Back in V. Maria!! - 17 August 2015

This week I literally got a little taste of heaven!!! 

I had the opportunity to spend Wednesday and Thursday in Vila Maria with Elder Reasch!! Such a great time having the opportunity to work in V. Maria for the first time after leaving the first time when this entire adventure started!! 

Working in some of the same streets that I knew so well was a wonderful feeling. 

But the best part was when I had the opportunity to see my first recent convert on my mission!!!! I was filled with so much joy to see her firm in the church! Her eyes were glowing. I was so proud of her for staying so firm in the gospel because her parents went less active but she has stayed all this time strong all by her self!! 

I was dying to give her a huge hug but I couldn´t. 

But I feel that with this experience I got a small taste of how heaven will feel like when I get to see all the people I love and all the people I got to help ALL AT THE SAME TIME!! 

I love this gospel and I love being here in Brazil!!!! And this last week is going to be the best week yet!! 

Love you all so much!!! 

The picture is of Elida, my first baptism.  She has grown a little taller and sadly I've grown a little fatter!!  hahah so much has come from a small see that was planted two years ago!!  Such a wonderful feeling!!!!!

 

Elder B. Jacobson



Slow Week??! - 10 August 2015

This week was a little slow. haha I feel like we stayed in the house of Maria Do Carmin the entire week. This women is really good she just has a lot of questions and so when we enter her house it is hard to leave. WE have explained everything from the restoration to baptisms for the dead and she has watched the story of the prophet Joseph Smith. At the end we bore our testimonies and told her that we had shared everything we had to share with her and that their was nothing more we could do. 

We invited her to pray about it all and the make a decision for herself! So we are going to see how her prayer was and if everything goes well she and her family are all going to be baptized on Sunday. 

Please pray for this family because they are going to need it.. hahah!! 

Today we went to Salomon´s temple. When I got to Sao Paolo Everybody was talking about this temple that had just been built. So I got some pictures in front of this temple!.  I have to say that I like the salt lake temple. 

I love you all soo much!! See you soooooooooon!!!!

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

AWESOME - 3 August 2015

Hello Everybody!!

 

This week was Awesome!! 

 

Me and Elder are working great together!!!  My camera isn't working in this computer so i'll send them later today if I ca, but we had a week full of miracles. 

KAROL was so excited this entire week to be baptized and on Sunday she was just beaming when she got out of the water. The ward is so excited to have her in the ward. She is 19 and is already thinking about serving a mission. haha

GABRIEL, ISABELA,LUIZA ARE siblings that were baptized together yesterday as well. They are a family ELEITA! Their mom loves the church but can't be baptized yet because she needs to get married first. But she is already helping the missionaries a lot.

 

We are making a t shirt for the zone and she is going to make the shirts for us!! She is so excited about the church and every time we go and teach her and her family they get more and more excited!!!!! 

 

I am so happy to be here with Elder Flores again!! We are CONSEGRADOS!!!

 

I am so tired but I am loving every minute of this transfer!! I just keep seeing how far I can push myself. Sometimes it is frustrating because I feel so weak but I know that the lord is allowing me to see my weaknesses so that I can be strengthened. 

Can I just say I love ETHER 12 27 

 

LOVE YOU ALL SOOO MUCH!!!!!!!! 

 

                     Elder B. Jacobson

 

 

 

 

 

 

Not Feeling Well - 27 July 2015

Hey!!!! 

I'm sorry but this is going to be short. I'm just not feeling very well today so I'm going to go sleep it off. 

But this week was just full of miracles and I am so excited for the coming week!! 

This week as well I got the book of Mormon on audio and have been studying by listening to it and noting all the things I learn as I go. The Book of Mormon has come to life for me this week!! It has always been so hard for me to understand but this week I was able to bring them to life!! it has been so cool and way different then just reading them!! I don't know why I haven't done this before. 

I'm sorry this is so lame!! 

I love you so much!! and no I'm don't think I'm as trunky as Andrew is! hahah just kidding!! 

               until next week!! 

