Well, guess who's getting transferred?

We get transfer calls on Thursday, and usually if you are getting transferred, they called you around noon or 1:00, maybe 2:00 at the very latest.  So we were doing weekly planning this Thursday, and it was Noon, 1:00, 2:00, 3:00, we went out and started seeing people 4:00...still no call.  So we are like "Cool! We're both staying here another transfer!"  At 4:45, we get a call from the APs.  They informed us that Sister Stephens is staying and that Sister Fa'oa, from Tonga, will be accompanying her.  I will be transferring to St. Anthony! That's Sister Stephens' first area! That's the 2nd time that I've gotten transferred to my companion's first area.  I was surprised, and honestly a bit disappointed.  I had really hoped to stay here one more transfer.  Oh well.  God needs me where He needs me.  But it's gonna be cold as heck in St. Anthony.  My new companion will be Sister Richins.  Her name is familiar, but I've met her, and I don't know anything about her.  I didn't even think to ask the AP's anything about her because I was just so stunned that I was even getting transferred.

Whew, boy transfers are crazy.  I was talking yesterday with some men from the ward and they were talking about how, back in their day, they would call you the night before to tell you if you were getting transferred.  I'm just glad they give us 6 days to pack up and get prepared! But it still doesn't feel like enough.  There are too many people to say goodbye to!  Also, my new companion Sister Richins has only been in St. Anthony for 2 weeks, so both of us are going to be pretty new to the area.  So we are pretty much whitewashing (both new to the area having to figure things out.)  So that makes me a little nervous, but I'm sure we'll be okay.  

Bleh. I hate packing.  I have finally admitted it.  I am a hoarder.  I can't get myself to get rid of anything.  Mom, Dad, you'll be finding a package in the mail soon that is full of junk that I couldn't bring myself to get rid of but that wouldn't fit in my suitcase.  Thanks.

Can't wait to see what new adventures this transfer brings!! Besides frozen toes and frostbite. Love y'all!

Love,

Sister Moreland

goodbye to the Lopez Family!

                                                                            At Idaho State Fair

                                                                             Idaho State Fair

                                                 Pink Dress Notecard mom sent - makes a pretty dress

                                                Paige, Jeremy, Zaiah, Trinity, Me and Sister Stephens

Hellooooo!

We went to the FAIR last P-day!  Our investigator, Richard, invited us, so our awesome ward mission leader, Sister Clark, took us and we met up with Richard and his wife and all went around the fair together!  First I got a 'tiger ear', which is just really big frybread with cinnamon sugar.  Then we saw the Indian relay races, which is where these guys from different Indian tribes from around the area race horses bareback, jump off the horses, then jump onto a different horse and continue racing. It is crazy!!  Also, we were walking around the different shops and things, and I saw Brock!!  He has been at school but came back to visit his family for labor day.  It was so great to see him!!  I've forgotten how much I've missed some of my friends back home. Great day!

TRINITY GOT BAPTIZED!!!  Her and her family have been preparing so much for this day!  There was a bit of last-minute confusion about who was baptizing her (apparently her Uncle didn't get the memo! :o  )  but it eventually all worked out, and there was a great turn-out.  

The Lord is with me. I can feel Him supporting me through every day.  There is still so much for me to learn and do here, I just hope I can cram it all into the time that the Lord has allotted me.  I love studying the gospel.  If I could do it all day, I would.  If I could just bury myself in the Bible and in the Book of Mormon, studying the life of the Savior, I would.  Sometimes, when we're walking, I like to imagine the Savior, in his sandals and his long white robe, walking in front of me, leading us where to go.  All I have to do is follow, as the disciples of old did.  It gives me confidence knowing that the Savior has promised to "go before [my] face." I know that he has promised to "be on your right hand and on your left, and my Spirit shall be in your hearts, and mine angels round about you, to bear you up."   

 I have felt this personally, and I know it's true. I pray that you can all feel this influence.

God Bless,

Sister Moreland

                                 Ran into Brock, a fellow thespian from BYU, while at the State Fair in Idaho

Hellloooooooooo Everybody!

Gotta keep this short because we are leaving in 30 minutes to go to the IDAHO FAIR!!! It's in Blackfoot, so I'm really hoping to see old friends and investigators from Blackfoot! :D Gonna be a fun day!!

Trinity (10) and her parents are preparing for her baptism this Saturday! We are super excited for her and her family. They really have had a desire to come back to the gospel and to receive the blessings accordingly.  Making gospel habits can be hard, but it's always worth it. 

 One thing Sister Stephens and I have realized this week is that the Lord always lovingly beckons, he never forces.  Satan, however, "drags". He does anything and everything to take our agency away from us.  That is exactly why it is so hard to stop bad habits that keep you from the Savior, but really easy to slip out of good habits, because the Savior never forces.  But He always wants to help, so we just have to pray for strength to get into/continue good habits!

Love you all sooooo much! I will make sure and send lots of pics next week from the FAIR!! 

God Bless,

Sister Moreland

                                                                Sister Stephens and Sister Moreland

                                                                     Sister Moreland, snake charmer

                                                                              stacking hay

Hey hey hey!

Interesting things this week.  I caught a little snake. That was fun. Maybe I'm a snake charmer.  First: a garden snake, next: a boa constrictor. 

Also, we helped stack hay this week.  Man those things are heavier than they look.  I felt super buff afterwards.  

We had a lesson yesterday for the very first time with a man who just lost his wife 3 weeks ago.  His name is Troy, and he is very depressed and frustrated with everything he's having to cope with, and although we explained to him about God's Plan of Salvation, he seems to pretty mad at God right now.  However, he did like certain aspects of it.  When we explained how Christ understands Troy's pains because He went through it, Troy paused for a moment. Then said, "I can dig that."  So I think he'll really like what the gospel has to offer him, he's just in a pretty intense stage of grieving right now. 

