Hermana Jensen: Mission Updates: For Time and All Eternity!

Hola Familia!

First of all I need to know when we have Sacrament Meeting back home. Is it the first or third hour?

Yes, Elder Bednar is coming to speak to us and we are all super excited. We´re also pumped for General Conference. It´s going to be a challenge getting investigators there because it´s like an

hour long train ride away, but we´re renting a big bus as a Branch and the Branch President has his meat truck and we´ll pile in the back of that too. It´ll be worth it and those that make the sacrifice will be richly blessed. Enjoy your traditional Swedish pancakes that morning and the in between Conference afternoon walk!

We went with President Miguez in his car to visit the only family in the branch that lives in the town of Hornos. It was out in the sticks, and I hope we never have to walk there.We had this incredible Family Home Evening with Osvaldo Miguez and ALL of his posterity (minus the one son that isn´t a member and lives in Hurlingham… a good ways away). We talked about taking upon us the yoke of Christ and then each person read aloud their testimony from the book we had made for him. He was crying, my companion and I were crying, his wife was crying, some o

f the kids and in-laws were crying because the spirit was so strong. We went back yesterday and had another lesson. Thanks to the help of his recently returned son… who helped us put the date… he accepted the goal and will prepare to be baptized on the 24th of October. It was another amazing experience.

Nata – remember your “happy ring” that you wore in the hospital before Davy was born? I bought myself a happy ring “anillo de felicidad” on Saturday in Moron after the sealing. It is a flower made of a bunch of little tiny green stones. I absolutely love it. And yes, it makes me happy.
I´m sorry this email is going to be shorter because I am only typing about 32 words a minute because my fingers are so cold they are almost numb. We were in a line for the ATM machine for about 15 minutes and that about sealed it. Now I can barely type and the keyboard is too sticky.

Mom – I highly doubt that anyone from the mission will be taking the trip to go to the temple in Uruguay. I think it is just so out of the question. It´s a great sadness for the saints here too.

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Buenos Aires temple to close in November
LDS Church News

Sunday, Sep. 13, 2009

Beginning November 1, 2009, the Buenos Aires Argentina Temple will close for approximately 18 months to accommodate a renovation of the temple. This is necessary to upgrade the temple's mechanical systems and bring the temple up to current standards. Following the renovation, the temple will be rededicated. Specific rededication information will be provided to church members in the Buenos Aires Argentina Temple District as the renovation project nears completion.The presidencies of the Montevideo Uruguay and Asuncion Paraguay Temples are pleased to accommodate members from the Buenos Aires Argentina Temple District during the closure, including those desiring to receive their own ordinances. Members should contact the Asuncion Paraguay Temple presidency at (595) 21-230-035, or the Montevideo Uruguay Temple presidency at (598) 2-604-2212 to make any special arrangements.
We are grateful for the dedicated temple service given by the members in the Buenos Aires Argentina Temple District and, with you, rejoice in the blessings extended to them by our Heavenly Father in His holy houses.

Signed,

The First Presidency

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I was so grateful for my last temple trip as a missionary, and the sealing of Rolando and Valeria was absolutely wonderful! I cried and felt the Spirit so strongly. It was such a cool feeling to see two people so in love and so faithful and so wonderful able to be sealed for all eternity. I was so happy for them and felt this feeling that, "this is the plan… this is what the Father wants.” It was beautiful. I can´t even express the joy that I felt all day. We took 2 buses to get there and spent the entire day on traveling and attending the actual wonderful sealing… but it was so worth it. As a matter of fact we skipped a Stake Service Activity in which they painted the hospital in Navarro and the Elders from Lobos that went in our stead were interviewed by the television crew that came. It so would have been us, but I didn't mind because… I saw Rolando and Valeria be sealed in the temple! That is something that you cannot miss for anything. I waited all mission long for that day and will never forget it!

I have no idea how we made it the whole month without running out of money – we have spent almost 200 pesos in buses this month (in Padua we spent about 65 a month). And yet we had enough money to buy really expensive yummy ice cream in Moron to celebrate the sealing on Saturday – and we will even have enough to buy groceries today! It is literally a miracle. We don´t have tithing to pay, so instead of calling it a tithing blessing I´ll call it a fast offering blessing!

I had a much better week as far as contacts go. It is just so different in a smaller city with so many fewer people. I prayed and prayed and it really helped. I did more this week than last week and found a little more joy in them again. I´m still far from what I was in the beginning of the mission, but at the same time, I feel like I´m better because I´m doing things with a different feeling now.Thanks for your prayers, I´m sure that had a lot to do with it.

Daddy – we keep getting hit with rain, which stops so many people from going to church. I´m just ready for heat, because no one skips church because of that!

One of our investigators didn't come to church yesterday because she had to work. We are really working hard with her, but I tell you Satan wins so easily. All he has to do is keep people fighting poverty and totally dependent upon every peso that they can earn on Sundays… and he wins.

We´re going to try again and see if we can baptize her on the 24th with Osvaldo – that is also the day that we really want to baptize Marcos. It´s crazy to be planning what could be my last baptismal service.

Daiana is doing just fine. We have to get concrete permission from her mom to baptize her this week. She said that her mom said yes, but we need it in writing.

I have been here a month and we are swimming against the tide with a bunch of things that just seem impossible. There are 3 branches having meetings every Sunday. We should have investigators in each of them-- but 2 of them are at the same time and 38 km apart. It is hard to divide ourselves because everybody has callings and kids and let me just say that we have not found the solution yet. Our investigators aren't progressing very well in Navarro because we can only get there twice a week, 3 at BEST and so far we have only made it there on one Sunday – and it was before we had found them.

Well, my time is up. I love you all so much!

Remember that every single challenge is an opportunity to succeed.
Be happy – Families are Forever.
We have a living prophet!

Please try to understand that I am not trunky. Even if it seems like it on paper. I just have this urgency to get all these investigators made into members and I have 8 weeks to do it.
I´m busy, I´m stressed, but I´m doing my best!

Wubba,