Email 1/30/17

I have traveled from Cuiabá to Rondonopolis (https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Rondon%C3%B3polis), my first area (looks like it is Southeast of Cuiaba); I have already proselyted for 50 hours. My new companion’s name is Elder Novaes. He is good so far as I can see. He is from Bahia, Brazil.

The wards here are massive. It takes me and my companion thirty minutes of walking to get to one of the members houses. I have already given three Books of Mormon to Pesquisadors (Investigators). I am sorry to hear that Jeffrey was sick, and on such an important day as well. I hope that he gets better soon so that he can enjoy his time in student council. I am glad that Jostan is practicing driving. ´´Cookie dough makes her strong. ´´ Oh that is pretty funny. I am glad Jemma still has her wonderful sense of humor going. Tell Jonah I am doing alright. I have adjusted for the most part with Missionary life, but I still have many things to learn as I am the Junior companion. I miss Julia and you all and I am glad I have the opportunity every week to email you. I haven’t seen any Jaguars yet. I hope to see them when I go to the North, but not in the wild. I would probably have to see them in a zoo or something. I have seen many birds and dogs, otherwise not much yet. I have spent most of my time in cities. If you all are interested, my new companion’s name is Elder Novaes. I live in a house with 5 others. I hope to be able to adjust to my situation quickly. Thank you for the thought and for your prayers. I hope to email you all again soon. If any of you have any specific or general questions about my mission or area, please ask and I will do my best to answer them.

My typical day is hot and humid, and I usually walk several miles a day if not more. We proselyte most of the day in neighborhoods with members and Pesquisadors. I have not yet received the new rules, but I am going to receive them today at the zone conference I am going to in Cuiabá, but from what Grandma Nelson told me my schedule will be changing for the better. Otherwise, I don’t know the changes in the rules. I am adjusting to the food and culture slowly, but surely. The food is generally good. The weather is either really hot or rainy or cloudy either way it is usually always hot. I do like my companion; he is an enthusiastic missionary for proselyting. He follows the spirit well and knows what he is doing. I love the people and they are interesting. It (the culture) is almost the opposite of ours in many aspects. They have no right to bear arms for citizens and so everything needs to be locked up tight. I hope to be able to learn a lot about the culture as I go on. So far, I like the food.

Mission home address:

Elder Jarrek Spencer Nelson

Brazil Cuiabá Mission

Av. Hist. Rubens de Mendonça, 1731

Sala 10, Bairro: Consil

CEP: 78050-975 Cuiabá – MT

Brazil

Quick Note from Cuiaba

I am safe and sound in Cuiabá. I left the CTM at 7:00 am this morning. I hope to be able to update you all when I have my first P-day on Monday. I may be able to send you all pictures at that point. I hope Mom and Dad are feeling better. Love you all. Tchau.

Email 1/18/17

I have been preparing spiritually to go to Cuiaba, but there is not much left for me to prepare otherwise. I proselyted for the first time this last Friday. It was an interesting experience. I was able, with the help of my companions and the Lord; to place my first O Livro De Mormón. I had a hard time communicating mostly because it was very loud out where I was. We were in downtown São Paulo. There was constantly a car passing by us which made it impossible to hear them clearly. To top that off they were speaking softer than needed and were not speaking clearly, but through it all we were able to have success. I am enjoying my time here in Brazil. The people are very friendly and the food for the most part is delicious. I have now visited the São Paulo Temple three times. I have enjoyed every experience. I am understanding the language a lot better now. I can read it easier than before and I can get the main point of what some people are saying. I am still struggling actually speaking the language, but I know as I try I will be blessed with help and success even if I have to go through failure 1,000 times. Not too much is new, but I will be leaving the CTM this Tuesday. I hope to be able to contact you when I get there. If you have any specific questions, go ahead and ask. I will answer when I am given time to. Love you all.  Tchau.

