Hermana Jensen: Mission Updates: Nov 10, 2009

Oh what a beautiful not p-day... but I´m writing you anyway! (with permission of course)

Isn´t it just super awesome that we can write each other through the Internet? What a blessing!

Mom, I wanted the bottoms to be shorts. Thanks so much!

Daddy - I only bought 1 key chain on the tour, but that does not mean that I hadn´t previously bought others... things are so cheap here, you´d do it too! :)

Mom - the song we sang in the Sisters Conference... went... pretty bad, the truth is that we never practiced together, and the accompanists was sight reading. It was funny, but hey. It was just in front of the other sisters.

I learned a VALUABLE lesson this past week. You should never, ever, ever, ever leave your knee-highs, little sockies, and gym socks all soaking in water for a week. They will literally ROT. Like they didn´t dissolve away, but they took on an inhumane smell - literally like a sewer. We scrubbed and scrubbed with boiling water and a ton of smoke.....but let´s just say that I won´t be packing them to take with me. The garbage will be full the night I pack! Much to Daddy´s pleasure!

The people here wear fanny packs with the bag over their head and one shoulder. Others use them around their waists but the funny thing is that it is not un-cool here. To me it still is. :)

We had our going home missionaries tour of Capitol Federal yesterday, which is why we couldn´t write. We tried to get out a heads up email, but all the locutorios were closed in the morning. I felt sad that you would worry again, and prayed that you wouldn´t stress too much.

Our tour was super fun. We went to the Casa Rosada (their White House) the Plaza de Mayo, the Obilisco, a huge Catholic Cathedral, the cemetery where Eva Peron is buried and La Boca Cancha, Caminito. We saw this giant flower that opens and closes every day. We went to the grove where the General Authorities said the dedicatory prayer to open South America for the preaching of the gospel and we went to the zoo, but it was closed. I think that´s about it, but the best part was feeding the pigeons in the park. They eat out of your hands and land on top of your head to eat the corn out of your hair (that we of course put there). I have great pictures and videos of that!

I had divisions in Mercedes and saw a bunch of 20 year old boys in suits leaving a military training camp and when they stood up to give their seats in the train to women, it about made me cry. I wanted each and every one of them to be a member and serve missions.

Sister Pruner and I spent our '18 months out' birthday together on divisions in Navarro. We ate lunch at a restaurant and took gorgeous pictures. I´m quite happy. It was a great day and our companions made us a cake and a giant "18" sign. I can´t believe that I have literally been a missionary for 18 months and then some. How weird is that? I really don´t feel like I have been away from home that long. I bet mom does.

Hermana Benton told me that you two were talking on the phone the other day and that she said they were really sad to see me go and that you were really quiet for a while and then said, "well, we´re going to be really happy to get her back!" How true that is.

Every day, all day long when things happen, or we’re squished in a train, or playing in the rain, or waiting for a bus, I think to myself "you´re gonna miss this." All day long I could sing it. I am going to miss the mission so much it is just sad! I love everything, even the really lame stuff. I will even miss weekly planning. Ok, well maybe I won´t miss weekly planning, but the rest of the stuff... yes!

Miracle story: on said division with Hermana Pruner we knocked a door and this giant dog came bounding out and went straight for our exposed ankles. Mine first, then Hermana Pruner´s but the thing is that he didn´t bite us. It was literally like Heavenly Father put a little shield around our ankles, because I felt the dog touch me, but he immediately backed away and then went for her. She also felt his teeth, but he didn´t bite her either. He charged us once more before we made our escape, but we were not harmed. There was an unseen shield protecting our ankles... this dog had a bark so big that even if his bite was less it could still kill. What a tender mercy!

In church when Elsa (wife of Osvaldo) testifies about how miracles come and prayers are answered, the Spirit is just so strong. She cries and says that after 18 years, her husband finally accepted the gospel, and you can´t deny that the Holy Ghost is in the room. It is such a powerful experience and every time she shares it, I about die to think that I was blessed to be part of it.

So Maria Ester is the old lady with cancer that Pabla lives with and takes care of, but she died on Sunday night. So sad. She was truly suffering and I had actually prayed that she could just pass away. I have never seen a body so unwell, but a spirit so determined. She has just over a year in the church and even though she didn´t understand everything, she had a great testimony. She endured to the bitter end and I have no doubt that she is preaching in Spirit Paradise right this minute. She suffers no more. Pabla will still be baptized on Saturday... thank heavens, but keep her in your prayers!

I have had some of the worst hay-fever attacks of my life. So bad that I went red-eyed and dying into the pharmacy and begged for a stronger drug. I was a sight to be seen, such that the security guard left her post to get the poor American a glass of water. The drug that works is of course Benedryl, but they sure knock me out and keep me druggy the next day. I don´t know what was flying around more than cotton here, but I about rubbed my eyes until they bled. I was miserable and trapped on a 3 hour train ride without a wash cloth or even napkin. It was bad.

Looks like Liliana will have a miracle and be able to attend church starting December, but that means that I won´t be there for her baptism. Bummer, but the Lord answered our fast and there will be a way for her to progress, all in due time.

Turns out that the other Liliana we baptized from Padua, who was the mom of Romina and Yamila passed away too. The Elders that were serving in Padua this past transfer said that she died and they don´t know exactly where Romina and Yamila are, but they are trying to find out. I was heartbroken. Poor Romina and Yamily that were baptized and confirmed and basically never made it back to church... and now their mom is dead and their dad is in prison. They need more fellowshipping from the church and I don´t even know how or where to find them. I can´t even give them the cards I had written them. I hope the Elders can track them down, but that is a lot easier said than done in this country. People can literally just disappear.

