No More Rice!

Hi there! Still here in Guabira, 1 hour north of Santa Cruz. Still with Elder Chub, my papa, even though we should have had transfers 2 weeks ago, but whatever. 

This week, we had to go to Santa Cruz a lot for immigrations and as a mission, our numbers are really low for our work, so we all met with President Calderon and recommitted ourselves to the work, and he said some other stuff about when Elder Bednar comes Saturday. 

Umm... I dont know. This week I am starting to realize that we cant do everything, even though we have the power of God with us, these 2 years are just too short to do everything that we need to do as missionaries. Help the members, strengthen the ward, find new people, teach, baptize, strengthen the new members. It is a lot to do with so little time and I am starting to feel, sometimes overwhelmed by all of it. Overwhelmed because I know, even if I have desires to do everything, which I want to do, I cant do it. 

But, it is crazy how much I keep realizing that my farewell talk was exactly what I would need in this mission... 

Remember when I spoke about the apple, peice by peice... That is all it is. Doing all we can day by day and then at the end we will be able to say that we did all we were able. 

This week, I baptized Jessica. She is the neighbor of Hermano Isaias and she is a single mom with a little 2 year old kid. She was super nervous and felt really dizzy and lightheaded after coming out of the water, to the point where she had to wait a little bit before changing her clothes. Hahah. But, after everything was fine and she told me that she felt a really warm feeling in her chest. She asked me why... And I told her the Holy Ghost and that this choice was so right and that Heavenly Father is so happy for you. I could feel that warm feeling, like a fire, in my chest too and it is crazy, when we have the Holy Ghost, we have feelings that we need to change and improve. I LOVE IT...

Umm... whatelse. I hate rice. Please, mom, never make rice again. Rice every day with chicken. Rice with everything. we need to change our pensionista because her food makes me have diarrhea. Bleh!!!!

Still here doing good and wanting to work and work hard. Here we go for another week in the mission!!!

I LOVE YOU!!!

April Already?!

I cant believe that is it April already. Or that I now have 5 months in the mission. 5 months!!! What is the world? It feels like forever but at the same time, so short. I have no clue how that is possible, but it is. 

Conference was amazing. I didnt get a whole ton out of it, since it was all in Spanish and the translation was boring to listen to and sometimes I zoned out, but how crazy is it that we have Prophets and Apostles like in the times of old. And how blessed we are. Sheesh. 

So, this week was so so. We had a few hard days not finding anyone to teach and just contacting all day, and then we had a few small successes, like when we brought Christian Claros to the chapel to watch conference. It has been raining here a ton and the streets are super muddy, of course. So, we went to get him at his house, arriving late there because I slipped and fell in the mud... My long jacket thing took all of it, so I was okay. Anyway, we walked in at the last 10 minutes of Elder Holland´s talk, and I so wish we couldve seen all of it, because after when we asked Christian which he liked best, it was Elder Holland´s last 10 minutes. 

Unlike Chase, we werent in jail for Holy Week. It isnt super crazy here like Elder Chub tells me it is there. The Catholics just all got in a parade and followed the cross to the local church. As we left, our house, the parade passed by, and we had to walk fast through the parade, they smiled and laughed at us, as if to say, look at us, we are so much bigger than you. You are just two young kids, what can you two do. 

Little do they know that we have the truth and we have Christ on our side. 

I just realized I might have told you this story already, but whatever. 

Umm... I am definitely so happy. My zone leader just barely gave me my package mom. I hope nothing was taken out. But thank you!!!

I am definitely improving with Spanish and with the gospel. I can actually feel my faith and my testimony. It feels like a firm brick wall that I know will always be there in my life. 

I have experienced a new way of looking at the church. Here in Bolivia, the church is still relatively new and with the old Catholic lifestyle of the members, a ton of them are lazy and still need to have a conversion of heart, for example, I have seen how a member and a ward should be, like the example of the 4th ward, and how it shouldnt be, like the ward here in Guabira. We are having problems working with the members and the bishop, but we will still press on, even with this problems. 

