I am being transferred

Hello Family,

Well as the mission life goes on transfers have come upon us quite quickly. I was astonished by how quickly this past month has just flown past. Well, President waited until 11:20 to call us, we were working on weekly planning, I was popping Tums like they were smarties and hoping to calm down. Then the call came...he said something about changes needing to be made then "Sister Jensen you are being transferred to Mount Pleasant to reopen the area to Sisters. You will be whitewashing the area with Sister Wright who has just 3 months in the mission. I have a special responsibility for you, there is a Filipino family that has separated over the issue of baptism and they need your help in softening their hearts and their Filipino friends hearts and helping them reunite." We will also share the area with Elders, but Central Michigan University will be in my area I am just not sure if I will work there or not. I am a little scared but the Spirit is strong and so is the peace that comes with it, I just really don't want to leave Sister Miner she has really become a good friend and wonderful companion.

We were in Petoskey on Wednesday and we will be driving to Cadillac and Traverse City today, the scenery is absolutely gorgeous spring is finally starting with humid hot days...it makes me miss the Philippines a little. The people are all putting their docks and boats out on the lakes and wearing scandalous clothing, good times.

This week has been really hard for us, we were promised by our Zone Leaders that if we cancelled our appointments and took more time to tract that we would find 5 people who would invite us back and want to learn more. So we obediently cleared our schedule and have spent a lot of time out tracting both here in Grayling and in Gaylord and door after door has been shut in our faces and we are closing the week without a single invitation back. We were able to talk to a lot of people. It was in the mid 80's on Thursday and we had just tracted a Hazel street and ran into a Grace Baptist minister who wanted to Bible bash so we stopped for a Slurpee and there was a man with a handicapped man in a wheel chair getting a Slurpee I didn't think much of it but as we walked to the park to sit and drink them they pulled up and sat on a bench as well. For the first time in my life I actually wanted to talk to a stranger in a park, so I did, I went up and talked about the day and other things, then I asked him a question of the soul and he shut me down...sigh. I hope that someday all these seeds being planted will be fruitful. After all that Sister Miner was feeling pretty low yet for some odd reason I was still happy as a clam, it is amazing how if we really tune into the Spirit He can help soften the blow of rejection.

We dropped Ronald our 83 year old investigator, we tried yelling The Restoration, the Spirit does not really abide while yelling even if it was for a good cause. I will have to laugh over the fact that there we were sitting in a cigar smoke filled room trying to testify about Joseph Smith, I will never forget yelling the first vision while he gazed past me through the window. Ouch. I know that we helped him become a better person, even just a little bit better but it was still hard to drop him.

There has been a lot of thunder and lightening this week especially at night, enough to keep me awake for quite a while just about every night so I am pretty groggy at the moment. I am planning on a nap on the long long long drive today to Cadillac and traverse city.

I know that this Gospel is true and that we have the fullness of it restored. I know that it was restored through the Prophet Joseph Smith. I know that everyone on earth can know for themselves the truthfulness of this message for themselves if they truly have the desire. Have you ever notices how often desire is mentioned in the Book of Mormon, I am amazed by how often it was done or given to people according to their desires.

I love you all, thank you for your prayers and letters of support.

Mahal ko po kayo!

Ingat,

Sister Jensen

Happy Mother's Day

Dear Family,

MASAYANG ARAW NG MGA INA!!!!!!! HAPPY MOTHER'S DAY!!!!!!!!!!

I hope that Emily's Graduation went well. Thank you for all writing later than normal, I have had to change this intro 4 different times now. I will take late over nothing at all though. Mahal ko po kayo!!! Pakipatuloy na magsulat ng mga emails at letters sa akin, sobrung masaya ako na tumungap sila!

This week has been a hard one, it started out rough on the companionship and umph to get out there and work. But Sister Miner have been able to have a lot of heart to heart talks these past few days and our companionship is the most open and strongest companionship I think I have had on a mission. The Spirit is so strong in Companionship study it is absolutely fantastic, there is nothing like the feeling of "promise shining in our eyes," and we have been able to feel that a lot these past few days. I am grateful for your prayers on our behalf, the power of prayers continually astonishes me.

We are also preparing fervently for our Spiritual thought in branch council tomorrow and my talk. They called me last minute to speak about Mothers and missionary work, I couldn't ask for a better topic. Thank you mom for being so involved in my life and for being so supportive of my service.

