Travis got transferred back to his 1st area

Hello Everybody,

You guys aren´t going to believe this. I was transferred and you wont believe to
where. Jardim Veneza, my first area where I spent almost 7 months. Yeah, I didn't
believe it either. It will be crazy to go back there and see all the people that
I baptized and all the other members. It´s a good thing that I liked that area. So I
will be returning there but it will be a little different this time because I'm
district leader but we´ll see how it goes. My new companion is Elder R. Nielsen,
he´s a large white missionary from Utah. I don't really know him that well yet so
I´ll have to include more details later. I´m sad to leave Canguaretama, it was
really really good there. The members there looove the missionaries. They love
the missionaries too in Jardim Veneza and I´ll have a great time there.
To be honest I was going a little bit crazy with Elder Gama so it will be good
to have a change.

Well in a little while I´ll complete 1 year in the mission! So far it's going
good. I´ll have to work really hard to have success in this area but it will be
good.

Well I just got done traveling and I'm tired so I'm going to grab my companion
grab a bus and go to our area. Have a great week everyone. It would be good to
hear from my brothers if you guys get the chance.

Questions:
1. How do you feel about us selling the house? (be honest)
Hey at least you let me know beforehand. It could have been like the RM where he 
shows up at his house and his family doesn't live there anymore. I trust in you 
guys, if you felt that it was the right thing to do then I´m happy.

2. Have you been getting a lot of rain?
Yeah it´s been raining a lot lately, it usually rains in the morning and is 
sunny in the afternoon.

3. 2 good things about your companion
Well I was transferred so from what I know about Elder R. Nielsen so far he is 
humble and likes to joke around.

4. Do you think you mission president is strict and if so give me a couple of
examples.
He is very strict. If he hears your name and the word girl in the same sentence 
he´ll give you a nice little phone call. Honestly, in a lot of ways pres. 
Fernandes reminds me of dad, he looks stricter than he is and he likes to joke 
around. 

5. The more we rely on the Savior the closer we become to him. Tell and example
when you relied on the Lord.
Every day there are times when I don't know what to say to an investigator or 
what to do. Last week I talked about a man who I taught that stopped 
investigating the church. I knew that he could be a great member of the church 
and that he would be baptized but I didn't know how because he didn't want to talk 
to us. I prayed for him every night during the week and Sunday he showed up at 
church and said that he wanted to be baptized. Unfortunately I won't be there to 
baptize him.

Travis's Email July 13, 2009

Hello,

I’ll say the same thing about this week that missionaries say when they don't want to tell a member that they didn't like the food, it was interesting....This week was a little tough. A man that we had been teaching who I thought for sure would be baptized and one day become a bishop stopped investigating the church. He was tricked by one of the many false doctrines that exist here in northeastern Brazil. He told us that all of the churches are true even though they weren't organized by Christ. He also said that anyone who’s invokes the name of God has authority. I had to tell him very bluntly that he had been deceived. That God does not act that way, that there is only one path that leads to eternal life and few people find this path. Unfortunately, the evangelical churches have screamed in the ears of the people that God is a mysterious great spirit who will save all of us because we’re helpless sinners and that we just have to have faith. But this type of faith is an imaginary concept that can make you talk gibberish and fall on the ground if you believe.

It’s sad to see that so many people profess to follow Christ and that they love his gospel but when we, his servants, invite them to change their lives it’s irrelevant, unnecessary to them. When the scriptures teach that Satan will have a great influence on the hearts of the people it’s true, but I also know who will win this battle.

I’ll stop venting now. This week also had some really good moments. We’re having a lot of success and baptizing weekly here. This week several young men told us when they grow up they want to be exactly like us missionaries. Moments like that help me realize that everything we do as missionaries affects the members and the people here.

I found out the other day that there is a beach about ten minutes from the city here and it´s part of our area so we’re going to go check it out. Hopefully I will be able to resist the temptation to jump in the ocean.

Have a great week everyone. Don’t forget to read the scriptures and put your life into perspective daily.

`our foes have rejoiced when our sorrows they’ve seen but the hour of redemption is near`

Só batiza.
Elder Jenson

Hey,

This week was a little hectic. Wednesday afternoon I was walking down this street with my companion, Elder Parrella. Then the cell phone rang and it was President Fernandes saying that my companion was being transferred and that he would leave the area as soon as possible. And thus ended the story with me and Elder Parrella, he went to work in the mission office. So I spent a day with a member and then the next day my companion, Elder Gama, arrived. If you want to know what Elder Gama is like, just picture a loud latino guy who likes to dance salsa and other latin dances. When they say that latinos are passionate they aren´t kidding, this guy is pretty wild but its fun. He's really passionate about the mission.

Yesterday, President Fernandes appeared out of nowhere and attended sacrament meeting in our branch. Yeah, it was stressful but thats how it goes. He decided to stay for our baptismal meeting. We (Elders) had done all of our baptisms Saturday so Sunday was the sisters´ baptism and everything went wrong. I had a member baptize a 9 year old girl and he said the prayer wrong and when she went under the water she breathed in some water. So the member needed to baptize her again but she was scared and said she didn't want to be baptized anymore. So yesterday was the first time that I saw someone enter and leave the baptismal font without being baptized. A bunch of crazy stuff like that happened this week. We´re teaching a family that lives out in the middle of nowhere, in a sugar cane field and yesterday when we stopped by to take them to church the lady had been drinking (they were having a party) and suddenly she felt like shouting to everyone in the house that I had never know a woman(in the biblical sense). That was interesting... Anyway, I probably should write more uplifting things to you guys.

It's amazing to see how much the church has grown in this small city in just one year. I don´t know why but the Lord has prepared the hearts of the people in northeastern brazil. It´s great to be in a mission where I can baptize almost every week and teach people that believe so easily in what we teach.

Have a great week everyone, happy 4th of July!

Elder Travis Jenson

Questions:

1. Did you get your package yet?
Yeah and it was awesome. I loved the pictures and the ties and especially the chocolate!

2. What's the hardest thing about being a District leader?
Helping the sister missionaries. you have to work in a way that is completely different than when you work with elders.

3. What are some of the responsibilities of a District leader?
Be an example, do baptismal interviews, conduct district meetings, help the missionaries in the district, etc.

4. When are transfers?( they seem to come so quickly)
We had an emergency transfer this week. The actual transfer will be in 2 weeks.

5. When you have given a talk in church what did you talk about?
Baptism, missionary work, faith, repentance, whatever i feel like talking about.

6. The coolest thing about the area your in right now?
The branch president is exciting and willing to work and we are having a lot of success.