Monday, December 28, 2009

12/28/09

Well this is how this week went down!
First off this week was great because I got to talk with everyone and it just felt real good. Conference was a bit boring but it then it got good at the end, we got to see all our old companions, I was able to see Elder Lyman which he is doing great and I got to see Elder Onofre too. Elder Onofre told me some real good news that made my day. He told me that he baptized a family that we were teaching and it went good. He even showed me a picture which made me tear up. It feels real good to see the work you put into people finally pays off. At the end of conference they had a play and gave a bunch of lame presents but it didn't matter because its the meaning of the gifts that matters most.
On Christmas Eve I did something what made my Christmas the best. In our district we have an Elder who does not like his companion very much and on Christmas eve everyone in the district was to spend the night in the centro with everyone at the same house. However, this certain companion did not want to go and was throwing a fit about it. So I did the ultimate sacrifice(not really but it was a sacrifice) I gave my Christmas eve to my friend. It felt good to give someone my Christmas.
The following day was of course Christmas and it was pretty awesome. We had a BBQ and then we went to the bus station to call up the family. I first called up my mom and her family which was awesome. Ivan started crying, that shows he got s heart and it felt good to me. Everyone there talked to me and it was great. I then called my dad. I basically told him about all my experiences and he was proud of me. I was able to call my grandma Martha too because I know she would freak if I didn't call her too. It was cool to hear that my aunt Bianca is getting married and I was able to talk to them in Portuguese and they understood. The calls felt real good and real relieving for me. Basically the rest of the week we did nothing, visit a couple of members and that was it. I now feel that home is like the celestial kingdom. You cant see it, yet you know how great it is and you have to serve an honorable mission to get back there.
Well to everyone have a happy new year! hahaha Love Elder Rodriguez

P.S.
hey Mom! it was good to hear your voice too. I was also with smiles the whole day too. Christmas was real good, spent it with the Elders in my district. I also ate nothing but chocolate too. It was great to eat American chocolate. Well thanks for being an awesome mom, mom. Love you bunches Jordan.

Sunday, December 27, 2009

Christmas Greetings from Brazil

Oye!
So we were blessed to hear our missionary on Christmas morning calling from the bus station using the public phones( he said that everyone was staring at him because he was speaking English). Ivan and I spent the night at the Sanders house so that we would not miss his call. It was really nice to be able to share it this special moment with everyone that loves Jordan. When we heard his voice through the phone, he sounded the same and had his unique laugh that only Jordan can produce, so of course we( meaning Ivan and I) started crying like babies! We miss him so much but so proud( When I told him how I was so proud he told me in missionary form that its a sin to be prideful, lol). We passed the phone around the circle so that everyone could say Hi, it was really neat for Jordan and us. Jordan even blessed us with his testimony in Portuguese which was awesome. He actually speaks better Portuguese than he does English! He told us about the conference and other stuff. What surprised me was that he said that time is flying by and he only has 17 more months to go! That seems forever to Ivan and I but I'm glad that he loves what he is doing. He says that he is being prepared for the rest of his life and not only spiritually but in all facets. Wow! This is my son!! It was the best Christmas ever! We only talked about 25 minutes or so so that he could call his father in California. Now I just have to wait till May for the next call!!

Tuesday, December 15, 2009

Monday, December 14, 2009

11/27/09

A letter dated 25th November: Dear Aunt Joan and Uncle Klaus, I am sure you are wondering how I am doing. I got transferred out of my last area to a new area. My new area is called Alvarado, Apucarana. My area is the largest hat manufacturer in the world which is pretty cool. The only not cool thing is the hills in my area. They are really steep and could be a pain on your knees. One missionary went home because of the hills wore down his knees, so I guess I have to take it easy on these hills. My ward is so small it is not even considered a ward, it is a district. Usually we have 40 members every Sunday which is little compared to my last area. The members are real nice as usual too, they feed us good. The people here in general are real nice too. When we knock on doors we usually get a lesson real quick. Oh yeah, and my companion's name is Elder M. Rocha, and he is pretty much my favorite companion yet. He is really relazed on the rules which I need but the bad thing is he is going to leave the mission this month, so that is kind of a bummer. He is a real cool guy. Antway,s that's basically my new area.

