Welcome to Ribeirão Preto!

Hey Mommy and Daddy,

I have made it to the field. The Mission President and his wife are super nice and they fed us the best food I've had in the last 6 weeks!

My companion is Sister Hernandez, I think she's Brazilian, hahah - haven't had the time to chat a whole lot. I don't know where I will be serving, maybe here in the city, they haven't told us, or I don't think they have.

My head is about to explode.... but that's okay. So far we have just been in the mission office all day. I got here by bus and flight. We drove 2 hours to the airport and then flew for an hour.

This morning and last night was super hard to say goodbye to Kenzie, but we made it. My P-days are Monday and that's when I'll send photos. I am safe and excited and scared and at peace with being here. It's strange - I haven't felt like I was in the wrong place; I know this is where I need to be.

I love you so much and I miss you.

Love, Sister Moss

 

Week Five - Last Letter from the CTM

Hey,

 

Things are going so much better this week. The first 2 days my Portuguese was great and I felt so good about the progress I have made, and then came Wednesday and I couldn't think of any words in Portuguese or in English. It was a very bad day. YES, Mommy, I got your hug and it came at the VERY BEST moment. I had just gotten out of teaching a lesson (the one where I couldn't speak any language) and I was so frustrated and upset and Sister Fuoco appeared and said she had something for me and she wanted to speak to me in English but couldn't (hahaha) and she just gave me a great big hug and said it was from you and I just started crying! Thank you so much Mommy... It was perfect timing!

This week has been good. We have no more lessons in the CTM and tmw is our last day with our instructors - which is sad because I love them. By the way one of my instructors sent a friend request on Facebook. His name is Gaberial Fatori... 

 

Today, there's not a whole lot to do. It's a São Paulo holiday, so most things are closed, which kinda stinks. I don't know how I am getting to Ribeirão Preto. We find out tmw. Sister Munson is going to RP with me - we are the only two in the CTM that I know of going there. 

 

Temple was great today. Also, today I did a little grocery shopping. I bought shampoo and conditioner because I was out, but that's really all I needed. 

 

I don't know if they will let us (Kenzie and I) have any time Monday, we will be in the auditorio all day listening to people talk, so I might be able to sit by her then, but I don't know.

We sent you a letter on Wednesday. It should take about 2 weeks to get there, so it will be out dated but that's okay. I love you and miss you so much. 

 

Sister Moss

 

 

Week Four - Same ol', Same ol' in the CTM

A lot of questions... 

 

P-day: No we don't have specific plans and yes we wander the streets for the day! 

 

The temple: So amazing and my favorite part in going is the peace and love I feel while I'm there. It's so great that we get to go weekly. 

 

Just normal stuff here - nothing to exciting to write about. Same schedule for all the days we've been here! It's crazy to think we only have just over one week to go, I'm am so excited to get out of the CTM but I'm scared for the language part of leaving. Good news is that I have had multiple people tell me this week that my Portuguese has improved so much in this last week and they said they were proud of me, which definitely helped me hearing that. One of the people was my instructor and the other was an elder in my district. We were having a district meeting and he shared how impressed he was at how much better I have been doing because he noticed that I was struggling in the beginning! 

 

I wish I could send you pictures. I have so many to show you! 

 

My least favorite thing in the CTM is the food; it is not terrible but it's not great. It's just kind of there to eat. 

 

I am sad that I will have to say goodbye to Kenzie soon, and everyone else is sad for us as well. This week was tough for me and my companion but I am doing all I can to love her.

 

If you go back to the picture you got the first week, then the elders in my district are, 1st from left, 2nd from left, 2nd from right and one isn't in the picture. He came later that day. The sisters are 3rd from left, 3rd from right (middle row) 3rd from right, 1st on the left (bottom row). I love them all so much we are like family and it will be hard to say good bye to them. We have been blessed with a great district!! 

 

Sister Moss's CTM District

I love this language and I love when I have those rare moments where I can carry on a full conversation, other times I just stare blankly at the person talking to me. haha

Anyway I love you tons a miss you all. Have a great week. Happy Easter.

