A New Area

Date: Mon, 17 Dec 2012 10:54:10 -0300
from: adj1991@myldsmail.net

So this past week...

This past week has been really good. I found out that the new missionaries in my last area will be baptizing the families on the 23rd of this month. I really hope they all go to church and commit to baptism. It sure is a blessing knowing people are willing to follow the path and be baptized. I think the only sad thing is when you prepare someone so well and they get baptized but they end up falling away. It’s just not sufficient being baptized and then not participating. We have to stay on the path, no matter what happens. People will always change but God will never change and we can always count on him. But anyways, this past week Elder Martins and I have been working with some great people. Except none of them were at church. But what can ya do...I guess just pray for the best. My area is a normal sized area. Has 4 neighborhoods, and it’s a relatively rich area.
Some parts are very poor and some parts are pretty rich. In the end though they are all children of God. We have 5 baptisms lined up by the end of January but I hope we have more than 5.

We work pretty hard every day and the roads are all hills which is something I am not used to, but I am fine with it. Just means more of an exercise.

Right now I am the youngest in our house. Being 21. Others are 23, and 24. Ha embarrassing. But it’s all good. Today I will make curry for them. Our house is very nice actually. Small but pretty nice, and the weather here in João Pessoa is better than Mossoró. The ward is awesome so far, with a lot of inactive but that will change soon. I love trying to help a ward grow. My companion has been out for a year and 4 months I think. He leaves in august, and yeah we speak Portuguese all the time. I enjoy it, especially because in the beginning of my mission I spoke so much English. Portuguese is easy now, so it’s kind of like whatever I guess.

Maybe I will receive mail each week. it depends on the other elders in the house. and I don’t need new shoes; my shoes still look great for 10 months out. I haven’t received the package yet, as the mail doesn’t work like that. I would still have to wait for it to pass customs. I won’t waste the money and what is a national tax ID??

With my extra money I am buying garments right now. It’s super cheap in Brazil. I ordered 15 pairs of underwear which are about half the price here as in the USA like 23 reas or 11 dollars, they should be here for the first of January.
Hmmm and about the cruise? Oh, I think that Gavin and Lindsey will get married before I get back, and they could do their honeymoon on the cruise we will be on. Maybe awkward with us there but sucks to be them. We could leave in Jan too if you would like. I heard the sad news about the school shooting from the news here. Really sad. I actually got mad for a second that someone did that to children.

Thursday is our Christmas meeting, where we hear talks, trainings and games afterwards. With food and what not. I am excited to receive letters and packages on Thursday. It should be good. Yeah, that’s about all that happened and will soon happen.

I haven’t heard from anyone else in the family, including Grandpa and Debbie…just Sarah and Grandma but I have to go now. until next week.






We will email on Christmas eve and then Skype on Christmas Day Woo Hoo!

with love,

elder adam jensen

Transferred!

Wednesday December 13, 2012

So this past week...

The past week went very well. we hit all of our goals except for having baptisms. but that’s ok. the families that we were teaching are still progressing and awesome. they truly were a blessing to me and I hope I was for them too. I really just can’t remember much of what I did except for teaching and seeing members and just having fun like normal. Everything just went very well all up until Tuesday night when I found out Elder Claudio and I were being transferred. Elder Claudio was called to be a Zone leader and I am now in João Pessoa with Elder Martins who is from Elder Willard’s mission. He is pretty cool and I know I will enjoy working with him. I think he will be leaving next transfer though.

Anyway, that actually is all I have to say....oh wait, I received a Christmas card from you guys and a package of a book and juice powder. I currently love anything fruit punched flavored because they don’t have that flavor here in the northeast of Brazil. It was a good package, and card lol. I will email again on Monday, and I will receive letters or packages probably once a week now, but I know I will receive something next Thursday for the conference of Natal (Christmas conference the 20th). 

I promise I will send photos next week. Lindsay wrote me and said that Gavin finally did it and how he proposed with some pictures as well. It’s was cool and I am so happy for them. My new companion is Brazilian. As this isn’t a p-day, and is a regular working day so I have to keep in mind the hour that I am in.

