December 23, 2009

Hey!!

Yes I got your Christmas card and thank you for the pics and your testimony Mom! You still havent gotten my package yet?? I'm worried. Tell Connor to send me an email so I have his please and tell him I love him. Tell him now that I am out here I am so glad that I am serving even though I miss home and all you guys soo much. I feel so happy and at peace with everything and I am having fun!

Well this week was slow with lessons, but we have gone to some members, nonmembers or former gators. We have fun there and we share a short message with them as well. I will tell you about some of the families when I talk to you guys. For Christmas we are going to be at the Blomfields who are from England. They are awesome and I can't wait for it. It will be a blast. Really the only cultural difference between Canadians and Americans is that they love hockey and we, in az, don't. haha And they aren't very good drivers either. hahaha Well I will talk to you all Friday. Now I will be calling you guys at ten from a member's phone and Elder Neal will use the cell phone. I love you all and can't wait to talk!!

Love,

Elder Hayden Moore

December 9, 2009

Hey Fam!


Well, it is officially winter in Calgary! Last weekend it dumped a lot of snow and Monday the temp dropped to -14F!!! Ya, it was cold. Well living in the cold kind of stinks, but I am staying warm and layering up.


A day in the life of a missionary:
We get out of bed at the dark hour of 6:30 a.m. and then we try and stay awake while we are working out. After that, we eat breakfast, then shower and get ready for the day. We study our scriptures until 10:00 and then we leave to start work for the day. Monday is zone leaders' meetings and we meet as a district an hour later. The district is made up of Elder Neal, me, Elder Spurlock and Elder Clarke. My companion (Elder Neal) is our district leader. Elder Spurlock came out of the MTC with me. Our district has a lot of fun together. After that we go out to lunch as a zone to the mall that is by us called SouthCentre. By 1 p.m. we are out and doing missionary work! We hopefully have appointments to teach, but lately we aren't having a lot. We have been going by part member homes and trying to get to know a few of them. Most are not active at all and don't want to talk to us. Dinner is usually around 5:30-6 at a member's house. The members are awesome even though we need to kick them in the shorts to do some missionary work :). After dinner, we will try to visit former investigators who are still really cool with the missionaries but aren't interested in joining (yet!). There is one family, Murray and Kim, who are super cool. She gives us hot chocolate :) We just visit and the share a short spiritual message with them. Other nights we'll maybe go by some members or part member families and then we are home by 9 p.m. Once we are back at the apartment we do our planning for the next day/week and then go to bed.


I will send a detailed letter with my memory card. Sorry it has taken so long. I had to get a flash drive so I could back up everything in case it got lost in the mail. You will see the videos of the bulot (the duck egg) on my card. Yes, Elder Neal ate one and yes, I did gag. haha. Well I love you all and miss you tons! I will be calling home on Christmas day now, not eve. Probably at around 10 a.m. In the picture I sent the week before, was Elder Neal driving and Elder Spurlock behind me, then Elder Clarke behind the driver's seat. For Christmas, we will be a members' homes. First, the Pattersons, then the Blomfields, who are English. It will be a blast at both families. Did you all see the Christmas devotional by the First Presidency? If not, pull it up on the internet and show Nana and Papa. Tell Dad and Connor I love them both! And tell Connor that if he loves his older brother he should email him! :):)


Love,
Elder Hayden Moore

Happy Thanksgiving 11.25.2009

Hey Fam!

How are things in AZ? Well I'm one week into my second transfer and I'm loving it! Thanksgiving is tomorrow for you guys and for me it's just another day. haha But it's all good. So Casey is at the MTC? Have you heard from him? Well the work is still slow here in the Parkland ward, but member trust is on its way up which is making things a lot easier. Our investigator is not really progressing, but he is keeping his commitments, which is good. He still has a ways to go.

So Connor is doing lacrosse again? That's good. Tell him I miss him and love him. How are you and Dad doing? ..and the grandparents? The member we live with is down in Mesa for Thanksgiving. haha His Gf lives there so he goes there a lot.

Has did Dad heard of the Perry plan? It's a new ward mission plan that is supposed to be across North America. The plan has the ward start picking up the slack for missionary work and gives us lessons to teach. Make sure our ward is not being lazy on this.

