Elder Jensen to the Jensen Home

Family,

 

Anywhere there? Had a great week last week. It was daylight savings yesterday, so I believe you are now 20 hours behind rather than six hours. I got the package you sent, Mom, with all the Book of Mormons from the primary kids. Those are great! Solid testimonies, especially that one kid's, Bryan Jensen. Great handwriting, too. I really like those toffee chocolate powdered sugar almonds. How unhealthy can you get... but you know that doesn't phase me.

 

I actually don't really have too much time today, but I just wanted to say I love you and I am grateful for your emails and your prayers! It blows my mind a bit that it is October but it means that we don't have to wear our suitcoats until 5pm every day. It is truly a blessing. Sort of. I am reminded that you have Halloween there. That should be fun. We don't really celebrate it over here. It's pretty rare and I think more members do it than anyone else.

 

Oh, Mom, I got your letter as well. That was an answer to prayers! Some of the things you said were exactly what I was looking for. Thank you.

 

I was just on tradeoff all the time last week, and Elder Espino and I got to train all the sisters about resolving concerns with people living the commandments. We got to go to a district leader council where the district leaders and zone leaders in a zone get together and have a brief meeting with training. The zone leaders I get to trade off with are really amazing individuals. I wish you could meet them. They have a great ability to seek revelation to help the missionaries in their zones. When they trade off with us, they are always seeking how to do more and help more people to develop faith unto repentance and be baptized. Most of these elders have a great sensitivity to the promptings of the Spirit and tend to learn by the Spirit every time we see them. A returned missionary mentioned, at the beginning of my mission, that he had become best friends with the Spirit on his mission and I didn't really understand what he meant. I am starting to see it though, and it is amazing to watch the Spirit work within others to the blessing of those around them. I love this work and know that is led by the Saviour Himself! He trusts us to act and to follow His Spirit. When we do, we grow and watch others grow and flourish as well.

 

Thanks again.

 

Love you,

Elder Jensen

Kia Orana

September 24, 2012

Dear Family,

 

I'm guessing you haven't opened the attached pictures yet and I suppose you don't know what language that is in the subject line.... I'll give you a hint---"Kia orana" means "hello" in Cook Island Maori. Now open up one of the pictures.... Guess where I am in the picture.... It's not New Zealand. It takes about 45 minutes to drive around the entire landmass and the you have a view of the pristine beach nearly anywhere....

 

We went to the Cook Islands last week! They are a little group of islands in the Pacific. We stayed on the main island, Rarotonga. It is beautiful. As you know, I have never been to the islands before and I'll tell you what, Jake, it is just like the movies. It's pretty much a jungle, with many plantations that grow taro, kumara, and many other things. Coconut trees are rampant and papaya grows all over the island (You should never park your car or scooter under a coconut tree because you never know when a coconut will drop---it can break the glass). Chickens walk around everywhere and the roosters cock-a-doodle-do all through the church meetings. If you catch and kill a pig, it is yours for the devouring. The humidity is so great that paper almost feels wet. The minute we walked off the plane we were blast with moist heat, so we got to have our suitcoats off during our stay.

 

The purpose of the visit was to get all the members excited with two young elders coming to the island to work with the senior couples who were already out there. Together the three missionary couples along with Elder Lokotui and Elder Janson will be a district (the elders are both district leaders) and will be working with each other and with the members to grow the branches! The two young missionaries are both fantastic and will do a wonderful job. It was great to have the experience of being on tradeoff with them for a few days. They're both really looking forward to working on the island for the next half year. This is the first time young missionaries have been on the island since it was part of the Tahiti mission a couple of years ago. We had known that the elders were going over for quite some time before it happened but we didn't know that we would be going with them until a week before last Saturday! President told us over the phone that the elders had obtained their visas and would be heading over soon, then surprised with the good news!

 

The plane left Saturday morning at 9am and landed three and a half hours later in Rarotonga, at 2:55pm, Friday. We went back in time! For Friday and Saturday we split with the elders and visited key leaders in the branches and district and let them know how hard the elders were prepared to work. We told them we expected to baptize many people and help them with anything they needed. The members really loved us and were very excited to have new missionaries. The couples were a great help while we were there---the Scotts, the Taggs, and the Bates. The Bates are local and the Taggs work on a remote island called Aitutaki.

 

The Cook Islands have a very rich history with the church and will continue to grow in strength and numbers. We attended a district conference while were there and President Lekias had me come up and be his scribe for him (on the whiteboard). It was a huge blessing to be able to be amongst these amazing people and be in paradise for a few days. The church is the same now matter where you are! Only the gospel can unite us across the world. I am very blessed to have had this opportunity! I love being a missinoary and know the Lord loves us, whether we are on an island thousands of kilometres away from anything or in Salt Lake City, Utah.

 

I love you familia. Thank you for your prayers!

 

Love,

Elder Jensen

 

P.S. That's why I didn't email yesterday.

P.P.S. Elder Espino couldn't stop raving about the papaya and especially the bananas. The just melt in your mouth!

Temple

Hi,

 

Dad, you mentioned the temple dedication coming up this Sunday. That's nice. We are all going to the temple this week, a few zones at a time. Elder Espino and I get to go three times. Looking forward to it! This week is going to be really good, for some other reasons as well, but I will have to tell everyone about those next week, after they have occured. Remind me, okay?

 

We had Zone Leader Council last week. I believe I have told you about zone leader council every time it happens. You probably think it happens every week. No, it is monthly. And it is great. I love it. We discussed about what we as a mission need to do to save over 200 souls this month. That is our goal every month for the rest of the year. President mentioned something during the council that I loved---he said, "In the Church there are no problems, only challenges." Why? Because everything can be overcome! The Church is pretty impressive. What a blessing that we get to be a part of it.

 

We got to teach a 15-year-old boy named Jake for the first time yesterday. He has been coming to church for weeks, but we have just now gotten the chance to teach him. We taught about the Restoration at the Yerman family's home and at the end of the lesson he prayed to ask if Joseph Smith was a prophet of God and if he did "see You and Your Son, Jesus Christ" (that's how he said it in his prayer). After the prayer he said he felt warm and he knew that Jospeh Smith reall ysaw what he said he saw. He was almost surprised, then even more so when we invited him to be baptized in two weeks time,on the 29 of September. What surprised him, I suppose, was his own answer when it escaped his mouth: "Yes... yes, I will." It was a wonderful experience. He is so prepared for the gopel. He woke up at 3am one Saturday morning to walk a few kilometres to the chapel, where he caught the bus to Hamilton to visit the temple. He knew it would be worth it! Now we just have to help his parents be supportive.

 

I love the work. I know that the Atonement is real. We can repent for anything. If we have erred, we can come back and the Saviour will heal us. I know that is true. I am so grateful for that testimony. It makes me want to help everyone else to know it too. Thanks for your testimonies and your encouragement. I love you family dear.

 

Love,

Elder Jensen

Saving Lives

Dear Family,

 

Megan mentioned saving lives. It's a real privilege being a part of that. The family that came back from activity---the one in which the kids were baptized---they are doing great. I picture them serving missions and going to save so many other souls in just a few years. They will do so well. Their mom has done an amazing job.

