Travis's Email Jun 29, 2009

Hey,

So missing out on the beach vacation wasn’t as hard as I thought it would be.
Partly because I’m sure the way Mom and Dad talked about the vacation wasn’t half as cool as it actually was and also because I was so busy here that I didn’t even remember. I do have to admit that when I put on sunscreen every morning it’s a little hard not to think about the beach but don’t worry I’ll make it to the next trip for sure.

This week was crazy. Monday we had p-day with President Fernandes. Tuesday we had mission conference. Wednesday we cleaned up the yard at the church. Thursday until Saturday we had the open house at the new church. The open house was a success. President and Sister Fernandes, the assistants to the president, and some other missionaries that had already served here spent the whole weekend here helping us out. We had a lot of people who visited the open house and we’re going to have people to teach for a while. We worked doing proselyting for a total of 2 hours and miraculously we had a baptism this week. No wonder they call this the celestial mission.

I’m pretty tired from all the work we did and from the assistants to the president who stayed at our house and kept us awake and it was a little stressful with the mission president around watching our every move but we made it through okay. I’m definitely going to make the most of this p-day and sleep.

So this week the Sao Joao festival started here. Everyone puts gigantic bon fires in front of their houses and shoots off fireworks. There’s so much smoke in the streets that its hard to see where youre going and there is no way to keep your clothes from stinking. They have a traditional dance that they do here called quadrilha. It’s a lot like square dancing with big dresses and cowboy outfits. I thought it was pretty funny.

So that’s all the big news I have for now. I’m looking forward to working this week and not having to tell people that our church is in a school house. Have a good week everyone!

Elder Travis Jenson

Questions:

1. Was there a special reason that you were having lunch with the mission Pres. Last week?
No. he just decided to do a special p-day with a bunch of zones. There were about 50 missionaries there.

2. When is the open house for the new church house? Are you doing any thing for the open house?
It was last week. We did everything. We organized everything, set everything up, walked all the people through the church, took everything down and cleaned up. It was good.


3. Did you get your package yet?
Not yet. If it’s arrived in the mission office I’ll receive the package in about 2 weeks.

4. Did you find a different place to live? If so what is it like?
Not yet. We’re working on finding a new house here in Canguaretama because there is a problem with the wiring in our house and the electricity bills are really high.

5. What is the best thing about the branch?
It’s new and there are a lot of people to teach.

6. Is it hard to get new converts because everyone knows everyone else's business?
Sometimes it’s hard because everyone worries too much about what the other people think. Rarely will we have someone that doesn’t want to be baptized because they don’t believe the church is true. Most people are worried about what their friends or neighbors will think.

7. The funniest thing that happen this week?
The door to the bishop’s office was stuck so we had to put an Asian missionary, Elder Lew, through a small hole where the air conditioner goes so he could take out the stuff we needed. It was just like ocean’s 11.

8. The hardest thing that happened this week?
We only did proselyting work for about 2 hours. We spent our week doing stuff for the open house.

Travis's Email June 15, 2009

Hey you guuuyyysss,

Talk about a good week. I´m loving my new area here, the members are great. All the members are like a close knit family its really cool. We had 2 young men who were going to be baptized this week but unfortunately one of the kid´s Mom didn't let him and the other kids pastor from the evengelical church convinced him that the book of mormon doesn't exist. Literally. he told me the book doesn't exist. It didn't make much sense because I was holding the book in my hand but whatever dude. My brasilerican companion is great, he knows how to cook and we´re having a lot of fun. In 2 weeks a house that the church is remodeling is going to be ready and we won't have to have our meetings in the school. There is going to be a big open house and we´re going to invite all the important people from the city, and president fernandes is going to speak. Opa, times up. Have a great week everybody. friends, family, feel free to send me chocolate. Giradelli´s, Hershey, the brand really isn't that important. haha

tchau,
Elder Jenson

Questions:

1. How many people are there in the branch?
There are about 130 people baptized and 40 people went to church yesterday.

2. Describe what a Sunday meeting would be like. (who teaches, do they go all three hours, what is your role on sunday's)

The meeting was in an elementary school, there are a few members that teach the classes and I just do want the branch president needs- give a last minute talk, prayer, bless the sacrament. whatever he needs.

4. How are you and your companion getting along?

Great.

5. Where in Ca did your companion live, how may people are in his family, was his dad and area authority in Ca.?

He lived in San Marcos Ca, he has 4 brothers and his Dad was an area authority in Brazil.

