10/31/16
Bar-b-que
graffiti in a member's house, that he paints
CRB soccer team jersey
Elder Neves eating Subway
Monday, October 31, 2016
October 31, 2016
The best Halloween morning ever. Ok, maybe when he was little and excited about his costumes but to see his e-mail this morning as I pulled into school made my heart pretty full and put a smile on my face.
Cameron: Hey mom! How are you? Happy Halloween!!! This week was good. We had a bar-b-que with Carla and her family, It was really fun! Then yesterday was was the mom's birthday. They invited us over for cake and to celebrate with them. It was a lot of fun! OH YA and yesterday during the sacrament hymn a member of the bishopric came down off the stand an asked me if I could talk. Here I thought he and I were friends, just kidding we are and I really like him. I was sooo nervous. I didn't have anything prepared and to not know Portuguese very well... I was also the first speaker. I am so excited about Nicole. When does she leave?
Mom: I know he wouldn't have asked you to speak unless he thought you were capable. I'm sure you did great and be thankful for the gift of tongues. Cameron, remember I packed a bunch of cards and letters for you. There is one for Halloween. Do they celebrate Halloween there? I dressed up for school as Rafael the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle. You mentioned it rained a lot. Do you need a better jacket? The Craynors are crazy and buzy getting ready for the wedding in the barn. I'm not a lot of help but this time of year with conferences etc. is hard for me to stay afloat. I will take lots of pictures to send you. I told Cameron Green you asked how he was. I gave the mission homes address so anyone could write you. Nicole Leaves tomorrow! Keep her in your prayers.
Cameron:They don't really celebrate Halloween here. Rafael? That sounds fun! I don't think we will do much today except get caught up on things. I just use my umbrella. It is way too hot for a jacket. I am excited for Nicole and I am glad things can and will work out for her. Who is the new missionary there and what is he like?
Mom: I can't remember the new missionary's name but he is so funny. He hasn't been a member too long. He had lived in a lot of places. He went to Colorado to school and was working as a CNA while trying to get his EMT. He had a steady girlfriend and his whole world came crashing down. He never really said how or why. He worked graves with a 65 year old lady that was a non-active member of the church. She could tell he was lost and gave him bits and pieces here and there. One night she asked if he would want to come over the next day and talk to her brother, who was an Elder Quorum's President. So, this Elder agreed. When he went there were missionaries there. They explained what the do and he thought what dummies would do this for two years of there life. He said look at me now, I am one of those dummies. But, he was baptized. He said he was living of the world not in the world. He is sooo much happier. He did suggest that missionaries be more specific on teachings like prayer and fasting. He was a picture of a girl praying, kneeling beside her bed and a Book of Mormon sitting there. He thought that is how you had to pray. He didn't know until in the MTC that you can pray anywhere. He thought when they said no water when fasting, that meant no brushing teeth or showering! Oh, he is hilarious but sure has a testimony of the gospel. He was sooo awesome to hear. He had no idea what it was like to live with Christ being the center of all things and how this would bring such joy and purpose to his life. Pretty Awesome!!! I'll find out his name and how old he is. He has been out for like 13 months.
What are the bar-b-ques like in Brazil? What about family birthdays, are they like ours? Have you got any of my packages yet? I let Cuda out with dad home but hiding inside. I knew he would be ok and that dad would help if he needed to. I would never do it without dad being home.
Cameron: They have bar-b-que chicken, sausage, and of course rice and beans at their cookouts. There are other things that we don't have in the U.S. too. They have cake and the family get together like we do. Families are everything! I haven't received any of your packages yet... I hope they come because I want to give the footballs I asked for to the kids. I am not going to tell them because I don't want to get their hopes up. That is pretty brave you would let Cuda out!
Mom: I am sending you one through LDS Express that you will for sure get. So, is there something you want or need? This is a package you will for sure get. I was wondering if you could write a little each day or something and take a picture of it so I can know a little bit more about your week. I love you!
Cameron: I love you too mom! I will do something more to tell you about my week. I sent you some pictures. The one that has the shirt with his name is Fernando and we are teaching him. His parents are divorced and his dad won't let him be baptized. I would like if you could get me somethings to give Carla and her family. Not big or expensive. The mom of Carla really wants a U.S. watch and something for her husband, Then Carla is 24, Davi is 19 likes soccer, the twins are like 12 and they can have a football and then Caua is 5 years old. I would like a basketball to play with all the kids with. Send any balls and a pump if you can! If you can send me some of my old Box Elder BEES shirts too. Thanks mom!
Mom: Annie used you as an example yesterday to give an example of putting others first. We ask you what you want and you tell us floss and deodorant for companions/friends that want it. Balls and etc. that you think the families would like. I am so proud of you and I am proud of the young man that you are! I have sent double on all the things I have sent you. I don't write your companion's name so if it changes it's ok. I haven't gone over board... It's more of a package of LOVE!
So, in addition to the e-mail I sent earlier... It has rained a lot! It is still pretty warm like September though. There was snow up where dad hunted in the mountains but down here it really has been warm. The rain comes hard but doesn't last. Charlie finds everything and anything to play fetch with. Grandma Marge still works way too much but she gets tired of sitting home and Grandpa has the farm and mortuary. Your grandparents are very proud and it's fun to hear them brag or ask questions about you! Annie's phone screen shattered today and she can't use it. Your sisters love you and are just as excited to hear from you and e-mail you as we are!
Cameron's e-mail to everyone:
The best Halloween morning ever. Ok, maybe when he was little and excited about his costumes but to see his e-mail this morning as I pulled into school made my heart pretty full and put a smile on my face.
