One Year!

No worries, I figured so I went to the office on Saturday and picked it up, the blondies are super yummy so thank you for that :) Also thank you for the paper, envelopes, contacts, and ties!! You might say those are ugly but I've already worn one for church yesterday :))

Anyway it was a good week! We had a mission conference on Wednesday which was super good and spent the rest of the week trying to find new people to teach, we are teaching the mom and dad of a recent convert (the son was baptized a month before I arrived he is dating a girl in the ward) and they are set to get baptized this week, the ward LOVES them...so we're super DUPER stoked for that. The sisters and other Elders in the ward both baptized someone on Saturday so this ward will be baptizing 4 people in 2 week, which is more than they have had in a while! Rather than that just same old same old...contacting a lot of people and trying to sort out who has interest and who doesn't. Missionary work here is way different than in the city but hey there's no growth in comfort and no comfort in growth right?! :) Anyway that's a summary of our week! I'm glad you all had a great week! That sounds like a relaxing vacation!

As far as 9/11 goes, I remember bits and pieces. I remember watching the news and seeing the towers go down but I didn't understand what it meant or what really happened. It was sad but I really am glad I grew up with that experience because I always felt a close connection to the country...not that it wasn't close before but I feel like after that happened the country came together a lot, because we were all sad.

Rather than that I am really good mommy. I cannot believe how fast time has flown, it seems like just yesterday I hugged you all to get on the plane! It's been a while, but it is so so very worth it. I look back and see how much I have changed and it makes me feel good, because not only do I get the opportunity to help so many others, I change as it happens. I can't wait to see what the next year has in store. Thank you so much for everything you do for me mommy, I love you lots!! One year down one to go!!! Love you lots :)

Elder Jensen

Service with the zone!

In Which Elder Jensen Must Hide from a Dog...

Sorry I completely forgot to tell you but usually we take Holidays to work and do P-day on Tuesday! Also as far as everything else goes, yes I am good!! My wallet is small but I've got my drivers license, driving card, debit card, my mission debit card, and missionary health card (ps I'm good with insurance the missionary medical is pretty great $10 for prescription, visit, or anything medical related but I lost my personal healthcare card, the blue cross blue shield one just a fyi) so anyways I am set :) Also the Wells Fargo card will be coming right to our apartment so no worries. As far as the package goes, will you be sending it here to the apartment or to the mission office? If it's at the apartment I can get it on Friday, mission office possibly the next Monday. Just let me know :)

Everything is pretty great we had a good week! So I'm actually in the Houston South Zone now (we just teamed up with Richmond for zone conference)! Haha yeah so this new area has Sugarland and Missouri City which is pretty urban, but there's this little town called Fresno near where we live and it's basically like Rupert. Everyone has these huge attack dogs so I got chased by one last week but I'm all good, only damage was to my pride (I had to hide on top of the car). It's hard this area has never had a ton of success but we're not losing faith, we're super excited to get to work :) Zone conference was awesome! So zone conferences happen 4 times a year and it's a chance for President to train us all at the same time, so we normally don't do much...we just did a little 45 minute section and he taught us the rest of the time. Also the senior missionaries here mostly work in the office and help us with cars, apartments, secretary stuff for President, finances, etc. Then in my last zone we had a senior missionary couple actually working out in the field. They do the same thing but don't have a set schedule like us, also they can listen to music and watch tv, ect :) They are all great though, we love them!

That's awesome though glad you guys had a great week, and I'm super happy that you get to go to general conference!! Wow that is so great. I can't wait for general conference :) Thanks so much for everything momma, love you lots!! You are the best mother in the entire world and I am so grateful for everything you have done for me and continue to do for me. love you lots!!!

Elder Jensen

The missionaries help at a food bank and score BIG TIME on the girl scout cookies!!

The News From the New Zone

Hey no worries, we actually emailed a little earlier today and I just barely saw your email!

