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
Monday, August 24, 2009
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
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