 

I  love my Savior and all that he has done for me. I am so grateful for his sacrificar for me and that he went willingly to suffer for all of us and I know through the atonement that we can be forgiven and that we will one day return to our Father in Heaven! <3 

 

Sister Moss

Week Three - New Roommates

Hello,

This week have been very chill. Not a lot has changed except I had to move!!! Crazy right, I was in a room with 5 Americans and we got a group of about 35 Brazilians so they moved us around to where I now have Brazilians as roommates which is interesting. I can't talk a lot with them but I'm trying! This will be good for me.

Also this week we went proselyting and that was so scary - I don't know Portuguese! hahah I knew that but it just confirmed my thoughts. We had 7 Books of Mormon to hand out between our companionship and we did it! It was so cool to be able to be out on the streets with the people!

Today we didn't get to go to the temple because it's been raining and the bus that takes us couldn't come and get us, so we've been hanging out at the CTM all day. Kinda nice and kinda boring at the same time! hahah It's hard to be with my companion at times because she's just like <that old friend I told yu about last week> but I have patience and I'm getting through it.

Also conference was great. So different watching as a missionary. I couldn't watch in my PJs which was sad, but that's okay. I missed your cinnamon rolls though like crazy. I was in front of Kenzie for conference and that was cool to still have family there, I filled my notepad with conference notes. I think my favorite talk was Neil L Anderson! So great. Anyway, I love you and I miss you, hope the cruise is great and I'm jealous your holding a monkey!!

Love you lots. Be safe. I pray for you all every night!

Love,

Sister Moss

Week Two - A Picture!

Hey

This week was better. Still not sleeping well but I never did at home so it's all good. Yes, I got a blessing and it couldn't have been more perfect! People in my district - 4 elders and their names are Elder Mansfield, Elder Murdoch, Elder Moran, and Elder Bagely. They are awesome and super cool! The sisters are Sister Erickson, Sister Jabreak, Sister Renshaw, then me and my companion. I love them all so much!

Sister Munson (my companion) reminds me of <an old friend> and its kind of difficult but we do work pretty well together. I tried to get over the fact she reminds me of <that old friend> but more and more each day I can see <that friend> in her. But there is a reason she is my companion and I will make the best of it!

Tomorrow we are going proselyting, and that's so crazy cool, and terrifying. I can't wait for conference this week, it's going to be great! P-days we go to the temple come back and email, then we have until 5 to be on the streets walking and exploring!!

By the way, we are teaching about 5-ish lessons a week and on one of the harder ones we went in with a script to read and to teach but we didn't use any of it at all!! I had a whole conversation in Portuguese, which was super cool!

I have two instructors. They are amazing and super cool. I will send pics by Mother's Day! My favorite thing so far is probably my district. We get along so great and it's amazing to see how close we've grown in only 3 short weeks. I can't wait to hear about your cruise; you will have to send lots of pics!!

I Miss you all so much<3 and love you more!  So happy about Zac - sad we will miss it but that's okay!

love you<3

Sister Moss

Sister Moss and Sister Fuoco

At the Temple

A Week and a Half in the CTM - ALREADY!

Hello Everyone.

So this is my first full week and it's been all the emotions you can think of! Learning a new language is so fun, and cool, but definitely hard. I am making progress very slowly. I can say a simple prayer and testimony which is, I think, the most important. I don't get to see Kenzie too often but when I do, we hug!! HaHa

This morning I had a kinda cool experience in the temple. So all week I have been praying for help with the language and so when we got into the celestial room I was sitting there and I just felt peace and warmth I knew that my Savior was there and was letting me know that I'm not doing this alone. I just broke down crying. I felt like I was the only one in the room and He was, like, hugging me. I know through the Lord I can do all things.

We had a devotional on Tuesday by M. Russell Ballard. He said something that stood out to me and I want to share that with you all - he said that missionaries are for-ordained to go where they serve. The Lord will not send us somewhere where we can't strive and become the best person He knows we can become. I can't wait to finally get the language down. I am so grateful for this opportunity that my Savior has given me to be here and that He loves me so much that He is willing to put all His efforts on me, to make me become the person He knows I can be.

I know that my Savior lives, and that He is always watching over all His children. I know that He will answer your prayers and that He is excited to hear from you. I am so glad I have come to Brazil, and can't wait to see what is in store for me while I am here! I love you all so much! 