Elder B. Jacobson

First Week with Elder Flores AGAIN - 20 July 2015

This week has been awesome!!! I am loving working with Elder Flores again !!!! 

Its nice cuz I already know him so well that we don't have to adjust to anything we just got to hit the ground running like we did in Jd. California!!!! 

The first day of the transfer we made a goal to fast every other day!!! I knew that it would be a hard one for me but I was willing to give it a try. It was hard but I know that we were blessed by the lord. We WERE able to find two more people that wanted to be baptized. 

1.  A little old man that is always walking around the street. He is a little strange and he has stopped me many times and asked me to bless him. I have but I have never invited him to come to church.  I don't know why but this time I finally did. We took him to the chapel that very hour and le him see the chapel and the baptismal font. He loved it and wanted to be baptized that moment. 

He went to church on Sunday and we interviewed him to be baptized next week but sadly he has had  a rough  past life and  killed his wife!!!! So its going to be a while before he's baptized but he liked the church and will keep coming. aiaiai

2. Henrique: Henrique is Carol´s brother!!! He is cool but we were having a lot of trouble getting him to church to be baptized because he is to lazy get up in the morning, but this week I was determined to not leave until he was up and dressed!!! It went well. He was baptized yesterday but will be moving next week out of this ward so that was the sad part. 

I am determined to end my mission on fire!!!! DOING MORE AND BECOMING MORE THEN EVER BEFORE!!!  I love you all soo much!! Ill see you soon!! 

p.s I got my plain ticket today!!! 

26 de augusto 12:45 ill be with you all!!! 

AND NO IM NOT TRUNCKY!!!!!! 

      LOVE YOU SO MUCH!!!! 

love Elder Bjacobson

Crazy Casamento - 13 July 2015

ROGERIO E GISELIE

We have been working with this family ever since I got to this area and they have just been through a ton these last few months. 

They have been trying to get married for a very long time but have had some problems because Roderio has a very strong addiction to drugs. Gisele and her kids are all members of the church and have been trying to help Roderio for a long time.  This family has been through so much trying to help Roderio. 

Every two weeks or so Roderio would disappear and use drugs for a week and then come home when he was better. One week after I got here he left again but this time he didn't come back for 3 weeks straight!!!  He and Gisele were marked to get married but he disappeared again 2 days before the wedding!! 
 

Gisele said that she wouldn't marry him anymore, but when he got back she changed her mind and said that she would give him one more chance. I personally thought she was crazy but after talking to her more about why she wanted to go through with the wedding I was very impressed with her faith and understanding of the plan of salvation.

Gisele told us that everyone has a special trial that they have to get through in this life and she said that for Roderio its drugs but that doesn't mean that he is of any less worth to her or to father in heaven. She said that she knew that god had put Roderio in her life because of the potential that they would both have together. She said that she knew that she needed to marry him and that God would help Roderio with his trial. but they are doing everything to prepare to go to the temple in one year!!! 

Something that I learned this week is wow we need to look at all the people that we are serving here. They have the same potential that the prophet of the church has or of any other member.  We are all trying to become more like of father in heaven and if our father in heaven has so much patience with us why can we not have patience and love for the people that live around us. I see in Gisele this pure love of Christ that the savior showed us!! This is what the savior was talking about! loving our brothers here on earth like Jesus Christ loved the sinner. 

I love you all so much!!! this week has been awesome!! one of the best!!

ow TRANSFERS:

IM STAYING HERE IN JD.MODELO WITH ELDER FLORES AGAIN!! I WAS ALREADY HIS COMPANION!!! IM SO EXCITTED!!!! 

LOVE E.B JACOBSON

Locura - 6 July 2015

This week I spent everyday again with a different Elder from the Zone!! Once again my companion wasn't here for Sunday. Our ward is going crazy because its the third week that he hasn't been here!! haha! They have almost forgotten who my companion is because I always get to church with a different companion!! haha 

The week was good and I was able to get everything done that I needed to get everyone to church and prepare for our baptisms, but Sunday was a huge test for me!!! 

