Importance of the Sacrament

Well I don’t have much time to write this week. They are doing work on the office, so we are at a LAN writing and the computers don’t work as good. Plus we are going to eat lunch with Paulo and Suellen and Anna Vitoria right now, so I am going to have to hurry up. So transfers on Monday went smoothly, I am not training anyone. I can’t believe I only have three more left. Definitely need to make the most of them! I have been really working out, but we ate lanche Hamburgers both on Wednesday and Thursday night… super good but super fat! So the ward is really helping with Paulo and Suellen’s wedding, it is going to be amazing! . Irma Roseangela did great! She has a wedding dress store and let her use a dress and Paulo has a really nice suit. They also helped with the cake, and the ward is going to make dinner it is going to be awesome. We won't be able to go to the wedding actually, President said we weren't able to awhile back and last week ELder Zwick talked about that and the new focus with missionaries is teach not social activities but focus on teaching people. So it’s a little bit of a bummer to not be at the wedding, but we are going to go out and eat lunch with them today!

The work is going good and we have a few potentials for this next week. The one family that had a lot of potential weren't home when we stopped by this week, so we will have to keep finding more. Irmao Campos and Valda we had a lesson with them and their neighbor who is this older catholic lady who is really nice, so we will see how it goes. But we are excited to start working with the friends of Paulo and Suellen!

So not sure when we are moving, the one apartment is ready but we actually might move to this house that is like 20 seconds from the church so I am not sure because the house won’t be ready till mid April.

It really hit me yesterday that the mission is coming to an end as I started to buy the tickets for the missionaries that go home with me! Super weird! I can't believe it's flying by so fast!

Last Saturday to me was a really big eye opener on the importance of the sacrament. Elder Zwick was telling us that since he was called as a Seventy, they are always traveling to preside over Stake Conferences and many times because of that do not get the sacrament. Only once a month, the 1st Thursday of each month all the Apostles and 70s who were traveling meet together and have a 3 hour meeting and bless and pass the sacrament. You couldn't believe the happiness in his countenance while he was saying he was going to be in Campinas next Sunday and would be able to partake of the sacrament there! You could tell it was something he cherishes very much and was so happy to be able to partake of it more than one time during the month. As I reflected on that, I saw in myself how many times I have not truly prepared before and had spiritual experiences during the sacrament because I was focused on other things in the world, like what I am going to eat when I get home, homework, the past week and the fun things I did etc. etc. When during those same times a special witness of God was desiring to have the opportunity to testify to me. I read a talk recently by Elder Holland and a scripture he shared, that when I read it stuck me in the soul. In Matthew 26:40 it says
And he cometh unto the disciples, and findeth them asleep, and saith unto Peter, What, could ye not watch with me one hour?
That invitation is the Lord invitation each week to us as we go to sacrament meeting to truly be sanctified. And not have the Lord say to us "Could ye not watch with me one hour?" I learned a big lesson that day with Elder Zwick on the importance of the sacrament and to truly yearn for and prepare for that moment each week! I am grateful for baptism and the sacrament to be able to constantly "Remember Him"

I love the Gospel, I love being a missionary and being able to share this message with others.

I love you all so much, do the little things, always serve one another!

Tchau,
Elder JT Moore

Preparing for the mission conference with Elder Zwick

Our Zone at the conference with Elder Zwick and his Wife

Up early to get a nice pic of Hercilio Luz Bridge

Hercilio Luz Bridge

Dinner with Paulo, Suellen and Ana Vitoria

Just a little video for you all

Be Diligent

Well another week in the books, I can’t believe time is flying by so fast. It has been another busy week in the office this week with visas and planning travel plans for the mission tour, and getting things ready for transfers in the upcoming weeks. Even with all the work we have been making it a goal to get out of the office as soon as possible to do work. One quick funny story, was we went to buy some umbrellas for the office, and as we came out of the store it was raining, so I opened up the umbrella and we started walking. We didn’t get very far and it bent from the wind, so we went back to the store and returned it.

