Monday, July 25, 2016

Week 77 Ups and Downs




Well, this week was filled with many ups and many downs. We tried to commit as many people to baptism this week as well as going to church. It is such a pain when people tell us they want to get baptized but they don't go to church. It is so frustrating. YOU CANNOT GET BAPTIZED AND NOT GO TO CHURCH PEOPLE! But, we are doing the best to help people understand why it is important for people to go to church and the blessing they will receive if they do. We are working with them to commit to being obedient and go to church so that they can make in time to get baptized the 13th or the 20th of this next month.
  
So we have been working with this family lately...the Familia Garcia Zambrano and they are so dope(the miracle that happened last week). And they have gotten back into reading the Book of Mormon and praying as a family every night. So, we are so stoked for them and there decision to come back to church...hopefully they can come back to church next week. Also we have a lady and a son who wants to get baptized this next month. The only problem is that her husband is really mean and so she is trying to get him out the house so that she can be more pure and clean when she gets baptized.

But, all is good this week and we are receiving new people by the second...so hopefully we can end this change with at least a baptism or two. Please pray for us and our investigators that they can really accept this gospel how it is and that we can have more success here in Laureles. Love you all....hope you like the photos!

Les quiero,


Elder Jensen







Monday, July 18, 2016

Week 76 Fasting For Miracles


We have working hard to get as many people as we can to come to church. Unfortunately, we weren't able to get anyone in church. Everyone got super sick. Almost all of our new investigators that we found or the ones that are progressing ended up having the flu. What a bummer! But, we were able to find a bunch of new people in our area. Remember Nohemy that I told about? Well, we are still working with her and hoping to get get her baptized soon. We are hoping that she can get an answer soon. So, we will find out this week. We have found a new family here, the husband is complicated however. But the wife and son are fired up about the gospel. So, we are working to find a way that we can get them married or separated (again, husband is complicated) so we can get them baptized soon.

We fasted this past weekend to see some miracles in our area and what started out with nothing ended with a ton. We fasted that Damaris, part of another family wants to go to church and get baptized. And she has been out of work for awhile and found a job that might work on Sundays. So we fasted for her that her job would allow her to not work on Sunday or she could find another job that doesn't work on Sundays. And Heavenly Father answered our prayers, and her work schedule will be from Monday to Saturday. Fasting does truly work. 

Also another miracle happened this week. We had scheduled a FHE  for Sunday and were going to invite a bunch of people to come. But, everyone canceled on it because they had something to do or they were sick with the flu. So, instead we went contacting. And this chick came up to us and said she needed a blessing.( that was our 5th blessing of health that day) She said she heard about these blessing through her son who is a less active member. We passed by to see how she was doing. Turns out that her parents are members, they want there 2 kids to get baptized and they want to return back to church as soon as possible. Woo-hoo! God wanted that to happen, I can see his hand in everything that happened this week. I am truly blessed and grateful to be on my mission.

I am so grateful for my Heavenly Father for giving me this opportunity to be here. I know that he is real and the gospel is true and I know I am supposed to be here. As I live out these next 7 months and work with all my heart I will truly see the blessings of my mission. Love you all. Have a good week everyone!

Les quiero mucho,

Elder Jensen

P.S. I contacted a guy in a bus and he was able to go to church that Sunday! Miracles!

Graffiti...
Art every where.
Ran into an old companion at changes.


Monday, July 11, 2016

Week 75 Dios no esta muerto 



Wow, how fast the weeks are flying! I had some fun this week. We were able to teach a lot of new people and get a lot of people to progress in this gospel. We had an incredible miracle happen yesterday. We had 7 in the church including one family! Woo-hoo! And we were able to put a fecha or a baptism date for 2 of them. I am so happy for them and there decision to follow the Lord with all there might, mind, and strength. And as I work in this area will my heart...I see not only the blessings and benefits doing that for them, but also for me.

I can truly testify that God does answer prayers! Today is changes. And the past couple weeks I have fasting and praying for God to let me stay in this area. I feel a connection in this area and we have so many good people that are literally changing my life as they change theirs. Its changing me as I speak. I feel my Heavenly Fathers and Saviors love so much.  I found out today that I am not changing areas and neither is my companion. I have been praying for us to stay here, especially me to stay here and I can testify that Heavenly Father knows us and loves us and He will answer our righteous desires. I love Him. The Saviors Atonement is real. It has worked  miracles in me and as I and as we follow Him, he will always be there. I remember a quote that helped me this week that says, "If we can be forever strong on the field, we can surely be forever strong off the field." 

We have been teaching this super positive sister named Nohemy. She is really interested in what we have to say and wants to learn more. We are teaching her and preparing her for baptism, hopefully for this 30th of this month. The only thing is that she has a lot of questions and really needs help knowing if this is true. We are all doing what we can to help her, but I ask that you pray for Nohemy too. Pray that she can get hear the answers she needs, feel the spirit as we teach, and that we have the knowledge to answer the questions.

Love you guys. I LOVE MY SAVIOR AND I LOVE THIS AREA! Love you guys...hope you guys have a wonderful week and hope that we may always feel his spirit with us. Hasta Luego!

Les quiero,

Elder Jensen






Monday, July 4, 2016

Week 74 Merica

Lessons with members...ponderoso (powerful)!!
What a fantastic week we had this week.....but first before I get into things....HAPPY FOURTH OF JULY! Yippee!!! How fast the weeks are flying! We had an incredible week. We were able to teach a lot of people and get a lot of the members to help. So we have teaching Dessydee and Mirma ( the woman and the teenager who had that had there dad die) and we have been teaching them lately about church and how going would bless their lives and they both accepted instantly saying, "yes I will totally go". And not only did they just go....the whole family went without us knowing. What a surprise that was. Best part, they both accepted to get baptized the 30th of this month. So, we are so stoked for them. As well as this other girl we found, we actually found through a convert and she has committed to reading The Book of Mormon...she went to church as well...and now she is also preparing for baptism on the 30th. What blessings you receive from doing the most simple and basic things. I love sharing this gospel with all my heart and seeing it really change people's lives for the better. 

What has helped the most this past week is we were able to have so many lessons with our investigators with a ward member there. We have been focusing on that a lot because members are able to share there experiences and there testimonies about this gospel. It has really been great to hear everyone's testimony and hear what they went through to make them more successful in this gospel.

I loved this week so much and so excited for the next. We had to drop a couple people this week, but we were able to recover and find new ones to get them ready for baptism. Love you guys so much. Wish me the best of luck this week. I love my mission and I feel I becoming the missionary Heavenly Father wants me to be. 

Les quiero,

Elder Jensen

Celebrating my Birthday with some friends of the ward
A lady in our ward that likes to critic my Spanish

Went to play basketball in the morning, found a drunk guy who wanted to play with us...turned out great!
Help cut down a tree for someone this week