Merry Christmas & Jefferson Got Baptized!

It was so awesome to see everyone on Christmas day! Thank you for all the love and support you've shown me. I hope that everyone had a wonderful Christmas! We had a good Christmas and I can't believe that it's my last one in Peru! 

We had a really cool experience baptizing Jefferson on Christmas Eve! He is such an awesome kid and I know he's going to be such a strong member of the church.  His older brother Jordy baptized him.  But what was cool about this experience it that Jordy, who was baptized not too long ago, got to use the Aaronic priesthood to baptize and bless his little brother's life. They were both so happy! You could feel how strong the spirit was.  Jefferson bore his testimony afterwards and said that "He would always keep the commandments!" Such a great experience to be apart of.  

The other investigators we are teaching are doing good.  Dari just needs a little more help and Juan is almost there.  We continue to look for new contacts daily.  We know that there are people to find.  

Reflection of the week:  With President Silva's challenge to contact at least 20 people a day you would think that it would get really easy to go up to any person and start a conversation about the gospel. And you would think that the fear wouldn't be there.  But I believe that the adversary is always working on us and can make it tough.  You have to be brave and choose faith over fear. I love you all so much! Tell Sarah Happy Birthday on the 28th! I love you Sarah! #doitforjesus

Love,

Elder Moss

Jefferson's Baptism - Huanuco, December 24, 2016

Multi-Zone Christmas Celebration - Huanuco, December 2016

Jefferson & Jordy

Elder Moss - Huanuco, December 2016

Jefferson's Baptism-Huanuco 2016

Multi-Zone Christmas Celebration - Huanuco, December 2016

Multi-Zone Christmas Celebration - Huanuco, December 2016

Training in Huancayo Was a Success!

Hey family! It's hard to believe that Christmas is this coming Sunday. I'm excited to Skype with everyone! When you're a missionary you kind of forget about Christmas (and other holidays) especially when the weather in Huanuco is in the 70s. 

We had a really great week with some miracles!  Monday we traveled to Huancayo in a car for 6 hours! That was really long and hard! We passed through La Oroya......it brought back some great memories while serving there. It is a long and winding road to get to Huancayo. We passed by the road that goes up to Cerro de Pasco. Elder Burt and I stayed in the mission home that night and the next day we had training with President Silva and the other ZLs.  The training was awesome! He talked a lot about the importance of opening up our mouths and talking to everyone.  He assured us that when we are brave and bold that something good will come of it.  He told us that the whole purpose he's here as our mission President is to help us to know who God is and that he's our Heavenly Father. The Spirit in the training was really strong. 

I had a great interview with President at the training. It was a really spiritual experience for me and him to talk one on one about the progress in the mission. I thanked him for sending me to Cerro de Pasco and told him that was the hardest experience I've had and that I really learned from it. We both had tears in our eyes and he gave me a big hug and really felt the love I have for President Silva. President has challenged all of the missionaries to make 20 contacts per day. Last week Elder Burt and I contacted 141 and by making and exceeding that goal I feel like I have grown closer to my Heavenly Father. We have seven new investigators and two of them are progressing fast. Their names are Antoni and Enrique. We contacted Enrique in the street last week and he told us to come back. So we returned and got to know him a bit more and his cousin Antoni as well. They are 20 and 21 years old. We taught them about Joseph Smith, the Book of Mormon and how to pray. We invited Antoni to pray and he gave one of the most sincere prayers I have heard. You could truly feel the Spirit as he prayed with all of his heart. Since Thursday we have seen Antoni three times and he has advanced with his reading in the Book of Mormon. Talking to everyone has really shown us that the Lord has prepared people for us to teach. I have really felt my work ethic growing here as we set and strive to hit goals and I've truly enjoyed it! Jefferson is set to be baptized on Saturday. Not sure on Dari or Juan...they've been hard to find lately so not sure what will happen with them. But we have a ton of work to do here and the zone overall is doing great!

Reflection of the week: I love the scripture in D&C 82:10 "I, the Lord, am bound when ye do what I say; but when ye do not what I say, ye have no promise." Elder Gonzales would always quote this scripture. I know if we follow President's goal of 20 contacts per day that we will have baptisms. I have seen the Lord's blessings as we've been diligent in working. #doitforjesus

Hope you all have a Merry Christmas! I will see you on Skype on Sunday!

Love, 

Elder Moss

Mission Training - Huancayo - December 2016

Elder Moss & Fellow Missionaries - Huancayo - December 2016

Elder Ramirez & Elder Moss - Huancayo - December 2016

Short Hair!

