Friday, June 28, 2013

Happy Wednesday...

Hola everyone,

Wow, it's weird to see how fast the weeks seem to go by.  The days might drag on sometimes, but the weeks pass by like days.  Time is a really weird thing...

So last Sunday was the world wide training meeting on missionary work.  IT WAS AWESOME!!  I felt the spirit so strong!  I thought is was interesting that Elder Perry said that the time of knocking doors is ending; I have to agree because we really don't have success just knocking anymore.  However, he said that the church is hoping to use more social media and technology to spread the gospel.  I think missionaries will see a lot more success through tout the world, however, I'm not sure how we'll use it in my mission.  Alot of people here don't have Internet in their houses and use facebook only at Internet centers.   But, I'm sure that President Douglas and the Area Presidency will figure out the best way to incorporate this new contacting technique in the Caribbean.  Overall, the broadcast was really great and I learned alot.  Now, my companion and I are planning to show it to the leaders in the branch because nobody else came and watched it.  To tell you the truth, I feel it was honestly more for members then missionaries.  So I strongly encourage everyone to watch it.  You won't be disappointed...

Things in our area are slowly moving along.  My companion and I are focusing on our part and trusting that the lord will make up where we can't with the members.  We really hope that they can feel the joy of missionary work and the spirit of sharing the gospel like the stories in the Training meeting.  Members are the most important part of missionary work!

We continue to see some progress with our investigators.  We visited with Libby last week with a member.  He asked her what stopped her from being baptized.  She honestly didn't know the answer.  So we then helped her that it was the time to take a stand and make a decision.  She agreed that the time is now or never and that she needs to decide.  We have another visit with her this Friday and I hope, really hope that she gets baptized before I leave the area.  She has a testimony and I know she'll be a strong leader that Fantino needs.  She is our most progressing investigator at the time, but we're meeting some really cool new people.  So hopefully soon we'll have more.

I'm continuing my studies in the book of Alma and I've made it to the war chapters.  Captain Moroni is a stud!  In Alma 48:17 we learn that if all men could be steadfast like Moroni, Satan would have no more power over the hearts of men.  I want to be like Captain Moroni!  I think we should all learn from his example and stand up and defend our beliefs, families, and god!  Let us all be like Moroni, shall we?  

Have an excellent week everyone!!

Love, 
Elder Jensen

Saturday, June 22, 2013

Hey...

Hola Everyone,
 
Things seem to be growing great in Utah and the family seems to be doing great.  It's a little wierd to think that in a couple more weeks I'll have another brother-in-law.  Kind of a wierd thought, but hey, I'm excited for Shawn and Megan!  It seems like it's getting alot hotter in Utah, but my mind still thinks its cold, and snowy.  Things are heating up in the Dominican Republic as well and we're continuing to have alot of rain.  But, I did buy a new umbrella, so I'm ready to conquer the world (or Fantino that is).
 
So this past week has been a really, really slow week.  We've walked alot, taught a few lessons, met a few people, and walked alittle bit more.  We continue to teach our investigators and haven't really found anyone new this past week.  The sad news is the awesome couple (Alexandra and Paulo) we found isn't going to progress.  Why?  Well, Paulo is headed to live in Italy on Saturday and he isn't planning on coming back any time soon.  I was very sad, but he gave us his contact information so the missionaries can visit him over there, so all hope is not lost!!  Libby, is good but still no baptism date yet.  Dori is slowing progressing, but we're trying hard to work with her husband too!  Miguel is very interested in our message and wants to change, but he works Sundays in the morning, so that's been a little difficult.  But all in all, we have found some good people to teach and so we're working hard to help them come unto Christ and be baptized.
 
I've continued learning alot of things from reading the scriptures.  I recently studied the chapter on Faith in Alma 32.  It's such a good "Devotional" about how we can receive eternal life.  I love how he talked about that all things start with a seed and if we exercise faith and act on that seed, we'll eventually see it grow into the Tree of Eternal life.  However, like all seeds, it needs a good heart (soil), The living water (Water), Sunlight (God's love), and a good gardener to constantly care for it.  I know that if we continue to nurish our seeds of faith, and do all we can to help it grow; one day we'll find that is has grown into a giant tree that we give us eternal life.  It won't happen over night, but if we continue is patience, we'll see it grow into something good.  I know that faith is important and we all need faith is our lord and savior, Jesus Christ.  I know this church is true and that god lives!  Missionary work is awesome and I love serving my Heavenly Father!
 
Have an excellent week everyone!!
 
Love,
Elder Jensen

Hello...

