Monday, June 24th, 2013

"So last week was rough if you didn't catch that from the last email, but this week has been MUCH better. :) I just have to say that the power of prayer is real. I think many times we pray for things that we can never see the ending result of. I was laying in bed one night and I could just feel that people were praying for me. I could literally feel it. So thank you for all the prayers in my behalf. God is so good.

Well, to answer a few questions. I'm sorry I get so scatter-brained when I am writing an email. There is just so much that happens in a week and to put it all in an e-mail is quite impossible without writing a novel. I will do my best to answer all of your questions and let you know what I've been up to. My apologies in advance if I miss some. It sounds like summer is in full swing! Congratulations on Ragnar mom! You never cease to amaze me. Really though. And then the GPS?? That was sent so fast. Thanks so much! Sister Toledo and I have been borrowing one from one of the sister training leaders and now we can have our own. I haven't put it all together yet though. I'll let you know if there's any problem--I doubt there will be. So, in response to the questions, Sister Toledo is from North Hollywood California and is 24 years old. Ha! Cooking. Mom, have you forgotten who you're talking too? ;) I pretty much go with what's easiest to make. I make myself some delicious spinach wraps. They really are good. One of our investigators, James, who I talked about last time, is an agriculture major so he gives us produce like tomatoes and melons occasionally. Once a week we have a dinner with the same family--the Neils. They are a part member/less active family. From our last visit, Sister Neil shared an experience she had after she attended sacrament meeting the last Sunday after we invited her to come. She said how she could feel her father who had passed on tell her that he wanted her to be more active so that he could be with her after this life. It was really amazing and she expressed how she really wants to change and become more active. She's a convert to the church and she was telling me about her conversion story and how she was stubborn until one missionary, that happened to be on an exchange, bore his testimony to her. She said she knew without a doubt that the church was true from his testimony. She knew that Elder was to come to her house on that day years ago to testify and help her recognize that this is the true church. We have had a couple downpours since I've been here. Thank goodness for those trusty--and might I add stylish ;) haha-- crocs of mine. Thanks mom. Here's the point where I say you told me so. But normally those are just for rainy days ;). Our ward isn't that big, but then again, I'm from Utah. Our ward is a good size, but definitely room for improvement. :) That's what I'm here for, right? It sounds like Thomas and Candice are finally to the enjoying stage of a home :) I can't wait to see it when I'm home. With that new bike, I'm guessing Mitch will be in the Tour de France by the time I get home ;) THANK YOU THANK YOU THANK YOU! To The Bennetts, Norma Hanson, and Grandma King for some mail. Letters in the mail--it's like Christmas. Thanks for the return address stickers Bennett family. Those will be SOOO nice! I can't wait to use them! I loved reading Courtney's letter grandma. It sounds like she is a sister training leader?! Of course! She's amazing. 

 This week has gone much better. Sister Toledo and I went on an exchange with the sister training leaders who are over us. Sister Call was with me for 24 hours out preaching the word. Sister Jensen (sister training leader) was with Sister Toledo, so really none of us switched companions. ;) I really can't even explain how much I needed that time with Sister Call.  She's so sweet and I just love her, but really, how could I not? She is a relative through Anson Call so we're blood! 

I loved hearing the broadcast last night. Keep up the good work family! And is Jackson taking lessons in our home now? The other sisters in our area (Sister Atkinson and Sister Carlson) have an investigator who is getting baptized this Sunday. She is sixteen but went to church with a friend when she was ten. When the missionaries knocked on the house she was babysitting at, she recognized them as mormons. She doesn't have any friends who are LDS but she knows it's true. She read "For the Strength of Youth" that the missionaries gave her and the next time she had taken all of her earrings out except for one on each side. WOW! What an amazing girl! 

Sister Toledo and I were knocking on doors the other day and a girl named Jada answered. She said we could come back and give her a lesson. We came back and gave her a lesson on the restoration. She really enjoyed it and when I asked if she would be baptized when she knew it was true she said yes! One thing I've really come to understand is that God has prepared people. People can feel the truthfulness of our message just by sharing the doctrine. It's amazing. We went back to Jada's house yesterday and her dad said she had been talking about us twice so we are going back tonight to hopefully teach her whole family. I pray they can feel that same spirit too. 

