I apologize in advance for the length of this email. We just got home from an ALL DAY LONG Christmas Conference with the ENTIRE mission in the Capital. And to say the least, I'm beat.
So, to be breve:
This week was a tough one.
I spent Monday night, and all day Tuesday and Wednesday wearing a pathway into the tile between my bed and the toilet... ha. I was SO sick. 102º Fever, aches and pains in all parts of my body, and horrible things spewing from both ends of my body. lol. But don't you worry, cuz my comp is secretly a male nurse. lol. So he took great care of me. He spent the days making me tea, and diluted Gatorade, and force feeding me water to keep me hydrated. Also, he had me on a bi-hourly rotation of Motrin/Ibuprofen, a fever reducer as needed, and he kept a cold rag and a cup of one of the above listed liquids at my bedside for the whole 60 hours. He is a hero. Please ask God to bless him.
On Thursday we went out to work cuz I was tired of being in bed, and pushing though the nausea was better than laying there for another day. Ha. It was solid. We have some pretty awesome investigators that are all prepping to be baptized on the 22nd! We're pretty pumped!
On Friday... Oh Friday... We woke up to a phone call from Elder Mendosa at 6 am. He told my comp that he needed an emergency intercambio cuz something serious had happened. So I went out to hold down the Fort with Elder Alfonseca in Sabana Larga, and Mendosa came and talked some stuff out with my comp, and enjoyed the commodities of my clean sheets and hot water heater. Ha.
Well, turns out, the "something serious happened" comment was for real. Apparently Alfonseca had started an inappropriate relationship with one of their investigators, and it got to a point that Mendosa felt like he needed to intervene. I will spare you the gory details for the sake of your pure souls, and the good name of Elder Alfonseca, but it all ended with a special transfer; o sea, Pres took Alfonseca out of his area. So I helped him pack, and them sent him on his way to the Capital with the AP's on Saturday morning.
And to top it all off, on Friday night I got hit right in the face with a cold. Ha. As if I didn't already have enough to deal with.
After catching a ride with Miguel (a 22 year old member in Sabana Larga that acted as my companion til I could reunite with Logue) back to el Pueblo, and sending Mendosa and Miguel on their way, my comp and I had a tranquilo day. We passed by our progressing investigators, and visited some members.
Today was cool. We went into the capital (ha. not as easily done as said... we went to the Zone Leader's house in Bani last night (hour + bus ride from Ocoa), slept on their floor, then got up at 5 am this morning to get on the bus for the 2 hour ride into the capital) and had a rockin' Christmas Conference. After taking Pictures of the whole mission at the temple, we went to Don Gregorio's chapel and listened to the testimonies of all the missionaries that are going home in the next few transfers, then Pres and Hermana talked for a while, then we ate lunch and then had a mission talent show. Ha. It was really fun to see all the missionaries I love, all in one place at one time. I enjoyed it a lot.
Also, Pres talked to us about always focusing on the good in people, as Christ did. Look for the good in everyone; with the shiz that went down this week, it was exactly what I needed to hear. I know that our Father in Heaven loves us, and He sees us as we have the potential to become. He not only sees the "good" in us, He sees the PERFECTION in us. We just have to let Him (through His servants and Angels) make that potential perfection become a reality.
Lets all make an effort to see others as God sees them, and then to be willing and worthy to be said servants/angels that help Him perfect his Children.
I know this Church is true. The people are far from it, but the doctrine and the structure are PERFECT. They are inspired by God.
I love and miss you all.
Sorry this email was a little... yeah. My head's about to explode. Still fighting with this cold.
love,
Elder Cade Mooney
Sunday, January 6, 2013
Saturday, January 5, 2013
Time flies when you're having fun! - Monday, December 10, 2012
Hey Fam!
This week went really well!! I cant believe it's over already! We had lots of fun and worked our butts off! Ha. SO great!!
We went on two different hikes, and I realized that I am really on a tropical island. Ha. There are so many cool plants here! Trees COVERED in thorns, tropical flowers of all kinds, and wild fruit trees! So awesome!! One of the hikes we went on was to a cross up on the top of the mountain we live at the base of. The villagers of Ocoa hike up there every Cinco de Mayo, and they pick up a big rock at the base of the hill, and carry it all the way to the top, and when they get there, they add it to the huge pile of rocks around the cross, and make a wish. :) Dominicans are cool.
Also, this week we've witnessed some cool miracles as far as finding and teaching go. First off, Rosaña and Juana (that 16 year old girl with the kid I told you about last week, and her mom (respectively)) have committed to be baptized, so we've been working with them a lot. Juana is addicted to cigarettes, and Rosaña has a boyfriend that comes and lives with her for 3-5 days every month... We've been preparing them for the 22nd of this month, and I was starting to feel a little discouraged about it cuz we haven't been able to meet with Rosaña and her boyfriend together, and Juana has gone down to one or two cigarettes a day, but is still smoking... Well, with faith, hope, and a little pixie dust (haha, obviously celestial pixie dust) everything just fell into place. Rosaña's boyfriend has decided to permanently move home, and after discussing it, they have decided to get married as soon as he comes home on the 17th!! Also, Juana didn't smoke at all yesterday or the day before!!! God really does answer prayers!!! We are so pumped for them! They will be baptized on the 22nd for sure!!
Second, we were diligently sought out by Adoni yesterday at church. Ha. He is a 10 year old kid that has been going to church with his neighbor for the last few months. Yesterday he found us in the hall and said, "I want to get baptized. How do I do it?" ha. I asked him how old he was and who he lived with, and we put an appointment with him. When we went over last night I was blown away. This kid is solid. He lives with his Grandma, and because of his desire to follow the Example of Jesus Christ she is now listening to the discussions, and just from talking to her once, I can tell that she is going to thrive in the one and only true church of Jesus Christ. Children are SO pure!
Third, we've been teaching this kid named Carlos. He's 17 and is just a punk. Ha. He and his buddies do a lot of partying and drinking. But he recently started hanging with some of the youth in our branch, and has decided he wants the happiness that they have. So, we've been teaching him and working with him to quit some of his more persistent habits. Ha. Well, we are now 100% sure that God is aware of Carlos, cuz not one, not two, but THREE times this week we have run into him on our way home at night. Yesterday he told us that all three times we bumped into him in the street he and his friends were about to do something stupid, and because of the coincidental presence of the missionaries, he thought of his upcoming baptism and opted out. :) This church is true. :)
Spiritual thought:
The other night, my comp and I were walking "the canal" (a long stretch of dry river bed that we use as a short cut), and the light left... Also it was raining... So the moon and stars were covered by the black clouds. I have never been in darkness like that before; it was tangible, and my comp and I were trying to swim our way though it with the little flashlight on the end of my umbrella. We could literally only see the little circle of ground in front of us illuminated by the umbrella light. We decided that we were living the expression "Walking by faith." Just like that little light guided us through that dark, treacherous river bed; Christ leads us through this life. And even though we might roll an occasional ankle, or stub an occasional toe, He is there with us every step of the way. He doesn't light the WHOLE path; He just gives us the light we need to keep moving forward. I know He's there, and if we just keep putting one foot in front of the other, trusting Him with every step, we will safely make it to your destination; we will safely make it home.
Anyway. I gotta go!
I am working hard, and loving my life! I hope the same for all of you! Keep the faith!!
Love,
Elder Cade Mooney
P.S. Congrats to my Aunt Heather Mooney!! The newest member of the LDS church!! Love you!!!
This week went really well!! I cant believe it's over already! We had lots of fun and worked our butts off! Ha. SO great!!
We went on two different hikes, and I realized that I am really on a tropical island. Ha. There are so many cool plants here! Trees COVERED in thorns, tropical flowers of all kinds, and wild fruit trees! So awesome!! One of the hikes we went on was to a cross up on the top of the mountain we live at the base of. The villagers of Ocoa hike up there every Cinco de Mayo, and they pick up a big rock at the base of the hill, and carry it all the way to the top, and when they get there, they add it to the huge pile of rocks around the cross, and make a wish. :) Dominicans are cool.
