20th of October 2014

     So I forgot how I used to do this, do I read first and then write or write first and then read or like how do you write a mission email? Sorry that I haven´t been super good at this lately, but hoping to improve!

     So I have this new-discovered animo. That means like hmmmm..... positivity, heart, devotion. It means like all of those things in one, I don´t think that the word really exists in English, but that is what I have. I am very happy. I think it might be becuse I have a little niece at home. Well that isn´t all of it, but it for sure is part of it!!

     I am about to complete 9 months in the mission. That is half way right ¿como? seriously who knows how that passed by so fast. 

     My companion Hermana Jones and I have been feeling pretty good. Just to let you know, we have moved houses again due to some saw dust falling from the ceiling, so that was fun! We live in an adorable house now, on the second floor. It is yellow and red and very very cute! like a gingerbread house, and the landlady calls us her "hijas". 

     We are teaching someone wonderful named Eleonora. She is 21 years old, just like me! She works in a paper store, (those are very common here, they sell like school supplies). She was visited by the Elders like a year ago, but at this time (sorry if I am re-writing here, I have no idea what I have already said) she was going to school and working a lot and not interested, but now; she is so super interested and progressing like crazy!

Last sunday, we had visited her for about a week, and she commited to going to church. We tried calling her sunday morning, but she didn´t answer. But she showed up all by herself! We have been able to follow the spirit and answer all of her questions by using the Book of Mormon, which she loves. We teach her principle by principle in her store, and one day she came and said, "yup I read, and I really liked verse 20, can we read that one?" She is amazing and we love her. 

      We are also teaching another young man named Miguel. He is 20 years old and really wants to change his life. What better way is there to do that then through the gospel of Jesus Christ? We called him 20 minutes before church while we were passing for another investigator, and he was like "I am actually already at the church" bah. My bad. He is seriously great. 

     I love you all and hope you learned tons from Conference. I am super excited for the Liahona to come out so that I can read all the talks again. 

     Love

     Hermana Jensen

Oh what things 13 October 2014

     So I am writing very early today, sorry about that. 

     I just wanted to simply let you all know that I love the Lord. I know that we are so blessed to have a God that loves us and that has something in store for us. I am grateful for this time that I am spending as a missionary, even when it is hard.

    There are moments of really hard, but there are moments of really happy. I am actually grateful for the hard. In the moment, sometimes it is difficult to understand, but God is forming us.

We are here, in a refiners fire, and God is watching us until we are ready. Waiting till he can see his reflection in us. 

     I am changing as a person. I am not perfect, but I know that I can be because of Christ. Christ wasn´t just anyone. He not only brought the gospel to the earth and performed many miracles, he is still saving us. The Atonement makes immortality and eternal life possible.

     We have a prophet! He loves us. 

     I testify that the Book of Momon conatians Gods love and the fullness of the gospel. All of it. 

     I love the Lord.

     Love

   
Hermana Jensen

Happy birthday Guadalupe 22 September 2014

Thank you all for the birthday wishes! 

     I had a really great birthday, I ate some delicious chile rellenos and pan dulce. Amazing things of mexico, really. And yesterday, an amazing hermana gave us the really moist cake that is made with 3 milks and it had like this raspberry stuff on top I donno but cake the the US is terrible. The cake here is so much better. Like I am don't think I will be able to eat cake at home again, haha. 

     So things have been pretty great here. This morning, I had some serious thoughts about what God is trying to teach me from all this and I am going to try and sum it up really fast.

     I am learning to put all of my trust in God. To breathe, to be still and to do all that God asks of me. With all of the things that I have gone through in the passed little while, I finally realized why. If the lesson isn't recognized, God sends us something else until we recognize it. We have to submit our will to his and just do. Do without stopping what we are already doing. Sometimes we don't know why or how or even exactly what, but we just have to do it. Follow the good and we will make it. 

