December 28, 2015- and a Happy New Year!

Christmas was super great! Sister C, who went on a mission herself, set up Skype for us and our families and then we had a wonderful Christmas dinner with her and her family. It was a really great day! We spent the morning with Jeanette and her family playing fun card games. :D

We saw a really great miracle this week! We invited a member to come out with us to see Jeanette and her family, and he invited her whole family over for dinner! It's so great to be able to teach in a member's home, because the Spirit is strongly present and they all get to bear their testimonies, to help those we are teaching learn. I am so grateful for that miracle. :)

We've done a lot of walking this week. We park our car outside a member's house and walk. It's really fun, because I feel like Smithfield is "my town". You know? We are the area missionaries, we serve everyone here and love everyone here. We go around talking to people and meeting them and offering to serve them and also to share the truth. This is such a happy, joyful work. It is the work of God!

On Wednesday we went out to Windsor to see Wendy. We didn't know if she remembered our appointment and we hadn't heard back from her even though we texted and called. When we showed up, she and her daughters had just barely gotten home and Wendy was stressed and flustered from all of the running around they had been doing. She had forgotten we were coming over. But, she invited us in. We talked about the Book of Mormon and the power that comes from reading the scriptures. She understood everything we talked about. It was amazing. :) It was amazing to see the difference in her demeanor from when we arrived and when we said the closing prayer. She was much calmer. She said that she really appreciated us coming, and wanted us to come back again!

Christmas Eve was really cool - we had a lot of planning to do, but when we finally headed out for the day, we weren't sure what to do. We couldn't just drop in on people on Christmas Eve, so we settled with taking cookies to people. We were driving back to our home to make some more frosting when Sister Lundquist spotted a lady outside in her yard, picking up pine cones. We pulled over and offered to help. So for 15 minutes or so we finished the entire yard. :) Her name is Mary and she's the sweetest lady. I am so grateful that we got to meet her! Heavenly Father always puts us where we need to be.

Saturday we did more walk-walk-walking around. We're pretty low on miles this month and walking is actually a really good thing! We were walking around one of our favorite apartment complexes, meeting people, and knocking at doors. We saw some of our friends we have met previously and got to talk with them. We also saw Shaquea, another friend of ours. She seemed to be having a rough day, so we just gave her hugs. :) We met a lot of new people, too. Jayschele let us in, and we taught her and her family the restoration. We also met another Tiffany and taught her as well. I know that the message of the Restoration brings people closer to Christ and thus closer as families. What greater blessings could we have than increasing our personal relationship with Jesus Christ?

I know that every individual can come to know Him as a Friend, a Brother, and our Savior. Because of what He did for us, I can feel guilt be erased, I can have emotional scars healed, and I can feel peace even when I worry. I know that because of Him, God answers my prayers. That's why we always finish our prayers "in the name of Jesus Christ". I love my Savior and I am so grateful for Him!

I love ya'll! Have a happy new year!

Sister Megan Moore

December 21, 2015- Merry Christmas!

Merry Christmas, everyone! Merry happy holiday with family and fun! :D Whether it be really cold or quite warm, enjoy the wonderful day on which we celebrate the birth of Jesus Christ!

This week we had a sister's preparation day in Great Bridge, it was really fun. :) We did a white elephant gift exchange and drank hot chocolate. It was rainy and wet, but like really warm outside too. So weird.

On Tuesday we ventured out to Winsdor, in the depths of our area! We planned all these things the night before, and then our one appointment out there cancelled. Jennifer was like the only reason we were going to go out there. We're really tight on our miles this month (we have only so many to use), but we acted in faith and went with what we had planned. We spent many fruitless hours out there, and finally, right before we had to leave, we met Wendy! We shared the Restoration with her and her two super cute daughters and we're going back on Wednesday. :)

Jeanette and her family are doing well! Bishop came out with us to a lesson and we talked about prayer, the Holy Ghost, and the scriptures.

Ethan got baptized this weekend! :D Hoorah! He is so adorable. He was so happy. It was so powerful to hear his family share the talks and it was wonderful being there. I love Ethan and his family very much.

Thursday was kind of a rough day. Almost nothing we planned ended up happening. :( But you know what! Heavenly Father takes days like that and makes the best of them. :)

Friday was our mission Christmas conference. :) It was so much fun! So a super tender mercy; it was held at my first area's ward building. I not only got to see Sister Z from my first area, and talk with her, but I also got to see Sister H from Kinston! She came all the way up from NC to cater for the conference. Wow! :D I am so happy I got to see them both! They are amazing people. :D What a blessing!

Also on Saturday, we met with Kris and Shaniqua again. We also met Lenora, Kris' aunt. Wow! They are wonderful. We talked about what the Holy Ghost feels like, and at the end we taught prayer and invited each of them to take a turn and pray. It was amazing!

We went caroling with the Thomas' and met some of their neighbors. My singing voice still isn't back but I'm working on it.

So Saturday it was 8:15 and we didn't know what to do. It was dark so it's hard to visit people when you don't have an appointment. We didn't want to go in early so we decided to go visit a family in the ward who we don't know very well.

The wife let us right in and we had an enjoyable experience getting to know her! They are wonderful people. :) I am so grateful we did our best to be diligent!

On Sunday, Kristin and Wesley came to church! It's so exciting when our friends come, because we know how powerful of an experience church is. :) We had a wonderful Christmas music program with talent from our ward. It was so great! After church we helped Kristin make Spritz cookies, which are traditional Swedish cookies. Kristin and Sister Lundquist's families make the cookies every year, because they have Swedish ancestors. How cool is that!

Well I love ya'll! I know that this church is true. I know that Jesus Christ was born, and that He lived so that we can live again. :) I love Him!

Have a very Merry Christmas!

Sister Megan Moore

December 14, 2015- Dear Friends,

I want to start off my email with a scripture. This scripture has been coming to mind all week. It is found in the Doctrine and Covenants. As Jesus Christ was organizing His church on the earth in the 1800's, Joseph Smith had questions of how he was to do it. The Doctrine and Covenants is a collection of his questions, and revelations from Heavenly Father.

Doctrine and Covenants 6:33-34 "Fear not to do good...Therefore, fear not, little flock; do good..."

This scripture has come to mind over and over again all week. As we try our best to do what the Lord would have us do, we can always be assured we are doing what is right when we are doing what is good.

So this week started out rough. Monday night we had a lesson with a man who wanted to argue and tear us down in any way possible. We stood strong because we know. Nothing he can say can change that.

Jacob 7:5 "And he had hope to shake me from the faith, notwithstanding the many revelations and the many things which I had seen concerning these things; for I truly had seen angels, and they had ministered unto me. And also, I had heard the voice of the Lord speaking unto me in very word, from time to time; wherefore, I could not be shaken."

We felt a lot like Jacob. We haven't seen angels or anything, but we have seen the hand of the Lord in our lives, and we have had answers to prayer. And we know that this gospel is true, and that it is Jesus Christ's.

We also taught Ethan. He's still getting ready for his baptism. He is so cute! Ever since we taught him about keeping the Sabbath day holy, he has been praying that he and his family can keep it holy in every prayer. So cute!

So we got really sick with a nasty cold this week and it has been awful. We've kept on trucking but STILL. We completely lost our voices, starting with me, on Wednesday and they STILL aren't back entirely. GAH! Missionary work is talking. Drat you, Satan!

Wednesday we got to see Jeanette and her family. We were struggling with the talking thing so we'd switch off and do as much as we could. Sister Lundquist had more voice than I did so she mostly had to teach the whole time. Eloi, Jeanette's brother, joined us in the lesson! He was listening intently to what we shared about the Restoration. :)

Thursday we had the ward party! It was really fun. Again, if you haven't checked out christmas.mormon.org you totally should! It's wonderful.

Friday was cool, we went to the main street Christmas market to talk with people (our voices were still on the fritz). Every year they close main street and fill it with vendors. They have all these pretty lights and alpacas with santa hats and it's just so fun! We went around sharing the Christmas video with everyone who owns a smart phone. ;) We asked them to just pull it up and watch it right then! Everyone who watched it, liked it.

We taught Ethan again, he still remembers all the hand signs for the 10 commandments. What a cutie! :) He is going to be baptized this week, on Saturday! Please pray for him and his family that everything can get worked out for his baptism. :) He is so amazing!

