06/29/2009
Well I hope all of you were able to get to see all the pictures I uploaded, there are still a lot more but those should suffice for the moment.This week was very slow, we have been trying to get these members excited about missionary work and to work with us. The new tracting system uses family nights that invite people but if the families are not inviting any one we lose a lot of time...We will be trying to use a smaller model with only eight families to show an example for the ward and hopefully get some decent progress.This new system of tracting is far superior as it was spoken by President Monson himself that 1 in 3 of such activities gives a strong convert baptism. Rather than 1 in 1000 doors being knocked on and finding a convert.At any rate talk to Jesse about pictures he has a ton.Let´s see, what else. I never truly understood how universal the gospel is. There really is not anything in this life that has nada ver or nothing to do with the gospel. It seems to be the thread that runs through everything and the more I learn the more clear everything seems to become. I am so thankful to have been given this chance to finally see how things really are and to have a testimony. If any one reading this does not believe, try your hardest to gain one because it is one of the most valuable things that exists in this world. An eternal perspective and a testimony of the Lord.
Até Mais Gente,
Cí vediamo!
Elder Jacob L. Holdaway
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Sunday, June 21, 2009
Letter 13
06/15/2009
Zone: Tubarão
Area: Criciúma 2
Turns out that I will be staying in Criciúma for at least another transfer. My new companion will be Elder West, another american.I think it is rather strange that President keeps putting me with americans, I would like to develop my linguistic abilities in portuguese. This is far more simple with someone you have to speak the language with.Oh well, I ate pig head again. Four words people; chew swallow and don´t gag.We had a miracle baptism yesterday, a young boy we have been teaching for weeks finally received permision to be baptized. Also we taught Sergio (the husband of a recent convert) and he offered a prayer again. He is participating with a much lesser restraint. I have really high hopes that we can help him to get baptized during my time here.Other than that, not much new is going on, other than the new tracting system which we need to get up and running. This ward is really improving, it only had around fifty people there frequently when we got here and now the sacrament meeting is always full. Activities are now being held and this ward is finally improving.Elder de Jong will be back in the States on Friday morning, wow what a trunky thought!
Tudo de bom prá todos de vocês!
Elder Jacob L. Holdaway
Zone: Tubarão
Area: Criciúma 2
Turns out that I will be staying in Criciúma for at least another transfer. My new companion will be Elder West, another american.I think it is rather strange that President keeps putting me with americans, I would like to develop my linguistic abilities in portuguese. This is far more simple with someone you have to speak the language with.Oh well, I ate pig head again. Four words people; chew swallow and don´t gag.We had a miracle baptism yesterday, a young boy we have been teaching for weeks finally received permision to be baptized. Also we taught Sergio (the husband of a recent convert) and he offered a prayer again. He is participating with a much lesser restraint. I have really high hopes that we can help him to get baptized during my time here.Other than that, not much new is going on, other than the new tracting system which we need to get up and running. This ward is really improving, it only had around fifty people there frequently when we got here and now the sacrament meeting is always full. Activities are now being held and this ward is finally improving.Elder de Jong will be back in the States on Friday morning, wow what a trunky thought!
Tudo de bom prá todos de vocês!
Elder Jacob L. Holdaway
Monday, June 8, 2009
Letter 12
06/08/2009
Elder de Jong goes home in somewhere in the range of ten days and he is very excited. So that is a little difficult. Every companion I have had so far has been either "dying" (ending his mission) or such a big slacker that he might as well be at home. This is a little unhelpful.
However, I think the Lord finally took pity on me, because all of a sudden it doesn´t leave me feeling overwhelmed by the time which I am still faulting.
I also wrote something I think is quite interesting the yesterday in church. I had been listening to testemony meeting, then suddenly I started thinking along a different subject line about life and its difficulties.
Here it is.
"When our problems seem overwhelming we need only remember that this merely signifies we have not yet reached the stature of our true potential. The greater the problem the better it shows us our potential for greatness." -Elder Jacob L. Holdaway
Do you like it? I thought it was rather poetic.
I hope that helps, just don´t let these little tribulations get in the way of the real objective. Life eternal.
