25. Been a little frustrated this week - 3 March 2014

Hello family!!! 

What a fast week. I cant believe I only have one more p-day before this transfer is over!!! nuts. Have to admit I have been a little frustrated this week because people are just not keeping commitments or just don't want to hear the message of the restored gospel. 

I remember early in the week we talked to this girl that was next to one of our potential investigators. We clapped at here gate and talked to here about the gospel of Jesus Christ and that God has a plan for us. 

The entire time she seemed to be soaking it all in and seemed very excited. We bore our testimonies that she could pray to God and know that these things are true. she said she would and told us that she thought that what we were doing was very special. 

She even said that my accent was very pretty. 

Man did she have us both fooled. We clapped at the next house and tried to get in but after about 5 minutes of answering questions and bearing testimony they denied our invitation. We turned to leave and saw the gospel of Jesus Christ pamphlet on the ground crumpled up. 

I know that these times o difficulty will be but a small while and this week has been a great opportunity to take a step back and look at what we are doing and what we need to do better. I have been reading Preach my gospel and the White hand book to see what I can do to improve. I have found somethings that I know I need to do better. 

Thetas the thing about missionary work is that you can never settle. you have to always be looking for things that you can do better. how you can invite the spirit into the lessons better. I have been studding about how I can better recognize and live worthy to have the spirit always in my work. I know that as I do my very best to obey all the mission rules the lord will bless us and we will be able to have a stronger spirit with us. For if you have not the spirit you can not teach. Oh how true it is. 

I am excited for this week to improve and learn more about how I can be better.

I love you all so much. One thing that people don't seemed to understand is how our church different, why it is important to do everything with authority. IT is because the priesthood power that the church has is the sealing power that binds every earthly thing to heaven. It is the only way to make everything eternal. My mindset has finally changed. I am not here to baptize people I am here to help them do the things that are going to last throughout eternity. The things that everyone must do to receive eternal joy. The same joy that I have because I know I have you all forever. Being away from you is hard and I miss you so much but I know that we will be forever. that is a blessing that not everyone has. And that is why I am here, to give these people all that I have. 

I love you all so much. Thank you for every prayer. 

                                                       até o próximo 

                                                 Love Elder B. Jacobson

24. I have one other story for you all

Hello Everyone, 

This has been a very interesting week. 

First i want to tell you about a very cool investigator we have. His name in Antoinio. we found him 5 days ago and taught him the first lesson and gave him a Book of Mormon. He was very excited about it and said that he would read and pray to know that it was true. We felt a prompting to come to church when he knew that our message was true. He said 'When i know its true ill come to your church" 

We talked with a member,  to see if he knew Antonio. they live two houses away from each other. He said he did. so we asked O. if he could help us fellowship him. He was happy to do so. Yesterday Antonio came to church with the help of Orlando. And tonight we are going to teach a lessons at O. house with Antonio and watch the Restoration video.

It is great to see what can happen when the members and missionaries work together. 

I have one other story for you all,

We got a call from our Ward mission leader at 3 in the morning from Edson, our ward mission leader. my companion was telling me to get up we had to go but he did not tell me why. we met our ward mission leader outside of our apartment and he asked if i had oil. I did only because i leave it on our house key chain. at that point i knew we were going to give a blessing but i did not know what for. we drove four blocks or so from our house and edson parked the car on the side of the road next to the only house that had lights on. 

when i got out i heard a woman yelling something over and over again but i did not understand what. To be honest i thought she was having a baby. 

When we walked into the house i saw the woman laying on the bed kicking and screaming. two men we trying to hold her down. she was spitting and shaking.    So you know how in the scriptures how you always read about how Jesus was always casting out devils. A few days before this i was thinking about how i had never seen a person  that had a ``devil`` in them. i guess there's a first time for everything. Edsom had to hold her head down so we could bless her. Elder Costa did the oil and I did the blessing. ALL i could say was feel the love the savior has for you and to be at peace. We left the room, she struggled a little more but 3 min. after the blessing she stopped screaming. I could hear nothing from inside the room and as far as I know she was fine after that moment. 

Never did I think I would witness something like that in my life. The power that Jesus Christ has is real and it continues to work through his priesthood. I know that through Christ we can perform miracles  on this earth through our faith. The power of God is real. I know that we truly can do all things through it. Always have the faith that everything is possible to those that believe. 

