I'll Go Where You Want Me To Go....Again!

January 28, 2013

Hey all!!

So you're probably not expecting this, but I got transferred again!!! I was in Quilicura for just a week and a half, just had one of the most successful weeks as a missionary, and then President calls me at 1120pm on Thursday night and says......" I need you to go to Vespucio in Huechuraba to be a Senior companion to an Elder named Elder Cambroni. He's from Mexico and has been in the mission 5 months." I was like,"uhhhhh sure President!"

 

Elder Jenson's new companion Elder Cambroni

 

 

Elder Jenson's new sector Vespucio in Huechuraba. Huechuraba is a city about 20 minutes drive from Quilicura. Huechuraba spans an area of 44.8 sqkm and has 82,000 inhabitants and is an entirely urban area.

 

President Essig said I would be going to the zone Zapadores (located in Huechuraba Chile) and that my sector would be Vespucio. President also told me that Elder Cambroni had only been in Vespucio for two weeks (two weeks today) and so it would be like Elder Cambroni and I were opening up a new sector (that means that there's two brand new missionaries in a sector).  I was sad leaving Quilicura cuz I loved it! Elders Lizama, Miklich and I were having so much success. But that's ok...Elder Cambroni and I will find success in Vespucio! Elder Weigel (ha! ha! one of my old companions) and Elder Terry picked me up at 9am Friday and drove me to my new area...the car ride was nice! When I got to Vespucio I asked Elder Cambroni how the sector was and he told me that they had no one with a baptismal date and had only taught a few lessons this week. Obviously that transmitted to me that Vespucio was really struggling and that Elder Cambroni and I needed to get it back on its feet! These last few days (3) have been really difficult. Passing by the houses of the few people that are registrated in the area book and trying to find people to teach. Elder Cambroni and I have found a few people and put two with a baptismal date! Their names are Antonio (about 50 years old and has a baptismal date for the 24th of Feb) and Cecilia (about 45 and has a baptismal date for the 3rd of March).

A little bit about my sector.....Vespucio is surrounded by hills and there's a part in it called the PINCOYA which is the most dangerous part in all of our mission....and it's in my sector!!

 

Pincoya Chile

There's been all kinds of killings, drugs and anything you can think of there. The Elders try not to go into that part of the sector. Just this last cambio, the Elders were walking through Pinoya and saw a big group of people in the middle of the street. The Elders asked some people what had happened and the guy told them that there had been a shooting and a young woman had been killed...CRAZY! Elder Cambroni and I will most likely not be going up to Pinoya.

Elder Cambroni and I live in a little house really close to the church...so that's nice!

Elder Jenson and Elder Cambroni's entrance to their house in Vespucio. "The floor is like this red stone or something and red gets on everything! As soon as I walked in I was like, holy cow!"
 

Elder Jenson and Elder Cambroni's bunkbeds! "I sleep on the bottom bunk. I can't even sit up in my bed straight!"

 

The Vespucio Ward is small. Only 58 members attended this last week. There's not a ward mission leader either, but we have a Bishop! The second counselor in the Bishopric has been helping Elder Cambroni and I out a lot! His name is Hno Sanchez. Elder Cambroni and I met with Hno Sanchez for an hour and 15 min last night. We talked a little bit about what he knew about the sector and he said he's very excited about missionary work! Hno Sanchez will serve like our ward mission leader until one is called. Hno Sanchez also talked to us about the converts in the past two years. We had a really great meeting that was necessary so we had an idea about our sector and the work that needs to be done...LOTS!

I'm excited for this challenge of getting to know Vespucio and getting it back on its feet! Elder Cambroni and I are gonna be working like dogs this week teaching, finding people to come to church and progress towards baptism.

Elder Cambroni and Elder Jenson ready to work hard in Vespucio!

