My testimony of Missionary work.

I think that as Latter-day Saints we have become confused with what missionary work is. It isn't about knocking doors all day or talking to people in the streets. It's not even about going out teaching with the missionaries or going on a full-time mission yourself. Missionary work is ALL about invitation and love. Missionary work is not just for those who are not members of the church. It is for every single person on the earth. It is about working together 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! This is our purpose as members of the family of God. A key word in that purpose is "receive." What does it mean to receive something? Well if I were to write you a card and give it to you, would you just take it and throw it on the counter and leave it there forever? I hope not! To receive something means that we read it, that we really take it in and that we ACT. Many of us have received the restored gospel in our lives. We have exercised faith unto repentance and we have been baptised as a witness that we are willing to take upon ourselves the name of Christ and always remember him and keep his commandments. We have received the Gift of the Holy Ghost and we are striving to endure to the end.  The gospel of Jesus Christ enables us to use these principles as a rewarding pattern of living. We should be constantly exercising faith in Jesus Christ and His Atonement, repenting, partaking of the Sacrament, and striving to keep the Spirit in our lives. This would be Ideal. But, human nature sometimes gets in the way of idealism and we sometimes get stuck at the beginning, middle, or end of the pattern. Some may be struggling to have faith in the Saviour. Others may be stuck in the process of repentance. Maybe someone you visit teach hasn't been coming to church for a while and therefore is missing out on the renewal that comes from partaking the sacrament. Or perhaps there is a mature sister in the ward that just lost her husband and is struggling to "endure to the end." Wherever we may be in our individual progress, each of us needs the support of one another. This is where missionary work comes in. We fulfill our missionary responsibilities as we invite others to come unto Christ! We can do this in many different ways. We can visit that sister in the ward who hasn't been to church in a while and invite her to come and sit with us. We can invite that friend who we've known for a long time to come and see what Christ can do for them. Maybe our invitation will be more simple. Maybe it will come through acts of service to those who are in need. As others see our light and goodness, they will want to partake as well! Invite the missionaries over to your home for a meal or maybe even invite them to use your home as a place for investigators to be taught. Whatever your invitation may be, you need not be afraid. Remember the Lord's promise that says, "And whoso receiveth you, there I will be also, for I will go before your face. I will be on your right hand and on your left, and my Spirit shall be in your hearts, and mine angels round about you to bear you up." I know that that promise is real. As we go about this great work, always remember that we are standing shoulder to shoulder with the world's greatest and most perfect missionary. Of this I know and testify. 

Fastest week of my life!

So, the time has come....

It has been the fastest week of my life and I really don't even know what to say! Yesterday at church the ward all sang a welsh farewell song to me. I'm not sure what it's called... something like "we'll keep a welcome in the hillside" I was such an emotional mess! Not to mention that 4 of the less actives we've been working with came to church yesterday and Heather made it as well!! It was such a wonderful last Sunday. I have a permanent swarm of butterflies that seem to have taken a lodge in my stomach and a prayer of gratitude for my loving Heavenly Father. What can one say to summarize 18 of the best months of their life? It's funny how we think we have our life planned out and we think we know what we want. I thought I wanted to get married young, jump right into life. I thought I was ready for that. And of course, Heavenly Father knew better. In His most gentle and beautiful way, he has helped me to learn the lessons that will prepare me for the next phases of my life. It reminds me of one of my favourite songs. It goes like this:

All i've ever wanted

All i've ever dreamed of

Everything I hoped

And all the things I prayed for

Couldn't hold a candle

To what I've been given

I've been given what I need

A mansion on a hill

Or love like in the movies

Perfect little dreams

Where no one has a problem

Instead of all those things

I thought I really wanted

I've been given what I need

Even when I didn't understand

When I thought you had no heart

Thank you for rejecting my demands

And always giving me the better part

All i've ever wanted

All i've ever dreamed of

Everything I hoped

And all the things I prayed for

Couldn't hold a candle

To what I've been given

I've been given what I need

From that day on October 6th, 2012, my life has been changed. But even more than that, through the grace of my Saviour, Jesus Christ, I have been changed. It hasn't been an easy ride. I never expected that it would be. But it has been the best. I have grown to love this land and these people with all my heart. It is so much more difficult to leave this home than it was to leave my home of Eagle, Idaho. But I know that Heavenly Father has a perfect plan awaiting for me to discover. I will face the future with faith, because I know that He will keep His promises. Thank you to all of you for coming on this journey with me and supporting me all the way. I love each one of you so much and I am so looking forward to our joyous reunion on Wednesday. (Although for me it will be Thursday 4 am.) Haha.

