Here I am

Family,
Thank you for talking to me at the airport...sorry I cried through most of it. Being a missionary sure is emotional. Wow reading your letters makes me want to cry...good grief it has been the longest 5 days of my life and now typing that it has been 5 days my brain is trying to figure out where those last 5 days have gone. I am in the Laguna Zone the Morona Branch. What a wonderful place...it is about 2 hours (good traffic) from the mission home, so yes jungle and city. I do indeed shower everyday out of a bucket with the same ladle I use to flush the toilet and clothes are hand washed...oh life is exciting. Other than that, it is hotter and muggier than I though possible, I don't even bother with makeup anymore I just wipe it off anyway. And the people think I am the most beautiful thing they have ever seen I get called barbie, beauty queen, America,...etc... they don't see many Americans, so a tall blond blue eyed one is like wham...ya I have never had the desire to walk in a room and have all the heads turn but I sure know how it feels now. Last night we were tracking in this gorgeous mountain village and all of the village children came up and flocked around us asking my name. When I responded with po and in Tagalog they laughed and were surprised and followed us it was really fun. I really do not like all of the attention but it does get us into many doors everyone wants to know why an American girl like me is in their country trying to speak their language. I am so lucky we have 4 baptisms this Saturday, our branch is fantastic we have members come out with us just about everyday and their fellow-shipping couldn't be better, I am amazed by them. They are also trying to help me learn Tagalog. My companion is native to Cebu so she is new to Tagalog but picked it up quickly since they are so similar...she speaks so fast and quiet I have a super duper hard time hearing her. It is super frustrating, a lot of times I will ask a question and she will not answer it, she will just answer "puwede" which is you can...well yes I can but what is better. So frustrating. Yup if you can't tell it has been a hard few days, I am so glad to be here but it is a lot harder than I ever expected. So I told my companion I am lactose intolerant, she says she is as well but doesn't care to avoid what she eats... but she tells all the members for me, surprisingly almost everything the members have tried to serve me has milk...which baffles me...still can't figure that one out. I cannot wait until I can understand this language. The members were talking about me in front of me on Sunday just friendly talk but still it hurt why not try and ask me, ya I cried after dinner at my Branch Pres house I was just so frustrated with them talking right there about me. Yes I know I can't understand everything but I do usually get the jist of it. Oh wow, this is not how I wanted it to sound. I love my companion I am just getting used to her and her ways and the Filipino ways and cultures and mannerisms. So we don't keep food in the house, I have never been more grateful for the granola bars I brought with me...ya if a member doesn't feed us we don't eat...ya perfect weight loss plan. So every night when we get in I seriously just crash, it is funny how tired I really am, but seriously I have had no extra sleep from the time we got here to now, that first night we went tracting and teaching and here we are still running. This morning we had zone conference in a different city about an hour away, we took a jeep nee (sp?) I feel so sick I am still swaying. I have no clue how I am going to solve that problem for the rest of my mission. Still dizzy which is probably why this letter is so random. We are in some random dark room in the city of Mornona trying to type letters, but at least it is cold. We got permission to go to the mall today and get me a really good umbrella, it has UV protection. My comp being native loves my skin and is always making sure I am wearing sunscreen and using an umbrella, really sweet of her. So I got to see Elder Sweat from my MTC district today, I about cried of joy to see someone I knew, then Sister Jensen walked in, there are 2 of us in the same zone. I love it!
So my alarm clock died on the way over but luckily I wake up every morning to the roosters that live outside our apartment in the jungle of trees...yup the view still astonishes me. There are times I cannot believe where I am and what I am seeing. Random note thank you for the crocks, they are fantastic for the rain and keeping my feel cool plus all the natives love staring at name brand shoes...
I know that there is probably a ton I am not including but I am not kidding when I say my head is spinning. I am so sorry. I love you all, thank you so much for your prayers. I know that it will get harder and that times will be rough but hopefully I can find my footing and get into a pattern and things will be better. Until then I am just holding on hoping not to be flung off into who knows where.

I love you.
Sister Rebecca Jensen

Photos from the Field

We received an email from Rebecca's mission president's wife this week, as well as some photos of Rebecca with her trainer (at least, that's MY guess) and the mission president and his wife:


Dear Jensen family,

This is just a note to let you know that your Sister arrived safely in
the mission field in Quezon City today. She is
tired, but excited to go and do the work she was called to do. I'm
attaching some pictures so you can see for yourself that she is alive
and well.

Just a note concerning mailing. Do not send anything
via FedEx unless there is an important document to be signed or
something like an ATM card. The FedEx partner here, Air 21, charges
terribly high duty on most all packages. A U.S. Postal Service
International flat rate box costs less and will not receive duty. Also, most American goods can be purchased here, especially candy, so you
could actually save by putting a little extra "birthday" money in your
son/daughter's account and let them buy their own. If you do send a
box, put a religious picture over the seal on the opening. Most
Filipinos are very superstitious and they will not open or inspect the
package. The best place to send packages is the P.O. Box 13873 Ortigas
Center, Pasig City 1600 MM PH. We have just moved the mission office
and I don't even know the physical address at this point.

