Trust In His Light

February 17, 2014

Hey everyone!

First things first...I wanna make a shout out to my little brother Taylor for making his first points in a D1 basketball game this week and in the game after that, 2 threes to show em all some TJ Fadeaway magic!! We all know you can kill it out there. Coach Robinson will give you more and more time as you keep showin confidence. Love you bro!!

 

Elder Jenson, Miriam, Gabriel, Patricia, Elder Anderson and Elder Cheshire (in front) on February 16, 2014 Lo Prado 2-Baptism Day!

PATRICIA, MIRIAM and GABRIEL WERE BAPTIZED YESTERDAY!!!!! This was truly an incredible experience that I will never forget....ever!! Three more of our siblings have made covenants with our Father in Heaven and are willing to follow Him. They showed it and I'm so proud of them. Brother Lopez (2nd Counselor in the Bishopric) baptized them since he was one of the members who fellowshipped this family.

 

Miriam, Gabriel and Patricia on their baptism day February 16, 2014 Lo Prado 2

Two days before their baptism and the day before their interviews all three of them shared their complete conversion story with details. My companions and I found out a lot of things (miracles) we had no idea about. Patricia told us that she was an atheist before getting to know us. Patricia said that because of our visits and what she has felt, her life has changed. Patricia said that many times and kept thanking my companions and I for our service. Miriam told my companions and I a lot about how she and Gabriel had only come to Lo Prado to live with her parents because they couldn't find another place to live and they didn't know why. Miriam expressed gratitude as she told us that she believes she and her family moved to Lo Prado to come to know the truth. Gabriel told my companions and I he had a speech impediment (we knew this to some extent) and that every time he read the Book of Mormon, he felt as if his speech impediment was very minimal. Many miracles took place in their conversions so they could be baptized. God lives!

Patricia's daughter, Tamara, and Miriam's husband, Gabriel, also came to the baptism. My companions and I passed by later that day to talk with mainly Tamara. Tamara had never been to church before in her life and said that she could feel something different. Patricia also mentioned that she had seen a radical difference in her mom, Patricia, in a very short time and that she really loved that. We testified to Tamara and asked her if we could teach her about what has changed her mom's life for forever. Tamara accepted and we will be helping her come unto Him and receive the remission of her sins as well.

 

Gabriel (Papa de Gabriel and Miriam's husband), Miriam, Gabriel, Patricia and Tamara (Patricia's daughter) on February 16, 2014 Lo Prado 2-Baptism Day!

6 investigators were able to attend Stake Conference with my companions and I which was a very uplifting experience. Our Stake Conference was mostly centered on the Work of Salvation. The Lord is really blessing us every week with some really moving experiences. Sometimes I can't help it but to get teary eyed when I think about them.

Thoughts/Highlights of the Week

1. I really want to come back to Chile the week after I get home! Sounds good the Homecoming date.

2. Send a shout out to Coach J and the team for me this week and tell them good job!

3. Opened my Valentines Day package and also got the Bronco's package!! Thanks for all the letters as well and for the support and love!!

4. Didn't get my CO license sticker.....

5. Transfers are this coming Monday....where will I be?

6. We had a sweet Sanlen Zone activity today where we played soccer and basketball and also ate some food!! It was a really fun activity to close out my last P-day in Lo Prado 2!

Elder Jenson and ZONE SALEN February 16, 2014 Lo Prado 2 

I just want to leave you with my testimony that I know more than ever that this is the true church of our Lord and Savior Jesus Christ. I have seen His hand in this work every day and will never, ever forget these experiences. He truly lives and loves us more than we can ever imagine. Trust in His light and follow the council of the living-day prophets and you will never be lead astray. I love you all with all my heart and leave this with you in the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

My time is up!! Have a great week.

Love,

Elder Jenson

Press forward in love for our Savior

February 10, 2014

Hey Everyone!

This week was incredible. I feel like I write that every week, but it just seems to get better and better. It's true when people say that your last 6 months are full of blessings and that's when every missionary shines. The Lord trusts quite a bit in His missionaries.

