De Vuelto

Well its been a minute so its probably about time that we get back to swinging you the updates from paradise. Its been a wild ride recently and I’d love to hit you with all the updates but we are gonna keep it short so you don’t get bored. Spent the last little bit going to a lot of meetings and learning a lot of good stuff. 

A couple weeks back, we had the opportunity to work on a couple of service projects. We got to build a house for Hermana Erlinda which was pretty cool so if anybody needs help building a house out of mango trees and cement blocks, hit us up. Also, we got to herd some cows which got a little out of hand and we ended up chasing three heifers through a riverbed full of trash to the amusement of all our neighbors. When our city ran out of water again, we helped some families carry water through the streets on our heads so that they could be ok. So its been pretty nuts recently which is also why I haven’t been able to email very much but here we are again de vuelto. 

“If men do not comprehend the character of God, they do not comprehend themselves. God himself was once as we are now and is an exalted man and sits enthroned in yonder heavens. . . if you were to see him today, you would see him like a man in form-like yourselves in all the person, image, and very form as a man; for Adam was created in the very fashion, image and likeness of God. “

That quote is from Joseph Smith. I found it this week and it really made me think. Many times in life our biggest problem is a lack of confidence in who we are and who we can become but as this quote says, our divine potential is unimaginably grand. So when God asks something of us or when we have to do something hard, just think, God in all his power and glory made us in his image which gives us a pretty high goal to reach but it should also give us a little bit of confidence in the road to get there. So next time you doubt you can do something that you know you should be doing, just remember that your potential is perfection and that we can become as He is. 

Hope everyone has a great week. Stay on the grind. 

SALUUUU

Elder Moulton

Don't Give Up

Well another week in paradise. Been here smelling pretty bad because we didn’t have water for awhile and we didn’t know when the pickup trucks with the water were going to pass. So we never filled up our water supply. But hey that’s life right? Sometimes you can shower and sometimes you can’t. What you gonna do? Been a pretty killer week though. 

Let’s start at the beginning. Last Saturday Rosa was baptized. That experience is probably one of the most spiritual, emotional and just overall cool things that I have been able to experience in the mission. She lost her husband to cancer a few weeks ago and has overcome a lot to take this step. After her baptism, she shared with us her thoughts and it really hit us hard. 

Apart from that, it was a pretty cool week because we got to go visit the eastern part of the country. Which means aside from bus rides, crazy drunk people attacking us, and a little kid who stole my toothbrush and used it to scratch his belly, we had some really neat experiences. We got to visit some really cool people and I really felt the spirit affirming that what we are doing here is true. 

I don’t know exactly who is reading this email right now, but I just want to close out with one thought. . . . Usually in life when we try and do something good, or we are trying to reach a goal, the first time around we get a "No." Sometimes we don’t even try because we figure its not even going to work out. The best times in my mission, the coolest experiences and the most powerful moments have always come after a "No." Satisfaction comes when we accomplish something difficult and as I have come to see here in the mission, difficult things are always worth the fight.  As my  companion Elder Foster always says, “When you want to succeed as bad as you want to breathe that is when you will be successful.” When we don’t want something bad enough, that is when we accept "no."  So as cheesy as I can be, I just leave you with this message. . . don’t give up. 

Stay on the grind. 

SALUUUUU

Elder Moulton

Vamaos a un Viaje en Nuestro Cohete Espacial Favorito

WELLLLLLL another week in paradise, life is good down here in El
Salvador so we got some good things cookin. Dont have a lot of time
because we are going to go play basketball right now and well, ball
never stops being life so you can rest assured we are gonna ball out.
Just want to share a little story with you all.

A couple weeks back, Bryan was baptized. Bryan's brother (William) is a
very shy boy who doesn't like to go out or talk to people. But Bryan
motivated him and he started to come out of his shell a little bit.
These past few weeks, the lil guy has been begging to come teach with
us or go to church or whatever possible to get out and learn about
God. So the highlight of this story would be this past Saturday when
he got baptized. Just an amazing experience, but what impacted me even
more is what happened a few days after.

We were teaching his neighbor, a kind old lady with only one foot and
one eye but a great voice to sing out Christian pump up songs. So
there we are in her tiny, humble, dirt and tin made house when William
walks in. Now this is pretty normal here because everyone chills with
the doors open and its like a big family. So we are sitting there
talking about the answers God sends us when all the sudden William
whispers to me, "Hermano quiero compartir algo," (I want to share
something). And we are like William? This kid didn't even want to leave
his house before and now he wants to testify in front of a group? So
we get all excited and are like yeah yeah man go for it. And no lie,
this little 14 year old stud gets up, looks this sister in the eyes
and testifies that God answered his prayers and gave him the courage
to go to church and be baptized. And we just sat there amazed.

God is real and he REALLY REALLY REALLY does answer prayers. So I add
my testimony to that of William and invite anybody who may or may not
actually read these little Elder Moulton rants to pray. Because God
will answer.

SALUUUUU
Stay up
Elder Moulton

Nosotros Ponemos, Dios Dispone

WELLLLLLLL another week in paradise and I gotta say things are looking
groovy. I sadly am bald now because I miscalculated in the barber shop
but we haven't had water for a week anyway so with less hair, its less
to wash right? But this week brought about changes which meant saying
goodbye to Elder Nuñez and getting my new comp, Elder Foster. He's
from Idaho and I am convinced that we are twins. We even have the same
birthday so I think it could be legit. But with all the changes we had
some highlights too. SOFIE GOT BAPTIZED!!! cutest little girl ever,
she is a stud and it was so neat to see her and her family supporting.
Just an awesome experience. She is 8 years old and even got up to
share her testimony afterwards.


But this week got your favorite central American, recently bald,
pupusa eating, boring letter writing elder thinking. And well, as my
people down here say, "We make plans, but God has the last word."
Basically if I have learned anything in life its that I don't know
anything. The more you know the more you don't right?

Mosiah 4:9 -Believe in ^aGod; believe that he is, and that he ^bcreated all things, both in heaven and in earth; believe that he has all ^cwisdom, and all power, both in heaven and in earth; believe that man doth not ^dcomprehend all the things which the Lord can comprehend.
We don't understand a lot in this life, sometimes we can't see the
connection between what we do and the results we receive. But what I
have learned is that God has a plan. By sticking to the plan and
obeying what he has commanded, we gain access to the blessings he has
prepared for us. By doing things our own way, we negate the blessings
and don't see the results we want. God knows more than we do what it is
that we need. We obey, He sets it up. God tosses the lobs and we get
the blessings. Just sometimes we don't recognize the blessings cuz they
come in God's way, not ours

Hope everyone is ok and RIP Kobe

SALUUUUUUU
Elder Moulton