Transfer 6 week 4

December 23, 2010
Dear Family,

Thank you so so so much for the gifts I have been receiving in the mail ;) I also received a story from Grandma Jean and Mom that I will print off and read. Shalese it sounds like you are really taking care of all the Christmas business... Can I just say you have racked up about a million sister points and these points will be poured out again on you when we have a role-reversal.

Shalese says Sharah is as easy to shop for and grateful as ever. It sounds like not much has changed. I bet the choir performance with Josh and Mr Fleming was great. I loved being in his class...so fun!!! Jacob, I want to hear some Japanese on the phone in a couple days..

The Elders that work with us in this ward found a girl named Carolina when they were talking to people in the street. They gave us her number and I think she is a miracle. She is 21 years old, from the Republica Dominicana and she has a warm smile and kind eyes that make me feel like we were friends before. She said in our first lesson that she has a thirst to learn about things of God. Teaching people like her about the Plan of Salvation is the best feeling ever. I don't know how to describe it. So many plain and precious truths have been lost...I really felt like we were sitting there explaining the best news she can possibly hear. We shared 1 Corinthians 15:40-41 and 2 Peter 4:6 about the three kingdoms and about learning the Gospel in the spirit world. Seeing that the Bible teaches exactly what we have also learned by modern revelation is a huge testimony to me and it helped Carolina accept it as well. When we taught about the Plan of Salvation we had a member present and at the end she explained that knowing the Plan of Salvation gives her peace because of the loved ones that she has lost in this life but she knows she will see them again. In the following lesson, Carolina told us that her mother had died when she was 6 or 7 years old, and I realized what a comfort the testimony of that member must have been to her. In that lesson I also felt the direct guide of the spirit telling me what I should ask. I reminded her that she had said that she has a thirst to learn about God and I asked when or how she had developed that thirst. She talked about studying with the Testigos de Jeovah when she was 8, and later attending a protestant church with her aunt. Then she said there was a time when she felt far from God and she felt terrible. She became very emotional and opened up a lot...and I realized how perfectly Heavenly Father knows his children and he can show us what they need by the Spirit.

We taught another great family last night. The father was baptized a long time ago in Bolivia and it sounds like he has taught his family about the Book of Mormon. Cristian (15) and Bryan (10) seem like really great kids and the mother, Claribel, was the person who was contacted by Hermana Bell and Hermana Abellán. Claribel really wants this for her family. The problem with almost every situation in Spain is that people work SO MUCH so we will have to pray with a lot of faith to even have the opportunity to teach them on a regular basis, but they seem ready.


Jenifer (18) is getting baptized this Sunday!!!! She is so excited. We are so excited. At each lesson we ask her if she has been reading and she tells us about questions she had and how she looked them up in the Guide and read about them and then asks us a ton of great questions. Wow. She is going to get rid of a chin piercing on Friday and sheĺl be totally ready. It is a little difficult because the the majority of teenagers have facial piercings in Madrid, especially if they are Spanish. Even some of the sweetest looking girls have a nose ring or a lip ring. The young people in Madrid have it rough spiritually speaking. They are exposed to everything. The point is that Jenifer is amazing and strong and she has seen a lot of great changes in her family as they have learned about the Gospel.

I LOVE being with Hermana Bell and Hermana Bustamante. Most people dread being in a companionship of three, but I love this trio so much. My companions are so great. I am learning a ton from them. It seems to take a lot more to discourage three than two. This has to be one of the funnest times of my mission thus far.

Family, just know that I love you so much and I am praying for you. This Christmas is going great!!! Everyone seems to be feeding us way too much and I love it!! Thanks for everything and thanks for your love. I cant wait to talk to you!!!! Make sure Grandma C gets a special "Merry Christmas" from me.

Love Hermana Shayla Moulton

Thanks so much for everything!!!!!!!!! MERRY CHRISTMAS!