November 27th, 2018

Wax on the Bratwursts

Hello friends and family

I feel like I just emailed y'all not too long ago, but that's just fine with me.
A lot can happen in half a week.

Well, I got even more sick. And so did Elder Spataro. And Elder Nielsen. We are all sick. We have plenty of drugs to help us get over it, but it still isn't pleasant. I've been coughing and sneezing all morning, but I think I am getting better. I've been taking night meds that knock me out too, so that's fun. Sleeping is great!

We met this guy Javier who is reading the Book of Mormon and came to church. He was funny because he was so nervous. He was red-faced the whole time and sweating profusely. He seemed to enjoy it... but it was funny. The members noticed too. We ended up referring him to Spanish, so hopefully he doesn't freak out with the Spanish Elders.

My birthday was on Friday by the way. I guess I am 20 years old now. To celebrate my birthday, I bought a pack of bratwursts and I cooked all of them. Just for me (my companions didn't want them, but I probably wasn't going to share anyways). My companions put candles in my bratwursts and sang to me. Well, I had to scrape off the melted wax, but I must say... bratwursts are amazing. Especially when filled with cheddar cheese. Good times... good times indeed.

We also have a Baptism coming up this Saturday. It was another part-member family, but with some unique circumstances. Basically one of the kids in the ward turned 9 and so we got to teach him the Gospel and the commandments so he could be Baptized. Good times. I'll tell you more about it next week.

We also had a pretty awesome experience recently. There is one lady we are working with that lives in a trailer park, and she has been in a tough spot. She is finally away from a pretty bad former life but she has been wanting direction from God. One night, in the dark of her trailer she was praying to God asking him, even pleading, for some guidance. She was literally crying and begging for direction in her life when she heard a knock at her little trailer door. As you probably guessed, it was us. She has been thanking us ever since, because now she knows that God is looking out for her.  I'll continue telling you more about this lady another time though... suffice it to say, she is progressing in the Gospel and gaining a stronger testimony of Jesus Christ.

Well, that is all for now. I know that the Gospel of Jesus Christ is true, and that whoever exercise faith unto repentance and follows Jesus Christ will be happy in this life and prepared to meet God in the next.

-Elder Moore

November 22nd, 2018

Triple Combination

Hello friends and family!

It's Thanksgiving! You probably knew that though. Today we luckily have our preparation day, so we can chillax, clean, do some shopping, and hopefully take a nap. Also, tomorrow is my birthday. Elder Nielson, the missionary me and Elder Spataro are training, is so nice. He already got me a gift for my birthday! He got me sick. Elder Spataro got sick too. So, we're all sick!

Elder Nielson is a cool missionary. He is from Maryland. He has bike problems. His first week in the mission field has been a challenge. Sick, bike problems, new to mission life... but he keeps on trucking. It's been fun!

I learned that this transfer is only 5 weeks because of Christmas next month. The missionaries going home would have gone home on Christmas day, but now they will go home a week before to be with their families. So this will be a fast transfer...

I wish I had more pictures to share. But I usually don't take pictures.

I recently finished reading through the Book of Mormon again. That means I am starting from the beginning soon. I study it every day, but I also just like to read from it every day. The more I read the Book of Mormon, the more my testimony of the Restoration and the Gospel of Jesus Christ grows. The Book of Mormon is Rich with Doctrine. Elder Spataro studies a lot out of the Bible, and so we compare notes and we have learned how much they compliment each other. Even the untraditional Christian things that we learned from modern revelation, such as the Three Kingdoms of Glory, and Baptisms for the Dead, are found not in the Book of Mormon, but in the Bible. (1 Corinthians 15:29 and 40-41) However, the Book of Mormon explains and expounds Doctrines that simply aren't spelled out for us in the Bible. For example, in Matthew 3 we read that Christ was Baptized to fulfill all righteousness. What does that mean? In 2 Nephi 31, we learn that Christ was Baptized as our perfect example, and He did it to fulfill all the commandments that the Father has given. He did it to be Exactly and Deeply obedient to the commandments. Even though He was perfect and lived a sinless life. He fulfilled all righteousness. I have learned much these past few months. The mission is flying by, but every passing day brings a host of exciting challenges and testimony building experiences. Suffice it to say, the Mission is good.

Mosiah 4
9 Believe in God; believe that he is, and that he created all things, both in heaven and in earth; believe that he has all wisdom, and all power, both in heaven and in earth; believe that man doth not comprehend all the things which the Lord can comprehend.