Email 1/11/17

The weather is great down here and I found out that Cuiaba is the hot capital of South America. I am sorry to hear that Jostan is going to have to get surgery. I am glad that Jemma and Julia are doing fine. I am pretty sure the Gaurana here is not caffeinated, but I’ll find out to make sure.  I don't need to purchase a bike because they just don't do them here. I am going to walk or bus everywhere I go. I miss Jemma and Julia as well. I can’t really update on my mission much since I am not out there yet, but I am improving on the language, gradually. You can do whatever you want with the shoes I didn't box up. Whatever works. Here at the CTM it is pretty much the same each day as the day before. I get up at six thirty and prepare for the day, personally study each breakfast and so on. I do get exercise time every weekday, but P-day. I haven't seen much of the wildlife I am only allowed out of the CTM on P-day and we can’t go far. The most I have seen of the wildlife are the birds. I spend most of my time in my classroom studying and learning the language and socializing with my district. Thank you for that quote Mom. On January 25 there will be a Missionary conference for all the missionaries in the world, if you haven’t heard about it. This conference may affect the rules or we may be getting a new “Preach My Gospel” or a new white handbook. I really don’t know what it is, but it is highly probable that it is very important. I will be leaving the CTM on January 23 and going to Cuiaba. After I get there I will watch the conference. I hope to tell you more soon.

Email 1/4/17

It’s great down here. I love the food and the cafeteria is an all you can eat kind of place. There is a drink here called Guarana. It is delicious. I have had it every day I have eaten. I like this MTC. This MTC or CTM is a lot more strict than the other though. We only get 45 min for email time and it is only on P-days. I will try to get everything in here before I have to get off. I am now in a trio companionship with Elder Davis and Elder Burr. They were in my district in Provo. Everyone I came with on the plane in my district became my district. My district is 50B and has eight members. (three sisters and five Elders.) Their names are Elder Barnes, Elder Davis, Elder Burr, Elder Andrus, Sister Atkinson, Sister Kehr, and Sister Hill. I am glad I didn’t have to go on the plane alone. The CTM here is seven stories tall with six floors above the ground floor. I live on the fifth floor above the ground floor, so technically the sixth floor. The beds are very comfortable. There are six to a room I am in a room with my companions and two Brazilians. At this CTM everyone is required to participate in the Choir. We sing every Sunday and Tuesday. Our schedules are very tight we hardly have time to do laundry or rest. Our whole day is planned out. I have already started teaching. Actually I started teaching the day I got here which I thought was ridiculous, seeing as I hadn’t slept in two days and I didn’t know the language even adequately. I would fix the spelling, but the spell check is in Portuguese. I am glad to hear that Jeffrey misses me. I hope Jemma doesn’t realize where I am until I get back. That may make things easier. I can’t send pictures down here while I am in the CTM. The computers won’t let us. So I will have to wait until I am in the Mission Field to give you pictures. I am improving in the language. The Lord has been helping me. I am constantly seeking after the gifts of the spirit that I need. I can tell that the Lord is granting me the gift of tongues when I am worthy. Sometimes I can understand the language really well and other times my mind is blank. Thank you for helping me get the reals (Brazilian currency) I needed. I won’t need to buy a bike. The extra reals will be useful. I hope you enjoy the New Year. I have enjoyed it so far. We got to stay up till midnight on New Year’s Eve and then wake up at nine. I like this CT more than the Provo MTC. The rain here is awesome. I was recently told that it generally doesn’t rain during the dawn here, just during the night. I won’t need the temple clothes. They don’t allow us to bring our own they provide it for us when we come in. I enjoyed going to the temple. The driving here is way different than in America. It’s as if they have no laws for many situations. Motorcyclers do as they please on the roads. It has been a bit of a culture shock being here but I am doing the best I can with the culture. We have around four hundred missionaries here in this CTM. Compared to the Provo MTC, this CTM is the third largest MTC after Mexico. I hope to hear more from you as time goes by. Thank you for the help and support.