June 24 Falling in Love with Missionary Work

Dear Family and Friends,

After watching the leadership fireside I realized, I have fallen in love with the work and people here...I think I might just marry missionary work and stay a missionary for the rest of my life and for the eternities. We are doing fairly well in teaching whole familes the gospel. I´ve learned to never put a limit or a cap on the work because I can always improve. Right now we are preparing 2 cousins and an uncle,(Danielson, Casio and Marcleide) from Northern Brasil, the state of Piaui, for baptism this coming month, they are giving up smoking and drinking so we are being patient in their conversion process. Also we are preparing to marry a less active man, Diego, (who´s returned to activity) and his ``wife´´, Jessica, who will be baptized this coming month as well. In total I think 70% of our teaching group of investigators are couples, parts of a family or complete families. Working with  families that not all members are members of the church is the key to success, the majority of my baptisms up to this point have been NTM´s.

To turn this zone around we started this morning planning divisions every day this week with our 4 district leaders and one other area that is struggling a lot. We are putting the focus on contacting 140 people in the street or at home per week, getting 70 addresses to pass by the contact´s house in the following days/weeks and teach 21 ``true´´ lessons per week, which means the spirit can be felt, and prayers are said to open and close the message. 

Elder De Magalhães is an awesome companion and we will do divisions and interviews in all the district leader´s areas to help them be more animated and obedient.

The work here is accelerating at an amazing speed and this week will be a week of miracles.

Thank you all for your continued prayers and support!

Ame seu amigo e missionário,

Elder Jonathan Hokanson

June 17 A Whole Different Life and Approach to Missionary Work Here in the Big City of Curitiba

Queridos amigos e família,

This past week was one of the toughest yet on the mission, and at times this week as we did contacts and visited investigators I asked myself why couldn´t have I just stayed in Bonsucesso, it was a lot easier there and the people were a lot more accepting. After pondering on my purpose I realized that I am here the the Tarumã zone because it is where the Lord is in need of me right now. I also realized that I have a lot more growing and maturing to do, and this new area, and companion will help me fulfill my true potential. I can tell this transfer will be a trial of faith and patience and I know that I have a lot to do in this area to find the elect of the lord and be the example for my companion and my zone.

This area of Vila Oficinas and the Tarumã zone (one of two zones here in Curitiba that borders the Brasil Curitiba South mission...this means that I barely missed being put in the Brasil Curitiba South Mission) are great. It is a lot different than Bonsucesso, but it is a more traditional ward/area and I feel more at home here, as the chapel is one of the most newly renovated and sheeky chapels here in the misison, a huge improvement from the old supermarket which turned a chapel in Bonsucesso. The members are great and this week Elder De Magalhães and I will do our best to use the maximum number of members in our lessons so that our investigators can be more integrated. I have learned here on the mission, that the more friends in the church an investigator or recent convert has the stronger testimony he´ll have and the more active he´ll stay in the church.

Elder De Magalhães is an awersome companion and example, he is helping me be 100% obedient and he is helping me always have a smile on my face with his sense of humor. Although only one week has passed since the beginning of the transfer, and can already tell that these next few weeks we are together will be full of hard work, fun and miracles. 

This past Saturday afternoon my testimony was strengthened and I felt the Spirit super strong, while in a division with Elder Torres, a recently arrived elder from Natal. As we delivered a church dvd titled ``The Lamb of God´´ to a reference we received, the man who let us in began attacking the Book of Mormon and the church. While Elder Torres got a little upset and tried attacking back, I felt I just needed to bear my testimony of the restoration and the Book of Mormon. I testify that a simple testimony changes a brutal enviroment into a calm, Spirit filled enviroment. As I bore my testimony of the Book of Mormon and the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints to this man, his countenance changed and he stopped attacking, we peacefully said a prayer and left his house. Although he did not want to accept our message I learned from this expereince, once again as I have learned so many times through the Spirit that the Book of Mormon is true and Christ´s true church is on the earth today.