Also, this week we've witnessed some cool miracles as far as finding and teaching go. First off, Rosaña and Juana (that 16 year old girl with the kid I told you about last week, and her mom (respectively)) have committed to be baptized, so we've been working with them a lot. Juana is addicted to cigarettes, and Rosaña has a boyfriend that comes and lives with her for 3-5 days every month... We've been preparing them for the 22nd of this month, and I was starting to feel a little discouraged about it cuz we haven't been able to meet with Rosaña and her boyfriend together, and Juana has gone down to one or two cigarettes a day, but is still smoking... Well, with faith, hope, and a little pixie dust (haha, obviously celestial pixie dust) everything just fell into place. Rosaña's boyfriend has decided to permanently move home, and after discussing it, they have decided to get married as soon as he comes home on the 17th!! Also, Juana didn't smoke at all yesterday or the day before!!! God really does answer prayers!!! We are so pumped for them! They will be baptized on the 22nd for sure!!
Second, we were diligently sought out by Adoni yesterday at church. Ha. He is a 10 year old kid that has been going to church with his neighbor for the last few months. Yesterday he found us in the hall and said, "I want to get baptized. How do I do it?" ha. I asked him how old he was and who he lived with, and we put an appointment with him. When we went over last night I was blown away. This kid is solid. He lives with his Grandma, and because of his desire to follow the Example of Jesus Christ she is now listening to the discussions, and just from talking to her once, I can tell that she is going to thrive in the one and only true church of Jesus Christ. Children are SO pure!
Third, we've been teaching this kid named Carlos. He's 17 and is just a punk. Ha. He and his buddies do a lot of partying and drinking. But he recently started hanging with some of the youth in our branch, and has decided he wants the happiness that they have. So, we've been teaching him and working with him to quit some of his more persistent habits. Ha. Well, we are now 100% sure that God is aware of Carlos, cuz not one, not two, but THREE times this week we have run into him on our way home at night. Yesterday he told us that all three times we bumped into him in the street he and his friends were about to do something stupid, and because of the coincidental presence of the missionaries, he thought of his upcoming baptism and opted out. :) This church is true. :)
Spiritual thought:
The other night, my comp and I were walking "the canal" (a long stretch of dry river bed that we use as a short cut), and the light left... Also it was raining... So the moon and stars were covered by the black clouds. I have never been in darkness like that before; it was tangible, and my comp and I were trying to swim our way though it with the little flashlight on the end of my umbrella. We could literally only see the little circle of ground in front of us illuminated by the umbrella light. We decided that we were living the expression "Walking by faith." Just like that little light guided us through that dark, treacherous river bed; Christ leads us through this life. And even though we might roll an occasional ankle, or stub an occasional toe, He is there with us every step of the way. He doesn't light the WHOLE path; He just gives us the light we need to keep moving forward. I know He's there, and if we just keep putting one foot in front of the other, trusting Him with every step, we will safely make it to your destination; we will safely make it home.
Anyway. I gotta go!
I am working hard, and loving my life! I hope the same for all of you! Keep the faith!!
Love,
Elder Cade Mooney
P.S. Congrats to my Aunt Heather Mooney!! The newest member of the LDS church!! Love you!!!
Thursday, December 6, 2012
¡Hola Familia! - Monday, December 3, 2012
First off. I miss you all. A LOT.
Then we went out to work, and while we were down in La Barra we taught a lesson in Mama Juana's house, and afterwards she brought us some Beet, Carrot juice. Ha. I didn't think it was all that bad... But oh my... My companion had the hardest time gagging that stuff down! Ha. He would take a swallow and say something out the side of his mouth like "holy crap I think she just gave us horse pee," lol. Obviously in English, but then he would turn, smile all big and tell Juana how "rico" (rich or delicious) her juice was. HA!!! I was cracking up!
One of the first talks on there was by Elder Cook. He related a story about a trip he and Elder Uchtdorf (if I remember right) took to the Amazon. He said how shocked he was at the fact that the people were living in shacks, but on top of their thatched roofs was a Satellite Dish... He went on to explain how far reaching the Internet and technology is, and because of it, Satan is destroy so many families... It hit me pretty hard. I can definitely relate... Here is the exact same way. These people live in cinder block or sheet metal houses with cement or dirt floors. They rarely have more than 3 rooms in their house, and it is a luxury to have a bathroom... But some how, some way, every single house we enter has a TV or a computer with some sort of Internet access. It is crazy to me how many people Satan has access to... Pornography is LITERALLY everywhere. Satan attacks the family through sex and lust. He more than attacks... He destroys. It is crazy to me how much power he has, and how young he starts... The second a child turns 8 (and sometimes even before that) he comes at them with EVERYTHING he's got. For instance... We are currently teaching a Mother and Daughter, and said daughter is 16 years old and already has a one year old child... Do the math... Satan knows that these generations being born in the fullness of times are truly the Loyal and Great ones. He wants to make sure that they, especially, are miserable just like him. TALK TO YOUR CHILDREN!!! It doesn't matter if they are 6, 9, or 17... I guarantee that they have already come in contact in some form or some way with Satan's Grime...
Second off... This week rocked. Ha. I am sure you're all sick of hearing it, but I truly cannot believe how quickly these weeks are going by. It was like a couple minutes ago I was writing you last week's letter, and suddenly, time grew some wings, and now I'm back in this chair staring at a computer screen again. Ha.
Also, in the background of said computer screen, Total Eclipse of the Heart is playing IN SPANISH! ha. I vote you all look it up, cuz it's HILARIOUS! Though you won't get the Dominican, Internet Center guy singing along with it.... lol. Just not the same. I think the Dominicans could give the Taiwanese a run for their money in Tone-Deafness. ha.
Anyway. Last Monday right after updating you all on my dominican doings, we went down to La Barra (a neighborhood in our area) and had a Noche de Hogar with the youth, and our missionary mom, Juana. Ha. Well, seeing that I'm not in the capital anymore, light (electricity) comes and goes when it pleases... So we had a super great lesson on agency by Mama Juana, and then we played night games by the light of the moon. Ha. I actually kind of love it when the light leaves; it's like we're camping, and seeing that we live in a green, little valley, it's basically like being back home in the Wasatch Mountains. 'Cept I really think God likes this place more, cuz the stars and the moon and the clouds and just everything is more beautiful here. Ha.
Tuesday was great. We had a district meeting (the usual reports on our investigators, and a spiritual pep talk from my comp (our district leader), then I headed up to Sábana Larga with Elder Mendosa (6'1" 175 lbs, from Nicaragua) for a hard core intercambio. He is a working machine. We had out of control numbers in the 24 hours I was with him. I was sort of blown away, but at the same time I realized how important it is to actually spend time with your investigators, and teach to their needs. Elder Mendosa and I got A LOT of lessons in, but I felt like a robot the whole time. It was a good learning experience, and I have made a goal to talk about something outside the missionary lessons in all my lessons. Half of my calling as a missionary is to love these people as Christ would. You can't love someone you don't know.
Also, during said Intercambio (I dunno for sure, cuz I've never actually looked it up, but Intercambio means Exchange in Spanish... Which in missionary lingo is basically a required sleepover with another missionary in your district for learning purposes and such) I made dinner (your regular Dominican style boiled green bananas with fried eggs and sauteed onions) with Bananas picked from the back yard. Ha. The missionary house up in Sábana Larga is basically on a farm. Ha. There are Banana, Plantain, Papaya, Avocado, Lime, and Mandarin Orange trees in the back yard, and on the side of the house there are Yucca (I believe it's tapioca in English... But not sure, It's a root that they eat/prepare like a potato) and Yam plants. HA; As in HOW AWESOME!!!
