December 22, 2014

This week we taught an english class for real. We started up an english class in the chapel. Elder Fullmer and I prepared a class about how to ask for a pizza and we played a fun game so that everyone could practice the english. That was cool. That night, we went with Maicon to the restaurant that is close to the chapel and we ate a french fried torpedo which is french fries, chicken heart, cheese, ham, roast, and everything else, all mixed together. That was intense! Maicon was baptized on Sunday.

Our week was pretty crazy because we went to Estrela and to Montenegro. So that was a lot of hours on the bus traveling and traveling. Luckily, we managed to work in our area too, and we had a good week of teaching.

The Ward Christmas Party was Friday night. They asked us to do the spiritual message. So we decided to recreate part of the Christmas story. Elder Fullmer was Joseph, Elder Teela was the donkey and Elder Kinney was Mary. We asked the first counselor in the bishopric (Quines) to help us out as the inn keeper. I narrated the action (as if I was reading from the scriptures "and behold, Joseph looked upon Mary and said unto her- wouldst thou that I giveth thee a donkey on which thee might ride?"). It turned out really funny, and then really spiritual. We ended the message when the inn keeper gave room for them in the stable. Then we bore our testimony about how we should leave room for Christ in our lives and not put in the stable in the back.
Sadly, we don't have pictures, but I'll see if I can get some from the member that took them.

Saturday, I went with Elder Kinney to São Leopoldo. We visited some of the Sister's investigators there and I saw Jessica again. It was nice, but I'm liking Sapucaia a lot more than that area! We'd planned at eating at this wonderful Xis place, but it was closed, so Elder Kinney and I ended up sweating in this dinky restaurant and eating xis that tasted like cardboard. But at least they had ketchup!

Saturday night, we'd undone the division and I was with Elder Fullmer when it started to rain. We were really far from home and without umbrellas so we just accepted it. Luckily I had my camera! Getting soaked isn't all bad.

Merry Christmas to you all! Love,
Elder Jasperson

December 15, 2014

This week started with a great Pday. We went to a city basketball court and we played basketball with some guys we're teaching and some young men from church (Ismael went). After playing a bunch of basketball, we played soccer and then we played ultimate Frisbee using a handbol ball because we don't have Frisbees. That we sweet.

That night it rained so much that the water didn't evaporate until two days later- which is rare, considering how hot it was!

Last Sunday night, I'd taught the Elders to play SCUM (that cool card game that some people call Capitalism). We played it as part of a Family Home Evening with some recent converts. So on the nights this week when we had a bit of time after planning, before sleeping we played scum. That's been really funny. We're thinking about learning new games, but we still haven't got tired of scum.

The work this week was really tiring. We taught a ton of lessons but we found few new investigators. Lots of the people we taught accepted everything - even baptism, until we talked about returning and then they declined to receive us again. That was annoying because without new investigators, our work doesn't progress. Surely this week things will pick up.

Anyway, in the ton of rejection we got this week, there were some funny excuses. One woman said she'd receive our message but when she came to open her gate, she said her husband had taken the key (because she couldn't find it in the house) with him and that she was locked in. So we told her that maybe we could come a different day, but while we were talking, her little toddler called out "Mommy! The key is on the table" and came running with the key. So then she had no choice but to hear our message! So the next day, the same thing happened again. The woman said that she'd listen but her kid had hidden the key and she didn't know where it was, so she couldn't let us in. Then she went off on this whole big acting thing, yelling at her kid for hiding the key and pretending to search her whole house for it while yelling out "nope, not under the sofa," "nope, not in my shoes," until we just left her there searching and went on to the next contact.

(To understand these stories, you have to understand that every Brazilian house has a large fence around it. They have spikes on top and usually are about 8 feet tall. It's not a solid fence, but it's made out of metal bars with 4" gaps between them. So you can talk with the people in the house, but you can't get in unless they open the gate.)

This old guy stopped us in the street this week, yelling "How are you?!!" (in English, with accent). We went over to talk with him (to see what he wanted) and found out that he can only yell. Yelling, he asked for our names and then he told us that he wanted to learn a word in English- Storm Chaser ("what do you call those people that chase tornados to film them," he asked). After telling him, he started yelling "Storm Chaser" really loud. That was funny because we were in front of a gas station and everyone was looking trying to figure out what was happening. They probably thought that the man was insulting us or something, but nope, he was just yelling Storm Chaser over and over!

We traveled to Montenegro this week to do a meeting with the missionaries. We'd marked the meeting at 9 o´clock, and guess who showed up late? Us! We slept on the bus (like always, it's a 1.5hr ride) but this time we didn't wake up like we usually do and we missed our stop. So we had to call a taxi to get us to the meeting quick!

On Friday, we were invited to do a presentation in an English School. We talked about US History and about our States. I represented Texas really well, yelling howdy and teaching everyone to say "y'all." I threw together some PowerPoint slides about Texas food, football, and rodeos. I also explained Texan history - six flags over Texas, the Alamo, etc. The other guys talked about their states- Missouri, Utah, and North Carolina. In the end, everyone voted on the best state and of course it was Texas! Yeah!

