Hello, family!!!

Okay, okay, this letter will be a good one. I know I don’t really tell you a lot, but it is because it is the same every day and it isn’t really important stuff. But, you want more, I will write me in the 25 minutes I have.

I have officially survived my first 6 weeks or my first cambio in the mission field!!! It has gone fast and it is crazy. It has been hard, but I am learning little by little that I can do this with the help of Jesucristo. I am loving the work more and more. Which is great.

-- After emailing you all, we played futbol in the pouring rain at the stake center. Mondays are always super chill and good, and for some reason, most of the time it rains. Like today it is overcast and drizzling. But other days we walk in 100-degree weather. It is great. I love it. And I definitely have the missionary tan going on.

Hermano Isaias is doing great. He only has gone to church 2 times but he wants to be baptized this Saturday and he is ready to do it. So, we are going to teach him one more time tonight and see how we feel and if he really has a testimony and then we are going to call President Calderon to get permission since here in the mission our investigators need to go at least 3 times. The lessons with him are really spiritual and powerful, and he has invited his neighbors to listen to us. They are great and have questions that bring the spirit. Hermana Rosa, his neighbor, really wants to be baptized, but she knows it is unlikely since her husband works in the campo... I don’t know where this place is or what work is being done there but tons of the men here work there it makes it hard to teach and find people since we cant teach a woman alone... And he is also Buddhist (He is a Japanese man that speaks only Spanish) and so he doesn’t believe in civil marriage. But we have taught her about prayer and she has hope that one day it will happen.

I officially baptized someone! A little 10-year-old shy girl, Blanca!! My first baptism. I was really nervous and she was even more. The baptismal font water was super dirty, brown even, but whatever. I have a hard time remembering peoples names her since they can have like 5 different names. But, I did it and now I know what to do to expect and how to do it better next time.

Elder Chub and I always sing a special musical number at the baptism and every time, even though we don’t have the best voices, it sounds so great and the spirit just comes rushing in.

Letters and packages take 3 weeks to get here. You can send them and if you put stickers of the Virgin Mary on the package, no one will open them since the Catholics basically worship her.

Here there are Catholics, Jehovah Witness and Evangelicals. They are sometimes hard to talk to but we knock on every door. The people here are super nice and they like to listen to the word of God, just not act. We just need to find more people who the Lord has prepared.

For my feelings, every day is the same. I wake up for a new day, study and pray. For a while there, I was really struggling. I just wanted to be in America where there is air conditioning. I am happy now though. Ya, this is difficult as ever, but I am happy. Right now, I am learning to have faith and trust that God is with me.

My Spanish is coming along well. I can understand like 97% of what people say and I can speak pretty well, but I lack confidence in my Spanish sometimes, or I want to say a phrase or how I would say it in English, but it doesn’t work like that so sometimes the people are confused, but they are nice and understand that I am still learning. I have found people here who speak English and it is weird talking to them, I cant do it, my English is all broken and stuff. So I will just stick with my mission language.

More pictures. I bought a battery charger for super cheap here. So, more pictures, always!

Tonight, we will have 2 FHE lessons, one with Hermano Isaias and his large group and the other with Hermano Pablo, the grandpa of Serjio and Adimar the two other kids that we are teaching for baptism this Saturday.

I know I am here on the Lord’s errand and while it might be the same day in and day out,

 Talk to you next week! I love you all so much. Do better this week than last and don’t worry about me.

I LOVE YOU!!!!

Hello my family!

It has already been two weeks since my last email! Where has the time gone!!! Freak, I love you and thank you for your emails of love and for your prayers. 

Mom... Every once in a while people get packages and letters, but not a ton. But people do get them. Don’t worry about buying contacts, I don’t need nor want them. 

So this week has been good. We knocked on tons of doors and we found some people. It is hard to get these people to do anything because they are used to the Catholic way, but there are people. 

We are teaching three little kids. Serjio, 14, Edimar, 9 and Blanca, 10, and they will be baptized this Saturday! 

