Check List...

Made room in the closet - check
Bed made - check
Clothes aired out and ready - check
Bathroom cleaned - check
Que the blizzard - check
Remember to take a coat to the airport - check

4 days - really
I can hardly think about it!

Posted without editing!

anyway...

so yeah i wont be writing next week because i dont see the need to but things are good.. im excited and super scared...

but things are going good... i think i got you guys the right sizes in shoes... just bobby that is a no go... but i'll get him something cool....

anyway so yeah... dont know what to say... My bags are super heavy... and really full... i think i will have to leave alot of stuff... like my blanket the young women made for me...

but yeah... you'll really like the gaucho stuff i am going to bring

but working hard and living good.. loves you all

1 WEEK BABY!
Elder Jed Breinholt

OH MY! Single digits!!

WOW!

Hey Family...

OK I'm just gonna write fast... seeing as though I have to buy some other stuff.

But this week was good.

I want you all to know that I'm working my hardest... and it's going good.

Anyway... but yeah... just a quick note... letting you all know that I love you and I'm feeling good... DONT FORGET A JACKET FOR ME!!!!


Elder Jed Breinholt

This Just In...

Hard Week...

Very Rewarding...

Gave Talk In Sacrament Meeting...

Need more money... I just need to buy a few more things.

These past 3 weeks have been the hardest of my mission...

Do you think that the hour layover in SLC will be enough time to see people who go to the airport?

I really don’t know what to say... let’s just say that I’m super nervous... WOW... it’s coming up fast.

IM FREAKED OUT FOR THE FUTURE... I really don’t know what’s going to happen...

But the work rolls on... we laugh we live and we(as most missionaries in Brazil do)WALK!

Yesterday we had a really good lesson with a kid named Tiago... it was good... he recently got back from Haiti. Brazil is on an U.N. Peacekeeping trip there. The whole Earthquake thing has hit pretty hard down here. It was a really good lesson he has a lot of potential to be baptized... too bad I won’t be here to see it. You see the have to get married.

But yeah... it was good last week...

AND THE SANTA MARIA STAKE WILL DIVIDE...

That’s awesome... 2 Stakes in Santa Maria.

But that’s my life... pray for me to be focused these last couple weeks... LOVE YOU!

Elder Jed Breinholt

For those of you interested in stopping by the SLC Airport...
Delta Terminal - Baggage Claim Area
Wednesday, February 17, 2010
Arrival 10:00 a.m.
Departure 11:00 a.m.

It looks like Jed will have about 20-30 minutes before his flight to Gillette. I hope as many as you can will go say hi!

você está Trunkie?!?!?!? (Are You Trunkie?)

Well it appears that the head wound required a few stitches, his first ever!

Also about my head... remember how I hit it...well just look at the attached picture. I'm fine but let's just say that recently it has not been an awesome thing for me.

Wow what a rush...

OK so this week has been ok... just a few experiences...

Monday to Tuesday Ipuked my guts out. I got food poisoning for the first time in my life, in the mission, but I'm totally better now!!!

About the work. Let's just say its going slow.

This week we had a pretty good experience. The testimony of an investigator is gold. We had a lady, Rosi, that we were teaching the Restoration to and at the end we invited her to pray. She said, "I don't need to pray I already know what your saying is true." It was probably the best experience of the week.

It's been a really cool experience coming back to one of the same areas where I already passed. Because you go back to old investigators houses. We were doing that with a family I taught here, a lady named Katrina and her son Mateus, it's going good.

The other photo is all the kids from Davis County in the mission... DCC Davis County Crew!
Elder Taylor: Sunset
Elder Ball: Kaysville
Elder Breinholt: Layton
Elder Buttersworth: Kaysville

FO SHO

Elder Swingle is good... having trouble with the language but we'll get him.

Only four 3 More E-mails...

You All Trunkie?

But love you all and I want you to know I'm praying for you!

LESS GO!

Elder Jed Breinholt

I Live...

I spoke too soon. This is what we got from Jed this afternoon.


Dear Family,

This past week has been really good.

Pres. told me to write you guys. So I'm just writing you really quick to let you know that I'm alive...

Time is passing by so fast I can't believe I only have 5 weeks left!

I love you all and talk to you later

I promise you next week I'll write on time

This week we had a counsel with all the mission leaders that took too much time!

You'll get some photos as well next e-mail.

Elder Jed Breinholt

No e-mail Monday

No e-mail yesterday. We did get an e-mail from President Myhrra that Jed has been made the District Leader.

We are 1 month 5 days away! WOW! We haven't received his travel plans yet. There is a possibility that he will come through SLC. If he does we will let you know if he has a lay-over and those of you in SLC may want to go to the airport and say hi.

