Whuddup!!!!!

Zone Conference

Goooood morning, everybody  =)

You all are gonna hate me but . . . I really don’t have too terribly much to fill ya in on this week!  This week was all Zone Conferences.  Monday morning we went to Aracaju; Tuesday we had Conference there.  We came back to Maceió on Wednesday morning and passed by the house real quick to change clothes and take a shower and stuff and then we headed straight back to Farol.  We spent the whole day in the office on Wednesday and then slept in Farol.  Thursday and Friday were Zone Conferences as well . . . These were my last Zone Conferences!  Normally they are every other transfer so I thought I would still have one more . . . But I discovered that the next one will be eight days after I get home  =(  So I gave my last testimony in the three meetings we had.  That was pretty dang depressing but I’ve still got about three months, so I think I will survive  =) 

     

The Conferences all went well.  Our first one, naturally, was the roughest but after that it was super easy and natural.  Once you get the rhythm down, it’s all a lot easier.  All in all, the Conferences were fun and it was awesome to be able to see every single Missionary  =)

     

Jonatan was . . . !  ALMOST Baptized . . . Dang it!  It was all set to go but then his boss called up out of nowhere and said he had to work.  #FreakinSatan!  Anyway, he is excited to be Baptized this Saturday  =)  We really didn’t have much time to follow up on people this week seeing as we only had Saturday and Sunday to work . . . MAYBE we will Baptize a kid named William this week but I don’t know yet.  His family is less-active and we are trying to get them back.  So pray lots for him =)

       

That’s about all I got this week unfortunately.  Sorry!  I LOVE YOU ALL!!!!!!!!!!!

Love, Elder Dylan Miles Jensen

Whaddduuuuppppp????

Goodnight!  Boa noite!  Buenas noites!!!!

How’s it goin, y’all???  How’s life?  Let me try to fill you in on my week real quick . . . 

First things first . . . Aristoteles was Baptized on Saturday!!!!  YES!  That was a really good experience and a very special meeting.  His family was less-active for awhile because they move a lot.  His dad, Val, works for Petrobras which is a gasoline company that BASICALLY controls Brasil . . . Haha.  They didn’t ever do anything TOO bad it sounds like, they just kinda stopped going when they moved.  But Val just got called as the Young Men President and he seems super excited.  His wife, Rita, is actually pretty chill.  Just really nice to see families going to church together  =)  Getting’ ready to go to the Celestial Kingdom and live together and what not . . . Doesn’t get much better than that!!!

We had a lot of time in the area this week which was a HUGE blessing.  I love working in the office because it’s a super new experience and in a weird way I kinda like being lost.  Makes things more exciting.  But I need to learn to improve my attitude when we have to stay in the office for long lengths of time.  My happiness comes from being out there and talking and walking and getting to know people so when I have to sit in front of a computer for a few hours my grumpy side comes out.  I for sure need to get better on that and I’m sure I will.  I only recognized this yesterday so I am excited to try to get better soon  =)
       
We had a Division this week and I stuck with Elder Saavedra.  He is from Argentina . . . HE IS SO WEIRD.  So, naturally, we get a long great . . . Haha!  I already served in the same Zone as him.  I was nervous because I don’t know our Area all too well . . . We have worked in our area very little up until now, so it was pretty interesting but at the end of the day I still had all of vital organs and both arms.  I’d say that that is success!  We also met like six people and marked four Baptisms that day which was amazing.  Divisions are what make me most nervous on my Mission because I really want to be a good example for the Elder that I am supposed to be helping.  So luckily the day went well  =)
        
We met a really cool guy named David this week who is actually our neighbor . . . Haha.  He was in the Navy but messed up his spine really bad building some stuff and can’t work anymore.  He is only 24 so he just really needs someone to talk to.  He always a reeeeeally bad impression about our church too cuz his family is from a church (no names mentioned) that absolutely HATES "The Mormons".  So we are slowly helpin’ him out.  It’s incredible though how much the enemy works to make people feel.  This week his 2 year old daughter fell on her head and had to go to the hospital and then the next day (Saturday night) he had some weird spinal attack and had to go to the hospital . . .  So he wasn’t able to go to church.  Keep him and his family in your prayers.  SUPER special family!!!  We are gonna crush the serpent’s head!!!
         
We are reactivating a girl named Fabíola as well and her sister, Paula.  Their brother, William, showed up to church with them which was a HUGE miracle.  We are also teaching their friend Vitória who went to church on Sunday  =)  We are also working with two girls named Poliane and Poliana.  They are twins and their mom is a less-active.  But the mom is super . . . The twins went to church but we aren’t sure exactly what we are going to do yet because they are only 12 and we can’t take them to church every Sunday like we did.  So we will see!  Simone, the girl who was Baptized two weeks ago, also has a brother named Jonatan who went to church so we are trying to Baptize him this Saturday.  It’s gonna be rough because this week is ALLLLLL Zone Conferences . . . So we don’t’ have any time until Saturday to follow up on him. . . . Pray lots for us!  We are trying really hard to Baptize weekly to be great examples for our Mission.  The other leaders out here are generally young so we are trying to get people more focused on marking Baptisms and of course . . . BAPTIZING!!!  Nothing too new  =)
          
Today I am in Aracaju again and we stay until Wednesday morning.  Tuesday is Zone Conference for Sergipe and Thursday and Friday are Zone Conferences for Alagoas . . . So it’s gonna be a crazy week!!!!
         
That’s all I got!  I LOVE YOU ALL SO MUCH!!!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Be good, be safe, write lots!  LOVE YOU!!!!!!!!

Love, Elder Dylan Miles Jensen

Helloooooooo!!!!

Whuddup!!!