Cameron: Hey mom! How are you? Happy Halloween!!! This week was good. We had a bar-b-que with Carla and her family, It was really fun! Then yesterday was was the mom's birthday. They invited us over for cake and to celebrate with them. It was a lot of fun! OH YA and yesterday during the sacrament hymn a member of the bishopric came down off the stand an asked me if I could talk. Here I thought he and I were friends, just kidding we are and I really like him. I was sooo nervous. I didn't have anything prepared and to not know Portuguese very well... I was also the first speaker. I am so excited about Nicole. When does she leave?
Mom: I know he wouldn't have asked you to speak unless he thought you were capable. I'm sure you did great and be thankful for the gift of tongues. Cameron, remember I packed a bunch of cards and letters for you. There is one for Halloween. Do they celebrate Halloween there? I dressed up for school as Rafael the Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtle. You mentioned it rained a lot. Do you need a better jacket? The Craynors are crazy and buzy getting ready for the wedding in the barn. I'm not a lot of help but this time of year with conferences etc. is hard for me to stay afloat. I will take lots of pictures to send you. I told Cameron Green you asked how he was. I gave the mission homes address so anyone could write you. Nicole Leaves tomorrow! Keep her in your prayers.
Cameron:They don't really celebrate Halloween here. Rafael? That sounds fun! I don't think we will do much today except get caught up on things. I just use my umbrella. It is way too hot for a jacket. I am excited for Nicole and I am glad things can and will work out for her. Who is the new missionary there and what is he like?
Mom: I can't remember the new missionary's name but he is so funny. He hasn't been a member too long. He had lived in a lot of places. He went to Colorado to school and was working as a CNA while trying to get his EMT. He had a steady girlfriend and his whole world came crashing down. He never really said how or why. He worked graves with a 65 year old lady that was a non-active member of the church. She could tell he was lost and gave him bits and pieces here and there. One night she asked if he would want to come over the next day and talk to her brother, who was an Elder Quorum's President. So, this Elder agreed. When he went there were missionaries there. They explained what the do and he thought what dummies would do this for two years of there life. He said look at me now, I am one of those dummies. But, he was baptized. He said he was living of the world not in the world. He is sooo much happier. He did suggest that missionaries be more specific on teachings like prayer and fasting. He was a picture of a girl praying, kneeling beside her bed and a Book of Mormon sitting there. He thought that is how you had to pray. He didn't know until in the MTC that you can pray anywhere. He thought when they said no water when fasting, that meant no brushing teeth or showering! Oh, he is hilarious but sure has a testimony of the gospel. He was sooo awesome to hear. He had no idea what it was like to live with Christ being the center of all things and how this would bring such joy and purpose to his life. Pretty Awesome!!! I'll find out his name and how old he is. He has been out for like 13 months.
What are the bar-b-ques like in Brazil? What about family birthdays, are they like ours? Have you got any of my packages yet? I let Cuda out with dad home but hiding inside. I knew he would be ok and that dad would help if he needed to. I would never do it without dad being home.
Cameron: They have bar-b-que chicken, sausage, and of course rice and beans at their cookouts. There are other things that we don't have in the U.S. too. They have cake and the family get together like we do. Families are everything! I haven't received any of your packages yet... I hope they come because I want to give the footballs I asked for to the kids. I am not going to tell them because I don't want to get their hopes up. That is pretty brave you would let Cuda out!
Mom: I am sending you one through LDS Express that you will for sure get. So, is there something you want or need? This is a package you will for sure get. I was wondering if you could write a little each day or something and take a picture of it so I can know a little bit more about your week. I love you!
Cameron: I love you too mom! I will do something more to tell you about my week. I sent you some pictures. The one that has the shirt with his name is Fernando and we are teaching him. His parents are divorced and his dad won't let him be baptized. I would like if you could get me somethings to give Carla and her family. Not big or expensive. The mom of Carla really wants a U.S. watch and something for her husband, Then Carla is 24, Davi is 19 likes soccer, the twins are like 12 and they can have a football and then Caua is 5 years old. I would like a basketball to play with all the kids with. Send any balls and a pump if you can! If you can send me some of my old Box Elder BEES shirts too. Thanks mom!
Mom: Annie used you as an example yesterday to give an example of putting others first. We ask you what you want and you tell us floss and deodorant for companions/friends that want it. Balls and etc. that you think the families would like. I am so proud of you and I am proud of the young man that you are! I have sent double on all the things I have sent you. I don't write your companion's name so if it changes it's ok. I haven't gone over board... It's more of a package of LOVE!
So, in addition to the e-mail I sent earlier... It has rained a lot! It is still pretty warm like September though. There was snow up where dad hunted in the mountains but down here it really has been warm. The rain comes hard but doesn't last. Charlie finds everything and anything to play fetch with. Grandma Marge still works way too much but she gets tired of sitting home and Grandpa has the farm and mortuary. Your grandparents are very proud and it's fun to hear them brag or ask questions about you! Annie's phone screen shattered today and she can't use it. Your sisters love you and are just as excited to hear from you and e-mail you as we are!
Cameron's e-mail to everyone:
Hello everyone! Everything is good here, hotter than ever and getting hotter. How is it back home with the cold weather? The food here is good and I haven't gotten sick so that is a plus. My ward is awesome. I had to talk in church yesterday and had no idea until the sacrament hymn when a member of the bishopric came down and asked me. It went ok. I think... We have 2 new investigators. They are Valquiria and Dani and we are hoping to baptize them this Saturday if everything works out. Brazil is good! It is full of soccer, beans, and rice. I took a picture and sent it of the bar-b-que we were at. It was a lot of fun! There is a member who does graffiti painting. I took a picture in his house that I have sent. There are 2 soccer teams here CSA and CBR and in the picture I sent I am pointing to the CRB jersey at an investigators house. There is also a picture of Elder Neves (my companion) eating. We had subway when we went to the center to a job fair, to talk with people about the church. I hope you all have a good week!
