A Missionary on the Go!

November 18, 2009

 

Hey Family!!

WHEW!!!! It's kinda hard for me to remember the blur that we like to call this past week. I think last week I wrote on Thursday, so I'll start from last Friday. We finished up the zone conferences last week in Roca on Friday. It was really fun to see my old district there where a couple of the members are still intact and doing well. We drove by Allen on the way down to Roca and I said in the car with president driving ´president!! Take me home!!´ It was kind of a joke, but in all seriousness I would go back there in a heartbeat. We kept going and had a good conference with Roca. It was fun talking to the hermanas and finding out all the stuff that was happening in Allen with our families and investigators and members that live there. I got a couple of letter s from them and they are doing alright. They've had a bit of ups and downs since we got pulled, but they'll pull through I hope.  I really want to go back and see them, but unfortunately, the schedule and rules we have make it pretty tough to get back there. We did get to drop the hermanas back in Allen on our way back, so I got to drive right through my area. It was awesome and made me miss it so bad.

Saturday and Sunday are precious days for me now because those are the only two days I get to work all day like a normal missionary. Except this Saturday and Sunday were really hard for me. I feel like I'm whitewashing again because this area really has nothing. The only problem is that we don't have too too great of a relation with the members because when we go out we only have 4.5 hours to work so we try and visit investigators. The only problem—we don't really have any. So we've been working and talking to EVERYONE, just like we've been teaching the mission. I've been really struggling here because I haven't gotten into a single house in my two weeks in neuquen and that was eating me alive. I was dying and miserable, just so desperate to get in and teach someone something that is going to help them out. This past weekend, I carried on with that anguish, just trying with all of my might to get in somewhere. I decided that I had to change something—being here and having our schedule makes it really hard to get more than a half hour of personal study in. When we are traveling, it becomes almost impossible. I decided that I had to start studying and making it something I just did everyday. So I began setting my alarm even earlier on the days that we had to leave and travel. I found some time each day and have started studying again. I also became as some of the prophets in the book of Mormon just ´wrestling with the Lord´ and praying hard hard hard that He would just guide us to some house, have some person let us in. And we didn't get in Saturday. Sunday we walked around doing straight contacts again. In my two weeks here, I had done 360 contacts, 3 lessons, and not entered into a single new house. It was awful. But, Monday was an incredible day. We did 40 contacts, taught 3 lessons, entered into 3 new houses, and found 8 people, including a family of 5 that me and elder Nilsson are going to go make skyline for in a bit. It was a miracle, and I have never been so happy!!!! It was a big tender mercy from the Lord. Yesterday, we continued and entered a house and found a family of 3. I just breathed a big sigh of relief, and now I'll be able to settle into this place and do what I've always done—find, teach, baptize!!

Last week we had a funny experience—I got robbed!!! Aw man! This one was fun. Me and my 6´4´´ companion, elder Nilsson, my best bud from Roca, were working together (I almost never work with my real comp because when we go on the Gira we want the office elders to know our investigators and stuff, so we always just work on divisions with the office). I thought being with him would give me some protection, that all the unity stuff we've been sharing in zone conference would do something but it didn't.  We do a contact with a guy in the street and invite ourselves over to his house. He says sure I live 4 houses that way and we start walking over with him. We're chatting and everything and enter with him through his fence. He then takes us around to the side of his house and starts being weird and playing around in his pockets and pants. He then says my grandma has interest in your message. There she is! He says, pointing to his dog. At this point, my companion says this is dumb and turns and leaves. In the mean time, the guy has me cornered a bit by the wall and tells me to give him my money. I told him I don't have any and that I'm going to leave. He says no seriously give it to me. I respond no seriously I don't have any. I turn to leave, keeping my eyes on this guy. He grabs my proselyting back from behind and I just tear it away from him and leave. I left the fence only to find that my companion is about a half a block away just walking. I jog over and say ´hey man. How are ya? Good, and you? He responds. I'm fine. Other than I just got robbed, everything is going great.´ His surprise was hilarious. I gave him a half hug as we walked away laughing and joking and me making fun of him for leaving me hanging. But, again, if these people want to rob me they just have to bring their A game. And I'm really lucky again the guy didn't have a knife or gun or anything.

