Just Love It

Well hello there family. How are you??????

Guatemala is just fine and dandy. I love it here so much and I love
the people more than.... lots of things. I just love it.

This week was good. I don´t remember much of it. I think there are
only three days in the week. p-day, Thursday (weekly planning), and
Sunday. Holy cow time sure does fly. I can't believe I almost have 5
months. Wanna know a miracle???? I have been learning and speaking
spanish for 5 months, and I'm really proud of myself. I know A LOT of
spanish and I can say just about anything and understand a lot too!
It's still toughish, but I have been blessed so so much with the
language! Isn't it crazy that I can speak another language???????
Cause I sure think it's craziness.

This week we did divisions. I went to another area with Elder Navas,
mi amigo. It was a good day!!! I love divisions. It's just like a
little change. Changes make me happy. Speaking of changes, we have to
move. Our landlord kicked us out and we have until April 16th. Lucky
for us we have another house lined up. It's right next to our laundry
lady, that's a super awesome part about it!!!!!!!

Also this week we had the baptism of Gaby. Everytime we went to visit
her we would realize how prepared she was for US. She always told us,
"there aren't anyother missionaries like you two." She has met with
missionaries before, but nothing ever came of it. She told us after
the first time she met with us, she knew we were something different.
She says a lot of times she has a deja vu whenever we are talking.
SUPER AWESOME!!!!!!! She was prepared from the preexistence. I know it
for a fact!

This week is changes. I now have 2 changes under my belt, and I will
likely get a new companion. Finally a latino, I can speak only spanish
and learn a ton more. I'm 100% stoked for that.

This week has been kinda weird. It isn't supposed to be raining... but
it is. The rainy season doesn't start until Mayish (word on the
street). We have only seen little rain so far, nothing too intense. I
love the rain so much!!!!

This month our zone was the top zone in the mission, with baptizing
families. I think we had 8 or 9, and our mission had 240 somethingish
baptisms. Sooooo close to our goal of 250. Pretty awesome.

So today we got to watch a movie, we watched Mobsters and Mormons. Go
to the store and buy that movie right now. IT IS SO FUNNY!!!!! Maybe
it was super funny cause we are deprived, but I loved it. We also get
to go to Mazate and eat Pizza Hut and go shopping at a super awesome
store that has everything.

I can't wait for this new week, new companion, new house, new
investigators, new challenges, new EVERYTHING! (well... almost). I
seriously can't wait though. I love being a missionary. Wow, time is
melting away. I just love my life. I hope you are doing fantabulous.
Enjoy the air conditioning... cause I ain't got none, and I couldn't be
happier. I love this place!!

Just know that the church is true. I love it so much.

Plus, did you know that we are blessed with talents to bring others
up, not ourselves.... I like that. I have a whole sheet of quotes that
I found... I don't even know where any of them came from. Maybe pure
revelation. who cares, I love you so much!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Elder Jensen!!!!!!!!!!!

Hola

Hello family. Holy cow I love ya´lls. How on earth are we this week??

Well I´m still good. I´m still a missionary. Still loving it. Seriously though, I LOVE BEING A MISSIONARY! I can´t wait to see what the next two years brings. (well... less than 2 years, but who´s counting?)

Not much of anything happened this week. We did divisions on Tuesday with the Zone Leaders, I was with Elder Horne, in good ol San Luis. He taught me something very important. In D&C 4 it says, "...con la mira puesta unicamente en la gloria de Dios." Whatever it is in English?? But he asked me, what is the Gloria de Dios??????................                              FAMILIES                                  .................. As missionaries, if we have the mira puesta unicamente en la gloria de Dios, we are always looking for families, we are contacting families, we are teaching families with member families, families families families. Only with an eternal family can we even achieve the highest glory of the Celestial Kingdom. Do you wanna go there??? Cause I sure do!!!!! Then of course I always think of my family/cheerleaders. Holy cow we should enter into the Coolest Family Contest one day. WE WOULD WIN!

