Pig Carving!

 I found Reese's Puffs!!

Helping with a wedding, yes I carved a pig!!

Coventry!

My new companion is Sister Moser from Ogden Utah.

I have moved!

Dear Family & Friends, Well the big news of the week, is I have been moved! I am now in Coventry! It is the 12th largest city in the UK with a popultation of about 320,000 people. As you can imagine, it is a bit different than Lichfield, with a population of about 35,000 people! I was SO shocked when I got the call that I was leaving. It was rough saying goodbye to everyone, but I managed. I've made so many close friendships with the members in Lichfield but I am excited to now be in Coventry. There are two universities close to our area, so that means lots of solid people! On my first night here, we were walking over a bridge that goes over an overpass on the motorway. There were sky scrapers on both sides and you could hear the rush of traffic. It was BEAUTIFUL and I could help but feel so excited to be here! My companion is Sister Moser. She is my age and from Ogden, Utah. She's the sweetest thing in the world. I can tell we will be great friends. There are 10 missionaries in our ward!! It's a little insane. It makes it really difficult to get to know the members. I have yet to have a Dinner Appointment here. Sister Moser and I are working on a plan for how to get to know the members better and serve them. So with the five sets of missionaries in our ward, the Coventry boundary is divided into five sections. So this complicates things as well. It means that whenever we leave "our area" (Coventry A), we have to request permission from the Zone Leaders. And if we find people that don't live in our area then we have to switch them over to the Elders that live in that area. Sister Moser and I found two solid people this week and had to hand them over. It wasn't fun. :( Oh well, we'll continue finding! We are teaching a few people right now. We taught this guy, Kindness, he's from Nigeria. He's 19 I think and just the nicest guy ever. He's anglican but not for long! Haha. We're also teaching a few chinese people. We went to an appointment on Saturday night with this chinese guy, Ash. Well we got there and started talking to his housemates. One of them, Dolly, we talked to for awhile. When we had gotten there, they were eating dinner but didn't have enough for us so Dolly insisted that she make us a meal. Well she disappeard into the kitchen and when she came back she was carrying a plate with oysters and another with a whole fish. Haha. It still had the head attached and everything... Ha, I was really nervous. But it was actually really delicious! We got to talking to Dolly about God and why we are here. She asked why do bad things happen to good people because her Grandfather just got cancer. She was really receptive to what we were saying and she said she will come to church next week. I so look forward to meeting more people. The people here are SO nice and willing to listen. Well, this past week we had the christmas conference. It was so great to have all the missionaries in one room! It was very powerful. The musical program went really well and I got through my song! Ha. Sister Rasmussen had made sweet pork and rice for costa vida salads! It was the closest thing I've had to it since I was home. Not the same, but it was still good :) We had costco cake for dessert which I couldn't even eat! It's really weird. I think my tastebuds have adjusted to british food because the cake was sooo sweet, I couldn't eat it! Weird. Well as a christmas present we all got a bag of chocolates from President and Sister Rasmussen and a temple-recommend holder with the Gadfield Elm chapel on it and a picture of our zone in the inside. Well, I think that's about all that happened this week! One week to Christmas week! I hope you are all giving something to Christ this year :) For Christmas this year I have decided to seek to adopt the attributes of the Saviour in my ministry and be inspired by His life and sacrifice for me. It's been good so far studying the attributes of Christ and I continue to learn so much from him. I know that He lives and that He guides this church today! I love you all! Have a great week! Love, Sister Jensen

Brilliant Week!

Dear Wonderful Family & Friends! Well, like always, it has been a brilliant week in England!! I have learned SO much!! This week we had the opportunity to go on exchanges. Sister Andersen stayed in Lichfield and I went to Harbourne with Sister Krylbourn. I got to see what the mission is like in a car, and let me tell you, it was fantastic! Haha. We listened to some Alex Boye' as we drove to Harbourne on the motorway. It was pure bliss. Especially when it was raining and we were warm and dry inside the car. Haha. I think I will try harder to get my driver's license! Okay, now the serious stuff! So when we got to Harbourne we went to pick up the Cannock Elders from the Birmingham New street station because Elder Felipe was going to Interview the Sisters' investigator for his baptism. The investigator's name is Thomas and is from Portugal. Elder Felipe is one of the only missionaries that speaks Portuguese so he got special permission to come to Harbourne to do the interview. Sidenote: The Harbourne are is like the center of Birmingham, so VERY busy and diverse. After we got the interview sorted, we drove to the Bishop's home for a Dinner appointment. The other sisters in Harbourne were there, Sister Merrill and Sister Roscher!! YES, Sister Merrill. It was a joyful reunion to see her again. After the Dinner appointment, we were supposed to go teach a lesson but on the way there we got stuck in completely stand-still traffic and had to cancel the appointment. We had to turn around and head back to the Sister's area where we did some finding and stopped by a few potentials. The Harbourne area is absolutely AMAZING. There are so many prepared people there. So many Chinese people! We talked to a few of them and I got to practice my Chinese. :) Well, after that we had to head home and go to bed. The next morning we did a bit of finding, had lunch and then went to see a Recent Convert, Riley. It was such a great exchange and I felt it re-ignited my greenie fire! We had to drive back to Lichfield to make it to our District meeting at 2:30. It was a powerful and LAST district meeting of the transfer. At the end of the meeting we had a testimony meeting which was amazing. I have grown so close to this District and it will be so sad to see it split up this week. We talked about how before we came to earth we promised people that we would find them and teach them. I definitely know that is true. It gives me that little push every day to try my hardest. Another highlight of the week was Stake Conference. Sounds like Sister Rasmussen has already told you guys a bit but we were invited to go to the adult meeting because it was all about missionary work. Elder Kearen of the 70 was there. I actually met him at the MTC when Elder Holland came. He is one amazing man! So I was pretty excited for the meeting. Well about halfway through the meeting they announced that we will now be hearing from Sister Jensen. I leaned over to Sister Andersen and said, "I sure hope there's another sister Jensen in the stake..." Then I looked up at the stand and President Rasmussen was pointing at me and motioning for me to come up. My heart completely dropped! Haha it was so terrifying. So I walked up to the stand and Elder Kearen grabbed my hand and whispered to me, "I want you to just bear your testimony. This isn't a talk, just say whatever comes to your heart." It was sooo scary!! I was grateful for the opportunity though. The Sunday session was so good as well. We got a new Stake President. I love knowing that all of our leaders are called of God and that they will lead us in the right way. I love being able to sustain our leaders. The church REALLY is true!! It is amazing!! I love the gospel so much and my opportunity to be a missionary. I love you all and hope you have a brilliant week!!!

Bowling with the district!

Love to Bowl!

Stake Conference

We spent the evening with 

your daughters at Stake

Conference. Both of them

sang in the choir and Sister

Jensen was asked to share

her testimony. They are

safely back at their apt.

which is in a safe area.

Sister R.

Lighting of Lichfield Christmas tree

Cupcakes for the elders.

Walkin in Sunshine!