     A returned missionary shared the story about Leonardo Davinci in church on Sunday, when he was painting the last super. He looked for someone with the characteristics to pose for Jesus, and he found someone. He was a young man, dedicated to God, focused on others and so Leo painted him as Jesus. He one by one found people to pose for each of the apostles, and 19 years later, he was on the last apostle, Judas. He looked and looked. Then he was advised that someone had just gotten out of prison that could fit his role. He went, and sure enough, he asked this man full of evil and pain to pose as Judas. Then he showed the man the painting, and the man began to cry. "I am the one who posed as Jesus 19 years ago". We have to stay constantly on the pathway, with our eye focused on the light. Light cannot dwell in darkness. Christ is the light.

     Sorry that was summarized very fast, but I loved it so much. 

   
Love you all

Hermana Jensen

Sky Full of Spiders - September 15th 2014

      So the sky full of spiders thing is just they were attached to a tree and a powerline and it looked kinda like they were just floating there. The biggest one is like the size of the palm of my hand. Those spiders are really common here but I have no idea what they are called. 

      Well we have been working away the days around here. Things pass sooo fast sometimes. I cant believe it. 

We have been looking for and finding people that really need the atonement in their lives. We have really found some people that are in desperate need of the gospel, and that say that they really want it, but they are struggling a little bit to show it. As missionaries, we invite and help. We can come and try to bring people to church, but if they wont get out of bed, we have to respect that. We can come and read the book of mormon with them but we can't make them read it every night. We can give them assignments and commitments and invitations and reminders forever, but we cannot do it for them. We all have agency.

      But how wonderful agency really is. We chose to come to earth, commiting to endure and follow. We decide here on earth also. Have faith, follow Christ, keep following. Do the little but important things too. I can seriously see here in the mission how much of a difference agency makes.

      We choose to to good, but sometimes we mess up. That is why we need the Atonement. The Atonement already happened. Christ bled from every poor so that we could be free from misery, but we have to accept it. We have countless testimonies of the love that it brings and the reality of repentance, but we still have to make the choice. We have to open the door, or Christ can never come in.

     "For behold, I, God, have suffered these things for all, that they might not suffer if they would repent. But if they would not repent, they must suffer even as I; which suffering caused m
yself, even God, the greatest of all, to tremble because of pain, and to bleed from every pore, and to suffer both body and spirit--and would that I might not drink the bitter cup and shrink-- Nevertheless, glory be to the Father, and I partook and finished my preparations unto the children of men" DyC 19:15-19

      But because of Christ, we can feel free. We can live again. We can be with our families. We can feel free from sin. We can overcome sickness. But we also can have peace in the middle of Chaos. I love you all. Decide to do good. Decide to follow Christ.

Love, 

Hermana Jensen

September 8th 2014

Mis queridos,

   

     This week was crazy town. We are all nice and settled in our new house (did I tell you I moved) and trying to work hard to find those people that need the gospel. 

Jessica and her companion

      Something that I really have been realizing that helps a ton with everything is goals. I was super good at making goals before. I would make all kinds of goals. But let me just tell you, I didn´t follow through with them. These days, me and my companion are working hard to make goals and follow through with them. You really can see your growth when you measure it. It makes perfect sense now, I am not sure why i never applied it before. To get where you want to be, there has to be a pathway. 

     We are working with some people that have all kinds of different challenges. With their families, emotionally, physically, things that are really out of their control along with things that are perfectly in their control that they are unwilling to face. We all have different things to go through, but I really can testify that God is the answer. It is found in the gospel of Jesus Christ, and especially, in His Atonement. We can be free. We just have to believe, trust, accept, change, promise and continue. 

      We are all children of God. That means that he is our father, that we are all siblings. I want to see all of my brothers and sisters in heaven someday. A grand eternal family.

     My companion and I had to give the relief society class without any warning- talk about how different giving a class is from giving a lesson to a few people. I was like wooo no fear, and then holy wow. Talk about blank faces when you ask questions. But the point that we ended up talking about was living your baptismal covenants and enduring to the end. In Spanish, it is perseverar hasta el fin, which literally translates to persevere. We have to move progressively forward until we are with God. I love you all and invite you to persevere to the end, making goals an plans and following through, knowing that there is a way.:)

Hermana Jensen

September 1st 2014

     Welp, I actually still don't have any pictures of me and Hermana Jones. Things have been a little crazy around here, but I am working on it. 