I love you all so much and I am so grateful for this mission and for the millions of things I have learned and improved in these short 5 months. We must press on always, being followers of our Lord and Christ. 

In the words of Yoda, which I need to actually apply:

Do or do not, there is no try.

WE NEED TO ACT:

I need to act, and it is what I am learning right now.

Until next week!
Elder Jensen

Realization Week

So I have a lot to write so here we go.

 

This week was a week of realization.

 

1. I realized that we are so blessed by God to be members of His church. There are so many people here that just believe that it doesnt matter what church you go to, because they all talk about God. It is incredible that even when we explain that we need the true teachings of Christ to be saved and to be truely happy, they still think it doesnt matter. We spoke to a teenager here with his mom and after a 25 minute lesson all about this point, he still couldnt see why we need one true church. We asked, so do you believe that there needs to be one true church. He said yes. We asked him if we showed him the true church would he join it. He told us no, because the catholic church doesnt have rules and the only thing different are the rules of the church. I dont even know if that made sense but, basically, logically he knew the truth, just missing faith to join it. We have that problem a lot.

 

2. I need to be myself. I realized this when Wednesday I had to go to immigrations, because I have been living illegally in Bolivia for the past month, okay not really, we just had to pay a small fine, it is how the church works, and our lawyer. I dont even know the details. But as my MTC all came together to live legally in Bolivia for the next year, we spoke a lot about our experiences and the things we can improve. In reality, we spoke a lot about how the mission is and how our thought processes are different than our native companions. We spoke on how a ton of missionaries just get numbed into thinking that they have to be the perfect missionary, with doing the same things and having the same answers. But, God called me to here, Elder Jensen 2.0 to be here in my area, not Elder Super Missionary. Therefore, I need to open up and not be afraid to be myself and laugh a little and try new things that might work.

 

3. We have people. I realized we are doing better work here. This week we have cambios or transfers and it is more than likely that Elder Chub or I go some where else. So, we were really thinking about it, and I realized that I am doing great for only speaking Spanish for 5 months this week and working as a missionary. I realized we are finding more people. We have a family, Family Velazgo, who have a lot of problems with their family and need the gospel and more love. We have Christian Claros who is 21 years old and has found a hunger to read the Book of Mormon, but has problems going to church, and Ademar, also is 21 years old, who lives alone and needs to know that God loves him. I realized that there are always people prepared, I just have to work my hardest to find them.

 

I didnt get your package mom yet, but maybe because my Zone Leaders havent given it to me yet... Also, My debit card isnt working in the ATM here... I had to go to the hospital and I had to pay with my own money for my tests... I had a stomach infection... Nothing major and it was like 3 weeks ago, but the mission hasnt reimbursed me yet, and I need to buy scripture cases because they are getting trashed.... So, I need personal money...

So, my card isnt working. Why not?

 

Ummm... Whatelse.... There were a lot more things that I realized, but I cant put them in words. I will be sending letters soon so, in like 4 or 5 weeks, you will get them depending on when I send them.

 

Cool. I LOVE YOU ALL SO MUCH:

You are all the best, and our family is so great!

Talk to you next week...

Elder Jensen!!

Still doing great and improving here in Bolivia 

This week was all about changes and dreams ready?

It is crazy how many people believe that they will receive answers in a dream. This people is blessed with this though, as children of Lehi. But not all receive dreams, we have to explain. But, two of our investigators received answers in dreams. One dreamt that her dead dad told her that baptism was the right step for her and her son. Her name is Jessica and she is progressing but she is afraid and timid. 

The other was Maria, she is 17 years old and dreamt that a man kept asking her over and over again what was the Plan of Salvation. She couldn’t answer and so she asked us, the missionaries. SOOOO CRAZzY right?