This week we were able to have 8 investigators in church and 6 of the 8 of our investigators are progressing towards their baptismal date!! Those investigators who came to church this week are:

*Patrcia
*Miriam
*Gabriel
*Nicolas
*Lucy
*Romina
Joan
Silvana

*Those who are progressing (keeping their committments of reading, praying, coming to church and also have a baptismal date set)

Patricia, Miriam and Gabriel are all going to be baptized this Sunday after our Stake Conference in our Stake Center!! My companions and I are seriously pumped for them and the progress they've made. All 3 have come to church for three weeks straight.

Nicolas is making great strides as well and came to church for the 2nd time in three Sundays. He has his baptismal date for the 9th of March.

Finding Lucy (mom-49 yrs old) and Romina (daughter-24 years old) his week was absolutely incredible. Elder Anderson had already contacted and taught Romina while I was in Leadership Council a little over a week ago. Romina said that she was going to go on vacation for a week so my companions set a return visit for when they were going to be home. We went to that appointment this past Monday to follow up. I wasn't feeling too hot last Monday because we had played soccer in the morning and I had forgotten to put sunscreen on. The sun burnt me pretty bad and I had the worst headache I'd ever had. In love for my invesigators and willing to do anything for them so they can continue to progress, I asked my companions to call and confirm the visits for the day because I was going to try to leave the house like a normal day. My companions called to confirm the visits while I pleaded with my Heavenly Father in prayer that He would help my headache go away so I could think clearly and be able to teach Romina and the other investigators we were scheduled to teach. I wanted to teach very powerfully and with the Spirit. The Lord tested my faith as we walked over to the visit and I still had my headache. We never turned back and pushed forward. Romina invited us in to her house and as soon as I walked through the door, the headache disappeared. Lucy was on the couch watching a movie and as we passed her she said that she wasn't going to participate even before we could ask her to. After about 5 min or so talking with Romina about her vacation and how she was, we invited Lucy to come over and join us. Lucy came over and asked what was the matter. We kindly asked her to sit in on the lesson and she's like..."no I participate in another religion." We reassured Lucy by saying we talk with people from other religions every single day and it was normal for us. Lucy thought about our invitation for a minute and then decided to sit in on the visit to see what we teach. As we started talking about the gospel of Jesus Christ, Lucy told Romina that she thought it would be good for her to keep having us over so Romina could participate, but not her....that was a start. We taught the Restoration of the gospel powerfully with the Spirit present and by the end of our visit, Lucy said..."I'm going to read the Book of Mormon with Romina to know that this is true and we're going to go to church this Sunday to see what it's like!" I was like...wait what????? That's what happens when the Spirit testifies and the investigators let it into their hearts. I realized that the biggest blessings come from when we really don't feel like pressing forward, but we do anyways in love for our Savior. I could have easily told my companions "you know what I feel horrible so I'm just gonna call Sister Essig and tell her that we can't work today." But since I didn't, the Lord blessed us immensely. Lucy and Romina accepted a baptismal date for the 9th of March.

Here's another sweet story about members in the work and the Lords hand in ALL things:

About two weeks ago my companions and I ran into a member couple in our sector from Vivaceta that were coming to keep a watch on their daughter and her family's home while they were away on vacation. The couple told us that their daughter was a less-active member and her husband wasn't a member. Right away the couple gave us the reference and told us that they would love it if we visited their daughter and her family when they got back from their vacation. The couple gave us their names and number and actually walked us to their house so we would know exactly where it was when their daughter got back and we could make an appointment with them (those are some good members!!!). My companions and I called the daughter, Estefani and set up a visit when they got home from their vacation. We visited them this week. Estefani expressed the need to come back to church and be an active member. Estefani's husband, Cesar, told us that while they were on vacation, he told Estefani that he felt like they were going to go to the Mormon church this year as a family. Before Cesar even knew it, the Lord already had everything planned and we were at their door to his surprise. Cesar accepted a baptismal date and said he would read and pray wih Estefani every day to know that this is the true church. The Lord really does know each and every one of us.