 

I just want to share one experience today. We went to a district meeting last week in an area in Auckland. The meeting was very good. That district leader actually became a zone leader just two days later, so he is sharp and very desirous to be his best. His companion was sick during the district meeting. After the meeting, I went to speak with him because I felt like there was something more going on than just the flu. As we walked down the hallway, I asked what was going on with him, the my tone implying more than just, "How's the area," and he opened up, telling me of some very difficult things going on back home with his family. He said he couldn't stop thinking about it and he just wanted to go home to help them for a few weeks and then come back. "Going home for a few weeks" would be more than most missionaries could handle, especially after only being out for less than a few months. I have to be honest, I am not very good with these kinds of situations, so I just told him we loved him and that he has all the support he needs. Then I read Doctrine and Covenants 100:1 with him and testified that I knew that his family would be more blessed from his faithful service here than if he goes home. I think he started crying and he just said thank you. We saw this elder a few days later at a baptismal service for a great man that they had been teaching. As we left the service, the elder thanked me again for the scripture and told me he was feeling great. Every time he thought about home or got worried he turns to that scripture and finds comfort. He looked much happier.

 

It is easy to take for granted the moments on our lives that should matter most. I'm learning that here. I am so grateful that the Lord would prompt us twice to visit this missionary. We don't always know where our Heavenly Father needs us, but He does. I love Him and learn so much from the example of His Son.

 

I'm doing really well. Thanks for what you do. I couldn't do this without all of your prayers and love. Love you!

 

Elder Jensen

Another week

Family,

 

Hello. Sometimes it is quite difficult trying to tell you about missionary service. It is way better than anything else. I hope that suffices. It's true, huh Dad? Sounds like you're a working machine by the way. L-3 would fall apart without Super Bryan. That's what I call you when people ask who my father is. No, not really. I think the secret to not falling apart from working too hard is basketball.

 

There is a new office couple, Elder and Sister Gilmour. Elder Gilmour took over Elder Nelson's responsibilities so we are all beginning to realize how much Elder Nelson really did. He was so busy it blows my mind. He just never told anyone. Great example of humility. We're now essentially taking over car switches in the mission whilie Elder Gilmour works out finding new flats for the upcoming transfers. The Lord really knows how much we can handle and how to stretch us!

 

Last week was a great one. We had a lot of things going on. We got to witness the Lord's hand in the life of a district leader in an area south of us. The district leader and his district were really struggling when district meeting came around last Tuesday. They barely had anyone they were working with, a couple of sets for baptisms, and they were really struggling with finding new people to teach, finding only eight as a district the week before. We had the good fortune of attending that district meeting and we got to be a part of the action as the district leader rallied the two other companionships in the district and went out from that meeting ready to work. From that Tuesday to the end of the week, these six missionaries found 37 new investigators (meaning someone that they had a lesson with for the first time and got a return appointment with) and set at least seven more souls with dates to be baptized in the month of September. It was inspiring to see that in the strength of the Lord we can do all things. This is what makes me excited! I love it when missionaries "magnify their callings"---which Elder Christensen of the Presidency of the Seventy defined as "doing more than what people expect." Those missionaries also baptized a few people over the weekend. When we asked the district leader why the success was coming, he said, "Because we are talking with everyone," inviting them to learn of the restored gospel. I know that the Lord sees our efforts when we open our mouths to as many people as we can and share the gospel. He blesses us to see the fruits of our labors, either now or later.

 

Elder Espino is great. He has been through a lot and is a great leader. He is confident and is becoming ever aware of all the little things that makes one stand out as a beacon to others. He loves obedience and doesn't hesitate to help other misisonaries grow in that area. We have had ample opportunities to correct and Elder Espino has no fear to do so! He has an older brother, no sisters. He is from the Gold Coast in Australia. He used to surf. He is a great example to me for many other reasons. I love him. I'm pretty blessed to have such great companions.

 

Well, I'm glad to hear that Whit is on the final leg. This is the one where you sprint till you can't breathe I think. Let me know how that goes. Jake is singing like the birds in our trees. Megan. What are you doing? You're probably doing well. Be a good girl. Mom, it has been raining real hard, transfers are on Thursday, it has been fun preparing for it, and my asthma is fine. That quote is a beauty! I am learning that consecration thing more and more every day, especially consecrating my thoughts and my willingness. A gift given grudgingly is worth nothing to the giver! Let's get some things in that package that Elder Espino would like. He is an Aussie who may or may not have tried some uniquely American things. You probably wouldn't know hwhat is uniquely American, but I bet you can guess. Thanks Mom. I am really grateful for your anxiety! Jacob in the Book of Mormon (Jacob 1 and 2) shows us what righteous anxiety can allow us to do. Remember I am safe, so don't worry too much.

 

Love you all. Good day.

 

Love,

Elder Jensen

Short and Sweet

Dear Family,

 

Thanks for your emails. Love you heaps. I had a great week. I learned that the Lord knows us better than we know ourselves. I'm really grateful for President Lekias and for how inspired he is.

 

It is good to hear that Sisters Auva'a and Fu'e stopped by. Two hours talking with you huh? I think they need to get some lives. No, just kidding, mostly...

 

I am really sorry but I don't have any more time to email today! You asked some great questions that I will answer at another time if you ask them again. I still love the work and will keep working hard. Have a good week!

 

We had a great miracle where this lady wasn't going to get baptized in an area about two hours north of here, then we gave her a call and encouraged her and then she got baptized the next morning! All she needed was some belief in herself and she was in the water! It was amazing because usually we don't call other missionaries' investigators but when the elders called to let us know about the disappointment, we felt a distinct impression to call the woman and encourage her. It ended up in a covenant to the Lord. Small and simple things...

 

Love,

Elder Jensen

Things that matter most

Hi Family,

We had a great meeting with President this morning where we prepared for some upcoming transfers. You learn a lot sitting with a mission president as inspired as he is. One thing he is ridiculously good at: remembering. He always remembers everything, every little thing we talk about or he asks us to do. He has so much on his plate, it is amazing that he does so much. He is called of God. If he wasn't, he'd be done for.

Good to hear from everyone. It sounds like a great trip you had up to Oregon. There's nothing like driving up the coast... except baptizing families! The Gedge-Kennerley family was baptized on Saturday and confirmed yesterday. I was privileged to baptize Carlos Kennerley, while the ward mission leader, Brother Bennett, baptized DJ, and Elder Espino baptized Dionne. As we were going to prepare the chapel in the morning, we started setting up the chairs and filling the font and setting out the programs. As we knelt on by a table organizing the programs, a vile stench permeated the air and invaded our nostrils. We were nearly destroyed. First we asked each other why they smelt so bad, then realized that it was an outside force. We ran away to escape the beast, then found the source: someone confused the toilet with the rubbish bin (if you get my meaning), so we called in reinforcements. The ward mission leader arrived with some air freshener, removed the perpetrator, and the work of salvation went forth. It was quite the memorable experience. That was only the beginning though. We then had a very spiritual and heartwarming baptismal service, where Sister Gedge---who has been less active for a few years---gave a talk and spoke of the miracle that it was to come back into the church. Her father-in-law told us before the service started that this day was an answer to many prayers. These kids were ready to receive the gospel. They just needed an invitation. Because of the prayers of loving family members and friends, because of the devotion of a member who magnified their calling and found the records and referred them on, and because of the enduring testimony of Sister Gedge through the years, a family of six is back in fellowship with the saints. The Lord never forgets. He knows His children. He led us to them, because he loves them. He wanted them back and now is the time! Don't ever underestimate the power that your prayers, love, friendship, testimony, and invitations can have on one soul and the influence that that one soul can have on many others.