 



My favorite scriptures this week (I'm now through Alma 29 in the Spanish Book of Mormon)
ALMA
1:25
5:7, 13, 16, 27, 34, 44-45
7:11-12, 23
8:19
11:42-43
12:7, 24-25, 33-34
(*I've just written my favs through Alma 12)

Highlights of the week:

*I got a package and 10 dear elder letters.Thank-you to everyone who wished me a Happy Birthday. It really means a lot to hear from friends and family. I love you all so much!

* Favorite Chilean food this week was PASTEL DE CHOCLO......soooooo good!

Pastel de Choclo is a Chilean beef casserole with a corn batter topping.

 

 

* The family we were going to have my birthday party at cancelled at the last minute. That's alright though. Lots of work to do! Elders Lizama, Miklich and I were having a lesson at one of our investigators houses (Jessica and her two kids Matias and Rosio) and she's like, "It's your birthday?" "Here's a big cake!!" "I was like...uhhhhh, ok...thank-you!"
 

 

 

Elder Jenson's 20th birthday cake complete with a candle! Thank-you Jessica, Matias and Rosio. Great Chilean birthday!

 

 

Well, my time is up. I hope you have a great week! I love hearing from every one of you every week!



 

Que les vaya muy bien!

Chau,
Tan

"Walk In The Ways of the Lord"

January 21, 2013

Hey Family and Friends!

Elder Jenson, Elder Arriagada, Elder Millan and Elder Guinazu after Elder Jenson's last day at church in Independencia on January 13, 2013.
 

Elder Jenson saying good-bye to Elder Millan in Independencia just before leaving for the mission office for cambios on January 14, 2013.

Elder Jenson leaving his department building for the last time in Independencia on January 14, 2013. "Living and serving in Independencia was sweet!"
 

 

Elder Lizama, Elder Jenson and Elder Miklich

Elder Jenson meets his new companions in Quilicura for the first time on January 14, 2013 in his new apartment on the 3rd floor. "It's actually pretty nice. I've been lucky these last few changes to live in good places and areas. The only downfall of this apartment is the shower head is broken and water sprays everywhere when you shower."

This week has been a week of miracles. So, basically my whole mission I have been obedient to all of the rules and trying my best to do what's right in every moment of the day. At times I struggled a little bit with getting up on time at 730am every morning and doing good exercises every morning. Sometimes I'd get up at 7:35, 7:40 or if it was a bad day, 7:45. Then, I would walk into the front room to do exercises and just sort of sit in my chair or do a few abdominal exercises and stretch. Getting up was really tough for me, but as soon as I got to studies, I was obedient to every single rule. The only thing that I was really missing was to get up at 7:30am every morning and spend time doing good exercises. Coming into this sector, I prayed a lot, pleading for help to be able to get up on time every single day and to make excercise time count because I was going to be exactly obedient to the missionary handbook. I prayed to be able to do His work and that I was 100 percent willing to do everything in line with His will. During the days, I was saying prayers in my heart to find those that were ready to hear this great message of the gospel, and that I was willing to be an instrument in His hands to bring others to the knowledge of this gospel. I felt a HUGE change in the work this week as my companions and I saw miracle after miracle happen. I felt that the prayers I offered were answered. Elder Lizama, Elder Miklich and I found so many people who are so ready to hear this gospel message and be able to unlock that door to the straight and narrow path by being baptized. I am so happy I made that decision to not "walk in my own ways", but the ways of the Lord. I will NEVER look back and will be perfectly obedient from here on out.

You can see some of the fruits of all of these miracles that happened with the numbers from this week!

bautismos  0

confirmaciones  0

inv con fecha  4 (karen, alberto, rodrigo, fabienne)

inv que asisten a la reunion sac  4 (karen, alberto, flor, armando)

lecciones con miembro  15

otras lecciones  22

inv que estan progresando  2

ref recibidas  6

ref contactadas  9

nuevos investigadores  16

lecciones a cr ma  3

contactos  74

MED 534

Elder Lizama, Elder Miklich and I had 37 lessons in one week!!! I can't even believe it. That's so many lessons. We had 7 lessons in one single day 3 times.  What Elders Lizama, Miklich and I are doing is applying what I learned with Elder McKinley and Elder Millan a lot in this sector. We are also doing a lot of divisions where we have a member of the ward come and accompany us for 3 hours in the night. It's like you have two companionships for 3 hours working in two different parts of the sector.  We had so many appointments that we couldn't cover them all just by ourselves! For example, we had 12 appointments set on Saturday....ONE DAY! We have met so many incredible people who are ready to hear this gospel this week in Quilicura. It has been incredible. The Lord blesses us when we are exactly obedient!

