Another week...

Hola Everyone!

This past week has been one of the stressful weeks, but one of the most rewarding weeks of my mission!  The lord truly does answer our prayers and helps us achieve our goals.

So this past week we had a baptism planned.  We needed to teach the Law of Chastity, Tithing, Prophets, and they needed to get married (and $3700 pesos to pay for it), and have a baptism interview all between Monday and Friday.  They were super busy on Monday and Tuesday.  So we then had Weds, Thurs, and Fri. to get all of this accomplished.  This is where the miracles started happening.  We taught Chastity on Weds.  Thursday afternoon they got married.  Bladimir could only come up with $1500 pesos, so the leaders and us missionaries helped pitch in the rest!  It was super stressful getting the papers, money, and time set for the marriage, but it all finally happend late afternoon Thursday.  Thursday night, we stopped by and taught Tithing, and Following the Prophet.  They both agreed to follow these commandments.  Friday afternoon they had their interviews with the District Leader and passed.  So we prepared for Saturday.  Showed up to the church Saturday morning; no water!  Luckily, we were able to use the well to pump enough water to fill the baptismal font.  Then Saturday night, Bladimir and Bilari both got baptized and started their journey towards the temple.  It was a very beautiful baptism and my companion and I both agreed it was a miracle that it happened.  So yeah, that's the exciting, stressful, awesome week in Fantino for Elder Jensen.

Things continue to continue forward in Fantino.  My companion and I are talking with the branch leaders on a new mission plan.  We feel that we need to strengthen the members and less-actives before we can really help investigators.  Like Moroni in the Book of Mormon; we need to strengthen the inner defenses and strenghen ourselves before we can talk on the world and battle the Lamanites.  So we're really starting to work hard on the members and creating a strong branch with a desire to build the kingdom and help others come to the fold.  Sometimes, we as members feel that we can't do a whole lot to help the ward grow.  However, striving to fulfill home teaching assignments, and callings strengthens the inner defenses of the ward and helps prepare the members to take on the world.  I know that's when the really progress will happen.  I know that the church is true, and that all of us have a role to play in building up the kingdom of God.  Jesus Christ lives, and he loves and wants to help each of us.  We as members of the church have a message like no other.  Let's not hesitate to share it!  It changes the world, and strengthens us too!  En el nombre de Jesucristo, Amen.

Have an excellent week!  And Keep on Swimming!

Love,

Elder Jensen

Hola...

Hola Everyone!

This past week has been a really normal week.  I feel like Fantino is starting to really progress and we're seeing some progress.  Also, it seems that as I focus on building the Kingdom of God, he seems to be building me.  I'm so very grateful for the opportunity to serve a mission.

My area is going really well, and I feel like I'm finding the rhythm of things here.  We have 2 banks, and 2 kind of Convince Stores to choose from.  There are enough services to survive, but it reminds me alot of Corinne.  Lots of fields, and not very much to do.  The branch really seems to be improving!  In just 2 weeks the attendance has increased by 20 people. The leaders have alot of desire to work and we are receiving quite a few references.  Members who are inactive are starting to back, and things just seem to be moving right along right now.  Yep, Fantino is definitely interesting.

So, we have 4 really good progressing investigators.  One, is a family with a small infant.  The husband's name is Bladimir and his wife's name is Veralis.  They have a baptism date for this Saturday, so we've really been working hard with this couple.  They still need to get married tomorrow, and have to learn several more commandments, but they have a testimony of the church and are very, very excited for their baptism on Saturday!  I will say, it's been very stressful for me since we still have so much to do, and the Branch President is pushing us alot because this is the first baptism planned for almost a year.  So, for the leaders of the wards, don't pressure the missionaries; we have too much on our minds already.  But I'm looking forward to seeing what happens and how this young couple can continue to progress. I have a feeling we'll be praying very hard these next few days.

