Yeah, Buddy . . .

But here´s my number, so call me maybe!!! 

That’s how I feel as a missionary, too.  Not just as a teenage girl pop star.

Well . . . This week for sure had a few miracle inserts!  Kinda like shoe inserts really.  They just make life better.  Our Ward Mission Leader started us off pretty well with a reference of this young family.  Their names are Cintia and Junior.  They have one son who is four years old and when we went there we taught all the first lesson, even the Book of Mormon and they sooooaked it in!  It was a really cool lesson.  I also got to teach that lesson with Elder Harris who is the other American in our house.  Not only was that lesson super legit but listening to Elder Harris speak Portuguese made me realize that I got SPOILED with this language.  Up until now I can’t believe that I can actually converse with anyone and understand them.  Whoever says the Gift of Tongues isn’t real is full of craaaaaaap!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

         

Unfortunately, we didn’t get the chance to meet that family again during the week - Just Cintia one time and super duper fast because Junior is part of the police and travels a lot.  They wanted to go to church and even Carlinhos, the Ward Mission Leader, stayed in touch with them during the week and said that they were both super excited and wanted to hear more, but it just wasn’t possible for this weekend because he had to travel.  But we will be teaching them again tomorrow so we will see how it goes!!!!

           

We also met an American and his wife this week!  Haha . . . She, Edith, is from here but was living in the United States illegally for about twenty-five years!  They got married two years ago, but when they put all the papers in, she ended up getting deported.  The whole situation is whack and she is SUPER depressed.  They both left kids behind from previous marriages but she just isn’t willing to accept that she can’t go back and just enjoy what she has here.  Unfortunately, her husband, Edward, is super insane . . . Hahaha.  I think he just misses speaking with people because he can’t speak ANY Portuguese.  Sooooo when we were there he would just talk . . . and talk . . . and talk and THEN!  He would talk some more.  Then a little more.  Then talk a little bit.  And after that he would talk.  And aaaaall this time what does he talk about?  The weirdest ftuff!  Conspiracy theories of 9/11 and how the Bible isn’t literal.  The stories just have meanings.  And somethin’ to do with the name of Jesus Christ and numbers and it relates to the Sun and WOW.  It was so weird!  It sufficeth me to say this:  All you people who served in the United States, I feel your pain and I have SOOOOO much respect for ya’ll now!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

         

This week we have transfers but for some reason they are on Wednesday.  So our Zone Leaders are going to call tonight and fill us in.  It’s very, very probable, like 99% chance that either Elder Augusto or I will be transferred.  So next P-Day it will be the first thing I fill ya’ll in on!!!!!!!!!!

           

I love you all!  Be good, be safe.  The church is true.  Work hard!  I love you!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Love, Elder Dylan Miles Jensen

Hey Hey You You I don't like your boyfriend!

Howdy ya´ll!!!!

Well, well, well . . . Where should I start?  This week, we honestly didn’t get too much done.  Carnaval basically killed everything until like Thursday and then we got way held up by some less actives that just wanted to talk FOR DAYS about any possible thing!  Haha . . . It is a woman and her husband and their son is the leader of the young men.  They just kinda have difficulties forgiving people and letting things go . . . I actually was kinda amazed at how frustrated they were . . . I will have to talk to my Bishopric and get some people over there to help them out . . . All of you . . . Promise not to hold grudges, alright?  They are freakin’ ridiculous . . .

Unfortunately, I did not win the most letters award at Zone Conference this week   :(  Haha . . I don’t think anyone did. A ll the mail got super help up because of Carnaval.  Brasil is funny.  When there are holidays, EVERYONE and EVERYTHING takes the day off!  Haha . . . So next time my pile of letters should be HUGE!!!! I  didn’t get one letter from you, Momma!  It was crazy!  But it’s okay, it will be perfect when it all gets to me  =)

      

I had splits this week with an Elder in our District named Elder Soares.  That day was kinda a rough one for me actually.  Elder Soares could tell and he just looked at me and said, "I know what you need.  Do you want a blessing of comfort?"  I was just . . . How did I not think of that sooner?  I realized . . . How foolish are we all!?  We have this amazingggggg authority and yet sometimes we get so caught up in the moment that we forget how easy it could be to feel better!!!  We have the Priesthood!  Needless to say, I gladly accepted his offer of a blessing and I could not BELIEVE what I felt.  Never before in my life had I felt my mind be so incredibly clear and relaxed so fast.  The moment he started talking, everything was just . . . Good.  There was light at the end of the tunnel.  Not just at the end, the whole dang tunnel was full of light really . . . Haha.  It was SO cool.  I will be forever thankful for what Elder Soares did that day for me.  I think it’s a good lesson for us all to learn NOW - The Priesthood can and will change your life if we use it and accept it with faith.  I think it worked so well for me that day because I really had all my hope and faith in what Elder Soares was doing.  How spoiled are we? :)

     

And of course!!!  Nara was Baptized!!!  She was really nervous during the week because her mom wasn’t totally supportive, but she wasn’t stopping her either.  Soooo . . . I stole my Zone Leader´s idea and asked her if we could say a prayer right then and there to know if she should be baptized this week.  And after the prayer, no one talk, just listen to the Spirit.  And . . . We did!  And after the prayer while we were listening, the Spirit was SOOOOO strong.  When I asked Nara what she wanted to do she said, "I really want to be baptized, THIS Saturday"!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  HECK YES YOU DO!!!!!!!!!!!!  Nara was baptized.  So awesome.  How often do we forget the simple things!?  Like listenin’ to the Spirit.  Pray, Listen, Act, Listen :)

    

I love you all!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Be good, be safe, A Igreja de Jesus Cristo dos Santos dos Últimos Dias is true!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  LOVE YOU!!!!

