WHADDUP

IM A DEAD MAN WALKIN IN #CIVILWARS

HEY!!!!

How’s it goin?  Whuddup?  How’s the turkey? People here don’t celebrate Thanksgiving so that’s a total bummer  =(   BUT I will have about 70 more after this one, I hope  =)

       

This week was a rough one but a good one!  We tried doin’ things a little differently and it just didn’t go quite as planned, but . . . That’s pretty dang normal on the Mission . . . Haha.  Lots of plans, and they rarely come through!!  We tried searching out less-actives with a list a member gave us and that was an epic fail . . . People are always changing the number of their house or just painting over it so it’s almost impossible to find addresses . . . Super Legit.  I LOVE IT.  #JK  But really, that didn’t go well.  We actually had a TON of difficulties this week in finding new people.  Up until last night we had marked no Baptisms and made no new investigators.  It was terrible!!!  Just lots of weird reasons why things didn’t go quite as planned, but life goes on because . . .

We Baptized Thayna, Neide and Gilmara this last week!!!!  We weren’t really sure how it was all going to play out because they travel a little bit . . . But they all had the desire to be Baptized together this week so we got it done!  It was a HUGE blessing.  The Lord is seriously helpin’ us out SO much here.  It’s absolutely incredible!!!

       

We were really nervous because we didn’t have anyone set to go to church on Sunday so we prayed a ton for some sort of miracle and . . . Whaddya know!  A member brought her friend to church!  We are set up to visit him this next week.  His name his Victor and he’s 20.  Super chill and down to Earth.  SUCH A HUGE BLESSING.

         

These days are days I have to work hard to remember why my last time in this area was difficult.  I complained a lot last time.  I was weak and tired.  The Lord put me here, I believe, because he wants me to remember what I learned and don’t let the same stuff get me down a second time.  Pretty interesting but I love it.  The Lord works in so many strange ways and I learn SO much every day  =)

         

Our Zone Baptized seven people this last week!!!  That put us at the last week of the month with 21 Baptisms!  We broke the record for the last year but last September or October this Zone Baptized 35, so . . . That’s the goal to beat.  Our months are based on Sundays, so this next week counts as December already.  December will have 5 weeks so I’m excited to see what miracles our Zone can pull out.  We can do it!  Who’s on the Lords side who!!?!?!?!?  TABULEIRO!!!

         

I LOVE YOU ALL SO MUCH!!!!!!!!!!!  Be good, be safe.  We have a meeting on Wednesday, so I am hoping to receive lots of letters!  LOVE YOU!!!!

Love, Elder Dylan Miles Jensen

Hold Up!!!

Zona Tabuleiro

A Week of Miracles!!!

Dallas says I gotta step up my game on the home stretch (although I consider the home stretch the last four or five months), so I promise to try to be better in my emails . . .

Hot diggidy dang!  It was a tiring week!!!  We are seeing soooo many miracles here!  I learned something this week.  I think little things I do cause me to be distracted.  Little jokes and songs and stuff like that and so I think sometimes I’m not quite as close to the Spirit as I should be . . . 

The Mission is basically just a huge repentance process. . . Haha.  I learned this week a lot about "line upon line, precept upon precept".  Let me preach a little bit.

     

I think it’s funny how people complain how they want some answer to some great question but they don’t even study the basics.  We want to know the biggest, bestest secrets that exist, but we don’t care to push through 2nd Nephi and REALLY try to understand Isaiah’s prophecies.  The Lord can’t give us more knowledge or blessings until we show that we are ready and worthy to receive more.  I can’t gain a greater knowledge of the Gospel until I search more and until I am more obedient.  If the Lord sees that I can’t be obedient to little things, why would he give me some calling where I have to be more obedient than I am capable of being?  So, in order to receive greater blessings, we have to be ready to make greater sacrifices.  We have to be willing to change.  Even the little things.  "If the Savior stood beside me would I do/say the things I do/say?"  We have so much that the Lord expects of us, but he won’t ask us to do something knowing that we will fail and then our condemnation will be greater.  The Lord has to trust us.  And we have to help him do that.

