Travis's Email Mar 29, 2009

Pic#1: Monkeys in backyard......Pic #2: Travis, new convert, comp

Hi, It happened,

I was transferred to the state Rio Grande do Norte to a city called Ceára-Mirim close to Natal. I was called to be the Senior companion and my companion is Elder Dilson. He´s a short, chubby, brazilian guy. I like him, he´s a good missionary. This is a really cool small town that has a beachy feel and the people have a really layed-back attitude. Here it's a small branch that has meetings in an old house where a locally famous guy used to live. Our house here is really nice, it has a back yard and everything where small monkeys live in our coconut trees. A member is going to stop by and pick the coconuts for us so we can drink some coconut milk. mm..

Everything is great here, we´re working hard and its really nice to work in a new area with new people! sorry about the short email I wrote one before but it got lost. perdão

-Elder Travis Jenson

Questions:

1. If you got tranfered tell us three intersting things about your area.
Ceará-Mirim- its a small city close to Natal. Small monkeys live in the trees in my backyard, its a small town, it´s a branch thats going to be a ward soon.
2. What funny thing happened this week?
I dont know, everything that my companion does is funny. A young boy in the area asked me if i smell like a gringo, that was funny.
3. Its going to be winter in abut 6 weeks will there be any change in the weather?
I dont think so. Here its cooler than my other area, its really nice.
4. How do they celebrate Easter in Brazil? Do they have the Easter Bunny?
Yeah they celebrate easter with the easter bunny and everything. All the stores sell big chocolate eggs with candy inside.

Travis's Email March 16

Hello World,

This week was goood. I hope yours was also goood. I’d like to share a quick story with you guys. One day this week we left our house to house to go work when in the distance i saw a short, chubby, middle-aged woman running in our general direction and at first I didnt think anything of it. But when she got close to us and started grabbing at my Book of Mormon saying, ´give me your bible, i want it´ I got a little worried. We explained to her that we give the book to people inside of their homes along with a message so what did she do? She invited us to go to her house and teach her so trying to decide if she had mental problems or not we starting walking to our house. On the way she told me to give a message to Barrack Obama that Joao Pessoa loves him. I told her of course i would relay the message. So we went to her house and tried to teach her a lesson but she wouldn’t stop asking questions. When my companion started reciting the first vision she ran into the kitchen grabbed some cookies and then made us eat them. We ended up leaving a Book of Mormon with her and at the same time we searched for the hidden cameras because there is no way that something like that happens naturally. We talked to her parents as we left and it turns out she doesn’t have mental problems, wait let me rephrase that, she doesn’t have any diagnosed mental problems. It was nuts. Well that's all the time I have, this week was good, we baptized 2 people and this could possibly be the last week that I spend in my first area!

Tchau,

Elder Travis Jenson

Questions:
1. Do you have enough time to read all your e-mails or would it be better to get
some hand written letters?
I have time to read them all but if you guys want to send hand written letters, feel free.

2. Can we send church hymns from other artists or does it have to be the Mormon Tab.
Yes, It can be any church music.

3. Do you know if you'll get transferred next week?
No, we find out Sunday night and then leave Monday morning.

4. Have you had any mice in your apartment?
No

5. The funniest thing that happen this week?
A crazy chubby lady chased us down in the street and tried to steal my Book of Mormon. ill tell you more about it in the main email.

Travis's March 9 Email

Hello Everyone,

This week was good. We ended up baptizing the 20 yr old man, Kleber, who didn’t believe in God. Turns out he used to believe in reincarnation and that Moses talked with his inner self on Mt. Sinai. It’s a long story but everything worked out. He was baptized by his good friend Walber who I baptized a couple months back. Speaking of a couple months back, I think this is my 24th P-day in this area; sheesh.

We were going to baptize that woman who told off the pastor of the evangelical church but after receiving threats from her boyfriend that he would leave her if she was baptized, she backed out. That day was really sad, out of the middle of nowhere a bunch of people in the street wanted to talk bad about the church and it was obvious that the adversary was working hard that day. But, that’s how it goes.

The week ended up really well and the baptism yesterday was awesome.

Everything is going good here, the ward is starting to help us more with the work and the bishop is happy with what we’re doing.

Have a great week everyone, thanks for the prayers.
Nate, Missy, the cake offer is still on the table. I’ll even put sprinkles on it if you want.

-Elder Travis Jenson

Questions:

1. When are transfers?
2 weeks from today

2. What do you want for your B-day?
A few ties-they can be from goodwill if you want. I don’t need nice ties. And if you could burn some copies of the church music that you guys have-tabernacle choir, etc.-and send them to me that would be cool. (If you don’t know how to burn cd´s mom you can ask dad or Scott or somebody). I think that’s it.

3. Do you need a sheet to cover that big mattress in your living room? It looked a little dirty?
No we don’t need a sheet for that thing; we only use that mattress when we kneel to pray.

4. Does the rain make it more humid or does it cool it off a little?
Depending on the time of day, it does both. At night it makes it cooler and during the day it makes it hotter.

5. Tell us about your favorite convert so far, and why are they our favorite?
Walber, he already received the Melchizedek Priesthood, he is helping the ward a ton in fact he performed one of the baptisms yesterday, and he’s preparing to serve a mission.

6. Did the bishop take you out for pizza yet?
No, much my dismay. :( He said its going to happen this Saturday. cross your fingers for me.

Love ya a lot
Mom

Travis's Email Mar 2, 2009

Hello Everyone,

First of all I need to comment on a few matters. First and foremost, it’s hard for me to believe that my father has a Facebook account, I can’t imagine when he has time to do that. I would like to send a big thank you and um abraço(hug) to the Heninger family for the valentines day love that you guys sent me.

Sorry about the loss of my email last week, the email here isn’t very reliable. I’ll review the good parts: My companion is afraid of cars and dogs. Last week was Carnival, there were some crazy parties in the streets but I came out of the madness with only a few hugs from drunken men. We baptized Cleia(the woman that had tuberculosis) and her three kids.

This week was great. It’s raining a lot but I’m ok with it. They say that the more you get rained on, the prettier your future wife will be (they say that with everything in the mission). We had 7 investigators in the church who have a baptismal date. One of them was a man that I had taught months ago and when I taught him he doubted that God exists (something extremely rare here). He came to church with a friend, cried in the fast and testimony meeting and then wanted to be baptized.

My companion is getting pretty trunky, yesterday he completed 18 months so I have to encourage him to stay focused sometimes. There were 2 more missionaries that arrived in the mission with me that had passed the same amount of time as me in their first area and they were transferred today. So I think I’m setting some sort of mission record for most time spent in first area. It’s okay though because we are going to baptize a bunch of people this Sunday.

Things are wonderful here, due to very slow internet I have to stop writing now. Have a great week everyone! Missy and Nate, go to church this week, I’ll make you guys a cake when I get back.

Tchau
-Elder Jenson

Questions:
1. Everyone wants to know what was in the beans? Our guesses are red cabbage, cow intestine, liver, cow tongue are we close?
It was colon or liver, I’m not sure because I didn’t eat it.
2. Why was your companion wearing a T-shirt at lunch and you had on your white shirt and tie? I didn’t feel like taking my shirt off.
3. How did your companion end up on a mission when the rest of his family is inactive? How does his family feel about him serving a mission? How many are in his family?
His leaders helped him. His family supports him. I believe he has one sister and two brothers.
4. What is your all time favorite scripture? (We need it for a plaque at church)
Alma 26:22 (I love that scripture)
5. You told us about a woman you were teaching after you received a prompting to go to her house, are you still teaching her?
She’s going to be baptized this week