Happy Happy Thanksgiving!

Happy thanksgiving to everyone! I am so grateful to have such
wonderful people in my life. I'm also so grateful to be on a mission
right now. I wouldn't want to be anywhere else but right here!! I am
grateful for the Spirit that I get to feel and the amazing things that
I get to see happen through the Atonement. I'm also so grateful for
our Savior and all that He offers us.

I am also grateful that Missouri actually has a fall!!! It's been fall
weather all up until now!! Especially the past few days-they were
BEAUTIFUL! Today is really rainy, but the fall here is something that
Idaho and Utah both miss out on for sure.

We have seen some ups and downs in our areas lately...last week every
single appointment but one cancelled on us. Satan is really trying to
get people away from the missionaries so they don't feel the spirit.
But this week has been going a lot better!

We have been teaching Amanda and she chose a baptism date!! She chose
December 26 and we were shocked and said 'the day after Christmas?'
And she replied 'that way I will always remember my baptism day!' It
was probably the cutest thing ever! We are so excited for her and I
know that she is going to see so many blessings in her life!

We got some awesome texts from Rodrigo this week, too! We haven't been
able to see him because he has been so busy with work, but he texted
us and he said that he was going to try to read a verse from the Book
of Mormon a day! This is a miracle because when we first met him, he
claimed he was agnostic....the Lord prepares people!!

We met with Doris, who is a recent convert, and probably the sweetest
person I have ever met in my whole life. She fell back into her word
of wisdom problems when she got really stressed with some stuff and
she is trying to overcome it. When we visited with her, she realized
that she hadn't smoked in 2 weeks!!!! Which is so good!! She is
getting in touch with Bishop so that she can get a temple recommend!
She's amazing and she is going through a lot so to watch her work so
hard on this is even more amazing.

Monday was probably the best day ever because while we were on shift
we got to put up the Christmas decorations in the visitors center!! It
was so much fun and the visitors center is so beautiful! Christmas is
coming!!!!

Last week one of the senior couples went home, and I was really close
to them so that was sad. They are so awesome and I am so grateful for
all of the senior couples here that we get to learn from! The new
senior couple arrived this past week and I am so excited to get to
know them! Senior missionaries have such an impact on people and I am
so grateful I get to associate with them everyday!

COOLEST THING EVER AT THE VISITORS CENTER! The 1st ward elders were
bringing their investigators - Michael and Anthony Doss - into the
visitors center and I called dibs to take the presentation :) Michael
was found while I was with Sister Christiansen, but I had yet to meet
him! But I TOTALLY judged them when they walked into the VC...Michael
had gold rims, gold bracelets, gold rings.... I admit, I definitely
judged these two people and the spirit was not with me at the
beginning of the presentation. But as soon as those two spoke, I
realized how AMAZING they are and the spirit overwhelmed me! They were
raised RLDS but they say they know this church is true. Anthony
recently got out of jail and he said "when I walked through the door,
I felt all of the evil leave me. I feel like I am in the presence of
God."!!!! Testimony of the visitors center!!! They were talking about
their past and how they both really really want to change. I felt the
spirit so strongly and I shared a scripture and Mikey started tearing
up. I could feel of their desire that they want to join the church so
badly. I am so grateful I got to meet them and they are some of my
favorite people now!!! My lesson was learned...we ALL are Heavenly
Father's children. We ALL are loved equally by Him.

I love being a missionary! I find more and more joy in it everyday!

Brother and Sister Fullmer-the senior couple that just went home

Christmas is coming!

Crazy missionaries!

Got the Christmas advent that my mom made me!

Baby Shower = Succes

Another week has come and gone! That's so crazy! First of all, the BYU
weekend was crazy! On Saturday, we made a record and had 1,352 people
come into the visitors center! It was so crazy! And everyone around me
was wearing byu shirts... Talk about being trunky.

