Happy Thanksgiving!

Hello!

This has been a really good week. We had lots of great lessons and got plenty of new investigators.

On Wednesday we had the always amazing opportunity to attend the temple. There is such a sweet and distinct spirit at the temple that you can't get anywhere else. After the temple we ate at the best burger joint I've ever been to. It's called Jasper's in Central Point and, oh my gosh, it's the bomb! I had a burger with POTSTICKERS INSIDE!!! This is what the world needs everywhere!! 10 out of 10. Amazing. Would highly recommend.

Thursday was a very interesting day. We got a call from one of the assistants earlier that week saying that President Russell wanted us on a conference call later that night. So of course Elder Carter and I started FREAKING OUT. We were racking our brains thinking of what we could possibly have done that got us in trouble. Turns out, we were selected for a special assignment where we would be Finding with another set of Elders all day Thursday. So that's what our Thursday consisted of; Finding. I went out with Elder Earl and Elder Carter went out with Elder Adams (Elder Earl's trainee). Elder Earl and I went tracting for hours. We must have knocked on hundreds and hundreds of doors and got nothing....until the very last door we knocked on. It just goes to show that you need to have faith in all that we do. Elder Carter and Elder Adams found 4 investigators and 5 potential investigators!

One of the best things that happened this week was that we finally got a lesson with Amanda's mom!!!!! Holy cow, the Spirit was so strong and WE PUT HER ON DATE FOR BAPTISM!! What's up son!!!!!!!!!!  She's so excited to learn more about the church. She was so pumped that we've had 2 lessons with her in 4 days. She's gone a full 180 - from being agnostic and not agreeing with her daughter getting baptized, to her accepting the Gospel! I'm severely bummed that I'm not gong to be able to see her continue to take the lessons, but hopefully I can get back for the baptism! :)

It's been a great week, and hopefully the last week of this transfer is as fulfilling as this one was.

Happy Thanksgiving everyone!

Love,
Elder Jensen

Teaching the homeless

Roseburg sunset

Last week's Zone Conference with Elder Marcus B. Nash
Missionaries from the Roseburg, Medford, Central Point, Southern Coos Bay, Grants Pass and Klamath Falls Zones

Hey Howdy Hey

Another week has gone by here in the OEM. Elder Carter and I are getting closer to the end of this transfer and things are going really well. I had my first meal payed for by someone we didn't know. It was honestly the best thing.

We've had lots of lessons with people this week which is always a great thing. We just started teaching a family of four that was referred to us by a member. They are really solid. The parents are professional painters and are really open to what we have to teach. I have a feeling that they're going to make great strides in the Gospel. They let us split wood with them for awhile, which was super fun let me tell you!

We had our zone training meeting (ZTM) this Friday which was really good. We talked a lot about why we're out serving and it really painted a picture of what's important for me at this point in my life, and what's not. We also talked about our new Christmas initiative that's coming out called #ASaviorIsBorn and it's gong to be AMAZING! I'm honestly so excited for Christmas out here, spreading the joy that the gospel brings to me, to others.

This week should be especially fun. We are going back to the temple on Wednesday!!!!! I love the temple and I feel so blessed to know that we can go so often and have it so close.

Transfers are coming up on the 30th and I'm almost 101% positive that I'm leaving Roseburg. President Russell said in his email to me "leave your area strong" so I'm preeeeeeety positive that I'm gone. It'll be exciting to see where I'm going. I'll know for sure the weekend after Thanksgiving.

Love you all so much and hope to hear from your soon.

Elder Jensen

Typical Oregon

The Zone at ZTM

Crazy Oregon Pothead (I'm hilarious) 

Shave Everyday November

Good Mormon Everyone! (little joke)

It's been another really good week here in Roseburg. It has finally started to cool down to what you would imagine the weather in Oregon in November would be like. It's really nice to walk out the door and not feel like I'm going to die of heat exhaustion.

