Walking, Giant Jesus, and Natal Conference!

Oi!!!  

Okay, I am well aware that this is a week late, so this blog will include two weeks, because I began one last week but then I had a very busy P day as you will be able to read later on.  

Week 1: 

Well I've done it. Over a full week done here in Brazil. I know it was only able to be done through the help of my Heavenly Father, but I'm here. And I'm happy with the continuing adjusting that's been happening here. I'm becoming a lot more comfortable. Still difficult, but comforting. 

This last week has been a lot of firsts. First time finding someone on the street (Josias, and we gave him a Book of Mormon) my first district council (all in Portugeuse) and my first time going to the Christ Redentor!  

The title is such because I have come to realize how much walking a missionary in Brazil has to do. Tuesday was our biggest walking day, because we had a member meal on the other side of a literal mountain.  Wanting to save money, we walked over 5 km one way to their house, while getting a short hitchhike on the way down!  (He offered, and my brazilian comp just told us to get in so that was nice.)  We saw a couple of miracles though because on that trip, we met Josias, and talked to him and was able to share a quick message. We later taught him about the Restoration and Joseph Smith and he seems very interested. 

Another miracle is finding our progressing person!  She was on date for baptism yesterday, but sadly that had to be pushed. She's been having some issues with her phone and our internet connection at our house is awful, so we didn't have a way to connect with her. All we had was a picture and a general neighborhood area. We'll we started walking, and showing the picture asking if they knew her. 2 people didn't, and the third person we asked literally walked 50 feet and knocked on the nearest door.  Fair enough, there she was!  She was able to give us her mom's number to be able to communicate better!  Yay!  Miracles!  But it was wet and rainy and boy was I tired!  

A lot of other times we've needed to get places involves walking. I believe I've walked more here than a full transfer in Florida!  Not that i was lazy there...I just had a car. I'm realizing the blessing that it is to have vehicles as a missionary, but also recognizing the amount of people we can talk to when walking! 

One thing that was really unique this week was our ward Christmas party!  Or Natal as they call it here. We all sang the Hawaiian version of Somewhere over the Rainbow with Elder MacDonald on the Ukelele!  The whole party was just a bunch of Brazilians doing pop karaoke, and even a tai-kwon-doe demonstration! 

Though this week has been hard, I'm becoming more and more comfortable here especially with the language. I've been able to do a lot of studies for Portugeuse here and it's been helping a lot!  Is it still hard to understand?  Yes, but at least I can testify and say prayers so those are the real important things. 

So, part of this title is also Giant Jesus!  And that's because I got the opportunity to do a big sightseeing day last P day!  It was the Last P Day of Élder De Oliveira, so we went to the city of Rio and did all the big things.  Christ the Redeemer, which is so high it's above the clouds!  The Royal Portugeuse Reading Room!  Some arches.... That apparently are significant, I don't know that's what he said.  And then the Escheleon Staircase!  It was all so beautiful, and I loved getting to play tourist for a day!  Here's some pictures!  

I am hoping within the next 18 months here I will have an opportunity to visit them all again!  Maybe I'll be in an area much closer.  I begin to realize more and more the culture here, and I'm starting to love it more and more!  

Week 2!  

Okay, so quite honestly, this last week has been quite busy, but with a lot of missionary work things.  We've spent a lot of time working on our newer area and growing our contacts and the people we have taught and are currently teaching.  We've had some big miracles seen in our work as we've done so diligently.  

For example, we did a prayer with a guy named Thayan last week, and then we set up a call to do a longer lesson, and before the call he sent us three long paragraphs about questions and doubts in his life.  This is a miracle, because it doesn't happen that often that people sincerely ask questions before you even give the lesson.  The true blessing was the fact that we were able to give a lesson about the Gospel that gave answers and divine personal inspiration to him about his doubts and questions!  The Holy Ghost was definetely present, and it was so satisfying to feel the truthfulness of our words as we were testifying.  

This week was also the week that we received news about this upcoming transfer.  The transfers are typically 6 weeks long, but with missionaries leaving for home before Christmas, it means this last one was only 4 weeks, and the next one will be only 2.  But!  I learned that I'll be staying in Niterói, with Élder MacDonald!  It'll be a challenge, because we won't have a native Brazilian here, and he's been here only about 1.5 months longer than I have, so we are both going to have a lot of study time on the language, and a lot a lot of help from the Holy Ghost.  

On Friday was our mission wide Natal Conference!  Christmas is called Natal here, just so you know!  The whole mission was there, so I got to meet a lot of new people.  We had lunch, and a fun Christmas present swap game, with every single missionary.  I started out with an unapproved copy of The Hobbit, and ended up with a small soccer ball.  I also got to have a small MTC reunion.  All 4 missionaries from my MTC district have all made it down to Rio, so we all got to talk to each other, and see each other in person!  

It was fun, but it also really made me think about the meaning of Christmas.  And I know, I don't mean to get all Linus from Charlie Brown up in here.  But really.  HE is the reason for the season.  I think that fact has been exasperated here, because all the things I typically attribute to Christmas time isn't here.  It's defiently not snowy, I'm not spending lots of time in shopping malls, watching Christmas movies, and seeing all the lights.  Instead, every single day I'm focusing and reading scriptures about Christ.  About his birth.  About his ministry.  And that's made a large difference.  I'm so grateful for my savior.  MY savior.   YOUR Savior.  The Savior of the World.  He was born, and he died.  And he did it all, this entire earthly ministry so that we can overcome death and sin.  

HE is the GREATEST GIFT

HE is the reason for the season.  

It's called Christmas, for a reason.  The root word is Christ.  

I want to invite you all sometime this week, on Christmas Eve, or Christmas Day, to read Luke Chapter 2 in the Bible.  This chapter is the most detailed description of the Birth of Jesus Christ.  I love the words, "Good tidings, of great joy."  That's what Jesus Christ brings.  We have that in our lives when we focus on him. That's my challenge and testimony.  

I hope you all have a very very very Merry Christmas wherever you are, whoever you spend it with.  I'm grateful for all of you. I'm grateful for your words and messages.  I'm grateful for my Savior.

Feliz Natal!  

Élder Moss