Our baby shower went so well on Saturday!!! We had a few sisters from
the ward show up and Jessica loved it! She made some friends and she
told us that she really felt welcomed into the ward now! She also
attended church on Sunday! And it was so awesome because Brother
Jordan, her husband, got a calling! So he is a returning member! These
two people are so awesome and I love them both so much. Jessica is
praying about a baptism date for December 5! Prayers that she will be
solid for this date!

We also got a solid referral from our elders! A guy in our ward has a
sister who isn't baptized but she goes to church every single week! So
we started teaching her and she really wants to be baptized! Her name
is Amanda and she is 13. She has such a strong testimony and is so
ready to become a member!

I keep forgetting to tell y'all about Patrick! Patrick is the coolest
guy in the whole world. He is an old black man and he is the funniest
person I have ever met! He has MS and a couple weeks ago, his electric
wheelchair broke so us and the elders were going over to feed him and
stuff. He got a new wheelchair, but he is so lonely so we keep going
back to visit with him and bring him church movies to watch :) he was
baptized last summer and he loves the missionaries!

We have been trying to just find lots of new people and contacting a
bunch of referrals and such. I have seen lots of miracles and we are
praying some of these people are being prepared! Sister Wilkey and I
are just trying to do our best and work our hardest out here!

I've been focusing a lot on the spirit in the work and I guess just
the spirit in general. I realized the amount of work it takes to be in
tune with the spirit but the amazing blessings that come from it. I
know I'm able to feel the spirit all the time here because I am
keeping the commandments and only watching and listening to things
that invite the spirit. My testimony has strengthened so much that I
never want it to leave. I know that I am going to need to make some
changes when I go back home because I want to always feel like this.
I'm grateful for this experience of a mission and that I am learning
so much about who I can become.

I am so grateful for Jesus Christ and that through Him I can do all
things. I am grateful that He continues to strengthen me even when I
make mistakes. He is my best friend! As I learn more of Him and try to
become more like Him, I am coming closer to my Father in Heaven.
Nothing is better than strengthening that relationship.

Thanks for all your prayers, love, and emails! Love you all!

Brother Jordan and Jessica at the baby shower

My good friend, Sister Baggett

The sisters I live with and I decided to try on ugly clothes from Zion (where sisters leave behind clothes they don't want anymore) and then had a photo shoot

My companion, Sister Wilkey and I

Baptism dates and baby showers!

This week I hit 5 months!!! WHAT! Time flies, and I can't believe it.
These 5 months have been such a blessing to me and I've changed
already so much. I can't wait to see the change the next 13 months! I
know for sure that following the example of Jesus Christ brings the
ultimate happiness!

We saw so many miracles last week!!! I don't even know where to begin!
First I want to brag about my companion. Sister Wilkey is amazing! She
is so good at following the spirit. She's such a good example of being
in tune with the spirit. I love her! Her and I have so much fun
together and we work so well together.

So I think I talked a little bit about Jessica in my last email but I
don't remember. So Jessica is married to a member who hasn't been very
active. But he has been coming back to church and he is a getting a
calling!! At the beginning of this transfer, Sister Wilkey and I set a
goal to have one baptism this transfer. We have been praying for
Jessica and both of us felt good about December 5. So we are planning
on inviting her to be baptized on December 5 tonight! The only problem
Jessica has been having is she wants to feel more comfortable with the
ward. So we have been praying so hard for help on what to do to help
her. We got the GREATEST revelation to throw her a baby shower! She is
pregnant with her first kid and just found out that it is a girl! We
got in touch with the relief society president and we are throwing her
a baby shower on Saturday! It'll be so awesome and we know this is
what will help her. I have such a strong testimony that when you set
goals, Heavenly Father helps you reach them!

RODRIGO!! He is a new investigator and he is awesome! We have gone
back 3 times to see him! He claims himself as agnostic and we are
trying to help him recognize the spirit. When we saw him Tuesday, he
totally recognized the spirit!!! We told him that the spirit led us to
him and he was like "that's actually really cool....and when you
knocked I was sleeping and I was going to get so mad at whoever was
knocking on the door and then I calmed down right before I opened it,
and then I found you at the door." He is prepared and he doesn't even
realize it!