Sunday was good, the ward is helping out with missionary work, and helping us bring back the less actives. We had Paulo, Suellen and Vitoria at church along with some others. Things are going good for them and the ward is really helping out with their wedding plans. There are a bunch of Irmas (Sisters) in the ward that are really helping a lot with the wedding, it is great how they are all helping out and are excited for them. We had a really spiritual lesson with them on Thursday at a members house. It was great, I love that family and I am very excited for them.

This week wasn’t that good with visits or contacts. Most of our planned appointments for visits didn’t work out, and the contacts we did weren’t very promising this week. But I have realized that it is our job to just get out there and try to share the message with everyone, they still have the agency to decide if they want to listen to it or not. We did visit a family that their son was baptized about 6 years ago, although they are going through some difficult times right now, they do want to hear more.

Today I had an epiphany and realized it's time for March Madness, wow, I can’t believe it is that time of year. Next year it’s going to be fun for sure to watch and get back into picking the underdogs! What a super exciting time! How’s the bracket shaping up to be? Are there any good underdogs this year, hahaha. NIU or Gonzaga's or George Washington or Butlers?

I wanted to write to any young man and woman who are thinking about preparing to serve a mission! I want to say it’s the best thing that has happened to me! Read Alma 37:6-7. These two verses are probably my favorite scriptures ever. For example we did a small act of helping place a sugar cane (caldo de cana) cart into a parking place and now we have a family that has the goals to get married and be baptized, yes there are trials and Satan always loves to sneak in and try to destroy things. I found some really good quotes from a guy, Vance Havner, who talks about this.

It takes broken soil to produce a crop, broken clouds to give rain, broken grain to give bread, broken bread to give strength. It is the broken alabaster box that gives forth perfume. . . . it is Peter, weeping bitterly, who returns to greater power than ever. [“Broken Things,” an excerpt from Vance Havner]

“Taking it easy is often the prelude to backsliding. Comfort precedes collapse.” This quote explains perfectly what it means on always doing the little things and being diligent

I love you a ton be diligent read the talk by Elder Christofferson and Elder Lawrence they are great.

Love you all very much,

Elder JT Moore

Beautiful Day in Florianopolis

Another Beautiful Day, and our View

Here is what happens on a not so beautiful day

Some more video of the staircase waterfall

Heavenly Father's always is There for Us!

So another week has came and gone. It went by really quick. The office this week was pretty calm, just renewing visas and the usual. As far as the work goes, Paulo and Suellen signed the papers on Monday and the date of their wedding and Baptism is on 26 of MARCH!!!!!!!! It’s going to be AWESOME! Irma Leilane and Daniel are helping a ton! They have been planning out how to do the wedding! They have also been reading the scriptures everyday since we taught them the importance of daily scripture study. I actually used the parable of the truck driver (thank you dad for teaching me that one). I had actually shared it a while back to Elder Cardenas, and during the lesson, he was like E. Moore tell them about the truck driver. They liked it, it was awesome. They are such an awesome family, and today there was a baptism of child in the ward and Paulo and Ana Vitoria were there!

We have also been teaching Prisila, and she is reading the BOM and is either coming to church this week or the next. Cristiano and Marcia a cool family we have werent able to meet with us this week because a ton of things happened with them but hopefully next week we can visit them! We have been doing lots of contacts and are on the search for more families!

So the new word for the week that I learned is “Trichic”. Well so it's like a Gaucho (Rio Grande do Sul) thing they put Tri in front of a word to make it triple the importance. Like in English would be like Tricool or Triawkward something like that.

