FIA AI !

Friends, Family, Cousins, ALOHA!

Yes, this is me =) Some things never change, haha

I first want to start off by saying that I KNOW that The Book of Mormon to be the word of God. Sister Bradley gave me the challenge when we started as companions to read The Book of Mormon again on my mission before I go home. Well, I would feel that I was being ungrateful if I did not express how much this book has blessed my life. It truly is for our day! These Prophets of Old are truly inspired of God, and they have taught me so much. I love the spirit that I am able to feel when reading it's pages, and love how my understandings of Jesus Christ and Heavenly Father have grown so much. When I read this book, I am able to feel strength to keep going when it is hard, I am able to feel courage when times might get scary. I know that this book is the word of God, and that just as Joseph Smith promised, that all who read it will grow nearer to God than by reading any other book. Feast upon the words of Christ, because you will be filled with the love of God. Ah, I just love it.

Alright, so for MIRACLES!

Miracle#1-2: 

So a couple weeks ago Sister Bradley and I were asked to speak in Sacrament meeting about Hastening the work of Salvation: missionary work ! I was pretty excited. Sunday comes and we sit up in the stands as speakers, and who is assigned #1 for passing the sacrament...?? Anthony! Ahhh, it was the best! After administrating the sacrament to the Bishopric, he then walks up to where we are sitting as is able to pass it to us. I just looked at him and smiled uncontrollably. He has become our little buddy, and Sister Bradley and I are so proud of him and the progress he is making!! 

Aunty Charlie!

Part 2: Sister Bradley had invited a non-member (potential investigator) to come to church and listen to us speak that Sunday (Aunty Charlie). We were sitting up in the stands watching out for Aunty Charlie, but no sign of her. When it had already been 15 minutes after the meeting started we frantically moved our eyes from row to row looking for her when she and her friend came walking in!!! SUCH a miracle. She has lived in our area for over 20 years, and this was her first time going to this church. After sacrament meeting we get down from the stands and go to give her big hugs. Well, as we go to do so, a couple of sisters beat us to it!! She knew SO many people there; one of them being Na'ili. Na'ili gave her the biggest hug in the world! Turns out Na'ili was Aunty Charlie's husband's caretaker before he passed away! It could not have been more perfect. Now we know all of the many members who can be there to fellowship her.

Dinner with the Freis

Miracle#3 

I love Samoans! Alright, so Sunday shift at the VC, a member from the Kahuku ward comes in with his non-member friend visiting from Samoa...SEKIA (legit). It was so fun getting to hear Samoan again, although my ability to communicate in return is not so good, but he loved that I understood a little of what he was saying. So Sister Bradley and I taught him a little bit of the Restoration emphasizing the priesthood authority that allows us to perform the ordinances in the temple. He LOVED the temple, and loved that it is everything that is talked about in the Bible. At the end of the tour we asked him that if he prayed to know that these things were true, would he be baptized by the priesthood authority of God....AND HE SAID YES!!! SOOOO amazing. I love Samoans; so receptive to the gospel. Well, the member that was with him asked if we had any fluent fa'asamoa speakers, but Sister Toleafoa was not on shift. We called the Elders who cover the Hau'ula Samoan ward and they came right over. They shared more about the Book of Mormon with him, he said he would read it, and really wanted it to be true!! It wasn't until after the Elders taught him that I found out that he actually used to be a preacher in Samoa. This gospel is true =)

Miracle #4 

When I was set apart to be missionary and representative of Jesus Christ, I received a very special blessing; one that has given me strength and hope on my mission. A line that has stuck with me was that my experiences from traveling throughout my life will be a blessing in many aspects of my mission. I have seen this blessing come to life throughout my whole mission. Well an example of this blessing happened this week. Sister Bradley and I were planning and setting goals for the next day (a day on tram at the PCC) and we said 3 new investigators, but then I paused and said that I thought we should change it to 5. It was a really neat experience, just feeling like there were still more people being prepared for us. Well, the next day of taking the tram tours at the PCC comes and we had tours the whole time, but no one asked to have missionaries teach them.