Investigators:

Karen/Alberto (baptismal date for the 10th of Feb.): This is a couple that is actually married!!!! YESSSSS!!! (how mom says it!) It's a little bit complicated, but Alberto works in the mines here in Chile and his schedule is that he works for two weeks out of the house and then he has a week break with the family...so he can only come to church every three weeks...Elders Lizama, Miklich and I are going to have to work with Alberto on that. But Karen is so awesome and is sooo ready to get baptized. Karen is so willing to keep every commandment and be baptized on the 10th of Feb. Elders Lizama, Miklich and I just have to work a little harder with Alberto.

Rodrigo (baptismal date for the 10th of Feb.): One of the miracles this week.  Elders Lizama, Miklich and I were just going to knock on a door of a reference that we received. After knocking the door and there wasn't anyone there, I felt a prompting to knock on the neighbors door.  The first neighbor we knocked was Rodrigo's door. Rodrigo let us in and told us that his wife was LDS, but a little bit inactive. We talked with Rodrigo a bunch and taught the Restoration. At the end of the lesson I felt like I needed to talk about baptism. As I extended Rodrigo a baptismal invitation, he said,"Well....I've never been baptized and I know that I need to do it, so yes!!!" That was so awesome! Rodrigo is so ready to be baptized and apply the gospel in his life. Rodrigo didn't come to church though because he watched movies til 7am in the morning....but his wife came and actually took us to church in her car!!! That was soooo nice to not have to walk. Sunday was the first time she had been to church in a year!

Fabienne (baptismal date for the 17th of Feb.): She's from Haiti and has lived in Chile for 3 yrs and speaks really good Spanish. Fabienne is another miracle! Elders Lizama, Miklich and I found Fabienne last night and after meeting and talking to her for awhile about her fear of baptism, we put her with a baptismal date because she told us before we left that she knows the church is true.

Highlights/Thoughts:

*No letters or packages this week for any of the missionaries. I'm excited for mail day tomorrow (in Quilicura we get our mail on Tuesday's). Great birthday present to hear from family and friends!

*Elder Lizama has to have back surgery back in Mexico. President Essig is calling us this week to give us the details. That's why I was transferred to Quilicura so when Elder Lizama leaves there will be two missionaries.

Elder Jenson and his USU football!

 

*My USU football is so awesome! All the Chileans are loving it and trying their hardest to throw it and play. It's the first time for most of them to ever throw a football.

 

Feliz 20 Cumpleanos el 22 de enero Elder Jenson! 

 

*Familia Atallares (who are in our ward) are having us over for Family Night tonight and to celebrate my birthday. They are inviting a non-member friend to the party so Elders Lizama, Miklich and I can share a gospel message as well as celebrate. It should be a good, fun night tonight of celebrating after we have appointments at 7, 8, and 9! I'll take picts! 

Don't have any more time left! I love you all and I hope you have a great week!

Love,

Tan

Dios Proveerá! (God Will Provide!)

January 14, 2013

Hey All!!

Sooooo today is the day of cambios (transfers) and I got transferred out of Independencia...... to?

 

Quilicura-Lo Campino 2

 

Quilicura is located at the northwestern edge of Santiago. It borders Renca to the south, Pudahuel to the west, Huechuraba and Conchali to the east and Lampa and Colina to the north. The origin of the name Quilicura comes from the words kila meaning three and kura meaning stone. The "Three Stones" are the three hills which separate the area. Quilicura is home to many industries and has approximately 200,000 residents.

