The best...and the worst...!

 

Date: Mon, 26 Aug 2013 10:57:26 -0300
Subject: weekly email
From: adj1991@myldsmail.net



Hello Everyone


So this past week...


This week was awesome, rewarding, a blessing and the most absolute worst week!! Ha well it was awesome because we ended up baptizing 3 people. Luana, Cleyton, and Camila - 3 little munchkins! I love them 3. The week was rewarding, because we ended up finding some more people who truly want to progress and find God´s path. The week was a blessing because our prayers came true. We were praying so hard the we would be able to get the people to church and that it wouldn’t rain. It obviously didn’t rain and most of the people were able to go to church! So, with the families that we are teaching, we ended up having 17 people at church that we are teaching - it was crazy.


I was so happy to see them finally come to church and actually like church. They all were very happy that they decided to go. The people that we found were actually a brother of the huge family and the other is a boyfriend to one of the young women in our ward, they both want to go to church and read the Book of Mormon and soon be baptized! I was very happy with the results from this past week!!!


Now for the bad things that happened!!! It all happened on Sunday again, well do you all remember last week when I talked about a women named Neide? Yeah, she striked again this past Sunday. Firstly, she sat next to all of them during Sacrament meeting and she was trying to force them to sing, unfortunately about 75% of them can’t read. I told her again that and she was still trying to force them. Then during the baptisms, she was trying to control everything. When one of the baptisms got scared of the water, this Neide woman started yelling saying she needs to leave the water and that she should not be baptized. She then went to the baptismal door and started yelling at the baptism to leave the water and because of Neide, others started yelling and saying that she needs to be baptized and stop worrying. This Neide woman then helped her change back into her regular clothes, but once she changed her clothes, Neide literally took some of them by the arms and kicked them out of the church before Elder Guzman and I could switch back into church clothes. We couldn’t even finish the baptismal meeting. she ruined everything and because of her, this huge family is thinking about not even returning to church. We talked to the Bishop saying that she is literally no longer allowed to talk, sit or watch the baptisms of our investigators. Elder Guzman was that one who talked to Bishop. I couldn’t get around my anger to talk. He said he would talk to her again, but we will see what happens. We are supposed to have lunch with her tomorrow, but Elder Guzman and I decided we will not go, and that we are going to talk with the R.S President that Neide can no longer give the missionaries’ lunch. She has been a problem for a lot of missionaries, but she drew the last straw and Elder Guzman had to stop me from hurting her. At this point, I would rather go to prison than see her in the church - she is like the most faithful anti-Christ!! All the other people to be baptized decided to not be at home, or not be married. Stupid, but we did get to at least fulfill God’s commandments before baptism. But yeah, the 3 baptisms who are 9, 10, and 10 all of them said they will come back! Neide doesn’t take medication, but I think should lol!

The lunch with the Stake President that day was good and we all were able to catch up on things.

I think I only have 19 more Sundays. I think I will be transferred on the 11th, which will most likely be my last area which will suck but oh well! It would also be amazing to all have a nice family meal together when I get back - a good old American dish lol and one that doesn’t have cilantro in it!!!

I love trips and I would love to go to Disneyworld, and see the grandparents in Alabama in April it should be nice. I would enjoy the trip. but it could only be in April. I say this because I need at least two months to work and get some money for college. and maybe a trip back to Brasil. I was just thinking that you would want to go to Disneyworld for more than a day, but then again, you just need one day to do everything. I think the trip would be perfect - a week in the south and then one more week at home preparing for college, this would be very nice!

Ok but I have to go now. I love you a lot and I will talk with you next week,.

I wrote back to Sean.


love


elder adam jensen

I will get them to Water!

August 19^th, 2013

 

Hello Everyone

 

So this past week....

 

Well we had so many people ready to be baptized! We had actually 9 people in total for yesterday, but what decides to happen...rain, and drunk men! We get to their houses to give them a ride to church, and 3 of the women said that they wouldn’t go without their sister, so I went to the sisters’ house, and her husband was super drunk. When we first saw him, he was chasing one of the kids back into the house yelling that she is a little brat, but once he saw us, he calmed down and was like, "oh church is good. And everyone needs God." yeah that only lasted 5 minutes!!  But due to the family taking sooooo long getting ready, the rain started. Once the rain started, it’s like it triggered his aggressive side of being drunk and started yelling again and that no one could leave the house when it’s raining. He ended up kicking us out of his house, and continued yelling thank you for some reason. So basically none of the people who were supposed to be baptized were not baptized!!!!