Presenting your tram tour guides =)

Finally, our second to last tram one of the sisters sees a huge group over by the tram sign (which misleadingly is not where the tram bus comes). She asked if I had spoken with them, which I had not. So I walked over to this big group and noticed they were taking pictures and offered to help. As I did I got to know them a little bit, asking them where they were from! They were of course from NEW JERSEY!!! I excitedly told them that I had lived there, in a town called Roxbury. It was so cool because they knew EXACTLY where that was, and we all clicked very fast. It was a large family with cousins, aunts and uncles, it was so fun. After talking with them I invited them to come ride the tram in just a couple of minutes. The way they responded made it seem like they weren't interested, but I was happy I invited them. Sister Bradley and I continue inviting people to join and lo and behold, the whole family gets on to the bus!!!! I was so excited!! The whole bus was full with others as well as this family. Sister Bradley and I divided and conquered when we got to the VC and were able to speak to various people of this family where the spirit was so strong! After the tour gets back to the PCC and we ask for their guest/comment cards, three of the family members hand them back filled out asking for missionaries. Turns out that one of them that Sister Bradley taught, said that if he read the Book of Mormon and knew it to be true after praying to God, then He would be baptized of God's church!!!

Girls just wanna have funnn!

I love this gospel so much. I love not only sharing it, but having the opportunity every day to see the blessings and miracles that come from living it. I love feasting on the words of the scriptures. Fia ai: means "I'm hungry!" I know that as we are always hungry for the gospel and feasting on it, we will see the same miracles of God in our lives that are read in scriptures; especially The Book of Mormon. Love you all so much!!!

Alofa, 

Sister Moyes

P.s. This is the last week of the transfer. Next e-mail I'll report my final and last companion of my mission =/

FAITHFUL SERVANTS

This is our beautiful area

Family and Friends, Aloha!

I've tried really hard not to think about the fact that I go home in 8 weeks, but it has definitely been apparent in the many miraculous things happening (and the fact that I'm more tired than EVER). Our area is still going pretty slow in terms of baptizing, but things are definitely moving along. 





Miracle #1 

So there are more non-members in our area than in any other area of Laie. I think I've mentioned that before. Problem is, our area has a lot of rental vacation homes, so the people are always in and out. Well, Sister Bradley and I decided to go visit our Part-member list, and arrived at this blue house after trying a couple of other houses. There was a young guy from China in the drive way, so we decided to talk with him. He spoke very little English, but we were finally able to communicate the words, "missionaries...Mandarin speaking missionaries available ...Here's their number", while he gave us his number as well. We immediately called Sister Cheng and gave her the referral. She talked with him (in Mandarin) and he said he was interested in learning more and wants to go to church!!! SOOOO awesome!  We just laughed, because we were excited that maybe he lived at that house, and we would have a new investigator, but turns out he just works on the house for his job. BUT, that's alright, because it's all the same work!

Miracle #2

All the Sisters say that before you go home, you'll begin to see the fruits of your labors. I didn't understand that until now. Like last week, I received an amazing e-mail being informed that a woman that came on my tram will be getting baptized. Well, another e-mail came rolling in this week as well, from another woman.  I met her one day after showing the short 3 minute video that we show to visitors.  When it was finished, I saw a family walking out and I went to go speak with them.  But, as I was walking towards them, I walked right past this woman looking up at 'The Family: Proclamation to the World' display. The second I walked past her, the thoughts pierced into my mind and heart, "You need to talk with her." So I stopped and turned around and did. She had many questions that she said preachers have NEVER been able to answer for her. I asked her what some of those questions were, and of course I knew she needed to meet with the missionaries, so I told her that. Well, this was back in June, and I just now got a response from her saying: 

(I've edited some things for privacy purposes)

" Aloha Sister Moyes. I have been contacted by the Missionaries here at home and am learning and studying under the Mormon Faith.  I have found Mormonism represents a lot of what I feel a Church should not only be but, more importantly, what a church should be doing.  My questions are being answered and I am most impressed at the willingness of a Member to say "I don't know"  if he/she really doesn't instead of evading a question. Thank you for greeting and speaking with me at the Temple Visitors Center there in Oahu.  Thank you for placing me on a path I did not see and never would have considered (Mormonism) on my own.  But for you, I would be loved by our Heavenly Father but still adrift in confusion and growing in doubt about Faith and God..." 

