PROTECT YOURSELF! Put on the Armor of God! -- Monday, December 16, 2013

Hello beautiful family of mine! Only 9 short days and I'll be seeing you all on my computer screen. :) I love technology. :) 

As always, we had an amazing week here in the DR! Obviously the temperatures haven't dropped to anywhere near zero, but Christmas is still in the air! :) 

Funny Christmas story for the week: 

Remember last week how I told our crazy 4 a.m. Christmas carolling story?? Well, on Saturday morning we got up again to meet up with some members of our ward to carol to the members we didn't get to last week. We got to the corner where we were supposed to meet, only to find a street full of wild Dominicans participating in their version of a carolling party. It was a caravan of cars with giant speaker systems blasting rap music, surrounded by people yelling, drinking, and shooting guns in the air. Man it was loud!! And it was still before 5 a.m.! But I guess that's the norm here! So we talked it out with the other member that showed up to meet us and decided to let them have this one. ha. It would've been a bit sketchy to make our way through the carolers to get to all the members houses. :)  

Good news for the week:

WE GOT PACO AND YAMIRKA'S BIRTH CERTIFICATES!!!!!!!!!! :) Don't worry, I sent you the picture. :) ha. Remember how I told you this family is golden?! Well they're all set spiritually to be baptized... but they're not married yet... We originally thought that one of them would have to take a trip to Ocoa (an hour or two away) to get their birth certificates, but I called my friend Josefa (the one I taught in my first area) that works at the main Government building here in the capital, and we ended up just needing to go pick them up at her office! :) Man... That was a Christmas miracle! Now we just have to get their kids' paperwork figured out and set an appointment with the Junta to get them married! :) 

Spiritual thought for the week:

On Thursday we were visiting with a less active member in our ward, and her daughter and granddaughter who have been investigating the Church for a while now. We weren't entirely sure what we needed to teach them, so we went in with a prayer, and followed the Spirit. :) We ended up having a discussion about the importance of the "little things." We read from Alma 37:37, D&C 42:12, and Moroni 6:5 and talked about the need to read and pray on a daily basis, and attend all our church meetings each week. :) Hermana Silvia tied in the analogy of the Armor of God, and testified of the importance of "putting on our armor" each day through prayer and scripture study. I testified of her words, and then the Spirit took over... :) In one of the conference talks I read recently the speaker quoted an apostle that had previously stated something along the lines of "I know when I'm teaching by the power of the Spirit, because I learn something new as I speak." Guys, that's exactly how I felt!! I talked about putting on our armor each day to be protected from the fiery darts of the adversary, and then took the analogy a step further. I asked if armor is indestructible... the obvious answer was no. On occasion, even the best armor is damaged or dented. In such a case, the knight needs to go to the Black Smith's shop to repair his damaged armor and fix the weak points created by the enemy's weapons. Well, our Heavenly Father has given us spiritual armor, and also provided a weekly opportunity to "go to the Black Smith's shop" and fortify our weak points. :) But if we get lazy and don't take our Sunday trip to the Black Smith, the following week it's easier for the enemy to target those un-strengthened weak points and make us fall. :)

While I wrote the above paragraph I had some more thoughts come to mind... So here they are;

In his October General conference address, entitled "Personal Strength through the Atonement of Jesus Christ," Elder Richard G. Scott said, after recounting the story of the Anti-Nephi-Lehites, "Their wise priesthood leader, Helaman, knew that breaking a covenant with the Lord is never justified. He offered an inspired alternative. He reminded them that their sons had never been guilty of the same sins and therefore had not needed to make the same covenant... Why would their inspired priesthood leader fear their consideration to retrieve their weapons, “lest … they should lose their souls”? The Lord has declared, “Behold, he who has repented of his sins, the same is forgiven, and I, the Lord, remember them no more.” These faithful fathers had long since repented of their sins and become clean through the Atonement of Jesus Christ, so why were they counseled not to defend their families?

"It is a fundamental truth that through the Atonement of Jesus Christ we can be cleansed. We can become virtuous and pure. However, sometimes our poor choices leave us with long-term consequences. One of the vital steps to complete repentance is to bear the short- and long-term consequences of our past sins. Their past choices had exposed these Ammonite fathers to a carnal appetite that could again become a point of vulnerability that Satan would attempt to exploit.

