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. 

Picture of Jarrek at the Brazil MTC

This is a picture of Jarrek at the Brazil MTC.  Jarrek is on the top row on the far right.  This picture was sent by President Grahl, President of the Brazil MTC.

First Email from Brazil

I am in Brazil. It took me the whole day yesterday to get here. So far I like it here. I still have my old companion, but now I am in a companionship of three. My other companion`s name is Elder Burr. My new P-day is on Wednesdays, so I will not be able to email you anymore until next week. l enjoyed the experience of being on a plane, but I think I slept a total of six hours since Monday, but I am fine.

Email 12/26/16

I have enjoyed the Missionary experience here at the MTC so far. I just got my Visa and I will be leaving tomorrow. On Christmas yesterday, I had the opportunity to see and hear from Elder Dallin H. Oaks. He stayed until around three and we were able to partake of the sacrament with him. We partook of the Sacrament all together as an MTC in 18M. They had 9 sacrament tables in that room. Later we had the opportunity to see and hear from David Artchuleta. When the Missionaries, including me saw him; we had are hard time staying quiet, but it was still Sunday so we need to keep it reverent. So far I have seen: The Piano Guys, Elder Dallin H. Oaks, Jennie Oaks Baker, and David Archuleta. I will be going to the Travel Office at 5:20 am to go to the airport. I am lucky I could have P-Day right before I leave. God is helping me and my District to get to Brazil. There are some Elders in our zone that are supposed to go to Brazil. They have been waiting for their Visas for weeks and have still not obtained them. They were very disappointed when they found out we got ours after only being here a week and a half. I along with seven others in my district will be leaving for Brazil tomorrow. Leaving five left that are still waiting for their Visas to go to Brazil. I hope to update next P-day whenever that may be. Thank you for giving me your Email addresses. If you have any others you want me to Email just send them and I will email them as well.

Pictures from MTC

Elder Cody Davis (Jarrek's companion)

Jarrek's District (All going to Brazil).

Jarrek's name badge.

First P Day Email from MTC

Everyone in my District is going to Brazil and they are all here because they didn't get their Visas. Two of my roommates are going to Cuiaba, but my companion is going to Teresina. Yesterday I had an enjoyable Sabbath. I partook of the Sacrament in an assembly hall. My District later split up and went to Priesthood. After priesthood we went on a temple trip.  I took pictures, but I forgot my cord so I will have to upload them later. As we were going back from that I saw and hugged Sean Barrett (friend from the Woodview Ward).  I forgot he was here. Before dinner I went on splits with Elder Barnes in my district to choir. They had so many come that we couldn’t fit them all in front of the piano and conductor. They had to sit by the piano. After that I had Dinner and talked with Sister Sperry (mom’s cousin’s daughter), then my District went to a devotional in the 18M Assembly Hall, the same place as the choir. The devotional featured The Piano Guys. We heard Steven Sharp Nelson, Jon Schmidt, Al Van Der Beek, and Paul Anderson. They also showed their Silent Night Video. They played music in between and during each of their talks. I enjoyed seeing them and hearing their live music. After the devotional we heard and watched a recorded talk by Elder Bednar in the same place as the devotional. I enjoyed his talk. I am enjoying MTC life, but that doesn't mean I don't miss you. I hope to hear back from you soon.

Elder Jarrek Nelson

I met an Aubrey Sperry who says that Harrison Sperry is her Grandpa, I am talking about the Polygamist Great Great Great Grandfather: Her name is Aubrey Sperry and her parent’s names are Scott Sperry and Alisa Sperry. Is this the Sperry you told me I would meet? On another note this same Aubrey used to be the girlfriend of my companion Elder Davis. Hope to hear back from you soon. She is going to Trinidad if that makes any difference.

Elder Jarrek Nelson

From Joy:  Aubrey Sperry is my cousin Scott's daughter.  I told Jarrek to watch for her as she is his second cousin and I hoped they would meet at the MTC.

Jarrek's First Email

A couple of hours after we dropped him off at the MTC Jarrek emailed us this:  

So far I am enjoying it. The Elder that you saw take me away was my escort he brought me to my room and helped me get to my class to start learning the language. My companions name is Elder Cody Davis. I will be learning Portuguese with Him and several others. One of them is even going to the same mission as me. All of them are going to Brazil. My companion for the MTC, Elder Davis; is going to another part of Brazil. I will update you when I can. Bye

Elder Jarrek Nelson 

jarrek.nelson@myldsmail.net