One Week Left In The MTC

This past week raced by. The group just older than us left and we were "in charge" all week. It was weird cause we had been with them all four weeks and now they are just gone. I missed them quite a bit and i know understand why some people say that all the good byes in their missions is the hardest part. Woolner, Duzzet, Stanley, Cooper and Ayer are great missionaries and will be great. Duzzet went to the U and is a sick guy. He was even by me at the USU Utah game and i didn't even know.

Our last p'day here was interesting. The best one no doubt though. We finally got the early session and so we had so much time after. the other group is still finishing eating and we have everything we need to do done. I wish we had this time the other ones.

Soccer is definitely the best part of our days. I have been bringing out my inner Spiff and playing Goalie. I have been doing pretty good. Not great but its my best position out there. I have gotten some goals other times though too. One was from like 20 yards out to the left of the goal, bent into the top corner, i don't even know what i did to do it but even the latinos thought it was sick.

Our last week is going to be tough but i'm excited. I'm really nervous but this past week the Spanish has been coming really well. I had to teach the entire Word of Wisdom talk last night. I did well and think i was able to make the right comments. I know i have a bunch to improve but i'm not scared of teaching anymore and that is a huge improvement.

Our district is doing super well, everyone gets along. We have had to do a few blessings for the sisters in the past few weeks but everything seems to be great now. I gave one this morning and luckily we just need to do it in English.

Ill send some pictures if i have time. Oh and rumor has it that in July the rules change were you can email anyone and you will get 2 hours. I'm hoping this is true. I figured it would be coming soon.

Elder Moore

MTC Week Four

This past week has been pretty good. We had the trio with Johnson start and it ended on Monday Another elder went home and so they moved him to that district. I'm gonna miss him cause he was really cool and he knew a lot about St. G. and snow canyon actually. He played baseball and loved our field and Secrist.
This week was the week that the elders who were here when we came went to the field. They left this morning and it is really weird that now we are the "old" ones. but either way. I guess its a good sign cause we are closer to the field now. But we took pictures with them last night and got their contact info. I'm definitely going to try and keep in touch with them. they are great guys.
We changed the lesson format a bit this week. Instead of teaching with Costello I'm teaching the investigators with elder grey (Aussie). Its really helpful for all 4 of us. Me and Grey are able to talk more and not feel like we are ruining the conversation. Costello and Erickson are able to have the investigator speak full speed Spanish and learn from that.
Overall, this week raced by. Its definitely been the fastest week and this group of latinos just seemed like they got here but now they are gone.1st group had like 70 latinos. 2nd group was 100 latinos and this next group is going to have 130 latinos. Its going to be crazy. we also get 12 more north americans. I don't know how we will all fit in here. The food lines are way longer now. I cant imagine what they will be next week.
Not too many great stories for this week but i was glad to have gotten some letters this week. Everyone was jealous cause i had like 6 together and most people got like 2 or 3 but i was pumped. One elder did get 8 though so i was not the champion of them all.
I put on the pictures with the 4 elders leaving and me and a picture of a bunch of the gringos on my floor. I'm glad that we all get along well.
I hope everyone is doing well and that you all keep me updated. Sorry i couldn't write more but i really don't get much time here and they pack your schedule anyway. We are off to the temple right now.

Elder Moore

ps all letters sent from now on should go to my mission address cause they wouldn't get here in time. thanks

MTC Week 3

Yesterday President Cardon gave us some interesting news. We were getting a new missionary in our district. In fact he is in our room and makes it a threesome with Costello and I. His name is Elder Johnson. He is from Salt Lake. He was here in November but had to leave cause of shoulder surgery. He is going to Guayaquil North also and is now on the same time table as us. He seems cool and got here at 2 in the morning.