Saturday both of our voices were shot. We talked to one lady, Carey, and we had a good conversation, but I started having this cough attack and so that was awkward.... So we decided to stop contacting people for the moment and do service so we didn't have to talk. We asked Sister R if we could randomly rake her yard and she was like "sure" so we did and that was fun.

It has been crazy warm here, by the way. Like in the 70's all week. Weird!

So we were struggling on Saturday. We really wanted to teach, but we could NOT talk! My voice started coming back in the afternoon, so we went walking around this apartment complex and we were passing by a door and both of us heard people talking/shouting inside. Sister Lundquist stopped and was like "should we knock?" And I was like, "yeah, we may save someone from getting yelled at." So we knocked. Crystal answered the door. We talked to her for a little bit and asked if we could talk with them and she was like, "yeah, come on in, my friend really needs a message right now." Kristy was sitting on the couch with tears rolling down her face. :(

We shared the Restoration, testifying of God's love for the both of them. Partway through, their friend Shaniqua came in, with her kids, and we invited them all to join us. It was amazing! At the end, we all prayed together. They are amazing people! We are excited to go see them this Saturday.

We also saw Jeanette and her family that night and talked about the Book of Mormon and the Plan of Salvation. They had lots of thoughts about it and it was so cool. At the end we prayed together. We invited Jeanette and Anna to come to church.

THEY CAME!

It was so cool! They came just in time to take the Sacrament. Wow! I know that there is an amazing spirit at church, Jeannette said she felt "calm." "That's the Spirit!" we testified. I know that the spirit that we feel at church is real, it is the Spirit of God. :) Wow! What an amazing miracle that they were able to come. :) We love them! They invited us over for Christmas, too! What an amazing family. :)

Sunday I had my voice back (sort of) but Sister Lundquist's was gone. So I did most of the talking. We went and taught this girl named Georgie. She's about 15. We met her last week and she said we could come back. So standing on her porch as it got dark, we shared the Restoration. She really liked it. We invited her to read from the Book of Mormon. She is so cool!

Paulette and Sister S invited us over after church for a chicken salad sandwhich, so that was wonderful. We shared the story of Enos with them and talked about how Heavenly Father answers prayers, especially for the sincerely repentant.

I love Heavenly Father! I love the scriptures. I love His gospel, I know it is true.

I thought of an analogy for this this week. Bear with me here. So imagine a big, solid rock, right? Now imagine this red velvety curtain big enough to entirely hide the big rock.

Imagine lots of people, living and working and doing stuff in front of the curtain. Some people don't even notice that it's there, others see it and kind of inspect it, look at it and poke it, but there's no gaps in it to look through and it's too heavy to lift up or get under. Some people give up and wander off. Others stay, looking intently, and wondering what it could be hiding.

Well! Imagine messengers coming from behind the curtain, they hop over like it's nothing and start talking to someone! They tell that person about the rock, that it's real, tangible, and just behind the curtain.

That person is so excited! He believes these people. So he goes and he tells as many people as will listen. The people right next to the curtain are the ones who are most eager. They've been wondering what was behind the curtain for ages. But they can't see the rock. They can't touch it. Some believe the man, and some don't. Others who ignore the curtain entirely ignore the man's message.

I will liken this analogy to absolute truth. There IS absolute, eternal truths. God exists. Jesus Christ is real. They love us. They have a Plan for us. We are the children of God. Those things are true. Just because we can't see or touch the rock doesn't mean it's not there!

God sends angels to prophets, like Moses, Abraham, Noah, and Joseph Smith, and tells them about the truth. The gospel and the commandments they want us to live. The prophets then tell us, and we have to act on faith, and we have to pray and ask if these things are true. And Heavenly Father will reveal things to us through prayer, not necessarily by ministering angels, but perhaps just by a quiet feeling or assurance that we are doing what is right.

So if that made no sense, I'm sorry ;) but it just makes so much sense to me that there is solid tangible truth out there, and Heavenly Father is a God of truth and light.

I know that this is true! I know that the Book of Mormon is true, and it and the Bible teach us about Jesus Christ.

I love ya'll!

Sister Megan Moore

December 7, 2015- Holiday Time!

If ya'll didn't get a chance to watch the Christmas Devotional, you totally should. :) It was great.

https://www.lds.org/broadcasts/watch/first-presidencys-christmas-devotional/2015/12?cid=HP_SU_12-6-2015_dPFD_fMLIB_xLIDyL1-C_&lang=eng

This past week we went to Walmart! That was so exciting. :)

This week a lot of our appointments fell through and we had the hardest time being able to share the gospel with people. On Tuesday Krystal said she didn't want to learn from us anymore. :( Tiffany was busy, and Jeanette was sick. It was a rough day! So we went and got Bo-berry biscuts from Bojangles. :D

Wednesday was unexpected! We were going around meeting people, and a lady named Maxine let us in to share a message with her. :) We had also set up an appointment with a man named Ralph, and we were unsure if he was even going to remember. But he did! Sister C from the ward came with us and we taught Ralph about the restored church of Jesus Christ, and that the power of God is once more on the earth. He had lots of questions and thoughts and it was an unexpectedly powerful lesson.

We also got to see Jeanette and Anna that night. :) Jeanette's brother Wesley joined our lesson, too! We talked about the gospel of Jesus Christ, the things that He taught us so that we could know what we need to do to live with God again. It's so simple.

You know I've been thinking a lot about the "how" of the gospel this weekend. We had our monthly testimony meeting yesterday, where ward members get up (if they feel so inclined) and share their belief in Christ with the congregation. A lot of them say that they "know" but they don't say "how" they know.

"The gospel has blessed my life" - how?

"I know that the church is true" - how?

I guess I am a nosy person. :)

Well I know that the gospel of Christ, the things He teaches, has blessed my life in that I feel like I have direction and purpose. Even when crummy days like Tuesday happen, I know that everything is going to be okay. I am doing all that I can, and He will help me because He loves me!

I know the church is true because I have read the evidence - the Book of Mormon - and asked God, if it were true. He doesn't lie, and He also knows everything. He told me Himself, through prayer, that it is true. That is a good enough answer for me!

Well I love ya'll! Thank you for being examples to me in my life by your faith and love of the Savior.

https://www.lds.org/manual/the-restoration?lang=eng

Oooh, so another cool experience this week. We were teaching Matthew and Shawna about the Restoration of the gospel and after we shared the 1st vision (below is the page that we share) we asked Shawna if she thought this actually happened. She said yes, and we asked "why?" She looked at us and said, "Because...I feel this warm feeling." We testified that that was the Spirit that she was feeling, and that this message is true. Wow!

The Restoration of the Gospel

Joseph Smith saw Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ. Of this experience, he said:
“I saw a pillar of light exactly over my head, above the brightness of the sun, which descended gradually until it fell upon me. …
“When the light rested upon me I saw two Personages, whose brightness and glory defy all description, standing above me in the air. One of them spake unto me, calling me by name and said, pointing to the other—
This is My Beloved Son. Hear Him!”

Joseph Smith—History 1:16–17

In 1820, as He had done throughout history, Father in Heaven again chose a prophet to restore the gospel and the priesthood to the earth. That prophet’s name was Joseph Smith. As a young man, Joseph was confused by the differences among the many churches in his area and wanted to know which church was right. Knowing he lacked wisdom, he followed the counsel found in the Bible, “If any of you lack wisdom, let him ask of God, that giveth to all men liberally, and upbraideth not; and it shall be given him” (James 1:5).
Joseph Smith decided to ask God what he should do. When Joseph prayed to know the truth, Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ appeared to him. Jesus told Joseph not to join any of the churches, for “they were all wrong” and “they draw near to me with their lips, but their hearts are far from me, they teach for doctrines the commandments of men, having a form of godliness, but they deny the power thereof” (Joseph Smith—History 1:19).
As God had done with Adam, Noah, Abraham, Moses, and other prophets, He called Joseph Smith to be a prophet through whom the complete gospel was restored.

November 30, 2015- What a wonderful week!

Tuesday we were going about trying to find people to see and teach and we were not having a lot of success. It was about 2 in the afternoon and yet again no one was opening their doors. We saw a girl down the street putting up some Christmas decorations, so we went and asked her if she needed any help. She let us help her wrap some ribbon around their light post. We talked to her and got to know her a little better, and learned about how much she loves decorating! She said, "You wanna see the decorations inside the house?"

So we went inside, and saw all her amazing decorations. She is really good! Her name is Jeanette. :) We shared the Restoration with her and she loved it! She said that she would be baptized if she knew it were true. Wow!

