Let's Get Down To Business!

 I am so grateful for email time, but goodness gracious it is stressful! Thank you to all those who emailed me this week. I really appreciate that! I love replying to them all, so my big email this week will be a little short. :) I will just share a few highlights:
1. We found a PANINI maker in our apartment. YYYYYEEEEESSSSSS!!!!
2. We had a recent convert from the other Nauvoo ward move into our ward a couple months ago, and she is doing awesome and can now go and do baptisms for the dead at the Temple. MIRACLE!!!!! We are so excited for her. :)
3. We got to go to Iowa City for a Zone Conference this week! So much fun. About 80% of the mission was there, so I got to see so many people! It was a very uplifting session, and I really needed it. Plus the 2 hour drive was nice... nap time? yep. :)
4. The Keokuk Sisters were out of town this week on exchanges, so they asked us to go and teach a couple of their investigators. What a great experience! They were both families, and I have never taught a family on my mission, so it was really cool to experience. Both families are being baptized next week. I will send you pics. :)
5. A member gave us free Christmas deco this week. AKA - a tiny revolving Christmas tree and 700 LIGHTS!!! You better believe I am taking some to my next area. :)
6. We got kicked out of a trailer park this week because the owner was Atheist. Missionary work at it's finest!
7. Sunday night after planning, I took the top off of our broom and acted out and sang the "Lets get down to business" Mulan song. Some things never change.
8. We topped off the whole week with a trip to the Temple this morning.
I love my life. That is the only thing that describes how I feel about the work I do each day. What a sacred thing to be doing every day from sun-up to sun-down and even in between. :)
At Zone conference this week, the topic was the Book of Mormon. I have developed a great love for the Book of Mormon in the last 13 months, so being trained on how to make that love greater was amazing. What a blessing this will be! One of my favorite talks about the Book of Mormon comes from Elder Holland. (Shocker.)
https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2009/10/safety-for-the-soul?lang=eng

This talk gives me chills every time. I encourage you not just to read it, but to watch it. He speaks with much power and it truly touches your soul. I also invite each of you to join my in studying the Book of Mormon every day this week. I promise you that more power, peace, joy, love, and Spirit will come into your life. Read a chapter. Read a verse. Read the whole thing! It doesn't matter how much you read! :)
I love you all very much! Thank you for all you do, and for the prayers on not only my behalf, but for those we are working with. It means the world. I LOVE YOU!!! And more importantly, Father in Heaven and his son Jesus Christ love you.
-Sister Jensen

I got the sweetest "fall package" from Sister Rasmussens Mom! Thanks Brenda! :)

Temple Time :)

 

 

Tryin out some new "fluff" eyeshadow... I think it's a winner.

This week I didn't even wait for planning to be over. Yep. Feel asleep with pencil in hand.

Its beginning.... :):):)

Cool Outside...Warm Heart

CRAZY WEEK!!!! Seriously though. I swear that time flies faster every week. Sometimes the week ends, and I don't even know what just happened.
1. First off let me tell you that the high this week was 68 degrees. I'M SO HAPPY!!!! Yep. Scarves and coats have officially begun. It's so crazy though. I just remember September of last year being miserably hot. I like this better. :)
2. We got to go to the Temple as a district this week because it was transfers week. Sister Barker got transferred this week which bummed me out pretty bad, but I am so happy for her because she is now the STL over Winterset! Also, Sister Nye replaced her here in Keokuk and Sister Nye and I served in Des Moines together for 6 months. Yep. I'm pumped.
3. There was an absolutely CRAZY storm this week! I sent some pics, but I will give you some more details. So all day Tuesday it was pretty stormy, and at about 11 pm Tuesday night we heard the loudest crack I have ever heard. I scared me half to death! My bed is right next to the front windows and it literally shook me. Anyways, so we wake up Wednesday morning and go outside. The tree across the street had got struck by lighting right down the middle of it. FREAKY!! So we spent most the morning picking up tree bits off the road so cars could go by.
4. We got to have another movie night this week with the Evans, Sister Love (a recent convert), and Carolyn. It was so much fun! We got to watch "The Testaments" which is one of my favorite... missionary... movies. :) We feel like it really helped Carolyn be more excited to read the Book of Mormon. SUCCESS!
5. I hit 13 months yesterday. AWHAT?!?!
It was a pretty low key week, it just went super fast.
I want to share with all of you thought something that I learned in my personal study this week. It was something that hit me very hard, and really changed my perspective of the Atonement of Jesus Christ. It comes from the book of Matthew, chapter 26:
36 ¶Then cometh Jesus with them unto a place called Gethsemane, and saith unto the disciples, Sit ye here, while I go and pray yonder.
37 And he took with him Peter and the two sons of Zebedee, and began to be sorrowful and very heavy.
38 Then saith he unto them, My soul is exceeding sorrowful, even unto death: tarry ye here, and watch with me.
39 And he went a little further, and fell on his face, and prayed,saying, O my Father, if it be possible, let this cup pass from me:nevertheless not as I will, but as thou wilt.
40 And he cometh unto the disciples, and findeth them asleep,and saith unto Peter, What, could ye not watch with me one hour?
41 Watch and pray, that ye enter not into temptation: the spirit indeed is willing, but the flesh is weak.
42 He went away again the second time, and prayed, saying, O my Father, if this cup may not pass away from me, except I drink it,thy will be done.
43 And he came and found them asleep again: for their eyes were heavy.
44 And he left them, and went away again, and prayed the third time, saying the same words.
45 Then cometh he to his disciples, and saith unto them, Sleep on now, and take your rest: behold, the hour is at hand, and the Son of man is betrayed into the hands of sinners.
46 Rise, let us be going: behold, he is at hand that doth betray me.
We know that it was in the Garden of Gethsemane that the Savior bled from every pore. I don't even think that our mortal minds can comprehend the amount of pain and suffering that the Savior felt. He knew exactly what it felt like, and yet... He returned two more times to the Garden to atone. He did not do it just once... but 3 times. He did that for each of us... I don't even think that words can express how deeply this has effected me, and honestly... I don't wish them to. That is a very sacred experience for me, but also something I wanted to share a piece of with each of you. I have learned much about the Atonement thus far on my mission and how truly eternal it is. The love that Christ has for each of us is simply, incomprehensible. That is the only thing that could have carried him through his earthly experiences. The love He had for YOU. I hope that you never forget that no matter how far you run, how lost you are, how lonely you may feel, how much  sin you may have, how much of a saint you are... Christ is always there! ALWAYS! He knows us perfectly. Do not turn away from Him... salvation can only come through the Lord Jesus Christ and His perfect atonement.
I love you all very much. Thank you for all you do and for the prayers on my behalf. I feel them daily... I truly do. I pray that you all have a wonderful week and that you remember who you are and what you stand for.
-Sister Jensen