I got my Llama tie last week and today got a llama hat for when i get back. They both have llamas sowed into them and also they are made out of llama. I might buy a few and mail them back home but i think that might be too expensive. They are about 6 bucks each though. There are also llama ties that have the different temples on them but they are always out of the Guayaquil temple. I'm hoping to find it before i leave.
The language is getting better. The new group was saying that they thought they new Spanish until me and Elder Costello taught a lesson with two of them and they then realized how much they don't know. That was a good confidence boost.
The spanish is affecting my english though. I cant spell half the time and am continually correcting it in this email. Its ok though cause for now the spanish is what i need.
The new group of latinos are all from Ecuador, Argentina, Chile and Peru. They speak so fast! I wish i was spiff cause i could understand the honduran elder last group but i cant understand the chilean or ecuadorian elders. Super fast and super mixed together words. One of our roommate is Chilean and the other is from Guayaquil North. Its funny cause the ecuadorian is way more outgoing and i cant understand him at all.
The DSD here is right next to the temple and is super cheap. the garments are 1.8 soles. 1 us dollar is 2.6 soles right now. Super cheap and the books are about the same price.
I bought a Peru Soccer Jersey the other day. Its sick and i feel like i play better when i wear it. Its white with a red diagonal stripe. It was 20 soles. Such a steal! Im definitely getting one or two in Ecuador cause their jerseys are way cool and apparently just as cheap.
Overall, everything seems to be good. They changed food companies and that is good cause the food is better but not as much. There is still plenty but not fat american amount.
Ill try and throw a few more pictures on here for you. I cant remember what i put on last time so hopefully these ones are different. who knows if i remembered which or not.
Today everyone was glad cause Elder Johnson was able to tell us the news in sports. Make sure to keep me updated on that junk. How are the Jazz doing and what not? mail me a copy of the NCAA tourney bracket too. I might just try to fill it out.
Well ill keep you updated. Adios!
Elder Moore

Elder Moore and his companion Elder Costello

The Elders

Mason and some of the Elders.

Lima Peru Temple

Elder Moore at the Lima Peru Temple

New address:Mason has 3 weeks left in the Peru MTC.
Since it takes about 3 weeks for mail to reach him, please send letters to Ecuador from now on.
Elder Mason C. Moore
Ecuador Guayaquil North Mission
Casilla de Correo 16160
Guayaquil  Ecuador

MTC Week 2

With this second week, it was a lot tougher. I felt lost in class. Everyone seemed to be progressing a lot faster. My companion refuses to admit that he is pretty much fluent. He translates for our class half the time. We went proselyting and I felt like I didn't understand a word anyone was saying. It has been killer. I was really discouraged.

But things are getting better last night was the last night with these Latinos  They were up all night but at about 10, we sang in the stairwell some hymns. All the norteamericanos on one part, the Latinos above us. We sang in English  they sang in Spanish. It was really cool.  I also had a laughing fit at the end of class last night and I needed it. I was super stressed out and it helped me to distress.

Last p-day was actually really stressful. I couldn't go get my llama tie. Hopefully I can get it today. 

The Lima temple is cool. Way different than St. George. Also as the we were waiting for the session, the lights went out for about 15-20 seconds. Then in the session the lights flickered the whole way. Also I was surprised cause pretty much all the other elders were struggling in there. They didn't seem like they had gone through before for a couple. Also the entire session is in one room. Except the celestial room. weird but cool.The temple session was in Spanish but we had headphones. We even got to go through the end in English cause the male worker knew it. It was cool to hear though.

We are all super excited about the new missions. I am wondering about Jared and Brad and Ty on if their missions will change too. I doubt spiffs will but it might.

Overall this week has been a roller coaster though. Really tough but at times really good. I'm going to keep trying cause with the lord i can do it. Either way today is p-day and i know i will get a good chance to relax today. I'm excited for it. I need it.

Week 1 MTC

They told us to have you not send us packages while in the CCM because it takes most of P-day to deal with and is expensive.

The first week has been good. They are super long days. We all try not to fall asleep and pay attention but we are so tired. We haven´t gotten used to the schedule yet. Our teachers only speak spanish. Some know a bit of English but it is tough to get our messages and questions understood.

The food is super weird. They have the fake hot dogs with like every meal. We think it might be because they think the Norteamericanos like it. Either way, I´m starting to like Flan alot more. They have Jello a lot. There is always soup but I´ve decided to stop getting that cause its not that good. We also have to eat everything on our tray to avoid being rude. It is horrible. Like this morning for french toast. I have one thing left when I was full but I had to finish it.

