Christmas Skype Pics

There was no email on Christmas day, but we did get to see Sister Moss and all her beauty and spunk on a Skype call!

Transfers - New Area

We had transfers today and my area (cidade nova) got closed for sisters, so I've been transferred. Still need to work everything out with my new companion and my new ward. Hopefully I will get to talk to all of you guys at the same time!

Speaking of transfers, I am now in Alecrim with sister Sosa. we are opening this area. should be super good! I'm super nervous because I have more time in the mission than she does which means I am the senior companion! senior companion for the first time and opening a new area. it's a lot to handle! but I think it will be good for me and for the people here. I am super super excited for this transfer!!

Not sure if I'll have time to write a super good group email, we're a little crazy here today being pday and transfers all at the same time. we have to get everything out of our house today. hopefully we get it all done haha.

Love, Sister Moss

Esse não é a pessoa que estávamos ensinando!

Oiiii queridos amigos e querida família!! Então esta semana foi cheia de mudanças, Maxwell e milagres!

Primeiramente! as mudanças! Então, na quarta feira tive uma divisão com Sister Bradshaw. Ela é de Florida e essa é primeira transferência dela! Grande mudança para mim, para ter uma companheira com menos tempo que eu. Eu tive muito medo sobre essa divisão, me senti muito insuficiente. Mas naquela dia recebi uma bênção de Presidente Colleoni ( por causa de meu medo ). E de verdade essa bênção me ajudou muito! Divisão foi ótima!!! Geralmente (mais recentemente) tenho muito medo de falar com as pessoas e convidar-los para ser batizado. Mas na divisão com Sister Bradshaw, conseguimos alguns bons contatos e tivemos algumas lições boas. E com essas lições conseguimos convidar 4 pessoas para ser batizado!!! Todo mundo aceitou batismo por dia 17 de Dezembro. Infelizmente só uma pessoa foi por igreja esta semana, e agora precisamos remarcar as outros batismos por dia 24! Mas vai dar tudo certo!

Agora, Maxwell. Também a gente estava ensinando Maxwell, a rapaz com 14 anos. Ele é eleito com força!!! Maxwell, encontraremos 2 semanas atrás fechando padrão Domingo a noite. Ele foi a última pessoa que falarmos. Convidarmos por igreja, e marcarmos uma dia de voltar e ensinar. Bem curta, ele cumpriu todos os compromissos, foi para seminário sozinho e realmente é um eleito! Sábado a gente foi à casa dele e chagarmos lá e percebemos que ele tinha pintado o cabelo loiro!! LOIRO!!!! Ave maria esse menino é doido! Cara Sister N. Souza quase matou-lo! Esse não é o mesmo pessoa que estávamos ensinando!

Mas o MILAGRE, ontem tivemos batismo dele! Cara foi ótimo!!! Um recém converso batizou Maxwell e ele esqueceu de tapar o nariz antes de emergê-lo na água. E Maxwell quase caiu! kkk foi engraçada demais! Estou muito feliz por ele e decisão dele para ser batizada! Ele ama igreja e já falou para nos que ele quer ser um missionário também! Cara gente, ele é bom demais! Muito top! E um outro milagre tivemos, que um outro pesquisador foi por igreja ontem também! Não achávamos que ele vai mas uma surpresa para nos, ele foi! Espero que ele vai ser batizado esta semana ou ao próxima! Borá ver né?

Cara a semana foi ótima! E eu sei que esta é igreja de Cristo, que Ele é a cabeça dela! Que Ele é nosso Salvador e é sempre está conosco! Estou muito feliz para ser uma instrumento na mãos dele neste trabalho! "É o trabalho de Deus. Eu sou como um ... lápis em sua mão. ... Ele faz o pensamento. Ele faz a escrita. O lápis não tem nada a ver com isso. O lápis só deve ser usado."

Amo muito vocês!!!! Boa semana por todos!!!

Com amor e carinho,

Sister Moss

The Google Translate version of Sister Moss's letter...

Oiiii dear friends and dear family !! So this week was full of changes, Maxwell and miracles!

First! the changes! So on Wednesday I had a split with Sister Bradshaw. She's from Florida and this is her first transfer! Big change for me, to have a mate with less time than me. I was very scared about this division, I felt very inadequate. But that day I received a blessing from President Colleoni (because of my fear). And this blessing really helped me a lot! Division was great !!! Generally (more recently) I am too afraid to talk to people and invite them to be baptized. But in the division with Sister Bradshaw, we got some good contacts and we had some good lessons. And with these lessons we were able to invite 4 people to be baptized !!! Everyone accepted baptism on December 17th. Unfortunately only one person went to church this week, and now we need to reschedule the other baptisms by the 24th! But it will be all right!

Now, Maxwell. We were also teaching Maxwell, the boy at the age of fourteen. He is elected with force !!! Maxwell, we'll find you 2 weeks ago closing standard Sunday night. He was the last person we talked to. Invite them to church, and mark a day of coming back and teaching. Very short, he fulfilled all the commitments, went to seminary alone and really is an elected! Saturday we went to his house and we got there and realized that he had painted his blond hair !! BLOND!!!! Hail Mary, this boy is crazy! Dear Sister N. Souza almost killed him! This is not the same person we were teaching!