November 25 letter to everyone: I'm in my new area now and it is right next to Londrina. It is way smaller than Bauru, but it is a good thing because my area has a butt load of hills in it. Yup, I said hills, well more like mountains. I feel like a robot when I climb up the hills, I don't even feel my legs any more, when I walk up the hills. I love the area though because the people are pretty nice here and when we knock on doors or clap at gates, the people generally accept our message. Another cool thing is my companion whose name is Elder M. Rocha and he is from Nordest or North Bra zil. He is really relaxed on everything is good for me, because I'm a relaxed person too. I'm the type of missionary who works and baptizes, that is all what is important. The only thing what is not cool is that he will go home in the beginning of December, but it is all good. The investigators are also pretty nice, we teach lessons real good, with the Spirit, so they are really powerful. Have not gotten a baptism here but we have baptismal dates for people. The ward here is pretty small, it is so small it is called a district and on Sundays only about 40, 45 people show up. Big difference than in Arizona or Bauru my last area. The members are nice and they feed us good too.
I ahve not really had any funny moments in my new area. The only close thing is when a weiner dog attacked meand he bit at my ankles and ripped my pants, but I'm fine. I fixed my pants and did a pretty good job on them. The night before I got here out house got broken into so you can imagine how I slept the first week, but now I sleep with a kitchen knife next to my bed so it gives me a bit of comfort. The neighborhood is not that good at night too. We talked to the President about this and he wants us to move to another location, so we gotta keep our eyes peeled. Elder Nielson, who is from the same district I was in at the MTC, got robbed not long ago by a guy on the street. But he only took his cell phone. The President was ticked because in reality, we are to leave our cell phones in our house, when we're out and about, but all missionaries take them out.
Our area has really been worked a lot. Almost all the doors have been knocked, but we try every day. So far we only have one really good investigator here, his name is Antonio. He has a slight problem with beer, but not really big. Once we baptize him we are gonna have no more investigators here. So we have been having a couple of slight difficulties with that. Another thing is that a lot of members here are slackers. If all the members here went to church we would have a ward. A sign that our area has been worked a lot is that everyone here knows the missionaries, which is real funny.
The city of Apucarana is built basically on an inactive volcano and right on the hole of it is a big Catholic church. I bet when the Second Coming happens that church is going to explode into flames. Well, I really do like my area, after all my area has one dollar sodas called Tubainas. Thanks for all the packages and stuff. After a week I am already out of Mike and Ikes, but the caramel pops I didn't really like, just the Mike and Ikes. It's fine though. Thanks.

12/14 Good Bye Elder M.Rocha Hello New Companion(we dont know his name)

Hey everyone,
Well transfers went on this week and it was ah, well it was interesting week. Well it started out sad cause man my companion, Elder M.Rocha was leaving. He is seriously my best and favorite companion and it stinks to lose him. Well the day came and it was hard but he took off. I went with elder Yuri and Nielsen and the day before was p-day, and they were in Londrina so they did not have a p-day so they had one with me. so in reality i had 2 p-days. it was pretty legit. the next day i went on a service project with elder Nielsen and Yuri to help them out well you know me I'm just rel nice like that.The service project was alright it was just pulling weeds and knocking beehives. Ya that's right i said knocking beehives! It was pretty intense. We knocked them then ran it was also pretty funny. Elder Yuri got stung but he is alright. ha ha after the service project we went straight to the house and i was so busy that i forgot my shoes at the house, my good ones too. We booked straight to the rodoviaria or the bus station to get my companion. We did not even change to our church clothes. Now my new companion, A lot of the elders have stories about him, and not good too. they all say that he is pretty feminine, or other words gay real gay. Well he got here and did not appear gay he actually is OK,but pretty gay too. I'm actually missing Elder Onfre now, but one thing i learn on the mission is to get along with people. At some times it is hard but hey, no one said life is easy. Well this week i was a bit lost with where the streets were and what not because my old companion was good with these type of things but now i think I'm good. Our numbers were also kinda in the dumps but this week were gonna get them back up. This last week we helped one of the missionaries with there baptisms and saw a fresh dead dog, blood was coming out of that bad boys head like crazy, it was pretty nuts but another thing only a week and a couple of day's till i call the family so that is good. remember to give me your numbers to aunt DeAnn's house or grandmas either one is good.with love,elder Rodriguez p.s. hey mom i will call on 25 probably around 12 1 or 2 or 3 so I'm not sure just be at there house the hole day.