He will be speaking here in our ward on Sunday, February 21 at 9:00 a.m. Anyone who wants to come on up to Gillette is more than welcome we would love to have you!

Hey Fam!

Today was a good day! We hiked a mountain. I'm not going to write alot today...but let's just say that it was fun and here's a bunch of pictures....

More on the way next week

Not going to Sao Borja, going back to Parque Pinhero....here in Santa Maria...with my 5th American compainion...Elder Swingle.

That whole mountain thing wiped me out...

love you all...working harder...talk to you not this monday but the next...

bye hope you enjoy the pictures...

btw hit my head on the roof of a bus stop...i guess im just too tall...

loves...

Our Christmas Call!

What a great Christmas! Our call from Jed yesterday was amazing. Both his Dad and I commented on how much he has changed even from Mother's Day. Here is a brief synopsis of our phone call that lasted about an hour.

He was at his Mission Presidents house so we called him there. We had a hard time getting through at first because he gave us the wrong number! He had called earlier to set everything up and gave me the number but I kept getting an answering machine in Portuguese. Then I looked on the caller ID from when he had called and used the number he had called from and that was it. It was way off - CRAZY! It was a very tense few minutes!

It was great to hear his voice he sounded so happy. The first thing he said was how HOT is was down there. We quickly told him that we had 8 degrees with the windchill of -23. He about died with that. He said he just knows he's going to get sick as soon as he gets home. He said he is well and has not been sick and that he's going to relish the heat while it lasts. He really has been blessed to not be sick his entire mission. (knock on wood) We talked about bringing a coat to the airport for him. He's going to give away quite a bit of his clothing before he comes home. He swapped Sister Myrrha for a suit. He left the one he bought at the thrift shop here in town for one she had. I said, "Is is white with black pinstripes?" (That's for you Huffakers!) He said it is brown with white pinstripes! Sounds just like a Jed suit.

We all said hello and when he heard Ben's voice he said, "What the man voice!" It was hilarious. Ben had this plan to not talk to him and surprise him at the airport but he just couldn't stand it and had to talk to his brother. Jed also commented on how much Annie's voice had changed. Wait until he sees her! YIKES! He said after that that he was looking forward to seeing everyone with TERROR!

We talked about his English this phone call as opposed to Mother's Day and it was definitely better this time having had American Companions for the past couple of transfers. We really noticed a difference.

He is bringing us all Haviana's. These are Brazilian flip flops. He got a new pair for Christmas and he loves them! He said he has a pair for a year and they are still going strong. So I'll send him sizes and we'll have new flip flops in February! Just in time for -30 below! ha ha! Oh yea I guess Oprah loves Haviana's at least that's what someone told him. We had never heard of them.

He had a great experience walking to the Presidents house yesterday for Christmas. He and his companion Elder Wilson were walking past a funeral home and a Sister that is a member called to them and told them that there was a man who had passed away and he was a member and she could not get a hold of any of the priesthood in the ward/branch to come and speak at his funeral. So Elder Breinholt and Elder Wilson went and gave a small message and said a prayer. He said it was such a spiritual experience.

In the evenings he and Elder Wilson go out and teach. He said that they are working with some great families right now. The inner city branch where they are is small had has new members. The area is really hard to find people to teach so they feel really blessed with the families that they have found. The church is so new down there that they need strong members to help them become stronger units. He talked about how he has learned how to be a good ward member when he gets home to strengthen the ward. He is concerned that some of his converts have gone inactive. He knows they have their agency but he worries that maybe he didn't teach them right. We could tell that it was a real concern for him.

Being in the office has given him a great appreciation for the Church and that they invest in technology to helps the work go forward.

He is so excited for everyone in the church to study Gospel Principles this year in Relief Society and Priesthood Meeting. He said all of us need to review the basics of the Gospel so it will be good for the new member as well as the life long members to study it the next 2 years.

He asked his Dad how being the Bishop is. Tracy said, "It's more that I ever thought it would be. In both the good and the bad things." Ben said it was hard on all of us because he's gone so much. Tracy is a great Bishop and we support him however we can.

He talked about Elder and Sister Lang of Lovell, WY. They recently went home and he loved them. We told him that the Comer's (Our former Stake President and his wife that left on their mission to NY NY South Mission about 6 weeks before Jed) returned and spoke on December 13th. They served a 2 year mission. Sister Comer was his Seminary Teacher and he was excited to hear about them.