  

Me and my Dad

Alright this week was the weirdest week of my Mission for sure in terms of scheduling.  I will try my best to fill ya in.

     

Sunday, we slept in the Secretaries’ house in Farol.  We drove to Aracaju on Monday morning and cleaned up the church there and got everything all set up.  Then we slept in Grageru 2.  We woke up the next day and had our Leadership Meeting!  I was honestly pretty dang nervous to do the training we had, but it ended up going really well (I think!!!).  I really want to do a good job as Assistant and make a difference which kinda makes me stress out.  It was the same thing in other positions as well until I felt more comfortable and more confident . . . I’m sure I will get better! (I Hope!!!!)

       

We slept in Grageru 2 again that night and then went back to Maceió on Wednesday morning.  We ate in Farol and finished the Mission e-mail and finished up the numbers from the previous week which took a few hours.  We had to clean up that chapel there as well so we ended up getting back to the house in Farol at like 11:30 which was terrible, but worth it.  

Thursday was the same Meeting as Tuesday just with other people.  I felt like it went better the second time around.  I felt a little bit more comfortable  =)  That night . . . I GOT TO SLEEP IN MY OWN BED.  Oh, so nice.  I have so much respect for people who travel a lot now . . . Haha.

     

At the Airport with the newbies  =)

Friday, we got to work in our own area and Saturday as well.  Unfortunately, we lost a lot of time trying to close up Simones Baptism which . . . HAPPENED!!!  Simone was Baptized!!!  That was super legit to see and she seemed very happy.  Unfortunately, we weren’t able to find many new investigators because our time was so little . . . It’s pretty frustrating to finish the week with numbers that are so low, but I guess I will just have to be very, very, VERY efficient with the little time that I have.  It’s a good lesson to learn.

         

For this next Saturday, Aristotele’s is going to be Baptized  =)  It’s already all set up.  His dad is going to Baptize him and all that good stuff  =)

     

Elder Rodrigues said something this week that helped me out a little bit with all the tiredness and craziness.  He said that being Assistant has helped him to learn to love serving others.  Basically, everything we do is to make sure that the other Missionaries are good to go and are doing their best.  It’s not very easy to sacrifice so much of my own time for other people.  It’s something that I’m really not used to doing.  But I can see how important it is and why God expects it of us.  Service is literally giving up your time for other people.  I always knew that, but maybe I never had really LIVED that until now.  I think I am just starting right now.  But it’s a good lesson to learn  =)

     

That’s about all I got!!  I LOVE YOU ALL!!!!!!!!  Be good, be safe, write lots!!  TCHAU!!!!!!!

Love, Elder Dylan Miles Jensen

Sister Gonzaga, Elder Leonan, Elder Jung, Elder Rodrigues, ME, Presidente Gonzaga

Whew!!!!!

“Our greatest fear is not that we are incompetent, but that we are more powerful than we can possibly imagine”

Family!!!

     

A ten year old girl quoted Coach Carter (I know it’s not JUST Coach Carter) with that quote in our Fast Sunday meeting . . . I almost died of happiness.  Super legit!!!

    

Well, this week was, once again, extremely insane.  We always think that we are going to have more time and then we realize that we have something else that we have to get done . . . It’s stressful but gives a pretty good challenge for sure!  Monday night, Tuesday and most of Wednesday were all spent in the office finishing up our trainings for Leadership Council this week.  We are actually in Aracaju right now and we are going to sleep in my old Zone, Aracaju Sul . . . I MISS THIS ZONE SO MUCH.  I finally understand what it is going to be like after the Mission to feel trunky for my Mission . . . I learned so much here so it’s weird to come back and remember all of the experiences.  We will be here until tomorrow night.  We get back to Maceió tomorrow pretty late and then we work in the office again on Wednesday to finish up some graphs and other trainings . . . It’s sooooo different working this way. I’m still not used to it at all.  We have to Baptize more than anyone with less time . . . Lots of prayer!!

      

This week we met a lot of really cool and interesting people but when it came down to Sunday . . . Almost no one showed up to church . . . Aristoteles, our Baptism for this last week, wasn’t Baptized because he and his family had traveled here to Aracaju and didn’t get home in time . . . That was frustrating because his parents knew all about it and didn’t really talk to anyone about their travel plans.  He is still a Baptism, we just hope we can meet up with them soon and get everything organized.

      

We actually had two people that went to church that are Adventists.  They are really cool.  It just makes me sad because they know that what we say is true.  We even show it to them from every angle.  They simply won’t pray to really search for an answer.  They admitted that.  They are scared to have to change religion.  People are actually pretty funny.  Doing what God wants only goes until it’s something that they don’t want to do.  I think a lot of do that a lot.  We are so so so so so so willing to do God’s will when it is our will, but the moment that God’s will doesn’t match up with our will, Gods will doesn’t seem so interesting anymore . . . Freakin’ free agency.  I hate it, but I love it  (Ab Ripper X quote).

       

All in all, we are a little disappointed with our own area this week but we know things will get better.  A girl named Simone is planning on bein’ Baptized this Saturday.  She is the friend of a member and ward missionary.  Super legit and has permission from her parents.  Just gotta obey the commandments and do what is right!  Pray lots for her and Aristoteles!!

       

It’s really awesome being able to work in the office.  We got to travel here to Aracaju with President and Sister Gonzaga this morning as well.  I have learned sooooo much in just two weeks about all kinds of doctrine and principles.  One of the things I am coming to love learning about most is church organization.  It’s soooo cool to see how everything has to work inside of a Mission to set up groups and new wards and branches and stakes and all that.  ‘Im lovin’ it  =)

     

That’s all I’ve got for now.  I LOVE YOU ALL!!!!!!!!!!!!!  Be good, be safe, write lots!!!!

Love, Elder Dylan Miles Jensen