May 19, 2010
Hi parents! Today is a big day---- IM GOING BACK TO ALLEN!! WAHOO!!!
The hermanas have set it all up for us and I am so excited--- we're having lunch with the Oñates, seeing Luis and the Marquez's and Tamara and the Echegarays and Edgardo Millaqueo. It's going to be a great day! I'm going down there with Elder Henrie, driving stick the entire way! Wish me luck! (I've actually learned it pretty well-- I only kill it every now and then, but I'm getting better!)
This past week was a good one. We went for the new standard-- I still haven't gotten it. It's a lot higher than those other standards I got. We raised it up in January and a few people have gotten it. It's been really good. So Elder Crandell and I did everything we could to try and get it, but we fell short. We had an awesome week though-- we taught 11 lessons with a member present and 11 others and did 400 contacts. Here in our area, those may be the best numbers ever! The familia Sepulveda helped us out a lot. We did divisions with them one night-- it was really good. We divided and conquered. i went out with hermano Sepulveda and we taught three lessons. Elder Crandell went out a knocked with Matthias and they got into 2 houses, so we ended that night with 5 with member. Our ward doesn't have much priesthood-- its basically the familia Sepulveda, the bishop and his counselor, and 2 or 3 other men. We've been losing attendance recently, and when we set stuff up with them a lot of the time we get no showed. But the familia Sepulveda would die before the no show us. They are great. And the other office elders are now teaching some of there family members who live over in their area. The work goes on, and i am convinced we are going to be able to baptize a lot of their family members here in this city. We have given them several books of Mormon and they keep giving them out. They are doing really well.
Ezequiel got baptized on Sunday. He was so happy-- this boy was a tough one. he was so nervous and so hesitant to commit a couple of weeks ago. When we left on the gira, we left elder Pederson and elder Henrie in charge of getting him progressing and to his baptismal interview. Somehow they did it! On Sunday in church, he said ´i feel really calm and tranquilo about this decision to get baptized. I'm excited to do it.´ That's the spirit, my boy! Elder Crandell baptized him and it was a bit of a challenge because elder Crandell is a pretty small person and Ezequiel is a very large person, but they practiced about 10 times and when they got in the water it went perfectly the first time. We're really proud of him- he is such a good pure boy. His mom is a member since like 1983 or something and is starting to come back. hno Sepulveda got her to give a talk in the baptism and it went well. Her husband isn't a member-- he doesn't drink or smoke or anything. he was just raised in a catholic school. he likes to go hide in the kitchen whenever we go over, so we haven't taught him yet. But the hna said that she'd invite us over for lunch or dinner some day and then we can start with him. I dint have any problem with that! Lunch + New investigator = the perfect combo.
We've started talking a touch about the transfers. We are really out in the dark this time around. There are some big changes that are going to be made-- a lot of changes with zone leaders and probably with me. I am excited to find out what is going to happen. I made goals while I was on the gira about how I wanted to finish this mission. I've got a good amount of specific things I want to get done before i leave. I'm just praying now that the Lord puts me in the place I need to be so I can get those things done, whether that be here in the office or as a zone leader or trainer or senior comp or wherever. We'll find out!
In one of these pictures, we are playing the bean game! It had been a long time. Elder Cox´s family mailed it to him so we played that one night after planning. Elder Cox is doing super well-- he is opening a new area and is really working well down there.
Well, its time to go back to Allen. I'm so excited. We found in our area (one of our next baptisms) the sister of a family I was teaching for a long time in Allen—I'm so excited. I'm going to see that family in Allen today, and then we teach the sister again on Friday. Things are looking good here in the office.
Here is something I sent to president today.-- he asked us all to name a couple of things we are grateful for in our emails to him this week.
When you told us about the gratitude that is in this email a couple of days ago, I started thinking. I've decided I've got a lot to be grateful for. I am grateful to the Lord for granting that I have success on the mission. I'm not perfect, and don't deserve what I've been blessed with. But the Lord is merciful, and grants unto us gifts. I feel blessed for those gifts. I feel grateful for my companions-- I've had the best companions in the entire mission! There is not one of them that I regret being with. The other day elder Crandell and i were talking and telling each other what we've learned from all of our companions. I realized that I had indeed learned a distinct lesson from each of them and that those lessons have shaped me into what I am now. I am also grateful for my family who support me. I know that they are there for me. I know that they pray for me. I know that they think about me a lot and really kind of participate with me here on the mission. That's a blessing a lot of elders don't have, and I am very grateful for them.
I love you parents! Have fun cleaning!
Elder Jensen
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