September 2, 2011

3 Weeks, Down! Sept. 1, 2011

Hola Familia!  Feliz principio de Escuela!
Thanks for your letters, Kenz, Will, Dad, Mom, and Lauren H.  I really appreciate all that you guys have to say!
Dad, yes you did tell me the blue pajama story, and I love it :)  I hope spencer is not drugged up anymore, and glad to hear you're happy!  I want to hear all about the michigan place next week!  Also, can you find the same black leather Moleskine notebook that Nancy got me?  It is the best thing ever!  I'm not close to running out of pages, but once I get to Chile, I'll probably have filled it all up, and I want one for when I'm in Chile.  So start looking, please, and send it to the address in Chile in October, please!  Also, Mom, are you keeping all the DearElders you send me?  Becuase I love them and want to keep them, but I don't want to truck them around.  Thanks for the package with the ties, mom!  they're beautiful!  This guy in our zone has the same exact purple paisley stafford one lol and it's perfect because we have purple tie tuesdays and our district has started parte martes (part your hair and comb it over tuesdays).  Oh the fun we have at the MTC.  Also, I used the little Macbook thing you sent in my lesson with "Sonya" yesterday.  It was really helpful to show investigators my family while talking about how much I love them, and the picture of us in front of the SLC temple is awesome when talking about eternal families!  thankyouthankyouthankyou!  The Guatamalans in our district left for the Guatamalan MTC on Tuesday, so Elder McMasters didn't get the package you sent him.... I did :)  As to your flashdrive question, yes, sounds like a great idea.  some 8-12+ GB memory stick would be great!  and I can't send you pictures from the MTC, becuase there's no way to access "My Computer" and see what's plugged in... Sorry :(  Shoes are working out great!  I've decided to try and completely wear out the old ones I brought, because then i'll only have to take 2 pairs to Chile (saves weight) and they'll last a few months longer.  Thanks for sending me the music!!!  So excited to play stuff!  and last business item, if you could get a Van Heusen 16/16.5 32-33 long sleeve, i'd really appreciate it.  Elder Gehring only has 3 short sleeve, and I only have a few long sleeve.  and I don't really need more than 6 of each, I've realized.  silly me.
ALRIGHTY.  So highlight of the Week:  ELDER HOLLAND.  First of All, one of my favorite apostles to hear/see speak, and one of my favorite speakers ever.  No notes, no nothin.  40 Minute "Introduction:" "I don't know what we'd do without you."  I'll handwrite a little more about that, cuz There's a lot.  and Time is ticking.  Then he went into a Q&A session.  People had already written a bunch of questions beforehand and He took 6 of them.  1)  What is the #1 thing Christ wants us to know right now?  His answer, very simply: That He told the truth.  Interesting way to put it, in my opinion.  We know that what He said and his message and his gospel is true.  But the fact that he told the truth points to his divinity and perfection.  Elder Holland mentioned that it implies a lot of things, one of the most important being repentence, and he talked about that for a while.  Man, he knows his scriptures.  No notes, and he could flip to the best scriptures to validate what he was saying.  I only have a little time left, so I'll go to the last question.  The most basic of all the questions, the one many of us already know (intellectually).  But never have I really felt the answer as strong as I did on Tuesday night.  "6) Why does God love us?"  Elder Holland is a passionate speaker.  But I don't recall a time when he has been so passionate, so emotional, and so steadfast and immoveable when expressing the love that he, Elder Holland, and imperfect mortal, has for his children.  "I would die for them," he said, and I don't doubt that.  So how much more does a Perfect, all-powerful Father in Heaven have for his Children?  I began to actually comprehend it.  He gave his only perfect for his billions of imperfects.  He loved us so much that he gave up someone who could literally love us to death.  Wow.  What a great message.  In the Garden of Gethsemane, when Jesus was suffering, what did he say?  Abba, which is not a noble title for diety.  the closest English translation is "Daddy" or "Papa."  I love the relationship we have with Father!!
So that was pretty awesome.  Some good quotes from the Sunday Fireside with Pres McIff (MTC Presidency).  "don't give and Inch" (from battle of Gettysberg).  "You catch more fish when your line is in the water."  That's what I have, now that I'm over time.
Also, as a Please keep the Bently family in your prayers.  Elder Holland was pretty emotional about that whole thing.  Just look at DeseretNews.com and search for Vanessa Bently if you don't know what I'm talking about...
Anyway- remember:  "Love is the Motive, Obedience is the Price, Faith is the Power, the Spirit is the Gift, and Christ is the Reason for all that you do." -Sister Zivic, Wife of Elder Claudio Zivic of the Seventy.
Love you and Miss you all!
Con Mucho Amor,
Elder Moffat