After the entire week we had two people prepared to be baptized yesterday FRANÇE E HENIQUE.

FRANÇA: This woman has been through so much trying to receive the blessings of the gospel. I have been working with her for a month now and something always just gets in the way of her progress. Saturday night when we went to her house to follow up with her for the last time before CHRUCH (the big test) we had a great lesson with that spirit so strong you can barely breath right. She just started crying and crying and then bore her testimony of determination saying that she WOULD ENTER THAT WATER AND BE MADE FREE OF EVERYTHING! 

These are the best moments on the mission, when you have the opportunity to feel the spirit that strong! 

When we got to her house she had left early for the hospital. We called her and she said that she went and would go to church after because the hospital is close to the church. But she never showed up. At 5 we found her at her house and talked to her about her baptism but she was going to the hospital again because she was really sick!! So we remarked everything and helped her get to the hospital. Just praying that she comes out all right. Here the Brazilians say that you enter the hospital alive and leave dead! hahaha I thought that phrase was funny. Its way better in Portuguese but ok. 

HENRIQUE  fell through because we couldn't get him to wake up. He had stayed up until 5; 30 in the morning playing video games!!!!! And you wonder why he was sleeping like a rock when we got to his house!!!! But we got Anna Carolina to church to be confirmed so that was good!!! We got her to church right when bishop called her to the front!! It was something that happens in the movies!!!! hahah 

Today our president is taking my zone to go play paintball with his son that just got back from his mission in AFRICA!! I'm pumped!!! hahah I'm gonna get my but kicked but its going to be a lot of fun. Elder Aguirres (my companion) owned a paintball company before his mission so I'm going to stay on his team so I can tare it up with him!! haha (aka not die) hahaha. 

I love you all so much have a great week!!! 

love elder B. jACOBSON

Week of Travel!! - 29 June 2015

Hello Everybody! Wow what a week! Everyday this week I have been to a different place. We spent the entire week doing a tour of our zone!! We went to a different area every morning and did a division and I brought the other missionary back to my area everyday this week!! Literally I have only seen my companion at night this entire week!! It has been nuts. But things are going well here! 

MONDAY: On P-Day we went to a place called BRÁS (note the accent) its a huge shopping center in the middle of Sao Paulo! My companion went looking for a new suit and I followed behind him. But I ended up winning when he gave me his other suit for free!! I got it sized and it looks awesome!! 

TUESDAY; we went to district meeting and it was kind of sad cuz two of our elders didn't show up. One is so trunky he just has completely shut down and doesn't even leave the house anymore. Its kind of sad cuz this guy was my zone leader and also was a secretary for the president. Its like I always try to tell my missionaries; that the end of the race is the most important part. its the moment when you have to give your all. For our training I shared a story of my cross country days!! haha. Then I went on a division and spent the day trying to find new investigators. 

WEDNSDAY: DIVITION WITH V. SABRINA

I went on a division after lunch with Elder J. Lopes. We had some problems in the beginning of the transfer. One of the first things this guy said to me was that he wanted to marry my sister. I wont say which one. But I set him straight and we are working better together. Not exactly what I was expecting from my DL and it has been a struggle to keep a good relationship with him so that we can keep working. but I am learning and we worked everything out. I just stay calm and take everything as it comes. 

THURSDAY: DIVITION WITH E. MARTINT

Today I was in my area with Elder Martint. I have known him for a long time and it was awesome working with him!! We found an ELEITA! that was baptized on Sunday and he has already been my zone leader so I got to get some nice tips on how to run the zone better. I started that day making some changes to the zone and helping our DL work better with us. Ill have a better idea of how these new ideas work out after this week. but this day was AWESOME! ill tell you more about our ELEITA latter. 