     We moved houses today! I have officially done that in mexico (I actually don't think I ever really did that in Utah completely) We now don't live on the 4th floor, just in a little house. I like it, it is nice. 

     Remember Ana? Welp, she is doing great EXCEPT SHE DIDN'T GO TO CHURCH. Because of all the crazy oposition in her life, she has only been once! She is all ready to get baptized, but she can't for 4 weeks because of the rule that there is here in Mexico. She stopped drinking coffee, she is reading and not to mention remembering the Book of Mormon. Her husband, Oscar, is also great, but works on sundays. So one week, she went to Jalapa to visit her family, the next week, she went (to church)! Then her baby had diarrhea, and then the next Sunday, her sister in law randomly dropped her little girl off for her to baby sit. Ana already has 2 little girls. This little girl is a little monster though, to the point that Ana and her husband ended up sleeping on the floor in the living room. Crazy town. Ana was so frustrated. But the good thing is, she is holding strong. We are working hard on teaching her how to handle these things, and that God gives us a way to keep his commandments. 

     Then there is Ivan. They say he has cancer, but they can't find it. But regardless, he has to go through many medical things, including Chemo every 15 days. But he still lets us come teach him even when he feels terrible. A few weeks ago, Hermana Terry said she would bring his sofa if he came to church. He went. Even though we found out that he had a terrible night the night before. Since then, he has come every week. He is showing us little acts of faith all the time, and this is amazing to see. He is so faithful and strong, he just thinks that he has to have perfect faith before he is baptized. But we love him, and we know he is going to reach eternity- with his family. His wife is already a member, and she was inactive, but she has been going with him.

I love you all! thanks for being there for me! Remember that love that God has for you.

Hermana Jensen

August 25th MONTH 7 has passed

     Wow how fast things go in the mission. Can´t believe I am in my 8th month.

Me and hna Moreno

     Update, I had my companion Hna Moreno for 2 days and then she got sent to the port because she has back problems. I am now companions with Hermana Jones from Canada! She has 1 transfer less than I do, so whooo for spanish learning that we are having to do in a whole new way! She is 5´11, the people here are all very overwhelmed by how tall she is. Transfers are crazy things. I have had 9 companions so far, that is a lot for 7 months. The Lord must just know I can handle it. Did I tell you Hermana Terry is my sister training leader now?

Us with Ana! She is an amazing investigator!

Me, hna terry and our converts, Miguel and Misael!

I don´t have too much to say this week except that it is very important to trust in God. When we receive spiritual promptings to follow them. We are promised to always have the spirit with us after baptism, how great of a blessing is that! Remember that in every choice that you make. 

    Here are a few pics! I love you so much!

August 18th 2014

     Cambios happened, and I am staying here, but 2 white girls in Mexico is no more... I am going to have a new companion named Hna. Moreno, I do not know her at all, but I am sure it will be great! I am super sad to be splitting up from my companion, but they still can't pull us all the way apart- she is still going to be in my zone, but as sister training leader! I am very excited for her!

     This week, something amazing happened. We have been teaching of-and-on a guy named Ivan. His wife and son are members, and he is really amazing. He has cancer. He is so good about not letting this get him down. He hasn't been able to go to church because of his health, but last week, we promised his well being if he would go to church. HE WAS THERE. It was the most amazing thing. My faith was really increased by seeing his faith. He is so amazing. 

     I don´t have much time- but guess what, I am teaching English classes! it is really fun. Ana and her daughter came, and they also came to church. 

     I love it here a lot. I am not perfect, but I am trying to do my best. 

     I love you all and hope that all is well.

Hermana Jensen

Oh, Nogales August 11th 2014

     I love you all so much and hope that all is well back in Utah, (and wherever

My Zone

 Us being dorks after the rain

else you all might be right now) Here in Nogales, things are crazy as usual!! But it has been really great.