Noelia passed her interview and is getting baptized this Saturday. President said we could work our schedule for when we are in Trelew so I can go and be there. That is going to be very special. The elders there have told the ward I'm going to be there so I am really hoping to see a lot of my people!! I'm really pumped.

The new missionaries are getting here tonight, we are training tomorrow and then leaving at about 2 to go down on the gira (the loop) we have Trelew and Puerto Madryn together on Friday, Caleta Olivia on Tuesday, Comodoro on Wednesday, and Bariloche on Friday. The other days will be used for doing divisions with zone leaders and traveling. We are going together in president's Hilux (it's a lot like mom's car) and he and I will take turns driving. It's going to be a great time to study, talk and get to know president, and maybe sleep a little????? Well see.

I'm on the run again. My time is so darn limited!! Oh well. Have a great week—I'lll be writing from the south of the world next week!!  I love you all and really appreciate all of your prayers!


I love you all. Love, Elder Jensen

A little longer letter from Elder Jensen

November 12, 2009

 

Hey all--

Well; it's been a rush so far. I woke up an hour early to email this morning because I just do not have time to do anything! It's really a different lifestyle. I have woken up at 5:30 or earlier more than half of my days as assistant. That's a lot different. These last two transfers I was always so tired that I was pretty useless from 6:30 to 7 ish until I got in the shower. But now, I'm up an hour early and working on projects or stuff like that. It also applies to the other end- we are supposed to go to bed at 10:30, but my comp and I have been staying up late because we get swamped with phone calls till 10:30, we have stuff we need to do to prepare for the zone conferences the next day, and so we normally are in bed at about 11 ish. I'm holding up well so far…it's just a lot less sleep than the sacred 8 hours we are supposed to have!

This week, we started zone conferences. First up was Zapala, the zone where Junin is. It was fun to see my old district there. The elders in San martin changed- one stayed and one left, and now the one that came in gets along incredibly well with the one that stayed. That made me really happy—he needed a good companion. Elder Henrie is doing alright, it looks like. His new companion is an x zone leader who was zone leader for a long time and is now finishing his mission. I think that he will help Elder Henrie a lot. For that zone conference, we had to wake up at 4:45 to leave at 5:30 and get there at 8. But the conference went really well. It was a pretty powerful one this transfer, and we're changed several things in the mission. All my mission I have had this strange obsession with contacts. President recently has also gotten that strange obsession, so that's one of the big things we are talking about in the zone conferences. I get really excited talking about it, and we've put really high goals in the mission to get everyone out and working more. President is calling this the New Era. We've put a goal to baptize a whole lot more this transfer, and that goal is being backed up by the zones. In the past week, the mission has soared from 70 fechas to about 90 as of last night. There is a lot of positive energy now!
Yesterday, we were here with one of the Neuquen zones, and it also was a good conference. Elder Cox is here in this zone, so it was fun to see him again. Its interesting being in each zone conference, because every zone has its own unique kinda feel. I think a lot of that also depends on the zone leaders- if they are hard workers and set a good example or not. Its also fun being at every zone conference because you get to see how the messages and principles adapt themselves to each individual zone.