6. Describe the area that you live in now.

Its a lot like my other area only a little smaller. Its just like Cheers everybody knows each others name and life story.

7. What do people do for a living in this area and how's the crime rate?

Most of the people are unemployed or work at some shop in the town. Its a safe small town.

8. How far away from your last area is this one?

About 2 hours.

More Pics from Joe's Baptism party

Joey is now a baptized member of the Church

Here is our newly baptized Joe! Joe is Rachel's 3rd.

Nathan Turned 30!

Nate was excited to get his picture taken on his 30th birthday

Travis's email June 10, 2009

Hey,

Big news, I was transferred. I left Elder Snow and that cool little city for another cool little city named Canguaretama. I was called to be district leader, our district is me, my companion, and two sister missionaries who interestingly work in the same area as us. The church has only been in this area for 1 year, the Sunday meetings are in a school, and we need to baptize lots of men and lots of families to help the church grow here. My companion is Elder Parrella. Here's some info about him- he lived in california for 5 years so he speaks fluent english, his dad was recently called to be mission president in the mission brasil belo horizonte, he likes movies and I'm his 3rd companion. An interesting detail is that my trainer Elder Sanches was in the area just before me. I really wasn't expecting to be transferred and really wasn't expecting to be called district leader. It will be interesting doing baptismal interviews and district meeting and all that stuff. President Fernandes is really stressing the importance of helping the church grow here because this area was opened recently so there's a lot of pressure on us to baptize and help the church here. I´m not too stressed because I know that if I trust in the Lord then everything will turn out ok. I even adopted a slogan for the rest of my mission: A verdadeira força provém da humilde confiança em Deus. (true strength comes from humble trust in God) It´s a quote from Willford Woodruff. So I´m going to do my best to live that until the end of my mission. I have a lot of work to do in this area and I´m really excited. Have a great week everyone, só batiza.

-Elder Travis Jenson

Questions:

1. Why did you need to find a new house?

I don't need to worry about finding a new house now, I was transferred to Canguaretama. Cool name isnt it.

2. Tell us about the house you live in now.

It´s a small apartment but it looks like we´re going to look at a new house today. This house is nice but there´s some puddles of water close by and that makes problems with the mosquitos.

3. What is the best thing that you know how to cook?

Pancakes, cake, rice, pasta.

4. Does your companion doing any of the cooking?

Last transfer elder snow usually made breakfast and i made dinner.

5. What will you be doing for p-day this week?

I travelled, ate lunch with the branch president, I'm writing emails, and then later we´re going to look at a house.

6. Have the bugs been bad in this area?

In ceará-mirim it wasnt bad at all but we´ll see how it goes in this area.

Hey,

This week was pretty good. We taught a lot of lessons this week but unfortunately only one investigator went to church, we need to work on getting people to church. We baptized a woman named Ivete this week and a girl named Jackeline. Elder Snow performed the ordinance, it was a good day. I received news from sister Fernandes that she wants us to move so I found us a house that has a banana tree. I´m pretty excited about the bananas but moving the furniture isn't going to be much fun.

Funny story time: this week we went with a member to teach one of her friends. We showed up at the house and the member made the mistake of presenting us as her friends instead of saying we were missionaries from the church. I put out my hand for the handshake the girl went to greet me with a kiss on the buchecha( cheek)-very funny word. Anyway, she went in for the kill and by reaction I stiff armed her and then shook her hand. The situation was very awkward and she did not want to hear a message from the wierd american that can't kiss or touch anyone. Oh well, it happens. Thats about all the news for now. Things are good, next week is transfers and I think I'll be staying here with elder snow for one more transfer, love you guys. Remember, you can't always get what you want, but if you try sometimes you just might find....... Elder Travis Jenson

Questions:
1. Why are you not allowed to do service other than teaching in your mission?

Because there are certain missionaries who like to talk with girls instead of work during the service projects.

2. Did all your pictures get stolen? Any special pictures that you want me to send? I'm mailing them today.

Yeah all my pictures got stolen but Scott said that you guys saved them all on the computer. Did you not? I´d like some pictures of scotts wedding.

3. The best thing that happened this week was?

2 baptisms.

4. Which General Authority have visited our mission?

Elder Cook and a few area seventies.

5. What 2 things do you like most about your mission president?

He´s funny and he knows a lot about the scriptures.