Hello everybody!!!
This week has flown by way too fast! Spoiler alert though- we got transfer calls!! I have to share now because I am way to happy about this to wait untill the end. Usually, we get transfer calls the Saturday before transfer day. (The next transfer is this Thursday fyi) Well, President called Sister Miller and I on Thursday to talk to me about transfers. Originally, he had me down to train a new sister in Chubbuck. By Tuesday, he had me in Chubbuck with a different sister joining me, who has been out a short while already. Well on Thursday he told me he had to close some sister areas and wanted to know how ours would look if he put elders back in Chubbuck. As we were discussing the people in our area and how some of them would do with Elders, he suddenly asks "Do you feel you have any unfinished business in Thayne?" To which I responded, "Thayne? Wait, Star Valley?!" I literally started crying, I was so happy to think about going back. He said thats where I was sitting on the transfer board at the moment and by the end of the call it seemed pretty set that I would stay. The next 2 days were agony though, waiting to hear the set transfer calls. He could always change his mind, and I really didn't want him too on this one haha. It's official now. I will be heading back to Star Valley this Thursday.. So to those of you on my email from SV... See you soon!!! 😄
This week has been a rush of mission lasts for Sister Miller. We got to see lots of people we've been working with and it started to become a little more real to her I think. We taught Taleysa on Monday and it was a great lesson! She's been hard to meet with since I got into the area. The last thing we heard actually was that she didn't even believe in God anymore. She's 14, so we felt like that might not be a solid belief and we'd try anyway. Well the whole lesson we discussed how she's seen God's hand in her life and how she's felt the spirit. So it was an awesome lesson and hopefully she commits more in the future.
On Tuesday we went with Gabriel to the temple! (He's the guy I taught from YSA that got baptized recently.) It was so neat to be in the temple with him. He even performed some baptisms! I really wasn't sure I'd see him baptized while still on my mission, and there we were in the temple with him! It was such a wonderful experience (:
Wednesday evening we joined the elders to go to a ward ski night. (they said lots of people will stay in the lodge and talk) Anyway the elders drove and we almost got lost on the snowy back roads on Inkom, but we made it and stayed on the road. We also met some people that weren't members of the church... But they kinda ditched us after a bit. It was actually pretty funny to see their attempt to evade us. Oh well!
We met with Ashley and her husband, they are still hoping February will work out for their temple date. My fingers are crossed, too bad they won't be getting sealed in the Star Valley temple.
We also got to meet with Lyric and his family. Hes 11 and his biological mom won't let him be baptized till he turns 12, so we're teaching him in the meantime. He and his brother Mason are my favorite kids to teach holy cow. They spent the first half hour telling us random but hilarious stories and after the lesson we played a version of uno called "fart". Definitely little boys. But they are the best haha 😂 😂 😂 I'm going to miss them so much!!
Chubbuck has been real for sure. I've learned a lot from this area and I will miss so many people from here. I know the atonement is real, I've seen it work in my own life as well as others. It's been wonderful to see people start to accept Christ into their life and I am excited to see what Star Valley looks like when I return. I love you all, have a great week!!
Love ya,
Sister Jensen
Monday, January 28, 2019
Monday, January 21, 2019
The Sister Bible Delivery Service
Hello hello all!!
Holy cow the weeks are beginning to wind down for Sister Miller, which means the countdown is beginning for me. I am so not ready for it. Sister Miller is incredibly excited to see her family again and get home haha. She actually tried putting a countdown on my phone for when I hit home, which I promptly deleted. Not ready for that yet.
This week felt pretty productive, we're playing catch-up still from the weeks I was sick, which is unfortunate, but can't do much about that.
