Tuesday, December 29, 2015

December 28, 2015 - Feliz Navidad!

Hey family! It was so great to see you all on Christmas. You all look and sound so good. :)
Google hangouts for Christmas!  It's a miracle to get to talk with family all over.

Christmas was really really good. We spent the morning calling you guys, then eating, and then we did more family history for the temple on Saturday! It was wonderful.

Then, Saturday we went to the temple!!! It was so great. I love the House of the Lord so so much, and I miss it. And, all the converts loved it so much too.

Angel's baptism
Then Sunday...Angel got baptized!! Aw, she was so so excited, it was so great. I love seeing youth getting baptized, and thinking of them in the future, serving missions, getting married in the temple--knowing the differences that having the gospel in their life can make!! Super grateful for the opportunity to know her.
So, basically a super eventful week! It was super great. Aaand the last week of my companion, she's going home on Wednesday! But, changes arent til January 6th. So I'm kind of going to run around crazy the next few days, with members and divisions with other hermanas in other areas haha. Nothing is ever boring here! ;)

with the Elders at the Bishop's house
My favorite part of being a missionary is seeing the progression in the people. Okay so just to tell you a little bit about Daniel and Wendy. They're both 17, Wendy is 7 months pregnant.  They are so great!! Our first lesson we asked them about praying as a couple together every night, because Daniel said he never ever prayed. And every night since they've been praying as a couple! They also motivate each other to read the folletos. Last night we went with Wendy--Daniel wasn't there, so we just went with her. When we asked her at the beginning who she wanted to pray, she asked if she could. And it was her first prayer in out loud in public in her life! and it was so great, we could feel the spirit so strong. They couldn't go to church this week, because they were out of town. But Daniel wants to so bad--he asked if he could go to church this Sunday and just get baptized, because he really wants to change his life. So we explained that he needs to do some changes before--get married, stop drinking and smoking and coffee--but he is so so willing. And he wants to change how he dresses, find a job, everything. There are such incredible and prepared people in Guacimo!

Feliz Navidad!
We are so grateful for the  members who provide delicious food to Kiana!
Also, I love seeing the examples of faith of the Saints here. It's seriously incredible. There's a family of a mom and two daughters who got baptized in October, and yesterday the dad got super mad at them from going to Church...but they still came, walking miles to get to church because they knew that was what they should do. Also, like Geraldine and Elidio--they spend 6 dollars every week to pay for buses to come to church, and neither of them have work right now. But they know the Lord will bless them for their sacrifices. I love seeing these examples of faith of these people here, because it strengthens my faith and helps me realize that this gospel really is true, and is worth whatever sacrifice. 

Anyway, I love being a missionary! And I love you all a whole lot! Happy New Year to everyone! :)






December 23, 2015 - We are like Bethlehem

Dear Family, 

Hi!!! Merry Christmas in like...two days!!! I'm so so excited to see your faces. 
Mission Christmas celebracion

This week we had our Christmas party for the mission on Monday night, and I absolutely loved what President taught us. He was talking about Bethlehem. He lived in Jerusalem for like a year, so he showed us pictures of Bethlehem. And really...it's just a small town. Not too exciting, not too pretty...just kind of weeds and rocks and a few little houses. There's really nothing too spectacular about this little town...but that was where God decided that Jesus Christ would be born, our Savior and Redeemer. God chose this humble town to be the place where the King of Kings, Lord of Lords would be born. President then shared the scripture, "By small and simple means are great things brought to pass." We're kind of like Bethlehem. Individually, at times, we feel like we don't have a lot of offer--we have a lot of weaknesses, maybe we're not the best at sharing, the best looking, anything. But we can do great things. We don't know what smiling, what bearing our testimony, what impact that can make in the future! I'm so grateful that 2000 years ago, Jesus Christ was born in this little town, because this changed the life of every single one of us for ever. I'm so grateful for this opportunity I have to be a missionary this Christmas!! I've been able to think a lot more about the Savior, about His birth these days, more than I've ever thought about it any other December of my life. 

making pupusas with members
Also, this week has been really good!!! The ward has a temple this trip on Saturday (and we get to go!!!! because our converts are going. I'm so excited!!!! That'll be like the best Christmas present ever), so we've been doing a lot of family history. This has been so so cool. I've seriously never done family history like before in my life...so it's been so neat doing it with Geraldine and Elidio, seeing the Spirit of Elijah, finding names, I get so excited every time we get to add a name to their tree!!!! It's so amazing. Also, Elidio is so incredible. I don't know. He's in Helaman 13 in the Book of Mormon already, and yesterday he just said, "Yo amo el Libro de Mormon."I LOVE the book of Mormon. I'm so grateful for the testimonies of these incredible people I'm meeting here, because their building my testimony so much too. 


