Argentina update

Dear Readers---

I'm slow to pass along Elder Jensen's letters and in fact I totally missed last week.  The update from that letter is that he will stay as Assistant to the President for one more 6 week transfer.  Then he will have 12 weeks remaining in his mission and he will be "back on the streets" as he calls it.  He is having a wonderful experience!

 

 

April 19, 2010

 

Hi family!

 

I think week 6 and week 1 are the hardest two weeks. We've been planning an awful lot for next transfer, and are really really excited. I think this is the transfer that we are going to get to 100. We ended with 59 this transfer, but we had so many, WAY TOO MANY, fechas that fell right at the last second. I think a lot of those should get baptized in the coming 2 weeks, so hopefully they'll be able to get into the water. This transfer we have really analyzed what it is that brings success in the mission. My companion and I have talked about it a lot. We think we've narrowed it down to one thing: Desire. If we really desire to baptize, we'll be obedient, we'll practice and get the teaching skills we need, we'll work hard every day. I think that that's the one thing we really have to have to have success. Now the tricky part: teach that to 150 missionaries. But, we are going to do it through a couple of workshops this gira. We've got one that's going to be good- its going to be Dale Bradford's being devastated and putting fechas and having them keep strong. We also are going to do one on using the Book of Mormon and helping the investigators realize how important it is and read it more. President has a riveting talk lined up where he is going to hit hard our call as missionaries, and my companion and i are going to talk about desire and how that helps us be more obedient. It's going to be a good one—I'm really excited.

 

We are going to do our part to get to 100. we had one of our fechas pass their interview yesterday. His 9 year old brother didn't get interviewed because he is terrified of water. We are really hoping he will be able to see his brother get baptized this Sunday and feel the courage he needs to go get in the water.

 

I'm glad granny and grandpa are out there. That's got to be a lot of fun. I am anxiously awaiting putzers foto!!! Tell him to write me! It's been a while since I've heard from him. Here in the office we don't have too many changes. The only one is that Elder Henrie is coming to replace an office elder that has been here 6 months. That will be interesting. The one that is leaving is hilarious, lazy, and very entertaining. Its going to be different with elder Henrie because thats pretty opposite of him, but they are going to be a lot more obedient and its going to be good. i love the elders here in the office-- there are some really good men here that I'm working with. It makes it fun because we've all been here at least 3 transfers together, so we know each other pretty well. Last week, we had our first Noche de Hogar (family home evening) in the house. It was really fun. I was kicking myself for not having started them earlier! We played the bag game and had desert and everything! haha. It was great.

 

I'm glad it's a new transfer. We didn't do well numbers wise this past transfer...transfers always bring a good change and an opportunity to change. We have made some very good and specific goals on how we can be better. This transfer we were very effective with our time, but we just weren't able to get out and work as much as we wanted to. This transfer, we are going to be just as effective with our time working, but we are going to create more of it.

 

That's about it from the south. So far, transfers are going very smoothly and we haven't had any problems yet. wahoo. Knock on wood!

 

PS.  I'm going to see Elder Bowen again the first weekend of may--- he's going out to Bariloche for a stake conference and we are planning on being there as a part of the gira.

 

Your Boy

Taylor

 

On the road again....

March 15, 2010

 

Surprise! I've got 4 hours of p-day today-- I am here in the costal city of Comodoro, having driven 9 hours in the past day and a half. Elder Crandell and I are driving our own gira, and its been a blast. He is a funny, humble, goofy kid and we just mesh so well together. Activities in the drive down include: talking about our upcoming zone conferences, mourning and having a little funeral for the armadillo he ran over, chasing guanachos (llamas), drinking Terma (an argentine drink that you pour in and then squirt some soda water in and it is really good!!! its really bitter, but I am addicted. we brought a cooler with just Terma for our drive, and we are convinced that we are the only assistants ever to do so. it was a great drive down. Last night, we stayed with my old companion, elder Taylor, and his old companion, Elder Perez. It was fun-- it's always great to see your old comps. Elder Taylor now has the time that I had when I finished training him. Don't worry-- he's not old yet--he still doesn't grow facial hair :)

 

This past week was real tough-- I talked about the cut in the ruta. That about killed us because we had people coming up for zone leader consejo and to pick up their new missionaries that couldn't get here. Luckily, the zone leaders were able to get here by Thursday, so we just sent the companion-less refuerzos on the bus back with them. In the mix of the grand disaster, we only worked 15 hours this week and just couldn't escape for more time. But in that 15 hours, we were able to teach 12 lessons and put a fecha, so I feel sad I wasn't able to get out and do my job more, but happy that we were able to really focus on our fechas and get them moving. Now those people are sitting in the hands of the office elders to visit them this week and I'm terrified. Last time it was bad, so hopefully this time, they'll make it through okay!