The family gave us a gift which included toilet paper with a Sudoku puzzle on every square. They are crack-up. I love them!

We have a mission conference this week where Elder Christensen of the Presidency of the Seventy and Elder Pearson of the Seventy will speak to us. Should be good!

I love you, I'm grateful for you, and I know that Jesus Christ is the Savior of the World. I know that this is only the beginning of so much more for all of us. I know that Joseph Smith is a prophet of God and because of what he did, we know our potential as sons and daughters of the living God. Let us live in such a way that reflects our belief in that simple truth. Never have I learned so much of the Master and His love and His plans for us than in humble and devoted and complete service. I'm grateful for this time and so grateful to have a family like you. I pray for you, too.

Have a great week.

Love,
Elder Jensen

Zone Conference

Dear Family,

We have zone conference this week, so that's why I am emailing to day rather than yesterday. It was amazing, all of it. President is great. He trained on "A Day in the Life of a Missionary," talking about what a perfect day looks like. He had many missionaries role play each part of the day. He gave us the opportunity to demonstrate what it looks like to plan for new investigators. The Spirit was so strong and we all saw areas that we could improve in.

As a companionship, Elder Espino and I are being very blessed as we have the three kids from the Kennerly/Gedge family getting baptized this weekend. I have to tell you, these kids are the sweetest kids ever, and anyone who knows me knows I don't use that word lightly. The five of them made a card together using quotes from hymns and the scriptures and saying how grateful they are that we found them to bring them back to church. They love it and have already brought two of their friends to church with them. We're excited for their baptism this Saturday and so are they! DJ is so goofy--he always says his name is John Hollinsworth, acting completely serious and getting grumpy if anyone tells him to stop being silly. He reminds me of someone.... Marcus is crack-up. He always makes the funniest noises during prayers (if you catch my drift) and blames it on someone else. He also sometimes starts crying when we talk about baptism because he doesn't like the water (he's only six). Carlos is the most behaved boy, but occasionally breaks out into nonstop clicking with his tongue. You would love it, Dad. Jeffrey wants to be baptized so much but is only seven. His birthday is in September, so he'll be baptized on his birthday. Dione reads all the pamphlets we give them and knows all her stuff. She holds mom hold the fort together. She always wears a hat that I think is a mascot for some rugby team, or rugby league--it's called angry bird. She always wears it. Always, except church.

There is also a young lady who we just started teaching last week who has been going to church for ages in a different ward. Her name is Vika (short for Victoria). She is Russian (we met heaps of Russians last week). Some other missionaries found her, set her to be baptized this weekend, and then passed her on to us. We have been helping her prepare and she is so ready; however, her family is completely opposed! I know she will be baptized, but notice how there is opposition in all things!

There is one person we are teaching who has definitely gotten answers to prayers but she is now struggling a bit, doubting a lot. It goes to show that receiving an answer alone is not enough to carry us through this life--we must apply the answer. Accordingly, all the things we go through that help us to grow and learn (school, relationships, accidents, work, callings, etc.) are only useful if we constantly and consistently live what we learn, and seek to grow more.

I know that my Redeemer lives. My testimony of that is one of the greatest things that I have developed this week. Directing things to Him will solve all problems. I love the work and love the people and love my companion and love the Mission President and love you! Have a great week! Keep enjoying Oregon! Sounds awesome. Thank you for your prayers.

Love,
Elder Jensen

P.S. Happy birthday Hailey!

The Blessings...

Dear family,

 

I'm great. How are you?

 

We had a zone leader council this last week. I always learn humbling lessons in those. The Lord seeth fit to humble His servants. We talked about how the mission will go to the next level in finding new investigators to create real growth in each unit. In the church, there are many--in the Pacific, tens of thousands--of less actives who have nonmember family and friends. These are members who have just one or two relatively small concerns, a commandment that is difficult for them to live or even just a feeling of loneliness. This last week was one of miracles as we witnessed how the Lord prepares His people. A few weeks ago a member in Takapuna ward asked us to contact a less active woman in the area. We made contact last week and got to know her on the doorstep. Her name is Sister Gedge. We also met her kids, Dion (14), DJ (11), Carlos (10), Jeffrey (7), and Marcus (6) and had a miniature lesson there with them. We invited them to church, to which Sister Gedge was more than happy to come--she was missing it and wanted to come back--and invited the oldest three kids to be baptized. They said yes and a few days later they were all set for the 18th of August!  They came to church. They met heaps of members and sat down with the ward clerk to move the Sister Gedge's records over to this ward. They stayed all three hours, also met the Bishop, and are more than excited more the baptism in two weeks! I can't tell you the joy I felt when we found this fmaily that first night. I know Heavenly Father loves them. He has known them forever and has always been mindful of them.

 

The same day that we set the kids, we went to teach the sick and aging sister of a different less active in the ward. As we taught Dinah, the Spirit of the Lord touched her heart and testified of the Savior of the World and of His doctrine. She began to cry as she read Helaman 5:12, her mood completely changing from quiet and nearly-asleep to a vibrant and attentive focus on the scriptures. As we read the Savior's words at the end of 3 Nephi 11, she knew she must be baptized. When we invited her, she was so happy and said, "there's no other way." Her sister then bore testimony that she knew it was the right thing to do and expressed that she never really understood baptism until reading through those scriptures. As Dinah offered the prayer at the end of the lesson, she cried and cried. I don't know if she'll stay in this world much longer, but I know this much: our Father in Heaven has been preparing her to accept the gospel for many years and it is finally time. She came to church in a branch about 40 minutes away from here and met the Nelsons (the office couple--they are assigned to that unit). During Relief Society, she bore her testimony and expressed her excitement for baptism. Her whole family can't wait either. They're practically all members!

 

I'm not sure what else to talk about. This is my life. I love it! Obedience brings forth the blessings of Heaven. That is true. If you want to increase your faith, increase your obedience. Love all of you!

 

Love,

Elder Jensen

 

P.S. Bree is getting married! Congratulations Breeborg. Love you heaps. Is anyone else getting married that I don't know about? Spill the beans.

Weekly Report

Dear Family,

Another day come and gone in the wind chill of adversity, a week bathed in the warming sunlight of joy, sickness and health, hate and love. President Monson is so good at talking in analogies. It really helps you to understand what he is talking about. Look for it next time you are reading or listening to one of his talks. He is a good prophet.