We were able to have one of our recent converts, Amanda, go to the temple to do baptisms for the dead. While she was there she had the work done for her father, who passed away about three years ago. She sent us a text that said, "I felt my Dad's spirit at his baptism and confirmation. I know my father is ok now. He is in spirit paradise. I finally have closure and now I'm not the only one in my family [who has accepted the Gospel]."  Isn't that just THE COOLEST THING YOU'VE EVER HEARD!? It's been an awesome experience seeing Amanda be such a diligent follower of Christ. We're going to have a lesson with Amanda and her mother, who isn't a member, on Wednesday. Hopefully Amanda can have her mother join her and her father! :)

We also had the amazing opportunity to have our Zone Conference and Stake Conference be in the same weekend. Not only that, but we were able to have Elder Marcus B. Nash of the First Quorum of the Seventy preside at both conferences. He is such an amazing speaker and he really spoke to me in my calling as a missionary.  The adult session of conference was one of the most spiritual meetings I've ever had. Elder Nash talked a lot about how the Savior would be a missionary if he were serving where I am. He also had a question and answer session, which I highly recommend to anyone who can pick the mind of a General Authority.  One of the things Elder Nash talked about that I really loved was that if we keep our perspective on what we know - who we are, why we're here, and what our eternal potential is - then we can combat any adversity that may come. As beautifully put by President Uchtdorf, "Doubt your doubts before you doubt your faith".

There is nothing that may cross our path that our knowledge of the Gospel can't overcome, wether it's affliction, sin, trials, or opposition to who we are and what we believe. The strength that comes with our eternal perspective of this life is the only sure foundation from which we can't fall. We have to grow our testimony of the Gospel. Elder Nash explained that the best way to do that is through consistency in living the Gospel. From the simple application of living Gospel standards daily, reading our scriptures, saying our prayers, and keeping our covenants, can we truly grow our conversion to the Gospel. We have to be more than just a Latter-day Saint on Sunday mornings. We have to constantly be looking for ways to increase our faith and understanding because that's what will be the true source of our strength. As Matthew 24:35 says, "Heaven and earth shall pass away, but my words shall not pass away." Our Heavenly Father's plan for us is the greatest knowledge that we have in this life, and while the world will change in morals, values, the perception of what is good and what is evil, we will always know what God has in store for us if we abide by his words.

That was by far the highlight of the week. Other than that we didn't do a whole lot. We met a few people that we'll hopefully have the opportunity to start teaching, and had some great lessons with others. Oh and this cat followed us around a neighborhood for awhile, which was fun.

Elder Carter and I are doing really well here. Thank you for all the prayers and support. Sorry I didn't take too many pictures this week. I'll try to do better.

Love,
Elder Jensen

Twinning with Elder Holman

Roseburg Sunset

Live from P-Day

Cross One Career Off the List

Let me just start by saying that I will never be a real estate agent. The majority of our week was spent trying to get all the logistics worked out to move one of our recent converts, Kathy. Now I don't know too much about homeownership, but I know that you DO NOT put in your 30 days notice for moving out until you have another place set up. I guess Kathy didn't get that. It's been the most stressful week of my life, trying to get her not to be homeless.

There is a spiritual connection though. We told Kathy that she could fast and pray that things would work out as we try to make them happen. She said that she gained a testimony of God answering prayers because we were able to work out all the impossible details (like getting a queen sized box spring and mattress up a tiny flight of stairs with two 90 degree angles) and get her all moved in on Halloween night.  That was a trial of faith right there!

Halloween was super fun. We had our ward's Trunk-or-Treat. We invited some of our investigators to attend, and they actually did! Elder Carter and I went as each other which was pretty hilarious.

We concluded Halloween night with a pizza party and jam session, complete with board games (after appropriate studying of talks, of course). It was awesome!

We had difficulty getting with our investigators this week, but we were able to have good lessons with them once we found them. We've really been trying hard to get as much work done as possible so that we can have those people to teach. It's been slowly starting to get busier. I have faith that it'll start getting up there.

Stay strong, be happy and read 1 Nephi 19:22-23 

Love,

Elder Jensen

My pumpkin this year (I made do)

Watch out tweakers