The language is coming, but not that fast. I was really discouraged the other day because my companion is pretty much fluent. He listened to the fireside on Sunday with out the headphones and understood it all. Its also tough when we teach cause he can say so much more and I feel lost. I was happy cause last night I was able to follow the whole converstation. I was even able to talk a bit without having to read it out of my book. I understand more than some of the elders. But Im not up to the level of my companion and Elder E. I understand a lot of what our teachers say but not all of it.

That´s horrible for Scott and Rachel. I´m so sad that they could not live their whole lives with each other.

We go to the temple in about 30 minutes. We will also go shopping and everything like that. I don´t think I´ll need a blanket for now. from what I hear there is some mountains in my mission and also some rainforest. so im not sure what the weather will be like. We start going and talking in the streets on saturday. We will get a latino companion. It will be interesting to see if I can know what to say.

Lima is on the coast. Its humid but im getting used to it. It´s got random mountains throughout the city. Like a really big hill in the middle of a valley. It doesn´t make sense but it looks distinct.

Elder G. is actually Australian and we crack jokes with him about it all the time. He's great. He says puppies a lot so we joke with him that in Australia they never become dogs. We also joke about how everything in Australia is trying to kill him. Kangaroo, Koala, Dingos, Sharks, Platypus jokes are also inevetable. He said no one says put another shrimp on the Barbie though.

I've been told I look like Harry Potter, Bart Simpson and Beavis so far. I am hoping that I get a new one every day and so it keeps it interesting.

Oh and yesterday in soccer, we played Gringos v. Latinos. We knew we would get killed but we ended up winning. I didn´t do great but I did good enough to enjoy it. Elder E. got two goals. My companion got one. Elder G. is a master at soccer. He can beat most of the latinos. It really fun and everyone is great sports about it. No matter what, everyone laughs and jokes, even if you miss a easy goal or make a mistake.

Everything has been going great. Its hard work but I´m learning.

Love,

Élder Moore

First Email

The trip was not too bad. The worst part was definitely the flight to Lima Peru from Atlanta. It was just over 6 hours, we left late, customs was a mess, no one knew how to fill out the immigration paperwork, an elder lost his bag, we didn't get back until 2:30 but it was entirely in Spanish from the second we got here. We got up at 6:30 this morning just to find out that we could have slept in till 9. Pretty obnoxious but not too bad. We flew over Guayaquil on our way. It was kinda cool to see everything there, even if it was not very good of view.

My companion is Elder Costello. He is who mom thought was elder Lacy. He is pretty cool and we get along great. He looks and acts just like Cameron Moore. Seriously just wait till you see a picture.

The air is pretty much water here. I am continually sweating and wearing a jacket is like a punishment. I could not sleep last night cause of how humid it is. Its not even that hot. Its just we are in a swimming pool. Me and Costello were joking about it until we fell asleep just after 3:30.

Here is the MTC address:
Avenida Melgarejo 159
Urbanizacion Campo Verde
La Molina
Lima12
Peru

There were about 14 missionaries that flew with us. They are all pretty cool. We met up with a couple more elders that flew in from LA and one from New Zealand. Its pretty cool. I don´t know which mission most of these guys are in. They are anywhere from Bolivia to the northern part of South America. There are some cool elders in my mission.

I'm glad that Paige was able to come and find me. It was cool talking to her. It was a surprise but a good one. Right before i talked to paige I got to talk to a sister that is leaving the SLC temple mission. She is from Quito but was baptized in Guayaquil. She flew with us from SLC to ATL. It was cool to talk to her for a bit.

That sucks that the girls are only going in the 3rd seed. They could be so much better. I hope them and boys win state.

I don't doubt that they were really concerned and that mom was fine. Jared and Spiff were good to keep you guys distracted.

It has been all spanish here and its way scary. Me and Costello agree that this is going to be crazy to learn and we can't wait till we can understand it. I now know that I'll be ok if I can pick it up soon. We are two of the elders that understand the most so far. but again i dont understand anything.

This morning for breakfast was weird. we had a sandwich with fake hot dogs and tuna, some runny yogurt, and a weird fruit that was pretty good but way different. It gave us upset stomaches today but apparently it is not served very often.

From,

Elder Moore