Another week gone by, April 22, 2012

Cole's b-day shirt from Spencer

Hola Familia!

Thanks for the emails, familia. and the cards from val.  I try and send letters when I can, but that is not very often.  I sent letters to maddie, chelz, and nate this week.  But here´s the thing.  I´m scared to send some letters because it´s the end of the school year and addresses will be changing all over the place!  people changing apartments, going home for summer, leaving for school, it´s nuts.  SO, i think from here on out, if you want a letter, you´re going to have to write me one first with your address, even if it doesn´t change.  because I don´t know who´s is changing and who´s isn´t.  yeah.  that.  and, Happy birthday Jessica and Emily!  

Good luck on kicking off your Eagle Project hayden!  and congrats on being such the stud you are.  Glad to hear your play went well and you had a good time, Spence!  Yes, dad, my teeth are okay.  No stitches.  it´s all good.... but today we played ultimate frisbee on a huge field against zona ochagavia (we got wrecked), and then we played soccer, and that´s when I wrecked my ankle. definitely not broken. I have it in my brace I got at the MTC and I can walk on it fine.  give it a few days with the brace and it´ll be back to normal.  Elder Gehring is in Ochagavia, so it was cool to see him there!  Although I think my body is allergic to post-highschool soccer .  I´m sad to say, I´ve definitely lost most of whatever touch I had.  BUT.  I still like it. :)  I really like what you said about following promptings.  I´ll try and do that even more.

SO.  This week.... hmm.... I don´t know if I told you about the reference we got from the Duran family?  really awesome.  The mom and her son. However this past week was super intense.  We knew she was going through hard times with her pareja who moved out 8 months ago, but last monday night, she completely opened up to us.  woahhh.  she´s got some tough stuff going on in her life, and because of that, she´s really sensitive to the spirit.  She can tell when it´s there and when it´s not.  and thank you again, dad, for your advice of pointing out the spirit when it´s there.  because when I did that, she was able to identify it in later visits. Monday, intense, Gospel of Jesus Christ.  Tuesday, we had a member with us in the chapel, and not knowing her background, he kind of was pressuring her.  and Wednesday, we taught the Restoration of the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and she told us that on Tuesday, she didn´t feel the spirit as strong as she normally did, but that when we taught about the restoration, she did.  so great. Friday we watched the restoration DVD, and then Yesterday, we talked about the Plan of Salvation--- she totally gets it.  We gave her little pamphlets of the lessons to read before we teach them, and she read them and basically did a 3 minute summary of the lesson for us.  And it´s all exactly what the doctrine says.  she´s amazing!  and her answer about the book of mormon was that right after she prayed to know if it was true, she really really felt like she should read it.  and whenever she reads it, she feels a warm peace.  her family is now just giving her crap for meeting with us and going to church and stuff.  but it´s all right.  God will help her, if she exercises her faith in him.  And she has a lot of faith to exercise.

There is a possibility that I will be here in San Miguel for a few more months, or I might leave May 8th.  Yes, there are challenges in this sector, but there are challenges in every sector-- different, but there are always ways to improve every ward and branch in the world.  I would not mind staying here a few more months if the Lord wants me here.  and yes, I get along with my companion, Elder Guzman, very well.  He´s going to end his mission here.  And he´ll finish strong.  We´ll make sure of that.  He´s a good guy.  me cae bien!

Mother´s day is coming up!!!  I can call May 12, 13, or 14.  Give me a list of all your available times when I can skype!  fyi for that weekend, 12:00 in Chile is 11:00 in Chicago.

I love youuuu all!

Elder Moffat

Temple Week, April 16, 2012

April Zone Conference, Santiago, Chile LDS Temple

Dearest Family,

Thanks for the dearelder`d stuff, and also a thanks to Maddie Kleinhample for writing me.  It`s super hard to find 2 minutes to write something by hand, so sorry if responses are delayed.  But I`m working on it.  Happy birthday to Brad Gresik, too!  and  



CONGRATS TO ANDREW WHITTLE (cousin) ON HIS MISSION CALL!!!!!! (Sendai, Japan) I`m super excited for you!

Where to even start for this week.... well, on Thursday, we went to the Temple!  It makes me miss being able to go quite a few times before the mission and weekly in the MTC.  definitely set a few goals post mission that have to do with the Temple and families and stuff.  super awesome to be there with President King and his wife, and also my trainer, Elder Fuhriman, was there too.  3 zones a day for 4 days.  it was San Miguel, Maipu, and la Costa.  Yes, as a missionary, I am here not to bring people into the church, but to help them and prepare them to choose for themselves to make a sacred covenant with God through baptism.  But I also realized that while baptism is absolutely necessary in their progression, we focus so much on it that it can seem like the end result "yay! we had a baptism!"  but the much greater (and much less-common) achievement is "YAY!  They progressed and were able to go make more sacred covenants with God in the temple!" 

