PLEASE GOD

Family and Friends, Aloha!!! 

I love being a missionary. There really is nothing like it! For anyone who reads this who might be preparing for a mission or thinking about it, if the Lord says it is right, you will never EVER regret it. Well, this week has definitely been a challenging yet very rewarding week for so many reasons!! It is so interesting to see the power of Satan striving to destroy this work, but as always our faith in God will help us to overcome. I know that because our faith in God is strong; we saw many miracles this week!

Miracle #1 

When I was serving in the Laie 3rd Ward last July we were working with an LA family that I got SO close with. Well they are now starting to come back to church consistently, and it has been such a blessing to be able to be a part of that growth in their life!! For the past two weeks we have been teaching the family, specifically their son who was getting baptized! He is 8 years old and the cutest thing ever! He was baptized this Saturday, and we're so excited to continue to teach the family towards being sealed in the temple for all eternity!

Baptism with the family : )

Miracle #2 

Somehow I ended up with a 24 hour stomach flu this week, but I am so grateful for all that I learned having it. So I was on shift at the VC and kept telling Sister Bradley how weird I felt. I felt like I was in a daze and my body just felt really heavy. I felt perfectly fine, it was just a weird feeling. As the shift went on my body got weaker and weaker with my stomach beginning to feel uneasy. Sister Bradley told me to go lay down, as well as many other Sisters, but for "whatever" reason I felt strong, in a sense. It was weird, but I just knew that I would be okay to stay on shift. Well, the tram buses came, and there was hardly anyone on them, which never happens on the later tours. When I walked outside to see if anyone from the tram had not come in, I saw a young family of a husband and wife, with their little son and daughter (all non-members except for the  husband). I began talking with them and found out they did not come on the tram, but were actually from Honolulu. I told them I would love to take them on a temple grounds tour! Their daughter was so excited and decided we were going to be best friends =) When we walked up to the temple doors, the spirit was so strong. I felt so impressed to take them inside of the temple, after having explained the great peace and happiness we can feel inside. I had never done this before with anyone my whole mission, but that impression could not have been any stronger. The father stayed out with the little son, but I brought in the mother and daughter into the lobby. As we quietly entered in there was just an overwhelming sense of peace and love that brought us all to tears. After a couple of minutes we came back outside as she expressed that she had never felt like that before. I explained with my usual invitation that she could feel that way all the time, through baptism and receiving the Holy Ghost. She said she wanted that. It was a bitter sweet moment when she said she didn't know about having missionaries over quite yet, probably overwhelmed from all that she just felt, but decided we would stay in contact. I know that people are being prepared to receive this gospel, and we cannot let anything get in the way of that; not even when we might feel weak. 

Miracle #3 

There are so many times on my mission I just sit back and smile because I can see all the little things in my life that have prepared me for my mission. Well, as many as you know, football in Hawaii is HUGE! They eat, drink, sleep football. Sister Bradley did not really grow up around sports, whereas when I was at BYU I made sure I was at every basketball, football, volleyball, and soccer game! I love sports! Well, this group of 19-year-olds come in to the Visitor Center, finding out that one of them is a non-member. I was really excited. They wanted to watch the movie "Finding Faith in Christ," so I played it for them. After it was over I went into the theatre to post-set and talk about their thoughts and feelings of the film. I started asking questions with no responses, then I bore my testimony. By the looks on their faces with their eyes looking every which way as I tried to explain the importance of faith in Jesus Christ, I could see I was "boring" them.

Bowling on P-day

Finally I just said, "Alright, do you all play sports?" They said yes. "Do you all play football?" They perked up, all eyes on me, and said yes with more enthusiasm. I said, "What is the purpose of football? They said that it was to get touchdowns, to score, to win!! I just smiled as I could see they wanted to know where this was going. I then explained that God has a plan for us. His plan for us is to win, to make it back to His presence one day. In order to make it to our goal, we must have a quarterback, or a linebacker, or a receiver, right? They agreed. Without them it's impossible. Without faith in Jesus Christ or repentance or baptism, it is impossible to make it back to Heavenly Father's presence. BUT, as we use the tools that we have been given, we can win, we can gain eternal life with our Heavenly Father. We were then able to continue on in teaching them, as well as the non-member who said that the missionaries could contact him. I love that the gospel truly is in everything we do! I feel grateful that I was able to help them understand the importance of God's plan for us in a way that they connected with. Just a really neat little miracle.

