well... now what...

[Dec 26, 2016 email]

Merry Christmas and soon to be new year! Thats really all i have to say cause we just saw each other yesterday!  So see you next week....

okay i will write a little bit more, but this was a great week, we had a christmas conference with half of the mission and it was a great chance to see a lot of missionaries again, and to know all the new ones that have come.  and that was on tuesday, then up until sunday we just had a fairly normal week, and we able to work but due to all of the parties and vacations that everyone is having we haven`t been in contact with a couple of our investigators.  We had a charla with Marcela who i believe is the only dentist in Castillos and it was a really awesome lesson but she is going to be out of town until the 16 of january.  She has been showing a lot of interest and she has been listening to the missionaries for quite some time but she has only come to church one time.  

On christmas night after the video call we found 2 guys with a lot of promise.  one guys name is pablo and is actually just here on vacation and we found him smoking and drinking with his friends, but he still wanted to listen to us! and while we were talking he told us that he wants to get out of drugs and he seemed really humble about it.  so we are going to stop by on tuesday and take him to church with us to be able to have a lesson, cause his friends house where he is staying is full of drugs and alcohol! 

But we will see how it all turns out! It was great to see you guys this week and i love you all! 

Love

Elder Jensen

Fotos:

Christmas conference with some old friends, and then in the zone we had a secret santa and we all bought each other gifts and "Santa" gave us our presents

Foto with President and Sister Eddy and their family:

Merry Christmas!

[Dec 19, 2016 email]

Hola a Todos!!! 

Buenos dias! esperos que todos se encuentren bien! haha Merry (almost) Christmas! Well this has been a great week! we spent quite a bit of time preparing for the ward activity we had on saturday and not as many people showed up as we were hoping but we had 3 or 4 less active members show up and so we were happy with the results! it had been stressing me out all week, and now its over!! but unfortunately we both forgot our cameras and so we weren`t able to take any photos but luckily the wankiers were there and they wrote a little bit more about it on their blog and there are some other photos (Gordon and Renee in uruguay)  But it was a great activity and i really enjoyed it! 

Then on sunday of course it couldn`t go all as planned and one of the speakers didn`t show up and of course i was the other speaker! but luckily elder wankier just leaned over to me and said, "you know... there isn`t anywhere in the handbook where it says you cant finish early" haha but luckily we didn`t have to finish early he helped me out by giving a testimony and we were able to have a good sacrament meeting.  

This week the work had been fairly slow, we have spent a lot of time in the street doing contacts and knocking doors and we have been finding promising people but we haven`t been able to find anyone solid... until sunday!!! in the last day (of course it was also raining!)  we were able to find 2 new investigators!! we are teaching a young couple and the husband finally participated and he seems really interested, but every time we teach there is so much noise!! between there 1 year old boy and the rain, it is impossible to teach but we have a really good feeling about them.  But other than that we are really on the look for new investigators.  but we are doing good :) 

Well thats all folks! have a very merry christmas and i will talk to you soon! 

Love Elder Jensen,

PS My comp made some weird peruvian food, but it was really good! 

Photo from Elder and Sister Wankier:

CASTILLOS

[Dec 12, 2016 email]

Well the first week in castillos is over.... what a week! this week has really been just a blur! it was fairly normal the first day, we arrived on wednesday nad we just went out to work and visit some people and it was all good, then thursday was the same, just a good normal day of missionary work, and then friday the relief society president called asking to be released so i had to call the district president to actually know how to release some one! then we had to do some office work in the church, and my comp kinda showed me how everything works.  Then saturday we had Branch council... (i don`t know if its called branch council in english... but its like ward Council.)  and we were the only 2 who showed up.... so we planned our end of year/christmas activity for the 17 and i hope it turns out good!  Then came sunday... Well we had 8 people in church, we taught relief society, the my comp directed church while i lead music (and basically sang a solo) then we blessed and passed the sacrement, and then we both gave talks for 20 minutes and basically did everything!! it was quite fun :)  

But from my few days here, i have learned that the church truly is the same everywhere.  This was one of the most spiritual sacrament meetings i have had in a while, and honestly it was all due to the reverence and preperation of the few members that were there.  It was really comforting to know that God really is wherever there are 2 or 3 (or 8) gathered in his name.  We are excited to see the miracles and the experiences that we are going to have here, and we are goign to see how it goes!!! 

Love you all so much and thanks for all the love and support.

Elder Jensen.  

photos:

the ward mission leader in maroñas, a cake that was made for elder fords farewell, but it was mine too because i left :) and Elder Paulson (my son) is now training, so im now a grandfather!!!!  

well after not being able to send photos for so much time, i can finally send you guys some.