 

We gave the familia Sepulveda some white shirts and ties this week. They strolled into church looking really good on Sunday. Lazaro kept asking which tie was for him. The more I tried to explain that they were big people ties, the more he didn't care. It was really funny. Luckily, his mom, Jacqui, saved me. They are just an incredible family. This week we went by and they had one of the boys from the ward there. It's a boy whose parents just had a brutal separation and he is kinda an odd ball and didn't have many friends. Now they have taken him in and welcomed him to their home. They are always telling us to send our investigators over to hang out or to read together, or offering to swing by and pick up investigators to go to church. They are like the perfect family! The members here get a bit lazy, like showing up 30 minutes late and not helping the missionaries. But these are like super members! We put a fecha with their cousin this week. Its a kid who wants to change, and they have just been pouring their testimonies on him left and right, so he is interested now. We are baptizing their grandma next Saturday, so we are all really excited about that. They are just incredible.

 

I'm happy to say that I've been thinking about my future this gira too. Elder Crandell keeps asking me good questions that make me think, so i think I've got it narrowed down to three fields at least now. I'll probably get that class thing you sent next week when I get back.

 

welp, I'm going to go. Have a grrrrrrrrrrrreaaaaaaaaaattttttttt week!

Elder Jensen

This is long one!

March 10, 2010

 

Well, it has been a long long long week. Here we go!

 

Friday-- we woke up to president calling us at 12 am. A missionary was being taken to the hospital here in Neuquen for appendicitis. We went, and were in the hospital till 2:30. Turns out it wasn't appendicitis, but rather just some bacteria or something. I don't really know. It was a funny funny moment-- Elder Camacho gets the call and wakes me up and then he leaves to go get dressed. He heard that I didn't get out of bed so he walks back in and wakes me up again. I just kinda mumble something I don't know. I then speak a bit louder and then I woke up. He left while I started getting out of bed, and I basically slept walked to where he was changing and asked what was going on. He told me, and then I went back to our room where my clothes were and got dressed. I then walked out into the kitchen and said ´I know you already told me, but what is going on??´ He then explains it again. I then went and used the bathroom. I guess I fell asleep in there again because the next thing I remembered is Elder Camacho laughing and saying ´elder Jensen! Wake up! President is here to take us! Did you fall asleep? ´ It was a funny night, and i guess that its a good thing we don't have to wake up in the middle of the night too often!

 

Later that day, at 10 AM, Jaqui and Fernando got married! it was great-- we had a lot of members of Fernandos family there that we hadn't met, and they were pretty nice people. The wedding is kinda anti-climatic.-. - Its just a legal thing. They read the laws that talk about marriage, and then they have to sign some papers and their witnesses have to sign some papers. But it was good. We threw rice and everything, and within 30 seconds the place was filled with pigeons! I had always wondered why there were so many pigeons in that specific block of our area, and now I understand! They are just there to eat all the rice when people get married! Ha!

 

Then, at about 11, we went back to the hospital to check up on our missionary there. He was having a lot of studies done to find out exactly what was going on. We drove his companion back to his apartment to shower and change and stuff, and did that for a while. That night, we had a dinner reception for Jaqui and Fernando. Mom- i cooked an awesome cake. We decorated it all up and put balloons around and we had good turnout. The ward was really excited for them. And they were really excited too. One of them was having problems with smoking still--he had cut down from 40 per day to about 3 that week of his baptism. We talked to the bishop about it and he basically told us we had to baptize him, that this was his moment and that we just had to help him understand that when he gets baptized, he's making a covenant with God that he isn't going to smoke any more. President said if we got that kind of support from the bishop, go for it! So on Saturday, we had a good chat with Fernando to explain that to him. While we were talking with him, his HILARIOUS 4 year old son comes running over and yells ´This guy is a liar. One day, we were walking and he saw a cigarette and he picked it up and smoked it in his mom's house! SMOKER SINNER SMOKER SINNER!!´ It was really awkward and really funny at the same time. But he said ok and that from Saturday at 6 onwards, he was done smoking. We are still going to work with him on it, but he has changed so so so much. It's incredible. We had a fun lesson with the Sepulveda family the morning of their baptism and they all just talked about all the changes they had made and all the differences in their home. It just always amazes me to see the faith of these people as they take giant steps in changing their lives for just the small whispers of the spirit. They have completely changed the way they live and work for what they have felt this past month or so.

