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