Everything's Better in 3's...

Hola mis amigos y mi familia!!!

So, as many of you know, I have been in 2 tripanionships in the duration of my mission... This week marks number 3. A Sister had to go home for surgery, so we got to pick up Sister Slawson! She came out with me and has been in the same Zone as me since we got to the Mission! It was only so long until we would be companions! Needless to say, this week has been CRAZY!

Monday we carved pumpkins (kind of, the skin was super thick so we need to finish them up still...)

Tuesday, we had Zone Training Meeting! It was a super great meeting and afterwards, some sweet Sisters shared cake they had made to celebrate my birthday and Elder Bishop's birthday. It was delicious! 

After the meeting, I went on an Exchange with Sister Zinck! We had a ton of fun down in Lake Wales! 

We met back up on Wednesday and Sister Greenberg and I had until Thursday evening to prepare to receive Sister Slawson!

Then our water got shut off...

So we packed up and went to Sister Slawson's apartment for a few days...

And we have been together ever since! It has been a blast, but also super stressful because we all have people we are teaching and have basically combined our two areas into 1. It made church yesterday CRAZY. However, the Lord has been blessing us immensely. An investigator we have is deaf and we have been praying to find others that speak his language better for the past 6 weeks. On Sunday, we found two members in his soon to be ward that speak ASL and are willing to come out with us! We are stoked! It was definitely a tender mercy. 

That being said, I was still super stressed last night and as I knelt down to pray it all just kind of came crashing down. I wasn't sure what would help me calm down enough to sleep, but something a Relief Society Sister had said earlier came to mind: "In the morning ask the Lord for strength and at night thank him for everything he has enabled you to do." I decided to thank him for all the miracles he had sent me that day and I realized how much He had blessed me. All the stress melted away and I felt an overwhelming sense of peace. I was able to sleep and feel so much better this morning than I have the past two days. God sends us miracles and strengthens us every step of the way. I know "I can do all things through Christ which strengtheneth me." 

Keep plugging along and pray for strength! God will give you everything you need!

Have a great week everyone!

Love,

Hermanita Jensen

La tormenta de los cumpleaños! ;)

Hola mis amigos!

Holy crazy week! 

It has been a full week this week and will continue to be so in the next week! We were basically visiting a ton of people this week and explaining about the pants situation ALL week and shopping for pants and setting baptismal dates and it was crazy! But super fun! We had a great District Meeting about using the Book of Mormon to answer questions and Hermana Greenberg drew a really cool finish the Book of Mormon by chapters thing! I will have to send a picture next week! 

On Friday, we had what is called MLC, where all the leaders in the Mission meet to counsel about the Missionaries, ways to help, and how we can improve over the next month. Well, we talked a lot about being diligent and reconsecrating ourselves to the work and it was amazing! Sister Cooper shared an experience she had last week (on her birthday) when the storm hit that I wanted to share with everyone!

She mentioned that as they were driving to Tampa from Lakeland they saw "a mile and a half of emergency vehicles making their way towards Orlando." She reflected on how, in that moment of crisis, as they were fleeing the destruction and asking the missionaries to do the same, these brave men and women were heading into the storm. They were prepared with supplies to go and help those in need. In my mind I can see it so perfectly, all the flashing lights and sirens, trucks in tow with tools and food, everyone inside in a quite state of prayer and reflection, bracing themselves for the worst and preparing to help. She related it to us as Missionaries. We don't have a fancy siren or flashing lights for our cars (that would be too much fun) and we don't perform life or death saving procedures, but we are Called to Rescue. 

We go out and find those who have been destroyed by guilt, fear, and spiritual suffering, and bring them to the light and love that our Savior and Redeemer offers with his atoning sacrifice. We offer our help to all, but only some accept. Those who are willing to put their life in someone else's hands. It is difficult, the recovery isn't always easy. Sometimes, it is a painful process to change. But we are all gifted with the Spirit, to help them experience Peace and ultimately, Joy. 

This analogy is especially touching to me because I want to save people and bless peoples lives for the rest of my life! I want to be a nurse one day and go to the danger scenes to help those that have fallen to far to lift themselves back up. I thought it was interesting that I am doing the same thing RIGHT NOW. 