 

The baptism was great. We had 7 in total-- 2 little 8 year olds from the ward got baptized with them. The baptismal room was so full that many of the members couldn't even fit in there to see it. Hermano Sepulveda baptized his 4 kids and yerno, and they were so happy. And we, obviously, were too. I've sent some of the pictures-- this family is a missionaries dream.

 

Sunday we picked up my new companion ELDER CRANDELL from the terminal and went straight to church. I'm so excited to be with Elder Crandell. He has been in Trelew as a zone leader the past 6 months, and I've been in charge of the Trelew zone, so we are good buds. He is a pretty small guy, but he is just packed with energy. I think he also is one of the humblest guys i know as well. I am kinda hoping i stay 2 more transfers in the office just because I love him so much! We are going to have a great transfer-- we have 2 really solid fechas now-- one with the Sepulveda's grandma, and the other with a 16 year old kid named Ezekiel. He is the son of a menos activia, and he is so solid. We taught him the other day and he gave the first prayer in his whole life and was just incredible!! He asks for help being more responsible, that his mind could be opened so he could understand more of what he reads, for just really touching things. It was probably one of the most sincere prayers I have ever heard. It was really neat. He is scheduled for April 3rd, and Rosario (the Sepulveda's grandma) for the 27th of March. They both came to the baptism and to church for the first time this weekend. We also have another menos activo family that is reactivating now-- they have 2 sons who also aren't members that we are going to baptize this transfer. We have another lady named Teresa who is about 65 and just a goofy lady, but she has come to church 2 times now and really likes it, so I think that here with the assistants, we are going to go back to back transfers baptizing 5 people. I am really content with that because between the assistants and office elders, they only baptized 1 person the entire past year. Now we've got a really productive area. I give a lot of credit to elder Camacho-- we worked really hard up until the end, and that missionary went out on top. Baptizing 5 your last weekend is just an incredible way to end. He was kind of sad to leave, but just because we have these 5 more people to baptize. He left knowing he had done what the Lord wanted him to do, and he left with the respect of the whole mission. I'm going to miss that kid, but I'm sure we'll keep in touch. We have already planned some of the pranks he is going to play on us in the office from his house. (I don't know why I was part of planning pranks against myself, but it's going to be funny!) I'm going to miss him dearly, but Elder Crandell is a great missionary.

 

Elder Taylor is now in Elder Crandell's spot as zone leader in Trelew, and elder Argueta is a zone leader now in Bariloche. That's perfect because I'm in charge of both of those zones, so I get to talk to those guys a lot.

 

Monday was transfer day. It was also a nightmare. There was a huge rainstorm and it washed out a section of the major highway from the south to neuquen. The going home missionaries got here about 14 hours late, and the transfers have been so messed up. I think I've spent more time on my cell phone the past two days than I have my entire life. We have to re route everyone through Bariloche and we've had to reschedule meetings because the trainers couldn't get to neuquen and it's just been a disaster. Hopefully they'll finish repairing it soon!! It's just been a really really stressful two days, and my poor companion doesn't really know what's going on. It takes about a week or so to understand all the going abouts of the office, so he'll be caught up soon.

 

On Friday, we are heading on south on the Gira. We are doing it early this time. Its going to be a blast—I'm excited for the time I'm going to spend with Elder Crandell- He is such a fun little guy. And he can drive! So I won't have to drive the whole gira like the last times.

 

We've got a lot of excitement for this transfer-- we are ready to do some incredible things here in the mission, and I am excited for the things we've planned to do in zone conference because they are things I've really felt inspired that the mission needs to here. We love our stressful life, and mission Elder Camacho, and its starting to turn into winter a bit too!! Wahoo.

 

I love you all. It's about time I wrote a nice long email with pictures, huh?

I'm off to train and inspire the new missionaries--- have a great day!!