Hasta super pronto, con amor, Hermana Moon :)


delicious food!  

December 14, 2015 - Ha nacido un Salvador

Hey everyone! :)
It was such a great week. We didn't really have too much time to do too much work (we had to go to San Jose for a meeting, service projects, a big party for when the Bishop's son got home from his mission).... but we saw miracles with the time that we had in finding new people to teach, in investigators coming to church. The Lord really is in charge of this work!

We went this week to do service as a zone in an Asilo de Ancianos...nursing home! And it was so great. It reminded me a lot of going to the Providence Assisted Living Center all those Sundays and FHEs...haha, it was just a little harder because I couldn't understand the Spanish very well of them! But, it was fun. I remembered how everyone in PALC loved when we sang old songs from when they were young like You Are my Sunshine....buuut the problem was that I don't know any in Spanish! Sooo I just sang hymns and Spanish and a few songs in English, then I just sang Los pollitos cantan pio pio pio and Feliz Navidad so they could have something they recognized...hahah they just laughed. But it was super great!

Also...we're going to have a White Christmas!!!!! Angel, the daughter of Geraldine and Elidio, has a fecha for the 27 of December. She's so cute!! She's 13 and she is reading a chapter of the Book of Mormon everday and loving it. Also, we have Shirley for the 27 too! It's super cool, Shirley is a girl with 16 years who is SO PREPARED. And it's super super cool because...Hermana Geis was the one who found her! Hermana Geis did divisions here like a month ago and they found her then, and she's seriously so ready and excited. Anyway, so that makes me happy. :) Yesterday we had a lesson with Angel and Shirley together after church and it was just so fun because both of them had so many questions, were loving everything...we taught the Restoration, Shirley had already learned it but we did it for Angel and Shirley was teaching what she remember, and she just looked like such a missionary already! I love all these people that I'm getting to meet here, so so much.

I hope you all have an amazing week, I love you all so much!

Love, Hermana Moon


Full disclosure - she was dealing with lice.  Her sweet companion would spend hours combing the lice and nits out of her hair.  

December 7, 2015 - Venid, adoremos!


Guacimo!
Happy December everyone!!! :) I love Christmas so so much.  We're starting to share the Christmas story with investigators now...I love the Spirit that comes as you start to read in Luke 2. And I'm super glad we had the opportunity to watch the Christmas Devotional last night....mostly the music, because I couldn't hear super well the talks haha. But I am falling in love with Motab on the mission! I love when they sing In the Bleak Midwinter, the ending part, ''What I have I give Him, give Him my heart.'' We've been asking people here in the lessons what gift they want to give to Christ this Christmas, and I am loving it!! Christmas time on the mission is the best.
So I have a new area!!!!! After the last change being super loco with three areas and like 7 companions..... I'm now set in a place, hahah I hope for the whole year! But now I'm in a place called Guacimo....I'm so in love with it here!!!!!! All the other areas I've been in have been pretty close to San Jose, the capitol, and they've been kind of cities. And cold!! I used jackets like every day in my other areas, in Cartago we could see our breath like every night... But now....haha I feel like I'm in what I imagined Costa Rica to be! It's SO HOT haha. And rains SO much!! And the whole place is like dirt roads, beautiful green plants, huge birds...and everyone says that there's a whole bunch of sloths but I haven't seen one yet! And our house is like a cute little shed without a real floor, it's like the shed floor....I love it so much!!!!!! I wake up every day hearing a bunch of animals and I feel like I'm camping in the wilderness and it's the best. :) We live in such a beautiful world!!!!
Geraldine & Elidio
And, I'm super happy I have a companion!! Her name is Hermana Ortiz from Guatemala and she's so cute and I love her a lot!! Buuut she goes home December 30, she's ending her mission! So, I need to learn the area super fast haha. And it's super big, and there's no mountains here to help give me direction...so pray for me?:)
So, we had a baptism yesterday of an incredible family!!!! They are named Geraldine and Elidio, and they got married a week ago and baptized yesterday!!! I love that there are so many prepared people here!!! But, it's kind of sad....the Elders here were the ones who taught them, and raised money so they could get married.... but then there were the changes and they closed the area....... the Elders were super super sad they had to miss their baptism...... But Geraldine and Elidio are incredible. Geraldine was SO excited yesterday to pay tithing for the first time! And, they have a lot of kids who aren't members, so we're hoping to be able to visit with them! They just live suuuper far away--like 30 minutes in bus, only can at night and the last bus leaves at 7 at night...but the Lord will help us with the scheduling haha...I'm so so bad at planning. But we just need to follow the Spirit and the Lord will guide us always! 

