PICS FOR THE WEEK

This is Melvin and his son Christopher.. they are a less active family...but please notice how cool his beard is!! haha I love them!! 

We do yoga together in the mornings ... cute compa bonding!!!

We love our bananas!! 

The sunrise!!! God is so Good!!! Remember that! 

These are coco balls.. we dont know what they are really called but we search every colmado for them and when we find them we buy all that they have THEY ARE THE BEST

HAPPY

HOLA FAMILIA MIA!!!

Nothing really exciting happened this week it was pretty normal but I'll try and put together an email of some of my thoughts and feelings and happenings this week.


-I completed 3 months and my trainer (mom) completed 14 months!
-We didn't have water for 3 days.. so clearly instead of bucket showering we just didn't shower.. don't worry I haven't changed too much! haha
- Our power and our back up power went out as well
- Hermana Mijangos left the hose on doing her laundry right after we got the water back and flooded our house
- We went on splits
- We made a paper Christmas tree, paper presents, and paper decorations, and paper snowflakes for our house.... you could say our apartment looks like it is from the movie elf.
-We had some jello for thanksgiving!! hahaha yum!! :)))
-The cutest old man Francisco committed to come to church

I love being a missionary.. and I'm going to tell you why! Well this week was Thanksgiving, and when I knelt down to pray that night, to give a prayer of solely thanks I realized just how great it is to be a missionary... I had to give thanks for my calling to be a representative of Jesus Christ, for my family, my membership in this perfect Gospel, our investigators, and the health that I have. Being a missionary is all that we have... we don't have all these distractions or worldly things. I am so grateful for this opportunity and privileged to get away from the worldly things and realize what is truly important, our families!!! This has really been a time for me to realize that I have everything I could ever need, and realize what I want in my future. another reason I love being a missionary is that I get to testify all day every day that our Savior lives.. and I know that with all of my heart that He lives and loves us... I can feel the love that our Savior has for the people that I teach.. and every time I am in awe at the feeling that I get!

I know that this church is true, I'm grateful for all that I have been given and I am so happy!!! honestly I am so happy, but because of this Gospel I am happy, and that's why I am here to help other people be as happy as I am! :)) I hope for you all to find the happiness that this Gospel offers!!!


Sorry this email isn't the best.. but I love you all with all that I am!!!

con mucho amor

Hermana Jenson

PICS FROM THIS WEEK

THIS IS MY FAVORITE YESEÑA AND HER BABY YESBAILEE

YESEÑAS BAPTISM!!!!

HER FIRST BAPTISM FROM START TO FINISH

HER FAMILY AND US

JOY

"I know that which the lord hath commanded me, and I glory in it. I do not glory of myself, but I glory in that which the lord hath commanded me; yeah, and this is my glory, that perhaps I may be an instrument in the hands of God to bring some soul to repentance; and this is my joy.
and behold, when I see many of my brethren truly penitent, and coming to the Lord their God, then is my soul filled with joy; then do I remember what the lord has done for me, yeah, even that he hath heard my prayer; yeah then do I remember his merciful arm which he extended towards me." ALMA 29:9-10

No scriptures could better describe my feelings this week! It has been a very eventful, humbling, spiritual, and inspiring week! I had a ton of experiences this week but I want to share just one short story, about my dearest friend Yeseña! She was my first lession, where I prayed so hard for the spirit to teach the first vision and the Holy Ghost totally took over, and she was the first investigator we had together to accept her baptism date. This week I got to see her take her first steps towards eternal happiness. Before her baptism she was so excited and emotional since early in the morning she was all ready do go and had a permanent smile on her face. Through this day and the past months.. I have really been able to "see her coming to the Lord her God" and  have felt so much thanks for my Heavenly Father to allow me to watch her make these steps"I glory that I am an instrument in His hands". during the actual baptismal service, I felt probably just a tiny bit of it, but I could feel the joy and love that our Father in Heaven has for her.. WOW I was so overwhelmed! It was something that I will cherish forever. The best part of this whole day, was when Yeseña bore her testimony... she expressed her thanks for us that we knocked on her door and that we taught her the way to follow our Savior, not just for her but for her little girl, then she explained that her husband (who has been in Costa Rica for the past 6 months taking care of his sick mother) has been taking the missionary lessions as well, and how this gospel is truly changing the life of her family, forever!

She didn't tell us that her husband was taking the lessions... and instantly my jaw dropped and tears (more tears) started to flow down my cheeks. It is my testimony that this gospel truly blesses families, and at this moment I felt so grateful "for what the Lord has done for me" given me my family!! I know that our Savior lives and loves us... that his "merciful arm is extended toward us" no matter what! Over all I feel thankful that the Lord let me have this experience!! I love this gospel with all my heart, and I know that it is true!! I love my family, the little taste of eternal happiness that I have on earth!!


