Moore on a Mission in Florianopolis, Brazil: October 2014

Oi Tudo Bem,

So to tell you more our ward is Criciúma 1 ward it’s just up the hill from our apartment, and there are about 90 people in the ward. E. Johnson is my trainer and he is from Irie, Pennsylvania. Then the two Brazilian Elders or super cool, one is from north of Sao Paulo and the other from Natal (Christmas). Elder Dos Anjos has been out about 5 months, he is a recent convert to the church, almost 2 years. We have gone on splits a lot; he loves the gospel and really knows the scriptures. I really am grateful for being born in the church. I know that I took it for granted growing up; I wish I would have really studied the scriptures and had the same desire as he has with wanting to know all about the gospel. I regret not working as hard as I should of in seminary. Everything was given to us like seminary, Sunday school, and youth activities and we take it for granted. I really do appreciate all my teachers, leaders, and everybody that taught me, I wish I would not have taken it all for granted!

Elder Dos Anjos and I went to the visitor center mine thing and we are together right now. We took the wrong bus, but then made it to the mine. However it is closed on Mondays. They lady did tell us we could walk around the outside and take pictures. I have been using the bug spray, everyday but I still get bitten, please send me some Afterbite. Friday was hot 46°C and humid that’s the one thing I’m not use to its super humid! It has rained 7 out of the past 8 days! It’s crazy. Sometimes it rains hard and other times it just a drizzle. Thank you so much for buying me the rain coat that folds up into its pocket, best thing ever. The other day we went to visit a pesquisdor who lived far out of the city, and after we walked like literally four miles it started to rain. Then it started to pour, E. Johnson and I got soaked. He said it is one of many that will happen while you’re on the mission, so always carry a raincoat, and put your camera in a Ziploc bag. The other day I was on splits with Elder Dos Anjos and we witnessed the Lord’s hand with us. We had been walking all day, and have a hard time making contacts, anyways it was cloudy and supposed to rain. We had been out for hours, well just as we got back to the entrance of the apartment building and stepped inside it just started to pour down hard. It was just like Heavenly Father making sure we were inside before it started to pour. It made our day to know that he loves us, because he knew we were already having a tough day.

Paulo is our ward mission leader; he and his wife Bete are such an awesome family. They were sitting together at sacrament meeting with their two daughters, and then they saw people sitting alone, so Paulo went and sat with this young man and Bete and the daughters with another lady. They are awesome members!

We definitely eat a lot! But I walk so much that I have not had much weight gain. Send me recipes of food that I can cook quick for dinner. Like ½ hour to make. Oh and I can’t seem to find fresh milk here, it is the box milk that is on the shelves like in Spain. See if you can find where to get fresh milk in Criciuma. Here are the big grocery stores Bistek, Angeloni, Maxxi, and Giassi.

The work is going good, we find typically one or more new pesquisdors a day, so that’s good, we just need them to really get progressing! No one has come to church yet which really stinks, but I know it will come. I have to be patient. I also have to be patient with the language and everything. I get frustrated with the language, even though my companion and the Brazilian Elders say that I’m doing awesome, I just want to be able to say everything that is inside my heart. I understand everything really well; I just have to explain things with a lot more words. I study and work real hard on the language and I know with Heavenly Fathers help I will be where I need to be in no time.

Yesterday was tough because we had a very promising day planned but ended up all our lessons fell through in Sideropolis (Town just north of Criciuma) so we are cutting them there because it’s pretty far and not a lot of progress. We know there are elects out there waiting for us to teach them. We finished the night finding this family that I truly felt prompted to contact that house and we talked with them a little, but the husband had to leave and not the whole family was home so we marked to come Wednesday. We also taught this lady, who was looking for work, and E. Johnson had previously told her if she did what Heavenly Father wanted her to do, like pray and read the scriptures, she would be blessed. Well while we were there she got a call for an appointment for a job. So awesome, when we keep our promises the Lord blesses us.

We are starting English classes so hopefully those turn out well! Lunches are awesome here and one of the sisters in the ward that cooks amazing is this Wednesday so I’m super excited!

