"This is the last time I am coming to church. I don't want to do this anymore."

Here is my pic for Marci and Landon's Harry Potter party!

We were asked to help set up a haunted hallway at an adult dare care center. It was lots o fun!

 SPOOOOKY

 Aunt Kayloni gave us some pumpkin pancake mix that we saved for this morning. They were delicious!!

Ok. In the words of Marysa Barfuss, I am going to keep this real. This was a tough week! Here is my Missionary Work Real Talk for the week. We had worked really hard to get a part member family and one of our investigators to Stake Conference. The part member family cancelled 10 minutes before conference and the investigator (that I have been working with since Mayo) came to conference, but out of the blue he walked out. We chased him down and he told us, "This is the last time I am coming to church. I don't want to do this anymore." We thanked him for his time and told him it was not time wasted. We let him know he could call us if he ever needed anything or had any questions. We shook hands, and then he left. 

We went back to watch the rest of Stake Conference. We sat in the very back of the gym and I sat on my metal chair and cried. My plans of having the best transfer of my life seemed to be crumbling to pieces. I am not telling you this to have a Hna Barfuss pity party. I am telling you this because in that moment I think I felt the tiniest bit of just how much God loves every one of his children. Pain in an inevitable part of loving people. I love that investigator. He has had his ups and downs, but it hurt my heart to see him walk out the church doors, and I can only imagine God's pain as he sees his children turn away from Him. God loves us so much. This work has so little to do with me and so much to do with God rescuing His children.

So missionary work isn't all baptisms and butterflies, but it is beautiful! I love being a missionary. The past 17 months have taught me just how involved God is in our lives. He is in the details. He works so hard to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man. 

Look who I saw at Stake Conference!

I love you mom! I hope you have a happy halloween. I am happy and enjoying the cooler weather AND RAIN here in Noho :)

CON MUCHO AMOR

   Hna Moo

This random parade went by our apartment. It must have been catholic holiday! They all had these capes with the Virgen Guadalupe on them

Here are some beautiful song lyrics: 

not now, but in the coming years

it may not be when we demand

we'll read the meaning of our tears

and there, sometime, we'll understand

why what we've longed for most of all

eludes our open pleading hand

whatever silence meets our call 

somewhere, sometime we'll understand

so trust in god through all thy days

fear not; for he doth hold thy hand

though dark thy way still sing and praise

sometime, sometime we'll understand

sometime we'll fall on bended knee

and feel them graven on his hand

sometime with tearless eyes we'll see

what here we could not understand

so trust in god through all thy days

fear not; for he doth hold thy hand

though dark thy way still sing and praise

sometime, sometime we'll understand

though dark they way still sing and praise

sometime, sometime, we'll understand

I am told I have to set dating goals. gross.

Temple! They tore up all the grass!

 zone leaders and assistants

 picture from our ward talent show!

 Hola Mom!

For my last transfer (dramatic pause) I will be staying in Noho 4to with Hna Smith! I am also staying as Sister Training Leader. I am VERY happy! This will be my 5th transfer in North Hollywood. It is rare to do 5 transfers in an area, but I did five in Canoga Park and will be doing five in NoHo! I can't believe I am on my last transfer. It does not feel real...I am starting something called MyPlan this week. It is a program that helps me set goals for the future. I am told I have to set dating goals. gross.

Kayloni and Greg are so sneaky! Too bad I was at the temple, but they left me some snacks..I love them so much! Hna Warren and Dunn and the Elders that live below us said that Aunt Kayloni was super nice :)

The temple was wonderful! Oh I just love the LA temple so much. We had lot's of time after our session while we waited for our ride to pick us up. We went to the visitor center, and we watched all the District Where Are They Now videos. We also got to watch the new Meet the Mormons videos! It was a very peaceful, fun day. A perfect birthday present.

Miracle for the week:

Yesterday we were out looking for less active/part member families. I felt a prompting to visit a specific family, but I knew the mom would not be there because she works in the afternoons, so I pushed the prompting aside. Well if I have learned anything on my mission it is FOLLOW THE SPIRIT, so I pulled the car around and we went and visited the B....... family. Literally right when we got to their gate a random lady pulled her car into the driveway. We started talking with her, and turns out she just moved here with her family from Virginia (where my comp is from). She is related to the B........ family, so she is staying with them for the next few months. She was baptized in Guatemala when she was 8 but has been less active for over 20 years! She has three kids and she wants them to go to primary and YWs!!! Can you believe that!? I love this quote from Presidente Monson,

  

 "The sweetest feeling I know of in life is to receive a prompting and act upon it...I always want the Lord to know that if He needs an errand run, Tom Monson will run that errand for Him." Trust God and follow the Spirit...what can go wrong?

Another Miracle:

Remember that crazy exchange I went on about 2 months ago...my tummy was growling and I stepped in a wad of gum?? That man we found during that exchange got baptized on Saturday!!! I got to go to the baptism, and it was a beautiful day!

Random:

I got my flu shot this week. I got a 5 dollar gift card to Target for getting a flu shot! So I signed up for a Target membership, but it ended up being more extensive than i thought...I hope I didn't sign my life away. I think it is coming to the house mailbox. Can you keep your eye on that? The cashier was just so nice and she wanted to talk about the gospel, so I signed up for a membership so we could talk longer....missionary problems :)

I think that is all! I love you Mom! Have a super duper week. LOOOOOOVE YOU! Save a Fatboy for me in the freezer ;)

Hna Moo

 my comp got a new bag!

