Chacabuco -- Week 2. Email from 29 February 2016

Hey all,

This week was really great. I got to my area, and I was really excited to work. My companion and I get along really great, and it’s going to be a good transfer. I’m sure that it’s going to be a fast transfer as well. I hope that everything goes well with the zone. This week Elder Culebro, my companion, and I focused on finding more people, and getting the entire zone excited to find more people and keep baptizing. When I got here our area didn’t have anyone that was progressing towards a baptismal date. We worked really hard this week, and tried to do everything that we could to fix more baptisms, and god blessed us because we were able to find 4 people that went to the church and that are progressing towards a baptismal date. We should have a baptism this week, and for that we are really excited. The zone is composed of 12 companions, 2 sets of sister missionaries and 10 of elders. The zone last week had 10 investigators that were progressing, and this Sunday we were able to raise the number of investigators progressing to 18 as a zone. We are hoping to raise it even more, and a number that’s ideal would be more than 30 investigators that are progressing to a baptismal date. 

WOW! I can’t believe that Katie is already 16 years old. That’s so crazy. The time really passes by fast. She looks all grown up already! I can’t believe that she’s already a young woman. When I left she was a little girl and now she’s all grown up. WHAT HAPPENED TO ALL THE TIME? I’m a little more than 5 months out from ending the mission. I hope that I can finish in this area. I hope that you all have an incredible week and that you are doing lots of great things this week. We had the opportunity to listen to Elder Bednar in person this Wednesday and it was something really cool. He talked a lot about being agents or objects. Objects are acted upon, and agents act upon other things. To be an agent we need to have the faith (confidence) that our heavenly father wants to bless us always. 

As far as the living situation goes I’m happy with what you all choose. I hope that you can find something relatively close to the campus. I would like to ride a bike to campus if I can. If not I could use bus or my car. How is the look for a jeep going? I hope that you all are doing great, and I love you all lots. 

Elder Jensen

New Area -- email from 23 February 2016

This week was good.  I was sick as a dog this Friday to this Sunday.  I was dying, throwing up a ton Friday in the night.  I am starting to feel better now.  I have been highly medicated and trying to keep getting better.  Also, I had to say goodbye to a lot of converts sick haha it was a fun experience.  I love Patricia and Brenda and I hope that we can keep in touch with them.  They are going to take me to the airport when I am ready to get out of here, so I will be able to see them again. 

Then I got a call that I am headed to the Villa 1-11-14 or la Villa Chacabuco.  It’s the biggest villa in the entire mission and it has been my dream to go there.  I’m pretty pumped.  Hey there is a problem with emails so you need to tell me if you have received this or not.   If you haven’t received this call the office of the mission and they can change it.  I hope that you all get this. 

Love you all

Elder Jensen

Post Script

It is time to update the map.   Here is where Matt has been...

1. Pacheco
2. Avellaneda
3. La Boca
4. Vucetich
5. and now Villa 1-11-14 (or Villa Chacabuco)

Matt's testimony.... 18 February 2016

One of the members posted this tonight.  Enjoy and think about matt struggling with high school Spanish.

A Delayed Email -- from 15 February 2016

Hey   :) 

I hope that you are all good.  I haven’t received any chats from you all.  I think that you all aren’t on or that the internet doesn’t work.  I’m good here.  This last week we worked really hard and in the end of the week we had 3 more baptisms. WHOOOOOOO!:)   It was a great day.  I baptized Angel who is 17.  He was really Feliz and he is friends of all of the members from the Capilla.  My companion baptized Marcos, the little boy who is 11.  He is the son of Isabel who was baptized a couple of weeks ago.   Also, Jackeline was baptized by elder Cook.  She is the nephew of an active member. 

IT was a great Sunday.  I hope that we can find a ton of people this week so that we can finish with progressing investigators.  I know that this area has a ton of people that are ready to receive the restored gospel in their lives.  This next week we have transfers and it’s almost a sure thing that I get transferred to a new area.  Whatever happens I will let you know this next Tuesday.

As far as school goes it makes me pretty sad that I can’t go to BYU now, but it’s alright.  All of the signs are pointing towards CSU this fall.  Have you been in contact with Michael?  Also I was looking at the application and it looks like I can do it all here, but if you all want to do it instead then here’s the link: I started an application online, but if you did it already I can delete it. 

Elder Jensen

Holidays, Baptisms, and College -- email from 8 February 2016

This week was good. We should have two baptisms this next week so we are pretty happy. We are going to keep working hard, and I want to find a lot of new people this week so that we can keep progressing and helping the ward. I hope that I can count on your prayers to help us out. Today it’s a holiday and there isn’t much time to write, we are going to be on until 6ish here and then this Wednesday we are going to get on to write. We can chat from 6-8 your time. 

I talked with my president of mission and we talked a lot about my plans for college and he said that I wouldn’t be living up to my potential if I chose to go to UVU. I agree with that, as my plans are to get a good job and start my own business so it doesn’t really work that well together. He also gave me permission to work on some applications if you all need me to do something. He told me that I should apply for BYU and CSU again and if I get rejected from BYU it’s because for some reason or another God wants me to go to CSU for at least a year and apply to BYU again. I hope that everything goes well with you for this week and that you have a good time.

Love you! 

Elder Jensen

Sick and Tired...no really. Email from 1 February 2016

Hey all.

This week was really good, but tiring.  I’m dying slowly in the mission haha.  Everyday I feel more and more tired. I feel like I am losing steam to keep doing this haha, its killing me. My shoulders always hurt, my stomach is always upset and my head always hurts from the sun. I always feel exhausted. Everyday it’s harder and harder to study. When I get back I’m going to go to the doctor and they are going to do a full body exam.

We are already in February. I can’t believe it. It went by so fast for me. In six months officially I will be home. It’s weird to me, because the life before the mission just kind of feels like it wasn’t real, or that it never happened. This week we worked hard, and the zone is achieving things that are crazy. We have 20 percent of the baptisms of the mission right now as a mission in our one zone. We are really happy with all of the work that everyone is putting in here. We had two progressing investigators this week, but it looks like we aren’t going to have baptisms until the 14th. We are going to keep working hard so that we can have more baptisms this transfer.

I have been thinking and I think that UofU and BYU and CSU are my options. But, if I can’t get instate tuition at UofU then I will have to mark it off my list. I would like to go there and room with Elliott if it’s possible to get instate tuition. If Ben and Michael don’t answer you guys it’s alright, I can always live in an apartment close to campus with a random selection of roommates, or I can live at home. I will be talking to my president this week to see if he can pull a few strings so that I can get into BYU. We will see what happens.

Love you all!
Elder Jensen