Letter from Tacoma #74: March 27, 2017

Hey everybody!

I'm glad to hear everything back home is going good! But Mom, Dad, and Brandon are going to New Zealand this week?! Aw, man, that sounds like a lot of fun.

And Happy Birthday, Kenzie!

But I'm having fun out here, now that I'm in Belfair, my new area. I'll tell you about how my week went.

Monday: P-day, still in Silverdale. I got me some new jeans because my last pair ripped while giving service helping somebody move. We played Volleyball at the church for zone activity, which was fun. Then we went out working for a little bit, had FHE at Bishop Holyoak's home, and then spent the rest of the night packing.

Tuesday: Transfer day! And what an exhausting day it was, too. Elder Pisciotta and Simkins had to go down to Tacoma early, so Pisciotta could take a driving exam to get his driving privileges back (apparently the car keeps reporting that he's driving too aggressively). So they left at 10, and the plan was that Elder Kido and I would head down with Bro Knowles at 12. But with that much time to spare, we decided to leave a little joke:

Our apartment is equipped to house 4 missionaries, but this transfer there would be only two in Silverdale, which means there'll be a few extra mattresses and boxsprings. So, Elder Kido and I took all the extra mattresses and boxsprings and stacked them all up where the new missionaries bed is. The tower of mattresses was almost as tall as me, and pretty darn comfortable when you climb up on it. We taped a little note on it that read: "The Rameumptom" (See Alma 31:13-21) Hahaha! I wonder how they reacted to it. I hope they got a good laugh.

Bro. Knowles arrived, we loaded up, and headed down to Tacoma. I found my new companion, Elder Stuart, moved my junk to the Belfair car, said goodbye to Elder MacQueen before he left for home the next day, and departed for Belfair.

I really like my new companion, Elder Stuart. He's a way good missionary, who really knows his stuff and how to talk to people about the gospel. Already he's made a few segways in conversations with people, leading to church or the Restoration, that I've never thought of before. He's fun to talk with, though we don't share a lot of interests. He likes sports, sports journalism, anything outdoors, while I like just about everything indoors. We get along well though.

Belfair is a cool area, too. It's big and boony, much like most of my areas in the past. It has beautiful scenery, the massive pine forests, lots of little lakes surrounding the huge Hood Canal jutting through the middle of the area. I really like it, and it reminds me of my very first area, Key Center, which is literally the next area over. It's funny to hear from the Key Center Elders that a lot of the members still remember me. I guess that's not too surprising when you have a last name like "Moe".

Our apartment is in a complex that is right on the canal's edge. It's a pretty sight, and the apartment itself is a decent size.

We got to Belfair, dropped off my stuff, and went on to work. We met a few members that night.

Wednesday: District Meeting. Our district consists of Elder Stuart (District Leader) and I, the Key Center Elders, and Minter Creek Sisters. The crazy part is besides Elder Stuart and I, everyone else in the district has only been out for 6 months or less on the mission. Now I'm feeling very old. Elder Stuart has me beat in age, thankfully, with only two transfers left. My guess is I'll be here for both of those, so I'll end up being his last companion.

Went out, did some work, had fun knocking the boonies.

Thursday: We had to drive out to Gig Harbor for interviews with President Blatter. It was good, then afterwards we went out to eat at Panda Express with Key Center. We made the long drive back, Weekly planned, ate dinner, then went out and knocked. That night we met with our top investigator, Gloria. She's in her fifties, and she has a really good interest in the church. We went over the last lesson with her and read 1 Nephi 11. She's been reading the Book of Mormon and she also came to church this week, so she's showing great progress.

Although, she missed church last week because her cat gave birth to a litter of kittens. So, while we visited with her, she let us see the newborns and hold them. They were tiny and adorable!

Friday: It was a day full of work... and it rained the whole time. Yup, you know you're in the boons when you walk a mile uphill to knock a single house. the guy wasn't interested, but at least it was easier walking back down.

Saturday: Another day full of work. We knocked along the highway road on the north side of Hood Canal. It's a bunch of fancy homes built right on the water. We didn't find anyone who was interested yet, but it turned out to be a nice, sunny day, with some great views over the water. But later that night, we were knocking a different neighborhood, and on the last door we knocked, we met this lady named Ruth. It turns out that she had been interested in investigating the church years ago, but when she told her parents, they gave her some anti about mormons. But she asked us there, "How do I respond to that? What should I tell somebody when they bring that up?"

She has way great potential, and a strong desire to learn about the church. Her only holdup is her family, just fearful of them disapproving her investigating. We left her a Book of Mormon and our number, and she said she'd talk to her husband about it. We're hoping to meet with her this Tuesday, at the Wing's, some members who she knows well because their daughter babysits her son frequently. If she can, it'll be the golden setup: A desire to learn about the church and fellowship that lives on her street.

Sunday: The members in Belfair ward are very friendly, and I enjoyed it. Sacrament was good. We heard a talk from a sister who is departing for a mission in Salt Lake City, and she's very excited to go. I loved how she said that it doesn't matter where you go, because that's where the Lord needs you. No place in the country can be better than another when you are called to serve by God.

Gloria came to church, and the members were on top of greeting her when she walked in. She instantly made some new friends in Relief Society, and she enjoyed herself.

Sorry, I don't have my SD Card reader on me right now, so I'll have to send pictures next week!

 

I love you all!

Thanks for reading!

-Elder R. Austin Moe

Wa-Tac Missionary