Unexpected Changes!!!!!!!!!!!!

Well, I had my dream for a week and 3 days......... I was junior in a far away place... but yesterday I got the call that I was transfered, so I packed up my things and we left at 4 o'clock this morning to get here in Recife before 9..

I'm now going to write very quickly to tell y'all what I'm doing and where I'm going. 

I was transfered to Barão de Nazaré....sound farmiliar? It should....... because it's the same area that I started my mission in! It's weird to think about going back and honestly to me 6 months there was enough the first time, but I'm here to serve the Lord and He said it's time for me to go back, so I guess it's time! I'm opening the area meaning both of the missionaries who where there got transfered and I'm going there with a missionary who has never been there and me that left a year ago.. so I guess we'll see how much I remember about the area. 

This past week was great. I saw many miricles happen and we had 4 baptisms this saturday. It was so wonderful! 

That's all I have time for today, but I'll write a lot next week when I don't have to travel for 8 - 10 hours out of the day......... 

Love you all! The church is true!

- Elder Moore

Helllllooooooooooooooo to everyone! 

I'm in a city (really tiny city) of about 16,000 people called Camocim de São Felix. It's a TINY little city that we can walk across in about 15 mintues (missionary speed). It is a little branch with about 30-40 people who attend every week. We started the meeting yesterday with 9, but by sacrament meeting we we at about 35 or so. 

The altitude is waaayyyy higher here so yes, it is cold(er)!!! It makes me happy and when the sun goes down it is actually really really nice. Not the blistering heat like Recife. 

There are a couple members who are great, but not too many that help, I guess that's why it's still a branch. With the help of the members, it is impossible NOT to grow. But it looks like this place being one entire city for 2 missionaries was a good place to be a bad missionary a couple years ago or so, and now the members are slowly trusting the missionaries to be good people again. 

The house is a very simple house in line with all of the others on the street. It is very safe here, so there is nothing too worry about. It's great having a Brazillian companion! His name is Elder Kliggendorf (that name is definitly not brazillian, but german) and he is from Paraná - one of the southern states. He is a great guy and has 8 months on the mission. We have been working a TON these past couple days and made up for some lost time that he had with some other companions. 

Yesterday I saw the fruits of our long days. We marked the baptisms of a mother and daughter for this saturday and I'm expecting to mark the baptisms of 3 more either today or tomorrow for this saturday as well. Being that I don't know if I'll stay here or be transfered (presidente pretty much said last thursday that he didn't know what was going to happen, that's why i only brought a backpack full of things I need for 10 days). So I've very excited for this week and to see what happens. It really strengthen my testimony of fasting and prayer. 

We are teaching a lot and I don't know if there is anything better in the missionary world than what I have right now. 

Well about the accents, it alot like it was in my first area since I'm more in the middle of the state in the country right now rather in the city. I feel like I'm in my first area again and I love it so much! 

I'm deffinitly in the country and it's not too green here, but there are plenty of large hills (almost mountains but not quite) and there are farms everywhere. It's pretty secluded and a really poor place though. 

Well, I love you all so much and hope the best for all of you this coming week! Ask me more questions so that I can write more to y'all! 

Love,

Elder Moore

HOWDY!

First of all, I would like to share two poems with y'all! I found them in two talks that I really loved and wrote them down some time ago so I wouldn't forget them...  

here they are :)

It's easy enough to be pleasant 

When life flows by like a song

But the man worthwhile

is the one who'll smile

When everything goes dead wrong.

For the test of the heart is trouble

and it always comes with the years

and the smile that is worth 

all the praises of earth

is the smile that shines

through tears. 

                                       - Ella Wheeler Wilcox

I'd rather be a "could-be"

If I cannot be an "are"

Because a "could-be" is a "maybe"

who is reaching for a star

I'd rather be a "has-been"

Than a "might-have-been", by far;

For a "might-have-been'

has never been

But a "has" 

once was an "are"

                                           - Milton Berle

so, I would just like to say how AWESOME it was to see y'all on christmas! It really made me so happy and it was great. It was pretty weird to have my last phone call, but I'll just have to get over that! :)

Christmas was great and it was honestly about a million times better than last Christmas. Even with the yucky power outages and not being able to talk to Jen (which I'm still upset about) it was full of fun, love, presents, and suprises! It's hard to think that I won't have a christmas while I'm on a mission for a loonngg time, but I do believe that I'll serve a couple missions when I get old.. at least that's a goal of mine!

Every time this part of the year comes around, I remember when I was at home and we would sit down as a family and write goals for the new year. I'm so grateful that this is a tradition that I still do till today! Actually, tomorrow I'll be taking a little time out of my p-day to exactly that! I'm very excited about the prospects of this new year and all of the new experiences and wonderful times that I'll have. 