He bore such a strong Testimony of how much he has loved his mission and how much he has changed because of it. He said that he really went on a mission relying on Faith, thinking that it was going to be a permanent p-day. He spent a lot of time with our missionaries here in Gillette before he went and he knew it would be hard work but nothing like it has been. He said that his mission is by far the hardest thing he has ever done. His knowledge of the Gospel has increased so much and he is so grateful for that. He said he has seen part of his Patriarchal Blessing be fulfilled.

We told him how blessed we feel because of his service and thanked him for going and serving an honorable mission. The blessings that have come our way have been innumerable. I told him that I pray everyday and thank my Heavenly Father for allowing us the privilege of supporting Jed on his mission and thanking Him for the blessings He has sent our family because of it.

He talked to Annie and told her not to become a teenager and to, "Snap out of it and remember that everything Mom and Dad tells you is right!" (one of those pay back times as a parent) Annie is a great no she's an AWESOME daughter, she is just a girl with the occasional teenage daughter mouth!

We talked about some of the things he's excited for. He really wants Ben to get into Rock Climbing with him. And he has discovered Slacklining which is basically walking a tight rope between trees. SCARY!

Monday will be his Christmas Activity for the Mission so they will have p-day on Tuesday. They will have a spiritual message and then food, games and presents. Tracy asked him if he has developed into a soccer player and he quickly said, "NO I do not like playing soccer!" He never has.

He will be transferred next week out of the office and he's excited for that. He thought that he and Elder Wilson would be staying together but it looks like they won't now. He's ok with with. He and Elder Wilson get along great and he's excited to see him when he gets home. He is from Salt Lake. There are a few Missionaries from Davis County that are there Elder Taylor from Sunset and Sister Quist and Elder Ball from Layton. They all want to have a Davis County reunion when they all get home.

He can't believe that his mission has gone by so fast. He asked us if it has gone by fast for us and of course the answer is, YES! It has gone by so fast. Everyone told me that the first year would go by fast but the second would be slow. NOPE! Both have flown by for me.

Well that's about it. I'm sure my notes were not complete but this has turned into a long post!
We love you all that keep up reading about Jed's Mission! Thanks and I hope you all had a wonderful Christmas! We did!

E AÍ COMPADRES!

My FAMILY...I AM GOING TO BE ONE YEAR OLDER!

Time is passing very rapidly... seeing as though I am now on my final Birthday/Christmas in the mission... has it passed rapidly for you guys too? I am totally freaking out here!

This week has been good... I have been transferring data to the new computers this week... that’s been exhilarating and very delightful.

Yesterday we had Zone Conference and it set in...I AM GOING HOME NEXT TRANSFER!

I got something to tell you guys... it was divine intervention that you guys can’t come...because I happen to be going home during Carnival... which means lots of wickedness... and that really isn't the best side of Brazil... so we’re safer like this.

I won't take too much time today seeing as though next week I will be talking to you. I don’t have a place yet to receive the call but you will probably be receiving information soon either by way of e-mail or something.

btw I have now passed to buying books. I decided I am going to bring culture with me not souvenirs... WOOT

ITS SOO HOT!

Tell the kids to be good and love the gospel...

Love you... and see you in a very short amount of time... SERIOUSLY THIS IS KILLING ME! 21 years old and finishing my mission... WHAT THE JUNK!?

tchau pau...

Elder Jed Breinholt

Vinyl Discs make great Birthday Presents

Hey Fam,

This week has been a lot of work in the office. This is why... I have yet again done President and Sister Myrrha’s Christmas card, and I decided that I really like Photoshop. I think I already told you guys in my last e-mail but seriously I really like it. I’m totally thinking about being one of those graphic designers. I could just sit and use it all day.

But about the title, so I decided that I wanted some Brazilian records for my birthday. So I went and bought some, and decided that records are totally cooler than cds.

I really don’t know why I titled my last one “goose muffins”, when you said that I really didn’t know what you were talking about so I went to my sent file and sure enough I put that, whatever.

Elder Wilson and I will be staying in the office until the end of the transfer so that makes me happy. We were going to get out but the new church computers came in and that means transferring data from one to the other...woot! It is kinda frustrating but fun.

But my life is good, trying to do the work, and stop thinking about home... but yeah... 2 months.

So I’ve coped with the fact that you guys won’t be coming. Seeing as though nobodies coming, not missionaries, not nobody not no how! (Trivia: what’s that line from?) (I think this warrants a contest! The first two readers to post the correct answer will get a prize! And yes Angela, now it has cooled down I can send you yours. I've been waiting for Christmas when I make my homemade stuff. It will be on it's way soon!)

But all and all my life is good. I really got to send you guys pictures.

Talk to you all here in 2 weeks.

So that’s my life as the mission graphic designer.