We finally met this referral of ours named Tanesha. Boy, I LOVE HER!
She has so much faith and she loves God. She told us that her and her
daughter have been looking for a "church home" because she doesn't
feel welcome anywhere else! She is also so prepared for this gospel.
She is going to go to the BYU devotional with us and she wants to
bring her daughter :)

We had stake conference this weekend and Elder Baxter from the seventh
was visiting! That was way neat. And the COOLEST thing happened...
DENNIS GOT SUSTAINED FOR THE MELCHIZEDEK PRIESTHOOD!!! I started
crying when I heard his name! He is so awesome!!!

Anyway, missionary work is so awesome!! I love my companion, my ward,
my district, my zone...everything! And I love you all!!!

Sister Wilkey, my cute companion and I  :)

Waffle Wednesday at the Toronto's home

Sister Matagi showed up at the VC!!!  #MTCbuds

Gas is now under $2!!!!!

Change!

It's been SO long! I have so much to talk about!! I want to start with
a crazy story about Kansas City. So I'm sure most of you know that the
Royals won the World Series for the first time since 1985!!! It's very
exciting especially for the people who live here, since everyone is
die hard fans. So on Tuesday there was a huge celebration and parade
downtown for the win and THEY SHUT DOWN ALL OF THE SCHOOLS IN THE
AREA! Who does that?! There were 800,000 people downtown for the
celebration!

Now to missionary work :) I got transferred!! I'm still serving in the
visitors center, which is so awesome, but I am now serving in the
Raytown ward! It covers parts of Independence, Raytown, and Kansas
City. The Royals AND Chiefs stadiums are in my area so there will be
pictures in the future :) also, President and Sister Vest are in my
ward! I was sad to leave 1st ward, but I know that I am needed in
Raytown. I also got a new companion! Her name is Sister Wilkey! It's
awesome because I already knew her from the visitors center and now
I'm serving with her. She's from Logan and we are super similar so
that's so awesome! We have lots in common and I am so pumped for this
transfer! We have similar goals and I just have a really really good
feeling about this transfer.

First I got to update you on my last few days in 1st ward! Remember
Kevin? Yeah he's awesome. And we taught him last Monday and last
Wednesday and guess what.. His girlfriend, Erin also joined! She wants
to learn too! How awesome!!! They are super prepared people and it was
super hard saying bye to them.

Last Wednesday, 1st ward had a Halloween party and I was so grateful
for it because I got to go to say bye to everyone for my last night in
the area! Randy was there, Mary was there, Vicky and her whole family
was there. It was so hard to say bye to everyone though! I'll send
some pictures :)

This week has been kind of hard. Being transferred is a very humbling
experience. I hate not being able to help and that I don't know
everyone. But I am so excited to serve here! The ward is very very
different than 1st ward but it's so great. I'm excited to do work!

We found a new investigator this week named Rodrigo. He has LOTS of
questions. He hasn't said a prayer in almost 30 years. He keeps saying
that he knows something is missing from his life though. And I know
it's the gospel that he is missing! We taught him the restoration
yesterday, and he said he would call us if he wants to continue to
meet. I am praying he does! I pray that he will feel something when he
reads the Book of Mormon.

We are also working with someone named Jessica Jordan and she is so
sweet!!! She is ready to be baptized soon! I've only met her once
because she is super busy with work but I love her! Her husband is a
returning member too so we have been working with him too. Brother
Jordan was at church on Sunday and he is getting a calling!!

I love you all so much!


Sister Moss

The Visitor Center sisters dressing up as Disney princesses for Halloween!
From top left:  Elsa, Rapunzel, Mulan, Meg, Wendy, Sleeping Beauty, Anna, the Three Fairies, Minnie Mouse, Tinkerbell, Jasmine, Snow White (my new companion), Pocahontas, Cinderella, Jessie, Ariel, and Belle!

Erin, Kevin and Dennis...
Definitely a sad goodbye!

Vicky's family...love them!