We went and saw Krystal again and talked about the Book of Mormon. She is really unsure about everything, still, but said she would be willing to read and try it out.

We saw Kristin that night - she has read just a little bit of the Book of Mormon. She says it's really interesting! We're excited for her to read more and to learn more. The Book of Mormon is so special. I know that as I read it I feel closer to my Savior. My love for Him grows! I want to learn more about Him, His life, and what He wants me to do. I feel happy. So I am so excited for other people to have that experience as well!

Wednesday was a packed day. We had so much to do that we ate lunch on the run.We saw Patricia. She said that she wants to be baptized. She prayed about a day, and felt like January 30th is the day she should be baptized! Wow! She said that she knows this is what she should do, and that she is going to move forward in faith.

We saw Dee. She says that she doesn't feel ready to make the decision to be baptized right now. :( She is so wonderful and understood and believes all the things we shared with her. She is just afraid of change. I wish oh I wish a member had been there to tell her about their experience. But maybe now is just not the right time...

We picked up Rachel and away we went on a whirlwind adventure! We ventured down to Suffolk to see Zi again. It was an odd lesson, though. His mother was really exhausted so she went to sleep and left the three of us with Zi and his sister Keke, and then two other adults who I am not sure how they are related...?

Anyway

we started teaching Zi and Keke, we invited the two other people but they declined, they said they'd listen from there. Zi did not seem very interested in the lesson at all and I was like "well...this is just not going to go very well."

But, somehow, as the Spirit came into the lesson, one of the people came over and joined us, and at the lesson, helped us teach Zi how to pray. We invited all three of them to pray with us, right then, and they did! It was so cool. We committed Zi and Keke to pray that night. There was no way that we could have brought the lesson around in that way. This work is led and guided by the Spirit of God, I know it!

So, super cool, on Tuesday Sister Lundquist and I were practicing for lessons and we practiced teaching with Sister F in mind. We have never met her, but we were hoping to see her Tuesday. We didn't end up doing that. However, on Wednesday, with Rachel, we went by her place and she was there! She let us in and we shared a lesson with her. How amazing is that? The Spirit guides us as we prepare!

We taught Tiffany again, Wednesday night. She read 1 Nephi 1-7! Wow! And she had questions about it. It was amazing! She and her mom were there, and they both want to be baptized. They both want to learn a little more, though, first. So cool! Please, pray for them both to continue to learn and grow and prepare for baptism.

Thursday was Thanksgiving! We had our weekly planning like normal and then went to the Harvey's for dinner. They are so cool. They just moved in, and Brother Harvey loves to cook. Sister Harvey is a cosmetologist like Sister Lundquist. They have the cutest two girls. Addie, who is 2, and Rosie (with bright red hair!) who is 6 months.

I am so grateful to be a missionary! I am so grateful to be serving the Lord. I am grateful for the Holy Ghost who guides and leads this work. I am grateful for Jesus Christ, and all that He has done for all of us!

Also, check this out!
https://www.mormon.org/christmas?cid=HP_SU_11-29-2015_dMIS_fSPC_xLIDyL1-A_

Friday we had district meeting, and then we saw the Flippos, and then we went to the edge of the earth! AKA Windsor, Virginia.

It is really far away and requires lots of miles. We had the miles to spare and we really wanted to go, so we made it a "Windsor day". We went out and saw as many people as we could. The first person we met wasn't interested, so we went down the street and knocked at a door and they let us right in. We shared the message of the Restoration of the gospel and James asked, "Why doesn't everyone know about this?" Great question, James, great question. That's why there are missionaries! So everyone can know and receive the opportunity to ask if it's true! And if it's true, what then? They have the opportunity to act on the knowledge that they receive.

We met this amazing lady named Sister B. She has not come to church for a while and has had a rough life lately. She was baptized only 5 or so years ago but knows a lot about the church. We had an amazing lesson with her and her boyfriend. She is wonderful. I know that if she really decided to, that she'd come back in a flash. We are hoping to go and see them again!

We visited all the active members in Windsor, because we don't know them as well. They are all wonderful people. :) We discovered that Sister P has a 3D printer! That was so fun. Sister T has had a really hard year. :( Sister W is Sister B's visiting teacher (she goes and visits her every month and makes sure she's doing okay). We expressed Sister B's thanks for all that Sister W does. I really love getting to know the people!

Saturday was so crazy amazing!

So we had another appointment with Jeanette, so we were going to see people who lived nearby right before. We made a return appointment with one lady (also named Tiffany), and we were walking down the street when we saw a couple and a little girl working on putting out Christmas decorations. We asked if we could help, and they declined. We told them who we are and what we do. "We serve ya'll, so if you need your lawn mowed or help with dishes or anything..." I said.

"Wait wait wait -" said the man. "So you're telling me if I said yes, you would mow my lawn in dresses and flats?"

"Yes," Sister Lundquist and I said simultaneously.

He was dumbstruck by that. He started asking us all these questions, and after a while we offered to share our message with him. "Do you want to know why we do what we do?"

We shared the Restoration with them, and he was intently listening. We gave him a Book of Mormon and he said "I'm going to read this, from cover to cover!" "I've never seen an index like this..." It was so cool! His name is Matthew and his wife's name is Ashley, and we're going to be dropping back by this week!

We taught Jeanette and her mother, Anna about the Book of Mormon. It was so cool! We told them about how it takes place here, and Jeanette got so excited. She was looking at the pictures and she was like "this is Mexico!"

Exactly!

We invited Anna to pray at the end, and she prayed in Spanish and it was so powerful. :) Wow! I am so excited for them! They said they were going to come to church, but they didn't :(

We saw the Fountains that night and shared a thought with them. They have so many friends they want to share the gospel with! We're excited to help them!

There were some other things that happened this week but mostly that's everything. This is literally the Lord's work, "to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man" (Moses 1:9) and I am so grateful to be here, and to be an instrument in His hands in helping those around me.

I love ya'll!

Sister Moore

November 23, 2015- Service Softens Hearts

Happy Thanksgiving, ya'll!

This week has been so busy and so full of miracles! Haha sometimes some of our plans were a bust, but that's okay.

 On Wednesday we had this idea where we would go out in our jeans with rakes and offer to rake people's lawns. We had a few potential investigators in mind to offer to help, but one of them was about to leave for someplace, and the other's lawn was immaculate. So we went around looking for random people's lawns to rake and everyone had already raked. Man!

But that afternoon we went to Smithfield main street and taught Dee! Dee is the one we helped put decorations out with. We taught her in her quaint little shop next to the reindeer display and open shop door about the Restoration of the gospel of Jesus Christ, Joseph Smith, and the Book of Mormon. We invited her to be baptized if she knew it was true, and she said, "I will need to pray about it." Wow! We're going to see her again this Wednesday!

We had dinner at Sister D's, and at the end of our little spiritual thought we asked if there was anything we could do for her. She said, kind of jokingly, "yeah, wash my windows for me." We laughed and we were like, "of course, what day?" And she was like, " are you serious?" and we were like "yeah!" So we set up a time to come over and wash them!

Thursday was so great, we had all these plan for the afternoon but ended up doing something completely different. We met a woman named Ragini waiting at the bus stop for her child to get home from school. We offered to share our brief message and she said yes. So we said a prayer right there and shared part of the Restoration in about 3 minutes. We asked her about her faith in God, and also invited her to be baptized if she knew it were true. She said, "Well yes, but I'd want to know more first..." So we set up another appointment with her! "Well, I'm always at the bus stop on weekdays," she said. Sadly, she wasn't there on Friday. :( But we're going to see her again! She said she'd even bring her friend, next time, too!

We're still working with Ethan, and helping him prepare to be baptized on the 19th. He is SO CUTE. We were talking to him about the Sacrament on Thursday night, and wordlessly, he went to his stash of  church books and found a picture of the Sacrament and showed it to us. He is so so cute. We're so excited for him!

Oh, that day we also saw Sarah again! She wasn't there when we went back for our appointment. She was walking in the neighborhood with her kids and we said hi. It was neat, we were actually planning on walking to her house to see her and then suddenly there she was. The promptings of the Spirit are a real thing ;) So we asked her if she read the pamphlet and she was like "yeah" and we said "well do you have any questions" and she said, "Well the only thing I'd have questions or doubts about would be Joseph Smith" and we were like "Well, what are your questions?' and she was like "isn't there a scripture about no more prophets after Jesus Christ?" and we said "Well, we don't know we'll look it up. :) But we do know that we have prayed and asked and we know for ourselves that Joseph Smith was called of God to be a prophet. We know that the Book of Mormon is true, and we know that this is the church of Jesus Christ established on the earth today." At the beginning of our conversation, she was like "well, I'm in and out so there's not really any good time to catch me" and at the end she was like "actually, I'm home most of the time". It was so amazing to see that change in her. We know she felt the Spirit as we talked.