Okay one last thing that has been on my mind a lot this week that I want to share for this holiday season... that is all about our wonderful and miraculous Savior Jesus Christ, I recently started reading the New Testament to feel and learn more about the life of Jesus Christ and I want to share something that I think we should all strive for these coming weeks. in Mathew 4:11-12 it is talking about how Jesus was just finishing his 40 day fast and being tempted by satan... and how after angels ministered unto him.... but in JST it says that he heard that John (the baptist) was cast into prison, and he actually sent those angels to him to help him. Then Jesus departed into Galilee. Just even writing this brings tears to my eyes... I can't imagine the things that the Savior did for me, but the fact that He solely thought and continues to think, of others in His times of need is something we all need. This holiday season I encourage you all to meditate this, and think about the comfort you can give, the love you can send, and the Christ like example you can be for others!!


I love you all and I love our Redeemer and Heavenly Father!

Thank you for all the love and prayers!

con mucho amor
Hermana Jenson

This is our mission family!!!!! hermana Echard is all of our moms and these are my brothers!! haha elder Spence is from Jamaica and elder Garcia from Texas! :)))

Elder Garcia de Texas, hermana Echard, y yo

The hermana's in our zone!!!:))) In our mission we are required to carry our LDMs in our hands... they call them our esposos... or on other words we are supposed to treat them like our husbands.!! haha 

Dinner with Arisleda.. one of our investigators.. she is truly amazing, practically a member already, and she made us the best espeghettis I've ever tasted! :)

In the car on our way to Bishops house for dinner... yum!! Elder Salcedo is getting transferred and we are soooo sad!!! 

The elders had baptisms this week and we took Yeseña... this is the familia Cueyo.. newest members of our ward!! :)))

This was their first time ever wearing seat belts!!!! bahahah... oh the DR!

 Yeseña and I in the park on the slide.. Hahah scariest slide of my life.

This is the car floor of the carrito.. like a taxi here... there is no floor! Haha you can see the rode through the holes... reminds me of when mom and Deena and I went to Hawaii and rented that van!! Bahahah

AND WE MEET AGAIN...AND AGAIN...AND AGAIN

Another amazing week in La Yuca as a missionary! :)

This week was Zone Conference (my first one) and stake conference and another conference for the leaders, which my companion is an hermana leader, so I went to that too, then did intercombios with a different hermana... we were in her area.. RIGHT NEXT TO THE OCEAN! WOW!! :) also when we were on our way back for the day we were riding in a carrito and the whole car was shaking cause the cars here suck.. and then all of a sudden we start to swerve and a loud POP! yeah our tire blew out in the middle of the street.... I just grabbed this old mans hand who was next to me and was freaking out!! haha then we walked the rest of the way to the chapel... haha everything is an adventure here!! I love it!

I got everyone's letters at the zone conference!! gosh I have the best family and friends! thank you so much for all the love!! I replied to you all so you should be getting letters!! :)


So at the zone conf. we had to get shots... yah and guess what happened I had some sort of reaction and I broke out in a hive rash thing all over my body.. I looked like a red lobster and my hands and feet were swollen and itched like I've never itched before... no medicine was helping.. so I just walked around looking like a dufus for like 3 days... its finally fading now! :) I'm okay!! :)

Okay so Yeseña had her baptismal interview on Saturday... so she is getting baptized this week!!!! YAY!! so this week we were in a lession with her and talking about baptisms for the dead... it was really spiritual and my comp was bearing her testimony.. and her daughter who is 3 years was just walking around and holding a ziploc container that we had from another investigator. She gave us food and we were returning it, then I look at Yeseña in the lession and she gets this wide eyed look on her face... and starts gasping.. I look... and her daughter decided to go to the bathroom in the ziploc container... bahahahaha!! I just started laughing!!!! Yeseña starts yelling and laughing bahaha it took us a little while to calm down. haha Yeseña is so amazing she is reading her LDM like crazy and her testimony is growing so much everyday! her life is truly changing, and the life of her daughter too. This gospel really is the only true gospel!