We live in Centro barrio, everyplace here are barrios (like zones). Oh can you send me a picture of that map you guys bought! We found 13 new investigators the other day in Santa Barbara barrio. So we have a good teaching pool in that area. Two of them are really progressing and keeping the commitments they make.

I love you guys so much I love reading your emails!!! I do get homesick occasionally, and I miss seeing you all and being at Justin’s games and his birthday, but I know I am where I am supposed to be, and that Heavenly Father is only asking for two years, which isn't much at all.

Ether 12, 4, and 6 are great scriptures this week. Also we have started getting the members to sign up one time a month to go with us to a lesson. So hopefully we can get more member and missionary work integrations!

Tell YAYA feliz cumpleaños! Te amo Abuela!!!! Echo de menos tu Paella!!!

I love you Justin and okay send me any good scripts you learn in seminary and send them to me I need all the help I can get! Love you so much and HAPPY BIRTHDAY, YOU THE MAN! Sounds like you had a super awesome B-day. Be good and love and serve mom and dad IT GOES A LONG WAY I PROMISE! I have learned that a lot on my mission about serving others and the happiness it brings. Be good and choose the right! You are a great brother, I love you!

Read Alma 26 it is awesome and D&C 19.

Love you all,
Elder JT Moore

E. Johnson and I caught in the rain

Elders at Apartment Centro in Criciuma

Kitchen Selfie

Our Area

Awesome Scripture

Criciuma 1 Ward Building

Mine Visit

At the Mine Visitor Center

E. Johnson and I at Zone Confe

I am not in Arizona any more!!!!

At Zone Conference

Elder Dos Anjos and I

Selfie at Zone Conference

In Criciuma

Well family everything is good, I’m in Criciuma! It is in the southern part of Santa Catarina state. It is a big town! It has about 200,000 people. Our area is the main parts of the town and smaller towns north and south of our area, it is huge! We are in Criciuma 1A is what it’s called. My companion/trainer is Elder Johnson. He is super awesome, and he is from Pennsylvania. He is on his last transfer, so I’m only with him for one transfer which stinks! I am learning a ton from him!

Our mission president is bomb! I didn’t get to talk to him a ton but he really seems awesome! His wife Sis Silva helped me with asthma meds and what to do with them when I’m running low, so I’m taken care of, so don’t worry mom!

I will take pics of the house next week and send you those. Just warning you it isn’t a hotel. In fact the Elders say it’s probably the worst in the mission. It is small and a little and worn down. However, I do have a twin bed, so that is awesome. Oh and there is no bidet either, so just tp.

Our apartment has me, Elder Johnson, Elder Cordosa, and Elder Dos Anjos, the other two are Brazilians and they are awesome. They say I’m really far ahead in Portuguese for my first week out in the field and will be fluent quick. However, it is still frustrating trying to talk in a lesson and not being able to say the whole point with the limited vocabulary. I know I just have to keep working at it and the Lord will bless me.

The field is a busy place. I haven’t had a lot of time to take pics and stuff! Also we can’t use dropbox, so I’ll just have to upload and email them to you. We can’t play soccer in our mission, kind of a bummer.

We have been batatao mao (knocking doors a lot) which is where we clap outside the door like a doorbell its cool! My Portuguese isn’t that great, I definitely need to learn a lot but I can understand the majority of stuff so that’s a relief. There is a lot of European culture here. Most of the people are super nice and receptive and randomly someone will drive by and want to talk to us, and we can go teach them. Some of the people are catholic and evangelist when we contact them and they don’t want to listen.

To answer your questions, we get a big water jug of mineral water delivered weekly. Elder Johnson said he has gone his whole mission w/o any problems its super safe in this state. They celebrate natal which is the same day as Christmas. They also feed us good at almoco! In fact one night for Family Home Evening (FHE) at this lady named Ester’s house we ate a ton it was amazing!

General Conference was great! It was awesome, they were all great talks. We didn’t get home to really late Saturday night after listening to Priesthood session. I saw Zac sing that was awesome! There were some great talks, and I look forward to studying them in the future.

Only send mail to the mission home! Missionties mail also needs to go snail mail to Mission Office.

I LOVE YOU ALL SOOO MUCH! You are the BOMB! Until next week.

Te Amo,
Elder JT Moore