Tuesday, February 25, 2014

Well, that week went by so fast... As did that hour and a half that I was emailing everyone. 

I am so sorry about Tammy. But I know we will be able to see eachother again. Death holds no power, thanks to Jesus Christ. We will be together again as a family. I know that. I know the Lord has a plan that we will be happy forever. 

My time is just about up. I am sorry that I didnt have enough time to write my weekly email that I usually write, but I hope the individual emails that I wrote to a couple of you will make up for the difference. 

Next week, I wont be able to write you all, since it is Carnaval here again... Sunday, Monday and Tuesday I will be locked up in my house. I will talk to you in two weeks from now then. 

I love you all so much. The Lord lives. He loves us. He is rooting for us, and wants us to come back to his presence. Keep doing good things, and as Doctrine and Covenents says in spanish--- Since I dont remember how to say it in English --- No os cansais de hacer lo bueno. 

Just Keep Swimming-.- And Just Keep Praying. 
I love you all!

TO DAD:
I always love your messages. Thanks pops for the pick-me-up. I love
you so much.

I hope you know how much I look up to you. You are the reason that I
left in the mission, and your example has kept me here in the mission
when times were tough. Thank you so much dad, for everything you
taught me, whether it was said by word or by action, I learned so much
from you and I honestly want you to know that I am so grateful for
everything that you have done and just for showing me how to be a man
of God.
When I was little, I used to think that when one gets older, we no
longer have problems or temptations or hardships. You were always so
happy and so faithful that I thought that there is no way that satan
tempts you.
Thank you for being strong in the gospel and showing me how to be a
man of God. Now that I teach to families about how to be happy, I
think a lot about how one day I will be a dad, and I think that would
be the best, if I could follow your example and be like you- A man of
God.

Thank you so much dad. I love you so much.
Keep on doing what you are doing. I promise you that the Lord is
mindful of you... He loves you. He is pleased with the great job you
did with your family and that you continue to do.

I love you and miss you so much.

TO MOM:
Tell Brooke and Corey and Oakley I say hi and that I love them!

I am so sorry mom. When did you hear that she died?

I know that you know, but arent we so blessed to know that we will see
our loved ones again. That death holds no bond on family ties. That
families are eternal and that now, your sister will have the
opportunity to accept Christ as her savior. Tammy may not have lived
her life like the Lord would have had her live, but now she will know
as you know that the Lord lives. That Christ is our savior and that we
need to have faith and repent and be baptized.
One day, our family will do the temple work for Tammy, so she can be
with us in the heavens. Isnt it amazing, the truth that the Lord has
given us?

There is a Mormon Message that I like a lot...
https://www.lds.org/pages/mormon-messages?lang=eng#until-we-meet-again


I love you mom and I know that we will see Tammy again. And she will
be with us up there, in heaven.

Stay strong mom. Even if you feel helpless, there is a lot you can
do... You can share your testimony with your family... Invite the
missionaries to talk to your family members that are hurting right
now... Just an idea... The Lord prepares the people hearts, and maybe
now they will listen.

I love you mommy. 

Monday, February 17, 2014

Baptism Photos


Fotos!!!
The baptism of the Loayza family. 

My best friend and companion, Elder Avila and I with Ice Cream and Pizza Flavored Pringles. We were adventurous and make weird experiments with things.... We also made Coke Floats with the Ice Cream. 

The little boy of the Family Loayza that was my best buddy. For their baptism, the Loayza family all showed up in white shirts and ties, even the 3 year old. He wanted to put on my companion´s name tag so he could be a missionary too. 

A picture of the little party that we had after the baptism with the members of the Abundancia ward.



Hello there everyone!!! 

This week was a sad one, and also a happy one. 

Tuesday, we had the Baptism of the Loayza family. They were so great and all showed up on time and in white shirts and ties. They were so excited to wear their new clothes that their mom bought them. 
The baptism was really good. They were really nervous about being under water, but they got baptized with little problems... Just one of the boys (Julio) kinda freaked out under the water and elbowed his dad in the nose. His nose started to bleed a bit, but everything was good. 

After the baptism, we had a little party to celebrate with the loayza family. We had soda, chicken empanadas, and cake. It was really great. The ward members were super happy and everyone was laughing and just having a good time. But, when it was time for my companion and I to go, they got sad. They knew that I would be leaving that night. They all hugged me and thanked me for everything. The second consejero... of the bishopric dedicated a song to me, that was sung to him on his mission. He is a really old guy without any teeth or a good voice, but he sang a song about missionary work and how much our joy will be in heaven with the people that we got to know here in the mission. It may not have been the best voice, but it meant a lot to me. 

Then, we got home. Our District Leader called and told me that I would be going to the Cañoto stake again (I was here about a year ago), but in a different area, in the barrio Guaracal. My companion´s name is Elder Revolorio. He is from Guatemala, Guatemala City. He has 3 months in the mission, is a little serious, but a good guy. We live in the top floor of an apartment building with 5 other missionaries. The house is the best in the entire mission and I love it. 

Anyway, that is all for this week. I am excited for this new ward and new start to begin working with a new ward and a new companion. I miss my old companion, since we got a long so well, but it is always great to change. 

I love you all so much. I know I am doing what the Lord wants me to do and I know He has his hands in our lives.  He loves us and wants us to be happy... We just have to go to Him and do the things the way He wants so we can be truly happy. 