LOVES YOU ALL!
Elder Jed Breinholt

Goose Muffins?

WOW, this week has been a heck of a thrill ride. It’s been extremely fun with Elder Wilson. We had a scare this week that we weren’t going to be companions for the rest of my mission, but everything resolved itself yesterday when he talked to President and we’re back in business. WE ARE TIGHT! I’m pretty sure it will be like Dad & Dennis Massey, except we were actually companions HA HA HA!

So you totally made my day by saying that were getting Marshmallow Mateys. Cereal is expensive down here so that will be a blessing. CHRISTMAS IS GOING TO BE TOTALLY COOLER THIS YEAR! Me and Elder Wilson are going to make it as such.

We will be getting out of the office within the next week so I’ll keep you posted just know that it’s winding down fast and is super fun. Sorry it’s short, I just don’t got no cool news.

Love you all,


Elder Jed Breinholt

2 months, 2 weeks, 2 days!

Holy Cow! Can it really be! 2 months, 2 weeks and 2 days left! I don't know about the rest of you but the past 2 years have FLOWN by for me!

Here is an excerpt from Jed's current companion Elder Wilson's letter to his family this past week. I met Elder Wilson's mom MichaelAnn when she found Jed's blog last June. Elder Wilson had only been out a very short time, about a month I think, when she found it and asked some questions about sending packages.

"According to the information that i have received directly from President Myrrha that i could be transfered within a week to a different area, cause Elder Breinholt (my new companion who is basically the coolest elder on the mission) is like the techie guy and he is cleaning up the computers in the office and saving what we need to transfer to the new computers when they get here."

Yea we think he's pretty cool too!

Thumbs up for turkey day with chicken(turkey is expensive)

Dear Family,

It’s good to know that you all miss me in unbelievable amounts. That makes me slightly happy. So turns out that I’m kinda sad about the visa thing, but what can you do.

So how was the pumpkin pie?! Disgusting I bet. The banana cream had to have been good... and the chocolate?!

Today for p-day we are going to have Thanksgiving...WOOT!(I’ll take pictures) but yeah...

Now for a story:

Once upon a time there was a missionary who only had had Brazilian companions. So there he was minding his own business when WHAM he got put with an American... and then the transfer after that WHAM another and WHAM another... so yeah this happens to be my third maybe even fourth American companion. I have had more American companions than some Brazilians in their mission. But it’s good like this when we go home I can see them.

So ELDER WILSON is probably the coolest companion and friend I’ve had in this mission and we’re totally rockin’ together.

We may not stay in the office much longer seeing as though Pres. wants me to finish in the field... so I’ll keep you posted.

But yeah we’re having some pretty neat experiences in the office. I have once again made the mission Christmas cards. This year they turned out better...so be on the lookout for an e-mail. We'll probably get them sent off these next few weeks.

I got the first birthday card from Ben (amongst the cards from the seminary students) and I “Will Run With Scissors.” Speaking of that did you know that when Chuck Norris runs with scissors other people get hurt?... fun fact...

So anyway... I want the man van in pristine condition when I return. Don't do any crazy stuff. But yeah I know its totally random but it’s what I gots...

Love you all and talk to you next week. Elder Wilson has a blog too... elderelio.blogspot.com check it out.

RUNNING WITH SCISSORS!

Love your friend, brother, son, general relative, grandson, and random missionary with a blog on the internet...
Elder Jed Breinholt

Turkey day is a special day it's that day we get ready for Christmas(last call home!)

Hey Fam...

How are you all? I’m doing just fabulous today. Today is going to be short it was the last p-day of the transfer. Which I can give you some news... Elder Cody and I will not be staying together this next transfer, he will get his first Brazilian companion...YAY HIM!

And my next companion is...Drum Roll please... ELDER WILSON... I’m going to finish my mission with an American. That should be fun. I really don’t know why Pres. is doing it like this but what ev!

By the way today we had a barbeque with Pres. and Sis. Myrrha. They said that the visas may have been regulated try checking that I hope they have.

Ok so I’m working till the end... and things are going good. We had some really good lessons this week with some really good results. The cat family I told you about, well the daughter is in full throttle return to church mode... so that’s good. Sis Myrrah’s package got here... and as for the other package, that’s great... nothing else will be needed.

But yeah that’s my life...a great one... full of fun experiences for the next 3 months. It’s winding down quick. Just think that 2 years ago I was mentally preparing myself to work at the day after Thanksgiving sale, at Office Depot.

WEIRD... IT REALLY GOES BY FAST!!!!!

But I love you all and hope well for you.

Scripture of the week: 1 Nephi 17:3 It’s a good one

Elder Jed Breinholt

Pictures...

