Last Pday at the CTM or MTC!

Please let everyone know that we don’t get a lot of computer time to email, so I have just been taking pictures of your emails and I read them later so write some long ones because I like to read and reread them afterwards, but put important questions and comments at the top so I can reply quickly!

So as far as the food goes here in the CTM it is kind of repetitive, meat, veggie, rice, beans, salad bar with fruits and fruit drinks/soda. It’s good though I’ve had flan like 3 times so far! It’s great; all desserts are like gelatin or pudding like stuff. Some days food is super good and others days no so much. I am doing great health wise, I have gained 3 kgs (7 lbs)! No bom (not good)! 

I wrote a huge letter last week to send but they messed up and sent it back here so you will get a couple letters from MissionTies.com soon, hopefully!

Here is part of my CTM schedule. Basically Mon, Tues, Thurs, Fri, Sat are generally the same, and Sunday and Wednesday are way different. When you get the letters, review this week. IT WAS THE HARDEST AND BEST WEEK YET! I’m feeling the best ever!

Our Schedule

6:30   -  7:00	Wake up and Prep
7:00   -  7:30	Desjejom (Breakfast)
7:30   -  8:30	Personal Study
8:30   -  11:30	“Teach Investigator” Time com instructor  - Irmao Tavares
11:30 -  12:15	Lunch
12:15 -  12:45	Estudo do Idioma (Language Study)
12:45 -  13:30	TALL (Language Computer Programs)
13:30 -  16:30	“Teach Investigator” Time com instructor – Irmao De Oliveria
16:30 -  17:15	JantarDinner
17:15 -  19:25	Additional Study
19:25 -  19:45	Prep in room
19:45 -  20:30	Physical Activites (Basquetball)
20:30 -  21:00	Shower, Prep
21:00 -  21:30	Plan for next day (Late night snack)
21:30 -  22:30	Prep for bed and in bed by 22:30

So Thursday was a blur, but I did finish HOLY TABBS!!! Boooyah! I have never studied the footnotes so much before!

Last Wednesday after Pday I received a letter from Yaya (Spain Grandma) and Spain Family, tell them thank you so much, definitely was a pick me up that day and it was awesome reading that!

Friday I got the Valley vs Willow game from dearelder.com, and then yesterday I got the missionties.com letter! So Awesome!

Friday we went proselyting to Barra Fundas, a giant bus station metro hub, look it up its crazy! There were 11 missionaries and Irmao De Oliveria. So each elder had 2 Book of Mormons (BOMs) that we had to pass out. We hopped on a public bus to get to the place, and before we get on the bus this man runs up to one of the Elders and asks to have the BOM, just like “Can I have that book?”, it was crazy! Then we are on the bus and I had this feeling that I should talk to this man who was by the window, but there was a lady sitting by him, as soon as I saw that the lady got off the bus, and I was like well I have to go talk to him and he was awesome! His name was Edger, married, 67 yrs old, has 3 kids, has lived in Sao Paulo his whole life, and is a shoemaker. The rest of the conversation was a lot of jibberish! Haha! I have a lot to learn, but then we talked about why we are here, and I talked to him about the BOM and what it is and explained it and shared my testimony of it, and that he can come to know for himself that it is true, and then I showed him on the front page where he can call a number if he wants more info, and missionaries just like us can come and teach him. It was awesome! The spirit was strong!

Then we arrived at the bus station and went outside around the area, and there is this parkish thing, and we went up and started talking to this family with a lil boy and shared our testimony of the BOM and everything, just like I did with Edgar. They were traveling through Sao Paulo, but we talked about it and told them they can read and know these things for themselves. It was awesome, because we went and talked to more people and all of us, 11 Elders, gave out 22 BOMs. So who knows where they are at now and what little seeds we have planted! One thing I learned is the people here in Brazil are crazy nice and welcoming and interested! Dad, it was very different from our time with the missionaries in Spain. They are honestly really impressed that we are so young, and making a sacrifice to be out here doing this. But it was awesome though because as we left we saw some of the people we had given the BOMs to were reading it!