Until next week!
-Elder Jensen

Monday, February 10, 2014

Things Become Sweet

Hola, mi familia! How are things going out over there? I hope everything is going great and you guys are just having a great time.
My week was great!!!
We were really nervous to find out if Brother David Loayza would be able to baptize his family, but after having his interview with the bishop, we got the green light. He is so great. He is pulling his family along, teaching them and just is filled with excitement for their baptism tomorrow (Feb 11 at 7:00 my time). We still had to teach about the Plan of Salvation this last week so the rest of the family could pass their baptismal interview with my district leader. We taught it and David helped us teach and was just so great and the spirit was strong as we testified of eternal families. 
Then later in the week, we had the baptismal interview with the Loayza family and they had a couple questions, but they understood everything and passed... Which means, everything is ready for their baptism tomorrow!!!!!!!! Hurray!!! I want to come back here in a year to go through the temple with them. they are so great. I will send you all a picture of them next week.
We also started teaching Jesus Aguilera and her daughter, Noami Romero. They are a wife and a daughter that the missionaries we teaching a long time ago and they never got baptized. But now, Elder Avila and I think that this is their time to be baptized. We taught them about the Gospel of Jesus Christ and the daughter opened up her heart and started crying, after knowing that she can start over again, be clean and be before God without sin. It was so great.
Good things are happening in Abundancia. It was tough, but it seems like the Lord wanted to teach me a lot of things here in this area before we started seeing miracles, but now that I have learned and I have repented and changed the way I was doing things, He is pouring out His spirit and making the work and the gospel sweet for me.
I know the church is the true church of Christ. I know it with everything that I am. I will testify it to all that will listen. I know that the things that we do in the church a lot of times appear boring or like a great sacrifice, but when we come closer to Christ, the sacrifices and the hardships are more easier and we will want to become like Christ- leaving behind whatever it is that is stopping us. I have felt that here in the mission and I have felt that now things that I used to just go through the actions- prayer, scripture study, church assistance, and everything else- are now my favorite things and just like in the Book of Mormon tells us in 1 Nephi 8, the gospel is sweet and it is so much better than anything there is in the world.
I know I didnt write much, but I ran out of time... i will send pictures and more stories next week!
Bye!
Until next week!
-Elder Jensen

Monday, February 3, 2014

February 3

Hey there everyone! I am still here. Alive and doing well.
So, some exciting things are happening.
1- New companion- Elder Avila from Arizona. 
Last week, I told you all that I was in a trio with Elder Colque and Elder Avila. So, on Tuesday night, we went to the mission offices to drop Elder Colque off so he could go to his real mission- Venezuela Barcelona. So, Monday and Tuesday basically he just wanted to go around to the members and investigators and say good bye and everything. So, that was fun.
So, we dropped Elder Colque off at the mission offices and then Elder Avila and I went back to our house. We had heard rumors that President was going to seperate us, but after talking to President, he told us he was going to put Elder Avila in another area, but he decided not to. So, that means, my great friend Elder Avila is my companion. 
He is from Arizona. We already knew each other really well and we get along great. We just laugh and have a blast while we walk through the streets. He is a great worker. He wants to work and he has great new ideas how to help the ward even more. So, basically I am just super happy about the change in companions. This week, we worked really hard and we are beginning to see great things.
2- The Loayza family- David, Lidia, Junior, Julio, Jorge, and Titiño (it is his nickname... Dont remember his real name. )
The Loayza family are so great. They are moving forward and are super excited for their baptism, of the mom and the three oldest boys. David Loayza is doing all that he can to meet with the bishop, to be able to be worthy so he can baptize his family. It is great the changes that we have seen in the family... They werent married, they werent obeying the word of wisdom and a couple other commandments, but after we taught the family about everything- They got married this past Saturday and they threw out all the wine/alcohol bottles that they had in their house. They are so great and I love to be with them. 
I am a bit sad, because the ward wants to push their baptism back one week, so everything can be properly planned out and stuff for a little party they want to do... Which means, if we do push it back, they will get baptized the 15th, which is three days after the cambios (I am assuming that I will be leaving- since I now have 6 months in this area, but we shall see)
3- The Work
The work is moving forward. The members are getting more excited as they see that we are working hard and as more and more people are visiting the church for the first time. Every week, we have people there in the chapel for the first time... Whether it be through our efforts, or we have had a couple that members have brought so they can get to know the church. It still isnt perfect, but through little things, the work is moving forward- we now have a Ward Mission Leader that is really excited to get to work and we are receiving more member support to go and teach the people. 
Good things are happening in Barrio Abundancia. The Lord is truly blessing us as we move forward with faith, following the words of the prophet... to work more with the members.

4-This week, since my companion and I are both from the states, we have been speaking english together... Which is so funny, because our brains are now used to Spanish. So, we speak english as if it were Spanish... in the same form. Like for example, we were talking about how everyone in Santa Cruz wears really short shorts, and Elder Avila said, ¨Why cant you just wear shorts long?!!¨.... right, I guess it is probably just funny if you speak spanish... Or if your names are Elder Jensen or Elder Avila, but we just basically busted up laughing. 

Basically this week was great. I love my companion and I love my area- I totally wouldnt mind if President told me I would be here in Abundancia for another transfer. Good things are happening. The Lord is blessing us with miracles every day. I love it.
Thank you so much for everything you do. Thanks for the emails and for the cards. I love to hear from you all.

Until next week!
Love Elder Jensen!