Things Are Gradually Improving in Mantaro

Happy Memorial Day! How are you all?  This last week was really hard again. But I think the hard work and suffering is starting to pay off. Monday we played soccer even though it was raining.  The rain kind of took the fun out of it.  We went and visited Jose & Elva and taught them a lesson on the importance of why they should listen to us.  That was really interesting.  Elva told us she really likes to hear about how the church is so focused on the family.  Jose just wants to ask us questions like, "Can we manipulate the Holy Ghost when we have it"?  Elder Gonzales and I are trying to decide if we should drop them.  That's a hard decision because you don't want give up on anyone but at the same time if your not progressing then it's probably better to move on.  Tuesday we had district meeting. I now have a new district because they closed Chupaca and Elder Crosland and Moreno went to the jungle.  So we've had to switch things up....the mission is changing lots.  There have been some missionaries that have had to go home and are going home because of health problems.  So pray for me that I'll stay healthy.  Thank you for the package.  I love the garmin and tracking the miles I walk.  I also received a package from the YW.....that was so sweet! Thank you!  We have been finding some people to teach but they are failing us.  But we were able to teach Mariella who is doing great! Friday we knocked on a door of this nice, huge house and a guy named Samuel answered.  He told us to come back on Sunday. Usually the rich people here don't want to listen.  Elder Gonzales and I prayed so hard for Samuel, that he'd be there on Sunday when we came back. Guess what?  We went there on Sunday at 5 and he answered the door and had us come in and his WHOLE family, 3 kids and his wife, were there to listen.  It had to be one of the happiest feelings ever.  After weeks of rejection, we were led to this awesome family! They listened and we testified of the divinity of this gospel. They accepted and understood. They want us to come back and they are excited to read the BOM.  When we gave them the BOM, all of there faces just lit up. The kids even listened. They have a 5, 8 & 14 year old boys. They have this beautiful house but even better family!  After leaving Elder Gonzales was jumping out of his shoes....haha! He's had it rough with so many failing appts.  I'm so grateful that we found this family.  We also found 2 others and the ward is starting to give references. Slowly it's getting better....still not where I want it......because I know there is potential here. 

So the ward is finally going to start working.. so I decided to give a training on how to do visits and how to share the gospel. So I set up a training and we taught them how to do visits and then we made them practice on each other.... It was so funny!  The bishop is pushing for baptisms and the ward looks a tiny bit better.  I have been so frustrated and then finally we found some less actives and some new people. I was really questioning God in my prayers and telling him how much we work and there is just nothing and finally out of nowhere we found that golden family....the Zenoto family. So we've taught the Zenoto family the 1st lesson and they've invited us back this Friday again. 

Things in the mission are about to change a lot. President Henderson has a month left. We have a total of seven Zone Leaders going home this coming change. Changes are on June 22nd this month. Also, pray for all of us because we've had three Elders go home early in the past month because of illness and injury. It's been tough. So a lot is going to happen in the coming weeks with the transition to President Silva. 

Reflection of the week:  I was reading Ether 12:6 with some awesome less actives we visited for the first time and I realized how much this scripture relates to missionary work.   I'm not going to lie, these weeks have been full of no hope, just let downs.  After a trial of our faith and working our butts off, finally some hope.  We've received testimonies of hard work and pushing forward......knowing there is something.  I've never had such a hard time finding and getting people to progress like this in all my mission. But I'm learning and gaining a testimony of hard work.  Ether 12:27 sums it all up....if we go to the Lord he will make us stronger.  I love you all! Please pray for the Zenoto Family!!! #doitforjesus

Love,

Elder Moss

I Was Sick Last Week!