 

Anyways, we get back to church and luckily, a little girl named Maria Eduardo wanted to be baptized, and her whole family was there, so what did I do, yes, I said that she was going to be baptized after sacrament. It was perfect and she was so excited!! The only down side is that nobody had towels. So the grandfather ran home on his motorcycle, grabbed the towels and it was a successful baptism! Oh but before the towels were grabbed, a member was trying to tell me that the baptism wasn’t going to happen and that she shouldn’t be baptized at that time. I yelled at her and told her she is never going to talk to my investigators again or watch the baptisms. This woman is always the one that scares everyone away from church. She thinks she has authority over everyone. So, I decided that someone had to say something. This woman even grabbed the skirt of one of my investigators and pulled it down, and forced her to take a picture with the rest of the women. First, she didn’t have any other clothes and already felt embarrassed wearing that skirt to church, and she flat out said she didn’t want to take a picture. We reassured her that her clothes were fine and that she didn’t need to take the picture, but this member...my goodness it just never stops.

 

Well anyways, all worked out in the end. It looks like this next week I will have more baptisms, just as long as the rain doesn’t come back: D  I  do plan on it, especially because they all live on a farm and in huge grassy fields, I will get them all in the car and just pile them all in!! (I don’t have a car, the members do :D  I’ve  have always had a phone though)  I will just go there with a car and get everyone when it’s not raining and throw them all in the water lol.

I’ve been thinking more about school, the only issue about psychology at BYU is that it’s all numbers. the math portion of psychology and nothing more. its sooo boring! I mean like I am interested in a lot of things, but it’s hard to get around things, when you think about a future job as well. Yeah I will do my best. but man lately I have been thinking a lot about what I should really study. like psychology is cool, but I suck at all the classes!

Also, I haven’t bought anything yet - maybe I will today or tomorrow actually, or I could wait and go to another city that has 3 clothing factories all right next to each other for very very cheap. My stomach is doing just fine. The stake president is giving all of us lunch today. Hey I am sorry but I have to go now, we have to go to the lunch meeting, it’s basically a meeting for the Stake President to flirt with the sisters. I hate this!!

Anyways, I love you and I will talk to you next week!!

That’s all folks

love,

 

elder adam jensen

 

A new approach to missionary work!

Date: Mon, 12 Aug 2013 10:48:41 -0300

Subject: Re: Good morning!
From: adj1991@myldsmail.net

Hello Everyone,

 

So this past week....

 

We worked in a way that worked out to be perfect! We basically stopped caring about everything except the salvation of souls. Did you know that the only way you have a shot at salvation is through baptism and nothing else? Baptism is the first thing, so I truly have wasted a lot of time on the mission. I am only working to baptize, not to better people’s lives, not to bring people back to church, and definitely not to listen to your crap, just baptize. People can complain and be angry about it, but it’s my job and my duty and nothing else. We didn’t baptize on Sunday, but I have the best news about this up-coming Sunday! I will baptize 10-11 people and these people are very firm to be baptized. NOTHING will happen to make these people not be baptized. It is so clear and simple now. Just baptize and that’s what I did! I worked just to find those to be baptized and Elder Guzman and I did that. I don’t even care if they have been to church before. You have to be baptized; this is the first of all things, so why worry about the rest?

If someone falls away from the church after baptism, or after a couple years - whatever, it’s not my fault and not my duty. Members have responsibilities and I have mine, so people have to deal with it.  I think the missionaries back home should start to do this as well. I think they would have a lot more baptisms back home and help the ward become so much bigger. You just have no idea of my happiness and joy I have for next week, it’s like for once in my mission I am happy, calm, and not worrying about anything.  I am just going with the flow and letting everything come to me. I get up and leave and start working, but I am literally letting people come to me. I will never ever again do contacts or door-knocking or tracting, I will just stop, say a prayer - and wait.  It’s working out perfectly for now. I am enjoying my mission and my companionship with Elder Guzman!

