Finding people to teach!

Dear Wonderful Family,

What a great week it has been! We are still trying to find people to teach, without much luck but we are pressing forward in faith! On Monday of last week, we went knocking doors. We had planned to knock this street for a long time but for some reason, our plans kept falling through. Finally, we got around to it, and I knew that there would be someone special on that street. I said a prayer in my heart before we began and asked Heavenly Father to lead us to someone who was prepared to hear the gospel. We knocked about 10 doors without any luck. Finally, we knocked on one and a girl who looked about my age answered the door. Right off the bat, we introduced ourselves and asked her if she had a belief in God. She told us that she hadn't thought about it a lot and that she believed more in Science (as she is getting her PhD in Chemistry). She was really nice and she invited us inside (which NEVER EVER happens in England!). She told us her name was Louisa, and she was just so friendly. We gave her a copy of the Book of Mormon and a Restoration pamphlet. We explained a little bit about it. She talked to us for a while (she is extremely talkative), and told us about her life. She told us flat out, "I just have to tell you, I won't become a Mormon." Haha. we were like, "Haha, Okay!" So, even though she doesn't know it yet, i think she is going to be baptized. It's going to be a little bit tricky because we might have to teach her without her realizing it. She invited us to lunch with her and her boyfriend next P-day. We met her boyfriend the other day and I actually think that he might be more open to being taught, so he might just be the key. All I know is that Heavenly Father wanted us to meet Louisa for a reason, and it is our job as missionaries to figure out what that reason is. I think this is one of my favorite parts about missionary work. Every person that we teach comes with a different background and foundations. It is our job to tailor what we teach to their needs and understanding, and figure out what it is that they need to learn and more importantly what they need to feel, and how we can help them to feel that. I know that the Holy Ghost is the true converter. When someone feels the Holy Ghost, they cannot deny it to be true. Isn't that amazing? And even though our investigators don't have the gift of the Holy Ghost, we do! This is why it is important to have frequent contact with investigators- so that they can feel of the spirit that we carry. I am so grateful for this gift in my life. It helps me every day to learn and to grow. I can feel it especially when I am having my hour of personal study every day. I am just always learning something new and I know that it's because of the Holy Ghost, that helps my mind to be enlightened. I encourage you all to pray to have the Holy Ghost with you more fully, to lead you to those people that you can share it with. I promise you that they will feel of that Spirit that you carry, and they will wonder how they can have it with them all of the time.

I love you all so much and I know that this church is true. We are so blessed to have it!

Love,

Sister Jensen

Real Fish and Chips

First official meal of fish and chips!

Our mailbox

The Mailbox!

Sister Thomas made dessert to cheer us up.

Another great week!

My dear family,

It was so great to read all of your emails this week! I cannot tell you how blessed I feel to be part of such an incredible family. You are all such a strength to me.

Well, this week was pretty slow to be honest. We are trying to find more people to teach, with not much luck at all. At times I feel like Moroni did when he looked at the city of Nephihah and began to doubt because of the wickedness of the people. Sometimes I feel like there just isn't anyone here who will accept the gospel and it makes me so sad to see the wickedness of the people. I was reading in the Book of Mormon this week about the 1,000 stripling warriors and the miracles that occurred as a result of their faith. Right after Moroni receives the epistle from Helaman, telling him about the miracles that have happened, Moroni sees the wickedness of the people of Nephihah and doubts that they will be saved. I thought it was interesting that this verse was included about doubt. I have been thinking a lot about faith this week as I have been reading, Jesus The Christ. I don't think I ever really read the New Testament, besides when I was in seminary and every day my testimony is just expanding about our Lord and Savior, Jesus Christ. I am learning more and more that faith is a principle of power. Every miracle performed by the Savior was conditional upon faith. The woman who touched the Savior's garment, had faith that if she could but touch him, she would be healed. And she was. The Savior didn't actually do anything to heal her- it was HER faith that healed her as she looked to the Savior. Isn't that cool to think about? This week I also learned why faith is compared to a mustard seed. A mustard seed is very small, but when planted it yields a pretty big bush/tree. There are other seeds which are smaller than a mustard seed but none of them grow to be very big when planted. So, just like the mustard seed, our faith can start out very small and grow to something marvelous! Dad, I loved what you said about planting a seed of faith. If we just let that faith work within us and not cast it out, it will begin to grow and we will know that it is good. I have seen that with many of my investigators. It's the ones who will believe, but not yet KNOW, that pray about it and let it work within them that believe and their testimonies grow and are strengthened. This week, we taught Ryan about the Restoration and we brought Hong with us to translate. It was so cool. I could kind of follow what she was teaching him, because I'm starting to pick up a couple words in chinese. Haha. When she taught about the Godhead, it finally clicked for him. He is still struggling with smoking, but he said that this week when he had a craving to smoke, he said a prayer and the desire when away but that two hours later he had the desire again and didn't pray and then smoked. Haha. So, we will keep working with him! I think he is really close to getting a baptismal date. We are also going to have Brother Thomas, our ward mission leader come and give him a blessing to help him stop smoking. We will also teach all the lessons to him again with Hong, just to make sure that he understands them all. I told my companion this week that sometimes I feel like I am serving a mission in China and not England, since we have mostly been teaching the chinese. Haha. It's good though. I am developing a love for the chinese people. This week Matt and Jerry had us over for dinner, and I was able to practice my chopstick skills again. :) We heard about the Boston Bombing on Tuesday, i think and it just made me so sad. These are definitely the last days. I am sure of it. I am so glad to hear that those people who are in our ward that were there are safe.

