HAHA I'D TELL YOU WHATS GOING ON WITH SKYPE BUT I HAVE NO IDEA

December 18, 2017

HAHA I'D TELL YOU WHATS GOING ON WITH SKYPE BUT I HAVE NO IDEA

HElllo!

First, to take care of business. I pretty much have the ability to Skpe whenever in the afternoon. so all i need is the time when Alice is Skyping and then I can  just let my companion know. Also, I need a skype account. which I don't have and it would probably just be easier if you made one for me and sent the details via email. I'm going to check my email later today because I doubt anyone is awake at 4:44 in the morning. I'm hoping it  will all work out. At the very least, I need what ever skype account I'm going to call and the time Alice will be calling (preferably in Brazil Fortaleza time haha). If you can it would be awesome if you made me an account but if not, I can use my companion's or make one the day of on a members computer or something. Also, Its quite probable that i won’t get to email on Christmas because there probably won’t be any place open to email. but my companion and I have been looking so there is still hope.

Things that happened this week. We really officially ran out of water haha. I've been using a bucket filled up from a spigot down the street. I’ve been waiting about a week now to use my shower again.

Were still searching for people to teach. It's been especially difficult this time of the year. It really feels like people care less and less about Christ during the Christmas season. 

also, the following week, new years day, I won’t be emailing on Monday, probably Tuesday but that has to be figured out still.

we had the conference of Natal this Thursday with the whole mission which was pretty awesome. It was kind crazy to see all the missionaries grouped together. I played the piano which was fun haha.

I also played the piano for a ward conference haha. and there was a choir (you think that I would’ve been told I was going to accompany an choir??) But everything deu certo. 

Can’t wait to talk to you guys next week!!

Elder Jensen

Also, I’ll probably check my email later today like 5 pm ish to see what time and stuff.

Hello Again!

December 11, 2017

Hello Again!

Hello Everyone!

Well this week was just a little bit of a downer haha. We started this transfer off with nothing (because we had an awesome end to the last one) and we've kinda been continuing on that same groove haha. We had no one in church, no new investigators. No new nothing. Lots of door knocking lots of street contacting. We've been trying to come up with better ways to actually meet people that are disposed to hear and apply the gospel in their life, people who really have the desire to change. But we've still been struggling. So prayers would be greatly appreciated. 

It's also been really, really hot this week. I'm not sure if it's just me but its been sweltering hahahaha. And our water turned off again haha. 

In other news, Elder Almeida and I have decided that if we can get the ward to bring friends, a little music class could help us encounter more people (taught by yours truly so pray for that too because I don't know how to say much about music theory in Portuguese) Hopefully that should help us meet more people though that have friends who are members and who actually want to learn. Because if you can find the desire to learn about music from American who speaks broken Portuguese, you should be able to find the desire to learn about the restored gospel of Jesus Christ from this same American and his companion haha. In all seriousness though, please pray that we'll be able to find people to teach who want to hear. 

Love you guys, Merry Christmas!!

Elder Jensen 

Praying Mantis

Outside Shower

Diveção das Milagres

Diveção das Milagres

December 4, 2017

Hello Everyone! It's Officially Christmas Time!

Pretty much the highlight of this week was Wednesday and Sunday. 

The Almeida family had kinda a shock not last Sunday but the Sunday before with a member who hit them with the baptism for the dead doctrine without explaining it at allll so when we visited them on Tuesday they were really freaked out about that. We explained what it was actually about, how it works, but they were really worried that there would be more things like that to learn when they joined the church so they didn’t want to be baptized this week like they had planned. Anyway, we arranged to visit them on Wednesday after they had prayed about baptism and then we would figure out what to do. Whether they would wait to be baptized and whatnot. Buuuut we had a division and I went to a different area on Wednesday so I didn’t get to see what happened. Apparently, they had a super spiritual message about faith and trusting the knowledge that they already had gained. And they agreed to be baptized on Sunday. Hence Sunday being an awesome day with 4 baptisms and 5 confirmations (we had an investigator who took some time to confirm) The only downside is that we have literally no one to teach to star off this transferencia. Except the families who need to get married. Which is a huge issue here. We meet a ton of couples living with their kids "juntos" a family in every sense except the law. Which is really, really important. So, we end up marking almost as many dates of marriage as we do baptismal dates hahaa. It's good fun. The other miracle is that when I got back to our house we actually had water so we could stop bathing in the hose outside of our house hahaha. What a blessing running water is.