"Satan will try to use our memory of any previous guilt to lure us back into his influence. We must be ever vigilant to avoid his enticements. Such was the case of the faithful Ammonite fathers. Even after their years of faithful living, it was imperative for them to protect themselves spiritually from any attraction to the memory of past sins."  

So... Sometimes the blows we take in our armor are pretty big... Obviously our Black Smith (Jesus Christ) is the best one around and can fix any hole, regardless of it's length or width, but... as all good black smiths know, a welded gap is not nearly as strong as the original cast iron. Therefore, our Heavenly Father has provided us with Combat Trainers (priesthood leaders) to help us learn new battle techniques in order to best protect the weak points in our repaired armor. :) 

God's plan is perfect you guys! If we stick to it we cannot fail! This church is true!! I know it! 

I currently feel like Alma when he exclaimed, "And now, I ask, what great blessings has he bestowed upon us? Can ye tell?
  Behold, I answer for you; for our brethren, the Lamanites, were in darkness, yea, even in the darkest abyss, but behold, how many of them are brought to behold the marvelous light of God! And this is the blessing which hath been bestowed upon us, that we have been made instruments in the hands of God to bring about this great work." (Alma 26:2-3)

I LOVE BEING A MISSIONARY! I could do this forever! I'm currently devising a plan to talk my mission president into letting ALL my loved ones from the states move here to be missionaries with me! Then I wouldn't have to miss you all so bad, and I could just preach and preach and preach til I die! Who's with me?! ha. I'll ask Pres in my interview with him at the beginning of January and let you know what he says. :) 

I love you all so much! Stay true to what you stand for, and remember who you are. If you really feel like you just can't do it anymore, LOOK UP. 

Love, 

Elder Cade Mooney

Work, Work, Work, Endure, Endure, Endure -- Tuesday, December 10, 2013

Hello family of mine! I have SO much to fill you in on, and oh so little time! I promise to type fast if you guys promise to bear with me through the comma splices and the spelling errors. ha. 

I'll start off with the missionary work update:

Mari (our investigator with the special needs daughter) is still moving right along. :) In our lesson with her on Saturday, she sat us down and kinda sheepishly said, "I'm repenting.." She went on to recount the events of the previous night when her ex-husband passed by... He was in an argumentative mood and started in on how she needed to be better about managing the money he gave her for Juliana (the special needs daughter)... And... instead of laying into him about all of his flaws and lack of responsibility, she took a deep breath and told him that he could buy the things she needed, and they didn't need to fight. :) And then she took it one step further and apologized for all that she had ever done to offend or hurt him! Then, to top it all off, the Bishop just happened to pass by with his wife to have a visit with her and Bertolina (the member that gave us Mari as a reference). So she had the chance to talk things out with him as well! He gave her some good counsel and both he and his wife were extremely loving and supportive. :) She came to church on Sunday and spent the whole three hours grinning from ear to ear. 

After our lesson with her while we were walking to our next appointment, I turned to my companion and told him that he needed to write a long journal entry about Mari that night because it's not every day that you find an investigator so prepared to accept the Gospel. Life really has not been easy for Mari, but our Heavenly Father knows exactly what trials Mari needs to progress towards perfection. :) It has been an incredible experience thus far as we've worked with her and watched the light in her eyes get brighter and brighter between visits. :) The change in her is notable. :) In a two-day span she makes spiritual leaps and bounds through the personal application of the Atonement of Jesus Christ. How incredible it is to be a part of all this. And to proclaim to the world, "peace on earth, good will toward men." I LOVE BEING A MISSIONARY!

This week we also had the chance to visit some more with Addelyn. I don't know if I mentioned her a few weeks ago or not... She is one of the inactives that our Bishop asked us to visit. We met her a month or so ago and hit it off pretty quick. She opened up about a lot of doubts she had and the main reasons for her inactivity. Then she disappeared. ha. We later found out that she had temporarily moved to her dad's house in the City, and didn't know when she would be coming back... Well... She's back! She came home for the weekend with the intentions of returning to her dad's and making her move permanent, when out of the blue her little brother got sick. So she stuck around to take care of him while her mom worked, and every time she got ready to leave he would start puking again... So she took it as a sign that this is where she needs to be for the time being. :) God works in mysterious ways... right?