Friday we washed Sister D's windows and it was so fun. :) That afternoon we went to see Krystal! So Krystal is the lady who we miraculously met last week. So it seems like that inbetween the last time we saw her somebody has been telling her negative things about the church. We shared the Restoration and she brought up a few concerns she had about church history and Joseph Smith. But just like with Sarah we said, " All we can do is invite. Will you pray and ask if this is true? It is either true, or it is not." She said she would. Then we said, "We know that it is true. We know Jesus Christ changes lives. We know you can find out for yourself that this is His truth and what He wants you to do."

After the closing prayer, we noticed a hamper of clean clothes. We asked, "hey, can we help you fold your laundry?" She was hesitant at first but we insisted. :) Then she was like," Hey, if you really want to help me I actually need some help back here"  So we followed her to her pantry and helped her reorganize it. She was really thankful. I know that service softens hearts! No matter what things she might have heard about us, we believe in Christ and we are doing our best to be like Him. I know that this is His church and I know that this gospel is true. As I've read the Book of Mormon I've come to know and love my Savior. It has prompted me to want to read the Bible and to learn more about His life. I love Jesus Christ. :)

This is His work!

There were a lot more things that happened this week, but I'm running out of email time for today! Just know that I love ya'll and I am so glad I know each and every one of you! Have a wonderful Thanksgiving!!!

Sister Megan Moore

November 17, 2015- You Can Do It!

WOW this week was amazing.

So Monday was full of amazing things, we got to see Kristin again and talk to her about the Book of Mormon. The first thing she said when we handed it to her was, "wow, I'm going to read this!"

Yay! Kristin is amazing. :)

We also got to go meet Patricia. She has been meeting with missionaries for 8+ years. She knows the Book of Mormon is true and wants to be a member of the church, but says she just doesn't know if she can commit to coming every Sunday because of her schedule. Patricia! We invited her to be baptized, and there are a few other things that are concerns for her, but we feel so much hope for her to have this blessing in her life sometime soon! :)

Tuesday we had a sisters conference in Portsmouth. All the sisters in our mission in Virginia came, and I got to see *almost* all of my previous companions who are still out! (Sister Allred is still in NC) That made me so happy. :) At one point in the conference, President Baker addressed us, and he spoke about the concept of just having a little humor. To laugh and to see the humor in every day life. It was amazing. :) He told us some jokes and everything. To laugh instead of getting mad, or feeling bitter. To laugh if we mess up. It's okay! Life goes on. :)

That night we met with a less-active family (M's) who are so amazing! Their son turned 8 this summer and we committed him to be baptized on December 19th. His family is so excited! They are wonderful people and we are so excited for them to return to church again and have all the blessings that comes from church attendance. There is an amazing Mormon message on mormonchannel.org that talks about how consistent light (aka church, praying, reading) doesn't seem to make much of a difference on sapling's growth day-to-day, but over time shows a discernible difference in size between a tree that had consistent light and one that did not. It is the same with church! It is the same with us! Our faith and hope and trust in Christ, our testimonies, and our joy is like that tree. I know it! I love it. :)

Wednesday was wonderful too. We met the W's and got to chat with them and get to know them. He has two kids, Tiffany and Shane, who have not been baptized. They are in their 20's. We shared the Book of Mormon with them and they were interested and wanted to know more!

Thursday was silly. :) We had a return appointment with a lady who refused to tell us her name. We didn't think she would actually be there...We for some reason went two hours early. She answered the door and said, "It's not three!" and closed it again. Hahaha. So we went back and shared the Restoration with her.

 Her name is Gail and she is super funny. She said she knew everything we shared was true, but wasn't willing to pray about it, meet with us again, or "commit to anything." Interesting. She knows the choice she needs to make, but she just wants to think about it. We invited her to be baptized, but again she said she didn't want to commit.

Friday was district meeting, which is always great. And then we saw the F's like we do every Friday. :) Brother F is loving his new job. We talked with them about the example of Ammon.

That night, we had exchanges, and Sister Kunzler came here to be with me! Wow! It was so fun. :) While walking in to the apartment we saw a guy working on his motorcycle so we stopped to talk with him. We said "hi, how are you doing?" and the first thing he said was "All right, all right already, I will go get my phone right now and watch the video!"

His name is Mike and we've actually met and talked with him multiple times, haha. To our credit, he had a motorcycle helmet on, and I remembered his name after we started talking with him. So we watched "Because He Lives" right there on his phone outside in the cold. He liked it. He had lots of questions for us. He said if he was around he'd actually like to talk with us. Wow! The miracles of following up!!

Saturday, Sister Stoecker invited us to come to the Farmer's Market. So Sister Kunzler and I went and there were so many people to talk to we didn't know what to do with ourselves! We walked around, talking with people, and inviting them to hear our message. It was fun, because we had lots of meaningful, good conversations with people. We met two guys named Ronny and Will who had come down for the antique farmer's market from New York. We also met two gals in one of the shops who were visiting from Virginia Beach, and they said they'd love to watch the video we left with them. It was a fun, yet tiring day! Sister Kunzler and I had to sample the Dill Pickle Peanuts because, after all, we served in the pickle capital of NC together. :D

They weren't half bad, just a little spicy.

That night, we exchanged back (after eating a ridiculous amount of Bojangles chicken...) and Sister Lundquist and I went and saw the Evers. So we didn't have an appointment for the nighttime so we called them and asked if we could come see them. At first she said it wouldn't work out, maybe another night. Then later she called us back and said actually, yes, we could come. So we went. As we were pulling up, Elder Hatfield literally had his hand in the air to knock on their door. "WAIT!" We shouted. "We have an appointment!"

We felt kinda bad...but what are you gonna do, you know?

we love the Evers! We shared a message on the Book of Mormon, and Tyler said, "actually, on Friday I was talking to my friends on the bus about what we believe and my friend Daily seemed interested so I said I would get her a Book of Mormon."

...WOW!

So we gave him one to give away and it was so cool. Sister Evers was like "Heavenly Father definitely knew we needed a message tonight because I felt prompted to call you back. Perhaps it was just so Tyler could have a copy to give away!"

Heavenly Father is amazing! I love Him. :)

Yesterday was really neat, one of the general authorities came and visited our mission. We had a huge conference in Virginia Beach. We met in the Kempsville chapel, my first building! Ah, the memories! I was so excited and happy as we drove into town. "So-and-so lives down this road!" I kept saying to Sister Lundquist. "That's nice...?" she would say. Hahaha :) It was so fun.

Well I love ya'll so much!!! Have a wonderful week!

Keep on keeping on!

Oh, and so the title of my email. We went to shake Elder Arnold's hand at the end of the conference and he looked me right in the eyes and said "You can do it." These men truly are called of God, I know it! I love this work, it is the Lord's work. I hope ya'll see the hand of the Lord in your lives today and look for opportunities to share this gospel, that makes us so happy, with others!

Sister Moore

 

 

November 9, 2015- Follow Up Follow Up Follow Up! :)

This week has been so busy and so full of miracles. :)

On Monday we got to spend time with Sister S. It was rainy so we stayed inside and played board games. :) It was a fun way to spend an afternoon!

Tuesday we had things fall through, which was disappointing, but we were able to spend a lot of time just walking around and getting to talk with people. The rain let up a little bit, so we went walking in a neighborhood. We followed up with Da'ani, the first person that we met this transfer! She was happy to see us, but said that the weekend would be better. So we set up a time to come back!

While we were walking around, we knocked on some doors. We had an interesting experience with a woman that we met who did not believe in Jesus Christ. While we stood at the door, we talked to her about her beliefs and about who she is, and we had a positive conversation. But as we were going to leave, I just felt like I had to say something. I am a representative of Jesus Christ, called as a missionary to testify of Him, and what He did for us! So I said, "I respect the things that you believe, but I felt like I should share with you that I know that Jesus Christ is the Savior of the world, and that He loves you." It was kind of scary, I didn't know how she would react, but she was kind about it. It was such a cool experience, because we had the opportunity to stand up for Christ. How many times is that going to happen in our lives? Probably a lot! I am glad we had that opportunity.

