Happy Late Christmas and Happy New Year!

What a year it has been. Looking back this whole year I have been on mission! Best year yet! 

To celebrate Christmas and everything we had a good time. 

First was our zone Christmas party, then the branch Christmas party, and then our Sister Christmas dinner! 

The zone party was fun as always. We have a great mission president and wife and every time they come it makes me feel like I’m sort of home haha. I know my real parents are FAR FAR away, but I’m so grateful for the mission president’s love and the good food they feed us. 

To top all the parties off, ORTON got baptized! Just before the branch party all the members came to support him. He was so pumped. This guy has been preparing for a long time, but because of his English is took him awhile but he kept working and working and now he is so good. It was truly amazing to see how much of a desire he had to be baptized. He learned English for it! Happy, happy day. After, our branch made food and we all ate together. It was a great time and we had lots of investigators come too. They had kind of like a little talent show and everyone got so into it. Malawians know how to make something small really great and I love it so much.  

Highlight of the week was Christmas Eve. Because Christmas was on a Tuesday we had a proselyting day on Monday. It was kind of a hard day cause we were tired haha but it ended up being one of my favorite days on mission. First off it rained during the day but it was still ok and we managed to see the people we needed to see. We even got to do some service on the way when we got to help a guy who’s bag of potatoes had fallen off his head! I rushed out of the car to help him and then everyone shouted "Azungu!!!!" They were somehow surprised I would get out to pick up potatoes and then a bunch of people came running and helped us do it fast before the rain was too much. Then to help us really get into Christmas, one of our investigators had asked about Family Home Evening. We said we could come and do one with them! So we went to their house and brought little treats and everything and a lesson. The family is a mom and dad and two kids that are under 12. We taught about the story of baby Jesus and how the circumstances showed how our Savior was the Prince of Peace and how even his mother Mary  had to sacrifice a lot but was so humble about everything. It was a humbling experience to share the Christmas story with that family. Every year at home my family and I share the nativity story, but to be able to share the light with another family was really humbling for me and made me especially grateful for this time I have to be on mission. That was our Christmas Eve and it was the best. 

Christmas day we got to skype our families. It’s a great day for missionaries! Then that night we made SO MUCH food and ate ate ate and opened presents that my mom had sent. 

The most important lesson I learned this past two weeks comes from a phrase that we kept hearing last week. Two different times someone has come up to us saying, "I am a sinner," both of those guys were drunk people who needed help and when we ended up teaching one of them it really showed me that really all of us are sinners. But you see we just all have different sins. We all have different weaknesses. Sometimes we struggle with loving and forgiving others. Some of us struggle to control our anger and it leads to hurting our brothers and sisters. Some of us, like these men, struggle overcoming temptations, but you see ALL OF US ARE SINNERS in some way. The best part of God’s plan is that ALL OF US CAN REPENT! Because of our Savior, Jesus Christ all can enter into his rest. I love this scripture in Alma 12:33-34

“But God did call on men, in the name of his Son, (this being the plan of redemption which was laid) saying: If ye will repent, and harden not your hearts, then will I have mercy upon you, through mine Only Begotten Son;

34 Therefore, whosoever repenteth, and hardeneth not his heart, he shall have claim on mercy through mine Only Begotten Son, unto a remission of his sins; and these shall enter into my rest.”

When we humble ourselves and realize we make mistakes and have weakness and don’t let our hearts be hard, He will give us mercy and we can receive forgiveness! The part I love most is, “enter into his rest.” Through following our Savior’s example we can become better people. We can be happier and one day rest with our Heavenly Father. For me, I know that I have weaknesses and make mistakes but I also know that our Savior is real. Jesus Christ is our Savior and because He lives I can always become better. 

I hope you all have a happy new year! 

with lots and lots of love,

Sister Moulton 

Merry Christmas from Malawi!

Editor's note: Sister Moulton didn't send an email this week but after a power outage and borrowing two different computers from members and two different meeting house locations, she was able to video chat with us for about 40 minutes early, early this morning. She looks great, loves Malawi and the people there and is excited about the work. Thank you for loving and supporting our daughter. 

Happy Week Before Christmas!

