March 9, 2015

Another week down!  This one passed more quickly.  It was a toughie, too, but much better than the first!

It's raining like c-r-a-z-y here in Curitiba!  Haha but the work goes on.  This week was full of lots of doors, lots of contacts, and lots of prayer and fasting.  We met some good people this week that might have potential next week to come to church.  We were able to bring a nice, studious lady named M____ to church with us this Sunday.  She's the wife of a Recent Convert who was studying with Jehovah's Witnesses, but now is thinking that our church is the way to go.  She has been to church 3 times already, but the Sisters in the past offended her, and she stopped progressing.  We passed by there last week, and picked her back up!  She really likes us, and is a lot more open with us.  She's studying the Book of Mormon a lot and we'll be passing by each day this week to help her get baptized this Sunday or the next!  PRAY FOR HER, PLEASE!  She has a lot of doubts, but wants an answer.  I have a lot of faith that she will feel the truthfulness of the Restored Gospel through the Spirit.  I love how the Spirit works!

Looking forward to another week full of work and miracles!  We were praying and fasting a lot this week that we could have success in teaching and in bringing SOMEone to church.  Heavenly Father helped us out (as always!) and we are more hopeful and more grateful.

Here are some pictures! 

Get to know Elder Cruz dos Santos!  He's from Manaus (super north and hot part of Brazil) and is a silly goose... haha he's kinda crazy but it will be a good transfer.  He's very new and doesn't talk much with people, soooo it has been good Portuguese practice for me!

Our little house (or room that someone built behind their house to rent to the missionaries) is quite humble but good!  It has all the things we need (washing machine, microwave, and refrigerator!)

THERE ARE A LOT OF BUGS HERE!!  A huge 4 inch spider came crawling down to meet us during studies!  not fun!  Only Elder Cruz dos Santos had the guts to kill him for us... 

Pizza is a miracle from heaven!

Love you guys!

Jason

March 2, 2015

TRANSFERRED!  

Oh me oh my... what a CRAZY week!!!  It was a reeeeal whirlwind, and man... I'm pooped!

I was transferred to "Tarumã" - a suburb of Curitiba.  It's a nice area... a richish area... yikes!  Haha it is part of "Bairro Alto" which means "Tall town".  It is verrrrry hilly (which is good to get in better shape, right? :))  My new companion is Elder Cruz dos Santos - a new Brazilian!  He has 12 weeks on the mission, and is a funny little guy.  I HAD  a picture, but I left the card reader at home, so you'll have to wait until next week to see him and our area.

Holy moly... this area will be a trial, but it will all work out.  Our chapel is being reformed, so we have to take the bus to get to church (and to get people to church).  The Elder whose spot I took left no notes, no investigators... nothing to work with (and left the house a huge mess!)  We're basically starting from zero.  Which is good!  Change is always good.  Because we literally have nothing to work with here, we'll really have to rely on the Lord to help us, and show us where there are people who are waiting to be taught.

I have never knocked so many doors or made so many contacts in my life!  Our plan is to work work work work and pray pray pray pray and do our very best.  SOMEthing will go right, and Heavenly Father will bless us.

It was a tough week, but a good learning experience.  Pleeeease say a little prayer that this week will show a bit more promise.  I'm trying really hard to give my new companion good learning experiences here on the mission (teaching people, baptizing, etc.) but man oh man... we're needing some help!

This week being thrown into a tough situation, I've been praying much harder and studying more sincerely.  It has been a good learning experience for me to realize that Heavenly Father hears and answers all prayers, but in HIS time.  I think here in this area I'll learn a bit more patience. ;)  IT'S ALL GONNA WORK OUT!

Love forever, 

Jason

February 23, 2015

Crazy week!

TRANSFERS CAME!  I will be leaving Guabirotuba!!  It is happy and sad... 4 months passed quickly, but having one more new area will be another growing experience.   Tomorrow we'll have transfer meeting, and a lot of changes came this transfer, so we'll see where I end up going.  This morning, I took  Elder E. Silva to the airport with a few ward members to hug him goodbye and send him off.  I love that Elder!  I am so thankful for the time I was given to learn with him and serve with him.  

This week was mostly a week of goodbyes - as Elder E. Silva finished his mission and I will be leaving the area, too.  So many neat ward members and people here in the area.  I will miss it!