I love you all, thanks for the love, support and prayers. Have an amazing week, full of opportunities to share your testimony of the truthfulness of the gospel of Jesus Christ. :) 

Ame,

Elder  Jonathan Hokanson

June 10 A new Companion and the Big City

Dear Family and Friends, 

The time has finally come...After entering the mission field here in Curitiba 12 months ago, I finally am serving in the city of Curitiba. Late Saturday night at about 10 pm, Elder Hobbs and I got a phone call from one of President Cordon´s Assistents with news of the misisonaries that would be transferred to different areas and the new Brasil, Curitiba South Mission. Surprisingly for one of the first times on my mission, I wasn´t nervous to hear where I would go. I was super calm and relaxed because I knew that if it was the will of the Lord, I would stay in Bonsucesso, Ponta Grossa and if not I would be sent to an area/zone where there are people that are need of my testimony and help. As Elder Schmidt, President Cordon´s Assistent, announced that I would be transferred, I was a little in shock and saddened because I had grown to love the ward members, recent converts, investigators and most of all my amazing companion, Elder Hobbs. However an overwhelming peace came over me as Elder Schmidt told me that I would serve in the Taraumã zone, the same zone I served in for two days last August, I would continue my responsibility as zone leader and be companions with one of the ex secretaries to President Cordon, Elder De Magalhães of Recife Brasil. 

I spent practically all day yesterday saying goodbye and taking pictures with the members, recent converts and investigators that I had grown to love, then I stayed up until about 1 in the morning packing my bags and reflecting on the 11 miraculous weeks I had in Bonsucesso. Then this morning I woke up at 4:10 am, got ready, ate breakfast, went to the bus station at 5:40 am to help other missionaries catch their buses to their new areas, and at 7 am I took the 2 hour bus ride to Curitiba. I arrived in the Curitiba bus terminal and had a great reunion with my new companion, Elder De Magalhães , who served with me in my district for a little over a month in Ponta Grossa. 

I am super excited to serve here in the Vila Oficinas Ward in the Taraumã Stake in the Curitiba Brasil mission. These next 6 weeks will be full of hard work and miracles.

Thank you all for the love and support. 

Love,

Elder Jonathan Hokanson

June 3 Marco's Miracle

Dear Family and Friends,

Yet another week has flown by here in Ponta Grossa, Brasil. I feel like this is a common phrase in almost all my emails, but I decided to say it again, because it is so true. 

This week started off on a high note, on Tuesday, when we visited for just the second time a big, black, tatooed man named Marco, who´s addicted to smoking, on average one pack a day- 20 cigarettes. Elder Hobbs talked to his wife, Adriane, in the road one evening a little over a week ago, and scheduled a day to pass by. The first time we taught them, Marco and his two sons, Richard and Cristian, easily accepted the invitation to be baptized in Christ´s true church. His wife accepted, but a little more reluctlently as she is a active member of the Baptist church. Two Sundays ago, we passed by in the church school bus and Marco and his friend, Alex, came aboard and attended the three hours of church. When we passed by Tuesday night, Marco and his two sons were at home, and they warmly accepted us. As we entered his house, Marco sat us down, and boldly exclaimed, ``I loved going to church yesterday, I will continue going to church with you all´´. We then shared with him our testimonies and taught the commandement, the Word of Wisdom which explains 5 substances (cigarettes, coffee, tea, drugs and alcohol) that we should avoid to stay healthy and free of sin. He then said, ``Let me tell you something... I know that the church you two represent is true because for the first time in my life I entered a church and had no desire to go outside the building and smoke, during the meetings. Which is a desire I have had every time I have gone to various churches, these past 21 years in which I have smoked´´. When he said this I couldn´t help but think ``Amen brother´´. It is incredible to feel the Spirit of an investigator or recent convert share their testiomony as Marco did. We then set a few goals with him to stop smoking by Sunday and he agreed to it. Then we passed by his house on Wednesday night he said, ``I smoked the last 10 cigarettes in my pack today``, which was way more than the goal of 5 cigarettes a day he could smoke. He then said, ``I smoked those last 10 cigarettes today and I will not smoke anymore!´´ When he said this I was super astonished and happy at how the Spirit had been working a miracle in Marco. As we followed up the following day he still hadn´t smoked another cigarette, but on Friday night we called him, only to find out that he had to go to the hospital due to a massive headache, and uncontrollable shaking, due to lack of nicotine and coffee, which he stopped drinking. When we followed up with Marco ontem he said that he is taking medication and returned to smoke only 2 cigarettes to help get his body back under control. Marco is an amazingly strong, will powered man, that we are planning on helping him stop smoking this week, so he can be baptized on June 23rd. 