Yeah I got all the chocolate already from England and ate it ALL. The fruit punch crystal light was good. My new companion is pretty cool, he speaks some English too!! Oh, but yeah the area is pretty cool, we are right next to the center of João Pessoa which is a small area but a good one. It also has a ward here, but yeah I have to go soon because the LAN house closes in five minutes, Elder Claudio and I set it all up in Mossoró to have at least 12 baptisms this month there, it kind of sucks to leave but its ok.  These thing’s happen on the mission!

Wow that is really cool about missions and Kallie is already prepared. Really you don’t even need to prepare that much before you go except for already having a testimony. I got transferred to joão pessoa. ipês area. it’s pretty cool. It was a long travel and that is why I didn’t email yesterday but I will email again on Monday. Wow Nic’s plane ticket was a lot of money. I don’t know why but it’s understandable in these days. I will also ask a member here to buy me some underwear, so it will all work itself out. They have another van going to the temple in Jan, so I can either wait or ask the Bishop here when he is going to the temple next or ask President Hall. It’s kind of nice being so close to everything now. I will be able to receive mail a lot faster now too - like once a week ! WOO HOO! Start Writing everyone!

Well I got to go now. I hope you all have and had a great week!!

 with love

 elder adam jensen



p.s. Well I love you guys and I will say more on Monday!

Egg Salad Sandwiches

Date: Mon, 3 Dec 2012 11:44:45 -0300
From: adj1991@myldsmail.net

This past week....

So Sunday came around and no one was baptized.... :( but it’s all good. We never marked Etianny and Abraão. They are very firm and I know they will be baptized, but they just can’t have a date. For them I know it will be a spontaneous thing that will just have to wait. They are great people, but something is up with them that I or my companion cannot point out.

Oh but on Sunday, my companion and I received a huge blessing with 12 investigators in the sacramental meeting. Oh man it was awesome!!! It was sweet because 8 of the 12 are progressing and 2 of them are already marked for baptism this month. It’s so exciting to know how success works and how the Lord blessing those who serve him.

So when I made lunch, I thought of something that is super simple that none of the Brazilians have ever eaten before. Egg salad sandwiches. Ha! I thought it was hilarious that I fed them this but they all loved it. Today though, a member will be making homemade pizza with us. Is should be very good because there are three Americans here ready to just chow down. Oh and to make the pizza taste good. The northeast is not a place to eat pizza.

Nothing else has really been happening, except for me starting to run in the mornings, and I am down to 85 kilos, which is 187 lbs. it’s still a little fat, but I am able to look fit when I get back. I know I can.

Wow I just realized how close Christmas is. It’s awesome!! Would you like to know what else is awesome....the number of weeks for each transfer will change next year, it’s a big leap from when I entered into the MTC. I think it will change to 5 weeks instead of 6 but it could be less. I also think I will stay here until January. I have no idea how many areas we have or zones. I think we have like 15 zones or 14, but to be honest I like it here more than Sousa. Everything here is third world but it’s all divided here, like rich, poor, poorer, and poorest. Also, I will be home on the 17th of Jan 2014!!

I love you with all my heart and the people here as well. And I am pretty sure I speak fluently now....it’s about time. And I hope you all have a great week. But I am sorry, but I got to go now. I love you a lot and I am excited to email about letters I will have received, and if maybe from a new area, but I hope not. Oh and happy birthday Mom! I know it is early but I won’t be able to say it next week!

Love,

elder adam jensen

p.s. we can also do the cruise the last week of Jan. and next week I will be emailing on Wednesday.

A letter from Elder Jensen

Dear Family,

Since moving to the Mossoro house we have killed two rats (not just one) that were huge by the way. Actually with the second rat, everyone else was too scared to put the rat out of it's misery, so I had to be the man of the house and do it by crushing it's head, Oh btw I do have the video and pictures if you want to see them!!

I am glad to report that I have finally eaten the best chicken of my mission. This lady in our church told us that she had a 'special' chicken for us and to be totally honest - I was a little worried at this point. She then bought out boneless marinated breast meat with onions and peppers. It literally tasted like a good Mexican restaurant. I was pretty happy with this meal!

Also, randomly our water runs out here, so we usually have to wait around 2 - 3 days to get water back in our water bucket which is above our house. When this happens we take water from the street into buckets and take showers with that. Along with that a few weeks ago our power also went out and I mean out (not like on Camano Island). It sucked! It went out at 11:00pm and didn't come back on until 5:30am. It was so hot and in the 100's. I defininately did not sleep that night and I was fasting. Here we fast from lunch to lunch, by the next day I was dying, but now ALL is well!