That night we had dinner with Sister C. :) She loves to do themed dinners! Since Sister Lundquist is new, she did a "greenie" dinner. Everything was green! :) It was so fun.

Wednesday we had a strange experience. We called up someone who had formerly investigated the church. His name is Bob. He really likes missionaries, so we set up an appointment with him.

Bob has a lot of interesting beliefs and is not really willing to listen. We came out of that appointment a little frustrated but mostly with this sad feeling. Bob likes to feel the Spirit that comes when we read and pray together and teach, that's why he likes us to come, but he's not willing to extend any faith. It was a sad thing. :(

But that day, we were walking around and talking to people, we met Charlie. Charlie has light in his eyes and a desire to learn more, and to listen. He is married and has a young daughter. We are so excited to go back and talk with him again!

We also had a cool experience, with the miracles of family history. We talked to a man named Rod, who was waiting for the school bus and his granddaughter, and after we talked a little bit and invited him to hear our message, he said he was good with his faith. We said, "okay," and then I was prompted to ask him if he had ever worked on his family history. "Have I ever worked on my family history?" he asked. He proceeded to tell me about his ancestors and using ancestry.com and census-es and things like that and I thought "Now you're speaking my language!" We told him about Familysearch and he was excited to try it! We also told him about the family history center in Suffolk. Sister Lundquist had been prompted to grab a family history passalong card that morning, so we had one to give to him. When we left, Rod had a big smile on his face. Family history changes hearts!!

Thursday we did more walking and talking, and we met a lot of people, and not a one were interested. After about 2 hours of walking, we headed back to the car, a little discouraged. We passed a man working on his car in his garage. We walked up to him and we proceeded to talk with him out in his driveway for about 30 minutes! He was actually nice and he told us about how he is in the Coast Guard and about how he met his wife and we invited him to hear our message. He gave us sodas and was genuinely kind. We're excited to go back with a member and teach him!

Friday we had an experience teaching a less-active member of the ward. The entire lesson, Sister Lundquist and I testified of how we know that the Book of Mormon is true. We know it. But for some reason, she felt so much doubt and had so many concerns, and wanted to set faith aside. There just was not a good feeling in that lesson. Afterwards, I cried! I just felt so unhappy because the Spirit had not been there, and it was just an awful feeling. We still needed to make up studies for that day, so we came home, and just read from the Book of Mormon until we felt the Spirit again. It was an interesting experience, but it just testified to me that the Book of Mormon is true, and reading and applying it changes lives. But people have to be willing to try.

We drew pictures with Alex F on Friday night, drawing pictures from the Book of Mormon and Lehi's dream. It was so fun! :) Alex is 6 years old and such a cutie.

Saturday was way busy. We followed up with lots of people, including Da'ani. Then we went with Rachel to go see Anthony, someone we had set up an appointment with earlier this week. Anthony did not seem really interested, so we were unsure of how the appointment would go. But Heavenly Father blessed us for following up! We went, and Anthony was not home. His step mother, Kim, was, though. She answered the door, and we talked with her and asked if we could share a message. She said yes! We shared the message of the Restoration, and we felt the Spirit. We invited her to pray about it, and she said she would. We're going back this week!

I know that this is the Lord's work, and that He lives. I know that Jesus Christ lives, and that He is the Savior. I know that the Book of Mormon and the Bible teach us about Christ, and help us to come to know Him, and helps us to learn to be like Him. I love my Savior!

Have a wonderful week, and don't forget to follow up follow up follow up! It brings miracles.

Sister Megan Moore

November 2, 2015- Hey Ya'll!

This past week has been so crazy choc-full of miracles it's insane. :D Greenie miracles are a real thing!

Wednesday morning, bright and early, we woke up and headed out to the Portsmouth chapel for our training meeting. I stayed with the Franklin sisters, Sister Lowry and Sister Evans, for Monday night and Tuesday. Sister Lowry is training, too!

Our first meeting was with just the trainers and President Baker, and I was so nervous I could hardly pay attention! Then we finally got to go to the meeting where we would be assigned our companions. Ah! It was kind of like some sort of suspenseful game show...

Not really lol. President Baker gave his slide show tour of the mission, which is always fun. Then I got assigned my companion! :D

Her name is Sister Lundquist. She is from West Jordan, Utah and she is so great! She is a cosmetologist, 19 years old, and on fire for missionary work! She has a powerful testimony of the gospel and wants to share it with everyone! She is so great!

We've been having a lot of fun the last couple of days. The first day we had no plans and it was up to me to think of something purpose-driven to do! So we went out knocking on doors, and we had a lot of great experiences! We knocked at this one door with a really cute stylized E on it and a gal named Tori answered. She's 22 and newly married. She and her husband are Baptist, and he is a youth minister. We talked about Christ and our purpose as missionaries. She was so nice!

That night we practiced teaching together with some members. It was fun to be able to build our relationship with them, and strengthen them, too!

Thursday was weekly planning. We were able to finish within 3 hours, yay! That's pretty good for the first weekly planning of a transfer. We had the opportunity to teach a new investigator named Joyce! It was our first time teaching an investigator together, and Sister Lundquist did really well. It was a lot of fun.

We went to contact some members we don't know, and discovered that she was very uninterested in us coming to see her. "Don't come back," her husband said.

:( Sad day!

However, we were able to meet her neighbor, Gary, and set up an appointment with him. Miracles!

That night we had coordination. We were so determined to get there on time that we got there a half hour early. Haha! The Sumraks are great! We got to talk with them and get to know them, and then we had coordination with the elders too. The elders are both new to the area, so Brother Sumrak filled them in on Smithfield. It was fun! :)

Friday we had district meeting and we also got to visit Tasha. She's so great. We asked if we could practice introducing the Book of Mormon to her. We felt the Spirit and invited her to think of friends she could share it with. She had a friend come to mind. We're excited to follow up with her!

Then we drove WAY WAY WAY far away into Suffolk to pick up canned good from a sister named Angel. She heard that the ward was doing a canned food drive and wanted to help out! It was so cool, and a neat way to get to meet her. She was a little late to meet us, so we got to talk to her neighbors, Joe and Jessica, who were waiting for their son to get of the bus. They are a cute little family. :)

The ward Halloween party was on Friday and it was so fun! A lot a lot of people came! A lot of members brought their friends, so we were able to introduce ourselves to them. One family in particular, Sean&Heather, seem really prepared! They said they are awful busy so it'd be hard to come visit, but we have a good feeling about them! Would ya'll pray for them, that we'll be able to meet with them?

Then we saw the Flippos that night and talked to them about the Book of Mormon as well. They are wonderful! Brother Flippo likes to hunt, and he says that when he catches a deer he will share deer meat some with us! I'm excited. :)

Saturday was fun, we did a lot of service! We helped Sister Roswold clean her apartment before she moves, and then we helped the Mutispagh's pack for their move. Sister Lundquist got to shake hands with their pet wolf! (I got a video!)

Then we had dinner with the Todds. They are so cute! We felt inspired to share the Plan of Salvation with them. We had no idea that she was pregnant with their first child. How inspired is that! :) So the lesson went really well. We love them!

Fast Sunday was great, I love going to church because I always feel inspired and filled. We even got to talk to a man playing basketball with his son, after church, and set up a return appointment!

Miracles abound!

That night, we met the Myers, for the first time. We've been trying for ages! They are such a sweet family and they have a goal of coming back to church again. Their son Ethan just turned 8 (go figure, their sons are named Ethan and Caden...isn't that a coincidence?) and we are hoping to help him progress toward baptism.

Then we also visited Sister Timm. She is not feeling well, so if ya'll would pray for her too I'm sure those prayers would be appreciated.

I love ya'll! I love this work and I know this message we teach is true.

Have a great week!

Sister Moore

October 26- Going Green

Hey ya'll, so I am training!
I haven't really had time to think about it yet. Heavenly Father, over this past week, has kinda been preparing me, though. I've had a feeling, and everyone else has been telling me, that I would be training. Training means that I am responsible for helping a brand-new missionary adjust to missionary life. It's a big task!
Prayers would be appreciated, haha. :)

So today is Sister Jeppson's last day. We are finishing up a few final things, and this afternoon she is going to the mission home. It's so crazy!

This past week we've been running around like crazy, too. We have no miles to our name and so figuring out how to get from place to place has been an adventure. It's been a neat week, though.

