Called to Serve

January 13, 2010 - January 13, 2012

Thursday, January 28, 2010

Letter sent on January 17, 2010

Como Vai?! How are you guys? I'm very excited to get to write you guys, finally! No joke they keep you busy, like crazy! I'm doing well here and I'm more stoked than ever to get out in the field. Sao Paulo is amazing! It's fetchin Brazil you know!? When we finally got here (14 hours flying and about 20 total) when the plane landed it was like flying into Jurassic Park and it was tight. We met up with 6 missionaries returning to Brazil at Salt Lake and they wanted pictures of us, it was tight. They speak Portuguese muito bein. Then on the flight to Dallas I sat next to a Brazillian Elder who was going home that served in SLC and he taught me some words and cultural stuff, he was so cool and soooo funny! He taught me the word for moron but he didn't tell me that if you mix up the 'a' and the 'o' the word becomes something ubber bad in Portuguese, so of course I mixed it up later at the Dallas airport (while waiting for the flight to Sao Paulo, so surrounded by Brazilians) and the look on his face was priceless. He was like don't say that!!! don't ever ever say that, then he told his companion and he jumped in shock because of what I said. They had some fun with that! The missionaries I met while still at the Provo MTC were awe inspiring.. in a spiritual sense, and I just want it on record that I was in the MTC with Elder Wilks - destined for greatness. I have to go but I have tons more to say.. Ciao! I love you all!
Elder Jacob Romm

Wednesday, January 27, 2010

After a trial of their faith...

Alright what the yay yay, nay nay is going on here people. No response? Okay I'll try it again, I wonder if you guys are getting my e-mails....?

Well if you guys do get these...The CTM is really cool, they have amazing teachers here, and the Lord wants you to learn as much as possible, and we all know you learn best when you're humbled so along with rice and beans, I get a daily dose of humble pie. Usually force fed and on fire, haha. I'm really stoked to be a missionary though and I just can't wait to go to the mission field and actually speak Portuguese. That is gunna take some time though, I'm understanding almost everything the Brazilhero Elders say to me but I can't respond very well yet. Everyone says that there are a lot of similarities between Spanish and Portuguese but they are also very different. I have discovered this to be true. Apparently I only learned the stuff in Spanish class that happens to be different lol. We are actually doing really well in the language I think, though because we taught the first lesson in Portuguese yesterday. Not that we understood everything we said but it was all in Portuguese. We have been practicing teaching in English to try and experience how to teach with the spirit and to focus the lesson on the needs of the investigators which leads me to my story this week. There are so many things I could share with you that happen to me here but this is a pretty sweet one so I think I'll share this one =]. We had our first practice lesson on Monday, and we found out that we were less than prepared...it was very, how you say, soul crushing - I believe this is the correct phrase. So after this we were quite frustrated and talked with our ZL, who is a hired instructor, kind of like the head instructor really, because we don't have enough missionaries to make up a zone even. But anyways this guy is amazing. And we had him come to our room and let us practice teaching him. We had our plan and I started off the lesson talking about God's love. Then after about 5 minutes he stopped us and made us start over because we just didn't know enough about him, like we weren't asking questions or something. So we go again and this time, it was different...I was listening to my companions teach (I'm in a three-some btw, idk if I told you, but not anymore we're getting new guys today, YAY) and I was just thinking, what does this guy need to hear? I prayed that even though it was just a practice that we could have the spirit with us so we could just experience teaching with power and authority just to know what it felt like. Then it just seemed so clear. The guy we were supposed to be teaching was having difficulties with his son and he didn't know what to try and i can't remember exactly what the whole situation was but i remember what i did. One of my companions was trying to explain a story about Alma the younger and I just kind of took over from there and it was totally different, it was like every word I said had its own weight or something and it just came out of my mouth, and as I told him that I knew God lived that that he knew exactly what he was feeling for his son and his situation and I said other things but I wrote them down, I have to go because I have 2 minutes left but I love you all and write me!!!! okay bye

Week Two...