Saturday night, while sleeping, my bed fell. Elder Fullmer has been having bed problems, his bed falls apart during the night and his mattress falls on the floor. So we'd taken his bed out and he's been sleeping on the floor (on a mattress on the floor) with Elder Kinney and Elder Teela (we only have two beds). Anyway, my bed was a wobbly bunk bed that nobody dared to sleep in. Every night, I check to make sure that it hasn't broken and I carefully climb into it. I sleep on the second bunk because the first bunk breaks just like Elder Fullmer's bed. So Saturday night, I woke up falling! The bunk bed just fell apart! Good thing that I was on a mattress because it was a nice cushy fall. So now we're all sleeping on the floor!

And the highlight of this week was Sunday, because Ismael was baptized. That guy is cool! He's been reading the Book of Mormon every day and praying and everything. He spends his spare time watching Mormon Messages (especially He is the Gift) because he says he feels so good watching them. This guy is a Spiritual Giant! (He also pretty tall and plays basketball really well!)

Ismael baptism

Ismael baptism

The 12 days until Christmas countdown has begun! Merry Christmas

Love y'all!

Elder Jasperson

I briefly saw Elder Hortêncio this week

I briefly saw Elder Hortêncio this week

December 8, 2014

3 Nephi 18:12-13, compare with the last verses of Matthew 7 -- We are to edify ourselves on the Rock of Christ…..also think about Hymn number 258.

So last P-day was a blast because we played basketball. The young men in this ward actually know how to play it and they like it more than soccer. This is the first time on my mission that I played basketball. The chapels here don't have a gym like chapels in the US. We went to a school and used their court. So we had a great game. Vinícius (a young man here) invited Ishmael (is- my- el) to play with us. He is almost taller than me and plays well! (More on Ishmael later). So it was fun.

Anyway, we get back from playing basketball and find something strange in our house. Something had changed. There was bird poop on Elder Fullmer's bed. Well we were pretty confused about that, so I went up to the loft to see if the window was open. There's this little window up there and yep, it was open. And guess what was standing on the shelf beside the window? This bird! I threw a fork at it, thinking that I'd scare it out the window. But nope, that bird attacked me. I swerved and it hit Elder Teela who was behind me on the loft stares. He started running down with the bird clawing his back. So he got the grate from the front of our fan and I grabbed a cardboard box. Elder Kinney threw coins at the bird until it hid behind the chair. Then we cornered it and scooped it into the box. So that was funny and Elder Fullmer complained all day because he'd cleaned his sheets that morning.

So the next day we get up and go to study and guess what? Yeah, that bird had pooped all over his desk. We just hadn't noticed it before. So now Elder Fullmer hates birds.

the bird we trapped in the house

We kind of decorated our house for Christmas by hanging up our socks above the door. Then we went to the Mission’s Christmas conference. That was cool because I found Elder Hortêncio who gave me a bunch of good news about Rio Pardo. We four in Sapucaia got together with matching ties. Yes! Everybody wants to have cool red skinny ties like us!

our matching ties

A member called Max went out with us this week to teach. It was one of those crazy, crazy hot days (like today) where we studied laying down on the ground with the fan right next to us, wetting our scriptures with our sweat. But he went walking in the street with us without a complaint. Yeah he was sweating like crazy too (I sweated through my bag, through two pamphlets and onto the Book of Mormon) but he was happy to be able to teach with the missionaries. We taught some good lessons and then it started to pour rain. And we got even more soaked. But he still didn't complain and he stayed happy and cheerful. He stayed another hour with us and then we went home. I like his example. Lots of people don't ever go out to teach with us, and lots of them complain that they'd have to walk in the street or sweat with us. But not Max. He understands the importance of missionary work and was happy to have the privilege to take part.

So here's the cool part about Ishmael- we started teaching him on Thursday. And he loved our message! He's 21 and feels a bit without purpose. So he's happy to find that purpose with us. I gave him one of my white shirts and a tie, and he came to church yesterday all dressed up. We read 3Nephi 11 with him after church and invited him to be baptized next Sunday. He accepted! He's super cool. When we taught him the Book of Mormon on Saturday, he showed us that he'd searched about the church on the internet and had already found the Book of Mormon. He had started reading it and he had posted 1 Nephi 9:6 on Facebook. This was before he even visited church! What a great investigator!

Have a great week!
Elder Jasperson

December 1, 2014 (Photos)

no templo
(translation: in the temple)

os 4 caras. E' Kinney e E' Teela são... estranhos :)
(translation: 4 guys, E. Kinney and E. Teela are strange)

Na estação do trem
(translation: in the train station)

o trem (e elder fullmer)
(translation: the train and e. fullmer)

nossa batata torpedão!
(translation: our Torpedão potato!)

December 1, 2014 (English translation)

So sorry for not doing a spiritual thought for today. I did not study because I was sleeping. I was sick last night with belly pain and then slept late. I think I ate something bad, but it is already passing.