FRIDAY: DIVITION WITH E.SILVA

I got to go on a bus it MIAPORA this place is practically in the middle of the mountains. We took a bus ride about an hour to their area though the mountains. We went through a ton on tunnels and stuff!!It was a really cool bus ride. I had never been to this area before but I liked it a lot. Then when we got to their area I got back on the bus and took Elder Silva to my area and went back!! The bus took a lot of time and so we had to use our time wisely. We followed up with all our dates. 

SATERDAY: DIVITION WITH E.MESSIK 

Elder Messik and I got to work together Saturday and Sunday. We did not find new people but we did get to follow up with all our dates and we got everyone ready to go to church. this is always the hard part, leaving everyone strong to go to church the next day. but we got to follow up with everyone and got some time to go look for new people but we didn't find anyone. 

SUNDAY: with elder MESSIK 

We woke up early to go get everyone. A lot of people fell through but I'll tell you about the two miracles we had. Miracle one: FRANCE CAME TO CHURCH! we have been working on her for a long time. Her son was baptized and not her because she always works. But she went yesterday and liked it a lot. 

Then when we got to our Eleitas house ANA CARILINA, SHE was dressed and waiting on us to go to church!!! That never happens. She went and met all the young women. she loved it and since she had already been to church she decided to be baptized that same day after church!!! It was such a blessing!!!! The lord prepared her and now we are going to help the rest of her family!!  The ward was so excited about her!! She even said that she was going to bring a friend to church next week!!! 

Sorry again I don't have pictures because I just got back from VILA MARIA THIS MORNING AND  did not have my camera with me to send all the pictures from the week so I'll get them to you next week!! 

             Love you all so much!! 

           See you soon!! 

                             love Elder B Jacobson

Back To Where I Started - 22 June 2015

OI TUDO MUNDO!!!! 

This week was such a great a crazy week!!! 

On Thursday I got to go back to my very first area VILA MARIA! It was such a great feeling. Coming back the second time everything didn't look as big as it did two years ago. As I was sitting on the same bus going onto Vila Maria I took the advantage to remember all the things that I had been through and all the things that I have come to learn at this time here in Brazil. But the feeling that came over me the strongest was the great feeling of love that my father in heaven has for me. I know that the lord has always been by my side. I got here in Brazil and just worried so much, but I know that I never had a reason to worry so much!! 

This week I also got sick and ended up throwing up in the bus trashcan. We almost made it off the bus in time but it didn't happen. I was sick before I got on the bus but we were going to the Cartorio to help investigators get married so I did my best to hold it in but the dumpy bus did not help much.. haha but we made it to the Cartorio without a problem and stopped to get some medicine on the way. It was a strong medication and made me so tired!! but I made it home and made it through the day working so that was good. Then on Saturday my companion got sick with the same thing. haha so its been great!!! 

My companion left the area on Friday morning  and did not come back until Sunday night!!! I don't know why he thinks he has to do all the interviews but he doesn't let me help. haha but it was nice to have three days in my area. In the end, yesterday we had a lot of difficulties and got no one to church. That was sad but we are going to destroy this week!! hahah 

I love you all so much!!! I know that this is were I need to be! 

Daniel we are all praying for you and love you!!! 

                    ATÉ MAIS FAMILIA!!!

Gospel Blessings - 15 June 2015

This week was a little crazy!! but was great!! I think I start every email saying that the week was crazy....ha-ha. 

We Started the week off by going to the police station!! haha no i was not taken under arrest!! Got my visa renewed!! that was a lot of fun!! taking pictures and getting my fingerprints taken. We did not get back to our area until 5 in the evening. 

Then the next day we had interviews with President Farns!! Always a great experience. We talked about goals and more about being a leader. He told me to take advantage of the opportunity that I am having here. Something that has been one of the biggest themes for us on the mission is putting everything on the sacrifice alter in order to receive the blessings from the lord!! In the interview president challenge me to put everything left that I have on the alter!! Every fear, Every laziness, Every thought of home!! everything and consecrate the last few months I have to the lord like never before!! 

Yesterday we had 4 baptisms. 