This past week we have seen more success with our less actives, we had many of them come to church this past week and we have tried to get into their homes this week to let them know how happy we were to see them at church. We also tracted into an older man (83 yrs old) and we have been trying to teach him, although hearing loss and a lifetime of different beliefs have made it difficult. But last time we went over to his house there was a difference about him, so we are going to continue to teach him! There is also a really nice guy we serve with at the food kitchen every friday, he wasn't there last week but he came again yesterday. We were able to have a long conversation about faith and religion, and just getting to know him better. There are times when the Spirit promts us to invite them to learn more but yesterday we both felt prompted to just listen and to build that relationship of trust. Paul is being prepared and soon he will accept this gospel, he is just amazing!!!

I am so happy to be up here serving, weird as it may sound I have been so blessed this past week I just can hardly contain my gratitude. I have been able to connect with a lot of those that we work with and all becuase of the experiences I have had in my life. Last night we went to visit a part member family where the parents are less active, their daughter who is about our age came out and sat with us. I started talking to her and it turns about that she works nights and a care center and we were able to share stories about that, also we love music, so for the lesson we just sang hymns together. The Spirit was really sweet and beautiful there, I hope that she continues to have the desire to learn more about the gospel. Sister Miner claims that "she can't carry a tune in a bucket" or something like that, but over the past few weeks I have been making her start all the lessons with hymns (I was known for doing that in the Philippines as well) and she has become so much better. Last night we actually were in harmony!!! The Spirit has the ability to expand all skill especially at the times we need it most.

Also we have been learning how to play the guitar and it is coming a lot faster than I thought it would. It is quite fun to have permission to learn an instrument. It helps us get into some less actives houses where they help teach us how to play. Who knew that I would get to learn to play the guitar on a mission!!!!

Life is just wonderful up here, today is freezing and cold but Thursday was divine. We taught all of our lessons outside and just basked in the glory of nature. The flowers are just starting to open and trees bud, Spring might be here soon!!

Well that is about it for this week. Megan's letter said that Ryan is engaged, that is awesome!!!!! I can't believe how fast time passes when you are out serving, somehow life still moves just as quickly for those at home. Thank you for all your letters and e-mails this week. I can't even get close to thanking you all enough for them.

Thank you all for being wonderful examples to me. Keep it up!

Love you all,

Ingat po kayo.

Sister Jensen

Magandang araw na ito‏ (Good day)

Kumusta ang Family ko,

I am glad to say that I have made it another week here in Michigan!! Nothing like snow in April. I am now driving our car to help give Sister Miner a break since she has been doing a lot of driving lately, please pray for me. We had a little off-roading incident trying to find a less active yesterday, I never want to repeat it in a car, muddy roads with deep grooves are made for trucks and those wishing to get dirty. I do have to say that I had heavenly help as I drove through that...well less than drivable road.

HAPPY PHILIPPINES 50th Anniversary of the Church!!!!! I am not going to lie, today the emotions are high. I have awaited this day since I found out I was going to the Philippines and to not be there in celebration with them is really hard. I am grateful that I have the opportunity to be back out on a mission as this day passes. Yes mom I made Sister Miner eat a mango with me this week (it was her first one!).

This week has been interesting, we have found more members home and been able to teach them. I am so thankful that we have the Spirit to help us accomplish this work, these people have so many trails in their life I am glad that I can testify that the Savior knows what they are going through and that their Heavenly Father is aware of them. I have noticed that since this area has so many different churches and a lot of people have gone to so many of them in their life times that there is a lot of "spiritual static" as Elder Sweatfield likes to call it. They have a hard time remembering what is the truth and taught in this gospel and everything else.

We met with our Branch Council on Sunday and were met with a lot of discouraged people when it comes to reactivating the less active and finding those that are ready. Sister Miner and I have been praying that we can find a way to infuse this branch with hope and excitement for the work that needs to be done in this branch. We have an idea and are praying that as we do some "tweaking" this week that they will be ready for our plan when we meet again May 8th. Please pray for us!

For part of the week we actually stay at the Sweatfields' house in Grayling. It has been interesting to see what a Senior Couple does in this mission and to talk with them about what they have seen and hear their insights. I have really enjoyed getting to know them, they are incredibly kind and such a wonderful example. I seriously cannot wait until I am at the point in my life when I can bring my eternal companion on a mission with me...yes the work is hard for them as well but it looks like they have such fun doing it together and helping each other grow in understanding and faith. Amazing.