I am so grateful for this week. It has been such a great learning experience, and I feel that I am drawing closer to my Heavenly Father each and every day through doing all that I can. This gospel is true, and the only way we will know that is by living it. We MUST put ALL of our trust in God. He ALWAYS has our best interest at heart. ALWAYS. I cannot emphasize that enough. I know that when we are keeping the commandments and being exactly obedient, we will never feel disconnected from God. He is always there, but we must be living our lives in a way that is pleasing to God. I know that if you can say that you are constantly doing whatever it is you may be doing to please God, then you will always feel His presence. I can testify of that because I have experienced it, and there is no greater feeling. Continue to pray to know how you can please God and He will show you the way. Love you all so much! Have a great week full of missionary opportunities!

Love,

Sister Moyes

RIGHTEOUS DESIRES

AloHA Family and Friends!

This week has just flown by so fast. I still cannot even believe it! Seems like every day is getting faster and the work harder! Where to start? 
Well, Sister Bradley and I have been in a trio companionship the whole week, so that's been CRAZY! Sister Mckeever has been serving on the big island, but when she came back to serve in the VC she did not have a companion yet. She is going to be training a new missionary, but she doesn't get in until tonight = we have been covering five wards for a week! YAY! Haha, it's been fun, but we've definitely been all over the place. What can you expect on a transfer week, though, right? 
Alright, let's get to the fun stuff! MIRACLES!!!

Miracle #1 

Last transfer I mentioned how we were able to recreate a baptismal record for a 13-year-old boy in our ward. We'll call him Anthony. I think I mentioned that Anthony has been less-active ever since he has been baptized at the age of 8, so we have been praying to find ways that we can bring him back to church. Whenever Sister Bradley and I go over there to invite him to church he always politely rejects the invitation. We found out that there is a family (members) that he has become really close with that live across the street from him. The second we found that out we gave them a call to see what we could do. They too invite him to church, but for some reason he has not been coming. Well, our prayers had finally been answered. This Sunday Sister More walks up to us and tells us that Anthony came to church with them and planned to stay for all three meetings. We immediately went to go talk to him after Sacrament meeting, and there was just something different about his countenance; not to mention the white shirt and slacks he was wearing! We asked him how he was doing and how he had enjoyed sacrament meeting!....He responded by saying, "Well, I still don't think I'll do the whole tucking my shirt in thing, but I'm thinking about learning how to pass the sacrament!...even though it still freaks me out." We all just laughed together, Sister Bradley and I, full of joy, saw that his heart had been changed. We cannot wait for the day that we will be able to to see him holding the Priesthood and passing the sacred ordinance of the Sacrament!

Miracle #2 

After our VCTM (Visitor Center Training Neeting) on Monday morning we usually just head home and do our studies. Well, our area had just been given brand new bikes, so instead of going straight home, we had to go to the senior couple's pad to pick up the bikes. We walked up to the pad to get them, when we realized that we had no shorts or leggings to wear underneath our skirts to ride the bikes. We stopped by Sister Millett's pad who so kindly gave Sister Bradley some biker shorts, but that was all they had. We knocked on the next pad over and no one was home. Then we knock on the next one, where Sister Yoo and Sister Mark opened the door. I asked them if they had any shorts to spare with Sister Mark responding in a whisper of a voice, "...yes..I have some..." Her voice was GONE. I was shocked and asked Sister Yoo what had happened; she had gotten laryngitis. Then Sister Yoo excitedly asked us, "Ooh! Can you do the tram for us tonight!!?" We said of course, not knowing the miracles that would come from taking those trams. 

