April 23, 2012

Wow so much has happened this week a lot of good and a ton of bad ha ha. I will start off with what has me most excited at this moment in time. I got my trunky paper, or in others, they are buying my plane ticket home ha ha ha. I have to fill out all of the information so that they know where I am going, who is my bishop and stake president, and all that good news. So ya in the letter with the trunky papers it says I now have the right to be trunky.

Something else great that happened this week. On Tuesday the family did get married and did get baptized. It was such an amazing experience. It was awesome and I love it. We did it right before zone meeting so all the missionaries from the zone were there. Celio is probably the biggest guy I have baptized. He was probably almost 300 pounds but I baptized him my first try cause you know I am pro and all.

So let me explain a little about what happened this week. My comp is ridiculous. So on Wednesday we went and ate lunch at 12:30, at about 1:30 I told him alright bro lets bounce lets go work and he didnt pay any attention to me. I told him like 10 times and after like 40 minutes of waiting I told him, ite if you don't want to work I'm leavin and I left. I went and worked by my self for like 3 hours and went and did like 5 appointments. The thing is if I don't work, I get frustrated and stressed. I love to work. He was too busy playin on the computer some little mario game. And didn't want to do anything. So that same night, Wednesday night, he lost his camara. I look at it as total punishment from God cause he doesn't want to do anything.

So Thursday comes around and well he is super depressed cause he lost his camara. And well this time he left me and went to our food appointment, laid on the couch, and pretty much started crying and wouldn't talk to anyone and didn't want to do anything. So Thursday in the morning we had an appointment in Matagalpa - obviously we didn't cause so the ZLs come up after and tried talkin to him and nothing. Also the APs and nothing. He sat in the corner like Dawson when he was a child ha ha with his nose in the corner and plugging his ears. The kid is a total girl he is like a child of 4 years. It's ridiculous so after like 4 hours I kid you not of sitting in a house with this baby we left and went out to work. Kinda every house we went to he didn't want to enter, he just sat out on the curb. I felt so bad for our investigatores cause they would invite him in and he would just ignore them. So as usual I taught them alone.

The very next day Friday we got a call at 7 in the morning President wanted to talk to my comp. So we hurry and got ready and took the bus to Managua where my comp had an interview with pres. I think they should just send him home anyways cause he doesn't want to be here. He is all depressed cause his girlfriend broke up with him. He told me that his relationship with his girlfriend is more important than the Lord's work. Alright let me go on. So Sunday comes along and our family goes to church and well I announced that they were going to get confirmed cause well my Branch pres bounced and said he doesn't want anything to do with the church, so I am in charge now. So I announced it the family passed in front and my comp bounced went and hid in the bathroom. So ridiculous. I had to go look for him. I found him and asked him if he was going to help me with the confirmation he told me no and so I went and confirmed the both of them by my self. AFter the confirmation my comp went and locked himself in the office where he was till church ended. So ridiculous, he is a little child. I dont know what to do with him.

So a lot happened this week. Today we went and played volleyball as a zone and went out to eat in a way good Italian restaurant. We bought pizza for the whole zone cause it is Elder Hancock's birthday. But I am fried my face. It hurts so bad it is so fried.

My comp right now is just sittin around. He doesn't have money so he ain't writing anybody. And he is in church clothes still cause he didn't bring pday clothes. Yesterday we came down from San Ramon and I told him to bring clothes cause we weren't going to go back to our area. He didn't believe me and now he is suffering in his church clothes on a pday ha ha.

If I could tell you everything that has happened freak this letter would be so much longer. But I'll just keep it to the brief of it.

So mother I dont know what to do here. I dont know if I want to work real hard or not cause I know if I get taken out and he stays all my work is going to go down the drain. And well I can't do much right now anyways cause of my comp. I can see all my success slowly go down. And I know if I get taken out it is just gonna go all the way down.

Other good note my convert that was baptized in Febuary, Jose Felix, recieved the Aaronic priesthood this week. I love seeing my converts progress in the gospel.

Well mother I love you a ton and miss ya a ton. Thank you for everything. I hope you enjoy this email. Keep it real and keep it fresh ha ha love you.

