Helloooooo friends! Today I'm on the bus on the way to Málaga for mission council! Only 5 more hours. Woah. This week has been SO COOL. (Well, actually really HOT. Like 85 degrees with a lot of humidity.) But it was a super COOL week full of big miracles. Seriously, just miracle after miracle. This is going to be a long one but I just can't help it!
On Tuesday, we had our last district meeting of the transfer and then went out to eat together. After lunch we were at the church waiting for an investigator to show up for a lesson when a stranger walked in and sat down. He said that he had been walking for the last several hours and that he was just so tired. All he had with him was a backpack and his shoes were really worn out.
He didn't have enough money to take a bus to Tarragona (up by Barcelona where he lives). We told him we didn't have anything to give and he said that he didn't really know why he even walked in the door. We kept talking to him and ended up giving him a Book of Mormon. As he flipped through it and we told it about him and how it could change his life, his face changed. He looked up at us and said, "well maybe God led me here for a reason then..." We prayed with him before he left and as he walked out with a Book of Mormon and a Restoration pamphlet in his backpack, we could see the burdens lift off his shoulders and his face was visibly younger. I don't know if he will ever meet with the missionaries when he gets home or if he will even read the book, but I know that God was aware of his situation and that God was able to use us to lift his burdens.
The investigator who was supposed to come and so after JeanCarlos walked in, Hermana Simpson and I were on the way out the door to contact for a bit before English class started. Well, as we were leaving, two more strangers walked in. At this point I was thinking "what the heck is happening?!" They were really excited to see us and shook our hands. One of them was especially excited to talk to me and when I asked his name he said, "but don't you remember me? I'm Wilson! We met a week ago!" I was convinced I had never met this guy in my life and so I just apologized that I didn't remember him! He insists that we had met and pulls out a pass along card from his bag. As he pulls it out, I'm standing there thinking "there's no way I've ever talked to this guy! That card is probably from another missionary." Nope. It was my card with my number on it. After a few minutes of just talking to this Colombian named Wilson who apparently knew me I had an ah ha moment and exclaimed WILSON! I had talked to him a week ago but I didn't think he'd actually come to English class! He and his brother Edison both came to English and they plan on coming back every week.
On Wednesday we had a lesson with Mustapha! He's our investigator from Algeria and he's the one who has a really strong testimony of the Book of Mormon. He is progressing really, really well. We taught the Plan of Salvation and he loved every second of it! At the end of the lesson, he took out a pamphlet with a picture of Jesus Christ being baptized and he said, "THIS. How far away am I from this? I need to be baptized." He's working on quitting smoking and went from smoking 20-25 cigarettes every day to only ONE in the last three days! Isn't that incredible? More on him in a bit.
On Thursday Hermana Simpson and I had the best planning session of my entire mission. We talked about the needs of our investigators for two and a half hours and received so much inspiration. We both felt so heavily the mantle and responsibility of being a missionary. We really are here to be God's instruments. We made a lot of good plans.
Thursday afternoon we had Hermana Clark and Hermana Grover over for exchanges. Hermana Clark and I taught Christian (16 year old, skater guy. He's progressing slowly, but still progressing). We taught him the Plan of Salvation and at end we were talking about his personal prayers because he said that he hasn't been getting an answer from God. I asked him why he thought he wasn't getting an answer and he said, "well, maybe it's because I pray in the elevator going up to my apartment at night and in the morning." I was kind of confused so I asked him to explain again. He says, "Well, yeah. I'm busy and I live on the 7th floor so it's just enough time to pray!" I then said something I thought I would never have to say: "Christian, If you want to receive an answer to your prayer, you shouldn't pray in an elevator." Hahaha. So hopefully that'll help him.
On Tuesday, we had our last district meeting of the transfer and then went out to eat together. After lunch we were at the church waiting for an investigator to show up for a lesson when a stranger walked in and sat down. He said that he had been walking for the last several hours and that he was just so tired. All he had with him was a backpack and his shoes were really worn out.
He didn't have enough money to take a bus to Tarragona (up by Barcelona where he lives). We told him we didn't have anything to give and he said that he didn't really know why he even walked in the door. We kept talking to him and ended up giving him a Book of Mormon. As he flipped through it and we told it about him and how it could change his life, his face changed. He looked up at us and said, "well maybe God led me here for a reason then..." We prayed with him before he left and as he walked out with a Book of Mormon and a Restoration pamphlet in his backpack, we could see the burdens lift off his shoulders and his face was visibly younger. I don't know if he will ever meet with the missionaries when he gets home or if he will even read the book, but I know that God was aware of his situation and that God was able to use us to lift his burdens.