GUESS WHAT HAPPENED.  I put my memory card in the computer to send you pictures, AND THIS COMPUTER WITH VIRUSES DELETED ALL OF MY PICTURES FROM MY MISSION.  20 MONTHS OF MY LIFE ARE GONE!  I almost cried... Hopefully there will be some way to recover them when I get back to the states.  I already bought another card to use for these last 11 weeks.

Time is short!  But I love you all and hope you're all happy and safe.  I know that this gospel is real and true and blesses each one of us as we live it.  I KNOW that God hears our prayers and always answers even our silent pleas.

Have a wonderful week!

Love forever,
Jason

Photos!

- A HUGE PIZZA we ate to celebrate Elder E. Silva's 'death'

- Found a sketchy Chinese restaurant here in Curitiba with "sushi"

- Tchau Tchau, Elder E. Silva! 

February 9, 2015

What a crazy week!  but a good one.  Time is short today, so I'll try to be quick with the updates :)

- Time is FLYING BY SO FAST.  I can't believe it.  Because Elder E. Silva is "dying", we are going to the temple this Wednesday!  It will be so wonderful.  It's been 10 whole months since I've been able to go inside!  My soul is needing it.

- I____.... Haha was NOT baptized.  There is always something that comes up that keeps him back... so he'll definitely get baptized one day, but most likely in the temple ;)

- E____ is still firm as ever.  Her kids, C____ and G______ are going to EFY and are super excited.  She's rocking in her calling as the Gospel Principles class president, and is already sad that one day, we'll be leaving her.  She's already marked her date (one year from her confirmation) to be endowed, and loves loves loves church SO much.  It's so happy to work with her.  She had us over for a "Thank you" dinner (see photo)

- We were trying desperately to find someone to bring to church this week, and Saturday afternoon, we found an 18 year old boy named I___!  We found him, taught him, brought him to church, invited him to be baptized, and HE ACCEPTED!  Haha he's pretty quiet and always says "amen" after all the good things we say about Jesus... It's funny.  How cool would it be if he went on a mission next year?!  He'll be baptized this next Sunday.  Heavenly Father is SO GOOD!  ALWAYS!

I have been really trying to focus and take advantage of personal study each day, because it will be hard to keep it going after the mission, and Heavenly Father has been showing me all sorts of treasures in the Book of Mormon and Ensign. I love it!  This past week i was reading and re-reading a talk about personal prayer and how we can improve it each day, and wanted to share this clip:

"Prayer is an essential and enabling spiritual link between God and man. Without prayer, there is no possible return to the Father. Without prayer, sufficient faith to understand and keep the commandments is impossible. Without prayer, the necessary spiritual power to avoid temptation and overcome trials and adversity would be unavailable. Without prayer, repentance, forgiveness and the cleansing power of the Atonement are unattainable. With the power of personal prayer, all things are possible."

- "Improving Your Personal Prayers" Elder Kevin Pearson, Ensign June 2013

I love prayer! I know that there is real power in prayer. I am so thankful for a loving Heavenly Father who truly hears and answers each of His children.

Love forever,
Jason

Photos!

Had a bbq at our little house at the Chapel with some cool members.  

Hammocks are really good here. I'm going to buy a few and bring them back to the states for you!

"The Best" ;)

Dinner with E____ and part of her family.

February 2, 2015

Holy cow!  This week LITERALLY flew right by!  Sorry for not writing last week!  I had some catching up to do. 

Here are the latest updates in this part of the Lord's vineyard:

- I_____ (the seemingly crazy man we found 2 weeks ago) came to church again!  He loves church and felt the spirit.  We're going to try what we can to help him receive the ordinance of baptism this week!  He is such a sweet old man. Haha

- We were working with another man named L__... His life is in shambles and he is desperately trying to quit drinking and to change his life. I attached a photo of him now (slightly drunk and unhappy in life) and I want to attach a photo of him when he is confirmed a member of the church in a shirt and tie so you can see the difference!  It will be a while from now (he's traveling in another state for 15 days) but if I'm still in the area when he gets back, his life will change.