Hey family! How are you all?  Things are good in Mantaro! Elder Gonzales is adjusting to mission life and is doing good.  We had a tough week but we worked really hard. Every night we'd return home and crash.  Monday for P-day we went to this place called Cochas. Supposedly it's this touristic place..we didn't think it was that great.  But we did buy a few things.  I was not feeling so hot on Monday. After we got done sending emails my body just started hurting....I felt terrible. I hung out with Elder Bautista and Crosland while everyone else went to go hike a mountain.  Afterwards we came back and we went and taught Mariella and John a lesson. Headed home that night and I was so sick.  Headache, stomach ache, body aches and really bad chills.  I put my hat and sweatshirt on, took some medicine and tried to sleep.  Didn't sleep at all.  Tuesday we had District meeting. Thank goodness I wasn't teaching.  I pretty much laid in bed all day trying to stay warm. Wednesday I felt so much better.  We actually taught 4 lessons that day. Then the week got tough! We've been trying to contact in the street or knocking on doors and still no luck. Please pray for us that this week will be better.  Thursday we taught Mariella about the Plan of Salvation.  I love teaching this because it's something that Peruvian people don't know. The Catholic church doesn't teach this.  Mariella read everything.  The lesson went well and her husband helped a lot.  She really understood it. She does have some doubts.  One of those doubts is she doesn't understand why only men have the Priesthood. She's offended by that.  We explained that we all have different roles and that this is God's plan...man didn't choose this.  Elder Gonzales tried to explain but she got frustrated.  So I bore my testimony of my parents and how they accept their roles and magnify them.  The spirit was there as I told her how I saw my mom and dad effective in their responsibilities.   I love my parents and their great example. I want her to understand her role, that it's so important.  Yes, there is a difference but we are all the same.  God's plan is perfect and we all knew that before we came to this earth and that's why we chose to follow him.  Never doubt what God has created.  Always ask our Heavenly Father with a sincere prayer for help. Marielle did end up coming to church on Sunday! Her husband is awesome.  We ended the week with teaching a less active family, Ticliacuvi family.  We are hoping to rescue them! The leadership of the ward here is really challenged. The bishop works so hard and he has very little support from his counselors or other people. Elder Gonzales and I are using the Bishop's Handbook to help teach the leaders here and give them some advice. Maybe I'm not here to teach a lot of people but I'm here to organize the ward and help the bishop. I hope we don't offend the bishop but it is pretty challenging here. We taught a total of 14 lessons this week which isn't that much. I feel like our ward is really more like a branch. We have a real challenge here in the ward where there's not very many worthy priesthood holders. Right now the goal is to baptize men. We have tons of sisters here in the ward. 

Reflection of the week:  This gospel isn't based on our numbers or success. It's based on how hard we try. I know that it has been really tough with finding people to teach.  But when I get back to our room, I'm tired and that's when I know I've worked hard.  I have the BIGGEST desire to read the scriptures you guys...every day! I love them so much and I cherish them. I mark them up and I find the coolest things in the scriptures. I love you all so much! #doitforjesus

Love,

Elder Moss

Huancayo - Mantaro, May 2016

Surviving The Flu

I'm a "Father"

Well hey Family!   A lot of things have changed here.  I'll get to those changes in a bit. Monday Elder Cornilles and I cleaned the room. Because there is so much cement, it creates a lot of dust.  The landlord still needs to finish the house.  The bathroom still needs a window and a door.  We have a shower curtain for a door.  The water has been annoying and it will randomly shut off because the landlord is using it below.  Monday we went around the center and bought things. As a zone we went to someones pension and she made this awesome Ravioli.  I had three plates....it was the greatest thing in the world! I had to enjoy it since food options are limited here.  On Tuesday Elder Cornilles and I were studying and the phone rings and its Pres. Henderson.  I answered and he wanted to talk to Cornilles. After he was done talking he handed the phone to me and Pres. said. "Elder Moss do you want the bad news or the good news?" I told him the bad news....why not.  The bad news is that you have to train and the good news is you get rid of Cornilles...haha! Elder Cornilles is going to the office to be the financial clerk.  We decided to go get haircuts before transfers.....bad idea!  We went to a new place I told the lady to barely trim the top. She wanted to charge me 7 soles.  I told her 5 soles since you're only doing a trim. I think that made her mad and she decided to butcher the top. Good thing hair grows back! Wednesday we headed to the mission office for transfers and training.  Pres. Henderson talked to all the missionaries who would be training and told us that this is a big responsibility. I feel like I'm up for the challenge of teaching.  My new companion is Elder Gonzales.  He is 23 years old and is from Cochabamba, Bolivia.  I'm excited for the opportunity to train him. His teaching is good and he wants to work hard and isn't afraid.  He's really quiet.  I hope I can get him to laugh and have some fun while he's with me. Thursday we taught a good lesson to Jose and Elva on the Sabbath Day. They finally understood. You could really feel the spirit when we read from the BOM.  We also had district meeting on Thursday. Friday we had a multi-zone with President Henderson. It was so fun to see everyone. President talked about sickness here. There are a lot of health myths here. Peruvians think if you drink milk and eat an orange or something with citrus you're going to get sick. If you drink something hot and then something cold you'll get sick.  President completely defied it all. My pension will tell me all the time not to do things because I'll get sick.  Lots of weird myths here. Saturday we had to do some planning and also started working on the 12 week training that Elder Gonzales will go through. Sunday Jose came to church....so great!  Ryumi, her sister Cory and Jose came to church also. Izumi didn't come. I think he might fall through.  We taught him a lesson about tithing and he accepted it and said he would pay tithing. But he struggles with drinking with his friends.  He says he doesn't even like it but he does it because his friends drink. There baptisms keep getting pushed back.  Sunday we had 130 people attend church.  