My new companion is Elder Claudio who is from Las Vegas and is pretty cool, he has 19 months on his mission. Our new way of working is better, we stop worrying about numbers and really help the ward first, then investigators. We are now going to make sure this ward has FHE activity nights and HOME TEACHING. A lot of people in the Ward have no family to have FHE with, so we are using the Bishopric for that. Each Monday we will have FHE in the house of the Bishopric and have FHE with those who do not have families, the same for activity nights. (Well they just don't have activities here) Oh, and they have NEVER done H.T! It's really sad but I'm more excited to work this way, because less than 5 years ago the Ward had about 150 in attendance and now they have less than 60 every Sunday. It truly does make me sad when once a big happy ward is now dying fast.

You know I am really liking my mission and I see each day more reasons why I am here and who I have to see. It is hard, I am learning to live in a 3rd world country, but so far I know why a mission can be truly worth it. The blessings from service truly are beyond measure. I have learned that if you literally try to count your blessings and look forward to what could come, then you will feel a lot of joy and happiness

Te amo!

elder adam jensen

Totally forgot it was Thanksgiving!

From: adj1991@myldsmail.net

Monday 26th November 2012,

Hello Everyone,

So this past week and today...

This past week we worked a lot with Abraão and Eitianny, and we tried so hard to get them baptized, but they both want to wait until next week. I think that is totally fine, but it does kind of suck to zero in the month. But with time I know that the Lord will bless us and them with this decision. This mission is a lot about baptizing, but I am understanding a lot more about helping the needs of the investigators and members. I want them to make the right choice for themselves. I don’t want to just do the things I am doing to get good numbers at the end of the week. Actually with really good numbers usually also has no Spirit with me. I just need to understand what I need to do to strengthen this area. But yeah I think Abraão and Etianny will be baptized this up-coming Sunday. They both said yes to the date.

Today I went and bought a new suit with the money from Gavin for my birthday. Thanks Gavin! The suit is nice and a lot smaller. I finally got the skinny fit suit. I look pretty good in it Lol. What I mean is that suits have different styles, skinny and straight. I got the skinny. It looks a lot better and it motivates me to be a lot more fit than I already am. I also bought a new hammock, new watch, and a lot of photos. Also today I am going to make lunch for me and the Elders I live with along with some of the youth and guys, that I work with and Abraão. The lunch should be good. Today, I also tried to email you some photos but the stupid port is broken! Stupid computers at the LAN house! At Christmas time, you can take photos during Skype, and I will try to send photos next Monday.

Oh and I made splits with other Elders from a different area. It went very well. I like being the senior in these situations. I think I will become senior soon, but no promises. Anyways...yep!

Anyways, that’s about all that happened this past week.

I know that the Christmas package cost $60 to send. The mass email from the Church was sent to all missionaries. I understand that I wouldn’t want the package to be sent back either, but I think that it will be fine.

I know that you can worry and pray but everything will all work itself out gradually, it will and I promise that it will. The church will always be true, there is no need to worry about others but always take care of you and your families salvation through the only true church on this earth, always keep and continue keeping the covenants with God. Rich blessings are in store! I swear I am telling the truth I am a missionary. I always know what is actually going on.

Hey but I got to go now. I love you a lot and stay strong and focus on strengthening your testimony as I am doing with mine. Use that faith you have and you’ll never have to worry about the rest.

I worked on Thanksgiving and actually I forgot that it was Thanksgiving until that night at like 9:30 p.m.

Love,

elder adam Jensen

p.s. I will be here next Monday

p.s. As for the cruise.... I go back to school the first week of April. I come back the last day in January of 2014. I don’t have school in August of 2014, but I would need to work during August because I will go back to school in September right after, but yeah in Feb or March would be great to do the cruise and a lot of Elders have said that royal Caribbean is better and for at least a week long. Oh and I would want to leave from California down to Mexico. but if we can’t do that then Seattle up to Alaska

(Adam is becoming pretty demanding and spoilt ~ Mom!)

