Sunday, April 30, 2017

Week 100-April 24, 2017

Week 100-April 24, 2017
Hey fam, thanks for all the emails.

Don't have much time today and I can tell you all everything someday soon so Ill be really brief!

Went to the temple, that was a good experience and I felt a lot of peace about going home and finishing. It's still unreal but I felt better. Always great to see the boys too! I will send some pics.

We have had an exciting two weeks, Elder Hathaway and I have seen some really special miracles and seen the Spirit working in people and evidence that this is the Lord's work. Jamie and Carly are having a tough time as it all gets really close, but so far they are still on track and all should be well. We have started teaching a polish family too and the two teenage kids have come to church twice in a row now and have a testimony of the Book of Mormon already and love church. Their parents are interested too. 

funny story: i ripped my last American suit trousers wide open doing a ballet leap with some kids. They got a lot of laughs out of it. So I have no more american suits... 

I love you all so much! I cannot describe how grateful I feel to have you as my family and can't wait to see how much you've all grown. I feel a deep sadness when I think of finishing my mission and leaving this land and these people, but my one consolation is seeing all of you. I know the Lord lives and that He loves us. There is a reason and purpose for us being here and there are always opportunities to be an instrument in His hands to help His children in this journey back to Him. My whole mission has been an effort to do just that, and I have never known so much joy and love for our Saviour as I have while doing this work, it has changed me forever. I know He suffered in the Garden of Gethsemane and on the cross for us because He loves us and that He is our Saviour and Redeemer. I know He lives and I love Him. 

Love,
Elder Jensen 


Our driving shades and a big field.





 Straight down the seam!
The Polish teenagers and brother Trice again, featuring some bomb cupcakes from one of the members.


Me and Big Al' playing around whole Jamie and Carly make us dinner.







Elder Bender, Elder Mthombeni, Taylor, Elder Withers


Jamie and Evie and Brother Trice after church last week.. matching pink ties for Easter

Tom and Jared and David in the background. After church on Easter as well. 


Easter morning sunrise fail... here was no sunrise cause the clouds were too dense but it was still beautiful and we sang Easter songs and read the scriptures about the Resurrection.


Check out that turtle! Oh wait... it's Elder Hathaway.

Jamie and Carly with a few other recent converts 


Sunday, April 23, 2017

Week 99- April 17, 2017

Week 99- April 17, 2017

Hey guys, I'm going to the temple this Thursday with Elder Withers,
Mthombeni, and Bender (all in my group) this Thursday so that will be
our P-day this week. President Stevens gave me permission to email you
guys just to let you know so you wouldn't worry; I'll email on
Thursday. Love you and happy Easter.

Elder J


April 20, 2017

Unfortunately the temple took a bit more of the day then we thought it
would and we had a lesson this evening too so I don't have time to
email but all is well. Just excited to see you guys and making every
last moment here count. All is well with the area and elder Hathaway
is an amazing guy we have a blast together. I felt peace at the temple
and feel that the Lord is pleased with my efforts to serve Him. Even
though I am far from perfect I am grateful His grace makes my best
effort enough. I love Him and I am so grateful for my mission so far.
Still got work to do! Happy Easter! I love you to the moon and back!

Elder Jensen

P.s. Can you send me a pic of my baptism, a pic of benjamins baptism,
and the pic of me and Mandy at her baptism? We want to show them to a
9 year old In a part member family who wasn't Baptised. Thanks.


Monday, April 17, 2017

Week 98-April 10, 2017

Week 98-April 10, 2017

Dear J-squad,

Those pictures are beautiful... I cant wait to go back there this summer. Looks like it was a lot of fun. 

I'll start with the spiritual; some neat things that happened this last week in our area and with investigators. 

Carly got really sick this weekend on the day of their appointment with the registrar a few towns away, and when it seemed like they weren't going to go and just reschedule again, i felt so much disappointment. It has taken so long to get this registrar done and if it gets delayed any longer I won't be here to see it finally happen. I said a prayer upstairs in a small room in our flat, came back downstairs and Elder Hathaway suggested we call Jamie and see if there was any way it could be done that day still. He answered and told us he had gotten on the phone with them, and paid over the phone and taken care of it that morning already cause he is so ready to go through with the wedding and didn't want to delay it anymore so they should be getting married on the 6th of may, and probably baptized the same day or the 7th. Good way to finish.

This sunday, we were pretty discouraged that none of our investigators came to church. We knelt and prayed after all the meetings for guidance on how to proceed this transfer together and got a text and call soonafter we finished from a less active sister whose family we have visited a lot since coming to Dover. she said she had a boy at her place who needed our help and she knew she could trust us to help him. We went straight there and had a lesson with this young man (in his 20's) who knew Tom; the less active sister's son who we have also been working with to get him back to church. long story short, Jared (the guy) is now investigating the church as a way for him to turn to the Lord and something good instead of crime and drugs. Tom even agreed to go to church with him and his mother this sunday. I couldn't believe how quickly the Lord answered our prayers, but it just goes to show that this is His work not ours.

