09-07-2009
Zone: Chapecó
Area: Pato Branco
Well I found out last night that Elder Neves will be transferred tomorrow and that my new companion will be Elder Fochetto, another Brazilian. I hear he is quite the regrão or if you will, STRICT. I think that President is wanting me to teach him how to calm down as he is apparently a mirror image of who I was when I got here.
At any rate, Karina was baptized this Sunday and that was a really great experience. She is a girl of seventeen years, who is now living independant. A rarity here in Brazil. Her family threatened to disown her, but she did not desist and was baptized anyway. It was good.
Matteus and Allyson have stopped progressing, sadly, they were so close to getting baptized too. Each of them had been marked for baptism and they disappeared a few hours before the baptisms. They were too nervous I suppose.
I will miss Elder Neves we have grown to become good friends. It will be sad to trade companions so quickly.
We are still working hard, and hoping that you all are as well back home.
Chase your dreams, never give up, be good. Don´t ever lose hope.
With Love,
-Elder Jacob L. Holdaway
Sunday, September 27, 2009
Monday August 31, 2009
08-31-2009
We are teaching several young men between the ages of thirteen and eighteen and we play soccer with them every week. They are all progressing and playing soccer to tract seems to be working far better than knocking doors. We are doing everything in our power to work with our heads and not with our legs!
We also are teaching a few couples who are only lacking a civil marriage in order to be baptized. They all have testimonies and it is a very good thing. I have a great deal of hope for them.
I gave two discourses the yesterday, one about missionary work using a discourse by Elder L. Tom Perry "Bing Souls unto Me" (I think it was called; It is in the ensign of the last conference) The discourse was actually in English which left me with the interesting task of translating the parts I wanted while I was in the middle of my talk. It went well and was only proof that the gift of tongues is amazing and makes things that should be hard and slow become easy and fast.
At any rate, I am quite happy and though it has taken nearly a year to learn how to forget myself I am trying every day to do so more and more. I am thankful for the support of everyone and would love to hear from anyone back home.. (Hint hint..) The more letters the better, I promise to write everyone back.
I hope you are all taking advantage of the Temple and doing your best to "lift where you stand."
All my love,
-Elder Jacob L. Holdaway
Zone:Chapecó
Area: Pato Branco
Tiago was baptized this week! It was an amazing experience and though he was baptized very quickly I feel like he is a very good person and will be a very good member. He is actually going to marry a member soon. He is twenty-two years old and miraculously drinks neither coffee nor alcohol and better still does not smoke. An elect.Area: Pato Branco
We are teaching several young men between the ages of thirteen and eighteen and we play soccer with them every week. They are all progressing and playing soccer to tract seems to be working far better than knocking doors. We are doing everything in our power to work with our heads and not with our legs!
We also are teaching a few couples who are only lacking a civil marriage in order to be baptized. They all have testimonies and it is a very good thing. I have a great deal of hope for them.
I gave two discourses the yesterday, one about missionary work using a discourse by Elder L. Tom Perry "Bing Souls unto Me" (I think it was called; It is in the ensign of the last conference) The discourse was actually in English which left me with the interesting task of translating the parts I wanted while I was in the middle of my talk. It went well and was only proof that the gift of tongues is amazing and makes things that should be hard and slow become easy and fast.
At any rate, I am quite happy and though it has taken nearly a year to learn how to forget myself I am trying every day to do so more and more. I am thankful for the support of everyone and would love to hear from anyone back home.. (Hint hint..) The more letters the better, I promise to write everyone back.
I hope you are all taking advantage of the Temple and doing your best to "lift where you stand."
All my love,
-Elder Jacob L. Holdaway
Monday, August 24, 2009
Letter 19
08-24-2009
Zone: Chapecó
Area: Pato Branco
Well, another week gone by and today I have eleven months on the mission. Seems like time has gone by so fast, and yet so slow. I had some good experiences this week, but unfortunately no more baptisms.
It is extremely interesting to me that people can feel the spirit so strongly and still have absolutely no desire to follow the Savior. I do not really comprehend the reasons, for which, they do not act. I never understood how truly spiritually starved and blind the people of this world are. I suppose that when I was one of them and I had been inactive in the church it was because I was past feeling or that I simply did not care, but I also had never felt the spirit like these people feel it as we teach. It seems to fill everything and yet they deny the necessity to follow.
I have been thinking a lot this week about how truly blessed members of the church are that they were raised in the church, and learn as youths to follow the spirit. It truly is a blessing.
I have been trying to be exactly obediant in everything so that we can start to have more success and I hope to see positive results soon. I miss all of you back at home and would like to thank everyone for the support and letters. They are greatly appreciated.