I don´t have a ton to say this week, but here are a few points

-act on revelation, if it is good, it is from God.

-have the faith, and pray for more. rely on the Savior for what you lack

-Remember the countless times you have been delivered out of darkness by God, our true light. Write it down when it happens. If you didn´t then, do it now. Live by it. Remember the times others have too- your friends, family, the pioneers, the Nephites. GOD DELIVERS.

 Me on our roof 

      It rains a lot here. Transfers are coming fast, who knows what is going to happen, really. Remember Ana, she is still awesome, and we met her husband, and he reminds me of my brother, Christopher. Remember Miguel, he was confirmed, and him and his brother went to the temple, even though Miguel couldn't do baptisms yet because he wasn't confirmed yet, he went with them and went in the waiting room and watched the videos.

     Much love from me

     Hermana Jensen

     

(Want to be called to repentance, Mormon 9, want to recognize your desire to read the new testament, First Peter :)

August 4th 2014

Dear family and friends!

     I love you all so much, and just wanted to remind you that I am in Mexico with a wonderful companion named Hermana Terry! We are doing great! Know why? We had a baptism sunday! Our amazing investigator finally was baptized! He told us in one of his last lessons that he was ready to get baptized right then. He is so amazing, and has changed a ton. It made me very happy.

     We have some crazy days here in Mexico, but we also have some really great ones. Even when they are few, they make everything worth it. It is one of those things you have to expierence. It is really really hard, but it is even more beautiful. The hard is so worth it. 

Things that make it worth it:

     -When you are a small part of someone changing

     Just seeing Miguel and all that he went through to be ready for baptism, I know that this is worth it. His little brother spoke at his baptism, and that was an amazing thing. I know, I keep bringing up this up but I really have never seen someone change that much in 6 weeks. 

     -When you meet someone who is ready to listen to the true message of Jesus Christ. Someone ready to do everything and anything to be who God wants them to. 

     Sometimes you don't know who those people are for a little while. Sometimes they don't even know. But sometimes you do know. We met someone named Ana Laura yesterday. Her husband was a referral from the offices, but he want there. But she let us in, listened, and was very open and sincere. As she was saying the closing prayer, she was touched by the holy ghost, and started crying. She told us after that she could feel something pure about us. We told her it was the spirit. She accepted baptism! I am excited to keep teaching her!

     -The little happy moments

     Random people singing to us in the street, the fact that delicious bread is 2 pesos, feeling love from the members, the moments when you forget yourself and go to work. It is really all worth it.

     There is a lot more that makes it worth it, but nobody got time for lists right now :)

     I have been noticing, actually for a long time, like my whole mission, how much the people of God are delivered (always) and how much we have to keep reminding the people to remember his deliverance. Like when king Pahoran lets Moroni know that he hasn't forgotten him, but that his people are rebelling. He insures that everything will be fine, because it will be the will of God.

  11 We would not shed the blood of our brethren if they would not rise up in rebellion and take the sword against us.

 12 We would subject ourselves to the yoke of bondage if it were requisite with the justice of God, or if he should command us so to do.

13 But behold he doth not command us that we shall subject ourselves to our enemies, but that we should put our trust in him, and he will deliver us.

 We will always be delivered. 

     Funny-

    So we have been trying to change houses for a while. We have this neighbor below that blasts music. This week they blasted the killers. Only one song, but man I layed on the floor with my hands on my ears attempting to practice temperance. 

 Love you all!

Hermana Jensen

STOP-Exercise July 28th 2014

     Nobody worry! Of course it was flooding, but it literally floods like every two days. We are prepared, to the point that it is very normal. This email is about to be very fun. I will write spiritual first and then funny.

     So we have this investigator named Miguel. He is super cool, the brother to Misael (the kid who got baptized when I first got here to Nogales. When Hermana Terry first met him, he said that he didn´t want to change his party life. God had different things in store for him. 