I know this gospel is trueeee!

Miracle #3 

Just a typical day in the neighborhood : )

So last but not least. A couple of weeks ago, Sister Bradley and I were asked to teach the 17 and 18 year-olds Sunday School class. Guess what the topic is this month??? Yup, Marriage and Family. Haha. No, it wasn't bad. The sub-topic we focused on was how we can teach our friends about the importance of families and God's plan for his families. Anyway, it was supposed to be just the 17 and 18 year-olds, but turns out the 15/16 year-olds teacher could not make it; so it was combined class. In trying to teach the youth how to bring up families in a gospel related way we played a little game with them.

We ride up this hill every day

We put them into teams, and said a random word like Facebook, or Youtube, or Homework...words that are brought up a lot in their lives. Then first person to come up with a way to relate those topics to the gospel and families would get a point. It was SO fun to see those creative juices working. They did so well. Then, the last word, we decided to have something random: slippers. We said it, and one of the youth raised his hand. He gave this amazing answer of how we need to search, and find the slipper that is the right size, or search and find the TRUE gospel....so the miracle in this is: We invited them to share the gospel about families with their friends and they said, "Well, we did bring a non-member to church with us!"...pointing to the boy who had given the profound answer about the slippers. He was a non-member, searching for truth. He said he had met with missionaries before, but would meet with them again where he lives. AWESOME!! It was truly an inspired lesson. 

Sorry, this is so long.

Almost getting hit by the mailman

It is just so amazing to see the Lord's hand in EVERYTHING. I knowthis is God's church, and Jesus Christ is the head of it. I know that as we are His faithful servants we will be blessed. They say serving a mission is the best 18 months- 2 years of your life. I am truly seeing why. Even when we feel like we are doing everything to serve the Lord, we are blessed in return. Continue to serve others and I know you will feel the same joy. Love you all, have a charitable week!

Love, 
Sister Moyes

BEST MISSSION EVER!!!

ALoha my cousins!

I've definitely been staring at this screen for 2 minutes now, just trying to put into words how amazing this week was!!! There were so many little things that happened, so we'll start with that!

The Adamsons (VC Senior)

• Na'ili went to the temple and did baptisms!!!!!
• President and Sister Warner (our new mission President and wife) came to La'ie to be the speakers of a fireside that was held here at the Visitor Center! It was AMAZING! I already love them so much!

Our L3 ward now has SEVEN missionaries in the mission field!. . .

One of them being the beautiful Alohi Keys (the one in the pictures) that Sister Bradley and I have become super close with. Her mission covers El Salvador and Belize! It just opened up. And she left for the MTC yesterday!!! 

• We can now text : )
• I have the best mission!

Oh, it was just a week full of miracles:






Miracle #1 A&B

A. In our last visitor center training meeting (VCTM) they challenged us to plan lessons for the people who would come into the VC. At first I was a little hesitant towards this challenge, thinking: how do we plan for people we don't even know? Well, let me tell you something...Heavenly Father knows!! DUH! This was one of the coolest experiences of my mission in the Visitor Center.  Well, we got planning. As Sister Bradley and I sat there pondering and taking our thoughts and prayers to heaven to know more about these people, we both were able to visualize what these people looked like, what ages they were, EVERYTHING. It was as if I was looking back at a memory. At this moment I knew there was no denying that God knows each of us and loves His children.

Zone Pictures

One tour that I felt very strongly about planning for was a "with member" tour, meaning there is a member and a non-member present. I could see us taking this family through the "God's Plan" presentation and then inviting the non-member to baptism. I knew it was what we needed to do. We get on shift and the first people to walk in: A grandma and her grandson with his non-member girl friend. We took them through God's plan, bore our testimonies, taught about the importance of the gospel in our lives, and committed her to be baptized! She said yes! Oh, it was the best. There really was nothing like it. The same pattern happened with the other families we planned for. I KNOW that we have a loving Heavenly Father who is helping to bring this truth into His children's lives.