      

      Miracle #2a 

• When we get to the PCC we always stand by the entrance of the villages where a worker (usually the Sisters) takes the guest's tickets. We stand there taking the tickets while inviting the guests to ride the tram! Well, when we first got there one of the  PCC tour guides walks up to us handing us a Guest Card (the ones we give to people on the tram), and said that a family from one of his tours gave the card to him. He hold us that the family told him that one of the "tram tour guides". . . aka: Sisters, had given it to them, but they didn't have time to fill it out on the Tram . . . . . Yes, that tour guide was ME!   I was so sad the day I had taught this family, because I knew the chances of the guests actually filling out the Guest Card after the tour, and giving it to their PCC tour guide, was slim to none. Yet, there I was at the perfect place and time to be able to claim this Guest Card with the family that I had been able to teach The Book of Mormon to. .  . . and on the card they mentioned they wanted missionaries to teach them more about the Book of Mormon! I could not believe it! If Sister Bradley and I had not taken the tram shift for Sister Mark and Sister Yoo, I probably would have never seen that card. It would have been given to some other Sisters who had no idea where it came from. Miracle.

       Miracle #2b 

• The same day of being on the tram shift, while taking tickets, I was feeling especially filled with the spirit after getting that Guest Card back, so I made sure to ask everyone where they were from, and then making a point to invite them on to the tram. Usually, we mention it will be a 35 minute tour of driving past the University, the community of Laie, and then stopping at the Mormon temple grounds. "For whatever reason" ---when I was taking the tickets of this one couple the first thing I said after asking them where they were from was, "Well at the bottom of your ticket it mentions a tram tour that takes you to the Mormon temple, every 20 minutes on the hour, and we'd love for you to join us!" I almost slapped myself, because we try to make sure we don't scare people away too badly by only mentioning the temple, but it just came out. Then the wife says," Ooh, honey!! That's where I want to go!" I told them they should definitely come and ride whenever they wanted, never expecting to see them 15 minutes later hopping on our tram! I knew something was up. When we drove up the road that leads to the temple we mention that the temple is used for sacred ceremonies such as marriages, called a sealing ceremony.
  
  The second I mentioned the sealing in the temple, I saw the wife in the second row nudging her husband and saying something to him. All the guests were members, except the one couple, so when we got to the temple grounds we let them walk around as we stayed with this couple. We showed them the narration to the Christus statue and asked about their relationship with Jesus Christ. Sister Bradley and I received responses that we were not expecting. "Well, I was actually baptized into your all's church when I was eight and sealed to my family, but I really haven't been to church much since then." The husband then says, "Yeah, my parents just converted to being Mormon a little later in their lives, but yeah, I guess their Mormon now." If you can imagine, our jaws just dropped. The wife then shows us her CTR (stands for Choose the Right) ring that she still wore on her finger. It was so exciting! After testifying a little more about the gospel, the wife then asks if we could show them the picture of the sealing room. After explaining to the husband what occurs inside the sealing room, the wife says, "See ,Hun, that's what I want...to be married to you forever, not just til death do us part!" The spirit was so strong when he smiled and looked at her. At the end of the tour he self-referred and said that the missionaries could come and teach him! It was the best.

I definitely gained a testimony this week about living righteously. Sometimes we're not going to be given strong huge promptings telling us what to do. As we are doing everything we can to serve others and live the way that God would have us live, then our righteous actions will naturally lead us to seeing miracles. Continue to pray for those opportunities, and pray to know how you can align your will with God's, because I can testify that there is truly no greater joy. I love being a part of this gospel, being a servant and disciple of Christ brings such peace and blessings. Try it, and see if it does not bless your life. I love you all so much!! Have a great week.

Alofa,

Sister Moyes

TRANSFER WEEK #11

Wonderful family and friends, AloHA!

Here we are again at the beginning of another transfer! It looks like this transfer is a transfer of FIRSTS. This will be the first transfer during my whole mission that I will be staying in my area! CRAZY! Not only will I be staying in the ward, but Sister Bradley and I are staying together, as well.  And, for the first time ever, I don't have to move pads (apartments). I'm pretty stoked! It'll be weird not having to start over in a new area with a new companion patterned after the rest of my mission, but I could not be feeling happier. Sister Bradley and I feel like we're finally getting to know the members and just how we can use their help in lighting this Ward on fire! It's going to be AWESOME! 

The new mission President, President Warner is so awesome! I still can't even believe just how fast he has jumped right into everything. It's been such a help and blessing. So there's my house business! Now for some miracles of this past week!