Date: Mon, 26 Nov 2012 12:09:45 -0200
Subject: Re: Happy Monday
From: adj1991@myldsmail.net
To: jensens6@msn.com

Good Morning

Missionaries, please forward this email to your families.

For those of you who do not know, the Brazilian government will on occasion apprehend some packages that come from the United States, and then charge a large import tax for us to receive the package here. In this situation in the past, we have been paying the tax, and have the missionary reimburse the mission for the cost from their personal funds. Because of the increasing number of instances of this occurrence, as well as the difficulties to receive the money back from missionaries, we will now be discontinuing this practice. All packages that the Brazilian government chooses to take and tax now, will just be returned back to the United States.

There are, however, a few simple tips and guides you can follow, that greatly increase the chances that your package will arrive here without any problems.

1. Do not send any form of electronic devices.

2. If you wish to send new clothing, remove it from the packaging, wash it, fold it normal, and call it used clothing on the declaration form.
3. Don’t send packages with contents exceeding $50 of value. If you wish to send more than that, it is best to send the items in multiple packages.

4. Be very thorough in filing out the declaration form. Weigh the package, and make sure the actual weight agrees with the weight written on the declaration forms.

My Birthday

Monday, 19th November 2012
From: adj1991@myldsmail.net

Hello Everyone

So this past week...

This past week went pretty well. My companion and I were able to get all of our goals done, except for marking three people for baptism. We only were able to mark two people, so yeah we have two people marked for the 25th. Abrãao and Etianne. Abrãao is 19 and Etianne is 13. they are pretty cool people and prepared to be baptized with the blessings of the Lord. These two people really are elect; we are working a lot with them so they will be baptized on the 25th. We have other investigators, but none of them were at church, so we will either work with them more and see why they were not at church, and then go back to the drawing board. I hope that our other investigators will progress. As long as I just keep working hard and doing what I am supposed to be doing, everything will work out. 

On Saturday, my 21st birthday....I went to a member’s house and his name is Heider, who is 29 years old and not married yet. I made curry at his house, it turned out very good but just needed more salt lol. He bought me a cake and he sang to me happy birthday in English. It was pretty cool. For the rest of the day, I worked like normal, and my companion and I were able to get 7 lessons in and find 3 new men two works with all on Saturday. I actually forgot about watching the video. I will watch it today. What about the cruise?

The rest of the week, was kind of boring. I made a division (splits) with one of the Zone leaders I live with and it went pretty well. We marked one of his investigators for baptism and ate açai. which was delicious! Hmm, nothing else really happened.

Today we are going to eat in a members house, who said she has a present for me...I can’t wait. but yeah and Sister Hall is coming to look at all the houses, so she can talk to a guy here who works for the church, so he can fix all the houses. and hmm, I think I will go out to the street market and buy some things. Maybe a hammock, new flip flops and whatever that really catches my eye. Later tonight we have family home evening with all the youth at the Bishops house, so that should be good. I hope more youth come this time. last time not that many people came - disappointing, but it was still pretty fun and enlightening.

Brazil is easy to cope with, because just knowing what I get to come home too. I just deal with it now and for two years and when you go home, it’s like presents ha-ha. But yeah it’s all good. I have now plans for Thanksgiving except for work. Oh, and that’s cool about the Christmas Santa sacks, and yes, I would like to be with the family when I get home. The second Christmas, you don’t need to do, it will all be alright.

Dad had already told me about Frazier’s mission call. It is Manaus, the hottest place you can be in Brazil. It is where my companion goes on splits with a different companion and I go with a different companion as well. Hey that’s good for Derrick, I am happy to hear it.

Oh and want to do me a favor? get Kallie's home address for me. I want to write her a letter about her mission if she is going on one. I hope Curtis finishes soon so I can know where he is going too!

Hey I love you and yeah next Monday I will email again. I hope you a have a great week, and stay healthy.

with love,

elder adam Jensen

p.s. I think Sister Hall is bring packages or mail with her, so maybe I have something. lol

Miracles!

Date: Mon, 12 Nov 2012 11:20:12 -0300
Subject: Re: Hello
From: adj1991@myldsmail.net


Hello Everyone

So this past week...

