Big Changes to the Schedule

Hey family.....how are you all? Things in Huanuco are going well. This last Wednesday all the missionaries attended a world wide mission broadcast. We heard from Elder Oaks and Bednar as well as other leaders. The main focus was on teaching repentance and baptism. Then they announced changes that will allow missionaries to customize their own schedules, of course with the approval of your mission President. They want us to be more of a free agent. We also now do our planning in the mornings which is such a blessing. Coming home after a long day and having to sit down and plan for the next day sometimes can be challenging. They also told us that p-days begin at 8 AM! 

So after the training, President Silva talked to all of us about the changes and then gave a little training on his own.  President Silva is a very spiritual leader and is very inspired. I truly love listening to him. He told us that we weren't going to be doing much schedule training but there are going to be changes with recording numbers. There are four key indicators that the missionaries report to us.......baptisms, baptism with a date, who came to church and new investigators. So reporting contacts and lessons are no more. Crazy stuff!! So we'll see how it this goes!

We were able to see Neyra this last week a lot. She's going to be leaving for Lima for a month. She is so awesome! She already has a testimony of this gospel. We just have to wait patiently to baptize her when she returns in March. She will be a solid member of the church.  She loves reading the BOM! We also visited a guy named Angelo. Angelo is 30 years old, kind of a hippy.  He's really a great guy but we've really struggled with helping him progress towards a baptismal date. So we decided to take a step back and do a lesson on trying to figure out what was holding him back. We must have been inspired to do this because the Spirit was there helping us out. We were able to find out that Angelo is scared and wants to feel clean from all the mistakes he has made in his life. It was really such a cool lesson. I know how important it is to really get to know the people you are teaching. It makes the lesson 100x's more gratifying to find out how we can help them.  I was so excited to see that Angelo made it to church.  Hopefully this week we will be able to find some new people .  

Reflection of the week:  I have learned so much out here in the mission. One of the biggest things that has brought me such a sense of peace is that I have learned to sincerely love my mission president. I've learned to cherish every moment on my mission, even the hardships. The mission has changed me so much and I will live this gospel till I die. Thank you mom and dad for everything! I LOVE YOU ALL! #doitforjesus

Love,

Elder Moss

Huanuco 2017

The Work in Huanuco Rolls Forward!

What's up family? So this last week was great! We have had some awesome lessons and Neyra and Eduardo are progressing very well. We were able to visit Neyra three times this last week and we've almost completed all of the lessons.  She is progressing very fast and teaching her has been such a wonderful experience. The spirit has been so strong in the lessons.  I know that she has been feeling it. Bryan (our pension's son and also her friend) was with us while we taught her lesson three. Bryan shared his testimony at the end.  Elder Guerrero and I also bore our testimonies of why we know this church is true.  She has accepted a date to be baptized in March and she's so excited! She is awesome and literally writes everything down and studies everything we give her.  Neyra is so prepared and I know that through our hard work the Lord has blessed us with teaching her.

Elder Guerrero and I have truly enjoyed our first week together. He is from Lima and is 22 years old. He is a convert of 3 years. He is the only one in his family that is a member. We have kept up with contacting people and the work is moving forward.  

I'm really enjoying my time Huanuco! The weather has been pretty good and hasn't rained much. We have a great pension. She cooks American food all the time and healthy stuff too. It's great to have things like lasagne, pizza and food we're used to having at home. 

I will really miss Elder Burt...he's truly a great missionary and someone who taught me to use every available minute to do missionary work. He was always trying to search for the Spirit in everything we did. I love that guy and can't wait to see him again when we go home together. 

Reflection of the week:  This week I was studying in Alma 14 and had the chance to read about Alma & Amulek. I was giving a talk in sacrament and was able to share this story. As I was sharing the events of this story I felt the spirit so strong when I was telling about how people had died for believing in Christ and that Alma and Amulek witnessed it all. Also how much they personally had to suffer. I just know how true the BOM is when I read and share the stories of the missionaries who gave it their all.  I know as a missionary that we can give it our all. I know that if we put aside our problems and desires then we can experience miracles as missionaries.  I love this work. I feel as if I grow every week and feel the spirit more and more. I love you all! #doitforjesus

BTW...I just learned this week how to knit a tie. Also I'm learning to play the Quena.  It's a kind of like a flute that is so cool!