A lot of knocking on doors and lots of slammed doors this last week. That won't stop me from working hard...I have this strong desire to find new people.  I know that I have to keep going.  I think we had 2 good contacts out of the 50 doors we knocked on. Please pray for this area.  We had a good meeting with the members on Sunday.  We asked for there help with references.  Pray that the members will be able to give us referrals.  

Reflection of the week:  Mosiah 2:34 " I say unto you, that there are not any among you, except it be your little children that have not been taught concerning these things, but what knoweth that ye are eternally indebted to your heavenly Father, to render to him all that you have and are...."
We truly are indebted to our Heavenly Father. We owe him all. I love him and his son, Jesus Christ, and his work.  It's so great to be out here dedicating my time. I'm so happy and I testify that doing what God wants us to do brings us unlimited blessings.  I love you all so much! #doitforjesus

Love,
Elder Moss

Elder Moss & Elder Gonzales

Elder Cornilles, Oscar (good friend and member who served a mission in Mexico), Elder Moss

Son of Jakes Pension....Jake says he reminds him of Riley (his cousin)

Multi-zone conference....Jake looks like a giant! 

Elder Ramirez and Elder Moss

Only ONE more Mother's Day!

HAPPY MOTHERS DAY to the best mom in the world! Mom I love you so much and I wish I had time to thank your for everything.  But the one thing I am so grateful for is how you taught me to be happy.....that I had so many reason to be happy.  You told me to look for that within myself and I found it and I'm so thankful for your example and help. I love you mom so much!

Hola Family!  We played soccer.....again....for P-day.  I really wish we could play basketball. I miss playing it a lot! On Monday we also taught a cool investigator named Mariella.  She is a wife of a less active who lived in Utah.  She is awesome and asked some great questions while we were teaching her about the Restoration. While I was teaching her I felt the spirit so strongly and the Spirit helped me answer her questions and testify to her that this is Christ's church. Please pray for Mariella that she will come to church.  Tuesday we had district meeting and I gave a training to the missionaries on "Trusting in the Spirit and relying on the Lord".  In the training I shared a great scripture in D&C 31:11. It reads  " Go your way withersoever I will, and it shall be given you by the Comforter what you shall do and whither you shall go".  If we rely and trust in the comforter, it will help give us direction in our lives. 

Elder Cornilles and I had a good time this week as we were trying to get rid of his old, infested bed bug mattress.  We had put it up onto the roof to get it out of our apartment. It was way too heavy to carry it down the stairs so we might have just pushed it off the roof! Dragged it over to the junkyard and someone took it. That was fun! 

Kind of a slow week. We had zone conference on Saturday and then we had to help out with a baptism. But it was a good week of lessons and we taught Izumi and Ryumi who are doing good. They need to come to church and that's the big challenge with them right now. We've been working with Jorge and he is my favorite less active! He showed us his amazing garden and he has some really cool plants. He told us funny stories and then we taught him the law of chastity which was hilarious because he's like 78 years old! He's such a stud! 

Sunday came and we had a good lesson on the priesthood and how it is connected to the heavens. It was great. Then the discussion with the members started about the authority of the priesthood and we explained that it is the same for every worthy man. Everyone here thinks the Elders are more powerful so they call us instead of their own husbands or fathers...ha ha! So we taught them that this is not true and that they can call on priesthood holders in their own home. 