I love this work and I know miracles, like the miracles that Marco is experiencing, are possible as we rely on the Lord, read the Book of Mormon and pray every day and go to church each Sunday. Put the Lord to the test this week and I promise that the miracles will happen in your lives and the lives of your family.

I love you all! Until next week :)

Ame,

Elder Jonathan Hokanson

PS- Attached is a picture of me and President and Sister Cordon on Friday, at the end of their last leadership council before they return home at the beginning of next month.

May 27 - Caio and Jeovane Preparing to Be Baptized, Being Guided by the Spirit

Queridos amigos e família,

This week was a super busy week of miracles and trials, like always. I love the scripture 2 Nephi 27:23 because Elder Hobbs and I are putting them to the test. We know that God is the same in all dispensations, and he will always work miracles, we just need to live worthily and work hard to have the faith to perform the miracles that God has in store. The majority of the miracles I have realized are small and simple and if one doesn´t pay attention the miracles will slip right by without you even noticing them. Truly the greatest miracle we have is the knowledge that even as natural men, always sinning, the Savior will redeem us from our sins and will grant us eternal life if we endure to the end. 

This area of Bonsucesso, Ponta Grossa continues to be a blessing and I feel that the Lord is satisfied with the work here. However, I know Elder Hobbs and I can do a lot more, because the blessings and miracles of the Lord are waiting, we just have to discover where they are. This weekend we are planning on baptizing a pair of 13 year old twins, Caio and Jeovane, who we´ve been teaching for 3 weeks or so. It is awesome to see them grow in their faith and testimonies. Two weeks ago they went to church for the first time and Caio and Jeovane left the sacrament meeting with a big smile on their faces. Caio told us as he was leaving, ``I want to be baptized in this church, it is a lot less boring than the church that my mom has been making us attend.´´ Truly the Church of Jesus Christ is God´s perfect church here on the earth today, and beacause it is perfect it is a lot less boring.

This past Monday afternoon, we as a zone hiked to the waterfall in our area that Elder Hobbs and I hiked to over a month ago with another companionship. Attached is a picture of the zone before the hike in front of a member´s house near the waterfall. The zone loved the hike and many missionaries said it was the best p- day yet. 

Friday afternoon was pretty gloomy and uneventful  because the majority of our appointments fell through. However, we continued with our heads up that our marked appointment at 7 pm would be with an elect man, who we talked to in the road, and his family. However as we searched for his house with the address that he gave us, in a neigborhood that we hardly work in, we didn´t find the address. Then we tried calling the cell phone numbert he gave us, only to have someone on the other end tell us we had the wrong number. Not knowing what else to do, Elder Hobbs and I prayed, and when the prayer ended I opened my eyes and felt that if we visited the house on the corner they would let us in and accept our message. Following the whispering of the spirit, we clapped our hands to call attention to the family that lived there. Miraculously, João and Terezinha, who lived in the house and their two granddaughters let enter their house, one of the first houses we had entered all day, and told us they were Catholic but they had a desire to know if their truly existed the one true church of Christ on the earth today. We responded that it existed, shared the message of the restoration of Christ´s church, gave them a book of mormon, and explained that it is a proof that Christ´s one and only true church is on the earth today. They gladly accepted and said they would read and pray. As we left this kind, humble family  had a smile on their faces, and I learned the Spirit truly does lead us to those who are seeking the truth. 

Yesterday João came to church and afterwards, a few ward members were talking to him, and it turns out his daughter was a member of the ward a few years ago, but they lost contact with her and her family when she moved south to Santa Catarina.

I love the Brasilian people and this missionary work, it truly is a work of miracles as we use and put our faith to the test.

Have a great memorial day and week. I love you all! :)

Ame,

Elder Jonathan Hokanson

 

 

June 3 - Marco's Miracle

Dear Family and Friends,

Yet another week has flown by here in Ponta Grossa, Brasil. I feel like this is a common phrase in almost all my emails, but I decided to say it again, because it is so true. 

