Transfers! 11-09-2009

¿Como les va?

How are you all doing? Dad, to answer your questions, I dont think I am going to be able to find out all of that information for you due to lack of time. Ill send a picture to you of our house this upcoming week. I am glad to hear that you are still running those half marathons, I remember very well my first one. :). I have eaten some interesting things since I have been here, some being: Cow stomach, Large rat, Armadillo. Haha. Sweet.

My new companion is Elder Saenz, He is from Columbia, he is really dark skinned and funny. He is very easy going. Hes a good elder and weve been working hard. The only problem is that we live so far away from everything, we do all of our travelling by foot, unless we are going to centro, then we take the collectivo. The church is 30min away from where we live, that takes a lot of time out of our day, and our area is shaped like an elongated rectangle, we live in the very bottom corner of it, it takes about an 45 min to go from one side of our area to the other, we are working on planning our day to save the most time possible.

We had the baptism of lujan this past week on saturday! It was awesome, she has a testimony very strong, she came to know the church through her friends inviting her to institute. You all have the power to change lives and be missionaries, dont underestimate that. Invite all of your non member friends to Family home evening and activities in the ward. You all could have such an impact in peoples lives.

Since Elder Tucker left, I have inherited a ton of responsibility, I am basically directing our area until Elder Saenz is familiar with the area and all of our investigators. This week has been really hard for me, I am not to good at handling stress, Any Suggestions on how to handle stress? I have been praying a lot and fasting too for the strength to keep going. I have been strengthened a lot. I just need to keep moving foreward. I have learned a ton these past 3 months, I have grown a ton in my knowledge of the scriptures and also as a person, I have 21 more months of growing and learning. I am hopeful for the future.

Our investigators are progressing, the sister of Vanina now has a baptismal date and is excited to acheive it, her parents however are going to need some more time. They are going to get baptized, with time. Romero Francisco, all he needs is to get married, all his wife needs to do is want to get married. What is up with people and not wanting to get marrie? I always thought it was a good thing? :)

Jorge is drinking again, its all because he isnt reading and praying everyday, I was reading in preach my gospel where it says that most of the time, people are going to crash and drink again. We just need to have patience and emphasize repentence, that will help him the most. Also, his wife needs to want to get married first... haha. I thought of a good example, its like a baby learning to walk, they are going to fall, the important thing is if they learn to get back up and try again. They try and try until they are eventually walking, we are going to fall, and thats ok, if we learn to get back up and try again.

There is hope for this upcomming week, there is always hope.

I wish the best for you all,

I love you,

Elder Kyle Braden Jacobson

Terminamos Traslado Dos 11-02-2009

Hola Todo! Como Les Va?

This week was crazy, on tuesday we changed appartments, it took the whole day, we werent able to do hardly anything. We did get to teach Juan y Valeria, When we got there Juan was really quiet and didnt want to talk to us. We Opened with a hymn and a prayer and just talked with him. Its something really interesting. When someone is just boiling up inside, if they will just express their feelings and what it is that is bothering them, they immediately cool down, I have seen this many times in my mission so far. One little tiny thing will get to me and it just grows. Satan will use anything to get you down on yourself. The thing that helps the most is just talking to someone. Many occasiones here I have just expressed my feelings to my companion and immediately I feel better. We are doing just fine here in Argentina, We are going to have another baptism this saturday for Lujan Cardozo, she is a girl of about 24 years old, she is just awesome. She came into contact with the church through her friends, they invited her to attend institute with her and she said that as she has been assisting it, she felt as though a hole had been filled. She has such a strong testimony and such a desire to learn more. Her parents are completely against her baptism, but, she is going to do it because she has the desires and knows that its true. Im so excited for her. We also have my favorite person in the whole world, Francisco Romero. He came to church An hour early again, he has the strongest desires to follow christ and be baptized. We taught him the Law of Chastity because he isnt married with his Señora, (he calls her his concubine, haha) She doesnt want to get married. Thats the problem. He was about to abondon her, just so he could get baptized. We dont want that, we want a marriage so they can be sealed in the temple together forever. So Elder Tucker, Francisco, and I all fasted this past sunday that his señora could have a change of heart. Jorge has been drinking again. Its so hard, to have such hope and then see them crash again. However, I need to be patient with my investigators. We are going to teach him repentence so that he can use the power of the atonement to help him.

My comp is fighting to the end. He has been helping me a ton and working really hard his last week in the field. He is really trunky though. haha. We have high hopes for our investigators this next transfer. Our Rama is working really hard, our president is amazing, he is instituting the home teaching program in the next upcomming month, he is really devoted to the work and to the Lord. The members are so excited about missionary work and they are helping us a TON. We are so excited for what the future holds for Rama Centenario.