The funny story of the week happened at the office. Okay so here in the office there are 2 bathrooms, one for men and one for women. On Thursday when we got to the office I had to go to the bathroom really bad, and when I went to go in Elder Salomão was already in the men's bathroom. so I went into the women's, and just when I sat down I heard the mission president’s wife, Sister Silva, with some sisters outside that had just arrived in front of the office. I was like... -_______- so I went and "LET IT GOOOOOOOO, LET IT GOOOO, I couldn't hold it back anymore" "Just Let it go let it go" Hahaha. So then to my luck they came up and tried to go to the bathroom, but I locked it. So then after I finished, I used half a can of febreeze to make sure it didn't “smell bad". After I came out they realized it was me in there and I was like just say a prayer before you go in so you don't die, but it was all good, and we had a good laugh.

I have been study the importance of us having our own testimonies and how all the people of the scriptures had defining points on when they "knew". Also in Helaman 5 what the Nephites and Lamanites did to truly have success! That was really good to study together with the article from the Liahona in February.

I am really sorry Susi died. It would have been really nice to meet her. But we know she will have a chance to hear the messages up there and was being prepared right now with you guys! Way to go that is surely going to help

I am so grateful for you guys and the awesome example you guys were for me! :)

Elder JT Moore

We visited a senior citizens center

E. Cárdenas flirting it up with the single ladies haha

Our District

Best District in the Mission!!!!

Happy Valentine's Day

So this week went by slow, but yet really fast, it’s hard to explain. So I received my package last week, and I know you said to wait until valentine's day, but can I open my package today? So we had transfers last week, and everything went smoothly, nobody missed their bus, and I was able to do all the paperwork for the newbies, everything worked out! Which was good since Tuesday was a holiday because Carnival. So this transfer I have made it a goal to make sure all missionaries have a CPF which is like a social security number in Brazil. The other thing is I am getting all missionaries to sign this paper and get a seal thing on it saying that it is their signature, this will enable us here in the office to be able to go out and get stuff and do stuff for them. So things are going good in the office, I just want to really get as much stuff organized as possible so we can get out and meet members and investigators. So we all stayed the same here in the office, the only difference is that Elder Cardenas is going to train Elder Sierras to be the new financial secretary. The office is really clicking now, we work super hard and smart, but we always have lots of fun. We always goof around and joke around, for example Elder Sáenz always like to make fun of the Spain Spanish accents, or should I say my Spanish accent. Out is district is awesome, the APs are now in our district, so it's the office Elders and some of the sisters that are here on the island. We are looking for a new apartment so the APs will be living with us, and our apartment will be the mission apartment, where all of the Elders come and stay while here in Florianopolis. I am very excited for this transfer!

It has been Carnival this week, it is crazy, it is bizarre, weird, etc. We didn’t go out much, because the whole center of Florianopolis was like crazy with people and not in a good way. So Sunday our Haitian friend that we found last week that is a member, brought 3 friends with him to church. Member missionary work is easy if we just invite our friends. Our friend Fernando, is going through some really tough times. He is from Uruguay, he is away from his family, and just having a lot of issues, please pray for him. So this week we met with Paulo and Sueli a few times. Early in the week we met with them and they also are going through a lot of trials and issues. It was pretty intense, but we read with them and talked about the gospel. Later in the week we returned to see how they were doing, and the things were a lot better, there are still things they are overcoming, but you can see when we put God in our lives things get better. They are so awesome I love that family so much!! We also visited Priscilla, it was a really good visit, she is starting to understand the Book of Mormon and why we have it in conjunction with the bible.

One thing I learned this week, that I heard President say is “Once you have lost your liberty, you can only gain it back through blood, the atonement of Jesus Christ” Only through Christ can we gain back our Liberty. This teaching just really stood out for me this week, and I actually used it with some of our investigators.

We taught a lot of less actives, and what I learned from the missionary conference from a few weeks ago, was that a lot of times we need to teach less actives like investigators. So that is what we did, we taught them about the Plan of Salvation, I just love teaching this. The spirit is always strong when we talk about having a Heavenly Father and our Savior Jesus Christ, and why we came to earth. I just love it!

One thing I really learned and have taken to heart from this last conference was a message from Elder Redlund, about how we have to truly love those we serve. We have to look at them through the eyes of their parents, the eyes of Heavenly Father, and just love them for who they are, understand them, and just love and serve them with unconditional love.