Me and elder Bravo in our Light the world Shirts

enchiladas we made with elder bio, and the 4 of us enjoying lunch together! 

one last move...

[Dec 6, 2016 email]

Well i have been here in belloni for about 3 months and i had the hope of finishing my mission here because i have truly loved working here, it is a great place for missionary work, but yesterday afternoon i got  a call from president that i will be moving one last time to a small little town called castillos with a population of like 7 thousand where i am going to finish my mission.  It is going to be a very new experience after spending so much time of my mission in montevideo and now being in such a small city.  I am sad to be leaving belloni but this is where i have been called.  I am going to be with elder Castillos.... yes his name is the same! but he is from peru and when president called he talked very well of elder castillos and i have heard really good things about him, so i don`t think there are going to be any problems with my companion!   

As for what has happened here in belloni.... we had a ward activity with the focus on light the World, but the members kinda turned it into a farewell party for elder ford who is finishing his mission tomorrow! it was still areally good activity but only one of our investigatores showed up for the activity.  We have been teaching a guy named kevin who is 29 years old and it has now been like 3 weeks that he hasn`t used drugs, and this week when we had a charla with him he just broke down crying and was so grateful for all that we had done and that we have spent so much time with him.  he gave us his peñarol hats and yesterday we went to say goodbye and he just gave us the biggest hug.  he looks like a drug dealer, used to be in a gang, and yet he is one of the most loving people i have met.  i am going to miss him a ton.  

but i hope that you guys have a great week, and i will talk to you next week! 

Love you all! 

Elder Jensen

[note included in Elder Jensen's email to his Mom]

I am doing good today but i recieved a little bit of news yesterday... i was thinking that i was going to stay here in this area. but i got a call yesterday and i am now going to a new area called castillos, it is a little city near the coast of uruguay. and here is the killer.  i am going to be the branch president.  remember how in my setting apart, they talked about a trial of faith in my mission. i think this is oging to be it. haha i am super nervous! but we are never called to fail :)  

LIGHT THE WORLD

[Nov 28, 2016 email]

Well we had an awesome week!! on tuesday i had exchanges with elder Bio who is my old comp from the offices and it was super fun to be with him for a day and to be able to actually go out and work with him instead of being stuck in an office all day with him! but it was super awesome and we had a great day! then on thursday we had more exchanges with 2 different missionaries from our zone, Elder Fonseca (brazil)  and Elder Espínola from paraguay. and i went out with elder fonseca who was actually in the Mtc with me and it was the very first time in my mission that i worked with an elder from my group and it was a fairly good day.  we were able to have a couple of good charlas.  this week was awesome and we were able to have a couple really good charlas and find a couple of new investigatores, the problem we are seeing now is that very few are coming to church, but monica came to church for the first time in like 4 weeks! we had to stop visiting her because she hasn`t been progressing, but we are going to start going again.  

well yesterday me and elder bravo had an awesome experience, we were just doing some contacts and talking to a couple people and we started talking to this guy who told us that he didn`t believe in God or anything and he didn`t seem like he wanted anything. and we just talked to him for a little bit and after a couple of minutes we invited him to pray to find out if God exist and he was just "yep im going to pray. and if i get a response, i will go to church with you guys" he just blew us away! so we are going to pass by on wednesday and see if he could pray! 

The big thing we are doing right now is the new initiative that the church has of "Light the World"  we are getting t shirts as a mission and we are planning a ton of activities and stuff we are going to do to help other to come unto Christ.  so we are all super excited and being the last cristmas for me and elder bravo we decided we are just going to kill it and have and amazing december.  so we are really excited for what is going to happen.  

i hope you are all good and that you have a great week! 

Love Elder Jensen

well you can`t really see anyone but here is a photo of the mission! 

What a week!!!

[Nov 21, 2016 email]

well this was an incredible week!!!! the biggest thing that happened was we had a visit from Elder Rasband!!! he came with Elder Cristiansen and Elder Allen Packer and thursday morning we had a conference with them and all the missionaries in uruguay and it was so incredible!!!! He talked a lot about following the spirit and just the mission work here in uruguay and then he gave us the best advice ever! in his own words he said "Dont be a whiner!" it was like the greatest thing i have ever heard an apostle say! but he talked to us about how God puts us with the comps and in the areas that we need, so we have to trust that and just ask, what is it that i need to learn from this companion or area? and it was honestly one of the best conferences i have ever been in.  Then that same night the 2 stakes, Maroñas and Este had a conference and that is where i saw felicia y gonzalo. in that conference he said something that i think caught everyones attention he said, "here in uruguay you have all the same blessings that we have in Salt Lake." and he invited all of them to go to the temple more and to really enjoy the blessing that they have of having the temple in their city. it was incredible.

as for the rest of the week, it was fairly normal, and we keep finding a lot of people to teach, the problem here is that we find a ton of people, and we start teaching and then all the sudden we lose contact, they don`t want to hear anymore, or we just don`t have time to go back to visit them.  but we have a had a good week and were able to find a couple investigatores that really have shown a lot of interest, and we haven`t been able to find Valentina again, she is almost never home and lives freaking far away! but we will keep working and praying! 

