Feliz Natal

Dear Tudo,

Merry Christmas.

I will start with a Christmas message that I learned mostly at our Mission Party. 

So we have a lot of stuff.  We have food and family and bodies and houses and everything, but everything we have is from God.  If He wanted, He could take everything from us, just like Job.  There is only one thing that we really have that He can´t take from us. That is our Agency.  In this time of Christmas, and all year, we have so much, and the only thing that we are capible of giving back is the only thing we really have.  Our Agency.  Our choice to put God first.  Our Choice to do the hard stuff and get on our knees frequently, to study the Book of Mormon, to serve those who can´t give back, who are hard to serve.  To try and apply all the principles that Christ taught us.  The only thing we can really give is our hearts, to become completely, tools in the Lord´s hands.  God, if He hadn´t said otherwise, could take our agency and make us do everything to be happy.  This won´t happen, so why not use our agency to choose to let Him do the same thing with our lives.  Let go of the illusion of control and give this Christmas, your heart.

This will be Brief.

This week we didn´t have enough time to work.  We worked monday and tuesday, Wednesday we went to Sao Vicente for the Christmas party.  That was sweet.  It was pouring during the 45 min boat ride, and we were outside under a canopy with some drunks.  Fun.  We chilled with some other missionaries, and stuff until the next morning of the Party.  We had some great spiritual messages from President Oliveria and Pres Monson (video) and ate some great food (lots) and went out in our districts and sang to random people on the street and then came back and reported. It was all around fantastic.  So fantastic that we missed our boat and had to go back the next morning which threw stuff off a little.  So President goes to a Christmas party in every zone.  There is never a meeting with everyone from the mission at the same place.  There is a good chance I will never meet some of the missionaries I am with for 22 months. 

After a lot of time of straight traveling with no food or water, Keven was baptized, then we crashed.  He is a studd. I love him.  The ocean was a bit calmer. 

The next day we had a sweet district meeting (Which was sweet.  My district is the best litterally because we are super tight and work together instead of just kind of being in the same area.  We set some great goals for this transfer) and stuff but lost the whole day as we went to our branch Christmas party which was sweet and had soooooo much food.

Sunday I ate something weird and had a bit of upset stomach, but we ate at the one super strong families house, the Pasquinhas.  Everyone in our branch has been a member for like 6 months or less, except them.  (Used to be) President Pasquinha served a mission back in 94-96 and knows Brother Wright who talked to us before we showed up here.  I asked him about Elder Oaks when he came out and he showed me a picture of him with Elder Oaks and said that Brother Wright took the picture.  Small world.  Anyways, it was incredible.  Maybe my favorite meal the entire time here.  It was awesome. 

Yeah, so that is pretty much it. 

Oh Yeah, Joakina and her 4 kids were supposed to be baptized this week but they didn´t show up at church.  Pray for them.  They should be baptized next week.

Elder Jensen knows what is really up now, and has a very very hard choice to make so pray for him really hard.

Thank you to Aunt Diane.  I got the package.  I am so excited to have pumpkin Chocolate chip cookies.  They are my favorite and you can´t really get any of that stuff here, especially chocolate chips.  Awesome.

Well, I will talk to those of you who live at my house on Wednesday at 11, but those who don´t,

Merry Christmas!  See Spiritual Thought at the Top Again.

Yeah, so that is pretty much it.

Photos

Kéven and Otaniel and Us at the Baptism

Me in the middle of the ocean in the middle of a large storm with a bunch of Drunks!

Love,

Elder Sampson

Oh, and on the boat coming back (waves were terrible but that isn´t related to anything) I talked with these two cruse ship film makers from Hungary on a German Cruise ship that was stopped in Sao Vicente.  It was sweet.  My favore question was "So do you have any books you would suggest to learn more about this kind of stuff?"  Yes.  Yes I do.

2 Attachments

Late (coming on Tuesday instead of Monday)

So yesterday I was traveling all day and so I couldn't email.  I am still not to my new area.  All 4 of us in Cova Figueira left.  Elder Jensen is going to Mindelo where I am email right now but he wont be here for a bit longer.  His head is worse, but they have the best hospital here, so he will see a doctor in the next week, and if he will either get better or will have to go home which is very difficult for him.  Going home early is one of the hardest things for any missionary, and he already did it once and then came back after a year and a half.  Please continue to pray for him.  