Things are going well. Still always working on how I can improve and how I can make sure that the Savior makes such a tremendous change in me that there's no way it can reverse when I get home.  

Love you all so much!

God Bless,

Sister Moreland

       

                                                              Smoke from the Idaho Wildfires

                                                 Two Elders and her "Mom" (Sister Worrall) going home!

                                                                        Got the glasses, left the hat

                                                                      Selfie with a Grizzly Bear

       I held a chicken at the zoo! Caught by Elder Banez. Elder Banez is The Chicken Whisperer.

                                                                  Hidden ditches everywhere!
Hellooo everybody!

This week we made "Buddah Mochi".  Twice.  Buddah Mochi is a Hawaiian dessert stuff, it's like a sticky cake.  The first time we made it, we put too much rice flour in it, so it kind of came out tasting like sweet cornbread.  I thought it was some pretty good cornbread, but Sister Stephens said it was awful Buddah Mochi.  So we saved it in our fridge and later made strawberry short cake out of it.  We tried it again the next day, and apparently we put too much baking powder in it, so it came out tasting like a really thick crepe.  I thought it was great, but Sister Stephens still thought it was terrible.  We gave it to people anyway, haha.  

There are a couple kids from Inkom, they're all around 18 and 19, they are all non-member and really have no church influence or even God influence in their lives.  We saw one of them this week, we've seen him around quite a bit so we've gotten to know him pretty well.  He and his friend that was with him told us about the negative influence that drugs have had on their lives.  Even knowing how these things had ruined their lives, they still were not willing to accept the things that could help them recover and heal the wounds that they had.  It's sad, but we really hope that one day they will be willing to turn to something greater than themselves for help.

Sooo after a lesson on Saturday, we were pulling out of this person's very rocky and treacherous driveway, and we drove next to some shrubs.  Little did we know, these shrubs were hiding a small but deep ditch.  Our front wheel fell into this rocky ditch while our back wheel was lifted into the air.  We had to go back inside and request the help of our investigator to get out.  After a brief prayer, our resourceful friend found some wooden boards to shove underneath the front wheel, which pried it up a bit, and that did the trick!  Gahh. I am so done with car problems.

Love you all sooo much!  Thank you for your letters and emails! :)

God Bless,

Sister Moreland

Hollaaa!

Man, this week flew by! 

On Thursday, we went to Pocatello to practice singing with some other sisters because we sang a song for zone training this week.  The woman that drove us to Pocatello had to stop by Costco to pick up a few things on our way home, so while she did that, we waited in the car in the parking lot.  While in the parking lot, I saw a man in the car next to us, just eatin some ice cream and waiting for someone.  His window was rolled down. 

 "Hey," my thoughts said to me, "he's right there. What a great opportunity to share the gospel!"  

Um, no. (said the logical side of my brain) This is a parking lot. And he's just minding his own business. That's weird.  

 "would Alma or some other great missionary just let someone go without inviting them to hear this great message of happiness?" 

 He's probably already a member. 

"He's not, and you know it."

I don't want to.

"Talk to him. Do it." 

No.

I made a weird "frustration" noise, and Sister Stephens asked me what was wrong.  I told her that I was 'wrestling with the spirit'.  She asked me why, and I nodded my head towards the man.  Without hesitating, she turns and looks out the window and says to him, "Hey! I like your music!"  And proceeds to start a conversation with him about the gospel.  I was stunned.  What a great example to me my companion is.  She just does what I did not have the guts to do.  It makes me want to just be able to toss out my shyness out the window and be as bold as she is.  My companion is awesome.   

Where is my mission going??? It occurred to me this week that August 27 is my 1 year mark.  I cannot believe that it was almost a year ago that I was companions with Sister Worrall.  And guess what else? Sister Worrall goes home today.  What?!  My trainer is "dying"!  So weird.  Gaaahh I want more time here, I can already feel my time as a missionary slipping through my fingers like sand.  It makes me really jealous of Elders, they have 6 more whole months in the field than we do!  There is still so much that I want to learn and become while I'm here,  I feel like I'm gonna have to start working double time and overtime just to become the woman that God wants me to be before I get home. But, of course, it's an ongoing process that needs to continue even after I'm home.  

Love you! 

God Bless,

Sister Moreland

                                                                        At the zoo on P-day

                                                                            Picking fresh cherries

                                                                         Ski Sculpture in Inkom

Haii everybody!

What a great week!  Lots of good lessons and great spiritual moments.  One of our investigators, Richard, is a big time Bible guy originally from New Jersey, and he loves the Bible!  Sister Stephens and I LOVE having discussions with him.  He has a great understanding of the Gospel as it is in the Bible, so we're really working with him to help him gain a testimony of the Restored Gospel of Jesus Christ.  So I've really had to brush up on my Biblical knowledge the past few weeks in order to explain the importance of baptism, priesthood, etc. to him.  He's really coming along.  This week he even said something that made my heart soar:

[in his New Jersey accent] "If I get an inkling about this Book of Mormon---------------..............." 

 I held my breath as he paused for probably 10 seconds, "-------.........I'd change."  He finally said.  Needless to say, we walked out of that lesson practically jumping up and down for joy. 

Also, we went to the ZOO last Monday! The Pocatello zoo is pretty small though, it really only has local animals (black bears, goats, owls, mountain lions, grizzly bears, etc) but it was still pretty cool.  

Hope everyone is doing awesome! I'd love to hear from you!

God Bless

Sister Moreland