And the ward here. Holy cow it's so incredible!!!!! It was just a branch less than a year ago, but it's grown so so much, and there's been some incredible convert families who are super strong. I'm super excited to get to know these amazing people here even more.
Anyway. I love you all a lot!! I hope you can all think of what gift you want to give the Lord this Christmas, and spread the good news of our Savior and Redeemer to all!
Love, Hermana Moon 

November 30, 2015 - Things I'm grateful for

Dearest family, 

Things I'm grateful for: 

1. Thanksgiving!! I didn't think that we'd do anything for it because they don't celebrate it here, but a member in Hermana Montepeque's old area invited us over cuz her family always does a big dinner this year anyway! And it was so so good. I seriously think the turkey I had here was the best that I've ever had in my life! Also, it was so nice to see a big happy family here--they had six kids grown kids, all with kids of their own, and it really felt like being back home at a family party! So that was fun.

2. Being a missionary!! I love the experiences and miracles I get to see. Yesterday Nelson got confirmed!!! That was so great. Last week I didn't say very much about him.... but so yeah. He's 79!!!! And he was Jehovah's Witness for like 35 years, but never got baptized because they told him he was too contrary with too many things. And he owns a little shop where he sews pants and suits, and the missionaries came, and met with him, and three months later decided to get baptized!! Seriously he loves this gospel. He always says, "The Book of Mormon is such a good book." And whenever we're visiting him he just pulls out a bunch of fruit that he makes us try. So fun. 

3. The Opportunity to Learn to Live with Change: I've never really liked change. I get super attached to places, and people, and things too easily........but here I'm learning to live with it! I just need to think of every change as a new adventure! :)  Wednesday I'll be heading to another new area...haha, hopefully this time for a good 6 months with only 2 companions. I'll miss Jardin a lot...I've only been here three weeks, but I"ve met some incredible people here. But, it's okay, because I"m excited to start this new adventure with this next change. 

4. The Book of Mormon!!! I finished the Book of Mormon for the first time on the mission this last week, and holy cow. Reading the Book of Mormon while being a missionary is an experience that is really really cool. I know this book is true, and this gospel is true, and I'm so grateful for the opportunity I have to share this book with people who have never before heard of it, sharing the restored gospel with people who really have no direction in their life. 

Life is good. I"m really really happy to be here in Costa Rica, serving the Lord. I love you all so so much, and miss you all, but I really can't think of any place I'd rather be right now in my life than here! 

All my love, Hermana Moon 

Monday, November 23, 2015

November 23, 2015 - Happy Thanksgiving!

Dear Family, 

Happy Thanksgiving this week!!!!!! I love this holiday a lot, and it's sad that people here don't celebrate it! I love having a day just to think about what we're grateful for, spend with family and friends, and think of all the blessings God has given us!! We are so blessed. And, even though they don't celebrate the day here, these weeks we've been sharing this scripture with people: 

Änd ye cannot bear all things now; nevertheless, be of good cheer, for I will lead you along. The kingdom is yours and the blessings thereof are yours, and the riches of eternity are yours. 
And he who receiveth all things with thankfulness shall be made glorious, and the things of this earth shall be added unto him, even an hundred fold, yea, more." Doctrine and Covenants 78:18-19

I love this scripture so much!!!! We're going to have hard times in this life. But if we take all things with an attitude of gratitude, really everything is so much easier, and God will bless us even more, and we'll just be happy!!!! And, it says, these people will be made glorious!! So I love this a lot. And it's helped me a lot during this crazy change that I've been having, to try to just have a good attitude, and I've noticed such a big difference when I try to think of what I've learned this month, think of the blessings and miracles I've seen, rather than complaining. I don't know. We have been given so so much!!! God is good. 

Miracle of the week.....Nelson got baptized!!!!! He's an investigador in Jardin. and he's 79!!!!! And so incredible. My first day in Jardin we put a fecha for his baptism with him, and he's so so great. I just am so happy when we go with him!! All week he was talking about how Sunday would be the most beautiful day of his life, and he couldn't wait. And his baptism was so beautiful!!! That at 79 years old someone can be born again :) I'm so so grateful that I got to see this miracle!! 