Love, Elder Moore

April 16, 2012

So a little about what is going on here. I had a horrible dream this week. I dremt that it was August 3rd and I was back in Sandy walking around and I was only thinking about how I wasn't a missionary any more, how I didn't have our Saviours name on my chest being his representative. In my dream I also saw Ryan, Matt and Nate and I was so jealous of all of them cause they were all still missionaries. I really do love the mission and it is going to be way hard to leave. I am not looking forward to it. But in the other hand I am. I know my mission doesn't stop when I leave this beautiful country. But I will have to understand that my calling will be a little different but it will always be to represent the Lord and find his lost sheep.



So I have been having a rough time here. My comp is yet to teach in a lesson and I have been with him for 3 weeks. It's rough. I try to tell him but he would rather color in his notebook or look at pictures and videos on his camara. Or even mess around with other peoples cell phones during the lesson and if he is not doing that he is asleep. I have lost count of how many times he has fallen asleep in the lessons. It's really hard. I really do feel like I am by my self here working. It sucks cause in a way I am seeing all the progress and success we have had slowly go down.



But other than that, we are going to baptize a family tomorrow at 9 in the morning. They are also going to get married. The husband is Celio and the wife Alicia. They are such an awesome family. I believe I told you a little bit about the familiy. They truly were prepared before we met them. I told them that we were going to come back in October they are very excited to meet you. I know you will love them. Alicia always tells me that she wishes she had a son like me. I have seen her cry many times. She is a very sweet lady. I actually met her son this week and it was sad he is a drunk. He doesn't live with his parents. He is 35 but he walked into the house when we were there yelling so drunk and wanted to fight with me and my comp. Hating on us, it was sad. After 30 minutes of craziness like I ain't even kidding straight up craziness he got out of hand. There were a bunch of people outside the house. Alicia sat down and was crying she was so embarrassed but we helped her and comforted her. We watched Legacy with them and watched a movie about temples.

Something else that is a little crazy, we were in Matagalpa on Tuesday and we had to get back to San Ramon. It was like 9 at night so we started hitch hiking and someone picked us up at 20 minutes and dropped us off in the middle of no where 5 kilometers from Matagalpa and 10 from San Ramon and this time it was like 9:30 and there was no one and we were in the middle of the dark on the side of the road. There was just a bar there with crazy drunk people dancing. To be honest I didn't think that we were going to make it home. But we had a miracle and someone picked us up and took us back to our beautiful town. San Ramon.



I am so excited for you to come out and meet all the people I have met here, all the friends that I have here.

So, ya it's rough. I have had skin fall off my hands like 3 or 4 times in the mission it has never got to my arms tho. And ya when ever I eat american food or should I say Mcdonalds, I get way sick. But if I eat some crap off the street that I know should be contaminated ha ha nothing happens to me. I am accustomed to the food here. The American food is going to kill me I think.



I love the mission. To be honest the mission is nothing like I thought it was no lie. But I love it and I will miss it a ton. I have learned a lot here and know I will come back being a better person. With a strong unbreakable testimony. Cause I know with out doubt that this is The Kingdom of God and that we are God's Children. I know that with out doubt. I love you.

I think I am going to bounce. Know that I love you and miss ya. Thank you for all your support. And don't worry about me, I am good like for real. All is good here all this ain't gonna bother me at all. I know why I am here and what I am doing. And what is going on there ain't going to change it.



Love, Elder MOore

April 9, 2012

Well I totally forgot it was Easter to be honest. I knew it was the Holy week but when it came down to yesterday I totally forgot it was Easter. But I am so thankful for our Savior and for the Plan of Salvation. I know with out a doubt that I will return to see papa and live with him forever.

Easter here in Nicaragua is nothing like it should be. They walkin around carrying Christ on a cross on Friday and on Saturday they walk around carrying him in a see through coffin where he is dead and bleeding. It is literally like a parade. It blows. I hated it and all the stores are closed on Friday and Saturday. And to top it off everyone parties and gets drunk. I can't even tell you how many drunks I saw passed out on the side of the street. What a great way to remember Christ right. Then comes Sunday, the day he was resurrected, and well they don't do anything except for open the stores that were closed for the 2 prior days. Everything just goes back to normal. So Easter here ain't nothing like it should be. Just a huge party and apostasy.