So I thought I would write in Portuguese because today will be faster and I'm in a hurry :)

This week a few things happened. On Tuesday we went to the temple. I really liked. I had a cool experience to get ready to go. I spent iron a shirt. She was a long-sleeved. When finished ironing, I saw that had a stain on the shirt. So I decided that, as would go to the house of the Lord, I'd get a new shirt. Not that passing, I saw that the second shirt was also spotted? So I spent the third. Also, she had a stain. Since the beginning of the mission, I kept a new shirt for me to wear the last day of the mission (as would be white and all). So I decided to take that shirt because I had no long-sleeved shirts. Well spent iron shirt and put it then, as I left the house going to take the train, you believe that dirty water falls from tiled and leaves a very large brown stain on my shirt? Have not had more time so I went to the temple with that thinking shirt that had at least tried. The moral of the story? If it is to go to the temple with a stained shirt, you go to the temple with the stained shirt. And now I do not have a new shirt to wear on my last day :(

On Wednesday, we went to a conference in Porto Alegre. We returned to the house only at 7 o'clock that night. So, wanting to work a little, went to the home of a researcher, Jason. He was not there and it was 20.30. We could have gone back to the house. But we decided to make one more effort. We made a prayer asking our Heavenly Father to where we should go. When we finished, Elder Fullmer felt we needed to go to a specific street. We were, and he once again felt inspired to hit a specific house. We knocked the door. A woman came to meet. Before we say anything, she said "It was God who sent you here!" Then she explained how she was experiencing difficulty and she was that day, seeking answers. That's cool that we could be an answer to her prayer! I know that God can really guide us and use us if we let Him.

In December, the Church is doing something really cool and special called "He is the present." Everything is related to a video on the internet about how Jesus Christ is the gift of Christmas. You supply should go to christmas.mormon.org site (natal.mormon.org in Brazil) and see it! The church is doing a lot of propaganda about it and you should see soon that this video is becoming a worldwide thing. I know that Christ is the reason for Christmas. I am grateful for the first gift we all receive.

Love you!
Elder Jasperson

(Editor Note: I did not edit this message in any way after it was translated by Google)

December 1, 2014

Então desculpe por não ter feito um pensamento espiritual por hoje. Não estudei pois eu estava dormindo. Fiquei doente ontem à noite com dor da barriga e então dormi tarde. Acho que comi algo ruim, mas está passando já.

Então achei que escreveria em Português hoje porque será mais rápido e estou com pressa :)

Nesta semana poucas coisas aconteceram. Na Terça-feira, fomos ao templo. Gostei bastante. Tive uma experiência legal ao me preparar a ir. Passei ferro numa camisa. Ela era uma de manga comprida. Ao terminar de passar, vi que tinha uma mancha na camisa. Então decidi que, como iria para a casa do Senhor, eu pegaria uma nova camisa. Não é que enquanto passando, vi que a segunda camisa também estava manchada? Então passei a terceira. Também, ela teve uma mancha. Desde o começo da missão, eu guardava uma camisa nova para eu usar no última dia da missão (porque seria bem branca e tudo). Então, decidi pegar aquela camisa, porque eu não tinha mais camisas de manga cumprida. Bem- passei ferro na camisa e a coloquei e então, enquanto eu saía da casa indo para pegar o trem, você acredita que água suja cai da telhada e deixa uma mancha marrom bem grande na minha camisa? Já não tinha mais tempo, então fui ao templo com aquela camisa pensando que pelo menos tinha tentado. O moral da história? Se é para ir ao templo com uma camisa manchada, você vai ao templo com a camisa manchada. E agora não tenho mais uma camisa nova para usar no meu último dia :(

Na Quarta-feira, fomos para uma conferência em Porto Alegre. Voltamos à casa só às 7 horas aquela noite. Então, querendo esforçar um pouco, fomos à casa de um pesquisador, Jason. Ele não esteve lá e era já 20h30. Poderíamos ter voltado à casa. Mas decidimos fazer mais um esforço. Fizemos uma oração pedindo ao nosso Pai Celestial para aonde deveríamos ir. Ao terminarmos, Elder Fullmer sentiu-se que precisávamos ir para uma rua específica. Fomos, e ele mais uma vez sentiu-se inspirado bater numa casa específica. Batemos a porta. Uma mulher veio nos atender. Antes de dizermos alguma coisa, ela exclamou "Foi Deus que enviou vocês aqui!" Então ela explicou como ela estava passando dificuldade e que ela estava, naquele mesmo dia, buscando respostas. Que legal que pudemos ser uma resposta à oração dela! Sei que Deus realmente pode nos guiar e nos usar se O deixarmos.

Neste mês de Dezembro, a Igreja está fazendo algo muito legal e especial chamado "Ele é o presente." Tudo é relacionado a um vídeo na internet sobre como Jesus Cristo é o presente de natal. Voceês devem ir a site christmas.mormon.org (natal.mormon.org em Brasil) e vê-lo! A Igreja está fazendo muita propaganda sobre isto e vocês devem ver logo que este vídeo está tornando se uma coisa mundial. Eu sei que Cristo é o razão de natal. Sou grato pelo primeiro presente que nós todos recebemos.

Amo Vocês!

Elder Jasperson

(Editor Note: see the English version from Google Translate in accompanying post)