Letter #1 Criciuma Brazil 2/23/2009

2/23/2009
Zone: Tubarão
Area: Criciúma 2

Well, these amazing computers here in Brazil just deleted this message once already so I am going to try my best to retype it before anything more happens.I am on my third transfer and just received my third companion, Elder De Jong from Sandy, Utah.We are coming to reopen an area that had to be shut down because of some incidences with the previous Elders here. I am very excited to be working with him as he is a good worker but still knows how to have fun.So far my mission has not had a great deal of success, and my second companion in the field was a great trial for me and the patience I had been praying to develop. However, I finally have received this amazing gift and I love having it.I will at a later date add some entries in order to let everyone know what happened during the first two transfers but due to lack of time this will have to wait.I have a great deal of hope for this area and though this zone does not have a very good reputation for baptisms we will try to help the other new Elders transferred here to change that.Until time permits another entry.

Até Mais.

Elder Jacob L. Holdaway

Makeup post from mtc

09/25/2008 - 11/2008
CTM- Centro de Treinamento Missionário
As this is a makeup entry it is bound to be lacking in detail, however, I will bring my journal with me and have Jesse put an addition to this CTM section. The majority of my CTM experience was spent studying até o pó! I studied a great deal in order to fully realize the promise that someone could leave the CTM almost completely fluent in Portuguese if they studied diligently. I spent free time studying, and memorized every word I encountered.True to His word, the Lord blessed me with the gift of tongues and I left the CTM fluent, my President was surprised when we conducted our first interview in Portuguese rather than English.Sadly, everything has two sides, and though it was a great blessing it had a downfall as well. Everyone was always complimenting me on how well I spoke and surprised at how little time I had on the mission.Anyone who knows me, has a firm knowledge that I am a very prideful person who struggles with arrogancy. Haha, this was very hard to keep in check when I kept getting compliments!At any rate, being locked up in the CTM for two months was an amazing experience but one which I do not have desires to repeat. On top of the normal two months, due to a freak flood in Santa Catarina that destroyed two cities entirely, my district remained an additional week.Addition to follow with more details: --