So ASU stinks, huh? Oh well, I'm glad the Suns are doing well! So how's America doing? I saw the they passed (or getting close to passing) the new health care bill. How are you guys dealing with that? ...and Uncle Russ? Well things are going great up here! I miss you all and keep the letters and emails coming!

Here is the pic I promised of the duck egg I ate...

Here is the head that I didn't eat... Here's a pic of me and some of my fellow missionaries...(Editors note: Elder Moore must have ran out of time and didn't identify these fine elders. Hopefully, we will have an update next week.)

Love,
Elder Hayden Moore

P.S. I'm calling you guys Christmas Eve, and that's in one month!!!

Letter 11-17-2009

hahaha Yeah, I read your first email and I was like, "I'm out here on a mission and I still get scolded by my mom". haha It's OK Mom. I forgive you. My email was so short last week because I sent a long one to Casey because he is leaving on his mission tomorrow.

To answer your questions: Well I'm going to send through snail mail your request to write about the day in the life of a missionary in the Calgary Canada Mission. I am writing in my journal, though, it is not everyday. I'm trying to get better at that. I have driven in snow, but right now there is no snow and the weather is great! I just got the transfer emails and looks like I'm staying here for another transfer. Elder Neal is still with me. We haven't had anything unusual for dinner, but ha we did eat a duck egg called bulot. I'll send you my memory card with pics and the video on it.

Well I got the SD card with the pics, but no video?? It was great to see those pics though. Send me a card with all the San Diego pics on it, and what not, and take a video of the family. Ask dad if he has heard of the Perry plan? I have to go, but I love you lots and miss you tons.

Love,
Elder Hayden Moore

(Editor's note: Yes, I really did scold Hayden for sending such a short email last week. I know, I know. I already heard it from Scott. Bad mom! Baaaaad mom!)

Letter 11-10-2009

Hey! How's Mexico? Sounds like a blast! I'm jealous. haha. Things are going well up here and I am almost done with my first transfer. It has gone by so fast! Because next week is transfer week, I will be emailing on Tuesday again. Well the work is about the same. We have been teaching to a couple where the convert husband has not been to church in years, but the wife is active. Guess what? He came to church on Sunday! It was awesome. The Lord works miracles. I love you guys so much and keep in touch with Casey before he goes into the Mission Training Center. Love you all!

Love,
Elder Hayden Moore

November 4, 2009

Hey! How are ya? Well we have one investigator, Blain, and we are meeting with him tomorrow to talk about how his reading is going. He is not progressing yet, but hopefully he will. Besides that, we are working hard through the members to find someone. The part member couple I mentioned last week is doing well but he still needs time.

How's Connor doing? Tell him I love him and miss him a lot! What he is going through is for a reason. Glad you are saving on auto insurance without me there.haha Are you guys planning any cool trips now that I'm gone? haha What are you guys doing for Turkey Day? I can't believe Jenna is getting married in December!

I haven't gotten the camera card yet, but I also have not gotten mail today, so who knows?

Elder Neal is a great and I'm glad he is my trainer. He is from Portland, OR and he has 10 months left. I'm his second boy (greenie). He is a goofy kid, but we have lots of fun. We haven't done any tracting yet. But I know I will sooner or later. For Halloween we had to be in by 6 p.m., so we had fun playing chess and cards.

Yep, I saw the comments from Facebook and tell everyone thank you for them! I love you too!! Tell everyone I love them and miss them a lot! Have fun in Mexico!! I will be doing emails on Tuesday next week because of Rememberence Day. I love you lots and will talk to you maybe in two weeks!

Love,
Elder Hayden Moore

P.S. the Picture is from the night before Halloween at a Stake party. Next to me is Elder Spurlock. He was in my MTC district and is now in my district here. We were Crayola Crayons. haha

A Couple of Pictures

Editors Note: We received these pictures from President and Sis. Archibald along with a sweet letter about Elder Moore. They were taken the first day Hayden arrived in Calgary; hence the Hayden's "deer in headlights" expression. Just kidding! Okay, maybe not totally.

October 28, 2009

Hey Everyone!

Well things are going well! This last week flew by. The weather has warmed up...to the 40s! ha It's a crazy feeling when 34F feels warm, but it will soon get cold again and I am not looking forward to that.

