Senior Companion

From: Elder Adam Jensen

Monday, 25 Feb 2013


So this past week...

It seems a little different being Senior Companion, the days end up passing a lot faster and being Senior you have this weird personality or a psychological break that you have to keep working to show off or to be known as a good missionary. Like I mean I am a relaxed missionary that’s kind of goes with the flow, but it definitely clicked in when I became Senior, like I have to be the best I can be.

Well, anyway we have been teaching Camila, and Danile still, but Danile just won’t go to church even though he really wants to be baptized. We are also getting all the money together for the marriage of Simony and Ricardo. It’s 200 reais in the end, but by the 4th we will have all the money and more for the party afterwards. It should be a good time. But this past week we also have some new people that I think will progress very well and seem to be elect people just waiting to follow the path of God. Their names are Junho and Douglas. I am so excited to see everyone we have at the moment progress. Oh and about Daniel and Camila, it seems like they will be staying for about one more month, and the good things is they don’t need to get married before baptism now because they decided that it would be better to live in different houses for the time being. I hope they don’t split up, but it would be easier to get them baptized now living in different houses. This Saturday is Camila´s baptism and the 10th is Daniel’s baptism, and Ricardo will be baptized with his son on the 12th. 

But wow I also noticed that when you’re just working and not worrying too much about numbers or goals that a lot of missionaries do, the blessing of completed goals just comes. maybe with the work you are able to distract yourself. 
I emailed no-one except for you and dad. And yeah I am gonna have to go soon. But I should get mail today and tomorrow or today and the first week of March. I am hoping it is today and tomorrow and also whatever else in the first week of March. I say that we could receive mail tomorrow because the assistants with be in our district meeting tomorrow. I asked them to bring me my mail. I sure hope so. Oh and my trainer Elder Rinaldi is the new assistant. His last transfer on the mission being an assistant to the president, it really means nothing though lol. just means more responsibility that I don’t really want!!
I really don’t need anything but dr.pepper. and maybe mt. dew. Would taste soooo good! I just miss good stuff; people are fat in America...not because we don’t work out. it’s because we know what good food is!! Oh and maybe ranch packets. or sweet baby rays. I don’t know. I don’t need any clothing though. just things that I am able to throw away in the end after using. The small suite case I have is full of things I won’t use on my Mission; I am planning on leaving it at the Bishop’s house here until the end of my mission. lol.

I found out about the new Presidents on Sunday and the new missions opening in Brazil. I have been at the LAN house for exactly one hour now. Thank you for being proud of me. But I hope that I will be able to get all the packages then. Thank you so much for sending me stuff.

I love you and thank you for everything, but I have to go now. I love you and I will talk to you next week.

love,

elder adam jensen

p.s. the letter you sent to the bishop’s house arrived, so it only took just over a week!!

Transfer and a New Companion

Date: Wed, 20 Feb 2013 17:58:37 +0430
Subject: Re: Lots of news!
From: adj1991@myldsmail.net


Hello Everyone,

So this past week...

Nothing really happened actually, because no one went to church! We have two marriages set, but maybe one of the couples is going to move this week, so maybe they won’t get married. It sucks, but I am going to try and talk them out of moving for now so they can get married and baptized. They are really wanting to get married and baptized, so maybe it’s a possibility. Oh and right now not much work is going around...we have been passing by the members houses to collect money so that Simony and Ricardo can get married. The ward can’t help with paying for the marriage license, so we decided to ask the members to pitch in.

Oh and today Elder Martins went away. He went to Mossoro. I became senior with a newish Elder. Elder Simpson from Washington. He is pretty cool, but yeah from Washington State. He is from Richland. He already has 6 months on the mission. I am only a senior. Not a trainer as well... I didn’t become trainer because of the 30 new missionaries that were supposed to arrive yesterday, only 6 arrived. So a lot less than what our president was expecting. Elder Simpson is huge. Not in a fat way, he is a pretty strong guy, 6 foot something and he used to do wrestling and football, so I think you get the picture! He has about 6 months on the mission and he speaks very well, it’s a lot better than I was doing with 6 months.

I am very happy that the Christmas package finally arrived back home. It’s about time. It only took about two months to make it back.

Oh and this past week I found a whole stacks of almost baptized people in the area book, so I get to go through them and visit a whole bunch of people and see why they were not baptized. It makes it kind of easier because it means that they were taught everything and already have been to church. It’s kind of like an almost given baptism. Just as long as I can adapt my teaching to their needs it should be all good.

