10/30/2017 Our Missionary Has Arrived

Dear Parents,

Your Missionary has arrived! We are so thrilled to receive them. It’s a rainy day in Cincinnati but our hearts are full of sunshine. After a nice meal, a hot shower, and some training tonight, tomorrow we will drive them up to Centerville, OH where they will receive their new companions and areas. They will email you next Monday on P-day with their addresses. Thank you for preparing your lovely daughters and wonderful sons to be here. 

Call or text if you have any questions. If you need the new address to mail winter clothes and haven’t sent them to the office address yet, you can text me (Sister Welch) tomorrow for that information.

Love,

Pres & Sister Welch

Ohio Cincinnati Mission

10/28/2017 It's Been Fun

I have had a truly fantastic week. I have made friends. I have been able to learn so many things. I finished my second week and I leave the MTC next week. I have given and been a part of many blessings. I am now one of the senior english speaking Elders here now. Tuesday Gary E. Stevenson came and gave a talk. A promise from an Apostle is equivalent to them giving an individual blessing. He gave us the promise that everything at home will be taken care of, I will be able to touch the hearts of the investigators I teach, and I will have the power and the strength to accomplish my mission. Every since I got here I have eaten a ton of food, but the food here isn't great. Many of my friends are getting sick from it. I haven't though.  I have taught 4 people who have now felt the spirit, one of them now committed to baptism. I have improved in my teaching 10 fold. I have already given priesthood blessings to people. I consecrated oil on Thursday and had to use it later that day. I appretiate all the emails I have gotten, but now that I have to turn in my IPad today I wont be able to read them whenever. I've written in my journal every day. I'm doing laundry currently. I love being here but I feel it is time I actually go and do work. I haven't felt home sick yet so thats good. Next few days are gonna be busy. I have to follow mission rules so Im going to end this email here if you have any questions give me an email other wise talk to you next week.

My companions and me

My district

10/21/2017 Halfway through the MTC!

This week was amazing and slow at the same time. We finished meetings with our investigators and I’m gonna miss teaching them and hearing how they are doing. Sadly one of the Elders in my district was sent home but I know that he is one of the strongest people I have ever met. When he left, his companion, Elder Higbee, became one of mine and Elder Berrett’s companion. I don’t have a picture of my district yet because the sisters haven’t sent them to me yet. When I get the picture I’ll send it to you to see. I love them all. They became a family to me when we all got here. I found out I go to the airport for Cincinnati on the 30th and leave the MTC at 4:00 in the morning. We had the opportunity for President Eyring to come and dedicate the new building. I was told that the design was suppose to be a combination of a classroom and celestial room. It is amazing how the spirit is present in there. In our lessons we committed one investigator to baptism. The other one we actually sang to him Nearer My God To Thee. I was surprised to find that we sounded really good. I found out that I really like to run, to the point where I found it comforting. In total this week I have ran over 20 miles our exercise time. I ran 10 miles yesterday. I really need to do laundry. It’s always super packed though. I have been having a little trouble with my companions also. Today I had trouble getting to breakfast and the temple. My whole life I have been taught to be quick so we can be on time. The problem is that my companions are slow so we are never on time for anything. I constantly urge them to hurry up but it doesn’t work. They just don’t follow a schedule the same way. But it’s fine. I’m currently doing my laundry so I’m sitting and waiting for it to finish. I have become the pun king in my group. Right now I’m sitting in a circle and we are just sharing things that are happening back home. I don’t know what else to say other than the fact that being here is one of the funnest experiences I’ve had. I’m learning so much about the church and about myself. If I had the opportunity to do anything before I left than I would have probably exercised, because every day, a couple times a day, we walk up and down 3 flights of stairs and no matter what even with all the energy in the world I always start to breathe heavy by the time I get up. So many people have asked where I’m from and each time its something different. Sometimes I say Alaska, sometimes Las Vegas, sometimes everywhere, sometimes the West, and last my favorite one I say “your dreams” just to mess with people. I’ve been writing in my note book every day so I have that going. It’s starting to get kinda cold now in Provo I guess. I had to wear a sweater. I got called to immunizations to get the flu shot but I found out I already got it. So that was good. Thanks to everyone for sending treats and stuff. I appreciate it but it’s starting to pile up and I don’t think I’ll be able to eat it all. Also the orange juice is completely fine to drink my companion has drank it every day since being here and he is fine. Before I finish I would like to relate this experience to Helaman 5:12. This experience has been and opportunity to build my testimony of the gospel on a sure foundation. And this foundation has allow my testimony to stand strong against the ever going storm of Satan. And though some parts may weaken, I am able to build it back stronger than before.

Elder Larson, Elder Hart & Elder Moore
Friends from Misawa in the MTC at the same time

10/14/2017 First Email from MTC

Hey mom, thanks for every thing. I do need an SD drive for my camera before I head out, if you don't know what that is then you can probably ask dad. Tell Holly I said congratulations. Also please tell Sister Ambercrombe I said thank you for the packages they sent me. I love my companion, roommates, and zone because we are all here experiencing the same thing so we basically have become a family. My companion and I went looking for investigators today and the thing is 2% of the investigators you meet are actual investigators. I'm having a lot of fun here and have learned so much about the gospel and my self in just 3 days. I saw Elder Hart and Elder Larson a few times as well. I need to track them down and get their emails and take pictures with them. So on our way to the temple with some sister who are going to Cincinnati as well we saw some deer running through the field. We tried to take picture all together as a zone but the pictures didn't save because there was no memory card. But while I was messing with the camera I saw that I can send pictures from the camera directly to the computer. I would like to have the memory card come as soon as possible. It has been beautiful here in Utah though, it has been sunny everyday but a little chilly. I have already been apart of 2 priesthood blessings and I don't doubt that it won't stop. I just finished an online test for seeing if I had any depression issues due to my medicine but as we know I am completely fine and in tune with the spirit being guided and comforted the entire time. Well I'm going to finish up this email so I can get going. I love you and dad so much. I miss you.

Elder Moore Reports to the MTC October 11, 2017

Cody was set apart and became Elder Cody Moore the night of October 11, 2017. His flight was originally scheduled to leave at 1:20 am on October 11th but was delayed until 2:40. We met with our Stake President, President Chadwick at 12:00, midnight, then headed straight to the airport. With the delayed we were worried with the shortened layover time in Seattle. Thankfully he made it and I got a call from him that morning from the SLC airport while he was waiting for the shuttle to take him to the MTC. Later that day we received an email letting us know he arrived safely, he didn't sleep much on the plane and it's slowing him down, made a friend from Cincinnati Ohio and his p-day will be Saturday!