I love this gospel, I love my Savior, and I love the perfect plan of our loving Father in Heaven. I testify that they have the power to save and want us to accept their love in our lives, in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen. 

I also wanted to thank everyone for the birthday wishes! I have now spent two birthdays in different states than the one I was born in! I may have to make a tradition of it someday! ;) It was pretty low key as a missionary, but today we will be carving pumpkins to celebrate! I love you all and am so grateful for your support! 

Love,

Hermana Jensen

A salad of beets carrots and peas from Peru!

Normal

When the self timer is on for too long...

All the Zone and Sister Training Leaders! 

What we find while shopping...

Failed attempt at taking a "cool picture in pants"

The coming storm...

Hurricanes and Pants!

Hola mis amigos!

It's been a crazy week this week! We had a friend visit: Hurricane Matthew! He was great! We were having a grand ol time until he decided to get a little too crazy and we were evacuated to Tampa for a few days... x) It really was a fun week though! We holed up in Tampa with some other Missionaries and saw lots of miracles there! We came back, got back to work, and our stake went over to help the areas affected by the Hurricane! We couldn't leave our Mission Area, but it sounds like a lot of members went out to help!

In other exciting news, the Sisters in our Mission have been asked to change our wardrobe up a little bit! Due to the mosquitos in the area, and the disease called Zika, Sisters have been asked to wear pants during time spent proselyting. We got our new pants today, and it's certainly been an adventure!

Sorry to keep it short this week, it's been a little ridiculous!

I was just reading in Mosiah, when Alma established the first church in the Book of Mormon (Ancient Americas) and we were talking about the persecution that came with that establishment and the persecution that came with the restoration of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints in 1830. It is true that there must needs be an opposition in all things, because the response was so similar! People going against the church, seeking to destroy it, many people being converted, the whole works! But through it all, God's love prevails! As long as we keep the faith, we will receive strength to overcome all of life's challenges!

I love you all! Have a wonderful week!

--

Hermanita Jensen

Monday, October 3, 2016

Glad Tidings of Great Joy!

#endHola mis amigos!

So first off, last Monday we had the best day ever! We got together as
a Zone and had a 4 Square Tournament, played some minute to win it
games, and had a super spiritual District Meeting and Zone Testimony
Meeting, it was an awesome gear up for the Conference weekend.

That being said I hope that everyone enjoyed Conference this weekend!
I know I needed a lot of what was said and definitely felt like God
was answering my prayers! I received answers to every question I
brought in with me and I Know that many others did as well! It is such
a wonderful experience to see God answer us!

We had the opportunity to watch the Sunday Sessions as a branch and
actually helped one of our investigators watch it in ASL! It was
literally the most amazing thing to hear Spanish next door, English in
front of us, and see him watching ASL! He got so excited for
everything and wanted to watch it right away, so when we experienced
some technical difficulties, it was pretty funny to see him glare at
us and twiddle his thumbs until we got it up! He puts up with us
though!

I really am full of Joy today just thinking about Gods love for His
children and I couldn't help but attach this meme my wonderful mother
sent me! I think it is super cool because that little orb is like our
message of the gospel, and it causes even the saddest hearts to lift
up in a smile! That is the true power of God.

If I had to pick one talk that was my favorite.... Yikes! Don't do
that to me! They were all great! My favorites though would have to be
"Fourth Floor, Last Door" by President Uchtdorf, also his talk on the
Plan of Salvation, Elder K Brett Nattress from Sunday Afternoon, Elder
Rasband (he is quickly becoming one of my favorites!), Elder Eyring on
Gratitude, and President Nelson on Joy. Wow and that's only a few, I
think I should have just said all of it. Hands down. X) I loved it
all! The Saturday Afternoon session was also really cool! Even though
I am a little jealous of that missionary choir, it was a great
conference!

Okay, I love you all, remember the Joy that this gospel brings! It is
not an accident that when the Angels appear to bear witness of the
coming birth of the savior they say "I bring you glad tidings of great
JOY!"

Love always
Hermanita Jensen (:

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