So, this last week we finally caught up with our only investigator, Blaine, and he is gradually making process. Our other hopeful is a part member family and the wife is active but he is not a member. We had a really spiritual lesson last night and committed him to read the BofM. He said he would. Also last night, Elder Neal and I went to get some pizza and while we were in there some guy came up to us and bought us dinner!! We didn't know him. The Lord blesses us in many ways!

Well all is well here in the Great White North! There are a lot of people up here wanting to move to AZ because they all hate the cold! Plus home prices are so cheap in AZ that people are buying winter homes. haha Dang snowbirds. The member that we are staying with has a grandkid in Mesa and was just down there last week.

I love you all!
Love, Elder Hayden Moore

Mom - Here are the answers to your questions
Are you using much money out of your bank account at Chase? Yeah, I'm using it, but not that much. You guys will get a statement in the mail every month so you can monitor it that way.

What do you want for Christmas? We got a letter from the mission office and they said put money in your account so you can buy what you need there. Is that okay with you? Yeah money will be good because I can just by the stuff I need up here.

Do you want us to send some baked goods? We can wrap them tight to keep them fresh. I would love some! ha But try and next day it or something because Canadian mail service is slow!

Did you get something from Dear Elder? Is the quality okay? Not sure if we should use them again. They are good! But yours are better and it will save money if you make it. (Editors note: Did my son really use the phrase "save money"?)

Online Chat - October 21, 2009

Beth here...sorry to all our family and friends who are following Elder Moore's blog and are wondering where the latest post is. Scott and I were fortunate enough to "catch" Hayden online on his P-day, so we were able to "chat" with him via email during his alotted time. Hence, no formal letter. I will try to reconstruct as much of the "conversation" I can to share with you...so here goes...

Elder Moore:
Nice! You likin' the new digs (Scott's new building)? I'm doing great! The work in my area is finally starting to move along. Sunday night we and one other companionship met with the AP's (Assistant to the President). The Mission President has challenged us to get a baptism within thirty days, so we are working hard to get that done!

It's about 36f outside, which feels really nice compared to what it has been since I have been here! haha We have dinner appts all the time and this week we have one every day, so they are feeding us great! They are so nice and love the missionaries! The people in general are very nice up here, they love to talk haha.

We are really pushing the members to do more missionary work and hopefully we see some results! no Mex food yet, they have a Taco Time at the mall food court but I haven't tried it yet because I know it won't be the same.

Send all my snail mail to 7044 Farrell Rd SE Calgary, Alberta T2H 0T2. That's the mission office and is where we get our mail. Well, my area is in the suburbs and we have a car! It's an 07 Malibu, so thats cool. Everything that I have is working great! Send me a memory card with pics and video of you guys and the family.

Well I have to get going but I LOVE YOU GUYS SO MUCH!!! And tell everyone else I love and miss them too! Tell Connor I love him and miss him, and tell him serving a mission is the best thing you can do! Love you all and I'll write you next week same time!

Elder Moore

Beth here again...I wanted to share we received a very special phone call on Wednesday night from a dear member in Calgary named Karen Baker. She and her husband had Elder Moore and his companion over for dinner and wanted to let us know what a wonderful missionary Hayden is. She couldn't believe he had only been out for a couple of weeks. What a thoughtful thing for her to do and what an incredible blessing it was for us! Considering all we were going through on Wednesday, I know the Spirit was at work here. How grateful I am for these sweet people who are so close to the Spirit and act on His promptings. It really made our night to get the call. (And just think, I almost let the call go to voicemail because I didn't recognize the number!)

First P-Day!

Hey how's everything going? Just read all your emails, so I'll try to answer as many as i can. :) Well I woke this morning and looked outside and there is 3 inches of snow on the ground haha and its only October! But it's supposed to warm up this week. I'm happy to hear that because that will probably be the last warm weather I get for a few months! I am staying warm and layering up, so it's not that bad. The swine flu has hit up here and a few people in the area I know have gotten it (not missionaries). I'm washing my hands and trying to stay healthy! The cold weather isn't bothering anything so that's good.