 President gave me permission to go to Cartago with Hermana Geis! Best day ever

My sister!! both trained by Hermana Geis :) 

 yay for being missionaries! 

Anyway. I hope you all have a wonderful Thanksgiving!! Love you all so so much!! 

Love, Hermana Moon 


 




Monday, November 16, 2015

November 16, 2015 - the Lord is teaching me a lot here




Hey ya'll!!! 

Haha....everything really is kinda just crazy here.... I'm onto my sixth companion, third area, third zone in this change....and there's still two weeks left! But it's all good, just everyday is an adventure :) 

Companion number six this change!;) She's so so cute. But. I seriously look like a giant next to her!!!! 
My mini missionary went home last Monday...haha she wrote her family and they told her that they wanted to come home soo she left that night! So I then joined a trio with the other hermanas in Concepcion.... but then another girl went home, so I"m with that girls companion, Hermana Montepeque! Aaand we're working in the two areas, Jardin and Concepcion==President said we could take taxis back and forth to do what we needed to do! But it's super super expensive, and takes like 30 minutes in taxi, so mostly we are working in Jardin because President decided he wants elders where there are hermanas, so he's gonna take my area out of Concepcion just because everything's so crazy we don't really have investigators :( sooo everything's kinda weird, and I don't really know where I belong.... it's been kind of hard, I just fall in love with the people so fast and then I have to leave!!!! But it's okay. I know the Lord is teaching me a lot here, and that really I'll end up where He needs me to be always!! 

Also I was at the Bishop's house here in Jardin and they made me pray in English....it was so hard!!!! I seriously had to stop for like 30 seconds in the middle of the prayer because I really didn't know the words to say! Haha so that was fun

We had a cool experience while in a taxi from Jardin to Concepcion this week! We became really good friends with the taxi driver...they were trying to teach me how to teach Spanish, asking about Utah...super fun stuff! Then he really wanted to know what we believed. And so we explained the Restoration and gave him a Book of Mormon. And he said that all was good, but that really, no one can really know for sure that something is true...religion is just something that people do because they want to believe something! And I am so so grateful that I was able to testify 100% that I know that this is true!! What a blessing it really is to know that what we dedicate our lives to isn't something just created by men, but it really is the Church of Jesus Christ, the way to happiness in this world, that we know that we can be with our families forever!!! 
 Everyone thought that we looked a lot like siblings...I guess he kinda looks like Spencer! I don't know. My goal by the end of the mission is that people really think I'm Tica. 

Oh!! And we had the Primary Program this week!! So so cute. And it's even cuter in Spanish too. 

Anyway, I love you all so much!!!!!! 




Fun with hair.
Love, Hermana Moon 















Monday, November 9, 2015

November 9, 2015 - sleep talking in Spanish

This week has been kind of crazy, a whole lot of changes, but it´s been good! I¨m learning to trust in the Lord, and trying to learn to trust in the plans that He has! 

I have another mini missionary!!! She´s super cute. Her name is Hermana Hurtado and she is a convert of like a year! It´s been super fun. She´s so great...haha every free minute she has she pulls our Preach My Gospel to read! I think she´ll be here for like a month, until the next changes! She´ll also probably get her mission call while she´s here with me, so that´ll be fun! 

Ha, something funny... I´ve totally started just sleep talking in Spanish just missionary stuff. My companions have told me I´ve prayed, started teaching the first lesson, and I´ve woken up a few times in the middle of the night finding myself asking for references in Spanish.... haha 

A lot of what we´re doing is just trying to learn the area and just get new investigators because the two of us don´t really know the area! So it´s been a good experience. And I´ve noticed something really cool! Honestly talking people doesn´t bother me usually...but still sometimes I feel a little scared to approach some people, or knock certain doors, and I don´t know why... and this week I´ve decided to just talk to those people when I haven´t wanted to... and almost every time, when I´ve felt this fear, or this pareca (little bit of laziness) to do it, and then we actually do it, these are the people that receive us!! Honestly, we shouldn´t feel afraid to talk with anybody to share the news of the gospel! Because it really is the way to happiness in this world, and really, I know that this message is for everyone, and that there are always people to receive it! This week in leadership meeting I loved what someone said.... Elder Ochoa, a member of the Seventy for Costa Rica, said that there are thousands over thousands people prepared in EVERY area...hard areas really don´t exist. We just need to work and find those people that are waiting for us! 

Some days are hard, but I really love being a missionary. Sometimes I find myself walking down the streets, looking at the beautiful world, and just feeling SO happy!! Even on days when things aren´t working out, and days that are hard... I just am so so grateful for this opportunity I have to share the gospel with the beautiful people of Costa Rica! 

