Travis's Email Feb 22, 2010

Hey Mom,

A beach trip from the 1st to the 8th sounds awesome. I’ll be home in time to catch the trip. I should be getting home on July 28th at the latest. Do you think I’m slacking off with the mission rules because I went to the beach? Don’t worry I went with Pres. and Sister Fernandez.

I look forward to receiving the DVD with the videos.

Hey Family and Friends,

I spent this week working hard, suffering a bunch, and learning even more. Yeah I won’t lie to you guys I suffered quite a bit this week. Something that might seem strange to you guys is that if a missionary here goes 2 or 3 weeks without baptizing there’s something wrong going on. This week was tough because the stepdad of the girl that we were preparing to be baptized got a little bent out of shape when he arrived from a trip and saw us teach the girl and her mom on their front porch. He prohibited her from investigating the church. We worked a lot this week with 2 families that were an answer to our prayers and they seemed like they had been prepared by the Lord but they didn’t go to church and are losing interest. A lot of times these things aren’t the hard part but trying to figure out the lesson to be learned is quite perplexing. I’ll just keep working hard and doing my part.

A funny thing from this week was yesterday at church when the elderly lady that we baptized out of nowhere stood up in the middle of the gospel principles class and gave a 10 minute testimony about her conversion story. it was cool and funny at the same time.

Today is P-day and I’m in the mission office helping out Pres. Fernandez. In 2 weeks we’re going to start travelling again to do zone conferences and interviews.

Well, I love you guys. I got to go, there’s a bunch of stuff I need to do here in the mission office. See Ya. Let me know if there’s any kind of news that you’d like to receive.

Elder Jenson

Questions:

1. Tell us three things about your new companion.

Elder Jones is from Texas; his dad was a mission president here in Brazil about 15 years ago, he’s probably the most highly respected missionary in the mission.

2. What was the funniest thing you did this week?

Funniest thing i did this week? I don’t know, we’re putting together a video today with a bunch of pictures that the missionaries sent us. There’s a bunch of funny pictures like these ones that I attached.

3. What is your apartment like?

My apartment is pretty cool; it has crown molding and recessed lighting. Some missionaries say that its the nicest apartment that there is in the mission.

4. What dinner do you enjoy cooking?

That I enjoy cooking? That’s tough. Usually for dinner I buy bread and lunch meat from the local bakery. its fast and easy. Sometimes I make spaghetti, sometimes I make soup. I eat a lot at lunch time so I usually don’t eat very much at night.

5. How far is the temple from your area? Do very many members attend?

The temple is about 2 and a half hour from Joao Pessoa. Once a month there is a caravan to the temple and in the ward where I’m serving I think about 10 members go. In other wards more people go.

Big Big Jenson Family News!

Dear Friends and Family, We have 2 big announcements!

First: Our son Scott and his wife Jenny are expecting a baby! This will be our 11th grandchild. We are way excited about that and we look forward to the arrival around October November time frame.

Second: Our Oldest son Nathan is engaged!! Yes, we were beginning to think it would never happen but he has met a wonderful, beautiful girl, Carissa LaFevers, and we are very very happy for them.

Please join us in congratulating Nate, Carissa, Scott and Jenny!


Congratulations! We Love You!!

Travis's Email Feb 17, 2010

HELLO,

Hey guys how’s it going? Good I hope. This week has been hectic for me. Last week I worked the whole week in proselyting area. It was carnival week so it was a little crazy but not bad. All of the parties were on the beach, far away from us. The only craziness that we saw was a little tradition that the kids do. They get a group together; one of them dresses up like a bear and the march in the streets beating on homemade drums. It’s pretty funny.

So the work in the area this week was kind of nuts. We taught a ton of people that agreed to be baptized but we find out later that they were just being dishonest. But that’s part of the work. At the same time we have a couple of families that we are preparing to get BAPTIZED.

We had a cool experience this week. There is a guy from the ward who works at the local hospital and he gave us a guy’s address that I’m pretty sure the member thought he was possessed. We went there and it turns out that he has epilepsy. We did what we do as missionaries and until now he hasn’t had any health problems and he and his family went to church Sunday. We’re going to help him and his wife get married so they can be baptized.

Yesterday we received 18 new missionaries and one of them is Chris Dellrie from the constellation ward. He’s extremely excited about the mission and he already speaks Portuguese really well, much better than I did when I arrived. It was cool talking to him a little about Gilbert and about the mission.

So Elder Gardner, the other assistant will be going home tomorrow, the new assistant, elder Jones, already arrived and we prepared all the stuff for the new missionaries. It was hectic but we managed to get it all done. Right now we are in the bus station organizing the transfers and I’m almost falling asleep here writing this letter.

 Alright so this week was awesome the next one should be even better, I’ll send you guys some cool pictures next week ok?

I love you guys! Congrats to those who had a birthday sorry I forgot. I had forgotten mine until mom reminded me in her email. Congrats to Scott and Jenny for the surprise, Jenny will have a big belly when I get home and Nate, whoa man that was unexpected. Congrats.

 ELDER JENSON

1. The best thing this week was?

   18 new missionaries arrived. One of them is Chris Dellrie from the constellation ward. Its always fun receiving new missionaries in the airport its fun seeing the reaction on their faces. I took some pictures but I don’t have my camera with me.