Hey and that’s awesome about Emily. She emailed me and I already emailed everybody. Yeah that is the mission right above mine, if I stay in Rio Grande do Norte I could have a possibility of seeing her at the temple in Fortaleza. It would be a long shot, but now I would be able to speak Portuguese to her, that would be cool.

I will talk to you again on Monday. I love you a lot and thank you for everything. I have missed you guys as well.

love

elder adam jensen

 

 

 

 

 

 

One year Mark!

A letter from Elder Adam Jensen;


Dear Family and friends

Well, past the one year left date and the mission is still doing good. Except, I have a lot to do still, especially to reach my personal goal, which I will not say.

Transfers have recently been changed, I guess it is to get into the same timing as the MTC. By May this year, this mission will have a little over 250 missionaries, at the moment we have 186 missionaries, I believe.

I have been working on adapting my teaching to the needs of the other person: My answer is simple, everyone has their own personality and to have trust from the other person or to make new friends, we must help their personality show, letting them be who they truly are. With this way, the other person will be more open and with time we can gradually show our own personality.

Making Questions:  You truly have to understand this topic if you are able to teach or get your point across only through questions. Parents are very good at this with their children. We need to ask the right questions to make the other think and understand what would be the best option.

Listening: Well, no one likes it when you cut them off and women love it when you just listen. It's basically a test of patience. The person who has a lot of patience will listen to everything and then help you with your problem.
Inviting or Making Commitment's:  I think as a parent, I will have to do this a lot with my own children. "If you do this, you can have this..." No one is handed an award, it is earned and with this people may understand. It's like faith and works, if you want your faith to grow and receive blessings then you actually have to do something.

Bear your Testimony! A testimony is personal and shows who you are, but I learned that trait from Dad. We talked about getting a point across without creating tension. nothing will get across if you say "You, You, You."  You always speak in the manner of a testimony, you only say "I"  The way you start a conversation depicts how it will end.

Accompany" After making commitments or goals, you just can't leave. you have to check the progress, because really, you will never see the change until the end. The during is what we need to help and see. how you accompanied shows what kind of person you are today.

Well that was fun! I've enclosed a lot of photos on the SD card - 255 for the first year of my mission!
I think that at the next transfers on the 20th Elder Martins will move. there will be 30 new missionaries arriving then. There will then be 218 missionaries in total. Before the 23rd of January we had only 183 missionaries. Oh and in May/June there will be another huge group that will arrive. I think another 40 or so.  President Hall said that before he leaves in July, we will have over 250 missionaries in our mission - so exciting!!

That's all folks!

love

elder adam jensen 

Getting people married

February 11th, 2013



Hello Everyone

So this past week...

This week was slow again, but we got some references and some lessons in. Actually, we were able to get 25 lessons in each week, but it never feels like it. We met a couple times with a couple, Daniel and Camila who are awesome! Camila is progressing towards baptism, but the husband, Daniel is going a little slower than her. mainly because he didn't get up to go to church. they live in different houses at the moment, so she wasn't at his house to wake him up. she called and called but nothing. we just hoped for the best. we are trying to get them married, and another couple married. its difficult, but always doable. here in João Pessoa its 200 reais to get married in the church. stupid government that wants money. but i would rather have them married in the church, because of the rule that they have to be baptized after marriage in the church or the church doesn't sign the marriage papers. its kind of a win win situation. These would be the first two couples on my mission to also get married. I hope they get married though. The marriage license is 170 reais for basic and an extra 30 to do be married in the church.

Right now it is carnival, and it doesn't end 'til Wednesday. It started last Saturday, just an excuse to not go to work and stay on the beach doing who knows what. It's like New Orleans but not as bad, but here in this neighborhood that I am in nothing really happens here because we have no beach near us. We don't come in early for carnival, nothing happens here in Ipês, and it sounds to me like you guys had a good and busy week.,The other Elders from Lucena who are in my district are now staying with us until Wednesday. Their area is literally a beach. It would be a little dangerous for them to stay there during this time!!

This past week I saw something exciting. I saw a man trying to run away with two bikes, with the owners chasing after him. They were able to catch him and put him in a head lock until the police arrived. The guy who stole the bikes was on the ground screaming in a raspy drunk voice, "oh my father, oh my father" like God is going to let him get out of the situation he was in. Yeah, at first though it did look like an assault, but in the end I realized what had happened. Idiots!

