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!
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