Easter was lovely. Mom thank you for sending a little Easter gift to share with Sister Miner, she appreciated it. I am also grateful for my first piece of mail, a card from you mom. I am so glad to finally look in that mail box and see a letter. I miss the old way of getting letters, twice a transfer at district meetings...

I am adjusting to the differences of this mission, there are somethings that I miss a lot and others I was happy to see changed. I was happy to hand write our presidents letters, but as it turns out they changed it this week to using imos again. At least I am used to it :)

There is a member that other missionaries have had trouble getting into the house, we went to go see her twice this week she let us in both times. She also gave us cotton candy and fed us dinner the second time. She says that I remind her of one of her close friends and her daughter loves me, I am glad that I have been accepted and hope that I can lead them back to activity. While I was there this week I had a feeling of peace and assurance that I needed to be there with them at that time. I miss the Philippines greatly but I am so thankful that the Spirit is helping assure me that this is where I am needed.

I love you all and hope that you have a marvelous week.

I cannot wait to hear from you next week. Stay safe, and healthy please.

Everyone should go eat a mango or banana today in celebration of the Jubliee.

Mahal ko po kayo!!

Ingat,

Sister Rebecca Jensen

Hello from a very cold Michigan‏

Dear Family,

Thank you for your e-mails this week, I am going to admit that I do miss home. But then again I was the one that wanted to come back out here and finish what I started. I am serving up in the Gaylord (said Gaylerd) and Grayling areas. We spend part of the week at our apartment here in Gaylord and the rest of the week living with the Sweatfields down in Grayling. The branch building is close to our apartment up here though, it is tiny.

My companion is Sister Miner, she is from Alaska, loves to swim and spend time with her family. She loves to talk, laugh, and have fun. These past few weeks have been really hard on her with her companion going home after only a week in a new area, so we are basically white washed since they weren't able to spend time working in the area with the other sister needing interviews and to leave asap... There are 8 sisters in this mission, including me, the ones I have meet are all under 5'6" so I feel right at home in the mission. I am co-seniors with Sister Miner wich is fun since we both are not quite sure what this area needs or what there really is for us here, but President Jones has promised both of us that there is a reason that we are together and in this area it is up to us to find out what.

I have a feeling that someday I am going to be very grateful for this change in missionary perspective, I started in a mission field that was white and very ready to be harvested, we rarely were rejected on the first visit, we could teach 20 lessons a day and 70 lessons a week. We had baptisms often and rejoiced with the many other missionaries that we served with. Here we are few and far between as missionaries and members. I was told this week that this is the lowest baptizing mission in the US and that our mission standards look at what our daily goals did in the Philippines. I went from one of the top 5 to the lowest, what a change it has been. We have been out tracting this week and I have been told "NO" so many times, doors slam, we are ignored, no one waves, its cold, we walk through snow, every appointment but one has canceled or not been home when we came to visit. I am struggling to make the transition, it feels like such a shock from what I have been used to doing.

I did get to the mission just fine, I sat next to a lady who works at the MTC on the way to Detroit, with a guy that graduated from Viewmont and BYU sitting behind us. It was a set a fun conversations. I was glad that I took my backpack with my spirit braid on it, that was fun. The Detroit airport was awesome, someday I am taking you all to the tunnel of randomness and music, talk about weird, yet cool. After the plane got in I walked down the stairs and there was President and Sister Jones, the AP's with a big Michigan Lansing Mission sign and 3 sister missionaries. We got pictures, they picked up my luggage (the Elders were surprised and commented that "wow you packed light") happiness :) Then we went to dinner...that was not too fun, needless to say I had a water and a plain baked potato...after that we went to the mission home to drop the other sisters off at their car and to show us around. They also gave me a can of oats, almonds, apples, bananas, and some clementines, very appreciated by me these past few days. Then we took the drive up to Gaylord, it started to snow a lot, the roads were covered, being a missionary and having your mission president drive in snow somehow makes it less scary. We did watch the car in front of us spin wildly out of control do a 360 and end in the ditch. That was not fun to watch. Well we got home, I unpacked, we planned, our District leader called (turns out I met him in the MTC) and we finally went to bed.

It snowed most of Wednesday, so I am ever so grateful that I brought my boots. Thursday we had interviews with President Jones. He promised me that we would work out a release date close to my last one, he had not been told that I was expecting to go home before next spring. I am glad I brought it up. I also get to study Tagalog 30 min a day, he told me that I should teach Sister Miner some. I wasn't sure if he was half kidding about that or not, but I guess not since Sister Miner after her interview has been trying to learn some Tagalog words daily. I taught her some of the basics, kumusta, maganda, salamat. I miss teaching and tracting in it, yet it was hard but now English just sounds so awkward and bulky it doesn't flow as Tagalog once did.