Oh and yesterday, Elder Guzman went with a member to get our investigators, and on the way he found two little girls who wanted to go to church and want to be baptized, so they will be baptized next Sunday. Oh man I love this now, just people coming to the path!  I just realized that every single part of our scriptures and preach my gospel says that our job is to save souls. How can you save a soul from the world if that person isn’t baptized? I am helping a lot of people. I am giving everything to them, right in front of them through baptism. How can you accept Jesus Christ and his teachings, without following him in the only way we should be baptized, by authority from God!

Oh but then Sunday night was a buzz kill! I was trying to get all the numbers and help my district and one of the Sisters wasn’t understanding anything, and didn’t know how to pass her numbers for me, so I got fed up and hung up on her. I thought it was hilarious but I think she didn’t, but you know that’s ok, She is new on the mission, so she should learn that she should have things prepared before she talks to me again - Silly sisters, and I wasn’t being mean to her, she was just being a little ignorant and not wanting to listen, and it wasn’t my Portuguese, because she did the same exact thing to the Brazilian Elder, and I literally don’t have an English accent anymore. but that’s ok :D

 

When you are looking on Google earth, try looking for the apartment building, it is red and white it’s kind of big and it should be easy to find I think instead of the numbered building.

 

WOW, Sean is really doing everything right then – getting his Duty to God award!

OK - would it be possible to put 20 dollars into my account today. I would like to buy some button up shirts.  I love you and I will talk to you next week because I have to go now, but I would be very grateful for the 20 dollars :D

That’s all for now,

love,

elder adam Jensen

Your number one son!

A great Week!

Date: Mon, 5 Aug 2013 11:34:09 -0300

From: adj1991@myldsmail.net

 

Hello Everyone,

 

So this past week...

 

We baptized! Again!  Both me and Elder Guzman both decided that all other things really don’t matter. Other goals that the mission has put or what others think. We are here to save souls and the only way to do that is through baptisms! We are just lining people up now, and nothing else is really important. Anyways, his name is Luan and he was so excited to be baptized. One of my most anxious!  He was so excited to be baptized and I knew that it would never have failed. A member baptized him but the baptismal meeting was amazing!!  We all gave our testimonies, taught his friend that came, and she got super excited as well, and then we all sang "Come, Thou Fount" for him and the other members.

Oh and Luan and Brenda were both baptized on Sunday. Luan was confirmed during sacrament, but Brenda was so embarrassed to go in front, so she said no and literally wouldn’t move from her seat. Kind of hilarious and frustrating, but it was alright because after the baptism of her friend, Vanessa, she decided to be confirmed with her. Well that makes that with the baptisms; none of my investigators ran way before the confirmation! Sunday was a good day, and so far the work is getting a lot better and a lot more people are coming to us and wanting to listen to our message.

And last Friday, I was kind of frustrated because all of our commitments fell through and didn’t happen, so we started to look for people on the street, and literally nobody was on the street - I looked at Elder Guzman, said a pray and told him that I won’t walk anymore and that I will wait for the sheep to come to us. We waited about 10 minutes, and a young man showed up, 18 years of age, and asked for the book of Mormon and that he is looking for the truth and which church teaches that truth and nothing else. I was very excited to talk with him, and right then and there I was reminded that our Lord never abandons us, and that we can always depend on Him.

As for going to the Dr. last Wednesday, the problem with my stomach is gastrite in Portuguese. So it’s just a gastric problem or a gastric ulcer. She just gave me medicine and I am doing much better. My knee is not really hurting anymore. Just here and there when I don’t take my meds or when I overwork it. But all in all I am doing just fine now. I hope nothing else goes wrong!

I thought about the Christmas list actually. I think it would just be best to get one of the phones and nothing else. I will work and with the money I make I can buy new clothes. Mainly I will just need to buy two pairs of pants. I remember that none of my jeans will fit afterwards, or they will be loose. But please Mom, don’t buy jeans for me before I get back. I know it’s kind of mean but it’s just we have different tastes in jeans: D

Testimony meeting here is a little bit more humble. It literally is just a testimony and nothing more. Sometimes it’s boring that way but also a lot better, Campina Grande is a city and has 400,000 people, and my address is Rua Campo Sales 790, Campina Grande, Paraíba, if you want to look at Google earth. You will still have to write to the mission home though and not this address.