 

Elder Jensen

 

 

(Editor's note:  I tried to attach photos but couldn't get them to send)

March 2, 2010

 

Hi all

 

It's been a great week down here. We had a lot of setbacks and problems in the office and such, but we have had some great successes this week too. The familia Sepulveda all passed their baptismal interviews last Saturday. President came and did some, and Elder Nilsson did some too. It was such a sweet peace as they all walked out happily, and they are so excited to get baptized on Saturday. On Monday we went over and brought 5 bars of soap and had them all carve a big B for Bautismo--now they are going to remember how their baptism is gong to rinse them clean! haha. It's a fun idea. We have seen some incredible changes in them these 6 weeks. Fernando stopped smoking and robbing, and they boys have dedicated themselves to being good. Jaqui and Fernando are getting married at 10 this Friday, and we are going to have a fun little reception on Friday night in the church. Mom--you remember that Pillsbury cake mix you sent for my birthday? I think that might end up going to this wedding reception. I hadn't gotten around to using it yet, and if figure this is a great chance to do it! we are going to go over tomorrow and decorate a little and make it really nice. The ward is excited for them--our ward has about 45 active people, and the Sepulvedas will now be easily the biggest active family in the ward. And they are all so excited to be there and to learn. Every time we go there, I am just blown away. we leave little hints at what we are going to teach in the next visit and when we come, the hermano just assigns the song and prayer and then calls on some of his kids to share what they've learned and to basically teach the lesson to us. It's pretty incredible. Tonight we are going over for a noche de hogar-- we are going to watch a video and I'm making ´peño corn.´ I am professional making it now—I've mastered it. the first couple of times I burned it really bad in our house and the senior couple yelled at me, but then if figured out I have to use a different pot. Now it's good.

 

In Chile there was an 8,8 earthquake. It was felt here, but not strongly. It hit at about 3:45ish in the morning. I slept through it, but some missionaries woke up and the people who were awake here in neuquen all felt it. There wasn't any damage here or anything, and all of our Chilean missionaries are alright. Elder Camacho is from Santiago and just found out his family is safe, but their house isn't doing well, but all the parents and everything is alright with the Chilean missionaries. Then 2 nights ago, we had a little earthquake here, but again I slept through it, and again it didn't do any damage.

 

This is week 6, so we just are finding out transfers. I am really really really excited about my new companion. I'll tell you who it is next week when transfers are official, but I am really excited. I'm sad to say goodbye to elder Camacho though. He has been a really good bud for me and has really helped and taught me a lot. He is just a fun guy who is really professional when he needs to be and always has a good joke to crack when we have a lot of stress.

 

Im looking a little bit forward to see what changes will happen. Sometimes I get frustrated with people because of dumb disobedient things they do and the lack of focus some people have. But we do our best to animate the people to live better, to be better, and to work better. Its fun. Yesterday we planned out our plans for next transfer and for the next gira and everything. We are going to do our workshop about the atonement of Christ. That will be a good one-- we've been studying it a lot as a mission. Last Gira, president challenged everyone to read the book of Mormon before Easter. Im just starting Mosiah today-- a nice pace of about 12 pages a day. It's been fun looking for ways the atonement gives us strength and helps us keep going strong.

 

Dad- thanks for sending me your notes from Grandma's funeral. It was touching to read them and reflect on all the memories grandma has given me and for all the incredible things she has done. Dr. Peterson told me there are two kinds of people- people that see a tough situation and change it and make it good, or people that see a tough situation and let it stay tough. Grandma is definitely in the first category and has been an incredible inspiration to all of us to keep working, to live your testimony, and to serve everyone.

 

We are in a bit of a funk right now--we haven't found any new investigators in about a week. Hopefully we'll break out soon! And look forward to some great pictures next week-- the wedding and 5 baptisms!!

 

I love you all--

nesneJ nalA rolyaT redlE

Back from the gira

February 17, 2010

 

Hey family!

We got back from the gira (tour of the southern part of the mission) yesterday. It was a pretty successful gira. All the zone conferences went really well, and we feel good about the teaching we did. It's a teaching that has completely changed my life. It's about planning and it works. But it makes me sad because looking at the missionaries numbers from last week, very few people put it in practice the stuff we taught. It makes me sad because now I am accomplishing SO much more with the time I have. I just love being a missionary and being even more effective with my time!