Love,

Elder Moss

Saying goodbye to Elder Burt - Huanuco 2017

Transfers & Miracles

What's up family?! Well, we had a miraculous week which was full of the Spirit! First of all, on Monday we went by bus to the mission office for leadership council with President Silva. It is about a 6 hour process to get there. We started by taking a decent-looking bus from Huanuco to Cerro de Pasco for the first three hours and the bus was packed with people and it stopped a ton to let people on/off. So that was fun! Then, in Cerro, we headed to Huancayo on a better bus but it took forever to finally get there. We had a great training with President about contacting with the Spirit and really trying to get to know the person before we present our message about the gospel. We've been doing what president has asked us to do and being more loving to people and getting to know the person when we are contacting and it has worked out well. So that was great! In other news, apparently an Apostle is coming to visit the mission at the end of this month but we don't know who it is so we'll have to wait and see. Also, we've heard that there are some changes to the morning schedule coming soon and that we will have a less-structured morning routine so we can decide for ourselves how much study, planning and other things need to be done. One fun thing that president did at the meeting is he gave us all laminated cards with exercises on them...president is worried because missionaries are getting fat, having injuries, etc so we've been doing these exercises and running every day.  

So we returned to Huanuco on Tuesday night and that's when the miracles started to happen. The work has been great! Just golden after golden after golden! It honestly has been a miracle and I am so excited to see some great people be baptized soon. Let me explain...Wednesday we decided to contact on a small street and so we started knocking doors and well no one wanted to listen. So as we were coming to the last house I saw a house on another street and it caught my attention for some reason...I don't know what it was and I said to Elder Burt, "Elder Burt, that is the house!". I pointed at it knowing that was the house we needed to knock. So we knocked on the door and met a guy named Eduardo. We got to know him a bit more and he invited us into his house. He told us how he is looking for a church that is closest to the one Christ had established. We testified of Joseph Smith and the restoration of the gospel in the latter-days and we made an appointment to return and teach him more. Eduardo is 29 years-old and has to be the coolest guy. He absorbed all of lesson one and he said he understood and is coming to church this coming Sunday! And that is just the beginning! We found a girl named Ney and she is 23 years-old and a lawyer. We went searching for Enrique and we found Ney and had an awesome lesson with her. She is very interested in the church and says if she receives an answer to her prayers she will get baptized. And yesterday she came to church and brought a friend! Then Friday, Bryan (who is the returned missionary and son of our pension) had us teach his friend Neyra. She is 22 and is going to Honduras to study in June. She is a person very prepared and excited to hear the gospel. We've had two visits with her and she's soaked up all of the good news of the gospel. She read all of the lesson one pamphlet and came to church as well. The Lord has honored his promise through our mission president that if we contact people and talk to as many as we can, he will bring us people to teach. Miracles beyond miracles this week! I know that the Lord guided us by his Holy Spirit. I know that we have followed his impressions and for that the Lord's work will advance. 

Reflection of the week: I have such a firm testimony that if we do what the Lord asks he will bless us and will guide us with his Spirit. The testimony I have gained out here will never break. I love what has happened to me out here on the mission and I just want to push myself hard these last few months. This change has been one to remember and one full of the Spirit for me. I love this work and I don't want to leave it. I just realized yesterday that I don't want to go home because I love it out here and all that I am experiencing has been such a blessing for me. I can't wait to send Nick off when I get home, it will be great to see him go!  I am so grateful for Elder Burt...he's leaving today for Huancayo and I am sad he is leaving. I learned so much from him and he is a great guy. But Elder Guerrero, who is from Lima, is coming to be with me as my new companion and I am sure it will be an awesome change and we will do great work with those we have found. I love you all and this gospel! #doitforjesus

Love,

Elder Moss

Training - Huancayo, January 2017

Training - Huancayo, January 2017

Training - Huancayo, January 2017

Jake's Missionary Apartment (middle wooden door) - Huanuco, January 2017

Elder Burt, Elder Moss & a Creepy Clown in Huanuco

Dari got Baptized!

Hey family! It was such a great week...We had another baptism! Dari got baptized on Saturday. She is so happy! She has been so excited about getting baptized.  I know she's going to be a solid member. She told us that's she's already indexing names in the family history center. She's also already really involved with the young women. 

Last P-day we made tacos with Elder Walker and Elder Ryan. Then we were able to play basketball with some members.  

Tuesday we had divisions.....I went with Elder Vichemez and we visited some really cool people who live up on the mountain. 

