Tuesday, June 14, 2011

Brazil Bound and a Baptismo!!!


 
Well, this past week has flown by!!! First of all, Portuguese is hard, but I'm getting pretty good at teaching in it because during out lessons my companions only say a couple sentences, if I'm lucky! I feel like I'm understanding more and more each day and it's so wonderful to feel my Heavenly Fathers hand in that! I don't really remember what I wrote last week, so sorry if this is the same info. We have 2 investagators, Bruno and João. This past week, we get Bruno to commit to Baptism! Even though it's not REALLY Bruno, I was still sooo excited that he committed to it. Joao on the other hand, is a very tough one. He doesn't say much and he doesn't like talking about his family or answering questions. It's all good fun though :)

I GOT MY VISA! As did the other two missionaries of our tri-pod companionship! We are all going to Recife and will be leaving for the Sao Paulo CTM next Tuesday the 21 of June. The same flight plan as last time, so I'll be returning to the Great State of Texas one last time :). That also means that if anyone is still writing to me, then you should start sending letters to the Brazil CTM address. This ALSO means that Dearelder will no longer be available after about this Saturday. Thanks to everyone who has been sending me letters and DearElders! I've gotten a ton of mail and my whole District is jealous because I get either one or two letters a night :). I'm perfectly fine with them being jealous, so keep it up!

The MTC is so wonderful, but I'm muito feliz to have this new experience!!! I can't wait to get to Brazil! Also with this new experience, will hopefully (and most likely) come new companions :P they have deffinitely been my trial here and the MTC and I'm grateful for all of the prayers that helped me get my visa so soon! I love my District. It is a great group of some awesome Elders. I will miss them very much!

I don't know when my next P-Day will be, but I'm planning on sending out a few more letters while I'm still in America, so don't get worried if you don't hear from me next week! I'll make sure to let you know how much I'm enjoying Brazil in a week or so :)

Also, after a session in the Provo Temple earlier today, I came out and who did I see? The Andersons! It was weird and I kind of ran off because I was so confused and I had to get back! Weird huh? Small world :)

Last thing, everyone who reads this, go read in 2 Nephi 4: 15-End. Let the words of Nephi bear you up and strenghten your testimony! If only we could all be like him.

I love you all very much,
Elder Moore

Tuesday, June 7, 2011

First MTC Letter

Well, it's Tuesday, and that means P-Day! Finally. It seems like I just got here, but then again it seems like I've been doing this for SO long. This past week has been pretty hectic and very foreign even though I am still in the USA! Thanks to everyone for letters I've gotten from Dear Elder, and the package from Sister Dayhuff! Letters really do mean a lot even though I've only been here for almost a week!
 
Here are some things that you might want to know...My District is pretty big, 11 guys. I'm in a threesome because one of another Elders comps didn't show up. My companions are...interesting. My actual companion is Elder Myers. He is a couple inches shorter than me and about 100lbs :) he's a tiny little guy and he is super weird. The other Elder is Elder Bowden. He is a couple inches taller than me and about 300lbs. He is super weird too! They are both about 21 (Bowden just turned 21 and Myers will be 21 in a couple months). That is my biggest challenge at the MTC. They are always talking and don't know when to be serious! They don't know how to study and are slowly learning that if they want to be good missionaries then they need to study and put their whole heart and soul into it. And I'd like to think that I help them out with that, but who really knows. :) I am the youngest in my District and the oldest is Elder Atkin who just turned 26. Pretty big gap! Oh, by the way, I love letters. Just in case any of you reading out there wanted to know :). The food here is SO good, and I will be enjoying it while I can!
 
We got to go to the Temple today, and the Provo Temple is such a beautiful place! Plus it's HUGE! Portuguese is...going... :) on a normal class day, I am lucky to hear 5 minutes of English from my Teachers (Irmao Dodge e Irmao Hope). Irmao Dodge went to Mensos (I doubt I spelled that right, but it's the biggest mission and it's in the Amazon!) and Irmao Hope went to Sao Paulo South. They are both great guys and have been home less than a year each. I can say the basics when I say my prayers and I can bear my testimony a little bit. We are doing the "Progressive Investigator" approach to the language. That means that our teachers are investigators and each companion ship has to contact them and teach them for the duration of our stay at the MTC...in portuguese of course. My comps and I have our second appointment with Irmao Dodge tomorrow, and our first with Irmao Hope on Thursday. It's SO hard to teach when you can't say what you want/feel inspired to say or bear your testimony about. I got really frustrated with it yesterday during our first appointment, because I wanted to bear my testimony on o Livro de Mormon so bad and to let him kow that it was true, but it couldn't. It kind of sucks because I always do all the talking becuase my Comps are bums...I made the contacts with both Irmaos and taught the majority of the lesson yesterday. Hopefully they will get it together and start helping me out! If not, oh well!
 
Well, once again, I love letters. Write to me if you're thinking about me and you'll make my day :)
 
Com amo,
 
 - Elder Moore