Elder Parker Moore: Week Nine - Two Months

Elder Moore in Rioja

Yeah I’ll be here in Rioja for my birthday. I’m already enjoying it. I got one package today and that was super awesome - the one with garland and chips and beef jerky and trial mix. The food is bomb! It is so good - I miss it so much. We’re decorating today. The pictures I got were so cool - it was so cool to see the fam and the guys. Thanks for sending those; I put some in the back of my scriptures - they just push me along.

The Christmas Package

They are building a nativity scene in the main plaza here but not doing much. They eat fruitcake - like that is huge – but we never eat it. It’s going to be weird that Mom and Dad are only with Meagan this year for Christmas.

We watched the Christmas devotional yesterday and it was really cool when President Eyring talked. I just remember doing the nativity scene the night before Christmas and I just felt the Spirit when he was talking about future families.

We went to like a - I don’t even know - place in the jungle last P-day. We’re gonna go to caves today so we do find some cool places to go.

The investigators are tough sometimes. They just don’t understand. Like, we will teach something and the next day they don’t know what we taught. It’s tough. I’m understanding more and more of the language. I had a really cool experience where I just kind of took over the lesson a little and answered questions. Just need more time. We do have a church house and it’s pretty big. We do district meeting in there too.

Rioja Chapel (from Google Maps)

It’s crazy that I’ve been out 2 months! It’s like a “how did I get here?” kind of thing. It’s crazy how fast it goes by like I feel like I was just talking to you guys but it’s been another week. My comp is still sweet he’s just so nice and pushes me with the Spanish. The members help a lot! We’re really good friends with one family and the daughter teaches me a lot. She’s like 12 but she’s studying English it’s really cool. We fasted this week too and I wanted to die I had the worst headache and I just couldn’t do anything but the blessing are crazy. I went straight to bed when I got home that night.

These spiritual experiences just keep you going and you just want people to feel what you're feeling and know for themselves what we’re saying is true. The area is tough our zone had 0 baptisms in November. We have 1 date for the 17th but they just have to go to church. We visit tons of people and stuff but they have to go to church to be baptized so it’s tough. It’s cool to see your personal revelation in work and just thoughts pop into your head.

We didn’t do anything too crazy this week but we have so much fun together. We eat chifa all the time - it’s just Chinese food that we order. It’s so bomb and it’s a big joke with our pensionista and stuff. Yeah that rat [from last week] was so bad I like puked right after I put it in my mouth.

I love you guys so much and can’t wait to talk to you guys. I know why I’m here and I’m gonna keep pushing love you so much!

Elder Moore