Last week was one of the greatest growing experiences on my mission, I reckon. I'll have you know that "reckon" is not the same here as it is for the Texans. It's a nice word. Elder Espino and I had a great new group of missionaries to drive around all week. You would think that we would really have to take care of them, but the missionaries now-a-days are coming into the field ever prepared. 25 missionaries just came in. Loved it.

We had the opportunity to train the ward yesterday (big ward, nearly everyone was there) on missionary work. Elder Hamula, Area President, was there, along with one of his counselors, Elder Pearson. We got to train the area presidency! We loved it though. Really enjoyable experience. I think more of the ward members see the potential they have to save souls. You know, if you know anyone, it is really easy to have them over for something (dinner, FHE, etc) and then have the missionaries over at the same time! The blessings are infinitely worth the slight discomfort. There is nothing better than watching someone you know and care about progress in the gospel. Nothing is better.

Well, I don't think I covered much in this letter, but it was a great week. I learned so much, especially from my mistakes, and I can testify that this work is in God's hands. As Elder Kaufusi always used to say, you can't mess up so bad that it can't be fixed. That is true. Somehow the Lord got everyone where they needed to be in the transfers. It was then a blessing that in the riot and thick of it, Heavenly Father answered my prayers and blessed me with the words I needed to share with the hundred missionaries gathered for transfers. The Savior will hold us up--He will sustain us--when we give it our all and pray with our heart, might, mind, and strength. Somehow we wonder how it will all work out, but it will. It most definitely will, if we exercise faith in the Lord and put our trust in Him. Life is never too hard. If you think it is, stop looking down so much and look upward (to heaven) and outward (to serve others). I know the Lord will bless each of you as you strive to live the gospel.

Love you so much family and friends,

Elder Jensen

P.S. Chandler Brown is getting married! My trainer! Congratulations, Brother Brown. Love you heaps.

Saving Souls

Hi Family,

It's Elder Jensen here. Hey I just wanted to say thank you for your emails. I really love it when everyone writes. It's always good to hear how everyone is doing. Megan, it sounds like you are having a lot of fun. I'm really proud of you for how hard you are working. Jake, I heard you're picking up the P90X again... that's the way! We do the ab ripper sometimes for our exercise! It's a good one. Whitney, word has it that you are doing great. The southern winds whisper that UVU has grown exponentially in terms of whitty jokes. Mom, you sound like you're a mother--not busy at all, just lounging around, nothing to handle. Nah, just kidding. Thanks for those quotes. They are great! And Father, here in New Zealand they use the term "crack-up" to describe something funny. You are crack-up. The ward can really count on you to give a great spiritual opening prayer!

I will quickly sum up what happened last week so that you can see how great it was. Here you go: We had transfer planning preparation, then transfer planning, went to a district meeting in South Auckland, visited a district leader council out west; in one day we drove down to Cambridge (two hours away), picked up some missionaries, drove back up to Auckland and dropped them off, then drove up to Whangarei (another two hours) and picked up a couple more missionaries along with a car that was in the panelbeaters (repair place), then drove back down to North Shore and had dinner with President. The next day we picked up the new assistant, Elder Espino! The same one who I was in the MTC with. We're kicking out Elder Kaufusi tomorrow and Elder Espino and I will be continue on. Elder Espino is a spiritual giant and it is very good to have him with us. I am so grateful for Elder Kaufusi and probably will never be able to express the impact that he has had on my life. The day following the pick-up, we baptized a nine-year-old girl named Jadelynn. She is so smart and pretty funny. She is Niuean. We also got to see an investigator named Alumita get baptized in a different stake (we taught her the first time and she has made a huge change--her whole countenance is brighter!).

Well, I love you! Bye!

Love,
Elder Jensen

In the spirit of Thanksgiving

Dear Family,

I had an amazing opportunity a couple of weeks ago to go with a struggling missionary on an exchange, down in Rotorua, the stinky tourist hotspot of the mission. On this exchange, we watched as the Spirit touched the hearts of many of the souls we met on the street. One lady was so excited to get baptized (she accepted a date on the doorstep) and to come to church and have a lesson at a member's home the next day. The missionary I went with is now doing great! The Lord really knows his children and what they need to see and hear to begin to stretch to reach their potential. That missionary really learned by the Spirit that he needs to listen better to people! He realized how to make others' feelings important to him and he's really running now. He's also helping his companion quite a bit, who has been a very quiet individual for a while now. I love the change!

This last week we had a lot of trade-offs again. My favourite thing that I'm learning right now is how to learn by the Spirit and how to help others recognize the Spirit so that they can learn as well. It is a very fulfilling work and you see the results in their faces. It makes me very grateful. I have learned SO much from Elder Kaufusi about many Christlike attributes, teaching skills, organization, and how to develop them all. He is a powerful disciple of Jesus Christ. You will get to meet him someday and you'll see what I mean. You can't not love him.

We just had our first day of transfer planning today, to start off the week. Next week is transfers. It will be a massive shift, which is always fun. There are 25 missionaries coming in and 18 going out! It is amazing how the Spirit guides where missionaries are supposed to be and who they are supposed to be with. One very interesting thing is that a missionary or member or nonmember is never, ever placed in a position that they cannot handle. You'll never be set up for failure. In fact, the opposite is true. Every situation in which we find ourselves in this life sets us up for growth and progression. I love the talk that Whit sent me a couple of weeks ago, called Trust in the Lord. Perfect timing at this time in my mission! Thank you, Whit. In this talk, Elder Scott mentions how whenever we are faced with adversity, we can always ask ourselves two types of questions: one type opposes the will of God, i.e. What did I do to deserve this? Why me? etc.; the other type helps us discover what we are to learn, how we are to grow, and whom we are to help. This has changed my mission and my life! The Saviour will always teach you if you listen and if you let Him.

I love all of you and am grateful especially for your prayers!

Love,

Elder Jensen

P.S. Thanks Mom, for your daschund letter. That was massive! And thanks Lily and Isabel, for those awesome pictures and letters. That was one of the greatest letters I ever received! Seriously! I loved it.

Happy Birthday Elder Kaufusi!

Hi Family,

It was Elder Kaufusi's birthday on the 6th of July, last Friday. Everyone gave him cake! They were all chocolate. It was really nice. I love cake. The office couples bought us lunch and at the cafe we got to know the waitress, Fiona, from Vietnam. She taught us some Vietnamese. We plan to bring a Vietnamese Book of Mormon to her sometime today, bring a Chinese Book of Mormon to a lady at a local laundromat, and invite an older man who works at a music store near the chapel to have us over to teach. We're looking forward to all that.

The mission has been putting a much bigger focus on talking with everyone and listening with love while we're talking. It's interesting how quickly the natural man will put his own agenda ahead of others'. There is a great promise in Preach My Gospel that "if we listen with love, we won't need to wonder what to say. It will be given to us--by the Spirit and by our friends." I have definitely seen that this promise is true, and it applies for all walks of life as well--rock stars, drug lords, mothers, and rugby players (we've had several spiritual experiences with each of them). This is how you help others. You listen. People just warm right up when they know their thoughts and feelings are important you!

