Oí Família,
My week has been awesome and I have a feeling this week will be even better. I´ve excepted the fact that I´m not a perfect teacher or missionary and that I am not very good with the language, but i know if I do my best and rely on the Lord He can make up for all that I´m lacking. Because I´ve excepted this knowledge a huge burden has been taken off my shoulders and I´ve had a lot more patience with myself. I´ve been a lot happier too. So this week we have a baptism scheduled. A man named Alexsandro. He´s really cool. He´s really excited to learn more about the gospel and to be baptized. He hasn´t had a problem with anything. He said he smoked before but he´s giving it up which is awesome. So this week should be great. So I´m not sure if you recieve my emails because sometimes it seems like you don´t respond back about things. My companion really wants a quad and asked me to ask again. Also he wants to write Kelleene to practice his english, so she will probably recieve a letter from him in the near future. That´s good that you´re healthy. I had my first of probably many run-ins with the Runs. You know there´s a saying here, ´´It´s not a South American Mission until you´ve crapped your pants`` Honestly I´m hoping to prove that wrong. Anyway I´m glad to here that Jackson´s enjoying the food. From past experience I know Jackson can be a stinky man. High Adventure of 2009: the cave experience. Not Fun. Yea the food is good but it gives you terrible gas. I can´t believe he´s already leaving though. Time honestly works very strangely out here. Hours feel like days, days feel like hours, and weeks go by quick. One thing that´s weird is that it´s really hard to remember home. Home feels like a dream. It´s really weird, but its good. keeps your mind on the work. Anyway, the work continues down here and the weather continues to be weird. Love you guys lot´s. Have a great week. Tchau.
Elder Jolstead the Younger
Monday, July 25, 2011
Monday, July 18, 2011
July 18, 2011
oí família,
I´m doing much better now. These first couple weeks have been rough.Thát´s cool about Joshua helping the missionaries. It´s probably one of the best things he can do to prepare. That´s also great about Aunt Kathy and Uncle Gary. I hope you´re right about them cutting down. So Augie´s leaving this week. That´s awesome! I wish I could have been at his and Jackson´s farewells, but it´s ok. I actually haven´t been emailing Jackson and Robbie, because we can´t email friends. but I finally recieved a letter back from Robbie and I sent him another. Do you think that you could send me Jackson´s address? I´m pretty sure he´s on his last week in the MTC so I´ll probably need his address for in the field. So the lawn mower finally works? That´s awesome. Well if you want to know about me I´ll say that one of the cool things that happened this week was that one of the people we´re teaching came to church and he´s really excited about the church. Also I ate armadillo meat this week. Looked like burnt meat and tasted like chicken(no joke, it really tasted like chicken). So yah this week it rained a lot and was very sunny and hot. I feel like I´m contradicting myself, but the weather is just crazy, because today has been pretty cold. I guess from what the president said, Santiago is actually one of the harder areas of the mission. I have to say that was a comfort, but it means we´ll have to work all the harder. Anyway that´s it for this week. I hope you have a great week. Love you all! Tchau.
Elder Jolstead the Younger
I´m doing much better now. These first couple weeks have been rough.Thát´s cool about Joshua helping the missionaries. It´s probably one of the best things he can do to prepare. That´s also great about Aunt Kathy and Uncle Gary. I hope you´re right about them cutting down. So Augie´s leaving this week. That´s awesome! I wish I could have been at his and Jackson´s farewells, but it´s ok. I actually haven´t been emailing Jackson and Robbie, because we can´t email friends. but I finally recieved a letter back from Robbie and I sent him another. Do you think that you could send me Jackson´s address? I´m pretty sure he´s on his last week in the MTC so I´ll probably need his address for in the field. So the lawn mower finally works? That´s awesome. Well if you want to know about me I´ll say that one of the cool things that happened this week was that one of the people we´re teaching came to church and he´s really excited about the church. Also I ate armadillo meat this week. Looked like burnt meat and tasted like chicken(no joke, it really tasted like chicken). So yah this week it rained a lot and was very sunny and hot. I feel like I´m contradicting myself, but the weather is just crazy, because today has been pretty cold. I guess from what the president said, Santiago is actually one of the harder areas of the mission. I have to say that was a comfort, but it means we´ll have to work all the harder. Anyway that´s it for this week. I hope you have a great week. Love you all! Tchau.
