No road names and marriage???

Hello Family

Well hey how are you doing? Well, in Sousa the streets are not really marked, so I don’t have an address. Kind of odd I know, but it’s just the way it is. To fill out the records for our investigators is kind of hard because of no street address. We either have to describe the house and in what area, or guess on the address, or what the investigator tells us what the address is. No big issue, but it could be in the long run lol.

Well anyways, I found this name card inside of my apartment. This card is super cool and I would want cards just like this. I will attach photos of the card. And at the end of the email I will describe the backside of the card. anyways, I have decided that after each area and with each SD card I will send pictures back home, and also on the SD card I will send a video of me and how I am doing and new things, and also you will be able to see my tan.

Well, some other new things is that on Saturday I went back to Pau dos Ferros, and this time I brought mosquito repellent, so I did not receive any new bug bites. I am super happy because of that. On Sunday we ended up having, or well just my companion and I had a total of 8 people come to church on Sunday. This was pretty awesome I know. We have two meeting times on Sunday, so I just add up everyone that came to each.

Another thing that I find awesome is my weight. I figured it out in pounds, 

So when I started the mission I was 230 lbs. and now I weigh 193 lbs. Super Awesome. I weighed myself and I am 92 kilos. I was pretty excited when I finished the math in pounds. I didn’t realize that 12 kilos is like 37 pounds.

The mail again...the mail only comes once a month, so if you want the package to get to me in June, then you will have to send it by next week, and if you are doing everything on the list, could you make sure that "Clare de Lune" by Debussy is on the thumb drive. Thumb drives here work the best for music because of the type of stereo systems they have here.

There was recently an American Missionary who finished his mission in January, and he came to Sousa to pick up his future wife. Anyways, the fiancé has a sister who wants to marry an American as well, and I am the only American here. This was a little frightening to know, because this is my first area, and I wasn’t really planning on trying to find my wife on the mission!!! Especially in Sousa. Well she is very cute and 18, but good news is that I am not really attracted to her. So I am not thinking about marrying this one. Lol Hahaha.

I did find out that in Natal where it is a little cooler is only cooler because it has a lot of wind, but the actual tempature is the same as sousa. about 100 degrees f.  Natal is supposed to be the nicest area in my mission.

The card... Elder Adam D. Jensen

Missão Brasil João Pessoa

2012-2014

R. Deputado José Mariz, #515 

João Pessoa, PB 58042-020 

adj1991@myldsmail.net 

I love you so much. I was going to say something else but I forgot, anyways I have to go now. I love you so much and I am happy and love this family so much.    Love elder adam jensen

I don't think I will ever forget bug spray again!

April 23rd 2012

Helllllloooooo Family and friends!

Well, last week on Thursday we went to a place called Pau dos Ferros, because there are some people there that needed to be taught. They don’t have a chapel or anything, so if they want to be baptized, they have to come to Sousa. Anyway 3 families from there should be getting baptized on the 29th. While I was there, we slept in hammocks and I forgot insect repellent, so I ended up waking up, getting in the taxi, and going back to Sousa, and went to go to the bathroom, and what do I find.....bug bites everywhere! I counted on my arms and legs, 106 bug bites,  that is not including my face or neck!!  On my face or neck there has to be at least another 45 bug bites. I look like I have a ton of acne because of the bug bites, They are going down, and not looking too gross. I don’t itch that much anymore either. I will remember bug spray next time!!

Oh and some other things, is my weight. Next week I will tell you what it is, but if you didn’t know I was my heaviest when I was in the CTM,   I weighed 104 kg. that is 227 pounds!!!  I know I weigh at least 200 by now, but I will be sure next week. When I show people a picture of me when I was set apart, they say I look a lot skinnier. I think they are right.

Hmmmm some other things....our washer is broken!  I mean the washer washes the clothes, but the water doesn’t drain out or rinse them, so after washing we either have to rinse them or we just hand wash the whole load,  not a big deal, but annoying!  Except due to the washer I realized that I suck at hand washing clothes. I know I will get better at it. Next month Sister Hall is bringing us a new one, so I am not worried that much.