Well so far its been rough when it comes to investigators. We had a big list of hopefuls, but that has been shrunk to only a few people and even that doesn't look so great. We are trying not to let it get to us and we are getting the members involved in missionary work as well. A lot are very willing to help out so the future does look bright!

Did you get my pictures? I have more I want to send. The mail here stinks and takes forever, so don't send any baked goods because they will go bad haha. Well my trainer is a good worker and he knows how to stay busy which is good because it makes time go by much faster. He is really easy to get along with and knows how to have fun which is good too.

Well for Thanksgiving we went to Pizza Hut with some members! haha Yeah, so no turkey for me. The members are feeding us well and the ward is awesome. Thanksgiving isn't nearly as big here as it is in the States. A lot of people just blow it off.

My mission president is a cool guy and has put the hammer down ...

Schedule for P-day: we are now emailing and after this we are going to do some shopping. Well I'm having fun and workin hard, but still missing home more than ever! I love you guys so much and miss you all! Write me soon!

Love,
Elder Hayden Moore

P.S. It's D&C 84:87-88

Happy Thanksgiving Elder!

It was Thanksgiving today in Calgary (see my earlier post below) and we didn't hear from Hayden, but we did hear from his zone leaders. Apparently, Hayden's P-Day is on Wednesday normally, but this week it will be on Tuesday. If you want to send an email, do so early tomorrow. Sorry I didn't give more notice. Thanks to all who are following the blog! Leave comments because I send them to Hayden.

I'm Here!

Hey!

Well I arrived yesterday in Calgary! On our way from Denver to Calgary, the elders who were sitting behind me started talking with a guy in the next row and eventually all of us who were around him started talking to him. He was a really nice guy and was interested in reading the BOM so we gave him one and a Pass-Along card. When we got there we met Pres. and Sis. Archibald at the airport and from there we went to the mission home for some orientation. I was so tired yesterday…only running off of like 2 hours of sleep! After that we had dinner (which was really good and a welcome change from MTC food haha). Afterward we walked over to the church building to meet our trainers. So my first trainer is Elder Neal. He has been out a year and is a solid missionary. He is going to be good. My first area is the Calgary south zone and the Parkland Ward. It really hasn’t sunk in yet that I’m here. I feel like I’m in a daze and it’s not really happening. Haha. Tonight I have my first dinner appt! Then we are going to visit a potential investigator named John, so hopefully that goes well! We are living in a basement which is older but is good because we have our own "kitchen" ha and a room to study in.

Well it’s snowing already(!) and raining and is in the 30's or like 3C, so it’s chilly. I got my jacket today - a snowboard jacket that is triple layered. This is what all the other missionaries wear and the lady said that with some other layers it's good for -40F ha. It came out to like 230 bucks.

Well I’m here and safe! And happy to be here! I’m homesick (but I know that in a couple weeks I’ll be fine). I love you guys so much! Tell everyone I love them and miss them a lot. It was great getting to talk to you guys on the phone! But it did make me realize how much I miss you guys and love you. But this is the Lord’s work. I’m stoked to be getting started! I know that this is the restored gospel of Jesus Christ and that this is my duty to serve the Lord to share it with the wonderful people of Calgary. Joseph Smith was a Prophet of God and he did see the Father and Son in the grove and they did speak to him telling him that a marvelous work was about to come forth among the children of men. Christ is my Savior and suffered in the garden and died for our sins on the cross. I know these things to be true. I love you all! Be safe and write me!

Love,
Elder Hayden Moore

First Phone Call

Elder Moore called us today from the Denver airport. It was so, so, so good to talk to him. He is doing well and excited to get out in the field. We chatted about General Conference and Elder Holland's talk. It was so powerful! He really loved the MTC (except the food) and all he learned. What a difference it makes when you are learning by the Spirit, Hayden said. He is able to retain so much more than he ever has before. He said that there are so many member referrals in the Calgary mission that there isn't a lot of tracting happening right now. What great examples the church members in Canada are for us. I guess we better get on the ball! We can hardly wait until Christmas so we can talk to him again. Until then, emails will have to suffice.

Hey guys how's it going? Thanks for the package and the calling card! Thankfully I didn't get sick this p-day. haha The Temple was cool. How are things at home? Well the weather has been great here! Yesterday it was cold and rainy and it snowed on Timp. Today is nice and cool and the fall colors are coming out.

