Late e-mail today

ok i have to be short...because we have to go to the chapel to play volleyball...my companions idea...i will write next week...a lot more...i´m sorry all...but i am alive and well...sorry

SCRIPTURE POWER!!

I thought I'd post a picture of the chain that we have hanging on the bookshelf in the office for Jed's first year out. One link for each week. We decided that we'd do something different next year. 33 weeks to go this year and 85 weeks overall. However, I like the sound of 19 months 2 weeks that is on the ticker at the bottom of the blog.

This week has been quite emotional here in Gillette. One of Jed's best friends, Ryan, his little sister, Ali who is Abi's age, was killed in a car accident last week. We are all still in shock and you can read Jeds reaction to the tragic news:

Hello family...
I really don´t know what to say...Ali´s death has kinda shaken me up this morning...she is the first person to die that I have known(i think) while on my mission...but in a community like Gillette...I know she won't be the last...but it´s Ryan´s sister!!!!! That is just crazy....

How great it is that we have great truths like the plan of salvation. I am so grateful to be out here sharing these great truths with the people of Brazil...but you guys at home have a great responsibility now...to invite people to know about these truths...to learn that the heavens are open once again and that we have a Prophet on the earth that really speaks with our Heavenly Father...invite Rishi, Jon, Ryan(especially), Max, Kelsey, all of my freinds...not just you guys invite them, I INVITE THEM...to learn that families really can be together for ever. this gospel is too great to be kept a secret...in the words of the scriptures...LET YOUR LIGHT SO SHINE...and what is our light? THE GOSPEL! It is our responsibility as members of The Church of Jesus Christ...to share this. I would like to write my testimony...to each of you... and I want you to print it out and give it to everyone... this is my testimony...

I know that our Savior lives. I know that he really suffered for our pains and imperfections. I know that our Hevenly Father loves us and that like a real father we can talk to him about anything through prayer. I know that families can be together forever through our Heavenly Fathers plan. I know that Joseph Smith really did see God the Father and Jesus Christ. I know that through him we do have Jesus Christ´s church. It´s not just a title or the name of the church, it really is led and guided by him, through Prophets today. The heavens are open once again. I know this to be true. I invite you as a representative of Jesus Christ to learn about this gospel that I hold so dear in my heart. This is the reason I am here in Brazil to share this gospel with others and I would like to share it with you. Take my invitation as a freind. This I sincerely write to you. With every fiber of my being I know it is true.
Talk to my family to find out more.
Your Friend,
ELDER JED BREINHOLT

ok. you can attach a picture to that...i really want you to do this for me...i was such a slacker with sharing the gospel at home...but know i realize the importance of sharing the gospel...don´t keep your light under a bushell... in the words of Paul: I am not ashamed of the gospel of Jesus Christ
ok now that that is off my chest...i will answer some questions.

How are you and Elder Silva getting along? super
Working hard? of course
Hows the weather? this week has been warm...
How is the English Class coming? good. Teaching some people because of it
Sacrament Meeting attendance any better? were working on it

Angela...thank you for the recipe...

THATS GREAT about dad loosing weight...maybe when i get back we can go rock climbing as father and son!...

I want you to look at one of the teaching styles we use here in the mission...Mosiah chapter 12:31-36...its where Abinadi is asking the priests about the law of moses...first he asks. then they respond. then he testifies...then he uses the scriptures and proceeds to teach the ten comandments...its awesome...

now a question for you...i kow its like a year and a half early but what is the talk about coming to pick me up? :) you guys would love it down here....seriously.

thats all for today...
will write and send pictures next week(with any luck)

YOUR SON/BROTHER/COUSIN/FRIEND
ELDER JED BREINHOLT

Sorry I'm Late Posting this Week!

I'm sorry I'm late posting this week I'm sick but feeling a bit better today. So here is the latest from Elder Breinholt...

hello all...
my week has been just fabulous.
we went to santa maria wednesday for a mission conference...about...EXCERCISE...i now excercise every morning...except sunday of course...but it was good...didnt get anything in the mail...dont know why...probably because i´m doing pretty bad at writing people...sorry everyone...i will try to get everybodys letters off this next week.
ok...about the missionary couple...they have been in the mission for a year...they are brazillian and will be here on the 7th...they will be working with less actives...primarily...yay. but here in the mission were are getting a missionary couple...the Langs...and the don´t know portuguese...never learned a languge...the wanted to go to an historical site in the united states...but they are coming to brazil instead...crazy huh?
also...the language...is much better...much better...extremely better...i am now to the point where i can start talking back...and not just understand...awesome(said like lilly in shark vs. eagle for you abi) i figured out that my new card reader is not working also...so i can send pictures...i will buy a new one this week...that makes me super mad...
english class was good...hard for me to speak in english...thats good right?!?!
BEN:(to the tune of row your boat)MOW MOW MOW THE LAWN...DON´T COMPLAIN AT ALL. YOUR A MAN SO DEAL WITH IT...YOU´RE NOW BIG AND TALL...speak german to the max!
ANNIE: SING SING A SONG...SING OUT LOUD...thats really cool about your singing lessons.
PHOTOS WILL COME...
that is all
E. BREINHOLT

Hey Angela, Jed in another short e-mail asked for a Banana Bread Recipe. After reading your post about Costco Bananas would you send me yours and I'll include it to him. THANKS!

WELCOME TO WINTER!!!!!

It took until late in the day today to get Jed's e-mail I had begun a little "mother panic" but all is well in Sao Gabriel with Elder Breinholt...