President King shared with us his--and now our --vision for Chile.  2 parts:  one has to do with us being the best missionaries we can be to always have the spirit with us and to become the best teachers we can be.  that`s not anything new.  the second part was revelation (literally).  Let me explain.  Missionary work is the life blood of the church.  a few prophets have said it.  and at the end of chapter 1 of Preach My Gospel, there are a bunch of quotes from prophets about missionary work.  What happens when a missionary decides to commit himself to being the best missionary he can be, and submitting himself and humbling himself before God by really doing missionary work?  He is converted.  He is converted by the power of the Spirit, because he is selfless, and really worrying a lot about other people.  He`s serving!  And in that process, he realizes his errors or weaknesses, and repents or does what is necessary to overcome the weaknesses.  This is the second part of the Vision: what would happen if a less-active member got involved in missionary work?  It would be a lot more effective than just sharing a spiritual thought, because 10 minutes later they`re not thinking about what you shared.  But if they`re involved in something, it has a much more profound effect.  and frankly, the majority of the 85-90% inactivity rate in Chile still has their basic testimony of the Book of Mormon and Joseph Smith, they just got offended or bored or didn`t really understand what that testimony means.  What happens when you share your testimony of the Book of Mormon? It strengthens.  Vision, part 2: involve less actives in the missionary work here in Chile. give them a transfusion of the life blood of the church: missionary work.  And this could maybe be applied to other parts of the World, too.  just a thought.  pretty shweeeet!

ALSO, la familia Duran gave us a reference this week!  we shared with them!  they came to church! they liked it!  They want us to come back!  family night tonight with them in the casa de la familia Duran!  YESSS.  Fabiola, a young single mom going through some tough stuff, with her sons Ivan (13), and Alonzo (3).  they`re really cool.  It`s looking GOOD!

On a not so spiritual note, this morning we played ultimate frisbee and soccer in a park/field, and during ultimate frisbee I ran full speed and jumped straight into a nice metal pole.  one of those an arm and a leg on each side of the pole, parallel with the ground type crashes.  But I`m okay.  and I held onto the Frisbee.  Touchdown.

little things, now.  in the next package, some facewash would be nice.  like the nutragena grapefruit stuff.  maybe a few.  Also the 180 degree brand behind the neck earmuffs for when it starts getting cold.  I NEED THE CARMELITA RECIPE!  you probably sent it to me.  but if you could send it again, I`d be so happy.  also, the simple crepe recipe we have, I want it.  if you can soon, it`ll be Elder Guzman`s birthday April 30th.  A quick little card or something little would be cool.  He goes home in June, so he told his family not to send him anything for his birthday (makes sense), so maybe a little card or something would be cool from the states.

And finally, because I have a few minutes..... recipe for HUMITAS!
12 ears of freaking HUGE corn (like 20 normal ears).  save the husks.
2-3 medium onions (1 one big one)
4-5 basil leaves
salt and oil to taste.
cut the uncooked corn like you do for the little kids... and sometimes the big kids... and get as much of the corn as you can from the ear.  put it all in a food processor until it becomes like a puree.  grill the super finely chopped onions and basil leaves, and mix it in with the corn puree, adding oil and salt to taste.  put the mush into the corn husk leaves and fold (maybe dad remembers, or look at pictures online), and tie them up.  Put them in a pot of boiling water, with a spoonful of salt and a stem or leaf of basil.  leave them there for 45-60 minutes, and eat ´em hot and with sugar.  sooooo good.  definitely will be making humitas when I get back.

Also, Milanesa, an Argentine staple:
thinly cut stake, coat it in eggs, and bread it with super fine breadcrumbs, finely cut garlic (not powder), and this other herb that I can`t remember.... no importa.  and fry it in oil.  serve with sliced tomatoes if you want.  or just like that.  also really good.  and if you want, coat it in eggs, bread it, then coat it in eggs again, then bread it again, THEN fry it.  ricisimo!

Well, that`s all, folks.
I love you and miss you.
Elder Cole Moffat

Happy Easter, April 9, 2012

Hey family!  Nice to hear from you all.  Thanks Grandma for the card!  loved it!  Happy birthday to christian bateman and to one of the recent converts in our ward, Fabian!  Papá-- vivimos en el edificio Nueva Era (Gran Avenida con Segunda Avenida).  Me imagino que pueda buscarlo por Google si quiere.  Sounds like all had a good time in Nauvoo!  and Easter egg hunt!  Speaking of the Cooks, someone should tell Demarie that I´m a little upset I haven´t gotten a wedding invitation or anything... if that´s still the plan.  Also, Dad, Hayden, and everyone, do your home teaching.  please.  It  would be so wonderful.  just saying.  Also, mom or Dad, if you wanted to do a Session in the Temple on Thursday, April 12, in the morning that would be pretty cool.  The Area Presidency is saying that as a mission we can go to the temple this week for Zone Conference, and me toca Thursday, the 11:30 session, so i think that`s 9:30 in Chicago?  I dunno.  it would be cool to be in the temple at the same time, but you both work, so obviously it`s okay.  but maybe the same day or at least this same week would be cool!