We had a bunch of trade-offs. Those were neat. Lots of miracles. I am always very impressed with the missionaries here. The bar keeps raising. Our group of zone leaders are so sharp. Not much slips by them. We also had Zone Leader Council on the Fourth of July. We sang the Star-Spangled Banner and had more cake and it was also the wedding anniversary of President and Sister Lekias! Happy anniversary! We had a guest from the missionary department, Brother Lusvardi, who gave some great training.

Dad, you asked if I would rather stay as an assistant to President or go back to the field in a different assignment. I wouldn't mind either way! They both have their benefits. Either way, I will love all that I learn. That's my favourite. There is nothing quite so profound as learning by the Holy Ghost and I understand how it works more each day (which really helps me see that I know nothing--genuinely a good feeling).

I am doing great! You sound like you are all doing well, too! Mission life just gets better and better. And you're all just living the pool/barbecue life. Bring some non-church-goers to swim with you! Have a great week.

Love,

Elder Jensen

P.S. I almost wrote "Love, Elders Kaufusi and Jensen." Haha. Ha....

Missionary Life

Family,

Hi. Last week was great -- so much going on. Heaps of mid-transfers with American missionaries getting their visas are making life really interesting! It's nice. Elder Nelson kindly bought me a new mattress because the current one has a massive hole, so that should be nice.

I traded off with a Manukau zone leader last week. It was good to see how 'in the details' he is. He was very thorough in his nightly calls and strove to cover everything necessary to get someone baptized. He really wants to learn how to be more loving. He said he wants to care about people more. We both learned much from the trade off about how necessary it is to gain the respect and trust of the people and especially the missionaries. We talked about developing and exercising Christlike attributes to gain that respect and trust. By the end of the trade off I felt that he had a greater understanding of why and how to love others more. This was exemplified in his patience while we talked with people on the street. He is very straightforward, but I could see the patience showing more on his face. He has grown so much since our last trade off a few months ago and he will continue to!

I also went on trade off with a Manurewa zone leader last week. He is quite impressive. He has a great ability to assess a situation and know what to do. He seems to be pondering a lot. We were able to experience some wonderful miracles with prayer as we sought to know exactly where the Lord needed us. We talked a lot about his own trade offs and how he can make them very uplifting experiences for the other missionary with much learning. He was excited to apply it. He said that usually when he has a question or a thought he just thinks about it a lot and asks the Lord in prayer, and generally he receives an answer. He is very spiritually in tune, so I believe that he does receive many answers through prayer, but then I asked him why he has a companion if not to talk with! He laughed and realized that they should counsel more. I love him! He has so much potential! They are doing great in Manurewa.

Lastly, I traded off with a Whangarei zone leader and Elder Hoffman (the missionary I trained months ago) on Friday. I was only with each of them for a very short time, but learned a lot. Elder Hoffman has so much faith! We went out and talked with everyone we saw, finding someone to teach almost every time we opened our mouths. Elder Hoffman is also doing a good job at getting members involved. The zone leader has grown so much in confidence since I was with him last and has a great desire to follow the Spirit. He has a presence about him that causes other missionaries to respect him and trust him. At times he can give very constructive and specific feedback that will help his missionaries to improve quickly. We talked a lot about knowing HOW he saves souls weekly so that he can teach others how to do the same. We talked a lot about D&C 50 -- learning by the Spirit as you teach by the Spirit and how important it is to use what the Lord has given us to teach: the scriptures. He is an excellent missionary!

In all these trade offs, one thing stood out the most: change. All of them are changing and becoming more like the Saviour. It was a great week!

Our investigator, Chantelle Christoffersen, got baptized on Saturday! It was amazing. She has come a long way since the first time she texted us only two and a half weeks ago. She has given up smoking, loves the Book of Mormon, makes fun of me all the time (just like President Lekias and everyone else---I don't understand...). The ward is so excited to help her! Everyone was asking us if they could have her at their house for a new member lesson. She already has visiting teachers assigned, and she has a solid understanding of covenants, so she is really strong. Her little six-year-old, Melody, is so funny. She is wild.

We had a great run to the airport this morning to pick up six missionaries at 6am! I love it.

Remember how you once said you don't always like the same stuff sent each week, so this is what I'm going with this week. It may not mean much to you, but this is my week! Great stuff. Okay, well, thanks for everything!

Love you!

Elder Jensen

Malo Soe Fua!

Hello family,

What a nice week and day it has been. Last night we had a huge Come and See Fireside. There was estimated 2000 people there--members, missionaries, and nonmembers. And guess who conducted this massive event? ... Take a guess... come on... it was me! I was on crowd control and conducting the fireside. It was crazy. There were souls as far as the eye can see. I exaggerate, but I don't exaggerate in saying that this was probably one of the biggest firesides in the history of New Zealand. People were crowded shoulder to shoulder in the foyers; there were screens set up in four different rooms outside of the chapel; drapes were opened so that people could look in from the outside. There were so many people because one of the best rugby players in the world came to share his conversion story. His name is Jonah Lomu. He is famous, even if you have no idea who I am talking about. Anyway, he was just baptized a few months ago, so we invited him to be our keynote speaker. He is a great man, and his wife is wonderful as well. They were very patient with all the people and bore great testimonies. He will be very influential in helping the church spread farther in New Zealand, I reckon. It was a good experience for me to inform people that their car lights were on, crack some dry jokes while announcing the program, and tell people they were being a fire hazard. Elder Kaufusi did a great job with the technical stuff. He didn't miss a beat.

So that was nice. Remember Sister Christoffersen? I think I told you about her last week. She is doing great! She cut down to one smoke yesterday! Choice, huh? Her six-year-old daughter, Melody, loved the fireside last night. She was taking all the cookies afterwards. Sister Nelson, an office missionary, sat by Sister Christoffersen and talked to her for a while. She is getting to know everyone in the ward! She had dinner with the Mercer family Saturday night, meets a new member almost every time we come to teach her, and loves church and meeting people there. She is looking forward to her baptism this Saturday. It will be great.

We are having some changes here in our area. The assistants' area has always been neglected too much because of all of our responsibilities, but things are opening up so that we can be in our area almost every day of the week. We have a goal to save eight souls next month. We are really looking forward to all the miracles. The emails will just keep getting better. 

We met a few Samoan young men on the street yesterday who have been to church heaps in Samoa and even a few times here, who are not baptized but have graduated seminary! How bout that? They are keen to have us over so hopefully we'll go this week and see if we can baptize them in the near future.

I love serving the Lord. It is the best experience. A brother in the ward just finished his mission in Adelaide, Australia and came back this week. He called us up the very same day he returned--not yet released--and told us he was ready to come with us and teach anytime. He came to a lesson with us a few days later with Sister Christoffersen and was great! You can tell that he just loves the work so much. He said he is converted to the NZAM now!