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

                                              LOVE,

                                      Elder B. Jacobson

23. Today is the first time i have felt cold since I left the MTC!

Another great week in Pillar do sol. 

Today is the first time i have felt cold since I left the MTC. It Feels wonderful.

Me and elder c. have been finding all sorts of new people here. like i said before, its easy to find but almost impossible to hold on to them. All of the investigators seem to drop at the same moment, right after you teach the commandments. And i know exactly why, cuz we are asking them to do hard things in order to receive the great blessings. I think most people are afraid to do those hard things. That is why faith is so important and is the first principle of the gospel. You have to have faith before you can do anything else. So this week i have been studding the third lesson: the gospel of Jesus Christ to see what i can change in my teaching to help the people understand that they have to have faith and do the things before they can receive the witness and the blessings. 

And that is when i found "Jesus the Christ" 

I started reading it this week and have not been able to put it down. I read it at every opportunity, at the bus stops, before bed, study time. All day today!!!! CANT WAIT..

If you have this book at home somewhere start reading it, Its the biggest book in the gospel library you bought me and Andrew for our missions. I am learning how to  be a better teacher right from the example of Jesus Christ. I am learning from him how i can respond to the problems that the people here have. I am learning how to help people have a desire to follow the example of Jesus Christ. 

This morning as i went back to the start to study a little part about pre earth life, I learned about the first and second estate that our father in heaven has for us. And i realized that we win the Second estate the same way we won the first, by conforming our lives to the teachings of the gospel of Jesus Christ. The gospel of Jesus Christ has always been the key to our fathers plan from the very very beginning and truly it is all we need to do to receive and be all that our father in heaven is. 

As I have studies this book I have learned more of who my father in heaven is and who I am trying to become. I have learned exactly what i need to do to return and live with him again. And i have found my faith, testimony,and love in and of my savior Jesus Christ. I have found new purpose of every trial, every sorrow and every time of difficulty, and once again i have learned that through the savior NOTHING is impossible. And I know that when WE follow the savior we have access to all of his wondrous works and power that can help us become who our father in heaven wants us to become.  

I know more then I have ever known in my life that God is my literal father, I am his son, Jesus Christ is my Brother and my savior and every person on earth is apart of the great family of GOD. A family that needs to hear the truth of the gospel in a way that will give them a strong desire to follow the savior and carry the cross.  To have the faith, to follow, and endure to the end. IT WILL NOT BE EASY cuz it was not easy for our lord and savior either. But through our savior JESUS CHRIST  it will be nothing but worth every difficulty.

I love you all have a great week

elder jacobson   b 

22.

Hello!!!!
I miss you all so much, I have been thinking of you all this whole week. There is a kid in my new ward that is just like Daniel. And his name is Daniel also. He is just full of smart comments. haha. I hope all is going well with you guys. sounds like your having lots of fun with the chickens. haha.

Oh my gosh I am so tired i am going to write this email and then go home and sleep the day away!!!!! I cant wait. We have been finding so many people that seem like will have so much potential but to be honest we hardly get a second appointment in with these people. Its so frustrating. Its almost like they dropped of the planet.

Our best investigator of the week Claytom, after we taught him the The gospel of Jesus Christ, he committed to a baptism date, committed to come to church and prayed and knew that our message was true. He talked to his mom and she wanted to go to church too. We marked a time to come get them and bring them to church the next Sunday........ SADLY when we went to get them. there was no one in the house:(  DARN SO CLOSE. Hopefully this week we can find him and teach him more.

Sunday at church I was so tired, it doesn't hit you until you stop moving. It is so embarrassing (sorry i cant spell anymore and i don't have spell check in English over here) cuz I fell asleep in gospel principles class,  the teacher asked me to read, i woke up in time to hear my name but i had no idea where we were. haha oh well. It will all be worth it when we have our first baptisms this week with fingers crossed.

We have a father of a member family that has not been baptized. We went to his house and shared a message. His family Shared their testimonies and a new convert shared hers. Then Elder C. asked him para ser batizado he said that he would think about it.

Every day i am just reminded how much the lord is in control of everything we do here. and i know that if we are doing our part then the lord will provided a way for us to do all that he has for us.
I know that this is true and i know the same is true for all of you in your missionary efforts.