This week started off on a high note, on Tuesday, when we visited for just the second time a big, black, tatooed man named Marco, who´s addicted to smoking, on average one pack a day- 20 cigarettes. Elder Hobbs talked to his wife, Adriane, in the road one evening a little over a week ago, and scheduled a day to pass by. The first time we taught them, Marco and his two sons, Richard and Cristian, easily accepted the invitation to be baptized in Christ´s true church. His wife accepted, but a little more reluctlently as she is a active member of the Baptist church. Two Sundays ago, we passed by in the church school bus and Marco and his friend, Alex, came aboard and attended the three hours of church. When we passed by Tuesday night, Marco and his two sons were at home, and they warmly accepted us. As we entered his house, Marco sat us down, and boldly exclaimed, ``I loved going to church yesterday, I will continue going to church with you all´´. We then shared with him our testimonies and taught the commandement, the Word of Wisdom which explains 5 substances (cigarettes, coffee, tea, drugs and alcohol) that we should avoid to stay healthy and free of sin. He then said, ``Let me tell you something... I know that the church you two represent is true because for the first time in my life I entered a church and had no desire to go outside the building and smoke, during the meetings. Which is a desire I have had every time I have gone to various churches, these past 21 years in which I have smoked´´. When he said this I couldn´t help but think ``Amen brother´´. It is incredible to feel the Spirit of an investigator or recent convert share their testiomony as Marco did. We then set a few goals with him to stop smoking by Sunday and he agreed to it. Then we passed by his house on Wednesday night he said, ``I smoked the last 10 cigarettes in my pack today``, which was way more than the goal of 5 cigarettes a day he could smoke. He then said, ``I smoked those last 10 cigarettes today and I will not smoke anymore!´´ When he said this I was super astonished and happy at how the Spirit had been working a miracle in Marco. As we followed up the following day he still hadn´t smoked another cigarette, but on Friday night we called him, only to find out that he had to go to the hospital due to a massive headache, and uncontrollable shaking, due to lack of nicotine and coffee, which he stopped drinking. When we followed up with Marco ontem he said that he is taking medication and returned to smoke only 2 cigarettes to help get his body back under control. Marco is an amazingly strong, will powered man, that we are planning on helping him stop smoking this week, so he can be baptized on June 23rd. 

I love this work and I know miracles, like the miracles that Marco is experiencing, are possible as we rely on the Lord, read the Book of Mormon and pray every day and go to church each Sunday. Put the Lord to the test this week and I promise that the miracles will happen in your lives and the lives of your family.

I love you all! Until next week :)

Ame,

Elder Jonathan Hokanson

PS- Attached is a picture of me and President and Sister Cordon on Friday, at the end of their last leadership council before they return home at the beginning of next month.

June 10 - Change! I am in the Big City Now!

Dear Family and Friends,

The time has finally come...After entering the mission field here in Curitiba 12 months ago, I finally am serving in the city of Curitiba. Late Saturday night at about 10 pm, Elder Hobbs and I got a phone call from one of President Cordon´s Assistents with news of the misisonaries that would be transferred to different areas and the new Brasil, Curitiba South Mission. Surprisingly for one of the first times on my mission, I wasn´t nervous to hear where I would go. I was super calm and relaxed because I knew that if it was the will of the Lord, I would stay in Bonsucesso, Ponta Grossa and if not I would be sent to an area/zone where there are people that are need of my testimony and help. As Elder Schmidt, President Cordon´s Assistent, announced that I would be transferred, I was a little in shock and saddened because I had grown to love the ward members, recent converts, investigators and most of all my amazing companion, Elder Hobbs. However an overwhelming peace came over me as Elder Schmidt told me that I would serve in the Taraumã zone, the same zone I served in for two days last August, I would continue my responsibility as zone leader and be companions with one of the ex secretaries to President Cordon, Elder De Magalhães of Recife Brasil. 

I spent practically all day yesterday saying goodbye and taking pictures with the members, recent converts and investigators that I had grown to love, then I stayed up until about 1 in the morning packing my bags and reflecting on the 11 miraculous weeks I had in Bonsucesso. Then this morning I woke up at 4:10 am, got ready, ate breakfast, went to the bus station at 5:40 am to help other missionaries catch their buses to their new areas, and at 7 am I took the 2 hour bus ride to Curitiba. I arrived in the Curitiba bus terminal and had a great reunion with my new companion, Elder De Magalhães , who served with me in my district for a little over a month in Ponta Grossa. 

I am super excited to serve here in the Vila Oficinas Ward in the Taraumã Stake in the Curitiba Brasil mission. These next 6 weeks will be full of hard work and miracles.

Thank you all for the love and support. 

Love,

Elder Jonathan Hokanson