Monday, October 16, 2017

Week 12 - Oct 16, 2017 - Pereira Week 6

Q&A

Q: How is the work going?
A: It's going good we are working hard and seeing fruits of our labor.

Q: New words that you have learned this week?
A: Despacito = Slower haha!!!, Olvidar = Forget, Fin = End, tratar = try, Corazon = heart, Arbol = tree, Deseo = desire

Q: Favorite scripture study that you have had?
A: Ether 12, 6, and 7

Q: How our your investigators?
A: They are doing good they are progressing and come to church on Sunday! We had 16 investigators at church, 5 different families!

Q: Favorite food that you ate this week?
A: Arepas con Huevo (Arepa with Egg)

Q: Did you get transferred or did you get a new companion?
A: I am staying and I got a new companion E. Olson from Ogden, Utah

WEEKLY RECAP

So first off we had transfers today and I am staying here in Pereira. I got a new companion E. Olson he is from Ogden, Utah, but he is a recent convert, he is super cool.

So another cool thing that happened this week is that I found this American store that has all kind of American food so that I can cook something besides rice.

We have been doing a lot of running in order to make it to all of our appointments and FHEs. Sometimes its due to bad planning on our part and we end up climbing up the same hill three times a day. So hopefully we can plan out FHE and appointments better so we are more productive. From all the running I hurt me knee earlier in the week, but it is feeling good now. Other then that everything is going good. I love you guys so much and can't wait for the package next week. I am going to have to go get my pants tailored so that they are smaller, they keep falling down even with a belt. We had some really good lessons this week and had a very productive week. My companion left his clothes in the washer and ended up flooding the whole apartment, so we got to clean the water up. Had an awesome birthday parties with members and our district. We taught this awesome family who really love what we are teaching, however they don't believe they will be able to keep the baptismal covenants and so they don't want to be baptized yet. We had to stop teaching a few families because they were not doing the things we asked, they love having us over but they are not reading or praying so we had to move forward because we are really busy.

So here is a really funny story sort of, we went to lunch today with this family and this lady loves American missionaries so she asked what we wanted to eat so I asked for pasta, it was good. She also made us some juice and she was like I think it needs more sugar. Then she sat the pitcher down and left the room, she was gone for a long time, so I went and decided to help out, I opened up the jar that said azucar (sugar) and started shoveling a few spoon fulls into the pitcher and my cup of juice. After I started to drink it I realized it was salt and not sugar, it tasted so bad, I ruined the juice.

So we always try to take roads that we know cops are on so we are more safe. Although I don't know why because the cops here don't really do anything. Everyone calls them Avocados, I thought it was just a missionary slang word for them but its a Colombian slang word for them because everyone says it. I think because they have green uniforms and just sit all day doing nothing. Anyway we walk along this rode and everybody comes out in their Colombian soccer shirts, there was a game tonight Colombia versus Peru. My companion is from Peru, so we had to be a little careful. Anyways there was a stabbing on this road, so I guess its not as safe as we thought.

So at district meeting I was talking to E. Dawson and he is ready to go home, he leaves this transfer. Anyway he is from Arizona also and we were talking about him going home and what he is going to do. He said the first thing he is going to do is go eat some Barro's pizza, I am so envious of him. He is so trunky though and is super excited to go home and see his family.

We taught this one Hermana, she is awesome and feeds us really well. We taught her some really good lessons and she likes it a lot and she felt the spirit. We went and did some service at Hermana Olga's house. She is a super nice lady and I love teaching her. We had another lesson with Gina, and her mom is awesome, she is not a member but she helps me out a ton teaching the lesson. She is the best. We had a really good week this week and taught had some really awesome lessons and Family Home Evenings (FHE). It was good to see the Lord's hand in the work.

Love and miss all of you!

Elder Moore

My new companion E. Olson

E. Olson and my filters on my camera

E. Olson isn't he dreamy?

Beautiful picture of the Savior

E. Dawson made it home to Beautiful Glorious Barro's Pizza!!!!

Monday, October 9, 2017

Week 11 - Pereira Week 5 - Happy Birthday to Me!!!!

First off, I want to say thanks and give a shoutout to all of you who sent me birthday wishes, I love you all!

Well of course since it's my birthday today the computers here at the internet cafe are not working that good. I will try to send you pictures but it's not working very well and having issues.

So since my audios didn't upload I will have to just give you a quick recap.