Thank you for always being there for me. Don´t give up, pray to receive the strength sufficient to cope with this trial you have. Maybe it seems unfair, or overwhelming, but in the end it will be for your good.
D&C 121 verse more or less 5 I think, says "My son( or daughter) peace be unto thee, thy tribulations be but for a moment. And if you endure it well, the Lord thy God will exalt thee on high." something similar to this. Don´t ever give up.
Remember Christ passed through more than we can even imagine. "Art thou greather than he?" Sometimes we don´t understand the reasons why, or why the Lord delays his promised blessings, but rest assured that one day you will understand and thank him.
Go to the Temple!
Elder Jacob L. Holdaway
Zone: Tubarão
Area: Criciúma 2
This week was alright, they seem to be flying by but at the same time every day seems to drag on forever. Our investigators are all being big time fubeccas who don´t want to complete their commitments.. We are trying some new things with them, a family home evening based tracting. Having the members invite friends to their houses to host a family home evening and then inviting them to hear our messages. We think it will work out a lot better than tracting.Area: Criciúma 2
Elder de Jong goes home in somewhere in the range of ten days and he is very excited. So that is a little difficult. Every companion I have had so far has been either "dying" (ending his mission) or such a big slacker that he might as well be at home. This is a little unhelpful.
However, I think the Lord finally took pity on me, because all of a sudden it doesn´t leave me feeling overwhelmed by the time which I am still faulting.
I also wrote something I think is quite interesting the yesterday in church. I had been listening to testemony meeting, then suddenly I started thinking along a different subject line about life and its difficulties.
Here it is.
"When our problems seem overwhelming we need only remember that this merely signifies we have not yet reached the stature of our true potential. The greater the problem the better it shows us our potential for greatness." -Elder Jacob L. Holdaway
Do you like it? I thought it was rather poetic.
I hope that helps, just don´t let these little tribulations get in the way of the real objective. Life eternal.
Thank you for always being there for me. Don´t give up, pray to receive the strength sufficient to cope with this trial you have. Maybe it seems unfair, or overwhelming, but in the end it will be for your good.
D&C 121 verse more or less 5 I think, says "My son( or daughter) peace be unto thee, thy tribulations be but for a moment. And if you endure it well, the Lord thy God will exalt thee on high." something similar to this. Don´t ever give up.
Remember Christ passed through more than we can even imagine. "Art thou greather than he?" Sometimes we don´t understand the reasons why, or why the Lord delays his promised blessings, but rest assured that one day you will understand and thank him.
Go to the Temple!
Elder Jacob L. Holdaway
p.s. We taught a recent convert´s family the other night in a family home evening. Her husband and her daughter are the only non members in their immediate family now. Her husband never listened to messages when we got here in Criciúma but now he sits down and even prays with us. He is the type of person you can´t force but once he makes up his mind is completely dedicated. I have high hopes that he will one day join the church. He is a really awesome guy, one of those people that it talks about in the scripture "if ye should labor all your days and bring but one soul unto me.." I think it could take a little time and effort but once he is converted it will be a complete conversion.
Letter 11
06/01/2009
Due to the vast size of our mission, the conference was divided into three days. The first was in Zone Joinville where a third of the zones gathered. The second was in the city of Florianópolis where zones Florianópolis, Tubarão, and São José gathered. The third I haven´t the slightest clue about.
During our conference, he called on Elder De Jong and myself to teach him, in front of seventy or so other missionaries, all three zones. We did so, but Elder De Jong was BRIGHT red and very nervous. He was trying to test our techniques to see if we indeed merit the credit everyone has been giving us.
He was trying to be a very difficult investigator, and asked a lot of far fetched questions that usually a person never encounters all in a row.
However, we defended ourselves and Presidente Queiroz was very proud of us.
Turns out in the end he talked to Presidente Queiroz and told him we have one the best teaching missions in the world. Also that he is going to give his report to President Thomas S. Monson. So soon we will have a visit from an Apostle and then hopefully, if we continue strong, the Prophet himself.