Anyway, this week we went to visit her with one of her good friends Visalí (she's a solid member from our ward). We decided to confront some of her major doubts about the Book of Mormon and Joseph Smith. We had a really good talk and explained with great detail the Great Apostasy, and the need for a Restoration. After we answered her questions with logic and scriptures we emphasized the need for her to receive a personal confirmation. She said that she'd received on of those the first time she started reading the Book of Mormon before she was baptized. We explained that testimonies aren't just a one time thing. We all need to constantly nurture and strengthen our testimony, or we lose it. She said she'd try, but not to expect her to be in church on Sunday... I assured her that she'd come around. haha. She asked me how I was so sure, and I told her that I could feel it. Satan is working as hard as he can to keep her out of the Church because he knows what a powerful, influential leader she will be... But as long as I have something to say about it, Satan's not gonna win! 

I know that God has a plan for each and every one of us. I feel that He sent me here to find and help these people in Manoguayabo. The things that I've experienced here in this area, and in the mission as a whole, leave no doubt in my mind that God is working for the salvation and eternal life of His children. If we but learn to do His will, we can be a part of it all. And man is it amazing! I love being a missionary!!!

Last quick tidbit about the investigators:

I think I mentioned before that Elilda was still waiting for her paperwork... She has been working and praying for as long as I've known her to get the papers she needs to get married in order to be baptized. Well... We decided to fast with her last Sunday, and what do you know? Her family sent her papers in from San Juan four days later. :) She officially has papers in hand, now we're just scrambling to get some money together and find time when her and her husband (both working full time jobs) can be at the JCE building to get hitched! :) I'll keep you posted!

A few other fun things that happened this week:

--On Saturday morning we woke up at 3:45 am to meet up with a group of members from our ward to go Christmas Caroling! haha!!! Yeah, I totally thought they were joking, but we went to the meeting place and they were all right where they said they'd be at 4 a.m.! I guess it's tradition to carol in the wee hours of the morning. They like to catch people by surprise and wake them up! ha. I told them that we do it at nighttime in the states and they told me that Americans are lame. lol. So maybe I'll plan a 4 a.m. carolling party next year! Who's with me?!

--As you can see from the pictures, and what I sent last night... Yesterday was the Christmas Conference! Can you believe it's already been a year since the last one?! I sure can't! Time flies! It was fun to see lots of old friends and companions. Not every one was there, because this year for budgeting reasons they're holding a separate Christmas Conference out in the South, but I still got to see a good number of people that I love. :) All in all the event made me happy... But it was hard. I saw most of those people for the very last time here in the mission... It's still boggles my mind that missions come to an end... I DON'T WANT IT TO END!

Anyway. I still love my mission. I can't believe things are actually winding down... This place is my home and will forever own a part of my soul. 

Now, now, don't let that trunky talk let you think that I'm working any less than my hardest. ha. I've been studying the October Conference talks this last week and have noticed an "endure to the end" theme. haha. It's so cool that Conference tells you EXACTLY what you need to hear! Thanks to latter-day prophets I've still got loads of ánimo to finish strong and to keep armoring up (preparing myself spiritually for the trials ahead) with the time I have left. 

I love being a missionary. I love you all. 

Until next week,

Elder Cade Mooney

Selfless Service + Physical Exhaustion = Missionary Bliss - Monday, December 2, 2013

This week we had Thanksgiving at a Pica Pollo (it's a restaurant chain in ALL of the DR that serves Dominican/Chinese food, and EVERY SINGLE ONE is owned by Chinese people... ha). We met up with a bunch of Elders and Sisters from our Zone, and before chowing on some fried chicken, we took turns saying two things for which we're grateful. :) The catch was that we couldn't repeat something that had already been said. Luckily I was second in the line up so I didn't have to express anything too obscure. haha. The Elder that went first stole "I'm grateful for my family..." So I went with "I'm grateful for my Girlfriend, and this time that I have to serve the Lord." ;) Some of the others said things like "I'm grateful for..." electricity, and running water, beef jerky, packages from home, mouse traps, Caribbean sun, good companions, and loads of other stuff I can't remember. :) It definitely wasn't an American Thanksgiving, and we got some SUPER weird looks when we were taking pictures of our table and our food, but what can ya do? ha. We do what we can with what we've got, and we're grateful for every bit of it. :)