Tomorrow we head on out to Roca, so I get to see my old district out there. Then Saturday and Sunday we get to work all day! Yay! Next week, we head on out south on Thursday afternoon and are gone till the 30th or so. We had a nice little miracle happen this week too. We had 8 new missionaries come at the beginning of this transfer, but 5 more were delayed. We've been really worried about when they were going it be able to get here. If we leave on the gira (the loop down south for the zone conferences), we would have to have them wait till December when we got back up here. That would really really be a pain, because there are 5 elders and hermanas here that have a ´mini missionary´ and not all of the mini missionaries can be minis that long. We finally got a call last night that they were going to arrive on the 18th. That is absolutely perfect—now we'll have a short little training meeting on the 19th and roll on out that afternoon. The Lord is mindful of us, even way down south at the tip of south America!
Its fun working in the office. It drives me nuts because we don't go out and work as much as a normal elder, but I understand why. I actually hardly ever work proselyting with my real companion, Elder Camacho. I work most of the time with Elder Nilsson, who spent 6 months in my district in Roca (Allen). It's really funny, because every time we did divisions down there, we'd always dream of how it would be if we could just be companions- what kinda things we'd do, how well we'd work together. Well, now we get to see! So I am happy because I have 2 great companions up here in the office. Elder Camacho is great too. He is Elder Foye´s trainer, so he has some fun stories about that. We also have the office senior couple that lives here in the house with us. They are HILARIOUS. The hermana is just so loving and nice and cooks us stuff a couple times a week. Her husband is a really… strong presence that just makes me laugh. He has no problem in yelling ´WHO LEFT THE DOOR OPEN! DO WE LIVE IN A BARN??´ it's also funny because he speaks very very limited Spanish, so when he needs to make a phone call he makes us do it. That can be good and bad. These past 4 weeks, the internet here in the office has been horrible, so he has made me call and be pushy with the internet people who are just a horrible company. He hands me the phone and says Elder Jensen these people are idiots and I want you to tell them that. Tell em every bad word you know in Spanish so we can get this thing fixed! Haha. (don't worry, I didn't tell em any bad words).

Next transfer, we are getting 14 new missionaries! And we are also going to do a mission tour with the Bowens. I'm excited for that. Also, Elder Taylor's baptismal goal is 15 this transfer. That made a pretty big splash here in the office. I talked to him last night for the first time in more than 3 months, and he sounds good. He is a great missionary.

Well, its time to shower and head off to a zone conference. I've been trying to throw a picture in this email, but the internet is being spotty again, so I haven't been able to upload it. Maybe next week if I call em up and give them a hassle again we'll have better internet!

I love you!

JENSEN

News of a transfer

November 3, 2009

Hey family!

Well, to be honest, I don't really remember too too much of what happened
this past week in Junin. It went by pretty quick, and I've had a bit of a
whirlwind weekend. Let's start—this week, we'll go backwards, from yesterday
back to last Monday ish, depending on what I remember!

I am in Neuquen. I was called as the Assistant to the President. Wow. Never
has this happened in remembered history of the mission where someone who was
never a zone leader gotten that bump, but here I am. I got a bit of a
warning this past week—I got a call on Thursday from president asking for my
drivers license number—and there are only 2 places you need to drive- the
office and as Assistant. I knew I wasn't coming up to be in the office, but
I thought maybe it was just for next transfer or something. But nope. Friday
night, President called me and extended the calling. I told him he blew his
cover a bit calling for my drivers license, and that I figured I was coming
up to be assistant. He says well you aren't a Hinckley scholar for nothing.
I say `well, I had the dark horse idea that you were sending a car down to
Junín de los Andes! ` haha. I'm glad I have a mission president that I can
joke around like that with.

He tells me that the mission is struggling, and that we're making a lot of
changes. The assistant I am replacing only was the assistant for 3 transfers—you
almost always are for 4. But I feel like that assistant was SO much better
of a missionary than me. I love the kid. But president tells me it all
starts with contacting and finding, and looking at your numbers, and what
you've done with the districts in Roca and Junin, you are the man for the
job. I told him I absolutely agree with what he said about contacts, that I
would do all I can to help jumpstart the whole mission on doing their 154
every week. We'll see how it goes!

So I rolled out on Sunday right after church. Normally transfers happen
Mondays, but I had to be in neuquen Monday morning because the missionaries
that end come and leave. It was a sad experience, taking the missionaries to
the airport this morning. We sent home several great missionaries today—and
ex AP, and Elder Goveia from Trelew. It sad, and gave me a lot of desires to
work hard to the end of my mission. Some of those guys were just… I don't
know. They had stopped working a while ago and just left. How sad. That's
not going to be me.

In a couple hours, the new missionaries get here and we have to go pick them
up and start the training and stuff with them. I'm really excited. I still
remember getting off the plane and seeing president cook with Elder Romero
and Guzman! Haha. They get here in just a couple of hours.