Elder Kaufusi spoke on Sunday, first time in this ward even though he has been in the ward for six months. He did a great job. Elder Kaufusi has such a great love for people that you just KNOW that he cares for you, no matter how he says it. His parents must be proud! The ward members would have definitely felt it. We really feel that this ward is going to get going. It is an amazing feeling seeing members experience the Spirit of missionary work! There is nothing better, I promise. President Lekias said something interesting earlier. We were talking about one of the wards in the mission that hasn't had missionaries in it for quite some time. The ward feels very subdued, not much zeal or fire. President said, no wonder--there are no missionaries! It is the Spirit of missionary work that livens up a ward and a soul. It is the ultimate expression of gratitude, to give what you have.

It was transfers last week so we were zombies once again, and it was wonderful. "Unwearyingness" is the key to the power (Helaman 10:4-5)! It was a great week and we the next few weeks will be very full-steam-ahead as well, if you know what I mean.

Well, I have typed a lot, my hands are tired, my hour is up, and I am off to buy food or something. I love you and am very grateful for you! Thank you for sending me all the genealogy stuff. It is exactly what I was hoping for. We have so awesome ancestors! They are pretty tough. Red beard... haha. Okay, bye!

Love,

Elder Jensen

Another Week

Dear family,

What a wonderful week. We are going to save heaps of souls. Hey, I don't know if I ever mentioned this, but there is a missionary in the mission--in the area right next to ours--with whom I went to high school. His name is Elder Soule'. He speaks Chinese. Well, now he speaks Chinese. He and his companion are doing great. They just stopped by the office to pick something up.

Last week the mission saw the beginnings of big changes. We had a zone leader council and decided to remove the goal that the mission had for Preach By The Way. To you, that means nothing. To me, it means everything! That is the number that we use to track how many people we talk to each week. Now we are just getting rid of it and we say, "In the New Zealand Auckland Mission, we TALK WITH EVERYONE, strive to BECOME PMG MISSIONARIES, and seek to be OBEDIENT WITH EXACTNESS! Why? To SAVE SOULS WEEKLY!!!" It is true. We just talk with everyone we saw. It's great. It really gives you a personal accountability to get each soul you meet.

Yesterday we were visiting a few investigators in the roughest area in all of North Shore to get them to church. This was just an hour before the start of sacrament. As we were driving through the area, we stopped to talk with a few street-dwellers. No, they lived in homes. Then this lady about Whit's age came up to Elder Kaufusi while I was talking with the local drug lord and friend (the drug lord is keen by the way). I could hear her talking with my companion and for the life of me I couldn't figure out what accent she had. I thought it was French or Italian. When I finished talking, I walked over to them and Elder Kaufusi said she wanted to come to church but needed a ride. So we walked her over to the local Tongan members, the Toia family, who then gave her a ride to church. On the walk over, I found out she was a member and she was from California, but lived in Utah for a bit while she attended BYU! Crazy American accent.... It was a huge miracle though, because she was in a very dangerous part of town and Heavenly Father just led her straight to the missionaries. I know that Heavenly Father loves His children, but especially His daughters. They mean everything to Him and He will go to great lengths to keep them safe. Her name was Nichole Lealou or something....

Last thing--on Tuesday we got a random text from a lady named Shontel, who said that she wanted to come back to church and change her life. She has been to church before, so we thought she was less-active, but she said she has never been baptized! After some discussion over the phone, she expressed that she would like to join the church. After a few lessons now and some fellowship from the Sloan family, she is excited to stop smoking and get the gift of the Holy Ghost by the 23rd of June! She came to church, loved it, was an active participant, and is looking forward to next week. Sister Christofferson is prepared. The Lord leads us to those who are looking for help, and sometimes He leads them to us!

Well, all is well. Thanks for all you do! Love you guys! Have a nice week in America.

Love,

Elder Jensen

Transfers

Dear Family,

You know, it's really strange, getting all your emails and hearing about what it's happening. It's like a whole different world. I hear about "BBQ parties" and "swimming" and stuff like that... one question: how many investigators are there? I'll teach them. Have them write me and I might actually write them back to teach the gospel.

Transfers are coming up next week. We had our first round of transfer planning earlier today. We also played basketball with President Lekias and Jared and Joe Hamula, the boys of Elder Hamula (area president). That was nice. In the last two weeks, Elder Kaufusi and I traveled from the bottom of the mission to the top and back down! We traded off with 14 companionships and gave trainings at a few meetings. I love visiting with all the missionaries. There are some amazing elders and sisters here.

We lost the keys to our chapel this morning... not good...

We saw Nicola (the latest convert) on Friday and gave her a blessing because she was feeling sick. Her whole family was there for the blessing (nonmembers) to watch and they were very interested. I think we are going to baptize the whole family! Father, mother, sister... How cool is that? I've still never baptized a complete family, so this is it! We saw Nicola again at church and asked her how she felt; she said she felt great the very next day. What a miracle.

We went to this great restaurant/fast food place in Ngaruawahia (near Hamilton) called Poppa's Takeaways on our way home from the trade off extravaganza. It's owned by a member, the former ward mission leader there. He is awesome. He fed us for free because we're the missionaries. We were on a hunt for food other than McDonald's, Subway, or Burger King (our diet), and low and behold, we found "The Works Burger," the best burger of all time. It was amazing, then we had kumara fries. Kumara is the best vegetable of all time. Turn it into fries and you've got heaven on a plate (no, that's not true -- it's an exaggeration).

I taught this lady last week and she starting crying because she was feeling the Spirit so much as we talked about faith and how she can quit smoking and she can know why her father is having heart problems and where he'll go when he passes away, and now she wants to get baptized. I was thinking about that and how everyone was talking about Grandma in their emails. That's really sad to hear about her. She will find those that need her on the other side and be led back to the gospel. I know that is true. I love Grandma so much; she's had a big impact on my life. It's good that it's about time for her. If there is one thing that makes this gospel so amazing, it is the knowing. We know why we are here, where we came from, and to whom we will return. We know how to stay with our Heavenly Father. We know that He doesn't just want us back; He wants us back to stay. Grandma is going home.

I love you guys. I'm really thankful for everything you do, and for the prayers especially. Have a wonderful week.

Love,

Elder Jensen

This email is from last week, sorry i forgot to post it:
Dear Family,

Hi, how are you? I'm doing great. Nicola Pieterse was baptized on Saturday and confirmed yesterday. She's 15 years old and most of her immediate family are not members. It was a powerful service. Her cousins, the Parkers, are members and they arranged the whole thing. They had prelude singers, good speakers, Brother Parker the baptist, and other musical items. And fancy baptismal programs. Very fancy. The Spirit was really strong. Some of the family members were crying, others were asking questions. It was so good to see. I love this ward--Torbay. We actually adopted the ward not too long ago--it's not our main ward--but they have a great love of missionary work. Before a convert baptism in March in their ward, they hadn't had a convert baptism in two years. Two years. So when we came into the ward (we received Torbay just before the March baptism--her name is Fana), we told them that we wouldn't have time to work the ward except to teach referrals from them. So what did they do? They started loading us up with referrals! We've started teaching a few now and Nicola was one of them. There is another man we're teaching in the ward named Brother Low, but he has been tied up with family issues. I know he'll come around though, then get baptized. He wants the peace too bad to leave it now. The members in Torbay love us and we love them. It's great going to their ward and talking with bishop, and they recently called a new ward mission leader named Brother Rapata, so things are going great on that front. Missionary work is amazing when the members are involved.