Time flies too fast! But finally for the first time this month it felt like Christmas haha. So, happy week before Christmas! 

So update on our dear Unity....... on mission I have learned to just accept what comes and this was another example. We were all prepped and ready to help her be baptized and then she just left to the village. We go to see her family and they all said her family had called her to the village... so yeah we didn’t get to see her all week. The mom left with her so there isn’t a lot of communication as to when she will come home! Sorry if I got anyone’s hopes up but makes sure you know that it will work out. That’s another thing I’ve learned. I can’t get down or sad because in the end, I know it will be okay she will come back! Faith is the first principal of the gospel and a very important one in missionary work too. 

Fun experience of the week was eating bugs for my first time! Because its been raining, these special bugs they come out of the ground and the kids they catch them. So while we were waiting for an appointment at the Mitambo’s house (its Peace’s family), Peace cooked for us some nice bugs. We meet and teach a lot of people at their house. I forgot what the bugs are called but they were not that bad! Crunchy and nice! The Malawian eat them as snacks for the rain time. They cook them with salt and a little water. 

Let me share a little about why i love Malawians so much. 

1. They have nothing but they give everything.

2. They love to listen to the message.

3. They are the humblest people I have ever met. 

1. This week Sister Joanna just decided randomly to give me this nice nice skirt. It has little elephants on it she said that, "White people like these things." haha Joanna is the best she loves to give missionaries things and I am grateful for her. 

2. We found so many people this week. People are ready to hear our message. Now we just have to wait and see if they will ACT upon it! But I seriously love it so much and we met some real fun ones this week too. We went in to teach these two boys that were interested and when we sit down we realized they spoke NO English and could not read. When I would say something- I guess with my American accent, which I though was gone haha - the one boy would say "WAHHHATT?" I would repeat what I said and he still didn’t get anything. We would have our member talk haha.  But they wanted to learn SO badly, so in our broken Chichewa we taught them some small things and invited them to church. I love the desire to learn. 

It truly humbles me and makes me feel so grateful for the gospel I know. 

3. We are teaching this single dad named Hillary. He just showed up to church without being invited because he said he needed a church close to his house, so its perfect!  But since then he has come every week and enjoys it every time. He knows A LOT but when we teach him he listens and asks very inspired questions. He is so humble despite us being young sisters and not knowing as much as him, he is still learning and being taught, Humility is a Malawian trait I truly love. 

I hope you all have a great week before Christmas and even though this Christmas is going to be a lot different than it is back home, just like last year, I’m grateful for the time I still have to spend here in wonderful Malawi. 

Love you all. Thanks for the support. 

with lots and lots of love, 

Sister Moulton 

Another Good One

 Hello family and friends,  

Another good week in Lilongwe!  Christmas is coming fast! 

This week once again I realized I just love this place more and more. We did a lot of finding and many many times I truly saw how we were led to people that were ready to hear our message. 

I want to share one experience we had though that really taught me how precious and special baptism truly is. So we have been teaching these two girls named Unity and Prisca. When I got to the area everyone thought they were members cause they had been coming to church for so long, but we found out they were not and turns out no one had even taught them in two years! I don’t get it haha but anyways we have been teaching them and the one girl, Unity, is so good. She is a 15-year-old going to high school. She just always loves learning and loves the church so much and every time we go the sister and the mom always say they are busy but her, she is always free.  They were going to be baptized the week before Christmas, but this week we went to keep teaching them and Unity told us her mom is trying to find her a boarding school in a village where there is no church. So she will be leaving on the exact day she was supposed to get baptized! We asked her then what day she would want to be baptized? We told her she could wait until when she finished school next year but when I said that my heart hurt a bit, and I knew it would make her sad. Then her face showed it. The poor girl, she looked so sad. She was so excited that day we invited her before and you can tell she has been looking forward to it and even after going to church for that long like its her church and now she was gonna have to wait even longer. And she started to tear up. We sat there with her and my comps said, "You want to be baptized next week before you go?" and she said yes. In between tears that she was trying to hide. Baptism is truly a special thing and this girl knows that. She will come back after school closes for breaks and things. So this week our plan is to finish teaching her and help her but we will see if it will work. I know by faith it will be ok. I am grateful for the knowledge I’ve had my WHOLE life of the restored gospel, AND of the opportunity I had to be baptized when I was a little 8 year old. 