     He went to church the day of his brothers baptismal service. We saw and talked to him a few times that week (not lessons) and then he came the next week for his brothers conformation. Pretty soon, he was the most consistent investigator that we had! We could see his conversion process so clearly, but he kept telling us he was still looking for his answer. He gave up all his bad habits and then, SIGNED UP FOR EFY. Well, last week was his efy, every day from 9am to 9pm and we couldn't have even 2 seconds to teach him, besides a lesson OVER THE PHONE about ley de castidad.[law of chastity] (yup, that happened) and our district leader just kept telling us to be patient because he there was really no better place for him to be.

     Sunday came, and they asked all who participated from our ward to share their testimonies. Miguel got up there, and the moment that I saw him sitting up there on the stand, I was overcome by the spirit. (There was also the surprise that one of our contacts from that week was at church). He shared very simply that he knew that this was true and how grateful he was. I was, and am, so happy. He asked the young mens president to baptize him. I felt the truth of D&C 18:15–16, "and if it so be that you should labor all your days crying repentance unto this people and brings save it be one soul unto me, how great shall be your joy with him in the kingdom of my father"

I found out also that one of my investigators from Costa Verde got baptized also!

     So-back to the girl who came to church. Her name is Linda (which means "cute" in Spanish) We were walking Thursday, and she contacted us. At this time, there was a giant hairy catapiller on my shoe. Her mom was with her, and sometimes the character of the people here seriously cracks me up. She smashed it, and then proceeded to rub the guts on my leg, claiming that if it bit me, and I didn´t rub the guts on my leg, I would get a fever. I was like, "ok sweet go for it weirder things have possibly happened" (but I can´t think of any right now)

     Other funny thing, last week we needed books of mormon. Bad. We ran out and we kept telling the Elders in our ward to please get us some. They kept saying that the books of Mormon were in the church, but we didn't have the keys for the place they were at. Well, one day, we saw the Elders by the church and asked them if they would go get them. They looked really weird about it and said something to each other like "do you think we can" "nothing´s gonna happen" and we were so confused. Next thing we know, they are opening the church doors and fog comes out really thikly. We try to tell them that it is ok another time but they already have their ties over their faces all ready to run through. They were fumigating for bugs. We felt so bad, but when they ran out with the books of mormon one of them said "That was like a movie or something!" we are pretty sure that they had fun, but we still feel bad.

     Wow I have so much more I want to share. Just know that this week had it´s ups and downs, but the ups were really ups! I love you all!

Hermana Jensen

Translating is Fun July 14th 2014

     I never know how to start emails, but it has to happen.

     So I am going to tell you a little story about a nice little old man named Narcico. He is great. So sometimes around here, we have people that contact us. In this little part of Nogales that we where working in, there is always this little man walking around with his dog. And we say hello to everyone. Well, you say "good afternoon" it is just what you do. Well, this we said as we were walking past him. He stopped us and asked about us. He walks around with his dog because he cannot see very well. He went on to talk about how he likes to listen to the word of God and he wanted us to visit him. For reasons unknown ( ok one is known- the directions to his house were really confusing) we didn´t take him very seriously. This was a few weeks ago, and we found him another time after that and still didn´t go to visit him. Well, we ran across him the other day and he was very sad that we didn't come. So we make an appointment with him and decided to find his house right after talking to him so that we would know for the next day. Well we found out that he already has been visited by the missionaries before, but in this time he wasnt ready to settle into a religion, and he had some problems with some commandments. He is now ready. Goes to show that you first, follow up- second, people are not always what they seem and third, God will bring the prepared people to you.

     A second of funny, corn on a stick really is a thing. But the corn here isn´t sweet so it is weird. Funnier thing- a bus ran over my companions corn. Another funny moment in a sec.

     Have I told you about the family Charley? It is really the Family Cruz, but everyone calls them that because the dads name is Hermano Charley. They are SO great. Extremely supportive of the missionaries, and always willing to help. Hno Charley was just made our ward mission leader, and things are getting better and better here. I have a lot of hope and faith in the Lords hand in the work here in Nogales. This family is always there for us when we need anything. They care a lot. I am greatful for people that care.