Dear Family & Friends, It has been another fabulous week in the EBM!!! I am sooo incredibly blessed and I have really felt that this week. I have my new theme song for my mission... It's called Walking in Sunshine. I think it fits England perfectly... It goes: It's a beautiful day, even though it's dark out there You've got the sun in your face, take it with you everywhere And it warms your heart that's beating, It comes from believing, It's a beautiful, a beautiful feeling... It's like walkin' in sunlight when the whole world's covered in rainclouds (get it??) Like walkin in sunlight, Findin' the truth and livin' it out loud Yeah when you know what's right it's like Walkin in sunlight, sunlight It's amazing to me, how someone else can find the light that they need radiating in your eyes And it warms their heart that's beating And suddenly your leading them to that beautiful, beautiful feeling... CHORUS Basically, I think it is absolutely perfect. It sums up exactly how I have felt this week!! The truth of the gospel is something that shines out of your eyes. You have it and it makes you feel like even if all around you is dark and gloomy, you have the sunlight! I love that I have the opportunity to help others find that beautiful feeling that the gospel brings!! It's the BEST. Well, this week we've been doing a lot of teaching! We met this guy on the street, Steve and taught him twice this week. He's very... eccentric. Haha. But a really nice guy! We also taught Victoria once and that went really well. Thanksgiving was a pretty normal day for us. We had district meeting which was SO good. SIster Andersen and I made Spaghetti for the district as it was the end of the month and nobody had any money left. Haha. It was fun. Sometimes I feel like the Mom of the district as so many of these Elders are 18 years old. That evening the Hiltons made us a Thanksgiving Dinner. Elder VonScheel from Denmark was really confused about "yams." Haha, we had to explain to him what they were. English people don't usually have sweet stuff as a side to a main meal. So things like yams or the pomegranate salad that Mom usually makes they would NEVER eat with their main meal. They might have it for dessert though. So, that was really nice of them. Another highlight of the week was visiting this cute lady, Pat. She was an investigator of the sister's in Sutton Coldfield but she has terminal cancer and is now in a hospice that is in our area, so we've been asked to go and see her. She is a dry Mormon, all the way. She is about 70 years old, I would say and she can't physically be baptized although she really wants to. We went to visit her with the Bishop and his wife. On the drive over there, we decided we'd sing a song a the end of the spiritual thought and we were deciding which one to sing. We decided on Silent Night. Well, we got to the hospice and met with Pat. We had a nice thought about enduring to the end and then we asked her what was her favorite Christmas carol. And wouldn't you know, she said, Silent Night. It was so special. We sang a few songs and she absolutely loved it. She shares a room with two other women and we got to talk to them as well. It was a very wonderful experience that I won't ever forget. Well, I think that's about it for the week. Today we are going bowling as a District so that should be fun! I also bought some boxing gloves and pads so Sister Andersen are getting our boxing on in the mornings, having some good workouts. Haha :) Well I love you all so much! I'm so grateful for all you do for me! The Church is true!!! Love, Sister Jensen

Another Fantastic Week!

Dear Family & Friends, Another fantastic week in Lichfield, England! The biggest miracle of this week was when Victoria committed to a baptismal date!! We had a fantastic lessons with her about the Plan of Salvation and she agreed to be baptized. She also prayed during the lesson for the first time this week! It was a beautiful prayer. She is now just waiting for a spiritual confirmation that the Book of Mormon is true. Please keep her in your prayers!!! Another milestone of the week was our first English lesson!! We got to the house where they lived to walk with them to the chapel where we'd teach them. As we were knocking on the door, one of them came running into the house, sweating from head to toe, holding a bag. As he was dropping off the bag he told us that he was in a big hurry... he had just come from an interview and had another one in Walsall. He had no form of transportation-just his legs. He had ran from his last interview and was running to his next one, which is about a twenty minute drive in the car. It was SO incredibly humbling to see this man who had come thousands of miles away from his family in search of a job, literally running from interview to interview. It made me SO grateful for all the blessings I have! Well, we walked with Eduardo and Armando to the chapel and began the class. (We really had NO idea what we were doing and basically just improv-ed the whole thing... haha). We first started by introducing ourselves and then gave them each a "Placement Test" to see where they were at. Sister Andersen and I sat with Eduardo and the Elders helped Armando. After the placement test we went over some vocabulary words and then asked him questions to make him use English (correcting him along the way and seeing where he needed improvement). We figured out that he can speak pretty well and get his point across but he struggles with understanding people when they talk normally. So we have prepared lesson two and will be teaching it tomorrow at the chapel! Hopefully we'll be able to get more comfortable with it and also find more people to invite to the classes. On Wednesday we had Zone Meeting which was just SO good. I love being in a room with 30 other missionaries. We had been asked to prepare a two minute talk about why we decided to come on a mission. I just had a feeling I would be picked to share mine so I was really trying to think about it before the day of. I pondered and prayed and really couldn't come up with much. Serving a mission was just always something I wanted to do! It didn't really come all the sudden and it wasn't a difficult decision. I recognize and appreciate that for some, deciding to serve a mission is very difficult and it takes a lot of prayer and fasting to figure it out. But I am grateful that for me, the decision to come was a simple one. I still remember singing "I hope they call me on a mission" at age 3, and I genuinely meant those words. For all who are still trying to decide if a mission is for them, my answer to you is this: A mission is NOT for you. Missions have never and will never be for the missionaries. Missions are for all of God's children who have not had the INCREDIBLE blessing and privilege that we have had- that is to have the fullness of the Gospel in our lives. So if you are among that tiny percentage of people who have been chosen and set apart to have the gospel in their lives, stop wondering if a mission is for you, because it's not. It is only a small way that we can show Heavenly Father our gratitude for all He has given us. (Sidenote: This doesn't include Sisters, as serving a mission for girls has always been dependent upon the individual. Those who have been blessed to be sealed in the temple are doing the best missionary work by preparing for and raising righteous posterity!! Our contributions to the furthering of this work come in many different ways and ALL are accepted of the Lord). I sure love my mission and I'm so grateful for the many amazing people who have touched my life in England. There are so many people here that have helped me to feel at home and others who have stretched me out of my comfort zone to help me become better. I know with all my heart that this gospel is true. It is a knowledge that can only be felt, not one that can be proven. I know that the Book of Mormon is the word of God. I know that it was restored through the true prophet Joseph Smith. I know that we will all have the opportunity to live together again as eternal families because of the unconditional love of our Saviour, Jesus Christ. I know that He lives and that He is my personal Redeemer! I love this gospel and I love you all for the endless support and love you show me each week! Love, Sister Jensen We have the same family!!!! Cupcakes for the Elders! The lighting of Lichfield for Christmas!

Interesting Week

Dear Family and friends,

Well, it's been an interesting week! Wednesday was my "hump day" which basically means that i'm halfway done and it's all downhill from here! It was Zone Conference that day and Elder Dyches came to speak to us. So, needless to say it was a bit of a difficult day to realize that I only have a short amount of time left. I can't believe how fast time flies! I can remember perfectly what I was doing this time of year last year! How could I forget? This is the month when I received my mission call to Birmingham, England. I can't help but laugh thinking about how I said, "Birming-HAM" and we have it on video! Well, I can bear testimony today that Heavenly Father does know us all perfectly. I know that my mission call was inspired and I am exactly where I am supposed to be. I have met so many incredible people who have impacted my life forever and I know that I will meet more in the coming months. My testimony has grown SO much since this time last year. I KNOW that the atonement is absolutely real. Our Saviour loves us unconditionally and he wants to take away our guilt and shame. But the most important thing I've learned about the atonement has nothing to do with sin. It is that Jesus Christ suffered for our weaknesses and that I can call upon his strength at any time of the day or night. He is always there to help us up. I know that I couldn't do anything in missionary work without Him! 

So, this week we have met some brilliant people! We were in Burntwood doing some finding and we were headed to our dinner appointment but we had a bit of time until we were to arrive there. So we decided to stop into this little flower shop and get a flower for Sister Dracocardos, who was feeding us dinner. Well, we went into the little shop and were the only ones there. We started talking to the owner of the shop and of course she could tell that we weren't from England and she asked the golden question: So what are you doing here? We did our whole spiel on missionary work, etc. She asked us a few more questions, like Do you like it here? Which is the funniest question because everyone asks us and we always answer in the affirmative and they are so surprised. Haha. They can't understand why someone from America would like living in England. Well, anyways, she told us that her name was Kaylee and that her Mum is a Mormon! (YES.) So we asked if we could come back and talk to her more about the gospel! So she said yes- and we'll be seeing her tonight! Also, we begun teaching this lady, Victoria and her two sons. We taught restoration and it went SO well. It was so funny because in the lesson, she just said, "Oh and I'm going to start giving up coffee." Haha, she apparently remembered the word of wisdom and committed to living it even before we asked! We'll be seeing her again tonight as well. 