I explained baptism to a 9 year-old using his alien action figure

BIRTHDAY LOVE

me noticing the elders photo bombing :)

 Hna Jacome made me a really yummy lunch! SOPES!!!

Alright. You will not believe how spoiled I was on my birthday. I will have to send it all in pictures. I felt VERY loved this week. I am surrounded by very good people, and back home I have the most supportive family and friends!

Our area is doing really well! We have a couple new investigators that are progressing. Saturday one came to a baptism, then on Sunday he came to all 3 hours of church, read a chapter with a member in the BofM, then he came to dinner with us at a member's house! We are praying that he will have the faith, understanding, and courage to work towards a baptismal date :)

Funny/Random Stuff:

1. This week I explained baptism to a 9 year-old using his alien action figure. I love being a missionary.

2. It is raining here in Sun Valley! YAY!

3. I accidentally asked this nice man, "Ella is su mama?" His response, "No ella es mi esposa." I thought this lady was his mom, but turns out is was his wife. It was awkward...

4. We are going to the temple on Wednesday! SO EXCITED!

Ok pictures to come.

Love you mom! Thank you for all the birthday love :) Sounds like your weekend was a blast!

LOVE,

  hna moo

they told me, "You good teacher." so sweet 

First surprise. Our relief society president and our ward mission leader threw me a surprise birthday party!!! I thought we were going to stop by the wednesday night relief society activity, but as soon as I walked in, everyone started cheering and clapping. I was super confused haha. 

I love Noho 4th so much. I could not believe they all got together to celebrate my bday! I wanted to cry! Remember last year when the Montoya family threw me a surprise bday party...oh man....so many sweet memories!

more surprise party pics...

we ate lots of ice cream! and my comp and the other Hnas decorated the apartment!

 the elders made me brownies! yummmm

"It's Ana and Elsa!!!!"

10-11-16

Here is this week's round-up

1. We had our primary program! This year I was in charge of directing the music and one of the Elders in the ward played the piano. I love the primary kids so much! Plus primary songs are my favorite. They teach doctrine simply. We should all just teach from the primary song book! After the program the primary leaders gave us a ham sandwich, a bowl of mac and cheese, a gogurt, and a juice box...best thank you gift ever!

2. Hna Warren and I gave our training at Zone Conference. I was pretty nervous. I don't mind knocking on strangers' doors, but being in front of missionaries is scary :) Everything went really well. We taught about setting goals, making plans, and scheduling. We shared the story of the Brother of Jared and how he knew his goal: get light in his boats. He made plans: climb to the very tippy top of mount Shelem and form 16 clear stones (he didn't take the easy way out). Then he presented his plans (stones) to the Lord and He touched them one-by-one. That is when our will and the Lord's will align. That is when the powers of heaven will help up to achieve our goals!

3.We got our TIWI boxes. They regulate our driving. I will admit I have picked up some bad driving habits here in SoCal, but don't worry mom that has completely changed. Seriously the TIWI box is genius...I have only heard "check your speed" 3 times since we have gotten them hahahaa.

4. We were out knocking doors yesterday. I had my hair in a braid and I was wearing a blue shirt. My comp had her hair in two braids. Two little girls ran to the door and said, "It's Ana and Elsa!!!!" Then the littlest girl started singing "Let it Go". It was probably the cutest thing that has happened my entire mission. The funny thing is my companion actually looks like Ana...i definitely don't look like Elsa. Maybe I should dye my hair platinum blonde when I get home??? My comp also looks like Chelsea Clinton...just a side note.

5. All the sisters in our zone went and got frozen yogurt. One sister was not happy with her yogurt. We asked her what flavors she got: Pumpkin and chocolate mint. Gross. No wonder she didn't like it haha

Here is my fav quote for the week:

"We must see them ...through Heavenly Father's eyes. Only then can we sense the Savior's caring concern for them...This expanded perspective will open our hearts to the disappointments, fears, and heartaches or others"

   -Elder Renlund

Fav scripture

Alma 29:30  What is the worth of one soul?

I love you Mom! Thank you for all the birthday love. Love, love, love, love, love you!

hna moo


10-03-16
We had a great week! Mostly we were preparing for conference and working with our investigators to come to conference. The good news is we had one investigator come! Wahoo:) She came for the Saturday morning session. She LOVES the Book of Mormon, and there was a great talk about Jose Smith and his important role in the Restoration that hopefully was able to touch our investigator's heart! We really wanted her to come to conference so that she could feel a confirmation from the Spirit ...you can put your money on apostles of the Lord! The rest of conference we watched in english. 

MY CONFERENCE HIGHLIGHTS

1. JOY: Men are that we might have JOY. Do not weary by the way. Take time to be holy. Take time to be grateful. Take time to be joyful!

2. REPENTANCE: Repentance is the plan of happiness! Repentance means to learn and improve. Daily repentance is the only way to have a strong, deep relationship with our Heavenly Father and Savior.

3. BE AMBITIOUS: Have courage! It is easy to have courage for Christ. Hna Warren (the other STL) and I have been asked to give a training on planning at our next zone conference, and we have decided to make that our theme. BE AMBITIOUS! We are called to serve, and whom the Lord calleth, He qualifies. So that means that is doesn't matter where we are: California, Provo, North Carolina, Switzerland, Peru, etc. we must/can bloom where we are planted. We can set high goals, make specific plans, and have the faith to see miracles.

I am excited for the month of October! The weather is 70 degrees right now. yesssssssss. And we get to go to the temple in the next couple weeks. yessssssssss. I just feel very blessed! 

I love you Mom! Have so much fun in North Carolina!

Hna Moo