It feels like it has been much longer than a week since I have last had the chance to e-mail home. What a week it has been. One which I never wish to repeat-yes there were miracles-yes the Spirit has been increasingly strong...but still I am glad to have it past. With transfers we have been hosting Sister King another missionary over in Caro who was waiting for her new trainee to arrive. Unfortunately they were supposed to fly through Chicago and with the storm their flight was cancelled and it had us all praying that they would get here this week. It was stressful, I was super grateful I wasn't Elder Ransley or DeHart our Assistants, they were calling back and forth to us and trying to get housing worked out for everyone along with flights and shifting training dates...yup glad that I am just a sister. Although I did finally get to meet Elder DeHart-he is the new Assistant to President Jones and he grew up with Elder Calder who was in my MTC district. It was my one year mark of leaving the MTC for the Philippines and arriving in the Philippines on the 22 and 24, those days were really hard for me to be here in Michigan. I am not even going to try and express the feeling that I have felt this week concerning that event...and the fact that I am not in the Philippines to celebrate that mark...lets just say that I washed all 4 of my handkerchiefs and have been super tired all week. We picked up a new investigator this week, we met her on campus she asked us to walk with her to go get coffee and talk while we walked. I have never taught the Restoration while walking to have someone get coffee but we did. Then we met her the next day for a real appointment and we retaught the Restoration. Her name is Linda and she is awesome, I hope that she sincerely reads and prays about the Book of Mormon. Julz had a lot of doubts this week, she gave up caffinated coffee and when we reextended the commitment for ALL coffee she said that she was going to have to think about it. We tried to resolve the concern but she still asked for time. We spent the lesson reading 1 Nephi 8 and explained about the Tree of Life. She really enjoyed that and said that she would give the Book of Mormon another try. She did say that she loved having us over and the feeling that she feels when we come! Ida dropped us. Sad day. She called us over and told us that she was having a lot of health issues and just felt that Satan was trying to keep her away from the truth and that because of these issues she just wanted to take a break. We desperately tried to help her understand that yes Satan is trying to pull you away and that this Gospel is the way to happiness and truth. We committed her to pray and told her that we would come back in a few weeks. Sister Mills who is less active has been praying!!! The moment we walked into the door we could feel a difference. The house felt cleaner, she was kinder, there was more light in her countenance and the Spirit was in our lesson! We taught about Hope, we shared Ether 12:4 and how faith+hope=a more stable life. Near the end of the lesson she paused for a moment then cleared her throat then asked if there was some way that she could pay for or get a copy of the Book of Mormon. YES!!! Thank heavens I had a copy in my bag that we happily gave her. What a difference the gospel has made just in the past month of this sisters life. When I first met her we left her house singing hymns and bearing testimony because she was so against the church, and now with prayer and love she is desiring to read the Book of Mormon and all of those concerns that were HUGE when we first met her are now not as important to her. What a blessing! In personal study today I finished the Book of Mormon. What a joy it is to once again take Moroni's challenge and feel the Holy Ghost strengthen my testimony in the Book of Mormon and the power of prayer. Reading those last chapters of Ether and watching all of those millions of people choose wickedness and sin is just heartbreaking. I am grateful that Moroni included his father's letters to him, those letters are a beautiful tender mercy to have included. You can just feel Mormon's love for Moroni and his desire for him to continue strong in the faith. I know that the Book of Mormon is true, I know that there isn't a concern or challenge we face in this life that cannot be helped by the Book of Mormon. While studying it for 30 min daily I am consistently blessed with the strength I need to fulfill my purpose as a missionary. It is a miracle that we have the Book of Mormon and I am grateful for all those that sacrificed of their lives and time to make it so that I can read it daily!! I am so grateful for the Atonement of Jesus Christ and how it heals our hearts and can bring comfort to our souls on days where nothing and no one else can. This week I taught Sister Wright how to pray in Tagalog. Listening to her pray in tagalog reminds me of those days kneeling with Sister McCormack by our bunkbed in the MTC struggling with all the ng sounds and saying the same phrases over and over again. I am grateful that I can now atleast start all of our companion prayers in tagalog the Spirit that comes while speaking that lauguage is one that I miss dearly. We were able to have dinner with the Prin and Villahermossa family this week, they are from the Philippines and most of the entire meal was in Tagalog. I think that the elders and my companion just glazed over at some point but I sure had a wonderful time. Just so you all know the Hickey family the Filipino family that I have been trying to work with filed for divorce this week. Please continue to keep them in your prayers. Just because they are separating legally doesn't mean that Sister Hickey still doesn't need the gospel, in fact she just needs it even more! We are hoping to catch her at home someday soon, she has crazy work hours. Sigh. The Church is true even when sad things like this happen. We are still called to invite others to come to Christ, but honestly watching others use their agency to choose to follow Satan is not fun. 2 Nephi 2:27 I am so glad to hear that all of the family functions went well. Mom good luck at Girls camp this week. Grandma Jensen I will be praying that all goes well for you this Wednesday! Grandparents Love, congratulations on completing your service at SDCH, your legacy of helping those residents to the temple will not be forgotten anytime soon. I am so blessed to come from such a wonderful family!! I love you all
Mahal ko po kayo!
Ingat lagi, Sister Jensen
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