Please keep them in your prayers too. They have an uncle who is active in the church... I pray that he comes in from campo and takes them away and gets them back in the church. They must feel so alone. And Brian too - even though he was never baptized... now he needs help more than ever. My heart reaches out to them, but I can´t do a single thing more than pray.

Oh, remember the division that I had with Hermana Pruner on our 18 months birthday? Well this drunk guy in the street started hitting on us pretty bad and he put his arm around Hermana Pruner and I opened up a can... I was yelling at him and made him leave her alone and she was just in panic like a deer in the headlights. In no time the situation was taken care of, but luckily my dad teaching me to stand up for myself came in handy because I don't think poor Hermana Pruner would have been able to get him to stop. We joked afterwards saying that she is like a little bunny and I am like a raptor, but hey... I got the scary guy to leave us alone and that is what matters.

I have it on good authority that my red-eye back to Dallas is the same flight that Elder Bednar will be on. We´ll see if I even get to shake his hand or see him at all, but just imagine that... being able to talk to Elder Bednar and his wife before we board the plane! I am brainstorming all of my best miraculous stories in case he asks me something about the mission.

Hermana Benton said that you didn´t know what I want for my first dinner home... refer back to one of my snail mail letters from about 11 months ago. I want chicken croissants, stuffed mushrooms, and what else I don´t remember, but I know I had it all planned out. But whatever happens, happens. I´m really not picky.

This point of the mission is surreal. You have bittersweet 'realization minutes' constantly. Poor Hermana Pruner is not at all accepting it and slowly internalizing it like I am. She is probably going to make herself physically ill, which makes me sad and it makes me feel like maybe I´m in the wrong and that I should be sadder. Rest assured I am quite sad, but like I said before... I see the big picture and this is just a stage that I am now leaving behind for another.

I wonder what the Bishop will ask me to speak about in sacrament meeting. I imagine that it will be something like "what did you learn about the Savior in the mission?" or something like unto it. I´m excited to prepare my talk, it´ll be weird talking in English, but hopefully it will go well.

Things are all pretty unreal to me for now. It´s like this can´t possibly be my last train ride to Mariano Acosta for district meeting. This can´t possibly be the last time I eat lunch with Maxi and Paula. I don´t know how I´m going to be able to leave these people that I have grown to love so much. And above all it is going to be tough to leave all my Latin companions that I literally may not see again until the Spirit World. It´s just not all that likely that I make it to Chile or Nicaragua... those from Argentina... there is a tiny chance, but not very big because they are from San Martin de Los Andes Neuquen... another province, so even when (note that I said when... because I am already planning a trip back) I come back to Argentina I won´t be 100% going to Neuquen. I want to visit Rolando and Valeria in Cordoba and see the waterfalls at Iguazu, but beyond that and my own mission stuff, I don´t know what other provinces I´ll get around to. I want to bring you all back with me!

This is weird that I have like 10 minutes left and I have already told you all of the things that I had written on my list. I didn´t go into much detail about the tour, but that´s because all of the things will be much clearer with pictures and videos. I could tell you all about the giant flower, but without a picture... it´s just not the same.

We talked the zone leaders into changing the zone activity of our last p-day to be in the middle of the day so that Hermana Pruner and I can make a getaway to the center of Merlo and do some last minute shopping. There are a bunch of things that I still want to buy, like a pretty Argentine skirt and alpargatas that I just never got around to. And we were robbed of p-day 5, so p-day 6 is all we´ve got. Luckily they understood and even though the zone was against it as a whole... we won and the schedule was changed.

Nata - quiero que usted sepa que estoy tan agradecida por el ejemplo que me dio toda mi vida. Siempre recuerdo las últimas palabras que me dijo cuando me abrazó y me despedí en el ccm... que tengo una hermana mayor que me ama y que estaría conmigo si pudiera. Le amo con todo mi corazón y he orado por usted y su familia cada día. Nunca se afloje con las cosas pequeñas. Como dijo el Élder Bednar... son todo.

**translation**
Nata- I want you to know that I am so grateful for the example you have been for me throughout my life. I always think about the last thing you told me when we hugged goodbye at the MTC, that I have a big sister who loves me and would be right there by my side if she could. I love you with all of my heart and I've prayed for you and your family everyday. Remember, don't ever get lazy with the little things. Like Elder Bednar said, "They are everything."

Mom - I would not be even half the missionary that I am were it not for all that you taught me about the atonement of our Savior Jesus Christ. Your unfailing charity and faith have sustained me in the hardest of moments and I have been able to testify with power and authority that one can be healed of any heartache. I have been put in places to testify to many people about that and I know that were it not for my truly wise and Christ-like mother, I would not have been able to touch their hearts.

Daddy - Your words and advice have been very empowering to me in the mission field. I have striven to put them into practice and really personify the missionary I dreamt I could be. I have sought counsel from my three fathers and received it from each one. I look forward to our first hug at the airport reunion that will be so blissful in a few short days. I have grown a lot... we´ll see if you recognize me.

Jason - I am very excited to share missionary stories with you and have had the chance to share your advice with my new missionary companion, with respect to numbers and the accountability interview. She found it very helpful as did I and we rejoiced mutually as D & C says that both teacher and learner should.

Davy - how I long to hold you in my arms and give you little bites of alfajores. Davy I am your only aunt... Tía Stacey and you will see how much I love you very soon. I have thought about you just about every day for the last 18 months, you don´t remember me, but I will never forget you. You´ll remember me soon. I bought you your first BYU gear! And your first BOCA gear too.

Grandparents, aunts, uncles, cousins - I have a firm testimony that families can be together forever. What is required of us is that we make AND keep eternal covenants with our Heavenly Father in His temples. He is inviting us constantly to do so. May we all remember that and do our part to be a forever family!

With all the love that this sister missionary has,