Cool huh? Wanna know something else great about San Luis? We go visit less active members, and we talk, and they just share with us the most powerful testimonies. That happened twice this week. There are little nuggets of gold in San Luis. Literally. These people don´t have anything, but they have a testimony, and they are so humble. Some can´t read, but they know the church and the Book of Mormon are true. Holy cow I love this place.

This week we have the baptism of Gaby. This Saturday at 10:00 in the morning. Then in the afternoon she is going with the ward relief society to the birthday party of the Relief Society... or whatever it is. Already best friends!!!!!!

Next week, (we are speculating) that Elder Reed is going to change. I´ve had my first 3 months in the field, aka the training. Hopefully I stay in the same area, for at least one more change. I can´t wait to get a latino compañero. I literally love speaking spanish, and it`s hard to do with 2 Gringos. We always forget.

Anywho, I don´t have much else to say this week. Nothing really happened. We found a few positive people, still no families. Still looking for families, families, families. The mission this month is doing really good. We are getting close to our goal of 250 baptisms in one month.

I´m so glad to be here, and be a part of the only true church on the face of the earth. It´s so true. We have the authority of God here on earth. We had the opportunity to give a member a blessing of health this week. She could barely move. She is one of those nuggets of gold, with a ton of faith. She told us that after we gave her the blessing, the pain went away in her head, she could stretch her legs, and the next day she was perfect. That is a straightup miracle!!!! She was healed by the power of God! Holy cow I love this stuff!! I love each one of you. So so much. Seriously you don´t even realize how much I love you.

Elder Jensen

ps. If you are reading this, and haven´t written me, WRITE ME! Right now, go to dearelder.com, and find  Guatemala Retalhuleu Mission (Most powerful mission in the world btw). It´s FREE!!!!!!!!

I love you.

Super Calidad

Hey what´s happenin!

How on earth....... or where on earth are you? haha Well I´m in Guatemala. Wanna know something that is cool?? I love this country more and more everyday. I seriously love it. I always think while I´m riding in the bus about how much I love this place and the people. They sure are great. All I want to do is hug them!!

This week was spectacular. Monday, we ate a pig, like I mentioned last week... It was tasty. We invited Presidente Maravilla and his wife to eat with us. Super calidad. They are the two most awesomest people ever. We are basically best friends already, and we don´t even talk much... we just smile hahaha.

Tuesday we did divisions, I love divisions a lot. It was my turn to leave the area this time so I went 5 minutes down the road to Los Brillantes with Elder Lechtenberg. First we taught this guy that we contacted and he was asking us why there are tons of churches and why most churches don´t even follow the scriptures and all kinds of stuff like that. So we taught him. and then at the end I said the prayer, and he asked if we could kneel, so of course we said yes, and most of the people here pray all at the same time, so he did that. I said amen, Elder Lechtenburg said amen, he said... nothing.... he was still praying.... so we waited.. and waited... for 15 minutes longer he prayed. We just stayed kneeling cause we didn´t really know what to do. Oh man it was a treasure.

Then we go to another lady. Elder Lechtenberg and his companion had taught them only one time, about a month ago. After we said the prayer we asked her if she had any questions. She was like, "how many times does someone have to go to church to get baptized?" and we told her, "oh until you feel ready... like 3 (mission rule)" and she was like, "oh." then quiet... then she just smiled at her husband, and we asked if she had anything else and she said, "I´ve already made my decision, I want to get baptized." So we set the date... without teaching anything and without challenging her. It was awesome.

Oh and remember that family that I told you I found in their area also... about a month ago... and I said they will get baptized..... yeah... this week is their week. cool huh??

Wednesday morning we had a conference with President, a new missionaries conference, where we learned and did a few practices and then ate McDonalds. We had another one on Friday too. Holy cow my mission president is ultra powerful/ultra awesome.  I love him a ton.

Thursday we had a zone meeting and one of our zone leaders talked about doubting. Don´t doubt. When we walk into a house and we see all kinds of Catholic things, we automatically doubt. I´m trying not to doubt, because we never ever know what is going to happen. If we doubt, we are automatically turning off the Spirit a little bit. DON´T DOUBT EVEN A LITTLE BIT!! With God, nothing is impossible.

