What the Heck kind of Butterfly is that?

Hello everyone!

First things first, Im getting your DearElders within a week or 2, so that is probably the best way to communicate with me.  We only have an hour per day to read all our emails (which we get 3 from the mission), write to the mission president, and write home, so DearElders seem to be best.  Ive gotten a few from you mom and dad and I got one from Katie so far too.  Ill be able to respond via email within a week or 2, depending on when the mail comes.

The other Elders were telling me about this package service that the Post Office does now, I wish I had known about it and been able to tell you before you mailed me the stuff.  Its this box you get, and you stuff as much as you can into it and send it for a flat rate, regardless of what or how much is in it.  Just pack it full and youll pay the same rate every time.  Check that out for next time.  And I only get packages every 6 weeks, so it wont be until next change that you can get pictures when I have my cord.  Send food if youre going to send anything hahah.

Another week down.  Whew.  Its been really difficult this week.  Besides being physically exhausted and all the walking we do, this past week was pretty rough on me.  I started getting really homesick Monday or Tuesday.  Its hard, I really miss you guys.  Im really trying, its just difficult and time passes so slow here for me.  I know that the more I get lost in the work and focus on the people and what Im doing, time will go much faster and Ill be happier, but its hard when you dont understand what the work is saying!  Im workin on the Spanish, and I know it will get better with time, its just hard to know what to do until then, yenno?  It will get better eventually, no need to worry.

Hello Paraguay!

Whoa, these Spanish keyboards are weird...

I made it!  First thing's first, I'll tell you about when I got here.  We arrived with President and Sister Callan waiting for us.  They are super nice, we love them.  We loaded our luggage and took a picture with all of us and the Callans outside the airport and then went to the mission home.  (Driving here pretty much means you have a death wish, by the way).  When we got there at about 7:30 or so, everyone introduced themselves and then they had food waiting for us - a chicken with a sauce (called milanaze) and mashed potatoes.  Pretty darn good, I must say.  Then we got to watch a baptism which was sweet.  Then back to the main room for some presentations and information.  We slept in a hotel that night, and then came back to the mission home for one more presentation.  My package in the brown box was waiting for me, thank you so much!  It's saved me.  Then we met our trainers!  My companion is Elder Ganga, I'll tell about him later.  Then we found out where we were going, got to email you, and took the 7 hour bus ride here.

We are in a place called Ciudad de Este, or East City.  You should look it up on GoogleEarth or find it on a map of Paraguay sometime.  It´s pretty neat.  A weird place though, huuuuge open fields.  It´s like if a field had a field, we would aspire to be that.  Serious open country, not a jungle like I thought it would be.  The houses are like Belize style, all run down (according to American standards).  This place is gigantic.  There are small clusters of 3/4 houses, and then at least 100 yards between houses.  It's ridiculous.  Everything here is dirt too, no paved roads except the main road back to Asuncion and 3/4 rock-paved roads.  It rains here (what the heck?) so when it does, your shoes sink halfway down in the mud.  I've accepted that NOTHING will stay clean here hahah.  I also think I've found out where flies come from.  Any time you see a fly, know that it's got a family of 50 here in Paraguay lol.

My last MTC email

Well, its my last week in the MTC!  Time has just blazed by.

I got my debit card, thank you so much!  The Hermanas said that my old card should still work until it expires.  I'll try them both and see what happens.  Thanks again.  I didn't get the Halloween package yet, so I don't know if I'll get it before I leave?  I hope so.  I also loved the pictures from last week!  I'm so glad I got them, send me pictures any time.  I was starting to forget what you guys looked like!  Haha kidding.

I got my travel plans last friday!  We're flying Delta, bleh.  They charge $50 for a second bag regardless of weight, its like $150 bucks for overweight luggage, and I only get one carry-on I beleive.  Not cool, Delta.  Not cool.  Anyway, here it is!

Salt Lake -> Atlanta:  8:30am - 2:13pm

Atlanta -> Buenos Aires, Argentina:  6:40pm - 7:50am

Buenos Aires -> Asuncion:  9:40am - 10:20am

Yes we have a 4 hour layover in Atlanta and yes that's a 13 hour flight haha.  Though I'm not sure if they take into account the time differences?  Because Asuncion is like 3 or 4 hours ahead of Provo, so it may only be 10 hours.  No idea.  But yeah, so we leave the MTC at 5:00am so if we have time after we check in and everything before our first flight I'll definitely call you.  And expect a call for sure anywhere between 2:30 and 6:00 or so, sorry I can't be more specific.  I'm excited to get to talk to you though!!  Also, I'm the travel leader for the 9 of us going to Paraguay.  Apparently somebody is foolish enough to trust me with getting 9 people to Paraguay in one piece lol.  Its not really any extra responsibility per se, I just make sure everybody is here and accounted for and have all the numbers to call and information for what to do should anything go wrong.  Pretty cool I guess.

2 more weeks!