Well the classes here are fun. I have two teachers; Bro. Adams who is from Phx, and Bro. Avery. They are both really cool guys who are making us into great missionaries. Bro. Adams goes deep into the doctrine (which is really cool), and Bro. Avery focuses more on the teaching part. We teach volunteers from BYU who act as investigators, which is good practice. We also go to the Referral Center (RC) to take calls and chat with people who want a free Book of Mormon, Bible, or some other church video. It's pretty cool because we sometimes teach them and send the missionaries over to their house.

Well my time at the MTC is almost up! I'm so stoked to get out into the field! The food here has gotten old quick - everything is bland and tastes the same.

I love you guys and miss you a lot. I will talk to you Tuesday morning!

Love,
Elder Hayden Moore

P.S. My scripture that I want on the wall is Doctrine & Covenants 84:87

Letter Two

Happy Late Birthday Dad!!!

Hey guys! How's it going? What did you do for Dad's birthday? How's Rocko and Nupah? Cardinals and ASU? Stats for the whole D-backs team? I wanna see what they all ended at.

I miss you guys, but not enough to come home. Ha! Well I'm leaving the MTC on Oct 6th. I have to be at the travel office at 3 a.m.! My flight leaves at 6 a.m., then I'm in Denver from like 7 to 9, so I can call you guys! So please send me a calling card ASAP. I'm going to send you guys pics next week. I love you guys. Keep writing!

Love,
Elder Moore

P.S. Send a memory card for the camera.

First Letter

Hey everyone,

I've survived my first week at the Missionary Training Center (MTC). I'm having a fun and spiritual time; and got lucky enough to get stuck with a great district and a fun companion. We click really well, which makes things a lot easier here. My teachers are great too. They are all return missionaries fresh off of their own missions, so they all tell us tips on how to teach more effectively. The food here is great one day and not so great others. You can never go wrong with the chocolate milk and cereal. Can't wait to get out in the field to teach real investigators.

Love you all and miss you lots,
Elder Hayden Moore

First E-mail

Our first email - Yay! Here it is...

Hey guys hows it going? I sent you a letter two days ago so you should be getting that soon. How are things in AZ? The grandparents?I need addresses: Jenna, Grammy, Granma, and Nana & Papa. I miss you guys a lot, my homesickness is pretty much over for now but unfortunately on my first P-Day(!) I've come down with a stomach bug...but for the moment I'm feeling better. So things here did start rough for me, but I'm doing much better now because I've been turning to the Lord for help. I missed going to the temple today because I was throwing up, so I'm really bummed about that.

Did Connor have his heart appt yet? If so, tell me how it went. Well there are more details in the letter that's coming to you guys, plus I'm on a time limit with email, so keep those Dear Elders coming! I also wrote a letter for you to put on the blog. I love you guys so much and miss you all, but I know that this is going to be one of the greatest times in my life. I love you guys so so much and I wish you could be here to experince this with me. Connor I love you man. Stay strong, because going on a mission is the greatest thing. Love you all!

Love,
Elder Hayden Moore

List: White Bad to the Bone tee
3 skull rvca shirt
Moutain dew/dp
Snickerdoodles!!!

Thanksgiving Day in Canada

While waiting for Elder Moore to write his dear family, we thought we would post some interesting facts about Canada to get better acquainted with our neighbor to the north. Auntie Andrea reminded us that Hayden will be in Canada just in time for their Thanksgiving Day on October 12. So here is a little background...

According to http://www.timeanddate.com/holidays/canada/thanksgiving-day the holiday doesn't sound much different then ours here in the US.

What do people do?
Many people have a day off work on the second Monday of October. They often use the three-day Thanksgiving weekend to visit family or friends who live far away, or to receive them in their own homes. Many people also prepare a special meal to eat at some point during the long weekend. Traditionally, this included roast turkey and seasonal produce, such as pumpkin, corn ears and pecan nuts. Now, the meal may consist of other foods, particularly if the family is of non-European descent.