I got transfered from the Southern Most area to the northern most area.  I am going to the island of Santo Antão which is the biggest island here but it only has 6 missionaries.  Also as of today, all of the islands have missionaries.  Last transfer Maio opened, and today São Nicolou (Sawou Nichole-ahw) 

I am super excited to serve and my companion Is great, but more about him next week.  We are going right now to buy a ticket for the fastferry which will take me from here to my island.  I left Fogo yesterday, Chilled in Praia a lot at the airport all day, then flew at like 11 to São Vicente and slept at the Zone Leaders house. Sweet.  I also got the two packages, one with Christmas stuff from family, and the other one form Grandma and Grandpa Low.  Thank You!  I had some problems getting them on the air plane and I had to pay almost 3000 escudos (33 dollars) to get them here.  That is okay though.

Congrats To Grandma and Grandpa on their Mission Call!!!

The Temple is sweet.  I challange everyone who is able to attend the temple twice this week, the first time pondering what you need to do to Come unto Christ more, and the second time pondering how you will do it.  If you can´t make it to the temple twice though, try to ponder about these things throughout the week.

I think we are going to buy a boat ticket now so I can go to my area.  We have 4 baptisms this week which will be sweet.

I Love You All!

Elder Sampson

No Comp Week Explained

Everyone,

So, first of I am going to explain the whole companion thing this week.

So Elder Jensen left to praia monday to see a doctor.  I stayed with the other two elders in cova figueira, Elder halblieb and Elder Pires.  I tried to do divisions throughout the week but all of the people who were supposed to walk with me wouldn´t show up and wouldn´t answer their phones.  It taught nothing in my área until thrusday.

Thursday was thanksgiving.  We ate the normal spaghetti with canned fish, and had no special food.  Thats okay though.  The person that was supposed to walk with me at least when it got time to go, bailed on me but at least this time he went and found someone that could walk with me that doesn´t have a phone (there are only about 5 options becaue they have to be a melchesidic preisthood holder and cant be working and stuff like that).  I worked my área with him all Thursday, and got another member all of Friday.  In those two days I taught as much as last week all together.  The Lord knew the desires of my heart and blessed me a lot.  I marked a bunch of dates for baptism, and started on two marrages so that these people can get baptized which is sweet.  Saturday I went on a split with Elder Pires becase Elder Jensen came back and someone had to stay with him. He is no better.  The doctor said that he has a bad sinus infection and that is causing the headeches, but he is still the exact same.  Probably he will stay in throughout all of this week again, which makes life very hard for me trying to work this área.  Church was an inprovement.  We had 80 people there which we can start to build on.  I also did a training with the ward missionaries and started teaching them how to teach the missionary lessons so that they can start to teach after baptism.  We had to leave church early because Elder Jensen is dying, so right now, it sort of feels like I am trying to pull the work in the área through a very small tube, and it is taking everything I can to just keep the área moving a little bit. Sunday is Transfers and I will have a new companion and hopefully I will be able to work.  The Lord has taught me so much though during this transfer.  I just want to work.  So, to sumarize, Elder Jensen isn´t better, and I am still pretty much working alone, it is just a lot harder now because I have to find someone to stay with him and to work with me.  I have a million appointments, but I don´t know how many of them I will actually be able to get to.

This week was a grand adventure though.  Missionary life is great but interesting right now.  Vamos ver o que vai acontecer.

This week I had a great experience with some crazy people.  A lot of the old people are a little rediculous.  One lady that will be baptized next week just always responds, "Sim Senhor" "Palavras de Deus" "Seguir Deus" and stuff (Yes Sir, Words of God, Follow God). 

Today we played soccer again.  It is lots of fun, and a lot of people here are really good.  Elder Halblieb played for AF, Elder Martinez played for some touring competitive legue, and the natives are really good, but probably not as good as they think they are.

 

Well, Love You All.

