And as if we didn't get the emails -- A Letter from 10/3/14

Hey.

I got your letter today!  It was good and super long.  How is grandpa?  Is he doing alright?  I'm gonna miss seeing him for the next two years!  It is super warm here too.  I miss the big mountains.  And the Continental Divide.  We are going to have to head up there when I'm back.  The falls are beautiful -- I miss them [referring to the trip that Teresa took with her dad].  I hope that he is happy for the next couple of years.   The game should be fun! [referring to the Broncos/Cardinals game that we got for Teresa's dad]  I remember a couple times when Alex and I were skiing it took us like six hours to get down from the mountains.  The time to get back is ridiculous [referring to the 4.5 hours it took us to get back from Silverthorne on a Sunday afternoon].  They need to improve the highways or something.

Today I got some good news.  I rec'd my travel plans to Buenos Aires!  I leave on Monday, so I guess my visa got through!  I dunno, maybe I just overreacted about Sacramento.  It seems like when I was finally okay with going to Sacramento God decided to put my visa through!  Its funny how God gives us trials to strengthen us.  I think that God just wanted me to come to terms with the fact that I needed to go wherever he told me I had to.

So on Monday morning I fly to Argentina and will be immersed in the Spanish language.  I am a bit nervous, as I won't be able to speak that much, but I will pick it up in 4-6 months I bet.  I leave at 6:00am on Monday and have a layover in Atlanta from 4:33pm to 9:30pm, so w expect a call from me sometime then.  Remember the time change!  Then I have an 11 hour flight from Atlanta to BAN and should get in around 8:30 AM in the city.  I am super excited for this.  It should be awesome.  I am going to pull out $200 for my baggage fees also, so just letting you know about this.  I also had my suits dry cleaned so I paid $23 for that.

Tomorrow I pack my bags up so I can fly to Argentina.  If I am over weight I will send you back some stuff in a package tomorrow.  Just put in into my room until I get back.  I think I might be a little over so I will have to check tomorrow.

Time does fly, you are right.  In no time I will be back in FOCO, ready to go to school again.  It doesn't seem like I am 19 and when I get back I doubt that I will feel 21.  It seems like just yesterday I was starting middle school with Alex and swimming in our backyard.  Or it feels like only a couple of years ago I was a freshman in high school, getting sick with the swine flu.  Or going to prom for the first time.  When I get back, things will change, and have changed.  But I hope that the change will be for the better.  I hope I still have some friends when I get back.  Maybe I will move in with Ben!  That would be super fun.  Love you guys!  A lot!

Matt Jensen

Good News: Email from Matt 10/3/14

Hey.

I just sent you guys a letter, but here is an update.

My visa went through and I am headed to Buenos Aires on Monday.  I believe that the lord wanted to humble me, and wanted me to realize that i will have to go wherever he wants me to go.  It was a very humbling experience. I just packed my bags, and I should be good on weight. Tomorrow i will pull out $200 for travel, so just an fyi.

How Grandpa? How is foco doing? Thanks for all of your letters, whenever I get a letter it just makes that day and week so much better. I will call you at my layover in at Atlanta, sometime in between 5-9 Atlanta time. so just keep your phone on and close. I should be able to talk for a decent amount of time!  So that should be good.

Its crazy how much has happened since I left Fort Collins just 6 weeks ago, and I'm super ready to be out in the field, spreading the word of God. I have a feeling that these next two years will fly by for me. Before I know it I will be fluent in another language and be headed back to Fort Collins.

I miss you and love you mom,
Elder Matthew Jensen

Getting Better: Letter from 10/3/14

Dear Jensen Family.


Thanks for the packages and the letters.  I really appreciate them and they make my days here better.  I especially enjoyed the rolo cookies and the presents.  Which two am I supposed to wait until Christmas Day to open?  The new laundry bag is working good, thanks.  Tell Emily I said thanks [for the cookies]!