Roy is doing really well and came to church this week. He is a gem! He's still having a hard time with prayer. But I know that he will get there. Also, Charlie showed up at church this week!!! We weren't even expecting him and he just walked through the door. So that was a very happy moment. We will begin teaching English classes this week to Carlos and Eduardo and we're really excited about that. 

Zone conference was absolutely amazing! Elder Dyches is so cool. He trained us on how to use our time more effectively. I got to play the piano for the meeting so that was also a great opportunity. His wife was a convert to the church and she is incredible as well. It is an exciting time to be a missionary! We're all really looking forward to the coming year and the changes that will happen with our missionary work. Thank you everyone for all your prayers and support! They are felt! I love you all! 

Sister Jensen 

Week of Miracles

Dear Family & Friends! WOW It has definitely been a week of miracles!! It is amazing how things really never go according to plan, because they always go according to God's plan. Well, last week on Friday we GQ-ed into this lady, Brenda. She was super solid but didn't feel comfortable giving us her information but she did tell us that she lived on Morley Road. So we decided, of course, to knock the WHOLE of Morley Road. (Let me add that it is a VERY long road). And so we began! The first day we knocked we did about 20 doors. We were trying to look for signs because we knew she had a german shephard and she lived alone. We were getting to the end of one side of the street and the last house obviously belonged to a family but we decided to knock it anyway. A woman opened the door holding a little boy. She had purple hair, tattoos and piercings. We did our spiel and she told us that she meets with J-dubs (Jehovah's witnesses) but that she would love to have us around. She kept saying how she loved our accents. Haha. So we set up a return appointment with her! So a couple days later, we came back to Burntwood (this is a little town outside Lichfield where all this was happening). We showed up for the appointment with Nikki (purple hair lady) and she wasn't in. So we decided as a back up plan to finish knocking Morley Drive. Well we knocked doors for about an hour and a half (not to mention it was pouring rain), and we were just not having any luck. Out of about 40 doors, we gave away one Book of Mormon. Well we pressed on. We came to one door and we could hear someone behind the door. So we lightly knocked and out came Brenda!!! She told us that we almost missed her and that she was going into Lichfield if we wanted a ride. So we of course accepted and we got to have a little chat with her in the car. We got her phone number and just got to know her a little better. Looking back on how everything worked out, I just know that Heavenly Father was in charge. Had Nikki showed up to her appointment, we would have missed Brenda all together. It was such a testimony builder for me about faith. I had been praying every night since we met her that Heavenly Father would put her in our path again. But he didn't just let her walk past us in the street. We had to exercise our faith by working, by using the knowledge that we had and doing ALL that we could. I know that true faith is exercised not when we are on our knees, pleading, but when we are on our feet working. Well, we also got to go back to Nikki's and got her phone number so we can set up a return appointment with her for sometime this week. We've also been doing some area book finding- basically going through the area book looking for formers or potentials that we could try by again. We found this one lady, Victoria who had been meeting with the Elders pretty consistently before sisters came into Lichfield. She had been on a date before but it didn't happen because she worked on Sundays and couldn't make it to church. Well, we decided to give it a shot. So we knocked on her door, and she answered! She loved us immediately (because we're American) and before we even asked she said we could come by again! So we got a return appointment with her for Monday (tonight). She is super normal, has two boys, and she's SO nice. I can definitely see potential with her! Sister Andersen and I are so excited for this coming week! We've been working really hard to find people to teach and hopefully we will be able to reap our efforts this week and begin teaching and putting people on baptismal dates! Roy is doing really well. We taught him Restoration this week. He told us that he already knows the Book of Mormon is true. The issue is that he just has never prayed before and he said that he's doing all of this 3/4 for his wife, Pat and 1/4 for himself. We really need him to see how it has to be for only him and the Lord. We will continue to pray for him and hopefully the spirit will work on his heart. We are also hopefully going to begin teaching English this week to the spanish lads!! We're going to print out loads of flyers offering free english classes and have Carlos give them out to all the lads at work. Also, this Thursday is Zone Conference and we will be hearing from Elder Dyches! He spoke in General Conference. He will be giving us some training so we are very excited for Thursday! That is about all that is going on right now in the EBM. The weather is definitely getting colder and LOTS AND LOTS of rain. But the spirit in the air is a happy one as Christmas is around the corner! It makes me so excited to be here and to be a missionary at this special time. I am SO thankful for my many many blessings and I love you all so much! Have a great week! XOXO Sister Jensen

Forgot a cool thing!

OH! I forgot one really cool thing that happened this week! So it was an evening and we didn't have an appointment and now that it gets dark so early it's difficult to find productive ways to spend your time since nobody is out to GQ and people get freaked out if you knock on their doors. So, we decided to bake cookies and bring them to our neighbors! So we knocked on the people's door beneath us and a man with his boy answered the door. He introduced himself as Paul and his son, Luca. He was not from England- we could tell straightaway. He said he is from Lima, Peru and he married an English woman barbara and Luca is their son. We stood on their porch and talked for about 30 minutes about England, America, and what we do as missionaries. Paul told us he is Catholic and he has seen Mormons in Peru before. We got to tell him a little bit about what we believe and he took it well. It was SO cool. Hopefully we'll continue to build relationships with them and see what happens!! 

Precious Children!

 Cutest little boy, Jacob

 Annalelise Dracocardos age 5.

Happy Halloween!

Dear Family & Friends, Well, Happy Late Halloween!!! Halloween was basically non-existant here in England! Apparently nobody really celebrates it. Everyone finds it weird that people go door to door asking for sweets.... So that was definitely a let-down!!! We did get a call from the Zone Leaders asking us to be in by six o clock so Halloween night was spent in the flat! Well, as you may know, this week was transfers!!! I am still in Lichfield, but with a new companion, Sister Anderson. She is such a sweetheart! She's 20 years old, from Colorado and we basically have the same family we discovered! She is also the middle child with two brothers on both sides AND her older brother is named Jake! Haha. Well, we get along great and it's going to be a great transfer! Sister Bertha was moved to Swansea, Wales! She was really excited. It was sad saying goodbye but she's on to bigger things! Well it was a really great week!! Our district got moved around a bit as well. We have a new District Leader, Elder Okounghae. He's from London and has been out almost 10 months. He was really nervous about it but is doing a great job so far!! We had some major miracles at church this week with three investigators there!!!! Rachel and her 8-year old daughter Bethany came and they both just really enjoyed it and said they would love to come again next week!!! Also, Roy came to church and stayed for all three hours!!! The Sunday school lesson was perfect as well because it was on Eternal Marriage and Roy came with his wife (they've been married 53 years so it was a great topic!) We're really excited about these next couple months. We met with a member of the bishopric, brother Mace and went through the entire ward list and found some more LA's that we can go and visit. Also, I don't remember if I told you already but these three spanish lads came to England for work a couple weeks ago. Carlos is originally from Equador (a lamanite!!!- he's already a member of the church) and is living with the Bishop for now. Then there's two others that are living with Pauline. One of them, Eduardo is religous and we've decided to start teaching them all English while introducing Eduardo to the church! We are REALLY excited to begin working with him!!! Some good things will be happening this transfer! We're really excited to buckle down and do the Lord's work! Well, I just want you all to know that if there's anything I've learned on my mission it is that Heavenly Father is involved in the smallest details of our lives! If you haven't seen his hand in your life today, pray that your eyes will be opened and then look for it because I promise you that it is. He is very aware of you and loves you SO much! I know that He lives and that He is watching out for us day by day... We can show our love for Him by the way we live! I know that obedience brings happiness! I love you all SO much!!!! Love, Sister Jensen

My New Companion!

 New companion Sister Anderson from Colorado!