 

Hope All Stays Well At Home!

 

Love,

Elder Sampson

No comp

First a note from Kristin:

Would you be willing to send Jared a Christmas card or letter?  They take about a month to arrive, which I why I am asking in November =).  There are two ways you can send mail to him.  The first is through the church's pouch mail.  You can only send one piece of paper (no envelope) folded into thirds.  You send it with one stamp on it.  This address is:

Elder Jared Sampson

Cape Verde Praia Mission

P.O. Box 30150

Salt Lake City, UT  84130

The second option to mail to Jared is by sending it through the regular postal service to his mission office.  You can send it regular mail for $1.10 (three stamps).  This way would accommodate a regular "Christmas card."  This address is:

Elder Jared Sampson

Missao Cabo Verde Praia

CP 420

Praia, Ilha de Santiago

CABO VERDE

CAPE VERDE

Thank you!  Please let me know if you have any questions.

K

Dear Family and Friends,

This week was interesting still.

So since the beginning of the transfer (4 Weeks ago) elder jensen has had this headeche so I have been staying in and doing lots of divisions to try to work the area.  Pretty much the last 2.5 weeks I have been running the area alone.  We went to Mosteuros this week to the hospital on tuesday to see the results of the blood test, and the doctor hadnt come back so that was bad.  We had to go back wednesday too and the haice ride was terrible.  Some haices are better than others.  This one, imagine the worst most beat up minivan you have ever seen, then times that by 8 then cram a bunch of people in it and off road on the edge of giant cliffs.  Twas an adventure.  I sat on another Goat too, but this time, I didnt know it was there the first 20 mins of the ride until it made a noise.  The doctor called Pres Oliveira and told them that they knew nothing.  Elder Jensen Left today for Praia where he will see a specialist.  He was told to take all his stuff with him which means he probably wont come back.  I dont know what will happen to me but for now I will continue to do divisions with members all day, probably for the next two weeks until transfers happen.  That is my guess.  There is a chance I could get a mini missionary (someone from cape verde that is just trying out a mission, but hasnt been to the mtc or temple) but probably not.  I will probably just wait until transfers and then get a greenie.

This week Edson Muniz was baptized.  I would send pictures but the computer I am on doesnt have a slot and I forgot my usb converter (we are in sao filipe because this is where Elder Jensen and one other Elder took a boat to praia).  He is 16 years old and is the only real active male member in Figueira Pavao.  He will help us a lot.  We had the baptism in Sao Filipe as well because Relva didnt have water.

Speaking of water, we are out again.  I was hoping it would last at least until tomorrow because it am almost out of clothes, so I will probably just was them by hand when I have time in the next 2 days before I run out.  Joy.

So today we played soccer on a turf field and I got to run for the first time since Ive been here.  It was a small field, but bigger than the ones we usually play on.  I did two backflips, my first ones here, but they were both pretty bad.  I am out of practice.  

I am getting fat too here.  I think I am the fattest I have ever been in my life, which isnt that fat, but I miss running and healthy food all the time.  When you dont have much, you dont really get the choice of whole wheat or not, etc...  I dont think you can get lettuce in fogo either, and so I will have to wait for a while to eat a salad again.  Tear.  I try to excercise in our house every morning, but have been craving running all the time.  It ran around the soccer field this morning and that was great.  I hope I get a companion some time that likes running because I miss it and my body misses it.

This week I tried to help some members share the gospel.  It was rough and didnt make it that long. We did practice though with them.  I challenge everyone to practice sharing the gospel for FHE!  

Also, good luck to everyone in the musical on closing night.

I got the program from the choir concert a while ago and a great letter from my dear Aunt Cathy!

This weeks spiritual thought is that everything is for our good.  If you view everything as things to help you grow and recognize that all trials are blessings to help us grow, then you wont have problems.  This also relates to gratitude.  Be grateful always.  Dont be more grateful on thanksgiving day than any other day.  This means step up the other days and not be less thankful on thanksgiving.  Gratitude you wont find much in the scriptures or indexes of the scriptures because it is so closely related to humility.  Start today.  I feel like a sales pitch.. START TODAY TO CHANGE YOUR LIFE FOR THE BETTER.  BE MORE GRATEFUL AND HAVE MORE HUMILITY.  ALL BLESSINGS AND TRIALS ARE FROM GOD FOR OUR BENEFIT!

