feeling than finding the elect; those who have truly prepared their lives and have continued to search for truth! They are so amazing. Speaking of, I was able to see my recent convert, Mai, at church, and she is stronger than ever! This gospel is true. We invite everyone to taste of this fruit for yourself and tell us if it is not true!! Read the Book of Mormon, study it, ponder it, and pray to know if it is true! I can testify that you will receive an answer, and as we act upon it, our lives will only be blessed! I love being a missionary, but don't forget that you don't have to be wearing a badge to share the gospel! 

Love you all so much.

Sister Moyes