Discovering Diamonds and Rubies

The work is going great here in Joaçaba, we are teaching a ton of lessons and have a bunch of investigators that are progressing. We honestly are working our butts off and it's paying off. My companion and I get along really well, we mess around and joke, but we also know when to work and both duplas (companionships) had great weeks this week! We work super hard all day teaching lessons and climbing hills, I am literally exhausted both physically and mentally at the end of the day. When we come home at night it doesn’t take long for me to crash, as soon as my head hits the pillow I am out!

We had 4 investigators at church last week. Next week I am really excited to see what happens with people in church.

I have been studying Alma 10 and 11. In our recent zone conference President trained us on studying the scriptures. He likened it to digging or excavating. When someone is digging you can find some pretty cool things, and just like the scriptures when we are reading the scriptures quickly we are going to find a couple of really cool "rocks" maybe a piece of gold here and there. But when we focus on one area maybe just a "verse” and dig very deep there! Like super deep (Truly study the scriptures)! We can find the diamonds and rubies that are hidden in each verse. The scriptures are like a ground filled with precious rocks "Doctrine and principles". The more we dig in a specific area, we will find those diamonds and rubies and not so much the simpler ones. Granted at times some verse have a diamond on the top of the ground, but that just means the more we dig in that area that we will find that much more! The president has truly shown me how to study the scriptures. You need to learn patience with it too, because when we were doing companion study one time it took 30 minutes to read 2 verses. The more effort we put in the more we get out. Also take advantage of the footnotes. We don’t have them in other languages, but we do in english, so use them. You will increase your understanding a whole lot more!

I have been studying this talk it is super awesome! It is "The challenge to become" by Elder Oaks. Listen to it!

I had a personal experience this week with the power of pray, it definitely showed me the power of pray and how God answers our prayers. We had been traveling by bus and I had fallen asleep on the bus, when it was time for us to get off I hurried up and gathered my things and got off. We went to some lessons and went home for the night. The next morning I realized that my white book with my money, paper visa, and bank card was missing. I immediately started praying, I prayed really hard and with real sincerity. We looked all around the apartment, then I had this feeling to call the bus station, thinking that maybe it slid out of my pocket on the bus while I was asleep. I prayed a lot, very humble prayers, I am not sure where that bus had gone to, but a half an hour after I called they had found my white book it was in another city at the end of the bus route. I prayed and I prayed that everything would be in it. Later that day we headed to the bus station to pick my white book, and it had all of the money and cards in it. Heavenly Father really strengthened my testimony of the power of prayer.

Love you all,

Elder Moore

Green Light Selfie

How many missionaries can you fit into an Elevator?

Trying out my new microwave potato bag

Zone Conference

Everybody that is in our apartment

 

Carnival

Weekly Recap:

Mon - PDAY, then we went and visited Lorem and taught her gospel of Christ (she has gone to the church for over a year she is just waiting till she turns 14 to get baptized because her mom says she has to wait till that age, not sure why that age). After that we spent the rest of the evening making contacts.

Tuesday – We had lunch at Elce and her husband and Thais (their daughter) and her fiancé Andre. They are a super awesome family. Then we went to visited Bernadete and her family and talked about the intro to the BOM, we challenged them to pray to know that it is true. We then went home grabbed our things and headed to Videra on bus for Zone conference the next day. All the elders of the zone were there and it was cool, we had pizza that night.

Wed – We had Zone conference with pres. And we watched “Meet the Mormons”, super solid movie about different members of the church (recommend watching it). President taught us about really digging deep into the scriptures, he is crazy smart about the scriptures and showed us how to really understand each verse and why it is in the scriptures. Then went to lunch and as we were walking to lunch it started to rain and like poured, and we finally got to the place, ate, and dried off. As soon as we were walking back it rained again and drenched us it was super funny.

So here in Joaçaba is one of the biggest Carnivals in Santa Catarina. It started on Friday and goes till Tuesday. Saturday and Sunday are the biggest 2 days with the floats and parade down the main street. Due to all of the craziness we come in at 7 pm. The music starts at like 8 until like 5 am. The rest of the day is normal they paint the street where carnival happens all white they go all out! We can’t see the carnival from our apartment but we sure can hear the music, they put up a bunch of sound! So the branch is great here, its big enough to be a ward, there are actually like 100 to 110 people on Sunday, the branch is awesome and it has a lot of great people and they help a lot in the missionary work!

Oh study the lesson in Ezra Taft Benson titled ”Living Happy in Troubled Times” it was a great lesson we had in elders quorum. This area has a ton of hills and at the end of each day your pooped, dead tired, but it’s totally worth it. We actually were looking in the area book and found this one old investigator that looks promising, so we called her and she was super excited to talk to us. We marked a day and went to visit her. She and her mom were taking the lessons from the missionaries a year back. And she had read up to Jacob and remembered a ton of stuff like Nephi and his brothers, and the word of wisdom. She says she know that the BOM is true, and we were like very happy to hear this. Using the area book works! It was super great, and she accepted to get baptized, we are going back this next week and will mark an exact date. We also have Edson and Vanusa who have been investigating for over a year and he is getting divorced from his ex-wife this week! If they get married they are set! They are great people! We have also been working with different members and its been paying off. Working with the members is sooo much better!