Another experience we had this week was when an appointment fell through. We started knocking a few doors. I saw an elderly woman walking her dog and I told Sister Toledo we should go talk to her. There wasn't any real pull to do so, I just figured like it says in PMG that we need to talk to everyone. The woman's name is Georgia. We opened a scripture (Helaman 5:12) in the book of mormon and she invited us back. She read the title page and introduction when we got there the next day. When we first met her she told us how her bible was really worn down because she reads it so much. When we taught the first lesson she just kept saying: it must be true. To see you two come back the next day and for me to even open the book. She told us of all the other churches that she had been to and that she's already been baptized twice but if this was the right church she would definitely do it again. She talked about how the other churches that she had been to were so focused on money (you have to pay to have the pastor or the leader bless the water you bring, etc). She also told of a pastor asking a girl in front of a whole congregation if she was pure and that God told him to ask her that. She said at that time she knew, God wouldn't have him ask that girl that, especially in front of a whole congregation. She knew he wasn't called of God. When we shared with her our testimonies, she knew. She knew what we were saying was true. It truly is amazing how there are people, like it says in the scriptures, that are the "elect". People are prepared to hear the gospel. It blows my mind.

Well, me and the other sisters are going off to lunch!! Love you all, I'll send pics next time! MWAH!

Sister Jensen"

Monday, June 17, 2013 "To My Family!"

"Hello my wonderful, wonderful family!! I have to tell you how much I LOVED being able to hear all of your voices at the airport the other day. I wished I could have spoken to you longer. Remember what I said about not feeling homesick? HA!!!!! KNOCK ON WOOODDD! This week has been a rollercoaster. To be completely honest, it's been a really hard week for me. Katelyn, my companion has a c.d. of songs we listen to in the car. On Saturday when we were driving home, the song How Great Thou Art came on with the same piano arrangment you play.  A flood of emotion hit me. I was holding in the tears thinking about you--of all of you. I miss hearing you play. I just want you all to know how much I really love you and how much I appreciate everything you do for me. Dad, I'm going to send you a letter today. (BTW we can only read, write letters/emails on P-Days) Happy belated Father's day! Yesterday I was thinking about you a lot and holding in the tears. I just felt so grateful to have such an incredible father in my life. I also spoke in sacrament meeting. The MTC teachers warned us of that and that we should speak on missionary work. I I talked about the plane ride from Atlanta to Jacksonville. I felt like an alien walking through the airport. In the MTC you're not used to stares. At one point in Atlanta, a man,  pulled out his phone and took our picture. ha! I was thinking about this on the plane ride to Jacksonville and an ad on the tv screen in front of me flipped to a Lincoln ad that said "We couldn't bear the thought of arriving unnoticed." That statement couldn't be so true. We should arrive noticed. We've got an amazing message to share that can and will change lives!

 

First off.... drum role please..... I'm going to be staying in the Jacksonville Mission! :) Except my first companion will be in the Georgia mission which makes me really sad actually :( but she will love it! My companion's name is Sister Toledo. Her parents are from El Salvador so she speaks spanish. The really hard part about coming out with so many new missionaries is that my trainer is still in training. She's only been here six more weeks than I have. It can be really hard sometimes. I know she gets frustrated and I get frustrated. She's really nice. It's just hard. I wish I could ask a lot of questions that she doesn't know yet. It's really been a humbling experience though.  It's hard talking to people and then sharing a message about our church that would interest them. Hopefully that comes. Hopefully. I think the hardest part is that so many people say missions are the best thing you'll ever do. Hardest, but the best. I just hope the latter part will show itself. Then again, I've only been here, mmm not even a week. So I shouldn't hold so many expectations. 

 

 I've been assigned to Gainesville Florida! Some of the sisters we went to lunch with today said that it is the 11th hottest city in the states? greeeeaat ;) It's a college town of the University of Florida. Mitch and Katelyn, there's a medical school here. *cough cough* Our apartment is nicer than I was expecting. There's a pool here, which obviously we can't use and a fitness center that we use every day. We can't work out if there's music or if there's a male in there. Fortunately, we haven't experienced either. It's only been us at 6:30.  I'm the designated driver because my companion doesn't have her drivers license. We have a really nice car. We're pretty spoiled. Mom, about that whole GPS thing... If you happen to find a killer deal, I think a GPS would be a really handy thing to have.

 

So from the few lessons that I have been in, one investigator really stands out to me. He's a college student and since sisters can't be alone with males, we teach him on his doorstep. He has a baptismal date, which unfortunately will have to be set back because he wasn't able to come to church this Sunday. His name is James and he's in agriculture. I've only been in one lesson with him but he amazes me nonethelss. He is SO smart! Apparently the first time they had him start reading the Book of Mormon, he read 40 pages! He was saying on the last visit how he was expecting an answer to take a while but how surprised he was that it came so soon! He takes meticulous (spelling? I apologize for my grammar btw) notes on everything he reads and everything we say. He just loves the Book of Mormon. He was reading it with Isaiah and saying how it just made sense. He is so eager to learn more. He just amazes me. All the people down here are so nice, but I'm just trying to figure out to get them to let us teach them. The bishop of our ward wants us tracting more in the wealthier areas. He says that the majority of converts are on welfare and not active. He says he wants dependable/leaders to come to his ward. Those in the more affluent areas are really nice just not willing to listen much to you. "We belong to such and such church, thanks anyways." Any suggestions family?