The work is going good, we have a lot of investigators that are progressing and coming to church, we are working really hard and I come home exhausted every day! I had some good scripture study and I was able to remember them and use them in the lessons we taught. One that was really good was in Ether, it was on point for the lesson. My knees are hurting but they still work, so I guess we will continue to climb these hills. We didn't go to the waterfall, but we went to a zone gathering instead and it was great, there were like 20 missionaries playing, like both Elders and Sisters. We didn't have time to go out to the restaurant, Gauchos, but instead found this place nearby that had some good chicken. I still haven't received the package, hopefully I will by transfers next week. We got to do some service this week, it was good, I'm loving it here, except for the rice. I only have one more thing of peanut butter so I am going to use it sparingly and make it last until you can send some more. The language is coming along and I am getting better at speaking, I think they can actually understand my Gringo accent!

Love you all and miss you!

Elder Justin Moore

Pday/Bday Gathering, E. Dawson about to go home

Pday/Bday Gathering

Our Zone

They celebrate Mormon Missionaries here, except we don't have bikes

Cool sign to Pereira, The Capital of Eje

Monday, October 2, 2017

Week 10 - Pereira Week 4 - General Conference Week

Q&A

Q: What do you have planned for today?
A: We are going to visit my companions last area and "His" family's house

Q: How is the language going?
A: I'm still learning poquito por poquito.

Q: How is the mission going?
A: It is super fun, I am very happy! There is never a break, we work super hard and the Lord has blessed us.

Q: New words that you have learned this week?
A: Cascada = Waterfall; Caer - Fall; Finca = Farm; Ayer = Yesterday; Enojar = Angry; Conducir = To drive; Bacon = Tocino; Bacon = Tocino; Bacon = Tocino; haha!!!

Q: Favorite scripture study that you have had?
A: If you love me keep my commandments.

Q: How our your investigators?
A: Great they all came to church on Sunday!

Q: Are you eating well?
A: The rice is destroying me, I am so done with rice, rice and more rice. Thanks for the Domino's pizza, that made my day! I have made macaroni and cheese 4 times this week!

Q: Did you buy a new backpack?
A: Not yet, my companion came in clutch this week and sewed mine back up, so I'm still using it.

Q: Did you get our package yet?
A: Not yet, I probably won't get it till the 20th of October

Q: What was that picture that you sent us with your hand, we couldn't tell?
A: Toilet paper roll, I had a little issue because I ran out of toilet paper! hahaha.

Q: What do you have planned for your birthday next week?
A: My companion said we can do whatever I want, so we are going to go to the waterfall, then we are going to go to Gauchos (The restaurant that dad recommend).

WEEKLY RECAP

So first off General Conference was awesome, I think its the first one I haven't fallen sleep! I even took a bunch of notes, you all would be proud. We were able to watch it in a separate room in English so that was nice! It was sad to hear that E. Hales passed away 🙇 My favorite talk was by President Henry B. Eyring, it really talked to me. I liked Pres Uchtdorf's quote "Swimming upstream when needed" meaning sometimes you need to go upstream against the current, because if you go with the flow downstream you could end up going off like a huge waterfall. We heard all about the storms in Texas and Florida, and how people are serving there. I liked the talk by Russel M. Nelson and talking to the tribe guy and how his translator was prepared with a Book of Mormon to give him. That is super important, that we are always prepared to share the gospel especially having a Book of Mormon to give someone because we never will know when the Lord will put someone in our path. One tender mercy I noticed was the great breakfast I had for conference morning on Sunday. I bought some muffins and milk and they tasted just like the Magdalenas at Yaya and Yayo's house (Grandparents from Spain, that I really miss seeing), while eating the muffins I felt like I was in heaven!

Another tender mercy happened after conference when we went to visit a family to have Family Home Evening. I love visiting this family, it reminds me of visiting Grandma and Grandpa's (US Grandparents) house (I really miss them!!!!). Anyways they are like the same age as Grandma and Grandpa, and she feeds us really good like grandma, and she tries to make me happy by giving me really good food, she just knows what I like. Her husband reminds me of Grandpa with all of his stories he tells and his jokes he tells. It almost feels like being at Grandma and Grandpas house. They are recent members, only like a month, but I love going there!

So, I was talking to E. Cottam, he said Pereira is the best part of the mission, that it has the best missionary apartments. He told me to enjoy it, because on the coast it is hot and the members feed you twice as much rice. Please pray for me that I don't get sent to the coast! Quick funny story; E. Cottam bought a machete when he was on the coast, so today as we went walking in the jungle we found these purple bananas so we cut them off to take home. As we were walking I had the machete and he started throwing the bananas up in the air and I started playing fruit ninja except it was live and not a game on my phone. It was awesome, the bananas when split open were like white sparkly crystals.

All of our investigators are doing awesome, we are working super hard and the Lord has blessed us. It is nice to see the Lord's hand in the work, as long as we are doing our part he will do his! We still have our ups and downs, but it is awesome to be teaching the people here in Pereira!

It was a great week,

Love you all,

Elder Moore