Week 90

Area: Raytown, MO

Companion: Elder Merrill

 

This week has been a lot of fun and kinda crazy, so here are the highlights:

 - Showed up at a recent converts house to wish him a happy birthday and came just at the right time for cheesecake :)

- Exchanges with the Assistants

- Interviewed a 17 year old kid who is going to be a great member of the church

- Visited a less active out in the boonies who randomly had a Gibbon Ape

- Went to the Independence Visitor Centers with some investigators 

- Had interviews with our Mission President Love

- Met a guy from Israel who speaks 5 languages, taught him about the Book of Mormon and we have a return appointment for this next week!

- A recent convert from my first area went to the temple!!

- Jeffery and Jo both came to church again!

It was a great week, I love being a missionary.

Thank you for your support. You are all amazing!

 

Elder Jensen

 

 

 

Teaching kids how to somersault.

 

The things you find in Missouri backyards.

 

Week 89

Area: Raytown, MO

Companion: Elder Merrill

 

This week was awesome and kinda crazy.

Tues - We met with a guy named Kim who said that he was visited by Joseph Smith in the form of a bird in the backyard today. I asked him how he knew it was Joseph Smith and he said he just knew it was him.

Wed - was really good, we had a meeting with our mission president called MLC. It was great but like 7 hours long. Then we met with the Stake presidency that night to talk about the missionary efforts in the stake

 

After a long day of meetings

Thur - We did service for a Catholic Nunnery. We talked to a couple people just about their beliefs and one guy named Paul talked with us for about 30 min. He said that he has always been interested in religion and wanted to know more about the Mormons. He lives right down the street from a church building and a lot of neighbors were members but nobody had talked with him about the church, so he eventually approached one of his neighbors and asked for a Book of Mormon. Then he read the whole thing. It was a good testimony to me that there are people out there who are ready and are seeking the knowledge, we just have to open our mouths. There is no doubt that Paul would have accepted a Book of Mormon much sooner if his neighbors had reached out and he would be much farther along on his path to discipleship.

Fri - We went to 2 district meetings to try to get to know the Zone better. Then our ward mission leader made us BBQ, so that was nice.

Sat - We helped setup for the Raytown farmers market. Then every Saturday morning we go to a member who lives right next to us and make him breakfast. He has MS and is in a wheel chair. His name is Patrick Murphy, he has a lot of character and I'm sure you will be hearing a lot about him. We had a couple really cool lessons today, it is amazing to be the instrument in doing the Lord's work. I am so grateful for the blessings God has given me that has allowed me to be on a mission at this time.

Sun - We had two investigators, Jeff and Jo, come to church and they had a great time. We had a whole other family that was going to come, but they didn't, so that was sad. 

Overall it was a great week. I love being a missionary and the Lord is so good to us and I know that this is His work.

 

Thank you for all the support that you give me, I couldn't do it without you!

 

Elder Jensen

 

The Chief and Royal stadium is in our area, so we get to see them often.

 

A picture he received from one of his cousins.

 

 

 

 

Week 88 - I got Transferred!

Area: Tiffany Springs, MO and Raytown, MO

Companions: Elder Nielsen & Elder Denney and Elder Merrill

 

Ok, this week has all kinda been a blur and it feels like a lot has happened.

We helped a family move a big piano. It was one of the old ones from the early 1900s. Luckily we were in a trio so we had an extra set of hands.

On Tuesday night we received word that both Elder Denney and I would be transferred this week. So we spent pretty much all of Wednesday saying goodbye to people and packing.

Thursday was crazy! We went to transfers and found out that I got transferred to the Raytown ward in the Independence stake, I made it to Zion :)  My new companion is Elder Merrill, he is from American Fork Utah, and has been out for 20 months. It has been a ton of fun and a lot of learning new things. We have the Independence visitors center in our zone now and I went from the smallest zone (7 companionships) to the biggest (15 companionships) so it has been interesting trying to figure out how it all works here.

Friday was awesome, we got to help out at the Stone Church in Independence. It is the Community of Christ's (used to the RLDS) equivalent of the assembly hall in Salt Lake City. They are having a garage sale and had us sort a bunch of old books they are selling. They let us take what we wanted from the pile, so I got an old copy of the RLDS version of the Book of Mormon.  That's pretty cool.

Saturday we had a special all mission conference.  Elder D. Todd Christofferson from the Quorum of the 12 apostles, and Elder Andersen and Elder Wakolo from the Quorum of the Seventy came. They all spoke to us and trained us. It was awesome! He talked about how the Atonement of Jesus Christ is the Power/Grace of Jesus Christ. They are one and the same.

 

Then on Sunday we had a stake conference where Elder Andersen and Elder Rosen (the area 70) came and spoke to the stake. Also amazing. 

I am excited to be here, Raytown is a strange place and much different than my other areas but it should be good. Thank you all for the work you do. The mission has been the best thing I could've done in my life. Thanks!

 

Elder Jensen

 

Elder Denney, Bro Untch and Elder Jensen

 

 

 

Elder Merrill and Elder Jensen

 

 

 

Week 87

Area: Tiffany Springs, MO

Companions: Elder Nielsen and Elder Denney

 

Hello everyone! This week has been a great week of missionary service.

Tue - We had another great lesson with Celeste. She is still planning on being baptized in September and she came to church this week!! Although we found out that she lives in a different ward boundary. She is excited to continue towards baptism.

Wed - I went on exchanges with Elder Kuhre in Parkville. It was a good time. We tried a bunch of people but no luck, although we did get to walk a dog for a little. That was fun.

Thur -  We did weekly planning and a member took us to an awesome diner, super good hamburgers! But not much else happened.

Fri - I went to the chiropractor again and he popped my ankle, poked me with acupuncture needles, and shot me with a cold laser. Kinda weird but my ankle is doing way better than it was. Then I went on exchanges with Elder Hunt. I got to go back to one of my old areas, Leavenworth!! So that was a ton of fun. We went and tried to see all the people I know there, surprisingly I only got to see a couple but it was a fun day of missionary work.

Sat - had kind of a crazy start, there were a couple of missionaries who got trainer calls. So we had to do some splits with our ZLs. But eventually after lunch all 3 of use were back together and in Tiffany Springs. Then later that night we were supposed to do service for a lady at 8:00. She needed some furniture moved into her house. But due to some miscommunications we ended up sitting in our car in the parking lot for an hour. Then they showed up and we helped for 15 minutes and then it was time to go home. So that was a fun day.

Sun - was an awesome day. Ruth made it to sacrament meeting and Celeste made it to 2nd hour. Celeste brought her little 4 year old to primary and when we went and picked her up she said "mom can we come here again, it was fun!" It was awesome and we are excited to keep working with her.

Well thank you all again for the love and support. You are all amazing! 

Elder Jensen