Let me also include some pics of my fav kids lately. This little boy. . . he is the nephew to one of the members and she brings him on Saturday during cleaning and he is always so much fun. We have become good friends and his laugh is the cutest thing ever. 

And the three little girls. . . the one on the left is Favor and the one on the right is Miracle, the one in the middle just popped in, but I saw them sitting there after we were finished with a lesson and I had to take a pic. I love how their faces are all so different too. Also note the Christmas stickers they have on their hands! ;) 

Hope everyone has a good week! 

with lots and lots of love,

Sister Moulton

"My Life is a Gift, My Life Has a Plan"

 “My life has a purpose in heaven it began. My choice was to come to this lovely home on earth and seek for God’s light to direct me from birth.” 

HELLO! Just wanted to share with you a primary song that really describes my week. 

This week my dear little Peace turned 11! So we made her some American treats and sang to her. I love this girl with all my heart. 

This week as well we started our English class! Our Relief Society suggested it and we felt it would be a good service and a way to help those that we are not able to teach but they want to learn. So they can learn English! We had been planning how we would do it but we were kind of unsure because we didn’t know who would come. But the day came and we had six people show up. A mix of investigators and members and even a less active member came to our class. So we started with learning the alphabet and then to two letter words. I never knew how hard it could be to learn English. NO IDEA! But by the end of the class you could see the improvement. Even though most of them already know how to speak English, we saw how starting with the basics helped them learn how to BETTER speak and then write English. And hey it felt cool to be a teacher too! We are blessed with the ability to speak and read in English. Don’t take it for granted!

Okay but now let me get to my title. Soooo remember my friend Joanna from last week? The woman we sang with. Yeah so this week her daughter gave birth to a baby boy,  and we got to meet him! It was a beautiful sight and seeing a fresh new face come into the world was so humbling. A new life came into the world! Life truly is a gift. 

There were so many times this week when during the day we ran out of time. Like we just did not have time to see everyone. It would make me so stressed and worried but at the end of the week looking back i saw the progress we had made. But I also realized how precious time is. It reminds me of a scripture in Ecclesiastes 3:1 that states, "To every time there is a season and a time to every purpose under the heaven." My purpose right now is to be a missionary that is what my time has been given for. I chose to spend my time in this way and it could not be more rewarding. I feel my Savior’s love each and everyday and I know our work is truly led by Him. 

Also this week I was studying more on the plan of salvation and I learned a valuable lesson. Satan truly is part of God’s plan. If there were no opposition we would never learn! Just like during our day if we didn’t have appointments that fall through we wouldn’t find the awesome people we find when we go finding! There is a time for everything but there is opposition in everything. Heavenly father knows us personally and individually but Satan is always there to lead us away from what we know we should do. 

So even though Satan is real we can always remember and know that we must choose good and that the life we are given from God is truly a gift. 

I hope you all have a great week! 

with lots and lots of love,

Sister Moulton 

Malawi Miracles

So I didn’t really know it was Thanksgiving last week until I opened up my email today! Soooo happy Thanksgiving! It's not a common holiday here ;-) but this week for sure I had many things to be thankful for. 

1.  An awesome companion. She is such a hard worker. I really admire her. We are different people from different places with different ideas sometimes, but despite that I, am blessed to have a comp like her. LOVE YA SISTER GEORGE!

2. We found three couples this week. Couples ARE MY FAVORITE TO TEACH, because not only is it two people but because I have seen in my own family how the gospel has blessed my life and so I want their family to have those same blessings! One of those couples let me tell ya about them. . . so you know those little boys that have been coming to church? Yeah so on Saturday they came to help clean the church but we said, “No. Wait. Take us to your parents.” They stay literally right behind the church, and so we go and they let us in! And we teach them and my companion even cried the spirit was so strong. We strongly testified how what we share blesses families and brings the truth to the lost. The husband told us he went to bible school and even had his own church at one point but when he shifted back to Lilongwe he doesn’t have a church. BUT every Sunday morning the little boys wake up an beg their parents to take them to church but they say no and then the kids just went and found our church on their own! If only we could all be as little children. They really know how to follow the spirit. When Sunday came the mom and the boys came and the mom loved it so much. The husband sent her to check things out so I hope she reported back well so they will ALL come next week. But sharing with them just made me so grateful for my family who I love so much. This gospel is truly one that brings blessings and I know that families are supposed to be FOREVER and that they can be. 