My companion and I will start an English class soon for members and potential investigators. my companion speaks pretty good English,  he has only been out a year, and has only learned English on the mission. Pretty crazy I know. 

Yesterday on Sunday I was at 3 baptisms. My companion baptized one, a member baptized a woman, and I baptized a man. It was pretty cool and scary, but I know it won’t be the last, especially in Sousa. My first baptisms that I have ever done were in Portuguese,  that I think is the crazy part. The hardest part about baptizing in Portuguese is saying there name.

Something else that is funny, is that Sousa is kind of like Ephrata, like how it’s a random town, and no one really knows about the city. (The funny thing about it is that the other Elders (Zone Leaders) I live with say that in Sousa is where you see the cutest girls. Hilarious because they have been to João Pessoa, and Campina Grade, and Natal.

Oh well not a big deal, I just find it funny. When I leave an area, I will just send an SD card home of that area, I promise!   We are currently only receiving mail once a month, and since there were none when I arrived in Joao Pessoa, I have to wait until next month for all of my mail.

Anyway, if you would like to send me a care package this is what I would like:

Care package:

-gold bond cream

-copy of my patriarchal blessing (I forgot it)

-2 SD cards. one with a video from home, like individual videos of each of the family members

-another pair of the dr.sholls gel insoles, or cheaper ones

-some reeses peanut butter cups

-either symphony bar, the almond toffee one, or a special dark Hershey’s bar

-a flash drive with music from tabernacle choir, classical music, and EFY music from youth.lds.org

-photos

what photos to take and grab to send to me?

the house, like from the street

the kitchen, living room, dining room area upstairs

the cop car

dad in his uniform

the truck

Gavin and Lindsey

the beach and water

eagles

Dillon and Chester (miss my dogs)

maybe some pictures of camping

Nic's plays if possible

Nic by himself

Sean by himself

Gavin by himself

crab, and crabbing

my guns. dad has the keys

snow, and when it is snowing or was snowing

any other fun pictures from family events or other family

and some childhood pictures

and maybe the outside of the church

anyway, I love you a lot

elder adam jensen

Well I have to get off now, just have to send a letter to President Hall.  Sorry, I had a lot of emails this time for some reason. I guess people love me lol.   I am doing amazing.  Anyway I love you a lot too, and I will send letters when I receive them next month lol

love elder adam jensen

tcheu tcheu até proximo semana (until next week)

Hey, how is everyone doing?    Today is my actual p-day. I think my companion and I will be on the computer at the same time every Monday, so it is about 10:40 a.m. here, so minus 5 hours for back home and that's when I will be on. (Adam and I were again able to kind of instand message again today:)

 

Hmmm, somethings that are new....in Sousa, or well in a lot of parts of Brazil I found out that it is true that we throw away the toilet paper, not flush it. The toilets just are not made to do something such as flushing paper. At the CTM in Sao Paolo the toilets were able to, I guess the toilets that do are very expensive here, so not very many places has them. The chapel however does... The chapel here is two floors. The classrooms are on the bottom floor and the Sacrament meeting is upstairs, they do have an elevator , just in case of handicapped people, but the elevator is broken. 

 

On my next email I will send some pictures I took today. There are not that many; I've also included some pictures that I took while at the CTM.

 

These computers are pretty slow lol. Hopefully it works.Oh and I will be in Sousa for 12 weeks, so count eleven weeks from now and that will be my first actual transfer because I could be leaving Sousa. My companion is the District Leader, and the other two Elders are the Zone Leaders. except we never have a zone meeting out here because it would cost too much money. Our zone is gigantic. I think our zone consists of 5 hours on a bus. All the Missionaries in the middle of nowhere haha!  We were supposed to get money today, but the money is not in the bank for some reason that we don't know. Maybe later it will be in there. 