Other than that we had a really amazing experience this week. So the family that we baptized last month, the Family Mairena, we were over at their house kickin it with them. When one of their daughters just started screaming for her dad. She was lying down in her bed. Then her dad yelled for us and told us that we had work to do. We went over there and she was screaming, sweating, shaking and had massive pain in her body. She looked horrible and we all knew something was happening to her. So we gave her a blessing. And right after the blessing everything changed. Everything got better. It was amazing to see that miracle. I literally saw a miracle right before my eyes. I have been able to see and be a part of many miracles here on my mission. The very next day she was all back to normal. On Sunday almost the whole family went to church. Now a couple of months ago this family was completely inactive and the parents weren't even members. Now the parents are members and almost all the kids go to church now. They even go out and visit with us. It helps a lot with our attendance cause there are like 12 of them ha ha.

So yesterday was fast and testimony meeting. The dad of The family Mairena who got baptized just over a month ago, bore his testimony and shared that experience. I felt the spirit so strong in his testimony and I know he did and his family cause they were all crying. I love seeing my own converts share their testimonies.

This was a good Sunday. We had an attendance of 44. We are also preparing Hermano Mairena to recieve the priesthood so that he can baptize his son who just turned 8. That will be an amazing experience for him.

Next we are preparing a family for baptism for this week. It is a family that went to the conference and to church this Sunday. Let me tell you how we found this family. We were inviting people to the conference and a man walking behind us over heard that we said prophets and apostles and then he told us to go to his house and we showed up and they ended up being amazing and very aceptive to the gospel.

Man I don't know if you can tell, but it is so much better being with a missionary instead of a member. I can totally feel the difference. I am so happy that I am not working with a member. I learned a ton but it's just not the same.

Next our branch president told us that he doesn't want to go to church anymore and that he is sick of having that responsibility. So ya, they bounced but it will be better this way. It's sad but like Nephi says, "It is better that one man perish than a whole nation or in this case San Ramon..." Many people didn't want to go because of him. I am pretty sure he will be released next week. We have been wanting to release him for a couple of weeks now.

So ya my mission is flying by so fast. And I am so not ready to go home. Sometimes I prefer to be in my house to be honest but it is not because I am trunky. I don't get trunky 24 months psh ain't no thang. But I have been thinking a lot about the end of my mission. I have made a lot of progress but I still have a lot to learn. And I am going to do everything I can in these last couple of months to prepare me so that I become what God wants me to be. And what I want to be. My goal before I go home is to be able to obey with exactness. I just need to form that habit to always obey with exactness. It's hard but it is so doable. I am trying to form habits now so that they last throughout my whole life. I am trying to form the habit to write in my journal everyday, to read the scriptures every day, to pray everyday and to obey and follow the spirit everyday. These things I can do now on my mission but the real life ain't like the mission and I just want to make sure that I master these things so that I can always be a true follower of Jesus Christ and be a true Saint of the Church. I am kinda scared to go home to be honest. I have become so accustomed to the life here and I know the life is different in the states. The other day I was cleaning out my suitcase trying to get organized and I was thinking puchika I am almost in my house just a little over 3 months and that is when I really realized that I have a lot more to do. And so I am not going to give up not even when I finish the mission. The life is a learning process that last forever. I must always represent my Saviour in all things in all places and at all times. That is my goal to have that habit before I go home.

I can't wait till I meet Nephi, Moroni, Alma, Amulek and Ammon in the heavens. It will be so awesome. When I was with Elder Alfaro in Chinandega, we always said that we were Ammon and Amulek ha ha. But that truly is a great scripture. I love where it says that the very powers of hell would have been shaken forever and that the devil would have no power. Man I want to be just like them.

We need to make sure that we are becoming what the Lord wants us to be. If we learn from our mistakes and don't go back to commiting the same mistakes and truly repent we won't feel regret rather happiness and progression.

It's funny that translator didnt work for you ha ha. Didn't understand much but ha ha it's funny you tried to translate it. I ain't sure how good I will be able to comunicate with the people that speak real Spanish. There is so much Spanish that I use here that is only used in Nicaragua and some Spanish that is only used in Central America.

Well I guess we will see how the blessing goes ha ha. I have only given blessings in Spanish never in English. Actually that's a lie. I gave one blessing with Matt Lym in English for Brother Harper but other than that nothing.

So, I was thinkin, I always looked to papa as my hero. He sacrificed a lot just to take care of us. I always look to Skip as a father. He writes me almost every week. Skip actually helps me out with what I need.

So today we went to the monkey park and kicked it as a zone and went out to eat. It was an awesome day. I will make sure to send you pictures next week cause the pictures we took aren't on my camara but the pics are so awesome like for real ha ha.

