Moore on a Mission in Florianopolis, Brazil: 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