                           Open your mouth and the lord will fill it.

I know that this is true.

I love you all so much

                                    

                  HAPPY BIRTHDAY DAD 

                        PAI, FALIS ANIVERSARIO

                                     PARA BENS 

                           VOCE TEM QUANTO AGORA......CEM    

                                         love Elder Bryan Jacobson

21. Well I GOT TRANSFERRED!!!!

HELLO EVERYONE,

This has been a crazy week. So you know how i said that i would be staying in Vila Maria. Well I GOT TRANSFERRED"!!!! I still don't believe it. I am with Elder Costa in PILLAR DO SOL!!!! I love this place so much, the heat is like the summer in Texas and there are individual houses here. I have some great pictures!!!!!

Almost everyone here lets us come in and share a message. I dint know what it is like trying to reteach anyone yet but i hope they are just as receptive to the end. If they are we could be getting allot of baptisms in the next couple of weeks. We have i think 3 people close to baptisms but i have not met them yet.

We have been so busy. I have been here 6 days and i still haven't had time to unpack my stuff. WORK WORK WORK!!!! Its the best.

My companion is great. The first day we had a little trouble getting used to each other. I was being a little to aggressive in trying to figure out what these his investigators had been taught and what they needed. It was after our first lesson I didn't know where they were in the lessons and Elder Costa started talking about the Restoration, Gospel of Jesus Christ and The Plan of salvation all at once. I was so confused and did not know what parts he wanted me to say. That night i tried to ask him about it ( all in Portuguese, he does not speak

English) and he pulled the ' I have 9 months and you have 4 you need to do what i say" We were not understanding each other at all. We did not have the spirit at all. That night i prayed so hard that we would be able to work everything out. I got a prompting to just take a step back and observe the situation before I start tying to change things.

After that we have not had a single problem and the work is going great.

The ward is also great. Very very small. The bishop is very young and does not have councilors

I ATE ONE REALLY STRANGE THING THIS WEEK.

CHICKEN  HEART  I have a picture.

                                                              I love you all so much!!! HAVE A GREAT WEEK!!!!!!!

    Elder B. Jacobson

20. What a great week it has been.

Hello family!!!! 

What a great week it has been.

This week Elder Ahmed and i were hoping to have two baptisms but one of them fell though because we could not contact Dennis. Elder Ahmed is leaving in two day to go home and so if i stay here it will be my job to finish teaching him and get him a new baptism date. I pray we don't have to drop him. 

Today some time tonight i find out who my new companion is going to be and if i am staying in Vila Maria again:) I will most likely be staying for my first transfer but wont be sure until tonight. 

So the Vila Maria ward is trying to become a stake and it might happen this transfer!!! Which means that the Vila Maria mission could be split into two.:) It is so cool to see how the church is growing. 

The church is growing so fast here. just this week in the SOU PAULO NORTH MISSION we had 61 baptisms!!! That means that almost every companionship had a baptism this week!!! 

Yesterday we baptised Marcos. I think I told you about him. His entire family are active but he never going. Missionaries and church leaders had been trying to get him baptised for a very long time. The stake president went with us to teach him and he was baptized after stake conference. 

I tell you that there is no better feeling in the world. I know that this transfer is going to be the hardest but i know that it will be the most rewarding because i will have the chance to play a bigger role in finding and teaching these people. One of the hardest and most important things about missionary work is having faith in heavenly father and just do it. I an always afraid to open my mouth because i was afraid of people not understanding. But this week I have tried to truly say everything that comes into my mind and heart and i know that the lord has been with me every step of the way. just like the logo on the Nike shirts JUST DO IT i know that as i just open my mouth at every opportunity the lord will fill it. 

 this is going to b my theme and goal for this transfer. 

I am so excited to see what i can accomplish with the lord on my side because i know with him i can do all things. 

I love you all so much. 

elder jacobson  B

19. There was a long pause....then he said yes.

Wow mom that was such a cool story about the lady. I know that you are going to do so many great things with the knowledge you have gained about EPT. I know that as you continue to follow the spirit the lord will give you more opportunities to serve Him. 

God is really in control of our lives and when we put our trust in Him He provides a way. 

This week Me and Elder Ahmed have had a really cool experience.

