Tuesday, June 3, 2014

June 3rd, 2014

Dear Friends and Family,
This week was awesome because of several reasons.
First of all, we had a great conference with an area seventy called Elder Gonzeles from Uruguay and our President and wife to the President spoke and it was all really great but too much to write about. The important part was at long last, I understood almost all of it. I still struggle with conversation but I can understand a lot more! It was four hours long and I only didn´t understand like 10-20 words. I also saw one of the Americans I came with and heard him talk Spanish with my trainer and I noticed quite a few mistakes which was gratifying. Not in a mean or conceited way or saying anything about him but I finally saw my progress I have made. And he took four years of Spanish in high school and did a lot better at the MTC with Spanish than I did so that was awesome. Not in a mean or conceited way though! Just great to see progress.
I also had probably the greatest moment of my mission. Since my companion is leaving, we told some recent converts that he is leaving and he had been in this area for a while so they liked him a lot. So one 10 year old member said what! Why! Why doesn´t he(me) leave, that would be much better. That of course hit hard since a mission is hard enough and you struggle every single day with dozens of things but that just hit hard again. I questioned if I was even blessing anyones´ lives here and if I am just a burden. Sadly to say it was a moment of great alarm and I didn´t talk more during the lesson, afterwards, at the bus stop or on the bus. But then, afterwards, we got off the bus and saw a very sick woman and man and it looked bad. She couldn´t stand up, she kept falling down and couldn´t walk. So the man helped her to the bench and I asked a few times if we could help and they didn´t really say anything. We waited while they rested at the stop and then I asked if we could give a blessing. After a few minutes she relented and said yes and so without pulling out my cards to help remind me how to do it in Spanish, I annointed the blessing and then my companion gave a very powerful blessing. All at a bus stop with people standing around there, motorcycles, buses, and cars going by etc. Afterwards her countenance completely changed and they both looked at us with water in her eyes. We asked if we could do more and then we left our number and made sure to call us if they need anything more. We walked away and I turned back to say bye once more and then I just started to cry once again. (I get humbled a lot here) I don´t know why but it was incredibly powerful and I won´t forget it. I knew that was a blessing for not only her but a God given opportunity to do something and feel meaningful in the work again and maybe one day she will find our church and join becuase of that expereience. It wasn´t a baptism or anything but it was incredible for me. We have struggle to help people progress and haven´t have baptisms for two months but this was very needed on my part. I don´t have much time to say more but that was an incredible experience for me.
Other than that, it was a better week, less cold and much less rain and wind. My trainer is leaving for the country tomorrow and I get an American companion tomorrow so we will see how that goes! Hopefully he is awesome and can help me with the language as much as Elder Torres did for me. He was awesome and I am sad to see him go but oh well. I am no longer a greenie and instead I am a boring Junior companion but whatever. It will be great. Let me know if you guys want to know anything more. Thank you for the emails and support and of course the packages and letters. Love you guys dearly. Take care! Talk to you guys next week!
Elder Moss

Monday, June 2, 2014

May 26th, 2014

Dear Family and Friends!
Hey everyone,
Sadly this last week we dont have many stories. As we move into winter, it becomes more and more a living Hell. The winters here are filled with very very cold rains and lots of wind! So proselyting this week was tough but we did it anyways! Some missionaries give the excuse they are sick so they dont have to work but we prided ourselves that we still put in our time and effort. What the funny part of this last week was the supposedly water resistant jacket I have has a bigger neck hole than I have a neck.... So water got in my jacket and soaked my agenda and my 150 flashcards I made. Hahaha how terrrible. But oh well, the words and plans should be in my head anyways! If mom posts the picture youll see how my companion like the movie title, the best two years, and how much we love uruguay when it rains. It was pretty funny and funny to show our branch mission leader. You might also see all the pages of my agenda spread out across our chairs. 
Investigators wise we dont have much. Many people say they will be baptized so we return for the second lesson and no one is home or say they are busy. How lame. I guess they just dont want salvation! Sucks for them. Haha. But, we did go to an investigators home where the old parents arent members but have a missionary son. They are very nice and always invite us in but no progression. But! This week she was sick so we gave a blessing and maybe that will allow us more room for improvement. She started reading her sons preach my gospel since that blessing so fingers crossed! I also gave my first blessing in Spanish this week instead of just starting the blessing so that was cool! Nothing too much to report except that its freezing and we have a few hopeful investigators. Love you guys and hope you are all preparing for an awesome summer! Take care!
Love,
Elder Moss