WOAH.  okay.  not a whole lot of time, sorry.  it´s getting a little colder here.  we´ve had to go out with our suit jackets quite a few times this week.  definitely long sleeve weather.  It was kind of weird for Easter... people use it as a day to not work, but other than that it`s a normal day.  people aren´t with their families, they take the long weekend to go to the beach with friends, We have talks in church about Jesus and the resurrection, but we didn´t have a special program or anything, not even easter hymns.  BUT.  good ol´familia Muñoz Cruz had some huevitos waiting for us that the conejito dropped off.  ito ito ito here in Chile (you`re right, dad.  Tatita Diosito escucha mi oracioncita.)  also, random, with my Argentino comp i´m learning to speak in vos.  (I now understand why you say apuráte, che! and not apúrate po!)  I like it.  I think I can speak in vos easier than in tú, now.

I just want you all to know that I know Christ Lives.  I know he died for us, and I know that he was resurected and by and through Him, we will ALL be resurected, and by and through Him, we can all be saved in the Kingdom of God, if we do our part.

"For behold, he surely must die that salvation may come; yea, it behooveth him and becometh expedient that he dieth, to bring to pass the resurrection of the dead, that thereby men may be brought into the presence of the Lord... But behold, the resurrection of Christ redeemeth mankind, yea, even all mankind, and bringeth them back into the presence of the Lord.  Yea, and it bringeth to pass the condition of repentance, that whosoever repenteth the same is not hewn down and cast into the fire; but whosoever repenteth not is hewn down and cast into the fire; and there cometh upon them again a spiritual death, yea, a second death, for they are cut off again as to things pertaining to righteousness.... Thus we may see that the Lord is merciful unto all who will, in the sincerity of their hearts, call upon his holy name.  Yea, thus we see that the gate of heaven is open unto all, even to those who will believe on the name of Jesus Christ, who is the Son of God.  Yea, we see that whosoever will may lay hold upon the word of God, which is quick and powerful, which shall divide asunder all the cunning and the snares and the wiles of the devil, and lead the man of Christ in a strait and narrow course across that everlasting gulf of misery which is prepared to engulf the wicked—  And land their souls, yea, their immortal souls, at the right hand of God in the kingdom of heaven, to sit down with Abraham, and Isaac, and with Jacob, and with all our holy fathers, to go no more out."

Testifico de estas cosas, y lo hago en el nombre de Jesucristo, amén

Happy Easter!

Elder Cole Moffat

ps that`s Helaman 14:15,17-18; 3:27-30 in case you`re wondering.

Post Conference, April 2, 2012

Thanks for the letters, all!  Happy Birthday to one of our investigators, Daiana Castan!  the 4th. 

Mom, as I read your letter when you mentioned Come thou Fount, I was listening to it.  how cool!  and yes, I sing during sacrament meeting because we have a ward pianist.  and I sing with my new comp in the pension sometimes.  He´s got a pretty good voice.  and in the shower, of course, I like to sing by myself.  Yes, I get a conference Issue here in a month or so.  Speaking of Conference.....

SO AWESOME, especially when there are a bunch of Chileans going through my head.  and we had a little American room upstairs with the computer screen (Saturday) and a TV (Sunday) watching conference in ENGLISH.  ohhhh so wonderful.  Priesthood Session, we didn´t get the English working until  Halfway through Eyring´s talk.  and its just hard to focus when you´re listening to conference in your not-native-language, so Dad and brothers, we caught about the same amount of the priesthood session.  definitely talks worth studying.  WOW.  I honestly don´t even know where to start from the 20 pages of Notes I took from the 5 sessions.

First, you know where Satan is focusing in his attacks on humanity by what the prophets and apostles talk about.  the need to warn us and strengthen us because that´s where Satan is really attacking the most.  Having said that, I made a little make in my notes next to every speaker that said something about the family.  well over half the talks talked about the family somewhere in there.  Moral of the story:  Strengthen the family, because Satan is working his hardest to destroy it.

Loved Donald L Hallstrom defining the difference between the Church and the Gospel, and how you can be active in the church while being innactive in the Gospel, and you need to have both.  I feel I was leaning toward just being active in the church for a few years in highschool.  Brothers, learn from that.  Be active in the Gospel.

