The Miracle Family

Hey! 

Before I get to the mission work I first wanted to update and inform all of you about Sister Mafunda and my biscuit search. So here in Zambia all the little shops in the neighborhoods and at the stores they sell biscuits okay but biscuits here are little cookies like oreos but they have Zambian ones in all different flavors and brands okay. So in Kalingalinga my favorite biscuit was On-the-go Biscuits, just a vanilla biscuit but when I came to Woodlands I wasn't able to find them for a long time. So Mafunda and I since we have been companions and we have been tasting and trying biscuits to find our new favs. Currently our favorite brand is called Anytime Biscuits. They have different flavors vanilla, chocolate, custard, strawberry, orange and lemon... we have tried all of them but are still on the hunt for the lemon one.... so the search continues but so far the best one is the vanilla one! It taste like ice cream. Maybe ill bring some home and you all can try it! Anyways just a fun little side note haha 

As for the work! I have never talked about James. James James James so he is this quiet dude that the missionaries have been teaching for awhile now. He is getting baptized on Sunday! He is such a good guy. He reads the, “Mormon Book” as he calls it all the time and he I really excited to get baptized. He is really shy but when we ask him questions he opens up and inside that guy is a big testimony. We are very excited for him. 

This week we really focused on finding. Our goal was to find some solid families in our new area. We focused on families because we know that through the gospel of Jesus Christ that families can be together forever, but we also know the gospel is for everyone. We went in with a lot of energy and new ways of finding. Our favorite way has been by asking powerful questions when they answer the door or gate. Such as, “Have you ever wondered why there are so many churches in Zambia? Did you know that God has a body of flesh and bones? Have you heard about the Book of Mormon, another testament of Jesus Christ?” So when the person would answer we would introduce ourselves and then ask the questions and listen to their answer and then ask if we could share more about that topic with them. All week we knocked on so many gates though and many people either didn’t answer, were too busy to listen, AKA the don’t want to haha, or the owner wasn’t home- only the guard at the gate. Mafunda and I were feeling pretty discouraged and really prayed and thought about what we needed to improve on. We couldn’t figure it out. We just knew we had to keep going and it would work out. There was this one morning when we were walking so slow. We had just knocked a ton and nothing, and all our appointments fell through, but we decided to knock on this one house. We knocked and waited and then a gardener came to the gate. We decided to ask him, “Did you know that God has commanded us not to drink coffee and tea?” and he said, “Yeah I’ve heard it somewhere before but I don’t know where.” So we told him we could come in and share more with him and HE SAID YES! So he is the gardener for the main man who stays there but he stay behind the big house in a tiny house, AND HE STAYS WITH HIS WIFE AND TWO LITTLE BOYS! He was so welcoming to us and invited his wife to come and learn with us. So there sat this man, Mayba, and Esther his wife, and one of the little boys. As we started the lesson we talked about how the gospel can strengthen their family and how it has been restored to the earth and Mayba asks, “How was it restored? How was it lost?” Woah this guy! He asked the right questions and so as we began to share the message, they were so interested. We talked about how important love is in a family and how Heavenly Father has blessed them with their families and they talked about how they know too the love and respect and supporting each other as husband and wife is so important in the home. You could tell to that they do work together and love each other and especially their two boys. We invited them to pray every night as a family and they said they would. As we were leaving they told us they wanted us to come back, so we could answer the rest of the questions! Oh man and the wife was so nice. When the gate closed behind us, Mafunda and I just hugged and were so happy. Heavenly Father had led us to a family! We were so grateful that He had. We prayed and thanked Heavenly father for the miracle family. Really was a tender mercy on a day when things were just not going our way. I know He was watching out for us and when we continue to work hard, no matter what, He will bless us in the end. We are excited to teach this family this week and I’ll keep you updated on what happens! 

That’s all for this week! Hope you all are well! 

with lots and lots of love, 

Sister Mouton 

Always Remember

Hello! 

SHOUT OUT TO MY BROTHER WHO GOT HIS MISSION CALL THIS WEEK! SO HAPPY FOR HIM AND KNOW HE WILL DO GREAT THINGS AS HE SERVES IN EL SALVADOR! 

This week honestly was rough. Our area is struggling and we are trying to find people to teach and people just don’t wanna even listen, but Sister Mafunda and I have faith that there really are people here that are ready to listen. We keep going and keep knocking and keep opening our mouths and Heavenly Father will lead us to the people ready to hear. 