3. I am also grateful for wonderful members here in Malawi. One is Lianna Brighton. She is 17 and every Saturday and Sunday she works as a missionary with us. She has a powerful testimony and is ALWAYS making us laugh with her jokes especially when she and Sister George are always talking about who is shorter than the other and Sister George makes fun of Malawians for being short haha. And she is just my fav. And also our favorite less active who is becoming more active JOANNA! She ALWAYS gives us food but that’s not why she is my fav but every time we go we sing hymns and read the Book of Mormon and I just feel so much peace there. She is the best alto signer ever. 

Hopefully the video I attached works but that is us sitting with her and her daughter singing. I love this place and I’m grateful its becoming a home for me. 

Anyway not much to say this week but I hope you are all doing well and looking forward to December!!!! 

with lots and lots of love,

Sister Moulton 

"Eye" Need Thee Every Hour

Hello Family and Friends,   

So yes this week was quite an interesting one!

Sooo randomly I got a sore on my eyebrow and then my comps, yes my comps, she popped it for me and then the next day my WHOLE EYE was swollen haha (I wont send pics cause I think it would creep some of you out). I could barely see, and it hurt very badly so I called the mission doctor and they sent me to the hospital. We waited and waited and I was just given ibuprofen and eye drops haha! I was told to cover it sooooo I had to wear a Band-Aid on it. Some days. And the people for sure noticed haha but it made a good conversation starter to have a big eye! But the whole experience just made me appreciate my eyes more and so I’m grateful for the lessons Heavenly Father can teach us even in our tough times. 

   

Okay but despite the weird eye thing WE HAD A BAPTISM THIS WEEK! I don’t think I have ever mentioned him before but his name is Emanuel. Okay so this guy is one of my favorite people. So we met him about two months ago while we were on exchanges and he was willing to learn so we sat down. Now Emanuel is one of the quietest people I have ever met. He just sits and listens. But if you ask him something he is so smart and knows. He just is a lot quieter than most, but that is what made him so great. At first he was SO SCARED OF us but we just offered to share our message and then he opened up and told us how he always wanted to know why bad things happen to good people. We decided to share the Plan of Salvation. As we shared he just took everything in. Little by little as we taught him all the lessons, he remembered and learned so much. When we would come back again and again he would have read the pamphlets and understood everything. When we gave him the Book of Mormon that is one of the first times I saw him smile so big, so happy to have his own copy. He has read a lot now and told us how he has learned a lot about how to be like Nephi. And as for us, we have gotten to know him better. It turns out he is a gospel artist and has siblings out on the web and that he likes to sing a lot! Despite us trying to get to know him though he still was quiet as we taught him, still just said goodbye at the end of the lessons and walked behind the house, but still we knew he was good. When he came to church he would just sit quietly and listen. Then the day of his baptism finally came. He was so ready and excited. There were many people there to witness his baptism. They call him the "Afro guy"! It was a great day and as he stood in the water I could see the joy on his face. I will never forget that. I’m grateful Heavenly Father led us to his house. Emanuel has taught me that all of Heavenly Father’s children are different but ALL OF THEM need the gospel. 

This week we had an FHE with a less-active family, and the young boy in the family invited all his friends to come and meet us haha! He had them perform a song for us of the Malawian national anthem and aye it was so nice. I LOVE MALAWI! 

Also this weekmy comps and I were asked to give talks in sacrament meeting. As I was bearing my testimony at the end and looking into their faces, I realized something. I have come to love about the mission. Sharing my testimony. Before I came I was low key scared and in a way ashamed of just saying and sharing my beliefs and I wasn’t willing to always share them openly and freely. But since being on mission I have learned HOW blessed we are to have the gospel and it has made me more and more motivated to share my testimony with others. So never again will I be ashamed or scared. I am too blessed to hold it in! 