Thank you for your love and support for your missionary.

Blessings,
Sister Ho Ching

Change of Address

As of Tuesday, June 22, Sister Jensen will no longer be in the MTC. From that point on, if you want to send her a letter or package it will need to be sent to the Philippines. It takes about 10-15 days for letters and packages to arrive in the Philippines.

Letters and US Postal Service Packages:

Sister Rebecca Jensen
Philippines Quezon City Mission
Ortigas Center, PO Box 13873
Emerald Avenue, Pasig City 1600
Metro Manilla, Philippines

Fed-Ex and UPS Packages:
(IMPORTANT NOTE: Rebecca will have to pay a duty/import tax to receive this variety of package.)

Sister Rebecca Jensen
Philippines Quezon City Mission
1403 Robinsons Equitable Tower
#4 ADB Ave. cor. Poveda St.
Ortigas Center, Passig City 1605
Metro Manilla, Philippines

Pouch Mail:
(IMPORTANT NOTE: A single sheet of paper folded in thirds is appropriate. Remember to include your return address.)

Sister Rebecca Jensen
Philippines Quezon City Mission
P.O. Box 30150
Salt Lake City, UT 84130

Happy Birthday to Clark

HAPPY BIRTHDAY CLARK!!!!!!!!!!
Good grief I cannot believe that you are already 17! What am I going to do with you?? Well I hope that today is a good day for you and that you party and have a ton of fun without me.
Well classes are over, I keep dreaming in Tagalog, and my bags are almost packed, I guess it is time to leave for the field. We had our departure devotional yesterday, good advice, but I still cannot believe that we are leaving so soon. By the end of today I will be a solo sister. Sad day. The end of classes was interesting, what seemed so hard at the beginning is now easy and what we just learned seems rushed, when am I supposed to use mang verb?? and what was that phrase?? But I know that in the field it is going to be super hard whether I know it or not.
Thank you all for your letters and packages last week, everyone loved it, especially me. Thank you all for all of your support throughout the entire MTC stay I have really been one of the most blessed missionaries. I am so grateful for all of the support that I was able to feel from all of you, it made getting up each morning a little easier. Well by this time next week I will be somewhere in Luzon with a companion who I do not know. This is going to be the experience of a life time and I honestly and still not sure of what I signed myself up for. We looked at pictures of Quezon on Saturday with Bro. Molina and he answered questions for us, ya no toilet paper...Quezon City is called the arm pit of the Philippines, the city is packed with people, so so so so so many people. But the outskirts are rice patties and ocean, huge fields and quiet homes. It is going to be interesting to see where I end up.
This past week has been the same as usual. The TA went well we were able to teach about the plan of salvation and get the main point across which is an accomplishment.
Oh I got to host Liz Kuhn last Wednesday, the highlight of my week. It was awesome, it is so much fun to finally have a really good friend at the MTC, I love being able to see her!!!
Well that is about it. Sorry it is short, but there is really not much new, just packing and waiting and studying and still praying always praying for help. There is absolutely no possible way to do this work successfully without the spirit. I know this church is true, I know that we have a prophet who leads and guides and I know that as long as we listen to and follow him we will be lead to peace and happiness. Stay strong everyone. I love you all.
Mahal ko kayo.
Ingat po,
Sister Rebecca Jensen

You Saw a Moose - Jealous!

Hello family,

You saw a moose...I am not going to even start to tell you how much I wish I could be there. But then again I am so glad that I am here. I was released yesterday as coordinating sister...they gave me no heads up, yesterday in our meeting after I got back from having a bloody nose (I have had them a lot lately) Pres. Stott said that they were releasing me and the 2 zone leaders to give the new group a week to gear up for the new missionaries coming in after we leave. I was shocked I didn't expect my time to be so short, after the meeting we went to relief society and just a wave of gratitude for the chance that I have had to talk with these sisters one on one each week to know their desires and their frustrations and the opportunity I have had to pray for them and to watch out for them. Mind you I still pray for them and I still love each of them, but there is a shift in my focus now. I am going to miss talking with the girls like that. Sigh.
What else, I hosted last week and will host again this week, 2 new sisters going to Canada and the other one Arizona. I think Liz comes in this week, I hope so because I want to host her. Anyway we got our flight plans this week, I leave June 22 at 6:30pm, we fly out of Utah to California at 9:30pm. Then we fly to Taiwan, then from Taipei to Manila where we take a bus to our mission home. We have a flight scheduled to Hong Kong at the end of July but our teachers said that to get a flight into Manila you need to have a scheduled flight out of the country as well. I was way excited, but that is okay. There are 10 of us flying out on Tuesday and 28 on Monday. I will not have a kasama since mine leaves on Monday I need to go talk to people about being reassigned or getting one of those solo tags. Who knows.
Yesterday was my Kasama's Birthday, that was fun lots of partying and attention and singing and presents. It was amazing to see all of the time that the Elders put into getting her things and making her cards. I am very impressed.
I only have one week left and I just don't really feel ready. I am excited to go but at the same time not. I need to have more faith. I am working on it, the temple today helped. It was a little hard to pay attention because I was struggling with a bloody nose through most of the session. Not the most pleasant experience, I don't suggest it.
We had our 4th apostle come to speak to us this past Tuesday. Elder Hales. I love the feeling that comes when we all stand to welcome the apostle in. Amazing.
The church is true.
Mahal ko po Kayo.
Sister Rebecca Jensen