PS. Mommy will you please correct my many English mistakes<3 and I'm OUT of HI-CHEWS <Mom Note: The only mistakes I had to fix were capitalization errors - I'm not sure if the computers in the CTM have the "shift" button! Lol!>

Here is Sister Moss's letter to Mom 

(for a little more insight to her current situation)

Hi Mommy. Yes the girl third from the left (middle row) is my companion, we get along pretty good, still trying to get used to not having Kenzie by me all the time. We barely see each other. but that's okay, my schedule is crazy and always something to do. We wake up at 6:30 and don't stop until 10:30!

Yes today I went to the temple and it was awesome and so beautiful. My Portuguese is okay. I can say my testimony and a very simple prayer now, which is exciting. Most days I can understand some of what they say and others it's just a blur of words. I can read some too, but not a whole lot. The little Portuguese that I know is messing with my English. The hardest part is putting together sentences to say without reading word for word what I want to say. Other than that my district is so great. One of the elders (Elder Mansfield) just became our new zone leader and it's funny because we've only been here 2 weeks, and its been a very long but quick two weeks.

The food is okay - not much taste or flavor to them, so it makes me miss a home cooked meal from you. We aren't aloud to even take pictures until our P-day and it's a very small time gap that we can because we also can't take them out on the streets with us.

Anyway I love you so much and miss you all so much! 

Eu sei que, meu salvador vida, ele morrar por meu. Eu amor o evangelho, ê meu amor Jesus Cristo, En nome Jesus Cristo Amêm

Probably won't translate right because not the right marks with the letters.

Love you all.

We Made it!

Hi Mommy and Daddy, 

We made it finally, we are now settled (mostly) in our rooms. I am rooming with 4 other sisters so we are jammed packed! My companion is Sister Munson, she is from Utah and shes pretty cool. My P-day is Fridays but I wont be emailing until next Friday:( Also we are not allowed to send photos in the CTM, so you´ll have to wait until Mothers Day. So far its going good, it's nice outside, yes humid but so far not too bad. ( I am sitting next to Kenzie while writing to you)

I love you so much and I miss you ton! 

Love, Sister Moss 

PS: they think its so cool to have twins here at the same time!

 

Elders and Sisters who entered the CTM with me

A Welcome letter from the CTM President:

Dear Parents,

Sister Grahl and I are very happy to let you know that your missionary has arrived safely at the Brazil Missionary Training Center.  What a great joy and privilege it is to greet each missionary as they begin their missionary experiences with us! We will surely take good care of your missionary.   

                                                                                                  

The missionaries now have companions and are settled into their rooms.  They are assigned to a district with capable and caring instructors for language and lesson study.  Their branch presidents and wives will meet them this Sunday.  These wonderful couples are richly blessed as they work with, motivate, and interview the missionaries assigned to their branch.

The MTC has a physician to care for their health needs. We are also happy to report that the MTC food is plentiful, healthy and very good.

 

Your missionary will be able to e-mail home on Preparation Day after a morning at the Temple.  This will be either Wednesday or Friday, depending on individual assignments.

Your missionary is about to make an eternal difference in the lives of many others. President Lorenzo Snow said: “There is no mortal man that is as interested in the success of an elder when he is preaching the Gospel as is the Lord who sent him to preach to the people who are the Lord's children".  We love these missionaries as if they were our own.  We will watch over them carefully to ensure they are ready for a wonderful missionary experience after the rewarding time they will have in the MTC.

We thank you for preparing such a wonderful representative of the Lord.

Pres. Paulo R. Grahl and Sister Zuleika M. Grahl

ADDITIONAL INFORMATION:  

PlEASE DO not send packages to the Brazil Missionary Training Center. All packages must be sent directly to the mission where your missionary will be serving, not the MTC. If you have already mailed a package to the Brazil MTC, please understand that the package cannot be forwarded to his or her mission and will be returned to you.

WE Strongly eNCOURAGE sENDING HAND WRITTEN LETTERS. Please write your missionary´s first and last name. Your missionary will provide you with his district and box number. Also, please DO NOT SEND ANYTHING BY FEDEX, DHL, UPS, or other private carriers.  The cost to process this type of correspondence is exorbitant.