I'm in the comuna Quilicura (Zone) and my sector now is Lo Campino 2.  It seems like it's going to be a good sector with a great ward. I've already heard great things about it! I'm in a trio companionship.
My new companions are Elder Lizama who's from Mexico and Elder Miklich who's from San Francisco.

Elder Lizama, one of Elder Jenson's new companions in Quilicura. Elder Lizama has been serving in the Chile Santiago North Mission for 10 months.
 

Elder Miklich, one of Elder Jenson's new companions in Quilicura. Elder Miklich has been serving in the Chile Santiago North Mission for 9 months.

 



 I just barely met my companions. They seem like really great Elders who are ready to work! It should be a good cambio together. I was definately sad to leave Elder Millan because he's such a  great missionary and a great friend, but that's how missionary work goes. I was also sad to leave Carrion but I'm excited to work in Lo Campio 2.

President told me at the end of my 3 weeks with Elder McKinley that this last change was going to be my capacitation to be a leader in the mission. President said that he loved how hard I worked and that evey one of my companions so far have said great things about me. So, I was suprised with this change of being in a trio companionship. Whatever the Lord wants me to be and whatever the Lord wants me to do, I'll do it! I'm really excited to keep learning from these great new companions I have now.

Logros (Achievements)

bautismos  0

confirmaciones  0

investigadores con fecha  5

inv que asisten a la reunion sac  1

lecciones con miembro  8

otras lecciones  16

inv progresando  0

ref recibidas  1

ref contactadas  9

lecciones a cr ma  6

contactos  72

MED  402


I just have time to share one experience that Elder Millan and I had this past week. Yesterday Elder Millan and I had church. We worked so hard all week to commit tons of people to come to church and have great experiences. Elder Millan and I passed by 15 investigators houses Friday and Saturday to make sure that everyone was going to come and committed all of them to come to church.  Yesterday when Elder Millan and I showed up at church one investigator came! I was praying and wondering in my mind what Elder Millan and I were doing wrong and what we needed to do better or if it was just a test of faith for Elder Millan and I as missionaries that we were fulfilling our part and needed to just keep going with what we were doing.  Right after church ended one of the members in Quilicura came up to Elder Millan and I out of no where and is like," So, I have a brother that lives in Carrion and his name is Claudio and he's not a member of the church.  He has (can't remember the exact disease he said) a disease where he can't move out of the house, so he can't come to church.  Just a little bit ago I asked my brother if he would watch a talk from General Conference with me and we watched Jeffrey R. Holland in this past October Conference.

Elder Jeffrey R. Holland, Quorum of the Twelve Apostles

 



Elder Jeffrey R. Holland in the October General Conference said,"To all within the sound of my voice, the voice of Christ comes ringing down through the halls of time, asking each one of us while there is time,"Do you love me?" And for every one of us, I answer with my honor and my soul,"Yea, Lord we do love thee." And having set our "hand to the plough" we will never look back until this work is finished and love of God and neighbor rules the world." Elder Holland continued," If ye love me, keep my commandments," Jesus Said. So we have neighbors to bless, children to protect, the poor to life up, and the truth to defend. We have wrongs to make right, truths to share, and good to do. In short, we have a life of devoted discipleship to give in demonstrating our love of the Lord." 

 By the end of Elder Holland's talk my brother was crying and loved it so much. My brother then asked me if I would show him the page so that he could listen to more talks. I showed my brother the page and he later told me that he watched every single talk from the Conference in October and all of the talks from the Conference in April in one day! My brother said that he would LOVE if the missionaries would come over to teach him." Elder Millan and I just looked at eachother and we were like "YES!" Elder Millan and I got the address of Claudio and said that we would pass by the house later that day around 6 o'clock. When Elder Millan and I passed by, Claudio had this BIG smile on his face and was carrying around this bag full of tubes. Elder Millan and I talked a little bit more about his expereince and he told us that he was listening to the talk by Elder Nelson from this last October where it always said "ASK THE MISSIONARIES" so he decided to do that!

