Interesting Week

Hey everyone!

Well this has been an interesting week.

To start off we have started like a new program thing to work with the members that the area presidency came out with and as a mission we received like 6,500 references from members, recent converts, and investigators!

 I know it sounds like a lot and maybe it worked in some parts of the area but for here, or at least in my sector, the references we received were like less actives, investigators that we are already teaching or people with 0 info to contact them.. Buttt a few of them have been working out and it's been amazing to see the support from the members.   Every Member a Missionary!  But ya hoping to see some good results from this!

Well time is winding down for me here in the orient.  Changes  are in 2 weeks and I'm grateful for the time I have had.  We celebrated a baptism this Saturday hno Jose Cuvi got baptized and it was a really awesome service! The hno is super excited to progress and learn more about the church and I'm super grateful to have been able to visit with him and help him along this path. His wife is a member since her childhood so I'm hoping they will progress and get sealed in the temple in a year.   My other converts here are doing great as well! The Lopez Sanchez family are still strong and goin to church every week and are trying to invite their family members to listen to us as well. Mayra Cabrera, who is the mom of our investigator with a baptismal date Alexis Garcia, is also doing well.. They've had some problems but she's been finding her way back to church and is progressing well with her son.  Blanca Jacome and her son Matias  have had some challenges, especially with the WoW. We taught them this principle quite a few times but they need help with it.. Please prey for them! But ya overall I've enjoyed my time here and am hoping to have one more baptism before I go. 

On the other side, we've been looking a lot recently for new investigators.. The other day we hit a block that was filled with die hard members of other churches who were kind of rude..  I had to keep my head cause I didn't want to say something rude back.  But I know that the lord directs this work and that if we work hard and sacrifice some things we'll find blessings.

Welp this week I ate crab for the first  time in my mission,  and well before the mish, I didn't like seafood and now I really do like it. But I saw the crab and was a little sketched out.. But I ate it.. they eat it super weird here, you have the whole body and just bite the leg and suck out the meat, spitting out crab shell like every 2 seconds.  Well that's at least what I did, let's just say a lil gringo from gilbert AZ doesn't know much about seafood, and lot of people stared and laughed at me while I ate.. haha but ya. Not gonna lie, I'm not a fan of this crab and it didn't do me well afterwards..  got pretty sick, sooo let's just leave it at that.

Everything is going well and I'm enjoying my time in Ecudaor, excited to see where the next few weeks will take me.  Have a good week and keep reading the BoM! Share a copy with your friends to show them how much it really means to you..  There's a gen conf talk from the 80s by President Benson who says the Book of Mormon is the greatest gift that we have received, so what better thing can you do than to gift it to someone that you care about. I know it is true and I know there are blessing for those who read it daily just like Pres Monson said back in April!

Love you guys!

y que le vaya muy bien, cuidaránse !

Elder Jensen 

uds son cubanos?

Well this week has been a good one.  This Saturday we will have a baptism!!!!  That will be super awesome!  Hno Jose Cuvi is all ready and is super excited as well.  It's been a pretty good week tbh. We went to Quito for a meeting with the area 70's Elder Falabella.  He had some really good trainings for us and I learned a lot. I'm excited to apply them into my life and to become a better disciple of  Christ.  Ummm well not much to write. We got hit by some rain and then we got hit by the heat and ya just the same as every week. Que mas.  Welp I've enjoyed my time here in the Orient and hope I can make the most of these next 33 weeks here before I head out.. We'll see what the changes bring us.  This week we did a service in the flippin jungle planting trees.  Yes, we planted trees in the jungle, amongst the millions of trees that are already there..  And yes there were spines and yes there were bugs but hey it was a fun time..  Just one of the hottest days I've had out here haha.. But ya it was fun and we got some interesting fruit out of it.. some huge papayas and  cacao.  Also we got some guava I think it's called.. That's the white fuzzy fruit.  Not too bad.  But ya that's been my week.. Hoping for another busy week.

que tengan una buena semana

Elder Jensen

 

Photos from Ecuador Quito North Mission

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Mission tour with Elder Falabella

November 2017

 

 

 

 

 

 

 

Halloween?

Hey fam, how's it goin?

I'm doing good like normal.  Crazzy that it's Halloween tomorrow.  Doesn't feel like it at all tbh, but ya.  The holiday season here in the great country of Ecuador isn't like the states at all..   They're already selling Christmas stuff in the stores here though which is kind of funny, a lil too early. Halloween isn't really celebrated here, some people have up some decorations, which is more than last year, cause in cayambe there was nothing.  November 2nd is like the day of the dead, but from what I remember from last year, its nothing like Mexico. I guess in this time of year they make colada morada which is pretty good.  I remember last year I didn't like it but I feel like all my taste buds have changed cause I even like beans now (so mom I'll probably like chili, but who knows).  There's not really anything I don't like now, all food is just good.  Maybe it's just the fact I've eaten the same food like everyday of my mission, but ya food is food.  

Bummer to hear about the dodgers. This Friday we left the house of an investigator at like 7:30 and right in front of the house the neighbor across the street was watching the world series..   I was like whhaaaattttttttt!!!!!   That was hard to leave from there, all I saw was it was like the top of the 3rd and the dodgers were down.  But ya that was the first time I've ever seen baseball in the mission, and even worse being the world series with the dodgers playing, not gonna lie I stayed there in the middle of the street watchin for like 10 minutes. but ya..   

