Sister Jensen is HOME!

You are all invited to come to Sister Jensen's homecoming talk!

She will be speaking on Sunday, January 29th at 12:45 p.m:

Bountiful 24th Ward 

720 E 550 N

Bountiful, UT 84010

You are also invited to come to our house afterwards for treats and catching up:

The Jensens

806 North 650 East

Bountiful, UT 84010

My Last Email as Sister Jensen

FAMILY!!!!
  I don't know what to say or how to even start this last email. What started out as a normal mission to the Philippines has expanded into a life changing event that has taken through every emotion and a few countries. I have gone from; English to Tagalog to English again, from trainee to trainer, from shy to bold, and from old me to an older more knowledgeable me. My testimony of the Gospel of Jesus Christ has expanded and strengthened. I have been able to teach the Gospel to those who had no idea there was even a God, to those who have needed more guidance and direction in their life, or just more peace and comfort. This Gospel is applicable to every person everywhere all around the world. That is the wonderful thing about this message is that it can effect everyone, it has that power to change the world if people would just listen and follow Christ's example. Thankfully there is always agency involved so not everyone will listen but everyone gets that chance to listen, that chance to change.

We were able to go to a baptism in the Williamston ward this past Friday, the Mason family was a part member family the mom was a less active but now their daughter who is 17 and the dad are members of the ward and their mom is active again. There were so many people that attended the service that it had to be moved into the chapel for the opening program. The ward has begun to catch the missionary fire and are starting to realize that there are others all around them that could use the gospel. There have been so many leaders of the church come and tour the area and make the promise that if these people will just reach out in fellowship and bring others into the church that this stake would have to be divided within the next 5 years. We are still struggling, it is quite difficult to share the gospel with those we know, we are afraid of losing friendships or not knowing what to say. As missionaries we have the responsibility to teach the Restored Gospel, we take care of the doctrinal conversion, as members we have an obligation to help with the social conversion. So many of our investigators are baptized because when they came to church they were befriended and they were able to feel comfortable and the Spirit was then able to work. Those who did not have many friends or people come up and say hello...it is quite a bit more difficult to get them to come back to church. When we weekly plan we are taught to think about each of our investigators and how we can get them to church, whether they had a negative experience in the past or how we can help them continue to have a positive experience in the future. Solid members that are always reaching out in friendship and love are the best.
  One family like this is the Evans family in the Lansing ward. They are great fellowshippers. We mentioned that we needed help with Bronjal and Pratibha and last night over dinner we were talking about how we can help them and Brother Evans suggested they go on a double date with them. They are becoming their friends not just their fellowshippers. I love that! As Elder Snow and Collins have been teaching to members and dinner appointments "We need to first become their friends before we share the gospel with them."  They are asking the families in the area to find a friend and invite the over for dinner or a social activity. Then after that invite them over for FHE, then invite them to a church activity, then to church, then to meet the missionaries. We have reach out in love and befriend others that is the only way this Gospel is going to spread throughout the world.

Well enough of my soap box, you will hear enough of me on Sunday. I am still having the hardest time comprehending that I will be home in just a few days. I  have tried so hard to work so hard that I haven't even noticed that the time has been passing. I always said that I just want to look up one day to have someone tell me that it is my time to leave and I have been blessed with that desire. We have appointments all of tonight and tomorrow morning. We are staying busy up until the last moment. I hope that my entire life that I can continue to be an instrument in the hands of the Lord. I have loved being a missionary, it has been the best decision I have ever had to make...twice. :)
Thank you for all of your support. I could not have made it to where

I am with out all of your support and love.

See you soon.

Mahal ko po kayo!

Ingat,

Sister Rebecca Jensen

"I know the Book of Mormon is true and will make a lifetime study of it." - Eryun‏

JENSEN FAMILY!!!!
        Eryun is baptized and confirmed!! HORRAY!! It was a wonderful and powerful experience for all those involved. He asked us if he could share his testimony after he was baptized and I was not expecting the power and strength of his testimony of the Book of Mormon and his knowledge that he is a son of God. It was one of the most beautiful things I have ever heard on my mission. I love to hear the testimonies of those that were recently baptized; their testimony comes with such power and simplicity. He will receive the Aaronic Priesthood next Sunday, when he came out of his interview he looked so excited he could hardly stand still. He is so excited for his wife to come join him and to learn about the gospel as well. She finally has her visa and they are looking at plane tickets for mid February. This is going to be one amazing baptism, where he gets to baptize her......I am super jealous of the missionaries that get to teach her. In his testimony he called us angels, it was amazing the Spirit that came while he testified. He is going to do great things!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!! (Yes there are a lot of exclamation points, I happen to be very excited!) 
   Bronjal and Pratibha came to church this Sunday. We finally asked Jodi Evans to come with us to a lesson and they connected so well. They and the Evans family have a lot of similarities and they have become friends quickly. They came to church with the Evans and sat with them and loved church. We were also able to teach the 10 commandments with Sister Evans and she added a lot of insight and strength to the lesson, it was beautiful! We are excited to see them again tonight and see how they felt about church and what questions they have. (Brother Evans reminds me a lot of Clark, it is quite fun!) 
  Joy is an amazing woman, she is very strong in her faith and is struggling with a need for the Book of Mormon. We brought Sister Hatch with us to our lesson this morning and it was an intense lesson. Sister Hatch was able to connect the Bible with the Book of Mormon in a way that was revelatory to all present and how they do go hand in hand. It was amazing! With time and love Joy will come to see the fullness of the Gospel, at the moment she is too comfortable where she is at, we are still planning on meeting with her and helping her do service at her house next Saturday the 21st. 
    Sister Jones in Kalamazoo is amazing. I was very impressed by her sincerity to do this work and her desire to love and serve the people. It was a blast to go and serve with her. We tracted apartments for 3 hours solid and were still laughing and having fun at the end. Missionary work should be like that, it is about having fun and enjoying life because you are being blessed with the Spirit and with happiness. 
   Hiva is finally being baptized this Saturday. After about 6 months of meeting with us he has finally committed to a date and time!!! I get to say the opening prayer, how sweet of him to ask. I love being included in even a small way at these baptisms. We have had so many of them lately it is quite a boost to the Spirit. 
  Study has lately been a haven of peace and rest and I love it and look forward to it daily. It is one thing that I have a goal to keep throughout my life, a solid time to spend in the scriptures feasting upon the words of Christ. I have been so grateful to read the words of Alma to his sons talking about his own conversion. There is so much power in his testimony because he has felt the power of the atonement. He truly understood what it was like to feel such pain and sorrow and then to feel such light. Reading it has given me a greater desire to share this light and freedom with others. Just like Alma we too can help others find that peace, find that clarity in their lives. It is a beautiful and a wonderful thing.
  My time here is winding to a close. You only get a few more of these letters before I will be home. Don't worry I am still sprinting hard towards the finish line. 

