Week 91 Mr. Inspiration

Adorable kids that love talking to "gringos"

So, many things have happened this week I cannot even count. Well, we can first start off with a big surprise from our mission this week. Our mission and the Tegucigalpa mission had the opportunity to hear from GA Kevin R. Duncan and his wife and... Apostle Dallin H. Oaks this week! What a blessing was it to hear from them! They gave amazing talks and my heart just opened up and spirit taught me on how I want to finish my mission. One of the best things Elder Oaks said was, that we need to be Full-time Missionaries! "Work Hard, Strive Hard, and Endure until the very end". He said the he knows that if we put in our heart and our committ to this work, the Lord will bless us in ways we cannot even imagine. However, if we sin and give up....there will be no point to our mission. Repentance is not repeating the same sin over and over. Repentance needs commitment or it means nothing. Sometimes we repent from the mouth, and not from the heart. I know I am not the perfect, I do have my faults and my challenges. I have felt the Saviors love and know what I need to do and how to finish my mission not only with honor, but really changed. I have no intention of going home the same person. Nobody does....and with the Lord by my side anything is possible. The Lord has changed me in so many ways these past 21 months and I know if I continue to be obedient and work super hard these last 3 months I will be truly changed. God has a plan of happiness for each and every one of us and during our journey here are Earth there will be discouragement, loneliness, and frustration along the way. But, I know now what he has in store for me. I just need to do it. We all need to do it. He is the only way to be happy! We just need to trust him. And if we do, he will change us into the people we want to be and who he wants us to become. I bear strong witness to that fact. 

My Zone

Preaching while playing

Along with the inspiration we had this week, we had 2 unexpected baptisms this week. I am so proud of Alejandra and Ashley and the their decision to join the church. They will be eternally blessed. I know Heavenly Father puts people in our path to help nourish us strengthen our spiritual growth. I love Him and am grateful He is watching me and all his children.

Alejandra and Ashley Baptism

Well, this change is almost finishing up. We have about 2 more weeks and it be done. And then I will have exactly 3 months left. It is weird to think that Christmas is coming up so soon. I cannot even believe how time has gone by so fast. Love you all so much and I am grateful for your support and encouragement you have given me these past 21 months. Cannot wait to see you soon! Hasta Luego! 

Les quiero muchisimo,

Elder Jensen

P.S. Happy Halloween!!!

My house. No doors!

Week 90 Miracles Happen for Reason

We walk a lot of dirt roads here

Wow, another week has come and gone. I am grateful for what happened this past week even though it was humbling. I truly learned some pretty hard lessons and I know what I need to do to be better as a missionary in these next 108 days. I now know the blessings of true obedience. We slacked off a little this week and wow, I could see a difference from the results we had this week verses the last 2 weeks. I am not proud of it and I prayed for forgiveness. I can see how and what I need to improve upon and what I need to do to become the best missionary I can and what my Father in Heaven wants me to be. The mission is truly a refiners fire. And even though Elder Hernandez and I weren't totally obedient the Lord still blessed us with 2 unexpected miracles. You can't stop the will of the Lord. I would like to tell you guys about this week. 

Remember Jeisy from my last area? And how we taught her for so many weeks? She struggled with her testimony and she prayed and prayed for weeks.  Well, last Saturday was her baptism. I am so happy! Since I was so close to where she lives, my companion and I were given permission to go see her baptism. As well as my old companion when in that area. I felt such peace and joy as she entered the waters of baptism. I prayed so hard for that day to come. I am happy for her and for the decision she made. It is such a blessing as a missionary to see the change in someone when the decided to get baptized. I really feel like Jeisy was one of those that I was suppose to find. One the main reasons I was sent to Honduras. A chosen one for me. Miracles. So many miracles.

 

Jeisy's Baptism

The other miracle is that next week we have 2 more baptisms. 2 unexpected people from Elder Hernandez old ward who had some difficulties in the ward they were going to. Unfortunately, it got so bad they wanted to come here and be a part of the Germania Ward. Some people in Honduras never learn.  Well, I guess we can all say that sometimes. As the saying goes in the church,  The church is true, but the people are not. Alejandra and Ashley will be getting baptized next week. I have seen so many blessing this week. We are still working with Celeste. We are being patient and trying to help her understand the power of the Holy Ghost. We found some other new people to teach and we are hoping they will follow through with our request to read and pray for answers. Elder Hernandez and I will be praying too. 

Love you all so much! Cannot believe how little time I have left now. It is almost a shock how far I have truly come. Still working at it and doing all I can so I can be proud of myself when I come home. Hope all is well. As Jeffery R Holland says: Keep Loving. Keep Trying. Keep Trusting. Keep Believing. Keep Growing. Heaven is cheering you on today, tomorrow, and forever. Have a good week everyone! 

Hasta Luego!!!

Elder Jensen

Week 89 New Church, New Church!!

                                                Fotos de la Semana (Photos of the week)

My dope companion. 

Best district...EVER!

A brand new church building! We are so lucky!

In the bus coming home from P-day last week with my district.

A colony that is literally like an hour walk distance from our house.

Friends who came out tracking with us for the dedication of the new church in our area. 