Love you all so so much!! 
with Hermana Geis at Mission Leadership Council

Concepcion

Love, Hermana Moon 

November 2, 2015 - becoming

Happy November!! Haha, everyone here is going crazy decorating for Christmas. Ticos go all out. Well, it all started actually in September because Halloween and Thanksgiving don´t exist here...it´s so fun haha. I love Christmas!! 

We had a cool experience this week with an investigator named Olga. She´s from Russia but has been here for years and years. And it was really interesting and cool because it was the first time ever that I¨ve taught someone who really didn´t know for sure if God existed, who didn´t have faith. Because the people of Costa Rica, all of them really have a lot of faith. Basically everyone goes to church, mostly Catholic, and everyone loves talking about religious stuff. But Olga wasn´t sure if God´s even there. Because her daughter has been super, super sick now, for years, and her husband died, and she just wasn´t sure. And it was so cool to be able to testify and feel that God really did exist, that He really did love her and He really has a plan for her. And she´s starting to read the Book of Mormon, and she really wants to learn more. 

We had Zone Conference with President this week and it was incredible. We talked about how the Plan of Salvation isn´t really like the drawing that everyone draws on the Sunday School blackboard...but it´s more like a ladder, going up towards heaven. And every day, we should be striving to move up the ladder. Everday, we should ask, ¨Que mas me falta?¨ Or, what more should I be doing? What´s holding me back on our spiritual progression? And as we do this, every day we should be feeling the love of our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ more and more as we move up the ladder. And, we won´t be perfect, probably not in this life, but every day we can try more!  Really this whole life is just a journey of spiritual progression upward. I love something that Brother Griffin told us last year in Book of Mormon class....that the Plan of Salvation isn´t only about getting somewhere, but about becoming something, someone. He tied it to the story of Nephi at the beginning of the Book of Mormon...if the Lord really wanted them to get to the Promised Land, why did they keep having to go back to Jerusalemn? He didn´t want them to just get to the Promised Land, but to becomemore obedient, more consecrated, to change on the way, to become better disciples of Christ. And I love that!! We are trying to get somewhere...the Celestial Kingdom, but on the way, we do need to become someone new too, through the experiences we have here! Super cool. 

Rainy season ended!! At least, that´s what everyone says, that in November! Haha, we´re pretty excited about not having to blowdry our agendas every night now.....now we´re just geting ready for it to get really cold! well, really cold for Costa Rica haha.Probaly isn´t like Utah. But I´m excited to see what it´s like! 

K! Love you all so so much!! 

Love, Hermana Moon

Zone Conference

October 26, 2015 - Gabby

Hola familia, 

I'm here in Concepcion!!! I got here on Saturday. Holy cow. It's beautiful. And it's so so small...haha Cartago was like seven times the size of it, we'll basically never take buses here! So it'll be a fun new experience.  But it's crazy how close someone can grow to a place, to people in such a short amount of time....I miss Cartago so much!! Weird that you can feel homesick from a place that's not even really your home. I learned and changed so much in that city, met incredible people I will never forget, learned so much about myself. But I'm super excited to grow and learn and change and trust in the Lord more here in Concepcion.
Concepcion

We're basically starting over here in Conce, we don't have many progressing investigators, and don't know much about the area...but we're excited to start learning! Hermana Woods and I have already seen some great miracles here! We were knocking doors on Saturday night. And it's super crazy. Because she and Hermana Chatwin, who was her companion before, always knocked on doors and asked the people if they knew a Gabby who lived around there, jsut as a way to swtart talking, see if we could share a message with them. And we knocked on a door and did taht, and the lady actually said yes!! That two doors down!! Soooo we went and tried, and asked if Gabby was there, that someone said she'd be interested in a message in Jesus Christ, if we could share it with her! And she said yes!!! So we shared it with her and holy cow she is so great!! She's like 27, and studying nursing, and LOVES English...she jsut wanted to talk English with us. Which is actually a tender mercy, becauser Hermana Woods sitll isn't super comfortable with her Spanish 100%, so it was fun just sharing in English! Kinda confusing though haha. I'm getting really bad at grammar in English. And Gabby loved it, then came to church on Sunday!!! So it was so so cool. A huge miracle for us. 
with Hna Woods

And, it's super funny. Having our last name Woods and Moon...haha Gabby asked what were our real names,  if everyone had to have new names like that in the church, if there were some like Sun and Wind.... haha we explaiend and all laughed a lot :) 

K. I love you all a whole whole lot. Thank you for all your love and support. :) 

Until next Monday, con todo mi amor, Hermana Moon 

October 19, 2015 - it's tan hermosa

Hi family!!! 