Today for p-day, my plans are nothing. I will go home and make lunch, and then probably nothing just because there really isn’t much to do unless you play soccer or have money.  I am wearing my cargo shorts and my dr.pepper shirt. I don’t really like wearing missionary clothes to email. Nope, I don’t think I need any money, I am just saying that I won’t do anything because I don’t want to spend money doing it!

Elder Guzman and I are doing much better. We have a good relationship now and we both have the same vision or thought process about the work. It’s all working out now. I am still not like him, but what we want to do now on our missions is the same, like the goals.

This past week, I got two letters, one from Mom and the other from Howard.

I think in November I will have the itinerary, for my travel plans to come home!!

Ok well I love you and I have to go now. Have a great week and I will talk to you next Monday! :D

 

 

love,

 

elder adam jensen

 

 

Thank you for your Prayers

July 31st, 2013


Hello Everyone,


So this past week...

 
Sorry for the later email but because we have to email as a group and the other companionship didn’t get back until a little later, we waited.

This past week wasn’t too bad. I went back to the doctor, all he said is that it looked like I hurt it and that I need to take this medicine and do physical therapy. I am taking the medications but I am skipping out on the physical therapy. The only thing they do here for the therapy is the little machine thing to contract your muscles, and besides the doctor from São Paulo (LDS) has already said which exercises I should do to keep it working again. For now my knee is doing much better and I am having not much of any problems with it. Thank you all for the prayers. I am done with the knee doctor, he was a lazy doctor anyway! I can’t remember what the medicine is called, but not the one that Dad takes. I think though that It’s basically like a stronger ibuprofen.   I really think that I did hurt my knee playing soccer.


The only bad thing at the moment is that Sunday night I got hot with a stomach infection! Yay me! I am going to the hospital tonight because I can’t handle it anymore. Sister Nogueira said that I should. Like my stomach is a little swollen, tender, and if I eat or sit in a weird position or stretch my stomach area.....wow the pain loves to come! I don’t know why at this moment I am having problems with my health, but it’s all good. I know I will be alright. Got a keep on keeping on and for now just the pain. But, yeah the pain is almost about the same as when I had my appendix out, and, yes I got a blessing, but I don’t remember what they said in the blessing. You’re right, that’s a good about my appendix, being gone already, but it would be easier just to say it was my appendix and I probably won’t be able to email after the hospital. Sorry, you’re just gonna have to wait until next week on Monday. But, that’s why I am going to the doctors, but I don’t have diarrhea. which is a sign? Or constipated, It’s like I am still able to poop, not as much as a should, but it’s still working fine. It’s just a really bad pain in the same exact spot on my stomach. Maybe they’ll need to give me the BOMB!

On Saturday everything went to crap! People didn’t want to go to church or be baptized and I was like what the heck?? But out of nowhere, a little girl that is nine years old just said, "I want to be baptized this Sunday." I was so excited and I said well of course you can be baptized. She went to church and of course got in the water, her name is Brenda. Oh and I forced Elder Guzman to baptize her. It was his first baptism and he did it hating the fact that he had to wear the jump suit and not his white pants. I loved it by the way and it was a good way to laugh at him, but he was pretty excited to baptize her!


There were six investigators at church! 3 of the people I was very surprised to see them there. It’s a good thing I have such an eager companion! When I was talking to the investigators that were already at the church, he went with another member to go looking for more. I was very happy he did so. I don’t know if any of these people will be baptized this week, but like always, I am going to try!!


I have been getting up, or well just yesterday and today at 4:30 in the morning. It’s not that much fun when you go to bed at about 11:30 at night. Elder Guzman has only been with me for 6 weeks. or well this week is the 7th week, so no transfers yet!

 
Oh and I only have 4 minutes left, and yes I was able to open the pictures up and yes I liked the little boat, especially because there was a motor behind it - way better then rowing!!!

 
Oh, no Adidas sandal yet but Mom I got the letter, the one you sent on the 18th of July, It was the fastest letter yet!!!!

 
Hey I love you guys a lot and I will talk to you Monday :D


Tchau!!!

Well that’s all :D

love,
elder adam jensen