I love you guys and Happy Christmas Season!!

Elder Jensen

PS Can you please send a picture of our family?? 

Happy Holidays...happy holidays

Happy Holidays...happy holidays
November 27,2017

Unfortunately, Thanksgiving has yet to make it to brazil. So no annual day of feasting and Thanking for us (sadly). But Black Friday is definitely here and going strong. It's like a weeklong celebration of capitalism and the financial survival of the fittest. Good fun!

This week was an adventure of onibus. We cover the area of Caucaia. which is really big. But we also teach references in literally any area nearby without missionaries. which is a lot. This week, we were in a nearby area, Icarai. and another city, Pecem. Which was quite a trip, almost an hour by bus. But it is cool. Because we only go if it's someone or a family that is really prepared to receive the gospel. So we spend a lot of time teaching these families that have a desire to learn instead of trying to run into them on the street.

Fun things that happened this week. 

- I played the piano for the primary program which was probably the hardest venue I can imagine because very few children have the ability to keep time. So you spend the entire program trying to decide if you follow the conductor or the kids. It was all good though. I just kinda chilled somewhere in the middle.

-We're baptizing a family of 4, the Familia Almeida (if all goes well) this weekend. They're really awesome full of great questions (and some really interesting ones about the reformed lds church in the USA) which are fun to answer. Also, they’re from Sao Paulo so they’re a lot easier to understand than most of the people in Ceara hahah.

-We had a ton of people in the sacrament meeting this week. 14 investigators! It was really cool to see so many people wanting to hear the gospel.

Love you guys! Happy Holidays (I found the use of the word holiday appropriate because it means "holy days" and that’s what this time of year is all about!)!

Elder Jensen

Mom: I don't have any "needs" per se except water. because it keeps going out in our apartment. So we haven’t really been able to shower this week. so maybe you could send some from maple valley?? Just kidding haha. Really, I don’t need anything right now. One of those instant stain remover pens would be really useful though. Chocolate? Nutella? haha really anything.

Dad: I'm doing alright in everything related to heath. I don’t know if I can use the water filter because the problem with the water here is the salt content. Apparently it gives you kidney stones the first time you drink it. Not that i believe it haha. But I’m still afraid. Our ward/branch/group is helpful; at least a select few members. We have 2 families that we eat at everyday haha which is too bad. occasionally other families help out too.

I would like a picture of our family thougghhhhh  if you could please send that!!

Love you guys good luck with running!!!

It's already been another week??

It's already been another week??

November 20, 2017

Hellooo alll!

This week really flew by haha. We've been going crazy over here, trying to get everywhere we need to at once. We have a contact we’ve been teaching outside of our area, in a place called Icarai, I think that’s how its spelled. It's what it sounds like at any rate. The Almeida family. And they’re honestly so awesome. That have these fantastic Questions and really think about what we say and then ask if they don’t understand. It's so much fun to teach them. They also made it to church on Sunday which was awesome too. Because usually on Sunday, they prepare everything for the next week for their cake making business, but they made the decision to come to church and they really enjoyed it which was cool too. 

Other Fun stories...

I ate a dish called panelada which is basically everything you shouldn’t eat from an animal. Look up images and recipes hahahahahaha. It was.... an adventure to say the least. 

Also! we didn’t get our bi weekly money last P-day. So we lived on about 5$ in American money for half the week. Which made finding drinking water a real trick. Oh the things you learn to do haha. 

I also got to give a talk on missionary work (which is really important, make sure you help the missionaries out in your area they need it hahaha), Played the piano for 2 sacrament meeting and was asked to play for the primary program next week!! All without any sort of preparation!! It's been good fun. I think that everyone is just so overjoyed that we have a pianist in our ala that they don’t care that I really can't play most hymns the first time through. It definitely could be worse haha. I’m honestly okay with it because I get to play the piano at least once a week. It's a nice guarantee. 