Elder Jolstead the Younger
Monday, July 11, 2011
July 11, 2011
oí Família,
I have to say that picture of Daniel is so cute. Good lookin´ kid. So this week was ok. I feel like I´m smashing my head against a brick wall with the language. I feel like because I know very few words I teach the lesson the exact same way each time and that it really is starting to lose its significance. it´s like I´m giving a memorized speach every time. but I guess that´s how it has to go until i learn the language. i am learning, but at a very slow rate. So how´s every thing at home looks like you´re having a lot of fun. oh my companion really likes my ring and scriptures and he wanted me to ask you if you could get some for him. i know its way expensive so you don´t have to, but i promised him I would. So after my mission I´ll just send some to his home or something. I feal really bad for it but I know quads are expensive by themselves and with the price for sending stuff to Brazil I figure you probably won´t. Oh but I was wondering with your next letter if you could send a printed copy of Elder Holland´s two talks one the Book of Mormon that he gave at conference awhile back. i really liked it and wanted to read it again. So the work is going ok. One of our investigators who was taught pretty much all the lessons by missionaries two months ago, smoked again so that´s great. There is this one family who is a part member family( the wife is a member) who I love visiting and teaching. the husband looks like Mario and is so funny. Honestly though, this last week has been tough. I remember laughing at an older Elder who said your first three months will be terrible, I´m not laughing now. All in all though i´m really enjoying the experience. I know that after a few months of working I´ll know the language and be really enjoying the work. Oh also, if possible could you send printed pictures of the family and the area, because all I have is the wallet sized photo and my companion shows pics to some people when we´re teaching about families. Also I think every six months I just send my photo card home instead of putting them on the computer because it is extremely hard. I don´t even know if you got my lastt photos. Anyway that´s it for now. Love you all lots. tchau.
Elder Jolstead the brother of Jared
I have to say that picture of Daniel is so cute. Good lookin´ kid. So this week was ok. I feel like I´m smashing my head against a brick wall with the language. I feel like because I know very few words I teach the lesson the exact same way each time and that it really is starting to lose its significance. it´s like I´m giving a memorized speach every time. but I guess that´s how it has to go until i learn the language. i am learning, but at a very slow rate. So how´s every thing at home looks like you´re having a lot of fun. oh my companion really likes my ring and scriptures and he wanted me to ask you if you could get some for him. i know its way expensive so you don´t have to, but i promised him I would. So after my mission I´ll just send some to his home or something. I feal really bad for it but I know quads are expensive by themselves and with the price for sending stuff to Brazil I figure you probably won´t. Oh but I was wondering with your next letter if you could send a printed copy of Elder Holland´s two talks one the Book of Mormon that he gave at conference awhile back. i really liked it and wanted to read it again. So the work is going ok. One of our investigators who was taught pretty much all the lessons by missionaries two months ago, smoked again so that´s great. There is this one family who is a part member family( the wife is a member) who I love visiting and teaching. the husband looks like Mario and is so funny. Honestly though, this last week has been tough. I remember laughing at an older Elder who said your first three months will be terrible, I´m not laughing now. All in all though i´m really enjoying the experience. I know that after a few months of working I´ll know the language and be really enjoying the work. Oh also, if possible could you send printed pictures of the family and the area, because all I have is the wallet sized photo and my companion shows pics to some people when we´re teaching about families. Also I think every six months I just send my photo card home instead of putting them on the computer because it is extremely hard. I don´t even know if you got my lastt photos. Anyway that´s it for now. Love you all lots. tchau.
Elder Jolstead the brother of Jared
Monday, July 4, 2011
July 4, 2011
Oí Família,
I´m doing fine. I really like it here in Santiago. There are alot of really good people here. I actually have not had any weird foods, and all that I´ve had has been good. It is winter here, my second winter this year. It´s pretty cold, but not as cold as home. There has actually been talk about snow here, though. It keeps making me think of Christmas. That´s cool that Mikey and Rebecca are there. I can´t believe that Jackson is already leaving! That´s so weird. Oh tell Jaren to memorize as much portuguese as he can before he comes here. Don´t worry about the grammer just learn vocab. Anyway I don´t have a lot of time. I love you all and I miss you. tchau.
Elder Jolstead the brother of Jared
I´m doing fine. I really like it here in Santiago. There are alot of really good people here. I actually have not had any weird foods, and all that I´ve had has been good. It is winter here, my second winter this year. It´s pretty cold, but not as cold as home. There has actually been talk about snow here, though. It keeps making me think of Christmas. That´s cool that Mikey and Rebecca are there. I can´t believe that Jackson is already leaving! That´s so weird. Oh tell Jaren to memorize as much portuguese as he can before he comes here. Don´t worry about the grammer just learn vocab. Anyway I don´t have a lot of time. I love you all and I miss you. tchau.