Last week was miraculous one. We had splits with different missionaries every day of the week except Saturday and Sunday, so Elder Kaufusi and I didn't even teach a lesson together, but that's not why it was miraculous. The first night I was with Elder Williams in Massey (25 minutes west of our area) and we taught a lady named Koa. She is a bit hesitant about going to church, but after a lesson where the words were given to us to speak, she was full of courage and ready to come to church. Faith is like driving a car at night.... 

Then we picked up a new missionary on Tuesday who is waiting for a visa to Papa New Guinea. He went with Elder MacRae and Elder Atalifo (Elder Atalifo, whose trainer's trainer's trainer's trainer is me!).

Then we went back to both Elder Kaufusi's and my old area, Clendon, Manurewa to trade off with Elder Alder and Elder Barney. Elder Alder and I had a great time, especially when some of the sisters in the zone found out that their baptismal set for the 26th of May (three days off) was in fact not married to his partner (even the investigator thought he was married). The sisters rounded up a member for a ride and the lot of us took off to Internal Affairs (to get a marriage license); the officials told us that there was not enough time to make the marriage happen in three days, but Elder Alder didn't give up. We explained about the baptism and everything and how they thought they were married(!), and this heroic Korean lady told us of that she could make it happen if we filled out some other papers, came in the next day before 10am, and some other stuff that I tuned out (she was really nice but I got a phone call from another missionary telling me about a miracle in their area). I asked about the whole situation yesterday and the elders said that it all went through and they got married and baptized on Saturday! What a nice surprise.

We then went down to my old stomping grounds--Hamilton--to trade off with Elder Byam and Elder Smith. Near the end of a good split and while digging up some dirt in an investigator's backyard (service is good, especially in a suit), Elder Byam and I had a great talk that I know will help the both of us in our missions and our lives. It was an amazing experience and my testimony of the power and authority of this calling grew a lot.

Last, but not least, President Lekias, Elder Kaufusi, and I hopped on an airplane and flew down to Gisborne! About a 50 minute flight. It's the most remote part of the mission and it is awesome. We went to a district meeting with the small zone and then I went out with Elder Lamb and Elder Allred. They loved having us there. We finished with dinner (President's shout) at Sunshine Thai and shared the miracles of the day. One of our miracles was teaching this less active man named Brother Madden. He told us it had been ten years and one month since he had spoken to God. We listened and we asked questions. The miracle: the Lord allowed us to see right through his rugged sailor and soldier attitude. We were prompted to share Alma the younger's conversion story with him. As we read, his attention was fixed on the story. He told us that he actually felt hope that he too could overcome his anger towards God that originated when, ten years ago, his mom and grandmother were taken suddenly from this life. He also felt that he could overcome the chains of smoking and drinking and whatever else he's doing. He asked how he was supposed to do it, and the answer came when we watched the Mormon Message "Choose This Day" from President Eyring (thank you so much for sending those!). He knew he had to pray. He knew he had to pray that day. So he committed to doing it that night (he wouldn't pray with us). It was so incredible. I loved it.

I love this work. It is the best! Other work is just boring or you don't get paid enough. But here you get paid daily in blessings (they don't use the word cheesy here, but if they did I would). I love you guys and I am very grateful for you and your prayers! Have a great week.

Love,

Elder Jensen

P.S. Congratulations Bree! Getting married? Wow. What is his name? Also, did you get my letter? I sent it your school address. Okay, love you bye!

Then he sent this a couple hours later:

Dear fellows,

I forgot to mention that here in New Zealand you are hard-pressed to find a good donut, but after we landed back in Auckland (flying from Gisborne), President bought us some donuts from Dunkin' Donuts at the airport! They were nice. I love donuts...

Love,

Elder Jensen

School

Deer,

Hi family and friends. Last week was not just good; it was great! From all the emails it sounds like everyone is finishing up with school. That's nice. Here in New Zealand it works quite differently. The school year starts around February and goes till the end of December and there's no huge breaks. It's interesting.

Things are great here! We just finished a round of zone conferences that were wonderful. I actually don't have too much time today so I might have to leave everyone hanging. Tell you what family, just imagine that you were in New Zealand and it will be pretty much the same.

Nicola Peterser is getting baptized this weekend! She is 15 and has made some big changes already in her life. So different from home -- the teenagers are getting into huge trouble younger and younger these days. Young whippersnappers...

We should be getting a new assistant here pretty soon! We have no idea who, but we love to speculate. We have some great zone leaders so it could be anyone! Don't worry, it might not be for two months, but maybe...

Okay, well, see ya later! Ofa atu.

Love,

Elder Jensen

Dry Cleaning

Hey family,

I am picking up my dry cleaning today! Woo! (SJ...) It is going to be awesome. This is the first time on my whole mission getting anything dry cleaned. Then we'll go over West Auckland ways and play some basketball with Elder White and Elder Williams. Elder White was in South Auckland for seven and a half months (ages) and has been double shifted as a zone leader into a new zone training a new zone leader. That's pretty big. He is amazing though. He loves to do good and to save souls. Elder White was my last companion, just in case you forgot.

This last week was a doosie. We were all over the place for transfers. It all worked out smoothly and there were some amazing last minute changes. This week will be another good one. We are blessed to have Elder Hamula from the area presidency come to our zone leader council as well as all four zone conferences and a come and see fireside. I am very excited to see what he trains us on. One of the greatest things to see and learn from leaders is the insight they gain from their studies. They read a verse with you and you realize that there was so much more to it than you thought. I love to see what kind of questions they ask themselves and what kind of things they look for in their studies to gain such valuable knowledge. I probably would have yawned myself to sleep if were reading this a year and a half ago. Haha.

A few of the new missionaries that came in last week are outstanding. This one, Elder Atalifo, a 26-year-old convert from Fiji, is particularly impressive. He understands why he is here. It's very obvious when a new missionary knows (or doesn't know) his or her purpose. Someone to think about for prospective missionaries. Elder Atalifo is be trained by Elder MacRae, who is incredible as well (his first week here I thought I'd just give him the car keys and let him be zone leader) Now I want to show you more genealogy in my mission than I know in my real family -- Elder Atalifo trained by Elder MacRae, who was trained by Elder Williams, who was trained by Elder Hoffman, who was trained by Elder Jensen (that's me). So I'm related to Elder Atalifo. Very cool.

We taught Brother Low and set him for baptism -- he was keen! -- but then he didn't come to church. We need to bring him back. He's great. We also taught a couple of new investigators yesterday. Sister Parker, a member in Torbay Ward, has a sister whose daughter wants to get baptized, so we had the first lesson last night. The daughter's name is Nichola and the mom's is Sister Peterser. The Spirit was very strong and we know they will both get answers to their prayers about the Book of Mormon!

It's good to know that Heavenly Father tries our patience and our faith. We can't expect to get rewarded with something we haven't earned. I love doing this great work, even with the trying (and sometimes just confusing-not-sure-what-to-do) times. I'm healthy and happy. Oh, I nearly forgot. I'll call next Monday in the morning (my time), probably around 7 or 8am. We have to drive up to a country area on that day so I'lll have some time in the car. Any questions? Oh, I have one -- which number should I call?

