Zdrasti!

Zdrasti!

That's "hello" in Bulgarian... spelled in English.

It's been a crazy week! I think last time I wrote I said it had been slower. We had a lot more events happen this week. I don't really remember what happened. We did end up finding a bunch of potential investigators which will turn into investigators this week... one of them being a veterinarian. And he's awesome. So, we're going to teach him the gospel and he's going to teach me veterinary medicine. ha!

We had Zone Conference last Friday and it was great. To prepare for it we were asked to bring a white shirt... we ended up having a training about how to iron. But it was cool because we got free Oxi-Clean out of it. I got a random package from Momma Browning. Thanks momma! ha!  President Keyes had just gone to a mission president seminar and had us do this exercise where there are two rows of chairs facing each other and you are to teach the missionary across from you either how to pray, invite for baptism, etc in 2 minutes, then switch. It was great! There are some excellent missionaries out here. It was a 3 zone - zone conference however, so I got to see half of the sisters from the VC (THAT WAS AMAZING) as well as a few of the senior couples. They talked about street contacting, teaching when you find, and how to involve the members more in the work. So now it's up to us to implement those tools into our areas. At the end, all of the missionaries leaving in October got up to bear a quick testimony. I started bawling through it. President Keyes had shared a story about an elder who was so upset, that he started shaking in the corner of the mission home. The thing that he had prepared for his entire life was about to end. I have only been out 6 months or so, and it scared me. I felt for the Elders and Sister going home. We become family. They are my family away from home. President also said that we need to be "temple ready". When I first heard that the selfish thought instantly came to mind, "We get to go through the temple?!?" I'm seriously starved for the temple. Instead, he explained that referrals are going to go through the roof, and we get one chance to teach the first discussion. One. We need to be ready and know that lesson forwards and back. I can't wait for the Kansas City temple to open. We already have people of other faiths asking about it.

The Relief Society broadcast was exactly what I needed. it had been a while where I thought "they are speaking only for me". President Uchtdorf taught about a little flower called "Forget-me-not" and how it's five little petals can give us principles to live by. Basically, he called all the sisters in the church to repentance. It was great. I loved it. I needed it. Before the broadcast there was a special presentation about the 10 virgins, some play or show or musical... not sure what to call it. it was beautiful.. does anyone know what I'm talking about? As we were walking out this sister that I've never met before says, "Sister Moore, would you mind coming and talking to my daughter?" This girl lives in a branch that used to have sisters wanted to talk to us because we are now the only sister missionaries in the entire stake. I felt like a celebrity. It was ridiculous. I really don't think I deserve such love, but I sure do love the members and the people out here.

Church was great. Sadly, one of the part member families that we're focusing on didn't come, but they plan on coming next time. That evening, we went up to the Bishop's house and set up for our part of the fireside. For those of you that did the Get Connected program as a mentor out in Rexburg, you will know what I'm talking about, but does anyone know the Iron Rod activity? We gathered the youth, told them that we were going to blindfold them, and once they had the blindfold on they couldn't say a word or take it off until told to do so. We led them carefully outside, after blindfolding them, and put them in a field. From one end, we played Metallica, and from the other end we played MoTab. We had tied a rope around several different trees and they were to figure out what to do. Eventually, one of the youth "made it home" and I told him to start singing hymns. One by one, the youth made it up the Iron Rod and home. At one point, there were several "home" watching their brothers and sisters still wondering to and fro, lost and blind. It really opens up your eyes to why we want them to come home and to be baptized. Baptism by Priesthood Authority is the key to the gate of the Celestial Kingdom. You can't get in without it. We explained that and talked about how to become disciples of Jesus Christ through the letter of the law vs. the spirit of the law. I stole that one from BYU-Idaho, too. ;) It was great. I needed it. I love teaching the youth and I love talking gospel. The Bishop spoke too and continued to be riveting. I could listen to him talk gospel all day! He shared a scripture in Alma 5:57. It says something along the lines of "if you wish to follow the voice of the good sheppard, then depart or separate yourselves from all wickedness and from every unclean thing". Paraphrased because I don't have my scriptures in front of me right now. We have to be careful that things that seem harmless now have terrible consequences later on. His focus was on gaming. But this concept can be applied to anything. So be careful. Gaming today is wicked. Violence, immodesty, bad language. Stay away from the edge, brothers and sisters. Follow the voice of the good sheppard... grasp to the Iron Rod.

And my SD card reader is dead. We're not going to Wal-Mart today, so I apologize. No pictures for a while. I haven't really changed much physically. Maybe a little bit more rolls of love, Ha! But things are grand. I love hearing from everyone every week. And someone needs to tell me... did the Dickerson's have Elliott yet?! I've been dying to know! They are due in like, a week or something!!!!

I know that this gospel is true. The gospel of Jesus Christ changes lives, as it has changed me. I continue to deepen my testimony daily as I see how the gospel is changing the lives of others, too. Jesus is the Christ. He lives. The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints is his church, the only true and living church on the earth. And what does that mean to me? Everything.

I love you, brothers and sisters. Continue to cleave to the iron rod. It's worth it.

Love always,
Sister Moore