But the MIRACLE, we had his baptism yesterday! Dude it was great !!! A new convert named Maxwell and he forgot to cover his nose before he emerged into the water. And Maxwell almost fell! lol it was too funny! I am very happy for him and his decision to be baptized! He loves church and has already told us that he wants to be a missionary too! Dear folks, he's too good! Very cool! And another miracle we had, that another researcher went by church yesterday too! We did not think he would but a surprise for us, he was! I hope he will be baptized this week or next! See you, right?

Dude the week was great! And I know that this is Christ's church, that He is the head of it! That He is our Savior and is always with us! I am very happy to be an instrument in his hands on this job! "It's God's work.I'm like a ... pencil in his hand .... He does the thinking.He does the writing.The pencil has nothing to do with it.The pencil should only be used.

Love you so much!!!! Good week for everyone !!!

With love and affection,

Sister Moss

Sister Moss's letter to Mom...

oiiii mamãe!!!!

caramba!!! HUMP DAY ALREADY???? No I dont believe it, not a single bit!!! Oh man, this is crazy to say and to think that I have 9 months here in Brazil and only 8 months until I get to hug you and never let go again!!! Super excited to see you here in 2 weeks! That should get me through until Mothers day, and than until you're here in Brazil with me!!!! Man oh man I dont believe this!!! 

Maiya is 3????? Man I forgot her birthday!!!! que freaking!!! give her loves for me please!! and i saw the video, man she is too perfect!!!! 

Dont think my packages have arrived yet, but I dont know. Generally they dont contact us if we have something. its kind of just a surprise when we show up at the mission office haha!

So we do lots of small meals for dinner. Or sometimes we dont eat dinner. Generally throughout the day recent converts give us food, they love to feed us. So when we get home we aren't super hungry haha. Dont worry I'm eating tons!! No no one comes monthly to see our house. usually if something is wrong we tell Sister Colleoni and she takes care of it within the week. Shes amazing!! There's not a whole lot of american food here in the stores. Basically just spaghetti or chicken haha.

--My health is good, I went back to the doctor for my ear and he explained that I need surgery, but its not urgent. He said dont worry too much about it. Its because the bone for my ear is supposed to have spots to allow air in and out but its just bone. Donts have the space or spots for air to enter. so it needs to be repaired. But its not urgent dont need surgery right now! It can wait! -- trading clothes is super normal. I've left some of my clothes that are super big in other houses so other sisters can use them or give them to recent converts. I think I have one dress that I bought and all the others I traded with sisters. 

This week was super good!! We had a BAPTISM!!! Cara, it was perfect!! He is such a great kid and will do so many great things in the church. He already says he wants to go on a mission!! Man super happy for him!! Also, the fears and troubles I was having I feel like have gone away. We had splits this week and I got put with Sister Bradshaw, shes from Florida and this is her first transfer. I really didnt have a choice but to grow up and get over my fears this day working with her. Because I speak more portuguese than she does and things like that so it was basically a day to grow up and get over the little things! The day with Sister Bradshaw went super well! we made some good contacts, good lessons and in the end of it all we invited 4 people to be baptized and everyone accepted!!!! Super super excited!! hopefully they continue to progress and have the desire to be baptized into the only true church on earth and enter into the straight and narrow path home! Super excited to see how this week turns out, see if we will have another baptism this week!!! 

I promise you mommy, I love this work and enjoy it more and more everyday!!!

Love you so so much!!!

A Mission is not Easy, but It's Totally Worth It!

Hey y'all!! so this week I wanted to write só in english. I will do my best but as vezes I throw some portugues in there, as you can tell already! Just bear with me okay?

But really quick I want to update you all on the work here!

So first off, we're working a lot more with the youth it seems like. We have the most amazing investigator "M". He is 14 years old and is literally the best investigator I've ever seen! He does everything we ask him to do in order to progress and be ready for his baptism this week! First off, we met him 2 weeks ago on Sunday night when we were rushing to meet the goals of the week. He was one of the last people we talked to before returning home. Tuesday we went and taught him the first lesson (the Restoration). and when we finished explaining that he needs to be baptized by someone with the right authority (priesthood) he basically asked if he could be baptized this week (yesterday). we explained that there was a process to these things and marked his baptism for this week! Guys it gets better!! We went back and invited him to seminary one day, just to see how things are and get him involved with some of the youth. He loved it and the 2 days following he went all by himself to seminary! Cara, we both almost cried! He's so great!! Super excited for him to be baptized this week, and see him progress in the church!

Another investigator we're working with and have marked for baptism this week is "R". Another person we met Sunday night trying to finish things for the week. He's great and we have already marked his baptism but its really hard to find him in home. But we'll follow up with him this week and hopefully everything works out to have the baptism this week!! 

We are also working with 2 families. One who is having a hard time, struggling alot in their "marriage" they live together but arent married yet. They're great and really curious about the church but they dont want to get married and dont want to separate. Its really hard! and the other family lost their son a few years ago and struggle a lot with the idea that they think he is suffering still. We taught them the plan of salvation and hopefully will be able to help them understand that he isnt suffering and that they can one day have him sealed to them for eternity! 

The work here is getting much better! But its still super super hard! Lately, its been just my companion doing the work and I've been struggling quite a lot. I know for a fact that a mission was never meant to be easy, but i am starting to see more and more everyday that its worth every tear, every struggle, every problem. 

Love you guys so much!! 

com amor,

Sister Moss