Week 42 Half and Half

The reason why this week is called Half and Half is because the week was half good and the other half not so good. The not so good half is Elder Seville and I did not have a good week at all. It is very hard to communicate with him. The other half is I am staying here in SPECTACULAR SIGUATEPQUE and I am the new District Leader! I am so happy! 6 of the 8 people in the district are leaving to go to other areas. So, 2 companionship's will open 2 new areas. How exciting is that!

Today we visited Las Cuevas de Taulabe (cave) and wow they were just fantastic. They were just so beautiful and I am so happy I was able to enjoy it with the my district and zone. 

I don't have a lot of time today, but I will write more next week.

Love you guys all so much. I am loving this area with my heart as well as my mission. 

Con Cariño,

Elder Jensen

Week 41 Spectacular Siguatepeque

As much as this week has been stressful, I have loved every minute. I love this area with all my heart. I would love to train a new missionary here, and I hope God gives that to me. The members here are just wonderful, the area is large and there is so much work to do. Just last Saturday night, we had a Noche de Talentos (Talent Night) with our ward family. It was so much fun. We laughed and we played and wow, I had a good time. I am so grateful that next week is cambios (changes). Elder Sevilla and I have had a lot of ups and downs. I love him and he is a great missionary, but I am ready to move on. All I am hoping is that I stay here. This place is awesome! 

I am having some difficulties right now, with my salud (feet). I have some kind of fungus on my feet that itches a lot. But, I am taking some medication and praying everyday that my health gets better. (mom note: Alec's feet have had many issues. 7 ingrown toenails and now fungus)

Before I end, I would like to tell you about a family that I love and are so dear to my heart, Familia Marinez. They are probably one of my favorite families here in Honduras. They bring so much joy to my heart. Last week, they had some difficulties in their family, but I prayed and fasted for them and God has blessed them in every way. They love each other and want what is best for each other. They are a blessing in my life, and they are part of the reason I want to stay here is because I want to see their smiling faces everyday. That is how much I love them. Picture is below.

This week was amazing and I am praying that next week, when changes come, that I can stay here in Spectacular Siguatepeque. 

Love you guys all so much. I miss you a lot, but I am doing just fine here. Talk to you guys next week.

And Remember... Sacrificio esta temporal, pero gloria es eterno!

Con Cariño,

Elder Jensen

The Echeverrie Family. Another favorite family of Alec's. The father contacted me on facebook to let me know about Alec's feet problem and that he was helping him get to a doctor to get medicine. 

Service work: cutting weeds with a machete?? 

Week 40 - 10 Months

Another week has passed by and I have now finished 10 months of my mission. I cannot believe how time is going by so fast. This week we went paintballing and it was so much fun. Siguatepeque is one of my favorite áreas now and wow I would love to stay here for awhile. The members and the investigators are just so amazing and I have been seeing a lot of miracles in this área. More than you can even know.

We had another baptism this week and I can tell that you can just see the light of Christ in his eyes. The only downside was that he couldn't go to church the next day to receive the Holy Ghost. So, the baptism is not complete. So we will have to wait until next Sunday so that he can receive it and make it complete.

We had Reunión de Zona this past Friday and it was so much fun. I learned more about who we are and who we need to become in order to be true disciples of Christ.  I love it. 

Sorry so short and fast, but I don't have much time to write you guys this week. But, I am doing awesome in this new área and I hope I get to stay here for a long time. Love you guys and miss you alot. Keep writing me and keep praying. See ya later.

Love,

Elder Jensen

Paint Balling on Pday

Reunión de Zona (Zion Reunion)

Week 39 Much Much Better

Elder Seville and I with the sister missionaries heading to a service project.

This week was just pure fun. At first, Elder Sevilla and I were not being very patient with one other. But, on Tuesday we worked it out. We had a good meeting with our zone leaders and it has been so much better with him since. We talked in depth about our feelings,  how much joy both of us feel teaching the gospel in Honduras! We found common ground. We have had so many gospel discussions and lessons with investigators this week I cannot even count how many. During the week, both my companion and I got sick with stomach aches, but we prayed and prayed for us to get better so we could visit with our investigators. Of course, Heavenly Father blessed us and we felt better and we were able to keep all our appointments. 

One Wednesday I had a lot of fun. I had interchanges with my zone leaders, Elder Johnson. This guy is awesome. For start, we have the same first name and practically the same last name. But, his attitude and his work ethic is so inspiring, plus he is so much fun to be with. 

Each day this week I have been able to explore the beauty of Honduras and the green that covers it. I wish you all could see it, man it is just spectacular. I love it here. It is has been pure happiness for me to get the opportunity to come here and spread the gospel and teach others. 

I would like to leave a thought from General Conference with you. I got to watch it in English, which I loved and I took about 7 pages of notes. I would like to share something I learned from General Conference, a little bit every week, starting today. Dieter F Uchtdorf said : "The spirit can invigorate our minds and bring us hope everyday. And that our Heavenly Father sees us who we are, and who we can become." That is so true and I know that as long as we live worthily to have the spirit with us always, we can do anything.