Hola,
I hope that things are continuing to go well back in the US of A.  We've continued to have quite a bit of rain, sun, and lot's of heat.  Back in Utah they can predict the weather by the day, but in the DR I think it's by the hour, haha.  One minute it's blazing hot, and then the next minute it's pouring rain.  Makes me laugh pretty hard!  But, I'm glad that life is busy and we're all keeping busy.
So life in the Domincan Republic has been moving along (Just like all the water, haha.)  We've continued contacting as many of the referrals from the open house that we can.  We found an AWESOME couple who I'm praying will start progressing.  We found there house one day and just sat down and starting talking with them.  The man, Paulo, said he really likes what he sees of the Mormon religion.  He likes the church, the manner of missionaries, our basic beliefs from the Articles of Faith, and so on!  He said he's heard Jehovah's witnesses, Evengelists, and doesn't really like them all that much.  But, he said we're pretty cool young "Muchachos."  We broke the ice right away and we were already laughing with each other.  The wife, Alexandra, is a little timid, but she's cool too!  However, when we started talking about Joseph Smith, Paulo said, "that's a little far fetched."  But, he agreed with us that he can't shut it down until he prays and asks God if Joseph Smith was called to be a prophet.  Anyways, really neat family and I hope that he can gain a testimony of Prophets in our days.
We've continued trying to work with our other investigators.  Libby still can't make up her mind and get baptized.  My companion and I are just scratching our heads on this one... Dori is continuing to progress slowly, but her husband doesn't seem very interested in our message.  We've also found some other young single adults to teach as well.  However, there are all women.  That's great that they're interested in the gospel, but when there's no guy around to be present it's a little difficult.  Where are all the families??
So yesterday had a excellent Zone Meeting with President Douglas.  He talked about the mission culture.  He said every kind of organization has a culture.  Apple, IBM, Google, etc. all have different types of cultures that seperate them for the rest.  He then talked about the Mission Culture of the DR Santiago mission.  It was really good!!  It made me start thinking about different cultures in my life: like my family, school, work, city, country, things like that.  But, the culture of the family is something really special.  Each family has a special culture from the rest.  As I've thought about the culture I hope to create for my family one day, I've thought alot about my family culture.  As I ponder the culture of the "Larry and Angela Jensen" Family I think of two words: Memories and Friendship.  Throughout all the years in my family we've built some incredible memories and lasting friendships with each other.  I'm grateful for the sacrifice of my parents to build this culture and the love that they show us as kids.  From dinner conversations to Disney World,  I'm grateful for the culture my family has established on lasting friendship as a family and the memories that we'll always cherish together.  I hope that each one of us can think of the kind of culture we are building or will build in our families.  As we center our homes on the gospel of Jesus Christ and the love he has for us, we'll find ourselves with a unique, life-saving culture that will help us one day return to our Heavenly Father in our Eternal Families.  God Lives and we all belong to the culture of our Heavenly Father.  I'm so grateful for my family and the love and support they continue to give me.  As we put god and family first and we'll always be happy.  En el nombre de Jesucristo, amen.
Have and excellent week!!  I love you all so much!!
Love,
Elder Jensen

Wednesday, June 5, 2013

Buenos Dias...

Hola Everyone!
I hope that everyone has a good week and that all is well back in Utah!  Things continue to move along here in Fantino and especially the weather!  It's weird how in one minute it's blazing hot, and then five minutes later it's pooring rain.  Yep, kind of like Utah weather, only without snow.
Anyways, this past week was a really fun week with some new excitement.  Last Saturday we had our Open House of the church.  It went really well!!  My companion and I ended up making a recording to be played throughout Fantino on loud speakers annoucing the Open House because a member didn't do it.  So yeah, I had my day of fame preaching to a whole town last Saturday, haha.  So, the open house started at 3pm.  Well, 4 o'clock rolled around without anyone showing up.  So, Pres. CastaƱo (Branch President) gathered us all together to pray.  After the prayer, Hermano Gomez (2nd Counselor in the Mission Presidency), suggested we go out to the street and welcome the people in as they come.  Well, the other missionaries and members interpreted that to mean "Stop everyone and bring them in."  Seriously, it was awesome!  People started coming in off the street, cars, motorcycles, scooters,  etc.  The missionaries had no fear and just starting getting everyone to come in.  Over the next 5 hours we ended up have around 200 people come and tour the chapel.  Out of the 200, 42 filled out little contact cards because they wanted to know more.  I feel like this activity was a big success!!  The members really liked it, we got some new people to teach, and the people had fun!  Now, I just hope that a few of these 42 people will soon be investigators and eventually members.  We put in a lot of work, and the Lord blessed us with alot of success.  I know that if we do our part and trust in the lord, he'll always deliver on his end.  It was a really good day!
Well, after that I don't know what else can top that.  Today was transfers and Elder Montes de Oca and I sticking together taking on the world in Fantino.  I look forward to serving with him again and trying to fulfill my purpose here in Fantino!  I love being a missionary and I'm grateful for this opportunity to serve a mission.  We are continuing to teach our investigators and we're hoping that Libby gets baptized soon.  Also, we hope that Dori and her husband can continue taking the lessons!  I know this church is true and that Jesus Christ lives!  This is his gospel and I'm one of his missionaries! 
Have an excellent week everyone!! 
Love,
Elder Jensen