 

We had a good gira. There were a couple of days where I wasn't doing well. I kinda just crashed for a few days and just kinda lost it. I still worked hard and taught well, but on the inside I just felt absolutely empty. I was really struggling with it till Saturday afternoon when we arrived in Bariloche. I talked to my companion about it a little and he suggested I did a ´spiritual fast´ In this program, I was going to write down about 15 or 20 things that I was going to do or not do for 40 days. I wrote down a lot of good stuff, and I won't lie I haven't done everyone of them these past 5 days, but man I feel so much better. I had a good real fast from Saturday to Sunday, and I feel like I'm back in control now. I just completely lost it for a bit, and was just dead. Now i feel awesome, just so happy. I think for one of the first times in my life I understand what repentance is. In the dictionary in the Spanish book of Mormon, it says that it means you see yourself and God in a new light. I think that absolutely happened to me this past weekend. On Saturday, I just was so down and just weighed down by that burden, but then I worked really hard to pull myself out, to give absolutely everything to invite the spirit back into my life and to ask for forgiveness for the things I had done wrong. Then on Sunday in church, it just hit me. I had a completely different light about myself. I just felt different, like I had the spirit, like I could do anything, and like I had been forgiven. That was a sensation that I'm not sure I had ever had before. (ps, it makes it even better that on the computer right next to me they are playing the Rudy soundtrack of this big motivational orchestra. haha.) It was a great experience, and I have learned an awful lot. I am not the same person I was before the gira--I feel like I know myself a whole lot more, that I understand a whole lot more of having the gospel in my life, and the importance of giving my all always to have the spirit in my life. It was a pretty incredible turnaround, and I just feel so good now, like I felt back in Allen or something. Just purely happy and content. That's how I long to feel always.

 

On Saturday, we did divisions with some elders in Bariloche. One is one of my favorites in the mission. He came in with elder Cox and I've worked with him 2 or 3 times. He is just a purely good guy. Humble, hard worker, fun, easy to talk to. Just one of the top 5 missionaries in my book. His companion that he is training, however, is on the verge of giving up the mission and going home. We worked with them on Saturday and then elder Camacho worked with him on Sunday to see if we could get some animo in him. He speaks GREAT Spanish! he's a great teacher. But he just hasn't decided he wants to be here. They are going to make a final decision in a couple of hours what is going to happen. He drove back in the car with us from Bariloche to neuquen. I just hope he realizes what this work is and how much it changes lives. I've tried putting it into words what my mission has meant to me and I just cant. Mom- it reminds me a lot of something you wrote me in the MTC. It was the first or second letter you wrote, and in the last line or two you said something or other would happen if I would ´humble myself and commit to this experience.´ Working with him just brought that flying back into my mind because I realized that everything good that has happened on my mission is because I did that-- humbled myself and committed, giving everything to this experience. I just absolutely love it here.

 

We got to be with Doctor Peterson and his wife for the whole trip. I fell in love. They are so awesome. He has served 9 years of his life as a missionary, mission president, and twice as mission doctor. I learned so much from him. He just would always come and give me these huge hugs. We became really good friends. I had another little health interview on their last day here, but I did it just to talk to him. At the end, he just says elder it's been so good being with you! We're going to miss you! You are the kind of person that gives us hope in the future. You're the kind of person that can go into any situation and make good things happen. That's the difference between a good area and bad area in a mission- the missionaries and their attitudes. You are going to do incredible things in your life.´ Then, we took him to the airport while president finished up zone conference and I asked for his last bit of advice for me and elder Camacho. He says ´you two are incredible missionaries. You need to know you're the best. Don't let it get to your head because you have to be humble and you know that. But you are two young men with bright minds that can do anything. Anything! You can become anything you want, and don't ever let anyone tell you otherwise. Don't let the time it takes to accomplish something take you away from it. Lots of doctors faze out because they don't want to take so long studying. Do what you want to do, and don't let anyone tell you you can't. He then talked about callings and leadership and stuff that we'd be doing after the mission. I was just so touched the entire time i was with him. He is an incredible man, and I want to be like that when I'm older!

 

We got back yesterday and set out right away to work. It started pouring rain, and that is always a blast! I love it. Me and elder Camacho are such good buds now. We just kinda walk around and accidently bump each other into puddles and stuff. I love working with him, he's so much fun. But we went over to the sepulveda´s house, the ones who we found and have come to church 2 Sundays in a row now. We put a fecha with them for the 6th of March. Only three of the kids were there, but that was okay because they were the three that were most interested and didn't have to do any marriage or divorce papers or anything. They were just so happy and excited for it!! wahoo!!!!

 

Well, other than that, I'm out. My hands are tired from typing so fast. and we get a full p-day today!! wahoo! I need a good nap and to write letters. It's been a long time.

 

Take care! I love you! Thanks for writing me and supporting me!

 

Tay