Beauty of La Laguna

I had fun this week. Its a little stressful because my companion had to make so many calls (visits) because of all the missionaries he looks after as a medical missionary help. Also, there is a sister in our mission who has a breast cancer, and she is going home on Wednesday to get it taken care of. Please pray for Sister Lexus Becraft, please! Hopefully all goes well with the treatment and she recovers completely. So...we have been going back and forth and here and there all week with all the medical things. We tried the very best this week to find as many new people to invite to the dedication of the new church that was just finished a couple of weeks ago. We used have to take a bus to the old church that was like 20 mins from our house, but now the new building is a 5 minute bus ride from our house.  Man, we invited people like crazy this week. There are so many inactives famlies and people in our area. Like almost 50 who have not gone to church in months. So, it was our pleasure to hunt them all down and invite them to come out to the dedication this past Sunday at 10 am. It was tiring, but definitely worth it. The spirit there was so powerful and I could not hold back the tears with all the people that got up to give their testimony. Amazing!!!

This week has been crazy with an investigator we have named Celeste. We went to teach her last Friday about the BOM and the importance of going to church. Her mom passed by to drop a couple things by and left. The lesson was great and the spirit was strong. But, the trial came after we left, we were told. Her mom came back screaming because she wanted to watch her tv show and said ¨if you want to be with the Mormons, you can find a another house to live in!¨ Celeste went out crying and found a place to sit and called her friend (the one who gave us the Celeste as a reference several days ago). Later when we talked to Celeste she kind of bore a testimony of the church and how she felt just like Joseph Smith when he was persecuted. It was so dope! She is alright now and we are helping her to pray for help and we teaching and show her how to feel peace from what is happening with her mom. We are doing all we can with all the other investigators that we are teaching too.

Just this past week I started reading the Book of Mormon for the 3rd time in my mission. I learn new things every time I read it and I can testify with all my heart that is true and if anyone reads it...even if it's the first 3 pages, they will feel the spirit immediately. I love this gospel and I am grateful I am for it. We are doing all we can to work and do the best we can teach and baptize people this week. OH! Remember Jeisy? Well, I have permission to go to her baptism this Saturday! I am so excited for her and for her future. I am grateful I am a missionary in Honduras. God has much in store for me and I know he is working miracles for me and my companion. Love you all. Hope you have a good week and the chance to start reading the BOM. It will change your life!!! Adiojummmm!

Les quiero,

Elder Jensen

Week 88 Greener Than Green

My new area is so GREEN! It is like so beautiful, but so freakin huge. We walk like 13 miles every single day....it is so crazy! We have a couple people here that we have been working on. We have Celeste...who was a reference from a member in Loarque (not to far from where I am) and she is really positive. She loves the Book of Mormon and has a desire to learn more about the church. We have another person named Javier who has gone to church already like 2 or 3 times. But, the Elders that were here long ago never passed by him and taught him. So, we are going to teach him and baptize him real soon. We have a bunch of other people too, we are re-opening this area. So, we are getting to the area and the people.

I am so excited to be here. I can hardly believe how time has gone by so fast.  I feel honored to be a missionary in Honduras and the people I come in contact with everyday. I still have lots of time to help my mission grow and to ¨Give Hondruas heaven and baptize the hell out of them¨ (quote by Henry B. Eyring with Honduras added) (mom note: serious quote from Eyring...I looked it up.) Not much to write this week. But I would like all of you to read or listen to this talk from last conference that I just love. It is called ¨Am I Enough? Will I Make It?¨ by J. Devn Cornish. Everyday since I heard this talk I tell myself ¨I AM WORTH IT AND I CAN MAKE IT¨ Love you all and hope everyone has a wonderful week. Cheque pues! 

Les quiero,

Elder Jensen

Week 87  Bigger and Bette

Fotos de los miembros aqui en Laureles que fueron excelente a mi estos ultimos 7 meses.

(Photos here in Laureles of members who were good to me these last 7 months.) 

Well, I just got the info...I am finally leaving my area. It is sad to go and what is even sadder is that they are closing the area. I have no idea why, but I guess it what God wants. I had great hope and expectations for this area, but I hope who ever comes here again, will find all those that are seaking. Hopefully that one day I will be able to return to this area when I finish my mission. The Lord has much in store for them and me, but I just have to move on and keep doing what the Lord asks. As for me, I am moving to and opening a new area called Germania. And the best part is that I am with my old companion Elder Hernandez!!!! Elder Hernanzez is who i served with right when I came back to Honduras after my Hernia surgery. I am so excited and I cannot wait for the miracles and blessings that are in store for us and for the people we are going to find and teach! 

This past conference was so awesome! I mean I had to watch it most in spanish and though I understood it, it is always better to watch and hear it in English. My favorite talk was from General Priesthood, the one Dieter F. Uchtdorf gave on Alma and Amulek. He gave a wonderful talk about what we need to learn from Alma and how we can be like Amulek. What I need to change as a missionary to become better. How the little things in the mission really make all the difference. But, what I loved is the story he told about David and Jacob ( you need to watch to truly understand it), but how praying and fasting truly works. And how we can help our fellow men to come back to the church. I challenge each and everyone of you to go out look for someone who needs help or is facing a trial. You truly will make a difference. 

Love you all, please help our fellow brother and sisters who are lost, be found. We can bring the world His gospel together.  Hasta luego! Voy a contar todos de mis experiencias este próximo semana sobre mi nuevo compañero y mi nuevo área! (Bye! I will tell you all my experiences next week about me and my new campanion and my new area!) 

Les quiero,

Elder Jensen