Week 16...

Hola Everyone!

This past week has been crazy!!!  I don´t know where even to begin, so I guess I´ll start with my new area since that´s where all the questions are right now...

My new area is pretty good.  I´m really glad you gave me that lantern for Christmas because we´ve been without power pretty much for 2 days.  It usually comes back at 12 am and leaves and 3am, so not much use for us.  It´s quite different not having power and water at times.  I guess it´s time to put on my big boy pants and be a man.  I mean after all, I´m twenty years old now...  But anyways, the area is going pretty good.  I´ve got to know the majority of members and the church is amazing!!  It was build about 2 years ago, so it has a generator, AC, and its almost like a US Chapel....almost.  Our house is alot cleaner now, after a week of cleaning.  I actually think now I can live in it.  The bugs aren´t even that bad.  However, I´m still living on rice, and beans.  My companion and I are doing great and we have a couple of families and people who are really progressing, so hopefully some baptisms soon.  The branch is good, but they lake a little bit of desire to work and help strengthen the ward.  However, they´re improving.  So in a nut shell, that´s the new area.

Now, the coolest thing this past week was a Special Mission Devotional.  We had the opportunity to meet Elder Anderson of the 12 and listen to Elder Rasband from the Presidency of the 70 speak to us!  AMAZING!!!  We were all seated in a big room waiting for another meeting to end.  Mind you, I was sitting right by the door.  Then, Elder Anderson and the other 4 general authorities came in.  We starting moving around for a picture, and so they turned to leave again.  However, before Elder Anderson left, he turned around, shook my hand, and asked me how I was doing.  I can´t believe I said, ¨Estoy bien¨ to an Apostle of the Lord.  Anyways, we lined up and took a giant picture with the whole mission.  After, we each shook the hand of all the general authorities.  The spirit was super strong and all of us were very reverent.

Before Elder Anderson left for another meeting, he bore his testimony.  Super powerful testimony.  Then, we listened to the Area President, and Sister Rasband.  She said something were interesting.  She said, ¨Always smile!  And learn to have the smile of forgetting yourself and serving the lord.¨ I really enjoyed that doctrine.  Then the powerhouse speaker stood up!  Elder Rasband is the most powerful missionary I´ve ever seen!  He gave us a lesson on the spirit , D&C 50 and how to be the lord´s missionaries.  Afterwards, he opened up the floor for a Question, Answer session.  I can´t describe the feelings, and lessons I learned from Elder Rasband.  When we come into a meeting with a desire to learn, the spirit teaches us lessons that only we can understand.  That´s because they´re personalized just for us.  This experience has been one of the most spiritual experiences of my life and a memory I will always remember.  I´m so grateful to Heavenly Father for this opportunity!

So yep, it´s been a really, really good week!  Thanks for all the birthday wishes and I hope all is going well at home!  Thanks for your support and prayers!  It really means alot!  I love you all!!

Love,
Elder Jensen