Happy Christmas, Harry!

I-I'm a what?

So...We spent 7 days inside of a church building for the past 7 days.  I performed 3 solos in the past 7 days.  The first was during the Christmas English mission fireside that I wrote about last week.  The second was like unto it, singing a Christmas medley Elder Ramos and I wrote for the all-mission Christmas party.  Then I sang O Holy Night for Sis. Margaret's baptism yesterday.

Sis. Margaret was baptized yesterday.  She was so happy.  The program went alright.  She bore her testimony of how she had wanted to be a member of the Church since she was in Nigeria so she called the missionaries and waited forever to be baptized.  She finally was, and the Spirit of the Lord was in that room when she said, "I know that this Church is true."

Then there was Brazilian food after the service.  Farofa.  Mm..

It turns out that Bishop Brown founded his church and thus will have a tough time leaving it.  So he won't be baptized anytime soon.

Speaking of Mm, Max and Meylyn are doing fantastically, thanks to Chris and Christie.

We were almost taken out on a Sabbath evening to eat at the fancy Mompou on Ferry Street.  We street-contacted two elderly ladies that said, "Lookee here!  We found ourselves two hot dates!"  I introduced ourselves as 20 years old.  Then they were like, "Is that Mom-poo place any good?"  I said, "No, it's closed."  "Okay.  Let's go to that Spanish bar."  We somehow escaped.  But we got their numbers.  Easy.

It's been an exhausting week.  I'm just glad to--

My word!  It's almost Christmas!!!  6 more months, baby!  #Trunky

Love,

Elder deJesus

I'm Training!!!

People,

I lied.  I'm training my fifth dying companion.  By the end of this transfer, I will have sent home five of my companions.  All the other ones are home already.  So, I lied.  I'm not training.

Also, I lied last week about being home for Christmas.  I won't be home for Christmas.  At least, my body won't be home for Christmas.  My mind has been home since the beginning of last transfer.  My departure date isn't until July of next year.  So, I will be home for Christmas...over Skype.

My new companion's name is Elder Johnson.  He is from Roy, Utah.  He is so British.  We tallied his British points this week; five people I introduced him to asked if he is British.  I said yes.

Elder Johnson has a tradition in his family.  They mix eggnog and Sprite or 7 Up.  Contrary to the common initial response, it is delicious.

It has been the busiest week I've had.  We are finding people like crazy.  I don't think I wrote about Bishop Brown yet, but he is the man.  He is from the Pentecostal church and wants to join our Church ever since his wife passed away.  We have been teaching him for a couple of weeks now.

Margaret will be baptized next Sunday!!!  She is so excited.

Yesterday was the mission English Christmas fireside.  People from all over New Jersey came to see it.  The missionaries sung regular carols.  The soloists performed Forgotten Christmas carols.  I performed, Joseph, a solo that was so low that it was awkward.  Seriously.  They chose the Forgotten Christmas Carols for us to sing.  There's a reason they were forgotten!  But Elder Dunn, the elderly missionary who organized the event, and his staff, did a fantastic job in the little time and the little resources they had.

I love this Work!

And I love you, random citizen.

Love,

Elder deJesus

P.S. I would have attached pictures, but.

Chancho Week

Hey,

Whoever you are, share #ShareTheGift and christmas.mormon.org with everyone, k?  The Church's goal is 220,000,000 views on YouTube by the end of December.

My word.  Time has gone by too fast.  One second, you step into the Missionary Training Center, the next you're going back to Idaho and farming potatoes.  I will miss my best friend, Elder Schrader.  It will be hard to get girls to flock to us when he leaves.

Because he's leaving, people have been feeding us all week.  I haven't had to make food for 7 whole days!  We are full and our fridge is stocked with members' food.  I gained 9 pounds.

Because he's leaving, my mind was caught on serious reflection upon eternal matrimony.  It's super close.  I just vomited in my mouth.  Next is grandchildren....

This past week, we finally taught Max and Maylyn, two solid investigators who have strong connections to the Church.  They came into sacrament meeting the other Sunday and told us that they want to be baptized.  So we said yes.  People are becoming more and more active in the Spring Garden Branch.  There are miracles everywhere.

This transfer, I'll be home for Christmas.

Love,

Elder deJesus

P.S. - Some more pictures

IKEA, Portuguese family (Jesus [or Jesuish, as his Portuguese mom calls him] kept opening candies and putting them in my mouth), Filipino mission family, and more of the Turkey Bowl.