  

 We taught a part member family, every one is a member except for the dad. The ward and other sets of missionaries have been trying to get him to be baptized for quite awhile now but he never thought he was ready. This week me, Elder Ahmed, and the stake president went to talk to him. We gave a spiritual thought and felt prompted to talk about baptism. Then we asked him if he would follow the example of Jesus Christ and be baptized. There was a long pause....then he said yes. His wife was crying and then bore her testimony. The spirit was so strong. He is going to be Baptized next Sunday after stake conference!!!!!!!! 

This week i had the opportunity to go on another split in Vila Medadus. I love serving with the elders there. One on them, Elder Youd is the funniest Elder i have ever met. He has such a strong testimony of the Gospel and is very good at connecting with the investigators. I have learned so much from him the few times i have had the opportunity to serve  with him. 

this picture is my on divisions!!!!! 

18. New mission president in July

Just wanted to thank you for your wonderful emails. They bring me so much comfort. 

Every day I am being taught new things about myself and about how the lords woks. It is so amazing to see how my mission plays out in the next couple of weeks. My trainer goes home in two weeks which means  I am going to be in charge of Vila Maria. Scary thought! I feel so inadequate. 

But I have faith that the lord has called me here and that he is going to provide a way for his work to be done. I know that he is helping me every step of the way.

Every morning during companionship study I have the hardest time getting the words to come out of my mouth. I never liked role playing very much. its hard and awkward for me I don't know why. Every time I can never get the words to come out, I feel frustrated and wonder why the words will not come out in a clear manner. BUT then we go and teach an investigator, we start with a pray and follow up, and when it is my turn to speak or when  feel prompted to speak, the words come out. They always do and the spirit is strong. Every day I seem to forget that I am not here to teach but i am here to invite the spirit so that it can teach. I have to always remember that god is going to provide the way. 

I have always loved 1 ne. 3;7 

I used to read this scripture and know that god would provide a way for me to speak but I have learned that that might not be the case this scripture also means that God will provide a way for the people to understand, understand through the spirit that the message is true and gain the desire to follow Christ. 

We are getting a new mission president in July. we just got sent a picture in our weekly report. i'll see if I can send it to you guys. 

I love you all so much!!!! 

                                     

                                                       love 

                                              Elder B. Jacobson 

17. FALEIS ANO NOVO!!!! 2014!!!!

oi Familia!!! 

Eu amo você moito!!! 

FALEIS ANO NOVO!!!! 2014!!!!  

It has been another great week out in the mission field. 

One of our investigators Abram, COMMITTED TO BE BAPTIZED and he cam to church for the first time yesterday. He AWESOME!!!! Ever since we met Abram he has been so excited to learn more about the gospel and to read the Book of Mormon. He reads the Book of Mormon and asked us for the church website so he could find out more about the church. We are teaching the rest of his siblings but they are not as receptive. I have a feeling that Abrams family might be a little problem for Abram but i know its nothing the lord can't handle. 

We also had Ana Maria at church this week for the first time. She loved the church. She also has a baptismal date marked for the end of the month. 

Along with them we have 5 other people marked on the calender for baptism. I just have to tell you that these people were truly prepared by the lord. They are ready before we even knock on the door. 

Everyday i am reminded how much the lord is in control of our lives, and when we trust him, everything works out. 

AND HERE ARE THE PICTURES OF THE WEEK. 

16. Richard made it to church!

This week we had 7 investigators committed to come to church. We had several of the ward members helping us get them to church. Sadly only one investigator, Richard made it to church, but it was so cool to see him come!!!! he said afterward that he had some doubts after going so me and elder Ahmed are praying everything goes alright tonight in our lesson. 

i just continue to pray that i will have the Spirit and be able to help Richard understand. This week i have had the opportunity to remember just how much i need the lord. When me and elder Ahmed practice the lessons i can get nothing to come out of my mouth. I feel it should be so easy to explain these things but they would not come out. It was very frustrating, but then i remembered a scripture that i have read many times that says: do not worry about what you will say but ponder the words of life and then shall your tongue be loosed and the holy ghost will teach them all that they need to know. 

i guess the lesson the lord is trying to teach me is that it does not matter what the investigators hear come out of my mouth but what they feel. And when they are  feeling the spirit, the spirit will teach them what they need to know. 