They’re also changing a lot of the mission rules. So I may actually get to go running!! Also, Play soccer. Fun stuff like that. Our mission president is really trying to put the responsibility back on us to use our time wisely and stay safe, physically and spiritually. 

That was about it for this week!

Love you all!!!

Elder Jensen

First, I took care of Spotify haha. A I realized that about a week into the mtc and forgot to ask you to cancel. Also, BYU and Tyler day that’s soo cool. But I got permission to cancel it here. So Its all good. Christmas haha. Nutella??? Baking powder it doesn’t exist here and I want pancakes!!! A decent water bottle haha. Pens!! a thumbdrive loaded with church music haha. Really any article of clothing. That’s about it haha. I love you and good luck with your calling!!!!!!!!!. 

Hey mom!! I'm about to get kicked off my computer. But yes its definitely taken care of (referring to his Spotify Account)! And if I get kicked off before i get to respond to everyone in our family, let them know I love getting their notes and that I definitely read them even if I don’t respond!

2 months officially

2 months officially

November 13, 2017

Helllo all!!

It's crazy to think that I’ve been in the southern hemisphere for officially 2 months now haha. 

This week was pretty crazy haha. Lots and lots of contacting. We've been having a tough time finding anyone that wants to actually hear the gospel. There’s a lot of people that stop and talk with you (everyone here is suuuuuppppeeeer open and friendly about eveerrrryyything haha) but a lot less people who will listen to what you have to say, follow up on invitations, show up at church, accept another lesson. So it’s been tough. We found a couple people this last week who seemed really interested but then totally blew us off when we showed up for our next visit. So it’s been tough. 

 Fun things that happened this week. We had a Zone conference which was really cool. It talked a lot about purpose and having a goal, or a purpose for every action in your life. There were two questions that they asked. First, what are the things that you are doing that you need to stop to accomplish your goal? and second, what are you not doing that you need to start doing to accomplish your purpose? Having a purpose is so important in this life, especially in this time because its soooo easy to get sidetracked by whatever little thing. But when we stick to our purpose, life is so much more fulfilling and we accomplish amazing things

Love you all!!

Baptism from the first week. Gilson.

Baptism from the second week. Jorge and Sonnia.

Elder Jensen

And now there are 2 of us....

And now there are 2 of us...
November 6, 2017

Hello Family and Friends!!

So, to start off this week, Elder Sanhueza got emergency transferred this Tuesday which was definitely a surprise. We got a call at 9:50 at night telling us that there would be a taxi at our apartment the next morning at 9 am. SO that was sad and a little shocking. and a little weird cause I’d already gotten pretty used to being in a trio. It was also a blessing though because ElderAlmeida started taking a little more time to explain what in the world was going on hahaha.

I promised I’d try to write more of a coherent email so here goes. Our apartment is a 2-story condo with two bedrooms and 3 bathrooms. It’s a little sad cause one of the bedrooms is completely unused. I never expected to have the most space in my life when I went on my mission haha. Also, hammocks are huge here and I recommend everyone install a couple hooks in every room of their house so you can throw up a hammock in time of need.

We had another baptism this week, Jorge and Sonnia. It was super crazy because 2 days before the baptism, Jorge told us that he had a problem with smoking. So we gave him a blessing and told him he would be able to stop completely before his baptism which he did so that was really cool and powerful.

This weekend we hád stake conference which was fun.  A lot of bus riding and such. Did I mention the busses are terrifying?????

Aaaaaannnnnd, i was going to include pictures but I left my câmera at our house hahaha. Sooooo that’s about it for this week!!

I love you Guys!!

Elder Jensen

PS about my address, all letters just get sent to the mission office of Fortaleza. Just send any letters there with my name on it and they give it to my district leaders and they distribute them.

Heelllllooooo!

My feet and shoes are doing just fine right now haha. The only thing I want or need are more of those G2 pens, the 05 ones hahahaha.

They don’t sell them in Brazil. It’s just me and Elder Almeida in our área which is really tough cause its really big and we go and teach lessons in this place called Iparana too so that’s been fun lots of walking and ônibus haha.

love you Lots!!

ELder Jensen

ALso!! Everyone wants a Picture of our Family hahahaha Can you please send one? Also baking powder haha just kidding about that. They dont have any here though....