Love,

Elder Jensen

P.S. Remember some of those questions you asked me in emails today and I will answer them next week. I am a terrible typer. Someday........ Ofa lahi atu!

Then we got another email from him late last night....

Dear relatives,

You're probably all asleep right now but I just forgot to mention a couple of things in my email earlier today. Thank you for the package! It was great. Elder Kaufusi was impressed with the popcorn. It's not something you see in New Zealand very often. We are ready to use those Mormon Messages tonight when we visit some families. I don't know if you've seen them, but they are awesome! And I mean that in the true sense of the word -- they are awe-inspiring. Anyway, thank you for the package and for the peanut butter chocolate things. Those are real nice.

MEGAN, you cheerleading machine. Keep up the good work! I'm cheering for you down here in NZ. Whitney, I've been telling a few people that you're graduating from university soon (they call it "uni," not college). I think it's cool. Not sure what they think. Jake, do you have a Preach My Gospel? If not, find one. I want to direct you to one of my favorite chapters right now -- Chapter 2. Give it a read and do some of the activities at the end of the chapter. You will love it. And it will help you prepare for a year and a half from now when you're in the field. It's getting close! Dad, picture this: zombie golf. Mom, the new missionaries used to look like deer in the headlights (like I did) but because of new training programs they come out ready to baptize all of NZ. Good thing lots of people immigrate here. And the Americans might start coming soon -- that would mean a huge intake of missionaries because so many are waiting. Yankees attack.

Well, that's it. It's great being a missionary. It would take 20 years to learn on your own what you learn here. Well. Bye.

Love with much heaps,

Elder Zachary Jensen

Transfer Week (A.K.A. Zombie Week)

Dear Family,

In a short time, I will be immersed into the week of all weeks (except
for zone conference week, which is in two weeks from now) with no time
for sleep, lots of time for scrutiny from fellow missionaries, and
some time for nice food -- TRANSFER WEEK. From picking up new
missionaries to letting go of the old ones to speaking at transfer
meeting to making huge changes with documents and such, this week is
killer, to speak casually. I love it though. I'm excited. I love
meeting the new missionaries. There could be a future general
authority in the midst of them. It will be great.

This morning we played basketball with President Lekias and Gary
Wilkinson, who plays for New Zealand's professional basketball team,
the Breakers. He is also a member of the ward in which I serve, not to
mention that he is also a convert with quite the story and played for
the Utah State team just a few years ago. It was great. They're all
better than me, but soon I'll beat them all. They won't know what hit
them. We got to play in the Breakers training facility. That was
pretty amazing. Good experience.

We started teaching this guy named Brother Low. He's an honest seeker
of the truth who knows he needs to make some changes, especially when
it comes to anger and judging others. He asked us to come by. He came
to church on Sunday and is doing well. He's from South Africa.

Some missionaries told us of a miracle they had down in my old area,
Manurewa. They were biking past the house of an investigator that my
companion and I had found when I was there. They had a prompting to
see if he was home, found that he was, came in on some serious family
problems, then boldly invited the husband to be baptized the next day
-- he was baptized on Saturday and the family is doing much better!
Miracles everywhere.

I love this work and the people and the missionaries. It is Jesus
Christ's work! Love you guys. Thanks for all you do.

Love,
Elder Jensen

Baptism!

Hey Family,

On Saturday, an 18-year-old man named Turanga Shelford-Morrell was
baptized! It was a very spiritual baptism. He asked me if I could
baptize him and I was happy to oblige! It was the first time I've
personally done the ordinance in a while. It's an amazing feeling when
you know that the priesthood is working through you. It was also a
good experience for the brother of Brother Shelford's girlfriend.
Brother Shelford originally asked him to baptize him but for some
reason or another he couldn't do it. Instead he participated by
conducting the music. I know that Brother Shelford's baptism wasn't
just for Brother Shelford, but a reminder for the other guy that he
needs to clear up some things in his life so that, when called upon,
he can use his priesthood to save souls.

By the way, Brother Shelford had come to church a couple of weeks ago
and told us about how he had been taught before and was set for
baptism, but didn't feel ready. When we came to teach him the
following Wednesday, we invited him to be baptized on the next
weekend. He then told us that he had been washing his hair in the
shower when the thought came to him that he should be baptized! Then
he just knew. He's so humble -- it's his humility that has allowed him
to have such powerful witnesses. Then we didn't see him till Monday.
When we saw him again, his girlfriend was with him and she told us
that she had flown in from Australia for the week to see Brother
Shelford get baptized! So crazy!

Miracles, miracles....

Elder Kaufusi and I were down in South Auckland on Saturday to see
some of the baptisms throughout the mission. After one great baptism,
we went to have lunch at Jester's Pies -- New Zealanders love their
meat pies and Jester's Pies is the best, but Elder Kaufusi had never
been so I had to show him. It turns out that Elder Kaufusi agreed and
declared that Jester's Pies has the best pies he's ever had (I think I
should be getting some kind of payment for promoting their business --
you owe me Jester's). We walked out of the shop and were about to get
in the car, and I saw a family sitting in their car outside of
Smoko's, New Zealand's greatest tobacco shop (no, just kidding, I
don't know). I went to talk to the dad, a Samoan I think. I was
friendly, asked him where they were from, and then started to explain
who we were when he stops me and says, "I know who you are. I don't
like you. I don't like you guys." I asked why he doesn't like us and
he said, "You believe the Joseph Smith, not Jesus." I then told him of
my belief in the Savior, to which he responded, "You want a smoke?"
Me: "No, thank you, I don't smoke."
Him: "Jesus Christ smokes! So why do you not smoke? He plant the
smokes on the earth, so he smokes, but you don't! Why not?"
Me: "----" (no chance, cut off!)
Him: "I am a minister! I went to school! I know Jesus! You are only
young. You have to know Jesus to tell people about Him. You don't even
know Jesus."
Then I tried to ask for a referral, but for some reason he didn't want
to give me anyone to visit. This is my story. Hopefully that man will
think about what he said and decide to get baptized someday.

I am probably going to do some dry cleaning today, my first time in
New Zealand. We have a big zone conference coming up where one of the
area presidents is coming to train us. He'll also sit in on Zone
Leader Council, so I figure I ought to have a clean suit.

My shoes are still intact.

We went with the Nelsons last week to have lunch at a Thai restaurant.
It was great. Saw another senior couple there that works in the area
office.

Corned beef being fried in the morning, cold soup from a can, and
made-up Tongan hymns will forever remind me of my half-Tongan
companion.

I conducted a fireside last night with several hundred people,
including many investigators. Elder Kaususi had to bribe some crazy
three-year-olds with nursery toys to get them to sit still and not
distract everyone. Gary Wilkinson, who graduated from Utah State
University and currently plays on the New Zealand Breakers (a
basketball team) and is in my ward in North Shore, spoke at the
fireside. It was awesome.

Love you guys. I'm doing great by the way. Bye!

Love,
Elder Jensen