After Dallin H Oaks´s opening statement, Hna Jensen, who was with us in the Gringo room, said, "Wow.  what a way to start a talk."  and then Elder Oaks just kept going.  ´Nuff said.

Henry B Eyring (saturday morning) gave a little instruction book of how to build your foundation of faith.  quite helpful.

Jeffrey R. Holland.  Also, ´Nuff said.  I don´t really like how people say there´s always time to repent.  because that gives people a reason to say, well then I´ll just fix my life in 30 years and "have fun" now.  Well, Elder Holland said that it´s never too late to repent, until the Master says it is.  "Don´t delay.  It´s getting late.  In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen."  Another comment in the gringo room: "uuuhhhh.... are you allowed to end your talk like that?"  Dear All: Prepare, and do not procrastinate.  It´s getting late.

Robert D Hales just layed down solid "these are covenants, here´s how to better keep them, now go and do it."

Dad, if you want another talk to look at to apply to the family, Quentin L. Cook gave a great talk on family.

And then right after, Richard G. Scott layed down PURE DOCTRINE on revelation.  and totally answered so many questions of me and other people here, especially about dreams

President Thomas S. Monson, also loved the DUTY principle.  and the story of the two soldiers was super powerful.  There is power in the priesthood.  I Testify there is Power in the Priesthood.

President Dieter F Uchtdorf´s 2-word sermon: STOP IT.  Don´t judge me because I sin differently than you.  don´t judge.  definitely a message to all.  including myself.  definitely.

Elder Russell M. Nelson, a scientist, a heart surgeon, an incredibly intelligent man by the world´s standards, completely shot down the notion that God doesn´t exist.  Using science and logic, God has to exist.  "Could an explosion in a printing shop produce a dictionary, with multiple editions?"  adooooonde, as we say here in Chile.  Also pure doctrine.

The spirit testified to me during Ronald A Rasband´s talk that really, the worth of EVERY soul is great in the sight of God.  We are all enlisted, folks.

D. Todd Christofferson also just layed down pure Doctrine, and explained specifically the different ways that Apostles and prophets receive revelation.  woahhhhhh.

And I have to get off..... so no time to review Sunday Afternoon.  soooo good!!!

I love you family.  keep going strong in the gospel.

Love,
Elder Moffat

Lots of News and new companion, March 26, 2012

WOW.  okay, so I don´t even know where to start, especially that I now have like 20 minutes left to write. (I wrote Hayden a longer note in response to doctrinal insights he had yesterday).  thanks for the package, Jim and Choon!  Looooooved it.  happy birthday ashely adams!  yay chicago!

Familia Castan:  Awesome.  especially the Mom, Silvia.  just rock solid.  They came to church  (like I wrote about last week), and then we had a lesson during the week, then Thursday Silvia and Daiana came to mutual/Ward FHE, Friday Silvia, Tamara, and Daiana went to a Gala thing at the stake center, Saturday, Silvia and Daiana came to the baptism, and Yesterday Silvia came to church!  YESSSS.  They´re awesome.  We gotta keep working with them.  Vicente has back trouble from 25 years of trucking, and so he can´t work as much because of that, so they fired him (I´m not sure that´s legal).  prayers for them would be nice.  I love them so much!

Mireya got baptized this past Saturday, the 24th!!!  YAY.  She was pretty worried about getting baptized because she was a bit worried that whoever was baptizing her wouldn´t be able to get her back up out of the water... So I was in the font, too, with the big hermano from that ward, and Mireya.  and let´s just say it was good that I was there to help.... It was really great.  I played the piano for a musical number-- Nearer my God to thee, which is Mireya´s favorite, sung by Hna. Guzmán who has a wonderful voice.  Strong, strong, spirit.

CONFERENCE THIS WEEKEND!!!!  ´nuff said.  I´ll get to watch it in English, too, I´m pretty sure.  hopefully we´ll have investigators there.  I just can´t wait!!!!  prepárense.

This past week there were 2 tremors!  the first ones that I have felt here in Chile-- really, the first I have felt ever.  one was at 4:00am the other night.  it woke me up, especially because We live on the 13th floor.  kinda freaked me out.  yes, my heart was racing.  The other was last night, and we were in a wooden house so we didn´t feel it too much.  but the epicenter was quite aways away, but it was pretty freaking strong there.  like a 7.4 or something like that.  but, don´t worry.  we´re okay.

and lastly, but certainly not least, I will be missing Elder Callao.  usually changes are on Tuesdays, but because the mission is receiving 15-20 new missionaries tomorrow, President made changes today, this morning.  SO, my new companion is Elder Guzmán.  He seems pretty cool.  We´re excited for this change.  He leaves in 2 changes, with Elder Callao.  He´s from Argentina, Buenos Aires.  nice argentino accento.

Well, I gotta run!  have fun on Spring break!

Love,
Elder Moffat