Also, I woke up to a rooster crowing, and cows mooing in the morning. That was unexpected. Ha. I doubt I will ever chose to live on a farm... Just sayin'.
Ha. Another funny thing... I (even though it's only been a 2 weeks) have become a spoiled missionary... I woke up on Wednesday to the roosters, and realized how freezing it was (in reality it was like 65 degrees, but I am currently accustomed to anywhere between 80 and 100, so burrrrrr)... Sábana Larga is even higher in altitude than Ocoa... But regardless of the temperature, Mendosa got up and took his regular old bucket shower from the Tinaco (the tank on the roof)... Ha, I was not having that. I am way too used to my water heater in Ocoa. So I boiled a big pot of water and dumped it in my bucket to mix with the FREEZING water before throwing it on my shivering body. lol.
On Wednesday after we came back to the Village, I helped Elder Tuanama cook some hard core Peruvian food. I don't know if I told you last week, but I currently live with my comp (American), Elder Tuanama (Peruvian), and Elder Leyva (Mexican). So I speak lots of Spanish and eat LOTS of delicious food. :)
Then we went out to work, and while we were down in La Barra we taught a lesson in Mama Juana's house, and afterwards she brought us some Beet, Carrot juice. Ha. I didn't think it was all that bad... But oh my... My companion had the hardest time gagging that stuff down! Ha. He would take a swallow and say something out the side of his mouth like "holy crap I think she just gave us horse pee," lol. Obviously in English, but then he would turn, smile all big and tell Juana how "rico" (rich or delicious) her juice was. HA!!! I was cracking up!
Thursday.... The Browns (our Fairly God Parents out here in the South; lol they make weekly trips to the capital and bring us our mail, and other stuff we need) stopped by and dropped off the CONFERENCE EDITION of the Liahona!!!! I was so happy. Ha. They even brought us a copy in English!!! I went straight to my room and read a couple of talks. lol. What a geeky missionary. But it was actually really cool, I would highly suggest that you all reread them. Seeing that the first time I heard them they were in a foreign language, I definitely have gotten a lot more out of them this time!
One of the first talks on there was by Elder Cook. He related a story about a trip he and Elder Uchtdorf (if I remember right) took to the Amazon. He said how shocked he was at the fact that the people were living in shacks, but on top of their thatched roofs was a Satellite Dish... He went on to explain how far reaching the Internet and technology is, and because of it, Satan is destroy so many families... It hit me pretty hard. I can definitely relate... Here is the exact same way. These people live in cinder block or sheet metal houses with cement or dirt floors. They rarely have more than 3 rooms in their house, and it is a luxury to have a bathroom... But some how, some way, every single house we enter has a TV or a computer with some sort of Internet access. It is crazy to me how many people Satan has access to... Pornography is LITERALLY everywhere. Satan attacks the family through sex and lust. He more than attacks... He destroys. It is crazy to me how much power he has, and how young he starts... The second a child turns 8 (and sometimes even before that) he comes at them with EVERYTHING he's got. For instance... We are currently teaching a Mother and Daughter, and said daughter is 16 years old and already has a one year old child... Do the math... Satan knows that these generations being born in the fullness of times are truly the Loyal and Great ones. He wants to make sure that they, especially, are miserable just like him. TALK TO YOUR CHILDREN!!! It doesn't matter if they are 6, 9, or 17... I guarantee that they have already come in contact in some form or some way with Satan's Grime...
Anyway... Good news; said mom and daughter have both accepted baptismal dates for the 22nd of this month. :) They are both great and working hard to fix their lives, and prepare to be baptized!! We are stoked for them!!!
Ha. Thursday continued... we went down to a Haitian Market to check out some Jerseys that my comp wanted to buy and to see if I could find some cheap shoes... Ha. Sadly NO ONE in this country sells my size.
Anyway, on our walk back the assistants called us and told us they were on their way to our house for a surprise intercambio... (We found out later that they did the intercambio cuz our district has the best numbers in the mission; probably Mendosa's fault, but we felt good about ourselves) Ha. As much as I love authority breathing down my neck while I work, I wasn't too thrilled. lol. Well, they showed up and Elder Kirk (the American) came with my comp and I, and we sent Elder Luzón (Spaniard) up to be with Mendosa and Alfonseca (Dominican) in Sábana Larga.
The afternoon went well with Kirk. We taught a couple good lessons and then started contacting... While we were contacting we got HAMMERED with an Ocoa style tropical storm... It POURED. And we were contacting... with an Assistant... So we gritted our little teeth and we got wet... SUPER wet. Ha. We continued like that for about an hour, then took the 45 minute hike to the other side of our area... Still pouring rain. I have never been so wet.... Ha. Finally we got down to La Barra, and all of our appointments failed us... So we told Kirk we were calling it a day. Ha. Luckily he agreed and we waded back home.
We had a solid planning session with the AP, and then at like 8:30 we got a call from Elder Tuanama and Elder Leyva. They were stuck up in Parra (a part of Ocoa that you have to wade through a river, and hike up a mountain to get to), and the river had grown so much with the rain that they couldn't pass it... Ha. So what do we do? go for a rescue mission in the AP's truck obviously! lol. Dumb kids. We down to La Barra where the river was a bit less full, and Kirk attempted to drive the 2 wheel drive, Toyota Tacoma through the river... Ha. Yup, we got stuck. Up to our axles. lol. An hour and a half of digging and pushing with all the willing villagers, we finally gave up and had a guy call a guy to bring his hard core truck in to pull us out. lol. It was an adventure... We dubbed the river impassable, and gave up on our rescue effort. The other two Elders ended up sleeping on the floor of an investigator's house and came back down through the river the next day when the sun had come out and the river had gone back down. How AWESOME. lol.
Friday after a long day of proselyting we caught a ride up to Sabana Larga, snuck into Mendosa/Alfonseca's house, and decorated while Alfonseca stalled. Ha. Then we hid and when Mendosa walked in we all screamed "¡¡Feliz Cumple AÑO!!" ha. It was his year mark, so we had a party. We stayed up late, and Tuanama and I cooked Spaguetti with fried Plantains. Then slept over. Ha. By slept I mean rolled around freezing on the cement floor for 7 hours. But it was worth it. Mendosa was happy. :)
On Saturday evening I met Milagros. Ha. I have heard SO much about her. I even knew about her before coming to Ocoa. She is the all time greatest missionary mom ever. She is awesome! And Hilarious! She is sorta like a Dominican version of Favorite Aunt Shari and Uncle Awesome meshed together. HA! Also, her husband works for a cable company, so they have some hard core computer tech stuff, and more than likely we will be skyping from their house, so you guys might even get to meet her!! :)
Yesterday was chill. We had a combined meeting block with Sabana Larga, and Parra (they brought all the members down on buses), and I taught a hard core lesson in Sunday school on temple work and family history. Ha. I hope you are all still attending the temple regularly, and constantly searching for missionary experiences here as well as beyond the veil.
I love and miss you all. My time is again far spent. Ha. And I mean REALLY far spent. But hey, updates are crucial, right? ;)
Keep the faith! God is good!
Love,
Elder Mooney
Monday, November 26, 2012
Hola from Ocoa! - Monday, November 26, 2012
Well, I don't have a ton of time today, but I figured I should write and let you all know that I have been exalted. Ha.
I thought my last area was paradise... And if that's the case, I must have just been introduced to paradisaical glory. Ha. Who knew, it's just a three hour bus ride away from Santo Domingo.
Ocoa is INCREDIBLE! I wake up every morning and literally cannot believe my eyes. We live in a little bowl-like valley up in the mountains, EVERYTHING is green and gorgeous, the temperature gets up to about 80 during the day, and drops down to about 65 at night. Ha. Our house is Ginormous. We live with two other elders at the moment, but they might put another companionship in with the huge flow of incoming 18 year-olds. We have three king size bedrooms, and each one has an attached king size bathroom, not to mention our entryway, dining room, and kitchen areas. Ha. Also, we have a hot water heater.... My life just got SO much better! I had no idea how much I missed warm showers!!! It is HEAVENLY!