 

Well this is my address:

2625 SW 75th St. #206

Gainesville Fl 32608

 

Mail is always welcome, but I can't open it until P-day :)

 

Love you all and love hearing from you!! Keep me posted! MWWAAAHHH!

 

Sincerely,

Sister Jensen

McCall Arrives In Jacksonville! - From Lynelle Jensen

We received a call about 6:15 a.m. yesterday morning from McCall at the airport. She said they got up at 3:00 am. to be there to catch their 7:10 flight, however their flight was delayed an hour so they were worried about missing their connection in Atlanta. She sounded great and excited! She said "Don't feel bad but I haven't been homesick at all, in fact none of my zone has been homesick." We were thrilled. Last night we received an email from the mission president saying she arrived safely along with 24 other missionaries. I'm sure that was a first but not the last for that mission. They had dinner together in the mission home, interviews with the president and training from the Assistants and spent the night in members homes. I'm sure the mission home couldn't accommodate all those missionaries. Today she would be traveling to her new area and meeting her companion. Mondays will  be her p-day. It was great to talk to her, we talked for about an hour. She just sounds great!

June 12, 2013

First P-Day! - June 6th, 2013

"Well it is finally P-day for me here at the MTC!!! Woohoo! It really is great to have some time without rushing from one place to another. So my district is all going to Jacksonville! We have three elders and eight sisters!! Crazy right?! I was expecting that it would be SOOO busy here, which it is, but they schedule everyone so differently with meal times and everything that it's really not that bad. The cafeteria isn't nearly as bad as I expected. But there were 700 new missionaries who came the same day as me last week. Some of my district already ran into another district going to Jacksonville also, so it sounds like our plane ride will have a lot of Jacksonville missionaries. I love my district and my companion. My companion's name is Sister Parke. She's from Idaho and is 21. She went to BYU before coming out on her mission and was studying public health. She is so nice and just a perfect girl. The three elders in my district are Elder Moose (district leader), Elder Collett (zone leader) and Elder Tubbs (zone leader). They're all pretty great. We also have an elder who is going to OKC and should have left last week with the other districts in our zone, but he has to have surgery to have his gallbladder removed and then he will leave the MTC. The sisters in our zone are Sister Parke and I, Sister Smedley and Sister Conley (they kill me they're so funny. They're our roomates and we all just speak in southern accents.), Sister Beacham and Sister Martinez, and Sister Phelon (pronounced fellin') and Sister Hutchins. Sister Hutchins and I are basically second companions because our companions are sister training leaders who basically just welcome the new districts and help them out. Everyone in our district is so fun. I am so excited to go to Jacksonville! Although I really enjoy the MTC, the first few days feel like weeks. When it was finally lunch time I could have sworn that it was time for dinner.

 

 I live in one of the nicest buildings and my classes are held in one of the nicest  buildings as well. The leather chairs are super comfortable. It's really fantastic. When I came in, my host sister said that I must have done something really great in the pre-existance because I had the best places to stay for my two weeks here in the MTC. It's amazing how much can happen in just a short week! Dad, it is so good to here that your collar bone isn't broken! But.. you told Critt that you would go on the high adventure!? That worried me a little bit when I read that. Don't push it too much! Mitch, I'm so sorry to here about your emergency room visit. I hope everything is going well. Sam, I think my password is sophie. I'm trying to think of the buttons I would push on a phone and it's hard to think without a phone in front of me. I believe the first number is 7. Anyway, I apologize in advance for how rushed this letter may be. Sister Parke and I have laundry going so we need to rush down to the laundry room once our time runs out on the computers. Mom, our flight leaves from the SLC airport at 7:15 am to Atlanta Georgia. We then have a layover in Atlanta for an hour before taking another flight to Jacksonville. So.. I'm not exactly sure when you should expect a call from me. Probably around 6 or 6:30 ish??  (I just saw Kimmy Tribe walk past. I've seen so many people I know here. Jocelyn King left yesterday. I haven't seen Sister Sheffield yet though! :( I think she's on west campus and I'm in the main MTC).  

 

So our branch president's name is President Wenn. I really want to take a picture with him before I go. He is such a great President. He expects a lot of us, but that is definitely good because we can always improve ourselves. He is about five feet tall. He's way short but he is the coolest guy. AAAHHH!! I thought I would have more time!! I have two more minutes! ONe thing that one of the counselors told us was that obedience brings blessings and exact obedience brings miracles. I lvoe that!! Anyway!! There is so muc  more that I could tell you!! We had TRC where paid actors act as our investigators. They're in a room and we knock on the door just like it were their house. Sister Parke and I had a sassy Southern black woman named Lawanna. She was extremely difficult to get through to. She did not want anything to do with us. But we got through. she's awesome. Well, I have to run! Love you all, McCall"