In light of the fact that we ran out of time to email last week, I figured we could get this done real fast with a highlight reel of the last two weeks- two weeks that have been filled with various adventures in Downtown Houston involving a man relieving himself on the pavement next to me during the closing prayer, a homeless guy named Max that told us he knows the church is true and then taught us about how the Harmonic Resonance of the Earth is the exact same as our feet when they feel cool air and how there's a cult of devil worshipers that live under the ground where we were standing or something another, and various other bizarre stories that made our week a weird one. We also managed to contact every person on our part of the ward list and now have a set list of everyone in our area which has taken the last 13 weeks to finish but is finally done!
The last story of the week happened as we were contacting people on the street. We met this guy named Onorario who was carrying a huge case of beer back to his house but stopped us on the road and started asking who we were. We explained how we were missionaries and we help people to change their lives through Jesus Christ and he was super interested. So he tells us to come back to his house for a lesson. We follow him to the back of the complex which is weird because there were no more houses.
Then he walked over to a wall, leaned against it, and just started bawling. We asked him what was wrong and he said that he isn't able to stop drinking and smoking and he feels abandoned by everyone. So we taught him a lesson about the hope Christ can provide for us and he looked us straight in the eye and said "Quiero cambiar" (I want to change). He then took out his cigarettes and lighter and told me to throw them in the trash can, which was more or less 15 feet from where we were standing, so I took them and chucked them as hard as I could, made it, and then turned around beaming (because it's always been one of my dreams to do that).
So a lot of adrenaline is rushing through Elder Jensen at this point and there's still this case of beer right next to him. He looks at me, I look at him, then at the case of beer, and he looks me in the eye and says "Hagalo" (Do it). So Elder Jensen cackles and with the energy of a 4-year old maniac child hefts the case of beer as hard as he can toward the trash can. Little did Elder Jensen know that adrenaline actually makes you kind of way excited and crazy so when he throws it with all his might, watching the case sail into the dumpster...he just flat out misses. Elder Jensen threw the beer so hard it missed the dumpster, the compound wall, AND the 10 feet of ground between the complex and a canal. The case of beer rolls straight into the canal and Elder Jensen and his companions had to spent the next hour trying to fish it out because littering is bad for the environment. So that happened.
I know that people can change. I know that because I see people all the time that change. I've changed! In just three short months on my mission, I've become the person I've always wanted to be. But it wasn't instant...I think sometimes I expect miracles to happen and for changes to come immediately. As I've been out on my mission I have learned that it takes patience, because life stinks sometimes and sometimes we feel like darkness is all around us and have no idea where we are and can't help but wonder why God abandoned us, why all these stinky things happen to us and at times I think it's because we expect instant change.
One of the leaders of our church, Elder Bednar, compares it to a sunrise. Change is slow, gradual. Sometimes relief doesn't come immediately, but slowly one step at a time until before we know it, we're out of the darkness and into the light. When we're down, sad, and hopeless I encourage y'all to just have faith! It all work out, maybe not today, or tomorrow, but someday it will all be better and I know that's true. In times of darkness and sadness have faith and just keep moving forward :)
Love,
Elder Jensen
Here's the link to the short video by Elder Bednar that Elder Jensen referenced:
"Light" by Elder Bednar
"Light" by Elder Bednar
Elder Jensen (R) and Elder P (C) pose with their new trainee Elder N (L). And the beer case. :)
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