Long update from down south

July 26, 2010

 

Here come some miracle stories... maybe the best of my mission....

So, I told you all last week how we found Alberto, the guy who was looking for his kids and such here and found them and then we found him and had an incredible chat with him and put a fecha. See last week's email if you don't remember. So, we had a cita with him for Wednesday. We went out to km 13 to meet with him in his sister's house again, and we got there at 7, the time of the cita. We knocked and he wasn't there... no one was there. So we sat on a little trash bucket outside his house and waited. We were absolutely devastated to be honest. Wednesday, we had no citas and had been knocking literally all day with less fruits than an apple tree in winter. So we sat. And hoped he was just getting there a touch late. And we kept waiting, and kept hoping. Then, we saw him walking down the street. We were so happy. But he came to see if we were there and to see if he could shower at his sister's house. He has now moved to a tiny little place in km 23 (we live in 4.2, and the church is in 4,7. We take lots of busses) So he couldn't let us in and didn't really have time that night. So we said okay-- we set up a time to go out to 23 to teach him. He had read Alma 36 (i love that chapter for people who are trying to overcome bad decisions in the past) and had liked it. So we set ourselves a cita for Friday at 8. He had done a test on Wednesday for his cirrhosis and would have the results on Friday. So then comes Friday.....

I was on divisions with my bud Elder Skousen in Centro, so this is the story that my companion called to tell me Friday night. They were getting killed again-- another day of straight bitter contacts. so they decided to go to 23 to work. We haven't ever worked out there because of distance and time and such, but they went out to knock a bit before the cita. So they go and they get in a bunch of houses- like 4 houses. They ended up finding 10 news-- incredible. They were just teaching and getting in left and right. Then it came time to meet with Alberto, so they go down to the bus stop to wait for him. they waited. and waited. and then came 2 busses. He got off of the second bus and started walking up the path to the top of the hill where this neighborhood is. My companion chases him and calls his name 3 times. He doesn't respond. They caught up to him and took him a touch by surprise, and he was just so down in the dumps. They asked about his test, and he says it didn't come out well. Oh no. He didn't tell us how bad it was, but its bad. So my companion starts walking with him and talking and trying to animate him a little bit. Alberto says `I'm going to take you to my daughter's house so you can visit them when I'm gone. So they went over and met his 15 year old daughter, Malina. They start talking and its going well. my companion had contacted her earlier in the day and she was begging her mom to let them in, but the mom didn't want to. But now we figured out why-- she had taken the charlas in Buenos Aires and was about to get baptized, but then her parents got separated and she came down here and lost touch with the church. My companion goes-- you know what? We are going to have a baptism on the 14th of August. you know who is getting baptized? She goes... who?  My comp says `ask your dad.` she looks at him. He goes errr..... me. And she looks at him with such awe and happiness and just goes no!!! really!?! And my companion told me when she said this, Alberta just kinda perked up, content that his daughter was happy with him. My companion then says `and Malina-- you know what- you can get baptized with your dad on the 14th as well. She goes `of course!` They then finished talking and arranged transportation to go to church on Sunday. My companion was at the point of tears when he called me, and me listening got there too. It was such a spiritual moment for all of us. I felt so strongly the love of God and how He created that situation to help Alberto in his great moment of need. Really, Alberto was planning on going back to Buenos Aires to die because he doesn't want his kids to see him die. his kids don't even know he is sick. But now, with this, we think he is going to stay here, just so he can be with his daughter and get baptized with her. If there was ever a man who needs the church in his life, it's Alberto. He is so down right now, and this is what he needs.

So then on Saturday, we were getting everything worked out for rides and such. we were going to go out there with a member in his car because the busses don't run as often on Sundays. We were preparing for 5 people in the church-- Alfredo (we taught him with the bishop on Thursday and it was great-- he is so analytical and really is learning. but he starts teaching school again and is going to be really busy.) Damian and Jessica who said they'd come but they are painting and remodeling their house, and Alberto con Malina. We were so excited, and had everything worked out how they were going to get there, and who was going to be their friend and everything. So we start rolling with the plan on Sunday. we leave super early to go out to 23 with a member. we were knocking on Malina`s door and no one answered! blast!!! we then went to Alberto's and found him leaving his door, so it was perfect. we jumped in the car with him and then went back to Malina`s. After knocking again, we decided to just go to church. So we went. We got there about 10 or 15 minutes early, and Alberto was really hesitant to go in. but I said `come on!` and he came in. We were sitting in the sacrament room together and chatting and we found out he had taken the lessons in Buenos Aires and had gone to church some times too. Awesome! we are about 5 minutes before the meeting he leans over and says `I'll be right back—I'm going to run and buy some hard candy to get me through the meeting. I say okay... and he left. And he never came back!!!!!!! I was shocked! I have never even heard of that- having someone 5 minutes before the meeting and then they ran away! BLAST!!! We think he just felt uncomfortable because of all the stuff that's going on and just got overwhelmed. We are going to teach him again on Tuesday-- we went over to 23 and talked to some menos activos to set it up so that we teach Alberto and his daughter in their house because Alberto and his daughter both have really small uncomfortable house. We've got all sorts of stuff worked out for them, to teach them and bring to them to church and everything. I've never done this much work with 2 investigators before, but they are both incredible people, so it is well worth it.

I put some goals for the end of my mission my last transfer in Neuquen and I'm doing pretty well with them-- I wanted to read the Book of Mormon in Spanish my last 2 transfers, and I'm more than halfway now, so I've got about 12 pages per day and I'm there. I've also hit 300 + contacts most of the weeks and am going to do it for sure these next 4 weeks. I also want to baptize again before I go, so we are planning a whole lot for Alberto and his daughter.

Oh!! Big news. Next week we are going to Neuquen for 3 day training on the new stuff they are doing with missions. Luis Tagle was going to get baptized this Saturday, the 31st, but Elder Taylor is working with the hermanas there to get him baptized next week, like the 5th or 6th, so that me, Elder Taylor, Elder Henrie, and Elder Argueta can go back to Allen to see his baptism. I'M SO EXCITED!!!

Other news is that Elder Taylor got some of my old investigators to church this week. We talk a lot and he asked me how I baptized there and who he can baptize there, and I gave him some names and such and he is doing so well. He is an incredible missionary. Whenever we talk, we always joke about how the tables have turned and such. It's great.

Hope you have a great week, family!!!

Elder Jensen