Why hello family!
I am doing great...mission life is crazy go nuts awesome. It has been crazy to the max this week... first off we walked crazy far...we have an area it´s really another city but it´s ours and its roughly 6km from the edge of são gabriel...yeah we walked it....foi louco!!!!! (IT WAS WILD) We also taught in a high school monday night...showed Finding Faith in Christ...and they wrote down their addresses...if they wanted to...more did than did not...was good...we´re doing it again Thursday...
As the title states we´re in the full swing of winter down here!!! and it is cold....brrrrrrr...mostly because houses dont have insulation...so its kinda weird when we come home its warmer inside...but in the morning its colder inside than outside...cold to the max!
i don´t know what it is with places down here...i cant send a picture to save my life...but i have some really good ones...i made pastel...and took a picture...let me explain pastel...pastel...in one word is delicious!...ask any missionary who served in brazil! but basically you take massa...pot sticker shell more or less...then you stuff it...with ham and cheese...hard boiled egg and cheese...really whatever floats your boat...you can even go desert style...with cocunut and chocolate...banana is a litte weird...but good...really what ever you feel like...then fold it over and press with a fork...then the best part comes...deep fry...delicious!!!!!
also...ask a missionary that served in brazil....ok turns out this is the closest thing to a kit-kat...they have here...but smaller and like twenty of them...you buy them by the box...either white or milk choc. its delicious as well...
I DO NOT LIKE PAPAYA!!!thought i would just put that in there for you all.
has anybody ever eaten donkey??? my companion has...swears by it...ITS A DONKEY ELDER J. SILVA...THERES PROBABLY A LAW SOMEWHERE THAT YOU CANT EAT IT...luckily here in the south...people agree with me...just cow...no horse...or donkey...
i´m really mad about the picture thing...i really want to send them.
i really havent had any cool experiences this week...
oh...we´re getting a missionary couple...here in são gabriel...at the end of the month...thats all we know right now...nothing else...i´ll keep you informed..
thats all for now...
talk to you all next week
ps. starting an english class...keep you informed.

Jed's New Companion: Elder J. Silva

FUNNY BLOG Check it out!

ok...so sorry everybody about last week...its been crazy...and no pictures this week becuse the place where i have sent them before is now blocked up...OK so turns out this week has been crazy...transfers on tuesday was insane...said goodbye to elder cordeiro in the moring and got ready to go to the bus station...where all the missionaries getting transfered...more or less...converged....crazy...then...waited...and waited and waited for my new companion...ELDER J. SILVA...to arrive...was late...left at 4:00 from santa maria and got to são gabriel...
a little about my new companion Elder J. Silva: he is from the city of Natal...in rio grande do norte...funny story about that...natal in portuguese means...Christmas...so whenever he tells people where he is from...they say você conhece Papai Noel? Translated means do you know Santa Clause? Its pretty funny.
Thats great about the baptisms of the elders in gillette...does anybody have any suggestions on getting people to sacrament meeting? We are having some troubles with this. They just won't come....
Other than that...nothing else really happened this week or last...just alot of work...but thats good for me :}
ELDER JED BREINHOLT

hopefully will send pictures next week...i have some really good ones...

Two in one and none the next!

i had an e-mail ready but it got erased...sorry i dont have time to write a new one...will write next week!!!SORRY EVERYBODY

This is all we got this week! Check back next week!

SURPRISE! SURPRISE! 2 e-mails in one day!

What a surprise when I checked my email this afternoon and found this!

"I have a little time this afternoon...so about pres. monson and elder nelsons talks:
pres. Monson: talked about the temple of course...talked about families being sealed in the temple...told a story about a patriarch in europe, named percy fester. that when the iron curtain was up there was a family of latter-day saints trapped in poland...and he went and gave patriarcal blessings to the family...and when he returned to salt lake he came to president monson and said something to the effect of: elder monson...i´ve done something horrible...in those patriarcal blessings i promised things that can´t be fullfilled...but they were...and when the family moved to west germany...they went to the Bern temple...and the temple president was there to greet them...It was Brother Fester!!!! he told another story about a family in south africa...that was saving up money to go to the temple...this was before there was a temple in south africa...the 4 little girls asked him questions for 3 hours about the temple...and when he left the youngest girl said "We´ll see you in the temple" and a year later he met them and sealed them as a family in the salt lake temple...
now about elder nelsons talk: also was about the temple...
he talked about the ordinances of the temple...he talked about how before the Savior opened a way to teach the dead...ordaninces were only done for the living...and now they can be done for the dead...he also talked about how the temple fulfills the purpose of the creation...and without temples the entire earth would be uterly wasted...he also talked about the sacredness of the temple...and when Jesus clensed the temple the first time he called it my fathers house...the second time he said my house...and when they had further desecrated it he called it their house... all in all it was a really good talk...
i´m glad i had the opportunity to participate in a temple dedication...because i don´t get the opportunity to go to the temple during my mission...and the chapel had the same holiness as the temple yesterday...revelation was received...and my testimony is stronger than ever...i love this church...this gospel...i know it is the only way we can return to live with our Father in Heaven again...

because i forgot in my e-mail earlier...
HAPPY BIRTHDAY ABI AND ELISABETH!!!!!

i have photos for your birthdays i will try to send them next week...if i can´t i´ll go snail mail!...and for the rest of you...have a good week the church is true...i know it with all my heart...thats why i am here in brazil!

LOVE YOU ALL!
ELDER JED(GED) BREINHOLT

(This is in reference to him misspelling his name in the letter he sent with his cartoon portrait on it)

Is this a great kid or what! I truly feel so blessed to be his mother. He was born with a testimony of the Gospel of Jesus Christ and has been an example of unwavering faith for me his whole life.