Monday we had a sister's preparation day where we all went to the mission home and carved pumpkins. It was so fun!

Tuesday we finally got to see Kristin! Remember the gal that I awkwardly talked to while backing Sister Jeppson in the car? Well, we finally were able to meet with her. She had a lot of questions for us, and we feel like she is seeking answers for herself, as well! We really felt the Spirit and felt guided by the Spirit as we taught. It was so amazing. She says that she is looking for a church, and every time we would explain something, she would say, "I like that." or smile. Kristin is amazing! It is truly a miracle to be able to know her. :)

Wednesday we saw another miracle! We were calling people who had talked to missionaries in the past, and we called this man named Robert. He is going through a lot of trial in his life and we promised him that our message would be able to help him. He invited us to come and to share our message with him. When we first walked in, his little 4-year-old boy was bouncing off the walls and the TV was loud and blaring. We invited him to turn the TV off and we prayed with him to open the meeting. By the end, the Spirit was definitely there, and the little boy had calmed down. We testified of Joseph Smith and the powerful peace that would come into his life as he read and prayed about the Book of Mormon. It was so amazing!

Haha, we had a funny experience that night. We went to visit the Hunters with Rachel and the Elders dropped by with the Hunters home teacher at the same time! Haha :)

We've been able to see lots of other people and have wonderful experiences this week inbetween packing and preparing. Heavenly Father's hand is in this work! He loves us and knows what we need and how to help us. I know that we can be guided by the Spirit in all that we do as we read the scriptures, and pray often.

Love,

Sister Moore

October 19, 2015- Helping at a Wedding

Hello everyone! This week we started off with a lot of appointments scheduled, but everything fell through. The people we are teaching are having a really hard time lately. :(

On Tuesday we had exchanges, and I went to Great Bridge with Sister Beifuss and Sister Bohn. We had so much fun! =D That evening we had dinner with a former mission president couple. They are so cool. We got to talk missionary work and it was all around fun. Then we went tracting. That was fun too! We just went from house to house inviting others to listen to our message. We met this kind lady from New York and talked to her for a couple of minutes. I love talking with everyone. :)

The next morning we had studies and then I came back to Smithfield. We had an appointment with Heather! She has lots of questions about religion and we are excited to help her find answers.

On Thursday we ran into this really sweet gal named Sam. We saw her dogs playing in the dog park and we went up and started talking with her. It's fun to have experiences like that, because it's fun to just get to know people and talk with them. Last night we were calling people who had at one point said they were interested in our message. We called a man named Derrick, and had (easily) a 20 minute conversation with him about God and belief. I love having the opportunity to share what has blessed me so much, with others.

Thursday was cool, we finished weekly planning, had dinner with our ward mission leader, and then in between dinner and coordination (which is also at his house), they let us use their living room to plan our training for district meeting on Friday. We gave a training on exact obedience. Sister Jeppson comes up with really cool object lessons, so we had each missionary look at their name tag as we read a scripture about covenanting to serve Jesus Christ and being a witness of Him to the world. It was so cool! We pointed out that the name Jesus Christ is on our tags and that we should do all we can to be exactly obedient to mission rules because we love Him. It was cool. :)

We got to see the Flippos and the Hunters on Friday, and share messages with them.

On Saturday, the Buenos got married!!!! =D They are two members of the Smithfield ward and they are so so cute. :) They are both relatively recent converts, as well. We went early to help get the food ready, and it was so fun to be a part of the wedding excitement! Her colors were purple, white, and silver and it turned out really nice. :) The Spirit was definitely present as Bishop talked with them and as they said "I do". :D So cute! It was fun getting to meet their families and talk with them, and also to help out and serve! The two of them are so happy. They sat next to us in church on Sunday and they looked so happy! :)

Then we got to go out with Rachel that evening, and that was eventful! All the people I chose to go and visit didn't end up working out very well. The first person lived in a not-great neighborhood and we got out of there as fast as possible. The next address led our GPS to the middle of a corn field. XD So that was an adventure!

Sunday was wonderful, I came home from church really feeling filled. I know that the Sabbath day was given to us for a reason! I love the things I get to learn at church from the Spirit. I learned that perseverance to do things that are hard for us actually, over time, makes weaknesses become strengths. (see Ether 12:27) I love this church and I love this gospel!

Sister Megan Moore

Pictures:

Wedding! =D

 

 

October 13, 2015- Hello Everybody!

This week we were heading out for the night to go visit people, and as per missionary rules, I was backing Sister Jeppson while standing outside of the car. This is kind of a funny sight to people who don't know what we're doing. There was a lady cleaning out her car right next to us and as I was backing I just started talking.

"haha, just backing her. part of the missionary rules," I said.

The lady looked up and she said, "Wait, you're missionaries?"

This started a whole conversation and we talked for quite a while. Her name is Kristin, and she is a counselor. She said she'd be very interested in talking with us, so she can learn more about the things her clients believe in. How cool is that?

We also got to do service at Souper Saturday. It's a huge annual community event where people donate lots and lots of soup, which is sold to raise money to help people with their energy bills. It is "souper" successful too! We had a lot of fun scrubbing crock pots and large metal pots and ladles. :D

This week we've gotten to visit Sister B a few times, and she did service at Souper Saturday too. She is so great. There are so people you just love and she is one of them! She is turning her life around and I am so excited to see her grow. :)

Monday was Columbus day, so no emailing, but we did go play games with the Flippos for a few hours, so that was really fun. :D

Something I've learned a lot about this week is the power of the scriptures. The Book of Mormon is true, and it changes lives!

I love ya'll so much and I hope you have a great week!

Sister Moore

October 5, 2015- General Conference!

Hello everybody! Just to let ya'll know, Hurricane Joaquin went out to sea, so happily he has not caused a problem here in Smithfield. I thought it was interesting that it shares a name with the valley of my origin! =D So I took a liking to the swirling mass of destruction. Odd, huh?

Anyway, hello! General Conference was amazing! I hope ya'll had a chance to watch/listen to it, and if you haven't yet, go back and watch it! I really loved all the talks and after it ended I just wanted to listen to more! I know, I know, I'm silly. I loved Elder Stevenson's talk. He talked about feeling inadequate, and as a missionary I feel that every day! I know that the Lord will make up for the rest. :) I also really liked President Uchtdorf's talk, and President Nelson's. I love general conference and I can't wait to get the talks in print!

We saw a neat miracle on Tuesday. Sister H from the ward had signed up to go out visiting people with us, but she only had a very limited amount of time to do so. The person we had hoped to see wasn't home, so we went to see a less-active member nearby. We met his wife, and she actually only had a couple of minutes too. She was getting ready to be deployed on Friday, and said, "you can come back in six months". What a miracle it was that we stopped by when we did! I know that the Lord has a plan for her and her family, and that there was a reason we were sent. Heavenly Father reaches out His hand and shows His love to all of His children. :) Now Sister H knows her, so even though I will be long gone, this sister that we met will not be forgotten! =)

Wednesday night it POURED and POURED and then some members told us that a hurricane was on it's way! O.o

Our missionary leaders told us the things we needed to do to be ready, and to be ready to leave if necessary. However, it turned out that the storm never came. Boy did it sure teach me a thing or two about being prepared, though! 72 hour kits are a must!

Friday was super cool, we had interviews with President Baker and I learned a lot. Then we had General conference this weekend! The Mosleys invited us over to watch it with them and it was very enjoyable to "be taught at the feet of the Apostles and prophets" as they kept saying yesterday. :) I invite all of you to listen carefully to the talks and pay attention to how you feel and thoughts that come to mind. I know that these men are called of God, and that the Spirit can teach us (as specifically as needed) all things we need to know. I love this work! I love the gospel!

Talk to you next week!

Sister Moore

September 28, 2015- Cotton-Pickin' Missionaries

Smithfield is amazing- I love getting to meet all the wonderful people here. This week we've met quite a few! The ward is so great.

On Wednesday we were out and about trying to find people to teach. We were trying to find a particular house and suddenly Sister Jeppson said, "wait, you mean that house?" It turns out that the person we were trying to find was next door neighbors with our ward mission leader, Brother S.