Elder Hathaway is a stud! He has such a good heart and is so loving and has a huge desire to work. This is his 4th transfer and 2nd area but we work really well together. it's been a lot of fun working together and we get along really well. I'm really excited to finish with him. He's from Kaesville Utah and is a sports guy and we keep laughing about how similar we are and were at home.. It's a hoot. Great guy. We'll be able to do a lot of good in this ward I think. 

Now for that crazy thing that happened on wednesday.. we were in london for transfers to pick up Elder Hathaway and then elder yamada and his new companion apparently got seperated on the trains in the underground and couldnt find each other (its a nightmare when this happens and Elder Yamada wouldnt really know what to do) so the assistants asked us to go and sort them out so we were finally going back to the train that takes us to Dover much later then normal and i got onto a train and recognized a young teenage guy but didn't say anything right away.. sure enough he asked me a minute or two later if i was Luke Karsana's friend Taylor and I remembered he was his little brother! then a girl standing closeby too asked if I remebered Aaron Harvey(my old basketball teammate) and i realizd she was his younger sister. so my mind is being blown and all of a sudden everyone is asking if I'm taylor Jensen and if i was Lydia's brother hahahaha then the funniest moment was hearing Jillian from down the train say "TAYLOR JENSEN?!?" and her and Shen running down the train.. HAhahahaah it was nuts I about passed out when I saw them. Anyways, the chances of getting onto the same train and the same carraige on the only day I've been in London for a few weeks is next to nothing so I agree that who knows why but I'm sure there was a reason. anyways it was really neat to see Jillian, she seems so mature and reminded me a lot of Sister Moore her mom! and Shen was about a yard taller than I remember him and I hardly recongized him! He seems like he's grown a lot in a really good way though. Hahaha so that was that!

Mom, thanks for trying to call for me; I'm sure they'll be ok with it and I hope you can get me into that MCOM class this week. Thanks so much for trying to figure it all out for me, you are the best.

I will miss being there for the Easter traditions and Dad's story and the sunrise. I found myself bearing my testimony about the Saviour and Easter and telling someone in a lesson about our family's traditions and had to blink back some tears as I thought about what an impact those simple traditions made on my testimony of Christ and His triumph over death. I expect to see some photos next week of the sunrise!

Anyways, love you all. this was really long.. sorry!

With love,

Elder Jensen

Hurrah for Israel 

Bucket hats for doing some work in someone's yard. I think I look a bit like a pilgrim but elder Hathaway looked great in his and companionship unity is important 

Evie in her cute bear pj's...


Little vid of me throwing a duck egg from some members chicken at a telephone pole mid drive with the other elders on the way home... They peer pressured me into doing it 


Sunday, April 9, 2017

Week 97-April 3, 2017

Week 97-April 3, 2017

Hello familia, sounds like an exciting week at home! Thanks for the updates and for all the emails. It sounds like the Daines had a really nice time and everyone else too. Way to throw a party!

Well, as you can probably tell, Elder Yamada is getting transferred. We had great transfer together and I am glad I was able to serve with such a faithful, humble missionary. This last week we added some new people to our teaching pool too and it has been exciting. Jamie and Carly watched General Conference with us in the Clues' home on Sunday evening and it went really well. They were able to give up smoking this week for good and I am proud of them. Carly's faith has grown so much recently.

With Elder Yamada going, this means my last companion. I won't be training this time and his name is Elder Hathaway. I don't know much about him but I'll tell you more next week. 

I am so grateful for my Saviour Jesus Christ and I know that He directs this work and knows each of us perfectly. When I get down or if I get discouraged over my weaknesses or my failings I find comfort knowing that they know my weaknesses and strengths too and still love me. Like Ashley said, some things happen simply because They are trying to build us as people. I am so grateful to be here... but also so excited to see all of you. I miss and love all of you very much. Thank you for your support! Have a great week.

con mucho amor,
Elder Jensen

Thanks to the best family in the world, I didn't spill a drop of chocolate or cake batter on my tie. Thanks again for the apron. 

Our FHE activity last week; making a creme egg cake with Jamie and Carly. 

A zone pday last week! Seems like we see all these guys all the time 

Nothing like some chess to unify your companionship 

My creation... we made pancakes for some member and I made a fried egg encased in pancake. Really good. 

Oreos and milk; our first sweets for a week. We quit sweets while Jamie and Carly were quitting smoking but this was to celebrate once they did it!

Zone Meeting w Elder Yamada on our shoulders 

Sunday, April 2, 2017

Week 96-March 27, 2017

Week 96-March 27, 2017
I don't have time this week to write much cause I need to choose
classes for fall semester so im afraid this is all you will get this
week. Love you all.

I used mom's recipe for pancakes w sour cream on an exchange and they were bomb. 

district?

Our work digging an estimated 2.5 tons of dirt and moving it in Bishop Pettman's yard.

Jamie and carly and their daughter Evie at church yesterday. 

The YM and a less active guy we brought with us to lay these slabs down for Denise (an investigator)