So far during my mission I met three General Authorities;
Elder Richard G. Scott in the CTM, Elder Ellis (second councilor to President Dedier) in the mission, and now President Dedier who is over Brazil.
Hopefully I will meet another Apostle soon, and then the Prophet.
This week was very hectic, as we traveled to and from Florianópolis one day and then the stress from needed to be worthy to pass this Judgement. We are still teaching Tomas but we are trying to find more people to baptize.
Hope everything is well with everyone back home.
WRITE ME!!!
Elder Jacob L. Holdaway
p.s. the mission address for those who do not have it is as follows:
Elder Jacob L. Holdaway
Missão Brasil Florianópolis
R. Feliciano Nunes Pires, 42
Centro, Florianópolis -SC
88015-220
Brasilomas S. Monson. So soon we will have a visit from an Apostle and then hopefully, if we continue strong, the Prophet himself.
So far during my mission I met three General Authorities;
Elder Richard G. Scott in the CTM, Elder Ellis (second councilor to President Dedier) in the mission, and now President Dedier who is over Brazil.
Hopefully I will meet another Apostle soon, and then the Prophet.
This week was very hectic, as we traveled to and from Florianópolis one day and then the stress from needed to be worthy to pass this Judgement. We are still teaching Tomas but we are trying to find more people to baptize.
Hope everything is well with everyone back home.
WRITE ME!!!
Elder Jacob L. Holdaway
Zone: Tubarão
Area: Criciúma 2
Our mission had a conference with President Dedier of the First Quorum of the Seventy. He is the official representative of the Quorum of the Twelve, and he was coming here to see about our mission because of all the things that are being heard by the leaders of the Church. Presidente Queiroz said that he was coming to pass a judgment on the mission and to see if things really are as good as people are saying.Area: Criciúma 2
Due to the vast size of our mission, the conference was divided into three days. The first was in Zone Joinville where a third of the zones gathered. The second was in the city of Florianópolis where zones Florianópolis, Tubarão, and São José gathered. The third I haven´t the slightest clue about.
During our conference, he called on Elder De Jong and myself to teach him, in front of seventy or so other missionaries, all three zones. We did so, but Elder De Jong was BRIGHT red and very nervous. He was trying to test our techniques to see if we indeed merit the credit everyone has been giving us.
He was trying to be a very difficult investigator, and asked a lot of far fetched questions that usually a person never encounters all in a row.
However, we defended ourselves and Presidente Queiroz was very proud of us.
Turns out in the end he talked to Presidente Queiroz and told him we have one the best teaching missions in the world. Also that he is going to give his report to President Thomas S. Monson. So soon we will have a visit from an Apostle and then hopefully, if we continue strong, the Prophet himself.
So far during my mission I met three General Authorities;
Elder Richard G. Scott in the CTM, Elder Ellis (second councilor to President Dedier) in the mission, and now President Dedier who is over Brazil.
Hopefully I will meet another Apostle soon, and then the Prophet.
This week was very hectic, as we traveled to and from Florianópolis one day and then the stress from needed to be worthy to pass this Judgement. We are still teaching Tomas but we are trying to find more people to baptize.
Hope everything is well with everyone back home.
WRITE ME!!!
Elder Jacob L. Holdaway
p.s. the mission address for those who do not have it is as follows:
Elder Jacob L. Holdaway
Missão Brasil Florianópolis
R. Feliciano Nunes Pires, 42
Centro, Florianópolis -SC
88015-220
Brasilomas S. Monson. So soon we will have a visit from an Apostle and then hopefully, if we continue strong, the Prophet himself.
So far during my mission I met three General Authorities;
Elder Richard G. Scott in the CTM, Elder Ellis (second councilor to President Dedier) in the mission, and now President Dedier who is over Brazil.
Hopefully I will meet another Apostle soon, and then the Prophet.
This week was very hectic, as we traveled to and from Florianópolis one day and then the stress from needed to be worthy to pass this Judgement. We are still teaching Tomas but we are trying to find more people to baptize.
Hope everything is well with everyone back home.
WRITE ME!!!
Elder Jacob L. Holdaway
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