Abundancia

Another week has passed. When I am in the middle of the week, the days pass slow and then at the end, I look back and say where did that week go?

I cant believe we are in the last week of September. Chase only has like 3 weeks left in the mission and I am almost at my year mark.

So, here in the mission, in my area Abundancia, we are teaching our investigators, recent converts and the less actives, we are teaching- not a ton of lessons, but we are working hard. This week was a little bit tough, since even though we are teaching good lessons with the spirit, we arent seeing progress with our investigators. The family Otta Paz travel to see their family in Montero (my first area) every weekend so they cant asist church. Juan and Eunise cant get married right now, for problems with family and they have debts that they have to pay back. 

So, right now, it is just a little frustrating since it isnt going how I want it to go... But, I know that maybe this is a lesson that the Lord wants me to learn- that it isnt my time, but His. I constantly have to humble myself... I have a problem with pride.

Yesterday, I spoke in church, my first time in my mission where I was actually called up to speak in church. I spoke on faith and repentence and how it is important to share this information with others. It was good. 

It was funny. The ward members said I speak like one of them now- Santa Cruz is well known to speak ¨Camba¨ which is a form of really lazy spanish that they speak here. They say ¨Puej¨ instead of ¨Pues¨ and other things. But, it was a compliment that they said that. I would rather speak Camba like them, rather than gringo.

I know that everyone is asking for pictures. It´s just that I hardly take pictures here in Bolivia. There isnt much to take pictures and we dont do a lot of service or activities or anything worthy of taking pictures. Maybe this week, I will have something to take a picture of.

Really, I laugh all the time, because I see the reasons why God called me here to Santa Cruz so that I can grow and change and be a new person. It is incredible how God knows me and how I was supposed to be called here to Bolivia. I am trying to stay strong really, and I hope it doesnt sound like I am sad or anything... Just trying to stay in there. I know that this week will be better so I dont need to worry.

I love you, my family. I know that God is watching over us all. I know He loves us and I know without a doubt that the true happiness is with the family. I love you.

 

Talk to you next week. 

-Elder Jensen

Good morning everyone out there!

This week was not that eventful. It wasn't a bad week, we just didn't have many newsworthy events happen. But, it was a good week.

This week, we had interviews with President and Sister Willard again. I love them so much and they really want to help us out, so they are doing interviews more often, which is fine by me. Every time I talk to them I leave feeling more of the spirit and more of a desire to do what the lord wants me to do. 

Here in Bolivia, there is a holiday that is called Pedestrian Day. It is tradition that they don't have taxi´s or buses going in the center of Santa Cruz. I don't know why they do it, but President Willard talked about how they stopped the buses for one day to make the city better... or something like that. So, in the interview we talked about one thing that maybe we need to leave behind or stop doing to make my life better. It was super great and I love that man. I feel loved every time I talk to him and Sister Willard.

We are still here in Abundancia working with the members and the investigators. Sometimes I feel overwhelmed with everything since we have to help both sides - the members and the investigators. But then I just remember my farewell talk and how I have to just take bites out of the apple. Not the whole thing. I can just do what I can do, then leave the rest up to God.

We have a couple people we are working with.

Felipe - He is a 17 year old kid that wants to get baptized, but his mom is in Chile and he wants her to be there at his baptism. She comes back
at the end of the year, so I think we are just going to teach him and his brother so they can be baptized some other time.

Fatima - She is a reference of a returned missionary. She received her answer that Joseph Smith was a prophet, but we discovered that she and the returned missionary are breaking the law of chastity. So, we were going to teach her about that but we haven't been able to find her this past week. She is never home and neither is her boyfriend, the returned missionary. But, we are going to keep on keeping on.

We have a couple other families that we are teaching. The familia Otta Paz and Juan y Eunise. They are doing really well and want to know, but they haven't taken the time to go to church or to pray to know if it is true. It is a little frustrating, but I just have to remember it isn't my time, but their time that they will receive an answer and do the things they need to do.

Like I said, we didn't have much newsworthy this week, so sorry if this letter isn't super great. I am doing good here in the mission. It isn't as hard as it once was and the time passes fast. I am learning new things all the time. I am seeing how I must be as a dad, as a member of the church, and as a disciple of Christ. Maybe I am not perfect, but I have the Lord Jesus Christ to help me where I lack. I still don't understand why he would help a sinner like me, but I know with my heart that He will always help us. I know that Jesus Christ lives and that He is there whenever we need him. 