One thing that I never really realized until I got on the mission was the importance of making goals, and then telling them to others! When we made our yearly goals at home, we toke a little time to think about them and then we would go around the circle and tell everyone what they were.. I never understood completely and get kind of upset sometimes because of that misunderstanding. But now I realize that if these goals truly are things that we want to do, we need someone else to be able to follow up on us! I've learned that if it's just left up to us alone, we have a HUGE chance to never do it for simply forget. 

If life, but especially as a missionary, planning and goals are essential. We do this for each day, week, month, transfer (6 weeks). And I like to take it a little further, but not everyone does. 

It's simple. When we plan and set goals, the results of our work are dramaticly increased. It can be just like this in our personal lives and it is something that I will carry with me from my mission for the rest of my life. 

I hope that all of you reading this will take the time to make some goals for this next year and then acheive them throughout the year! 

Just like us, God has plans and goals for us to. His goal (like unto mine) is for ALL of His children to choose the right and follow in the footsteps of our Savior and Redeemer, Jesus Christ and eventually one day return to His presence and live with Him in the Celestial Kingdom. He wants us to be happy, to get along and to follow the rules that He has given to us. 

Let us all remember this and remember the great blessings that He has given us. I'm sure we can all think of something is this wonderful season that we have to commemorate the birth of His Son Jesus Christ. 

Love you all and hope the best! 

Merry (late) Christmas and Happy (early) New Year!!!!!!! 

- Elder Moore

So, as the title says... I'M TRAINING!!!!!!! His name is Elder Hansen and is about to make 8 months on the mission! He's a great guy and I know that he'll do a spectacular job as the new Financial Secretary. Something I don't know, however, is when I will be done training him! I guess it'll be just whenever Presidente and I agree that he's ready to fly solo! 

As the following weeks go on (or maybe just in our CHRISTMAS CALL!!!!) I'll give you more info and details on him and our progress. 

We had a presentation thing at the Temple this Friday night and there were some narrorators who told the story about Jesus and I got to be the angle and had to say a couple lines in front of everyone! It was cool :) we also had a missionary choir! I have a video of the whole thing! It's pretty cool! 

I can't believe that Christmas is here already! It seems like it was yesterday that I was in my first area calling you from the tiny little bishops office! If everything goes well, then I'll be calling you from Skype like we did for mothers day! 

So, not really and HUGE news... just some little things that I find great and not so great. Katia is working a ton and with our conflicting schedules it's been very hard to teach her, but she is willing to listen so that's all we really need to know. Now that we're in three it'll be a bit easier to make appointmentes. 

We spent our p-day cleaning the whole apt so Hansen has a good first impression :) haha we also played basketball and had to go to the office for a bit around noon because an Elder broke his foot getting off a bus and needed the cruches from the office. 

Well, not only did we clean the apt, but more like completely reorganized it! It is super different now and I like the change. We moved the dresser and the two beds around so now we can both have the wind from the open window during the night! The only semi bad thing is that last night it rained so I woke up at about 4 with rain splashing me in the face haha. also, the sun wakes up at about 5 or 5:30 here and that's not that great either.. but hey! what do you do?! hah 

Love you all so much!

- Elder Moore

Is my calender right? Is it really possible that it's already December!?? I can't believe so much time has passed since I left what seems like last week. Every time I come up on a marker in time.. I always like to take a little while and think about how much time I've been blessed with here and then make goals for the remaining time left. The scary thing is that when I did this a couple days ago for my year and a half mark, I decided that it would be the last time that I do this (by myself of course) during my mission. We have planning for the month, weeks, and days...but this is all with your companion, I, personally, like to sit down by myself whenever I complete one of these "milestones" (6 months, 1 year, 1 1/2 years) and make more personal goals for what I personally want during my mission. The next time I do it... I'll be headed home and making plans so that I can get a jumpstart on my return. Weird to think that the year is almost over... but I sure am excited to see what 2013 has in store for the life of Elder (and then Peter) Moore.  

Well, this past week has been one full of running around just plain hard work. On Thursday we walked a lootttt because we had a lot of places to go and things to pick up for the transfer tomorrow and then the arrival of the new missionaries and the departure of the old missionaries. Also, we made our Christmas card that I told y'all about, so after I write little letters I'll start sending those out... so look for them in a couple weeks or so! :) 

This Sunday our ward was HUGE because our Elders Quorum President blessed his baby and a bunch of his and his wifes family came so there were like 20 more people than usual! It was great and he was really nervous (it's his first child and it's a baby girl) it made me remember my family and the many baby blessings that I've been to and the one that I had the opportunity to be in the circle for :) it ALSO made me think about the baby blessings that I'll get to participate in in the future! I'm so excited for that. On Sunday, our lesson was on Eternal Marriage and familys. It's such a wonderful subject that I love so much. We are so lucky to have this knowledge that we can be together forever and all the blessings that come from living faithfully in the Gospel and getting married in the Temple. 

