August 21, 2013

Pais queridas,

 

Holy cow that's a lot of emails from just you!  I had to skim a lot because I'm pretty much out of time but it's still so great to hear everyone's doing well and about Myles' baptism!!  It seriously strengthens me so much and makes me that much more eager to go out and change lives!! 

 

We went to Campinas again today and it was finally nice outside.  Still haven't seen the new video and I REALLY want to!  I don't know if you could tell, but last Wednesday was the start of a cold, sick week for our district.  I'm just happy to see the sun and I'm happy the virus our new missionaries from Provo brought with them is almost gone from everyone.  I was in my room with a fever for one day but really it just was amazing to see how much everyone took care of me.  Everyone was making sure I was covered with medicine, tissues, VICS everything.  Sister Degn brought blankets to our room which was really sweet.  She is so cool.  One of our Brasilian roommates Sister DeOliveira let me borrow two of her sweaters and she is just so cute and nice.  They left this week.  The other one Sister Gomes actually hid from her companion one day and decided she wants to go home which was so sad for her and she made Sister de Oliveira feel like it was her fault... that definitely isn't what most Brasilians are like though.  They are so friendly and loving.  One thing I can definitely understand especially when talking to old people are words like "pequenha" and "bebe" and "muito joven!" and "quanto anos voce tem??" yeah pretty much the usual..

 

A few funny things about Brasilians.  Our main cultural difference I've found is that Halls to us means cough drops and its candy to them.  Like its packaged as candy and has the same ingredients.  According to Irmao Ramalho the ones that are like 100 percent menthol are the best kind.  It's so funny how obsessed people are with them!  Brasilians kept asking for them when everyone was sick.  It's their candy haha.

 

Cheddar cheese does not mean the same thing here as in America.  We got Hamburgers last P Day and first of all, you can't have it with everything, its either cheese OR mayo OR bacon OR lettuce etc.. so I got cheddar cheese which is some kind of bright orange paste.  Super fun times.

 

I can't believe I haven't said anything about music!  Our district happens to be a mini MoTab choir.  Elder Wood and Sister Sperry were in All State Choir with me and I didn't know!!  It's small enough here to really have lots of chances to sing.  Sister Steadman is a music major so we have many musical numbers at our devotionals.  Sister Sperry, Sister Christoffersen (she wrote off her boyfriend) and I sang "I Come To Him" last night.  Everyone has to sing in the choir.  We always practice right before we sing.  It's kind of funny how the Hispanics can't sing.. Brasilians are always making fun of the Hispanics.  Like every time we hear people being really loud its like "It's those Hispanics again..." and it's okay to say that here haha.

 

We sang "Because I Have Been Given Much" with this added verse:

 

"Because of Thy life's mission, Lord, I too will serve.  I'll leave the comfort of my home and teach Thy word.

I'll seek Thy sheep who've gone astray and those who've never known the way.

I will make Thy work my work today"

 

I am still amazed at how much I've been learning here.  I don't know how people become converted without serving missions!!  I have learned more about my Savior and have felt closer to Him here than I have in my whole life.  He was the perfect missionary, and He knows the way.

 

 

Seus Pequena Menina Moca,

 

Sister Moore

Campinas Brazil Temple, August 14, 2013

Dear Family, 

This week the temple in São Paulo was closed for cleaning, and we have had the opportunity to have the missionaries visit the beautiful Campinas temple.  It is a little further away than our temple in São Paulo.  It is a smaller temple set high on a hill, which is seen from a distance as we enter into the Campinas area.  The missionaries have really enjoyed the visit.  We thought you would like this photo.

 We have an amazing group of missionaries here in the CTM at this time.  It is such a blessing for us to be able to serve with them. Thank you for your continued support with emails and letters.  They are much appreciated. 

Sincerely,

Sister Degn

August 14, 2013

Ola!

 

Today we got to go to the Campinas Temple which is BEAUTIFUL!!  I feel like we really got to see a lot of Brasil finally, like the jungle mountains and the favelas and everything.  There is an incredible view from the back of the temple.  I wish I could take more pictures but we are only allowed to have our cameras inside the CTM on P-day. 

 

I wrote Myles a letter that he probably won't get on time but I am sooo happy for him.  He is making the best decision of his life and I know for a fact that the atonement is real and with faith in Christ we can heal all pain, worries, anxieties and fears.  The Lord blesses you with such a love for people when you are called as a missionary.  It is only a fraction of the love God has for His children.  Trust in His plan, He really knows what He is doing. 