We also are teaching a young sister named Livi.  She's a 27 year old, single adult.  I guess when the missionaries starting teaching her. she didn't have a lot of desire to participate and progress, but then it stating catching her interest.  Needless to say, she's progressing a ton now!  She always attends church, she is reading the Book of Mormon, and she has a firm Testimony of the gospel.  If something gets in the way of our visits, she always calls before and asks if we can re-schedule for another day.  Yep, she is a very strong, responsible, progressing investigator.

We have a few other investigators, who are kind of progressing as well.  We've also been trying to concentrate on the less actives of the branch because that has turned into the new mission goal.  Focus on helping the lost sheep return and strengthen the fold of God!  The work is progressing well, and I love being a missionary!  I know that missionary work is very important and I'm grateful for this opportunity to serve a mission for Heavenly Father.  The church is true and the work will keep increasing!  I know that Christ lives, and that Jesus is the Christ!!  En el nombre de Jesucristo, Amen.

Love,

Elder Jensen

Happy Independence Day...

Hola Everyone!

Happy Independence Day!  Today is the Independence Day of the Dominican Republic, so everyone is partying and everything is closed.  So it´s been a very relaxed P Day today.

So not much has really happened this past week, I´ve been learning the new area, and we´ve just been teaching some people.  Hopefully next week I´ll be able to tell you guys all about the investigators here in the area and how the work is progressing.  So this week I´m going to catch up on some pictures, so I hope you enjoy them!!

Thanks for all the birthday wishes!  Have an amazing week!!

Love,
Elder Jensen

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

Hello...

Hola everyone!

Greeting from the Campo of the Dominican Republic!!  I´ve been transferred to a place call Fantino.  It falls in the very edge of the Bonao zone.  They funny thing is, I´m closer to La Vega then Bonao....Anyways, I´m in the middle of no where.  Fantino is a tiny town that is seriously in the middle of a ton of rice fields!!  The nearest missionaries are 30 minutes away, and I have to take a bus for 2 hours to get to any sort of Zone Meetings.  So yep, I went from the big city of Santiago, to one of the most campo areas in the mission.  I´m excited to see how these next few months go! 

My new companion is Elder Mendoza.  He is from Mexico and has about 4 months in the mission.  He just finished training, so I´ve got the opportunity to help him continue learning about the mission and becoming a veteran missionary.  He´s really nice and has a lot of excitement to work and build up the kingdom.  I´m really excited to work with him and see what we can do here in this little town of Fantino.  Wish me luck, haha!!

This past week has been a very interesting week.  We´ve spent the past few days saying goodbye to people and the lovely area of Gurabo.  I will really miss that area.  After 8 months, it´s kind of become my home and I feel like I´m saying goodbye to some wonderful people.  The hardest person I said good bye to was David!  He has become a life long friend over the last few months.  I´m so very grateful I was able to help that man find the gospel and change his life!  I will sure miss him, he is a good guy!  We even had a little good bye party last night with Dr. Pepper and Nachos.  Yep, he´s a keeper!!  I hope that he will continue in the faith and be the strong member and leader God knows he can be!

I´m so grateful for the chance I have to be a missionary!  Last night, as I said goodbye to David, I gained a witness that missionary work changes peoples lives.  I´ve witnessed the gospel changing the life of a son of god, who has found his Shepard once again.  It is a huge opportunity to be a missionary and I thank Heavenly Father everyday for the things I´m doing, learning, and the person I´m becoming.  I hope everyone who has a chance to serve a mission will take the opportunity and do it! 

Have an excellent week everyone!!

Love,
Elder Jensen

Happy Wednesday...

Hola Everyone!

So this past week has flown by!!  It seems like I just was sitting here writing last week's email.  Life as a missionary is pretty different.  Time seems to do weird things to you brain.  The days go by pretty long, but the weeks seem to just fly by!

So this past week, we've just worked really hard with building stronger relationships with the branch members.  It's hard to help investigators feel welcome, and important when the members don't know, don't care, and don't help our investigators know that this is the true church.  That being said, we've visited with many members this past week telling them about our investigators, who they can share the gospel with, and different activities we can do to help the missionary work.  Also, we've talked alot with the branch leaders and have talked about how we can help in-actives, and part member families become stronger and have a desire to follow Christ.  I've learned alot about the importance of members in the mission, and I encourage everyone to talk with the missionaries and learn how you can help the investigators, and missionary work progress in your wards.  Without members helping us, missionary work is really, really, really, hard.  So please don't be afraid to help!