     There is this little boy, who is the son of the relief society president. His name is Carlos. When we first came to his house, we would say like 2 sentences, and he would exclaim that he had no idea what we were saying. We are working on the accent thing, and his parents understood us fine, but it was just so funny. But by the end of the meal, he was chatting it up with us about how he wanted to learn English. The next time we ate with them, he wanted to sing primary songs with us. He asked us to sing in English while he sang in Spanish. In the last song, he started to try to sing with us in English. He told his mom that he could feel something special. He said "We can´t stop. We have to do something else. LETS READ THE SCRIPTURES" We had to go, but I hope they read together. His mom was very touched by this experience and so were we. I hope that when we have spiritual experiences like that, we keep looking for more. I will send a picture of him. He calls us "missionaries" because we taught him how to say that. It is adorable.

Carlos is in the Middle

     Second funny. a guy came up to us and sang a song about Jesus and said that it was in English and I didn´t understand any of it, but the tune is still stuck in my head.

     My companion and I have great moments after some conversations by direct translating them into English. It's a blast.

       Well, send me about what you are studying in the scriptures, I would love to hear that! I love you all

Hermana Jensen

Insanity and Miracles June 30, 2014

       You would never imagine what it is like being two white girls in Mexico teaching the gospel! We have some crazy days! But It has been a blast, and I really love it here in Nogales, it is beautiful.

 Fotografía de La Conferencia

       This week was the confirmation of Misael. He told us this week that he wants to be a missionary- but he kind of already is! He invited his cousin and his brother and sister to his baptism and to church before that, and then his brother also came to his confirmation. We are going to teach him tonight!

 Fotografía de La Conferencia "I'm in this one"

      The other day, we went to see if one of our contacts from the week was there in her house. We stopped by and asked, and they said that she was not home. There were 9 children playing outside, and there were 4 women there kinda watching them. They stopped and looked around at each other, and then invited us to sit down and share with them. I was seriously so surprised because normally in this kind of situation people just let you know that the person is not home and that is it. But this was different. The 4 adults sat down and we started to get to know them. Their name is the family Sanchez. It consists of siblings and their spouses and their kids and the grandma. We shared with them about Gods love, and they just all started crying. We found out that they are going through some tough times as a family because of how sick the grandpa is as well as how much some of them have to work. They said they don't normally let people like us talk to them but they all felt like they should. They told us that they knew that God sent us there. We all felt the spirit so strong. We are praying for them and that they will remember this experience
and accept the Gospel. 

      I love moments that remind me that we can do this, and if people are willing to listen, to the message and to the spirit, they will know the truth. Then, if they trust God enough- they will accept it and let it change them.

I love you all so much and hope you are well!

Hermana Jensen

June 23 2014

Welp, aquí estoy!

​Companions with Hermana Terry!!
 everyone thinks we are twins 'cause
 we are both white.

      Remember how I said it was a crazy week. About 15 minutes after I left the internet, I got a phone call from the assistant. His name is Elder Jensen (haha) he told me to pack my bags, that because the companion to Hermana Terry was still sick I was going to Nogales to be companions with Hermana Terry. YUP. I am going to be companions with Hermana Terry for 2 weeks because her companion went home a tiny bit early. I have been here since Tuesday morning.

     SO I am working here in Nogales in the zona Orizaba. Let me just tell you a little about how it is here. It is soooo green. There are mountains everywhere and it rains cada rato. It is raining right now actually. Pretty hard. I love it. It is so crazy how I was just in the ports and it was way hot and now it is raining all the time (it isn't always cold though, it is hot sometimes- but not like in Costa Verde). I am about 3 hours from where I was. In like a valley of mountains. Guys, there are palm trees on the mountains, its super weird.

      

      On Wednesday I had divisions(splits) with the sister training leaders here. I was with Hermana Zarate in the area Orizaba. That was really a lot of fun and I am learning so much. 