A member gave us a CD with Mormon Messages on them that we can use while we teach. I love one of them by Quinten Cook.

http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wz41YxNiHEg

it is super powerful and I loved it.

I love you family. I know that God is watching out for you. 

To all my friends out there in the mission... Hello!!!!

I hope everything is going well out there where ever you are. I am super happy to know that you are all doing great and loving the mission!

This week, I got an email from Krista Nelson about all of my friends out there in the mission. I loved reading their letters and seeing their pictures. 

Whenever I hear about how many missionaries are out, I just think about how much of a royal army God has prepared. I love it.

This week was good. I just got an email from my last companion that he told me
Franz and Julio Cesar got married and baptized on Saturday. I wasnt there to see it, but I am so happy that all went well with them.

This week in the Abundancia ward, a member here was cooking on his stove. His propane tank had a leak so when he lit the match, the gas tank blew up. 90% of his body was burned. He was put in the hospital and was fighting for a couple days, but he passed away. The ward held a funeral and we were invited. 

It was sad, but at the same time, the members bore powerful testimonies of Christ and the plan of salvation. It was interesting that none of them were bawling, but they were calm as they expressed their love for the man and for the peace that the true gospel brings.

I know without a doubt that we will see our loved ones after death. In the church, we have the truth so we dont need to doubt or fear death, we just need to express our love for one another always and to live the gospel of Jesus Christ, because like the members said, we dont know when we will go to the other side.

So, know that I love every one of you. I honestly know that we will be together with God after this life and that this life has a purpose. Such hope and comfort it brings to know that.

Other news this week. 

We are working hard to find people this week. We have a couple with baptismal dates, but we need to find more people. We want to work with the members. The ward here isnt super strong, but we want to help them out. So, we are going to go to work with the members and hopefully, if all goes well, we will find a few Part Family members that need the gospel.

Nothing special happened this week really. Just working hard and getting to know my new companion. I am learning to love him. He is funny.

I love you so much everyone!
Keep on swimming and doing all the stuff that you do. 

Come closer to Christ to find more happiness!

-Elder Jensen

Hola Gringo-landia

Hello out there in Gringo-landia... That is what they call the United States. 

I got transfered again!

We were almost positive that Elder Gueto was going to go, but I got transfered. I am now here in the Piraí stake in Santa Cruz, in the fifth ring. As you get closer to the center the richer and more proud the people are. 

This is the closest I have been to the center of town, so I was super confused and surprised when a lot of people have really nice cars and trucks.

My area is Abundancia. It is a ward. Yesterday in Sacrament meeting we had a little bit more than 50 people. It is not that big of a ward or area, like my last area. The ward is good from what I can tell. They arent super active in the missionary work, but we are going to work with them.

My companion is Elder Condori. He is 21 years old from La Paz, Bolivia. He is kinda strange and he worries way too much about everything. I am thinking he is my lesson in patience. But, he is happy and likes to work, which is great. He likes to do contacting way too much, but at least he wants to find the people that are prepared by the lord.

Since I got transfered, I wont get to see the wedding of Julio Cesar or Franz this week. But, my last companion just emailed me and told me everything is set and ready to go for Saturday, the members are getting more involved there too and they raised enough money to have the wedding in the chapel (it is cheaper in the laywers office). So, I am still so happy for them.

We got to the house and it is a good one. I am used to the house being loud, since I was living with 3 other people and they loved to have fun and everything. But now the house is just quiet since my companion is kinda quiet. I dont like a quiet house, but whatever. 

We live in a house above a plastic chair/table renting place. our house has three rooms and is comfortable. But it doesnt have a kitchen area, so we wash our dirty plates in the bathroom sink. It is great. 

Here in Santa Cruz the cold time has ended and the sun has come out. It is hot!!! But now I am used to it. It isn't a problem anymore for me. 

I love you so much! 

Until next week!!

My last day with the four elders and my old house- it was falling apart and stuff, and had termites and bugs. And in my bedroom we didnt have glass in the windows, so we were basically sleeping outside, but I loved that house. 

Zone Conference and My Twin

Hi there everyone out there reading my letters. 

I hope you know that God is aware of you and there are answers to every one of your doubts or questions in the restored church of Jesus Christ. 

Hi family! 

Monday here again, and it is super cold here in Santa Cruz. It is humid so it feels freezing. I do not like to get out of bed when it is cold. 