We had zone conference this week and it was so nice to get inspired and motivated to keep teaching and finding! Mafunda and I got to do a presentation about ideal teaching moments and I really learned that we as missionaries should do everything we can to make the lessons meaningful and to do our best to teach the investigator what they need using scriptures and questions. It’s definitely making an impact on our teaching.

We have been teaching some progressing investigators though. One of them is this young adult named Lizzy. She is this writer who told us how much she really just wants to know the truth. When we were teaching her the last time we taught her up to where we usually teach and stopped and she said, "No can you keep going I want to hear more," so we kept going and it ended up being one of the most powerful lessons and spiritual experiences I have ever been in. Sister Mafunda and I testified to her how the gospel has truly been restored to the earth and how blessed we are to have the same church Jesus Christ established once again on the earth. As I was testifying I just knew in my heart what I was saying was true. And I saw in her that she felt something different. That’s why I love missionary work. Not only does their faith and testimony grow but you see yours grow as well. Its a powerful thing. 

So working in this area too is also very different because the people are different from the ones in kalaingalinga. They are much more self reliant, they usually have a car and they come from families that grew up in one church and aren’t really looking for the truth themselves. This one man asked us, "Why do we need religion? I feel like the people who don’t rely on Jesus Christ are better off." It really hit me when he asked this, and I realized that not only is this gospel of Jesus Christ something to believe in but it gives us hope and direction in our lives. I just love it so much!

This week I was reading in Mosiah 4:1-12  " ....even so I would that ye should REMEMBER, and always retain in REMEBERANCE, the greatness of God, and your own nothingness, and his goodness and long-suffering towards you, unworthy creatures, and humble yourselves even in the depths of humility, calling on the name of the Lord daily, and standing steadfastly in the faith of that which is to come, which was spoken by the mouth of the angel. And behold, I say unto you that if ye do this ye shall always rejoice, and be filled with the love of God, and always retain a remission of your sins; and ye shall grow in the knowledge of the glory of him that created you, or in the knowledge of that which is just and true."

Its talking about how if we are continually REMEBERING our Savior Jesus Christ that we will always rejoice and be filled with the love of God and we will grow in knowledge! It is a great promise and I know its true. He will always bless us for being humble and that’s one of the greatest things I’ve learned on mission. That when we are humble and realize that it’s not about us, he will show us miracles and give us strength and comfort. 

I know that this work truly is His. I’m here in Woodlands for a reason here in Zambia for a reason and I am so happy to be here.  

Excited for this next week of hard work! 

with lots and lots of love 

-Sister Moulton 

Prayers Answered

Hello!  

Wow what a week! So on Tuesday I said good-bye to my daughter Sister Sila and hello to my new companion Sister Mafunda! She is from South Africa. She started her mission in Madagascar but a couple months ago they had to evacuate because of a disease in the country and many missionaries were moved here and she was one of them! She is almost done with her mission and so I am learning so much from her and all her experience. We get along great and she makes me laugh all day! We also are getting lost literally the whole day cause Sister Mafunda is new to the area too, so basically we just keep driving until we find it, and eventually we do! 

Yeah so driving is quite the adventure. The first time I got in the car I said a prayer that I could stay calm and safe. And He helped us get home even if we got lost at every turn! Here in Lusaka you drive from the city or the suburb then through mud and then over pot holes and yeah its been fun. Oh and round abouts here, they are so exciting! But don’t worry I have been safe though! We say many prayers that Heavenly Father will protect us and He does. There was only one scary moment on the way to an appointment where we were driving through this puddle that was so so deep and so I try to go up on the higher ground and the car is like tipped and it feels like we are going to fall but I just pushed the gas real hard and we skidded a little and came out of what I would call a lake. Esh it was scary haha but other than that most of the roads are paved and good! It’s fun times!

In the new flat I have a huge desk all to myself and I love it so much! The sisters I live with are so fun too! One is Nigerian and can make the best rice ever and the other is a Tongan and she is so good at doing hair! We have a good time.

 Okay but back to missionary work. The new area is definitely different than my old area. The people are a lot more self-reliant but I am learning that even those people need the gospel. Most of the people we teach speak good English and ask such good questions! Especially this one named Bonfiace. He wants to know all about temples and about Joseph Smith. His questions are always so deep like in the Bible it says if we confess with our mouth we are saved so what do we believe regarding that and all these questions about Heavenly Mother and about apostles and wow its intense. But his desire to learn is truly amazing.  