I hope you all have a great Thanksgiving! I am going to clean and shop and take a nap before I go out to Proselyte. Have a great week! (Tuesday Is p-day again next week)

-Elder Moore

November 13th, 2017

Transfers

Hello Friends and Family

Well transfers happened. Me and my companion got thrown a curve ball, but an exciting one. We are staying together in the same area, but we are getting a third companion... and we are both training him. So, Elder Spataro and I are trainers now. This will be interesting for sure, especially since I have never trained before...

We had a lot of funny things happen this week. We were tracting way passed what most people would consider polite, and we knocked on a man's door. He stepped out onto the balcony, and with the utmost urgency and disdain I think I have ever heard in my life, the man let forth a river of profanity in which I will never forget. Please allow me to quote him... "This is terrible. This is very bad. I can't believe you would do this. Shoo! Go away!"

I made sure not to add exclamation points at the end of the other sentences because it was so... flat. It was super hilarious, and I had a very hard time not laughing at this guy while he was telling us to leave. But... in such a... lame way. It was pretty funny, so now Elder Spataro and I will sometimes look at each other and say "This is very bad. This Is terrible. I can't believe you would do this."

We had a lot of good first lessons this week with some cool people. It's been fun!

We got a ride from one of our district councils from the Assistants to the President. That was fun. Especially since they both are only a month or two older than I am, mission timewise. It's weird to be considered older in the mission. I don't recognize the mission anymore though. All these new faces keep coming in!

It's also finally cooling down. We are in the late 50s to late 60s as far as temperature goes. So... I broke out my sweater. Biking downhill with a cold front blowing in the opposite direction can be... chilling. I think the summer made me less... acclimated to the cold. I can only imagine what Idaho feels like right now.

Here is a scripture:

Mosiah 16
7 And if Christ had not risen from the dead, or have broken the bands of death that the grave should have no victory, and that death should have no sting, there could have been no resurrection.
8 But there is a resurrection, therefore the grave hath no victory, and the sting of death is swallowed up in Christ.
9 He is the light and the life of the world; yea, a light that is endless, that can never be darkened; yea, and also a life which is endless, that there can be no more death

I read that recently, and it is true and good. Jesus Christ is the light, and the Truth of His life and Work will never be darkened.

That will be all for now. Talk to y'all later!!!

-Elder Moore

PS: P day is on Thanksgiving next week, so you will not hear from me until then


A Note From The Blogger: If you would like to send Elder Moore a letter or package for Christmas, the mission deadline to ensure that he receives it for the holiday is December 14th.  All packages/letters must be received on or before that date in order for it to be distributed to him in time for Christmas! 

Address for Christmas Mail: Nevada Las Vegas Mission
                                                      Attn: Elder S. Porter Moore
                                                      9270 S Maryland Pkwy
                                                      Las Vegas, NV 89123

November 6th, 2018

Good Times

Hello Friends and Family

This last week was pretty good. We had some cool things happen and are busy as usual.

Halloween night was the most spiritual thing I think I have witnessed. Our mission was invited by the Temple Presidency to attend the temple on Halloween night. We have to go in early on the holiday anyways, and most people don't go through the temple on Halloween, so it worked out. Well... it was spiritual. I have never seen so many people in the same room cry. So many memories and so many experiences were remembered in the Temple. My three companions who are still in the mission were all there too. The one word that I kept hearing repeated in my head over and over was Love. All of us are out here because of Love. Love of the Gospel, Love of the Savior, Love of our Families... all of it. I am almost tearing up even just writing about it. I will never forget what I saw that day.

Last week we also went on a Nature walk. Here is a picture of it. I forgot if I mentioned it last week, but it was fun. Water does exist outside of pipes in Las Vegas apparently.

I cooked Bacon yesterday. It was delicious.

Believe it or not, Transfers are coming up in a week already. Crazy right? Who knows what will happen. Time flies.

Every morning, my companion and I jump rope for exercise. It's fun. Also, ever since we have been feeding ourselves, I have lost about 4-5 pounds just from eating less the last few weeks. Maybe if I cut out the bacon I would lose more, but who would do that?

I will not lie, this last week has flown by and so I am not 100% sure all the stuff that we did. Either way, just know that it was good. And busy.

I know that God loves His children and that every hardship in our life is for us to learn, grow, and remember who we are as Children of God. I know that The Book of Mormon is the word of God and that Russel M Nelson is His prophet on the Earth today.

-Elder Moore