Love,
Elder Jensen
Monday, October 24, 2016
So, this morning 10/24/16 I woke up early because Cameron has usually started e-mailing about 6:00am. Well, the day I am ready to go NOTHING... Ugh! Anyway I went to work and I had outside duty before school started. So, I rushed around and got my things organized to get outside on time. As I turned my computer on and pulled up my e-mail, there was an e-mail from Elder Jensen. Tell me if this wouldn't make you SMILE...
Cameron: Hello, mom, mom, mom, momma, moma, mmommy, mommy (at one time in my life he did this to annoy me, I miss it sooo much now!) That is so awesome Annie got a deer! My week was good! It seems from your e-mail that everything there is going good.
I had previously e-mailed him this;
Dear Cam, 10/23/16
Annie got her a 4 point. One shot at 243 yards. (Cam told Annie it was because of the boots she was wearing of his). She cleaned it and even blew out it's lungs. I was the only one at camp that stayed back, not by choice but there wasn't room on a 4-wheeler for me. Grandpa John stayed behind too. Jason promised him if anyone got a deer that they would come and get him. Halle drove down and hollered, "come on grandpa, Annie shot a deer." He ran in his trailer to get his camera and they were off. Colby, Candace, and Cozi went up too. On the way in Grandpa's trailer got stuck and we had to get Archie's nephew to pull him out. He kinda just left the trailer where it slid and set up camp. It is dryer now, so he will be ok. We all missed you! Lots of Bubba stories. Mark and Candace both complained that you chopped wood better than dad... Christopher came to help Luke get a deer and he said they saw the 2nd biggest bull he'd ever seen. Grandpa Leon and Grandma Marge came up for the day on Saturday. Oh ya... Cody and Hollie are having a girl! So exciting!!! Grammy tended Reese and didn't want us to come and get him. She even trimmed his hair! Coop was at the U game at UCLA with Brandon. Grandpa Leon and Grandma Marge were scammed by a guy who told them he could get them a better deal on their home security system. They were on the news. I rode with grandpa to get propane. He said he enjoyed cleaning the temple and he had prayed in sacrament, which he didn't think he could do. He went to the distribution center to get cards to keep in your wallet on how to give the different blessings. He said, "Nicole, I should've done this a long time ago. I told him that all that matters is the here and now and that I was proud of him! Thanks Cam for being such a beacon of light to all of us. I've never loved the gospel more but I've never given this much either. It feels good! Craynor's barn looks good on the outside. I hear there is still lots on the inside to do but they'll pull it off for Bailey's wedding. Her wedding is November 4th. Dad and I are taking the day of to go to the temple with them and then the luncheon. The girls are serving at the reception. So fun! I sent you an invitation in the mail that she had for you. JJ got in big trouble for calling me to come get him. He wasn't really sick. He just wanted to come to our house. What a kid! We ask Cozi where you're at and she sings, I Hope They Call Me on a Mission . It's so cute! Dee Hardy was still at the game Friday! We won!!! Annie performed "Thriller" with the Rockettes. It was way good! I have your Christmas ready but found LDS Express that just added Brazil and you will for sure get your packages. We have Shad's brother, Dillan's wedding this weekend. I'll send you a picture of the announcement. I love you Bubba and I miss you every second of every day. It's like I have a pit in my belly that I am just learning to function with. Don't forget that I am always praying for you and thinking of you always! You changed my life 19 years ago and it's been awesome! I loved taking care of you and tried not to miss anything. This is hard to send you off and not be watching. But, it's nice to keep in touch with you and to feel your growth, to hear about those people you teach, and to see and feel blessings happening both there and here. You are the best! You can tell me anything. I hope you feel our love surrounding you. I love you and live for P-Days!
SO THE NEXT E-MAIL WAS PICTURES!!! He told me that this was Carla that had been baptized about 2 weeks before he got there. Her father is a pastor. He really likes Cam though because he is an American! She has the twin brothers that are around 12 and they want to be baptized but their father won't let them.They also haven't been to church for awhile. Carla is recently divorced and has these two little boys that Cameron LOVES! The oldest one is Caua and he is 5 and the younger one is Caue and he is like 7 months. They are having a bar-b-que with them tomorrow but they are poor so Elder Neves and Elder Jensen are supplying all the stuff. He loves his companion Elder Neves! "He says that he is the BEST!!!
He went on to ask if I had sent his Christmas package yet. He would like some spray n' wash sticks, Swedish Fish, and some Box Elder shirts. I asked him when his love of Swedish Fish started. I never knew he liked them this much?!?! I asked if the members or investigators were in need of anything specific. He told me licorice and some Box Elder Bee shirts. I guess they are becoming Utes and BEES fans while Elder Jensen is serving there.
We had some missionaries serving here that were great examples to Cameron before he left. I loved feeding them. It helps to do something and to feel like you're being motherly to them while they're missing their families. I asked Cam if he had someone like this. They eat nearly every lunch (that's their big meal) at a members and sometimes dinner. So Carla feeds them a lot and then a guy in the bishopric who is young. Elder Jensen commented that he likes him and his family a lot. He also said that the food is good and that it's mostly beans, rice, and meat. He mentioned that he really missed peanut butter. Well, if he actually gets his package I sent, he''ll find some peanut butter in it!
There is a Facebook page called Missionary Moms or something like that. I asked if anyone had a son or daughter serving in Maceio. A dad actually messaged me back and said he has a son there and didn't have a whole lot longer. He asked me to tell Elder Jensen to say Hi to Elder Heaton from his dad. I had asked Cam about him. He told me they are good friends. Technology is so awesome... It makes it possible to share this journey of Cameron's! So thankful!!!
