Monday, August 29, 2016

Crazy man and miracles!

We had a good week! Most of it was spent outside talking to people and trying to find more that are interested and willing to meet! We have been pretty lacking in the department.. But it is slowly picking up and we continue to see amazing things every week!

So I'll share a few fun experiences from the week!

Hmm.. We went and visited some members and they were super awesome and had prepared a ward list with all of the active people marked on it! (something we've been looking for) And they also marked a few people that they wanted us to go visit! So the next day we went out to visit them and the first one we went to lived in this super super nice apartment building. They let us in to wait and there was like a grand piano in the lobby and a drink counter in the back corner and it was really nice! And the member was really nice as well! Then on the way to the next one this man stopped us and said "I want to join you" So that was pretty exciting! It turns out he meant he wants to come to our church meetings.. He's still not sure about getting baptized and stuff but he has a lot of potential! He is a super cool guy and his name is Jobun! So that is cool too!

The next thing that happened is we were walking on the street talking to everyone and then this guy was like "have you eaten yet?" Which is really common it's like a polite way to start a conversation, but then he walked up to this gate and opened it and was like come in! So we went in and he fed us some fruit and we talked with him! It's usually a really good sign if someone lets you in to their home.. But he was just a really nice man that likes treating Americans well and he was also a self proclaimed "Crazy man" Haha It was pretty interesting to chat with him! There are some great people in the world! 

The last miracle I'd like to share is about George! He's the one from the internet cafe! He lost his phone and we couldn't talk to him all week! But he told us he'd come to church and he did! When he showed up we were so happy I can't even explain it! And better yet he hasn't smoked once since we taught him the word of wisdom almost 2 weeks ago and he has read the Book of Mormon all of the way to Helaman! He is doing super awesome! We love him and it's been so cool to see the power and energy that he has found through praying and reading his scriptures!

I continue to really love the work and find a lot of joy in being able to share this wonderful message with others! 

We had some little rule changes this week! We are not allowed to have live chat emails with people.. So if you emailed me back and I didn't answer that is why! I'm sorry! But we can still do weekly emails so that's a big blessing;) And the other rule is that we are no longer allowed to teach single sisters! We pass them off to the sisters in the area nearby! That will be a small interesting change but we are looking forward to starting to teach a lot more families because of it! One other change is I'm the district leader again! Elder Chia the previous district leader is training! So our whole district is in training! Pretty exciting!!

I love you all! Have a wonderful week! And don't forget every member is a missionary:) Our new ward mission leader is super pumped to get missionary work through the ward going and it has been super exciting to see! I know as we continue to work better with members we'll be able to see a lot more success! 

Love Elder Jensen!

Not really any new pictures.. I'm sorry! Cool sky! 

Forgot to send these last week! This is the beach we went to! Pretty nice....



Tuesday, August 23, 2016

Too Good!

This week had too many good parts to choose a good title! I'll start from the beginning and give a run down of some of the great stuff that happened!

So Monday we went to Yilan on the East coast with the other Elders in our district (Elder Chia and Elder Clegg) and their investigator! We went to one of the most beautiful beaches I have ever seen! Super super fun day!

Tuesday after our District meeting we were waiting for George our awesome investigator found in the internet cafe and he didn't answer his phone and he didn't show up for like a half hour.. So we headed out to where we had planned to find! Well guess who we ran into when we got over to where we had planned to find? George!!! He had just gotten off work, his phone was at home, and he was getting on the bus to go to the church to meet with us!! What a miracle! We saw him seconds before he got on the bus! In the lesson he shared with us that as he reads and prays (He has read to somewhere in Alma I believe) He's felt a desire to do something good! Then we invited him to obey the commandments because they make us happy, even though we hadn't shared the commandments yet, and he said "what are we not supposed to eat?" We taught him the Word of Wisdom. He likes to smoke.. Well he hasn't smoked since we taught him that lesson! We are really pleased with the great progress he is making! We are super blessed to have been able to run into him! I know the Lord is preparing people all over! We just have to do our best and we'll be led to them!

Wednesday we had a good day and a rough English class.. But contacted a model;) usually they don't talk to us so we were excited someone was willing to listen! She seemed pretty interested and we gave her number to the Elders where she lived. 

The next few days went along pretty regularly and then Saturday Elder Mueller and I got to go all the way back to Xinzhu to attend the baptism of a girl I taught with Elder Tan!! I was so happy I was able to go back and see everyone and her! It was also cool to be able to baptize her! That's the first time I've baptized someone that I helped to teach! The bishops usually like members to do it:) Super super awesome! She's changed a lot since meeting her and even since I left! I love seeing the change and the happiness that this wonderful message brings!

Church yesterday was really good too! We had a member bring three friends to church!! Miracles!! And I was just happy all day!

Then Monday we had a sweet mission conference and got to learn a ton from Elder David F. Evans! He taught us the importance of asking people who they know! He made a big point that street contacting and knocking aren't found in the Preach My gospel chapter on finding until a few pages in! There are more effective ways to find!!

My favorite part though was the emphasis on "Teaching repentance and baptizing converts" There was a world wide training on that in January! It finally occurred to me yesterday that we need to do more than teach it we need to help and make sure they use it! That is the only way they can experience the true change that the gospel can and was meant to bring! I know as I've repented I've been able to feel a weight lifted off of me and that is what we are here to share! I really enjoyed that! 

And then this morning we woke up at 4:30 did our studies and were out the door by 8 for our sweet bike ride! It was awesome! 

I love you all! Have a wonderful day:) Take care!! Remember who you are! And remember to keep repenting and you'll be able to have the change of heart experienced by so many wonderful people in the scriptures! Mosiah 5:2 is a good one!

