What a Week!

Greetings,

How are you this week? I have had quite the week. It went by super super fast. Are you sure I write every Monday, or is it every day?? Sometimes I forget.

Well this week we did a lot of service projects... I have done more service projects these past few weeks than my whole entire mission. It´s intense. Literally this week was full of service, walking, talking, planning, testifying, laughing, sitting in busses, enjoying life, studying, crying, and a baptism!! Let me tell you about this week starting with Tuesday - 

Tuesday - We taught a bit... I actually don´t ever remember Tuesdays cause we always have a meeting with all the leaders in the branch and it´s just what takes up the main part of our preaching time and brain power. I love this branch tons.

Wednesday - in the morning we moved a pile of sand from the front of a members house to the back of the house. It took us two hours, but it was really fun. Then in the afternoon we helped some investigators chop the grass in the front of their house with machetes. It was fun. We also taught a lot.... I sure slept good that night.

Thursday - we didn´t do any service... but we did teach and eat some french fries for Thanksgiving. That was fun. I don´t even care if Guatemala doesn´t celebrate Thanksgiving, I still love this place.

Friday - we helped put up a barbed wire fence... It was just little and there were a lot of us, so we did it quick. It was super easy and nothing will ever get inside the place.. unless they go in the gate we made. I wish I could send pictures... but the computer doesn´t work... what a surprise.

Saturday - Elder Barnes and I went on a small trip, we went to San Antonio. Maybe you have heard of that place??? Earlier in the week a kid called me and asked me to come baptize him. I was SO excited. His name was Marlon. I never really taught the kid, we were just friends. But when I left the other missionaries started teaching him. It was such a special baptism, I saw all the people that I love and we ate lunch there, and had the baptism. One member gave me this wood thing with a carving on it. I was SO stoked for that. It was such a good baptism. The kid was holding back tears the whole day... and I cried. haha. Then we hopped back on the bus and went to a city called Patulul. There we had a multi branch talent night. It ruled. We didn´t get back to the house until 11:00. yikes!

Sunday - I enjoyed church, as always. After church we worked hard too and taught. I like teaching.

This letter was a quickie.. I think. But just know that I´m safe, loved, loving, happy, working hard, serving, walking, and living without problem.

I love being a missionary and serving and teaching and feeling the Spirit. The Spirit testifies to me every single day that this church is the true church on the face of the whole entire earth. It is so special. I´m here to tell you that Jesus is the Christ, our Savior, Redeemer. He loves us so much. If we keep the commandments, we are blessed so so much. I love you all so much. Have a good week, be happy, and share the gospel with someone.

ps in the baptismal service they showed a video called Small and Simple Things. Look it up. It´s kinda cheesy but I love it so much... plus I like the music.

I love you more than you even know.

--

Elder Jensen

Howdy from Nueva Concepcion

Hi family of mine. How´s it going?   

Sounds like everyone misses me... well guess what... I don´t really miss you..

This week was a good one... even though I don´t really remember much. Elder Barnes and I found a lot of people this week, and they are really positive. We are teaching people better, we are just being better. I love La Nueva Concepcion.

I´m trying to think back at stuff that happened... but I don´t really remember much..

Tuesday - We went to one of our investigators house to help them cut the grass in front of the house.... with machetes. It ruled, and we got to help out a little bit. It´s super hard doing, I invite you to try it.

Wednesday - we worked hard, taught a lot. I love teaching. 

Thursday - We found a family of 6, it ruled. They live super close to our house and only have time in the nights to talk, which is great for us, cause it´s hard to find stuff to do at 8 o clock at night. Everyone here goes to bed SUPER early. 

Friday - we taught a lot about the Atonement. I don´t know why, but we have taught a lot about the atonement and the Book of Mormon lately. Two things that I love to teach about, and two things that make me happy and feel the Spirit strong.

Saturday - in the morning we helped a member with his garage. It was falling down, so what we did was put us concrete posts. We dug holes, shoved concrete down the holes then put up pipes and filled the pipes with concrete. I now have a nickname here.... Human Ladder, (escalera humana). Every time we have had service projects, I´m always the one to do the high stuff. It was super fun and I got dirty.... fotos!!! Then we were SO tired but we still worked hard. 

Sunday - Church... I taught Sunday School again. I love the Book of Mormon. Then we left and worked hard. always.

We found at least one new person every single day except Monday and Sunday this past week. We have had spiritual experiences. My testimony has grown bigger than I ever thought it could, I have such a desire to just study the scriptures all day. I love teaching and I LOVE the people. Right now we are fighting for success, but I know it´s just right around the corner. I have so much faith in this area, and I feel better than ever, (i didn´t think that was possible either). I think this is a taste of heaven.

Also the other day I was talking, and I really felt like Spanish was my language. It was weird and I kinda felt like a traitor, but I love Spanish so much.

I know this is the place I´m supposed to be, I love being a missionary. I love you all so much and I´m so happy you are doing good. Have a good week, be good, be a little better... and I really do miss you lots. Sorry for the short letter... my mind went blank. 

-- 

Elder Jensen

Alive!

Whats happenin my fam.

How are we?? Alive??.... yeah me too.

Well I sure had a good week, it was full of walking, teaching, preaching, and a ton of hard work. Man I´m super tired and my body hurts. But it´s all good, I´m so glad I´m here... it´s super hot, and the rainy season FINALLY ended. I´m lovin it. 

I don´t remember everything about the week, but I will try to tell you a little bit about it all. 

We are finally finding new people, people that are progressing, and I´m learning how to be more persistent. I´m loving this area. There aren´t many paved roads, but It´s fun to have dirty shoes all day. There is a hole in the side of my shoe, so sometimes dirt gets in, but it´s better than water! That´s next on my to do list, new shoes. (dont send me any, too expensive) I just have to be diligent in my search.

