Staying in Rio Blanco!

So this week we did more service. We did corn collecting Monday morning. Tuesday we left again at 5 am to haul trunks of wood up a very steep hill. I was so tired it was hard. But once again I was very happy to help. There were changes this week, but I DONT HAVE CHANGES. I get to stay here in Rio Blanco. I’m so happy for that. I really hope I end my mission here. I believe we get to Skype but no official word yet. The last change starts Jan 16 and ends Feb 27, so Feb 28 I should be home. Wow that is so soon, not gonna lie I’m excited. I love Galen Card and his family. That is intense starting where you left off. I have a lot of independent study to do when I get back. He wrote me a letter that I’m about to read after this. That is a bummer that Scott was sick, that really is no fun at all. Hope he is feeling better. Heather is 18! She is so old now haha. The Christmas party sounded really fun. I miss it. How wonderful that Great Grandma was there and the pics sound really cool. Kembree is a cutie eating all the fruitloops and asking how to play. I love that she loves my picture and says "my Jensen." I truly love those kids so much and can’t wait to see them. I love writing them. So this week we went contacting for 4 hours and only found 4 people, none of which were very excited. We did however find our reference. We went to her house and taught her. She has been to church before and is super positive. We had an amazing lesson and challenged her to baptism. She said when she gets her answer she will do it. We went back two days later with the President of the branch and had another amazing lesson about the Book of Mormon. We challenged her again and she said yes. We are planning her baptism 22 of Dec. She is so incredible. I love teaching her and her desire to learn. We also taught the dad of some members. He is not a member and struggles with some addictions but he wants to change. He is great and really loves our visits. We are helping him little by little. I really want to help him improve his life with the gospel. That is the power of the gospel. It changes lives for the better. I can’t imagine how happy this family will be if their dad gets baptized. I really love this area even when it is hard. The people are all so amazing and I really love them and want to help them. Lots of members are inviting us for Chrsitmas. It is only in two weeks aaahhh. And the Sunday right before I will have 22 months. Wow! One last funny thing. My comp was preparing a lesson about the second coming and found something interesting. He found that in the heavens there will be no women. DC 88:95 says there will be silence in the heavens. hahaha. Just kidding, I can’t imagine heaven without my family and my future wife. We got a good laugh from that though. I can’t wait for your package and I really really can’t wait to Skype you. I love you so much and send my love to the family. Be happy, be safe, be blessed.

Love,

Son

 Corn collecting

 We filled all these bags and carried them on our backs

  Cute baby

Baptism of Karina

Elder Guerra and I

 Service

 First English class

My amazing sweater

Just chillin on a fence

Day of service after the earthquake

Collecting Corn - December 3, 2012

That is cool that Scott has an IPad. They are lots of fun and can do so much. Wow 33 dives sound amazing and over 3,000 photos I bet they are amazing. I want to see some. That is amazing that your blood sugars were not too high or too low. You truly were blessed and watched over. Lucky that you got to eat good food, delicious desserts, and chocolate before each dive. Crazy that when it was all over your sugars went really high. Sounds really amazing there. That is good that even though it was the second time you did not get bored with anything. I can imagine that after that amazing trip it would be very hard to go back to work. It is like when I went to Lake Powell and Germany then had to return to work. The fish and things sound so cool. I really want to see something better than Blue Lake, which is not blue at all. I would love to go on a trip. I can’t wait for the dearelders. I feel so much better, not many problems with the cough. Can’t believe it is December.  The Christmas devotional was amazing yesterday. I was studying this week and I thought about something cool. I was reading John 6:29 Jesus says that the work of God is that they believe on him who he hath sent (or believe in Christ). Then I thought about Moses 1:39 that says the work of God is to bring to pass the immortality and eternal life of man. I connected these two that it is only through Christ and believing in him that we can receive immortality and eternal life. That is God’s work that we receive it through believing in Christ. That was cool for me. This week we did service for the District President from 5:30 am to 2 pm helping him collect the corn from his field, put it in sacks that weigh a lot, and carry it up a hill. It was hard work corn collecting but I enjoyed helping a lot and he was very grateful because he would have done it basically himself and right after he left to go cut and collect fire wood. He works so much and doesn’t stop so I was glad to help him. One of the other missionaries has permission to have two rabbits. Well the 4 of us decided to eat one. They cooked it and we came over for lunch. I don’t know if it was because how it was cooked or rabbit meat is just like that but it had no flavor and was pretty hard. But now I can say I ate rabbit. Yesterday in church was so great. Our convert and her husband got up to share their testimonies. This is the first time she has done it. I was so happy, I really can’t explain the feeling of joy I felt. Her testimony was simple but so strong. I started to cry (don’t make fun) thinking about how amazing this family is and how happy I am that I could help them. After another member shared that we had challenged him to share pamphlets with others this week. He said that he had doubts but his little daughter motivated him and said they had to do it, they gave away 3 and he was very happy to do it. It was a powerful testimony meeting. Today we got up at 5 am to go help a different member with his corn collecting. It was difficult and we had to carry them on our back up a big hill. I was very tired but once again happy to help. This week are changes and I really really don’t want to go. I want to end my mission here. I will let you know what happens. I really love Rio Blanco and the people here. I am glad you are home safe and enjoyed your trip. I love you so much. I can’t wait to Skype you, it is coming up very fast. Have a wonderful week. You are in my prayers and my heart.
Love J