These past two days have been spent planning the workshops in the zone
conferences with my companion, Elder Camacho (who is the trainer of Elder
Foye… que tal!) He's from Santiago, Chile. He's a good guy, and reminds me
of elder Valencia. I don't know if its because I am the junior guy again or
what, but he reminds me of elder Valencia. We have been making a power point
and organizing everything. It's a lot different the work we do… its not
nearly as much `missionary work.` we spend the whole day in the office until
430 then we go work. It's going to be a bit of an adjustment, but that's
alright. In November, we are only going to be here in neuquen for 10 of the
30 days, so my emails will be coming from somewhere in Argentina at some
point of the week—if you don't get one for a couple days, don't worry!

I am living a block away from the mission home with the senior couple, The
Graves, Elder Nilsson (my best friend from Roca (while I was in Allen)),
and my comp and his comp. It's nice. But different. We've just got a lot of
stuff to organize and put together.

My last week in Junin was good. We had 5 in church!!!!!!!!!! It was
incredible. We actually were hoping for 7, but 5 is absolutely incredible
for that little place. Cesar and his girlfriend came, with their little
nephew who I hope is getting baptized this transfer. Then 2 other of our
investigators came, and it was great. One of them got up and took a picture
of Elder Henrie on her cell phone while he bore his testimony. It was a
strange moment.

On Saturday, I dressed up in all white! Happy Halloween! I baptized an 8
year old in our branch named Nahuel. His step dad is a member, but didn't
want to do it, which made me sad. See last weeks rant about being a good
priesthood holder. But yep. We had passed by and taught him a couple times
this week, and it was good. I was happy to baptize in that place before I
left! The druggie from last email came with his wife and daughter and LOVED
it. I was so happy!! The members accepted him really well.

The rest of the week I don't really remember that well, to be honest. It
snowed and rained and stuff, and we taught Cesar and our druggie a couple
times, and it was a good week. It's all left because of the blur that was
this weekend though!

I found out from one of the elders that is going home that Noelia, wife of
Gabriel and mother of Leo and Lucas from Trelew is getting baptized this
coming weekend!!!! We had started the whole process with their divorce
papers when we were there, and they finally came through and the finally got
married and now she is getting baptized!! Wahoo!! I also heard good things
about a lot of my converts down there, and less of them are inactive than I
thought. I also heard rough news that my family in Allen is struggling big
time. I'm going to have to write them a letter or figure out some way to
help them out. I just wish everyone would stay in the church and remember
the things they have felt and learned!!

Dad—I have to give you a HUGE thank you for the strings you pulled to get my
my license. It arrived on Monday—right in time!! My comp doesn't drive, and
the old assistant was leaving and so we were in a bit of a pinch. But the
papers got here, and I'm legal! Wahoo! It really saved us and was clutch.
THANKS! I'll be taking my eye test soon and getting that up to you. I
absolutely love driving, but this place is hard! There are not stop signs or
lights or anything. The rule is whoever is going faster gets the right of
way in an intersection. YIKES is all I have to say about that! So far, I
have been zipping around with out a problem. I think I must have the spirit
or something because I don't drive crazy like I used to…

Mama- I'll get you a picture next week. I will take a good one. Why don't
you just put my cardboard cutout in the picture!?! Haha. But yeah…I'll get
on that this week.

Putzer—good work on anchorman. You make me proud. You won the contest in my
heart.

Well, all, I'm out to go work. We don't really get p-days as assistants. But
that's okay—we have a lot of good stuff to make up for it. Like a dryer and
a real washing machine! Good stuff.

Love you family. Stay strong. Dunno when I'll write next, but I'll be loving
you till then.

OH!! Julie Beck, Hermana. Matsumori, and the Bowens were over for lunch on
Monday. I finally met your cousin, mama! They are doing a mission tour in
December or January, so I'll be able to spend some good time with them.

Love you! Chau!!
ELDER JENSEN

Missionaries celebrate 21st birthdays different than most people!

A Happy Missionary in Argentina!

Hey all.

It's been an incredible week. I've only read parts of emails to me because I have a bit to write.

So last Tuesday we were on divisions. I was with elder Carpenter, who came into the mission with me. He's a great guy and we had a really good day together. We were out clapping one area and did a contact with a man who said come back another time. You tell me when and I'll be there. So I said 6 tomorrow? He says yes. I'll be there. I really need you guys right now. So then I said ...well how about 6 today? He says absolutely. So it was set. He says I'm not going to be one of those guys who tells you to come and won't be there. I really need you.