Saturday was another blur. Honestly devotional and basketball are some of the funnest things! Our whole district plays basketball and its awesome. I tried to shut down Elder Christensen in Basketball, but couldn’t. He wanted me to give him a shout out!

Sunday I was supposed to have a talk, but didn't, so my first talk will be out in the field. We heard a devotional from Elder Scott about prayer and the power of prayer, and how God loves us perfectly! Also sometimes God sends us answers like small inspirational notes, like a father leaving a note to a son.

Monday was hard, Satan tries to get fear and doubt into you head, and get you unfocused, and your mind off the work, it was tough! Not lying hardest day of the mission yet! But my companions gave me a blessing and that helped so much! The priesthood is soooo real!

Tuesday was an amazing day, we had the usual, a devotional from Bishop Causse, 1st counselor of Presiding Bishopric, and he is awesome! It was great! I have more info in my Missionties letter I will send, sorry for the sloppy handwriting. He talked about being with the apostles and how humble they are and the importance of unity in the companionship, and being TEACHABLE. He also talked about the more we sacrifice the more we are indebted to the Lord, because the more the Lord blesses us. He also taught us to do everything with the end in mind, and at the end we can go to the Lord and say, “Thank you Lord for all the blessings, and I have done my BEST." Everything we do needs to be faith driven. He also shared 2 Cor 12:10, “When I am weak, then I am strong.” I liked how this one Irmao explained it a while back. He said he really like the words a broken heart and contrite spirit, he said the word “broken” reminded him of a horse being broken-in, and that it is obedient to its master. That is how we need to be like “broken” and obedient to the Lord. It’s not easy because our pride and ego get in the way. We always need to BECOME and STAY humble! The last thing he taught us was to always ask the Lord how to be the best instruments in his hands, for we are only the mouthpiece for him.

Wednesday Today we are going to a churrassco (all you can eat meat restaurant) and this Elder in our district is buying because it’s his bday and his mom said to take us all out to eat! Then another Elder is getting a pizza party from Mr Cheney’s! Boooyah. Oh by the way don’t do the Mr. Cheney’s pizza  party thing though because I will be gone before I can receive it. This is my last pday in the CTM! I leave Tuesday 30 Sept sometime; probably early morning is when I’m guessing, so I don’t know the next time I will able to write back to you. I’m super excited about going to Florianopolis, there are 17 missionaries going! 13 elders and 4 sisters including me the day I leave, that’s wild!

1 Cor Chapters 1 and 2 are awesome, so read them up! I have learned to study the scriptures so much! I never used the footnotes so much in my life, hahaha. But I’m enjoying everything now! I know it will be hard, but it’s so worth it! This church is awesome; it is run by God through president Monson!

I have a ton of pictures, so when I get to the field brace yourself! We just got a new roommate, a Brazilian going to Puerto Alegra North.

Oh if you send me a package send me like goodies, if you can, that would be great, and maybe some good pens and another journal. I really am not sure what else, I don’t really need anything. I've been feeling awesome recently, going to go out and preach the gospel and share my testimony! I have to ask the Lord daily to be the best instrument in his hand that I can be and be obedient and talk to everyone! Send me longgg e-mails though because I can take pictures of them and read later. So how’s ASU doing!?

I have learned so much here at the CTM, especially the importance of serving others, through serving them you can love them 10000 times more. So always serve each other at HOME, it’s crazy how much you can begin to love and take care of someone. You guys are an amazing family. Always have the end in mind. Families are truly ETERNAL!

Love you all so much, Justin keep kicking butt in football and working hard, it will pay off! Also do work in school and get good grades! Mom its crazy to think but we've been learning here a lot about Jesus and how much of an amazing mom Mary was knowing that she would have to give her son to save the whole world. And she had to sacrifice a lot but at the same time you are doing that, not on the same level haha but you are and dad is too, and I’m sooo grateful for you guys.

LOVE YOU SO MUCH!

Elder MOORE!