I am doing better about going to California now.  At first I was super sad about it, and didn't want to go.  But now I realize that ti could have been much worse.  Out of the 18 missionaries here that are headed to Argentina, none of them got visas.  The other missionaries in my district are headed to St. Louis and to Wisconsin.  So I have decided that California isn't so bad.  My visa isn't hear yet because Argentina's government is being super unstable and the FBI isn't letting anyone through.  This means I should be in Cali for 2-12 months probably.  Which is alright.  I hope that the visa comes in sooner rather than later though.

It is my last weekend here and I head to Sacramento on Monday.  I am ready to get out of the MTC.  It has been good, but too long.  I will send you my address for California on Friday -- Our main campus P-day.

The kids who lied about the level of their singing abilities were moved to the alternate choir, so I guess the Lord does care about integrity.  It was not surprising to me at all.

This week I learned a ton about the atonement.  It is really simple if you think about it like this:  God demands justice for the laws we break on earth while we demand [request] mercy for our sins and trespasses.  The only way that both Justice and Mercy can be filled is through the atonement of Jesus Christ.  He suffered an immeasurable amount of pain so that the Justice for our sins was paid for, and he offers mercy to all that believe in Him.  When we are being judged the only person that will be talking is Jesus Christ, and he will be pleading with God the Father to have mercy on our souls.  A good section to read about the atonement is Alma 42 where Alma is talking to his son Coriantamer.

Thanks for the letters and the packages.  I love you all so much.  I will write again on Friday.

Elder Matthew Jensen

Sounding Down: Letter from 9/27/14

Dear Jensen Family.

How are you guys doing this week?  What has been going on in Fort Collins?  It has been another tough week here, and I am glad it is over.  I only have one week left in the MTC!  That is pretty SWEET!

Here I am with Brother Carpenter

Last weekend was good and on Tuesday I found out that I didn't make the General Conference Choir, so that sucked.  Everyone else made it in my district except me and another kid from my district.  But the thing is I am nowhere near the wort singer in my group and a bunch of kids lied on their survey under the "rate your own voice section".   They all rated their voice great or excellent, instead of being honest like I was.  Me and the other elder who didn't make it were honest and said that our voices were only Okay.  At first I was super mad, especially at the kids who suck at singing and liked on the form.  Now I don't care that much because I still have my integrity and I still was honest in the sight of the Lord.  So, sadly, I will not be singing in the Priesthood Session of General Conference -- but I can still be proud of my honesty.

On Thursday we moved to the main campus.  Main Campus MTC straight up stinks.  I am living with six elders in a tiny room.  The snoring sucks at night and I have no place to hang out in anymore.  Our teachers didn't switch with us, so we have two new teachers for our last week at the MTC.  I really enjoyed my teachers, so that sucked too.

Today I received some bad news too!  My visa hasn't come yet.  So if it doesn't come by the time I am leaving then I will be sent to Sacramento California as a temporary mission until my visa gets here.  That sucks because I seriously want to go to Argentina.  Pray for my visa to get here.  The dang FBI needs to speed up their clearances.

So this week has been alright, and I hope that it gets better next week.  I really hope that I get my visa in before I head to Sacramento.  I am willing to wait six weeks in California for my visa, but after that I will come home.  I am not going to get stuck in California for my entire mission -- it is not worth my time.  I am meant to go to Buenos Aires, not California.  So that's just an FYI for you guys, so you won't be surprised if it comes to that.  I love you guys and hope all is well.

Elder Matt Jensen

PS. -- I will be expecting the package Monday!  I love you all.

Reconnecting with Old Friends at main Provo MTC

Sam and Matthew at the MTC - cool for old friends to reconnect

Hey,

Mice are mice, I'm glad I was gone for that! I am looking forward to a package a lot. Hopefully Emily will put Rolo cookies in it;). This weeks sucked. you can get a long story about it in the letter i sent home this week, but shorty story is this;

I didn't make it into General Conference Men's session choir.

We moved to main campus and now I share a room with 5 elders (no privacy, space, lots of snoring).