Monday we got a referral online from a less active lady requesting a bible to be brought to her. Holy cow she was hard to catch. I had been told she was older with health issues, so you'd think she'd be home, but nope. We were finally able to catch her at home this week to deliver a bible, and actually brought her 2 options, the huge one with big print, or the normal one. (again, I had been told she was older so I thought she might want it) Well she answered her door and looked more like late 50's, not 70's like the ward made it sound, and suddenly I was super worried I would offend her with the big print bible. But I mean it was already in my hands and sorta hard to miss. She appreciated it though and chose the big print over the normal one- safe to say I didn't offend her. (she does have a lot of health issues, bad eyesight being one of them so it worked out) She invited us in to hear her whole life story, which was super interesting. It felt like I was listening to a movie, there were so many plot twists! I definitely learned about the consequences for not keeping the commandments though, that was sadly seen a lot in her grandchildren's lives. She invited us back to read with her though and that will be fun!
Later that evening we joined the 3rd ward youth for a big game of dodgeball, and I think I did alright. But holy cow some of those kids can throw! Literally there were stick skinny beehives throwing harder than me, but I mean we all have our own weaknesses and strengths I guess... They were excited when we were on their team so I take that as a good sign.
Wednesday we had a lesson with William and Colton, the two boys in foster care. Sadly William doesn't have permission to be baptized, which is really sad because of the two, he is definitely more excited and invested. Colton thinks he was already baptized so we gotta check on that one, but regardless, we'll continue to teach them! They are loving the lessons, and it was so cute- when we began this time, William has been going through the youth theme music on gospel library, and asked if we could start with a song. I thought he meant a hymn, but instead he played his favorite song from the album and we talked about what it meant to him. It was pretty sweet and it's amazing to see how sensitive they both are to the spirit.
Thursday we had a great lesson with a Sister who is recently more active in the church. She and her husband had been inactive the past few years, but have come back. She never really learned a lot of the basic principles, so we're meeting with them. They also have a 5 year old son who is non verbal and has autism. He's pretty funny. He likes to give people hugs just to search for their phones. He's super smart though, he knows how to spell and put words together like xylophone... I had to use auto correct for that and he's 5! So he's a pretty smart one. Anyway, it was just Ashley and her son, and it was a great lesson. It felt like we got to know her better and she said they're hoping to be sealed in February!! So exciting! She's already doing missionary work too, she's been inviting a friend to church, fhe, and our lessons. She has yet to come, but Ashley isn't deterred! She said invitations made it easier for her to come back, so she'll keep inviting.
Friday we finally made contact again with Taleysa!! And we have a lesson scheduled for tonight... Fingers crossed it goes through!
On Saturday we did all the filming for the mission's February video. It'll be good...hopefully lol. I think it'll turn out, they always do. We got some good footage so I'm excited (:
Saturday was also exciting because Elder Jeppesen got his mission call!! 😄 Elder Jeppesen is a dwarf that has been out the last two transfers, and because of all his medical issues, he came out as a trial missionary. He was cleared to serve the full 2 years though, and he got his call! For trial missionaries they could be called back to wherever they served their trial mission, or they could be called elsewhere. Elder Jeppesen will be returning to the Idaho Pocatello Mission!!! I think I would have cried if he was called anywhere else, this dude is awesome. The mission would have missed him for sure.
Sunday we were super busy with lots of meetings. We had appointments too, but I think missionaries are usually more booked out by meetings than teaching appointments on Sundays. We are at least. We had a "teaching appointment" with a recent convert, Jaren. We're trying ti get him to go to the YSA (all his friends just left on missions) so we had the YSA Elders join us for what was supposed to be a game and a spiritual thought. Well we talked a bit at the beginning, played a few rounds of this card game, and boom, it was 5pm and we had to head to our dinner appointment. So not much of a spiritual thought... But the goal was to get him comfortable with the elders and I think that happened, so I'd say it was productive.
I hope you all had a great week and enjoyed the highlights of mine. I love and miss you all, and I know the Lord is aware of each of you. Parts of the last few transfers have been tough, but I have seen the Lord strengthen and help me. I hope this week is great, have a good one!