So this week we also had stake conference so we had to get everyone at church at 8 to ride in a guagua to the stake center by 9, literally we were running around like chickens in the morning. Francisco, the cutest old man that we are teaching called us cause we were going to get him ready and walk him to the chapel, and said he was already on his way.. already and everything, the best people live here!! Lastly after we got everyone at the church, we went to Yeseña's cause she was going to drive us. we knock on the door.. nothing.. 5 min later.. nothing...5 min later.. we start to pray.. cause if she doesn't come to church she cant have her baptism...we knock again.. nothing.. we weren't going to give up though.. so we start banging on the door.. haha still.... NOTHING!!! my companion was trying to call her but she wasn't answering.. yeah we were being those annoying missionaries! haha! we were already going to be late for the conference and didnt have a ride.. then I said a little prayer in my heart.. and we hear ¨quien?¨ AHHH LAS HERMANAS!! Turns out her daughter was sick and she was at the hospital til 5 in the morning with her.. and her phone had died! But she hurried and got ready and we only missed the opening hymn!! Seriously there always needs to be a trial of our faith... like in Ether 12:6... also the example of Yeseña and how important it is for her to make this covenant with her Father in Heaven, she could have slept or said she was tired, but she knew she had to go and had the desire!! She is such an example to us!! :) I love her!! I have learned so many things this week!! This gospel really does change people.. its changing me! :) grateful for my Savior and His perfect example for all of us!!!! THIS CHURCH IS THE TRUTH!!

love you all so much!!!

Hermana Jenson

This is Yeseña!! we had a nail/popcorn and read The Book of Mormom night with her and her girls!! Haha I love them so much! when we were making popcorn I was in the kitchen with Yeseña and we took the top off the pot and one popped and went right in Yeseña´s face, and she screamed like someone just died!! bahaha I couldn't stop laughing I was snorting and couldn't stop!! haha

Me and Yeseña´s baby doing peace!

Sardine dumplings from a member... yummmm! bahaha

Riding motors like the Dominican with a thousand `people on one!! haha

This is the streets full of water!! Note the cars being drowned

We had a sleepover with the other hermanas before the zoo cause it was far away!! hermana Vargas is the one that I had intercombios with she is the Dominican! haah and hna Echard sleeping in the back!

We got a txt message from president telling us that we were doing a good job and he was super proud of us and our example!! So we obviously needed a pic!

Hermana Echard and I trying to be flamingos! I think Deena would appreciate this!

Hippo!!! We were super close!! 

The zoo!! reminds me of Hawaii!!!

Our noche de hogar!! the girl next to me in the blue is Edidaña and Ezikiel is in the top right corner!

This is me and hermana Reilly from the ccm 

This is me and hermana Estevez! she is like the dominican me! I love her!!!

This is the cat that was in our house! don't worry we didn't really hurt it! 

PACKAGES!!! its like Christmas!

TRAILS OF FAITH

wow!! This week has been an incredible week to be a missionary! So much has happened!! I love it here and I love wearing the name tag with my favorite persons name on it JESUCRISTO!!

-We had intercambios this week, and I went to a different area with hermana Vargas.. she is Dominican and doesn't speak any English... lets just say that I have never prayed for the gift of tongues so hard in my entire life, and my prayers were answered!!! I seriously didn't struggle once the whole day with my Spanish with her or in the lessions! it was so much fun!! :) I love Spanish!! we also ran into someone who spoke English and I felt so awkward, I didn't know what to say, it was like I didn't know what he was saying to me! hahah and hermana Vargas just started laughing at me, I guess my face showed what I was feeling! haha

-we had our neighbors cat in our house (pics to come)
-we had a capacitation (my one month in the feild) and I got to see some friends from the ccm!!
-I got my first package!!!!
-gotten home soaking wet every day this week, the rain wont stop!! I've never heard thunder so loud, I was actually scared for my life!

I have a story for you all,
Okay so, there is this family here la familia Diaz, there are 2 boys and 2 girls and a mom and a dad. before I got here the missionaries taught their family, then when they found out what they were teaching they slowly one by one ¨weren't there¨ for the lessions, except the father Maximo. He was baptized the week before I got here and he received the Holy Ghost my first Sunday here! He is the cutest little old guy with the biggest smile and asks me how I am, like 50 times in 2 minutes. Wow he is incredible. His wife, is super catholic and doesn't want anything to do with the church, and sometimes she says bad stuff to us about our church, she hides in her room whenever we come over. The girls on the other hand love us!! Especially the oldest Meyda, she loves basketball and tries to speak English to me all the time! :) anyhow we have been teaching the two sisters Eridaña and Meyda, they are so smart and we have had some really spiritual lessions with them, but the only problem is that their mom won't let them go to anything.

This week we were having a Noche De Hogar (family home evening) with some of the other missionaries investigators that are younger in age and Hna. Echard and I decided we were going to invite the Diaz girls.. so we fasted, I honestly have never had a harder time fasting in my entire life, satan was really working on us during our fast! We told them about the NDH like 4 days in advanced and they said they would think about it.

The day came... we went to the Diaz´house and shared a little message and prayed with them and then we had to lure their mom out of her room to see if she would let them come... she said no. I have never felt so genuinely sad, we had prayed so hard and had so much faith that this was going to work and we knew that this night was going to have a huge impact on them. Well we talked to her some more and she said she needed her oldest daughter to work for her and all this crazy other stuff..! So we left.... we stood in the street in silence shed some tears and then started to walk and then hna Echard stopped and said that we should try for the younger brother and the little sister cause the mother only said that she needed the oldest daughter! Then she said no we've been too annoying. Then I said NO!! We have already gotten no, why not try one more time! So we called and praying in our hearts asked if her other kids could go... SHE SAID YES!! I don't know what those 5-10 minutes did to their mom, but I'm grateful!!