My new VC Bff, Sister Flores

B. So, this was yesterday, and we did the same type of planning for our shift. Sister Bradley said that she could see a girl from India who practices Hinduism with various piercings, and she had an older man with her, maybe her dad or uncle. Well, we were taking a family up around the temple and on our way down we see an Indian girl (so we thought) with ears pierced and nose pierced walking with an older man. I knew I had to say something. They were on their way up to the temple so I asked if they had been inside the VC yet. They admitted that they had not, and so I invited them to after they walked up to the temple, mentioning that the VC had pictures of the inside of the temple! They got really excited when I said that, and said they would.  After our tour we waited for them to come in, and they did! At first the girl came in with another girl of the same age.Turns out that they are from Fiji, practicing Hinduism; the older man being their brother-in-law. We did our tour as planned, and received two self-referrals from the two girls as the brother-in-law had been speaking with other sisters. Ahhh, this gospel is so true it's not even funny. I love it so much, and feel so blessed to share it with everyone.

Miracle #2 

Anthony received the Preisthood!! So Sister Bradley and I were walking down a street in our area, ready to get on our bikes to get to our dinner appointment. We were walking past Anthony's house, and it looked like there were a bunch of people outside, so I had hoped that his mom, who is a non-member would be outside. I had told Sister Bradley that I thought we should stop before heading to dinner, so we did. We walked up to the house as people were loading into cars. We asked if Anthony was there! Next thing we know he's hopping out of the car and has a smile on his face.

All of my Companions still in Laie

Okay, preface. . . the first time we met Anthony, you could tell that the last thing he wanted to do was a. come to church, b. meet with missionaries, c. even think about holding the priesthood, and d. be wearing a white shirt and tie. Well here we were talking with him, and he's talking to us as if we were best friends! It was so cool! He expressed that he was really nervous that he was going to be getting the Priesthood on Sunday!! Our amazing WML (Ward MissionLeader) said he was going to help him get the priesthood, but we didn't realized how soon!! Anthony talked about how he is realizing that it's going to be hard being the example, not only to his friends, but to his family, but that he was ready to accept the responsibility! Ahh, he's so amazing. So on Sunday, they ordained him as a deacon in his tucked in white shirt and tie, and he'll be passing the sacrament this Sunday!!!

Miracle #3 

There had been woman that had come on to my tram back in December. On the tram tour she filled out the guest card leaving behind her e-mail address. Well I had e-mailed her offering her a Finding Faith in Christ dvd, and she accepted. I had sent the DVD, but apparently she had not received it. I remember pondering whether I should go ahead and just send the missionaries to bring it. So I made the decision to just send the missionaries to her home. Well, just a couple weeks later I left for the island of Maui, and then serving in Honolulu, I was not back until the very end of April.

Me, my baby, my grandbaby, and my great-grandbaby
(Translation:  I trained Sister Jones, who trained Sister Kim.
who trained Sister Cheng)

Last night after the VC shift I had this strong desire to check our missionary e-mail. I immediately got changed and ran (literally, haha) to the computers to check what would be waiting. Lo and behold there was an e-mail labled "Sister Moyes from Laie Tram Tour."...it was her =) She was looking for the Sister Moyes that took her on the tram tour!!  She then continued to share the most amazing news!! She continued to inform me (in hopes that I would read it) that ever since I had sent the missionaries to come and teach her, she has been taking the lessons. She THEN let me know that she was going to be getting baptized on August 31st!!! AHHHHHHHHH, I love being a missionary. She finished the e-mail by thanking me for giving her that guest card and how it has forever changed her life. 

So many prayers were answered this week, it was incredible. Every day I am loving my mission, or I should say, the Lord's mission, more and more, and feel so blessed to see just how much God loves his children. I know that these miracles are a witness of God's love for His children. I know that as we pray to be God's hands in this work that He WILL give us opportunities to "hasten the work of salvation." We are all missionaries, each of us has an a area...and that's the world. We have the best mission ever!! Let's help God's children to know how much He loves them. I love you all so much, and I know Heavenly Father does, too. Have a miraculous week!

Love,

Sister Moyes

I'm jumping in!!! (jk)

P.S. Sorry this was so long!