Oh man, I just looked at all your pictures you sent me.  I miss you guys so much!  Man oh man, it was good to see you guys.  I'm so glad you had fun in Colorado.  Good job with that tri-pod pop!  How come you guys went to Colorado anyway?  Just a little get-away?  I'm glad you enjoyed it.  Beckenridge sounds beautiful, we'll be sure to make a trip when I get home.  I miss you guys so much, I love you.

Thanks for Dr. Stacey's address!  I'll be sure to write them sometime.  Thanks for renewing my debit card too (it's good to be me, isn't it Dad?) lol.  By the way Nana, "lol" just means like I'm laughing or I thought something was funny.  I'll see about getting my driving record.  We don't have internet access except for email and lds.org to look up talks and things, but I know they make exceptions for specific things.  I'll see what I can do.

We get our travel plans today!!  When we get the mail after dinner, we'll have all our flight itineraries and stuff.  I am so excited, you have no idea.  I'll be sure to write you an extra letter so you can know what's going on and tell whoever wants to know lol.  It won't be an email though, just a letter so you'll get it in a few days.

Week 6 ...already?

Holy cow, I can't believe that as of this coming Monday, I have 2 weeks and then I'm off to Paraguay!  That is so crazy.  I'm really excited to go!  I can't wait to get there.

It was pretty funny, last week we had chicken nuggets for lunch.  I about had a heart attack when I saw the menu before I walked in, and about had another one after I was done eating.  I ate 6 plates of those bad boys, probably about 45 chicken nuggets.  Some things never change I guess.  I gained 3 pounds that day haha, but I burned it all off at gym.

I think I need you to send me a few things.  I'm pretty sure I'll need my driving record?  I don't know.  If I do have a car there (which I will should I have certain assignments) I'll need my license and driving record.  How do I go about renewing my driver's licence if I'm...out of the country?  Haha.  Same thing with my debit card?  Could you also send me Dr. Stacey's address por favor so I can write to them and send them a picture or something?  Thanks a bunch, you guys help me out beyond belief.

I wish I could play fantasy football with you guys this season.  I'll show you how it's done when I get home!  Oh, and GO UNR!!

Tell Bryce I said congrats on the appointment to start his papers!!  I don't have time today, but I will make it a point to write him before I leave the MTC.

Week 5 at the MTC

Hey all!

Thanks for always sending the letters and Dear Elders, I love them.  Keep them coming when you have time!  Thanks for sending my pouch service address also!

Hey Pop - could you send me the addresses of President Teshima and Bishop Leavitt so I can write them please?  Thanks a bunch man.  I had President Teshima's address in my scripture case, but I misplaced it and can't find it now.  You also sent me a Dear Elder yesterday, but you put it in Hermana Denker's name hahah.  She opened it and was like "uhh...Elder Moore?  I think this is for you haha" it was funny.  She is doing better, getting some letters now I think.  She appreciates your sending her letters.

Conference was great!  I really loved it.  We all just went into the gym and they put it on the huge projectors and tvs.  It would have been cool to shuttle down to SLC to see it, but that's an extra 2,104 seats that  I don't think the conference center can hold haha.  My favorites were by Elder Scott who talked about personal revelation and Elder Holland who talked about the Book of Mormon.  He is such a stud, Elder Holland.  We all love him here.  President Uchtdorf also gave excellent talks, I really love hearing him too.  Did you finish all the sessions?  If not and they're not recorded, all the sessions can be watched on lds.org if you just search the conference talks.  They're great, anyone who hasn't seen them should really watch.

Week 4 at the MTC

Wow, time flies here.  I think I say that every week lol.

It has been a buuuuuusy week.  We go to the TRC each week (the thing where members pose as investigators for us), and usually we do 15 minutes of some scenario in Spanish (this week it was helping somebody move, last week it was doing door to door contacts, etc) and then we teach in English for 35 minutes.  Well next Tuesday starts it ALL in Spanish!  I'm about to explode haha.  Keep working on that Spanish, Dad!

This week we've upped our Spanish-only speaking to all breakfasts and lunches, all meals on Mondays Wednesdays and Saturdays, and this Friday we're speaking ALL SPANISH ALL DAY.  Holy moly, I'm gonna go crazy haha.  We're actually pretty good for only being here 4 weeks.  It's not like nobody talks or anything, it's neat.  But this week is so so much, we're working really hard lol.  I enjoy the challenge.

Good news though (if it's true).  When I leave for Paraguay, I get to call home when I'm at the airport!  How awesome is that?!  I'll make sure to let you know of my flight plans and when I'll be at the airport so you make sure you're not busy.  Even if you're not home, I know your cell numbers still so I'll call your cell phones.  Cool, huh?!

I wrote some goals down for my mission and after my mission this week.  Just some of the things I want to do while I'm here and for when I get home.  Hopefully writing them down will give me some direction in getting them done!

This week I was released as District Leader.  I kinda yelled at one of the Elders in my district, and they said that wasn't how a DL should act.  Ok that's a lie, I'm totally kidding hahah.  We're just on a 3 week rotation, so every district switches DLs after 3 weeks.  Kinda a bummer, but it's nice to be able to have study time instead of going to meetings.