2. What new thing did you learn this week?

Among other things, I learned that eating food in the bus station is a bad idea.  No I didn’t get sick but Sister Fernandez gave me a talking to. It was cool this week talking to the new missionaries and seeing their expectations and their worries about the mission. 

3. How hot was the hottest day this last week?

I don’t know, probably about 90 degrees with 2,0000% humidity.

4. What is your favorite drink?

Whatever fruit juice is available. Graviola juice, Caja juice, acerola, mangaba, grape juice with milk, etc.

5. What is your favorite scripture this week?

 I’m not sure which one it is but I think its Psalm 27. “The Lord is my light and my salvation whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?”

Travis's Email Feb 17, 2010

HELLO,

Hey guys how’s it going? Good I hope. This week has been hectic for me. Last week I worked the whole week in proselyting area. It was carnival week so it was a little crazy but not bad. All of the parties were on the beach, far away from us. The only craziness that we saw was a little tradition that the kids do. They get a group together; one of them dresses up like a bear and the march in the streets beating on homemade drums. It’s pretty funny.

So the work in the area this week was kind of nuts. We taught a ton of people that agreed to be baptized but we find out later that they were just being dishonest. But that’s part of the work. At the same time we have a couple of families that we are preparing to get BAPTIZED.

We had a cool experience this week. There is a guy from the ward who works at the local hospital and he gave us a guy’s address that I’m pretty sure the member thought he was possessed. We went there and it turns out that he has epilepsy. We did what we do as missionaries and until now he hasn’t had any health problems and he and his family went to church Sunday. We’re going to help him and his wife get married so they can be baptized.

Yesterday we received 18 new missionaries and one of them is Chris Dellrie from the constellation ward. He’s extremely excited about the mission and he already speaks Portuguese really well, much better than I did when I arrived. It was cool talking to him a little about Gilbert and about the mission.

So Elder Gardner, the other assistant will be going home tomorrow, the new assistant, elder Jones, already arrived and we prepared all the stuff for the new missionaries. It was hectic but we managed to get it all done. Right now we are in the bus station organizing the transfers and I’m almost falling asleep here writing this letter.

 Alright so this week was awesome the next one should be even better, I’ll send you guys some cool pictures next week ok?

I love you guys! Congrats to those who had a birthday sorry I forgot. I had forgotten mine until mom reminded me in her email. Congrats to Scott and Jenny for the surprise, Jenny will have a big belly when I get home and Nate, whoa man that was unexpected. Congrats.

 ELDER JENSON

1. The best thing this week was?

   18 new missionaries arrived. One of them is Chris Dellrie from the constellation ward. Its always fun receiving new missionaries in the airport its fun seeing the reaction on their faces. I took some pictures but I don’t have my camera with me.

2. What new thing did you learn this week?

Among other things, I learned that eating food in the bus station is a bad idea.  No I didn’t get sick but Sister Fernandez gave me a talking to. It was cool this week talking to the new missionaries and seeing their expectations and their worries about the mission. 

3. How hot was the hottest day this last week?

I don’t know, probably about 90 degrees with 2,0000% humidity.

4. What is your favorite drink?

Whatever fruit juice is available. Graviola juice, Caja juice, acerola, mangaba, grape juice with milk, etc.

5. What is your favorite scripture this week?

 I’m not sure which one it is but I think its Psalm 27. “The Lord is my light and my salvation whom shall I fear? The Lord is the strength of my life; of whom shall I be afraid?”

Travis's Email Feb 9, 2010

Hey mom, how’s it going?

Things are good here, this week was pretty cool. I did a lot of travelling just like you and dad but I think that the beaches I visited are more beautiful! By now I’m sure you already picked out the paint colors and everything for the house, I’m sure its going well. Hey next week Chris del Rey from the Constellation ward will be arriving and I’ll be there in the airport when he arrives.

Hey Everybody,

Last week I went to Natal with President and Sister Fernandez and Elder Gardner to do interviews. We went in the president’s car and it was a good opportunity for us to converse and get to know them better. They really really do care about the missionaries and they work hard to help them.

We also did interviews here in Joao Pessoa and in Campina Grande. My favorite part was when we visited Campina Grande because we went to a neighboring city called Esperance where President Fernandez is thinking about opening a branch. He said he will probably open the area not this transfer but the next and he said that he wants me to open the area! So I will be the first missionary to work in a city where the missionaries have never set foot! Just in case you guys didn’t know that’s the biggest dream of every missionary - work in a place where the people haven’t heard the gospel. It was also cool eating in cool restaurants and going to shopping malls with the president.

The bad part was that I didn’t get to work in my area very much. We are working with 3 really cool families. We are working with a couple named Claudia and Sandro and we are also teaching Claudia’s parents and they have a baptismal date marked. We are also working to reactivate a few families where the father isn’t baptized. Unfortunately this takes a little work and a little time.

Well this week is the last week of the transfer. The other assistant, elder Gardner will be ending his mission and the next assistant will be elder Jones. That’s pretty much all I’ve got for now. I’ve learned a lot these last few weeks. something that I already knew became more clear for me this week- for a missionary to be successful he needs just three things- faith, worthiness, and hard work. If a missionary has this then he’ll be successful. The church is true!

Elder Jenson