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

May 20, 2013 A Mighty Change of Heart in Luiz, Harvesting Oranges and Shoveling Rubble at Cristiano´​s House, Klaus Being Baptized

Dear Family and Friends,

 

What an amazing past week it was. We had the opportunity to be a part of and watch a child of God (Klaus) enter the waters of baptism and three of God´s children (Katiane, Douglas and Klaus) become official members of the church by being confirmed, receiving the Holy Ghost. Also I participated in my first ever reconfirmation of Kaoane who I confirmed last week. I was advised after the sacrament meeting by Elder Hobbs and Crisitiano, our ward mission leader, that I only confirmed her as a ``member of the Church of Jesus Christ´´ and so I reconfirmed her yesterday as a ``member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints´´, because the wording has to be exact to be valid.  We went to her house after lunch yesterday to redo her confirmation as a member of the church, and right before we were about to confirm her, one of her drunk uncles entered the house and announced that he was drunk and he would like to sing a song for us. As Elder Hobbs and I looked at him, with a confused look on our faces, he began singing at the top of his lungs a evangelical song and playing his guitar about the Savior on a capsizing boat in the sea. it was quite amusing, Elder Hobbs and I couldn´t help but laugh as the nieces and nephews of this drunken man were laughing and plugging the ears as their uncle belted out this evangelical song. At last he left and we reconfirmed Kaoane, as her uncle continued playing his guitar and singing right outside the house. Away from this interesting experience at Kaoane´s house, this past week we saw the Spirit and the gospel move the heart of a man I met earlier this month. 

A week and a half ago I talked with a one legged man and owner of a bar, named Luiz, in the road. When I presented myself as a missionary and began to talk about our message as missionaries, he rudely replied back to me that churches do no good and that man has created churches with the sole purpose of gaining money, and that the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter Day Saints was no different. He then told me that he didn´t want anything to do with me or the church. However, when he said this I saw it as an excellent opportunity to correct him and teach him how the Church and how not one of the leaders earn money to serve in the church. When he heard this, and when Elder Hobbs and I promised him that through the restored gospel of Jesus Christ and the church he can return to live with his wife and kids who separted from him a while ago, he took our challenge and went to church on the 12th for sunday school. We passed by this past week and saw a new light in his eyes and he accepted the invitation to be baptized in June. Then yesterday he went to all 3 hours of church and left after the last meeting with a smile on his face, something I never thought I would see when he angerily talked to me a couple weeks ago in the road.

I know that the spirit and restored gospel will move your life for the better and put a smile on your face, just as it has with Luiz. Remember the knowledge of the restored gospel of Jesus Christ doesn´t do any good, if you don´t live it.

I love you all thanks for your love and support. Have a great week and smile :) !

 

Ame,

Elder Jonathan Hokanson  

Jonathan and Elder Ribero at Ice Cream Social.
Last photo together before Elder Ribero goes home in two weeks.

PS: Attached is a picture of yesterday´s baptism of Klaus. A 9 year old son of less active members, who are returning to activity.

April 29, 2013 - A Miraculous Week Full of Trials, Triumphs...Ending The Week By Helping 5 Children of God Enter the Waters of Baptism

Queridos Amigos e Família,

   I can´t even begin to describe how busy, stressful, and satisfying this past week was. To say the least it  was a roller coaster of emotions this past week. Elder Hobbs and I set a goal to help at least eight of God´s children enter the waters of baptism this month of April, and when this month started it looked very probable that we would meet our goal. However as the middle of the month arrived, not too many of the investigators that we had were progressing, but we didn´t give up hope. In order to help our investigators progress and be baptized, Elder Hobbs and I decided  to obey the mission rules and schedule with even more exactness than before. As we began obeying with even more exactness, and prayed every morning and night to be able to help 8 of God´s children enter the waters of baptism, it seemed as though everything started going right. 
   Miraculously this past Tuesday two of our investigators who we´ve been working with for about a month received permission from their reluctant mom to be baptized. These two investigators Kaoane, 8 years old, and her older sister, Katiane, 9 years old, stopped drinking coffee, learned to pray (something they never knew how to do a month ago) and  gained a great desire to be baptized. Their older brother José, 12 years old, was baptized a few years, fell away from the church, and now he is in the process of being reactivated to activity in the church with a few of his cousins, who fell away from the church as well. 

   Yet another miracle occured a little less than two weeks ago as we were teaching Ana Claudia, a 23 year old single mom of 3 kids (6, 4 and 2 years old), and her parents. Her older sister Viviane, 31 year old mom of 4 kids (13, 8, 4 and 3 years old) and Viviane´s daughter, Amanda (13 years old), sat in on one of our lessons and in that very lesson we invited them to be baptized. We taught them practically every day from that day on, taught them the Word of Wisdom on Tuesday night and they gave us their four bags of coffee to throw away and decided to not drink coffee anymore. As the week progressed, Ana Caludia, Viviane and Amanda gained a desire to be baptized as well. 