       

That was my lesson this week  =)

       

This week, we met a family of five.  Adrian and Celia are the parents and Izabel is the daughter.  I will focus on these three because the others aren’t of Baptismal age.  Adrian and Celia lost their house . . . Today.  But when we started teaching them, Adrian got a job out of nowhere and a new house to rent.  #BLESSINGSOFTHEGOSPEL  Ever since they started trying to stop smoking, they have started receiving lots of blessings like that.  They want to be Baptized A LOT and went to church on Sunday, but they need to get married and Celias record to work and all that is in Ceará, another state so it might take a while.  Family SUPER legit and they make us feel special because they just look at us and listen to us as if we were the greatest blessing that they have ever received . . . I LOVE THEM!!!!  Pray for the marriage to go through soon okay?

     

A woman named Neide also went to church with her daughter, Gilamara, and they want to be Baptized this Saturday.  They even are gonna come back from Gilmara’s school early on Thursday just so that we can prepare them more for their Baptism  =)

     

João Victor (the kid we Baptized two weeks ago) has a little brother named Diego who went to church who wants to be Baptized this Saturday as well  =)

       

A woman in our ward and neighbor of all the people previously mentioned has a daughter named Thayna that is going to be Baptized this Saturday as well!

       

There is another kid that lives on that same street named Micon.  He wants to be Baptized this Saturday as well!

Basically, we might have five or six Baptisms this next week!!!  So pray for all of them okay???

     

Our Zone finished this week with six Baptisms which puts us at nine in the month . . . Still not enough but we are improving!!!  Our Zone is getting more excited and really looking for those ELECTS more now.  I think that is one of our biggest problems.  Working with people who don’t progress.  So we talked a lot about that in our Zone Meeting.  I think it helped a lot.  Don’t waste time with people who want nothing!  Seek the ELECT!!!!

       

Well, I gotta go.  I LOVE YOU ALL!!!!!!!!!!  Be good, be safe, write lots.  Pray for my investigators and my ZONE!!!!!!!!

Love, Elder Dylan Miles Jensen

Whuddup!!!!!

Elder Reneer, Thales, Joao Victor, and Elder Jensen

Herro Herro.

Family and Friends,

#TABULEIROROUNDTWO 

I was transferred as we all know.  But what you all didn’t know is that . . . President put me right back in my last Zone as Zone Leader!!!!  It was reeeeeally weird and the first time that I didn’t really know how to react at Transfers . . . Haha.  At first I was pretty disappointed . . . I’m not gonna lie.  "Dang. Tabuleiro again?"  My last time here wasn’t very positive so I was super nervous.  But then I realized something . . . I have the chance to redeem myself in a certain way.  My attitude here was pretty bad last time.  I think I had very little faith and complained because of our difficulties in the area and the Zone.  I feel like I grew SO much in Aracaju South and I’m excited to be able to use that experience here to try again. 

     

President Gonzaga saw me after Transfers and said, "I don’t know why you need to go back there.  I was lookin’ at all the Zones and thinkin’ I could put you anywhere but I only really felt good with you in Tabuleiro again.  I think you need to finish your time there.  You have something to do."  So I have some sort of great purpose here!  Hope I can figure it out soon  =)

   

My new companion is Elder Reneer who is an American from Nebraska #FirstNebraskanInMyLife  He is super chill and is already helpin’ me out a ton.  Super focused and serious but likes to joke around as well.  He actually is from my original group before I changed my date to leave early, so I only have about six more weeks on the Mission than he does.  Pretty legit dude  =)

   

Our Zone started off this month with only three Baptisms . . . Two of which were of me and my companion.  We Baptized two kids called Thales and João Victor.  I got here and they were kinda "nehhhh", but when they realized they could be Baptized together and that their families would be there watching they decided to do it  =)  Our Zone needs to get goin’ . . .  Our Zone made a combined goal of 35 Baptisms in November, but if we Baptize three a week that will not happen . . . I think we forget very easily about the goals me make.  We make goals and then forget to REEEEALLY focus and get it done.  What are goals for if we just forget all about them?  That doesn’t make much sense at all . . . I think we can all improve on that.  Both on the Mission and off the Mission.  We can change  =)

     

This week . . . We saw a drunk guy with his baby girl in his arms listening to music and dancing and teaching her how to use a taser . . .  #IDidntKnowWhatToSay  #AwkwardMomentOfTheWeek

     

Well . . . Pray lots for me!!!  I love you all!  Write me lots.  Stay classy!!!

Love, Elder Dylan Miles Jensen

Bishop's`Family in Atalaia . . . Best family EVER!!!!