Another one of my favorite lessons this week was with this young women we found named Alli. We knocked on her door and as we got to know her. We found out she was Jehovah witness. And usually the Jehovah Witnesses here in Zambia once they find out who we are they don’t let us talk to them. But I could tell she was different. We got to know her and found out about her family and as we were teaching her about the Godhead and about how she has a loving Heavenly Father, we talked about prayer. She told us she had not prayed in a long time because she felt like Heavenly Father would help her for a bit and then things would be good and then get really bad and so she just stopped asking him for help and was trying to do things on her own. But still finding no success. She told us how lonely she was and how life has been hard.  Her dad drinks and smokes and how that makes her sad. We were able to teach her more about prayer, more about how she truly is a daughter of Heavenly Father and he wants to help her. That our challenges are tests for us and we can learn from them and as we continue to rely on Him, He will help us. Our relationship with Heavenly Father takes time and effort but as we pray it can grow stronger. As we were testifying and teaching, she started to cry. We committed her to pray and she said she would. After the lesson I thought about how much our Heavenly Father does love his children. When we pray we can’t see him but he lets us know He is there by how we feel and through the Holy Ghost. I know our Heavenly Father hears and answers our prayers. One of my goals while on mission is to have more effective and meaningful prayers. I know that as I continue to pray and help other learn to pray that I can have a stronger relationship with my  Heavenly Father. It just takes us talking to him and going to him with anything! Even for help on driving or help with big decisions or help with a test! Heavenly Father will be there for us if we ask in prayer. Just try it! 

Hope you all have a good week!

with lots and lots of love all the way from Woodlands,

-Sister Moulton 

Big Week Over Here. . . Transferred at 5 months???

Hello! so this week I hit five months on mission! I can hardly believe it, and everyone says it just flys after 6 but i already feel like its flying! I have grown and learned so much and there have been rough times but after every rough time I am reminded why I am on mission. 

 OKAY OTHER BIG NEWS.... IM BEING TRANSFERRED!!! President called me to be a sister training leader in the Woodlands Zone. I will be moving this week and will be companions with one of the awesome sisters I used to live with. I also will be a driving missionary now! I am pretty excited for the new change. Bummed that I wont get to finish training Sila and so so sad to leave my area but I know the Lord needs me somewhere else. I had to say bye to some people this week and it made me realize how much I truly love them. Our area is the best but I know there is still great things ahead!

We were walking through our area one day on the way to an appointment and this group of kids calls us so we go over and they tell us that their school teacher, John was his name, was calling for us. So we go to the school and all the kids are on break. The teacher welcomes us in and has us sit on a bench and asks us all these questions about what we do and says he wants to learn more. Meanwhile the kids are gathered all around just staring at us 37 of them! It was so funny, and the teacher said he had seen us before talking and entertaining some kids so he thought we could entertain his kids and we did even just by sitting there talking! So after we got his contact and finished the conversation Sila and I had to the idea to take a picture and WOW it was a mad house but so fun. The kids all gathered around and squeezed in so close! If you look at the picture you can barely see my head! Its kind of like where is waldo but where is Sister Moulton the azungu (white person) haha. We gave the kids stickers on our way out too. I love our area haha. 

So this week we went finding in our area. Basically how we find here in kalinganling is we talk to everyone who is outside. So we stopped at this compound of houses where this women was washing clothes. I say to her, "Can we help you? Sister Sila is really good at washing and me I can hang clothes really well!" and she lets us in to help her.  We end up helping her wash all her clothes and end up getting to meet her entire family who all stay in one compound! They thought it was pretty funny that we were washing but hey I think it’s a great way to find. We shared a short message with them and the one girl said she would come to church! She didn't end up coming because it was raining so bad but I hope that we can visit her in the future. 

We are teaching this new man named Charles. He is so interested it amazes me. If he doesn’t understand something he gets this look on his face and then we re-explain. Sister Sila and I have been teaching the priesthood in a different way using the pamphlets as a tower haha. Probably doesn’t make sense but when I get back I’ll explain it haha but its been so powerful to see how it is helping people understand. And Charles really understood the priesthood by the end of it and asked how he could be baptized and receive the priesthood. I know that there is always more things to learn on mission, everyday I learn something that helps me become better and I am so grateful I have 18 months to do it. 

Also my sweet mom sent these "mom" and "daughter” t-shirts in the mail and Sila and I went and took pictures in them. On mission when you are training you are called "mom" and then your trainee is called your “daughter!” haha I will miss being this girls "mission mom" but she will continue to do great things in the area. 

I know that this gospel is true and I know that God does answers prayers. He listens even when it feels like the answer doesn’t come right then, it always works out in the end. So keep praying! 

Hope you all have a great week. 

with lots and lots of love, 

Sister Moulton