FAMILY!!!!!!!! - Monday, May 13, 2013

Ha. It was SO good to see/talk to you all yesterday!! :) Just think, only 7 months til Christmas and we'll do it again! Then, 3 short lil months after that we can hug! :) Time is a funny thing. I thought the mission would never end when I was first starting out... But now I feel like it might be moving a little too fast... TAYLOR GOES HOME NEXT MONTH!!!! So nuts! 

Anyway. My week was great. :) 

Monday after talking with you all, Elder Fassett and I went and said goodbye to all our investigators... :( Goodbyes aren't fair... It was super hard, and I'm not even the one being transferred! Then we came home and had a chill night with some Banana Smoothies while Fassett packed, and we talked. 

Elder Meroño and I at the Montero family's house 5/7/13

Tuesday morning we got up bright and early, called a taxi, and headed to the Transfer Chapel! Luckily when we got there, my new comp was already waiting for us, so we said our goodbyes "quick like a band aid" and then I hopped back into the taxi with a stranger... haha. Turns out, he's an all right guy. We spent the morning chillin at the house so he could get unpacked and get some laundry done meanwhile getting the "get to know you" stuff out of the way. ha. My new comps name is Elder Meroño. He's like 5'10" (sorry Chunker), his parents are from Spain (hence the dark, European look) but they didn't teach him a lick of Spanish... So he still counts as a Gringo. haha. But never the less, he's been out for 18 months and speaks Spanish really well, also knows how to teach really well, so I plan on learning lots of new things during our time together! He's really just a SUPER chill kid. His sense of humor is dry and witty, and so far we're getting along just great! Lots of sass, and snide comments of course. lol. I'll let you know if things go south as the transfer goes on... ha. just kidding. Things don't go south for missionaries! DUH Elder Mooney! lol. 

Wednesday was wet... Ha. We went to Yoel's to get my hair cut in the morning, and while we were there we got dumped on... Luckily we went down there in gym shorts and shower sandals, cuz we had to wade all the way up the street in a river of rain water.

Then, that afternoon, after a solid lesson with Anni about temple work and family history, she took us over to her Sister-in-law, Suani's, house. Turns out, she's a lady that we had previously contacted, but told us that she would get back to us when she felt like it was time to join a church. Whelp! Now's the time! ha. She says it must be a sign that we talked to her a while back, and that now that she's looking for a church, Anni brought us to her. She just had a surgery on her throat, so we are taking things slow, but apparently after tomorrow she's off doctor's house arrest, and has plans to go to church! :)  

Thursday we had a cool experience. :) While contacting on Tuesday we talked to this little girl that told us her mom wasn't home, but that we could come on in! Ha. Obviously we didn't go in, but we felt something special about the house, and thought it was cool that that little girl accepted us (random, American strangers) like family. Well, Thursday we walked passed the house again and both felt like we should go see if the parents were home. :) They were. We talked to the mom, and she told us that one of her daughters is Mormon, and that the missionaries are over at her parents house (in another city) all the time! She's got lots of experience with the church, and seems interested in becoming a member. So we'll keep passin by! :) 

Friday was good. :)
We had a follow up lesson with Suani (the reference we got from Anni), and she had already read the great majority of the pamphlet we left with her! :) We talked to her about prophets, and helped her understand the importance of having that connection between heaven and earth. So far she is liking what she hears, and already has plans to get her husband in on the lessons when he comes back from working in Haiti. :) 

Then in the evening, we had a first sit down with an older couple that kinda just blew our minds! They were SO excited to have us there! They were literally sitting on the edges of their seats just waiting for us to show up for our appointment! They have been together for 25+ years, have two kids, and have spent the last several years looking for a church, but none have felt right... So they've been listening to preachers on the radio, and studying the Bible the best they could on their own. :) It's still too soon to tell, but based on the feelings in their home, and the way that they so willingly accept the things we share with them, I'd say we've found a fairly golden couple. :) Vidal (the dad/husband) had us set up a time with them for the next visit when their kids will be home. :) They live really close to the church, but Vidal has a 24 hour on, 24 hour off work schedule, so he only has work off every other Sunday, and when he has it off he gets home exhausted (from his 24 hour shift) at 8 am... Which is when our meetings start... :( We're gonna have to talk to him about the importance of church attendance, and the blessings that come from sacrifices. But hey, with God, nothing is impossible! Right??

My new comp and I at the Zone meeting! 5/10/13

Saturday morning we got up bright and early to head on over to the Elders from Barrio 4's area for a service project! :) We dug holes and set the posts/beams to start the frame of the house, then we had to go home to get ready to work! :) It was a BLAST! We got dirty, and sun burned, and ate spaghetti and all that other fun stuff that you get (like warm fuzzy feelings) when you do service. ha. 

Then in the afternoon we had a member take us over to a less active's house. Bishop had asked us to visit with them, and we finally pegged down a time when both the Husband and the Wife were home. They are really great people. :) I really like less active people. ha. I understand their hard feelings towards dumb Mormons... haha. So far I don't think they'll come back to church in the next couple weeks (unlike the last two families we reactivated who really just needed a lil push/invitation), but we've got plans to visit with them every week and just love them for who they are til they realize that not all Mormons are stupid and judgey. :) 

Yesterday was all about you guys. :) We got up, called and woke up our moms, and then went to church and just felt nervous and trunky for three hours! haha. Then came home, cooked some lunch, then went over to Ixel and Angela's house to chat with you people. :) Thanks for that. :) Really though. You guys are what keeps me going. All evening long after talking with you I was just happy, and super excited about missionary work! 

After our talk we had another lesson with Vidal and Mari. :) They were just as excited to see us as the first time. :) The kids were there too, but didn't want to talk to us quite yet. Which is all right. They'll come around. :) We talked to the parents about the Family, and the plan that God has for us to return and live with Him as an eternal family. Then explained a bit about prophets and the great apostasy. :) We'll save the juicy restoration stuff for next week. ha. 

And then we had a lesson with Santos, a recent convert, after taking a short cut through a swamp in the dark to get to his house. haha. Sometimes I forget that I live on a tropical Island and "random short cuts" just don't work the same here... haha. But we made it, covered in mud, but we made it and still had time to have a good talk with Santos and his family about the importance of choosing good friends/acquaintances. The people we associate with really do effect the way we think and act. Make good choices! 

Playin Basketball at our combined zone activity 5/13/13

Today we spent the morning at our chapel playing volleyball and basketball with everyone from our zone, and from the zone of San Geronimo. :) It was good to see everyone again, and to relax and talk about our skype session/phone calls with our families and stuff. :) 

I hope you're all doing well and loving life! I sure am! Missionary work is great! No complaints! God loves His children, and I get to spend my days telling them that! What could be better?!?! Ha. 

I love you all! Keep on keepin on! 

Love, 

Elder Cade Mooney