 

Writing is so stressful because of the time limit and the line of people waiting plus I forgot my paper with everything I wrote down that I was going to include in my letter.  Guarana Zero is in fact a thing and I drink it every day in the Refeitorio.  The food lately has actually been really good.  We have new Brasilhera roommates, one of them speaks English and they are so cute.  Everyone here is learning Portugues, there are just A LOT of South American Hispanics because they can actually get their visas.  My roommate Sister De Oliveira told me they eat sheep stomachs in Joao Pessoa, but only on really special occasions :) 

 

Eu emo estando no CTM! Este messagem esta por meu Pai.  Oi!  Eu posso ensinar em Portugeus.  No sei como falar para conversacao(?) mas o meio de ensinar aqui e marvilhosa.  Eu entendi muitas frases de evangelho.  Portugues e o melhor idioma no MUNDO!!  Eu amo voce, ei estarei sempre sua pequina menina!  

 

I feel the friends I've made here will be with me my whole life.  That first Elder we met, Elder Wood, totally gets me and we both watched sharknado as our last movie and we play the same video games.  Sister Christoffersen is so cute, she went to Missouri State and was ENGAGED before her mission.  I wish i had time to tell you more about everyone in the district but I really love everyone and I feel like I have a family here.  There's even a senior missionary who loves giving "mom hugs" in my branch, so don't worry about me getting enough love here.

 

Brasil e um lugar muito bonita!  Eu sei que eu vou amor as pessoas de Joao pessoa. 

 

I love you all soooo much!

 

Ciao ciao!! 

 

Sister Moore

 

August 7, 2013

Meu quieras paies!!

The picture you got is of my district and the CTM President, President Degn and his wife.  Sister Jones (from Blanding Utah, my companion, is the native american sister, and I room with Sister Christofferson (the blonde one, she is switching from vocal performance as well! from Arkansas) and Sister Willette (from Pennsylvania, curly brown hair).  We are all going to Joao Pessoa along with Elder Sprouse, the shorter blonde Elder.  I love my district so much!!  We have so much fun and we have a really funny Brasilian instructor named Irmao Allan.  I can tell he loves us very much.  Not everything is in Portuguese.  I actually attended the temple today and it was in Spanish because we went with two Spanish districts. The video was the same but that's so crazy there's a new one.  The temple in Sao Paulo is BEAUTIFUL!! You do learn VERY fast here.  On the first full day, we had to teach an "investigator" in Portuguese.  On week 3 we actually proselyte in the streets!! 

The spirit here is amazing.  The spirit allows you to learn so much so quickly.  Each day I'm not sure if I can accomplish all that is expected but then it just happens.  We are always told the MTC's are the second most holy place on earth next to the temple.  It really feels different.  They also emphasize obedience and the fact that you only need to have one convert, YOURSELF.  We watched that amazing devotional by Elder Holland from 2010 last night and I realized that even though I'm a Sister, I am called to represent the church and live up to everything that implies 100% of the time.  God is helping us SO much every step of the way!

I can't tell you much about Brasil considering we are just in one building all the time and it's a pretty American building.  They feed us A LOT of meat and there's no choices of what to eat so you just take whatever mystery food they have.  The desserts are always some kind of pudding or mousse and the texture is ALWAYS a suprise.  It really is unbelievable that I can sit down and talk to Brasilians when I eat with them.  But what's even cooler is that the time when it's easiest to find the Portugese words I want is always when I'm teaching and can feel the spirit.  It is still REALLY hard though and some people in my district get discouraged. Spanish really helps a lot with grammar.  I'm not picking it up the fastest, but not the slowest, and they tell you a lot to NEVER compare yourself to anyone else.

Anyway, I'm loving it here!  This week went fast! 

I love you guys so much.  Is Molly dead yet? :'(  Our branch president told us by Christmas we will have a hard time speaking English on the phone.  Your prayers really must be helping me a lot because all I have felt here is love from my Savior and I haven't even come close to a breakdown.  Can't wait for your next letter!  Next week I will write a paragraph in Portugese for Dad to translate :)

COM MUITO MUITO AMOR

Sister Moore

Sao Paulo Brazil Temple