District Leader - November 26, 2012

I’m doing great. Sounds like you are having a blast and seeing so much. What a life, eat, sleep, and dive. haha. Glad you’re safe and doing well. I am just about over my sickness. Just a little cough left. We had interviews Friday.  At the interview the son of President Maravilla called me over and gave me some turkey they had made. It was so good, so yes I did have turkey for Thanksgiving.  Just a little late. Well interviews were interesting. Changes are in a week and a half and President pulled the other two elders from their area and sent us two other missionaries. I became District Leader for right now and we'll see if I stay as District Leader for the next change. I did my first baptismal interviews Friday. It went very well and I enjoyed talking with them. The baptisms were for the other area. Because the elders were changed I had to scramble Saturday to plan a baptism last min that is not mine or in my area. Our assistence has raised again Sunday and I am very happy for that. We need to find more people though. I love the area, I really really love the members and I can’t believe how fast the time is passing. I love you and hope you enjoy your last week in the Philippines. Can’t wait to talk to you again. Do you have an IPad?

Baptism - November 19, 2012

I do love talking on the radio. I have felt a few more small quakes but nothing big. I had my first English class that went very well but only a couple people showed up the first day. I hope it gets better. We had the baptism Thursday. We went to the church and started to fill the font and after about 2 inches of water it stopped. There was no more water in the church. We were scrambling for solutions and talked with the District President. We did the baptism at his house in a big font thing he has of water. The water was ice cold. The member that did the baptism said a couple words wrong of the prayer, but the water was so cold that the hermana left for the warm shower immediately after. We knew it was wrong and looked at the District President but he did not say anything. The baptismal service was amazing and very spiritual. Well we had to do the baptism again so Friday we scrambled to get her back in Rio Blanco and I baptized her in the freezing water. She was really good about doing it again and is probably one of my best converts. She is doing prep with the presidency about going on a mission. I’m so happy for her. Friday night was our wards family home evening night for all the members. It was in Cabrican which is over an hour away. We had two cars to take us there. One was an elderly member that can’t drive. When we got in the car I noticed that the driver was his 12 year old grandson. I thought oh my goodness, a 12 year old is driving. But he did really well. Saturday was one of my worst days. I still have the cough. Saturday I slept in until 9 and I was freezing. I had 5 blankets and 2 heaters on and I was still freezing. My knees, back, head, and stomach hurt. After freezing I was burning up and sweat so bad. I felt crappy all day. I was in bed until 5. I feel much better but still not 100%. I felt bad that my comp was stuck inside for so long and that I missed our English class. I love the members. They brought me medicine and oranges and everyone asked if I was ok. They really love me. Thank you for talking with Weber. That is awesome that you got the decorations up. I anxiously look forward to your package. I hope Scott is feeling better. I am excited for your trip and can’t wait to hear about it. Hope you are both safe and happy and having a blast. I love you so much and send you all my love. Tell the Beus I love them too.

Love J