- An ELECT lady made a contact with us, asking to be baptized!!  WHAT?! That never ever happens.  NEVER. Haha C_____ has already been to church many times, but has to get married. She wants to get married so she can get baptized (and just moved yesterday even closer to the church and the courthouse... haha Heavenly Father is good like that)  We'll be working closely with her these coming weeks.

- I GOT MY TRUNKY CALL!!!!  The mission secretaries called me and when I picked up the phone, they were singing "God Be With You Til We Meet Again"... then they asked which airport was closest to my house so they could buy my ticket... I can't believe the time is coming!

Life is good. The church is TRUE!  Miracles happen.  As I study the scriptures each day, gospel truths are becoming clearer and clearer.  I love it!  It all makes sense.  His plan is perfect!

Have a wonderful week!

Love forever,
Jason

Photos: 

- L__ and I (the man who is desperately trying to quit drinking)

- Me with a "Jason" mask... whenever I tell people my name is Jason, they just think of the Jason from that horror movie with the guy and the chainsaw, whose name was Jason... Found a kid on the street with his mask, so I had to take a picture!

January 19, 2015

Another week flew right by!  Wow.. before we know it it will be FEBUARY already!  Crazy!

This week was a toughie, but it was good.  Still no luck with L____ - E____'s daughter... We taught her and invited her to be baptized, but she thinks it's still too soon.  Poor thing, she came here to Curitiba from São Paulo to escape an abusive husband.  She's looking for a job, and is having to re-adjust to so many things!  I'm sure she'll accept the Lord's invitation in the near future.  We just have to help her with her current situation first.

This week I had a cool moment.  When I was set apart as a missionary, I remember specifically a part of the blessing that said I would "be blessed with the courage to approach and talk to those whom I would normally pass by"... that part of my blessing has stuck with me, and this week, I had that experience!  We were knocking doors one hot, sunny, afternoon, and there was a shirtless older man who looked a little crazy and annoyed with us sitting under the shade in front of his house.  I started to pass by him to knock a different house when the spirit told me to go back and talk to him.  I did!  His name is I_____ and I'm pretty sure he might be an elect of the Lord.  We brought him to church this week, and he loved it.  We'll be going back tonight to teach and invite him to be baptized.  I'm not sure where it will go - maybe just another seed planted - but it was a little experience that strengthened my testimony of the Spirit.  

I love the Gospel!  It is TRUE.

"Pray always, that you may come off conqueror; yea, that you may conquer Satan, and that you may escape the hands of the servants of Satan that do uphold his work." D&C 10:5

Love this scripture!  I know there is true power to overcome all things, in prayer.

Love forever,
Jason

Photos!

- The money here in Brazil is colorful

- Let freedom (and the Gospel) ring!

January 12, 2015

What a week!

GOOD NEWS!! Transfers came and went, and I'll be staying here in Guabirotuba with Elder E. Silva!!  It was exactly what I was praying for!  Such a tender mercy.  It will be a fun transfer.

Things are going well here.  It is getting HOT HOT HOT... I am always sweating buckets and my sunscreen isn't working too well, but life is good and the work is progressing.

This week was a special one because dear E____ received a calling, her son, C____, received the Aaronic Priesthood, and we were able to take their sweet family to the temple.  Gosh, it was such a good experience...  No joy compares with seeing the sweet people progress in the gospel.  I almost cried when the Bishop set E_____ apart in her new calling, and C____ received the priesthood.  The gospel has changed their family sooooooooomuch and brought their family so much joy.  They loved the temple, and are already making goals to enter.  So good!

This Sunday, K_____ was also confirmed, and ANOTHER daughter of E_____ moved in... wooo!  She came to church and liked it and we'll be working with her to get her baptized and on the path, too.

I have been so overwhelmed with gratitude these past few days.  Heavenly Father has truly been helping us and carrying us SO much these past few weeks.  It has made me realize just how dependant each and every one of us truly are on His mercy, grace, and love.  It has shown me that when we do our best to do His will, things go right, and we become happier.

I hope you all have a wonderful week, and stay warm!  If I could give you some of the heat from here, I'd give it.. snow would be nice!

Love forever,
Jason

PHOTOS:

- The big buses here in Curitiba!  

- Me and Elder E. Silva trying to snap some "selfies" at the temple... didn't work out too well... Haha