Thank you all for your support. So many of you emailed me this week and I’m grateful for your words of encouragement. I am blessed to have people like you in my life. Keep up the good times and the hard work on that side!

With lots and lots of love,

Sister Moulton 

So Many Weird and Wonderful Things

So this week was just full of random moments of just greatness. 

One was this man who had come to church his name is Timothy. He was super interested so we were supposed to meet him during the week and then he didn’t pick his phone but like two seconds later he showed up just before we were gonna give up and go. So we end up getting to teach him, and wow this guy. He is prepared . He told us about how as soon as he walked into church he felt something. How he had learned about the Book of Mormon in his secondary school in his village (don’t know how that is possible) and how he already knew everything was true. Anyways while we were teaching him the sprit was so strong he knew everything and we asked what he needed to do to follow the truth and he says, "Be baptized." So we invited him and he said, "Yes praise God." He was so excited. The second time we met with him and he had read the pamphlet and everything and told us Joseph Smith was a true prophet and why and it was powerful. I don’t know how the spirit works with that one but he just knows. 

And let me tell you a little bit about my fav corner in the entire of Lilongwe. So the road the church is on has a corner that leads to more houses. At the corner we have become super good friends with the people there because we are always parking our car and walking to the appointment. So now my best friend there is Natasha. She is a mother and she messes with me by only speaking Chichewa to me but really she knows English. I love talking to her and we have tried sharing our message with her and even though she stays right across from the church and even though her neighbor is a member she isn’t interested but still she takes good care of us and always makes our day. On the other side of the corer is a girl named Ekale who has a business making these fried chips (French fires) and selling them. So we are always talking to her too. Every Time I go to that corner it just makes me happy to see who will be there that day. And of course the kids always come running for the stickers. Its my favorite just because it feels like home. Those people know us and I have come to love them so much. One day if you ever come to Lilongwe with me, I’ll bring you to my corner haha. 

This week we had another thing happen called a flat tire. I saw it coming but me I’m here for missionary work sooo… I just shrugged it off but when it happened I called the Elders.  I told them I could do it HHAHAHA! Boy was I wrong. A long time ago I think I learned but I forgot this is a really big truck so they had to come and fix it for us haha. We have the best missionaries here. THANKS ELDERS! 

Also another fun and wonderful thing, so we invited these little boys to church and gave them stickers and a couple weeks they came and they have come like every week since then. This week they even came and helped clean the church. They always make me smile. And they love Primary too. They will grow to love the church so much and I hope those ones NEVER Stop coming! 

But how could I of course NOT MENTION BENS BAPTISM?! I have never seen a person more excited than this one. SO PUMPED! And it was a beautiful service too. SO MANY PEOPLE CAME! He has started on the right path and I cannot wait to see how much he can contribute to the church here in Lilongwe. In his testimony after his baptism he talked about how he went to many churches but when he came to the church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints, he knew it was true. 

I’m grateful for the weeks like these that are so weird and wonderful. Time is flying and sometimes I can really feel Satan working hard to get me down and make me weaker as my time goes but the spirit is always there to help. It comforts me when I get low and it makes me remember why I’m really here. I know that there is still lots to do! 

Hope you all have a good week!

with lots and lots of love ,

Sister Moulton 

JUST DO IT

 Hello Everyone!  

Hope you had a nice Halloween? Don’t celebrate it this side but still I hope you all enjoyed haha. 

This week I was without a comp for a few days but it was still a good time cause I got to be with the other sisters. Sister Tukafu (my old comps from Woodlands) and Sister Matangi both from Tonga Island! They make everything fun haha. When we went to their area I finally got to ride a gabaza! That is what they call bikes here. It is the main form of transportation. So you pay a driver and you sit on the back on this little seat and you ride! Hey it was so fun. I would be totally cool if they took the car away and we had to ride those ;-) 

But this week we had some powerful experiences that once again taught me that when we have faith and when we work hard miracles happen. So one day we went finding in my area with the two sisters. I wanted to knock on this gate and one of the sisters I was with (who had visited my area before I came) said not to knock it cause she thinks those people are against our church cause that is what she heard. Okay well me I was willing to get a gate slammed in my face (honestly I thought it would be kinda fun) so I knock and guess what? The people let us in and they wanted to learn more and they let us come back another time too|! One of the guys we taught that stays there is studying Theology at a local Christian school. He had heard of the Book of Mormon but had so many questions and of course we have the answers. I know it was inspired to knock on that gate and it taught me that I need to JUST DO IT. Follow the spirit and have the faith you need to find and the people will be there! 