Another Great Week

Dear Family & Friends, Well, it has been another great week! I know that Heavenly Father is aware of each of us and I have felt the prayers of so many people this week!!! The week started out not so good as I was coming down with a cold. I guess the English weather finally got to me! I had to break down this week and buy a brolly, (umbrella). Needless to say, we weren't able to work at 100% but we still did our best! I am amazed at how Heavenly Father still uses us when we may think we can't or when we thing we can't go any farther. Those first steps of faith really are the most difficult ones to take but we are blessed as we call upon the Lord's strength and take those steps. I noticed that it was difficult to muster the strength just to get out the door, but I can honestly say that I was bolstered up with strength from a source not my own. I want to thank each of you for your constant prayers because I REALLY felt those this week. I have heard people say that after they've experienced a tragedy in their life and I must admit I was somewhat cynical about it... thinking, how is it that you can feel the prayers of others? But I can say that the power of prayer is very real- just as real as the power of the devil. It is a great gift that our father and heaven has given us. This week we had the great opportunity to teach Roy Burbridge. Sister Bertha and I fasted last Sunday that he would accept the invitation to be baptised and that his heart would be softened. On Wednesday, we went to their house. We were a bit concerned about teaching him with his wife, because she is a member and can be really pushy and take over the lesson at times. But it all worked out so that she had to finish cooking the meal so we were left to talk with Roy on our own. Normally the first lesson we would teach the Restoration, but we were impressed to teach the Gospel of Jesus Christ. We talked to him about the principles of the gospel-faith, repentance, baptism, gift of the holy ghost, and enduring to the end. The spirit was so strong and he was very receptive. When it came to the subject of baptism, we asked him, "Roy, when you find these things to be true, will you follow th example of Jesus Christ and be baptised by someone holding the priesthood authourity of God?" He paused for a few moments... and said, "Yes, I will." We asked him if he would committ to November 30th, but then he said he wouldn't commit to a date. We asked him why and he told us that he has a fear of being immersed in water. Well, we tried to testify to him that God would make a way for him to be baptised, but he still wouldn't budge. We asked him to pray about a date to commit to and we would follow-up next time. Well, it was still a MAJOR victory and we both left feeling so happy. Roy is definitely progressing in the right direction! Please pray that his heart will soften and he will overcome his fear of water. (He is 82 years old, so the physical act of baptism scares him as well. If you have any advice about the subject, it would be much appreciated!!) Another miracle this week happened when we knocked on a LA's door. Her name is Leila Russell. She is about 28 and has 2 kids out of wedlock. Her family is very strong in the gospel but they live in America right now. She had her first daughter, Rosie when she was only 17 and rosie has been baptised and comes to youth every week. Well, we've knocked on her door before but she has never been in. So we decided to try again and she was home! It turned out that her little boy had taken a fall at school that day and had potentially broken his nose so she was home with him. Normally she wouldn't be in until later because she works so it was a miracle that she was home that day. We got to know her and shared a spiritual thought with her. Now, the highlight of the week was Jade's baptism!!! It was all a little hectic (as most baptisms are!) but it worked out in the end. Jade's uncle, mom, stepdad and nan were all there to witness it. She looked absolutely beautiful in white and was so excited. She really is an amazing girl! One of the Young Women spoke and then a young women leader spoke as well. The Young Women sang, "Walk tall, you're a daughter" which I accompanied. The whole service was lovely. Then on Sunday, she was given confirmed a member of the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints! My heart was so full during that sacrament meeting and I knew that Heavenly Father was so proud of her decision. Also! Malcolm, who we've been working with for these past two transfers, came to church yesterday for the first time!! And Roy came as well!!! It was so good. In gospel principles, we talked about Eternal Families. I must admit that at the end of the lesson I was feeling pretty home-sick (not in the way that I want to come home but just that I wished I could give my family a big hug and tell them how much I love them.) So Mom, Dad, Jake, Kayla, and Brayden, I am sending you a virtual hug right now!!!! ...... I hope you got it :) I love you all SO much. As I sat in that lesson, I pondered on the many memories we have had over the years as a family. I remember Mom always yelling, "Script-ies!!" at 6:30 am every morning and how we would fumble down the stairs with our blankies and fight over who got to sit on the heater. I don't really remember much of what we read but those memories will be with me forever as a testimony to me that my parents knew it was important for us to read the scriptures together as a family. Another memory that came to my mind during the class was when we were in Oregon on family vacation with grandma and grandpa Jensen. We all had the opportunity to go to the temple together and do baptisms for the dead. What a special experience it was for me to be baptised by my older brother, Jake. There is nothing that can be used to describe the feeling of being inside the temple as a family. Now Brayden, this is a shout out to you! ---- Pretty soon YOU will be going through the temple for your own endowment and we will have the opportunity to be together as a family in the temple! Prepare for that time right now and do not let ANYTHING get in the way. This is of most importance. I didn't realize it at the time how incredible this opportunity is but I am realizing it more and more. As a missionary you don't get to go to the temple unless you live close to one and receieve permission from your mission president. I definitely took it for granted, being able to go whenever I wanted. And I miss the temple so bad now. But I look forward to the time when I will be able to go again. I know that it is where we can be sealed forever with our families and where we can gain strength to serve. I have felt that strength come to me as I have kept my covenants and would encourage everyone to remember those covenants they have made- whether in the temple, or just your baptismal covenants. There is power that comes as we keep our covenants. I love all of you SO much and I'm grateful for all you do! Please keep Roy and Malcolm in your prayers. Have a fantastic week! Love, Sister Jensen

Wonderful people

 Renuka family in our ward.

 Sister Pauline Jarvis

Heber Pullen.

