5 January 2015

We got to speak to Joseph via telephone from the MTC on Christmas Day. Two days prior he had been told that he would definitely be flying out on 30 December. We all assumed that meant his visa had come through and that he would be off to England. Nope. He called again at 7:30 a.m. on the 30th to say that he had been up since 3:00, was at the airport, and was on his way to the Arizona, Tempe Mission where he had only learned he would be going the evening before. He doesn't know how long he might be in Arizona--but probably not more than six weeks. (And if he does stay for six weeks he'll miss a good chunk of winter--not all bad.) Also, the Tempe mission president sent an email and a picture when Joseph arrived. When you look at it remember that Jos is 6'1"--just how tall is that man? --Heather

My dearest family and friends,

HOLY COW. I know I'm not normally one to write so informally, but boy oh boy has this been an incredible week. I came into Tempe with a firm resolve to form no attachment to this mission so that I could go to London without leaving any more things that I love in the past. lol. I have grown to love this area and it's people more than I would have thought possible in these short five days. The first crack in my shell of hate was when I stepped off the airplane and into Arizona weather. All praise to God, it is balmy here and I am feeling p blessed. I know that this is where God wants me to be for now, and even though I don't know how long it will last, I'm glad it's happening.

Oh, Mom/Gleason fam, I sat next to Nels Pearson on the airplane. He wanted to thank aunt Faun again for her beautiful singing at the funeral. So, that was cool.

My companion is Elder Belnap. He's got hair just a shade darker than mine, but his eyebrows and lashes aren't beautiful and dark like mine. His loss I guess. Anyway, he's a really great elder, and been a great trainer for me.

I've got to tell you about Vicky. She is a lovely eighty-four years old woman, and we are the first missionaries to meet with her. She has two things she says more than anything else: "but you're so YOUNG to be elders!" and "Oh, I know that what you're saying is true." The very first time we met with her, I invited her to be baptized, and she said "Of course!" So, she's got the date set for the 24th, and we're just teaching her and helping her get ready. Her husband died earlier this year, and when we taught her about baptisms for the dead she seemed very moved. She said that she's been in a lot of churches, but that they never felt complete, but that she thinks that she'll feel complete in this one. We testified of the truth of that, and she just seems so excited. A little scared of joining a new church so late in life ("are you sure you take ladies as old as me?") but she accepted a priesthood blessing to calm her fears and help heal her leg, and says she knows that everything we teach is true. She asked if the blessing would work for her, having "made so many mistakes," and I just said I've made plenty of mistakes too, and she laughed and reached out to shake hands. Gosh golly it's been so nice to get to know her. It was hard to leave all of you behind, and she feels almost like a third grandma to me.

Another story:

I debated for a while if I should share this, because it will prolly freak mom out a bit, but it was such a spiritual experience that I want to tell y'all about it.

(From my journal that night)

"Tonight Elder Belnap and I went to visit an investigator in Cotton Town, a really shady area where two people have been shot in the past week. it was already dark, and as we were walking to the apartment we were called over by three drunks: two men and a woman, all in their twenties-thirties. They asked us what we were doing and we just replied "sharing the word of god" "Why?" "Because it's made us happy, and we want to help other people to be happy." After that they warmed up quite a bit. Still drunk, of course, but friendly drunk, advising us to go home, get someplace safer, but then asking questions so we couldn't really leave. We answered questions as best we could, still kinda terrified, and then one of them -the most drunk and the least friendly- came up to me and asked if I would shake his hand. I prayed like a madman as I reached out, but that simple action made him warm up to me a lot, and he stopped glaring from under his hood and muttering what I think were curses, so that was nice.

Later, Elder B. was talking with the less drunk guy, and I was talking with the girl and the ultra drunk in the hoodie, and she asked if we believed that black people could go to heaven. (oh ps they were all black. forgot to mention) I was able to bear testimony of God's love for all His children, and I think we parted having left a positive influence on each other.

I'm so glad I was able to have that experience. I've never felt my testimony so strong as I did when I wasn't 100% sure we'd make it out in one piece. I feel that I was blessed to feel God's love for them to a really incredible extent that I didn't deserve, and it was an incredible blessing. I'm just kicking myself that I didn't invite at least her to come to church, because she actually might have been interested."

And mom, don't worry, we've learned our lesson, and we don't visit Cotton Town after dark anymore. :) 

Well, there's been a lot more events this week, but I don't have much time so I'm gonna have to just leave you with what I've put down here.

All my love (well, what's left of it after all these fantastic investigators),

Elder Moulton