I would like for everyone who would like a letter to get their addresses in to my Mom this week so I can send a letter next week.
Her email is kylelaralee@yahoo.com
Sincerely,
-Elder Jacob L. Holdaway
Zone: Chapecó
Area: Pato Branco
Well, another week gone by and today I have eleven months on the mission. Seems like time has gone by so fast, and yet so slow. I had some good experiences this week, but unfortunately no more baptisms.
It is extremely interesting to me that people can feel the spirit so strongly and still have absolutely no desire to follow the Savior. I do not really comprehend the reasons, for which, they do not act. I never understood how truly spiritually starved and blind the people of this world are. I suppose that when I was one of them and I had been inactive in the church it was because I was past feeling or that I simply did not care, but I also had never felt the spirit like these people feel it as we teach. It seems to fill everything and yet they deny the necessity to follow.
I have been thinking a lot this week about how truly blessed members of the church are that they were raised in the church, and learn as youths to follow the spirit. It truly is a blessing.
I have been trying to be exactly obediant in everything so that we can start to have more success and I hope to see positive results soon. I miss all of you back at home and would like to thank everyone for the support and letters. They are greatly appreciated.
I would like for everyone who would like a letter to get their addresses in to my Mom this week so I can send a letter next week.
Her email is kylelaralee@yahoo.com
Sincerely,
-Elder Jacob L. Holdaway
Monday, August 10, 2009
Letter 18
08/10/10
Zone: Chapecó
Area: Pato Branco
Pato Branco is enormous and also includes a few other cities here in the state of Paraná, but I doubt I will ever be able to teach anyone in those cities as just teaching here in this one will be difficult. So many people!Pato Branco is a Branch but actually has about the same frequency as the last ward I served in. The last ward was struggling whereas this Branch is really strong. They are about to get a chapel, we are just faulting a few more baptisms and active members.I am as always still learning a lot. It seems at every new turn God has something else in store for me to learn what and how to do things.My new companion, Elder Neves, is a funny guy. We play chess quite a bit but he has only won twice. It is quite entertaining to see him get all worked up. He is a Brazilian from a city called Natal in the northern region of the country. Where it is extremely hot, he always makes racist jokes about his own skin color. Talks about how he turned black because it was too hot where he grew up that it tanned him perminantly while he was in the womb. All sorts of funny stuff. When we play chess he is always the black pieces and talks about how their day has arrived to relieve the oppression of the dirty rotten whites.At any rate, still working hard here. We are seeing some sucess and trying to do all the things asked of us by President. It is hard to believe that I have been gone for almost a year.As I said before, write me a letter and I will write back!! Hope all is well with everyone.
Elder Jacob L Holdaway
Zone: Chapecó
Area: Pato Branco
Pato Branco is enormous and also includes a few other cities here in the state of Paraná, but I doubt I will ever be able to teach anyone in those cities as just teaching here in this one will be difficult. So many people!Pato Branco is a Branch but actually has about the same frequency as the last ward I served in. The last ward was struggling whereas this Branch is really strong. They are about to get a chapel, we are just faulting a few more baptisms and active members.I am as always still learning a lot. It seems at every new turn God has something else in store for me to learn what and how to do things.My new companion, Elder Neves, is a funny guy. We play chess quite a bit but he has only won twice. It is quite entertaining to see him get all worked up. He is a Brazilian from a city called Natal in the northern region of the country. Where it is extremely hot, he always makes racist jokes about his own skin color. Talks about how he turned black because it was too hot where he grew up that it tanned him perminantly while he was in the womb. All sorts of funny stuff. When we play chess he is always the black pieces and talks about how their day has arrived to relieve the oppression of the dirty rotten whites.At any rate, still working hard here. We are seeing some sucess and trying to do all the things asked of us by President. It is hard to believe that I have been gone for almost a year.As I said before, write me a letter and I will write back!! Hope all is well with everyone.
Elder Jacob L Holdaway
Thursday, July 30, 2009
Letter 17
07-27-2009
I will be receiving my second Brazilian companion, so that is good. Elder Neves.
We have seen a lot of miracles this last week and I finally learned how to get answers to my prayers more quickly. Such a hard thing to actually learn how to do...
I have to pack today so this entry will be quite short, but I hope everyone gets to see it soon.
Also, we have a new rule and I am only allowed to receive emails from immediate family, not from Uncles, Aunts, Cousins, Grandparents, nor Friends. Sorry guys but you are all restricted to conventional mail.
my address is
Elder Jacob L. Holdaway
Missão Brasil Florianópolis
R. Feliciano Nunes Pires, 42
Centro, Florianópolis SC
Brasil
88015-220
I will do my best to write everyone back.