As I e-mailed with Cameron I could tell he was a lot less homesick. This makes for a very happy mama. He still said how much he missed us but he also said that he wanted us to meet the people that he has been telling us about. He is all of a sudden so determined to have us come and pick him up. It sounds so fun to go and hug these people that are making such a huge impact on my son and his life! I usually let my students know that on Monday every now and again if I walk over to my computer it's because Cameron is e-mailing me. It has actually been really fun to concentrate on a different country and really talk about it. Part of the second grade core is to teach and learn about communities, traditions, cultures, etc. It's fun to share stories and let them feel a part of it. So, today I let them ask a few questions. Jaxon asked if he was teaching his companion and the kids football. Cameron said that he does teach him a little and that they play a lot with the kids. We had asked Cameron to share with a the biggest differences between the two countries. He said the biggest difference was how they live. He explained that it is poor and very hard for some people to provide day to day neccessities for themselves and their families. We talked about the earth's rotation and that while it's Fall here it is actually Spring in Brazil. These cute students of mine that are learning Spanish through the dual-immersion program wanted Elder Jensen to write something in Portuguese and then translate it.
CAMERON'S LETTER IN PORTUGUESE:oi aula de mrs jensen. como vocês estão? eu estou em colina ala em maceió brasil. eu gosto brasil muito e o comida é muito bom também e pessoas aqui são muito lego.
THE LETTER TRANSLATED TO ENGLISH: Hello class of Mrs. Jensen. How are you guys? I am in the Colina Ward, in Maceio, Brazil. I like Brazil a lot and the food is good, also the people are very cool.
He e-mailed me saying he had to go but would be back later to e-mail some more. He was going to go eat lunch and get a haircut by the barber next door. He even sent me a picture of a haircut to see what I thought. It was very handsome!
Elder Jensen didn't e-mail for a long time. I thought maybe I had just missed him but I had a few parent/teacher conferences after school. When I went to go home I saw...
Cameron: Hello, mom, mom, mom, momma, moma, mmommy, mommy (at one time in my life he did this to annoy me, I miss it sooo much now!) That is so awesome Annie got a deer! My week was good! It seems from your e-mail that everything there is going good.
I had previously e-mailed him this;
Dear Cam, 10/23/16
Annie got her a 4 point. One shot at 243 yards. (Cam told Annie it was because of the boots she was wearing of his). She cleaned it and even blew out it's lungs. I was the only one at camp that stayed back, not by choice but there wasn't room on a 4-wheeler for me. Grandpa John stayed behind too. Jason promised him if anyone got a deer that they would come and get him. Halle drove down and hollered, "come on grandpa, Annie shot a deer." He ran in his trailer to get his camera and they were off. Colby, Candace, and Cozi went up too. On the way in Grandpa's trailer got stuck and we had to get Archie's nephew to pull him out. He kinda just left the trailer where it slid and set up camp. It is dryer now, so he will be ok. We all missed you! Lots of Bubba stories. Mark and Candace both complained that you chopped wood better than dad... Christopher came to help Luke get a deer and he said they saw the 2nd biggest bull he'd ever seen. Grandpa Leon and Grandma Marge came up for the day on Saturday. Oh ya... Cody and Hollie are having a girl! So exciting!!! Grammy tended Reese and didn't want us to come and get him. She even trimmed his hair! Coop was at the U game at UCLA with Brandon. Grandpa Leon and Grandma Marge were scammed by a guy who told them he could get them a better deal on their home security system. They were on the news. I rode with grandpa to get propane. He said he enjoyed cleaning the temple and he had prayed in sacrament, which he didn't think he could do. He went to the distribution center to get cards to keep in your wallet on how to give the different blessings. He said, "Nicole, I should've done this a long time ago. I told him that all that matters is the here and now and that I was proud of him! Thanks Cam for being such a beacon of light to all of us. I've never loved the gospel more but I've never given this much either. It feels good! Craynor's barn looks good on the outside. I hear there is still lots on the inside to do but they'll pull it off for Bailey's wedding. Her wedding is November 4th. Dad and I are taking the day of to go to the temple with them and then the luncheon. The girls are serving at the reception. So fun! I sent you an invitation in the mail that she had for you. JJ got in big trouble for calling me to come get him. He wasn't really sick. He just wanted to come to our house. What a kid! We ask Cozi where you're at and she sings, I Hope They Call Me on a Mission . It's so cute! Dee Hardy was still at the game Friday! We won!!! Annie performed "Thriller" with the Rockettes. It was way good! I have your Christmas ready but found LDS Express that just added Brazil and you will for sure get your packages. We have Shad's brother, Dillan's wedding this weekend. I'll send you a picture of the announcement. I love you Bubba and I miss you every second of every day. It's like I have a pit in my belly that I am just learning to function with. Don't forget that I am always praying for you and thinking of you always! You changed my life 19 years ago and it's been awesome! I loved taking care of you and tried not to miss anything. This is hard to send you off and not be watching. But, it's nice to keep in touch with you and to feel your growth, to hear about those people you teach, and to see and feel blessings happening both there and here. You are the best! You can tell me anything. I hope you feel our love surrounding you. I love you and live for P-Days!
SO THE NEXT E-MAIL WAS PICTURES!!! He told me that this was Carla that had been baptized about 2 weeks before he got there. Her father is a pastor. He really likes Cam though because he is an American! She has the twin brothers that are around 12 and they want to be baptized but their father won't let them.They also haven't been to church for awhile. Carla is recently divorced and has these two little boys that Cameron LOVES! The oldest one is Caua and he is 5 and the younger one is Caue and he is like 7 months. They are having a bar-b-que with them tomorrow but they are poor so Elder Neves and Elder Jensen are supplying all the stuff. He loves his companion Elder Neves! "He says that he is the BEST!!!