The Thanksgiving weekend is also a popular time to take a short autumn vacation. This may be the last chance in a while for some people to use cottages or holiday homes before winter sets in. Other popular activities include: outdoor breaks to admire the spectacular colors of the Canadian autumn; hiking; and fishing. Fans of the teams in the Canadian Football League may spend part of the weekend watching the Thanksgiving Day Classic matches.

Public life
Thanksgiving Day is paid holiday in all Canadian provinces and territories. Many people have the day off work and all schools and post offices are closed. Many stores and other businesses and organizations are also closed. Public transport services may run to a reduced timetable or may not run at all.

Background
The native peoples of the Americas held ceremonies and festivals to celebrate the completion and bounty of the harvest long before European explorers and settlers arrived in what is now Canada. Early European thanksgivings were held to give thanks for some special fortune. An early example is the ceremony the explorer Martin Frobisher held in 1578 after he had survived the long journey in his quest to find a northern passage from Europe to Asia.

Many thanksgivings were held following noteworthy events during the 18th century. Refugees fleeing the civil war in the United States brought the custom of an annual thanksgiving festival to Canada. From 1879, Thanksgiving Day was held every year but the date varied and there was a special theme each year. The theme was the "Blessings of an abundant harvest" for many years. However, Queen Victoria's golden and diamond jubilees and King Edward VII's coronation formed the theme in later years.

From the end of the First World War until 1930, both Armistice Day and Thanksgiving Day were celebrated on the Monday closest to November 11, the anniversary of the official end of hostilities in World War I. In 1931, Armistice Day was renamed Remembrance Day and Thanksgiving Day was moved to a Monday in October. Since 1957, Thanksgiving Day has always been held on the second Monday in October.

Symbols
Thanksgiving Day in Canada is linked to the European tradition of harvest festivals. A common image seen at this time of year is a cornucopia, or horn, filled with seasonal fruit and vegetables. This represents the "Horn of Plenty", which was a symbol of bounty and plenty in ancient Greece. Turkeys, pumpkins, ears of corn and large displays of food are also used to symbolize Thanksgiving Day.

---Yes Connor, I am desperate for postings.

Kindness of Strangers

Brother Junichi Maeda emailed these photos he took of Hayden along with Elders Wilson, Bohman (Hayden's companion), and Luke. Brother Maeda is a PT employee of the MTC and a complete stranger to us. The kindness of strangers never ceases to amaze me. Below is what he wrote in his email. He mentions a video which I am working on posting, but haven't figured out yet. Thank you Brother Maeda!

Dear Family of Elder Wilson, Elder Bohman, Elder Luke and Elder Moore,

I am sure you are surprised to receive this e-mail from stranger. My name is Brother Junichi Maeda and I am a part-time BYU employee working at MTC Development Department.

I happened to meet with wonderful elders at MTC this afternoon. My son, Robert who is now serving his mission at Japan Hiroshima Mission and Elder Wilson are friends at U.

I was able to take some of pictures of those wonderful elders today and short video that I would like to send. I will attach a group picture with this e-mail and will send some more by separate e-mails without cover letter.

Thank you again for sending such wonderful elders!!

Best regards,

Junichi

Video Message from Elder Moore at the MTC

A big thanks to Elder Moore's Uncle Ron for sending this video from the MTC. It was wonderful to see our boy!

Hayden's First Day in the MTC

We haven't heard from Hayden yet and don't expect to for about a week. The new missionaries can only email on their weekly Preparation Day (P-Day) and we don't know when that will be. A contact in the MTC did tell us that Hayden had a good first day (it's nice to have family that works for the missionary department). We are eager to hear from Hayden and will share as soon as possible.

Building the Blog

Reporting to the Mission Training Center (MTC)

The day finally arrived for Hayden to report to the MTC. Elder Moore made his last minute phone calls to his friends and family he left behind in Arizona. His Auntie Andrea, little cousin Ellie, and cousin, Jenna, joined us for lunch at Five Guys Burgers and then it was time to say our good-byes. We will miss you Elder Moore, but we all know you are where you should be. Canada will love you!

Time for Family

We were able to visit with our Utah family before Elder Moore reported into the Mission Training Center (MTC).

Last Minute Missionary Wardrobe Shopping

Leaving the missionary clothes shopping to the last minute...Not something I recommend, but did it anyway.