Love, Elder Jensen!

Pictures:
1:Sunny and her husband!
2:Rachel!
The rest: More from the ride




Our sweet bike ride this morning! I just got a killer cramp while emailing;) we biked for like 2 hours up a mountain.. I pulled someone for part! And then an hour and a half coasting down! It was super fun!
(Pics forwarded from Elder Mueller)








Sunday, August 14, 2016

What a week!

So this week was pretty good! On Wednesday we went to a special fireside for the missionaries done by David Archuleta and it was really really cool! I learned a lot from him! And now consider myself a David Archuleta fan;) Hahaha He shared some cool stories from his mission and he said some stuff that was perfect for the investigator we brought!

Hmm.. Other than that we had a fairly normal week! We met with a whole family in their home on Friday and it was so cool! We met the dad and the daughter a week ago and then called to set up and the wife was like "yes come over!!!" So we showed up and we were expecting to share with them and then it turned out that they had prepared a big dinner for us to eat with them! It was really good and they are a super nice family! Super cool and the mom is Christian and been hoping and praying that her husband could learn the gospel and then he met us! So we are really excited to work with them! They have two daughters 12 and 15! I showed them my family picture and said that Koby was the same age as the girl and she said "Can you introduce me to him?" She also wrote down all her contact info.. So Koby I'm sending you an email with it and it's your turn to be a missionary;) Please shoot her an email! So that was cool!

Then Saturday we went to another David Archuleta thing and he was sick and lost his voice and still tried to power through and sing for us and couldn't sing at all.. I learned a lot from that too! Super cool he was willing to try.. I felt bad! That is a lot of pressure! 

Our investigator George is still progressing very well! He is here again in the internet cafe today! He's a pretty great guy! 

Elder Mueller and I are loving it here! Thank you for all the love and support! Hmm.. I think for a little spiritual share I just want to emphasize the importance of Home Teaching! It can change lives! It is so cool.. It seems pretty simple and you just go do it! But if you take an extra step to really try to help and serve those people it will impact them forever! I love that! 

I love you all! Have a wonderful week! 

Love, Elder Jensen!

Pictures:

2. David!

3. Super cool little girl we met with great English

4. Good bye to one of my best friends out here. Elder Lindahl! Keep an eye out for him at BYU;)

5. I turned into a girl somehow!

One last thing
I might be going back to Xiagnshan Saturday for a baptism! A girl Elder Tan and I found and were teaching passed her interview and is getting baptized!

Next week!
Preparation day will be on Tuesday instead of Monday because we have a meeting with an Area 70 David F. Evans who wrote the awesome Tenacity talk! I'm excited! Love you all!

Monday, August 8, 2016

Pokemon Go

Pokemon took over the world on Saturday night.. Every single person we talked to was walking around looking at their phone trying to catch Pokemon! Crazy:)

Today is also the Taiwanese Fathers day! Happy Fathers day dad! 

Okay not much to say this week! It went a lot better than last week as far as being Fang'ed though:) And the person who came up to us in the internet cafe turned out to be super awesome and has committed to a baptismal date and came to all of church with us on Sunday in a white shirt and tie!! Super cool! 

Also we went to Wulai for a P-day! It was super beautiful! Somewhere up there was the first baptism in Taiwan.

Hmm.. What else! We just had a really good week! We met with our bishop and he is awesome! We are really excited about the work here in Xindian! 

We have met some really nice people.. A woman named Jo who is really really nice but feels like she is wasting our time by meeting with us! She keeps her commitments though so I think she's going to be baptized! Super cool lady!

I'm sorry I'm like drawing a blank this week! I just had a lot of fun! And worked hard! And we had some great interviews with President! And I know that this church is true and it has blessed my life so much and I'm so glad I get to be here sharing about it with people!

We've also started to really emphasize teaching families and we are going to hopefully be meeting a few that we found this last week! It has been so cool to see how once we put an emphasis on them it seemed like they started popping up all over and they are all really nice to us and many are quite interested in the wonderful message we are sharing about eternal families!

Sorry I was all over this week! I love you all! Have a good week!

Love, Elder Jensen!





Monday, August 1, 2016

Fang'ed

Fang'ed means we got stood up! Our time here in Xindian has brought lots of new investigators and lots of investigators that have stood us up and given fake numbers and not showed up for appointments! It can be hard but it's all good:) We are just looking to build a pool of solid people that will show up! And it is coming along nice and slowly:)  And we are loving it!

So this last week we just did a ton of finding! It's pretty fun! Our area is super beautiful! It is also pretty interesting because our whole area only includes like 2 main roads and places to street contact and the rest goes back up into the mountains! So we spent a lot of time just along those roads this week! But we will probably have a few chances to go on some crazy bike rides to find some people up in the mountains at some point coming up here!

In other news, we have one investigator that was here from before we got here and he has progressed super well and will most likely be getting baptized on Saturday! He has his baptismal interview on Wednesday but I am pretty sure that he is going to pass! His name is David and he is super awesome! 

Hmm.. That is really about our whole week! We are just really working hard to find the people that will receive us and have a desire to meet and learn! I have been praying for that a lot this week! And then this morning when we walked into the internet cafe a man came up to me and said "can I have a paper about Jesus?" I chatted with him and ended up setting up a time to meet! Miracles happen everyday!!! It is the best! Super super cool! 

I wish you all a wonderful week! Remember who you are! We all have Godly potential! That is incredible! I read the talk by President Uchtdorf from conference called "He will place you on His shoulders and carry you home" Super super good! All we have to do is turn to him! 

I love you all! 

Love, Elder Jensen!

Pictures: Fun with Sunny and Jerry at 101 and the memorial hall!


Glowing man!