Thanks for all the prayers and the help that you guys give me! i hope you have a great week! 

Love Elder Jensen

p.s.  Rats 5 - Elderes 0    the hunt isn`t going to well...

Surprise Text Message

[Nov 17, 2016 text]

We received this picture from Brittany Jensen's cousin in Uruguay.

2 new families!!

[Nov 14, 2016 email]

Hola a todos!! 

well this was a great week, and the big moment was that mary got baptised!!! we had the service on saturday and it was super spiritual, and luckily a good amount of members could come and several people have made comments on how happy she is now, she just always is smileing and really has enjoyed getting to know the gospel, and is really happy for the decision that she took.  i will try to send photos! 

But other than the baptism we had a great experience on sunday, we were looking for a referral that we had gotten from a member from a different ward and we had looked for this referral several times already, the problem was that it is a huge street and they didn`t give us great instructions on how to find the house, so we were just knocking houses and asking around for her, and this was the 3rd time we were trying and at like 8:00 we were still looking and about 40 minutes from home, and almost at the end of the street but we really felt positive that we were going to find here and we kept walking basically in the middle of no where and we see a lady walking and we ask her if she knows valentina and she is just like "ya... shes my daughter" !!! so she guided us to her house and we had a lesson with the family!! they were really acceptive and valentina loves the church already and accepted to be baptised! So that was the big miracle of the week! and we are excited to see what happens! 

So ya this has been a good week, and me and elder bravo are getting a long great we are also getting along really well with another new family that moved into our house... a family of 4 or 5 rats :)  so today we are going hunting! Wish us luck!!! 

haha love you all!!! 

Elder Jensen

..... i dont know.....

[Nov 7, 2016 email]

well first big announcement of the week is that mary didn`t get baptised... :( but thats okay because she is getting baptised this week! we talked to her on tuesday and we felt that we needed another week to get ready for the baptism and prepare her and now the date and time is set! so we are really excited for that!! and this sunday we had a couple new investigatores come to church, daniel, mabel and kevin.  Kevin is basically the Prodigal Son, his mom has been a member for many many years and he was born in the church but never got baptised and got into drugs and a gang and so he left his family and moved here to get away from the gang and now he is trying to get away from drugs and is super awesome! but he got really bored in church and left after the 2nd hour and now we are going to see what is going to happen! but we are excited for what is going on here.

well i am excited to hear about breannes new baby... and i was hoping to hear today but it looks like i will have to wait another week, but i am excited to hear how it goes!! hope everything goes well and there are no complications.  have agreat week and i will hear from you guys next week! 

Love Elder Jensen

Feliz Halloween!

[Oct 31, 2016 email]

happy halloween!!! 

well im sure you guys are going to do something fun but here there isn`t much that a missionary can do during halloween that and not to many people celebrate it here, there are decorations in all the stores and stuff but im not sure if trick o treating is a thing here... but Happy Halloween anyways! 

well this week has been fairly normal just met my new comp Elder bravo on wednesday and we have been getting to know eachother a little bit in these last couple days, and he is a great guy, he is from chile and he has about a year in the mission and loves starwars.  so we get a long just great :)  but we are doing good, we are currently teaching a couple, jessica and cristian, who came to the open house and now are recieving the missionaries and we have only had 2 charlas with them but they are showing a lot of promise and we are excited to see what happens, as for the rest of our investigators Mary should get baptized this week we are hoping!! but she didn`t come to stake conference on sunday and we don`t have a lesson with her until wednesday so we are going to see what is going to happen, i think we are goig to have to move it back one week.  

Well like i said we had stake conference this week, and we had the blessing of having elder Texiera who is the area seventy here and it was an awesome conference! but my favorite talk was the stake president that talked about how every single one of us have 2 responsibilities in life.  Teaching and Learning.  We have been asked to learn from our mistakes (repentance) and from the scriptures, and as we learn these things we have the responsiblitly to share it with the people that surround us.  wether they are members or no, and it was awesome! it was a very spiritual conference and it was great to see so many members gathered together and there was a very strong spirit there.  

but yep... im good.... thats about all i have to say! Love you guys all and hope you have a Feliz Halloween and a great week! 

Love Elder Jensen