Well, thats probably it.  I feel like I am missing something I was going to talk about but that was probably most of it.

I love you all!

Love,

Elder Sampson

Hello Family

Hello Everyone!

 

So this week was an adventure.  I went on a lot of divisions and stuff with members and marked a lot of dates for baptism.  There is this one house in Figueira Pavao which is pretty much a jack pot every time.  Every time I go up there there are new people and we teach a lesson with Tequinha who lives there and whoever else is at her house, and just mark dates for baptism and other appointments.   Fantastic.

So Monday last week we went to Mosterous to the Hospital.  Mosterous is sweet.  We chilled in the Library for a while because they have an america corner where all the books are in english and stuff.  It is pretty sweet.  Mosterous has the most past-american cape verdians of any city in Fogo. We talked with this guy in english (he is fluent becase he lived in America most of his life) about thanksgiving and he said that there, every thanksgiving the americans get together and cook a turkey and stuff and play football.  There is a giant normal sized turf soccer field there right behind the house of one of the elders there.  It is sweet.  We went to the hospital and they drew blood from elder Jensen and we are going back to see the results tomorrow.  The roads going to Mosterous are super steep and sketchy but I have never heard of anyone dying so I assume all is okay with my safety!  

 

Cristina wasn´t baptized this week.  We had some rather large problems and we don´t know what is going on because she won´t talk to us.  If she really wants to be baptized she will be baptized after she shows up to church twice more on our own.  

 

We have one baptism this week.  Edson Munice.  More on him later!

So thought this week spiritual is about Denying the Holy Ghost.  It is interesting how a person like Those who saw angels around the time of Joseph smith still left the church. People that have been strong for years can just slowly stop.  One major factor of that is that, although it is not the same and unpardonable as denying the Holy Ghost, when you recieve a prompting and don´t act on it you are starting down a road that if you don´t correct quickly, will destroy you in the end.  It is important to always act on promptings from the Holy Ghost!

Love,

Elder Sampson

Only Half

Dear Family,

So this week was a good week although it had its struggles. 

First off, Elder Jensen, two weeks ago started to get a head eche, and it got worse and worse, so he stayed in for like three days this week and it is still really bad.  I was on splits a lot trying to prepare these people for baptism this week (more on that later).  He went to Mosterous of the north part of the island to the hospital there and they gave him some medicine with some nasty side effects so he stopped using that and we are going back in a few hours here because he has a check up earlytomorrow morning.  Please pray for him and everyone here that is sick.  I am on and off a tiny bit sick, but not bad, and it is nothing compared to what Elder Jensen has.

So this week we found some new investigators and stuff, especially in Figueira Pavao, our new area.  We invited this guy to come to church and he said he would which is normal, but he actually showed up which isn´t that normal, and he brought an investigator with him which isn´t normal at all, and then it turned out that he hasn´t been baptized which is rare, and then a person who doesn´t speak very much Portuguese that we had been working with and had a marrage date who had stopped talking with us and was running from us weeks ago showed up in church miraculously, and so we can start working on that marrage now, and she offered a beautiful first prayer which had more words in it than I think she has ever said to us ever.  We also had an investigator in church that already has had all the lessons and then moved into our area.  We will be talking with him.  He said he has a few doubts.

I love teaching people how to pray.  It is great because they always offer prayers that are so sincere, simple and sweet.  In a lot of cases, it is like they have been trying to talk to God for a while but didn´t know exactly how to do it.  A lot of people here already know how to pray, but a bunch don´t really, and a few just had sort of made up their own thing.