Well, family, thank you for all that you do for me! Pray for us this week that we will be led to those people who are prepared to hear the gospel.

I love you all,

Sister Jensen

The first picture is me pointing at the mailbox, where I deposit all the letters I send home :) The second picture is of a dessert that this cute member in our ward made for me and my companion. My companion was having a rough day and we went over to get a blessing from Brother Thomas. They invited us to stay for dinner and Sister Thomas brought that out for dessert. It was so cute.

Matts Baptism!

Ryan, Hong, Jerry Matt, Robert

Amazing week

My sweet family,

Happy Monday! It's amazing how much I look forward to P-days to hear from you all. It's been a really great week. We were a little bit nervous for Matt because he was to be baptized on Saturday and he had told us that he didn't really have a firm faith in God. So, we had been praying about what we could do to help him find his faith. Finally we came up with something that we thought might help. We picked up him and Jerry and took them on an adventure. We took them to a little playground and blindfolded Matt. We showed him a candy bar and said, if you can finish this obstacle course then you will get this. So he said he would do it. Jerry helped me to find his way and I tried to tempt him to give up. About five minutes into it, I think it clicked and he told us that he knew what we were trying to do- that Jerry was the Holy Ghost and that I was the devil. After he finished, we gave him a whole sack of candy bars and we sat down at a picnic table and talked about it. We sang. "I am a Child of God." He really felt the spirit. We asked him to say a prayer and in his prayer he said that he felt a stronger faith in God. It was so amazing. So, we went forward with the baptism! On Saturday he was baptized and it was glorious. I was able to  give a talk on the Holy Ghost. I felt so blessed to be able to watch him progress in the gospel and see him be baptized on my 2 month mark. It was a tender mercy of the Lord. At the baptism, I was trying to teach Jerry some piano, and he started to sing I am A Child of God. Haha he had listened to it on his phone and had memorized it! Haha. Jerry is a legend.

So, Shirley was supposed to be baptized this week as well, but she told us on Tuesday that she didn't want to be baptized anymore and that she doesn't want to be taught the lessons anymore. Paul dropped us as well. So that was a major bummer. And now, we are down to one investigator-Ryan. So this week we will be doing a lot of finding! Ryan is doing really well though. So, he started smoking when he was 10 years old (which isn't uncommon in China), and so he has been struggling a little bit with that, but he has been smoking less and less every day which is really good! I think that he will be baptized within the next 3 weeks.

That's really about all that has happened this week. We started a new transfer, and it's crazy to think i've been here for 2 months now! I'm excited for the future and what will happen. Mom, I loved your letter about trials. I have been thinking a lot about sacrifice and trials lately. We watched a video in Sunday School yesterday about John Tanner, an early saint who sacrificed literally all that he had for the church. He sold all of his property used the money to pay off all of the church's debt, which was about $60,000. On one of their treks, his daughter died. He was also called to serve a mission for the church and left the very next day after he had been called. When I think back on the early saints, I can't even comprehend how much they sacrificed for us and I wonder if I would have been able to do it too. I really hope that if it came down to it, I would be strong enough in the faith to give up all I have. Because everything we have, really is not ours, and the test of life is to see if we will give all the Lord has given us, back to him. I know that trials are for our good, and the Lord is only testing us because he wants to see what we are made of. We wants to know if he can trust us with his sacred work and so he sees how far we will go for him. So really, when we are given trials, we should rejoice because the Lord is putting his faith in us. I love you all so much and I want you to know that I know this gospel is true. I know that the Lord will always bless us when we sacrifice all we have for him.

I love you all,

Love,

Sister Jensen

More Pictures of Nottingham

 Famous Robin Hood Statue

 Church building in Toton

Goofy Zone leaders; Eckelt, Wilkey

Conference week

Hello my dear family and friends!