My new companion is the shiz. His name is Elder Jonathan Griffith Logue, from Ogden Utah. He was raised Catholic and was studying to be a Priest (Father) when he met the missionaries at age 17. He played football and basketball his whole life, he is also a certified skydiver, scuba diver, and he has a Ghost Hunting Licence. Ha. He's hilarious. He and I get along SUPER well. I hopped off the bus where he was waiting to pick me up, and instantaneously we started laughing, and haven't stopped since! We have had an incredible first week together, and I'm only looking forward to more fun and more success!
The people of my old area will be sorely missed, but I am already in love with the people here! I found yet another new home, and already have two Ocoan Moms. Ha. I think I explained it best in an email I just sent to a friend: "I just had my heart ripped from my chest... But just like you explained, I arrived here in Ocoa with a fantastic companion and a team of incredibly Hermoso miembros waiting to put me back together again. :) and just like that, I'm in love with this place! I can hardly believe that I'm still on earth... This place is incredible, and the people are even more loving and accepting than my family in Independencia. Ha. I love Horcruxes." Ha. The Horcruxes (Harry Potter) reference was because of a previous email in which transfers had been explained as such: "when you leave an area it sometimes hurts, but it doesn´t mean you have to take your heart away from there. It just means you have to open your heart up a bit more to let more lovins in! A big chunk of my heart is at home, and another in my first area. Kind of like horcruxes I guess. ;)"
Anyway. This week was great!
Funny story: We were in Mama Juana's house helping her teach Seminary on Thursday night, and one of the kids bumped the wall he was leaning against, and out popped a Tarántula... It fell out of the space between the wall and the cement floor, and landed on it's back; black, hairy legs flailing and all. ha. It was HUGE! At least 4 times the size of the one I had back at home. It was definitely unexpected. lol. But the kids in the class acted like it was nothing. One of them grabbed the nearest broom, and swept it out the front door, then another one grabbed a rock off the dirt road and smashed it. I was blown away. Ha. It was so cool! These people rock!
Also, on Saturday I had my first baptism here in Ocoa. His name is Ivan. We've been teaching him nightly since I arrived, and he was GOLDEN! He is already preparing to serve a mission, and we just ordered him his very own Preach My Gospel and a copy of the Mission Manual. We're gonna start teaching him the lessons out of PMG, and then have him go on splits with us a bunch so that when his year mark hits, he will be 100% ready and prepared to serve the Lord full time! I'm so excited for him! Also, our branch president invited Elder Logue and I to participate in his Confirmation! It was an awesome experience! I don't think there's a better phrase than "receive the Holy Ghost" stated with the proper power and authority! This church is so flippin TRUE!
Sorry, I know I promised photos this week, and I promise I took a MILLION. But the computer is being temperamental, and I don't have time to figure it out. Ha.
I love you all! I hope all is well, and I hope you all had an incredible Thanksgiving! Keep working on those Gratitude Journals! And if you want to, feel free to send me 3 or 4 Gratitude entries in your weekly emails!
Much Love,
Elder Cade Mooney
I thought my last area was paradise... And if that's the case, I must have just been introduced to paradisaical glory. Ha. Who knew, it's just a three hour bus ride away from Santo Domingo.
Ocoa is INCREDIBLE! I wake up every morning and literally cannot believe my eyes. We live in a little bowl-like valley up in the mountains, EVERYTHING is green and gorgeous, the temperature gets up to about 80 during the day, and drops down to about 65 at night. Ha. Our house is Ginormous. We live with two other elders at the moment, but they might put another companionship in with the huge flow of incoming 18 year-olds. We have three king size bedrooms, and each one has an attached king size bathroom, not to mention our entryway, dining room, and kitchen areas. Ha. Also, we have a hot water heater.... My life just got SO much better! I had no idea how much I missed warm showers!!! It is HEAVENLY!
My new companion is the shiz. His name is Elder Jonathan Griffith Logue, from Ogden Utah. He was raised Catholic and was studying to be a Priest (Father) when he met the missionaries at age 17. He played football and basketball his whole life, he is also a certified skydiver, scuba diver, and he has a Ghost Hunting Licence. Ha. He's hilarious. He and I get along SUPER well. I hopped off the bus where he was waiting to pick me up, and instantaneously we started laughing, and haven't stopped since! We have had an incredible first week together, and I'm only looking forward to more fun and more success!
The people of my old area will be sorely missed, but I am already in love with the people here! I found yet another new home, and already have two Ocoan Moms. Ha. I think I explained it best in an email I just sent to a friend: "I just had my heart ripped from my chest... But just like you explained, I arrived here in Ocoa with a fantastic companion and a team of incredibly Hermoso miembros waiting to put me back together again. :) and just like that, I'm in love with this place! I can hardly believe that I'm still on earth... This place is incredible, and the people are even more loving and accepting than my family in Independencia. Ha. I love Horcruxes." Ha. The Horcruxes (Harry Potter) reference was because of a previous email in which transfers had been explained as such: "when you leave an area it sometimes hurts, but it doesn´t mean you have to take your heart away from there. It just means you have to open your heart up a bit more to let more lovins in! A big chunk of my heart is at home, and another in my first area. Kind of like horcruxes I guess. ;)"
Anyway. This week was great!
Funny story: We were in Mama Juana's house helping her teach Seminary on Thursday night, and one of the kids bumped the wall he was leaning against, and out popped a Tarántula... It fell out of the space between the wall and the cement floor, and landed on it's back; black, hairy legs flailing and all. ha. It was HUGE! At least 4 times the size of the one I had back at home. It was definitely unexpected. lol. But the kids in the class acted like it was nothing. One of them grabbed the nearest broom, and swept it out the front door, then another one grabbed a rock off the dirt road and smashed it. I was blown away. Ha. It was so cool! These people rock!
Also, on Saturday I had my first baptism here in Ocoa. His name is Ivan. We've been teaching him nightly since I arrived, and he was GOLDEN! He is already preparing to serve a mission, and we just ordered him his very own Preach My Gospel and a copy of the Mission Manual. We're gonna start teaching him the lessons out of PMG, and then have him go on splits with us a bunch so that when his year mark hits, he will be 100% ready and prepared to serve the Lord full time! I'm so excited for him! Also, our branch president invited Elder Logue and I to participate in his Confirmation! It was an awesome experience! I don't think there's a better phrase than "receive the Holy Ghost" stated with the proper power and authority! This church is so flippin TRUE!
Sorry, I know I promised photos this week, and I promise I took a MILLION. But the computer is being temperamental, and I don't have time to figure it out. Ha.
I love you all! I hope all is well, and I hope you all had an incredible Thanksgiving! Keep working on those Gratitude Journals! And if you want to, feel free to send me 3 or 4 Gratitude entries in your weekly emails!
Much Love,
Elder Cade Mooney
Monday, November 19, 2012
¡¡¡Ya me VOY!!! - Monday, November 19, 2012
This week has been another incredible one. Ha. You would think the miracles and the spiritual experiences would eventually run out... but they just keep coming!!!
Last Monday, right after I finished writing all of you, we went to a member's house for a Noche de Hogar. Miletis (the mom), lives with her brother who is not a member, so he participated, and also Alexa (one of her daughters) invited her best friend, who is also a non member! It was small and simple, but really really great!
Then right afterwards, Miletis asked us for a blessing of health. Obv, we said yes. And again, I just couldn't get over how powerful the feelings were while I had my hands placed on her head! Nothing but PURE love! I love the priesthood!!!