We found Hermano Isaias, who has been prepared by the Lord. He is ready to be baptized, but only needs to go to church 2 more times. It is crazy, Elder Chub and his companion knocked on their door before and nothing. But this time, we found Isaias and because of him, he has invited his daughter, her husband and his neighbors to listen and learn. 

They are progressing, but they need to be married first. Almost everyone here just live together and have kids. Crazy. 

Teaching by the Spirit has been great. Teaching in general is great. I love sharing my love for the gospel with these people. 

Here are some pictures for you. My room and house, what it looks like here and me and some Elders this Saturday. 

I have been praying to be able to forget myself and God has allowed me and is helping me do it. I am soooo much more happy here and even love the rice and the food. The heat is great and I LOVE IT:

I am happy. I don’t need anything, but if you feel like it, you can handwrite me a letter or send me a package. It is up to you. I will be sending letters next week... I am sorry... I forgot them. They are at my house. I am not sure how long it takes to get to you, but whateves. I LOVE YOU!!!

Your son and brother, 

And Bolivian...

Elder Jensen

Okay, the pictures might not come. But, know that I tried! I love you!

Montero Bolivia

Finally I get to write you and read all of your emails! It is wonderful to hear and see tons of pictures of my cute 6 month old neice and of my crazy brother in Guatemala!

Sorry, I didnt write last week. I hope you weren't too worried about me. We had a combined activity (playing futbol and eating lunch) with another zone and it went a little long. And then when we finally came to the internet cafe, all of the internet in Montero was down. And because we didnt have much time left, we couldnt wait for the internet to be back up.

Also, I wont be able to email you next week either. In Bolivia, the 10th, 11th, and 12th of February is Carnival, and we are locked in our house all three days. It is really bad. Elder Chub says there are just drunks everywhere, people breaking the law of chastity in the streets and just bad things. And so we will stay in our house for three straight days. 

I am slowly learning that the Lord didnt call me here to be the perfect teacher or to know Spanish right away, or even to work nonstop until I just dont want to be here anymore. No, He called me here for a reason, that He could shape me into the man I need to be. In my weaknesses, Heavenly Father called me to be His servant. 

I am happy when I am teaching the Lords children, my brothers and sisters here in Bolivia, the other times, I am not going to lie, it is hard. I just think about myself, and when our investigators dont keep their committments, Satan says to me, you arent even doing any good here, you are just wasting your time. Go home. 

But, this week especially, I have learned that I can do this work. That I can be here for 2 years and that I have to be. I have to do this hard work.

Mom- I dont wear my glasses, only at night. I still dont like them and I have just been wearing my contacts for 2 months. That way, I will have the ones that I have for 2 years. Not a problem. 

It has been raining here quite a bit, which I love. It just downpours and we just knock on talk to people as we are sopping wet. 

Yesterday was rough. We have people that we teach and they understand and are recieving answers and they feel good about the things we teach, but no one ever comes to church.. Why cant they just act on this faith that they have?

We are teaching a pair of twins, a boy and a girl, 17 years old born on my birthday. They are great, and the lessons are going really well. The boy, Jonny, used to laugh at my Spanish, but now he just listens and is good during our lessons. But, his parents died just in December and I was thinking about them, and how they must be praying for me and Elder Chub. That we can teach their kids the truth. 

It just hit me hard as we were teaching them, how many people truly must be praying for the missionaries right now. Every temple, every apostle, tons of people, both on this side and on the other side of the veil. Its incredible!

I know that I am supposed to be here, and I know that I can do this work! This week, I am going to try and dig in, pull of my socks to my armpits and not let go.

Thank you for your support, always. Dont worry about me. I am doing the Lords work. I am happy and healthy and protected by an Almighty God!! 

I love you all with my entire heart!

I will talk to you next week!

P.S. I am sorry that I dont answer all of your questions. But, it is hard to remember them all. So, just be happy with this. Haha.

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!

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!

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.