My tales as a Sister Missionary serving in Iowa.: One Word....Magnificent!

Well, hello again. Remember that one time I just emailed you like 2 days ago? Oh wait. That was a week ago. BAHHHHHH!!! Time is absolutely flying here in the mission field. This week especially. That's probably because it was a really good week. :)
Monday: So we of course got transfer calls and since transfers were this week, our p-day wasn't till Wednesday. So we did some service at the Mamie Eishenhower Museum (aka made cookie dough balls and then snuck a couple here and there), and we visited Pam, and then we had a movie night with Joshua and Sister Robinette. It was so much fun! She made us hot chocolate and we got to watch one of my favorite movies in the world... "The Notebook." Nah. Just kidding! Haha we watched "17 Miracles." I seriously love this movie so incredibly much! I cry... EVERY TIME! Such a great reminder of how blessed we are here in this day. I have such a deep appreciation for those early saints after serving in Nauvoo and I pray that will always remain with me.
Tuesday: Such a crazy day! We did some more service and then Sister Higgs took us out to lunch and then we had some appts. and then the best part of the day came. PAM'S BAPTISM!!!! Guys. This was one of the sweetest baptisms I have ever been to. She was so ready for this... She waited for this day for a year. It was such a sacred and personal baptism for her because the only people she wanted there were people who helped her on her path to baptism. So, it was a very small and intimate baptism. But, it was so perfect. I just feel very blessed to have worked with Pam and also to have seen the beginning to the end with meeting her. I am just very humbled. After the baptism, we got to go to the Tall Johnson's for Sister Samford's last meal with them. We laughed way to much of course and both of us were able to get a blessing as well. It doesn't get better than today. :)
Wednesday: One of the craziest p-days I think I have ever had! We spent quite a few hours after studies at the church helping set up the church for our ward Christmas party! It was actually really fun. :) Haha anytime I am allowed to be crafty is good time. After that we did some service at the library and then finally we got to go home and Sister Samford did some major packing. Then we had coordination at the church and then went to the Wards for dinner. There was no bat this time. :)
Thursday: Transfer day. I have been on my mission 15 months and been to transfers countless times and I STILL get butterflies. Our ride picked us up around 6 and we headed to Iowa City. Since I am training, I had to be in a meeting at 8:45. I just love President and Sister Jensen so much. :) I will share with you one of my favorite parts of this meeting... President was talking about how missionaries keep asking him about ipads and shared with us a conversation he had with a missionary...
Elder: "President, are we going to get ipads soon?
President: "Yes."
Elder: "When?"
President: "Before the millennium."
HAHAHA. I love him so much. :) Transfers were absolutely crazy though... They had the 21 missionaries going home share their testimonies one last time with us... Yes. That included 21 missionaries that I know VERY well and have served with at some time. Shoutout to some of my girls who have now been home for 3 days: Lauralee Browne, Maggie Lindgren, Sydney Pratt, Halee Rogers, and last but not least... my mom. Kira Barker. I gotta admit. It was super weird to see them all go home. It freaked me out. One because I love each of them so much, and two because that means I go home in TWO transfers. It was just crazy. But... fun part of the transfer was that I finally got to meet my baby... SISTER HAILEY ROMERO!!! Yes people... she is 1% Mexican. :) She is so awesome! The first thing she said to me when we sat down on the stage is, "This might sound creepy, but I think I found your blog before I came out." Haha I knew then that we were going to be good friends. :) So a little about my daughter..
-She is 19 years old and will be 20 in April
-She is from Bountiful, Utah
-She quotes Nacho Libre. Enough said.
She is awesome! We seriously get a long so well and we laugh SO much. Haha We are going to have a really good time together. :) Another crazy part of the day was that we were driving away from transfers and about to get on the freeway when one of the APs called and asked us to come back to the church. Yea... they had forgotten to tell us that... WE WERE GETTING A NEW CAR!!!! You know what that means... NO MORE CAR SHARE!!!! People. It is a serious miracle. We are super humbled that Father in Heaven gave us our own car. No more walking in -20 degree weather! Happy day! When we got back to Boone, we went and saw Pam and then went to Walmart so Sister Romero could get some food and then we went home and she unpacked for a couple hours and we just talked. It was nice.
Friday: Haha my companion is awesome. She made it through a 5 hour weekly planning session without shedding one tear. Proud mama moment! :) Our ward had it's Christmas party tonight and we pretty much spent all day after WP there helping put last minute things together. They stuck us in the kitchen and we cut up chicken for 2 HOURS! My hand was stuck in the form of holding a knife for a good 10 minutes when we got done. :) Haha it was way fun though! The party went so well and the ward was excited to meet the new Sister and Elder in the ward. I am just very blessed to be able to serve here in Boone. I love it here!
Saturday: Today, I burned a few thousand calories just from laughing. Get to know you district meeting was absolutely hilarious! Haha... We laughed non stop for like 3 hours. Plus, we had to put together a skit from the Book of Mormon for a meeting next week and I about peed my pants again. Missionary humor is the best!! :) Sister Romero finally got to meet Joshua tonight and we had a sweet lesson teaching him about Patriarchal blessings. Then he surprisingly invited to stay for dinner... and I mean... who can say no to massive pork chops? Not I.
Sunday: Such a crazy, but good Sunday! After church we got to go to the Peterson's and watch "The Prophet of the Restoration" with Alison. I never get tired of that movie. Then we did our 3 hours of studies and headed to the Ballard's to watch the Christmas Devotional. People... if you missed it. Go watch it NOW! So good! And it helps if you eat pumpkin chocolate cookies while you watch it. :)
So... that is our crazy week in a nutshell! I am so happy to be on my mission and so excited to see what the next 3 months have in store. The Lord is really refining me, and it is amazing. I have learned so much on my mission and I know that there is much still to learn. I think more than anything though... I have learned about my Savior Jesus Christ. I have never been so close to Him, and as such I have developed such a deep love for the true meaning of this holiday season. As I watched the devotional last night, I was overwhelmed by the love that I have for my Savior and that he has for me. One of my favorite talks last night was Sister Oscarson's. She described so beautifully about our Saviors birth and it really just touched me to ponder for a moment on the humility of that scene. I am so grateful for the Savior and for his perfect example to me. I pray that each of us may remember to keep the Christmas season about our Savior. "When we keep the spirit of Christmas we keep the spirit of Christ. For the Christmas spirit is the Christ spirit." I love you all and pray you have a wonderful week! :)
-Sister Jensen

I've acquired some really awesome cooking skills on my mission.... We were about to leave the apartment after lunch and Sister Samford says, "Is something burning?" Yea. I may or may not have forgotten that I put a roll in the oven.