Thoughts/Highlights of the week:

Thanks for sending me your informative letters every week. Love hearing about how everything is going back home. Thanks for helping me out with my scholarship too. I feel your support and love.

Still waiting for my license sticker....hope it comes soon.

I'm glad my service has helped in furthering your conversion to the Lord :)

Class schedule looks great...thanks for all your help.

Transfers are the 24th of February....only 2 weeks left!

Got my "Trunk Papers" from Hermana Stanger (Mission Secretary) today. Have to fill out a paper for my travel home...I can't believe that time has come to be honest with you. I will be traveling home on the 19th of May!


I hope you enjoyed the stories. They really helped my testimony grow. Have a great week!!!

Love,
Elder Jenson

"I'll never let Him down!!"

February 3, 2014

Hey all!

That's pretty sad to hear that the Broncs couldnt pull it off...they got whooped!! That's pretty enbarrassing. I wonder if Peyton Manning is gonna come back next year. Let me know!

Our sector has been on fire for quite some time now and the flames seem to keep gettin bigger and bigger :) The Lord is trusting us quite a bit with His children and its quite a big responsibility, but I'll never let Him down!! Our top three investigators right now that are preparing for baptism are basking in the blessings that our Father in Heaven is giving them and boy are they realizing it. Their names are Patricia, Miriam and Gabriel.Patricia (in her 40s) and Miriam (around 50 yrs old) are sisters and Gabriel is Miriam's 15 yr old son. They are reading tons in the Book of Mormon and yesterday was their second time in church. Their baptismal date is February 16th so they've only got two more weeks to prepare themselves and then off to the font we go!! We've got quite a bit of the wards help in this and we're going to make sure that there's a member present in every one of our lessons til we reach that date! Patricia and Miriam are realizing a difference in their lives and the peaceful feeling every time they read, pray, listen to us and go to church. I'm glad the Lord is making this known unto them. My companions and I are so excited!!!

Other really cool experiences.....

1. A little over a week ago my companions and I got a reference from other missionaries. We didn't know much about this lady,but we passed by and she readily accepted us into her house. She started talking about how she was searching high and low for the truth for her and her family. She had been to a lot of other churches but hadn't felt in her heart that they were true. In Linder (Chilean Walmart) she saw two missionaries and asked them what we taught and that she was searching for the truth. That reference was then transferred to us and we taught her about how much God loves her and that her search was about to be over after reading the Book of Mormon, asking God and feeling the Holy Spirit testify to her that this was the true church. She went to church last week and absolutely loved it, but is now in Southern Chile until March for vacation. When she gets back, the missionaries will help her until she is baptized.

2. Right before what just happened above and on the exact same day, two people stopped my companions and I in the street and told us that they wanted to come to church (Carlos and Yennifer). They asked us where the church was and when the meetings were.We told Carlos and Yennifer and they actually came last Sunday. Carlos had never been inside a church in his life, never prayed or even believed in God.As Carlos was in church, he told us about 10 times of a relaxing feeling he felt. We passed by his house this week and taught him all about our Heavenly Father and Jesus Christ.He had already started to read the Book of Mormon that Yennifer gave him (she's participated in the church before,but never was baptized) before we could even give him one. Carlos prayed with us for the first time in his life.It was literally amazing and an experience I will never forget. Carlos also accepted a baptismal invitation for the 2nd of March.

Highlights/Thoughts for the week:

USU schedule is great. Thanks mom for doing all of this for me!! Big help!!

Dad thanks for helping me out with my golf schedule. I'm so stoked to get back on the course and playing with you, but it will be really sad when my time is up on my mission. I really love it out here. My time is short....Love you tons and miss you a lot!

Great to hear from family this week. Thanks for your support and prayers.

Not alot of time to write this week...so much going on. Sent a separate email with my scholarship essays :)


Well, I hope you liked the cool experiences. When this stuff happens I always look at my companions in awe and think to myself..."Is this really happening right now??" I then have to remind myself that this is the work of our Almighty God. Of that I testify to all of you wherever you may be.

I hope you have a really great week!

Love,

Elder Jenson