So...I'm actually still in Cartago!!!!  I do have changes. But since Hermana Mendoza can't walk, they called me Tuesday and said I'll be staying here for a week or two. Hermana Mendoza couldn't have her new companion here with a mini misionera because she doesn't know Cartago at all....so I"m here this week showing Hermana Chen from Guatamala around Cartago!! She is so so cute. She's always been in the city here, and this is her first area that has like mountains and campo...and I just love watching her when we go to a new place and she just says..."Ahh...It's tan hermosa!!! Really we live in such an incredible, miraculous world!! 

And my new area is Concepcion!! It's really close to San Jose, the capitol. I don't know. I"m really, really anxious and excited to go there and start working, so it's been kind of a trial of patience this week staying here in Cartago!! I love Cartago so, so much, but it's kind of like my heart is in Concepcion, with my new companion...I don't know. It's been a good experience for me to have faith in the timing of the Lord!! And my new companion is Hermana Woods!!! We are so, so excited. She's from Ogden, and she left on her mission June 10--the day I should have left! So we would have been in the MTC together, and so yeah, she has 3 months here in Costa Rica!! It's super funny, because we got our sedulas together so spent that whole day together, and just talked about how we wished one day we could be companions...and it happened!! Well, haha we haven't had a day together yet....but I'm so so excited. But my Spanish is going to go downhill again...haha oh well. 

We've seen some cool miracles this week!! So, our goal is to get more than 10 new investigators every week. And because this week was kind of crazy, with the transfers and everything, and I was not being super good for a few days and didn't know how to balance teaching the area with finding, we only had two news when Saturday started. But we made a goal to find a lot of new investigators and Saturday...and it was incredible, the Lord really led us to people who would receive us, and be wanting to change!! The first person we talked to on Saturday was a woman whose name was Luz, and it was incredible--she expressed to us how much she wanted to change, how she and her husband have been looking for a church to go to for their children, how her mother-in-law always told her that she needed to baptize her kids in the Catholic church but didn't feel like she should....it was amazing! and she came to church the next day too!! It's amazing how the Lord leads us to the people who are waiting to receive the restored gospel. 

I love you all so, so much!!! Have an incredible week. :) 

Love, Hermana Moon 

Monday, October 12, 2015

October 12, 2015 - leaving Cartago

Hello family!! 

Hermanas of Zona Cartago
So I'm leaving Cartago!! And I'm pretty sad. It's been a really good four and a half months here....I've seen so many miracles, learned so much, met so many incredible people, survived through a lot of freezing cold evenings, seen so many of God's beautiful creations here, grown and changed. Haha, I'm super bad at change. But, I'm excited to see where I'm going, what the Lord has in store for these next few months of my life!  
Hermana Mendoza is a champ

Something super sad this week...Hermana Mendoza fell in a gutter yesterday and today had to get stitches in her shin, and she can't walk on her ankle....haha I feel super bad, so far both of my companions have become unable to walk by the last week we're together.....haha we'll have to see with this third one!;) 
Graciela shared this on facebook

with Graciela

This week I found a quote that Elder Perry used in his October 2014 General Conference talk and I love so much. it says, "To be a Christian is to admire Jesus so sincerely and so fervently that the whole life goes out to Him in an aspiration to be like Him." I love this...if we say that we're Christians, we need to admire Jesus Christ SO fervently that every day, every second of our life we're trying to be like Him. Spencer, I love the talk that you gave on Christlike attributes that Mom sent me--and the story where Jennie asked Dad which Christlike attribute he was working on,  assuming that everyone is always working on a Christlike attribute--and, really, we should be! If we claim ourselves as Christians, we should be trying every single day to become more like Him. And, I have so so far to go on this. But, this quote really has helped me ponder more on this, what I should do, and change. 

I love you all a whole whole lot. 

Love, Hermana Moon 

October 5, 2015 - Dearest Family



I love love love:

1: The temple!!!!!!! We got to go this week and holy cow. Such an incredible experience!! I've missed the temple so, so bad. If you live close to a temple, and haven't been for awhile, please go. It truly is the House of the Lord, and God's love is so tangible there. We are so blessed to live in a time with dozens and dozens of temples on the earth.

