I'm Basically Hermana Jensen

Dearest Friends and Family,

What a week! I went on exchanges on Saturday with the Spanish sisters, and it was really fun! Even with a bit of a language barrier, I could still feel the spirit as we (okay, mostly my companion) talked with people. I nailed my line--"Yo se esto tambien" in our impromptu lesson. I also discovered that old woman spanish is harder to understand than not-old woman Spanish. Overall it was a fun change of pace! This week was also Sister McNeal's birthday! We made homemade chicken noodle soup and ate ice cream to celebrate. 

We found several new people to teach this week! The biggest miracle happened yesterday. We were at the Walla Walla church building for branch council when a brother from the Walla 3rd ward came in and asked us to come out. We did, and he said that a lady had just walked in to the church asking about where worship was. We snuck into the sacrament meeting and sat by her so that we could try to catch her before she left. SHE IS AMAZING! She grew up knowing members of our church, and has recently been driven away from her own faith. She had a dream that she needed to go to our church! She was woken up in the morning, again thinking that she needed to find a Church of Jesus Christ to go to. She tried to go back to sleep but couldn't. So she googled our church and tried to call, but couldn't get in contact with anyone, so she decided to just show up at 11! She found her way into the sacrament meeting (after hiding in the bathroom for a little while) and just knew that she would have no peace until she gave this a shot. We had a lesson with her last night (she said she snuck out since she wasn't quite ready to tell her roommate where she was going) and she said that she would study from the Book of Mormon, and when she knows it's true she will be baptized. It is inspiring to hear the story of this young woman, who followed the promptings of the spirit WAY outside of her own comfort zone just because she knew it was the right thing to do. Do we follow the promptings that we have, even when it's uncomfortable? I know that I can be better, and I know each of you can as well! 

Also I dyed an egg to look like a Hermiston watermelon. 

Love,
Sister Jensen

A Good Week

Dearest Family and Friends,

What a crazy week! We started the week without a car (long story, some sisters in Hermiston needed their car fixed, we live closest to an auto body shop, hence the car swap and our car ending up in an auto body shop...) which would be fine except that our area is HUGE. Literally it would take us 7 and a half hours to get to one of our lessons if we walked (yep, we checked), so we had to beg for a LOT of rides and cancel a few things. In the end it all worked out, even if we didn't feel as effective as we usually do.

Sister Chamberlain, a wonderful member of our branch, loaned me her flute! I played at a baptism on Saturday (Ryan! The Walla 1st sisters taught him yay) and then also got to play at our Easter service. Easter Sunday was wonderful! Our miracle for this week would have to be DAYAN. She is from Colombia and is here for school. We invited her to church for Easter and she came! She needed a ride, so she ended up having to come early...which ultimately led to her singing with the branch choir in sacrament meeting!! We then had to go to a priesthood blessing for one of our returning members, and Dayan ended up witnessing that and the incredible spirit that was there. It was really great. She then also came with us to the Humphrey's (a new senior couple in our branch--they had baby pigs and a new baby horse) house for Easter dinner, and we were able to talk a lot with her. It was a beautiful, warm, sunny, Easter.

This week was also our zone conference in Hermiston. The drive through the Walula gap was BEAUTIFUL (hence all the river/sky/grass/hill pictures I will most definitely be sending). It was right along the Columbia River. The conference was also amazing. I love my mission president, and I love hearing from him! It is also really neat to get together with all the missionaries. Nothing can compare to the sound of "Called to Serve" sung by the Walla/Hermiston zones accompanied by Elder Felt.

I am so very grateful for my Savior Jesus Christ! I am grateful that Easter provides a time for us to focus on Him.