Love, Elder Dylan Miles Jensen

Carnaval!!!

Hey!!!!!

Well . . . Carnaval is in full swing aaaand, luckily, that doesn’t mean too terribly much in my current area . . . Haha.  Actually, the majority of people here seem to have traveled out of our area.  I think most people go to the beach or more inland.  But, to be honest, what I have seen of Carnaval hasn’t been all too strange.  Well, yeah, it’s pretty strange . . . Haha . . . But still. Carnaval could be described pretty simply actually: Guys dressed as girls and drunk people. That’s basically Carnaval! Haha!  We have only really had one day so far where people were crowding the streets like crazy with music super loud.  Everyone says to avoid walking in the afternoon too much because people like to throw eggs at you and try to ummmm . . . "Love you". I don’t know if that makes sense but . . . Let’s leave it open to interpretation!

      

This week things got switched up quite a bit with how Districts and Zones work.  Not too terribly much just that the District Leader's role is a lot more important now.  Now it’s our job to do everything for our district and accompany everything and decide everything that needs to be done while in the past the Zone Leaders basically just got numbers and said what we should do.  Makes sense though considering the Zone Leaders don’t really get a true solid chance to meet every District individually. It’s good though, and the Lord asked it  =)  Our District definitely has its problems.  We have two Elders that will end their missions in April and they are dying a little bit. O ur numbers are always SUPER low and I just think we really lack motivation and Spirit as a District.  It’s definitely something I am trying to improve and trying to help others improve as well!

       

Nara wasn’t baptized this week . . . She had her interview and everything but a ttoooooooon of members went off for Carnaval and she wants her friends to be there so she postponed until next week.  I know she is ready and she knows she is, too.  She also really wants to talk with her mom more about it first.  Her mom is kinda weird and basically just doesn’t like the Law of Chastity . . . Hahahahah!  But I believe her mom will let her make her own decision.  I know she wants to, the Lord knows she wants to, SHE knows she wants to, she just wants the support of her mom.  Which makes sense really!  And it’s good.  But really keep her in your prayers!  She will most likely be baptized this Wednesday when everyone gets back if all goes as planned!!!!

       

We didn’t have much of an opportunity to speak with Dilma and Enôque this week but we will try again this upcoming week and see how it goes.  They just need to get married, man!  We also had a more of an opportunity to speak with a kid named Alvoro this week who is super quiet but super legit.  He wants to be baptized too, we just gotta get him to church first!  I’m not sure why he didn’t go yesterday but we will go to his house this week and check it all out!

       

We have a Zone Conference this week which means . . . "CARTAS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!" "LETTERS!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!"  I am extremely excited and will be oh so overjoyed when I have the chance to hear from everyone.  I hope to have the biggest stack of letters like I always have in the past so all of you keep up the good work!

         

Every challenge we have is something to learn from.  I think sometimes we forget the eternal perspective of our challenges.  That each day and each situation should be turned into a Spiritual moment to help our faith to grow.  If we do not nurture that seed every day, knowing that with time it will be the strongest base we have, we will fall.  We will fall into temptation.  Every difficult moment only increases our faith.  When our faith grows we become closer to our Heavenly Father.  When we are closer to our Heavenly Father, we remember why we are here and what we are doing.  We remember why difficult moments are necessary.  We remember that without growth, we will never live with our God again.

The Church is oh so true.  God exists. T his week a man told me that the human race came from aliens.  When we explained about God he said "Prove it to me".  I alllllllmost hit him in the face.  But instead I just decided to let him think what he wants . . . “Oh ye generation of vipers and sign-seekers"!!!!!!  GOD EXISTS.  This IS his church.  I know.  I promise.  Be good, be safe. Write me lots.  I LOVE YOU ALL!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!

Love, Elder Dylan Miles Jensen

Heyyyyyy!!!!!!

Well, well . . .

This week has been pretty . . . Normal to be honest!  Haha!  I’m sorry I don’t really have too terribly much to fill you all in on!

          

We thought we were going to have a baptism this last Saturday, but she was a little nervous.  Her name is Nara and she is super legit!  She has her answer already and reads the Book of Mormon daily . . . She just got nervous.  She appears MUCH more firm for this week  =)   Other than that, to be honest, our teaching pool is super small here.  But we are trying!

          

We have been trying to work hard with members and luckily the members really want to help us out here with meeting their friends and all that good stuff which is awesome!  Our ward is super legit and everyone really wants to help out.  I really couldn’t ask for much more  =)

           

There is a couple in our Ward that has been going to church for about ten years and are SOOOOO faithful. But . . . They won’t get married.  They both have been married previously and are receiving money from the death of their loved ones which they are using to take care of their kids and parents.  They both want to be baptized SO badly, but especially the woman is afraid to not be able to take care of everyone.  They are my ultimate goal here in Antares.  They are SO ready.  We taught about the temple and she was crying (Dilma is her name and the husband is Enôque) and the lesson was super spiritual.  Pray and fast lots for them . . . Salvation is kind of a big deal!!!!!!

            

I’m really sorry I don’t have more to say today.  The week wasn’t full of exciting things this time . . . Haha . . . But . . .  I LOVE YOU ALL!!!!!!!!!!  We have some meetings this week which means what?  LETTERS!!!!!!!!!!  #Swag  Be good, Be safe, write me lots  =)  Love you!!!

Love, Elder Jensen