Elder Jolstead the brother of Jared
Monday, June 27, 2011
Oi Família,
I´m in my first area, Santiago, and it is cold. I´m sending some pics, but I´m not sure how well its going to work. The pics are some from both mtc´s so if you get them enjoy. So my companion´s name is Elder De OLiveira Silva. He´s from Jãon Pessoa and he´s very little english, but the mission president told him not to speak any which is good. It feels like another world here. I can hardly understand anyone and I can barely respond. It feels like I´m in another dimension. Oh and yes there is a can where tou put the used toilet paper. The food is about the same but its good. oh and the assistant to the president here is the elder who´s blog I looked at. Weird huh? So yea its really cold and the streets are cobblestone. It´s like a mixture of south america and old europe. I´m going to have to hand dry my clothes too. I have no idea how,though, because its so cold. It feels like and sort of looks like autumn back home, except the trees are green and for the occasional palm tree. My companion and I live alone, just the two of us which is extremely weird since I´v never lived with less than three people in my life. I also dont think I´ll gain any weight here even though the members keep making me eat every time I have lunch, because most days we only eat once at the member´s house. Anyway so right now I´m pretty frustrated with the language, but I´ll get it. I got to go now. I love you all. have a great week. Tchau.
Elder Jolstead the younger
I´m in my first area, Santiago, and it is cold. I´m sending some pics, but I´m not sure how well its going to work. The pics are some from both mtc´s so if you get them enjoy. So my companion´s name is Elder De OLiveira Silva. He´s from Jãon Pessoa and he´s very little english, but the mission president told him not to speak any which is good. It feels like another world here. I can hardly understand anyone and I can barely respond. It feels like I´m in another dimension. Oh and yes there is a can where tou put the used toilet paper. The food is about the same but its good. oh and the assistant to the president here is the elder who´s blog I looked at. Weird huh? So yea its really cold and the streets are cobblestone. It´s like a mixture of south america and old europe. I´m going to have to hand dry my clothes too. I have no idea how,though, because its so cold. It feels like and sort of looks like autumn back home, except the trees are green and for the occasional palm tree. My companion and I live alone, just the two of us which is extremely weird since I´v never lived with less than three people in my life. I also dont think I´ll gain any weight here even though the members keep making me eat every time I have lunch, because most days we only eat once at the member´s house. Anyway so right now I´m pretty frustrated with the language, but I´ll get it. I got to go now. I love you all. have a great week. Tchau.
Elder Jolstead the younger
Friday, June 24, 2011
June 24, 2011
Here is an excerpt of the letter from Elder Jolstead that came today.
Oi Familia!
My last letter from the CTM! Enjoy. So alot happened this week or at least on Friday so I'll get right to it. This last Thursday our night teacher Irmao Ramon had to leave, because his two years teaching was up.He was so funny and a great teacher.His last night teaching he gave us much words of wisdom.So this Friday we went to Avienda Paulista which is basically the Times Square of Sao Paulo. It is crazy! Tons of people are walking back and forth and at first we were intimidated because we didn't know how to stop someone. They all looked like they had a place to go and they were going now. It's funny though because our first contact came up to us. It was a girl about our age supporting Green Peace. At first we had no idea what she was saying but then I recognized that she asked us if we were here in Brazil on business or school and that's when I cut in with "we are actually missionaries from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. It was funny how her face changed when she realized that we're also here to tell people a message, and that she wouldn't be able to talk just about us supporting Green Peace. Anyway we talked to her about Jesus Christ and the Book of Mormon and then invited her to read it. At first she didn't look too enthused but she took it. I wish when I had talked to her I had taken her love of the earth and went with it, like, "We believe the earth is a gift from God and we also believe that we should take of it, but all I said was, "Green Peace!" "Muito Bom!" Oh well, I hope she reads it.
Elder Jolstead wrote more, but this is just a part. He said that he was glad that he had the opportunity to speak with others as well. He is now in Santa Maria ready to spread the gospel there!
Oi Familia!
My last letter from the CTM! Enjoy. So alot happened this week or at least on Friday so I'll get right to it. This last Thursday our night teacher Irmao Ramon had to leave, because his two years teaching was up.He was so funny and a great teacher.His last night teaching he gave us much words of wisdom.So this Friday we went to Avienda Paulista which is basically the Times Square of Sao Paulo. It is crazy! Tons of people are walking back and forth and at first we were intimidated because we didn't know how to stop someone. They all looked like they had a place to go and they were going now. It's funny though because our first contact came up to us. It was a girl about our age supporting Green Peace. At first we had no idea what she was saying but then I recognized that she asked us if we were here in Brazil on business or school and that's when I cut in with "we are actually missionaries from the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints. It was funny how her face changed when she realized that we're also here to tell people a message, and that she wouldn't be able to talk just about us supporting Green Peace. Anyway we talked to her about Jesus Christ and the Book of Mormon and then invited her to read it. At first she didn't look too enthused but she took it. I wish when I had talked to her I had taken her love of the earth and went with it, like, "We believe the earth is a gift from God and we also believe that we should take of it, but all I said was, "Green Peace!" "Muito Bom!" Oh well, I hope she reads it.
Elder Jolstead wrote more, but this is just a part. He said that he was glad that he had the opportunity to speak with others as well. He is now in Santa Maria ready to spread the gospel there!
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