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.

Feliz Navidad!

Jensen clan!

How are ya´ll? I hope this week was amazing for you and that you are all looking forward to Christmas this coming week. Oh and the end of the world, apparently. Get ready for that.

Just here in Peru, with three weeks left in the MTC. It is so crazy how fast it is flying and how I have already been in the South American continent for three weeks.

This week we learned and spoke more Spanish. We learn more and more each day about the gospel of Jesus Christ, and personally, I keep learning over and over again how insignificant I am and how great our God is. And how we will never be able to pay back the price that Christ paid for us to obtain exaltation. The Atonement is such a mystery to me, how one person would do that all and not be so selfish as I know I might have been.

The native elders and hermanas are here for three weeks each, so the first group just barely left. I definitely found my Latino brother. He is crazy and I am pretty sure he was supposed to be born a Jensen but just got lost on the way down to earth. I love him. Elder Perez. Before he left, he said that he would never forget me and that in me, he saw a brother... He has a special place in his heart for me. The people of South America are so nice and loving, and now we get to have an another group come in and we get to learn and grow close to them for the three weeks.

Umm... We just got back from the temple and we had to sit there for an extra hour because they didnt have enough temple workers to do one part of it. I was dying. But, I got a lot of prayers in to my father. About you all. I pray each and every day individually about you all. God has not forgotten the Jensen family, that I know for sure. We have been so blessed and continue to be blessed.

What else happened this week?

.....

I got an ingrown toe nail... and then I dug it out and now I have a normal toe.

Super fun.

I love that picture of Oakley in the pot. She looks so happy and I love her so much.

Go ahead and send me as many pictures as you would like.

We do the same thing day in and day out but it isnt ever boring and I just love it so much more here than Provo.

Christmas in Peru is supposed to be like the 4th of July in U.S. Tons of fireworks and party and junk. Way fun. Cant wait.

There isnt much more but I am super excited to go out into the field. I still have a lot of work to do, but with God with me, I can do this. And I know Jesus Christ and Heavenly Father are both there for all of us. I love it, I feel their love every day. I can feel your love and your prayers as I am upheld and lifted up by the power of Jesus Christ. There is no way this work could be possible if it werent the Lords.

I love you all and I am so grateful for you and your examples to me over the years.

I dont get to call you on Christmas mom and dad, but prolly emailing. Not sure what that schedule is though.. But I think for Christmas eve we are doing a service project thing at a local orphanage here. I love you so much.

Stop what you are doing right now and pray to Heavenly Father that you may be more committed to Him than you have been. I promise you as a representative of Jesus Christ that He will bless you with more determination and more love for the important things in this life and with even more happiness!

Lima Peru * Earth Quaked

Hello everyone!

I seriously cant believe it has already been another week come and gone. This one went soooo fast and it is just crazy!

 

Some significant things that happened in my week:

We had an earthquake here two days ago. It was the perfect alarm clock since it was like at 6:25am which is when I wake up. It wasnt a big one but enough to wake me up. Peru is crazy!

 

We actually went out into Lima city and knocked on doors and taught people. Such an amazing, humbling experience.

They put us with a native elder and we just all split up and go on our own. I was with an Elder Torres. He was super nervous to begin and kept looking at me to talk, but I could not understand a word the people were saying. We are so used to our teachers who talk slow and ennunciate... I dont know how to spell that word... And the Peruvians just mumble, talk so quiet and so fast. I loved it though. Elder Torres then got the hang of it and we taught like 11 people. It was grand. We go out again this next Saturday.  A lot of us really realized for the first time the importance of this message that we have... That we need to share it with people because it isnt just to make peoples days better or easier to bear the challenges of the world... but it is for the eternities. It is just incredible. I love this gospel that we have.

 

We learned some Spanish, taught some investigators, ate some Peruvian food, went to the bathroom a couple of times, played some Volleyball and futbol. Umm... We had a Christmas light festival last night when they turned on the lights here at the MTC. It was grand. We got out of class and got hot chocolate (watered down chocolately water) and some cookies. Then we just took pictures with everyone...

 

Spanish is coming and I like it everyday when I feel like I can express myself. But, as I was shown on Saturday, I will not be able to speak to the Bolivians when I get there, which I am okay with.

 

Something that really hit me hard this week is that this gospel has the power to fill us with happiness if we let it and if we accept it when our whole hearts. And if we pray for specific things, God will bless us with specific things. I pray for happiness every day and it is incredible how I dont stress about things and I am just happy all the time. i love this so gospel so much.

 

I pray for you all every day more than you know. I love you all so much and I ask God all the time to bless you with the answers that you need and that you will be happy. I promise you that if you will try with your whole heart to be better and to try your best to come unto Christ, He will be more in your life. Please, come unto Him. The only way to be truly happy in this life is to pray and come unto Christ. To live this gospel.

 

¡¡Ser Mormon Es Ser Feliz!!

 

I know this to be true!

I love you all so much!

Until next week,

Elder Jensen!

 

P.S. How is the rest of the fam? Grams and everyone?

Tell them all hi and tell them I love them so much

Just on a Whole 'Nother Continent

Hello again my wonderful family!!!

 

I am just here in Peru. I have been here for a week and I love it. It is a lot less crazy and to the extreme as the Provo MTC. It has been good here. In our room, we have two Latinos and us in there. we talk to them and learn so much from them. I love the people here. Everyone is so nice and all of the Latinos are such a great example to me and how I should be. They are so excited for the opportunity to be here and to serve and to be on the Lords side. That is how I want to be every single day.

 

This week, I have really grown to love my companion, Elder Bardin. He is a great guy and before, when I was hard on myself, I was hard on him too. we have been learning a lot of the importance of prayer and so I have been praying a lot to be happy and not stressed. And to love him. I can only say that God has indeed answered those prayers and my heart has been opened and is so full of love for the mission, for my companion (even with his lack of any Spanish), and for the gospel. This really is the only way we can be happy in this life- through this the only true gospel.

 

Peru is great. The weather is so nice all year round and we get to study outside every day so it isnt like we are locked up in a prison. The food is really good. Chicken and rice, basically every meal. The bacteria is different here than in the states so everyone in my district has been hit with a bad case of travelers diarrihea. Well, everyone except me. My stomach, although we thought it was super weak, is doing really well. Maybe I have had South American bacteria in my stomach all my life... Prolly, it could happen. God definitely knew that this is where I would be going all my life. Our Heavenly Father has prepared me in ways that I didnt even realize until now. Its incredible.

 

Umm... Thanks for sending the pictures! I love them.

 

I cant even remember what happened this week. Just a whole lot of talking and studying and learning good things. Spanish, the doctrine of Jesus Christ, and all that good stuff.

 

I love you all so much. You are so amazing... all yalls and Im so happy and grateful that we have this truth in our lives. Because we are so blessed. Never take for granted this knowledge that we have, for those before us, if they wouldve had the chance to live the gospel of Jesus Christ, they wouldve done anything they could for it. Anything. We are so blessed that we have this knowledge that we can be happy!

I love you so much!

 

Nos vemos,

Elder Jensen 2.0