Changes are happening with the changes of the President in June. We were trained by the area president this week and he spoke that in our area it is possible to baptize without conversion. But, our new goal as a mission is to convert then baptize. It is crazy the changes that are going on. 

I don’t have any more time. I took too long reading your emails and other stuff... But I am great and I am loving every day more and more. I LOVE THIS MISSION and I am learning more of the love that God has for me and for His children.

Write me dearelders, I still get them and anyone can write them 

Dearelder.com---select Santa Cruz Bolivia mission—it’s FREE!

I LOVE YOU

Little By Little

My family! 

Hi there! I am still here in Bolivia, still working hard, still adjusting and still learning to become a better missionary. This week, more of the same things, not much changes so this letter wont be grand, but at least you get to hear my email voice in your minds. 

Okay, some information for you... We have a pensionista, she feeds us lunch every day with some kind of soup, tons of rice, chicken or carne, and sometimes something else, but it is the mostly the same. They are members and live like 2 houses down. Her daughter makes me teach her English some days. She washes our clothes too, but I have to iron them.

We eat dinner every night of the week with members of the ward. My area is pretty much the only area that the missionaries eat dinner, it isnt common. But, the Stake President lives in my area and he basically yells at the members if they forget.

Guabira, my area is small, so we walk everywhere. My shoes are fantastic and I haven’t felt any pain or anything. But, when we have to go somewhere, we take the Trufi, or taxi system here or Motos, motorcycles that drive around everywhere. Everything is cheap here, so I am not mad.

My area is known for producing really strong Elders, so we shall see if that happens with me... And also, really fat Elders since we eat a lot. 

(My companion has a gut since being there, but I have lost weight. He asks me how it is possible, I have no clue)

Dad- no, Hermano Isaias doesnt have family joining him. He lives alone and is seperated from his wife, and his daughter moved away so we cant teach her, but because of him, we are teaching his neighbors. 

I am steadily improving on all fronts. More happiness and joy for the work, progressing with Spanish and knowledge of the scriptures, more thinking about the people and work and less about you all. It has been good and I am glad to be here and to continue to work hard. 

I don’t have many super spiritual experiences here, so not much to tell yalls. I try and find and recognize the promptings of the spirit of where I should go and to whom we should teach, but I have a really hard time with this, but little by little, I will get better. I know I will. I know this week we will find more families to teach. 

Sounds like your lives are boring and only Chase and I are doing fun things. But, here are some fotos, I am hoping for you all!!

I LOVE YOU!!

Talk to you next week! 

Oh and tomorrow is Fathers Day here in Bolivia, so the ward gave us Saltañas, which I love for being future fathers. 

Happy Fathers Day dad, from Bolivia!!!

Four Months Out

Oh, hi! How goes it everyone?

I loved your letters this week and I am so happy to hear from you! Mondays are great days. Happy anniversary yesterday mom and dad! and Happy Birthday, you old fart on Wednesday! I can’t believe it has been 4 months this week since we were last together. Time has gone by fast, but I still have a lot of time here.

This week was a good one, it passed quickly and I learned a lot.

MONDAY- We played some futbol after emailing you all. I must say, I am getting better at this game. We play it every other Monday as a zone and I like it more and more. It helps relieve my stress. The Latinos are crazy good and I just try and help out and do what I can. Whatever.

Tueday- We had to go to Santa Cruz this week since Elder Chub had a training meeting as a District Leader. I just sat outside of the room, and thought about things and studied a bit. Santa Cruz is an hour south from Montero, so not too far. Then, later we taught some people. We are having troubles finding families to teach. We teach people, but the majority of the time, the husband isn’t home. There are people here that don’t see they spouse for more than a month and a half at a time and then for only one or two days, and then he goes back to work. It is crazy, and very annoying because we want a family. I know they are out there; we just need to find them.

Wednesday- We had a service project! We dug some dirt into a pile and then put bricks on top of it. It looked like something the Aztecs built or something, but that is the way they do it here. After the dirt pile, we took some machetes (Everyone and their dog have machetes here) and we chopped down a tree. I didn’t have my camera so I don’t have pictures of that.

