Week 34: I Know That God Knows What I Know

May 31, 2020

Week 34: I Know That God Knows What I Know

Thank you Kaylee for making a beautiful drawing for me. I appreciate the time and effort you put into this masterpiece and love you so very much. 😘

As I watched yet another 2-hour session in our apartment, I heard a familiar, apostolic voice say that Joseph knew that God knew what he knew. I had to think about that sentence many times to get it lodged in my head right, even as I wrote it down in this email. It's now clear to me that I just need to remember that I know that God knows what I know from now on. Try to say that sentence ten times fast, if you dare. ;)

This weekend was the long anticipated Bicentennial General Conference that was expected to be not only memorable, but unforgettable. To briefly explain, General Conference is a global meeting held twice a year in which prophets, apostles, and other leaders of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints speak to the world. Even before the event started, it was truly unforgettable. COVID-19 restrictions left the conference center empty and only those who were speaking or praying could attend in a smaller building. Besides this, the conference also included two youth speakers, a Hosanna shout, and the introduction of a new proclamation about the Restoration. This was an incredible experience and I invite all who haven't checked it out yet to do so ASAP. You can click here if you want - > Saturday sessions

This was only one of the highlights of this week. After failed attempts to message people, we decided to turn our efforts toward church members that lived far away and extended family members. We hit our goal of an average of one video call a day, too! :) Throughout the week, we called 5 families in the Roskilde area that would normally be much more difficult to contact without technology. We also included Ældste Østergaard, our mission leader's son who returned home from Boston because of the coronavirus, in 3 of these video calls. He had been stuck at home doing a lot of outdoor projects so we thought we'd give him a break and let him join in on the work. In these calls, we talked about gratitude, conversion, spiritual rebirth, and general conference (just to name a few). We also noticed that the members were more open and stayed on topic more frequently with Ældste Østergaard present. Interesting, huh?

While these video calls were special, I would have to say that nothing came close to the unique opportunity to call the Olson family (my mom's sister and her children) and the Rytting family (my mom's brother and his wife & children). I was overjoyed to hear the cheerful voices of aunts, uncles, and cousins again. I caught up with them, introduced them to missionary life and my amazing companion, and shared a simple message to explain our purpose as missionaries of the Church. I used 3 Nephi 5:13 to explain my task to declare the word of Christ and Alma 29:8 to explain my task to teach in a foreign country. It was such a tender moment to share with my family that I love so very much. I will always cherish it!

There is another thing that happened this week that I will forever cherish. Recently, I opened up about my depression and Søster Olsen suggested that I receive a priesthood blessing. I initially thought it was a ridiculous and unnecessary idea. I thought this way for a while and eventually changed my mind as the feelings only got worse. I asked Ældste Ngatikaura to give me a blessing and he readily agreed. During the blessing, I felt God's pure love for me. I was reminded that God is with me through every up and down. I relearned that His Son provides comfort and peace because He understands every feeling I experience. I can lean on Him. These heavenly emotions returned again as I heard one of the youth, Laudy R. Kaouk, speak in General Conference. She talked a lot about the light of the priesthood and the Lord's knowledge of what we need and when we need it. That was such an overwhelmingly touching talk. I felt as if God was standing right in front of me.

We took a few road trips this week. One was to bring the rest of our luggage to Nykøbing. Another was to complete a baptismal interview in Slagelse for a man named Martin. Another was to pick up a microphone to use for a musical number. Another was to drop off that same microphone. The trips that included stops in Roskilde also had stops at Bagels to Eat. We dropped off a Book of Mormon to a curious Romanian and picked up another tennis racket while on these trips as well. I found some good walls to hit some balls against because the tennis club was petty enough to take the nets down and set rocks on the courts. :/ We watched a good amount of Christian movies to wind down before bedtime. We started running laps around a roundabout. Yup, this is a very random paragraph but I thought it was essential to show that I'm not completely locked up in the apartment.

Well, I kind of gave a spiritual thought in a way already but might as well add another one. I want you all to know that God is mindful of you. Not just as a whole, but individually. His Atonement covers the whole human race but also us as unique souls. I rediscovered that this week, especially during General Conference. God is guiding us wherever He needs us. He has a plan and I intend to follow it.

Jeg elsker jer,

Ældste Moore

P.S. Thank you Kaylee for making a beautiful drawing for me. I appreciate the time and effort you put into this masterpiece and love you so very much. 😘