Week 71

Area: Tiffany Springs, MO

Companion: Elder Fowlks

Alright, this week has been pretty fun and full of some new experiences and some not so new.  

Good News! We have a lady named Echo who is getting baptized on May 20th and another man named Carlos who is getting baptized on May 27th. And Nathan, from Liberia, committed to be baptized in June. These will be the first baptisms the ward has had in over a year. The Lord has been with us and has given us the amazing opportunity to teach and be around these wonderful people. So we have been meeting with them a lot this week and getting things arranged for the baptisms. 

We also went on exchanges twice this week. Elder Blake and I went to an appointment the Elders before us had set up. So we had no idea what we were doing or the situation at all before we went into the lesson. Turns out that he was the nonmember husband of a less active member who just had her names removed. I'm not really sure why he let the Elders come back for a second visit. He read Alma 32 on his own and told us that he was "not good soil" and that his wife was going to get really angry if we kept coming over. But he seemed to be slightly interested at the same time. It was like he had a "strange pull" (the Holy Ghost) towards the church. But in his mind it made no sense and he didn't want to pursue it. But as we walked up to him he lifted up his beer can and said "I'm drinking non-Alcoholic beer in honor of you!" "But I am gonna have me a cigar when you leave." So that was fun. 

We got the cops called on us again... We were looking for a less active member in our apartment complex. We knocked but nobody answered. So we were walking away looking at our IPads trying to figure out where to go and we were about 10 ish feet away from the door and stopped for a second. Then about 30 seconds later a man answered the door we were just knocking on and told us to leave with some not so nice words and told us he was calling the cops. So we were nice and walked down the street about 50 yards and then stopped so we could figure out where we needed to go next. And the guy just stood in front of his building talking on the phone until we left.  It really was sad. But then a few minutes later we bumped into our neighbor who has an adorable brown Husky puppy. He was super nice and said we could come back sometime and talk with him.

I wanted to thank my Mother for all the things she has ever done for me. She is an amazing example of following Christ and becoming more like him. She has done more for me than I will ever be able tell you or be able to pay back and I am so grateful. I love you Mom! I am also grateful for all the other women in my life. You have taught me so much and I have been so blessed by your examples.

I am also grateful for the challenges that God gives us. They are really tough and not very fun to go through but they shape us and if we allow him to the Lord will mold us into what he wants us to be.

Thank you all so much. God lives and hears us. Pray to him in faith and he will answer you. Ask and ye shall receive, knock and it shall be opened unto you.

Love,

Elder Jensen