Her name is Elaine, and she works nights so it wasn't the best time to talk with her. So instead we went next door and shared a message with the Hoopers. They are so sweet. =)

Thursday was neat! We had zone conference, which means all the missionaries from the area (Great Bridge, Portsmouth, Virginia Beach, and Smithfield) meet and get to learn from one another. It was a great conference. I came with questions that I was seeking answers to from the Spirit, and I had those questions answered! =)

We were able to visit Brother and Sister E on Friday night and share the message of the Restoration with them and their two kids. It was a great experience! Though they already have testimonies of it, the Spirit was able to bring to mind people that they could share it with. :)

Saturday we got to go to the church and watch women's conference! It was so neat! I love love love general conference and we had been looking forward to it all week. I'm very excited about this next weekend too! We are so blessed to have living apostles and prophets today who teach us and guide us.

Sunday night was so neat - we were out and about as the sky was glowering and threatening rain. We went around visiting members of the congregation so we could get to know them better. The last person we went to visit was Victoria. We were actually going by to see her grandparents, but they weren't home. But she and her best friend were. We got to talking and talked about her job and her plans, and some trials that she is going through. Her friend, Corey, came out and joined us partway through. We asked him about his beliefs, and he showed us two tattoos on his arm. They say faith one way, and hope if you look at it upside down. They both, Victoria and Corey, are going through hard things. We promised them that the message that we share would help them and bless them. They said we could come back tonight! So we're going to go tonight, with a member of the ward, and share the Restoration with them.

I know that Heavenly Father really loves us, and that we are His children. I am so happy to be a missionary, here, helping everyone. :) I hope ya'll have a blessed week! Don't forget to watch General Conference (www.lds.org).

September 21, 2015- Welcome to Smithfield!

Hey everybody! So the week of transferring to a new area is always crazy. Monday and Tuesday were full of packing and goodbyes. It's hard to leave an area I love so much!

Wednesday was the day - I finished packing up and then we were off! We rode up to Greenville where we got to hurry up and wait for the transfer van. ;) When it finally arrived, I was off on a 4-hour journey to Portsmouth, VA.

At Portsmouth, I met my new companion, Sister Jeppson! I actually met her at the very beginning of my mission, when we served in Virginia Beach together. She has been companions with two of my companions. It was pretty late by the time we got back, so we didn't do much that day.

On Thursday I got to meet our ward mission leader, Brother Sumrak. He is so funny! He apparently has a penchant for being grumpy, so everyone likes to refer to him as "Grumpy Cat". =) It was a fun meeting, but we also got a lot done.

On Friday I met the Brother and Sister F, they are so cool! Brother F introduced Sister F to the gospel, and they have such a sweet story. I also got to meet Brother and Sister T.

On Sunday I met lots and lots of members of the Smithfield ward! So many my head is still spinning from it. =) Hopefully I'll get all these names down soon.

To finish off I just want to share a thought from my studies this morning:

Alma 33:23 And now, my brethren, I desire that ye shall plant this word in your hearts, and as it beginneth to swell even so nourish it by your faith. And behold, it will become a tree, springing up in you unto everlasting life. And then may God grant unto you that your burdens may be light, through the joy of his Son. And even all this can ye do if ye will. Amen.

I know that as we do all we can do nourish our faith, we will have joy and hope unto salvation! I love you all so much! Keep being amazing and thank you for being such examples to me!

Love,

Sister Megan Moore

 

 

September 14, 2015- Transfer Time Again!

This past week has been so crazy full of miracles!

Alicia is doing really well. We taught her twice this last week and she is praying about when she feels she should get baptized. Her son, Ian, had a great experience at church. He loves the youth in our ward and feels really welcomed. He wants to be baptized too! They are amazing. =)

Then, we went out on Tuesday to just walk around and talk to people, but the place that we chose was completely bare of anyone. We knew a potential investigator who lived nearby and decided to drop by. She was actually home! Her name is Flower. She let us in and we met her boyfriend, Israel, and their three kids, Jonathan, Glora, and Sabrina. We taught them the Restoration and they invited us back!

We came back a few days later and taught about the Book of Mormon. Israel wasn't home, but we had an amazing lesson. We asked them if they had ever had an experience getting an answer to their prayers. Both children immediately raised their hands.

"I used to get bullied a lot," said Gloria. "But one day I prayed and asked for it to stop. They never bullied me again!" The son, Jonathan, had a powerful experience as well. Wow! Children have such great faith. They know that their Father in Heaven loves them.

That night we were finally getting to eat something when a member texted us. "Come quick! Two girls came to our youth night who are not members!" So we scarfed down some food, dropped everything and ran out the door. They were having a "Chopped" dessert contest at the youth night for the girls, so we got to be judges. =P We met the two girls, Leticia and Kendra. They are really sweet. At the end, Shea was waiting for a ride and she said, "Hey, I never have time to see ya'll - let's just do a lesson right now." Shea is a recent convert, and we're still teaching her some recent convert lessons. So we sat down with Shea, Raven, Leticia, and Kendra, and had a five-minute lesson while waiting. We talked about temples. Shea and Raven talked about the peace that they feel when they go, and Leticia and Kendra listened intently. It was so cool! Heavenly Father puts us in the right place at the right time.

Then! There is a family in one of our wards who has recently gone through a health scare. We made them some cookies that afternoon and then we went to doorbell ditch them. Sister Rawlings has gotten caught every time she has tried (on her mission; she doesnt know where the bad luck came from). So we were DETERMINED to not get caught. These members have the longest, bumpiest driveway so there was no way we'd be able to run. So we parked our car down the street, behind some tree cover, and then devised a plan to run around the side of their house and hide.

We knocked and RAN! We crouched down behind a thin tree and a wheelbarrow. They turned on some bright porch lights. It's a good thing we didn't run for it! We hid there for about 15 minutes, but they didn't turn off their lights! We waited another 5, and then checked to see if anyone was on the porch. Then we ran down their driveway and to our car. SAFE! =D Ahahaha! Success!

Wednesday was super fun, we got to eat with the Killingers. We live in their backyard. =P Lulu and Dicky are so great. I love them. K1 Coordination was really fun.

Friday was so cool! Both wards honored the first responders by hosting a lunch for them. We were at the church half the day, preparing, helping, and cleaning up. It was SO fun!

That night we went to the Garden Spot festival in La Grange, to try and see a potential investigator named Susie. However, right before we went it POURED. We decided to drive by anyway, and a lot of people were still there. We sloshed through the mud and puddles (in my poor dress shoes :( ) and had a fun time talking to people. =)

So on to transfers, we got our transfer calls Saturday morning. I am leaving Kinston and going to Smithfield, Virginia. It will be really different from here. A whole new adventure!

Sunday was bittersweet. I said goodbye to all the members that I love so much. =( I am going to miss Kinston, North Carolina. I'm already excited to come back!

I love you all! Have a great week full of miracles! Also, s'mores are really great. :P We had a little campfire yesterday for dinner at a member's. It was really fun.

See you in Virginia!

Sister M

September 8, 2015- Sea Turtles are My Favorite Animal

Hello everyone, this week was a blast! We have been so busy it's unbelievable...

Monday night we had dinner with the Andersons, and I tried my first ever turkey meatloaf. It was actually really good. It was something she just "threw together" but was the most gorgeous dish I have ever seen. Some people have talent! They invited their close friend, Nadine, to dinner. For the thought we shared at the end we read a story from the Book of Mormon. It was a neat way to share some of the gospel with her!

I have been thinking a lot about this this past week. Sister Rawlings and I talk to a lot of different people. We talk to people who are in various circumstances in their lives. A lot of the time it's just people we see at the store or while we're walking on the street. And a lot of times, the people we're talking to have no idea just how important the message is that we are trying to share with them. It makes a huge difference when a member shares the gospel with their friends. Because they can talk to them, answer their questions, invite them, and stay in contact with them much better than we can. We are teaching Alicia right now, and she has great friends in the church who invite her to things, sit next to her, answer her questions. We just teach the gospel. That's really the way it should be - that every person has someone , a good friend, as they learn more about the truth. Inviting everyone we see is good - who knows who is ready and prepared who doesn't have church members as friends? But also, who knows how many people have been friends of members for years and have heard a lot and are ready now? All it takes is an invitation.

Anyway, that's my take on what real missionary work is. =D It's a happy, wonderful thing! I've been pondering that this week, and I will continue to ponder! This week I am going to focus on asking members who they know who would be blessed by learning more. Friends they could invite. I'm excited!

Tuesday was hectic - Sister Rawlings had a Doctor's apt in Greenville, so we got a ride with a member, but then it turned out, later in the day, that we had to swap cars with the zone leaders (who live in Greenville) so we ended up driving our own car up there any way haha so we had to drive to Greenville twice in one day. The proper way to say Greenville is "Greenvole" and I've been asking other missionaries if they think they'll accidentally say some Utah town "Springvolle" when they get back. Hahaha =)

I AM SO HAPPY!