Halloween was sweet for us, We dressed up in matching costumes! At night we went from door to door, We didnt get very much candy though... But we did get some new investigators! Haha. Halloween isnt very big here, I hear that Navidad is though. We´ll see how that goes.

I love you all and I miss you,

Your son, brother and missionary,

Elder Jacobson Mom, could you add some email addresses to your foreward list,

Byucoolkid@myldsmail.net

kschevrier@comcast.net

(the email address of Sam Morris, BJ, Todd Harris, Erik anderson)if you can get them? That would be amazing. Thanks a ton!)

Ananás y Arañas 10-26-2009

Hola Todo!

This week we have been blessed a TON! we were able to have 11 investigators in the church! I can definately see the Lords hand in my life here in Argentina. My testimony is growing a ton. The biggest thing that I have come to learn is that missionary work is WORK, Physically, Mentally, Emotionally, Espiritually. There is someting magnificent about things of a spiritual nature, After the first vision, Joseph Smith was visited by a heavenly messanger, after that experience, he collapsed, unable to move. When we have a really spiritual day or moment, afterwards we are drained. Adding to this; walking a lot, rejection, dissapointment, discouragement, etc. Its been tough. When I first got into the field, I thought to myself, this is missionary work? However,I am beginning to realize why this is going to be the best two years of my life. I am beginning to love the people, my investigators and members. My comp told me that charity is what makes the work light. I feel it growing within me. I look back on the first day that I entered the mtc, three months ago. O how Ive changed. I look foreword to personal study everymorning, I wish it was 3 hours instead of just the one. I am studying this week about the atonement of Jesus Christ. I have learned a ton and anticipate learning a ton more.

Formosa is kind of like a humid desert, lots of dirt and scattered trees. The Jungle area is more in the province of Misiones. My companion asked me today what my expectations for the mission were. I really had no idea what to say. I have seen "the best two years" I figured it´d be something like that.

Francisco Romero is just amazing. He has the biggest faith. He commited to come to church yesterday, he came. An hour early. Haha. Just amazing. Found out he and his señora arent married yet, that will be a small obstical, luckily they arent married to other people. The divorce process here is horrible. Takes anywhere from 2 months to a year to get a divorce here, and a lot of work with the government. We have some investigators, Ramon Luna and Graciella Barrios. They are awesome, around 70 and 60 yrs of age, They attend church every sunday. Just awesome.

Jorge Amarilla. We had an appointment wth him the other day, he was yet again drunk. Its a tough thing. We taught his wife a few things, she still has doubts. Jorge knows its true, he knows what he has to do. We are working to help him turn to other things when a problem shows up in his life, other than drinking. I am learning patience through this experience.

I am so excited for the work and the future that lies ahead of me. We have some good baptisms lined up for november. I hope that they all make it into the water. I am praying for you always, thank you so much for your letters and your love and especially the pictures! Send me all the pictures you want, it made me smile!

We are moving tomorrow to a new house due to complications with our current one, Im a little sad because we are not going to be able to do ANY work. Its for the best.

If you need help, turn to the Lord, he knows you very personally, I have a huge tesimony of this. He knows how to help you, how to comfort you. Alma 7:11 y 12.

So I must tell you of some of the amazing things that come with the land of Argentina: First, Dulce de Leche. Probably the most amazing thing in the world. Its far more delicious than carmel, Its creamy and just absolutely delicious. I wish I could share it with you, Ill bring some home with me. Segundo, Empenadas, DELICIOUS. Elder Tucker is going to show me how to make them this sunday. Sweet!

Also, in lots of parts of our area, there are spider webs bigger than houses here above our heads, with probably 700 or so spiders on them, Its rediculous! Haha. Also my comp has woken up 3 or 4 times with spider bites on his legs. I have been really lucky I guess. Hasnt happened to me just yet.

My companion leaves for home a week from wednesday. I inherit a lot more responsibility when the happens, I´ll be the only one that knows my investigators and the area. Thank you so much for your prayers and love. I love you all so much! I wish you the best in everything that you do.

Elder Jacobson

Estoy Listo! 10-19-2009

Buenos Tardes Familia!