My companion and I have been teaching a few people and two of the miracles that we have seen is from a young guy named Abrãao (abraham) and a young woman named Suyanne. with Abrãao, he was very shy and actually acted really weird with us the first three times we taught him, like something else was in the room. Also he didn't want to pray and told us that he is interested but not enough to read. After the third time of teaching him, he read and prayed. he change dramatically. He is very open and now makes jokes and is already pretty good friends with others from church. He is going to be baptized on the 25th, or sooner. Suyanne, the first time I ever met her, she just glared at me and Elder Collins, and didn't want anything from us. Actually it seemed like at that moment that she hated us. We went back to her house when Elder Claudio arrived and in a teenager way and not a missionary way, just like making friends. She opened up a lot and laughed and is really enjoying our visits. Suyanne went to church yesterday and I think tonight or Wednesday we are going to plan to mark her baptismal date. It should be very good. We have two other families right now, but we have to get them married first. Marriage is actually very easy here in Mossoró because it's free and only takes 25 days to get all the paper work ready for the wedding! Hmm we also have others, but they are not quite progressing yet. I hope that changes soon!

About letters, I have only received birthday cards. The last time the Zone Leaders went to João Pessoa, they didn't have or grab any other packages for me, but I was very grateful for all the cards I received! Oh and I opened the other package - thank you for the cool video camera, it's pretty cool but I think I will wait to watch the video on Saturday. On Saturday, I will be going to a members house for lunch. I told him I would teach him how to make curry, and yes I remember how to cook curry silly. I'll show you some pictures that I have already taken. I checked everything out on the video camera before i took pictures. I think I have only taken one video so far, which was of all four of us trying to kill a rat lol. Anyway, so that's what were going to do. On Saturday night, a couple of recent converts want to bring my companion and I to pizza it should be really good, if its the right type of pizza.

Hey that's really cool about Michaan and Aaron Kramer getting married (not together) It's about time lol. It's fine about money right now. Oh I have been thinking about vacations, so many missionaries keep talking to me about cruises for a week. They keep saying how cheap it is compared to other vacations and they´re totally worth it. I was told that on Royal Carribean they have these metal cups that you buy in the beginning of the trip and they are refill cups for soda. Soda is the only thing that you would be spending money on if you didn't buy the cup because the food and snacks and other drinks other than soda (and acohol) are free. If you dont book any adventure things, than its obviously cheaper. It sounds to be pretty cool. If it's way out of our reach, then i understand, but it would be cool, if we planned a week. Maybe the week before the Spring semester started in April, to go on a cruise as a family. Obviously, if Gavin and Lindsey wanted to go then they would pay for themselves lol. but yeah I have been thinking about a cruise a lot lately. I have actually thought about working on one during the seven week break during August when I dont have school either.
Yeah thats about my week, except that my new companion is actually helping more than I thought. I keep getting the feeling that he is training me to become a trainer, we will see soon in December or January. I love you all and I have to go now. Talk to you guys next Monday.

love,

elder adam jensen

A New Companion

From: Adam Jensen <adj1991@myldsmail.net>
 Sent: Mon, Nov 5, 2012 13:27:45 GMT+00:00
Subject: Re:
Hello Dad
Thank you for the answer from last week's question -lol. it did help. I forgot about how it will as numurous as the stars. but yeah it did help. Well anyway, yeah Elder Collins was made Zone Leader and my new companion is Elder Claudio from Las Vegas and he has 1 year and 7 months on the mission. I think he will finish his mission in Mossoró. but he is such a hard worker and with him we are trying a lot of new ways to work than the normal boring way lol, but still just having fun while doing it.
We will be emailing back to the normal time, I will be an hour earlier as we were in the begininning. In the house, everyone wanted to email at ten a.m. before, but Elder Collins wanted to wait til 11:00am, so we did.
I emailed everyone last week that emailed me. I don't really need anything except taco bell hot sauce, just the small packets from the fast food, it would make my food taste so much better here.
Not too much to write this week, as Mom is not on here to instant email either. Have a great week, I have to go now.

love,
elder adam jensen

More Baptisms and Reaching our Zone Goals!!

Mon, 22 Oct 2012 11:29:33 -0300

From: adj1991@myldsmail.net

Hello Everyone,

So this is what happened this past week...

