October 9th, 2017

BLOOD AND IRON

This time around I realized that some of the new emails I got were not added so some of you might be late in hearing from me...my apologies. But now you can!

Also, if you want to reply to me through email and don't want everyone on this email list to see it...you'll have to send it to just me.
Anyways...

Hello!

This last week went by super fast.  Like a blur.  I thought p-day was yesterday, but that was a week ago...

This week has been good though!  The people here are pretty cool.  Also diverse.  We've met people from: Saudi Arabia, India, Israel, Brazil, Mexico, Hawaii, Indonesia, Africa, and the Philippines. Seriously, people in Vegas are from everywhere.  I may not be in a foreign mission but it is incredibly diverse.

I admit that this email is difficult to write.  Why? Well I'd be repeating myself a lot.  There isn't a whole lot to share.  I could go on and on about the mission numbers and how many people are getting baptized or whatever, but I feel compelled to not do that.  Mostly for reasons of it feels personal and sacred...not just to me, but for the people.  I am but an instrument.  That sort of thing.

One of my favorite analogies for trials is the forge.  Like strikes of a hammer forging metal into an instrument so do our trials shape us.  I've been thinking about the people we meet and discuss with, and their trials. A practice I've tried to take on is to imagine them getting baptized and making sacred covenants.  Imagine them in the Gospel light.  I know I've vaguely mentioned trials in my testimonies to my fellow missionaries at the mtc, and my parents definitely know of the difficulties that I had back in the day but looking back...they were almost necessary for me to truly recognize the joys of the Gospel.

2 Nephi 2
25 Adam fell that men might be; and men are, that they might have joy.

Quite simply, we go through difficulties, are sad, are angry, etc... in order to feel Joy.We just have to do our part for God in order for him to bless us.

The other day I got a letter from my old Bishop back home.  He said a simple phrase that I appreciated.  Paraphrased, he said "It does not matter in what capacity we serve- but how we serve that counts."

Sorry about the shorter letter.  I don't have much to say.  We saw miracles and great things happen.  Our Heavenly Father is ready to bless us if we will but remember him and endure faithfully in our trials.

Here is one more quote for you.

"We need the iron qualities that go with true manhood [and true womanhood].  We need the positive virtues of resolution, of indomitable will, of power to do without shirking the rough work that must always be done"
-Theodore Roosevelet

God Speed, friends and family
Never forget the God that gave you breath, and never shirk the rough work that must always be done.

-Elder Moore