He went on to ask if I had sent his Christmas package yet. He would like some spray n' wash sticks, Swedish Fish, and some Box Elder shirts. I asked him when his love of Swedish Fish started. I never knew he liked them this much?!?! I asked if the members or investigators were in need of anything specific. He told me licorice and some Box Elder Bee shirts. I guess they are becoming Utes and BEES fans while Elder Jensen is serving there.
We had some missionaries serving here that were great examples to Cameron before he left. I loved feeding them. It helps to do something and to feel like you're being motherly to them while they're missing their families. I asked Cam if he had someone like this. They eat nearly every lunch (that's their big meal) at a members and sometimes dinner. So Carla feeds them a lot and then a guy in the bishopric who is young. Elder Jensen commented that he likes him and his family a lot. He also said that the food is good and that it's mostly beans, rice, and meat. He mentioned that he really missed peanut butter. Well, if he actually gets his package I sent, he''ll find some peanut butter in it!
There is a Facebook page called Missionary Moms or something like that. I asked if anyone had a son or daughter serving in Maceio. A dad actually messaged me back and said he has a son there and didn't have a whole lot longer. He asked me to tell Elder Jensen to say Hi to Elder Heaton from his dad. I had asked Cam about him. He told me they are good friends. Technology is so awesome... It makes it possible to share this journey of Cameron's! So thankful!!!
As I e-mailed with Cameron I could tell he was a lot less homesick. This makes for a very happy mama. He still said how much he missed us but he also said that he wanted us to meet the people that he has been telling us about. He is all of a sudden so determined to have us come and pick him up. It sounds so fun to go and hug these people that are making such a huge impact on my son and his life! I usually let my students know that on Monday every now and again if I walk over to my computer it's because Cameron is e-mailing me. It has actually been really fun to concentrate on a different country and really talk about it. Part of the second grade core is to teach and learn about communities, traditions, cultures, etc. It's fun to share stories and let them feel a part of it. So, today I let them ask a few questions. Jaxon asked if he was teaching his companion and the kids football. Cameron said that he does teach him a little and that they play a lot with the kids. We had asked Cameron to share with a the biggest differences between the two countries. He said the biggest difference was how they live. He explained that it is poor and very hard for some people to provide day to day neccessities for themselves and their families. We talked about the earth's rotation and that while it's Fall here it is actually Spring in Brazil. These cute students of mine that are learning Spanish through the dual-immersion program wanted Elder Jensen to write something in Portuguese and then translate it.
CAMERON'S LETTER IN PORTUGUESE:oi aula de mrs jensen. como vocês estão? eu estou em colina ala em maceió brasil. eu gosto brasil muito e o comida é muito bom também e pessoas aqui são muito lego.
THE LETTER TRANSLATED TO ENGLISH: Hello class of Mrs. Jensen. How are you guys? I am in the Colina Ward, in Maceio, Brazil. I like Brazil a lot and the food is good, also the people are very cool.
He e-mailed me saying he had to go but would be back later to e-mail some more. He was going to go eat lunch and get a haircut by the barber next door. He even sent me a picture of a haircut to see what I thought. It was very handsome!
Elder Jensen didn't e-mail for a long time. I thought maybe I had just missed him but I had a few parent/teacher conferences after school. When I went to go home I saw...
Cameron:Hi mom, I'm not going to have much time maybe like 15-20 minutes. I am sorry. I hope we can talk for a minute but if not know that I love you and I am looking forward to only 8 more P-Days until Christmas!!! I love you mom, hope we can talk.
about ten minutes pass and then...
Cameron: love you. Good bye. Have a good week. Talk to you soon!
Monday, October 17, 2016
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| Elder Neves baptized this little guy's mom on Saturday. This is their home. Before Cameron left Jason made us all feel comfort by reminding us of Cameron's gift with kids. He is a kid magnet and instantly falls in love with little ones and makes them feel special. What a great asset this is going to be on his mission. |
I was sooo excited last night I kept waking up and looking at my phone to check my e-mail. I know there is a 3 hour time difference but I doubt Cam is going to get up at the wee hours of the morning to go to the internet café to e-mail me... BUT, I just can't help myself. Well, I had a plan! I know that's hard to believe, Nicole Jensen had a plan (maybe I am a bit obsessive with planning). Last time he e-mailed at 6:30am so I was going to get up at 6:00am and be most of the way ready for work so I could just enjoy e-mailing him. I heard Annie leave for cheer about 5:50am, so I turned my alarm off. I laid there a few minutes and looked at my phone before getting up to make sure I hadn't missed my special ringing etc. There was an e-mail from Elder Jensen! I would've liked to feel my heart rate when I read this and realized he is on the other end talking with me. We e-mailed back and forth briefly as I am sure he checked his other e-mails and responded to them. I asked him if he was sick of the food yet and how his belly was. He told me that so far, so good with the food. He asked me how things were and how I was doing. I told him I've never been better except for not having him! I filled him in on family and friends. I asked him about the package and letters that we had mailed and he hadn't received anything since he has been in the field. BUT, we send them to the mission home and I am not sure how they collect them or how often they get delivered to the areas... He told me he would e-mail for a bit and then he was going to lunch with his president. I asked how they were and he said they were good. He had made a few more brief comments on the e-mails I had sent and ended this e-mail before he went to lunch with these words, "I just hope you know how much I love and miss you." Wow! My mom heart is full... He is just so nice and sincere in his correspondence. It makes me so proud to think he is such a fine young man.