At Turkey Time, You Will Enjoy Free More Buy Now

Dear Recipient,

We played Turkey Bowl in the snow.  There were no turkeys nor bowls.

Thanksgiving was fabulous.  We ate dinner with Luticia and Mayara and their Brazilian family.  They played Escravos de Jo.  I played the piano for them.  I love Brazilians.

Escravos de Jo jogavam Caxanga.  Escravos de Jo jogavam Caxanga.  Tira, poe, deixa ficar.  Guerreiros com guerreiros fazem zig zig za.  Guerreiros com guerreiros fazem zig zig za.  Capoeira.

I met some members from East Brunswick who knew Elder Schrader, the Merchs.  His dad, his brother, and he married Brazilians and drive PT Cruisers.  I wanna serve in Brunswick!

We had what's called Traditions with the Taggarts, which is a lot like Jingle with the Jeppsons.  It was cool.  I love the Taggarts and have grown to respect them and accept them as my mission parents.

We may go to Dr. Chicken Shack today.  I am bummed that I don't get to go to Hna. Sartore's wedding....

Ooh!  We might baptize Margaret this week if she finds an apartment in the branch boundaries!  And we got so many investigators to church.  It's been amazing to count the many miracles that I've prayed for come into reality.

Love,

Elder deJesus

By the way, here's a couple guys.  After-turkey bowl pic of the missionaries I came out with; Gucci the mission dog, and Elder Schrader, Margaret, and I.

Happy Annual Shove our Foods Down our Throats Week!

Dear T. Hanks,

It's the holidays.  Well, it's been the holidays since last week.  This coming week, we're gonna be fed like crazy.  The week is full of appointments and meetings.  Elder Schrader is going home.  It's going to go by too fast.  I already miss this coming week....

Yesterday was a good day at church.  We filled up the pews like pew-pew!  Boom.  We found two new investigators that wandered into the chapel.  I gave a talk at sacrament for the second week in a row.  A long-time member of the branch taught Gospel Doctrine for the first time while Elder Schrader and I helped her out.  Steve is still teaching Gospel Principles because he is a mudly stuffin, and his wife and girl too.  Then we taught the young men with Bro. Rowe.  There was a baptism and cake.  Oh, and the Portuguese branch fed us too.

I went on exchange on Saturday with Elder Thresher.  We hung around the most dangerous part of Newark.  If we gave out 1 cent to every panhandler that talked to us, I will never give money to panhandlers again.  Like, they're just liars, at least here in Newark.  It's just too bad for the actual needy.  That prolly sounds harsh, but they're capable of working.  You try to give them food, they say, "I want real food."  Gaaah!  But I still love the hood.  Anyways, I was on exchange.

We taught English to the Mozambique family.  We learned some portuguesh from Portugao.

We taught the Plan of Salvation to a family.  The mom had lost her faith in God because "He took him away from me."  She has been depressed for a year now.  We'll continue to support her.

I take back what I said about Spring Garden Branch.  Things are going better now.  There is still a lot of work to do, though.

Love,

Elder deJesus

Twelve Days of Traasdahl 2

Oi, tudo bem?

 

Nao me falo portugues.

 

Here in the Portuguese-town of Ironbound, Newark, New Jersey, United States, we learn Portuguese.  We taught a family of Brazilians and a Mozambique-Portuguese family, we teach English class, we host family home evening, among other things.  And we eat Brazilian food.

 

Ooh!  A couple of nights ago, we heard sirens as we were planning.  Not the usual amount of sirens, but more than usual.  And we saw through the window a police chopper in the night sky.  So we peeked and witnessed a fire about 7 stories high and a block away from our apartment.  We booked it outside and toward the fire.  It was actually boring, so we went back inside and went to bed.

 

There was a passing-away of a relative of one of our Liberian members.  It has been difficult to see her depressed.  It saddened Elder Schrader and I to realize that she did not have a solid testimony of God's plan of salvation for his children.  Through tears, she said, "I will never see her again!"  We brought to her attention Luke 4:16-21; 1 Peter 3:19-20, 4:6; John 5:25; and Alma 40:11-12.  The Spirit was present to teach her that she will indeed see her daughter again.  I now recognize more strongly the hope that the Restoration of the Plan of Salvation brings to the inhabitants of the earth.

 

On a good note, Samantha from my last area was confirmed yesterday!

 

It is raining super hard in New Jersey.  To send relief, please write a letter to:

 

Elder deJesus

84 Union St apt C4

Newark, NJ 07105

 

Muito obrigado.  Pao de queijo.  Ya tu sabe, pico de gallo.

 

Love,

Elder deJesus