Travis's Email Jan 26, 2010

Hey mom,
I counted and it looks like I will be going home in the end of July. On the 28th or 29th I think. A missionary had told me that it would be earlier but he was wrong.

Hey everybody,
I’m not sure where I left off in the other email.. Last week we had mission conference in the cities Mossoró, Natal, and João Pessoa. That means that we had to travel. Usually the assistants travel in the mission president’s car but he decided to take his whole family with him so we went by bus. It was pretty funny in Mossoro because we slept in the house of the missionaries there along with the president and his entire family. Mossoro is one of the hottest areas and it was pretty hot inside that house but we had a fun time and the conference went well. Me and the other assistant Elder Gardner talked about the fourth chapter of preach my gospel that talks about following the Spirit and President Fernandes talked about how we are all Sheppard’s and how we need to feed the Lord’s sheep if we love Him.

The conferences in Natal and Joao Pessoa also went very well. Last week in our area we helped a family return to church that had been inactive for about 6 years and we baptized their 13 year old son. The parents loved the baptism.

This week we baptized the 75 year old mom of the first counselor in the bishopric. He had been waiting more than 20 years for that to happen. She always said that when God called she would be baptized and when we showed up and said that in the name of Jesus Christ we were inviting here to be baptized she accepted.

Things in the ward are good. The members are way more excited, there are some members that help us out more that any other members I've seen in the mission.

Well things are good, have a great week everyone.

I attached a picture of a beach here in Joao Pessoa. Yeah I photo shopped it a little bit. Enjoy!

-Elder Jenson

Questions:
1. The three best things this week were?
Last week we went to the mall, slept in a high rise apartment close to the ocean and we baptized the first counselor in the bishopric’s mother.
2. The hardest thing this week was?
...
3. If you sleep in different places do you have to carry your suitcase with you?

We take our backpacks with us.

4. Does some one still wash your white shirts for you?

Nobody ever washed my shirts for me I always washed them.

5. The best thing about your new area is?

For a long time there were only 2 missionaries in the area and there are 2 wards there so we have a lot of people to teach and the members are excited because there are more missionaries.

6. How is the ward? How long has it been a ward? How many members? What is the bishop like?

The area presidency asked President Fernandez to help this stake because it has a lot of problems but really it’s not that bad, it something that can be fixed real quickly with some hard work. It’s a really old ward but the attendance in sacrament meeting is about 60 people. The bishop is really humble. In fact I think he’s out of a job right now. He trusts us so I think we will have a good time working together.

Love ya a lot Mom

P.S. I attached a picture of me with some people that I baptized, in the high-rise apartment, with the first counselor in the mission presidency’s family, in the front of a catholic church and with pres Fernandez who was going fishing.

Travis's Email Jan 19, 2010

Alright you guys, this week was crazy. So crazy that I only have about 30 seconds to write, sorry. We have to grab a bus right now to go eat dinner with Pres. Fernandes and his family.

We are traveling this week to have conferences with the missionaries, it’s pretty hectic. Last night we slept in a missionary’s house along with the president and his entire family. We ate frozen pizza and fried chicken, it was pretty funny.

Things are going great; I’m having a lot of fun.

I really liked the news about Max´s baptism. I loooove baptisms, it’s my favorite thing. I’ll have to find some time to write you guys a little bit later in the week.

I love you guys!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Travis's Email Jan 13, 2010

HELLO,

This week was pretty hectic. A week ago I was in parnamirim and everything was so calm and in a matter of a few days I was running around Joao Pessoa, in the airport picking up missionaries, in the mission office working on the computer, having to sleep in the presidents house because we were passing the transfers, working in my area trying to find people to baptize. This week was pretty cool. I think the highlight was when we went to the airport to pick up the new missionaries. It seemed like so long ago when I arrived in the mission. We helped the missionaries get situated, talk a little about the mission rules and what is expected of them and then sent them off to their areas. I don't know how it is in other missions but the assistants in this mission work a lot in their area. This week I worked in the area from Thursday until Sunday. We are working in an area where we are trying to strengthen a stake that has a lot of problems. So far I'm really liking the area, ironically its really close to the area where I spent a lot of my mission. Me and the other assistant, we have junior companions, my junior companion is Elder Dorneles, he is from southern Brazil. He works in the area when I'm not there. He's really humble and works hard. I´m going to take some time send some pictures to you guys, I'll send more details about my hectic life here. Today is P-day and I think I will be spending it working here in the mission office.

Elder Jenson

Travis's Email Jan 6, 2010

Hey Everyone, 

Monday morning I was in my apartment at about 10:00 

am when the cell phone rang. It was President 

Fernandes and he wanted to talk to me. I don’t know 

how it is in other missions but here when the 

mission president calls it’s rarely a good thing. I 

answered, he asked me a few questions, and then 

broke the news. He said, “Elder, you are being 

called to be Assistant to the President.” 

I said, are you sure? He said yes, grab a bus and 

come here as soon as possible. And so I went. 

So it’s pretty good being an assistant to the 

president. The best part is working close to the 

President and learning with him. He has many 

qualities that I want to develop in my own life 

and I know that he receives revelation to guide 

this mission. 

Yesterday was awesome! We went to the airport 

to pick up the new missionaries. I remembered the 

day that I arrived in the mission and it was cool 

to be able to receive the new missionaries and 

make them feel welcome. 

My companion, the other assistant, is Elder Gardner 

who is from Washington D.C. I’m going to have to 

learn a lot of things with him, and fast because 

this is his last transfer. 

When I started my mission I saw the Assistants to 

the President as semi-gods and now that I’m in 

their place I see that they were normal 

missionaries just like me. The responsibilities 

are just a little different. I also realize that 

many of the changes and things that have occurred 

in my mission occurred very subtly. It’s safe to 

say that the life I have here is more complicated, 

my cell phone is constantly ringing, since I started 

writing this email it already rang 4 or 5 times. 

It’s a great opportunity to serve and learn; it’s 

also very overwhelming. 

I’m praying a lot and working hard so I hope that’s 

enough. Our work schedule is basically the same as 

any other mission but I think once or twice a week 

we will have to work with President Ferndandes. It 

should be interesting; I’ll give you guys some more 

details later. 

I hope everything is great with you guys, have an

awesome week! 

-Elder Jenson 

Travis Pics

Travis's New Year email Jan 2010

Hey mom here´s some news, I found out that the day 

that I will be going home will probably be July 

15th so you can make plans for around that date. 

Hello, 

First of all, Happy 2010 to everyone. My new year 

here in Parnamirim was good, it was surprisingly 

quiet because everyone went to the parties that 

they had on the beach. We spent the new year at 

home eating the spaghetti with sausage that one of 

the missionaries made. Yesterday we worked as 

normal and then when we got home we ate and stayed 

up to watch some fire works. It was a good new 

years. 

It's crazy to think that I spent all of 2009 here 

in the mission field and its also crazy to think 

that I will be going home this year! (not to sound 

trunky or anything) 2009 was probably the best year 

of my life and I’m sure 2010 will be better. It’s 

just like a story that Joel Biggs told me and the 

young men about a guy in his mission that said that 

every day was the best day of his life. I’m happy to 

be where I am right now. 

Alright well I’m out of time. I hope that everyone 

can make goals to have a better year. I know I’m 

going to! 

-Elder Jenson