Elder Russell M. Nelson, Quorum of the Twelve Apostles

 

Elder Russell M. Nelson in the October General Conference said,"You may have previously encountered, or even ignored, our missionaries. My hope is that you will not fear them but learn from them. They can be a heaven-sent resource to you. And if you want to know more about life after death, about heaven, about God's plan for you; if you want to know more about the Lord Jesus Christ, His Atonement,and the Restoration of His Church as it was originally established, ask the missionaries! They can help you!"

 Elder Millan and I taught Claudio the Restoration and it brought him to tears in some parts of it. I felt the spirit so strong! Claudio said the prayer to finish the lesson which was one of the most powerful prayers I've ever heard. It was awesome. At that moment, I was just so grateful for that experience and knew that was an answer to my personal prayers that I just need to keep doing what I'm doing and God will always provide!! Dios Proveerá!!

Highlights of the week/Thoughts:

*I got several dearelder letters from family and also a letter from Brooke Stephens in the mail. Getting mail makes me happy! Thank-you for supporting me.

*I had to open my birthday box when I found out I was going to be transferred. I wasn't going to haul that thing around! Thank-you so much for all the gifts, letters and especially I loved the USU football for P-day. Elder Millan and I had some fun looking up the scriptures and trying to guess the present that was inside before opening. Love you! (Saving the cake for the 22nd!)

I love you all and hope you have a great week!

Love,

Tan

"I'm grateful I was taught right in my home"

January 7, 2013

Hey Family and Friends!!!

I had to download a bunch of music that Elder Millan and Elder Arrigada had today so I don't have as much time to write as I usually do, so you'll have to forgive me! I still love you all!! :)

Logros (Achievements)

bautismos  0

investigadores con fecha  6

investigadores que asisten a la reunion sac  4

lecciones con miembro  4

otras lecciones  20

investigadores que estan progresando  0

ref recibidas  3

ref contectadas  11

nuevos investigadores  11

lecciones a cr ma  8

contactos  90

med 440

 

 

Views of Elder Jenson's Independencia-Carrion 1 Sector from his 10th floor apartment with Cerro Renca in the background. "I have great memories of the time I served in Renca."

Elder Millan and I had a pretty good week this week even though we didn't teach much. Elder Millan and I were focusing our efforts on our converts that are in the Independencia-Carrion 1 sector and teaching them more about the gospel. Elder Millan and I are finding a lot of great people in the sector that really have potential which means that Elder Millan and I have to change our focus and leave some of our investigators that have been in the sector for forever and just aren't progressing. There's so many investigators in the sector that have received answers but aren't willing to act on that answer. It's really sad, but I guess it's just not their time to accept the gospel right now. Junior is still working towards baptism. I'm grateful I was taught right in my home. Elder Millan and I are excited for the week!!

Highlights/Thoughts:

Elder Jenson's kitchen in Independencia-Carrion 1

* Elder Millan and I didn't do anything to celebrate New Years....we went to bed at 1130 just as normal and woke up ready for another year of being a missionary in Chile!

*The Corrion 1 Ward is so great. Elder Millan and I are grateful to have such awesome functioning wards. I've had sweet wards and branches that I've served in while in Chile and am so grateful for this.

*I got lots of letters and a package from Nana and my birthday box from the family this week. I'm waiting to open. Thank-you so much! I love you!

Elder Jenson's scripture study area in his apartment in Independencia-Carrion1

*I continue to read the Book of Mormon in Spanish. This week my favorite scriptures are found in Mosiah.

-14:3-7
-15:7-9, 20
-16:9-He is the light and the life of the world; yea, a light that is endless, that can never be darkened; yea, and also a life which is endless, that there can be no more death.
-18:8-10, 16
-21:13-14
-23:10-11, 16-17

Hope all is well and that you all have a great week! I'm happy!

Love,

Tan