Then on Tuesday, we had one of the best lessons I've had thus far. It was amazing. We were teaching Carlos; he's a joven that was invited to church a couple months ago by some of our young women, and has been coming off and on ever since. Up until now we've been on a hit and miss pattern with him (i.e. we'd plan a lesson, and he wouldn't be reachable when we called to confirm or when we passed by). Well, two weeks ago we pinned down a lesson with him, and got started teaching. So this last Tuesday was our second lesson with him, and we talked about the restoration and then followed up on our invitation to pray for an answer about the veracidad of this church. Turns out, he prayed. He described his feelings as "full where he didn't realize there was an emptiness," "happy," "more sure of himself," "warm," etc. It was a perfect description of a spiritual witness. He knows it's true! After that we went on to explain the importance of following that confirmation, and how strongly Satan is about to attack him. We promised that if he will do everything in his power to follow his heart and to do what he knows is right, God (and us missionaries) will be there with him every step of the way. I proceeded with the baptismal invitation, and he accepted a baptismal date for the 5th of January! The spirit was so strong! We finished with a prayer and he had tears streaming down his face after we all said "Amen." I love being a missionary!!! God is good!
Wednesday: Exercising priesthood power round two. We met up with Elder Domine and Elder Alba at the chapel so that my companion could give him a baptismal interview, and while we were waiting Kenia (recent convert, the mother of Juan Carlos and Evans) came and asked us if we would give her husband and her blessings. So Elder Domine and I went with them. Wow. I cant get over it. The second the blessing is sealed there is nothing but waves of electric, celestial love surging through my body. I LOVE IT! I know that the power of the priesthood is real! It was amazing!
After I finished Juan Carlos Sr.'s blessing he got up and gave me a huge hug! Ha. That's never happened before! And then he told me that he has decided that he wants to be baptized and that he's willing to do anything it takes to join his family as a member of the church. I about peed. I was SO happy! Since before the baptism of Kenia and he boys, we've been pestering him, and trying to get him to take the lessons from us. But I guess he just wasn't ready! Now he is! He is meeting with us to receive the lessons, and he came to church yesterday and participated in all three hours!! I love seeing the effect this gospel has on people!
Friday we had round two of our end of transfer intercambios with the CCM. It went way better! The Elder that went out with me was much happier, and we had some really great lessons! One of which was a lesson with Amelia (our favorite menos activa) on the atonement. Our FHE with her and the Flia Carazco last week sparked some questions, so we had a 45 minute discussion on the atonement! So amazing! This church is true!!
Saturday was solid. We started off the day with a goodbye lunch for Elder Alba hosted by Josefa. SO good! We ate chen chen (like oatmeal but made out of crushed corn, and it's salty not sweet) with rice, beans, chicken and salad. Then we spent the day preaching with baby bumps cuz we ate so much. haha.
Then Saturday evening we had Mulk's baptism! I dunno if you guys remember him, but he is the brother of a recently returned missionary in our ward, that Elder Alba and I started teaching like our first week together. It was SO cool to see him be baptized, and Elder Alba got to do it! :) It was the perfect end for his mission!
Sunday was awesome. I love the ward of Independencia with all of my heart. We had our primary program and I just got all kinds of trunky. Ha. Little kids just make me thing of home. It was SO ADORABLE. They did such a good job!
Then in Elder's quorum we talked about the power of kindness, and one of the guys got up and shared a really cool thought. He started by telling us that this principle of the gospel applies perfectly to baseball.... Ha. We were kinda confused... Then he asked if we had to choose, would we rather be a bat or a glove...? Ha. Super confused at this point. Well, he went on to explain that if you chose to be a bat, when a ball (or a non member/less active) comes flying your way, you have to hit it. But if you are a glove, you can receive it, and guard it, and then throw it to another glove for safe keeping. Ha. I thought it was a cool thought. We should all chose to be gloves. If we are kind and open, people will notice and they will want to be "received" by us. Kindness is the only way to go diría yo!
We spent the day visiting some new investigators, contacting some new people in the section we are focusing on right now, and then we visited with some members in the surrounding area. SO great. :)
Then.... After we came home, and sent Elder Alba off with the office Elders, our transfer calls came... And, as always, nothing went as expected. Ha. I AM LEAVING MY FIRST AREA! I am currently on an emotional roller coaster. Ha. I don't even know what to think. Ha. My new companion is named Elder Logue. I have only every heard good things about him. And my new area is basically the Jewel of the West mission. :) It's called Ocoa, and it's as far north as you can go in our mission. From what I've been told, there is a hot water heater cuz it's a necessity, because it actually gets cold up there. :) Also, it's in the mountains, and it's BEAUTIFUL! I am super excited, but also ridiculously sad to leave my home here in Independencia...
We spent the day today visiting with members and investigators. We went up to café and had a last lesson with Oliva. We both just balled. Ha. I love that lady. I know without a doubt that she will be baptized in the near future, and she will be an incredible leader here in Café. Probably the first Relief Society president in the new Branch of Café!! :)
Anyway. I gotta go. I gotta go say some more good byes.
I love and miss you all.
Be good. This church is true!!!
Love,
Elder Mooney
Last Monday, right after I finished writing all of you, we went to a member's house for a Noche de Hogar. Miletis (the mom), lives with her brother who is not a member, so he participated, and also Alexa (one of her daughters) invited her best friend, who is also a non member! It was small and simple, but really really great!
Then right afterwards, Miletis asked us for a blessing of health. Obv, we said yes. And again, I just couldn't get over how powerful the feelings were while I had my hands placed on her head! Nothing but PURE love! I love the priesthood!!!
Then on Tuesday, we had one of the best lessons I've had thus far. It was amazing. We were teaching Carlos; he's a joven that was invited to church a couple months ago by some of our young women, and has been coming off and on ever since. Up until now we've been on a hit and miss pattern with him (i.e. we'd plan a lesson, and he wouldn't be reachable when we called to confirm or when we passed by). Well, two weeks ago we pinned down a lesson with him, and got started teaching. So this last Tuesday was our second lesson with him, and we talked about the restoration and then followed up on our invitation to pray for an answer about the veracidad of this church. Turns out, he prayed. He described his feelings as "full where he didn't realize there was an emptiness," "happy," "more sure of himself," "warm," etc. It was a perfect description of a spiritual witness. He knows it's true! After that we went on to explain the importance of following that confirmation, and how strongly Satan is about to attack him. We promised that if he will do everything in his power to follow his heart and to do what he knows is right, God (and us missionaries) will be there with him every step of the way. I proceeded with the baptismal invitation, and he accepted a baptismal date for the 5th of January! The spirit was so strong! We finished with a prayer and he had tears streaming down his face after we all said "Amen." I love being a missionary!!! God is good!
Wednesday: Exercising priesthood power round two. We met up with Elder Domine and Elder Alba at the chapel so that my companion could give him a baptismal interview, and while we were waiting Kenia (recent convert, the mother of Juan Carlos and Evans) came and asked us if we would give her husband and her blessings. So Elder Domine and I went with them. Wow. I cant get over it. The second the blessing is sealed there is nothing but waves of electric, celestial love surging through my body. I LOVE IT! I know that the power of the priesthood is real! It was amazing!
After I finished Juan Carlos Sr.'s blessing he got up and gave me a huge hug! Ha. That's never happened before! And then he told me that he has decided that he wants to be baptized and that he's willing to do anything it takes to join his family as a member of the church. I about peed. I was SO happy! Since before the baptism of Kenia and he boys, we've been pestering him, and trying to get him to take the lessons from us. But I guess he just wasn't ready! Now he is! He is meeting with us to receive the lessons, and he came to church yesterday and participated in all three hours!! I love seeing the effect this gospel has on people!
Friday we had round two of our end of transfer intercambios with the CCM. It went way better! The Elder that went out with me was much happier, and we had some really great lessons! One of which was a lesson with Amelia (our favorite menos activa) on the atonement. Our FHE with her and the Flia Carazco last week sparked some questions, so we had a 45 minute discussion on the atonement! So amazing! This church is true!!
Saturday was solid. We started off the day with a goodbye lunch for Elder Alba hosted by Josefa. SO good! We ate chen chen (like oatmeal but made out of crushed corn, and it's salty not sweet) with rice, beans, chicken and salad. Then we spent the day preaching with baby bumps cuz we ate so much. haha.