Yes, the computer ate my first one‏

Family,

How are you all? It has been good to hear from you this week. Mail has slowed down for our district so I appreciate the letters I have been getting. This week has been an interesting one, being diagnosed with an ulcer on Tuesday then having the Wednesday of my life. It all started Wednesday after dinner when I got called down by the new sisters with not happy faces. They found out that some of the sisters in the room had lice and that they would have to move upstairs while their room was being cleaned. That means washing or spraying everything down. So as they went off to start I went to go track down the other sisters in the room. What joyous news, with only 3 weeks left you get to wash everything and move away from all the other sisters. It was painful. After we found them we went and talked to their teachers and then we met the girls back at the dorms, there were not so happy feelings in the room so I prayed a lot and then took the sisters out for interviews. It was amazing to feel the love that our Father in Heaven has for each of these girls as I talked to them just letting them know how much they are loved and that even though this trial is not fun at all it has been given to us for a reason. I hope that they heard me, either way I know that I grew from this experience being able to speak words that were not mine to sisters who were suffering and praying for them...I don't think I have felt the spirit that strong in a while. It was such a good experience in a time of trial. Then we did all of their laundry, I stayed with the sisters while they did it, we sang and talked and just got to know each other...bond...over laundry. Good times.
I would like to thank everyone for their packages last week, many thanks were given by those who received goods and treats from them. Thank you so much.
What else. I got a blessing on Saturday and the world seriously seems like a brighter place, I hit a Tagalog wall last weekend, it was miserable, I was stressed not feeling well, emotionally and mentally and physically drained. After fast Sunday yesterday and the temple this morning the world is a much better place.
As for the weather I will not complain because I know the Philippines are going to be much hotter but wow it is getting warm for June. Nylons...ick.
I am trying to think of anything else. Teaching in Tagalog went much better this week, the language is coming along steadily, I know that I am far from where I feel I should be but the Lord I feel is pleased where I am and where I am going. We teach everyday but Friday this week, it is going to be so hard but I know that we need to stretch ourselves if we are going to be ready to leave. We get flight plans this Thursday, we also get to host this Wednesday. I am so excited to help new missionaries come in. AYOS!
Well that is about it for this week,
I love you all,
Sister Rebecca Jensen

3 More Weeks

Kumusta na!!
How are you all?? It sounds like everyone is busy living their lives, for which I am very grateful to hear about. U2 was postponed...you don't think they could just come back say November of 2011. Joke lang. Wow Tagalog is going well, we taught our first lesson all in Tagalog last week, thank you all for your prayers it helped so much, we actually made it through the entire time all Tagalog. I was so happy, there is still so so so so so so so much to learn and understand but already I feel so blessed to be learning such a wonderful and strange language. We learned how to barter and use money last week, it was awesome we had cards with clothes and went around trying to barter the price down and then pay with money. All the time and money are done in Spanish numbers so I am glad that we had Spanish all through elementary because lo and behold I am thankful for it.
What else, the temple is closed to day so we do not get to go this week, that makes me sad, I have gone every week since I have been endowed except for the week my appendix decided to hate me. Oh well we get more study time this way. I got a hair cut this morning, it is currently drying into big frizzy waves as we speak, I only got a trim but I hope that I can still do a decent braid...if not I am going to be toast.
I only have 3 more weeks of this...wonderful...painful...MTC experience. There are things that I am learning about myself and the gospel that I will always cherish and that will help me for the remainder of my life.
Elder D Todd Christofferson came and spoke to us last Tuesday. It was amazing! I can't believe that we have had an apostle every other week, what blessings to be taught at the feet of apostles. Ayos!!!
Well mom to answer your questions about my kasama, she turns 22 June 13, the is from Highland. She is a hairstylist person and loves to go shopping and look cute. She is great at talking to people and has a story for everything. She is a great therapist and has advice for everyone and a story for every problem. I am so grateful that she is my kasama, yes there are trials to overcome but who doesn't have them when you are getting used to a new environment with new people and places and hard hard trials.
I went to go play the violin yesterday, I couldn't remember any of the songs I have learned but I played hymns and I loved it. I miss playing.
I love you so much, thank you for your prayers.
Mahal ko Kayo,
Sister Rebecca Jensen