Jades Baptism

Liquid Sunshine

Dear Family & Friends! Well I am currently writing you at the moment in the family history center of our church, basically drenched from head to toe. Haha. It has been raining every day for like the past two weeks! Fun stuff. Our chapel in Lichfield was closed this Sunday because kids have been climbing on the roof and there are many broken tiles so rain has been getting inside. It made for a little adventure though! We had sacrament meeting in Sutton Coldfield. There were five sets of missionaries there! It was so funny. Anyways, it looks like it'll be raining for the rest of forever here! Haha nah, it's not bad if you're well equipped. So this week was pretty slow for missionary work. We had exchanges with our sister training leaders from Monday night to Tuesday night. I was with Sister Sassenus (she's from Belgium) and it was SO great. We had an Alma and Amulek moment, preaching to the multitudes. Haha. We were doing finding on the University campus and we walked past this group of about six guys. We were like, "should we talk to them or not?" We decided to go back and talk to them. We walked up and asked if we could share a card with them? about 4/6 were interested and stayed and talked with us while the others walked away. They agreed to meet with us again! It was SO cool. I was so nervous to talk to them but it was interesting how the ones that were interested stayed and the ones that weren't just walked away. It really taught me that you just have to place your faith in the Saviour and not be afraid and then miracles will happen! The next day, Sister Bertha and I met up with them again and taught them the Plan of Salvation! They really liked it and hopefully we'll be meeting with them again soon. Also, good News!! Jade passed her baptismal interview! So she will be baptised this Saturday! So exciting!!! We are so proud of her. On Thursday we had District meeting at the Sutton building and then interviews with President afterwards. It was SO good. Elder Alejandre taught about Christlike attributes. At the end he had us all talk about a Christlike attribute that our companion is really good at. The spirit was so strong in the room as we all talked about our companions. Something that Sister Bertha is really strong in is her faith. While i'm more the type to be cynical, she always gives people the benefit of the doubt and has so much faith in others. I truly believe that the Lord inspires our President to put us with the people who will help us the most. Transfers are coming up on the 30th of October and i'm so sad about the thought of being split from Sister Bertha. We really get along so well and have a great time together while working hard. But I suppose all good things have to come to an end and that everything is in the Lord's timing. I'm excited for the challenges that lie ahead in the future! I wanted to share with you something that President sent out this week in our email. Dear Elders and Sisters, A farmer’s son once watched with great compassion as a tiny chick stirred within its shell. Slowly the bird made a small crack in the egg, its tiny beak just poking through. And then, weary from its efforts, the bird paused to rest. Thinking he would help, the young boy pried open the shell with his thumbs, pulling away fragments of the shell until the bird was free. But in his eagerness to make life easier for the young bird, he sealed its fate: Without strength built from pecking open its own shell, the bird could not survive. Obstacles are a part of missions, but most of us don’t realize what a vital part they are, building in us the traits we need to succeed in our missionary service and for life. We often see difficulties and failures as doors that have slammed, opportunities we’ve lost, when in fact these trials can be tremendous gifts. Look at the everyday people around us who overcome setbacks—a missionary who lost a father, mother, sister or brother who diligently finishes the mission, a single mother who puts herself through nursing school and later helps all her children through college and missions, a man who takes on an extra job to support his family, including his missionary, during tough economic times. These are people who refuse to be beaten; they persevere through the storms and use challenges as a catapult. Every bird in flight is an example to us of this same perseverance. Each one had to break through its shell, one chip at a time, determined to live, determined to fly. The shell was an obstacle but also the very tool that built strength and tenacity. Those who understand this truth refuse to let bumps in the road define their entire mission. If we resolve never to give up, then our obstacles, instead of becoming final verdicts, can launch us to greater heights. As the Lord said, if we are to be His disciples, we must continue in His word. (John 8:31) The Lord has and will continue to bless you, His missionaries, in remarkable ways because of your faithfulness and perseverance. With much love, President Rasmussen I just absolutely loved that analogy and I see that it is so true. There have been so many challenges on my mission but it is amazing to look back on them and realize how they were just tools that were strengthening me. So many people that we talk to each day tell us how they can't believe in God because of all the bad things that happen in the world. But when we have an eternal perspective, we realize that the hard things are gifts to make us stronger. No opportunity is lost if we use it to grow. No trial is too hard to bear. This week during my personal study I was pondering on the atonement. I've been studying a lot about grace and what it really means. So many times I've heard people say how Christ makes up the difference, when in reality he makes ALL the difference. He didn't just suffer and atone for that little bit that we CAN'T do on our own. He suffered for even the part that we CAN do on our own. But why would He do that? Why would He choose to suffer for the part when we may not need him? I believe (now this is just Sister Jensen's doctrine), that He chose - He didn't have to - but he chose to suffer for everything so that during those moments when we DON'T need him, we can choose to let Him take our yoke upon Him. We can choose to join our strengths with His. When we do this, our the tiny portion of our strength is multiplied and we are able to do all things! He suffered all things for Him so even when it's easy, it can be easier! It is so amazing to know that He loves us SO much. We love Him because He first loved us. I know that He is there for us at all times. I hope that we can take advantage of His atonement in our lives and call upon His power every day. I love you all so much! Thank you for your constant prayers of love and support. I want you to know that I do feel the strength of your prayers every day. With all my love, Sister Jensen

Another Great Week

My wonderful family and friends!!! WOW! I have so much to write about. So I'll just get started. So Tuesday we had the mission event at the Gadfield Elm chapel and Benbow farm. We met in Birmingham at 9:30 am and hopped on the coach. It was about a 45 minute drive to Benbow farm. It was wet and cold! We got off the bus and were greeted by our wonderful mission president and his wife. We all walked down to the pond which looked more like a puddle! It was a beautiful sight though. President talked for about ten minutes about the history of it. Wilford Woodruff himself dug the pond and baptized about 60 people in it. I had the opportunity to sing Come Follow Me. Everyone joined in on the last verse. It was so special. After, we got back in the coach for another 45 minute drive to Gadfield Elm Chapel. It was sooo gorgeous. It's just a tiny little thing but the spirit is so strong inside of it. We had a small meeting about 30 minutes long. Wilford Woodruff preached to the United Brethren and all but one were baptised. I love learning about the history of the church and the sacrifices the early saints made so that I can be here in Great Britain! It was amazing sitting inside that little chapel, just thinking about all those who have come before me. It makes me SO excited to get more involved in my genealogy when I get home! Okay, so update on Jade. She is just amazing! We had a great lesson with her on Tuesday. We taught her the Plan of Salvation. The spirit was so strong and at the end of the lesson she started to cry and say how she knows her Auntie is looking down on her and how she is so proud of her. It was a very special moment. Wow, we're so lucky to have the knowledge of the Plan of Salvation! It just makes everything make sense! We also taught her again on Thursday and she had a neighbor over, Rachel who's probably in her 30's. We taught them together and Rachel is really interested! She also said she has an 8 year old daughter who she has been wanting to get involved in a church! So it was an absolute miracle! We are excited to continue teaching Rachel and her daughter Bethany in the coming weeks! On Saturday we had to opportunity to take Jade to a baptism in Cannock. The girl getting baptised is ALSO named Rachel, (so don't get them confused! This Rachel is absolutely amazing! She has had a rough road as her parents aren't supportive, but she's 20 years old so she doesn't need permission. The Elders started teaching her in March when she requested a visit from missionaries. At the time it was Elder Packer and Elder Church who were teaching her, then Elder Church went to Glenfield and Elder Packer began training Elder Schlovotsky. They have been teaching Rachel ever since. She's had some amazing experiences! She called the elders this week and told them how she prayed for the first time with real intent and basically, saw Christ. He told her that "He was with her" From that moment she was SOLID and so excited to be baptised. Needless to say, the baptism was SUCH an emotional, powerful, spiritual experience. Rachel was very nervous but as soon as she came up out of the water she was so happy and emotional. Jade was also emotional and really felt the spirit. They had a testimony meeting while Rachel was getting dressed and OMG. It was so good. There were about 10 missionaries there, and every single one of those elders are just SOLID. It was so great being among other missionaries, feeling united in our purpose to share the gospel. It was a night I won't forget! We also had a great lesson with Roy Burbridge. He's married to a member, Pat, and is 82 years old today! He promised his wife that they would be sealed in the temple (in this life) and obviously his time is getting shorter every day. Sister Burbridge told us that she has been praying this whole year that he would accept the invitation to be baptised and that his heart will be softened. Well, we went over and were just chatting about everything. We started asking Pat questions about how she was converted and led the discussion to Roy. We asked him if he would like to be sealed to his wife and he said, "Yes of course." We asked him a few more questions. We testified of the wonderful sealing power of the temple and the blessings that come through membership in the church. The spirit was SO strong, Sister Bertha and I were both in tears. We asked him if he would take the missionary discussions. He said that he would need some time to think about it. They are going on holiday for 2 weeks so we said that he can get back to us when they get home. We are praying so hard for him and we know that this is his time! We're excited for them to get home soon so Roy can progress. So a couple random, not spiritually related moments of the week- We got to go with the Renukas ( a LA family in the ward who are all coming back in full force!! ) to the Lichfield Cathedral. It was the first time going inside and it was absolutely breathtaking! Also we got to go to a wedding at the chapel on Saturday! So LDS weddings work a little differently. Basically, the government doesn't count a sealing in the temple as a legal wedding so couples first have to get legally wedding and then they have to drive up to the temple and get sealed there. So, The Maces are an amazing family in the ward. They asked if we could help out at the wedding and also invited us to attend. It was gorgeous and a really good English experience! :) But it was nothing compared to the temple! It was interesting because during the whole ceremony everyone kept talking about how later in the day they would go to the temple. Haha. I have to admit it made me a LITTLE marriage trunky! Haha but don't worry, I bounced back really fast! Well, that's about it for the week!!! Looking forward to more miracles in the coming week! Till then, Sister Jensen

Hanging out with the Canadians

 Our canadian Elders!

Christmas is coming!

 My favorite kitty, Pumpkin

Gadfield Elm Chapel

Another fabulous week in the EBM

Dear Wonderful Family & Friends,

It has been another fabulous week in the EBM! Time is flying by and my subconcious is starting to freak out! I had another dream last night about going home. Haha. 10 months just doesn't seem like enough time! But I am doing so well and loving every day here.  It is so true that there is no greater joy in life than being anxiously engaged in the work of the Lord. I have never been happier.