Miracle #1 

When Sister Bradley and I walked in to church on Sunday, we were surprised when Na'ili was not there in our usual spot. We were waiting patiently listening to the prelude music when we finally see her rush and sit in a different pew.  We could tell something was up! Sister Bradley and I immediately grab our stuff and sat down next to her. I gave her a hug and asked her if everything was alright, with her response being, "No...not really." We were able to talk about it after church, and it was just so amazing how much Satan is putting in her way to distract her. She said she wouldn't have been able to withstand or be as strong as she was had it not been for the gift of the Holy Ghost.  She testified of the peace she felt as she did what she knew Heavenly Father wanted her to do. I immediately thought to ask if she had talked to the Bishop yet about getting her temple recommend, and she had not. She said she kept thinking about it, but with everything going on she has not been able to do it. We knew that it was crucial that she got that as soon as possible, because we did not want anymore "distractions" to get in the way. The three of us walked over to the Bishop's office asking if he had a moment to interview Na'ili for her temple recommend! In she went, and ten minutes later she comes out with a paper in her hands!! We were so excited for her!! You could see from the glow she had around her how happy and excited she was. SO, now she can go to the temple!!!

Miracle #2 

AH, this one's so cool. Sister Bradley and I were taking the tram tours at the PCC Friday night. It was 3 o'clock and the tram was getting ready to leave when a young couple comes up and asks if they can ride the tram. The guy had asked if he had time to use the restroom before it left, but we told him it was leaving right now. Sister Bradley suggested that he could wait till the 3:20 tram, but the thought came to me,  I bet he could wait 10 minutes till we get to the VC.  I ask him if he could wait that long and he said that was fine! We give them the tour, and got to know them a little bit. When we get to the VC, and all business is taken care of, we took the couple on a tour. The girl had said that she has seen missionaries all the time, but never really talked to them. It is so interesting, because usually, I can remember everything that we teach on each tour we give, but the spirit was so strong, that I cannot even remember all that we taught them. It was completely guided by the Spirit, it was literally the most amazing experience giving a tour I have ever had. It was truly incredible. I do remember showing them the sealing room where a bride and a groom can be sealed to each other and to their families forever. Then the guy says, "So what do you have to do to make sure that happens?" We taught them both about baptism, and the blessings that come from it, and how it prepares us to one day enter into the temple. We invited them to prepare for baptism that they could one day be sealed inside the temple for time and all eternity. There countenances completely changed as the spirit touched their hearts. The girl responded first and said, "YEAH! I definitely will!" She then turned to the guy and asked what he thought, when he responded, "Yes, I will." It was so amazing. 

What was really neat was that our next tour was with a married LDS couple. We got to know them really well. When I was talking with the husband he told me that before he joined the church he was just a punk doing drugs and drinking all the time when the missionaries found him, and now look at him, he's active and is sealed to his family in the temple. The connection between these two couples is that the younger couple, with the guy, had been explaining to us how he wantsrd to change in his life, because he was doing the drugs and alcohal and he felt like baptism was the right direction for him. It was as if we were able to jump ahead to the future and see the family that they could be in the future, just like the married couple.

Miracle #3 

So, although Leilani (the one whoes door we knocked on) did not come to ward camp, but she gave us a call that day and asked if we could reschedule something!!! There is nothing better than having a potential investigator calling YOU and asking YOU if they can meet. It was such a blessing, and we are SO excited to be able to teach her. 

Sorry, this is a little shorter today. P-day is not short with all of the cleaning we have to do in prep for the new sisters coming in and for our cleaning checks! But I love you all so much. This gospel is true, and I have no doubt about that. I feel so blessed to be serving not only in Hawaii but here at the Visitor Center. We see so many miracles every day, that it is impossible to not know that this work is true. This is God's work, and we can choose whether we want to be a part of it or not. But I know that as we are a part of the work, there is no greater joy. Keep sharing the gospel!!

Love, 

                                                                                      Sister Moyes

MAKING HISTORY

Family and Friends ALoHA!!

What you are about to read is from the journal of my Great great great Uncle, Orin Daniel Allen Sr. who was born March 18, 1854 at Three Mile Creek, Utah.....ENJOY!