Then Saturday evening we had Mulk's baptism! I dunno if you guys remember him, but he is the brother of a recently returned missionary in our ward, that Elder Alba and I started teaching like our first week together. It was SO cool to see him be baptized, and Elder Alba got to do it! :) It was the perfect end for his mission!
Sunday was awesome. I love the ward of Independencia with all of my heart. We had our primary program and I just got all kinds of trunky. Ha. Little kids just make me thing of home. It was SO ADORABLE. They did such a good job!
Then in Elder's quorum we talked about the power of kindness, and one of the guys got up and shared a really cool thought. He started by telling us that this principle of the gospel applies perfectly to baseball.... Ha. We were kinda confused... Then he asked if we had to choose, would we rather be a bat or a glove...? Ha. Super confused at this point. Well, he went on to explain that if you chose to be a bat, when a ball (or a non member/less active) comes flying your way, you have to hit it. But if you are a glove, you can receive it, and guard it, and then throw it to another glove for safe keeping. Ha. I thought it was a cool thought. We should all chose to be gloves. If we are kind and open, people will notice and they will want to be "received" by us. Kindness is the only way to go diría yo!
We spent the day visiting some new investigators, contacting some new people in the section we are focusing on right now, and then we visited with some members in the surrounding area. SO great. :)
Then.... After we came home, and sent Elder Alba off with the office Elders, our transfer calls came... And, as always, nothing went as expected. Ha. I AM LEAVING MY FIRST AREA! I am currently on an emotional roller coaster. Ha. I don't even know what to think. Ha. My new companion is named Elder Logue. I have only every heard good things about him. And my new area is basically the Jewel of the West mission. :) It's called Ocoa, and it's as far north as you can go in our mission. From what I've been told, there is a hot water heater cuz it's a necessity, because it actually gets cold up there. :) Also, it's in the mountains, and it's BEAUTIFUL! I am super excited, but also ridiculously sad to leave my home here in Independencia...
We spent the day today visiting with members and investigators. We went up to café and had a last lesson with Oliva. We both just balled. Ha. I love that lady. I know without a doubt that she will be baptized in the near future, and she will be an incredible leader here in Café. Probably the first Relief Society president in the new Branch of Café!! :)
Anyway. I gotta go. I gotta go say some more good byes.
I love and miss you all.
Be good. This church is true!!!
Love,
Elder Mooney
Monday, November 12, 2012
Hey Guys! - Monday, November 12, 2012
Wow! I love P-Day! Ha.
This week has been another good one! Lots of fun and lots of miracles!
On Tuesday night we had a super great Noche de Hogar with the Vargas Family. They are a less active family in our ward, and their home teacher Hermano Natera (Also, he's a former-stake president, and a double former-bishop. Just an awesome guy. Basically Grandad, but black, and doesn't speak English. lol) asked us if we would get involved with the reactivation effort, cuz their youngest son Guely is not baptized yet. So we're gonna see if we can get the whole family on the "get Guely baptized train" and by doing so, reactivate the family.
Anyway, we had a Noche de Hogar, and my companion whipped out an incredible lesson about the 2000 Stripling warriors. We read Alma 57:19-21, 25, and 27 and talked about the things those young men did to keep themselves strong, and how through their faith they were able to defeat their enemigos, and overcome the challenge placed before them without losing a single soul. Caridad (Hermana Vargas) was a huge fan of the fact that they were obedient with exactitude to the things their mothers taught them. haha. And the boys were in awe at the story. It was solid.
Then to finish it off we ate Tuna Fish sandwiches, that had been made from fresh Tuna that the boys caught with their dad the day before. Ha. They are avid fishermen, and they take their yacht out every Sunday and fish about 50 miles off shore (cuz the water close by is gross, and the fish don't live there anymore) and just fish ALL day long. Ha. That would be the life!
After we shared a message with her, we went and preached with SUPER full bellies. And while we were at Josefa's house, she surprised us with grilled cheese sandwiches, and juice, and then immediately after that we went to our dinner appointment with Hermana Zunilda. Ha.
Hna Zunilda made us Mashed Yuca, with Eggs, diced peppers, tomatoes, onions, and cilantro on top. Fried cheese and avocado on the side, and fresh Cherry juice to drink! WOW! I think I died and went to heaven. ha. We were SO full!!
Friday we had intercambios with the CCM missionaries again. Ha. My companion's name was Elder Diaz. He is from Guatamala, and he's headed for the East mission. We had a solid day. But about half way through our allotted time to contact for the day, he asked if we could stop... lol. I guess in Guatamala they don't contact because the members just give them references... Well. That's not how it is here. I suppose he will have a rough couple of months until he realizes that his mission is not gonna be like those of the missionaries in his country. haha. I was just kinda sad that I was the one that had to expose him to the real world... I guess it is kind of a rude awakening.
Saturday was norm.
Yesterday was BOMB TOWN. We had a lesson with Rosalena, the mother of Angel (our investigator that has a heart attack a while back). The whole day we spent having doors slammed in our faces, and having people fail us. We showed up at her house expecting to teach Angel, but he also decided to fail us... I was bummed. Anyway, as God always seems to do when I'm discouraged, He inspired someone to change my attitude. Rosalena shared her conversion story with us, and it was incredible! She told us about the day the missionaries first knocked on her door, and how weird it was that they happened to find her at her house when they did. She said that God had to have had a hand in it, cuz with her work schedule at the time, she was rarely home. Anyway, she accepted the discussions, and was eventually baptized. Since then, she's had a couple of operations on her eye, and had some rough financial difficulties and the church has helped her with all of it. She says that the Church has been the greatest blessing in her life, and that she is eternally grateful for that happenstance meeting when the missionaries contacted her. Missionary work is real! I have the power to change lives, and to bring people the fullness of the restored gospel! I just have to keep knocking doors, and seeking our the ones who are ready to listen!
Then, last night, we went to La Familia Carazco's house (Anamaria and Anamercedes + kids) and brought Amelia (menos activa) with us for a super great FHE. We had an awesome lesson about Testimonies! We read part of an article from the July Liahona that told us the definition of a testimony, and explained the gaining of a testimony like putting together the pieces of a puzzle. Then we all found scriptures (that had been previously selected), and Identified the words "I know," "I believe," and other such phases that indicated "pure testimony" (Alma 4:19). Then we discussed which "part of the testimony puzzle" was being expressed by the prophet, and then we each had a turn to bear our testimony and share how the testimonies from the scriptures have strengthened our personal testimonies. :) It was super fun! I learned a lot, and I realized how much power even the simplest testimony can have. Bear your testimonies! They have true power! And every time we share them, they grow! If you don't want to get up in church and do it (which I completely understand cuz it's terribly nerve wracking), share it with a friend, or with your kids, or with your spouse. It doesn't matter who it's to, as long as you share your testimony of the simple truths that you know to be true, your faith and the faith of those who hear it will be strengthened!
I love you all! I hope you are all doing well! Choose to be happy, and bear your testimonies!
Love,
Elder Cade Mooney
This week has been another good one! Lots of fun and lots of miracles!
On Tuesday night we had a super great Noche de Hogar with the Vargas Family. They are a less active family in our ward, and their home teacher Hermano Natera (Also, he's a former-stake president, and a double former-bishop. Just an awesome guy. Basically Grandad, but black, and doesn't speak English. lol) asked us if we would get involved with the reactivation effort, cuz their youngest son Guely is not baptized yet. So we're gonna see if we can get the whole family on the "get Guely baptized train" and by doing so, reactivate the family.
Anyway, we had a Noche de Hogar, and my companion whipped out an incredible lesson about the 2000 Stripling warriors. We read Alma 57:19-21, 25, and 27 and talked about the things those young men did to keep themselves strong, and how through their faith they were able to defeat their enemigos, and overcome the challenge placed before them without losing a single soul. Caridad (Hermana Vargas) was a huge fan of the fact that they were obedient with exactitude to the things their mothers taught them. haha. And the boys were in awe at the story. It was solid.