ROGER, who is a boliviano that was the only member in his family that was not a member of the church. He was telling us about what helped him make up his mind. He prayed and thought a lot about his family. He said that he was going through a lot of problems with his family and he knew that the gospel was what he needed. He told us before his baptism that he was going in to never come out!!!! 

Then we had BRUNA, NAYARA, E SARA!!! 

They are also a great family!! They are sisters. they look like they have 10 to 12 years old but they are actually 20 to 22. ha-ha When they went to church the leaders started taking them to the primary!! hahah they are awesome. they have been through some really hard times. even have lived on the street. When they got to church they were so excited and just wanted to go back!!! Yesterday they were so excited to leave everything in the water!! 

One thing that I have really learned about the Atonement and Baptism is that you don't just leave your sins, but you leave every bit of heartache every pain that has passed and literally start completely over!!! What a Blessing!! The power of the Atonement is so real and everyone needs it!! 

I love this gospel!!! I love the opportunity I have to be here helping people to receive the same blessings I have received!!! 

I love you all! Have a great week!!! 

                                       Elder B. Jacobson

Week 1 in JADIM MUDELO!!!! - 8 June 2015

Hello Everyone!!! 

 

I am back were I started and so excited to be here!!! I am soo happy to be here again and was the perfect remedy to cure any ounce of trunckiness that I might have had!!! haha!! I am just loving being in the same zone in which I started this adventure!!!! 

 

This week has been so crazy!!! I have been trying to plan so many things to get all of the elder excited to work. I am with a lot of elders that I have become really good friends with!!! I got to the zone and I had already gotten to know almost everyone in other places so it is going to be a lot of fun working with them again. 

 

Me and Elder Agierres have started the transfer off good. We have a family of 10 that had already gone to church before!! they were a contact on the bus. The eleitos are always on the bus!!! We brought them all to church yesterday and they liked it a lot!!! 

I have gotten to see some of the members already from my old ward here in VIla Maria! AND TO MY SUPRISE THEY ALL REMEMBER Me. the only difference is that this time I can understand them!!!! wow what a difference it makes!! hahah 

This week I got to do a division after only 3 days in my area!! haha that was fun. I am still getting to know that area here but it went very well. I was able to follow up with all of our investigators. I was just not able to find others because it took so long to try and find the houses of everyone. and going to the last house I got really lost!! hahah but it was a good day!!! It brings me back to my first division in vila maria when I fell down a drain on the side walk!!! wow its been awhile!! haha 

I am loving it here!!! 

I love you all so much!! Ill have more stories next week when I have more time  here!!! 

Love  you!!!! 

Elder Bryan Jacobson

Another Transfer - 1 June 2015

Hello Everyone!!

This week we have transfers and to my surprise I am going to be transfer again!! I am going to zone JAÇANA. this was my first zone on my mission!!! I am so excited. I am going to be Zone Leader for the last two AND AM SO EXCITTED TO BE ABLE TO GO ON DIVISIONS WITH Vila Maria, my very first area in the field. I have a lot of planning to do before tomorrow comes so this is going to be short. but I did want to tell you about something really cool that happened this week!!

I was on divisions with the zone leaders getting some interviews done when we got to the last interview of the day. ELIANE. Elder Farias went into a room with her and they started the interview. And the interview just went on..... and on.....and on.....and on..... and on.... It was the longest interview I have ever witnessed. I was horribly worried about what was going on. Thinking of all the things that could have gone wrong. hahah. and it just went on......

After about an hour and a half the door to the room finally opened!! Elaine was crying and went into the bathroom!! Elder Farias waited to come out of the room until Elaine came out of the bathroom. When they both came into the room. Eliana Smiled and said she was going to be baptized!!! She just seemed to glow.

After we left the house I asked what had happened.

Elder Fariss said that nothing bad had happened, they were just talking and talking. Elaine in the interview had said that she wanted to be alleviated from her spiritual but also physical pain! So Elder Faries gave her a blessing and he told me after that he knew that she would be healed after her baptism. He did not explain anything more but he just knew.