Still no news!?.... What's a mom to do!

Wednesday, January 20, 2010

One Week...

No letter yet... I know I know its only 12:54 but its almost seven in Brazil. I do know they get to go to the temple today so, I will sit and wait for the email to ding!

Friday, January 15, 2010

Letter from mission home

Dear Parents,
We are happy to send the good news that your missionary has arrived safely at the Brazil MTC. What a great joy and privilege it is to greet each missionary as they come through the front door of the MTC for the first time.
They now have companions and are settled into their rooms. They are assigned to a district with capable and caring instructors for language and lesson study. The branch presidents and their wives, who are usually a senior missionary couple or mature Brazilian couple, will soon give them a second greeting. These couples are rewarded in their callings through the love they always develop as they embrace and watch over the missionaries.
The MTC has a full time live-in physician to care for their health needs. He is assisted by his able wife. We are also happy to report that the Cafeteria food is abundant and very good.
Your missionary will be able to e-mail home on Preparation Day after a morning at the Temple. This will be either Tuesday or Wednesday, depending on individual assignments.
We are also parents of children who have served as missionaries. And we have been missionaries who have left family. Please know that we are mindful of you and know of your love for your missionary.
Your very important young person is about to make an eternal difference in the lives of others. We hope you will be encouraged and comforted by this quote by President Lorenzo Snow: “There is no mortal man that is so much interested in the success of an elder [sister] when he is preaching the gospel as the Lord that sent him to preach to the people who are the Lord’s children.”
Please accept our love,
President and Sister Woodward

WE STRONGLY DISCOURAGE SENDING PACKAGES to the Brazil Missionary Training Center.
If you have already mailed a package to the Brazil MTC and it arrives after your missionary has left for the field, please understand that the package cannot be forwarded to his or her mission and will be returned to you.

WE STRONGLY ENCOURAGE SENDING HAND WRITTEN LETTERS. Please write your missionary´s first and last name and district and mail box numbers above the Brazil MTC address on all letters. Your missionary´s numbers are: District (3-A) and Box (21). Record these numbers for future reference.

Address:
Elder Jacob Richard Romm
Curitiba
District (3-A) Box (21)
Brasil CTM
Rua Padre Antônio D’Angelo, 121
Casa Verde, São Paulo, SP
Brazil 02516-040

DO NOT SEND ANYTHING BY FEDEX, DHL, UPS, or other private carriers. We can only accept mail sent through the U.S. Postal System

Thursday, January 14, 2010

Phone Call

I got a phone call today at about 4:30 and he was in the Dallas airport. He was traveling to Sao Paulo with 7 other Elders. He told me that before he left Elder Holland came and spoke to them. He sounded great and excited to be there. It was good to hear the excitement in his voice. He said there were two other Elders traveling home from their missions and they had just left Salt Lake, they were headed home to Brazil. Jake got to sit with one of those Elders and was learning new things!

Wednesday, January 13, 2010

Day One



Jake left this morning for Provo at 6:30. With a threat of not being able to land in Salt Lake, but all went well and soon landed. He was picked up by Aunt Lisa, Whitney, Derrick and Morgan, they went to breakfast and then on to the MTC. Aunt Lisa said he is so ready to get there and start his Mission.


I got a message on my phone from Jake while I was at work, and didn't hear the message. He said that he will be leaving in the morning at 7:45 to Sao Paulo.

Amazing

Jacob will be leaving for Provo at 6:30 in the morning. He will be staying in Provo for a few weeks until his group all get their papers in order.

He received an amazing blessing from President Montierth. I'll update as he sends me information.

Friday, January 8, 2010

Waiting...

We are now waiting to see if the plans are changed. News is that the missionaries will be going to Provo instead of Sao Paulo training center. We are waiting for news of which direction he will be headed on Tuesday!

Monday, January 4, 2010

Roughly one week.....

Count down is starting!!