We went back at 6 to talk to him and he didn't respond when we clapped. A bit sad and thinking it was too good to be true, we walk to the door and it opens. He lets us in. He then proceeds to spill everything from his heart onto the table. It was pretty devastating to hear about how wrecked this guy's life is. Last Sunday, mother's day here, he almost killed himself. He is a drug addict. He has spent 7 years in prison. He gets `dirty money` and says he's ashamed of how he gets it so he won't tell us. (nor do I pry). His wife left him, and he feels dead alone. He was adopted, and his adoptive parents and brothers and everyone are gone. Dead or on the other end of the country. He was unemployed, had debts, and was just miserable. Then, after hearing this, we started talking. We talked about God and His infinite love for us. We talked about reasons why we suffer—I made an analogy of God and him to him and his 3 year old who was sitting on his lap, saying God wants us to do good things, but will never force us to do things, just like you and your daughter. You teach and hope she chooses right, but can never make the decision for her. He then looks at me and says `you know, crazy, I've been thinking about that for years and this is the first time that has ever made sense to me.` ( he likes calling us loco or negro. I love it.) But it was an analogy that was absolutely inspired, and it just clicked so much with him. We then kept going, talking about prayers and having a relation with God and how important that was. He talked about being too embarrassed to pray and I went right back to the analogy of his daughter. When she messes up and is hurting, do you want to talk to her and comfort her and help her get back on her feet?  Absolutely, he says. Well, do you not think God is waiting for you with open arms, just waiting for you to come back to Him? He starts crying. He says `what do I have to do to feel the peace you two feel, to be good like you two are good?` We explained the first steps are praying and telling God all the things he has just told us. We then handed him a Book of Mormon and I left him Alma 36 and said `like you, alma was in the bad. He was killing people spiritually.  He was taking away people's eternal life. How do you think he feared God? But look- he made a huge change. We can read here about the pain he felt before, like you have felt, and then we can see the huge change that passed afterwards, like you my friend will also feel. It was a special special experience sharing that chat with him, and it's been one of the few times on my mission where I feel like the spirit has absolutely guided me in every single thing I said to that man. We gave him a huge hug and set a cita to come back the next day.

Next day rolls around and I'm giggling inside with the reaction my comp is going to have to this man. My companion feels bad walking into the grocery store with his backpack on instead of leaving it in the lockers, so I was just imagining his reaction with this man. But all went well. We showed up, he opens the door and I step in and he just grabs me in the biggest hug. It was really neat. We then sit down, and he says `sabe que loco? Mi vida ha cambiado! ` (you know what, crazy, my life has changed) He begins by saying that for the first time in years, he prayed. And prayed and prayed. He read the scripture, and said `that's me! That was me! But now I know I can change too. ` He rented out a room in his house he had been trying to rent out for a while. He went to pay a big bill and they said he didn't have to pay it anymore. He didn't to a gram of cocaine that 24 hours (and actually was sweating a bit during the charla for not having done it)  He was woken up by a call offering him a job. He got another small job to paint something. He started texting his wife and having amistad between them again. And then he stops, and choked up, he says, and more than anything, I have peace. I feel tranquilo. I am not angry or sad or anything, I am just at ease. I'm not all the way to happy, but this is just incredible what I feel right now. I haven't felt this way in more than 15 years. I just looked at him stunned. I was just in awe of the changes that had passed in his life. We began to speak, and we prayed together to give thanks for this special thing that had happened. We then talked a bit about Joseph smith and explained the book of Mormon more. We then talked about the path that he's got to go get on. It was a great charla. We left him 2 ne 31 to read and to start thinking about faith, repentance, and baptism. We then set a cita for Friday.

On Friday we went back, and were greeted by another enormous hug. We sit down and chat. Again, things in his life had just gotten way better. His wife had come back and they were thinking about getting back together, and he had read and prayed and had been sharing this stuff with the guys he lives with and wife. It was great. We sat down, and, inspired again, we opened to alma 32 and read about faith. Again, I tried to apply it to him and say look- you've had a lot of things that have humbled you to the point of letting us in. Now you've opened up and allowed a seed to be planted. We read and when we got to verse 18 and 19 it was his turn to read. As he read, his face just lit up. After he was done with 19, we just paused. I looked at him, matching his smile with my own, and said `and how does it feel (as it `takes root`?)` He just looks at me and begins to just say `I can't describe it.` he starts trying, and the tears started falling out of his eyes. We finished the chapter and invited him to church, which he readily accepted.