Elder Moss & Elder Ramirez - Huancayo - December 2016

Peru, Huancayo Missionaries - December 2016

It's warm in Huanuco

What's up family? It's Monday morning and Elder Burt and I are finishing packing to head to Huancayo for ZL meetings with President Silva. It's a seven hour drive by taxi to get there. They were talking about having us fly there but not sure what's going to happen. 

I got to Huanuco last Monday and the weather reminds me of California. It's never cold and when it rains it feels amazing! It's a bit humid but nothing too bad. I love being with Elder Burt. He's the best companion ever! We came out in the same MTC group together. We had a solid week....which was really great! President has challenged us to do 20 contacts a day. So Elder Burt and I have taken that serious and we've had a lot of success with it. We ended up with 102 contacts this week and 15 new investigators. When we get back to our rooms at night we are exhausted. It's amazing to have so many people to teach. We have 3 investigators with baptismal dates....Jefferson, Dari and Juan. Jefferson is a 10 year old kid who's brother, Jordy, got baptized a while back. He has a lot of support from his family. Dari, who is 17 years old, is planning on getting baptized also. She was at church this last Sunday and has been progressing well. Juan, was a reference from a member. We were teaching him about the atonement and what our Savior wants from us.  We were taking turns reading in Alma 7. He was reading and he paused and said, "Elders I need to get baptized." We were like, great! We also got a reference from the Sisters in the area to go give a blessing to a lady named Theresa. Theresa's husband has prostate cancer and we taught both of them about the priesthood and the power to heal. We read to them from James in the Bible about blessing the sick. The Spirit was there really strong and we gave her husband a blessing. Everyone felt the Spirit and I hope that we will be able to keep teaching them. 

Our pension is awesome and she cooks healthy, American food for us. It's amazing to see how different the people are here in Huanuco verses Cerro de Pasco.  The ward here is great! People are just happy here.  

Reflection of the week:  I have been thinking a lot this last week on how many blessings we receive when we endure through struggles and challenges. It takes a lot on our part to obtain those blessings. The Lord wants to see our faith and with that bigger blessings will come. I always think of 3 Nephi 29:9, "And when they shall have received this, which is expedient that they should have first, to try their faith, and if it shall so be that they shall believe these things then shall the greater things be made manifest unto them." I love this scripture....it is true. I love you all and hope you have a great week. #doitforjesus

Love,

Elder Moss

Elder Moss saying goodbye to Elder Morales and Cerro de Pasco

Miracles....Rocio's Baptism!

Hola Family! I guess the good weather in Cerro de Pasco couldn't last. We had crappy weather all week and it down poured on Saturday. We had such an awesome week...miracles are real! Tuesday before Elder Morales and I were getting ready to head to zone conference a miracle happened.  Rocio called us out of no where and said, "I'm getting baptized this Saturday. My parents are alright with it."  Holy cow we were so happy! Later that day we visited with her. She was so happy and excited.  We talked about a couple things and set up an interview for her...she passed.  It was so amazing to see that the Lord will make things happen if we just put our faith in him!  

Saturday we had to help move the ZL's to a new room using tricycle bikes with huge baskets in the front.  That was funny! I also had the chance to drink frog...haha! Elder Oyarzun bought it and it tastes like menthol. Supposedly it helps your cough. After the move we had to go set up for Rocio's baptism.  Rocio's parents and siblings came and the members were really good to them. It's was such an amazing experience to baptize her and to see how happy she was!  You could feel the spirit so strong at her baptism.  It's such an incredible feeling to know that I am an instrument in the Lord's hands for these people.  The Savior is the reason why these people choose to be baptized. 

The other news is I'm not going to be living in the cold anymore.  Saturday morning I received a call from President Silva....I'm going to Huanaco to be a Zone Leader, in the Huallaga zone with Elder Burt from my MTC group.  Elder Burt is from Washington and has been out about as long as I have.  I'm really excited!  I'll be leaving Monday morning.  Elder Morales is staying and will be training.  That will be great for him.

Reflection of the week:  I've learned so much about myself and the work here in Yanacancha.  I've learned how to truly appreciate this place (Peru) and really love the people.  I've been humbled by my experiences and I'm so grateful for that.  This place has taught me a lot and most of all how to love President Silva. He does receive revelation for this mission.  At times I was truly challenged personally in Cerro de Pasco but I never gave up and pressed forward. The blessings came. I will always love Pasco! I love you all! #doitforjesus.

Love,

Elder Moss

Rocio's baptism - Elder Moss and Elder Morales

Pizza Hut never tasted so good!  Elder Moss & Elder Morales with pension family