Jesus The Christ

What do you do on a typical P-day?  P day we dont do a lot... Even though the presidente forbid anyone from "doing nothing on P day, or sleeping." We normally stay in our house writting letters, talking, making something to eat, joking around. Sometimes we go to a members house to chill there cause there are so many cool members here. Last week we went to J´s house (I´ll send a pic) and just hung out there.

What time is your church on Sunday? Sunday church starts at 9. 

 Are there multiple wards in your building? No we are the only ward in this building and it is a big beautiful building because it was meant to be the stakecenter but turns our there's another area with a higher attendence rate so they moved the stake center there and we got left with a big beautiful building all to ourselves. haha its pretty sweet. 

This week was pretty awesome. Saturday we helped someone build their house! Or, well, continue building their house. So if I were to explain how to build a house here in Brasil it would take fooorrreveeerr. But its super neat how they do it and makes perfect sense. So here is like a summary. They put 9 metal rods in about 13 cm thick cement to make a frame, its like a box that makes up the corners of the house. Then on top of the house they get more metal rods embeaded in cement and lay them on top of the cement box you made. Then you can put bricks (which are super heavy and not that wise to use) or styrofoam (which is lighter and 1 real more expensive) to fill in the cracks between the cement planks you put down. Next saturday we´ll put 13 more cm of cement on top of all these cement planks and thats the hardest because you have to mix the cement on the floor with a hoe because those machines are expensive. and that takes a LOT of energy. but im excited. Ill send pics to help explaine. haha or maybe next week Ill send them

But yeah this week I had the opportunity to study a lot about Jesus Christ and his life, mostly about the sacrifice that he made and the way he handled it. I think my favorite part of all of it is when Peter is talking to Him and saying that he will go to the ends of the earth even death to stay by the side of Jesus. Thats when Jesus saids something along the lines of in Lucas 22:31 "Simon Simon, Satan has asked to sift you as wheat. But I have prayed for you, Simon, that your faith may not fail. And when you have been converted, strengthen your brothers." I thought that this scripture is about the coolest thing ever. He knew that Peter's Spirit was really strong but his body weak. Imagine the Savior of the world, the Prince of peace praying for you. Jesus Christ took upon himself the pains and sins of the world so that we could all be clean and make it back to live with him and with our families for all of eternity. And Jesus really has prayed for us, he paid the price for us and all we have to do is accept his sacrifice. We accept it by being baptized by someone who has the priesthood of God or the authority to baptize and perform the sacred ordinances of the Gospel. Im go grateful that I have 2 years to help people understand this, and to help them accept the sacrifice of Jesus Christ so that we can see our family members after this life. I love you guys and I really miss you all!! Ill try and send some pictures now!! love you guys!!

Elder Hamm

yeah maybe if I find someone in the ward who can clean the virus off my card ill send you the pictures. haha thats actually reallly sad cause the pictures thsi week were really sick but yeah Love you guys!!

Pooh Bear Chillin'

this is my bed where pooh bear just chills flying kites all day and elder M.  And the falg where the Elders sign

On Mon, Aug 17, 2015 at 2:04 PM, Jacob Hamm <jacob.hamm@myldsmail.net> wrote:

messing around 

Q´s: Tell me about a family there who recently joined the church and what made them decide to become members.

Well something really cool about Brasil is pretty much everyone here is a convert to the church. Everyone has a story as of how they were baptized here and what made them know that this was the right choice. Some say that the had a very slight rememberance of the lessons the missionaries left with them so they knew that they were sent from God. Others took a little bit longer and after a year or two decided that they could stay on the border the rest of their lives as to, be baptized or not, or they could be baptized. this is when they really decided to pray and ask God and thats when they recieved their answers. Really almost everyone here has a story super cool which makes me kinda jealous because I was baptized at 8 years old but everyone in some point in their lives have to come to the conclusion themselves, whether this Gospel, Joseph Smith, the Book of Mormon are things of God or are from the devil. There is no inbetween, it is either all true or all a lie. And the only answer we can trust and really receive is from God, through prayers and reading the Book of Mormon and honestly searching. That didnt really answer your question but thats what I want to write. haha

also I found some guns 

Sooo this week I was sick. Yet again, but this time it was pretty tough. My comp C was also pretty sick this week so we ended up going to the hospital with him sunday right after sacrament. But we´re both recuperating well.

I met a guy this week who was a assistante to Presidente when he was in the mission manous. Now that mission baptized like CRAZZZZYYY like this guy was telling me that he had almost 500 baptisms. which I believe cause Ive heard the stories ive just never met one of them. and as i was talking to this guy it occurred to me that I hadnt ever seen him at church and he lived in our area, so long story short, This Legend, this guy who was assistant to the president who baptised 30 per week is now a less active member of the church, is divorced, and doesnt get to see his kids that often. 

So we visted him this week with one of his best friends in the ward A, and A doesnt pull any punches. When we get there he asks us "why didn't God save my marraige? Why didn't he help me when I worked so hard for two years and did so much good?" And A replied with something that will stay in my mind until I die. He said, "Because He couldn't. Were you going to church on sundays? Were you reading your scriptures? Were you having family night evey monday? God couldnt help you because God has rules too, and if he did help you he would be breaking his rules and would thereby cease to be God. God is a just God and sadly that means that if we don't do our part, he cant help us." That hit everyone in the room pretty hard. and just helped me remember that it is by the little things, the small and precious things, are great things come to pass. 