So Ruben is really progressing really well.  I feel like we don't even teach him.  He seems to be teaching us.  We ask him about the Sabbath day, Law of Chasity, and Baptism, etc. and he says, "Well, I think it's this..." or "I believe we should do this..."  It's so much fun!!  I love teaching people who have the hunger and desire to learn to the point that they learn it themselves.  It's so much easier to help them build a testimony and become converted unto Christ when they want to do so!  He has a baptism date for the end of the month, which he should make it if he keeps coming to church.  Only problem would be his boss, so needs him to work on Sunday sometimes, but Ruben has told him he won't keep doing it.  So I'm glad he's standing up for what he believes is right!

I hope that the challenge I gave everyone in the beginning of July is going good!  You all have about 2 months to finish the Book of Mormon.  I hope this has helped your testimonies grow, and you've found a greater joy in the word of God!  I know that the Book of Mormon truly testifies of our savior, Jesus Christ.  He lived, died, and rose again for us!  He lives and I know he is our Savior, Lord, and King.  Please keep reading the Book of Mormon and I know that each page will strengthen your foundation in Christ a little bit more.  The church is true, and I know that I'm helping others come unto Christ through his gospel.  Yeah, missionary work is totally worth it!  En el nombre de Jesucristo, Amen.

Have a good week everyone!!

Love,

Elder Jensen

Hello Everyone...

Hola Everyone!

This past week has kind of wheezed by!  I can't believe it's already Wednesday again.  This week has been full of the regular stuff; teaching, walking, reading, stuff like that.  We have been trying to do some new stuff, so we'll see where that goes.

On Friday night we did a "Noche de Pelicula" at the local.  We showed the movie Facing the Giants.  We didn't have a ton of people show up, but we had some inactives, new members, and investigators come so it was worth it.  They asked if we would keep doing it so they could come and watch movies every Friday night.  We said that was our plan, and they loved it.  So all in all, everyone Friday night has now turned into "Noche de Película" watching motivational movies.  I have a feeling this is a good opportunity for the branch to grow!  Members are inviting friends and people really seem to like the idea!

Ruben is getting married!!  The member he has been dating for the past 4 months and him decided that they wanted to get married.  They both have separate kids and have been married before.  They seem quite fond of each other and really feel like this is what they want to do.  We weren't involved in this decision at all, but the Elder's Quorum President asked us to help make it happen.  So we've been talking with a guy who helps with marriages and have been trying to get everything set up.  They will probably get married sometime this next week.  I'm happy for them; they seem really happy together!!

So yesterday, we weren't having a lot of success.  Our 5 appointment failed, so I finally sat down on a bench not knowing what to do. After about 5 minutes, a guy I contacted about 3 months ago came walking by.  We exchanged hello's, and I thought he'd be on his way.  However, he asked if I new a guy named Erikson.  I said I did and he's serving a mission in Mexico.  The guy started asking questions again, and we began talking.  Well, after 40 minutes of conversing, I had his number, address, and an invitation to stop by later in the week.  Super cool!  I can't believe how that worked out.  The lord placed us on that bench at that time so we could meet this guy again and give him another chance to accept the gospel.  I know that the lord guides us missionaries!!  At times we may know it, but most of the time I think not!  Super cool experience; I hope things work out!!

So this last week I've been reading Jesus the Christ again.  Let's just say...WOW!  Read that book, it'll change your life and strengthen your testimony!!  Enough said I think!

Thanks for all your love and support!!  I look forward to seeing how the family is doing every week and how life in the good old US of A is!  Have an excellent week and remember who you are and what you stand for!!

Love,

Elder Jensen

P.S.  Let it snow, let it snow, let it snow.  I can't believe all the snow!!  In the DR it's: Let it rain, let it sun, let it rain.