So, last week Cameron had asked me to remember his companion when I send things to him. I told Cameron I would be sure and do that and made sure to go back to the stores to double up on everything I had planned on sending Cameron. I also told Cam to let me know what Elder Neves wanted or needed. Can you say the word HUMBLE? Elder Neves wanted something they don't sell in Brazil. He didn't ask for clothes, food, or materialistic items... He asked for a package of floss picks for his teeth. The girls and I went to Wal-mart after school so we can send them with their Christmas package. Cameron had also asked for a new bag because his was too big. At the beginning of his mission he was told no backpacks. Well, Cameron is using his backpack and went to lunch with his mission president today so I guess all is well?! My cute, missionary, son also mentioned again this week that he would like me to send him and Elder Neves a UTES shirt. I can definitely mail them but I hope they get them, along with the floss picks!
So, as he answered some questions I had and we sent 3-4 short e-mails back and forth, he ended each e-mail with, "Mom, can you send a picture of our family?" Well, I am looking through my phone and sending random pictures and finally he asks, "Mom, can you send a family picture of just us that we had taken a year ago?" Well, why didn't he just say so! HA! I still had our family photos that Hayley Hardy had taken. They were stored on my phone and I was able to send them.
I asked Cameron what his daily schedule was like. If I understood right they study until noon and then have lunch usually at a member's house. Their lunch is like our dinner. After that they go out to teach the gospel. Some days they walk up to 5-6 miles. He said something about being home at 9:30. I don't know if he meant morning or night and I didn't get the daily details I was really looking for. Next time...
When Cameron returned from lunch, I got the courage to say, "How are you really Bubba? Are you doing ok", his reply was, "I like it here but I miss you guys so much. I kind of want you guys to come and pick me up at the end of my mission so I can show you everything." I replied, "I would love to meet some of the members and some of these people that you teaching and/or baptizing." Cam said, "Yeah, I really want you to come and meet them." If you know Jason, he likes vacations and fun. One of the many reasons why he is so much fun! I mentioned to Cameron that I would see what Jason said about all of this and I may have to twist his arm (a little sarcasm here). I could feel Cameron laughing as he wrote back to say, "haha, yeah twists dad's arm. He will be looking into it tonight!" I think he has his dad's number!!!
The best part is when he is e-mailing me and sends me pictures and tells me about them! Cameron got to experience the first baptism that resulted from their teaching. Elder Neves did this ordinance. In Cameron's group email it read: Hello everyone. I had my first baptism this Saturday and it was awesome. Her name is Carla and she is like 24. It was such an awesome experience to partake in. To bring someone to the true gospel of Jesus Christ is such an awesome feeling. This week was good and really hot as usual.
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| This little boy that Cameron is holding is Carla's son, Caua. (don't mind the cute photo bombing missionary... ha!). They joke with Cameron and say Caua is his little boy because of his blonde hair and blue eyes. Cameron said, "Man I love this kid".
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| Elder Cameron Jensen teaching the Gospel of Jesus Christ |
Friday, October 14, 2016
There's nothing like opening up my Google Docs (I am still very new at this and don't really understand how it all works.) and I think to myself I wonder who these pictures are of and how they got on here. Well, to my surprise it's CAMERON! I have no idea how they got here but it totally made my day! We always say Cameron is a magnet with kids. These pictures speak for themselves...
Monday, October 10, 2016
Can you say FINALLY!!! My son, my cute missionary son e-mailed us at 6:28 this morning. I've finally put a special ring on my phone for when his e-mails come... I'm kind of getting good at some aspects of being a missionary mom. Cameron wrote:
10/10/2016 I am here in Maceio. It is hot all of the time but one nice thing is the sun goes down at about 5:30 so you don't have the hot sun for the last little bit. I am in the Colin Ward and I like it. I have made some pretty good friends here. The ward members are great and help me a ton. They like me to translate for them. My companion is Elder Neves. He is the one I talked with before my mission. He is really cool. He is from Brazil and speaks some English. My Portuguese seems to be coming slow. I understand most everything but have a hard time speaking it. So, Neves was a professional volleyball player before his mission which is pretty sweet. He wants to play in the U.S. for a university after his mission. I like him a lot. I am ok, struggling pretty bad with homesickness right now. I just miss you guys and love you so much. Hopefully today will help being able to talk with you. I know I can push through, it is just way hard. The MTC was so great and I loved it a lot. I had the best district and I am going to miss them all so much.
So, just to tell you a little bit about where I am at. My ward is in Maceio. We have some pretty cool investigators that I like. We have 11 investigators some are progressing more then others We have a baptism set up for this weekend. Her name is Carla. She is around 24 years old. She is pretty cool. Some other investigators are Elias and Elizeu who are twins. They are only 12 years old and their dad is a pastor for another church so it may be difficult to baptize them. He does not want them to be baptized. The family is really cool. We always talk to them, like for an hour everyday. Another investigator is Fernando and Karol who are brother and sister. Their dad doesn't want them to get baptized either. Then, Nia who is 15 years old and we just found out she is pregnant. So, that will be a difficult one. There are the other investigators too.
I haven't received the package you sent. When you do send things Neves said to remember him (my poor black companion, ha! He's pretty funny).