My visa didn't come yet, so if it doesn't get here by the 6th than I have temporarily been assigned to labor in the Sacramento California mission. It sucks. I really had my heart set on the Argentina mission. 

Its good to have patience, I've gained so much patience here from six weeks it is incredible. I hope I can stay focused in the field, but this last week sucked. 

Now here are some positive things:

I can fit into my retainer again. My teeth are whiter than ever. 

I read all of Mosiah and half of Alma this last week, and I am starting to love reading the Book of Mormon.  

I can speak in Spanish very well now, and can comprehend what Spanish speakers are saying. 

I have been praying a lot, and I feel I can recognize the spirit very well now. 

I feel Jesus Christs love for me at all times. 

I miss all of you guys a ton.

I miss my home a ton but I am ready for what comes in the next two years.

I have seen Sam Merrill everywhere, and its nice to catch up with him. 

Ive grown as a person, and I continually grow everyday. 

I'm following the prophets by serving a mission. 

Love you mom. Send me a hand written letter sometime, they brighten my day when i get a letter in the mail. Let me know how everyone is doing and tell grandpa I love him. 

I hope your having a good time at home. We were able to hear from another apostle this week, Ballard. He was incredible. And inspiring. If I can be a tenth of the man he is than I will be proud of myself. 

Tell the girls I love them and dad to keep at it. Its hard work out here, but it's starting to move by faster than ever. I don't know everything, and I still have the same doubts I had before, but its almost as if they don't matter anymore. Its as if all of my personal doubts and concerns about doctrine and stuff are unimportant when i am teaching the word. they hinder me, and they are still there, but things don't bother me as much as they used to anymore. 

Have dinner with Someone this week. The best way to share our beliefs is through love. Even when people frustrate you, because a lot of people frustrate me, you need to fight through it and love them. My goal this week is to have a smile on my face at all times. I don't want anything to slow me down, especially a bad attitude. 

Love you Mom.

Elder Matthew Jensen

Mario and Luigi visit the MTC

Last week Teresa sent Matt a care package.  In those were some mustaches that were soon passed around to the other Elders.  The results -- pretty funny.

The Gang....

Elder "Mario" Jensen

Part of a trio... 9/18/14

Hey Mom.

The Trio of Companions

Thanks for the email. Its been a good week, but a super long and hard week. I have not heard anything about my visa, so hopefully it will go through soon. I would be heartbroken if I didn't end up in Argentina because of visa problems. The phone card would work, I haven't really though about it yet, but I'm sure it would be fine. The cinnamon rolls were awesome, but so sugary. My stomach does really well when I eat healthy. I find that if I eat super healthy, and drink a ton of water than I can not have any stomach problems.


I have only sent 5 pictures so far because I don't really have much pictures to send. If you send me a little package I won't open it, but put it inside another package so I can open that one. Keep looking for my dream car. It wouldn't be the end of the world if i got another car, but it would be sweet if i could get that dream car. or something that i can go skiing in like a jeep wrangler or something. But a Delorean first choice definitely. 

Me at the Provo Temple

I have only grown a little, so now worries, but I think I have lost 5-10 pounds. There is no real way of knowing though because I have no scales here. Elder Hamilton and I received a new member to our companionship because a kid in our district went home, so we are a trio. I love them both, and I am so glad I was put with other people who want to be here as much as I do. I will send a picture later tonight of us in suits by the temple. I heard from an apostle on Tuesday night. It was cool. Richard G Scott...... a very old man full of wisdom. He talked mostly about prayer and how receive answers to it. It was very cool, and im glad that I was able to hear from an apostle of the lord.

I will send a letter today, so keep an eye out for it in the mail. It will include some of my stories and experiences of this week. In 2 weeks from Monday I leave to BA. I'm so pumped to get out of the MTC and to see the world. 

I need a new laundry bag, the one I got ripped the first day I had it. Try to get me one made of burlap or something so it wont rip please. 

Love you,

Elder Matthew Jensen