Well.... looks like I'll be in the office for a while longer.... I had told some of you that I would start training the new secretary to take my spot and leave in January, but because of some complications and some elders who went home, Presidente would have to close an area in the mission if he put someone with me to be trained, so I told him it was okay and I would stick it out for a little bit longer........woohoo. But it's really okay I guess. I'm not here to do what I want to do, but to do what God wants me to do, and I know what He wants me to do because I know that He inspires President. So if President thinks it's better for me to stay another transfer and keep an area open, I trust him... even if it's not exactly what I would like to do or the way I would do things. 

I'll leave you this email with another story! So as you might know we have a 70 in our ward! Elder Granja. He used to be the Bishop of this ward, but in April (I think) he was called to be a 70. He is a really great man and INCREDIBLY smart. He is a doctor and his wife is a Dentist. His family is great too. Well this Sunday we had lunch at his house. It was delicious (i like fish now by the way) and I had the chance to leave the message. I had been thinking all day about a verse in 1 Nephi 10.. I believe it's verse 18 or so... it says that God is the same yesterday, today, and forever... and if we will but repent of our sins and go to Him, He will give us everything beacause He has already prepared a way ever since the beginning of the world. That's not direct.. but it's how I remember it going in English :). Well I absolutly love this verse. It's so true! God has already done EVERYTHING for us. He gave us this earth... our families... friends.. all the beautiful things... and the chance to have it all forever.. and all we have to do is repent and follow the simple rules that He has given us!!!! 

I hope you'll all remember this scripture (and even go read it so you can see how it really goes!) and apply it in your lives. We only have a little time here on the earth, so we need to fill it up with GOOD things instead of the numberless bad things that we have here. I love you all so much and hope that everything is going well in your lives! You should all write me and let me know how you're doing! Have a great week and I'll try to write a big email next week :)

Love,

Elder Moore

Another week gone in my service to the Lord, and with every passing week a little more of me realizes that, one day, this whole adventure that we call a mission ends... 

I can't believe that my buddy Neal is home already! Seems like yesterday we were at Jacob Lake messing around and now he is a returned missionary!! It's so cool, and a little mysterious, how time works! :)

Well, this week was ultimately a sad and challenging one, but still, like every other week, had it's moments of happiness. Unfortunately, we had another two Elders go home this week before their "tithing" to the Lord was paid in full. It was very sad because one of those who went home is my grandson... He is a great guy and a great missionary, but he had some medical problems like a lot of other people do and had to go home. After you take your first couple people to the airport, you know who really wanted to serve a mission and who was just out here to please others at home with the idea of them being on a mission. The good ones are the ones who silently shed a tear and encourage you as their last wish as a missionary to go forth and preach the good word to as many as possible in these sweet, short, wonderful two years that we have. The others laugh, joke, and simply don't seem to mind the fact that they are being taken out of the mission. 

The happiness came when, on Monday evening, I had the chance to have a talk with my GREAT grandson! Elder Jensen. He is a great guy (this is still his first transfer on the mission), and we got to have a nice little conversation while he was in the office. I learned all about him, what he wants to do after the mission (like any of us have a clue anyway...), and how much he loves his family. I've decided here that I really like meeting people for the first time because it gives you the chance to make them like you from the very start and it if you both like each other from the start, you'll have a better relationship in the end! :)

I am reminded of a talk by Jeffery R. Holland (surprise surprise) that he gave about missionaries in a recent address in General Conference basically pleading each and every one of us who is able and worthy to serve a full time mission by this quote... "So I am looking tonight for missionaries who will not voluntarily bind their tongues but will, with the Spirit of the Lord and the power of their priesthood, open their mouths and speak miracles. Such speech, the early brethren taught, would be the means by which faith’s “mightiest works have been, and will be, performed."

He continues on to talk about those who want to serve, but, much to their despair and displeasure, are not able... "We also recognize that there are some who have hoped all their lives to serve missions, but for health reasons or other impediments beyond their control, they cannot do so. We publicly and proudly salute this group. We know of your desires, and we applaud your devotion. You have our love and our admiration. You are “on the team” and you always will be, even as you are honorably excused from full-time service." I too would like to add to this wonderful mans remarks and thank all of you who have served and continue to stay faithful in the one true church of God. Also a shout out to those who have gone out on missions, but have had to be "medically discharged". I love you and thank you so much for your service as I continue in mine. 

Which brings me to the next point for this email...

I want to say this to any and all out there reading... Serving a full time mission IS NOT EASY. It is NOT for the faint of heart and requires more work, emotion, and stamina than you've ever put in to anything else you've ever done in your life. It's not all fun and games. It's hard work, long hours, with very little money. So why do so many young men and women PAY to do it? Because of the conviction we have in our hearts that tells us that it is right. Because of the happiness we feel to be a part of the Church of Jesus Christ and the responsibility we know we have of spreading it to every nation, kindred, tongue, and people. Oh yeah, and the enormous blessings that we receive are a pretty big incentive too!!!