We have been blessed with so many wonderful experiences this week. A couple highlights:

JADE: Jade is a 17 year old girl who has been attending YW's for about a year. She has slight learning disabilities but is the absolute sweetest girl in the world. A couple weeks ago, Sister Raybone expressed that she could use some help with Personal Progress and asked if there was anything we could do to help. Another Sister in the ward found a simplified program for those with disabilities. We began teaching her the lessons through Personal Progress. She is loving it! This past week invited her to be baptized on October 26th and she gladly accepted! It was such a tender moment. I am so proud of her and her desire to follow the Saviour. It has been such a testimony to me that we teach people, not lessons! We need to adapt our lessons to every person.

RHYS- We found a great finding spot this week and within 5 minutes we met Rhys! He is attending Uni in Lichfield and we got talking to him about the gospel. We taught him a lesson on the spot! He is so cool. We can't tell if he's really interested personally but he said that he has a few friends who are interested. So we'll see how that goes!

RELIEF SOCIETY BROADCAST! So starting at 11 am we went to the chapel to do some service to help the Stake Relief Society President prepare for relief society activity and broadcast. We helped her set up tables and get food ready. There were two classes on nutrition and first aid. Then, afterward we watched the broadcast. It was SO SO good and had me in tears basically the whole time. I love our leaders and I am so inspired by their examples! I loved Sister Burton's talk on covenant keeping. The story of the ewe was so good. I love how she said, " Come on, you are not tied down anymore, you are free!" It is so true. The atonment of Jesus Christ releases those ropes that tie us down. With Him, we are made free. I also loved the analogy from Sister Reeves about the Provo tabernacle. It was engulfed in flames a few years ago and many wondered Why? Couldn't the Lord have prevented the fire? Yes, he could have! But what we didn't know is that He was preparing the tabernacle for it's greater, divine, purpose as a temple. It is the same in our lives. WE may not understand why He lets bad things happen in our lives, but He does. All trials and tribulation will be for our good and they will be the means of sculpting us into the "temple" he knows we have the potential to be.

GENERAL CONFERENCE! Ah, it was just too good for words. I was so excited to sit and watch 8 hours of talks!!! Haha. I know, you may think I'm crazy but it really was a spiritual feast. I am so thankful for our beloved prophet, Thomas S. Monson. I know that he is God's mouthpiece on the earth today and we are so lucky to have him! Oh, there were just so many wonderful talks so I can't even pick one of them. But I loved Elder Hales' about General Conference. He really helped me to see that we need to listen to Conference and then go home and LIVE what we learn. It isn't meant to be a spiritually uplifting experience and then we move on. We really need to apply what we learned. On a separate sheet of paper from my notes I wrote down the spiritual impressions I received and it's hanging up in the flat! I would encourage you all to do the same and see what the Lord wants you to improve on in the next 6 months. As I sat and listened to conference I couldn't believe that it has only been a year since the Prophet announced the lowering of the age. Since that d ay, my life has been changed drastically! I am overwhelmed to think that I am counted worthy to be a servant of the Lord and to wear his name accross my heart every day. What a privelege. A year ago I was sitting in Utah watching conference on a television screen, worrying about finals and what the Lord had in store for me in the coming months. Never did anticipate what He had in store for me! I can testify that Heavenly Father has great plans for each of us and we have to be willing to let go of the life we have planned to have the life that is waiting for us!

I love my mission. I feel that it is changing me from a tabernacle into a temple. I glorify His name and praise Him for the multitude of blessings He has given to me. I love you all. Thank you for your examples and support!

Love,

Sister Jensen

Fun in Lichfield

 Beautiful sunny day!

Great Week

Dear Family & Friends! HAPPY BIRTHDAY TO THE BEST LITTLE BROTHER IN THE WORLD!!! B, I really wish I was there to give you a BIG hug and congratulate you for being born today, 18 years ago!!! Haha. You are an adult!! So weird. I hope that you have a fabulous birthday and that all of your wildest dreams come true! I love you and miss you and you REALLY have been falling behind on writing me!!!! >:( I'll let you off the hook today since it's your birthday but I'd better hear from you next week!!! ;) It's been a roller coaster of a week, full of the highest highs and the lowest lows! This week, Marie dropped us which was sooo disappointing. We really had so much hope in her! We still do though. I know that we were planting seeds and that someday she will receive the gospel. We spent a day in Burntwood this week which is about 5 miles out of Lichfield. We thought we'd expand our focus and try tracting in a different area. On our way to a member's home to do some service, we started talking to this older couple who were in their front garden. We started talking to them about their garden (because it was beautiful!) and they told us that we should see the back garden! Apparently they had won competitions for it! They invited us in their back garden and it was absolutely GORGEOUS. It went way far back and it was just decked out! I can't even describe it. Every square inch had something to look at. Apparently they spend 4 hours working on it every day! Talk about dedication. They showed us around for about 20 minutes and we also got to talk to them a bit about the church and our job as missionaries. They also gave us apples from off their tree. We decided that we're going to make an apple pie and bring it to them this next week! (Of course we'll use a glass dish so we have another excuse to see them again!) Haha. So later that day in Burntwood we also met this kid, Jordan who is 16 years old and wants to be a pastor!! Haha. We gave him a Book of Mormon and he said he would read it and come to General Conference. Thursday we had the BEST district meeting of my whole mission!! President and Sister Rasmussen came to sit in. Elder Alejandre did SUCH a good job! We talked about finding. He had one of the Elders, Elder Durrant go out in the hall while he assigned us each a "role" to take. He told us that if Elder Durrant testified of a certain thing to us then we would be responsive but if not then we wouldn't be interested. I was assigned to be a girl sitting on the bench, listening to music and if Elder Durrant asked me to come to church then I would be responsive. It was SO funny and also a good learning experience. Sister Bertha and Sister Rasmussen pretended to be two party girls and if he talked to them about the purpose of life then they would be responsive. The best was Elder Leal who pretended to be a drunk guy. Haha. It was SO realistic! What I really loved was that as soon as Elder Durrant started to testify of truth, you could feel the spirit so strongly in the room. It is such evidence to me that our message is SO true and we need to really pay attention to that spirit as it will direct us to what specific part of the gospel the people need to hear. At the end of the District Meeting, President took about 10 minutes to speak to us. He told us how they had just got back from Paris at a mission president conference with Elder Ballard and Elder Oaks. He had been talking to Sister Ballard and she informed him that she would love to talk but she that she was losing her memory from old age. President Rasmussen said that he asked her about her children, (assuming that since it was a long term memory, she would be able to remember). She said, "If I think about it long enough I will be able to remember their names." WOW. President R said, "talk about someone who has worn out her life to the Lord." He then went on to explain what Elder Ballard said to them. He said, "If we had one hour, I could take any one of you and go out on the streets of Paris, and we would find 20 potential investigators." He said, you can find people anywhere you are serving, God's elect are there! All you need to do is talk to everyone. Don't walk by a single person. Elder Ballard then asked the mission presidents, "If you could summarize a missionary's purpose in 3 words, what would it be?" Some of them started to say things like, helping, inviting...etc. Then Elder Ballard said, "A missionary's purpose is to Find, Teach, and Baptize. We can even shorten a missionary's purpose to one word, "Baptize". WOW. That really hit me sooo hard! I think that sometimes we as missionaries get distracted and we forget that we really are here to baptize!! I think some missionaries are hesitant to say that because they feel like it's impersonal or robotic. It is NOT. We are here to baptize people so that our brothers and sisters can also have the opportunity to overcome spiritual death. This is the only way. There is NO other way! All we have to do is believe that there are people who are ready. President R ended by telling us what Elder Ballard does when he gets discouraged or overwhelmed with the work. He said, he looks at a picture of the Saviour, thinks about what he did for us and then gets up and goes to work. It is so humbling to picture these men, the members of the quorum of the twelve who are full time missionaries for years and years. They waste and wear out their lives in the service of God. And they do it because they love Jesus Christ. I am so thankful for my Saviour. He is the reason why I do what I do every day. I love him because he first loved me and he loved me enough to give up his life. I would encourage all of you to carry around a picture of the Saviour that you can have to look at whenever you may feel discouraged. Think about Him and remember that never once did He stop. Never did He waver from the path. Never did He question his divinity. And never did He stop loving us. Because of Him, we can press forward with faith. We can wake up every morning with a smile on our face, knowing it will be a great day. Because every day is great when we have the Lord on our side! As President was leaving from our District Meeting he told us that we should look forward to some really exciting things happening in the mission soon. He told us to check our emails from him this Monday... so of course that was the first thing I did today! Here is what he said: Dear Elders and Sisters, A special mission event will be held during October at Gadfield Elm Chapel and Benbow Farm. These historically significant places will be our privilege to see, experience and remember together. The Gadfield Elm Chapel near the village of Pendock in Worcestershire, England, is the oldest existing chapel of The Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day Saints. The structure was built in 1836 as a religious meetinghouse by the United Brethren, a group of breakaway Methodists led by Thomas Knighton and John Benbow. In 1840, Elder Wilford Woodruff of the Quorum of the Twelve preached among the United Brethren; ultimately all but one of the 600 members of the United Brethren were converted. After the conversions, the structure was deeded to the Church by Thomas Knighton and John Benbow. Three prophets have spoken in Gadfield Elm Chapel. At Benbow Farm, Elder Wilford Woodruff first began to preach the restored gospel in Southwest England and at the farm’s pond he baptized many of the United Brethren group, including John and Jane Benbow. These new converts immigrated to America where they made significant contributions to the Church. Following our trip to Gadfield Elm Chapel and Benbow Farm, we will travel to Gloucester Chapel for lunch and a group activity. It will be a glorious and inspiring time. Sister Rasmussen and I are looking forward to being with each of you. Thank you for your faithful service to the Lord. With much love, President Rasmussen Please wear your “Sunday best” missionary clothes. We will be taking a group picture. So, I'm not sure what all this entails, but it sounds exciting! My Zone will be going on the 8th of October, so next Tuesday. I can't wait to tell you all about it! Also, President said that a General Authority will be coming to our mission in the near future! AH! Exciting. Anyways, I'd better get going. But I love you all SO much and i'm SO thankful for you love and support!!! XOXOXO SIster Jensen