      Working with Hermana Terry has been awesome. We are still working on not talking in English in the apartment and we are really having to learn how to teach together. Just think of this, we were in the same district in the mtc, the same district in our first area, and now we are companions. They just cant keep us apart! 

     It is kinda funny sometimes when we walk down the street and all the people are very surprised that we are white. Here it is not offinsive to call people white. It is very normal. and we go with it. It brings up a lot of teaching opritunities. We are working hard to help our investigators learn the importance of commitments.

Bautismo de Misael

     We had a baptism on Sunday! I only got to teach him like 3 times, but that is actually a lot of times. I have a short story.  On Wednesday, Hermana Terry and the sister training leader visited him and he was in 1 Nephi 7 and we visited him 2 days later and he was in Alma 61! We were so surprised, I loved it so much. Hermana Terry's companion got to come back for the baptism before she went home. It was really a great expierence and I loved it. 

   
     I love you all and hope you are doing well. Remember that we are blessed to have access to the works of many prophets, take advantage of them! 

Love,

Hermana Jensen

June 16 2014

The trio original (we were together one week
and then hermana Guani had to go on exchanges
 for a week because someone
 was sick and then we changed companions)

     Welp. I am not going to write a general email this week, because it has been a long one (don't worry, I am not down, it has just been long) There have been many changes and I have been very busy! 

We also had a circus this week,

 a missionary activity.

 I am with hermana Furner.

 She has a cool picture with me 

balancing a balloon on my nose.

Me and hermana Gabriel with
 the Hermana Acevedo and Hermana Artega,
 the other sisters in our ward.

Hermana Guani is no longer my companion, she moved to another area. It was quite a process, "cambios especiales" (Special Changes) they call them.  Now we have the sweet little Hermana Gabriel. She has troubles saying some letters and sounds, and I have been working very hard to understand her. She is very nice and good hearted, not to mention extremely smart and good at teaching. In 2 weeks she finishes her mission. Hermana Jarquin and I are learning a lot from her, and it is teaching me Spanish very fast, especially the day that it was just me and her (divisions/splits) and I had to tell people what she was saying. 

Me and Hermana Gabriel with
the ward mission leader

The theater

     I am still learning, and I don't think the learning will stop- and that is great! It is a whole new world to learn so much every day. We have had a lot of spiritual experiences and I am very grateful for that. Today we got to go to Centro because Hermana Gabriel needed new shoes. Everything is so inexpensive here. (not everything, but lots of things) we saw the theater.

     I am learning how to love people that I don't  even know. The Lord gives us what we ask for with a sincere heart, but it is in his own time. I know that I can do this and that there is a reason that I was called here.    We ate today at a place that has picadas the size of pizzas (picadas are like quesadillas but with more sauce than cheese) and giant chocolate milk with cinnamon, and gorditos. I will send pictures! love you!

June 2nd 2014

     Well, I am here in my same area with two companions that are SO GREAT. Really I love them a lot. A trio is a crazy expierence, especially because I am senior companion. I have been calling people and talking to them in spanish, starting all the lessons, and well, being senior companion. It has been a great opritunity, sometimes really stressful, because we are three girls sleeping in the same house and have to be asleep at 10:30. They love to talk, that is for sure. But they are seriously so great and they believe in me so much.

Also, they understand all my spanish. Casi. Someday I am going to be so fluent in spanish, I have faith in that. I am self concious still, and it is hard to talk still, but I am taking more risks and working harder. It has been quite fun, really.

      We had stake conference this last week, with the privilege of the attendance of three members of area 70. The president of the mission, President Treviño (who is a 70 now) Area President Johnson, and another one that I seriously dont remeber hearing his name. This happens sometimes when it is a strange name that I wont recognize, it just gets skipped in my brain (perdón). 

     I learned a lot about how important commitments are and the importance of humility. Sometimes when you think you are the lowest thing on earth, you have an experience that reminds you that you are a child of God. Your humility increases when you help people see their worth. 