Amo voces muito,

Elder Moore

It's Carnival season down here in Joaçaba, Brazil

Heading to Zone Conference

Our Zone with Pres. and Sis Silva

Staying in the Apartment during Carnival

Getting some extra scripture reading in at the Bus Stop

Carnival Shirt that I bought

 

Lots of Hills, Lots of Work

Weekly Recap:
Okay so Tuesday wrote you guys then went home and then went to the hospital and took an x-ray, there was no fracture or anything. Doc said to take a day of rest and so we rested Tuesday evening.

Wednesday - Woke up and we went to Campos Novos and had district meeting. There are 6 elders in the district. Then came back home and rested the rest of the day that helped out a bunch!

Thursday - Woke up studied Alma 5 amazing. Read about the personal interview the lord has with us and then 26 is the big question. Have we moved our hearts. Everything start with our hearts! Had lunch at Fabiana and Tiago the old branch president, they are a super cool family, really funny. Visited William and Joyce, Emanuel (reference from a member).

Friday- Had lunch at Simone and Pres of the Branch really nice family. They have 4 kids ages 20ish to 4. Then we visited Bernadete and her family, Viviane and her family, and then Paulo and his son. Then visited Sabino, Buez, and Romano to finish off the night! LOTS OF WORK HERE IN JOAÇABA! The people are really receptive and willing to listen. I have also came out of my shell more and been talking more during the lessons its awesome!

Saturday - Alma 7:11-13 super great scripture. Read how many time Jesus took upon him things for us and why did he do all that? So that he would know how to succor his people. He truly knows us and every need we have we just need to let him in and do His and our Heavenly Father’s will not ours. Lunch with Rodrigues fam they are super cool, he said he watched the superbowl"!!!! WHY WASNT I HERE LAST WEEK hahah, jk. He is super awesome and his wife too! We went and had a member present lesson with them later that day! We all visited Salanch, Natalie and Marines, and Maria(there neighbor). Elder Zamorano and I gave her a baptismal invite and she accepted but she wants to think things over and pray more.

Sunday - Church was awesome, we had 3 investigators come. One is named Lorem she is 13 and had come to church by herself for over a year her parents said she has to wait until 14 to be baptized, but she is way cool, we are going to visit her today. Church was great it was testimony meeting because last week Pres. Silva was here to join the 2 branches. I bore my testimony. The branch is legit. Had a great lunch at Maria Jose and then visited Alex and Claudia the Elders and Relief Society presidents. Super awesome family. Then we visited Luci, Francela, and Josue, they are great. We had an awesome lesson on the BOM!

Week was a major success! In the short time we had.

Update, ankle is all healed up just a little inflammation still but no pain at all. I have been wearing ankle braces to make sure I don’t injure it again. I am really liking Joaçaba, it is super awesome area, the branch is awesome, my companion is awesome, and our investigators are awesome.

Amo voces muito TCHAU

Elder Moore

Thanks for the package Fam Bam!

Got to protect the bad wheel

Bus ride to Campos Novos

The City of Joaçaba, lots of Hills!

 

First Transfer, Joaçaba here I come!

Okay I am just writing a quick email I am getting transfered I am going to Joaçaba 2nd branch. I leave today at 2 pm from criciuma directly to Joaçaba. I am going to be with Elder Zamorano I think thats how you spell it. Hes Chilean and has been out for a little over year now. The other missionaries say that he works his butt of so I am really excited Also everyone says that Joaçaba is a good area! I will write more tomorrow!

Howdy yall so I am here in Joaçaba! I left at 2pm and arrived here at Midnight, I was able to read Jesus The Christ. It was an awesome trip, we climbed up the mountains in this bus that was pretty scary, usually the missionaries are not allowed to go this way (because it is dangerous) but I got lucky and have some siccckkk pictures. I am with Elder Zamorano, he is from Chile. Also in our apartment are Elder Cardean (Argentina) and Lima from Mato Grosso Brazil. The Apartment is way nicer then Criciuma.

Last week we had ward conference in Criciuma and the scripture that the stake presidency used was 1 Nephi 3:7 and I want you to know that I felt like that was something I needed to hear. Even though it may seem tough and difficult, but like its says I will go and do the things which the Lord hath commanded, for I know that the Lord giveth no commandments unto the children of men, save he shall prepare a way for them that they may accomplish the thing which he commandeth them. The lords knows us personally ands knows our family perfectly and knows what we need to grow to become a celestial family. Its going to be a process and we need to become like him and we are going to have to sometimes pass through the refiners fire. This is a video I really like and the last minute is awesome Watch this Video . One thing I am learning out here that has been hard but I trying to do is to not try to do OUR will and do HIS WILL.

Last week was a busy week in Cricuima, very productive. I did travel alot with Elder Betts doing Baptism Interviews. We also had some more FSE lessons. The ward is really doing good and missionary working is progressing nicely. It was really sad to leave, but I am excited to work here in my new Area. So far we haven’t did much, but E Zamorano is really cool. So we started Tuesday off by going to lunch and on the way to lunch I twisted my ankle. Once we got there the family took good care of me. They gave me a pain relief and anti inflammatory pill and put this muscle relaxer cream on it then we iced it, and Elder Zamorano massaged it hahaha. Then they drove us home so I could rest the ankle. The area is decent size not as big as in Criciuma but good. Very Hilly! They just combined the two branches and made one super branch since it is a district and not a stake.

Not much time to write, but I will explain more next week.

Amo voces muito TCHAU

Elder Moore

Last Zone Picture in Criciuma

Paulo and Isadora my first lunch of the mish and also last one in Criciuma

I love the Pizza here in Brazil

Three of us being transferred, only E Betts is staying

Transferred to Joaçaba

The Mountain road that we climbed, awesome but a little scary!

My New Companion