We drive a 2010 Malibu, and yes thank heavens we have a GPS system which has saved us many times. I can't imagine trying to figure these roads without it. President did say that I could drive, but the senior sisters in the office said that I will need to wait 6 weeks first. Fine by me, I really don't have a desire to drive.

I am feeling well, a little tired and dazed but I was so grateful that I could spend my year mark in the field that was a hard enough day serving in a different mission. I am glad that I didn't have to try that one at home. I am hoping April 30th the day of the Jubilee we can find something to keep us super busy because my heart still grieves at the thought of missing it.

We write hand written letters to President, also a plus, more time to think about it, we don't have to squeeze family e-mails between quickly typed letters to the President.

I know that the Church is true, I know that everything we go through it for a reason. There are things that happen to us that make no sense, still don't but somewhere, someday they will make sense and we will be grateful that we were blessed with them. I am just trusting that there is a purpose for me up here, and that as long as I do my best and love the Lord things will work out.

Mahal ko po kayo!!

Sister Rebecca Jensen

Mission, Part 2

For those of you who don't already know, Sister Jensen is Sister Jensen once again - or will be shortly. She's feeling much better, and has received a new mission call! She will complete her mission in the Lansing Michigan Mission!

She leaves directly for the mission field on Tuesday, April 19.

Please write to her at her new address:

1500 Abbott Road, Suite 110

East Lansing, MI 48823

SURPRISE!!!!!

As of 8:37 P.M. on December 31, 2010,
this is EXACTLY where Sister Jensen is right now.
That's right, she's headed home! Just in time for the new year!

She departed from Manila in the Philippines yesterday (our time) and flew to Tokyo, and then from Tokyo to New York (really!), and from New York to Salt Lake City.

This is an honorable medical release. She just needs to come home and get healthy.

Happy New Year!

Happy Birthday Mom

Dear Family,
It was wonderful to talk to you on Christmas. Well Christmas for me, Eve for you. Either way I am so glad that we get to call home at Christmas; it really cheered me up. I am glad to hear that the family parties went well and that everyone had a safe, warm Christmas.
We went out to do member visits, focusing on the RC and LA but we worked in almost all of both of our areas and practically no one was home, everyone here goes to the "province" for the holidays so our numbers are exceedingly low. But it is not about the numbers it is about those we were able to share the Christmas Spirit with.
Health wise I am kind of really struggling at the moment. I was able to talk to Sister DeLaMare today, she says again that I am going to take my many meds and we will wait and see. Sigh. We do that with our investigators who aren't progressing, we will visit them again, give them another chance, wait again. Some stay in the other section for months without progressing just to make sure that they have their fair chance. It is a good method but for those waiting, it is a little hard to just wait sometimes. Random tangent.
Not much to report about the work, honestly we were only able to go out and work for a few days this week. Sigh. The Church is True. Our Christmas Conference was beautiful. I was the chorister and we sang just about every single Christmas hymn in the hymnal. I was glad that I could help out. I also had the opportunity to bear my testimony, that was a spiritually uplifting experience. Every time we go to meetings like that or district meeting this morning, I feel the Spirit so strong and all I want to do it go share this gospel. Then we go eat or take the long long bus and jeepney rides home and somehow that feeling wavers. I am trying with all my heart, might, mind, and strength to serve, I really am.
They love fireworks here, there are stands and stands for fireworks in the streets and kids are playing with them everywhere. When they come running at you with their ears covered I have learned that you should stop and cover your ears. If not you get a big headache from all the bangs and flashes by the end of the day. Also dodging firecrackers that people light and throw in the street make for fun work. We were advised to come in early New Years Eve. I am grateful.
I hope that all of you had a wonderful Christmas and really rememberd the reason for the holiday. Also as you plan for 2011 that you keep Spiritual goals in mind as well, Spiritual goals are just as important as your physical goals as well.
Well thank you all for your prayers and support, it is what is keeping me going. I am so lucky to have such a wonderful heritage of faith to come from.
Have a wonderful New Year's.
Mom, Happy Birthday. I love you so much, it meant the world to me to talk to you last week.
Mahal kita,
Sister Jensen