     Be strong. I want whoever is reading this to remember that people care. Sometimes it is really hard to see. It is hard to find someone who understands, because no one really does. We all expierence things differently. But someone does, and He will calm your worries. I also have lots of faith that more we listen, the more we will understand, and with that understanding comes humility. Comfort your friends, remind them of the Savior. Help them feel a degree of understanding.

 I love you all so much!

Hermana Jensen

CAMBIOS May 26th 2014

     Okay, so I am not going anywhere, but I am about to be the senior companion of a trio. AH. I know both of them, they came here with me (which is also weird to be companions this early with people of the same generation)

      

      Overall, I am really excited, but I am nervous also. 

      Other fun thing- last p-day we went to an aquarium. The fish are really big here, and a huge macaw sat on my shoulder, but I don't have a picture of it because you had to pay for the picture.

     Also, I had a spur of the moment talk on Sunday. None of us knew about it, I ended up talking about salvation, and blessings. It was really cool, and I think quite a learning expierence for me. It helps me sometimes to not prepare, because then I think harder about how I feel and not just what I have the words to say. Because how am I going to find the words if I keep saying the same things?

     It is a crazy world to live in here in the mission, and it has been hard recently as far as investigators, but I have been growing a lot. 

Well, I love you all very much, Hope all is well at home!!

Hermana Jensen

May 19th 2014

     I forgot the notebook with the things that I wanted to write you guys in it, but hopefully this will still be good!

     This week was hard, but really good! I have been stressed for sure, because I still haven't adapted to this whole situation, and I really think it is something that you don't really adapt to (which is hard to get used to :) I know I am 3 months in, but it is a hard work. I know that if I devote myself and trust in the Lord, it will get easier.

     On Sunday, there were some really great talks in church. The one that I want to talk about was about obedience. When we perform sacred ordinances, we are letting God know that we are worthy and ready to make a covenant, a sacred promise, with him. We promise to do what he asks us to do, and in turn, he promises to bless us. At baptism, we take upon us the name of Christ and promise to always remember him. This is a a sacred promise. Obedience is the law of heaven, and oh how often we break it. It is a lot easier to keep if you consider the importance that it has. 

     There are so many little things that seem like not such a big deal that really mean a lot. We are blessed to be able to make decisions, and sometimes we use this blessing to make decisions that are not correct.

For this reason, it is so great that we have an amazing brother who loves us. He has felt what we felt and because of him, we can be free. Through Christ, Our errors, pains and suffering will pass and we will feel the love of the the Savior, a love that is bigger than any love we are capable of having and more understanding than we can ever be. Remember that Christ loves you, and forever try to comprehend that love. You never will fully understand, but the more you learn, the more you grow.

     We have been working really hard with this ward. Making sure that it is a firm foundation for those that come and see :) there are some really amazing members here, and we have a great ward mission leader that is helping us a ton. I am very grateful for the support that we have. We had a fireside Sunday night, and Presidente de la misión came and talked to our ward. It was really touching to see how much he loves the Savior, his testimony is very strong.  If you get a chance, you should watch the music and the spoken word for "Ill go where you want me to go" 

 love, 

Hermana Jensen

May 12th 2014

     I don't have much to tell  you. I skyped my family yesterday, it was really great to see all of them!

     This week we had a conference of all hermanas! that was really great! I learned a lot, One of the main things being that my president and his wife really love us! it was really great because I got to see Hermana Ledek! (from my district in the mtc) she is in Cordoba. Something else that I learned is that if you want to do what is right, follow the Lord. I mean, I knew that, but is something that you sometimes have to relearn many times. After that, we got have some sisters from areas far away stay in our house. That was fun, I got to know sister Skousen and sister Perez. They are both awesome!

Thank you all for your loving words and support, I love all of your emails! Keep them coming, I really enjoy feeling the love from back home. I need it! 

So there is this restaurant here called Grosellas, it is owned by a member. We eat their pretty often. They always have this amazing flavored water, and I asked my companion what it is- ORANGE. Yup, the fruit here is a whole new world. It did not taste lake oranges to me. 

Remember that God loves you!

Hermana Jensen