   With all this said, Sunday arrived and after a 2 hour stake conference, Kaoane, Katiane, Ana Claudia, Viviane and Amanda entered the waters of baptism, and a new light and spirit entered their lives. I know miracles are real and that these 5 children of god are fruits of hard work, exact obedience and the hand of God in this work.

Thank you all for your love and support...Have faith in miracles beacause they happen, and not just in the life of a missionary.

Ame,

Elder Hokanson

PS- Attached is a picture of yesterday´s baptism. In White from left to right (Elder Hokanson, Kaoane, Katiane, Elder Hobbs, Amanda, Ana Claudia and Viviane)

April 22 - An Email a Little Different- A Week of Pictures

Dear Family and Friends,

I decided this week to be a little different in my email to you all this week, so this is why I sent 5 different emails with pictures, so you all can see that I am loving life here in Brasil...Helping Souls Come Unto Christ through Baptism is one of my favorite things to do here...speaking of which we have several baptisms planned for this next weekend which I am super excited for. It is truly amazing to see the maracle the Church of Jesus Christ and the fulness of the gospel make in the lives of others. I also love the scenery here in Paraná, especially in my area of Bonsucesso, Ponta Grossa. I hope you all have a wonderful week and you enjoy the photos I have included.

Thanks for the love and support!

Ame,

Elder Jonathan Hokanson

Pic #1- Me at the base of the waterfall
Pic #2- Some livestock we came across returning to civilization after being in the forest
PIc #3/4- Elielton, the shirtless, shoeless young man who I talked about in my last email riding home before church to get ready, and his faithful horse.   

Pic #1, #2 Elder Hobbs and I playing basketball at the stake center with a few other missionaries at the beginning of the month
Pic #3- A Frog that was sitting on the grass outside of an investigator´s house after a rain storm at the beginning of the month.

Pic 1- The neighborhood we started out from. Picture Taken half way to the waterfall
Pic 2- Nature of Paraná- The arucaria- a tree only found in Paraná
Pic 3- Me in the middle of the soy field, super tired and out of breath. I realized from this hike that as a missionary I have gotten super out of shape, but luckily I haven´t gained any weight

Pic #1- First glimspe of the waterfall
Pic #2- Our hiking group at the base of the waterfall
Pic #3- Me being the new brasilian soccer model for the 2014 World Cup in Rio
Pic #4- Doing an ab workout in a small cave near the waterfall

April 15 - A Week Filled with Power Outages, Hitting the One Year Mark, Not Having Light/Electricity in Our House, and One of the Funniest Experiences of the Mission

Queridos Amigos e família,

I don´t have too much time to write but I will givge you a brief overview of this past week.

On Monday evening, a huge rain, thunder and lightening strom blew in, and the power went out in our entire area, so we ended up teaching Isomar and Rhulian in their completely dark house, and the lights flickered off and on as the storm raged on for about 45 minutes outside.

On Tuesday and Thursday I had the opportunity to give trainings with Elder Hobbs, to the other 12 misisonaries in our zone, in our Zone Meeting and Conference. During the zone conference I got a little nervous as President and Sister Cordon and one of the assistents sat in, but it turned out to be a great training on how we as missionaries are all examples and leaders...it doesn´t matter if you had a leadership position or not. 

On Thursday as well I hit my one year mark on the mission...it is super sad to think that the mission is already half way over, I love it here. There is no better work to do than missionary work. Thursday night we arrived home and tried to turn on our lights, but it turns out that the missionaries before us didn´t pay the light bill, so we lived in darkness until Saturday morning and took ice cold showers. I am super grateful for electricity and light after living like a bat for two nights. 

Yesterday morning, we went to pick up investigators in our school bus and when we went to pick up a family, only the 6 kids in the house wanted to go, so we ended up taking them to church without their parents. But before we got on the school bus, one of the family´s cousins told us that the couldn´t go on the bus because he had his bike. We told him he could put it on the bus and it wouldn´t be a problem, but then his other cousin, Elielton cut in and said, ``What about me, I have my horse?´´ We then told them that the horse couldn´t go on the bus so he siad they´d quickly ride home and get ready. Within seconds Elielton, shirt and shoeless, mounted and rode off the horse as his other 14 year old cousin, Hiery, pedeled quickly along side of the horse to go to their house. To saw the least it was a very funny experience. I never thought that I would have an investigator ride on his horse to get ready and go to church. 

This is a amazingly unique, blessed area of Bonsucesso.

I love you all, Thank you for the love and support.

Love,

Elder Jonathan Hokanson

Diego, a boy preparing for a mission, Elder Hobbs and I