This week has had its awesome moments along with some dissapointing ones. We start this adventure with my first South American Rainstorm! We were in the middle of teaching Jorge and his familia when it began to sprinkle, then a clap of thunder, then it RAINED. I realized that day that the sky is blue because really it is an ocean and all of it fell. The streets were completely flooded, and can you say mud. I was enjoying it, my companion not so much. He told me that he too thought it was really exciting the first few times. Haha. Things have been really good between me and him. I am learning a TON about humility here and learning to talk about problems with him instead of letting them boil inside of me until I explode. Things have been real good. This week started out pretty awesome, we have been challenging every investigator to baptism to really see if they are who God has prepared for us. There are a ton of people that are willing to listen to us, up until we start making it "Real" for them, usually its not a direct challenge, more "When you receive an answer that these things are true, will you follow the example of Jesus Christ and be baptized in his church?" Its been really good and we have a lot of investigators with baptismal dates. One of those is a girl named Lujan, she has been attending institute with her friends and we found her at general conference, we taught her the first lesson and she accepted the date of Nov. 7th, the problem is her parents are not so interested... We are going to teach her with her parents this wednesday. I hope it goes well. Next we have maricella who also has opposition with family, her husband. We have no idea what to do with her, she keeps avoiding our calls and our visits. Gabriel...he attended a baptism saturday that some of the elders in our zone were having. When he sat down, I smelled smoke. I think he still hasnt given it up. The birth certificate of Juan finally came, they should be getting baptized this saturday but we arent sure if he still has the desires to get baptised, its difficult for him to read the scriptures daily and attend church.

So remember Vanina, the baptism we had. Well, we have been teaching them and they are just awesome! They are always offering to feed us and do everything they can for us. They are also following the example of their daughter, I think that is what is helping them the most. They have seen the changes that have taken place in her. We challenged them to pray about the Joseph Smith and the Book of Mormon, we have a cita with them tonight and we are going to see how things went and if it feels right we are going to commit them to baptizm.

We also had a really fun activity in the chaple this past week, put together by the missionaries. Elder Payne (Kimball Payne, from alpine, gratuated with me) is in my zone! He is such an awesome kid. He and I were in charge of a workshop of "contacting" We taught the members how to share the gospel with friends and family. It went really great. It was way fun. We also had RMs there from the ward centenario sharing their experiences from their missions. Then we had a race of tying a tie, shining shoes and shaving a balloon. It was Hoots of fun. Then we showed the video of the Restauration. It was a way fun night, and really what I needed.

In two weeks ends my first transfer, then leaves my trainer, then I get a new companion who is unfamiliar with my area. That puts the responsibility on my to basically run the area for a week or so until he gets his footing. I have kind of been the side kick these past few weeks to my companion, because he is a great teacher and he knows the answers to our investigators questions. I am really praying that my next companion is a hard worker... For this, I am really working on getting involved, being assertive and getting to know the members and Investigators. My companion is helping me by having me make some of the phone calls at night and I have a goal of asking 7 questions every cita de almuerzo (lunch appt). It has really been helping me. I also have a goal of opening my mouth. Talking to everyone, even if I am scared. I started today. While I was getting my hair cut, I taught a rough outline of the first lesson to the hair cuttress? I am really grateful for the strength that God gave me to do it.

So usually on p'day we play futbol but I am going to use that time to draw. I am really excited for it!!! My zone leaders want to make tshirts for the zone and they asked me to design it this past week. They are happy with the results and I am really excited to see my drawing on a shirt. I was able to put my talents into action here and it made me happy.

So I have a problem, I have no way of getting more pictures to you, I dont have a chord to connect my camera to the computer... and the mail is really sketchy... If you have any suggestions, I would love to hear them. :).

Les Amo Todo!

Su Hijo y Hermano,

Elder Jacobson

Soy un Hijo de Dios 10-12-2009

Hola Familia!!

I miss you all so much! However, I am involved in a great work and cannot come home, sorry. This week has been a lot of hard work. Sooooo Great! We started out the week with Exchanges, I went to Lujan (a neighboring area) with Elder Guerra, From Chile, while My companion went with Elder Villaroel in our area. We started out the morning Clapping houses and finding some great people to teach, we then cooked some pasta for lunch, Very delicous. Elder Guerra is awesome, we spent the rest of the day teaching, he taught me a ton of new teaching skills and examples that are really going to help me share this message with more power and clarity. I have come to realize that I know spanish pretty well, but my teaching is all over the place. Elder Tucker has been helping me return to the basics and create a foundation first. That has been helping a ton.

Elder Tucker is awesome, he has been helping me a ton. He is a little too relaxed with the rules for my taste. He had scheduled a FHE appointment at 8:30, when we are supposed to be in our appartment at 9:30. To make a long story short, we got home at 10:00. I felt really bad, and I took it a little to hard. I had a talk with the Zone leader, and he helped me a ton. He said that as long as I am doing everything I can to follow the rules then it is ok. I am just trying to do everything I can to be the best I can. Transfers are on the 5th of November, thats when Elder Tucker leaves for home and I get a new companion who I am going to introduce to the area. Im a little nervous but I know with Gods help I can do it.