Humbled and blessed!

Dear Family & Friends,

This week I have been seriously humbled and have come recognize just how blessed I have been. It seems that every week there is a "theme" and the theme for this week is the importance of families! I am really beginning to realize JUST how essential the family is to our progression in the gospel. I don't know if you remember Marie? She is the cute girl (28 yrs old) we tracted into a couple of weeks ago. She was SO nice and agreed to let us come back but when we went back, she had forgotten about our appointment and told us just to call her and reschedule. So we tried to reschedule but she wouldn't answer our calls or texts. So instead we decided to drop by on Tuesday and hope that we would catch her in. We knocked on her door and she came to the door, not seeming like her usual happy self. She told us that it wasn't a good time.Then she opened up to us and told us that her husband left her, which was why she didn't return our calls. She went on to tell us that her husband had an affair and left her with her 3 boys. He keeps calling her and is SO angry at her for no reason. He came around the other day and smashed the window to their car. She said that it's not like him at all and that he's never been like this and she hasn't told the kids yet either. It was SO incredibly sad and my stomach just sunk. We tried to console her and we gave her a scripture out of the Book of Mormon to read and gave it to her. We dropped by again during the week to see Marie and she wasn't doing well. She said that she has a hard time eating or sleeping. We are trying to be there for her but not be annoying at the same time. She really trusts us though so we are trying to build a relationship. It's obviously not the right time at the moment to start teaching her but I know that in time she will be receptive to the gospel.

Charlie is doing really well. He is progressing rapidly in the gospel and is such an inspiration to me! We had some amazing lessons with him this week. He is really building relationships with people in the ward and just loves to be around them. On Thursday we took him and Layton to Pauline's for dinner and a lesson. After the lesson, he was walking back with us and started telling us about his family situation. He said that his Mum and Dad weren't married when he was born and his Dad left the family when he was about 4. He lived with his Dad for a bit who is now married to another woman. His stepmom is just awful to him so he eventually moved out to live with his Mom again and left with nothing but the clothes on his back. He's had to work to provide for himself since he was 14 years old and his family is just messed up. He told us how sometimes he sees movies with a father and a son, where the father is building a treehouse with his son or something like that and how he has never had that. It's so sad. We just really tried to testify to him that he has a Heavenly Father that loves him SO much and that as much as he wants to take away our trials, he can't take away other people's agency. It's obviously no coincidence that the first thing we teach new investigators is that God is our Loving Heavenly Father! It is a truth that the world needs so badly.

So Charlie really wants to be baptized this Saturday but his Mom won't sign the papers and his Dad lives like 50 miles away. It really stinks. :/ We are praying and really trying to have faith that his Mom's heart will be softened. Please include him in your prayers!

So many experiences this week have really just helped me to see how blessed I am to have a mother and a father who love and respect each other and who have done their best to raise us. If everyone had a Mum and Dad like mine, the world would be SUCH a better place! Kids really need a mother AND a father. There are so many things that a child needs from a mother that they can't get from a father and vice versa. Please, rise up and be that father or mother that you children need! And those of us who aren't yet parents, let us prepare to be the best fathers and mothers that our children deserve. We ALL have the example of a Loving Heavenly Father to follow. Thank you Mom and Dad for being the best parents in the world. I love you.

Sister Jensen

Happy times in Lichfield

 District meeting in Lichfield.

 Youth activity that we planned.  Boys vs. girls.

Not enough Time!