Love,
Sister Jensen
Holy cow the weeks are beginning to wind down for Sister Miller, which means the countdown is beginning for me. I am so not ready for it. Sister Miller is incredibly excited to see her family again and get home haha. She actually tried putting a countdown on my phone for when I hit home, which I promptly deleted. Not ready for that yet.
This week felt pretty productive, we're playing catch-up still from the weeks I was sick, which is unfortunate, but can't do much about that.
Monday we got a referral online from a less active lady requesting a bible to be brought to her. Holy cow she was hard to catch. I had been told she was older with health issues, so you'd think she'd be home, but nope. We were finally able to catch her at home this week to deliver a bible, and actually brought her 2 options, the huge one with big print, or the normal one. (again, I had been told she was older so I thought she might want it) Well she answered her door and looked more like late 50's, not 70's like the ward made it sound, and suddenly I was super worried I would offend her with the big print bible. But I mean it was already in my hands and sorta hard to miss. She appreciated it though and chose the big print over the normal one- safe to say I didn't offend her. (she does have a lot of health issues, bad eyesight being one of them so it worked out) She invited us in to hear her whole life story, which was super interesting. It felt like I was listening to a movie, there were so many plot twists! I definitely learned about the consequences for not keeping the commandments though, that was sadly seen a lot in her grandchildren's lives. She invited us back to read with her though and that will be fun!
Later that evening we joined the 3rd ward youth for a big game of dodgeball, and I think I did alright. But holy cow some of those kids can throw! Literally there were stick skinny beehives throwing harder than me, but I mean we all have our own weaknesses and strengths I guess... They were excited when we were on their team so I take that as a good sign.
Wednesday we had a lesson with William and Colton, the two boys in foster care. Sadly William doesn't have permission to be baptized, which is really sad because of the two, he is definitely more excited and invested. Colton thinks he was already baptized so we gotta check on that one, but regardless, we'll continue to teach them! They are loving the lessons, and it was so cute- when we began this time, William has been going through the youth theme music on gospel library, and asked if we could start with a song. I thought he meant a hymn, but instead he played his favorite song from the album and we talked about what it meant to him. It was pretty sweet and it's amazing to see how sensitive they both are to the spirit.
Thursday we had a great lesson with a Sister who is recently more active in the church. She and her husband had been inactive the past few years, but have come back. She never really learned a lot of the basic principles, so we're meeting with them. They also have a 5 year old son who is non verbal and has autism. He's pretty funny. He likes to give people hugs just to search for their phones. He's super smart though, he knows how to spell and put words together like xylophone... I had to use auto correct for that and he's 5! So he's a pretty smart one. Anyway, it was just Ashley and her son, and it was a great lesson. It felt like we got to know her better and she said they're hoping to be sealed in February!! So exciting! She's already doing missionary work too, she's been inviting a friend to church, fhe, and our lessons. She has yet to come, but Ashley isn't deterred! She said invitations made it easier for her to come back, so she'll keep inviting.
Friday we finally made contact again with Taleysa!! And we have a lesson scheduled for tonight... Fingers crossed it goes through!
On Saturday we did all the filming for the mission's February video. It'll be good...hopefully lol. I think it'll turn out, they always do. We got some good footage so I'm excited (:
Saturday was also exciting because Elder Jeppesen got his mission call!! 😄 Elder Jeppesen is a dwarf that has been out the last two transfers, and because of all his medical issues, he came out as a trial missionary. He was cleared to serve the full 2 years though, and he got his call! For trial missionaries they could be called back to wherever they served their trial mission, or they could be called elsewhere. Elder Jeppesen will be returning to the Idaho Pocatello Mission!!! I think I would have cried if he was called anywhere else, this dude is awesome. The mission would have missed him for sure.