Then, we started to e-mail back and forth. I was just wanted to go send Elder Neves a letter or a package or something right then. Annie e-mailed Cameron and told him how much I wanted to help Elder Neves and he just said, "Of course she does"! I think that's good... HA! I tried to fill him in on things that were happening and be as upbeat and happy as possible. I reminded him of Shad and Tyson telling him the first six months were the hardest and then it got a lot easier. He remembered that but stated that six months sure seemed like a long time. Tears rolling down my face and wanting to jump through my phone and tell him how much I love and miss him, was all I wanted to do. I knew Jason would be the better one to talk with him about this. I would end up getting sappy and that wouldn't do him any good. I asked Jason to work his magic and of course I didn't need to ask, he was already doing it. He knows his son and he knows what to say. I'm very thankful for that!
I let him know of Edna Hardy's passing. He loved to go take the sacrament to their home, besides the fact he grew up with the Hardy families in almost everything we did. He e-mailed saying: That is so sad about Edna. I feel so bad. She was a great lady. Later in his e-mail he asked if Chance was doing ok too. Love those boys!
I asked him what they needed. He wants a smaller bag from the mission mall online. So, his cute sister Annie was looking online and sending pictures. He stated that there was really no need to write except once a month (I think that's a little drastic). He explained that he e-mails us once a week and his letters go to the mission home and he only gets them every so often. He said that he needs to focus and maybe that would help him overcome his homesickness. This broke my heart but I have to do whatever I can do to help him be successful. I said ok and that he knew if and when he needed anything I was there. I told Jason I couldn't do it and he suggested we still write but just mail it less frequently. I just need to remind myself when he was in the MTC and he wanted the mail he was living a different lifestyle. So now he is out in the field we just need to change gears a bit. He asked me to send two footballs. I didn't mention the cost of postage to Brazil but did ask if they could be deflated with a pump. He said that was great but there had to be two. He said he would also like me to send some peanut butter and a UTES shirt for him and his companion. Elder Neves might become a UTES fan!!! I sent him a picture of the Craynor's barn. He was surprised at how fast it was coming along and said it looked good. I sent him a picture of the Luvs gas station and etc. going up. I told him how they never contacted me letting me know he was there safe but that his crazy mom called Brazil. He just laughed... He said the church building was nice. I asked him if he was nervous to approach people or to talk with his investigators. He said he wasn't and that he never felt scared at all, he said ,"they like me... I am an American"! He mentioned that they love to ask him to translate stuff for them. Oh! He did tell his sister that he tried to pet a dog and well the dog did not like it and almost bit him but that's about as unsafe as he has felt. His companion has about 8 months left. It sounded as if every lunch they have a home to go to, instead of at home and us having the missionaries for dinner it is lunch there. I asked him how the members living conditions were. He said some good and some not so good. I always want to know if he is sleeping and eating. If he's sleeping and eating he will be ok, right?! He said he eats but a lot of rice and beans and he LOVES the ice cream. He even told Annie there is an ice cream with raisins and he still likes that one even with the raisins. He said he sleeps good and "Yes, mom I use the sheets we bought". I wanted to know where he e-mailed from. He said there is a room by their house with computers and they pay to use them. It costs 2Real which is like 25 cents an hour. He has a washer at the house. No mention of a dryer? I saw clothes lines in the pictures. Wow! This is really pretty crazy. My 18 year old son is living in Brazil, just traveled from one part to another. I don't talk him except once a week by e-mail and won't see him for two years. That is a hard concept. But, if I say he has just left us for a short time and we will be in contact and hear about all those wonderful people whom he is helping to stay with their families for eternity, now that's FAITH. My hat goes off to all those mothers who had children serve before we had all this technology and Cameron isn't in a place that even has what some missions have. Cameron wanted pictures so I sent every picture I could think of. He loved it and kept saying thank you, thank you. Annie got one of Charlie (his dog), the newly planted field, the mountains, his friends that had visited, one with all of us including both sets of grandparents at the temple, and so on! I had over 1,000 photos on my phone. Annie thought it was hilarious and I said well you never know when you might need one. I let Halle miss 1st hour since Annie and I were home to go to the funeral. We had no idea that is when the e-mails would come and I know the stress of not knowing where Cam was at or hearing from him burdened them also. Before we got Halle to the school she showed us their last e-mail. She told him that she had to go and loved him. Cameron wrote: I love you so much Halle, you have no idea...
I met some other mom's of friends of Cameron this past Tuesday. It was so nice to hear how much all of us love our boys. It doesn't matter if they are in Brazil, Logan, Iowa, Honduras, Italy, Spain, Africa, Canada, their last year of high school etc. we LOVE them and we want the BEST for them! I am thankful for my faith and testimony right now and I know Cameron has made an awesome choice. I do love the excitement of the e-mails and wanting to hear from him. I hope and pray that time and the love of the gospel and the people will help with his homesickness. Keep him in your prayers and until next week ADIEUS (goodbye)
Here is Elder Jensen and Elder Neves. This is Maceio where Cameron is serving.
10/10/2016 I am here in Maceio. It is hot all of the time but one nice thing is the sun goes down at about 5:30 so you don't have the hot sun for the last little bit. I am in the Colin Ward and I like it. I have made some pretty good friends here. The ward members are great and help me a ton. They like me to translate for them. My companion is Elder Neves. He is the one I talked with before my mission. He is really cool. He is from Brazil and speaks some English. My Portuguese seems to be coming slow. I understand most everything but have a hard time speaking it. So, Neves was a professional volleyball player before his mission which is pretty sweet. He wants to play in the U.S. for a university after his mission. I like him a lot. I am ok, struggling pretty bad with homesickness right now. I just miss you guys and love you so much. Hopefully today will help being able to talk with you. I know I can push through, it is just way hard. The MTC was so great and I loved it a lot. I had the best district and I am going to miss them all so much.
