Moore on a Mission in Florianopolis, Brazil: November 2015

Another fast week that has passed in the mission. I am getting more comfortable more and more each week with things I have to do here in the office. The only things that gets me a little nervous is that an American is coming directly from Provo, so I will have to register her here in Floripa. Usually the 1st one is done in Sao Paulo but since she just got her visa at the end of her time in Provo she will just come straight here. E. Betts will already be gone so that will be some fun. We are getting ready for transfers. There is still a lot of things I need to do better, organization, planning, and patience. There are a TON of computer things I need to learn, man Dad, I wish I had learned a lot more things about computers from you before I had left. Little did I know, how much I would be needing these skills. Also I have learned that I just have to strive to do Heavenly Father's will no matter what, because he knows what's best for me. Also to love people more, love them no matter what, even with all their defects because we all have them, and you just have to see them for who they can become and not who they are at the moment. Dad always says the mission is like a roller coaster, and here in the office it has been a bumpy ride with a lot of ups and downs, right now I am on a little down slope, but honestly it is very small and I know I am going to have a big climb coming up, so I am so excited!

Today we are going to be making a video entitled "District 3 - The Office". In "Preach My Gospel" there are videos, entitled District 1 and 2, that are used to teach us different aspects of missionary work. So we here in the office decided we would make one showing what missionaries in the office do. I truly didn't realize everything that the missionaries did in the office until I was called here. To be honest, I thought they didn't do much, how wrong I was about that! There is so much work that is done to make things easier for all of the elders and sisters. I don't think everyone realizes how much is done behind the scenes, so that is why we are making the video. It will be funny also, since we all have a lot of fun and joke around here in the office.

So we have been working with this one family here, and a while back we set a challenge with them on reading the Book of Mormon and who can finish first. This past week they came to church it was so awesome to see them there, it had been quite a while since they had gone and when we checked on their reading one of them was on 1 Nephi 17 and the other on 1 Nephi 15. We were so excited for them. It is so true when we are reading the Book of Mormon daily and working to get better at it we will automatically get better, and we will start doing the things we need to do. It is so simple. I loved that talk by President Uchtdorf that you talked about in the email dad. We just need to keep the gospel simple and it is very simple. I think we complicate it and that is when we get messed up. Our Presidents email this week was also awesome, he talked about simplifying the missionary worked and it helped me a lot.

So the funny story for the week was that we smashed a cake into Elder Betts face for his birthday on Wednesday that was pretty fun and funny!" The new word/phrase that I learned this week was liberação de bagagem. I learned it with the missionaries going home, I guess it translates to liberation of baggage I guess is how you say it. It is how much weight they are able to bring home on the plane.

So the big decision this week was whether or not to resole one of my pair of shoes, or buy a new pair. With the exchange rate right now, I went with buying a new pair of shoes. They are very nice and comfortable, I will still probably resole one of my other pair of shoes, and I will be good to go for the rest of the mission.

So just a few things I ask for this week, 1. Send a big handshake to the Godinhos they are a awesome family. 2. Include in your prayers that this ward will be prepared to make the change and catch fire with missionary work. 3. Please read as a FAMILY “Preach My Gospel” especially chapter 9, the importance of members!! and share it with other members in the ward. 4. For Family Home Evening this week please study this talk, https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2005/10/becoming-a-missionary?lang=eng

Have a great week! Do the little things, love one another, do missionary work it’s the best medicine!
Happy anniversary Mom and Dad!
Love you all very much,
Elder JT Moore