Thanksgiving

Nov. 21

Dear Mum, Dad, Bro, Sis, Sista, aunties, uncles, cuzzies, Nan, Grandad, best mates, mates, malfactors, and others,

Good morning. It's another beautiful day in the Bay of Plenty. At the moment I'm sitting in an office in Papamoa, a couple of minutes from the beach, in a short-sleeved shirt with the door open, blowing a light breeze my way. The temperature is a lovely not-too-hot not-too-cold 75 degrees or so and the sun is shining. The plans for the day: do some shopping for the necessities, then do some golfing by Mount Maunganui and hopefully write some letters. Paradise? I think so.

But the best part is the rest of the week when I get to teach and preach as missionaries do.

Just went golfing and ate at Subway and now I'm back.

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Nov. 28

Ho ho holy cow, it's almost Christmas.

Can anyone believe I've been gone for almost a year? I can't. It's hot as here. It's not like Christmas back there.

Today we did a spring cleaning mission-wide and while Elder Walker and I were rearranging our flat, we found a "mould monster" under my bed. There have been some pretty fishy things going on the past few nights and we now know why. In our cleaning we also discovered that with the clothes left behind in the flat by missionaries finishing their missions, we dress an army of missionaries. We will burning them, the flat and the monster tonight. Nah, just kidding. But I've got a miracle for you! On Saturday, Kataraina Matiu was baptized. She was such a miracle and a testament that the Atonement works. She repented for her smoking, she fasted, and she quit! I know that my Redeemer lives! He lives!

I love you guys. Have a good week and forgive me for my short emails.

Love, Elder Jensen

Kia Ora

I was trying to think of a way to start this email, but I couldn't think of anything creative, so I'm just going to get into it.

I love being a missionary! It's the best. I got the Halloween package on Wednesday and it was mean. I like reading Lee's emails because they're so negative. He never says anything good. As far as I'm concerned, Portland is a terrible place. If this letter makes it to Elder Peterson, I hope you can find some success over there buddy.

I've got some pretty great news though: we saved a soul this weekend! Maya Rakatau received the Holy Ghost yesterday and it was awesome! She is the daughter of Layla Maungatai, our ward mission leader's wife. They're all baptized now! The whole family. Layla and Maya have been coming to church for three or four years now, but missionaries in the past just didn't ask them to be baptized. The Lord is preparing everyone around us and sometimes all we need to do is ask! We've already noticed a difference in Maya as she has prepared to baptized. It's amazing. True doctrine changes people. Really.

The other day Elder Walker was walking with someone on the sidewalk, talking to them about the gospel, when out of nowhere comes a pole! And he ran straight into it! It was funny as. I was talking  to someone else a little ways away, but I saw his head go backward, kind of like when someone throws their head back to laugh -- but I didn't realize he'd run into a pole till he told me later. Crack up.

I've had some powerful experiences this week as I've used the Book of Mormon to resolve concerns (mine and investigators') and borne testimony of the divinity of Jesus Christ. Heavenly Father knows His children and He really does understand all that we go through. As we read the Book of Mormon with a question in mind, the Lord will tell you "in your mind and in your heart" "all things what ye should do." I know that's true. I love the power of the Spirit. We had a lesson yesterday with the some recent converts' parents. It was funny because we usually go over there and teach the kids, but the parents had come to church to see the primary program, so we decided this is it -- we're gonna get 'em! So we went over to their house and asked Shari, Patsy, and Mike to join us in the lesson. They were a bit suspicious, asking what's going on. I'm sure there are some missionaries or RMs reading this right now thinking, "you dummies, why didn't you teach them earlier?" but it all works out. So anyway, we started teaching them about the Atonement using Alma 7:11-14 and they had great questions about all kinds of things. Haha, Shari is a crack up. She kept saying these words don't make any sense and that she got the hard verse! We explained it all and testified of Christ many times and talked about the Spirit and they were all saying things like, "Sometimes I just know things even though I can't explain why -- it just feels right" and "Is it ever a tingly feeling?" (that one was Shari haha). So yes, we smashed them with the Spirit and even though they had concerns they are all for praying and asking God if it's all true. Patsy was saying all these things like how her church was wrong making her get baptized as a baby without any choice (excellent), and Shari was excited as to pray -- she's never prayed before; crazy. She was asking all about exactly how you start the prayer and was writing it down. The moral of this jumbled story is that the Savior lives and has power to bring peace into our lives as we remember Him and keep His commandments! Nothing brings the Spirit more than the Book of Mormon testifying of Him and backing it up with our own testimonies. I love these Maori people and all the islanders and Indians that we teach! (White people not so good...). I love Jesus Christ and know that He will bring us happiness. I know this church is His and that it is the path back to His feet!

I love you guys too, and I want you to know that you all mean a lot to me. I'm grateful for the good examples that so many of you have been for me. Don't ever give up when times get hard! Even considering it makes things way too hard! Like a good friend once told me in a letter, the Savior is the only one who knows true loneliness, and He knew it for us.

My companion is awesome, I love the area, we're having some beautiful weather, the birds are chirping, and a new investigator from Fiji gave us 45 kiwifruits the other day! Life is good. Sabo!

Yours Truly,

Jelder Ensen

P.S. It's really Elder Jensen.

P.P.S. It took me ages to write all this. My companion has written a novel in the same amount of time. Fa!

Beautiful Sunny Days...

Hey people,

How's it? I'm doing great. Today I don't have any time so I pretty much won't write anything, the reason being that we helped Jared Reid -- a guy in one of our wards -- get everything together to head to the airport... for his mission! Mean! It was crazy because I could just picture it all almost a year ago when I was packing and going to the MTC and then to the airport and all the tears and the goodbyes and you all stayed in America while I headed to New Zealand... suckers! Haha nah, but it was cool seeing him say goodbye to his family and throw a few measly items in his one suitcase. He's the only member in his family and was baptized less than two years ago -- my third zone leader was the missionary that baptized him. I gave him a couple of shirts and other stuff and Elder Walker gave him some ties. Jared's the man! His testimony is solid as and he is going to work miracles. Missionary work = the best. P.S. He is serving in Singapore, so he'll be in the Provo MTC. Write him on dear elder if anyone has time!

This last week we had a trade-off with the assistants and I learned heaps. This work really is the Lord's work and success comes through Him. A.K.A. revelation. So Elder Walker and I have been focusing on seeking the promptings of the Spirit in literally everything we do. We had a powerful lesson just yesterday where the Spirit was annihilating this man, because of our listening to him and to the Spirit. My thought from that trade-off is this from Preach My Gospel: "Salvation cannot come without revelation." The Spirit will direct us in every aspect of our lives if we ask (pray), seek (study), and knock (act!).

Love you guys. Thanks for everything and I'm sorry again that I never write. I haven't had a normal P-day in ages. By the way, anybody who I now quickly write an email to, know that time is short and that's why I won't say much. Hugs and kisses. Fa! (See you in Samoan)

Love,

Elder Jensen

300 DaYs!

Elder Jensen has officially been out for 300 DaYs! 

(Thanks Ashley!)