2: General Conference!!! Ah seriously I hope these next six months go so fast to be able to have it again! It was such an amazing experience, to teach investigators that we live in a time with a living prophet and then bring them to see him speak. And, we saw so many miracles in investigators coming. I honestly don't know which talk was my favorite...I don't know. I loved Elder Lawrence, Elder Christofferson, President Nelson...they're all so good!  And, it's cool--haha being on the mission I'm learning to love Motab! I mean, before I thought they were great. But now... haha it's something else! So so powerful. 

3: Rain! Haha it's been pretty fun this week, it's starting the rainy season, and sometimes it's like walking through rivers on the street! it's a good adventure. 

4: The Plan of Salvation: Joab and Laura are so incredible. They came to Conference all day Sunday and LOVED it. Then we taught them after Joseph Smith and the Restoration and the Book of Mormon, and Joab said, I'm going to read it all. And he has so many amazing questions!! He's seriously pondering these things. He said, So if this is really the only true church....what happens to all the people in my old Evangelical church who died, who were super devoted to it? And we got to briefly testify that really all will have a chance to accept the gospel, to receive eternal life. They were so amazed, and so excited to hear that!! And he told us to come back today, and everyday, to teach him more!  The Plan of Salvation is so incredible. and I'm so grateful for this opportunity to teach it to people who haven't heard of these simple, incredible truths. 

5: You all!!! I'm so blessed to have you in my life, thanks so much for teaching me and helping me be the person I am. Ya'll are the greatest, really. :) Every day I think of how blessed I am to have the family I have, and the friends in my life.

All my love, Hermana Moon

Monday, September 28, 2015

September 28, 2015 - Ticas!

I loved Women's Conference!!! I loved realizing that even though it was in Spanish, I could still feel the Spirit, and still feel the power behind the words that were spoken.And it was SO fun seeing people I recognized!! Haha when I realized that I knew these people I started freaking out and wanted to tell everyone in the room that these are people from my home!! so fun to see. I loved the messages about our divine nature, about love for everyone...I don't know. I am just so, so excited for General Conference this weekend. 

I love telling people about General Conference, that we have a prophet today, someone who really talks with God, who will help us with the challenges that we have today!! We have an investigator, Christina, who is buenissima, and when we told her that, her eyes just filled with light. I love seeing that, so much--seeing these people, when they hear these gospel truths, their eyes just light up, their countenances getting brighter! I read this week, I think in True to the Faith, that part of the Plan of Salvation, was that we learned to love the truth in the premortal life. And it's so true! And I love seeing these people hear these truths, and loving them. And I'm learning to love the truth more and more every day here, also! 


We just had a miracle, today, before writing, so I'm just super excited about it still haha. We were getting on a bus a day last week, and we just gave one of the mormon.org cards to a pareja, a couple, that was behind us in the line, and then on the bus we talked to them....their names are Joab and Laura. And Laura said the missionaries visited her like 7 years ago, and they invited us to their house today for lunch, and to talk. And holy cow, so prepared!!!! They want to know everything about the gospel. When we asked when we could come back, they said tomorrow! and usually people say like, well...maybe next week. They just want to know everything now! And Laura still remembers all the videos like the Testaments they watched, still has a Book of Mormon...and she wantred to get baptized, so so bad, 7 years ago, but wasn't married, because can't get divorced because her first husband left her years and years ago, and they have no idea where he is to do the paper work. But, Joab and Laura really really want to get married, so we're going to pray a lot a lot that a miracle can happen....that they can get married, and that they keep being excited to learn the truth of this message.And Joab is so incredible...he wants to follow Jesus Christ, so much. Anyway. So pray for them too that they can figure out all the stuff with the paper work? :)


Oh something exciting! This week my comp and I got our sedulas..I don't know what that really translates to, but it means we're legal! Ya somos Ticas, yay! :) 


I love this work, love seeing that God is always preparing people to receive the truth, love seeing miracles every day. I hope everyone has an incredible Conference Weekend, listening to our living day prophet and apostles! 


They're legal!

I love you all a whole lot, 
Hermana Moon 


Monday, September 21, 2015

September 21, 2015 - Independence Day

Independence Day
Hi everyone!! 