So, just to tell you a little bit about where I am at. My ward is in Maceio. We have some pretty cool investigators that I like. We have 11 investigators some are progressing more then others We have a baptism set up for this weekend. Her name is Carla. She is around 24 years old. She is pretty cool. Some other investigators are Elias and Elizeu who are twins. They are only 12 years old and their dad is a pastor for another church so it may be difficult to baptize them. He does not want them to be baptized. The family is really cool. We always talk to them, like for an hour everyday. Another investigator is Fernando and Karol who are brother and sister. Their dad doesn't want them to get baptized either. Then, Nia who is 15 years old and we just found out she is pregnant. So, that will be a difficult one. There are the other investigators too.
I haven't received the package you sent. When you do send things Neves said to remember him (my poor black companion, ha! He's pretty funny).
Then, we started to e-mail back and forth. I was just wanted to go send Elder Neves a letter or a package or something right then. Annie e-mailed Cameron and told him how much I wanted to help Elder Neves and he just said, "Of course she does"! I think that's good... HA! I tried to fill him in on things that were happening and be as upbeat and happy as possible. I reminded him of Shad and Tyson telling him the first six months were the hardest and then it got a lot easier. He remembered that but stated that six months sure seemed like a long time. Tears rolling down my face and wanting to jump through my phone and tell him how much I love and miss him, was all I wanted to do. I knew Jason would be the better one to talk with him about this. I would end up getting sappy and that wouldn't do him any good. I asked Jason to work his magic and of course I didn't need to ask, he was already doing it. He knows his son and he knows what to say. I'm very thankful for that!
I let him know of Edna Hardy's passing. He loved to go take the sacrament to their home, besides the fact he grew up with the Hardy families in almost everything we did. He e-mailed saying: That is so sad about Edna. I feel so bad. She was a great lady. Later in his e-mail he asked if Chance was doing ok too. Love those boys!
I asked him what they needed. He wants a smaller bag from the mission mall online. So, his cute sister Annie was looking online and sending pictures. He stated that there was really no need to write except once a month (I think that's a little drastic). He explained that he e-mails us once a week and his letters go to the mission home and he only gets them every so often. He said that he needs to focus and maybe that would help him overcome his homesickness. This broke my heart but I have to do whatever I can do to help him be successful. I said ok and that he knew if and when he needed anything I was there. I told Jason I couldn't do it and he suggested we still write but just mail it less frequently. I just need to remind myself when he was in the MTC and he wanted the mail he was living a different lifestyle. So now he is out in the field we just need to change gears a bit. He asked me to send two footballs. I didn't mention the cost of postage to Brazil but did ask if they could be deflated with a pump. He said that was great but there had to be two. He said he would also like me to send some peanut butter and a UTES shirt for him and his companion. Elder Neves might become a UTES fan!!! I sent him a picture of the Craynor's barn. He was surprised at how fast it was coming along and said it looked good. I sent him a picture of the Luvs gas station and etc. going up. I told him how they never contacted me letting me know he was there safe but that his crazy mom called Brazil. He just laughed... He said the church building was nice. I asked him if he was nervous to approach people or to talk with his investigators. He said he wasn't and that he never felt scared at all, he said ,"they like me... I am an American"! He mentioned that they love to ask him to translate stuff for them. Oh! He did tell his sister that he tried to pet a dog and well the dog did not like it and almost bit him but that's about as unsafe as he has felt. His companion has about 8 months left. It sounded as if every lunch they have a home to go to, instead of at home and us having the missionaries for dinner it is lunch there. I asked him how the members living conditions were. He said some good and some not so good. I always want to know if he is sleeping and eating. If he's sleeping and eating he will be ok, right?! He said he eats but a lot of rice and beans and he LOVES the ice cream. He even told Annie there is an ice cream with raisins and he still likes that one even with the raisins. He said he sleeps good and "Yes, mom I use the sheets we bought". I wanted to know where he e-mailed from. He said there is a room by their house with computers and they pay to use them. It costs 2Real which is like 25 cents an hour. He has a washer at the house. No mention of a dryer? I saw clothes lines in the pictures. Wow! This is really pretty crazy. My 18 year old son is living in Brazil, just traveled from one part to another. I don't talk him except once a week by e-mail and won't see him for two years. That is a hard concept. But, if I say he has just left us for a short time and we will be in contact and hear about all those wonderful people whom he is helping to stay with their families for eternity, now that's FAITH. My hat goes off to all those mothers who had children serve before we had all this technology and Cameron isn't in a place that even has what some missions have. Cameron wanted pictures so I sent every picture I could think of. He loved it and kept saying thank you, thank you. Annie got one of Charlie (his dog), the newly planted field, the mountains, his friends that had visited, one with all of us including both sets of grandparents at the temple, and so on! I had over 1,000 photos on my phone. Annie thought it was hilarious and I said well you never know when you might need one. I let Halle miss 1st hour since Annie and I were home to go to the funeral. We had no idea that is when the e-mails would come and I know the stress of not knowing where Cam was at or hearing from him burdened them also. Before we got Halle to the school she showed us their last e-mail. She told him that she had to go and loved him. Cameron wrote: I love you so much Halle, you have no idea...
I met some other mom's of friends of Cameron this past Tuesday. It was so nice to hear how much all of us love our boys. It doesn't matter if they are in Brazil, Logan, Iowa, Honduras, Italy, Spain, Africa, Canada, their last year of high school etc. we LOVE them and we want the BEST for them! I am thankful for my faith and testimony right now and I know Cameron has made an awesome choice. I do love the excitement of the e-mails and wanting to hear from him. I hope and pray that time and the love of the gospel and the people will help with his homesickness. Keep him in your prayers and until next week ADIEUS (goodbye)
Here is Elder Jensen and Elder Neves. This is Maceio where Cameron is serving.
Saturday, October 8, 2016
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