The rest of the weekend was EXHAUSTING... but Ohhhhh so fulfilling. We helped Ambiorix and Coqui (a young couple we've been teaching for a couple weeks) move from their little apartment to a bigger one a few blocks away. :) I was grateful for my companion and Jorge (a kid in our ward that hangs out with us a lot cuz he's headed to Mexico on his mission in a few months), and Ambiorix and Coqui were grateful for our missionary muscles. ;) It would've been impossible to accomplish alone! Even working as a team, it took us four and a half hours to get all their stuff moved! And those apartments have SO many stairs!!! hahaha! We were BEAT afterwards! And on top of that, it was Saturday... The day before fast Sunday... and we already had two group fasts planned with our investigators... Needless to say, we were physically DEAD all weekend long, but we felt SO good! :)

It's been so cool to see the effects of service and obedience here in the mission. Some days I just sit and think about how much sense the Gospel makes. Heavenly Father has told us, through His prophets, every single little thing that we should do to make us truly happy. :) We just have to do it. It was cool to see how selfless service affected my attitude and my happiness levels this weekend. :) I was physically drained, but spiritually full. :) And that's what life is about. Serving God by serving others with ALL our HEART, MIGHT. MIND and STRENGTH. My companion and I already loved Ambiorix and Coqui and we already had their confidence and trust. But it was amazing to see how much that love and confidence grew (on both sides) through service. :)

I love being a missionary! And I love the Gospel! If we maintain an eternal perspective, life just makes sense! :)

I love you all! Keep reading your scriptures and saying your prayers!! That's how you grow! :)

Until next week, 

Elder Cade Mooney

P.S. The Photos are still a no go... I'll try again next week.

Trials = Blessings -- Monday, November 25, 2013

Hey guys! 

This week we saw miracles, and learned a lot about ourselves and the love that Heavenly Father has for each and every one of us. :)

At the moment we're teaching a lady named Mari. She was a referral from the Primary President in our ward. We met her at a Family Home Evening that Bertolina (Primary Pres.) invited us to. The first time we shook hands she was very polite, but timid and cold... Just not quite as open as your average Dominican. I found it strange, but after Bertolina told us a little more about her situation I understood why...

Mari is an incredible woman. She is of humble circumstances and has been blessed with some special trials... But, regardless of the hardships, does everything she can to push on. Her 9 year old daughter, Juliana, is mentally handicapped. She was born retarded, along with some deformities of her face and mouth. Due to the struggles of their past, mainly financial, Mari and Juliana's biological father are indefinitely separated. He comes around every once in a while to see them, but essentially Mari is on her own. With the help of friends, her own hard work, and government organizations, she's been able to afford a major surgery to fix the main deformities in Juliana's mouth. She does everything she can with her limited resources to protect and provide for the special spirit the Lord has entrusted her with.

  

Bertolina was a god send for Mari, because she also has a special needs daughter with a similar syndrome and she's faced many of the same trials along the way. For the last couple of years Bertolina has acted as a second mother and/or mentor for Mari; offering love, support, and advice on all things special needs. She's always tried to keep her advice giving primarily focused on the situation, but has always leaned heavily on gospel principles for help and further explanation... :) And that's how God prepares people to accept the Gospel. :)

After inviting Mari to attend church and participate in family home evenings and the like, Hermana Bertolina decided she was ready for the missionaries. :) She had us over to meet with her in a Family Home Evening (no pressure situation), and then left it up to us! ha. She told us she was gonna help us make contact and then bow out for a while, because she doesn't want Mari to feel like she needs to take the discussions and do all the things we tell her to just because "that's what Bertolina wants." 

Well... our first couple visits were awkward... ha. We talked to her and she opened up a little bit, but mostly just listened to us ramble. She would just look at us through empty eyes with an expression of complete apathy on her face. We invited her to read and pray, and she said she would, but we didn't see much progression... We thought, "maybe she's too busy to read.. Or when she reads she just doesn't understand much..." So we read with her.

We kept going like that for a couple of weeks and constantly invited her to pray about what we were teaching, and also to come to church and "try it all out for herself." Then... one Sunday she did!! Ha. 