I will be in Caro Thursday night until Saturday morning, please pray that it is good weather. Elder DeHart and Ransley happily volunteered to drive us...hallelujah!...so that will help greatly. What a blessing it is to go and do trade-offs and be able to help these sisters. 
  I love you all so much. I know that this Gospel is true, the more I teach it the more I feel of its power and the great and glorious plan of our Heavenly Father. We are so blessed to be doing what we are doing. 
 Mahal ko po kayo.
Ingat,
Sister Jensen 

Brrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrrr

Dear Family, 
   HAPPY NEW YEAR!!!!!
   It is a clear and freezing cold day. We had a very long appointment this morning and her house there was not a lot of heat and we froze, that is when I think I officially realized that we are in Michigan during an official winter. It has been very mild this year but we have been getting a little snow everyday for the past few days and it is finally cold enough that it is sticking.  
     Eryun told us last week that he would like to be baptized January 7th and we are going forward with that. His questions have been amazing lately, very detailed about what is happening in the Book of Mormon. Some of them are amazing. We have been reflecting lately on how the Gospel has helped him progress and to see how his English has improved so drastically in just 2 months is a testimony to me that God has great things in store for Eryun. When we met him neither of us could understand each other and now he is coming to church weekly and reading from the Book of Mormon and doing so many things that without the help of God would have been impossible. 
   Ryan and Lily had us over for dinner this past week. We talked about missionary work and they asked if they would need to go knock doors like we do. It was sweet. We talked to them about sharing the gospel with their friends and relatives and Ryan is very excited to share what he knows with others especially those in China one day. Ryan was able to recieve the Aaronic Priesthood on Sunday and be ordained to the office of Priest. He will do great things with that! They were also excited to hear that if they do serve a mission when they are older they are each others’ companions, they are very in love and it has been a blessing to be around such a wonderful couple. They left this week for Virginia with a promise that they will be in contact when they get there and that they will keep us updated when big events happen. Also when they are sealed I will be traveling to whichever temple they are sealed in. I love them so much, what a blessing it has been to watch them grow in the Gospel. 
  Steaven came to church this Sunday. We were not expecting him to come so when he walked in we were both very happy. He stayed for all three hours and called later Sunday night to tell us he enjoyed the service and that he would be coming again. We are going to pass him to the elders in the University ward this week. He is doing well and sincerely desires to learn more and to become better.
  Sister Bogar and Sister Baker went and taught Pedro while I was in Owosso, it went well. They started off talking about the Gospel of Jesus Christ but he had a lot of questions about the fall of Adam and Eve and so they covered part of the Plan of Salvation. We meet again with him this afternoon to pass him to the elders in the University ward we know that he will be well taken care of and his needs met. 
  Exchanges went well with Sister Thackeray last week. She was feeling a little overwhelmed at all the responsibility that she has had placed upon her. We spend a few hours out finding and we practiced in companion study. It was a lot of fun to be around her again and to see how far she has come in such a short time. It is amazing how much we grow then there is a need for it. 
  It is Sister Bogar's Birthday today. I feel a little bad since I won't even be here to help her celebrate, I leave for WMU this afternoon and don't get back until mid Thursday. It should be an adventure. I am just grateful that I don't have to drive. :D 
  New Years Eve was an adventure. We cleaned the baptismal font. It was embarrassing the last baptisms to have floaties...those are gone. The rest of the evening was not how I wanted it...I am glad that I only had one of those on my mission. 
  I made gingerbread bread yesterday and it turned out dry...it still tastes good but was super dry. I am wondering if it was our oven or what? I don't make it enough to know what happened to make it that way. When I get home I am going to experiment with a full kitchen...be warned. I also made banana bread for Sister Bogar's Birthday. Not quite cake but the Elders keep giving us bananas and I want to use them up before I leave and to my time is ticking. 
  I cannot believe how quickly January has come; it feels like it was just April. Time just moves faster and faster for me, Sister Bogar still says that it is agonizingly slow for her...oh the days of being new. We are still working on being better. The quote on the back of this planner is "In the search for our best selves, several questions will guide our thinking; Am I what I want to be? Am I closer to the Savor today than I was yesterday? Will I be closer yet tomorrow? Do I have the courage to change for the better?" -President Thomas S Monson 
  How true that is. 
I love you all.

Mahal ko po kayo

Sister Rebecca Jensen