Monday, October 28, 2013

TRANSFERS!!!!!!!

SO . . .

I was transferred  =(  I’m happy, but sad at the same time.  I feel like I grew and learned so much here in Aracaju Sul . . . I stayed almost five months here!!!  I can’t BELIEVE how time flew by!!!!  Nuts!!!  My Bishop gave me the nicest complement ever yesterday . . . I almost cried.  He said (in broken English), "My family really like you.  I’m going to pray that you aren’t transferred"  =(((((  I’m gonna miss this place so dang much!!!!  So many awesome people here . . . But it looks like I’m headed back to Alagoas.  Exactly where, I do not know . . . I will find out on Tuesday  =)
         
Brida, a friend of the Bishop’s family was Baptized this last week.  It was awesome  =)  Piter . . . I don’t really understand why, but he left on Saturday night and wasn’t Baptized . . . He said he would go to church on Sunday and be Baptized afterward, but didn’t show up.  So I don’t really know what that is all about.  Lima was traveling so he didn’t go to church this week  =\  Life goes on!  #SÓBATIZA!!!!!!!!
         
A TON of people in my Zone were transferred . . . Even Elder White, but it looks like he is going to stay in Sergipe.  Don’t know why he got transferred.  Feel kinda bad for him cuz he cleaned our house so dang much and then has to leave . . . Hahaha . . . Maybe they are going to put Sisters here?  Who knows . . . Should be interesting!!!
         
I don’t have too much to fill ya in on cuz all the things we did this week, I won’t be following up on anymore . . . I learned so much here!!!  And worked so dang hard!!!  I feel ALMOST satisfied.  But I know that I could have done better and done more.  Our Zone finished this month with only 7 Baptisms . . . That’s a total downer . . .  But sometimes it’s good to fall just to show that we can get up again.  "Gettin on my knees puts me back on my feet again"  #JonnyLang
         
I sure do love you all!!!!  Stay classy.  Write me lots.  LOVE YOU!!!!!!!!!!!


Love, Elder Dylan Miles Jensen

Monday, October 21, 2013

WHUDDUP!!!!!!!!!!


"Works are temporary . . . The benefits are . . . PERMANENT!"

Howdy Hey Howdy Hey!

Family,

We were so close to Baptizing this week!!!  Then the Ward decided to have like a million activities and Bishop couldn’t go.  The girl wanted to be Baptized by our Bishop so we decided to hold out until this next week . . . #CURSES.  Life goes on though, huh  =)
       
Piter went to church again and is super pumped for his Baptism this week as well  =)  Good kid! Got deported from Italy but . . . He’s doin’ a lot better now.  #Gospel  #SpiritChanger
       
We actually met a lot of cool people this week, but not many went to church.  Only a man named Lima and Piter showed up to church which was frustrating but still a blessing so I will definitely take it  =)
     
I learned something interesting this week . . . We have rules as Missionaries not only to protect us BUT ALSO to protect our image as Missionaries.  The moment someone starts to see us as just goofy young kids, it will be impossible to teach them.  We lose that Spirit of teaching.  That "Missionary Spirit" that everyone talks about is much more real than I thought.  I think Missionaries get shocked on their return home simply because that Spirit leaves.  But it’s not the SPIRIT’S fault.  It’s because we start focusing on things, maybe not even BAD things, that don’t TRULY invite the Spirit . . . Makes me kinda nervous to go home actually . . . Haha . . . Life is so tiring, but SO simple and focused here!  Good lesson!
       
Our Zone Baptized ONE person this week  =(  Everyone is kinda just . . . Poopy at the moment.  We are tryin’ hard to excite everyone, but we are in the middle of a very large battle!  I really hope we can pull it together in this last week before Transfers . . . The week before Transfers is generally when people give up the most so we gotta pull out a miracle here!  #PRAYFORUS
         
I love you all so much!!!!  Be good, be safe!!  Write me lots!!!  PEACE!!!!!!!!!!!


Love, Elder Dylan Miles Jensen

Aracaju!

Baptism of Rafael and Tainah   =)

Our District

Elders Roberto and Jensen

Home Sweet Home

Wednesday, October 16, 2013

Howdy Hey!

Zona Aracaju Sul  =)
#BATISMOS!!!!!!!!

Family, Friends and Wookies,

We Baptized Rafael and Tainah this week!!!  Woo hoo!!!!!!!!!!!!  That was an awesome Baptism . . . Rafael was cryin’ and when I asked him why he said he felt sorry for not having been Baptized sooner.  He said, "I should have done this with my wife and kids when I had the chance.  All I can do now is try to be an example and help my future wife to have this truth."  Rafael is a fricken stud . . . I love that kid.  He was so ready.  How lucky am I that I got to be the person to meet him?  I got to be the person sent out to teach him?  And Tainah?  She is SO smart. She understands everything!!!  I just feel blessed this week.  It was a tough week but it gave such a great result in the end . . . God must love me very very much  =)
     
E . . .  =(  Unfortunately, she is kinda crazy and doesn’t want to accept the Book of Mormon out of nowhere . . . It was funny because the day before I had the feeling that this was going to happen.  So when it happened it was much easier to just let it go.  I feel bad because she is having difficulties in her life and won’t change.  She thinks that continuing in the same path is going to help her . . . Didn’t someone say that that is the definition of insanity?  Doing the same thing over and over again and expecting a different result?  #Awkward...
       
Elder White is great and I sincerely believe that we have success because he is so devoted and focused.  He’s a good freakin’ kid.

This week we had a random blessing.  A kid in the Ward brought his friend to church and we marked his Baptism . . . A girl that has wanted to be Baptized for a loooong time wasn’t able to because her dad is crazy and wouldn’t let her but . . . He got sent to jail . . . #AwkwardBlessings  So we are going to Baptize her!  Woo hoo!  The boy is Piter (Like Peeta from Hunger Games #SWAG) and the girl is Brida.  If all goes as planned, we will Baptize Brida and her little brother Rian this week  =)
         
The Zone finished this week with only two Baptisms which were of me and my companion . . . I think everyone is getting that "oh Im going to be transferred" feeling so they are slowin’ down a tooooon.  It’s frustrating.  I feel it in myself and I fight against it every day so I know that others are feeling it too . . . But how big of hypocrites would we be to teach "Endure to the end" and not be able to do it ourselves?  Just gotta keep on goin  =)
         
Transfers are on the 29th . . . I imagine that I will be transferred because I will have about three transfers and a half out here . . .
         
That’s about what I got for now.  I LOVE YOU ALL!!!!!!!!!!!!  Be good, be safe, hit me up soon =)  LOVE YOU!!!!!!!!!!


Love, Elder Dylan Miles Jensen