Monday, January 21, 2013

They Call Me White Boy

My family!
It is Monday again and I am here in this Internet Cafe writing you this letter! Cool story, huh?

If you couldnt tell, last week was rough. But, my companion and Heavenly Father are helping me every day. 
For example, last week on Monday after writing, I just couldnt help but think that maybe I couldnt do this. Then, we went to eat lunch with the members here. And he was on his computer and he just stops, pokes me to get my attention and then we watch this movie about the football coach making the football player do something that he though he couldnt do, and just over and over again, the player said I cant do this. This is too hard. And the coach just kept screaming yes, you can! Until, when the football player takes off his blindfold, he realizes that he did more than was required, more than he thought he could ever do. 

That is what happens with me every single day. I think, I cant do this anymore. And Heavenly Father yells at me, yes you can!!!

To my brother in Guatemala, Elder Chub and I say que onda! Hopefully that makes you smile and laugh, because it isnt an expression that they say here. And yes, I have told him that you are they.
Elder Chub tells me all the time about the amazing food that he misses from his country and he says enjoy it until it lasts!!

Anyways, I am here in Bolivia. I realized last time I didnt tell you much. So, I am in a tiny-ish town of Guabira, which is 15 minutes away from a much bigger town of Montero (which is where I am now) which is 1 hour away from Santa Cruz city. I like it there and the people are nice. We have a couple of good investigators that are progressing, but the majority of the people just say, I am Catholic, I dont need your church... Which really they do!

Elder Chub is great! He has opened up a lot this week and we laugh and just have a good time while still working hard. He is district leader and he has 11 months out here in the mission. I am only his second trainee, and the first that has to learn Spanish, so sometimes I think he gets annoyed, but he is great. 

I am adjusting well here, the heat doesnt bother me, I am getting a nice tan, and the mosquitos dont really like me that much anymore! Everything is fine on that side, now to just master this Spanish language. 

WE HAD OUR FIRST BAPTISM!!! She is a 17 year old girl named Maria Yamba. Her family were baptised by Elder Chub before I got here and she just needed a few more lessons. Basically, I inherited her as a baptism, but I dont even care!



The members here take care of me. They all know I am new. They laugh, the kids ask what color my hair is, and the Bishop calls me Choquito, which here, means little white boy with blond hair. Fun stuff! 

I dont know what I am going to do with my electronics. Elder Chub says we might be able to find a battery charger for my camera, or I might just have to buy a whole new camera. 
The reason I have a problem is because the whole different voltage thing here. The adapter we bought doesnt convert electrity, just allows you to plug in a converter. So, I dont know. 
here are some pictures for you.- They arent good and I may look like a goon, but I dont mind. 

I love you!!!!! Until next week!

Tuesday, January 15, 2013

Bolivia


Hi family!

So, I am finally here in Bolivia, finally with my people and my country. This week has been hard. I dont know what is going on ever, and my companion doesnt really explain much except that we are going to this place at this time, and I say, okay. 

Right, whoever said Santa Cruz had a mild temperature lied! It is the hottest place on this earth. The sun is always shinning and I am always sweating. The teaching and talking to people I can deal with, in fact I love that part, just the constant heat is so difficult to bear. 

Coolio, on to my companion. My companion´s name is Elder Chub. He is from Guatemala, not sure what city, because I dont understand that part. He is a quiet, kind of serious missionary. A really hard worker, but serious and it makes me feel horrible for complaining and I feel like he doesnt understand how I am feeling. But, we like to do the same things and we like the same movies and music which is great... Gives us something to talk about. 

Okay, so breakdown of this week

Monday- I dont remember... Is that when I spoke to you Mom, Dad and Kels? Probably, so just a traveling day. 
We got to Bolivia, and we met President Calderon and his wife. Very nice, but pretty strict about obedience and stuff, which is good for me. We ate at some restaurant... Which, by the way, I grabbed a piece of meat that someone told me was good, it looked okay, I ate it. Didnt like it. Tasted like cow manure and come to find out... It was cow stomach.... I think that cow still had manure in that stomach..

I wish they had tortillas here or beans but they dont. They have chicken or carne, with mountains of their weirdly made rice and maybe something else. THEY LIKE TONS OF RICE!!! Their rice is strange, as I already said, It is like liquidy still and every time I eat it, I gag and almost puke because they put something on it that just reminds me of that cow stomach... Both the rice and the cow stomach tasted straight like manure. 
But, I will say this. Last night we ate at the First Councilor's house and they gave us steak.... First time in my life that I liked it.. The flavor, still had a problem with the texture, but ya,  first time. 

Ummm... We teach people, we testify, blah blah blah. 