And then, I got to talk to you all, my family! I could talk to them for hours. It was a blast. This time, no tears. I love them all!

Reflection of the Week: Elder Cornilles and I were talking about how we realized the important things in life. How we've forgotten the things of the world that don't matter. Stuff like your on-line profile, your Facebook page and making yourself look all spiffy and great. We are humans and how we are is how we are. We should remember our values and what is really going to matter in life. Our knowledge, our family, the gospel and who we are as a person is what is really important. I believe our Instagrams and iPhones and money will not matter in the end. I am really glad I've realized that those things are not important. I love the mission and how much I have grown up. It is unreal what I have learned. I love you all so much! The scripture John 18:36 sums this up really well..."Jesus answered, My Kingdom is not of this world: if my kingdom were of this world, then would my servants fight, that I should not be delivered to the Jews: but now is my kingdom not from hence."  

Love,

Elder Moss

Meet Jorge and his garden

Jake thinks this is a dachshund....we're not quite sure on that....definitely not a pure bred dog!

Outside of Jake's apartment

High On a Mountain Top!

Hi Family! How are you all? Things are great in Mantaro! I love it here and time is really flying. This was a good week.  Monday we went and climbed to Huaytupallana Glacier.....it was so amazing! You start out at 14,500 ft and get to like 16,500 ft.  We took a bus from Huancayo to the little village up there and hiked all the way up! It was a beautiful day and I was able to take some incredible pictures. Two zones went on the hike and we were all really tired after that! The weather is changing here. It doesn't rain....so that's a plus! It's cold in the mornings and hot during the day and night.  A lot different than my other areas.  Elder Cornilles and I are doing good. Tuesday he got sick again..haha! So I read all day. I've been really focusing on the BOM and WOW....I love this book! It reminds me of the the truth of Christ and his life. I know that Joseph Smith truly translated this work of God.  We were able to get in 2 visits on Tuesday even though Cornilles wasn't feeling well. We visited my favorite less active, Jorge.  He's awesome and is almost rescued. We talked about enduring to the end and he told us that he's never going to give up on the church again! Wednesday we visited an old investigator Kory...she's been a long-time investigator and knows a lot of Elders. But she knows a lot about the church and should be a member. From there we visited Heli and his two sons. It was awesome! We showed them two videos on Christ and then told them our gospel is about Christ and his love for them. It really invited the spirit to talk about the Restoration. We hope they progress because they are golden. Heli said there should only one true church and we agreed! Thursday I did divisions with Elder Islas...he's the happiest Elder. We had a good day and he taught me some good things about how to contact people better. Friday we taught a cool less active named John and his wife. John worked in Idaho for five years and has visited seven temples including the SL temple. He has the Melchizedek priesthood but he can't come to church on Sunday's because he works. But we taught his wife, who isn't a member. So we are really excited about them! Saturday wasn't the greatest but full of laughs. Sunday we had a good Fast Sunday and taught four new people. The area is getting better slowly but I'm determined to find more people to teach. We knocked a good amount of doors this week. Numbers are improving and we are finding new people. Friday Islas and I went running for what we intended to be 20 minutes but 10 minutes into the run Islas was tired so we stopped and went back home! Ha ha! He's my favorite Elder...he's from Mexico. 

I've been reading The Challenge book that Dad sent to me by Alvin Dyer and it has been pushing me to have the confidence to testify and put myself out there and really trust in the Lord. Because this is the Lord's work and we are his instruments to carry out the work. We just have to trust in him. So that is what I have been learning and I will put it to work this week. 

Reflection of the Week: I found a great scripture in Jacob as I was looking back in the Book of Mormon. In Jacob 1:19 it tells us how we should magnify our calling and if we don't the sins or transgressions of others is on our head. I like that scripture because it makes me think back on the day or the week and I ask myself:

"Did I magnify my calling as an Elder?"
"Did I talk to as many people as I could have?"
"Did I testify with conviction and the spirit to that person?"

I think all of us can magnify our calling in the church or as a member. We should always look back and ask ourselves if we are magnifying our calling.  Love you all! #doitforjesus


Elder Moss

A Meal at The Pensionista's House

Laguna Cochagrande

Huaytapallana  Glacier - 16,500 Feet

Huaytapallana  Glacier - 16,500 Feet