Sunday we were super busy with lots of meetings. We had appointments too, but I think missionaries are usually more booked out by meetings than teaching appointments on Sundays. We are at least. We had a "teaching appointment" with a recent convert, Jaren. We're trying ti get him to go to the YSA (all his friends just left on missions) so we had the YSA Elders join us for what was supposed to be a game and a spiritual thought. Well we talked a bit at the beginning, played a few rounds of this card game, and boom, it was 5pm and we had to head to our dinner appointment. So not much of a spiritual thought... But the goal was to get him comfortable with the elders and I think that happened, so I'd say it was productive.
I hope you all had a great week and enjoyed the highlights of mine. I love and miss you all, and I know the Lord is aware of each of you. Parts of the last few transfers have been tough, but I have seen the Lord strengthen and help me. I hope this week is great, have a good one!
Love,
Sister Jensen
Monday, January 14, 2019
Patience in God's Timing
This was a week! Many ups and downs for sure. I am feeling much better physically, no longer a flu infested little sister missionary. I dropped back down to the weight I was before I left! So much for 6 months to sexy, try 2 weeks lol. I'll probably gain some of it back quick haha, but oh well, it feels good to say I dropped weight, no matter how unhealthy it was!
Sorry, this one will be short, I have a highlight I want to mention, other than that, I have honestly no time today. Drum-roll please.....I got to see Gabriel baptized!!!!! I taught him for 6 months in the YSA and after a year and 9 missionaries he finally got baptized!!!!! It was such a blessing to get to see and I loved getting to talk with him again. I almost teared up a bit when he went under the water, Gabriel is probably one of my most favorite people I've taught. (idk if that sentence really made sense.) Anyway though, it was wonderful to see and it just testified to me of God's timing. Gabriel took a while to decide to finally be baptized, but in his own time, he did it.
Sometimes we really need to take a step back and have patience. I've definitely learned this lesson over the past few transfers, and I know it's an important one. We can't control everything. People have their agency, you can really only control yours. So do what you can, make the good choices you can, do your best with what you've got, and God will step in to fill the rest. I have loved being out here on a mission, even though it has been incredibly trying sometimes. I know God has been there with me every step of the way and I love him so much for it. I love this gospel and I love my Savior. I miss you all, but I will be back soon! I hope you all have a wonderful week!
Love,
Sister Jensen
Sorry, this one will be short, I have a highlight I want to mention, other than that, I have honestly no time today. Drum-roll please.....I got to see Gabriel baptized!!!!! I taught him for 6 months in the YSA and after a year and 9 missionaries he finally got baptized!!!!! It was such a blessing to get to see and I loved getting to talk with him again. I almost teared up a bit when he went under the water, Gabriel is probably one of my most favorite people I've taught. (idk if that sentence really made sense.) Anyway though, it was wonderful to see and it just testified to me of God's timing. Gabriel took a while to decide to finally be baptized, but in his own time, he did it.
Sometimes we really need to take a step back and have patience. I've definitely learned this lesson over the past few transfers, and I know it's an important one. We can't control everything. People have their agency, you can really only control yours. So do what you can, make the good choices you can, do your best with what you've got, and God will step in to fill the rest. I have loved being out here on a mission, even though it has been incredibly trying sometimes. I know God has been there with me every step of the way and I love him so much for it. I love this gospel and I love my Savior. I miss you all, but I will be back soon! I hope you all have a wonderful week!
Love,
Sister Jensen
Monday, January 7, 2019
Round 2
"Round 2" as in:
Another round of the flu for us all, and maybe a virus too,
take one down, pass it around,
another round of the flu!
Yeah so it came back.
On New Years I was feeling pretty good, and it looked like I was about to be rid of whatever I've had. We had a lesson that night with Cort. (his last before his baptism!!) They asked us to combine the last 2 lessons, so we kind of hit him with a lot of information, but he took it all well. He really is ready and excited.
Wednesday we took it slow in the morning, but even went to our dinner appointment in the evening! (we've been having to cancel because I haven't been feeling good or up to eating whatever they may serve) We had a lesson with the two McCabe boys, and they were so excited. We walked in and Colton was like "where will we be reading today?" They're sweet boys, definitely want to be baptized, but we'll have to see what permissions they need as they are in the foster system.