Attached files:

Me and a pineapple plant

The crew from p-day today

So that should compensate for the short e-mail today

Elder Jed Breinholt

Why Does it always gotta rain!?

Hey Family...

This week has been full of challenges but it's been good.

Let me give y'all the down low and what my life has been like these past few weeks.

Yes it has been hot but now, due to the rain that always seems to fall on our p-day, it has started to cool down. This makes it rather difficult to take advantage of the day. Makes for a rather inconvenient day but what can you do. As for that cats, it's been an epidemic, a tragedy, hundreds of cats bursting into flames when they step out onto the street. Poor kitties good thing the rain has come to save them.

Speaking of that, we are trying to reactivate a family of cat people, they are half cat, half person, it’s pretty weird, I made a tuna casserole for them they loved it.

Ok totally just kidding, but we're working with a family that really likes cats. They actually have 15 in their house and 4 dogs. Now I know why you don't like pets Mom! Mother in her infinite wisdom! But it’s going good with them. We’ve had some very spiritual lessons with them, it’s been good.

Elder Hills name has been changed... to Elder Cody. I'll tell you why, here in the mission we already have an Elder Hill and so just like The Highlander, there can only be one, so his name was changed.

My allergies are out full fledged, what’s worse is that now when I take medicine my nose dries out and I get a nose bleed. I’ve decided to just bear with the allergies, my ancestors did it!

Tell Ben to stop doing weight lifting...NOW! If not he'll turn into a meat head, Crazy Ben! No but seriously, my little bro is gonna be ripped! I bet I can still take him!

Thanks for the updates but BTW WHEN DID OUR WARD GET SISTERS!!!!!!!!??!??!?!??!!?
That’s gotta be weird...

But life has been pretty hectic for me...

The office is also going well, currently I’m finishing up with re-editing and re-designing the mission orientation book, which has been going good. I’ve learned a lot about Microsoft Publisher and realized that I really like to use it. I think we have it, don’t we?

I also have been having a project to clean out the computers. Missionary computers are a mess, transfers come and stuff gets left on the computers, so it’s really stressful with that. I think we just need to implement inventory scans and what’s not in the inventory... DELETE. We have an inventory program I’m just going to see about using it.

Anyway so turns out that I’m also excited to come home so I can try out windows 7, seems to be really cool, it’s got a Mac OS feel to it, let’s just hope it’s more stable.

So that’s been my life, I hoped you all liked the picture from last week...it’s a keeper.

Loves yas!

tchau fam


Elder Jed Breinholt

p.s. The blackout didn’t come down this far!
But Paraguay was out like a light…literally…ha ha ha!

Lots of falling water!

Dear Family...

This week has been pretty good. At the beginning of the week it was super hot and now it has cooled down. It is rainning a lot. Elder Hill went on exchanges with the zone leaders this week. I think it was really good for him, he hasn't had another area to compare to where we are working now, so now he does. It was good for him.

I'm super busy in the office, getting the mission orientation book taken care of. That has been some hard work. But it's given me a lot of practice with microsoft publisher. I like doing graphics design it's fun.

Today we will be moving to another house, a better house, one with a huge washing machine and dryer...WOOT! So that's what we spent the morning doing, taking apart beds and such.

What else...we're working right now with a kid named Rafael. He's good, he just needs to wake up on Sunday morning to go to church.

But I gotta go move. I hope you guys like the picture..so much water!

Love you all,

Talk to you all next Saturday!
Elder Jed Breinholt

Hey Fam...

Happy P-day... Or Pumpkin day....

OK…So here's the DL. My P-day switched back to Saturday because we work Monday, Wednesday and Friday in the office. That means that we have P-day Saturdays but it’s alright.

This week has been alright. We went to an English school. That was good and we got to share the gospel with a lot of college kids, which was good. College kids generally have minds open to new ideas.

Anyway...we have had a lot of fun this week. Elder Hill and I are getting along swell. Elder Hill is speaking the language better and better every day. It’s a blast having an American companion. It’s great that I know after the mission I can see him.

I'm praying for you all every day. Especially about the trip so help me understand about this visa thing. Have you always had to go appear before the consulate?

By the way it’s super hot today, seriously sweltering heat that can fry a cat.

But yeah...my life is good...working hard trying to go strong until the end.

I love you all...and thanks for the family news.

BYU-I with the Eckers... SWEET!!!!! That’s gonna be bad to the bone...

PEACE

See you all next week.

With Love,

Your son in sweltering Brazilian weather
Elder Jed Breinholt

p.s. yes I do know Elder Griffin he’s cool.