Dear Family & Friends! Ah! I feel like I have so much to say and not enough time! So I will just get started and hit on some of the highlights of the week! Monday: P-day! Of course it's always super hectic as we try to get everything done! We had a dinner appointment with the Taylor-Basil's and then we taught Connor and Charlie the restoration at the chapel. The lesson went sooo well! They are amazing, really. We invited them to be baptised and they both said yes! They are elect! In the lesson, Charlie told us that neither of them are very religious but they thought it would be rude to turn us down after we invited them to church. He said they weren't too excited about it but they thought they'd go anyways and they were just so touched with how the ward welcomed them in and helped them feel supported and loved. They both commented on how nice it felt to actually feel like people cared what they had to say. Charlie said, "That is why we will continue meeting with you guys and why we'll be at church again next week!" It was SUCH a testimony to me how the true force of missionary work is LOVE. Love and support from the members will draw people into the church better and faster than anything else! Then, Charlie and Connor both said their first prayer! I think this is one of my favourite things about missionary work-hearing someone's first prayer. They are SO incredibly sincere. Tuesday- Normal day with finding, and visiting people. We had a DA at 5:30 and then we hurried to the church because we were in charge of the youth activity! We spent a good amount of time planning for it so it could be legit. We planned lots of fun activities and it was like a boys against girls thing. They absolutely loved it! Charlie and Connor both came and it was so good for them to see how Mormons have fun. Charlie texted us later that night and thanked us saying he really enjoyed it all and was so thankful we invited him. Wednesday: We taught Charlie the plan of Salvation! Connor couldn't come because his mom wouldn't let him out. Charlie told us that she isn't really nice and is kinda controlling. :/ So that was a major bummer. But we went on with teaching Charlie. He loved the whole thing about the kingdoms of glory. He said, "I'm going to kill Connor if he doesn't get into the Celestial kingdom with me, but i guess i can't do that cuz then i'll be in the telestial." HAHA! It was hilarious. Thursday: District meeting! This week we talked about miracles we've had in the week, and why each of us decided to serve missions and our purpose as missionaries. It was SO good. I was reminded of why I decided to come on a mission. I think i've always wanted to serve a mission. It's just been something I knew I would do. Perhaps it was a duty that I feel I owed to my Heavenly Father. But the longer I've been here, I'm finding more and more reasons why I STAY on the mission, because the coming really isn't the hard part. Every missionary that ever serves will need to figure out their individual purpose and why they are here. For me, there are more than just one reason why I am on a mission and why I am still here. First, I am here because I want as many of my brothers and sisters to be with me in the celestial kingdom as possible! Secondly, I am here because I have talents and abilities and personality that nobody else in the world has! How cool is it that Heavenly Father blesses us with gifts that we can use to lift and help one another? I am so thankful to him for the talents he has blessed me with and I have seen how I can use them in my missionary work. Lastly, I am here because I love my Saviour! Just as he said to Peter, If you love me, feed my sheep. Friday: Friday was a big planning day! We had correlation, and then we did a good 2 hours of service for our ward mission leader. They are tearing off all the wall paper in their house because they are repainting and he is going back to university next week so he needed a few helpers. Haha, Dad, I was thinking back about when we did that in our old house and what a pain it was! Remind me NEVER to get wallpaper? :) Saturday: Such a good day! Saturday night we put together a movie night for some of the youth. We watched the Joseph Smith movie and invited Charlie and Connor. Only Charlie could come though. We made it a proper movie night, complete with popcorn and blankets! At the end, we had a little testimony meeting and we all shared our thoughts on the prophet, Joseph Smith. It was AMAZING. The spirit was so strong! As I was closing up the meeting, I asked if anyone else had anything to say? Then Charlie spoke up and said, " In school we were taught a bit about Mormons. But I never really knew or understood the whole picture about Joseph Smith. I never knew how much he really went through and now I do believe that he was a prophet because he wouldn't have gone through all of that if he was a fake." Oh my goodness, I just sat there like dumbfounded and I think I had to wait for the shock to wear off before I said anything! I don't even think he realized it but with that one sentence, he was asserting his testimony of the church of Jesus Christ of Latter-day saints! WOW. He really is a chosen spirit! Sunday: We had a GREAT day at church! Charlie came and just loved it! He is making friends with the youth and even some of the adults! I sang, "Saviour Redeemer of my Soul" in sacrament meeting so that was fun! During Sacrament meeting, Charlie leaned over and asked how old you have to be to serve a mission and how old until you can't go. He said, "Oh okay good because I want to finish my apprenticeship first and then go when I'm 19." (Can you imagine how I was feeling after hearing him ask that question?! I had to hide my tears from him because I was just so overwhelmed with gratitude and humility. I can't believe Heavenly Father has trusted me and Sister Bertha to teach this kid.) After church we went to find Charlie so we could teach him the third lesson, Gospel of Jesus Christ. We found him eventually in the bishop's office talking to Brother Mace, the first counselor in the bishopric. Haha. He's sooo comfortable already and getting involved! We didn't know what they were talking about but we asked Brother Mace later and he told us that Charlie came to him wondering how he could get involved with passing the sacrament. !!!! Isn't he amazing?!! He seriously can't wait to get the priesthood and he's not even baptised yet. Haha. Well, we taught him the Gospel of Jesus Christ and invited him to be baptised on September 28th. Of course he said yes!! :) AH. It was so cool. In his prayer at the end of the lesson he thanked Heavenly Father for helping us all meet and he said, "I hope that I will be able to be with all my new friends in the Celestial kingdom some day." :) Oh my goodness. Words cannot describe my joy!!! So I think I'll just finish with that! I love you all! Thanks for all you do! Love, Sister Jensen

Prom in Lichfield!

 Charlie an investigator.

Getting Cold!

Dear Family & Friends Winter is settling in over here in England! I don't think there is such thing as a Fall here. Oh well. It's been a fabulous week despite the cold! Monday: We had Zone P-day! The Zone leaders set it all up. It was district against district. We did lots of relays, played ultimate frisby, had a PMG quiz, and more. It was fun but it took up most of our day! That night we didn't have a DA so we came back to the flat for dinner and had study. Tuesday: FABULOUS day! We did loads of finding. We decided to mix up our ways of finding and so we did some tracting. We ran into this lady, Marie who is just SO incredibly nice! She talked to us as if we've been friends for ages. And she's young! She has 3 little boys and a hubby. We met them all and they were very nice. We scheduled to come by again on Tuesday. I have so much faith in her! Then later that day, we ran into her again on the street. She was like, " What are the chances we'd see each other twice in one day?" I was thinking in my head, "It isn't by chance!" I'm SO excited to see her tomorrow! She is so prepared. Wednesday: Full of more finding! We had one appointement that flogged. :/ We also had to go to the chiropractor for Sister Bertha's back and then we had Coordination meeting. We did more finding that night and we met a guy, Paul. He was out fishing at Stowe Pool and we talked to him a lot about the Restoration and Plan of Salvation. He liked having a chat with us but wasn't really willing to commit to a follow-up appointment. Thursday: Everything Thursday is district meeting! Which I love. We have to leave our flat at about 10:00 am to get there by 10:30. This week we talked about How to Begin Teaching. Elder Alejandre asked Sister Bertha and I to role play an HTBT situation. It was great. Then we each shared a couple questions we'd been asked that week that we had a hard time answering and we all went through the scriptures looking for answers. District meetings are such a great way to receive inspiriation and learn from one another. Then we always have district lunch after. Just down the street from the church is China King and a Fish and chips store which the Elders usually eat at. I usually bring a packed lunch with me because my stomach cannot handle all the fried food! After District meeting we went and stopped by a coupld less actives and then did somemore finding. We had flat inspections that night so we had to head back a little early to clean the flat, have dinner and then do 12 week program. Friday: We had study till 10 and then did a bit of planning. We went to visit a less active Mary Louise. She lives really close to us and is this sweet old lady from Switzerland. Her family is VERY anti and doesn't want her going to church. She hasn't been in ages but she loves when we visit. She tells us that even though she says she is C of E, she will always we a Latter-day Saint and she reads the BOM every day. She got talking to us about the second coming and it was SO cute she asked us if we thought Jesus was coming soon. She started saying she believes He is and she started tearing up. What a sweet lady! We then came back for lunch and thenwe had to do the rest of our planning. We did some tracting and finding for the rest of the day. Saturday: We did some service for Janine, a single Mom in our ward who is LA. then we met up with this guy Kieran. He's 21 years old and his Mum is a member but doesn't come anymore. He used to come to church when he was little and the missionaries have kept in touch with him for a bit. He is currently attending another church but he told us that he feels like he could become a Mormon someday. Haha. He brought his friend Zach with him and we taught them the restoration. We invited them both to read the BOM. Kieran we VERY hestitant to take the book. Haha. It was kind of funny. It was like he knew that if he read it, he would know it was true and that would be the end of it. Well, we will be meeting with him soon again and hopefully we can exhort him to try out Moroni's promise. Saturday night was Lichfield proms. It's just a celebration in the park where they have a live band and fireworks, etc. It was so fun! Sister Bertha and I went to have a look around and we asked this kid in a group of teens if they would take our picture. He said yes, and then we started talking to them. Thank goodness for our American accents! I cannot even tell you how many times they have been the best conversation starter. We got talking to these two boys, about 16 years old, and they were just so nice and respectful. We invited them to church and they said they would come! Sunday: Church from 9:30-12:30. Charlie and Conner BOTH showed up to church! And apparently Charlie has a friend, Joe, who is a Mormon but is in the Sutton Coldfield ward. So Charlie texted Joe Saturday night and said he was going to the Mormon church in Lich and Joe and his WHOLE FAMILY came to our ward the next day to show their support for Charlie. It was SO cool. The members did a great job at fellowshipping and the boys really enjoyed it! We will be meeting with them tonight and hopefully inviting them to be baptized! As you can see, it has been a great week! I'm so thankful for all the many miracles and blessings I have. I know that my Saviour lives and he loves me! This is His work. I am only an instrument in his hands. I love you all so much! Love, Sister Jensen