This dragon fly was huge!!!!!! You better believe I sanitized my planner.

"Let me tell ya 'bout my best friend..."

Yes. That is our little brown house to the right. SKETCH!

The crazy rain storm that took down our neighbors tree! This was from our porch.

The Elders totally skipped out on the district pic... but hey. It's cool. I love these Sisters. :)

I was a LITTLE tired after nightly prayer...

Make a Call Home....To Your Father in Heaven

Woah. That really is all I can say to sum up this week. I feel like August just started yesterday, and it is already the 8th of September. This week FALEW by. No joke. I feel like I blinked and all the sudden it was Monday again. That seems to be happening a lot these days...hmmm. Heavenly Father is really blessing this area, so we have been pretty busy this week. I'm exhausted, but it is all worth it cause we are bringing souls to Christ. :) There were lots of highlights this week! I will try to sum everything up in a way that is comprehend able:
1. Of course you already know, but we got to go to the Temple on Monday. That always helps create a good week. :)
2. For the rest of Monday since it was a holiday, we got to do some fun things! First off, the Raisors invited us over to play some games which was awesome. You better believe I killed everyone in Uno Attack. After that, we all headed to the park in Hamilton and met up with a bunch of members to have dinner and play baseball. It was SOOO fun! Some non-members came too and that is something I love. Just helping them see that missionaries are people too. We can be cool sometimes!! Plus, I got to brush up on my softball skills. MAJOR FAIL. But hey, it's all good. :)
3. The Shallenbergers officially have a date. October 18th. MIRACLE!!! They haven't 100% committed to it yet, but they are praying about it which is a big step. Please if you can, keep them in your prayers. They need them more now than ever!
4. We finally found a new investigator! Her name is Liz and she lives in Warsaw. Her brother (who is the only member of their family) got home from his mission about a year ago and is going to BYU, came and visited this week. So one day we get this random text from him inviting us over for dinner so we could teach about the Family Proclamation. Liz just had a baby a couple months ago, so he thought that would be perfect. It was a really great dinner and lesson! We could tell she was really touched by the Spirit, especially as her brother bore testimony. She said she would be baptized, so keep her in your prayers!
5. We have been working with this less active member now for about 3 months, and she has officially been reactivated! She has come to church 5 weeks in a row, and starts Temple prep classes next week! PURE JOY!!!! We went and had a movie night this week with her and her 2 girls and watched "The Testaments." She really loved it cause she said it brought the Book of Mormon to life. She is doing so well, and we are so proud of her.
6. This week is transfers and usually we don't find out till tonight our transfer doctrine, but Sister Jensen cheated a little bit and told us our doctrine on Saturday night... WE ARE BOTH STAYING!!! Yay! :) This will be a weird transfer though... transfers are usually 6 weeks long, but for some reason, this transfer will only be 5 weeks long and the next one will be 7. So you can only imagine how fast it will fly! I am so excited to be staying here though. I absolutely love this place with all my heart! 4.5 months here wouldn't have been enough and luckily Heavenly Father thought so too. :)
So... that was our week! As I look back on this last transfer, I realize how much I have grown. I don't know what has made this transfer different, but I have grown more in these last 6 weeks than any other. I feel closer to my Father in Heaven and to my Savior... I feel like a more adequate vessel for the Holy Ghost... I just feel... more complete. I can't describe it. But as I look back on this transfer, I also realize that this has been one of the hardest transfers on my mission. You better believe those two things correlate! One of my favorite talks is called, "Refined in our Trials."
https://www.lds.org/ensign/2006/02/refined-in-our-trials?lang=eng
I feel like I have experienced that more than ever on my mission, but especially this last transfer. Missions are some times just a big bowl of trials. You better believe I have cried more on my mission than I have in my life. But, I know without a doubt that I would not be where I am today, or WHO I am today without those trials. Neither would you. GOD SPEAKS TO US THROUGH OUR TRIALS. HE MOLDS US THROUGH OUR TRIALS. I know that with all of my heart. There will always be trials. Always. That is part of life. The trick is to find the growth and joy in those trials. It exists... I promise you that. Each of you is experiencing something right now that is hard. Something that is weighing you down. I exhort you with all of my heart and soul to call upon the Savior and to allow His atoning sacrifice to lift you and comfort you. He is always there. Call upon Him, and then trust that he heard you.
I love you all. Thank you for all you do. I know that Heavenly Father is mindful of each of you. Pray for his spirit to be with you this new week, and strive to follow His promptings. I love you all more than you know!
-Sister Jensen