Well it's been quite the week! The weather has been getting better and I think that summer is -finally- around the corner. It actually doesn't rain as much as you think. I think it's only rained like 3 times. It's mostly just really cold and windy. I can't believe how fast this transfer has flown by! It is already the end of my first transfer and I will be staying in Nottingham with Sister Lewis. Haha apparently, I get to participate in my first "dodge call" tomorrow night, when everyone calls each other and tries to figure out where everyone is going, who will be the next DL's ZL's AP... etc. Missionary culture is so funny. We are expecting a ton of new missionaries this week! Making our mission the biggest mission of England. I think there will be 9 new sisters this transfer and like 13 next transfer! There was a new announcement about leadership in the mission. Sisters will now be able to participate in Leadership Training Council as Sister Training Leaders or something like that. So that's cool! Sisters are taking over the mission! ;) To answer your questions Dad, we do call-ins on Sunday nights at 7 pm to report our numbers for the week.We report on Investigators baptized and confirmed, investigators with a baptismal date, investigators who attend sacrament meeting, lessons taught to investigators with a member present, other lessons taught, progressing investigators, referrals (contacted and received), New investigaros, and lessons taught to recent converts and less-active members- otherwise known as "LARCS". The standard of excellence is to have about 10 member presents and 7 other lessons, but my companion said that she has actually never seen that happen her whole mission. I'm sure it's possible though and when I'm a trainer, I'm going to find a way to make it happen! haha.  I continue to see so many miracles here in the mission field. It's amazing to me how many people are being prepared to accept the gospel. This week, we have committed Shirley and Matt to baptism. Matt will be baptised on Saturday and Shirley on Sunday. It's going to be a busy week as we will have to make daily contact with both of them and make sure they are ready. On Tuesday this week, we taught Margaret again. She is so funny. She said that she loved the musical fireside and that she really wants to come back to church except she works every Sunday. We are going to send over some visiting teachers and get her involved in Relief Society. When we left her house, she gave us big hugs and told us that we were her guardian angels and that she would never forget us. Haha. It was so cute. That night, I was having a really bad headache, sore throat, and I thought that my ear infection was coming back. I woke up Wednesday morning and it was still really bad. Well, we had been asked a couple weeks ago to help out with a stake primary activity so I sucked it up and got to work. I was so glad that I did! It was just my companion and I and the zone Leaders. The stake had put together this "mock missionary" activity for ages 8 and up. They had the kids come and gave them little missionary badges that said "future missionary" and then gave them all passports and boarding tickets. They boarded a plane and watched a movie on the plane ( I think it was a mormon message) and then they made their way into our room. We were in charge of putting together a mock MTC. First, we introduced ourselves and said a little bit about why we decided to serve a mission. Then, we had them recite "Our Purpose" with us and made a game out of it by writing it on the board and erasing a few words at a time so they had to remember it. I felt the spirit so strong as those cute kids said in loud voices, "Our purpose is to invite others to come unto Christ by helping them receive the restored gospel through faith in Jesus Christ and his Atonement, Repentance, Baptism, Receiving the gift of the Holy Ghost and Enduring to the end." It was brilliant. The Lord is preparing his future missionaries! After that, we explained companionships. We put them in companionships and gave them a puzzle to put together with questions on the back that they had to ask their companion. It was so cute. Then, we had them do some role plays. We had them pretend that their friend invited them to a party on Sunday and what they would say. Then, we had them invite a friend to church. They were naturals! It proved to me that if kids can do it, then so can we! Lastly, we gave balloons to each of them and we wrote on the balloon a fear that they might have about sharing the gospel. One of the little boys came up to me and said, "I have 3 fears. 1. Chavs (Chavs are kind of like rebels that live off of government support and bully other people), 2. Gangsters, and then he said, I have to whisper the third.... 3. Murderers!" Haha I had to try so hard not to bust up laughing. Oh I just love kids. Then, we let each other children take a pin and pop the balloon, to signify letting go of their fears of missionary work. It was a great experience. Afterward, I asked the Zone Leaders to give me a priesthood blessing. Wow. I am so grateful for worthy priesthood holders! I felt so much comfort from the blessing. You may not believe this, but the next day, I was completely healed. I haven't had any problems since the blessing. The Lord really DOES take care of his missionaries! Well, General Conference was an interesting experience! We watched it at a stake center in Nottingham. On Saturday, we watched the first session at 5:00 pm and then Sunday we watched the second and the third at 1:00 pm and 5:00 pm. (Our time). It was amazing! I don't think I've ever been so excited for General Conference. Haha. I loved Sister Dalton's talk about Daughters of God. It was so powerful.  So I have yet to listen to the last session and we will probably listen to it this week at the library for companionship study. I loved Craig A Cardon's talk about forgiveness and the atonement. I love how he said, the Savior WANTS to forgive us! That is so true. For someone who loved us enough to suffer for all our sins, it only makes sense that he wants us to fully grasp the atonement and to be forgiven of him. I'm so thankful for the atonement in my life. EVERYONE, even missionaries, need the atonement! We are not perfect and everyday I feel as Nephi did, weighed down from the sins that so easily beset me. But I rejoice in my God, for he has redeemed my soul. I am encircled about in the arms of his love. It's amazing to me how much peace I feel amid the conflict of life because I know that everything will work out in the end. I know that everyone can feel of that internal peace that comes from living according to the commandments and striving to be more like the Savior every day. I love you all SO much and I'm so grateful for you in my life.