I have no regrets about my decision to serve a mission. Not a single one. I honestly believe that it is the single most smartest thing that I've ever done in my life. I've learned marvelous, even priceless, things that I could have ever learned from 2 years at any college and what is even better is that my journey isn't over yet!!! I still have 6 months to do as much as possible and I intend to do just that. 

I love this gospel and hope with all of my heart that the world comes to know of the things that I know and see even half of the miracles that I've seen in my short life. It is my testimony that this is the one and only true church of Jesus Christ and that is it only though the principles and ordinances that we preform with the holy priesthood of God that we will be able to live with our Heavenly Father and families until the end of forever in a state of complete bliss and happiness. Show me someone who says that they don't want that, and I'll show you someone who will have regrets for eternity. 

Love you all. Be safe and continue this good work at home,

- Elder Moore

PS - My regards to the Morris family. It's not easy to lose the ones that we love and are so dear to us, but with the Gospel of Jesus Christ, and time, it becomes a little more bearable. The world lost a wonderful daughter of our Heavenly Father, but it would do us all good to remember that it is not forever.  

Well, it's been a while since I've written a long letter... so I thought I'd make up for it now! :) 

This past little while has been pretty rushed and very busy, but I feel that I am nearing the end of my "office missionary" experience! I'll either start training the new Secretary here at the very beginning of December, or the middle of January. Crazy to think that there's only about a month and a half until the year is over and it's 2013! I don't feel like I should be this old! 

Well, once again we had some weird situations that happened here in the mission and a missionary actually ended up getting transferred from out mission to another mission in Brasil because of it! I can't give names or locations, but I can tell you that it was really scary and confusing for a couple days! Good thing we have a great Presidente and a great Area Presidency that helped us out a ton. 

Happy birthday to Tommy (10th) Dad (13th) Elder Venâncio!!!!! (13th and only 2 years younger than tommy :P) Bailey (17th - I can NOT believe that she'll be 3 already!!!!!!!!), and David (20th)!!!!!!!!!!! I love and miss you all so much! Yes, my comps birthday is the same as Dads! So when I celebrate with him, I'll think of you, Dad! :) Love you! But a happy happy birthday to everyone and if you're lucky I'll get you presents next year when I'm home :P. 

Today at church we (my comp and I) had the opportunity to be invited by the primary (a total of about 5 kids) to talk a little bit about missionary work and what they can do now to become future missionaries :). It made me think about my days in the primary and how much I actually learned there. I remember in dallas where i spent most of my primary days and I remember learning things that I've carried with me throughout my entire life (including some pictures and the quad that I still use today). The Church is perfect and I'm so grateful that we have the chance to learn this when we are young. There are many things that we can teach out children when they are young that will not just help them more reverent in church, but much more successful in life itself. Through completing the "Faith in Christ" (I don't know if they still have that) they will learn valuable skills in memorization and learn how to study and work hard. All of which are wonderful things that will greatly benefit them throughout their lives. 

We are working very hard here and I am really feeling, as I start the downward slope of my mission, that my Heavenly Father is pleased with me as His servant. I still have much more to do, but I'm so very proud of this mission and I take great pride in being called to serve here in the Brazil Recife Mission. The best mission in the world. I see missionaries come home and look lost at first, and then always start a story with "well, when I was on my mission....." I am so grateful to have had these experiences that I will share with people about my personal growth for the rest of forever (even though I do fine the "when i was on my mission" part a tad annoying and will be limiting those quotes). I have grown in more ways than I thought possible here and have made a home away from home that I plan on keeping. The people here really are the best, and one of the hardest things for me here on the mission in the hugging rule. It's just part of the culture here for women to great each other with a hug and a kiss on the cheek and men the same (with women.... men don't greet each other in this manner unless they are a little limp in the wrist....). More frequently than not, when making a contact, if it be a women she will usually go in for the hug when leaving and then we have to go through the routine of saying "no I'm a missionary I can't blah blah blah..", but it's really hard with the members because in my ward right now I love all of them so much! The older women look at us like their sons and just love the missionaries so much! It's hard not to hug them after a wonderful lunch and bonding with their family, but it's part of the job I guess! 

Well, to finish up, I love you all so very much. I am doing well. Very well. I am loving life and am just now beginning to realize how big of a blessing it is to serve a mission. You learn things that you never could by just going to college. It's amazing to have these two years to take yourself out of the world, because when you are with family and friends, it's just that much harder to take yourself away from everything and lose yourself..... in the service of the Lord.

With much love, 

Elder Moore