Email 10/30/17

My week has been pretty great. Monday was pretty normal. We went to the members house, to which we frequent usually every P-day here; at the home of a very nice member who happens to also be rich. I have some photos of her home in Drive. Her name is Eudete. She is less active which makes it all the better. It is going a lot better with the investigators that we have been teaching. We had nine of them visit sacrament meeting and many less active members came as well. This is a miracle considering that this is a small branch that needs more development. Cáceres is a somewhat big city, but the lord has it handled in sending three companionships to work here.

My companion Elder VillaLobos is returning home to Lima Peru next week. This P-day is the last I will spend with him. I learned some things with him. He is a pretty good companion. If I haven´t said so already I will say so now that I am and will be his only American companion in the field.

We had heavy rain here this last Saturday. Elder Aguilera and Elder Borges had a baptism that day, although neither one of them baptized. A member baptized the man, but it still counts as their baptism where numbers are concerned.

I will ponder about that package, but for now just know I will need plenty of Origami paper to start and definitely some Wonka candy including, but not limited to, Nerds. I could also use another memory card like the one that Dad provided for me before I left. I unintentionally gave it to Elder AraVena when I received the new camera and wanted to put the other to another. I wish I thought it through better, but I was lucky that the Lord provided me with another memory card. The difference between the one Dad gave me and the one I have is the one I have doesn´t need an adapter. I would also be pleased if I received four double AA rechargeable batteries and four AAA rechargeable as well. The one I have will with time become less than sufficient on account of them beginning to die. I did receive the question about the pants. I have responded concerning it in the other email.

Dad went to Texas? Awesome. Was he near to the locale in which the hurricane hit?  That sounds great compared to some of the other weeks that we have been having. I do have a question for Jostan and Jeffrey: Have they been reading the Bible Dictionary and Guide to the Scriptures as I suggested?  Thanks for the jokes, spiritual thought, and for the photos. I hope you continue to have a good week too. 😀

Email 10/23/17

Hey, my week was pretty good. We had our Zone Conference this last Tuesday. It was a lot better than any we have had in the past. I think that it was because President Oliveira started to teach us a bunch of things from institute that we didn´t know before instead of the normal stuff. I learned that a serpent is symbolic of the trinity. He also explained much about the dispensations of the gospel and told that there are seven.

I like my new area, but sadly the only buses they have here are to and from cities. we have to walk or get rides here. I like my district here in this branch. I am still having problems with sending photos, but I have some that are downloading quick enough.

Sounds like [you had] a normal crazy week. Good job. Thank you for the spiritual thought.

This week after the Zone Conference was pretty good. We had some rain this last Friday, which is very good for this city. Especially since mango season is coming in. Sunday was good. Some less active members showed up and one of our investigators made it there,  Thank you for the email. 😁

Jarrek with his companion Elder Villalobos.

Email 10/16/17

My week has been pretty good. We were actually able to find people to teach. This last p-day was enjoyable. We had fun playing soccer with Elder Silva, the Brazilian in the senior couple; and the other Elders here. Tuesday we had a family home evening with one of the families that we are teaching. The name of the head of the household is Rafael. We are teaching him and other members in his immediate family, as well as some of his extended family. Wednesday we visited another one of our prominent investigators, Elenir. She is an elderly woman who is interested in what we are teaching. She has been nice enough to provide us with coconut juice which, surprisingly, is much better than the actual coconut. Thursday I ended up going on splits with the Brazilian in our group, Elder Borges.  I like him. We met several people that day and Elder Borges will be taking up most of them with his companion, Elder Aguilera. Friday I ended up going on splits again with Elder Borges. I enjoyed it as well. Saturday I met a new family that Elder Villalobos had not yet shown me yet. We talked and Elder Villalobos invited one of them to go to church with us and she did. Sunday we spent our time resting. Sundays here are terrible for proselyting. That night we visited the same family we visited the previous day. They listened to the lesson and one or two of them have a baptismal date. I will be visiting them on Wednesday. Today we will be leaving Cáceres to go to Cuiabá to have our zone conference. Tuesday will be the conference and I will be going on splits with one of our Zone Leaders for Wednesday. Thank you for the weekly report and the jokes the photos, as well as that spiritual thought. I have been having great trouble uploading pictures ever since I arrived here. The computers are not the same as in Cuiabá. It will take me a while to find a solution to the problem. Talk to you next week. 😁

Email 10/09/17

Hey, my week has been pretty good. I like my new area and my new companion is much more righteous than some of my previous ones have been. He is more just and he is very well experienced. My new area is a bit difficult to figure out, but I will work on figuring it out with time. We only have a map in our house and so it takes time for us to find where we need to go without help from a member. We are doing alright with the work, but we need to continue looking to find people to teach. It will not be as easy to find people here as it has hitherto been in other areas, but I know that the Lord will still help me. I have settled in pretty good. I am not as yet a senior companion. I know not if I will become one. I have been a junior during the whole duration of my time here.

Email 10/02/17

Hey. I was able to understand more (of General Conference) than the last time I listened to it in Portuguese, though I still had a hard time getting everything that they were saying. I do not have as yet a favorite talk, but I may the next time I listen to the talks. I like the tie pin. I used it in one of the pictures that I am sending you in drive. I liked the photos of the Scales and Tails. Jemma is braver than me. I don´t even enjoy small spiders, let alone big ones. Oh Jemma can be funny.  Sounds like you had an excellent week. If you have a problem with too much Conference candy, there is never an excess of Conference candy here in Cáceres.

To start, I arrived here last Monday at 10-ish and had enough time to get home and choose a bed and have the necessities taken out of my suit cases. Tuesday we spent most of the day in the house organizing our things and that night we attended something called and exhibition or show. It was held in a square close to the bus station where I arrived. In this Branch we have senior missionaries who help us with the work. I remember them from when I was with Elder Silva they came and visited to inspect our house. Their names are also Silva, but they are both Brazilian. At the exhibition we had a table with plenty of pamphlets and Books of Mormon. I enjoyed it with my new companion Elder Villalobos and Elder Aguilera. Elder Aguilera is from Chile. Wednesday, Elder Aguilera´s companion arrived at the bus station. His name is Elder Borges and he is a Brazilian. I find it interesting that the Lord has put four Elders from four different countries in the same place. This will be interesting. Thursday we spent most of the day with a member who just arrived here and she was nice enough to buy us Subway. We received our money for the mission and our reimbursements for our light and water bills. We bought groceries and house supplies Friday morning and had a service project that afternoon which lasted until around 5-ish, but we didn't get back to the house until 6-ish, because it was so far and they don´t have a bus system here other than the one they have to get from city to city. Saturday and Sunday we enjoyed General Conference with the small amount of members we have. I still liked it. Til next week. Tchau.

Jarrek's new companion (by the light switch) Elder Villalobos, also Elders Aguilera and Elder Borges.