Witchcraft and the Prophet

Emily was so much happier when we spoke with her this week. We're grateful for all of you who prayed for her and took the time to reach out to her and lift her spirits. This week she had some sweet experiences that reminded her that Heavenly Father is aware of her and loves her. I'm mixing things up this week and sharing her group email first and her email to Jared and I second. 

Hey everybody!

Okay, so this week has been a crazy one so buckle up. 

First of all, here on Temple Square, we get a lot of people who are anti-church because literally, it is the heart of everything sooooo this week I had an anti that was mentally unstable. 

So there I was, standing in the north visitors center when this guy walks in with some super cool orange sunglasses. And I'm like hey and he says to the group in general "hey sisters" so I'm like okay cool hey. And then he starts talking to only me and is like, "sisters because of polygamy, right?" And I was like no we don't do polygamy bro. And then he starts rambling and I know he is crazy but it's chill. Good old Sister Broadbent as always is ready to call security. Until she sees some random dude she knows and LEAVES and then the situation goes super south. So I cross my feet one over the other as we're talking and then he says to me "That was witchcraft. You crossing your feet was you practicing witchcraft" and I was like uh no again. And then he is like that's what the Book of Mormon talks about, witchcraft. And I was like no it actually only talks about Jesus Christ here give it a read and you'll see and then I handed him a Book of Mormon like a good missionary. But then he handed it back and said I'll prove it, open to any page. And that is when Elder Hastings, one of the senior missionaries comes over and just starts destroying this dude, especially for accusing me of witchcraft. It was pretty funny... until homeboy with the orange sunglasses got triggered and then we had to call security on him. Unfortunately, he left before security showed up but it was still crazy, especially the things he was yelling at us as he left because they made no sense Haha. 

Second of all, this week was probably the most amazing week ever because I got to meet *drumroll* the PROPHET AND ALMOST ALL OF THE APOSTLES! It was so crazy because we always joke here that we are going to run into general authorities here at Temple Square but we actually did. President Nelson shook mine and a couple other sisters hands and he told us that we were "all so beautiful" and that "he was proud of us" and to "keep up the good work". No jokes, my brain exploded and my whole body was tingling and I'm never washing my right hand again. Just kidding about the hand thing but I was and still am in shock. I'm so grateful for the knowledge that I have about living prophets. I'm grateful that Heavenly Father is still directing us in these modern days and I know that He does so through his living prophet President Russel M. Nelson. What a privilege it was to shake his hand and meet him. 

Sister Broadbent and I are teaching a few really promising people and we had three people commit to attending sacrament meeting this week and hopefully baptism soon! I'm still getting used to online teaching and sometimes I still wish that I was teaching in person more like a "normal" missionary but it's all good because these people that I have been able to teach and contact online are so prepared and it's just so cool to see them progress:) 

Emily's companion took this photo of her laying on the floor and CRYING after they had to hand their investigator Andrew over to the local missionaries in Ohio.

That's all I have for this week. Love and miss you all and please email, I love to hear how everyone is doing! 

Sister Moran 

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Mom and Dad, 

What's up?!?! 

That's a big blessing for Abby for Honors Choir and getting to go to the game. Thank you to Ms. Kenney for being slightly more chill than she usually is.  

Dad is the goat and I really hope he wins the next level award!! Mom, you're the goat and you're going to kill the resilience thingy!! Yay for Maddy and her scholarship! What a blessing! And Sammy, oh she's so cute with all of her crying even after the play was done like wow. 

Like I said on the phone, I met the prophet this week. His eyes are crazy blue. I know for a fact that he looked into my soul and hopefully most of what he saw was good. Also, mom, you are so right, Elder Stevenson looks waaayyyy better with glasses (I would know because I saw him when I saw the prophet;). No other mission in the world would I just happen upon the Prophet and the twelve apostles while going to lunch via the secret tunnels. It's so wild. I think it was a tender mercy, to be honest. I struggled so much the past week and I think Heavenly Father knew that and just decided to bless me even though I don't deserve it. I'm not saying that you'll always see the prophet and the apostles when you're struggling but wow it was so amazing. It humbled me and made me more grateful for the opportunity I have to be here at Temple Square. (During our phone call, Emily told us that the apostles used to ride in golf carts in the tunnels that go between the temple and the church office building but President Nelson wants them to be more active so he's asked them to walk. I love this and think it's just so cool.)

This week I accidentally (and I swear it was an accident) told on Sister Broadbent and how she takes a lot of naps to the mission nurse and then the mission president's wife found out and then Sister Broadbent was sent to the doctor. Sister Broadbent has been told that she is anemic but it turns out she just has an underactive thyroid which I thought meant she would be bigger but she is like the tiniest person ever so that's cool. We have another appointment on Wednesday so hopefully, she gets some medication to help with her drowsiness. It was funny because she had to get blood drawn and she had me come back with her and hold her hand while it happened. She made me distract her too because she was freaking out so we just talked about what to teach our people so we are totally consecrated. 

I cried when we felt like we had to hand Andrew off to the local missionaries. We just love him so much. This is probably the hardest part of serving here, not being able to have real say in your people. Because they aren't really your people. They are the local missionaries people. The good news is, Andrew's locals seem super cool and totally want to collaborate to the end!! Were also teaching Henry and his roommate which is surprising! Henry was one of the inbound calls that wanted to be baptized right of the bat. The local missionaries were awesome and they worked so hard to find him and they said he was so prepared and was begging to hear more!!! YAY FOR HENRY!!! And also for his roommate who sat in on the lesson and on our lesson with them today and wants to go to church too!! There are a few other people that seem promising but those three are progressing the most:) 

Things with Sister Broadbent are going a lot better now. Hopefully, we stop taking so many naps now because she's getting medical help. Very good times here at Temple Square. I'm six weeks into the mission at this point so I'm halfway done with training yayayyyyyyy!!!! 

I love and miss you both. Thanks for staying up late and talking to me!!! I'm praying for you all every day! 

Love

Em 

p.s. Oh, and I forgot to tell you I got to see all of my cutie roomies from school this week!  It was Corinn first on Thursday in the tabernacle. Her and Babe and Siva came the next day and then Danielle came the day after that. It's just been a week of tender mercies. It's almost like Heavenly Father is just telling me to hang in there. Love you! 

Look how excited Emily was to see Corinn, her roommate from college!