Since then, she's been moving right along in her spiritual progression. She's opened up a lot more in lessons, she accepted a baptismal date and she even shared some of her life story in our investigator class yesterday. She expressed the pain and stress she's always felt from having a special needs child. She's always asked herself "why me?" and "what did I do to deserve this punishment..?" "Were my past mistakes big enough to merit all this..?" It was really cool to watch how quickly the other investigators, the teacher, and the other members present jumped in to explain that her trials are NOT a punishment from God. He LOVES her, and He trusts her enough to take care of Juliana. He also knows that Juliana is EXACTLY what Mari needs in this life to grow and progress to become like Him. 

Man, I love being a missionary. I'm so blessed to see first hand the healing, saving power of the Atonement of Jesus Christ. It's been amazing to see the changes Mari has experienced through the knowledge and application of Gospel Principles. :) She's changing. And she's accepting Jesus Christ as her Savior and Redeemer. :) His gospel is the Good News. It's peace that comes with knowing that He loves us, and that everything that happens in our life happens for a purpose. There are no such thing as destroyed lives or stupid decisions. We all make mistakes. And He understands. He knows us better than we know ourselves, and He'll ALWAYS be there to support and love us as we make our way through this mortal life. 

I don't believe in perfection... I believe in eternal progression. God knows we make mistakes. We're all human. But if we trust in Him, and keep moving forward He will help us change. Yeah, it's not easy. He never said it would be. But it's worth it. 

I love you all. I hope you realize that. Thank you for all your love and support. 

Love, 

Elder Cade Mooney

A wicked cool sunset and an activity with Hna Santa and her girls.
Both from my intercambio with Elder Aguare (the Guatemalan in the picture with Hna Santa). 11/20/13

 Me. :) 11/24/2013

Be Obedient; Have the Spirit to be with you... Change Lives. :) -- Monday, November 18, 2013

Hello beautiful family of mine. :) 

Today I spent a ton of time online working on the good ol' college applications. It sufficeth to say; I done work! 

 

Sadly, because I was so set on getting things for my future figured out this afternoon, this week's letter may be a little short. But my companion is still working on his letter home, so I'll see what I can type out in the next couple minutes. :)

As always, I had an incredible week. :) 

One of the cool things that happened was that at the beginning of the week we went and dropped off some Liahona's (the church magazine for the rest of the world outside of Utah. ha) at Paco and Yamilka's house. I think I mentioned last week that Paco was almost done with the Gospel Principles book... So they were getting low on reading material! haha. Plus, Yamilka was dying for a copy of the October General Conference edition. 

 

We couldn't get our hands on the Conference talks, but we found an old Conference Liahona, and a bunch of other ones from past months and years in the Library at the church. So we took them a bunch! 

 

Obviously, being the diligent investigators they are, they started reading articles and talks that very night! Well, get this! We went over there on Friday night and randomly decided to share about Charity: The pure love of Christ. We read some verses from Moroni 7, and some more from 1 Corinthians, and then Yamilka raised her hand. ha. (sometimes she's sheepish like that in lessons. ha. But we love her anyway). She said "the night you brought these magazines over I read an article on service and a quote has been stuck in my head ever since! I've gone back and read it over and over again, and now look! Today we're talking about the same subject!" ha. It was way cool! She read the quote to us, and bore her testimony (ended with In the Name of Jesus Christ and ALL; yup, that's how awesome our investigators are!) about the fact that there are no coincidences. She felt the Spirit and had a reconfirmation that Charity and Service are the only ways to truly understand the love that God feels for us. :) 

Guys, I love helping other people feel the Spirit. :) Being a conduit of the Holy Ghost is the greatest feeling in the world. I can personally testify that if we will be obedient to the commandments, we will have the Spirit of the Lord at our side. And He will guide and prompt us to help His children feel of His redeeming love. 

Part of our zone at the world wide service activity on Nov. 2nd

Me 11/14/2013

Cool view of the area 11/14/2013

Jesus Clouds. ;) 11/16/2013

I love and miss you all. Don't ever forget that our Heavenly Father loves you and wants what's best for you. He's there, and He WILL help you. You just have to ask. :) 

Have a great week! 

love, 

Elder Cade Mooney

P.S. Oh! and my companion gave his first Sacrament meeting talk in Spanish yesterday!!! He did SO well!! The members were all blown away! Woot Woot! Go Elder Medrano! :)

Pray, read, pray, read, pray, read, pray, read, go to church, repeat... :) -- Monday, November 11, 2013

¿¡Holas, comos estan?!