This week we had some great experiences and memories. I know you all want to hear about them.

Zone Conference. 

      Our first official zone conference with President Willard and his wife. Oh how I loved it. They are super spiritual and we were taught by the spirit what our investigadores need. We learned from Chapter One in preach my gospel. Then we did some practices to help our investigators receive for themselves the gospel of Jesus Christ. We practiced asking inspired questions and just following the spirit. It was wonderful. Elder Gueto says that it changed the way he thinks; he says it changed his whole mission. 

Investigators.

   Julio Cesar and his family-

            He is fighting to give up the cigarettes. He has been smoking a little every day and so Friday we challenged him to give up his addiction totally and to depend on God. He committed and we also committed his family to helping him. His wife threw away his cigarettes without him knowing. When we went to go smoke, he got all mad at her, but she reminded him of his goal. He calmed down and now he says, I was a smoker. Now I’m not, I don’t smoke anymore. 

   Franz and Mireya.

          They were a reference given to us by other elders. Mireya is the cousin of Wara (my convert) and she is a member already. Her husband isn’t but has been taught all the lessons by other Elders. Now we just have to have a wedding and he can get baptized. He bore a powerful testimony yesterday in the Priesthood meeting about how much he gains when he comes to church. Then he announced that they are going to have a baby. They just found out yesterday.

We are truly seeing miracles here with these people. Friday morning we went with them to submit their papers so they can get married on Sept. 7th. They didn’t have enough money to submit them, since there aren’t many jobs here, but the ward helped us out. Everything is ready and set for both of their marriages/baptisms this 7th. We are excited. 

This week was fun. We worked hard but we also just had a bit of fun. We were joking with our people here about how I was fat before the mission and then they started calling my yellow (for my skin)- They told me I am yellow like the Simpsons even up to my hair. I told them no. And then they started to say that I look like a little yellow baby chicken. We laughed and laughed and laughed. Then, they held up one of their chickens and told me that it was my twin. 

So, here is a picture of me with my twin. Sorry mom, your missionary son is a little yellow chicken. 

The other picture is of me in my area. There is ton of green and some of the paths are just bordered with trees, like the picture. 

The next picture is of my ugly companion, Elder Gueto. We are super similar and we goof around sometimes. He is funny. 

We have cambios coming up this week. We are thinking the Elder Gueto is going to leave and I will stay here in the area Suarez, La merced. It will be interesting, as it always is when we have cambios. 

This week was great, cold and rainy, but great. I am definitely seeing changes in my character, as I am learning and applying new things. I don’t want to be the same person as I was before the mission. 

Until next week then,

I love you.

-Elder Jensen

We're Nerds!

Hello family!

once again, it´s Monday and I am here writing everyone in this Internet place. How is everything there in that part of the world? Everyone sounds good... Well, I didnt hear from Corey, Brooke or Kelsey, but I am sure everything is good. 

This week went by super fast. I honestly feel like I was emailing you yesterday. This week we worked super hard and it was just great. 

Alrighty then, here we go. 

Tuesday, we went out to serve members in another area of the stake. We weeded with machetes, moved a pile of bricks and rocks, a racked leaves. I didnt take my camera, so I dont have pictures of that... (like we say here in Bolivia, van a disculpar) 

We have a couple families that we are teaching... Julio Cesar, who is leaving behind smoking, Franz and Mireya, who just need to get married, and Jose and Maria, who are members of the church but got confused because the 7th day advantists are visiting them. 

With the first two, everything is set for their baptism. They are ready to go, they just have to get married. And here in Bolivia is costs a lot of money and time, which I am realizing that they dont have a lot of here. But, we are getting help from the members so they can get married and then baptism. 

I am still constantly learning. This week, I had a doubt/question where it says in the Book of Mormon that God cant look upon sin with the least bit of allowance. I thought that meant that I as well had to give up movies and songs and things that I like to do that didnt take me to Christ. 

But, I prayed and I have come to realize that following Christ doesnt mean sitting it your room, avoiding everything. God gave us these things that we can have fun and joy. We just have to be careful with everything. Like I wrote last week, we have to think spiritually and have the guidance of the Holy Ghost, that will help us know what things are good and which arent. 

I hope that made sense. haha. I dont even know anymore. My english is bad, and some days, I get lazy with my spanish and I slur it like we do in Utah, and the people dont understand me. haha. 

I guess I´d better work on that. Little by little.