Love,
Sister Jensen

Baptism dates! (And Expiration dates)

Dearest Friends and Family,

It has been another good week here! Mostly overcast and drizzly and gray, but also good. So exchanges were this past week, and we thought we weren't going to be effected by them, but SURPRISE! The day before transfers we found out that the Walla sisters (sisters Hofheins and Bloom) were going to move in with us!!! Our little house has never been more full...of people, but also of the spirit. Having the sisters live with us has been so fun! We are able to support and strengthen and encourage each other, and it's awesome. We spent some time trying to clean out the apartment so that we could condense all our stuff and fit the sisters in. As we were doing so, we found some food in the back of the cupboard that expired in 2008 and some english muffins that long ago turned into some sort of toxic mush...don't worry, we didn't eat either of those things... :)

We had a really good lesson with Miriam (the one who wants to be a Catholic nun) this week! She didn't say yes but she also didn't say no to being baptized on May 4th, so we will all be praying for her. We also met with two inactive members who both expressed sincere desires to come back to church! Heather recently called and told us that she wants to set a goal to read the Book of Mormon in a month, and we couldn't be more proud.

We are keeping busy here in Walla Walla! As Easter has been approaching, I have been thinking a lot about my savior Jesus Christ. I am so grateful that because of Him, despair, grief, guilt, and pain can all be taken out of our lives. Repentance--choosing to use the Atonement to overcome--  is not just for when we make mistakes, but for whenever we need help in our lives, for whatever we need help with.

Have a wonderful Easter Sunday!!

Love,
Sister Jensen

We Thank Thee, Oh God, For a Prophet

Dearest Friends and Family,

Wasn't General Conference amazing? It always is, but this time around was especially good, maybe because I was watching as a missionary, maybe because we got to watch part of it with a person we're teaching, or maybe just because our branch leaders provided lots of good food, but it was so good! I find it incredible how, although topics are not assigned, natural themes seem to present themselves throughout the weekend. For me, one theme I got was that while we can't be perfect in this life, we can choose to qualify ourselves for exaltation by making and keeping covenants with our Heavenly Father. And to keep those covenants we must repent! Everyday! Also, there will be a new temple built in Moses Lake, Washington!!! Moses Lake is just barely north of my mission boundaries, and the people here are excited!

This week has been a bit crazy. We helped a family of recent converts move, and when we showed up to help we quickly realized that the job was much bigger than we had previously realized. In the end we had EIGHT missionaries there and we definitely made a dent in the project but there is work left still. Unfortunately it began to rain (it has been a very rainy week here, and there have been soooo many worms everywhere, but anyways) as we had half of the contents of their house on their front lawn, but a little rain never hurt anyone... One of the pictures is of a dumpster that we filled as we cleaned out the house. It may need to be emptied so that we can fill it up again...

Transfers are this week! I will be staying in Walla for now with Sister McNeil. Sister Bloom(my MTC comp)'s trainer is getting transferred out, and her new companion will be Sister Hofheins!!! Sister Hofheins will be in my district here in Walla! (Sister Hofheins is a really good friend from back home, in fact her whole family is really close with mine. Her mom teaches my brother cello, and Mandy and I were in the Utah Children's Choir together for MANY years, as well as ultimate frisbee, capture the flag, etc.)

Love,
Sister Jensen

Naphtali was baptized!!!

Dearest Friends and Family,

Naphtali (Natalie) was baptized!!! Her baptism was on Saturday, and it was a beautiful spring day. She bore sweet testimony of her knowledge of the gospel, and it was just a really nice day! Sister McNeil and I knocked on Naphtali's door on March 3rd, and so I can't believe she is now a member of the church. It was such an awesome experience to witness her baptism! We also had two interested people at the baptism, as did the other sisters. 

Other stuff:

I saw a fox! Also we almost hit it with our car, but don't worry, the fox is fine.
          
Apparently Walla Walla means "many waters" in some native language, and it used to be called Walla Walla Walla, but someone decided that it was a bit excessive (being Walla Walla Walla in Walla Walla Walla county...) So yep.

People here believe in Sasquatch...? And somehow it fits within the gospel...??

If there are more than four cars in a row here, everyone is like, "ahhhh traffic!!!" it's so funny.

According to Sister McNeil (and everyone I've been on splits and stuff with) I know backwards...It's hard to explain, but I never would've known if I never went on a mission :)

General Conference is next week! I can't wait to hear from our prophet and apostles. When we tell people that we have a modern-day prophet, and he is speaking to us next weekend, people are so surprised! If you knew that there is a prophet of God on the Earth today, why wouldn't you want to listen?? I know that you each can receive a message specific to you as you listen to conference with an open heart. 

Love,
Sister Jensen