Haha. Sometimes Dominicans add an extra 's' to their words in attempt to sound intelligent. lol. It's hilarious! 

Anyway. I love hearing from all you people every Monday, just in case you were wondering. I'm so glad to hear that you're all doing well and loving your lives. :) lol. Even if you're not loving your lives, I appreciate the fake enthusiasm and charisma. ha. Fake or not, it makes me happy! 

This week my companion and I worked our tails off, and enjoyed every minute of it! Missionary work is SO bizarre... I never thought I could be so tired, and hungry, and sore, and still be happy about everything that happens to me. ha. I'm sorta like one of those weirdos that never stops smiling... I'm sure more than one cranky Dominican has thought "wipe that stupid grin off your face, Mormon boy! No one should be that happy!" haha. I'm sorry Dominican guy... The gospel just makes me smile! It's practically impossible to be mad when you're serving the Lord with all you've got! 

As for the update: 

We're still working on Spanish. Elder Medrano is doing really well at using all the vocab words we pick out each day. Even the most uncouth like "to peel." haha. Yeah, try using that word while teaching someone about the Atonement. lol. 

We actually had a cool gift of tongues experience this week that I suppose I should tell you about. :) It was an answer to many pleas for courage to open our mouths and be blessed with the gift of tongues. But it came in a rather unexpected way. :) 

The other night we ventured into the far corner of our area in search of a less active family that another member told us about. We had a vague idea of where they lived... Like the name of the apartment complex and an "I think it's on the 3rd floor of one of the last apartments on the right..." haha. So we went a lookin! The first apartment door we knocked on opened to reveal a fairly average, middle-aged Dominican woman. She told us she didn't know any of the names we were looking for, and then paused and said, "Wait! Where are you guys from?" We told her we were from Utah and she said, "Stay here! I'll be right back." haha. So we waited while she went to get her daughter. She explained that she had just returned from an English program at Utah State, and invited us in. :) Her English was SO good!

Obviously we couldn't visit with her without sharing a message, so we started off with a prayer and then started talking about God and religion. After I made a fool of myself with a couple of phrases like "a marvelous work and a wonder," (ha. I was searching for ANY and ALL English words that had to do with the Gospel... SO bad! lol. It just flows so much smoother in Spanish!) my companion took over, and taught one of the most powerful first lessons I've ever heard. :) His English was clear, and each word he said was exactly what she needed to hear. :) 

As we left the house, I looked at him and just said, "Wow." ha. It was awesome! He's been afraid to open his mouth in lessons because he's afraid of saying something wrong... But it was SO cool to see him light up and share the gospel without hesitation or fear. :) Afterwards he said, "Now I've just gotta do that in Spanish!" lol. I told him not to worry, he opened his mouth, and the Lord filled it, and He can do it in Spanish too. :) 

The last few days he's been way more open in lessons, and hasn't been afraid to jump in with something he wants to share. The people still comment that "he's still learning," but it doesn't phase him. :) He's a boss!

Anyway. :) We're happy campers. I still can't even express how much I love the people here in Manoguyabo. The members are all awesome! And everyone is SO accepting!

We're still working a lot with less actives. Especially less active families. :) We've found some really cool people that have lost their way, and oh man... I love them! When they talk about their doubts and struggles I just want to hug them and shout, "It's OK, you're not the only one!" Satan uses the same tactics on all of us, and then he tries to convince us that we're all alone so we'll submit to his will... But guess what, WE'RE NEVER ALONE!! That's why the gospel is SO great! When we fall in his trap, he makes it seem like there's no way out... But Christ has promised to take us each by the hand and lead us up and out of whatever hole we dig ourselves into, no matter the width or depth. No sin is to big, and no doubt is too great for Him to overcome. We just have to trust him. :) And I get to go proclaim that happy message to all the world! I LOVE BEING A MISSIONARY!!!!!!!!!!!

Our investigators are still chuggin along as well. We're workin with a super cool lady named Elilda right now. She's SUPER sure that this is where God wants her to be, and she's so sure because she reads like 4 chapters of the Book of Mormon every day! She's truly gained her own testimony! We don't do anything! haha. 