As such I don't have a ton of time but I'll try to answer everything! The apartment is super nice haha, even nicer than my last one. It's a good place. Elder Seal is awesome, we get along really well and we both have pretty high expectation for this transfer, we want the zone to do really good. That's awesome that you talked to his mom though! Yeah we both arrived in Texas together and we'll hit the year mark here in the next two weeks :) Also yes that is a tradition but to be honest we'll probably forget the day it happens haha, I haven't burned anything yet! Also no nothing in specific I'm doing good on everything, just new contacts and a new debit card :/ yes it is official it's gone. I still have hope it'll show up, I looked through our whole apartment and car but no luck. Elder Smith said he'd keep an eye out for it. If you could cancel that card for me that would be great. Also I have a photocopy of my license but I'll probably need a new license here soon...is that possible to obtain? Sorry that it's such a pain...:/ Anyways other questions, of course you can send videos! I have no idea how to, but if you can send them I should be able to watch them :) That's awesome though thank you for all the pictures, I emailed kate a minute ago. I am doing well, a lot of great things are going to happen this transfer I know it! I love you lots Mommy thanks for everything! Love you!!!!

Elder Jensen

Transferred to Missouri City!

First off yes I am all good! It's been raining a ton and we got soaking wet yesterday but no flooding yet so we are in the clear :) Everything went well this week, we talked to a lot of people and found some new people. Adrian is progressing super well he'll get baptized either this week or next butttttt I actually won't be there to see him anymore. I'm getting transferred!! So we found out this morning that I am leaving Houston 8 and headed down to Missouri City! I will be companions with Elder Seal, one of the Elders that came out with me. I am super excited, though Houston 8 is the bomb I have been here since February so I was actually expecting a change. I am super excited though, it will be a great time in a new place. Nothing much more to report I don't know much about the area expect the zone is HUGE! It's the 2nd largest in the mission, it covers half of Sugarland, Rosenburg, Brazos, Missouri City, and Sienna Plantation. It's a new adventure and I am super stoked :)  It's great though, pure countryside no buildings, no people, perfect place, I am super excited :) Also yes we were on a temple trip with the youth, because Leiry went to do baptisms! We get to go pretty often in this ward, not sure about my new ward :) Also the pants are AWESOME. I love them, they are comfortable and do really well when it's hot and rainy (perfect for Texas!) Really I am so excited, this area has been a great growth area and I am excited to take all that I have learned into this new place, more news to come!! I love the quote you send me thank you so much mommy :) I hope all is well, I love you and miss you lots!

Love,

Elder Jensen

At a temple trip with Houston 8

Where else would Elder Jensen be except posing dramatically across the fountain

from his companion?

Elder Jensen is Super Good...

I am super good!! It is hot and humid here but I have adjusted so it's alright :) We're almost through the worst, less than a month and it should finally start to cool down, I've almost made it through my first summer! This week was good! We received a text from a member and when we went to go see this referral we found this AWESOME Cuban guy named Adrian. He came to church and has a baptismal date for a few weeks out! We also found this cool Honduran guy sitting outside the church, Levy came to church for the first time in a few weeks, and a recent convert from Houston 2 came to church with her non-member daughters!! So those are pretty much the people we're working with right now :) Aw I'm glad Carlos got me a sweet birthday present, did you see it?! Anyways to answer your other questions, not much is different!! A majority of our morning are taken up with District Councils, meetings with other missionaries, etc. Also we do an exchange or two every week so we split up a lot but overall it's the same old same old on Sunday nights we just get numbers from all the District Leaders and send those numbers into President to report on how the week went. Last of all, scripture study!! I read sequentially for like 15 verses study them really well, then study out of PMG for like 20 minutes-ish, then either study by topic, or more often or not for our investigators (maybe could be your kids for this section) from the scriptures, ensign articles, etc. That to me is the most effective because I study what we are going to be doing that day so that I can be prepared to apply it! (Same way I try and do Spanish study as well, day by day 1% improvements). That's how we do it!!

Anyway I'm super glad that you are all doing well, love to hear stories of the family and love to hear that the summer Olympics are still in full-swing in the Jensen house. Super bummed that I can' t watch them but the 2020 Olympics I will watch for sure :) Love to hear you guys are all doing well, I love you all so much!!! Thanks for everything! Love you mommy :)

 A friend on a mini-mission with Elder Jensen's trio

He finally got eggs and oil to make the cake mix Kate insisted we send him for his birthday!!