This... is Ice Pawn. :)

The typical Kennedy R face.

Being the Warners chauffeur is the best. :)

Painting Sister Plessingers porch. :)

Daughter of a King

This has been quite the week! The nearer you get to transfers, the crazier things get cause you are in a crunch. I love it! :) It was a good week though!  We saw a lot of miracles. Not only in our lives, but in the lives of our investigators.
1. The Grows gave us a new chair from IKEA this week, so we know have a "therapy corner."
2. I finished a family line during family history this week! One of the best feelings ever!
3. We got to teach seminary on Thursday. At Carthage Jail. ARE YOU KIDDING ME?!?! It was so much fun! The lesson was on Joseph Smith History 1:1-20 so it included the first vision. Brother Raisor asked us to teach it because he said, "I could teach it and it would be good, but you two are set apart to teach this exact thing. You will teach with more power than I could." Super cool experience. Waking up at 4:30 was totally worth it!
4. We had interviews with President and Sister Jensen this week. They went really well! It was so good to talk with them and counsel with them. Those two... I love them. Sister Monroe and I were able to take things they said, and apply them to our companionship and we are doing much better! We finally feel like we are having some unity. It's nice. :)
5. One of our investigators, Betty, bought a tablet just so she could research the church online and download the scriptures. Um... WHAT?!?!
6. We went to a wedding this week. A CATHOLIC wedding. Super weird, but super cool! It was for our landlords son. It was a really cool experience for me actually. It did two things:
 1. Just confirmed to me again that I am in Christ's true church.
 2. Gave me insight into how our investigators feel when they come to church for the first time. SUPER WEIRD!
7. We found "Phase 10" cards in our apartment this week. Enough said.
8. We had the most INCREDIBLE lesson with Carolyn this week. She has really been having a hard time with the whole baptism thing, but she was really humbled this week. I don't even think that I can give the lesson justice in an email, but just know that she has been closer than she ever has been. She asked us to talk about the requirements of membership the next time we visited. She also for the first time ever, actually talked about her baptism and what she will want. People... this is a complete act of God. A miracle! All I can tell you is that personal, ward, and the Temple roll work. We serve a God of miracles.  And we got to top it all of with a trip to the Temple this morning. Happy Labor day to us. :)
Each day I am shocked by how happy I am. I get my heart broken daily, I get yelled at and anti'd, I get doors slammed in my face, I am more aware of my weaknesses than I ever have been, and I am exhausted. But, then I remember... I am a missionary for the Church of Jesus Christ of Latter-Day Saints. I wear my family name and the name of my Savior Jesus Christ on my chest every day. I am the daughter of a king and I get to spend each day finding his other children. I have been given everything I need to succeed. Why would I not be happy? This is the best thing that has ever been offered to me.
This video portrays something that changed my life forever. I watched the video this week for the first time on my mission, and happiness flooded my soul. I invite each of you to watch it, and feel that same excitement for something that changed this world for eternity.
https://www.lds.org/general-conference/2012/10/welcome-to-conference?lang=eng
I love all of you! I am grateful for each of you. I pray you have a great week!
-Sister Jensen

Suprise late birthday party with the Petersons! They even made chicken roll-ups... my favorite. :)

Teaching seminary at Carthage Jail :)

Carthage Jail with the Shallenbergers :)

Showdown with Herb at Dairy Queen.

Pure Happiness :)