AND, last night we finally had a lesson with her husband. He's been a little hard to peg down because he's always working, and as Elilda tells us, he's ashamed cuz he's a heavy drinker, and he doesn't know how to read. But last night we got to talk to him and show him that we're not here to judge him, and we're not here to make him do anything he doesn't want to do. We're simply here to help. :) I have high hopes for the family. :) Right now we're working through the paperwork process so they can get married, and then Elilda will get baptized the next day. So... I'll keep you posted. 

We're also working with another couple named Paco and Yamilka. They're the son and daughter-in-law of a lady in our ward. They've met with missionaries off and on for over two years, but have recently received their answer, and are putting in there part in order to be baptized. :) Paco got the Principles of the Gospel book like a month ago, and he's already finishing up with the last few chapters! They both have strong testimonies, and I can truly say that it's not because of anything we've told them, it's because they put in the time to study on their own! 

From Paco, Yamilka and Elilda's example it's pretty easy to see why the Prophets are constantly telling us to read the scriptures daily! Personal scripture study along with prayers and church attendance are what bring about a true and lasting conversion. Don't forget it! 

Anyway. I should wrap this novel up. haha. I hope you all know that I know this church is true. I know that Christ lives, and He loves us more than we can fathom. 

I love you all. Keep the faith. :)

Love, 

Elder Cade Mooney

Me and a tiny banana (its a species found here in the DR
and it literally only gets that big. haha) 11/5/2013

Me and the Jungle 11/10/2013

Me and a cool bridge over a pond in our area. 11/10/2013

We may or may not have turned a missionary exercise band into a catapult last night... haha.
We launched glass bottles and an old electric razor we found in the house,
and then watched them fly! lol. Just keepin life interesting. :) 11/10/2013

Hola Querida Familia! - Monday, November 4, 2013

Hey guys. 

Over the last 19 months I've noticed a bit of a pattern... Every time I get on to write you all a perky little email, I start it off by talking about how fast time is flying by or how much I love being a missionary... hahaha. I'm so sorry if you're sick of hearing it, but that's literally all I can think about each time I log in. :) And this week holds true to form... My mind is officially blow by how quickly I'm running out of time, and I still can't get over how much I love being a missionary! 

Elder Medrano and I are still doing great! This week we've been working hard on Spanish, and teaching techniques... Oh man... It's been fun! Let me tell ya! hahaha! But really, I am SO glad I never have to go through the training process again... That was just a tough 12 weeks. lol. It's like trudging through 12 weeks of humble pie... and in this area, it's all UP HILL! Really though. Our area is SUPER hilly. ha. But Elder Medrano is taking it like a champ! And I'm actually really enjoying being on the other side of the trainer/trainee fence. :) It's helped me understand why my trainer did the things he did. Anyway. Like I said, we've been working on Spanish, and lesson grammar, so we've been picking a list of 3-5 Spanish verbs for my companion to use in lessons each day, and I have to pay close attention and remember what word he used in which lesson. haha. It's made the Spanish side of that humble pie I mentioned just a little bit sweeter. ;)

Just to give you an idea of just how awesome my companion is, I'll tell you a little story... On Wednesday we went over to Santa (a member) and Franklin's (her non member husband) house to get to know Franklin a little bit better, and get a feel for what we can do to complete the missing link in their eternal family chain. :) Well, we found out that Frankin earns his money (with which he provides for his family) by selling lottery tickets. He's aware that it's not within the bounds the Lord has set, so he wants to wait until he can find another line of work. 

With that in mind I shared some thoughts about my last 19 months here on a mission. I talked about how the mission is like a mini life, and how we leave our families for a short time to work hard and GROW though the trials we face. Although we're far away from our families for 2 years, they never stop rooting us on, just like our ancestors/descendants root us on from above. I told them how much I love my family, and how much I miss them. But the knowledge that they are all back at home waiting for me to finish my duties here gives me the strength to keep my mind focused on the work at hand, and helps me avoid the OH SO MANY worldly distractions all around me. I shared how I could, if I so desired, leave my area and go to a near by beach for a day off. Or I could pick up a cheap BlackBerry off the street and text my girlfriend back home. I have my free agency. We all do. But knowing that there is a life waiting for me back home that can be made or destroyed by my obedience here, helps me keep my head on straight. It helps me to keep an eternal perspective. And that's what the Gospel is all about. 