Another Week in Houston

How are you?! I am super duper good!! My birthday was great, I loved it! :) Yes thank you for both packages! Believe it or not we actually did not have eggs or oil but we are getting them today so HOORAY!! Thank you so much for the ties, love them so much!! Haven't got to use the gift card yet but it's Chipotle and Jamba Juice so I was super stoked to get those :) Thank you thank you thank you!!! Yeah sorry, as it turns out there were actually people that did in my ward and because they're all there at mutual it was possible but I had to leave my area with a different companion to do a baptismal interview :( good news though is she passed and was baptized on Saturday so that was great :) Sorry, you will get a picture super soon I promise! My week was great we saw a lot of people and how found a good handful of super cool investigators, nothing to report on yet but everyone is doing well :) We had MLC this week and it was all about faith which was great, we got to do a blitz on Saturday which is when the whole zone meets somewhere and we go outside and go crazy in one area to try and find new investigators for companionship's that are struggling so that was fun! Then on Sunday we got to teach the missionary prep class which was super fun :) It was weird because there was only like 15 kids (compared to the 30/40 in my class) but still super duper great. Great week lots of fun stuff :) We actually are not teaching that class right now, we're on a break because the place had enough volunteers but it's almost all the same group of kids just the 7th graders started 8th grade and we got some 5th graders that moved up to our classes. That's pretty much all that went on :) I'm glad you guys had a great week. Thank you for everything mommy I love you lots!! Your letter was exactly what I needed and I loved the talk on hard things because it is SO TRUE!! Love you mom, thank you for being the best mother in the world. Love you!!

Elder Jensen

HAPPY BIRTHDAY ELDER JENSEN!!

My week was so good :) Texas is still hot and humid but also still the best state ever, second only to arizona :)  Awesome thank you so much!! We'll be back at the office on Friday so no worries I can pick up the package now, thank you you are the best!! :) Also as far as pants, I love the dockers ones! Are there any other types that are more breathable? It get hot here haha. Honestly  though the dockers ones are good! I am still good with 34/36, I still fit pretty well into all my pants. Surprisingly (; Also, I am actually doing decently well on shirts, I take care of them! Maybe 1-2 new short sleeve ones from stafford but I really am okay on those :) ALSO THAT'S AWESOME!!! That is a really neat story about FamilySearch, you were destined to be a member of the church :) Wow though that is so great! It's neat to know I have pioneer history on both sides of my family tree!! Wow, that is so so cool!!! The whole Jensen thing too! Wow, yeah so we are invited to get our converts to the temple within one month because people that start family history and go to the temple within that time are almost guaranteed to stay in the church, so that is a large focus for us! We even have an hour to do every week and though we don't have loads of time, it's been neat to get to work on that! Wow that is so awesome mom, you are the greatest :) Thank you for being the greatest mother in the world, I love you so much!! I have been reflecting a lot this week. Literally one year ago today I was in Africa, that seemed like yesterday!!! I have been reflecting a lot in how much I have changed in the past year. I look at who I was then, and who I am now and am so happy and surprised. On my mission I have found my true potential mommy. 100% the gospel is true and it changes lives. I have gone from somebody without control to a priesthood holder who knows who he is and what he wants to do. I stand by the phrase I read about everyday in PMG, true doctrine, understood changes behavior faster than the study of behavior changes behavior. When we understand true doctrine, lives changes. I love my mission mommy, this is the best experience I have ever had. 19 years later I am so so so grateful to the wonderful example that I have to look to. It's been really interesting, every time I teach an investigator I think about you, the potential that they have to become strong members of the church who have children who eventually serve missions. That has been the secret to the work in this area, once we see their potential, we work harder to help them gain that conversion experience. Thank you so much for all you have done for me mom, I love you so much! Thank you so being a great example to me, I love you!!!!!

Elder Jensen