Elder Jonathan Engle 10/29/2014 Teresina Arrives!

Teresina Arrives!

Dear People of Earth,

I know it´s a long time since I´ve sent an update. I´m thankful for those who read my updates. I try to keep them short and sweet, because I know how it is to be in a hurry.

Last week I was transferred to Teresina, Piaui, Brazil and called to be a Zone Leader. It´s been a wild ride, but it´s very rewarding as well. Teresina is incredibly hot, often hitting 107*Farenheit daily. The food´s pretty much the same but the streets are a lot cleaner. It´s a great place, but if you don´t like the heat, definitely stay out of the kitchen.

My new companion is Elder Massa, another cowboy from Rio Grande do Sul. He´s awesome! We´re very similar in likes, dislikes, etc. He studied music before the mission on a University level as well. I´ve already learned a lot from him. I´m going to grow a lot this transfer.

A spiritual experience that I decided to highlight was our leadership meeting with last week with President Siedschlag, in which we talked about baptism the entire meeting. It was very spiritual and really opened my eyes to the doctrine of Jesus Christ. 

My funny thought would be my cursed fan that I use. Here in Brazil, you have to use a fan, especially at night, because it´s so hot! We have one without a stand, so we have to prop it for it to work. My first day here, it was on full blast and started to fall. Instinctively, I grabbed it and caught it, but instead of saving my beloved fan, it reciprocated, cutting my finger open and slinging blood on my bed. Last night, I discovered there´s an open wire on it as it electricuted me. It always attacks me when it´s dark. What a blessing!

Anyway, lots of love to everybody. Sorry about the lack of photos. My mission bag was lost for a long time. I know where it is now, but it´s in the bus travel station pretty far from here now, which has all my photos in it.

Love,

Elder Engle

P.S.

John 7:17

 17 If any man will do his will, he shall know of the doctrine,whether it be of God, or whether I speak of myself.

If you want to know if something is from God, or from Man, you can know for yourself. That is the test of our message. I´m am but a man with words, but the Spirit is what proves my words. If you want to know the truth, try my words, and you shall know that they are true.

Elder Jonathan Engle 10/08/2014 Conference, Bom Demais

 Conference, Bom Demais

Dear People of Earth,

General Conference was an incredible experience to say the least. It´s the closest thing a missionary gets to a vacation. We tried to bring as many people to General Conference as possible, but we had to watch it in the Stake Center here in São Luís, so it was far away from our area. Although, it was really cool to have some recent converts there at least. There was an English room for us, which was really great. It´s not that we wouldn´t have understood in Portuguêse, but I personally prefer the emotion in the voice of the speakers, etc. It was an unforgettable conference to say the least.

My scripture of the week is Joshua 10:12-14. In this story, Joshua literally stops the Sun and the Moon, and the Lord fights with him in battle. All of that was made possible by his faith. Faith is a word and idea of power. I really want to grow my faith, because that´s the key to success in life and as a missionary. 

On a funny side note, I´ve been tripping a lot lately, which has been very entertaining for my companion Elder Caetano (that´s my stab at a funny story for the week).

Tchau!

Love,

Elder Engle

Elder Jonathan Engle 09/24.2014 Onward, ever Onward!

Onward, ever Onward!

Dear People of Earth,

Nothing too crazy this week other than the daily joy of our missionary work. My companion is continually awesome and this is definitely one of the best times of my mission. I like to think that today (meaning every new day) is the best day of my mission, because it´s the only day that I have control over.

Yesterday, we were walking in the street when I stopped in front of a group of men. I felt pulled in their direction and started talking with them. The men that weren´t interested left very quickly, but there were two that stayed. One of them was very familiar to me, as if I had already met him. I asked him if I´d already met him and he replied no. I talked more about the church and he confessed that he´d been baptized 18 years ago with his family when he was ten years old. The familiarity that I felt was the fact that he had already been baptized. I could see it, and I had been gravitated to it. He´s not currently keeping what he started, 18 years ago, but when we´re baptized, we change in a very real way. As we develop the gifts of the spirit, we are more capable to see these differences. Wow!

Love,

Elder Engle

Elder Jonathan Engle 09/18/2014 So It Begins... Elder Caetano!

So It Begins... Elder Caetano!

Dear People of Earth,

This week´s a really quick one! My new companion Elder Caetano is absolutely amazing! He´s actually teaching someone right now that I´m finishing my emailing. He´s from close to Porto Alegre and 21 years old. We´re seeing so many miracles in our work lately and are really excited to have Elder Leal to come visit us (A 70, of the area I believe).

I´m having a hard time writing in English but I´m okay with that. This last Saturday we had the baptism of Gabriel, the son of Rosangela. He´s living in a tough world and doing just great. He´s a great young man of 12 years.

My favorite study this week was Helaman 2:10-19. King Benjamin is an amazing example of using his Priesthood Authority. It´s an awesome read and I was so lost in the scriptures that I studied the first 20 verses of that chapter for 40 minutes!

Love,

Elder Engle

Elder Jonathan Engle 09/12/2014 Round 2, Ah Yeah!

Round 2, Ah Yeah!

Dear People of Earth,

After this last transfer, I stayed in Cidade Operária and will be training again! This week I´ve been traveling to Teresina to pick up my new companion that I`ll be training. His name is Elder Caetano, who is from a city close to Porto Alegre in the South of the Brazil. He´s awesome!!! He has 1.5 years in the church and is incredible. I´m so incredibly happy to have a companion now. This last transfer´s been an incredible period of growth for me, which I will never forget, and I´m so thankful to our Father in Heaven that I can simply have a companion. The simple things in life really make a big difference.

While we were in Teresina, me and Elder Robb had the chance to eat dinner with President Siedschlag and Sister Siedschlag, which was cool and extremely weird at the same time. It was pretty cool, but then we went back to the missionary apartment where no one had eaten dinner, so they gave us a hard time about it, but it was still pretty cool.

Scripture for the week will have to be Ether 12:18. Faith is something we can ALWAYS improve until we nolonger need faith and simply have a knowledge of the truth.

Love,

Elder Engle

Elder Jonathan Engle 09/03/2014 Just a quick one this week folks

Just a quick one this week folks

Dear People of Earth,

Just a quick one this week folks. I still have a temporary companion, but next week I should receive a normal full-time companion. My health has been up and down a lot, but I should be getting better. I´ve lost 12 pounds since arriving in Brazil, making a grand total of 160 pounds. Attached is a photo of Rosangela, who was baptized 3 weeks ago. She´s incredible and showed one of her rare hidden smiles in this photo.

This transfer has been full of many trials of my faith. This last Saturday was the baptism of Cristianey. He overcame mountains of opposition this last week so that he could be baptized, including 100% opposition from his family, depression, etc. Despite it all, he made it through. It was a lot of work for us too, but miracles don´t come for free!

The scripture I leave with you all this week comes from Doctrine and Covenants 4, which speaks of the field being white and ready to harvest.

 4 For behold the field is white already to harvest; and lo, he that thrusteth in his sickle with his might, the same layeth up in storethat he perisheth not, but bringeth salvation to his soul;

I testify that this is true. Even as I was sitting here in this LAN House writing this email. A 12 year old boy came up and told me that he´d already read The Book of Mormon with his family and that he wanted to be baptized. The field is white (especially in Brazil), but if we don´t labor in the vineyard, it´s to what good? Our law is to work! Let´s get to work folks!

Love,

Elder Engle