Thursday - We had training again in Santa Cruz with President and Sister Calderon. They are so strong and so great. I left there with renewed strength and excitement for this work. I literally could feel my testimony and the joy that this gospel brings in my soul. I can feel in now as I am writing about it. He spoke on the Atonement and the ability that we have to share with these people that they can be freed from pain and sin. It was such a good day and there were Elders from my MTC group there, which was good to hear from them and their experiences. We learned that they will be splitting the mission in July (Santa Cruz north and Santa Cruz south mission) and that we will be visited by Elders Christofferson and Bednar in May! So crazy and amazing and great that we get that chance to be taught by prophets of God.

Friday- BAPTISM!!!! We baptized Hermano Isaias. He asked me to be the one to baptise him, which means of the 5 baptisms we have had, I have done 4. It was so good and special. The spirit was strong and he was ready to be baptized and excited to do it.

Saturday- Just a normal day working and doing well. We worked hard but like I said, we aren’t finding many families to teach.

Sunday- We had Stake Conference in Montero. It was really good and we worked really hard and found and taught a lot of people. I realized that most of the time, I am teaching by the spirit, it just doesn’t whisper the words in my mind so I can hear them, but as I am talking, sometimes I will say something that connects really well with the person. That is the Spirit talking. I know it now. I am still learning and progressing, but I am improving. I like teaching and talking with the people here. Dad, thank you for the advice about the questions! I needed that because I have been struggling with asking questions and stuff. I am going to apply what you said and ask better questions so they can see that we have the truth and that they will think about what we talked about after we leave.

I hope this letter was better than the others! I am getting better at forgetting myself and going to work, which I am so grateful for. I can’t believe Chase only has 8 months left! So crazy! But, I know he will work hard in these last months!

I really love you all so much and I can’t wait to talk to you next week on the 12!!!

Have a great week!

The Church Is True!

Hi! 

It is me, Chan man. This week was a good one. It is Monday again and I am here in Bolivia still. 

Thanks mom for the Dearelder! I loved it. I love hearing that you are going to the temple and that you love where you live.

This week... I dont even know. I feel like I do the same thing every single day. We talk to some people in Spanish and we teach. This week we taught more than past weeks, we are working harder. We have people progressing but not many. We need more for the Lord!

I honestly still have days that my heart hurts to be home. But I am getting better at forgetting myself and going to work. I have great days and masomenos days. Great days where I am happy and love the work and I just lose myself and then the other days. But, without the bad, we cant appreciate the great, am I right?

This week, we are working more with the members and the bishop here to find people and to strengthen the ward. That is the key to this missionary work.

I baptised two more kids this Saturday, and I knew what to expect and it was much better. March is going to be a great month for us. 

Sorry for not explaining last weeks pics. They dont eat tortillas here and Elder Chub misses them so much, so we had the lady who feeds us make these tortillas.. They were delicious and that picture is the last one that we ate. It was a sad moment for me. 

I dont know what to write ever because like I said, it is all just the same. We get up, eat some breakfast, study, then go out and teach. I talk to people about our church and I am learning that I am a missionary of God and that I can be bold. It is getting better, just little by little.

I am sorry that my letters are lacking. This work is hard and I constantly have to work at it, but it is coming along. I like my area and the members here. I dont like the heat and sweating and feeling disgusting, but who cares about that when we have work to do. I know I am learning and growing better each week. 

I know that this church is true. There is absolutely no doubt in my mind that I need to be here and I will be here until the end of my two years. Ya, there will be hard days, but the Lord suffered harder days than I and am I better than he? We all know the answer to that one. 

I love you so much everyone and I am so happy that I know that this life  doesnt end after death! I am so grateful for you, my eternal family! I am going to be working hard this week and maybe, just maybe I will have a good story for yall next week. 

Until then! 

Elder Jensen!!!