Sister Brown (from Mt Olive) works at the library in Kinston and she just came up to us to let us know that ERIC IS GETTING BAPTIZED IN TWO WEEKS!!!

I AM SO HAPPY!

Eric has been married to a member for a long time and he's such a great person. He knows the church is true, it has just taken him a while to decide to be baptized. This will be so amazing for their family!! I AM SO HAPPY!!!!!! The church is true, ya'll!!

Also on Tuesday we were able to see a woman named Deanna who Sister Rawlings was able to see baptized in February! Then she went into the army. But she's now back in town and it was so amazing that we were able to see her and talk to her. She is such a sweet lady!

Wednesday was a roller coaster of emotions!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Someone we taught is having a really hard time and we listened to all the difficult things she is experiencing and I cried. =( Then, one of my FAVORITE MEMBERS, had a heart attack Wednesday afternoon. He's in the hospital now, recovering. Please, please, pray for him. His name is Brother Baysden. I love their family so much. They need prayers.

Then we had a happy time with Debra J and Nancy, those we sweet, Spirit-filled lessons that made up for the bad. What a crazy day.

Debra came to church! It made me so happy. =) In Zone meeting on Friday they asked us to all think of people who we wouldn't normally think of who might be ready for baptism. People who have come for years, or family members - and we actually had Debra's daughter come to mind. Debra has been hinting at wanting her daughter to learn more, and we are excited to try to teach her!

I love this gospel and I love this work! I love the happiness and joy and light that comes into people's lives as the accept it and live it. I know that it is true and that it truly blesses people. I love love love getting to share it with everyone. Hurrah for the Virgina Chesapeake mission! Hurrah for the members of Kinston, North Carolina! Hurrah for my wonderful friends and family members who I love so much! Thank you for your prayers and for your support. You are wonderful! I hope you have a very very blessed day!

Sister Megan Moore

 

 

PS We went to the aquarium for our sister's preparation day. It was really fun! I think I love sea turtles. I saw all this "save the turtles" stuff. It was a good thing I forgot my wallet...

August 31, 2015- Need More Miles

So as missionaries we only have so many miles we can drive a month (car contract stuff) and we were running low this week...
We've been praying all week, "please help us to work hard". And it's been fun! Quite a few members have come out with us and we've had some neat experiences.

On Tuesday we went out with Sister C and got to visit a less-active sister and brighten her day. Sister C is the smiliest, nicest, sweetest person, so she's amazing to take to visit people! As we were driving back, she said, "Hey, would you like to visit my best friend's aunt Fannie?"

"Sure!" we said.

So we got to visit 95-year-old Aunt Fannie and brighten her day too. It was really fun. =D

Then we invited Mia, who is super great!, to come out with us to go see a woman named Barbara. We sat on her back porch and taught her about the restoration of the gospel. At the end she was saying, "Well, where do I get a Book of Mormon? I want to read it!" Mia was so excited as we left. "That went so well!"

As we were leaving, we noticed a member of our ward out mowing her lawn. We went over to talk to her and get to meet her. She said she has a lot going on and both of her parents are sick. She told us about why she stopped going to church so long ago. We asked her for her phone number and she said, "I'm not ready yet." So we gave her ours and left.

We saw the Tinneys that night - they are so cute! Sister Tinney told us some fun stories and we shared some scriptures on hope. We love visiting them! Sister Tinney loves to cook and bake. Coming up on the 11th the wards are doing a dinner for all the first responders in the area, and the wards are making lots of cakes. Sister Tinney heard about this from her daughter and demanded to be signed up! Making food and cake is one of her most favorite things. =D I love her!

Also on Tuesday night, it was 8:30 and we needed to see somebody. We couldnt just head home early! =D So we stopped by a member's house who we didn't know so we could meet them. We knocked and all these yap-yap dogs started barking and this woman started shouting at them and slamming doors. Sister Rawlings and I looked nervously at each other. The ruckus calmed down a little bit, and we knocked again. The dogs started freaking out again. More yelling. After a few minutes, it didnt seem like she was going to answer the door, so we made a hasty exit. ;P

Wednesday we taught Alicia again. She is doing so well! She is already reading from the Book of Mormon. She says there is a lot she doesn't understand, but she knows she feels peace as she reads, and that understanding will come through prayer and more study. Alicia is wonderful! She came to church on Sunday and Sister B took her under her wing and helped her get where she needed to go. We talked to Alicia afterwards and she said that she felt like church was familiar, even though she hasn't been in many years, and that she felt comfortable there. She said "I've been to so many different churches. At some I feel comfortable, and some I don't. I feel comfortable here." I'm so excited to continue to work with her! =D Shes amazing.

We went out with Sister O that afternoon. We were supposed to see Barbara but she wasn't home. So we chose someone nearby to see. We got there at exactly the right time to catch Alicia (a different Alicia) as she was waiting to pick up her kids.

On Thursday Sister D gave us a ride to get my glasses fixed, and another Sister D gave us a ride and fed us dinner. We've really been blessed this week, as I look back, with members helping us. Heavenly Father made sure that we were still able to work even though miles were low!

Thursday we dropped by Sister J and talked with her - she wasnt going to let us in because she was busy, but she loves talking to us so much that she relented and let us in. We committed her to come to church on Sunday - but she didnt come. =(

Friday was really fun! We had our missionary meeting where all the missionaries in the city meet together to get training and such. Sister Rawlings and I gave a training on studying as companionships each day. I think it went pretty good. =)

Then we went out to invite others to come unto Christ! We went to a pedestrian-busy street and walked around, handing out cards, and inviting people to listen to our message. We met lots of interesting people - we even ran into the Elders, because they stole our idea. Haha.

We met Ms Shirley and Daritt as we were walking around. They were hanging out outside of their apartment building,just enjoying the day. When we invited them to hear our message, they said sure.

So, standing there, we handed them pamphlets and shared our brief message. We emphasized that it really is all about Christ, and they understood a lot of what we shared. At the end, we asked if we could come and share more with them, and they declined. =( I just know that everyone needs the opportunity to hear what we have to share, and then its up to them. I know that what we share, and acting on the message, honestly blesses the lives of people for the better. I know that it can change people and help them become closer to Jesus Christ. I have seen more happiness, peace, and direction from living the gospel than with anything else. John 7:17 talks about this principle. I love that scripture. :)

On Saturday, we stopped by Sister J's again. She was practicing her bass guitar, probably for a performance on Sunday. We had a great visit with her, and committed her to come to church. I love her so much! I just wish that she would come! I know that she needs the light and peace that living the gospel brings. Maybe someday she will decide to come!

Sister Rawlings served here a few months ago, and while she was here she met a woman named Kenya. Kenya came to her mind the other day, so we called her. She remembered Sister Rawlings and we made an appointment to come by. She had forgotten, but she was at home, so we shared our message with her and invited her to pray about it and ask God if it was true. She said she would. Kenya is so sweet, I really hope that she decides to learn more! We're going back this week to share the Book of Mormon with her.

Sunday was SO STRESSFUL. We were completely out of miles, so much so that we went over getting home on Saturday night. Though I was sad, it was a blessing that our Saturday night appointments cancellled, because I don't know how that would have worked...

So Sunday morning, we have no way to church!!!!!!!!! That night and morning we tried our hardest to figure things out, but it was stressful.

However, Heavenly Father blessed us and we made it to our meetings. Whoo hoo! 6 hours of church is a lot, sometimes. Since we serve in two congregations and have a meeting before church, it ends up being an all-day thing! =P We asked a member if they could drive us home after, and she invited us to her home for lunch! Sister W is the best!!!!!

Then Sister S came and picked us up from our house and took us out to visit people all afternoon. Heavenly Father really does take care of us, through the members here! We visited quite a few people, including another woman, Felicia, Sister Rawlings had met a few months ago. Then we came home, ate something, and crashed! It was a long Sunday. =D

I love all of you! I know that the Lord takes care of His people! I know He loves you and I know that this work is real. There is no possible way that things would just work out, turn out, come out, the way they do if this was not His work. I am so excited to keep working hard, and keep inviting. I love you all! Be a light on the hill, a city that cannot be hid, a candle on a hill this week and be an example of the believers for those around you. (Matthew 5:14)

You are loved!

Sister Megan Moore