This week we were able to go to another area in our district called La Noria. We went there to serve a little bit. Man, was it hard work. On Wednesday we went and started building a kitchen, we put two big bamboo sticks in the ground, then we went out to a place where there are a bunch of palm trees called a palmera. We took a ton of machetes and we cut all the palm leaves off and used the stick in the middle of the palm leaves... we are talking BIG palm leaves, taller than me. (once again, the email system wont let me send pictures, I don´t know why!) Each one of us got about 7 and then tied them together and carried them on our backs to the house.... 7 is really really heavy. There are to be used as a wall, you just tie them together.. we didn´t help with that, i dont know why.. but we didn´t. But when we were in the palmera was when there was THE EARTHQUAKE!!!!!! I was the first one to feel it, we were all standing around trying to cross a river, and the ground SHOOK! craziness. I took a picture right after it happened of my surprised face. It was intense. But here in La Nueva we are too far south, nothing fell down or anything. But us north is all shaky.... plus yesterday there was another earthquake, we were in the middle of a lesson, and once again I was the first one to feel it. We just sat there, the one yesterday wasn´t as bad, but there are just some crazy times!!!! Just know that I´m ok and alive and everything!!

Other great story - Last Sunday we didn´t have any appointments, we were just contacting, but I was a little bored.. I saw a drunk guy talking to himself on the side of the road and trying to fix his bike chain, se we went to go talk to him. We fixed his bike chain and I told Elder Barnes we were going to baptize him. Well... I wasn´t kidding, he went to church yesterday and we are going to help him stop drinking. He really liked church and understood a lot, when we went to visit him yesterday he told me all about it, I was stoked. 

I also spoke in church yesterday, it was good. I love speaking and teaching in church, I guess you could say it´s my talent (and all this time I thought I didn´t have talents!). But after I spoke, our branch president pulled me over and asked me to teach Sunday School cause the teacher didn´t show up. Of course I said yes... I love that stuff. I feel like when I don´t prepare, I learn more and enjoy more. 

I love being a representative of Jesus Christ. The work really is speeding up, signs of the times. I know the only way we can live with God again is through our obedience to the Gospel of Jesus Christ. Faith, repentance, baptism, recieving the Holy Ghost, and enduring to the end (aka the sacrament, and obedience) ((that was all REALLY hard to write in English)). I know that we have a living prophet on earth, and anyone that doesn´t believe it, doesn´t believe that God is the same yesterday, today and forever. He is. He loves us. Even in the hardest times He helps us more than we realize.

I love you so much, Dad, Mom, Kelsey, Corey, Brookie, Elder Jensen 2.0, and Oakley. I miss you all so much, Be good this week, and don´t worry about me.

ps this week some member gave us Tacuasin... it´s like a rat, but the size of a small dog... and I ate it. yum

-- 

Elder Jensen

Earthquake in Retalhuleu Guatemala

ONE YEAR MARK!

What´s cookin....

Well, sounds like you sure have had quite the week and will have one heck of a week starting at about 5 today. 

This week was also a good one for me. Here it goes - 

Starting with Wednesday, cause I don´t remember Tuesday

W - We went far far away to this one place called Las Trochas. The lady that I mentioned last week that we had lined up for this week to get baptized lives there. So we went, some members gave us lunch, we played a little soccer with the kids, I rolled my ankle, and it´s still swolen, and we taught this lady named Mildred. We challenged her, she said yes, we set up a time for the baptism, and did the interview right then and there. It was super fast, and super awesome. She had been to church 8 times and been listening to the missionaries on and off for about a year. That´s why it was so easy.

Th - We went to Mazate (my old zone) for a meeting with president. It was rockin. The first thing that he said to us, "Stand up if you have a character like Christ." He talked a lot about how we always have to follow Christ and be like him and we will have success and always have the spirit. I loved it. We were there till about 1 or 2 then got back to our area and went out to work. 

F - My one year mark!! crazy huh?? We served a family, chopped some grass with a machete (super hard), and cool story time ---- We were paying our laundry lady, and a kid rode by on his bike and asked our laundry lady´s husband if he wanted to buy an iguana for 20 Quetzales. He said yes then invited us over for dinner that same night to eat iguana. IT WAS SO SO YUMMY!!!!!! Tasted a lot like chicken but a little more peppery... yum.

S - We had the baptism of Mildred and her kids, it sure was one to remember. First of all, she has a daughter that is 8 years old, but looks like she is 5. She almost drowned in the water so I had her stand on my foot as it was inclined up. haha then after that she was just floating there, so I just pulled her over to the stairs... everyone laughed. haha. then we baptized the other two kids and then Elder Barnes baptized the mom..... but she wouldn´t go completely under. We lost count, but I think he had to do it 6 times. Then I got in there and did it twice. Finally I just pushed her down. It was intense... but she got baptized. Then we went to another area in the zone where there was a multi branch talent night. It was super rad and me and another Elder in the district did an act. We also ate cow stomach for lunch!

Su - not much happened, we helped a drunk guy fix the chain on his bike then we took him home and found out that his daughter had been to church once with other missionaries (God works in mysterious ways)

I wish I could send pictures, but the computer won´t let me.

Just know that I love you, I love being a missionary, and I love the gospel. I know it is the truth and will help us reach exaltation. I know that Joseph Smith was a prophet of God to restore the true church here on earth. I have absolutely no doubt of that.

Pray super hard for Miguel Angel and Rosemary, the most awesome and positive family I have ever taught on my mission. I love them so much!!!!!

I love you and miss you.

Elder Jensen