We had a really cool experience this week with an old man, Francisco Romero, he is a Testigo de Jehova (Jehovas witness), We found him as we were clapping houses, we taught him the first lesson and gave him a pamphlet to read about the Restauration and to pray about it. Later that week we had an appointment fall through so we decided to pay him a visit and see how things were going, he had read the whole pamphlet and basically recited the whole thing to us. We werent expecting much from that visit. He understood everything and already has a testimony! We taught him about the book of mormon, as we were about to give him one, he told us that he already had one that he found in a trash can one day..... uh.... Awesome. He brought it to us. He said he had read some of it. He then related us of a point in his life when he was completely blind. He had an operation and regained sight in one eye. We told him that this was so that he would be able to read the Book of Mormon. We have another appointment with him this tuesday.

So Remember about jorge Amarilla. Well he has a huge problem with alcohol, this past week we taught him about the word of wisdom, he promised to stop, he was commited. He attended church this past sunday with us and was thrilled about it, he loved it. He was progressing so well. We went to his house that very night to teach him and his family about the plan of salvation. When we got there he was acting a little strange. I suspected but wasnt sure if he had been drinking again. He helped me remove that doubt when he brought out a large bottle of alcohol to refresh himself while we taught him. We started with a prayer and then moved quickly to what was up. We testified, promised blessings, taught with power, comforted him, supported him. After this, he took his bottle of alcohol and emptied it onto the ground right in front of us. He then began to sob. That broke my heart, a strong, grown man not able to resist a beverage. Alcohol is HORRIBLE, I hate it with all that I am, it is ruining his life and many many others. In these past few weeks I have seen the results up close and personal due to Alcohol. We are praying for him always and we are going to visit him everyday to comfort him and give him support. If he is going to get over this, he needs to read from the book of mormon every day and more when he has the desire to drink. He needs to pray and fast.

The Family shultz who have baptismal dates have been falling through on every appointment we have had with them. They promised to come to church this sunday, we even had a member family pass by their house this morning and they reminded them about church and said they promised to come. They didnt. We are praying for them.

We found a lady about 28 or so named maricela, reminds me a lot of maryanne, we have been teaching her and she has been really great. We commited her to baptism on the 14th of November. Its a little difficult for my companion because we have had to push the baptismal dates of our investigators back, so he wont be here for most of them. The requisite is they have to attent church 3 times and pass the interview. We still have hope for Jorge and even for his wife Yanina. She still has doubts about the gospel, we talked with her last night. She could have a testimony if she would just take a step of faith and read the book of mormon and pray about it.

Our other investigator with a baptismal date is the son of a member, named Gabriel, he is about 14 years old, he has a problem with smoking. We are afraid that his mom is forcing him to be baptized, she is crazy. We are worried about that, we are just hoping that he can come to know of the truth even though he is being "forced". We are not going to baptize anyone without a testimony.

At times I sometimes feel like Im drowning, however I am taking the council of D&C 88:126, I am praying always that I may not faint. I am looking towards the future and there are many amazing experiences awaiting me ahead.

Sorry about the lack of pictures, I just havent had many opportunities for picture taking. However, I dont worry too much about that, Im not here to take pictures.

Se que este Evangelio es el evangelio de Jesucristo. Se que mediante El Libro de Mormon tenemos todas las respuestas que necessitamos. si tenemos un desafio o difficultad podemos tener la fuerza necessitamos para superar cualquier cosa. Se que mediante Jose Smith tenemos este gran bendicion en nuestros vidas. He visto las vidas de muchas personas cambia mediante el Evangelio. Tengo un testimonio de estas cosas mediante El Espiritu Santo por mi mismo, Todos de nosotros podemos tener este testimonio si preguntamos a Dios. El va a contestarnos. Digo estas cosas en el nombre de Jesucristo. Amen.

I know this church is true. I do.

I love you all so much,

Your son and brother,

Elder Kyle Braden Jacobson

¡Bien No mas!

Hola Familia! como estan todo?