So we had 4 baptisms this week scheduled, One of a little kid who was 8, his older brother, Lourenco who is 14, and Cristina who is 14.  We did all the baptisimal interviews friday except for Cristinas, and we tried to find her, and couldn´t.  We found out sunday, thanks to the help of our members, that she still wants to be baptized but is afraid of the ocean and so she is also shy and didn´t want to tell us so she just hid from us.  We didn´t have the baptism in the ocean anyways because it is super steep to get there and the cars can only take like 10 people.  We talked to Cristina today and we will talk with her more tomorrow and she should be baptized on Saturday. (Our chapel and font are under construction for the next 6 months)  We ended up going to Sao Filipe to do the baptism.  It was a good Baptism, except that after we got there, we did some simple math, and to the suprise of the mom, our 8 year old baptism was only 7.  So, only Lourenco and Casey Johnny were baptized.  It was still fantastic though.  The were both confirmed on Sunday in church.

I was thinking about how baptism is like joining the Lords side in this war against Satan and sin.  We can fight against satan before, but we don´t join the side of the Lord until baptism and don´t recieve the blessings of victory until we Join the Lord.  When we recieve the gift of the Holy Ghost we get our ´´sword of the spirit´´ (ephesians6:17 i think) that we can use to guide us in this battle.  We join the 2000 stripling warriors when we are extremely valliant and non of us will fall if we are like the stripling warriors in the end of Alma 56.  Its good stuff.  Challenge for everyone for the week is to read about and become more like the stripling warriors.

I love You all. 

President and Sister Oliveira are coming out this week to do interviews and house inspections which means that we don´t have zone conference this transfer.  I am excited, except that it is hard to clean your house really well with limited water so we will probably fail house inspections.  Our water went out yesterday, and so we only have a little left coming from the sinks.  I guess it will probably come back saturday, but that is just a guess.

Love,

Elder Sampson

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Very Little time

Kristin Sampson <kristinsampson3@gmail.com>

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Very Little time 1 message

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Jared Sampson <jared.sampson@myldsmail.net>	Mon, Nov 4, 2013 at 6:46 AM
To: Kristin Sampson <kristinsampson3@gmail.com>
Thank you to everyone who just sent me an email this week.  I can´t respond to all of them super well, but please send me a paper letter.   Cape Verde, Praia Mission CP420 Praia, Cape Verde   So this week we started working in Figueira Pavao.  That is going well.  It is like a 25 min walk from our house.  It is pretty sweet.  We only have 4 strong members there now but are working with them and will be growing shortly. Sorry that this will be short this week. We have 4 baptisims this week, 3 of which are ours and 1 is an 8 year old kid who is the branches.  2 of them we have been working for for weeks.  Christina and Lorenzo.  They are both 14 and have lots of friends in the church.  Our chapel is being renovated so we are meeting in a diferente building and will probably have our baptisms in the ocean this saturday.  The other two baptisms are 2 kids from figueira Pavao that are at church every week but haven´t been baptized.  One is 11 and the other is 8.  This means we have to teach all the lessons to the one who has 11 years.  It is a bit annoying, but we also got 11 new investigators this week, and dropped like 15.  We are trying to find more people who can be stronger leaders and preisthood holders in the church because it is bad to just baptize younger kids. This week for some reason, everything started working better.  I think that some of the district leaders said some stuff, and now we plan way better and work more smart and by the spirit.  We still aren´t as perfect as I think we could be faster, but we take small steps at a time and we will get there one day.  Elder Jensen has had a headeche since tuesday, so please pray for him.  We had to spend the whole day in on saturday which was a probablem.  Pray for him. Other than that, Everything is going well.  I got my birthday package!  Thank you so much!  The beef jerkey bag had been torn a bit open and had ants and mold, so I still haven´t had beef in months, but other than that, everything is great.  I made muffins and made brownies.  Fantastic!  Thank you. I´m actually a bit sad to be turing 19 because I like the reaction I get when I tell people I am only 18.  Oh well.  The new missionaries here showed up this week, and we only have one new missionary on the Island, and his birthday is the day after mine which means by 1 day I am no longer the youngest missionary on Fogo.  I am older than a lot of other missionaries in Cape Verde, but was the only one that was 18 until yesterday. Happy Birthday to my dear sister Summer! Summer, I love you and your smiling bright attitude.  You are the only one that I can see real emotion an personality in every one of your letters every week.  I love you!   Sorry this is brief.   Love, Elder Sampson