This keyboard is giving me extreme issues... grr..
Até
-Elder Jacob L. Holdaway
Zone: Tubarão
Area: Criciúma 2
Well turns out I am finally leaving Criciúma 2 and going to a new area. I am also now Senior, so that is something good. I will be stationed in Pato Branco in the state of Paraná. Very close to Argentina.Area: Criciúma 2
I will be receiving my second Brazilian companion, so that is good. Elder Neves.
We have seen a lot of miracles this last week and I finally learned how to get answers to my prayers more quickly. Such a hard thing to actually learn how to do...
I have to pack today so this entry will be quite short, but I hope everyone gets to see it soon.
Also, we have a new rule and I am only allowed to receive emails from immediate family, not from Uncles, Aunts, Cousins, Grandparents, nor Friends. Sorry guys but you are all restricted to conventional mail.
my address is
Elder Jacob L. Holdaway
Missão Brasil Florianópolis
R. Feliciano Nunes Pires, 42
Centro, Florianópolis SC
Brasil
88015-220
I will do my best to write everyone back.
This keyboard is giving me extreme issues... grr..
Até
-Elder Jacob L. Holdaway
Letter 16
07-20-2009
Área: Criciúma 2
Zona: Tubarão
This last week was a week that was fairly busy. Our numbers were H-O-R-R-I-B-L-E but we were actually working alot. We are going to have one baptism this Saturday and probably another one as well this Saturday. Pretty exciting. One of them is named Adrade, he used to be a BIG violent guy, who beat up police and yeah, was bad news. Then cancer robbed him of the use of the left side of his body and he turned to Christ. Now he is humble, very thoughtful of others and ready for the gospel. We taught him the first three lessons and spent a couple hours at his house every day this week. He is really excited to be baptized and wants to be an Elder. Unfortunately, however, this will be very difficult as he is 28 and no longer has the capacity to travel by foot very much. We actually didn´t find him, he found us. He showed up the the Chapel on fast Sunday and bore testimony. Basically he is a blessing from the Father.
The other is a woman named Fatíma, she is another golden elect. She chased down the Élderes in Centro and was asking to be taught. She then walked up the hill, in the rain, in order to attend an activity in the chapel. They weren´t happy when they found out she lived in our area. We are actually going to teach her whole family today, during P Day. However, a baptism is worth it.
We have seen a great many miracles this week.
First was when we needed to visit Kadi (Adrade). He lives in another city called Forquilhinha ("fork-kill-yin-ya"). About 30 minutes by bus, and 1and 1/2 to 2 hours walk. We needed to get a bus or a ride from a member as time was pressing for the appointment.
Every member with a car was not home, so we decided to just hurry and try to catch a bus. This bus is very rare, it only passes like ten times a day. But the Lord helped us. We walked to the nearest stop along its route, and happened to meet the ONLY member family that lives in Forquilhinha. The bus was arriving at that moment as well.
So we got on the bus and they helped us to get off at the right location; a barro(neighbourhood) by the name of Ouro Negro (black gold).
The Lord has helped us out a lot this week, and has helped teach me that I cannot just rely on my talents alone. It is futile to try and work without His guidance.
We are trying to do our best to work "smart" rather than knock doors. President wants us to use whatever tool is necessary. English Classes, Guitar Lessons, Marriage Counseling (using doctrines of the church), anything and everything.
Unfortunately, this ward is slacking big time and are not helping with the new tracting system so President is just having us do other things now. I hear that Family Home Evening tracting is working wonders in the other areas though.
I love you all and I miss you. SEND LETTERS!!!
Sincerely,
-Elder Jacob L. Holdaway
Área: Criciúma 2
Zona: Tubarão
This last week was a week that was fairly busy. Our numbers were H-O-R-R-I-B-L-E but we were actually working alot. We are going to have one baptism this Saturday and probably another one as well this Saturday. Pretty exciting. One of them is named Adrade, he used to be a BIG violent guy, who beat up police and yeah, was bad news. Then cancer robbed him of the use of the left side of his body and he turned to Christ. Now he is humble, very thoughtful of others and ready for the gospel. We taught him the first three lessons and spent a couple hours at his house every day this week. He is really excited to be baptized and wants to be an Elder. Unfortunately, however, this will be very difficult as he is 28 and no longer has the capacity to travel by foot very much. We actually didn´t find him, he found us. He showed up the the Chapel on fast Sunday and bore testimony. Basically he is a blessing from the Father.