"Our son, (1) Orin Daniel Allen Jr. was born November 25, 1878 at Huntsville, Utah. (2) Annie Christine Allen was born May 26, 1880 at Huntsville, Utah. My occupation was farming and working in a stone quarry. That fall I was called to go on a mission to the Hawaiian Islands. (1880). I went to the October conference which was held in Salt Lake City and was set apart. I left Ogden on November 13, 1880 in company with Elder Samuel Gentry of Coalville, Summit County. We both had a sick time in crossing the ocean. We were eight days in crossing. We went to Laie, Oahu, the Church headquarters. We stayed there two weeks.The president sent me out with two native missionaries to learn the language. I was gone about eight weeks. Then I was taken back to headquarters by the president, H. H. Cluff. I worked on the plantation about one month. Then we started to build a new sugar factory. We weren't long in putting the building up. We also put the machinery in. I helped to put all the machinery together. On July 16, 1881, we started the mill to making sugar.... We ran it for about one year and payed off the biggest part of the indebtedness on the mill.... I was put in to look after the cattle until October. At the October conference I was released to come home. I left Honolulu, October 25, 1882 and reached home about the fifth of November, 1882."

Orin Daniel Allen Sr

Miracle #1 

I don't know about you, but I think that counts as my first miracle!!!. I was sitting in the Visitor Center during a night shift, and it was incredibly slow. It was the night before fourth of July, and I could sense that the pace would not get any faster. I was sitting there in the Christus room when I had the STRONGEST desire; almost a craving, to go on to familysearch.org. I have been on the site a few times on my mission, mostly having fun to discover all of my nationalities. Well this time, Sister Eaton, who really likes family history said that if I wanted she would go with me to the back to go do some family history! Our companions stayed together as we went to the back. As we were looking at my family tree, Sister Eaton let me know that you can look at photos, journal entries, stories, etc., on your ancestors! I had NO idea, and had no idea how fun family history could be. Well, we were browsing around, clicking on "random" names, when we clicked on Chastina Hadlock (Allen) because it mentioned she had 1 story. We clicked on the story and saw that it was the journal of her son Orin! We read for a while before coming upon this wonderful passage I posted above. I could not believe what I was seeing!!!! Not only was my Great great great Uncle called to the Hawaiian Islands, but he spent all but 8 weeks of his mission in Laie!!!! WHAT?!? How cool is that?? I had NO idea! But wait, it gets better!!!!.... When we are taking the tram tours from the PCC to the Temple, we drive through the community of Laie and explain the history to our guests. We always explain that, "In 1865 the church leaders bought this property as a gathering place for the church members of the Pacific Islands. They experimented with different crops but decided Sugar cane, the hardest crop to grow in Hawaii, would help them be the most successful. SO they built a sugar can mill.Because of the Sugar cane mill Laie was able to thrive into the community it is today".....That sugar can mill was the same mill that my great great great Uncle built and put up.Then to make it even cooler, his wife and daughter's names are Annie, and he was released in October, just as I will be. It was such a neat experience for me to see that I can be a part of the same work that he started here in Laie. We're making history!

4th of July

Miracle #2 

This past week our Visitor Center Training Meeting was about making sure every guest leaves the Visitor Center with something in their hands. I have made that a goal for myself. Well we get a lot of tour buses that come by; rarely do they actually come in. Well, a woman from Mexico rushed in barely giving me enough time to ask where she was from before she dashed to the restroom! I ran behind the front desk and grabbed a Spanish Book of Mormon, Spanish pamphlets, and Spanish pass along cards, and wrote my name and e-mail address on the inside of The Book of Mormon. As she hurried out of the bathroom I presented The Book of Mormon to her! She seemed puzzled, but I told her it was a gift for coming into the Visitor Center. She thanked me graciously, and then headed on her way. A similar experience happened with three separate groups of guests all visiting from the Czech Republic! All three groups accepting a copy of The Book of Mormon with my name and e-mail =) I may never know what will happen to those books or how it might affect their lives, but I do know that a seed has been planted! And there is such joy in that.

