Week 103

Area: Gallatin, MO
Companion: Elder Wolfley

Christmas Week with Elder Wolfley

Week 102

Area: Gallatin, MO

Companion: Elder Wolfley

This week has gone by pretty fast, but it has been fun.

There is a returning member who lives in the same apartment complex as us. She was raised in the church but not really taught why or how the church works so we have been going over and basically answering her questions and explaining the gospel principles. We will call her Sister Jones.

So Monday we did P-day and ended the night by seeing Sister Jones. We talked about the Godhead, callings in the church, and Christ's ministry.

Tuesday we had a Zone Conference and they made me get up and bear my testimony since it was my last one. It was pretty nice not to have a responsibility to train though. The whole conference was about faith and how to gain “exceedingly great faith”. 

The stake really wants to get missionaries into the family history centers and do some family history on our own. So on Wednesday we went to the church and one of the family history consultants showed us how to find our own names. So we each were finally able to find a few names we can take to the temple! It was awesome and I feel closer to my ancestors.  The rest of the day we were out and about and seemed to be in just the right spot at the right time. We ran into several members who needed our help with something, it was a good day. We also had a great lesson with the Ellingtons. They have a 10, 9, and 8 year old who all have an abundance of energy. It definitely makes our teaching experiences fun.

Thursday was awesome, we got to go help Bro Reeves cut fire wood for his wood burning stove. It took a good part of the day but was a ton of fun. He ran the chainsaw but kept getting calls on his phone, so while he was on the phone we just went to town and broke down the trees with our hands... not the most effective way but it worked. The Reeves live right on Adam-Ondi-Ahman so after service we stoped in and looked around a little. It is a pretty amazing place and it is incredible to think of what happened and what will happen here.

 

After dinner we had a teaching appointment with the Baldwins. They are on date to be baptized and are slowly moving towards it. They are progressing really well though. It is a lot of fun to teach them. Later we saw Sister Jones, she had been reading in Genesis and had all sorts of questions. It was pretty fun to talk about.
 

Friday we had some technical stuff to figure out on our IPads and then we had two senior couples inspect our apartment and then take us to the Mexican place in town. Later we called a family to ask if we could set up a time to come share a message. The Brother said well if you come right now you can share a message and have dinner. So we hopped right on that one. It was a good way to end the night.

Saturday we did our weekly planning and spent some time trying to set up our facebook accounts. We had another really good lesson with the Ellingtons. We took a white board to help the kids draw out the plan of salvation. It started well, but then the kid who drew the Garden of Eden got really into it and took up the rest of the white board with the garden. It was pretty funny but a good time. The kids want to be baptized and the boyfriend seems to want to join as well.

Sunday the topic of sacrament meeting was the light of Christ. It was really cool to hear other peoples views on it. After church we visited a few people and had dinner and then ended the night by talking to Sister Jones again.

Overall it was a really good week. I am loving it out here in Gallatin. The work is moving forward.  

Thank you all so much. It is great to hear from you, Merry Christmas! 🎄

Elder Jensen

Kansas City Temple Trip - Platte City and Far West Zones

 

 

Week 101

Area: Gallatin, MO

Companion: Elder Wolfley

This week was so amazing. Things are really starting to get going here in Gallatin and we are so excited.

Mon was awesome. We went fishing at a member's pond and we built ourselves a little fire and roasted hotdogs. Man, it definitely is not the city.

Tuesday we met with the Baldwins, a part member family. The wife and kids are active but the husband is not a member. They had been working with them for a while, but they had their next door neighbor over and we were able to have a short spiritual lesson and ask for a return appointment. They offered to feed us dinner later this week.

Wednesday we helped out at a food pantry run by the Seventh Day Adventists, it was pretty cool and fun. We went on exchanges so we had to drive about an hour to meet the other elders half way, eat lunch, then drive an hour back to our area. But we were able to meet with a few members and get to know the ward a little bit more. I wish my IPad would take better pictures of the stars. The skies at night time are amazing. I will try to use my actual camera and see if I can get a picture for next week.

Thursday we had Zone Training and then interviews with President Love.

 

 

We met with an active couple who have inactive children and unbaptized grandchildren... so we went and met those people and they want us to come back and teach the lessons!! It was perfect.  We also started teaching another part member family, the Ellingtons. The wife joined the church a few years ago and now has a new boyfriend and 3 kids who are not baptized, but would like to be. :)

Friday we met with the Baldwins again and their neighbor, LaWanda. We had a very spiritual lesson with them about the doctrine of Christ and they both committed to be baptized at the beginning of January.

Saturday we spent most of the day getting in contact with a few potential investigators and meeting with members. We were supposed to meet with the Ellingtons. It was a very good day and I feel like we are getting to know the ward better and building those relationships.

Sunday - Church was really good, it was all about tithing. Elder Wolfley and I got to teach a mission prep class. It was way fun to answer questions they had and then to help them teach the restoration to each other. We were able to see more members and have another lesson with the Baldwins. We read 2 Nephi 31 with them.

I love it out here in Gallatin, it’s been a crazy ride so far but it has been fun. Thank you for all your support and prayers. Keep going strong, the Lord Loves you.

 

Elder Jensen

Our new car... I like it.

Week 100!!

Area: Raytown & Gallatin

Companion: Elder Martinez & Elder Wolfley

Alright this week has been crazy, but it has been awesome!

Mon - was a solid P-day. Sports, a little shopping and emailing.

Tuesday was pretty fun. We went to a cool restaurant named Jazz. Apparently a member owns the place and so we just had to tip the waiter and we ate for free. It was really awesome.
 

 

While we were there we were called to give a blessing at a hospital which was perfect because the restaurant was literally across the street from the hospital. The Lord never ceases to amaze me. The blessing went very well. Later that night Brother Rogers “kidnapped” us, meaning he knows that we aren't allowed to leave the zone but he wanted to take us to a good restaurant. So he just didn’t tell us where we were going and all of the sudden we ended up in Kansas... but he took us to a place call Cocabolas. It was a pretty nice place but Taco Tuesday meant $2  tacos that are usually like $13. Later he took us to the only WW I museum in the country. We just got to look out over downtown KC, it was beautiful. Shout out to Elder Martinez who sat on the wall at the overlook and all of the sudden a voice over an intercom said “Please no sitting or laying seductively on the wall”. It was pretty great. Then we stopped in and saw Union Station. Also amazing and pretty breath taking.
 

 

Wed - I pretty much packed and said goodbye to some people that I have grown very close to here in Raytown.

Thursday was transfers. I picked up my son (Elder Wolfley) and found out that we are going to GALLATIN Missouri! Adam-Ondi-Ahman is literally in our area. It is a pretty sweet area. Gallatin has about 1,700 people and is by far the biggest town in the area. But we get to drive a TRUCK! I was so happy when I found that out. And I’m glad we did because day 2 we had to drive through a corn field. Elder Wolfley is sweet. He is from Moapa Valley, Nevada likes to hunt and shoot guns.

Fri - We traveled around and got to know some of the members here. 

Saturday - We got to do a lot of service. We helped a few people move, we moved some metal beams, and painted a deck. Then the ward had their Christmas party. It was a lot of fun and they had us be the cupcake judges. 

Sunday was really good. Gallatin has one of the largest chapels in the church. It is kinda funny looking but imagine literally two chapels worth of benches, one put in front of the other. So from the podium to the last row is a solid 150 ft. The ward is awesome though and a surprising amount of members live here. A lot of them have moved from out of state because they had a spiritual impression that led them here.

Being a missionary is awesome and so much fun. This week has been nuts but a blast. #gooutwithabang

Love ya all,

Elder Jensen