Then to finish it off we ate Tuna Fish sandwiches, that had been made from fresh Tuna that the boys caught with their dad the day before. Ha. They are avid fishermen, and they take their yacht out every Sunday and fish about 50 miles off shore (cuz the water close by is gross, and the fish don't live there anymore) and just fish ALL day long. Ha. That would be the life!
 |
| Breidy (left) and Jerry (right) eating tuna fish (caught from 50 miles off the DR coast the day before) sandwiches. 11/6/12 |
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| My comp and I with the Vargas Family. Ha. little people... 11/6/12 |
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| The Vargas Family with Hermano and Hermana Natera 11/6/12 |
Wednesday was all right. My comp had a surprise District leader training meeting ALL day long. So we were at the San Geronimo chapel from 2:30 til about 8.... I spent the day with the other Companions of the district leaders. One of the kids I talked to was a hater.... He had a bad attitude about everything in this country. I mean yeah, we have our fair share of trials, but he was just plain cranky. It fortified my previous mindset on attitude. I firmly believe that my attitude is my decision, and that I can choose to be happy. I know that when I am happy, it's easier for those around me to be happy as well. So that's what I'm attempting to do. Chose to be HAPPY! :)
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| Elder Fassett and I... Boy have we changed. lol. 11/7/12 |
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| The lunch that Amelia made for us! 11/8/12 |
Thursday was a food day... Ha. We were invited to Amelia's (our menos activa that had a tumor in her jaw bone) house for lunch. She made us a morro of rice and guandules (I think they're called pigeon peas in English...), Yuca (tapioca in English- it's a root that they boil, kind of like a potato), Meat balls, Dominican Potato salad (boiled, chopped potatoes and carrots, minced onions, all covered in mayonnaise), with fresh avocado on the side (she coated it in lime juice and salt), and a fresh banana for dessert! SO yummy!
After we shared a message with her, we went and preached with SUPER full bellies. And while we were at Josefa's house, she surprised us with grilled cheese sandwiches, and juice, and then immediately after that we went to our dinner appointment with Hermana Zunilda. Ha.
Hna Zunilda made us Mashed Yuca, with Eggs, diced peppers, tomatoes, onions, and cilantro on top. Fried cheese and avocado on the side, and fresh Cherry juice to drink! WOW! I think I died and went to heaven. ha. We were SO full!!
My comp and I eating at Amelia's. 11/8/12
Friday we had intercambios with the CCM missionaries again. Ha. My companion's name was Elder Diaz. He is from Guatamala, and he's headed for the East mission. We had a solid day. But about half way through our allotted time to contact for the day, he asked if we could stop... lol. I guess in Guatamala they don't contact because the members just give them references... Well. That's not how it is here. I suppose he will have a rough couple of months until he realizes that his mission is not gonna be like those of the missionaries in his country. haha. I was just kinda sad that I was the one that had to expose him to the real world... I guess it is kind of a rude awakening.
Saturday was norm.
Yesterday was BOMB TOWN. We had a lesson with Rosalena, the mother of Angel (our investigator that has a heart attack a while back). The whole day we spent having doors slammed in our faces, and having people fail us. We showed up at her house expecting to teach Angel, but he also decided to fail us... I was bummed. Anyway, as God always seems to do when I'm discouraged, He inspired someone to change my attitude. Rosalena shared her conversion story with us, and it was incredible! She told us about the day the missionaries first knocked on her door, and how weird it was that they happened to find her at her house when they did. She said that God had to have had a hand in it, cuz with her work schedule at the time, she was rarely home. Anyway, she accepted the discussions, and was eventually baptized. Since then, she's had a couple of operations on her eye, and had some rough financial difficulties and the church has helped her with all of it. She says that the Church has been the greatest blessing in her life, and that she is eternally grateful for that happenstance meeting when the missionaries contacted her. Missionary work is real! I have the power to change lives, and to bring people the fullness of the restored gospel! I just have to keep knocking doors, and seeking our the ones who are ready to listen!
Then, last night, we went to La Familia Carazco's house (Anamaria and Anamercedes + kids) and brought Amelia (menos activa) with us for a super great FHE. We had an awesome lesson about Testimonies! We read part of an article from the July Liahona that told us the definition of a testimony, and explained the gaining of a testimony like putting together the pieces of a puzzle. Then we all found scriptures (that had been previously selected), and Identified the words "I know," "I believe," and other such phases that indicated "pure testimony" (Alma 4:19). Then we discussed which "part of the testimony puzzle" was being expressed by the prophet, and then we each had a turn to bear our testimony and share how the testimonies from the scriptures have strengthened our personal testimonies. :) It was super fun! I learned a lot, and I realized how much power even the simplest testimony can have. Bear your testimonies! They have true power! And every time we share them, they grow! If you don't want to get up in church and do it (which I completely understand cuz it's terribly nerve wracking), share it with a friend, or with your kids, or with your spouse. It doesn't matter who it's to, as long as you share your testimony of the simple truths that you know to be true, your faith and the faith of those who hear it will be strengthened!
I love you all! I hope you are all doing well! Choose to be happy, and bear your testimonies!
Love,
Elder Cade Mooney
Monday, November 5, 2012
Happy P-Day! - Monday, November 5, 2012
Hello fantastic family and friends,
It’s getting harder and harder to believe how quickly these weeks are flying by. This last one was great!
Tuesday was a discouraging day… All of our appointments failed us, so we did a TON of contacting, and even that just felt ineffective. Then 7 pm rolled around, and we had already exhausted our plans AND backup plans for the evening… So we decided to visit a member’s house. It came down to the two closest members (La Familia Carazco or La Familia Guzman), and we ended up opting for La Familia Guzman. We walked up the hill to their house, and as always were welcomed as family. Then Hna Guzman sat us down and told us that God had heard her prayers and that He had sent us. I guess she has been having a lot of headaches as of late, and it was worse than usual on Tuesday.
Anyway, she had received a blessing of comfort from her son Agustin, but because there aren’t two priesthood holders in the house, she hadn’t had a blessing for the sick yet. She said that a little while before we showed up she was telling Amelia (her daughter) that she needed help remembering to call the missionaries later to ask us for a blessing. Well, it slipped her mind, but it sure as heck didn’t slip Heavenly Father’s. So we all huddled in their front room, and we gave her a blessing. It was INCREDIBLE! I can’t even explain the Spirit that was felt during that blessing. It was like being able to feel a fraction of the love that Heavenly Father has for Hermana Guzman coursing through my body in waves from head to toe. It was so cool. After the blessing we all sat down and we shared a spiritual thought. My companion shared from Alma 7:11-12, and we had a small testimony meeting about the power of the Atonement, and the love that God has for us. We all cried. And then as we finished up our testimonies, Hna Guzman stopped us, and said “Elders, I don’t feel a thing. The pain in my head is completely gone.”
I am SO grateful to be here as a missionary, as a tool in the Master´s hands. I know that Heavenly Father cares for each and every one of His children more than we can even imagine. He knew that Hna Guzman needed a blessing and the chance to exercise her faith to be healed, and He knew that that experience was exactly what I needed to turn a discouraging day into an incredible one! He is so merciful, and I am so grateful for the constant help and support that I receive from Him.
Wednesday was Halloween. So naturally we got all dressed up in our missionary costumes and went to knock on some doors. Lol. Sadly, no one really celebrates Halloween, so we didn’t get candy. But as usual, we got miracles. We received a reference on Sunday to go start teaching a lady named Ana, so we got her address, and then on Wednesday night we embarked on the house hunt. As it usually is, I was expecting to get to the street and then just ask around for an hour or so until we found her (addresses do nothing for you in this country…. NO organization) or give up.