Oh and I received plenty of mail. from Nic, Mom, Gavin and grandma. I also finally received the garments I ordered online here in Brazil a month and a half ago. So I just have a lot of underwear to go around now. lol. I still have all the hearts and I also received the letters from the primary girls or beehives. I don't even know what age they are but I received them, please tell them Thank-you!. That's about all that I got this month.

 If you are going to mail jerky it usually gets here easily. With the peanut butter, just take off the wrapping and the seal under neath the cap. don't stick your fingers in it Mom! I think that would work. If you send it to the Bishop's address it will get to me quicker and then they would tell me if its at the post office. They are so nice and yeah it should be fine !! But, yeah I'm good and you can definitely surprise me with whatever goodies you want! Oh and i didn't receive a letter from Sean or the package of hot sauce. Did you send the package of hot sauce to the Bishop here or the mission office?

I didn't know Emily already turned in her papers. but I think she will go to ....stay in the States!!

At the moment I have money and tomorrow I should receive my tax return , well that's what it says on the bank's website.

Ok well I have to go now. I love you and I hope you have a great week. Next week I will email on Wednesday next week, transfers are coming! I think Elder Martins will leave and I will be a trainer here in Ipês , I am not sure when I will email, maybe early in the morning or in the afternoon or maybe regular time! It will be difficult to know when, but I love you and stop worrying about things that don't need worrying about!!

With all the new moms on the website and to be honest, they are always stores here to buy things in need, and yeah the newbies always freak out because it truly is different especially when you know nothing lol.

Thank you for doing the fafsa stuff, and wow that's a lot of money! I think a thousand more than last time.

That's about all that has happened....

love,

elder adam jensen

p.s. The correct pronounciation is actually jewowm pess OH a
 

I love FHE

Date: Mon, 4 Feb 2013 10:48:04 -0300
Subject: Re: another email - Sunday night
From: adj1991@myldsmail.net


Hello Everyone

So this past week...

It was very slow again and no one is progressing, except Ricardo who finally went to church. He is a guy we have been trying to get married with his spouse since i arrived here, but before he can get married in the church he has to go to church as well. Especially when the rule is that if you get married in the church you also have to be baptized afterwards, but the real reason he went is probably because of President Hall.

President Hall did splits with Elder Martins and I last Wednesday. It went very well, it was only for 3 hours, but he teaches very well, but whoa I never realized how much of an American accent he has when he speaks Portuguese! I was very happy to see him here, it wasn't that nerve racking with President. I actually enjoyed it a lot, too bad he is going home in the middle of July! We will know in April who will be the new President. It will actually be on the church website, so look out for it!

The people are still very humble here and I love them, but church is just not a priority here. It's weird because in Brazil churches are huge and it's a huge part of life here, but i guess that everyone is so used to churches that it doesn't mean much to them anymore.

I think tomorrow night we will plan their wedding and baptism with them. We normally go there about 3 p.m. but now the spouse who is Simony, is working 7 in the morning until 6 or 7 at night, so planning with the two of them is a little more difficult now, but i think tomorrow we can really plan everything.

I don't know why you keep asking me about deodorant and why the mom's on "Missionarymoms" keep talking about it, the only issue with deodorant is that its not American - it works! lol.

I only need a few things, the smoked salmon in the 'LOST' Christmas package would have been wonderful, yeah I would of enjoyed the smoked salmon. Oh but, I am craving some creamy Jif peanut butter though. The mail really baffles me, yeah i don't really know why the mail system here is so weird, they just tax it a lot because they know we wont pay it and when we don't pay it, they just keep it to themselves. American stuff must be worth it then lol. Oh, and Dr. Pepper and peanut butter, Taco powder and another other mixes that would jazz up the meat. Jerky would also be great in my tummy. Just remember to remove all the labels, like it has been used and say 'Gift" with no value! The chocolate is still good after you've put it in the refrigerator it tastes the same!!

Nothing else happened actually. Tonight we have family home evening with a really good couple in the ward. I think we are going to plan on having FHE with them every week. As the commitment we made was that they have to invite two other families to FHE at their house tonight. We will see if they did and if they will come. I actually love having FHE, it's a lot of fun and a good break from things while here on the mission it is easy to get lessons in this way.

I am happy for Sean and that he has enough courage to say who he really is and stand up for it. I don't think a lot of people, especially in the church would do a thing like that. The younger you are it seems to be the stronger you are as well. Well as long as there is a good example in front of them!

I have to go now, until next week!

love

elder adam Jensen