So just over 3 months it's crazy time is flying by. I forgot to tell you mommy. What do you say if we come back in October cause I really want you to come out. What if we come back to Nicaragua in October?

Mother I want you to know that I love you a ton and miss ya. Well Imma bounce. Thank you for all your help and support but it is time for me to go ha ha.

Love your son, Elder MOore

April 2, 2012

Well, like always, I loved conference. Conference is amazing. We always learn so much and we learn how to make our lives better so that we are always happy.

So we reached our goal of people that went to church this week. Something that San Ramon has not seen in a while. We had 50 people go to the conference with us. Alright so if we remember, back in December, my first Sunday, there was like 15 of us and then the second Sunday only 4. So we are definitely making progress. We made enough progress that the district president invited me to share my experience and what I have done in San Ramon to help the branch grow. So I shared my testimony and a message with all the leaders that showed up to the leadership counsel. It was great. I really have learned a lot here in the mission.

But other than that we took 9 investigadores to church. It was awesome cause after the priesthood session we had to hitch hike back to San Ramon and while hitch hiking back a guy jumped in the back of a truck with us when it stopped. We contacted him and invited him to the conference. And well on Sunday he showed up early. He was there at 9:30 and said he loved conference and wanted us to pass by his house and teach him and his family. So this week we are going to pass by. I love conference you can always put your money on the prophet and the apostles. Another awesome experience we had was we were inviting people to the conference and we mentioned prophets and apostles in today's world and a guy behind us overheard us and stopped us and wanted to talk to us. Then we went to their house and shared the message about the restoration and well they went to conference and loved it as well. I love conference time. This October we totally need to go to the conference center. There are so many great things that I want to tell you but I feel like this letter would be extremely long.

So one of the talks I loved a lot that really impacted me was, "What do I think of Christ and what does Christ think of me?" Those two questions touched me. They really did. I have thought about those questions a lot. Those two questions can change our life for the better. There were so many great wonderful talks. I also loved President Uchtdorf's talk as well and Neil A. Anderson's talk. Wow conference is amazing.

Next problem, to be honest, I am not trunky what so ever, but I want to be in my house after working with 3 members straight I got killed. The mission is so unorganized here. If you were only here to see it after being with 3 members straight I finally got another missionary. I just feel like I am getting punished or something just getting all the crampy comps thrown on me. For once I would like a good comp that can help me to be better. I feel like I am trying to get better alone and don't have the help from my companions. My new companion has had a lot of problems on the mission. I was hoping that they would give me someone that would help me but instead I got someone that has a ton of problems that are not easy to fix. I would love to share all the things he has told me about himself but you would get grossed out. I am trying to tame him but his mind is set and it's not easy to change. He was born in Texas but both his parents are Mexican. He is Mexican. And to be honest I just kinda wanna be in my house not having to deal with all the bull that is in this mission. I'll make sure to tell you how it is but I am just tired of a lot of stuff but only 4 more months. I can hold out.



So today for Pday I got thrown back to the days of Chuck E. Cheese. We made pizza ha ha. It was some awesome good food we made. We also made kettle corn and drank soda and watched Lion King as a zone.



So the thing is I am still in San Ramon and did not have changes which means I will be here till the 9th of Mayo unless I have emergency changes. But who knows.

Remember when I told you last week about the duck we killed and ate for dinner. Here are some pictures. Also, I always cut firewood too. I love cutting firewood with an ax and a machete. I have learned a ton here I really have.



Next I dunno if I told you last week but the chicharra that I was talking about peed in my eyes and my eyes have been red every since ha ha. Everyone asks me what happened and I bet you can guess what everyone assumes happens. Think about it. Blood shot eyes. If not ask Ginger she will know ha ha. But ya I got some red eyes right now.

Other thing, we almost got in some crazy accident today. If the accident had occurred me and my comp would have been badly injured. We would have got nailed on the street. But I know the accident didn't happen because we as missionaries are protected. It was literally insane.



Mother I want you to know that I love you and miss you a ton. I want you to know that I have a testimony and that I know that this is the true church and that this is His Kingdom. And that we are part of the truth. I know that Thomas S. Monson is a true prophet called of God. This is True. I know it and don't have a single doubt about it.

Well mama, I love you and miss you a ton. Imma bounce so keep it real. I love you very much.

Adios. I love you mommy.

Love, Elder Moore