I would like to close with my testimony. I KNOW that our Heavenly Father lives and that he loves each and every one of his children. We are precious to Him. He is aware of even the tiniest details in our lives and He intends for us to be happy. Sometimes he sends trials our way but He always knows that they will be for our benefit and that if we let them, they will make our hearts more tender. I know that through his infinite and encompassing love for us, He wanted the absolute best for us. He wanted us to join with Him in His joy. So, he made a perfect plan in which we could become like Him and find everlasting peace and happiness. Central to this plan is our perfect brother, Jesus Christ. He offered himself a sacrifice for OUR sins. He came to the earth and He did the will of the Father. He was perfectly obedeient, perfectly charitable. In the most loving act of all eternity and all eternities to come, He performed the atonement in our behalf. He triumphantly rose from the grave and I know that He lives! And because He lives, all of us can live together forever with our families. These incredible blessings are conditional upon our obedience. I know that obedience=happiness. There is NO other formula. There is no other way. The way is through Jesus Christ. He is our example. I stand all amazed at His love that He profers me. I am eternally grateful for my loving Heavenly Father, for never giving me what I wanted, but for always giving me everything I need. In the name of Jesus Christ, Amen.

Our last lunch with Sister Stapley and Rasmussen.

Sister Stapley, Jensen, Rasmussen, Leiss, Burch.

Final Exchange!

Dear Family & Friends,

So this email will probably be really lame, and I'm sorry about that! Haha. We are leaving to go to Cardiff soon to look for a carry-on bag! It's been a wonderful week and kinda crazy as well. Monday night we went to teach Judith but she wasn't there :( So we did some tracting around the area. Tuesday morning we had to leave early to train into Birmingham to go pick up the car. We got there at about 12:30 and we got to have a nice chat with President. Sister Rasmussen also took us out to lunch! It was great to spend time with her. We always talk about Eagle together :) Haha. But then we feel bad because it leaves my companion out of the conversation so we have to stop. We went out to eat at a place called Tinseltown which is an American restaurant. They had big televisions set up with music videos playing and pictures of celebrities all over the walls. After we left, Sister Stapley and I were talking about how AWFUL we felt in there! It was so weird and felt so worldly. I kinda felt like I understood what it would be like to be a celestial being living in a telestial world. (Not saying i'm celestial by any means!!) It was strange though and kinda freaked me out about coming home. Well, we didn't make it back to Blackwood till about 6:30 that night and we had a lesson with a lady called Beverly. She is so cute! We met her in week 1. She's a mum of a 5 year old boy, but her partner and her aren't married. WE had a really good lesson with her and he little boy loves us! Before we came, she told us he said, "Mum, when will my lovely ladies be here? I just love them." haha He's so cute! AFter beverly we came in for the night.Wedensday was coordination and district meeting. We had a lesson with two potentials Mike and Jean. We met Mike last week and he said we could come back. His wife joined in on the lesson as well! They are in their 70's and the NICEST couple. It was such a powerful lesson and the spirit was so strong. Jean told us at the beginning that she didn't believe in anything but she would listen. Her heart totally softened. At the end of the lesson, Mike was just sitting there, looking really in awe. He said, "I just can't describe what it is, but there's something coming from you both. You just have something about you, I don't know what it is! The only word I can think of is clean, but that's not really it either..." Then his wife said, "Yes, I can see it too. It's incredible, and I envy you both!" Haha, IT was so cool. It's amazing that the light of Christ is visible in people. If you have the spirit with you, people will be able to see it; and that comes from righteous living. It was a powerful experience for everyone involved.

This week we also had exchanges. I got to go to Merthyr Tydfil with Sister Appleby. I was happy to have my final exchange done! It was fun though and I love getting to know other sisters. Sunday we got to teachthe youth in Sunday School and it was pretty difficult to get them to participate. Haha. It was a beautiful sabbath though and I was very grateful for the opportunity to bear my testimony for the final time in Britain. :'( I also got my flight plans on Saturday and I refused to open the envelope for about forty five minutes after we came in. I burst into tears as soon as I saw what it was. Everything is starting to feel so surreal. I'm just really happy I still have one week left in this beautiful country and I'm excited to give it all I've got. I love you so much family and will speak to you in a week!

xxxxx

Sister Jensen