Then, after I stepped down off my little, spiritual soap box, my companion came in and finished off the lesson with a simple, solid testimony. It was short, but powerful. 

Now, for the climax of the story... Yesterday in fast and testimony meeting Hermana Santa got up to share her testimony. She started off by telling the congregation that the missionaries had stopped by during the week, and that one of the missionaries had caught her attention. She couldn't explain the way she felt when he spoke, just that the Spirit was present. She went on to explain that during their time at her house, the missionary only said a few words. They were jumbled, and she could tell it took a lot of courage for him to say them, but as he testified of the truthfulness of this Church, and the importance of his calling as a missionary, she KNEW it was true. 

Oh man you guys. While she spoke so highly of my companion in front of everyone, it was all I could do to keep the tears on the INSIDE of my eye balls! ha. It was such a powerful testimony builder for me, because at that very moment we were fasting and praying for the gift of tongues, and for those we teach to be able to understand and accept our message. :) Guys. I know this church is true. God is up there. I have no doubt. He cares more for Elder Mooney and Elder Medrano in this little pueblo of Manoguayabo then I can even imagine. I LOVE BEING A MISSIONARY!!!!!!!! 

Another little blurb to strengthen your testimony on the power of fasting:

In reality we did two fasts this week... Ha. At the beginning of the week we fasted for help finding new people to teach, and guess what? We now have more people to visit than we know what to do with! I think I told you last week, but if not I'll tell you again. Last Sunday our Elders Quorum President gave us a list of 5 less active families to focus on this month. And guess what guys?! At least one member of 4 of our 5 families came to church yesterday!!! And on top of that, we had 7 investigators in church. :) The Lord hears our prayers! 

Oh man. And get this! Yesterday in fast and testimony meeting, the second to last guy that got up to share his testimony was wearing jeans and a polo shirt... I didn't think much of it, because that's really not that uncommon here. ha. But then he started to speak. He said that he'd always wanted to get up and talk in a microphone at a pulpit, so seeing that it was "open mic" day at church, he couldn't pass up the opportunity. haha. He went on to say that it was his first time visiting our church, but that he knew there was something different about us. He could FEEL it. He said his initial interest in our weird little congregation was when he saw a pair of missionaries running, in the pouring rain, down the street toward the chapel with big, fat smiles on their faces. (ha. that just so happened to be Elder Medrano and I on our way to Ward Counsel Meeting). He said he thought "those two Mormons must be crazy!" And then thought some more about it, and decided he wanted to know why they were so happy. :) And he found his answer. :) It doesn't matter how humble the chapel, or how crazy the missionaries are in the area... The church is the same everywhere you go. :) And that SAME spirit that is felt in every congregation around the world is what makes us DIFFERENT. :) 

Guys. I really do know that this is the True Church. I thank God every single night for the chance I have to be here experiencing the things that I'm experiencing, and learning the lessons I'm learning. It never ceases to amaze me at how patient He is with me, even when I'm prideful and dumb, and don't want to listen to Him. But because He knows me so perfectly, He knows exactly who I need to meet, and where I need to be RIGHT when I need to. And with that perfect planning, He's slowly but surely molding and shaping me into the man that He wants me to be. 

I love and miss you all. I hope and pray the best for each and every one of you. Trust in the Lord, and never look back. 

Love, 

Elder Cade Mooney

Sunset - My beautiful DR 10/30/2013

Baby Bunnies -- one of our investigators breeds and sells them. :) 11/3/13

Not so No Bake Cookies. ha. Last night we had no gas, but we had planned to make No Bake Cookies for P-Day Eve... So my comp told me I should make them in the microwave! hahaha!!!!!!! My mommy would be SO proud of me! lol. I mixed the butter, milk and sugar in a microwave safe bowl and then nuked it for several minutes while taking it out to stir at random intervals. haha. I sorta felt like a mad scientist. lol. Then I mixed in the rest of the ingredients, formed the cookies, and set 'em aside to harden. And... As you can see, they turned out great! lol. Just so you know, when you run out of natural gas, you can use the microwave. :) 11/3/2013