Another tender mercy happened on Sunday. So at first when church started there were no people, but as time went on more and more came and the place was almost filled. I have never in my time here seen it like that. It was full of investigators, less active members, active members and it was a beautiful sight. Couldn’t really take a picture but I will NEVER forget. We ended up having 13 people at church that day and some of them we couldn’t even see us during the meeting but after they came and found us. The work is moving forward and it may be slow but I’m grateful for those times that give me inspiration to keep going and keep doing. 

And yes my new companion finally came! Her name is Sister George and she is from Nigeria! She is one of my fav people in this mission. She is hilarious and always has something interesting to talk about. We are having a good time together and loving it here. 

 Ben is getting baptized this week and he can not wait. . . seriously! He asked me on Friday if he could just get baptized tomorrow haha this kid. He is doing good. 

Anyways I hope you all have a good week!  

with lots and lots of love, 

Sister Moulton 

It's Not About You

This week was kinda sad to be honest. Not because the work is worse, don’t worry but because I had to say goodbye to another companion. Sister Teuatu is going home! Before she left she taught me how to play this Malawian game called Baw. 

Its like Mancala and its so fun. We had became really close and I will miss her dearly.  Because she was leaving this week we said goodbye to lots of people and worked extra hard to reach our goals. I have seen how on mission how there really is a difference between just going through the motions and when you really, really put in the effort. The effort spent is so much better.  

But I wanted to share the biggest lesson I learned this week. Because it was sister Teuatu’s last week some of the people we went to wanted to just sit and talk and talk when we went and EVERYONE WANTED TO SAY GOODBYE, and because she was leaving there were lots of technical things we had to go and sort out and I was so tired and stressed from those times running around and seeing random people. It was very selfish of me. I was constantly thinking about how I felt about things and the things I needed to do and things that I wanted to get done. But this week in the car we were listening to this song that hit me so hard. We listen to like gospel pop songs a lot of them from our church about missionary work and there is this one called "Its Not About You." The song talks about how this kid is scared to go on mission he doesn’t feel like he is ready and that he questions if he is good enough but then his dad reminds him "Its Not About You." I attached the link (https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=vXtjZfue5kk)  cause it’s a good song haha! But this really just made me remember that its not really about me. Its about the people I serve and the people I teach and those that I live with. When I focus more on others and less on myself I find that I’m happier and more like our Savior Jesus Christ. His whole life was spent thinking of others before himself. I know that my time left is flying by and I want my last months to be spent on me thinking of others and focusing on why I am really here. 

Oh and also our district meeting this week was so fun. We have the best missionaries ever gotta say....

This week to send sister Teutua off strong we had a baptism... of one of the couples we have been teaching! So before they were baptized they got married in the church. So on Friday we got to go and it was so cute to watch this awesome couple commit to each other and they looked so nice. We are happy for them and now they are officially married! 

Then on Sunday was their baptism. Teutau and I had  matching blazers made to wear! The joy on their faces was so great. Edward’s family are all members of the church and they were overjoyed that day as their final brother entered into the waters of baptism and joined them. It was so nice to see how a family can be united through the gospel. Kind of funny story though so Vanessa, the wife, she wears wigs to cover her hair and she kind of forgot to take it off before she went into the water, so when she got under the water the wig came floating up to the top! haha It was so funny haha oops! After the baptism Edward and Vanessa bore their testimonies. They spoke about how true the church is and how the Book of Mormon is true. I love seeing how powerful conversion can be.  

I’m grateful for the lessons I learn each and every week. Little by little I know I will become the person I am supposed to be. 

Hope you all enjoy Halloween this week! 

with lots and lots of love,

Sister Moulton