I love you all so much and it was awesome getting to see you on skype. I still hardly believe i saw you it seemed to good to be true. I love you so much!!!! 

love Elder Bryan Jacobson 

15. OI FAMILIA!!!! FALIS NATAL!!!!!

OI FAMILIA!!!! FALIS NATAL!!!!!! I love you all so much and cant wait to see you on skype in a few days. I not going to take to much tie to right all that has happened cuz I have allot to do today. But some crazy stuff happened this week. we committed 3 investigators to baptism!!!! And got an inactive to start coming back to church. the story about the inactive it so cool so ill tell it to you know. Elder Ahmed told be before we went in that he was not going to say a word and i was going to teach the entire lesson. The last time we taught this sister was in my second week and we could not get her to commit to anything. so we went in and I started off. It was very bad at first. I was so scared and couldn't keep my words in order and i felt that i was loosing control of the lesson. Then I stopped and said a little prayer to myself for help. I then felt prompted to share 1 ne. 3:7 and bore my testimony that the lord has commanded us to go to church and that the lord would strengthen her if she did her part. I committed her to go to church and she said she would. ( every other time she said she would and then never showed up.) That Sunday me and Elder Ahmed were greeting the members outside the door like we always do. and just before we were about to go in. We see this sister (maria) walking fast, breaking a sweat, dressed for church!!! she walked all the way. she was in our Sunday school class and the teacher gave a lesson on the birth of Jesus Christ. Maria was crying through the entire thing. The spirit was so strong and I know that the lord gave her strength to do what she needed to do. Once again i know that the lord has an amazing role in this work. He is preparing people everyday to here the message of the gospel of Jesus Christ. I love you all so much and hope that you have a great NATAL. I am so grateful for my savior and his willingness to die for me. And i am so grateful for this opportunity to learn and to serve him. I know that i have been made strong and i know that God will always strengthen me when i turn to him.

14 .what a good, difficult, crazy, exciting week it has been.

what a good, difficult, crazy, exciting week it has been. I just found out i am staying in Vila Maria for my second transfer!!!!! I love it here. I love the ward and i love the people that i am working with. This week we BAPTISED Elida da Silva!!!! she is a 14 year old girl and has just entered young women's!! she loves the church and the ward is so great with taking care of her and making her feel welcome. Never before have i seen a ward that is so involved in missionary work. It truly does make all the difference. On Sunday i had the opportunity to confirm Elida a Member of the church of Jesus Christ of latter-day saints. My words were choppy and my hands were shaking so bad Elida probably had a headache after the pray:) but the spirit was so strong and i have been so blessed to be a part of this work. The Salvation of Gods Children. Never before did I truly understand how powerful missionary work is and the eternal blessings it brings. I testify that there is nothing that could be more important then this work for i know that I am helping the Lord do his work to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man. what a huge and wonderful responsibility it is. so my first week we ate lunch at a members house and this Brother likes to make the Elders eat allot. And i guess the first time i did not eat enough ( i ate so much i thought i was going to be sick, i had to stop by the house to get some Motrin for my headache.) and so he said next time i would have to eat 4 plates piled high. Well we happen to eat at his house again this week. I started fasting a day and a half before this meal drinking lots of water so that i could stretch my stomach out. haha like they do on tv. When we go to the house his wife serves me a piece of lasagna the size of a computer mouse pad!!!!! with a pile of potato salad and a chicken breast on the side. by the time the meal was over i ate 4 mounds o potato salad 3 entire chicken breasts and 2 slabs of lasagna the size of a computer mouse pad!!!!!! I thought i was going to die but i kept playing it off trash talking (i can do it in Portuguese!!!) and asking for more food. when I was done with my food i pushed my plate aside and said, I hope you have desert (sobre mesa). 2 containers of ice cream were brought forth with all the toppings. 3 bowls latter it was over!!! I love the members here! they are awesome and always willing to help me with my Portuguese. I have been blessed to be here. I know that god knows me and i am so excited to stay here here for another 6 weeks. I LOVE YOU ALL SO MUCH!!!! ow and before i forget, i am going to be able to skype you guess. we are going to be at a members house at about 5pm on Christmas please let me know your Skype address and anything else i might need to know to know to make it work. CANT WAIT TO SEE YOU!!! LOVE YOU ALL!!! Elder Bryan, Jacobson