Wednesday Elder Burt and I started contacting doors on a little street. We found a kid named Miguel.  He is 19 years old and is studying engineering.  He let us into his house and we were able to introduce the BOM and he was really excited! We were able to come back the next day and Miguel gave us a complete run down of the intro, testimonies, and first chapters of Nephi.....so cool! He is really interested in the church. We are going to see him again in about 3 weeks. Then some guy named Carlos contacted us and told us he was taking the missionary discussions and is living in Huanuco and wants us to come over and teach him.  After a tough week last week I feel like this week we made up for it.  

I look back and see how much I have grown up by being courageous and opening my mouth. Sunday night at 7:30 P.M. we needed 30 more contacts.  We passed by a funeral place and we saw a viewing starting.  So as we were running back to our place I was telling Elder Burt how we were going to get 30 contacts in 30 minutes. So we grabbed a stack of pamphlets and hurried back to the viewing. We just started talking to everyone on how our Heavenly Father has a plan for us! I did talk to a girl who was really interested so I'm going to pass her info on to the missionaries in Cerro. It was so cool to see 2 white kids in white shirts going and talking to complete strangers about the Plan of Salvation. I never thought I would do this. I was able to talk to several people who were from Pasco and tell them to visit the church. I also told them that there is always hope after this life! I love opening my mouth even thought it's frightening sometimes.  But I know the spirit is there to support us if we do our part.  

Reflection of the week:  I was able to fast this last Saturday and bring myself closer to our Savior.  The more I fast, work, pray, read and teach I become happier and happier. At the baptism I was looking at a picture of Jesus Christ and I just had this overwhelming feeling come over me so strongly.  It was the coolest thing......I just wanted to sit there and just give so much thanks to Heavenly Father and his son, Jesus Christ. I am so grateful for my mission and what it has taught me.  I love you all so much!  #doitforjesus

Love,

Elder Moss

Elder Moss and Elder Burt - Dari's baptism - Huanuco 2017

t

I Come Home This Year!

Happy New Year.....I cant' believe it's 2017! Happy Birthday Sarah! I can't believe you are 10! I remember baptizing you 2 years ago! That was such a great experience for me. I love you lots Sarah:). 

This last week was a tough week.  Elder Burt and I have been killing ourselves to meet the contact goal each day and sometimes exceeding the goal.  Talking to everyone had just become an automatic thing we do now.  Even though we have talked to a lot of people, we haven't found any new investigators to teach lessons to.......that has been disappointing and frustrating. But I know the Lord is testing us and I know that all the hard work will pay off one day.  It's a great feeling getting back to our room each night knowing that we gave it our all. We painted our room this last week and moved things around....big improvement!

We had a cool experience on Sunday.  After a tough day on Saturday we were able to have something good happen! We had 2 visitors from Lima come to our ward.  You could tell they weren't members but looked really interested.  So we talked to them, their names are Alvaro and Celeste.  They asked us for more info on the church and BOM's. They really soaked it all up and were really excited to learn about the church. They will be here for four more days so we will try and teach them.  They are determined to go back to Lima and attend the LDS church there. They had been invited by a member on the street to come to church.  I thought that was a cool experience to talk to them.  As missionaries we always have the opportunities to plant new seeds that hopefully will grown one day.  The Lord is using us as instruments in so many different ways.  My testimony has been strengthened through these experiences. BTW......Dari is going to be getting baptized this Saturday!

This last week we were able to have interviews with President Silva.  I honestly have to say that he has impacted my spiritual growth so much.  I owe him for that and I truly love him. 

Since coming here to Huanuco.......I have truly enjoyed being able to proclaim the gospel to as many children of God as we can.  I have grown closer to my Heavenly Father and I feel his strength and blessings as I have new spiritual experiences or small miracles happen everyday. I love you all!

Reflection of the week:  I've been thinking a lot about the pioneers and how much they sacrificed for us and most of all Joseph Smith. He is such a great example for me and all he gave. I just come to tears thinking of him and my testimony I have of him.  I can't explain it but I truly know that Joseph Smith is a prophet of God. I love it out here so much. I love to kneel down and pray and thank my Father in Heaven for all that he has given me and I love this gospel. I feel as if God truly does listen to me every night and morning that I kneel down. It has been the hardest time of my life, but the most gratifying time of my life. #doitforjesus.


Love,

Elder Moss

Huanuco Apartment

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