The investigator who was supposed to come and so after JeanCarlos walked in, Hermana Simpson and I were on the way out the door to contact for a bit before English class started. Well, as we were leaving, two more strangers walked in. At this point I was thinking "what the heck is happening?!" They were really excited to see us and shook our hands. One of them was especially excited to talk to me and when I asked his name he said, "but don't you remember me? I'm Wilson! We met a week ago!" I was convinced I had never met this guy in my life and so I just apologized that I didn't remember him! He insists that we had met and pulls out a pass along card from his bag. As he pulls it out, I'm standing there thinking "there's no way I've ever talked to this guy! That card is probably from another missionary." Nope. It was my card with my number on it. After a few minutes of just talking to this Colombian named Wilson who apparently knew me I had an ah ha moment and exclaimed WILSON! I had talked to him a week ago but I didn't think he'd actually come to English class! He and his brother Edison both came to English and they plan on coming back every week.
On Wednesday we had a lesson with Mustapha! He's our investigator from Algeria and he's the one who has a really strong testimony of the Book of Mormon. He is progressing really, really well. We taught the Plan of Salvation and he loved every second of it! At the end of the lesson, he took out a pamphlet with a picture of Jesus Christ being baptized and he said, "THIS. How far away am I from this? I need to be baptized." He's working on quitting smoking and went from smoking 20-25 cigarettes every day to only ONE in the last three days! Isn't that incredible? More on him in a bit.
On Thursday Hermana Simpson and I had the best planning session of my entire mission. We talked about the needs of our investigators for two and a half hours and received so much inspiration. We both felt so heavily the mantle and responsibility of being a missionary. We really are here to be God's instruments. We made a lot of good plans.
Thursday afternoon we had Hermana Clark and Hermana Grover over for exchanges. Hermana Clark and I taught Christian (16 year old, skater guy. He's progressing slowly, but still progressing). We taught him the Plan of Salvation and at end we were talking about his personal prayers because he said that he hasn't been getting an answer from God. I asked him why he thought he wasn't getting an answer and he said, "well, maybe it's because I pray in the elevator going up to my apartment at night and in the morning." I was kind of confused so I asked him to explain again. He says, "Well, yeah. I'm busy and I live on the 7th floor so it's just enough time to pray!" I then said something I thought I would never have to say: "Christian, If you want to receive an answer to your prayer, you shouldn't pray in an elevator." Hahaha. So hopefully that'll help him.
I had a nice time with Hermana Clark and at 10 pm, 15 minutes before we went home, we had the funniest contact I've been in. We were crossing then street and we passed two guys who quickly caught up to us. I could see them out of the corner of my eye as they got closer. One of them finally caught up and said "ehh! Chicas! Habéis visto a mi cato blanco? Lo he perdido! (Have you seen my white cat? I lost it!) We turned around and busted up laughing because we realized he was using that as a pick up line. He somehow transitioned that to insisting that he need to take us out for drinks. We established our missionary purpose with lightening speed and the conversation that followed was hilarious:
José (the guy who lost his whit cat): do you want to to get drinks?
Me: We teach English class and we teach people about the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We're not here to party.
José: but what about my cat?
Me: Your cat isn't lost. We know what you're trying to do!
José: okay, well... tell me about Jesus! What do you believe!
Me: I believe that I am a child of God and that He has a perfect plan for me. We are here to share a message about how this plan can help others.
José: I have a plan too! To go get drinks!
Me: What do you believe in?
José: I believe in whatever you believe in because I like your eyes!
Hahaha. Needless to say I don't think right now is his time to accept the gospel in his life.
On Saturday, Hermana Simpson and I decided to fast for guidance and during the fast we pleaded for two specific things: 1. For our investigator JeanJarbi to come up to us after church and tell us an exact date he wants to get baptized. 2. That our investigator Mustapha will get baptized before he leaves Alicante and to help us open the doors to make that happen.
Well, God didn't just open windows, he opened big GARAGE DOORS. On Sunday after church, our ward mission leader, Denis, pulled us aside with JeanJarbi and asked him what he thinks about baptism. JeanJarbi said that he has been thinking and he wants to get baptized on July 1st!
Then, later, we met with Mustapha and a big setback that had been in the way was completely taken away! So we set a baptism date with him for July 15th! It was such a neat experience. God has a lot of things He needs to happen this transfer but they will only happen if we are where He needs us to be.
Okay, it's probably about time I wrap this up.... but God gives us miracles. Sometimes big and sometimes small but they ARE there. He loves us and wants to bless us. I love you all!
Exchanges with Hermana Clark and Hermana Grover!
There is a big Alicante festival next week called "Las Hogueras". The Bonfires 🔥 All over Alicante they put up big sculptures and then they go crazy with fireworks and then set all the sculptures on fire. It's going to be cRaZy and we probably will have to stay inside on Friday and a Saturday.
We made tortilla de patata this week! 🥔 It didn't go so well... haha
Love, Hermana Moore
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