So we ran back and got them ready, as we were waiting the oldest daughter just kept saying how it was a miracle that her mom is letting them go! It really was a miracle!!

We went to the noche de hogar and wow the spirit touched everyone there! Eridaña and Ezikiel made new friends and felt the spirit! They said they loved it!


This was seriously a huge eye opener to me for many reasons... one: sometimes we are too greedy, I wanted the whole family to come, but really the two that needed it the most were the ones that could. two: The Lord tests our faith first, he needed to see if we would keep trying! I've learned and studied a lot about faith this week, and one quote I love is ¨You can literally cause things to work for your good both in your life and in the lives of others if you are full of faith in The Lord¨ -Gene R. Cook
I can testify that this is true, all you need is Faith! Faith is action and if we act in our faith miracles will follow!! I know that our Savior is aware of us and loves us!!

Thank you for everything especially your love!!!!

con amor!!
hermana Jenson

MORE RAIN AND THE CLICK!

Hola!!!!!

Wow this week has been one of some downs and of course ups!!! Wow I am so grateful to be here as a missionary!! :)

some highlights from this week:
-I had my first bucket shower
-crossed a river in the street again
-got rocks thrown at me by a chimpanzee at the zoo
-I was still super sick(lowlight)
-sang kareoke en español
-yeseña is getting baptized on the 21st!!!!!!


These are just a few of my adventures this week!! so first off I was super sick still on Tuesday and my compa is so good to me and she took super good care of me and I got a blessing from the elders and now I feel like I got a whole new body! I LOVE THE PRIESTHOOD!!! so when I was better we went to work super hard this week, we had a bunch of lessions! The people here are super awesome they are filled with so much faith!

Next we went to the zoo today!! Holy cow, this was for sure not the zoo in america!!! THERE ARENT ANY FENCES!! bahah! I know you're probably thinking I'm lying or joking!! Nope!! No fences at the zoo!! thats how we do it in the DR!! there are litterally only ditches that are like 3 feet wide that seperate you and the animals.. and then some are like in cement holes that you look down at.. ha its super interesting and ghetto! but so cool! the animals were super awesome I can't send pics this week but for sure next!! I have a ton!! Then we get to the chimpanzee and it was running around throwing rocks and yelling at people! Wow it was something that I will always remember for sure!! but I made it out alive!! :))

Next.. THE CLICK... so this week, and for parts of my mission so far, I have had some moments that haven't been the best.. and sometimes in those moments I have asked myself,, why am I here! (I would add a question mark but there isn't one on this little computer! oh the DR!!) And in those moments I have fallen to my knees to ask my Father in Heaven what I need to do and why am I here! and this week I had an answer to my prayers.... so when I was playing basketball growing up my Dad used to always tell me that there is a moment when you go from just playing the game of basketball and running around to where it ´´CLICKS¨ for you and then you really understand the ins and outs of the game, you don't just run around and play, you direct the game and control it.! Obviously it doesn't come overnight and it doesn't come all at once.. there are a lot of times that you wonder why your coach tells you to do something or why you run this way or why you are running this play or that play.. but then little by little you understand and are able to call the plays and know where to run before someone yells at you to run there! Well I had a little click moment this Sunday..I had been super confused in my head about a lot of things.. the day was long and it was raining and we were wet and we decided to make a stop at Tony's house on the way home for a little lession... we were talking about the wonderful plan- the plan of salvation. it was my turn to share in the lession about the Atonement of our Savior... wow, I was so strongly hit by the spirit that we are here because Heavenly Father has a plan for us and how grateful I am for the Atonement.! Tony is an awesome investigator along with his sister Candida and her husband Franklin! They understood this plan and expressed their testimonies of the atonement as well! I'm not sure how to fully explain it but I had a click moment where things were just clear in my head.. so clear! THAT THIS GOSPEL IS THE TRUTH! and the spanish was all clear I understood all of their Dominican words and the spirit was present! I am not saying that I know the ins and outs of the mission or spanish,,, I have a long way to go, but at that moment I was reminded and my prayers were answered that I am never alone and I am here for a very important purpose!! It was a little step and a little click for me in my mission!

I testify, that our Savior lives!!! That He loves us! and that His Atonement is real for everyone! That our Father in Heaven answers our prayers when we ask with real intent! HE LIVES!!!

I love you all! I encourage you all to share the message that we have a loving heavenly father this week and to pray and council with Him!!!

con mucho amor
Hermana Jenson