We have 6 new investigators and this week we're teaching them all, and hopefully by not this Sunday, but next,  they will be baptized. It is honestly that easy here; except not for me because my Portuguese sucks. Oh,  and there is a Senior couple here that are Missionaries, and guess what?? They speak English!!!  So, if I need anything I am in good hands -  all because of English!!  So, each day I am understanding more and more, but I am not speaking as much as I should in Portuguese. That is one of my goals. to really force myself to speak Portuguese as much as I can.

 

Another thing, I found out how much a new Camaro costs in Brazil, something like 185,000 reals,  that is like 90 something thousand dollars, or close to $100,000 lol,  totally sucks!  It's kind of funny here, because were not in summer, but if you can take all the hot days of  Washington, and picture that every single day, that is exactly what Sousa is like!!  I sweat too much, but the hankerchiefs are coming in handy,  maybe a little too much. I just popped, or fixed the two blisters I have on my feet,  the blisters are small but they still suck all the same. We walk a lot, so when in doubt, protect your feet as much as possible.

 Our area is huge. we probably walk a good....at least over 10 miles in just one part of the area in half the day. Something else that is different here... is that at noon we come back inside until 2:30pm because the sun is too strong and no one is outside at that time. I find it kind of crazy, but its nice to have a midday nap.

There is one thing that you could do, is to send recipes for desserts. There are some sisters in the area that want to cook American desserts because I am here -  lol. Thats really all that is needed to be sent. Yeah Sousa does remind me of Malaysia a lot, or of what I remember of Malaysia. We have a dinner calendar, but it's not dinner, it is a lunch calendar. Our dinners are either a hit or a miss, depending on how much money we have.  Except every Sunday we have a dinner planned, so pretty awesome there!!.

Next week I can send picture of the Temples that I have been to. Wow I did not hear that Howard went to Iowa. Oh and yeah I think it is 80 something degrees today or maybe 90 right now!!

OK well hopefuly your on, and I can email back again soon!   I dont know.  OK well I have to go now. I love you alot and no I haven't heard from anyone else!!!!!!

love,

elder adam jensen

Well talk to you later Mom. Love you again.

I've arrived in Sousa~

Hey how are you all doing? When I arrived I went to the Mission home, which is inside of a condo building. The elevator goes straight up to the living room.   My new area and apartment is now 6 hours away from the mission home and office.  I am far west of Jiao Pessoa. I am in my new area which is called Sousa, and it is pronounced soo za, it is definitely hotter here than Sao Paolo. I am not too excited for when it rains here, but we will have to see I don't think I have sweated so much in my life, and it has only been one actual day!! I've come to realize, and I noticed today just how bad my Portuguese is, so many people have different accents and it makes it more difficult to understand. The apartment is nothing nice, and I never expected it to be, but I am not discouraged, our apartment is better than the first one I stayed in last night, and that was the AP's apartment, pretty bad!!  The bed's still look old and not too appetizing, but it's something to deal with, and no I have not seen any bugs in the apartment yet, but we will see. It looks clean enough to where there might not be any.  I just have to get out and do the work. I am here and meant to do the Lord's work and not really worry about anything else.

 I do hope my planter, the one that dad actually built will grow strawberries in it, but then again all the strawberries need is some faith and hope. I mean water and sunlight lol and they will do just fine. Oh and you have no idea how much I want a nice juicy medium rare steak right now. I can’t have anything with pink in it here, but even if I don’t have anything with pink I know I’m guaranteed to receive worms at least once. That’s what the AP said to me on the bus to the Mission President’s house. My new companion is pretty cool, he is from São Paulo.

What has everyone been up to? I still don't feel that good. .. Oh and don't worry about me, I will be fine, and yeah I can take a lot of photos and I can just send them through this computer. I am very excited to keep learning, even though I really have to now lol.  I like the language and the people are nice, oh and for some reason if I email you and you email back right away, I don't receive it right away,  but now in the field I get an hour instead a half an hour, so maybe I will see your emails. (This week we were both able to kind of instant message the same time) I am happy I am able to email as well.  Elder Willard sent me an email about how he is still there. I feel bad for him, but I know that he won’t be there for long.