Bree and Kevin. A very happy birthday to you both! So this has been a great week since last monday. We met a man and his family, Jorge Amarrilla, through a Referral that we had through the branch president and his wife. We watched "the restauration" video with them and commited them to read and to pray (Jorge and his wife Yanina). They said they would. The next day we ran into him in the street while he was doing his daily vending of cleaning supplies. He had a smile on his face and when we started talking to him, we asked him how the reading went. "Great!" he replied (except it was in Castellano) "Did you pray?" we asked. "Yeah/si" "How did you feel?" "For the first time in my life, I have felt the tranquility that I have been looking for!" (enhanced for dramatic effect real answer: "very Tranquil, at peace") "Do you feel it is an answer?" "Yes" Woo Hoo! The next night, we taught him the first lesson and commited him to baptism, the 31st of October! His wife still has doubts and didnt accept the date, but we´re still working on her. :). We also started teaching the family shultz, they have heard the lessons before but they moved, and now there back and here to be baptized, so we gave them both fecha bautismos (baptismal dates) for the 31st also. They just have to go to church 3 times, stop drinking and enter the waters. Juan and Valeria are still wating on the papers of Juans birth from Paraguay, we think they got lost in the mail... They want to be baptised so bad, but they only need to get married first, and they need those papers. Juan may have to drive up to paraguay and get them, we´re worried that if we have them mail it again, the same thing might happen.

Wasn´t conference just AMAZING! Sheesh, after that, there is no way that I can´t strive to be better. I was extremely touched by the talk of Elder Scott and Elder Holland, they really helped me to get pumped and try harder to be better. In case you are wondering, the gringo missionaries get to watch conference in English! Woo Hoo!

So I want to try and give you a glimpse of Formosa, We live in the outskirts of the main city of Formosa, where I am now, called Centro. Its a humble place with a Ton of Viscous dogs that are going to one day Kill Me.... My Comp loves to run, when your run past dogs, they think you are an enemy or a large piece of meat, I cant decide. The stores in our area are just houses of the owners. Dirt roads and the sewer runs in front of peoples houses in what looks like an irrigation ditch. When the sun sets it creates a beautiful sillhouette with the small houses, with a beautiful red,orange, and yellow back drop. Just gorgeous. I hope to capture this on film so that you can see, it wont be the same though. Sorry. :) The most common word here is "Tranquilo" or Tranquil. This describes their culture, they sit with their wives and husbands and drink mate in front of their houses (not a problem for us, its great for contacting) When there is a fence around their house, we clap instead of knock. Its pretty cool.

It has been a bit of a roller coaster here, Ups and Downs, but I am working and I wont give up. I am growing to have a deep love for these people already, the members are just amazing. Always willing to accompany us to an appointment. Always willing to cook us lunch. They are just amazing. I have also learned a ton already about huimility and hope to grow so much more.

Today is our P'day, monday. We write home, eat, buy groceries, and play some futbol, of course. The natives are rediculously good. And boy do they kick hard.

Hey Dad, could you send me a pic of the family (the one we took the day before the MTC in our back yard) There is a guy here that will engrave it into in a set of scripture covers. I think that is pretty awesome.

I love it here, and I love the gospel, it is everything that I am, and all that I hope to become. I love the prophets, I know this church is True because I have received a witness for my self. If any of you are uncertain, Pray. Doubts? Pray. Prayer is AWESOME!

Mom, Adress for Packages:Mission Resistencia, Argentina

323 Rivadavia

Resistencia, Chaco

3500 Argentina

(2/yr)

I love you all so much! Have an amazing week!

Your son and brother,

Elder Kyle B. Jacobson

¡Hurrah for Israel!

P.s. The natives here say I have a better Accent than my companion, and he has been here for 23 months, I think things like that aren´t too helpful for my humility. :) Lots of Love. Chau

The Sun is Hotter in Argentina, I Promise

I am here! in a foreign country!

So after my flight was delayed, we stayed in the hotel, the next day we left the hotel at 7 to make it to our flight at 9. From here it was 13 hours to buenos Aires. We met the mission presidents wife of the Buenos Aires South mission at the airport. From there

We{ve also been teaching the abuela (the grandma, everyone calls old people here grandma or grandpa) She loves to talk, she is about 3.5 ft tall, and can{t understand our message very well, because she is probably 80 or so, shes just a cute old lady that always comes to church because she does feel tranquility there.

Well family, I love you so much. I am so grateful for this opportunity to be here in this mission, its going to be really great for me. I am already starting to get into the groove here. The language is another thing, I can usually get my point across, and say almost all that I want to, Understanding is another thing. That is very hard for me at this point, however, over the past week, it has gotten a lot better, I am starting to understand a Ton more than the first day.

I love you all, and I know that this church is true, that{s why I am here, Its true. I know Joseph saw God the Father and His Son, Jesus Christ that day in the grove. I know I am here for a reason, I cant wait to share this experience with you. Know that I love you and I lov eyour emails.

Elder Jacobson