Not much else happened this week. We walked a lot. And then we walked some more and taught some people. A great week, but one without many stories. 

In my life, I want to always do two things. 

1) Be constant in the faith. I never want to leave behind what I have learned or the church. I never want to become inactive or anything like that. The true way to happiness is living the gospel of Christ, the church helps us live the gospel. That is why it is important to go to church and say our prayers and read the scriptures. 

2) I want to always act. 

Faith is a principle of action. To improve your faith, we must act. To show our faith, we must act. It isnt enough to say we believe, we must show it with our actions. This is the biggest problem we face with the members here. It is all just words, and then when it comes down to it, they dont act.

These are my two goals until the end of my life. I know that as we are faithful and we act, we do the things we believe, God will bless us. We will be taught from on high. I promise that. I promise that we will find joy and happiness as we do those things. I am commiting myself every day to do it, and I hope that you all will do it with me. 

Say a prayer, ask Him what is one thing that you can improve, then ask for strength to do it.Then go do. 

I love you. I know this church is true and I know that maybe we arent perfect, but Christ is. He lives and He loves us more then we can think. We must follow Him in every way, maybe it is hard to give up certain things, but little by little, step by step we can do it together. 

Until next week you nerds. 

I love you!

-Elder Jensen

Couldn't Even Tell You

Buen dia a todos de Bolivia!

I have a lot to tell you all so I will just get on with it. 

This week, we got great news. Our internet time is now an hour and a half!!! Which is great. We can write to whomever and now I have even more time... So everyone- talk to me... chandler.jensen@myldsmail.net

If you all dont write to me, I will just be sitting here at the computer with nothing to do, so you all have to talk to me.

This week, I feel like I have learned a lot. I finished reading the Book of Mormon again and this time, I was searching for an answer to a question I have and I have learned with this, that we have to be humble. I have prayed so much and tried to change and I feel like I am beginning to change in my heart. The Lord promises us that we are humble, we will be taught from on high and I know that has been happening this past week with me. I am so happy and I just feel great.

Friday, we had our first interviews with President Willard. I love him so much... And sister Willard. They both served in Spanish speaking missiones (Him, LA, Cali and her Dominican Republic) but they speak like gringos. I love it. Haha. She is from Tennesee, so it is even worse than him. But, we understand them and we love them.

He is so loving and so strong in the spirit. He reminds me of President Wade. I love President Willard and I feel like he was the Mission President that I needed to help me improve. We talked about gratitude. That when we are grateful for the little things - like an american cheeseburger or being able to eat strawberries (two things that we cant do here)- all of our problems and our sadness goes away. I have been trying to put it in practice, and it´s true. 

As for our investigatores.

Julio Cesar - He is the dad of the kids that got baptized recently. He never wanted to listen to the Elders until my companion and I met him and we immediately became friends. He is so funny, but is extremely poor... He makes $10 a day doing construction work, but when it rains like it did this week, all construction work stops. So, he didnt have enough for him and his 6 kids and his wife to go to church or anything (the members picked them up to go to church). 

So he is facing that problem and also, he is heavily addicted to cigarettes. Like I told you all last week, since 8 years old, he has smoked. But we are seeing miracles here as he is leaving behind that addiction... In the last 4 days, he has only smoked half of a cigarette and he told us the flavor has started to change, it didnt have the same effect as before. I LOVE IT. He has been praying and we gave him a priesthood blessing and we are honestly seeing miracles of God here.

Speaking of which, with President Willard and the division of the mission, they decided to rename the mission... unofficially. I am now part of the mission Bolivia, Santa Cruz de los Milagros mission. He wants us to realize that God has his hand here in Bolivia and that even the little things can be miracles.

Umm... I still have a half hour, so if you have questions or want to talk. Write me. I dont have much else to talk about, since I am used to having only an hour. Haha. But, I love you all and I know that God loves you too. 

I know that we need the church in our lives to be truly happy. The church helps us live the teachings of Jesus Christ and when we live the teachings of Him, we will be truly happy. Maybe the members of the church arent perfect, since no one is. That is why we go to church, to be able to improve. The church is the only true church of God. I know that going to church is so important, and if we arent going, we are losing so many important things... 

Something I learned from the Book of Mormon.

Remember, to be^ccarnally-minded is ^ddeath, and to be ^espiritually-minded is ^flife^geternal.

--- Think about the things of God, and we will be closer to life eternal. 

I LOVE YOU!

- Elder Jensen