With all my love,

Sister Jensen

P.S. Mom, can you send me the cinnamon roll recipe?  Also, I did get the memory card and the socks and the candy. THANK YOU SO MUCH! You are the best parents ever.

The first picture is of me in front of the famous Robin Hood statue, the second is of our church building in Toton and the third is with our goofy Zone Leaders, Elder Eckelt and Elder Wilkey, who are both English :)

Zone Meeting

Authentic Chinese Food

Hong made us yummy chinese food!

Stamford

Burghley House filmed in Pride and Prejudice!

Weeks of Miracles

This week was just amazing!! It was the busiest week I think i've ever had though. On Monday was our usual P-day. Then on Tuesday we taught a scottish lady named Margaret who hasn't been to church in 20 years! Her husband recently died of cancer and she is interested in the church again but she doesn't remember much about it so we are reteaching her. After that, we hopped on a train to go to Stamford for exchanges. Stamford is absolutely gorgeous by the way. You should look it up on Google. We got to go with them to some of their lessons and help teach. It was great to see the work moving along in other areas. During our lunch hour they took us to see the Burghley House. (Pronounced like Burley, Idaho). It was filmed in Pride and Prejudice and it is so pretty! We only looked at it from the outside though cuz it was like £15 to go inside. On the grounds around the house are a ton of deer though that aren't closed in or anything! We got within like 50 feet of them and took a picture. Well, we left Stamford on Wednesday night and arrived back at our flat right at curfew. That next morning we had to take a bus to the stake center for Zone Meeting and President Interviews. That lasted for quite a while. A companionship of sisters came back with us to our flat and helped us teach a couple lessons. They stayed the night with us and then in the morning we all took a train to Birmingham (about an hour and a half), for a training meeting. It was so great to see some of the familiar faces from the MTC. President Rasmussen taught us about gratitude and what we can do to be better missionaries. He is such a powerful teacher and such a friendly person. After the training meeting, we went back on the train to Nottingham and then taught a lesson to Paul and Shirley. On Saturday, we spent most of the day handing out the remaining Easter invitations to some Less Actives. We had dinner with Hong, a chinese member, and she made us authentic chinese food! It was really good. I even ate the whole meal with chopsticks. :) Then a miracle happened! We invited all five of her housemates to the fireside and they all said that they would come! On Sunday, we woke up and started getting ready for church and we got a call from Robert, asking if church was at the usual time because of the day light savings. We had totally forgotten about it and then rushed out of the flat to catch the bus. That was a miracle in itself. We made it to church on time and I was able to speak in Sacrament meeting on the Atonement. After church, we just stayed at the chapel and prepared for the fireside. People started arriving at 5:30. Jerry, one of our recent converts, brought 5 of his friends, all of whom we hadn't even met yet!!! And all 5 of Hong's housemates came! Margaret, who hadn't stepped foot in the chapel for 20 years was also there! It was so amazing. The chapel was filled to the brim- about 130 people! Somehow it all worked out and    it was such a spiritual experience. I sang, "Jesus Once of Humble Birth" as a solo and then sang with some other people in "I Believe in Christ" and "On the Cross". I also played the piano for a couple of the songs. It was so great. We mingled with everyone after the fireside and got 5 phone numbers of people who want to learn more! Wow. It was the best Easter I think I have ever had. I'm so grateful that it all worked out. 

We didn't get to watch a broadcast. What was it about? So General Conference is at different times for us so I think we are watching it on Sunday night and Monday morning. Haha. And I think we will go to our Chapel or the Stake Center to watch it. I'm so excited for that. 

It sounds like you all had a great time in Arizona. I sure missed you all on Easter. The Elders in our area gave us some chocolate eggs so that was nice of them. :) People in England don't color eggs though, and they don't do easter baskets. But they do have easter egg hunts. Haha. I was missing those egg whopper things, cuz they don't sell them here and I think Mom buys them every easter. 

I was so glad to hear about the missionary work that is progressing in the Eagle Stake. Keep it up!!! 

I love you all so much. Thank you for all your love and support. 

Love, 

Sister Jensen