Na'ili took us out for Sis Bradley's Birthday

Miracle #3 

Our area has been really struggling when it comes to finding new investigators. We have many non-members, but they have been tracted into for over 30 years. It can be a little tough sometimes. Well, Sister Bradley and I, still full of faith and energy, have continued to visit house after house. This week for our ward is ward camp (where the whole ward camps down at the Hukilau beach until Friday, doing different activities and Luau's). We decided to invite as many non-members and less-actives as we could. When knocking on a door, we could hear voices inside saying, "Hey [name]!! Who's at the door??" We hear another response, "I don't know! Some blonde chicks! You gonna answer it??" We then hear and see a window open from above when someone says, "Hello?" We look up and see a girl probably about in her early 20's! We told her we wanted to invite her and her family to come to ward camp! She asked if we were Mormons, and of course we said yes. She then replied by saying she couldn't because she is Catholic. Haha, the first thing that came out of my mouth was, "SO?!....you don't have to be Mormon to come!" She responds, "Oh really? Alright, maybe." Sister Bradley then so boldly asked if we could give her our phone number which she said yes, and to call us so we could have her number. We told her we would call her and let her know all the activities going down! It was SUCH a miracle! We had no idea non-members lived in that house, nonetheless, a girl close to Na'ili's age who she would be able to connect with! It was perfect, and we cannot wait to see what happens!

More 4th of July Celebration

I just love the gospel! This week helped me realize that everything we do every day really can affect future generations. Were it not for my ancestors who so faithfully joined and followed the gospel of Christ's true church on the earth, I would not be here following in my great great great uncle's footsteps serving God's children in Hawaii. Not only can we influence our own family tree, but we can help others to be the pioneers of their families, by learning and accepting the gospel of Jesus Christ restored upon the earth today. Joseph Smith was born at a precise time and country. Were it not for the men who fought for the freedom of our country we would not have the freedoms we do today; namely the freedom of practicing religion, which allowed Joseph to restore God's church about the earth. I am so grateful for those who came before us, and grateful for the opportunity we now have to make history. It is our turn to resolve to do better to share the gospel, so that future generations may flood the earth with the truth of God. I love you all so much, and know you will feel the same love for those around you as you discover the impact you could have.

Sending love with all my heart,

Sister Annie Moyes

HE>i (He is greater than I)

Hey family! 
So this week's letter is going to be really short. Basically all the sisters got sick at the Visitor Center including myself, so unfortunately not a lot of work has been able to happen this week. BUT, like always we still saw some miracles!

Miracle #1 

So for the month of June we were striving for 200 baptisms!! One zone was able to get 42 baptisms!! We have truly been blessed to see 180 baptism for the month of June!! So cool, right? The mission is continuing to break records. The Lord is truly blessing us to find those who are prepared for the gospel, and we feel even more blessed to see the joy that the gospel is bringing into those 180 wonderful children of God!

Miracle#1a 

Sister Bradley and I found a 13-year-old boy in our ward boundaries who's parents are not members, but said he was baptized when he was 8. We've been working really closely with our ward and the zone leaders because he was baptized in their ward (because that is the ward that his grandparents attend). Eventually we confirmed that his records were never entered into the church's database, so we were able to re-create his baptismal record and count it for the month of June!! We were so happy for him, and felt so blessed for the many ways Heavenly Father has lead us to find the lost sheep!

Miracle#2 

Saturday was President Dalton's last day in Hawaii as our mission President! We were sad that we wouldn't be able to see him again, but then he called us and let us know that he would be stopping by the VC to say goodbye. We were all pretty stoked on that one. It was so weird seeing him go, being that he has been my Mission President for the past 14 months of my mission, but we're so excited to meet President Warner!! We've heard so many great things about him!

Sorry, I told you it would be short. But every day  I am witnessing God's hand in our lives, not only for myself but for those we are teaching. Keep looking for the ways that Heavenly Father has blessed your life, and you will be overwhelmed with all that He has given us. He loves us so much, and wants us to be happy. We must never forget that He is greater than us, and can make all things possible! 

Love you all so much! Have a great week!

Sister Moyes

p.s. 

Na'ili is doing AMAZING and we love her so much. Hah, when we got to church, she gave us a big hug and said, "Ah I've missed you way too much!" Haha, it had only been four days since we last saw her. She's so great.