Every Prodigal Son

Hola mis amigos!!!

This week was awesome! 

Monday - carved pumpkins

Tuesday - watched the movie Legacy with all of our friends!! (Jose is deaf and he wants to learn more about the church, so we subtitled a movie and watched it at the church with another young man who is interested in learning and some members. It was awesome!)

Wednesday - transfers. All the Hermanas in one room!!! 

Thursday - teaching Jose, a random lady walked by and gave us this to help us learn some more sign language!

She had had them for 10 years and let us take a picture! 

Friday - best day of my life, my mission, probably forever. We got to hear from Elder Klebingat. He spoke to us with the power of the Spirit, and amazing things happened. I received a whole book of things I need to work on and improve, but also left the meeting happier than I have ever been. It was the strangest thing! He spoke to us Friday as a Mission Leadership Council and then Saturday at a combined Zone Conference!

It was amazing.

Something that really stuck out was his admonition to read the parable of the prodigal son (Luke 15:11-34) so I did. I read it, with the thought that I had already done most of the things he had admonished us to do, and found that he had asked us to read that talk specifically for me. Like, right to the core. I have been caught up in the trap of the second prodigal, complaining at others' success. It is so dumb! He said to us on Saturday, "why would you drink a glass of pickle juice every time something good happened to someone else?" I realized that was me! I would beat myself up and tell myself I wasn't working hard enough and that was why these other missionaries were having so much success. I wasn't happy, I was anxious to receive that same success. Well, I read over PMG 10-11 and got those thoughts out of my mind pretty quick. I had also read Alma 29:14-15 recently and in it, Ammon glories in the success of his brethren also! I realized that I needed to change somethings about my mentality going forward. 

He also preached into us the need to know our way around the scriptures and shared some ways to remember scripture references better. That's quickly becoming my transfer goal.

Sunday - made some cupcakes! I got a lot of reeses peanut butter cups, so I decided to use them! (: 

I just realized how scary that knife looks... (x

Anyways, that's been my crazy week! 

I think the thing that stuck with me most though is that it doesn't matter where we are on the path, there is always a way back. The first son "came to himself" and his father "ran" to greet him. There are no two ways about it. If we turn to the Savior, he will come to our aide. Christ went through everything we will ever go through. Every trial, every hardship, every woe, "yet he had no sin." (I have been unable to find the cite, but it was in a scripture he shared on Friday night) So, hardships and struggles and trials are not sent to us because of our sins. They are there to help us grow, they are a natural part of our time here on Earth, and even the Son of God, His only perfect Son, went through them. That to me especially means that he will "visit His people in their afflictions" (Mosiah 24:14).

I love this Gospel, I love my Savior, and I love my Call To Rescue! 

Have a wonderful week! 

Hermanita Jensen 

PS
Also met an Elder Reese, who happens to be the little brother of a young man I sat next to at a table at BYU once upon a time. He sent me the Fourth Missionary and it changed my life. God is so good. His Tender Mercies amaze me..

1 Nephi 7:17

Mosiah 24:14

Alma 14:26

Alma 31:38