Welp, what else has gone down this week, yesterday it rained like never before.  We finished a lesson and then the rain poured down sooo hard.  They wanted us to stay but we had another lesson on the other side of the city so we just ran out into the rain and got soaked completely!!   That was pretty fun though. usually I hate getting wet but that day I didn't mind.   We showed up to the appointment soaked, and of course it fell through.  Bummer.. that was a common theme this week, fallen citas.  But we were able to put another date down this week.  Alexis Garcia is his name, he's the son of a recent convert here in coca we had back in July..  He's only 10, but we want the family to be together in the church.  I think him being baptized will  help the mother out a lot as well so she can take more responsibility in going to church.

Today for pday we just hung out here in coca.. not much going on here.  We found a basketball court with a wooden floor and nets, probably the best one here in coca, and played there for a bit.  This week we'll all be goin to Quito for a meeting with a 70's Elder Falabella.  Should be fun.  Welp that's mah week, only a selfie with the gringos form my district,

Ya pues cuidaos hermanitos,  (hablando con vosotros...  no se porque?) 

Elder Jensen

La Cascada de Cara Chupa ( Suckface Falls)

Hello everyone!

Hope everyone has had a good week.  Welp, this week was a pretty good one.  We found quite  a few new investigators, and really I feel like it was a great start to the change.  We are excited for this change and should have a few baptisms here in el coca.  We have one investigator with a date for the 11th of November. Jose Cuvy.  I think I said something about him last week.   He's military and is progressing really well.  We'll see how things go this week.  We contacted a ton this week and found a few people with potential, but still its kind of hard to bring people to church.  But ya, all part of the mission.  Umm in a few weeks we'll be going to Quito for a training from one of the area 70's, so that should be cool.  Elder Fallabella. 

Well not much else to say..  Running out of time.. went to Suckface Falls today for pday..  La cascada de cara chupa

Welp, that's it for me today.. finally finished the BoM in Spanish that was sweet, time to start it all over again... 

Have a good week

Elder Jensen 

Changes???

Well.. we received the changes Saturday night..  but the fact that I'm writing you guys right now means that I stayed!  Super stoked for one more change in the amazon jungle. I've come to love this place and the people here.  Excited to work hard and leave my legacy of 6 months here this change. My companion is still Elder Platt.  Basically no changes here in coca, only Elder Lalliss left.  That will be sad, got along really well with him and it's been a fun 3 changes here with him but he's goin to otavalo now!  We'll be receiving Elder Larsen here tonight at 11:30 at night.  He'll be with Elder Molina.  But ya, that's basically the news of the week.. 

It's been a crazy week ish.. I thought I was out so we spent a lot of it sayin bye to people but then I got the good news. So I'm here and excited to work hard!  Should be another fast change.  That was the fastest transfer of my life!  Dang, the time is just cruising.  But  I'm enjoying myself and loving the time here..  I think it's recently hitting me that I'm not gonna be here forever.  Before the time would just go really slow, but I know that before I know it I'll be heading back to the states.   So I'm trying to make the most of everyday.  We are working hard and are having a fun time.  

We now have an investigator with a baptismal date.  Hno Jose Cuvy for Nov 11.

He's really cool and is military! But ya fun week.. should be another good one.. 

Welp that's really it, hope everyone is doin good..    

(and Go Dodgers!!)

Elder Jensen

One More Week Til Transfers!

Wellllll, this has been the fastest transfer of my life.  super weird.  Started the week going to Quito.. again.  This time for the mission council..  that was cool.  Saw a lot of people that I haven't seen for a long time and said goodbye to a lot of people that will be finishing their missions soon.  But that's the mission.. We talked about  a lot of good things that really have inspired us as missionaries to be better.  As always, one of the themes was being a Disciple of Christ..  I like how in General Conference they talked a ton about that.  Really that's our goal in life to become disciples of our Savior Jesus Christ (3 Nephi 5:13). but ya that was a fun meeting.

But ya got back to the sector on Wednesday and we had a good few days of work!  We found 14 new investigators!!!!  That was super awesome!  We've been using the BoM.  It really is a great tool in this work.. before I was like, uhh I don't want to show them the BoM because they'll reject it, but really it's the opposite.. you can find the people who really are interested in the message by sharing it. There is power in the BoM, and that really has been a goal of mine in these last few weeks, to read and understand better the BoM.  Definitely have seen a lot of changes in my life through the book.. Read Pres. Nelson´s, Pres. Eyring´s, and Elder Callister´s talks on the BoM, they're great!

Fun week in the mish.  Well, we'll see what happens with the changes.. tbh, I'd like to stay, cause I feel like this next change will be a really successful one, but wherever I go I'll like it.  Well hope you all have a good week.

Here are some pics from the ride from Quito to coca, me with some hulk graffiti, and the Elders from my group at mish council..

Elder Jensen

 

 

 

 

Conference!!

Wow, super great weekend.  Learned a lot of great things and excited to put them into practice as a missionary.. Well this is going to be a fast one today since  have to travel to Quito again for mission council.  

But ya this week was fast.. left to Quito Thursday and came back to my sector Saturday before conference.  Then conference weekend and now I gotta go back.. Soo kind of a full week of stuff.. and not much time to work.. Hoping that when I get back, we'll have time to do some stuff in the work.  Time is flying ! The mission is awesome! 

I'll write more next week, but hope you guys were able to learn something from conference.. I especially liked what Pres Nelson and Pres Eyring said about the BoM.  I know that reading it daily, even for 5 min will be a blessing in your lives.  Don't forget!

Love you all, have a good week

Elder Jensen

Photos from the Ecuador Quito North Mission

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Mission Council

October 3, 2017