Love you guys so much and I am enjoying my time here in Honduras. My companion is good, my area is good, and last of all, my mission is good. See you guys next week.

Les quiero mucho,

Elder Jensen

P.S. I took some money out of my emergency account to get new USB. I did have a back up of my mission photos on my camera, so don' t fret. Also, I wanted to help out a family here in Honduras. They have done so much for us and they did not have any money to buy a birthday cake for the their daughter's birthday. I hope that was ok. I won't do that very often. Oh...and I would love a CTR ring for Christmas, but in Spanish HLJ. 

Lunch with my district

Elder Johnson 

Feeding a donkey

Smile! Peace begins with a smile. 

Beautiful Honduras

Beautiful Honduras

Week 38 One of the Worst

Well, this week was very unpleasant. I found out that my companion and I do not get a long as well and I thought. He has one opinion and I have another and well it is not a pretty. He critiques me and is so critical of me and well it is so hard to have patience with him. So, I am praying everyday and trying as hard as I can to have the patience with him. Aside from our disagreements, we are seeing a lot of miracles from working hard every day. We have a family lined up for baptism and two other investigators as well. So, we are very excited for them and their motivation for baptism.

It has rained all week, so I was kind of wet all week long from walking the the rain. So, I hope there will be a little bit of sunshine this week. Hopefully.....

Another horrible thing this week is my USB with all my photos, all of my videos, everything from my mission got erased. My USB got damaged some how and well, I cannot do anything about it. I am so very bummed.

But other than that, Siguatepeque is so beautiful and I cannot describe the beauty here in Honduras. It is like other cities just a little bit smaller and much prettier. I heard that sometime on this cambio (change) we are going to go paint balling. Does that sound awesome or what? On my mission?! The members here are so nice and are very awesome to talk to. 

So, this was an interesting week. Nothing really much to talk about other than a few more downs rather than ups. But, it's all part of a mission. I hope it gets better this week...hopefully?

With much love,

Elder Jensen

Week 37 Esperanza (Hope)!

Hello everyone! This week was really interesting and very fun. I got sent to a new area, new zone, with a new companion. It is so awesome. My Zone is called Esperanza (Hope), my new area is Siguatepeque B, and my companion is names Elder Sevilla. He is from Ecuador and he really funny. The funny thing is that we are both new elders to this area. We are actually opening this area. It is a lot of fun for me because we do not know the members, non of the investigators. I was in city for so long I knew so many people already.  When we got here we didn't even know where our house was. Pretty funny, right? Siguatepeque is my first PUEBLO (town)! Boo-yah! Living in the city was fun...but the pueblos are so much more beautiful and the people are so much kinder. And also this is the only zone in the mission so far where the temperature is a little bit cooler. It is not as hot as in my other areas. It is cool, which I like alot. Honduras is very hot and humid.

Elder Sevilla and I have been working hard this week and we put 2 new fechas this week, and its a total new area. How great is that! When we are obedient and do what the Lord wants us to do, we receive miracles that not only have a big impact on us, but on the people as well! Cool, right! 

One of the investigators, named Guillermo, was a blind contact on the street. We gave him a Book of Mormon and a folleto (pamplet) to read and we were going to explain it all to him next visit. When we returned, he had read the whole folleto, read part of the Book of Mormon, and said he wanted to go church with us this Sunday. He loves our church and we are seeing big changes in him. We are so excited about Guillermo.

Well, just want to let you all know I am growing and having so much fun here in my new area. I can't express how much I am. I am so glad I am a missionary! The time is going by super fast....I am really trying to do what my mom says in every letter she sends me, "work hard and embrace every moment". Love you all so very much. And thank you for writing evey week. That's it for this week and I look forward to hearing to you next week! 

Con mucho cariño,

Elder Jensen

Week 36 15 More Hahahaha

Elder Martinez and I and some Minions

I have had a pretty crazy week. I have had some ups and downs. But, that is kind of part of the mission, right? But, you guys always give me that little extra confidence and now this week I feel recharged and ready to work! I can not believe that I have been on my mission for 9 months...can you believe that? I seriously can not believe that in less than 4 months I will have 1 year in the mission! Wow, time is going by super fast.

At one point in time this week we had 0 fechas. But, the next day Elder Martinez and I set some goals and gave it everything we got and now we have 2 y 1 fechas (mom note: 2 person family and 1 single). And now here is the sad part. I do not know yet, but we have changes tomorrow and I might be sent to a different area, different stake, have a different house, a different companion, everything might change. If I have changes, I will be very sad to leave my area and the people we are teaching right now. The members here are dedicated to the work and they want what is best for their ward.  We have an incredible family we are teaching and it will be sad not to see them through. But, we will wait and see what happens.

I have some photos I took this week with my awesome companion and my right-on Zone leaders. 

I am doing great here in Honduras. I have my ups and downs and some struggles, but through the Atonement of Jesus Christ I can do all things.  Love you so very much. I miss you guys a lot, but I know I need to be here more then ever.

Lo quiero bastante,

Elder Jensen

Zone leaders and us

Love this guy, Elder Martinez