So, this week really flew by and I can't really remember what happened... but it was a good week! :)
another pretty sunset


So, the mom of Maria Jesus (who got baptized in July) was baptized in June, the week before I came here! And it was incredible...she has multiple sclerosis, and has to stay in her bed always, and has been like this for the last 12 years!! So she got baptized in a swimming pool and it was incredible, I wish so bad I could have been there! Anyway, this week the Relief Society did an activity at her house (oh, her name is Vera) so that Vera could meet the whole Relief Society! Ah, it was so incredible. She was SO happy to meet everyone, because she can't ever go to church...it was so cool. Vera shared her experience of when she got baptized, and she just said she felt so happy, such peace...her testimony is so sweet!!! I'm so grateful that I've gotten the opportunity to meet her here. They're such an amazing family! And the ward here is so amazing...so many sisters sacrificed to go up to where they live, because they live like a 40 minute bus ride in bus from Cartago Central, and it's pretty expensive...but everyone was so willing to sacrifice and serve to go meet one of their Relief Society sisters! I love Cartago. 
con Vera

There's a quote by Joseph Sitai (I think...I can't remember his name) in the last General Conference that I love, and it's really helped me in the weeks that are kind of hard! It's "Laboring in the spirit of charity is not a duty but a joy. Challenges become opportunities to build faith." I love thinking about this!! If I'm laboring in the spirit of charity, this missionary work really isn't work at all! The days that are hard, when investigators aren't progressing, when we can't find people to teach, really are all just opportunities to build my faith, my trust in the Lord!! And I'm learning every day that I need to rely on the Lord more and more in this work..if I try to do it on my own, things really don't work out, but when we listen to the Spirit, we're guided to the people who are praying for a message of comfort. It's been so cool to see experiences like this...after teaching a lesson to someone, or praying with someone, they tell us that they'd been praying for someone to come, to bring them a little peace! The Lord really has a plan for everything, it all worked out. 

This week was Independence Day here, and so we were a little worried that no one would want us to come over...but, it's amazing how the Lord guides us to people in their houses, who didn't want to be out celebrating! So that was cool to see. And it was fun to see everyone go all out here!! They all dress up in traditional Costa Rican attire, and do big parades, and build little traditional Tico houses out of cardboard....it's so cute. :) 

I love you all a whole lot, and hope you have an amazing week!! 

Love, Hermana Moon 

Monday, September 14, 2015

September 14, 2015 - never give up on people

I just really love the colors of these flowers!! We live in such a beautiful world. 


























Hey ya'll! :)

Dance!!
So something super fun this week, the ward had an activity for people to bring nonmembers, and it was a dance!!:) Oh my goodness. I don't know if there's anything I love more than watching Tico couples in love dance. I don't know how to describe how they dance here, it's like swaying or something..I don't know, but so so cute. But, it was so hard being there, just sitting in my seat, and not being able to dance!!!!! Because dances are like my favorite things in the world...Haha, seriously might have been one of the hardest nights of the mission so far....like when they turned on Uptown Funk, all I could think about was me and Spenstarr rocking out to Dark Lord Funk. Haha, but really it's okay. This mission is totally worth the sacrifice of no dance parties for a while. It really was such a great experience, for the members and investigadors....there's seriously some incredible people here in Cartago. 

Oh, yeah, haha I forgot to say in my email last week...Yeah, I'm still in Cartago! :) yay! I love Cartago. 


Oh, and big news!! Every companionship got a microwave here in the mission!!! Things are changing here in Costa Rica. 

So something cool from this week! So there's a member, Nuria, who is incredible and super active. Nuria got baptized when she was like 12 years old, and her little sister Ileana did too, when she was like 10...but Ileana never went back to church after her baptism! The Hermana Geis and I tried to go with her a couple times, but she just hid from us every time and never answered her phone, because she was too scared to come back.But yesterday...she came to church! She hadn't gone for 22 years, and yesterday she came! And she was so SO happy...it was so incredible to see. It just makes me think of all the General Conference talks where it talks about don't give up on anyone. Nuria's been trying for years, just being a good example, inviting her to activities and things. And, Ileana has 2 daughters, Valerie and Bianca, who are 10 and almost 8, and they've been going to all the Primary Activities for a few months...and Ileana said she's seen how happy they've been going to these, and she wants them in the church! So we're starting to teach them the lessons, so Valerie can get baptized, and so Ileana can learn everything again...ah, it's such a miracle. Such joy. Never give up, on anyone! 

Investigadors Anna and Tabaret. I like them. 
There was another miracle at church yesterday...an investigator, Maritzah, and her son Abraham, came!! and, it's a big deal when we can get people to come to church, we fight so hard for it! And, we'd only visited them one time, and Martizah's friend said that she was super Catholic and would never change...but, Maritzah is going through a really hard time, and really wants hope and faith. And they said they really liked church, and learned a lot. So we're really hopeful for them, and excited to visit them again tomorrow!!