On Sunday, yesterday, we had three baptisms! They were all 15 or 16 years old. 2 of the teenagers, we have been teaching for two weeks, and they were set on date for yesterday. They understood very quickly what they needed to do in their lives to make it back to Heavenly Father, but the other 15 year old we baptized, was a reference that we received yesterday morning. We met this kid, Italu, in the afternoon, taught him the restoration and the commandments, and then asked him to be baptized. He already had desire to be baptized and he already went to church like 3 times before we ever met him. He agreed to be baptized and so that’s what we did. We baptized him. It was definitely kind of a "just do it" baptism, but whatever works. These kids are pretty cool, and I am happy they decided to start their path in the path of God. But next week we have one person that will be baptized. He is already planned to be baptized and he is pretty excited. But, they are two others that could be baptized as well. one of them, we know wants to be baptized, but he is too afraid to stand up to his mother about what he wants to do in his life, and the other said he came close to being baptized once, but it wasn’t the right time he said. But he went to church, and he is a big possibility as well. So next week me and Elder Collins have a good chance of getting 3 more baptisms! I am super excited for this! It would be 6 baptisms for the month of October. But the names of people who were baptized were, Etienne, Allison, and Italu. Next week’s so far is Noé. Its Noah in Portuguese or Spanish.

Today I am going to print off pictures of my baptisms so far, and eat açai, one kilo of it. And hmm, or and were going to eat with some other missionaries today for lunch. It’s a good day today I think. Oh and also last week, I guess, I learned some more gospel doctrine, but I do have a question I am trying to get answered. You know how they are 3 levels within the celestial kingdom? My question is, is there 3 levels in each of the kingdoms? I understand what the millennium is for, but the promise from Nephi is that it’s better to have never known the gospel if all you were was baptized. So it’s something I am trying to figure out.

I did try the cool towel already. I have about ten minutes or so. And I am doing pretty good. So far from what I know, nothing is planned for thanksgiving, and for Christmas, it is just Skyping home. But 4 or 5 days before Christmas, we have another zone conference and we will go to Natal for that. It’s a five hour drive. Which sucks in a van. It’s a nice van, but still sucks for five hours.

But yeah I will reach my monthly goal and I think we will reach our zone goal as well. We have 11 baptisms in the zone at the moment. But I have been eating well and not going hungry. And no, I still have plenty of money to last me. At the moment. and the next time I get mail will be the first week of November and the next time after that will be December 1st. but after that will be like the 20th or 21st of December as well, so if anyone wants to send me anything - you’d better get it in the mail soon…my greatest wish is for Taco Bell Hot/Fire sauce as everything is so bland here and a Dr. Pepper J

My address is:
Elder Adam D. Jensen
Missao Joao Pessoa, LDS
Rua Deputardo Jose Mariz #515
Tambauzinho
Joao Pessoa
P.B 58042-020
BRAZIL

I hope that you like the picture and the Petries called me. They don’t have Halloween here in the northeast. But oh well. I love you and I got to go now. Love you and I will talk next week on Wednesday! Don’t forget!

With love,
elder adam jensen

p..s. dad- I would rather be in horrible weather than this heat lol. the sun is just not on our side. It has been in the 90’s – 100 degrees. I did print off the authority line, but I am excited to receive your package maybe in December lol. I am actually excited to receive everything. thank you both so much!
 

Being Spoilt

Thursday 1st November, 2012

Hello Everyone,

Well this past week...

So we got almost all of our baptisms confirmed. Just waiting on one person. He had to work or something on Sunday and there just was no possible way he could have been confirmed. Oh and I forgot that we did baptize the other youth Noé. He is pretty cool and he is already playing soccer with the other youth at the church. So far with baptisms, everything is going great and I love knowing how much potential there is in this area and in this mission. Bringing people to real salvation is a really good mood changer lol. It just lets you know that people really have enough faith for after this life. 

Oh and my companion was transferred. To Sousa actually. A place that is just as hot but without the wind so in the end it is hotter than here in Mossoro. He became a zone leader there. My new companions name is Elder Claudio. He is an American from Las Vegas. So far he seems pretty cool. An Elder who likes to work, but in a smarter way. Not the way that will just get you super tired throughout the day. But yeah that’s what happened. oh someone brought me almost all the birthday cards already, but next week I will receive whatever packages are there and plus if there is more birthday cards. I love all of you guys and I love being spoiled!  Oh, and I still LOVE Dr. Pepper!!

With love,

elder adam jensen