That night After her Baptism she was just glowing!! so happy and her family is now united in the church.

This week has been such a blessing!! This is the best part of the mission!! three generations of this family are members now!!

I am so grateful for this gospel and for every opportunity I have to help others have the same opportunity that I have: To just start over.

I love you all soo much!!! have a great week

LOVE ELDER B JACOBSON

Conference Weekent - 25 May 2015

Hello Everybody! 

This was an absolutely crazy week!!! hahha Started out by having a great district meeting on Tuesday. We started planning at the beginning of the week with everyone how we would get all of our investigators to church for the conference. This transfer we have been struggling because of all the meetings at the stake center. It had been a struggle getting investigators to come to church. After the training everyone was excited to work and see miracles. 

I have been thinking a lot about Lehi's dream and all the things that we can apply to our lives with this story in the scriptures. One thing that has really helped me keep an Eternal perspective is something that our mission president taught us about this dream. He told us that off all the people that were in the dream, Almost all went straight to the building. and then of the very few that made it to the iron rod many got lost before even getting to the tree. and then of the few that ate the fruit their were still half that left the tree and went to the building. 

President Farns told us that our job as missionaries is to open the doors of opportunity to all that are willing to accept it through faith, repentance, and baptism. Baptism in Lehi's dream is the moment that the people first grab onto the rod of iron. This is out job as missionaries, is to help everyone that is willing have this opportunity to come closer to Christ. I had always had the opinion that it would be of no good to baptize someone that would quickly become less active. but this story helped me to remember the eternal purposes of Gods plan. 

After baptism Gods children are blessed with the Holy Ghost. A gift that will have the power to bring people to the tree of life even if they have wandered far off and even made it to the building. it is a perfection that is needed for the orientation of all Gods children. even the ones that are choosing poorly at the moment. 

I think of all the things that I have passed through in my life and wonder where i would have been if I had not had the protection of the gospel in my life. Everybody needs this because we are all sick and needing of a cure. 

I hope you know that I love this gospel! I love the hope and the power that we find in the atonement of the lord Jesus Christ. 

People are being prepared to receive these great blessings. This week me and my district was struggling with really being motivated. not that we are not working. but I could feel that my work was not with full heart might mind and strength. but this helps me to remember the great need to help people have all that I have. 

The gospel has saved my life. I know that I have been so blessed. I pray that I may show my gratitude to the lord for all that he has blessed my with. 

I love you all so much!! have a great week!

Fast Week!!! - 18 May 2015

Monday;

Last Monday I had tons of time to sleep on pday which was exactly what I was needing to be able to work hard this week and get everything done that I needed to do. then that night we had a really cool family home evening night with a family that had a lot of RC and NON MEMBERS. I shared the message of the kite and keeping the commandments .

 

Tuesday:

district meeting I was surprised when I got to district meeting and the zone leaders told me that I would give the training to the zone. I gave a training on how to recognize quickly the people that are ready and the people that are not. I used a comparison with food and the way we present the gospel. It was cool.

 

Thursday:

We had a conference with president Farns. The trainings were awesome. Sister Farns talked about faith, and how faith normally means sacrifice. We were invited to sacrifice everything we had to the lord so that our faith could work miracles in our areas and in our work.

 

Sunday

We had a great Sunday. tons of miracles with helping people getting to church. We had prayed that everyone could be awake when we went to go get them.

We got to the house of SABASTIAO. and when we clapped at his gate he came out all ready and dressed!!! AWESOME.

Then we went to JULIANAS  house. She was all ready with her mom and she also brought a friend with her that was crying at church after watching the baptism of Juliana. We went to her house after that night and had a really good lesson with Juliana, her mom and friend!!!

In all we had 9 people at church. which was a complete miracle.

 

We have been praying and just pleading with the lord to lead us to the people that are ready and as we talk to everyone, we are just finding more and more. It has been awesome to see.