So yeah that was kinda my week.

love you guys!!!! miss you all!!

LOVEEE 

Elder Hamm

awnser to prayers...if that's how you spell answers

What is a popular item street vendors sell there? There is always stands for hot dogs (which is different than the US) and BBQ. The hot dogs are with like 20 different things on top thats like cheese, corn, peas, ham, bacon, egg, little tiny french fries, and other stuff

So this week was pretty sick, just to share a quick story that happened. So we were in our house at 11:30ish at night, Me Elder C and 2 other elders from a different district. We are waiting for Elder M and Elder J to get home from Juiz De Fora where they had a meeting and had to pick up a bunnnch of supplies.

Some side info, J was super sick he was having a allergic reaction to some salad we ate and had already been to the hospital twice and the supplies they were bringing were for 5 districts because our zone in the biggest zone so it would be a LOT of supplies.

So were sitting in home talking waiting for these guys to get there and all the sudden the thought enters my mind that we should go help them. It wasnt a firm someone saying ´we should help them´ and it wanst a prompting. But I know it was divine because of how weird it was that the thought just popped into my mind. So I say "lets go help them cruz." And C is like "Its wayy late and im tried." So jokingly I was like "God will give you strength." and C, who would normally try to desist a little more just said "okay." So we leave and start kinda jogging down the street to the bus station, about 30 minutes from our house. after about 15 we see 2 guys in suits with a BUNCH of boxes on a cart turn down a side road. I had no idea that side road went to our street but I felt like that was them so when we reached the side road I looked up and about 20 yard in front of us I see both of them stopped in the middle of the road in front of a hill and I tell C to run over there and see if its them. So he runs over and sees its them and calles me over to help. When we get there J is super swollen with red spots and M is literally about ready to cry. He said that in the bus station he prayed that these boxes would be light and when they started he felt like he could make it home. But on the way it got heaver and heaver and when they reached that hill he was praying "God please send someone, Anyone, to help." As soon as he said amen they heard the voice of C and knew that we had come to help them. He said that he couldnt have taken one more step and as we got in home we all felt the spirit really strong about prayers. 

I personally love to help people and I am so greatful that God trusted me to be a tool in his hands and help 2 of his servents. Im greatful that he called me to help and not some car or stranger on the road. 

Sorry I dont have time to write more but i LOVE YOU guys!! miss you all soooo much!!

Elder Hamm

Visiting Less Actives

When are transfers?  When you had that short transfer period it messed up all my calendars and I haven’t gotten them all fixed yet.  Transfers were last week so the next transfer if im not mistaken (or too trunky) will be on the 31st. 

How do you do most of your contacting?  So I used to always just knock doors cause I liked knocking doors but that isnt the most efficent way to work so now we´re working more on visiting less actives in the church and part member families to try to find new people to teach and help get baptised. Its going really well if I do say so myself. 

Where is the place in your mission that everyone wants to get sent? Where is the place one wants to be sent? Everyone wants to be sent to Menis because in the state of Menis everyone is more accepting of the gospel and is more open hearted. Here in Rio its like New York but with more deaths, drugs, and guns. Haha but yeah I have yet to serve in Menis.... But I like it here in Rio. Places like Três Corações, and Varginha baptise like 20 or on a good month 30. So yeah. 

Sooo this week was just another week of work work work. Something really funny happened this week though. So in order to be baptised into our church you have to be interviewed by someone. Normally its the district leader but if the district leader is baptising the Zone leaders have to go and interview them. So I live with the Zone leaders and most times Me and Elder M will go to interview someone while Elder J and Elder C will do splits so we don't completely abandon an area and waste a full day of work. 

So me and Elder M are on a bus comming home from Barra do Piari and its one of those travel busses with recliner seats where they turn the lights off at night. So its like 7 at night and were halfway home (about 30 more minutes) and 5 young couples get on the bus and you can tell they´ve kinda been drinking so the bus takes off, the lights go off, and me and Elder M just know that some not so praise worthy things are going on in the dark. So when the lights turn at the next stop everyone jumps back into their seat and act like they werent doing anything, Me and M are laughing pretty hard and we look at the driver and he just kinda shakes his head then we look at the cobrador (who collects the money) and he just kinda shrugs like what can you do? and so when the lights turn off again I yell "TA FACIL" and Elder M saids "ta perecendo um hotel aqui!" haha which is like, oh so its that easy? its lookin like a hotel in here" hahhaha so everyone starts busting out laughing and they all stopped cause they were all embarrassed. haha but when we get off at the bus station we were all joking about it and gave them all pass along cards and they were all super chill. 

To be a missionary you cant have any shame. This is something I still struggle with and something Elder M was born with. He´ll tell people exactly what hes thinking, hell call a lady in the ward and say lunch fell though and ask if we could eat lunch with her, he´ll do pretty much anything. Haha one time he didnt wanna walk all they way to the store (10 minutes) so he called the family who lives up the street and asked if they could drive us haha I love this guy. 

My comp is good Elder C. He works really hard and is learning really fast. Hes also studying english, and I think me helping him, is only making it worse. (Miss Colebank will get a kick out of that, the fact that im trying to teach english) I can only tell him if it makes sense or not haha. but yeah I love you guys miss you all a ton. Hope all is going well!!

Love,

Elder Hamm