Congratulations Justin, way to go man, way to beast it up. That is so awesome you took 3rd in the State. Keep working your butt off, I can’t wait to get home and work with you and see you next year beasting it up. I love you so much Bro.

HAPPY VALENTINE'S DAY! YOU GUYS ARE THE BEST FAMILY EVER!

Thanks for the pics this week!

Love you guys! Read the scriptures! pray!

Tchau!
Elder JT Moore

My Valentine's Package - My Mom loves me so much!!!

I love you too, and miss you all

Happy Valentine's Day XOXOXO

Doing work and getting organized in the Office

Well another week has flown by here in the office. I have been trying to get more organized with the documents of foreigners, with their ID cards and CPF numbers and renewing visas! I am working my butt off and time just flies by, but everything in the office is getting organized. I even built a really good relationship with the people at the police station where we do Visa paperwork. The package you sent arrived on Tuesday, so I will wait until Valentine’s Day to open it. You guys did awesome on the package, it was super heavy but didn’t get taxed at all. Other packages that come here that don’t weigh even close get super taxed, so props to you for sending it correctly.

Dad, I just wanted to say thank you so much, that video you sent I will Prepare the Way about 1 Nephi 17:32, about the faith Nephi had in building a ship and how it applies to our lives and how we should follow the promptings in missionary work was awesome! Actually last Sunday for lunch during our lunch message I shared it with the family, and it was great! I had always liked that scripture, but I had never viewed the rest of the chapter in that way. The family that fed us are so nice, you can tell that they have a lot of love for the missionaries.

We have a new Elder here in the office Elder Salomão is Elder Keller’s new companion. He is going to help a lot with the work in the ward and bridging relationships. He is a a great missionary, he is 26 years old from Cape Verde. We have the best-est district in the whole mission! All of the office staff and the sisters from Rio Tavares. The last week we also had Elder Delaney here in the office helping out, he was companions with Elder Zamorano who finished up his mission and had to go home a few weeks early because of his visa expiring. Elder Delaney has helped out a ton with all of the preparations for transfers this coming week. Elder Sierras has taught me how to get packages out from the post office without having to pay the huge fines. So now I am in charge of that process and getting them to the missionaries. I have also been learning and helping Elder Cardenas with the reimbursement of things missionaries send into the office.

We have been teaching some awesome families, we taught Paulo and Sueli and Ana Vitoria (their little daughter that is super cute and sweet). They are awesome! We taught them all about the Book of Mormon, it was a really cool lesson and we had a member there with us. We went and picked them up on Sunday to go to church, and they really liked it. We have also been teaching Fernando, Prisila, Hector, Arsene and his friends. Arsene and his friends are Haitians, he is a member, he has been here in Floripa for about 5 months but didn’t know where the church was. They live on the mainland, but they are part of our ward, so they have to travel some distance and cross the bridge to get to the church here on the island. He speaks Spanish, but I have a hard time now trying to speak Spanish, it is going to be hard for me when I get back to switch over. We are doing good but we always need to be searching for the elect to teach.

Yes it was great to see that Lucas and Eli got married and were able to be baptized. Elder Choate called me on their baptism day and let me know, and then I got to see a picture of their baptism. That is so awesome, I am excited for them.

So this week I was studying Alma 50, and the importance of preparing, covenants, unity, and the importance of parents teaching their children!

I also learned 3 new words but I have already forgotten what 2 of them were... sorry I gotta write them down throughout the week. One of the words was lantejoula, it means Sequin, Ana Vitoria taught me that one hahaha.

Remember to do the small things, read the scriptures, pray, and serve one another,
Love you all very much,

Tchau,
Elder JT Moore

Saying bye to Elder Zamorano

Me, E. Zamorano, and E. Cardenas

Office Elders and the ones going home

Our district meeting

Have to love it here, it is always raining