Thursday we had a special Zone Conference, during which President announced that the mission boundaries will change as of July 1st. We'll be absorbing part of the Nampa mission, and taking in Twin Falls. Sadly, this won't affect me, because it would have been cool to serve in another aunts ward haha, but I'll be home by then. After we got home from the conference I wasn't feeling good again and from there round 2 of the flu/virus started. I wasn't throwing up, just in general wasn't feeling good, eating a lot, having terrible headaches, and feeling lightheaded when I stood up.
By Saturday the mission doctor wanted me to go back to urgent care to figure out why things were continuing on so long. He was worried I might have a Kidney Infection, which freaked me out. But when I went in they basically said what had hit before just flared up again. They didn't have many answers for me, but it sounds like they think it's some sort of virus...they still didn't say.
I did make it to Cort's baptism though! I also felt like I was going to pass out during most of it, but it was very sweet to see him baptized. And on Sunday his mom even got up and bore her testimony! Which was something I really would not have expected from her. It was a very simple but powerful testimony and I could feel the spirit strongly.
I think i'm on the mend now, today I made it out of the house to go email and everything, hopefully this is the last bout of whatever virus I have because I am real sick of the basement we live in. I know there has been a reason for this sickness, maybe to teach me patience, I'm not sure. Sister Branson, (the member we live with) has a quote on her wall that says "Trusting God means trusting his timing" which I know to be very true. Our ways are not the Lord's ways. He has a plan and a way for it to happen, we just need to trust him.
Love you all, hope you have a great start to the New Year(:
Love ya,
Sister Jensen
Another round of the flu for us all, and maybe a virus too,
take one down, pass it around,
another round of the flu!
Yeah so it came back.
On New Years I was feeling pretty good, and it looked like I was about to be rid of whatever I've had. We had a lesson that night with Cort. (his last before his baptism!!) They asked us to combine the last 2 lessons, so we kind of hit him with a lot of information, but he took it all well. He really is ready and excited.
Wednesday we took it slow in the morning, but even went to our dinner appointment in the evening! (we've been having to cancel because I haven't been feeling good or up to eating whatever they may serve) We had a lesson with the two McCabe boys, and they were so excited. We walked in and Colton was like "where will we be reading today?" They're sweet boys, definitely want to be baptized, but we'll have to see what permissions they need as they are in the foster system.
Thursday we had a special Zone Conference, during which President announced that the mission boundaries will change as of July 1st. We'll be absorbing part of the Nampa mission, and taking in Twin Falls. Sadly, this won't affect me, because it would have been cool to serve in another aunts ward haha, but I'll be home by then. After we got home from the conference I wasn't feeling good again and from there round 2 of the flu/virus started. I wasn't throwing up, just in general wasn't feeling good, eating a lot, having terrible headaches, and feeling lightheaded when I stood up.
By Saturday the mission doctor wanted me to go back to urgent care to figure out why things were continuing on so long. He was worried I might have a Kidney Infection, which freaked me out. But when I went in they basically said what had hit before just flared up again. They didn't have many answers for me, but it sounds like they think it's some sort of virus...they still didn't say.
I did make it to Cort's baptism though! I also felt like I was going to pass out during most of it, but it was very sweet to see him baptized. And on Sunday his mom even got up and bore her testimony! Which was something I really would not have expected from her. It was a very simple but powerful testimony and I could feel the spirit strongly.
I think i'm on the mend now, today I made it out of the house to go email and everything, hopefully this is the last bout of whatever virus I have because I am real sick of the basement we live in. I know there has been a reason for this sickness, maybe to teach me patience, I'm not sure. Sister Branson, (the member we live with) has a quote on her wall that says "Trusting God means trusting his timing" which I know to be very true. Our ways are not the Lord's ways. He has a plan and a way for it to happen, we just need to trust him.
Love you all, hope you have a great start to the New Year(:
Love ya,
Sister Jensen
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