Happy New Year! Also Happy Birthday to Tyson! I loved our call Mom. I was flying high after our call. It was incredible to be able to see your face and hear your voice. I am very excited that in very little time I will be seeing your face in person. My comp spoke with his family and I got to meet his sister and her family. The week was not too bad. It was slow but on Sunday one of the members told us her dad that was drinking last Monday we were there prayed and repented and wants to change and be baptized. That was pretty amazing news and I’m very very happy for him. I really miss playing games. I would love to have a weekly day when we play games and share a short message also, perhaps Monday hahaha. Next Christmas will be a great time of family together. I can’t wait. I’m glad Scott could finally use his snow blower. That is a lot of snow very quickly. It has been pretty cold here lately. I really want to see Skyfall and Les Miserables. I have lots of movies to catch up on when I get home. I miss Jentry and can’t wait for our times to go on more adventures, that girl is one of my best friends. I love the memories our family has had. I will never forget snowmobiling and crashing. Driving around before I was 16 and many many more. We will have to remember more when I’m back. Puzzles will be fun. Do a couple before your vacation ends. No package yet but I think it is in the office. I have a meeting there this Wednesday and will bring all the mail back with me. My comp did not get a package from his family but his girlfriend sent something that he is really excited to get. This month is our Book of Mormon activity and I need to start planning and preparing things. I think it is going to be amazing. We are really trying hard right now to work with members, they are the big difference in the work. Mom I can’t explain how much I love you and I’m glad that you are my mom. Sending you all my love and hugs. You will be the first hug, I promise. Love you and anxiously waiting to talk to you soon.
Monday, December 31, 2012
Monday, December 24, 2012
Merry Christmas! - December 24, 2012
Merry Christmas Eve! I am planning on Skyping you tomorrow at 11 or 12 my time which is 10 or 11 your time. I’m super excited and can’t wait to see you and talk to you. With Nana’s package it is file a claim there in Utah and they push here in Guatemala. I have not received your package yet but I am super super excited for it. I really can’t wait for the letter also. I love our family. The office parties sound really fun and wonderful. Lucky you have off work till Jan 2. Next year I will enjoy that time watching movies and playing games with you. I can wait to hear about your Christmas Eve dinner. I really miss that and all our Christmas traditions. I heard a little bit about the kidnapping but not too many details. Very crazy. Mom I love you so much and am counting down the time till I can talk with you. I love you with all my heart. Your super excited son!
Tuesday, December 18, 2012
Christmas Party at Xetulul - December 18, 2012
We had a conference with President
Maravilla this last week. It was so good. I learned a lot. We talked about the
difference in testimony and conversion. Testimony is knowing that something is
true and conversion is living the gospel faithfully. We all can do more to
increase our own conversion. We watched a video about the atonement of Christ
with President Eyring and Elder Holland talking. I really liked a comment that
when things are hard we can always think of Christ and what he suffered and did
for us. My mission is hard but because of that I can understand better the
atonement and what it was like for Christ. That was very interesting to think
of. When times are hard it is still nothing compared to the atonement. I also
got to go to the temple this week with our district and the members from Rio Blanco.
It was so special and wonderful. I have not been able to go with members only
elders. I love the temple so much and will spend lots of time there when I’m
home. We were in a sealing and after I participated my comp was participating.
Well one member said my comp did not look well and the next moment he passed
out. Yikes! His first experience with sealings and he passed out. But he was
better after. I met a missionary from the Xela mission named Elder Lundberg from
Brigham City. He is from the 3rd ward and his mom works in the Brigham temple.
I think Nana and Grandpa might know them. I still have no word about Nanas
package. The post office here said that she should file a claim there and then
the post office will pressure the post office here to find the package and get
it done quickly. If she can it would help. I talked Sunday about Love as the
greatest gift we can give. I did really well. I talked about the love our
Heavenly Father has and His son Jesus Christ, about service here and examples
from my home in Utah, about the love you have for me and the letter you gave me
after I went to the temple. I felt really good. I have such a wonderful
convert. She is active and happy with her husband and she participates in the
classes, I have seen such a change in her and such joy. That makes me very
pleased. We had our Christmas party yesterday. It was in Xetulul again. There
are so many amazing talented missionaries. I want to learn how to sing better.
I did not get your package yet but I’m anxiously looking for it. I don’t know
why it is not here yet. I got a package from Jessica and her family that was
sent after yours. It was very wonderful and filled with thoughtful loving
gifts, all with a snowman theme. Guess what one of the coolest things was? A
Guatemala red survivor buff! I’m so in love with it. The party was good and I
got a nice gift from Hna Maravilla she made 4 cookies for all 200 missionaries,
she baked over 600 cookies and then added some small candies to the package. Very
thoughtful. One crazy thing about the party was I looked around at all the
mission and I only know a few people, all the elders are new. Guess that’s what
happens when you are close to the end. I would love very much to go on a diving
trip when I get home. Did you still want to come to Guatemala with me after I
get back? I would like to visit here and see more. Your Xmas party with the
family sounds so amazing. I really miss the family and I’m excited to see them
soon. The kids are adorable. Next week we get to talk! We can use Skype again
so I want to Skype you Xmas day, not sure what time yet but I will give you a
call before. I would like to see Sis and if Nana and Grandpa are there that
would be amazing too. You should scan the photos. I want to do that with more
of my photos from my childhood. Pics from the 70s and 60s, I want to see them. I’m
glad you are doing well and Scott feels better. I will miss the dinner and the
traditions but I know next year will be wonderful. I’m very very excited to talk
with you and see you. Take care and know I love you and think you are the best
mom ever.
Love J
Monday, December 10, 2012
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,
SonMonday, December 3, 2012
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