So we started in on that, and as we were making our way up the street, Shirley, a lady from our ward, stopped us in the street, and said “are you looking for Ana?” Ha. We were actually looking for Alourcin Charles, and not having any luck… Turns out she goes by Ana, and she happens to be Shirley’s sister-in-law. So she led us through a maze behind some houses to Ana. Ha. It was a HUGE tender mercy of the Lord. We could’ve spent hours looking for her and never would have found her in that back ally!
Then, that same night, we stopped at the Grocery Store and picked up a pumpkin. Lol. We brought it home, cleaned it out, and then carved it into a Missionary. Ha. Then we took a bunch of pictures with it while we ate chocolate and talked on the roof. It was basically an American Halloween! So fun!
I love and miss you all! I hope you’re all doing well, reading your scriptures and praying always! Keep the faith!
Love, Elder Cade Mooney
It’s getting harder and harder to believe how quickly these weeks are flying by. This last one was great!
Tuesday was a discouraging day… All of our appointments failed us, so we did a TON of contacting, and even that just felt ineffective. Then 7 pm rolled around, and we had already exhausted our plans AND backup plans for the evening… So we decided to visit a member’s house. It came down to the two closest members (La Familia Carazco or La Familia Guzman), and we ended up opting for La Familia Guzman. We walked up the hill to their house, and as always were welcomed as family. Then Hna Guzman sat us down and told us that God had heard her prayers and that He had sent us. I guess she has been having a lot of headaches as of late, and it was worse than usual on Tuesday.
Anyway, she had received a blessing of comfort from her son Agustin, but because there aren’t two priesthood holders in the house, she hadn’t had a blessing for the sick yet. She said that a little while before we showed up she was telling Amelia (her daughter) that she needed help remembering to call the missionaries later to ask us for a blessing. Well, it slipped her mind, but it sure as heck didn’t slip Heavenly Father’s. So we all huddled in their front room, and we gave her a blessing. It was INCREDIBLE! I can’t even explain the Spirit that was felt during that blessing. It was like being able to feel a fraction of the love that Heavenly Father has for Hermana Guzman coursing through my body in waves from head to toe. It was so cool. After the blessing we all sat down and we shared a spiritual thought. My companion shared from Alma 7:11-12, and we had a small testimony meeting about the power of the Atonement, and the love that God has for us. We all cried. And then as we finished up our testimonies, Hna Guzman stopped us, and said “Elders, I don’t feel a thing. The pain in my head is completely gone.”
I am SO grateful to be here as a missionary, as a tool in the Master´s hands. I know that Heavenly Father cares for each and every one of His children more than we can even imagine. He knew that Hna Guzman needed a blessing and the chance to exercise her faith to be healed, and He knew that that experience was exactly what I needed to turn a discouraging day into an incredible one! He is so merciful, and I am so grateful for the constant help and support that I receive from Him.
Wednesday was Halloween. So naturally we got all dressed up in our missionary costumes and went to knock on some doors. Lol. Sadly, no one really celebrates Halloween, so we didn’t get candy. But as usual, we got miracles. We received a reference on Sunday to go start teaching a lady named Ana, so we got her address, and then on Wednesday night we embarked on the house hunt. As it usually is, I was expecting to get to the street and then just ask around for an hour or so until we found her (addresses do nothing for you in this country…. NO organization) or give up.
So we started in on that, and as we were making our way up the street, Shirley, a lady from our ward, stopped us in the street, and said “are you looking for Ana?” Ha. We were actually looking for Alourcin Charles, and not having any luck… Turns out she goes by Ana, and she happens to be Shirley’s sister-in-law. So she led us through a maze behind some houses to Ana. Ha. It was a HUGE tender mercy of the Lord. We could’ve spent hours looking for her and never would have found her in that back ally!
Then, that same night, we stopped at the Grocery Store and picked up a pumpkin. Lol. We brought it home, cleaned it out, and then carved it into a Missionary. Ha. Then we took a bunch of pictures with it while we ate chocolate and talked on the roof. It was basically an American Halloween! So fun!
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| We carved a missionary. 10/31/12 |
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| Pumpkin carving fun |
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| We ate chocolate on our roof. With our pumpkin. 10/31/12 |
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| Halloween party |
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| spooky moon |
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cool night shot of the city 10/31/12
On Friday we were teaching Amelia (one of our new investigators) and got to talking about her family. Turns out, she is Josefa’s (one of our progressing investigators) sister! Ha. It is a small world… We had no idea they were related, but I’m super excited about it! They are both progressing really well, and now they will both have a buddy to investigate the church with! God is good!
On Saturday morning my companion and I looked at our pumpkin, which was beginning to decay, and received some inspiration from the spirit of fun. Haha. We decided to run down to the beach for exercise, and take it with us. We picked a good spot on the Molicon and Elder Maner hucked it out into the sea. He told me it would sink, and I told him if it floated he owed me a peso. Yep, it floats. Ha. Then we yelled “Wilson!!!” a bunch of times in the best Tom Hanks voices we could muster. Definitely an inspired activity. |
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| My comp with the pumpkin. 11/3/12 |
the pumpkin in the ocean.
Last night we had an AMAZING family home evening with Josefa and Kimberly. We invited Hna Guzman to come with us, and I’m SO glad we did! We also invited Amelia (Josefa’s sister/our investigator), and some young women from the ward. So while we were waiting for the other people to show up, Hna Guzman and Josefa got to talking, and somehow Hna Guzman’s conversion story came up; so she recounted it. It was PERFECT!! She talked about her challenge with giving up Coffee. It was a weird coincidence… We didn’t know that that had been a challenge for her, but it was exactly what Josefa needed to hear! That is the one and only thing in her life that she needs to change before she can be baptized! I was SO grateful for Hna Guzman and the guidance of the Spirit! I know it strengthened Josefa’s testimony of the Word of Wisdom, cuz it strengthened mine FOR SURE!
Well, the young women never showed up, and Amelia called and bailed, so we had a little Noche de Hogar just the four of us. We watched the Joseph Smith movie, and then ate Chaca (Pronounced Cha-ká). Ha. It was awesome.
Well, the young women never showed up, and Amelia called and bailed, so we had a little Noche de Hogar just the four of us. We watched the Joseph Smith movie, and then ate Chaca (Pronounced Cha-ká). Ha. It was awesome.
Eating Chaca (pronounced Cha-ká) It's a pudding like substance that they make out of corn. They take corn (that has been dried and smashed up) boil it for a couple hours, then put in milk, raisins, cinnamon, and lots of sugar. I think it's what Nana valiantly attempted to make for my missionary dinner. But they serve it hot, and they make it out of that special corn that is probably only sold here in the DR. 11/4/12
This morning was a little crazy. We cleaned our house, and then headed for the Zone activity. We called a taxi to take us, but about half way there the car broke down. Ha. It’s actually not all that abnormal… We got out and pushed it to see if we could get it push started, but it didn’t work… But there happened to be two other taxi’s sitting on the side of the road. So we just hopped in another one. But as we were pulling away Elder Alba realized that his wallet was missing… So we all got out and searched the road for it… but no luck. Well, while we were pushing the first taxi he had it in his hand so it had to be close by, but then we realized that the third taxi wasn’t there anymore and neither was the wallet… So we went on a wild goose chase to see if we could find the taxi driver that took it… All we had to go on was the name of his taxi company. Lol. It was hopeless. But it was an adventure. I just feel bad for Elder Alba… His WHOLE identity was in his wallet, and a bunch of money as well. And he only has 2 weeks left in the mission… I guess it’s just the final trial… Anyway. Pray for him.
Elder Domine, My comp and I at the Apolo Taxi office... Elder Alba got his wallet stolen by a taxi driver, so we went to see if we could identify him and get it back. No luck. 11/5/12
My comp at the place where Elder Ballard dedicated this contry for the preaching of the gospel. 11/5/12
Love, Elder Cade Mooney
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