The other is a woman named Fatíma, she is another golden elect. She chased down the Élderes in Centro and was asking to be taught. She then walked up the hill, in the rain, in order to attend an activity in the chapel. They weren´t happy when they found out she lived in our area. We are actually going to teach her whole family today, during P Day. However, a baptism is worth it.
We have seen a great many miracles this week.
First was when we needed to visit Kadi (Adrade). He lives in another city called Forquilhinha ("fork-kill-yin-ya"). About 30 minutes by bus, and 1and 1/2 to 2 hours walk. We needed to get a bus or a ride from a member as time was pressing for the appointment.
Every member with a car was not home, so we decided to just hurry and try to catch a bus. This bus is very rare, it only passes like ten times a day. But the Lord helped us. We walked to the nearest stop along its route, and happened to meet the ONLY member family that lives in Forquilhinha. The bus was arriving at that moment as well.
So we got on the bus and they helped us to get off at the right location; a barro(neighbourhood) by the name of Ouro Negro (black gold).
The Lord has helped us out a lot this week, and has helped teach me that I cannot just rely on my talents alone. It is futile to try and work without His guidance.
We are trying to do our best to work "smart" rather than knock doors. President wants us to use whatever tool is necessary. English Classes, Guitar Lessons, Marriage Counseling (using doctrines of the church), anything and everything.
Unfortunately, this ward is slacking big time and are not helping with the new tracting system so President is just having us do other things now. I hear that Family Home Evening tracting is working wonders in the other areas though.
I love you all and I miss you. SEND LETTERS!!!
Sincerely,
-Elder Jacob L. Holdaway
Letter 15
07-13-2009
Zone: Tubarão
Area: Criciúma 2
Well people, hope you have strong stomaches for the story you are about to get.. It is a little gross. So we have a mouse problem... yep, and though we have killed about five mice, there are still more. I went to cook an egg sandwhich for breakfast, and turns out the mouse had left some presents concealed in the pan. Unfortunately I didn´t realize this until I had eaten about half the sandwhich.
Needless to say I got sick... Now despite having already washed everything like normal, I literally wash everything four times before I use it. Even if it was put away in a safe place... I was also priveleged to eat chicken foot. Oh wow...
Anyway, the work here continues on. We had five investigatores in church last week, three of which got up and bore testimony! We are in the process of teaching these people and hope to baptize them soon. Here in the next two weeks I will hit my ten month mark. Time seems to be accelerating at an incredible rate.
However, I hope to make the best of the time I still have. I miss all of you back home. I never realized how important my family is to me and also my friends.
I am still learning a lot, and changing a lot. I doubt my personality will even be recognizable.
Until today I still have only had one Brazilian companion, so for linguistic purposes this is not cool, but maintaining english is far more easy.
I expect to be turning Senior this next transfer, so that will be cool. Apparently Presidente has been wanting to switch me for some time, but as de Jong and I had asked to remain together he has left me junior.
Thanks for all the letters and the support. I would share some of the other cool spiritual experiences I am having, but then I wouldn´t have anything cool to share when I get home!!!!
Haha, valeio gente!
Elder Jacob L. Holdaway
Zone: Tubarão
Area: Criciúma 2
Well people, hope you have strong stomaches for the story you are about to get.. It is a little gross. So we have a mouse problem... yep, and though we have killed about five mice, there are still more. I went to cook an egg sandwhich for breakfast, and turns out the mouse had left some presents concealed in the pan. Unfortunately I didn´t realize this until I had eaten about half the sandwhich.
Needless to say I got sick... Now despite having already washed everything like normal, I literally wash everything four times before I use it. Even if it was put away in a safe place... I was also priveleged to eat chicken foot. Oh wow...
Anyway, the work here continues on. We had five investigatores in church last week, three of which got up and bore testimony! We are in the process of teaching these people and hope to baptize them soon. Here in the next two weeks I will hit my ten month mark. Time seems to be accelerating at an incredible rate.
However, I hope to make the best of the time I still have. I miss all of you back home. I never realized how important my family is to me and also my friends.
I am still learning a lot, and changing a lot. I doubt my personality will even be recognizable.
Until today I still have only had one Brazilian companion, so for linguistic purposes this is not cool, but maintaining english is far more easy.
I expect to be turning Senior this next transfer, so that will be cool. Apparently Presidente has been wanting to switch me for some time, but as de Jong and I had asked to remain together he has left me junior.
Thanks for all the letters and the support. I would share some of the other cool spiritual experiences I am having, but then I wouldn´t have anything cool to share when I get home!!!!
Haha, valeio gente!
Elder Jacob L. Holdaway
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