Friday after the conference, we taught our investigator, Gaby. I was feelin all powerful from the conference and my spanish was super super great. She has had little doubts about getting baptized. but she was sitting there with the Book of Mormon in her hands and was like "did you leave me to read Alma 37?" and we said no.... and we were all confused, and I looked at it, and I have verse 5-6 (?) marked. It talks about small and simple things, so I had her read it, and I just started talking. I don´t know what I said or how I said it, I just remember bearing my testimony, feeling the spirit, and challenging her. What´d she say?? "yes." Cool huh? She is set for the 24th of March!

Sunday was Stake Conference. It was super super good. We were sitting in the backish and I could see over everyone´s heads. HAHAHA.

Then after church I was eating spaghetti, and on sundays I pull out our family pictures so we can eat together. It´s fun. It makes me want to work harder. I can honestly say I will never want to come home, except after two solid years. My companion is super baggy, and it´s terrible. I´m never gettting baggy. Thinking about home makes me more stoked to be here and to return with honor am i right?? Yeah, I´m a backwards missionary. Everyone always just thinks about home, and all I want to do is be here. I love it so much.

I love you so much. More than you will ever know.

Elder Jensen

ps. it´s mango season!!!!!!!

Tidbits of Info

Hello Americans.

This week... was alright.... Kinda rough as of late. But the church is still true.

How bout a funny story??
So yesterday in Sacrament meeting no one was there. We started with 20 members there and it grew to 70. Life in Guatemala.. always late. But that´s not the funny part. I was asked to direct the hymns, which is kinda difficult cause there ain't a piano and you just have to sing the first line of the hymn and then count to three, then everyone sings. anywho, when the second counselor asked if I would do it, I looked at the songs to see if i knew them, and I didnt know the Sacrament hymn, but he was like, it´s ok... we know it. So I was like alright alright. So the first song went swimmingly. (not really though cause I dont swim, (I feel like ive used that joke before, if so, forgive me)) but then it gets to the Sacrament hymn and I just said, uno dos y tres, and start to "sing" (I didnt know the tune haha) Then no one was singing. It was great.. So I just look around, and this lady in the congregation was like, "no sabemos la cancion." hahahahahahahaha so we changed the song right then and there, and luckily the usual song director came. She saved me!! If only JeNee Hutch would´ve been there, am I right?? She would've known what to do and save the song!!!! hahaha

But yesterday was also fast Sunday, and I was hungry. I also bore my testimony, so maybe Chan and I were bearing our testimonies at the same time, just different language!! Who knows. But I sat down and my companion told me I had perfect Spanish. not one error. I used subjunctive and everything. It was really a great moment.

I have been reading Jesus the Christ lately.. I'm on page 600 something. It´s really really great! I´ve also had such a desire to read the scriptures. I´ve felt this hungering before.. but nothing this strong. I´m thirsting and hungering for the word of God. The more I learn and study, the more I want to learn and study and share! Wanna know something that´s awesome?! We have a living prophet here on earth. We got the Liahona yesterday for March, and I already read the whole thing this morning. I wish they would come out with Liahona´s weekly. I´ve already gone through the stack in our house too.

My Spanish is getting better. Every once in a while I struggle for words, but I can communicate like a boss... or a missionary. I love talking to the people, and sitting in their houses. I love the people of Guatemala. I love being a missionary. I´m so so lucky to be here. It´s such a big responsibility I have. I love it I love it and I love you!!!!!!! If only there was more love in the world, am I right??

tidbits of info=

This morning a volcano blew up.. haha just a whole bunch of smoke started pouring out of the mountain. It happens a lot.

Last night I got bit by another dog. nothin bad, it just tried grabbing the back of my leg and scratched me. I was wearing my dog bitin pants too. Those dang chuchos hate my dog bitin pants.

My zone leader is from Tonga, and today he killed a pig and we are going to go eat it soon...

I love you all so much. I love my niece so much!!!!!!!!

Love

Elder Jensen