The countdown is on until I call you on Mother's day.  I don't know how long I can talk for, but I will most likely call you and we will talk for probably an hour and then that will be it until Christmas. I am supposed to email every week, the Mission encourages it because they don't want worried Mothers lol.

I don’t think it will be this time or every Wednesday.  I think the real p-day is on Monday and the times might be a little different each time, but it will end up being around the same time eventually. Well this will be the last email I think because my companion is done. I love you all and I know that you are being so blessed with me serving. Man just think of how much more you will be blessed when Nic goes out and serves. CRAZY!  I love you so much and I do miss you but my work is here and I hope that everything at home is going great.  Well, tell me just about everything, and I will do the same, talk to you soon.

love
elder adam Jensen

What an Amazing General Conference!

One more week but I don’t know if it’s a good or bad thing if the CTM will not be feeding me next week, but I will just have to see what I will be eating in the field. Hopefully food to where I can lose weight, because no matter how much I have lost since I got here, I am still fat lol.  

I have gotten a lot of letters from you guys, and some emails from other people. Hmm I think I have gotten something like 8 letters. I don’t know the real number, but I think that is close. I hope that others will write and keep in touch. On other things, I miss Dillon and even Chester. I like our dogs a lot, and they are very fun lol. Hmm and I don’t think I will miss the trailer too much once you have sold it, but on a positive note, you will have a bigger driveway ha-ha!  

General Conference was amazing!!  I watched all of the talks. This was the first time that I sat through all of them at once. I finally understand how much more it is worth it if you watch all of them in a row, instead of here and there. The Priesthood session was recorded, and we watched it the next morning at 8:30am. So on all of the talks I truly got out of General Conference, was on our own family, and what we should do, and how much we are blessed as a family.  I understood how important my mission is, and what else I need to do as I am out here. Lastly I understood from General Conference is what I need to do with my own children, to be the best father I can be. My favorite part, only because it was very happy and sad at the same time, was I think, Cristoffersons talk and hearing how that child sang “I am a child of God” underneath all of that rubble. I know that every blessing is heard, and every prayer is heard and answered. Having faith in the gospel is the best thing for anyone to have I know that through faith, anything is possible. Our families are a blessing. I know that I need to show every single person how important a family is.  I did see Howard twice in the conference and David Archuleta. He is going to North Chile, where no one will know who he is lol. Someone from my district came here last week and he said that the week before that was when David Archuleta went to the Provo MTC. Oh well, not a big deal. He is just another Missionary doing an amazing work!! 

I don’t know what the CTM is doing for Easter Sunday or the weekend. Except I’m jealous that Provo gets to have 3 General Authorities speak!! Except this Sunday, my district and another district that is leaving are singing the EFY medley for the fireside. It will be a good finish to the fireside. I love that song. When I truly first sang it, it was at a youth conference, when I entered into the testimony meeting, it was so hard not to cry, the Spirit was so strong and everyone could feel it, even Ammon was crying lol. Then at the end we sang the EFY medley, everyone could just tell that the Lord was with us that day. I can still look back on that day, and see that it was the most spiritual moment of my life. 

I am very happy where I am and each day is different, but no matter how bad the day can get, I am still learning something that will make my life so much better.  I’ve even started to dream in Portuguese! I have noticed that I have been blessed with a gift, especially the gift of being able to speak with perfect pronunciation. I may not have the biggest vocabulary in my district, but they all ask me how to say certain words and this makes me so happy. I have realized that the things that I have been through have got me to where I am today, for preparedness before and after the Mission. No matter what things I have done, wrong choices, job, school, all of those things have prepared me for now. I have had so many blessings in my life and those blessings were and are my map or my compass. I will always remember why I received those blessings. 

I love you and I hope that everyone is doing well. Miss you guys, and be safe back home.

Love, elder adam Jensen

p.s. I think I am 4 or 5 hours ahead