I have like 15 mosquito bites. Every night, I lather myself in bug repellent by they like my blood too much and they bite me anyway. I dont understand. I always yell at them BE GONE, FLYING SPAWN OF SATAN!!! (If you didnt imagine Ace Ventura there, something is wrong with you)

Bolivia is crazy. It is hotter than any place else and it is poor.. I just need to rely on my Lord even more because He suffered more than I will ever suffer here and that is what I need to do. 

I love you my family. Sorry I cant email more... Or send pictures. I dont have time. I will next week! I love you!

Friday, January 4, 2013

2013


It is now 2013 and we are all alive! Oh, happy day!
 
Sorry I didnt write on Tuesday, since it was New Years the temple was closed and they switched my P-Day to today.
The Peruvians know whats up with New Years, they dance, hang out and party all night with tons and tons of loud, crazy fireworks. It was like that on Christmas too. Most of our teachers partied all night, went home changed and came here to the MTC to teach us.
 
Anyway, so not much happening here, I only have like 5 more days in this place and then they will ship us out to Bolivia into the field where I will know nothing of what is going on. I am excited, and I feel ready but, a little bit nervous for this all.
 
Cool story time, ready?
 
So, basically, I already have had a baptism... Kinda. My second week here, we went proselytizing and my companion and I found this girl who wasnt a member but here family was. She just didnt feel like it was important for her as a 16 year old and she never read the Book of Mormon. Anyway, so she was the only lesson we actually taught that day, with me just saying my testimony and not much else.
Then, the week after, my companion and I went out and we were given addresses of people to go teach and no one was home, so we thought to ourselves lets go teach that one girl. We had her address and we were close by her house, so we went and taught her again. I was forced by my companion to give half of the lesson, and it went well.
Fast forward a couple weeks to last P-Day, we were at the temple and the teacher that we were proselytizing with was just randomly there, and he stopped me, saying in super fast Spanish something that I did not understand. I asked him to repeat and he told me:
Elder Jensen, that very last girl that you taught, got baptised this week! So great job!
 
WAIT WHAT??? Haha, oh my goodness! I was so shocked and so happy for this 16 year old girl that she made the committment!
 
Ya, that is just me, getting people baptized when I am still in the MTC. 
No, I am totally just kidding. There is no one else to give credit to than the Spirit of the Lord. But, amazing experience to just have a tiny part of.
 
Lets see...
More earthquakes. They are common here and we just basically ignore them.
 
Dad told me that Chase said that Bolivians speak in vos form. I am starting to doubt that you know anything, Chase. I have asked the people here, and there is a native elder here from Santa Cruz, and they all say no. The only weird thing that Bolivians do is not really say the ending of the word.
Entonces, Chase is wrong and is just in dumb Guatemala and I am in the best country in the world, so there.
 
Also, the native Bolivian said that the people there are super nice, humble, easy to talk to, and super accepting of the word. Also, fun fact for you, there are fruit trees every where on the street that just grow natural fruit and you can just pick it off and eat it.
 
What else happened?
Other than the fact that after today, I wont be able to go through the temple again for two years. That is crazy.
Nothing much else.
 
Let me know what is going on and all.
I love you so much and I know that this is where I am meant to be, even though it is the most difficult thing I have ever done and I dont even really know Spanish, and everything. But I am supposed to be here.
 
I want you to know, that you are loved by an Almighty God, who is out there (somewhere), that knows your pain, knows your problems and just wants you to come unto him and do what He says in His scriptures.
Just think of it, an all-powerful, all-knowing God in Heaven knows you personally and loves you unconditionally. He sent His son to die and take on the sins of the world just so you could return to Him.
Please, never forget or take for granted this amazing blessing we have been given.
 
If you were having troubles with being obedient, start today. It is a new day. A fresh new start to be obedient to Him.
Pray for strength and He will come through.
 
I love you all and I pray that God is with us all!
-Elder Jensen

Happy Christmas!


My family!
Happy Merry Christmas!!! It definitely doesnt feel like Christmas, or look like Christmas. It is just super hot and all Peru like.
 
I only have 30 minutes to email ya, so if you read this jump on and email me.
 
Last night, we watched an MTC devotional from Elder Holland about not going back to our old life. We have to change and we cant go back, as Peter did, to fish. We have to constantly better ourselves and feed the Lords sheep with this everlasting gospel that we have. As we watched, feelings of love and comfort came to me from the only person that knows me better than I do, my Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. I can do this thing and I can be an instrument in His hands. And so can you. Joseph Smith has said in one of the restoration movies that you could say that our religion is being kind. And love. Just love those around you and you will be right where God wants you and He will direct your paths.
 
I miss you all so much. I love you and I cant believe that I have already been out here for 2 months. It is just crazy.
 
I think of you all the time.
Merry Christmas and may God be with you until we meet again.