Monday, March 26, 2018

Email 03/26/18

My week was pretty good. We spent a bunch of our time visiting a bunch of members. Elder Claper was in need of getting to know them. We visited some families that are promising. One family even came to church this last Sunday. They were a reference from a member who accompanied us there and stayed for the lesson. They liked what we were talking about. I am liking Elder Claper. He follows the Spirit much better than some of my other companions.

I saw on the news in the house of one of our investigators that Steven Hawking died. I also heard that the main singer in Linkin Park died as well. Many people have been dying lately. 😢 Dad went to Florida? Boa viagem. 🛫🛬 I don't really have any more news. Thank you for the jokes. They were pretty good. Thank you for the spiritual thought. Have a good week. 😁 tchau



Jarrek with Elder Claper and the son of an investigator.

Monday, March 19, 2018

Email 03/19/18

My week was pretty good. I like my new companion. He is a lot like me, in at least a few senses if the word. He likes chess. He has a bunch of family in the Church. His name is Élder Claper.  He is from São Paulo. He follows the spirit pretty well.

Monday was good. We had a normal P-day, up until we found out that Elder Luiz Claudio was leaving for Matto Grosso do Sul. He packed up and we got a ride from a member to the Rodoviária in place of having to use the bus. That was nice. I then went to the Mission Secretary and left for Pedra 90 with the Elders from Coxipo and Pedra 90. I slept there. Tuesday was crazy we got up and got ready and left Pedra 90 taking a bus for Coxipo to have lunch and afterwards returned by bus to Pedra 90 to get something that one of the Elders from Coxipo had forgotten. We then returned to Coxipo to wait for advisement on the plan for my new companion. We found out that he would be coming late that evening to Industriario, and so we took another bus to Industriario and waited there. He arrived there around ten-ish. We had our Zone Conference the next morning at 8 a.m. We made it there a bit late, but luckily so did most of the others. I enjoyed that. Wednesday through Saturday was enjoyable. We visited a bunch of members and some of our investigators. Sunday was good. Elder Claper is a good companion. He is better than some of my others, although I have liked the majority of them.

I like that they are finally permitting the Priests to do that. They technically have had authority to do so since before temples were being built in these last days.  Oh I forgot, I will be leaving Brazil for the United States on December 17 not the fourteenth. I was given a new release date. Thank you for the news. It helps. Thank you for the jokes. Thank you for the thought. Have a great week. Tchau.


Mateus, a recent convert.


A family I love. We were teaching them and trying to get them to come to church.


This photo is of when we were in Pedra 90 to have our District meeting. Elder Novaes was there and it was his last week in the mission. We did something traditional and that is what the photo is showing.


Me at a service project.

Monday, March 12, 2018

Email 03/12/18

I am doing fine actually. My companion is to be transferred to Matto Grosso do sul; he is leaving tomorrow and I will probably be meeting my new companion tomorrow as well. His name is Elder Claper and he is from the Southern part of Brazil, which happens to be where most of the Italians settled when they immigrated here to Brazil. They have a lot of rich white people down there. I had an enjoyable time will Elder Claudio during my time here. We have a few investigators that are getting close to baptism.

Looks like you had an enjoyable week. I didn´t know that Jemma was having a bunch of accidents. Hope that she is all right. I remember when we had to adjust time here. I was in Caceres. They kind of told me what was happening, but they did it in such a way that I didn´t get it. They speak in a very strange way here. They didn´t tell me, simply enough; that I would have to change my clock. They just talked about the time difference and expected that I'd get it. I didn´t catch what they were doing and so I didn´t change my alarm. We were late for church the next day. Anyhow things are good here in Cuiabá. It is always hot here, but every once in a while we are blessed with some rain or shade.

That first joke is unforgettable. Thank you for those jokes. Thank you for the spiritual thought.  We had the experience this week of going proselyting with some members. They were very helpful. I remember doing so in the past in my other areas. My health is improving. I have liked much of my time here. I like Brazilians. If you have any questions, just ask. I have no new photos for the time being. 😎☀ Tchau.

Sunday, March 11, 2018

Email 03/05/18

My week has been pretty good. I went to my last two physical therapy sessions this last week. I am grateful that I had them. My companion is a good missionary. My area is a good area. My investigators are doing fine. We actually are having more success than usual. We actually succeeded in bringing two of our investigators to Church. I have liked many things about my mission and some things I have not. I have learned many things here. Yes, I have grown in my testimony and as a person quite a lot.

Another good week for the Nelsons. The thing about the Elders will probably happen often. It is possible for us to be prompted to do most anything as the Holy Spirit directs. Thank your for the jokes. The thought is pretty good.

Monday was a normal P-day with the addition of physical therapy in place of something else. Tuesday was good, we visited many of our investigators; we also visited a few members. Wednesday was my last session of physical therapy. I liked having the opportunity to give my therapist Ariani a Book of Mormon. Thursday we visited a bunch of investigators again. We visited a certain family that I like that night. The woman we are teaching's name is Jessica. We have been visiting her and her brother for a while now. Jessica has one of the cutest three year-olds as a daughter I have encountered in a while. She speaks in full sentences, in fact she seems to speak and understand Portuguese better than I do. We will probably visit them some more in the future. Friday I went on splits with Elder Woodson. I enjoyed that I got to speak English with someone. It gets real burdensome sometimes to not be able to talk face to face to a person who speaks English. Especially when it is not for a while. That night we slept at our district leader's house and returned the next morning. Saturday we didn´t do too much. Saturdays and Sundays ironically are the worst days here in the Cuiabá Brazil Mission and in Brazil in general to visit people. We visited a member and accompanied him to the parking lot of the church house for the conference. We didn´t attend Saturday, but we did yesterday. Sunday was excellent. We got to see a bunch of people in the stake and several less active members were there as well as some of our investigators. President Oliveira and his wife were also there. They gave talks. That is my week. Hope you have a good one. It is really hot down here. Tchau 😎☀😅😓😰💦💧