I don't think I have ever been more humbled seeing the changes God can bring about in people. I've ever been so happy to go and just hear how a person is doing before. It's incredible the things he's told us, the changes he's felt. It's going to be a long long process to get him baptized, but I count him as one of the greatest miracles I've seen thus far on my mission. I also give thanks to the Lord for guiding us as the missionaries in every little thing to say to him, and for the changes that the spirit has brought about in him.

Cesar came to church again and loved it. He also is changing a lot. Last week we had 2 charlas with him during the mundial qualifying games for soccer. He turned off the game and readily listened. This Saturday, he skipped his soccer team's game to be with us. He is in a tough spot—we taught the law of chastity and invited him to start living it. It's going to be hard—the guy is 18, has a 2 month old, and is girlfriend lives with him sometimes. He's really mature, but young! He is ready to get baptized, he just has to resolve this aspect of his life. Saturday, we went over the baptismal interview questions and showed him he is ready that he just has to fix that part. He says oooh. I really want to get baptized and know this is true, but that's complicated! We offered to have an interview with President Fernandez the next day in church and he readily accepted. On Sunday we all stayed after and talked for about 40 minutes about his options. Sounds like they are going to go the marriage option! Wahoo! We are having a chat with him and his girlfriend and president Fernandez on Tuesday—pray for us!!!!! But Cesar is awesome. He is an absolute light for this branch and his menos activo family.

Friday we had a good teaching moment between me and my companion. We were in a lesson and the man saw a picture of Jesus with his hands on the head of one of his apostles. The guy said `can you give blessings like that? I just want a blessing to get back on track in my life` I look at my comp and say yeah... and my comp says absolutely not that he is not ready. So we say we'll come back and do it the next day. When we left, I got real stern and said elder why you are not ready to give a blessing? He replies `I will not mock God` to which I reply `elder you just did by not giving one of God's children a blessing in his time of need` he says `explain` I say `God has given you a sacred power and trust to use to bless and heal and help His children. He is looking to you to bless those in need, and when we let ourselves be fooled into thinking we aren't ready or shouldn't use that power, we mock God.´ He says oh. And then just goes quiet for a while. It was another instance of the D&C 130 scripture—I cracked real hard. But he tells me the next day that he learned a lot from that moment and that he will never again be caught not ready. Sometimes I really have my wonders and doubts on if I've been a good trainer for him or not, but as I look at moments like that, I know that I have not only been a good trainer for him on his mission, but that a lot of these things will be carried on into his life.

I did end up getting my bday box, mom! Thanks a bunch! I laughed as I opened the ties because I would not have been caught dead wearing the paisley tie you sent 1 year ago. But now—I love it!! Haha. I guess people can change. I rock a nice pink tie sometimes too. How about that? We celebrated low key—I bought myself a nice tub of ice cream, and my comp got me some candy and such.

I have a lot of respect for the families here in Junin. Our branch president went and picked up about 6 youth every morning for seminary. The man, as tired as he is of it, really does a great job of helping this place. We had 24 in church this week, but only one investigator. Anna was sick, and we had 4 others that slept in. We have a lot of lessons planned for this week to go to and visit with members—I'm really excited, and so is this branch! My comp called the president the other day and he says `you wont be with elder Jensen forever,` and `it is critical to get the members involved this week. I've been suspicious how long my days in Junin will be, and I have my guesses. But we are sure getting the members involved this week!! We're really excited.

Ps we taught 27 total lessons last week. That's a ton of lessons in a white washed area.

Oh!! And I didn't even say! Thursday, it rained 24 straight hours. Friday, we woke up to 2 inches of SNOW!!! Wahoo! It was flurrying all day long and was absolutely GORGEOUS! I haven't seen snow in a real long time.

And this b-day was a lot better than last year's adventure.
Tomorrow I complete 1 year in Argentina. Wahoo!


I love you all!

Elder Jensen